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Seth Rollins On Why He Uses Triple H’s Finisher, Wants Match With Samoa Joe

Eric Lynch
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Seth Rollins did a live Q&A on Facebook on Thursday night and talked about using the move Triple H made famous for his finisher. Rollins said that he started using The Pedigree as a tribute to Triple H, but now his character uses it to spite The Game. Rollins (in-character) also took the opportunity to take a few personal shots at the 14-time World Champion.

“He thinks he can stick it to me by anointing Kevin Owens as the new guy? There is no replacement for Seth Rollins,” he said. “So, every single pedigree from now until I drop Triple H on his big, stupid nose, that’s gonna mean something, that’s gonna mean something. That’s me sticking it to the man, sticking it to Triple H. So no, no new finisher, not until I’m done with Triple H.”

On his plans for the future, Rollins says he’d like to face Samoa Joe at some point. Rollins says that he and Joe have grown as performers since their matches prior to joining WWE, and thinks they would “tear the house down” now.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the ring with Joe,” he said. “I think we’ve both grown a lot as performers, and I think we’d actually tear the house down. Hopefully once Joe’s done with his stuff in NXT he can come make his way up here and we can have a good fight.”

You can watch Rollins’ entire Facebook Q&A session here.

Sheamus Says His Last World Title Run Was Cut Too Short, Talks Daniel Bryan & Cesaro

Eric Lynch
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Former WWE World Champion Sheamus recently sat down with The Mirror in the UK to promote the RAW brand, and revealed his two favorite opponents so far in WWE since his 2009 debut. Sheamus says that he loved his best-of-seven series with Cesaro, and the only other person who was “as physical” as Cesaro was current SmackDown personality Daniel Bryan.

“We wrestled a ton of times, on TV and off TV,” Sheamus said of Cesaro. “I love wrestling him. The competition between me and him is great. It’s been an interesting couple of weeks since Mick Foley put us together as a team. We’ve had a lot of fun.”

Regarding the WWE World Championship or Universal Championship, Sheamus says he’s “done all that sort of stuff,” and is now exploring his character more in the tag team division. Sheamus said his run in the League of Nations didn’t give him a chance to delve into his character or bounce off each other, which he feels he’s doing with Cesaro now.

Sheamus’ last WWE World Title run lasted 22 days, and he lost the belt to Roman Reigns. Sheamus feels that he was doing a good job as a heel by getting the fans to stop booing Reigns, and at the time thought he had more life in his World Title run.

“Do I feel like I could have gone a lot longer with this? Absolutely, I kind of felt like my legs were cut from underneath me,” he told the Mirror. “To be honest. I felt like I was really starting to get some steam, to get some momentum. But ultimately my job was to get Roman back to where he needed to be with the fans behind him and as a heel I was able to do that. Which was for me I guess a special moment.”

You can read his entire interview on Mirror.co.uk.

Impact Wrestling Draws Lowest Viewership Since Moving To Pop TV

Eric Lynch
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79WRihHZRP0

It’s been a week full of bad news for TNA, and it’s not over yet. This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling was watched by 284,000 viewers, which makes it the least-watched show since moving to Pop TV. In fact, this may be the least-watch episode since the company’s early days on Fox Sports 1.

Thursday nights episode placed at #146 on the Cable Top 150 rankings for the night on ShowbuzzDaily.

Impact Wrestling switched from Tuesday nights to Thursday nights on Pop TV in an effort to avoid head-to-head competition with SmackDown, and regain some of their old Thursday night viewership.

Mark Henry Speaks On His Diminished Role In WWE, Reactions To His Fake Retirement

Eric Lynch
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WWE star Mark Henry is currently making the rounds to promote their upcoming video game WWE 2K17. In one recent promotional interview for the game, Henry addressed the issue of his television time being diminished. Henry says that he’s happy in his current role in the company, and seems optimistic about his future there.

“My role is, a lot of times, behind the camera,” Henry said. “We’ll be seeing what happens here in a little bit, I think everybody will be pleasantly surprised.”

As far as retirement goes, he says he hopes to go out with an “honorable death,” but isn’t sure who he would want his final opponent to be. One of the most memorable career highlights for Henry was his fake retirement segment with John Cena in the Summer of 2013. Henry says that angle is so popular that he still hears people referring to fake retirements as “a Mark Henry.”

