Home Blog Page 2300

Tyson Kidd Talks About Helping Bret Hart & HBK Reunite Years Ago

Matt Boone
-
6

WWE Superstar Tyson Kidd appeared as a guest on Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” and revealed the fact that he helped facilitate the reunion between former enemies Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.

“I ended up getting Bret’s number and giving it to Shawn,” said Kidd. “I don’t think they could have spoken on the phone. I think Shawn’s smart and knew Bret’s itinerary, so when Bret was on the plane for that first Raw back, maybe Shawn called because he knew he was in the air.”

Kidd concluded, “It went straight to voicemail and [he] left a message so at least there’s that little bit of peace.”

You can listen to the complete interview right now at PodcastOne.com.

Kurt Angle On Wanting To Work With Daniel Bryan, His Retirement Match & More

Matt Boone
-
9

TNA star Kurt Angle recently took part in a Q&A with fans on his official Facebook page. Below are some of the highlights.

On keeping a straight face when singing to Vince McMahon on TV: “It was difficult. Vince told us not to laugh until he yelled “cut”. We held it in long enough to get each one done. It was all improvisation. So much fun!”

On his father: “My father didn’t influence me into wrestling, my brothers did. They all wrestled so I was kind of forced into it, but my Dad was my #1 fan and supporter. He was at every single event I had until he passed when I was 16. He was always supportive, even when I didn’t do so well.”

On his bench press capabilities: “Most ever was 400. I’m not a strong upper body guy…legs and hips got me my GOLD, but I wasn’t weak either. Lol. I don’t bench press anymore, I do more toning and maintainence.”

On who he would want to retire against: “My retirement match would be Daniel Bryan. He’s so polished in the ring. I just don’t know if it’s possible. But I’d Love it!”

On if he wanted to face Undertaker at WM 22 and break the Streak instead of facing him at No Way Out: “Undertaker at Mania was only a thought that Undertaker came up with. I would have preferred him at Mania. Not to break the streak, but for the respect I have for him. At that point in his career, he didn’t have that “Mania Match” he always wanted. But he did after WM 22. Shawn Michaels, HHH. So I’m happy he got the mania matches he deserved.”

Check out more at Facebook.com/RealKurtAngle.

Vince Russo Recalls Original Plans For Chris Jericho’s WWE Debut

Matt Boone
-
8

The folks at Chair Shot Reality have released the latest blog by former WWE head writer Vince Russo. In the latest edition of the blog, Russo recalls the original plans for Chris Jericho’s debut in the WWE during the Attitude Era.

Below is an excerpt from the blog:

“When I was working as the Head of Creative for the WWE, part of my job was to constantly be scouting talent in an effort to make the “team” roster the best that it could possibly be. Honestly, most of my suggestions came from ECW, where I suggested the likes of the Dudley’s, Taz, Al Snow and the BWO. Through whatever working relationship Vince had with Paul Heyman at the time, the “idea” was for me to tell Vince who would be an asset to the WWE roster from ECW, triggering Vince to inform Paul who we were interested in. Unfortunately, this rarely worked out the way Vince had planned, for whenever we told Paul we were interested in one of his talents—he told Vince they weren’t interested back. This routine caused some back door maneuvering on both my part, and certain ECW talents at the time, but eventually we got who we wanted and they came to the destination of their choice.

The situation in acquiring WCW talent was much more difficult being that there was no working relationship in place–and both sides hated each other. Vince McMahon was always one to try and stay as far away as possible for lawsuits, so he rarely crossed the line when it came to purging WCW talent. However, even knowing Vince’s limitations, the first time I ever saw Chris Jericho—I KNEW that I had to be writing for him in a WWE uniform!

From the moment he ever walked through that WCW entrance, Jericho absolutely dripped with charisma. And, I’m talking about PRE-Attitude Era, when it wasn’t yet even “cool” to be “cool” in wrestling. Jericho was light years ahead of the curve. There were no unbelievable “heel faces” when he was shopping boos from the fans, and there was certainly no kissing babies when he wanted you to like him. Chris Jericho was simply being Chris Jericho–a bona-fied superstar in the wrestling business, to become iconic in the years to come.

Honestly, I can’t remember that initial conversation with Chris, I’m sure he probably does. I can’t recall whether he reached out to me, or I to him. Either way, it didn’t matter, all that did was that WE WERE TALKING!

