Vince McMahon's "UFL" trademark has been initially refused due to the Urban Fitness League filing the same trademark in January 2017. VKM Ventures will have to show how the two trademarks wouldn't/won't be confused in order for that trademark to move forward.
Diamond Dallas Page talked about helping Justin Credible and more:
- I really, really hope Credible turns his life around and is in much better shape when his time with DDP is over.
- Boorman's transformation has been miraculous.Wow.
- Vince isn't just going to need a master plan. He's going to need a lot of people who can execute those plans, on the field and behind-the-scens.
- DDP is in awesome shape for his age. Heck, he's in awesome shape for someone younger!!
- I'm VERY glad DDP reached out to Credible.
- Smart to get a video out there about Credible being committed to recovery.
- DDP's journey in the business has been one-of-a-kind.
Braun Strowman went home early from Raw's year-end tour due to taking ill. Hopefully he won't miss long; he's been one of the highlights of WWE these days.
Set for Smackdown:
- AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn
- The Usos vs. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
- Xavier Woods vs. Aiden English in the United States Championship tournament
Bayley gave stories of being a fan before joining WWE. Pretty fun idea for a series. Cool to see all those old photos and clips. I wonder what Reby thinks of Bayley's Matt obsession?
Sid Vicious' phone call pulling out of an independent appearance has been released online. That was quite the winding tale!
At a Raw live event in Ontario:
- Kane joined Elias' concert, with the two signing "She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain." Elias buried Kane's signing, leading to him taking a chokeslam. Really funny stuff.
- Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe was cut short due to Joe bleeding heavily from a cut above his eye. That's unfortunate, given it being the main event. I wish they would have called an audible and had something else go on, even if it was just Roman beating down Elias.
- WWE will return to the area on March 23.
Nikki Bella and B. Brian Blair were at Smackdown's live event in Florida Saturday night.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. If they were going to do that spot, I think they would have done it with James Ellsworth, and I REALLY doubt he would have won. I wouldn't be shocked to see someone like Curt Hawkins give that a go, but I wouldn't put a high likelihood on it given how important of a milestone it is for the women. Things have come a long way since the Santina days.
2. WWE would have to be convinced that the PR backlash would be worth it. If Swann does a lot of community service, etc. in the public eye, to the point where the mainstream perception of him isn't tied up with this incident, WWE might consider it, but that's years down the line if it happens.
3. I'm not counting on it. I think they'll try out a big tag team tournament or a different new concept. We'll see.
4. All those names, plus Disney, YouTube, Facebook, etc. Anyone who's willing to make them a legitimate big-money offer, they're going to consider.
5. He could also be an announcer or something. I doubt he plays at 40 years old, but I don't see the XFL having much of a luxury to turn people away, either.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, December 31, 2017
VKM football trademark update, Interviews with DDP/Bayley, Braun ill, Smackdown matches set, Sid's cancellation phone call, Raw and Smackdown live event notes including match cut short, and Questions on a man in the women's Rumble, bringing back Swann if he's convicted, another MYC, WWE's next content deal, and He Hate Me's role in the new XFL
Saturday, December 30, 2017
WWE offers MYC name contract, model invited to Mania, custom Bar sneakers, Lockdown date set, Sid no-shows indie date, Aro Lucha sizzle reel, Impact audience, special title match on Raw, Show on facing Floyd, WWE redoes classic Raw intro, Raw team back on live events, and Questions on booking the U.S. Title
Mae Young Classic competitor Jazzy Gabert was offered a WWE contract, but it was discovered she had three herniated discs in her neck. She will undergo surgery that will hopefully lead to her being signed. There were some seriously talented women in that tournament who haven't been signed yet.
Model Chrissy Teigen has been invited to Wrestlemania after she mentioned the show on Twitter. Not a bad PR move!
The Bar got custom shoes. That's really cool. They've been a hit.
Lockdown will be on PPV on April 22. There has been no location set yet, though one would think Canada would be a focal point.
Sid Vicious didn't attend a scheduled booking in Ohio, allegedly due to passport issues. Swoggle, EC3, and Gregory Iron made the most of the situation, with EC3 signing Sid's pictures. AMAZING. I hope EC3 gets pushed to the moon. He's been entertaining as all get out.
Aro Lucha put out a promo reel for their product, in hopes of getting attention for a TV deal. James Storm, Low Ki, Hurricane Helms, Carlito, Juventud Guerrera, Super Crazy, Jack Evans (as Jack Edwards), Laredo Kid, Taya Valkyrie, and Mascarita Dorada (formerly El Torito) among others are advertised for their January 19 and 20 events, so that should tell you to some degree what some of those names are up to now. It doesn't look like Storm's headed to NXT.
Impact drew 285,000 viewers for their second "Best of 2017" show, their highest number since August. That's a pleasant surprise following the number they did against Tribute to the Troops two weeks ago. We'll see how things shake out when they get back to fresh episodes. The next episode has three title matches and a career on the line. If they can't draw with that, there's a real problem.
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe for the Intercontinental Championship is set for Raw. If Reigns is disqualified, he'll lose the title.
Big Show discussed facing Floyd Mayweather. I like this series. So, when do we get Conor vs. Big Show?
WWE did the original Raw intro with current superstars. Pretty fun.
The Revival have returned to Raw live events, teaming with Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, and Curt Hawkins in losses to Rhyno, Heath Slater, Goldust, Titus O'Neill and Apollo Crews. It's that Hawkins curse! As of December 29, Hawkins has lost 147 straight matches.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1 and 2. To set up this tournament and whatever they're going to do next with Dolph. I could see him doing a run-in during/after the final to get right back into the title picture because the winner ever beat him for the title and no one can do what he does in the ring and... you know, the usual Dolph stuff.
3. It could be to have a big singles match between Roode and Jinder while Corbin works the Rumble itself.
4. If he ran through Tye, fans would complain about how Tye's being wasted.
5. Because if he's not in that tournament, he doesn't have to lose a televised match on the road to being in the Rumble match.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Model Chrissy Teigen has been invited to Wrestlemania after she mentioned the show on Twitter. Not a bad PR move!
The Bar got custom shoes. That's really cool. They've been a hit.
Lockdown will be on PPV on April 22. There has been no location set yet, though one would think Canada would be a focal point.
Sid Vicious didn't attend a scheduled booking in Ohio, allegedly due to passport issues. Swoggle, EC3, and Gregory Iron made the most of the situation, with EC3 signing Sid's pictures. AMAZING. I hope EC3 gets pushed to the moon. He's been entertaining as all get out.
Aro Lucha put out a promo reel for their product, in hopes of getting attention for a TV deal. James Storm, Low Ki, Hurricane Helms, Carlito, Juventud Guerrera, Super Crazy, Jack Evans (as Jack Edwards), Laredo Kid, Taya Valkyrie, and Mascarita Dorada (formerly El Torito) among others are advertised for their January 19 and 20 events, so that should tell you to some degree what some of those names are up to now. It doesn't look like Storm's headed to NXT.
Impact drew 285,000 viewers for their second "Best of 2017" show, their highest number since August. That's a pleasant surprise following the number they did against Tribute to the Troops two weeks ago. We'll see how things shake out when they get back to fresh episodes. The next episode has three title matches and a career on the line. If they can't draw with that, there's a real problem.
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe for the Intercontinental Championship is set for Raw. If Reigns is disqualified, he'll lose the title.
Big Show discussed facing Floyd Mayweather. I like this series. So, when do we get Conor vs. Big Show?
WWE did the original Raw intro with current superstars. Pretty fun.
The Revival have returned to Raw live events, teaming with Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, and Curt Hawkins in losses to Rhyno, Heath Slater, Goldust, Titus O'Neill and Apollo Crews. It's that Hawkins curse! As of December 29, Hawkins has lost 147 straight matches.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1 and 2. To set up this tournament and whatever they're going to do next with Dolph. I could see him doing a run-in during/after the final to get right back into the title picture because the winner ever beat him for the title and no one can do what he does in the ring and... you know, the usual Dolph stuff.
3. It could be to have a big singles match between Roode and Jinder while Corbin works the Rumble itself.
4. If he ran through Tye, fans would complain about how Tye's being wasted.
5. Because if he's not in that tournament, he doesn't have to lose a televised match on the road to being in the Rumble match.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, December 29, 2017
More on Paige injury, more on Jarrett/GFW's return, Aro Lucha plans more events, Cabana changes podcast, Impact exec finishing up, Impact planning more live events, Impact changing rings?, Knockouts Champion taking independent bookings, another Impact match taped outside of Impact, why Gail is on USO tour with WWE stars, Smackdown audience, WWN-Flosports update, Rey-LU note, Bucks trademarks, top ROH team gets exclusive contracts, Rusev has happy days, wrestling legend honored, NXT name coming back soon, WWE DVD plans, Impact planning next PPV, Japanese legend working U.S. show, WWE thanks roster for working Christmas, WWE announcer doing independent signing, Jordan's win gets press, future U.S. Title tournament matches, Smackdown live event notes, and Questions on Swann's arrest, WM35's location, Vince in his own HoF, best wrestler to never be world champion, and an alternate XFL
Paige is believed to have suffered a stinger at a live event, but she wasn't hospitalized as a result. She's been pulled from this weekend's live events as a precautionary measure. We'll see if she misses any time beyond that.
Jeff Jarrett's return to the ring was posted online. Good to see him back in action.
- Jarrett followed up the appearance with a press release on the return of GFW. The promoters reached out to GFW to set things up, rather than the other way around.
Aro Lucha is focusing on more Texas shows for the first four months of 2018. I hope that project continues to go well.
Colt Cabana will be changing his podcast to be more along the lines of his "Wrestling Road Diaries" DVDs, chronicling what he does on the indie scene. This move will begin in March, to differentiate his podcast from others featuring long interviews with indie stars.
John "Big" Gaburick has departed Impact Wrestling, as was planned for the end of 2017 as Don Callis comes into the company.
Impact is looking to run live events again starting in March. I hope they can become a regularly drawing card.
Impact could return to using a four-sided ring following the departure of ring and transportation manager Bob Rosen. I would think it would be quicker and easier to put together a ring with fewer turnbuckles, which is going to be a priority with them cutting back on personnel.
Laurel Van Ness is taking independent bookings, which brings further speculation she's finishing up with Impact soon. I'm curious what her next moves are; she's getting a pretty good amount of exposure in Impact compared to outside of it, so I hope she's got options.
Impact will tape Matt Sydal vs. Petey Williams at January 21's Destiny Wrestling event in Ontario. Impact is smartly making the most of other parties' events that are willing to partner with the company.
Gail Kim is on the same USO tour that The Miz and Alicia Fox are on due to Kim's husband Chef Robert Irvine being part of the events. Kim remains part of Impact.
Smackdown drew 2.66 million viewers, a bit of a boost from the previous week's show and close to what Raw did.
WWN is still expected to file a countersuit against Flosports for money owed under the terms of the contract. Flosports as a whole has experienced major cutbacks independent of the Floslam venture.
Rey Mysterio isn't expected to return to Lucha Underground given their financial cutbacks.
The Young Bucks are trademarking "Being The Elite" and "Killing The Business" as part of a new parent company called Killing the Business. They're making a killing in the business, that's for sure.
The Kingdom have signed exclusive ROH contracts for the U.S., finishing their outside commitments a few weeks ago. It makes sense for them to be focused on ROH and vice versa.
Rusev's "Happy Rusev Day" shirts are selling surprisingly well. It's good to see that catching on like it has.
Gerald Brisco was honored as the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Outstanding American. He's definitely a legend who has quite the legacy.
Velveteen Dream is set to return to NXT soon. He had been missing from the brand and WWE Performance Center since his loss to Aleister Black. I'm curious how he'll fit into things going forward.
Raw will get a 25th anniversary DVD on April 3. That's going to be a big moment for WWE.
WWE is planning a DVD collection of "WWE 24" documentaries. That's not a bad idea if there's demand for it, to see if people will sign up to the Network to watch future episodes.
Impact is planning a Lockdown PPV in late April or early May. That seems a little late in the year given where Slammiversary usually lands, but I guess they want to use other live events to build to that event, as in a "Road to Lockdown" tour.
The Great Muta is working the United States for the first time in nearly three years on January 19, teaming with Penta El Zero M to face Sami Callihan and Johnny Ultra on an iPPV streamed on the Fite app. That's a pretty interesting combination of workers!
WWE threw a Christmas party for its workers after Raw, and paid the hotel bills for Raw and Smackdown talents as a bonus for both sides working the holiday. USA Network made the call to do a live Raw and Smackdown that week; WWE didn't make the decision.
Corey Graves will be doing signings at the Icons of Wrestling convention during Royal Rumble weekend, as put on by Northeast Wrestling. As an announcer, he's able to do outside dates.
Jason Jordan got local press for winning the Raw tag team championship. That's pretty cool. He's being given a pretty big opportunity with Ambrose out.
Smackdown has announced the United States Championship tournament brackets. Bobby Roode will face the winner of Zack Ryder vs. Mojo Rawley, while Jinder Mahal will face the winner of Xavier Woods vs. Aiden English. Roode vs. Jinder seems like the likely title match there.
The Riott Squad have been working two-on-two tag matches on Smackdown live events, with shifting lineups taking on Becky Lynch and Naomi. Smackdown's division is a little short on the babyface side right now.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The charges are in the hands of the local prosecutor at this point. Swann and his wife are back on a positive footing.
2. Whichever city/area can offer WWE the best deal! Nothing is set in stone.
3. I think he'll go in the year after he either passes away or is no longer able to run the company. And, really, he should have a class to himself if they don't just totally take a break from the Hall for a while after his induction. That's how important he is.
4. Got to go with Piper, as I consider DiBiase to have been world champion briefly when he bought the title from Andre. It's a technicality, sure, and it was immediately voided, but from the time the "sale" was completed to the time he was stripped, he was champion.
5. That sounds AMAZING, but all signs point to a football league. I would absolutely watch a Vince McMahon MMA card, though. I'm picturing bouts with no weight limits so mastadons can squash people around 200 lbs. Also a manager throws in a steel chair every now and again, and you can win by escaping the cage.
Nothing to add to 6.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Jeff Jarrett's return to the ring was posted online. Good to see him back in action.
- Jarrett followed up the appearance with a press release on the return of GFW. The promoters reached out to GFW to set things up, rather than the other way around.
Aro Lucha is focusing on more Texas shows for the first four months of 2018. I hope that project continues to go well.
Colt Cabana will be changing his podcast to be more along the lines of his "Wrestling Road Diaries" DVDs, chronicling what he does on the indie scene. This move will begin in March, to differentiate his podcast from others featuring long interviews with indie stars.
John "Big" Gaburick has departed Impact Wrestling, as was planned for the end of 2017 as Don Callis comes into the company.
Impact is looking to run live events again starting in March. I hope they can become a regularly drawing card.
Impact could return to using a four-sided ring following the departure of ring and transportation manager Bob Rosen. I would think it would be quicker and easier to put together a ring with fewer turnbuckles, which is going to be a priority with them cutting back on personnel.
Laurel Van Ness is taking independent bookings, which brings further speculation she's finishing up with Impact soon. I'm curious what her next moves are; she's getting a pretty good amount of exposure in Impact compared to outside of it, so I hope she's got options.
Impact will tape Matt Sydal vs. Petey Williams at January 21's Destiny Wrestling event in Ontario. Impact is smartly making the most of other parties' events that are willing to partner with the company.
Gail Kim is on the same USO tour that The Miz and Alicia Fox are on due to Kim's husband Chef Robert Irvine being part of the events. Kim remains part of Impact.
Smackdown drew 2.66 million viewers, a bit of a boost from the previous week's show and close to what Raw did.
WWN is still expected to file a countersuit against Flosports for money owed under the terms of the contract. Flosports as a whole has experienced major cutbacks independent of the Floslam venture.
Rey Mysterio isn't expected to return to Lucha Underground given their financial cutbacks.
The Young Bucks are trademarking "Being The Elite" and "Killing The Business" as part of a new parent company called Killing the Business. They're making a killing in the business, that's for sure.
The Kingdom have signed exclusive ROH contracts for the U.S., finishing their outside commitments a few weeks ago. It makes sense for them to be focused on ROH and vice versa.
Rusev's "Happy Rusev Day" shirts are selling surprisingly well. It's good to see that catching on like it has.
Gerald Brisco was honored as the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Outstanding American. He's definitely a legend who has quite the legacy.
Velveteen Dream is set to return to NXT soon. He had been missing from the brand and WWE Performance Center since his loss to Aleister Black. I'm curious how he'll fit into things going forward.
Raw will get a 25th anniversary DVD on April 3. That's going to be a big moment for WWE.
WWE is planning a DVD collection of "WWE 24" documentaries. That's not a bad idea if there's demand for it, to see if people will sign up to the Network to watch future episodes.
