NJPW has trademarked "Strong Style," "King of Sports," and "Strong Style Evolved" in the United States for clothing purposes. Strong Style Evolved is the name of their March show in California. NJPW continues to grow with Western audiences.
ROH announced details for Festival of Honor during Wrestlemania 34 weekend. Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Hiroshi Tanahashi will be working for ROH that weekend.
WWE has signed Jeremy Borash from Impact Wrestling. He finished working with Impact this past weekend, while he visited WWE events in the area. Borash had been an important part of Impact since its early days, and was a big part of creative and production before leaving. This is a big surprise, as he had been one of their most tenured and versatile employees, making it through every single regime change. This will absolutely be an important change in the company and how it operates.
- I'm under the impression Borash's commentary is already set for the next
few months of Impact going into Redemption. Impact planned on having Borash and Don Callis as the announce team after Redemption, with Josh Mathews moving into a different on-screen role, but those plans won't come to pass. Borash was set to be part of Impact's revival of The LAW on Twitch as well.
- Borash will be part of NXT in some fashion. Triple H made the call to hire him. It's unknown if he'll have an on-screen role or not. He may or may not be involved with Matt Hardy's "Broken" work as he was in Impact.
Nikki Bella, Nia Jax, Alundra Blayze, and Dana Brooke tweeted about Ronda Rousey coming to WWE. I don't know if this is all storyline or not, but it's gotten people talking, so I thought I'd cover it. Long story short, Ronda's appearance is very big for WWE and raises attention for the company, including all the women there. There was already a lot of hype for the women's Rumble, women's revolution, etc. and this is taking the hype associated with WWE to another level. Everyone's going to make more money from this, so sit back and enjoy the publicity.
Rey Mysterio's WWE return has gotten millions of views on YouTube, largely eclipsing the views for Rousey's appearance. WWE is paying attention to the reaction Rey's getting. We'll see if we see more from him in the months to come.
Roddy Piper's daughter and Cedric the Entertainer discussed Ronda Rousey in WWE. Again, WWE women, this is a plus for everyone.
- Triple H gave an interview to USA Today on Rousey's signing. WWE did an amazing job keeping her appearance under wraps.
- Dana White and Cris Cyborg also commented on Rousey going to WWE. It looks like Ronda's done with MMA, despite remaining under UFC contract.
Hulk Hogan pranked fans, posing as a wax figure. He's still a big deal.
The Trump-WWE book author gave a long interview. It's a pretty interesting topic to look into. WWE could get a lot of publicity aligning with the president, but not all of it would be positive.
"Total Bellas" is returning for a third season in the spring. Footage was taped in Philadelphia as Nikki and Brie returned to the ring. The Bellas have a level of mainstream appeal at this point.
Raw drew 3.40 million viewers for the show after Royal Rumble. That's a good boost from what they had been doing, but obviously a large drop from Raw 25. Hopefully the road to Wrestlemania is good to WWE, audience-wise.
Seth Rollins promoted next week's Raw. It was a pleasant surprise seeing the Blackout return.
NXT's Kacy Catanzaro got press for starting at the WWE Performance Center. I look forward to seeing what she does there.
Titus O'Neil is hosting local youth seeing "Black Panther." That's awesome.
Mandy Rose is replacing Alicia Fox in the Mixed Match Challenge. That could be pretty interesting.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. To add to their answer, live events are very important to wrestling. There are a lot of towns they wouldn't run TV in, but have enough of an audience for them to do untelevised shows in.
2. It could definitely have been big for him. I'd like to think most fans would have supported Roman getting a push then, but there's an audience who always seems to turn on wrestlers like him once they get the machine behind them.
3."Overness" exists on a scale. It definitely seems like things are going well for him, though.
4. His hometown had "Rusev Day" in his honor, but Orton ruined the ceremony so they made the next Tuesday Rusev Day instead. And then they figured why not keep it going? It's over. I love it.
5. Generally when a talent is released, it's just a case of WWE not really having anything for them or the feeling the company has already gotten everything they could out of the talent, so the departure is pretty cordial. In Enzo's case, they want to separate themselves from him as much as possible after the PR headache he brought upon them.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
NJPW trademarks, ROH appearance details, WWE signs Borash from Impact, lots of Ronda fallout, Rey hype continues, assorted press, Bellas show returning, Raw audience, Alicia's MMC replacement, and Questions on why live events exist, pushing Roman earlier, Finn being over, the origins of Rusev Day, and why Enzo wasn't wished well in his future endeavors
Smackdown, MMC, and 205 Live Reax - 1/30/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown, MMC, and 205 Live.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Rey-WWE note, Interviews with Rousey/Trish, Rousey notes, Flair KFC shirt, WWEPC signing gets press, Rumble plans changed, WWE signs returning commentator, Alicia injury update, HoF notes, NJPW's U.S. return does big business, big Heyman date set, another big women's match in WWE, and Questions on learning from the previous XFL, Dunne's WWE deal, and brand split exceptions
In a correction to yesterday's post, the main conflict between Rey Mysterio and WWE is Rey wanting a part-time schedule while WWE wants him back full-time. The two sides could still come to terms at some point.
- Ronda was legitimately filming a movie Saturday before appearing at the Rumble.
- Rousey has trademarked the name "Rowdy Ronda Rousey," so she'll retain ownership of it after her WWE run.
WWE is selling a Ric Flair KFC shirt. That's amazing. I'm loving the crossover.
Trish Stratus discussed her WWE return on Lilian Garcia's podcast. It was awesome seeing a number of meaningful Rumble returns. I'm curious how many will be back next year.
CNN covered WWE signing Shadia Bseiso. She's got a great background. I hope she does well.
Dolph Ziggler was originally set to face Bobby Roode at Royal Rumble. I was hoping they'd save his return for Wrestlemania, but I guess he's such a reliable worker they wanted him back in the ring sooner. I don't think he was gone long enough for it to be that impactful; there's a reason Jericho takes extended absences.
Jonathan Coachman has signed a new contract with WWE, replacing Booker T. on Raw commentary. Booker will return to his role on Kickoff shows. That's a good move by WWE, since they're not using Otunga at the desk anymore.
Alicia Fox is believed to have suffered a broken tailbone while training for Royal Rumble. She will likely miss several months of action. That's unfortunate; she's been a reliable worker for a good while now.
WWE officially announced the Dudley Boyz for the 2018 Hall of Fame. That's really cool to see. I'm glad ROH is letting WWE honor their employee like that. It's definitely a benefit to be able to say you have a WWE Hall of Famer working for you.
- Mark Henry and Ivory are also expected to be announced for this year's Hall of Fame class. Both are great picks. This would confirm WWE sees Henry as done as a wrestler outside the occasional cameo, which isn't a big surprise as he's taken on a backstage role in the company.
NJPW's California show on March 25 sold out in twenty minutes. It's expected to have 4,700 fans in attendance and could feature Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito. That's very impressive.
Paul Heyman will be part of a fan Q&A session a few days before Wrestlemania. That should be a memorable experience.
WWE's Elimination Chamber event will feature a women's version of the signature match for the first time ever, with Alexa Bliss facing five challengers to be named. Another really big milestone for the company.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely think he has. This XFL is very different from the previous iteration. It has a chance to succeed, but it's WAY too soon to talk about it competing with the NFL. For now, consider it as the Impact or ROH or LU of the football world. The first goal is just to get a second season; it's really unrealistic to expect them to pull NFL-like numbers anytime soon.
1. I definitely think he has. This XFL is very different from the previous iteration. It has a chance to succeed, but it's WAY too soon to talk about it competing with the NFL. For now, consider it as the Impact or ROH or LU of the football world. The first goal is just to get a second season; it's really unrealistic to expect them to pull NFL-like numbers anytime soon.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. I really don't watch that much. I enjoy wrestling a lot, but it's not a full-time obsession or anything.
4. Basically WWE bookings get top priority, but he's able to work elsewhere when they don't have him scheduled for anything. It gets the UK brand and championship further exposure, and keeps him getting regular income and work, so it's beneficial for everyone.
5. Bryan was kind of an emergency situation given Enzo's sudden departure. Someone needed to make an announcement quickly, and Kurt had already finished at Raw. As for the rest, MMC is a special challenge between the two brands, some commentators are more or less free agents, and the argument can be made that some Smackdown stars showed up to honor Raw's big anniversary as professional courtesy. All in all, the brand split is largely intact. There are just some special situations where things cross over.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Interviews with EC3/Elias/Bischoff, Pillman book available digitally, Y2J teasing fans again, WWE names do good before Rumble, big Bullet Club angle in NJPW, more on Flair as Col. Sanders, WWE name hurt, more on big Rumble appearances, Rumble visitors, and Questions on entering the Rumble, Raw 25 showcasing Punk, taping Heat, another title in NXT, and Enzo getting a 90 day clause
EC3 talked to ESPN about returning to NXT. I'm glad he's fired up to make the most of this run. He's really worked hard to get back to WWE.
The Brian Pillman biography "Crazy Like A Fox" is now available as an ebook following its paperback release last year.
Chris Jericho teased appearing at the Royal Rumble. I appreciate him always keeping people talking.
Elias talked before the Rumble:
- Elias has definitely gotten some big opportunities.
- I can only imagine how many guitars Jarrett has gone through.
- Fans love to pile on his songs.
- I wouldn't be shocked to see him win the Andre battle royal this year.
- I love some of the fun combinations on MMC.
- Oh, Jericho vs. Elias definitely needs to happen.
- I think Y2J is busy with Fozzy the next few months, but he could pop up right after WM34.
Eric Bischoff discussed WCW heading to North Korea. This was one of the most amazing things in wrestling history.
Titus O'Neil gave a big speech to the NHL before the Rumble. Glad to see him continuing to do great work.
Bayley visited a clinically sick child in Philadelphia before Royal Rumble. Great work on her part.
Kenny Omega lost NJPW's United States Championship to Jay White, leading to Hangman Page, Cody, Marty Scurll, and the Young Bucks coming to the ring. Omega pushed Page and then the Bucks away, setting up the other Bullet Club members telling Cody and Kenny to sort it out themselves. Cody attacked Omega, and Kota Ibushi made the save to reunite with his Golden Lovers partner. So, it looks like Omega's out of Bullet Club. That could really lead to some interesting changes, as he's been such a focal point of the group and of NJPW in general.
Ric Flair is the latest Colonel Sanders after a commercial at Royal Rumble. He was originally set to play the role at Summerslam 2017 before his health issues led the company to choose Shawn Michaels instead. I found the commercial really entertaining. KFC has been a great partner for WWE.
Alicia Fox was legitimately injured before Royal Rumble. Thankfully WWE had enough people on standby to have a full match.
Rey Mysterio's WWE return was put together sometime in the past week. So far, this is just a one-match deal. It's interesting they used him given the talk of him working with Impact. It was previously reported he was too expensive for WWE to use. We'll see how things play out.
Ronda Rousey has signed a full-time WWE contract. I'm curious how much we'll see her compete. I'm excited to see her, at any rate. The smokescreens with media outlets were executed well.
- Rousey posed with and signed autographs for fans after the event went off the air. She's loving this, too.
- Rousey's appearance was legitimately kept a secret from most of the company, as she wasn't even on the production sheet for the show and she didn't show up in the building until right before she debuted. Very well done.
- Ronda was wearing a legitimate Roddy Piper leather jacket.
- Rousey's first match has always been set for Wrestlemania, rather than her being in the Royal Rumble itself.
- WWE is already selling two official Ronda shirts. That's great!
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon recognized two high school students before the Rumble. Another great PR move.
The women's Rumble was always set to headline the show, but other matches were moved around the day of the show. I'm surprised the men's Rumble didn't start the show in order to pace things out.
A number of women legitimately reached out to WWE to be in the women's Rumble.
Desiigner, The Undertaker, Pat Patterson, Nikolai Volkoff, Paige, and a number of NXT talents were at Royal Rumble. Some NXT names were there as potential surprise Rumble entrants.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Just because people haven't been announced, that doesn't mean they weren't entered! They probably wanted to keep it a surprise so their opponents wouldn't know what to expect! And everyone has to be approved to be added, so it could be that Braun, Kane, etc. were turned down. Either that or they focused on winning the title match so they wouldn't have to worry about a backup plan.
2. It was just WWE honoring a big Raw moment. I still think we're a long, long way from the two sides coming together.
3. That's how popular the product was at the time!
4. I like the idea of the UK Title also being for some of the NXT regulars who aren't involved with something else, since the UK brand itself isn't getting going yet.
5. The no-compete clause is usually something of a courtesy to departing talents as they plan their next moves. I don't know if they exercised it in his case. I expect it's more likely he moves into music or something than going to Impact or ROH.
More wrestling tomorrow.
The Brian Pillman biography "Crazy Like A Fox" is now available as an ebook following its paperback release last year.
Chris Jericho teased appearing at the Royal Rumble. I appreciate him always keeping people talking.