What I do recall is how nervous Chris was. Even though his contract was expiring with WCW and he clearly just was just wanting to look at his other options, talking to “the enemy” was just taboo at that time.

After several conversations, Chris decided that he was going to be WWE bound once his WCW contract expired. From there, JR took over in the negotiations, because that was never my job–nor did I ever want it to be–and television product went into full “LET’S IMMEDIATELY GET JERICHO OVER” mode. I have to give Kevin Dunn and his entire staff an ENORMOUS amount of credit for making Jericho “special” from the moment we saw him. To this very moment I see it, feel it and STILL pop for it! What incredible vision Dunn’s staff had—a vision that is far and away the standard bearer when it comes to sports-entertainment.

It goes without saying that Chris was over in the WWE from the start—however—what many people don’t know is that when Ed Ferrara and myself wrote our last WWE show, which was delivered to Vince before we made the decision to go to WCW, we had Jericho defeating “The Rock” in the middle 1-2-3, which Ed and I felt would have almost immediately brought Jericho to a new level, without hurting “The Rock” in doing the job. Unfortunately, once we said our goodbyes to Vince, the finish of the match was changed and Rock beat Chris Jericho. For there, I felt that it took the WWE much longer to get Jericho to that next level–compared to if he would have beaten Rock that night.

Regardless–it didn’t matter. Chris was destined to become one of the biggest stars in the business—and he achieved that. And, at the end of the day let me make this perfectly clear—THAT WAS ALL ON HIM!”

Check out the complete blog at CSRWrestling.com.

Ric Flair Undergoes WWE Medical Testing, Doctor Says He’s A “Medical Miracle”

Matt Boone
-
13

WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair noted on a recent edition of his “Wooo! Nation” podcast that he recently underwent complete medical testing by WWE and that he has no medical issues right now.

“I don’t have any health issues,” said Flair. “Everybody else has hips and knees. I had to go to Pittsburgh for a physical because they wanted me to do some in-ring stuff. I go there to see the heart specialist. They tested me for four hours.”

Flair continued, “The doctors said ‘there’s something wrong with you, has to be,’ and I said ‘yeah, it’s called an hour Broadway every night brother.’ The guy looked at me and said that I was a medical miracle.”

Jim Ross Q&A: More On Issues With Big Show, WWE Trying To Hurt ROH?, More

Matt Boone
-
1

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official Q&A section. Below are some of the highlights.

On if WWE is trying to hurt ROH by putting NXT special on same day as ROH’s special: “No, I don’t. It’s also the same time as my show at the Gramercy Theatre. It’s just business.”

On if they are trying to hurt JR’s one-man show, which is also the same day as the NXT Brooklyn special: “It’s just business and NXT having a prime time show on Saturday Aug 22 was expected. We can always go earlier in the day if the promoter feels we need to do so. That will be addressed this week.”

On if WWE should hire Superstar Billy Graham for Dusty Rhodes’ old job in NXT: “I always pull for Billy but I don’t know the status of his health which would be an issue. Billy was one of the great talkers of all time without question.”

On if it’s more important to improve in the ring or on the mic: “Hardest skills to master are on the mic.”

On advice he would give anyone trying to get into broadcasting: “Get practical experience in any form of broadcasting and production that you can. Go to college and graduate with the proper broadcasting degree and continue to gain experience in any field that’s available and build a good reel of your work. Then get experience in fields other than wrestling before you attempt to enter that world.”

On his rumored issues with Big Show: “He’s mistaken as it relates to me never thinking much of him because I did. As a matter of fact I thought, and still do, a great deal of Show. We were concerned about his weight and how he was going to withstand the WWE schedule and wanted to protect his health and our investment. Vince McMahon and I decided to sent him to OVW was the right thing to do. Ironically, show and I have never had a conversation on this matter in all the years that I’ve known him but perhaps it makes for good content on a podcast. The “he wasn’t one of my guys” line is also inaccurate.”

Read more JR Q&A updates at his official website, JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

Backstage News On Finn Balor’s NXT Title Win, Beast In The East Commentary, More

Matt Boone
-
16

– For those curious, Michael Cole and Byron Saxton did the commentary for this weekend’s WWE “Beast In The East” live WWE Network special from WWE Studios in Stamford, Connecticut for the show in Tokyo, Japan. The two were not live in Tokyo, but instead worked from the main WWE offices.

