New Day is getting a USA Network special. "New Day's 2018 Pancake Powered Year End Super Spectacular" is airing at 10 p.m. December 19. It's worth noting instead of airing NXT in that spot as they did last year, USA got an original special made. Make of that what you will as far as NXT's perceived viability as a TV show.
- New Day's special will look back at 2018 in WWE.
Santana Garrett's father passed away. Keny G founded High Voltage Wrestling in Florida. That's unfortunate news.
Becky Lynch talked WrestleMania 35. She also teased learning a new finisher. I love how she's connecting outside the WWE bubble.
NXT UK's Wolfgang, James Drake, and Zack Gibson are working Futureshock's December 27 event, so that promotion's currently on the allowed list.
Diamond Dallas Page is on Stone Cold's latest podcast, promoting his new book.
WWE stars will appear on USA Network's Talk Stoop next week to promote "WWE Week" content. Ronda Rousey, The Bella Twins, The Miz, Nia Jax, Natalya, Maryse, and Lana are all advertised.
Final Battle has been extended to four hours, likely to give some of the top matches more time. This show could have the last ROH matches for Cody, the Young Bucks, and Christopher Daniels, so
it's good they'll all get a chance to have a fitting finale.
- Kenny King vs. Eli Isom will open the show.
Raw drew 2.19 million viewers, a further drop from consistently low audience levels. WWE is obviously aware of the problem given Seth Rollins' promo Monday, but I don't know what they're going to do to address it.
Jeff Jarrett was backstage at Smackdown Live.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Concussions are much harder to gauge than something like a broken bone or torn ligament. Alexa appeared to have fully recovered, only to learn she wasn't. They're definitely being more cautious this time.
2. Generally it's a case of him working with people his client, Brock Lesnar, might end up facing, in order to prepare them for that feud. I'm under the impression it's just special cases he takes interest in, rather than WWE assigning him to anyone.
3. The feedback for a long time was that WWE needed to cut down on talking segments and just let the wrestlers wrestle. That said, I think at this point the decision-makers are so burned out cranking out so much content each week they can't deliver what they used to be able to. They're just getting through each week with the same formula as every other week.
4. I hope Ronda beats up at least one man for every time this person sends in a question about how women are presented in wrestling.
5. It's really sad Russo is this far removed from his days in the wrestling business and he's still feuding with people. As I've said, I think it'd be best for him to put wrestling behind him and work on something new. He would almost definitely be happier.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
New Day gets USA special, promoter passes away, Interviews with Becky/DDP, NXT UK names working indie show, WWE stars on USA talk show, Final Battle extended, new Final Battle match, Raw audience, HoFer at SDL, and Questions on coming back early from concussions, Heyman working backstage, why WWE angles aren't as compelling, Ronda beating up men, and Russo feuding with dirtsheets
Smackdown Live and Mixed Match Challenge Reax - 12/11/18
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown Live and Mixed Match Challenge.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
NJPW announces U.S. dates, podcast notes, NXT UK star gets magazine cover, Impact WM35 event moved, NYC signing, WWE shifts comic convention lineup, Dolph standup tour, CZW event notes, Omega marathon coming, more on PCO missing HOH, another Punk-Cabana lawsuit, new TLC match, SDL match announced, NXT live events set, first WWEPC tryout names, more on Finn's absence, NXT injury, Rhyno update, and Questions on low WWE TV attendance, why Vince does the Wellness Policy, WWF without Hogan, AJ protecting himself, and The Club vs. UE
NJPW has announced U.S. shows on January 30 in California and February 1 in North Carolina. These cards will have wrestlers not on the February 2 and February 3 Japanese cards. That's another big move for the company, with some serious travel between the two days.
Charly Caruso is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
NXT UK's Joe Coffey is on Muscle & Fitness. That's a big moment for him and the brand.
Impact and House of Glory's Culture Clash 19 has been moved to Saturday, April 6, so it's not going against Takeover:New York.
Joey Janela and Matt Striker had a free signing in New York City.
