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.
James Ellsworth Interview Highlights
On his time in WWE:
“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.”
On Rumors of Vince wanting to give him a transgender gimmick:
“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.
— 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.
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.
Daniel Bryan Appearance Cancelled
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
Impact Wrestling Results, January 4th, 2018
Taijji Ishimori defeated Trevor Lee (c) (wins X-Division Championship)
Ethan Carter III defeated Matt Sydal and Fallah Bahh (retains Grand Championship)
Dan Lambert defeated James Storm (Career vs. Career Match)
Eli Drake defeated Alberto El Patron (retains Global Championship)
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:
IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho
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.
Mick Foley Interview Highlights
On what challenges faced by performers in the 1st ever women’s Royal Rumble:
“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.”
Foley on advice he’s given to Braun Strowman:
“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.”
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
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
* 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.
– Currently Enzo Amore is the only WWE Superstar being sidelined by an illness, as he missed this past Monday’s episode of RAW after contracting the flu. Braun Strowman was sent home early from WWE’s holiday live event tour, however, he was able to return for RAW and defeat Rhyno.
Wrestling Inc. reports that several other WWE Superstars aside from Strowman and Amore are suffering from illnesses backstage and have been given IV treatment. It hasn’t been confirmed whether or not those illnesses are from the flu or something else, but it is being said that several Superstars didn’t go out on New Years Eve because of how sick they were.
– As they prepare to welcome their first child into the world, WWE Superstars The Miz and Maryse have purchased a brand new home and shared the following photos on social media:
– Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio took to Instagram to comment on this morning’s Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega Wrestle Kingdom 12 match, saying it “did not disappoint”:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdhwrrHDv_r/
– WWE posted a video of Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss being interviewed by Renee Young, who asks the pair how they feel about being paired together for the Mixed Match Challenge and how they think Nia Jax will respond – given Jax petitioned to have Strowman as her partner for the tournament. Check out the video here:
– WWE Superstar John Cena recently posted a picture of “Woken” Matt Hardy on his Instagram page. “The Leader Of The Cenation” has a history of posting cryptic photos on his social media feed:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdfukObgaNz/
Hardy responded to Cena’s post on Twitter, referencing Cena’s middle name, Felix, as well:
– The Young Bucks, Nick and Matt Jackson, won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 12 earlier this morning. Matt Jackson took to Twitter to comment on the achievement and WWE producer/agent “Scrap Daddy” Adam Pierce responded to him and said he’s proud of the brothers:
When you’re old and gray (like I already am), you’ll look back fondly on the journey. It’s been remarkable and I’m proud of you guys.
Just four days into the new year and rumors have already begun to circulate regarding independent talents that WWE could go out and get their hands on. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that WWE has their eyes on adding another female talent to the mix – Candice LeRae.
Meltzer didn’t confirm that the signing is official quite yet but did say that LaRae is “going through the process” of inking a WWE deal. LaRae competed in the Mae Young Classic last year and was eliminated during her quarterfinals match with Shayna Baszler. LaRae also has a connection with WWE as she is the wife of NXT star Johnny Gargano.
Several weeks ago PWInsider reported that WWE was working on signing “a very prominent female independent talent.” It’s very possible LaRae is who the report was referencing. We’ll keep you updated…
The talk of the professional wrestling world early this morning was New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12, which featured a highly-anticipated bout for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Title between Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho. Wrestling fans from around the world stayed up until the late hours of the night yesterday to witness the spectacular event, and one of those fans was none other than WWE Superstar Tye Dillinger.
Dillinger took to Twitter to comment on former NXT star Liger being at the event, and a fan responded to him by telling him his Tweets of another company’s product will push him further down the card on SmackDown Live. You can check out Dillinger’s response, followed by a few more Tweets on the matter, here below:
I really enjoyed #WrestleKingdom12 from top to bottom. Thanks to all who kept the chat alive through the night and thanks for supporting what we all love. Goodnight ??
Jericho caught some heat for this from various fans and media personalities alike. One such media personality was Ryan Satin, who sent out the following sarcastic Tweet on the matter:
“Y2J” made a Facebook video to comment on his sharing of the fan art and his dedication to Guerrero and Benoit, calling out Satin specifically during the video as well. Check it out here:
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual Tokyo Dome concluded early this morning. The 6-hour super-show featured 9 matches, 7 of which were for championships.
Wrestle Kingdom 12 Results
Masahito Kakihara won the New Japan Rumble
Kakihara won the Rumble by eliminating Cheeseburger last. The 45-year-old former Best of the Super Juniors winner has been battling cancer and encouraged people to donate to Takayama’s fund.
