TNA throwback match booked, GFW TV and live event updates, Interviews with Gronk/Cesaro, baseball names cameo on Raw, ROH matches set, TNA audience, Stephanie honored, WWE helping Orlando, John Cena meme in ad, Tajiri update, Strong's future, TNA names pulled from outside bookings, WWE expected to sign top LU name, and Questions on rebooting The Ascension, banning the Curb Stomp, Kofi's shoes, big matches at MITB, and veterans in the CWC

America's Most Wanted vs. The Naturals is booked for a Tennessee indie show on July 9. Andy Douglas and Chris Harris rarely wrestle anymore, so that's two impressive TNA team reunions in one match.

Jeff Jarrett was in Los Angeles recently for TV negotiations for GFW. I still have hope for the promotion finding a U.S. TV home, but it's got its work cut out for it carving a niche in the current wrestling landscape. A number of important names from the initial tapings won't be available for future shows, and I would expect the promotion's not a top priority for wrestlers when NXT, TNA, ROH, and LU exist. 

GFW will begin its second Grand Slam tour this weekend. That's a fine idea to build support at the grassroots level.

WWE's Hawaii live event got local press. Good to see them return to that market.

Rob Gronkowski talked about a potential future in wrestling. That sounds like a "maybe."

Enzo Amore and Big Cass' opponents on Raw were given names of Philadelphia Phillies' prospects. That's pretty funny. I wonder who picked their names. 

Cesaro promoted an upcoming live event. It's a good sign WWE trusted him in that role. It doesn't mean they'll push him; it just means they like him.

Added to ROH in Baltimore on July 8:

- Silas Young vs. ACH in a Last Man Standing match

- Jay White vs. Lio Rush

- Christopher Daniels vs. Moose

- Mark Briscoe vs. Donovan Dijack vs. Chris Sabin vs. Frankie Kazarian

- ANX w/ Caprice Coleman vs. Will Ferrara/Cheeseburger.

Set for ROH's TV taping in Philadelphia on July 16:

- Jay Lethal vs. Colt Cabana for the World Championship

- The Addiction vs. War Machine vs. Motor City Machine Guns for the World Tag Team Championship

- Lio Rush vs. Donovan Dijak

- Kamaitachi vs. CMLL's Stuka, Jr. in Stuka, Jr.'s ROH debut.

- Silas Young/Beer City Bruiser vs. Briscoes

- Adam Page vs. Dalton Castle

- Jay White vs. Will Ferrara

- Fish Tank with Mark Briscoe

Impact Wrestling drew 322,000 viewers Tuesday night for an episode featuring big triple threat World Title match. It's very difficult for them to get an audience boost from anything.

Stephanie McMahon was named one of the most powerful women in sports. I'm not sure if WWE will be ecstatic for the honor or upset because "they're not a sport, they're entertainment."

WWE reached out to provide aid for Orlando after the recent mass shooting. WWE has a lot of connections in the area. 

John Cena was part of a Cricket Wireless campaign centered on the meme he's been part of. That's clever. 

Tajiri will no longer be under Wrestle-1 contract as of July 1, but he's expected to continue working shows there on a per-date basis. Theoretically this opens him up to be used by WWE more going forward, but there's no indication of that being a planned direction at this time.

Roderick Strong is believed to be on WWE's radar once he finishes his indie obligations this summer. No contract has been signed at this stage, however. Strong is a young veteran who could presumably contribute to NXT or as part of the New Era of WWE. 

A number of TNA names are expected to be pulled from set bookings in order to work TV tapings for TNA in August. That's unfortunate, but necessary for TNA's tapings to include all the important names.

WWE is scouting talent from Lucha Underground. With the upcoming draft, they're leaving no stone unturned as far as potential sources of talent.

- Ricochet/Prince Puma is expected to sign with WWE once he's legally allowed to do so. He has a lengthy no-compete clause with LU as far as appearing on U.S. TV, so he will continue working NJPW and the indie scene at least through the end of the year or so. Ricochet is considered one of the top talents in the world as far as athletics and acrobatics are concerned, so WWE might have made a big move here. He's definitely got a lot of bookings under his belt, and is still a few years shy of 30.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely think WWE could reboot The Ascension as their earlier "Goth" characters if they planned on pushing them again. It would take a dedicated effort to treat them as important people/characters, but I think they can be "saved" from their current spots.

2. It's actually a less safe move, since it's more realistic violence and targets the head. I don't see the move coming back outside of MAYBE a big match here and there with someone who trusts him and could get away with letting him do it (Cena).

3. It could have been some kind of inside joke. Like the one Dave made in the answer to this question when he implied Cena isn't more popular than Curry.

4. It's possible those names aren't on the same brand as each other by Summerslam. If Cena's a Smackdown guy and Styles is a Raw guy, they probably won't face off outside of Wrestlemania. Also, this begs the question of what matches WWE should have done at MITB instead. If they don't have important matches, they get complaints of "B PPVs where nothing happens" and all that.

5. I like the idea of Tajiri and Kendrick putting over someone the WWE audience isn't familiar with. Ideally, they'll also be draws to the more casual fans to watch the CWC.

More wrestling tomorrow.

NXT and Main Event Reax - 6/29/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT and Main Event.

Post-Raw dark match, Raw guest, WWE+NXT injury updates, Ryback surgery, ROH matches announced, new WWE hiring, Total Bellas debut set, Raw audience, more on future of top championship, "Iranian Hulk" to WWE?, WWE Network Tributes update, NXT name finally returning?, and Questions on Kennedy returning to WWE, WWE name changes, WWE signing AJ, using the LOD name in 2016, and Seth's turnbuckle powerbomb

After Raw, the team of Ambrose/Show/Enzo/Cass beat Rollins and The Club. Cool to see Enzo and Cass get that honor when WWE could have presumably used the Usos. Nothing against the Usos; it was just good to see the new team get that rub.

Gerald Brisco was backstage at Raw. He's from the area. If there was a brand split in 1999, Brisco would have run one show while Patterson was in charge of the other. I kind of miss the Stooges actually.

Neville is believed to be able to return to the ring now. He could easily challenge for the U.S. or IC Title at Battleground, or even face Jericho that night considering it was a Y2J match he was injured in.

Shinsuke Nakamura will face Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens in singles matches during WWE's tour of Japan. On the show where Jericho faces Nakamura, Owens is in the WWE Title picture. They switch places for the other show.

Ryback recently underwent ear, nose, and throat surgery. I don't blame him a bit for taking care of that while still under WWE contract. He's expected to let his deal expire in a few weeks; there's been no movement between him and WWE regarding a new agreement.

Announced for ROH's July 8 Baltimore show:
- Jay Lethal/Colt Cabana/Jay Briscoe vs. Adam Cole/Adam Page/Nick Jackson
- Bobby Fish vs. Kamaitachi

-- No idea why they put Page in there instead of the other Young Buck unless Delirious just thought it was funny to have two Jays vs. two Adams. Admittedly, it is.

WWE has hired Fox Sports' Charly Arnolt as a host. They're making some good hirings on that side of things lately. 

Total Bellas will begin its six-episode run on October 5. I imagine we could see Bryan and/or the Bellas on WWE TV to promote that. And maybe even John Laurinaitis? If Nikki's not back as a wrestler by then, that leaves Cena as the only cast member actively competing. 

-  The Bella Twins are on the cover of Latina magazine, presumably to push that spinoff.

Raw's audience Monday was 3.09 million. Considering the show featured Cena vs. Rollins and Ambrose vs. AJ, that's not a good number.

WWE has renamed their top championship to just the WWE Championship. There's speculation the World Championship will return on whichever show doesn't feature that title. Whether WWE will use "Big Gold" again is unknown.

An Iranian powerlifter is trying to get the attention of WWE and Triple H. He's definitely got a unique look, and presumably has a lot of strength. It's worth seeing what he can bring to the table.

Tribute to the Troops no longer has its own section on the WWE Network. Tribute episodes of Raw and Smackdown have been added to those respective sections, but more modern episodes of the show have disappeared.

Hideo Itami teased a return at Friday's NXT live event. I hope we're finally seeing him get his career back on track after more than a year on the shelf.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They'd have to be incredibly desperate to bring back someone whose star power is all but gone, and who has a history of out-of-the-ring issues, injuries, and attitude problems. I wouldn't say it's impossible, but I don't see it happening.

2. As was said, WWE has already invested in the names Hideo Itami and Finn Balor. I don't see them reversing course.

3. They could say Shane was pulling some strings behind the scenes before returning on Raw. WWE alluded to Shane having power over Vince for some time when he returned, so maybe Shane blackmailed Vince into signing AJ.

4. They were/are less-effective LOD clones. I definitely think putting the LOD name on a brand new team in developmental is a recipe for disaster. If they succeed in NXT, MAYBE that name can work on the main roster, but it's way too early to assess whether the Authors of Pain can be at that level.

