Read on for my thoughts on booking tonight's special episode of Impact Wrestling (if it wasn't pre-taped).
Thursday, May 31, 2018
SDL guests, WWE TV deal explained, WWE stock soars, ROH names and matches set, assorted WWE press, Raw rating, WWE:UK brackets, Cena on WM34, and Questions on Vince changing course, Brock's WWE schedule vs. HHH's, wrestlers getting raises post-TV deal, wrestlers leaving PodcastOne, and FOX valuing WWE over UFC
NASCAR's Hermie and Elliott Sadler, as well as the NHL's Jaccob Slavin, were backstage at Smackdown Live.
WWE's new TV situation was profiled:
- It will be interesting to see what the "New Fox" will look like. WWE could be a big part of the company's future.
- WWE getting a weekly studio show is pretty cool.
- Hahahaha the PG direction moved WWE past UFC. I love it.
- Smackdown Live dwarfed UFC's TV specials, too. Damn.
WWE's stock once again surged past previous records after the announcement of their new TV deals, passing $60 a share.
Dalton Castle vs. Cody vs. Marty Scurll for the ROH World Championship is officially the main event of Best in the World. I expect Cody to take the title there to make All In's main event a champion vs. champion match.
NJPW's KUSHIDA, EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI, as well as Stardom's Kagetsu and Hazuki, have been signed for Best in the World and the following night's TV taping. It's good for ROH to be able to dip into other rosters.
Killer Elite Squad and Thunder Rosa have been booked for ROH's June 15 and June 16 events in Texas. Both events will be on Honorclub.
The Hung Bucks and Marty Scurll vs. The Briscoes and Killer Elite Squad is set for ROH's June 15 Texas event.
Silas Young has a Proving Ground match at ROH's June 16 Texas event against Jonathan Gresham, Hangman Page, Punishment Martinez, Scorpio Sky, and Cheeseburger. If any of those five men pin Silas, they will get an immediate TV Championship match. That should be fun.
Bret Hart received an honorary physical literacy degree. That's pretty cool.
The Deleters of Worlds have a T-shirt now. I'm curious how long they'll hold the titles.
Mojo Rawley promoted the Special Olympics. WWE obviously likes him.
John Cena used some trucker slang to promote his upcoming YouTube Red series.
The Memorial Day Raw dropped to 2.50 million viewers against the NBA playoffs. They had a real uphill battle.
WWE:UK revealed the full bracket for the upcoming tournament.
Fozzy has a theme song for Takeover:Chicago, as does Halestorm. Nice way to keep Jericho in the conversation.
John Cena talked about his WrestleMania 34 angle and more:
- I have a horrible feeling we're in for a lot more Taker squashes, just for the "WrestleMania moment" or GRR moment or whatever of him playing the hits.
- While obviously having any spot is better than having no spot, I see why people get frustrated when they do everything they're told to do, but stay in the same place on the card.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Ha! Vince is set. If anything, he needs to listen less to the vocal minority who are going to watch/talk about the product either way. He puts on a consistent, family-friendly product. It's not the best technical athleticism ever, and it's not edgy, but that's what most of the audience expects from WWE and they keep tuning in and spending money. If the hardcore fans want to pay hundreds of dollars to chant for a UFC star and throw beachballs, Vince is more than happy to take their money. NBCU and FOX don't care about "workrate" or who's over in Japan. They want something they can sell a lot of family-friendly ads on.
2. One big difference is Brock would be happy going to UFC or staying home and farming, while Triple H wants to shape the future of wrestling. I think HHH would be fine being an executive only at this point. That said, there's definitely a case of HHH and Stephanie wanting to be prominent pieces of the public face of WWE as they continue to shape things behind-the-scenes.
3. I think we'll see that to a degree on a case-by-case basis if there's danger of talents leaving/retiring otherwise, and when they sign new talents, but there's not going to be a sudden huge pay increase for everyone.
4. PodcastOne has been accused of making false claims to inflate their own value, so people are leaving.
5. FOX can run two hours of SDL every week. They can't do that with UFC. WWE content gets more viewers and ad money, as well.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE's new TV situation was profiled:
- It will be interesting to see what the "New Fox" will look like. WWE could be a big part of the company's future.
- WWE getting a weekly studio show is pretty cool.
- Hahahaha the PG direction moved WWE past UFC. I love it.
- Smackdown Live dwarfed UFC's TV specials, too. Damn.
WWE's stock once again surged past previous records after the announcement of their new TV deals, passing $60 a share.
Dalton Castle vs. Cody vs. Marty Scurll for the ROH World Championship is officially the main event of Best in the World. I expect Cody to take the title there to make All In's main event a champion vs. champion match.
NJPW's KUSHIDA, EVIL, SANADA, and BUSHI, as well as Stardom's Kagetsu and Hazuki, have been signed for Best in the World and the following night's TV taping. It's good for ROH to be able to dip into other rosters.
Killer Elite Squad and Thunder Rosa have been booked for ROH's June 15 and June 16 events in Texas. Both events will be on Honorclub.
The Hung Bucks and Marty Scurll vs. The Briscoes and Killer Elite Squad is set for ROH's June 15 Texas event.
Silas Young has a Proving Ground match at ROH's June 16 Texas event against Jonathan Gresham, Hangman Page, Punishment Martinez, Scorpio Sky, and Cheeseburger. If any of those five men pin Silas, they will get an immediate TV Championship match. That should be fun.
Bret Hart received an honorary physical literacy degree. That's pretty cool.
The Deleters of Worlds have a T-shirt now. I'm curious how long they'll hold the titles.
Mojo Rawley promoted the Special Olympics. WWE obviously likes him.
John Cena used some trucker slang to promote his upcoming YouTube Red series.
The Memorial Day Raw dropped to 2.50 million viewers against the NBA playoffs. They had a real uphill battle.
WWE:UK revealed the full bracket for the upcoming tournament.
Fozzy has a theme song for Takeover:Chicago, as does Halestorm. Nice way to keep Jericho in the conversation.
John Cena talked about his WrestleMania 34 angle and more:
- I have a horrible feeling we're in for a lot more Taker squashes, just for the "WrestleMania moment" or GRR moment or whatever of him playing the hits.
- While obviously having any spot is better than having no spot, I see why people get frustrated when they do everything they're told to do, but stay in the same place on the card.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Ha! Vince is set. If anything, he needs to listen less to the vocal minority who are going to watch/talk about the product either way. He puts on a consistent, family-friendly product. It's not the best technical athleticism ever, and it's not edgy, but that's what most of the audience expects from WWE and they keep tuning in and spending money. If the hardcore fans want to pay hundreds of dollars to chant for a UFC star and throw beachballs, Vince is more than happy to take their money. NBCU and FOX don't care about "workrate" or who's over in Japan. They want something they can sell a lot of family-friendly ads on.
2. One big difference is Brock would be happy going to UFC or staying home and farming, while Triple H wants to shape the future of wrestling. I think HHH would be fine being an executive only at this point. That said, there's definitely a case of HHH and Stephanie wanting to be prominent pieces of the public face of WWE as they continue to shape things behind-the-scenes.
3. I think we'll see that to a degree on a case-by-case basis if there's danger of talents leaving/retiring otherwise, and when they sign new talents, but there's not going to be a sudden huge pay increase for everyone.
4. PodcastOne has been accused of making false claims to inflate their own value, so people are leaving.
5. FOX can run two hours of SDL every week. They can't do that with UFC. WWE content gets more viewers and ad money, as well.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
E&C Show reunion, injured name at Raw, assorted WWE press, AXS TV showcasing Okada, Kingston-Impact update, recent ROH name at Impact tapings, NXT touring Southwest, SDL lineup change, SDL dark matches, Amann testifies, All In trademarked, and Questions on a Raw name winning MITB, Cena's wrestling ability, Ambrose in a non-wrestling role, HHH replacing Johnny Ace hires, and SDL having an overrun
Vickie Guerrero filmed material for the Edge & Christian Show. Good to see her again. I hope she goes into the WWE Hall of Fame at some point.
Jason Jordan was backstage at Raw. I guess it's a good sign they're not just throwing him back on TV for no reason. I'd like to see him answer Seth Rollins' Open Challenge.
Big Cass worked Smackdown Live's May 28 live event, teaming with The Miz in a loss to Daniel Bryan and Tye Dillinger. Glad to see him able to contribute again.
Marc Mero spoke about drugs, bullying, and other topics. It's good to see him doing that.
AXS TV is showing all of Kazuchika Okada's IWGP Title matches of his current reign on consecutive nights. That's pretty big - AXS is strongly behind NJPW, to both sides' benefit.
Eddie Kingston is currently working on a per-date deal with Impact, so he could just be a temporary addition (again). I hope both sides can capitalize on him this time.
Joe Hendry will work Impact's Ontario tapings this weekend, fresh off his appearance at Honor United. That's a buzzworthy booking for Impact. I hope Hendry can gain traction in one company or another.
NXT is running California on July 26 and July 27, Nevada on July 28, and July 29 in Arizona.
WWE is doing a big Summerslam week sweepstakes. Charlotte Flair promoted the sponsored deal. That's a pretty cool opportunity.
WWE briefly advertised Carmella vs. Asuka for Smackdown Live before reversing course and announcing the dance-off instead. I assume Carmella would have pulled a bait-and-switch there.
Dr. Chris Amann testified at the trial against C.M. Punk and Colt Cabana Tuesday, as the proceedings are now underway. Amann is suing for in excess of $1 million for Punk's comments on the "Art of Wrestling" podcast after leaving WWE.
Jeff Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin before Smackdown Live. I'm curious what Jeff will be doing at MITB.
The Young Bucks' company has trademarked "All In" for wrestling purposes. That's smart, as people are definitely going to try to capitalize on its success.
Carmella successfully defended the Smackdown Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair after 205 Live by putting her feet on the ropes during the pin. Charlotte got revenge after the match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Same way it worked last time. They can try to cash in, but Brock defends when he wants to. What a heel! He's holding the title hostage and has no regard for authority!!
2. Vince is the one who decides who can and can't wrestle well enough to be a 16-time champion, PAL! Of course, once he changed his style to appeal to those fans, the chants mostly stopped. Some people want him to wrestle the "formulaic five moves of doom" and others want him to bust out Code Reds and the like. It's whatever.
3. I think it'd be better to hold off until he's ready to wrestle again. That way it will be fresher when he returns - he won't have spent months interacting with people he couldn't wrestle with.
4. It's not a specific strategy or mandate, but as new people are brought in, others are naturally going to be pushed aside and/or cut. HHH definitely has a different style of which wrestlers he wants to sign and push, and that's naturally going to lead to him preferring some of his signings to those from a previous administration.
5. The overrun is a remnant from the Monday Night War days, where Raw would want to go on past Nitro. SDL definitely won't have one on FOX, since their local networks have 10:00 p.m. newscasts. Raw would have lost theirs, too.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Jason Jordan was backstage at Raw. I guess it's a good sign they're not just throwing him back on TV for no reason. I'd like to see him answer Seth Rollins' Open Challenge.
Big Cass worked Smackdown Live's May 28 live event, teaming with The Miz in a loss to Daniel Bryan and Tye Dillinger. Glad to see him able to contribute again.
Marc Mero spoke about drugs, bullying, and other topics. It's good to see him doing that.
AXS TV is showing all of Kazuchika Okada's IWGP Title matches of his current reign on consecutive nights. That's pretty big - AXS is strongly behind NJPW, to both sides' benefit.
Eddie Kingston is currently working on a per-date deal with Impact, so he could just be a temporary addition (again). I hope both sides can capitalize on him this time.
Joe Hendry will work Impact's Ontario tapings this weekend, fresh off his appearance at Honor United. That's a buzzworthy booking for Impact. I hope Hendry can gain traction in one company or another.
NXT is running California on July 26 and July 27, Nevada on July 28, and July 29 in Arizona.
WWE is doing a big Summerslam week sweepstakes. Charlotte Flair promoted the sponsored deal. That's a pretty cool opportunity.
WWE briefly advertised Carmella vs. Asuka for Smackdown Live before reversing course and announcing the dance-off instead. I assume Carmella would have pulled a bait-and-switch there.
Dr. Chris Amann testified at the trial against C.M. Punk and Colt Cabana Tuesday, as the proceedings are now underway. Amann is suing for in excess of $1 million for Punk's comments on the "Art of Wrestling" podcast after leaving WWE.
Jeff Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin before Smackdown Live. I'm curious what Jeff will be doing at MITB.
The Young Bucks' company has trademarked "All In" for wrestling purposes. That's smart, as people are definitely going to try to capitalize on its success.
Carmella successfully defended the Smackdown Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair after 205 Live by putting her feet on the ropes during the pin. Charlotte got revenge after the match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Same way it worked last time. They can try to cash in, but Brock defends when he wants to. What a heel! He's holding the title hostage and has no regard for authority!!
2. Vince is the one who decides who can and can't wrestle well enough to be a 16-time champion, PAL! Of course, once he changed his style to appeal to those fans, the chants mostly stopped. Some people want him to wrestle the "formulaic five moves of doom" and others want him to bust out Code Reds and the like. It's whatever.
3. I think it'd be better to hold off until he's ready to wrestle again. That way it will be fresher when he returns - he won't have spent months interacting with people he couldn't wrestle with.
4. It's not a specific strategy or mandate, but as new people are brought in, others are naturally going to be pushed aside and/or cut. HHH definitely has a different style of which wrestlers he wants to sign and push, and that's naturally going to lead to him preferring some of his signings to those from a previous administration.
5. The overrun is a remnant from the Monday Night War days, where Raw would want to go on past Nitro. SDL definitely won't have one on FOX, since their local networks have 10:00 p.m. newscasts. Raw would have lost theirs, too.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 5/29/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Omega and Xavier in video game ad, NJPW training sessions, top Japanese name headed to WWE?, Cass update, GWN and WWE Network content updates, Impact tapings using guest interviewer, WWE press, new ROH taping matches, SDL matches, and Questions on Brock staying due to new TV deals, Callis' goals for Impact, loud rings, responding to trolls, and Honorclub
Kenny Omega and Xavier Woods were part of a Street Fighter V trailer. That's really big. Cool to see Capcom use two prominent fans in such a spot.