“I didn’t think it would be to that degree,” Henry said of the reaction to his 2013 fake retirement. “I had professional athletes and wrestlers that I had never met before call, I don’t know how people go my number, but I guess they felt it was safe for that person to call me and say ‘hey man, you had a great career, and an even better jacket.’ I guess the The Big Show was probably the best. He left me a voice message saying that he was gonna kill me, that he was sitting on the couch with his wife crying, and ‘that’s how you do me. You used me and that’s how you use my feeling’ and I was like ‘ahh, my bad’.”

Mark Henry also talks about his favorite wrestlers to come from NXT in the full interview, which you can watch here.

Ric Flair Says Charlotte Has Something Big Planned For Hell In A Cell

Eric Lynch
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In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Ric Flair says that his daughter Charlotte has moves we’ve never seen before to debut in her upcoming Hell In A Cell match against Sasha Banks. The 16-time World Champion says Charlotte isn’t afraid of anything and plans on making a statement at the pay-per-view.

“There is no talking her out of it. You didn’t see me do any moonsaults off the top of a cage, but she has something really special in mind for the cage,” Flair said.

The Nature Boy also indicates that he feels Charlotte’s performances have improved since she fired him on-air. Another change since Flair left TV is that SmackDown now airs live, which he says makes the show better.

“The pressure of being on live TV is good for you,” said Flair. “It takes you a while to get used to it, but she’s got it down now. The fact that both shows are live makes the product better because the people have got to be on top of it. There is no margin for error, and she’s responded to that pressure. No one gets it on day one, but ever since she’s fired ‘The Man,’ she’s had it going on.”

You can read Flair’s entire interview at SI.com. Hell In A Cell 2016 takes place on October 30th at the TD Garden in Boston, MA, with live coverage & discussion here on SEScoops.com at 7:30 PM ET.

Exclusive: Tennessee Strikes Back At TNA to Collect Unpaid Taxes

David Bixenspan
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TNA’s financial issues are even more dire than previously thought, as unlikely as that may sound. We already knew that there are multiple lawsuits pending, a restraining order believed to be designed to stop the company from selling shares again, a dispute over music rights, and debt owed to various entities who funded the recent tapings. Yet there is still plenty of room for more.

On Friday morning, I confirmed with the Davidson County Register of Deeds that the State of Tennessee issued a tax lien against TNA Entertainment LLC about five weeks ago on September 8th. While the listing for the lien in some online databases has the debt recorded as “$0,” that is because some public record search companies misread the Register of Deeds not recording the amount of the lien.

TNA lien screenshot 09-08-16

Essentially, what this means is that TNA owes a lot of taxes to the state of Tennessee, to the point that the state now has the right to seize TNA property if the debt is not repaid. While the wrestling company is now operating under the newer Impact Ventures LLC company that was formed this year, Tennessee tax law covers successor companies. If someone actually buys the company, potential scenarios include TNA/majority owner Dixie Carter having to take a lower sale price so as to pay off the lien, or the new owners risking the scenario where Tennessee goes after them for the tax liability.

It’s up to the state whether or not to assert its rights and start seizing assets from TNA. While the restructuring as Impact Ventures LLC increases the distance from the original debt and thus requires more work by the state to collect, it can still do so. Tennessee would just have to assess a lien against Impact Ventures and, if it got that far, a buyer as well. However, the state cannot go after a successor for more than the purchase price.

Bill Goldberg Added To Several More Upcoming WWE RAW Shows

Scott Lazara
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In addition to this coming Monday’s WWE RAW from Denver, CO, Bill Goldberg is being advertised for several more upcoming WWE live events. Hartford, CT’s XL Center is advertising Goldberg will be “step into a WWE ring” on Monday, October 31st for the post-Hell in a Cell edition of WWE RAW.

https://twitter.com/xlcenter/status/786928981782167552

Goldberg is also advertised for the November 14th episode of WWE RAW from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. This is the final episode before the 11/20 Survivor Series pay-per-view in Toronto, where Goldberg is expected to face Brock Lesnar.

