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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
-Last weekend, an email was leaked that was sent ahead of EVOLVE 92 and EVOLVE 93 to the roster. The email appeared in an article written by David Bixenspan on Fightful.com this past Sunday. EVOLVE Pod, a podcast on VoicesofWrestling.com also later revealed they had received the email as well. The email caused a great deal of stress for EVOLVE management and according to PWTorch sources, it set off a witch hunt of sorts to find out exactly who had leaked the email.
The full transcript is an obvious effort on Sapolsky’s part to aid talent in becoming ready to make the transition to NXT should WWE sign them at some point.
The full transcript that appeared originally on FightFul.com reads as follows:
Hey everyone,
This is an important email so please read it through.
We are about to enter a transition period. I want to use this weekend to prepare for that. A major part of this will be the in ring work. You are all awesome, obviously, or you wouldn’t be booked. However, I want to change some things you do in EVOLVE to make EVOLVE different and also prepare for what’s next.
I will explain more in person, but this weekend please concentrate on these things:
-Make every lock up on the show count. I saw Regal last week and he was at BOLA. I was surprised for him to say that he didn’t see many good lock ups there. Honestly, he said he barely saw one good lock up. I know this might be surprising, especially since some of you were on the show. This is a major thing. It’s about starting your match up with believability. Please let’s put on emphasis on lock ups where you fight for position rather than go into a spot.
-Don’t look into the floor camera at anytime. This is a Vince/WWE thing. I really don’t care if you look into the camera or not, but this is a habit you will have to break as soon as you go to WWE/NXT, so you might as well break it now. I can explain this more in person. It’s a huge thing there, so don’t discount this.
-Make every kick, strike and chop count. I don’t mean go in there and beat each other up. Just don’t waste your kicks, strikes, chops and sell it. In addition, consider who your opponent is. If Keith Lee is striking you, sell it bigger than if someone smaller was striking you. Keep the situation and opponent in mind with your selling and how you do kicks, strikes and chops.
-Don’t do cool stuff for the sake of cool stuff. Everything should be about winning the match. I’m not saying don’t do cool stuff, but don’t do it just to do it.
Have it make sense in your match.
-Challenge yourself to break your normal routine of spots. I don’t care what match rating you get on Twitter. This is small picture stuff. I want everyone to think big picture and long game. I can explain this better in person.
-I’ve been traveling with Chris Dickinson a lot lately since we are from the same area now. We have talked about this stuff extensively in the car. I feel he has a good grasp of it and can explain it from a worker’s perspective, which I can’t. Please get with him on any questions. I’ve also told Chris to take more of a leadership role and point things out, so please be open to what he has to say. Thank you.
-Some other notes:
-Belltime each night is 8pm. Please be at the venue by 5:30pm.
-Sal is is getting hotel in a little bit. If you are flying in, we’ll tell you where to go soon to hang out. Brandon Tolle is arranging all the rides. Please get with him on rides. If you don’t hear from us by tonight, let me know.
-Please remember the EVOLVE rules when it comes to:
-No swearing
-Nothing derogatory towards minorities, women, ethnicities or any other groups.
-No piledrivers.neck bumps, apron spots, anything that drops you on your head.
-Nothing hardcore without permission -No unprotected headbutts
-No mic work without permission
-Be super nice to kids
-No guests in your hotel rooms! We are not going to pay for an extra hotel room cause someone is your ride or you are bringing someone along. We arrange three per room. We are not budgeted for more hotel rooms. No one gets added to these rooms. It is for the comfort of everyone in the room.
-I will send out booking info late night. This weekend is going to be mostly about wrestling. We aren’t going to go big into storyline stuff or angles during this transition period. I want everyone to really concentrate on their matches, think of the fundamentals and making everything solid and make sense.
-If you need anything call or text me [number redacted]. If you can’t reach me and it’s an emergency contact Sal at [number redacted].
I look forward to a fun weekend. Thank you, Gabe
William Regal felt the need to respond about his comments in regard to lock ups during BOLA weekend earlier this month.
