– Immediately after Monday Night’s RAW goes off air the WWE Network will be airing a new episode of Corey Graves’ “Straight To The Source” featuring an interview with WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore.
– Nia Jax doesn’t seem too thrilled about having to team up with Apollo Crews for the Mixed Match Challenge. WWE posted the following video of Jax, Crews, Titus O’Neil, and Dana Brook backstage being interviewed by Renee Young after the news broke:
– Shayna Baszler Tweeted out a video of herself at the WWE Performance Center in which she makes fun of a group of female talents trying to learn submission holds inside the ring. Baszler insists on helping one of the girls, Jessie Elaban, but keeps her in a strong rear-naked choke hold way too tight and long. A few other female talents had to get Baszler off of Elaban:
https://twitter.com/QoSBaszler/status/949389035977486340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
– WWE Superstar Natalya recently did a column for The Calgary Sun in which she discussed the first-ever all-female Royal Rumble match set to take place later this year. Here’s what she had to say about the match:
“Being able to compete in our own Royal Rumble allows the entire WWE Women’s division to feel equality like we never have before. That feeling is truly empowering, and marks a pivotal moment in the WWE Women’s evolution. I am excited to be a part of history. The cherry on top for this Canadian girl would be to carry on the excellence of the Hart family members who came before me and to win the Royal Rumble and get my shot at being a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion. WrestleMania, here I come!”
– Current ROH Television Champion Silas Young recently took to Twitter to announce that his contract with the promotion has expired and he’s currently a free agent. He said he is currently in Florida and teased potentially signing with WWE soon:
https://twitter.com/lastrealmanROH/status/948782923788013568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
– Following Wrestle Kingdom 12 at the New Year’s Dash event a 10-man match took place between Cody, Chase Owens, Marty Scurll, Yujiro Takahashi, and Lao Tongo vs. Kushida, Kota Ibushi, Dave Finlay, Juice Robinson, and Ryusuke Taguchi. The Bullet Club ended up winning the match and Cody looked to ambush Ibushi with The Bullet Club afterwards to avenge his loss at WK.
IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega then rushed the ring and stopped Cody and The Bullet Club, before getting into an intense shoving match with each other:
Tensions boil over once again within the #BulletClub, as @CodyRhodes and @KennyOmegamanX have a heated exchange over how to attend to unfinished business! Watch Now?English Commentary???https://t.co/fEh4jA7fML#njpw #njpwworld #njdash pic.twitter.com/GHO6MqLyn6
— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 5, 2018
Cody Tweeted after the incident that things got out of hand and it’s now over:
Things got heated. I apologized. It's over. https://t.co/XTd3b1Bnou
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) January 5, 2018
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore recently did an interview with The Sun to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Here are the highlights:
Neville’s crazy travel schedule and his ability as a performer:
“Neville is one of my favorite pros in the business. He carried NXT with that title and was a tag-team champion there. Then he worked the 205 division with the hardest schedule in silence, he was working Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then Mondays and Tuesdays. When guys were catching red-eye flights from the west coast after Raw, Neville was driving on to the next town or taking an early morning flight. It’s the hardest schedule in pro wrestling because you are closing out 205 [Live] at the end of the week. I hope Neville comes back and we feud. I have never seen a guy work like he does.
Who Neville is like in the WWE ring:
“He might move better than anyone has ever moved in a ring – like the Dynamie Kid. I have seen him tear it up in matches that no one will ever see – absolute bangers – I would love to move around with him because that dude can dance.”
You can read Amore’s full interview with The Sun by clicking this link here.
WrestleMania season is arguably the best time in all of wrestling and the first quarter of 2018 will be no different. Earlier this week fans around the world witnessed New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event, including Chris Jericho’s highly anticipated return to the promotion. Up next: WWE’s Royal Rumble on January 28th.
The Royal Rumble has more than earned its place as one of WWE’s premiere annual pay-per-view events. The Rumble has produced countless memorable moments since it’s inception back in 1988. Today, we’re looking at 3 of the most memorable WWE Superstar debuts that took place in the Rumble match.