Why POP TV Almost Had To Pull TNA Impact Last Night, Potential TNA Talent Issues

Scott Lazara
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It’s possible that contracted TNA talents will become free agents next week due to a breach of contract, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. The story is that TNA may not have received enough funding to pay talents and pay for the recent Impact Wrestling tapings in Orlando. If they don’t have enough to pay talents this weekend, which is supposed to be a pay period, then that would force a breach of contract and essentially create a bunch of free agents. Meltzer reports that some talents are prepared to declare themselves free agents next week if they aren’t paid.

In other negative news for TNA, last night’s Impact on POP was almost pulled due to a music rights issue. There was a point earlier in the day where POP almost had to pull the show but the issue was settled and they ended up nixing the theme songs for Mike Bennett and DJZ. PWInsider reports that this was not related to the Corgan lawsuit.

Source: Wrestling Observer Radio

CM Punk: UFC Career “Probably Over” According To Dana White

Scott Lazara
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61

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33CPtWmqNw

After just one fight, it looks like CM Punk’s UFC career is over.

UFC President Dana White appeared on FS1 this week and commented on Punk’s future in the company.

“Is CM Punk going to be a guy who is going to stay in the UFC and continue to fight? Probably not, but he wanted to try it. I like the guy. I respect the guy. He wanted to fight in the UFC. He wanted to do it. He trained for two years, and he did it.”

Punk made his MMA debut back on 9/23 at UFC 203 and lost to Mickey Gall in the first round. He stated then that he was hoping to fight again.

For the latest MMA news and details on Ronda Rousey’s return to UFC on December 30th, make sure to check out our partner site, MMANews.com.

Chris Jericho Reveals THE LIST (Photo)

Scott Lazara
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Chris Jericho has revealed “The List” this week via Facebook post. The gimmick has been a big hit with WWE fans since it was debuted last month.

The List includes Seth Rollins, RAW GM Mick Foley, RAW Tag Team Champions The New Day and others. Are you on THE LIST ?

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THE LIST OF JERICHO

– MICK FOLEY >>> SCREWING OVER Y2J, Y2JS BEST FRIEND KEVIN OWENS AND THE ENTIRE SHOW, TERRIBLE FASHION SENSE

– WWE FAN IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

“LIST OF STUPID IDIOTS”

* ENZO AMORE AND BIG CASS
* THE SHINING STARS
* THE NEW DAY
* THE CLUB (GALLOWS AND ANDERSON)

– THE CAMERAMAN DURING HIGHLIGHT REEL WITH KO >>> WRONG SIDE TO SHOOT

– ENZO AMORE AND BIG CASS (END TIME) >>> INTERRUPTING Y2J AND KO

– SETH ROLLINS >>> INJURED AGAIN

– KOFI KINGSTON >>> QUESTIONING Y2J AND KO’S FRIENDSHIP

– BIG E >>> NOT ALLOWING Y2J TO THE CHAMPION’S HUDDLE

– XAVIER WOODS >>> LAUGHING

– XAVIER WOODS – MAKING JOKE OF Y2J’S BEST FRIEND KEVIN OWENS

– ASHTON KUTCHER & DANNY MASTERSON – SHOWING UP IN LOS ANGELES

Spoiler Update On The NXT TakeOver: Toronto Card

Scott Lazara
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14

Following last night’s NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University, below is the updated card for the 11/19 TakeOver: Toronto event:

* Shinsuke Nakamura defends the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe

* Asuka defends the NXT Women’s Championship against Mickie James

* The finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

* Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger

Roderick Strong Sends Message To NXT Superstars, WWE Announcement On His Debut

Scott Lazara
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4

As noted, former ROH Champion Roderick Strong made his NXT debut last night.

In the video above, Strong talks to Charly Caruso and says the real question is how excited is everyone else for him to be here. Strong says Roddy vs. The World starts now and that every NXT Superstar can expect to fall one by one. Strong is wished good luck but he says luck is for losers.

WWE also issued this announcement on Strong’s arrival:

Roderick Strong debuts in NXT

ORLANDO, Fla. — Roderick Strong has arrived in NXT, and he’s ready to break some backs.

The independent wrestling scene standout and former world champion, known as “The Messiah of the Backbreaker,” made his debut between the yellow ropes Thursday at a taping of the WWE Network show at Full Sail University.

