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Update On Bobby Lashley’s Next Move

Andrew Ravens
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50

We’ve got an update on the status of former ECW/ TNA World Champion Bobby Lashley. On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Lashley is no longer negotiating with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

After talking with people within both NJPW and Impact Wrestling, the belief is that Lashley is heading back to WWE.

Also, it should be noted that there has been talk of Lashley possibly working with Universal Champion Brock Lesnar after WrestleMania 34. Although  

Lesnar’s contract expires in April, it’s expected that the sports entertainment company will extend the deal going through August, which would allow WWE the opportunity to promote a Lesnar vs. Lashley match. 

Brock Lesnar Called Out By WWE UK Champion

Roderick Stedman
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11

On a night which had Paul Heyman introduce NXT TakerOver: Philadelphia, Pete Dunne called out Brock Lesnar, as well as everyone else in WWE.

Since winning the WWE UK Championship, Pete Dunne has been a dominant force in professional wrestling.  Samoa Joe described him as an ambassador for British wrestling, and someone that has made a significant impact which resonates throughout many.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WukMTB6SOeo

Dunne expanded saying that the UK Title is his world – whatever, or whoever is next, he plans to remain UK Champion.

When asked about what 2018 holds for him, Dunne explained that he’s going to “continue to put the UK on the map” and that the UK division will represent the best sports entertainment in the world.

On being asked about who he would like to face, Pete Dunne just said “anyone and everyone” before also dropping Brock Lesnar’s name as a worthy opponent.

Check out the full video below:

Opinion:

I can easily see Pete Dunne on NXT, RAW, SmackDown Live, it’s just a matter of time.  One of the questions will be: What happens with the UK title when Pete Dunne moves onto bigger things?  Is it incorporated onto NXT?  Or does it remain a separate division that exists but doesn’t…?  Big things are ahead for Dunne, but the structure and fine details haven’t been revealed as of yet.

NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Night Two Results: A Shocking Ending, Two Title Matches

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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5

Night two of NJPW’s The New Beginning in Sapporo event goes down today (Jan. 28) at 1 a.m. ET.

In the main event, IWGP United States champion Kenny Omega defends his gold against Jay White. Plus, IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag team champions The Young Bucks put their titles on the line against Roppongi 3K.

Also featured on the card will be Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Cody, Kota Ibushi, and many more.

 

Peep the live results below:

Singles Match: Juice Robinson vs. Katsuya Kitamura

Juice got a headlock in early. Kitamura was able to muscle his way out of the hold. Juice’s shoulder block attempts went nowhere. He chopped the big man and stomped him in the corner.

Kitamura connected with a powerslam. He went for a spear, but was thrown to the corner padding. Juice nailed a cannonball in the corner followed by a snap suplex for a two-count.

Juice bounced off the ropes and Kitamura nailed him with a one-armed spinebuster. He hammered away with forearms. Kitamura laced into his opponent with chops. Juice leaped over Kitamura’s spear attempt and hit the spinebuster for a near fall.

Kitamura hit the spear for a two-count. He looked for the Jackhammer, but Juice hit him with a knee to the head. He cracked him with his signature punch and lariat. Kitamura kicked out, but fell to Pulp Friction.

Winner: Juice Robinson

Eight-man Tag Match: Syota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Taka Michinoku, El Desperado, Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Taguchi was suckered in early it seemed by Taichi’s girlfriend. El Desperado stepped on Taguchi’s chin with the ref’s back turned. Taguchi nailed Taichi with a hip attack and tagged in Liger.

Liger nailed the Shotei on Suzuki-Gun members. Tachi threw Liger into the ring post and choked him with his mic stand. El Desperado and Taka tried unmasking Tiger Mask on the outside.

Liger nailed El Desperado with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and tagged in Tiger Mask. El Desperado was hit by the Tiger Driver, but Taka broke up the pin and went to unmask his opposition.

There was a hilarious moment where Taka was knocked off the apron and he yelled “sh*t!” Umino was tagged in and he nailed Taichi with forearms. He followed that up with a missile dropkick assisted by his entire team.

Taichi ripped off his pants before nailing Umino with a lariat. He kicked his opponent in the head, but his pin was broken up. Taichi landed one more kick for the three-count.

Winners: Taka Michinoku, El Desperado, Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru

After the match, Suzuki-Gun ripped off the mask of Tiger Mask. Taichi’s girlfriend then stomped on Taguchi’s crotch. Another hilarious moment occurred when Taguchi crawled to Taichi’s girlfriend and tripped her. He then told Kevin Kelly that Suzuki-Gun “broke my ass.”

Tag Match: Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga

Yano and Tonga got things started. Yano sent Tonga to the outside, but got rammed into the barricade. Yujiro struck Ishii with his walking stick. He was tagged in and went to town on Yano.

Yano hit the inverted atmoic drop and tagged in Ishii. Yujiro was countering Ishii at first, but was hit with a German suplex. Tonga went in and was suplexed for his efforts. Yujiro tried engaging in a slap battle with Ishii, who chopped him in the corner.

Yujiro did his signature biting the finger, but Ishii responded by biting his opponent’s finger as well. With Yano and Tonga in as the legal men, Yano ripped off the padding in the corner. He ended up eating a big boot. Tonga clotheslined Ishii.

Tonga hit Yujiro with a big boot by accident in a failed double team attempt. Yano lowblowed Tonga with the ref distracted and rolled him up for the win.

Winners: Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano

Eight-Man Tag Match: Tomoyuki Oka, Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, & Togi Makabe vs. Chase Owens, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, & Bad Luck Fale

Tama Tonga and Tenzan got the action started. Tonga lured Tenzan into a shoulder block battle with a dropkick. Tonga mocked Tenzan with Mongolian chops, but he paid the price going for a headbutt. Tenzan then showed Tonga how it’s done with the real Mongolian chops.

The action spilled into the crowd and the Bullet Club had a clear edge. Inside the ring, Loa nailed Nakanishi with a scoop slam. Bullet Club had their way with Nakanishi in the corner.

Nakanishi lifted Fale over his shoulder and was able to tag in Makabe. The former IWGP heavyweight champion took out the Bullet Club members on the apron briefly. He did his signature punches in the corner on Fale, but was ganged up on. Makabe ran into a Samoan drop.

Oka was tagged in and nailed Owens with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. He then hit a gutwrench suplex, but Tonga made the save. Oka went for a Boston Crab, but Owens reversed into an inside cradle.

Owens eventually hit the package piledriver for the three-count.

Winners: Chase Owens, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, & Bad Luck Fale

Tag Match: Toa Henare & Michael Elgin vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka

Of course, Suzuki and Iizuka attacked their opponents before the bell rang. Suzuki threw Henare over the guardrail. Henare hit a flying forearm on Suzuki. He was trapped in Suzuki’s armbar over the top rope.

On the outside, Iizuka attacked Elgin with a chair and choked him with it. Henare was able to get back in the ring at the count of 11. Suzuki threw him right back to the outside and members of Suzuki-Gun stomped on Henare. Iizuka was now the legal man.

Henare had his fingers bitten by Iizuka. He finally hit a shoulder tackle and tagged in Elgin. He clotheslined Iizuka in the corner and nailed a German suplex. Elgin was on the wrong end of an inverted atomic drop and Suzuki was in.

He ran into a powerslam. Elgin and Henare double teamed Suzuki. Henare conencted with a Samoan drop for a two-count. The fact that it was a near fall made Suzuki angry. He locked in the sleeper hold into some slaps. He forced the tap with the heel hook.

Winners: Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka

After the match, Elgin and Iizuka brawled in the crowd. Back in the ring, the rest of the Suzuki-Gun members stomped on Henare. Togi Makabe had seen enough and cleaned house with his chain. Suzuki left the ring and held up his IWGP Intercontinental title on the ramp. Makabe stuck up the middle fingers.

Six-Man Tag Match: Kushida, David Finlay, & Kota Ibushi vs. Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, & Cody

Cody made sure that Kevin Kelly knew the winners get paid more than the losers. Some nice technical work on display by Kushida against Scurll. “The Villain” had issues escaping Kushida’s grasp on his arm. He raked the eyes of his opponent, but his taunting cost him.

Finlay was in the ring and he worked on the arm of Scurll. Cody attacked Finlay from behind. Finlay shoved Scurll into Cody. With Finlay on the outside, Hangman Page landed his shooting star press off the apron.

Cody taunted Ibushi and paid for it when Finlay reversed his submission. Ibushi and Cody were the legal men. They engaged in a striking battle. Ibushi had his kick caught and received a dragon screw.

Cody teased doing Cross Rhodes on Ibushi off the apron as he did at Wrestle Kingdom 12, but Kushida made the save. Ibushi stomped on Page’s back and nailed Scurll with a moonsault.

Cody nailed Cross Rhodes on Kushida and Page followed it up with Rite of Passage for the three-count.

Winners: Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, & Cody

10-Man Tag Match: Gedo, Will Ospreay, Yoshi-Hashi, Hiroki Goto, & Kazuchika Okada vs. Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, & Sanada

Chaos wasted little time going after Los Ingobernables de Japon. Yoshi-Hashi ripped Naito’s shirt and stepped on it. He hammered away on Naito in the corner. The teamwork of LIJ finally slowed down Yoshi-Hashi.

The rest of LIJ brawled with Chaos in the crowd, while Naito choked Yoshi-Hashi with his shirt.  Hiromu missed a dropkick and Yoshi-Hashi capitalized with a back kick. This allowed him to tag in Ospreay. He landed a standing shooting star press on Hiromu for a near fall.

Hiromu countered Ospreay’s handspring into a German suplex. Goto and Evil were now in the ring. Evil went for a fisherman buster, but he was countered. Okada was tagged in and landed a back elbow.

Sanada was now in against Okada. The champion hit him with a DDT. The two exchanged forearms after Okada taunted him with foot slaps to the back of the head. Sanada connected with a dropkick followed by a backdrop.

Okada connected with a dropkick and tagged in Gedo. Naito interrupted Gedo’s pin attempt on Sanada. Eventually, Sanada locked in Skull End on Gedo to force the submission.

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

After the match, Yoshi-Hashi charged in and attacked Naito. Chaos and Young Lions held him back. Naito continued to act like he didn’t have a care in the world and posed with his LIJ team.

Sanada grabbed a mic to respond to Okada’s attack last night. Okada teased going into the ring, but was held back by Young Lions.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title Match: The Young Bucks (C) vs. Roppongi 3K

Yoh and Matt Jackson got the title bout started. Matt looked for the sharpshooter early, but couldn’t lock it in. Sho and Nick were now legal. Matt hit a neckbreaker on Sho on top of Nick’s knee. Roppongi 3K double teamed Nick in the corner and sent him to the outside.

Sho and Yoh went for dives, but ate superkicks instead. Nick ended up hitting the dive with Matt holding the top rope down. The Young Bucks chased Rocky Romero and went for a powerbomb on the ramp. Sho and Yoh made the save. Matt did a front flip on Sho and Yoh off the ramp.

The Young Bucks powerbombed Yoh on the apron. Matt went for a powerbomb, but sold a back injury from the dive off the ramp. Nick and Matt did a double dropkick. Matt was sent flying to the outside and his back landed on the ring apron.

Sho was tagged in and he nailed Nick with a forearm. Sho then landed a headscissors on Nick. Matt was tagged in and he ate a German suplex for his efforts. Sho landed a backstabber on Matt and Yoh charged in with a running kick.