The Young Bucks defeated Roppongi 3K (c) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano won the 6-Man Tag Team Championship Gauntlet
Former champions, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa were the last team eliminated.
Kota Ibushi defeated Cody
Hirooki Goto defeated Minoru Suzuki to win the NEVER Openweight Championship
Suzuki was forced to shave the back of his hair off in the ring after the match.
Will Ospreay defeated Marty Scurll, Hiromu Takahashi, and KUSHIDA to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Jay White to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Kenny Omega defeated Chris Jericho to retain the IWGP United States Championship
Kazuchika Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
WWE NXT aired a two hour Year in a Review episode of NXT tonight. Highlights of 2017’s biggest feuds and matches were shown, as well as some new interviews as we head towards NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27th.
Footage from the NXT Championship match between Drew McIntyre and Adam Cole from an NXT live event in San Antonio on November 17th was shown. Shawn Michaels was the special referee for the match and wound up on the receiving end of a Superkick by Adam Cole. Michaels also hit Kyle O’Reilly with Sweet Chin Music later in the match. McIntyre retained his NXT Championship against Cole, but lost it the following night at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. McIntyre tore his bicep during the match against Andrade “Cien” Almas and will be out for some time.
Below is a video of Michael’s entrance, his Sweet Chin Music to O’Reilly and the finish of the match at the live event last November.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXxr0ioEwb0
NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega were interviewed and discussed Almas defending his title against Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27th. Almas and Vega stated that Gargano isn’t even worth their time and Almas vowed to break him at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.
Gargano stated that he is going to walk out of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia as the new NXT Champion.
NXT’s competitive women’s division was highlighted during the show in the following video. Shayna Baszler was featured in the video and she is set to make her in-ring debut next week.
NXT’s tag team division was also covered during tonight’s two hour special. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly are the current NXT Tag Team Champions.
NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon discussed her journey to WWE and the obstacles she had to overcome to arrive in NXT.
On tonight’s episode of WWE NXT it was announced that the winners of the 2017 NXT Year-End Awards will be announced the night of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27th. The winners will be announced across all digital platforms and on the WWE Network. You can vote now by using the hashtags on Twitter.
Below is WWE’s announcement that details all of the categories and nominees of the 2017 NXT Year-End Awards:
Voting is now open for the NXT Year-End Awards! Cast your vote now to determine the best of NXT from 2017.
There are nine different categories for the NXT Universe to vote on, exclusively on Twitter. In order for a vote to be official, you must include BOTH of the following in your tweet: (1) the hashtag of the category, and (2) the hashtag of the nominee you are voting for. Please limit your votes toone category/nominee per tweet.
The winners of each category will be announced the night of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, which will take place Saturday, Jan. 27, on the award-winning WWE Network and across all digital platforms.
The categories and nominees for each category are as follows:
#NXTAwardMatch
#GarganoVsAlmas — Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (TakeOver: Brooklyn III) #AsukaVsMoon — Asuka vs. Ember Moon (NXT Women’s Championship Match, TakeOver: Brooklyn III) #McIntyreVsAlmas — Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (NXT Championship Match, TakeOver: WarGames) #DIYVsRevivalVsAOP — #DIY vs. The Revival vs. Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination Match, TakeOver: Orlando) #BateVsDunne — Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne (WWE U.K. Championship Match, TakeOver: Chicago) #WarGamesMatch — SAnitY vs. Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong vs. Undisputed ERA (TakeOver: WarGames) #AsukaVsCross — Asuka vs. Nikki Cross (NXT Women’s Championship Last Woman Standing Match, NXT TV, June 28, 2017) #DIYVsAOP — #DIY vs. Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match, TakeOver: Chicago) #StrongVsRoode — Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Roode (NXT Championship Match, NXT TV, July 5, 2017) #WomensBattleRoyal — NXT Women’s Championship Qualifying Battle Royal (NXT TV, Oct. 25, 2017) #BlackVsDream — Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream (TakeOver: WarGames) #GarganoVsOhno — Johnny Gargano vs. Kassius Ohno (NXT TV, Dec. 6, 2017)
NXT Rivalry of the Year Award:
#NXTAwardRivalry #NakamuraRoode — Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode #MoonAsuka — Ember Moon vs. Asuka #BateDunne — Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne #SAnitYUndisputed — SAnitY vs. Undisputed ERA #BlackDream — Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream #OhnoItami — Kassius Ohno vs. Hideo Itami #DIYAOP — #DIY vs. Authors of Pain
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year – Wrestle Kingdom – is finally upon us. The show will feature a double main event, with IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against Tetsuya Naito and IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega vs. “Alpha” Chris Jericho in a no disqualification championship match.