NJPW's Los Angeles dojo is running multiple training camps in July, as well as running camps in October and December. I don't think it's out of the question to say NJPW is now a bigger worldwide competitor to WWE than Impact is, and that's with Impact having many more countries running TV.
Io Shirai is expected to join WWE after finishing with STARDOM on June 17. She had been set to head to WWE some time back only for a neck injury to prevent that from occurring. It seems now the two sides have reversed course and she'll be joining Kairi Sane in NXT. I could easily see her winning the Mae Young Classic to reignite her rivalry with Sane. I'm curious how she'll translate what she's done in Japan to WWE's style.
Big Cass is scheduled to tour with WWE, so his injury isn't to the point where he's needing surgery. This is going to be important for his career one way or another.
GWN has now added every Impact episode from the Fox Sports Net days. It's amazing to see how far things have gone since then. In some ways the company is now back to where it was in 2004 or so as far as exposure and prominence is concerned.
Impact is using Alicia Atout as a backstage "host" for their upcoming Ontario tapings. Atout does a lot of wrestling interviews for her blog and was previously a backstage interviewer at a One Night Only show. It's nice to see her getting that opportunity and Impact using someone so passionate about the business. Atout will also be the interviewer and social media correspondent at All In.
Mickie James was profiled before Raw near her hometown. She's a Hall of Famer, for sure.
Booker T. spoke to TMZ about Hulk Hogan returning to WWE. I'm ready for it to happen already so everyone can move on.
Kelly Klein vs. Jenny Rose and Sumie Sakai and Stella Grey vs. Gabby Ortiz and Riley Shepard have been added to Saturday's ROH TV taping.
WWE Network is adding Mid-South Wrestling episodes from 1984.
Titus O'Neil spoke briefly before Raw.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger and The Bar and The Miz vs. New Day are set for Smackdown Live.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Brock is only under contract for a few more months, so I don't think that's it. I'm under the impression he still attends to return to UFC when that ends, although many believe he'll come back down the line. I think it was more of a matter of WWE being very valuable to the TV landscape going forward, with or without Brock.
2. He's bold, I'll give him that. It might not be completely feasible, but it's something for Impact to strive for.
3. The rings were constructed differently then.
4. Sometimes people respond for the excitement of it. I don't blame anyone for focusing on more constructive endeavors, though.
5. Nice paid plug. They do have a lot of content, though.
More wrestling tomorrow.
NJPW's Los Angeles dojo is running multiple training camps in July, as well as running camps in October and December. I don't think it's out of the question to say NJPW is now a bigger worldwide competitor to WWE than Impact is, and that's with Impact having many more countries running TV.
Io Shirai is expected to join WWE after finishing with STARDOM on June 17. She had been set to head to WWE some time back only for a neck injury to prevent that from occurring. It seems now the two sides have reversed course and she'll be joining Kairi Sane in NXT. I could easily see her winning the Mae Young Classic to reignite her rivalry with Sane. I'm curious how she'll translate what she's done in Japan to WWE's style.
Big Cass is scheduled to tour with WWE, so his injury isn't to the point where he's needing surgery. This is going to be important for his career one way or another.
GWN has now added every Impact episode from the Fox Sports Net days. It's amazing to see how far things have gone since then. In some ways the company is now back to where it was in 2004 or so as far as exposure and prominence is concerned.
Impact is using Alicia Atout as a backstage "host" for their upcoming Ontario tapings. Atout does a lot of wrestling interviews for her blog and was previously a backstage interviewer at a One Night Only show. It's nice to see her getting that opportunity and Impact using someone so passionate about the business. Atout will also be the interviewer and social media correspondent at All In.
Mickie James was profiled before Raw near her hometown. She's a Hall of Famer, for sure.
Booker T. spoke to TMZ about Hulk Hogan returning to WWE. I'm ready for it to happen already so everyone can move on.
Kelly Klein vs. Jenny Rose and Sumie Sakai and Stella Grey vs. Gabby Ortiz and Riley Shepard have been added to Saturday's ROH TV taping.
WWE Network is adding Mid-South Wrestling episodes from 1984.
Titus O'Neil spoke briefly before Raw.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger and The Bar and The Miz vs. New Day are set for Smackdown Live.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Brock is only under contract for a few more months, so I don't think that's it. I'm under the impression he still attends to return to UFC when that ends, although many believe he'll come back down the line. I think it was more of a matter of WWE being very valuable to the TV landscape going forward, with or without Brock.
2. He's bold, I'll give him that. It might not be completely feasible, but it's something for Impact to strive for.
3. The rings were constructed differently then.
4. Sometimes people respond for the excitement of it. I don't blame anyone for focusing on more constructive endeavors, though.
5. Nice paid plug. They do have a lot of content, though.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, May 28, 2018
WWN signs new talents, Interview with Callis+D'Amore/Ronda/Tessa, Lana training for MITB, Kurrgan cameo, Alexa helps fan, wrestling doc trailer, Raw live event note, and Questions on what WWE's TV deal does and does not mean, WWE cutting back on live events, and SHEIKY BABY BEATING THE BOB BACKLAN
WWN has signed Anthony Henry, James Drake, and Josh Briggs to contracts. Please note this is not the same James Drake who has worked for WWE's UK brand. Although hopefully the two of them face off at some point.
Don Callis and Scott D'Amore talked about the state of Impact Wrestling:
- I think the new regime has done a good job overall of keeping things as stable as possible.
- I hope Don learned more than "put on good matches." NJPW is working by building big feuds and matches between people who matter.
- I agree with the notion Impact was at its best when it had its own identity and served as a contrast to WWE.
- Part of the TNA hate is because they went from being their own thing to trying to recreate WCW. Other hate is from changing so much so frequently, signing talents just because they had worked elsewhere, etc.
- It's going to be a long time before Impact can draw the kind of crowds NJPW does. They're really getting by with their TV deals.
- OH MY GOD that shot at not being able to afford Jericho. Damn.
- Having a big checkbook can lead to people spending recklessly, as we've seen.
- I hope Impact can have a place in the wrestling business going forward.
Lana has been training at the WWE Performance Center before Money in the Bank. She's going to get a real crash course in that ladder match...
The former Kurrgan was in Deadpool 2. Deadpool needs to cross over with WWE.
Alexa Bliss spoke to a fan with an eating disorder. I'm glad she can help people in her position.
"350 Days" released a trailer before its July debut. That's an interesting idea for a release.
Ronda Rousey would like a teacher who stopped a school shooter to walk her to the ring. That would be awesome!
Tessa Blanchard talked to Busted Open. I hope we can see her back in WWE at some point. Her career could just be beginning.
The Revival are back on Raw live events. They lost to the Deleters of Worlds in a Raw Tag Team Championship match Sunday night in Virginia.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. NO. FOX is paying for 2018 WWE, not 1998 WWE. If anything, they'll be more cautious since broadcast networks have tighter regulations than cable. As for becoming more like NXT, I think that's inevitable as HHH and company continue to shape the shows. If/when Vince focuses more on the XFL or is otherwise unable to devote his full attention to Raw and SDL, I expect the course of those shows to change. I'd be surprised to see them become essentially longer versions of NXT, but HHH et al. will definitely continue to influence what talents are there and how they're used.
2. I definitely think SDL will get bigger stars and more attention when it makes that move. That doesn't necessarily mean the two shows will be in competition in the sense of going in two different directions, but I think they'll be treated more as equals than they are now.
3. I could see them cutting back on live events, but I'm not sure how they'll make it happen. It makes sense to do the "Revenge" tours right after big events because those are when viewership is highest, but it's worth looking at which months are slow for live event attendance and possibly cutting back.
4. I think it will be more of a case of having an even number of big names on each show. If they do drop the brand split, I'd expect there to be roster cuts to match fewer spots on TV.
5. SHEIKY BABY MAKE BOB BACKLAN HUMBLE, OLD COUNTRY STYLE. THE ARNOLD SKAALAN THROW IN THE TOWEL TO SAVE THE JABRONI FROM GET HIS BACK BROKEN IN THE CAMEL CLUTCH. THEN THE BLEACH BLONDE JABRONI HULK HOGAN COME IN AND THE VINCE MCMAHON PUT THE TITLE ON HIM.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Don Callis and Scott D'Amore talked about the state of Impact Wrestling:
- I think the new regime has done a good job overall of keeping things as stable as possible.
- I hope Don learned more than "put on good matches." NJPW is working by building big feuds and matches between people who matter.
- I agree with the notion Impact was at its best when it had its own identity and served as a contrast to WWE.
- Part of the TNA hate is because they went from being their own thing to trying to recreate WCW. Other hate is from changing so much so frequently, signing talents just because they had worked elsewhere, etc.
- It's going to be a long time before Impact can draw the kind of crowds NJPW does. They're really getting by with their TV deals.
- OH MY GOD that shot at not being able to afford Jericho. Damn.
- Having a big checkbook can lead to people spending recklessly, as we've seen.
- I hope Impact can have a place in the wrestling business going forward.
Lana has been training at the WWE Performance Center before Money in the Bank. She's going to get a real crash course in that ladder match...
The former Kurrgan was in Deadpool 2. Deadpool needs to cross over with WWE.
Alexa Bliss spoke to a fan with an eating disorder. I'm glad she can help people in her position.
"350 Days" released a trailer before its July debut. That's an interesting idea for a release.
Ronda Rousey would like a teacher who stopped a school shooter to walk her to the ring. That would be awesome!
Tessa Blanchard talked to Busted Open. I hope we can see her back in WWE at some point. Her career could just be beginning.
The Revival are back on Raw live events. They lost to the Deleters of Worlds in a Raw Tag Team Championship match Sunday night in Virginia.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. NO. FOX is paying for 2018 WWE, not 1998 WWE. If anything, they'll be more cautious since broadcast networks have tighter regulations than cable. As for becoming more like NXT, I think that's inevitable as HHH and company continue to shape the shows. If/when Vince focuses more on the XFL or is otherwise unable to devote his full attention to Raw and SDL, I expect the course of those shows to change. I'd be surprised to see them become essentially longer versions of NXT, but HHH et al. will definitely continue to influence what talents are there and how they're used.
2. I definitely think SDL will get bigger stars and more attention when it makes that move. That doesn't necessarily mean the two shows will be in competition in the sense of going in two different directions, but I think they'll be treated more as equals than they are now.
3. I could see them cutting back on live events, but I'm not sure how they'll make it happen. It makes sense to do the "Revenge" tours right after big events because those are when viewership is highest, but it's worth looking at which months are slow for live event attendance and possibly cutting back.
4. I think it will be more of a case of having an even number of big names on each show. If they do drop the brand split, I'd expect there to be roster cuts to match fewer spots on TV.
5. SHEIKY BABY MAKE BOB BACKLAN HUMBLE, OLD COUNTRY STYLE. THE ARNOLD SKAALAN THROW IN THE TOWEL TO SAVE THE JABRONI FROM GET HIS BACK BROKEN IN THE CAMEL CLUTCH. THEN THE BLEACH BLONDE JABRONI HULK HOGAN COME IN AND THE VINCE MCMAHON PUT THE TITLE ON HIM.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Main Event Reax - 5/26/18, Interviews with Lio/Mauro/Miz, Cena discussed on WWE Network, Smackdown and NXT live event notes, Shield DVD lineup, ROH announces big UK return, Enzo teaser, and a big All In Match teased
-- Main Event:
- Gallagher/Kendrick vs. Kalisto/Lince:
Fine start.
I like the heel teamwork here.
And some nice offense from the faces.
Kind of an odd ending.
- Apollo vs. Mojo:
Mojo overpowering Apollo????
Apollo is WAY too good to be stuck where he is.
Mojo's doing alright as a heel. I'm glad he's getting some screen time.
Oh, wow!! Didn't see that coming.
- Post-match:
Mojo beating up two guys????? This is crazy! Interesting to see an actual angle on the show.
- Hawkins streak status:
Curt's still at 0-198, for anyone wondering. He's so close to such a big milestone!
Lio Rush discussed coming to WWE and more. I'm glad he's getting opportunities again. I also think him doing his own music could help him. See R-Truth.
Sports Illustrated and Sam Roberts interviewed Mauro Ranallo about his recent documentary. This whole experience has been unbelievably powerful.
The Miz gave a pep talk for a UK soccer game.
John Cena will be the subject of the next "Something Else to Wrestle With."
Rusev Day are set for tag team matches on Smackdown's Japanese tour on June 29 and June 30, including challenging for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. So, that could be something that's carried over to TV.
The Shield DVD set's lineup has been released. I'm surprised there aren't pre-main roster matches on the set, but there's definitely enough material as is.
ROH will return to the UK on August 16, August 18, and August 19. Wow. That's a nice turnaround for them.
The former Enzo Amore promoted an announcement coming Monday. It looks like he's going to use the name Real1 going forward, as Enzo is owned by WWE.
Cody vs. Nick Aldis at All In will be for both the ROH and NWA World Championships if Cody is ROH Champion at that time. That is absolutely a newsworthy main event.
China's Mars Wang teamed with the Street Profits in a loss to The Forgotten Sons of Chad Lail (Gunner), Wesley Blake, and Steve Cutler at a Floridan NXT live event. Wang had previously teamed with Heavy Machinery.
Tye Dillinger made a surprise return to an NXT Florida live event, defeating Marcel Barthel. Again, I'd assume this is just a special appearance for the loyal NXT fans rather than a demotion.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Gallagher/Kendrick vs. Kalisto/Lince:
Fine start.
I like the heel teamwork here.
And some nice offense from the faces.
Kind of an odd ending.
- Apollo vs. Mojo:
Mojo overpowering Apollo????
Apollo is WAY too good to be stuck where he is.
Mojo's doing alright as a heel. I'm glad he's getting some screen time.
Oh, wow!! Didn't see that coming.
- Post-match:
Mojo beating up two guys????? This is crazy! Interesting to see an actual angle on the show.
- Hawkins streak status:
Curt's still at 0-198, for anyone wondering. He's so close to such a big milestone!
Lio Rush discussed coming to WWE and more. I'm glad he's getting opportunities again. I also think him doing his own music could help him. See R-Truth.