Impact is planning a Lockdown PPV in late April or early May. That seems a little late in the year given where Slammiversary usually lands, but I guess they want to use other live events to build to that event, as in a "Road to Lockdown" tour.
The Great Muta is working the United States for the first time in nearly three years on January 19, teaming with Penta El Zero M to face Sami Callihan and Johnny Ultra on an iPPV streamed on the Fite app. That's a pretty interesting combination of workers!
WWE threw a Christmas party for its workers after Raw, and paid the hotel bills for Raw and Smackdown talents as a bonus for both sides working the holiday. USA Network made the call to do a live Raw and Smackdown that week; WWE didn't make the decision.
Corey Graves will be doing signings at the Icons of Wrestling convention during Royal Rumble weekend, as put on by Northeast Wrestling. As an announcer, he's able to do outside dates.
Jason Jordan got local press for winning the Raw tag team championship. That's pretty cool. He's being given a pretty big opportunity with Ambrose out.
Smackdown has announced the United States Championship tournament brackets. Bobby Roode will face the winner of Zack Ryder vs. Mojo Rawley, while Jinder Mahal will face the winner of Xavier Woods vs. Aiden English. Roode vs. Jinder seems like the likely title match there.
The Riott Squad have been working two-on-two tag matches on Smackdown live events, with shifting lineups taking on Becky Lynch and Naomi. Smackdown's division is a little short on the babyface side right now.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The charges are in the hands of the local prosecutor at this point. Swann and his wife are back on a positive footing.
2. Whichever city/area can offer WWE the best deal! Nothing is set in stone.
3. I think he'll go in the year after he either passes away or is no longer able to run the company. And, really, he should have a class to himself if they don't just totally take a break from the Hall for a while after his induction. That's how important he is.
4. Got to go with Piper, as I consider DiBiase to have been world champion briefly when he bought the title from Andre. It's a technicality, sure, and it was immediately voided, but from the time the "sale" was completed to the time he was stripped, he was champion.
5. That sounds AMAZING, but all signs point to a football league. I would absolutely watch a Vince McMahon MMA card, though. I'm picturing bouts with no weight limits so mastadons can squash people around 200 lbs. Also a manager throws in a steel chair every now and again, and you can win by escaping the cage.
Nothing to add to 6.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Interviews with Van Ness/Alberto/Owens/Charlotte, Kendrick injury update, assorted wrestling press, WWE Middle Eastern signing gets press, big ROH sale, Raw audience, another big Impact backstage departure, top WWE female hurt, another Brock match set, Smackdown name returns, and Questions on Vince buying into the NFL, XFL motivations, Bryan toning it down, NXT talents facing Ziggler, and Joe's towel attendant tweet
Laurel Van Ness promoted Impact's January tapings:
- Tough Enough definitely opened doors for her. She didn't win a contract, but she hustled and made the most of her exposure. I respect that immensely.
- Van Ness has taken her character and run with it. She didn't get an opportunity in WWE, but I'm glad she's making the most of the one she has now.
- The last word was that she was going to get her release after dropping the title at the upcoming tapings. Things could change once they get to Orlando, though.
Alberto El Patron talked about redeeming himself:
- I give Alberto a lot of credit for his recent charity work.
- I'm glad he realizes the responsibility of being the public face of Impact.
- Alberto has an amazing resume. Impact's lucky to have someone with his star caliber when he can stay on the rails.
- I'm very curious what the rest of his career looks like, inside and outside of Impact.
Brian Kendrick will not need surgery after his injury on Raw. I hope he's safe to continue working soon.
WWE gave Jimmy Fallon press for being at Raw's Madison Square Garden show.
Hulk Hogan, Sting, Eric Bischoff, and Jimmy Hart are set for a January 15 convention in Arizona.
Kevin Nash and Josh Barnett are on Jim Ross' latest podcast.
Frankie Kazarian is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Kevin Owens promoted Smackdown's live event in Michigan:
- I think the days of mostly cheers or mostly boos for a top name are over. The audience is very split now with WWE trying to appeal to all demographics.
- Owens vs. HBK would have been great.
Charlotte Flair promoted "Second Nature." I'm fairly sure Ric would get back in the ring if someone would let him, unless he can't from a health perspective.
WWE signing Shadia Bseiso got press:
- I'm excited to see how she does given her background.
- I'm definitely supportive of WWE trying to appeal to audiences they haven't reached well in the past.
- I really hope her gimmick isn't just "Middle Eastern wrestler who's a progressive icon as a face and a dastardly foreigner as a heel." Ideally, her character won't be dependent on her heritage.
ROH is running a big fan appreciation sale, with 35% off select merchandise. I'd think 2017 was a pretty good year for them, business-wise.
Raw drew 2.70 million viewers on Christmas Day. That's not a bad drop at all.
Impact has released their ring and transportation manager. Bob Rosen had been with the company for 13 years, in charge of supervising their ring crew, constructing their rings, driving the rings to each event, overseeing security, and various other logistical roles. To say he was heavily involved in the backstage end of the company is an understatement. It's not going to be easy to replace someone with that many responsibilities there.
Paige was walked backstage during Raw's live event in New York following taking a big kick from Sasha Banks after turning her back to Banks. The match was immediately stopped as officials tended to Paige, and a stretcher was brought to ringside. I hope she doesn't miss much time after finally returning in such a grand fashion.
Brock Lesnar will face Kane the night before Royal Rumble in their first-ever meeting.
Becky Lynch returned to action at a Smackdown live event in Michigan, teaming with Naomi in a loss to Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan. The Miz went straight to the USO tour, so he hasn't been back on WWE TV yet.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Vince doesn't seem like the type who would want to just be one part of someone else's league. I'd be surprised if he went that route.
2. I think Vince sees the NFL's ratings woes and thinks now's the time to finally take them on. This could definitely be Vince's last venture of this size, but he's going to remain in WWE as long as he can, too. He's not going away.
3. I could see WWE trying to get Bryan on-board with something less high-impact, but Bryan doesn't have much incentive to cooperate. What are they going to do, fire him? He already wants to be fired! He'll just go to the indies as an even bigger star.
4. Those matches were designed to showcase what Roode and Nakamura can do in the ring against a former world champion who can make them look like a million bucks. Winning in three minutes would have been something of a waste given how much we know Roode and Nakamura are capable of. Fans would have complained that "we didn't get much of a match." So, WWE was in a no-win situation.
5. I think Joe would have said the same thing if he had a male partner. It fits with him being arrogant enough to want to do it all himself, etc.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Tough Enough definitely opened doors for her. She didn't win a contract, but she hustled and made the most of her exposure. I respect that immensely.
- Van Ness has taken her character and run with it. She didn't get an opportunity in WWE, but I'm glad she's making the most of the one she has now.
- The last word was that she was going to get her release after dropping the title at the upcoming tapings. Things could change once they get to Orlando, though.
Alberto El Patron talked about redeeming himself:
- I give Alberto a lot of credit for his recent charity work.
- I'm glad he realizes the responsibility of being the public face of Impact.
- Alberto has an amazing resume. Impact's lucky to have someone with his star caliber when he can stay on the rails.
- I'm very curious what the rest of his career looks like, inside and outside of Impact.
Brian Kendrick will not need surgery after his injury on Raw. I hope he's safe to continue working soon.
WWE gave Jimmy Fallon press for being at Raw's Madison Square Garden show.
Hulk Hogan, Sting, Eric Bischoff, and Jimmy Hart are set for a January 15 convention in Arizona.
Kevin Nash and Josh Barnett are on Jim Ross' latest podcast.
Frankie Kazarian is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Kevin Owens promoted Smackdown's live event in Michigan:
- I think the days of mostly cheers or mostly boos for a top name are over. The audience is very split now with WWE trying to appeal to all demographics.
- Owens vs. HBK would have been great.
Charlotte Flair promoted "Second Nature." I'm fairly sure Ric would get back in the ring if someone would let him, unless he can't from a health perspective.
WWE signing Shadia Bseiso got press:
- I'm excited to see how she does given her background.
- I'm definitely supportive of WWE trying to appeal to audiences they haven't reached well in the past.
- I really hope her gimmick isn't just "Middle Eastern wrestler who's a progressive icon as a face and a dastardly foreigner as a heel." Ideally, her character won't be dependent on her heritage.
ROH is running a big fan appreciation sale, with 35% off select merchandise. I'd think 2017 was a pretty good year for them, business-wise.
Raw drew 2.70 million viewers on Christmas Day. That's not a bad drop at all.
Impact has released their ring and transportation manager. Bob Rosen had been with the company for 13 years, in charge of supervising their ring crew, constructing their rings, driving the rings to each event, overseeing security, and various other logistical roles. To say he was heavily involved in the backstage end of the company is an understatement. It's not going to be easy to replace someone with that many responsibilities there.
Paige was walked backstage during Raw's live event in New York following taking a big kick from Sasha Banks after turning her back to Banks. The match was immediately stopped as officials tended to Paige, and a stretcher was brought to ringside. I hope she doesn't miss much time after finally returning in such a grand fashion.
Brock Lesnar will face Kane the night before Royal Rumble in their first-ever meeting.
Becky Lynch returned to action at a Smackdown live event in Michigan, teaming with Naomi in a loss to Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan. The Miz went straight to the USO tour, so he hasn't been back on WWE TV yet.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Vince doesn't seem like the type who would want to just be one part of someone else's league. I'd be surprised if he went that route.
2. I think Vince sees the NFL's ratings woes and thinks now's the time to finally take them on. This could definitely be Vince's last venture of this size, but he's going to remain in WWE as long as he can, too. He's not going away.
3. I could see WWE trying to get Bryan on-board with something less high-impact, but Bryan doesn't have much incentive to cooperate. What are they going to do, fire him? He already wants to be fired! He'll just go to the indies as an even bigger star.
4. Those matches were designed to showcase what Roode and Nakamura can do in the ring against a former world champion who can make them look like a million bucks. Winning in three minutes would have been something of a waste given how much we know Roode and Nakamura are capable of. Fans would have complained that "we didn't get much of a match." So, WWE was in a no-win situation.
5. I think Joe would have said the same thing if he had a male partner. It fits with him being arrogant enough to want to do it all himself, etc.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Coach on XFL reboot, Ambrose to miss most of 2017, Rock press, WWE guests, more from Flosports, Kendrick injured, Roman "fined," Raw in MSG notes, and Questions on Double J in WWE, releasing Neville, Paige masterminding the Riott Squad, Bryan turning heel, and the Rumble counting as a loss
Jonathan Coachman discussed the potential XFL reboot. Vince buying an NFL team would probably be a safer option for him, but I expect Vince is going to go big. I loved Coach angling for a job there, too.
WWE is pushing Dean Ambrose missing nine months after his triceps surgery. That's a big departure from the initial timeline of around three months, so I hope they're intentionally throwing people off for a surprise early return. Otherwise, it's really unfortunate he'll miss most of 2018.
The Rock got press in The Hollywood Reporter.
A Milwaukee Bucks player spoke backstage at Raw. I'm glad he didn't have a MizTV segment.
Flosports filed another motion in the WWNLive lawsuit, adding that Flofilms created videos to promote WWNLive and the company helped produce WWNLive events. Furthermore, the agreement between the two sides stated Flosports would provide $250,000 worth of advertising for WWNLive through email newsletters, social media, etc. Also of note is that the lawsuit doesn't mention any way Flosports could have terminated the deal before January 2018 as per the contract signed. The whole situation has been quite a mess.
Brian Kendrick suffered a broken nose and broken orbital bone during Raw, as was mentioned on 205 Live. It looks like Hideo is at least temporarily going to use a submission move as his finisher now to avoid a similar situation. That's not a bad idea for the time being.
Roman Reigns was kayfabe "fined $5,000" for shoving a referee on Raw. I hope the ref gets that money. Such behavior is unacceptable!!
At Raw's December 26 show in Madison Square Garden:
- There were Christmas inflatables on the stage.
- Matt Hardy has new entrance music, a slower piano song in line with his Woken/Broken gimmick.
- Bray Wyatt cut a promo before facing and losing to Matt Hardy.
- Enzo cut a promo before bating Kalisto.
- Raw will return to the venue on March 16 with Brock Lesnar.
- Jimmy Fallon, Impractical Jokers cast members, and YouTube's Rudy Mancuso were in the front row.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't rule out him going into the Hall of Fame, maybe with the Jarrett family as a whole. I wouldn't expect more than that, as I wouldn't think there'd be a huge demand for him to return beyond a legends deal.
2. We'll see if the two sides come together for him to leave. I doubt WWE's eager to let him go work NJPW or wherever.
3. That could be interesting, BUT I'd rather see the two sides feud. Smackdown's group just being Paige's B-team kind of buries them and their goals. Instead, Ruby could say her group isn't just a pale imitation of Absolution.
4. I'm skeptical WWE could get the fans to boo Bryan given how they couldn't get some fans to boo Punk even when he "poured Paul Bearer's ashes" on The Undertaker. There's that edgy anti-WWE demographic that will boo the rebels no matter how heelish they are.
5. Why wouldn't it count as a match? I definitely count it as a loss, even if it's not a pinfall, submission, etc. I think there are better options for Asuka's first loss than being thrown over the top rope.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE is pushing Dean Ambrose missing nine months after his triceps surgery. That's a big departure from the initial timeline of around three months, so I hope they're intentionally throwing people off for a surprise early return. Otherwise, it's really unfortunate he'll miss most of 2018.
The Rock got press in The Hollywood Reporter.
A Milwaukee Bucks player spoke backstage at Raw. I'm glad he didn't have a MizTV segment.
Flosports filed another motion in the WWNLive lawsuit, adding that Flofilms created videos to promote WWNLive and the company helped produce WWNLive events. Furthermore, the agreement between the two sides stated Flosports would provide $250,000 worth of advertising for WWNLive through email newsletters, social media, etc. Also of note is that the lawsuit doesn't mention any way Flosports could have terminated the deal before January 2018 as per the contract signed. The whole situation has been quite a mess.
Brian Kendrick suffered a broken nose and broken orbital bone during Raw, as was mentioned on 205 Live. It looks like Hideo is at least temporarily going to use a submission move as his finisher now to avoid a similar situation. That's not a bad idea for the time being.
Roman Reigns was kayfabe "fined $5,000" for shoving a referee on Raw. I hope the ref gets that money. Such behavior is unacceptable!!
At Raw's December 26 show in Madison Square Garden:
- There were Christmas inflatables on the stage.
- Matt Hardy has new entrance music, a slower piano song in line with his Woken/Broken gimmick.
- Bray Wyatt cut a promo before facing and losing to Matt Hardy.
- Enzo cut a promo before bating Kalisto.
- Raw will return to the venue on March 16 with Brock Lesnar.
- Jimmy Fallon, Impractical Jokers cast members, and YouTube's Rudy Mancuso were in the front row.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't rule out him going into the Hall of Fame, maybe with the Jarrett family as a whole. I wouldn't expect more than that, as I wouldn't think there'd be a huge demand for him to return beyond a legends deal.
2. We'll see if the two sides come together for him to leave. I doubt WWE's eager to let him go work NJPW or wherever.
3. That could be interesting, BUT I'd rather see the two sides feud. Smackdown's group just being Paige's B-team kind of buries them and their goals. Instead, Ruby could say her group isn't just a pale imitation of Absolution.
4. I'm skeptical WWE could get the fans to boo Bryan given how they couldn't get some fans to boo Punk even when he "poured Paul Bearer's ashes" on The Undertaker. There's that edgy anti-WWE demographic that will boo the rebels no matter how heelish they are.
5. Why wouldn't it count as a match? I definitely count it as a loss, even if it's not a pinfall, submission, etc. I think there are better options for Asuka's first loss than being thrown over the top rope.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 12/26/17
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Former WWE Diva books movie role, Flair holiday message, New Day reads Christmas story, Torrie Wilson discusses XFL 2.0, Sami raises money, Smackdown PPV main event announced, and Questions on Shane vs. Bryan, Raw 25 legends, rebooting the XFL, and how scripted WWE reality shows are
The former Cameron has booked a starring role in a movie called Underdog, due out in 2018. I'm glad she's getting a career going outside of wrestling.
Ric Flair put out a holiday message. I'm glad he's in such a better place now.
New Day read "The Night Before Christmas" in true New Day fashion.
Torrie Wilson discussed the XFL potentially returning. Vince is taking a big chance there.
Sami Zayn did a special fundraiser for Christmas, matching donations for a mobile hospital in Syria. That's great for him to do.
