Xavier Woods tore an MCL at a live event this weekend. He might be able to work around that in tag matches. There hasn't been official word of him needing to miss time.
GFW is promoting AAA's Pagano working tonight's Impact. GFW has gotten a LOT of crossover in the Anthem era.
Rosemary discussed her Triplemania injury and the fallout from it, confirming she strained triceps and biceps muscles. Hopefully she'll be able to return to GFW for BFG and the subsequent tapings.
- GFW addressed the incident without discussing exactly what happened. So, they're going to continue working with AAA. No word on what AAA is going about one of their competitors intentionally hurting another wrestler, but GFW is satisfied with their response to it. I'd much rather have seen GFW and AAA issue a joint statement confirming what happened and how it won't happen again, including Sexy Star apologizing; this wasn't really a strong move by the two promotions.
Chris Jericho confirmed part of his return to Smackdown was due to a mishap in Styles beating Owens at Battleground. He was going to return to face AJ, but plans were changed to correct the botched PPV ending. So, it WAS an (unintentional) screwjob.
Shelton Benjamin tweeted about returning to WWE. He had a pretty solid return.
Asuka will still appear on WWE's tour of Japan, but won't be wrestling due to her injury. She's expected to be headed to Raw or Smackdown when she recovers.
WWE has announced "Model" Rick Martel, Miss Jacqueline, Rikishi, Rick Rude, Vader, Tye Dillinger, TM-61, the Authors of Pain, the Fabulous Freebirds, Jimmy Garvin, Tommaso Ciampa, Cedric Alexander, Asuka, TJP, Roderick Strong, Johnny Gargano, the Revival, Akira Tozawa, Hideo Itami, SAnitY, Alundra Blayze, Paige, Buddy Rogers, Big Boss Man, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Sawyer Fulton as part of a loaded roster for WWE 2K18. Some of those names are really pleasant surprises I wouldn't have expected.
Newsday discussed Raw's performance at the new Nassau Coliseum. WWE and Nassau go WAY back.
Mark Henry confirmed he has moved into a backstage position during a long Sam Roberts podcast, although he left the door open for an official retirement match. In the meantime, he'll be working as a talent scout and in other such capacities. I would have been good with Big Cass retiring him if it wasn't for the injury. Brock, Strowman, and Reigns have already beaten him. John Cena sending him off would be a great touch given their feud years back. We'll see if he gets that opportunity. He's had a LONG run, and his given a lot to the business. That will only continue with his backstage work.
Jerry Lawler was originally scheduled to just do the segment with Elias and Wesley on Raw, so he was going to be part of things even if Booker was doing commentary. I was really happy to see Wesley appear. He hasn't aged a bit since SRW!
Eli Drake and Chris Adonis had a conference call. Here are highlights:
- I'm glad GFW didn't make Eli have a corporate answer about Sexy Star.
- DeAngelo did do a pretty good job in the ring.
- Drake's pretty entertaining here.
- Each of those names left for a different reason. I'll miss Davey and Low Ki, but they both had different priorities.
Smackdown drew 2.46 million viewers Tuesday night, a big drop from last week. The Summerslam bump is over. It happens.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
0. Something I neglected to mention in an answer yesterday: while GFW has indeed lost some talents in the last couple of months, they've also added a lot of new names from around the world. So, things are definitely not all bad under the Jarrett regime.
1. I'm under the impression he'll either no longer be under contract or close to the end of his deal when he's eligible to do UFC. That said, I think I would let him rub it in the face of UFC fans that he's WWE's guy.
2. I did think it was a surprise they didn't call it The Moolah Classic, but I guess the current name sounds more formal. Thankfully the work has been good enough to forget about the whole "giving birth to a hand" thing.
3. My mind is also blown. I guess there are enough people there who think Cornette's skill as a talker and name value outweigh his controversial opinions and antics. I mean, they used Pac-man Jones when he was suspended by the NFL, so I guess they're of the opinion that any publicity is good publicity. It definitely got people talking!
4. To be fair, they had eight title matches, so it's not out of the ordinary to expect five title changes on a show that big. For more specifics:
a. Neville's set for a feud with Enzo for the title, so Tozawa had to lose.
b. They're reportedly setting New Day up to reach the record number of title reigns held by the Hardys and Edge & Christian, so they're racking up wins.
c. Big babyface moment for Sasha in front of a crowd she's had success with before.
d. Natalya got a big nod at a big stage for all the work she's done over the years.
e. Seth & Dean as tag champs means Creative doesn't have to worry about their momentum stalling as singles stars, as Raw already has a lot of people in the mix for their other singles titles.
5. I think Vince is going to hold on to his spot until he physically can't anymore. Sadly, I do see a lot of online fans rejoicing at the news. Most of the rest of the world will mourn the passing of the man who is basically the face of what we see as pro wrestling today. As for what it will mean for WWE, we're already seeing Triple H and Stephanie McMahon start to make changes to the company, and that will continue going forward. Vince being out of the picture will absolutely be a big shock to things, but WWE has been transitioning for years now.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Xavier+Rosemary injury updates, another AAA name in GFW, GFW on Sexy Star incident, Interview with Y2J, Asuka update, lots of new 2K18 names, WWE press, Henry-WWE update, Lawler-Raw note, Drake/Adonis conference call, Smackdown audience, and Questions on Brock as WWE Champion in UFC, Mae vs. Moolah, Cornette in GFW, Summerslam booking, and WWE post-Vince
Mae Young Classic Episode Three Reax
Read on for my thoughts on the third episode of the Mae Young Classic.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Santino's last match, WWE name on the road to recovery, new WWEPC signing starting soon, top WWE exec sells stock, Angle on Raw tour Down Under, Interview with Emma, Flair updates, Smackdown name hurt, another Cena role (!), Alberto working another promotion with TV, Alberto suspension note, Attitude Era name writing book, Angle on Raw promo, former WWE star guest coaching, Raw audience, Smackdown matches set, and Questions on Summer Rae's future, the state of GFW Creative, Enzo on thin ice, praising Miz, and Roode's Smackdown debut
Santino Marella wrestled a farewell match in his hometown. I'm glad he got an official chance to say goodbye, and I hope he doesn't suffer any further effects of his bumping days.
Primo is working out in the WWE Performance Center as he recovers from a knee injury. I'm interested to see if WWE tries yet another reboot of the Colons when he's cleared.
Donovan Dijak will soon start training in the WWEPC for NXT. I hope he can do well for himself.
Kevin Dunn sold more than 72,000 shares of WWE stock, which is a good 15% or so of what he owned. I wouldn't read anything major into that as far as his status as a WWE employee at this time.
Kurt Angle will be part of Raw's tour of New Zealand and Australia. That's a nice bonus for the market.
Ric Flair tweeted about his recovery. The Man isn't beaten yet. Flair will likely have another surgery to get a permanent pacemaker, and will require more weeks of physical therapy, but things are looking a lot better for him.
- WWE Network will feature his "Table for 3" episode with Steamboat and Sting in mid-September.
Xavier Woods suffered a leg injury at a Smackdown live event, necessitating him being helped backstage.
John Cena will voice a main character in a new animated series. You can't see him, but you will hear him.
Alberto El Patron will work a number of dates for Championship Wrestling From Hollywood, starting at their September 10 taping. So, he'll be appearing on some wrestling TV shows while suspended by GFW. CWFH is only available in some markets, so this isn't at the level of, say, ROH.
- Alberto could be back at GFW for Bound For Glory. I'd think GFW would consider him for their upcoming Mexican endeavors, too. Time will tell.
Al Snow is writing a memoir to release in April 2019. That should be AMAZING given his insight and unique humor.
Kurt Angle put over the "legit shoot" promo from Raw, pretty much solidifying it as being completely scripted. It was badass, but they don't need to throw buzzwords at the "smart" fans. It always comes across as lame.
Eve Torres and her husband taught self-defense at the WWEPC. Glad to see her working with WWE again; I expect she'll end up in the Hall of Fame at some point.
Raw drew 3.30 million viewers, a drop from the previous week but still a good number given some of their struggles lately.
Randy Orton vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the No. 1 Contendership to the WWE Championship will headline Smackdown next week. That should be interesting. I'm curious what they'll do with Jinder going forward.
- Natalya vs. Carmella in a non-title match has been announced for Tuesday's show, as well. I assume they'll tease a cash-in if Carmella has a chance to beat Natalya.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. She's in a tough spot with so many talented women in NXT and the MYC vying for attention. Her best bet might be returning as a manager unless she's going to try to reboot herself in NXT.
1. She's in a tough spot with so many talented women in NXT and the MYC vying for attention. Her best bet might be returning as a manager unless she's going to try to reboot herself in NXT.
2. Oh boy. One at a time:
a. WWE made some big offers for Drew and the Hardys. The Hardys getting one last big WWE run is big for them, and Drew always wanted to return there to prove WWE wrong for releasing him in the first place.
b. The Bennetts were used a lot more prominently under Billy Corgan than they are in WWE now. The new regime wasn't going to "protect" them as much, and I'm guessing WWE offered more money. I'm a little surprised someone's defending the Bennetts, as Mike's an upper midcarder at best. Not a huge loss.
c. Low Ki was probably not staying long anyway. He basically only signed on if they were going to use him as a top player. While he's definitely talented, it's got to be hard to deal with someone so demanding of a push regardless of dues paid.
d. Tyrus isn't a big loss, either. There's only so much to do with him. They're pushing new names instead of someone who had really peaked creatively.
e. And now people are defending Alberto!! Holy SHIT that's a 180! Even before the airport incident, he was a questionable choice to get behind from a PR perspective. GFW needs someone who's not going to get in fights backstage and challenge WWE names to fight him in his restaurant.
f. So, there are some real concerns here mixed in with the usual "everything in wrestling is awful and no one is as smart as Internet fans" stuff.
3. That's what you do as a Certified G! He's living the gimmick! But, yes, if he wants to keep being able to throw that much money around, he's going to have to be careful with how much he can rub people the wrong way. WWE's sending him some clear messages they want him to turn his act around behind-the-scenes unless he wants his future WWE checks to be for ZERO DIMES.
4. Miz has been underrated for quite some time. I hope he does get to be world champion again given all the work he puts in in every aspect of being a WWE superstar.
5. I'm not shocked people are already complaining about the push of the latest "smark" favorite. It makes sense to build him for the majority of the audience who didn't see him in NXT or GFW.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Mae Young Classic Episode Two Reax
Read on for my thoughts on the second episode of the Mae Young Classic.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 8/29/17
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
More Sexy Star fallout, Smackdown update, Ambrose milestone, Roode-NXT update, MYC press, tag champs vs. tag champs, new WWE women's signings, Edwards NOAH title match set, big No Mercy match, Raw affected by Harvey, Flair update, Raw name out of action, Raw plan changed, Raw dark match, and Questions on Anthem vs. the Hardys, Summerslam attendance problems, HHH wrestling in NXT, and Zandig-CZW
Sexy Star has lost a booking in NC due to her actions against Rosemary. I have a feeling other promotions will similarly steer clear of using her. AAA should, at the least, suspend her and strip her of her championship. I don't think the locker room will be particularly open to the idea of working with her anyway after that incident.
- One story floating around is Star was defending herself against the physicality of others in the match, which wouldn't apply to Rosemary's actions in the ring that night.
Shelton Benjamin will make his return to the WWE ring on Smackdown, teaming with Chad Gable. I hope the association does good things for Gable. He's really talented, and having an experienced partner should help him get further.
Dean Ambrose is now a WWE Grand Slam Champion, having won the WWE, Intercontinental, U.S., and Tag Team Championships. We'll see if he ever becomes WWE Champion again, but that's a really big milestone for him.
Bobby Roode's final NXT TV match will air this week as he faces Roderick Strong. Ruby Riot vs. Peyton Royce will also be on that show, and Heavy Machinery will be in action.
