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NJPW Postpones Both Wrestle Grand Slam Events

Chris Stephens
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NJPW announced today that they have postponed both Wrestle Grand Slam events scheduled for later this month. The events were to have taken place May 15th in Yokohama and May 29th from the Tokyo Dome. Kazuchika Okada was to have challenged Will Ospreay for the IWGP World title on the 29th.

The promotion is working on determining new dates for the event. Tickets for the event will be valid for the new date. Refunds will be available for ticket-holders unable to attend on the rescheduled date.

6 wrestlers were taken off the Wrestling Dontaku Night 2 show on May 3rd. Kazuchika Okada, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, and YOH were all removed due to health and safety protocols. It was later revealed that 2 of those wrestlers then tested positive for COVID-19.

NJPW Statement On Postponed Events

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“On Friday May 7, the Japanese government announced an extension to the state of emergency currently in place in Tokyo and other prefectures,” reads an update from NJPW1972.com.

“In light of this announcement, as well as current COVID-19 infection status, and in order to prevent any potential further spread of the virus,  New Japan Pro-Wrestling has arrived at the decision to postpone the Wrestle Grand Slam events in Yokohama Stadium and the Tokyo Dome previously scheduled for May 15 and 29 respectively.”

Will Ospreay Reacts

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay posted a video reacting to this news. While he understands the issue of safety, he is convinced this is all a conspiracy orchestrated by Kazuchika Okada to avoid getting in the ring with him.

Jinder Mahal Returns On WWE Main Event With New Allies

Michael Reichlin
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Jinder Mahal returned to action on this week’s edition of WWE Main Event on Hulu. The match was taped prior to Monday’s Raw.

The former WWE Superstar was not alone. He was accompanied by former NXT tag team Indus Sher. That team has undergone a change and now comprised of Rinku Singh and the 7-footer, Dilser Shanky. They are now going by the names Veer and Shanky.

Mahal picked up a victory over Jeff Hardy, a sign that WWE is looking to jumpstart his character with some momentum. Meanwhile, Jeff Hardy is losing to Jinder Mahal on Main Event.

Jinder Mahal has been out of action since May 2020, while Indus Sheer’s last match for NXT took place just a few weeks after that.

You can check out some highlights from Jinder Mahal’s return here:

https://youtu.be/2EnipSEYtPc

Updated Card for Impact Under Siege, Preview For Next Week’s TV

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Under Siege is the next special event from Impact Wrestling. The show takes place next Saturday, May 15th. It will be presented live on the Impact Plus streaming service.

Following this week’s AXS TV broadcast, here’s the updated match listing for Impact Under Siege:

  • Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs. Eddie Edwards & FinJuice
  • #1 Contender’s Match: Chris Bey vs. Matt Cardona vs. Chris Sabin vs. Sami Callihan vs. Moose vs. Trey Miguel. The winner of this match earns the right to challenge Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship.
  • Knockouts Tag Team Champions Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering vs. Fire N’ Flava.
  • W. Morrisey vs. Willie Mack
  • Brian Myers vs. Black Taurus

Impact published a video of the 6 competitors in the #1 contender’s match talking about their desire to be the person who dethrones Kenny Omega:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVbVQ2TSm6Y

Impact Under Siege Go-Home Preview

Matches confirmed for next week’s “go home” edition of Impact on AXS TV include:

  • Knockouts Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Rosemary vs. Havok
  • #1 Contender’s X-Division Scramble Mach:
    Petey Williams vs. Acey Romero vs. Ace Austin vs. TJP vs. Rohit Raju vs. El Phantasmo
  • David Finlay vs. Karl Anderson

Darby Allin Says His Shoulder Is Jacked, But He’ll Be At Dynamite

Michael Reichlin
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Darby Allin has provided an update on his health after getting thrown down a flight of stairs at Blood and Guts.

AEW’s TNT Champion says has his shoulder is in bad shape, but he will show up next week no matter what.

He tweeted, “Long story short my shoulder is fucked but if I got till Wednesday to get my shit together I’ll just do that.”

You can see the full segment with Allin, Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky here:

Darby Allin vs. Miro Next Week

Miro will challenge for the TNT Championship next week.

Allin has been champion since November 7, 2020 when he defeated Cody Rhodes at Full Gear.

AEW Dynamite Tops Cable Ratings With Blood And Guts

Michael Reichlin
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TV viewership numbers are in for Wednesday’s AEW Blood and Guts special.

The May 5th edition of AEW Dynamite averaged 1.090 million viewers and did a 0.42 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. For the first time ever, AEW Dynamite was the most-watched show on cable for the day. The numbers come courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily.

Looking at the demographic breakdown, Dynamite drew a 0.58 rating in the males 18-49 demographic, more than doubling the next-closest competitor in that demo.

By comparison, last week’s AEW Dynamite did 889,000 Viewers and a 0.33 demo rating. Monday’s Raw did 1.872 million viewers with a 0.53 rating. Dynamite actually topped the third hour of Monday’s Raw in the Men 18-49 demographic (Raw: 0.55).

AEW looks to keep the momentum next week, with the following matches already confirmed for the 5/12 Dynamite:

  • Miro challenges Darby Allin for the TNT Championship
  • PAC vs. Orange Cassidy in a #1 contender’s match. The winner challenges AEW World Champion Kenny Omega at Double or Nothing later this month.
  • AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs. SCU.

