Read on for thoughts on last night's Smackdown, Mixed Match Challenge, and 205 Live.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
More on Barbed Wire Massacre, Impact names reuniting in WWE?, Impact injury, another potential major Impact departure, Impact looking to go on the road, more on next Impact PPV, Sasha signing set, Interview with Show, more Raw 25 hype from Lilian, legends in WWE 2K18, top HoF name official, Raw name hurt, more on Paige's injury, Miz meets superfan, Impact alum backstage, Impact name teases MMA bout, even more Raw 25 appearances, empty arena match online, Impact departure official, and Questions on pushing Rusev, three people announce teams, Piper vs. Russo, Foley at Raw 25, and Kaufman in WWWF
Pop not airing Impact's Barbed Wire Massacre is apparently a shoot. It will air in other countries on TV as well as on Impact's Twitch page. It will be interesting to see what effect there will be from airing it online instead of on Pop.
Rockstar Spud teased a reunion with Ethan Carter III in WWE. That could be great! I'd much rather see that than Spud on 205 Live. EC3 is completely contractually free, so this might be happening pretty soon.
Impact is moving to 10 p.m. on Spike in the UK this week. I don't know if that's a good move or not.
Mario Bokara is out of action after getting surgery on his ACL and MCL. OUCH. I hope he's able to return before too long.
There's speculation Bobby Lashley has also finished up at Impact Wrestling, which isn't very surprising. He's been an asset there. I hope we see him do good work in WWE soon, too. He'll be contractually free February 1, so he won't be able to work Royal Rumble, but the week after Wrestlemania would be a good time to use him.
Impact is looking to do live events in California, possibly as soon as March. They definitely want to get things moving on that front.
Impact changed their April PPV title to Redemption in order to avoid the traditional steel cage format. The show will be in Ontario.
Sasha Banks is doing a signing at a StubHub in Times Square this coming Sunday.
Big Show discussed not facing Shaquille O'Neal. It's unknown whether we'll see Show at Wrestlemania this year.
Lilian Garcia's latest podcast has Vikcie Guerrero, Mick Foley, Ivory, D-Von Dudley, and Torrie Wilson discussing Raw 25.
The Hardys, Rock 'N' Roll Express, and Beth Phoenix are now available as DLC in WWE 2K18. It took them a while to add Matt and Jeff, huh?
Goldberg was officially announced as headlining the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame class, pretty much confirming he's done as a wrestler. I'm glad the two sides are working together now.
- WWE put out a press release with the announcement.
Jason Jordan didn't work this weekend's Raw live events due to injury. It looks like he's still expected to work the Rumble, which is good given his push right now.
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler will call the action from Manhattan Center for Raw 25. That's really cool.
- Sean Mooney was invited to the show, but is unable to make it.
- Torrie Wilson confirmed she'll be at Raw 25 as well. She'll be joined by Kelly Kelly, Jacqueline, Terri Runnels, and Michelle McCool. I'd think those names have a decent chance of being in the Royal Rumble.
- Chris Jericho is also official for that show. Notably, he has a Fozzy date set for Sunday and will be unable to work the Rumble. He's booked solid through Wrestlemania, but could work NJPW's California show in March.
- Sgt. Slaughter and the Brooklyn Brawler have also been announced. That's a LOT of legends to use.
USA Network will be airing a Raw 25 special after Smackdown Live, opposite the debut of Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook.
NWA released the empty arena match between Tim Storm and Jocephus. It's possible Shaw was just at the taping to do commentary here.
Laurel Van Ness confirmed leaving Impact Wrestling. I hope we see more of her soon. I don't know if WWE would put her in the women's Rumble so soon, but NXT could be a possibility.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It already has! He gets pretty consistent TV time, a new shirt, etc. I don't think him going further as a singles competitor is out of the question, either. Fans are warming up to him as a face.
2. I think the feeling is that there's so much to get across on a WWE broadcast in 2018 that they need three people there to make sure it all gets in! With all the trending worldwide and $9.99 a month and catchphrases and such. It could also be so some of the younger names get some experience to potentially become more important down the line, and, honestly, it could be partially a diversity thing as well.
3. It's a little bit like Punk's situation, where they knew he was going to go out there, but not what he was going to say. It apparently did play off real emotions and heat from Piper.
4. I'm under the impression he's been invited, but might have something he's already set to do that night.
5. It's tough to say because Lawler vs. Kaufman worked SO well.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Rockstar Spud teased a reunion with Ethan Carter III in WWE. That could be great! I'd much rather see that than Spud on 205 Live. EC3 is completely contractually free, so this might be happening pretty soon.
Impact is moving to 10 p.m. on Spike in the UK this week. I don't know if that's a good move or not.
Mario Bokara is out of action after getting surgery on his ACL and MCL. OUCH. I hope he's able to return before too long.
There's speculation Bobby Lashley has also finished up at Impact Wrestling, which isn't very surprising. He's been an asset there. I hope we see him do good work in WWE soon, too. He'll be contractually free February 1, so he won't be able to work Royal Rumble, but the week after Wrestlemania would be a good time to use him.
Impact is looking to do live events in California, possibly as soon as March. They definitely want to get things moving on that front.
Impact changed their April PPV title to Redemption in order to avoid the traditional steel cage format. The show will be in Ontario.
Sasha Banks is doing a signing at a StubHub in Times Square this coming Sunday.
Big Show discussed not facing Shaquille O'Neal. It's unknown whether we'll see Show at Wrestlemania this year.
Lilian Garcia's latest podcast has Vikcie Guerrero, Mick Foley, Ivory, D-Von Dudley, and Torrie Wilson discussing Raw 25.
The Hardys, Rock 'N' Roll Express, and Beth Phoenix are now available as DLC in WWE 2K18. It took them a while to add Matt and Jeff, huh?