Sports Illustrated and Sam Roberts interviewed Mauro Ranallo about his recent documentary. This whole experience has been unbelievably powerful.
The Miz gave a pep talk for a UK soccer game.
John Cena will be the subject of the next "Something Else to Wrestle With."
Rusev Day are set for tag team matches on Smackdown's Japanese tour on June 29 and June 30, including challenging for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. So, that could be something that's carried over to TV.
The Shield DVD set's lineup has been released. I'm surprised there aren't pre-main roster matches on the set, but there's definitely enough material as is.
ROH will return to the UK on August 16, August 18, and August 19. Wow. That's a nice turnaround for them.
The former Enzo Amore promoted an announcement coming Monday. It looks like he's going to use the name Real1 going forward, as Enzo is owned by WWE.
Cody vs. Nick Aldis at All In will be for both the ROH and NWA World Championships if Cody is ROH Champion at that time. That is absolutely a newsworthy main event.
China's Mars Wang teamed with the Street Profits in a loss to The Forgotten Sons of Chad Lail (Gunner), Wesley Blake, and Steve Cutler at a Floridan NXT live event. Wang had previously teamed with Heavy Machinery.
Tye Dillinger made a surprise return to an NXT Florida live event, defeating Marcel Barthel. Again, I'd assume this is just a special appearance for the loyal NXT fans rather than a demotion.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Honor United: London Reax
- Lethal vs. M. Briscoe:
Oh I'm already liking this.
Both men are solid.
This is going well.
Haha I like Lethal's tenacity and Mark's heel instincts.
I love how these two match up.
Wow. Both men doing nice submission spots.
That was cool! Mark looked find in defeat.
- Taylor vs. Yano:
Good luck, Toru.
Haha. Fun contrast so far.
OUCH. Shane's in no mood for shenanigans.
Hahahah good turnbuckle spot.
Oh wow. Fun match, but I'm disappointed Shane couldn't beat a comedy guy.
- Post-match:
Well that makes up for it to a degree.
- Klein vs. Tenille:I'm so glad to see Dashwood here.
Tenille is really solid.
Dashwood is working circles around her.
Not bad at all.
- J. Briscoe vs. Haskins:Nice to see Haskins again.
Haskins trying to make the most of his opportunity here. I like it.
Both men going hard.
Jay Briscoe is one hell of a worker.
Haskins isn't staying down, though.
Haskins looks game against the former world champion.
I like the physicality on display here.
That was badass. The local guy looked good in defeat.
- Silas vs. SANADA vs. Hiroshi vs. Punishment:
ROH puts together some odd combinations, but I like it.
Nice strategy with Punishment.
This is fun in the early going.
I'm liking the showcase here.
Haha this has been thoroughly entertaining.
I like how this is different from the previous match, but still great.
Funny submission spot.
Everyone's getting to show what they're best at. I like it.
Not bad at all to keep the title on Silas.
- Bully vs. Boys:
Does anyone attend an ROH show to see Bully Ray in 2018?
Pheeeewwwwww this is bad.
Great way to kill the momentum of the show. The sooner this ends, the better.
- Cody/King:
Nice promotion for All In, which is going to be a really big deal.
- Cody vs. King:
Solid start.
Hahahahaha great rose spot.
I'm liking this. A nice change of pace from the Please Keep Bully Ray Relevant in 2018 Tour.
That was fun. Both men are good.
- Cody/Aldis:It's good to see Aldis here.
This is solid.
OH SHIT. That would be a hell of a match. Will ROH do it?
- Dalton vs. EVIL:
Castle would have been crazy to dive as hurt as he is.
I feel bad for Castle wanting to deliver when he's obviously hurting.
This isn't bad for what it is.
EVIL looks like he could take the belt at this rate.
Fun use of the Boys.
I wasn't crazy about that ending sequence. This was mostly filling a commitment. I love Dalton, but I don't think it was wise to compete when he can't deliver at his best.
- Kingdom vs. SCU vs. H. Bucks:
This is solid early.
I love the Kaz/Page rivalry.
This is a lot of fun!
Everyone's delivering here. This is the right call to close the show.
I loved SoCal stealing a Bullet Club spot.
This is all good.
The Bucks ALWAYS impress.
This is certainly main event worthy.
I'm loving all the teamwork here.
All kinds of crazy moves here.
Lots of drama here.
Fun use of Cody.
They've got a lot going on here. I like it.
A lot of good action, and I'm glad The Kingdom didn't drop the title so soon.
More wrestling coming up.
Oh I'm already liking this.
Both men are solid.
This is going well.
Haha I like Lethal's tenacity and Mark's heel instincts.
I love how these two match up.
Wow. Both men doing nice submission spots.
That was cool! Mark looked find in defeat.
- Taylor vs. Yano:
Good luck, Toru.
Haha. Fun contrast so far.
OUCH. Shane's in no mood for shenanigans.
Hahahah good turnbuckle spot.
Oh wow. Fun match, but I'm disappointed Shane couldn't beat a comedy guy.
- Post-match:
Well that makes up for it to a degree.
- Klein vs. Tenille:I'm so glad to see Dashwood here.
Tenille is really solid.
Dashwood is working circles around her.
Not bad at all.
- J. Briscoe vs. Haskins:Nice to see Haskins again.
Haskins trying to make the most of his opportunity here. I like it.
Both men going hard.
Jay Briscoe is one hell of a worker.
Haskins isn't staying down, though.
Haskins looks game against the former world champion.
I like the physicality on display here.
That was badass. The local guy looked good in defeat.
- Silas vs. SANADA vs. Hiroshi vs. Punishment:
ROH puts together some odd combinations, but I like it.
Nice strategy with Punishment.
This is fun in the early going.
I'm liking the showcase here.
Haha this has been thoroughly entertaining.
I like how this is different from the previous match, but still great.
Funny submission spot.
Everyone's getting to show what they're best at. I like it.
Not bad at all to keep the title on Silas.
- Bully vs. Boys:
Does anyone attend an ROH show to see Bully Ray in 2018?
Pheeeewwwwww this is bad.
Great way to kill the momentum of the show. The sooner this ends, the better.
- Cody/King:
Nice promotion for All In, which is going to be a really big deal.
- Cody vs. King:
Solid start.
Hahahahaha great rose spot.
I'm liking this. A nice change of pace from the Please Keep Bully Ray Relevant in 2018 Tour.
That was fun. Both men are good.
- Cody/Aldis:It's good to see Aldis here.
This is solid.
OH SHIT. That would be a hell of a match. Will ROH do it?
- Dalton vs. EVIL:
Castle would have been crazy to dive as hurt as he is.
I feel bad for Castle wanting to deliver when he's obviously hurting.
This isn't bad for what it is.
EVIL looks like he could take the belt at this rate.
Fun use of the Boys.
I wasn't crazy about that ending sequence. This was mostly filling a commitment. I love Dalton, but I don't think it was wise to compete when he can't deliver at his best.
- Kingdom vs. SCU vs. H. Bucks:
This is solid early.
I love the Kaz/Page rivalry.
This is a lot of fun!
Everyone's delivering here. This is the right call to close the show.
I loved SoCal stealing a Bullet Club spot.
This is all good.
The Bucks ALWAYS impress.
This is certainly main event worthy.
I'm loving all the teamwork here.
All kinds of crazy moves here.
Lots of drama here.
Fun use of Cody.
They've got a lot going on here. I like it.
A lot of good action, and I'm glad The Kingdom didn't drop the title so soon.
More wrestling coming up.
Saturday, May 26, 2018
ICW scouting, UK promotions on Network soon?, HBK in the UK, Inteview with Romero, MYC 2 recruitment, Punk/Cabana lawsuit moves forward, NJPW show airing live, Impact audience, grudge match set for Takeover, assorted WWE press, guest WWEPC coach, and Questions on 205 Live house shows, bringing MYC 1 competitors back, and WWE acquiring libraries
ICW is doing a series for BBC Scotland, in the vein of Tough Enough. This could definitely get them some good exposure.
ICW and PROGRESS could finally be coming to WWE Network soon, with an announcement possible at the upcoming WWE:UK events.
Shawn Michaels is set for next month's WWE:UK events. That's pretty cool to get over how important the shows are. I'd like to see Undertaker shift into a similar role at some point, without the supernatural stuff.
Rocky Romero is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
The second Mae Young Classic is already getting talent recruited for it, including wrestlers from last year's event and women who have had tryouts with the company.
The C.M. Punk/Colt Cabana lawsuit has reached the jury selection stage, as neither side has talked about settlement. I'm amazed it's gone more than three years at this point. This is unreal.
NJPW's July 7 California show will air live on AXS TV. The company hasn't announced any matches yet due to their big Dominion show coming up. Hopefully they're still able to have a big house given that delay.
Impact Wrestling dropped to 236,000 viewers Thursday night, a big departure from the previous week's 325,000. Hopefully that was just due to NBA competition and they rebound for Under Pressure.
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa in a street fight at Takeover:Chicago is in the works. I'm curious what Candice's role will be in all of this.
Triple H promoted the Mauro Ranallo documentary. I'm glad Mauro has support.
Former FCW head Steve Keirn was a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center this week. Cool to see him back in the mix.
Jinder Mahal and Bayley appeared with a soccer team before Raw's Italy show. Pretty cool collaboration.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think I'm qualified to answer this one, so I'm going with their answer.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. There hasn't been much of any news on 205 Live at all lately, other than people wondering what will happen to it when Smackdown goes to Fridays.
4. Jazzy Gabert, Princesa Sugehit, Mia Yim (who should definitely be signed), Santana Garrett, Piper Niven, and Toni Storm. Steffanie Newell as well, since she was injured last time.
5. WWE will have the money to pursue pretty much anyone or anything they want at that time. It's not out of the question for them to license Impact and ROH content.
More wrestling tomorrow.
ICW and PROGRESS could finally be coming to WWE Network soon, with an announcement possible at the upcoming WWE:UK events.
Shawn Michaels is set for next month's WWE:UK events. That's pretty cool to get over how important the shows are. I'd like to see Undertaker shift into a similar role at some point, without the supernatural stuff.
Rocky Romero is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
The second Mae Young Classic is already getting talent recruited for it, including wrestlers from last year's event and women who have had tryouts with the company.
The C.M. Punk/Colt Cabana lawsuit has reached the jury selection stage, as neither side has talked about settlement. I'm amazed it's gone more than three years at this point. This is unreal.
NJPW's July 7 California show will air live on AXS TV. The company hasn't announced any matches yet due to their big Dominion show coming up. Hopefully they're still able to have a big house given that delay.
Impact Wrestling dropped to 236,000 viewers Thursday night, a big departure from the previous week's 325,000. Hopefully that was just due to NBA competition and they rebound for Under Pressure.
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa in a street fight at Takeover:Chicago is in the works. I'm curious what Candice's role will be in all of this.
Triple H promoted the Mauro Ranallo documentary. I'm glad Mauro has support.
Former FCW head Steve Keirn was a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center this week. Cool to see him back in the mix.
Jinder Mahal and Bayley appeared with a soccer team before Raw's Italy show. Pretty cool collaboration.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think I'm qualified to answer this one, so I'm going with their answer.
Nothing to add to 2.
3. There hasn't been much of any news on 205 Live at all lately, other than people wondering what will happen to it when Smackdown goes to Fridays.
4. Jazzy Gabert, Princesa Sugehit, Mia Yim (who should definitely be signed), Santana Garrett, Piper Niven, and Toni Storm. Steffanie Newell as well, since she was injured last time.
5. WWE will have the money to pursue pretty much anyone or anything they want at that time. It's not out of the question for them to license Impact and ROH content.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, May 25, 2018
Notes on new WWE TV deals, sad Cappotelli note, Hiroshi in a movie, Riddle pulled from MLW, more on Vice documentaries, WotW tour breaks attendance records, more on ROH dojo, Lethal pulled from shows, MYC 2 plans, WWE scouting MLW names, WWE campaigns honored, why Johnny Impact missed tapings, Impact challenges UK groups, NXT match announced, Prichard clip, GFW returning, Ronda at Raw Japan, Ryder cameo, and Questions on Y2J vs. RVD in ECW, Hogan doing charity to return to WWE, Bryan in big TV main events, Becky's place on the card, and rushing Ronda's title match
WWE's next Raw and Smackdown deals go through the end of September 2024. They're going to be on TV for quite some time.
FOX canceled a lot of its shows in order to make room for WWE. We'll see if that was a wise decision given the backlash they faced. FOX will also promote Smackdown Live during its weekly sports games, which could really benefit WWE.
WWE was helped in TV negotiations by the fact their audience losses are less than seen in other TV shows.
WWE had a big bid to move Smackdown Live to an online outlet, but the feeling was WWE had a better opportunity to keep and create fans on FOX. The older WWE TV audience wasn't likely to migrate to a streaming service. SDL will actually probably have a bigger audience than Raw, given FOX has a lot more reach than USA.
NBCU was also interested in showing UFC on other networks. I wouldn't assume there would have been cross-promotion with WWE.
WWE's FOX deal isn't expected to affect ROH airing on local FOX channels through Sinclair.
Matt Cappotelli is no longer receiving treatment for his brain cancer, as there is the feeling nothing is working on that front. It's a very sad time for the former Tough Enough winner and his wife.
- Jim Cornette discussed the battle on his podcast.
Hiroshi Tanahashi will star in a mainstream Japanese movie called "My Dad is a Heel Wrestler." That's pretty cool.
Matt Riddle is no longer working MLW due to WWN not letting him work a televised promotion. That's their right, but certainly it's a hit for the newly-televised company.
VICE's wrestling documentaries will air on Viceland, rather than VICE Sports. Those should be pretty big.
ROH's War of the Worlds tour had the biggest combined attendance in tour history, at a total of 6,000. Previously the record was 5,400 in 2015 and 2017. They're still doing quite well.
ROH's dojo will be invitation-only, with the idea that they're bringing in experienced workers for finishing touches before they begin with ROH. The promotion is growing.
Jay Lethal recently got a concussion, causing him to cancel an Australian tour. He's working in a limited capacity in the UK as he recovers, which is dangerous.