5. There's a big difference between hitting that move on someone still in their prime vs. hitting it on someone on their last ring-legs. Sting's a legend, but his body can only take so much at his age.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/28/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Impact Wrestling.

WWE live event notes, Russo trying to get back into TNA, 2K17 cover revealed, TNA contract updates, busy weekend for Ambrose, new WWE-Special Olympics deal, WWE injury?, CWC name hurt, Interviews with Stephanie/Sasha/Angle/Heyman, Ali/Inoki anniversary, CWC names working EVOLVE, WWE titles post-brand split update, Raw guest, Swoggle shoots, and Questions on calling spots, Corgan investing in TNA, why the same people face off all the time, why heels cheat, and AJ mentioning TNA on Austin's podcast

At a WWE live event in Jacksonville, Florida:
- Lana teamed with Charlotte in a loss to Becky and Paige. Dana was on the other live event loop.

- Goldust beat Fandango. No Truth or Breeze.

- Kane and Big Show beat Strowman/Rowan. Kane and Show hadn't wrestled for WWE in two weeks; they're working lighter schedules post-WM32. It will be interesting to see how those two fit into things with the brand extension as far as whether they start working more regularly again.

Vince Russo recently said he's contacted Pop TV's president in order to become a consultant for Impact Wrestling. He previously tried to work the same deal with Destination America, and has tried to come on-board to consult LU as well. Russo's still trying to work some marks into a swerve in 2016. I admire his tenacity.

Brock Lesnar will be on the cover of WWE 2K17. And Goldberg's the pre-order bonus. I would have never seen that coming in 2004.

In something of a correction to previous reports, some talents signing TNA deals are still able to book themselves independently or through third parties. The story has been TNA is looking to get all their performers to exclusive deals where the company would control all their bookings (like WWE has for its superstars). It sounds like it's a complicated issue that affects each talent differently.

Dean Ambrose worked three live events this weekend, going from Boston on Saturday to Orlando AND Jacksonville on Sunday. Roman's suspension means a bigger opportunity for Ambrose, but also a lot more work.

WWE has forged an international agreement with the Special Olympics. That's a big venture for WWE.

Simon Gotch was believed to have been injured on a live event this weekend. He didn't compete on Raw, but it's unknown if that was due to any injury.

Anthony Bennett twisted his knee during the CWC taping. It's unknown if he'll be available for a potential second round.

Stephanie McMahon talked about what it takes to be a WWE superstar. Pretty much a corporate puff piece.

Sasha Banks' Muscle & Fitness photo shoot got press by WWE. I wonder which woman will get the honor next.

WWE covered the 40th anniversary of Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki. That's a VERY important bout in the history of sports.

Kurt Angle talked to Sports Illustrated about a potential WWE return and more:
- PLEASE stay clean and healthy, Kurt.

- Kurt's competitive nature is his biggest strength and his most dangerous demon, given its effects on his (physical, mental, and emotional) health.

- I love the idea of an app sending a driver out to someone in need.

Paul Heyman discussed the upcoming brand split and more:
- Heyman's dad sounds AWESOME.

- I really respect Heyman not dealing in hypotheticals or trying to speak on behalf of Brock or Vince.

- I really, REALLY hope the brand split leads to some things really being shaken up along the lines Heyman mentioned. Smackdown needs to feel different from "hour 4 and hour 5 of Raw."

- Balor, Joe, and Aries could all be big hits on the main roster. Probably Nakamura, too.

CWC "Showcase matches" are set for EVOLVE on July 16, July 17, August 19, and August 20, presumably featuring CWC competitors in matches that aren't officially part of the tournament.

WWE is speculated to return to having two top champions following the brand split. That's kind of "the easy way out," but they might as well go that route so neither brand feels like the "B-brand" when it doesn't have the title. We could end up with two women's champions and two sets of tag team champions again, too.

WWE is running a (presumably) Raw-brand live event opposite the September 25 Clash of Champions PPV. That makes sense on one level in the sense that touring group gets an equal amount of work that weekend. Those names wouldn't be on Clash of Champions anyway.

NFL's Jameis Winston was ringside at Raw. That's cool.

The former Hornswoggle has a YouShoot DVD. That should be really entertaining and enlightening.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's not uncommon for the mics to pick up talents calling spots. It's unfortunately pretty much the way things work now. Maybe some day there will be a technology that will pick up bumps but not voices. Until then, I don't see much changing. 

2. Pretty much all of the above. TNA needed a quick influx of cash, and Corgan was on hand to provide that. It's entirely possible Corgan would have ended up investing anyway given his work with TNA so far.

3. WWE has a lot of TV to fill each week, and fans expect to see the important stars in action when they watch the shows or buy tickets to see the shows. It's really easy to say you'd have fresh matches each week and all that, but when you actually have to put together that many shows that frequently, it's much easier to just throw the MITB competitors in a bunch of matches with each other as a way to sell their PPV match.

4. "Wrestler with incredible talent" isn't an interesting to most people as "cheating, conflict-avoiding punk." If the heels don't duck the babyface's challenges, pretty much the only thing preventing PPV rematches from happening on TV would be heel authority figures. So pick your poison.

5. I don't see TNA mentioned on-air or in official WWE.com interviews anytime soon, but Stone Cold has more leeway on his show.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

WWE live event notes, Russo trying to get back into TNA, WWE 2K17 cover revealed, TNA contract updates, busy weekend for Ambrose, new WWE-Special Olympics deal, possible WWE injury, CWC name hurt, Interviews with Stephanie/Angle/Heyman, Sasha's photo shoot, Ali/Inoki fight anniversary, CWC roster working Evolve, WWE titles update post brand split, Questions on calling spots, Corgan investing in TNA, why we see the same matches over and over, why heels cheat, and TNA on Austin's podcast

At a WWE live event in Jacksonville, Florida:
- Lana teamed with Charlotte in a loss to Becky and Paige. Dana was on the other live event loop.

- Goldust beat Fandango. No Truth or Breeze.

- Kane and Big Show beat Strowman/Rowan. Kane and Show hadn't wrestled for WWE in two weeks; they're working lighter schedules post-WM32. It will be interesting to see how those two fit into things with the brand extension as far as whether they start working more regularly again.

Vince Russo recently said he's contacted Pop TV's president in order to become a consultant for Impact Wrestling. He previously tried to work the same deal with Destination America, and has tried to come on-board to consult LU as well. Russo's still trying to work some marks into a swerve in 2016. I admire his tenacity.

Brock Lesnar will be on the cover of WWE 2K17. And Goldberg's the pre-order bonus. I would have never seen that coming in 2004.

In something of a correction to previous reports, some talents signing TNA deals are still able to book themselves independently or through third parties. The story has been TNA is looking to get all their performers to exclusive deals where the company would control all their bookings (like WWE has for its superstars). It sounds like it's a complicated issue that affects each talent differently.

Dean Ambrose worked three live events this weekend, going from Boston on Saturday to Orlando AND Jacksonville on Sunday. Roman's suspension means a bigger opportunity for Ambrose, but also a lot more work.

WWE has forged an international agreement with the Special Olympics. That's a big venture for WWE.

Simon Gotch was believed to have been injured on a live event this weekend. He didn't compete on Raw, but it's unknown if that was due to any injury.

Anthony Bennett twisted his knee during the CWC taping. It's unknown if he'll be available for a potential second round.

Stephanie McMahon talked about what it takes to be a WWE superstar. Pretty much a corporate puff piece.

Sasha Banks' Muscle & Fitness photo shoot got press by WWE. I wonder which woman will get the honor next.

WWE covered the 40th anniversary of Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki. That's a VERY important bout in the history of sports.

Kurt Angle talked to Sports Illustrated about a potential WWE return and more:
- PLEASE stay clean and healthy, Kurt.

- Kurt's competitive nature is his biggest strength and his most dangerous demon, given its effects on his (physical, mental, and emotional) health.

- I love the idea of an app sending a driver out to someone in need.

Paul Heyman discussed the upcoming brand split and more:
- Heyman's dad sounds AWESOME.

- I really respect Heyman not dealing in hypotheticals or trying to speak on behalf of Brock or Vince.

- I really, REALLY hope the brand split leads to some things really being shaken up along the lines Heyman mentioned. Smackdown needs to feel different from "hour 4 and hour 5 of Raw."

- Balor, Joe, and Aries could all be big hits on the main roster. Probably Nakamura, too.

CWC "Showcase matches" are set for EVOLVE on July 16, July 17, August 19, and August 20, presumably featuring CWC competitors in matches that aren't officially part of the tournament.

WWE is speculated to return to having two top champions following the brand split. That's kind of "the easy way out," but they might as well go that route so neither brand feels like the "B-brand" when it doesn't have the title. We could end up with two women's champions and two sets of tag team champions again, too.

WWE is running a (presumably) Raw-brand live event opposite the September 25 Clash of Champions PPV. That makes sense on one level in the sense that touring group gets an equal amount of work that weekend. Those names wouldn't be on Clash of Champions anyway.