Tony Schiavone talked to Jason Solomon about commentary and more.
Roman Reigns and Charlotte Flair have pulled out of ACE Comic Con. Becky Lynch will be replacing Charlotte, which is perfect. I don't know what that means, if anything, for Roman's treatment.
Dolph Ziggler announced a comedy tour. I don't blame him for pursuing other endeavors for when the day comes when he's not getting paid to take bumps.
At Cage of Death 20:
- The first intermission was due to CZW officials meeting with local officials to approve certain spots.
- Atsushi Onita's spot going over the rails was unapproved, as no one was supposed to do that.
- Jimmy Rave worked as a producer. He's going to be both a producer and trainer going forward.
- Steve Mack was backstage, and could start working behind-the-scenes.
- CZW canceled their afternoon show due to state officials coming in later than expected.
- WSU should return in 2019.
- CZW will change its scheduling in 2019 to not run a select weekend each month.
- Bull James and Homicide were also backstage.
Kenny Omega will have a 10-hour AXS marathon December 28. He'll be a key figure in wrestling in 2019 whichever path he takes.
PCO pulling out of House of Hardcore this weekend was not an ROH decision. It's interesting he didn't work the show with ROH sending the Briscoes to the event. We'll see if there's any follow-up to that.
C.M. Punk is facing a second lawsuit from Colt Cabana after the first was thrown out due to the text messages regarding Cabana's legal fees being covered not counting as an enforceable contract. The new lawsuit adds allegations that Punk new WWE would come after him legally after Cabana's podcast, and Cabana would not have remained part of the lawsuit if it wasn't for Punk's offer of covering his legal fees.
TLC has added Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship. They should do great work there.
Naomi vs. Mandy Rose is set for Smackdown Live.
NXT live events have been set for:
- January 24 and January 25 in California
- February 7 in New Jersey
- February 8 in New York
- February 9 in Massachusetts
- February 10 in Rhode Island
NXT's December 12 tryouts will feature:
- Eric Spicely, former UFC middleweight fighter who has competed in New England.
- Penelope Ford, Northeastern independent star who worked both All In and NWA70.
- Courtney Lemmings, former high school volleyball player, current bodybuilder/model/actress.
- Tehuti Miles, former University of Maryland football player. He took place in a previous tryout.
Finn Balor has been pulled from Mixed Match Challenge due to an unspecified illness. He is still expected to wrestle at TLC, which is good.
Dakota Kai suffered a knee injury at an NXT show this weekend. That's unfortunate, since she's just starting to get momentum in NXT and NXT UK. Hopefully she rebounds soon.
Rhyno addressed his WWE future. I wouldn't rule out him returning as the Baron Corbin angle continues. It seems odd he'd be booked out so far in live events if he's truly wrapping up.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It was noted Raw followed an NFL game in the same market, so some fans might have chosen to go out Sunday instead of Monday. But there's definitely a larger problem of attendance being lackluster at WWE shows.
2. I can't recall anyone ever saying that about him. I think the Wellness Policy is a response to so many wrestlers passing away due to drug use. WWE doesn't want to be associated with shortened life spans due to those issues, so they're being proactive. It's absolutely a big move.
3. Whatever other options he had, I don't think any of them could have been the force Hogan was. That's not to say WWF wouldn't have still been very successful with Vince at the helm, but Hogan was a driving factor of the company becoming the force it became in the '80s.
4. He should have done so a long time ago! What does it say that he hasn't figured that out yet?
5. Possibly, but AJ, Finn, Karl, and Luke have been clearly defined at certain places on the card. It could be seen as a downgrade for AJ to work with Karl and Luke again. Ultimately it would be a matter of convincing the larger WWE Universe that these NJPW/ROH/NXT talents are worth treating seriously. I think one of the biggest problems WWE has right now is relying on fans being familiar with wrestlers' pasts and accepting them as big deals on Day One. Obviously there's a passionate fan base that's excited to see those names on a big stage, but WWE's trying to draw a wider demographic for its audience.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Charly Caruso is on Lilian Garcia's latest podcast.