Elias talked before the Rumble:
- Elias has definitely gotten some big opportunities.
- I can only imagine how many guitars Jarrett has gone through.
- Fans love to pile on his songs.
- I wouldn't be shocked to see him win the Andre battle royal this year.
- I love some of the fun combinations on MMC.
- Oh, Jericho vs. Elias definitely needs to happen.
- I think Y2J is busy with Fozzy the next few months, but he could pop up right after WM34.
Eric Bischoff discussed WCW heading to North Korea. This was one of the most amazing things in wrestling history.
Titus O'Neil gave a big speech to the NHL before the Rumble. Glad to see him continuing to do great work.
Bayley visited a clinically sick child in Philadelphia before Royal Rumble. Great work on her part.
Kenny Omega lost NJPW's United States Championship to Jay White, leading to Hangman Page, Cody, Marty Scurll, and the Young Bucks coming to the ring. Omega pushed Page and then the Bucks away, setting up the other Bullet Club members telling Cody and Kenny to sort it out themselves. Cody attacked Omega, and Kota Ibushi made the save to reunite with his Golden Lovers partner. So, it looks like Omega's out of Bullet Club. That could really lead to some interesting changes, as he's been such a focal point of the group and of NJPW in general.
Ric Flair is the latest Colonel Sanders after a commercial at Royal Rumble. He was originally set to play the role at Summerslam 2017 before his health issues led the company to choose Shawn Michaels instead. I found the commercial really entertaining. KFC has been a great partner for WWE.
Alicia Fox was legitimately injured before Royal Rumble. Thankfully WWE had enough people on standby to have a full match.
Rey Mysterio's WWE return was put together sometime in the past week. So far, this is just a one-match deal. It's interesting they used him given the talk of him working with Impact. It was previously reported he was too expensive for WWE to use. We'll see how things play out.
Ronda Rousey has signed a full-time WWE contract. I'm curious how much we'll see her compete. I'm excited to see her, at any rate. The smokescreens with media outlets were executed well.
- Rousey posed with and signed autographs for fans after the event went off the air. She's loving this, too.
- Rousey's appearance was legitimately kept a secret from most of the company, as she wasn't even on the production sheet for the show and she didn't show up in the building until right before she debuted. Very well done.
- Ronda was wearing a legitimate Roddy Piper leather jacket.
- Rousey's first match has always been set for Wrestlemania, rather than her being in the Royal Rumble itself.
- WWE is already selling two official Ronda shirts. That's great!
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon recognized two high school students before the Rumble. Another great PR move.
The women's Rumble was always set to headline the show, but other matches were moved around the day of the show. I'm surprised the men's Rumble didn't start the show in order to pace things out.
A number of women legitimately reached out to WWE to be in the women's Rumble.
Desiigner, The Undertaker, Pat Patterson, Nikolai Volkoff, Paige, and a number of NXT talents were at Royal Rumble. Some NXT names were there as potential surprise Rumble entrants.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Just because people haven't been announced, that doesn't mean they weren't entered! They probably wanted to keep it a surprise so their opponents wouldn't know what to expect! And everyone has to be approved to be added, so it could be that Braun, Kane, etc. were turned down. Either that or they focused on winning the title match so they wouldn't have to worry about a backup plan.
2. It was just WWE honoring a big Raw moment. I still think we're a long, long way from the two sides coming together.
3. That's how popular the product was at the time!
4. I like the idea of the UK Title also being for some of the NXT regulars who aren't involved with something else, since the UK brand itself isn't getting going yet.
5. The no-compete clause is usually something of a courtesy to departing talents as they plan their next moves. I don't know if they exercised it in his case. I expect it's more likely he moves into music or something than going to Impact or ROH.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Main Event Reax - 1/27/18, NXT TV match stipulation, WWE Network's Flashback Friday theme, WWE 24 preview, Interviews with Flair/DDP, Otunga update, WWE stars on Disney show, HOH guests, MLB team doing WWE Night, Rumble speculation, Brothers of Destruction reuniting, Roman helps grant a wish, XFL discussion, Takeover notes, Raw live event note, and Questions on which entrant will win the Rumble, WWE signings keeping their PWT stores, Jarrett returning to WWE, and Sable's Raw 25 absence
-- Main Event:
- Goldust vs. Hawkins:
Hawkins enters this match on a 158-match losing streak. But anything can happen in the WWE!!!
Ha. Vintage Goldust here.
That's not the right attitude to get out of this slump, Curt!
Funny inside cradle spot.
Not bad work here.
Fine enough. Maybe next time, Hawkins!
- TJP/Gallagher vs. Kalisto/Metalik:
Impressive flying.
Good enough start.
Kalisto and Gran work together pretty well.
Fine match to fill time, since they're not going to have Curt lose twice in one show, I guess.
Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Bate on the next NXT TV is to determine the next challenger to the WWE UK Championship. Strong vs. Dunne could be a lot of fun; we've already seen him face Bate quite a bit.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday content this week will focus on football stars in wrestling. A smart tie-in to the Super Bowl.
WWE previewed tonight's WWE 24 special with footage featuring The Undertaker and The Bar.
Ric Flair discussed winning the 1992 Royal Rumble. I wonder what stars from 2018 will be interviewed in 26 years.
David Otunga is working as a producer in entertainment projects in addition to his WWE roles. He's doing pretty well for himself.
New Day and Alexa Bliss were in a clip from Disney XD's "Walk the Prank." This is already better than "Swerved."
Impact and NWA filmed content at House of Hardcore 37. Samoa Joe and Eric Young were visiting. It's worth noting Impact is doing a "House of Hardcore" match at the Redemption PPV featuring Dreamer. Presumably the two promotions will work together in some capacity for the time being.
MLB's Boston Red Sox will have a WWE Night on July 11. Interesting they announced it that far in advance. I wonder what will be set for the show.
The Undertaker and Michelle McCool are in Philadelphia, leading to speculation McCool will be in the women's Rumble. I'd definitely like to see that!
The Undertaker will appear with Kane on March 1 to promote Kane's mayoral campaign. That sounds amazing.
Roman Reigns surprised a Make-A-Wish recipient, informing him he'll be able to go to Wrestlemania 34. This was in conjunction with Jimmy's Famous Seafood, a popular destination for wrestlers coming through Baltimore.
JBL and Bruce Prichard discussed a potential XFL Network. I definitely expect there will be a big digital component of the new version of the league.
The Wells Fargo Center showed the construction of the stage for Takeover. That's really cool.
DDP discussed Ronda Rousey's crossover with WWE. I hope Conor McGregor follows for WM35.
Gabe Sapolsky was in the crowd for Takeover. That's not a huge surprise.
After Takeover went off the air, WWE officials helped Johnny Gargano walk to the back. He had a really big night, and was really made as a babyface.
WWE sold posters from Takeover:Philadelphia autographed by everyone competing on the show. That's pretty cool.
EC3 gave his first interview since joining NXT. So, they're not shying away from acknowledging his previous run in the company, but he's going to be working under his new name.
Brock Lesnar beat Kane in Maryland the night before Royal Rumble. Braun Strowman attacked both men after the match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It comes down to how much gas the winner has in the tank. Sometimes the later entrants are there so they don't have a long, grueling bout to go through. Other times it's how long WWE thinks the crowd will be interested in a particular superstar wrestling. I definitely expect it to be someone in the 20s, but you never know.
1. It comes down to how much gas the winner has in the tank. Sometimes the later entrants are there so they don't have a long, grueling bout to go through. Other times it's how long WWE thinks the crowd will be interested in a particular superstar wrestling. I definitely expect it to be someone in the 20s, but you never know.
2. I think in some cases it's a matter of the talent being able to finish selling shirts that have already been printed, but not being able to put out any new designs or further printings of current designs. Otherwise Pro Wrestling Tees would have a lot of shirts in the warehouse they can't unload. That's all speculation, though. I'm not 100% sure. It could also be a realization that it could be a while before they get official WWE shirts, so why not let them keep making some money on the outside? It's probably another incentive to sign.
3. I don't see him being a priority for them. I wouldn't rule out a Hall of Fame nod at some point, but I don't think we'll see him wrestle for them again.
4. I don't know what the relationship is like between the two sides right now. It could be that she's more than willing to live a life free of the spotlight now. She doesn't have any social media or website as Sable that I know of, so she might have left that part of her life behind.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Another top Impact name in contract limbo, Lashley's future, Impact on the road on Twitch live, new WWE Egyptian signing, another HoF for Goldberg, Interview with Graves, Rumble-exclusive shirt, new NXT TV match from Philly, more on Sane's comeback, Lawler addresses Raw 25 rumor, ROH switches taping and live event, ROH matches set, HoFer signs new WWE deal, Rusev Day calendar, Rumble weekend signings, Andre trailer, guest ring announcer for women's Rumble, Rumble Kickoff matches set, Shane DVD release date, Impact audience, and Questions on the timing of Raw 25, the site of WM35, the 205 Live GM, and the status of Johnston's WWE music
Alberto El Patron's Impact contract is coming up in March, but there are plans for him to work the April 22 PPV. It's unknown if he has been locked in to work through that date. I hope for their sake they don't have to change major plans yet again.
Lashley is expected to focus on MMA going forward. I'd love to see him in WWE if he's interested.
Impact's Twitch channel will stream WrestlePro's February 3 event live. It's expected matches there will be used on future episodes of Impact, so that's an interesting situation. As long as Pop is good with Impact putting those matches on Twitch, I suppose everything's fine!
WWE has signed a 28-year-old Egyptian boxer. He was at a WWE tryout in the United Arab Emirates. I hope he's able to use his previous skills well.
Goldberg was inducted into an athletics hall of fame in Oklahoma. His profile has really grown lately.
Corey Graves is on the latest Edge & Christian podcast, discussing becoming an announcer and more. I really enjoy his commentary, although of course it's a shame he had to retire so early. I wonder if Paige can become a commentator next?
The Royal Rumble has an exclusive NHL-themed T-shirt. I like WWE doing venue-exclusive merchandise.
Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Bate will be taped for NXT TV before Takeover:Philadelphia. I'm glad they're getting to compete tonight.
Kairi Sane had been out of the ring due to an injury. I hope she can build momentum in NXT now.
Jerry Lawler shot down rumors of himself and Jim Ross falling asleep during Raw 25 commentary. Instead, he claims they were taking a break from bending over and watching the small monitor in front of them. I can believe that.
ROH has switched their February 9 and February 10 events due to production issues, with the latter date now being a TV taping and the former now being the Honor Reigns Supreme live event. I'm glad ROH got things sorted out on that front.
Best Friends vs. Young Bucks, and SoCal Uncensored vs. Dalton Castle and the Boys have been booked for ROH's February 9 show. Silas Young vs. Kenny King for the TV Championship is set for the February 10 TV taping. They've been getting good momentum lately.
Jerry Lawler has signed a new one-year contract with WWE, so we'll still see him here and there. He's pretty much set there for life.
WWE is now selling a Rusev Day calendar. That's AMAZING. I wish they would have had it available a few weeks earlier, but still a great idea.
Ember Moon, Aleister Black, Alexa Bliss, the Usos, and Sasha Banks are all doing signings near the site of this weekend's WWE events. I'm looking forward to the shows!
Andre the Giant's HBO special has a trailer out. That should be amazing.
Maria Menounos will be the ring announcer for the women's Royal Rumble match. Good to see her get that honor. This is a very big milestone for WWE.
Royal Rumble's Kickoff show will feature:
- Bobby Roode defending the United States Championship in an open challenge (I really, REALLY hope it's not Dolph Ziggler challenging him)
- Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Revival
- Kalisto, Lince Dorado, and Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Drew Gulak, and Jack Gallagher
- Appearances from Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Alundra Blayze, and Ric Flair. I wish Alundra was on commentary instead of Stephanie.
Shane McMahon's DVD will release June 11. He's been a memorable part of WWE.
The "Genesis" episode of Impact Wrestling this week drew 310,000 viewers. The show hadn't gotten back-to-back episodes with more than 300,000 viewers each since July. That's a good sign as they begin the new regime.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. All of that. It all worked out well for them, ratings-wise!
2. Things could always change if another area makes WWE a big pitch to hold Wrestlemania, but we should know pretty soon.
3. My guess is either Rockstar Spud or Nia Jax. Paige is a good idea as well. I really don't see WWE spending a huge sum on Rey Mysterio just to be a character on a Network-exclusive show.
4. WWE almost definitely has the right to use all of the music he made for them. It would be a massive oversight on their part if they didn't.
5. It would be a massive blunder by WWE to let someone leave and take the rights to decades worth of music with him. There's no way that happened.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Lashley is expected to focus on MMA going forward. I'd love to see him in WWE if he's interested.
Impact's Twitch channel will stream WrestlePro's February 3 event live. It's expected matches there will be used on future episodes of Impact, so that's an interesting situation. As long as Pop is good with Impact putting those matches on Twitch, I suppose everything's fine!
