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WWE Status Update On Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Anutosh Bajpai
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Davey Boy Smith Jr. hasn’t been let go by WWE and he is still with the company despite mostly being inactive since his re-signing with the promotion a few months back, according to latest reports.

Mike Johnson of PWinsider was recently asked about the former MLW star. Replying to the question, the wrestling journalist confirmed that he is still with the company:

“He (Davey Boy Smith Jr.) signed with WWE but is yet to be officially assigned to a brand.  So, he’s in “hurry up and wait” mode, but he’s 100% with the company.”

The former NJPW star signed a new contract with WWE back in April this year. Talents were reportedly told to keep quiet about his status until he made his in-ring return.

He finally returned to the ring for the company in July. Smith Jr. teamed with Austin Theory in a dark match before the July 16 episode of SmackDown. They defeated Odyssey Jones & Xyon Quinn in a tag match.

However, the former tag team champion hasn’t been used by WWE ever since and people have been puzzled about his status with the company.

There is no word yet on why they have kept him off TV but it could be a case of creatives not being able to find the right opportunity to reintroduce him on the WWE programming.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. Opens Up About Leaving NJPW

Mia Yim Addresses Rumors About Her Health

Anutosh Bajpai
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Mia Yim recently commented on the rumors about her absence from WWE programming. The former NXT star confirmed that she is not suffering from any kind of injury. The former Reckoning of retribution took on her Twitter earlier yesterday to comment on her health. While she didn’t provide a lot of update on her status, she wrote: “I’m not injured”

After working as an enhancement talent for WWE in 2014-15, Mia Yim returned to the company to compete in the Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017. She then impressed the officials with her performance in the second Mae Young Classic as well. The female star was signed to a development contract back in September 2018.

Following a couple years in NXT, Yim made her main roster debut as part of the Retribution stable in September 2020. Though she hasn’t been seen on WWE TV in a regular capacity since walking out of the group at Fastlane in March this year.

She was moved to the Raw roster in July but has yet to make an appearance for the brand. There is no word yet on why WWE has kept the former NXT star away from the programming. Though it could very well be another case of the creatives having nothing for her.

Original Plans For Mia Yim’s WWE SmackDown Debut

Tony Khan Says COVID-19 Vaccination Is Not Mandatory In AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Tony Khan recently had an interview with Bloomberg Business of Sports. Among other things, he also discussed the vaccine policy of All Elite Wrestling. The AEW president revealed that vaccines are not mandatory in his company as of now. Though he claimed that there are protocols in place to encourage vaccination:

“Most of the roster has gotten [vaccinated] and we have encouraged people to do so, I haven’t put in mandatory,” said Tony Khan, “but I’ve also strongly encouraged and put in protocols to encourage everyone to do so.

He was also asked if they have done anything to motivate the wrestlers to get vaccinated. Replying to it, he said that they have created a great backstage environment where people want to spend time together.

Khan explained that not being part of rigorous levels of testing and having the ability to live your life like before makes it encouraging for people to get vaccinated.

AEW saw its fair share of covid outbreaks in the past year or so. However, things have been in control ever since their return to the road in July. This is a good news for the fans as the company prepares for their biggest show in terms of live attendance in Dynamite: Grand Slam this Wednesday.

CM Punk Is Already Doing Huge Business For AEW

Adam Cole Reacts To Britt Baker Hugging Tony Schiavone

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Adam Cole has responded to his girlfriend, Britt Baker, hugging Tony Schiavone on AEW Rampage.

Throughout Baker’s heel run, her friendship with Schiavone has played out on television. It’s an interesting dynamic as Schiavone is a face commentator. It’s also led to some funny segments but Cole isn’t exactly laughing.

Cole took to his Twitter account to give his reaction to Baker hugging Schiavone and he was at a loss for words.

Britt followed up by asking Cole what the problem is.

“I don’t get it?”

Cole once again didn’t have any words in his response.

Cole confronted Schiavone on the Sept. 8 edition of Dynamite. He made it clear that he feels Schiavone has been getting too cozy with Britt.

“I know that you’re close with Britt Baker and I swear to God if you even look at her the wrong way, I will slap those stupid glasses off your face and whoop your ass. Do you understand me? Now, get out of our ring now, you nerd.”

Schiavone recently explained why he stood in the ring for as long as he did during the segment with Cole. During a recent edition of his What Happened When podcast, Schiavone said he had to remind Cole to deliver the “nerd” line.