NXT UK's Joe Coffey is on Muscle & Fitness. That's a big moment for him and the brand.
Impact and House of Glory's Culture Clash 19 has been moved to Saturday, April 6, so it's not going against Takeover:New York.
Joey Janela and Matt Striker had a free signing in New York City.
Tony Schiavone talked to Jason Solomon about commentary and more.
Roman Reigns and Charlotte Flair have pulled out of ACE Comic Con. Becky Lynch will be replacing Charlotte, which is perfect. I don't know what that means, if anything, for Roman's treatment.
Dolph Ziggler announced a comedy tour. I don't blame him for pursuing other endeavors for when the day comes when he's not getting paid to take bumps.
At Cage of Death 20:
- The first intermission was due to CZW officials meeting with local officials to approve certain spots.
- Atsushi Onita's spot going over the rails was unapproved, as no one was supposed to do that.
- Jimmy Rave worked as a producer. He's going to be both a producer and trainer going forward.
- Steve Mack was backstage, and could start working behind-the-scenes.
- CZW canceled their afternoon show due to state officials coming in later than expected.
- WSU should return in 2019.
- CZW will change its scheduling in 2019 to not run a select weekend each month.
- Bull James and Homicide were also backstage.
Kenny Omega will have a 10-hour AXS marathon December 28. He'll be a key figure in wrestling in 2019 whichever path he takes.
PCO pulling out of House of Hardcore this weekend was not an ROH decision. It's interesting he didn't work the show with ROH sending the Briscoes to the event. We'll see if there's any follow-up to that.
C.M. Punk is facing a second lawsuit from Colt Cabana after the first was thrown out due to the text messages regarding Cabana's legal fees being covered not counting as an enforceable contract. The new lawsuit adds allegations that Punk new WWE would come after him legally after Cabana's podcast, and Cabana would not have remained part of the lawsuit if it wasn't for Punk's offer of covering his legal fees.
TLC has added Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship. They should do great work there.
Naomi vs. Mandy Rose is set for Smackdown Live.
NXT live events have been set for:
- January 24 and January 25 in California
- February 7 in New Jersey
- February 8 in New York
- February 9 in Massachusetts
- February 10 in Rhode Island
NXT's December 12 tryouts will feature:
- Eric Spicely, former UFC middleweight fighter who has competed in New England.
- Penelope Ford, Northeastern independent star who worked both All In and NWA70.
- Courtney Lemmings, former high school volleyball player, current bodybuilder/model/actress.
- Tehuti Miles, former University of Maryland football player. He took place in a previous tryout.
Finn Balor has been pulled from Mixed Match Challenge due to an unspecified illness. He is still expected to wrestle at TLC, which is good.
Dakota Kai suffered a knee injury at an NXT show this weekend. That's unfortunate, since she's just starting to get momentum in NXT and NXT UK. Hopefully she rebounds soon.
Rhyno addressed his WWE future. I wouldn't rule out him returning as the Baron Corbin angle continues. It seems odd he'd be booked out so far in live events if he's truly wrapping up.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It was noted Raw followed an NFL game in the same market, so some fans might have chosen to go out Sunday instead of Monday. But there's definitely a larger problem of attendance being lackluster at WWE shows.
2. I can't recall anyone ever saying that about him. I think the Wellness Policy is a response to so many wrestlers passing away due to drug use. WWE doesn't want to be associated with shortened life spans due to those issues, so they're being proactive. It's absolutely a big move.
3. Whatever other options he had, I don't think any of them could have been the force Hogan was. That's not to say WWF wouldn't have still been very successful with Vince at the helm, but Hogan was a driving factor of the company becoming the force it became in the '80s.