Regal tweeted out the following response after the email was leaked:
When asked, I told everyone the same. I preceded to tell them how incredibly hard everyone worked and how much I enjoyed the show. I was asked the same question by everyone. One that was asked universally was, “Anything that stood out,.” I answered that the only problem is that there are too many great bouts and I don’t envy any of the talent because everything was so good, and trying to top it must be really difficult. I made mention to several people and several on the BOLA show of their collar-and-elbow-tie ups (lock ups). I proceeded to show several talent who asked a few ways to help. This information has been used by other people to explain ideas to talent they are working with and some of it appeared in today’s leaked e-mail. This long-winded note is just my way of explaining that I don’t want this taken out of context and people assuming I was in any way criticizing the quality and hard work of the talent. It’s an general observation that I always talk to people about as I believe the first lock up is the most important tool you have to grab the attention of your audience.
WWN management was very concerned about how the leak would impact their relationship with WWE. Members of management and the roster that PWTorch spoke to last weekend saw it as a huge breach of trust and it made an already rough weekend worse after FloSports sued WWN and pulled the EVOLVE iPPVs off their streaming platform last weekend. WWN management worked throughout the weekend and up until last night to find out who had leaked the email. Gabe Sapolsky tweeted out Wednesday night that the leak had been found. He tweeted that he could now focus on the next round of EVOLVE shows in October. “Found out who leaked the email,” tweeted Sapolsky. “I love EVOLVE, WWN and our entire locker room of professionals. Can’t wait for 10/14 in NY & 10/15 in CT.” PWTorch has learned from multiple sources that the source of the leak came from outside EVOLVE.
-Ethan Page and EVOLVE have parted ways. Page put a post up on twitter thanking WWN management for his past three years working in EVOLVE saying he had finished up with the promotion and mentioned that now had open dates during the next EVOLVE weekend of Oct. 13, Oct. 14, and Oct. 15. “I’m excited to dig deeper into the independent scene & truly survivor on my own reputation & name, wrote Page. “No company behind me. No brand, Just ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page, the goofy Canadian ready to entertain the masses. Page mentioned in his post on Twitter that he won’t say why he left and that he’s going to do a shoot interview down the line and he will use that platform to discuss the situation and profit off of it.
Sources informed PWTorch last week ahead of EVOLVE’s events that Page was finishing up with the promotion. Page & ACH captured the EVOLVE tag titles at EVOLVE 92 before dropping them to Jaka & Chris Dickinson at EVOLVE 93. Gabe Sapolsky claimed on Twitter the parting between EVOLVE and Page was amicable and it was just time for both sides to part ways.
Radican’s Analysis: Page had been given several big pushes during his time in EVOLVE, but every time he got a big push, he fell short of winning the EVOLVE Championship. It felt like after falling short of winning the EVOLVE Title multiple times that Page had done all he could do in EVOLVE. Page recently formed an entertaining tag team with ACH called The Troll Boyz. They were a fun act and will be missed on EVOLVE shows. PWTorch sources indicated that WWN management felt last weekend was a good way to end Page’s EVOLVE tenure and it didn’t make much sense to bring him back for the next set of EVOLVE shows in October to have two meaningless singles matches from a storyline standpoint.
It will be interesting to see what Page has to say on his shoot interview about the end of his time with EVOLVE when he decides to release it.
-EVOLVE sent out an email update today saying they were considering all options for how to stream their shows in the future. The email claimed that several companies had reached out to WWN about streaming all WWN content. WWN is also considering steaming all WWN content in house. Fans were urged to tweet using the #WWNLive hashtag to let WWN know how they would like the company to stream future events.
After a brawl on tonight’s SmackDown, WWE has added a stipulation to Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan at Clash of Champions.
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Reigns vs. Rowan at Sunday’s pay-per-view will now be a no disqualification match. Reigns interrupted Rowan as he was cutting a promo on SmackDown tonight. Reigns gave Rowan a Superman punch and they got into a brawl. Officials tried to break it up, but they kept brawling until Rowan threw a camera crane at Reigns.
On last week’s SmackDown, Rowan admitted to being the culprit in the Reigns mystery attacker storyline.