NFL's Jameis Winston was ringside at Raw. That's cool.

The former Hornswoggle has a YouShoot DVD. That should be really entertaining and enlightening.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's not uncommon for the mics to pick up talents calling spots. It's unfortunately pretty much the way things work now. Maybe some day there will be a technology that will pick up bumps but not voices. Until then, I don't see much changing. 

2. Pretty much all of the above. TNA needed a quick influx of cash, and Corgan was on hand to provide that. It's entirely possible Corgan would have ended up investing anyway given his work with TNA so far.

3. WWE has a lot of TV to fill each week, and fans expect to see the important stars in action when they watch the shows or buy tickets to see the shows. It's really easy to say you'd have fresh matches each week and all that, but when you actually have to put together that many shows that frequently, it's much easier to just throw the MITB competitors in a bunch of matches with each other as a way to sell their PPV match.

4. "Wrestler with incredible talent" isn't an interesting to most people as "cheating, conflict-avoiding punk." If the heels don't duck the babyface's challenges, pretty much the only thing preventing PPV rematches from happening on TV would be heel authority figures. So pick your poison.

5. I don't see TNA mentioned on-air or in official WWE.com interviews anytime soon, but Stone Cold has more leeway on his show.

More wrestling tomorrow. 

Raw Reax - 6/27/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

WWE live event notes, Vader vs. Ospreay happening, no bags in Full Sail, origins of Kliq hand signal, assorted Khali and WWE press, Interviews with Hall/Trish/Xavier, another Brooklyn sellout, no more Balor Club, and Questions on the state of ROH, the CWC, producing WarGames, a WWE overload, and WWE "silencing" Foley

Eva Marie is back working WWE live events following competing at the most recent NXT taping.  She was on the losing end of a six-woman tag where Sasha, Becky, and Summer beat Charlotte, Natalya, and Eva. No Dana Brooke for whatever reason.

Vader vs. Will Ospreay has been booked by Revolution Pro following a Twitter war between the two sides. The match will happen at their August 12 Uprising show. I'm very interested to see how that plays out. I'm definitely Team Vader regarding their issue.

WWE has enacted a no-bag policy for all future events at Full Sail. After the tragedy in Orlando a few weeks ago, I can see why they'd take precautions.

WWE.com discussed the origin of The Kliq's "too sweet" hand gesture. Pretty funny banter. Nice to see NC State get a nod, although that's not where The Kliq picked it up from.

The Great Khali's wrestling academy got press in India. Wrestling continues to pick up steam in the country.

Brock Lesnar is being advertised for the July 19 draft episode. They should definitely put him on Smackdown if they want that show to be seen as a big deal at the level of Raw.

WWE's recent signing of a Chinese superstar got press in China.

John Cena and Stephanie McMahon got press for their speech in Cannes.

Scott Hall was profiled. I'm glad he continues to do well.

Trish Stratus discussed the upcoming brand extension and the state of women's wrestling in WWE. I do think things are looking up for women in WWE compared to the "Diva" days.

Xavier Woods discussed his geek influences and more. New Day has really been a breath of fresh air in WWE.

The Raw after Summerslam has sold out, meaning WWE once again has three straight nights of sellouts in Brooklyn. That's pretty impressive.

At a WWE show in Orlando, Florida:
- Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor beat Samoa Joe and Austin Aries.
- Viktor lost to Jack Swagger. No Konnor.
- Bayley teamed with Sasha Banks and Summer to beat Dana/Eva/Natalya.
- The Shining Stars beat the Prime Time Players, who haven't teamed together in quite some time.

-- So, some nice NXT surprises to shake things up. I expect some of those names to be more permanent parts of Raw or Smackdown by the end of the summer.

WWE has abandoned plans to trademark the name Balor Club, so there presumably won't be a faction by that name. Whether that means Finn's merchandise will change going forward remains to be seen.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. This is bad. ROH has been advertising on PWInsider for quite a while now, with an ad for Best in the World at the top of the page these questions appear on. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if this "question" was answered before BITW even happened. It's a real problem when the people who are supposed to be providing a balance to the hype of wrestling promotions are used as mouthpieces by the promotions. The general perception of BITW has been of being unimpressed with the show and with ROH's current direction. It was seen as good, but not great, with some serious missteps. Personally, I thought the show had its strong moments (Corino vs. Whitmer), some solid action (opening match), and a number of matches with very little heat that were just about cool moves/kicking out of finishers. It's a shame, because when ROH is good, it's really good. But a lot of that is countered by the "get my spots in" mentality where workrate and believability take a backseat to spectacle.

2. I think it has real potential to be impressive as a showcase for future WWE superstars. I hope we see some standout performances.

3. That sounds like a mess. Vince and KD producing two commentary teams at once, with both teams pretty much being cheerleaders for their brand, would make things worse, not better. It would be difficult to call all those shots from a TV perspective, too.

4. It's going to be REALLY tough to make that much compelling content. No matter what they do with the roster and styles to dress things up, it's still going to be a lot of wrestling in short amount of time.

5. If anything, it's the other way around. Now that WWE has hired his son and given the family a vehicle to make Noelle a star, Mick's less likely to want to bite the hand that's feeding him. That doesn't mean his opinions aren't genuine or anything. There's just the potential there for him to "hold back" considering what all they're doing for his family.

More wrestling tomorrow.

WWE 2K17 cover on Raw, Chyna-HoF update, Cody on Clash returning, even more Nitros, Angle return update, WWE buying office building?, WWE-Japan tour changes, NXT live event notes, and Questions on Rose selling a mughsot shirt, what AJ Lee's up to, Punk working an indie show, Bundy in the HoF, and casting Sister Abigail

WWE will reveal the cover for WWE 2K17 during Monday's Raw. It's going to be REALLY awkward if Roman's the centerpiece of the game's marketing. I think Rollins would be a good pick.

Sean Waltman spoke at Chyna's memorial service, saying he'd make sure Chyna would go into the WWE HoF. That's not really his call to make. I do assume she'll go in at some point, though.

Cody Rhodes approves of WWE bringing back Clash of the Champions. I'm glad he's taking positively to it; I do think WWE could make use of old WCW/ECW event names as they expand their PPV calendar.

WWE Network is now adding Nitros from 2000 and 2001, so they're closing in on having the entirety of that show available via VOD. Then presumably they'll start adding Thunders unless they're going to "take a break" from WCW for a while in order to add more Raws and Smackdowns.

Kurt Angle addressed reports regarding his potential WWE return. I definitely didn't assume a return was imminent, as it was explicitly said a contract hadn't been worked out yet. Time will tell whether he actually does end up coming back to WWE at some point.

WWE is looking to buy an office building in Connecticut as part of a bankruptcy sale. That building's where they house their TV production facilities. It will be interesting to see what they make of the place if the sale goes through.

Dean Ambrose has been added to WWE's Japan tour. Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt have been dropped. I'm curious who will face Nakamura with Bray out.

At an NXT live event in Florida:
- Wesley Blake has new ring gear and music. He worked as a face to beat Bronson Mathews. I'm interested in seeing how he does as a singles star. Murphy's going to have to make his own niche if he doesn't want to be the Jannetty of the group. Alexa's definitely going to be fine on her own.

- Bianca Blair cut a promo. Once Bayley gets called up, there'll be more room for other women in NXT to try to earn their keep. I expect we'll see Ember Moon on TV before too much longer.

- Bobby Roode made his first U.S. in-ring appearance alongside the Authors of Pain, losing to Mojo Rawley and TM61. I can't say I expected that result. Hopefully Roode and Young (wherever the heck he is) have fruitful WWE runs.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That's about as carny as you can get. It obviously got him some attention (notoriety), but I can see why people wouldn't care for him profiting from the action.

2. Other than that, supporting Punk as he trains for UFC. She accomplished all she wanted to in wrestling, so she left on top.

3. I wouldn't think he'd be able to without UFC's approval. He's not under WWE contract, so I don't see how they could stop him.

4. 2027. Seriously, though, it's all a matter of when the powers that be bring his name up. For whatever reason, they've decided to focus on other inductees in previous years.

5. A post-Goth makeover Alexa Bliss would be interesting in the role given her commanding attitude. Katie Lea/Winter could also work, or his actual sister Abigail. Or maybe even one of the other NXT women who aren't in the spotlight (Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Nikki Glencross).

More wrestling tomorrow.

Superstars Reax - 6/24/16, CWC taping notes including visitors and matches, new brand-exclusive WWE PPVs coming, Interview with Kelly Kelly, Smackdown audience, NXT live event notes, NXT dark match, and Questions on Impact's technical issues, the Resurrection of Jake and Hall, title changes for the draft, inventing the powerbomb, and retired wrestlers

Superstars:
 - Ascension vs. Golden Truth:
Damn, the Ascension are going to job on two shows in one week? They're not wasting any time putting Konnor back to work.

Good teamwork from both sides early.

