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AEW Stars React To NHL TV Deal With Turner Sports

Chris Stephens
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The National Hockey League has signed a 7-year agreement with Turner Sports, which owns TBS and TNT. The news has drawn reactions from several people in wrestling. Chris Jericho, Britt Baker, Renee Paquette, and CM Punk all reacted to the new NHL TV deal online.

Chris Jericho, whose father is former NHL player Ted Irvine, reacted to the news:

Dr. Britt Baker DMD is a noted fan of her hometown Pittsburgh Penguins. She reacted to the news as well:

Renee Paquette was formerly a host on TheScore in Canada. Sports coverage in Canada has a heavy emphasis on hockey. She’s offering her hosting services to TNT.

Noted Chicago Blackhawks fan CM Punk also appears to be interested in this development:

72 regular season games will air on either TNT or TBS throughout the year. Turner can bounce the games between TNT and TBS to avoid having to move Dynamite. Turner will air 3 of 7 Stanley Cup Finals series as part of the deal as well.

The NHL’s deal with Turner was addressed recently by Dave Meltzer.

“AEW will stay in its timeslot, and NHL will probably end up on TBS or a different night,” said Dave Meltzer.

WWE Raw Averaged 1.774 Million Viewers, 0.49 Demo (4/26)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.774 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week’s 1.907 million viewers and the 0.61 rating.

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday night:

  • The first hour did 1.775 million viewers and a 0.49 rating (A18-49).
  • The second hour did 1.830 million viewers and a 0.50 rating.
  • The final hour of the show had just 1.718 million viewers and a 0.47 rating.

This episode featured Elias, Jaxson Ryker, and The Miz vs. The New Day & Damian Priest, Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax & Rhea Ripley vs. Lana, Naomi, & Asuka, and T-BAR & MACE vs. Drew McIntyre & Braun Strowman, and a late addition in the main event where McIntyre battled Strowman. 

SmackDown Viewership

Friday’s SmackDown averaged 2.121 million viewers. This is up from the 2.119 million viewers on FOX that the show did for the previous week.

SmackDown pulled in a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demos, down from the 0.56 rating the previous week’s show. The episode drew an average of 2.042 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 1.996  million viewers. 

The first hour saw it pull in 2.046 million viewers while hour two did 2.032 million viewers. The show did 2.001 million viewers in hour one while hour two did 1.992 million viewers a week ago.

WWE Star Natalya Talks School Fights and Protecting Kayfabe

Alex Laybourne
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Natalya Neidhart comes from Canadian wrestling royalty. It goes without saying that she is proud of the business she is a part of. This passion has been with her since she was a kid. To the point that she would go to great lengths to protect the world of kayfabe.

Talking in a recent interview on Ryan Satins Out of Character show, Natalya recalled a story from her youth that saw her get into a full-on fight on the school bus with a girl who talked about wrestling being fake. The incident itself revolved around Papa Shango and the green vomit he would induce in his opponents.

According to Natalya, she was protecting the business of professional wrestling. The fight was so bad it took teachers to break it up. It went so far that their parents were called to the school.

It must have been an interesting one when the teacher explained the fight to Natalya’s father Jim ‘the anvil’ Neidhart.

Natalya has been a WWE stalwart for many years. She is currently seeing a run in the tag team division with Tamina, the daughter of Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COBP0rHBUGF/

She has come a long way from the little girl who admitted she would cry when people told her wrestling was fake.

Natalya has become a powerful voice not just for women’s wrestling but wrestling as a business. It’s clear to see her passion runs as deep as it can possibly get.

Josh Alexander Says He Will ‘Honor’ X Division Greats With Title Run

Jake Skudder
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New IMPACT Wrestling X Division Champion Josh Alexander won the title during the company’s Rebellion PPV event over the weekend. The former member of The North tag team (alongside Ethan Page) recently spoke to Sports Illustrated and said how he intends to honor former Champions and the division as a whole.

“That’s the greatest three-way match of all time,” Alexander began, talking about the fabled Unbreakable 2005 Three Way match between Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. “The monkey flip where I caught TJ, they did that same spot. They did it straight into the rana, but I added a little flair by powering TJ, taking a kick, and then he rana’d me.”

“When Samoa Joe came to the X-Division, that gave me the burning desire to be a pro wrestler” Alexander noted, discussing his influences. “So having that throwback to the Unbreakable match, that was a way to pay respect to this division.”

Josh Alexander on X Division

“This was my chance to establish myself in a division that revolutionized the pro wrestling business” Alexander continued. “AJ Styles, Low Ki, Amazing Red, Samoa Joe, all found their success in the X-Division, and they were always the match of the night. I would like to return the X-Division to its glory.”

“This is the workhorse division. I’m going to bust my ass and try to steal every show I’m on” Josh Alexander concluded.

Who do you want to see Josh Alexander face for the X Title in IMPACT? Are there any AEW stars he should face? Let us know in the comments

Braun Strowman Reacts To Being Added To WrestleMania Backlash Match

Jake Skudder
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It was confirmed on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW that Braun Strowman will be heading to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash. Strowman will be joining Drew McIntyre and reigning Champion Bobby Lashley in the bout to make it a Triple Threat.

