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Alexa Bliss Comments on Potentially Facing Ronda Rousey

Chris Stephens
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16

Reporters recently caught up with current Raw Women’s champion, Alexa Bliss, and asked her about possibly facing former UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey.

Rousey was recently seen having dinner with Triple H, fueling speculation we could see her in a WWE ring sooner rather than later. Rousey and Triple H’s public outing may have also been away for the company to draw attention to the upcoming 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble match and Rousey’s potential inclusion in it.

Alexa Bliss Comments on Ronda Rousey

When reporters asked Bliss if she was worried about Rousey taking her title, Bliss brushed off the question.

“Please I’m a fighting champion, I’m not worried about anyone taking this belt” – Alexa Bliss

Bliss was also asked about the possibility of Rousey appearing in the upcoming Royal Rumble and replied, “I think it’s a monumental moment in women’s history and if any woman wants to get involved, I think that’s awesome”.

Asked if Bliss had a message for Rousey, Bliss simply replied “Good Luck”.

Mark Henry On What Finn Balor Is Missing, What It Will Take For WWE To Clear Daniel Bryan

Staff
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WWE legend Mark Henry appeared on Busted Open radio with Dave Lagreca and Bully Ray this week and confirmed that he has signed an “Ambassadors” deal with the WWE.

Producer Alexander Metz sent in a few highlights from the discussion, including Henry’s opinion on Daniel Bryan’s in-ring future and his favorite Superstars in WWE.

Regarding Daniel Bryan, Henry said Bryan is a bonafide Hall of Famer, but he doesn’t think Bryan has wrestled his last match. For that to happen in a WWE ring, Vince McMahon would need “definitive proof” Bryan would not suffer a catastrophic injury, because Vince could not live with that on his conscience.

As for which current WWE Superstars excite him, Mark Henry said he loves the “action” of Roman Reigns, and that he’s a tough guy that you ‘feel’ when he gets hit, because he expresses himself very well in the ring.

“As far as someone that when they come on the TV, I really want to watch what happens next: Finn Balor.”

Henry says he’d like to see Balor take a more prominent role, but that’s up to him. He thinks Balor needs to be ambitious. Henry says he and Bully Ray may need to sit down and tell Balor who he really is. He needs to believe himself to the point where it’s real. WWE fans think wrestling is real and the talent need to believe it’s real too. With Finn Balor, Henry thinks he’s still finding himself in that respect.

Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Bully Ray can be heard weekdays from 9am-Noon ET with a replay from Noon-3pm ET only on SiriusXM Rush Channel 93 or any time On Demand on the SiriusXM App.”

Tetsuya Naito Claims He’s Bigger Than IWGP Heavyweight Championship

Chris Stephens
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5

Tetsuya Naito has twice competed for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the Tokyo Dome but has lost both matches to Kazuchika Okada. Although he did defeat Okada for the title in 2016, he would lose it back to him on only his 2nd title defense.

Naito was recently announced as Tokyo Sports’ MVP for 2017, the 2nd straight year he has won the award. During his acceptance speech, Naito claimed he is bigger than the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. NJPW1972.com translated his comments below.

Tetsuya Naito Acceptance Speech Transcribed

‘Representing New Japan Pro Wrestling and Los Ingobernables De Japon, your Tokyo Sports MVP is Tetsuya Naito. I’d like to thank the Tokyo Sports editorial board for naming me MVP. A lot of people saw me and Los Ingobernables De Japon as a flash in the pan, that just as quickly as we got popular, it’d all be over. Yet here I am, only the fifth in history to win this award two years straight. And I did this in a year where the IWGP champion held his belt from start to finish. What that means is that I exist on another plane. It means that Tetsuya Naito is bigger than the IWGP Championship. That’s not arrogance talking; that’s something that I’ve proven to everyone.”

Naito was attacked by Chris Jericho on the New Years Dash show the night after WrestleKingdom. It is believed the two will wrestle each other sometime in the near future, possibly on the NJPW in Long Beach show on March 25th.

Shawn Michaels On Hypothetical Match with AJ Styles

Chris Stephens
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Shawn Michaels was recently interviewed by the Daily Mirror UK and commented on the once rumored match-up between he and AJ Styles.

When asked about the possible dream-match, here is what HBK had to say,

“There was talk about it possibly happening at WrestleMania. I think he’s an unbelievably talented young man. I wish I was 10 to 15 years younger because there are so many great guys. But it’s very important to me, I wouldn’t have retired unless I was ready to walk away. I’m flattered that every year when WrestleMania comes up people talk about me coming back, but I enjoy my time with my family, I enjoy watching WrestleMania and I also enjoy watching WWE move into the future.”