This isn't bad for something of a throwaway match.

- Dragons vs. Dudleys:
I love Bubba's trash talking.

It's bad that there's better psychology on Superstars than in some matches ROH just put on PPV.

There's only so much more mileage they can get from "that team who used to put people through tables."

Good spot from Kalisto and Bubba with the former U.S. Champion having trouble pulling off a rana on a larger opponent.

That was pretty good. It's OK to have some flippy teams if they can tell good stories and it's not a large fraction of the division often facing each other.

**********************NEWS BEGINS BELOW THIS LINE**************************

Triple H referred to the recent CWC taping as launching a brand. Yeah, I think it's way too early to claim that. If the shows pull in big numbers and it comes back next year, then we can talk about it being a "brand." They've had one taping, and none of the shows have aired.

- NXT staff and producers worked backstage for the taping. I'm not surprised.

- Finn Balor was backstage, and Teddy Hart, Su Yung, and Chasyn Rance were in attendance. The latter two have pretty impressive resumes. Both could be worth looks by WWE. Yung briefly worked in FCW years ago, but she's gotten a lot more experience since then.

- While WWE has not released brackets announcing which winners will face off in the second round, here are the matches taped for the first four episodes:
-- Alejandro Saez vs. Gran Metalik
-- Ariya Daivari vs. Ho Ho Lun
-- Cedric Alexander vs. Clement Petiot
-- Brian Kendrick vs. Raul Mendoza
-- Damian Slater vs. Tajiri
-- Da Mack vs. TJ Perkins
-- Lince Dorado vs. Mustafa Ali
-- Akira Tozawa vs. Kenneth Johnson
-- Tyson Dux vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
-- Drew Gulak vs. Harv Sirka
-- Anthony Bennett vs. Tony Nese
-- Kota Ibushi vs. Sean Maluta
-- Jason Lee vs. Rich Swann
-- Gurv Sihra vs. Noam Dar
-- Fabian Aichner vs. Jack Gallagher
-- Johnny Gargano vs. Tommasso Ciampa

--- I expect Round 1 will just be something of a feeling-out process where the more well-known/established/polished wrestlers will defeat their opponents in something of a showcase of what they can do in order to set up bigger things for Round 2. That's probably the right move, considering the WWE Network audience is likely unfamiliar with a lot of these performers.

- Zumbi was pulled from the tournament due to a booking elsewhere the same night. He was replaced by one of the alternates WWE had on hand.

WWE's brand extension means additions to and changes to their remaining PPV schedule:
- Battleground is on July 24 and will feature both brands.
- Summerslam is on August 21 and will feature both brands.
- Backlash is on September 11 and will be Smackdown-exclusive.
- Clash of Champions is on September 25 and will be Raw-exclusive.
- No Mercy is on October 9 and will be Smackdown-exclusive.
- Hell in a Cell is on October 30 and will be Raw-exclusive.
- Survivor Series is on November 20 and will feature both brands.
- TLC is on December 4 and will be Smackdown-exclusive.
- Roadblock is on December 18 and will be Raw-exclusive.

WWE already has an exhausting amount of content each month. They've got their work cut out for them in filling that many hours of TV/PPVs. It can be done, but it's going to be pretty fatiguing for fans and performers alike.

Kelly Kelly talked about a number of wrestling-related topics:
- Vince taught her how to do her "exhibitionist" dance for her ECW brand debut. That visual is both disturbing and hysterical.

- Kelly's open to having another match in WWE. I wouldn't rule it out, but I also don't see WWE promoting a former wrestler who's not on "their show," Total Divas. Eh.

- Kelly critiques the current WWE women's landscape. Hopefully Bayley prospers in the babyface role.

- Kelly discussed learning of Test's death. That had to be REALLY tough.

Smackdown's audience Thursday night was 2.15 million, pretty much in line with what they usually do these days. That's for a show featuring Rollins and Ambrose prominently.

NXT live event notes from Florida:
- Mojo Rawley won a singles match. No Ryder.

- India's Kishan Raftar lost to Steve Cutler.

- Tough Enough's Patrick Clark teamed with Angelo Dawkins in a loss. NXT could try that out as a tag team going forward.

The NXT taping's dark match saw Tye Dillinger beat Kai Katana. It will be interesting to see if that means Katana will get a NXT tryout from that or if it was just a one-time thing to give Tye a win.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE doesn't need to bury TNA, nor are they trying to. They had nothing to do with the situation. It was related to Pop's master control facility in Atlanta.

Nothing to add to 2 other than wishing the same for the recovering Roberts and Hall.

3. I do think the U.S. and IC Titles will end up on different shows as the result of the draft (or at least that would make sense). It's possible they throw a curveball where Rusev and Miz are both on one show and one of them loses their title at Battleground, but there's no word on that being on the table at the moment.

4. That wasn't an odd or obvious question at all! I was glad to learn more about the move's history.

5. Tanaka has actually worked a handful of matches in the past 10 years.

More wrestling tomorrow.

ROH Best in the World Reax

Read on for my take on last night's ROH PPV.

WWE Loot Crates coming, Interviews with Stephanie+Cena/Sheamus/WCW ring announcer/Danger/Bryan, Chyna memorialized, New Woman of Honor coming, ROH women's feud, WWE live event cards changed, VanZant-WWE update, WWE changes PPV name, and Questions on Shane "signing AJ," veterans in the CWC, Bryan running Smackdown, and reviving the WWE roster after the draft

WWE has signed a deal with Loot Crate to create bimonthly crates. That's a pretty cool deal for WWE fans.

WWE is seeking to sign Cody Rhodes to a deal similar to a Legends deal, allowing them to continue to release merchandise using his likeness. I expect this is a move related to having upcoming Stardust merchandise (action figures, etc.) they want to unload.

John Cena and Stephanie McMahon talked in Cannes. It's weird to see Cena not wearing one of his signature T-shirts and hats.

Sheamus talked to Muscle and Fitness. Hopefully his time as a main eventer isn't over. He's hardly as worn out in the role as Big Show, Kane, etc.

Chyna's memorial service was held Wednesday. A foundation will be set up in her honor to support charities and causes she championed.

Former WCW/WWWF ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta talked about life after WCW. There's a name I haven't seen in a while.

Alison Danger talked to ROH about BJ Whitmer vs. Steve Corino. They've got a lot to live up to with that one given how long it's been built.

Candice LaRae will debut at ROH's July 8 Women of Honor taping. I'm curious how that event will do, and its implications for the company as a whole.

Taeler Hendrix attacked Mandy Leon at War of the Worlds. I hope they focus more on the women's division going forward, particularly when the CMLL/NJPW names aren't on hand.

Daniel Bryan discussed life after retirement. Given the diagnosis he received from WWE doctors after his final test, it was definitely time to hang it up. Seattle just happened to be coming up on the schedule around that time, and the stars aligned for him to announce his retirement there.

With Roman Reigns out of the picture, Dean Ambrose will defend the WWE Championship against Seth Rollins on live events this weekend. Ambrose was previously set to work a triple threat match with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Owens and Zayn will now face off in singles matches.

Paige VanZant will not be part of Summerslam. Instead, she'll be competing for UFC that night. She is open to working with WWE in the future if it works with her fight schedule.

WWE's September 25 PPV is now listed as Clash of Champions, replacing the Night of Champions name. Good idea to bring back the old event name.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. About the only thing I can think of is Shane made some moves behind-the-scenes before officially returning to TV. We know he had Vince by the balls when he came back, so maybe something happened "off-screen" in January where Shane told Vince to sign AJ because The Authority wouldn't.

2. They're in for both reasons. They add credibility to the tournament. I wonder if Low Ki would have even come in to job to people essentially having WWE tryouts.

3. Bryan as Smackdown GM could potentially be great. It's all in how the GM figure is used. Ideally we see as little of the McMahons as possible, but I'm not holding my breath.

4. That's like 100 questions! One good thing about the brand extension is each talent goes from one in 70 to one in about 40. So, there's less competition in each brand's divisions. That gives opportunities for more people to get more screen time and character progression, which is key for them getting over. Without being able to use guys like Rollins and Ambrose twice a week, other people will get chances in those "spots." That goes for all divisions. New Day will presumably be on one show, as will The Club, Charlotte, Sasha, etc. The Ascension can go from, say, 14th on the tag team title picture to 7th or 8th. There's a better chance they'll get attention and potential at a push when other acts get stale/injured.

5. I think you're onto something there....

ROH and Smackdown Reax - 6/23/16

Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's ROH and Smackdown.

New Knockout talks, Del Rio update, assorted WWE/NXT press, CWC commentators revealed, CWC preview show set, new TNA tapings set, two names re-sign with TNA, ROH TV coming to FITE, TNA audience, WWE-MSG updates, former ROH Champion leaving, Moose-ROH update, Mysterio update, more international names to ROH, legend working ROH this weekend, and Questions on Punk returning, AJ as a heel, Graves replacing Lawler, Roman's Wellness violation, and the KOTM Title

TNA interviewed Chelsea Green, their newest signing. I'm glad TNA's adding new faces to the Knockouts division; hopefully Green makes the most of her experience in the company.