4. He should have done so a long time ago! What does it say that he hasn't figured that out yet?
5. Possibly, but AJ, Finn, Karl, and Luke have been clearly defined at certain places on the card. It could be seen as a downgrade for AJ to work with Karl and Luke again. Ultimately it would be a matter of convincing the larger WWE Universe that these NJPW/ROH/NXT talents are worth treating seriously. I think one of the biggest problems WWE has right now is relying on fans being familiar with wrestlers' pasts and accepting them as big deals on Day One. Obviously there's a passionate fan base that's excited to see those names on a big stage, but WWE's trying to draw a wider demographic for its audience.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, December 10, 2018
AXS series trailer, Cena press, NXT TV debut set, Interviews with Cena/Becky, Cass-HOH plans, and Questions on Vince getting behind a women's WM main event, taking a break from wrestling, changing back to bikini contests, whether ratings matter, and if Vince will change plans with the audience dropping
AXS TV promoted WOW coming in January. I was under the impression the show was going to be goofy, but the trailer doesn't really indicate that.
John Cena and Make-A-Wish are lighting up the Empire State Building to promote his new movie.
- Cena also did the open for FOX's NFL broadcast Sunday.
Dominik Dijakovic will debut on NXT's January 19 episode. I look forward to seeing how things go for him.
- It doesn't look like Cena will be back on TV yet.
- I like Cena getting why Rock's career went the way it went.
Triple H put over boxing champion Vasyl Lomachenko. I wouldn't mind seeing another boxer cross over with WWE.
Becky Lynch was on Ariel Helwani's latest show.
Big Cass was set to work with Joey Ryan at House of Hardcore this weekend. Blue Meanie replaced him.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely think he'd be OK with a women's main event if he felt the match was main event worthy. I do think Ronda Rousey would be key to those plans right now, since the match would have to compete with whatever Brock Lesnar is doing, and potentially matches from Triple H, The Undertaker, and other legends.
2. Definitely. I'd be exhausted if I watched any more wrestling than I already cover. It's already pretty heavy some weeks!
3. There would definitely be outrage from some fans for the fact WWE would be hiring such talented athletes to do that kind of fluff. I think a number of women would strongly consider leaving, depending on what other options there were. They didn't sign on for those kinds of matches. Of course, there's an audience that would appreciate seeing that kind of thing come back, too.
4. Ratings still matter, but there are other factors at play, too, such as how much ad revenue WWE draws and the costs that would be involved with replacing three-to-five hours of weekly TV with something that may or may not draw the level of audience WWE draws. While I'm sure USA Network and FOX would prefer higher ratings, they knew going into the new deals what the audience level was and which direction it was moving.
5. Honestly I think the further things slip the more Vince will think he needs to exert control. After all, where were the current writers and wrestlers when business was better years back? In other words, I don't think he'll accept any blame for it. HE'S VINCE MCMAHON DAMMIT HE BEAT BILLIONAIRE TED!
More wrestling tomorrow.
John Cena and Make-A-Wish are lighting up the Empire State Building to promote his new movie.
- Cena also did the open for FOX's NFL broadcast Sunday.
Dominik Dijakovic will debut on NXT's January 19 episode. I look forward to seeing how things go for him.
John Cena discussed being a "part-timer," Roman Reigns and more:
- I think sometimes Cena wants to discuss his current project without speaking about wrestling, especially when people talk about "being over" and the like.- It doesn't look like Cena will be back on TV yet.
- I like Cena getting why Rock's career went the way it went.
Triple H put over boxing champion Vasyl Lomachenko. I wouldn't mind seeing another boxer cross over with WWE.
Becky Lynch was on Ariel Helwani's latest show.
Big Cass was set to work with Joey Ryan at House of Hardcore this weekend. Blue Meanie replaced him.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely think he'd be OK with a women's main event if he felt the match was main event worthy. I do think Ronda Rousey would be key to those plans right now, since the match would have to compete with whatever Brock Lesnar is doing, and potentially matches from Triple H, The Undertaker, and other legends.
2. Definitely. I'd be exhausted if I watched any more wrestling than I already cover. It's already pretty heavy some weeks!
3. There would definitely be outrage from some fans for the fact WWE would be hiring such talented athletes to do that kind of fluff. I think a number of women would strongly consider leaving, depending on what other options there were. They didn't sign on for those kinds of matches. Of course, there's an audience that would appreciate seeing that kind of thing come back, too.
