Read on for my thoughts on last night's Raw.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Monday, March 18, 2019
New WWE Photo Shoot, Matt Hardy back on the road, Angle WM35 challengers, Trish+Lita DVD coming, and Questions on Heyman's role in the Ronda-Becky angle, the state of the brand split, Owens getting a title match from Vince, Ronda post-WM35, Beth replacing Graves on SDL, and WM35 weather
"WWE Photo Shoot" with Natalya will air after Raw.
Matt Hardy worked his first live event since September 15 this weekend, teaming with Jeff Hardy to defeat Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura. Interestingly he's teasing his career is winding down - his current deal runs through WrestleMania 36.
Kurt Angle's WrestleMania 35 challenge has seen offers from Matt Riddle and Shelton Benjamin. Both would be awesome, but I'm not complaining if it's someone like Cena or Undertaker.
A Trish Stratus and Lita DVD is coming in June to the UK. At one point those two were set to be part of WrestleMania, but it doesn't look like that's happening now.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.a. I think Heyman is working with the duo on their lines, tweets, etc. but the overall direction is Vince.
1.b. No, Becky is not legitimately injured. They're setting her up to be an underdog overcoming the odds.
1.c. Charlotte has been feuding with Becky quite a bit and of course wrestled Ronda at Survivor Series. She's also a clear heel. The hope is for Charlotte and Becky to both get the rub from the placement on the card and working what could be Ronda's last match. That way if one of them unexpectedly gets dropped from things (like Roman with his diagnosis), they still have the other.
2.a. Now that the McMahons are in control of both shows, it's easier to switch people around. Those darn GMs just complicated things!
2.b. Vince probably likes his RUTHLESS AGGRESSION, Pal! And clearly Vince thought he'd be a bigger box office draw for Fastlane than Kofi. It's best for business, dammit!
3. I am curious what they do with Ronda after the (presumed) loss. They can definitely have her get fed up with WWE and its fans and say they're not worthy of seeing her, etc. But yes Becky will scorch her for it.
4. That would definitely be a nice change of pace and further the move to have more women at the booth.
5. They're definitely going to keep the ring dry. Other than that, there's not much they can do.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Matt Hardy worked his first live event since September 15 this weekend, teaming with Jeff Hardy to defeat Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura. Interestingly he's teasing his career is winding down - his current deal runs through WrestleMania 36.
Kurt Angle's WrestleMania 35 challenge has seen offers from Matt Riddle and Shelton Benjamin. Both would be awesome, but I'm not complaining if it's someone like Cena or Undertaker.
A Trish Stratus and Lita DVD is coming in June to the UK. At one point those two were set to be part of WrestleMania, but it doesn't look like that's happening now.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.a. I think Heyman is working with the duo on their lines, tweets, etc. but the overall direction is Vince.
1.b. No, Becky is not legitimately injured. They're setting her up to be an underdog overcoming the odds.
1.c. Charlotte has been feuding with Becky quite a bit and of course wrestled Ronda at Survivor Series. She's also a clear heel. The hope is for Charlotte and Becky to both get the rub from the placement on the card and working what could be Ronda's last match. That way if one of them unexpectedly gets dropped from things (like Roman with his diagnosis), they still have the other.
2.a. Now that the McMahons are in control of both shows, it's easier to switch people around. Those darn GMs just complicated things!
2.b. Vince probably likes his RUTHLESS AGGRESSION, Pal! And clearly Vince thought he'd be a bigger box office draw for Fastlane than Kofi. It's best for business, dammit!
3. I am curious what they do with Ronda after the (presumed) loss. They can definitely have her get fed up with WWE and its fans and say they're not worthy of seeing her, etc. But yes Becky will scorch her for it.