– While many were surprised to see Finn Balor come away with the NXT Championship after the “Beast In The East” special in Tokyo, it has actually been the plan for a while. With Kevin Owens moving up to the main roster full-time, it was always the plan for Owens to drop the title to Balor on the way out.

– WWE will air a new episode of “Culture Shock with Corey Graves” on the WWE Network this Wednesday at 4pm EST. The official description for the show reads as follows:

“Corey Graves dives into a world where Hardcore Bowling and Punk Rock music collide on this thrilling edition of Culture Shock!”

(Partial Credit: PWInsider.com)

Funaki Backstage At WWE Japan (Photo), Finn Balor’s Face Paint, Woods/Cesaro

Matt Boone
-
5

– The official WWE website has a new poll up asking fans to vote on which Superstar has the coolest face paint. With over 3,000 votes, Finn Balor leads the pack with 43%, while Sting is just behind him with 40 percent. Other options included Goldust, Stardust, The Usos and The Ascension.

– In the following video from Xavier Woods’ WWE-endorsed YouTube gaming channel — “UpUpDownDown” — Woods and Cesaro play the old video game “Double Dragon.”

– Former WWE Superstar Funaki was backstage at the WWE “Beast in the East” special in Tokyo, Japan this weekend. Below is a photo of him with The Lucha Dragons.

https://instagram.com/p/4wogY9im2E/

Ron Simmons Talks About Helping The Rock, Dusty Rhodes, “Damn!” & More

Matt Boone
-
15

WWE Hall Of Famer Ron Simmons recently spoke with the folks at Slam! Wrestling. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On being the first black World Champion: “At that particular time, I didn’t even focus on being the first African-American. My only goal was to become World champion. That was the only thing on my mind, to have the opportunity to win that belt. As time went on, I started thinking of the significance of it and it is more than I thought it would be. Even to this day, people tell me the impact it had on their life.”

On Dusty Rhodes: “I started in Florida Championship Wrestling and he had more of an impact on my career than anyone, but Hiro Matsuda. When I was told about his passing, it was like if time had stopped, I couldn’t believe it. The last time I saw him was during the WrestleMania weekend. He was such a great guy. He always wanted to make sure that you remembered the fundamentals, the basis of what the business was built around. He always told me to never become too big to forget about the people, to always stay in touch with the people. He wasn’t the greatest worker on Earth, but he was so good talking to people.”

On helping The Rock in The Nation of Domination: “That’s how he got his identity. They didn’t know what to do with him. I was able to help The Rock get over on the mic, to help him with his personality, with some of his catchphrases. He got a lot of this from me and I was glad to help giving him an identity.”

“It was just a matter of time before he found his niche, his own identity. He had tried to come along and do stuff that his family background was doing. They didn’t want a younger version of High Chief Peter Maivia. They wanted him to find his own identity and being himself. And that’s when he took off. It makes me feel good I had a little to do in this.”

On his “DAMN!” catchphrase: “Let’s just say I’d jump off the top rope and I’d sprain an ankle or I would miss a move or something, and the first thing I’d yell out was ‘Damn!’ and the people in the first few rows could hear me say that. Every time I was coming back to a city, the fans would notice that every time something would go wrong, I would say ‘Damn!’ and as I kept coming back to each of the cities, I noticed that they would all start chanting ‘Damn!’ One day I asked Bradshaw what they were doing.

“I think they’re talking about you,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, every time you do something and it’s not right you say ‘Damn!’ and that’s what they’re saying.”

“The writers picked up on that too. So we were in Chicago and Booker T and John Cena were doing something and they asked me to just walk on stage and after Cena was done talking just to say ‘Damn!’ and see the response. And it got over with the fans. You never know what people are gonna like, right?”

Check out the complete interview at Canoe.ca.

John Cena Looks Ahead To Monday’s RAW Crowd, Kidd/Natalya, More

Matt Boone
-
16

– WWE United States Champion John Cena took to Twitter on Sunday to thank the fans in Japan and to look ahead to Monday’s WWE RAW crowd. Monday’s RAW takes place in Chicago, Illinois, a city that Cena always gets a ton of heat in.