WWE has signed a 28-year-old Egyptian boxer. He was at a WWE tryout in the United Arab Emirates. I hope he's able to use his previous skills well.
Goldberg was inducted into an athletics hall of fame in Oklahoma. His profile has really grown lately.
Corey Graves is on the latest Edge & Christian podcast, discussing becoming an announcer and more. I really enjoy his commentary, although of course it's a shame he had to retire so early. I wonder if Paige can become a commentator next?
The Royal Rumble has an exclusive NHL-themed T-shirt. I like WWE doing venue-exclusive merchandise.
Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Bate will be taped for NXT TV before Takeover:Philadelphia. I'm glad they're getting to compete tonight.
Kairi Sane had been out of the ring due to an injury. I hope she can build momentum in NXT now.
Jerry Lawler shot down rumors of himself and Jim Ross falling asleep during Raw 25 commentary. Instead, he claims they were taking a break from bending over and watching the small monitor in front of them. I can believe that.
ROH has switched their February 9 and February 10 events due to production issues, with the latter date now being a TV taping and the former now being the Honor Reigns Supreme live event. I'm glad ROH got things sorted out on that front.
Best Friends vs. Young Bucks, and SoCal Uncensored vs. Dalton Castle and the Boys have been booked for ROH's February 9 show. Silas Young vs. Kenny King for the TV Championship is set for the February 10 TV taping. They've been getting good momentum lately.
Jerry Lawler has signed a new one-year contract with WWE, so we'll still see him here and there. He's pretty much set there for life.
WWE is now selling a Rusev Day calendar. That's AMAZING. I wish they would have had it available a few weeks earlier, but still a great idea.
Ember Moon, Aleister Black, Alexa Bliss, the Usos, and Sasha Banks are all doing signings near the site of this weekend's WWE events. I'm looking forward to the shows!
Andre the Giant's HBO special has a trailer out. That should be amazing.
Maria Menounos will be the ring announcer for the women's Royal Rumble match. Good to see her get that honor. This is a very big milestone for WWE.
Royal Rumble's Kickoff show will feature:
- Bobby Roode defending the United States Championship in an open challenge (I really, REALLY hope it's not Dolph Ziggler challenging him)
- Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Revival
- Kalisto, Lince Dorado, and Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Drew Gulak, and Jack Gallagher
- Appearances from Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Alundra Blayze, and Ric Flair. I wish Alundra was on commentary instead of Stephanie.
Shane McMahon's DVD will release June 11. He's been a memorable part of WWE.
The "Genesis" episode of Impact Wrestling this week drew 310,000 viewers. The show hadn't gotten back-to-back episodes with more than 300,000 viewers each since July. That's a good sign as they begin the new regime.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. All of that. It all worked out well for them, ratings-wise!
2. Things could always change if another area makes WWE a big pitch to hold Wrestlemania, but we should know pretty soon.
3. My guess is either Rockstar Spud or Nia Jax. Paige is a good idea as well. I really don't see WWE spending a huge sum on Rey Mysterio just to be a character on a Network-exclusive show.
4. WWE almost definitely has the right to use all of the music he made for them. It would be a massive oversight on their part if they didn't.
5. It would be a massive blunder by WWE to let someone leave and take the rights to decades worth of music with him. There's no way that happened.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, January 26, 2018
More on 205 Live GM, why U.S. Title tournament was moved up, note on Jordan injury, Raw plan that didn't happen, Alberto updates, Mundo-AAA update, update on U.S. fans watching NJPW California show, Batista in a different HoF, Lashley-Impact note, Impact scouting talent, another WWE Network fire sale, more on Hogan-Bullet Club, NXT Champion does media, Shield signing set, Rumble airing in international theater, Interviews with Rousey/Alexa/Natalya, NPR covers Raw 25, new WWE 24 after the Rumble, Philly honors Rumble, Swann charges dropped, WWE seeking hires, Joe making cameo in Philly, NXT name returns to the ring, and Questions on Raw 25 absentees, Neville returning, Enzo returning to WWE, and Nancy Benoit and Kevin Sullivan in the WWE HOF
205 Live getting a general manager had been discussed for months, with Summer Rae having been an option for the role before her release. I'm thinking Rockstar Spud will end up taking that title, but we'll see. Perhaps Nia Jax is an option?
The United States Championship tournament was ended early in order for the two Rumble matches to get more time Sunday. I can't say that's a bad idea.
Jason Jordan's injury is back related. We'll see if he ends up remaining tag team champion past the Rumble.
Jimmy Fallon was going to be part of some backstage segments on Raw 25, but arrived too late to film them. The show had plenty of fluff without him.
Alberto El Patron is expected to return to AAA in addition to his Impact work. That's good for AAA.
Johnny Mundo/Impact will continue working with AAA after teasing he wasn't going to make a scheduled title match.
AXS TV is expected to air NJPW's March California show live. That should be really big for them.
Batista, Ronda Rousey, and Bas Rutten will be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Arnold Classic. That's big for all three of them.
Alberto El Patron is looking to put on more earthquake benefit shows in Mexico. That's great news!
Lashley is reportedly getting an early release from his Impact contract, which was set to go through May. It's likely he's gotten a big offer to leave for WWE or NJPW. I'm curious how he'll do.
Abyss will be scouting talent in California this weekend on behalf of Impact. I expect he'll be an important part of the new regime.
WWE Network is offering three months for $1.99 total to former subscribers in order to have big subscriber numbers for the day after Wrestlemania. They're really struggling to increase fan interest for the service. This is desperate!
Hulk Hogan had legitimate talks about joining Bullet Club, but it was reportedly a combination of him asking for too much money and the feeling he'd return to WWE as soon as he could that stopped it from happening. NJPW will have to decide what any exposure from using Hulk would be worth, because he's only going to go there if it greatly benefits himself.
Andrade "Cien" Almas did press in Mexico to promote Takeover, pushing that he'd like other stars from there to join NXT. That could be good for the Network gaining subscribers there.
Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose will sign autographs at March's Autorama show in Michigan.
Royal Rumble 2018 will be shown live in the theater in Malaysia. That's a pretty cool alternative to PPV.
Eddie Edwards did a conference call before Thursday's Impact:
- He will not need surgery from his recent injury. His vision has almost recovered. That's good to hear, because that injury sounds BRUTAL.
- We'll see more of his wife Alisha.
- Eddie intends to stay with Impact.
- He has no plans to work behind-the-scenes for Impact anytime soon.
Ronda Rousey indicated she's about to be locked up with filming a movie in Canada, so she won't be able to work Royal Rumble. This could be a big work WWE's using TMZ for, which would be a nice surprise. I still think we'll see her at Wrestlemania.
NPR looked at how 25 years of Raw have affected WWE. It will be really interesting to see what the show's future will be, either on TV or elsewhere.
Alexa Bliss discussed the women's revolution. I think we're some time away from women headlining Wrestlemania. Even with Ronda Rousey and/or Trish Stratus involved, I don't know if they'd get that nod above Brock, Triple H, Angle, Shane, etc.
Natalya discussed Raw 25 and more, really putting over Trish Stratus.
WWE 24 focusing on Wrestlemania 33 will debut after Royal Rumble. That's pretty cool.
Philadelphia nicknamed the streets leading to the venue for Sunday's show as "Royal Way" and "Rumble Road." That's pretty cool.
Rich Swann has had all charges against him dropped due to insufficient evidence. He should be reinstated to WWE shortly as a result. That's great news for the young superstar.
WWE is hiring:
-- I actually don't think I knew WWE had an office in Singapore.
Samoa Joe will join Sam Roberts and Charly Caruso on the pre-show panel for Takeover:Philadelphia. I'm glad he'll be able to be part of the weekend in some form.
Kairi Sane returned to the ring after a two month absence, pinning Lacey Evans during an NXT live event in New York.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Oh, wow. I didn't know that about Finkel. That would have been good. I personally would have popped for Damien Demento asking for a rematch with Taker, but I might have been the only one.
1. Oh, wow. I didn't know that about Finkel. That would have been good. I personally would have popped for Damien Demento asking for a rematch with Taker, but I might have been the only one.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. Only if Neville really wants to return. I don't really see anything changing on that front. Honestly, who would want to come back to 205 Live in its current state? Neville could almost certainly do better outside of WWE.
4. The odds are really against it. As much as fans will miss him, I doubt his coworkers or management want to bring him back. If he does return to WWE, it will be down the road. I expect it's more likely he'll move into making music or get a reality show or something.
5. I expect we're a long way away from Nancy even being an option to enter the Hall of Fame. I think Sullivan has a decent chance at some point, though. He's not as tied to the Benoit story.
More wrestling tomorrow.
XFL returning in 2020
Vince McMahon announced the XFL will return in 2020. The goal is to have a game that's shorter, faster, simpler, and more family-friendly.
The league will launch with eight teams with 40-man rosters.
The goal is for fans to be able to customize how they watch games on big screens and mobile devices. That's great for the modern fan.
It sounds like the league will be during NFL's offseason, which is the right move.
Vince will retain his WWE responsibilities.
There will be no crossover with WWE. I'm kind of split on that, as WWE has an established audience that would likely check a game out. Especially if stars are in attendance, etc.
Vince doesn't intend to be the public face of the company. He plans to hire a lot of executives.
Vince claims the NFL kneeling controversy had no bearing on his decision to bring the league back. NFL's ratings woes have definitely opened the door for a competitor.
Vince intends to make the environment as safe as possible given what's now known about CTE.
The XFL will not be a vehicle for politics or social issues. That will be another draw for disillusioned NFL fans.
It's too early to announce markets for teams, but every city is on their radar.
Vince teased running in baseball stadiums if possible. Hey, if they can make that work well and draw a good crowd, more power to them!
The goal is for games to run two hours. Half-time might be dropped to accommodate this idea. Not a bad way to fo.
Vince claims the ESPN documentary didn't have any bearing on relaunching the brand. It definitely got the XFL name in the public again.
No decision has been made regarding nicknames on jerseys, i.e. "He Hate Me." I'd definitely miss that.
The teams will all have new names from the previous XFL.
Players with criminal backgrounds will not be allowed. Another nod to NFL critics.
Vince more or less confirmed players will have to stand for the national anthem. I think that will resonate with the potential audience.
There will be no pro wrestling announcers in the new XFL.
Players will be drug tested.
XFL has launched a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, an Instagram account, and a YouTube page.
The league will launch with eight teams with 40-man rosters.
The goal is for fans to be able to customize how they watch games on big screens and mobile devices. That's great for the modern fan.
It sounds like the league will be during NFL's offseason, which is the right move.
Vince will retain his WWE responsibilities.
There will be no crossover with WWE. I'm kind of split on that, as WWE has an established audience that would likely check a game out. Especially if stars are in attendance, etc.
Vince doesn't intend to be the public face of the company. He plans to hire a lot of executives.
Vince claims the NFL kneeling controversy had no bearing on his decision to bring the league back. NFL's ratings woes have definitely opened the door for a competitor.
Vince intends to make the environment as safe as possible given what's now known about CTE.
The XFL will not be a vehicle for politics or social issues. That will be another draw for disillusioned NFL fans.
It's too early to announce markets for teams, but every city is on their radar.
Vince teased running in baseball stadiums if possible. Hey, if they can make that work well and draw a good crowd, more power to them!
The goal is for games to run two hours. Half-time might be dropped to accommodate this idea. Not a bad way to fo.
Vince claims the ESPN documentary didn't have any bearing on relaunching the brand. It definitely got the XFL name in the public again.
No decision has been made regarding nicknames on jerseys, i.e. "He Hate Me." I'd definitely miss that.
The teams will all have new names from the previous XFL.
Players with criminal backgrounds will not be allowed. Another nod to NFL critics.
Vince more or less confirmed players will have to stand for the national anthem. I think that will resonate with the potential audience.
There will be no pro wrestling announcers in the new XFL.
Players will be drug tested.
XFL has launched a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, an Instagram account, and a YouTube page.
Impact Wrestling Genesis Reax
Read on for my thoughts on last night's special episode of Impact Wrestling.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
WWE name to miss six months, 2019 Rumble in big stadium, big NJPW injury, another Broken tease, Interview with DDP, Impact live event set, more on Enzo's release, new NWA trademark, Terri Runnels launches podcast, how Raw 25 was run, Smackdown audience, Stephanie at the announce desk in Philly, HHH promotes Takeover, WWE planning financial releases, WWE doing Rock book, next vintage Network content, and Questions on ICOPRO, Flair's bumps, unnecessarily burying Hogan and Bischoff, cursing in NJPW, and AJ Lee in the Rumble
Samir Singh underwent surgery on a torn ACL. He could miss a pretty significant chunk of 2018. We'll see how Jinder can get by without one of his surrogates.