Check out our full results and takeaways from AEW Blood and Guts:

AEW Gives Out Refunds To Fans At Blood & Guts

Chris Stephens
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Last night’s AEW Blood and Guts event might have seemed as though it was live, but in fact only the match between the Pinnacle and Inner Circle was. This was discussed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Due to the time it takes to set up the double-cage, the first four matches of the event were pre-taped with no fans in attendance. Those matches were then shown on the big screen to the live fans at Blood and Guts, with their crowd noise being added to the broadcast.

“It was all taped with no fans a couple of weeks ago, the whole first hour,” said Dave Meltzer. “They did it to pretend that it was live so they actually set up the two rings when they did the taping. Because to set up the cage with the thing would take forever and they couldn’t do it live, they just couldn’t.”

“That’s why when they did the advertising, they advertised it was going to be a one match show, the idea was a one match show to the people who bought tickets.”

Tony Khan appeared before the show and explained the situation and offered refunds to anyone who was upset by the situation. In total, 5 refunds were given.

Salina de la Renta Gone From MLW

Chris Stephens
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Last night on MLW Fusion, the former Dario Cueto from Lucha Underground, now known as El Jefe, was revealed as the leader of Azteca Underground. Salina de la Renta had been abducted by one of El Jefe’s representatives and delivered to him in the show’s final scene. El Jefe informed Salina that he is building a new temple and this requires a sacrifice. While the camera cut away, it is assumed that Cueto made Salina that sacrifice.

According to comments Court Bauer made to Post Wrestling, the scene was Salina de la Renta’s send-off from the promotion. She is now gone from MLW.

“I think the character deserved a big prominent focus and a great send-off in the last scene of this era of MLW.”

MLW is looking to bring in some fresh names to its roster. They announced on Fusion last night a “2021 Draft” that will take place between now and MLW’s return on July 10th.

Salina de la Renta tweeted this out-of-character message about the end of her run with MLW:

“Nothing to cry about. Everything comes to an end and we’re grateful for those awesome memories. It’s also part of evolution and you gotta start somewhere, this the ending of a chapter in a book with many more chapters to come.”

MLW is on hiatus. The next show is scheduled for July 10th at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena.

https://twitter.com/salinadelarenta/status/1390687039033683969

Tommy Dreamer Details Frightening Battle With COVID-19

Chris Stephens
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Tommy Dreamer recently revealed on his House of Hardcore podcast that he contracted COVID-19 while on a tour of Alaska. Unfortunately, the 50-year-old has had a real tough time battling the virus. He spoke about his 24-day experience with COVID during the podcast.

“This is day 24 since I’ve been exposed to COVID. I’ve never been sicker in my life. I went to Alaska and was exposed on that Friday. The company I went for, Wrestle Pro, everyone tested negative. They were there about a week before I came in and someone tested positive,” Dreamer said (transcriptions via Fightful).

“The company did everything and told the wrestlers and fans. Nobody asked for refunds or anything,” he continued.

Dreamer continued to say that he agreed to continue working the tour but upon seeing the unmasked crowd in attendance realized he made a mistake.

“I did it for selfish reasons and wanted to check Alaska off my bucket list to say I wrestled in every state and financial reasons. There was a good financial deal for me. It’s going to have long-term effects on my health,” he continued.

Tommy Dreamer Describes COVID-19 Symptoms

Dreamer continued to talk about his experience with the virus. Unfortunately, he would also reveal that his wife and daughter were exposed to the virus as well.

“It felt like I had a massive concussion and I had a non-stop throbbing pain in my head for 17 days. Then came the fever. It was going up to 102, 102.4, and I had that for about seven days. The chills, at one point I had four winter blankets on me and I still felt like I was outside naked in the snow. That was about four days. Sweats, I would be freezing for two to three hours and then came the sweats and having to change the sheets daily. That lasted about 16 to 17 days. Weakness and fatigue were next level.”

“I’m on day 24 and I’ve had three good days. It feels like you overcome and then it hits you all over again. I tested positive on Thursday and had already exposed my family. Thursday night, I was in so much physical pain that I literally said, ‘I’m going to pee myself because I can’t get up to walk to the bathroom.’ One night, I woke up crying and in pain. My elbows and hips felt like they were on fire, and I’ve been on fire. It was a raging pain, burning in both my elbows and hips. No matter which way I turned, I lost use of both my arms. They were just hanging. I couldn’t lay in bed. I had to stand for two hours against the wall.”

Backstage News On Daniel Bryan’s Free Agency

Chris Stephens
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It was recently revealed that Daniel Bryan’s contract with WWE expired on Friday night after his match with Roman Reigns. What exactly might be going on with Bryan’s free agency was recently addressed on Wrestling Observer Radio. According to comments made by Dave Meltzer, Daniel Bryan’s situation has some similarities to Brian Pillman, who had a very famous free agency stint in 1996.

“I will just say that if anyone tells you that they know, they are lying to you,” Meltzer said about Bryan’s situation.

“It’s up in the air. I’m sure someday that in 30 years, I’ll have more to say. I have Dark Side of the Ring flashbacks on this story already,” Meltzer continued. This comment drew a confused reaction from co-host Bryan Alvarez.

“Dark Side of the Ring, what does that have to do with anything?” Alvarez asked.

“Cause the Brian Pillman’s story is airing tomorrow night,” Meltzer responded.

“What does that have to do with Bryan Danielson?” Alvarez continued to ask. “Did he buy a Humvee?”

“No, he didn’t buy a Humvee, I don’t think,” Meltzer responded.

Daniel Bryan and Brian Pillman Free Agency Stories

In 1996, Brian Pillman famously convinced WCW to give him an official release as part of a planned “Loose Cannon” free agency storyline. Pillman then showed up on ECW television and eventually was able to negotiate a deal with WWE thanks to having received his release from WCW. What, if anything, this has to do with Daniel Bryan is not known.