Shawn Michaels Retirement

Speaking on the importance of staying retired, Michaels had this to say:

“It’s very important that continues to happen and the only way for it to do so is for some of us in a dignified way to walk away. Much as it would be interesting to be in there with some of those young men, it’s their time now and I think it’s important that we focus on them and the future of the WWE.”

It doesn’t look as though we will see HBK wrestle anymore but that isn’t to say he doesn’t think about who he would like to face. Speaking on the current roster, HBK mentioned a few guys he would like to face in the ring:

“There is just a litany of guys. I can go from Braun Strowman to Finn Balor and then you think about all the different guys between.”

Alberto El Patron Apologized to Triple H, Hopes for WWE Return

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling star Alberto El Patron appears to be working to rebuild his public image. While promoting a charity event this Saturday with proceeds going to orphaned children in Mexico, Alberto claims to have apologized to Triple H for ‘things he said about him in the past’ and hopes to return to WWE.

The article was in Spanish, a Google Translate version (i.e not perfect) of his comments are below:

“I apologized to Triple H for the issues we were in when I was with the relationship with my ex-partner. She and her entire family made me believe that those who affected our relationship were them, specifically him. She made me believe that the videos (compromising of the fighter) and all that was outside was by Triple H and the company. Surely before I retire I will do something special with them.”

Alberto said some pretty horrendous things about Triple H less than a year ago when he was dating WWE Superstar Paige. In a Periscope (or in this case, Perro-scope?) video that is still online, Alberto got deeply personal with his insults towards WWE’s COO:

“Triple H, you are a f**** p*ssy, and I don’t have to be drunk to say this, you’re a p*ssy. You just married well, that’s all you did. You married well and you’re a p*ssy.”

He continued, “Come to La Cantanita and I’ll say it again. I don’t have to be drunk or sober. You’ve got a big nose and no balls.”

Alberto El Patron in AAA

LuchaBlog.com also translated a recent Spanish language interview with AAA officials who indicated talks between the promotion and Alberto are ongoing. The article mentions it is likely Alberto returns to AAA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7L4nOJZy50

Triple H, Stephanie & New Day Lip Sync Battle on Jimmy Fallon (Video)

Chris Stephens
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Last night Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and the New Day competed in a lip sync battle on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

The competition started with New Day singing “Motownphilly” by Boyz II Men. Jimmy Fallon went with “Billy Don’t You Lose My Number” by Phil Collins. As for Stephanie and Triple H, they ended up singing “How Far I’ll Go” from the Moana soundtrack, even though Triple H had wanted “Seek and Destroy” by Metallica. He got into it by the end, though.

Check out the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsSxRElRe1I

New Day on Smackdown Live!

New Day has fallen out of the tag-team title picture recently on Smackdown. For the last few weeks, the trio has been focussing on Xavier Woods’ inclusion in the U.S title tournament. Woods was recently eliminated in the semi-finals by Jinder Mahal.

Contract Length Of Recent WWE Signees, Johnny Gargano Posts Emotional Message

Anutosh Bajpai
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– We noted before how after being rumored for a while, WWE officially announced the signing of Todd “War Beard Hanson” Smith and Raymond Rowe, collectively known as War Machine and Ricochet.

In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was noted that all three of these stars have signed a three-year contract with the company. While not confirmed it’s speculated that other wrestlers who reported to the performance center this week may have signed a similar deal.

– Johnny Gargano is all set to challenge Andrade “Cien” Almas at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Philadelphia event for Almas’s NXT Championship during the Royal Rumble weekend.

Prior to his match at the upcoming event, Gargano posted the following emotional message on Instagram, saying that he wants to win the title to share it with his dad:

“When I was 8 years old.. “replica belts” didn’t exist yet but I was OBSESSED with Championship Titles and being a Champion. So much so.. my Dad got this made for me as a present at a trophy shop.

My first Championship.

My Dad went in for open heart surgery on Christmas day. He’s doing everything in his power to be able to travel to Philadelphia to attend #NXTTakeOver with the rest of my family.

I’m going to do everything in my power to bring home a new Championship to share with him.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd-7cj3Fi_q/

Former Champion Returning To WWE For Raw 25th Anniversary Show

Anutosh Bajpai
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17

While there are only a few days left for the upcoming Raw 25th-anniversary show on January 22nd, WWE is still adding more and more names to the event.