Royal Rumble 2019 will be in a major stadium in Arizona. The goal is to have around 40,000 fans there; Royal Rumble 2017 had an announced attendance of 52,000, so that seems reasonable. WWE can still get big numbers for their most major shows.
- WWE followed the announcement up with a press release. It was smart to have it revealed on a more mainstream news source first.
NJPW's Satoshi Kojima has suffered a ruptured ACL and will miss at least six months. So, it could be a while before we see him in the States again.
Matt Hardy further teased returning to his Broken work from Impact Wrestling.
Diamond Dallas Page talked to TMZ about Hulk Hogan returning to WWE. Hopefully he makes a cameo at WM34 so we can stop speculating on when we'll see him again.
Impact has a live event set for March 4 in Ontario. It's good to see them getting momentum going again.
Enzo Amore was released by WWE due to not informing the company of the ongoing criminal investigation against him. He had been aware he was under investigation for some time before his accuser went public with the allegations, but WWE only found out about the situation when media outlets began seeking comment. This was seen as the last straw for Enzo, who already had quite a bit from management and his coworkers for his unfiltered attitude. Long story short, Enzo screwed Enzo, and he really only has himself to blame for finding himself in this position.
The NWA has applied to the trademark "The Dupont Network" through Billy Corgan's production company. We'll see what that ends up being; I assume it's a gimmick name of some kind rather than a network in the sense of USA or Pop.
Terri Runnels has launched a podcast on MLWRadio. Her first episode discussed her WWF debut and Raw 25. She picked the right time to start the show after her first big wrestling appearance in quite some time.
Raw 25 production was handled with Vince McMahon, Michael Hayes, and Adam Pearce in the Barclays Center while Triple H worked with IRS at the Manhattan Center. That had to be a chaotic night!
WWE released behind-the-scenes footage of their recent team-up with pocket.watch.
Smackdown drew 2.58 million viewers Tuesday night, slightly down from the last week's show. I'm surprised there wasn't a boost from the big Raw audience the night before. That's concerning, actually.
Stephanie McMahon will be a commentator for the women's Royal Rumble. I mean, I guess that makes sense. She's a former women's champion, and her dad won the match in 1999. I can't say I wouldn't have rather had someone like Beth Phoenix or Lita at the desk, though.
Triple H did a conference call to promote Takeover:Philadelphia:
- Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream has been added to the card. Good to see Dream's push continue.
- TM-61 will return to NXT on the episode taped before Takeover. I've missed them!
- HHH expected War Machine, Ricochet, and Candice LeRae to start out in NXT to prepare them for how WWE produces TV. So, that would seem to rule out Ricochet being the next cruiserweight champion.
- WWE is willing to discuss a sale. I'll believe it when I see it.
WWE announced they will discuss their Q4 2017 and full year 2017 financial results on February 8. I imagine it will be a lot of good news for them.
WWE will release a book on The Rock in October. That should be big.
WWE Network will feature WWF Coliseum Home Videos in February as the next vintage content. This will likely be followed by WWWF All-Star Wrestling in March. So, Thunder and Heat are still on the back burner as the company goes to older content next.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Maybe they'll come back to sponsor the XFL?
2. So I guess blame it on the alcohol?
3. Absolutely! The dirtsheets in general are far too harsh on some of the most successful people in the business, and too praising on some people who's legacies have been exaggerated. Seemingly it doesn't matter how well someone does for the business if it's not the exact kind of wrestling a particular critic likes.
Nothing to really add to 4. There are different standards in the West and the East in regard to language.
5. I don't think she has any desire to return to the ring, much less for WWE. This is one of those "hell freezing over" scenarios.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Royal Rumble 2019 will be in a major stadium in Arizona. The goal is to have around 40,000 fans there; Royal Rumble 2017 had an announced attendance of 52,000, so that seems reasonable. WWE can still get big numbers for their most major shows.
- WWE followed the announcement up with a press release. It was smart to have it revealed on a more mainstream news source first.
NJPW's Satoshi Kojima has suffered a ruptured ACL and will miss at least six months. So, it could be a while before we see him in the States again.
Matt Hardy further teased returning to his Broken work from Impact Wrestling.
Diamond Dallas Page talked to TMZ about Hulk Hogan returning to WWE. Hopefully he makes a cameo at WM34 so we can stop speculating on when we'll see him again.
Impact has a live event set for March 4 in Ontario. It's good to see them getting momentum going again.
Enzo Amore was released by WWE due to not informing the company of the ongoing criminal investigation against him. He had been aware he was under investigation for some time before his accuser went public with the allegations, but WWE only found out about the situation when media outlets began seeking comment. This was seen as the last straw for Enzo, who already had quite a bit from management and his coworkers for his unfiltered attitude. Long story short, Enzo screwed Enzo, and he really only has himself to blame for finding himself in this position.
The NWA has applied to the trademark "The Dupont Network" through Billy Corgan's production company. We'll see what that ends up being; I assume it's a gimmick name of some kind rather than a network in the sense of USA or Pop.
Terri Runnels has launched a podcast on MLWRadio. Her first episode discussed her WWF debut and Raw 25. She picked the right time to start the show after her first big wrestling appearance in quite some time.
Raw 25 production was handled with Vince McMahon, Michael Hayes, and Adam Pearce in the Barclays Center while Triple H worked with IRS at the Manhattan Center. That had to be a chaotic night!
WWE released behind-the-scenes footage of their recent team-up with pocket.watch.
Smackdown drew 2.58 million viewers Tuesday night, slightly down from the last week's show. I'm surprised there wasn't a boost from the big Raw audience the night before. That's concerning, actually.
Stephanie McMahon will be a commentator for the women's Royal Rumble. I mean, I guess that makes sense. She's a former women's champion, and her dad won the match in 1999. I can't say I wouldn't have rather had someone like Beth Phoenix or Lita at the desk, though.
Triple H did a conference call to promote Takeover:Philadelphia:
- Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream has been added to the card. Good to see Dream's push continue.
- TM-61 will return to NXT on the episode taped before Takeover. I've missed them!
- HHH expected War Machine, Ricochet, and Candice LeRae to start out in NXT to prepare them for how WWE produces TV. So, that would seem to rule out Ricochet being the next cruiserweight champion.
- WWE is willing to discuss a sale. I'll believe it when I see it.
WWE announced they will discuss their Q4 2017 and full year 2017 financial results on February 8. I imagine it will be a lot of good news for them.
WWE will release a book on The Rock in October. That should be big.
WWE Network will feature WWF Coliseum Home Videos in February as the next vintage content. This will likely be followed by WWWF All-Star Wrestling in March. So, Thunder and Heat are still on the back burner as the company goes to older content next.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Maybe they'll come back to sponsor the XFL?
2. So I guess blame it on the alcohol?
3. Absolutely! The dirtsheets in general are far too harsh on some of the most successful people in the business, and too praising on some people who's legacies have been exaggerated. Seemingly it doesn't matter how well someone does for the business if it's not the exact kind of wrestling a particular critic likes.
Nothing to really add to 4. There are different standards in the West and the East in regard to language.
5. I don't think she has any desire to return to the ring, much less for WWE. This is one of those "hell freezing over" scenarios.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Woken Matt's next step, WWE author remembers Raw moments, Cena movie gets Oscar nomination, Cena looking at another role, another chance to tour the WWEPC, WWE in Philly, Enzo released, Enzo fallout, Raw audience, Bubba Ray on working Raw, new WWE trademarks, new WWE position, Smackdown dark matches, and Questions on Carmella's briefcase, the new LAW, WWE not having credits, Kane's resiliency, and Savage's WWF retirement
Matt Hardy teased his Raw loss will lead to the appearance of further Hardy family members.
WWE author Keith Elliot Greenberg discussed memorable Raw moments on USA Network's website.
John Cena's animated movie "Ferdinand" has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. That's pretty cool.
- Cena is in talks to play Duke Nukem in an adaptation of that videogame. That could be pretty interesting, actually.
The WWE Performance Center will have another All Access day on March 6. That's really cool.
WWE names made appearances at Philadelphia City Hall before the big week of action they have there.
WWE officially released Enzo Amore in the wake of the rape allegation against him. WWE didn't even wish him the best in his future endeavors; they're almost certainly going to distance themselves from him going forward, as they understandably don't want to be associated with someone with such a claim against him.
- An Arizona news source reported on the allegation, featuring a statement from Enzo's attorney. Celebrity or not, what he has been accused of is vile and reprehensible.
- Enzo was originally set to wrestle Goldust on Raw 25, setting up The Zo Train attacking Goldust and Cedric Alexander. This would have led to the Dudleys making the save. With Enzo's suspension, the segment was re-written to feature The Titus Brand, Heath Slater, and Rhyno. These plans were finalized about an hour before Raw went on the air, with members of The Zo Train sent to the Manhattan Center to work dark matches and Goldust and Cedric Alexander not being on the show at all.
Raw's 25th anniversary drew 4.53 million viewers, the show's biggest audience since April of 2014. This was a really big, heavily promoted show. I'm glad it was such a hit, and I hope a good number of those 1,280,000 fans who watched Monday but not January 15 will stick around for future episodes, subscribe to WWE Network, etc.
Bubba Ray Dudley thanked ROH for allowing him to appear on Raw 25. He's still under ROH contract following his retirement match at Final Battle in December.
WWE has applied to trademark "The Irresistible Force" as well as "Miz and Mrs." The latter is the proposed name for Miz and Maryse's reality show. It's unknown what the first trademark will be used for, but it could be a nickname for a number of wrestlers.
WWE is seeking a manager for retail development at Walmart. That's a pretty big role, and pretty savvy on WWE's part.
Mojo Rawley beat Tye Dillinger before Smackdown. Randy Orton defeated Baron Corbin at the end of the night.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It will pop back up when she decides to cash it in. She's just waiting for the right moment to surprise the champion!
2. We'll see. It will definitely be a niche audience if it just focuses on Impact, but more people know about and discuss Impact than it's given credit for. It definitely has a bigger potential audience than a show focused on NJPW, ROH, PWG, Lucha Underground, EVOLVE, or whatever else people think is the second-biggest wrestling promotion beneath WWE in this part of the world.
3. They are absolutely not presenting it as a sport. I think it's just that they don't want to break attention away from the show-closing angle by acknowledging the whole thing is just a TV show.
4. That's funny. I guess they figured Kane had survived enough over the years to be able to shake it off.
5. Part of the audience thinks Vince should pull people once they hit a certain age, and the other part of the audience gets upset when he does!
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE author Keith Elliot Greenberg discussed memorable Raw moments on USA Network's website.
John Cena's animated movie "Ferdinand" has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. That's pretty cool.
- Cena is in talks to play Duke Nukem in an adaptation of that videogame. That could be pretty interesting, actually.
The WWE Performance Center will have another All Access day on March 6. That's really cool.
WWE names made appearances at Philadelphia City Hall before the big week of action they have there.
WWE officially released Enzo Amore in the wake of the rape allegation against him. WWE didn't even wish him the best in his future endeavors; they're almost certainly going to distance themselves from him going forward, as they understandably don't want to be associated with someone with such a claim against him.
- An Arizona news source reported on the allegation, featuring a statement from Enzo's attorney. Celebrity or not, what he has been accused of is vile and reprehensible.
- Enzo was originally set to wrestle Goldust on Raw 25, setting up The Zo Train attacking Goldust and Cedric Alexander. This would have led to the Dudleys making the save. With Enzo's suspension, the segment was re-written to feature The Titus Brand, Heath Slater, and Rhyno. These plans were finalized about an hour before Raw went on the air, with members of The Zo Train sent to the Manhattan Center to work dark matches and Goldust and Cedric Alexander not being on the show at all.
Raw's 25th anniversary drew 4.53 million viewers, the show's biggest audience since April of 2014. This was a really big, heavily promoted show. I'm glad it was such a hit, and I hope a good number of those 1,280,000 fans who watched Monday but not January 15 will stick around for future episodes, subscribe to WWE Network, etc.
Bubba Ray Dudley thanked ROH for allowing him to appear on Raw 25. He's still under ROH contract following his retirement match at Final Battle in December.
WWE has applied to trademark "The Irresistible Force" as well as "Miz and Mrs." The latter is the proposed name for Miz and Maryse's reality show. It's unknown what the first trademark will be used for, but it could be a nickname for a number of wrestlers.
WWE is seeking a manager for retail development at Walmart. That's a pretty big role, and pretty savvy on WWE's part.
Mojo Rawley beat Tye Dillinger before Smackdown. Randy Orton defeated Baron Corbin at the end of the night.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It will pop back up when she decides to cash it in. She's just waiting for the right moment to surprise the champion!
2. We'll see. It will definitely be a niche audience if it just focuses on Impact, but more people know about and discuss Impact than it's given credit for. It definitely has a bigger potential audience than a show focused on NJPW, ROH, PWG, Lucha Underground, EVOLVE, or whatever else people think is the second-biggest wrestling promotion beneath WWE in this part of the world.