Meltzer then continued to hint at some big things happening soon in wrestling.

“There’s some crazy things going on in wrestling, some really crazy things going on in wrestling but they haven’t happened yet. I’m sure one of them will be when he shows up somewhere, which could be WWE, could be somewhere else. That’s about it for now,” Meltzer continued.

Impact On AXS TV Preview (5/6): Gallows vs. Robinson, El Phantasmo

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Wrestling is back tonight with an all-new episode of Impact on AXS TV. With less than two weeks until Impact Under Siege, the company is hyping the following items for the broadcast:

  • Doc Gallows (w/ Karl Anderson) vs. Juice Robinson (w/ David Finlay)
  • Knockouts Champion Rachel Ellering vs. Kiera Hogan
  • Taylor Wilde vs. Susan
  • The debut of New Japan Pro Wrestling star El Phantasmo.
El Phantasmo
El Phantasmo

We will also see three qualifying matches for the 6-Way #1 Contender’s Match taking place at Under Siege.

  • James Storm vs. Moose
  • Rhin vs. Chris Sabin
  • Trey Miguel vs. Rohit Raju

As of this writing, Chris Bey, Sami Callihan and Matt Cardona have qualified. Following Impact, we will know all six competitors. The winner of the 6-Way #1 Contender’s Match will earn the right to challenge Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship.

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Check back Friday morning for our Impact on AXS TV Results and Takeaways.

Myron Reed Wins Back MLW Middleweight Title From Lio Rush

Chris Stephens
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It was a significant show last night for MLW. The promotion will be taking a hiatus until July 10th when they welcome back fans inside Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena. Last night’s Fusion was billed as the “Season Finale” and in addition to the big reveal of the former Dario Cueto, a major title change also took place on the show.

Myron Reed becomes the first person to win he MLW World Middleweight Championship twice as he defeated Lio Rush to regain the belt. Rush had defeated Reed for the title on January 6th’s Kings of the Colosseum event. Reed would kick out from Rush’s frog splash in the rematch, however, and pick up the win with his “No Cap Splash” moments later.

MLW World Middleweight Championship Statistics

Maxwell Jacob Friedman was the inaugural champion. He held the title for close to 3 months before vacating it. Teddy Hart then won the vacant belt and successfully defended it 6x over the course of the next 11 months. Hart then dropped it to Reed, who held it through 4 title defenses and then a pandemic before dropping it to Rush in January.

  1. Teddy Hart (1x) 6 defenses, 330 days as champion.
  2. Myron Reed (2x – current) 4 defenses, 424 days as champion.
  3. Lio Rush (1x) 2 defenses, 120 days as champion.
  4. Maxwell Jacob Friedman (1x) 1 defense, 141 days as champion
https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1390124435257049093

MLW Fusion “Season Finale” Results: Dario Cueto Arrives, Myron Reed Wins Back Title

Chris Stephens
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MLW presented its “Season Finale” show last night. The promotion will be taking a hiatus until they welcome back live fans on July 10th inside the 2300 Arena. On tonight’s show, there was a major angle and a big title change.

The full show is available in the player below:

MLW Fusion 5/5 Quick Results:

  1. Laredo Kid defeated Gringo Loco
  2. Richard Holliday defeated Ariel Dominguez
  3. MLW World Middleweight Championship
    Myron Reed (c) defeated Lio Rush (c) – New Champion

Dario Cueto Revealed As “El Jefe”

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1390278923984850947

At the very end of the show, we got an update on Salina de la Renta. She was shown last week with a sack over her head being escorted into a car by a masked man presumed to be one of El Jefe’s handlers. This week, we saw a woman believed to be Salina escorted into an office where the former head of Lucha Underground, Dario Cueto, sat. Cueto was revealed as “El Jefe” and the man behind the Azteca Underground faction. El Jefe told the woman that he is starting a new temple, and that requires a sacrifice before the camera cut away.

Myron Reed Wins Back World Middleweight Title From Lio Rush

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1390094411514761217

MLW fans were treated to Rush vs Reed II this week. Rush had defeated Reed for the title on the January 6th Kings of the Colosseum show before defending it against Laredo Kid and Brian Pillman Jr.

Reed would win back the title after a back-and-forth match that could have gone either way. Perhaps the turning point in the match came when Rush hit his Frog Splash on Reed but was delayed in making the cover. The momentary delay allowed Reed to kick out from Rush’s finisher. Rush became frustrated at this point and his next attack was countered by the challenger into his “Cappn Crunch” move followed by his springboard 450 splash for the win. After the match, Reed’s Injustice stablemates Jordan Oliver and Calvin Tankman came out to celebrate with him.

Contra Unit “Gatekeeping” Title For Jacob Fatu

National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone has been calling out MLW World Champion Jacob Fatu but it appears Contra Unit is gatekeeping title matches for the champion. Alicia Atout explained this week that while Contra does have the ability to determine who faces the champion, there is one exception to that rule and that is the Battle Riot event, where the winner is guaranteed a title shot. The 40-man rumble styled event didn’t take place due to the pandemic in 2020.

MLW Top-10

https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1390084176205041664

This week, MLW revealed what will be the final top-10 rankings until the summer.

