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Big Cass is scheduled to be on the road this week for WWE, so whatever his potential injury issues are, they are not preventing him for touring for the company, according to PWInsider.
Cass was pulled from last week’s Smackdown due to a potential leg injury that was hampering him over the course of the WWE European tour.
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It’s always good to get on the Great One’s good side. After all, an endorsement from The Rock can go a long way to helping you become a top Superstar and the most popular kid in school. Now it looks like another talented up-and-comer caught his eye and he had to comment on her skills.
Dakota Kai is the real deal. This New Zealander came into WWE during the Mae Young Classic and she started turning heads from the getgo. Kai was one of the recruits signed to an NXT deal and she’s been touring around and impressing people ever since.
If you’ve ever seen Dakota Kai do her thing live then you’re well aware just how great she is. It might be only a matter of time before she’s lighting it up on the main roster. But in the meantime, she’ll keep polishing her skills to become an even better sports entertainer at the WWE Performance Center.
Kai really put The Rock over during her Q&A by saying: “I was hooked on The Rock and his ability to captivate an audience. From there, one of my friends I used to do athletics with told me about a local company that needed more girls. That was in 2007, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Dwayne Johnson obviously noticed this and had some great advice for Dakota Kai that she should keep performing and avoid backstage BS. This is a great piece of advice for anyone.
Very cool and flattering @DakotaKai_WWE. Thank you! Look forward to following your career. Work extremely hard, have FUN in the ring performing for the fans and always stay above bullshit backstage politics ?????????? https://t.co/OI4PTiW20I
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 3, 2018
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Here are results from WWE Live’s house show with RAW brand talent in Monroe, LA, on Saturday provided by PWInsider:
Bobby Roode beat Mojo Rawley.
Nia Jax beat Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks and Bayley to retain the Women’s Title.
Cedric Alexander beat Kalisto to retain The Cruiserweight Title.
Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre beat Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews.
Baron Corbin beat Chad Gable.
Ember Moon and Natalya beat Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan.
Seth Rollins beat Elias to retain the Intercontinental Title.
Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy beat The B Team to retain the Tag Team Titles.
Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Finn Balor beat Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
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We’re looking for your thoughts on last night’s UFC 191 PPV show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer
We’re also looking for reports on these shows:
*WWE Friday night in Hampton, VA
*WWE Saturday night in Charlottesville
*WWE Saturday night in Wildwood, NJ
*WWE Sunday in Fairfax, VA
*WWE Sunday in Salisbury, MD
*GFW Friday in Waterloo, IA
WWE runs Sunday in Fairfax, VA (John Cena vs. Kevin Owens) and Salisbury, MD (Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt, Ryback vs. Big Show, Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose).
Raw will be Monday night in Baltimore.
Smackdown and Main Event are taped Tuesday night in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
It’s a gigantic news week in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter with the main feature story on everything that led to the indictment of Jimmy Snuka after 32 years, plus Irv Muchnick, who has reported on the story for years gives his views on the proceedings, and we also look at Hulk Hogan’s attempt at redemption of his character, the full story behind the shooting at the Performance Center, notes from Battle of Los Angeles, the retirement of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Hayabusa walks to the ring, Bram gets arrested, WWE fires Zahra Schreiber, UFC brings back Travis Browne, a rundown of the PPV business in WWE in 2015 and the latest monthly business report from WWE & TNA.
The latest Wrestling Observer: September 7, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Snuka indicted, shooting at WWE Performance Center and tons more
Web site subscriptions, which include access to both current and older newsletters as well as every audio show in the history of the site. Sign up here for as low as $9.99 per month!
You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer
You can also order at www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected]
Rates are:
For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected] For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.
Click Here: New Zealand Rugby ShopThe Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.
Our lead story goes back to 1983 with an in-depth look at the death of Nancy Argentino, how the media caused the case to be reopened, a look at the charges against Jimmy Snuka, the different statements on the subject by Snuka, Snuka’s lawyer speaks, notes on documentation and testimony from the time, lots of notes regarding evidence, where Jimmy Snuka stood in the wrestling business in 1983, how Buddy Rogers fits into this story, what Snuka told police the morning after Argentino died as well as testimony from those who treated Argentino before her death.
We also look at the autopsy report, the police report from that time, the strange question that was never answered regarding the case being dropped, what Snuka has said to different people, the brawl in Syracuse before Argentino’s death, how the pro wrestling business in 1983 is so completely different from today and the previous legal action regarding this case.
Irv Muchnick also does a piece on the indictment talking about several points from the indictment.
We also look at Hulk Hogan appearing on Good Morning America and Nightline in a way to get his job back and repair his public image. We look at the WWE reaction, what Hogan said, what does and doesn’t hold up, the timeline issues with his various stories, neighbors of his growing up contradict his story and more.
We also look at the story of the man who was shot in front of the Performance Center, the circumstances of the shooting, and the different things he had done in recent months regarding his obsession with wrestling.
We also look at Battle of Los Angeles, how the tournament went, highlights from the weekend and celebrities at the shows.
We also look back at the career of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, including his new job with UFC, his becoming the top heavyweight in the sport at one time, his background, his debut in RINGS, his move to Pride, his fight with Bob Sapp, his three fight series with Fedor and his UFC run.
We look at the arrest of Thomas “Bram” Latimer of TNA, police details of what happened, TNA’s response and what is next for him.
We’ve got a story on Hayabusa, one of the best high flyers from 15-20 years ago and his attempted recovery from near paralysis.
We’ve got a look at Travis Browne and his reinstatement in UFC.
We look at the firing of Zahra Schreiber, the girlfriend of Seth Rollins, by WWE.
We also look at WWE & TNA business when it comes to house shows, merchandise, ratings and other categories for the past month.
We also have a PPV chart with how all the shows in the first seven months of the year have been, and compared them with the last few years.
We also look at WWE signing one of the major international women stars and why she’s not going to be wrestling in NXT, the return of Dr. Wagner Jr. & L.A. Park to Arena Mexico and how it got over, top pro wrestling star gets a reality show gig, and some major title changes.
We also look at maneuvering for the 2017 and 2018 WrestleMania, and the favorites, the 10/3 Madison Square Garden WWE live special, notes on lots of indie stars on WWE’s radar, ticket sales for NXT in the U.K., a new WWE movie, Update on Wade Barrett, action figure sales, announcing changes, SummerSlam edits, lots of notes on various WWE lawsuits, Dean Ambrose talks Renee Young, Fan tries to attack Ambrose, Sara Lee in NXT, plus notes on all the WWE & NXT house shows over the past week.
We also look at a number of top stars who worked recently in Bolivia, the last AAA TV taping and AAA wrestlers in a bodybuilding contest.
We update Wrestle-1 and the three generations of green mist stars trios match.
We also look at the Dragon Gate summer tag team tournament and its big show in Fukuoka and what came out of it.
We look at All Japan’s last major show and its current singles tournament.
We look at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s next major show, including a title match that was set up in the U.S., a well as the bracketing in the upcoming junior heavyweight tag team tournament.
We look at the weekend IGF show, a record that will be set at the next Tokyo Dome show, and the NWA title change.
We also look at U.S. stars who usually don’t tour Japan that are going shortly.
We’ve got more on the planned bio movie on Chris Benoit, Angelo Mosca getting his number retired, the weekend GFW shows and angles, Preston City Wrestling’s weekend show, former TNA star retires and a unique main event, plus early notes on this year’s WWC Anniversary show.
We also update the TNA TV situation, the Lucha Underground TV situation, the next ROH PPV show, new roles for people in ROH and notes from the weekend show.
We also look at changes in UFC main events, can UFC sell 70,000 tickets to its November show with Ronda Rousey, Rousey talks when she expects to retire, Cyborg, the date with the marine and notes about live shows on Fight Pass this month. We also look at this week’s PPV show, talks about the Jan. 2 Las Vegas card, a star fighter retires, Chad Mendes wants a rematch with McGregor, what happened recently with Jose Aldo, Rousey T-shirt sales, plus lots of more fights.
We also have a look at Bellator’s next major show, including the updated card, as well as plans for the big November show. We look at the Fan Fest with Fedor and Sakuraba, as well as notes on last week’s show.
We also look at the arrest of Chris Leben, and new restrictions on weight cutting that is being tried out for in California.
If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today. With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today.
New subscribers ordering 24 or 40 issues have to let us know what major stories of the past 11 years you are most interested in and we’ll send the issue with the best coverage of that story. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.
Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues
SUNDAY’S NEWS UPDATE
Our weekend show talking UFC 191 with Tom Lawlor: Wrestling Observer Radio 9/6: UFC 191, Cena injury, Conor McGregor latest rampage, more!