3. They are absolutely not presenting it as a sport. I think it's just that they don't want to break attention away from the show-closing angle by acknowledging the whole thing is just a TV show.
4. That's funny. I guess they figured Kane had survived enough over the years to be able to shake it off.
5. Part of the audience thinks Vince should pull people once they hit a certain age, and the other part of the audience gets upset when he does!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown, MMC, and 205 Live Reax - 1/23/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown, MMC, and 205 Live.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
A lot of Raw 25 hype and notes, Kofi celebrates a decade in WWE, WWE injury updates, WWE launches Reddit account, Interviews with Johnston/Nia+Alexa, Variety looks at WWE's rights future, top international name at SCOH12, surprising ROH visitors, ROH TV taping press, WWE runs Ryder contest, Indian WWE signing honored, Enzo suspended after rape allegation, big "Table for 3" set, and Questions on WWE's reluctance to use Hogan, WWE's roster, former WWE stars burying the company, awful world title reigns, and James Storm's future
Lilian Garcia held a podcast with Becky Lynch, Bayley, Natalya, and Carmella. Understandably, there was a lot of talk about the women's Royal Rumble.
Kofi Kingston discussed his 10-year WWE anniversary on Instagram and WWE.com. I'm glad he's had such a successful run.
In final Raw 25 hype:
- Dr. Phil and Todd Chrisley recorded videos for the show.
- AJ Styles, Roman Reigns, Alexa Bliss, and Charlotte Flair rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
- NBC Nightly News ran a story on the show.
- John Cena was on The Today Show. He does quite a few appearances these days. Clips here, here, and here.
- Ted DiBiase discussed mentoring Stone Cold.
- Eric Bischoff and Bruce Prichard talked about returning to Raw and more.
- The Empire State Building was lit red for a while.
- Comedian Jeff Ross roasted WWE stars. He kept it PG, but there were some pretty good shots there.
- Rob Van Dam discussed not being on the show. There were five billion cameos, so it wasn't a huge deal.
- Shawn Michaels was on SportsCenter.
Samoa Joe will not be able to work Royal Rumble. There isn't a more specific timetable for his return yet. I hope he's able to have a long, healthy WWE run.
Kevin Owens and Jason Jordan haven't worked live events due to ongoing nagging injuries, but both are still expected to work Royal Rumble. Owens' injury is said to be a back issue, but there's no official word on Jordan's injury.
WWE has launched an official Reddit account. They have plans to have exclusive content on the page, including deleted scenes from video series. That's a great move to expand to another audience, as people are already on the platform talking about the product.
Jim Johnston discussed his WWE departure and more:
- It's hard to imagine wrestlers not having entrance music. It really adds to the spectacle of modern sports entertainment.
- Johnston's pretty intelligent, and obviously an invaluable part of the company.
- He's DEAD ON about writing music for the character, not what the wrestler personally listens to.
- Previous Raw intros were AMAZING. Heck, entrance videos were better, too. Now everything's just some clips of wrestlers.
- The argument can be made that music in general is becoming more homogenous and overly produced, so WWE is just following suit via CFO$.
Variety examined the future of WWE's media rights:
- I strongly doubt WWE would move Raw and Smackdown broadcasts to WWE Network. They would much rather be paid a lot of money to license the shows to someone else.
- Cena as Vince would be amazing. Oh my God. That would be perfect for so many reasons.
Kota Ibushi will work Supercard of Honor XII. That's pretty big for ROH, since he had previously worked for WWE.
Dixie Carter and Jerry Lynn were visiting at ROH's TV taping this past weekend. That had to be pretty interesting given the number of former Impact workers at the show.
Hangman Page promoted ROH's taping on local TV. I'm glad he's starting to get momentum.
ROH names visited a local children's hospital before this past weekend's TV taping. That's really great.
Some notes from Raw 25:
- WWE filmed material for a "WWE 24" episode, including footage of The Undertaker and X-Pac. I'm surprised Taker didn't do more at the show given all the speculation of him wrestling Cena at WM34.
- WWE did work with Make-A-Wish.
- Every seat at the Manhattan Center was a commemorative take-home chair. WOW. WWE went all-out.
- In matches exclusive to the Manhattan Center, Mustafa Ali defeated Lince Dorado and the team of Drew Gulak and Tony Nese had a no-contest against Hideo Itami and Akira Tozawa after brawling backstage. They then returned to the ring for a babyface victory.
- The VIP meeting before the show had Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and Shawn Michaels.
- The Peep Show was originally set for the Manhattan Center, but was moved to Brooklyn.
- Ric Flair appeared live for the crowd at the Manhattan Center alongside DX and Scott Hall.
- After Raw went off the air, The Miz ran down the assembled legends at the Manhattan Center, leading to Seth Rollins taking him out.
An upcoming WWE book has a special Zack Ryder contest. Awkward to see him promote the now-split Hype Bros, but I'm glad he's still getting to promote WWE.
NXT's Kavita Devi was honored in India. That's great!
Enzo Amore was suspended before Raw after a woman accusing him of rape. This is a serious allegation and should be handled appropriately.
Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax were on Steve Harvey's show to promote "Total Divas". Clips here and here.
Kurt Angle, Shane McMahon, and AJ Styles are part of an upcoming "Table for 3" episode. That should be great.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I assumed the sex tape was also part of not bringing him back. But yes, he wasn't exactly apologetic about the remarks. WWE doesn't want to be associated with someone that controversial.
2. WWE has plenty of other champion-level stars and talented midcarders. The roster is really stacked. And they've really dialed back Roman's push. The anti-WWE/anti-Reigns/anti-Vince movement has really distorted the picture on what's going on there. WWE bends over backward to appeal to their detractors these days, and it's only further drawn away the casual fans.
3. A lot of people do speak out against WWE in shoot interviews, etc. Just not everyone has gotten the kind of exposure Punk and Ryback have. I doubt WWE cares that much unless someone makes some really serious, heavily publicized allegations that can damage the company. They're still the place to be for the majority of wrestlers and wrestling fans. That's not changing anytime soon.
4. Both men won the title as a fluke and neither held the title long. Both reigns have been extraordinarily blown out of proportion. I'd have to point out some of WCW's other extremely brief title reigns that were just done to get people talking in the short-term rather than being part of any bigger plan. There were six different WCW World Heavyweight Championship reigns in May 2000.
5. He might be destined to stay in Aro Lucha. WWE and NXT are already stacked. If they get EC3 and/or Lashley in the next few months, James would be even further lost in the shuffle.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Kofi Kingston discussed his 10-year WWE anniversary on Instagram and WWE.com. I'm glad he's had such a successful run.
In final Raw 25 hype:
- Dr. Phil and Todd Chrisley recorded videos for the show.
- AJ Styles, Roman Reigns, Alexa Bliss, and Charlotte Flair rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
- NBC Nightly News ran a story on the show.
- John Cena was on The Today Show. He does quite a few appearances these days. Clips here, here, and here.
- Ted DiBiase discussed mentoring Stone Cold.
- Eric Bischoff and Bruce Prichard talked about returning to Raw and more.
- The Empire State Building was lit red for a while.
- Comedian Jeff Ross roasted WWE stars. He kept it PG, but there were some pretty good shots there.
- Rob Van Dam discussed not being on the show. There were five billion cameos, so it wasn't a huge deal.
- Shawn Michaels was on SportsCenter.
Samoa Joe will not be able to work Royal Rumble. There isn't a more specific timetable for his return yet. I hope he's able to have a long, healthy WWE run.
Kevin Owens and Jason Jordan haven't worked live events due to ongoing nagging injuries, but both are still expected to work Royal Rumble. Owens' injury is said to be a back issue, but there's no official word on Jordan's injury.
WWE has launched an official Reddit account. They have plans to have exclusive content on the page, including deleted scenes from video series. That's a great move to expand to another audience, as people are already on the platform talking about the product.
Jim Johnston discussed his WWE departure and more:
- It's hard to imagine wrestlers not having entrance music. It really adds to the spectacle of modern sports entertainment.
- Johnston's pretty intelligent, and obviously an invaluable part of the company.
- He's DEAD ON about writing music for the character, not what the wrestler personally listens to.
- Previous Raw intros were AMAZING. Heck, entrance videos were better, too. Now everything's just some clips of wrestlers.
- The argument can be made that music in general is becoming more homogenous and overly produced, so WWE is just following suit via CFO$.
Variety examined the future of WWE's media rights:
- I strongly doubt WWE would move Raw and Smackdown broadcasts to WWE Network. They would much rather be paid a lot of money to license the shows to someone else.
- Cena as Vince would be amazing. Oh my God. That would be perfect for so many reasons.
Kota Ibushi will work Supercard of Honor XII. That's pretty big for ROH, since he had previously worked for WWE.
Dixie Carter and Jerry Lynn were visiting at ROH's TV taping this past weekend. That had to be pretty interesting given the number of former Impact workers at the show.
Hangman Page promoted ROH's taping on local TV. I'm glad he's starting to get momentum.
ROH names visited a local children's hospital before this past weekend's TV taping. That's really great.
Some notes from Raw 25:
- WWE filmed material for a "WWE 24" episode, including footage of The Undertaker and X-Pac. I'm surprised Taker didn't do more at the show given all the speculation of him wrestling Cena at WM34.
- WWE did work with Make-A-Wish.
- Every seat at the Manhattan Center was a commemorative take-home chair. WOW. WWE went all-out.
- In matches exclusive to the Manhattan Center, Mustafa Ali defeated Lince Dorado and the team of Drew Gulak and Tony Nese had a no-contest against Hideo Itami and Akira Tozawa after brawling backstage. They then returned to the ring for a babyface victory.
- The VIP meeting before the show had Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and Shawn Michaels.
- The Peep Show was originally set for the Manhattan Center, but was moved to Brooklyn.
- Ric Flair appeared live for the crowd at the Manhattan Center alongside DX and Scott Hall.
- After Raw went off the air, The Miz ran down the assembled legends at the Manhattan Center, leading to Seth Rollins taking him out.
An upcoming WWE book has a special Zack Ryder contest. Awkward to see him promote the now-split Hype Bros, but I'm glad he's still getting to promote WWE.
NXT's Kavita Devi was honored in India. That's great!
Enzo Amore was suspended before Raw after a woman accusing him of rape. This is a serious allegation and should be handled appropriately.
Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax were on Steve Harvey's show to promote "Total Divas". Clips here and here.
Kurt Angle, Shane McMahon, and AJ Styles are part of an upcoming "Table for 3" episode. That should be great.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I assumed the sex tape was also part of not bringing him back. But yes, he wasn't exactly apologetic about the remarks. WWE doesn't want to be associated with someone that controversial.
2. WWE has plenty of other champion-level stars and talented midcarders. The roster is really stacked. And they've really dialed back Roman's push. The anti-WWE/anti-Reigns/anti-Vince movement has really distorted the picture on what's going on there. WWE bends over backward to appeal to their detractors these days, and it's only further drawn away the casual fans.
3. A lot of people do speak out against WWE in shoot interviews, etc. Just not everyone has gotten the kind of exposure Punk and Ryback have. I doubt WWE cares that much unless someone makes some really serious, heavily publicized allegations that can damage the company. They're still the place to be for the majority of wrestlers and wrestling fans. That's not changing anytime soon.
4. Both men won the title as a fluke and neither held the title long. Both reigns have been extraordinarily blown out of proportion. I'd have to point out some of WCW's other extremely brief title reigns that were just done to get people talking in the short-term rather than being part of any bigger plan. There were six different WCW World Heavyweight Championship reigns in May 2000.
5. He might be destined to stay in Aro Lucha. WWE and NXT are already stacked. If they get EC3 and/or Lashley in the next few months, James would be even further lost in the shuffle.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Rock the subject of a musical, assorted WWE and Raw 25 press, Interviews with Ricochet/Koko/Miz, top WWE name getting documentary DVD?, another UK title match booked, WWE stars do YouTube challenges, 205 Live live event notes, and Questions on booking EC3 and Lashley in WWE, Johnston's release, Russo's whereabouts, and injuries affecting Mania
The Rock is the subject of a musical taking place in 2050. That sounds amazing.
Sasha Banks will be on MTV's Total Request Live Tuesday. I had no idea that show was still a thing. Holy crap.
Goldust put over his Raw tenure. He's been an institution for WWE, and for wrestling as a whole.
Seth Green put over Raw's anniversary.
Ricochet discussed joining the WWE Performance Center. He's considered one of the best wrestlers in the world. There are big expectations for him.
WWE is considering an AJ Styles documentary DVD. They'd have to reach out to Anthem to license some footage for that right? There's only so much to showcase without featuring content from the place where he worked for 12 years.
WWE released the opening to tonight's Raw. It's always interesting to see who is and isn't featured on these videos. I was a little surprised to see C.M. Punk. Pretty great retrospective, though.