4. That would definitely be a nice change of pace and further the move to have more women at the booth.
5. They're definitely going to keep the ring dry. Other than that, there's not much they can do.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Main Event - 3/16/19, more trademarks, NXT UK switch, what's starting Smackdown, Arn and Kaufman get PWT stores, Bucks take AAA tag gold, WWE producers wrestling, NXT+NXT UK+SDL+EVOLVE event notes
-- Main Event:
- EC3 vs. Breeze:
WOWWWWW. I like Tyler and all, but damn. I expected more for EC3.
- LHP vs. Jinder/Singhs:
Basically a showcase for LHP.
LHP did well for the time they had. I'm sure they'd rather be doing more than this silliness.
Cody applied to trademark the name Dusty Rhodes. I would think WWE would have something to say about that.
Conrad Thompson has applied to trademark Jim Crockett Promotions and 10 Pounds of Gold. The latter refers to the NWA World Championship. We'll see how far he gets with those ideas.
NXT UK's Mark Andrews has been pulled from an Ontario wrestling event on March 24. Wolfgang will be replacing him. It's unknown why the change was made.
Smackdown Live will begin with Kofi Kingston's gauntlet match. I have feeling that match is going to be a really long performance for Kofi to show he's got the endurance and perseverance to be a major player.
- Also, The Miz will respond to Shane McMahon on the show.
Andy Kaufman and Arn Anderson now have Pro Wrestling Tees stores. Kaufman's store is authorized by his estate. That's pretty cool.
The Young Bucks won the AAA Tag Team Championship over the Lucha Bros in a surprise challenge to close Rey de Reyes 2019. The Lucha Bros had just won the championship in the previous match. I like AEW's tactic of popping up at other events to build hype for Double or Nothing.
- Jeff Jarrett competed at the event as well, teaming with Killer Kross and La Mascara in a loss to Psycho Clown, Mamba, and Maximo inside a cage. So, Jarrett is still wrestling with his current capacity in WWE Creative. It could be a case of him finishing up what he's already been booked for.
At NXT's March 16 Florida live event:
- Kacy Catanzaro lost to Deonna Purrazzo in Kacy's first live event appearance since Royal Rumble AXXESS.
- Sam Shaw debuted in a loss to Fabian Aichner.
- Saurav Gurjar lost to Mansoor Al-Shehail in Gurjar's first live event appearance since January 19.
At OTT Scrappermania 5 in Ireland:
- NXT UK's Zack Gibson teamed with Charlie Sterling and Sha Samuels in a loss to More Than Hype
- Hurricane Helms teamed with The Angel Cruzers to defeat Justy, Sammy D, and Team Prick .So Helms can still wrestle outside of WWE, too.
- British Strong Style of Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, and Tyler Bate won the promotion's tag team title in a losers leave town match, so they'll presumably continue wrestling there on top of NXT UK.
- NXT UK's Jordan Devlin defeated WALTER to become the new OTT World Champion. We'll see if that means anything for WALTER's future there.
At Smackdown Live's March 16 Iowa live event:
- Nikki Cross defeated Sonya Deville by DQ, leading to Nikki Cross and Carmella defeating Sonya Deville and Lacey Evans. So Nikki and Lacey are on Smackdown Live this weekend, and those pairings are being tested out. Mandy Rose lost to Asuka later in the show, so she didn't team with Deville here.
- Alexander Wolfe competed at his first WWE live event since February 4, teaming with Eric Young in a loss to New Day's Big E and Kofi Kingston. SAnitY has been working Smackdown Live dark matches, and Young has teamed with Dain on live events lately, but Wolfe hasn't wrestled on live events in that time period.
At EVOLVE 124 in New York:
- NXT's Adrian Jaoude defeated Wheeler Yuta
- Velveteen Dream and the Street Profits defeated Shane Strickland, Eddie Kingston, and Joe Gacy
- EC3 vs. Breeze:
WOWWWWW. I like Tyler and all, but damn. I expected more for EC3.
- LHP vs. Jinder/Singhs:
Basically a showcase for LHP.
LHP did well for the time they had. I'm sure they'd rather be doing more than this silliness.
Cody applied to trademark the name Dusty Rhodes. I would think WWE would have something to say about that.
