-- Main Event:
- Dana vs. Logan:
Surely this is a grudge match after last time!
Fine work so far.
Solid enough. Glad to see both women get ring time.
- EC3/Roode/Cesaro vs. LHP:
Well that's a random team.
LHP showing what they can do.
Not bad for the time it had. I'm sure they could tear it up on a better stage.
WWE Ride Along after Raw will feature The IIconics as well as the team of Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins.
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at WWE's June 28 live event in Japan got heavy praise from Tyson Kidd, Becky Lynch, Finlay, and Ricochet.
WWE's Chief Product and Technology Officer was honored by March of Dimes.
At WWE's Japan live event on June 29:
- Asuka pulled double duty, unsuccessfully challenging for the Raw Women's Championship in a triple threat also involving Alexa Bliss before teaming with Kairi Sane to once more beat The IIconics.
- Triple H teamed with Shinsuke Nakamura to defeat Samoa Joe and Robert Roode. On June 28, Triple H teamed with AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows to defeat Bobby Lashley, Samoa Joe, Baron Corbin, and Drew McIntyre.
Flip Gordon dislocated his shoulder at Best in the World, but he should be fine going forward. I'm curious how things go for him as part of Villain Enterprises.
Raw has announced New Day's Big E and Xavier Woods will face the Viking Raiders on Raw. That should be interesting, booking-wise.
Eric Bischoff commented on returning to WWE. We're in a very strange timeline that the former WCW boss is running part of WWE 18 years later.
- Triple H put over the returns as well. I'm very curious how he fits into the changes.
Rush spoke before Best in the World:
- He's definitely made a mark in ROH.
- I hope we do see him work with Andrade someday. Of course, I mean in a way that lets them both excel.
- I like his goals! He's not settling.
Christopher Daniels spoke before Fyter Fest:
- I would not have been shocked for him to become an on-screen GM or something in ROH if AEW wasn't an option.
- I'm very curious how the internal optimism will hold up over time.
- Oh wow. I didn't realize he had an office job for AEW.
- Daniels damn sure still has it.
- I expect AEW to hit MSG at some point.
Fyter Fest got press with ESPN for tying into CEO. It was definitely a unique crossover.
C.M. Punk appeared in a NASCAR commercial. That was pretty good.
At Smackdown Live's June 29 live event in Mississippi:
- Big E and Xavier Woods defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. This was Big E's first live event match since April 1, and Xavier's first live event match since May 16. Obviously both men have had a lot of on-screen matches since then.
- R-Truth and Carmella defeated Shelton Benjamin and Liv Morgan. Technically this was R-Truth's first live event match since May 13, but he's defended the 24/7 Championship on shows since then. This was Shelton Benjamin's first live event match since March 25, and the first time he's teamed with Liv Morgan. I'm not sure that we'll see that pairing on TV.
At NXT's June 19 live event in Florida:
- Chelsea Green returned to the ring, teaming with Deonna Purrazzo to defeat Kacy Catanzaro and Lacey Lane. This was Green's first match since March 13, and Kacy's first live event since May 23.
- Rocky teamed with Boa in a four-way tag team elimination match also featuring The Outliers, One Two, and the team of Dio Maddin and Isaiah Scott. This was Rocky's first live event since January 19.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm not really sure of a place that covers Puerto Rican wrestling regularly, although results are available on cagematch.net.
2. There's definitely a shift toward scarier looking bumps in 2019. Wrestlers protect themselves as best as they can in such spots.
Nothing to really add to 3.
I don't really have an answer for 4 if it's referring to wrestling-related writers. I haven't delved deeply enough into enough people's years of work to have a qualified opinion.
5. While I'd love to go to Japan someday, I don't anticipate spending that much money to do so anytime soon! I have other financial priorities.
6. Plenty of people take issue with his opinions and antics, leading to promo battles on Twitter. He's also not shy about sharing his opinions on that site, which opens up his words to responses.
7. Honestly as much as I like wrestling and covering it, I don't want to devote THAT much time to it. That's a real recipe for burnout, which is the last thing I want.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Main Event Reax - 6/30/19, new Ride Along, WWE live match gets press, WWE exec honored, WWE+SDL+NXT live event notes, ROH injury, Raw match, hype for BITW and Fyter Fest, Punk NASCAR promo, and Questions on Puerto Rican wrestling, neck bumps, watching Liger live, Cornette battling on Twitter, and being more interactive
Saturday, June 29, 2019
WWE trademarks, Stephanie speech, Interviews with Ospreay/PCO/Quackenbush/Cobb/Taven, Cabana responds to Punk countersuit, Fyter Fest opening, Jinder surgery, Bischoff set for SDL, more on Bischoff's new deal, Raw match, NJPW press, NXT live event notes, and Questions on WWE Network Funk footage, Borash's WWE duties, WWE blocking AEW from venues, EVOLVE vs. AEW, and Impact's TV future
WWE recently trademarked the names of The IIconics, Zelina Vega, Heavy Machinery, Lacey Evans, EC3, Drake Maverick, the Lucha House Party, and The B-Team.
Stephanie McMahon spoke at a summit for NBA's Celtics.
Will Ospreay is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast. Not bad for a "little guy." I'm glad he's using the Rollins interaction to get buzz.
Colt Cabana has officially responded to C.M. Punk's counterlawsuit, asking for it to be dismissed. Cabana points out that Punk's testimony in the Amann lawsuit indicates Punk was going to cover Cabana's costs, and an email where Punk asked Cabana to make a payment for legal services indicated Punk would pay Cabana back once Punk got paid for competing in UFC. Cabana's side also argues it's too late for Punk to ask for the money back now, after Cabana's filed this much against Punk. This will be one to follow.
AEW released the opening to Fyter Fest. They're definitely bringing their A-game.
Jinder Mahal recently had surgery for a ruptured patella tendon. So that puts his 24/7 Title chase on hold.
Eric Bischoff will be at Smackdown Live this week, beginning his role as executive director. Paul Heyman was already scheduled to be at Raw, and he will begin his role, too. The pair's ideas will be integrated over time rather than a big reboot being scheduled. It will be really, really fascinating to see what changes and when.
- Bischoff being at this week's episode is a rather sudden move. Initially it looked like it was going to be a few weeks before he appeared.
- Bischoff's new contract prohibits him from making outside appearances, so he's canceled upcoming dates. That's unfortunate, but hopefully it's for the best.
Raw has announced Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
NJPW running in Texas got local press, with comments from Mark Cuban, NJPW's chairman, Dave Meltzer, and Lance Archer.
NXT UK's Kay Lee Ray and Piper Niven are finishing Pro Wrestling EVE commitments this weekend.
PCO spoke before Best in the World. He had another very impressive performance on the show.
Mike Quackenbush appeared on the "Because WCW" podcast to discuss luchadores in the company.
Jeff Cobb is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast. He's got a tremendous upside.
Matt Taven promoted Best in the World. ROH has unquestionably picked up some really talented people with The Elite leaving. Taven did a good job putting over the company here.
At NXT's June 28 Florida live event:
- Jeet Rama competed for the first time since May 11, losing to Isaiah Scott.
- Nick Comoroto competed for the first time since May 23, losing to Bronson Reed.
- Joaquin Wilde and Jordan Myles lost to Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel, so the former DJZ and ACH were a duo.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm not sure if WWE just wanted to save it for tying into other Funk Hidden Gems or they just discovered it or what, but it's been in their archive.
2. I'm under the impression he's more or less being groomed to someday do that role on Raw and/or Smackdown Live.
3. I expect WWE will try to block them from running certain places, but I expect venues will be willing to consider running AEW given the success the brand has seen so far and the connections the Khans have.
4. EVOLVE booked their show first, but of course it wasn't originally scheduled to be a WWE Network special.
5. If they don't get a new TV home by the fall, I'd think there are decent odds they focus on streaming on Twitch. I wouldn't think they'd leave Pursuit voluntarily without another TV option in place, but if the channel keeps getting dropped, obviously that lessens the reach the show has on TV. If there were better TV options, Impact would love to move!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Stephanie McMahon spoke at a summit for NBA's Celtics.
Will Ospreay is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast. Not bad for a "little guy." I'm glad he's using the Rollins interaction to get buzz.
Colt Cabana has officially responded to C.M. Punk's counterlawsuit, asking for it to be dismissed. Cabana points out that Punk's testimony in the Amann lawsuit indicates Punk was going to cover Cabana's costs, and an email where Punk asked Cabana to make a payment for legal services indicated Punk would pay Cabana back once Punk got paid for competing in UFC. Cabana's side also argues it's too late for Punk to ask for the money back now, after Cabana's filed this much against Punk. This will be one to follow.
AEW released the opening to Fyter Fest. They're definitely bringing their A-game.
Jinder Mahal recently had surgery for a ruptured patella tendon. So that puts his 24/7 Title chase on hold.
Eric Bischoff will be at Smackdown Live this week, beginning his role as executive director. Paul Heyman was already scheduled to be at Raw, and he will begin his role, too. The pair's ideas will be integrated over time rather than a big reboot being scheduled. It will be really, really fascinating to see what changes and when.
- Bischoff being at this week's episode is a rather sudden move. Initially it looked like it was going to be a few weeks before he appeared.
- Bischoff's new contract prohibits him from making outside appearances, so he's canceled upcoming dates. That's unfortunate, but hopefully it's for the best.
Raw has announced Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
NJPW running in Texas got local press, with comments from Mark Cuban, NJPW's chairman, Dave Meltzer, and Lance Archer.
NXT UK's Kay Lee Ray and Piper Niven are finishing Pro Wrestling EVE commitments this weekend.
PCO spoke before Best in the World. He had another very impressive performance on the show.
Mike Quackenbush appeared on the "Because WCW" podcast to discuss luchadores in the company.
Jeff Cobb is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast. He's got a tremendous upside.
Matt Taven promoted Best in the World. ROH has unquestionably picked up some really talented people with The Elite leaving. Taven did a good job putting over the company here.
At NXT's June 28 Florida live event:
- Jeet Rama competed for the first time since May 11, losing to Isaiah Scott.
- Nick Comoroto competed for the first time since May 23, losing to Bronson Reed.
- Joaquin Wilde and Jordan Myles lost to Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel, so the former DJZ and ACH were a duo.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'm not sure if WWE just wanted to save it for tying into other Funk Hidden Gems or they just discovered it or what, but it's been in their archive.
2. I'm under the impression he's more or less being groomed to someday do that role on Raw and/or Smackdown Live.
3. I expect WWE will try to block them from running certain places, but I expect venues will be willing to consider running AEW given the success the brand has seen so far and the connections the Khans have.
4. EVOLVE booked their show first, but of course it wasn't originally scheduled to be a WWE Network special.
5. If they don't get a new TV home by the fall, I'd think there are decent odds they focus on streaming on Twitch. I wouldn't think they'd leave Pursuit voluntarily without another TV option in place, but if the channel keeps getting dropped, obviously that lessens the reach the show has on TV. If there were better TV options, Impact would love to move!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, June 28, 2019
Impact channel loses another home, JR 2nd book plans, Heyman and Bischoff named top WWE execs, Fyter Fest stipulation added, Impact preview, MLW signing, Havoc-MLW update, assorted wrestling press, Interviews with Roman/Ospreay, Mexico vs. The World card, Liger's last CMLL match set, Indiana health department investigating wrestling show, Jarrett claim dropped, WWE attendance hits significant lows, more on Taker return, why EVOLVE show is on the Network, CMLL looking to stop popular tradition, Lucha Bros update, AAA name sought by U.S. promotions, ROH team working Crash, Elgin returning to Japan, Cage hurt again, AAA names pulled from Alberto show, European name hospitalized, LAX update, Lio-WWE update, WWE cancels UK events, Ronda at WWE show, another NXT name change, Brock contract update, Dreamer discusses intense thoughts, new ROH TV match, CWFH documentary, and Questions on Punk vs. Cabana, three-time WWE HoFers, WWE mentioning NJPW titles, DSOTR season two, and the Highlanders
The Pursuit Channel is no longer being carried by AT&T U-Verse, meaning even fewer people will be able to watch Impact on TV. Impact continues to hope for a new TV home in the fall, but there's no real note of any progress on that front.
Jim Ross' second autobiography, "Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond" is due to be released on March 31, 2020. As well as the first one was received, this one should also excel.
Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff have been named executive directors of Raw and Smackdown Live respectively, essentially taking over each show's creative process. That's HUGE given Heyman's previous reluctance to join in that capacity after how his previous tenure in a similar role went. This could really mean some major changes in each show's approach if Vince McMahon lets each man steer their respective ship. I have a hard time believing Heyman would sign on for that role if he didn't think that would be the case.
- Heyman has been sought for that role since February, as he had been working on storylines with specific talents, including recently Aleister Black. He's expected to continue as Brock Lesnar's advocate.
- Bischoff was brought back to be a liaison with FOX given his previous relationships with TV networks. He had been working on Netflix's Hulk Hogan biopic and actually pulled out of booked personal appearances to take this job. So, again, this is a sudden and prominent gamechanger to the WWE structure.
- WWE's Board of Directors approved the creation of these new positions. That's how prominent they are.
- These changes are set to officially begin in mid-July. I would think that would mean Extreme Rules and/or the TV tapings afterward.
- Heyman in particular was signed to avoid the possibility of him going to AEW, which would have obviously been a major change for them.
- Bischoff's hiring has been criticized internally given how his Impact run went and his lack of familiarity with the current product. I'm very curious how things will be with him in charge.
- Bischoff will continue to appear on his "83 Weeks" podcast with Conrad Thompson.
Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela at Fyter Fest is now a "non-sanctioned" match, essentially meaning anything goes. That could be a pretty wild ride.
Impact released the opening to tonight's episode.
MLW has signed Shynron, who has been building his name in South America.
Jimmy Havoc will work MLW's July 25 TV taping.
Ross Von Erich will be in The Rock's "Hobbs & Shaw."
Roman Reigns spoke to GQ about working through his diagnosis and more.
NBA star Kevin Love got a custom Stone Cold pendant. Austin approved of the piece.
Ric Flair promoted appearing at Mississippi Comic Con.
John Cena commented on the 17th anniversary of his WWE debut. He's had a tenure few can come close to.
Expo Lucha's Mexico vs. The World SuperShow on August 18 has announced:
- The Lucha Bros and Mr. Aguila (formerly Essa Rios) with Lita vs. Brian Cage, TJ Perkins, and Jack Evans. This is Lita's first in-ring appearance with Aguila in nearly 20 years.
- Psychosis, Juventud Guerrera, and Black Taurus vs. Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Jr., and Brian Pillman, Jr.
- Puma King, Laredo Kid, and Flamita vs. Douglas James, Jake Atlas, and Adrian Quest
- Joey Ryan and Danny Limelite vs. Daga and La Mascara
- Taya Valkyrie, Christi Jaynes, and Viva Van vs. Tessa Blanchard, Zada Zang, and Simone Sherie
- Drago and Aero Star vs. Rey Horus and Septimo Dragon on the pre-show
Jushin "Thunder" Liger's final CMLL match will be a four-way with Ultimo Guerrero, Negro Casas, and Caristico. This is billed as the first-ever "Relevo CMLL" match.
An Indiana county health department is investigating an indie company after fans were potentially exposed to bloodborne pathogens. Yikes. That could really hurt future events there if companies aren't careful.
Jeff Jarrett's copyright infringement claim against Anthem in regard to airing GFW content has been dismissed because Jarrett didn't copyright those tapes before licensing them to Anthem. Other counts of the lawsuit, regarding Anthem using the GFW name and Jarrett's own name and likeness, are continuing. It could be considerable time before the lawsuit as a whole is decided either way.
Stomping Grounds drew 6,000 fans, including a vast amount of free tickets. That's the least-attended WWE pay-per-view since December to Dismember 2006, which was built around the ECW brand and drew 4,800 fans. Focusing just on Raw and Smackdown Live shows, the last lower number was Armageddon 2004, which drew 5,000 fans. So the show was unusually lowly-attended. Heyman and Bischoff have plenty of opportunity for growth.
Monday's Raw drew 3,500 fans, which looks to be the lowest Raw taping attendance since 2011. Tuesday's Smackdown Live drew 2,500 fans, which looks to be the lowest Smackdown taping attendance since 2004. It's absolutely time for major changes. I hope Heyman and Bischoff can bring those about.
The Undertaker's WWE return has been planned since before Super ShowDown. One would think the end-goal is for him to wrestle again at Summerslam.