Fans in the United States can stream the show live on New Japan World, with the English commentary being provided by Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.
Here’s the final card for NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 from the Tokyo Dome:
IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
IWGP UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (NO DQ) Kenny Omega (c) vs. Chris Jericho
IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Jay White
IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Marty Scurll (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay
NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (HAIR VS. HAIR/NOBODY AT RINGSIDE DEATHMATCH) Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Hirooki Goto
IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP Killler Elite Squad (Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) vs. EVIL and SANADA
Cody vs. Kota Ibushi
NEVER OPENWEIGHT 6-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (GAUNTLET MATCH) Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Bad Luck Fale (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, and Togi Makabe vs. Beretta, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hanson Raymond Rowe, and Michael Elgin vs. Taichi, Takashi Iizuka, and Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP Roppongi 3K (c) vs. The Young Bucks
NXT is ringing in the new year with a 2-hour “Best of 2017” edition on the WWE Network. The show will feature:
– Never-before-seen footage of Adam Cole vs. Drew McIntyre for the NXT Championship from the November 17th live event from San Antonio, Texas. WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels served as the special guest referee for this bout just one night before NXT Takeover: WarGames.
– An in-depth look at NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon
– A preview of NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas’ upcoming title defense against Johnny Gargano at Takeover: Philadelphia during Royal Rumble weekend.
Plus, WWE.com is teasing a “huge announcement” regarding the NXT Year-End Awards for 2017.
On the latest episode of The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast “The Franchise” Shane Douglas commented on several professional wrestling topics. Douglas discussed the possibility of seeing Bam Bam Bigelow into the WWE Hall Of Fame, if he’d induct Bigelow, his thoughts on if Vince McMahon would set his feelings aside and extend him an invite, and more. Here are the highlights:
If he’d induct former Triple Threat stablemate Bam Bam Bigelow into the WWE Hall Of Fame if he were selected:
“Out of the uber respect that I have for Scott (Bam Bam) and certainly his family I’d be honored to induct him into the Hall of Fame. I am certainly capable of putting aside my feelings and it wouldn’t be about the WWE or the Hall of Fame it would be about my friend Scott. That said, I don’t believe that is ever going to happen. I think there is a better chance that the proverbial snowball could survive hell before that could happen but if that call did come I would certainly be honored to induct Scott into the Hall of Fame and my personal feelings about the “Hall” are irrelevant at that point and would have nothing to do with it.
“Bam Bam Bigelow truly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and if that call would come I’d be honored to do it but I don’t think it is going to come. I think there is a much greater likelihood that Vince would look elsewhere but I am honored that the fans would want to consider that I should be the one to induct him.”
How he thinks Bam Bam would feel about the way people are selected for the WWE Hall Of Fame:
“I think on the surface of that question that Scott would be much along the lines that I am. But I also think that Scott and if I can be so bold as to take a stab at this and that is if Scott is sitting someplace and looking down and seeing where it is today that he would be honored and humbled to let his kids see him be inducted into the Hall of Fame and I’d have to honor that.
“Bam Bam because of his sheer size and being a little bit older than me was kind of like my big brother and Chris Candido was like my little brother. The three of us were literally like three brothers and I think he would be honored by the fact to be recognized and to have achieved that level that I don’t think that Scott ever saw himself in that way as a top tier guy. I think that is why we all got along so well. None of us ever counted ourselves as being in the class with those guys above us because those guys were great and were legends and were draws and we were just trying to learn and come up behind them. So I think Scott would be eternally humbled by being inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
If he thinks Vince McMahon would set his feelings aside and extend an invite to “The Franchise”:
“I think it is wishful thinking in the fan’s heads that Vince would do that. Vince and I don’t get along very well in case anyone doesn’t know that or hasn’t realized that by now. I am just hopeful that the rumors we are hearing are valid and that Scott is inducted and if for nothing else for his kids (Shane, Colton and Ricci) to see their father be inducted into that Hall of Fame because he adored his kids and as much as I love my boys, he adored his kids. After all these years of not having their father I would love for them to be able to experience what Bam Bam Bigelow brought to the ring and what their father brought to the ring and that is probably the best way I can put it.”
You can listen to the full episode of The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling by clicking this link.