They recently confirmed on Twitter that former United States Champion MVP will be making his return to the company this Monday night:

After the announcement and the reveal that Kevin Nash won’t be appearing at the show, here is an updated list of stars confirmed for the special Raw episode:

* MVP

* William Regal

* Harvey Wippleman

* WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel

* Lilian Garcia

* Jonathan Coachman

* Mark Henry

* Christian

* The Hardys

* WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus

* Chris Jericho

* The Brooklyn Brawler

* WWE Hall of Famer Jackie Moore

* Terri Runnels

* Torrie Wilson

* Maria Kanellis

* Michelle McCool

* Kelly Kelly

* WWE Hall of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund

* Eric Bischoff

* WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long

* WWE Hall of Famer The Godfather

* Brother Love

* The Boogeyman

* WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter

* John Laurinaitis

* Sean “X-Pac” Waltman

* WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase

* Free agent John Cena

* WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar

* The Undertaker

* WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

* WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall

* WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair

* The Bella Twins

* JBL and WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons

* The Dudley Boyz

* WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin

* DX: WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, Triple H and The New Age Outlaws

NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania Results (Jan. 19): New Champion Crowned

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling and CMLL are live today (Jan. 19) for their Fantastica Mania event.

The action takes place live inside Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The action begins at 4:30 a.m. ET. SEScoops has you covered with live results from today’s Fantastic Mania card. Big stars are set to appear such as Tetsuya Naito, Rush, Gran Guerrero, and many more.

Peep the live results below:

Singles Match: Fuego vs. Okumura

The two wasted little time getting the action started and Fuego did a dive on Okumura early on. Fuego began dancing in front of Okumura’s manager. She grabbed Fuego to set up a double team, but Okumura slapped her! He quickly gave her a hug afterwards.

Fuego ended up hitting a springboard to the outside on Okumura. They went back into the ring and that’s where Fuego’s fate was sealed, as he was hit with the Okumura Special and couldn’t kick out.

Winner: Okumura

Eight-Man Tag Match: Hirai Kawato, Star Jr., Dragon Lee & Satoshi Kojima vs. Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Rush

LIJ immediately attacked their opponents. Naito went after an NJPW commentator and choked him out with a scarf. He then gently put him back in his seat. The commentator became enraged and shoved Naito, who attacked him from behind and slammed him his head on the announce table.

When some order was restored, Rush and Kojima were in the ring. Naito went for a double team, but Rush inadvertently hit him. Star Jr. hit an impressive springboard on Rush. Eventually, LIJ ganged up on Star Jr. Rush ripped off part of Star Jr’s mask, while Naito went for the rest of it.

Kowato tried saving his partner from the beating, but Naito hit an enzuigiri and a neckbreaker. Finally, Star Jr. was able to tag in Dragon Lee. He took out Bushi and kicked the legal man, Takahashi in the head. The two engaged in their classic chop battle. As is often the case, Lee won that battle.

Amazing athleticism was on display as they found creative ways to counter each other with German suplexes. Takahashi nailed Lee with his signature overhead throw to the corner. Rush mocked Kojima’s corner chops, which was a mistake as Kojima hit the signature move three times for good measure.

Eventually, Kowato and Bushi were in the ring. Kowato was on a roll as he hit Bushi with a hurricanrana and took out Naito with a back elbow. Kowato got an edge in a chop battle, but was hit with a backdrop. Bushi locked in a Boston crab to force the tap.

Winners: Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Rush

After the match, LIJ took out Dragon Lee. Rush laid out Star Jr. with a chair shot to the head. They brought Kojima in the ring and Rush slammed a chair on his leg.

Eight-Man Tag Match: Drone, Volador Jr., Mistico & Atlantis vs. Disturbio, Puma, Barbaro Cavernario & Ultimo Guerrero

Before the match began, Disturbio got in a little chop to the back of Mistico, who wasn’t amused. Drone and Disturbio got the match started. Quickly, Mistico and Ultimo Guerrero were in the ring. They had a little pose off to see who would get a better reaction.

The two kept countering each other with their mat-based styles. Mistico landed a hurricanrana and faked a dive to the outside. Volador Jr. and Barbaro were now in the ring. Volador Jr. kicked Barbaro, who ended up doing the worm. With Barbaro on the outside, Volador Jr. leaped and landed a hurricanrana. Very smooth.

Disturbio, Puma, Barbaro, and Guerrero called ganged up on their opponents individually. Mistico landed a springboard hurricanrana. The team teased suicide dives, but their opponent got out of the way. Barbaro went for a slingshot reverse splash, but Volador Jr. got his boots up to counter.

Puma and Atlantis were in the ring exchanging chops. Atlantis landed a crossbody. He launched Puma to the outside. Disturbio kicked Atlantis and Drone stepped in to send him to the outside. Volador Jr., Drone, and Mistico dove on their opponents to the outside. Atlantis applied Atlantida to Puma to force the tap.