Sho and Yoh hit 3K on Nick on the outside. Yoh locked in the Boston crab on Matt, who was able to reach the ropes. Sho and Yoh hit a double superplex for a near fall. Yoh nailed Sho with a kick by accident. Nick took out the challengers with a crossbody.

Nick landed a German suplex on Sho on the apron. He went to the top rope and went for a frog splash on Sho, but ate the knees. Nick landed two superkicks on Yoh and a knee to Sho.

Matt held Yoh between the ropes and Nick landed a 450 splash for a near fall. Nick assisted Matt in getting Yoh up for a powerbomb in the corner. He got it and Nick was there for the kick.

Matt locked in a sharpshooter, but his own back was giving out. Yoh got to the rope, but Nick hit the swanton. Matt was forced to let go of the hold due to his back pain.

Matt went for the sharpshooter again, but Yoh got the inside cradle for the pinfall. We have new champions.

Winners And NEW IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: Roppongi 3K

IWGP United States Heavyweight Title Match: Kenny Omega (C) vs. Jay White

They tied up and neither man could get an edge. Omega did his typical light slap before walking away slowly. White faked out Omega and hit his own slap. The champion nailed White with a big boot.

White dropkicked Omega to the outside. The challenger landed a forearm off the apron. Omega went for his springboard off the guardrail, but White countered with the Saito suplex. White removed the padding on the floor.

The challenger landed a scoop slam on the exposed floor. White chopped the champion, but took some as well. White was rammed into the corner going for a third straight suplex. Omega countered another suplex attempt. Omega landed his steamroller followed by the moonsault for a two-count.

White landed a running uppercut in the corner and then connected with the Saito suplex. Omega landed a hurricanrana and executed his Terminator dive. Omega landed Aoi Shoudou, but failed to connect with the V-Trigger. White countered with a complete shot and a German suplex.

Omega leaped and connected with the V-Trigger as White bounced off the ropes. He hit another knee that sent both men off the apron. Omega powerbombed the challenger on the chairs in the crowd. White barely beat the count.

The champion hit the snap dragon. He went for another one and got it. White denied a third attempt, but Omega hit a wheel kick. He went for the One-Winged Angel, but White’s body went limp.

Omega had White’s arms trapped on the ropes and nailed him with the V-Trigger. He landed the double underhook piledriver for a two-count. The champion blasted the challenger with two hard knees, but White laughed. On the third knee, White got the shoulder up.

White countered the One-Winged Angel, but he barely had the energy to make it effective. White found a second win and his Saito suplexes had more power behind them. He landed a snap sleeper suplex. He then hit the Kiwi Crusher for a near fall.

White went for the Blade Runner, but Omega fought out of it. Omega went for a strike but was countered by the Blade Runner. The champion barely got the shoulder up. Omega countered a second Blade Runner attempt with the reverse hurricanrana. One last V-Trigger led to a One-Winged Angel attempt, but Jay White reversed it into the Blade Runner for the three-count. A shocker in Sapporo!

Winner And NEW IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion: Jay White

After the bout, Hangman Page grabbed the United States title and looked to challenge Jay White. Omega grabbed the title and gave it to White. Cody ran down and got in Omega’s face over the situation.

Omega shoved Matt Jackson down inadvertently and apologized. He appeared to talk things out with Hangman Page and Cody, but he was nailed with Cross Rhodes. Hangman Page held Omega and Cody grabbed a chair. Marty Scurll tried to stop it when Kota Ibushi ran down for the save.

The show ended with Omega and Ibushi embracing. The Golden Lovers are finally back together at least for one night.

5 Takeaways From NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia

Robert Lentini
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23

NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia aired live from the Wells Fargo Center on the WWE Network. Andrade “Cien” Almas defended his NXT Championship against Johnny Gargano. Ember Moon defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Shayna Baszler. Undisputed Era’s Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly put their titles on the line against The Authors of Pain. Velveteen Dream battled Kassius Ohno and Adam Cole faced Aleister Black in an Extreme Rules match.

Here are 5 takeaways from NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia:

Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly Escaped With The NXT Tag Team Championships

bobby fish oreilly aop nxt philadelphia

The Authors of Pain attacked Undisputed Era before the match started. Rezar beatdown Fish for a minute when the match started and Bobby quickly tagged out. Rezar knocked O’Reilly to the mat and connected with a series of punches. O’Reilly broke free and rolled out of the ring. Fish joined him and the tag champs regrouped by the barricade.

Fish tagged in and booted Rezar in the midsection. Rezar lifted Fish up and drove him into the corner. Akam tagged in and continued the beatdown on Fish. O’Reilly tagged in and was greeted with a Flapjack from Akam. O’Reilly and Fish rolled out of the ring again but AOP sprinted after them. AOP launched Fish into the steel steps and then face first into the barricade.

AOP teamed up on O’Reilly in the ring and beat him down. Akam seemed to tweak his knee during the exchange. Bobby Fish saw it on the outside and connected with a kick to his injured knee. Fish then sprinted across the ring and tackled Rezar through the ropes and the two Superstars fell to the floor outside the ring.

Fish and O’Reilly teamed up on the injured Akam and beat him down in the corner of the ring. Bobby Fish hung up Akam’s injured knee on the ropes and then connected with a series of kicks. Akam launched Fish across the ring but O’Reilly connected with a chop block to Akam’s knee from behind. Akam tried to tag out but O’Reilly prevented it by applying a Knee Bar.

Akam broke free and finally was able to tag in Rezar. O’Reilly charged at Rezar but Rezar was ready and planted him with a Spinebuster. Rezar lifted up O’Reilly but Bobby Fish leaped onto his back. Rezar showed off his ridiculous strength and connected with a Fallaway Slam to O’Reilly and crushed Bobby Fish as he fell to the canvas. O’Reilly drove his knee into Rezar’s shoulder and tagged in Fish.

O’Reilly and Fish teamed up and beatdown Rezar in the corner. Bobby Fish connected with an absurd Exploder Suplex that sent the gigantic Rezar flying out of the ring. Rezar booted Fish in the face and turned O’Reilly inside out with a massive Clothesline. Akam tagged in and hobbled his way towards Fish.

Bobby Fish locked in a Sleeper Hold on Rezar as O’Reilly had Akam trapped in a Knee Bar. Rezar threw Fish on top of O’Reilly to break both holds and all four Superstars fell to the mat. Dueling chants of “Undisputed!” and “AOP!” broke out in the crowd. O’Reilly booted Akam on his injured left leg a couple of times. Akam caught him and hit an overhead Suplex. Akam Clotheslined Fish off the ring apron and then Powerbombed O’Reilly into the turnbuckle.

Rezar sprinted into the ring and booted Fish in the face. AOP went for the Super Collider but O’Reilly countered into a Hurricanrana that sent Akam into Rezar. Rezar tumbled out of the ring and O’Reilly rolled up Akam for the pinfall victory.

This match started off slow and the crowd was quiet for the first few minutes. However, the match really picked up and the crowd responded. The match turned out to be very good and I’m expecting a long run with the tag titles for Undisputed Era. I’m always impressed watching Akam and Rezar perform in the ring. I think they are a great team and Paul Ellering’s menacing face in the background pacing around the ring always adds to the match.

Velveteen Dream Outlasted Kassius Ohno

ohno dream nxt philadelphia

Velveteen Dream vowed to knock out Kassius Ohno in under 30 seconds and came down to the ring in shorts like a boxer. Before the match he put in a custom mouthpiece that a shirtless man was holding on the entrance ramp on a pillow. The crowd started counting and Dream connected with a massive right hand that knocked Ohno to the canvas. Dream started celebrating like he won the match and Ohno leveled him with a massive elbow that sent Dream’s mouthpiece flying.

Ohno followed it up with a big boot but Dream responded with a Spinebuster. The crowd chanted for Velveteen as he connected with a series of jabs. Dream knocked Ohno to the mat and danced over him. Dream connected with some kicks to the midsection while shouting at Ohno to quit. Dream locked in a Chin Lock but Ohno quickly got out of it.

Dream beatdown Ohno in the corner and taunted him. Dream booted Ohno in the face a couple of times but Ohno shrugged them off. Dream applied another Chin Lock and started booting Ohno in the midsection again. Dream got Ohno back in the Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Ohno battled out of it and countered Dreams attempt at a Suplex and slammed him to the mat.

Ohno hit Dream with a big boot and followed it up with a running Senton. Ohno hit the Cyclone Kick and went for the cover but Dream kicked out at two. Dream hit a Superkick and then hit a DDT that wound up looking like an awkward Sister Abigail for a two count. Ohno tried to leap onto Dream but Velveteen caught him and hit an ugly looking Death Valley Driver. Ohno hit the rolling elbow for a two count.

Dream struggled to lift Ohno again but connected with a big time Death Valley Driver. Velveteen Dream then climbed to the top rope and hit the Purple RainMaker Elbow Drop for the pinfall victory.

This was a decent match. There wasn’t much build for it and there were definitely a few rough-looking moments towards the end. The sky is the limit for Velveteen Dream and I’m guessing 2018 is going to be a big year for him in NXT.

Ember Moon Survived A Grueling Match With Shayna Baszler

ember moon shayna baszler

Ember Moon defended her NXT Women’s Championship against Shayna Baszler. Shayna has been attacking members of the women’s division in NXT since joining the roster. Baszler stated that you have to stir up waters to catch fish and that Moon is the big fish in the pond.

Moon controlled the match early and dove Baszler to the corner. Shayna knocked Ember to the mat with a smile on her face. Moon booted Baszler in the face three times in a row and knocked her to the mat. Baszler rolled out of the ring to regroup but Moon didn’t feel like waiting around. Moon hit a ridiculous Suicide Dive and knocked Baszler to the floor.

Back in the ring, Shayna took control and booted Moon in the face for a two count. Baszler stomped on Ember Moon’s extended arm like she did to Dakota Kai a couple of weeks back on NXT. Baszler then focused her attack on Moon’s injured arm and locked in an Arm Bar. Baszler beatdown Moon in the corner and started to taunt the NXT Women’s Champion.

Moon hit Baszler with a slap to the face and followed it up with a punch that knocked Baszler to the mat. Ember connected with a springboard Crossbody for a two count. Ember Moon connected with the Eclipse but landed on her injured left arm and screamed in pain on the mat. Ember was in so much pain that she couldn’t go for the pinfall and the referee called for the medical staff to come to the ring.

Ember wanted to continue the match and grabbed Baszler by the hair. Shayna quickly locked in an Arm Bar but Moon got her foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Shayna dragged Moon back to the middle of the ring and lockdd in the Arm Bar again. Moon rolled through but Baszler wouldn’t let go of the hold. Moon escaped into a pinfall and covered Baszler to retain her title.

Shayna Baszler attacked Ember Moon after the match and choked her out ont he entrance ramp. Mauro Ranallo shouted that he lost a lot of respect for Baszler here and hopes NXT GM William Regal fines her.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/957434698124242944

The last few minutes of this match were a roller coaster ride. I thought Moon was going to tap out but she battled through the pain and was able to escape with a victory. This was a good showing by Baszler too. She is quickly becoming one of the more despicable characters on NXT and was able to get the crowd to hate her even more after tonight.

Adam Cole & Aleister Black Tore The House Down

adam cole aleister black nxt takeover

Ricochet was shown in the crowd before the match.