The ‘Bulgarian Brute’ made his main roster debut for WWE during the 2014 Rumble, making his appearance as the 6th entrant in the match. Whilst still using the first name Alexander (before WWE began dropping the first names of several Superstars), the former NXT standout was made to look like an absolute powerhouse alongside WWE’s more established acts such as Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, CM Punk and Seth Rollins.
Rusev also played an integral part in one of the match’s best moments, the annual “Kofi Kingston spot,” when he caught Kofi as he was falling to the outside and rested him on the black mat guardrail, allowing the New Day member to leap back to the safety of the ring.
Rusev’s current run alongside Aiden English is arguably some of the best work of his WWE career and his ‘Rusev Day’ campaign has really taken off. With some momentum behind him, it will be interesting to see how Rusev performs later this month in the match that got him started on the main roster.
Vader is considered to be one of the greatest big man ever to compete in pro wrestling ring and for good reason. The 3-time WCW World Champion made his WWE debut during the 1996 Rumble match entering as the 13th participant. The ‘Mastodon’ eliminated Jake Roberts, Doug Gilbert and Savio Vega before being sent over the top rope by eventual winner, Shawn Michaels.
The following night, Vader took part in a memorable angle on Monday night RAW when he viciously assaulted then-WWF President Gorilla Monsoon. It was the first time that an ‘authority figure’ was attacked on WWE television.
Vader actually made an appearance on New Japan Pro Wrestling’s January 4th show in 1996, then dubbed ‘Wrestling World,’ he fought (in a losing effort) against Japanese legend Antonio Inoki…fairly similar circumstances to our final name:
Was there really another choice for the top spot? The ‘Phenomenal One’ made his WWE debut during the 2016 Rumble and has been tearing through the WWE ever since.
Making his entrance as the third participant in the match, Styles received a thunderous ovation from the live crowd after weeks of rumors that he was WWE bound. The excitement over Styles’ WWE debut was amplified by the fact that the only other man in the ring was the controversial “chosen one,” Roman Reigns. AJ Styles’ entrance into the 2016 Royal Rumble was an iconic moment that will be remembered for years to come.
The former IWGP, TNA and Rev Pro Champion is now a staple of WWE programming, but a possible Rumble debut from AJ Styles seemed almost too good to be true after he competed at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 10 event just weeks prior. Styles battled Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on that show, a match that many are hoping is replicated in a matter of months at Wrestlemania 34.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s January 4th show was arguably one of the most commercially successful in company history. More fans than ever where watching on NJPWWorld.com and the Tokyo Dome exceeded last year’s attendance by over 8,000.
NJPW announced several of their upcoming 2018 events during the Wrestle Kingdom stream and now their English Language site NJPW1972.com has unveiled the full details surrounding their 2018 programme:
“The big event for our American fans will be Strong Style Evolved, coming from the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach March 25th. The event was announced back in November, and we’re getting ready to reveal some big news about the show, so stay tuned to njpw1972.com.
It’ll be a busy April, as Sakura Genesis starts the month in Ryogoku on April 1. Then, on April 29, New Japan returns after a two year absence to Kumamoto for Hi no Kuni 2018.
On May 3 and 4, we’ll be in Fukuoka for two nights at the Fukuoka International Center and Wrestling Dontaku. Then, May 18 sees Best of the Super Juniors kick off, before the critical mid way point of the year; June 9 and Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall.
Then, it’s the biggest tournament in wrestling. In a first, G1 Climax 28 will kick off with two days on July 14 and 15 in the historic Ota Gymnasium, before heading to Hokkaido July 16, and then all over Japan.
Yet it’s where that tournament will end that’s most exciting. For the first time in G1 history, and with the first New Japan presence for over 15 years, the G1 will reach its Climax in the iconic Budokan Hall!”