The second Mae Young Classic is set to be taped on August 7 and August 8. I look forward to seeing more promising female athletes.
WWE is interested in MLW talents given that promotion's new TV deal. MLW's talents are under long-term deals, and have specifically rebuffed WWE's advances, according to legal papers.
WWE was honored for their Be A Star campaign, as well as receiving mentions for other social campaigns. They really push their philanthropy.
Johnny Impact/Johnny Mundo will be on the next season of "Survivor," which is why he wasn't used at the latest Impact tapings. He has definitely been missed!
Impact challenged any UK promotion to face their stars at Mediacon on September 9. That comes across as minor league. I hope they have something already planned.
Shayna Baszler vs. Dakota Kai for the NXT Women's Championship is official for Wednesday's episode of the show. That's pretty brave of Dakota!
Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson discussed Triple H becoming "The Game."
GFW is returning as Global Force Entertainment, and will produce content for FITE. That's going to a real uphill battle for Jarrett, but hopefully he's got a regular paying gig. I'd still love to see him be a trainer or producer or something for WWE.
Ronda Rousey is set for Raw's Japan live event on August 31. I wonder if she'll be Raw Women's Champion then?
Zack Ryder is featured in a Netflix documentary on Funko collectibles. He's a big fan of the brand.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. All to really add here is that Joey Styles has pretty much divorced himself from the business, and I can see why they didn't want to show a match that the crowd destroyed. Heck, I'm surprised more matches didn't get tabled for that reason! I imagine WWE would do the same now if they could.
2. Hogan doing charity and such is definitely part of him fixing his reputation so WWE can be comfortable with using him again. I'm not about to question his authenticity; I'm just glad he's making the steps he's making.
3. Hardcore fans have mostly buried the Styles-Nakamura angle other than Shinsuke's heel shenanigans. Other than that, WWE is definitely making the most of Bryan's return while it's still a relatively fresh and big story. You know, before fans turn on him, too.
4. Basically with all those new names coming in, someone has to work with them and give them the best chance to get over. Becky is talented enough to do that. I also hope for more for Becky, but she's getting regular work and the company trusts her.
5. I think they could have saved it until later, ideally Survivor Series. We missed out on Ronda making her way up the card and earning a title shot. There's pretty much nowhere to go but down after the title picture. And this potentially derails Nia's reign, which had been built for a while and deserves time to flourish. All that said, I understand maximizing the NBC upfronts and getting people talking about MITB.
More wrestling tomorrow.
FOX canceled a lot of its shows in order to make room for WWE. We'll see if that was a wise decision given the backlash they faced. FOX will also promote Smackdown Live during its weekly sports games, which could really benefit WWE.
WWE was helped in TV negotiations by the fact their audience losses are less than seen in other TV shows.
NBCU was also interested in showing UFC on other networks. I wouldn't assume there would have been cross-promotion with WWE.
WWE's FOX deal isn't expected to affect ROH airing on local FOX channels through Sinclair.
Matt Cappotelli is no longer receiving treatment for his brain cancer, as there is the feeling nothing is working on that front. It's a very sad time for the former Tough Enough winner and his wife.
- Jim Cornette discussed the battle on his podcast.
Hiroshi Tanahashi will star in a mainstream Japanese movie called "My Dad is a Heel Wrestler." That's pretty cool.
Matt Riddle is no longer working MLW due to WWN not letting him work a televised promotion. That's their right, but certainly it's a hit for the newly-televised company.
VICE's wrestling documentaries will air on Viceland, rather than VICE Sports. Those should be pretty big.
ROH's War of the Worlds tour had the biggest combined attendance in tour history, at a total of 6,000. Previously the record was 5,400 in 2015 and 2017. They're still doing quite well.
ROH's dojo will be invitation-only, with the idea that they're bringing in experienced workers for finishing touches before they begin with ROH. The promotion is growing.
Jay Lethal recently got a concussion, causing him to cancel an Australian tour. He's working in a limited capacity in the UK as he recovers, which is dangerous.
The second Mae Young Classic is set to be taped on August 7 and August 8. I look forward to seeing more promising female athletes.
WWE is interested in MLW talents given that promotion's new TV deal. MLW's talents are under long-term deals, and have specifically rebuffed WWE's advances, according to legal papers.
WWE was honored for their Be A Star campaign, as well as receiving mentions for other social campaigns. They really push their philanthropy.
Johnny Impact/Johnny Mundo will be on the next season of "Survivor," which is why he wasn't used at the latest Impact tapings. He has definitely been missed!
Impact challenged any UK promotion to face their stars at Mediacon on September 9. That comes across as minor league. I hope they have something already planned.
Shayna Baszler vs. Dakota Kai for the NXT Women's Championship is official for Wednesday's episode of the show. That's pretty brave of Dakota!
Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson discussed Triple H becoming "The Game."
GFW is returning as Global Force Entertainment, and will produce content for FITE. That's going to a real uphill battle for Jarrett, but hopefully he's got a regular paying gig. I'd still love to see him be a trainer or producer or something for WWE.
Ronda Rousey is set for Raw's Japan live event on August 31. I wonder if she'll be Raw Women's Champion then?
Zack Ryder is featured in a Netflix documentary on Funko collectibles. He's a big fan of the brand.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. All to really add here is that Joey Styles has pretty much divorced himself from the business, and I can see why they didn't want to show a match that the crowd destroyed. Heck, I'm surprised more matches didn't get tabled for that reason! I imagine WWE would do the same now if they could.
2. Hogan doing charity and such is definitely part of him fixing his reputation so WWE can be comfortable with using him again. I'm not about to question his authenticity; I'm just glad he's making the steps he's making.
3. Hardcore fans have mostly buried the Styles-Nakamura angle other than Shinsuke's heel shenanigans. Other than that, WWE is definitely making the most of Bryan's return while it's still a relatively fresh and big story. You know, before fans turn on him, too.
4. Basically with all those new names coming in, someone has to work with them and give them the best chance to get over. Becky is talented enough to do that. I also hope for more for Becky, but she's getting regular work and the company trusts her.
5. I think they could have saved it until later, ideally Survivor Series. We missed out on Ronda making her way up the card and earning a title shot. There's pretty much nowhere to go but down after the title picture. And this potentially derails Nia's reign, which had been built for a while and deserves time to flourish. All that said, I understand maximizing the NBC upfronts and getting people talking about MITB.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
More early matches in Hidden Gems, Aries vs. Swann for Impact PPV, assorted WWE press, E&C show notes, injured name booked for Raw, Impact press conference coming, big Takeover VIP package, WWE star begins outside business, ROH sets NYC matches, SDL audience, WWE:UK tournament matches, NXT match set for WWE:UK show, WWE PPVs starting earlier, and Questions on Ronda vs. Nia, calling Brock out, moving WWE PPVs, XFL distracting Vince, and booking Braun
WWE Network's Hidden Gems collection has added early matches from Molly Holly, John Cena, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, and Dean Ambrose. Interesting to see them showing an OVW match.
Austin Aries vs. Rich Swann is set for Impact's Zero Fear event. That seems to be the first time they'll ever face off one-on-one.
Booker T. and Johnny Gargano represented WWE at the Mauro Ranallo advanced screening. That's pretty cool.
Trent Seven promoted WWE:UK's upcoming shows and more.
Kevin Owens did some camera work at a live event. Hilarious.
Booker T. and Bruce Prichard were at an NXT live event in their hometown of Houston. It's good to see them there to put over the up-and-coming talent.
The Edge & Christian Show's second season is wrapping up production this week. Johnny Gargano, Funaki, Tommy Dreamer, Beth Phoenix, and Kairi Sane have all filmed material for the show. It will be fun to see what they come up with this time.
Jason Jordan has been booked for Monday's Raw, so he could be back on TV then. There's an opening for him to reunite with Chad Gable against Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre.
Slammiversary XVI has a press conference set for June 4. It looks like Pentagon Jr. is going to continue to be featured.
Takeover:Chicago will have an ultimate VIP package. That's a pretty big deal.
Dana Brooke is launching a new makeup line. It's not a bad idea for her to branch out and prepare for a life outside of wrestling given how things are going for her right now.
Mustafa Ali was profiled by Al Jazeera. It's good to see WWE get positive press for his success.
ROH has announced the following matches for their June 2 TV taping:
- Dalton Castle vs. CMLL's Ultimo Guerrero for the ROH World Championship
- Cody vs. CMLL's Titan
- Bully Ray vs. Cheeseburger in a no DQ/no countout match
- Jay Lethal vs. Chuckie T
- The Briscoes and Punishment Martinez vs. The Hung Bucks
Smackdown Live drew 2.20 million viewers Tuesday night. Outside of Halloween, it was the second-lowest rated episode of the last 365 days. This week was not good for WWE's ratings, but, again, their TV homes are safe for years to come.
WWE:UK announced the first round matches for the contendership tournament, set for NXT's June 8 through June 10 shows at the Download Music Festival:
WWE:UK's June 19 event will feature Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. EC3 and The Velveteen Dream. That sounds pretty fun.
WWE PPVs, beginning with Money in the Bank, will move to 7:00 p.m. EST with a Kickoff show at 6:00 p.m. This enables WWE to expand the shows beyond three hours.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I see why WWE made the match at the upfronts, but agree it's too soon for Ronda to win the title, especially with Brock still Universal Champion. It's definitely right for someone to intervene and spoil the babyface vs. babyface title match. I hate to break it to everyone, but it will probably be Stephanie.
2. Obviously they didn't do things quite the way Jericho did with Goldberg, as far as someone declaring themselves undefeated in the unanswered challenges. WWE has been careful not to present Brock as being afraid to show up for a challenge.
3. This was sent in before WWE decided to do just that.
4. Basically as he takes on more responsibilities with the XFL, he won't be able to focus as much on WWE. I don't see him going away from WWE entirely, but he'll certainly have to invest some time in the XFL and let others have responsibilities in WWE.
5. They've definitely had to come up with something for him to do that keeps him from going after a singles championship or eclipsing Roman. I think Finn and Lashley could be credible opponents if either man turns heel.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Austin Aries vs. Rich Swann is set for Impact's Zero Fear event. That seems to be the first time they'll ever face off one-on-one.
Booker T. and Johnny Gargano represented WWE at the Mauro Ranallo advanced screening. That's pretty cool.
Trent Seven promoted WWE:UK's upcoming shows and more.
Kevin Owens did some camera work at a live event. Hilarious.
Booker T. and Bruce Prichard were at an NXT live event in their hometown of Houston. It's good to see them there to put over the up-and-coming talent.
The Edge & Christian Show's second season is wrapping up production this week. Johnny Gargano, Funaki, Tommy Dreamer, Beth Phoenix, and Kairi Sane have all filmed material for the show. It will be fun to see what they come up with this time.
Jason Jordan has been booked for Monday's Raw, so he could be back on TV then. There's an opening for him to reunite with Chad Gable against Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre.
Slammiversary XVI has a press conference set for June 4. It looks like Pentagon Jr. is going to continue to be featured.
Takeover:Chicago will have an ultimate VIP package. That's a pretty big deal.
Dana Brooke is launching a new makeup line. It's not a bad idea for her to branch out and prepare for a life outside of wrestling given how things are going for her right now.
Mustafa Ali was profiled by Al Jazeera. It's good to see WWE get positive press for his success.
ROH has announced the following matches for their June 2 TV taping:
- Dalton Castle vs. CMLL's Ultimo Guerrero for the ROH World Championship
- Cody vs. CMLL's Titan
- Bully Ray vs. Cheeseburger in a no DQ/no countout match
- Jay Lethal vs. Chuckie T
- The Briscoes and Punishment Martinez vs. The Hung Bucks
Smackdown Live drew 2.20 million viewers Tuesday night. Outside of Halloween, it was the second-lowest rated episode of the last 365 days. This week was not good for WWE's ratings, but, again, their TV homes are safe for years to come.
WWE:UK announced the first round matches for the contendership tournament, set for NXT's June 8 through June 10 shows at the Download Music Festival:
- Jordan Devlin vs. Tyson T-Bone
- Flash Morgan Webster vs. James Drake
- Drew Gulak vs. Jack Gallagher (this was taped at a recent NXT show)
- Ashton Smith vs. Joseph Conners
- Kenny Williams vs. Dave Mastiff
- Zack Gibson vs. Amir Jordan
- Tucker vs. Joe Coffey
WWE:UK's June 19 event will feature Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. EC3 and The Velveteen Dream. That sounds pretty fun.
WWE PPVs, beginning with Money in the Bank, will move to 7:00 p.m. EST with a Kickoff show at 6:00 p.m. This enables WWE to expand the shows beyond three hours.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I see why WWE made the match at the upfronts, but agree it's too soon for Ronda to win the title, especially with Brock still Universal Champion. It's definitely right for someone to intervene and spoil the babyface vs. babyface title match. I hate to break it to everyone, but it will probably be Stephanie.
2. Obviously they didn't do things quite the way Jericho did with Goldberg, as far as someone declaring themselves undefeated in the unanswered challenges. WWE has been careful not to present Brock as being afraid to show up for a challenge.
3. This was sent in before WWE decided to do just that.
4. Basically as he takes on more responsibilities with the XFL, he won't be able to focus as much on WWE. I don't see him going away from WWE entirely, but he'll certainly have to invest some time in the XFL and let others have responsibilities in WWE.
5. They've definitely had to come up with something for him to do that keeps him from going after a singles championship or eclipsing Roman. I think Finn and Lashley could be credible opponents if either man turns heel.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Wrestling doc hitting U.S. theaters, Cass update, Raw audience, Interview with Mauro, Smackdown dark segments, Miz reality show debut set, XFL hiring, and Questions on The B-Team, why Roode is where he is, Orton's future, AJ vs. Shinsuke not headlining Backlash, and Joe as the next WWE Champion
Documentary "350 Days" will screen in U.S. theaters on July 12. The movie discusses life on the road and features a slew of legends.
Big Cass' knee injury is believed to be legitimate, although there is currently no word on what the injury is or how long he'll be out.
Raw drew 2.67 million viewers Monday night. Thankfully their TV home is safe for the foreseeable future.