Strong’s surprise arrival continues to show that NXT is the premier destination for the hottest free agents in sports-entertainment.

For more on Strong’s debut in NXT, stick with WWE.com and tune into WWE NXT every Wednesday at 8/7 C on WWE Network.

Matt Sydal Arrested In Japan For Marijuana Vape Pen

Scott Lazara
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11

Former WWE star Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) was arrested in Japan for possession of liquid marijuana for an e-cigarette back on 9/23 while entering the country via Kansai Airport in Osaka Bay, according to Nikkan Sports. He was convicted on 10/13 but there are no details on his punishment yet.

This likely means the end of Sydal’s career in Japan, which has extremely tough laws on marijuana.

Sydal missed New Japan dates last month and noted online that he had an issue at the border, and would have to stay in Hawaii. The arrest indicates that Sydal never left Japan.

Back in 2012, Sydal was involved in a car wreck that completely mangled his foot. Friends have said he lives in a constant state of pain and it’s amazing he can walk, let alone perform his high-flying in-ring style.

https://twitter.com/findevan/status/780190057265192961
https://twitter.com/findevan/status/780191231137624064
https://twitter.com/findevan/status/781561750852214789

Exclusive: Who Funded TNA’s Latest Tapings, Dixie Owes Corgan Money

David Bixenspan
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mQkNSXF37c

In the new lawsuit filed by Audience of One Productions against TNA, there’s a note about how the debt that TNA (technically the Impact Ventures parent company) owes Aroluxe Media is on file with the Tennessee Secretary of State. If you look up Impact Ventures in the relevant database, you get three debts registered by the company:

It’s been difficult to find any information on MCC Acquisition Corp, but everything else at their address (171 East Liberty Street, Suite 230 in Toronto) is related to Anthem/The Fight Network in some form. There are a couple companies involved that “MCC” could stand for, though it could just be a new shell created for this transaction.  Why the latest round of funding wouldn’t have gone through Anthem again is unclear, and if it was for secrecy, they didn’t do the best job of covering their tracks.

However, this gets a LOT more interesting.

When you search for Dixie Carter (who is legally Dixie Carter Salinas, her married name), you get this, which was filed Tuesday morning (October 11th):

Record of Dixie Carter owing Billy Corgan money.

Yes, as of Tuesday, Dixie Carter officially owes Billy Corgan money personally.

The address given for Corgan appears to be that of the offices of Smashing Pumpkins Machine, his company. A day later, on Wednesday, as reported earlier today (Thursday), Corgan sued Impact Ventures, TNA Entertainment, TNA COO and CFO Dean Broadhead, Dixie Carter Salinas, and her husband Serg Salinas. Being that everything filed so far in the lawsuit is sealed from public view, we can’t be 100% sure what this is about yet, but the two issues sure look like they’re related.

I have reached out to Dixie Carter’s known email addresses as well as TNA proper for comment, and will update this article if she replies.

Kris Zellner also contributed to this report.

NXT Spoilers Through NXT Takeover: Toronto

Scott Lazara
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1

Below are spoilers from tonight’s NXT tapings at Full Sail:

10/19 Episode:

* Rich Swann and No Way Jose defeated Tony Nese and Drew Gulak in a first round Dusty Classic match. After the match, Swann & Jose cut a promo on The Authors of Pain

* Bobby Roode defeated Sean Maluta. After the match, Roode cuts a promo saying he and Tye Dillinger have a match at Takeover. Dillinger comes out and they brawl

* Backstage promo with Liv Morgan. She gets jumped and laid out by Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, who put the division on notice

* Austin Aries and Roderick Strong defeated Tucker Knight and Otis Bogojevic in a first round Dusty Classic match. Strong got a big pop for his debut

* Nikki Cross w/ Sanity defeated Danielle Kamella. Nikki beats on Danielle after the match and they announce the referee has reversed his decision due to excessive violence

* Shinsuke Nakamura is out for a promo on Samoa Joe but is interrupted by Patrick Clark. Nakamura destroys him and Samoa Joe runs out but retreats. Nakamura leaves Patrick laying

10/26 Episode:

* Ciampa and Gargano defeated Tian Bing and HoHo Lun in a first round Dusty Classic match

* Aliyah defeated Billie Kay. Billie and Peyton attack Liv until Aliyah makes the save but the faces still get beat down