A stacked lineup of shows announced for NJPW in 2018, including a return to the legendary Budokan Hall!https://t.co/xkp0CVJlbF
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 5, 2018
Defiant Wrestling (formerly known as WCPW) will be hosting their fourth weekly show tonight for free on YouTube. The company’s ongoing feud with fellow UK promotion IPW:UK is currently at the forefront of the weekly programming and features two of the independent scenes top stars Austin Aries and Mark Haskins. As well as the fallout from last week’s invasion this #WeAreDefiant show will feature bouts from some of the UK’s best.
Matches currently announced for the show are:
The show is airing right now so check it out below:
PROGRESS has announced two more bouts for their upcoming Chapter 61 event at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, England.
Newly crowned IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will be facing the debuting Australian Adam Brookes, Ospreay has made the Australian scene a home away from home recently and now he will be welcoming one of the country’s best to UK shores.
From welcoming Australia to PROGRESS we get this…Jimmy Havoc and Mark Haskins will be looking to cause absolute destruction when they face the impressive Aussie Open, comprised of Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis this team has been establishing themselves on the UK scene over the past year and now they get their sternest test in PROGRESS against the two former PROGRESS World Champions.
Seems like a good day to announce this… @WillOspreay comes to @o2academybham next Sunday and faces the debuting @theadambrooksy! #Chapter61 #ThisIsProgress pic.twitter.com/75ckHB3G5i
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) January 4, 2018
#Chapter61: First time clash at @o2academybham between #AussieOpen @kylefletcherpro @DUNKZILLADavis and @ThisIsHaskins @JimmyHavoc w/ @VickyHaskins! One team with eyes on another title opportunity, the other with eyes on causing as much pain and chaos as possible. #ThisIsProgress pic.twitter.com/P9DxodY8w3
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) January 2, 2018
– As noted last month, NJPW stars Ricochet and the tag team War Machine are WWE bound and are expected to be heading to the WWE Performance Center later this month. In response to a fan asking about an update to Ricochet & War Machine signing with WWE, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer stated:
Consider it done https://t.co/aOUIRHleNn
— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) January 5, 2018
– On Friday, WWE announced two more teams for the upcoming Mixed Match Challenge tournament that will air on Facebook Watch. SmackDown Live’s Jimmy Uso will team with Naomi and RAW’s Nia Jax and Apollo Crews.
As of this writing, the current lineup of teams includes:
WWE Mixed Match Challenge begins Tuesday, January 16th (after SmackDown Live). The winning team will be awarded $100,000 to donate to a charity of their choosing.
It was hailed as one of the best matches of 2017 and now WWE has released Tyler Bate vs Pete Dunne for FREE on YouTube.
The match for the WWE United Kingdom Championship at NXT’s Takeover Chicago event showed the world exactly what these two British stars could do, two of the youngest performers on WWE’s books went out and delivered on the big stage and put UK wrestling in the worldwide spotlight.
If you have not seen the match then check it out below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WukMTB6SOeo&feature=youtu.be
Following the success of New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event they have announced that tickets for their return to the United States with ‘Strong Style Evolved’ will be on sale January 29th. The show takes place from the Walter Pyramid arena in Long Beach, California on March 25th.
You’ll be able to guarantee your place at the show as of 1/29 10AM (PST) /1PM (EST) on the 29th, so make sure you don’t miss out on this massive event.
Tickets are currently priced as follows:
On Court
Rows 1-4: $200
Rows 5-12 $150
Stadium
Rows 1-7: $100
Rows 8-14: $80
Rows 15-24: $50
*Service charge not included
NJPW’s next event in the USA: STRONG STYLE EVOLVED! Tickets on sale 1/29 10AM (PST) /1PM (EST)!https://t.co/A0CPdnP48V
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) January 5, 2018
WWE’s 205 Live brand has been struggling recently with ratings on the WWE Network falling short of the top 20 on a weekly basis. In an attempt to reverse the fortunes of the Cruiserweight brand WWE decided to announce a brand specific 3 date tour with stops at Kingston RI, Lowell MA and Poughkeepsie, NY.