EVOLVE's 10th anniversary show will be produced by the WWE production team, since they're in town for Extreme Rules the next night. That was key to getting the show on WWE Network.
CMLL is cracking down on fans throwing coins into the ring after prominent matches, which has been a sign of respect for decades in Mexico. I understand the safety aspect, but this was poorly received to say the least.
The Lucha Bros are expected to sign exclusive AEW/AAA contracts shortly, as per Konnan. This has been a story for a while, but the fact Konnan is saying it adds some legitimacy. That's big for those parties, and notable for Impact's place in the AAA relationship.
AAA's El Hijo del Vikingo is being sought by AEW, Impact, and MLW, so he's got some significant U.S. options.
ROH's Coast 2 Coast is working The Crash's July 5 event. There's no conflict there with the CMLL agreement.
Michael Elgin is working for Big Japan in late August, so he's still taking international dates outside of Impact. Cool.
Brian Cage aggravated a hip injury wrestling in Australia, missing one night of action. He's currently still set for Slammiversary. It's a shame his title run is being plagued this way.
AAA has pulled its talent from Alberto El Patron's Nacion Lucha Libre show. Well, there's a big hit to the promotion right out of the gate. The adjusted card now has:
- Alberto El Patron, El Hijo del Fantasma, and L.A. Park (replacing Rey Wagner) vs. Apolo, Mesias, and MVP.
- Matt Sydal and a mystery partner (replacing the Lucha Bros) vs. Chavo Guerrero and Mecha Wolf 450.
- Bandido (replacing Daga and Flamita) vs. Rey Horus (no longer teaming with Puma King)
- Brazo de Oro Jr (replacing El Hijo De Wagner)., Dual, and El Hijo de Dos Caras vs. Batab El Guerrero, Bram, and La Mascara
- Also scheduled for the show are Bestia 666, Damian 666, Canek, Negro Navarro, Sexy Star, and Thunder Rosa.
Europe's Bad Bones John Klinger has been hospitalized due to a severe stomach infection.
LAX has interest from both WWE and AEW. I'm curious how far they'd go in either promotion vs. staying with Impact.
Lio Rush has removed WWE mentions from his social media accounts and is seeking bookings. However, he is still under contract. It looks like plans for him to return to NXT have fallen through. I hope he realizes what he's doing by leaving the deal WWE was offering him.
WWE has canceled a number of UK dates in November for unknown reasons. We'll see if something else is coming on this end.
Ronda Rousey was at Smackdown Live's June 18 taping, as she's local to the area. She left before the show started.
NXT's Brennan Williams is now Dio Maddin, going from his real name to a WWE-owned one.
Brock Lesnar's current deal runs through summer 2020. So he might legitimately hold the briefcase a full year!
Tommy Dreamer discussed having intense depressive thoughts after ECW closed. That's very heavy. Damn.
ROH's Saturday TV taping has added Jay Lethal and the Bouncers vs. The Kingdom. Damn, Jay's really fallen since Supercard.
Will Ospreay cut a promo on Seth Rollins with Sports Illustrated. Seth just gave Will and NJPW the rub. Great job. I am glad Ospreay is adjusting his style to put his body through less trauma.
Championship Wrestling From Florida is the subject of a new Highspots.com documentary, available as a two DVD set.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can't give a better answer than Mike did here. It sucks those two have had such a public, expensive falling out. It's almost definitely going to get worse before it gets better, if it ever does get better. That's a significant sum of money, and I don't see either side giving in on that. Plus, Punk carries himself with a lot of pride and he's going to fight as hard as he can to prevail.
2. I'd say it's pretty much a guarantee as WWE continues to come up with draws for future HoF ticket sales.
3. It could be because WWE and NJPW worked together way back when, but I think it's more likely it's either slipping under the radar by being called IWGP or Vince doesn't see NJPW as competition since they primarily run shows in Japan.
4. They definitely hope to have a second season, but nothing's been confirmed on that front.
5. It doesn't look like either man wrestles anymore. I completely think their WWE tenures were cut short because of the Impact incident. I see what Impact was going for, but it definitely didn't end well for that team!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Jim Ross' second autobiography, "Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond" is due to be released on March 31, 2020. As well as the first one was received, this one should also excel.
Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff have been named executive directors of Raw and Smackdown Live respectively, essentially taking over each show's creative process. That's HUGE given Heyman's previous reluctance to join in that capacity after how his previous tenure in a similar role went. This could really mean some major changes in each show's approach if Vince McMahon lets each man steer their respective ship. I have a hard time believing Heyman would sign on for that role if he didn't think that would be the case.
- Heyman has been sought for that role since February, as he had been working on storylines with specific talents, including recently Aleister Black. He's expected to continue as Brock Lesnar's advocate.
- Bischoff was brought back to be a liaison with FOX given his previous relationships with TV networks. He had been working on Netflix's Hulk Hogan biopic and actually pulled out of booked personal appearances to take this job. So, again, this is a sudden and prominent gamechanger to the WWE structure.
- WWE's Board of Directors approved the creation of these new positions. That's how prominent they are.
- These changes are set to officially begin in mid-July. I would think that would mean Extreme Rules and/or the TV tapings afterward.
- Heyman in particular was signed to avoid the possibility of him going to AEW, which would have obviously been a major change for them.
- Bischoff's hiring has been criticized internally given how his Impact run went and his lack of familiarity with the current product. I'm very curious how things will be with him in charge.
- Bischoff will continue to appear on his "83 Weeks" podcast with Conrad Thompson.
Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela at Fyter Fest is now a "non-sanctioned" match, essentially meaning anything goes. That could be a pretty wild ride.
Impact released the opening to tonight's episode.
MLW has signed Shynron, who has been building his name in South America.
Jimmy Havoc will work MLW's July 25 TV taping.
Ross Von Erich will be in The Rock's "Hobbs & Shaw."
Roman Reigns spoke to GQ about working through his diagnosis and more.
NBA star Kevin Love got a custom Stone Cold pendant. Austin approved of the piece.
Ric Flair promoted appearing at Mississippi Comic Con.
John Cena commented on the 17th anniversary of his WWE debut. He's had a tenure few can come close to.
Expo Lucha's Mexico vs. The World SuperShow on August 18 has announced:
- The Lucha Bros and Mr. Aguila (formerly Essa Rios) with Lita vs. Brian Cage, TJ Perkins, and Jack Evans. This is Lita's first in-ring appearance with Aguila in nearly 20 years.
- Psychosis, Juventud Guerrera, and Black Taurus vs. Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Jr., and Brian Pillman, Jr.
- Puma King, Laredo Kid, and Flamita vs. Douglas James, Jake Atlas, and Adrian Quest
- Joey Ryan and Danny Limelite vs. Daga and La Mascara
- Taya Valkyrie, Christi Jaynes, and Viva Van vs. Tessa Blanchard, Zada Zang, and Simone Sherie
- Drago and Aero Star vs. Rey Horus and Septimo Dragon on the pre-show
Jushin "Thunder" Liger's final CMLL match will be a four-way with Ultimo Guerrero, Negro Casas, and Caristico. This is billed as the first-ever "Relevo CMLL" match.
An Indiana county health department is investigating an indie company after fans were potentially exposed to bloodborne pathogens. Yikes. That could really hurt future events there if companies aren't careful.
Jeff Jarrett's copyright infringement claim against Anthem in regard to airing GFW content has been dismissed because Jarrett didn't copyright those tapes before licensing them to Anthem. Other counts of the lawsuit, regarding Anthem using the GFW name and Jarrett's own name and likeness, are continuing. It could be considerable time before the lawsuit as a whole is decided either way.
Stomping Grounds drew 6,000 fans, including a vast amount of free tickets. That's the least-attended WWE pay-per-view since December to Dismember 2006, which was built around the ECW brand and drew 4,800 fans. Focusing just on Raw and Smackdown Live shows, the last lower number was Armageddon 2004, which drew 5,000 fans. So the show was unusually lowly-attended. Heyman and Bischoff have plenty of opportunity for growth.
Monday's Raw drew 3,500 fans, which looks to be the lowest Raw taping attendance since 2011. Tuesday's Smackdown Live drew 2,500 fans, which looks to be the lowest Smackdown taping attendance since 2004. It's absolutely time for major changes. I hope Heyman and Bischoff can bring those about.
The Undertaker's WWE return has been planned since before Super ShowDown. One would think the end-goal is for him to wrestle again at Summerslam.
EVOLVE's 10th anniversary show will be produced by the WWE production team, since they're in town for Extreme Rules the next night. That was key to getting the show on WWE Network.
CMLL is cracking down on fans throwing coins into the ring after prominent matches, which has been a sign of respect for decades in Mexico. I understand the safety aspect, but this was poorly received to say the least.
The Lucha Bros are expected to sign exclusive AEW/AAA contracts shortly, as per Konnan. This has been a story for a while, but the fact Konnan is saying it adds some legitimacy. That's big for those parties, and notable for Impact's place in the AAA relationship.
AAA's El Hijo del Vikingo is being sought by AEW, Impact, and MLW, so he's got some significant U.S. options.
ROH's Coast 2 Coast is working The Crash's July 5 event. There's no conflict there with the CMLL agreement.
Michael Elgin is working for Big Japan in late August, so he's still taking international dates outside of Impact. Cool.
Brian Cage aggravated a hip injury wrestling in Australia, missing one night of action. He's currently still set for Slammiversary. It's a shame his title run is being plagued this way.
AAA has pulled its talent from Alberto El Patron's Nacion Lucha Libre show. Well, there's a big hit to the promotion right out of the gate. The adjusted card now has:
- Alberto El Patron, El Hijo del Fantasma, and L.A. Park (replacing Rey Wagner) vs. Apolo, Mesias, and MVP.
- Matt Sydal and a mystery partner (replacing the Lucha Bros) vs. Chavo Guerrero and Mecha Wolf 450.
- Bandido (replacing Daga and Flamita) vs. Rey Horus (no longer teaming with Puma King)
- Brazo de Oro Jr (replacing El Hijo De Wagner)., Dual, and El Hijo de Dos Caras vs. Batab El Guerrero, Bram, and La Mascara
- Also scheduled for the show are Bestia 666, Damian 666, Canek, Negro Navarro, Sexy Star, and Thunder Rosa.
Europe's Bad Bones John Klinger has been hospitalized due to a severe stomach infection.
LAX has interest from both WWE and AEW. I'm curious how far they'd go in either promotion vs. staying with Impact.
Lio Rush has removed WWE mentions from his social media accounts and is seeking bookings. However, he is still under contract. It looks like plans for him to return to NXT have fallen through. I hope he realizes what he's doing by leaving the deal WWE was offering him.
WWE has canceled a number of UK dates in November for unknown reasons. We'll see if something else is coming on this end.
Ronda Rousey was at Smackdown Live's June 18 taping, as she's local to the area. She left before the show started.
NXT's Brennan Williams is now Dio Maddin, going from his real name to a WWE-owned one.
Brock Lesnar's current deal runs through summer 2020. So he might legitimately hold the briefcase a full year!
Tommy Dreamer discussed having intense depressive thoughts after ECW closed. That's very heavy. Damn.
ROH's Saturday TV taping has added Jay Lethal and the Bouncers vs. The Kingdom. Damn, Jay's really fallen since Supercard.
Will Ospreay cut a promo on Seth Rollins with Sports Illustrated. Seth just gave Will and NJPW the rub. Great job. I am glad Ospreay is adjusting his style to put his body through less trauma.
Championship Wrestling From Florida is the subject of a new Highspots.com documentary, available as a two DVD set.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can't give a better answer than Mike did here. It sucks those two have had such a public, expensive falling out. It's almost definitely going to get worse before it gets better, if it ever does get better. That's a significant sum of money, and I don't see either side giving in on that. Plus, Punk carries himself with a lot of pride and he's going to fight as hard as he can to prevail.
2. I'd say it's pretty much a guarantee as WWE continues to come up with draws for future HoF ticket sales.
3. It could be because WWE and NJPW worked together way back when, but I think it's more likely it's either slipping under the radar by being called IWGP or Vince doesn't see NJPW as competition since they primarily run shows in Japan.
4. They definitely hope to have a second season, but nothing's been confirmed on that front.
5. It doesn't look like either man wrestles anymore. I completely think their WWE tenures were cut short because of the Impact incident. I see what Impact was going for, but it definitely didn't end well for that team!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
OWE launching UK branch, Impact+ offer, Interviews with Ziggler's brother/CazXL/Becky/Cobb/Taven, WWE announcer pitches show revival, assorted wrestling press, Moxley matches streaming, Miz & Mrs return date, WWE streaming EVOLVE show, SDL audience, Jericho set for FFTF, Punk counters Cabana lawsuit, note on Aldis' BITW partner, Pursuit's HD stream dropped, new Impact+ event match, new Hidden Gem, and Questions on the importance of the MITB briefcase, changing the MITB briefcase, and booking the Kabuki Warriors
OWE is preparing to launch OWE UK, which will feature local talent in addition to talent from the main OWE. The company has announced Sean McMahon (no relation to WWE's McMahons) as senior vice president of the new company and Jay Apter as head of creative.
- OWE has signed Rob Sharpe and Lou King Sharp for OWE UK. The two UK-based talents will start touring in OWE ahead of the UK project launch. OWE is ambitious. I like it.
Impact is giving people who purchase Slammiversary three free months of the Impact+ service. I'm guessing subscription numbers aren't where Impact wants them to be.
Dolph Ziggler's brother discussed making a wrestling movie. That's a pretty intriguing premise. I hope they handle those themes well. It's also good to see Nemeth is being productive post-NXT.
Renee Young pitched a Tuesday Night Titans revival. That would be great for WWE Network or FS1.
Roman Reigns visited an Oregon children's hospital before Smackdown Live.
NXT talents based in Florida will be part of Hearts of Reality 2019, benefiting critically ill children. That's awesome!
Bayley and Charlotte Flair are signing at Comic-Con Seattle Friday.
CazXL discussed working through depression and anxiety on Diamond Dallas Page's YouTube account. I hope he gets to a better place.
Becky Lynch discussed her relationship with Seth Rollins and more:
- It's possible she and Seth would have teamed even if they weren't together off-screen, given their prominence.
- I swear, this "five-star match" mentality is becoming excessive and obsessive.
- I do wonder where she goes after headlining WrestleMania.
John Moxley's NEW matches are on Highspots Wrestling Network. He's popping up on a lot of streaming services this year!
"Miz and Mrs" is returning to USA Network on August 6 to finish out its first season. The series is currently filming its second season, which is set to air in 2020.
WWE Network will stream EVOLVE's 10th anniversary special, which will be headlined by Adam Cole vs. Akira Tozawa. That's amazing! A big opportunity for current and future stars to be showcased. I expect we'll see more non-WWE events on the service going forward as the company plans the "tiered" Network system.
- Kenny Omega responded to this stream competing with Fight For The Fallen in a since-deleted Tweet. Obviously the EVOLVE date was booked some time in advance, but the decision to stream the show was a recent one and it's easy to see the decision to be a move to counter AEW's event. Of course nothing's preventing fans from watching both shows on demand after they air.
Smackdown Live drew 1.92 million viewers Tuesday night, slightly ahead of last week's number following Stomping Grounds.
Chris Jericho will work Fight For The Fallen. It's unknown what he'll be doing at the show. It should definitely be something prominent given his roles at Double or Nothing and All Out.
C.M. Punk has filed a $600,000 counterlawsuit against Colt Cabana, half the cost of legal bills from the Dr. Amann lawsuit. Punk's lawsuit also points out Cabana's incentive to keep the Punk podcast up given its success, and notes how financially beneficial that podcast was for Cabana with Colt not contributing to the cost of legal fees. Yeah, this has turned pretty ugly.
Nick Aldis' Best in the World partner is someone who has just signed with the NWA. So this could be a notable opportunity for someone looking to get a break in the business.
Kevin Owens invited the fan from the Bully Ray incident earlier this month to Smackdown Live. Shots fired, I guess? There doesn't appear to be any fallout from the investigation ROH launched there.
Jeff Cobb is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Matt Taven promoted Best in the World with Sports Illustrated:
- Citation needed on that note about the Taven-Lethal feud being entertaining.
- I actually didn't know Taven and Kanellis have a wrestling school together.
- Kanellis felt he needed to prove himself outside of a company where he had wrestled for many years.
- There are definitely going to be ROH/AEW comparisons.
- I can only imagine Taker on social media spitting tobacco when he was supposed to be The Deadman.