Clash of Champions is taking place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina this Sunday. The updated card for the PPV is listed below:
Universal Champion Seth Rollins defending against Braun Strowman
WWE Champion Kofi Kingston defending against Randy Orton
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defending against Sasha Banks
SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley defending against Charlotte Flair
Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan in a no DQ match
Raw Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman defending against Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode
SmackDown Tag Team Champions Big E & Xavier Woods defending against The Revival
Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross defending against Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
United States Champion AJ Styles defending against Cedric Alexander
Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defending against The Miz
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak defending against Humberto Carrillo and Lince Dorado in a triple threat match
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
On Nov. 27 FloSports filed new documents for their lawsuit against WWN. The most interesting information coming out of the filings in the case is the iPPV buyrate spreadsheet breakdown that WWN owner Sal Hamoui submitted to FloSlam in an email exchange before they came to an agreement and the staggering amount of money FloSlam agreed to pay WWN over the course of a five year contract.
When the deal was struck in October of 2016, EVOLVE was seen as the centerpiece of the deal, so the figures Hamoui submitted to FloSlam before an agreement was made hinged on how well EVOLVE was doing at that time. EVOLVE’s product was hot in 2015, as the company introduced a new wave of stars including Drew Galloway (McIntyre), Zack Sabre Jr, Timothy Thatcher, Chris Hero, and Biff Busick.
News of WWE and WWN having an unofficial partnership broke in 2015 and EVOLVE began receiving exposure on WWE’s website. During this period, WWE began signing key EVOLVE talents to contracts. Rich Swann and Biff Busick were signed to NXT.
The numbers in the spreadsheet submitted as an exhibit indicate a large jump in the average amount of buys from 2015 to 2016. Without seeing the real numbers, it’s hard to make any final judgements about EVOLVE buy rates in terms of how much revenue the average EVOLVE show was generating in 2015 and 2016. When WWN runs an iPPV, they offer multiple pricing options for both years. A live iPPV buy only was $9.99-$14.99 depending on when the consumer purchased the show. A show that was purchased with the live and VOD option ranged from $14.99-$19.99 depending on when the show was purchased. Finally, a package that included the live airing of the iPPV, the VOD, and a physical copy of the show when it was released was priced from $24.99-$29.99. These price points were in effect for 2015 and 2016.
In 2015, the average EVOLVE show did around 712 buys. The notable exceptions were the WrestleMania weekend events (EVOLVE 39 and EVOLVE 40), which drew over 1,000 buys. An iPPV under the WWN banner called WWN Supershow on the spreadsheet sent to FloSports by Hamoui aired the same day as EVOLVE 40 and did over 1,500 total buys.
There was a big jump in 2016 in buys according to the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet reflects an average of 1,334 buys per show. WWN and WWE’s relationship was growing and EVOLVE began running shows the same weekend and in the same city WWE ran one of their big four PPVs (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series). Another big factor in the increase in interest in EVOLVE iPPVs was that the company hosted several matches related to the WWE Cruiserweight Classic.
Royal Rumble 2016 took place in Orlando, Fla. and EVOLVE ran three events the same weekend for the first time to piggyback off of all of the WWE fans in town and the exposure they were getting through WWE online. EVOLVE 53-55 saw a big jump in buys from the previous string of EVOLVE events in 2015 and according to multiple sources at this point, the WWE relationship with WWN was very strong. The spreadsheet claims that each show did close to 1,000 buys with EVOLVE 53 being the most popular drawing 1,107 total buys. The three previous EVOLVE events (EVOLVE 50-52) in comparison average 646 buys per show.
EVOLVE had momentum coming out of WrestleMania weekend thanks to their partnership with WWE. The company began hyping matches related to the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. On May 7, 2016 at EVOLVE 61, the company hosted two WWE Cruiserweight Classic Qualifying matches featuring Drew Gulak vs. Tracy Williams and Fred Yehi vs. T.J. Perkins. That iPPV drew over 1,000 iPPV buys and WWN benefitted from continued exposure on WWE.com and WWE social media during this period.