Adam Cole faced Aleister Black in an Extreme Rules match tonight at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia. The crowd chanted “this is awesome!” before the match even started. Black knocked Cole out of the ring and flipped across the ring before taking a seat in the middle of the ring.

Cole got pissed off and grabbed a chair from timekeeper’s area. The crowd chanted “ECW!” as Cole brought it into the ring. Black ducked under the chair shot and booted Cole in the leg. Black stole the chair from Cole and Cole rolled out of the ring. Black took a seat on the chair and waited for Cole to get back into the ring. Black threw the chair out of the ring and then launched Cole over the top rope. Black booted Cole in the face outside the ring but Cole connected with a knee to the midsection.

Cole threw Black into the barricade and threw a trash can into the ring. Cole then grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring as Black grabbed one of his own. Both Superstars got into the ring with a kendo stick and stared at each other. Black threw his kendo stick out of the ring and dared Cole to charge at him. Cole laughed and called Black stupid. Black avoided two swings by Cole and knocked him to the mat. Black went for a springboard Moonsault but Cole blasted him in the chest with the kendo stick while he was in midair.

Adam Cole started to taunt Black and then planted him with a Backstabber as the kendo stick was pressed against Aleister’s face. The crowd chanted “get the tables!” and Adam Cole obliged and grabbed a table from under the ring. Cole set up the table outside the ring but took his sweet time doing so as Black recovered in the ring.

Black and Cole battled on the turnbuckle. Black hopped down and slammed Cole on top of the trash can in the ring. Black connected with a running knee strike to Cole’s face for a two count. Black grabbed another table from under the ring and set up next to the other one outside the ring.

Cole battled back and set up a ladder in the corner of the ring. Cole connected with an Enziguri and then beatdown Aleister in the corner. Cole took a break to pose and shouted “Adam Cole bay-bay!”. This allowed Black to lift him up onto his shoulders and Aleister walked across the ring and slammed Cole on top of the ladder.

Black charged at Cole again but Cole hit him in the ribs with a chair. Black missed with a kick but connected with a Double Stomp to Adam Cole’s midsection. Black started climbing up the turnbuckle and Cole threw the steel chair at him. Black caught the chair but Cole hit him with with a Superkick and Black fell through the two tables next to the ring.

Cole dragged Black into the ring and went for the cover but Black kicked out at two. Cole set up two steel chairs back to back and walked towards Black. Aleister popped up and lifted Cole in a Fireman’s Carry and dropped Cole onto the chairs (ouch!). Cole grabbed a chair again but Black sprinted across the ring and booted the chair into Cole’s face.

Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly came down to the ring and attacked Aleister Black. They dragged Black by his legs to the announce table next to the ring. Mauro and Percy got out of the way as Fish and O’Reilly got set to slam Black through the table. SAnitY joined the party and attacked Fish and O’Reilly. Killian Dain hit a giant Suicide Dive that took everyone out besides Black and Cole.

Cole went over to Black and tried to Suplex him off the barricade through the table. Black blocked it and connected with Double Knees off the barricade and through the table. Black brought Cole back into the ring but Cole somehow hit a Superkick out of nowhere and both Superstars fell to the mat. Cole grabbed a steel chair and shouted “I am going to end you!” and charged at Aleister Black. Aleister was ready and connected with the Black Mass for the pinfall victory.

Wow. What an awesome match this was. The kendo stick spot was ridiculous where Cole bashed Black in the chest while he was in the middle of a Moonsault. Cole being dropped on top of the two chairs in the ring looked awesome. Black’s Double Knees off the barricade through the announce table was also amazing. This is one of those matches that I will definitely go back and watch a few times in the future. The crowd was electric for it and the match rose to the occasion. Wrestling is at it’s best when the crowd is on the edge of their seat for every single move. This match had that and it was really fun to watch.

Andrade “Cien” Almas Retained His Title In An Incredible Match With Johnny Gargano

almas gargano nxt takeover

EC3 was shown in the crowd before the match.

Andrade “Cien” Almas came down to the ring with a mariachi band and a mask. Almas took off the mask halfway down the entrance ramp. Almas and Vega raised their fist in the air in the ring and Vega shouted words of encouragement at him. Johnny Gargano’s music hit to a loud pop from the crowd.

The crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling!” as the match started. Almas leveled Gargano with a shoulder tackle. Almas went for a Hammerlock DDT but Gargano tried to counter it into the Gargano Escape. Almas rolled out of it and the two Superstars stared at each other as the crowd cheered.

Gargano connected with a Dropkick an followed it up with an Arm Drag. Gargano transitioned into an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted “Johnny Wrestling!” again. Almas escaped and sent Gargano to the corner. Gargano Clotheslined Almas out of the ring. Almas missed with a Moonsault off the apron but landed on his feet. Gargano went for a Cannonball off the apron but Almas got out of the way and Gargano crashed to the floor right in front of his wife, Candice LeRae in the crowd.

The action returned to the ring as Almas focused his attack on Gargano’s back. Almas slowed the match down and controlled the next few minutes. Gargano finally was able to fight back for a moment but Almas tied him in the ropes. Almas went for a Double Stomp but Gargano got out of the way. Gargano connected with an Exploder Suplex that sent Almas flying into the turnbuckle.

Gargano slammed Almas face-first to the mat for a two count. Johnny then hit a slingshot Spear through the ropes for another two count. Almas connected with a Facebuster and went for the cover but Gargano kicked out at two. Vega shouted at Almas to stay on Gargano from ringside. Almas climbed up to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Gargano rolled out of the way. Almas landed on his feet and went right into a standing Moonsault that landed on Gargano as we was rolling away. Almas went for the cover but Gargano was able to kick out.

Gargano connected with a Superkick for a two count. Gargano and Almas connected with punches at the same time and both Superstars fell to the canvas. Almas connected with a knee to Gargano’s face and then perched him up on the top rope. Almas went for the DDT that defeated McIntyre at WarGames but Gargano wiggled out of it. Gargano then hit a ridiculous Superkick between Almas’ legs and into his face.

Gargano went for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb but Almas escaped and hit Double Knees. Almas went for Double Knees again but Gargano got out of the way. Almas hit a Tornado DDT for a two count. The entire crowd stood up chanted NXT as the two Superstars were on the mat. Almas lifted Gargano up in a Fireman’s Carry on the apron but Gargano broke free.

Johnny connected with an Enziguri and followed it up with a slingshot DDT on the ring apron. Gargano brought Almas back into the ring and went for the cover but Andrade kicked out at two. Almas hit a Jawbreaker and an elbow that knocked Gargano to the corner. Vega shouted at Almas to remain on the attack. Almas charged at Gargano but Johnny got up and hit a big time Clothesline. Gargano then slammed Almas into second rope. Vega distracted Gargano and Almas hit a Dropkick. Gargano connected with a kick of his own for a two count.

Almas connected with a Double Stomp on Gargano while he was hung up between the ropes. Almas then bashed Gargano into the ring apron and brought him back to the ring. Almas connected with Double Knees to Gargano’s face for another two count. Almas slapped Gargano in the face and grabbed him by the hair. Johnny connected with a couple of punches and dropped to a knee after every one out of exhaustion.

Johnny connected with a Superkick and followed it up with an absolutely insane inverted Hurricanrana. Johnny then locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring as the crowd erupted. Almas tried to break free but Johnny wouldn’t let go. Vega grabbed Almas’ arm and the referee got distracted. Almas then raked Johnny’s eyes to break the hold.

Almas went for the Hammerlock DDT but Gargano blocked it and knocked Almas out of the ring. Gargano hit a Suicide Dive but Zelina Vega hit Gargano off the apron with a Hurricanrana than sent Johnny into the steps. Almas planted Gargano with the Hammerlock DDT in the middle of the ring and went for the cover but Gargano somehow kicked out. Vega tried to attack Gargano outside the ring but Candice LeRae attacked her and chased her backstage. The crowd chanted “thank you Candice!” as Gargano climbed to the ring apron.

Gargano connected with a slingshot DDT and went for the cover but Almas kicked out. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape in the middle of the ring. Almas was able to get his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Almas shoved Gargano into the ring post on the apron. Almas then hit Double Knees into the ring post and the crowd gasped in shock. Almas then planted Gargano with the Hammerlock DDT for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Tommaso Ciampa attacked Gargano from behind while he was on the entrance ramp with Candice LeRae. Ciampa hit him with a crutch and stood over him. The crowd chanted “a**hole!” as Ciampa walked backstage.

This match was special. I thought Adam Cole and Aleister Black stole the show but this match wound up being even better. The energy in the building was unreal for this match and the entire crowd was ready to see Johnny Gargano become NXT Champion. This was a match of the year candidate and it is going to be tough to top it. Mauro kept comparing Gargano’s popularity and story to Daniel Bryan’s and that is accurate. It is obviously on a much smaller scale right now but he definitely connects with the crowd.

I love the pairing of Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega. Zelina has completely turned his career around and she has made Almas seem much more legitimate. He looks like a champion now. He has always had the incredible in-ring skill to become one, but Vega as his manager has just put him over the top as a character. She’s great on the microphone and her getting involved in his matches is awesome.

NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia was shaping up to be a decent show. However, the final two matches on the card were great. The main event between Gargano and Almas was special. That is the best way to describe it. A review post or a video doesn’t do it justice. Find the time to watch this match as soon as you can if you missed it. As a wrestling fan you will not regret it. There might be some exciting moments tomorrow at the Royal Rumble with surprise entrants or whatever. I’m confident in saying that nothing is going to top tonight’s main event at the PPV tomorrow.

NXT TakeOver Philadelphia Results & Discussion (1/27)

Eric Lynch
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NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia aired live from the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

WWE NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia Results

– The show opens up with a video package hosted by Paul Heyman. We see footage of Heyman in the empty arena cutting a promo for tonight’s show, and he references the history of wrestling in Philadelphia. Heyman says tonight they take over, overthrow the system, and will give you a reason to join the NXT revolution.

– Maruo Ranallo welcomes us to the Wells Fargo Arena, and he’s joined by Percy Watson. Nigel Guinness is out with a cold.