Natalya wrote a column about Raw's anniversary.
Koko B. Ware discussed being on the first Raw and more.
Pete Dunne will defend the WWE UK Championship against Zack Gibson at FutureShock Wrestling's February 17 event. The UK brand remains more or less on-hold.
WWE stars did some challenges with YouTube's EvanTubeHD. This got significantly more views than the video of Ricochet at the WWE Performance Center. Make of that what you will.
The Miz invaded Sam Roberts' podcast. I wish Miz and The Miztourage had a podcast.
Adam Pearce was in charge of 205 Live's shows this weekend. No other producers were present. This was hardly a big production for WWE.
Former FCW star Bill Carr was backstage at the 205 Live live event in New York. He had teamed with Bray Wyatt, who was working the show.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. As much as I would love for him to be a McMahon or Levesque/Helmsley, I think he'll just work as "EC3" going forward, since he has that name trademarked. I strongly doubt WWE will use Dixie Carter as part of his act. It would raise some interesting questions if he's related to both Dixie and the McMahon family, though.
2. They'd been establishing CFO$ as the next generation of music producers for a while. I suppose they felt he wasn't needed anymore given that reality.
3. WWE's already pretty much set the direction for Wrestlemania. If Lashley works the show at all, I think it would be the Andre battle royal or something. They'd be better off saving him for the week after the show. I think Lashley's great, but I don't think they should hotshot him into the main event of Wrestlemania 34.
4. Russo is part of Podcastone, so he's presumably making money from that. Just because no one's currently threatening to kill him, that doesn't mean he's not still active.
5. They pretty much nailed it. There are enough big names still there to sell Mania. Goldberg will at least make an appearance as part of the Hall of Fame. I can see some of those other names getting some shine in the Mania picture, but I don't think any of them are going to be at the level of Brock, Taker, HHH, Shane, or Cena. Unless one or more of those names is unable to work the show, I think they'll be fine.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sasha Banks will be on MTV's Total Request Live Tuesday. I had no idea that show was still a thing. Holy crap.
Goldust put over his Raw tenure. He's been an institution for WWE, and for wrestling as a whole.
Seth Green put over Raw's anniversary.
Ricochet discussed joining the WWE Performance Center. He's considered one of the best wrestlers in the world. There are big expectations for him.
WWE is considering an AJ Styles documentary DVD. They'd have to reach out to Anthem to license some footage for that right? There's only so much to showcase without featuring content from the place where he worked for 12 years.
WWE released the opening to tonight's Raw. It's always interesting to see who is and isn't featured on these videos. I was a little surprised to see C.M. Punk. Pretty great retrospective, though.
Natalya wrote a column about Raw's anniversary.
Koko B. Ware discussed being on the first Raw and more.
Pete Dunne will defend the WWE UK Championship against Zack Gibson at FutureShock Wrestling's February 17 event. The UK brand remains more or less on-hold.
WWE stars did some challenges with YouTube's EvanTubeHD. This got significantly more views than the video of Ricochet at the WWE Performance Center. Make of that what you will.
The Miz invaded Sam Roberts' podcast. I wish Miz and The Miztourage had a podcast.
Adam Pearce was in charge of 205 Live's shows this weekend. No other producers were present. This was hardly a big production for WWE.
Former FCW star Bill Carr was backstage at the 205 Live live event in New York. He had teamed with Bray Wyatt, who was working the show.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. As much as I would love for him to be a McMahon or Levesque/Helmsley, I think he'll just work as "EC3" going forward, since he has that name trademarked. I strongly doubt WWE will use Dixie Carter as part of his act. It would raise some interesting questions if he's related to both Dixie and the McMahon family, though.
2. They'd been establishing CFO$ as the next generation of music producers for a while. I suppose they felt he wasn't needed anymore given that reality.
3. WWE's already pretty much set the direction for Wrestlemania. If Lashley works the show at all, I think it would be the Andre battle royal or something. They'd be better off saving him for the week after the show. I think Lashley's great, but I don't think they should hotshot him into the main event of Wrestlemania 34.
4. Russo is part of Podcastone, so he's presumably making money from that. Just because no one's currently threatening to kill him, that doesn't mean he's not still active.
5. They pretty much nailed it. There are enough big names still there to sell Mania. Goldberg will at least make an appearance as part of the Hall of Fame. I can see some of those other names getting some shine in the Mania picture, but I don't think any of them are going to be at the level of Brock, Taker, HHH, Shane, or Cena. Unless one or more of those names is unable to work the show, I think they'll be fine.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Main Event Reax - 1/21/18, next Ride Along set, WWE Network's next Flashback Friday, Raw 25 hype and merchandise, WWE's CFO puts company over, Xavier going over 9,000, Impact seeks feedback, JR updates, 205 Live live event note, and Questions on future 205 Live shows, which Dudleys go into the WWE HoF, Big Cass' future, and Swann's status
-- Main Event:
- Rhyno vs. Hawkins:
I think the goal is for Hawkins to go 0-173 as a mirror for Goldberg's famous streak. That could set up a Mania moment for Goldberg to give him 174 straight losses.
Hahahaha Curt recognizing the futility of it all.
Ha. Clever pin attempt by Hawkins.
I like the story here so far.
Good ending!
- TJP vs. Mustafa:
Nice technique to start.
Nice tornado DDT spot.
I like Perkins' mean streak.
TJP is just unbelievably smooth.
Standing on someone's hand is just straight-up mean.
Really nice X Factor.
This is going pretty well.
I like the kneebar returning.
Good ending!
After Monday's Raw, WWE Ride Along will feature Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in addition to the Usos and Naomi.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday this week will focus on the United States Championship across various promotions.
Stone Cold and DX are getting special shirts for Raw 25. WWE should get everything they can out of that concept. Get Taker and some of the other legends some shirts, too.
- WWE also has limited edition artwork available to celebrate the show.
Triple H discussed the preparation involved for Raw 25. Sonya Deville wasn't even alive when Raw first came on the air.
WWE Chief Financial Office George Barrios discussed the company's potential for growth with CNBC.
Sasha Banks discussed wanting WWE to have women's tag team championships. I think that might be overkill.
Xavier Woods will be part of a live launch stream on Thursday.
The Osbournes and Michael Strahan gave WWE shout-outs for Raw hitting 25 years.
Impact Wrestling asked Twitter users for feedback on Thursday's episode. I'm sure they got some pretty colorful suggestions.
Jim Ross' podcasts have left Podcastone after the deal between the two sides expired and they were unable to reach a new one. JR has ownership of all the podcasts recorded for that platform, and is seeking a new home for the podcast.
- Ross will have a Q&A session before Royal Rumble as part of a tour promoting his book.
Nia Jax assisted Enzo Amore to retain the Cruiserweight Championship over Cedric Alexander in the main event of 205 Live's first live event. Nia was the special referee for the bout. Talk about stacking the odds against Cedric!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That will partially depend on how ticket sales are for this weekend's events.
2. It will almost certainly be just Bubba Ray and D-Von, although you can definitely argue Spike is deserving of the honor, too.
3. Winning the Andre battle royal is one direction. He can still be a big bully while The Zo Train stay on 205 Live; their paths don't necessarily have to cross.
4. The case is still waiting on whether local authorities will press charges.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Rhyno vs. Hawkins:
I think the goal is for Hawkins to go 0-173 as a mirror for Goldberg's famous streak. That could set up a Mania moment for Goldberg to give him 174 straight losses.
Hahahaha Curt recognizing the futility of it all.
Ha. Clever pin attempt by Hawkins.
I like the story here so far.
Good ending!
- TJP vs. Mustafa:
Nice technique to start.
Nice tornado DDT spot.
I like Perkins' mean streak.
TJP is just unbelievably smooth.
Standing on someone's hand is just straight-up mean.
Really nice X Factor.
This is going pretty well.
I like the kneebar returning.
Good ending!
After Monday's Raw, WWE Ride Along will feature Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in addition to the Usos and Naomi.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday this week will focus on the United States Championship across various promotions.
Stone Cold and DX are getting special shirts for Raw 25. WWE should get everything they can out of that concept. Get Taker and some of the other legends some shirts, too.
- WWE also has limited edition artwork available to celebrate the show.
Triple H discussed the preparation involved for Raw 25. Sonya Deville wasn't even alive when Raw first came on the air.
WWE Chief Financial Office George Barrios discussed the company's potential for growth with CNBC.
Sasha Banks discussed wanting WWE to have women's tag team championships. I think that might be overkill.
Xavier Woods will be part of a live launch stream on Thursday.
The Osbournes and Michael Strahan gave WWE shout-outs for Raw hitting 25 years.
Impact Wrestling asked Twitter users for feedback on Thursday's episode. I'm sure they got some pretty colorful suggestions.
Jim Ross' podcasts have left Podcastone after the deal between the two sides expired and they were unable to reach a new one. JR has ownership of all the podcasts recorded for that platform, and is seeking a new home for the podcast.
- Ross will have a Q&A session before Royal Rumble as part of a tour promoting his book.
Nia Jax assisted Enzo Amore to retain the Cruiserweight Championship over Cedric Alexander in the main event of 205 Live's first live event. Nia was the special referee for the bout. Talk about stacking the odds against Cedric!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That will partially depend on how ticket sales are for this weekend's events.
2. It will almost certainly be just Bubba Ray and D-Von, although you can definitely argue Spike is deserving of the honor, too.
3. Winning the Andre battle royal is one direction. He can still be a big bully while The Zo Train stay on 205 Live; their paths don't necessarily have to cross.
4. The case is still waiting on whether local authorities will press charges.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Raw injury update, Hogan's Raw 25 status official, WWE signing gets sendoff, HoFer DVD coming, Interviews with Batista/Lana/Alexa, Authority vs. New Day lip syncing, wrestling able to return in Edmonton, another vintage Raw intro, Impact audience, temporary Knockout discusses departure, and Questions on Raw 25's length, 205 Live vs. MMC, the first episode of Raw, and Hall of Famers I'd like to see in 2018
Jason Jordan isn't working this weekend's Raw live events as a result of his injury, but he is scheduled for Raw 25. We'll see if he ends up wrestling next week or not. I hope his career hasn't been sidelined too much here.
Hulk Hogan will not be at Raw 25, as confirmed in an article in Maintoba:
- Wow. So much for all the talk of it only being a matter of time before he's back.
- I love Hulk blatantly angling for one more big Mania payday. Vintage Hogan.
- Honestly, with NJPW looking to expand in the U.S., it's not an awful idea to have Hulk made an honorary Bullet Club member. They'd have to play it right, but I think it could be done. Maybe at All In?
Candice LeRae got a big sendoff in California before joining the WWE Performance Center. Joey Ryan really put her over. I hope she achieves big things in WWE.
Randy Savage has a DVD of unreleased matches coming in May.
Batista was on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and New Day appeared on Jimmy Fallon's show to promote Raw 25. Fallon could be at the event. Monday is going to be a really big opportunity for WWE in the mainstream.
- "Hamilton'"s Donald Webber, Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda reached out to get Triple H and Stephanie to see the show on Broadway after their performance. It looks like it's in the works.
The city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada will let professional wrestling return to the city after a ban had been passed for combat sports. Boxing and MMA will continue to be barred from the city.
Lana discussed the women's Royal Rumble, "Total Divas," and more:
- Rusev getting to show his entertaining side has been great. It's really added to his presentation.
- The "Lana has heat" meme was huge for quite a while.
WWE redid another Raw intro with current stars. I got a lot more hype for WWE with songs like that.
Alexa Bliss spoke to TMZ about Ronda Rousey coming to WWE. There's definitely speculation of Ronda being in the Rumble.
Impact Wrestling drew 309,000 viewers Thursday night, a pretty good number for them. I'm thinking the hype for Barbed Wire Massacre helped on that front, but of course that match didn't air on Pop at the network's request.
Recently-debuting Knockout Hania the Huntress commented on her Impact departure. Hania worked most of the Orlando tapings before being booked to lose a squash match. Hania refused to go on with the match, leading to her either voluntarily or not-so-voluntarily ending her brief tenure at the company. Impact could have been a pretty good break for her, exposure-wise, but that effect will be temporary now. I could definitely see Hania's refusal to go through with plans affecting her ability to be booked elsewhere, and understandably so.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Someone screwed up on that one. The show will be its usual length.
2. It's expected we'll get an abbreviated 205 Live each week while Mixed Match Challenge goes on. The show can be a drag at an hour sometimes, so that might be for the best. I'd be putting together a backup plan for the show's future given how things look shaky for their live events.
3. I was three, so I don't really know. I didn't end up watching WWE until 1998.
4. Wow. Demento jobbed twice in one night! Curt Hawkins is continuing that tradition well.
5. I don't have any complaints about any of those names. I'd add Vader, Jim Johnston, JBL, and Cyndi Lauper for sure. And maybe Eric Bischoff? Honestly, there are quite a few deserving names.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Hulk Hogan will not be at Raw 25, as confirmed in an article in Maintoba:
- Wow. So much for all the talk of it only being a matter of time before he's back.