Bronson Reed Has A Theory On WWE Release

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Bronson Reed has an idea of why WWE decided to cut ties with him.

Reed was among the slew of NXT talent releases made back in August. Reed joined the likes of Bobby Fish and Mercedes Martinez in the list of names that had been let go. For many, Reed’s name was the most surprising as he appeared to be primed for a main roster debut.

During an episode of his JONAHDROME podcast, Reed discussed what he was told by WWE management after he wrestled a dark match prior to a WWE TV taping.

“We waited for Vince, Raw is going on, he’s a very busy man. He said, ‘Good work,’ and that was it. I thought I did a pretty good job. I didn’t get told anything. Never got told that my work wasn’t good. All it was, was, ‘you need to smile more.'”

He also recalled John Laurinaitis telling him that he might have to cover up his tattoo, which he didn’t really understand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx3rlb9TBj8

Reed never got a definitive answer about why he was let go. However, he thinks it was probably related to his physical appearance or the company’s new initiative to avoid hiring independent wrestlers.

“I have no clue why they would release me other than it has something to do with look. I 100% think it has to do with body image or the fact that I was an indie wrestler and had been wrestling for fourteen years and they are going in this new direction of hiring young talent that are athletes outside of wrestling.”

You can watch Bronson Reed’s JONAHDROME series on his official YouTube channel.

Bronson Reed Calls Out AEW TNT Champion Miro

Matt Cardona Has Officially Retired From Deathmatches

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Matt Cardona’s run as the “deathmatch king” has quickly come to an end.

Cardona took the wrestling world by storm with his polarizing victory over Nick Gage back in July. With the win, Cardona captured the GCW Championship. Fans pelted the ring with garbage as Cardona celebrated and flipped the bird at the crowd.

At the time, Matt Cardona labeled himself as the new gold standard of deathmatches. Here’s what he told Sports Illustrated.

“Tasting my own blood and hearing those boos, I knew we had something special, but it was all worth it. I’m the new deathmatch king.

“Originally, I thought we could have a little celebration in the ring after I won. I have the Major Wrestling Figure podcast and we have a sponsorship with Pabst Blue Ribbon, so I wanted to do a toast in the ring after I won with Pabst Blue Ribbon. But I couldn’t even get to the beer because they were throwing so much crap at me. It wasn’t like it was a water bottle here or there. That stuff was coming at me. It was crazy.”

Now that he’s lost the GCW gold to Jon Moxley, Cardona claims to be done with deathmatches.

“I have retired from Death Match Wrestling.”

Matt Cardona followed up with this post.

“That was my last deathmatch. I will always love and respect that style. Thanks for all the years of support from the DM fans. I appreciate you.”

This is the same tweet that Rickey Shane Page put out weeks ago and he responded with the following.

“You know……I….I respect it.”

Two Members Added To NJPW Faction The United Empire

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Will Ospreay has some more company in The United Empire.

The United Empire is a faction in NJPW started by Ospreay. It began with Ospreay, Bea Priestley, and Great-O-Khan. Eventually, Jeff Cobb joined the group, Bea was kicked out, and Toa Henare was added to the stable as Aaron Henare.

New members of The United Empire had been teased for the past week and we now have two more to add to the group. Those two additions are Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis. The two joined the faction during a recent RevPro event.

At the moment, Cobb, Great-O-Khan, and Henare are the only members of The United Empire currently in Japan. In storyline, Ospreay has refused to return to Japan until NJPW apologizes to him and acknowledges Shingo Takagi as nothing more than an interim IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Ospreay has made life difficult for the NJPW brass. He says it boils down to being stripped of the IWGP gold. Ospreay feels there is bias against him because the promotion allowed Jon Moxley to hold onto the IWGP United States Championship when he didn’t defend it for over a year.

Time will tell when these new members will be able to make the trip to Japan.

MVP Undergoes Knee Surgery, WWE Runs With Storyline Injury

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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MVP has gone under the knife but it isn’t for the storyline injury WWE has run with.

The manager of Bobby Lashley has had a lingering knee issue. He suffered the knee injury during a six-man tag team match on Raw back in February. During the spring, MVP gave an update on his knee when speaking to WWE Espanol (h/t Wrestling Inc.).