Goldberg was officially announced as headlining the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame class, pretty much confirming he's done as a wrestler. I'm glad the two sides are working together now.
- WWE put out a press release with the announcement.
Jason Jordan didn't work this weekend's Raw live events due to injury. It looks like he's still expected to work the Rumble, which is good given his push right now.
Sasha Banks doesn't have any heat for Paige's injury. The spot that led to Paige being hurt had been done the previous night without incident. That's good news given the serious nature of the injury; the heat could have really derailed Sasha's career.
The Miz met a fan who has a haircut of him. That's an insane level of dedication.
Samuel Shaw was backstage at an Impact taping this week but did not end up having a match. We may or may not see him in action at future tapings. I'm curious how he would fit in with the latest regime.
KM teased facing the former Jack Swagger at Bellator. That's hilarious. I'm glad he's making the most of the ATT angle.
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler will call the action from Manhattan Center for Raw 25. That's really cool.
- Sean Mooney was invited to the show, but is unable to make it.
- Torrie Wilson confirmed she'll be at Raw 25 as well. She'll be joined by Kelly Kelly, Jacqueline, Terri Runnels, and Michelle McCool. I'd think those names have a decent chance of being in the Royal Rumble.
- Chris Jericho is also official for that show. Notably, he has a Fozzy date set for Sunday and will be unable to work the Rumble. He's booked solid through Wrestlemania, but could work NJPW's California show in March.
- Sgt. Slaughter and the Brooklyn Brawler have also been announced. That's a LOT of legends to use.
USA Network will be airing a Raw 25 special after Smackdown Live, opposite the debut of Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook.
NWA released the empty arena match between Tim Storm and Jocephus. It's possible Shaw was just at the taping to do commentary here.
Laurel Van Ness confirmed leaving Impact Wrestling. I hope we see more of her soon. I don't know if WWE would put her in the women's Rumble so soon, but NXT could be a possibility.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It already has! He gets pretty consistent TV time, a new shirt, etc. I don't think him going further as a singles competitor is out of the question, either. Fans are warming up to him as a face.
2. I think the feeling is that there's so much to get across on a WWE broadcast in 2018 that they need three people there to make sure it all gets in! With all the trending worldwide and $9.99 a month and catchphrases and such. It could also be so some of the younger names get some experience to potentially become more important down the line, and, honestly, it could be partially a diversity thing as well.
3. It's a little bit like Punk's situation, where they knew he was going to go out there, but not what he was going to say. It apparently did play off real emotions and heat from Piper.
4. I'm under the impression he's been invited, but might have something he's already set to do that night.
5. It's tough to say because Lawler vs. Kaufman worked SO well.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Raw special on NBCSN, big NXT signings official soon, WWE seeking recent Impact departure, Interviews with Naomi/Nia, Booker promotion working with Japanese group, Raw 25 hype, another MMA name seeking WWE debut, more on Edwards injury, Impact signs international legend, Smackdown live event note, and Questions on Y2J vs. Omega, and Rock and Hogan's Raw 25 status
NBC Sports Network will show WWE's top 25 Raw moments Tuesday at 10 p.m. Good to see Raw's anniversary get that kind of play.
NXT is expected to announce a number of notable signings this week. I'm excited to see how the latest names do.
WWE is interested in Ethan Carter III, who just finished up with Impact. I'd love to see him pop up in the Royal Rumble, but we might have to settle for him being in the crowd for Takeover:Philadelphia.
Naomi discussed the women's Royal Rumble and more. There's a good story of her pitching an idea to management and them following through on it. That's how you get things moving at times. I also appreciate how committed she was to get the neon look just right.
Booker T.'s indie promotion has a new working relationship with WORLD-1 in Japan. That sounds good for both sides.
Nia Jax promoted Raw 25. Interesting suggestion!
Peter Rosenberg went inside the WWE warehouse to check out Raw memorabilia. It's amazing how many things they make and never get a chance to reuse. Some of those things would be great charity auction pieces. Also,WWE needs to do a match there, like the old boiler room brawls.
MMA name Paige VanZant discussed potentially going to WWE. I have a feeling we're going to see more crossovers in the years to come as people look to extend their careers after their MMA runs peter out.
Eddie Edwards suffered several broken bones, a broken nose, and some serious cuts that needed to be glued shut after an angle at an Impact taping this week. Dear God. That's a special level of hardcore.
Impact Wrestling has signed Gama Singh, international territory era star. It looks like its a case of him being on-board to pass on knowledge to younger stars. The latest regime definitely made some important moves at the recent tapings. I'm interested to see how things go for them.
Mike Kanellis and The Colons are back on Smackdown live events, teaming with Mojo Rawley in losses to Breezango, Zack Ryder, and Sin Cara.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That's how you get five stars! Got to go big in the Tokyo Dome.
2. I'd think they'd announce him if he was able to be there. He's probably already tied up with something else.
3. He's already given WWE quite a bit. Raw will already have plenty of big stars there who aren't as in-demand as The Rock.
4. Outside of a mainstream scandal, Rock can do pretty much anything and remain in Vince's good graces. WWE needs him a LOT more than Rock needs WWE.
5. I could see them saving him as a surprise so they won't be advertising someone who was last known for racial slurs and a sex tape. Then, once the WWE Universe welcomes him back, they'll be able to have him appear more if they so choose.
More wrestling tomorrow.
NXT is expected to announce a number of notable signings this week. I'm excited to see how the latest names do.
WWE is interested in Ethan Carter III, who just finished up with Impact. I'd love to see him pop up in the Royal Rumble, but we might have to settle for him being in the crowd for Takeover:Philadelphia.
Naomi discussed the women's Royal Rumble and more. There's a good story of her pitching an idea to management and them following through on it. That's how you get things moving at times. I also appreciate how committed she was to get the neon look just right.