Here is our live results: UFC 191: Johnson vs. Dodson 2 live results and coverage
Check out how the staff did in their picks: UFC 191 Picks and Betting Game From The Secret Psychic Spy~!
Not a lot coming out of last night’s UFC show. In the Frank Mir vs. Andrei Arlovski fight, Judge Adelaide Byrd had all three rounds for Arlovski. Judge Sal D’Amato had one and three for Arlovski. Chris Lee also had one and three for Arlovski. Dana White said he thought Mir won. I had Arlovski. Media scores were about 75% for Arlovski. Arlovski outlanded him in all three rounds but round two was close and Mir got a takedown in that round.
UFC 191 had 200,000 searches yesterday, which is significantly more than one would have expected from that show. It was seventh behind six different football related themes. Five were college football schools or coverage and one was Tim Tebow. Of the top 20 searches yesterday, 19 of them were football related, 18 college football and UFC 191 was the only thing that wasn’t football related.
CHIKARA King of Trios from night one on Friday night in Easton, PA
Juan Francisco de Coronado & Mr. Azerbaijin & Proletariat Boar of Moldova b Mark Andrews & Morgan Webster & Pete Dunne
MK McKinnan & Trent ? & Tyler Bae b Jakob Hammermeier & Nekken & Soldier Ant
Kodama & Obariyan & Oleg the Usurper b El Hijo del Ice Cream & Ice Cream Jr. & Princess Kimber Lee
Blaster McMassive & Flex Rumblecrunch & Max Smashmaster b Stevie Richards & Blue Meanie & Nova
Kevin Condron & Lucas Calhoun & Missile Assault Man b Dasher Hatfield & Icarus & Mark Angelosetti
A.J. Styles & Young Bucks b Amasis & Fire Ant & Worker Ant
Frightmare & Hallowicked & Silver Ant b Eddie Kingston & Ophidian & Shynron
Aero Star & Drago & Fenix b Chuck Taylor & Drew Gulak & Swamp Monster
CHIKARA King of Trios from night two in Easton, PA last night
Jake b Ashley Remington
MK McKinnan & Trent ? & Tyler Bae b Juan Francisco de Coronado & Proletariat Boar of Moldova & Mr. Azerbaijan
Shynon won four-way over 2 Cold Scorpio, Matt Cross and Madjai Amasis
Aero Star & Drago & Fenix b Hallowicked & Frightmare & Silver Ant
3.0 & NRG b Flying Francis & Arctic Rescue Ant & Orbit Adventure Ant
A.J. Styles & Young Bucks b Kevin Condron & Lucas Calhoun & Missile Assault Man
Mark Andrews won four-way over Pinkie Sanchez, Purpura and Ophidian Cobra
Max Smashmaster & Blaster McMassive & Flex Rumblecrunch b Obariyon & Kodama & Oleg the Usurper
Damian Gonzalez said that he just watched SummerSlam on the WWE Network and Brock Lesnar’s middle finger was not edited off, but the New Day ring entrance was edited off.
Beyonce shows Ronda Rousey video at her concert last night
A story on Irv Muchnick and the Jimmy Snuka case
Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler, John Layfield, Ron Simmons, RVD, Chyna and Katrina from Lucha Underground appear at the San Antonio Comic Con from 9/11 to 9/13 signing autographs (thanks to Pete Schirmacher)
The new season of The Ultimate Fighter debuts Wednesday night with a two-hour special from 10 p.m. to midnight on FS 1.
The plan for the trio of The Ascension and Stardust is to be called the Cosmic Wasteland.
Squared Circle Pro Wrestling on 9/26 in Lubbock
WWE runs Lubbock on 10/17 with John Cena and Seth Rollins headlining (thanks to Victor Martinez)
Right Coast Pro on 9/12 at Life Community Church in Newark, DE
Lucha Xtreme TV from last night in Fresno: Levi Shapiro b Elemento, Manny Fernandez b Jesse Pool-DQ, Mike Rayne b Wiseguy (thanks to Jon Southerland)
I Believe in Wrestling from last night in Orlando: Lince Dorado b Rex Bacchus, Chico Adams b Derick Jordan, Brandon Scherer b Dalton Murphy, Mark Silva b Carlos Rivera, Josh Hess b Josh Parker, Jonny Vandal & Tyranus b Mike Reed & Ace Andrews, Rhett Ghiddins b Aaron Epic. Next show is 9/19 (thanks to Al Haft)
The new match on NWAClassics.com is Wahoo McDaniel vs. Masked Ichiban managed by Gary Hart.
Ricochet is taking bookings through Bill Behrens at [email protected] He’s based out of Orlando. Others available include A.J. Styles (Atlanta), Christopher Daniels (Los Angeles), Frankie Kazarian (Los Angeles), Matt Sydal (Tampa), Moose (Atlanta), Jay Lethal (Tampano bookings allowed in U.S., only international), Drew Galloway (Tampa), Eric Young (Nashville), James Storm (Nashville), Bobby Roode (Toronto), Mike Posey (Birmingham) and Corey Hills (Atlanta).
Trans South Wrestling from last night in Union, SC: TK Stark b George South, Kameron Kade b JR Reynolds & Ostgard, Boris Baranov b Vinnie Valentino, Deon Johnson & Peter Kaasa b Eric Adamz & Black Angel, Chase Brown b Matt Hardy. Next show is 10/3 in Union, SC (thanks to Thomas Simpson)
Destiny World Wrestling from last night in Mississauaga, ONT: Scotty O’Shea won four-way over Ethan Page, Marcus Burke and Damien Adams, Tyler Tirva b Robbie McAllister, Randy Reign b David Kross-DQ, Bobby Roode & Rhyno b Flatliners, Jennifer Blake b Alexia Nicole, P.J. Black b Kongo Kong to retain DWW (thanks to Steven Ashe)
IWS from last night in Montreal before 200 fans: Excess b Chris Dickinson to win Canadian title, Shayne Hawke b Evan Adams, Vampiro & Green Phantom b Latino Connection and Los Cartel in a three-way, TDT b Super Smash Brothers, Black Dynamite b Sexxxy Eddy, Speedball Mike Bailey b Jack Evans. Vampiro met with Louis Laurence, who trained him back in 1986. This was his first match in Montreal in 28 years. Rey Mysterio faces Mike Bailey on 3/5 at the Metropolis in Montreal. (thanks to Patric Laprade)
Dynamo Pro Wrestling from last night in Fenton, MO: Kevin Lee Davidson b Adrian Surge, Evan Morris b Snitch, Jayden Fenix b Rocket Mapache, Mike Sydal b Justin D’Air, Ricky Cruz & Shorty Biggs & Outtkast b Brandon Espinosa & Elvis Aliaga & Danny Adams, Jack Gamble & Jon Webb b Michael Magnuson & Dave DeLoran-DQ, Jake Dirden b Brandon Aarons, Michael Elgin b Mike Outlaw (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
Nova Pro Wrestling on 9/12 in Orlando at the Northwest Community Center with Teddy Hart, Santana Garrett, Jesus (Ricardo Rodriguez), Lince Dorado and others.
Prairie Wrestling Alliance on 9/19 in Calgary at the Century Casino Showroom and 9/26 in Edmonton at the Northgate Lions Center.
Hoosier Pro Wrestling from last night in Columbus, IN: Tom Van Zant b Drax O’Brien, Psycho b Dynamite Dillen, Lightning Bolt b Troy Van Zant, Wicked Clown b A.J. Hawkins, Eddie Felson b Mini Mr. Big, Flash Flanagan & Trailer Park Trash NC Marc Houston & TJ Kemp. Cousin Cooter worked under the name Psycho in honor of Psycho, a former HPW wrestler who passed away a few weeks ago. Next show is 10/3 with Jimmy Valiant (thanks to Jerry Wilson)
An interview with Vampiro and his original trainer
Phil Mushnick on the Jimmy Snuka story
El Santo vs. Black Gordman including a DDT circa 1966
Dave Brown’s last weathercast on WMC TV
ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY INTERNATIONAL (thanks to Graeme Cameron)
1966 – Black Gordman beat La Pantera Negra in Victoria to win the Mexican national heavyweight title. Both of those guys were in California in the 70s
1972 – Bulldog Brower beat Spyros Arion in Brisbane to win the Austra Asian title
1972 – The Sheik beat Seiji Sakaguchi to win the United National title
1974 – Mario Milano beat Bob Roop in Sydney to win the WCW Brass Knux title
1996 – Canek beat Cadaver de Ultratumba to win the UWA heavyweight title
2003 – Toshiaki Kawada beat Shinjiro Otani in the tournament final to win the Triple Crown
2008 – Kensuke Sasaki beat Takeshi Morishima in Kyoto to win the GHC title
2009 – Aero Star & Fabi Apache beat Oriental & Cinthia Moreno in Hidalgo to win the AAA mixed tag title
2013 – Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Rush in Mexico City to win the finals of the Universal title tournament
Over the past few months, The Velveteen Dream has been taking shots at indie wrestlers especially Ricochet even before he made his in-ring debut at NXT. The two locked horns during the May 16th episode of NXT TV, but the match ended in a no contest due to Lars Sullivan interfering in the match. Things got more personal during the May 23rd episode of NXT TV when The Velveteen Dream left Ricochet to Lars Sullivan in their 2-on-1 Handicap Match. On the May 30th episode of NXT TV, it was confirmed that the two will battle at the upcoming NXT TakeOver: Chicago II PPV Event. During the segment, Ricochet did a flip which silenced The Dream.