Conrad Thompson has applied to trademark Jim Crockett Promotions and 10 Pounds of Gold. The latter refers to the NWA World Championship. We'll see how far he gets with those ideas.
NXT UK's Mark Andrews has been pulled from an Ontario wrestling event on March 24. Wolfgang will be replacing him. It's unknown why the change was made.
Smackdown Live will begin with Kofi Kingston's gauntlet match. I have feeling that match is going to be a really long performance for Kofi to show he's got the endurance and perseverance to be a major player.
- Also, The Miz will respond to Shane McMahon on the show.
Andy Kaufman and Arn Anderson now have Pro Wrestling Tees stores. Kaufman's store is authorized by his estate. That's pretty cool.
The Young Bucks won the AAA Tag Team Championship over the Lucha Bros in a surprise challenge to close Rey de Reyes 2019. The Lucha Bros had just won the championship in the previous match. I like AEW's tactic of popping up at other events to build hype for Double or Nothing.
- Jeff Jarrett competed at the event as well, teaming with Killer Kross and La Mascara in a loss to Psycho Clown, Mamba, and Maximo inside a cage. So, Jarrett is still wrestling with his current capacity in WWE Creative. It could be a case of him finishing up what he's already been booked for.
At NXT's March 16 Florida live event:
- Kacy Catanzaro lost to Deonna Purrazzo in Kacy's first live event appearance since Royal Rumble AXXESS.
- Sam Shaw debuted in a loss to Fabian Aichner.
- Saurav Gurjar lost to Mansoor Al-Shehail in Gurjar's first live event appearance since January 19.
At OTT Scrappermania 5 in Ireland:
- NXT UK's Zack Gibson teamed with Charlie Sterling and Sha Samuels in a loss to More Than Hype
- Hurricane Helms teamed with The Angel Cruzers to defeat Justy, Sammy D, and Team Prick .So Helms can still wrestle outside of WWE, too.
- British Strong Style of Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, and Tyler Bate won the promotion's tag team title in a losers leave town match, so they'll presumably continue wrestling there on top of NXT UK.
- NXT UK's Jordan Devlin defeated WALTER to become the new OTT World Champion. We'll see if that means anything for WALTER's future there.
At Smackdown Live's March 16 Iowa live event:
- Nikki Cross defeated Sonya Deville by DQ, leading to Nikki Cross and Carmella defeating Sonya Deville and Lacey Evans. So Nikki and Lacey are on Smackdown Live this weekend, and those pairings are being tested out. Mandy Rose lost to Asuka later in the show, so she didn't team with Deville here.
- Alexander Wolfe competed at his first WWE live event since February 4, teaming with Eric Young in a loss to New Day's Big E and Kofi Kingston. SAnitY has been working Smackdown Live dark matches, and Young has teamed with Dain on live events lately, but Wolfe hasn't wrestled on live events in that time period.
At EVOLVE 124 in New York:
- NXT's Adrian Jaoude defeated Wheeler Yuta
- Velveteen Dream and the Street Profits defeated Shane Strickland, Eddie Kingston, and Joe Gacy
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Flair surgery, Interviews with Arn/PJ, JBL WM35 ticket raffle, NJPW appearances pre-Supercard, podcast notes, assorted wrestling press, Flair statue coming, more Thunder on WWE Network, MLW signing, ROH pre-show online, Ronda "fined", Foley's pick for Angle's opponent, more on Jarrett vs. Anthem, NXT Championship update, Raw preview, NXT+Raw live event notes, EVOLVE notes, and Questions on The Club post-WWE, ECW in the WWE HoF, Heyman booking Ronda, Piper+Ventura on ABC, and Liger's last match
Ric Flair had an unspecified surgery Friday. No further information is currently available.
Arn Anderson discussed leaving WWE, appearing at Starrcast, and more. Nothing there indicates a scandal forcing him out as some have indicated. I'm sure he'll be asked about his exit at Starrcast, though.