- I love Hulk blatantly angling for one more big Mania payday. Vintage Hogan.
- Honestly, with NJPW looking to expand in the U.S., it's not an awful idea to have Hulk made an honorary Bullet Club member. They'd have to play it right, but I think it could be done. Maybe at All In?
Candice LeRae got a big sendoff in California before joining the WWE Performance Center. Joey Ryan really put her over. I hope she achieves big things in WWE.
Randy Savage has a DVD of unreleased matches coming in May.
Batista was on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and New Day appeared on Jimmy Fallon's show to promote Raw 25. Fallon could be at the event. Monday is going to be a really big opportunity for WWE in the mainstream.
- "Hamilton'"s Donald Webber, Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda reached out to get Triple H and Stephanie to see the show on Broadway after their performance. It looks like it's in the works.
The city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada will let professional wrestling return to the city after a ban had been passed for combat sports. Boxing and MMA will continue to be barred from the city.
Lana discussed the women's Royal Rumble, "Total Divas," and more:
- Rusev getting to show his entertaining side has been great. It's really added to his presentation.
- The "Lana has heat" meme was huge for quite a while.
WWE redid another Raw intro with current stars. I got a lot more hype for WWE with songs like that.
Alexa Bliss spoke to TMZ about Ronda Rousey coming to WWE. There's definitely speculation of Ronda being in the Rumble.
Impact Wrestling drew 309,000 viewers Thursday night, a pretty good number for them. I'm thinking the hype for Barbed Wire Massacre helped on that front, but of course that match didn't air on Pop at the network's request.
Recently-debuting Knockout Hania the Huntress commented on her Impact departure. Hania worked most of the Orlando tapings before being booked to lose a squash match. Hania refused to go on with the match, leading to her either voluntarily or not-so-voluntarily ending her brief tenure at the company. Impact could have been a pretty good break for her, exposure-wise, but that effect will be temporary now. I could definitely see Hania's refusal to go through with plans affecting her ability to be booked elsewhere, and understandably so.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Someone screwed up on that one. The show will be its usual length.
2. It's expected we'll get an abbreviated 205 Live each week while Mixed Match Challenge goes on. The show can be a drag at an hour sometimes, so that might be for the best. I'd be putting together a backup plan for the show's future given how things look shaky for their live events.
3. I was three, so I don't really know. I didn't end up watching WWE until 1998.
4. Wow. Demento jobbed twice in one night! Curt Hawkins is continuing that tradition well.
5. I don't have any complaints about any of those names. I'd add Vader, Jim Johnston, JBL, and Cyndi Lauper for sure. And maybe Eric Bischoff? Honestly, there are quite a few deserving names.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Paige movie gets Hollywood names, AAA working on new project, Mundo-AAA update, X-Division star working Japan, NJPW seeking top American name, NJPW Mexico notes, CAC honorees, more on Five Star Wrestling plans, Matanza-LU update, more on Adonis' Impact departure, Edwards-Impact update, more on Moose's injury, new Knockout already done, Impact international agreements update, Impact live events set, Lashley's future, more on new WWEPC signings, more Raw 25 names, Henry-WWE update, Joe out of action, Interviews with HBK/Woken Matt/Johnston/Silas, wrestling documentary on Amazon Prime, recent Impact name at WWEPC, new WWE fruit snacks, Raw 25 gets a pre-show, WWE names recreate Attitude Era, Smackdown audience, and Questions on Paige's WWE status and WWE Network's next content
Vince Vaughn will play Jake "The Snake" Roberts in The Rock's movie focusing on Paige's family. That could be pretty entertaining. Game of Thrones' Lena Headey will play Paige's mother.
AAA is working with Turner Latin America on a wrestling show to start in September. That could be big for them.
Johnny Mundo is advertised for AAA's February 9 television taping. There have been issues between the two sides, with Mundo saying he wouldn't be working an upcoming show despite being the world champion there.
Dezmond Xavier has begun working Dragon Gate in Japan, independently of any kind of deal with Impact. He wasn't part of Impact's recent Orlando tapings. We'll see if he shows up again after Redemption in April.
NJPW is interested in using Goldberg. I can't say I ever expected to read that! I assume that's another move to appeal to international, English-speaking audiences.
NJPW's Mexican tour sold out four of its five shows. The audiences ranged from nearly 800 to over 1,500. Not shabby at all!
The Cauliflower Alley Club will honor Baron Von Raschke, Greg Valentine, Harlem Heat, Kevin Kross, Santana Garrett, and referee Mickey Jay this year.
Five Star Wrestling is still planning a 128-man tournament with international stars.
Jeff Cobb will work at least part of Lucha Underground's fourth season. He's been working more dates with NJPW, and Impact has shown interest, so he might not stick around much longer.
Impact isn't expected to hold another taping by themselves until after the Redemption PPV.
Chris Adonis was scheduled for all of Impact's Orlando tapings, but asked for and received his release. He's been replaced in plans for Redemption.
Eddie Edwards is expected to remain with Impact, in something of a surprise. WWE and ROH were both interested in him.
Moose tore a ligament in his knee during the Impact tapings, but returned to the ring two days later.
Hania the Huntress is reportedly no longer part of Impact after refusing to lose a squash match to Su Yung. She worked most of the Orlando tapings before that, and had a grand total of four matches in Impact. Vintage Impact.
Impact is no longer working with The Crash after Konnan's falling out with that group. Impact continues to use talent from AAA and NOAH.
Impact is running shows on March 23 and March 24 with Big Time Wrestling in northern California. These will likely be on Twitch.
Lashley is on the radar of both WWE and NJPW. He won't be legally available for Royal Rumble, as his Impact contract runs through the end of January.
Ricochet and War Machine have signed three-year deals with WWE. I expect they'll be on Raw or Smackdown by the time those deals end.
Expected for Raw 25:
- Jeff Hardy
- Mark Henry
- Jonathan Coachman
- Lilian Garcia
- Maryse
- MVP
- William Regal
- Harvey Wippleman
- Howard Finkel
-- Bret Hart will be unable to attend due to an appointment with his hand doctor.
Mark Henry is disputing being retired. He could still pop up for a match here like the Andre battle royal, but he's definitely moved into being a behind-the-scenes figure.
- Henry also announced signing a deal to become an ambassador for WWE. That was more or less expected.
Samoa Joe has been pulled from WWE live event advertising through March. That's unfortunate. I hope he's still part of Wrestlemania.
Goldberg will be on the next episode of “The Flash,” playing a prisoner. He's had quite the revival these past few years.
Shawn Michaels promoted Raw 25. HBK vs. Braun would be AMAZING. After what happened between HHH and Braun at Survivor Series, there's a good reason for it, too.
Woken Matt Hardy spoke to Sam Roberts. I'm curious what fans 10-15 years from now will think of this gimmick.
Haystacks Calhoun has a documentary on Amazon Prime right now.
Ethan Carter III was at the WWE Performance Center this week, which should give a pretty big hint about what his future is. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him in Philadelphia next weekend.
- EC3 has been pulled from an independent appearance on the same day as the Royal Rumble. Let the speculation continue!
WWE now has superstar fruit snacks. This is why they stay PG.
Jim Johnston discussed his WWE release and more on Sean Mooney's podcast. He's a no-brainer for the WWE Hall of Fame, but I don't know if we'll see it.
WWE.com covered their new Middle Eastern signings starting at the WWE Performance Center. They've got quite the international crop of talents, and that's only going to increase in the years to come.
- WWE also announced Kacy Catanzaro beginning training. I like the profiles for each important signing.
Raw 25 will have a one hour pre-show on WWE Network and social media with Renee Young, Peter Rosenberg, Sam Roberts, and David Otunga. Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross will be part of this, too.
WWE had modern stars recreate Attitude Era moments. Rusev as Mankind was great.
Smackdown drew 2.60 million viewers Tuesday night, pretty even with the previous episode.
Silas Young discussed his ROH status and more. He's definitely been valuable for ROH and vice versa.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They announced she's been pulled from the Rumble due to her neck injury. They might make things more official after Raw 25 and the Rumble get past, but I wouldn't assume she's OK just because she hasn't gotten a big speech on Raw yet. There's a lot going on for WWE and they're probably saving her speech for later like they did Bryan.
2. Unless WWE's doctors clear her, she's not going to be able to return to the ring.
3. Indeed she can, but WWE would have to release her first. It's more likely they'll keep her around for the rest of her contract in a non-wrestling role, as they have done for Bryan.
4. Thunder and Heat are all ready to go, so it's just a matter of time before they're uploaded.
5. WWE only has so many resources and personnel to devote to digitizing that old footage, so they're prioritizing other shows first.
More wrestling tomorrow.
AAA is working with Turner Latin America on a wrestling show to start in September. That could be big for them.
Johnny Mundo is advertised for AAA's February 9 television taping. There have been issues between the two sides, with Mundo saying he wouldn't be working an upcoming show despite being the world champion there.
Dezmond Xavier has begun working Dragon Gate in Japan, independently of any kind of deal with Impact. He wasn't part of Impact's recent Orlando tapings. We'll see if he shows up again after Redemption in April.
NJPW is interested in using Goldberg. I can't say I ever expected to read that! I assume that's another move to appeal to international, English-speaking audiences.
NJPW's Mexican tour sold out four of its five shows. The audiences ranged from nearly 800 to over 1,500. Not shabby at all!
The Cauliflower Alley Club will honor Baron Von Raschke, Greg Valentine, Harlem Heat, Kevin Kross, Santana Garrett, and referee Mickey Jay this year.
Five Star Wrestling is still planning a 128-man tournament with international stars.
Jeff Cobb will work at least part of Lucha Underground's fourth season. He's been working more dates with NJPW, and Impact has shown interest, so he might not stick around much longer.
Impact isn't expected to hold another taping by themselves until after the Redemption PPV.
Chris Adonis was scheduled for all of Impact's Orlando tapings, but asked for and received his release. He's been replaced in plans for Redemption.
Eddie Edwards is expected to remain with Impact, in something of a surprise. WWE and ROH were both interested in him.
Moose tore a ligament in his knee during the Impact tapings, but returned to the ring two days later.
Hania the Huntress is reportedly no longer part of Impact after refusing to lose a squash match to Su Yung. She worked most of the Orlando tapings before that, and had a grand total of four matches in Impact. Vintage Impact.
Impact is no longer working with The Crash after Konnan's falling out with that group. Impact continues to use talent from AAA and NOAH.
Impact is running shows on March 23 and March 24 with Big Time Wrestling in northern California. These will likely be on Twitch.
Lashley is on the radar of both WWE and NJPW. He won't be legally available for Royal Rumble, as his Impact contract runs through the end of January.
Ricochet and War Machine have signed three-year deals with WWE. I expect they'll be on Raw or Smackdown by the time those deals end.
Expected for Raw 25:
- Jeff Hardy
- Mark Henry
- Jonathan Coachman
- Lilian Garcia
- Maryse
- MVP
- William Regal
- Harvey Wippleman
- Howard Finkel
-- Bret Hart will be unable to attend due to an appointment with his hand doctor.
Mark Henry is disputing being retired. He could still pop up for a match here like the Andre battle royal, but he's definitely moved into being a behind-the-scenes figure.
- Henry also announced signing a deal to become an ambassador for WWE. That was more or less expected.
Samoa Joe has been pulled from WWE live event advertising through March. That's unfortunate. I hope he's still part of Wrestlemania.
Goldberg will be on the next episode of “The Flash,” playing a prisoner. He's had quite the revival these past few years.
Shawn Michaels promoted Raw 25. HBK vs. Braun would be AMAZING. After what happened between HHH and Braun at Survivor Series, there's a good reason for it, too.
Woken Matt Hardy spoke to Sam Roberts. I'm curious what fans 10-15 years from now will think of this gimmick.
Haystacks Calhoun has a documentary on Amazon Prime right now.
Ethan Carter III was at the WWE Performance Center this week, which should give a pretty big hint about what his future is. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him in Philadelphia next weekend.
- EC3 has been pulled from an independent appearance on the same day as the Royal Rumble. Let the speculation continue!
WWE now has superstar fruit snacks. This is why they stay PG.
Jim Johnston discussed his WWE release and more on Sean Mooney's podcast. He's a no-brainer for the WWE Hall of Fame, but I don't know if we'll see it.
WWE.com covered their new Middle Eastern signings starting at the WWE Performance Center. They've got quite the international crop of talents, and that's only going to increase in the years to come.
- WWE also announced Kacy Catanzaro beginning training. I like the profiles for each important signing.
Raw 25 will have a one hour pre-show on WWE Network and social media with Renee Young, Peter Rosenberg, Sam Roberts, and David Otunga. Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross will be part of this, too.
WWE had modern stars recreate Attitude Era moments. Rusev as Mankind was great.