MLW World Champion: Jacob Fatu (Contra Unit)

  1. Alexander Hammerstone (Dynasty) (National Openweight Champion)
  2. Tom Lawlor (Team Filthy)
  3. Lio Rush
  4. Mads Krugger (Contra Unit)
  5. Richard Holliday (Dynasty)
  6. Mil Muertes (Azteca Underground)
  7. Myron Reed (Injustice) (World Middleweight Champion)
  8. Calvin Tankman (Injustice)
  9. Ross Von Erich
  10. Rocky Romero

Gino Medina Attacks Richard Holliday

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1390087025928327170

Richard Holliday made quick work of Ariel Dominguez this week. Following the match, Holliday was about to be interviewed by Alicia Atout but was interrupted by his former Dynasty stablemate, Gino Medina. Holliday defeated Medina recently on Fusion but evidently Gino is not done with him. Medina attacked Holliday from behind and gave him a DDT onto the stage area to close the segment.

MLW 2021 Draft

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1390085399389802500

MLW announced on last night’s show that the promotion will be holding a draft in the coming weeks. Recent reports have stated that MLW is looking to freshen up its roster and bring in some new faces. It seems likely then that this draft is how the promotion will announce new additions to its roster.

Coming Up In MLW

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1390097049379655680

MLW will be airing classic episodes for the weeks leading up to its return on July 10th from the 2300 Arena. Saturday episodes will also air on VICE TV. No matches have been announced for the show thus far but El Jefe revealed in the episode’s closing segment that he plans on being there on July 10th. Earlier in the show, Marshall Von Erich also promised Tom Lawlor and Team Filthy that there will be a reckoning in Philadelphia as well.

Tully Blanchard Cuts Backstage Promo Following AEW Blood & Guts

Jake Skudder
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This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite ended with the spectacle of the Blood & Guts match. This is a bout that had been in consideration since 2020, although originally it was believed that Chris Jericho and The Inner Circle would be taking on The Elite.

With the COVID-19 pandemic putting those plans on hold, we had to wait over a year to see exactly how AEW would pull off their own version of WarGames. This time we would see MJF and The Pinnacle take on The Inner Circle, with MJF and his group taking the win after The Inner Circle had to surrender to try and save their leader, Jericho.

MJF threw Le Champion off the top of the cell anyway, with the show going off air with EMTs and The Inner Circle helping the former AEW Champion. After the match, The Pinnacle’s ‘mentor’ and Four Horsemen legend Tully Blanchard spoke to cameras backstage about the group and their massive win on Dynamite.

Tully Blanchard on The Pinnacle

“What you’re looking at is King of Blood & Guts!” Blanchard began. “These guys right here took everything that the Inner Circle could dish out.”

“And yet, they’re over there waving down, ‘No, no, no, no! We give up, we give up!” Blanchard continued, slamming The Inner Circle. “And that’s all it took to get our hands raised. You guys right here [pointing at The Pinnacle], you dug deep inside, you took everything they could dish out, and you walked out on top.”

“That’s the way it is! That’s what it’s about, being on the top!” Tully Blanchard concluded. “Being at the Pinnacle, that’s what it’s about. Ladies and gentlemen, it is your honor to look at these five guys.”

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1390140778148732930

Do you think that the feud between MJF and Chris Jericho will continue? Let us know in the comments

Atsushi Onita Announces ‘Exclusively’ Explosion Match Promotion

Jake Skudder
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Japanese Deathmatch wrestling legend Atsushi Onita has announced the formation of a brand new wrestling promotion. The man who is regarded as one of the greatest Deathmatch competitors in history will be bringing back the FMW initials, although this new brand will be called FMWE.

Speaking recently at a press conference, the 63-year-old Japanese star confirmed that the promotion’s first ever show will be taking place in July at the Tsurumi Fruit and Vegetable Market in Yokohama City.

“The meaning of E is explosion,” Onita said. “It is an explosion. It is an organization specializing in hardcore that is said in the world. There is a request to see an electric current blast in the United States, and we are doing an electric current blast all over the world.”

Atsushi Onita Talks FMWE

In terms of the ‘electric current blast in the United States’ that Onita refers to, he is clearly referencing the AEW Championship match from the Revolution PPV. Kenny Omega defended his AEW Championship in the main event of that show against Jon Moxley.

The ending of that bout was a complete dud; with the ‘explosions’ not really being as big as fans had anticipated. AEW even had to address the dud explosion and weave it into the storyline with Moxley, Eddie Kingston and Omega.

“E is also entertainment” Onita added during the press conference. “Because of this era, I would like you to feel the power from FMW by returning to the origin.”

Will you be watching FMWE if it’s available on PPV? Let us know in the comments

AEW Dynamite Results (5/5): Blood & Guts Match, Kenny Omega & Orange Cassidy

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Inner Circle battled The Pinnacle in a Blood & Guts match tonight. It was also announced that Miro will face Darby Allin next week for the TNT Championship.

Dynamite Results (5/5)

  1. Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston def. Kenny Omega & Michael Nakazawa
  2. Cody Rhodes def. QT Marshall
  3. Britt Baker def. Julia Hart
  4. SCU def. Varsity Blondes, Jurassic Express, The Acclaimed to earn a shot at the AEW Tag Team Championships next week
  5. The Pinnacle def. Inner Circle in the Blood & Guts match

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Elite Attacked Moxley & Kingston

AEW Champion Kenny Omega & Michael Nakazawa faced Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston in a tag team match to begin the show. Before the match, Don Callis took over for Justin Roberts and said that AEW Champion Kenny Omega was unable to attend tonight. Callis told Nakazawa that he will wrestle the match alone tonight as Tony Schiavone shouted that Callis is lying because we have seen Kenny Omega here tonight.

Moxley and Kingston slowly made their way through the crowd and Omega attacked them from behind. Omega hit Moxley and Kingston with the AEW Championship and rolled Eddie into the ring. Nakazawa stomped Kingston down and tagged in Kenny Omega.