Alberto Del Rio returned to action for Smackdown, so it appears all is well after MITB. Perros will be back to being put on notice shortly.

WWE released a video showing off their pyrotechnics abilities. That's pretty cool.

NXT got press for their August show in Birmingham.

Daniel Bryan will join Mauro Ranallo in calling the CWC. That's an impressive combination.

A CWC preview show focusing on the  tournament bracket will air July 6. That's a clever way to get people interested for the main series.

TNA has announced tapings in Orlando for July 12 through July 14. The July 12 show will be a live-ish Destination X special. The storyline going into the show is the possibility of the X-Division Champion forfeiting that title to challenge the World Champion. So, the opportunity is there to shake up the title picture considerably.

- TNA is planning additional tapings from August 11 through August 14 in Orlando, but those dates aren't official yet. 

Rockstar Spud and Trevor Lee have signed new contracts with TNA. These deals are structured to where TNA controls their other bookings. That makes things easier on TNA's end as far as having all their talent available when the company needs them for bookings.

ROH TV will be available on the FITE app beginning June 27. So, if you don't see the show on a local station during the weekend, you can either watch it there on Mondays or on Comet late Wednesday/early Thursday.

Impact's audience this week was 304,000. Not a stellar number, but I imagine some of that could be due to last week's technical fiasco.

In the wake of Roman Reigns' suspension and the crowning of a new WWE Champion, the top three matches set for WWE in Madison Square Garden on July 16 are:
- Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship
- John Cena vs. AJ Styles
- Chris Jericho vs. Neville in a NYC street fight.

-- Charlotte, Ric Flair, and Zack Ryder (!) are no longer advertised for the MSG show. That's a real shame for Ryder. Mark Henry is set for the show in what is likely one of his final WWE matches. 

Roderick Strong has announced he'll be finishing up with ROH following Saturday's TV taping. He's one of the most tenured and decorated performers in the company's history, hence the "Mr. ROH" moniker. 

- Strong gave an exit interview with ROH's website.

- Naturally there's speculation on what he does next. There's been no word of interest from WWE, but he tried out for them in 2014. I imagine some ROH alums who've joined the roster in the past few years would vouch for him. TNA is also a possibility, of course, but there's been no word of an offer from them, either. I expect we'll know more after he works his final announced ROH dates.

Moose's ROH contract has officially expired. However, he is expected to continue to work with ROH through late July or late August. In the meantime, he's able to negotiate with WWE. If all goes well with medical testing, he could join the performance center in September.

Rey Mysterio is under a pretty lengthy deal with LU, and is being approached about signing on even longer. Even if he doesn't sign a new deal, it's likely he'd be unable to return to WWE until late 2017 at the earliest. WWE should probably focus their resources elsewhere if he's locked up that long.

ROH has opened a working relationship with CMLL, and will have a CMLL talent working their July 16 show in Philadelphia. The ROH scene will be pretty interesting with so many NJPW/CMLL crossovers. Having international talent to bolster their roster makes sense as a strategy. The trick is not making their own talent/promotion look minor league in comparison to those guests.

Katsuyori Shibata is expected to debut for ROH at Death Before Dishonor on August 19. A big NJPW presence is expected at that event.

Kevin Sullivan is expected to be part of BITW and the following TV taping. I'm curious to see what the future is for himself, Steve Corino, and BJ Whitmer.

Sasha Banks is on the cover of the latest Muscle & Fitness Hers. That's what happens when you're the BOSS.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It'd take a real "come to Jesus" meeting for the two sides to work together again. If Punk really wants a big Mania main event and Vince is willing to give it to him, it's possible they talk again after Punk's UFC run finishes up. Unless Punk really needs the money or really wants "closure" for his wrestling career, I don't think he'd be willing to come back to that environment. Even then, I expect HHH and Vince would have to eat some serious crow.

2. I definitely see him more as a cocky, smug heel than a cowardly one. Either way, it's tough for someone to be a babyface against Cena. Remember, just because "we" know and appreciate who AJ is, there's a big audience who had never seen him before the Royal Rumble. There are a lot of fans who've spent more than a decade cheering Cena and are hesitant to support the "outsider" coming in to challenge him.

3. I expect Byron will end up exclusive to one show or the other (as he should). So, Smackdown might need to fill his spot and Lawler's. I don't see Vince being comfortable having Mauro and Graves there without a veteran WWE-style commentator. So, if Lawler is out, we could see Booker or someone step in to complete the announce teams. I do expect each show to keep a three-person team.

4. No idea what he was thinking. I hope he had a conversation with management at MITB or Raw about what to do to prevent this from happening again, because this is a big blow to all the work they've done in building him up all this time.

5. I think it's supposed to be their U.S./IC Title for Eli Drake to defend against all the dummies people who aren't at the main event level right now. The problem is the roster isn't big enough to support that many championships.

More wrestling coming up.

NXT and Main Event Reax - 6/22/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT and Main Event.

WWE draft preview

Read on for my ideas for the WWE brand extension.

Konnor returns, Alberto correction, MITB note, Angle claims a WWE return, why Steph missed Raw, Cody to ROH?, another ROH taping match, Reigns suspended (seriously), Raw audience, Another name checked off for Cody, Paige hospitalized, WWE Japan update, new WWE trademarks, and Questions on how to use older names, HHH's rematch, Breezango, and Brock/Lashley in MMA

Konnor returned to action at Monday's TV taping, teaming with Viktor against Golden Truth on Superstars.

Alberto Del Rio was backstage at Raw, but was kept out of the ring in order to rest his leg.

Kalisto was originally set as the seventh name in MITB, but plans were ultimately changed. That would have been a nice push for him. Hopefully he'll get a chance to break out after the draft.

Kurt Angle said in a recent interview he will be returning to WWE after having conversations with Vince McMahon and Triple H. He gave no timetable for this return. It's not official until he passes medical tests and they iron out the details of a contract, so don't expect him to pop up on Raw next week or something. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes back as a part-timer; that'd probably be the best move at his age. Managing American Alpha is an option when he's not wrestling. Who knows, maybe he'll end up working with Zack Sabre, Jr. in WWE before it's all said and done.

Stephanie McMahon missed Raw because she was in France ahead of a WWE presentation there. I'm sure she and Shane will be back to feuding over who will run Smackdown next week.

Cody Rhodes teased a match with Steve Corino in ROH. This tweet is in reference to a promo that Corino cut on the ROH TV episode airing this week (which has already aired on local Sinclair markets). Rhodes in ROH could be an interesting experience. They could use a fresh talented veteran.

War Machine vs. Shane Taylor and Keith Lee has been announced for ROH's June 25 TV taping. Taylor and Lee, the Pretty Boy Killers, have worked a fair number of dates for ROH in the past few months.

Roman Reigns has been suspended for 30 days for violating WWE's Wellness policy. This is not an angle. I'm very disappointed in Roman, and I imagine WWE is, too. He was in the middle of an opportunity very few people get, and this mistake could cost him dearly. I still support Roman as a competitor, but this is a serious lapse in judgment and will rightfully affect WWE's confidence in him as a top competitor. I don't see WWE "burying him" just because of this, but I do think they'll give more thought on whether to strap a rocket to him.

- Reigns addressed the suspension on Twitter. I applaud him for the immediate and mature reaction. I really hope this is a wake-up call for him. 

- WWE found out about the failed drug test after last week's Smackdown taping, but before MITB. So, they booked MITB and the Raw after it with knowledge of Reigns' pending suspension. Based on that, the plan seems to be keeping him in the main event of Battleground (which takes place more than 30 days from now).

- Reigns will miss the draft show, but is still presumably fair game to be drafted. It was a very inopportune time to be suspended given the plans for the brand extension. There's got to be frustration going on with Management having to come up with a Plan B.

- Reigns was not at Tuesday's Smackdown taping, so his suspension began that day. 

Raw's audience Monday was 3.47 million, a nice boost from previous weeks. It definitely looks like there was interest in the fallout from MITB. We'll see how that moves forward from here. The people who wanted to see AJ beat Cena and Rollins and Ambrose in the title picture should keep watching if they want to see more in that direction.

Cody Rhodes will face Jushin Liger on August 28, so he'll be able to cross the legend's name off his list then. Still no Papa Shango, though.

Paige was detained by police Sunday after the MITB PPV, as it was determined she needed a medical evaluation. She was taken to the hospital, but was not arrested and no charges were filed. WWE is aware of the situation and has continued to utilize her as a wrestler. I hope everything's OK with the former Divas' Champion.

Dean Ambrose has been added to WWE's tour in Japan. Roman's loss is his gain. I hope he makes the most of this opportunity.