WWE is advertising a five-way WWE Championship match for the March 11 Fastlane show. That's a long way off, so plenty of things could change by then, but it's interesting to see what they've got in mind. Randy Orton being advertised is particularly interesting given the story of him taking so much time off for Wrestlemania season; this could easily just be a placeholder match sent to advertise the show.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't be surprised to see Shane turn on Bryan soon. I'm not sure what exactly it would set up given the limitations on Bryan getting physical, but it definitely looks like we're headed for a split between the two sides. WWE positioning Bryan as a massive face could be great news for the indies in late 2018! I think making him heel would backfire, and also help him get bookings post-WWE. WWE's got to be careful with what they do with Bryan these next nine months or so.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. I'm sure we'll still see some big names announced, but the show is six nights before Royal Rumble. They don't want the show to focus too much on nostalgia.
4. Vince is a determined person, and a very rich one, too. He's going to do his best to capitalize on the NFL's declining business.
5. They pretty blatantly determine what stories they're going to put together, and build toward those. Sometimes they play off real events, but sometimes they put things together just for the sake of the show.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Ric Flair put out a holiday message. I'm glad he's in such a better place now.
New Day read "The Night Before Christmas" in true New Day fashion.
Torrie Wilson discussed the XFL potentially returning. Vince is taking a big chance there.
Sami Zayn did a special fundraiser for Christmas, matching donations for a mobile hospital in Syria. That's great for him to do.
WWE is advertising a five-way WWE Championship match for the March 11 Fastlane show. That's a long way off, so plenty of things could change by then, but it's interesting to see what they've got in mind. Randy Orton being advertised is particularly interesting given the story of him taking so much time off for Wrestlemania season; this could easily just be a placeholder match sent to advertise the show.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't be surprised to see Shane turn on Bryan soon. I'm not sure what exactly it would set up given the limitations on Bryan getting physical, but it definitely looks like we're headed for a split between the two sides. WWE positioning Bryan as a massive face could be great news for the indies in late 2018! I think making him heel would backfire, and also help him get bookings post-WWE. WWE's got to be careful with what they do with Bryan these next nine months or so.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. I'm sure we'll still see some big names announced, but the show is six nights before Royal Rumble. They don't want the show to focus too much on nostalgia.
4. Vince is a determined person, and a very rich one, too. He's going to do his best to capitalize on the NFL's declining business.
5. They pretty blatantly determine what stories they're going to put together, and build toward those. Sometimes they play off real events, but sometimes they put things together just for the sake of the show.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, December 25, 2017
New Network show debuting in 2018, plan for first NXT on 2018, first Flashback Friday of 2018, WWE promotes viral NXT Title gift, Bryan celebration in Massachusetts, JR's autobiography out in audiobook, Jarrett and GFW return to wrestling, Impact uploads episode two weeks early, Matt Hardy video, NXT names work international shows, Interview with Rey, more Titus charity, and Questions on Alpha Entertainment and why ITV didn't go forward with World of Sport
"WWE Photo Shoot" will debut on WWE Network after the January 1 episode of Raw with The Miz, followed by an episode with Cesaro.
The January 3 NXT episode will be a two-hour "Best of 2017" special. That should be quite the episode given the year NXT's had.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday theme for January 5 will feature "Debuts and Firsts" to celebrate the start of 2018.
A number of WWE names took notice of a viral video of a student receiving an NXT Championship from a friend. That's pretty cool.
Daniel Bryan will be featured at YES! Night for a Massachusetts hockey team on December 29. Bryan going to the indies would really boost attendance at a lot of shows; he's still getting quite the reaction.
Jim Ross' autobiography has been released as an audiobook narrated by Ross himself. That should be an amazing experience.
Jeff Jarrett and GFW are already back on the indie scene as of December 26, doing a special private event in Tennessee for local Wounded Warriors, Gold Star families, and Music City Bowl football players. The event is being put on by Tried and True Wrestling, but the GFW name is being used in the advertising, so it looks like Jarrett's going to go back to wrestling and promoting that brand. Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, James Storm, Jerry Lawler, Ricky Steamboat, Rebel, Crimson, and Jax Dane are all set for the event.
Impact accidentally uploaded the January 4 episode of their show to the Global Wrestling Network for a brief period of time before being replaced by the first Best of 2017 episode that was intended to be uploaded instead. The January 4 episode features:
- Eli Drake vs. Alberto El Patron for the Impact World Championship (taped at WrestlePro)
- James Storm vs. Dan Lambert. If Storm loses, he must leave Impact.
- Trevor Lee vs. Taiji Ishimori for the Impact X-Division Championship
- Ethan Carter III vs. Fallah Bah vs. Matt Sydal for the Impact Grand Championship
- oVe vs. LAX. If LAX loses, they have to split up
- Chandler Park vs. John Bolden
"Woken" Matt Hardy did a special Christmas video. Yes, his property has its own movie studio.
NXT has given its talents time off for the holidays. As a result, Kairi Sane was allowed to work a recent STARDOM event in Japan to have a surprise sendoff, and Alexander Wolfe and Marcel Barthel (formerly Axel Dieter, Jr.) worked WXW's 17th anniversary show in Germany. I'm glad WWE is letting talents work special events.
Rey Mysterio spoke to ESPN:
- The belief is WWE wouldn't be willing to pay what he would want to be paid for a lighter schedule.
- Generally, 205 Live is treated as a sideshow, separate from other WWE content. The niche market that was excited for the CWC has presumably had their fill of the small roster having the same matches, and the main WWE audience wasn't really excited about a show "with no stars" until Enzo came along.
- Sometimes WWE's social media/web team will do videos somewhat independently from creative, so you'll see them reference Rey Mysterio as an option to return even if he isn't.
- WWE should definitely put Rey in the Hall. Maybe he could return for WWE 2K19 and have one last run leading to Mania (like they seemingly do with someone every year).
- Dominik definitely has everything he could possibly need to succeed given his dad's connections.
- Rey working NJPW's next U.S. shows in California would be a good move for both sides.
Titus O'Neil did charity work in Tampa Bay ahead of Christmas. Titus is incredibly giving with his time.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. To me, the league will be a success if they can get people to attend games, buy merchandise, etc., even if that's in smaller venues and markets. Competing with the NFL is a long-term goal, best-case scenario. There's probably a niche out there for an alternative football league, but I'm keeping my expectations modest. Vince has the resources to make SOMETHING happen, but he's going to need a lot of factors working in his favor to be more than moderately successful in the endeavor. It took a really long time for the NFL to get where it is now, and for WWE to get where they are now for that matter. Vince is going to need a significant amount of time to really get something going.
2. When the chairman and CEO of a company announces an expensive independent venture, there's cause for concern. When that venture is a reboot of one of the most spectacular failures in TV history, there's really cause for concern. Vince being 72 and trying to juggle so many responsibilities, with no plans for how and when he'll be succeeded in his WWE roles, is further cause for concern. Can Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, etc. run the company in a way that puts shareholders first? We don't really know, because although they definitely have some responsibilities in the company, there's a big question mark as to what would happen if Vince was suddenly unable to perform all his roles as chairman and CEO. So, I can't blame shareholders for being uneasy at the Alpha Entertainment news, and for the future of WWE as a business as a whole.
3. I'd wait to see what's next on the Alpha Entertainment/football league front. I know hardcore fans think Vince leaving WWE would be the greatest thing ever, but that remains to be proven from a business perspective. There's a lot more to running the company than making sure who gets "over." Vince is currently doing a lot of duties for WWE, and passing the torch will be a very big undertaking if that's even what's going to be happening once he focuses on the football league. I can really only imagine what things look like with Vince trying to do all his WWE duties AND the football league at 72.
4. Basically they couldn't put anything together to get someone to run it. They wanted to have a regular TV series, but didn't want to have to do all the work needed to run a wrestling promotion.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
The January 3 NXT episode will be a two-hour "Best of 2017" special. That should be quite the episode given the year NXT's had.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday theme for January 5 will feature "Debuts and Firsts" to celebrate the start of 2018.
A number of WWE names took notice of a viral video of a student receiving an NXT Championship from a friend. That's pretty cool.
Daniel Bryan will be featured at YES! Night for a Massachusetts hockey team on December 29. Bryan going to the indies would really boost attendance at a lot of shows; he's still getting quite the reaction.
Jim Ross' autobiography has been released as an audiobook narrated by Ross himself. That should be an amazing experience.
Jeff Jarrett and GFW are already back on the indie scene as of December 26, doing a special private event in Tennessee for local Wounded Warriors, Gold Star families, and Music City Bowl football players. The event is being put on by Tried and True Wrestling, but the GFW name is being used in the advertising, so it looks like Jarrett's going to go back to wrestling and promoting that brand. Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, James Storm, Jerry Lawler, Ricky Steamboat, Rebel, Crimson, and Jax Dane are all set for the event.
Impact accidentally uploaded the January 4 episode of their show to the Global Wrestling Network for a brief period of time before being replaced by the first Best of 2017 episode that was intended to be uploaded instead. The January 4 episode features:
- Eli Drake vs. Alberto El Patron for the Impact World Championship (taped at WrestlePro)
- James Storm vs. Dan Lambert. If Storm loses, he must leave Impact.
- Trevor Lee vs. Taiji Ishimori for the Impact X-Division Championship
- Ethan Carter III vs. Fallah Bah vs. Matt Sydal for the Impact Grand Championship
- oVe vs. LAX. If LAX loses, they have to split up
- Chandler Park vs. John Bolden
"Woken" Matt Hardy did a special Christmas video. Yes, his property has its own movie studio.
NXT has given its talents time off for the holidays. As a result, Kairi Sane was allowed to work a recent STARDOM event in Japan to have a surprise sendoff, and Alexander Wolfe and Marcel Barthel (formerly Axel Dieter, Jr.) worked WXW's 17th anniversary show in Germany. I'm glad WWE is letting talents work special events.
Rey Mysterio spoke to ESPN:
- The belief is WWE wouldn't be willing to pay what he would want to be paid for a lighter schedule.
- Generally, 205 Live is treated as a sideshow, separate from other WWE content. The niche market that was excited for the CWC has presumably had their fill of the small roster having the same matches, and the main WWE audience wasn't really excited about a show "with no stars" until Enzo came along.
- Sometimes WWE's social media/web team will do videos somewhat independently from creative, so you'll see them reference Rey Mysterio as an option to return even if he isn't.
- WWE should definitely put Rey in the Hall. Maybe he could return for WWE 2K19 and have one last run leading to Mania (like they seemingly do with someone every year).
- Dominik definitely has everything he could possibly need to succeed given his dad's connections.
- Rey working NJPW's next U.S. shows in California would be a good move for both sides.
Titus O'Neil did charity work in Tampa Bay ahead of Christmas. Titus is incredibly giving with his time.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. To me, the league will be a success if they can get people to attend games, buy merchandise, etc., even if that's in smaller venues and markets. Competing with the NFL is a long-term goal, best-case scenario. There's probably a niche out there for an alternative football league, but I'm keeping my expectations modest. Vince has the resources to make SOMETHING happen, but he's going to need a lot of factors working in his favor to be more than moderately successful in the endeavor. It took a really long time for the NFL to get where it is now, and for WWE to get where they are now for that matter. Vince is going to need a significant amount of time to really get something going.
2. When the chairman and CEO of a company announces an expensive independent venture, there's cause for concern. When that venture is a reboot of one of the most spectacular failures in TV history, there's really cause for concern. Vince being 72 and trying to juggle so many responsibilities, with no plans for how and when he'll be succeeded in his WWE roles, is further cause for concern. Can Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, etc. run the company in a way that puts shareholders first? We don't really know, because although they definitely have some responsibilities in the company, there's a big question mark as to what would happen if Vince was suddenly unable to perform all his roles as chairman and CEO. So, I can't blame shareholders for being uneasy at the Alpha Entertainment news, and for the future of WWE as a business as a whole.
3. I'd wait to see what's next on the Alpha Entertainment/football league front. I know hardcore fans think Vince leaving WWE would be the greatest thing ever, but that remains to be proven from a business perspective. There's a lot more to running the company than making sure who gets "over." Vince is currently doing a lot of duties for WWE, and passing the torch will be a very big undertaking if that's even what's going to be happening once he focuses on the football league. I can really only imagine what things look like with Vince trying to do all his WWE duties AND the football league at 72.
4. Basically they couldn't put anything together to get someone to run it. They wanted to have a regular TV series, but didn't want to have to do all the work needed to run a wrestling promotion.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Main Event Reax - 12/23/17, Flashback Friday theme, Interviews with Bagwell/Flip/Nia/Kane, another Network trial, former Divas' Champion set to return to the ring, and Questions on women headlining the Rumble PPV, testing the WWE roster for CTE, Bryan's future, and Enzo's absence
-- Main Event:
- Kalisto vs. Ariya:
Nice start.
I love Kalisto's aerial work.
Good back-and-forth.
Kalisto's on a roll!
Pretty good work!
- Apollo vs. Hawkins:
Apollo might become the 1 in 1-141 on this episode!!
Like Apollo needs their help to win.
Nice work here.
HAHAHAAHAH Curt's just like "pin me already. End my misery."
Fine so far.
Hawkins finally getting the powerbomb countered.
Awwww mmmaaaaannnnn..... I had hope this would be the end of The Streak! Oh, well.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday this week celebrates past New Year's Eve/New Year's Day week content.
Buff Bagwell discussed his upcoming retirement and his failed WWE run:
- I'm glad he's retiring before he's in too much pain taking bumps.
- Some would say Ted Turner leaving his company had a bigger effect on WCW's cancellation, but things definitely started unwinding in places when Russo switched sides.
- Backstage at the last Nitro had to feel like a giant swerve.
- WCW was a tainted brand when Vince picked it up. I don't blame him for sticking with pushing Raw and Smackdown instead of trying to revive that company.
- Doing a "Dubya Cee Dubya" match headlining Raw was going to be a tough sell for the WWF faithful.
- WWE had a LOT of talent available to them when Bagwell was trying to make it there. I can't say I blame WWE for passing on him (and so many other WCW names).
- Luger should definitely go in the WWE Hall of Fame. Teddy Long belongs there, too, for his lengthy career.
Flip Gordon discussed ROH and more:
- It's crazy that we're now at a point where people cite Cena as an inspiration. It doesn't feel like it's been long enough yet!
- Fury has a great training philosophy as far as making flips mean something. Explosions in a movie can be great, but if the movie is just a bunch of excuses to do explosions, it can tiring and unmemorable.
- I hope we see Oney vs. Flip again at some point.
- Working different promotions and different countries really helps a performer gain experience and variety.
- Some people absolutely love spotfests. If that sells tickets, you're doing something right.
- I like the idea of a sizzle reel. Flip had a good philosophy there.
- Flip vs. Shane Taylor could really be fun.
- NJPW is really becoming a thing for Western wrestlers.
Nia Jax discussed meeting Alexa Bliss. I want to see that spinoff SO BADLY.
People who recently ordered from WWE Shop are being offered two free months of WWE Network. WWE has got to be panicking to get more subscribers.
The former Kaitlyn will return to action on February 10 for Coastal Championship Wrestling. She hasn't had a match since leaving WWE.
Kane spoke to the New York Post:
- Hey, I can't say I blame Kane for making the most of the time he has left, as long as he's still living up to what he needs to do to win voters over.
- I really hope Braun does have a long run.
- I miss seeing bigger wrestlers. A balance is needed.
- I mean, it's not like Taker was around that much in the past few years anyway. He'll probably be part of Mania season in some fashion this year, too.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't mind the women's Rumble ending things to shake things up and sell just how big of a moment that will be. It's got a decent chance to do so, too.
2. Long story short, if they think someone's got the kind of issues Bryan has, they'll test them. Otherwise, they assume talents are doing well enough to keep working.
3. That was my answer. It would be the perfect opportunity for all involved.
4. I wouldn't think so, as long as there's an amicable split. If he gives the kind of interview Punk gave, I could see him being ignored like that, but I don't see him going that route.
5. They'll probably just focus on other people for an episode.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Kalisto vs. Ariya:
Nice start.
I love Kalisto's aerial work.
Good back-and-forth.
Kalisto's on a roll!
Pretty good work!
- Apollo vs. Hawkins:
Apollo might become the 1 in 1-141 on this episode!!
Like Apollo needs their help to win.
Nice work here.
HAHAHAAHAH Curt's just like "pin me already. End my misery."
Fine so far.
Hawkins finally getting the powerbomb countered.
Awwww mmmaaaaannnnn..... I had hope this would be the end of The Streak! Oh, well.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday this week celebrates past New Year's Eve/New Year's Day week content.
Buff Bagwell discussed his upcoming retirement and his failed WWE run:
- I'm glad he's retiring before he's in too much pain taking bumps.
- Some would say Ted Turner leaving his company had a bigger effect on WCW's cancellation, but things definitely started unwinding in places when Russo switched sides.
- Backstage at the last Nitro had to feel like a giant swerve.
- WCW was a tainted brand when Vince picked it up. I don't blame him for sticking with pushing Raw and Smackdown instead of trying to revive that company.