- Wow it has been a long time since Supercard, huh?
Pursuit's HD network feed has been dropped from DirecTV in another blow to Impact's TV home. They've really struggled on the channel.
Impact's July 5 Impact+ event has added Rich Swann/Willie Mack/Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan/Dave Crist/Jake Crist. The show is two days before Slammiversary.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is Terry Funk vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler from USWA's November 3, 1990 event.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The MITB briefcase is definitely a bigger deal than the secondary titles, which makes sense, as contendership for a top title should matter more than a lower title.
2. Wait, didn't everyone just criticize Brock for waiting to cash in after killing Seth??? I don't think the concept should change at all. It's a great way to add surprise (which people complain WWE is missing) and it's an easy way to get out of an injury/difficult booking situation/stale feud.
3. Kairi speaks English well, but obviously has an accent. The story was Paige was recruiting teams for the tag division and put them together.
4. I fully expect them to get a title shot soon, likely at Extreme Rules.
5. They would if they wanted to move Asuka over and turn her heel all at once. I don't see it happening soon, though, since they probably don't want to strand Kairi.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- OWE has signed Rob Sharpe and Lou King Sharp for OWE UK. The two UK-based talents will start touring in OWE ahead of the UK project launch. OWE is ambitious. I like it.
Impact is giving people who purchase Slammiversary three free months of the Impact+ service. I'm guessing subscription numbers aren't where Impact wants them to be.
Dolph Ziggler's brother discussed making a wrestling movie. That's a pretty intriguing premise. I hope they handle those themes well. It's also good to see Nemeth is being productive post-NXT.
Renee Young pitched a Tuesday Night Titans revival. That would be great for WWE Network or FS1.
Roman Reigns visited an Oregon children's hospital before Smackdown Live.
NXT talents based in Florida will be part of Hearts of Reality 2019, benefiting critically ill children. That's awesome!
Bayley and Charlotte Flair are signing at Comic-Con Seattle Friday.
CazXL discussed working through depression and anxiety on Diamond Dallas Page's YouTube account. I hope he gets to a better place.
Becky Lynch discussed her relationship with Seth Rollins and more:
- It's possible she and Seth would have teamed even if they weren't together off-screen, given their prominence.
- I swear, this "five-star match" mentality is becoming excessive and obsessive.
- I do wonder where she goes after headlining WrestleMania.
John Moxley's NEW matches are on Highspots Wrestling Network. He's popping up on a lot of streaming services this year!
"Miz and Mrs" is returning to USA Network on August 6 to finish out its first season. The series is currently filming its second season, which is set to air in 2020.
WWE Network will stream EVOLVE's 10th anniversary special, which will be headlined by Adam Cole vs. Akira Tozawa. That's amazing! A big opportunity for current and future stars to be showcased. I expect we'll see more non-WWE events on the service going forward as the company plans the "tiered" Network system.
- Kenny Omega responded to this stream competing with Fight For The Fallen in a since-deleted Tweet. Obviously the EVOLVE date was booked some time in advance, but the decision to stream the show was a recent one and it's easy to see the decision to be a move to counter AEW's event. Of course nothing's preventing fans from watching both shows on demand after they air.
Smackdown Live drew 1.92 million viewers Tuesday night, slightly ahead of last week's number following Stomping Grounds.
Chris Jericho will work Fight For The Fallen. It's unknown what he'll be doing at the show. It should definitely be something prominent given his roles at Double or Nothing and All Out.
C.M. Punk has filed a $600,000 counterlawsuit against Colt Cabana, half the cost of legal bills from the Dr. Amann lawsuit. Punk's lawsuit also points out Cabana's incentive to keep the Punk podcast up given its success, and notes how financially beneficial that podcast was for Cabana with Colt not contributing to the cost of legal fees. Yeah, this has turned pretty ugly.
Nick Aldis' Best in the World partner is someone who has just signed with the NWA. So this could be a notable opportunity for someone looking to get a break in the business.
Kevin Owens invited the fan from the Bully Ray incident earlier this month to Smackdown Live. Shots fired, I guess? There doesn't appear to be any fallout from the investigation ROH launched there.
Jeff Cobb is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast.
Matt Taven promoted Best in the World with Sports Illustrated:
- Citation needed on that note about the Taven-Lethal feud being entertaining.
- I actually didn't know Taven and Kanellis have a wrestling school together.
- Kanellis felt he needed to prove himself outside of a company where he had wrestled for many years.
- There are definitely going to be ROH/AEW comparisons.
- I can only imagine Taker on social media spitting tobacco when he was supposed to be The Deadman.
- Wow it has been a long time since Supercard, huh?
Pursuit's HD network feed has been dropped from DirecTV in another blow to Impact's TV home. They've really struggled on the channel.
Impact's July 5 Impact+ event has added Rich Swann/Willie Mack/Tessa Blanchard vs. Sami Callihan/Dave Crist/Jake Crist. The show is two days before Slammiversary.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is Terry Funk vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler from USWA's November 3, 1990 event.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The MITB briefcase is definitely a bigger deal than the secondary titles, which makes sense, as contendership for a top title should matter more than a lower title.
2. Wait, didn't everyone just criticize Brock for waiting to cash in after killing Seth??? I don't think the concept should change at all. It's a great way to add surprise (which people complain WWE is missing) and it's an easy way to get out of an injury/difficult booking situation/stale feud.
3. Kairi speaks English well, but obviously has an accent. The story was Paige was recruiting teams for the tag division and put them together.
4. I fully expect them to get a title shot soon, likely at Extreme Rules.
5. They would if they wanted to move Asuka over and turn her heel all at once. I don't see it happening soon, though, since they probably don't want to strand Kairi.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Interviews with Eli/Seth/Sonya/Henry, WWE-AEW-NJPW Twitter battle, WWE DVD trailers, when SSD will be on DVD, O'Reilly's EVOLVE replacement, assorted wrestling press, big Kofi milestone, Cabana pulled from BITW, AEW names working AAA show, WOW signing appearance, new Slammiversary match, Impact event to have pre-show, Raw audience, another 24/7 contender signs a long contract, WWE names working Lionheart show, Punk mentioned during Raw break, Allin profiled, more ROH dates for Dragon Lee, Quackenbush giving advice on YouTube, SDL dark matches, and Questions on Brock vs. Vader, WWE names starting over in AEW, the Taker-Starrcast issue, Vince booking Shane as a comedy character, and Moxley 3:16
Eli Drake discussed leaving Impact and more. As usual, Impact hurt themselves. As for his next move, I hope he goes somewhere he'll be valued and featured.
Seth Rollins, Will Ospreay, and Chris Jericho were part of a Twitter feud after Seth called WWE the best wrestling on the planet and challenged fans to find someone as consistently good as Rollins is. NJPW's Will Ospreay answered the challenge, which Rollins refuted. This led to further tweets between the two. Chris Jericho also chimed in on the comparison, and on Rollins' original claim. I see this as Rollins feeling the need to prove himself and the company he's one of the top champions of. He takes pride in his work and wants to be seen as being at a high level. The others are also trying to get themselves and their respective companies over. Hopefully it gets people into watching and talking about all three products.
The Miz and Roddy Piper got trailers for their upcoming DVDs.
Super ShowDown will be on DVD in September.
Tyler Breeze is replacing Kyle O'Reilly at this weekend's EVOLVE events. That would seem to indicate Breeze is officially an NXT name internally. Breeze is facing AR Fox at EVOLVE 129 and Anthony Greene at EVOLVE 130.
Titus O'Neil was honored in Kentucky. That's really special.
Samoa Joe and the Usos visited Joe's nephew in the hospital. Good to see it.
Kofi Kingston has passed 1,500 days as a champion in WWE, which only four other wrestlers have done since WrestleMania I. The others were Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Triple H, and The Miz, so that's a pretty notable achievement.
Colt Cabana has been pulled from Best in the World due to injury. His replacement will be named during the pre-show for that event. Cabana expects to be back in the ring soon. I'm interested to see who replaces him in what is essentially an NWA match.
AEW's Cody and MJF are set for AAA's July 18 show, where they will face Brian Cage and Taurus. This is the AEW duo's debut in that promotion, and part of the working agreement between those two sides. I'm curious how things will work with AEW and Impact talent in the same match.
Seth Rollins spoke to Sports Illustrated about Jon Moxley's comments and more:
- Wow yeah Seth sees defending WWE as a crusade. I see why he would in his place on the card. We'll see how he feels ten years from now looking back.
- I mean if the money wasn't worth the stress, who's to blame Moxley for going somewhere else to do what he loves?
- Moxley did advocate for changes, as he said in the podcast, but was overruled.
WOW is teaming with Headlocked Comics for a signing at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20 and July 21. That's clever.
Slammiversary has officially added Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard. That will be noteworthy however it goes.
Impact and RCW's July 5 Impact+ event will have a 30-minute pre-show. We'll see what that involves.
Raw drew 2.28 million viewers Monday night, virtually identical to the previous week.
Sonya Deville discussed teaming with Mandy Rose. WWE definitely needs to time their inevitable split right.
Xavier Woods did a fighting games challenge with React.
Jinder Mahal has signed a new five-year contract with WWE. I'm interested to see where his career goes from here.
Lionheart is having a tribute show in PCW, with WWE allowing select talents to appear. That's really, really cool.
C.M. Punk was mentioned by a fan during a Raw commercial break when Sarah Schreiber asked which superstar was nicknamed "Best in the World." Yeah WWE should have seen that one coming.
Mark Henry is on Stone Cold's latest podcast.
Darby Allin was profiled by ITV before Fyter Fest.
Dragon Lee is set for ROH's July 20 TV taping in New York and July 21 HonorClub event in Massachusetts. This is on top of working Best in the World weekend. Glad to see ROH making use of him.
Mike Quackenbush has started a YouTube channel to guide younger wrestlers. That's very selfless of him; he's given a lot of knowledge to the business.
Before Smackdown Live, Ali defeated Buddy Murphy. This is the same dark match from before last week's episode.
After Smackdown Live, Bayley defeated Charlotte Flair to retain the Smackdown Women's Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Someone could spend hours looking at matches that would have been a lot of fun but never happened. Brock vs. Vader definitely fits that list.
2. There are plenty of names who could benefit from another chance in a fresh environment, whether that's due to hitting a glass ceiling or stalled momentum. AEW would probably need as much TV time as Raw and Smackdown Live to feature them all well! I would actually argue Ryder could be someone who could reinvent himself if given a chance. He's definitely hit a wall in WWE.
3. If I remember correctly, either his WWE contract was coming to an end or something was worked out for him to take outside bookings through an agent. Starrcast contacted that agent to book the appearance, and WWE countered by giving Undertaker and Angle big contracts to essentially not do events like Starrcast. It was, at least initially, a case of Undertaker being able to do non-WWE appearances but him signing on for one during Double or Nothing weekend made WWE change course.
4. Vince books each character relative to how important he sees that character and what he thinks that character should be like. I truly think Vince wanted his vision of the Ambrose character to be a successful top name, but clearly that vision differed a lot from what others found ideal.
5. They're definitely doing the "Moxley is unstable/will attack anyone whether they're babyfaces, heels, referees, etc." thing, which of course is pretty much always going to invite Austin comparisons.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Seth Rollins, Will Ospreay, and Chris Jericho were part of a Twitter feud after Seth called WWE the best wrestling on the planet and challenged fans to find someone as consistently good as Rollins is. NJPW's Will Ospreay answered the challenge, which Rollins refuted. This led to further tweets between the two. Chris Jericho also chimed in on the comparison, and on Rollins' original claim. I see this as Rollins feeling the need to prove himself and the company he's one of the top champions of. He takes pride in his work and wants to be seen as being at a high level. The others are also trying to get themselves and their respective companies over. Hopefully it gets people into watching and talking about all three products.
The Miz and Roddy Piper got trailers for their upcoming DVDs.
Super ShowDown will be on DVD in September.
Tyler Breeze is replacing Kyle O'Reilly at this weekend's EVOLVE events. That would seem to indicate Breeze is officially an NXT name internally. Breeze is facing AR Fox at EVOLVE 129 and Anthony Greene at EVOLVE 130.
Titus O'Neil was honored in Kentucky. That's really special.
Samoa Joe and the Usos visited Joe's nephew in the hospital. Good to see it.
Kofi Kingston has passed 1,500 days as a champion in WWE, which only four other wrestlers have done since WrestleMania I. The others were Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Triple H, and The Miz, so that's a pretty notable achievement.
Colt Cabana has been pulled from Best in the World due to injury. His replacement will be named during the pre-show for that event. Cabana expects to be back in the ring soon. I'm interested to see who replaces him in what is essentially an NWA match.
AEW's Cody and MJF are set for AAA's July 18 show, where they will face Brian Cage and Taurus. This is the AEW duo's debut in that promotion, and part of the working agreement between those two sides. I'm curious how things will work with AEW and Impact talent in the same match.
Seth Rollins spoke to Sports Illustrated about Jon Moxley's comments and more:
- Wow yeah Seth sees defending WWE as a crusade. I see why he would in his place on the card. We'll see how he feels ten years from now looking back.
- I mean if the money wasn't worth the stress, who's to blame Moxley for going somewhere else to do what he loves?
- Moxley did advocate for changes, as he said in the podcast, but was overruled.
WOW is teaming with Headlocked Comics for a signing at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20 and July 21. That's clever.
Slammiversary has officially added Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard. That will be noteworthy however it goes.
Impact and RCW's July 5 Impact+ event will have a 30-minute pre-show. We'll see what that involves.
Raw drew 2.28 million viewers Monday night, virtually identical to the previous week.
Sonya Deville discussed teaming with Mandy Rose. WWE definitely needs to time their inevitable split right.
Xavier Woods did a fighting games challenge with React.
Jinder Mahal has signed a new five-year contract with WWE. I'm interested to see where his career goes from here.
Lionheart is having a tribute show in PCW, with WWE allowing select talents to appear. That's really, really cool.
C.M. Punk was mentioned by a fan during a Raw commercial break when Sarah Schreiber asked which superstar was nicknamed "Best in the World." Yeah WWE should have seen that one coming.
Mark Henry is on Stone Cold's latest podcast.
Darby Allin was profiled by ITV before Fyter Fest.
Dragon Lee is set for ROH's July 20 TV taping in New York and July 21 HonorClub event in Massachusetts. This is on top of working Best in the World weekend. Glad to see ROH making use of him.
Mike Quackenbush has started a YouTube channel to guide younger wrestlers. That's very selfless of him; he's given a lot of knowledge to the business.
Before Smackdown Live, Ali defeated Buddy Murphy. This is the same dark match from before last week's episode.
After Smackdown Live, Bayley defeated Charlotte Flair to retain the Smackdown Women's Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Someone could spend hours looking at matches that would have been a lot of fun but never happened. Brock vs. Vader definitely fits that list.
2. There are plenty of names who could benefit from another chance in a fresh environment, whether that's due to hitting a glass ceiling or stalled momentum. AEW would probably need as much TV time as Raw and Smackdown Live to feature them all well! I would actually argue Ryder could be someone who could reinvent himself if given a chance. He's definitely hit a wall in WWE.
3. If I remember correctly, either his WWE contract was coming to an end or something was worked out for him to take outside bookings through an agent. Starrcast contacted that agent to book the appearance, and WWE countered by giving Undertaker and Angle big contracts to essentially not do events like Starrcast. It was, at least initially, a case of Undertaker being able to do non-WWE appearances but him signing on for one during Double or Nothing weekend made WWE change course.
4. Vince books each character relative to how important he sees that character and what he thinks that character should be like. I truly think Vince wanted his vision of the Ambrose character to be a successful top name, but clearly that vision differed a lot from what others found ideal.
5. They're definitely doing the "Moxley is unstable/will attack anyone whether they're babyfaces, heels, referees, etc." thing, which of course is pretty much always going to invite Austin comparisons.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 6/25/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and 205 Live.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Why Stomping Grounds was in large arena, Stephanie honored, Interview with Foley, Impact films angle at indie show, Impact+ show card, WWE advertising live event before movies, Rey's return timeline, local Slammiversary tie-in, NXT name pulled from EVOLVE matches, WWE signs new Chinese distribution agreement, Ali cameos, NXT shows preceding Toronto, WWE Creative departure, BITW pre-show match, NJPW takes action against fan club outlet, Linda's vetting process, Raw dark match, and Questions on Wild Card talents challenging for the other brand's title, if the Wild Card Rule will stay in effect on FOX, AEW selling out MSG, WWE promoting live events on TV, and acknowledging the Seth/Becky relationship
Stomping Grounds was held at Tacoma Dome because of ongoing renovations at their normal Seattle venue, which are set to be finished in June 2021. The event was the first wrestling show at that venue since WCW Spring Stampede 1999.