The Monster Among Men discussed being added to the match following RAW. “This means everything,” Strowman began, speaking to WWE for their YouTube channel. “Everything that I’ve been saying for months has come true, the Monster is where he belongs.”

Top of the Food Chain

“I’m at top of the food chain,” Strowman declared. “I eat everything that’s in my path, and the Strowman Express is just rolling. I’m rolling through WWE WrestleMania Backlash and I’m coming out the backside the new WWE Champion.”

WrestleMania Backlash will be taking place on May 16 and will be available to view on Peacock for fans in the United States. Fans based internationally will be able to watch the show on WWE Network.

Update On Kenny Omega’s Schedule With Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Kenny Omega is the new Impact World Champion. Following Omega’s victory over Rich Swann at Rebellion, Scott D’Amore Tweeted that he expects Omega to fulfill his obligations as champion. According to a report on Wrestling Observer Radio, that includes defending the title on May 15ths Under Seige event on Impact Plus.

“He’s definitely defending the title at Under Siege,” commented Dave Meltzer. “That’s the first title defense, so that’s May 15th. I believe he’s doing a tag-team match on television when they do the tapings as well.”

As for who Omega defends the title against at Under Siege, that is not yet clear.

“I have a feeling that on Thursday’s show that you would probably have an idea who it will be. It might be Rich (Swann).”

Meltzer continued to speculate that Moose or Eddie Edwards could also be Omega’s opponent on the show. Trey Miguel and Josh Alexander were also mentioned.

Following Under Siege, Impact will present Against All Odds on June 12th. Impact will return to PPV in July with Slammiversary but an exact date has yet to be announced.

Impact Wrestling on Thursday night will be the first show since Rebellion. Josh Alexander is the new X-Division Champion, Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering are the new Knockouts tag champions, and Kenny Omega is the new Impact World Champion. Only FinJuice and Deonna Purrazzo retained their titles at Rebellion.

Darby Allin Talks AEW Revolution Match Filming, Worried He Would ‘Break Sting’s Face’

Jake Skudder
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AEW star and TNT Champion Darby Allin recently discussed the taping of the AEW Revolution match. Allin teamed with Sting at the PPV in a cinematic match against Ricky Starks and Brian Cage.

Darby Allin was reportedly extremely involved in the creation of the match; as Allin has an extensive history in filmmaking and independent releases.

“I was writing storyboards for months before the PPV” Darby Allin began, speaking on Drinks with Johnny. “When I saw the location where we were filming, I took all these photos and was plotting everything in my brain.”

“[I was] sitting in the boiler room, just coming up with all the shots” Allin noted. “We had an awesome crew and Steve Yu, who helped direct it. When we’re shooting it, I was running around and doing everything possible. ‘I wanna shoot it like this.’”

Darby Allin on Sting

“When we got done with the cut, I’d run through a pane of glass, and go, ‘alright, get the next shot.’ I was doing everything and I felt on autopilot” Allin stated. “I had an adrenaline rush and felt we could go all night and was on fire with it.”

“The only thing that stopped me was when I had to throw the bat to Sting” Darby Allin said. “I was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to throw this down.’ Tony [Khan] put it best, ‘You know how the laws of physics work, right? That bat is going to come down and we don’t know if it’s going to break Sting’s face.’”

Darby Allin finished by revealing that Sting was able to do the shot in the very first take. “First time in the whole shoot I started thinking like, ‘what if I do break Sting’s face and he can’t finish the match?’ He’s the one who was like, ‘I’m catching that bat.’ Perfect catch, first try, beat the f*ck out of everyone. I was on cloud nine.”

credit to Fightful for the transcription

WWE RAW Results (4/26): WWE Title Match Set For WrestleMania Backlash, Lashley Returns

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome. Braun Stowman teamed up with Drew McIntyre to begin the show but wound up facing McIntyre in the main event. If Strowman won the match, he would be added to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.

RAW Results (4/26)

  1. Mace & T-Bar def. Braun Strowman & Drew McIntyre
  2. New Day & Damian Priest def. The Miz, Jaxson Ryker, Elias
  3. Riddle & Randy Orton def. Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin
  4. Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley def. Naomi, Lana, Asuka
  5. Charlotte Flair def. Mandy Rose
  6. Braun Strowman def. Drew McIntyre to earn his way into the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Strowman Attacked McIntyre

Braun Strowman challenged Mace and T-Bar in a Handicap match to begin the show. Strowman launched T-Bar to the corner and beat him down. Braun knocked Mace off the ring apron and hit T-Bar with a splash. Mace tagged in and attacked Braun from behind.

Mace unloaded several strikes to Braun’s midsection and then leveled him with a kick to the face. Mace and T-Bar then brought Strowman to the corner and took turns stomping on him until the referee called for the bell. Mace and T-Bar kept attacking Strowman until Drew McIntyre rushed the ring. Drew and Strowman Clotheslined Mace and T-Bar to the outside as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Mace & T-Bar faced McIntyre & Strowman in a tag team match. Mace and T-Bar isolated McIntyre in the corner and took turns stomping on him. Mace connected with a slam and went for the cover but McIntyre was able to kick out at two.