Things have gotten really personal since then as over the last couple of weeks on Twitter, The Velveteen Dream has been taking shots at Ricochet and Ricochet didn’t take things lying down as he also took to Twitter and responded to The Dream’s comments about him. First, The Dream took to Twitter and commented about Ricochet’s indie career when he was Prince Puma at Lucha Underground and even saying that he can’t both be The Prince and The King. After a few days, The Dream once again took To Twitter and commented about Ricochet’s pay in the indie scene. Just recently, Ricochet decided to throw one of his own shots and reminded Dream of his WWE Tough Enough past where he was eliminated about halfway through the show, despite being one of the favorites. Ricochet wrote, “The result will be the same at Takeover: Chicago.” Aside from those tweets, there were a few other tweets that were exchanged by The Dream and Ricochet. You can check out the exchange of tweets below:
R I C O C H E T
The story of a boy who never grew up…..
SPOILER:
In the end,
The Dream
makes a Man outta U. pic.twitter.com/bOisv3lHx4
— DREAMSTER (@VelveteenWWE) May 26, 2018
If U Get 2 B KING
I Get 2 B PRINCE
U CAN’T BE BOTH!
— DREAMSTER (@VelveteenWWE) May 31, 2018
Walk up to @VelveteenWWE? Nah, @KingRicochet would rather FLY! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/zjmXZlYhpD
— WWE (@WWE) May 31, 2018
Hey @VelveteenWWE….cat got your tongue? pic.twitter.com/rX3BEUHuEC
— The One And Only! (@KingRicochet) May 31, 2018
TAKEOVER CHICAGO
JUNE 16TH @KingRicochet …..
GOOD LUCK BROTHER!
Cause UR Gonna Need It pic.twitter.com/WT9dPu3S3z
— DREAMSTER (@VelveteenWWE) June 2, 2018
TAKEOVER CHICAGO
JUNE 16TH
The Purple RainMaker…..
Ricochet Won’t C It Coming! pic.twitter.com/qruulS4oOA
— DREAMSTER (@VelveteenWWE) June 2, 2018
Ricochet may not get the bonus pay 4 going over at TakeOver
But The DREAM
will make sure U get that
Hot Dog and Handshake
UR used 2 after the match…..#IndyPay pic.twitter.com/opfH82Z6IR
— DREAMSTER (@VelveteenWWE) June 3, 2018
The result will be the same at Takeover Chicago. #ELIMINATED pic.twitter.com/WXUQEVUYW9
— The One And Only! (@KingRicochet) June 3, 2018
Watching 205 Live Main Event
They NEED a new champ
and a new roster. Since TakeOver belongs 2
The DREAM
maybe 205 can be URs ….@KingRicochet
— DREAMSTER (@VelveteenWWE) June 4, 2018
I’ll be honest with ya, ANY brand I’m in would belong to me. Too bad for you right now, it’s @WWENXT.
You’ll find that out at Takeover.
?? https://t.co/mxZJhuKjJa
— The One And Only! (@KingRicochet) June 4, 2018
By Joshua Sites
I was at the TNA house show tonight at the York Fairgrounds in York, PA.
Results:
Tyrus b. DJZ by pinfall in a nothing match. Nobody knew Tyrus by his TNA name. Everyone was yelling Brodus and Funkasaurus.
The Wolves b. Abyss/Manik by pinfall in a decent match. Wolves were kind of over.
Gail Kim b. Awesome Kong by pinfall. Kong doesn’t look like she’s moving around too well. After the match, she went into the empty ringside seats and started throwing chairs like she was in Japan. Except there probably would have been people in the seats in Japan.
Tommy Dreamer b. Eli Drake by pinfall. Dreamer came out to his old ECW music and he got the biggest pop of the night for anyone not named Hardy. Nobody knew who Drake was. They brawled in the crowd and Dreamer had little kids slap Drake and dump popcorn on him.
Bobby Roode b. Mr. Anderson and Drew Galloway in a 3-way. I believe Roode pinned Anderson. This was the best match of the night. Roode and Galloway came across as big stars and deserve much more than this. Anderson held his own in the match too. This was the 4th match of the night that featured nut shots by the way. Gotta go for the easy heat.
EC3 w/Tyrus & Jeff Hardy b. Matt Hardy by pinfall. EC3 and Jeff Hardy played up the personal assistant thing with EC3 telling Jeff not to do something and he did it anyway. Jeff started “EC3 sucks” chants, etc. EC3 pinned Matt via inside cradle after a Tyrus distraction and Jeff hitting Tyrus on the back with a chair. Then the Hardys put EC3 through a table via a Matt splash off the top rope to send the crowd home happy. The only thing physical Jeff did was the chairshot and a few punches.
Thanks,
Joshua Sites
Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Smartphone
By Bryan Rose, WrestlingObserver.com
Here are this morning’s results of the second Destruction show, which took place at Kobe World Hall.
Yohei Komatsu and Sho Tanaka vs. Jay White and David Finlay
This was a pretty short match, but was good while it lasted with some good back and forth offense. Komatsu and Tanaka had both of their opponents in the Boston crab. Finlay made it to the ropes, but White was the legal man and submitted, with Tanaka getting the win for his team.
Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask and Yuji Nagata vs. Captain New Japan, Manabu Nakanishi and Juice Robinson
Nagata worked a lot of this match, first against Nakanishi then against Robinson. He and Nakanishi were fine, though I thought Nagata selling for Nakanishi’s weak offense was kind of jarring. Robinson came in and got the heat for a bit but Nagata cut him off with the white eyes armbar then pinned him with the backdrop hold. Typical New Japan multi man tag you’d see on any show.
Roppongi Vice, Yoshi-Hashi and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Mascara Dorada, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe and Ryusuke Taguchi
Good six man action. It had the usual NJPW multi man tag tropes but everyone worked hard. Focus was on IShii and Makabe which seems like the next NEVER title program. Mascara Dorada did a great tornillo dive on the outside, wiping out his opponents, but he’s the one pinned as Beretta cuts him off and RPG Vice do their Omori Driver/dropkick finish for the win. They focused on Makabe and Ishii again after the match. Not that they’ll have a bad match, but they started this program a year ago and it feels like they’re going nowhere by doing the same match repeatedly.
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Matt Sydal vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows and Kenny Omega
Another good tag team match. Tenkoji and Anderson/Gallows mostly worked with one another and Sydal and Omega did as well. Sydal looked good and the crowd were into him. Sydal gave Omega a great looking reverse rana then pinned him with a shooting star press. So it’s clear this is leading to their title match, probably at King of Pro Wrestling.
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tetsuya Naito
Naito took his sweet time getting to the ring, complete with a new mask. When Shibata came down, he quickly kicked him in his face and started work on him. Naito cut him off and threw him into the barricades, taking his suit off. He had the offense for a while, but Shibata came back and beat him up unmercifully, making everything look as unpleasant as possible He repeatedly threw him in the barricades on all sides of the area, eventually laying him out with a boot that sent him into the crowd. Shibata took a lot of the match.
He had Naito in the sleeper, but Naito grabbed the ref and gave Shibata two low blows, then pinned him with the Destino for the win. Makes sense given his new character. I wouldn’t say this was a blow away match, but it was a pretty good match. Naito destroyed Jay White after the match, then a cameraman as he was walking to the back. He was about to beat up the cameraman some more when Shibata came flying out of nowhere and jumped him, sending them both brawling to the back. Seems like that feud isn’t over.