“As many of you know, my knee has been bothering me for a while now. While it is better, it hasn’t fully healed yet. We’ve been trying to avoid surgery, so we’re gonna try one more procedure. If that doesn’t work either, I might have to get some minor arthroscopic surgery for the knee but, not yet. We’re still gonna try another treatment first.”

As it turns out, he couldn’t avoid the surgery. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that MVP has indeed gone under the knife.

WWE is running with a storyline angle to explain MVP’s absence. The promotion says he suffered a “broken rib” as a result of Randy Orton’s RKO to the outside during the Sept. 13 edition of Monday Night Raw.

“BREAKING: Due to an RKO from Randy Orton this past Monday night on WWE Raw, MVP suffered a broken rib and is out indefinitely.”

CM Punk Is Already Doing Huge Business For AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Tony Khan has touted the immediate success of CM Punk in AEW.

Punk had been away from the wrestling industry for seven years. While it appeared as though Punk once lost his passion for the business, AEW shot some new life into his love for wrestling. The self-proclaimed “Best in the World” made his AEW debut on Aug. 20 and had his first match since 2014 at the All Out PPV, defeating Darby Allin.

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Khan said Punk’s merchandise sales have set records for AEW.

“What he’s done for our attendance, record TV ratings, record PPV buys. We set a live attendance mark in Chicago. We’ve set all new kinds of merchandising records. We sold over 100,000 CM Punk shirts. We’ve sold thousands and thousands of ice cream bars since he started giving those away. You know, he’s absolutely changed our business. And that was the expectation when he came in. I spent years literally talking to CM Punk, talking to him about AEW, what it could be and how much it would mean to us if he could come back to the ring in AEW. He’s doing it.”

Punk is currently involved in a feud with Team Taz. He’ll go one-on-one with Powerhouse Hobbs on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Rampage. The action will be held inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY. It’ll air on Sept. 24. Punk will also appear on the Sept. 22 Dynamite to talk about his match with Hobbs.

Cody Rhodes Names His Personal Favorite Matches

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Cody Rhodes has listed his personal favorite matches.

Rhodes has been wrestling since 2006 when he was brought to OVW to develop. It didn’t take long for Rhodes to make it to WWE Raw as he made his television debut the following year. He ended up spending nearly nine full years on the main roster before being granted his release from WWE.

Cody Rhodes ended up wrestling on the independent scene as well as NJPW and ROH before playing a pivotal role in the creation of AEW. With years of experience under his belt, Rhodes has plenty of choices in terms of which matches are his personal favorites.

In a recent mailing list, Rhodes revealed his opinion on the top matches he has participated in.

“My personal top 4:

4) MITB 2013 – Philly(the crowd saved me)
3) Cody V Kenny at Supercard(set an attendance record)
2) Cody V Sammy G on Dynamite
1) Cody V Brodie I on Dynamite

Honorable mentions: Wardlow in the cage, Legacy V DX Summerslam, Cody V Aldis I ALL IN, Cody V Dustin DON, Cody V Darby I, Cody V Lethal York Hall, Cody V Rey WM”

Cody’s number one choice was featured on the Aug. 22, 2020 edition of Dynamite. Rhodes put the TNT Championship on the line against Brodie Lee. Brodie ended up winning the match in dominating fashion. The two had a Dog Collar match on Oct. 7, which saw Cody win back the TNT Title.

Tommy Dreamer Addresses ‘Dark Side Of The Ring’ Controversy

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Tommy Dreamer has issued a statement after recent controversial comments got him in hot water.

Dreamer appeared on an episode of Dark Side of the Ring covering the “Plane Ride From Hell.” The former ECW Champion received massive pushback for his comments on the episode defending Ric Flair. Flair is accused of sexual assault by a flight attendant from that plane ride.

Dreamer has now taken to his Twitter account to issue an apology.

“Regarding my comments on Dark Side of the ring. It was never my intention to offend, hurt or victim shame anyone. I understand my comments were insensitive & could trigger emotions in someone’s own personal past. I do not condone sexual misconduct of any kind. I apologize to anyone I offended. From the bottom of my heart I am so sorry.”

Tommy Dreamer works under the Impact Wrestling banner. Ed Nordholm of Anthem Sports and Entertainment revealed to PW Insider that Dreamer has been suspended.

“We are aware of Mr Laughlin’s (Tommy Dreamer) comments on ‘Dark Side of the Ring.’ The views expressed by him in the interview are completely unacceptable. We can confirm Mr Laughlin was suspended this morning with immediate effect, pending further action”.