McIntyre battled back and tagged in Strowman. T-Bar tagged in and Strowman greeted him with a massive shoulder tackle. Braun went for a Spear but T-Bar got out of the way and Strowman crashed into the ring post. McIntyre tagged in and hit T-Bar with a Neckbreaker.

McIntyre climbed to the top rope and leveled T-Bar with a Flying Clothesline. Drew hit an awesome Future Shock DDT but Mace broke up the cover at two. Drew accidentally hit Strowman with a Clothesline outside the ring. T-Bar threw McIntyre into the barricade and got back into the ring at the count of nine. McIntyre didn’t make it and Mace & T-Bar won via countout. After the match, Braun Strowman got pissed off and planted McIntyre with a Running Powerslam. It was later announced that Strowman will face McIntyre in the main event. If Braun won the match he would be added to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.

New Day & Damian Priest Picked Up A Win

The Miz and John Morrison came to the ring for an episode of Miz TV. Miz promoted his documentary on the network and his reality TV show following RAW. Elias and Ryker joined Miz and Morrison in the ring. Elias strummed his guitar as Miz said that they are here in honor of Bad Bunny selling out his tour in a couple minutes. The Miz took full credit for Bad Bunny’s success and Morrison complained about Bad Bunny not offering them tickets.

Miz and Morrison said that they have their own concert and Elias called them geniuses. Elias dedicated the performance to Shane McMahon and played an acoustic version of “Hey Hey Hop Hop”. Damian Priest interrupted and joked about Miz losing to Bad Bunny at WrestleMania.

Damian was joined by New Day and Woods brought a guitar case with him. Priest and New Day then opened the guitar case and revealed a bunch of tomatoes. They then hurled the tomatoes at Miz, Morrison, Elias, and Ryker as RAW went to a commercial break.

Elias, Ryker. and The Miz faced New Day & Damian Priest in a 6-man tag team match. Ryker hit Woods with a Body Slam and went for the cover but Xavier was able to kick out a two. Elias tagged in and hit Woods with an uppercut. Woods connected with a forearm to the face for a near fall and then tripped up The Miz when he tagged in.

Kofi tagged in and hit Miz with a Bulldog for a two count. Woods tagged in and hit an Elbow Drop for a two count. Damian Priest and Jaxson Ryker then locked up in the middle of the ring. Ryker applied a Headlock but Priest escaped and hit a Dropkick. Ryker went for a kick but Priest blocked it.

Kingston tagged in and Clotheslined Elias out of the ring. Back in the ring, Kofi hit a Crossbody on Elias for a near fall. When RAW returned from a break, The Miz unloaded several punches to Kofi’s face. John Morrison then smooshed a tomato in Kingston’s face as Miz distracted the referee.

Elias tagged in and got Kofi in a Headlock. Elias then connected with a forearm to the face for a two count. Kofi spent the next several minutes getting his ass kicked until finally he hit The Miz with an SOS. Damian tagged in and hit Elias with a Clothesline for a two count.

Priest climbed to the top rope and hit a kick to the face but Miz broke up the cover. Xavier leaped of the top rope but Elias caught him with a knee to the face for a two count. Kofi hit Ryker with a Dropkick off the top rope for a two count. Priest flipped onto Miz and Morrison outside the ring as Woods rolled up Ryker for the pinfall victory.

Sonya Deville Lifted Charlotte’s Suspension

Sonya Deville let Charlotte Flair into the ThunderDome tonight despite her suspension for attacking an official last week.

Charlotte joined Sonya and the referee in the ring. Sonya rolled footage of Charlotte attacking the referee last week and Deville claimed that Adam Pearce’s decision was rushed. Flair apologized to WWE management, the WWE Universe, and to the referee. Charlotte claimed that instinct just took over and she is here tonight to right the wrongs that she committed.

Flair apologized for “manhandling” the referee last week. The referee accepted the apology and said that he didn’t see Rhea Ripley interfere. Sonya officially lifted Charlotte’s suspension and said that Eddie will referee the match. Charlotte noted that Eddie just admitted that it was his mistake and forced him to apologize. Adam Pearce got annoyed with Sonya Deville backstage. Sonya tried to apologize but Pearce didn’t believe her

Humberto Carrillo Got Revenge On Sheamus

United States Champion Sheamus came to the ring for another Open Challenge. Sheamus noted that the title will not be on the line in the match. Humberto Carrillo answered the challenge again and Sheamus hit him with a cheap shot. Sheamus beat Carrillo down but Humberto battled back. Carrillo sent Sheamus out of the ring with a Back Body Drop and then knocked him off the apron with a Dropkick. Carrillo followed it up with a Suicide Dive that sent Sheamus tumbling over the announce table.

Lashley Vowed To Leave Backlash As WWE Champion

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley returned and made his way to the ring with MVP. Lashley boasted about retaining the WWE Championship at WrestleMania and making Drew McIntyre pass out via the Hurt Lock. Lashley said it felt good to get the respect from the fans in attendance and compared Drew McIntyre to a piece of bubblegum stuck on his shoe.

Lashley vowed to beat McIntyre again at WrestleMania Backlash and complained about the possibility of this becoming a Triple Threat match. MVP said that Bobby Lashley is the All Mighty champion and he deserves to be consulted on any decision. Lashley added that it would be disrespectful and MVP agreed.