Stephanie McMahon was named one of the world's most influential CMOs.
Mick Foley is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
Impact shot an angle at a Wrestlecircus event in Texas with Sami Callihan attacking Tessa Blanchard to continue the build to their Slammiversary match.
Impact and RCW's July 5 Impact+ event has added:
- Michael Elgin vs. Eddie Edwards
- Rosemary vs. Su Yung
- Brian Cage vs. Moose
- LAX vs. The North
- Fallah Bahh vs. Anthony Andrews
- Rebel and Katie Forbes vs. Christi James and Miranda Alize
-- That sounds like a pretty solid, meaningful lineup.
WWE ran a Raw live event ad during movie theater previews in Pennsylvania. That's a good idea to advertise!
Rey Mysterio's return is planned for the July 8 Raw, pending him being cleared. I'm curious what he does next and how Dominic fits into it.
Brian Cage will appear with Dallas' Major League Soccer team to promote Slammiversary.
Kyle O'Reilly will no longer compete at EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130, but will still make signings before each event. It looks like he's still dealing with some back issues.
WWE has signed a new multi-year Chinese distribution agreement. This deal expands digital distribution of WWE content to other local platforms.
Ali's Stomping Grounds video featured local indie wrestlers Laynie Luck, GPA, Bryce Benjamin, and Tony Nas. I'm glad Ali was featured there.
NXT has announced New York live events for August 8 and August 9 leading into Takeover:Toronto.
WWE Creative member Ryan Alpert has left the company after a tenure of several years. Alpert commemorated his tenure on Instagram.
Best In The World's pre-show will feature Rush vs. Flip Gordon. That's a great way to get people to watch the hype show and hopefully end up getting the rest of the event.
NJPW has taken action against BuySumoTickets.com for that outlet helping non-Japanese fans obtain New Japan Fan Club tickets using Japanese proxies. NJPW is looking to add an International Fan Club as a response to non-Japanese demand for memberships. It will be very interesting to see how they handle ticket sales for those in and outside the country.
Linda McMahon's background research prior to being nominated as the head of the Small Business Administration was released, with a lot of "red flags" for WWE and her personally. Not a good look, but obviously it wasn't enough to keep her from being offered and confirmed for the position.
After Raw, Seth Rollins defeated Baron Corbin to retain the Universal Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. You would think so but obviously the Wild Card Rule is pretty wide-ranging, and of course, it keeps evolving to be basically whatever WWE wants it to be.
2. I'm sure both shows want to use all the top names, so I suspect it will stay in place.
3. It's definitely a possibility, but as was said, once AEW starts doing weekly TV on the road, it could be harder to draw that huge level of interest. We'll see; AEW has already pulled off a number of milestones they weren't expected to come close to achieving, and Supercard's sellout was largely due to people thinking the show would be All In 2.
4. A big, and obvious, missed opportunity.
5. I assumed it was more of a case of playing off more fans knowing what's "really" going on behind-the-scenes, and WWE thinking it made sense to pair those two characters on-screen. I don't see them pairing Charlotte and Andrade or Aleister and Zelina, for instance.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Stephanie McMahon was named one of the world's most influential CMOs.
Mick Foley is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
Impact shot an angle at a Wrestlecircus event in Texas with Sami Callihan attacking Tessa Blanchard to continue the build to their Slammiversary match.
Impact and RCW's July 5 Impact+ event has added:
- Michael Elgin vs. Eddie Edwards
- Rosemary vs. Su Yung
- Brian Cage vs. Moose
- LAX vs. The North
- Fallah Bahh vs. Anthony Andrews
- Rebel and Katie Forbes vs. Christi James and Miranda Alize
-- That sounds like a pretty solid, meaningful lineup.
WWE ran a Raw live event ad during movie theater previews in Pennsylvania. That's a good idea to advertise!
Rey Mysterio's return is planned for the July 8 Raw, pending him being cleared. I'm curious what he does next and how Dominic fits into it.
Brian Cage will appear with Dallas' Major League Soccer team to promote Slammiversary.
Kyle O'Reilly will no longer compete at EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130, but will still make signings before each event. It looks like he's still dealing with some back issues.
WWE has signed a new multi-year Chinese distribution agreement. This deal expands digital distribution of WWE content to other local platforms.
Ali's Stomping Grounds video featured local indie wrestlers Laynie Luck, GPA, Bryce Benjamin, and Tony Nas. I'm glad Ali was featured there.
NXT has announced New York live events for August 8 and August 9 leading into Takeover:Toronto.
WWE Creative member Ryan Alpert has left the company after a tenure of several years. Alpert commemorated his tenure on Instagram.
Best In The World's pre-show will feature Rush vs. Flip Gordon. That's a great way to get people to watch the hype show and hopefully end up getting the rest of the event.
NJPW has taken action against BuySumoTickets.com for that outlet helping non-Japanese fans obtain New Japan Fan Club tickets using Japanese proxies. NJPW is looking to add an International Fan Club as a response to non-Japanese demand for memberships. It will be very interesting to see how they handle ticket sales for those in and outside the country.
Linda McMahon's background research prior to being nominated as the head of the Small Business Administration was released, with a lot of "red flags" for WWE and her personally. Not a good look, but obviously it wasn't enough to keep her from being offered and confirmed for the position.
After Raw, Seth Rollins defeated Baron Corbin to retain the Universal Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. You would think so but obviously the Wild Card Rule is pretty wide-ranging, and of course, it keeps evolving to be basically whatever WWE wants it to be.
2. I'm sure both shows want to use all the top names, so I suspect it will stay in place.
3. It's definitely a possibility, but as was said, once AEW starts doing weekly TV on the road, it could be harder to draw that huge level of interest. We'll see; AEW has already pulled off a number of milestones they weren't expected to come close to achieving, and Supercard's sellout was largely due to people thinking the show would be All In 2.
4. A big, and obvious, missed opportunity.
5. I assumed it was more of a case of playing off more fans knowing what's "really" going on behind-the-scenes, and WWE thinking it made sense to pair those two characters on-screen. I don't see them pairing Charlotte and Andrade or Aleister and Zelina, for instance.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, June 24, 2019
Lawler podcast update, Interviews with Kofi/Riddick/Orndorff, WWE HoF ceremony in Japan, Bray update, Stomping Ground attendance problems, WWE changing TV matches, AEW promotes incorrect match, NJPW gets big press, advertised Extreme Rules matches, Slaughter signing, Raw matches, and Questions on whether to skip Stomping Grounds, advertising live events on WWE TV, WWE's Japan show on the Network, Nikki turning on Alexa, and what Vince thinks of Bray's character
Jerry Lawler is changing his podcast. More details in the future.
Kofi Kingston spoke to the BBC. I'm glad he's having such an inspiring run.
Riddick Moss is on Sam Roberts' latest podcast. I hope he's able to get some momentum going now.
WWE will hold a ceremony for Legacy Hall of Famer Hishashi Shinma during the June 28 Japanese event. That's great!
Bray Wyatt was backstage at Stomping Grounds. He would have been an interesting special referee for the main event, but that would have been short-sighted.
Stomping Grounds saw a lot of fans moved from upper level seats to the floor, and a significant part of the arena was blocked off with curtains, as those sections were empty. Yeah that show was the opposite of a hot ticket. It ended up being pretty good, though.
WWE has decided to no longer have matches spill through commercial breaks unless they're multiple-fall matches or elimination matches, with the idea that real sports don't do content during commercial breaks. I'm split on that. Ultimately it will depend on what that means for viewership.
AEW mistakenly announced Leva Bates vs. Kylie Rae for Fyter Fest, which looks to be changing. I'm curious what will end up happening there, as a second women's match had been indicated.
NJPW got big press for appealing to Western fans.
Extreme Rules is currently locally advertising:
- Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin in a tables match for the Universal Championship
- Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon
-- It's clear WWE needs to cut back on the number of PPVs so we don't get the same thing over and over.
Sgt. Slaughter is doing a meet-and-greet before a June 29 baseball game in Idaho.
Paul Orndorff gave a long interview, with B. Brian Blair joining late.
Raw is advertising:
- Ricochet vs. AJ Styles in a non-title match
- Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon. Obviously Extreme Rules is advertising this, too, so I'd expect one or the other to not happen/change.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can't disagree here. If the booking is more important than the actual card and this seems like a skippable show as a result, there are plenty of other products out there to enjoy. That said, the show ended up beating expectations and being pretty solid.
2. There's no telling what Vince is thinking at any given time. It could be that he doesn't like how that would look. As always, he's got so much money coming in from those TV deals that he can pretty much do whatever he wants.
3. There's no indication the show will air on the Network, although there's a decent chance we see a clip from that match on Smackdown Live to set up the future title match. It does seem like WWE is making that show meaningful for the local audience, though. That could be in response to NJPW's success.
4. Nahhhhh I don't see any reason to do it. It would seem out of place. I would like to see Alexa as a face at some point, though, which we got teases of recently.
5. Vince is at least willing to let them continue, for what that's worth. I've really enjoyed the segments, although I also wonder how it ties into the in-ring product.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Kofi Kingston spoke to the BBC. I'm glad he's having such an inspiring run.
Riddick Moss is on Sam Roberts' latest podcast. I hope he's able to get some momentum going now.
WWE will hold a ceremony for Legacy Hall of Famer Hishashi Shinma during the June 28 Japanese event. That's great!
Bray Wyatt was backstage at Stomping Grounds. He would have been an interesting special referee for the main event, but that would have been short-sighted.
Stomping Grounds saw a lot of fans moved from upper level seats to the floor, and a significant part of the arena was blocked off with curtains, as those sections were empty. Yeah that show was the opposite of a hot ticket. It ended up being pretty good, though.
WWE has decided to no longer have matches spill through commercial breaks unless they're multiple-fall matches or elimination matches, with the idea that real sports don't do content during commercial breaks. I'm split on that. Ultimately it will depend on what that means for viewership.
AEW mistakenly announced Leva Bates vs. Kylie Rae for Fyter Fest, which looks to be changing. I'm curious what will end up happening there, as a second women's match had been indicated.
NJPW got big press for appealing to Western fans.
Extreme Rules is currently locally advertising:
- Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship
- Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin in a tables match for the Universal Championship
- Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon
-- It's clear WWE needs to cut back on the number of PPVs so we don't get the same thing over and over.
Sgt. Slaughter is doing a meet-and-greet before a June 29 baseball game in Idaho.
Paul Orndorff gave a long interview, with B. Brian Blair joining late.
Raw is advertising:
- Ricochet vs. AJ Styles in a non-title match
- Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon. Obviously Extreme Rules is advertising this, too, so I'd expect one or the other to not happen/change.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I can't disagree here. If the booking is more important than the actual card and this seems like a skippable show as a result, there are plenty of other products out there to enjoy. That said, the show ended up beating expectations and being pretty solid.
2. There's no telling what Vince is thinking at any given time. It could be that he doesn't like how that would look. As always, he's got so much money coming in from those TV deals that he can pretty much do whatever he wants.
3. There's no indication the show will air on the Network, although there's a decent chance we see a clip from that match on Smackdown Live to set up the future title match. It does seem like WWE is making that show meaningful for the local audience, though. That could be in response to NJPW's success.
4. Nahhhhh I don't see any reason to do it. It would seem out of place. I would like to see Alexa as a face at some point, though, which we got teases of recently.
5. Vince is at least willing to let them continue, for what that's worth. I've really enjoyed the segments, although I also wonder how it ties into the in-ring product.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Main Event Reax - 6/22/19, WWE 365 note, Moxley trademark, WrestleMania honored by People, Interviews with Kofi/Skyler, AEW TV show trademark, 24/7 title contender signs new deal, Raw live event notes, WWE exec has emergency surgery, and Questions on slow WWE ticket sales, JR+Y2J not being "loyal" to WWE, and a cartoon character wrestling
-- Main Event:
- Dana vs. Logan:
That was solid enough before that absolutely brutal knee to the post.
- Roode vs. Cedric:
Good work here.
Wow. This is smooth.
Good for the time it had.
WWE 365 with Alexa Bliss will air again after Raw.
NJPW has trademarked Jon Moxley's "Death Rider" nickname for merchandise purposes.
People Magazine shouted out WrestleMania as a reason to love America. Daniel Bryan probably has words to say about the burger that's on the same page, but overall a win for WWE.
Kofi Kingston spoke to ESPN.
AEW has trademarked "Wednesday Night Dynamite" in anticipation of coming to TV in October. They had previously trademarked "Tuesday Night Dynamite." I'm under the impression both nights are still under consideration. I'm a little surprised they didn't go for a more "Elite" sounding name, but it definitely brings Nitro to mind.
Mojo Rawley has signed a new multi-year WWE contract. I really hope he can break out and become someone of note.
- Mojo competed on Raw live events this weekend for the first time since May 12. Mojo lost to Heath Slater on Friday and Saturday.
Bruce Prichard had emergency oral surgery. That sounds terrible. I wish him the best.
John Skyler was profiled before teaming with Jushin "Thunder" Liger. He's definitely getting a big opportunity.
Dana Brooke competed at Raw live events this weekend, so she didn't miss time after that Main Event incident. Dana teamed with Naomi and No Way Jose to defeat EC3, Sarah Logan, and Tamina.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They'll hide it as best as they can and move on to the next show. They've being covering for poor attendance for a while now.
2. AEW's offering them better, more prominent opportunities (and pay). I don't blame either man (or anyone) for jumping!
3. I think One Punch Man would get over. Hopefully AEW will take over WCW's habit of making characters like Glacier, Mortis, and the KISS Demon.
Nothing to add to 4 or 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Dana vs. Logan:
That was solid enough before that absolutely brutal knee to the post.
- Roode vs. Cedric:
Good work here.
Wow. This is smooth.
Good for the time it had.
WWE 365 with Alexa Bliss will air again after Raw.
NJPW has trademarked Jon Moxley's "Death Rider" nickname for merchandise purposes.
People Magazine shouted out WrestleMania as a reason to love America. Daniel Bryan probably has words to say about the burger that's on the same page, but overall a win for WWE.
Kofi Kingston spoke to ESPN.
AEW has trademarked "Wednesday Night Dynamite" in anticipation of coming to TV in October. They had previously trademarked "Tuesday Night Dynamite." I'm under the impression both nights are still under consideration. I'm a little surprised they didn't go for a more "Elite" sounding name, but it definitely brings Nitro to mind.
Mojo Rawley has signed a new multi-year WWE contract. I really hope he can break out and become someone of note.
- Mojo competed on Raw live events this weekend for the first time since May 12. Mojo lost to Heath Slater on Friday and Saturday.
Bruce Prichard had emergency oral surgery. That sounds terrible. I wish him the best.
John Skyler was profiled before teaming with Jushin "Thunder" Liger. He's definitely getting a big opportunity.
Dana Brooke competed at Raw live events this weekend, so she didn't miss time after that Main Event incident. Dana teamed with Naomi and No Way Jose to defeat EC3, Sarah Logan, and Tamina.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. They'll hide it as best as they can and move on to the next show. They've being covering for poor attendance for a while now.
2. AEW's offering them better, more prominent opportunities (and pay). I don't blame either man (or anyone) for jumping!
3. I think One Punch Man would get over. Hopefully AEW will take over WCW's habit of making characters like Glacier, Mortis, and the KISS Demon.
Nothing to add to 4 or 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, June 22, 2019
More Lionheart aftermath, Interviews with Nikki Bella/Adam Cole/Lance Storm/Gallows+Dunne/Moss/Kelley/Alexa, another NXT name change, Stomping Grounds social media notes, Showtime uploads Mauro documentary, Total Bellas press release, 24/7 title change at Drake's wedding, AEW events airing in UK update, top Impact team's contracts coming up soon, Impact event becomes TV taping, TJP-Impact update, Impact scheduling California dates, Impact Mexico return set, Main Event injury fallout, Fish injury update, and NXT live event notes
Lioheart's GoFundMe drive has raised more than double what was initially sought. He was widely respected and will be missed.
- The Rock shouted him out, as Lionheart was a big Rock fan. Huge respect for Rock here.
- Noam Dar wrote a lengthy post remembering Lionheart.
Nikki Bella spoke to TMZ Sports about her health. I hope things go well for her.