Winners: Drone, Volador Jr., Mistico & Atlantis

After the match, Barbaro and Volador Jr. exchanged words ahead of their NWA World Historic welterweight title bout on Sunday (Jan. 21).

INTERMISSION

CMLL World Middleweight Title Match: Angel de Oro (C) vs. Cuatrero

Lots of counters in the early going. Cuatrero connected with a shoulder block. A headlock was applied by the champion. He landed a suicide dive. Cuatrero began to gain the upper hand. He applied a half Boston crab and turned it into a chin lock. The champion made it to the ropes.

Cuatrero went for an attack in the corner, but de Oro moved and he was sent to the outside. The champion capitalized with a moonsault. A dropkick was there for de Oro, but the challenger kicked out at two. With de Oro on the outside, Cuatrero pulled off a suicide dive.

Shortly after, Cuatrero was reeling on the outside. This allowed de Oro to hit a handspring over the top rope moonsault. Cuatrero landed a sitdown powerbomb, but de Oro managed to get his shoulder up. The champion went for La Mecedora, but it was countered. Cuatrero then hit a spinning powerbomb for the three count. We have a new champion!

Winner And NEW CMLL World Middleweight Champion: Cuatrero

After the match, de Oro took the title and gave it back to Cuatero acknowledging that the better man on this day won.

Mexican National Welterweight Title Match: Soberano Jr. (C) vs. Sanson

Soberano Jr. went for a handshake and Sanson was having none of it. The champion connected with a reverse springboard hurricanrana. He then went over the top rope with a moonsault. Soberano Jr. hit a crossbody from the top rope. He went for a hurricanrana, but Sanson countered with a knee to the back.

Sanson went for a baseball slide, but got his feet stuck in the ropes. This allowed the champion to hit a moonsault from the top rope. A springboard dropkick missed the mark for Soberano Jr. With Sanson on the top rope, the champion went for a hurricanrana. He was reversed into a powerbomb.

The champion landed a crossbody and nearly got the three count. The challenger landed a knee to the head once the champion got caught in the middle rope. Soberano Jr. went for a springboard move with Sanson on the top rope, but he was caught mid air and planted down. The champion kicked out. He picked his opponent up and hit a move similar to Emerald Flowsion to retain the title.

Winner And STILL Mexican National Welterweight Champion: Soberano Jr.

Main Event

CMLL World Light Heavyweight Title Match: Niebla Roja (C) vs. Gran Guerrero

The two shook hands and the action was underway. Roja charged in, but was sent over the top rope. Guerrero missed a baseball slide. Roja went dove over the top rope, but was caught and planted with a powerbomb.

Guerrero went for a baseball slide again, but this time he hit it. A senton over the top rope was there for Guerrero. The champion sent the challenger to the outside and hit a senton of his own. He went for a springboard moonsault, but Guerrero got his knees up. The challenger hit a standing side slam for a two-count.

The two exchanged running strikes to the corners. Roja hit a spinning forearm for a two-count. With Guerrero on the top rope, Roja pulled off a hurricanrana. The challenger would later lift Roja up from the top rope and slammed him down for a near fall. Roja locked in Campana Invertida, but Guerrero escaped.

The challenger landed a cross-legged fisherman driver from the top rope and nearly got the three count. Roja landed a facebuster from the top rope to score the win.

Winner And STILL CMLL Light Heavyweight Champion: Niebla Roja

Main Event Confirmed for Pro Wrestling: EVE ‘Kick ‘Em In The Stereotypes’

Jake Skudder
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1

All Women’s UK promotion Pro Wrestling: EVE has announced the main event for their upcoming event ‘Kick ‘Em In The Stereotypes’ which takes place Saturday February 10th from the Resistance Gallery in Bethnal Green, London.

Mae Young Classic competitor Kay Lee Ray will be teaming with one of the most dangerous women in UK wrestling Millie McKenzie to take on SHE-1 winner Charlie Morgan and the PROGRESS Women’s Champion and longtime rumored potential WWE signee Toni Storm.

Storm and McKenzie had a phenomenal match at EVE’s last event ‘Not Made To Be Subtle’ and now they look to continue their rivalry as the company builds to their ‘Wrestle Queendom’ event in May.

Pete Dunne and Will Ospreay Comment on Their Historic Bout

Jake Skudder
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2

WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay collided as part of IPW:UK’s ‘Magnificent Zeven’ event that took place last night.

This was the first time that a WWE Champion had faced an IWGP Champion in a match since Hulk Hogan faced Antonio Inoki at New Japan’s IWGP Championship League in 1983.