MVP said that Lashley lost the US Title in a Triple Threat match and he wasn’t pinned. MVP claimed that it wasn’t fair and Lashley said he could beat McIntyre and Strowman one on one at any time. Lashley vowed to leave Backlash as WWE Champion anyway to end the promo.

RKBro def. Alexander & Benjamin

Randy Orton approached Riddle backstage and said he underestimated him last week. Orton said he kind of liked the idea of team RKBro and arranged a tag team match tonight.

Riddle and Orton battled Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander tonight. Alexander and Benjamin controlled the action early and isolated Riddle in the ring. Riddle connected with a kick to Shelton’s face and tagged in Orton. Randy leveled Benjamin with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Powerslam.

Orton geared up for the RKO as Shelton stumbled to his feet. Alexander went for a Splash but Orton countered with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton set up for the Draping DDT but Riddle pleaded for the tag. Orton hit the DDT and Riddle tagged in. Riddle hit the Floating Bro for the pinfall victory. Riddle posed like Orton and Randy smiled after the match.

Rhea Ripley, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler Picked Up A Win

Asuka, Naomi, Lana faced Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley in a 6-woman tag team match to begin the final hour of this week’s RAW. Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke distracted Nia early and she fell down outside the ring. Reginald then awkwardly helped her up in a lame attempt at humor as RAW went to a break.

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When RAW returned, Asuka hit Ripley with a Hip Attack and then leveled Baszler with a shoulder tackle. Asuka delivered Double Knees to Nia and a Dropkick to Shayna for a two count. Baszler connected with a knee to the face and dragged Asuka to the corner.

Nia tagged in and slammed Asuka to the canvas and dropped an elbow for a two count. Asuka escaped and tagged Naomi in. Naomi hit Nia with a Crossbody and unloaded some punches. Naomi connected with a kick to the face and went for the cover but Shayna broke it up at two.

Reginald hopped on the ring apron for a distraction and Jax capitalized with a punch. Ripley tagged in and slammed Naomi to the canvas. Ripley went for the cover but Asuka broke it up at two. Ripley threw Asuka out of the ring and Lana tagged in. Rhea hit the Riptide on Naomi but turned around into a Crossbody from Lana for a two count.

Lana hit Double Knees but Ripley popped right up. Lana rolled up Rhea for a two count as Jax leveled Asuka outside the ring. Ripley slammed Lana to the mat and Nia tagged in. Jax hit a Leg Drop for the pinfall victory. Sonya Deville then confronted Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke backstage. Sonya told Mandy Rose that Charlotte Flair needed an opponent and that match is next.

Alexa Bliss Warned The RAW Roster

Another episode of Alexa’s Playground aired tonight. Bliss said that everyone can have a Lily of their own and all you have to do is ask nicely. Alexa told everyone to look into her eyes and to think dark thoughts. Alexa instructed people to think twisted thoughts and to repeat “Lily, Lily, Lily”. Bliss added to picture something peaceful and then a screaming Lily popped up on the screen. Alexa laughed and said it is time to unleash Lily to play with the rest of WWE. Bliss said to not blame her for what happens next and that Lily made her do it.

Charlotte Flair def. Mandy Rose

Charlotte Flair faced Mandy Rose tonight. Eddie Orengo was once again the official for the match as Charlotte requested and Dana Brooke was ringside. Charlotte tried to use the ropes for leverage during a cover but Dana broke it up. Mandy drove Charlotte to the corner but Flair battled back with a knee to the face.

Mandy connected with a Dropkick off the top rope and went for the cover but Flair kicked out at two. Charlotte got frustrated with the referee again after hitting a big boot for a two count. Flair complained about the referee’s count and claimed it was slow. Mandy rolled up Charlotte for a two count and followed it up with a kick to the face for another near fall. Charlotte then hit Natural Selection for the pinfall victory.

Braun Strowman Earned His Way Into The Title Match At WrestleMania Backlash

Strowman battled McIntyre in this week’s main event. Strowman controlled the match early and sent Drew to the apron. McIntyre punched Braun in the face and made his way to the top rope. Strowman caught him at the top and slammed him to the mat. Braun then knocked Strowman out of the ring and WWE Champion Bobby Lashley’s theme hit. Lashley made his way to the entrance ramp with MVP as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Strowman launched McIntyre into the turnbuckle as MVP and Lashley were seated next to the commentary table. Strowman hit a massive Powerbomb and went for the cover but McIntyre was able to kick out at two. Strowman perched McIntyre up on the top turnbuckle and connected with a right hand to the face.

Braun joined Drew on the top rope and planted him with a Superplex for another two count. Strowman clubbed McIntyre across the chest and hit a Splash in the corner of the ring. Lashley hopped on the ring apron as Strowman was about to hit the Running Powerslam. MVP did the same and McIntyre capitalized on the distraction. Mace & T-Bar then hopped on the ring apron and Strowman hit the Running Powerslam for the pinfall victory. Braun Strowman will now be added to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.

WWE Makes Change To Top Title Match At WrestleMania Backlash

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has made a change to the scheduled WWE Title Match at WrestleMania Backlash. 