Well it appears as though the show has hit yet another roadblock, the Ryan Center in Rhode Island has announced that the January 19th event has been cancelled due to “routing and scheduling issues.”
What this means for the brand as a live touring entity is not yet clear but for a third of their first ever tour to be cancelled weeks beforehand does not bode well.
In addition to Superstars of the 205 Live division, WWE had advertised Bray Wyatt and “Woken” Matt Hardy to boost ticket sales.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has released several videos coming out of this week’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event. The full show (including English commentary) is now available for streaming over at NJPWWorld.com.
AXS TV will be airing a 2-hour special this Saturday night featuring the show’s 3 top championship matches voiced over by Jim Ross and Josh Barnett. The remainder of the Wrestle Kingdom 12 card will then air in the usual Friday night time slot on AXS TV over the next 5 weeks.
Highlights from ‘Wrestle Kingdom12’ Jan 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0DQehLGio0
Press Conference: Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho
Press Conference: The Young Bucks
Press Conference: Will Ospreay
After a show-stealing match against Kenny Omega at this week’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event from the Tokyo, Dome, Chris Jericho made another appearance for New Japan at Friday’s New Year’s Dash Event.
Jericho ambushed Tetsuya Naito in the ring after the two had exchanged words while doing media to promote Wrestle Kingdom.
At this time, there’s no confirmation that Jericho will be wrestling another match for NJPW. The “Alpha” of professional wrestling will be touring with his metal band Fozzy over the next several months.
Fozzy has a show scheduled for April 8th, will prevent Jericho from appearing at WrestleMania 34. It’s worth noting that Jericho’s schedule appears to be open for March 25th when NJPW returns to Long Beach, CA.
Oh!My God!! @IAmJericho surprises @s_d_naito and the Korakuen crowd at New Year's Dash! The legend seems to have had enough of Naito's attitude! Watch Now?English Commentary???https://t.co/fEh4jA7fML#njpw #njpwworld #njdash pic.twitter.com/b3KeNBcEL0
— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 5, 2018
James Ellsworth recently conducted an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. The always-positive 33-year-old, spoke highly of his time in WWE and his future in professional wrestling.
“I feel like I understand the business, and when I signed, I said I’m going to enjoy every moment. I was hoping and praying it was going to be five or 10 years, but I was like, “This is probably going to have a short shelf life, so I’m going to do the best I can to stay here as long as I can.” But I felt I was looked at as short shelf life from the beginning, which I’m not bitter about.
The whole thing’s bittersweet. I appreciate every opportunity WWE gave me. That’s the sweet part. The bitter part is I just don’t feel like I finished. Maybe I just didn’t finish now. Maybe I’ll finish there later, but I don’t think it was time to go. But it’s up to them, and they’re the ones who have taken this industry and made it into a global phenomenon, so they know more than I do I would imagine.”
“All I can say is Vince never talked to me about it. If that was an idea, I surely didn’t know, and Vince and I never had a conversation about it, so I have no idea. [Laughs] Being in WWE, I can tell you a lot of the dirt sheets is just people guessing. I’m not saying that was, but it’s people guessing and hoping they’re right, and it gives their dirt sheet a reason to pay attention to it I guess.”
The full interview with Rolling Stone can be read here.
– This week’s Something To Wrestle podcast with Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson looks at the creation of Monday Night Raw. The episode drops at noon over at SomethingToWrestle.com.
How did it all get started? @bruceprichard & @HeyHeyItsConrad dive deep into the creation of .@WWE #RAW Download at NOON ET https://t.co/QyZri0MMRm pic.twitter.com/cxrIssiaqt
— Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard (@PrichardShow) January 5, 2018
– This weekend’s WWE live events tour schedule will see the RAW brand in Evansville, IN on Friday, Cape Giradeau, MO on Saturday, and West Plain, MO on Sunday. Monday’s Raw will be held in Memphis, TN.