Mauro Ranallo gave a long interview to support the release of his upcoming documentary, going heavily into his history of mental issues in addition to his career.
Carmella defeated Becky Lynch before Smackdown Live to retain the Smackdown Women's Championship.
"Miz and Mrs." will debut July 24 following Smackdown Live, and will run for six thirty-minute episodes. I suspect Miz was moved to SDL to promote that. That's a good way to get WWE fans watching. I doubt the audience for "205 Live" is the same audience for that show, so I wouldn't think one would affect the other.
The XFL is now accepting applications for a variety of positions, from behind-the-scenes to playing the game. The league is also now selling merchandise. I was hoping there would be some stuff with the previous logo. We'll see.
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura took place after 205 Live. The two brawled, leading to The Bar running in and Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows evening the odds. There was no official decision.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible either WWE or Axel and Dallas themselves went that route intentionally but wanted to keep The Miztourage name while Miz was around.
2. As always, Roode got to be a featured act in NXT because he came in with a lot of experience relative to the other wrestlers there. He was already a big star for that level. Now he has to compete for screen time with a lot of other people who are similarly experienced and talented and have already spent years earning their current main roster spots. It should also be noted Roode is 41 and has been wrestling 20 years. He's probably looking to get as much out of his body as he can making WWE main roster money.
3. I think he'll go right back to being someone they can plug in a number of places on the card and work with talents who are newer to WWE's main roster.
4. Considering the way AJ vs. Shinsuke ended, they probably wanted a clean babyface win to close the card.
5. I'd be OK with it if Joe interrupted the Last Man Standing match to get a title match at Extreme Rules. Shinsuke definitely needs to be protected if he can't win in four straight title matches.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Big Cass' knee injury is believed to be legitimate, although there is currently no word on what the injury is or how long he'll be out.
Raw drew 2.67 million viewers Monday night. Thankfully their TV home is safe for the foreseeable future.
Mauro Ranallo gave a long interview to support the release of his upcoming documentary, going heavily into his history of mental issues in addition to his career.
Carmella defeated Becky Lynch before Smackdown Live to retain the Smackdown Women's Championship.
"Miz and Mrs." will debut July 24 following Smackdown Live, and will run for six thirty-minute episodes. I suspect Miz was moved to SDL to promote that. That's a good way to get WWE fans watching. I doubt the audience for "205 Live" is the same audience for that show, so I wouldn't think one would affect the other.
The XFL is now accepting applications for a variety of positions, from behind-the-scenes to playing the game. The league is also now selling merchandise. I was hoping there would be some stuff with the previous logo. We'll see.
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura took place after 205 Live. The two brawled, leading to The Bar running in and Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows evening the odds. There was no official decision.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible either WWE or Axel and Dallas themselves went that route intentionally but wanted to keep The Miztourage name while Miz was around.
2. As always, Roode got to be a featured act in NXT because he came in with a lot of experience relative to the other wrestlers there. He was already a big star for that level. Now he has to compete for screen time with a lot of other people who are similarly experienced and talented and have already spent years earning their current main roster spots. It should also be noted Roode is 41 and has been wrestling 20 years. He's probably looking to get as much out of his body as he can making WWE main roster money.
3. I think he'll go right back to being someone they can plug in a number of places on the card and work with talents who are newer to WWE's main roster.
4. Considering the way AJ vs. Shinsuke ended, they probably wanted a clean babyface win to close the card.
5. I'd be OK with it if Joe interrupted the Last Man Standing match to get a title match at Extreme Rules. Shinsuke definitely needs to be protected if he can't win in four straight title matches.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 5/22/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Lilian moving podcast, Smackdown Live making big move, new Hidden Gems on WWE Network, injured name at Raw, WWEPC opens website, new Honor United matches, ROH taping set, MSG matches set, WWE PPVs expanding, and Questions on why Raw and Smackdown are still so valuable
Lilian Garcia's podcast will no longer run on PodcastOne. As of now, there's no word of where the show will end up.
Smackdown Live will move to Friday nights on Fox's broadcast channel come October 2019. The five-year deal is worth a total of more than $1 billion. That's a massive win for the show and for WWE.
- The company's stock soared past previously record-breaking numbers after the news broke.
WWE showcased the next Hidden Gems collection, featuring Lex Luger, Yokozuna, The Undertaker, Triple H, and Road Dogg before they wrestled under those names among other things. It's neat to see what all WWE has in their archives.
Alicia Fox was backstage at Raw, the first WWE event she's been at since WrestleMania weekend. It's possible WWE is planning what to do with her next. I wouldn't expect her to go any higher on the card - both shows have a good mix of fresh and veteran female stars to use.
The WWE Performance Center now has an official website, which lets people apply to try out. I can only imagine how many bad applications they get.
ROH has added the following matches to Honor United:
-- May 26 in London:
- Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Haskins
-- May 27 in Doncaster:
- Silas Young vs. Doug Williams for the ROH Television Championship
- Dalton Castle and The Boys vs. Bully Ray, Shane Taylor, and Punishment Martinez
- The Addiction vs. Kenny King and Toru Yano
-- I'd be OK with Punishment and/or Shane going over Bully after that match.
ROH will tape TV in Philadelphia on August 25, at the former ECW Arena.
Raw's Madison Square Garden event on July 7 has added:
- Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal
- Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, and Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Elias.
WWE PPVs will go past four hours (excluding Kickoff) beginning at Money in the Bank. The Royal Rumble, Summerslam, and Survivor Series will go even longer than that. I understand them wanting to add value and get more people on the card, but I think it's going to water the shows down and make them more of a chore to watch than anything. Phew.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. SDL being on FOX is an interesting turn of events, given that it's moving to a broadcast network where standards are stricter. It could also expose the show to a larger audience. I think FOX will get behind the show, since it will almost definitely be one of their key shows. It will be very interesting to see what happens when the next deals come due, as far as whether FOX will be interested in Raw or other WWE content, and whether NBCU wants SDL back.
2. Ratings for WWE are still strong enough for Raw and SDL to be big players for networks. That's what the people who fixate on every rating point either forget or intentionally ignore. Raw and SDL are much safer than other shows as far as sticking around. There's going to be demand for WWE content for a long time to come.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown Live will move to Friday nights on Fox's broadcast channel come October 2019. The five-year deal is worth a total of more than $1 billion. That's a massive win for the show and for WWE.
- The company's stock soared past previously record-breaking numbers after the news broke.
WWE showcased the next Hidden Gems collection, featuring Lex Luger, Yokozuna, The Undertaker, Triple H, and Road Dogg before they wrestled under those names among other things. It's neat to see what all WWE has in their archives.
Alicia Fox was backstage at Raw, the first WWE event she's been at since WrestleMania weekend. It's possible WWE is planning what to do with her next. I wouldn't expect her to go any higher on the card - both shows have a good mix of fresh and veteran female stars to use.
The WWE Performance Center now has an official website, which lets people apply to try out. I can only imagine how many bad applications they get.
ROH has added the following matches to Honor United:
-- May 26 in London:
- Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Haskins
-- May 27 in Doncaster:
- Silas Young vs. Doug Williams for the ROH Television Championship
- Dalton Castle and The Boys vs. Bully Ray, Shane Taylor, and Punishment Martinez
- The Addiction vs. Kenny King and Toru Yano
-- I'd be OK with Punishment and/or Shane going over Bully after that match.
ROH will tape TV in Philadelphia on August 25, at the former ECW Arena.
Raw's Madison Square Garden event on July 7 has added:
- Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal
- Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, and Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Elias.
WWE PPVs will go past four hours (excluding Kickoff) beginning at Money in the Bank. The Royal Rumble, Summerslam, and Survivor Series will go even longer than that. I understand them wanting to add value and get more people on the card, but I think it's going to water the shows down and make them more of a chore to watch than anything. Phew.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. SDL being on FOX is an interesting turn of events, given that it's moving to a broadcast network where standards are stricter. It could also expose the show to a larger audience. I think FOX will get behind the show, since it will almost definitely be one of their key shows. It will be very interesting to see what happens when the next deals come due, as far as whether FOX will be interested in Raw or other WWE content, and whether NBCU wants SDL back.
2. Ratings for WWE are still strong enough for Raw and SDL to be big players for networks. That's what the people who fixate on every rating point either forget or intentionally ignore. Raw and SDL are much safer than other shows as far as sticking around. There's going to be demand for WWE content for a long time to come.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, May 21, 2018
WWN signs new star, SHIMMER upgrading distribution, cruiserweight injury, Finn's WM35 dream opponent, Dawson responds to critics, former WWE name training for ROH, former Divas Champion at HOH, Impact tapes at HOH, Almas on the road, Cass injured?, and Questions on why wrestlers slam wrestling journalists, more ECW names in the WWE HoF, how developmental used to work, and the Cena-Nikki breakup
WWN has signed New England indie star Josh Briggs. He worked EVOLVE's May 19 event.
SHIMMER is working on a streaming service in addition to considering moving from DVDs to Blu-Ray discs.
Mustafa Ali received a number of staples after a match with Cedric Alexander in France. OUCH.
Finn Balor wants to face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35. That could certainly tear the house down, although I wonder what the storyline would be beyond "this is a dream match!" That gets old.
Scott Dawson responded to criticism of The Revival working NXT live events. I think fans are concerned the team will slip from their current spot and either be stuck working for less money and prestige or straight-up released because WWE doesn't see them as viable.
The former Joey Mercury will be one of the trainers at ROH's new dojo. He was simply referred to as Joey in the press release. I hope that works out well for both sides.
The former Kelly Kelly made a surprise appearance at HOH this weekend, accompanying Chelsea Green in a win over Paradyse, who was accompanied by Rebel.
Impact Wrestling taped Moose vs. Eli Drake, LAX vs. The Squad World Order (Kenny and Mikey of the Spirit Squad), and Eddie Edwards and Tommy Dreamer vs. Jake and Dave Crist at HOH this weekend. It's good to see the relationship between those two promotions flourishing.
Andrade "Cien" Almas has begun working Smackdown live events on the current European tour, defeating Sin Cara.
Big Cass was part of an injury angle on a Smackdown live event. It's currently unknown how legitimate this is. I hope he's able to get some momentum going as a superstar after already missing so much time.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The problem with "dirtsheets," and this certainly isn't just true in the wrestling business, is that journalists are often only getting information from parties willing to talk to them. This can cause a problem if the reporter doesn't take that info with a grain of salt considering the source and try to balance things out. When you combine that with a business built on pulling one over on people, it creates the potential for outlets to be used to spread misinformation and agendas. Who's more likely to be a source, a lower-level wrestler who's frustrated with their position in the company, or a top-level executive? What's that source more likely to say, that someone's "holding them back," or they're not performing at a level the company wants from someone they'd consider moving up the card? There are legitimate concerns to be had about the wrestling media, particularly from those who are inside the business and have a clear idea of how things are really going.
2. I certainly think we'll see more ECW alumni entering the WWE HoF in the years to come, especially with WrestleMania being near New York next year. Bam Bam Bigelow was set to go in this year, so I expect he'll be inducted that weekend.
3. No. They basically just took talents who had already been "developed" in other promotions and made them into WWF superstars. As they got into the mid-'90s, the company grew, and they hired young untested talents and get them work in smaller promotions.
4 and 5. I don't know if the whole relationship is 100% a work, but things are almost definitely being dramatized into something bigger to push the show.
More wrestling tomorrow.
SHIMMER is working on a streaming service in addition to considering moving from DVDs to Blu-Ray discs.
Mustafa Ali received a number of staples after a match with Cedric Alexander in France. OUCH.
Finn Balor wants to face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35. That could certainly tear the house down, although I wonder what the storyline would be beyond "this is a dream match!" That gets old.
Scott Dawson responded to criticism of The Revival working NXT live events. I think fans are concerned the team will slip from their current spot and either be stuck working for less money and prestige or straight-up released because WWE doesn't see them as viable.
The former Joey Mercury will be one of the trainers at ROH's new dojo. He was simply referred to as Joey in the press release. I hope that works out well for both sides.
The former Kelly Kelly made a surprise appearance at HOH this weekend, accompanying Chelsea Green in a win over Paradyse, who was accompanied by Rebel.
Impact Wrestling taped Moose vs. Eli Drake, LAX vs. The Squad World Order (Kenny and Mikey of the Spirit Squad), and Eddie Edwards and Tommy Dreamer vs. Jake and Dave Crist at HOH this weekend. It's good to see the relationship between those two promotions flourishing.
Andrade "Cien" Almas has begun working Smackdown live events on the current European tour, defeating Sin Cara.
Big Cass was part of an injury angle on a Smackdown live event. It's currently unknown how legitimate this is. I hope he's able to get some momentum going as a superstar after already missing so much time.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The problem with "dirtsheets," and this certainly isn't just true in the wrestling business, is that journalists are often only getting information from parties willing to talk to them. This can cause a problem if the reporter doesn't take that info with a grain of salt considering the source and try to balance things out. When you combine that with a business built on pulling one over on people, it creates the potential for outlets to be used to spread misinformation and agendas. Who's more likely to be a source, a lower-level wrestler who's frustrated with their position in the company, or a top-level executive? What's that source more likely to say, that someone's "holding them back," or they're not performing at a level the company wants from someone they'd consider moving up the card? There are legitimate concerns to be had about the wrestling media, particularly from those who are inside the business and have a clear idea of how things are really going.
2. I certainly think we'll see more ECW alumni entering the WWE HoF in the years to come, especially with WrestleMania being near New York next year. Bam Bam Bigelow was set to go in this year, so I expect he'll be inducted that weekend.
3. No. They basically just took talents who had already been "developed" in other promotions and made them into WWF superstars. As they got into the mid-'90s, the company grew, and they hired young untested talents and get them work in smaller promotions.
4 and 5. I don't know if the whole relationship is 100% a work, but things are almost definitely being dramatized into something bigger to push the show.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Goldust celebrates milestone, Interview with Phillips, WWE Network content notes, top SDL bidders, new Honor United match, Aldis' ROH partner set, another MITB qualifier on SDL, and Questions on how Backlash went down, Raw's schedule vs. SDL's, NBCU hurting itself by giving up SDL, and how Swann is able to work Impact
Goldust celebrated ten years of sobriety. That's a great milestone; I hope he can continue on that path.