Booker T.'s indie promotion has a new working relationship with WORLD-1 in Japan. That sounds good for both sides.
Nia Jax promoted Raw 25. Interesting suggestion!
Peter Rosenberg went inside the WWE warehouse to check out Raw memorabilia. It's amazing how many things they make and never get a chance to reuse. Some of those things would be great charity auction pieces. Also,WWE needs to do a match there, like the old boiler room brawls.
MMA name Paige VanZant discussed potentially going to WWE. I have a feeling we're going to see more crossovers in the years to come as people look to extend their careers after their MMA runs peter out.
Eddie Edwards suffered several broken bones, a broken nose, and some serious cuts that needed to be glued shut after an angle at an Impact taping this week. Dear God. That's a special level of hardcore.
Impact Wrestling has signed Gama Singh, international territory era star. It looks like its a case of him being on-board to pass on knowledge to younger stars. The latest regime definitely made some important moves at the recent tapings. I'm interested to see how things go for them.
Mike Kanellis and The Colons are back on Smackdown live events, teaming with Mojo Rawley in losses to Breezango, Zack Ryder, and Sin Cara.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. That's how you get five stars! Got to go big in the Tokyo Dome.
2. I'd think they'd announce him if he was able to be there. He's probably already tied up with something else.
3. He's already given WWE quite a bit. Raw will already have plenty of big stars there who aren't as in-demand as The Rock.
4. Outside of a mainstream scandal, Rock can do pretty much anything and remain in Vince's good graces. WWE needs him a LOT more than Rock needs WWE.
5. I could see them saving him as a surprise so they won't be advertising someone who was last known for racial slurs and a sex tape. Then, once the WWE Universe welcomes him back, they'll be able to have him appear more if they so choose.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Main Event Reax - 1/13/17, Raw 25 special Monday night, more on 205 Live timeslot, MMC replays set, WWE Network Flashback Friday plans, WOH tournament match set, ROH/NJPW tour announced, Matt Hardy reunion, WWE's 2018 wish list, Interviews with HHH/Stephanie, more Raw 25 hype, WWE signs former MLB player, two Impact departures, indie name makes NCIS, Impact producer replacement, WWE backstage worker at Impact, Impact injury, more on Impact's next PPV, and Questions on WWE Network specials, Goldberg vs. Hogan, champions making more money, and pre-VHS ECW
-- Main Event:
- Dana vs. Alicia:
Fun start.
OK, Dana's growing on me as a personality. Or rather, I'm remembering what she can do now that she's showing it in the ring again.
Not a bad contest.
Alicia's chewing the scenery here.
Alicia is REALLY distracted with Titus and Apollo.
That was pretty good! I like getting to see people we don't get to see as much on Raw.
- Mustafa/Tozawa vs. Gulak/Ariya:
Good work between Tozawa and Gulak.
Pretty solid work here.
I liked the double suplex spot.
Good action all around.
Nice ending sequence.
After Monday's Raw, Corey Graves and Peter Rosenberg will count down the top 25 moments in Raw history. I'm interested in seeing what prevails.
205 Live is set to air from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m. EST Tuesday on WWE Network, so maybe it will be the same length after all. Meh.
Mixed Match Challenge will replay on WWE Network Thursday at 10 p.m. EST. That's a fairly quick turnaround.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday theme this coming week will celebrate the service being in the UK for three years.
Brandi Rhodes vs. Karen Q in the WOH tournament will take place January 20. I'm curious how much they'll feature Brandi given her husband and her role on WAGS Atlanta.
ROH and NJPW have announced their next War of the Worlds tour for May. They'll hit Ontario, Michigan, and Illinois this year. Those shows are always big for both sides.
Woken Matt Hardy has reunited with Vanguard-1.
WWE.com staff has a wish list for 2018. I expect some of those will come to pass!
Triple H promoted Raw 25 with USA Today and the New York Post. Wrestling shirting its focus from events on the road to live television tapings is one of the biggest changes the business has ever seen.
Stephanie McMahon discussed a number of WWE business topics. Wow. Those Lawler comments hardly do good things for WWE's image. At least he's only under a Legends deal now. King is very well protected.
The Iconic Duo lobbied to win NXT's Best of 2017 awards. They're kind of spinning their tires down there. Hopefully they'll move up to Raw or Smackdown after Wrestlemania.
WWE recreated Raw's Attitude Era opening video with today's superstars. I had absolutely no idea what they were saying in that song, but still loved it.
WWE has signed former baseball player and reality star Rinku Singh. He's definitely got good size and an established fan base.
Chris Adonis has announced his departure from Impact Wrestling. He was not used at the ongoing tapings in Florida. That's a shame. I think he was doing well enough in his role there. I hope Eli's able to do well for himself without Adonis around.
Luke Hawx was on NCIS: New Orleans this past week. He's got a pretty good resume for his stunt work.
Jerry Lynn worked as a producer for Impact at the January 13 taping. Tommy Dreamer was not at the show. Both men were replacements for the injured Sonjay Dutt.
Kid Mikaze, who has been a ring gear designer and seamster for WWE, was working at this week's Impact tapings in a similar role. That's an underappreciated role.
Eddie Edwards was taken to the emergency room as a result of an angle with Sami Callihan where he took an errant baseball bat shot to the top of his head. Edwards was bleeding profusely, but the examination came back sound otherwise. That sounds really rough.
Ethan Carter III has asked for and received a release from Impact Wrestling, effective immediately. There was talk that his contract was coming due, but it was at least expected he would complete this set of tapings. The suddenness of the move makes me think there's a big opportunity on the horizon for him - perhaps in Philadelphia? He has trademarked the name "EC3," so he would likely use that name instead of Derrick Bateman. At least, I would hope he would given how much of a splash he has made in this identity.