– NXT Tag Team Title Match: The Authors of Pain vs. The Undisputed Era: Paul Ellering is out with Akam and Rezar. This one starts off with Akam and Rezar in control. The fight spills out to ringside where Bobby gets dropped hard on the floor. Back in the ring, they double team Kyle, and Akam seems to injure his knee in the process. Fish hits a superkick cheap shot on Rezar, then Kyle throws him outside. Fish tags in and beats on Akam in the corner, then exchanges frequent tags with O’Reilly to keep the advantage over Akam. O’Reilly is the legal man now and he works on Akam’s bad knee. Akam reaches the ropes, and Fish tags in to continue the beat down. They hit a double team kick on Akam, then continue working on the knee. Fish hits a springboard senton on Akam for a two count, then hits more kicks to the bad knee. Fish goes to punch Rezar off the apron, but Rezar no-sells it. Fish turns around into a back body drop from Akam, then Rezar and O’Reilly get the tags. Rezar runs in and cleans house with big boots. He throws O’Reilly outside, then hits a gorilla press slam on Fish. Spinebuster to O’Reilly, then Rezar pummels on him. Rezar goes for a fallaway slam on O’Reilly, but Fish jumps up on his back for a sleeper. Rezar hits the fallaway slam anyway, and crushes Fish behind him on the mat. Rezar looks for a powerbomb, but Kyle reverses into a front face lock. Rezar throws him off, and Kyle comes back with a kick and a knee to the face. Kyle tags in and they double team Rezar with repeated kicks. Fish tags in and hits a suplex for a two count. They go to double team Rezar again, but this time he fights them off. He boots Kyle down and hits a lariat on Bobby. Everyones in the ring now, and Fish hits a running knee to the face on Rezar, and O’Reilly locks Akam in a knee bar on his bad knee. Rezar throws Fish off of him onto O’Reilly, breaking up the knee bar. It comes down to Akam an O’Reilly, and O’Reilly hits a series of kicks. Akam fires up and hits a suplex, then some knee strikes. He clotheslines Fish off the apron, then powerbombs kyle into the turnbuckle. He hits a series of knees to the face on O’Reilly, then Rezar hits a big boot on Fish. The Authors go for the Super Collider, but Akam loses his balance due to the bad knee and O’Reilly hits a hurricanrana on him. The hurricanrana sends Akam bumping into Rezar and knocking him outside, then O’Reilly rolls up Akam from behind for the three count.

Winners: The Undisputed Era

– Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly celebrate up the ramp with the NXT Tag Titles. Paul Ellering gets in the ring, and he’s not happy.

– War Machine is shown in the crowd at ringside.

– Velveteen Dream vs. Kassius Ohno: They circle each other and Ohno goes to take down Dream with a single-leg, but Dream stays up. They fight into the corner, and Dream hits a right hand to Ohno that knocks him down. Dream starts celebrating and jumping up and down because he dropped Ohno, but Ohno gets back up. Ohno hits an elbow to the face, then boots Dream to the outside. They fight back into the ring, and Dream comes back with a spinebuster. Dream hits a series of punches on Ohno and throws him down in the corner. Dream continues to beat on Ohno and keep him grounded. Dream starts hitting some kicks but Ohno no-sells them. Dream takes Ohno down with a double axe handle off the top, then stomps on him. Ohno starts fighting back, and they start trading uppercuts and forearm chops. Ohno hits a chop, a kick, an elbow, and running big boot, then a running senton splash. Ohno hits a cyclone kick for a two count. Dream comes back with a superkick and a DDT for a two count. Dream comes flying off the top rope, but Ohno stops him with a kick. Dream barely hits a Death Valley Driver, after appearing to almost accidentally drop Ohno. They get up and Ohno fires back with an elbow to the face for two. Ohno misses an elbow and Dream hits a rolling Death Valley Driver. Dream goes up top and hits the flying elbow for the win.

Winner: Velveteen Dream

– We see a shot of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, and then a shot of Maria Menounos sitting at ringside.

– Johnny Gargano is shown backstage in his locker room with his family.

– NXT Women’s Championship: Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler: They trade holds and strikes in the opening moments until the referee separates them. Baszler kicks out Moon’s leg and beats her down on the mat. Moon comes back with some dropkicks as fans rally behind her. Shayna goes outside for a breather, and Moon hits a dive on her on the floor. Back in the ring, Shayna comes back with some knees and a kick. Baszler controls the match now and works on Moon’s bad arm and shoulder. Moon comes back with the Eclipse off the top, but she lands on her bad arm and is selling an injury, so she doesn’t pin. Trainers come up on the ring apron to check on Moon, and Moon tells them she can continue. Moon gets up, but Baszler pulls her into an arm bar. Moon gets her leg to the rope. Shayna wrestles Moon away from the rope and re-applies the arm submission. Moon uses her legs and reverses the arm bar into a pin, and Moon scores the three count out of nowhere.

Winner & still Champion: Ember Moon

– After the match, Shayna attacks Ember on the ramp. Shayne puts Moon in a choke from behind and chokes her out on the ramp. She finally lets go and leaves, as referees check on Moon.

– Ricochet is shown sitting at ringside.

– Extreme Rules: Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole: Black sends Cole out to ringside early on. Black backflips off the ropes in the ring and sits down, and Cole grabs a steel chair from ringside. Cole gets back in the ring and Black kicks the chair away from him. Cole rolls outside again to regroup. Black unfolds the chair and sits on it in the ring while Cole is at ringside. Black takes the fight to Cole at ringside and hits an elbow to the face. Cole comes back with a shot against the ring apron, then throws Black into the barricade. Cole takes some weapons out from under the ring and throws them in the ring. Black regroups and grabs a kendo stick, and Cold grabs a kendo stick too, as they both get back in the ring. Black drops his, and dares Cole to come at him. Cole swings and misses, and Cole hits a series of strikes to the face. Black goes for a Lionsault, but Cole hits him with the Kendo Stick in mid-air. Cole chokes him with the kendo stick, then hits a back stabber for a 2 count. Cole rolls outside and grabs a table from under the ring, then sets it up at ringside. Back in the ring, Cole takes Black up to the top rope. Black fights him off, and throws Cole into the ring. Black follows up with a running knee strike for a two count. Black rolls outside now and grabs a table, and he sets it up right next to the other one at ringside. Black grabs a ladder next, but Cole kicks it into Black. He sets up the ladder in the corner of the ring, then pummels on Black in the other corner. Black comes back with an electric chair drop into the ladder. The ref says something into his ear piece as trainers come check on Cole off-camera, and fans boo. They get up and Cole hits Black with a chair in the mid section. Black comes back with some strikes on Cole, then climbs to the top rope. Cole gets up and throws a chair at Black, and Black catches it, then Cole superkicks it into his face. Black falls off the top rope, down through the tables at ringside. Cole grabs Black and carries him back in the ring, then sets up some unfolded chairs. He sets up the chairs with the backs facing each other. Cole picks up Black, but Black grabs him and hits a Death Valley Driver onto the chairs. Black then knees a chair into Cole’s face and pins, but Fish and O’Reilly run in and interfere. They double team Black at ringside and leave him laying. Sanity runs in for the save and they start brawling with Fish and O’Reilly all over ringside. Cole rolls outside and picks up Black, and he goes to suplex him through the announce table off the fan barricade. Black fights Cole off and knocks him down, then hits the flying double knees on Cole through the table. Back in the ring, Cole hits a superkick on Black, and both men are down. Cole goes for a chair shot, but Black gets up and hits the Black Mass for the three count.

Winner: Aleister Black

– Fish and O’Reilly help Cole to the back as Black recovers in the ring.

– Mauro and Percy promote an appearance by Triple H on Facebook Live after the show tonight. WWE staffers are picking up the table pieces around them.

– EC3 is shown sitting at ringside.

– WWE NXT Championship: Andre “Cien” Almas (c) vs. Johnny Gargano: Zelina Vega is at ringside with the Champion, and Mike Rome does the official ring introductions. Almas and Gargano lock up off the opening bell and Almas gets the upper hand early on. Gargano takes control and hits a dropkick. Almas gets up and grabs Gargano by the hair and drops him, then works on keeping him grounded. Gargano hits a boot on Almas, then clotheslines him outside. Gargano goes to follow up with a suicide dive, but the Champion dodges it and gargano crashes on the floor. The fight spills out to ringside where Almas stays in control. Back in the ring, Almas continues to control most of the action and he sets up Gargano in a Tree of Woe in the corner. Almas goes up top for a double foot stomp, but Gargano evades it and Almas crashes down. Gargano gets up and hits some elbows to the face. He drops Almas and is getting fired up. Almas tries to dump Gargano outside but he lands on the apron. Almas charges, and Gargano jumps through the ropes with a spear for a two count. They trade strikes and fight up to the top rope in the corner. Almas looks for a superplex, but Gargano slides out through the legs, then superkicks Almas. Gargano holds Almas up on the middle ropes, and he goes up for a sunset flip powerbomb, but Almas reverses it. Almas follows up with running double knees in the corner, then he goes for another shot but Gargano dodges. Almas ends up coming back with the inverted DDT and pins, but Gargano kicks out at two. Almas takes Gargano out to the apron and looks for the hammerlock DDT, but he can’t execute it. Gargano gets in the ring and kicks Almas in the head on the apron. Gargano follows up with a slingshot DDT onto the apron, and both men crash down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Almas comes back with a jawbreaker. They trade punches in the middle of the ring until Almas hits an elbow that stuns the challenger. Almas takes a breather then charges at Gargano but Gargano stops him with a boot. Gargano hits a DDT then drops Almas in the corner. Almas comes back with a dropkick and a small package pin for a two count. Gargano follows up with superkicks for a two count of his own. Almas drops Gargano in the corner and puts him in the tree of woe, then hits the double foot stomp. Almas throws Gargano into the LED screen on the side of the ring, then back in the ring. Almas follows up with the running double knee strikes in the corner for a two count. Almas and Gargano both slowly get up and trade punches. Gargano hits a superkick out of nowhere, and then a reverse hurricanrana. Gargano catches Almas in the crossface on the mat. Zelina distracts the ref, and Almas uses the distraction to rake Gargano’s eyes and break the hold. Gargano dumps Almas out to ringside and follows up with a suicide dive. Gargano throws Almas back in the ring and Almas distracts the ref, while Zelina Vega hits a hurricanrana on Gargano that sends him into the ring steps. Almas rolls outside and drags Gargano back in the ring, then hits the hammerlock DDT. Almas pins but Gargano gets the shoulder up at two, and the crowd goes nuts. Zelina goes to attack Gargano again, but Gargano’s wife hops the barricade and beats down Zelina, then chases her out of the arena through the crowd. Gargano crawls back up on the apron and Almas walks over to him. Gargano kicks him in the head, then hits a slingshot DDT in the ring for a two count. Gargano immediately locks in the Gargano Escape on the Champion, but Almas gets his foot on the rope. They roll out to the apron, and Almas shoves Gargano into the ring post. Almas follows up with the running knees to the face on Gargano up against the ring post on the apron. Almas pulls Gargano up over the turnbuckle and hits the draping hammerlock DDT for the three count.

Winner & still NXT Champion:

– After the match, Zelina Vega re-appears and celebrates the win with Alma before they head to the back. Gargano’s wife comes back and walks him to the back. Before they make it back, Tommaso Ciampa comes out and nails Gargano in the back with a crutch. Ciampa walks off as referees come to check on Gargano, and NXT goes off the air.

Undertaker & Michelle McCool Spotted In Philadelphia, Big Cass At WWE Reading Event

Jon Fuentes
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– The WWE always likes to bring in some big names for the Royal Rumble each year, and it seems that they’ve brought in one of the biggest for tomorrow night. PWInsider is reporting that both The Undertaker and Michelle McCool are in Philadelphia for the Royal Rumble.

It’s possible that the couple is just there for McCool’s appearance in the women’s Royal Rumble, as WWE did reach out to her for an appearance. As for The Undertaker there’s no word yet on if he’ll be competing in the men’s Royal Rumble. Here is a photo and video of Taker and McCool in Philadelphia earlier today:

– Big Cass appeared alongside NXT Women’s Champ Ember Moon, Mandy Rose, Dana Warrior, and No Way Jose at the WrestleMania Reading Challenge in New Orleans this week as they read to over 300 students for National Reading Day. Here are some photos:

Elias Talks His Interaction With Chris Jericho At RAW 25

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Superstar Elias recently did an interview with he Baltimore Sun to talk about his time with the company on the main roster. Several weeks ago Elias got the opportunity to work with John Cena on Monday Night RAW, and it looks like a feud between them is brewing. The man formerly known as “The Drifter” said when you’re working with John Cena in WWE – that’s where you want to be:

“That’s where you want to be in the WWE. John Cena has been the franchise for so long. In the ring across from John, you know you have a lot of eyes on you. As a performer, that’s where you want to be as far as I’m concerned.”