Originally, Bobby Lashley was supposed to WWE Title against Drew McIntyre in a one-on-one match. However, on Monday’s Raw, Strowman beat McIntyre in the main event to earn the right to be added to the match and make it a triple threat match. 

On this show, Strowman and McIntyre argued at the start. First, Strowman beat Mace and T-Bar in a handicap match only for it to be turned back into the originally advertised tag team match that saw Mace and T-Bar go over via count out. 

Strowman went to WWE official Adam Pearce later on and demanded a match with McIntyre in the headliner and if he won then he would be added to the WrestleMania Backlash title match. That happened after McIntyre was distracted by Lashley, MVP, T-Bar and Mace, so now it’s a three-way. 

WWE holds the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event on Sunday, May 16, 2021 from Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center, which will air on Peacock. 

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley is the only other title match confirmed for this show. 

Injury Update On Randy Orton

Andrew Ravens
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Randy Orton wrestled Matt Riddle in a singles match on last week’s episode of Raw after WWE changed its plans as Orton had been advertised to wrestle Braun Strowman on this show. 

After the match, there had been a lot of speculation about Orton’s status as he suffered some sort of right shoulder injury during it. The injury appeared to happen when he hit a standard powerslam on Riddle. 

On the broadcast, Corey Graves and the rest of the announcers picked up on an apparent injury. Orton continued to work the match and did use his right arm. 

Fightful Select reports that Orton suffered a deep bruise around his shoulder area and was noted that at least initially there did not seem to be any major damage. 

Thus, it appears he won’t be on the shelf for a long period of time. As it stands right now, there’s no word yet on whether that has changed. WWE has yet to announce him for Monday Night Raw, but it will be interesting to see whether he appears. 

It’s believed that the feud with Riddle will continue. Fans may know that Orton has had a history of shoulder problems from when he was younger as it started in 2002 after making his Raw debut. At the time, it put him out of action for several months. At various times throughout his career, he has dealt with other shoulder issues.

Orton does a pre-match workout to help increase strength in his shoulders before he goes out and performs.

MLW Premieres On Vice TV This Saturday, Court Bauer Comments

Michael Reichlin
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A new chapter begins this weekend for Major League Wrestling.

MLW Fusion, the fight league’s flagship show, premieres on Vice TV this Saturday at 12pm (Eastern). MLW sent in the following press release touting the historic broadcast:

NEW YORK — Major League Wrestling (“MLW”) today announced it will premiere on Vice TV this Saturday at noon (Eastern).

“This Saturday we kick off an exciting new chapter as millions of fans can now tune in to Vice TV for Major League Wrestling,” MLW CEO Court Bauer said. “Just like Vice TV, MLW is an unfiltered and immersive experience.”

Witness top ranked wrestlers and the next generation of wrestling’s most legendary families as they clash each week on Vice TV.

A national audience on cable and satellite will witness the rise of CONTRA Unit, a new hope emerge with the arrival of Ross and Marshall Von Erich and some dynastic moments from Alex Hammerstone and Richard Holliday.

Journey to the hottest arenas and fight clubs as rivalries are ignited for championship gold each and every week with MLW on Vice TV.

Thunder Rosa To Face Off With Dave LaGreca For Mission Pro Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Thunder Rosa’s Mission Pro Wrestling promotion is running an event in Buda, Texas on May 1st. Rosa will be performing on the show and will be involved in a “face-off” with the host of Busted Open Radio, Dave LaGreca. The event will be streamed through the Title Match Network.

The radio host has been busy preparing for the show. Impressively, LaGreca demonstrated that he can do 800 push-ups in the below video:

Tickets for the event range from $10 to $50. The last event thrown by MPW was on March 20th and featured the debut of Nyla Rosa. The all-female promotion’s champion is currently La Rosa Negra. She won a tournament last year to become the inaugural champion, beating Lacey Ryan in the finals in a best 2 of 3 falls match.

Thunder Rosa Comments On Lights Out Match

Thunder Rosa’s match against Dave LaGreca comes on the heels of her headlining Dynamite in a Lights Out match against Britt Baker. Rosa commented on the backstage reaction to that match on the AEW Unrestricted podcast.

“It’s one of those moments where you cannot fake it,” said Rosa “I was already crying at the end of the match because of all the things that I felt and all the things I’ve been through in the last 7 months. Just coming to a new place and knowing that you are ruffling some feathers and you know that you have to work really hard to show that you are one of the best talents and that’s why they brought you here.” 

Ryback Says “It’s Perfectly OK” To Not Want Vaccine

Chris Stephens
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Former WWE Superstar Ryback took to Twitter recently to tell people it is “perfectly okay and responsible to not want to get a vaccine.” The 39-year-old has also been responding to people online critical of his stance as well.

“It’s perfectly ok and responsible to not want to get a vaccine. Just like the whole mask deal, don’t let ourselves get distracted and focus our attention on others. Many people haven’t been sick in years because they’ve properly built up their immune systems. Let’s live life!” Ryback wrote.

This led to him responding to several people critical of his stance.

Mark Henry vs Ryback

Mark Henry and Ryback ended up in a back-and-forth recently regarding statements Ryback made regarding championships in wrestling. Back in January, Henry spoke about Ryback’s comments and his reputation in wrestling.