Impact's April 22 PPV will be called Redemption. It seems they've changed the concept from Lockdown. Time will tell. A whole night of any kind of match can get repetitive, so I wouldn't blame them for trying something different.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Let me check the calendar... YES! IT IS RUSEV DAY!!!
2. The expense to do live specials like those, and things like the UK events, isn't worth the lack of growth in Network subscribers.
3. I'm thinking Hulk wanted to take some time off from being the top guy, given him moving to celebrity matches and the Warrior feud before doing he retirement angle. Nash stepped up in his place for a while.
4. Theoretically being in the title picture means moving up the card, which I believe gets someone more of a percentage of the live gate. It can also mean more merchandise sales and such. But in of itself, there's no pay increase from winning a championship. I know there were stories of Kurt Angle in Impact and Adam Cole in NXT being promised top title runs, but I don't know if it's actually in a contract anywhere.
5. Probably another case of it not being worth paying the talents involved for a show that doesn't lead to a big increase in Network subscribers. It could be a good show to bring back, but I don't know if there's a lot of demand for it.
6. This was back in the days when (at least for ECW) the live experience was a big draw, with the live crowd getting some bonuses that weren't going to be shown elsewhere.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Dana vs. Alicia:
Fun start.
OK, Dana's growing on me as a personality. Or rather, I'm remembering what she can do now that she's showing it in the ring again.
Not a bad contest.
Alicia's chewing the scenery here.
Alicia is REALLY distracted with Titus and Apollo.
That was pretty good! I like getting to see people we don't get to see as much on Raw.
- Mustafa/Tozawa vs. Gulak/Ariya:
Good work between Tozawa and Gulak.
Pretty solid work here.
I liked the double suplex spot.
Good action all around.
Nice ending sequence.
After Monday's Raw, Corey Graves and Peter Rosenberg will count down the top 25 moments in Raw history. I'm interested in seeing what prevails.
205 Live is set to air from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m. EST Tuesday on WWE Network, so maybe it will be the same length after all. Meh.
Mixed Match Challenge will replay on WWE Network Thursday at 10 p.m. EST. That's a fairly quick turnaround.
WWE Network's Flashback Friday theme this coming week will celebrate the service being in the UK for three years.
Brandi Rhodes vs. Karen Q in the WOH tournament will take place January 20. I'm curious how much they'll feature Brandi given her husband and her role on WAGS Atlanta.
ROH and NJPW have announced their next War of the Worlds tour for May. They'll hit Ontario, Michigan, and Illinois this year. Those shows are always big for both sides.
Woken Matt Hardy has reunited with Vanguard-1.
WWE.com staff has a wish list for 2018. I expect some of those will come to pass!
Triple H promoted Raw 25 with USA Today and the New York Post. Wrestling shirting its focus from events on the road to live television tapings is one of the biggest changes the business has ever seen.
Stephanie McMahon discussed a number of WWE business topics. Wow. Those Lawler comments hardly do good things for WWE's image. At least he's only under a Legends deal now. King is very well protected.
The Iconic Duo lobbied to win NXT's Best of 2017 awards. They're kind of spinning their tires down there. Hopefully they'll move up to Raw or Smackdown after Wrestlemania.
WWE recreated Raw's Attitude Era opening video with today's superstars. I had absolutely no idea what they were saying in that song, but still loved it.
WWE has signed former baseball player and reality star Rinku Singh. He's definitely got good size and an established fan base.
Chris Adonis has announced his departure from Impact Wrestling. He was not used at the ongoing tapings in Florida. That's a shame. I think he was doing well enough in his role there. I hope Eli's able to do well for himself without Adonis around.
Luke Hawx was on NCIS: New Orleans this past week. He's got a pretty good resume for his stunt work.
Jerry Lynn worked as a producer for Impact at the January 13 taping. Tommy Dreamer was not at the show. Both men were replacements for the injured Sonjay Dutt.
Kid Mikaze, who has been a ring gear designer and seamster for WWE, was working at this week's Impact tapings in a similar role. That's an underappreciated role.
Eddie Edwards was taken to the emergency room as a result of an angle with Sami Callihan where he took an errant baseball bat shot to the top of his head. Edwards was bleeding profusely, but the examination came back sound otherwise. That sounds really rough.
Ethan Carter III has asked for and received a release from Impact Wrestling, effective immediately. There was talk that his contract was coming due, but it was at least expected he would complete this set of tapings. The suddenness of the move makes me think there's a big opportunity on the horizon for him - perhaps in Philadelphia? He has trademarked the name "EC3," so he would likely use that name instead of Derrick Bateman. At least, I would hope he would given how much of a splash he has made in this identity.
Impact's April 22 PPV will be called Redemption. It seems they've changed the concept from Lockdown. Time will tell. A whole night of any kind of match can get repetitive, so I wouldn't blame them for trying something different.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Let me check the calendar... YES! IT IS RUSEV DAY!!!
2. The expense to do live specials like those, and things like the UK events, isn't worth the lack of growth in Network subscribers.
3. I'm thinking Hulk wanted to take some time off from being the top guy, given him moving to celebrity matches and the Warrior feud before doing he retirement angle. Nash stepped up in his place for a while.
4. Theoretically being in the title picture means moving up the card, which I believe gets someone more of a percentage of the live gate. It can also mean more merchandise sales and such. But in of itself, there's no pay increase from winning a championship. I know there were stories of Kurt Angle in Impact and Adam Cole in NXT being promised top title runs, but I don't know if it's actually in a contract anywhere.
5. Probably another case of it not being worth paying the talents involved for a show that doesn't lead to a big increase in Network subscribers. It could be a good show to bring back, but I don't know if there's a lot of demand for it.