Both men have taken to Twitter to comment on their historic bout that has been an absolutely massive success for IPW:UK, a company that has slowly been building their credibility as one of the best the UK has to offer since being taken over by the Fight Nation owners in 2017.

Check out the WWE UK and IWGP Junior champ’s reactions below:

Goldberg Held Talks With NJPW To Appear at ‘Big’ Events

Jake Skudder
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3

Former WCW and WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg has reportedly held talks with New Japan Pro Wrestling which would see him appear for the company at some of the company’s ‘bigger’ events.

The Wrestling Observer confirmed that the talks would likely not evolve into anything at this stage, Goldberg has been revealed as the top billed Hall of Fame inductee this year and that would involve a short term deal with WWE, however with NJPW looking to establish themselves on American soil there is still a chance that he could be brought in, even if it is for a non wrestling role.

New Japan: Strong Ticket Sales For Next Month’s Australia Tour

Jake Skudder
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In case you weren’t aware, New Japan Pro Wrestling is going down under next month for the first time ever. The New Japan Fallout Down Under tour invades the following cities next month:

  • Friday 16th February – ADELAIDE, Titanium Arena
  • Saturday 17th February – MELBOURNE, Festival Hall
  • Sunday 18th February – SYDNEY, Quay Centre
  • Monday 19th February – PERTH, HBF Stadium

The Wrestling Observer have confirmed that tickets for the tour have been selling extremely well, several stops are already close to sell outs and NJPW are said to be “pleasantly surprised” with the response to New Japan hitting Australia in February.

The company recently announced that Kenny Omega would be part of the 4 shows and this has had a massively positive effect on sales, this all of course bodes extremely well for NJPW as they look to extend their international profile.

Hulk Hogan “Knows” Triple H Wants Him Back, WWE Responds

Staff
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WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan was interviewed by Dan Gelson of the Associated Press this week and confirmed that he is not planning to be in attendance for Monday’s big RAW 25th Anniversary special. Even though he won’t be there in person, Hogan says he’ll be there in spirit, because Hulkamania inspired every legend we’ll see at RAW 25, including Vince McMahon.

Hogan’s bio is still gone from WWE.com after his summer 2015 release from the company due to the fallout from his sex tape & racism scandal. He’s been on the outside of the WWE Universe looking in for nearly 3 years now, but would return in a heartbeat if he got the call.

“I’m 64 years old and right now I could go out and tear WrestleMania down,” he said. “I might have that one more match where I really beat the hell out of Vince. I’ve still got one in me.”

Hogan’s ready to return, are WWE – and more importantly – their sponsors, ready for Hogan?

“I don’t know if they want me back,” Hogan admitted. “I think the fans want me back. I think that I’m part of that company from the ground up. Triple H I know is a huge fan of the guys that gave their blood, sweat and tears and their personal life to make this happen,”

He added, “I know Triple H would love to see me back on the inside again.”

Dan Gelston of the AP reached out to WWE about the possibility of Hogan returning. Unfortunately for the Hulkster, it wasn’t the response he was looking for.

“At this time, WWE remains committed to its decision.”

With a WWE return seemingly not in the cards, Hogan has expressed interest working with the Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Could we see Hogan don the black and white once again and stand beside the likes of Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks?

“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,” Hogan said.

Other topics discussed include Hogan’s beach shops in Florida and why he’ll never do reality television again.

Head over to APNews.com to read the full interview.

‘American Ninja Warrior’ Champ Kacy Catanzaro Reports To WWE Performance Center

Staff
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WWE announced on Thursday that Kacy Catanzaro is now training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.

Other notable names who began training at the WWE PC this week include Ricochet, tag team War Machine and Candice LeRae.

Catanzaro, 28, is an American gymnast who competed on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior series. Hailing from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, she was the first woman to complete a City Finals obstacle course on the show. She’s also made Sports Illustrated’s list of “Fittest 50” female athletes – twice.

During last summer’s Mae Young Classic tournament, it was announced that Catanzaro had signed with the company. She trained at the WWE Performance Center last January and obviously impressed WWE officials.

Samoa Joe To Be Out For Months, Kevin Owens Injury Update

Staff
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30

Samoa Joe will be out of action longer than initially anticipated. WWE announced that Joe injured his foot on the January 8th edition of RAW in a match against Rhyno. WWE Senior Ringside Physician Dr. Chris Amann evaluated Joe backstage at RAW that night and said it seemed Joe had a plantar fascia rupture, which is a thick tissue rupture under the foot.

Joe underwent an MRI later that week and will miss more than two months of action. According to the Wrestling Observer, Joe has been pulled from WWE live events through at least mid-March. There’s no good time to get injured, but it appeared Joe was once again on the cusp of starting a program with John Cena, a feud that would have elevated his position on the roster.