Mia Yim talked to Huffington Post to promote the MYC. I'm impressed by how much attention the tournament is getting. I hope Yim has a future in WWE; she's definitely someone who can contribute there.
The Usos called out Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose at a live event this weekend, with the former Shield teammates responding in kind. So, we could be seeing the two sides clash before too much longer. If WWE really wanted to, they could unify the titles again and have one team defend on both shows.
WWE has signed Kacy Catanzaro and Shadia Bseiso, both of whom were in attendance at the first round of the MYC. Catanzaro has a gymnastics background and tried out for WWE in January, while Bseiso has a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Bseiso was part of WWE's Dubai tryouts. Both have experience as TV personalities, and they both look like solid pickups for the WWEPC.
Eddie Edwards will defend his newly won heavyweight championship against Naomichi Marufuji in Japan on October 1. It'd be a big moment to have the title on the line at BFG.
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns is set for No Mercy. That's absolutely a Survivor Series level match, if not Wrestlemania itself. I wonder if WWE is rushing this because Cena has other commitments that might make him unavailable for other big events. It will be a really important moment in the ongoing Roman Reigns project.
Booker T. was unable to make it to Raw due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey in his hometown of Houston, Texas. Two members of the production team were also unable to travel to this week's TV tapings due to the storm. Even Vince McMahon can't control the weather. Jerry Lawler was able to fill in for Booker due to the show being in King's hometown of Memphis. Hopefully WWE staff will be able to return next week, and they're staying safe.
Ric Flair has begun physical therapy and is now walking around with assistance. I imagine he'll be ready to win his "17th" world title soon enough.
Samoa Joe suffered a knee injury this weekend, and is expected to miss at least four weeks. Hopefully he can pick back up in a big way when he returns; he's been a great addition to Raw.
Enzo Amore was originally set for Raw's battle royal, but plans changed. That's interesting considering he's now officially part of 205 Live.
Finn Balor beat Bray Wyatt after Raw. I'm glad Bray got to do more than a run-in (or teleport-in).
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think Anthem/GFW genuinely believes they have the rights to the work that was created by GFW personnel for GFW wrestling events, and legally, they very well might.
2. Unless it leads to the Hardys vs. Jeff Jarrett & Ed Nordholm in an IP rights on a pole match, I've already pretty much stopped caring. It's been long enough since we saw the Broken Universe in all its glory that I think a lot of fans have similarly moved on. And, really, they were running out of ideas for what to do with the universe as it was.
3. I wonder how soon WWE let them know there would be a two-hour Kickoff show before an already early PPV start time.
4. I think HHH will want Takeover to be the place for the NXT stars to do their thing. He can wrestle them once they come to Raw.
5. JEEZUS!!!!! It doesn't look like he's doing a lot of bookings, so I'm currently leaning toward "no."
More wrestling tomorrow.
- One story floating around is Star was defending herself against the physicality of others in the match, which wouldn't apply to Rosemary's actions in the ring that night.
Shelton Benjamin will make his return to the WWE ring on Smackdown, teaming with Chad Gable. I hope the association does good things for Gable. He's really talented, and having an experienced partner should help him get further.
Dean Ambrose is now a WWE Grand Slam Champion, having won the WWE, Intercontinental, U.S., and Tag Team Championships. We'll see if he ever becomes WWE Champion again, but that's a really big milestone for him.
Bobby Roode's final NXT TV match will air this week as he faces Roderick Strong. Ruby Riot vs. Peyton Royce will also be on that show, and Heavy Machinery will be in action.
Mia Yim talked to Huffington Post to promote the MYC. I'm impressed by how much attention the tournament is getting. I hope Yim has a future in WWE; she's definitely someone who can contribute there.
The Usos called out Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose at a live event this weekend, with the former Shield teammates responding in kind. So, we could be seeing the two sides clash before too much longer. If WWE really wanted to, they could unify the titles again and have one team defend on both shows.
WWE has signed Kacy Catanzaro and Shadia Bseiso, both of whom were in attendance at the first round of the MYC. Catanzaro has a gymnastics background and tried out for WWE in January, while Bseiso has a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Bseiso was part of WWE's Dubai tryouts. Both have experience as TV personalities, and they both look like solid pickups for the WWEPC.
Eddie Edwards will defend his newly won heavyweight championship against Naomichi Marufuji in Japan on October 1. It'd be a big moment to have the title on the line at BFG.
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns is set for No Mercy. That's absolutely a Survivor Series level match, if not Wrestlemania itself. I wonder if WWE is rushing this because Cena has other commitments that might make him unavailable for other big events. It will be a really important moment in the ongoing Roman Reigns project.
Booker T. was unable to make it to Raw due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey in his hometown of Houston, Texas. Two members of the production team were also unable to travel to this week's TV tapings due to the storm. Even Vince McMahon can't control the weather. Jerry Lawler was able to fill in for Booker due to the show being in King's hometown of Memphis. Hopefully WWE staff will be able to return next week, and they're staying safe.
Ric Flair has begun physical therapy and is now walking around with assistance. I imagine he'll be ready to win his "17th" world title soon enough.
Samoa Joe suffered a knee injury this weekend, and is expected to miss at least four weeks. Hopefully he can pick back up in a big way when he returns; he's been a great addition to Raw.
Enzo Amore was originally set for Raw's battle royal, but plans changed. That's interesting considering he's now officially part of 205 Live.
Finn Balor beat Bray Wyatt after Raw. I'm glad Bray got to do more than a run-in (or teleport-in).
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think Anthem/GFW genuinely believes they have the rights to the work that was created by GFW personnel for GFW wrestling events, and legally, they very well might.
2. Unless it leads to the Hardys vs. Jeff Jarrett & Ed Nordholm in an IP rights on a pole match, I've already pretty much stopped caring. It's been long enough since we saw the Broken Universe in all its glory that I think a lot of fans have similarly moved on. And, really, they were running out of ideas for what to do with the universe as it was.
3. I wonder how soon WWE let them know there would be a two-hour Kickoff show before an already early PPV start time.
4. I think HHH will want Takeover to be the place for the NXT stars to do their thing. He can wrestle them once they come to Raw.
5. JEEZUS!!!!! It doesn't look like he's doing a lot of bookings, so I'm currently leaning toward "no."
More wrestling tomorrow.
Mae Young Classic Episode One Reax
Read on for my thoughts on the first episode of the Mae Young Classic.
Monday, August 28, 2017
AAA shoot incident fallout, Cena costume available, MYC press, NXT name has new look, ROH PPV main event set, double duty on live events, and Questions on not stealing finishers, Johnny Impact's debut, the ROH faction debuting in NXT, talent shooting down promos, and fake wrestling news
Joey Ryan commented on the shoot incident at Triplemania. AAA needs to act decisively; Sexy Star's actions in their ring put a black eye on the company.
- Rosemary will undergo further medical tests to determine the extent of her injury. She has not been officially diagnosed yet, so any reports of her injuries are a bit premature.
- Rosemary buried Sexy Star for the incident and her response to it. What AAA does now will be critical for the relationship with GFW.
WWE has an official John Cena Halloween costume already on sale in stores. I really hope some of the NXT era stars can reach that level of mainstream appeal.
MYC/NXT competitor Lacey Evans was profiled again. She definitely has an impressive background.
Shayna Baszler also got press before MYC dropped. I'm very interested to see how her wrestling career goes; she's definitely putting in work.
Killian Dain has a new look. That's a shame; he's more intimidating with the wild hair.
Cody will defend the ROH World Championship against Minoru Suzuki at Death Before Dishonor XV, in Suzuki's first U.S. appearance in 25 years. I hope that means they're continuing to build Cody's reign for him to face Castle at Final Battle; Cody beating a Japanese legend would definitely build him up. I don't know how great the match will be given the 17-year age difference, but it will be historic.
Epico worked two matches on Smackdown live events this weekend, losing to Sin Cara in a singles match before teaming with Aiden English in a loss to the Hype Bros. Primo's still out injured.
Curt Hawkins also worked two matches on Raw cards this weekend, losing to Finn Balor and competing in a 12-man tag that he also lost. That makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 110 straight losses (the vast majority of which were untelevised). Hey, he's getting more work than he's ever gotten before, so good for him.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't see anyone making it far in the business using "Stone Cold's finisher" without his approval. Everyone's going to associate that move with him anyway, which is probably not what you want when you're trying to get yourself over. I also expect the Tombstone will remain off-limits in WWE for the same reason. Of course, the question will be what happens if/when the Young Bucks and Okada come to WWE. WWE will cross that bridge when they get to it.
2. It could have been a surprise that he got put in the world title picture in his first match. That's about all I can go with.
3. Some of it was establishing Fish and O'Reilly as players in NXT and showing what they can do before Cole also joined. There's the possibility they have Black try to get another win over either of them or of Cole to continue the angle.
4. WWE cleared the reference with everyone involved, but as was said, talent doesn't want to get the reputation of turning down ideas. There are a LOT of people out there who want that TV time and will do pretty much anything for it. It's a tough situation. On something of a separate note, I think Vince would appreciate talent "grabbing the brass ring" and fighting for ideas they think will get them over instead of taking a passive role in the process.
5. It seems like any time someone loses a match quickly or isn't used much or something, there are reports of them either "being in the dog house" or "being frustrated with their push," etc. Rusev taking such a quick loss led to that story catching fire. Some workers in the business take bumps; others run websites.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Rosemary will undergo further medical tests to determine the extent of her injury. She has not been officially diagnosed yet, so any reports of her injuries are a bit premature.
- Rosemary buried Sexy Star for the incident and her response to it. What AAA does now will be critical for the relationship with GFW.
WWE has an official John Cena Halloween costume already on sale in stores. I really hope some of the NXT era stars can reach that level of mainstream appeal.
MYC/NXT competitor Lacey Evans was profiled again. She definitely has an impressive background.
Shayna Baszler also got press before MYC dropped. I'm very interested to see how her wrestling career goes; she's definitely putting in work.
Killian Dain has a new look. That's a shame; he's more intimidating with the wild hair.
Cody will defend the ROH World Championship against Minoru Suzuki at Death Before Dishonor XV, in Suzuki's first U.S. appearance in 25 years. I hope that means they're continuing to build Cody's reign for him to face Castle at Final Battle; Cody beating a Japanese legend would definitely build him up. I don't know how great the match will be given the 17-year age difference, but it will be historic.
Epico worked two matches on Smackdown live events this weekend, losing to Sin Cara in a singles match before teaming with Aiden English in a loss to the Hype Bros. Primo's still out injured.
Curt Hawkins also worked two matches on Raw cards this weekend, losing to Finn Balor and competing in a 12-man tag that he also lost. That makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 110 straight losses (the vast majority of which were untelevised). Hey, he's getting more work than he's ever gotten before, so good for him.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't see anyone making it far in the business using "Stone Cold's finisher" without his approval. Everyone's going to associate that move with him anyway, which is probably not what you want when you're trying to get yourself over. I also expect the Tombstone will remain off-limits in WWE for the same reason. Of course, the question will be what happens if/when the Young Bucks and Okada come to WWE. WWE will cross that bridge when they get to it.
2. It could have been a surprise that he got put in the world title picture in his first match. That's about all I can go with.
3. Some of it was establishing Fish and O'Reilly as players in NXT and showing what they can do before Cole also joined. There's the possibility they have Black try to get another win over either of them or of Cole to continue the angle.
4. WWE cleared the reference with everyone involved, but as was said, talent doesn't want to get the reputation of turning down ideas. There are a LOT of people out there who want that TV time and will do pretty much anything for it. It's a tough situation. On something of a separate note, I think Vince would appreciate talent "grabbing the brass ring" and fighting for ideas they think will get them over instead of taking a passive role in the process.