* TJ Perkins and Kota Ibushi defeated Lince Dorado and Mustafa Ali in the final first round Dusty Classic match

* Tye Dillinger defeated Noah Potjes. Roode lays Tye out after the match

10/2 Episode:

* Ember Moon defeated Rachael Evers in a quick match

* Before DIY vs. The Revival in a Dusty Classic match, Scott Dawson comes out on crutches and says he’s suffered a severe knee injury. DIY will be advancing in the tournament due to the injury. The Authors of Pain show up and attack DIY but end up retreating

* Elias Samson sings a song as he returns to huge heat. He then squashes Nathan Cruz

10/9 Episode:

* Liv Morgan defeated Peyton Royce by DQ when Billie jumped Liv. Aliyah hits the ring for the save but the faces are overpowered again. Ember Moon comes out for the save and celebrates with Liv and Aliyah

* Almas defeated Cedric Alexander

* Regal introduces Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe for the contract signing It ends with both men refusing to sign the contract and arguing with Regal. Nakamura attacks security and puts one of them through a table, powerbombs another and then signs the contract

* Sanity defeated Kota Ibushi and TJP in the quarterfinals of the Dusty Classic

Roderick Strong Arrives In WWE NXT

Staff
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Former ROH Champion Roderick Strong made his NXT debut at Thursday night’s tapings from Full Sail University.

Strong made his debut as the mystery partner of Austin Aries in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. They defeated the team of Tucker Knight and Otis Bogojevic to advance.

Strong has teamed with Aries in both Ring of Honor and TNA. He’s been seen at the WWE Performance Center in recent weeks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLhWvAeB4TJ/?taken-by=wwe

Mickie James vs. Asuka Announced For NXT Takeover: Toronto

Staff
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Mickie James will face Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Takeover: Toronto.

James, a 5-time WWE Women’s Champion and former Divas Champion, appeared on the big screen at Thursday night’s NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL. She worked for TNA as recently as last year.

Earlier today, NXT General Manager William Regal announced the main event for that show will see NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defending against Samoa Joe.

We’ll have complete spoilers from Thursday’s NXT tapings later tonight.

WWE Announce Hideo Itami’s Replacement In Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

Scott Lesh
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5

NXT General Manager William Regal announced today that TJ Perkins will be replacing the injured Hideo Itami in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

TJ will be teaming with Kota Ibushi, in the first round where they will be facing Lince Dorado and Mustafa Ali.

 

TJ Perkins and Kota Ibushi have previously teamed in EVOLVE during Wrestlemania 32 weekend in Dallas and they also faced each other in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament where TJ defeated Kota to advance to the finals.

AJ Styles Says We’ll Have To Be Patient For Samoa Joe & Nakamura Rematches, Talks Being Champ

Eric Lynch
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19

During a recent promotional interview for WWE 2K17 on ESPN, AJ Styles says he’s excited about the possibility of facing his previous opponents Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura inside a WWE ring. Styles had several acclaimed matches outside of WWE with both Joe and Nakamura, and says he “absolutely” wants to face them again. AJ added that Joe is the kind of talent who can “make a difference” on a show.

“I mean, the chemistry I have with both those guys, and other guys that are coming up through NXT or a part of NXT, it’s kind of one of those things where you can’t rush it,” AJ said. “But all this stuff is gonna eventually happen. We just have to be patient.”

Styles captured his first WWE World Championship in September at Backlash, and says that’s the kind of recognition he worked for. Styles had won championships elsewhere, but feels that being recognized by WWE means a lot more.

“It’s huge,” AJ said. “It’s nice to know that the hard work that you’ve put in all these years is finally getting the, I don’t want to say praise, but you know. I busted my tail for so long, I’m just glad it’s getting recognized now as part of the WWE. Because let’s face it, the WWE is the biggest company out there when it comes to wrestling. I’m just happy that I’m being recognized as somebody who works hard, I guess.”

You can read his entire interview on ESPN.com.