WWE has applied for trademarks for the names Dana Brooke, Epico, Konnor, Viktor, Simon Gotch, Aiden English, and Booker T. Booker's an interesting one, since he wrestles outside the company. He has their approval, though, so I guess it's not an issue.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. This wasn't even a question. Just more "smark" complaining. Pass.

2. One thing I liked about Mike's plan was "rotating" the top part-time names. Say Goldberg has a big, special attraction match in September. Then he can be saved from overexposure by disappearing for a few months because, say, Angle has a big match in October. Then HHH has a big match in November or December. You get the idea. Those names should be used to sell the big Network events. There are definitely ways to have one side win without the other side looking weak. AJ didn't look weak beating Cena if the followup is good.

3. They should save that for a "rainy day" to shake things up. HHH is the Cerebral Assassin. He should pick his spot to get that rematch.

4. That's funny, but I think it shortchanges Fandango.

5. There were reports of Brock having the option to do a UFC fight written into his most recent contract. Either way, Lashley's deal is non-exclusive. He's able to wrestle and fight in other places while still being a TNA taleny.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/21/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Impact Wrestling.

Looking at Gail's road to the HoF and Slammiversary's tough weekend, why Cena's shirt changed, WWE draft set, big milestone for Lethal, more matches for ROH TV, former WWF/WCW star has surgery, Interviews with Linda/AJ, Cavs get title replica, looking at the meaning of WWE TV ratings, CWC notes, new NXT events, Lawler update, Steph book release date, MITB and NXT visitors, Miz update, Cedric-EVOLVE update, Del Rio injury report, Orton return set, new TNA signing, what happened after Raw, and Questions on Brock's UFC fight, why Moose would go to WWE, how to use Balor on the main roster, and letting Cena cut loose

TNA Creative member Dave Lagana discussed Gail Kim's journey to their Hall of Fame. There are few current TNA wrestlers who have given to the company to the level that she has. 

Josh Mathews discussed putting on Slammiversary so soon after the Orlando shootings. It's easy to say "the show must go on," but that was definitely a tough ordeal for TNA to have to work through.

John Cena discussed returning to the original "PBR" design for his new shirt. I'm glad this didn't end up in a long court battle. 

WWE's draft will take place on the live Smackdown next month. I think that's an opportune time to begin the draft, although that's going to be a pretty crowded two-hour show. I imagine we'll just find out the top 10 names for each brand, with the rest being revealed on WWE.com or something. On a kind of related note, I wish that announcement was saved for WWE's corporate site while WWE's main site had a kayfabe story about Shane and Stephanie announcing the draft will take place on the live Smackdown. Since they're "running the company," they should set when the draft takes place.

Jay Lethal has now officially been ROH World Champion for more than a full calendar year. I don't see him losing the title at BITW, so he'll be able to make it a full "PPV year," too.

TNA officially had its 14th anniversary Sunday. MITB prevented them from having a true Slammiversary, so they celebrated a week early.

Dalton Castle vs. Roderick Strong and The Briscoes vs. The Young Bucks have been announced for ROH's June 25 TV taping. There has been no confirmation of Strong's ROH future one way or another.

Marc Mero underwent heart surgery last week. Hopefully he's recovering well.

Linda McMahon discussed her role in making WWE a success. It gives pretty good insight into someone we don't hear a lot from, including life with Vince.

WWE sent the NBA Champions a WWE Championship. They give a lot of those away these days.

Seeking Alpha looked at how WWE's ratings don't tell the whole story about the company's popularity. I'm glad someone is FINALLY adding some context to the one-sided narrative about ratings being down. It's a real shame there are prominent voices in the wrestling media who ignore key facts in order to present an overly negative view of WWE's business. 

WWE has some alternates in Orlando for the CWC. They've certainly done a lot of recruiting to make this a success. It could have easily been predominantly WWE-contracted talents. 

The 205 lb. weight limit for the CWC is legitimate and will be enforced. Hence, the alternates in case some people can't make weight.

NXT has three new live events set:

- August 4 in Birmingham, Alabama

- August 5 in Pensacola, Florida

- August 6 in New Orleans, Louisiana

Jerry Lawler and his fiancee have been ordered to stay away from each other. The next hearing is set for July 1, and Lawler remains suspended until the case is resolved. If this drags on through the draft, it will be interesting to see how WWE handles the commentary situations.

Stephanie McMahon's memoir is set to come out October 4. You better believe she'll be an important TV character through then.

Nikki Bella and representatives for Mattel and Toys R Us were backstage at MITB. We'll know more about Nikki's future around the time of Summerslam.

The Miz, Maryse, Naomi, and the Social Outcasts will be done filming their movie this week, so they should be able to return soon.

- The Miz is advertised for Saturday's WWE live event, so I expect we'll see him back on Raw.

Charles Robinson is missing WWE TV this week as he's needed for the CWC.

UK wrestler Klondike Kate visited at an NXT show this weekend. Could she end up getting a tryout at some point?

Cedric Alexander is expected to work with Evolve regularly going forward, so it's possible he ends up in the pipeline for NXT. His CWC appearance(s) will be critical for potentially being signed by WWE.

Alberto Del Rio was hospitalized after MITB and did not make Raw following an apparent knee injury at Sunday's PPV. There's no official word on how much time he'll potentially miss at this time.

Randy Orton is now being advertised for WWE's August 28 live event. I'm surprised it could be that long before we see him again. 

TNA has signed Tough Enough's Chelsea Green. Green has worked a number of matches for the company, including a dark match at the last TV taping. I'm curious to see how she does there.

After Raw, Dean Ambrose gave a heartfelt "thank you" speech to the crowds for believing in him. MITB was definitely his biggest career milestone.

Some notes from AJ Styles' interview on the WWE Network:

- I'm glad he's happy with his push. He's doing really well for someone who's just starting out in WWE.

- Very sad to hear about AJ's father being a violent alcoholic.

- AJ's fortunate wrestling worked out for him given his poverty and dropping out of college.

- AJ working with his cheerleader girlfriend to learn flips is pretty funny. It obviously paid off.

- Not shocked at all promoters put him in the ring just because he could do cool flips. That's the state of indie wrestling.

- I agree AJ can work well with pretty much any opponent.

- I'm glad he didn't bury TNA given all they did for his career.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Hornswoggle was suspended while not on the road, so it's entirely possible he would be able to not miss any dates on account of not being booked for any in the first place. WWE would still rather have him available to appear instead of failing a drug test, but it does bring up an interesting loophole.

2. I really don't think they'd neuter Moose. They know what talent he has. If Apollo Crews can pull out all his stops, I don't see why Moose wouldn't get the same treatment. Moose would be trained at the performance center to improve both his ring game and promos, and upon making the main roster would be able to work in front of bigger crowds more often in new locations against new, top-level opponents. Plus, he has friends in NXT/WWE. I definitely see why he'd consider making the jump.

3. Demon Balor should definitely be saved for special events, and hopefully we get more variations as time goes on. WWE would be able to sell merchandise based on different Demon designs if it's changed up every so often. I think Finn is pretty much destined to work either alongside or against his former NJPW running mates, but that doesn't mean they'll be linked permanently. At some point The Club will presumably run its course and he'll go in a different direction.

4. WWE is going for a different audience than the ones reached by Cena's less "family friendly" roles. They want the Fruity Pebbles guy to reach the younger demographic.

5. Brock has enough pull to get a UFC fight without them having to put something up in return. He wanted to get back in the Octagon, so Vince is letting him. That's how much Brock means to WWE business.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Raw Reax - 6/20/16

Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.

Cena recovery note, HIAC sweepstakes, WWE Network difficulties, WWE courting former stars, potential MITB injury, and Questions on who should be Mr. MITB, AJ moving down the card, Brock failing a test in UFC, NBCU's conflict of interest, and why Reigns and Ambrose haven't been hanging out

John Cena posted some impressive weightlifting as he continues to beat recovery expectations.

Hungry Man has a sweepstakes to win tickets to Hell in a Cell.

WWE Network's "Watch from beginning" feature was inactive on Xbox One for some time Sunday. That could have affected people who wanted to watch MITB in that matter on that platform. Hopefully it wasn't a big detriment to those wanting to watch a solid PPV.

WWE is reportedly interested in the following talents returning:
- Goldberg
-- I expect Goldberg would just want to return for a few big matches leading into WM33, if not just WM33 itself. If they throw him enough money and the right schedule, he could bite. I'd like to think it'd be worth doing a few big special attractions if Goldberg's in good enough shape to go a couple more rounds. He's definitely not a long-term solution.

- Kurt Angle 
-- If WWE can be confident in his health, there are some big matches he can do before hanging up the boots. I don't expect he'd want to do a full-time deal, and I don't think that'd be the right move for his physical and emotional health. I definitely think there's money in a final Angle run. Another name who wouldn't be a long-term solution, but worth it for a few special events.