- Doing a "Dubya Cee Dubya" match headlining Raw was going to be a tough sell for the WWF faithful.
- WWE had a LOT of talent available to them when Bagwell was trying to make it there. I can't say I blame WWE for passing on him (and so many other WCW names).
- Luger should definitely go in the WWE Hall of Fame. Teddy Long belongs there, too, for his lengthy career.
Flip Gordon discussed ROH and more:
- It's crazy that we're now at a point where people cite Cena as an inspiration. It doesn't feel like it's been long enough yet!
- Fury has a great training philosophy as far as making flips mean something. Explosions in a movie can be great, but if the movie is just a bunch of excuses to do explosions, it can tiring and unmemorable.
- I hope we see Oney vs. Flip again at some point.
- Working different promotions and different countries really helps a performer gain experience and variety.
- Some people absolutely love spotfests. If that sells tickets, you're doing something right.
- I like the idea of a sizzle reel. Flip had a good philosophy there.
- Flip vs. Shane Taylor could really be fun.
- NJPW is really becoming a thing for Western wrestlers.
Nia Jax discussed meeting Alexa Bliss. I want to see that spinoff SO BADLY.
People who recently ordered from WWE Shop are being offered two free months of WWE Network. WWE has got to be panicking to get more subscribers.
The former Kaitlyn will return to action on February 10 for Coastal Championship Wrestling. She hasn't had a match since leaving WWE.
Kane spoke to the New York Post:
- Hey, I can't say I blame Kane for making the most of the time he has left, as long as he's still living up to what he needs to do to win voters over.
- I really hope Braun does have a long run.
- I miss seeing bigger wrestlers. A balance is needed.
- I mean, it's not like Taker was around that much in the past few years anyway. He'll probably be part of Mania season in some fashion this year, too.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't mind the women's Rumble ending things to shake things up and sell just how big of a moment that will be. It's got a decent chance to do so, too.
2. Long story short, if they think someone's got the kind of issues Bryan has, they'll test them. Otherwise, they assume talents are doing well enough to keep working.
3. That was my answer. It would be the perfect opportunity for all involved.
4. I wouldn't think so, as long as there's an amicable split. If he gives the kind of interview Punk gave, I could see him being ignored like that, but I don't see him going that route.
5. They'll probably just focus on other people for an episode.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Beefcake book released, Interviews with Akeem/Phoenix/Angle/Big E/Roode/Jeff Hardy, WWE and Rock help sick children, WWE names at USO tour, WWE celebrates YouTube milestone, Kalisto injured by audience member, WWE film wraps up, Ambrose update, Jarrett returns home, Prichard doing podcast live, NWA angle moves forward, Impact taping at WrestlePro again, Impact audience, upcoming WWE Network additions, and Questions on women's Rumble surprises, using Rousey, He Hate Me returning, and Impact working with ROH and/or NJPW
Brutus Beefcake has released his autobiography, with passages from DDP, Marty Jannetty, and B. Brian Blair.
The former One Man Gang talked about working with Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and more in an interview highlighted here. Cool stories about those two stars.
Beth Phoenix discussed the women's Royal Rumble. It's a shame James Ellsworth can't make history this year like Chyna, Beth, and Kharma did in the other Rumble. I would have popped SO hard.
Kurt Angle talked about wrestling then and now and more. I'd like to see Jordan vs. Angle, but I worry that would just be a setup for Angle vs. HHH.
Big E talked about New Day not turning heel. They were absolutely getting stale, but the move to Smackdown gave them a new environment and new opponents.
Bobby Roode talked about his WWE run so far and his eventual retirement. I hope he can be a major player/top champion before he does retire.
WWE helped a child in Detroit facing Hodgkin's lymphoma. It's always great to see WWE doing things like that.
The Miz and Alicia Fox will be part of USO's holiday tour. That's also great to see.
WWE released a video celebrating 20 million subscribers, with an appearance from Santino Marella. I don't think I'd mind Tyler Breeze replacing Dolph Ziggler.
The Rock met with Make-A-Wish children on the set of "Skyscraper." Awesome to see him doing charity work.
Kalisto needed stitches and an MRI after a WWE audience member threw a water bottle at him during 205 Live. The audience member was escorted out of the venue immediately, and it's up to the building whether or not there will be charges filed. I'd think a ban from the venue and from WWE events in general for a few years would be a good start, as well as paying Kalisto's medical costs. Actions like this paint wrestling fans in a bad light.
"The Marine 6" has finished filming, with Becky Lynch and The Miz back in the United States. So, either or both could appear on WWE TV this week.
Dean Ambrose is expected to miss about two or three months after his triceps surgery. He had been working injured for a while before WWE decided it was time for him to get surgery. It's unfortunate at times people have to work through serious injuries to keep their "run" and "push" hot.
Jeff Jarrett has returned home from WWE-sponsored rehab, as confirmed by Karen Jarrett and Hermie Sadler. I hope this is a sign of good things to come for the Jarretts, personally and professionally.
Bruce Prichard's podcast will have a live edition following January 19's NBA game in New York. I hope that means a bigger audience for both parties.
The NWA has "suspended" Josephus as a result of him "injuring" Tim Storm before Nick Aldis defeated Storm for the World Championship. So, it looks like they're setting up Storm vs. Josephus while Aldis seeks a new challenger.
Jeff Hardy answered a number of Twitter questions:
- It was wild seeing the (then) TNA and ROH tag team titles on a WWE video.
- It's always pushed that we'll inevitably see a final Jeff singles run.
Impact will be taping at WrestlePro's February 3 event, now called "Brace for Impact." Eli Drake, Alberto El Patron, Lashley, Moose, Eddie Edwards, Matt Sydal, Sonjay Dutt, Allie, KM, Braxton Sutter, Fallah Bah, and Mario Bokara are all advertised. Ethan Carter III, notably, is not, so that looks like an indication of when he's expected to finish up with the company.
Impact Wrestling drew 269,000 viewers for their first "best of 2017" episode, which is a strong number for a clip show in the sense it beat a number of first-run episodes from recent months.
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling will see 100 hours of content added to WWE Network in January. I assume Thunder and Heat will follow once all of that footage has been added.
WWE Network's January collections will count down the 100 top moments in Raw history. February's collections will focus on Black History Month and Alexa Bliss.
For my take on Friday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely expect some veterans appearing. All those names are good. I'd add Victoria and Kaitlyn, as well as the already teased Trish Stratus and Michelle McCool.
2. It would be a big move, but I think you can save Rousey's signing for a big press conference. The Rumble should be the latest notch in Asuka's undefeated streak, and the focus should be on her.
3. I'd think he could return as a commentator or something. He Hate Me is probably the most over thing from XFL at this point. Hell, I wouldn't mind him working at either the Rumble or Wrestlemania.
4. Impact would love for both partnerships to happen, but I don't know what's in it for ROH or NJPW. Impact does still have a national TV deal and some name value, but if either company wanted to use someone like Eddie Edwards, they can just make him an offer in a few months.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling coming up.
The former One Man Gang talked about working with Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and more in an interview highlighted here. Cool stories about those two stars.
Beth Phoenix discussed the women's Royal Rumble. It's a shame James Ellsworth can't make history this year like Chyna, Beth, and Kharma did in the other Rumble. I would have popped SO hard.
Kurt Angle talked about wrestling then and now and more. I'd like to see Jordan vs. Angle, but I worry that would just be a setup for Angle vs. HHH.
Big E talked about New Day not turning heel. They were absolutely getting stale, but the move to Smackdown gave them a new environment and new opponents.
Bobby Roode talked about his WWE run so far and his eventual retirement. I hope he can be a major player/top champion before he does retire.
WWE helped a child in Detroit facing Hodgkin's lymphoma. It's always great to see WWE doing things like that.
The Miz and Alicia Fox will be part of USO's holiday tour. That's also great to see.
WWE released a video celebrating 20 million subscribers, with an appearance from Santino Marella. I don't think I'd mind Tyler Breeze replacing Dolph Ziggler.
The Rock met with Make-A-Wish children on the set of "Skyscraper." Awesome to see him doing charity work.
Kalisto needed stitches and an MRI after a WWE audience member threw a water bottle at him during 205 Live. The audience member was escorted out of the venue immediately, and it's up to the building whether or not there will be charges filed. I'd think a ban from the venue and from WWE events in general for a few years would be a good start, as well as paying Kalisto's medical costs. Actions like this paint wrestling fans in a bad light.
"The Marine 6" has finished filming, with Becky Lynch and The Miz back in the United States. So, either or both could appear on WWE TV this week.
Dean Ambrose is expected to miss about two or three months after his triceps surgery. He had been working injured for a while before WWE decided it was time for him to get surgery. It's unfortunate at times people have to work through serious injuries to keep their "run" and "push" hot.
Jeff Jarrett has returned home from WWE-sponsored rehab, as confirmed by Karen Jarrett and Hermie Sadler. I hope this is a sign of good things to come for the Jarretts, personally and professionally.
Bruce Prichard's podcast will have a live edition following January 19's NBA game in New York. I hope that means a bigger audience for both parties.
The NWA has "suspended" Josephus as a result of him "injuring" Tim Storm before Nick Aldis defeated Storm for the World Championship. So, it looks like they're setting up Storm vs. Josephus while Aldis seeks a new challenger.
Jeff Hardy answered a number of Twitter questions:
- It was wild seeing the (then) TNA and ROH tag team titles on a WWE video.
- It's always pushed that we'll inevitably see a final Jeff singles run.
Impact will be taping at WrestlePro's February 3 event, now called "Brace for Impact." Eli Drake, Alberto El Patron, Lashley, Moose, Eddie Edwards, Matt Sydal, Sonjay Dutt, Allie, KM, Braxton Sutter, Fallah Bah, and Mario Bokara are all advertised. Ethan Carter III, notably, is not, so that looks like an indication of when he's expected to finish up with the company.
Impact Wrestling drew 269,000 viewers for their first "best of 2017" episode, which is a strong number for a clip show in the sense it beat a number of first-run episodes from recent months.
Mid-Atlantic Wrestling will see 100 hours of content added to WWE Network in January. I assume Thunder and Heat will follow once all of that footage has been added.
WWE Network's January collections will count down the 100 top moments in Raw history. February's collections will focus on Black History Month and Alexa Bliss.
For my take on Friday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely expect some veterans appearing. All those names are good. I'd add Victoria and Kaitlyn, as well as the already teased Trish Stratus and Michelle McCool.
2. It would be a big move, but I think you can save Rousey's signing for a big press conference. The Rumble should be the latest notch in Asuka's undefeated streak, and the focus should be on her.
3. I'd think he could return as a commentator or something. He Hate Me is probably the most over thing from XFL at this point. Hell, I wouldn't mind him working at either the Rumble or Wrestlemania.
4. Impact would love for both partnerships to happen, but I don't know what's in it for ROH or NJPW. Impact does still have a national TV deal and some name value, but if either company wanted to use someone like Eddie Edwards, they can just make him an offer in a few months.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling coming up.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Horsewomen plans shuffled?, Callis injured, LU talents clear schedules, more on Ambrose injury, Batista-WWE update, potential HoFers, Jinder confirms injury, WWE tries out new cameras, WWE seeks payment from Raven and Bagwell, Rock's movie done with editing stage, more WWE holiday videos, Bryan discusses not being cleared, Enzo freestyle, WWE action figure match, Alberto helping earthquake victims, Interview with Gail, less commercials for WWE next week, Taz's radio future, Vince sells millions of shares, WWE stock drops, and Questions on why Mauro's in NXT, how many women in the Rumble, and WWE Studios' TV projects
MMA "Horsewomen" Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir are no longer training for wrestling, which suggests the plan for Wrestlemania has changed. I hope Ronda and Shayna still pan out.
Don Callis legitimately cracked a rib before the big Codebreaker spot when running over a railing as part of a separate angle.
Lucha Underground talents have begun canceling scheduled dates in order to work season four tapings. This was expected once taping dates were finalized; LU is letting talent work more outside dates when not taping TV, so things kind of even out on that front.
Dean Ambrose only suffered a partial triceps tendon tear, so his recovery time won't take as long as initially worried.
Batista remains committed to returning to WWE for a final run of six months to a year, including live events. It could be difficult to work out with his Hollywood commitments. Batista was being considered for the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame class, but that will be held off if they think he'll come back to regular action.
Goldberg and the Dudleys are being considered for the 2018 Hall of Fame class. I'd be surprised to see them induct someone actively working for ROH. We'll see how that goes. A lot of WWE workers want Jim Johnston inducted, too. All those names are deserving.
Jinder Mahal recently confirmed he tore his right labrum in September. He worked through it, although it affected the amount of weight he could lift. I see why he wanted to continue the biggest opportunity of his career by far. I hope it was the right move, long-term.
WWE tested out virtual reality cameras at Clash of Champions. I'm still waiting for hologram wrestling.
WWE has filed a claim for $6,105.40 against Raven and Buff Bagwell for court costs for the case that was resolved. So not only did Raven and Bagwell not get any money out of the settlement, they actually owe WWE as a result:
The Rock's "Fighting With My Family" is done with the editing stage. There are plans to do an advance screening during Wrestlemania week. So, it's really good Paige is back in WWE's good graces.
WWE did more animated holiday versions of their superstars. Eh.
- Braun Strowman was part of a holiday parody. BAH GAWD THEY'RE KILLIN THE DAMN BUSINESS. BILL WATTS IS ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE AND HE AIN'T EVEN DEAD.
Daniel Bryan discussed WWE not clearing him to wrestle:
- It's a difficult call given what we know about the effects of many concussions now.
- There is an argument to be made about him being cleared by so many other doctors and other tests.
- It's definitely interesting he's regularly doing kickboxing and jiu-jitsu.
- Diagnosing CTE in living people would be HUGE. Wow. That could really change a lot of things for wrestling. There's a legitimate argument to be made about wrestlers being able to work if they're aware of the risks and release the company of responsibilities, but WWE surely doesn't want wrestlers having negative health issues in the public eye when it could be prevented.
Enzo Amore freestyled during a media appearance. He needs to have a concert on "205 Live" at some point.
WWE had an action figure match between Shawn Michaels and Randy Savage, with Shane McMahon as the special referee. OH MY GOD. That was amazing. This definitely needs to be a regular thing.
Alberto El Patron has released exclusive merchandise to help Mexican earthquake victims. Alberto is also putting together an event on January 20 to benefit victims. That's incredible. Very nice moves from the former multiple-time world champion.
Gail Kim gave an interview. I'm glad she's around to structure the Knockouts division.
Next week's Raw and Smackdown Live will be commercial-free for their first hours, likely a combination of trying to keep viewers and companies not being as eager to advertise on the holiday.
Taz's current radio show will continue with the addition of his new duties. Live episodes of "The Taz Show" will resume in January, and the series will likely air later in the day than it currently does. He's got great things going for him here.
Vince McMahon sold $100 million worth of WWE stock (!!!!) to fund Alpha Entertainment, the independent company behind his proposed football venture. WWE shareholders responded to the big move by selling a lot of stock, dropping WWE's value in the marketplace. That's not really surprising; he's got a tough time selling this given how the XFL went.
- WWE released a statement confirming Vince will retain his current positions in the company. Vince still has a very large stake in the company. The obvious question is how he'll be able to handle all those responsibilities at 72, and the obvious answer is HE'S VINCE MCMAHON, DAMMIT!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's almost like the JBL story was misreported and blown out of proportion! Ranallo is more comfortable working NXT's style and schedule than the more high-pressure, heavily-produced roles on the main roster.
2. I'm under the impression it's still being investigated.
3. I'm very glad he's around!
4. That's probably still being determined. It could depend on how many "outsiders" they can get to work the match, and how many NXT stars they want to use.
5. They're still in the early goings with the endeavor.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Don Callis legitimately cracked a rib before the big Codebreaker spot when running over a railing as part of a separate angle.
Lucha Underground talents have begun canceling scheduled dates in order to work season four tapings. This was expected once taping dates were finalized; LU is letting talent work more outside dates when not taping TV, so things kind of even out on that front.
Dean Ambrose only suffered a partial triceps tendon tear, so his recovery time won't take as long as initially worried.
Batista remains committed to returning to WWE for a final run of six months to a year, including live events. It could be difficult to work out with his Hollywood commitments. Batista was being considered for the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame class, but that will be held off if they think he'll come back to regular action.
Goldberg and the Dudleys are being considered for the 2018 Hall of Fame class. I'd be surprised to see them induct someone actively working for ROH. We'll see how that goes. A lot of WWE workers want Jim Johnston inducted, too. All those names are deserving.
Jinder Mahal recently confirmed he tore his right labrum in September. He worked through it, although it affected the amount of weight he could lift. I see why he wanted to continue the biggest opportunity of his career by far. I hope it was the right move, long-term.