– On last night’s episode of SmackDown Live it was announced that WWE Champion AJ Styles will defend his title in a 2-on-1 handicap match against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) later this month. “KO” took to Twitter to react to the WWE Title opportunity:
– Last night’s episode of 205 Live continued the feud of Hideo Itami and Jack Gallagher as Gallagher beat Itami down with a pipe. You can check out the video of the segment here below:
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross was recently a guest on The Sam Roberts’ Wrestling Podcast to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Ross discussed who he’d hire if he was head of WWE Talent Relations now, how he’d get CM Punk to come back to WWE, getting Shawn Michaels to return several years ago, and much more. You can check out the highlights here below:
Who he’d hire today if he was head of WWE Talent Relations:
“Well, I’m certainly going to try to find another way to bring Chris Jericho back at some point, maybe at a WrestleMania, not [2018], but [2019]. Looking ahead. I’m probably going to try to get Kenny Omega signed. I’m going to find out the interest [level] from Kazuchika Okada because I think he’s one of the best in the whole world. He’s a good looking young man. He’s 29 [years old], I think. He’s 6’3″ or [6’4″], 6’3”, I think. He’s really, really good. I had his three matches with Omega this year on AXS TV on the Friday night show I do for [Mark] Cuban’s network, so he’d be a guy.
“I would certainly welcome Cody Rhodes back with open arms. Yeah, and The Young Bucks, I would try to get under contract because I like those kids. I like their entrepreneurial ability. I like the fact that they have a little bit of an attitude. Hell, I don’t care. I don’t know if they like me or if they don’t like me. I don’t have any idea. That’s their prerogative I like them and I love their work. But I think as many shirts as they think they’re selling now at that Topic place, what’s that place? Hot Topic. Get under that WWE umbrella and see how [many] shirts you sell. Oh, brother. It’s just the footprint is so much bigger. Hot Topic’s not going to stop buying shirts because they’re WWE shirts.”
Figuring out a way to get CM Punk back:
“I would try to figure out a way if there’s one more run in CM Punk. And ‘one more run’ to me means this: a WrestleMania, not 10, not two, not three, a WrestleMania. Start with let’s build to the right build and the crescendo is WrestleMania. And the only other way I’d do him is have him return at WrestleMania and not be on television. Sign, train, vignettes, vignettes, little angle, boom. His first match is WrestleMania. Yeah, that way there’s no pressure on anybody.”
When he got Shawn Michaels to come back to WWE:
“When I talked to Shawn Michaels about coming back to WWE and wrestling, he had been out four years. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Attitude Era time. I flew out from Stamford [Connecticut], LaGuardia specifically, to San Antonio [Texas] to visit with him and his lawyer, agent, whatever.” Ross recalled, “but I talked to him about coming back and I said, ‘many people, including myself, consider you one of the top one or two performers, in-ring performers, of all time, of all time. Unfortunately, there’s going to be a whole generation that don’t know you for that.
“They know you for the guy who lost his smile and the guy that hurt his back and had to take a four-year break. I’m just suggesting that that’s not the image, legacy, you want to leave. You have too [many] good things going on. And if nothing else, I’d like you to come back and have one match if you can. If not, let’s figure out a role for you. We would like for you to be able to share what to do, what not to do, and help these young guys who look up to you as their favorite.’ So I thought we’d get him back for one more match and he had several! And all of them were badass.”
Not having seen the best of Shinsuke Nakamura in WWE yet:
“I broadcast Wrestle Kingdom 9 live at ringside in Tokyo [Japan],” Ross continued, “and I thought he was one of the most fascinating personalities I had ever seen in my career and when I got back from that I did the old texting and let the appropriate folks know that I saw a guy that [they] might really want to take a look at because the influences for his game are derived from what’s the guy’s name that sang for Queen? Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. And I never heard of a professional wrestler saying that their influences are Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson and he has that great MMA background.
“He’s physical. I’ll just say this because I don’t know what the answer is other than I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Shinsuke Nakamura yet. There’s much more there. The question is will it be revealed, discovered, or utilized. I don’t know those answers and I don’t believe anyone does. But I find him fascinating, but I want to see some of that more physical, more snug. What we know is there, we are not getting. And I don’t know if that’s him. I don’t know if he’s injured. I don’t know what it is. But I’d love to see him be turned loose.”
Nakamura and A.J. Styles’ rivalry compared to Omega vs. Okada:
“I understand Kenny Omega, who WWE, I’m sure, would love to sign someday, I would think. He’s proven to have an ability to connect with an audience. He’s very talented [and] fundamentally sound. But he’ll want to move there someday because the older you get you can’t wrestle that crazy multiple bump, big bump style per match. And they do a lot of bumps on the apron, which is very dangerous and more jarring. And I understand their willingness to provide entertainment and all that good stuff. But Omega and Okada had three great matches this year, obviously. I called all three of them at some point with Josh Barnett, but I thought that the Nakamura/A.J. matches that I called were right there with them.”
You can listen to Jim Ross’ appearance on The Sam Roberts’ Wrestling Podcast by clicking here.