Tama Tonga, Cody Hall and AJ Styles vs. Kazushi Sakuraba, Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano
This was a good bout. It was clear this crowd were into Kazuchika Okada far more than anyone else on this show so far. At one point he dropkicked Styles and the place erupted. A lot of the match was Yano doing his antics with Tama Tonga, who he is afraid of. Tonga smacked Yano with the turnbuckle pad at one point to get the heat. Hall was working on Sakuraba when Yano low blowed him and Sakuraba put him in a sleeper. AJ broke it up but Okada dropkicked him to the floor and Sakuraba tapped out Hall with the kimura. Another decent tag team match.
IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship: reDragon vs. Time Splitters
This was a good match, but it just felt like something was missing. It was never bad and there was action throughout but the crowd was just kind of there, only reacting for big spots, and the action was just there, never bad, pretty good, but nothing that would blow people away. Both teams have had better matches on other shows. reDragon retained the titles with Fish pinning Shelley after hitting Chasing the Dragon.
reDragon extended their hands to Time Splitters after the match and they shook hands and put the titles on them in a sign of good sportsmanship. Roppongi Vice came out and acted like they were going to be all chummy with the two teams, then jumped them and left them all lying. Rocky Romero then grabbed the mic and said he and Beretta would be the next champions. This should be a good match, but the title situation in this division feels like a revolving door of challengers that doesn’t change all that much.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale for the IWGP title shot at WrestleKingdom
Tanahashi worked his butt off, including doing a high fly flow from the top rope to the floor. Fale at one point just sat on Hiroshi Tanahashi to a big pop for a nearfall. It looks like he uses his full weight on that move and it just seems so not fun to take. Crowd was into Tanahashi big time which helped this match. Tanahashi went for the high fly flow but Fale countered with a grenade. He went to the top rope, teasing the high fly flow that pinned Tanahashi a few months ago but Tanahashi countered with a superplex then pinned him with the high fly flow. Good finish to a match that was pretty solid overall thanks to Tanahashi.
After the match Tanahashi told Naito to come out as he wants to fight him. Naito comes out and sits on a chair, acting uninterested before eventually just leaving. This makes sense since Naito beat Tanahashi during the G1, and probably would be his last stop before facing whoever is champion at WrestleKingdom.
IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Turned out to be the best match of either show, a typically great New Japan main event. Most of it was just solid work for most of the match. Nothing out of this world, but good offense by both. Nakamura hit a sliding boma ye at one point and the people exploded. Goto hit the code red from the top rope but Nakamura came back. He was going for the boma ye from the middle rope but Goto came back and hit his knee neckbreaker, then another one from the top rope for a near fall. Nakamura did his jumping clothesline but Goto came back immediately and tried to do one of his own.
Finally Nakamura escaped and hit a boma ye, went for another but Goto blocked him, only for Nakamura to come back with another boma ye and pin him to win the title. Not really sure what Nakamura benefits from having another run with the title when Goto probably needed it more than him. Still, turned out to be a really great match. Not match of the year but a great New Japan main event.
Nakamura celebrates as Karl Anderson comes to the ring to challenge him for the title. He says that since he beat Nakamura and Goto in the G1, he deserves a shot and wants to be a double champion. Nakamura’s response to this is YEAOH, so looks like that’s the next title program.
Final Thoughts:
Overall I felt most of the show was just okay until the main event. NJPW’s booking right now feels stagnant with the same people in the same positions wrestling each other over and over. Not that it’s a bad thing, because most of the build towards King of Pro Wrestling appears to be pretty good (Styles/Okada, Anderson/Nakamura, Ishii/Makabe, Sydal/Omega, RPG Vice/reDragon, maybe Tanahashi/Naito). The repetitive nature of New Japan’s booking however is starting to become the white elephant in the room, and becoming more noticeable as the year draws to a close.
This week’s polls are for Wednesday’s NXT show and Monday’s New Japan King of Pro Wrestling show. We’re looking for your thoughts on both shows with a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer
We’re looking for reports on all three WWE shows in Saudi Arabia. There was a show last night, another one tonight and the final show tomorrow.
New Japan World Pro Wrestling Returns at 9 p.m. Eastern on AXS TV
Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish vs. Alex Shelley & Kushida vs. Young Bucks vs. Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov for IWGP jr. tag titles
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kenny Omega for the IWGP jr. title
This is the first of five straight weeks of matches from Wrestle Kingdom 9 at the Tokyo Dome
CMLL has the B block of the Universal Champion of Champions tournament tonight, starting at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time on www.ClaroSports.com
It’s a one-night tournament with Atlantis, Mistico, Volador Jr., Mephisto, Negro Casas, Maximo, Valiente and Ephesto. The winner meets Ultimo Guerrero (last week’s winner) for the championship next week. The show will be airing on Claro Sports but it may be geo blocked for the United States. I’ve seen all kinds of Twitter stuff listing it but last week’s show wasn’t available.
Resurrection Fighting Alliance tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern on AXS TV
Shai Lindsey (133.6) vs. Zach Riley (135.4)
Vardan Sholinian (174.2) vs. Bojan Velickovic (174.4)
Justin Linn (134) vs. Matt Lopez (138.8)
Mike Jasper (183) vs. Gabriel Checco (184.6)
Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (115) vs. Zoila Frausto (116.6) for the first women’s strawweight title. Because Frausto failed to make weight, Jones-Lybarger will win the title with a victory, but Frausto can not win the title if she wins.
Gilbert Smith (170) vs. Bristol Marunde (169.8) for welterweight title
Spike has Glory Kickboxing tonight at 11 p.m. Eastern
WWE has only the show in Saudi Arabia tonight.
Saturday we’re looking for reports on WWE in St. Louis (Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, New Day, Team BAD, Rusev, Ryback, Kevin Owens and Dudleys) and NXT in Winter Haven, FL.
Sunday has WWE in Bloomington, IL (Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, New Day, Team BAD, Rusev, Ryback, Kevin Owens and Dudleys).
New Japan King of Pro Wrestling at 3 a.m. Eastern and Midnight Pacific late Sunday night on New Japan World – Kevin Kelly & Matt Striker will be doing the announcing in English for the first time on the service
Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask & Ryusuke Taguchi & Kushida & Mascara Dorada vs. Juice Robinson & Yohei Komatsu & Sho Tanaka & David Finlay & Jay White
Tomoaki Honma vs. Yoshi-Hashi
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata & Kota Ibushi & Captain New Japan
Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero & Baretta for the IWGP jr. tag titles
Kenny Omega vs. Matt Sydal for IWGP jr. title
Shinsuke Nakamura & Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale
Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii for Never Open Weight title
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Tetsuya Naito for the Tokyo Dome title shot
Kazuchika Okada vs. A.J. Styles for IWGP heavyweight title
Since most of the top matches at the Tokyo Dome will be announced on Tuesday, the winners of the last two matches are almost certain to be the main event, and this show will probably set up the other key matches with different angles.
Raw will be live from Chicago, generally one of the hottest WWE crowds anywhere, on Monday night. So we’ll see if Chicago can stay up through a three hour show. No Brock Lesnar or Paul Heyman advertised.
Smackdown and Main Event will be taped in Cincinnati on Tuesday. No John Cena on the show, so Roman Reigns and Randy Orton are the advertised headliners.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
An update on the status of Daniel Bryan is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter which is on the site right now and also can be subscribed to for home delivery. We update his situation and how the decision on his future will be made shortly. We also look at Daniel Cormier and the light heavyweight division and what the business notes say, the WWE’s Madison Square Garden event with Brock Lesnar, TNA’s Bound for Glory and world title tournament, Conor McGregor predicts the future once again, a pro wrestler is in the Japanese cabinet as well as our monthly look at the WWE and TNA’s business indicators.
We look at what Daniel Bryan said this past week regarding his future and how the decision will be made for him soon, and what he’d like to do if he wasn’t working for WWE.
We look at Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson and the shadow over the light heavyweight division, the news coming out of UFC 192, and full coverage of the event with business notes, early PPV indicators and poll results.
We look at the WWE Network special from Madison Square Garden, Brock Lesnar’s return, how the show was promoted, Chris Jericho’s 25th anniversary as a pro wrestler and match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW
The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: October 12, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Daniel Bryan’s pro wrestling future, UFC 192, WWE at MSG
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The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.
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FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE
TNA wrestlers were just informed today that the late October house show tour has been canceled. Those were shows on 10/29 in Thiobodaux, 10/30 in New Orleans, 10/31 in Baton Rouge and 11/1 in Biloxi, MS. The New Orleans show was billed as “The Battle of New Orleans” and was to be a PPV taping.