Jon Moxley sent Nakazawa out of the ring but turned around into an elbow to the face from Omega. Moxley battled back with a Side Slam and then delivered a Suicide Dive onto Nakazawa outside the ring. Kingston and Moxley isolated Nakazawa in the corner and took turns beating him down.

Nakazawa hit Kingston with a low blow and choked him while the referee was distracted. Omega tagged in and raked Kingston’s face across the top rope. Omega connected with a slam and went for the cover but Eddie was able to kick out at two. Omega went for a Suplex but Kingston was able to block it.

Kenny hit Kingston with a chop but Eddie shrugged it off. Kingston lit up Omega’s chest with some chops but the AEW Champion battled back with an Enziguri. Omega went for a Moonsault but Kingston dodged it. Eddie followed it up with a Clothesline and tagged in Moxley.

Nakazawa tagged in as well and Moxley beat him down in the corner. Jon stomped Nakazawa down and then whipped Kenny to the canvas. Nakazawa went for a Clothesline but Moxley didn’t go down. Moxley connected with a German Suplex and then a Piledriver but Omega broke up the cover at two.

Omega rolled out of the ring and wouldn’t get back inside as Moxley applied a Guillotine choke. Kingston held open the ropes but Kenny walked away and left Nakazawa behind. Eddie and Moxley hit a German Suplex/ Clothesline combo for the pinfall victory.

After the match, AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks came down to the entrance ramp. Good Brothers attacked Kingston and Moxley from behind and planted Eddie with a Magic Killer. Matt Jackson hit Jon Moxley with a Superkick and then Nick hit another one as AEW Champion made his way back to the ring with his personal camera man, Brandon Cutler. Omega lifted Eddie up in the Electric Chair and planted him with the One Winged Angel.

Cody Tapped Out QT Marshall

Cody Rhodes squared off against QT Marshall tonight on Dynamite. Cody controlled the match early and lifted up QT for a Suplex. Rhodes opted to just drop QT on his face instead. Cody took off his belt but the referee ripped it away. QT grabbed his own belt and whipped Cody across the back.

Marshall hit Cody with a couple chops but Rhodes battled back with some chops of his own. Cody raked QT’s eyes and followed it up with an elbow to the face. Cody climbed to the top rope and it backfired as Marshall slammed him to the canvas. Marshall followed it up with a German Suplex that sent Cody out of the ring to regroup with Arn Anderson.

QT went after Cody and brought him back into the ring. QT argued with Arn and shoved him. Arn then shoved QT’s face into the ring post and several referees kicked him out from ringside as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, QT hit Cody with a boot to the face. Rhodes battled back with a Moonsault and went for the cover but QT kicked out at two. Cody went for a Cutter but QT countered into the Cross Rhodes on Cody for a two count. Marshall went for a Diamond Cutter but Cody blocked it. Marshall connected with a Buckle Bomb and went for a Tombstone Piledriver but Cody countered into one of his own for a near fall in an awesome sequence.

Cody then hit the Cross Rhodes and went for the cover but QT somehow kicked out at two. Rhodes got Marshall in the Figure Four in the middle of the ring and QT tapped out. Anthony Ogogo attacked Cody after the match and put the UK flag on him.

https://twitter.com/tde_gif/status/1390102197791244288?s=20

Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky Beat Darby Allin Down

Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page were interviewed by Alex Marvez tonight. TNT Champion Darby Allin showed up and tried to get some revenge on them for attacking him. Allin hit Page with a Coffin Drop but the numbers game caught up to him. Scorpio and Page beat Allin down and threw him down a staircase.

Britt Baker Dominated

Britt Baker faced Julia Hart tonight on Dynamite. Baker and Julia went to lock up but Britt booted Hart in the midsection instead. Hart hit a punch but Baker quickly planted her with a Slingblade. Reba handed Baker a glove and Britt hit a slam. Baker then applied the Lockjaw for the submission victory. Britt Baker will face Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s Championship at Double or Nothing.

SCU Earned A Title Shot Next Week

Jurassic Express, Varsity Blondes, SCU, and The Acclaimed battled in a Tag Team Eliminator match. The winning team will face The Young Bucks next week for the AEW Tag Team Championships.

Frankie and Jungle Boy started off the match by locking up in the middle of the ring. Jungle Boy took Frankie down to the mat but Kazarian hopped up. Jungle Boy and Frankie traded roll-ups before Max Caster tagged himself in. Pillman Jr. tagged in and a massive brawl broke out. Luchasaurus hit Caster with a boot to the face as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Luchasaurus Chokeslammed Griff Garrison on top of Pillman. Luchasaurus then Chokeslammed Frankie onto the Varsity Blondes outside the ring. Jungle Boy tagged in and tried to cover Caster but Daniels broke it up at two.

Pillman leveled Jungle Boy with a Clothesline for a near fall. Jungle Boy climbed to the top rope but Daniels tripped him up. Frankie hit Pillman with a Clothesline and then turned Jungle Boy inside out with a Clothesline as well. Pillman tried to roll-up Kazarian but he kicked out at two. SCU hit a BME/Piledriver combo on Pillman for the pinfall victory. SCU will face Young Bucks next week for the AEW Tag Team Championships.

PAC Will Face Orange Cassidy Next Week To Determine A #1 Contender

Tony Schiavone interviewed AEW Champion Kenny Omega tonight. Nakazawa carried Omega’s Impact and AAA Championships to the ring. Omega asked the crowd if they were ready for Blood & Guts and they cheered. Kenny said he has been a busy man and boasted about all his title wins.