4. Ratings still matter, but there are other factors at play, too, such as how much ad revenue WWE draws and the costs that would be involved with replacing three-to-five hours of weekly TV with something that may or may not draw the level of audience WWE draws. While I'm sure USA Network and FOX would prefer higher ratings, they knew going into the new deals what the audience level was and which direction it was moving.
5. Honestly I think the further things slip the more Vince will think he needs to exert control. After all, where were the current writers and wrestlers when business was better years back? In other words, I don't think he'll accept any blame for it. HE'S VINCE MCMAHON DAMMIT HE BEAT BILLIONAIRE TED!
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
WWE Network content, Interview with Slaughter, Matt Hardy on Indian TV, 205 Live match set, former WWE star has seizure at HOH, ROH works with HOH, Helms set for another ROH show, and Questions on Catanzaro's entrance, Legends of Extreme, WWE guest hosts, Layla's WWE tenure, and how NWA operates in 2018
The Edge and Christian Show will have new episodes after Raw and TLC.
WWE Marquee Matches this week will feature:
- Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. Laycool from TLC 2010 Tuesday at 11 p.m.
- The Wyatt Family vs. The Dudleys, Rhyno, and Tommy Dreamer from TLC 2015 Thursday at 8 p.m.
- AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor from TLC 2017 Friday at 7 p.m.
Sgt. Slaughter spoke to TMZ about Crown Jewel.
Matt Hardy was on Indian Idol. A Broken Hardy special in India could be interesting...
205 Live has added Buddy Murphy vs. Noam Dar. That should be interesting.
Big Cass was hospitalized after having a seizure at House of Hardcore's December 8 Pennsylvania event. He was originally scheduled to wrestle on the show.
ROH allowed The Briscoes to work a House of Hardcore event this weekend after PCO pulled out due to his new ROH deal. Tommy Dreamer noted he owes ROH a favor, so we'll see what that ends up being.
Hurricane Helms is set for ROH's January 13 Honorclub event in North Carolina. There's no opponent set at this time. Hopefully they get a boost for the local star.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Catanzaro has a fan base from those days and it makes sense to homage her time there.
2. I understand why people pirate WWE (not that I agree with it), but when it's a smaller company that doesn't have that level of resources, they're really hurting themselves.
3. I wouldn't be shocked if someone suggested bringing back the concept given how the audience has been lately. Generally speaking, I liked when hosts had natural charisma and both sides worked together to do interesting things. Some names just popped in to get promotion for what they were doing and didn't add anything to the show.
4. Layla had injury issues after the Laycool split and never really recovered as a character. She definitely improved quite a bit over her time in the company.
5. The NWA is essentially just one branch at this point rather than a group of members.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE Marquee Matches this week will feature:
- Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. Laycool from TLC 2010 Tuesday at 11 p.m.
- The Wyatt Family vs. The Dudleys, Rhyno, and Tommy Dreamer from TLC 2015 Thursday at 8 p.m.
- AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor from TLC 2017 Friday at 7 p.m.
Sgt. Slaughter spoke to TMZ about Crown Jewel.
Matt Hardy was on Indian Idol. A Broken Hardy special in India could be interesting...
205 Live has added Buddy Murphy vs. Noam Dar. That should be interesting.
Big Cass was hospitalized after having a seizure at House of Hardcore's December 8 Pennsylvania event. He was originally scheduled to wrestle on the show.
ROH allowed The Briscoes to work a House of Hardcore event this weekend after PCO pulled out due to his new ROH deal. Tommy Dreamer noted he owes ROH a favor, so we'll see what that ends up being.
Hurricane Helms is set for ROH's January 13 Honorclub event in North Carolina. There's no opponent set at this time. Hopefully they get a boost for the local star.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Catanzaro has a fan base from those days and it makes sense to homage her time there.
2. I understand why people pirate WWE (not that I agree with it), but when it's a smaller company that doesn't have that level of resources, they're really hurting themselves.