Bandido Issues Apology Over Travis Banks Booking

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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ROH World Champion Bandido has offered an apology over a controversial booking.

Bandido and Big Lucha were in charge of running an event inside the ROH titleholder’s gym. The action took place on Sept. 16. There were positive vibes surrounding the event going in but there’s a major elephant in the room that needed to be addressed.

Former WWE NXT UK star Travis Banks was booked for the show. Banks was called out in the 2020 “Speaking Out” movement by Millie McKenzie, who competes in NXT UK. McKenzie said she had a secret relationship with Banks at the age of 17 and accused him of obsessive behavior.

WWE and PROGRESS Wrestling ended up cutting ties with Banks in June 2020.

Fans who tuned in to the Big Lucha card were taken aback when Banks appeared in a match. Bandido took to his Twitter account to apologize.

“On behalf of Big Lucha & Bandido’s Gym I want to apologize for my mistake yesterday. I don’t want to give any excuses. I am learning the difference between being a wrestler who just plays a small part of an event & being the person who is responsible for everything that happens.

“When it’s my show. I accept responsibility & sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended. I promise to do better in the future.”

PROGRESS Chapter 122 Results and Highlights

Jake Skudder
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PROGRESS Wrestling held their Chapter 121 event this weekend on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS.

The show featured a PROGRESS Tag Team Championship match in the main event; with the new belt holders Smokin’ Aces defending against the PROGRESS World Champion Cara Noir and Chris Ridgeway.

Noir and Ridgeway faced each other in an Iron Man match on Chapter 121, with the two men going 3-3 and Cara Noir retaining due to the draw.

The company also confirmed the brackets for their Revelations of Divine Love tournament, which pits some of the best Women’s performers in the British wrestling scene in a tournament to determine the #1 contender to Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw.

PROGRESS Chapter 122 Results

Here are the full results from Chapter 122: Salsa Shark

  • Danny Black b. Hari Singh
  • Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos & Kid Lykos II) b. LK Mezinger & Sandy Beach
  • Raven Creed b. Taonga
  • Jody Fleisch b. Man Like Dereiss
  • Luke Jacobs b. Ethan Allen
  • Gisele Shaw b. Skye Smitson
  • PROGRESS Wrestling Tag Team Championship Match: The Smokin’ Aces (Nick Riley & Charlie Sterling) (c) b. Chris Ridgeway & Cara Noir

Here are some highlights from the show that were uploaded to the company’s YouTube channel:

Josh Alexander To Challenge For Impact Title at Bound For Glory

Jake Skudder
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It was confirmed on the IMPACT Victory Road 2021 event that Christian Cage will be defending his IMPACT World Championship against Josh Alexander at Bound For Glory 2021.

Both Alexander and Christian Cage successfully defended their titles at the Victory Road event, to Chris Sabin and Ace Austin respectively.

After Cage beat Austin in the main event, Josh Alexander appeared and declared that he was going with Option C.

Option C was first introduced by Hulk Hogan at the start of the last decade, where the IMPACT X-Division Champion had the ability to trade in their X-Division title to gain a shot at the IMPACT World Championship.

Pre-Order Impact Bound For Glory now from FITE

image 100125452 15041808

Christian Cage vs Josh Alexander

The stipulation has remained in TNA/IMPACT since then, with many former X-Division Champions going on to win the World Championship in the company.

So far this is the only match confirmed for the event on October 23, 2021, at Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It was revealed earlier in the year that  All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Mexico’s Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), and Japan’s New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) will all be part of the PPV event in October.

Mickie James vs Deonna Purazzo is also being rumored for the event with the IMPACT Knockouts Championship on the line.

IMPACT Wrestling Victory Road 2021 Results

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling held their Victory Road event on Saturday, September 18 from Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. 

The main event of the show saw IMPACT World Champion Christian Cage defend against Ace Austin, as well as The Good Brothers, Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows defending their IMPACT Tag Team Titles against Rich Swann & Willie Mack.

