The Bella Twins spoke to Bustle.com. This kind of press is why they headlined Evolution.
Robbie E's podcast will be live before Survivor Series from Jimmy's Famous Seafood. James Ellsworth and Francine will be guests. Cool to see Francine back in the mix.
Daniel Bryan has pulled out of Crown Jewel. At one point, there were plans to tape a match with AJ Styles at either the WWE Performance Center or Smackdown Live to be broadcast during the event. There was also talk of Rusev challenging AJ at Crown Jewel, but ultimately they went with Samoa Joe. I can't say I blame Bryan and Cena for pulling out of the event, as long as they're ready to deal with any circumstances arising from not working the show.
Stephanie McMahon spoke to Newsweek about Evolution and Sky News about Crown Jewel. I fully expect the Mae Young Classic and Evolution to become annual events.
Vince McMahon was named as one of the powerful people in entertainment. It's hard to argue that. I'd say Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are climbing that list, as well.
Raw drew 2.47 million viewers, slightly down from last week.
Ronda Rousey's first WWE action figure is now available to order.
WWE has announced two new digital shows: Baron Corbin's Haunted World and Talking Snack with Cathy Kelley. Good to see talents getting to show another side of themselves.
Mark Henry discussed John Cena not working Crown Jewel. Henry is a WWE ambassador and doesn't have the kinds of opportunities Cena has outside of wrestling, so he's not in a position to do what Cena did.
- Linda McMahon deflected comment on the matter.
Titus O'Neil was honored by Forbes. Great work!
The MLB champions got a custom championship.
Braun Strowman got a horror movie style trailer. That's pretty cool.
Tye Dillinger is getting hand surgery after being injured Monday night. I hope he doesn't miss much time.
NXT's Marcel Barthel is working German promotion wXw's 18th anniversary event. There's a strengthening relationship between WWE and wXw.
WWE is seeking a writer's assistant.
TLC's venue is advertising:
- Braun Strowman vs. Drew McIntyre
- Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship
- Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax for the Raw Women's Championship
-- I'd assume these are placeholder matches, but certainly all are plausible for that show.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. He had visual impairment from a concussion that has prevented WWE from using him. He's also notorious for wanting to be a bigger part of the picture than bookers want him to be. So, they're using younger, more manageable talent without post-concussion issues.
2. Pretty much everyone has that one pitch/payday they'll come back for. He's been offered a significant sum to have a low-stakes tag match, so I can't say I'm shocked he returned.
3. It is interesting she hasn't even appeared for the company, since she still wrestles here and there outside of WWE.
4. They got the time they were given by the networks.
5. Hopefully now if they do boo the character/push, they can still appreciate the man going through such a real battle.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Interview with Bellas, Robbie E podcast live, Bryan out of Crown Jewel, more Evolution and Crown Jewel press, Vince and Titus honored, Raw audience, Ronda figure, new WWE digital shows, Braun horror trailer, Tye gets surgery, NXT star working German indie, TLC matches announced, and Questions on RVD-WWE, HBK's return, Victoria-WWE, Evolution special length, and Roman haters turning
Smackdown Live and Mixed Match Challenge Reax - 10/30/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and Mixed Match Challenge.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Evolution notes, assorted WWE press, WWE gets more flak for Crown Jewel, Universal Title match almost changed, Hardy Halloween note, AXXESS moves dates, Takeover name change, NXT names working EVOLVE regularly, MLW coming to FITE, GWN adds more Impact episodes, new WWE dates, SDL match set, Raw dark match, and Questions on what's next for Charlotte vs. Becky, Impact's dark content, Roman's announcement, and Mickie's role
Evolution notes:
- Shayna Baszler was on crutches after tweaking her ankle. Hopefully she won't miss time. She's great.
- Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch was discussed as closing the show. It certainly delivered like a main event.
- Crown Jewel wasn't advertised in the venue.
- Lily Singh was in attendance.
- There was a greater percentage of women in the audience compared to usual WWE shows.
- Christian, Vickie Guerrero, Finn Balor, and Dana Warrior were backstage at the show.
NXT stars toured a New York firehouse.
HBO's "Last Week Tonight" again took WWE to task for doing Crown Jewel. WWE's really taking heat for the event.
Drew McIntyre was discussed to be added to Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman. That could have really been good. There's a chance to elevate him in the months to come.
Kane's spokesperson reiterated his intention to work Crown Jewel. Knox County gets a big boost from Kane working the show.
The House Hardy Halloween special was almost entirely the work of Matt Hardy, Rebecca Hardy, Jeremy Borash, and Paradyse, who all did work in the Broken Universe in Impact.
Matt Hardy is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
WrestleMania 35's AXXESS will go from Friday through Monday, the night after WrestleMania. Previously AXXESS went from Thursday through Sunday.
Takeover before WrestleMania 35 is being branded Takeover: New York, rather than Takeover: Brooklyn as has been seen during Summerslam weekends.
Sin Cara was honored at Mexico City's Plaza Gallery of the Stars.
NXT's Fabian Aichner and Street Profits are set for all of EVOLVE's advertised dates going forward. It looks like we're going to see regular NXT appearances in EVOLVE.
MLW: Fusion will begin airing on FITE a week after its TV debut. That's another big opportunity for MLW.
Global Wrestling Network now has every Impact episode from 2005.
Toni Storm got press in Australia for winning the Mae Young Classic. She could really be a top name for WWE going forward.
Danielle Fishel was at an NXT live event this weekend.
WWE has announced live events for:
- Smackdown Live in Illinois on December 26 and New York on December 27. Samoa Joe and Rey Mysterio are advertised for the December 27 show.
- Raw on December 29 in Illinois
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger is set for Smackdown Live.
Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins defeated Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre after Raw. So, Braun is officially a face again.
Smackdown Live will tape on February 26 in North Carolina.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE just did Hell in a Cell, so I hope they don't bring it back. They could do an Iron Woman match, though, if there's going to be another match between them.
2. The Broken Universe got Impact some buzz, so they're trying similar content. Rosemary and Su Yung as characters lend themselves to that kind of material. Plus, having more pre-taped material means they can get more out of each set of tapings, since they only have to film so many matches. That also helps talents not take as many bumps across those dates.
3. It had never been reported or discussed before, to my knowledge. There were allusions to a health issue at the end of his football career, but that was about it.
4. Both sides knew going in Mickie was going to be used to work with newer names, rather than being showcased herself. She's already achieved a lot, so she's able to absorb the losses. I wouldn't mind a last "thank you" run when she's ready to retire if the story makes sense, however.
5. Almost everyone was completely caught off-guard, as WWE wanted people to hear the news from Roman himself.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Shayna Baszler was on crutches after tweaking her ankle. Hopefully she won't miss time. She's great.
- Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch was discussed as closing the show. It certainly delivered like a main event.
- Crown Jewel wasn't advertised in the venue.
- Lily Singh was in attendance.
- There was a greater percentage of women in the audience compared to usual WWE shows.
- Christian, Vickie Guerrero, Finn Balor, and Dana Warrior were backstage at the show.
NXT stars toured a New York firehouse.
HBO's "Last Week Tonight" again took WWE to task for doing Crown Jewel. WWE's really taking heat for the event.
Drew McIntyre was discussed to be added to Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman. That could have really been good. There's a chance to elevate him in the months to come.
Kane's spokesperson reiterated his intention to work Crown Jewel. Knox County gets a big boost from Kane working the show.
The House Hardy Halloween special was almost entirely the work of Matt Hardy, Rebecca Hardy, Jeremy Borash, and Paradyse, who all did work in the Broken Universe in Impact.
Matt Hardy is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
WrestleMania 35's AXXESS will go from Friday through Monday, the night after WrestleMania. Previously AXXESS went from Thursday through Sunday.
Takeover before WrestleMania 35 is being branded Takeover: New York, rather than Takeover: Brooklyn as has been seen during Summerslam weekends.
Sin Cara was honored at Mexico City's Plaza Gallery of the Stars.
NXT's Fabian Aichner and Street Profits are set for all of EVOLVE's advertised dates going forward. It looks like we're going to see regular NXT appearances in EVOLVE.
MLW: Fusion will begin airing on FITE a week after its TV debut. That's another big opportunity for MLW.
Global Wrestling Network now has every Impact episode from 2005.
Toni Storm got press in Australia for winning the Mae Young Classic. She could really be a top name for WWE going forward.
Danielle Fishel was at an NXT live event this weekend.
WWE has announced live events for:
- Smackdown Live in Illinois on December 26 and New York on December 27. Samoa Joe and Rey Mysterio are advertised for the December 27 show.
- Raw on December 29 in Illinois
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger is set for Smackdown Live.
Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins defeated Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre after Raw. So, Braun is officially a face again.
Smackdown Live will tape on February 26 in North Carolina.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE just did Hell in a Cell, so I hope they don't bring it back. They could do an Iron Woman match, though, if there's going to be another match between them.
2. The Broken Universe got Impact some buzz, so they're trying similar content. Rosemary and Su Yung as characters lend themselves to that kind of material. Plus, having more pre-taped material means they can get more out of each set of tapings, since they only have to film so many matches. That also helps talents not take as many bumps across those dates.
3. It had never been reported or discussed before, to my knowledge. There were allusions to a health issue at the end of his football career, but that was about it.
4. Both sides knew going in Mickie was going to be used to work with newer names, rather than being showcased herself. She's already achieved a lot, so she's able to absorb the losses. I wouldn't mind a last "thank you" run when she's ready to retire if the story makes sense, however.
5. Almost everyone was completely caught off-guard, as WWE wanted people to hear the news from Roman himself.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, October 29, 2018
Final Evolution hype, Hardy special replaying, Crown Jewel length, NXT invades EVOLVE, NXT UK Women's Championship dark match, what the men were doing during Evolution, and Questions on FOX pre-empting SDL, Neidhart's funeral on Total Divas, Meiko's WWE future, the WWE language barrier, Vince changing live events, and comparing MLW to ROH
In final Evolution hype:
- Charlotte Flair spoke to Sky Sports.
- Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Mickie James, and Alicia Fox did a "Guess That Match Challenge."
- Becky Lynch talked to New York Daily News.
- The IIconics spoke to Sky Sports.
- Female stars reacted to the possibility of women's tag titles. Maybe they could do a big tournament to declare the first champions at WrestleMania?
The House Hardy Halloween special will replay after Raw.
WWE Crown Jewel is scheduled to go four hours. I hope DX and the Brothers of Destruction don't have to fill half an hour after the slow-motion match in Australia.
NXT notes from EVOLVE 114:
- Fabian Aichner became EVOLVE Champion after answering an open challenge from Shane Strickland.
- Jessie Elaban lost to Priscilla Kelly
- Adrian Jaoude defeated Joe Gacy. Cezar Bonini was in Adrian's corner.
- The Street Profits became EVOLVE Tag Team Champions
- Dan Matha interrupted Dante Marquis Carter vs. Mikey Spandex, leading to Matha entering a four-way match with Liam Gray, Adrian Alanis, and Shawn Dean. Alanis won.
JD Drake is the new WWN Champion, winning a six-way ladder match over Anthony Henry, AR Fox, Austin Theory, Harlem Bravado, and Darby Allin.
Rhea Ripley defeated Dakota Kai to retain the NXT UK Women's Championship before Evolution. The match had previously been advertised as part of the main show, and Isla Dawn was announced as challenging Ripley. Hopefully that match will air at some point.
WWE ran a Raw and Smackdown Live "SuperShow" in NC on October 28, since the women of both brands were working Evolution.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That seems likely. One of the biggest drawbacks of the FOX move is potentially being shuffled around due to major sporting events. The more we learn about the FOX-WWE relationship, the more worried I am for what it will mean for WWE.
2. I can definitely see how it would be uncomfortable to watch. I can also see how fans would want to see Neidhart honored on the show. I really hope the situation was discussed and approved by the family.
3. She absolutely delivered in the MYC. I really hope we see her more now, although of course there's the concern of how she'd be used on Raw or Smackdown Live. Realistically there's only so much she can do in NXT.
4. It can definitely limit how far someone makes it on Raw or Smackdown Live. I expect that will be continue to be the case as long as Vince McMahon calls the shots.
5.a. Considering the TV shows are the only big financial successes for WWE right now and Vince is steering the ship on those, I'd like to see him step up and change other aspects of the company, too. The company is spending tens of millions of dollars (at least) on niche styles at the expense of the sports entertainment brand Vince has built for decades, and we're continuing to see the results of this change.
5.b. ROH is owned by a pretty prominent company and has strong ties with two successful international wrestling companies. MLW is just twelve months into its new incarnation. It's had a promising start, but it's too early to put them in the same conversation with ROH.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Charlotte Flair spoke to Sky Sports.
- Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Mickie James, and Alicia Fox did a "Guess That Match Challenge."
- Becky Lynch talked to New York Daily News.
- The IIconics spoke to Sky Sports.
- Female stars reacted to the possibility of women's tag titles. Maybe they could do a big tournament to declare the first champions at WrestleMania?
The House Hardy Halloween special will replay after Raw.
WWE Crown Jewel is scheduled to go four hours. I hope DX and the Brothers of Destruction don't have to fill half an hour after the slow-motion match in Australia.
NXT notes from EVOLVE 114:
- Fabian Aichner became EVOLVE Champion after answering an open challenge from Shane Strickland.
- Jessie Elaban lost to Priscilla Kelly
- Adrian Jaoude defeated Joe Gacy. Cezar Bonini was in Adrian's corner.
- The Street Profits became EVOLVE Tag Team Champions
- Dan Matha interrupted Dante Marquis Carter vs. Mikey Spandex, leading to Matha entering a four-way match with Liam Gray, Adrian Alanis, and Shawn Dean. Alanis won.
JD Drake is the new WWN Champion, winning a six-way ladder match over Anthony Henry, AR Fox, Austin Theory, Harlem Bravado, and Darby Allin.
Rhea Ripley defeated Dakota Kai to retain the NXT UK Women's Championship before Evolution. The match had previously been advertised as part of the main show, and Isla Dawn was announced as challenging Ripley. Hopefully that match will air at some point.
WWE ran a Raw and Smackdown Live "SuperShow" in NC on October 28, since the women of both brands were working Evolution.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That seems likely. One of the biggest drawbacks of the FOX move is potentially being shuffled around due to major sporting events. The more we learn about the FOX-WWE relationship, the more worried I am for what it will mean for WWE.
2. I can definitely see how it would be uncomfortable to watch. I can also see how fans would want to see Neidhart honored on the show. I really hope the situation was discussed and approved by the family.
3. She absolutely delivered in the MYC. I really hope we see her more now, although of course there's the concern of how she'd be used on Raw or Smackdown Live. Realistically there's only so much she can do in NXT.
4. It can definitely limit how far someone makes it on Raw or Smackdown Live. I expect that will be continue to be the case as long as Vince McMahon calls the shots.
5.a. Considering the TV shows are the only big financial successes for WWE right now and Vince is steering the ship on those, I'd like to see him step up and change other aspects of the company, too. The company is spending tens of millions of dollars (at least) on niche styles at the expense of the sports entertainment brand Vince has built for decades, and we're continuing to see the results of this change.
5.b. ROH is owned by a pretty prominent company and has strong ties with two successful international wrestling companies. MLW is just twelve months into its new incarnation. It's had a promising start, but it's too early to put them in the same conversation with ROH.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Hardy Halloween preview, Evolution hype, WWE charity, Hawkins update, Ryder at NXT show, Lethal hits milestone, Crown Jewel updates, and Questions on Sunny-WWE, Alexa missing Evolution, the Evolution battle royal, and why Evolution is in Nassau
WWE Network previewed the House Hardy Halloween special. Adding Searcy makes me wish for this stage of the Hardys' career to wrap up all the sooner. They're clearly out of ideas. Thankfully this isn't on WWE TV anymore.
Becky Lynch was on Good Day New York to promote Evolution.
YouTube's Merrell Twins did an episode with the Bellas before Evolution.
Lana promoted Evolution with CBS New York.
Nia Jax, Naomi, Carmella, and Lana visited a Boys and Girls Club in Connecticut.
Curt Hawkins has missed in-ring action due to a hernia. He was recently at the WWE Performance Center working out for a return. The streak is currently paused at 0-220.
Zack Ryder attended NXT's October 26 Florida live event, as he and Chelsea Green are dating. I hope Green does well in WWE.
Jay Lethal has now been ROH World Champion for more than 546 days combined, putting him at the second-most of any person to hold that championship. I wouldn't be surprised to see him reach the record, as it doesn't look like he's NXT bound anytime soon.
Crown Jewel has sold out. WWE staff are already in Saudi Arabia.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think WWE should be associated with her in her current state. If she gets her life together, maybe I'll feel differently in a few years. But not now.
2. No. Unless someone gets hurt being careless/reckless, there's rarely heat on the talent.
3. I don't see it happening. WWE's largely using names who can still take bumps.
4. Considering the winner gets a title shot and I think Ronda should retain, I don't see why a face in the Raw division should win unless they're moving to Smackdown Live to face Becky. I don't particularly want Nia to turn heel out of nowhere again, and while it's an option for Ember, I think she's a natural babyface.