Bret Hart Issues Apology To Michael Hayes And The Freebirds As Well As Triple H And Seth Rollins

Scott Lesh
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Bret Hart has issued an apology on his Facebook page for comments he recently made about the Fabulous Freebirds being in the WWE Hall Of Fame and other worthy superstars not being in. He also goes on to apologies to Triple H and Seth Rollins for past remarks.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to formally apologize to Michael Hayes. A while back I made comments about the Freebirds not being as worthy of being in the WWE Hall of Fame as others. It was unfair for me to dismiss their contributions to the industry and they certainly did great things in Texas with the Von Erich Family. Michael Hayes always treated me with great respect, as did Terry Gordy, Ronnie Garvin and Buddy Roberts and I’m sorry if I disrespected any of them with my comments. Furthermore I apologize to both Triple H and Seth Rollins for any hurtful comments I made on my podcast. The reality of all this is the reason I quit doing podcasts in general, because they’re for the most part an outlet for negativity, and have left me with a reputation as being angry and bitter. I’m not, I’d spoke candidly and openly but it’s no excuse for minimizing other wrestlers or their contributions. In saying all that, I still believe Jim the Anvil Neidhart of the Hart Foundation, including Owen, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, The Dynamite Kid, Jimmy Hart, The Rougeau Brothers, The Killer Bees, The Demolition, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, and One Man Gang all deserve their place in the WWE Hall of Fame. My apologies to all. Bret Hart x”

Bret previously said

“I am embarrassed that there’s so many great wrestlers out there that have never been given their credit,” Hart told Forbes. “Never got their due.”

Hart is critical of The Freebirds’ induction into the Hall of Fame over the likes of Owen and Rude.

“Why have they been overlooked when you can induct the Freebirds who never did squat in WWE? Ever. Never drew any money, never did anything,” Hart said. “When I remember the Freebirds, they were all drunk and passed out at the gate at one of the airports in my first day in WWF. None of them even made the show that day, they were too drunk to make their plane”

Billy Corgan Files Lawsuit Against TNA, Dixie Carter & Others

Scott Lazara
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20

TNA President Billy Corgan has filed a lawsuit in Nashville against Impact Wrestling (parent company Impact Ventures LLC), TNA Chairman Dixie Carter, TNA Chief Financial Officer Dean Broadhead and Serg Salias, Dixie’s husband. The news was first reported by PWInsider.com.

Details are scarce at this point, but court records reveal a temporary restraining order was approved and a hearing for a temporary injunction will be held next Thursday morning (10/20). Corgan has also requested a six person jury to decide the case. Beyond that, exact nature of the lawsuit is currently unknown due to court documents being sealed.

Corgan has been attempting to purchase a majority stake in the company. Corgan’s stake in the company has grown as he’s financed several rounds of television tapings, but Dixie Carter has maintained a controlling interest. Aroluxe Productions and The Fight Network also own shares. A sale was expected prior to TNA Bound For Glory, but Dixie Carter somehow secured funding and Corgan has been unable to finalize a deal.

Dave Meltzer noted this week,  “There are a lot of hurdles and games being played. [Dixie Carter] has really made a mess and is responsible for all of it.”

Paige: WWE Reportedly Refusing To Pay For Neck Surgery, Update On Her Future

Scott Lazara
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38

Page’s rocky relationship with WWE broke down even further this week following the announcement of her second suspension in a matter of months.

The former Divas Champion responded on Twitter, venting about the “same old sh*t” and accusing WWE of selectively enforcing the wellness policy. Paige (and several members of her family) indicated the suspension was related to painkillers prescribed to treat her neck injury, but WWE refuted those claims. In an unprecedented statement issued to the NY Post, a WWE spokesperson revealed Paige tested positive for “an illegal substance, not a prescription drug.” Paige told TMZ Sports earlier this week that she’ll be out of action 6-7 months, but sources close to the situation say that is an ambitious timeframe.

A major point of contention between WWE and Paige is the company’s refusal to pay for her neck surgery, according to the Wrestling Observer. WWE’s medical staff does not feel the surgery is necessary, which is what led to Paige hiring legal representation a few months back. The general feeling is that Paige is on her way out of the company.

Many factors have led to the current situation, including the drama surrounding WWE allegedly wanting her to break up with Alberto Del Rio, her two wellness policy violations, publicly lashing out against the company and the dispute over her neck surgery.