Adam Cole spoke before a recent NXT live event:
- It's definitely cool seeing talent progress from their early days to being in big events.
- That MLB shoutout is pretty great.
- Cole seems like a really down-to-Earth, great guy. He can really be a good representative for the company long-term.
Lance Storm is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Luke Gallows and Pete Dunne are on Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins' latest podcast.
NXT's Riddick Moss spoke to TMZ Sports about helping an NBA star recover. Clever promo idea.
NXT's Dan Matha is now Dorian Mak. This after three years of being in NXT as Dan Matha.
WWE Stomping Grounds will have a Watch Along with Booker T., David Otunga, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Heath Slater. Cathy Kelley will be the host.
- There will also be a social media pre-show with Cathy Kelley and Kayla Braxton being joined by Dolph Ziggler, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, and Heavy Machinery.
Showtime has uploaded their Mauro Ranallo documentary to YouTube.
WWE and E! officially announced "Total Bellas" season five.
R-Truth became 24/7 Champion again at Drake Maverick's wedding. AMAZING. This is exactly what WWE needed. If only more of their content would feel this fun?
- This was an idea Drake himself pitched. Drake legitimately got married before this was filmed. Braun Strowman, EC3, Jeremy Borash, Cheerleader Melissa, Matt Hardy, Reby Hardy, Tyson Kidd, Natalya, Diamante, and Kiera Hogan all attended.
Fyter Fest and Fight For The Fallen will be available on FITE in the UK and Ireland as part of a collaboration with ITV Box Office, who showed Double or Nothing. I'm not quite sure what that means for future AEW events airing there, but I'm sure something will be worked out.
LAX's Impact contracts are set to expire this summer, but the two sides remain in discussions to try to lock the duo into longer deals. They're in an interesting place as far as what to do next.
Impact's July 14 event with Destiny Wrestling is now a TV taping, so it looks like we'll see Destiny crossover on some episodes.
TJP has not signed a deal with Impact, but the two sides are discussing it. I hope he's able to be showcased somewhere.
Impact is setting up events for California on August 2 through August 4. This will include a TV taping, an Impact Plus event, and a Twitch special. Looks like they're spreading TV tapings out more.
Impact is set to tape TV in Mexico in August.
Sarah Logan commented in-character after busting Dana Brooke open on Main Event. This is definitely the most press a Main Event match has gotten in a while!
Cathy Kelley spoke to Sam Roberts.
Bobby Fish has a jaw injury from the match that aired on this week's NXT. UE are real soldiers to go through so much in NXT.
Alexa Bliss promoted Stomping Grounds with the New York Post. Concussions are really being put under a microscope now.
At NXT's weekend live events in Texas:
- Rachael Evers and Reina Gonzalez are working as a team. On Friday they lost to the team of Mia Yim and Lacey Lane. On Saturday they defeated Lacey Lane and Jessi Kamea.
- Raul Mendoza lost to Damian Priest on Friday and Saturday. These were Mendoza's first live events since April 25.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- The Rock shouted him out, as Lionheart was a big Rock fan. Huge respect for Rock here.
- Noam Dar wrote a lengthy post remembering Lionheart.
Nikki Bella spoke to TMZ Sports about her health. I hope things go well for her.
Adam Cole spoke before a recent NXT live event:
- It's definitely cool seeing talent progress from their early days to being in big events.
- That MLB shoutout is pretty great.
- Cole seems like a really down-to-Earth, great guy. He can really be a good representative for the company long-term.
Lance Storm is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Luke Gallows and Pete Dunne are on Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins' latest podcast.
NXT's Riddick Moss spoke to TMZ Sports about helping an NBA star recover. Clever promo idea.
NXT's Dan Matha is now Dorian Mak. This after three years of being in NXT as Dan Matha.
WWE Stomping Grounds will have a Watch Along with Booker T., David Otunga, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Heath Slater. Cathy Kelley will be the host.
- There will also be a social media pre-show with Cathy Kelley and Kayla Braxton being joined by Dolph Ziggler, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, and Heavy Machinery.
Showtime has uploaded their Mauro Ranallo documentary to YouTube.
WWE and E! officially announced "Total Bellas" season five.
R-Truth became 24/7 Champion again at Drake Maverick's wedding. AMAZING. This is exactly what WWE needed. If only more of their content would feel this fun?
- This was an idea Drake himself pitched. Drake legitimately got married before this was filmed. Braun Strowman, EC3, Jeremy Borash, Cheerleader Melissa, Matt Hardy, Reby Hardy, Tyson Kidd, Natalya, Diamante, and Kiera Hogan all attended.
Fyter Fest and Fight For The Fallen will be available on FITE in the UK and Ireland as part of a collaboration with ITV Box Office, who showed Double or Nothing. I'm not quite sure what that means for future AEW events airing there, but I'm sure something will be worked out.
LAX's Impact contracts are set to expire this summer, but the two sides remain in discussions to try to lock the duo into longer deals. They're in an interesting place as far as what to do next.
Impact's July 14 event with Destiny Wrestling is now a TV taping, so it looks like we'll see Destiny crossover on some episodes.
TJP has not signed a deal with Impact, but the two sides are discussing it. I hope he's able to be showcased somewhere.
Impact is setting up events for California on August 2 through August 4. This will include a TV taping, an Impact Plus event, and a Twitch special. Looks like they're spreading TV tapings out more.
Impact is set to tape TV in Mexico in August.
Sarah Logan commented in-character after busting Dana Brooke open on Main Event. This is definitely the most press a Main Event match has gotten in a while!
Cathy Kelley spoke to Sam Roberts.
Bobby Fish has a jaw injury from the match that aired on this week's NXT. UE are real soldiers to go through so much in NXT.
Alexa Bliss promoted Stomping Grounds with the New York Post. Concussions are really being put under a microscope now.
At NXT's weekend live events in Texas:
- Rachael Evers and Reina Gonzalez are working as a team. On Friday they lost to the team of Mia Yim and Lacey Lane. On Saturday they defeated Lacey Lane and Jessi Kamea.
- Raul Mendoza lost to Damian Priest on Friday and Saturday. These were Mendoza's first live events since April 25.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, June 21, 2019
AEW women's title plans, future AEW Illinois plans, WWE PPV discounted tickets, Y2J-NJPW update, why Moxley's not in Texas, AEW names planned for TripleMania, WWE names at Crash event, AXS expanding NJPW coverage, more on Davey leaving NJPW, KENTA update, Mayu injury update, Bruno Foundation indie event, PWG announces using AEW and Impact names, U.S. indie running Japan, Callihan-MLW heat, MLW name scouted by WWE, MLW using former Impact name in production, NJPW gaijin moving to Japan, AEW signs AAA name, joshi name moving to U.S., WWE surveying future Mania locations, NXT plan change, Raw name moved to NXT, Rey-WWE update, Lars to miss major time, Sheamus update, where Rusev has been, WWE announces UK/Ireland deal, NXT name continuing podcast, Interviews with Bellas/Kane/Jungle Boy/HBK, Nikki Bella discloses medical issues, live JR shows set, Impact opening, new WOH signing teaser, ROH releases online-only match, next Hidden Gem, Colt pulls out of shows, Lionheart GoFundMe, new ROH TV matches, HoFer hospitalized, ROH teases returns, new EVOLVE matches, Strong teaching at EVOLVE, indie show canceled, and Questions on Big Brother wrestling, Punk's film role, Big E turning, Punk wrestling in a mask, and the former Sarita and Rosita's whereabouts
AEW will reveal their women's championship at All Out. It's unknown when and how the first champion will be crowned.
AEW will likely make a tradition of running Illinois Labor Day weekend. Given the success of All In and All Out ticket sales, that makes a lot of sense.
Stomping Grounds recently had a deal to get two tickets for $27. They're running a pretty large venue for a pretty unimportant show.
Chris Jericho isn't part of G1 due to not wanting to be a consistent competitor in NJPW and the booking fee he would ask for due to working that many dates. He's smart about picking key moments to work.
Jon Moxley is not working NJPW's Texas show due to AEW only allowing him to wrestle for the company in Japan. That obviously puts a damper on NJPW using him to expand U.S. ticket sales.
- AEW is currently allowing AXS to show Moxley's NJPW matches, so that's one positive of the situation.
AAA is looking to use AEW talent at TripleMania. That would certainly be a boost for that event.
Rey Mysterio will be the guest host of a Crash event on July 5. Humberto Carrillo and Lacey Lane will also be appearing. Very interesting WWE is letting talent appear there.
AXS will feature more NJPW interviews on their G1 broadcasts, due to having two-hour blocks.
Davey Boy Smith, Jr. leaving NJPW was a buildup of frustrations rather than one particular incident. At one point he had wanted to work Impact while remaining in NJPW, but was turned down due to issues NJPW had with previous Impact management. Smith, Jr. was allowed to work MLW and he'll still work there, but he's now available to go to Impact or elsewhere.
KENTA is expected to work with NJPW going forward. There was speculation he would return to NOAH.
Mayu Iwatani has returned to the ring from a knee injury. WOH could really use some Stardom crossover right now.
NEW is working with the Bruno and Carol Sammartino Foundation for a July 19 event.
AEW and Impact talents are working PWG's July 26 event. It will be notable to see if AEW continues to let talent appear there once TV starts.
Northeastern U.S. indie Game Changer Wrestling is running Japan on August 22 and August 23. I hope that's worth the expense.
Sami Callihan and Jim Cornette have heat over Callihan's MLW departure, with Sami feeling Cornette was the reason Sami is no longer there. MLW cited legitimate damage to the venue as why Sami was dropped. Sami and Cornette were doing something of a "worked shoot" in MLW playing off real issues, but now it looks like it's spilled over into being real animosity on Sami's side. Notably Cornette didn't exacerbate the issue when they last worked together and there was no indication he was treating the situation as a shoot.
WWE and AEW are scouting MLW's Jacob Fatu, the son of The Tonga Kid.
MLW is using David Sahadi in production. Sahadi has previously worked for Impact.
Juice Robinson is moving to Japan, so he's going to be more of a part of NJPW than ROH going forward.
AEW has officially signed Jack Evans. I'm curious how much he'll do as a singles star vs. a tag team star.
Riho is moving to the U.S., which will likely mean she's signing full-time with AEW. Their women's division is growing nicely.
WWE is asking previous WrestleMania attendees what cities they're interested in seeing future installments in. Notable options include Chicago, Jacksonville, and Las Vegas, which are hosting top AEW shows, and London, which hasn't been a serious contender for a major event in a long time. Not on the list were New Orleans, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, which will likely hold WrestleManias in upcoming years.
NXT's plans for Matt Riddle challenging for the NXT Championship at Takeover:Toronto changed due to the feeling Riddle will be in NXT for a significant enough amount of time that there's no reason to rush him into a main event slot. I see what they're thinking there.
Fandango has moved back to NXT for the time being. I'd rather see him do something fresh than do nothing on Raw or Smackdown Live, so that works for me.
Rey Mysterio is looking at signing a new WWE deal. It was initially felt his time in the company would be limited at his age and experience.
Lars Sullivan is expected to miss six-to-nine months with his knee injury. That's another unfortunate setback in a career that has already seen several.
Sheamus is dealing with nagging injuries and has lost significant weight since he was last in the ring. I'm curious how he'll do as a smaller wrestler.
Rusev has asked for time off from WWE, but should be back soon. I've missed his antics.
WWE announced their new TV deal for the UK and Ireland, which takes effect in January. The deal includes two-hour and one-hour versions of Raw, a one-hour version of Smackdown Live, as well as re-airs of the shows in their entirety and joint social media/digital content.
Isaiah Scott, formerly Shane Strickland, is continuing his "Swerve City" podcast in NXT.
The Bellas were on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
- Nikki Bella revealed she will not return to the ring due to a herniated disc in her neck and a cyst found in her brain. I wish her the best in dealing with that.
Kane spoke on Busted Open Radio.
Jungle Boy spoke to Chris Van Vliet.
Jim Ross and Conrad Thompson are doing live shows before Fight For The Fallen and Extreme Rules.
Impact released the opening to tonight's show.
New ROH signing Maria Manic got a hype video. Oh no. Looks like she's going to be fighting guys instead of salvaging WOH.
ROH released a YouTube exclusive match between Rhett Titus and Rayo.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is the 1986 Crockett Cup as a four-hour compilation of footage. Of course, NWA recently revived the concept.
Colt Cabana has a hemotoma on his quadriceps muscle, and is pulling out of upcoming independent appearances. It's unknown if this will include Best in the World. I hope he's back in action soon.
ICW started a GoFundMe to support Lionheart's funeral. That's such a tragic turn of events.
ROH's June 29 TV taping has added:
- Silas Young vs. Josh Woods
- Angelina Love vs. Jenny Rose vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Stella Grey for a WOH Championship opportunity
Bobby Eaton has been hospitalized following congestive heart failure, which led to fluid buildup in his body. He's currently being treated. I wish him the best in his recovery.
Shawn Michaels discussed wrestling in an interview promoting his new movie.
ROH is teasing the return of a former ROH Tag Team Champion as well as an international star signing full-time. Both sound intriguing.
EVOLVE 130 has added NXT's Babatunde challenging JD Drake for the WWN Championship as well as Kyle O'Reilly vs. Josh Briggs. O'Reilly notably missed NXT UK at the Download Festival, so it's good he's expected to work these shows.
Roderick Strong will conduct a seminar before EVOLVE 130. WWE's doing a good job of developing EVOLVE as a feeder promotion.
Shine is canceling their July 12 Pennsylvania show for unspecified issues beyond their control.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Wow way to kill kayfabe.
2. It was shown at SXSW a few months ago.
3. There was a thought the turn was coming when Big E claimed to be attacked by Owens, but we'll see if it ends up happening. I think it can work but it's a risk to end New Day.
4. Classic heel move to delay the embarrassment of showing off his shaven head. The feud was built around Punk making his followers shave their heads while, of course, his own hair remained long.
5. Sarita has been working at the WWE Performance Center for a few years now.
More wrestling tomorrow.
AEW will likely make a tradition of running Illinois Labor Day weekend. Given the success of All In and All Out ticket sales, that makes a lot of sense.
Stomping Grounds recently had a deal to get two tickets for $27. They're running a pretty large venue for a pretty unimportant show.
Chris Jericho isn't part of G1 due to not wanting to be a consistent competitor in NJPW and the booking fee he would ask for due to working that many dates. He's smart about picking key moments to work.
Jon Moxley is not working NJPW's Texas show due to AEW only allowing him to wrestle for the company in Japan. That obviously puts a damper on NJPW using him to expand U.S. ticket sales.
- AEW is currently allowing AXS to show Moxley's NJPW matches, so that's one positive of the situation.
AAA is looking to use AEW talent at TripleMania. That would certainly be a boost for that event.
Rey Mysterio will be the guest host of a Crash event on July 5. Humberto Carrillo and Lacey Lane will also be appearing. Very interesting WWE is letting talent appear there.
AXS will feature more NJPW interviews on their G1 broadcasts, due to having two-hour blocks.
Davey Boy Smith, Jr. leaving NJPW was a buildup of frustrations rather than one particular incident. At one point he had wanted to work Impact while remaining in NJPW, but was turned down due to issues NJPW had with previous Impact management. Smith, Jr. was allowed to work MLW and he'll still work there, but he's now available to go to Impact or elsewhere.
KENTA is expected to work with NJPW going forward. There was speculation he would return to NOAH.
Mayu Iwatani has returned to the ring from a knee injury. WOH could really use some Stardom crossover right now.
NEW is working with the Bruno and Carol Sammartino Foundation for a July 19 event.
AEW and Impact talents are working PWG's July 26 event. It will be notable to see if AEW continues to let talent appear there once TV starts.
Northeastern U.S. indie Game Changer Wrestling is running Japan on August 22 and August 23. I hope that's worth the expense.
Sami Callihan and Jim Cornette have heat over Callihan's MLW departure, with Sami feeling Cornette was the reason Sami is no longer there. MLW cited legitimate damage to the venue as why Sami was dropped. Sami and Cornette were doing something of a "worked shoot" in MLW playing off real issues, but now it looks like it's spilled over into being real animosity on Sami's side. Notably Cornette didn't exacerbate the issue when they last worked together and there was no indication he was treating the situation as a shoot.
WWE and AEW are scouting MLW's Jacob Fatu, the son of The Tonga Kid.
MLW is using David Sahadi in production. Sahadi has previously worked for Impact.