5. It seems like any time someone loses a match quickly or isn't used much or something, there are reports of them either "being in the dog house" or "being frustrated with their push," etc. Rusev taking such a quick loss led to that story catching fire. Some workers in the business take bumps; others run websites.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Main Event Reax - 8/26/17, MYC schedule, Network honoring IC title, Cass/Ciampa injury updates, Interviews with Alexa/Bayley/Douglas, more WWE ice cream bar clothes, WWE announcer honored, GFW name wins NOAH title, Coach Titus, GFW name injured in shoot incident, Johnny-AAA update, Charlotte back in the ring, and Questions on booking McGregor-Mayweather, editing Raw, where Harper is, and Rousey in WWE
-- Main Event:
- Slater vs. Hawkins:
That was uncalled for, Hawkins!
I love seeing undercard names getting to break out. This is fun.
Good work so far.
These two do basic action well.
Fine work here.
Not bad at all! Nice to see something other than a big "finishing move" end a match.
- Kendrick vs. Dorado:
I love Brian wearing people down.
This is pretty solid. Kendrick can put together good work with flippy adversaries.
Lince showing off his agility. I like it.
This is pretty fun. Just a straightforward back-and-forth wrestling match.
Imagine tapping out to a side headlock or something in 2017.
Cool superplex spot.
I'm liking this one! Kendrick has been absolutely invaluable to 205 Live.
This is a pretty solid match.
I liked Lince avoiding the Hook.
That was a really good ending sequence. Brian's a master strategist, and it's fun to watch.
WWE will air the first four episodes of the Mae Young Classic this week after adding them to the VOD portion of the site:
- Episode 1 will air after Raw
- Episode 2 will air after 205 Live
- Episode 3 will air after NXT
- Episode 4 will air Thursday at 8:00 p.m.
-- The current plan is to have one post of coverage for the first four episodes, adding an episode as each airs in this timeslot.
WWE Network will look back at the history of the Intercontinental Championship Friday in celebration of its 38th anniversary.
Big Cass has begun rehabilitation after surgery on his ACL. I hope he's able to return strong.
Alexa Bliss discussed joining "Total Divas." She and Nia should be fun there.
Bayley discussed her injury with Channel Guide Magazine. The timeline for her recovery is currently unknown.
Puma has a WWE ice cream bar crossover.
Dasha Fuentes got an award from her alma mater. That's great!
Eddie Edwards won NOAH's heavyweight championship, the first non-Japanese wrestler to do so. Naomichi Marufuji challenged him to a future match after the historic win. That's big for GFW , Edwards, and NOAH. I'm glad all the partnerships are paying off.
Titus O'Neil spoke to the Arkansas State men's basketball team. Titus Worldwide expands to another sport!!
Tommaso Ciampa has had three surgeries since Takeover:Chicago. I hope he's all set to go on the road to recovery now. He's a heck of a talent.
Shane Douglas discussed Bill Watts and Paul Heyman. I hope Douglas gets into the WWE HoF at some point. I'm certain Heyman will be.
Rosemary was legitimately injured in an armbar during Triplemania. Sexy Star was made to apologize for that injury. Star and another AAA performer (Lady Shani) had a very tense situation in the ring, and that situation almost continued physically backstage. It's terrible that the wrestlers couldn't be professional in putting on a worked match. I hope Rosemary doesn't miss much time as a result of Star "going into business for herself."
Johnny Impact retained his AAA Championship, so he will be remaining in the promotion and presumably feuding with Vampiro.
Charlotte has returned to the road for WWE, teaming with Becky Lynch to beat Lana & Tamina. I hope that means good things for Ric's health.
For my thoughts on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Conor ending The Streak would have been big! "The One in 49 and One" would have been a good tagline.
2. I think they know three hours of Raw is a LONG time. I also think it's fair to say they only want to focus on the things that advance important storylines. The cruisers have a lot of "filler" matches that are just designed to get them on TV/show what they can do as wrestlers, and that's considered expendable compared to other parts of the show.
Nothing to add to 3.
4. Basically there are other people they're focusing on instead. They've only got so many spots on the show and a LOT of talented people who are fighting over them.
5. I expect her to get a Brock schedule, possibly leading to WM34. That's the right move on both sides. It's not special if we see her compete every week; they need to protect her as an important star.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Slater vs. Hawkins:
That was uncalled for, Hawkins!
I love seeing undercard names getting to break out. This is fun.
Good work so far.
These two do basic action well.
Fine work here.
Not bad at all! Nice to see something other than a big "finishing move" end a match.
- Kendrick vs. Dorado:
I love Brian wearing people down.
This is pretty solid. Kendrick can put together good work with flippy adversaries.
Lince showing off his agility. I like it.
This is pretty fun. Just a straightforward back-and-forth wrestling match.
Imagine tapping out to a side headlock or something in 2017.
Cool superplex spot.
I'm liking this one! Kendrick has been absolutely invaluable to 205 Live.
This is a pretty solid match.
I liked Lince avoiding the Hook.
That was a really good ending sequence. Brian's a master strategist, and it's fun to watch.
WWE will air the first four episodes of the Mae Young Classic this week after adding them to the VOD portion of the site:
- Episode 1 will air after Raw
- Episode 2 will air after 205 Live
- Episode 3 will air after NXT
- Episode 4 will air Thursday at 8:00 p.m.
-- The current plan is to have one post of coverage for the first four episodes, adding an episode as each airs in this timeslot.
WWE Network will look back at the history of the Intercontinental Championship Friday in celebration of its 38th anniversary.
Big Cass has begun rehabilitation after surgery on his ACL. I hope he's able to return strong.
Alexa Bliss discussed joining "Total Divas." She and Nia should be fun there.
Bayley discussed her injury with Channel Guide Magazine. The timeline for her recovery is currently unknown.
Puma has a WWE ice cream bar crossover.
Dasha Fuentes got an award from her alma mater. That's great!
Eddie Edwards won NOAH's heavyweight championship, the first non-Japanese wrestler to do so. Naomichi Marufuji challenged him to a future match after the historic win. That's big for GFW , Edwards, and NOAH. I'm glad all the partnerships are paying off.
Titus O'Neil spoke to the Arkansas State men's basketball team. Titus Worldwide expands to another sport!!
Tommaso Ciampa has had three surgeries since Takeover:Chicago. I hope he's all set to go on the road to recovery now. He's a heck of a talent.
Shane Douglas discussed Bill Watts and Paul Heyman. I hope Douglas gets into the WWE HoF at some point. I'm certain Heyman will be.
Rosemary was legitimately injured in an armbar during Triplemania. Sexy Star was made to apologize for that injury. Star and another AAA performer (Lady Shani) had a very tense situation in the ring, and that situation almost continued physically backstage. It's terrible that the wrestlers couldn't be professional in putting on a worked match. I hope Rosemary doesn't miss much time as a result of Star "going into business for herself."
Johnny Impact retained his AAA Championship, so he will be remaining in the promotion and presumably feuding with Vampiro.
Charlotte has returned to the road for WWE, teaming with Becky Lynch to beat Lana & Tamina. I hope that means good things for Ric's health.
For my thoughts on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Conor ending The Streak would have been big! "The One in 49 and One" would have been a good tagline.
2. I think they know three hours of Raw is a LONG time. I also think it's fair to say they only want to focus on the things that advance important storylines. The cruisers have a lot of "filler" matches that are just designed to get them on TV/show what they can do as wrestlers, and that's considered expendable compared to other parts of the show.
Nothing to add to 3.
4. Basically there are other people they're focusing on instead. They've only got so many spots on the show and a LOT of talented people who are fighting over them.
5. I expect her to get a Brock schedule, possibly leading to WM34. That's the right move on both sides. It's not special if we see her compete every week; they need to protect her as an important star.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, August 26, 2017
GFW-AAA updates, HHH puts over newest signing, WWE Network celebrates Smackdown, Matt Morgan update, Reigns raises money, Impact audience, Roode's last NXT dates set, USA Today press, NXT live event note, and Questions on Dolph's absence, NWA's status, WWE on the Goldbergs, dealing with Asuka's injury, and Bret-Shawn drama
GFW is sending quite a few names to AAA Triplemania. Andrew Everett & DJ Z will challenge for the AAA Tag Team Championship. Great to see GFW names getting extra work in other places.
Triple H welcomed Adam Cole to NXT. Proud Dad HHH is a nice evolution for him.
WWE Network commemorated the 18th anniversary of the first episode of Smackdown. WOW. Time has really flown by. The 25th (!!!!) anniversary of Raw is coming in January.
Matt Morgan has announced his candidacy for city commissioner in Longwood, Florida. The press release describes him as a former pro wrestler, which would indicate he has no plans on returning to the ring. I wish him well in that endeavor. I wish he would have gotten a bigger push in the wrestling world, but there's no use worrying about that now. I'm glad he has a fulfilling job outside of the ring.
Roman Reigns helped Jimmy's Seafood donate more than $12,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. That's great!
GFW drew 296,000 viewers this week on Impact, down from Destination X. GFW pulled out some big surprises and announcements on last week's show. It's a shame more people didn't tune in to see Johnny Impact and a new world champion crowned.
Bobby Roode will work his final NXT live event loop from September 7 through September 9, which includes shows in Canada. He will start working Smackdown shows on September 2. Roode worked the post-Takeover NXT tapings in what I'm assuming will be his last televised appearances for the brand.
USA Today discussed Asuka, the Mae Young Classic, and more. I'm glad Lacey Evans is making the most of her situation; that's quite the story.
Rhea Ripley made her NXT live event debut this weekend, in a six-woman tag. Mandy Rose, Taynara Conti, & Vanessa Borne beat Ripley, Ruby Riot, & Zeda.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. He took some time off to pursue some other interests, including stand-up comedy. I don't think WWE TV was worse off for it. I wouldn't have minded him taking several months off to return at Survivor Series or something. He's really treading water as a character.
2. They're still planning the next steps. Corgan and company are absolutely thinking long-term here and not wanting to rush into anything until everything's in place. I can admire that. They don't want the hype backlash the original version of GFW got.
3. If WWE's interested, it's possible. The main potential holdup I can think of would be WWE putting over an ABC show while Raw and Smackdown are on a rival network. I hope that wouldn't derail a cool crossover opportunity, but it could be something that pops up.
4. With Asuka only set to miss a few months and still being able to make November's Takeover special, I don't think that would have been necessary. NXT has plenty of other things going on to where they can be without that title for a little while.
5. I'm glad those kinds of antics aren't present in modern-day WWE. That had to have been an absolute headache.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Triple H welcomed Adam Cole to NXT. Proud Dad HHH is a nice evolution for him.
WWE Network commemorated the 18th anniversary of the first episode of Smackdown. WOW. Time has really flown by. The 25th (!!!!) anniversary of Raw is coming in January.
Matt Morgan has announced his candidacy for city commissioner in Longwood, Florida. The press release describes him as a former pro wrestler, which would indicate he has no plans on returning to the ring. I wish him well in that endeavor. I wish he would have gotten a bigger push in the wrestling world, but there's no use worrying about that now. I'm glad he has a fulfilling job outside of the ring.
Roman Reigns helped Jimmy's Seafood donate more than $12,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. That's great!
GFW drew 296,000 viewers this week on Impact, down from Destination X. GFW pulled out some big surprises and announcements on last week's show. It's a shame more people didn't tune in to see Johnny Impact and a new world champion crowned.
Bobby Roode will work his final NXT live event loop from September 7 through September 9, which includes shows in Canada. He will start working Smackdown shows on September 2. Roode worked the post-Takeover NXT tapings in what I'm assuming will be his last televised appearances for the brand.
USA Today discussed Asuka, the Mae Young Classic, and more. I'm glad Lacey Evans is making the most of her situation; that's quite the story.
Rhea Ripley made her NXT live event debut this weekend, in a six-woman tag. Mandy Rose, Taynara Conti, & Vanessa Borne beat Ripley, Ruby Riot, & Zeda.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. He took some time off to pursue some other interests, including stand-up comedy. I don't think WWE TV was worse off for it. I wouldn't have minded him taking several months off to return at Survivor Series or something. He's really treading water as a character.