Hopefully Joe is back in time for a WrestleMania program, but the 38-year-old Samoan destroyer is at risk of being labeled injury prone by WWE officials, which would hinder his upside.

On SmackDown, Kevin Owens had been advertised to compete in the main event of this past weekend’s live events, but did not appear. He was backstage. The Observer notes that Owens is dealing with a nagging injury that is not considered to be anything serious.

Owens and Sami Zayn were also held off this week’s SmackDown Live episode. In all likelihood, WWE is letting Owens heal up before the 2-on-1 handicap match against AJ Style at the Royal Rumble on January 28th.

Visit f4wonline.com to subscribe to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Big Name Spotted At WWE Performance Center This Week

Staff
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The following article may contain spoiler information about an upcoming WWE debut/return: 

WWE welcomed several new talents to the Performance Center this week in Orlando, including Ricochet, tag team War Machine and Candice LeRae. As it turns out, another free agent has been spotted at the PC.

After wrapping up nearly 5-year run with Impact Wrestling, former Impact World Champion Ethan Carter III (Michael Hutter) was at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando this week. PWInsider reports that EC3’s contract was initially set to expire closer to the summer, but he was granted an early release and is now an unrestricted free agent, able to work anywhere.

With the Royal Rumble coming up in less than two weeks, the Rumble match would be an opportune time for EC3 to make his return to WWE. Fueling speculation that he could make a surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble, EC3 has been pulled from an independent show that takes place on Sunday, January 28th.

For what it’s worth, he’s updated his Twitter name over the past several days. His Twitter handle is still @therealec3, but he changed his display name to “iii”.

Scott Hall to Wrestle At RAW’s 25 Anniversary Show?

Chris Stephens
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26

Scott Hall was Sean Waltman’s most recent guest on his 12360 podcast and made some surprising comments about possibly wrestling on the RAW 25th anniversary special next week.

Scott Hall on Wrestling on RAW 25

Hall mentioned to Waltman that someone from the WWE office texted him and told him to bring his ring gear to the show.

“I just got a text from the office that said, ‘Please bring your ring gear.’ I said, ‘Are you ribbing me? You’re going to tell me like three or four days in advance, ya know?’ Give me a little notice and for the right money, I’ll have abs showing. I said, ‘Now, how about I bring what I wear to appearances?’ I’ve got gimmick street clothes. But I think we’re going to have a rematch, so I’m just giving you a heads up. I think it’s about time I went over.”

Scott Hall and Waltman shared a famous RAW moment in 1993 when Waltman scored an unlikely upset win over Razor Ramon. Wrestling as the 123 Kid, Waltman was used as enhancement talent at the time and his victory over Ramon helped establish RAW as a show where anything could happen.

Mark Henry: “I Am Not Retired”

Chris Stephens
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12

Last week, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that 20-year WWE veteran has retired. The Olympic powerlifter addressed that report head-on in a new interview published by Sports Illustrated.

Mark Henry Responds to Retirement Rumor

The former Olympic powerlifter and World Heavyweight Champion told Justin Barrasso that the reports about his in-ring career being over are simply not true.

“I’m not retired. There is still a lot I can do.”

He did indicate, however, that at 47 years of age and with 2 kids, he is looking to spend more time at home and less on the road. “I love the WWE, I love the company, but I have two kids and they want me home,” said Henry.

“They want me to see their recitals and sporting events, and I want to see them grow and evolve. My dad didn’t live with me when I was growing up, and he missed so much. I am not going to repeat that.”

Mark Henry will appear at Monday’s RAW 25th Anniversary special.

Roman Reigns Issues Statement Addressing Steroid Allegations

Chris Stephens
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27

Joe Anoa’i (Roman Reigns) has issued a statement regarding recent allegations made against him by Miami gym owner, Richard Rodriguez.

Rodriguez was arrested last February as part of a $10 million steroid distribution ring. Under the name Wellness Fitness Nutrition, Rodriguez is alleged to have distributed steroids to several celebrity clients, one of whom he claims is Roman Reigns. Rodriguez made the allegations last week in a YouTube post.

Roman Reigns’ Statement

Reigns issued the following statement to ESPN yesterday on the matter:

“I have never heard of Richard Rodriguez or Wellness Fitness Nutrition. 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.”

Reigns had been suspended for 30 days in June of 2016 for failing a Wellness Policy drug test.

WWE NXT Recap & Results (1/17)

Robert Lentini
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Sabbatelli & Moss vs Heavy Machinery

Dozovic and Sabbatelli started off the match. Tino connected with a Dropkick which was quickly shrugged off by Dozovic. Otis leveled Tino with a shoulder tackle and then caught Tino’s attempt at a Crossbody and slammed him to the canvas. Tucker Knight tagged in and beat down Sabbatelli some more.