Elias also had the opportunity to work a small segment on RAW 25 with Chris Jericho. He said that Jericho annoyed him by trying to play the guitar and the whole situation rubbed him the wrong way:

“Well, I gotta say that the guy who really annoyed me on Monday Night Raw, Chris Jericho. He shows up, he wants to make some sort of claim that scarves are gimmick infringement. Though if you go back and look, I was wearing it long before him … but that’s OK. But then he pulls out a guitar and tries to play a song. So I’d definitely like to get in the ring with him. Something about the way that interaction went down on Monday rubbed me the wrong way.”

He was then asked about getting a bigger reaction on the main roster than he did in developmental on NXT:

“You know, I’ve heard that. In fact, I’ve heard Triple H himself say that in interviews, that Elias is maybe made for Monday Night Raw. But I can remember very clearly times in Full Sail where I’d sing songs and I couldn’t hear myself sing because the crowd was so loud for it. So it’s definitely an interesting dynamic, that’s for sure, being on Raw and hearing the way the crowd interacts with me. So I don’t know if that’s how I’d describe it, but I’m on Raw now and I’m doing my thing.”

You can read Elias’ full interview with The Baltimore Sun by clicking this link here.

Kaitlyn Reveals If She Has Been Contacted For The Women’s Royal Rumble

Jon Fuentes
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Former WWE Superstar and Divas Champion Celeste Bonin (better known as Kaitlyn in WWE) was recently interviewed by WSVN-TV Entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet to talk about several professional wrestling topics. She has since announced that she will be returning to wrestling and explained her decision to do so:

“I retired pretty much 4 years ago and I didn’t really have any intention of going back or making any kind of come back or even wrestling for any other promotion like TNA. I was just super focused on my business and wrestling was kind of just in my past. Then when I got in the ring I was just super rusty which was a little embarrassing but I missed it so much.

“I had such a tumultuous year in 2017, I went through a divorce and a bunch of changes in my company and moving warehouses and moving where I lived. I kind of fell out of a routine and I wasn’t working out and my life was kind of upside down but when I started wrestling again I kind of felt more purpose and structure and passionate about life in general again.”

Bonin also explained why she isn’t allowed to wrestle under the name “Kaitlyn” anymore:

“Kaitlyn is dead. We had her funeral. It’s a name that WWE owns and it’s a character that they own. They built it and they put money into it. I don’t own it.”

With the Women’s Royal Rumble right around the corner there has been a ton of speculation as to who the WWE will be contacting to participate. Bonin said she hasn’t received a call from WWE to appear but knows they sometimes do so as late as two days before the event:

“I haven’t got a call or anything. As far I know I’m not going to be there. But they’ve been known to call you 2 days before and that’s what happened to me when I debuted on NXT. They called me on a Friday and told me I was going to debut on a Tuesday. So anything is possible in the world of professional wrestling.”

Since Bonin has departed from WWE the female division has seen a major revamp in how serious they take women’s professional wrestling. The newfound “Women’s Revolution” is something that she’s really proud of, but not necessarily envious of:

“It’s really cool to look at the woman’s division now, I’m not envious that I’m not part of it right now because I have so much other sh*t going on with my business and the other projects I’m working on, but it makes me really proud that it’s gotten to the point where it’s at right now. The girls are getting longer matches and cool stories and characters and I’m super proud of it.

“Last time Smackdown Live was in Miami, I went to see a few friends backstage and I was hanging out in the locker room and it was so cool in there and it’s not always like that. There’s different eras I guess and when I was there, there was some tension and a**holes and whatever. But it’s such a cool, chill vibe in the locker room now and it made me really proud of what they have going on right now.”

Bruce Prichard On Reuniting With Vince McMahon At RAW 25

Jon Fuentes
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Former WWE executive Bruce Prichard was recently interviewed by 6-ABC to talk about several professional wrestling topics, including his return to the company at RAW 25 last week. Prichard was first asked about the big news of his former boss and friend Vince McMahon’s revival of the XFL. Prichard said that he’s excited for the return of the franchise, and the fact that McMahon is waiting two years for the relaunch shows maturity:

“What is there to say about the announcement of the XFL in 2020? Like everybody else, I was highly anticipating this announcement. It was met with I think a little bit of mixed reviews because I think people wanted more. But, at the end of the day, the XFL is returning. Vince McMahon is at the helm, even though he says he’s going to have the best in the business and professionals that know the football game and know that world.

“Vince will find the best. And Vince will hire the absolute best. I’m excited this time around because I don’t think Vince often makes the same mistakes too many times over. And the fact that he is taking two years to launch this league is a sign of, I don’t want to say maturity, but a sign of knowing the mistakes that he made last time and not wanting to repeat them. So already, he’s not rushing into this.”

Prichard also discussed his encounter with Vince McMahon at RAW 25 last week and described their brief reunion:

“I did get to say hello to Vince. I saw Vince right before he went out to start Monday Night Raw, in the hallway, and it was a short ‘Hello. Have fun.’ And at the very end, I thanked him and gave him a hug and that was it. Spoke to Stephanie and Shane [McMahon], as well, and it was great to reconnect with both of them. So all in all, it was an exciting day, a great night, a lot of history made, and, in a word, I had a blast, so it was it was an awful lot of fun.”

This year there’s going to be two Royal Rumble matches on the pay-per-view (PPV) card, a men’s Royal Rumble match and the first-ever Women’s Rumble as well. Prichard offered his thoughts on having two Rumbles on one card:

“Having two Rumbles in one show concerns me a little bit because those are two long matches and they’re the same type of match. It’s kind of like having a night of cage matches or a night of the same gimmick matches. It can wear on you after a while, but I’m confident that they’ll be able to make it different enough that people will enjoy it and pretty much be into everything that they do.”

You can read Prichard’s full interview with 6-ABC by clicking this link here.

Jim Ross Talks Triple H Eventually Replacing Vince McMahon Instead Of Shane McMahon

Jon Fuentes
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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently did an interview with Business Insider to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. “Good Ole’ JR” was asked for his opinion on 72-year-old WWE frontman Vince McMahon and his ability to continue to run the company. Ross said that Vince isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, as he’s still very healthy for his age, but has his own idea of where the company will go without him:

“I have an opinion on where the company will go. I will say this — you know, Vince is very healthy. He still works out like a crazy man. He really takes care of himself,” Ross said. “So, he ain’t going anywhere soon. We don’t want him to go anywhere soon. He’s the rock that built that thing. He’s the rudder in the water. It’s an amazing company.”

As for who Vince’s successor would be once he decides to step away from WWE, Ross said that he’d put his money down on son-in-law Triple H rather than McMahon’s own son Shane McMahon:

“I think that, if I’m guessing, and it’s gonna strictly be a guess — that the money would be on, probably, Paul Levesque to be Vince’s successor,” Ross said.

The future WWE Hall Of Famer currently serves as the WWE’s Executive Vice President Of Talent, Live Events, and Creative. Because of these roles and opportunities given to “The Game” Ross feels that McMahon is grooming his son-in-law to take the helm once he steps down:

“I think Vince is kind of preparing him for that in a lot of ways. You always knew that he was different from the other guys because he was very studious, and very – under control,” he said. “He didn’t drink. No drugs. He looked to be a lifer early on, and he got a lot of that from being a fan all his life growing up in the northeast — New Hampshire. Then, getting trained by Killer Kowalski who was a great, old-school guy. So, I think he’s probably the heir apparent.”

Ross believes that both Stephanie and Shane McMahon would continue to be involved with the company after Vince steps away, but in smaller roles, while Hunter is left as the right man for the job:

“Stephanie is very involved and, you know, is really more of a face of WWE. She does a lot of charity work. And she’s great at that. And you’ve got to have that in that world,” he said. “I think Shane seems to be, apparently, content with being a TV character. I don’t know where his role’s gonna be going forward or what he wants it to be. But, I think that Paul Levesque is the one that seems to be earmarked to be the next guy, if and when Vince is not in that role.”

You can read Ross’ full interview with Business Insider by clicking this link here.

6 Predictions For WWE Royal Rumble 2018

Robert Lentini
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WWE Royal Rumble 2018 will air tomorrow night live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The event will feature two Royal Rumble matches (men and women), a Handicap match for the WWE Championship and a Triple Threat match for the Universal Championship. Both the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships will be defended at the event. Here are 6 predictions for WWE Royal Rumble 2018:

The Bar Will Become Champions Again

The Bar Jordan Rollins

Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan haven’t been on the same page since surprisingly winning the RAW Tag Team Championships. Jordan seems to have his own agenda and it seems inevitable that this team will implode.

The Bar can win this match by turning Rollins and Jordan against each other. Rollins accidentally struck Jordan with a knee strike on RAW and something like that will probably happen again tomorrow night. Sheamus & Cesaro will capitalize on Rollins & Jordan not working well together and recapture the RAW Tag Team Championships.

The Usos vs. Gable & Benjamin Will Be The Match Of The Night

the usos gable benjamin royal rumble

The Usos will defend their SmackDown Tag Team Championships in a 2 out of 3 Falls match tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble. Gable and Benjamin thought they won the titles on a recent episode of SmackDown but the decision was reversed because they pinned the wrong Uso.

This is a match where it doesn’t matter who wins. Both of these teams are great and I just can’t wait to see what they do in the ring tomorrow night. If given enough time, this match could easily steal the show. I’ll say Gable & Benjamin win the titles tomorrow night in an excellent match.

AJ Styles Will Escape With His WWE Championship

wwe championship styles owens zayn royal rumble

Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon have been feuding for what feels like an eternity now. AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan have now gotten caught up in it as well. Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan have been involved the main event on SmackDown almost every week as of late. Shane is either coming down to the entrance ramp to restart the match or kick Owens or Zayn out from ringside. Daniel Bryan has been throwing out stipulations left and right to try to counter Shane McMahon’s vendetta against Zayn and Owens.

AJ Styles will defend his WWE Championship against both Owens and Zayn in a Handicap match tomorrow night. I have a bad feeling that we are going to see something similar to the tag match at Clash of Champions where both Shane and Daniel were special referees. Shane, Daniel or both will get involved during this match and AJ Styles will escape with his title. I’d be shocked if Kami became co-WWE Champions tomorrow night.

Brock Lesnar Will Dominate Again

lesnar strowman kane

Braun Strowman got the last laugh before Royal Rumble and slammed Universal Champion Brock Lesnar through the announce table on RAW. I don’t think we will see anything like that tomorrow night at the Royal Rumble.

I nominate Kane as the Superstar that is going to take the pinfall here. There is no reason for Strowman to be pinned by Lesnar tomorrow night. Strowman will get taken out very early and then Lesnar will hit a few German Suplexes and an F5 to Kane and retain the Universal Championship.

Asuka Will Win The Women’s Royal Rumble

womens royal rumble 1

The first ever women’s Royal Rumble match will happen tomorrow night. The winner will earn a shot at the RAW Women’s Championship or the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 34.