2. They're still planning the next steps. Corgan and company are absolutely thinking long-term here and not wanting to rush into anything until everything's in place. I can admire that. They don't want the hype backlash the original version of GFW got.
3. If WWE's interested, it's possible. The main potential holdup I can think of would be WWE putting over an ABC show while Raw and Smackdown are on a rival network. I hope that wouldn't derail a cool crossover opportunity, but it could be something that pops up.
4. With Asuka only set to miss a few months and still being able to make November's Takeover special, I don't think that would have been necessary. NXT has plenty of other things going on to where they can be without that title for a little while.
5. I'm glad those kinds of antics aren't present in modern-day WWE. That had to have been an absolute headache.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Brooklyn attendance notes, more on Corbin's cash-in, CMLL to iPPV, LU gets big international TV deal, GFW Network launches, Low Ki-GFW updates, more on MYC special, possible New Day plans, more on Punk lawsuit, Interviews with Ziggler/Natalya, new WWE merch, new international WWE TV deal, GFW names working Triplemania, GFW running a tighter ship, Dinero-GFW update, Prichard's GFW status, Cornette on GFW return, more MYC commentary, more Hardys backstage, Taz surgery successful, catching up with Kozlov, ROH injury angle, Addiction vs. ROH update, big move for NXT, and Questions on signing MYC names, blame for WWE Creative, Cass' injury, taking Asuka's title, and backstage WWE guests
Summerslam was a legitimate sellout. All four Barclays shows drew more than 10,000 fans in a 13,000-seat arena. That's pretty impressive.
Baron Corbin's failed MITB cash-in was something of a last-minute decision, as in it's not believed it was planned out a week or more ahead. There are reports he has heat in the sense other wrestlers don't think he should be getting the kind of push he's getting, with even Cena the subject of a story of telling Vince Corbin doesn't have "it." It's a shame they're throwing him under a bus; they effectively threw away an opportunity to make a new main eventer (for the time being, at least).
CMLL is looking to have its World Gran Prix and Anniversary shows on iPPV. That could be good for them.
LU got a TV deal in India. Their setup being more like a traditional TV show with seasons lends itself well for being shipped to other markets that can start with the first season's first episode and go on from there. That's a lot of content right out of the gate, even if they finish at three seasons.
GFW has announced a streaming service, The Global Wrestling Network. Currently only Impact content is featured in the endeavor, but the speculation is they'll branch out to include footage from partner promotions.
Low Ki had only been signed to a six-month deal with GFW, so they weren't counting on him as a long-term prospect. With his booking on the road to Bound For Glory not being what he wanted, the two sides parted ways.
- The story of the departure being financial in nature has been shot down by multiple outlets. That sounds like a cover story. He is reportedly still under contract through October, as the company has not granted him his release.
The live MYC special is expected to have a number of matches featuring talents who didn't make it to the finals. WWE is taking great expense to fly a lot of talents in for the show.
WWE is considering having New Day have the most tag title reigns in WWE history, which explains the quick turn-around for their most recent run with the title. I hope they don't "force" the reigns just to have another big milestone for the group, but it makes sense to position them as an important faction.
The C.M. Punk/Colt Cabana-Dr. Amann lawsuit has escalated, as Punk's side is requesting subpoenas of emails of important WWE executives regarding his diagnoses from Amann, as part of the allegation that Amann put the interests of WWE above the interests of talents.
Baron Corbin's new entrance music has been released on music streaming services and YouTube. So much for that new music coinciding with a more prominent position in WWE.
Dolph Ziggler talked about a number of topics:
- He was a LOT more interesting with AJ, Vickie, and Big E. They helped him make it as a main eventer, and his tank is not nearly as full by himself.
- It looks like he's starting to think of a life after WWE. It's clear he's hit a wall there, so it's probably good to consider other options.
- I don't know what they could really do to "repackage" a guy we've already seen do so much. He'll probably the same old Dolph no matter what they do with him, which is the problem.
Chalkline has created a WWE ice cream bars jacket. That's amazing.
WWE has signed a multi-year deal to air Raw and Smackdown in the Caribbean on TV and on-demand. Sadly, I don't think Carlito is part of the deal.
WWE now has "8-bit" style T-shirts of legendary wrestlers. That's pretty cool.
Lashley, Moose, Johnny Impact, Jeff Jarrett, & Rosemary are all advertised for Saturday's AAA Triplemania, so GFW could tape some footage there for use on future episodes of Impact.
GFW has limited the number of talents brought in for TV tapings, hence Homicide not being brought in for the most recent set. He is still part of the company and LAX.
D'Angelo Dinero leaving GFW was a financial decision. The two sides could come to terms down the line, but he's gone for now.
Bruce Prichard could return to GFW TV after BFG. Good to have a backup plan in case Cornette "pulls a Cornette" and they have to change plans.
Jim Cornette further discussed returning to GFW on his podcast. I am glad he was able to appear in WWE and GFW without incident (so far).
Jim Ross and Lita did voiceovers for MYC matches as plans changed on how those matches would be presented. I'm curious what that will mean going forward.
Reby Hardy and King Maxel were backstage at Summerslam and Raw.
Natalya gave an interview after winning at Summerslam. I hope she can come out of the shadow of her relatives - she's had quite a run independent of the other Harts and is good enough to not just be known as part of that family.
Taz's hand surgery was more intensive than initially expected. He will need to miss a few episodes of his radio show due to being understandably unable to drive to the studio.
WWE promoted Vladimir Kozlov getting a role in an action movie. Glad he's doing well.
Dalton Castle will not make this weekend's ROH TV tapings due to "an attack by Cody and Bullet Club injuring him." I imagine we're in for Cody vs. Dalton at DBD. That works for me. I'm glad to see Dalton getting a push.
The Addiction have launched their own YouTube channel to have uncensored versions of their ROH promos and more. It's weird to see two dyed-in-the-wool ROH guys doing an anti-ROH angle, but fans turned on them for the "heels" so that's where we are!
Cody promoted ROH's TV taping in Atlanta at a Braves game. Glad to see him getting that mainstream buzz.
In a big NXT spoiler acknowledged by WWE.com, Asuka has relinquished the NXT Women's Championship as "part of negotiations with Raw and Smackdown." It's possible this would happened regardless of her injury, as it allows her to move on while remaining undefeated. I'm not sure what this will mean for the next title holder, but they've got the perfect opportunity to declare a new champion in Las Vegas.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wholly expect it. It will just be a matter of which ones and how many. Every talent there just became more valuable and prominent due to being booked in such a tournament.
2. I wouldn't think so. As was said, the buck stops with Vince. I still say a lot of the problem is having to book so many characters on so many hours of TV. That's a near-impossible task to juggle.
3. Enzo was going to have a ton of heat regardless, but there hasn't been anything to suggest he has any for the freak accident.
4. Since she'll theoretically be back for Takeover in November, they shouldn't have to change plans too much on that front.
5. That would be hilarious, though. Any guests backstage need to have passes/management approval.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Baron Corbin's failed MITB cash-in was something of a last-minute decision, as in it's not believed it was planned out a week or more ahead. There are reports he has heat in the sense other wrestlers don't think he should be getting the kind of push he's getting, with even Cena the subject of a story of telling Vince Corbin doesn't have "it." It's a shame they're throwing him under a bus; they effectively threw away an opportunity to make a new main eventer (for the time being, at least).
CMLL is looking to have its World Gran Prix and Anniversary shows on iPPV. That could be good for them.
LU got a TV deal in India. Their setup being more like a traditional TV show with seasons lends itself well for being shipped to other markets that can start with the first season's first episode and go on from there. That's a lot of content right out of the gate, even if they finish at three seasons.
GFW has announced a streaming service, The Global Wrestling Network. Currently only Impact content is featured in the endeavor, but the speculation is they'll branch out to include footage from partner promotions.
Low Ki had only been signed to a six-month deal with GFW, so they weren't counting on him as a long-term prospect. With his booking on the road to Bound For Glory not being what he wanted, the two sides parted ways.
- The story of the departure being financial in nature has been shot down by multiple outlets. That sounds like a cover story. He is reportedly still under contract through October, as the company has not granted him his release.
The live MYC special is expected to have a number of matches featuring talents who didn't make it to the finals. WWE is taking great expense to fly a lot of talents in for the show.
WWE is considering having New Day have the most tag title reigns in WWE history, which explains the quick turn-around for their most recent run with the title. I hope they don't "force" the reigns just to have another big milestone for the group, but it makes sense to position them as an important faction.
The C.M. Punk/Colt Cabana-Dr. Amann lawsuit has escalated, as Punk's side is requesting subpoenas of emails of important WWE executives regarding his diagnoses from Amann, as part of the allegation that Amann put the interests of WWE above the interests of talents.
Baron Corbin's new entrance music has been released on music streaming services and YouTube. So much for that new music coinciding with a more prominent position in WWE.
Dolph Ziggler talked about a number of topics:
- He was a LOT more interesting with AJ, Vickie, and Big E. They helped him make it as a main eventer, and his tank is not nearly as full by himself.
- It looks like he's starting to think of a life after WWE. It's clear he's hit a wall there, so it's probably good to consider other options.
- I don't know what they could really do to "repackage" a guy we've already seen do so much. He'll probably the same old Dolph no matter what they do with him, which is the problem.
Chalkline has created a WWE ice cream bars jacket. That's amazing.
WWE has signed a multi-year deal to air Raw and Smackdown in the Caribbean on TV and on-demand. Sadly, I don't think Carlito is part of the deal.
WWE now has "8-bit" style T-shirts of legendary wrestlers. That's pretty cool.
Lashley, Moose, Johnny Impact, Jeff Jarrett, & Rosemary are all advertised for Saturday's AAA Triplemania, so GFW could tape some footage there for use on future episodes of Impact.
GFW has limited the number of talents brought in for TV tapings, hence Homicide not being brought in for the most recent set. He is still part of the company and LAX.
D'Angelo Dinero leaving GFW was a financial decision. The two sides could come to terms down the line, but he's gone for now.
Bruce Prichard could return to GFW TV after BFG. Good to have a backup plan in case Cornette "pulls a Cornette" and they have to change plans.
Jim Cornette further discussed returning to GFW on his podcast. I am glad he was able to appear in WWE and GFW without incident (so far).
Jim Ross and Lita did voiceovers for MYC matches as plans changed on how those matches would be presented. I'm curious what that will mean going forward.
Reby Hardy and King Maxel were backstage at Summerslam and Raw.
Natalya gave an interview after winning at Summerslam. I hope she can come out of the shadow of her relatives - she's had quite a run independent of the other Harts and is good enough to not just be known as part of that family.
Taz's hand surgery was more intensive than initially expected. He will need to miss a few episodes of his radio show due to being understandably unable to drive to the studio.
WWE promoted Vladimir Kozlov getting a role in an action movie. Glad he's doing well.
Dalton Castle will not make this weekend's ROH TV tapings due to "an attack by Cody and Bullet Club injuring him." I imagine we're in for Cody vs. Dalton at DBD. That works for me. I'm glad to see Dalton getting a push.
The Addiction have launched their own YouTube channel to have uncensored versions of their ROH promos and more. It's weird to see two dyed-in-the-wool ROH guys doing an anti-ROH angle, but fans turned on them for the "heels" so that's where we are!
Cody promoted ROH's TV taping in Atlanta at a Braves game. Glad to see him getting that mainstream buzz.
In a big NXT spoiler acknowledged by WWE.com, Asuka has relinquished the NXT Women's Championship as "part of negotiations with Raw and Smackdown." It's possible this would happened regardless of her injury, as it allows her to move on while remaining undefeated. I'm not sure what this will mean for the next title holder, but they've got the perfect opportunity to declare a new champion in Las Vegas.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wholly expect it. It will just be a matter of which ones and how many. Every talent there just became more valuable and prominent due to being booked in such a tournament.