Schiavone announced that PAC will face Orange Cassidy next week to determine who will face Kenny at Double or Nothing. Orange Cassidy interrupted and Omega laughed in his face. Kenny told Orange that he understands what he means to AEW and has seen kids dress up like him for Halloween. Omega added that Cassidy ripped off the shade look from him and took Cassidy’s sunglasses.

The Pinnacle def. Inner Circle

Sammy Guevara and Dax Harwood started off the Blood & Guts (WarGames) match. Sammy connected with a big Back Body Drop but Dax responded with a shoulder tackle. Guevara leveled Harwood with a Dropkick but Dax shrugged it off and hit a Spinebuster. Harwood went for the cover but the match hadn’t officially started yet. More importantly, you can only win the match by submission or surrender. Harwood beat Sammy down int he corner of the ring. Sammy battled back and bounced Harwood’s face off the turnbuckle several times. Guevara sent Harwood into the cage and Dax grabbed his knee in pain.

Guevara slammed Dax’s face into the steel cage and then hit a Clothesline. Sammy hit a Cutter as Shawn Spears entered the match with a steel chair. Spears hit a Spinebuster and then set up the chair in between the ropes. Shawn hit Sammy with a chair shot to the head as the crowd booed in Daily’s Place. Harwood stumbled to his feet and he busted open.

Ortiz entered the match next and hit Spears with a Dropkick. Ortiz hit Harwood with a Clothesline and then a chair across the back. Ortiz hurled the chair at Dax’s face and slammed Spears’ neck on the chair. Sammy then hit Spears with an awesome Spanish Fly off the top rope.

Cash Wheeler entered the match and almost fell on face before gathering his balance and hitting a Clothesline. Spears applied a Sharpshooter on Sammy as Wheeler slammed Ortiz’s face onto the cage. Ortiz fell in between the ring and the cage as Santana entered the match. Guevara went for some kind of springboard dive but slipped and fell to the mat.

Santana planted Cash with a Uranage and then delivered a Suplex to Dax as Dynamite went to a commercial break. Jake Hager entered the match and started unloading Clotheslines to The Pinnacle. Hager got Spears in the Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring. Spears tapped but the match doesn’t officially begin to all ten men are in the ring.

Wardlow and Hager then traded punches in the middle of the ring. MJF entered the match last and the live crowd greeted him with an “asshole!” chant. Wardlow hit Hager with a chop block and MJF followed it up with some stomps. MJF posed int he corner of the ring and told Jericho that he is a dead man when he gets in the ring.

Wheeler had blood pouring down his face as well as Pinnacle retreated to one ring. Jericho entered the match and the bell rang. The Pinnacle and Inner Circle were in opposite rings and charged at each other. The two factions met in the middle and brawled.

Jericho unloaded some strikes with Floyd the bat as Shawn Spears climbed up the cage. Jericho choked Spears against the cage and then hit Wardlow with a shoulder tackle as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Inner Circle Piledrived FTR onto the exposed wood under the ring mat.

Jericho hit MJF with a Codebreaker as a loud “AEW!” chant broke out. Guevara put a steel chair up against Spears’ face and hit the Coast to Coast Dropkick. Santana busted MJF open with a fork and the blood poured down his face.

Wardlow hit Hager with a Body Slam but Santana and Ortiz beat him down with a steel chair. Wardlow tried to slam Hager but it was botched and he just got beat down again with chairs as Dynamite went to a break.

MJF and Jericho started climbing the cage during the break. When Dynamite returned, Le Champion had MJF in the Walls of Jericho on top of the structure. MJF broke the hold with a low blow and locked in the Salt of the Earth Armbar. Jericho escaped but MJF stomped on his left hand and then bit it. MJF went back to the Armbar but Jericho didn’t tap out. MJF took out the Dynamite Diamond Ring and punched Jericho in the face with it. MJF got fired up as the crowd booed him.

MJF looked over the cage and dragged Jericho to the edge of it. MJF shouted that if Inner Circle does not surrender he will throw Jericho off the top of the cage. Guevara told MJF that they surrender to end the match. After the match, MJF shoved Jericho off the top of the cage and onto the entrance ramp.

Opinion: There were a few sloppy moments in this match but it was fun as hell. The match started off chaotic and it never relented. The finish looked weak and I don’t know why they went with a camera angle that showed the gimmicked entrance ramp. Jericho could have just fallen off screen and it would have been fine with me. It definitely would have better than the ending tonight. Overall, this week’s Dynamite was a very entertaining show and next week’s card looks great as well.

The Pinnacle Win First-Ever AEW Blood And Guts Match

Andrew Ravens
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All Elite Wrestling presented its highly anticipated Blood and Guts match on Wednesday night during a special edition of Dynamite. 

Even though Dynamite is a 2-hour show, AEW booked the show around this match, which aired during the second hour as AEW wanted to build it up as much as possible. It was also a long match that saw The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana, and Ortiz) battle The Pinnacle (MJF, FTR, Wardlow, and Shawn Spears). 

It was a 10-man elimination match featuring ‘old school’ rules with no pinfalls. There were two rings with a big steel cage around it and a roof hanging over it.

The match saw various stars bleed, the top rope on one of the rings taken off, various weapons used, and part of the ring being exposed so Santana and Ortiz could hit a double piledriver on it to FTR. At one point, Sammy hit coast to coast.