5. Nassau Coliseum is easier to sell out for a show with fewer stars who are draws. It was the right call.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Becky Lynch was on Good Day New York to promote Evolution.
YouTube's Merrell Twins did an episode with the Bellas before Evolution.
Lana promoted Evolution with CBS New York.
Nia Jax, Naomi, Carmella, and Lana visited a Boys and Girls Club in Connecticut.
Curt Hawkins has missed in-ring action due to a hernia. He was recently at the WWE Performance Center working out for a return. The streak is currently paused at 0-220.
Zack Ryder attended NXT's October 26 Florida live event, as he and Chelsea Green are dating. I hope Green does well in WWE.
Jay Lethal has now been ROH World Champion for more than 546 days combined, putting him at the second-most of any person to hold that championship. I wouldn't be surprised to see him reach the record, as it doesn't look like he's NXT bound anytime soon.
Crown Jewel has sold out. WWE staff are already in Saudi Arabia.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think WWE should be associated with her in her current state. If she gets her life together, maybe I'll feel differently in a few years. But not now.
2. No. Unless someone gets hurt being careless/reckless, there's rarely heat on the talent.
3. I don't see it happening. WWE's largely using names who can still take bumps.
4. Considering the winner gets a title shot and I think Ronda should retain, I don't see why a face in the Raw division should win unless they're moving to Smackdown Live to face Becky. I don't particularly want Nia to turn heel out of nowhere again, and while it's an option for Ember, I think she's a natural babyface.
5. Nassau Coliseum is easier to sell out for a show with fewer stars who are draws. It was the right call.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Main Event and Ring Warriors Reax - 10/27/18
Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's Main Event and Ring Warriors.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
WWE MSG matches changed, Ronda and Duggan defend Crown Jewel, Bischoff podcast live, lots of Evolution press, Interviews with Goldberg/Becky, WWE promotes women in sports, Callis back in NJPW, new Knockout taking time off, another Impact match announced, part of Evolution live on Twitter, MLW changes lead producers, NXT team challenging for EVOLVE tag title, Impact audience, new Global Wars matches, Alexa pulled from Evolution, Green's first NXT match, and Questions on Cole at Evolution, names who aren't at Evolution, honoring Moolah, Caruso-ESPN, and Madusa back in the ring
WWE's Madison Square Garden card has been updated to feature:
- Lashley vs. Finn Balor
- Ronda Rousey vs. Mickie James for the Raw Women's Championship
- Braun Strowman vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre
- Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose in a steel cage for the Intercontinental Championship
- The ten-man NXT tag is still official. Notably, neither Brock Lesnar nor the Bellas are advertised, so that should tell you where things stand with plans for Evolution and Crown Jewel.
Ronda Rousey and Jim Duggan defended WWE doing Crown Jewel.
Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson's "83 Weeks" podcast will be live from Jimmy's Famous Seafood on November 3.
The Bella Twins promoted Evolution on Jimmy Fallon's show.
The IIconics "took over" WWE's Snapchat account to promote Evolution.
Triple H put over the Mae Young Classic.
Goldberg discussed Gillberg. I'm glad he's cool with it now.
Becky Lynch did an AMA on Reddit. I'm curious how much WWE let her answer.
WWE teamed with Girl Up to promote women in sports.
Don Callis is returning to NJPW commentary. Glad to see it.
Jordynne Grace is taking a few weeks off due to issues with her ankle. We'll see if she'll be able to compete at Impact's Nevada tapings. It would be a shame to see her momentum stalled this early.
Pentagon Jr. vs. Homicide is set for Thursday's Impact. I'm curious how that will go.
Evolution's first half-hour will be simulcast on Twitter, in a first for a WWE PPV. Hopefully that gets more people watching and ultimately paying for WWE Network, given the service's current performance.
Lilian Garcia talked about the path to Evolution. Things have definitely changed drastically in the 20 years since Lilian debuted.
Konnan is replacing Bruce Prichard as MLW's senior producer/agent, with Prichard leaving in an amicable fashion. The door is open for Bruce to return.
The Street Profits will work EVOLVE 114, challenging for the EVOLVE Tag Team Championship.
Impact Wrestling drew 98,000 viewers in its new timeslot, the lowest audience in the history of the show. I expect it could be heading to Twitch or another online platform in 2019; we'll see how the company gets by if/when they lose their U.S. TV home.
Shayna Baszler promoted Evolution on the Breaking Kayfabe podcast.
Added to Global Wars:
- The Kingdom vs. Dalton Castle and The Boys, Cody and Hangman Page vs. The Briscoes on November 7 in Maine
- Bully Ray/Silas Young vs. SANADA/EVIL on November 8 in Massachusetts
- Young Bucks vs. Tetsuya Naito/SANADA on November 9 in New York
- Dalton Castle/Juice Robinson vs. Tetsuya Naito/BUSHI on November 11 in Ontario
Alexa Bliss will not wrestle at Evolution due to an unspecified injury. Alicia Fox will replace her, teaming with Mickie James to face Trish Stratus and Lita.
Chelsea Green debuted for NXT Friday night, losing to Deonna Purrazzo in Florida.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They didn't have an experienced female play-by-play announcer to put in his place.
2. Victoria and Jacqueline definitely fit the bill. It's odd how little they've recognized Victoria after all she did for the company.
3. I expect yes for both.
4. Basically that.
5. I don't expect so unless something changes between now and then. She's allowed to take outside work.
6. I don't expect her to do much. She's just there to add another name from the past to the match.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Lashley vs. Finn Balor
- Ronda Rousey vs. Mickie James for the Raw Women's Championship
- Braun Strowman vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre
- Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose in a steel cage for the Intercontinental Championship
- The ten-man NXT tag is still official. Notably, neither Brock Lesnar nor the Bellas are advertised, so that should tell you where things stand with plans for Evolution and Crown Jewel.
Ronda Rousey and Jim Duggan defended WWE doing Crown Jewel.
Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson's "83 Weeks" podcast will be live from Jimmy's Famous Seafood on November 3.
The Bella Twins promoted Evolution on Jimmy Fallon's show.
The IIconics "took over" WWE's Snapchat account to promote Evolution.
Triple H put over the Mae Young Classic.
Goldberg discussed Gillberg. I'm glad he's cool with it now.
Becky Lynch did an AMA on Reddit. I'm curious how much WWE let her answer.
WWE teamed with Girl Up to promote women in sports.
Don Callis is returning to NJPW commentary. Glad to see it.
Jordynne Grace is taking a few weeks off due to issues with her ankle. We'll see if she'll be able to compete at Impact's Nevada tapings. It would be a shame to see her momentum stalled this early.
Pentagon Jr. vs. Homicide is set for Thursday's Impact. I'm curious how that will go.
Evolution's first half-hour will be simulcast on Twitter, in a first for a WWE PPV. Hopefully that gets more people watching and ultimately paying for WWE Network, given the service's current performance.
Lilian Garcia talked about the path to Evolution. Things have definitely changed drastically in the 20 years since Lilian debuted.
Konnan is replacing Bruce Prichard as MLW's senior producer/agent, with Prichard leaving in an amicable fashion. The door is open for Bruce to return.
The Street Profits will work EVOLVE 114, challenging for the EVOLVE Tag Team Championship.
Impact Wrestling drew 98,000 viewers in its new timeslot, the lowest audience in the history of the show. I expect it could be heading to Twitch or another online platform in 2019; we'll see how the company gets by if/when they lose their U.S. TV home.
Shayna Baszler promoted Evolution on the Breaking Kayfabe podcast.
Added to Global Wars:
- The Kingdom vs. Dalton Castle and The Boys, Cody and Hangman Page vs. The Briscoes on November 7 in Maine
- Bully Ray/Silas Young vs. SANADA/EVIL on November 8 in Massachusetts
- Young Bucks vs. Tetsuya Naito/SANADA on November 9 in New York
- Dalton Castle/Juice Robinson vs. Tetsuya Naito/BUSHI on November 11 in Ontario
Alexa Bliss will not wrestle at Evolution due to an unspecified injury. Alicia Fox will replace her, teaming with Mickie James to face Trish Stratus and Lita.
Chelsea Green debuted for NXT Friday night, losing to Deonna Purrazzo in Florida.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They didn't have an experienced female play-by-play announcer to put in his place.
2. Victoria and Jacqueline definitely fit the bill. It's odd how little they've recognized Victoria after all she did for the company.
3. I expect yes for both.
4. Basically that.
5. I don't expect so unless something changes between now and then. She's allowed to take outside work.
6. I don't expect her to do much. She's just there to add another name from the past to the match.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, October 26, 2018
WWE stars pulled from NBC show, Evolution hype, assorted WWE press, NXT wrestlers on WWN streaming service, NWA uploads corrected anniversary show, Cena-Crown Jewel update, more on SNME revival, why Cody lost to Aldis, women's wrestling milestone, Arquette's wrestling future, Ospreay cancels another date, NJPW legal team gets aggressive, Aries' Impact status, FOX wants MMA name in WWE, Lashley working hurt, big NXT match for MSG, another top WWE name injured, potential WWE signee for 2019, WWE considering reuniting team, and Questions on Evolution's ticket sales, NWA70's attendance, Roman's situation, and Purrazzo moving on from NXT soon
WWE has pulled talent from Megyn Kelly's NBC show following Kelly defending blackface Halloween costumes. Someone will inevitably see this as outrageous and/or hypocritical given WWE talent still going to Saudi Arabia. Essentially WWE stands to lose a lot more money on the Saudi deal than in not appearing for a show that looks to be ending now at any rate.
Nikki Bella promoted Evolution with Metro and New York Post.
Ronda Rousey and Natalya were on the Rachael Ray Show. Might as well have Rachael on WWE TV at some point, too.
A prominent children's health charity supported Roman Reigns.
NXT's Sarah Schreiber revealed her mother is a breast cancer survivor. Glad to hear she's doing well.
"Daddy's Home 2" with John Cena is streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu.
NXT talents' WWN matches will now stream live on WWN's streaming service. Previously their appearances were for the live audience only. That's certainly a potential boost for WWN!
Sasha Banks discussed Roman Reigns' health and a women's tag team championship with Maria Menounos. The latter is worth a try, at least as one set across both brands.
- Sasha also discussed recently dealing with post-concussive symptoms, which is why she was out of the ring.
Carmella is on the latest "My Daughter is a WWE Superstar."
Mickie James promoted Evolution, saying she expects Alexa Bliss to be cleared in time for the show.
WWE released a digital album of unreleased women's songs. Clever Evolution tie-in.
WWE will feature a series of Evolution roundtable discussions this weekend, featuring:
- Trish Stratus, Sasha Banks, and Toni Storm Saturday at 12 p.m.
- Nikki Bella, Shayna Baszler, and Charlotte Flair Saturday at 2 p.m.
- Stephanie McMahon with Cathy Kelley Sunday at 3 p.m.
Sasha Banks was on The Real to promote Evolution.
NWA re-released their 70th anniversary event with production issues fixed. I'm glad they did that as a make-good.
John Cena was being reconsidered for the World Cup, likely due to the Saudi Arabia controversy. There has been no confirmation of him pulling out of the show at this time.
Saturday Night's Main Event is being discussed as coming back for WWE Network's $14.99 tier as a monthly special featuring Raw and Smackdown Live talent.
Cody dropping the NWA World Championship was largely a result of him having an exclusive ROH contract. ROH was willing to work with NWA on the Cody-Aldis angle, but Cody was never planned as a long-term champion. Cody's 2019 plans are somewhat up in the air, so NWA went with someone they know will stick around.
The longest women's wrestling match in recorded history took place last week between Mercedes Martinez and Tessa Blanchard, as the two went 75 minutes. That's a really impressive milestone.
David Arquette recently underwent elbow surgery due to wrestling. He's had to pull out of working some matches due to movies and insurance reasons. Naturally other parties don't want him putting his body at risk in the ring.
Will Ospreay has canceled his November 3 wrestling appearance due to his injuries.
NJPW is getting strict about unauthorized use of their material for GIFs and outside videos, as they want to utilize and promote the content themselves. Legally they're in the right, but it could hurt how much buzz there is for the product if less of it is easily accessible.
Austin Aries' Impact contract has indeed expired. It's believed his body needed a break from the physicality he had gone through.
FOX wants MMA's Daniel Cormier as a WWE announcer as part of making Smackdown Live more like a sport. I'm hating this idea more the more they discuss it.
Lashley is working with a separated shoulder. OUCH.
Madison Square Garden's December 26 event now has Tomasso Ciampa and the Undisputed Era vs. Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream. We'll see if that ends up going on as advertised given Gargano's recent heel turn.
Samoa Joe is believed to be injured, which would explain why he dropped from the WWE Championship picture so quickly.
Garza, Jr. is looking to sign with WWE in 2019 once he recovers from a shoulder injury.
WWE is considering reuniting Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE has reported a sellout for the show.
2. No, but with ticket prices what they were, it was still the highest grossing event in the venue's history.
3. WWE would be INSANE to do something like that as a work, especially in the way things unfolded Monday. There would almost definitely be a major backlash to that being an angle.
4. She's 24 and has only been in NXT since August. I'd be surprised if she's on Raw or Smackdown Live before 2020. They've got plenty of women wrestlers ahead of her.
5. Alive and thriving! Al Snow is the new owner and they just hit 1000 TV episodes.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Nikki Bella promoted Evolution with Metro and New York Post.
Ronda Rousey and Natalya were on the Rachael Ray Show. Might as well have Rachael on WWE TV at some point, too.
A prominent children's health charity supported Roman Reigns.
NXT's Sarah Schreiber revealed her mother is a breast cancer survivor. Glad to hear she's doing well.
"Daddy's Home 2" with John Cena is streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu.
NXT talents' WWN matches will now stream live on WWN's streaming service. Previously their appearances were for the live audience only. That's certainly a potential boost for WWN!
Sasha Banks discussed Roman Reigns' health and a women's tag team championship with Maria Menounos. The latter is worth a try, at least as one set across both brands.
- Sasha also discussed recently dealing with post-concussive symptoms, which is why she was out of the ring.
Carmella is on the latest "My Daughter is a WWE Superstar."
Mickie James promoted Evolution, saying she expects Alexa Bliss to be cleared in time for the show.
WWE released a digital album of unreleased women's songs. Clever Evolution tie-in.
WWE will feature a series of Evolution roundtable discussions this weekend, featuring:
- Trish Stratus, Sasha Banks, and Toni Storm Saturday at 12 p.m.
- Nikki Bella, Shayna Baszler, and Charlotte Flair Saturday at 2 p.m.
- Stephanie McMahon with Cathy Kelley Sunday at 3 p.m.
Sasha Banks was on The Real to promote Evolution.
NWA re-released their 70th anniversary event with production issues fixed. I'm glad they did that as a make-good.
John Cena was being reconsidered for the World Cup, likely due to the Saudi Arabia controversy. There has been no confirmation of him pulling out of the show at this time.
Saturday Night's Main Event is being discussed as coming back for WWE Network's $14.99 tier as a monthly special featuring Raw and Smackdown Live talent.
Cody dropping the NWA World Championship was largely a result of him having an exclusive ROH contract. ROH was willing to work with NWA on the Cody-Aldis angle, but Cody was never planned as a long-term champion. Cody's 2019 plans are somewhat up in the air, so NWA went with someone they know will stick around.
The longest women's wrestling match in recorded history took place last week between Mercedes Martinez and Tessa Blanchard, as the two went 75 minutes. That's a really impressive milestone.
David Arquette recently underwent elbow surgery due to wrestling. He's had to pull out of working some matches due to movies and insurance reasons. Naturally other parties don't want him putting his body at risk in the ring.
Will Ospreay has canceled his November 3 wrestling appearance due to his injuries.
NJPW is getting strict about unauthorized use of their material for GIFs and outside videos, as they want to utilize and promote the content themselves. Legally they're in the right, but it could hurt how much buzz there is for the product if less of it is easily accessible.
Austin Aries' Impact contract has indeed expired. It's believed his body needed a break from the physicality he had gone through.
FOX wants MMA's Daniel Cormier as a WWE announcer as part of making Smackdown Live more like a sport. I'm hating this idea more the more they discuss it.
Lashley is working with a separated shoulder. OUCH.
Madison Square Garden's December 26 event now has Tomasso Ciampa and the Undisputed Era vs. Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream. We'll see if that ends up going on as advertised given Gargano's recent heel turn.
Samoa Joe is believed to be injured, which would explain why he dropped from the WWE Championship picture so quickly.
Garza, Jr. is looking to sign with WWE in 2019 once he recovers from a shoulder injury.
WWE is considering reuniting Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE has reported a sellout for the show.
2. No, but with ticket prices what they were, it was still the highest grossing event in the venue's history.
3. WWE would be INSANE to do something like that as a work, especially in the way things unfolded Monday. There would almost definitely be a major backlash to that being an angle.