There are a ton of possibilities here. Nia Jax could dominate the entire match and be the last woman standing. A legend like Trish Stratus could return to the ring and prove she is still the best. Ronda Rousey could make her WWE debut and win the first women’s rumble. Becky Lynch could win it and go on to face her best friend Charlotte at WrestleMania for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Even though Asuka winning it seems obvious, I still think it should happen. RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss is already petrified of possibly having to face Asuka in the future. Since joining the main roster, Asuka has been dominant but hasn’t really had a special moment yet. I think winning the first ever women’s Royal Rumble would remind the WWE Universe that Asuka is the most dominant female Superstar on the roster.

Shinsuke Nakamura Will Win The Men’s Royal Rumble

mens royal rumble

I’ve got to be honest, I’m not confident in this pick at all. I am convinced that WWE wants Brock Lesnar versus Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34. They can get to that match without having Reigns win the Royal Rumble match again tomorrow night. It was a disaster last time Reigns won it in Philadelphia, yet I still wouldn’t put it past WWE to do the same thing tomorrow night.

However, I’m going with Shinsuke Nakamura. His main roster run has been so underwhelming thus far and that is through no fault of his own. He has been placed in a terrible feud with Jinder Mahal and thrown in a bunch of random tag matches with Randy Orton.

If Nakamura wins, that would set up the dream WrestleMania 34 match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. It would also give Nakamura a huge victory on the main roster and help build him up for a run with the WWE Championship. They keep referring to Nakamura as “WWE’s rockstar” on SmackDown. It is time to start booking him that way.

Seth Rollins Gets A New Theme (Video), Matt Hardy & Paige Comment On Tonight’s Rumbles

Jon Fuentes
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– During last night’s WWE live event in Baltimore, Maryland Seth Rollins made his entrance to a brand new theme song. Check it out here:

– Ahead of tonight’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV), both Matt Hardy and Paige took to Twitter to comment on tonight’s main events:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/957608693343965184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F918921-matt-hardy-is-ready-to-delete-the-competition-tonight-paige-comments-on-womens-royal-rumble

WWE Legend Picks His Royal Rumble Winners

Roderick Stedman
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Since appearing on RAW’s 25th anniversary special with his daughter, Ric Flair has spoken with Sky Sports about the upcoming Royal Rumble in Philadelphia.

The interview discusses Flair’s experience and history around the rumble match, as well as who he believes will win.

Since his daughter, Charlotte, will not be competing in the first ever women’s Royal Rumble on Sunday, there is no controversy over who he selected as the winner: Asuka.

Flair stated that Asuka is “like the women’s version of [Great] Muta, with the paint and everything, and she’s very talented.”  He furthered this by saying that all the superstars who come over from Japan are technically and mechanically talented.

Asuka has to be one of the favourites to win the Royal Rumble as she enters the event undefeated in WWE.  Ric Flair’s choice for the men’s Royal Rumble continues the theme of dominance, with Roman Reigns.

Flair explains that his choice of Roman Reigns is governed by the prospect of WrestleMania, knowing that Roman will have a big part to play, it’s likely that he will be building success at this time.

“I love Roman, he’s a great character and a great guy. He deserves it.”

Opinion/Discussion:

Does Roman Reigns deserve it?  Really?  Or a better question is, who does deserve it?

WWE Superstar Expresses Bitterness Towards 2017 Royal Rumble

Roderick Stedman
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WWE released a video ahead of the 2018 Royal Rumble which airs on January 28th from the Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia.  The feature contains superstars reviewing their time in the 2017 Royal Rumble, as well as Charlotte and Becky Lynch discussing their feelings before the first Women’s Royal Rumble.

Other highlights include Mojo Rawley and Jack Gallagher offering a unique take on commentary, discussing weapons in the rumble match, and how to enter the ring.

Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch also give their prediction for the men’s rumble match, stating that Elias is the dark horse.

The most interesting and entertaining part of this video however, is how Randy Orton remembers last year’s Royal Rumble event.

On seeing Roman Reigns eliminate The Undertaker, Orton said:

“Yeah, [if] memory serves me correctly, this set up the mainevent for WrestleMania, even though I won the damn thing and if you win The Royal Rumble – you go to the mainevent of WrestleMania – this [Roman Reigns vs The Undertaker] was the mainevent of WrestleMania. So I remember that.”

Later in the video Orton re-lives his celebration after eliminating Reigns from the rumble to win the match, and explains how he was still placed behind Reigns on the match card for WrestleMania.

Opinion:

It’s such a fantastic video, and certainly one of the better promotional videos for Sunday’s Royal Rumble.  It’s very easy to understand and appreciate Orton’s frustration, however I can’t see him making it to the end this year.

Bella Twins: Behind The Scenes Of RAW 25 (Video)

Roderick Stedman
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Brie and Nikki Bella have released a behind the scenes video of RAW’s 25th anniversary episode.  The video highlights interactions between superstars past and present, as well as Brie talking to Maryse about her pregnancy.

https://youtu.be/JGos0kg_d40

Among those featured in the video are: Paige, Trish Stratus, The Miz, Jimmy Fallon, Natalya, Sheamus, John Cena, and Daniel Bryan.

The video appears to avoid the negative aspects of the night which took place at the Manhattan Center.

The Bella Twins praise the event and experience which saw so superstars from multiple generations coming together.  They described their gratitude and thanks towards those who “paved the way” to enable what is seen today in the women’s division of WWE.

Opinion:

From what I’ve heard and experienced, most fans seem upset that RAW 25 promised so much, but fell flat as superstars returned for a one of appearance and announcement, without saying or doing as much as expected.  Many have described it as “gimmicky” and also “cheap”.

Matt Hardy Address Difference Between “Broken” And “Woken”

Roderick Stedman
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Matt Hardy spoke to WWE 2K about the release of their DLC pack for WWE 2K18 called Enduring Icons, and was able to clear up some details regarding the difference between being Broken and Woken.

Hardy remained in character during the interview, as he has become known for, referring to his previous self as the mortal vessel, and explained that if Woken Matt Hardy were to be featured in WWE 2K18 – he would have between 140% and 150% higher stats.

However the main news came when he was asked about his new persona in WWE.  Hardy explained that “we are just starting to scratch the surface” when it comes to being Woken; he further stated that “there is so much potential for so much entertainment, and there’s going to be so much growth within being known as Woken Matt Hardy.”

This is particularly promising as Hardy has already stated that he intends to create another Final Deletion style video with WWE.

The mortal vessel known as Matt Hardy then answered the question: how does Broken compare with Woken?

“They are very similar. Basically, Broken Matt broke down the barriers in his mind and could use more of that ability. And returning back home, the reception that we received when we came out at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, it held my condition, the Broken mind, dormant for a matter of months. And then, after touching the magical creature known as Bray Wyatt, it actually houses Sister Abigail, which I was able to draw from her magic and it reignited the magic within me. So I became Woken and realized all of my broken brilliance.

“It’s very interesting. They are very similar. There’s a little bit of difference because the Woken Wisdom is the second rebirth. Now that my Woken Wisdom has finally been realized and I am conscious of everything that is going on now, I think that the wrestling fans are going to be in for a truly special run.”

Apart from where it matters, in the ring, all signs are pointing towards a dominant invasion of WWE when it comes to Woken Matt Hardy.  He continues to create and release videos on his YouTube channel, the latest being an introduction to King Maxel:

Opinion:

When it comes to Matt Hardy and being Woken, more is better.  It may seem controversial and ‘gimmicky’ but he needs to become “The Woken Champion” at some point in the next year.

More Evidence For First Women’s Elimination Chamber Match

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With the progress that is being made in the women’s division, Hell In A Cell, Money In The Bank, Royal Rumble, there has been further evidence to suggest that WWE will include a women’s elimination chamber match on February 25th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Charlotte & Sasha Banks Mainevent PPV

The Second Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match:

Kurt Angle had previously teased fans with the idea of a women’s elimination chamber match when he replied to a comment in a Facebook Q&A session in October 2017.

Only a month away from the RAW brand PPV, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas has released a promotional tweet that suggests the inclusion of a women’s elimination chamber match:

The combination of showing Alexa Bliss on the image and using phrasing that references being inside the chamber itself, rather than just featuring on the PPV, strongly suggests the inclusion of a women’s elimination chamber match.

Opinion:

It’s simple, the more the merrier!  Why wouldn’t anyone want a women’s division elimination chamber match?  If the division is growing and expanding, as it is, then it makes perfect sense to include these special occasions too.

NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo Results: IWGP Intercontinental Title Match

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Night one of NJPW’s The New Beginning in Sapporo event goes down today (Jan. 27) at 4 a.m. ET.

In the main event, Intercontinental champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defends his gold against Minoru Suzuki. Also on the card, Never Openweight tag champions Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Bad Luck Fale defend their titles against Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, and Toa Henare.

Also featured on the card will be Kenny Omega, Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Cody, Young Bucks, and many more.

Peep the live results below:

Singles Match: Michael Elgin vs. Katsuya Kitamura

The two canceled each other out in the strength department early on. Elgin hit his stalling vertical suplex. He cracked Kitamura with a forearm for a near fall.

The two got into a battle of who can land the next suplex. This time Kitamura won that battle. He hit a gutwrench suplex for a two-count. Elgin landed a dropkick from the middle rope.

Kitamura barely kicked out of a Falcon Arrow. Elgin went for the buckle bomb, but Kitamura reversed. Kitamura ducked a clothesline and nailed the spear. He went for the Jackhammer, but Elgin rammed him into the corner.

Three hard lariats finally took Kitamura down. Elgin hit the buckle bomb, followed by the Elgin Bomb for the three-count.

Winner: Michael Elgin

10-man Tag Match: Kushida, Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Taka Michinoku, El Desperado, Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Takashi Iizuka

The members of Suzuki Gun immediately attack their opposition. El Desperado choked Liger against the corner. Liger landed a tilt-a-whirl on El Desperado, while Tiger Mask hit his Tiger Driver on Kanemaru.

Taichi nailed Liger with his bell hammer.  Taichi landed an enzuigiri to Liger. Taichi did his signature routine of pulling off his own pants. Finally, Liger hit the shotei and tagged in Tenzan.

Tenzan hit Mongolian chops on Iizuka, who later bit him in the head. Kushida was tagged in, but was outnumbered by Suzuki Gun. Nakaninishi had enough and nailed a an overhead powerslam on two members of the group.

Kushida locked in the Hoverboard Lock on Taka Michinoku to force the tap.

Winners: Kushida, Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Tag Team Match: Tomohiro Ishii & Toro Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens

Takahashi tried slapping Ishii, but it failed miserably. Ishii sent Takahashi crashing to the mat and crawling to Owens for a tag. Owens asked for Yano and his wish was granted.

Yano went for the padding in the corner, but was kicked by Takahashi. Yano was choked by Takahashi’s walking stick. Yano kicked out of a leg drop.

Takahashi and Owens doubled teamed Ishii. Owens became the legal man at this point. He landed a knee to Ishii for a near fall. Owens went for the Packagage Piledriver, but couldn’t get it.

Owens inadvertently cracked Takahashi with a kick. This allowed Ishii to hit the brainbuster for the win.

Winners: Tomohiro Ishii & Toro Yano

Never Openweight 6-Man Tag Title Match: Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Bad Luck Fale (C) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe & Toa Henare

Taguchi and Loa got things started. Taguchi’s hip attack had no effect on Loa. He dropkicked Loa low and landed multiple hip attacks with Loa on the bottom rope.