WWE tested out virtual reality cameras at Clash of Champions. I'm still waiting for hologram wrestling.
WWE has filed a claim for $6,105.40 against Raven and Buff Bagwell for court costs for the case that was resolved. So not only did Raven and Bagwell not get any money out of the settlement, they actually owe WWE as a result:
The Rock's "Fighting With My Family" is done with the editing stage. There are plans to do an advance screening during Wrestlemania week. So, it's really good Paige is back in WWE's good graces.
WWE did more animated holiday versions of their superstars. Eh.
- Braun Strowman was part of a holiday parody. BAH GAWD THEY'RE KILLIN THE DAMN BUSINESS. BILL WATTS IS ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE AND HE AIN'T EVEN DEAD.
Daniel Bryan discussed WWE not clearing him to wrestle:
- It's a difficult call given what we know about the effects of many concussions now.
- There is an argument to be made about him being cleared by so many other doctors and other tests.
- It's definitely interesting he's regularly doing kickboxing and jiu-jitsu.
- Diagnosing CTE in living people would be HUGE. Wow. That could really change a lot of things for wrestling. There's a legitimate argument to be made about wrestlers being able to work if they're aware of the risks and release the company of responsibilities, but WWE surely doesn't want wrestlers having negative health issues in the public eye when it could be prevented.
Enzo Amore freestyled during a media appearance. He needs to have a concert on "205 Live" at some point.
WWE had an action figure match between Shawn Michaels and Randy Savage, with Shane McMahon as the special referee. OH MY GOD. That was amazing. This definitely needs to be a regular thing.
Alberto El Patron has released exclusive merchandise to help Mexican earthquake victims. Alberto is also putting together an event on January 20 to benefit victims. That's incredible. Very nice moves from the former multiple-time world champion.
Gail Kim gave an interview. I'm glad she's around to structure the Knockouts division.
Next week's Raw and Smackdown Live will be commercial-free for their first hours, likely a combination of trying to keep viewers and companies not being as eager to advertise on the holiday.
Taz's current radio show will continue with the addition of his new duties. Live episodes of "The Taz Show" will resume in January, and the series will likely air later in the day than it currently does. He's got great things going for him here.
Vince McMahon sold $100 million worth of WWE stock (!!!!) to fund Alpha Entertainment, the independent company behind his proposed football venture. WWE shareholders responded to the big move by selling a lot of stock, dropping WWE's value in the marketplace. That's not really surprising; he's got a tough time selling this given how the XFL went.
- WWE released a statement confirming Vince will retain his current positions in the company. Vince still has a very large stake in the company. The obvious question is how he'll be able to handle all those responsibilities at 72, and the obvious answer is HE'S VINCE MCMAHON, DAMMIT!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's almost like the JBL story was misreported and blown out of proportion! Ranallo is more comfortable working NXT's style and schedule than the more high-pressure, heavily-produced roles on the main roster.
2. I'm under the impression it's still being investigated.
3. I'm very glad he's around!
4. That's probably still being determined. It could depend on how many "outsiders" they can get to work the match, and how many NXT stars they want to use.
5. They're still in the early goings with the endeavor.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Rolling Stone's wrestler of 2017, honorary WWE superstar, Madusa update, new Taz radio show, WWNLive vs. Flosports continues, WWNLive launches streaming service, Impact director returns, Impact getting talents additional bookings, Smackdown audience, Spud finishes Highspots show, Ziggler's future, Ambrose surgery a success, Ospreay leaving ROH?, more on proposed 10k seat show, ROH event gets branded, top Impact talent trademarks name as does former WCW name, more Raw 25 names, more Brock dates, WWE job opening, and Questions on the state of Impact, Rousey winning the Rumble, why Matt is woken, building Nakamura, and NJPW World
Rolling Stone named The Miz their 2017 WWE Wrestler of the Year. Forget being Alpha or Omega; Miz is an A-Lister.
A Make-A-Wish recipient became an honorary WWE superstar. That's a really cool moment.
Madusa updated fans on her recovery from knee surgery. I'm glad she's improving.
Taz is getting a new radio show in January. He's been very successful in that endeavor.
WWNLive has again asked for the Flosports lawsuit to be dismissed, due to it being filed in Texas instead of Florida, where WWNLive is based.
WWNLive has launched their own streaming service, which includes discounts to iPPV orders. Those events will be added to the video-on-demand section two weeks after their initial airing. I hope that's successful for them.
Former Impact director Michael Vedder has returned to replace Dave Sahadi. I wish him the best in that endeavor.
Impact is working with Bill Behrens to get their contracted talents third-party bookings. That's a great idea. Impact is making some good moves to try to improve their standing. We'll see how much of an effect it has on them going forward.
Smackdown drew 2.58 million viewers Tuesday night, getting a decent jump following Clash of Champions. I hope they'll be OK ratings-wise without Randy Orton during Wrestlemania season.
Rockstar Spud has finished his Highspots Wrestling Network series ahead of starting working in WWE. That was expected, really.
Dolph Ziggler will be off upcoming episodes of Smackdown as a followup to Tuesday's angle. However, he is still set for live events. That's great! The best thing for him as a character right now is to go away.
Dean Ambrose has been removed from advertising from upcoming WWE events following his triceps surgery. He has begun physical therapy, but there is no timeline for when he'll return to the ring.
- Jason Jordan is set to replace Ambrose as Seth Rollins' partner against The Bar on Raw live events. That's a big opportunity for Jason.
Will Ospreay is taking independent bookings outside of ROH for 2018, leading to speculation he's leaving that promotion. He could easily work ROH as a freelance star going forward. Time will tell.
The proposed Cody/Young Bucks show in a 10,000 seat venue is being planned for the Chicago area. It's very much still coming together, but it's something they're seriously pursuing. Notably, this is being put together independent of ROH or any other promotion, so it might not strictly speaking be an ROH event.
ROH's March 3 return to New York City is being called Manhattan Mayhem. We'll see who ends up working that night.
Ethan Carter III applied to trademark the name "EC3," so one would expect he would just use that name outside of Impact. That makes sense given the reference to Dixie Carter.
The former Daffney has applied to trademark that ring name. I assume that's for merchandise purposes, as she hasn't wrestled since 2011.
John Cena is being advertised for Raw's 25th anniversary. Brock Lesnar is advertised for that show as well as January 1, January 8, and February 26. That last date is for the night after Elimination Chamber. We could be in the final few months of Brock's WWE career, depending on what kind of terms the company will offer him.
WWE is seeking a brand project manager in Connecticut. That's a big role.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. If they're only one step out of the grave now, they couldn't have been more than four steps out of it at the beginning of the year. Anthem took over a company that was pretty close to becoming another section of WWE Network's video-on-demand section. They made a big gamble in turning the company into GFW, and Jeff Jarrett was unable to remain at the helm for long. With so many personnel changes in a short period of time, and Anthem coming to grips with just how much money it takes to run a company that was already in bad financial shape, the odds are really against Impact rebounding.
2. That's a pretty good idea IF it doesn't derail Asuka's undefeated streak. Charlotte vs. Rousey should more or less sell itself, so I'd probably use the Rumble to start the countdown to Asuka vs. Alexa.
3. Matt is "woken" into being this new character. It's an intentional play on the concept of being "woke" in the slang sense, and ties in with him being "Broken" in Impact after losing a big feud to Jeff. Their feud was so personal Matt wanted to completely delete Jeff from existence, instead making Jeff his "mule," Brother Nero. It's definitely different!
4. The Rumble can definitely do it. Otherwise, he could win a contenders' match at Fastlane in March. The hardcore fans don't need convincing to be excited for that match, so the booking shouldn't focus on them.
5. The answer is pretty much staying current with things and watching vintage content from years back. It depends on how much NJPW you want to watch, I suppose.
More wrestling tomorrow.
A Make-A-Wish recipient became an honorary WWE superstar. That's a really cool moment.
Madusa updated fans on her recovery from knee surgery. I'm glad she's improving.
Taz is getting a new radio show in January. He's been very successful in that endeavor.
WWNLive has again asked for the Flosports lawsuit to be dismissed, due to it being filed in Texas instead of Florida, where WWNLive is based.
WWNLive has launched their own streaming service, which includes discounts to iPPV orders. Those events will be added to the video-on-demand section two weeks after their initial airing. I hope that's successful for them.
Former Impact director Michael Vedder has returned to replace Dave Sahadi. I wish him the best in that endeavor.
Impact is working with Bill Behrens to get their contracted talents third-party bookings. That's a great idea. Impact is making some good moves to try to improve their standing. We'll see how much of an effect it has on them going forward.
Smackdown drew 2.58 million viewers Tuesday night, getting a decent jump following Clash of Champions. I hope they'll be OK ratings-wise without Randy Orton during Wrestlemania season.
Rockstar Spud has finished his Highspots Wrestling Network series ahead of starting working in WWE. That was expected, really.
Dolph Ziggler will be off upcoming episodes of Smackdown as a followup to Tuesday's angle. However, he is still set for live events. That's great! The best thing for him as a character right now is to go away.
Dean Ambrose has been removed from advertising from upcoming WWE events following his triceps surgery. He has begun physical therapy, but there is no timeline for when he'll return to the ring.
- Jason Jordan is set to replace Ambrose as Seth Rollins' partner against The Bar on Raw live events. That's a big opportunity for Jason.
Will Ospreay is taking independent bookings outside of ROH for 2018, leading to speculation he's leaving that promotion. He could easily work ROH as a freelance star going forward. Time will tell.
The proposed Cody/Young Bucks show in a 10,000 seat venue is being planned for the Chicago area. It's very much still coming together, but it's something they're seriously pursuing. Notably, this is being put together independent of ROH or any other promotion, so it might not strictly speaking be an ROH event.
ROH's March 3 return to New York City is being called Manhattan Mayhem. We'll see who ends up working that night.
Ethan Carter III applied to trademark the name "EC3," so one would expect he would just use that name outside of Impact. That makes sense given the reference to Dixie Carter.
The former Daffney has applied to trademark that ring name. I assume that's for merchandise purposes, as she hasn't wrestled since 2011.
John Cena is being advertised for Raw's 25th anniversary. Brock Lesnar is advertised for that show as well as January 1, January 8, and February 26. That last date is for the night after Elimination Chamber. We could be in the final few months of Brock's WWE career, depending on what kind of terms the company will offer him.
WWE is seeking a brand project manager in Connecticut. That's a big role.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. If they're only one step out of the grave now, they couldn't have been more than four steps out of it at the beginning of the year. Anthem took over a company that was pretty close to becoming another section of WWE Network's video-on-demand section. They made a big gamble in turning the company into GFW, and Jeff Jarrett was unable to remain at the helm for long. With so many personnel changes in a short period of time, and Anthem coming to grips with just how much money it takes to run a company that was already in bad financial shape, the odds are really against Impact rebounding.
2. That's a pretty good idea IF it doesn't derail Asuka's undefeated streak. Charlotte vs. Rousey should more or less sell itself, so I'd probably use the Rumble to start the countdown to Asuka vs. Alexa.
3. Matt is "woken" into being this new character. It's an intentional play on the concept of being "woke" in the slang sense, and ties in with him being "Broken" in Impact after losing a big feud to Jeff. Their feud was so personal Matt wanted to completely delete Jeff from existence, instead making Jeff his "mule," Brother Nero. It's definitely different!
4. The Rumble can definitely do it. Otherwise, he could win a contenders' match at Fastlane in March. The hardcore fans don't need convincing to be excited for that match, so the booking shouldn't focus on them.
5. The answer is pretty much staying current with things and watching vintage content from years back. It depends on how much NJPW you want to watch, I suppose.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Rumble returns teased, Ambrose injured, top name taking Mania season off?, WWE Network maintenance, three big WWE signings expected, WWE signing backstage at TV this week, Interview with JR, Raw audience, AJ book made into TV series, and Questions on the XFL reboot, Ziggler's title win, Bryan wrestling Shane, and big Summerslam weekend happenings
Trish Stratus and Michelle McCool teased returning to the ring for the women's Royal Rumble. YES. Both would be great additions to make the match as big of a deal as it should be.
Dean Ambrose was part of an injury angle on Raw to cover for a legitimate elbow issue. An MRI later revealed a potential triceps tear, with surgery scheduled. I hope he doesn't have to miss much time.
Randy Orton looks to be taking significant time off following the February 6 Smackdown taping, as he's not advertised for anything between that date and the Smackdown after Wrestlemania. He's also not advertised for May's European tour. He's still set for January's TV tapings and the Royal Rumble, but only some live events that month. I hope that's a refreshing period for him, and that Smackdown can handle not having one of their top names around for an important period of the year.
WWE Network did system maintenance earlier this morning. That's necessary every so often to keep things running as good as possible.
Ricochet and War Machine are expected to join NXT in January. War Machine is believed to have finished with ROH at the TV tapings following Final Battle, and they'll work their last NJPW date on January 4. All three names have significant reputations. War Machine's going to have a tough time standing out in a promotion with other teams of large, agile wrestlers, but that's definitely a big boost for them.
Rockstar Spud was backstage at Raw and Smackdown. He's expected to join 205 Live soon. I look forward to seeing him again.
Jim Ross talked to Sam Roberts, with highlights released here:
- There's definitely something of a generational difference between today's wrestlers and the Attitude Era talents as far as asking for opportunities, communicating with their supervisors, etc. That's not a burial of millennials by any means; it's got to be intimidating to approach the veteran wrestlers and staff given their reputations in the business.
- I can't disagree with any of JR's choices to recruit. I'd add Ethan Carter III as well.
Raw drew 2.79 million viewers Monday night. They'll definitely take a hit on Christmas Day, and potentially New Year's Day as well, so this number is somewhat of a target for the January 8 show.
AJ Mendez's memoir is being turned into a TV series, with AJ as a writer and executive producer. That's awesome!! It could be a pretty incredible project.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. So he doesn't have to worry about it affecting WWE's business. He can run the company without having to be too concerned about what WWE stockholders think.
2. While I think it's probably fair to say the NFL is vulnerable to competition, he's definitely going to be the underdog in that fight. Vince is rich and well-connected, so I'd like to think he could put something somewhat successful together, but it's going to be tough going for the reasons mentioned.
3. Yeah, I don't see what they were thinking either. His character isn't just stale; it's collecting mold. He's always, always, always worked really hard, and this could be a reward for his tenacity, but I hope this is leading to something where he takes a break from WWE. I mean, his character is all about how no one appreciates him anyway, so how about take some time off and come back refreshed? I'd like to see him reinvent himself and come back as Nick Nemeth, wrestling differently, looking different, etc.
4. If Bryan does end up in the ring against Shane, I'd expect it to be more of a spectacle like Vince vs. Bret rather than the Bryan we got in his active days. I wouldn't think it would be totally out of the question to do some kind of street fight with no big neck bumps, but even that could be stretching it. Time will tell.
5. I wouldn't be surprised to see some other promotions piggyback Summerslam weekend, but certainly not at the level of Wrestlemania.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Dean Ambrose was part of an injury angle on Raw to cover for a legitimate elbow issue. An MRI later revealed a potential triceps tear, with surgery scheduled. I hope he doesn't have to miss much time.
Randy Orton looks to be taking significant time off following the February 6 Smackdown taping, as he's not advertised for anything between that date and the Smackdown after Wrestlemania. He's also not advertised for May's European tour. He's still set for January's TV tapings and the Royal Rumble, but only some live events that month. I hope that's a refreshing period for him, and that Smackdown can handle not having one of their top names around for an important period of the year.
WWE Network did system maintenance earlier this morning. That's necessary every so often to keep things running as good as possible.
Ricochet and War Machine are expected to join NXT in January. War Machine is believed to have finished with ROH at the TV tapings following Final Battle, and they'll work their last NJPW date on January 4. All three names have significant reputations. War Machine's going to have a tough time standing out in a promotion with other teams of large, agile wrestlers, but that's definitely a big boost for them.
Rockstar Spud was backstage at Raw and Smackdown. He's expected to join 205 Live soon. I look forward to seeing him again.
Jim Ross talked to Sam Roberts, with highlights released here:
- There's definitely something of a generational difference between today's wrestlers and the Attitude Era talents as far as asking for opportunities, communicating with their supervisors, etc. That's not a burial of millennials by any means; it's got to be intimidating to approach the veteran wrestlers and staff given their reputations in the business.
- I can't disagree with any of JR's choices to recruit. I'd add Ethan Carter III as well.
Raw drew 2.79 million viewers Monday night. They'll definitely take a hit on Christmas Day, and potentially New Year's Day as well, so this number is somewhat of a target for the January 8 show.