4. She's 24 and has only been in NXT since August. I'd be surprised if she's on Raw or Smackdown Live before 2020. They've got plenty of women wrestlers ahead of her.
5. Alive and thriving! Al Snow is the new owner and they just hit 1000 TV episodes.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Ronda at World Series, podcast notes, new ROH dates, Taker Q&A tour, Vince misses tapings, more on Raw turns, Paige update, why Alexa missed Raw, SDL visitor, HoFers set for more shows, HoFer facing cancer, Mustafa's EVOLVE opponents, another NXT name working EVOLVE, Cody teases future, SDL audience, new Hidden Gems, Interview with Hogan, and Questions on Lashley-Lio, Teddy Hart's heat, who's a draw in 2018, Cena's WWE schedule, and Becky/Charlotte as Bryan/Roman
Ronda Rousey attended the World Series' first game.
Chris Jericho discussed his upcoming cruise on his latest podcast.
WALTER is on Stone Cold's latest podcast.
Edge is on Sean Mooney's latest podcast.
ROH announced shows for the following dates:
- TV taping in Pennsylvania December 15
- Honorclub events in Texas on January 24, January 25, and January 26
The Undertaker will do a Q&A tour in the UK from April 30 through May 2. There will undoubtedly be retirement questions.
Vince McMahon was not at either TV taping this week. This isn't a case of him passing control to others; he still relays instructions from Connecticut.
Dean Ambrose and Elias turning on Raw were plans that had been in place, but were moved forward due to the Roman Reigns situation.
Paige was at Smackdown Live, but not used. Shane McMahon will be essentially taking her place going forward as the on-screen authority figure.
Alexa Bliss was not at Raw due to a suspected injury. There is no word on whether she will still be wrestling at Evolution.
ROH's Cary Silkin was visiting at Smackdown Live.
Trish Stratus and Lita will be used for other major WWE events going forward, namely the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
Samu of the Wild Samoans revealed he's battling liver cancer. It's been an awful week for the Anoa'i family.
Mustafa Ali's EVOLVE opponents are JZ at EVOLVE 115 and Darby Allin at EVOLVE 116.
Kassius Ohno will compete at EVOLVE 117 and EVOLVE 118. He will be a guest trainer at the WWN tryout before EVOLVE 118.
Cody has hinted he's moving into a new role and is already done with Bullet Club. I get the feeling he's going to become a free agent and set up future All In-style events once his contract with ROH expires.
Smackdown Live drew 2.09 million viewers, back in line with what they were doing before Smackdown 1000. That's a drop of more than 450,000 from the milestone event.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems feature The Brothers of Destruction on Raw in April 2001 with Stone Cold and Triple H as well as in OVW in June 2001 with DDP and Batista.
Hulk Hogan talked about his WWE future and more. I don't know of him being booked for Crown Jewel or WrestleMania, but of course he'd love to! As for him holding talents back, at least now he's open about it.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Absolutely. I'd say he's already turned.
2. Essentially there've been incidents where he's done unapproved spots to get himself over, throwing others off-guard and messing up plans.
3. Kenny Omega, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, The Young Bucks, and Ronda Rousey all come to mind. It's tough to measure someone like Triple H or Undertaker since they're almost exclusively on events that are already pretty major.
4. He'll still be around here and there when his Hollywood schedule allows. If he has a big gap that allows him to have a full program, they can certainly have him go for one of the brand titles.
5. I can definitely see Becky in the Bryan role, as far as someone who did everything the company asked her to do with flying colors and WWE not being willing to pull the trigger on her until the fans revolted. As for Charlotte as Roman, I don't think she's at that level yet. She's seen as having earned most of her accolades with hard work going back to the NXT days, where some fans didn't see that as the case with Roman. Now, if Charlotte gets more and more spotlight at the expense of others, she could definitely get the Roman treatment.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Chris Jericho discussed his upcoming cruise on his latest podcast.
WALTER is on Stone Cold's latest podcast.
Edge is on Sean Mooney's latest podcast.
ROH announced shows for the following dates:
- TV taping in Pennsylvania December 15
- Honorclub events in Texas on January 24, January 25, and January 26
The Undertaker will do a Q&A tour in the UK from April 30 through May 2. There will undoubtedly be retirement questions.
Vince McMahon was not at either TV taping this week. This isn't a case of him passing control to others; he still relays instructions from Connecticut.
Dean Ambrose and Elias turning on Raw were plans that had been in place, but were moved forward due to the Roman Reigns situation.
Paige was at Smackdown Live, but not used. Shane McMahon will be essentially taking her place going forward as the on-screen authority figure.
Alexa Bliss was not at Raw due to a suspected injury. There is no word on whether she will still be wrestling at Evolution.
ROH's Cary Silkin was visiting at Smackdown Live.
Trish Stratus and Lita will be used for other major WWE events going forward, namely the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
Samu of the Wild Samoans revealed he's battling liver cancer. It's been an awful week for the Anoa'i family.
Mustafa Ali's EVOLVE opponents are JZ at EVOLVE 115 and Darby Allin at EVOLVE 116.
Kassius Ohno will compete at EVOLVE 117 and EVOLVE 118. He will be a guest trainer at the WWN tryout before EVOLVE 118.
Cody has hinted he's moving into a new role and is already done with Bullet Club. I get the feeling he's going to become a free agent and set up future All In-style events once his contract with ROH expires.
Smackdown Live drew 2.09 million viewers, back in line with what they were doing before Smackdown 1000. That's a drop of more than 450,000 from the milestone event.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems feature The Brothers of Destruction on Raw in April 2001 with Stone Cold and Triple H as well as in OVW in June 2001 with DDP and Batista.
Hulk Hogan talked about his WWE future and more. I don't know of him being booked for Crown Jewel or WrestleMania, but of course he'd love to! As for him holding talents back, at least now he's open about it.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Absolutely. I'd say he's already turned.
2. Essentially there've been incidents where he's done unapproved spots to get himself over, throwing others off-guard and messing up plans.
3. Kenny Omega, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, The Young Bucks, and Ronda Rousey all come to mind. It's tough to measure someone like Triple H or Undertaker since they're almost exclusively on events that are already pretty major.
4. He'll still be around here and there when his Hollywood schedule allows. If he has a big gap that allows him to have a full program, they can certainly have him go for one of the brand titles.
5. I can definitely see Becky in the Bryan role, as far as someone who did everything the company asked her to do with flying colors and WWE not being willing to pull the trigger on her until the fans revolted. As for Charlotte as Roman, I don't think she's at that level yet. She's seen as having earned most of her accolades with hard work going back to the NXT days, where some fans didn't see that as the case with Roman. Now, if Charlotte gets more and more spotlight at the expense of others, she could definitely get the Roman treatment.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Interviews with Becky, HoFers get new merch, NFL name at Raw, Road to Evolution audience and Network debut date, AXS promotion at comic con, international Wrestlecon event set, McAFee looks at SD1000, Raw audience, plenty of new ROH matches, more Evolution notes, and Questions on if death matches count as wrestling, Bray disappearing, HBK returning at Crown Jewel, and the timing of Evolution
Becky Lynch is on the latest We Enjoy Wrestling podcast to promote Evolution.
- She also spoke with TVInsider.
Trish Stratus and Lita have new T-shirts.
NFL quarterback Brian Hoyer was at Raw.
WWE's Road to Evolution special will air on WWE Network Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST. It makes sense for USA and E! to air it first.
- The special drew 1.11 million viewers on USA Network Monday.
Women of Wrestling will be at Los Angeles Comic Con. I hope that's a good occasion for them.
WrestleCon has announced "Battle in the Big Apple: United States vs. The World" for April 5.
Pat McAfee looked at some key Smackdown 1000 moments. I expect to see more of him in WWE as time goes on.
Raw drew 2.55 million viewers Monday, a notable boost. I'd think Roman's announcement pulled in some curious fans.
Global Wars has added the following matches:
- Jeff Cobb vs. Christopher Daniels in Massachusetts
- Jay Briscoe vs. Scorpio Sky in Massachusetts
- Jay Lethal vs. Chris Sabin in a Proving Ground match in New York
- The Briscoes vs. Best Friends vs. Cody and Hangman Page in New York
- Cody vs. Beretta for the IWGP United States Championship in Ontario
- Young Bucks vs. KUSHIDA and Chris Sabin in Ontario
Survival of the Fittest has added the following first-round matches:
- Dalton Castle vs. Hangman Page vs. Colin Delaney
- Flip Gordon vs. Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Andrew Everett
- Marty Scurll vs. Stuka, Jr. vs. Silas Young
Evolution will have a red carpet event with Kayla Braxton and Charly Caruso. The Kickoff panel will feature Renee Young, Beth Phoenix, and Page.
Lilian Garcia will do ring announcing at Evolution.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. If people are willing to go through that kind of punishment and others are willing to pay to see them do it, I'm not really that upset the style exists. There are plenty of other options for wrestling fans out there.
2. Between him being in meaningless lower-card feuds and him being saved for when there's a reason to use him, I'm fine with him getting some time off. His character has definitely run out of things to other than potentially work with Harper yet again.
3. Given how much money WWE got paid for the show, it makes sense to deliver a big card. Plus, Shawn's not going to have to live up to previous Mania matches. The Saudi crowd will treat him like a star regardless.
4. In part, yes, but ultimately it's part of a bigger push for women in WWE.
More wrestling coming up.
- She also spoke with TVInsider.
Trish Stratus and Lita have new T-shirts.
NFL quarterback Brian Hoyer was at Raw.
WWE's Road to Evolution special will air on WWE Network Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST. It makes sense for USA and E! to air it first.
- The special drew 1.11 million viewers on USA Network Monday.
Women of Wrestling will be at Los Angeles Comic Con. I hope that's a good occasion for them.
WrestleCon has announced "Battle in the Big Apple: United States vs. The World" for April 5.
Pat McAfee looked at some key Smackdown 1000 moments. I expect to see more of him in WWE as time goes on.
Raw drew 2.55 million viewers Monday, a notable boost. I'd think Roman's announcement pulled in some curious fans.
Global Wars has added the following matches:
- Jeff Cobb vs. Christopher Daniels in Massachusetts
- Jay Briscoe vs. Scorpio Sky in Massachusetts
- Jay Lethal vs. Chris Sabin in a Proving Ground match in New York
- The Briscoes vs. Best Friends vs. Cody and Hangman Page in New York
- Cody vs. Beretta for the IWGP United States Championship in Ontario
- Young Bucks vs. KUSHIDA and Chris Sabin in Ontario
Survival of the Fittest has added the following first-round matches:
- Dalton Castle vs. Hangman Page vs. Colin Delaney
- Flip Gordon vs. Guerrero Maya Jr. vs. Andrew Everett
- Marty Scurll vs. Stuka, Jr. vs. Silas Young
Evolution will have a red carpet event with Kayla Braxton and Charly Caruso. The Kickoff panel will feature Renee Young, Beth Phoenix, and Page.
Lilian Garcia will do ring announcing at Evolution.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. If people are willing to go through that kind of punishment and others are willing to pay to see them do it, I'm not really that upset the style exists. There are plenty of other options for wrestling fans out there.
2. Between him being in meaningless lower-card feuds and him being saved for when there's a reason to use him, I'm fine with him getting some time off. His character has definitely run out of things to other than potentially work with Harper yet again.
3. Given how much money WWE got paid for the show, it makes sense to deliver a big card. Plus, Shawn's not going to have to live up to previous Mania matches. The Saudi crowd will treat him like a star regardless.
4. In part, yes, but ultimately it's part of a bigger push for women in WWE.
More wrestling coming up.
Roman Reigns gets support from wrestling community
Roman Reigns was wished well by the following wrestling personalities following his leukemia diagnosis:
- Apollo
- Bayley
- Brie Bella
- Braun Strowman
- Cary Silkin
- Curt Hawkins
- Daniel Bryan
- Finn Balor
- IPWUK
- Kairi Sane
- Madison Square Garden
- Mick Foley
- Mickie James
- Nikki Bella
- No Way Jose
- Paige
- Renee Young
- Samoa Joe
- SoCal Val
- Titus O'Neil
- Tyson Kidd
- Vince McMahon
I really wish the best for Roman long-term. More wrestling coming up.
- Apollo
- Bayley
- Brie Bella
- Braun Strowman
- Cary Silkin
- Curt Hawkins
- Daniel Bryan
- Finn Balor
- IPWUK
- Kairi Sane
- Madison Square Garden
- Mick Foley
- Mickie James
- Nikki Bella
- No Way Jose
- Paige
- Renee Young
- Samoa Joe
- SoCal Val
- Titus O'Neil
- Tyson Kidd
- Vince McMahon
I really wish the best for Roman long-term. More wrestling coming up.
Smackdown Live and Mixed Match Challenge Reax - 10/23/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and Mixed Match Challenge.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Interview with Alexa, Bellas on NBC show, Corgan looks at NWA70, Cass set for HOH, Rey live event update, new Evolution match, new ROH matches, SDL match, top stars at next week's Raw, another Takeover official, Roman backstage, and Questions on WWE listening to polls, Evolution commentary, Crown Jewel costing WWE sponsors, sudden turns in WWE, and talent refusing to work Crown Jewel
Alexa Bliss is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
The Bella Twins filmed an appearance for NBC's "Hollywood Game Night." The Bellas are a key part of appealing to those outside the wrestling bubble.
Billy Corgan reflected on NWA's 70th anniversary show. We'll see how things change for future events. It unfortunately looks like Jim Cornette will be returning on commentary to get himself over.
The former Big Cass will debut for House of Hardcore on December 1 in Wisconsin. He will also work HOH's December 8 show in Pennsylvania. I'm curious how he'll do there.
Rey Mysterio only worked Saturday's live event due to a scheduling issue on WWE's part. I expect he's booked for a set number of dates and WWE decided to only have him on the one show.
Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Natalya vs. The Riott Squad is booked for Evolution.
ROH has announced the following Global Wars matches:
- Bully Ray and Silas Young vs. the Young Bucks in Maine
- Juice Robinson vs. Christopher Daniels in Maine
- Tetsuya Naito vs. Hangman Page in Massachusetts
Survival of the Fittest has added Christopher Daniels vs. Beer City Bruiser for the first round of the tournament.
Naomi vs. Mandy Rose is set for Smackdown Live.
The Undertaker and Kane are expected on next week's Raw, six days before Crown Jewel. I'm curious what's next for those two and DX after that event.
NXT Takeover: Phoenix has been announced for January 26, the night before Royal Rumble.
Roman Reigns got support backstage after his big announcement. He did not work this weekend's live events.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Some of it is drawing traffic to WWE.com. I imagine WWE keeps an eye on the results, but they're not going to base things just on those polls.
2. I think it's a good move to have a veteran commentator guiding Renee and Beth there.
3. It's possible some sponsors make their feelings known. The question will be if they feel strongly enough to potentially jeopardize the money they make from their WWE deals.
4. Sometimes they decide they need a new heel/face immediately and don't think that character's important enough to invest a lot of screen time into an angle for.
5. I could see WWE testing certain low-level names' commitment to that idea, since a lot of them would be risking a lot if they were blackballed from WWE.
More wrestling tomorrow.
The Bella Twins filmed an appearance for NBC's "Hollywood Game Night." The Bellas are a key part of appealing to those outside the wrestling bubble.
Billy Corgan reflected on NWA's 70th anniversary show. We'll see how things change for future events. It unfortunately looks like Jim Cornette will be returning on commentary to get himself over.
The former Big Cass will debut for House of Hardcore on December 1 in Wisconsin. He will also work HOH's December 8 show in Pennsylvania. I'm curious how he'll do there.
Rey Mysterio only worked Saturday's live event due to a scheduling issue on WWE's part. I expect he's booked for a set number of dates and WWE decided to only have him on the one show.
Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Natalya vs. The Riott Squad is booked for Evolution.
ROH has announced the following Global Wars matches:
- Bully Ray and Silas Young vs. the Young Bucks in Maine
- Juice Robinson vs. Christopher Daniels in Maine
- Tetsuya Naito vs. Hangman Page in Massachusetts
Survival of the Fittest has added Christopher Daniels vs. Beer City Bruiser for the first round of the tournament.
Naomi vs. Mandy Rose is set for Smackdown Live.
The Undertaker and Kane are expected on next week's Raw, six days before Crown Jewel. I'm curious what's next for those two and DX after that event.
NXT Takeover: Phoenix has been announced for January 26, the night before Royal Rumble.
Roman Reigns got support backstage after his big announcement. He did not work this weekend's live events.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Some of it is drawing traffic to WWE.com. I imagine WWE keeps an eye on the results, but they're not going to base things just on those polls.
2. I think it's a good move to have a veteran commentator guiding Renee and Beth there.
3. It's possible some sponsors make their feelings known. The question will be if they feel strongly enough to potentially jeopardize the money they make from their WWE deals.
4. Sometimes they decide they need a new heel/face immediately and don't think that character's important enough to invest a lot of screen time into an angle for.