Tino finally was able to tag out but Moss was launched across the ring by Knight. Dozovic tagged back in and dropped Moss with a Belly to Back Suplex. Knight tagged back in and got rolled up by Moss. Riddick had his feet on the ropes for leverage during the cover but the referee didn’t notice and counted to three.

Winners: Sabbatelli & Moss

Undisputed Era cut a backstage promo with their theme music playing throughout. Adam Cole commented on NXT GM William Regal’s announcement that his match against Aleister Black at NXT TakeOver Philadelphia is an Extreme Rules match. Cole stated that it being an Extreme Rules match is not an issue and is ready for the challenge.

Roderick Strong vs Fabian Aichner

Roderick started off the match in control and caught Aichner in a Headlock. Aichner wiggled free and the two Superstars got into a brief battle of submission holds before Fabian decked Strong with a shoulder tackle. Strong went for a Crossbody but the ridiculously strong Aichner caught him in midair and connected with a Powerslam as NXT went to a commercial break.

When NXT returned, Aichner connected with another slam but Strong responded with a Backbreaker. Strong lifted Aichner up onto his shoulders in a Fireman’s Carry but Aichner wouldn’t let go of the top rope. Aichner then hit a tilt-a-whirl Backbreaker and made his way to the top rope. Aichner leaped off the top for a Clothesline but Roderick countered into the Strong Hold for the submission victory.

Winner: Roderick Strong

After the match, Roderick Strong called out Lars Sullivan and vowed to put an end to his path of destruction.

TM61 had a backstage promo before a highlight reel was shown. There will be another video shown next week.

Aliyah vs Lacey Evans

Evans applied a Wrist Lock early but Aliyah was able to escape. Evans knocked Aliyah to the mat and connected with an Elbow Drop. Evans locked in an Arm Bar and used the ropes for leverage. Lacey remained on the attack and connected with a Bronco Buster in the corner. Aliyah battled back and planted Evans with a Northern Lights Suplex. Evans quickly took back control and hit Aliyah with a Jawbreaker. Evans then hit a big time right hand that knocked Aliyah out. Evans covered Aliyah for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Lacey Evans

After the match, Evans cut a promo and claimed that she was going to clean house in NXT. She mentioned NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon but was interrupted by Shayna Baszler. The two Superstars stared at each other in the ring, but Baszler turned her attention to Aliyah. Shayna choked out Aliyah in the ring as the officials hopelessly tried to break it up. NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon sprinted down to the ring and just like last week, Baszler got out of the ring before Moon could reach her.

Moon grabbed a microphone and challenged Baszler but Shayna said that she wasn’t in her ring gear and that Moon would have to wait. Moon told Baszler to name the time and place and Shayna suggested NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia and for that the match would be for the NXT Women’s Championship.

NXT GM William Regal was interviewed backstage. Regal made the match official for NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia. Zelina Vega interrupted and claimed that Gargano has taken Velveteen Dream’s rightful spot in the NXT Championship match against her client, Andrade “Cien” Almas.

Johnny Gargano then stormed to the ring and grabbed a microphone. Gargano stated that he was sick of all the noise and claimed that he is not a fluke. Gargano said that this was his time and that nobody was going to stand in his way. Johnny announced that he will put his title shot on the line against Velveteen Dream next week on NXT.

Authors of Pain vs Street Profits (NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Match)

Akam and Rezar took turns beating the hell out of Montez Ford early in the match as he was trapped in their corner. NXT went to a commercial break with Ford still getting dismantled by the Authors of Pain as Dawkins looked on from the apron.

When NXT returned, Ford was still trapped in the ring and couldn’t tag out. Finally, Ford was able to escape and tag in Dawkins. Dawkins cleaned house for a bit and connected with a flurry of Dropkicks and uppercuts. Ford recovered and tagged back into the match and hit a Dropkick. The Authors of Pain quickly regained control as Paul Ellering shouted instructions from ringside. Akam and Rezar hit the Super Collider and the Last Chapter for the pinfall victory. The Authors of Pain are now the #1 contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Winners & #1 Contenders: Authors of Pain

WWE Legend Pulls Out Of Raw 25, Alternate Angles Of Strowman’s Raw Rampage, Sasha On Fuse

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– WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash announced today that he will be unable to appear at Raw 25 this Monday night due to issues he would have with air travel following recent knee replacement surgery.

Nash is also no longer listed as appearing by WWE.com.

– WWE has posted this cinematic video of Braun Strowman’s Raw rampage on Monday night.