3. I wouldn't be shocked if someone suggested bringing back the concept given how the audience has been lately. Generally speaking, I liked when hosts had natural charisma and both sides worked together to do interesting things. Some names just popped in to get promotion for what they were doing and didn't add anything to the show.
4. Layla had injury issues after the Laycool split and never really recovered as a character. She definitely improved quite a bit over her time in the company.
5. The NWA is essentially just one branch at this point rather than a group of members.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Main Event Reax - 12/7/18, Impact team releases Christmas book, Midnight Express on tour, Ryder Q&A, WCCW documentary available, Raw women's segment set, Becky responds to rumors, Hennig press, another Tegan surgery, MJF stripped of MLW title, Extreme DVDs coming, Bush's wrestling fandom, Bella appearance, Cena appearance, Credible arrested, WWE changes MSG card, Impact audience, former Impact champion going for NWA Championship, NXT live event notes, and Questions on WWE reaching out for a Punk return, wrestlers ROH should sign, new wrestling documentaries, and what AXXESS entails
-- Main Event:
- Breeze vs. Hawkins:
I like this so far.
Ahhhhh Hawkins ALMOST had it. 0-239.
- Ryder/B-Team vs. Mojo/Ascension:
Wow. That was quick.
Impact's KM and Fallah Bahh have released a Christmas book. That sounds bizarrely entertaining.
The Midnight Express' Jim Cornette, Bobby Eaton, and Dennis Condrey are doing a 35th anniversary signing tour beginning this weekend. This is Condrey's return to the road after defeating throat cancer.
Zack Ryder joined Christian for a Q&A episode of Edge and Christian's podcast.
The "Heroes of World Class" documentary is available from Highspots.com in limited quantities.
Alexa Bliss is holding a "press conference" on Raw with Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax. Hopefully the questions will be better than the fake audience member questions we've gotten lately.
Becky Lynch responded to reports of her TLC status.
Larry "The Axe" Hennig's passing got press in Minnesota.
Tegan Nox underwent another knee surgery to clear up some issues. She's still a long way from getting back in the ring.
MJF has been stripped of the MLW Middleweight Championship due to injury. The remaining competitors in the scheduled ladder match (Dezmond Xavier, Andrew Everett, Kotto Brazil, and Jason Cade) will now face off to crown a new champion on December 14.
Extreme Wrestling Legends will release four DVDs on December 11, honoring Public Enemy, Sabu, The Sandman, New Jack, Rob Van Dam, and Raven.
George H.W. Bush's wrestling fandom was covered.
The Bella Twins were at the Z100 Jingle Ball concert in Madison Square Garden.
John Cena was on The Graham Norton Show. Graham would belong in the WWE Hall of Fame if he took that bump.
Justin Credible has been arrested for violating a protective order, criminal mischief, assault, and breach of peace. He is being held for $50,000 bond. He's had a really rough past couple of years. I hope things turn around for him soon, because things are getting scary.
WWE's Madison Square Garden show has changed:
- John Cena is no longer advertised as wrestling, but will be appearing.
- Johnny Gargano has been removed from NXT's tag match, likely due to his heel turn.
- Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre are no longer advertised.
Impact Wrestling drew 116,000 viewers Thursday night.
James Storm will challenge for the NWA Championship on NWA's January 5 event, the night before Impact's Homecoming PPV.
At NXT's January 7 show in Wisconsin:
- Kairi Sane, Candice LeRae, and Dakota Kai defeated Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir by disqualification. Dakota left the match early due to an unspecified injury. It's strange Candice replaced Io Shirai there given the TV angle. Io was in Florida, in a triple threat with Lacey Evans and Mia Yim. Lacey won.
- Kona Reeves was in the main event, teaming with Tommaso Ciampa in a loss to Aleister Black and Ricochet. I get he was there to take the pin, but surely they could have used Ohno or someone instead.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Braun is expected back in time for the Royal Rumble, so that won't be a factor. I think they'll call people they're on better terms with (Rock, Jericho, HBK) before they consider reaching out to Punk. Never say never, but they'd really have to be backed into a corner to try to get him back.