JBL is hosting a WrestleMania 35 ticket raffle to benefit his African sporting foundation. That's great!
NJPW will have appearances in New York on April 4 to promote Supercard. Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Tetsuya Naito, Hiroshi Tanahashi, BUSHI, and Toru Yano will all be in attendance.
Jim Cornette is on Jim Ross' latest podcast.
Finn Balor was also at the World Special Olympics.
Kyle O'Reilly is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Ric Flair has a statue available soon. That's pretty amazing.
Zack Ryder met Joey Fatone at an airport. Pretty wild.
WWE Network will add WCW Thunder episodes from 1999 and 2000 on Monday.
Alexa Bliss will sign the WWE Cookbook in New Jersey on April 5.
Daniel Bryan and Becky Lynch will appear at the San Antonio Celebrity Fan Fest in June. I'm curious who will hold titles then.
PJ Black talked before ROH's 17th anniversary:
- I wasn't aware he had so many options. That's definitely a boon for ROH.
- I like Black being able to grow beyond the Gabriel character.
- Relocating to Florida for NXT isn't something every wrestler can do.
- Very interesting stuff about how things work in NXT.
- I always compare the transition from NXT to the transition from college to professional sports. Someone can be a great college star and then have to compete with people who have been putting up big numbers against tougher opponents for years. So it looks like a slump.
- Black/Gabriel would have to be a much bigger deal to warrant an entrance that elaborate. Nothing against him, but that's a big spectacle for someone who could easily be in the Andre battle royal or something.
MLW has signed Jordan Oliver. He's a lot of fun as a heel since he is so young and brash, and getting such a push at 19.
ROH released the pre-show to their 17th anniversary event online.
Ronda Rousey was "fined by WWE" for attacking referees on Raw. Gosh they might have to suspend her after WrestleMania if she keeps this up!
Mick Foley endorsed Drew McIntyre as Kurt Angle's WrestleMania opponent. That would definitely be a big WWE milestone for McIntyre. The two had some solid bouts in Impact.
Anthem Media is arguing Jeff Jarrett and Global Force never trademarked their content, so they have no grounds to sue over it.
Triple H will address the NXT Championship on Wednesday's episode. Obviously Takeover:New York is right around the corner.
Announced for Raw:
- Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre
- Ronda Rousey vs. Dana Brooke
- Bobby Lashley/Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor/a partner of Finn Balor's choosing (Ricochet??)
- Kurt Angle choosing his WrestleMania opponent
Finn Balor will accompany Irish boxer Mick Conlan to the ring on Sunday's Top Rank Boxing event. This is the second year Balor has appeared with Conlan for St. Patrick's Day. Pretty cool stuff.
At NXT's March 15 Florida live event:
- Australia's Elliot Sexton debuted under his real name of Brendan Vink. He defeated Nick Comoroto, who was also debuting.
- 3.0, Jeff Parker and Matt Lee, debuted in a loss to Humberto Carrillo and Raul Mendoza
- Rachael Ellering worked under her real name, losing to Deonna Purrazzo. She competed as Rachael Evers the previous night.
At Raw's March 15 Alberta live event:
- Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder worked their first live event since February 10, losing to The Ascension. The streak continues at 0-263.
- Lucha House Party worked their first live event since February 16, defeating Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers
At EVOLVE 123 in Massachusetts:
- NXT's Adrian Jaoude defeated Rory Gulak.
- Shane Strickland defeated Harlem Bravado. There was no indication this was the last we'll see of Strickland in EVOLVE.
- The Street Profits lost the EVOLVE Tag Team Championship to the team of Eddie Kingston (Impact's King) and Joe Gacy
- Velveteen Dream defeated Orange Cassidy
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I expect it to come down to AEW or NJPW, unless they can somehow work both.
2. That's an odd choice. I'd much rather talents specifically be honored. I don't dislike the idea of specific matches and events being inducted, but a whole promotion seems a little absurd.
3. Heyman is working closely with Ronda and her storylines. I hope he gets the same criticism for the "worked shoot" elements as Vince Russo would.