– Tyson Kidd and Natalya are the guests on the latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

Maria Kanellis Talks ROH Locker Room, Being First Lady Of ROH & More

Matt Boone
-
4

Former WWE Diva and current Ring Of Honor performer Maria Kanellis recently spoke with Channel Guide Magazine. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On being The First Lady of ROH: “I think I’ve always had a passion for the pro wrestling business. In Ring of Honor, I was able to find something that inspired me and challenged me. I have been able to have a lot of fun with it. I think with this character and being the ‘First Lady of Ring of Honor,’ I’m having so much fun with it.”

On the ROH locker room: “I’ve always had a lot more guy friends than girlfriends, so it has never intimidated me being in a locker room full of guys. The Ring of Honor locker room is one of the best locker rooms I’ve ever been in. The guys are just so sweet and so wonderful. A lot of them came to my wedding. It’s great to be surrounded by all my big brothers and little brothers.”

On the state of women’s wrestling: “I think we are going in the right direction. We still have a long way to go. We have to be very careful right now, because we can’t become complacent that we are getting a few more nuggets of hope with time on television. It’s not enough. You look at women as a whole. Yes, there are more females that are going be on the cover of Fortune 500. You are going to see more females take bigger roles in these sitcoms and television shows. That doesn’t mean it is equal. Just because the girls get one main event every six months at NXT, that’s not equal. Yes, we are moving in the right direction. No, it’s not enough.”

On working with husband Mike Bennett: “We separate church and state. There is ‘work’ us and ‘relationship’ us. We are a couple that just happens to be professional wrestlers. Our professional wrestling careers don’t define us as human beings. We have a lot of outside passions that we are able to experience as a couple. We love to cook together. We have three long-haired Chihuahuas together. We are big into our families. Even though we are wrestlers, it’s just one piece of our delicious soup.

“I don’t think there have ever been a couple truly like Mike and I. You could kind of equate us to Stephanie McMahon and Triple H. You can kind of equate us to other people. That doesn’t necessarily get the whole picture. We’ve never really been seen before in the fact there isn’t one dominant person in our onscreen relationship. It depends on what the match calls for. If I need to be involved more, I’m involved more. If I need to sit on the outside and do nothing, that’s what I do. When it comes to the dynamic of Mike and I, there is nobody like us.”

Check out the complete interview at ChannelGuideMagBlog.com.

Natalya Talks New Total Divas Season, Why She Dressed In Black, NXT Women’s Division

Daniel Pena
-
1

Promoting the return of Total Divas on E! this Tuesday, at 9/8 CT, Natalya talked about what fans can expect this season in an interview with Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald.

“There is no season that can compare to this season coming up because the crazy drama that happened was more explosive than anything we’ve had in the first three seasons,” Natalya said. “The drama is still going on. I’ve always said there is no place more dangerous than the diva’s division. There is no place more dangerous in the WWE than in the diva’s locker room. I truly believe that, especially this season. The lines in the sand have been drawn. There are two different sides. It’s like every girl on the show from me to Paige to the Bellas to Alicia Fox. We all have our own opinions of where we stand with the situation. It’s just crazy to me that it has become so divided. So I’m hoping everyone can work it out. It’s gotten very uncomfortable in the locker room. Even the events that we do, its uncomfortable doing them because of where people stand on the situation.”

While managing Tyson Kidd and Cesaro in the spring, Natalya prominently dressed in black. Her change of wardrobe is addressed in an upcoming episode.

“I had a dominatrix come and visit me because I was trying a darker character on TV,” Natalya said. “My mom helped me with this woman that came over. It was pretty funny with my mom going that extra mile….I had debuted this new look that was a little darker and edgier when I walked Cesaro and TJ down to the ring. I didn’t know about what a dominatrix was or what they did. I just learned about all of it, which is covered on the show. So I didn’t realize what this woman did. So I invited her over to have some herbal tea with us. Next thing I know TJ stormed off letting me know he was a tag team champion at the time and didn’t want to be a part of this. This lady wanted him to act like a cat on the ground. You have to find out what happened by watching ‘Total Divas’ when TJ left. He was furious. So I called my mom up, but she was very obliging.”

“It was has been so interesting to watch this NXT division evolve because when you are in WWE we are all in the same tree,” Natalya said. “I feel like people on the main roster are not the only divas. The NXT divas are divas, too. I feel like we are all under this same umbrella. We are part of the WWE umbrella, so to be able to work with the girls of NXT on their show, it was awesome. Triple H and I actually had an in-depth conversation about this. Triple H believes that it’s the stories. The women are being allowed to tell stories. They are getting build and time to tell the story. It’s the story more than the wrestling.”