– Sasha Banks appears on Complex x Fuse tonight at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Fuse.

Promotional material for the episode says, “WWE’s Sasha Banks chows down on spicy wings on “Hot Ones” and discusses the evolution of female sports and the top highlights of her wrestling career.”

Carmella Talks Managing Enzo Amore & Big Cass In NXT

Jon Fuentes
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“Ms. Money In The Bank” Carmella recently did an interview with Rolling Stone to promote WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge. “The Princess Of Statin Island” talked about several professional wrestling topics such as the message sent to young kids watching men and women team together in the MMC, joining Total Divas on E!, and managing Enzo Amore & Big Cass in NXT. Here are the highlights:

A lot of the WWE’s audience are kids. What kind of message do you think can be taken away from seeing male and female superstars fighting in the same match?

“It’s super important for little girls to see what the women have done with the ‘Women’s Revolution’ and now being able to be a part of this Mixed Match Challenge. It’s different, it’s fun and it’s exciting. Nowadays, women are looked at as equal to the men when it comes to competing and I think that’s a really cool message to send to little girls and show them that whatever they want to do, they can set their mind to it and make it happen. And right now, this is a super exciting time for women in the WWE with all the firsts. We have the first women’s Royal Rumble match coming up and we had the first women’s Money in the Bank ladder match [in July 2017], so the sky is really the limit for the women right now.”

You also joined Total Divas this year, which adds a lot to your plate. What has that transition been like?

“It’s super exciting to be a part of a reality show in the midst of this ‘Women’s Revolution.’ One of the things documented on the show was the Money in the Bank ladder match, so it’s been exciting and different. It’s not something I ever thought I would do, being a part of a reality show. It was a super fun experience and being able to see it all play out on TV and for fans to be able to get to know me a little bit more has been cool.”

You’ve been wrestling on your own for a few months now. Are you excited to be paired up with someone again or do you feel more comfortable alone now?

“I like doing my own thing and I like being partnered with somebody. Anytime you’re partnered with a guy in wrestling, it’s exciting and different. Having James Ellsworth by my side for a while, that got people talking. Being a manager for Enzo and Cass in NXT was great. I got a lot of experience with doing that. And now this is something different as well, so I’m excited to be a part of it.”

You can ready Carmella’s full interview with Rolling Stone by clicking this link here.

Samoa On What To Prepare For When Working With Brock Lesnar

Jon Fuentes
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Former WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe was recently a guest on CBS Sports “In This Corner Podcast” to talk about his run with the company. One key topic of discussion was Joe’s program with WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, which led to a match between the pair at the Great Balls Of Fire pay-per-view (PPV) this past July. “The Destroyer” said that when you’re working with Lesnar you have to show up ‘ready to deal with Brock Lesnar’:

“I think when you are dealing with Brock Lesnar, you have to show up ready to deal with Brock Lesnar. Brock is the type of guy who is not going to give you an inch. If you are going to get anything from him, you have to take it and he’s going to dare you to take it. Brock is a guy who kind of feeds off of emotion, and if you come out and you’re flat and you’re not putting out what he is putting out, he’s going to eat you alive. That has never been an issue with me.”

As far as what it’s like to work a match with Lesnar, Joe said you can’t hold anything back when working with “The Beast” because he’ll pounce on any weaknesses you may have and take advantage of them:

“If we are going to be in the ring together, Brock knows we are coming for a fight. I mean that literally and figuratively. There is no pulling anything with Brock. If you show signs of weakness, he’s an apex predator and he’s going to pounce on it and he’s going to attack and overwhelm.

“You have to know how to deal with it when you are in there with Brock. He is a person who is going to accept nothing but the very best and if you don’t bring the very best, he’ll have no problems doing everything he can to absolutely wipe you out.”

You can read the highlights from Joe’s interview on CBS Sports “In This Corner Podcast” by clicking here. Listen to Joe on “In This Corner” at this link.

Kenny Omega Joins NJPW Australia Tour, NJPW Sells Out Show, NJPW’s Biggest Events Of 2018 (Video)

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– New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has announced that they are set to tour Australia for the first-time ever in February. The promotion will hold four separate shows in locations such as Adelaide), Melbourne, Sydney, and Perth. The shows will go down on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th. NJPW has announced that stars such as IWGP United States Champion, Kenny Omega, “Switchblade” Jay White, and Henare will be joining the tour.

– NJPW’s New Beginning show on February 10th has reportedly already sold out. The card will see IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay defend against Hiromu Takahashi, NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL, and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada vs. SANADA.

– NJPW posted a video breaking down their biggest upcoming events of 2018. Check it out here:

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