Smackdown’s weekend tour kicks off in Jackson, MS on Saturday night, with shows in Mobile, AL on Sunday and Montgomery, AL on Monday. Tuesday’s Smackdown Live takes place in Birmingham, AL.
NXT has shows taking place from Crystal River, FL and Spartanburg, SC on Friday night
– This year’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view takes place on Sunday, March 11th from Columbus, Ohio and will be a SmackDown-branded event. The Twitter account of the Nationwide Arena announced on Friday morning that John Cena is confirmed for the show, the final WWE PPV before WrestleMania 34 on April 8th.
JUST ANNOUNCED – Special Guest Appearance by JOHN CENA at WWE FASTLANE Sunday March 11 at Nationwide Arena. Choose your seats now! https://t.co/Fl2nadg1Zd pic.twitter.com/CVw489adzS
— Nationwide Arena (@NationwideArena) January 5, 2018
Daniel Bryan has been pulled from a promotional appearance he was to make this weekend.
The Smackdown General Manager will no longer be appearing at this weekend’s “World of Wheels” convention in Chattanooga, TN. As Bryan is normally not scheduled for house shows, he is free to make such appearances on behalf of WWE.
No reason has been given for Bryan’s cancellation. The convention only noted he will not be appearing due to reasons outside their control. Bryan has previously appeared at “World of Wheels” conventions in the past.
One fan documented his experience at a World of Wheels convention where he was able to meet Bryan.
It was a big night on Impact Wrestling last night. 5 new matches aired, 4 of which were for championships and the other was a career vs career match.
A new X-Division champion was crowned on Impact Wrestling last night. Taiji Ishimori defeated Trevor Lee to win the title. New tag-team champions were also crowned. Full results are below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCOLA0CvZxA
This Saturday night (Jan. 6), AXS TV presents a 3-hour Wrestle Kingdom 12 special at 8pE/5pP featuring the top 3 matches from the this week’s event.
With English commentary provided by Jim Ross and Josh Barnett, this week’s special NJPW on AXS TV will feature three headline championship matches from the Tokyo Dome:
Whether or not you’ve seen Wrestle Kingdom 12 already on the New Japan World streaming service, this presentation is can’t-miss.
AXS TV will continue its coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 12 over a five week period in its normal Friday night time slot starting next week (Jan. 12).
AXS TV sent in the following hype videos for Jericho vs. Omega and Okada vs. Naito:
Relieve the build leading up to Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega for the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title:
Exclusive interviews with Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito about their headlining match at the Tokyo Dome:
Mick Foley recently conducted an interview with NBC Sports. The WWE Hall-of-Famer spoke on advice he gave to Braun Strowman and his thoughts on the 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble match.
“Just trying to live up to the lure of rumbles in the past will be a challenge. It is almost always the highlight of the show. The match really gains due to the anticipation during it.
I’ll be rooting for the women. I’ll be glued to my TV set and just hoping that it goes as well as possible for everybody. I hope they have a couple of surprise entrees. Both from the past and a couple of new names.
The women are so determined. Through sheer force of will, they’re going to have a very good match, but the one thing you can’t ever … you can’t book magic. I hope there’s that element of magic in the air when they take to the ring.”
“I had a major talk with him about the importance of throwing things backstage. [laughs] I told him about a legendary basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, when Darryl Dawkins was ejected. I never saw the dressing room after he was done with it, but I heard about it and it was legendary in my mind and I said to him that he had a chance to be Darryl Dawkins after that game.
He had the physical presence to do it. He was the one guy who had the strength to throw things around in a way that would be meaningful and I think he really took that lesson to heart. Anytime I see Braun Strowman throwing items backstage, I smile.”
The full interview can be read here.
This week’s NXT TV tapings from Center Stage in Atlanta saw The Authors of Pain defeat The Street Profits to become the new #1 contenders to NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish of The Undisputed Era. It was believed that Fish & O’Reilly would be defending against SAnitY in a Steel Cage match at “Takeover: Philadelphia” but that match is not happening as Akam & Rezar vs. Fish & O’Reilly is now confirmed.