2. I wouldn't think so. As was said, the buck stops with Vince. I still say a lot of the problem is having to book so many characters on so many hours of TV. That's a near-impossible task to juggle.
3. Enzo was going to have a ton of heat regardless, but there hasn't been anything to suggest he has any for the freak accident.
4. Since she'll theoretically be back for Takeover in November, they shouldn't have to change plans too much on that front.
5. That would be hilarious, though. Any guests backstage need to have passes/management approval.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Brock challenger suspended, WWE puts over new signing, MYC name on ESPN, assorted wrestling press, Taz surgery update, MYC preview online, Triplemania live online, Low Ki leaves GFW (again), Interviews with Nikki/Cody, Taker note, WWE 2K18 roster updates, trademark news, Owens to miss comic con, and Questions on booking NXT vs. the rest of WWE, NJPW becoming the no. 2 in the U.S., Silas-ROH, and the super Sept. 12 taping
Brock Lesnar challenger Jon Jones has been suspended four years from MMA due to a failed drug test. With that bout off the table, it will be interesting to see if Brock is as interested in a UFC return next year.
WWE.com put Lio Rush over, and namedropped PWG in the process. They're REALLY trying to get that hardcore audience to check out their shows. I think they've got plenty of wrestlers in his mold, but they seem to be really dedicated to signing people who've made names for themselves elsewhere.
NXT/MYC name Bianca BelAir got press on ESPN. Glad she's already getting attention and opportunities.
The official Power Rangers Twitter account put over Seth Rollins' attire. That's really cool. I love the recognition.
Taz has undergone surgery for nerve damage in his hand. I hope that brings him relief.
WWE posted their MYC preview on YouTube. This is a pretty big endeavor that could shape the company's roster for some time to come.
Bruno Mars met Bruno Sammartino, which is where the Bruno part of the singer's name originated. That's a really cool moment. I like that Bruno is still such an influence all these years later. THAT'S what makes a legend.
AAA will air Triplemania live on Twitch in both English and Spanish, preceded by highlights from previous years' events. Hopefully that pays off with a lot of people checking the show out and ending up becoming regular fans.
Low Ki has left GFW due to a dispute over pay and/or not being a part of the World Championship picture going into Bound For Glory. GFW's plan was to put him in Ultimate X at that show instead. Ki's latest GFW run lasted around four months. I'd think this would be the final nail in the coffin for him being booked somewhere full-time; he's very protective of his "push" and not afraid to leave if he's not being positioned as prominently as he thinks he should be used. He's a really talented wrestler, but I can see why promoters would shy away from using someone who makes so many demands.
Nikki Bella discussed Total Divas' effect on the WWE women's audience:
- I think it's fair to say the E! shows have raised WWE's profile with fans outside of the traditional wrestling bubble.
- Well, Total Divas stars got a LOT of TV time they wouldn't have gotten if not for the E! connection. It made sense to have the other members of the roster resent that.
- I don't think it was jealousy; people who wanted to be WWE wrestlers were upset that they were pushed aside for people on the TV show.
- While I definitely think the E! show got people into WWE, the women's revolution is generally more about WWE recruiting a different pedigree of superstar for the division instead of fitness models, etc.
- There was a conflict where Total Divas fans wanted to see those stars on TV/at shows, while the "NXT" fans wanted to see the people who were more known for their wrestling ability.
Cody talked to Jerry Lawler. Here are some highlights:
- ROH is playing a dangerous game having someone not signed under contract as champion, BUT he is signed for a lot of dates, which is good.
- Rhodes is NOT Cody's real last name. That's the whole issue here. If it was, he could use it anywhere.
- Why in the world would WWE give fans a reason to do something to disrupt the show? That's asinine.
- That's a reasonable explanation for Taker being at Summerslam. Since so much of the roster was in town across those four dates, it made sense to try to get everyone they could at that time.
WWE has announced a lot of new names for 2K18, including the series debuts of the Von Erich family. There are a lot of 205 Live/NXT names in the mix, which is good.
Smackdown drew 2.69 million viewers Tuesday night, getting a decent boost from Summerslam. I hope WWE can continue to draw good numbers for their shows.
Dana Brooke remembered her boyfriend. I'll try to limit coverage of this tragic situation so as to not be exploitative.
WWE has trademarked The Rock for clothing purposes, so more Rock merchandise is on the way.
Ricky Steamboat is seeking to trademark that ring name, which would of course let him sell merchandise independently of somewhere like WWE. That's cool.
Kevin Owens will be unable to attend WizardWorld in Chicago this weekend. The Face of Smackdown has a busy schedule, I take it.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Plus, HHH gets to tape more than a month of TV all at once. Booking NXT is nowhere near the monster of booking twelve hours of Raw, eight hours of Smackdown, and five-ish hours of two PPVs a month. It's easier to hit a home run when you're playing wiffle ball.
1. Plus, HHH gets to tape more than a month of TV all at once. Booking NXT is nowhere near the monster of booking twelve hours of Raw, eight hours of Smackdown, and five-ish hours of two PPVs a month. It's easier to hit a home run when you're playing wiffle ball.
2. That's a REALLY optimistic scenario for their success. First let's see how they can do with more regular U.S. events before we start talking about them buying other companies. They definitely have plans to do more shows in the U.S., but it's very premature to talk about doing a whole second promotion.
3. I love Silas. He's just what ROH needs. I don't know how he'd do in another company, but he fits in perfectly as a foil there.
Nothing to add to 4.
5. He's "super-serving the audience!!" The most recent word was the MYC finals would follow Smackdown, then 205 Live would follow that. I'd be more than OK with 205 Live taking a week (or more) off, but time will tell. If they don't cut that week's episode, either Monday or Tuesday will have four straight hours of live WWE content. That can be quite the long night of action.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
GFW HoF update, Jarrett's future, more GFW footage from Mexico, more on crowds taking over WWE shows, another WWE show for NYC, McIntyre note, Raw visitor, Interview with Braun, college football/wrestling connection, Network content updates, Raw audience, Paige cleared in airport incident, Smackdown dark matches, Cass injury update, Raw name drafted to 205 Live, 205 Live cameo, and Questions on WWE's locker room leader, match lengths, WWE's response to Flair's health, Joey Ryan's signature spot, and how heels become successful
GFW will have a Hall of Fame event on November 4, the night before Bound For Glory.
Jeff Jarrett could be returning to the ring toward the end of the year. I'm open to that with the right angle attached; it could help cement a younger star's status.
GFW will tape some TV footage at AAA Triplemania. Johnny Impact is involved in a big match that night, so he could be a focal point for them.
John Cena promoted the audience's actions during the Raw main event, calling an audible so Miz could cut a promo against the audience hijacking the show, only for Cena to put their actions over
Cena also put the crowd's interferences over after the show went off the air. If he thought endorsing the crowd would make them stop trying to be rebellious, he was really off the mark. Catering to the contrarians is really taking WWE down the wrong path.
WWE will return to New York in the last week of 2017. I'm sure security will be even stricter thanks to the beach ball assholes. They did it to themselves!
Drew McIntyre was believed to be hurt at Takeover, but he's clear to continue wrestling. Drew and Asuka being out while Roode has presumably finished up would be especially tough for NXT.
Braun Strowman talked about his WWE success. Obviously he's an incredible physical specimen, and that's gotten him pretty far, but he's also really put in work to earn his current status.
Dana Brooke's boyfriend has passed away at the age of 26. That's very sad. I wish everyone involved well.
Madusa/Alundra Blayse will be the subject of a WWE Network special around the time of the finals of the MYC. That's a good promotional move.
205 Live will indeed air after the MYC finals on September 12. So, that could be a pretty long taping.
WWE Storytime will get a second season in September. That will be fun.
Sting and The Undertaker are expected to get WWE Network collections in September. I'm sure that will lend further speculation to Taker getting back in the ring. They could always do an "unsanctioned" street fight or something to skate around the retirement if they absolutely have to. It's not like wrestling retirements are that serious anyway.
WWE Network should be adding all the episodes of WCW Thunder and Sunday Night Heat to the service by the end of the year.
WWE is holding off the "Table for 3" episode with Flair, Sting, and Steamboat until Flair recovers. That makes sense; it can be a celebration of him being back up to speed.
Raw drew 3.40 million viewers Monday, getting a nice boost from Summerslam. Not a huge boost, but a pretty good one. We'll see how having Cena on-board changes things.
Paige has been cleared of wrongdoing in Florida as Alberto El Patron is declining to press charges. So, both sides can finally put this behind them. Hopefully now we can focus on their wrestling careers.
Before Smackdown, Breezango defeated The Ascension. I THINK that's the first time two teams have fought over gluten intolerance.
Big Cass will need knee surgery and could miss up to nine months. That's incredibly unfortunate. I hope he comes back and lights the world on fire.
Enzo Amore has officially been drafted to 205 Live. He was initially scheduled to lose to Big Cass to write him off the Raw brand. I hope he makes the most of his new home.
The clown on this week's 205 Live was Rory Gulak, Drew's brother. I assume this was just a one-time appearance.
Jinder Mahal retained the WWE Championship against Randy Orton via DQ after 205 Live ended when the Singhs interfered. Randy handed out RKOs to Jinder and the Singhs to end the taping.
WWE banned inflatable items from the Smackdown taping after the incidents at Summerslam and Raw. Security was extra vigilant in confiscating beach balls. It's outright embarrassing the adults are less behaved than the children at a wrestling show. I hope this is the end of "Beach Ball Mania" but I'm sure certain segments of the audience are going to continue to disrupt the show as much as they can. This has absolutely gotten out of control.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There's really no replacing someone with his longevity and background. The locker room of 2017 is very different from even 2007. Almost all the Attitude Era guys have stepped out, and with them goes a lot of the mentality of those days.
1. There's really no replacing someone with his longevity and background. The locker room of 2017 is very different from even 2007. Almost all the Attitude Era guys have stepped out, and with them goes a lot of the mentality of those days.
2. It's in the script how long each match is. The refs try to keep it close to what's allotted, but it's definitely not an exact science. Plus, sometimes Vince or whomever will call an audible and have a match go longer or shorter depending on how it's getting over, etc. They work it out as best as they can.
3. Some of it was giving the family some privacy and space as things played out.
4. This is exactly why I question using Cornette in any capacity in 2017, as any attention only encourages his outbursts and antics. Joey Ryan is getting over and making money as a comedy wrestler. That's fine. Not everything in wrestling has to be two serious athletes in black trunks trying to make their matches look like a "shoot." If people are paying to see wrestling, that's a good thing.
5. Indeed! Both sides are there to get a big reaction.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 8/22/17
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Summerslam guests discuss WWE, GFW name working NOAH, MMA name teases GFW match, WWE press, NXT preview, Interviews with Ho Ho/Reigns, MYC bracket released, NXT Blu-Ray extras, beach ball fallout, New names on Smackdown soon?, another Cena movie project?, Nikki on DWTS, injuries at Takeover and Raw, new NXT live events, and Questions on Bray attacking Finn, successful indies, future Takeover events, faces not acting like faces, and Taker in the HoF
Seth Green and Lin-Manuel Miranda put over their Summerslam experiences. WWE always loves having people outside of wrestling discussing their product.
Eddie Edwards is working Pro Wrestling NOAH on behalf of GFW, so he'll be missing TV time. It balances out with NOAH names working the ongoing Impact tapings.
One of Lashley's MMA teammates teased an angle with James Storm. So it looks like we'll be seeing ATT in action against GFW names. That's not a bad idea.
Jinder Mahal and Naomi appeared at a Tapout Fitness facility in New York City to promote Smackdown. There were plans at one point to have WWE names lead workouts at Tapout facilities as part of their partnership, but I don't know if that's still in the works.
Taped for this week's NXT:
- Sarah Logan vs. Peyton Royce
- Pete Dunne & Wolfgang vs. Tyler Bate & Trent Seven
-- So, Dunne is good to go after being busted open recently.