5. I could see WWE testing certain low-level names' commitment to that idea, since a lot of them would be risking a lot if they were blackballed from WWE.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Interview with Rollins, WM35 merch already on sale, Charlotte/Becky brawl at the WWEPC, live event notes, WWE prepares for live events on the Network, HoFer set for Raw, a lot of NWA70 notes, and Questions on Lita's non-PG lyrics, Taker retiring, The Club leaving for NJPW, and WWE calling off Crown Jewel
Seth Rollins did a Facebook Live Q&A Sunday.
WWE is selling WrestleMania 35 merchandise. And I thought Christmas came early!
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch did an angle at the WWE Performance Center. Clever!
Live event notes from this weekend:
- Carmella teamed with Asuka to defeat the IIconics, so it looks like she's officially a face.
- Tamina competed at a live event for the first time since January, in preparation for Evolution.
WWE filmed a live event last night with a smaller crew in possible preparation for airing live events on WWE Network. Starrcade will also be filmed in this fashion.
Lita is booked for tonight's Raw leading into Evolution.
NWA's 70th anniversary event notes:
- There were a number of notable production issues throughout the broadcast
- Blue Demon Jr. challenged the NWA World Champion to face him in Mexico
- James Ellsworth worked a dark match, as well as appearing on the show proper
- Willie Mack became the new National Champion, defeating Samuel Shaw
- Shannon Moore and Crazzy Steve answered the tag team open challenge, losing to the War Kings of Crimson and Jax Dane
- The Crockett Cup was announced as returning for 2019
- Nick Aldis regained the NWA World Championship in the main event
- The show was the highest grossing event in the history of the venue, surpassing every Impact or ROH event ever held there. That's actually pretty surprising!
- A press conference followed the show
- Madison Rayne was originally set to face Jazz before she signed with ROH
- JJ Dillon was originally set to be in Magnum TA's role, but he had a health issue.
- Joey Janela was going to compete for the National Championship before his injury
- Jeff Jarrett produced the show. CWFH's Dave Marquez directed it.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible if she became a regular, but given how the lyrics are obscured in the music and ultimately people just hear it as a bunch of noise, she might fly under the radar. It's probably not worth changing such a recognizable song for someone who rarely appears on WWE TV.
2. There's retired and then there's "not coming back for a big Saudi payday" retired. It will depend on how much he's willing to put himself through and how much certain parties are pushing him to keep coming back.
3. Ultimately it will depend on how much money they're offered by each side for how many dates, how much they care about their "push" and so on. I think Finn's more likely to stay than Karl and Luke, but they might also be fine making regular pay at the level they are now and don't want to rock the boat.
4. WWE still intends to go forward with the show.
5. Something that causes enough of a backlash that WWE would stand to lose around the same amount of money they're being paid to put the show on.
6. The more things continue toward putting the show on, the more difficult it will be to move or cancel it. It's going to take something that really puts WWE business in jeopardy to the tune of tens of millions of dollars for them to change things. How many times has Vince gone forward with things people have told him aren't good ideas? How difficult is it to change his mind on much smaller issues like pushes and storylines? I see that same mentality being in effect here.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE is selling WrestleMania 35 merchandise. And I thought Christmas came early!
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch did an angle at the WWE Performance Center. Clever!
Live event notes from this weekend:
- Carmella teamed with Asuka to defeat the IIconics, so it looks like she's officially a face.
- Tamina competed at a live event for the first time since January, in preparation for Evolution.
WWE filmed a live event last night with a smaller crew in possible preparation for airing live events on WWE Network. Starrcade will also be filmed in this fashion.
Lita is booked for tonight's Raw leading into Evolution.
NWA's 70th anniversary event notes:
- There were a number of notable production issues throughout the broadcast
- Blue Demon Jr. challenged the NWA World Champion to face him in Mexico
- James Ellsworth worked a dark match, as well as appearing on the show proper
- Willie Mack became the new National Champion, defeating Samuel Shaw
- Shannon Moore and Crazzy Steve answered the tag team open challenge, losing to the War Kings of Crimson and Jax Dane
- The Crockett Cup was announced as returning for 2019
- Nick Aldis regained the NWA World Championship in the main event
- The show was the highest grossing event in the history of the venue, surpassing every Impact or ROH event ever held there. That's actually pretty surprising!
- A press conference followed the show
- Madison Rayne was originally set to face Jazz before she signed with ROH
- JJ Dillon was originally set to be in Magnum TA's role, but he had a health issue.
- Joey Janela was going to compete for the National Championship before his injury
- Jeff Jarrett produced the show. CWFH's Dave Marquez directed it.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible if she became a regular, but given how the lyrics are obscured in the music and ultimately people just hear it as a bunch of noise, she might fly under the radar. It's probably not worth changing such a recognizable song for someone who rarely appears on WWE TV.
2. There's retired and then there's "not coming back for a big Saudi payday" retired. It will depend on how much he's willing to put himself through and how much certain parties are pushing him to keep coming back.
3. Ultimately it will depend on how much money they're offered by each side for how many dates, how much they care about their "push" and so on. I think Finn's more likely to stay than Karl and Luke, but they might also be fine making regular pay at the level they are now and don't want to rock the boat.
4. WWE still intends to go forward with the show.
5. Something that causes enough of a backlash that WWE would stand to lose around the same amount of money they're being paid to put the show on.
6. The more things continue toward putting the show on, the more difficult it will be to move or cancel it. It's going to take something that really puts WWE business in jeopardy to the tune of tens of millions of dollars for them to change things. How many times has Vince gone forward with things people have told him aren't good ideas? How difficult is it to change his mind on much smaller issues like pushes and storylines? I see that same mentality being in effect here.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Francine Q&A, Road to Evolution also on WWE Network, this week's Marquee Matches, Hardy Halloween special air date, LU off Netflix soon, SDL match, next MizTV guest, Canadian Impact tapings, more SOTF matches, assorted WWE press, Charlotte at the WWEPC, and NXT UK Women's Title defended for the first time
ECW's Francine did a live Q&A. We don't see her that often.
WWE's Road to Evolution special will also air on WWE Network after Raw.
WWE Marquee Matches will feature:
- Trish Stratus vs. Lita from Raw in December 2004 on Tuesday.
- Bayley vs. Sasha Banks from Takeover:Brooklyn I on Thursday
- Charlotte vs. Nikki Bella from Night of Champions 2015 on Friday
The House Hardy Halloween Special will follow Evolution.
Lucha Underground will leave Netflix on November 15. The first two seasons are currently on the service.
Rusev vs. Aiden English is official for Smackdown Live.
- Rey Mysterio will appear on MizTV Tuesday, as well.
Impact has announced Ontario TV tapings for March 22 and March 23. We'll see where that content will air...
Survival of the Fittest has added:
- Cody and the Young Bucks vs. The Kingdom for the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship
- Jay Lethal and Jeff Cobb vs. Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky
The Miz and Maryse were at the Formula 1 Pirelli U.S. Grand Prix.
Charlotte Flair spoke to female WWE Performance Center trainees.
Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Mickie James, and Alicia Fox took part in a YouTube "don't laugh" challenge.
John Cena answered kids' questions at SiriusXM.
The NXT UK Women's Championship was defended for the first time at a Florida NXT live event as Rhea Ripley defeated Toni Storm.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE's Road to Evolution special will also air on WWE Network after Raw.
WWE Marquee Matches will feature:
- Trish Stratus vs. Lita from Raw in December 2004 on Tuesday.
- Bayley vs. Sasha Banks from Takeover:Brooklyn I on Thursday
- Charlotte vs. Nikki Bella from Night of Champions 2015 on Friday
The House Hardy Halloween Special will follow Evolution.
Lucha Underground will leave Netflix on November 15. The first two seasons are currently on the service.
Rusev vs. Aiden English is official for Smackdown Live.
- Rey Mysterio will appear on MizTV Tuesday, as well.
Impact has announced Ontario TV tapings for March 22 and March 23. We'll see where that content will air...
Survival of the Fittest has added:
- Cody and the Young Bucks vs. The Kingdom for the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship
- Jay Lethal and Jeff Cobb vs. Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky
The Miz and Maryse were at the Formula 1 Pirelli U.S. Grand Prix.
Charlotte Flair spoke to female WWE Performance Center trainees.
Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Mickie James, and Alicia Fox took part in a YouTube "don't laugh" challenge.
John Cena answered kids' questions at SiriusXM.
The NXT UK Women's Championship was defended for the first time at a Florida NXT live event as Rhea Ripley defeated Toni Storm.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Main Event and Ring Warriors Reax - 10/20/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Main Event and Ring Warriors.
Saturday, October 20, 2018
HoFer booked for Raw, Evolution special on USA and E!, Braun hurt at Raw, WWE exec honored, Interviews with JBL/Paige/Lita, NWA showcases rebooted title, Global Wars matches announced, Impact audience, more Evolution battle royal participants, more names at Evolution, potential Network tier perks, WWE Night guests, Raw names back in action, and Questions on honoring legends at Evolution, WWE's next female HoFer, booking Sunny, Brie wrestling at Evolution, and the Evolution commentary team
Shawn Michaels is expected at Raw to continue the build to Crown Jewel.
A "Road to Evolution" special will air on USA Network after Raw and E! after "Total Divas." This is an important event for WWE.
Braun Strowman hurt his eye during Raw.
Michelle Wilson was honored by Make-A-Wish.
JBL discussed Crown Jewel and more.
Paige discussed Smackdown 1000 and more.
NWA revealed the new National Championship. I love the throwback design.
Announced for Global Wars:
- Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, KUSHIDA, and Chris Sabin vs. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, BUSHI, and SANADA for November 7 in Maine
- Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham vs. the Young Bucks vs. Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan vs. Chris Sabin and KUSHIDA for November 8 in Massachusetts
- Jonathan Gresham vs. KUSHIDA vs. Flip Gordon vs. BUSHI for November 9 in New York
- Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King for the ROH World Championship for November 11 in Ontario
Lita spoke to Natalya for Natalya's newspaper column.
Impact Wrestling drew 189,000 viewers Thursday night for the show after Bound For Glory, marking three straight weeks under 200,000 for the first time in series history. They've got a difficult road ahead in staying on U.S. TV in 2019 with those numbers.
Evolution's battle royal has added Michelle McCool, Alundra Blayze, Ivory, Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly, and Maria Kanellis.
Ric Flair has been booked for Evolution, as have NXT names Taynara Conti, Xia Li, Shadia Bseiso, and Kavita Devi. The last names show the international reach of the WWE Performance Center.
WWE has asked fans about the following Network perks:
- A monthly Saturday Night's Main Event
- Airing live events
- Airing PROGRESS and ICW live
- PROGRESS and ICW video libraries
- free shipping on WWE merchandise orders
- early access to tickets
- early entry to live events
- alternate commentary and audio
- downloading content to watch offline
- voting for the WWE Hall of Fame
- Impact Wrestling, LU, ROH, CHIKARA, and EVOLVE content
-- The company is absolutely building the service in a major way in 2019
WWE Night in New Jersey featured Mick Foley, Becky Lynch, and Curt Hawkins.
Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks returned to action in tag matches at Raw live events this weekend. Sasha teamed with Bayley and Dana Brooke to defeat Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Alicia Fox, while Alexa teamed with Mickie James in a loss to Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think there'll be a video package or something, but I don't think there will be any formal ceremony.
2. I was going to go with Molly Holly, but Paige makes a lot of sense, too.
3. Ultimately it will be up to each promoter to see how much they trust her, what the price is compared to the value, etc. I do think she deserves a chance to rehabilitate.
4. It doesn't look like it at this juncture.
5. I definitely expect Renee Young to be part of it. I'd be surprised if they didn't have at least one more experienced commentator alongside Renee and/or Beth.
More wrestling tomorrow.
A "Road to Evolution" special will air on USA Network after Raw and E! after "Total Divas." This is an important event for WWE.
Braun Strowman hurt his eye during Raw.
Michelle Wilson was honored by Make-A-Wish.
JBL discussed Crown Jewel and more.
Paige discussed Smackdown 1000 and more.
NWA revealed the new National Championship. I love the throwback design.
Announced for Global Wars:
- Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, KUSHIDA, and Chris Sabin vs. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, BUSHI, and SANADA for November 7 in Maine
- Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham vs. the Young Bucks vs. Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan vs. Chris Sabin and KUSHIDA for November 8 in Massachusetts
- Jonathan Gresham vs. KUSHIDA vs. Flip Gordon vs. BUSHI for November 9 in New York
- Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King for the ROH World Championship for November 11 in Ontario
Lita spoke to Natalya for Natalya's newspaper column.
Impact Wrestling drew 189,000 viewers Thursday night for the show after Bound For Glory, marking three straight weeks under 200,000 for the first time in series history. They've got a difficult road ahead in staying on U.S. TV in 2019 with those numbers.
Evolution's battle royal has added Michelle McCool, Alundra Blayze, Ivory, Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly, and Maria Kanellis.
Ric Flair has been booked for Evolution, as have NXT names Taynara Conti, Xia Li, Shadia Bseiso, and Kavita Devi. The last names show the international reach of the WWE Performance Center.
WWE has asked fans about the following Network perks:
- A monthly Saturday Night's Main Event
- Airing live events
- Airing PROGRESS and ICW live
- PROGRESS and ICW video libraries
- free shipping on WWE merchandise orders
- early access to tickets
- early entry to live events
- alternate commentary and audio
- downloading content to watch offline
- voting for the WWE Hall of Fame
- Impact Wrestling, LU, ROH, CHIKARA, and EVOLVE content
-- The company is absolutely building the service in a major way in 2019
WWE Night in New Jersey featured Mick Foley, Becky Lynch, and Curt Hawkins.
Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks returned to action in tag matches at Raw live events this weekend. Sasha teamed with Bayley and Dana Brooke to defeat Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Alicia Fox, while Alexa teamed with Mickie James in a loss to Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think there'll be a video package or something, but I don't think there will be any formal ceremony.
2. I was going to go with Molly Holly, but Paige makes a lot of sense, too.
3. Ultimately it will be up to each promoter to see how much they trust her, what the price is compared to the value, etc. I do think she deserves a chance to rehabilitate.
4. It doesn't look like it at this juncture.
5. I definitely expect Renee Young to be part of it. I'd be surprised if they didn't have at least one more experienced commentator alongside Renee and/or Beth.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, October 19, 2018
Interviews with Iron/Jeff Jarrett/Charlotte/Bellas/Mandy, legendary Atlanta broadcast on Hidden Gems, long-tenured wrestlers passes, another HoFer at Evolution, Shane-SDL update, Cena's book a best-seller, NWA legend presenting National Championship, WWEPC announces big signings, CMLL duo working SOTF, another Global Wars name, former ECW Champion on Twitter, NBA star eyeing WWE future, why Crown Jewel changed venues, Impact return falls through, Japanese companies working together for major event, Ospreay hurt, NJPW name retires, OVW 1000 documentary, Kazarian has new non-wrestling gig, Owens recovery update, FOX looking to change SDL, another NXT in the works, why Mauro missed NXT, NXT releases, new MLW signing, MLW looking to expand clearances, and Questions on Rey working European dates, WWE live events on local stations, BFG in a 900-seat venue, Finkel's WWE status, and the Impact World Title in Ring Warriors
Gregory Iron is on Stone Cold's latest podcast.
WWE Network has added the entire Last Battle of Atlanta event to Hidden Gems. This show was headlined by a match that inspired Hell In A Cell.
Dick Slater passed away at age 67.
Madusa/Alundra Blayze has been added to Evolution in an unknown role. I'm glad the event is featuring trailblazers.
Shane McMahon will be part of Smackdown Live regularly going forward. Naturally this could lead to him competing at Survivor Series.
John Cena's "Elbow Grease" is a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. The CeNation really turned out.
Magnum TA will present the new NWA National Champion with their title at NWA's 70th anniversary event. That's pretty cool!
WWE officially announced the signings of:
- Matt Riddle
- Mia Yim, formerly Jade
- Chelsea Green, formerly Laurel Van Ness
- Humberto Carrillo, formerly Ultimo Ninja
- Punishment Martinez
- Daniel Vidot, rugby player
- Jordan Omogbehin, basketball player
CMLL's Stuka Jr. and Guerrero Maya Jr. have been added to Survival of the Fittest. It will be good to see them again.
KUSHIDA has been added to the Global Wars tour.
Jeff Jarrett promoted NWA's 70th anniversary event.
Jerry Lynn has joined Twitter.
NBA's Enes Kanter discussed looking to join WWE after his basketball career. He intends to play another ten years or so - a lot can change between now and then.
Crown Jewel is not running the same venue as Greatest Royal Rumble due to renovations at that stadium.
Low Ki was in talks to return to Impact at Bound For Glory, but the deal feel through.
NJPW, Pro Wrestling NOAH, AJPW, Big Japan, and Wrestle-1 are doing a joint show on February 19. That's really impressive!
Will Ospreay was injured recently in the UK. He's currently set to be out until November 3.
NJPW's Tetsuhiro Yagi has retired following a broken arm.