4. It is currently available online until/unless Disney looks to take it down.
5. Honestly I think it should be up to him, because that's a historic career coming to an end.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Arn Anderson discussed leaving WWE, appearing at Starrcast, and more. Nothing there indicates a scandal forcing him out as some have indicated. I'm sure he'll be asked about his exit at Starrcast, though.
JBL is hosting a WrestleMania 35 ticket raffle to benefit his African sporting foundation. That's great!
NJPW will have appearances in New York on April 4 to promote Supercard. Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Tetsuya Naito, Hiroshi Tanahashi, BUSHI, and Toru Yano will all be in attendance.
Jim Cornette is on Jim Ross' latest podcast.
Finn Balor was also at the World Special Olympics.
Kyle O'Reilly is on Edge and Christian's latest podcast.
Ric Flair has a statue available soon. That's pretty amazing.
Zack Ryder met Joey Fatone at an airport. Pretty wild.
WWE Network will add WCW Thunder episodes from 1999 and 2000 on Monday.
Alexa Bliss will sign the WWE Cookbook in New Jersey on April 5.
Daniel Bryan and Becky Lynch will appear at the San Antonio Celebrity Fan Fest in June. I'm curious who will hold titles then.
PJ Black talked before ROH's 17th anniversary:
- I wasn't aware he had so many options. That's definitely a boon for ROH.
- I like Black being able to grow beyond the Gabriel character.
- Relocating to Florida for NXT isn't something every wrestler can do.
- Very interesting stuff about how things work in NXT.
- I always compare the transition from NXT to the transition from college to professional sports. Someone can be a great college star and then have to compete with people who have been putting up big numbers against tougher opponents for years. So it looks like a slump.
- Black/Gabriel would have to be a much bigger deal to warrant an entrance that elaborate. Nothing against him, but that's a big spectacle for someone who could easily be in the Andre battle royal or something.
MLW has signed Jordan Oliver. He's a lot of fun as a heel since he is so young and brash, and getting such a push at 19.
ROH released the pre-show to their 17th anniversary event online.
Ronda Rousey was "fined by WWE" for attacking referees on Raw. Gosh they might have to suspend her after WrestleMania if she keeps this up!
Mick Foley endorsed Drew McIntyre as Kurt Angle's WrestleMania opponent. That would definitely be a big WWE milestone for McIntyre. The two had some solid bouts in Impact.
Anthem Media is arguing Jeff Jarrett and Global Force never trademarked their content, so they have no grounds to sue over it.
Triple H will address the NXT Championship on Wednesday's episode. Obviously Takeover:New York is right around the corner.
Announced for Raw:
- Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre
- Ronda Rousey vs. Dana Brooke
- Bobby Lashley/Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor/a partner of Finn Balor's choosing (Ricochet??)
- Kurt Angle choosing his WrestleMania opponent
Finn Balor will accompany Irish boxer Mick Conlan to the ring on Sunday's Top Rank Boxing event. This is the second year Balor has appeared with Conlan for St. Patrick's Day. Pretty cool stuff.
At NXT's March 15 Florida live event:
- Australia's Elliot Sexton debuted under his real name of Brendan Vink. He defeated Nick Comoroto, who was also debuting.
- 3.0, Jeff Parker and Matt Lee, debuted in a loss to Humberto Carrillo and Raul Mendoza
- Rachael Ellering worked under her real name, losing to Deonna Purrazzo. She competed as Rachael Evers the previous night.
At Raw's March 15 Alberta live event:
- Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder worked their first live event since February 10, losing to The Ascension. The streak continues at 0-263.
- Lucha House Party worked their first live event since February 16, defeating Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers
At EVOLVE 123 in Massachusetts:
- NXT's Adrian Jaoude defeated Rory Gulak.
- Shane Strickland defeated Harlem Bravado. There was no indication this was the last we'll see of Strickland in EVOLVE.