- Sarah Logan vs. Peyton Royce
- Pete Dunne & Wolfgang vs. Tyler Bate & Trent Seven
-- So, Dunne is good to go after being busted open recently.
John Cena co-hosted The Today Show Monday morning where the Bellas and Daniel Bryan promoted the return of Total Bellas. Baron Corbin was such a non-threat Cena was able to do daytime TV the next morning.
Ho Ho Lun discussed leaving NXT and more. It sounds like he intends to stay in the Far East for now. Nice to hear that he helped the other Chinese recruits along; that had to have been valuable.
Michelle McCool was backstage at Summerslam. That's quite the trek for her and Taker to make just to visit. We might not have seen the last of either of them after all.
WWE released the bracket for the Mae Young Classic. Everything but the finals has been taped; there will be a live special to declare the winner following the September 12 Smackdown, which I'm assuming means no 205 Live that week unless they do that week's episode before Smackdown. I fully expect WWE to sign some of the tournament competitors to contracts, but no official word on any names yet.
Roman Reigns talked on SportsCenter. Looks like we'll be seeing him face Cena soon. That will be a really big moment.
NXT's upcoming DVD will have extra matches on Blu-Ray, including Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. They've come a long way from FCW.
WWE stars Sheamus, Big Show, Titus O'Neil, Apollo Crews, Mickie James, Sasha Banks, Alicia Fox and Dana Brooke appeared at an office of the Brooklyn Police Department. That would have been a pretty good angle starter.
Sheamus eulogized the Summerslam beach ball. I don't miss it at all. Fans' disrespect for the wrestlers in the ring has gone way too far, and WWE names giving such antics so much attention is only encouraging them to further disrupt the show. Are you really a wrestling fan if you do things that take attention off the wrestlers??
Bobby Roode was backstage at Raw, the
only NXT name to be there. There's speculation he'll be heading to
Smackdown shortly. Given how Takeover ended, that would be an easy move
to make.
Jinder Mahal got more press in India. I'm glad WWE is continuing to run with him as champion to get as more mainstream attention. Having great wrestling matches is only part of the story. They need to get outside interest in their product.
John Cena is being pitched as the lead in a Knight Rider film. That could be a lot of fun. He's perfect for that kind of thing.
Nikki Bella will be part of Dancing With The Stars. She was offered a role on the previous season, but turned it down to focus on wrestling. So, it could be a little longer before we see her in WWE again. I'm sure this will be a big endeavor for the company. The DWTS audience could get a new look at what modern WWE is and end up giving it a chance when they wouldn't otherwise consider doing so.
Asuka broke her right collarbone at Takeover, and is expected to miss around two months. We'll see what NXT does about her championship. They're in a tough spot there.
- Asuka commented on the injury. I hope she doesn't have to drop the title unless the winner of the MYC gets it.
Big Cass suffered a legitimate knee injury on Raw. His match was stopped and he was assisted to the back after being unable to make it on his own power. I hope this is only a temporary setback for him; he had been gaining momentum since splitting from Enzo.
Shelton Benjamin is expected to be part of Smackdown soon, possibly as soon as tonight. It will be good to see him again.
A number of Raw attendees were removed from the building for tossing beach balls. I'm not even calling them "fans" because fans wouldn't disrespect the wrestlers' work like that. I hate that some fans go out of their way to ruin the experience for everyone else.
NXT has more live events in October in South Carolina and Georgia. I wonder if Asuka will be able to make them.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That was definitely a botch. There had to have been something better they could have done to sell their Summerslam match.
1. That was definitely a botch. There had to have been something better they could have done to sell their Summerslam match.
2. That's a complicated one for the reasons stated. What counts as an indie vs. a territory? How are we measuring success? That kind of thing. I would say a successful indie is one that influenced other promotions in terms of style and talent used. CZW should definitely get credit for its longevity, though.
3. Right now they're saving Takeover specials for weekends when WWE has a major PPV, unless a special opportunity presents itself and/or there's a long gap between events. I'm sure HHH will further adjust the formula as time goes on.
4. A lot of fans reject the traditional face/heel alignment and want their good guys to be rebellious. It's a case-by-case thing.
5. I hope they put him in as Punisher Dice Morgan. He should absolutely go in as Undertaker, even if he gives a speech in a suit without the deep voice.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, August 21, 2017
ROH title change, new WWE album, lots of WWE press, Summerslam weekend visitors and notes, JR+Heyman appearance, Flair update, new ROH TV matches, ROH name working CMLL events, and Questions on WWE not clearing Bryan, wishing Flair well, Russo in GFW, Cornette replacing Prichard, and Corbin's awful week
The Young Bucks & Hangman Page beat Dalton Castle & The Boys in the UK to become the new ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions, possibly setting up Castle going for Cody's ROH World Championship. I assume the Bullet Clubbers will hold those titles until the Kingdom is back as a unit.
WWE has released another digital album of unreleased versions of themes on iTunes and Amazon Music.
MLB.com covered WWE names visiting a Mets game. WWE loves that publicity.
WWE got press for their Make-A-Wish visit in Brooklyn. They love that publicity, too.
Emma promoted WWE in New Zealand next month. I hope TM-61, Billie Kay, and Peyton Royce are there next year. We'll see.
Kurt Angle discussed Ric Flair's influence on him. When an all-time great credits you as an all-time great, that's really something.
WWE is making an "Undertaker's graveyard" exhibit in the UK at the end of October.
- WWE promoted the exhibit. That's pretty cool.
Stephanie McMahon and Dana Warrior were ringside for Saturday's Takeover special.
Lana got press with New York Daily News.
Becky Lynch called out Cris Cyborg... again. I'm ready to see the payoff to this, even if it's a dance-off or something.
Finn Balor challenged Brock Lesnar and discussed other Summerslam topics. Balor vs. Lesnar would really be great. I think the Demon might be able to give him a run for his money, too.
JR and Paul Heyman discussed C.M. Punk and Joey Ryan. Ryan does his role well. He stands out in the crowd, which is often the key to success. As for Punk, I can see how he was so burned out fighting the machine and doing favors but not getting his dues.
Charlotte gave an update on Ric's progress. I hope the worst of the ordeal is over and he makes a full recovery.
ROH has announced two new matches for Saturday's TV taping:
- Rocky Romero vs. Marty Scurll
- Cheeseburger vs. Will Ferrara
Flip Gordon will be competing at CMLL's 84th anniversary show, as well as some other shows in the promotion as part of the working agreement with ROH. Good to see ROH names getting work in Mexico as part of the deal.
Summerslam had heavy security, and the Barclays Center wasn't open for fans until after Kickoff had started. WWE really needs to address that for the future, as I'm sure a lot of fans wanted to see the Kickoff matches.
Cesaro took the beach ball from security so he could rip it up himself. That was AMAZING. I hope that's the end of beach balls, but I have my doubts.
Visiting at Summerslam were Lin-Manuel Miranda, Seth Green, The Future, Brenda Song, Macauly Culkin, Dana Warrior, The Rock's wife and daughter, and Shane McMahon's sons.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Not at all. They'd definitely rather have him there making them a lot of money as a wrestler than paying him a big contract to be an on-screen character/reality show star.
2. That hospital's about to be flooded with mail if they don't announce something soon.
3. He'd have to convince Jarrett and/or Anthem it's in their best interest to use him. No way would they want to have Russo and Cornette under the same roof after the threats Jim made. I'm still shocked they signed off on using Jim again after some of his comments and actions. As great as a character as Cornette is, his previous behaviors wouldn't be tolerated in most respectable companies.
4. I'm not so sure. I enjoy Jim as a character, but given his backstage history, I don't know if he's worth utilizing. Maybe, since he's only there in an on-screen role, things will be OK.
5. Corbin('s character) got pretty impulsive. With him losing the briefcase and losing to Cena so quickly, I wonder if he's about to take a 30-day vacation. I hope that's not the case, but this definitely feels like something that could be a punishment.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE has released another digital album of unreleased versions of themes on iTunes and Amazon Music.
MLB.com covered WWE names visiting a Mets game. WWE loves that publicity.
WWE got press for their Make-A-Wish visit in Brooklyn. They love that publicity, too.
Emma promoted WWE in New Zealand next month. I hope TM-61, Billie Kay, and Peyton Royce are there next year. We'll see.
Kurt Angle discussed Ric Flair's influence on him. When an all-time great credits you as an all-time great, that's really something.
WWE is making an "Undertaker's graveyard" exhibit in the UK at the end of October.
- WWE promoted the exhibit. That's pretty cool.
Stephanie McMahon and Dana Warrior were ringside for Saturday's Takeover special.
Lana got press with New York Daily News.
Becky Lynch called out Cris Cyborg... again. I'm ready to see the payoff to this, even if it's a dance-off or something.
Finn Balor challenged Brock Lesnar and discussed other Summerslam topics. Balor vs. Lesnar would really be great. I think the Demon might be able to give him a run for his money, too.
JR and Paul Heyman discussed C.M. Punk and Joey Ryan. Ryan does his role well. He stands out in the crowd, which is often the key to success. As for Punk, I can see how he was so burned out fighting the machine and doing favors but not getting his dues.
Charlotte gave an update on Ric's progress. I hope the worst of the ordeal is over and he makes a full recovery.
ROH has announced two new matches for Saturday's TV taping:
- Rocky Romero vs. Marty Scurll
- Cheeseburger vs. Will Ferrara
Flip Gordon will be competing at CMLL's 84th anniversary show, as well as some other shows in the promotion as part of the working agreement with ROH. Good to see ROH names getting work in Mexico as part of the deal.
Summerslam had heavy security, and the Barclays Center wasn't open for fans until after Kickoff had started. WWE really needs to address that for the future, as I'm sure a lot of fans wanted to see the Kickoff matches.
Cesaro took the beach ball from security so he could rip it up himself. That was AMAZING. I hope that's the end of beach balls, but I have my doubts.
Visiting at Summerslam were Lin-Manuel Miranda, Seth Green, The Future, Brenda Song, Macauly Culkin, Dana Warrior, The Rock's wife and daughter, and Shane McMahon's sons.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Not at all. They'd definitely rather have him there making them a lot of money as a wrestler than paying him a big contract to be an on-screen character/reality show star.
2. That hospital's about to be flooded with mail if they don't announce something soon.
3. He'd have to convince Jarrett and/or Anthem it's in their best interest to use him. No way would they want to have Russo and Cornette under the same roof after the threats Jim made. I'm still shocked they signed off on using Jim again after some of his comments and actions. As great as a character as Cornette is, his previous behaviors wouldn't be tolerated in most respectable companies.
4. I'm not so sure. I enjoy Jim as a character, but given his backstage history, I don't know if he's worth utilizing. Maybe, since he's only there in an on-screen role, things will be OK.
5. Corbin('s character) got pretty impulsive. With him losing the briefcase and losing to Cena so quickly, I wonder if he's about to take a 30-day vacation. I hope that's not the case, but this definitely feels like something that could be a punishment.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Summerslam Reax
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw and Smackdown brand WWE Network special event.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Another AAA name in GFW, GFW-Europe update, War of the Worlds UK notes, big name in Brooklyn, assorted WWE+NXT press, NXT travel trouble, Flair update, and Questions on Charlotte returning to the ring, heat on Lawler, Eva Marie's wrestling future, The Big O, and Oz
Texano Jr. promoted coming to GFW as part of the agreement with AAA. Glad to see new faces continuing to be used there.
GFW is now available in Germany on the ran FIGHTING online subscription service. So, with no TV deal there, fans at least have one way to watch GFW as it airs.
During War of the Worlds UK on August 18:
- Bully Ray put over Jay Lethal on the mic after their four-way match. Jay's done a lot for ROH, that's for sure.