- Rey Mysterio
-- This one's a surprise given how little Rey was used near the end of his last contract. It'd be tricky using someone with so many injuries. I don't know how many more bumps he's got left, and he's currently tied up with Lucha Underground. It's a big risk and a big investment. Maybe one last retirement match at some point if there's a lot of money to be made.

- Jeff Hardy
-- Hardy's interested. Once he's free from his current TNA deal, it's worth WWE making him an offer. If he can stay clean, there's money to be made with him returning. Matt's also an option, but I think he's pretty happy with being his own boss on the indies and spending more time with his family. 

- Carlito
-- Carlito was pretty burned out during his last WWE run. He could be worth giving another shot, but it's worth noting how things ended up last time.

- John Morrison
-- Another guy tied up with Lucha Underground. Once that deal ends, he might be worth pursuing. He can still go, and can contribute to the current landscape.

- Cryme Tyme
-- I love Cryme Tyme. I think it's worth giving them another shot if the two of them will "play ball" again.

- Shelton Benjamin
-- I'm surprised we haven't seen him back already, in the Royal Rumble or in NXT. He still wrestles regularly, and would likely be worth reaching out to. I don't know if Haas would be open to returning as well, but obviously if Shelton returns people will wonder about a WGTT/Team Angle reunion. He's worth giving a shot.

- MVP
-- MVP's a talented guy, but I don't know if his attitude and ego are worth dealing with. He's a maybe for me, depending on how much of a hassle he'd potentially be.

- Stevie Richards
-- Stevie's definitely worth taking a look at. He can still go. If he's interested in working the WWE schedule, it's worth a shot.

Alberto Del Rio was helped to the back following the MITB ladder match. There was no update on his condition Sunday. More on Del Rio tomorrow.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think Owens would have been a solid choice. He could be a pretty entertaining champion, and MITB would be a good way to elevate him to that level.

2. No. AJ came out of the Jericho feud as the No. 1 Contender to the WWE Title. Just because he's not WWE Champion five months into his WWE career, that doesn't mean he's a midcarder. People really need to examine their perspectives of what it means to be pushed.

3. I don't see how WWE wouldn't suspend him if he failed a test for a substance on their banned list. It'd give them a big black eye if they didn't.

4. TNA's not enough of a threat for WWE to care about them taping at Universal Studios.

5. Ambrose has been focused on MITB while Reigns has been focused on Seth. They had their hands full with other things. It doesn't mean they're not still friends or anything.

More wrestling tomorrow.

WWE Money in the Bank Reax

Read on for my thoughts on last night's WWE Network special.

Superstars Reax - 6/18/16, WWE live event note, WWE zombie figures released, and Questions on two Kevin Sullivans, replacing Lawler, CWC names being under WWE contract, Moose's future, and ECW tag teams

Superstars:
- Summer vs. Sasha:
I'm liking the work between these two early. Good to see the Boss back in action.

These two work together pretty well. Summer brings something different to the table, and has a good sense of pacing.

Pretty solid match.

- Corbin vs. Swagger:
I miss ECW and World Champion era Swagger. Now he's the All-American Jobber.

I'm also upset we never got The Bunny vs. The Swagger Soaring Eagle.

I like Corbin's rough style.

This is a good combination of styles.

That was pretty solid!

**********************NEWS BEGINS AFTER THIS LINE***************************

At a WWE live event this weekend, Eva Marie teamed with Summer Rae, Dana Brooke, and Charlotte in a loss to Natalya, Sasha, Paige, and Becky Lynch. Eva Marie's worked main roster shows more frequently than NXT since WM32.

Mattel has released some of the first WWE Zombies action figures. There's got to be interest in an animated series/comic book with that premise.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Kevin Sullivan's been part of WWE these past few years making WWE Encyclopedias, as well as books about the WWE Championship, Undertaker, Cena, Big Show, Punk, Rey, Kofi, and Hornswoggle. Unless you're thinking of the Taskmaster. No, he hasn't worked for WWE.

2. Otunga or JBL would make sense while they see what Lawler's future will be. After the brand extension, Byron Saxton will almost definitely be exclusive to one show, so they'll have to shuffle the deck regardless of Lawler's legal issues. Corey Graves is the popular choice for heading to main roster commentary. They could also replace Lawler with Booker T. if they have to fire the King.

3. Other than Gargano, Ciampa, and Swann, none of them are under WWE contract at this time. I expect that will change for some of those other names by the end of the year.

4. The impression is that both sides want him to be join the Performance Center by the end of the year. He has offers from ROH and TNA as well, but he's expected to try to head to NXT.

5. The Miz and John Morrison! The Hart Dynasty was pretty good, too.

More wrestling tomorrow.

WWE Money in the Bank preview

Read on for my ideas for booking tonight's WWE Network special.

Lawler arrested and suspended, ROH matches released, watch Impact online, TNA employee hospitalized, live Destination X next month, complete TNA and Smackdown audiences, new matches for MITB, TNA names sign new deals, and Questions on more WWE movies, Stevie Richards, Pop's technical difficulties, when to do the draft, and who should be Smackdown's GM

Jerry Lawler and his fiancee were arrested following a domestic incident. As a result of this infraction, Lawler has been suspended indefinitely by WWE. That's a very unfortunate turn of events for the legend and Hall of Famer, and WWE is wise to distance themselves while things are under investigation.

- Local Memphis news covered the situation. Initially he said he was scratched in the face, kicked in the groin, and had a candle thrown at him, but later he said nobody was hit and nobody was hurt. Either way, this doesn't sound like a healthy situation. If the two of them do intend on sticking together, they need to address what led to the incident in the first place, whether that's alcohol or other underlying issues.

- Lawler and she will both be in court Monday morning, so we could have a resolution to his WWE status shortly thereafter.

- Lawler and his fiancee were released from jail after bail was posted. I hope they have to stay separated until (at least) Monday's hearing given the charges and situation.

- Lawler had no comment for the media as he left jail. That's probably for the best.

ROH has released Kamaitachi vs. Will Ferrara and Jessica James vs. Kelly Klein online. Kamaitachi will also be in action at BITW, facing Kyle O'Reilly.

Pop TV posted this week's Impact Wrestling in full online for those who couldn't check it out on TV this week. That's a good "make good" for the technical issues, and hopefully gets some outside fans to check the product out.

TNA's ring and transportation manager was hospitalized suffered a heart attack earlier this week at the TV tapings. That's really scary, and I hope he pulls through.

TNA will hold a "live"-ish Destination X edition of Impact Wrestling on July 12. They're also taping more episodes of the show for later during that time frame. It remains to be seen what Pop will do with Impact once Smackdown goes live the next week.

The Wednesday night showing of Impact Wrestling drew 117,000 viewers. Adding that audience to those who watched the delayed airing Tuesday night, the viewership was 327,000, virtually even with the previous week.

Thursday's Smackdown drew 2.08 million viewers. The shakeup of a draft and a live show is a needed boost for WWE right now.

WWE has added Breezango vs. Golden Truth and Lucha Dragons vs. the Dudleys for the MITB Kickoff show. I assume Apollo vs. Sheamus and Ziggler vs. Corbin are being moved to the main card. That should be some good action to warm the crowd up.

- WWE later confirmed Apollo vs. Sheamus and Ziggler vs. Corbin have been moved to the main card. Those feuds actually have heat behind them, so it makes sense to save them for the main show.

TNA has announced new contracts for Abyss, Al Snow, DJ Z, and Rosemary. It's good they're continuing to lock talents into deals. It looks like Al Snow will be continuing regularly as a talent, which is good news. He's been a good addition to the product with his high level of knowledge and experience.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. If the first two were successful, it's entirely possible they continue the series. They've gotten a lot of mileage from the Marine series, so they could try to get similar success from this series.

2. He still works every so often. I definitely think he'd be a good addition to NXT, either on camera or behind-the-scenes (or both)!

3. I was hoping it was a Solomon Crowe angle, but unfortunately that's not the case. I'm willing to see what the plan is for Dixie and Corgan being on TV so much. Thankfully there's also a lot of good wrestling on the show these days.

4. The week of the live Smackdown makes sense to do the draft. With the draft on Raw, Smackdown's the "last" appearance of the Raw stars on Smackdown, and Battleground wraps up some Raw/Smackdown feuds. Then we're off to building to Summerslam.

5. Bryan could work, BUT there'd always be the people asking when we'll see him in the ring again. I would have loved Zeb Colter in the role. William Regal's an option (with Albert replacing him as NXT GM), but I think they understandably want him down working with talents in NXT. J&J Security as co-GMs could be fun, or Road Dogg since he's an agent. Sadly, I think we're in for Shane running one show with Stephanie (and HHH?) running the other.

More wrestling tomorrow.

Spud hurt at TV taping, WWE gets big deal in China, Gypsy Joe passes, TNA names in EVOLVE update, Corino on BJ, new match for ROH TV taping, and Questions on WWE turning things around, JR's documentary, WWE buying TNA, and Miz as champion

Rockstar Spud lost several teeth during a match taped for Impact. Ouch. I hope he gets some replacements soon. Unfortunately those don't grow back.