- The Street Profits lost the EVOLVE Tag Team Championship to the team of Eddie Kingston (Impact's King) and Joe Gacy
- Velveteen Dream defeated Orange Cassidy
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I expect it to come down to AEW or NJPW, unless they can somehow work both.
2. That's an odd choice. I'd much rather talents specifically be honored. I don't dislike the idea of specific matches and events being inducted, but a whole promotion seems a little absurd.
3. Heyman is working closely with Ronda and her storylines. I hope he gets the same criticism for the "worked shoot" elements as Vince Russo would.
4. It is currently available online until/unless Disney looks to take it down.
5. Honestly I think it should be up to him, because that's a historic career coming to an end.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Impact Wrestling Reax - 3/15/19
Read on for my thoughts on last night's edition of Impact Wrestling.
Friday, March 15, 2019
NXT injury, NOAH show free online, more Supercard plans, NJPW UK update, more on NJPW/ROH injury, WaleMania scheduled, Impact star working MLW more, ROH injury, Rayne's ROH pitch, why Impact changed Tessa match, NXT name being considered for brand change, WWE executive promoted, Stephanie at Special Olympics, WWE books released, Interview with Harlem Heat, new WM35 match, PWT signing, ROH PPV conference, Arn Anderson trademarks, Cody trademarks, NXT live event notes, and Questions on watching ROH, Aries leaving Impact, Gargano's logo, Taz's trademark situation, and Torrie in the HoF
NXT's Chelsea Green broke her wrist during Wednesday night's TV taping, where she had a dark match with Jessie Elaban. She will require surgery before returning to the ring. Green debuted for NXT in October, so she was just starting her tenure there.
Pro Wrestling NOAH's March 17 show will be on YouTube for free. It is the promotion's last show at Hakata Star Lanes before that venue is town down.
Supercard is expected to have at least one more championship vs. championship match.
NJPW is considering a UK tour in 2020 depending on the success of the April 31 London event.
David Finlay is expected to miss six months with a torn labrum. That's really unfortunate after just debuting in ROH, but hopefully he can rebound and get more focus when he returns.
WaleMania will take place on April 4 in New York, but this isn't affiliated with MLW as in years past. That's interesting.
Sami Callihan is going to be a regular for MLW now. He's definitely raised his profile since NXT.
Brody King is believed to have broken his hand in Australia, but he intends to work ROH's 17th anniversary PPV in a cast. As much as I look forward to that match, I'm not sure how wise that is.
Madison Rayne wanted to bring the Beautiful People gimmick to ROH. Velvet Sky has not wrestled since 2016, so she might have been replaced by Mandy Leon. I'm glad that didn't happen, and hopefully Impact doesn't do it, either. That gimmick's been run into the ground and Angelina and Velvet don't really add much as workers.
Eli Drake seemingly pulled out of facing Tessa Blanchard at United We Stand, since he didn't believe in doing an intergender match. So Joey Ryan replaced him. It is something a lot of fans don't enjoy.
NXT's Kairi Sane is being earmarked for Raw or Smackdown Live following WrestleMania. One would think there will be several other names leaving NXT (NXT UK?) for those shows soon.
WWE has promoted Stephanie Fiondella to be vice president of special events.
Stephanie McMahon appeared at the world Special Olympics opening ceremonies.
- She spoke to The National about the experience.
WWE released their cookbook and Pop Quiz Trivia Book.
Harlem Heat discussed going into the WWE Hall of Fame and more.
WrestleMania has officially added AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton.
Mick Foley will appear at Pro Wrestling Tees' Illinois store on April 27.
ROH did a press conference for their 17th anniversary PPV.
Arn Anderson has trademarked that wrestling name and applied to trademark the name "Four Horsemen." I don't know if that second one will get through. That trademark was from Conrad Thompson's company, so it looks like the two sides are working together in Anderson's post-WWE life.
Cody has trademarked "The American Dream" and "The American Nightmare."
At NXT's March 14 Florida live event:
- Sean Waltman was in attendance.