According to the spreadsheet, EVOLVE’s biggest buyrates came from WrestleMania weekend and SummerSlam weekend in 2016. Hamoui claimed on the spreadsheet that EVOLVE 58 drew 2,475 buys, EVOLVE 59 drew 2,318 buys and the WWN Supershow drew 1,940 buys. The numbers for SummerSlam weekend are also substantially above previous totals with EVOLVE 65 drawing 2,315 buys for Cody Rhode’s debut and EVOLVE 66 drawing 2,026 buys.
During the post-WrestleMania weekend period leading into SummerSlam, EVOLVE hosted several WWE Cruiserweight Classic spotlight matches. In addition, a TNA invasion angle with ECIII was launched as well leading into SummerSlam weekend with the debut of Cody Rhodes.
At the time SummerSlam 2016 took place, EVOLVE Champion Timothy Thatcher had lost some buzz feuding with Catch Point, but the WWE relationship was helping EVOLVE continue to build momentum and the numbers bear that out, but it is tough to make a final judgement without seeing the actual numbers.
The agreement between FloSports and WWN was signed on Oct. 21 last year by both parties. The numbers submitted by FloSports indicate the following payments were going to be made to WWN for the duration of their agreement, which primarily mandated that WWN broadcast five events per month on FloSlam.
The payments FloSlam was going to make over five years to WWN totaling $3.2 million dollars to WWN breaks down as follows:
i) 2016 – $75,000
ii) 2017 – $500,000
iii) 2018 – $550,000
iv) 2018 – $605,000
v) 2020 – $670,000
vi) 2021 – $740,000
In the attachment submitted, FloSports included a clause that said they could terminate the deal in January of each year beginning in 2018 and that the agreement would continue for 12 months prior to termination.
Given that WWN operated with a tight budget prior to entering into an agreement with FloSports, it brings into question why FloSports offered WWN so much money. EVOLVE was doing well thanks to their relationship with WWE at the time the deal was struck, but it is difficult to believe that EVOLVE alone was going to bring in enough interest to generate the revenue to justify a deal that paid $500,000 and beyond no matter what the actual numbers were even if you take the other EVOLVE promotions into consideration (FIP, Shine, ACW, and Style Battle).
The numbers seem to indicate that WWN might have been better off not taking the deal given the numbers of buys the spreadsheet indicates that they drew from January-September of 2016 massively trumped their average numbers from 2015 with events still on the calendar from October-December of 2016.
According to multiple PWTorch sources, WWN’s relationship with WWE cooled off after they signed the deal with FloSlam. There was still an unofficial partnership between the companies, but other companies like Progress and ICW based out of England and Scotland respectively saw their relationships with WWE grow, as they gained access to WWE talent to use on live events and market on VOD. WWN related mentions on WWE’s social media and website were scaled way back as well. WWN VP and EVOLVE booker Gabe Sapolsky has cultivated his own relationship with WWE and regularly attends NXT TV tapings and PPVs.
FloSlam management deserves to be scrutinized for entering into this agreement as well. They were never given officials numbers from WWN and there is no real way to tell how WWN’s iPPV/VOD buys from 2015 and 2016 would translate to FloSlam subscribers.
One key piece of information from multiple sources who worked at FloSports might shed some light as to why they expected EVOLVE to perform at a high level. By looking at the other verticals on the platform, FloSports expected WWN to perform at a certain level based on the number of buys they were given on the spreadsheet.
When acquiring content for their other verticals, FloSports saw a certain pattern to the increase in buys, and they applied that expectations to WNN. According to sources in FloSports familiar with the numbers and how they normally translated on different verticals, WWN far underperformed what was expected compared to other companies that submitted similar numbers. According to multiple sources, the launch of FloSlam was a disaster, as EVOLVE only added 150 to the vertical at launch
FloSlam’s original plan was to get companies like NJPW, ROH, AAA, and PWG under contract to broadcast on their platform. The problem with their plan came in the execution. They launched FloSlam with one major company under contract and never secured contracts with other major or indy wrestling companies. If FloSlam had launched with NJPW, ROH, PWG, AAA, and EVOLVE, it would likely have had no problem justifying paying WWN that kind of money to broadcast and promote events. Looking back now, it’s difficult to justify why a deal was executed between both companies without hard evidence.