AJ Mendez's memoir is being turned into a TV series, with AJ as a writer and executive producer. That's awesome!! It could be a pretty incredible project.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. So he doesn't have to worry about it affecting WWE's business. He can run the company without having to be too concerned about what WWE stockholders think.
2. While I think it's probably fair to say the NFL is vulnerable to competition, he's definitely going to be the underdog in that fight. Vince is rich and well-connected, so I'd like to think he could put something somewhat successful together, but it's going to be tough going for the reasons mentioned.
3. Yeah, I don't see what they were thinking either. His character isn't just stale; it's collecting mold. He's always, always, always worked really hard, and this could be a reward for his tenacity, but I hope this is leading to something where he takes a break from WWE. I mean, his character is all about how no one appreciates him anyway, so how about take some time off and come back refreshed? I'd like to see him reinvent himself and come back as Nick Nemeth, wrestling differently, looking different, etc.
4. If Bryan does end up in the ring against Shane, I'd expect it to be more of a spectacle like Vince vs. Bret rather than the Bryan we got in his active days. I wouldn't think it would be totally out of the question to do some kind of street fight with no big neck bumps, but even that could be stretching it. Time will tell.
5. I wouldn't be surprised to see some other promotions piggyback Summerslam weekend, but certainly not at the level of Wrestlemania.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 12/19/17
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Another Aro Lucha show set, Impact doing clip shows to close 2017, Boston merch, WWE airing in Mongolia, NXT name working indie show, WWE mobile game drops, Interview with Nia, Y2J vs. Omega gets a stipulation, big WWE YouTube milestone, Alberto helps local charity, Wrestlestock parody video, Cena discusses PG WWE, Smackdown outreach, WWE promotes women's Rumble, and Questions on WWE helping viral bullying victim, Raw is War vs. War Zone, Shield booking, and Paige splitting from Alberto
Aro Lucha has announced a second Texas live event for January 19, so they'll be running back-to-back nights.
Impact Wrestling will have "Best of 2017" episodes this week and next week. That's not surprising. It allows them to go longer with footage they taped in Ottawa.
WWE sold Boston-themed T-shirts at Clash of Champions, including one with Celtics colors and a Sasha Banks "Bosstown" shirt. Having event and market-specific merchandise is a good way to sell more products in venue.
WWE will air Raw and Smackdown in Mongolia for the first time beginning this weekend. Raw will be in a two-hour format in the region, and both shows will be in English with Mongolian subtitles. That's another good deal for the company.
NXT's Oney Lorcan will appear at Beyond Wrestling's December 31 event in Massachusetts. The show will be an Internet PPV, but Oney will only appear for the live crowd. That's still pretty cool. I'd like to see Oney on 205 Live at some point.
"WWE Mayhem" has been released for mobile platforms. The game will have a tie-in with Mattel's "Retro" action figures where the figures can be scanned to open unique characters and content. That's pretty cool!
Nia Jax is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast. Lilian does a great job with those interviews.
Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega is now a no-disqualification match. That should be really big for everyone involved.
WWE's YouTube channel has passed 20 million subscribers! The company is really pushing their digital ventures.
Alberto El Patron helped the Salvation Army of San Antonio deliver 8,000 toys to needy families. That's wonderful! I'm glad he's in the news for a positive reason.
Verizon go90's "The Fifth Quarter" featured a fictional wrestling festival with Johnny Impact, Joey Ryan, Damien Sandow, Rocky Romero, Ryan Nemeth, and JTG. Pretty funny stuff. Notably, Sandow is now pursuing acting full-time, which was expected after his WWE departure.
John Cena discussed the state of WWE and more:
- Kind of a dickish response to some questions, but he had some good thoughts about storytelling.
- I think Cena will continue to work in the ring when his schedule allows, in something like a Chris Jericho role.
- Interesting thoughts about Vince's vision.
- Pretty big response to WWE's PG vision. I do wonder what international appeal they would or wouldn't have if they did TV-14 content.
- Cena is pretty smart about how he's got to make the most of his PG environment.
- I wish more wrestlers had the idea that drawing money is the most important thing.
- Body language is absolutely important with promos.
- A lot of food for thought about WWE going for a more general audience. The 18-to-35 male demographic is the dirtsheet audience, so the fact the company isn't catering to them anymore means a LOT of complaints to and by the dirtsheets.
Sin Cara, Chad Gable, Carmella, and Greg Hamilton did community outreach appearances before Smackdown's live event Monday night.
WWE put out a press release about the women's Royal Rumble right after Raw. This is a REALLY big moment for the company.
For my thoughts on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They more or less stayed out of the news once more details were known. They did some messages of support at first, but wisely stayed away from doing anything else to support the family.
1. They more or less stayed out of the news once more details were known. They did some messages of support at first, but wisely stayed away from doing anything else to support the family.
2. To note, there are fewer regulations about the kind of content you can air later at night, so WWF saved some of the heavier stuff for the second hour. It also let WWF have two spots on the list of most-watched shows in one night.
3. They're still behind Roman, but they're conscious that there's a vocal part of the fan base that wants him to have to "pay his dues" more before getting too big of a push, and also wants to see other players in the main event picture.
4. Glad to see PWInsider finally note that not everyone can get a big push at once. Pairing Seth and Dean gave them a regular role on the show without having to worry about one overshadowing the other as a singles star or either of them ending up kind of drifting through things like Balor is.
5. Alberto is somewhat winding his career down and would probably not be a fan of going back on the road regularly for WWE, even if there wasn't bad blood. I doubt WWE was disheartened to learn Paige and Alberto split, but as long as she's healthy physically and emotionally, she was going to come back whether they were still together or not.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, December 18, 2017
NXT name says farewell, Rollins promotes WWE 2K18, WWEPC rap battle, Mooney back at WWE, Credible addresses weekend incident, early WCW name passes, Interview with Goldberg, Jason Jordan update, Raw feud added to 205 Live events, and Questions on NJPW's show becoming a threat to WWE, NWA plans, and wrestling copying TMNT and Spider-Man
Hideo Itami worked his final NXT live events this weekend before beginning on 205 Live this week. I hope that's a successful move for him.
Seth Rollins responded to IGN comments to promote WWE 2K18. Interesting shots at Braun.
WWEPC competitors did rap battles. I died laughing at some of the international stars.
Sean Mooney was recently part of some sort of WWE segment, presumably as promotion for Raw's 25th anniversary. Cool to see retro names involved.
Justin Credible responded to Friday's independent show incident. I REALLY hope he's able to turn his life around. That was a crisis moment.
Former WCW star "Z-Man" Tom Zenk passed away at age 59. I wish the best to his family and friends going forward.
Goldberg discussed Brock Lesnar, a potential return, and more. I think he had a great last run.
Jason Jordan is continuing the "hurt knee" angle in live event matches. I assume this is leading to a heel turn where he's faking being hurt so it's not his fault he's losing or he wants his dad's attention or something. There's definitely potential for being upset at "dad" for not spending more time with the son he didn't know he had for decades. They can even say Jason's mom told Jason Kurt was a deadbeat dad or something. Like, Jason and his mom could have been living the life, but Kurt wouldn't support them.
Bray Wyatt vs. Matt Hardy has been added to the 205 Live live events in January in an effort to sell more tickets. The brand isn't lighting the world on fire, that's for sure. I wouldn't be shocked to see someone from Raw face Nia Jax on those events, too.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely think NJPW and AXS are going to get further "over" in the U.S. in 2018, and Y2J will be part of that. They're a long way from having WWE's footprint in the States. They're about at ROH's level in the U.S. and a little below Impact both in the U.S. and worldwide, although obviously they draw much bigger crowds and have much more money than Impact. Things are trending upward, but it's very much still WWE's game. All that said, WWE is definitely interested in some NJPW names. The more money and attention those names bring to NJPW, the more WWE is going to want them. That's generally how they operate: if something's successful somewhere else, they're going to do what they can to make that thing/person/people successful for them.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. Right now they're building interest in the brand through digital means, and trying to get more bookings for their NWA Champion. The goal is to eventually book NWA-branded shows (presumably at small venues) and see if they can run a successful promotion at that level. It's going to take a lot of time to make that brand important to the modern audience, but the videos are part of that.
4. WWE very clearly using TMNT costumes could have really led to legal troubles. Now, if they would have made their own costumes that were distinct enough from the trademarked content, they might be OK. It could still end up with a legal challenge, though.
5. It's a shame Arachnaman never got to team with the Toxic Turtles.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Seth Rollins responded to IGN comments to promote WWE 2K18. Interesting shots at Braun.
WWEPC competitors did rap battles. I died laughing at some of the international stars.
Sean Mooney was recently part of some sort of WWE segment, presumably as promotion for Raw's 25th anniversary. Cool to see retro names involved.
Justin Credible responded to Friday's independent show incident. I REALLY hope he's able to turn his life around. That was a crisis moment.
Former WCW star "Z-Man" Tom Zenk passed away at age 59. I wish the best to his family and friends going forward.
Goldberg discussed Brock Lesnar, a potential return, and more. I think he had a great last run.
Jason Jordan is continuing the "hurt knee" angle in live event matches. I assume this is leading to a heel turn where he's faking being hurt so it's not his fault he's losing or he wants his dad's attention or something. There's definitely potential for being upset at "dad" for not spending more time with the son he didn't know he had for decades. They can even say Jason's mom told Jason Kurt was a deadbeat dad or something. Like, Jason and his mom could have been living the life, but Kurt wouldn't support them.
Bray Wyatt vs. Matt Hardy has been added to the 205 Live live events in January in an effort to sell more tickets. The brand isn't lighting the world on fire, that's for sure. I wouldn't be shocked to see someone from Raw face Nia Jax on those events, too.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely think NJPW and AXS are going to get further "over" in the U.S. in 2018, and Y2J will be part of that. They're a long way from having WWE's footprint in the States. They're about at ROH's level in the U.S. and a little below Impact both in the U.S. and worldwide, although obviously they draw much bigger crowds and have much more money than Impact. Things are trending upward, but it's very much still WWE's game. All that said, WWE is definitely interested in some NJPW names. The more money and attention those names bring to NJPW, the more WWE is going to want them. That's generally how they operate: if something's successful somewhere else, they're going to do what they can to make that thing/person/people successful for them.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. Right now they're building interest in the brand through digital means, and trying to get more bookings for their NWA Champion. The goal is to eventually book NWA-branded shows (presumably at small venues) and see if they can run a successful promotion at that level. It's going to take a lot of time to make that brand important to the modern audience, but the videos are part of that.
4. WWE very clearly using TMNT costumes could have really led to legal troubles. Now, if they would have made their own costumes that were distinct enough from the trademarked content, they might be OK. It could still end up with a legal challenge, though.
5. It's a shame Arachnaman never got to team with the Toxic Turtles.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Clash of Champions Reax
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown-brand WWE Network special event.
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Main Event Reax - 12/16/17, Impact audience, new Table For 3 after Raw, NXT TV note, holiday Network content, Roku holding Network contest, Edge on History Channel show, Vince launches independent company to potentially start a new football league, Credible forcibly removed from indie show, Apollo working UK promotion, Smackdown live event note, and Questions on Cesaro's ceiling, NiaXEnzo, Braun's varying vulnerability, Santa's Little Helper matches, Ziggler's entrance, and WWE TV in North Korea
-- Main Event:
- Hawkins vs. Rhyno:
Curt smartly realizing you can't lose if you're in the ropes the whole match.
Fine start.
I still enjoy Rhyno the powerhouse.
I'm liking this so far.
Hawkins has some consistent offense here. Could this be the episode where he breaks the streak???
Oh... well... now Rhyno's the one on a roll.
Good ending. Maybe next time, Curt!
- Kendrick/Gallagher vs. Metalik/Akira:
Nice start.
Metalik and Tozawa is an interesting pairing. I like it.
The springboard wrist lock cracked me up.
There's a pretty good flow here.
Good suicide dive spot.
Not bad at all!
Impact Wrestling drew 161,000 viewers against Tribute to the Troops. That's the third-lowest number the series has drawn since it was on Fox Sports Net 12 years ago. The only shows to do worse were two year-end recap shows at the end of 2015. The show will definitely rebound with no WWE competition next week, but they're taking a beating lately.
The next "Table for 3" will feature Finn Balor and the Hardys and debut after Raw. Interesting combination.
Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan will take place on this week's NXT, with the winner advancing to the number one contendership fatal four-way match. That should be interesting.
Mick and Noelle Foley will host a holiday feature on WWE Network Friday.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday will feature more Christmas-themed content.
Roku is hosting a contest to win a years' subscription to WWE Network in addition to a 50-inch TV. I like the idea of reaching other audiences to get the service.
Edge will be on History Channel's "Vikings" for the next six episodes.
Vince McMahon has founded a new entertainment company independent of WWE. There's speculation he'll be relaunching the XFL as a result. That would definitely be a big, bold venture for him. As he looks at opportunities outside of WWE, that can have big ripple effects for how WWE is run. It would almost certainly follow that he'd have to delegate more responsibilities to other executives, and that would have its own important consequences.
- Alpha Entertainment and VKM Ventures have applied to trademark "URFL" "UFL" "United Football League," and "For The Love of Football." So it definitely looks like he's making progress toward funding an NFL alternative. It's a risky venture, and it's hard to say how successful it could be. Either way, this can end up as a gamechanger for Vince and for WWE.
Justin Credible was forcefully removed from the ring during an independent show after arriving to the event in poor condition. He had been booked for a pre-show autograph signing and in-ring promo, but was asked to leave before the show began due to being deemed "unable to perform." Credible went on to go to the ring and do a promo anyway, slurring his speech and cursing profusely. After he was taken from the ring by members of the locker room, it took considerable time to get him to leave the venue. That's a really unfortunate turn of events for the former ECW Champion. I hope he gets things back on track going forward.
- The promotion that put on the show tweeted about what happened. I think they handled that pretty well. I'm glad they didn't showcase video of the incident. Credible's already gone through enough.
Apollo Crews will appear for a UK independent promotion on February 10, with WWE's approval. While I'm glad he's getting to work a former promotion he's worked at, it's telling WWE is willing to let him do another company's show two months out. I almost wish he'd be released to go work somewhere else for a while to show how valuable he can be, as Drew McIntyre did.
At a Smackdown live event in Maine, Primo Colon returned to action in an eight-man tag match alongside Epico and the Bludgeon Brothers in a loss to Breezango and The Ascension. Does that make Breezango and The Ascension friends???
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Cesaro's a solid Intercontinental/United States/Tag Team Champion level guy. There's a chance for him to move higher if all the stars align. As we saw with Jinder, WWE is occasionally willing to give someone unexpected the chance to be a top player.
2. Just because you don't see Nia and Enzo together, that doesn't mean they wouldn't end up together. Enzo is the realest champ in the room!! That is a fair point about Braun and Kane given how much damage they've taken in other contexts. WWE isn't super consistent on that issue sometimes.
3. It doesn't look like we'll see any matches like that in the future. The women's division is more wrestling-centric than it used to be.
4. It was to take shots at people like Bobby Roode having a flashy entrance, song, etc. He made his point, so he's back trying to win the U.S. Title.
5. I wouldn't count on it happening anytime soon, although North Korea drew the biggest audiences in wrestling history for their WCW shows. Mandatory attendance will do that.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Hawkins vs. Rhyno:
Curt smartly realizing you can't lose if you're in the ropes the whole match.
Fine start.
I still enjoy Rhyno the powerhouse.
I'm liking this so far.
Hawkins has some consistent offense here. Could this be the episode where he breaks the streak???
Oh... well... now Rhyno's the one on a roll.
Good ending. Maybe next time, Curt!
- Kendrick/Gallagher vs. Metalik/Akira:
Nice start.
Metalik and Tozawa is an interesting pairing. I like it.
The springboard wrist lock cracked me up.
There's a pretty good flow here.
Good suicide dive spot.
Not bad at all!
Impact Wrestling drew 161,000 viewers against Tribute to the Troops. That's the third-lowest number the series has drawn since it was on Fox Sports Net 12 years ago. The only shows to do worse were two year-end recap shows at the end of 2015. The show will definitely rebound with no WWE competition next week, but they're taking a beating lately.
The next "Table for 3" will feature Finn Balor and the Hardys and debut after Raw. Interesting combination.
Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan will take place on this week's NXT, with the winner advancing to the number one contendership fatal four-way match. That should be interesting.
Mick and Noelle Foley will host a holiday feature on WWE Network Friday.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday will feature more Christmas-themed content.
Roku is hosting a contest to win a years' subscription to WWE Network in addition to a 50-inch TV. I like the idea of reaching other audiences to get the service.
Edge will be on History Channel's "Vikings" for the next six episodes.