Tom Phillips talked about his path to WWE and more.
"Table for 3" after Raw will feature Edge, Christian, and the Hardy Boyz. I suppose they could have made it a table of three tag teams and included the Dudleys, but I don't think anyone's complaining about that lineup.
"Something Else to Wrestle With" this week will discuss Vince Russo in WWE. I hope they don't jump on the revisionist history/burial bandwagon.
FOX, Amazon, and Facebook are all in the bidding for Smackdown. That's interesting. I'm curious how much the latter two can put up for the show.
Cody vs. Scorpio Sky has been booked for Honor United:Doncaster on May 27.
Nick Aldis will team with Mark Haskins against the Young Bucks at Honor United:Edinburgh on May 24. Both Brits will make their ROH debut there.
WWE Network's Hidden Gems section will get another update on Thursday. It will be interesting to see what they dig up this time.
Naomi vs. Sonya Deville in a Money in the Bank qualifying match has been set for Smackdown Live. We'll see if Mandy Rose gets a second chance as well, or if we're already at the point of Sonya breaking out.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1.
2. Dual-brand PPVs can work fine, and I think we'll see that on future shows. WWE definitely killed too much time with the Elias segment, though, and I hope they don't move forward with the idea that they need to put everyone on every show, regardless if there's much of a reason for those talents to be there. As for AJ vs. Nakamura, I think a big part of the problem is that they had to suddenly add another match between the two at Greatest Royal Rumble. So, the feud feels like it's dragging on more due to the additional PPV. Things might have been a little more tolerable if they didn't have to have Shinsuke come up short in three straight matches and still get another title shot.
3. WWE has made sure the workloads are even.
4. It's certainly possible this new deal leads to strong future relationships with WWE and rights partners. Things could change a lot for that next deal, though, as far as outlets like Facebook and YouTube potentially being able to make bigger bids for content. As for Smackdown gaining prominence, I would actually assume the opposite. Since NBCU turned it down, other bidders could make a smaller deal than the one WWE got for Raw and even further solidify the show as "the B show." If WWE's getting more money for Raw than Smackdown under the next rights deal, I fully expect them to treat Raw as the priority with booking and talent.
5. It's entirely possible he negotiated to get out of his WWE deal without a no-compete clause, giving up the pay he'd get for that period of time in exchange for being able to get back in the ring sooner. It's rare for someone to do that, but it has been done before.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Tom Phillips talked about his path to WWE and more.
"Table for 3" after Raw will feature Edge, Christian, and the Hardy Boyz. I suppose they could have made it a table of three tag teams and included the Dudleys, but I don't think anyone's complaining about that lineup.
"Something Else to Wrestle With" this week will discuss Vince Russo in WWE. I hope they don't jump on the revisionist history/burial bandwagon.
FOX, Amazon, and Facebook are all in the bidding for Smackdown. That's interesting. I'm curious how much the latter two can put up for the show.
Cody vs. Scorpio Sky has been booked for Honor United:Doncaster on May 27.
Nick Aldis will team with Mark Haskins against the Young Bucks at Honor United:Edinburgh on May 24. Both Brits will make their ROH debut there.
WWE Network's Hidden Gems section will get another update on Thursday. It will be interesting to see what they dig up this time.
Naomi vs. Sonya Deville in a Money in the Bank qualifying match has been set for Smackdown Live. We'll see if Mandy Rose gets a second chance as well, or if we're already at the point of Sonya breaking out.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1.
2. Dual-brand PPVs can work fine, and I think we'll see that on future shows. WWE definitely killed too much time with the Elias segment, though, and I hope they don't move forward with the idea that they need to put everyone on every show, regardless if there's much of a reason for those talents to be there. As for AJ vs. Nakamura, I think a big part of the problem is that they had to suddenly add another match between the two at Greatest Royal Rumble. So, the feud feels like it's dragging on more due to the additional PPV. Things might have been a little more tolerable if they didn't have to have Shinsuke come up short in three straight matches and still get another title shot.
3. WWE has made sure the workloads are even.
4. It's certainly possible this new deal leads to strong future relationships with WWE and rights partners. Things could change a lot for that next deal, though, as far as outlets like Facebook and YouTube potentially being able to make bigger bids for content. As for Smackdown gaining prominence, I would actually assume the opposite. Since NBCU turned it down, other bidders could make a smaller deal than the one WWE got for Raw and even further solidify the show as "the B show." If WWE's getting more money for Raw than Smackdown under the next rights deal, I fully expect them to treat Raw as the priority with booking and talent.
5. It's entirely possible he negotiated to get out of his WWE deal without a no-compete clause, giving up the pay he'd get for that period of time in exchange for being able to get back in the ring sooner. It's rare for someone to do that, but it has been done before.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Main Event Reax - 5/18/18, WWF name assaulted, Cody promotes All In, NXT returns, XFL looking for feedback, wrestlers in music video, Flair takes ill, Nikki Bella on ANW, WWE seeking Wellness help, more WWE:UK tournament announcements, Interview with Aleister, Cena series trailer, ROH opening dojo, LIJ merch notes, Smackdown segment announced, Orton has surgery, Impact audience, WWE live event notes, and Questions on an Alpha reunion, searching by match on WWE Network, getting over in a loss, Lawler as GM, and Alberto's whereabouts
-- Main Event:
- Authors vs. Titus/Apollo:
Nice start from Apollo.
I like the destruction from the Authors.
About time we saw Titus in there!
Honestly, the faces are getting a lot more offense than I expected.
I like Titus and Apollo, but Akam and Rezar should have an easier time beating them.
- Gable vs. Mojo:
Mojo's crazy to try to outmaneuver Gable.
It's good to see Gable show off again.
There's a nice story here so far.
Chad is wrestling circles around him.
Man... that was fun. I'm glad Gable got to show what he can do.
Former WWF wrestler Tom Magee was brutally assaulted by multiple men in his neighborhood. He showed a lot of guts standing up to that many people at once. I hope he can fully recover sooner rather than later.
Cody was on Jim Ross' podcast as well as Edge and Christian's to discuss All In and his post-WWE career. He could end up being a major player in the business with this achievement.
The Revival made a surprise return to NXT at a Texas live event, defeating The Forgotten Sons of Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake. I assume this was just a cameo and they're not having to start their momentum over.
The XFL is set to launch in early 2020. The league's Twitter account asked for feedback on which cities should get teams. I'm curious how much of an overlap there will be with towns with big wrestling crowds.
Chris Jericho and Aleister Black are in a music video together. That would be an awesome match!
Ric Flair canceled appearances this weekend due to a sudden illness. That's unfortunate. I hope he can make those dates up soon.
Nikki Bella will be on "American Ninja Warrior" this coming week. I see her having a pretty good showing there.
WWE is seeking a Wellness Policy administrative assistant. I doubt that job is popular among wrestlers.
WWE has announced further names for the upcoming UK Championship tournament: Travis Banks, Jordan Devlin, James Drake, Drew Gulak, Ashton Smith, Flash Morgan Webster, Tucker, and Tyson T-Bone. They join Joe Coffey, Kenny Williams, Joseph Conners, Jack Gallagher, Zack Gibson, El Ligero, Dave Mastiff, and Amir Jordan in the series to challenge Pete Dunne for the championship.
Aleister Black discussed being NXT Champion and more. He's been a breakout star; I hope he can really be someone on the main roster.
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are going on tour together. That should be fun.
John Cena's animated YouTube series got a trailer released.
ROH is opening a new dojo on June 23. That's cool! They continue to expand into a prominent promotion.
Los Ingobernobles de Japon now have a shoe design available from ProWrestlingTees, set for release on June 5, in addition to an official Tekken shirt. PWT deserves a ton of credit for getting non-WWE talents a lot of opportunities to sell merch.
- The Rock 'N' Roll Express will be at PWT's store in Chicago on June 1 to celebrate the brand's five-year anniversary. PWT is OVER.
New Day will be on MizTV on Smackdown to announce which member will enter the Money in the Bank ladder match. It will be interesting to see if we're in for one of them splitting off as a singles star after that match.
Randy Orton recently had knee surgery, and is expected to miss three months. Hopefully he'll come back refreshed after Summerslam.
Impact Wrestling rebounded to 325,000 viewers Thursday night.
At an NXT live event in Florida:
- Lio Rush had Babatunde Aiyegbushi in his corner as he lost to Buddy Murphy. Babatunde then defeated Big Boa. Teaming Lio with a mastadon is an interesting idea, and I'm glad Rush is back in the ring.
- Tyler Breeze(!) defeated Marcel Barthel in the main event. I don't dislike the idea of certain names working NXT events if they're not doing anything remotely important on Raw or Smackdown events.
Elias and Bobby Roode have been doing "concerts" at Raw live events. Elias has found an interesting niche for himself with his act.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's almost inevitable they'll cross paths as partners or opponents when Jordan returns. If not both! Their careers are pretty intertwined at this point.
1. It's almost inevitable they'll cross paths as partners or opponents when Jordan returns. If not both! Their careers are pretty intertwined at this point.
2. That's a good idea, but I do think it would be a BIG undertaking. Hopefully it comes at some point.
3. I don't think there's any topping those two examples. There are definitely times when losses mean more than wins.
4. I could see it being an age thing, as far as wanting someone a little younger to do the role, but he definitely could have done well there. That said, WWE brass has always seen him as an important voice on commentary or panels or what have you.
5. I'm under the impression he's focusing on doing a last run in Mexico and his role with Combate Americas. Unless, you know, WWE calls him with a big check in hand.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, May 18, 2018
More on NBCU deal, All In clarification, notes on All In's achievement, NJPW names new president with big goals, recent ROH and WWE sellouts, NJPW PPV doing big business, Y2J's NJPW shirt a hit, more on NJPW's French deal, Vice covering wrestling, WOS taping notes, top name set for WWE:UK?, WWE:UK exclusivity grows, new WWEPC hires, why Cass has fallen down the card, Orton update, WWE game announced, Cornette on All In weekend, Mauro trailer, Mean Gene ad appearance, GWN and Honrclub content notes, Impact backstage name returns, WWE stock breaks record, Raw live event notes, Shane surgery, Interview with Show, WWE names address Yanny vs. Laurel, Bayley profiled, more Mid-South content on WWE Network, a lot of new Honor United matches, and Questions on Johnston post-WWE, WWE signing Luger from WCW, a city that should host a Takeover, the toughest man in wrestling, and Riley returning to WWE
Raw is almost definitely remaining at three hours under its next deal. Those three hours are valuable to USA Network; I suspect the show will remain that length for some time to come.
Cody will challenge the NWA World Champion at All In, regardless of who holds the title on that date.
All In is the greatest-selling non-WWE wrestling event in the United States since WCW Bash at the Beach 1999, and the greatest-selling non-WWE wrestling event in North America since a Montreal event in late 2001.
NJPW will have a new president come June 1, as Harold Meij takes over. Meij was chosen because he wants NJPW to be a bigger global competitor, as well as due to his fluency with Western culture and English. Meij is the first non-Japanese person to hold that position, and previously had executive roles at Coca Cola Japan and a top toy company.
- Meij has stated his goals as improving NJPW's TV situation and sell out the Tokyo Dome. His experience with marketing and branding were highlighted, too.
War of the Worlds: Toronto and Royal Oak were legitimate sellouts, as was Raw's May 13 live event in Spain and May 14 taping in the UK.
NJPW Dominion has sold out with more than 11,000 tickets sold. This will be the biggest gate they've ever drawn in that venue.
Chris Jericho's new NJPW shirt was the top seller on Hot Topic's website. He's been really savvy at staying relevant in wrestling.
NJPW's French TV deal is a one month trial of AXS episodes with French commentary.
Vice Sports is putting together a number of wrestling documentaries, including on the Von Erich family and the Montreal Screwjob. I'm curious what they can bring to to those topics.
ITV's WOS Wrestling tapings featured the former Wade Barrett as a commentator alongside SoCal Val in addition to being an authority figure. Wrestlers included Will Ospreay, Davey Boy Smith, Jr., Grado, Moose, Viper, Kay Lee Ray, and Doug Williams among many others.
Toni Storm is booked for WWE:UK's King of the Ring shows, and could have signed a contract outright. She's definitely someone who can be a star.
WWE:UK talents are no longer allowed to work Revolution Pro or certain other groups beyond PROGRESS or ICW. That's not surprising with WWE looking to begin running regular events with the UK brand soon.
Gymnast Stacey Ervin, Jr. and rugby player Daniel Vidot have signed WWE developmental deals. Ervin had a tryout several months back, while Vidot has been scouted for years.
Big Cass has heat for going off script during the "Little Daniel Bryan" segment. He was specifically told not to do the beatdown outside the ring, and that idea was turned down by Vince directly, but went ahead and did it regardless. So that explains why he's being knocked down the card. I see both sides of this one, with Cass wanting to grab the brass ring and Management seeing it as insubordination.
Randy Orton was given the European tour off. His current deal lets him limit his time on the road.
WWE 2K19 has been officially announced. No surprise there; it's just a matter of who will grace the cover and if there will be any surprise additions. I have a feeling Ronda Rousey will be the centerpiece this time. That's probably the right move.
Jim Cornette's latest podcast discussed All In's success and Vince Russo being booted from Starrcast. A generation of online wrestling fans, quite a few of which are in the business, have accepted as gospel that Russo "killed WCW and TNA" and don't want anything to do with him as a result. It's a new era and a lot of those names can now call the shots to blackball Russo.
Mauro Ranallo's upcoming documentary got another trailer. Extremely powerful stuff; I wish him the best personally and professionally.
Gene Okerlund is in a Mountain Dew ad with Kevin Hart. Glad to see Gene getting work in 2018.
The Global Wrestling Network now has every PPV event from the Asylum years.
Rafael Morfi has returned to Impact to work the travel logistics of Slammiversary.
WWE's stock reached an all-time high after reports of the new rights deal for Raw. The deals for Raw and Smackdown will drive revenue to unprecedented levels in the years to come.
- WWE received a lot of mainstream recognition for its stock price increase. Things are looking really good for the company.