Juice Robinson is moving to Japan, so he's going to be more of a part of NJPW than ROH going forward.
AEW has officially signed Jack Evans. I'm curious how much he'll do as a singles star vs. a tag team star.
Riho is moving to the U.S., which will likely mean she's signing full-time with AEW. Their women's division is growing nicely.
WWE is asking previous WrestleMania attendees what cities they're interested in seeing future installments in. Notable options include Chicago, Jacksonville, and Las Vegas, which are hosting top AEW shows, and London, which hasn't been a serious contender for a major event in a long time. Not on the list were New Orleans, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, which will likely hold WrestleManias in upcoming years.
NXT's plans for Matt Riddle challenging for the NXT Championship at Takeover:Toronto changed due to the feeling Riddle will be in NXT for a significant enough amount of time that there's no reason to rush him into a main event slot. I see what they're thinking there.
Fandango has moved back to NXT for the time being. I'd rather see him do something fresh than do nothing on Raw or Smackdown Live, so that works for me.
Rey Mysterio is looking at signing a new WWE deal. It was initially felt his time in the company would be limited at his age and experience.
Lars Sullivan is expected to miss six-to-nine months with his knee injury. That's another unfortunate setback in a career that has already seen several.
Sheamus is dealing with nagging injuries and has lost significant weight since he was last in the ring. I'm curious how he'll do as a smaller wrestler.
Rusev has asked for time off from WWE, but should be back soon. I've missed his antics.
WWE announced their new TV deal for the UK and Ireland, which takes effect in January. The deal includes two-hour and one-hour versions of Raw, a one-hour version of Smackdown Live, as well as re-airs of the shows in their entirety and joint social media/digital content.
Isaiah Scott, formerly Shane Strickland, is continuing his "Swerve City" podcast in NXT.
The Bellas were on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
- Nikki Bella revealed she will not return to the ring due to a herniated disc in her neck and a cyst found in her brain. I wish her the best in dealing with that.
Kane spoke on Busted Open Radio.
Jungle Boy spoke to Chris Van Vliet.
Jim Ross and Conrad Thompson are doing live shows before Fight For The Fallen and Extreme Rules.
Impact released the opening to tonight's show.
New ROH signing Maria Manic got a hype video. Oh no. Looks like she's going to be fighting guys instead of salvaging WOH.
ROH released a YouTube exclusive match between Rhett Titus and Rayo.
WWE Network's latest Hidden Gem is the 1986 Crockett Cup as a four-hour compilation of footage. Of course, NWA recently revived the concept.
Colt Cabana has a hemotoma on his quadriceps muscle, and is pulling out of upcoming independent appearances. It's unknown if this will include Best in the World. I hope he's back in action soon.
ICW started a GoFundMe to support Lionheart's funeral. That's such a tragic turn of events.
ROH's June 29 TV taping has added:
- Silas Young vs. Josh Woods
- Angelina Love vs. Jenny Rose vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Stella Grey for a WOH Championship opportunity
Bobby Eaton has been hospitalized following congestive heart failure, which led to fluid buildup in his body. He's currently being treated. I wish him the best in his recovery.
Shawn Michaels discussed wrestling in an interview promoting his new movie.
ROH is teasing the return of a former ROH Tag Team Champion as well as an international star signing full-time. Both sound intriguing.
EVOLVE 130 has added NXT's Babatunde challenging JD Drake for the WWN Championship as well as Kyle O'Reilly vs. Josh Briggs. O'Reilly notably missed NXT UK at the Download Festival, so it's good he's expected to work these shows.
Roderick Strong will conduct a seminar before EVOLVE 130. WWE's doing a good job of developing EVOLVE as a feeder promotion.
Shine is canceling their July 12 Pennsylvania show for unspecified issues beyond their control.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Wow way to kill kayfabe.
2. It was shown at SXSW a few months ago.
3. There was a thought the turn was coming when Big E claimed to be attacked by Owens, but we'll see if it ends up happening. I think it can work but it's a risk to end New Day.
4. Classic heel move to delay the embarrassment of showing off his shaven head. The feud was built around Punk making his followers shave their heads while, of course, his own hair remained long.
5. Sarita has been working at the WWE Performance Center for a few years now.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
ROH TV matches, WWE category at ESPYS, Interviews with HBK/Konnan/Jake Roberts/Owens/Alexa/Adam Cole, assorted wrestling press, Wrestlers clip online, Schiavone back in MLW, WWE-Netflix announcement and update, Highspots presents a LOT of early indie work of current stars, SDL dark segment, dark match correction, new WWE Latin deal, AEW event sponsor, AAA going to California, WWE Teen Choice nominations, SDL audience, Bret Hart movie role, Andrade loses aunt, Liger's final CMLL match set, and Questions on Vince killing WWE and legends returning
ROH's June 29 TV taping has added:
- Marty Scurll vs. Flip Gordon (which I wouldn't be shocked to see a rematch of in AEW someday).
- Jeff Cobb vs. Dalton Castle vs. Jonathan Gresham vs. Kenny King in a Survival match
WWE will be represented at the ESPYS with a Best WWE Moment Award. I'm interested to see who will win.
Shawn Michaels promoted his latest film role. It's largely about his faith, but he does comment on wrestling and his connection with Ted DiBiase, Sr.
Mark Henry got press for helping homeless people on Father's Day. That's great!
Stephanie McMahon attended Twitter's "Here We Are" event in France.
The Rock shouted out a grandmother battling brain cancer. Another great story.
Viceland's "The Wrestlers" released a clip from their episode focusing on independent wrestling. MVP and Sami Callihan are featured.
Tony Schiavone will return to MLW in July. It's unknown how much of a regular he will be going forward.
WWE and Netflix officially announced their upcoming collaboration.
- The screenplay originally mentioned John Cena and Bray Wyatt, but it's possible they have been removed. Kofi Kingston has been announced for a role, and the film is also set to feature an NXT scene with Keith Lee, Mauro Ranallo, and Beth Phoenix.
Konnan has a new shoot interview on Highspots.com.
Highspots.com has added collections for C.M. Punk, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Jon Moxley, Cesaro, Cedric Alexander, Mia Yim, and Caleb Konley, showcasing each wrestler's independent work.
WWE filmed content for Carpool Karaoke before Smackdown Live. The Miz sang Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" in front of the live crowd. Interesting...
Smackdown Live's post-show dark match actually ended in a double count-out, leading to involvement from others and New Day standing tall. I had originally said Kofi Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler.
Jake "The Snake" Roberts is on Macaulay Culkin's latest podcast. That's a pretty interesting pairing.
Kevin Owens spoke to Sporting News:
- If anything the Wild Card Rule seems to make things more predictable, since Raw and Smackdown Live blend into each other more now. I did appreciate Owens making fun of it, though.
- Wow, he's also honest about not getting work on Mondays.
- GOD I miss Face Owens. We barely got to see him.
- I also wanted Owens and Sami to grow separately, but they obviously work very well together.
- I wouldn't mind more KO content, but I see his feelings about toxicity on the Internet.
- I'm definitely glad Cole made it to NXT.
WWE has announced a new Latin American TV deal, remaining on FOX Sports there and adding one-hour versions of Raw and Smackdown Live as well as a local highlights show. That's a good addition for WWE in the region.
Fight For The Fallen will be sponsored by local law firm Farah & Farah. I'm curious how the event's advocacy will be received by fans.
AAA has announced a California show for October 13. Announced talents include Aero Star, Averno, Blue Demon, Jr., Daga, Drago, Dr. Wagner, Jr., The Lucha Bros, Hijo del Vikingo, Konnan, Lady Shani, Maximo, Pagano, Pimpinela Escarlata, Puma King, Taya Valkyrie, Tessa Blanchard, and Texano, Jr. I'm curious how that event will do so closely on the heels on the MSG show.
The 2019 Teen Choice Awards feature nominations for:
- John Cena for Choice Action Movie Actor
- The Bella Twins for Choice Female Athlete(s)
- AJ Styles for Choice Male Athlete - I'm a little surprised he got that nod over Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and a few others.
Smackdown Live drew 1.86 million viewers Tuesday night. The Wild Card Rule doesn't seem to be helping the show.
Bret Hart and Corey Feldman are starring in "Tales From The Dead Zone," set to come out next year.
Andrade's aunt has passed away, shortly after his mother recently passed. That's an incredibly tough situation.
Alexa Bliss spoke to TVInsider:
- I definitely think there's chemistry between Alexa and Nikki.
- Alexa can even get coffee over. Damn.
- Bayley is definitely progressing past the Hugger character.
Adam Cole spoke to TalkSport:
- I think WWE could do more with factions.
- NXT only doing as much content as they do is key to keeping the audience hot.
- It does look like there's only so much to get out of UE in NXT with the limited roster there, but there's no denying how good they are as a group.
- I agree a lot of the appeal of NXT is watching talents grow.
- I'm sure the performers love the creative freedom.
Jushin "Thunder" Liger will work his final CMLL match on July 19. It's cool he's having a long retirement run.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1 is a repeat, and I have nothing to add to 4.
2. That's hilarious, but no. He legitimately thinks he's doing what's best for business. He's chasing the casual fan who remembers the glory days of Brock, Shane, Taker, Goldberg, etc.
3.a. I wouldn't be 100% shocked to see them more or less show up and hit their finishers on some 24/7 geeks and collect a payday. I don't expect anything much more involved than that.
3.b. I wouldn't rule it out, but obviously that Rollins match was rough on him. If the opportunity's right and he thinks he can do it, he could get that big payday.
3.c. Another guy I could see hitting a stunner on Elias or someone for the easy pop. With the kind of money he could make, it's worth considering. He's got those gimmicks in the mail called bills!
3.d. I think there's a decent chance we see him do at least one more match, especially if some of these other names aren't options. He's one of the few people in this group who can still go well enough.
3.e. Foley's down if the Saudis are. I'd lean toward this happening at some point.
3.f. NO. Rock doesn't need the money and probably doesn't want to be involved with something this controversial when he's on such a roll outside of WWE.
More wrestling coming up.
- Marty Scurll vs. Flip Gordon (which I wouldn't be shocked to see a rematch of in AEW someday).
- Jeff Cobb vs. Dalton Castle vs. Jonathan Gresham vs. Kenny King in a Survival match
WWE will be represented at the ESPYS with a Best WWE Moment Award. I'm interested to see who will win.
Shawn Michaels promoted his latest film role. It's largely about his faith, but he does comment on wrestling and his connection with Ted DiBiase, Sr.
Mark Henry got press for helping homeless people on Father's Day. That's great!
Stephanie McMahon attended Twitter's "Here We Are" event in France.
The Rock shouted out a grandmother battling brain cancer. Another great story.
Viceland's "The Wrestlers" released a clip from their episode focusing on independent wrestling. MVP and Sami Callihan are featured.
Tony Schiavone will return to MLW in July. It's unknown how much of a regular he will be going forward.
WWE and Netflix officially announced their upcoming collaboration.
- The screenplay originally mentioned John Cena and Bray Wyatt, but it's possible they have been removed. Kofi Kingston has been announced for a role, and the film is also set to feature an NXT scene with Keith Lee, Mauro Ranallo, and Beth Phoenix.
Konnan has a new shoot interview on Highspots.com.
Highspots.com has added collections for C.M. Punk, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Jon Moxley, Cesaro, Cedric Alexander, Mia Yim, and Caleb Konley, showcasing each wrestler's independent work.
WWE filmed content for Carpool Karaoke before Smackdown Live. The Miz sang Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" in front of the live crowd. Interesting...
Smackdown Live's post-show dark match actually ended in a double count-out, leading to involvement from others and New Day standing tall. I had originally said Kofi Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler.
Jake "The Snake" Roberts is on Macaulay Culkin's latest podcast. That's a pretty interesting pairing.
Kevin Owens spoke to Sporting News:
- If anything the Wild Card Rule seems to make things more predictable, since Raw and Smackdown Live blend into each other more now. I did appreciate Owens making fun of it, though.
- Wow, he's also honest about not getting work on Mondays.
- GOD I miss Face Owens. We barely got to see him.
- I also wanted Owens and Sami to grow separately, but they obviously work very well together.
- I wouldn't mind more KO content, but I see his feelings about toxicity on the Internet.
- I'm definitely glad Cole made it to NXT.
WWE has announced a new Latin American TV deal, remaining on FOX Sports there and adding one-hour versions of Raw and Smackdown Live as well as a local highlights show. That's a good addition for WWE in the region.
Fight For The Fallen will be sponsored by local law firm Farah & Farah. I'm curious how the event's advocacy will be received by fans.
AAA has announced a California show for October 13. Announced talents include Aero Star, Averno, Blue Demon, Jr., Daga, Drago, Dr. Wagner, Jr., The Lucha Bros, Hijo del Vikingo, Konnan, Lady Shani, Maximo, Pagano, Pimpinela Escarlata, Puma King, Taya Valkyrie, Tessa Blanchard, and Texano, Jr. I'm curious how that event will do so closely on the heels on the MSG show.
The 2019 Teen Choice Awards feature nominations for:
- John Cena for Choice Action Movie Actor
- The Bella Twins for Choice Female Athlete(s)
- AJ Styles for Choice Male Athlete - I'm a little surprised he got that nod over Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and a few others.
Smackdown Live drew 1.86 million viewers Tuesday night. The Wild Card Rule doesn't seem to be helping the show.
Bret Hart and Corey Feldman are starring in "Tales From The Dead Zone," set to come out next year.
Andrade's aunt has passed away, shortly after his mother recently passed. That's an incredibly tough situation.
Alexa Bliss spoke to TVInsider:
- I definitely think there's chemistry between Alexa and Nikki.
- Alexa can even get coffee over. Damn.
- Bayley is definitely progressing past the Hugger character.
Adam Cole spoke to TalkSport:
- I think WWE could do more with factions.
- NXT only doing as much content as they do is key to keeping the audience hot.
- It does look like there's only so much to get out of UE in NXT with the limited roster there, but there's no denying how good they are as a group.
- I agree a lot of the appeal of NXT is watching talents grow.
- I'm sure the performers love the creative freedom.
Jushin "Thunder" Liger will work his final CMLL match on July 19. It's cool he's having a long retirement run.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1 is a repeat, and I have nothing to add to 4.
2. That's hilarious, but no. He legitimately thinks he's doing what's best for business. He's chasing the casual fan who remembers the glory days of Brock, Shane, Taker, Goldberg, etc.
3.a. I wouldn't be 100% shocked to see them more or less show up and hit their finishers on some 24/7 geeks and collect a payday. I don't expect anything much more involved than that.
3.b. I wouldn't rule it out, but obviously that Rollins match was rough on him. If the opportunity's right and he thinks he can do it, he could get that big payday.
3.c. Another guy I could see hitting a stunner on Elias or someone for the easy pop. With the kind of money he could make, it's worth considering. He's got those gimmicks in the mail called bills!
3.d. I think there's a decent chance we see him do at least one more match, especially if some of these other names aren't options. He's one of the few people in this group who can still go well enough.
3.e. Foley's down if the Saudis are. I'd lean toward this happening at some point.
3.f. NO. Rock doesn't need the money and probably doesn't want to be involved with something this controversial when he's on such a roll outside of WWE.
More wrestling coming up.
ICW Champion Lionheart passes away at 36
ICW World Champion Lionheart has passed away at age 36. PWInsider.com and F4WOnline ran down his career. That's a very sad turn of events.
Lionheart was remembered on social media by, among others:
- Adam Pearce
- Alex Shane
- Angelico
- Bea Priestley
- BWE Wrestling
- Cedric Alexander
- Drew McIntyre
- Grado
- Inside The Ropes
- Jim Smallman
- Kassius Ohno
- Killian Dain
- Kip Sabian
- Ligero
- Matt Hardy
- Nikki Cross
- NWA
- Paige
- Pete Dunne
- Piper Niven
- Robby Brookside
- Robert Rodriguez
- Sam Gradwell
- SPLX Clothing
- Tegan Nox
- Wade Barrett
- Will Ospreay
- William Regal
More wrestling coming up.