Natalya also spoke out on the group of women in NXT, believing they are proof that women’s wrestling is on the upswing.

“It was has been so interesting to watch this NXT division evolve because when you are in WWE we are all in the same tree,” Natalya said. “I feel like people on the main roster are not the only divas. The NXT divas are divas, too. I feel like we are all under this same umbrella. We are part of the WWE umbrella, so to be able to work with the girls of NXT on their show, it was awesome. Triple H and I actually had an in-depth conversation about this. Triple H believes that it’s the stories. The women are being allowed to tell stories. They are getting build and time to tell the story. It’s the story more than the wrestling.”

The full article is available here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling Announce G1 Climax 25 Tournament Matches

Martin Lamont
-
4

During tonight’s NJPW Dominion PPV the blocks were announced for the upcoming G1 Climax 25 Tournament which will be held from July 20th through August 16th.

Two matches for each of the shows as part of the G1 Climax 25 Tournament have also been confirmed which will lead up to the final on the 16th of August in Tokyo.

Block A:
Togi Makabe
Hiroshi Tenzan
Toru Yano
Doc Gallows
Bad Luck Fale
Tetsuya Naito
Katsuyori Shibata
Kota Ibushi
Hiroshi Tanahashi
AJ Styles

Block B:
Hirooki Goto
Satoshi Kojima
Yuji Nagata
Tomoaki Honma
Michael Elgin
Karl Anderson
Yujiro Takahashi
Tomohiro Ishii
Shinsuke Nakamura
Kazuchika Okada

The July rundown for the G1 Climax 25 Tournament is as follows:

20th July (Hokkaido)
AJ Styles vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Kota Ibushi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

23rd July (Shizouka)
Kazuchika Okada vs. Michael Elgin
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karl Anderson

24th July (Kyoto)
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hiroshi Tenzan
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito

25th July (Kagawa)
Yuji Nagata vs. Shinskue Nakamura
Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazuchika Okada

26th July (Hiroshima)
Kota Ibushi vs. AJ Styles
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tetsuya Naito

28th July (Oita)
Hirooki Goto vs. Tomoaki Honma
Satoshi Kojima vs. Kazuchika Okada

29th July (Fukuoka)
Tetsuya Naito vs. AJ Styles
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kota Ibushi

Into the month of August, the matches for the G1 Climax 25 Tournament are:

1st August (Osaka)
Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomohiro Ishii

2nd August (Aichi)
Hiroshi Tenzan vs. Kota Ibushi
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Toru Yano

4th August (Miyagi)
Yuji Nagata vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

5th August (Iwate)
Togi Makabe vs. AJ Styles
Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi

7th August (Shizuoka)
Shinuske Nakamura vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii

8th August (Kanagawa)
Hiroshi Tenzan vs. AJ Styles
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata

9th August (Korakuen Hall – Tokyo)
Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Tomoaki Honma vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

11th August (Korakuen Hall – Tokyo)
AJ Styles vs. Bad Luck Fale
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe

12th August (Korakuen Hall – Tokyo)
Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada
Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii

14th August (Ryougoku Kokugikan – Tokyo)
Togi Makabe versus Kota Ibushi
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. AJ Styles

15th August (Ryougoku Kokugikan – Tokyo)
Yuji Nagata versus Hirooki Goto
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada

16th August (Ryougoku Kokugikan – Tokyo)
Block A Winner vs. Block B Winner

Multiple Title Changes At NJPW Dominion, Announcement Made For G1 Climax

Martin Lamont
-
1

– New Japan Pro Wrestling held their PPV Dominion 7.5 at the Osaka Castle Hall on the 5th of July and multiple title changes took place at the event.

Not only that but NJPW confirmed the matches that will feature on the G1 Climax Tournament which will be held from July 20th through August 16th. They can be seen at this link.

Results for NJPW Dominion 7.5 are as follows:

Ten Man Tag Team Match
Manabu Nakanishi, Máscara Dorada, Ryusuke Taguchi, Sho Tanaka and Yuji Nagata defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Jushin Thunder Liger, Satoshi Kojima, Tiger Mask and Yohei Komatsu

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Three Way Match
The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (C) defeated reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) and Roppongi Vice (Baretta and Rocky Romero)

Tag Team Match
Tetsuya Naito and Tomoaki Honma defeated Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi)

Singles Match
Katsuyori Shibata defeated Kazushi Sakuraba

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match
Kushida defeated Kenny Omega (C) to become the new champion.