Jericho chased MJF to the top of the structure and they brawled up there. When MJF threatened to throw Jericho off the top of the structure, Sammy surrendered to save his leader. After the match, MJF shoved Jericho off the cell and landed on a crash pad. 

https://twitter.com/FiteTV/status/1390123588192198659
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1390123200017838081

Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida Set For AEW Double Or Nothing

Andrew Ravens
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All Elite Wrestling has announced the first match for their upcoming Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event. 

On Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, it was confirmed that Hikaru Shida will defend the AEW Women’s Championship against Britt Baker.  This comes as Baker has won five straight television matches with notable victories AEW Dark: Elevation and Dynamite.

On Wednesday’s edition of All Elite Wrestling’s flagship show, she beat Julia Hart in a quick squash match.  Baker has stated that she was climbing up the rankings in an attempt to get a championship opportunity. Now, that will happen. 

It was also announced on this show that AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega’s opponent at Double Or Nothing will be determined by the winner of next week’s PAC vs. Orange Cassidy match. 

The AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event will take place on Sunday, May 30, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. 

The event is expected to begin at 8 p.m. ET and stream live on the BR Live platform in the United States. All Elite Wrestling will be announcing more matches in the coming weeks. 

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

Dario Cueto Returns On MLW As Azteca Underground’s El Jefe

Michael Reichlin
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Dario Cueto made his return to pro wrestling on Wednesday’s MLW Fusion season finale. The former boss of Lucha Underground was revealed to be the mysterious El Jefe figure behind Azteca Underground. He was not referenced by name.

Cueto, portrayed by actor Luis Fernandez-Gil, served as the owner, promoter and on-screen authority figure of Lucha Underground during its 4-season run.

El Jefe appeared in a video package that aired at the conclusion of the broadcast. He chastised a kidnapped Selina De La Renta for her recent actions. He declared, “Im building a new temple.”

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1390094845176393729

Following the blockbuster debut of Dario Cueto, MLW heads to the ‘off season’ on a major cliffhanger. Fusion is now going on hiatus until the summer. MLW returns in July in front of a packed house at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena.

MLW recently announced a partnership with the VICE TV cable network. They’re airing recap shows Saturdays at 12 noon (Eastern).

You can watch this week’s MLW Fusion below, including the arrival of Dario Cueto as El Jefe de Azteca Underground:

Sammy Guevara On Having The “It” Factor, Impact Controversy

Michael Reichlin
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Sammy Guevara goes to war tonight on AEW Dynamite. He’ll compete in the most violent match of his career when the Inner Circle battles The Pinnacle in the first-ever Blood and Guts match.

Guevara spoke with Steven Muehlhausen for DAZN this week to hype the event. He discussed a wide range of topics, including where he’s at in his career and the controversy surrounding his nixed appearance for Impact Wrestling.

Room to Grow

Sammy Guevara is part of a young crop of wrestlers in AEW for whom the sky is the limit. When asked about people saying he’s got the “it” factor, the 27-year-old says he’s ready to show people what he’s capable of.

“I definitely think everybody has room to grow,” he began. “Anyone who says like, ‘I’m the man right now’, they’re lying, or they’re just full of themselves. I definitely think I’m ‘it.’ I definitely think I am ‘it factor’. If you want ratings, I can give it to you all. It’ll all come in time. I feel like a lot of us young people, as performers, it’s just that waiting game is the hard part. But you got to be patient. I look forward to showing everybody.”

Impact Controversy

Sammy Guevara was expected to appear at Impact Wrestling earlier this year as part of the partnership with AEW, but it wasn’t meant to be. It was reported that Guevara showed up to Impact ready to perform, but decided against it after hearing what they had booked for him. Guevara sets the record straight and claims the “dirt sheets” blew things way out of proportion.

“Basically, some stuff was presented to me, I didn’t feel like it worked for me and for what Sammy Guevara is, so I declined that. This Then they declined to want to use me or whatnot.. Then all of a sudden, it wound up on the dirt sheets, and it blew up. I wish you could have stayed close to the vest. I felt like it wasn’t necessary for any of this to become public knowledge because it was done behind doors. So why are we opening the doors for everyone to see? But it is what it is. You can’t change what we can’t change. I wish Impact nothing but the best.”

Visit DAZN to check out their full interview with Sammy Guevara.

Tommasso Ciampa Shows Off Incredible Body Transformation

Michael Reichlin
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Tommasso Ciampa is showing off his insanely ripped body in a new Instagram post.

The former NXT Champion underwent a 13-week transformation that has yielded jaw-dropping results. It’s not like he was out of shape, by any means. In fact, most of us will never look as good as his ‘before’ photo. However, that didn’t stop him from undergoing what he admits is an “insane” training regimen.

Ciampa says he prepped, weighed and cooked six meals for himself each day, every day. There were no cheat meals. As for exercise, he did five weight training sessions and eleven cardio sessions per week.

He thanks his wife for supporting his journey, his trainer AJ and his training partnres, the ‘Dump Boys’

So, what motivated him? According to Ciampa, “Celebrating being two years removed from career ending neck surgery, wanting to push myself beyond my limits without using ‘being a dad’ as an excuse, turning thirty-six years old, and taking control of the things that I can control… this was as much a mental health journey as it was a physical health journey.”

There’s no doubt it was a difficult process, but he says the best part is that he enjoyed every second of it.

Check out Tommasso Ciampa’s before and after photos here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/COgIvktpLlK/

MLW Fusion Season Finale Preview: Rush vs. Reed 2, El Jefe

Michael Reichlin
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Major League Wrestling returns tonight for a special edition of MLW Fusion. This is the Season Finale before MLW goes on hiatus on July.