IMPACT VR 2021 Results

Here are the results from IMPACT Victory Road 2021:

  • Steve Maclin b. Petey Williams and TJP
  • Laredo Kid b. Black Taurus vs. John Skyler vs. Jake Something vs. Trey Miguel
  • Taylor Wilde (w/ Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering) b. Tenille Dashwood (w/ The Influence) 
  • NO DQ Match – Matt Cardona (w/ Chelsea Green) b. Rohit Raju (w/ Shera)
  • Bullet Club (Chris Bey & Hikuleo) b. FinJuice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay) 
  • Moose & W. Morrissey b. Eddie Edwards & Sami Callihan
  • Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match: Decay (Rosemary & Havok) b. Tasha Steelz & Savannaj Evans
  • IMPACT World Tag Team Championship Match: The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) b. Rich Swann & Willie Mack
  • X Division Championship Match: Josh Alexander b. Chris Sabin
  • IMPACT World Championship Match: Christian Cage b. Ace Austin

How to Order the IMPACT Victory Road Replay

Order Impact Victory Road is available to fans who subscribe to the Impact Plus streaming service. You can also purchase the event easily from FITE for just $9.99.

Spoiler: Impact Inducts Former Champion Into Hall of Fame

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling is currently taping shows from the Skyway Studios in Nashville. One of the shows taped yesterday was the Knockouts Knockdown event and during the event, Impact inducted a new member to its Hall of Fame.

After officially retiring from the ring at NWA Empowerrr, Awesome Kong was inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame, according to a report from Fightful. Kong said she dedicated her induction to Daffney. A special Daffney memorial Monster’s Ball match will take place to honor her on the Knockouts Knockdown event as well.

Awesome Kong is a 2x Knockouts Champion and also won the Queen of the Knockouts tournament in 2015. Her long-running feud with Gail Kim is often considered one of the greatest programs in the history of the promotion. Kim was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame Members

Impact Wrestling’s Hall of Fame dates back to 2012 when Sting was the inaugural inductee. 

  1. Sting (2012)
  2. Kurt Angle (2013)
  3. Team 3-D (Bully Ray & Devon) (2014)
  4. Jeff Jarrett (2015)
  5. Earl Hebner (2015)
  6. Gail Kim (2016)
  7. Abyss (2018)
  8. Ken Shamrock (2020)
  9. Awesome Kong (2021)

Impact Wrestling presents Victory Road tonight on the Impact Plus App. Christian will defend against Ace Austin in the main event.

AEW Wrestler Spotted At Impact Tapings

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling is currently taping shows in Nashville. Victory Road airs tonight on the Impact Plus app. According to a report from Fightful, Christopher Daniels is at the tapings. Daniels hasn’t wrestled for Impact Wrestling in over 7 years, having last performed for the promotion in 2014.

It is being speculated that Daniels could wrestle as part of the tapings, something he hasn’t done since the May 12th episode of Dynamite. Daniels and Kazarian lost an AEW tag title shot to the Young Bucks on that show.

Daniels is a 4x X-Division Champion with Impact Wrestling/TNA Wrestling. His 280 days spent with the title belt ranks him 8th all-time in that category. He also twice held the Impact tag-team titles along with Kazarian. He also held the NWA tag-team titles 6x while a member of TNA.

Victory Road Lineup

Impact Wrestling presents Victory Road tonight from Nashville. The lineup for the show is below:

  1. Impact World Championship
    Christian Cage (c) vs Ace Austin
  2. Impact Tag Team Championships
    The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) (c) vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack
  3. X-Division Championship
    Josh Alexander (c) vs Chris Sabin
  4. Knockouts Tag Team Championships
    Decay (Rosemary & Havok) vs Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans
  5. Chris Bey & Hikuleo vs FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson)
  6. Moose & W. Morrissey vs. Eddie Edwards & Sami Callihan
  7. Steve Maclin vs. Petey Williams vs TJP
  8. Taylor Wilde vs. Tenille Dashwood (with Kaleb with a K)
  9. Matt Cardona (with Chelsea Green) vs. Rohit Raju (with Shera)

Gail Kim Did Not Know About Awesome Kong’s Retirement Before EmPowerrr

Anutosh Bajpai
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Gail Kim shared a very emotional moment with Awesome Kong at the NWA EmPowerrr PPV when the latter announced her retirement from pro wrestling during a segment. Turns out the moment between the two was as real as it could get and the TNA Hall Of Famer did not know about the announcement of her friend beforehand.

Kim revealed this information during a recent appearance on the Battleground podcast. She said that she found out about it at the same time as all the fans:

“Honestly, I didn’t know she was gonna stay in the ring that night, I found out at the same time as all the fans watching that she was retiring. Yeah, Mickie and I both.”