NEVER Openweight Title Match
Togi Makabe (C) defeated Tomohiro Ishii

IWGP Tag Team Title Match
Bullet Club (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) (w Amber Gallows) defeated The Kingdom (Matt Taven and Michael Bennett) (C) (w Maria Kanellis) to become the new champions.

Singles Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Toru Yano

IWGP Intercontinental Title Match
Hirooki Goto (C) defeated Shinsuke Nakamura

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match
Kazuchika Okada defeated A.J. Styles (C) to become the new champion.

World Heavyweight Champion Heading To Tough Enough This Week

Martin Lamont
-
1

– This Tuesday on “Tough Enough” on the USA Network, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins will guest star be featuring and assisting the contestants with a special challenge.

– On Twitter a few days ago, a series of photographs were shared on the official “Tough Enough” account featuring Rollins and the contestants as they brush up on their “character development”

“Tough Enough” airs on the USA Network at 8/7c, hosted by Chris Jericho and Renee Young followed by “Tough Talk” – the aftershow hosted by The Miz on the WWE Network.

WWE Hall Of Famer Set For Dusty Rhodes Special, The WWE List And More

Martin Lamont
-
0

– As previously reported, immediately following RAW tomorrow night, the WWE Network will air a one hour live special where WWE Superstars and Legends will talk about Dusty Rhodes.

PWInsider are noting that one of the legends WWE plan on bringing to Chicago for the live special is WWE Hall of Famer, Ric Flair.

– This coming Tuesday on the WWE Network a new episode of “The WWE List” will air at 4:30pm EST looking at “the Royalist of Superstars that WWE has ever been graced with!”

– Michael Cole noted during the WWE’s “Beast in the East” special yesterday that Nikki Bella has begun her campaign to become the longest reigning Divas Champion in WWE History. S

She posted the following on Instagram after her match with Paige and Tamina:

https://instagram.com/p/4vBmJLCkCH/

The photo had the following caption:

What an honor defending and retaining my Divas Championship in Tokyo. On the road to 300 days. Through jet lagged and injuries I gave it all I had last night and I succeeded. Couldn’t have done it without my #BellaArmy support. We stand strong and proud! Love you! ???????? #DivasChamp #FearlessNikki #FearlessDivasChampion #RoadTo300Days #WWETokyo #Repost

Finn Balor Comments On His Win In Japan, Congratulated By Other Superstars

Martin Lamont
-
9

– Moments after winning the WWE NXT Championship at WWE’s Beast in the East live event in Tokyo, Japan, Finn Balor was congratulated by a number of Superstars backstage.

In the video above, after defeating Kevin Owens for his first title reign in the WWE Balor was congratulated by Cesaro, Neville, United States Champion John Cena and William Regal.

– Following the match against Kevin Owens yesterday in Japan, Balor took to his Twitter account and shared the following photo:

If you missed the match then you can watch the full show at this link.

TNA Knockouts Knockdown 2015 Pay-Per-View Lineup

Matt Boone
-
19

TNA Slammiversary won’t be the final pay-per-view in TNA history after all. TNA will return to the pay-per-view arena all throughout July, as TNA Knockouts Knockdown 2015 is now available.

The event was taped back on February 14th in Orlando, Florida and features an all-Knockouts card.

Below is the lineup for TNA Knockouts Knockdown 2015:

* Cherry Bomb vs. Gail Kim
* Solo Darling vs. Havok
* Rosita vs. Angelina Love
* Su Yung vs. Taryn Terrell
* Mia Yim (Jade) vs. Brooke Tessmacher
* Alisha vs. Madison Rayne
* Andrea vs. Awesome Kong
* Knux, Crazzy Steve and Rebel vs. Jessie Godderz, Robbie E and Angelina Love
* 7 Knockouts Gauntlet Match to crown the Queen of the Knockouts

Jim Ross Blog: JR’s Rumored Issues With Big Show, EC3 TNA Title Win & More

Matt Boone
-
2

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has updated his official blog with some of his latest thoughts and comments. Below are some of the highlights:

On rumored issues with Big Show: “One question I’ve been asked many times regarding the Big Show apparently saying on a podcast that he was “never one of my guys” while I was in charge of talent roster in WWE. That’s news to me. It was Jerry Brisco and who I who made the first contact in person with Show to begin recruiting him to come to WWE which was the smartest thing that Paul Wight ever did. It was my wife who invited Show and his former manager into our home where she cooked him a meal fit for a king including home made biscuits and apple butter which we have given him as a gift occasionally through the years. I have always thought the world of Paul Wight and still do. Yes, Vince McMahon and I decided to send Paul to developmental to help him with his fundamentals and to give him the opportunity to lose some needed weight to improve his overall health and to help us maximize our significant investment. If that was being unfair, then so be it.