Lionheart was remembered on social media by, among others:
- Adam Pearce
- Alex Shane
- Angelico
- Bea Priestley
- BWE Wrestling
- Cedric Alexander
- Drew McIntyre
- Grado
- Inside The Ropes
- Jim Smallman
- Kassius Ohno
- Killian Dain
- Kip Sabian
- Ligero
- Matt Hardy
- Nikki Cross
- NWA
- Paige
- Pete Dunne
- Piper Niven
- Robby Brookside
- Robert Rodriguez
- Sam Gradwell
- SPLX Clothing
- Tegan Nox
- Wade Barrett
- Will Ospreay
- William Regal
More wrestling coming up.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
More G1-Texas matches, Savio-MLW debut set, Roman cancer charity, Interviews with Tony Khan/Becky/Sam Roberts/Nyla, new ROH PPV matches, Knockout released, Kross-Impact update, Impact looking to replace exec, another Impact joint show, new Fyter Fest match, WWE covered in Harvard class, Daga disputes MLW account, Raw audience, new EVOLVE matches, NXT name no longer wrestling for EVOLVE, Tenille update, SDL dark matches, and Questions on Alexa bumping, Shane's ego, Impact's library, WCW's fall vs. Impact's, and to what extent Impact was a threat to WWE
G1 Climax in Texas has added:
- The Guerrillas of Destiny vs. SHO and YOH
- Jeff Cobb and Ren Narita vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Shota Umino
- Jay White and Chase Owens vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
- Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Juice Robinson, and Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, and Shingo Takagi
Savio Vega will debut in MLW on July 25 at their New York Fusion taping.
Roman Reigns appeared at Children's Hospital Colorado.
AEW's Tony Khan was on Stone Cold's latest podcast, revealing:
- AEW's first tag team champions will be determined in a tournament on TNT
- AEW has plans for a women's tag team championship, which would mean an expansion of the current women's roster.
- Jon Moxley will do a future Stone Cold podcast. Austin expressed regret at how their previous podcast went in WWE, and said he and Moxley have reconnected since then.
- AEW talents might take international dates between AEW live events, as AEW isn't going to have a WWE-style live event schedule.
- Fight for The Fallen will also be free on B/R Live.
Best in the World has added:
- Kelly Klein and Jenny Rose vs. Angelina Love and Mandy Leon of The Allure
- Villain Enterprises vs. PJ Black, Tracy Williams, and Mark Haskins for the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship
Scarlett Bordeaux has been released from Impact Wrestling, as was her request. I would expect her to end up under a better-paying deal somewhere else if she's going to continue wrestling.
- Scarlett is currently working as a free agent, rather than immediately jumping to another prominent company.
Impact currently has no plans to release Killer Kross, despite being upset about his recent comments. Damn he's pretty bulletproof, huh?
Impact is looking for a new live event manager following Rafael Morffi moving to AEW full-time. The company has dates locked in through October, so they have some time to get someone.
Impact is working with Santino Marella's Destiny Wrestling for a July 14 event in Ontario.
Fyter Fest's Buy In special will feature Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky vs. The Best Friends vs. Private Party, with the winning team moving into tag team championship contention at All Out. I'm not sure how this fits in with what Khan said about a tournament coming to the TV series, since that will debut in October.
WWE is being covered in a Harvard Business School class. That's pretty awesome, and goes to show how relevant WWE is in the entertainment business world.
Daga is disputing MLW's version of his departure, saying he had cleared not appearing for their June 1 taping through them, and only worked a show in Mexico as a last-minute favor for Rey Fenix, as Daga was in town for Fenix's son's christening. Daga would like to continue working for MLW and get more exposure in the United States. Hopefully things will be smoothed out.
Raw drew 2.24 million viewers Monday night, up a bit from last week.
Becky Lynch is on Brian Koppelman's latest podcast.
Sam Roberts is on Pat McAfee's "Wrasslin' With Sports Entertainment" podcast.
EVOLVE 130 has added Kyle O'Reilly vs. Josh Briggs and Babatunde vs. JD Drake.
Bobby Fish will not wrestle at EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130, but will still do meet-and-greets before each event. I'm not sure what to read into that, since he just wrestled at the June 12 TV taping and a June 14 live event. It's possible WWE is just being cautious.
Nyla Rose was profiled by Sports Illustrated. Interesting journey to AEW.
Tenille Dashwood will return to the ring July 27 in Indiana. She hasn't wrestled since September. I hope there are more bookings coming if she wants to continue wrestling.
Before Smackdown Live, Ali defeated Buddy Murphy. I'd love to see that on air at some point...
After Smackdown Live, Kofi Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler to successfully defend the WWE Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Both parties (WWE and Alexa) know what she's getting into in the ring, and take that into account when clearing her. I hope they're making the right call, but they obviously have more knowledge on the situation than I do!
2. Shane is exclusively a talent. I definitely don't think he's pushing for himself to be featured prominently. And, even if he was, it's not his call and I don't anticipate him going into a position to make those decisions.
3. They do, and that was a big part of why they wanted the company. That's a lot of footage to potentially monetize!
4. WCW without a doubt hit much bigger heights. Impact had a few prominent years on Spike, but nothing like where WCW was in its prime.
5. WWE was definitely well aware of Impact when their shows were running against each other. It wouldn't shock me if they were following the company since the first show given the players involved in Impact's founding. At the very least, WWE knew about Impact's existence since late 2004 because WWE filmed a commercial at Universal Studios and Impact stars stopped by with a camera. There was actually a threat of a lawsuit if Impact showed the footage. It's possible Impact kind of fell out of WWE's orbit until the process of moving to Spike when Impact had commercials during Raw, but I fully expect WWE was keeping an eye on them once Spike was in the picture. As for Impact being competition/a threat, there were absolutely times when Impact was offering competitive contracts/opportunities for talents on WWE's radar. Obviously Impact never drew ratings in the same league as WWE, but that doesn't mean they weren't a relevant player in the business.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- The Guerrillas of Destiny vs. SHO and YOH
- Jeff Cobb and Ren Narita vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Shota Umino
- Jay White and Chase Owens vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
- Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Juice Robinson, and Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, and Shingo Takagi
Savio Vega will debut in MLW on July 25 at their New York Fusion taping.
Roman Reigns appeared at Children's Hospital Colorado.
AEW's Tony Khan was on Stone Cold's latest podcast, revealing:
- AEW's first tag team champions will be determined in a tournament on TNT
- AEW has plans for a women's tag team championship, which would mean an expansion of the current women's roster.
- Jon Moxley will do a future Stone Cold podcast. Austin expressed regret at how their previous podcast went in WWE, and said he and Moxley have reconnected since then.
- AEW talents might take international dates between AEW live events, as AEW isn't going to have a WWE-style live event schedule.
- Fight for The Fallen will also be free on B/R Live.
Best in the World has added:
- Kelly Klein and Jenny Rose vs. Angelina Love and Mandy Leon of The Allure
- Villain Enterprises vs. PJ Black, Tracy Williams, and Mark Haskins for the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship
Scarlett Bordeaux has been released from Impact Wrestling, as was her request. I would expect her to end up under a better-paying deal somewhere else if she's going to continue wrestling.
- Scarlett is currently working as a free agent, rather than immediately jumping to another prominent company.
Impact currently has no plans to release Killer Kross, despite being upset about his recent comments. Damn he's pretty bulletproof, huh?
Impact is looking for a new live event manager following Rafael Morffi moving to AEW full-time. The company has dates locked in through October, so they have some time to get someone.
Impact is working with Santino Marella's Destiny Wrestling for a July 14 event in Ontario.
Fyter Fest's Buy In special will feature Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky vs. The Best Friends vs. Private Party, with the winning team moving into tag team championship contention at All Out. I'm not sure how this fits in with what Khan said about a tournament coming to the TV series, since that will debut in October.
WWE is being covered in a Harvard Business School class. That's pretty awesome, and goes to show how relevant WWE is in the entertainment business world.
Daga is disputing MLW's version of his departure, saying he had cleared not appearing for their June 1 taping through them, and only worked a show in Mexico as a last-minute favor for Rey Fenix, as Daga was in town for Fenix's son's christening. Daga would like to continue working for MLW and get more exposure in the United States. Hopefully things will be smoothed out.
Raw drew 2.24 million viewers Monday night, up a bit from last week.
Becky Lynch is on Brian Koppelman's latest podcast.
Sam Roberts is on Pat McAfee's "Wrasslin' With Sports Entertainment" podcast.
EVOLVE 130 has added Kyle O'Reilly vs. Josh Briggs and Babatunde vs. JD Drake.
Bobby Fish will not wrestle at EVOLVE 129 and EVOLVE 130, but will still do meet-and-greets before each event. I'm not sure what to read into that, since he just wrestled at the June 12 TV taping and a June 14 live event. It's possible WWE is just being cautious.
Nyla Rose was profiled by Sports Illustrated. Interesting journey to AEW.
Tenille Dashwood will return to the ring July 27 in Indiana. She hasn't wrestled since September. I hope there are more bookings coming if she wants to continue wrestling.
Before Smackdown Live, Ali defeated Buddy Murphy. I'd love to see that on air at some point...
After Smackdown Live, Kofi Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler to successfully defend the WWE Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Both parties (WWE and Alexa) know what she's getting into in the ring, and take that into account when clearing her. I hope they're making the right call, but they obviously have more knowledge on the situation than I do!
2. Shane is exclusively a talent. I definitely don't think he's pushing for himself to be featured prominently. And, even if he was, it's not his call and I don't anticipate him going into a position to make those decisions.
3. They do, and that was a big part of why they wanted the company. That's a lot of footage to potentially monetize!
4. WCW without a doubt hit much bigger heights. Impact had a few prominent years on Spike, but nothing like where WCW was in its prime.
5. WWE was definitely well aware of Impact when their shows were running against each other. It wouldn't shock me if they were following the company since the first show given the players involved in Impact's founding. At the very least, WWE knew about Impact's existence since late 2004 because WWE filmed a commercial at Universal Studios and Impact stars stopped by with a camera. There was actually a threat of a lawsuit if Impact showed the footage. It's possible Impact kind of fell out of WWE's orbit until the process of moving to Spike when Impact had commercials during Raw, but I fully expect WWE was keeping an eye on them once Spike was in the picture. As for Impact being competition/a threat, there were absolutely times when Impact was offering competitive contracts/opportunities for talents on WWE's radar. Obviously Impact never drew ratings in the same league as WWE, but that doesn't mean they weren't a relevant player in the business.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown Live and 205 Live Reax - 6/18/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and 205 Live.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
NJPW departure update, MLW using WWF name, top name done with MLW, Knockout assaulted in AAA, Kross-Impact fallout, G1 Texas matches, Moxley missing Texas show, GLOW trailer, ROH re-signs star, new WOH name, assorted WWE press, Arn post-WWE update, local Clash of the Champions matches, Fyter Fest partner named, injury updates, Race wrestling camp set, Raw dark segment and match, and Questions on Shane vs. Brock for the title, Bray in the ring, turning Roman, Raw taking precedence, and how much wrestling will be on AEW TV
Davey Boy Smith, Jr. left NJPW due to unhappiness with his booking there. I hope he's able to make a good living elsewhere.
Savio Vega coming to MLW has been planned since April. MLW intends to use him as something of a mentor for the younger talent to work with and improve.
Sami Callihan is done with MLW. MLW had planned on him returning under a mask, but it's believed he has heat for damaging the venue during the Loser Leaves Town match. It's a shame his run is ending.
Scarlett Bordeaux was grabbed by a fan during an AAA event this weekend. YIKES. That was really over the line, and staff should have intervened. I wouldn't have blamed Killer Kross for giving him a receipt.
Killer Kross has heat with Impact for his remarks on Petey Williams' podcast, with some believing he broke the non-disparagement clause in his deal for speaking out. Impact feels they've worked with Kross and tried to get him additional bookings. We'll see what fallout there is here. Of course Impact releasing him might work out in Kross' favor!
G1 Climax in Texas has announced:
- Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA
- SANADA vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
- EVIL vs. Bad Luck Fale
- Will Ospreay vs. Lance Archer
-- Those first two matches sound GREAT. Very interestingly absent is Jon Moxley, who would really be ideal for the event.
- NJPW released a statement on Moxley's absence, which didn't identify why he won't be at the event. I would have thought he'd be front and center there.
GLOW has released a trailer for its third season. The show has been quite successful.
ROH has signed Jonathan Gresham to a new contract which will see him train out of the ROH Dojo in Maryland on top of his in-ring duties. That's awesome news on both fronts; he's very talented.
ROH has signed Maria Manic, who has earned a reputation for fighting men and women. I'm all for her busting up The Allure. ROH has been interested in her for months.
Stephanie McMahon appeared at the FIFA Women's World Cup to promote Smackdown Live coming to FOX. Wow, that's a long way to go for an appearance.
USA Network co-founder Joe Cohen was profiled, including his work with WWE and XFL. XFL will mean big changes for WWE.
Arn Anderson is interested in taking on a new role elsewhere. He is still under his WWE no-compete clause, so he cannot currently entertain offers.
Batista was a presenter at the MTV Movie & TV Awards Monday.
Clash of the Champions on September 15 is locally advertising:
- Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship
- Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans for the Raw Women's Championship
-- As usual, these matches should be considered placeholders. It's entirely possible Dolph Ziggler is only working a limited run.
AEW has announced Laredo Kid as the Lucha Bros' partner at Fyter Fest, as the trio takes on Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks. Kid just appeared in Impact, so we could be in for another case of a talent needing to choose one company over the other.
Aero Star was hospitalized after a major fall at AAA's Sunday show, but had no serious injuries. It was a very dangerous situation.
Kota Ibushi is working all NJPW dates as scheduled after his scary apron bump at Dominion.
Harley Race will host a wrestling camp during Labor Day weekend. That could be a big opportunity for those attending.
NHL Stanley Cup Champion Brett Hull wore a Ric Flair shirt at his victory parade.
John Cena and Paige were backstage at Raw. Paige filmed content for the Girl Up campaign.
- The Bellas also participated in the Girl Up campaign, but were not at Raw.
- Seth Green attended Raw.
Sarah Logan cut a live promo during a Raw commercial break. WWE has been doing that more often to engage fans during commercials. She's probably waiting for a 24/7 Women's Championship....
Dana Brooke was legitimately busted open during Main Event.
Becky Lynch defeated Lacey Evans in a street fight after Raw to retain the Raw Women's Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible and I wouldn't even consider it all that unlikely at this point. They definitely seem to be setting Shane up for something bigger, and Shane vs. Kofi would make sense for Summerslam.
2. It depends on how interesting they think Bray is without The Fiend. They could do a story similar to The Demon where Bray fights to keep control but succumbs when he's taken to his limit. Using The Fiend full-time could water it down, especially if Bray uses it in unimportant feuds and/or loses too much with it. I don't blame Bray for doing as many vignettes as possible before wrestling!
3. I think it's more likely they try to turn Kofi heel. WWE has invested in Roman as a face for so long, there's going to be a strong pushback to turning him.
4. Raw's more important to WWE, too. It's been around longer and is seen as the more prominent show, with Smackdown Live kind of being the leftovers for the main brand.
5. There will definitely be non-wrestling segments and building characters, as we saw at Double or Nothing. I'm honestly worried how much the show will resemble BTE in those aspects.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Savio Vega coming to MLW has been planned since April. MLW intends to use him as something of a mentor for the younger talent to work with and improve.
Sami Callihan is done with MLW. MLW had planned on him returning under a mask, but it's believed he has heat for damaging the venue during the Loser Leaves Town match. It's a shame his run is ending.
Scarlett Bordeaux was grabbed by a fan during an AAA event this weekend. YIKES. That was really over the line, and staff should have intervened. I wouldn't have blamed Killer Kross for giving him a receipt.
Killer Kross has heat with Impact for his remarks on Petey Williams' podcast, with some believing he broke the non-disparagement clause in his deal for speaking out. Impact feels they've worked with Kross and tried to get him additional bookings. We'll see what fallout there is here. Of course Impact releasing him might work out in Kross' favor!
G1 Climax in Texas has announced:
- Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Kota Ibushi vs. KENTA
- SANADA vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
- EVIL vs. Bad Luck Fale
- Will Ospreay vs. Lance Archer
-- Those first two matches sound GREAT. Very interestingly absent is Jon Moxley, who would really be ideal for the event.
- NJPW released a statement on Moxley's absence, which didn't identify why he won't be at the event. I would have thought he'd be front and center there.
GLOW has released a trailer for its third season. The show has been quite successful.
ROH has signed Jonathan Gresham to a new contract which will see him train out of the ROH Dojo in Maryland on top of his in-ring duties. That's awesome news on both fronts; he's very talented.
ROH has signed Maria Manic, who has earned a reputation for fighting men and women. I'm all for her busting up The Allure. ROH has been interested in her for months.