The NWA EmPowerrr saw Gail Kim coming out to cut a promo but she was interrupted by Taryn Terrell and two other female stars. Awesome Kong then made a surprise appearance at the show. She came to the aid of her long-term rival and friend.

After clearing the house, Kong grabbed the mic and told the former knockouts champion that she was her greatest foe. She then said that there was no other way to end her career then being in the ring with Kim.

Sean Waltman Reveals His Text Exchange With Triple H After Medical Procedure

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Sean Waltman talked about a number of things on the latest episode of his Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast. He also revealed an interesting text exchange with Triple H after The Game’s recent medical procedure.

The former WWE star first explained how he has a running joke with the WWE EVP from the time he promised to call him later but never did:

“I haven’t talked to him on the phone, but we had this running joke, Paul and I, we’d be talking forever, be on the phone for an hour or two, and finally, whenever it was time for Paul to get off the phone, he’d go, ‘Are you going to be around later?’ And he never called me later.”

Sean Waltman then revealed that he also found out about Triple H’s emergency operation like everyone else. He detailed the exchange he had with him afterward:

“I just texted him, ‘Hey man, I’m glad you’re gonna be around later,’ and he just said, ‘Me too. Love you, kiddo,’ and that’s it. That’s the extent of what I know. I wasn’t gonna say, ‘Tell me what happened.’ I don’t need to know. I just need to know he’s okay.”

Latest updates on Triple H’s status reveal that the Game is getting better after his cardiac event. He is able to talk to people over the phone. Though talent have been told not to talk business with him.

Sean Waltman Comments On CM Punk vs Darby Allin’s Homage To Bret Hart vs 1-2-3 Kid

Gable Steveson: I Have The Charisma To Be Everything

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Gable Steveson believes he’ll be able to portray just about any character asked of him.

Steveson is a highly-touted prospect who has been signed to a WWE contract. The Olympic gold medalist will finish his collegiate career before starting with WWE. Steveson is just WWE’s second Olympic gold medalist. The first, of course, was Kurt Angle.

During an appearance on MMAFighting’s The MMA Hour, Steveson told Ariel Helwani that his charisma will shine bright in WWE.

“I don’t know my style yet, but I think I can pull off the American Hero really well, especially being a gold medalist. Kurt [Angle] was the only one – I don’t have a broken freakin’ neck, and I hear it all day on Twitter. ‘You don’t have a broken neck, you’re not the real gold medalist.’ So I heard it all day in all my messages. I’m sorry I didn’t have a broken neck, but I still got a gold medal….there are so many styles I could play, there are so many styles I’m ready to play. I’m open to anything – American Hero, bruiser, heel, bad guy, good guy. I think I have the characteristics and charisma to be everything. I’m just waiting to see who I’m gonna be.”

WWE hit the jackpot with Kurt Angle. Angle not only ended up being an elite worker, but he also had a strong personality and fit the bill of a true sports entertainer. Whether or not Steveson can find similar success remains to be seen.

Gable Steveson also told Helwani that he believes he will ultimately skip NXT and go straight to the main roster. With that said, Steveson wouldn’t be opposed to starting off in developmental if that’s what WWE wants to do.

https://www.mmanews.com/2021/09/gable-steveson-reveals-the-hate-hes-received-for-wwe-signing-2/

Taz Files To Trademark Signature Catchphrase

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Taz has a well-known catchphrase that he has filed a trademark for.

During his time as an active wrestler, Taz was known as the “Human Suplex Machine.” His MMA-type style in the ring gave him a unique look in ECW. He ended up becoming a two-time ECW World Champion. Taz was known for saying “beat me if you can, survive if I let you.”

USPTO reveals that he has filed a trademark for the catchphrase.

“Mark For: BEAT ME IF YOU CAN SURVIVE IF I LET YOU™ trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing online interviews featuring a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality in the field of professional wrestling and sports entertainment for entertainment purposes.”

We’ve seen the catchphrase used in the feud between Team Taz and CM Punk under the AEW banner. CM Punk used the catchphrase against Taz, which didn’t make him very happy.

Punk is set to take on Powerhouse Hobbs of Team Taz on the AEW Grand Slam edition of Dynamite on Sept. 22.

WWE Teases Brock Lesnar Moving To RAW In Upcoming Draft

Chris Stephens
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WWE has teased that Brock Lesnar could be drafted to RAW in the near future. The upcoming WWE Draft is scheduled to take place on the October 1st edition of Smackdown and the October 4th edition of WWE RAW.