6. This was back in the days when (at least for ECW) the live experience was a big draw, with the live crowd getting some bonuses that weren't going to be shown elsewhere.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, January 12, 2018
WK12 business notes, Rumble reaches a milestone, Johnny Mundo pulling out of AAA title match?, AAA planning international dates, AAA looking to mend bridges, NJPW loaning talent to other Japanese promotion, more on NJPW in Australia, Omega signs new contract, Stardom business up, Stardom injury, more on Aro Lucha plans, ITV moving forward on WOS?, Sinclair losing key TV markets?, more on All In event, why Impact changed the ring, Dutt's Impact role, Impact almost signs former WWE Champion, Van Ness-Impact update, WM34 plans, Joe update, 2018 HoF plans, NXT live event dropped, how MMC will affect 205 Live, another strongman in WWE?, WWE potentially changing TV homes in 2019, top TV home interested in wrestling, Absolution battling flu, more on Rousey-WWE, WWE MLK video, official Takeover song, HHH on meeting Dusty, more Five Star workers, more on Hardy meeting Nordholm, Callis/D'Amore conference call, Cena announces TV projects, another Raw 25 legend, AXS' NJPW schedule, another NXT taping set, NWA taping match before Impact, MMC brackets released, Impact tried to bring back producer, Impact trademark refused, and Questions on Stutts being dropped, bringing back the Slammys, and Impact doing a Broken DVD
New Japan World saw significant subscriber growth for Wrestle Kingdom 12 and the following New Year's Dash event, increasing more than 50 percent. The growth was far past growth from Wrestle Kingdom 11 and the G1 special in the United States, and they're sitting at more than 100,000 subscribers. The number will likely drop after the Jericho boost, but it's still really impressive growth. It looks like not doing the show on U.S. pay-per-view paid off.
Wrestle Kingdom 12 drew just under 45,000 fans, with close to 35,000 paid. That's the biggest NJPW show in 16 years, and the largest non-WWE show in Japan period in that time. Very good work. Understandably, there was a boost in non-Japanese fans at the event, but the growth wasn't entirely due to increased appeal in the English-speaking world.
Royal Rumble 2018 will feature the most wrestlers ever on a PPV event due to the women's Rumble match. That's impressive. Business for the show is very strong, and I'm sure the women's Rumble can be credited for a lot of that. I'd think WWE will make it an annual event if they can fill that many spots.
Johnny Impact has said he won't be working a big AAA title match on January 26, putting the blame on Vampiro. We'll see if that ends up being the case, as the two competitors are involved in an angle.
AAA is looking to run Colombia and Panama in April, Japan in October, and he UK in November. That's pretty big for them.
AAA is trying to get Taya Valkyrie and Sexy Star back at some point. I hope they know what they're doing with Star.
AAA is open to working with CMLL in the future, although it's unlikely CMLL will reciprocate anytime in the near future.
NJPW is loaning Yuji Nagata to All Japan Pro Wrestling due to an injury in AJPW. NJPW doesn't use Nagata that much. I'm glad the two promotions are working together.
NJPW is looking to become a bigger force in Australia, with their four-city tour not just being a one-time thing. They're looking to draw between 3,000 and 4,000 paid fans each night of that tour. I hope NJPW continues to grow.
Kenny Omega has signed a new NJPW contract through the end of January 2019. So, he won't be headed to WWE any time in the near future as some speculated.
Stardom's attendance increased 20 percent in 2017. That's presumably good for ROH given their relationship there.
Kris Wolf is out of action with an unspecified injury. Hopefully she doesn't miss much time.
Aro Lucha intends to tour regardless of getting a TV deal, although obviously that's still a goal. I wish the company well either way.
ITV is considering restarting their World of Sport project this summer without Anthem's involvement. We'll see how far they get if it does end up happening.
FOX is looking to buy a number of Sinclair stations in markets with football teams, which could lead to ROH losing homes in a number of important markets like Seattle and Denver.
The "All In" show has been specifically put together on a weekend when neither ROH nor NJPW have anything planned. That will be key to having key talents there.
Impact's decision to return to a four-sided ring was a Scott D'Amore/Sonjay Dutt call. They intended to the roll it out for the Ottawa tapings, but they weren't able to implement things in time. We'll see how fans take that decision.
Sonjay Dutt was the head writer of this week's Impact tapings, although all ideas go through Nordholm, D'Amore, and Callis before approval.
Rey Mysterio was in talks to work this week's Impact tapings, and was very close to being part of the shows, but the deal didn't end up coming together. He could absolutely end up working there down the line, however. That would certainly be big for the company, but I don't know how much it would affect things at this point.
Laurel Van Ness is still scheduled to finish up with Impact at these tapings. That's a shame given how she's been featured since Bound For Glory.
Wrestlemania is currently set to be headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns and John Cena vs. The Undertaker. Those definitely make sense to be on top. We'll see who is and isn't around once the show is over.
Samoa Joe is still expected to work Wrestlemania. I'm curious how he'll fit into that picture.
The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame is expected to feature Goldberg headlining with the Dudley Boys also inducted. All three are good choices. I'm curious when Undertaker will go in, as I figure this is his last Wrestlemania as a wrestler.
A January 19 NXT show in Florida has been canceled due to the National Guard needing to use the building. That's the first time I've heard of that happening.
205 Live will likely have its time cut back a bit while the Mixed Match Challenge takes place. I'm not that upset, as long as we still get some fun segments.
Recent World's Strongest Man winner Eddie Hall is considering a WWE offer, but has other potential TV work coming in. It could happen down the line, though, as he's retired from competitions.
WWE's shows could be heading to the Fox family of networks in 2019 if UFC leaves for a new home. That would be really big for both sides, with Raw potentially going to the Fox broadcast channel and Smackdown being on Fox Sports 1. Fox would be interested in buying WWE as well, but Vince McMahon could be reluctant to go that route. If any of this comes to pass, it's going to be a huge game changer for all of wrestling.