Stephanie McMahon appeared at the FIFA Women's World Cup to promote Smackdown Live coming to FOX. Wow, that's a long way to go for an appearance.
USA Network co-founder Joe Cohen was profiled, including his work with WWE and XFL. XFL will mean big changes for WWE.
Arn Anderson is interested in taking on a new role elsewhere. He is still under his WWE no-compete clause, so he cannot currently entertain offers.
Batista was a presenter at the MTV Movie & TV Awards Monday.
Clash of the Champions on September 15 is locally advertising:
- Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship
- Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans for the Raw Women's Championship
-- As usual, these matches should be considered placeholders. It's entirely possible Dolph Ziggler is only working a limited run.
AEW has announced Laredo Kid as the Lucha Bros' partner at Fyter Fest, as the trio takes on Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks. Kid just appeared in Impact, so we could be in for another case of a talent needing to choose one company over the other.
Aero Star was hospitalized after a major fall at AAA's Sunday show, but had no serious injuries. It was a very dangerous situation.
Kota Ibushi is working all NJPW dates as scheduled after his scary apron bump at Dominion.
Harley Race will host a wrestling camp during Labor Day weekend. That could be a big opportunity for those attending.
NHL Stanley Cup Champion Brett Hull wore a Ric Flair shirt at his victory parade.
John Cena and Paige were backstage at Raw. Paige filmed content for the Girl Up campaign.
- The Bellas also participated in the Girl Up campaign, but were not at Raw.
- Seth Green attended Raw.
Sarah Logan cut a live promo during a Raw commercial break. WWE has been doing that more often to engage fans during commercials. She's probably waiting for a 24/7 Women's Championship....
Dana Brooke was legitimately busted open during Main Event.
Becky Lynch defeated Lacey Evans in a street fight after Raw to retain the Raw Women's Championship.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's possible and I wouldn't even consider it all that unlikely at this point. They definitely seem to be setting Shane up for something bigger, and Shane vs. Kofi would make sense for Summerslam.
2. It depends on how interesting they think Bray is without The Fiend. They could do a story similar to The Demon where Bray fights to keep control but succumbs when he's taken to his limit. Using The Fiend full-time could water it down, especially if Bray uses it in unimportant feuds and/or loses too much with it. I don't blame Bray for doing as many vignettes as possible before wrestling!
3. I think it's more likely they try to turn Kofi heel. WWE has invested in Roman as a face for so long, there's going to be a strong pushback to turning him.
4. Raw's more important to WWE, too. It's been around longer and is seen as the more prominent show, with Smackdown Live kind of being the leftovers for the main brand.
5. There will definitely be non-wrestling segments and building characters, as we saw at Double or Nothing. I'm honestly worried how much the show will resemble BTE in those aspects.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Interviews with Riddle/Kelly Kelly, NJPW departure, South Korean wrestler profiled, AAA event notes, Rey update, and Questions on AEW doing free shows, women getting more physical in WWE, WWE rematches, Shane wrestling at 49, and Brock cashing in
Matt Riddle discussed Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and more:
- I can understand having more crossover between NXT and NXT UK if it makes sense travel-wise. I wouldn't want it to end up like Raw and Smackdown Live where it's the same people on top of both shows, though.
- Riddle vs. WALTER would be a BLAST.
- He's walking a fine line in the corporate environment in WWE. I enjoy what he does and all, but I wonder how much they'll let him get away with. What will Vince and the old guard think when it's time to consider him for Raw or Smackdown Live?
- Major presentation can definitely accentuate a talent.
- Riddle definitely fits the bro thing well. He's got a fun personality.
- Brock has obviously worked hard to get in the shape he's in.
- He's brave for being so open with his criticism.
- YES. I like the idea of him continuing to push himself and not getting comfortable.
- I do want to see Riddle vs. Goldberg and Riddle vs. Brock. I don't expect either, though, unless The Bro's jobbing.
Kelly Kelly discussed her previous WWE work, a potential return, and more:
- Classic Vince stories.
- Oh yeah there was definitely heat for her being signed and pushed above more accomplished wrestlers.
NJPW's Davey Boy Smith, Jr. has left the promotion. It's possible he's going to Impact on top of his MLW work, as Don Callis has pushed for him to be signed there. I'd like to see him work the U.S. again, for sure.
A U.S. Air Force Tech sergeant wrestling in South Korea got press. That's a pretty cool story.
At AAA's June 16 event:
- Tessa Blanchard and Daga lost to Taya Valkyrie and Laredo Kid
- Killer Kross teamed with Monster Clown and Killer Kross in a loss to Aero Star, Pagano, and Puma King. Scarlett Bordeaux was in Kross' team's corner.
- The Young Bucks lost the AAA World Tag Team Championship back to the Lucha Bros.
Rey Mysterio appeared at Raw's June 16 live event in San Diego, confronting Samoa Joe after Joe retained the U.S. Championship in a Fatal Four Way with Ricochet, Cesaro, and Robert Roode. Rey of course is from the town. I think he's still got a few weeks left in recovery, though.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't assume every B/R show will be free. I think this is something of an experiment to drive people to that platform. I definitely agree if they're going to charge $50, they should only do it a few times a year, but there's clearly a pretty strong market for AEW content right now, so maybe that price point works after all!
2. Yes, there's definitely been a move to have women be in the same level of physicality as the men, which has changed a lot since the pillow fight days.
3. WWE has a lot of shows to put out and they want to keep feuds going longer than a month so they don't run through all the potential matches so quickly, especially when there's a quick turnaround to the next PPV. It's easier to continue a feud than start a new one. In those cases, Becky's looking for revenge for Lacey costing her the match with Charlotte, and Ziggler wants assurance New Day won't get involved in another title match.
4. Well, Shane did wrestle when he was younger! WWE will argue Shane is so over from what he did nearly 20 years ago and willing to put himself through so much in matches that people will keep tuning in to see him. And, they've effectively built him as a villain to beat. We'll see how that turns out after he got past Miz and Roman.
5. Even if Brock fails the cash-in, I almost expect Brock to be champion again at some point in the hopes it will increase audience levels. WWE has a continued pattern of looking at what worked 15 or more years ago to try to stop the audience from slipping. Of course a lot of people will argue the reason the audience is slipping in the first place is that the current names keep being moved over for the likes of Brock and Shane!
More wrestling tomorrow.
- I can understand having more crossover between NXT and NXT UK if it makes sense travel-wise. I wouldn't want it to end up like Raw and Smackdown Live where it's the same people on top of both shows, though.
- Riddle vs. WALTER would be a BLAST.
- He's walking a fine line in the corporate environment in WWE. I enjoy what he does and all, but I wonder how much they'll let him get away with. What will Vince and the old guard think when it's time to consider him for Raw or Smackdown Live?
- Major presentation can definitely accentuate a talent.
- Riddle definitely fits the bro thing well. He's got a fun personality.
- Brock has obviously worked hard to get in the shape he's in.
- He's brave for being so open with his criticism.
- YES. I like the idea of him continuing to push himself and not getting comfortable.
- I do want to see Riddle vs. Goldberg and Riddle vs. Brock. I don't expect either, though, unless The Bro's jobbing.
Kelly Kelly discussed her previous WWE work, a potential return, and more:
- Classic Vince stories.
- Oh yeah there was definitely heat for her being signed and pushed above more accomplished wrestlers.
NJPW's Davey Boy Smith, Jr. has left the promotion. It's possible he's going to Impact on top of his MLW work, as Don Callis has pushed for him to be signed there. I'd like to see him work the U.S. again, for sure.
A U.S. Air Force Tech sergeant wrestling in South Korea got press. That's a pretty cool story.
At AAA's June 16 event:
- Tessa Blanchard and Daga lost to Taya Valkyrie and Laredo Kid
- Killer Kross teamed with Monster Clown and Killer Kross in a loss to Aero Star, Pagano, and Puma King. Scarlett Bordeaux was in Kross' team's corner.
- The Young Bucks lost the AAA World Tag Team Championship back to the Lucha Bros.
Rey Mysterio appeared at Raw's June 16 live event in San Diego, confronting Samoa Joe after Joe retained the U.S. Championship in a Fatal Four Way with Ricochet, Cesaro, and Robert Roode. Rey of course is from the town. I think he's still got a few weeks left in recovery, though.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't assume every B/R show will be free. I think this is something of an experiment to drive people to that platform. I definitely agree if they're going to charge $50, they should only do it a few times a year, but there's clearly a pretty strong market for AEW content right now, so maybe that price point works after all!
2. Yes, there's definitely been a move to have women be in the same level of physicality as the men, which has changed a lot since the pillow fight days.
3. WWE has a lot of shows to put out and they want to keep feuds going longer than a month so they don't run through all the potential matches so quickly, especially when there's a quick turnaround to the next PPV. It's easier to continue a feud than start a new one. In those cases, Becky's looking for revenge for Lacey costing her the match with Charlotte, and Ziggler wants assurance New Day won't get involved in another title match.
4. Well, Shane did wrestle when he was younger! WWE will argue Shane is so over from what he did nearly 20 years ago and willing to put himself through so much in matches that people will keep tuning in to see him. And, they've effectively built him as a villain to beat. We'll see how that turns out after he got past Miz and Roman.
5. Even if Brock fails the cash-in, I almost expect Brock to be champion again at some point in the hopes it will increase audience levels. WWE has a continued pattern of looking at what worked 15 or more years ago to try to stop the audience from slipping. Of course a lot of people will argue the reason the audience is slipping in the first place is that the current names keep being moved over for the likes of Brock and Shane!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Main Event Reax - 6/15/19, new Network originals, Raw and SDL segments set, Interviews with Moxley/Batista/SCU, another digital series on the Network, NXT name pulled from tour, NHL champions honored, Mid-Atlantic content update, Roddy DVD lineup, WWE re-signs 205 Live pair, Raw live event note, and Questions on why WWE talents want to go to AEW, Impact running a women's match in the Middle East before WWE, Impact's pay scale, '80s WWF touring, and going to Japan
-- Main Event:
- Raiders vs. Titus/Jose:
Well that's an interesting team.
I see the Raiders haven't lost their will to live just yet.
Meh. Poor Raiders.
- Natalya vs. Logan:
Nice fire in this one.
That was good while it lasted.
WWE Ride Along will feature The Bar and R-Truth/Carmella after Raw. Poor Truth having to protect his title on the road!
WWE 365 with Alexa Bliss will air after Stomping Grounds.
Raw will feature a U.S. Championship contender's match where Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, The Miz, Ricochet, and Cesaro face off to determine who challenges Samoa Joe at Stomping Grounds.
Jon Moxley spoke to TMZ Sports about returning to the indies. It's great to see him motivated. I'm sure there are a good number of others in WWE who want that kind of new beginning for themselves.
WWE Network will add the "WWE Game Night" series Monday as part of a continued effort to get digital content uploaded to the service.
Smackdown Live has announced A Moment of Bliss with Bayley as the special guest. That definitely makes sense to continue that feud.
- Dolph Ziggler vs. Xavier Woods is also set for Tuesday's episode.
Batista discussed WWE, AEW, and more. I see where he's coming from about AEW not being in WWE's league, but they're obviously making impressive moves in a short amount of time. Whether they can be competition to WWE will in a lot of ways be determined by ratings on TNT, weekly attendance, and the like. Obviously it's too early to factor those things in. Of course WWE has a LOT of talented people under contract, a state-of-the-art developmental system, and hundreds of millions of dollars on their side, but their audience is clearly eroding and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.
Kyle O'Reilly is unable to appear at NXT UK's Download Festival events due to back issues. O'Reilly has not competed since Takeover:XXV. I hope he's able to be back in action soon.
NHL's Stanley Cup Champions were honored with a custom WWE Championship.
WWE Network's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling additions Monday will fill out the remainder of the show's run, at least as far as all the episodes WWE has at their disposal. My guess is some of the tapes have been lost or damaged and this effort concludes WWE's process of getting the territory's footage on the Network.
Roddy Piper's unreleased content DVD was detailed.
SCU is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast. Now that he's not allowed to have WWE-contracted guests, I expect we'll see a steady stream of AEW talents featured.
WWE has re-signed Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis to new five-year deals. WOW. WWE clearly has a lot of resources at its disposal to throw around long contracts like that. It might be good for the pair to head to NXT (or NXT UK?) and build some momentum there since I don't expect 205 Live to be a long-term destination.
Heath Slater worked his first live event since February 24 this weekend, losing to Robert Roode on Raw's live event in California. Heath has appeared at WrestleMania, Super ShowDown, and an April 29 episode of Main Event on top of being in the 24/7 title chase, but this was his first official live event match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE can only showcase so many talents. There's a feeling that no matter how good a talent is, WWE will only take them so high, and talents have to fit in with Vince's vision. So, talents who are burned out are looking to start fresh somewhere else.
2. Impact did a private event in front of a small audience, so it didn't really make any major news. There weren't any repercussions, as the female talents were covered up.
3. It does really depend on the talent. I'm sure Johnny Impact is making significantly more than Fallah Bahh. It's worth noting Scarlett does wrestle here and there outside of Impact, but it doesn't sound like she's making a great living in the business.
4. Things weren't nearly as organized as they are now. Talents were really run ragged.
5. No, but I'd love to at some point.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Raiders vs. Titus/Jose:
Well that's an interesting team.
I see the Raiders haven't lost their will to live just yet.
Meh. Poor Raiders.
- Natalya vs. Logan:
Nice fire in this one.
That was good while it lasted.
WWE Ride Along will feature The Bar and R-Truth/Carmella after Raw. Poor Truth having to protect his title on the road!
WWE 365 with Alexa Bliss will air after Stomping Grounds.
Raw will feature a U.S. Championship contender's match where Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, The Miz, Ricochet, and Cesaro face off to determine who challenges Samoa Joe at Stomping Grounds.
Jon Moxley spoke to TMZ Sports about returning to the indies. It's great to see him motivated. I'm sure there are a good number of others in WWE who want that kind of new beginning for themselves.
WWE Network will add the "WWE Game Night" series Monday as part of a continued effort to get digital content uploaded to the service.
Smackdown Live has announced A Moment of Bliss with Bayley as the special guest. That definitely makes sense to continue that feud.
- Dolph Ziggler vs. Xavier Woods is also set for Tuesday's episode.
Batista discussed WWE, AEW, and more. I see where he's coming from about AEW not being in WWE's league, but they're obviously making impressive moves in a short amount of time. Whether they can be competition to WWE will in a lot of ways be determined by ratings on TNT, weekly attendance, and the like. Obviously it's too early to factor those things in. Of course WWE has a LOT of talented people under contract, a state-of-the-art developmental system, and hundreds of millions of dollars on their side, but their audience is clearly eroding and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.
Kyle O'Reilly is unable to appear at NXT UK's Download Festival events due to back issues. O'Reilly has not competed since Takeover:XXV. I hope he's able to be back in action soon.
NHL's Stanley Cup Champions were honored with a custom WWE Championship.
WWE Network's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling additions Monday will fill out the remainder of the show's run, at least as far as all the episodes WWE has at their disposal. My guess is some of the tapes have been lost or damaged and this effort concludes WWE's process of getting the territory's footage on the Network.
Roddy Piper's unreleased content DVD was detailed.
SCU is on Chris Jericho's latest podcast. Now that he's not allowed to have WWE-contracted guests, I expect we'll see a steady stream of AEW talents featured.
WWE has re-signed Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis to new five-year deals. WOW. WWE clearly has a lot of resources at its disposal to throw around long contracts like that. It might be good for the pair to head to NXT (or NXT UK?) and build some momentum there since I don't expect 205 Live to be a long-term destination.
Heath Slater worked his first live event since February 24 this weekend, losing to Robert Roode on Raw's live event in California. Heath has appeared at WrestleMania, Super ShowDown, and an April 29 episode of Main Event on top of being in the 24/7 title chase, but this was his first official live event match.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. WWE can only showcase so many talents. There's a feeling that no matter how good a talent is, WWE will only take them so high, and talents have to fit in with Vince's vision. So, talents who are burned out are looking to start fresh somewhere else.
2. Impact did a private event in front of a small audience, so it didn't really make any major news. There weren't any repercussions, as the female talents were covered up.
3. It does really depend on the talent. I'm sure Johnny Impact is making significantly more than Fallah Bahh. It's worth noting Scarlett does wrestle here and there outside of Impact, but it doesn't sound like she's making a great living in the business.
4. Things weren't nearly as organized as they are now. Talents were really run ragged.
5. No, but I'd love to at some point.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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