Now Henare and Tonga were the legal men. Tonga blasted Henare with a dropkick and multiple legdrops. Fale threw Makabe into chairs in the crowd and choked him with a cable.

Loa landed a Jackhammer on Henare, but Taguchi broke up the pin. Fale was now in and chopped the chest of Henare. Fale charged at Henare in the corner, but missed.

Makabe was now tagged in. He nailed Fale with his signature punches in the corner. Fale ran into a hip attack from Taguchi. Makabe hit a lariat on Fale, but Loa broke up the pin.

Henare got a near fall off a top rope shoulder block. Taguchi played coach and sent his teammates to attack Tonga in the cormer. Henare nailed the spear, but Fale broke up the pin.

Henare barely kicked out of Tonga’s flapjack. He locked in a half nelson submission hold on the ground to force the tap.

Winners And STILL Never Openweight 6-Man Tag Champions: Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Bad Luck Fale

6-Man Tag Match: David Finlay, Juice Robinson & Kota Ibushi vs. Marty Scurll, Hangman Page & Cody

Finlay and Scurll got the match started. Finlay got a hold of the arm and Scurll couldn’t find a way to break it until hitting a back elbow. He bounced off the rope and ran into a dropkick.

We now have Cody and Ibushi in the ring. Instead, Cody decided to tag in Page. Ibushi landed a kick to the body and a standing moonsault for a two-count.

Juice was tagged in and landed some punches. He connected with a spinebuster. Scurll was now the legal man and he ate some punches. Cody distracted Juice and Scurll landed a superplex.

Cody was tagged in and worked on the leg. Finally Ibushi and Cody were in the ring. They exchanged strikes. Ibushi went for a standing moonsault, but Cody got the knees up. Ibushi got the upperhand and landed a standing corkscrew.

Cody accidentally nailed Scurll with the Disaster Kick. Juice then landed his axe kick on Ibushi by accident. The bevy of miscommunication continued with Finlay spearing Juice. Page landed Rite of Passage on Finlay for the win.

Winners: Cody, Mary Scurll & Hangman Page

Tag Team Match: Will Ospreay and Yoshi-Hashi vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito

Hiromu and Naito attacked their opponents before the bell rang. Naito hit Yoshi-Hashi with his own stick. Naito wanted Japanese commentator Milano to hit Yoshi-Hashi with the stick.

Yoshi-Hashi threw Naito into the barricade. Back in the ring, Ospreay was tagged in. Hiromu dropkicked Ospreay in the knee. Naito stomped Yoshi-Hashi in the crowd.

Naito and Yoshi-Hashi would later be back in the ring. Naito landed his signature dropkick with his opponent in a sitting position. He tagged in Hiromu, but Yoshi-Hashi gained the edge and tagged in Ospreay.

A hard kick was there for Ospreay. He landed a modified 619. Hiromu landed a dropkick to the knee. Ospreay responded with a dropkick in the corner. Hiromu stopped the momentum with a pop up sitting powerbomb.

Naito was tagged in, but ate a springboard forearm. Naito went for a top rope hurricanrana, but Ospreay landed on his feet and landed a German suplex.

With the referee distracted, Naito landed a low blow on Ospreay and pinned the IWGP juniro heavyweight champion.

Winners: Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito

After the bout, Naito kept ignoring Yoshi-Hashi and was attacked for it. For the most part, Naito didn’t even bother responding to the attacks in the crowd. In fact, he went back in the ring and posed with Hiromu.

6-Man Tag Match: Gedo, Hiroki Goto & Kazuchika Okada vs. Bushi, EVIL & Sanada

Okada and Sanada got the match started. The two canceled each other out and soon we saw Gedo and Bushi in the ring. Goto, Okada, and Goto triple teamed Bushi and did their Chaos pose.

Gedo tried unmasking Bushi, but Sanada grabbed a hold of his beard. The action spilled to the outside. Sanada trapped Gedo in the Paradise Lock and nailed him with a dropkick.

Goto was in and he suplexed Bushi on top of EVIL. Goto landed a clothesline on Sanada and tagged in Okada. A DDT was there for the IWGP heavyweight champion.

Sanada reversed the Rainmaker with a high angle back suplex. Bushi was tagged in and landed a missile dropkick followed by the Bushiroonie. Okada got triple teamed, but Goto broke up the pin attempt.

Bushi went for the middle rope codebreaker, but was cut off. Okada and Goto teamed up on Bushi. Okada locked in a cobra clutch hold and forced the tap.

Winners: Gedo, Hiroki Goto & Kazuchika Okada

After the match, Okada called Sanada into the ring to get him to speak. Sanada got in the ring and threw the mic. Okada chased after Sanada and threw him to the ring post.

Okada went under the ring and threw a bag inside. Okada nailed Sanada with a tombstone. He shoved Okada bucks in Sanada’s mouth and choked him out with the cobra clutch.

6-Man Tag Match: Sho, Yoh & Jay White vs. Young Bucks & Kenny Omega

Jay White wasted little time, taking out Young Bucks and attacking Omega from behind. A big boot was there for Omega. Sho and Yoh were in the ring with the Young Bucks.

Yoh was triple teamed in the corner with kicks. Omega teased his Terminator dive, but White put a stop to that. Sho and Yoh took out the Bucks with sentons.

Omega went for a knee, but Yoh pulled his leg. White reluctantly tagged in Sho. Omega was able to bulldog both men. He tagged in Nick Jackson, who dropkicked White and went to town on Sho and Yoh.

Omega took out Sho, Yoh, and White with snap dragon suplexes. The Bucks and Omega nailed Sho with superkicks. White broke up a sharpshooter on Sho.

V-Trigger found the mark on Sho. Omega went for a One-Winged Angel, but White interrupted. Bucks went for a Meltzer Driver assisted by Omega on Yoh. They nailed it for the three-count.

Winners: Kenny Omega & Young Bucks

After the bout, White nailed Omega with the Blade Runner.

IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs. Minoru Suzuki

The two were in a feeling out process early in the match. Tanahashi targeted the arm and Suzuki returned the favor. Suzkui actually didn’t cheap shot the champion on a break.

Suzuki locked in a leg lock. Tanahashi stood up to reverse it into his own submission. The champion stomped the challenger’s leg, but Suzuki laughed. Suzuki connected with a headbutt, followed by his signature armbar using the ropes.

Suzuki threw the champion into the barricade. He grabbed a chair and attacked Tanahashi with it. The challenger landed some hard kicks to the body. Tanahashi got back in the ring and Suzuki continued his kicking spree.

They got into a brief chop battle until Suzuki reversed a chop attempt into a Fujiwara armbar. Tanahashi egged Suzuki on to keep kicking him. The champion downed the challenger with a forearm.

Tanahashi landed a senton off the top rope for a two-count. Suzuki threw his opponent into the corner and landed a big boot. Tanahashi caught a kick, but lost the dragon screw. They engaged in a striking battle that ended with Tanahashi getting the dragon screw.

Tanahashi locked in the Texas Cloverhold. The challenger was able to get to the bottom rope. Suzuki delivered a dropkick right to the jaw of the champion. He applied the sleeper hold, but was pushed off.

Tanahashi connected with the slingblade. He went for the crossbody and got it. The champion couldn’t follow up because of the way he landed on his knee.

The champion struggled to climb the top rope. He went for High Fly Flow, but Suzuki got the knees up. He applied a heel hook. Tanahashi finally got to the bottom rope.

Suzuki locked in the figure four. Tanahashi rolled over and found the ropes again. Suzuki landed his trademark clap combination. He locked in the sleeper hold and went for the Gotch Piledriver. Tanahashi swept the legs and locked in the Texas Cloverhold.

Suzuki countered into an inside cradle for a two-count. Tanahashi hit slingblade for a near fall. Tanahashi was dropkicked in the knee. Suzuki once again applied the heel hook. The champion made it to the bottom rope.

Suzuki shoved referee Red Shoes aside and kicked the champion in the leg numerous times. He went for the Gotch Piledriver again, but hit it this time. Instead of pinning Tanahashi, he locked in the heel hook again.

The challenger readjusted and applied the heel hook yet again. Red Shoes had seen enough, we have a new IWGP intercontinental champion.

Winner And NEW IWGP Intercontinental Champion: Minoru Suzuki

After the match, Tanahashi was taken out on a stretcher. Suzuki talked about his title win to close out the show.

UK Title #1 Contender’s Match Announced For NXT

Robert Lentini
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Tyler Bate will face Roderick Strong next week on NXT to determine the #1 contender for Pete Dunne’s U.K. Championship. The match between Strong and Bate will be taped this Saturday before NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.

WWE.com writes,

“Bate gave Dunne the fight of his life last month in a U.K. Title Match but came up short of regaining the championship. A win against Strong would put the English prodigy back on track for another showdown with his familiar foe and potentially a second reign as U.K. Champion.

The veteran Strong, in contrast, is still in search of his first championship since joining WWE. If he were to advance past Bate and dethrone The BruiserWeight, The Messiah of the Backbreaker would not only accomplish that goal, but he would make history as the first American to win the U.K. Title.”

Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate have already had some classic matches in NXT. Last year at NXT TakeOVer: Chicago, Pete Dunne connected with the Bitter End on Tyler Bate to become the new U.K. Champion. WWE recently uploaded the entire match called by Nigel McGuinness and Jim Ross on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WukMTB6SOeo

Jonathan Coachman Explains How ESPN ‘Dropped The Ball’

Jon Fuentes
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Former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman was recently interviewed on Busted Open Radio to talk about a variety of topics. One topic of discussion was how ESPN, Coachman’s now-former employer, helped bring WWE back into mainstream sports media:

“I feel a lot of pride. When we decided to push the envelope a little bit, I got a call from the office and they said ‘can you help us’. That’s one of the biggest criticisms of Vince over the years is he always felt like the superstars are all we need. These days with social media, you need crossover all of the time. They realized that. There is no more crossover at the time than ESPN.

“I’m very proud of the fact that we not only got a segment every week on Sportscenter, but it became the highest rated segment on social media. We created a dropdown on ESPN that when you go there today, it’s right there next to the NBA, NFL, WWE is right there at the top.”

Coachman got in trouble during his days with ESPN for issuing out a Tweet that stated ‘journalism is dead.’ He explained what happened between himself and his bosses after the Tweet:

“I got in trouble when I tweeted this. I said ‘journalism is dead as we know it. Anybody that wants to go to college to be a writer and write for the Washington Post, stop right now, because your career will never take off’. If you don’t entertain me, I’m turning the channel. Entertainment needs to be the #1 priority. That’s what I told my bosses at ESPN. This is entertaining. Who cares where the eyeballs come from?”

When answering the question of why he left ESPN, Coach explained how the sports media juggernaut ‘dropped the ball’:

“They dropped the ball. They could have done so much more. Every single project I’m about to start doing, I pitched to ESPN, and they said no to. It was very frustrating near the end. I said to my boss ‘you are so shortsighted on what we need to be doing, that it’s incredible to me’. The night before Summerslam 2016, Conor McGregor fought Nate Diaz for the 2nd time. I said to them, ‘I will go to Vegas, cover the fight, then fly to New York, cover Summerslam, and put both stories into a package to celebrate the biggest weekend in combat sports’.