MLW is hyping the following matches for tonight:

  • RUSH vs. REED 2: World Middleweight Championship Lio Rush defends against former champion Myron Reed
  • Caribbean Champion Richard Holliday vs. Ariel Dominguez
  • Laredo Kid vs. Gringo Loco

We’ll hear from MLW Champion Jacob Fatu and Alicia Atout will have breaking news about the next season of MLW Fusion

Last but not least, we may finally learn the identity of El Jefe, the leader of the mysterious Azteca Underground organization.

Visit the MLW Website for a more-detailed preview of tonight’s broadcast.

Catch the season finale of MLW Fusion tonight at 7pm (Eastern) on the MLW YouTube Channel.

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Backstage News On The Future Of R-K-Bro

Chris Stephens
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Matt Riddle and Randy Orton have formed an unlikely team on RAW as of late. It does not appear as though this is a short-term angle for R-K-Bro either.

According to a report from PW Insider, Riddle and Orton are expected to receive a sizeable push as a team on RAW. There are no plans to break them up and RK-Bro merchandise is expected to be produced and marketed shortly.

Randy Orton Speaks On His Impression of Matt Riddle

Orton was on the Kurt Angle podcast recently and spoke about having been impressed with Riddle thus far.

“Matt Riddle, yeah. I think he is going to do fantastic, I think he has already kind of outshined most of his little class of NXT that have kind of come up over the last year. I mean, you have a lot of those guys doing well,” Orton said about Riddle (transcriptions via Sportskeeda).

Orton also spoke about his first time meeting Riddle during the interview.

“I walk by Matt Riddle, and my olive branch was basically me all looking at Matt, and I just said, I go, ‘Oh, there he is, there he is!’ Just kind of icebreaker, expecting maybe a, ‘Oh, hey Randy. My name is Matt; nice to meet you.’ But instead, Matt just kind of barely, you know, with the bloodshot eyes glanced over at me, he is just like, and he just kept walking. I remember thinking, ‘that motherf****r’.”

Tony Khan Comments On How “Forbidden Door” Decisions Are Made

Chris Stephens
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Tony Khan opened what he has coined “The Forbidden Door” in wrestling this year by seemingly breaking down barriers between promotions. He spoke with Entrepreneur recently regarding how “Forbidden Door” decisions are made.

Khan began by talking about how when he was younger, it was common for wrestling promotions to work together.

“When I was younger, there were partnerships between a lot of the other wrestling companies. And there was the Wrestling Peace Festival, which was a great idea, and some of those companies did keep working together,” Khan said.

“You saw wrestlers from AAA in WCW, and you saw wrestlers from New Japan in WCW, and so I think it’s very natural. Twenty years later, things have come back full circle, and now you’re seeing those wrestlers from New Japan and AAA competing again on TNT. You’re seeing IWGP titles defended on TNT. I think it’s the natural balance of the universe just coming back.”

How Are Forbidden Door Decisions Made?

Khan was also asked how the promotions involved make decisions on who wins, loses, and more. He would say that he goes into it with the same mentality as a sports general manager goes into making trades with other teams.

“I have to make sure we’re getting taken care of, and obviously the promoter we’re working with is going to have stuff they need to make sure they’re getting taken care of,” Khan continued. “And I’m pretty reasonable. I don’t want to screw it up for anybody. So whether it’s Konnan with AAA or dealing with the New Japan office or talking to Scott [D’Amore] and Impact, I just generally go into it like I’m dealing with another party in sports if you’re making a trade or something. You know, you just try to work it out and be a good person and a fair partner in the negotiation.”

The “Forbidden Door” will open again on next week’s Dynamite, when NJPW’s Yuji Nagata challenges Jon Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship.

Jeff Jarrett Talks Comparisons Between Cody, Dustin, & Dusty Rhodes

Chris Stephens
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Throughout Jeff Jarrett’s long career in wrestling, he’s worked with Dusty Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes, and Cody Rhodes. In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Jarrett spoke about the similarities and differences between the 3 Rhodes’.

“Me and Dusty used to have conversations about Cody,” Jarrett said. “The acting bug and his amateur [background], to fast forward, when he came on board (in Global Force) for that short period, he’s got a charisma like his father, and I’ve worked with Dustin back in the late ’80s.”

Jarrett then spoke about how Dustin made a success out of the Goldust gimmick.

“Dustin took his character of Goldust and that could have been… It goes without saying, that wasn’t the easiest character, but you talk about taking a character and making it your own? Dustin has a unique ability that Cody doesn’t, but Cody has the ability, like his father.”

Jarrett continued to praise Cody during the interview.

“You talk about the acorn not falling from the oak tree, he’s got a magnetic charisma about him. He looks the part and he’s obviously a great athlete,” Jarrett said. He would add, however, that he feels Cody is one of the few in AEW that is connecting with the audience.

“On AEW when you see him and he’s one of the few, in my opinion, that really is connecting with his audience, and that is what sets him apart,” Jarrett continued to say of Cody.

The first episode of Jarrett’s new podcast was released this week:

Goldberg Files Two New Trademark Applications (Photos)

Michael Reichlin
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WWE Superstar Bill Goldberg recently filed several new trademark applications. The United States Patent and Trademark Office database shows that William Goldberg filed applications on April 30th for logos displayed below:

gberg logos

The ‘Goods and Services’ usage description for both logos are for a wide variety of merchandise, including mouse pads, video cassettes, fridge magnets, luggage, temporary tattoos and more. Michael E. Dockins is listed as the Attorney of Record.

Expect to see these logos on WWE-licensed Goldberg merchandise in the months ahead.

The 54-year-old legend is signed with WWE through the end of 2022 and is contracted to wrestle twice per year.

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