- The Bullet Club did five simultaneous Figure Fours to honor Flair in the main event, and Cody dedicated the match to Flair afterward. That's really, really cool. Very classy move.
The Undertaker and Michelle McCool are in Brooklyn, leading to speculation Taker will be part of Summerslam. That would definitely be big. If he's got a few more big matches in him, I can't blame him for building to one last Mania (for real this time). I just hope they're meaningful after the send-off he got at WM33.
Bobby Fish was at the WWE 2K18 launch event. Hopefully some of the new NXT signings will be in next year's game.
- WWE did an angle there involving Sheamus, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins. That's pretty cool.
NXT talents had their flight to New York delayed for more than 13 hours due to weather. So, they were in Orlando for a good while longer than anticipated. I'm glad the show went off without a hitch. That had to be a really rough time, though.
Ric Flair is awake and communicating in true Nature Boy fashion, but will need to remain in the hospital to rest due to complications. He'll be strutting down the hallways in a hospital gown in no time.
WWE sold both NXT and non-NXT merchandise before Takeover. This is probably their second most important week of the year; they want to sell some merch!!
Sporting News had two interviews promoting Takeover:Brooklyn, one with Becky Lynch and one discussing Triple H's role in NXT. We're absolutely seeing a big changing of the guard, with HHH's fingerprints all over the current product.
There were apparently difficulties regarding the Facebook Live show scheduled to follow Takeover. There was plenty at the show to talk about!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE is understandably giving her space right now. She'll come back when she feels ready to do so.
2. I think they like Lawler a lot more as a commentator compared to a promoter.
3. Nope! We might never see her in wrestling again, and if we do, it will almost certainly be in WWE.
4. I miss Z! True Long Island Story... Big O's been working for more than five years now, so he's still dedicated to it.
5. Early '90s WCW was very different from the Bischoff days. They did that kind of thing.
More wrestling tomorrow.
GFW is now available in Germany on the ran FIGHTING online subscription service. So, with no TV deal there, fans at least have one way to watch GFW as it airs.
During War of the Worlds UK on August 18:
- Bully Ray put over Jay Lethal on the mic after their four-way match. Jay's done a lot for ROH, that's for sure.
- The Bullet Club did five simultaneous Figure Fours to honor Flair in the main event, and Cody dedicated the match to Flair afterward. That's really, really cool. Very classy move.
The Undertaker and Michelle McCool are in Brooklyn, leading to speculation Taker will be part of Summerslam. That would definitely be big. If he's got a few more big matches in him, I can't blame him for building to one last Mania (for real this time). I just hope they're meaningful after the send-off he got at WM33.
Bobby Fish was at the WWE 2K18 launch event. Hopefully some of the new NXT signings will be in next year's game.
- WWE did an angle there involving Sheamus, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins. That's pretty cool.
NXT talents had their flight to New York delayed for more than 13 hours due to weather. So, they were in Orlando for a good while longer than anticipated. I'm glad the show went off without a hitch. That had to be a really rough time, though.
Ric Flair is awake and communicating in true Nature Boy fashion, but will need to remain in the hospital to rest due to complications. He'll be strutting down the hallways in a hospital gown in no time.
WWE sold both NXT and non-NXT merchandise before Takeover. This is probably their second most important week of the year; they want to sell some merch!!
Sporting News had two interviews promoting Takeover:Brooklyn, one with Becky Lynch and one discussing Triple H's role in NXT. We're absolutely seeing a big changing of the guard, with HHH's fingerprints all over the current product.
There were apparently difficulties regarding the Facebook Live show scheduled to follow Takeover. There was plenty at the show to talk about!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE is understandably giving her space right now. She'll come back when she feels ready to do so.
2. I think they like Lawler a lot more as a commentator compared to a promoter.
3. Nope! We might never see her in wrestling again, and if we do, it will almost certainly be in WWE.
4. I miss Z! True Long Island Story... Big O's been working for more than five years now, so he's still dedicated to it.
5. Early '90s WCW was very different from the Bischoff days. They did that kind of thing.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Takeover: Brooklyn III Reax
Read on for my thoughts on last night's NXT-brand WWE Network special event.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Main Event Reax - 8/18/17, Interviews with Cornette/Bryan/Mahal/Ziggler/Styles/CFO$, a lot of WWE press, Rock does WWE 2K18 music, Southpaw Season 2 released, GFW audience, WWE-Trump association under fire, NXT DVD preview, and Questions on Raw vs. MNF, more vintage Network content, Elgin-WWE, and the state of women's wrestling
-- Main Event:
This is like the Summerslam pre-pre-show.
- Kalisto vs. Hawkins:
Good start to things. Easy to tell who's a heel right out of the gate.
Good back-and-forth.
Kalisto's nice and flashy.
Hitting your head on the turnbuckle like that is BRUTAL.
Definitely didn't expect a split-legged moonsault from Hawkins. His role here is to try to ground Kalisto.
All this springboarding!!
That was pretty good.
- Ariya/Gulak vs. Lince/Metalik:
This is clearly the lucha episode.
I like the tandem offense from the luchadores.
Gulak's pretty smooth.
Man, Metalik giving Kalisto's flashiness a run for its money.
Using a luchador's mask is such a dick move.
I don't think I've ever seen an inverted sharpshooter. That was interesting.
I like using the ref to get in a cheap shot.
NICE double cutter.
That was a good ending sequence!
Jim Cornette discussed appearing for GFW, saying he won't be an exclusive, full-time part of the roster and was contracted by Anthem to be an on-screen character. It's interesting he worked something out with Anthem instead of GFW itself. Do they not know this man's history??? He's a compelling on-screen character, though, and people are talking about him. He has that in his favor.
Daniel Bryan was on Edge & Christian's podcast, discussing a potential return to the ring and more. I'm thinking it's more and more likely he'll be in a wrestling ring by the end of 2018/start of 2019. He could even be in the Tokyo Dome to start 2019.
Jinder Mahal talked about coming back to WWE and more. I'm very interested to see what they do with his match with Shinsuke at Summerslam.
USA Today spotlighted non-WWE names coming into main eventing WWE. There has absolutely been a big change in the roster in the last few years. I'd even say we're in a new "era" since HHH has taken over talent development.
Braun Strowman and Sasha Banks were at the New York Stock Exchange Friday. WWE gets a LOT of press opportunities in New York City.
The Hardys, Carmella, and Curt Hawkins were at a New York Mets home game. They took part in batting practice.
WWE and Mark Henry were part of a veteran career panel in New York City. Veterans are very important to the company.
The Rock is curating the soundtrack for WWE 2K18. That's pretty cool. I'm glad he's back working on WWE projects after so many years distancing himself from wrestling.
Southpaw Regional Wrestling Season 2 has been released, along with a lot of related merchandise. YYYYYEEEESSSSSSS. This is amazing.
Dolph Ziggler discussed his summer. I'd like to see him feud with Luke Harper since neither man's doing anything right now.
Destination X drew 320,000 viewers, a pretty good jump from the previous week's episode. GFW made the most of their opportunity as far as making changes and putting forth fresh faces.
Jinder Mahal set big goals for himself as WWE Champion. I like that motivation. I hope he's a long-term success for the company.
USA Network promoted WWE's shows from Brooklyn. It's going to be an important week for the company.
AJ Styles talked about a number of projects. I'm glad he's adapting to WWE so well.
USA Today looked back at Kevin Owens and AJ Styles wrestling each other in PWG. I'm sure more PWG names will be on WWE PPVs in the years to come!
Triple H put Asuka over in another USA Today piece. NXT being at that level is cool.
CFO$ discussed making WWE music and more. Pretty cool to see the big process involved. As much of a legend as Jim Johnston is, I'm glad there's some new blood in there, too, given the sheer amount of superstars who need music.
Baron Corbin talked in the UK. I hope he doesn't get lost in the shuffle at Summerslam.
The New York Times profiled Jinder Mahal. He's getting some serious mainstream publicity.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were on Jimmy Fallon's show. I'd be fine with him being Pedigreed.
Protestors are asking WWE to remove Donald Trump from their Hall of Fame due to his recent comments. Looks like we're now officially at the point WWE's association with the president is getting them backlash. People are hotly divided over Trump, and I think WWE's going to get heat from some fans either way they decide to go on the issue.
Wrestling DVD Network looked at the lineup for NXT's November DVD.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm sure Raw will take a hit from the NFL season. The size of that hit will depend on how important the game is that week and how many fans decide they've had their fill of WWE content.
2. It's entirely possible I've said everything from ECW is on the Network. I appreciate the correction. If vintage ECW content draws a large audience on the Network, I think WWE will move to get further footage of the promotion online.
3. I don't know how big of a draw the remaining vintage content will be. I think Thunder might add viewers and maybe Heat, but their problems are a lot bigger than what's in their vault. They need to make less content mean more, as they're not seeing the kind of growth that justifies the expense of some of their important projects.
4. It could be that NJPW got to him first. He's definitely someone they should be interested in.
5. If ten is its full potential, I'm thinking about an 8.25. ROH in particular still has work to do. Things have definitely improved in the past few years, though, and I expect that to continue.
More wrestling tomorrow.
This is like the Summerslam pre-pre-show.
- Kalisto vs. Hawkins:
Good start to things. Easy to tell who's a heel right out of the gate.
Good back-and-forth.
Kalisto's nice and flashy.
Hitting your head on the turnbuckle like that is BRUTAL.
Definitely didn't expect a split-legged moonsault from Hawkins. His role here is to try to ground Kalisto.
All this springboarding!!
That was pretty good.
- Ariya/Gulak vs. Lince/Metalik:
This is clearly the lucha episode.
I like the tandem offense from the luchadores.
Gulak's pretty smooth.
Man, Metalik giving Kalisto's flashiness a run for its money.
Using a luchador's mask is such a dick move.
I don't think I've ever seen an inverted sharpshooter. That was interesting.
I like using the ref to get in a cheap shot.
NICE double cutter.
That was a good ending sequence!
Jim Cornette discussed appearing for GFW, saying he won't be an exclusive, full-time part of the roster and was contracted by Anthem to be an on-screen character. It's interesting he worked something out with Anthem instead of GFW itself. Do they not know this man's history??? He's a compelling on-screen character, though, and people are talking about him. He has that in his favor.
Daniel Bryan was on Edge & Christian's podcast, discussing a potential return to the ring and more. I'm thinking it's more and more likely he'll be in a wrestling ring by the end of 2018/start of 2019. He could even be in the Tokyo Dome to start 2019.
Jinder Mahal talked about coming back to WWE and more. I'm very interested to see what they do with his match with Shinsuke at Summerslam.
USA Today spotlighted non-WWE names coming into main eventing WWE. There has absolutely been a big change in the roster in the last few years. I'd even say we're in a new "era" since HHH has taken over talent development.
Braun Strowman and Sasha Banks were at the New York Stock Exchange Friday. WWE gets a LOT of press opportunities in New York City.
The Hardys, Carmella, and Curt Hawkins were at a New York Mets home game. They took part in batting practice.
WWE and Mark Henry were part of a veteran career panel in New York City. Veterans are very important to the company.
The Rock is curating the soundtrack for WWE 2K18. That's pretty cool. I'm glad he's back working on WWE projects after so many years distancing himself from wrestling.
Southpaw Regional Wrestling Season 2 has been released, along with a lot of related merchandise. YYYYYEEEESSSSSSS. This is amazing.
Dolph Ziggler discussed his summer. I'd like to see him feud with Luke Harper since neither man's doing anything right now.
Destination X drew 320,000 viewers, a pretty good jump from the previous week's episode. GFW made the most of their opportunity as far as making changes and putting forth fresh faces.
Jinder Mahal set big goals for himself as WWE Champion. I like that motivation. I hope he's a long-term success for the company.
USA Network promoted WWE's shows from Brooklyn. It's going to be an important week for the company.
AJ Styles talked about a number of projects. I'm glad he's adapting to WWE so well.