James Storm has not signed with WWE and TNA has tried to make him an offer to return, reportedly with a big pay increase
Announcer/wrestler Devin Taylor and Cal Bishop were cut by WWE this week
Regarding the women from Shine at the NXT show last night, they were not signed by WWE but WWE had them on the radar and since they were in the area brought them in as extras.
The fourth annual Grapple at the Garden show will be on 11/29 in Madison Square Garden. 22 colleges including Cornell (No. 5), Nebraska (No. 9), Illinois (No. 12) and Northwestern (No. 15) will compete. In the past they’ve also had singles matches involving MMA stars who want to compete at MSG. This will be the prelude of the first time ever that the NCAA tournament comes to MSG from 3/17 to 3/19.
Congratulations to Nick Massie (Nick Jackson) of the Young Bucks and his wife on the birth of his daughter early this morning.
A preview of the Sting: Into the Light DVD, that is being released this week, will air on the WWE Network after Raw this week.
There will also be a new Table for 3 show on Tuesday at 4 p.m. with Sting, DDP and Vader, followed by a WWE Rivalries show on the Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat feud.
For a clarification, Matt Riddle did an interview saying that WWE sent him to Evolve, which isn’t exactly the case but not untrue either. WWE did recommend to Evolve to use him as noted in Observer stories in the past, but sent is too strong in the sense Evolve made the decision to use him on their own because they think he has potential. While the nice comments HHH made about Gabe Sapolsky clearly indicate they are on really good terms and WWE is probably looking at some form of a deal, right now the deal would still be in the talking stages.
The 12/19 UFC on FOX main card will be Rafael dos Anjos vs. Donald Cerrone, Alistair Overeem vs. Junior Dos Santos, Nate Diaz vs. Michael Johnson and Randa Markos vs. Karllina Kowalkiewicz. Jay Reddick has the story
Ronda Rousey on why she doesn’t cut weight before appearances and commercials
Hulk Hogan is hosting a pool party at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City on Saturday night at 10 p.m. Cost is $20.
CWE has a 50 man Rumble to Remember on 12/4 in Winnipeg at the Holy Cross Gym.
Fight Night on 10/16 at Center Stage in Atlanta headlined by Clay Harvison vs. Jordan Rinaldi which will air live on AXS that night at 9 p.m.
Russia’s Vitaly Bigdash beat Igor Svirid at :36 of round via strikes to win the One middleweight championship Championship at the show earlier toady in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Moose and Seiya Sanada appear on 10/10 for Superkick’d Pro Wrestling in Toronto at The Great Hall.
A new match released today at NWAClassics.com is Magnum T.A. & Mr. Wrestling II vs. Midnight Express where the losing team gets five lashes with a belt.
The ECWA women’s Super 8 tournament on 10/17 in Woodbury Heights, NJ at the Community Center has added Deonna Purrazzo, Terra Calaway, Xandra Bale and Kennadi Brink (formerly Jessie Kaye) to the field.
ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY INTERNATIONAL (thanks to Graeme Cameron)
1968 – George & Sandy Scott beat The Assassins in Brisbane to win the IWA tag titles
1988 – Charles Lucero beat Yoshihiro Asai (Ultimo Dragon) in Monterrey to win the UWA welterweight title
1992 – Tomoko Watanabe beat Sakie Hasegawa in Tokyo to win the Japanese women’s title
1993 – Sangre Chicana beat Fishman in Naucalpan to win the UWA light heavyweight title
1994 – Takako Inoue & Kyoko Inoue beat Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada in Kawasaki to win the WWWA tag titles
2006 – Team 3-D won a three-way over Erica & Margaret (Aja Kong & Awesome) and Sodom & Gamorrah to win the Hustle tag team title
2011 – Abyss & Chessman beat Extreme Tiger & Jack Evans in Monterrey to win the AAA tag team tiles and Electroshock won the Antonio Pena Cup
2014 – Cima & Don Fujii & Gamma beat Naruki Doi & Cyber Kong & Kzy in Tokyo to win the Open the Triangle Gate titles
WWE Hell in a Cell comes to you this Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Unlike a lot of the B-shows this year, the theme for this show seems to be wrapping up big feuds that have dominated WWE programing over the summer. Brock Lesnar and Undertaker will wrap up their trilogy, and Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt will also finish what they started, with both matches being held inside the confines of Hell in a Cell. Meanwhile, John Cena continues his popular United States championship open challenge as he’s due to face an unnamed opponent. Will he overcome the odds, or will his challenger do a number on him, freeing him for the next couple of months? Our F4W/Wrestling Observer.com staff have weighed in, giving their thoughts on the full card. Check them out below.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Kevin Owens © vs. Ryback
Bryan Rose: It’s too early to take off Owens. Ryback is in this weird flux where WWE obviously likes the guy, but not too much, plus he’s not really that great of a wrestler so he’s constantly in these kind of matches but isn’t ever that effective in them. I think with Owens in the match this won’t be too bad, but I think it’ll be a notch below of what we usually see with him. He retains, and hopefully moves on to a more promising program.
Prediction – Kevin Owens
Jeremy Peeples: Owens’s previously-stalled push has regained some momentum with the IC Title so far. His win on Raw was one of the most impressive and memorable things on the show even if it wasn’t positioned as important. He should win this and continue his reign, but Ryback’s loss on Raw could be a slight indicator of a win for the Big Guy.
Prediction – Kevin Owens
Kyle S. Johnson: It would seem somehow anticlimactic for Owens to turn around and drop the Intercontinental Championship so soon after winning it. Still, using WWE logic, Owens beating Mark Henry cleanly (and in impressive fashion) on the same Raw where Ryback lost clean to Seth Rollins suggests the Big Guy will regain his championship on Sunday. The story of the feud has been Owens winning by less-than-scrupulous means, and I look for him to get another underhanded victory to retain his title. I would expect that this leads to either another rematch or a traditional Survivor Series match next month, the latter of which would hopefully result in Owens pairing off with someone else in a new feud.
Prediction – Kevin Owens
Zach Dominello: I want to say Owens over Ryback is a sure thing because dropping the belt this early in his run as IC champ would be incredibly deflating for everyone (except Ryback), but the the rule of opposite momentum has me worried. Owens looks strong coming into the match with a win over Mark Henry in one of the most enjoyable matches on Monday’s go-home show, while Ryback lost cleanly to Seth Rollins. l I say nuts to opposite momentum, and the rest of physics. I expect Ryback’s “injured ribs” will come into play and allow Owens to get the win. Plus with Owens getting some positive mainstream media attention in Quebec, it makes sense to keep the title on him.
Prediction – Kevin Owens
James Cox: After a smash and grab last month at Night of Champions, Kevin Owens should retain here, but I fear that this feud must continue. If you haven’t already, check out Ryback on Table for 3 with Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler on the Network, it might change your views on him. Might. But there’s a ceiling on how good a match between these two can be in reality.
Prediction: Kevin Owens
Steve Khan: It feels like they’re going to drag out as many feuds as they can, but this shouldn’t be one of those feuds. Unlike Seth Rollins, Owens has a lot of potential challengers and will probably win here.
Prediction – Kevin Owens
Adam Stephen Kelly: Their match at Night of Champions was fine, if unremarkable. I enjoyed the psychology of Kevin Owens focusing on Ryback’s arm throughout. In fact, working over particular body parts seemed to be a theme of that show. I don’t mind Ryback at all, I think he’s decent for the role he plays on the roster, but this feud really doesn’t have anything going for it. Now is definitely not the time for Owens to drop the title, so hopefully he’ll retain in a more physical and hard-hitting match than their last, and the champ can move on to a more fitting opponent for his style.
Prediction – Kevin Owens
Paul Fontaine: These two are a really good pairing in my opinion and I think this program has a bit more life so I’m going to go against the grain here. Ryback is going to be more valuable going forward with Cena and Orton both out and I look for Owens to score the upset win and keep this program going through Survivor Series.
Prediction – Ryback
WWE Tag Team Championship: The New Day © vs. The Dudley Boyz
Bryan Rose: I’m guessing this is where the Dudleyz will finally win the tag titles. They really should have at the MSG show a few weeks ago, and it seemed like a lock, so in typical WWE fashion it didn’t happen and ended up being a lame DQ. They’ve been teasing on Smackdown that Xavier is gone, but I don’t see that happening long so I expect that to play a part in the match. I’m guessing Dudleyz win the titles, and the other two members of the New Day are put through tables as well.