- Rachael Evers appeared for the first time since her NXT signing, teaming with Deonna Purrazzo in a loss to the team of Mia Yim and Taynara Conti. We'll see if either team makes it to TV.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. For those who can't/don't want to watch ROH on TV, it's free on FITE.TV.
2. It looks like it was supposed to be a "worked shoot" angle to get people talking about Aries' future. His contract expired with that show and the two sides have been cordial since then, but the ending was to make it look like he left in disgust after being booked to lose.
3. I'm not sure where they came up with that emoji logo, but it's something they've used with him.
4. As was said, ECW wasn't nearly as in the public eye as WWF was. WWF wanted to make sure Warner Bros. didn't have reason to claim confusion between the two Tazes.
5. Someone decided it was her year and she accepted! There's not much to the process other than that.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Pro Wrestling NOAH's March 17 show will be on YouTube for free. It is the promotion's last show at Hakata Star Lanes before that venue is town down.
Supercard is expected to have at least one more championship vs. championship match.
NJPW is considering a UK tour in 2020 depending on the success of the April 31 London event.
David Finlay is expected to miss six months with a torn labrum. That's really unfortunate after just debuting in ROH, but hopefully he can rebound and get more focus when he returns.
WaleMania will take place on April 4 in New York, but this isn't affiliated with MLW as in years past. That's interesting.
Sami Callihan is going to be a regular for MLW now. He's definitely raised his profile since NXT.
Brody King is believed to have broken his hand in Australia, but he intends to work ROH's 17th anniversary PPV in a cast. As much as I look forward to that match, I'm not sure how wise that is.
Madison Rayne wanted to bring the Beautiful People gimmick to ROH. Velvet Sky has not wrestled since 2016, so she might have been replaced by Mandy Leon. I'm glad that didn't happen, and hopefully Impact doesn't do it, either. That gimmick's been run into the ground and Angelina and Velvet don't really add much as workers.
Eli Drake seemingly pulled out of facing Tessa Blanchard at United We Stand, since he didn't believe in doing an intergender match. So Joey Ryan replaced him. It is something a lot of fans don't enjoy.
NXT's Kairi Sane is being earmarked for Raw or Smackdown Live following WrestleMania. One would think there will be several other names leaving NXT (NXT UK?) for those shows soon.
WWE has promoted Stephanie Fiondella to be vice president of special events.
Stephanie McMahon appeared at the world Special Olympics opening ceremonies.
- She spoke to The National about the experience.
WWE released their cookbook and Pop Quiz Trivia Book.
Harlem Heat discussed going into the WWE Hall of Fame and more.
WrestleMania has officially added AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton.
Mick Foley will appear at Pro Wrestling Tees' Illinois store on April 27.
ROH did a press conference for their 17th anniversary PPV.
Arn Anderson has trademarked that wrestling name and applied to trademark the name "Four Horsemen." I don't know if that second one will get through. That trademark was from Conrad Thompson's company, so it looks like the two sides are working together in Anderson's post-WWE life.
Cody has trademarked "The American Dream" and "The American Nightmare."
At NXT's March 14 Florida live event:
- Sean Waltman was in attendance.
- Rachael Evers appeared for the first time since her NXT signing, teaming with Deonna Purrazzo in a loss to the team of Mia Yim and Taynara Conti. We'll see if either team makes it to TV.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. For those who can't/don't want to watch ROH on TV, it's free on FITE.TV.
2. It looks like it was supposed to be a "worked shoot" angle to get people talking about Aries' future. His contract expired with that show and the two sides have been cordial since then, but the ending was to make it look like he left in disgust after being booked to lose.
3. I'm not sure where they came up with that emoji logo, but it's something they've used with him.
4. As was said, ECW wasn't nearly as in the public eye as WWF was. WWF wanted to make sure Warner Bros. didn't have reason to claim confusion between the two Tazes.
5. Someone decided it was her year and she accepted! There's not much to the process other than that.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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