Mick Foley Responds To Claims Of Seth Rollins Being Unsafe

Scott Lazara
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11

RAW General Manager Mick Foley has posted a blog on Facebook addressing claims that Seth Rollins is unsafe in the ring. Foley believes Rollins is one of the very elite wrestlers of his era, an amazing athlete, and a credit to the business.

With Rollins injuring the likes of John Cena, Sting and Finn Balor, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has said somebody could get killed if Seth doesn’t start protecting his opponents better. Foley has nothing but respect for Bret and stated outright that he doesn’t want to get into a social media war with him. That said, he considers Bret’s opinion to be very influencial and wants to make sure Rollins is not branded as an unsafe worker.

Regarding Seth breaking John Cena’s nose on RAW last summer, Foley thinks that was simply an accident. He says Rollins effectively ending Sting’s career last year with two “turnbuckle bombs” wasn’t anybody’s fault, but referenced Sting’s age by stating it “may have been a case of trying to push back the hands of time a little too far, a little too fast.” As for Finn Balor’s injury at SummerSlam, Foley says the “buckle bomb” leaves very little room for mistakes and Seth felt great remorse for his involvement in Finn’s injury. Foley wrote:

“Sometimes, injuries just happen. It’s part of what we do. Seth Rollins is a safe wrestler. He works an intense, highly physical style, as do most of the WWE Superstars. Those moves look good for a reason; there’s a sense of realism to so many of them – a realism that is absolutely necessary in today’s day and age. When I was growing up as a WWE fan, we received two hourlong shows comprised almost entirely of one-sided matches. Current fans see good, and often great matches on a weekly basis and today’s WWE Superstars sacrifice their bodies, week in and week out in their effort to excite, excel and entertain. Seth Rollins embodies this spirit. He deserves to be remembered for his dedication to his craft, and for his willingness to go above and beyond to participate in great matches for WWE fans around the world. That’s the Seth Rollins I think people should know – the real guy, not the rep!”

You can read the full statement on Facebook.

Hideo Itami Confirms Injury, Unable To Compete In #DustyClassic

Staff
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14

NXT star Hideo Itami announced on Thursday that he is injured and will be unable to compete in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Itami was scheduled to team with Kota Ibushi in the tournament, but will be out of action for several months due to injury. Itami says he likely won’t be healthy in time for NXT Takeover: Toronto during Survivor Series weekend, but vows to return in time for NXT’s first-ever live event from Osaka, Japan on December 3rd.

Hideo Itami suffered a neck injury earlier this month at NXT’s live event from Largo, Florida. Itami was teaming with Shinsuke Nakamura in a match against Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli. Moss dropped Itami on his head while performing a modified powerslam and the match ended abruptly.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted this week there is official diagnosis at this time, other than it being a significant injury. Itami’s WWE run has been plagued with injuries, including two shoulder surgeries prior to this latest injury.

Here’s the announcement from Hideo Itami:

Jim Ross Blog: Lesnar-Goldberg, Paige’s Troubles, TNA’s Future

Staff
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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has published his latest blog update, which you can read over at JRsBarBQ.com. In this installment, JR wrote about a meeting he had in Los Angeles this week regarding a major project, his recent work on AXS TV’s New Japan Pro Wrestling series and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Paige’s Recent Troubles: “Concerned about WWE’s Paige coming on the heels of her second wellness policy violation. It’s never too late more often than not to make better decisions and changes in one’s life.  I’m pulling for the talented young woman to be happy and healthy  and wish her the best on her upcoming neck surgery.”

Bill Goldberg Returning To WWE: “I like the ‘attraction’ aspect of this booking and fully expect it to be a one-off … Cynics hanging their hats on the last match the [Goldberg and Lesnar] wrestled are reaching, IMO, as the lay of the land is much different this time around. I expect a straight forward, physical match with Lesnar winning in what I expect to be the last pro wrestling match that the Oklahoma native and former WCW phenom likely will ever have.”

TNA’s Future: “Rumors of tension between TNA’s Dixie Carter and Billy Corgan is outwardly uncomfortable for many TNA wrestlers or so some have told me. One has to assume that major changes with this troubled brand are imminent.”

If you’ll be in Toronto for Survivor Series weekend, make sure to check out JR’s “RINGSIDE” one-man-show on Sunday, November 20tg at 2:30 pm. For more information, visit JRsBarBQ.com.

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