Vince McMahon has founded a new entertainment company independent of WWE. There's speculation he'll be relaunching the XFL as a result. That would definitely be a big, bold venture for him. As he looks at opportunities outside of WWE, that can have big ripple effects for how WWE is run. It would almost certainly follow that he'd have to delegate more responsibilities to other executives, and that would have its own important consequences.
- Alpha Entertainment and VKM Ventures have applied to trademark "URFL" "UFL" "United Football League," and "For The Love of Football." So it definitely looks like he's making progress toward funding an NFL alternative. It's a risky venture, and it's hard to say how successful it could be. Either way, this can end up as a gamechanger for Vince and for WWE.
Justin Credible was forcefully removed from the ring during an independent show after arriving to the event in poor condition. He had been booked for a pre-show autograph signing and in-ring promo, but was asked to leave before the show began due to being deemed "unable to perform." Credible went on to go to the ring and do a promo anyway, slurring his speech and cursing profusely. After he was taken from the ring by members of the locker room, it took considerable time to get him to leave the venue. That's a really unfortunate turn of events for the former ECW Champion. I hope he gets things back on track going forward.
- The promotion that put on the show tweeted about what happened. I think they handled that pretty well. I'm glad they didn't showcase video of the incident. Credible's already gone through enough.
Apollo Crews will appear for a UK independent promotion on February 10, with WWE's approval. While I'm glad he's getting to work a former promotion he's worked at, it's telling WWE is willing to let him do another company's show two months out. I almost wish he'd be released to go work somewhere else for a while to show how valuable he can be, as Drew McIntyre did.
At a Smackdown live event in Maine, Primo Colon returned to action in an eight-man tag match alongside Epico and the Bludgeon Brothers in a loss to Breezango and The Ascension. Does that make Breezango and The Ascension friends???
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Cesaro's a solid Intercontinental/United States/Tag Team Champion level guy. There's a chance for him to move higher if all the stars align. As we saw with Jinder, WWE is occasionally willing to give someone unexpected the chance to be a top player.
2. Just because you don't see Nia and Enzo together, that doesn't mean they wouldn't end up together. Enzo is the realest champ in the room!! That is a fair point about Braun and Kane given how much damage they've taken in other contexts. WWE isn't super consistent on that issue sometimes.
3. It doesn't look like we'll see any matches like that in the future. The women's division is more wrestling-centric than it used to be.
4. It was to take shots at people like Bobby Roode having a flashy entrance, song, etc. He made his point, so he's back trying to win the U.S. Title.
5. I wouldn't count on it happening anytime soon, although North Korea drew the biggest audiences in wrestling history for their WCW shows. Mandatory attendance will do that.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Clash of Champions preview
Read on for my ideas for booking tonight's Smackdown-brand WWE Network special event.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Interviews with Bully/Hawkins+Ryder/Cena, Teddy Hart legal update, TMZ disputes Rousey-WWE story, Lynch return timeline, 3MB reunion as Drew recovers, WWE airing live in South Korea, Grado remembers mother, Noam injury update, WWE making game with Indian developer, Virgil action figure meme magic, Tribute audience, Swann's attorney issues statement, Enzo has heat with DMV, Final Battle notes, and Questions on an Indian HoFer, Max Moon, and Bob Holly returning to WWE
Bully Ray did an interview with ESPN ahead of Final Battle. There are some who think his retirement won't last, but it's going to be tough to have a better sendoff than the angle he just completed.
Teddy Hart has returned to the ring following the dropping of all charges brought against him. Hart had been in custody since October due to charges brought from a January arrest, including a hazardous traffic violation, attempting to evade a lawful arrest, and and operating a vehicle without consent of the owner. That's quite the rap sheet. I hope this is the last time he has trouble of this kind.
TMZ disputes Ronda Rousey going to WWE, saying a deal isn't even in the works. It's still possible we'll see Rousey in a WWE ring, but this casts some doubt on the prospect.
Becky Lynch is on track to return to Smackdown in early January. If there is going to be a women's Royal Rumble, she'll be an important player in the mix.
Jinder Mahal is helping Drew McIntyre work out as the former NXT Champion works toward returning to the ring. I hope that's a feud on Smackdown or Raw at some point.
Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins spoke on Edge and Christian's podcasts, celebrating ten years since the Edgeheads debuted. That was a pretty cool angle.
John Cena was on The Late Late Show With James Corden to promote "Ferdinand."
- Cena also answered Google questions for Wired. He can be a lot of fun when he goes off the cuff.
WWE will start airing its content live in South Korea for the first time as part of a new deal there. That's great for the audience there.
Grado remembered his mother as she recently passed away. I wish him the best going forward.
ROH has a number of dates set with the Hammerstein Ballroom for 2018, with the next one being March 3. It's a popular venue.
Noam Dar has a meniscus tear. It's expected he'll miss around five months. I look forward to his return.
WWE is working with an Indian game company to create WWE Mayhem. I look forward to seeing how that turns out.
Virgil has a limited edition action figure with his signature sign. I'm DYING.
Tribute to the Troops drew 1.40 million viewers. That's a pretty good number after three hours of Raw, two hours of Smackdown, and an hour of NXT that week.
Rich Swann's attorney issued a statement on his client's pending court case. As much as I want to see Rich in the ring again, I wouldn't blame WWE for cutting ties with him if he's found guilty here.
Enzo Amore is upset at the DMV for refusing to accept his drawing of a penis as a signature on his license. There's a genuine concern there, as that signature would be easier to fake on documents, etc.. That said, I can't say I'm not a little amused by it all. Technically, it is an E and an A.
At ROH Final Battle:
- Jeff Jones helped out backstage, as he had done in the past.
- The Amazing Red, Brian XL, and Noelle Foley visited backstage.
- Delirious teamed with Cheeseburger against The Dawgs in a match taped for YouTube. Josh Woods vs. Jonathan Gresham will also be uploaded to YouTube at some point.
- Bully Ray left his boots in the ring and saluted the crowd after his match, before leaving through the crowd with Tommy Dreamer.
- Dalton Castle cut a promo after his big win. That was definitely a nice surprise ending to the show.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
The first two were repeats.
3. I don't see it happening in 2018, but it could end up happening down the line. I think they might start with Great Khali given him being world champion. I'd like to think Ranjin Singh or someone would be on-hand for that acceptance speech.
4. I always chuckle when I think of Konnan's LAX character playing Max Moon.
5. Holly is 54 years old. Outside of a Rumble cameo or something, I don't see him wrestling for WWE.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Teddy Hart has returned to the ring following the dropping of all charges brought against him. Hart had been in custody since October due to charges brought from a January arrest, including a hazardous traffic violation, attempting to evade a lawful arrest, and and operating a vehicle without consent of the owner. That's quite the rap sheet. I hope this is the last time he has trouble of this kind.
TMZ disputes Ronda Rousey going to WWE, saying a deal isn't even in the works. It's still possible we'll see Rousey in a WWE ring, but this casts some doubt on the prospect.
Becky Lynch is on track to return to Smackdown in early January. If there is going to be a women's Royal Rumble, she'll be an important player in the mix.
Jinder Mahal is helping Drew McIntyre work out as the former NXT Champion works toward returning to the ring. I hope that's a feud on Smackdown or Raw at some point.
Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins spoke on Edge and Christian's podcasts, celebrating ten years since the Edgeheads debuted. That was a pretty cool angle.
John Cena was on The Late Late Show With James Corden to promote "Ferdinand."
- Cena also answered Google questions for Wired. He can be a lot of fun when he goes off the cuff.
WWE will start airing its content live in South Korea for the first time as part of a new deal there. That's great for the audience there.
Grado remembered his mother as she recently passed away. I wish him the best going forward.
ROH has a number of dates set with the Hammerstein Ballroom for 2018, with the next one being March 3. It's a popular venue.
Noam Dar has a meniscus tear. It's expected he'll miss around five months. I look forward to his return.
WWE is working with an Indian game company to create WWE Mayhem. I look forward to seeing how that turns out.
Virgil has a limited edition action figure with his signature sign. I'm DYING.
Tribute to the Troops drew 1.40 million viewers. That's a pretty good number after three hours of Raw, two hours of Smackdown, and an hour of NXT that week.
Rich Swann's attorney issued a statement on his client's pending court case. As much as I want to see Rich in the ring again, I wouldn't blame WWE for cutting ties with him if he's found guilty here.
Enzo Amore is upset at the DMV for refusing to accept his drawing of a penis as a signature on his license. There's a genuine concern there, as that signature would be easier to fake on documents, etc.. That said, I can't say I'm not a little amused by it all. Technically, it is an E and an A.
At ROH Final Battle:
- Jeff Jones helped out backstage, as he had done in the past.
- The Amazing Red, Brian XL, and Noelle Foley visited backstage.
- Delirious teamed with Cheeseburger against The Dawgs in a match taped for YouTube. Josh Woods vs. Jonathan Gresham will also be uploaded to YouTube at some point.
- Bully Ray left his boots in the ring and saluted the crowd after his match, before leaving through the crowd with Tommy Dreamer.
- Dalton Castle cut a promo after his big win. That was definitely a nice surprise ending to the show.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
The first two were repeats.
3. I don't see it happening in 2018, but it could end up happening down the line. I think they might start with Great Khali given him being world champion. I'd like to think Ranjin Singh or someone would be on-hand for that acceptance speech.
4. I always chuckle when I think of Konnan's LAX character playing Max Moon.
5. Holly is 54 years old. Outside of a Rumble cameo or something, I don't see him wrestling for WWE.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, December 15, 2017
WWE content deal update, Aro Lucha live event plans, more on WWE HoFer surgery, Tim Storm update, more wrestling merch at Hot Topic?, LU season four plans, Rey-LU note, ex-LU name in demand, top Impact names WWE bound?, more Impact cost-cutting, Universal Title match set for Rumble, Raw after WM34 sells out, WWE signs German MMA fighter, scheduled WWE event in Canada canceled, new WWE trademark, WWE opposing trademark, Impact names in NOAH, Mantell-Impact update, Interviews with HHH/Rock, CZW event gets out of control, CZW fallout, Rock gets his star, Smackdown shows announced, NBA name tries RKO, ROH TV matches set, Rock/Cena/Tribute press, another WWE holiday video, NXT audience, new ROH title design, and Questions on Impact doing a tribute to the troops, replacing an hour of Raw with NXT, Matt's creative freedom in WWE, and Callis coming to Impact
If WWE moves their content to a streaming service such as Facebook, it would affect all of their worldwide television partners. It would be harder to get places to pay for television rights to something fans can watch online. WWE has a very big decision ahead of them regarding Raw and Smackdown.
Aro Lucha is set to run a number of live events between January and April, starting with their first ever live event in Texas on January 20. They're definitely trying to be a major player pretty quickly.
Madusa's knee surgery was a full knee replacement. I hope that helps her feel better going forward.
Tim Storm was working the CZW match with Nick Aldis with two cracked ribs. I wish him the best going forward, inside and outside of wrestling.
Hot Topic is testing selling T-shirts for Joey Ryan and Candice LeRae at some locations, with an eye toward selling them nationally.
LU is set to have 21 episodes in its fourth season, significantly cut back from previous seasons in a cost-cutting measure.
Rey Mysterio turned down a new LU deal. He'll be working Aro Lucha instead.
Impact is looking to work more with AAA going forward. With Don Callis coming in, planning is beginning for their future international deals.
Brian Cage has interest from both Impact and NJPW. I don't think Impact would want to try to compete for a better deal with NJPW, but there's the possibility he ends up going to either promotion.
Lashley and Ethan Carter III are both expected to leave Impact when their current deals expire. One or both could be WWE-bound if they do leave. Both men are really talented, so I'd hope they do get to continue working on a big stage.
Impact is letting their office staff work for other groups as another cost-cutting move. I wouldn't blame those staff for looking for full-time work elsewhere if they can get it. Hopefully being able to work for other promotions is enough for now.
The WWE Universal Championship match at Royal Rumble will be Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane. This way they can have another big title match without beating Brock or Braun. That works, although certainly they can't have someone like Kane fill that role for too much longer.
The Raw after Wrestlemania 34 has sold out, as expected.
WWE is looking to open a wrestling academy in India. That's not an awful idea as they continue to try to grow globally. It takes a long time to grow stars from scratch, and it would be good to have experienced professionals in that facility.
German MMA fighter Nicolai Salchow will begin at the WWE Performance Center in January. It will be interesting to see how she does there.
A scheduled WWE event in Edmonton, Alberta on February 9 has been canceled following a regulation banning all forms of combat sports in the city that came about after a boxer dying following a fight in June. The ban could be in effect for a full year pending a report on the boxer's death. I assume WWE will run a show in a different city that day as a result, as they've already booked shows for the days after that night.
WWE applied to trademark "The Most Patriotic Show on Television" in reference to their annual Tribute to the Troops event. That moniker definitely fits.
WWE is opposing a proposed trademark for the word "wrestler" that a Hong Kong company has put up to use for smartphones and similar devices. I don't see that one getting approved given how the term is used in so many other contexts.
Eddie Edwards and Moose are working Pro Wrestling NOAH as part of that promotion's deal with Impact. It will be interesting to see what changes for everyone in that working relationship as Edwards' contract comes to a close.
Dutch Mantell could work Impact's January tapings as his final dates there. As the company goes through another transition behind-the-scenes, things are still coming together for how the new regime will operate and what their plans are.
Triple H did three interviews to promote NXT on USA Network:
-- NBC Sports:
- It definitely feels like NXT is geared toward a different crowd than Raw or Smackdown. We'll see if there are any additional viewers in the weeks to come as a result of the USA experiment.
- The whole point of developmental needs to be working to help people improve to where they can work on Raw or Smackdown. So, yes, if someone's not a good promo, they need to get practice on that stage before they're in front of a lot bigger audience.
- There are definitely some Raw and Smackdown names who would benefit from working NXT.
- Johnny has definitely become more comfortable in his role in NXT.
- Cocky Main Eventer Triple H is my favorite Triple H sometimes. I agree with the idea Jinder needs to earn a spot at the level of someone like Triple H, who has been such a top name for so long.
-- Sporting News:
- NXT has been presented as a selling point for WWE Network, so they haven't really pushed for it to end up on TV.
- I really wonder how many people watched on USA vs. the WWE Network. Clearly the service hasn't been the smash hit they wanted it to be. I think there are fans who would watch NXT on TV, but don't want to buy WWE Network.
- Whether NXT gets back on USA will depend on how well USA thinks it did vs. other things they could have in that spot.
- Zelina has REALLY added to Almas' act.
- Note his focus for NXT isn't anything to do with "developing future Raw and Smackdown stars." I'm split on that approach.
- It is great to have a (mostly) former talent recruiting and developing talent for the reasons he went into.
-- ESPN:
- I think some people are overestimating the significance of the USA special. It was primarily to have a bridge between Tuesday's Smackdown and Thursday's Tribute to the Troops. It may or may not lead to more NXT on the network.
- Black and Cole will almost definitely be big on Raw and Smackdown in a few years.
- Ember vs. Peyton was worth checking out on the WWE Network.
- The "it's a different promotion" mindset is concerning, because NXT is still part of WWE and needs to be approached like that.
Former CZW names Nick Gage and Brett Lauderdale showed up at the end of Cage of Death as part of an angle that was pitched to but not approved by head booker DJ Hyde. Giancarlo Dittamo decided to run the angle anyway, leading to Gage and Lauderdale arriving through the crowd without CZW approval. Understandably, there was a lot of confusion at the event as a result. Dittamo left the event and was fired, which talent weren't thrilled with given his expertise there.
- CZW removed the relevant footage from their video and asked the locker room to not discuss the incident publicly. Gage and Lauderdale's rival promotion posted some content shot from the audience, only for CZW to have it pulled due to copyright infringement.
- CZW called police to the venue, but Gage, Lauderdale, and Dittamo had already left by the time the police arrived. The aftermath of the angle delayed CZW cleaning up the venue ahead of the building needing to run something else the next day. The venue ended up kicking CZW out for future events due to the nature of the product not fitting in with the venue's other, kid-friendly projects. CZW is taking January off as they look for a new venue to run shows in. They plan to return to the area in a different venue with their 19th anniversary show in February.
-- That was a very bold move by Dittamo, Gage, and Lauderdale that could have ended up hurting CZW more than helping the rival promotion. It certainly got people talking, though.
Every Cage of Death main event participant went to the emergency room after that show. That's really concerning.
The Rock commented on receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's achieved icon status.
- The full ceremony has been posted online.
- Stephanie McMahon commented on the honor as well.
WWE has announced Smackdown live events on January 13 and January 14 for the same venue in Texas. That's not a bad idea if they can draw good gates both nights.
An NBA player attempted an RKO on his teammate during an interview. I love it.
ROH has announced the following matches for Saturday's TV taping:
- Young Bucks vs. Best Friends vs. Dragon Lee and Titan
- Flip Gordon vs. Marty Scurll
- War Machine vs. Coast 2 Coast. If C2C loses, they'll disband.