“A lot of his peers looked at him as difficult, a lot of his peers looked at him as dangerous,” Mark Henry said on Busted Open Radio 

Henry also responded to comments Ryback made on Twitter regarding titles in wrestling.

“Wrestling’s fake guys and the Championships are props to market entertainers as “Champions”’ Nobody has actually ever won or lost a prop, as scripted physical entertainment is incapable of that. This tweet explains so much though on your tv deal with them,” Ryback wrote.

“The championship is the championship, it’s not a prop and he’s wrong,” said Henry on Busted Open Radio. “I’ve been a world champion in 3 sports and I consider pro-wrestling one of those. Ryback can’t take away what I achieved. You are wrong. Every wrestler that sees your face should walk up to you and say ‘hey, you’re an asshole.’ And I hope you know how to fight for real because you know and I know, there’s a lot of people that would whoop your ass.”

Henry finished by saying, “You owe the wrestling industry an apology. If you don’t, I think that pro-wrestlers all over the world should never give you respect.”

NJPW Cancels Three Events Due To State Of Emergency in Tokyo

Michael Reichlin
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New Japan Pro Wrestling sent in word that three upcoming shows are being canceled due to the ongoing State of Emergency that has been declared in the country.

The May 8th, 10th and 11th events from Korakuen Hall have been affected. These shows are part of the Road to Wrestle Grand Slam tour.

In a press release sent in to SEScoops, NJPW wrote:

“We deeply apologize to fans who were looking forward to these events. Though matches with no fans in attendance were considered, NJPW has decided that, in order to act in the best interests of staff and wrestlers as they prepare for Wrestle Grand Slam in Yokohama Stadium May 15 and Tokyo Dome May 29, cancellation was the correct course of action.”

All other events on our current schedule are set to proceed as planned, though New Japan Pro-Wrestling will be in constant contact with local authorities with regards to restrictions and regulations. Visit njpw1972.com for the latest event information.

Wrestling World Reacts To Kenny Omega Winning Impact World Title

Chris Stephens
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Kenny Omega is now the AEW World Champion, AAA Mega Champion, and the unified Impact/TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Numerous people and organizations across the wrestling world have been reacting to Omega’s title win at Rebellion.

Scott D’Amore congratulated Rich Swann on his effort and also said he expects Omega to adhere to the commitments that come with the title.

“I trust/expect Mr Omega will honor the commitments & responsibilities that come with that prestigious title,” D’Amore wrote.

AEW’s Twitter account congratulated Omega and encouraged people to purchase the replay on FITE:

AAA Lucha Libre, where Omega is Mega Champion, commented on the match result as well:

Sami Callihan seems displeased:

Chelsea Green was impressed:

IWGP World Champion Will Ospreay responded when a fan tagged him in Omega’s Instagram post asking him to take the throne. “He knows where I am,” was Ospreay’s reply.

While not related to the Omega vs Swann match, NJPW congratulated FinJuice on retaining their tag team titles at Rebellion.

Also, Britt Baker was happy about her friend Deonna Purrazzo retaining her title over Tenille Dashwood.

Kenny Omega becomes the 29th person to win the Impact World Championship with his win at Rebellion. He begins the 52nd reign in the lineage of the title. As for former champion Rich Swann, his title reign finishes at 183 days. That is good for 10th all-time in that category. He successfully defended the title 6x during his reign. His opponents were Eric Young, Sami Callihan, Ken Shamrock, Chris Bey, Tommy Dreamer, and Moose.

WWE RAW Preview (4/26): McIntyre & Strowman vs. T-Bar & Mace

Michael Reichlin
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WWE returns to St. Petersburg, FL tonight for an all-new episode of Monday Night Raw from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field.

As the road to WrestleMania Backlash continues, expect to see more matches announced for the May 16th pay-per-view.

The following items are scheduled for tonight’s broadcast:

  • WWE Champion Bobby Lashley returns to Raw. Lashley defends the title against Drew McIntyre at Backlash.
  • Former Retribution members T-BAR and MACE will team up to face Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman. McIntyre and T-BAR have been going back and forth on social media:

Update: WWE has announced two more matches for Raw:

  • The Miz, Elias & Jaxson Ryker vs. The New Day & Damian Priest
  • Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax vs. Lana, Naomi & Asuka.

Check back later tonight for our WWE Raw live discussion, results and takeaways.

Catch up on the Top 10 moments from last week’s show:

Chelsea Green Announces “50 Shades of Green” Podcast

Chris Stephens
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Chelsea Green has released the debut episode of her new podcast. The show is titled “50 Shades of Green with Hot Mess Chelsea Green.” The former Knockouts Champion had filed to trademark the term on April 21st.

A description for the show notes that it will not only be about wrestling:

“Lovers! 50 shades of Green is more than just wrestling. Join Chelsea Green every Monday as she talks about the insides of the business, her relationship, sex, fitness and current events. No topic is off limits.”

“Chelsea Green discusses her release, who she wants to wrestle first, in-ring mishaps, celebrity breakups, friendships from wrestling, & much more!”

Chelsea Green Comments On Her WWE Release

In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Green opened up about her release from WWE.