Smackdown drew 2.60 million viewers Tuesday night, pretty even with the previous episode.
Silas Young discussed his ROH status and more. He's definitely been valuable for ROH and vice versa.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They announced she's been pulled from the Rumble due to her neck injury. They might make things more official after Raw 25 and the Rumble get past, but I wouldn't assume she's OK just because she hasn't gotten a big speech on Raw yet. There's a lot going on for WWE and they're probably saving her speech for later like they did Bryan.
2. Unless WWE's doctors clear her, she's not going to be able to return to the ring.
3. Indeed she can, but WWE would have to release her first. It's more likely they'll keep her around for the rest of her contract in a non-wrestling role, as they have done for Bryan.
4. Thunder and Heat are all ready to go, so it's just a matter of time before they're uploaded.
5. WWE only has so many resources and personnel to devote to digitizing that old footage, so they're prioritizing other shows first.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Knockout hospitalized, ROH taping matches set, podcast notes, Interview with Eva Marie, more Raw 25 names, Impact PPV location update, Impact's Twitch channel goes live, Alberto notes, top Impact name pulled from event, more 2017 highlights on WWE Network, WWE Full Sail scholarship, Rusev and Lana tease projects, Raw audience, HoFer pulls out of Raw 25, Reigns denies involvement with steroid ring, and Questions on Enzo's personality, GLOW in the Rumble, Tough Enough criteria, Jordan vs. Angle, and WWE paying for NJPW content
Sienna was hospitalized for blood clots in each lung. She wrestled January 12 and 13 for Impact before checking herself in. I hope she's able to return soon.
Announced for ROH's February 10 TV taping:
- Cody, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll vs. The Kingdom
- Jay Lethal vs. Jonathan Gresham
- Kelly Klein vs. Jessie Brooks in the first round of the Women of Honor tournament
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are on Chris Jericho's latest podcast. There's a lot of mutual respect there.
Bruce Prichard and John Pollock were on Jim Ross' latest podcast.
Eva Marie discussed battling alcoholism with InStyle, and further on her Instagram. I hope she can continue succeeding on that front.
Trish Stratus and Christian have been added to Raw's 25th anniversary. Edge will be unable to make the show.
Impact's April 22 Redemption event is being planned for Ottawa, but no deal is currently in place to run the show there. If they are unable to come to terms on running a show in that area, the backup plan is to do the event in Universal Studios. They've got three months to put something together, so I'm not too worried about their chances. They should definitely get on it sooner rather than later, however.
Impact's Twitch channel has begun streaming content. I worry that this will cannibalize the GWN, but it could end up being something of a sample for the content there.
Alberto El Patron gave a lot of talents feedback at the recently-completed Impact tapings. That's good, given his experience in the business. Alberto also did some work with Make-A-Wish recently. I'm glad he's being so selfless.
Lashley has been pulled from WrestlePro's February 3 event, where Impact will be taping a lot of content. Johnny Impact will face Dan Maff at the show instead. Lashley's Impact contract is up February 1, so he very well could have finished working there at the last tapings.
WWE Network is adding more content to their Match of the Year collection.
WWE gave a Full Sail student a big scholarship. That's awesome!
Rusev and Lana teased being part of "exciting projects" in Los Angeles. They could have a pretty big future ahead of them.
Raw drew 3.25 million viewers following the end of Monday Night Football.
Kevin Nash will be unable to make Raw 25 due to his recent knee surgery.
Roman Reigns issued a statement denying a connection to a steroid ring after a supplier made reference to Reigns being a client. We'll see if anything else comes out of the allegation.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. He's an amazing heel. So amazing that he's even a heel when the cameras aren't rolling! I find him entertaining, and he definitely has an audience, but he's clearly not for everyone. There are plenty of other wrestlers his size who are less full of themselves and more technically competent, but it's good to have someone who can cut a great promo and get the crowd interested in what they're doing amid all the impressive athletics.
2. I wouldn't be shocked to see some GLOW names. They've got quite a few spots to fill. I'm also curious whether she's more "over" for her work in GLOW compared to being Awesome Kong or Kharma. Heck, maybe she could appear as Tamme and then return as Kharma after being eliminated.
3. Wrestlers as judges seek out different qualities than people looking for "sports entertainment superstars." That's about the best answer I can think of.
4. That's too many turns too quickly, I think. Especially with Ambrose out. I definitely think Angle vs. Jordan is something they can do at some point, but we're not there yet.
5. Presumably they saw that DVD as important enough to spend the extra money on.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Announced for ROH's February 10 TV taping:
- Cody, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll vs. The Kingdom
- Jay Lethal vs. Jonathan Gresham
- Kelly Klein vs. Jessie Brooks in the first round of the Women of Honor tournament
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are on Chris Jericho's latest podcast. There's a lot of mutual respect there.
Bruce Prichard and John Pollock were on Jim Ross' latest podcast.
Eva Marie discussed battling alcoholism with InStyle, and further on her Instagram. I hope she can continue succeeding on that front.
Trish Stratus and Christian have been added to Raw's 25th anniversary. Edge will be unable to make the show.
Impact's April 22 Redemption event is being planned for Ottawa, but no deal is currently in place to run the show there. If they are unable to come to terms on running a show in that area, the backup plan is to do the event in Universal Studios. They've got three months to put something together, so I'm not too worried about their chances. They should definitely get on it sooner rather than later, however.
Impact's Twitch channel has begun streaming content. I worry that this will cannibalize the GWN, but it could end up being something of a sample for the content there.
Alberto El Patron gave a lot of talents feedback at the recently-completed Impact tapings. That's good, given his experience in the business. Alberto also did some work with Make-A-Wish recently. I'm glad he's being so selfless.
Lashley has been pulled from WrestlePro's February 3 event, where Impact will be taping a lot of content. Johnny Impact will face Dan Maff at the show instead. Lashley's Impact contract is up February 1, so he very well could have finished working there at the last tapings.
WWE Network is adding more content to their Match of the Year collection.
WWE gave a Full Sail student a big scholarship. That's awesome!
Rusev and Lana teased being part of "exciting projects" in Los Angeles. They could have a pretty big future ahead of them.
Raw drew 3.25 million viewers following the end of Monday Night Football.
Kevin Nash will be unable to make Raw 25 due to his recent knee surgery.
Roman Reigns issued a statement denying a connection to a steroid ring after a supplier made reference to Reigns being a client. We'll see if anything else comes out of the allegation.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. He's an amazing heel. So amazing that he's even a heel when the cameras aren't rolling! I find him entertaining, and he definitely has an audience, but he's clearly not for everyone. There are plenty of other wrestlers his size who are less full of themselves and more technically competent, but it's good to have someone who can cut a great promo and get the crowd interested in what they're doing amid all the impressive athletics.
2. I wouldn't be shocked to see some GLOW names. They've got quite a few spots to fill. I'm also curious whether she's more "over" for her work in GLOW compared to being Awesome Kong or Kharma. Heck, maybe she could appear as Tamme and then return as Kharma after being eliminated.
3. Wrestlers as judges seek out different qualities than people looking for "sports entertainment superstars." That's about the best answer I can think of.
4. That's too many turns too quickly, I think. Especially with Ambrose out. I definitely think Angle vs. Jordan is something they can do at some point, but we're not there yet.
5. Presumably they saw that DVD as important enough to spend the extra money on.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Another WWE injury, more on Impact match, more NXT events set, Interviews with Joe/Woken Matt, more Hardys coming?, NXT signs four prominent wrestlers, Corino appearance set, Impact details Twitch deal, Dixie comments on Impact departure, potential WWE returnee training at WWEPC, latest on Vince biopic, Smackdown star arrested, MYC name gets surgery, Hogan updates, and Questions on an Attitude Era show, Hogan returning to WWE, women headlining WM34, the other Daivari, and favorite wrestling sites
Kevin Owens missed two Smackdown live events this weekend due to an unspecified injury. This is apparently an existing injury he's been working through. WWE decided to give him some time off in order to make sure that he will be as close to 100% as possible for the Royal Rumble. I hope this doesn't affect him too much with Wrestlemania season heating up.
Thursday's Barbed Wire Massacre match will end up airing on Pop after all, in addition to Fight Network in Canada. I don't know why there was a mix-up there, but I'm glad to see the episode will air in full. This week's episode is the last one taped from Ottawa.
NXT has announced four new live events for early March. They'll be in Ohio on March 1 and March 2, Michigan on March 3, and Indiana on March 4.
Samoa Joe discussed potentially competing in MMA. I think at his age it's unlikely to be an option.
Matt Hardy teased further family members appearing in WWE soon. That will make some Broken fans really happy.
WWE officially announced the following signings for the Performance Center:
- Ricochet (career recap here)
- War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe)
- Candice LeRae (career recap here)
-- All four names have impressive pre-WWE accomplishments. I think each of them have a good chance of making it in WWE.
- Ricochet (career recap here)
- War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe)
- Candice LeRae (career recap here)
-- All four names have impressive pre-WWE accomplishments. I think each of them have a good chance of making it in WWE.
- Johnny Gargano put Candice over for her signing. She has one last independent appearance on January 18 before beginning training.
Steve Corino has been announced for Dory Funk Jr.'s March 2 !BANG! event in Florida. He could see some future WWEPC trainees in action.
Impact announced content for their Twitch channel:
- Pretty blatant spoiler there front and center, but I can't say I disagree with advertising such a big star returning.
- Wow. Monthly live events is a very lofty goal. That might end up meaning, say, WrestlePro shows featuring Impact talents or something, but that's definitely a good move to make the channel meaningful and get the talents exposure.
- Bringing back The LAW is genius given the fallout from it being pulled. Great idea.
- I'm split on "Nuff Said," but if people will watch it, more power to Impact and the host.
- Interesting idea to have Mathews have that going on while Impact is on the air, but maybe it's something the audience will respond to.
Dixie Carter wished "her nephew" Ethan Carter III well following his departure from Impact Wrestling. EC3 has absolutely been one of the best success stories of Impact. I hope big things are coming for him.
Serena Deeb has been working out at the WWE Performance Center. She will likely be returning to the company soon. Certainly the women's Royal Rumble would be a good place for her to show back up. They've got a good number of spots to fill that night.
Vince McMahon's biopic now has a new screenplay, which has been sent to Tristar Pictures for approval. I can't wait to see Vince's vision of himself come to the big screen.
Jey Uso was arrested in Texas for driving while intoxicated on January 14. He paid $500 bond that same day. WWE is investigating the arrest, and awaiting further information from local law enforcement. He's still part of WWE TV in the meantime. I wouldn't expect him to be suspended or anything, but we'll see.
Matt Hardy talked to IGN as DLC featuring the Hardys, Rock 'N' Roll Express, and Beth Phoenix came to WWE 2K18:
- I think the Hardys were going to get a big pop regardless of their Broken work, but that definitely helped them.
- The Hardys coming back to WWE was fresh for both sides.
- Diehard fans tend to get trapped in a bubble where they forget or ignore the mainstream WWE audience that doesn't watch other promotions.
- I look forward to a crazy spectacle between Matt and Bray.
- Matt goes all in with his characters, so it probably was hard to drop the act and then go back to it.
Jazzy Gabert underwent surgery to correct the issues that prevented her from signing to WWE. Hopefully all goes well and she'll be joining the WWE Performance Center sooner rather than later.
Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Jimmy Hart will do a panel together on February 10. Hogan shot down appearing at Raw 25. Hogan could be playing coy. We'll see. I hope we see him some time in the next few months either way.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think there's any desire to return to the Attitude Era from much of anyone in WWE or the TV world. They've made their decision and they're going to stick to it unless there's a huge financial incentive to go in a different direction. If FOX or someone were to offer them a ton of money to do a TV-14 show, and sponsors were lining up to be part of it, maybe they'd consider it, but they very much want to remain a PG product. I don't see that changing anytime in the next few years.
1. I don't think there's any desire to return to the Attitude Era from much of anyone in WWE or the TV world. They've made their decision and they're going to stick to it unless there's a huge financial incentive to go in a different direction. If FOX or someone were to offer them a ton of money to do a TV-14 show, and sponsors were lining up to be part of it, maybe they'd consider it, but they very much want to remain a PG product. I don't see that changing anytime in the next few years.
2. I wouldn't mind him showing up at either or both. He could easily pop up on a Smackdown anniversary show someday as well.
3. The most important, anticipated match should close the show. I don't think there's anything the women's division could put together that would be as big as, say, Roman vs. Brock or Cena vs. Taker. That's also true for the cruiserweight division, tag team division, etc., so it's not just a female thing.
4. It doesn't look like the other Daivari wrestles regularly now. He's currently a trainer with Mr. Kennedy/Anderson in Minnesota, so it looks like he has other priorities now.
5. I've got to give a shoutout to cagematch.net for their impeccable record-keeping. I use them as a resource a LOT.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)