“My boss said, ‘can’t do it. Nobody’s gonna want to watch that. I’ve already sent 3 cameras to preseason football.’ I said you gotta be kidding me. When I was getting ready to leave, I went to his boss and asked if this idea ever came across your desk. He said ‘No. We would have absolutely ran with that.'”

Coach then described what it’s really like working with “The Chairman Of The Board” Vince McMahon. Apparently McMahon really likes his former storyline executive assistant:

“He liked me a lot. For that, I was very close to him. He’s very difficult to be around sometimes, but there’s no-one else I’d rather work with. Part of the reason I was able to be at ESPN for almost 10 years is because what I learned from Vince, and that’s business comes first, you never burn any bridges, and you do what’s always right for the business. You also show up. The one thing that Vince taught us was you show up. I’ve actually seen him fire talent because they went out on an autograph session on Tuesday, and saw a blizzard coming to their hometown, they went home, and then couldn’t make the TV taping.

“The one thing you do in this business and for Vince is you show up. He was also the orchestrator of an incredible rib on me in North Carolina that I was arrested and jailed. When he really likes you, that’s what he does to show you. He’s very difficult to work for. He demands excellence. He is very demanding. He always doesn’t make the right call, but when you do TV 51 weeks a year, it’s hard to make things right every single time and make it hot. As far as leadership goes, I don’t know if there is a better leader, because you always know which direction you’re going. It may not always be the right direction, but you know which direction you’re going. There was no waste of time proposing ideas to him. He loves hungry talent. If you don’t want to sit on the sidelines, come prepared and pitch him ideas.

“Take The New Day for example. These are three guys whose careers were basically over, and here they come with this act, and Vince signed off on it. He is a guy who you better be prepared to talk to, don’t stumble over yourself and have your thoughts together. He will die on the road. There will not be a Vince McMahon who sits at home and watches the show. That’s just who he is. If you have a baby, you want to watch that baby grow. That’s just who he is.”

Rich Swann’s Lawyer Issues Statement About Charges Being Dropped

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Last month, WWE Superstar Rich Swann was arrested after an incident with his girlfriend (wrestler Su Young) that resulted in domestic violence charges, including batter” and kidnapping/false imprisonment.

The charges were dropped this week, reportedly due to lack of evidence. Swann’s lawyer Ian Pickens has since issued a statement hoping that WWE will lift Swann’s suspension and bring him back to television in the near future:

“We are very pleased with the resolution of these charges. We would like to thank the State Attorney’s Office for conducting a thorough investigation, as well as Mr. Swann’s family, friends, and fans that supported him through this.”

The statement continued, “During our representation of Mr. Swann, we have come to know him as a kind and humble young man, who we believe has a bright future ahead of him. We are hopeful that with the dismissal of these charges Mr. Swann will be able to return to the WWE and our firm will do everything we can to assist him in returning to the ring. Thank you.”

Hulk Hogan Almost Joined The Bullet Club

Jon Fuentes
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We reported earlier this month that WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan told The Associated Press that he is a fan of what The Bullet Club has been doing over in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). “The Hulkster” spoke to The AP to discuss RAW 25 and whether or not he’d be appearing. During the interview he said he’d love to jump on a plane and go over to Japan and ‘get involved with that Bullet Club.’:

“I’m about ready to jump on a plane and fly to Japan and get involved with that Bullet Club, man. I’m so excited about those kids.”

Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks, and Bullet Club member, told Sports Illustrated this past September that he’d love to have the opportunity to work with Hogan:

“I’d love to welcome Hulk in. He’s honestly my favorite wrestler of all time, so working with him in any capacity would be fun.” His brother Nick added, “I’d love to have him walk us down the aisle at the Tokyo Dome while the three of us play air guitar. That would be a dream come true.”

Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that negotiations actually took place to possibly have Hogan associated with The Bullet Club, however, Hogan was asking for too much money and members of the faction were hesitant to welcome him out of fear he’d jump right back to WWE the moment they showed any interest.

6 Surprise Entrants We’d Love To See At WWE Royal Rumble 2018

Robert Lentini
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The Royal Rumble always has a few surprise entrants during the match. With the addition of the women’s Royal Rumble, we should see even more Superstars return or debut in WWE. Superstars like Lita, Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, Aleister Black, Adam Cole, Beth Phoenix, Bobby Lashley and many more have been rumored to appear at the Royal Rumble and could also be on this list. Who do you want to see return or debut this Sunday? Let us know in the comments below.

Here are six Superstars it would be great to see come down the entrance ramp this Sunday at the Royal Rumble:

Trish Stratus

Trish Stratus
Trish Stratus

Stratus made a brief appearance Monday night on RAW when WWE honored some of the greatest female Superstars of the past. Stratus stood out during the Attitude Era and remains very popular amongst WWE fans.

The first ever women’s Royal Rumble match will feature 30 Superstars. I’d expect to see a bunch of wrestlers from the past and from NXT show up for the match. Trish Stratus seems like a pretty safe bet to make an appearance at the Royal Rumble. She is actually one of the favorites in terms of betting odds to win the women’s Royal Rumble this Sunday.

Batista

Batista
Batista

Batista returned to WWE four years ago at Royal Rumble 2014. He wound up winning the whole thing and the crowd absolutely hated it. The majority of the audience wanted to see Daniel Bryan win the Royal Rumble. As it turned out, Bryan wasn’t even in the rumble and also lost his match against Bray Wyatt earlier in the night.

Bryan went on to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 30 after forcing Batista to tap out via the Yes Lock. Batista was gone shortly after that and his return to WWE was ultimately a letdown. Things would go a lot better for Batista if he returned this Sunday and the crowd would be more excited to see him.

Kharma

kharma wwe

WWE posted a list on YouTube back in December of Superstars that fans would like to see return one day. Kharma was on that list and it would be awesome to see her return for the women’s Royal Rumble.

Kharma would be a tough Superstar to eliminate and could have an epic showdown with Nia Jax. Kharma caused chaos in the 2012 men’s Royal Rumble where she was a surprise entrant. It would be cool to see what she could do in the first women’s Royal Rumble match on Sunday night.

Daniel Bryan

daniel bryan 1

There is a 99.99% chance that this won’t happen. However, if it did it would be an unbelievable moment. Daniel Bryan is currently the GM of SmackDown and is in the middle of several disagreements with SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon.

On the 25th anniversary of RAW this past Monday night, Daniel Bryan and The Miz had a staredown on the entrance ramp. Bryan and The Miz have had several shouting matches on Talking Smack. The Miz captured the Intercontinental Championship from Roman Reigns on Monday night.

It would be amazing to see Bryan eliminate The Miz and then go after the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania. Bryan returning to the ring on Sunday is very unlikely, but it would steal the show if he was one of the entrants in the Royal Rumble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBcAnDC4wuM

Ronda Rousey

rousey myc 1

It just make sense for Ronda Rousey to show up this Sunday at the Royal Rumble. However, TMZ recently caught up with Rousey and she shot down rumors that she will be in the women’s Royal Rumble Sunday. The reporter asked her if she would be there and here was Ronda’s response:

“I appreciate everyone’s confidence, but I’m actually leaving to Colombia right now to finish shooting “Mile 22″ and won’t be back until mid February. I appreciate you saying that and it’s a real honor to hear it.”

While Rousey is saying that she wont be there Sunday, I don’t think too many would be shocked if Rousey was one of the entrants in the women’s Royal Rumble match. Asuka and Rousey are currently the two favorites to win the women’s rumble on Sunday night.

Ethan Carter III

ec3

WWE already dropped the ball with EC3 when they decided to make him a comedy act and a midcarder as “Derrick Bateman” on NXT. He was then released from WWE on May 17th, 2013.

Carter made his debut in TNA as Dixie Carter’s obnoxious and spoiled nephew. It was a gimmick that seemed destined to fail, but Carter made it work and eventually made a name for himself. He won titles and was one of the bigger stars in the company. Carter recently lost a “Feast or Fired” match during Impact tapings and is a free agent.

He also was scheduled at an indy event this weekend, but backed out of it. It would be great to see a once overlooked talent get another shot in WWE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZY8cWZaGZI

NXT Star Returns To Action In Albany (Photos), Alexa Bliss On The Women’s Revolution

Jon Fuentes
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– Inaugural Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane returned to action inside the squared circle at last night’s NXT live event in Albany, New York. Sane defeated “The Lady Of NXT” Lacey Evans in one-on-one competition after hitting an Insane Elbow. Sane hadn’t competed since November at NXT TakeOver: WarGames when she took part in a Fatal 4-Way Match against Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce, and Ember Moon for the vacant NXT Women’s Title.

Moon eventually won the match. No specifics have been reported on Sane’s hiatus from competition, but Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter did note on Twitter recently that she was “banged up.”

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

https://twitter.com/thesteveorlando/status/956690099860901889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/jkulchinsky/status/956692810568208391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

– Monday Night RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss recently did an interview with Sky Sports to promote this weekend’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) and the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match. Bliss said that the Women’s Revolution is isn’t done yet, and has here eyes on a future female WrestleMania main event:

You’re never done,” Bliss said. “The WWE has been at the forefront of promoting women in sports entertainment and athletics. But it would be awesome if one day we main event WrestleMania. That would be amazing. At the moment, the fact that we’re making history is very exciting. I’m very excited by this Royal Rumble Match because the revolution didn’t start with just one or two women. So the fact you have every woman included is awesome.”

Read Bliss’ full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.

Accused Steroid Dealer Claims To Have Evidence Roman Reigns Was His Client

Jon Fuentes
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Last February steroid dealer Richard Rodriguez was arrested by the DEA following a year-long investigation after having his gym, Iron Addicts Gym, raided in Miami. Rodriguez is being accused of importing goods from China, manufacturing illegal steroids in Arizona, and distributing them in Miami. Forbes reports that Rodriguez’s Wellness Fitness Nutrition LLC (WFN) company had “at least 50 customers in the Eastern District of New York” and made over $10 million off the distribution of illegal steroids.

Jon Bravo is doing a documentary on the Iron Addicts Gym and recently did an interview with Rodriguez. Last week Rodriguez implicated WWE Superstar Roman Reigns and actors Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel as clients of his. Reigns released this official statement denying any involvement in the scandal:

“I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition,” Reigns stated. “I learned from the mistake I made nearly two years ago and paid the penalty for it. Since then, I’ve passed 11 tests as part of WWE’s independent drug testing program.”

Both Wahlberg and Duhamel also denied the allegations in statements of their own. In a new video released by Bravo, Rodriguez stated that he named Reigns, Duhamel, and Wahlberg as clients of his specifically in order to get a better plea deal. There are also bigger names involved that apparently won’t be revealed until the release of the documentary. Rodriguez also teased members of President Donald Trump’s administration are involved as well.

Rodriguez claims that he was introduced to Reigns a few years back by a wrestling enthusiast, and claims he will soon be releasing texts proving he was in contact with the three stars.

“That information with us communicating with Roman via text messages will be provided to the appropriate party, which will then be disclosed prior to our documentary that’s going to be filmed soon,” Rodriguez said.

More specifically Rodriguez claims he will be providing “snippets of proof” in the next week; including text messages, tracking numbers and addresses where he had the products shipped to his clients. The addresses are said to be on movie sets in London and various other locations where the pickups would be able to be made.

The video of Rodriguez’s recent claims can be found here:

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…..

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

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