“At first I was kind of emotionless and I guess confused. My way of handling that has always been to go into overdrive with what’s next?” Green said. “That’s always the way my brain has worked with everything. So even when I became the IMPACT Champion, literally that night, what’s next? What am I going to do next?”

The full interview with Green and Van Vliet is available in the player below:

The Young Bucks On How Much WWE Offered Them in 2018

Chris Stephens
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AEW Tag Team Champions Matt & Nick Jackson, the Young Bucks, were guests recently on Talk N Shop. During the conversation, the brothers revealed that WWE offered them $500,000 to sign with them in 2018.

“I knew [Good Brothers] money. Everyone else was getting [$150,000] to start. He’s already offering us $500,000 each guaranteed. I’m going, ‘what!’ Right then, we knew our street value. That was the first offer. Basically, he said, ‘by the end of your trip, I would love an answer.’ The whole trip, I’m [stressed]. I kept dragging it out,” said Matt (transcriptions via Fightful).

The Bucks also spoke about negotiations they had with Ring of Honor to stay with them. According to comments by Nick Jackson, they knew ROH would be unable to afford what they were looking for.

“They couldn’t afford it. We told them, ‘we know we can make a million and that’s our goal, to make seven digits this year.’ They knew they couldn’t come close to that,” Nick Jackson said.

During an interview with Chris Van Vliet in 2019, Matt Jackson opened up about how close they were to signing with WWE.

 “We talked to [WWE] endlessly. At one point, I remember me, Nick, and Kenny were in a room because all of our deals were up at the same time. We got off the phone one day and we looked at each other, and we said, ‘I think we’re all going to WWE.’ It was that close.”

Update On How Impact’s Rebellion PPV Numbers Are Trending

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling presented Rebellion last night on PPV. Kenny Omega defeated Rich Swann to win the Impact World Championship in the main event. According to a report on Wrestling Observer Radio, the PPV is trending to have done very well.

“From the early returns as far as the streaming side goes, the numbers for this show were exceedingly strong,” said Dave Meltzer. “Probably, almost certainly the biggest PPV they’ve done in years, maybe many years but several years for sure.”

“That aspect was a success even without AEW promoting it hard on Wednesday night, there was enough promotion elsewhere,” he continued.

Impact Wrestling Announces Upcoming Schedule

Impact Wrestling announced their next 3 big events upcoming during last night’s PPV. On May 15th, Impact will present Under Siege on the Impact Plus streaming service. Against All Odds will then take place on June 12th. The company will then return to PPV in July for Slammiversary. An exact date for the PPV has yet to be revealed, however. A teaser for Slammiversary is available below:

Batista Says That He Wants To Be a ‘Different’ Type of Actor To The Rock

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar and World Heavyweight Champion Batista recently spoke to JoBlo.com. Batista is currently promoting his new Army of the Dead film that will be coming out on Netflix May 21.

During the interview, Batista said how he wants to be a different type of actor to the ‘other’ famous pro wrestler turned actor, The Rock.

“I don’t mean this as a dig on him [The Rock], but you know how he is as a character” Batista began the interview. “He feels very professional wrestling to me, I don’t want to be that guy.”

Batista on The Rock

“I want to be an actor, I want to act” Batista added. “I want people to judge me for my acting, my subtlety. So I want to take roles that require that, I don’t want to be a big action guy who just says cool sh*t and kills a lot of people and gets the girl.”

 “I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be the guy that makes people cry, who makes people think; [someone] who inspires people” Batista concluded. “I want to be a dramatic actor. So I just love it. I love acting.”

Are you going to be watching Army of The Dead when it comes out on Netflix? Let us know in the comments

John Cena Calls The Miz The ‘Hardest Worker’ He Knows

Jake Skudder
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(Former?) WWE Superstar John Cena recently reacted to the WWE 24 documentary that was recently released featuring The Miz. Cena had huge praise for the ‘Awesome’ Superstar, taking to social media to say how he is the ‘hardest worker’ that he knows.

“WATCH THIS NOW” Cena began on Twitter, discussing the recently released WWE 24 documentary on The Miz. “@mikethemiz IS the definition of both passion and perseverance.”

“Underrated only in the eyes of ignorance” Cena continued. “THE hardest worker I know. An inspiration to me and proof that REAL success takes earning every inch. Awesome does NOT do you justice. #Respect.”

John Cena on The Miz

John Cena and The Miz famously headlined WrestleMania 27, with the WWE Championship on the line in the main event. Sadly, that match is regarded as one of the worst in ‘Mania main event history.

The Miz suffered from a concussion during the contest, and fans were waiting for The Rock to appear pretty much throughout. Both of these issues caused the in-ring action to be lacklustre and the tension of the Championship match to be rendered null and void.

The Rock would of course attack Cena, leading Miz to get the win in his first WrestleMania main event. It was announced the night after that The Rock and John Cena would main event WrestleMania 28 in Miami. The Miz would end up in a 12-man tag team match.

Would you like to see another John Cena vs The Miz at WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments

Kurt Angle Talks If Chad Gable Should Leave WWE

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar and Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently spoke about Chad Gable on The Kurt Angle Show podcast. Angle was talking about how underutilized Gable is in the company, and how he may have to leave WWE to get a revamp to his character and presentation.