OVW's 1000th episode was covered by Adult Swim.
Frankie Kazarian has stated playing in a new rock band.
Kevin Owens is expected back around the time of WrestleMania. He may or may not work that show.
FOX is looking to change Smackdown Live to be in line with other sports properties on the network, rather than some of the content that's on there now. It will be interesting to see how much WWE is willing to change to appease them, and what that will entail.
WWE is considering an NXT Germany next. Wow. They're seriously making moves with international development.
Mauro Ranallo missed the latest NXT taping due to being honored in New York.
Vince McMahon appearing at Smackdown Live was a rare Tuesday appearance for the chairman. He usually runs things from Connecticut.
NXT has released Tian Bing, Gabriel Ealy, and Cheng Yuxiang (a.k.a. Jason). Bing just wrestled on NXT TV. Interesting to see two Chinese names cut.
MLW has signed PCO to a deal.
MLW is looking to push for international clearance soon. That would definitely be big for them.
Charlotte Flair discussed comic books.
The Bella Twins were profiled before Evolution.
Mandy Rose is on the latest "My Daughter Is A WWE Superstar."
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Rey and WWE seem to still be working some things out as far as which dates he's going to work. He's definitely on a less than full-time contract.
2. I would think NBCU and FOX would want WWE to only have televised content on USA Network and FOX's national station, respectively. WWE doesn't want to risk that revenue. So, I don't see it happening anytime soon.
3. They had to run three straight dates in the same venue, and they knew it wouldn't be cost-efficient to run somewhere bigger given the number of tickets they can sell in 2018.
4. I was under the impression he still works at WWE headquarters in some capacity.
5. It's publicity for them and their then-champion. I suspect Aries was going to work the series regardless and Impact just gave him permission to defend his title there. I don't anticipate Johnny Impact taking over his role there.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE Network has added the entire Last Battle of Atlanta event to Hidden Gems. This show was headlined by a match that inspired Hell In A Cell.
Dick Slater passed away at age 67.
Madusa/Alundra Blayze has been added to Evolution in an unknown role. I'm glad the event is featuring trailblazers.
Shane McMahon will be part of Smackdown Live regularly going forward. Naturally this could lead to him competing at Survivor Series.
John Cena's "Elbow Grease" is a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. The CeNation really turned out.
Magnum TA will present the new NWA National Champion with their title at NWA's 70th anniversary event. That's pretty cool!
WWE officially announced the signings of:
- Matt Riddle
- Mia Yim, formerly Jade
- Chelsea Green, formerly Laurel Van Ness
- Humberto Carrillo, formerly Ultimo Ninja
- Punishment Martinez
- Daniel Vidot, rugby player
- Jordan Omogbehin, basketball player
CMLL's Stuka Jr. and Guerrero Maya Jr. have been added to Survival of the Fittest. It will be good to see them again.
KUSHIDA has been added to the Global Wars tour.
Jeff Jarrett promoted NWA's 70th anniversary event.
Jerry Lynn has joined Twitter.
NBA's Enes Kanter discussed looking to join WWE after his basketball career. He intends to play another ten years or so - a lot can change between now and then.
Crown Jewel is not running the same venue as Greatest Royal Rumble due to renovations at that stadium.
Low Ki was in talks to return to Impact at Bound For Glory, but the deal feel through.
NJPW, Pro Wrestling NOAH, AJPW, Big Japan, and Wrestle-1 are doing a joint show on February 19. That's really impressive!
Will Ospreay was injured recently in the UK. He's currently set to be out until November 3.
NJPW's Tetsuhiro Yagi has retired following a broken arm.
OVW's 1000th episode was covered by Adult Swim.
Frankie Kazarian has stated playing in a new rock band.
Kevin Owens is expected back around the time of WrestleMania. He may or may not work that show.
FOX is looking to change Smackdown Live to be in line with other sports properties on the network, rather than some of the content that's on there now. It will be interesting to see how much WWE is willing to change to appease them, and what that will entail.
WWE is considering an NXT Germany next. Wow. They're seriously making moves with international development.
Mauro Ranallo missed the latest NXT taping due to being honored in New York.
Vince McMahon appearing at Smackdown Live was a rare Tuesday appearance for the chairman. He usually runs things from Connecticut.
NXT has released Tian Bing, Gabriel Ealy, and Cheng Yuxiang (a.k.a. Jason). Bing just wrestled on NXT TV. Interesting to see two Chinese names cut.
MLW has signed PCO to a deal.
MLW is looking to push for international clearance soon. That would definitely be big for them.
Charlotte Flair discussed comic books.
The Bella Twins were profiled before Evolution.
Mandy Rose is on the latest "My Daughter Is A WWE Superstar."
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Rey and WWE seem to still be working some things out as far as which dates he's going to work. He's definitely on a less than full-time contract.
2. I would think NBCU and FOX would want WWE to only have televised content on USA Network and FOX's national station, respectively. WWE doesn't want to risk that revenue. So, I don't see it happening anytime soon.
3. They had to run three straight dates in the same venue, and they knew it wouldn't be cost-efficient to run somewhere bigger given the number of tickets they can sell in 2018.
4. I was under the impression he still works at WWE headquarters in some capacity.
5. It's publicity for them and their then-champion. I suspect Aries was going to work the series regardless and Impact just gave him permission to defend his title there. I don't anticipate Johnny Impact taking over his role there.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
More legends at Evolution, Owens has surgery, more on Aries-Impact, original BFG plans, another Impact taping set, Mack's Impact status, Dreamer works double duty, more Global Wars and Survival of the Fittest names, Interviews with Oliver/Orton, WWE Night, Impact star re-signs, NXT UK press, Raw before WM35 booked, WWE promotes nWo again, SD1000 audience and notes, and Questions on female legends being used more, Ronda vs. Nikki, picking a fight with WWE, WWE injury updates, and Evolution's NXT UK title match
Ivory and Molly Holly are booked for Evolution. I'll be glad to see both of them again.
Kevin Owens underwent double knee surgery. He will miss significant time. It's been a rough stretch for him and Sami Zayn.
Impact changed taping plans due to Austin Aries returning home after Bound For Glory. There's no official word on his status going forward.
Joey Janela was originally scheduled as Eli Drake's Bound For Glory performance, with Janela then becoming a regular. Janela's injury changed those plans, with James Ellsworth making a one-time appearance.
Impact has a TV taping in Tennessee the night after Homecoming.
Willie Mack will be a regular in Impact from now on. He was really impressive at Bound For Glory.
Tommy Dreamer worked as a producer at Impact's TV tapings this week.
Global Wars has added Juice Robinson, BUSHI, and KUSHIDA.
Holidead and Thunder Rosa are booked for ROH's Survival of the Fittest weekend.
Survival of the Fittest has added Luchasaurus, making his ROH debut. That might be one of my favorite wrestling names ever. I look forward to seeing how he does.
Lanny Poffo interviewed Sean Oliver on his latest podcast.
NHL's New Jersey Devils are holding WWE Night tonight.
Sami Callihan has signed a new Impact Wrestling contract. So, he'll continue to be part of plans going forward.
NXT UK got press ahead of its WWE Network debut. I could absolutely see Pete Dunne as WWE Champion someday.
The Raw before WrestleMania 35 is set for Washington, DC.
WWE's Twitter account promoted the nWo reunion event, sending fans to Hulk Hogan's website. Honestly during this Saudi controversy, they can do whatever they want with Hogan and it will probably be overlooked.
Smackdown 1000 drew 2.55 million viewers, a sizable jump from last week. That's not a massive number for the show, but it did beat this week's Raw.
The Undertaker's Smackdown 1000 promo was cut short, as was Rey Mysterio vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. A number of backstage segments were also dropped for time.
Kane was scheduled for Smackdown 1000, but was unable to attend.
Randy Orton discussed Crown Jewel continuing, essentially repeating the company line.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It will likely be a case-by-case basis on who's used for the future, with how much can they do in the ring, how much them appearing will mean for the show, etc.
2. Nope. Both are talented enough to put on a good match.
3. I don't know if any wrestling company's crazy enough to try that, especially since a lot of talents want the option of working there someday. WWE would try to prevent such a situation from happening, of course, but there would be some serious repercussions if someone tried it.
4. There hasn't been any update on Rowan I'm aware of. Tamina will work Evolution, but I don't know if she'll be a regular afterward at 40.
5. This was announced at the latest UK taping.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Kevin Owens underwent double knee surgery. He will miss significant time. It's been a rough stretch for him and Sami Zayn.
Impact changed taping plans due to Austin Aries returning home after Bound For Glory. There's no official word on his status going forward.
Joey Janela was originally scheduled as Eli Drake's Bound For Glory performance, with Janela then becoming a regular. Janela's injury changed those plans, with James Ellsworth making a one-time appearance.
Impact has a TV taping in Tennessee the night after Homecoming.
Willie Mack will be a regular in Impact from now on. He was really impressive at Bound For Glory.
Tommy Dreamer worked as a producer at Impact's TV tapings this week.
Global Wars has added Juice Robinson, BUSHI, and KUSHIDA.
Holidead and Thunder Rosa are booked for ROH's Survival of the Fittest weekend.
Survival of the Fittest has added Luchasaurus, making his ROH debut. That might be one of my favorite wrestling names ever. I look forward to seeing how he does.
Lanny Poffo interviewed Sean Oliver on his latest podcast.
NHL's New Jersey Devils are holding WWE Night tonight.
Sami Callihan has signed a new Impact Wrestling contract. So, he'll continue to be part of plans going forward.
NXT UK got press ahead of its WWE Network debut. I could absolutely see Pete Dunne as WWE Champion someday.
The Raw before WrestleMania 35 is set for Washington, DC.
WWE's Twitter account promoted the nWo reunion event, sending fans to Hulk Hogan's website. Honestly during this Saudi controversy, they can do whatever they want with Hogan and it will probably be overlooked.
Smackdown 1000 drew 2.55 million viewers, a sizable jump from last week. That's not a massive number for the show, but it did beat this week's Raw.
The Undertaker's Smackdown 1000 promo was cut short, as was Rey Mysterio vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. A number of backstage segments were also dropped for time.
Kane was scheduled for Smackdown 1000, but was unable to attend.
Randy Orton discussed Crown Jewel continuing, essentially repeating the company line.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It will likely be a case-by-case basis on who's used for the future, with how much can they do in the ring, how much them appearing will mean for the show, etc.
2. Nope. Both are talented enough to put on a good match.
3. I don't know if any wrestling company's crazy enough to try that, especially since a lot of talents want the option of working there someday. WWE would try to prevent such a situation from happening, of course, but there would be some serious repercussions if someone tried it.
4. There hasn't been any update on Rowan I'm aware of. Tamina will work Evolution, but I don't know if she'll be a regular afterward at 40.
5. This was announced at the latest UK taping.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Impact match set, Evolution battle royal expands, Interview with Riddle, assorted WWE press, ROH names get independent trademark, new ROH merch, original GLOW star at NWA70, Aries-Impact Wrestling update, Impact injury?, Impact guests, Impact charity, identity of Impact worker, WWE women back in action, Crown Jewel press, SDL live event guests, Impact holding seminar, Impact sets two California dates, more Global Wars names, SDL guests, former ROH name starts at WWEPC, WWE seeking digital hire, Rey's Starrcade march set, Owens advertised for SDL live event, another SDL live event booked, Impact signs new Knockout, and Questions on Cody's ROH importance vs. Lethal's, calling shows PPVs, Trish and Lita tagging, female referees at Evolution, and WWE groupthink
Tommy Dreamer vs. Killer Kross is set for this week's Impact. I really hope they don't have Dreamer derail Kross.
Evolution's battle royal has added Naomi, Carmella, Lana, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, and Torrie Wilson. WWE only has so many spots, even on an all-women's card.
Matt Riddle discussed coming to NXT. They're sure taking their time in debuting him.
Ric Flair promoted WWE 2K19.
Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky have trademarked "SoCal Uncensored." That may or may not mean they're looking to use the name as free agents after the end of the year.
ROH has created "Micro Brawlers"
Original GLOW star Hollywood is booked for NWA's 70th anniversary, advertised as answering the challenge of Crimson and Jax Dane. I'm guessing that will be some kind of weird angle rather than a match.
Austin Aries was not at Monday's Impact taping, furthering speculation of him walking out of the company. If that's the case, he lasted nine months there. I expected about six, so I wasn't too far off.
- It's believed Aries flew home after Bound For Glory, which was not the original plan.
KM is believed to have hurt himself during Monday's Impact taping. We'll see if he returns to action at the next tapings.
Joel Gertner and Colby Corino were at Monday's Impact taping.
Impact worked with the local Toys for Tots before Monday's taping.
Sami Callihan trainee Ace Austin worked Monday's Impact taping. Good to see names getting exposure in the company.
Sasha Banks has been cleared to return to action.
Alexa Bliss is set for this weekend's Raw live events, so she's been cleared to return to action before Evolution.
Smackdown 1000 was promoted by Becky Lynch, Torrie Wilson, Funaki, Michelle McCool, and The Rock.
Raw drew 2.40 million viewers Monday night, slightly up from last week's number.
Crown Jewel's controversy got press from Fox Business, Wall Street Journal, Vice.com, and Time. WWE got mainstream coverage, but not for ideal reasons.
NASCAR's Elliot and Hermie Sadler were at Smackdown Live's Monday live event. They have a history of working with wrestling.
Naomi did a live stream to promote the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Impact is holding a training seminar in Nevada on November 10. A number of names from that event will work the following TV tapings. Impact is seeking to fill a number of roles, it looks like.
Impact is running a live event in California on November 30, followed by a One Night Only taping on December 1 in a different city.
Impact's Homecoming show will be on PPV. I expected that to be the case, but it was possible the show was going to be a Twitch event.
ROH and NJPW's Global Wars tour has added EVIL and SANADA. The events will stream on Honorclub.
Charlotte Flair's ex-husband is suing WWE as well as both Ric and Charlotte Flair due to disparaging claims in "Second Nature." Those claims can definitely hurt his reputation, which is more notable now due to the book's release.
Kurt Angle, Zack Ryder, and Curt Hawkins were backstage at Smackdown 1000. There was seemingly talk of reusing the "Edgeheads" before the plan with Becky Lynch on the Cutting Edge.
Punishment Martinez has officially started working out at the WWE Performance Center.
WWE has also trademarked the Chinese name and characters for "Lighting Fist."
WWE is seeking a News Director for their digital offerings.
Rey Mysterio will face Shinsuke Nakamura at Starrcade for the United States Championship, so that's what he'll be occupied with first.
Kevin Owens is advertised for Smackdown Live's December 10 live event in Ontario. We'll see if he ends up appearing due to his injury.
Smackdown Live will run a live event in Illinois on December 26.
Jordynne Grace has signed a two-year contract with Impact Wrestling. I'm glad we'll see her again after her All In performance.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can see that argument, but the two of them are booked at a similar level in ROH. Both are important to ROH. Cody brings a higher profile to the organization, but Lethal is the somewhat no-frills workhorse who embodies the company's values by working with anyone and everyone.
2. To some degree it's habit. That's what the shows have been called for so long, most fans know them by that name. But, yes, if someone wants to pay that much for a show, WWE would love to have them do so. I think a lot of it is a technological challenge where some people have cable or satellite but not high-speed Internet, or they're not comfortable having their financial information stored online.
3. It was Teddy Long's idea, playa! Trish and Lita working together to have, say, a ten-minute match instead of each doing a five-minute match protects the older workers who are just doing the one appearance. They can come in, do their signature stuff, and get out without stretching themselves to an unnecessary degree.
4. WWE should feature as many women in as many roles as possible, fitting with the theme of the show.
5. Vince definitely has loyal employees who do what he wants them to do and support every plan of his.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Evolution's battle royal has added Naomi, Carmella, Lana, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, and Torrie Wilson. WWE only has so many spots, even on an all-women's card.
Matt Riddle discussed coming to NXT. They're sure taking their time in debuting him.
Ric Flair promoted WWE 2K19.
Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky have trademarked "SoCal Uncensored." That may or may not mean they're looking to use the name as free agents after the end of the year.
ROH has created "Micro Brawlers"
Original GLOW star Hollywood is booked for NWA's 70th anniversary, advertised as answering the challenge of Crimson and Jax Dane. I'm guessing that will be some kind of weird angle rather than a match.
Austin Aries was not at Monday's Impact taping, furthering speculation of him walking out of the company. If that's the case, he lasted nine months there. I expected about six, so I wasn't too far off.
- It's believed Aries flew home after Bound For Glory, which was not the original plan.
KM is believed to have hurt himself during Monday's Impact taping. We'll see if he returns to action at the next tapings.
Joel Gertner and Colby Corino were at Monday's Impact taping.
Impact worked with the local Toys for Tots before Monday's taping.
Sami Callihan trainee Ace Austin worked Monday's Impact taping. Good to see names getting exposure in the company.
Sasha Banks has been cleared to return to action.
Alexa Bliss is set for this weekend's Raw live events, so she's been cleared to return to action before Evolution.