Prediction – Dudley Boyz
Jeremy Peeples: The Dudleys probably should have won the titles in MSG if they were going to win this for this run. They’ve got far less momentum now, while the New Day is one of the company’s most over acts – and thus shouldn’t lose here. The New Day should win, but the Dudleys probably will to get the babyface pop and maybe start the show off hot.
Prediction – Dudley Boys
Adam Stephen Kelly: Let’s face it, the honeymoon period is over for the Dudleyz. It’s been terrific to see them back in WWE after nearly a decade “in obscurity”, but now the fanfare is over and they’re just another duo in an incredibly weak tag division. There was a glimmer of hope for tag team wrestling a couple of years ago with something of a renaissance in the division, but sadly it was short-lived, so it’s no surprise that one of the most successful tandems in history were immediately put into a feud with today’s hottest trio in the New Day. But where do you go from there? Where are the other credible teams? I think it’s safe to say that this rivalry has been dragged out long enough, and with the Dudleyz being screwed out of victories left, right and centre in the last couple of months, it’s time for them to win the titles. What I don’t understand is why this isn’t a Tables match. Surely with the sheer abundance of plunder we’ve seen since in this feud – and the fact that we’ve already seen this match on numerous occasions – it makes perfect sense, but I guess that will be the stipulation in the eventual rematch with the role reversal of the New Day hunting the gold.
Prediction – The Dudley Boyz
Kyle S. Johnson: That this is another championship match without a stipulation involving tables boggles my mind. Perhaps as mind-boggling: the decision to keep the belts on The New Day at the MSG special. The nostalgia buzz behind the Dudleys has been diminished through two months of chasing and consecutive DQ victories in title matches, and WWE not taking the opportunity of a match in front of a hot New York crowd to make the switch happen seems like a mistake. The New Day remains the most entertaining aspect of WWE programming on a weekly basis, enough so that they will survive just fine without the belts for a bit if need be. Since The Dudleys really have to win this match to stay relevant, they probably will, even if it’s about a month too late.
Prediction – The Dudley Boyz
Zach Dominello: As much as it saddens me, and despite the timing being off, I’m expecting the Dudleys to go over here. Of course, it would’ve made more sense for New Day to drop the titles to the Dudleys at MSG when the Dudleys still hot from their return, but making sense is not one of WWE’s top priorities. Fortunately, the New Day are talented and entertaining enough that dropping the titles won’t hurt them. Besides, if I’m thinking what WWE’s thinking, they won’t be completely titleless by the end of the night.
Prediction – The Dudley Boyz
James Cox: As great as The New Day are, it’s time for a title change here. The tug of war for the title can go on into Survivor Series but a tenth tag team title for The Dudley Boyz is the way to go here. If you don’t put the title on them here, you have to wonder where you go with them. Xavier Woods has been so great – if you’re at all interested, check out his color commentary work on Superstars, he’s clearly enjoying himself so much right now.
Prediction: The Dudley Boyz
Steve Khan: There are two ways to look at this. New Day can retain to keep them looking strong, or you can put the titles on the Dudleys to save their comeback run. Protecting a hot act is important, but New Day aren’t exactly the Shield and can afford to lose to keep this feud going. I can see the Dudleys having a short run leading up to a gimmick match, potentially at TLC in December, where New Day can defeat the tables/TLC experts and regain the titles. Also, they can be involved in a big 10-man match at Survivor Series to save us from seeing this match on a third straight PPV.
Prediction – The Dudley Boyz
Paul Fontaine – I picked the Dudley Boyz last month and obviously the prevailing opinion is that they win the titles here. I don’t know about that. The act has lost a ton of steam due to the popularity of the champs. If the Dudleys don’t win, it pretty much kills them but there aren’t really heel teams for the Dudleys to face. For that reason, I’m calling for the New Day to retain.
Prediction – The New Day
WWE Divas Championship: Charlotte © vs. Nikki Bella
Bryan Rose: The divas title situation has been deflated big time in the last month. They get plenty of ring time, but they’re still being presented in the same way where they can’t possibly get over. This title program has been overshadowed by Paige turning heel and doing the crazy shtick that, in fact, did not get her over at all last year, so only makes sense to go back at it. This whole situation with Paige, plus the complete lack of build feels like it just doesn’t matter and to be it doesn’t matter who wins. Taking the title off Charlotte feels premature though, so I’m guessing she retains.
Prediction – Charlotte
Jeremy Peeples: They’ve done very little to build this up, so the result really doesn’t seem important. Charlotte has no reason to lose the title so soon, so I’ll go with her to win.
Prediction – Charlotte
Kyle S. Johnson: Incredibly, the Divas division is in complete disarray. The Nikki Bella vs. Charlotte feud seems to be an afterthought against the backdrop of the feud between Team Bella and Team BAD and Paige’s deal with Charlotte/Becky/Natty. With any luck, Charlotte will just win this match clean and convincingly, the team dynamic will continue to dissolve in the weeks thereafter, and the direction will eventually shift to Charlotte/Sasha/Becky feuding with one another for the title.
Prediction – Charlotte
Zach Dominello: Similarly to Kevin Owens, Charlotte dropping the title now would simply be the worst thing. So, that’ll probably happen. Preferably, Charlotte will retain and Team Bella will move away from the title picture allowing Charlotte to start a fresh program.
Prediction – Charlotte
James Cox: I see this as a grueling win for Charlotte, the blow off to segue into the next couple of contenders. Paige and Sasha Banks are lining up for their shot. I assume we see Paige come out at the end to show her intent. Let’s hope it’s half decent.
Prediction: Charlotte
Steve Khan: Nikki has been built up as a strong challenger, and even though the reasoning may be questionable, it’ll work out in the end if Charlotte wins. Charlotte feels cold as champion as the focus has been split too many different ways. They haven’t paid off the Natalya story yet, so Paige screwing Charlotte here doesn’t make sense and Nikki shouldn’t be champion. Charlotte should win and go over strong, and she probably will.
Prediction – Charlotte
Paul Fontaine – I’ll go with the gang here. It’s amazing that on an NXT show, I care most about the Women’s title but I couldn’t care less about this title at the moment. That’s what the main roster booking has done to both the title and Charlotte in particular. If Charlotte does retain, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to have her lose it on RAW in the next couple of weeks. The title will probably eventually end up on Sasha as a face but right now it sure seems like the champ retains.
Prediction – Charlotte
WWE United States Championship Open Challenge: John Cena © vs. ???
Bryan Rose: This’ll be interesting for two reasons. One, the mystery guy aspect. Whoever it is, they’d need to take John Cena out long enough that it’d make sense storyline wise why he’d be out until late December. Two, I wonder if John Cena will even lose the United States championship. It makes all the sense in the world for Cena to drop it here if he’s taking a couple of months off, but then again titles mean so little nowadays it doesn’t really matter. I say whoever Cena faces will win, take the title, and put Cena on the shelf for the next couple of months. If you really want me to be bold when it comes to a guess, I’ll say Braun Strowman. Hey, he fits the bill!
Winner – Mystery dude
Jeremy Peeples: They’ve hinted at nothing for this, but haven’t had Kofi challenge and he’s in kind of a mini-program with New Day. I can see Kofi accepting this challenge after a tag title loss and then winning if Cena’s leaving for a bit.
Prediction – Challenger
Kyle S. Johnson: Will Cena’s opponent be a new face on the main roster? Will it be Dean Ambrose, the man who first accepted Cena’s U.S. Championship Open Challenge on the night after WrestleMania? Will it be Kofi Kingston, the lone member of The New Day not the challenge Cena in recent weeks? Whoever WWE has in mind, they’ll likely wind up taking the belt off of Cena to set him on his way for his sabbatical. This should be a cathartic moment in the half-year program of Cena’s Open Challenge, but a complete lack of build heading into this match could certainly hurt the effect.
Prediction – ???
Zach Dominello: I love a good mystery! The possibilities of who Cena’s challenger might be are endless. On top of that, Cena is reportedly taking some time off after Hell in a Cell which means the chances of him dropping the title are very good. It would great to see a returning star like Daniel Bryan accept the challenge, or perhaps Sami Zayn, who has had one of the best Open Challenge matches with Cena. We could see an Evolve name like Johnny Gargano, or a new face from NXT. Maybe Chris Jericho could make his 1000th surprise return. As I alluded to earlier, what I’m actually hoping for is one of the New Day takes on Cena. Big. E feels like the best fit against Cena, and the rest of the New Day could interfere so Cena doesn’t have to drop the title completely cleanly. The New Day incorporating Freebird Rules with the US title could make for some very entertaining programming.