It was also announced at tonight’s tapings that NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon will defend her title against Mae Young Classic runner-up Shayna Baszler at Takeover.
On a related note, the Lars Sullivan vs. Killian Dain match has not been confirmed and it looks like Lars may end up facing Roderick Strong in Philadelphia.
Below is the updated non-confirmed “Takeover: Philadelphia” card coming out of tonight’s TV tapings. Takeover will take place on January 27th from the Wells Fargo Center during WWE Royal Rumble weekend.
NXT Title Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas
NXT Women’s Title Match
Shayna Baszler vs. Ember Moon
NXT Tag Team Title Match
The Authors of Pain vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish
Extreme Rules Match
Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black
Lars Sullivan vs. Killian Dain or Roderick Strong
Thanks to Mark Montalvo for texting us the following WWE NXT TV spoilers from tonight’s tapings at Center Stage in Atlanta:
January 10th Episode:
* Shayna Baszler makes her in-ring debut and defeats Dakota Kai. Baszler wins in under 1 minute via referee stoppage. Baszler attacks Kai after the match but NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon makes the save
* Lars Sullivan defeated Lio Rush. Lars called out Killian Dain after the match and then turned his attention back to Rush. Lars destroyed Rush
* We see The Undisputed Era attacking SAnitY backstage where a steel cage structure is seen. Adam Cole and NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish come to the ring to taunt SAnitY. Nikki Cross runs out for revenge but she’s held back. Aleister Black and Roderick Strong come out for a face off. NXT General Manager William Regal makes Black and Strong vs. Fish and O’Reilly for the titles
* NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era retains over Roderick Strong and Aleister Black. Adam Cole provided a distraction and brawled with Black through the crowd. They came back to the ring and Black was beat down after. Regal came out and announced Black vs. Cole in an Extreme Rules match for Takeover in Philadelphia
* NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Kassius Ohno in a non-title match
January 17th Episode:
* Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss defeated Heavy Machinery
* Lacey Evans defeated Aliyah. After the match, Evans called out Nikki Cross to the ring. Shayna Baszler came out, stares Evans down and ended up beating on Aliyah. NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon made the save and issued a challenge to Baszler. NXT General Manager William Regal confirmed Baszler vs. Moon for Takeover in Philadelphia
* Roderick Strong defeated Fabian Aichner. After the match, Strong issued a challenge to Lars Sullivan
* Johnny Gargano comes out for a promo in the ring. He will face The Velveteen Dream next week with the winner facing NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas at Takeover in Philadelphia
* The Authors of Pain defeated The Street Profits to become the new #1 contenders for a title shot from NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish at Takeover in Philadelphia
January 24th Episode:
* No Way Jose defeated Cezar Bononi
* Bianca Belair defeated indie veteran Luscious Latasha
* The Authors of Pain squashed two enhancement talents by attacking them before the bell. The match never started
* Johnny Gargano defeated The Velveteen Dream in an insanely good match. If Gargano lost, Dream would have received the NXT Title shot from Andrade “Cien” Almas at Takeover in Philadelphia. Gargano and Dream both got good pops throughout. Andrade and Zelina Vega came out to face off with Almas. End of tapings
Another team for the WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge tournament has been announced, and this time its for the blue brand. SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan has announced that real-life married couple Rusev and Lana will team up with each other for the Mixed Match Challenge. The pair joins teams such as Finn Balor & Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair & Bobby Roode, and Alexa Bliss & Braun Strowman.
Above is a video of the announcement and below is WWE’s official statement on the team being made:
Rusev to team with his wife Lana at WWE Mixed Match Challenge
SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan dropped a bombshell when he revealed that Rusev will team up with his wife Lana in the unprecedented WWE Mixed Match Challenge tournament on Facebook Watch.