The role that I fulfilled in assembling our talent roster as EVP of Talent Rations was a thankless one but I knew that when I took the job. Tough decisions have to be made and if encouraging someone to lose weight is a bad thing then I was guilty. Show wasn’t the only performer with who we addressed this matter. Plus, how many 500 pound men do you know that live long, healthy lives? We also addressed these issues with Yokozuna and Vader who we both wanted to achieve optimum health.

Our system of scouting, signing and developing talent seemed to work pretty well because, in the opinion of many, the best roster that WWE ever had or will have was during the time around the Attitude Era. I hope that roster is surpassed some day but only time will tell.”

On EC3 winning the TNA title: “Congrats to EC3 and Kurt Angle for having, along with The Wolves and the Dirty Heels, a helluva wrestling match Wednesday night on Destination America and it’s unfortunate that the TV ratings did not reflect the effort and execution of talents involved. EC3 has been well programmed for his new role and getting the torch passed from Kurt Angle is one of the best things that will ever happen in EC3’s career.”

On WWE lawsuit issues: “Sad that it seems that some “Ambulance Chasing” attorneys never go away and are attempting to convince some former wrestlers to seek monies from WWE, and no other companies or promoters, for alleged concussion related issues supposedly received during their years in various wrestling rings while working for multiple companies. While I have compassion for anyone suffering, to blame WWE for all their issues seems ludicrous. This seems like a frivolous lawsuit lead by barristers who want to earn a payday for themselves and their gullible clients many of who did not prepare for their future, create an adequate self employment/independent contractor personal, business structure likes thousands of electricians, plumbers, truck drivers, farmers, carpenters, etc.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

Triple H Comments On Brock Lesnar, Update On His Status For RAW This Monday

Martin Lamont
-
28

– At today’s “Beast in the East” live event which took place in Tokyo, Japan and was shown on the WWE Network, Brock Lesnar defeated New Day member Kofi Kingston.

After the match both Xavier Woods and Big E came to the ring and were also taken out by Lesnar, Triple H tweeted the following after the attack:

– While we’re talking Brock Lesnar, during the live event, Michael Cole noted that this coming Monday on RAW (July 6th) Lesnar will be in Chicago to confront Seth Rollins.

Lesnar will be seeking Payback on Rollins and the Authority after they attacked him a few weeks ago on RAW, standing tall at the end of the show as seen below.

WWE’s “Beast In The East” Main Event Videos, Triple H Thanks Fans For Watching

Martin Lamont
-
4

– Following the “Beast in the East” live show from Tokyo, Japan which was broadcast on the WWE Network, the WWE have shared two videos one of which features Finn Balor taking on Kevin Owens.

The second short video features the “Beast in the East” himself Brock Lesnar in his match against New Day member Kofi Kingston. The full show can be seen here – with results here.

– Shortly after the event, Triple H took to Twitter to thank everyone from around the world for tuning into the live event:

WWE’s “Beast In The East” Dark Matches, Chris Jericho Comments On His Match

Martin Lamont
-
10

– Earlier this morning, WWE their “Beast in the East” live event on the WWE Network around the world from the Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Results from the show can be seen at this link.

Two dark matches took place at the event including The Lucha Dragon defeating New Day members Xavier Woods and Big E, while Cesaro defeated Diego of Los Matadores.

– Chris Jericho opened the live event in Tokyo by taking on Neville and following his match he posted the following on Instagram:

https://instagram.com/p/4tklZTmDoo/

https://instagram.com/p/4tlh-3GDqH/

Triple H Shares Photo Of Finn Balor, Note On Why Naomi Missed Show

Martin Lamont
-
5

At today’s WWE live event “Beast In The East” which was shown around the world on the WWE Network, Finn Balor defeated Kevin Owens to become the new WWE NXT Champion.