Prediction – ??? (??? = New Day)
James Cox: Short of this being a ‘surprise’, whether that be an NXT graduate or a return, I would have to assume that this match is against Dean Ambrose after his match was ruined by Randy Orton’s shoulder injury. With Cena taking time off, the title ought to be vacated and they’re short of babyfaces. Ambrose with a title might be a good move. Mind you, has anyone seen Daniel Bryan of later…?
Prediction: Dean Ambrose
Steve Khan: They’ve known for weeks that Cena would be leaving at Hell in a Cell but didn’t bother building up an opponent. Dolph Ziggler seemed like a decent idea, but that’s out the window. It says something that there’s a pre-show match with six guys and five of them have taken this challenge and lost. They could debut somebody new to beat Cena and make an impact, but that seems unlikely.
Prediction – John Cena
Adam Stephen Kelly: The US Title Open Challenge has been a highlight of RAW during John Cena’s two recent tenures as champion. He’s been putting on great matches on a consistent basis at a level we haven’t seen from him in forever. I think WWE has succeeded in its objective to elevate the title in terms of its prestige, at least to a certain degree. While some say the obvious opponent is Kofi Kingston given Cena’s recent bouts with both Big E and Xavier Woods, I don’t think we’ll be seeing any repeat performances on Sunday night, and I’m sure that Woods’ place during the Tag Team Championship match will be ringside, trombone and all. Thinking out of the box, I’m torn between two picks: Daniel Bryan and Sami Zayn. While both have been on the injured list for quite some time, Zayn noted back in August that he’d be back on the road in a couple of months, and as far as Bryan goes, it’s always possible he could’ve been cleared by the doctor WWE wanted him to visit for the final word. It’d be poetic for either wrestler to make their return and emerge victorious.
Prediction – Daniel Bryan or Sami Zayn (new champion)
Paul Fontaine: So I think we have two predictions here. Who is the mystery challenger and who wins the match? In my opinion, the answer is the same. Tyler Breeze. How I see this going down is that they have the typical Cena 3.5 to 4 star match, with Cena doing everything he can to make Breeze into something. At some point, we get outside interference from whomever is going to be Cena’s next program when he comes back…maybe Sheamus. Breeze takes advantage of that and goes on to feud with Dolph Ziggler for the US belt.
Prediction – Tyler Breeze
Hell in a Cell: Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt
Bryan Rose: I’m just kind of glad we’re finally seeing an end to this boring, meaningless feud that I’m pretty sure will rack up some votes as the worst of the year. Five months of back and forth feuding and trading wins and losses is just too much in this day and age, and I don’t think it’s helped Roman Reigns at all in becoming what WWE wants him to be. The verbiage between these two have been really bad at some points. The match…I don’t know. It’ll be either pretty decent, or completely uninteresting. If WWE has even a modicum of an inkling of how to get people over (and I question this) then Reigns should win.
Prediction – Roman Reigns
Jeremy Peeples: Roman’s clearly the guy they want to be the man, while Bray has spent the better part of his time since WrestleMania 30 mired in mid-card Hell. Roman should win this, and a Bray win wouldn’t really accomplish much unless they decide to redo the Kane debut with Braun and give Bray a tainted win that way.
Prediction – Roman Reigns
Kyle S. Johnson: The feud that never ends rolls into yet another pay-per-view. These two and their various seconds and thirds have traded wins for the last four months, and the stipulation of this match makes it feel as if this will be the blow-off. However, we’re still several months away from WrestleMania, and Reigns is still presumably being groomed for the main event. Keeping him in the feud with Wyatt lets him quietly build some momentum without thrusting him into the main event, and it keeps Wyatt and his crew occupied for the foreseeable future. I’d expect Reigns to get a conclusive win over Wyatt that will stand as a sort of watershed moment in his road to WrestleMania, but don’t be surprised if the feud continues for a month or two longer, possibly with a traditional Survivor Series match.
Prediction – Roman Reigns
Zach Dominello: What’s most important here is that this match is the end of the Bray Wyatt/Roman Reigns program regardless of who wins or loses. Please just let the be the end. If my dream comes true and that is the case, I expect Reigns to defeat Wyatt. If this program is destined to continue, which is all too possible, Wyatt wins.
Prediction – Roman Reigns.
James Cox: The day that they get Bray Wyatt up against someone where it doesn’t just end up being a weird rivalry, will be a good day. Having said that, in a cell this could be a good match and a win for Reigns where he comes out looking strong could do his path towards WrestleMania some good. We hope for no interference, but the cell doesn’t even guarantee that anymore. I’m ready to see the back of this feud.
Prediction – Roman Reigns
Steve Khan: The big benefit these two have is that their Cell match will go on before the other one, so all the little Hell in a Cell tricks will work in their favour. These two can brawl, but the feud has really sucked, so the crowd should be interesting. Reigns needs a win badly. I can see the Wyatts taking out Ambrose early, leaving Reigns on his own and battling to get the win. Whatever happens, a multi-man match at Survivor Series seems likely.
Prediction – Roman Reigns
Adam Stephen Kelly: I’m looking forward to seeing the back of this feud, but at least we know that Hell in a Cell will be the blow-off. The stipulation makes for a fitting end to the madness, but I’d have preferred the match to be Last Man Standing or something so that the cell was exclusive to the Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker main event. There’s no way that Roman Reigns isn’t coming out on top. He’ll look very strong in the finish, while Bray Wyatt will move on to another opponent he can specifically target and then lose to.
Prediction – Roman Reigns
Paul Fontaine: I think this might actually be a good match but I suspect they’ll be playing to crickets. Tons of interference, despite the Cell, is almost a lock. Reigns almost has to win since he’s going to inevitably be challenging for the big belt at Mania unless Vince comes to his senses. Thankfully this feud will be over. There’s an outside chance that Ambrose turns on Reigns and costs him the match but that scenario would make more sense if the top 2 faces weren’t on hiatus for the next 2 months.
Prediction – Roman Reigns
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins © vs. Demon Kane (If Demon Kane loses, Corporate Kane loses his Director of Operations position)
Jeremy Peeples: Unless they decide to have Sheamus cash in on Kane and then find a way to keep Kane as Corporate Kane without having him leave as champion, Seth is going to win this. They seem to be giving the WWE Champion some wins, so they know he needs to be protected and a loss to Kane isn’t the way to do it.
Prediction – Seth Rollins
Bryan Rose: I kind of want to see Kane win here. Seth Rollins, while not at a Rey Mysterio or Magnus level when it comes to worst world champions of all time, is pretty high on the list. He’s lost so many matches between August and now it’s baffling. Yes, Flair lost all the time, but that was in the eighties. This is today, and that can’t fly here. Kane is WWE’s constant band aid when it comes to looking for a main event title program and this one’s no different. Rollins is such a great main event level worker that the match itself I feel will be pretty decent. I’m just expecting a really screwy finish here that gives Rollins the victory for two reasons. One, it’s WWE in the year 2015 so no one can look too strong. Two, they need a way to continue this into next month. I really feel this is a feud that’ll last through at least TLC so they’ll need to find reasons to feud. I mean, I hope I’m wrong, but would you be surprised if that were actually the case?
Prediction – Seth Rollins via wacky finish
Adam Stephen Kelly: I’m surprised that Seth Rollins has lasted as long as he has as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Given his size and style, many had predicted long before The Shield broke up that Rollins would be the one most likely to be misused by the company and end up lost in the midcard. Of course, that theory was put to rest at the climax of WrestleMania, and we’re now six months into his title reign. He’s very much an interesting champion for interesting times, and was booked incredibly well in the beginning. But now? Hmm, not so much. Could the shock value of Kane winning the title be WWE’s answer to RAW’s ratings slump? Nothing would surprise me at this stage, only I hope that isn’t the reality come Sunday night.
Prediction – Seth Rollins
Kyle S. Johnson: WWE cannot be so ridiculous as to go with Kane as their World Heavyweight Champion in the middle of a historic ratings slump, can they? Almost certainly not. Seth Rollins, oddly enough, has built up a head of steam for himself with two(!!) consecutive wins on television. This shouldn’t be an incredible feat, but it somehow is. Kane was nowhere to be seen on television this week, so this match feels incredibly flat heading into Sunday. I expect Seth to win by hook or crook, and then let the chips fall where they may in terms of the Corporate/Demon Kane job dynamic.
Prediction – Seth Rollins
Zach Dominello: I’ll miss you most of all, Happy Go Lucky Director of Operations Corporate Kane. You were too good for this world.