Honorclub has added a Kevin Steen compilation focusing on 2005-2008. It's smart to showcase stars who've achieved big mainstream success.
Ronda Rousey teamed with Natalya and Ember Moon to defeat Mickie James, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan on May 16 in Switzerland in Ronda's live event debut. She was originally set for singles matches on the tour.
- Also on the show, Zack Ryder and Chad Gable defeated Goldust and Mojo Rawley. That's a pretty odd pairing on both ends; I'm curious what it means, if anything, for Goldust and Gable going forward.
Shane McMahon has undergone successful hernia surgery, and is now recovering at home. I hope he's able to rest a while before getting physical again.
Big Show is on Stone Cold's latest podcast, discussing his recent surgery, contract status, and more. Show signed a new WWE deal earlier this year that allows him to be a brand ambassador with limited in-ring duties. He's still recovering from hip surgery.
WWE names weighed in on the Yanny/Laurel debate. It's a matter of sound quality and pitch, largely.
Bayley's pre-WWE career was showcased. Neat. It's kind of funny seeing them acknowledge Bayley isn't actually named Bayley.
WWE Network is uploading new episodes of Mid-South Wrestling. With Thunder and Heat being held up as long as they were, WWE has quite a bit of content ready to roll out at once.
ROH has set the following matches for Honor United:
-- May 24 in Edinburgh:
- Punishment Martinez vs. Kenny King
- Dalton Castle, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Jay Lethal vs. The Kingdom in a non-title match
- Sumie Sakai and Tenille Dashwood vs. Kelly Klein and Chardonnay
- Nick Aldis and a partner TBD by Ring of Honor vs. The Young Bucks. That should be interesting...
- Delirious and Toru Yano vs. The Boys
- Silas Young vs. Joe Hendry for the ROH Television Championship
-- May 26 in London:
- Cody vs. Kenny King
- Dalton Castle vs. EVIL for the ROH World Championship
- Tenille Dashwood vs. Kelly Klein
-- May 27 in Doncaster:
- Jay Lethal vs. Matt Taven
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hangman Page
- Sumie Sakai vs. Chardonnay for the ROH Women Of Honor Championship
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I expect he's going to remain low-key, as he liked to do when he was in WWE. He could be working on something outside the business.
2. Those days were pretty crazy, huh?
3. Las Vegas? My other pick, Los Angeles, is set for November.
4. I think Haku's reputation might exceed Williams', but I'm not counting Williams out!
5. Not that I know of. He seems to have moved on to acting and other endeavors; it's likely he doesn't want to be behind the desk when he still has things to offer physically.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Interviews with Joe/Rousey, an even bigger Titus slide, NXT live event lineup, first WWE:UK tournament names, Enzo releases statement, SDL audience, new Jericho show, SDL leaving NBCU, and Questions on moving Roman to SDL, why Roman beat Joe, booking Brock's future, and how Impact can compete
Samoa Joe talked to Sky Sports about intimidating an opponent. I expect he'll destroy whatever's left of Big Cass' credibility on he next SD Live.
Titus O'Neil got on the World's Largest Slide. He's going to be on highlight reels for years to come.
Ronda Rousey plans on getting pregnant soon, which, naturally, would put her out of the ring for a significant amount of time. We'll see how that goes.
Set for NXT's June 11 show in France:
- Aleister Black vs. Lars Sullivan
- Shayna Baszler vs. Nikki Cross
- The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong) vs. Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch
- Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
- Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream
- Dakota Kai and Steffanie Newell vs. Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair
- Tyler Bate vs. Zach Gibson
- Heavy Machinery vs. the Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake and Steve Culter)
WWE has announced the first eight names for next month's UK tournament: Joe Coffey, Joseph Conners, Jack Gallagher, Zack Gibson, Amir Jordan, El Ligero, Dave Mastiff, and Kenny Williams. That's a solid mix of workers.
Enzo Amore released a statement from his attorney regarding charges against Enzo being dropped. I hope he's able to rebound from this unfortunate set of circumstances.
Smackdown Live drew 2.30 million viewers this week, basically what it drew last week.
Chris Jericho is debuting a new radio show, which will broadcast monthly on SiriusXM. That adds another non-wrestling venture to his resume, but I fully expect him to continue getting in the ring here and there.
Smackdown is reportedly leaving NBC Universal, while Raw will be getting a big rights increase. That could lead to some really interesting changes for both shows in the future.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Given how things have gone since WM34, I definitely think switching AJ and Roman as champions could have been a good move.
2. It looks like they didn't want Roman to beat Brock, but they didn't want him to slip even further than that by losing to Joe on PPV. WWE's booking lately has been a mess.
3. Dear God. Brock being in the title picture all the way through Survivor Series??? This might have worked when there were only four PPVs, but I'm skeptical about it working in 2018/2019.
4. I wouldn't mind that idea, but I don't think Braun needs the briefcase to get that match. Finn winning as part of a heel turn is my pick.
5. Find a sugar daddy (or momma, or parent) willing to throw millions and millions of dollars at them, win the lottery, etc. Even then, it would be a while before they could compete directly with WWE. They'd need a big rights deal and years of being able to restock their roster. In their current state, they're not really in position to be competition to NXT, much less WWE as a whole.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Titus O'Neil got on the World's Largest Slide. He's going to be on highlight reels for years to come.
Ronda Rousey plans on getting pregnant soon, which, naturally, would put her out of the ring for a significant amount of time. We'll see how that goes.
Set for NXT's June 11 show in France:
- Aleister Black vs. Lars Sullivan
- Shayna Baszler vs. Nikki Cross
- The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong) vs. Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch
- Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
- Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream
- Dakota Kai and Steffanie Newell vs. Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair
- Tyler Bate vs. Zach Gibson
- Heavy Machinery vs. the Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake and Steve Culter)
WWE has announced the first eight names for next month's UK tournament: Joe Coffey, Joseph Conners, Jack Gallagher, Zack Gibson, Amir Jordan, El Ligero, Dave Mastiff, and Kenny Williams. That's a solid mix of workers.
Enzo Amore released a statement from his attorney regarding charges against Enzo being dropped. I hope he's able to rebound from this unfortunate set of circumstances.
Smackdown Live drew 2.30 million viewers this week, basically what it drew last week.
Chris Jericho is debuting a new radio show, which will broadcast monthly on SiriusXM. That adds another non-wrestling venture to his resume, but I fully expect him to continue getting in the ring here and there.
Smackdown is reportedly leaving NBC Universal, while Raw will be getting a big rights increase. That could lead to some really interesting changes for both shows in the future.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Given how things have gone since WM34, I definitely think switching AJ and Roman as champions could have been a good move.
2. It looks like they didn't want Roman to beat Brock, but they didn't want him to slip even further than that by losing to Joe on PPV. WWE's booking lately has been a mess.
3. Dear God. Brock being in the title picture all the way through Survivor Series??? This might have worked when there were only four PPVs, but I'm skeptical about it working in 2018/2019.
4. I wouldn't mind that idea, but I don't think Braun needs the briefcase to get that match. Finn winning as part of a heel turn is my pick.
5. Find a sugar daddy (or momma, or parent) willing to throw millions and millions of dollars at them, win the lottery, etc. Even then, it would be a while before they could compete directly with WWE. They'd need a big rights deal and years of being able to restock their roster. In their current state, they're not really in position to be competition to NXT, much less WWE as a whole.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Raw visitor, recent WWE titleholder going to Impact, another Jericho tease, podcast note, more All In praise, another Hogan interview, Raw audience, Impact and ROH apps expand availability, more ROH UK matches, WWE UK return set, and Questions on beating Brock, WWE-Saudi criticism, the GRR cage match ending, and Paige's retirement
Davey Boy Smith, Jr. was backstage visiting at Raw. I'd like to see him return to WWE at some point, but I don't know what the odds are of that coming to pass.
Rich Swann will debut for Impact Wrestling at their next tapings. I hope that's a good move for both sides. Of course, his wife Su Yung recently started working there, too.
Chris Jericho was in London at the same time as Tuesday's Smackdown taping. He got people talking about that possibility with a picture he had taken with Sami Zayn a few weeks previously. VINTAGE Jericho playing mind games with the WWE Universe!
Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax are no the road for WWE's European tour after their NBC upfront appearances.
Taz discussed what would have happened had ECW continued on his radio show. Paul Heyman, Tommy Dreamer, and others discussed this on WWE.com a few years back. It was pretty cool.
Paul Heyman put over All In's success. As was the case with Cornette, this show has sold more tickets than any ECW event. It's truly an amazing accomplishment for a show not tied to a national TV deal.
Hulk Hogan discussed his WWE status and more. Not much new to report there.
Raw drew 2.74 million viewers, slightly up from the previous week. This week and last were the lowest back-to-back audiences since late May 2017.
HonorClub is now available on all Apple and Android devices. They're still working on getting it on Roku.
ROH has announced the following additional Honor United matches:
-- May 24 in Edinburgh:
- EVIL and SANADA vs. The Addiction
- Shane Taylor vs. Scorpio Sky
-- May 26 in London:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Silas Young vs. Punishment Martinez vs. SANADA
- Jay Lethal vs. Mark Briscoe
- Shane Taylor vs. Toru Yano
-- May 27 in Doncaster:
- The Briscoes vs. EVIL and SANADA vs. the Young Bucks vs. Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan
The Global Wrestling Network app is now available in 14 new countries. I don't know how many Impact fans are in those countries, but hopefully this means more money for the company.
WWE will return to the UK for a live event on August 29. Ronda Rousey is advertised as making her UK debut on that event. Will she be another part-time champion by that time?
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Seth is already holding gold. I don't dislike the idea of Finn winning MITB and using that to challenge for the title at Summerslam. Otherwise, I'm going with Braun.
1. Seth is already holding gold. I don't dislike the idea of Finn winning MITB and using that to challenge for the title at Summerslam. Otherwise, I'm going with Braun.
2. I think that goes beyond being a wrestling question in most regards, so I'll just refer to my previous answer that I see why fans aren't happy WWE is associating with the Saudi regime, and WWE is hoping to be a force of change in the region.
3. WWE completely addressed this by having the referee say he made the wrong call as he was concerned about the health of each competitor after the cage bump, and then Angle said the referee's decision was final.
4. I see why the reader felt the report was false, since at the time it wasn't addressed on WWE TV, but obviously Johnson has since been vindicated.
5. She's still under contract as a performer, so they're using her as an on-screen talent for the remainder of that deal. After that contract ends or WWE decides to change direction, they can discuss other options. I'd like to think there's a chance she'll take a backstage role at some point, but right now everyone's focused on her fulfilling the rest of her commitments on-screen.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
NJPW at gaming convention, Groundhog Day for the WWE Title, WWE-NBC notes, Corny praises All In, WWE:UK tournament note, Gail has surgery, and Questions on news aggregators, Carmella's abilities or lack thereof, American Alpha reuniting, Brock "breaking Punk's record," and why NXT booking doesn't work on Raw or Smackdown
NJPW will be part of the CEO Fighting Game Championships on June 29. Talent announced included Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, the Guerrillas of Destiny, Roppongi 3K, Jeff Cobb, and more. That's pretty awesome.
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship has been announced for Money in the Bank. If WWE's trying to destroy fans' "dream match" by running it into the ground with underwhelming stories and matches, they're succeeding.
Ronda Rousey, Nia Jax, and Charlotte Flair joined Stephanie McMahon in promoting WWE's women's revolution at NBC's upfront presentation. Triple H was also in attendance.
Jim Cornette put over All In's incredible ticket sales. I'm glad he's willing to acknowledge the success of those involved.
The Rock promoted his upcoming NBC competition show. It'd be a no-brainer to have him appear on Raw or Smackdown to promote that.
The UK Championship contendership tournament's opening round will take place at the Download Music Festival from June 8 through June 10. Jack Gallagher is the first competitor announced. Dunne vs. Gallagher would be pretty cool, actually.
Gail Kim had her appendix removed Monday morning as a result of appendicitis suffered Sunday night. I hope she's able to return to work soon.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Some websites/blogs will collect news from several different news sites in one place. It's not unique to wrestling, and hopefully it gets more attention to those who first break the story.
2. The whole point of her reign is that she's only champion because she cashed in after The IIconics took Charlotte out, and she only got the briefcase in the first place because of James Ellsworth, rather than because she's an amazing wrestler. I would like to see them "protect" Carmella more as far as having The IIconics ensure she keeps the title, since it's not believable for her to beat someone like Charlotte clean, but I also think it's the right idea to put her in there with wrestlers who have more talent than she does so she can theoretically grow her abilities in the ring.
3. It's going to be hard for them to stand out with so many other teams on Raw, so it probably is better for them to work as singles stars.
4. Punk will be a longer reigning WWE Champion, but Lesnar will be the longest reigning world heavyweight champion overall in WWE in 30 years. And if things keep going like they're going, maybe he beats Hogan's four-year reign, too.
5. Just like with basketball, those college stars go from being top prospects at that level to joining the already crowded NBA, with stars who have been performing at a high level for years upon years. How many college players go right into being the top player in the league and winning the NBA title? WWE is the same way.
More wrestling tomorrow.
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship has been announced for Money in the Bank. If WWE's trying to destroy fans' "dream match" by running it into the ground with underwhelming stories and matches, they're succeeding.
Ronda Rousey, Nia Jax, and Charlotte Flair joined Stephanie McMahon in promoting WWE's women's revolution at NBC's upfront presentation. Triple H was also in attendance.
Jim Cornette put over All In's incredible ticket sales. I'm glad he's willing to acknowledge the success of those involved.
The Rock promoted his upcoming NBC competition show. It'd be a no-brainer to have him appear on Raw or Smackdown to promote that.
The UK Championship contendership tournament's opening round will take place at the Download Music Festival from June 8 through June 10. Jack Gallagher is the first competitor announced. Dunne vs. Gallagher would be pretty cool, actually.
Gail Kim had her appendix removed Monday morning as a result of appendicitis suffered Sunday night. I hope she's able to return to work soon.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Some websites/blogs will collect news from several different news sites in one place. It's not unique to wrestling, and hopefully it gets more attention to those who first break the story.