- There will also be women of honor matches at the event.
The Rock appeared on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" to promote Jumanji.
John Cena was on Harry Connick, Jr.'s talk show to discuss a number of topics.
WWE put forth a number of videos online to promote Tribute to the Troops and Mixed Match Challenge. There were quite a few celebrity shoutouts on the show.
WWE released "A Christmiz Story." Pretty fun. I expect we're in for more holiday content from the company.
NXT on USA Network drew 841,000 viewers. So, not nearly at Raw or Smackdown level, but a lot more people watched that than have watched Impact the last few years.
ROH has a new world championship design as they head into Final Battle. I like that look.
The Rock discussed potentially running for president. He came across very well here. It definitely didn't feel like a publicity stunt where he's going to "lay the smackdown on some jabronis" or whatever.
Charlotte Flair and Dolph Ziggler talked before Tribute to the Troops aired. WWE really does a lot for the armed forces.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Likely for financial reasons. They've seemingly always had to run a pretty tight ship financially, and such an endeavor wouldn't be profitable. Sadly, that's kind of how it goes sometimes.
2. Hopefully the audience number being out has addressed this. I really don't see the "main" WWE audience being as excited for something like NXT, since it's consciously geared toward a different audience. Given how many former NXT names are already part of Raw and Smackdown, and how ratings have eroded in the past few years, the other WWE fans have had ample opportunity to sample the product and decide whether it's something they want more of. Things like NXT and the cruiserweight division are (somewhat) draws for the WWE Network, but making the USA shows more like those projects seems to only draw fans away.
3. As was the case in Impact, everything has to be approved by higher-ups. Billy Corgan was clearly a fan of the "Broken" stuff, and they also had Jeremy Borash available to do a lot with the concept, so the Hardys got a lot of leeway. It's going to be a tougher sell to WWE brass.
4. Impact doesn't really have a lot of other options. Clearly someone there was impressed enough to give him a chance, and he's willing to join a company that not a lot of others are really excited to join these days. We'll see how it goes.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Aro Lucha is set to run a number of live events between January and April, starting with their first ever live event in Texas on January 20. They're definitely trying to be a major player pretty quickly.
Madusa's knee surgery was a full knee replacement. I hope that helps her feel better going forward.
Tim Storm was working the CZW match with Nick Aldis with two cracked ribs. I wish him the best going forward, inside and outside of wrestling.
Hot Topic is testing selling T-shirts for Joey Ryan and Candice LeRae at some locations, with an eye toward selling them nationally.
LU is set to have 21 episodes in its fourth season, significantly cut back from previous seasons in a cost-cutting measure.
Rey Mysterio turned down a new LU deal. He'll be working Aro Lucha instead.
Impact is looking to work more with AAA going forward. With Don Callis coming in, planning is beginning for their future international deals.
Brian Cage has interest from both Impact and NJPW. I don't think Impact would want to try to compete for a better deal with NJPW, but there's the possibility he ends up going to either promotion.
Lashley and Ethan Carter III are both expected to leave Impact when their current deals expire. One or both could be WWE-bound if they do leave. Both men are really talented, so I'd hope they do get to continue working on a big stage.
Impact is letting their office staff work for other groups as another cost-cutting move. I wouldn't blame those staff for looking for full-time work elsewhere if they can get it. Hopefully being able to work for other promotions is enough for now.
The WWE Universal Championship match at Royal Rumble will be Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane. This way they can have another big title match without beating Brock or Braun. That works, although certainly they can't have someone like Kane fill that role for too much longer.
The Raw after Wrestlemania 34 has sold out, as expected.
WWE is looking to open a wrestling academy in India. That's not an awful idea as they continue to try to grow globally. It takes a long time to grow stars from scratch, and it would be good to have experienced professionals in that facility.
German MMA fighter Nicolai Salchow will begin at the WWE Performance Center in January. It will be interesting to see how she does there.
A scheduled WWE event in Edmonton, Alberta on February 9 has been canceled following a regulation banning all forms of combat sports in the city that came about after a boxer dying following a fight in June. The ban could be in effect for a full year pending a report on the boxer's death. I assume WWE will run a show in a different city that day as a result, as they've already booked shows for the days after that night.
WWE applied to trademark "The Most Patriotic Show on Television" in reference to their annual Tribute to the Troops event. That moniker definitely fits.
WWE is opposing a proposed trademark for the word "wrestler" that a Hong Kong company has put up to use for smartphones and similar devices. I don't see that one getting approved given how the term is used in so many other contexts.
Eddie Edwards and Moose are working Pro Wrestling NOAH as part of that promotion's deal with Impact. It will be interesting to see what changes for everyone in that working relationship as Edwards' contract comes to a close.
Dutch Mantell could work Impact's January tapings as his final dates there. As the company goes through another transition behind-the-scenes, things are still coming together for how the new regime will operate and what their plans are.
Triple H did three interviews to promote NXT on USA Network:
-- NBC Sports:
- It definitely feels like NXT is geared toward a different crowd than Raw or Smackdown. We'll see if there are any additional viewers in the weeks to come as a result of the USA experiment.
- The whole point of developmental needs to be working to help people improve to where they can work on Raw or Smackdown. So, yes, if someone's not a good promo, they need to get practice on that stage before they're in front of a lot bigger audience.
- There are definitely some Raw and Smackdown names who would benefit from working NXT.
- Johnny has definitely become more comfortable in his role in NXT.
- Cocky Main Eventer Triple H is my favorite Triple H sometimes. I agree with the idea Jinder needs to earn a spot at the level of someone like Triple H, who has been such a top name for so long.
-- Sporting News:
- NXT has been presented as a selling point for WWE Network, so they haven't really pushed for it to end up on TV.
- I really wonder how many people watched on USA vs. the WWE Network. Clearly the service hasn't been the smash hit they wanted it to be. I think there are fans who would watch NXT on TV, but don't want to buy WWE Network.
- Whether NXT gets back on USA will depend on how well USA thinks it did vs. other things they could have in that spot.
- Zelina has REALLY added to Almas' act.
- Note his focus for NXT isn't anything to do with "developing future Raw and Smackdown stars." I'm split on that approach.
- It is great to have a (mostly) former talent recruiting and developing talent for the reasons he went into.
-- ESPN:
- I think some people are overestimating the significance of the USA special. It was primarily to have a bridge between Tuesday's Smackdown and Thursday's Tribute to the Troops. It may or may not lead to more NXT on the network.
- Black and Cole will almost definitely be big on Raw and Smackdown in a few years.
- Ember vs. Peyton was worth checking out on the WWE Network.
- The "it's a different promotion" mindset is concerning, because NXT is still part of WWE and needs to be approached like that.
Former CZW names Nick Gage and Brett Lauderdale showed up at the end of Cage of Death as part of an angle that was pitched to but not approved by head booker DJ Hyde. Giancarlo Dittamo decided to run the angle anyway, leading to Gage and Lauderdale arriving through the crowd without CZW approval. Understandably, there was a lot of confusion at the event as a result. Dittamo left the event and was fired, which talent weren't thrilled with given his expertise there.
- CZW removed the relevant footage from their video and asked the locker room to not discuss the incident publicly. Gage and Lauderdale's rival promotion posted some content shot from the audience, only for CZW to have it pulled due to copyright infringement.
- CZW called police to the venue, but Gage, Lauderdale, and Dittamo had already left by the time the police arrived. The aftermath of the angle delayed CZW cleaning up the venue ahead of the building needing to run something else the next day. The venue ended up kicking CZW out for future events due to the nature of the product not fitting in with the venue's other, kid-friendly projects. CZW is taking January off as they look for a new venue to run shows in. They plan to return to the area in a different venue with their 19th anniversary show in February.
-- That was a very bold move by Dittamo, Gage, and Lauderdale that could have ended up hurting CZW more than helping the rival promotion. It certainly got people talking, though.
Every Cage of Death main event participant went to the emergency room after that show. That's really concerning.
The Rock commented on receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's achieved icon status.
- The full ceremony has been posted online.
- Stephanie McMahon commented on the honor as well.
WWE has announced Smackdown live events on January 13 and January 14 for the same venue in Texas. That's not a bad idea if they can draw good gates both nights.
An NBA player attempted an RKO on his teammate during an interview. I love it.
ROH has announced the following matches for Saturday's TV taping:
- Young Bucks vs. Best Friends vs. Dragon Lee and Titan
- Flip Gordon vs. Marty Scurll
- War Machine vs. Coast 2 Coast. If C2C loses, they'll disband.
- There will also be women of honor matches at the event.
The Rock appeared on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" to promote Jumanji.
John Cena was on Harry Connick, Jr.'s talk show to discuss a number of topics.
WWE put forth a number of videos online to promote Tribute to the Troops and Mixed Match Challenge. There were quite a few celebrity shoutouts on the show.
WWE released "A Christmiz Story." Pretty fun. I expect we're in for more holiday content from the company.
NXT on USA Network drew 841,000 viewers. So, not nearly at Raw or Smackdown level, but a lot more people watched that than have watched Impact the last few years.
ROH has a new world championship design as they head into Final Battle. I like that look.
The Rock discussed potentially running for president. He came across very well here. It definitely didn't feel like a publicity stunt where he's going to "lay the smackdown on some jabronis" or whatever.
Charlotte Flair and Dolph Ziggler talked before Tribute to the Troops aired. WWE really does a lot for the armed forces.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Likely for financial reasons. They've seemingly always had to run a pretty tight ship financially, and such an endeavor wouldn't be profitable. Sadly, that's kind of how it goes sometimes.
2. Hopefully the audience number being out has addressed this. I really don't see the "main" WWE audience being as excited for something like NXT, since it's consciously geared toward a different audience. Given how many former NXT names are already part of Raw and Smackdown, and how ratings have eroded in the past few years, the other WWE fans have had ample opportunity to sample the product and decide whether it's something they want more of. Things like NXT and the cruiserweight division are (somewhat) draws for the WWE Network, but making the USA shows more like those projects seems to only draw fans away.
3. As was the case in Impact, everything has to be approved by higher-ups. Billy Corgan was clearly a fan of the "Broken" stuff, and they also had Jeremy Borash available to do a lot with the concept, so the Hardys got a lot of leeway. It's going to be a tougher sell to WWE brass.
4. Impact doesn't really have a lot of other options. Clearly someone there was impressed enough to give him a chance, and he's willing to join a company that not a lot of others are really excited to join these days. We'll see how it goes.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
RVD update, Rock press, Orlando promotion returning, WWE launching new series, 205 Live moving times in 2018, Titus and Xavier charity, Noam update, Raw 25 commentary update, more NJPW coming to AXS, 2018 Hall of Famers announced, GLOW nominated for SAG awards, top Impact producer done, new WWE shirt, Smackdown audience, and Questions on HHH-Jinder booking, "going home," rebooting The Ascension, ROH fan signs, and Angle's posture
Rob Van Dam is looking to put together a reality show, starting online. He's not expected to return to WWE following a concussion last year that impairs him visually.
The Rock appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. There's been a lot of promotion for Jumanji in the final days before it comes to screens.
Major League Wrestling has set six live events in 2018 following the recent revival events. Hopefully that goes well for workers and promoters.
WWE has announced a Facebook-exclusive in-ring series beginning in January, which will feature twelve episodes of a Raw vs. Smackdown tournament. Each match will feature two teams of one male and one female wrestler. This will undoubtedly be something of an experiment for further online content as WWE considers its future deals on TV and beyond.
- Variety covered the announcement, confirming the episodes will eventually head to WWE Network after their initial airing on Facebook.
- During the 12 weeks that Mixed Match Challenge is airing, 205 Live will air at 10:30 on WWE Network to compensate. I would have been more than OK with the show taking a hiatus for a few months, but the hope is the show will gain an audience once they add Hideo Itami and Rockstar Spud.
Titus O'Neil hosted a lot of local children to see "Ferdinand." That's amazing. Great work from the leader of Titus Worldwide.
Noam Dar is undergoing knee surgery to clean things up. There's no word on how long he'll be out of action. That's unfortunate. I hope he's able to rebound soon.
Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross will likely do some commentary together on Raw's 25th anniversary. WWE is really putting a lot of work into the event.
Mark Cuban discussed AXS TV's commitment to NJPW. It looks like things are only going to get bigger for both sides in 2018. NJPW is a legitimate draw for the channel.
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced its 2018 inductees, including Sting, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Ernie "the Cat" Ladd, and Eddie Graham.
GLOW is nominated for four Screen Actors Guild awards:
- Alison Brie for outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series
- Marc Maron for outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series
- Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series
- Outstanding action performance by a stunt ensemble in a comedy or drama series
Impact director and producer Dave Sahadi has been released as a further cost-cutting move after joining the company in 2006. Sahadi put together a lot of video features for the company. I imagine he was one of the most highly-paid executives remaining in the company, so it's not a big surprise he was the latest cutback. We'll see how his departure affects the quality of the show from a technical standpoint.
Xavier Woods took part in a big charity stream. That's great! I hope it was successful.
WWEShop is selling the "Yep movement" shirts from Smackdown. That was pretty great.
Smackdown drew 2.48 million viewers Tuesday night. The last two weeks have been something of a slump.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm going to chalk it up to Roman being someone they have long-term plans and Jinder being someone they're not worried about protecting. I'd think Jinder's going to slide down the card after Clash of Champions.
2. I saw it as the PPV being the "home plate" and the last TV episode being the last run toward scoring.
3. Honestly, with the Bludgeon Brothers doing what they do and SAnitY and the Authors of Pain waiting in the wings, I wouldn't consider Konnor and Viktor much of a priority as a monster heel team. I wouldn't mind them working as more light-hearted faces, though.
4. I guess they're more into streamers?
5. I assumed it was too look smaller and less intimidating against the current superstars, but it would make sense that it's due to all those years of going balls-to-the-wall.
More wrestling tomorrow.
The Rock appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. There's been a lot of promotion for Jumanji in the final days before it comes to screens.
Major League Wrestling has set six live events in 2018 following the recent revival events. Hopefully that goes well for workers and promoters.
WWE has announced a Facebook-exclusive in-ring series beginning in January, which will feature twelve episodes of a Raw vs. Smackdown tournament. Each match will feature two teams of one male and one female wrestler. This will undoubtedly be something of an experiment for further online content as WWE considers its future deals on TV and beyond.
- Variety covered the announcement, confirming the episodes will eventually head to WWE Network after their initial airing on Facebook.
- During the 12 weeks that Mixed Match Challenge is airing, 205 Live will air at 10:30 on WWE Network to compensate. I would have been more than OK with the show taking a hiatus for a few months, but the hope is the show will gain an audience once they add Hideo Itami and Rockstar Spud.
Titus O'Neil hosted a lot of local children to see "Ferdinand." That's amazing. Great work from the leader of Titus Worldwide.
Noam Dar is undergoing knee surgery to clean things up. There's no word on how long he'll be out of action. That's unfortunate. I hope he's able to rebound soon.
Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross will likely do some commentary together on Raw's 25th anniversary. WWE is really putting a lot of work into the event.
Mark Cuban discussed AXS TV's commitment to NJPW. It looks like things are only going to get bigger for both sides in 2018. NJPW is a legitimate draw for the channel.
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced its 2018 inductees, including Sting, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Ernie "the Cat" Ladd, and Eddie Graham.
GLOW is nominated for four Screen Actors Guild awards:
- Alison Brie for outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series
- Marc Maron for outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series
- Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series
- Outstanding action performance by a stunt ensemble in a comedy or drama series
Impact director and producer Dave Sahadi has been released as a further cost-cutting move after joining the company in 2006. Sahadi put together a lot of video features for the company. I imagine he was one of the most highly-paid executives remaining in the company, so it's not a big surprise he was the latest cutback. We'll see how his departure affects the quality of the show from a technical standpoint.
Xavier Woods took part in a big charity stream. That's great! I hope it was successful.
WWEShop is selling the "Yep movement" shirts from Smackdown. That was pretty great.
Smackdown drew 2.48 million viewers Tuesday night. The last two weeks have been something of a slump.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm going to chalk it up to Roman being someone they have long-term plans and Jinder being someone they're not worried about protecting. I'd think Jinder's going to slide down the card after Clash of Champions.
2. I saw it as the PPV being the "home plate" and the last TV episode being the last run toward scoring.
3. Honestly, with the Bludgeon Brothers doing what they do and SAnitY and the Authors of Pain waiting in the wings, I wouldn't consider Konnor and Viktor much of a priority as a monster heel team. I wouldn't mind them working as more light-hearted faces, though.
4. I guess they're more into streamers?
5. I assumed it was too look smaller and less intimidating against the current superstars, but it would make sense that it's due to all those years of going balls-to-the-wall.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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