Smackdown 1000 was promoted by Becky Lynch, Torrie Wilson, Funaki, Michelle McCool, and The Rock.
Raw drew 2.40 million viewers Monday night, slightly up from last week's number.
Crown Jewel's controversy got press from Fox Business, Wall Street Journal, Vice.com, and Time. WWE got mainstream coverage, but not for ideal reasons.
NASCAR's Elliot and Hermie Sadler were at Smackdown Live's Monday live event. They have a history of working with wrestling.
Naomi did a live stream to promote the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Impact is holding a training seminar in Nevada on November 10. A number of names from that event will work the following TV tapings. Impact is seeking to fill a number of roles, it looks like.
Impact is running a live event in California on November 30, followed by a One Night Only taping on December 1 in a different city.
Impact's Homecoming show will be on PPV. I expected that to be the case, but it was possible the show was going to be a Twitch event.
ROH and NJPW's Global Wars tour has added EVIL and SANADA. The events will stream on Honorclub.
Charlotte Flair's ex-husband is suing WWE as well as both Ric and Charlotte Flair due to disparaging claims in "Second Nature." Those claims can definitely hurt his reputation, which is more notable now due to the book's release.
Kurt Angle, Zack Ryder, and Curt Hawkins were backstage at Smackdown 1000. There was seemingly talk of reusing the "Edgeheads" before the plan with Becky Lynch on the Cutting Edge.
Punishment Martinez has officially started working out at the WWE Performance Center.
WWE has also trademarked the Chinese name and characters for "Lighting Fist."
WWE is seeking a News Director for their digital offerings.
Rey Mysterio will face Shinsuke Nakamura at Starrcade for the United States Championship, so that's what he'll be occupied with first.
Kevin Owens is advertised for Smackdown Live's December 10 live event in Ontario. We'll see if he ends up appearing due to his injury.
Smackdown Live will run a live event in Illinois on December 26.
Jordynne Grace has signed a two-year contract with Impact Wrestling. I'm glad we'll see her again after her All In performance.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can see that argument, but the two of them are booked at a similar level in ROH. Both are important to ROH. Cody brings a higher profile to the organization, but Lethal is the somewhat no-frills workhorse who embodies the company's values by working with anyone and everyone.
2. To some degree it's habit. That's what the shows have been called for so long, most fans know them by that name. But, yes, if someone wants to pay that much for a show, WWE would love to have them do so. I think a lot of it is a technological challenge where some people have cable or satellite but not high-speed Internet, or they're not comfortable having their financial information stored online.
3. It was Teddy Long's idea, playa! Trish and Lita working together to have, say, a ten-minute match instead of each doing a five-minute match protects the older workers who are just doing the one appearance. They can come in, do their signature stuff, and get out without stretching themselves to an unnecessary degree.
4. WWE should feature as many women in as many roles as possible, fitting with the theme of the show.
5. Vince definitely has loyal employees who do what he wants them to do and support every plan of his.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown 1000 and Mixed Match Challenge Reax - 10/16/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown 1000 and Mixed Match Challenge.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
HHH on WWE doing big UK show, Interviews with Saraya/McIntyre/Bryan/Charlotte, more SD1000 names, new WWE merchandise, Survivor Series contest, Impact matches set, former WWE star debuting for ROH, Ride Along trio set, top NJPW name booked for Global Wars, Ziggler comedy date set, ECW names book podcast, Crown Jewel update, new Cena trademark, even more Rey dates, Mauro becomes MMA free agent, and Questions on WWE doing Crown Jewel
Triple H discussed doing a major show in the UK. If someone offers WWE tens of millions of dollars to do a big show there, WWE will definitely be in a bigger hurry to return.
Saraya Knight is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
James Ellsworth is scheduled for Smackdown 1000, which is pretty interesting following his Bound For Glory appearance. I wonder how far in advance each appearance was planned.
- Mark Henry has also been added to the show.
WWE has new shaker cups from G-Fuel.
WWE and Mattel have a Survivor Series sweepstakes.
Drew McIntyre spoke to DDP. I'm glad he's rebounded after his previous WWE run.
Announced for Impact Wrestling Thursday night:
- Trevor Lee vs. Ethan Page
- Allie vs. Alisha Edwards
PJ Black, formerly Justin Gabriel, will compete in Survival of the Fittest. It's good to see special names in the mix.
Daniel Bryan spoke to MLB.com to promote Royal Rumble
Renee Young, Nia Jax, and Corey Graves filmed an episode of Ride Along.
Charlotte Flair promoted Evolution with Yahoo! Sports.
Nikki Cross took part in DDP Yoga recently.
Charlotte Flair was honored at the Girl Hero Awards.
Tetsuya Naito has been announced for the 2018 Global Wars tour, which will run from November 7 through November 11.
Dolph Ziggler has a comedy date booked Survivor Series weekend.
Jerry Lynn and Mikey Whipwreck are launching a podcast together. Presumably ECW will be a focal point.
Crown Jewel is once more being advertised for Saudi Arabia on WWE.com. So, the odds are heavily in favor of the event going on as planned.
WWE has trademarked "Lightning Fist" for clothing purposes. So, the Sixth Move of Doom is going to be represented in merchandise soon.
Rey Mysterio is now being advertised for:
- Smackdown Live on November 13, November 20, November 27, December 4, and December 29
- Survivor Series on November 18
- Starrcade on November 24
- TLC on December 16
-- WWE advertised him as "full-time," so we'll see if he's added to regular live event rotation.
Mauro Ranallo is no longer under contract to Bellator. He is seeking work in MMA broadcasting.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They are definitely getting heat, both from members of the United States Senate and from the press.
2. They are feeling pressure, but they're risking hundreds of millions of dollars over the next ten years if they don't fulfill this deal.
3. Honestly as much as the Saudis are paying for the show, it wouldn't shock me if WWE put them over again.
4. WWE could hypothetically do that, but the Saudis are the ones paying for the show, so I don't see it happening.
5. Yes, WWE would just travel on land after flying in from a nearby country. The show is going on as planned barring something amazingly disruptive happening.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saraya Knight is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
James Ellsworth is scheduled for Smackdown 1000, which is pretty interesting following his Bound For Glory appearance. I wonder how far in advance each appearance was planned.
- Mark Henry has also been added to the show.
WWE has new shaker cups from G-Fuel.
WWE and Mattel have a Survivor Series sweepstakes.
Drew McIntyre spoke to DDP. I'm glad he's rebounded after his previous WWE run.
Announced for Impact Wrestling Thursday night:
- Trevor Lee vs. Ethan Page
- Allie vs. Alisha Edwards
PJ Black, formerly Justin Gabriel, will compete in Survival of the Fittest. It's good to see special names in the mix.
Daniel Bryan spoke to MLB.com to promote Royal Rumble
Renee Young, Nia Jax, and Corey Graves filmed an episode of Ride Along.
Charlotte Flair promoted Evolution with Yahoo! Sports.
Nikki Cross took part in DDP Yoga recently.
Charlotte Flair was honored at the Girl Hero Awards.
Tetsuya Naito has been announced for the 2018 Global Wars tour, which will run from November 7 through November 11.
Dolph Ziggler has a comedy date booked Survivor Series weekend.
Jerry Lynn and Mikey Whipwreck are launching a podcast together. Presumably ECW will be a focal point.
Crown Jewel is once more being advertised for Saudi Arabia on WWE.com. So, the odds are heavily in favor of the event going on as planned.
WWE has trademarked "Lightning Fist" for clothing purposes. So, the Sixth Move of Doom is going to be represented in merchandise soon.
Rey Mysterio is now being advertised for:
- Smackdown Live on November 13, November 20, November 27, December 4, and December 29
- Survivor Series on November 18
- Starrcade on November 24
- TLC on December 16
-- WWE advertised him as "full-time," so we'll see if he's added to regular live event rotation.
Mauro Ranallo is no longer under contract to Bellator. He is seeking work in MMA broadcasting.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They are definitely getting heat, both from members of the United States Senate and from the press.
2. They are feeling pressure, but they're risking hundreds of millions of dollars over the next ten years if they don't fulfill this deal.
3. Honestly as much as the Saudis are paying for the show, it wouldn't shock me if WWE put them over again.
4. WWE could hypothetically do that, but the Saudis are the ones paying for the show, so I don't see it happening.
5. Yes, WWE would just travel on land after flying in from a nearby country. The show is going on as planned barring something amazingly disruptive happening.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, October 15, 2018
WWE remembers Canadian legend, SD1000 updates, WWE downplays Saudi relationship, new NXT UK title, Sunny farewell tour, SDL team note, Raw qualifiers, next Impact PPV announced, and Questions on Cole vs. Dunne vs. Ricochet, WWE wanting Omega, Asuka moving down the card, MMC being comedy-based, and Bryan beating Miz in two minutes
WWE remembered Don Leo Jonathan.
Edge is no longer advertised as hosting The Cutting Edge on Smackdown 1000, but he is still expected to be on the show.
Smackdown 1000 has added:
- AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan vs. Samoa Joe and the Miz
- Charlotte Flair, Asuka, and Naomi vs. Becky Lynch and The IIconics. Wow, the heel side of the division is weak.
- Booker T. and Big Show appearing.
Crown Jewel is no longer being advertised as being in Saudi Arabia on WWE.com, likely due to PR backlash from the company running in the country. The show is still widely expected to take place in the country as planned.
NXT UK has unveiled a tag team championship. Presumably they won't have a North American Championship to match NXT's, but everything else is checked off now.
Tammy "Sunny" Sytch has announced a farewell tour for the next nine-to-twelve months ahead of returning to school. If she's sincerely moving on from the business in 2019 and moving into being a more "private" citizen, it could be the best thing to happen to her. At some point the wrestling paydays run out and it's time to put that part of your life behind.
R-Truth and Carmella are working together on Smackdown Live live events.
Raw has the following World Cup qualifying matches announced:
- Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre (the HBKs)
- Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler (the Jannettys)
Impact Wrestling announced a PPV in the site of their early events. It will be interesting to see if they bring back any names from the early years for the show. It's an intriguing idea.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That would definitely be a good one. And just think, none of those men is over 30. We could be in for even greater matches in the years to come.
2. WWE has EVERY interest in signing Kenny Omega. I can't think of anyone who'd be higher on their list, frankly.
3. I think they got as far as they can go with her. There's nowhere to go but down from a championship match at WrestleMania. I don't see her being as much of a fixture as the Horsewomen, but certainly she could be back in the title picture at some point. WWE has a lot of talented women, so only some of them can be pushed at a time.
4. That's the last match of the week for those talents, after they've already given their all on live events and Raw and/or Smackdown Live, so they're probably ready for some comedy. That, and I think it makes sense to do something different from the five hours of WWE TV that precede the show.
5. The match went as planned, to give faces something to rag on Miz for. It's also possible they're waiting to have the definitive match down the line and didn't want to burn things out.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Edge is no longer advertised as hosting The Cutting Edge on Smackdown 1000, but he is still expected to be on the show.
Smackdown 1000 has added:
- AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan vs. Samoa Joe and the Miz
- Charlotte Flair, Asuka, and Naomi vs. Becky Lynch and The IIconics. Wow, the heel side of the division is weak.
- Booker T. and Big Show appearing.
Crown Jewel is no longer being advertised as being in Saudi Arabia on WWE.com, likely due to PR backlash from the company running in the country. The show is still widely expected to take place in the country as planned.
NXT UK has unveiled a tag team championship. Presumably they won't have a North American Championship to match NXT's, but everything else is checked off now.
Tammy "Sunny" Sytch has announced a farewell tour for the next nine-to-twelve months ahead of returning to school. If she's sincerely moving on from the business in 2019 and moving into being a more "private" citizen, it could be the best thing to happen to her. At some point the wrestling paydays run out and it's time to put that part of your life behind.
R-Truth and Carmella are working together on Smackdown Live live events.
Raw has the following World Cup qualifying matches announced:
- Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre (the HBKs)
- Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler (the Jannettys)
Impact Wrestling announced a PPV in the site of their early events. It will be interesting to see if they bring back any names from the early years for the show. It's an intriguing idea.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That would definitely be a good one. And just think, none of those men is over 30. We could be in for even greater matches in the years to come.
2. WWE has EVERY interest in signing Kenny Omega. I can't think of anyone who'd be higher on their list, frankly.
3. I think they got as far as they can go with her. There's nowhere to go but down from a championship match at WrestleMania. I don't see her being as much of a fixture as the Horsewomen, but certainly she could be back in the title picture at some point. WWE has a lot of talented women, so only some of them can be pushed at a time.
4. That's the last match of the week for those talents, after they've already given their all on live events and Raw and/or Smackdown Live, so they're probably ready for some comedy. That, and I think it makes sense to do something different from the five hours of WWE TV that precede the show.
5. The match went as planned, to give faces something to rag on Miz for. It's also possible they're waiting to have the definitive match down the line and didn't want to burn things out.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Assorted WWE press, former WWE name working Survival of the Fittest, Sasha update, next Table for 3 lineup, Mickie wins award, WWE recreates SD opening, NXT names debut on the road, Kanellis update, NXT UK Women's Title match for Evolution, Canadian legend passes, and Questions on an NXT name winning the 2019 Rumble, WWE cutting back live events, Lita back in the ring, Paige's in-ring future, merging 205 Live with NXT, and All In's PPV success
The Club supported University of Kentucky linebacker Kash Daniel throwing up the "Too Sweet" hand symbol.
Finn Balor was part of a GLAAD campaign.
Colin Delaney has been added to Survival of the Fittest. I didn't expect that move, but I'm fine with him getting an opportunity.
Sasha Banks is set to return to the road next weekend, so she should still be part of Evolution. I'm curious how this will affect other plans for her.
"Table for 3" after Raw will feature Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, and Big Show in a trio of former WCW Champions.
Mickie James won Best Single Recording at the Native American Music Awards.
WWE recreated Smackdown's original opening with modern stars. AWESOME.
Matt Riddle, Mia Yim, MJ Jenkins, and Stacey Ervin, Jr. have begun wrestling on NXT's Florida live events.
Mike Kanellis is still wrestling on Raw live events. This weekend he teamed with The Ascension to lose to Titus O'Neil, Apollo Crews, and Tyler Breeze. I'd personally like to see Breeze on 205 Live while Fandango recovers, but presumably they would have done that by now if they wanted to.
Rhea Ripley vs. Isla Dawn for the NXT UK Championship is official for Evolution. I see why they wanted to get NXT UK on the air before Evolution.
Canadian legend Don Leo Jonathan passed away at 87. PWInsider.com has a rundown of his career with videos.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I would be VERY surprised to see one of those talents win the Rumble and immediately get into a WrestleMania main event. Given the percentage of the audience that doesn't watch NXT, that'd be a massive risk. Of course, once the talent in question left the title picture, there'd be nowhere to go but down. For talents that young, I think having the main event at WrestleMania come years down the line is more appropriate. That said, I wouldn't mind one of them debuting in the Rumble.
2. It's definitely worth examining how many live events they do once the new TV deals kick in. I don't think they should completely get rid of them by any means, but they could likely cut back on them and see attendance per show increase.
3. Lita's not going to go on the road full-time, and will probably just "play the hits" at Evolution. She should be fine in small doses. As for Paige, she can go wrestle again elsewhere once she's not under WWE contract, but that would mean giving up a LOT of money to wrestle in places that aren't going to have the level of medical care WWE gives their talents, as well as missing out on "Total Divas" and other appearances.
4. It's worth considering, although that would presumably mean more frequent tapings in Florida. I do wonder what that would mean for certain talents who aren't likely to be utilized on Raw or Smackdown Live - what's their ceiling if 205 Live goes away?
5. All signs are that the show did really, really well.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Finn Balor was part of a GLAAD campaign.
Colin Delaney has been added to Survival of the Fittest. I didn't expect that move, but I'm fine with him getting an opportunity.
Sasha Banks is set to return to the road next weekend, so she should still be part of Evolution. I'm curious how this will affect other plans for her.
"Table for 3" after Raw will feature Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, and Big Show in a trio of former WCW Champions.
Mickie James won Best Single Recording at the Native American Music Awards.
WWE recreated Smackdown's original opening with modern stars. AWESOME.
Matt Riddle, Mia Yim, MJ Jenkins, and Stacey Ervin, Jr. have begun wrestling on NXT's Florida live events.
Mike Kanellis is still wrestling on Raw live events. This weekend he teamed with The Ascension to lose to Titus O'Neil, Apollo Crews, and Tyler Breeze. I'd personally like to see Breeze on 205 Live while Fandango recovers, but presumably they would have done that by now if they wanted to.
Rhea Ripley vs. Isla Dawn for the NXT UK Championship is official for Evolution. I see why they wanted to get NXT UK on the air before Evolution.
Canadian legend Don Leo Jonathan passed away at 87. PWInsider.com has a rundown of his career with videos.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I would be VERY surprised to see one of those talents win the Rumble and immediately get into a WrestleMania main event. Given the percentage of the audience that doesn't watch NXT, that'd be a massive risk. Of course, once the talent in question left the title picture, there'd be nowhere to go but down. For talents that young, I think having the main event at WrestleMania come years down the line is more appropriate. That said, I wouldn't mind one of them debuting in the Rumble.