Viacom is interested in another wrestling product if they can be the owners, as they are with Bellator. That would also be a pretty big move for the industry given the TV exposure involved. Obviously Impact has history there, but there's no indication they'd be under consideration.
Wrestle Kingdom 12 drew just under 45,000 fans, with close to 35,000 paid. That's the biggest NJPW show in 16 years, and the largest non-WWE show in Japan period in that time. Very good work. Understandably, there was a boost in non-Japanese fans at the event, but the growth wasn't entirely due to increased appeal in the English-speaking world.
Royal Rumble 2018 will feature the most wrestlers ever on a PPV event due to the women's Rumble match. That's impressive. Business for the show is very strong, and I'm sure the women's Rumble can be credited for a lot of that. I'd think WWE will make it an annual event if they can fill that many spots.
Johnny Impact has said he won't be working a big AAA title match on January 26, putting the blame on Vampiro. We'll see if that ends up being the case, as the two competitors are involved in an angle.
AAA is looking to run Colombia and Panama in April, Japan in October, and he UK in November. That's pretty big for them.
AAA is trying to get Taya Valkyrie and Sexy Star back at some point. I hope they know what they're doing with Star.
AAA is open to working with CMLL in the future, although it's unlikely CMLL will reciprocate anytime in the near future.
NJPW is loaning Yuji Nagata to All Japan Pro Wrestling due to an injury in AJPW. NJPW doesn't use Nagata that much. I'm glad the two promotions are working together.
NJPW is looking to become a bigger force in Australia, with their four-city tour not just being a one-time thing. They're looking to draw between 3,000 and 4,000 paid fans each night of that tour. I hope NJPW continues to grow.
Kenny Omega has signed a new NJPW contract through the end of January 2019. So, he won't be headed to WWE any time in the near future as some speculated.
Stardom's attendance increased 20 percent in 2017. That's presumably good for ROH given their relationship there.
Kris Wolf is out of action with an unspecified injury. Hopefully she doesn't miss much time.
Aro Lucha intends to tour regardless of getting a TV deal, although obviously that's still a goal. I wish the company well either way.
ITV is considering restarting their World of Sport project this summer without Anthem's involvement. We'll see how far they get if it does end up happening.
FOX is looking to buy a number of Sinclair stations in markets with football teams, which could lead to ROH losing homes in a number of important markets like Seattle and Denver.
The "All In" show has been specifically put together on a weekend when neither ROH nor NJPW have anything planned. That will be key to having key talents there.
Impact's decision to return to a four-sided ring was a Scott D'Amore/Sonjay Dutt call. They intended to the roll it out for the Ottawa tapings, but they weren't able to implement things in time. We'll see how fans take that decision.
Sonjay Dutt was the head writer of this week's Impact tapings, although all ideas go through Nordholm, D'Amore, and Callis before approval.
Rey Mysterio was in talks to work this week's Impact tapings, and was very close to being part of the shows, but the deal didn't end up coming together. He could absolutely end up working there down the line, however. That would certainly be big for the company, but I don't know how much it would affect things at this point.
Laurel Van Ness is still scheduled to finish up with Impact at these tapings. That's a shame given how she's been featured since Bound For Glory.
Wrestlemania is currently set to be headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns and John Cena vs. The Undertaker. Those definitely make sense to be on top. We'll see who is and isn't around once the show is over.
Samoa Joe is still expected to work Wrestlemania. I'm curious how he'll fit into that picture.
The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame is expected to feature Goldberg headlining with the Dudley Boys also inducted. All three are good choices. I'm curious when Undertaker will go in, as I figure this is his last Wrestlemania as a wrestler.
A January 19 NXT show in Florida has been canceled due to the National Guard needing to use the building. That's the first time I've heard of that happening.
205 Live will likely have its time cut back a bit while the Mixed Match Challenge takes place. I'm not that upset, as long as we still get some fun segments.
Recent World's Strongest Man winner Eddie Hall is considering a WWE offer, but has other potential TV work coming in. It could happen down the line, though, as he's retired from competitions.
WWE's shows could be heading to the Fox family of networks in 2019 if UFC leaves for a new home. That would be really big for both sides, with Raw potentially going to the Fox broadcast channel and Smackdown being on Fox Sports 1. Fox would be interested in buying WWE as well, but Vince McMahon could be reluctant to go that route. If any of this comes to pass, it's going to be a huge game changer for all of wrestling.
Viacom is interested in another wrestling product if they can be the owners, as they are with Bellator. That would also be a pretty big move for the industry given the TV exposure involved. Obviously Impact has history there, but there's no indication they'd be under consideration.
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville have been battling the flu. Hopefully it doesn't spread further.
Enzo Amore discussed Ronda Rousey on TMZ. Enzo vs. Rousey would be amazing. I would watch the hell out of that.
- Triple H discussed Rousey with ESPN. It's likely WWE is using mainstream outlets to build anticipation for something that's already pretty much set, so they can have an official announcement of their own later.
WWE has posted their annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day video. I'm glad they do those.
Takeover: Philadelphia has an official theme song. I like the different sound for the brand.
Triple H discussed meeting Dusty Rhodes at Center Stage, where NXT taped TV recently and WCW previously taped a lot of TV. Pretty cool to see how things have changed over the years.
Five Star Wrestling will also feature Chris Masters/Adonis, Carlito, PJ Black/Justin Gabriel and Moose in addition to many local UK talents. I hope it's a good mix for everyone involved.
Matt Hardy likely met with Ed Nordholm when Raw did a live event in Toronto not too long back. I'm glad their issues are settled and everyone can move on.