The in-ring partnership between The Bulgarian Brute and The Ravishing Russian is an intriguing one to say the least. Rusev is a two-time Unites Champion who demands respect against any opponent in both singles and tag team competition. While Lana has not competed as extensively as her spouse, the Total Divas co-star has been quite visible in the struggle for supremacy in the SmackDown LIVE Women’s division and has officially entered the first-ever 30-Woman Over-the-Top Royal Rumble Match, signaling that she is, in fact, ready for top-notch competition.
Obviously, success for any tag team requires more than physical skill. There must also be an intuition between the competitors, something that can take years for two Superstars to develop. However, for a married couple in love, there is a much higher chance that element will already be intact, raising the odds that the WWE Mixed Match Challenge will end up being transformed into Rusev Day!
Together, Rusev and Lana will do battle in a ground-breaking tournament on Facebook Watch, where unlikely male-female WWE Superstar pairings will attempt to win $100,000 for a charity of their choice.
Check back with WWE.com to learn other #WWEMMC combinations as they become available. Follow WWE Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook for updates, and find out how you can impact the show’s matchups, stipulations and more along the way. WWE Mixed Match Challenge begins Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 10 ET/7 PT, exclusively on Facebook Watch.
The WWE’s Mixed Match Challenge will kick off in two weeks on January 16th on Facebook Watch, and Monday Night RAW’s second team for the tournament has just been announced. The team of Finn Balor and Sasha Banks has now been announced for the tournament; joining teams such as Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair from SmackDown Live, and Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss from RAW as well.
Above is a video in which Sasha Banks and Finn Balor find out they’ll be teaming together, and below is WWE’s official announcement of the team:
Finn Bálor & Sasha Banks to join forces at WWE Mixed Match Challenge
Raw General Manager Kurt Angle has revealed that Finn Bálor will team with Sasha Banks at WWE Mixed Match Challenge, a bold dream team that could definitely make the difference for Team Raw in the unprecedented tournament on Facebook Watch.
Whether competing in the history-making WWE Iron Man Match against Bayley in NXT or inside Hell in a Cell against Charlotte Flair, the innovative Banks is the very definition of a trailblazer. With the distinction of being the first-ever Universal Champion and the longest-reigning NXT Champion in history, Bálor is definitely cut from the same cloth as the four-time Raw Women’s Champion.
Add to the mix their larger-than-life personas and you have a fierce combination capable of taking any team to task in the Mixed Match Challenge.
Together, Bálor and Banks will compete in an innovative Facebook Watch exclusive tournament, where unlikely male-female WWE Superstar pairings will attempt to win $100,000 for their charity.
Check back with WWE.com to learn other #WWEMMC combinations as they become available. Follow WWE Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook for updates, and find out how you can impact the show’s matchups, stipulations and more along the way. WWE Mixed Match Challenge begins Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 10 ET/7 PT, exclusively on Facebook Watch.
As we’ve noted before, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore was held off from Monday Night RAW this week due to getting the flu. He was scheduled to defend his title against Cedric Alexander but that match has been put on hold for the time being.
Amore reportedly got sick over the weekend during WWE’s holiday tour and had been working with Kalisto at live events that week. He did not compete while in Toronto and held off on going to the hospital until he got to Miami, Florida for RAW. He was given an IV and arrived to the arena a few hours before the show but was sent to his hotel by WWE officials out of fear he was contagious, and was ordered to rest up despite Amore’s pleas to allow him to compete.
Braun Strowman was sent home early from WWE’s holiday tour for an illness as well, and the Wrestling Observer reports that “The Moster Among Men” was violently ill. Strowman, however, was able to return on RAW and defeat Rhyno in one-on-one competition.
There’s no official news on when Amore could return to the ring, although he has been medically cleared, but could possibly come back as early as this weekend. Amore was also removed from the Mixed Match Challenge by RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, despite that the tournament is two weeks away. When Amore does return it’s expected he’ll defend his title against Cedric Alexander.