2. It's definitely worth examining how many live events they do once the new TV deals kick in. I don't think they should completely get rid of them by any means, but they could likely cut back on them and see attendance per show increase.
3. Lita's not going to go on the road full-time, and will probably just "play the hits" at Evolution. She should be fine in small doses. As for Paige, she can go wrestle again elsewhere once she's not under WWE contract, but that would mean giving up a LOT of money to wrestle in places that aren't going to have the level of medical care WWE gives their talents, as well as missing out on "Total Divas" and other appearances.
4. It's worth considering, although that would presumably mean more frequent tapings in Florida. I do wonder what that would mean for certain talents who aren't likely to be utilized on Raw or Smackdown Live - what's their ceiling if 205 Live goes away?
5. All signs are that the show did really, really well.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Main Event and Ring Warriors Reax - 10/13/18
Read on for my thoughts on yesterday's Main Event and Ring Warriors.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
BFG music guest, Interview with Arquette, Survivor Series contest, Y2J cruise matches on Fite, Punishment's next move, Impact working with MLW staff, Impact changing times, Abyss' inductor, Owens' MMC replacement, WWE gets pushback for Crown Jewel, Aro Lucha makes exec hire, Aro Lucha seeks TV deal, Angle on Raw, Cena promotes book, Eddie documentary coming, Jarrett amends Anthem lawsuit, Itchweeed confirmed for House Hardy, ECW original launches YouTube channel, ECW star's podcast returns, WrestleCade events on Fite, and Questions on WWE canceling Crown Jewel, WWE speaking out against the Saudis, WWE moving Crown Jewel, and HBK returning if there's no Crown Jewel
LAX will have Bodega Bamz play their entrance music at Bound For Glory. I can only imagine what a Concrete Jungle Death Match will be like. Will it even take place in the venue?
David Arquette spoke to TMZ after wrestling in Canada recently. His match will air on a One Night Only PPV next month. Impact might as well book him for TV at this point given their current viewership and the other content they air. He's gotten in good shape for his comeback.
The Miz and Becky Lynch will meet a fan Survivor Series weekend as part of a tie-in to The Marine 5. That's a good way to raise money for one of WWE's favorite causes.
Chris Jericho's cruise will have material airing on Fite.TV, notably Chris Jericho and the Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega, Cody, and Marty Scurll, as well as the entire Sea of Honor tournament. That's a great idea to capitalize on the interest for that event.
Punishment Martinez has been signed to NXT. I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see him in the crowd at Takeover:WarGames, as he's set to join the Performance Center soon.
Impact is making use of a number of MLW staff to facilitate Bound For Glory and the following tapings, since MLW runs the same venue often.
Impact Wrestling is moving to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time beginning October 25. That could have interesting implications for the series' future on Pop. The two sides have not reached an agreement for the show to air on the channel in 2019.
"Father" James Mitchell will induct Abyss into the Impact Hall of Fame. I'd love to see the other members of the Park family attend as well.
Kevin Owens' Mixed Match Challenge replacement is Bobby Roode. So they're continuing the Canadian theme.
The former Robbie E is being considered for The Rock's Titan Games. It's a shame he hasn't been part of a broadcast promotion in a long time.
WWE is facing pressure regarding Crown Jewel following the apparent murder of an American-based journalist by the Saudi government.
- Kane's spokesperson confirmed he still intends to wrestle at the show. WWE is in a really controversial situation here. I hope they choose their next moves wisely.
Aro Lucha has hired Impact's former chief strategy officer, Eric Sherman. The company recently met with TV companies in Los Angeles regarding picking up the series. Obviously a TV deal would be a major step for the promotion.
Kurt Angle is set for Raw, as the build to the World Cup tournament continues.
John Cena promoted his book at the Library of Congress. It will be interesting to see how well it sells.
Eddie Guerrero is getting a new WWE documentary this weekend to promote Smackdown 1000.
Jeff Jarrett has amended his lawsuit against Anthem Media. He is now seeking an injunction regarding their use of the name Global Wrestling Network, due to its link to his Global Force Wrestling. We'll see how this affects Anthem long-term.
Itchweeed will be on the House Hardy Halloween special.
Titus O'Neil was named on Ebony's Power 100 list. Glad to see his work being honored.
Francine has launched a YouTube channel.
Joel Gertner has relaunched his podcast.
WrestleCade's November events will be carried on Fite.TV.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. As close as we are to the show, I think WWE will continue as planned. That's a really big show to cancel.
2. Ultimately they're risking a massive financial investment if they pull out, so I think they will mostly ignore this politically, barring a huge enough backlash that would hurt them in the wallets.
3. It would not be easy to do so, given how much is already planned and the fact they're being paid millions (and millions!) of dollars to put the show on in Saudi Arabia at that time.
4. It's possible, but less likely. We could see the match at Royal Rumble given the crowd they're trying to draw there, but I don't know if WWE would be willing to spend a lot of money for him to wrestle there without the Saudi investment.
5. WWE likely doesn't want talents to jeopardize a hugely profitable relationship.
More wrestling tomorrow.
David Arquette spoke to TMZ after wrestling in Canada recently. His match will air on a One Night Only PPV next month. Impact might as well book him for TV at this point given their current viewership and the other content they air. He's gotten in good shape for his comeback.
The Miz and Becky Lynch will meet a fan Survivor Series weekend as part of a tie-in to The Marine 5. That's a good way to raise money for one of WWE's favorite causes.
Chris Jericho's cruise will have material airing on Fite.TV, notably Chris Jericho and the Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega, Cody, and Marty Scurll, as well as the entire Sea of Honor tournament. That's a great idea to capitalize on the interest for that event.
Punishment Martinez has been signed to NXT. I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see him in the crowd at Takeover:WarGames, as he's set to join the Performance Center soon.
Impact is making use of a number of MLW staff to facilitate Bound For Glory and the following tapings, since MLW runs the same venue often.
Impact Wrestling is moving to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time beginning October 25. That could have interesting implications for the series' future on Pop. The two sides have not reached an agreement for the show to air on the channel in 2019.
"Father" James Mitchell will induct Abyss into the Impact Hall of Fame. I'd love to see the other members of the Park family attend as well.
Kevin Owens' Mixed Match Challenge replacement is Bobby Roode. So they're continuing the Canadian theme.
The former Robbie E is being considered for The Rock's Titan Games. It's a shame he hasn't been part of a broadcast promotion in a long time.
WWE is facing pressure regarding Crown Jewel following the apparent murder of an American-based journalist by the Saudi government.
- Kane's spokesperson confirmed he still intends to wrestle at the show. WWE is in a really controversial situation here. I hope they choose their next moves wisely.
Aro Lucha has hired Impact's former chief strategy officer, Eric Sherman. The company recently met with TV companies in Los Angeles regarding picking up the series. Obviously a TV deal would be a major step for the promotion.
Kurt Angle is set for Raw, as the build to the World Cup tournament continues.
John Cena promoted his book at the Library of Congress. It will be interesting to see how well it sells.
Eddie Guerrero is getting a new WWE documentary this weekend to promote Smackdown 1000.
Jeff Jarrett has amended his lawsuit against Anthem Media. He is now seeking an injunction regarding their use of the name Global Wrestling Network, due to its link to his Global Force Wrestling. We'll see how this affects Anthem long-term.
Itchweeed will be on the House Hardy Halloween special.
Titus O'Neil was named on Ebony's Power 100 list. Glad to see his work being honored.
Francine has launched a YouTube channel.
Joel Gertner has relaunched his podcast.
WrestleCade's November events will be carried on Fite.TV.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. As close as we are to the show, I think WWE will continue as planned. That's a really big show to cancel.
2. Ultimately they're risking a massive financial investment if they pull out, so I think they will mostly ignore this politically, barring a huge enough backlash that would hurt them in the wallets.
3. It would not be easy to do so, given how much is already planned and the fact they're being paid millions (and millions!) of dollars to put the show on in Saudi Arabia at that time.
4. It's possible, but less likely. We could see the match at Royal Rumble given the crowd they're trying to draw there, but I don't know if WWE would be willing to spend a lot of money for him to wrestle there without the Saudi investment.
5. WWE likely doesn't want talents to jeopardize a hugely profitable relationship.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, October 12, 2018
Ronda launches website, assorted WWE press, Interviews with Kaitlyn/Lilian/Cena/Ronda, NXT UK broadcast deal, SSD notes, Evolution match note, Omega working hurt, Callis-NJPW update, more NJPW content online, PROGRESS not running WM35 weekend, MLW WM35 weekend plans, another Y2J cruise match, Snow book coming, Anthem reveals considerations of dropping Impact, why Lashley turned, who runs NXT"s live events, WWE looking at more PCs, NXT UK names train, Becky working hurt, Dunne misses shows, WWE scouts in Australia, more WWE in Australia?, Impact hires media rights consultant, WWE legends comic coming, and MSG show changes brands
Ronda Rousey has launched a website.
Alexa Bliss and Mickie James were also at the American Music Awards.
Kaitlyn discussed returning to WWE. I wonder how she'd do in modern NXT/WWE.
Lilian Garcia is on Steve Austin's latest podcast.
Natalya and Tyson Kidd were on ET Canada Live.
John Cena was on The Daily Show. I really hope the current crop of WWE main eventers can be in his league with media appearances like this. He's been key for the company's mainstream success.
NXT UK has been announced as a WWE Network series. I hope that increases subscriptions enough to be worth the cost. Not getting a TV deal really hurts the project's potential to earn money.
Super Show-Down drew around 62,000 fans, WWE's biggest Australian audience ever and one of their biggest non-U.S. crowds ever.
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz at Super Show-Down went exactly as long as initially planned. I, and others, had speculated their match was cut short. This was not the case.
Trish Stratus and Lita vs. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James was always planned as a tag match.
Kenny Omega is now working with a fractured rib. He's one of the biggest stars in the world right now, so he's going to keep going as long as he can.
Don Callis looks to be done as NJPW's announcer due to his Impact commitments preventing him from having a full schedule. I hope that's the right move for both sides.
NJPW is putting up more digital content and making more content available in English, French, and Spanish. Both of these moves are from the new Management team.
PROGRESS will not run any WrestleMania-weekend events. That's somewhat surprising.
MLW will have another Battle Riot over WrestleMania weekend.
James Ellsworth vs. Jenny Rose has been added to Chris Jericho's cruise.
Al Snow is writing an autobiography. That should be really entertaining.
Anthem reportedly considered closing Impact before last year's Bound For Glory, but made enough financial changes to keep the promotion going. I'm curious how much longer Anthem is willing to keep things moving.
Lashley turned heel due to Owens going off the road for surgery. The move was decided the day of the show.
Michael Hayes is in charge of NXT's tours outside of Florida, so WWE Management is determining which stars are on which set of live events. That's interesting, given how different things are from NXT to Raw and Smackdown Live.
WWE is looking at opening international Performance Centers, notably in the UK and Saudi Arabia. The UK is a really obvious move, but Saudi Arabia is a big statement. We'll see how that goes.
NXT UK wrestlers recently went through a big training experience in line with the WWE Performance Center.
Becky Lynch is working with a cracked jaw. That's a shame. I hope her push continues.
WWE will likely do another women's-only PPV. It will be interesting to see what changes from Evolution.
Pete Dunne missed a few dates due to a foot injury, but he's expected to work the next NXT UK tapings.
WWE scouted talent at Melbourne City Wrestling before Super Show-Down. No surprise there; the company isn't in the area often, so they want to make the most of their time there.
WWE is looking at more Australian shows in future years.
Chelsea Green recently trained at the WWE Performance Center, so she could be joining NXT soon.
Impact Wrestling has picked up a strategic media rights consultant in order to expand their global presence. That's coming at an important time. They need to get some deals going.
Ronda Rousey spoke to TMZ about the Bella Twins.
WWE will have a comic focusing on legends known as WWE: Forever. The first issue will come in January, covering Bret Hart, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, and Money Inc.
WWE's Madison Square Garden event for December 26 has been changed to a Raw live event. Kevin Owens is advertised, but will almost definitely not be cleared to work the show.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Alexa Bliss and Mickie James were also at the American Music Awards.
Kaitlyn discussed returning to WWE. I wonder how she'd do in modern NXT/WWE.
Lilian Garcia is on Steve Austin's latest podcast.
Natalya and Tyson Kidd were on ET Canada Live.
John Cena was on The Daily Show. I really hope the current crop of WWE main eventers can be in his league with media appearances like this. He's been key for the company's mainstream success.
NXT UK has been announced as a WWE Network series. I hope that increases subscriptions enough to be worth the cost. Not getting a TV deal really hurts the project's potential to earn money.
Super Show-Down drew around 62,000 fans, WWE's biggest Australian audience ever and one of their biggest non-U.S. crowds ever.
Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz at Super Show-Down went exactly as long as initially planned. I, and others, had speculated their match was cut short. This was not the case.
Trish Stratus and Lita vs. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James was always planned as a tag match.
Kenny Omega is now working with a fractured rib. He's one of the biggest stars in the world right now, so he's going to keep going as long as he can.
Don Callis looks to be done as NJPW's announcer due to his Impact commitments preventing him from having a full schedule. I hope that's the right move for both sides.
NJPW is putting up more digital content and making more content available in English, French, and Spanish. Both of these moves are from the new Management team.
PROGRESS will not run any WrestleMania-weekend events. That's somewhat surprising.
MLW will have another Battle Riot over WrestleMania weekend.
James Ellsworth vs. Jenny Rose has been added to Chris Jericho's cruise.
Al Snow is writing an autobiography. That should be really entertaining.
Anthem reportedly considered closing Impact before last year's Bound For Glory, but made enough financial changes to keep the promotion going. I'm curious how much longer Anthem is willing to keep things moving.
Lashley turned heel due to Owens going off the road for surgery. The move was decided the day of the show.
Michael Hayes is in charge of NXT's tours outside of Florida, so WWE Management is determining which stars are on which set of live events. That's interesting, given how different things are from NXT to Raw and Smackdown Live.
WWE is looking at opening international Performance Centers, notably in the UK and Saudi Arabia. The UK is a really obvious move, but Saudi Arabia is a big statement. We'll see how that goes.
NXT UK wrestlers recently went through a big training experience in line with the WWE Performance Center.
Becky Lynch is working with a cracked jaw. That's a shame. I hope her push continues.
WWE will likely do another women's-only PPV. It will be interesting to see what changes from Evolution.
Pete Dunne missed a few dates due to a foot injury, but he's expected to work the next NXT UK tapings.
WWE scouted talent at Melbourne City Wrestling before Super Show-Down. No surprise there; the company isn't in the area often, so they want to make the most of their time there.
WWE is looking at more Australian shows in future years.
Chelsea Green recently trained at the WWE Performance Center, so she could be joining NXT soon.
Impact Wrestling has picked up a strategic media rights consultant in order to expand their global presence. That's coming at an important time. They need to get some deals going.
Ronda Rousey spoke to TMZ about the Bella Twins.
WWE will have a comic focusing on legends known as WWE: Forever. The first issue will come in January, covering Bret Hart, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, and Money Inc.
WWE's Madison Square Garden event for December 26 has been changed to a Raw live event. Kevin Owens is advertised, but will almost definitely not be cleared to work the show.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Kane opening wrestling school, GFW promoting NJPW, WWE roster change, Interviews with Murphy/Charlotte/Matt Hardy/Aries/Y2J, Rey booked for SDL live events, Cena appearances, Kelley-AMAs, Owens missing time, Edge's SD1000 role, Takeover VIP experience, big Connor's Cure donation, SDL audience, Hispanic Hidden Gems, another SD1000 name, NXT live event postponed, and Questions on Shotgun Saturday Night on the Network, Ellering leaving the Authors, Owens "quitting," and Harper as U.S. Champion
Kane and Dr. Tom Prichard are opening a wrestling school in Tennessee. That's awesome! Prichard worked for FCW for quite a while. I just hope Kane can juggle being mayor as well as this new big responsibility.
GFW is working to put together travel packages for Wrestle Kingdom 13. This doesn't look to be a collaboration with NJPW as much as taking advantage of the timing of their signature event.
Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis have moved to 205 Live. Mike debuted by attacking Lince Dorado during a match with Lio Rush, so he'll seemingly work with the Lucha House Party right out of the gate.
Buddy Murphy spoke in Australia after becoming Cruiserweight Champion.
Charlotte Flair promoted Evolution.
Matt Hardy is on Jim Ross' latest podcast.
Austin Aries is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Rey Mysterio is booked for Smackdown Live live events on October 20, October 21, October 22, November 3, November 4, and November 5. I assume the plan is for him to work all live events for the brand at some point.
John Cena read from his children's book on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
- Cena was also on the latest Sports Illustrated podcast.
Cathy Kelley worked the American Music Awards red carpet on behalf of WWE. She's been stellar in that role.