“I think this kid has so much potential” Kurt Angle began on the podcast, talking about Gable. “I know the company started pushing him, then they laid off, then they pushed him and laid off.”

“I don’t know if it has to do with his size, but the guy’s amazing” Angle added. “In real life, he can whoop any of those wrestlers asses.”

Kurt Angle on Chad Gable

“He’s a real life badass and to not have him go to the main event level where he deserves to be, it blows my mind” Kurt Angle continued. “He is a very talented, great technical wrestler, former Olympian, you can’t ask for anything more than that.”#

Kurt Angle finished by talking Chad Gable potentially leaving WWE and going to New Japan Pro Wrestling. It’s interesting that Angle chose NJPW specifically, although it is a promotion he has some experience with, having worked with them whilst in TNA.

“I think so, [although] I wouldn’t encourage him to do it,” Angle stated. “I wouldn’t give anybody that type of advice, I’d want them to do what they’re comfortable with doing but Chad does need a makeover.”

“Him going there [NJPW] and getting more experience and coming back with a different character with something with a subtle change, I think that would really help him” Angle concluded. “I’m not saying he should do it, I’m just saying it’s not bad advice to go ahead and do that.”

credit to WrestlingINC for the transcription

Matt Cardona Suffers Knee Injury at IMPACT Rebellion

Alex Laybourne
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The build-up to Matt Cardona’s match with his long-time best friend Brian Myers ended on a controversial and sour note. After trying to hit his Radio Silence finisher Cardona landed badly in the ring and his left knee buckled beneath him.

Matt Cardona has a history of knee injuries having lost 18-months of his career to a previous knee injury. However, it was not just the injury but the way the match ended that left a sour note in everybody’s mouth.

Despite the referee throwing up the X, Myers continued to fight. Hauling his best friend to his feet to hit the Roster Cut lariat. Myers then pinned Cardona for the three in the middle of the ring without a shred of remorse.

If this is a worked angle to build heat for the already hated Myers, it worked well. However, how close can you come to crossing the line between real injuries versus storytelling?

Injuries are serious business in wrestling. Whatever the story is behind the ending of this match, IMPACT is surely looking to milk this feud a little longer. Myers and Cardona are no strangers to the friend-enemy storyline, having played out the same before their departure from WWE.

After the PPV Cardona took to social media to confirm the injury but also to allay fears over its seriousness.

Matt Cardona is a hardcore wrestling fan as is documented on his social media accounts. His love for the sport extends beyond his own acts in the ring. Here’s hoping this latest setback isn’t a bad one and we see him get his redemption against Myers soon.

Former WWE Star Makes Big Debut at IMPACT Rebellion

Alex Laybourne
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In the build-up to IMPACT Rebellion, all talk was on the main event title match, however, it was the returning W Morrissey who stole the early credits. Making his debut as a substitute for the injured Eric Young in the Violent by Design 8-man tag match.

Whether the injury was genuine or rather a well-timed piece of story telling the addition of Morrissey to the Impact roster is a big move.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COG_WqEq0UF/

Morrissey is better known for his time with WWE wrestling as Big Cass. He is a man on a personal and professional mission after a series of real-life issues derailed his wrestling career. Morrissey has been brutally open and honest about his battle with depression and alcohol addiction. Seeing him back on the main wrestling roster is the start of his redemption.

Morrissey looked to be in the best shape of his career. Taking the took the fight to James Storm and his crew. While the rivalry between Storm and Young had been the driving factor behind the meeting, yet it was Morrissey who stole the show.

Not only did he get a considerable chunk of in-ring time, but he also picked up the win. Hitting an impressive East River Crossing on Willie Mack. After the bell, Morrissey continued to rain down blows on his fallen opponent, in a clear statement to his VBD brethren that he is ready to help their cause and bring the violence.

It remains to be seen what the plans are for Morrissey following his IMPACT debut. However, in aligning himself with Eric Young he is surely going to be seeing a lot of TV time.

WWE Sign Indian MMA Star Sanjana George

Alex Laybourne
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After a sudden surge of redundancies, WWE has now announced the signing of a new superstar, Indian MMA figure Sanjana George.

The 26-year-old made the announcement on her Instagram page and is the latest Indian signing from WWE, who first started having tryouts in the country back in 2019. India is a vast country filled with WWE fans, and the company have made no attempts to hide their intent on capitalizing on their popularity out there. In fact, George is just one of four new signings from the country.

Sanjana George first started her MMA training when she was just 17 and will join a WWE roster that is already filled with ex-MMA fighters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COBfCghjXec/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

“I have no prior experience in wrestling, so they are training me from scratch. It’s a challenge, but I have the best coaches in the industry, and I am getting better every day.”

George is already in Florida training at the performance centre. With her previous company training experience and her young age, it can’t be long before we see Sanjana George – or whatever her ring name will be – making her debut.

Sanjana George is the second female Indian wrestler to join the roster alongside Kavita Devi. Only time will tell if George can follow in the footsteps of compatriots The Great Khali and Jinder Mahal and capture WWE gold, but with such a strong pedigree behind her, the future is looking bright.

Beyond that, George will now serve as a role model to young Indian women who hold their own dreams of reaching the big stage.

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