During last night’s edition of WWE Smackdown, Kayla Braxton approached Paul Heyman and stated that she has heard Lesnar could be headed to RAW. Heyman blew her off, however, and downplayed the “rumors.”


WWE’s TV Partners Want Big Attractions

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast, the Fox and USA networks have both requested that WWE book RAW and Smackdown equally, with neither show being considered the B-show.

“From speaking a lot of my friends at the networks, they’re alluding that when you see something big happen on one, expect something big to happen on the other. Maybe not the following week, but they have to treat them weekly, that’s true,” Zarian said on the podcast.

There have also been rumblings that Drew McIntyre could be switching brands during the draft. Zarian Tweeted out an image of a match graphic featuring Roman Reigns facing Drew McIntyre for the Universal title on an episode of Smackdown.

Impact Victory Road: Final Card For Tonight, How To Order

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Wrestling presents Victory Road tonight live from Nashville, Tennessee at Skyway Studios. The show begins at 8pm (Eastern).

Order Impact Victory Road at FITE ($9.99)

The main event will see Christin Cage defend the Impact World Championship against Ace Austin.

The “Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander looks to prove he’s the greatest X-Division Champion in history. He defends against 8-time champion, Chris Sabin.

The Knockouts Tag Team Titles will also be up for grabs, as Rosemary & Havok defend against Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans.

Victory Road Matches

The following matches are scheduled for tonight:

  • Impact World Champion Christian Cage vs Ace Austin
  • X Division Champion Josh Alexander vs Chris Sabin
  • Eddie Edwards & Sami Callihan vs Moose & W. Morrissey
  • FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson) vs Bullet Club (Chris Bey and Hikuleo)
  • Knockouts Tag Team Champions Decay (Havok and Rosemary) vs Savannah Evans and Tasha Steelz

How to Order Victory Road

Order Impact Victory Road is available to fans who subscribe to the Impact Plus streaming service. You can also purchase the event easily from FITE for just $9.99.

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G1 Climax 31 Results (Sept. 18): Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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The first night of the G1 Climax tournament has come to an end.

Night one was held inside Edion Arena in Osaka on Sept. 18. The card was headlined by an A block match between IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito served as the co-main event.

In total, there were five A block matches and one non-G1 Climax match. The non-tournament match was SHO going up against Young Lion Ryohei Owia. The other A block matches were KENTA vs. Toru Yano, Great-O-Khan vs. Tanga Loa, and Kota Ibushi vs. Yujiro Takahashi.

Here are the full results from night one of the G1 Climax 31.

  • SHO def. Ryohei Owia – non-G1 Climax match
  • Yujiro Takahashi def. Kota Ibushi
  • Great-O-Khan def. Tanga Loa
  • Toru Yano def. KENTA
  • Zack Sabre Jr. def. Tetsuya Naito
  • Shingo Takagi def. Tomohiro Ishii

Here are some highlights of the matches.

SHO vs. Ryohei Owia

Yujiro Takahashi vs. Kota Ibushi

Great-O-Khan vs. Tanga Loa

Toru Yano vs. KENTA

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito

Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Ric Flair CarShield Campaign Paused Amid ‘Dark Side’ Controversy

Chris Stephens
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The fallout from Thursday’s Dark Side of the Ring episode on 2002’s Plane Ride From Hell has been swift. A national advertising campaign for Carshield featuring Ric Flair has now been paused due to the allegations made against Flair in the episode.

According to PWInsider, the ad campaign has been paused “pending additional investigation and decisions.”

Intermedia, the ad agency that runs the campaign issued the following statement addressing their decision to put Flair on ice:

“We take these matters very seriously. As of right now, we are pausing the campaign and we will do our due diligence.”

– Intermedia

Ric Flair has yet to release a public statement since the Plane Ride From Hell episode of Dark Side of the Ring aired Thursday night. However, he did speak with Renee Paquette about the situation on a recent episode of her Oral Sessions podcast.

“We’ll see how it plays out, because I was there and I don’t care whose name I gotta drop if the heat falls on me. I know who was where and what and who and what took place. I know the whole story,” Flair said on the podcast.

flair cartoon
(Photo: ESPN)

Ric Flair is not the only person facing negative ramifications this week. Tommy Dreamer has been suspended from Impact Wrestling as a result of his comments on the episode defending Flair’s actions.

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