USA Today looked back at Kevin Owens and AJ Styles wrestling each other in PWG. I'm sure more PWG names will be on WWE PPVs in the years to come!
Triple H put Asuka over in another USA Today piece. NXT being at that level is cool.
CFO$ discussed making WWE music and more. Pretty cool to see the big process involved. As much of a legend as Jim Johnston is, I'm glad there's some new blood in there, too, given the sheer amount of superstars who need music.
Baron Corbin talked in the UK. I hope he doesn't get lost in the shuffle at Summerslam.
The New York Times profiled Jinder Mahal. He's getting some serious mainstream publicity.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were on Jimmy Fallon's show. I'd be fine with him being Pedigreed.
Protestors are asking WWE to remove Donald Trump from their Hall of Fame due to his recent comments. Looks like we're now officially at the point WWE's association with the president is getting them backlash. People are hotly divided over Trump, and I think WWE's going to get heat from some fans either way they decide to go on the issue.
Wrestling DVD Network looked at the lineup for NXT's November DVD.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm sure Raw will take a hit from the NFL season. The size of that hit will depend on how important the game is that week and how many fans decide they've had their fill of WWE content.
2. It's entirely possible I've said everything from ECW is on the Network. I appreciate the correction. If vintage ECW content draws a large audience on the Network, I think WWE will move to get further footage of the promotion online.
3. I don't know how big of a draw the remaining vintage content will be. I think Thunder might add viewers and maybe Heat, but their problems are a lot bigger than what's in their vault. They need to make less content mean more, as they're not seeing the kind of growth that justifies the expense of some of their important projects.
4. It could be that NJPW got to him first. He's definitely someone they should be interested in.
5. If ten is its full potential, I'm thinking about an 8.25. ROH in particular still has work to do. Things have definitely improved in the past few years, though, and I expect that to continue.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Takeover:Brooklyn III preview
Read on for my ideas on booking tonight's NXT-brand WWE Network special event.
- Gargano vs. Almas:
- Moon vs. Asuka:
- Black vs. Itami:
- Authors vs. SAnitY:
- Roode vs. McIntyre:
Roode wins in dirty fashion. Regal informs the champion that Roderick Strong is getting his title match immediately. Strong wins, and ends up in the crosshairs of Cole's group.
Cole should at least be in the crowd. I'm interested in the idea of a faction with Cole, O'Reilly, and Fish (and potentially others), but Cole has feuded with reDRagon so much it would be odd to team them. That saibstable name is probably not the right move.
- Gargano vs. Almas:
Gargano needs the momentum boost more, and Vega can continue to berate Andrade for losing. So, Johnny wins.
- Moon vs. Asuka:
This one is TOUGH. I say Asuka wins so the MYC winner can end her streak. The countdown begins for Asuka head to the main roster. I think I'd move Bayley to Smackdown and put Asuka on Raw when it's time to promote Asuka.
- Black vs. Itami:
I'm going with Hideo trying to use a chair or something only for it to backfire. I don't want to hurt Hideo's momentum, but Aleister's the one to focus on here.
- Authors vs. SAnitY:
Authors win a war to set up Authors vs. reDRagon next. That should be amazing.
- Roode vs. McIntyre:
Roode wins in dirty fashion. Regal informs the champion that Roderick Strong is getting his title match immediately. Strong wins, and ends up in the crosshairs of Cole's group.
More wrestling coming up.
Asuka makes big history, NXT homecoming Saturday, Triplemania live on Mexican TV, LU live event set, Kharma update, ROH show drawing big crowd, more on GFW in Mexico, new Knockouts, Bryan working toward in-ring return, MMA names training for WWE, Dawson update, MYC special update, Blu-Ray note, WWE name cleared to return, Interviews with Gail/Low Ki/Joe/Terry Funk/Booker, GFW doing outreach events, WWE press, new GFW titles, new Kickoff match, WWE name returning, GFW announcer done, and Questions on WWE booking the Broken Hardys, WWE changing from PG, new Network content, DDPYoga on the Network, and Taker's WWE status
Asuka is now the longest reigning champion of any kind in WWE since 1988. She's been NXT Women's Champion for more than 500 days. That's a really big accomplishment that may very well stand unbroken for a substantial period of time.
- Goldberg put Asuka over. That's really cool. I'm glad he's back in the WWE family.
NXT alumni are expected to make appearances during Takeover: Brooklyn, further cementing the event as something of a Wrestlemania for the brand. It's really been built into something special in the past few years.
AAA Triplemania will air live on Mexican TV following the conclusion of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor event. It's likely only the main event of Triplemania will be broadcast after the boxing bout, as the shows are going on at the same time. While getting national TV clearance is really big, AAA could have planned things better so as to not be up against such a major attraction.
LU will run a live event on October 9 in Tokyo the night before the AAA World Cup in the same market. The brand is active despite the TV show's future still coming together.
Awesome Kong/Kharma will return for GLOW on Netflix. I'm glad some wrestlers are getting work on the project.
ROH's War of the Worlds show for October 15 has already sold their highest ever attendance in Chicago. Their crossover events are doing well, which is why ROH does so many of them.
GFW's event with The Crash on September 2 might be a One Night Only taping. I like GFW collaborating with other promotions like that.
GFW has signed Knockouts Keira Hogan and Hania the Howling Huntress. With Gail retiring and Angelina leaving, I see why they're adding new names to the division.
Daniel Bryan is undergoing therapy to return to the ring. If WWE doctors won't clear him, he'll likely try to wrestle in NJPW and/or ROH once his contract expires next summer. I hope he's making the right decision there. His return would definitely be big for NJPW and ROH.
Ronda Rousey and Jessamyn Duke are training with Brian Kendrick, so it looks like the goal is to have them wrestle in WWE. I'd assume Rousey would be saved for a Brock-type schedule and a big WM34 match if her wrestling is a viable option. Rousey & Angle vs. HHH & Stephanie would be big if Rock isn't available; I'd rather her tap Stephanie out than an active wrestler.
Scott Dawson is expected to be out until December. I hope The Revival can have a healthy run come 2018.
Many MYC competitors are returning for the September 12 finale, as there could be other matches on the card that night. That'd be good to showcase some names they're looking to sign as regulars.
Summerslam will be coming to Blu-Ray on a limited release to see how much demand there is for the format. Not everyone has moved to streaming just yet.
Darren Young has been cleared to return to the ring. It's unknown if Bob Backlund will work with him again. I'd rather see Darren utilized in NXT than filling space on Raw or Smackdown. Either way, it's going to be tough to stand out in such a talented field.
Gail Kim discussed retirement and more:
- Gail has definitely pushed for women's wrestling to be more of a focus. She was a key force in getting the Knockouts division of the ground.
- Sienna who? The division is all about Gail vs. Taryn now. Shocking return doesn't cover it.
- I'm glad Gail will get to go out on a high note. Not everyone gets that.
- Gail's given plenty to the business and accomplished a lot. This is pretty much a victory lap.
- Gail vs. Kong was legendary. One of the highlights of GFW history.
- I don't think it's a stretch to say the Knockouts division was doing a lot of what WWE/NXT are doing now for a time. They had some really talented names.
- Gail, Kong, and Taryn beat the holy hell out of each other. It was wild.
- Vince wanted the women to be eye candy, and had the company hire fitness models instead of wrestlers. HHH replacing John Laurinaitis changed that approach.
- I think the idea was for the women's matches to be a comedown from more serious male matches. Like, after two guys beat each other up with weapons, do a women's match that doesn't have a lot going on so the fans can get some downtime before another epic clash.
- If we don't get Gail vs. Kong, I'm OK with Gail vs. Taryn. Both feuds were amazing and I'm glad we get one final round of Gail and Taryn at the least.
GFW has further community outreach events planned for this week. That's all cool. I hope it gets more people in the door and supporting the company.
Low Ki talked Destination X and more:
- Ki has definitely a big journey in and out of all these different promotions.
- I never really pictured Low Ki with LAX, but he fits the theme. Ki doesn't really play off his Puerto Rican heritage.
- It's smart to use LAX to try to get the younger names over by working with the veterans. That's clever.
- GFW will be working in Mexico. I'm sure they'd love to work in other countries, too.
- It will be interesting to see what's next for LAX with no Alberto around.
- Low Ki's going to leave behind an interesting legacy given how much he's jumped around.
Samoa Joe talked to USA Today:
- I like Joe's look and style. Of course, as I'm sure he'll point out, Taz had a towel before Joe did.
- Hahahahahah I assume Joe orders a whole bunch of towels at once.
- Joe's really good. He has a lot of skills to bring to the table.
- I'm glad Joe's getting to be a big deal on Raw. WWE passed on him years ago.
- I expect we'll see some current NXT names at Summerslam next year. Asuka, for instance.
WWE got press from the New York Yankees' Todd Fraser & Tommy Kahnle, as well as for attending a local children's hospital.
Terry Funk discussed Ric Flair and more:
- I hope Funk and Flair are still up to wrestling at 80.
- Yes, there were a lot of conflicting reports about Ric. I tried to be as accurate as possible.
- Flair has probably held more than 20 world titles. He's just credited with 16.
- The Nature Boy is one of a kind.
- I hope Ric recovers fully. It sounds like he's going through a lot.
Seth Rollins, Sasha Banks, & Sam Roberts had an event on Broadway.
New York Post profiled Samoa Joe:
- I absolutely think Joe still looked like a beast at GBOF.
- It's crazy seeing people like Joe and Nakamura being top names in WWE.
- Joe got an opportunity few others get. WWE was willing to have him work NXT among other promotions. That was big.
- I hope indie fans are watching WWE to support the people who performed in front of them for so many years.
- We're definitely seeing a lot of good wrestling these days.WWE is picking up people who already have a lot of work under their belts, and it shows.
- I hope Braun knocks it out of the park.
- Bruiser Brody was something else.
Booker T. was profiled. WWE needs to book a mayor vs. mayor match if Booker and Kane both win.
GFW debuted new championship designs at Destination X. I'm glad they emphasized blue over that really bright green.
The Hardys & Jason Jordan vs. The Miz, Bo Dallas, & Curtis Axel has been added to Summerslam's Kickoff show. That's fine. There's a LOT going on that night.
Shelton Benjamin has signed a new WWE contract. It's currently unknown which brand he'll be assigned to. He can be an asset on any show. I'm glad we'll be seeing him again.
D'Angelo Dinero has left GFW. I wish he would have gotten further as a wrestler. Oh, well. I hope he does good things wherever he goes next.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't expect them to get the kind of creative freedom they got working with Billy Corgan and Jeremy Borash, who really "got" the vision the Hardys had. I'm sure they'll do some fun shenanigans, but I'm skeptical they can match what they did elsewhere. I definitely don't see WWE letting them work other wrestling promotions and having the footage air on WWE TV.
1. I wouldn't expect them to get the kind of creative freedom they got working with Billy Corgan and Jeremy Borash, who really "got" the vision the Hardys had. I'm sure they'll do some fun shenanigans, but I'm skeptical they can match what they did elsewhere. I definitely don't see WWE letting them work other wrestling promotions and having the footage air on WWE TV.
2. It's MUCH easier said than done to get that many new sponsors. It took years to rebrand into the PG direction. That wouldn't change overnight if they decided to do a 180 and go back to being TV-14. As for budget cuts, a lot of the expenses came from doing so much live content for the Network and signing so many talents for endeavors that aren't drawing new subscribers. That has nothing to do with going PG. Blaming Vince for 205 Live and the UK brand is asinine.
3. WWE is adding new content pretty much every day, but I can see why people want something fresh instead of vintage content. I think WWE is taking a big look at the Network after subscriber numbers came in much lower than expected, as they should. They've made some big and costly moves that haven't paid off.
4. That would be really cool, but I think WWE wants to push the Tapout brand instead of someone else's project.
5. Basically if he is retired, they're letting whatever time is left on his contract expire. He's earned that downside pay.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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