Scott D'Amore and Don Callis held a media conference call. Some highlights:
- They chose to announce Austin Aries winning their world championship in order to beat other outlets to reporting it. It makes sense to get the buzz to their own online homes where possible.
- The Twitch deal will feature older content and original, exclusive content. Some of the new content will be behind-the-scenes footage of talents. One would think that would overlap with GWN a bit, but hopefully they complement each other.
- The move to a four-sided ring was partially due to it being better for taking bumps on.
- There aren't plans for Callis and D'Amore to be on TV, nor are there plans for anyone else to be an authority figure. I'm split on that, but I see the argument too much screen time has been given to non-wrestlers.
- Impact intends to return to the UK. It could definitely be good to have a change of location for some things.
- New championship belts are coming in April. They're currently using GFW titles that have been altered. It's kind of awkward.
- Impact is willing to work with ITV on the World of Sport project.
- Moose tweaked his knee, but is believed to be OK. That's good news given the announced match with Alberto later in the month.
John Cena will be working with Nickelodeon, hosting the Kids' Choice Awards again, executive producing a game show, and voicing a character on an upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show. Good to see him getting so much outside work.
"Mean" Gene Okerlund is booked for Raw 25. That's going to be a really stacked show.
AXS TV will feature matches from Wrestle Kingdom 12 through February 9 before showing matches from New Year's Dash beginning February 16. Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega will get an encore presentation on February 2. 2018 could be a big year for AXS.
NXT will tape at Full Sail on March 7. So, they won't be away from "home" for TOO long.
The NWA will tape an empty arena match between Tim Storm and Josephus on Sunday at the site of that day's Impact Wrestling tapings. This match will be for Storm's NWA World Championship rematch, and will be filmed before Impact shoots their own content. There are no plans for NWA-Impact crossover at this time, but it's interesting Impact let them use the venue. Impact was part of the NWA in its early years, but that association ended in 2007.
WWE has released the bracket for the Mixed Match Challenge. I like the idea of the fans giving a team a second chance.
Impact tried to use the former Simon Diamond as a producer for this week's tapings, but Diamond was too busy with his successful work in real estate. I'm glad Dreamer was able to fill in.
Anthem's attempt to trademark "Impact Grand Champion" was refused because they applied for its use for belt buckles instead of a full belt. There was also confusion with the trademark of "Impact Grand Championship" by TNA Entertainment, Inc. VINTAGE Impact!!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.This was answered before NXT announced another taping in Full Sail.
Everyone should read the answer to 2. Very well put. I should note I live in the same county where CWF Mid-Atlantic operates. I have a friend/acquaintance who does work there, but we're not in regular contact and I've never met Stutts. I don't have any additional insight to what has been reported, as, somewhat surprisingly, I haven't seen any local coverage of what happened. The local newspaper only occasionally covers the company, as in maybe once a year or so for a feature piece. At any rate, Mike's answer here was very insightful. I would also recommend Bruce Mitchell's column, as he has regularly attends shows in the area.
Small correction on 3. It's "One Fall," not "One Fan."
4. I still think it's because they'd either have to do editions for Raw and Smackdown or they'd have to cancel a Smackdown live event in order to have the whole roster at one event. I like the idea of it being a WWE Network special in the vain of how it used to be presented as an awards show, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if it was just something on WWE.com.
5. They should, given how much talk there is about it. People are willing to watch the footage on YouTube, so they might as well make one big compilation of it all.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Triple H discussed Rousey with ESPN. It's likely WWE is using mainstream outlets to build anticipation for something that's already pretty much set, so they can have an official announcement of their own later.
WWE has posted their annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day video. I'm glad they do those.
Takeover: Philadelphia has an official theme song. I like the different sound for the brand.
Triple H discussed meeting Dusty Rhodes at Center Stage, where NXT taped TV recently and WCW previously taped a lot of TV. Pretty cool to see how things have changed over the years.
Five Star Wrestling will also feature Chris Masters/Adonis, Carlito, PJ Black/Justin Gabriel and Moose in addition to many local UK talents. I hope it's a good mix for everyone involved.
Matt Hardy likely met with Ed Nordholm when Raw did a live event in Toronto not too long back. I'm glad their issues are settled and everyone can move on.
Scott D'Amore and Don Callis held a media conference call. Some highlights:
- They chose to announce Austin Aries winning their world championship in order to beat other outlets to reporting it. It makes sense to get the buzz to their own online homes where possible.
- The Twitch deal will feature older content and original, exclusive content. Some of the new content will be behind-the-scenes footage of talents. One would think that would overlap with GWN a bit, but hopefully they complement each other.
- The move to a four-sided ring was partially due to it being better for taking bumps on.
- There aren't plans for Callis and D'Amore to be on TV, nor are there plans for anyone else to be an authority figure. I'm split on that, but I see the argument too much screen time has been given to non-wrestlers.
- Impact intends to return to the UK. It could definitely be good to have a change of location for some things.
- New championship belts are coming in April. They're currently using GFW titles that have been altered. It's kind of awkward.
- Impact is willing to work with ITV on the World of Sport project.
- Moose tweaked his knee, but is believed to be OK. That's good news given the announced match with Alberto later in the month.
John Cena will be working with Nickelodeon, hosting the Kids' Choice Awards again, executive producing a game show, and voicing a character on an upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show. Good to see him getting so much outside work.
"Mean" Gene Okerlund is booked for Raw 25. That's going to be a really stacked show.
AXS TV will feature matches from Wrestle Kingdom 12 through February 9 before showing matches from New Year's Dash beginning February 16. Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega will get an encore presentation on February 2. 2018 could be a big year for AXS.
NXT will tape at Full Sail on March 7. So, they won't be away from "home" for TOO long.