2. The whole point of her reign is that she's only champion because she cashed in after The IIconics took Charlotte out, and she only got the briefcase in the first place because of James Ellsworth, rather than because she's an amazing wrestler. I would like to see them "protect" Carmella more as far as having The IIconics ensure she keeps the title, since it's not believable for her to beat someone like Charlotte clean, but I also think it's the right idea to put her in there with wrestlers who have more talent than she does so she can theoretically grow her abilities in the ring.
3. It's going to be hard for them to stand out with so many other teams on Raw, so it probably is better for them to work as singles stars.
4. Punk will be a longer reigning WWE Champion, but Lesnar will be the longest reigning world heavyweight champion overall in WWE in 30 years. And if things keep going like they're going, maybe he beats Hogan's four-year reign, too.
5. Just like with basketball, those college stars go from being top prospects at that level to joining the already crowded NBA, with stars who have been performing at a high level for years upon years. How many college players go right into being the top player in the league and winning the NBA title? WWE is the same way.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Raw match set, assorted WWE notes, All In appearance and match set, ROH UK matches set, All In shatters ticket records, and Questions on questioning The Game, Trump on WWE TV, training refs, and old WWF shows and dark matches on the Network
Charlotte Flair went from WWE's European tour to New York City to be part of a WWE conference before returning for the remainder of the tour. That's dedication.
The Hardy Boyz DVD got a clip released. Should be a memorable collection.
Dana Warrior, Mark Henry, and Lacey Evans honored military spouses in Washington, DC.
Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens for the Intercontinental Championship is official for Raw. That should be a barnburner.
Braun Strowman and Bayley met fans before Raw.
Rey Mysterio has been announced for All In. That's definitely a big name. I don't know the odds of getting Punk, but I'd like to think Chris Jericho isn't out of the question.
Cody will challenge Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at All In. So, father and son could both have the title in their careers.
The Briscoes vs. Cody and Hangman Page for the ROH World Tag Team Championship is set for Honor United: Edinburgh on May 24.
The Kingdom vs. SoCal Uncensored vs. the Hung Bucks for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship is set for Honor United:London on May 26. I'm curious if they'll switch the title back to The Addiction and Scorpio Sky there. It would definitely be big for The Kingdom to retain.
All In sold every single ticket in less than thirty minutes. While a large portion of tickets bought were for people to unload for a profit on other websites, the fact remains this is the biggest non-WWE event in the United States since WCW went out of business, surpassing anything Impact, ROH, or ECW ever put on. The importance of that accomplishment cannot be overstated. PWInsider's Mike Johnson covered what this means in-depth.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'd ask about his strategies for changing the structure of WWE in the face of large expenses for ventures (NXT, UK brand, 205 Live, etc.) that aren't leading to Network-related revenue, and what he intends to do about the styles he focuses on with those projects not translating to gains for Raw or Smackdown.
2. Ohhhhhh boy. WWE has very deliberately not featured the controversial Hall of Famer since his rise in politics. Other than potentially a pre-taped message on something like Tribute to the Troops, I think they're going to continue to go that route.
3. They at least get enough knowledge of the actual in-ring stuff to know how to effectively do their roles in making the superstars' work shine as much as possible.
4. I would think they might upload a few matches featuring names who ended up being more important, but I don't expect WWE to upload the whole series unless they're really digging deep in the archive for content.
5. In addition, they keep the footage in case something important happens like an injury. WWE knows what they're doing.
More wrestling tomorrow.
The Hardy Boyz DVD got a clip released. Should be a memorable collection.
Dana Warrior, Mark Henry, and Lacey Evans honored military spouses in Washington, DC.
Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens for the Intercontinental Championship is official for Raw. That should be a barnburner.
Braun Strowman and Bayley met fans before Raw.
Rey Mysterio has been announced for All In. That's definitely a big name. I don't know the odds of getting Punk, but I'd like to think Chris Jericho isn't out of the question.
Cody will challenge Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at All In. So, father and son could both have the title in their careers.
The Briscoes vs. Cody and Hangman Page for the ROH World Tag Team Championship is set for Honor United: Edinburgh on May 24.
The Kingdom vs. SoCal Uncensored vs. the Hung Bucks for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship is set for Honor United:London on May 26. I'm curious if they'll switch the title back to The Addiction and Scorpio Sky there. It would definitely be big for The Kingdom to retain.
All In sold every single ticket in less than thirty minutes. While a large portion of tickets bought were for people to unload for a profit on other websites, the fact remains this is the biggest non-WWE event in the United States since WCW went out of business, surpassing anything Impact, ROH, or ECW ever put on. The importance of that accomplishment cannot be overstated. PWInsider's Mike Johnson covered what this means in-depth.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'd ask about his strategies for changing the structure of WWE in the face of large expenses for ventures (NXT, UK brand, 205 Live, etc.) that aren't leading to Network-related revenue, and what he intends to do about the styles he focuses on with those projects not translating to gains for Raw or Smackdown.
2. Ohhhhhh boy. WWE has very deliberately not featured the controversial Hall of Famer since his rise in politics. Other than potentially a pre-taped message on something like Tribute to the Troops, I think they're going to continue to go that route.
3. They at least get enough knowledge of the actual in-ring stuff to know how to effectively do their roles in making the superstars' work shine as much as possible.
4. I would think they might upload a few matches featuring names who ended up being more important, but I don't expect WWE to upload the whole series unless they're really digging deep in the archive for content.
5. In addition, they keep the footage in case something important happens like an injury. WWE knows what they're doing.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Main Event Reax - 5/11/18, Charlotte hurt, another NXT injury, why Booker is replacing Coach on Raw, Network collection returning, podcast/WWE press notes including an awesome Miz interview, Stephanie and Regal honored, Punk signing on All In weekend, live event notes, Impact audience, NXT names talk SDL debut, WotW backstage notes, and Questions on Anthem saving Impact, Wrestlecon 2019, Jericho the freelancer, and next year's HoF class
-- Main Event:
- Cedric vs. Nese:
I love Nese's posing.
Fine start. Both men are really athletic.
Good flash so far.
Impressive Fosbury Flop!!
Not bad at all.
- Hawkins promo:
Wow. I don't remember the last time someone got mic time on Main Event. Maybe that bodes well for Curt!
I love the idea he's made something of himself when he hasn't won a match in more than 18 months.
- Ryder vs. Hawkins:
I do kind of miss their team.
It's cool to see these two face off again, especially in Long Island.
WHOA! I'm surprised the Rough Ryder didn't end it.
HAHAHAH
That was pretty fun.
- Post-match:
Honestly, I kind of want to see a U.S./IC MITB, but the show's already going to have at least two ladder matches. Regardless, this was a nice moment.
Charlotte Flair lost some teeth in a match with Carmella, requiring dental surgery. Things haven't gone well for Charlotte lately, on-screen or off!
- With Charlotte unable to wrestle on the May 11 show, Becky Lynch faced Carmella for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Asuka and Naomi worked a handicap match with Lana and the IIconics.
Riddick Moss recently had a knee injury. So, he and Tino Sabbatelli are both out of action.
Jonathan Coachman is doing something for The Golf Channel Monday, so Booker T. will replace him on commentary.
Brock Lesnar's WWE Network collection on getting the Undisputed Championship has returned to the service. More collections are set to return going forward.
Tommy Dreamer and Renee Young are on the latest Edge and Christian podcast.
Stephanie McMahon received an award for her philanthropy. That's great!
NXT staff wished William Regal Happy Birthday. That's REALLY cool. It's just a matter of time before Regal is in the Hall of Fame.
C.M. Punk is signing at Pro Wrestling Tees' store the weekend of All In, which will undoubtedly get people talking about him working that show. I don't think it's out of the question for it to happen, but it's a big "if" and I hope Cody and the Bucks aren't counting on something that isn't a done deal.
Tucker defeated Joseph Connors in WWE:UK action at Raw's May 11 live event in Northern Ireland.
The Miz talked to Sports Illustrated, DESTROYING Daniel Bryan. Fans can't get behind Roman and Nakamura isn't really someone you send out to do interviews. Why aren't they putting the belt on Miz???
Natalya promoted WWE's European tour with The Irish Mirror and Buzz.ie. She's easily earned a Hall of Fame spot when she retires, and she's still going!
Impact Wrestling drew 295,000 viewers Thursday night, pretty much what they drew last week.
Bayley spoke to Sky Sports to promote the ongoing European tour.
WWE stars wished Middle Eastern fans Ramadan Kareem. That's pretty cool.
Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega promoted their Smackdown Live debut. I hope Zelina gets to wrestle as well.
Corey Graves gave a long interview to Sam Roberts. Graves is going to really leave a legacy if he keeps things up.
Dalton Castle was backstage at War of the Worlds:Toronto. Flip Gordon missed the show due to travel issues. Thankfully ROH still delivered a great main event.
Dory Funk, Jr. appeared at NXT's May 11 Florida show. EC3 interrupted him before Aleister Black took EC3 out. EC3 vs. Black should be pretty good, although EC3 can pretty much only go down the card from there.
- Also on the show:
-- TM-61 worked as heels in a loss to the War Raiders
-- Lars Sullivan attacked Kassius Ohno and Ricochet in their match to cause a no-contest.
-- Boa teamed with Heavy Machinery in a loss to the Undisputed Era. It looks like Boa is going to be on NXT TV soon.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Anthem seems to finally be rebounding Impact in 2018 now that they have a consistent team in charge and creative direction. At least, they seem to have stopped the bleeding. They're running more regular events and they have good relationships with outside companies that allow them to get their talents more exposure and make use of talent from other groups.
2. Yes! They just announced it will be in New York City at the Hilton Midtown.
Nothing to add to 3 or 5.
4. Jericho is an a position to do whatever he wants because WWE wants/needs him more than the other way around! He only signs short-term deals with the company when it's something he's really interested in doing or he "gets the itch" to wrestle some more.
6. I could see Taker being saved for a Texas or New Orleans Mania year, and Rock being saved for Florida. Batista is also an option. I like all their other picks, too, and I'd throw in Bam Bam Bigelow.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Cedric vs. Nese:
I love Nese's posing.
Fine start. Both men are really athletic.
Good flash so far.
Impressive Fosbury Flop!!
Not bad at all.
- Hawkins promo:
Wow. I don't remember the last time someone got mic time on Main Event. Maybe that bodes well for Curt!
I love the idea he's made something of himself when he hasn't won a match in more than 18 months.
- Ryder vs. Hawkins:
I do kind of miss their team.
It's cool to see these two face off again, especially in Long Island.
WHOA! I'm surprised the Rough Ryder didn't end it.
HAHAHAH
That was pretty fun.
- Post-match:
Honestly, I kind of want to see a U.S./IC MITB, but the show's already going to have at least two ladder matches. Regardless, this was a nice moment.
Charlotte Flair lost some teeth in a match with Carmella, requiring dental surgery. Things haven't gone well for Charlotte lately, on-screen or off!
- With Charlotte unable to wrestle on the May 11 show, Becky Lynch faced Carmella for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Asuka and Naomi worked a handicap match with Lana and the IIconics.
Riddick Moss recently had a knee injury. So, he and Tino Sabbatelli are both out of action.
Jonathan Coachman is doing something for The Golf Channel Monday, so Booker T. will replace him on commentary.
Brock Lesnar's WWE Network collection on getting the Undisputed Championship has returned to the service. More collections are set to return going forward.
Tommy Dreamer and Renee Young are on the latest Edge and Christian podcast.
Stephanie McMahon received an award for her philanthropy. That's great!
NXT staff wished William Regal Happy Birthday. That's REALLY cool. It's just a matter of time before Regal is in the Hall of Fame.
C.M. Punk is signing at Pro Wrestling Tees' store the weekend of All In, which will undoubtedly get people talking about him working that show. I don't think it's out of the question for it to happen, but it's a big "if" and I hope Cody and the Bucks aren't counting on something that isn't a done deal.
Tucker defeated Joseph Connors in WWE:UK action at Raw's May 11 live event in Northern Ireland.
The Miz talked to Sports Illustrated, DESTROYING Daniel Bryan. Fans can't get behind Roman and Nakamura isn't really someone you send out to do interviews. Why aren't they putting the belt on Miz???
Natalya promoted WWE's European tour with The Irish Mirror and Buzz.ie. She's easily earned a Hall of Fame spot when she retires, and she's still going!
Impact Wrestling drew 295,000 viewers Thursday night, pretty much what they drew last week.
Bayley spoke to Sky Sports to promote the ongoing European tour.
WWE stars wished Middle Eastern fans Ramadan Kareem. That's pretty cool.
Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega promoted their Smackdown Live debut. I hope Zelina gets to wrestle as well.
Corey Graves gave a long interview to Sam Roberts. Graves is going to really leave a legacy if he keeps things up.
Dalton Castle was backstage at War of the Worlds:Toronto. Flip Gordon missed the show due to travel issues. Thankfully ROH still delivered a great main event.
Dory Funk, Jr. appeared at NXT's May 11 Florida show. EC3 interrupted him before Aleister Black took EC3 out. EC3 vs. Black should be pretty good, although EC3 can pretty much only go down the card from there.
- Also on the show:
-- TM-61 worked as heels in a loss to the War Raiders
-- Lars Sullivan attacked Kassius Ohno and Ricochet in their match to cause a no-contest.
-- Boa teamed with Heavy Machinery in a loss to the Undisputed Era. It looks like Boa is going to be on NXT TV soon.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Anthem seems to finally be rebounding Impact in 2018 now that they have a consistent team in charge and creative direction. At least, they seem to have stopped the bleeding. They're running more regular events and they have good relationships with outside companies that allow them to get their talents more exposure and make use of talent from other groups.
2. Yes! They just announced it will be in New York City at the Hilton Midtown.
Nothing to add to 3 or 5.
4. Jericho is an a position to do whatever he wants because WWE wants/needs him more than the other way around! He only signs short-term deals with the company when it's something he's really interested in doing or he "gets the itch" to wrestle some more.
6. I could see Taker being saved for a Texas or New Orleans Mania year, and Rock being saved for Florida. Batista is also an option. I like all their other picks, too, and I'd throw in Bam Bam Bigelow.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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