Following the match, WWE Hall of Famer Tatsumi Fujinami came out to congratulate Balor. After this Owens declined a handshake from Balor.

This is Balor’s first title run within the WWE and Triple H tweeted a photo shortly after the match showing Balor backstage with his title.

– During the WWE Network Special, the Divas Championship match was advertised as being Nikki Bella defending against Naomi and Paige.

As noted Tamina had replaced Naomi and fans began asking Naomi on Twitter why she wasn’t at the show and she explained the tweet below that they were dealing with the loss of a family member:

WWE Network’s Live Special “Beast In The East” Results

Martin Lamont
-
41

WWE were live this morning (July 4th) from Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan for their “Beast in the East” special event which was broadcast on the WWE Network.

The event has been focused around Brock Lesnar making his return to Japan where he would compete in a WWE ring for the first time since WrestleMania 31 where he lost the WWE Championship.

Below are the results for the show:

Chris Jericho vs Neville
Winner: Chris Jericho by making Neville submit with the Lion Tamer.

WWE Divas Championship
Paige vs. Tamina vs. Nikki Bella (c)
Winner: Nikka Bella retains with a forearm on Tamina.

Kofi Kingston vs. Brock Lesnar
Winner: Lesnar wins with an F5 and attacks New Day after the match.

WWE NXT Championship
Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens (c)
Winner: Finn Balor wins after defeating Kevin Owens with a Coup De Grace.

John Cena & Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane & King Barrett
Winner: John Cena and & Dolph Ziggler win after Cena hits the AA on King Barrett.

If you didn’t get to see the show live then click this link to be taken to the WWE Network where you can catch a replay of exactly what went down.

Hulk Hogan Talks WrestleMania 32, Triple H Bringing Him Back To WWE & More

Staff
-
33

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan is still itching to get back in the ring, telling Sean Fewster of Australia’s Adeliade Now publication that it’s been “very, very hard” for him to follow the business from the sidelines.

“I’m ready to jump out of my seat and say ‘you can do it better’ or ‘your timing is off’ or ‘that was really good … It just feels like my spirit wants to jump out of my body.

But you have to look in the mirror and say, ‘You’re 61, you’ve had surgeries, it’s not your time.’ It’s been hard for me to accept that. It’s coloured my principles. But I’ve found peace, I’ve found a lot of happiness, in the fact that I’ve been offered a job as the ambassador.”

Hogan said he met with Vince McMahon shortly after WrestleMania 31 and pitched the idea of getting back in the ring at next year’s WrestleMania 32 next year from Arlington, Texas.

“I had a run-in with Vince McMahon after the last WrestleMania. I saw him in the lobby and said: ‘I know what’s going on. Next year, WrestleMania is in Dallas and you’re going to try to break my attendance record. Let me tell you something, brother, there’s no way you’re running that show next year without me on the card! Whether it’s for my last hurrah, my retirement match, my next run, or to beat whoever the champion is and be champion again!’ Vince shook my hand and said, ‘I look forward to it.'”

He also gave credit to Triple H for his current role with WWE, who reached out to him after Hogan finished up with TNA.

“This ambassador position means I can still be a part of the big show, and I thank Triple H for that. If not for him, this thing between Vince McMahon and I – this heat – would still be bad,” Hogan said. “Vince made me feel so welcome when he explained to me I’m the glue that bonds the father, the son and the grandson that watch wrestling.”

Hogan will be joining WWE for next month’s live events tour of Australia. He’ll serve as the guest General Manager for all three shows in Brisbane (8/6), Melbourne (8/7), and Sydney (8/8).

Will NXT Takeover: Brooklyn Air Live On The WWE Network?

Staff
-
17

On Friday, WWE COO Triple H announced that NXT will be invading the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday night, August 22nd during SummerSlam weekend.

While the initial tweet did not mention if the show will be aired live on the WWE Network, WWE.com has confirmed that this will in fact be a live Network special.

“The Superstars and Divas of Tomorrow have set the wrestling world on fire with the NXT TakeOver live specials on WWE Network, which have all emanated from Full Sail University in Florida — until now.

As announced by WWE COO Triple H, on Saturday, Aug. 22, NXT will invade the Barclays Center on the eve of The Biggest Party of The Summer for the seventh NXT live special.”

1...2,2992,3002,301...3,102Page 2,300 of 3,102