The NWA will tape an empty arena match between Tim Storm and Josephus on Sunday at the site of that day's Impact Wrestling tapings. This match will be for Storm's NWA World Championship rematch, and will be filmed before Impact shoots their own content. There are no plans for NWA-Impact crossover at this time, but it's interesting Impact let them use the venue. Impact was part of the NWA in its early years, but that association ended in 2007.
WWE has released the bracket for the Mixed Match Challenge. I like the idea of the fans giving a team a second chance.
Impact tried to use the former Simon Diamond as a producer for this week's tapings, but Diamond was too busy with his successful work in real estate. I'm glad Dreamer was able to fill in.
Anthem's attempt to trademark "Impact Grand Champion" was refused because they applied for its use for belt buckles instead of a full belt. There was also confusion with the trademark of "Impact Grand Championship" by TNA Entertainment, Inc. VINTAGE Impact!!
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1.This was answered before NXT announced another taping in Full Sail.
Everyone should read the answer to 2. Very well put. I should note I live in the same county where CWF Mid-Atlantic operates. I have a friend/acquaintance who does work there, but we're not in regular contact and I've never met Stutts. I don't have any additional insight to what has been reported, as, somewhat surprisingly, I haven't seen any local coverage of what happened. The local newspaper only occasionally covers the company, as in maybe once a year or so for a feature piece. At any rate, Mike's answer here was very insightful. I would also recommend Bruce Mitchell's column, as he has regularly attends shows in the area.
Small correction on 3. It's "One Fall," not "One Fan."
4. I still think it's because they'd either have to do editions for Raw and Smackdown or they'd have to cancel a Smackdown live event in order to have the whole roster at one event. I like the idea of it being a WWE Network special in the vain of how it used to be presented as an awards show, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if it was just something on WWE.com.
5. They should, given how much talk there is about it. People are willing to watch the footage on YouTube, so they might as well make one big compilation of it all.
More wrestling tomorrow.
MYC name has GoFundMe, assorted WWE press, Interview with Gas, WWE opposing rapper trademark, ROH signs first WOH member, WOH TV match set, MMC charities announced, Impact match on Twitch, Lawler working on books, Paige done wrestling, Impact audience, title match at Rumble, indie name says goodbye, and Questions on incomplete libraries, historic matches, Zayn's appeal, Sheamus' accent, wrestling Gables, and Tonya Harding
Jazzy Gabert has a GoFundMe page to help fund medical procedures ahead of looking to get a WWE contract. I hope she's successful.
Matt Hardy talked before a Raw live event. That had to have been an interesting experience for the interviewer.
Beth Phoenix is on the latest Edge and Christian podcast.
Pete Gas spoke to Sam Roberts. Roberts released highlights. I'm glad no one's trying to "break" the wrestlers now.
WWE is opposing rapper Travis Scott's attempt to trademark the name "Cactus Jack," which Scott uses as a nickname. I'd like to think they could do a Sting situation where the singer and wrestler are able to perform independently. However, there's definitely potential for confusion if WWE tries to sell Cactus Jack's theme song or Scott tries to sell merchandise with that name on it, so it's worth exploring.
Deonna Purrazzo has signed a non-exclusive ROH contract, which means she'll be able to wrestle other indies but not WWE, Impact, LU, etc. ROH is looking to sign other Women of Honor to deals as well.
Madison Rayne vs. Mandy Leon is set for ROH's January 20 taping. We'll see if Madison becomes a regular or if WWE or Impact make use of her down the line.
WWE has announced the charities attached to the Mixed Match Challenge series. I expect philanthropy to continue to be a focus there.
Dana Brooke has been added to the women's Royal Rumble. I assume she's going to be one of many Asuka victims.
The Barbed Wire Massacre between LAX and oVe will air on Twitch rather than Pop, with the storyline being that the match is too violent for TV. That's a big move for the new content deal. Pop seems fine to keep Impact around, so we could see more moves like this.
Jerry Lawler is working on a second autobiography as well as a book of artwork. He's got a lot to cover from the time his last book left off in 2001.
Paige is not being cleared to return to the ring after her latest injury, and is reportedly done as a wrestler in WWE. She will likely stay as part of the company in another role, as she is well liked by management and WWE Films' movie on her life is due out in September. That's a big surprise after finally returning to the ring. I hope she's still able to heavily contribute to the company if she so chooses. A lot of wrestlers don't even get signed by 25!
- Also of note, she'll continue to promote her own independent brand, Saraya, with Rosa Mendes and Mendes' husband.
Impact Wrestling drew 276,000 viewers this week. Notably, they haven't begun airing anything taped under the D'Amore/Callis regime yet.
Enzo Amore vs. Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship is official for Royal Rumble. It will be interesting to see if any "205 Live" competitors are in the match itself.
Hanson worked a farewell match for Chaotic Wrestling in Massachusetts on January 12 ahead of beginning training at the WWE Performance Center. WWE should announce War Machine being signed by the end of the month.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Ahh the good old days of physical videotapes. I don't miss having to tape over existing footage or buying new tapes a bit! I can only imagine the walls and walls of decaying tapes WWE hasn't even gotten to digitizing yet. Phew!
2. Hmmm. The two that come to mind are Wrestlemania III and the night Bruno lost the WWWF Championship. Two absolutely historic moments.
3. I think Sami is an incredibly talented worker, but I've never been impressed with him as a personality in WWE. I definitely think him being heel is fresh, though, and I hope he sticks with it a while. He's much more interesting when he can play off someone like Owens.
4. We're now at a point where legitimate Irish accents sound fake. Wild.
5. The last name is an homage, but there's no relation unless Dan pulled a Kurt Angle. I don't see WWE using someone that old as a regular character.
6. Imagine the celebrity notoriety WWE could have played off post-Attitude Era. Wrestling used to be rather exploitative on that front.
More wrestling tomorrow.
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