AJ Styles will have a graphic novel coming July 2019. That should be good.
Kevin Owens is taking time off for minor knee surgery, hence the injury angle on Raw. He's really been a workhorse for the company.
Edge will host Cutting Edge on Smackdown 1000. No guest has been specified, but I'm intrigued.
Takeover: WarGames will have a VIP experience.
Pat McAfee donated $10,000 to Connor's Cure. That's really great.
Chris Jericho spoke with Larry King.
Smackdown Live drew 2.14 million viewers Tuesday night, a slight increase from last week.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- Carlos Colon vs. Johnny Rodz from WWWF in 1977
- Konnan (as Latin Fury) vs. Art Barr from WWF in 1992
- Super Crazy (as Super Loco) vs. El Hijo del Santo from WWF in 1998
- Eddie Guerrero vs. Nova (Simon Dean) from OVW in 2002
Michelle McCool has been added to Smackdown 1000, likely setting up something for Evolution. I'd love to see Laycool vs. The IIconics, but I don't expect that to happen.
NXT's October 11 Florida live event has been postponed to November 30 due to Hurricane Michael. It's going to be a tough time for the Sunshine State.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1 is a repeat.
2. To some degree it's a matter of how much demand they think there is for the show in comparison to other content they could put up. As other material is uploaded, that show will theoretically move up the priority list.
3. Apparently they want him to stay in NXT, although obviously they haven't used him since the Authors were promoted.
4. It makes me wonder if the plan was for him to take time off for surgery then, but it was delayed. At the time I saw it as a way for Owens to surprise Lashley with the quick return.
5. If you do that, someone will inevitably say WWE is burying Shinsuke. They can't please everyone. Certainly they can do something special with Harper, but he could use a reboot at this point.
More wrestling tomorrow.
GFW is working to put together travel packages for Wrestle Kingdom 13. This doesn't look to be a collaboration with NJPW as much as taking advantage of the timing of their signature event.
Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis have moved to 205 Live. Mike debuted by attacking Lince Dorado during a match with Lio Rush, so he'll seemingly work with the Lucha House Party right out of the gate.
Buddy Murphy spoke in Australia after becoming Cruiserweight Champion.
Charlotte Flair promoted Evolution.
Matt Hardy is on Jim Ross' latest podcast.
Austin Aries is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Rey Mysterio is booked for Smackdown Live live events on October 20, October 21, October 22, November 3, November 4, and November 5. I assume the plan is for him to work all live events for the brand at some point.
John Cena read from his children's book on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
- Cena was also on the latest Sports Illustrated podcast.
Cathy Kelley worked the American Music Awards red carpet on behalf of WWE. She's been stellar in that role.
AJ Styles will have a graphic novel coming July 2019. That should be good.
Kevin Owens is taking time off for minor knee surgery, hence the injury angle on Raw. He's really been a workhorse for the company.
Edge will host Cutting Edge on Smackdown 1000. No guest has been specified, but I'm intrigued.
Takeover: WarGames will have a VIP experience.
Pat McAfee donated $10,000 to Connor's Cure. That's really great.
Chris Jericho spoke with Larry King.
Smackdown Live drew 2.14 million viewers Tuesday night, a slight increase from last week.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gems are:
- Carlos Colon vs. Johnny Rodz from WWWF in 1977
- Konnan (as Latin Fury) vs. Art Barr from WWF in 1992
- Super Crazy (as Super Loco) vs. El Hijo del Santo from WWF in 1998
- Eddie Guerrero vs. Nova (Simon Dean) from OVW in 2002
Michelle McCool has been added to Smackdown 1000, likely setting up something for Evolution. I'd love to see Laycool vs. The IIconics, but I don't expect that to happen.
NXT's October 11 Florida live event has been postponed to November 30 due to Hurricane Michael. It's going to be a tough time for the Sunshine State.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1 is a repeat.
2. To some degree it's a matter of how much demand they think there is for the show in comparison to other content they could put up. As other material is uploaded, that show will theoretically move up the priority list.
3. Apparently they want him to stay in NXT, although obviously they haven't used him since the Authors were promoted.
4. It makes me wonder if the plan was for him to take time off for surgery then, but it was delayed. At the time I saw it as a way for Owens to surprise Lashley with the quick return.
5. If you do that, someone will inevitably say WWE is burying Shinsuke. They can't please everyone. Certainly they can do something special with Harper, but he could use a reboot at this point.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Y2J NJPW return match, Mahal honored, Hardy Halloween preview, WOS licensed, 205 Live name working EVOLVE, Interview with Cena, next Network collections, HHH shouts out school, Raw audience, new ROH TV matches, ROH debut set, recent Impact name working ROH, more on Mercury legal situation, another SD1000 name, more NXT names at Evolution, and Questions on WWE selling PPVs to TV providers, how royalties work, WWE catering, wrestlers in the acting union, and Ronda's Piper merchandise
Chris Jericho vs. EVIL for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship is official for NJPW's November 3 Power Struggle event. This will almost certainly lead to Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito at WrestleKingdom on January 4.
Jinder Mahal received an award on behalf of India's Sony YAY! channel. That's pretty cool. I hope more is coming for him going forward.
The House Hardy Halloween special got a preview trailer. I hope we see some fun cameos outside the usual crew.
WOS Wrestling is being licensed for the upcoming Brand Licensing Europe convention, another sign the project will continue.
205 Live's Mustafa Ali will be competing for EVOLVE on November 9 and November 10. As infrequently as the wrestlers on that show get work, it should be more of the norm for them to get outside bookings.
John Cena discussed his new book and haircut.
Rey Mysterio and Sasha Banks are getting WWE Network collections soon.
Triple H supported a school honoring female students with a WWE Championship replica. That's definitely pretty cool.
Raw drew 2.37 million viewers Monday night, a slight boost from last week.
ROH's October 14 TV taping has added:
- Sumie Sakai/Madison Rayne/Jenny Rose vs. Britt Baker/Kelly Klein/Karen Q, marking Karen and Rayne's return to WOH after working the Mae Young Classic. Rayne has signed a deal with ROH, but I think Karen is still a free agent.
- Cody vs. Kenny King
- Jeff Cobb vs. Shane Taylor, which could really be good.
- The Briscoes vs. Young Bucks vs. The Addiction for the ROH Tag Team Championship. The Briscoes are running out of credible opponents!
Tracy Williams will debut for ROH at Survival of the Fittest on November 4. Good to see a new name in the mix.
- Andrew Everett will return to the company at that event, as well. So leaving Impact is already paying dividends for him.
The former Joey Mercury was charged with criminally using someone else's credit card to purchase more than $300 of goods. More on this tomorrow.
Kane will appear on Smackdown 1000, as part of the build to Crown Jewel. I certainly don't expect him to be a regular going forward; we'll see if he sticks around after the Saudi Arabian show.
NXT's Rhea Ripley, Mia Yim, Lacey Evans, and Kacy Catanzaro are also booked for Evolution. I expect we're in for a contenders' battle royal to face the NXT Women's Champion at WarGames.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't see why they couldn't just turn an episode each of Raw and Smackdown Live into a "PPV" each month, a little like Impact has done. For instance, the last episode of Raw in February can be their piece of Fast Lane, while the last episode of Smackdown Live can be their contribution to that event. It's worth looking to see if someone would buy additional content for TV, though. It's also worth noting they still make some money from PPVs, so they're not going to abandon them without good cause.
2. I'd think it'd be a case of who was playing the character in the content used, since it would be their likeness.
3. WWE has been doing what they do for a long time. They've got plenty of connections to make things like that happen.
4. Generally wrestlers just do a few acting gigs here and there when they're not available to take bumps, so it's not a big issue. WWE absolutely wants to do things their way rather than the union's way.
5. The Piper situation would depend on whether that family has any claim to those designs. WWE might pay a flat fee to license the design, and/or the family gets a percentage of sales. As for the "Yep!" shirts, I believe Owens and Zayn would get paid and Bryan wouldn't, since the shirts were for them rather than him.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Jinder Mahal received an award on behalf of India's Sony YAY! channel. That's pretty cool. I hope more is coming for him going forward.
The House Hardy Halloween special got a preview trailer. I hope we see some fun cameos outside the usual crew.
WOS Wrestling is being licensed for the upcoming Brand Licensing Europe convention, another sign the project will continue.
205 Live's Mustafa Ali will be competing for EVOLVE on November 9 and November 10. As infrequently as the wrestlers on that show get work, it should be more of the norm for them to get outside bookings.
John Cena discussed his new book and haircut.
Rey Mysterio and Sasha Banks are getting WWE Network collections soon.
Triple H supported a school honoring female students with a WWE Championship replica. That's definitely pretty cool.
Raw drew 2.37 million viewers Monday night, a slight boost from last week.
ROH's October 14 TV taping has added:
- Sumie Sakai/Madison Rayne/Jenny Rose vs. Britt Baker/Kelly Klein/Karen Q, marking Karen and Rayne's return to WOH after working the Mae Young Classic. Rayne has signed a deal with ROH, but I think Karen is still a free agent.
- Cody vs. Kenny King
- Jeff Cobb vs. Shane Taylor, which could really be good.
- The Briscoes vs. Young Bucks vs. The Addiction for the ROH Tag Team Championship. The Briscoes are running out of credible opponents!
Tracy Williams will debut for ROH at Survival of the Fittest on November 4. Good to see a new name in the mix.
- Andrew Everett will return to the company at that event, as well. So leaving Impact is already paying dividends for him.
The former Joey Mercury was charged with criminally using someone else's credit card to purchase more than $300 of goods. More on this tomorrow.
Kane will appear on Smackdown 1000, as part of the build to Crown Jewel. I certainly don't expect him to be a regular going forward; we'll see if he sticks around after the Saudi Arabian show.
NXT's Rhea Ripley, Mia Yim, Lacey Evans, and Kacy Catanzaro are also booked for Evolution. I expect we're in for a contenders' battle royal to face the NXT Women's Champion at WarGames.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't see why they couldn't just turn an episode each of Raw and Smackdown Live into a "PPV" each month, a little like Impact has done. For instance, the last episode of Raw in February can be their piece of Fast Lane, while the last episode of Smackdown Live can be their contribution to that event. It's worth looking to see if someone would buy additional content for TV, though. It's also worth noting they still make some money from PPVs, so they're not going to abandon them without good cause.
2. I'd think it'd be a case of who was playing the character in the content used, since it would be their likeness.
3. WWE has been doing what they do for a long time. They've got plenty of connections to make things like that happen.
4. Generally wrestlers just do a few acting gigs here and there when they're not available to take bumps, so it's not a big issue. WWE absolutely wants to do things their way rather than the union's way.
5. The Piper situation would depend on whether that family has any claim to those designs. WWE might pay a flat fee to license the design, and/or the family gets a percentage of sales. As for the "Yep!" shirts, I believe Owens and Zayn would get paid and Bryan wouldn't, since the shirts were for them rather than him.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
MVP speaking tour, Interviews with Paige/Shockmaster, NXT names booked for Evolution, NFL player puts over ECW, Cena back on Today, BFG preview show, NWA National Championship brackets, custom WNBA championship, NXT live events set, Rey trademarks, NJPW notes, Evolution match changed, and Questions on which wrestlers get merch, Elias burying Seattle, Renee not standing out on commentary, and WWE working with Impact
MVP is starting a one-man show. That's seemingly the new trend in the business. I think he'll do well, though.
Paige discussed retirement and the Brie Bella backlash on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
The Shockmaster is on the latest Geniuscast. I wonder how that gimmick would have done if not for him slipping.
Evolution will feature NXT's Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir, Candice LaRae, Bianca Belair, and Dakota Kai in roles to be confirmed. Good to see all those names at the event.
NFL player Stefon Diggs paid tribute to ECW. That's really cool!
John Cena was on the "Today Show" this morning. He has a very international schedule!
Impact Wrestling previewed Bound For Glory. That show and its followup are going to be key for Impact's future on Pop.
NWA has announced the National Championship brackets. The winner of Willie Mack vs. Jay Bradley vs. Mike Parrow vs. Ricky Starks will face the winner of Colt Cabana vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Sam Shaw vs. Sammy Guevara.
The WNBA Champions received a custom championship.
NXT has announced live events for December 6 and December 7 in Wisconsin, December 8 in Minnesota, and December 9 in Iowa.
Rey Mysterio has trademarked "The Greatest Mask Of All Time" and ""G.M.O.A.T." for merchandise purposes.
NJPW event notes:
- NJPW has signed Shingo Takagi right after Takagi finished with Dragon Gate. He's joined Los Ingobernables de Japon, so we could see him in ROH before too much longer.
- Chris Jericho attacked EVIL.
- KUSHIDA is the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
- Kenny Omega retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in a three-way match with Kota Ibushi and Cody. This was the first three-way match for that championship since 2005. It's expected we'll see Omega vs. Ibushi at a different major show.
WWE Evolution has changed Trish Stratus vs. Alexa Bliss to Trish Stratus and Lita vs. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. I'm not quite sure what to make of that, but it means the two Hall of Famers don't have to have long singles matches. Maybe WWE learned from Triple H vs. Undertaker.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think each side plays into the other - they push wrestlers who they think will sell more merchandise, and they make more merchandise for the wrestlers they push. Certainly if someone surprises them with how much (or how little) merch they sell, WWE will take that into account. I also think to some degree wrestlers who are over are going to sell merch that's not great looking, while wrestlers who aren't over aren't going to sell much merch no matter how nice it is.
2. They don't want to run into a situation where they make a lot of merch for someone who isn't seen as a big priority, and they also want to have a lot of options available for talents who will likely sell some merch. Because while Little Jimmy in Arizona might not get his mom to buy 59 Roman items, he might ask for a different 12 items than Little Jimmy in Wisconsin.
3. WWE knew they'd get a good reaction. They just didn't know it'd be THAT good. It was pretty great, and Elias and Owens got the most out of it.
4. I think she's deferring to the more experienced members of the group. She should get more settled in as time goes on.
5. As was said, there's not much for WWE to get out of such an agreement. Most of the talents they'd be interested in are under deals with LU, so they'd be untouchable regardless. Other than licensing the video library, WWE isn't that interested in working with Impact.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Paige discussed retirement and the Brie Bella backlash on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
The Shockmaster is on the latest Geniuscast. I wonder how that gimmick would have done if not for him slipping.
Evolution will feature NXT's Jessamyn Duke, Marina Shafir, Candice LaRae, Bianca Belair, and Dakota Kai in roles to be confirmed. Good to see all those names at the event.
NFL player Stefon Diggs paid tribute to ECW. That's really cool!
John Cena was on the "Today Show" this morning. He has a very international schedule!
Impact Wrestling previewed Bound For Glory. That show and its followup are going to be key for Impact's future on Pop.
NWA has announced the National Championship brackets. The winner of Willie Mack vs. Jay Bradley vs. Mike Parrow vs. Ricky Starks will face the winner of Colt Cabana vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Sam Shaw vs. Sammy Guevara.
The WNBA Champions received a custom championship.
NXT has announced live events for December 6 and December 7 in Wisconsin, December 8 in Minnesota, and December 9 in Iowa.
Rey Mysterio has trademarked "The Greatest Mask Of All Time" and ""G.M.O.A.T." for merchandise purposes.
NJPW event notes:
- NJPW has signed Shingo Takagi right after Takagi finished with Dragon Gate. He's joined Los Ingobernables de Japon, so we could see him in ROH before too much longer.
- Chris Jericho attacked EVIL.
- KUSHIDA is the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
- Kenny Omega retained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in a three-way match with Kota Ibushi and Cody. This was the first three-way match for that championship since 2005. It's expected we'll see Omega vs. Ibushi at a different major show.
WWE Evolution has changed Trish Stratus vs. Alexa Bliss to Trish Stratus and Lita vs. Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. I'm not quite sure what to make of that, but it means the two Hall of Famers don't have to have long singles matches. Maybe WWE learned from Triple H vs. Undertaker.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think each side plays into the other - they push wrestlers who they think will sell more merchandise, and they make more merchandise for the wrestlers they push. Certainly if someone surprises them with how much (or how little) merch they sell, WWE will take that into account. I also think to some degree wrestlers who are over are going to sell merch that's not great looking, while wrestlers who aren't over aren't going to sell much merch no matter how nice it is.
2. They don't want to run into a situation where they make a lot of merch for someone who isn't seen as a big priority, and they also want to have a lot of options available for talents who will likely sell some merch. Because while Little Jimmy in Arizona might not get his mom to buy 59 Roman items, he might ask for a different 12 items than Little Jimmy in Wisconsin.
3. WWE knew they'd get a good reaction. They just didn't know it'd be THAT good. It was pretty great, and Elias and Owens got the most out of it.
4. I think she's deferring to the more experienced members of the group. She should get more settled in as time goes on.
5. As was said, there's not much for WWE to get out of such an agreement. Most of the talents they'd be interested in are under deals with LU, so they'd be untouchable regardless. Other than licensing the video library, WWE isn't that interested in working with Impact.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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