Prediction – Seth Rollins
James Cox: This would provide the suitable out for Kane to leave The Authority. That story has well and truly run its course. Seth doesn’t need to drop the title yet and Kane certainly isn’t the man to take it. I just wonder if they can make this a good match – Kane is rarely very good in matches, let alone semi-main event spots. Seth is a remarkable performer but is losing and has been facing old guys who can just about still go in the last two months on ppv. We need to see him up against quality opposition and, no, that’s not Sheamus. How they solve that little issue is anyone’s guess.
Prediction – Seth Rollins
Steve Khan: Rollins should win and move on from this dreadful storyline immediately. We know this. But, again, I can see them wanting this keep this going as Rollins has nothing else lined up. Kane could win via DQ, which would protect him, keep the feud going, and keep him as director of operations. It’s the lamest possible finish, so that’s my prediction.
Prediction: Kane via DQ
Paul Fontaine: In the whacky world of WWE booking, the guy that wins on TV loses on PPV. Rollins has been on a mini streak since losing every match for over a month. Demon Kane lost on Monday night. That logic says all signs point to a Kane win. So that’s what’s going to happen and then Sheamus cashes in. This will mean his post-Christmas program with Cena means even more.
Prediction: Kane, but Sheamus leaves as champ
Hell in a Cell: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
Bryan Rose: This is another one of these trilogies that WWE love to book, but I find myself having little interest. I will admit their last match was really good, but the finish was so bad I can’t get myself excited for the third. Them being in a cell I think will hurt things more than anything. But I’m pretty sure it’ll at least be better than their Wrestlemania match, which was solid at best and I’m being kind of generous there. I think Lesnar needs to win, given the amount of money they pay him, plus he’s such a fascinating commodity, something WWE has little of right now, and having the 50+ year old Undertaker win this series really does no one any favors.
Prediction – Brock Lesnar
Adam Stephen Kelly: In theory, this is one of the most epic rivalries of the last decade. The fact that Brock Lesnar broke The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak back in 2014 is still shocking to this day. With hindsight, there’s no denying that such an unforgettable moment was the perfect excuse to carry on the feud. It may have taken over a year to continue, but the SummerSlam rematch did not disappoint, blowing their WrestleMania encounter out of the water. Not only did the match deliver but the build-up was fantastic. It felt like must-see television and deserved its place as the main event. Hell in a Cell is a fitting stage for the conclusion of this story, and yet their final battle feels insignificant; fuelled by two months of extremely underwhelming hype. In the wake of Night of Champions, WWE seemed more concerned with promoting Lesnar’s match against The Big Show at the Live from Madison Square Garden special than his upcoming pay-per-view bout. The teased brawl in the opening segment of this week’s RAW felt like the kind of angle you would see two or three weeks prior to a pay-per-view, not on the go-home show, and with diminishing ratings, it made no sense to utilise both Lesnar and The Undertaker in the first segment when you already had Steve Austin kicking off the show. Why they didn’t advertise them for the second or third hour when RAW was up against an especially hot edition of Monday Night Football featuring the new Star Wars trailer premiere is beyond me. Lesnar should emerge from the cell victorious since he’s the most bankable star going forward. With this feud in the rearview mirror, it’ll certainly be interesting to see what WWE has in store for both wrestlers come WrestleMania 32.
Prediction – Brock Lesnar
Jeremy Peeples: The hype for Summerslam’s match was fantastic, while this one has largely been built on the fumes of that. Taker redeemed himself this year with WM 30 and Summerslam, so it should be pretty good as a match. Brock should win this thing since he has more time left in the ring than the Undertaker probably does.
Kyle S. Johnson: What happened here? WWE managed to make the Summerslam rematch feel like the hottest thing in the company with one single brawl; for the Hell in a Cell rematch, there was an announcement out of nowhere during Night of Champions, and then almost nothing up until the go-home show. The build to this match seems incredibly paltry compared to Summerslam, and it pales even in comparison to some of the weaker builds of the past year. Still, despite an inexplicable lack of promotion, this should make for an enjoyable little bit of ultra-violence to send the audience home happy. Lesnar should win this one to help build toward his likely return to the title picture, and one has to wonder what the result will do in terms of setting up both men for their respective WrestleMania matchups.
Prediction – Brock Lesnar
Zach Dominello: Uninspired build-up aside, this is a huge match. With one win a piece, this has been booked as the blow off match, and there’s no apparent reason to doubt it won’t be the final match of the series. So who ends this epic rivalry on top? Both men are expected to be at WrestleMania next year in Dallas, so ideally you want them both looking strong coming out of this match. That leads me to believe that we won’t get a clean finish. Whoever wins will likely do so in less than honourable fashion, possibly with some outside help, wanted or otherwise. That may also plant the seeds for at least one these two’s WrestleMania match next year. If that is the case, it’s not really about who wins or loses, but what the match sets up for their respective futures. Now having said all that, Brock Lesnar is currently WWE’s biggest star attraction, so if we do get a straightforward winner, I’d go with him.
Prediction – Brock Lesnar
James Cox: So a clean finish here to end this feud is all we’re after. Well, that and a good match after such a meager and mediocre build this month. Lesnar’s the best things they’ve got and Undertaker can still ride off into the sunset at WrestleMania in Texas. It would be a courageous man to call this match any other way and I’m not that man, but I do think that this will a really good match. I hope we get some of the old Undertaker. In theory, this could be his penultimate WWE match, so I think he throws everything at it without being too wild or dangerous. The cell at least means that they can avoid to many suplexes, bumps and F-5s for Undertaker in his condition.
Prediction – Brock Lesnar
Steve Khan: There’s no argument to be made for Undertaker winning. Their match at SummerSlam was great and this should be good too. Lesnar will likely beat him clean and they can even shake hands to keep Lesnar as a babyface moving forward.
Prediction – Brock Lesnar
Paul Fontaine: Lesnar has to win. I still have no idea why this match was booked for right now but perhaps we’ll find out during or right after this match. There must be a long-term idea here that this match plays into. Right? They can’t possibly just be hot-shotting for network buys. Regardless, the Cell should add something to this match as Undertaker Cell matches are usually pretty great. Hopefully Taker comes out of this match ok. I don’t have the slightest idea where either guy goes from here at this point.
Prediction – Brock Lesnar
1947
Kansas City, Kansas: Attendance was 4,000 (sellout)
– MWA Title Match: Orville Brown drew Sonny Myers, Brown retained the title
– Ronnie Etchison drew Terry McGinnis
– Yukon Eric (as Eric Holmback) beat Steve Stanlee
1951
Topeka, Kansas:
– Jimmy Coffield defeated Dennis Clary to win the Central States Title
1962
Kansas City, Missouri:
– Don Leo Jonathan defeated Bill McDonald
– Karl Von Brauner & Kurt Von Brauner defeated George Scott & Sandy Scott
– Bearcat Wright defeated Dick the Bruiser by countout in three falls
1980
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
– Andre The Giant & Angelo Mosca beat Jerry Blackwell & John Studd
– Nick Bockwinkel beat Mad Dog Vachon
– Greg Gagne beat Adrian Adonis
– Dino Bravo beat Jesse Ventura
– Tito Santana beat Steve Regal
– Bobby Heenan beat Buck Zumhofe
1989
Memphis, Tennessee:
– Jerry Lawler defeats The Soultaker (Papa Shango/Kama/Godfather) to win the USWA Unified Heavyweight Title
1994
Los Angeles, California:
– Perro Aguayo defeated Konnan in a Steel Cage match
– Octagon & El Hijo del Santo defeated Love Machine (Art Barr) & Eddy Guerrero in three falls in a Mask vs. Hair match
– Fuerza Guerrera, Madonna’s Boyfriend (Louie Spicolli), & Psicosis defeated Rey Misterio Jr., Heavy Metal, & Latin Lover when Guerrera forced Metal to submit to a reverse hammerlock.
– Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit), 2 Cold Scorpio & Tito Santana defeated Jerry Estrada, La Parka & Blue Panther
1995
Memphis, Tennessee:
– Ahmed Johnson defeats Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified Heavyweight Title
1998
New York, New York:
– The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh & D-Von, now known as Team 3D) defeated Masato Tanaka & Balls Mahoney to win the ECW World Tag Team Titles
2000
Houston, Texas:
– Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather defeated The Hardy Boyz to win the WWF Tag Team Title
2002
Nashville, Tennessee:
– Jerry Lynn defeated AJ Styles to win the NWA/TNA X Division Title
2006
– Randy Orton & Edge defeated Triple H & Shawn Michaels
– Lita defeated Mickie James to win the Divas title
– Ric Flair & Roddy Piper defeated The Spirit Squad to win the WWF Tag Team Titles
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