Nothing to add to 2 or 6.
3. No way could I compete with that list. To some degree we don't know who will break out until they get that chance.
4. VINCE MCMAHON DAMMIT. Or The Undertaker or Kane? I can't say I'd disagree with Funk or Piper, though.
5. There's no guarantee of a picture or autograph. Fans have to choose whether they want to spend time in line to meet the advertised stars vs. other attractions there.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Breeze vs. Hawkins:
I like this so far.
Ahhhhh Hawkins ALMOST had it. 0-239.
- Ryder/B-Team vs. Mojo/Ascension:
Wow. That was quick.
Impact's KM and Fallah Bahh have released a Christmas book. That sounds bizarrely entertaining.
The Midnight Express' Jim Cornette, Bobby Eaton, and Dennis Condrey are doing a 35th anniversary signing tour beginning this weekend. This is Condrey's return to the road after defeating throat cancer.
Zack Ryder joined Christian for a Q&A episode of Edge and Christian's podcast.
The "Heroes of World Class" documentary is available from Highspots.com in limited quantities.
Alexa Bliss is holding a "press conference" on Raw with Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax. Hopefully the questions will be better than the fake audience member questions we've gotten lately.
Becky Lynch responded to reports of her TLC status.
Larry "The Axe" Hennig's passing got press in Minnesota.
Tegan Nox underwent another knee surgery to clear up some issues. She's still a long way from getting back in the ring.
MJF has been stripped of the MLW Middleweight Championship due to injury. The remaining competitors in the scheduled ladder match (Dezmond Xavier, Andrew Everett, Kotto Brazil, and Jason Cade) will now face off to crown a new champion on December 14.
Extreme Wrestling Legends will release four DVDs on December 11, honoring Public Enemy, Sabu, The Sandman, New Jack, Rob Van Dam, and Raven.
George H.W. Bush's wrestling fandom was covered.
The Bella Twins were at the Z100 Jingle Ball concert in Madison Square Garden.
John Cena was on The Graham Norton Show. Graham would belong in the WWE Hall of Fame if he took that bump.
Justin Credible has been arrested for violating a protective order, criminal mischief, assault, and breach of peace. He is being held for $50,000 bond. He's had a really rough past couple of years. I hope things turn around for him soon, because things are getting scary.
WWE's Madison Square Garden show has changed:
- John Cena is no longer advertised as wrestling, but will be appearing.
- Johnny Gargano has been removed from NXT's tag match, likely due to his heel turn.
- Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre are no longer advertised.
Impact Wrestling drew 116,000 viewers Thursday night.
James Storm will challenge for the NWA Championship on NWA's January 5 event, the night before Impact's Homecoming PPV.
At NXT's January 7 show in Wisconsin:
- Kairi Sane, Candice LeRae, and Dakota Kai defeated Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir by disqualification. Dakota left the match early due to an unspecified injury. It's strange Candice replaced Io Shirai there given the TV angle. Io was in Florida, in a triple threat with Lacey Evans and Mia Yim. Lacey won.
- Kona Reeves was in the main event, teaming with Tommaso Ciampa in a loss to Aleister Black and Ricochet. I get he was there to take the pin, but surely they could have used Ohno or someone instead.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Braun is expected back in time for the Royal Rumble, so that won't be a factor. I think they'll call people they're on better terms with (Rock, Jericho, HBK) before they consider reaching out to Punk. Never say never, but they'd really have to be backed into a corner to try to get him back.
Nothing to add to 2 or 6.
3. No way could I compete with that list. To some degree we don't know who will break out until they get that chance.
4. VINCE MCMAHON DAMMIT. Or The Undertaker or Kane? I can't say I'd disagree with Funk or Piper, though.
5. There's no guarantee of a picture or autograph. Fans have to choose whether they want to spend time in line to meet the advertised stars vs. other attractions there.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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