WWE has signed their first Chinese wrestler. AND a multi-year streaming deal in China. AND a live event in China on September 10. That's all great news!!! Really big day for WWE in expanding to a new market. 

- WWE Network is also believed to be on the way there, but they're still working out the details. Also good to hear.

- I hope they can make something of Wang. Either way, I expect more Chinese (and Indian) performers in the years to come.

-- WWE put out a press release with the details.

Gypsy Joe has passed away at 82. PWInsider looked at his storied career. He was hardcore before "hardcore" was a thing.

Caleb Konley and EC3 are expected to be done with EVOLVE for the time being as EVOLVE looks to focus on talents who could end up WWE-bound. Both men are under TNA contract, so WWE would be out of the question for them. Drew Galloway will likely remain for now, as his current TNA contract isn't exclusive.

Steve Corino cut a promo before his big war with BJ Whitmer. I expect that one to be pretty heated; the match has been built pretty well.

The Addiction vs. Silas Young and Beer City Bruiser is set for ROH's June 25 TV taping. I don't expect Addiction to drop the gold to them.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.They'll have to put effort into strong stories and characters for more members of the roster instead of just being like "oh this segment worked alright on Raw. Let's do pretty much the same thing on Smackdown." It will be good for a lot of acts to be less heavily exposed. Look at how much the MITB participants faced off in different combinations and segments - there's not much else for them to do at the actual PPV. They'll also need to give dedicated character progression for more of the roster instead of calling up someone and having them just kind of float around.

- As for their suggestions:
a. When they do have larger-than-life personalities, either the current guys have to job to them or they end up becoming just another part of the roster at some point because we see them so much.

b. I'd love to see more of Punk and AJ, but I suspect Punk would want a real sweetheart deal where he can call his own shots and all that. It MIGHT be worth bringing him back, but it'd be something of a Band-Aid. There are larger problems.

c. Having Angle as GM could work if the show doesn't turn into The Kurt Angle Show featuring other less-important wrestlers who share screen time with Kurt Angle.

d. Having Goldberg do a few big matches MIGHT work, but he'd want a lot of money and a big push. They need to build up the current guys. If he's coming in to work Brock or put over someone like Roman, fine. But, guest stars being the focus is already a big problem.

2. Fair use would come into play. If they're just using a little bit of footage to comment on it, they'll probably be fine. It's not like JR's trying to sell a DVD of matches from the era.

Nothing to really add to 3.

4. That won't happen if Dixie wants to remain in the business. WWE would just pick up some contracts and the footage before putting the whole thing out to pasture. There's no evidence of talks between the two sides.

5. The Miz is a movie star! His services are in demand outside the wrestling ring. MITB is plenty big as a show without him involved; his three challengers from Extreme Rules are in the MITB match itself, so there's really no one to challenge him.

More wrestling tomorrow.

ROH and Smackdown Reax - 6/14/16

Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's ROH and Smackdown.

China tryout photos, Reigns and Bellas nominated at TCA, Ryder offering autographs to shirt buyers, more Nitros on the Network, TNA HoF note, former WWE star at Impact, new ROH PPV matches, WWE suspension ends, Cena impresonates Hogan, Final Battle '16 set, Steph talks memoir, Cabana gets his rematch with Lethal, White's ROH arrival set, Gail on HoF nod, Takeover sells out, WWE trademarks NWA/WCW event name, TNA audience, TNA departure, WWE drops trademark plan, Red on missing CWC, Magnum TA action figure coming, top WWE names close to returning, more TNA in AAA, JR looking to produce documentary, Otunga update, UK names to NXT?, TNA India tour update, and Questions on a new golden era of wrestling, CWC expectations, the brass ring, pushing Breeze, and WWE's best announcers

WWE showed photos from their tryout in China. Hopefully there were some good potential superstars there.

Roman Reigns and the Bella Twins have been nominated for the 2016 Teen Choice Awards in athlete categories. I hope they do well.

Zack Ryder will send autographs to anyone who buys his new T-shirt. That's a great way to take advantage of his first new merchandise in years.

WWE Network has added more WCW Nitros from 1999 and 2000. I expect they'll focus on finishing uploading the run of that show for the immediate future.

TNA kept their Hall of Fame announcement very close to their chests. Gail Kim didn't know she was being inducted until Dixie announced it. She's definitely earned the honor.

Billy Gunn was backstage at TNA's Tuesday night taping. I'm split on whether they should bring him in. They could use a veteran with name value who can still "go," but they already have the reputation of using "washed-up WWE rejects" and they don't want to feed into that.

Roderick Strong vs. Mark Briscoe is official for Best in the World. Speculation continues on Strong's future as his contract winds down. 

- ROH has also announced Moose/War Machine vs. The Elite in a tornado match and Kamaitachi vs. Kyle O'Reilly for the PPV. This could end up being Moose's final match for ROH as he's expected to try out for WWE once he's contractually free to do so.

-- Moose is also believed to have a big offer from TNA. So, if things don't work out for him to join NXT, he has an opportunity to shine there. His future looks pretty bright in any case.

Konnor is cleared to return to WWE, and could be back in the mix as soon as this weekend's live events. I imagine he'll pretty much slide right back into the "enhancement talent" role for live events, Main Event, and Superstars.

John Cena played Hulk Hogan in a sketch on NBC. It's the role he was meant to play. I'm liking non-PG Cena more and more. 

Final Battle 2016 will be at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on December 2. Fans are excited ROH won't be running Terminal 5 in the city. 

Stephanie McMahon promoted her book on Facebook. I expect her to remain a constant presence on TV in order to sell this memoir.

Jay Lethal vs. Colt Cabana is set for ROH's July 16 show in Philadelphia. I'm curious to see who ends up dethroning Lethal for the title and when.

Jay White will start with ROH at their June 25 TV taping. He's scheduled to face Kamaitachi at that event.

Gail Kim tweeted about being the newest TNA Hall of Famer. She was with TNA before the Knockouts division even existed, and has been a strong soldier there for years.

Takeover: Back to Brooklyn has officially sold out. There's potential for a really big card that night.

WWE has trademarked Clash of Champions. I expect that could end up a Network special or a new PPV name in the aftermath of the brand split.

Impact Wrestling drew 210,000 viewers for its delayed airing. Hopefully they rebound in their regular spot next week.

Chris Melendez is no longer part of TNA due to his contract expiring. He had asked for his release several months back, but was told to just wait until the contract ended. Melendez last worked a One Night Only show in March, following two matches for the company in early January. I hope he gets booked more going forward.

WWE has abandoned plans to trademark the Legion of Doom. That's a wise move if the plan was to give that moniker to Paul Ellering's NXT duo; they should forge their own path. 

Amazing Red needed three surgeries following a broken ankle, leading to him missing the CWC. Hopefully he'll get another chance at coming to WWE once he recovers.

Mattel has announced the first-ever Magnum TA action figure as part of an upcoming line. That's good news!

Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are expected back on WWE TV in time for the draft. Orton has potential to drop back in as a major player after his lengthy absence.

TNA names are expected to work AAA Triplemania in August. That's good news for some talents getting an additional booking.

Jim Ross is looking at producing a documentary on the glory days of wrestling on TBS. That's right up his alley.

David Otunga is expected to do commentary on Main Event and Superstars regularly going forward. He's a strong speaker, so it's natural to try him out in that role.

UK wrestlers Big Damo and Noam Dar are expected to be recruited for NXT in the coming months. Both men have made names for themselves in that market.

TNA's tour of India is tentatively scheduled for late in the year after being continually pushed back. That's potentially a big happening for them, but it's also a costly one.

For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There's definitely a lot of wrestling content out there for those who want it. If that's the barometer of a golden era, it does look good for fans in the short term. However, I'm worried about how sustainable so much WWE content will be given the current ratings levels, TNA's financial situation is quite shaky, and it remains to be seen if LU can become a more permanent part of the wrestling landscape.

2. I'm viewing the CWC more or less as live NXT tryouts. From that perspective, I think we'll see a number of talents impress enough to be offered contracts. Even some who don't will remain on WWE's radar and likely get another shot next year if they do bring the concept back as planned.

3. Grabbing the brass ring only means so much if the company isn't willing to get behind you and use you in a more prominent role. There's a long-standing belief that "McMahons = ratings," so they'll probably continue to be a fixture for the foreseeable future. For what it's worth, there was a spike in business when Shane returned and Vince is usually reliable for a ratings/interest boost if used in an important matter.

4. Breeze was spinning his tires in NXT, and had really done all he could do at the  developmental level. So, they called him up to test him as a main roster guy. I like Breeze, but I'm not complaining about his current situation. Hopefully Breezango gets more of a chance to shine after the brand split.

5. I can't disagree with that assessment in the least. Mauro has legitimate enthusiasm for the product, and Graves is a natural talker.

More wrestling tomorrow.