On the other side, WWN likely signed the deal for financial security. Had they waited things out, their relationship with WWE would likely be in the same place as Progress and ICW, but the chance to make that kind of guaranteed money for potentially five years was too good to give up.
There wasn’t a noticeable leap in production from EVOLVE after they signed their deal with FloSlam. Before the deal between WWN and FloSlam was made, multiple sources pointed out the low paydays EVOLVE offered, which did not increase after the deal was made either.
As for the recent updates to the lawsuit that were filed, right now the lawsuit will be heard in district court in Texas. On Nov. 27 FloSports filed for a trial by jury, which multiple sources believe was a scare tactic by FloSports. According to sources,WWN is hoping to get the case moved to Florida. Whatever the outcome, WWN is waiting to see where the trial will be held before they file a countersuit against FloSlam.
It has been well documented how FloSlam dropped the ball when it launched, but it is not a shock that the company wanted to get out of their deal with EVOLVE as quickly as possible by filing a lawsuit back in September. Managing editor Jeremy Botter, who did a great job generating buzz for FloSlam when it launched, had a handle on how to use social media to generate interest as well. After Botter was fired in December of 2016, things began to go south quickly for FloSlam, as they no longer could effectively promote events on social media and they never struck any meaningful deals with big name indys. According to sources, this is due to upper management refusing to execute deals because of the production quality of the indys they were pursuing.
According to sources, the ultimate outcome of this lawsuit will be the contract between FloSports and WWN being dissolved at some point. Both sides will likely walk away from each other, although at this time WWN seems bullish on filing a counter suit.
WWN’s future seems to be up in the air at the moment. The future of the company going forward depends on whether or not EVOLVE can generate enough money to stay in business. The company is focusing on brining in several new roster members to save money and is experimenting with their formula by expanding their shows to include three undercard matches that feature new talent. FloSports stopped sending payments to WWN back in June of this year, which means WWN owner Sal Hamoui has been footing the bill for all of the events under the WWN banner since that time.
There’s no indication currently that WWN and WWE are going to heat up their relationship again, but the potential of that happening could certainly help EVOLVE become a buzz-worthy product in 2018. Otherwise, the company is going to have to rely on the creative mind of Gabe Sapolsky and the ability of new talent to break out.
Contact Sean at [email protected]. Follow Sean on twitter HERE. Follow and like Radican’s Wrestling Community Facebook.com HERE
DAILY UPDATE
Latest News:
WWE’s Lacey Evans, Canadian police comment on Edmonton traffic stop
BTE: Omega responds, SCU-Jurassic Express rematch
Daniel Cormier wants one more UFC fight vs. Stipe Miocic
Tag match, two segments set for WWE SmackDown
Amazing Red announced for RevPro British J-Cup
WWE Honolulu live results: Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan
PWG BOLA night three results: The 2019 champion is crowned
Latest Audio:
WOL: RAW, Smackdown and NXT previews, tons of news
WOR: Battle of Los Angeles finals, New Japan, Raw and NXT
B&V: NXT on USA and NWA World Championship Wrestling from 1988
WOL: NXT on USA, war with AEW, Lacey Evans
F4W NEWSLETTER: The Fiend challenging for Universal title at HIAC Joseph Currier looks at how quickly Wyatt’s Fiend character has been elevated to the title picture. Plus, Bryan Rose’s notes on Japan, and Vinny’s TV reviews.
With an upcoming Universal title shot at Hell in a Cell, WWE seems poised to elevate Bray Wyatt’s Fiend character to the absolute top of the company.
Sunday’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view ended with an angle to kickstart The Fiend’s program against Seth Rollins. After Rollins retained the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman in the main event, The Fiend appeared and attacked Rollins as he was celebrating on the stage. The lights went out during the celebration, with The Fiend then hitting Sister Abigail on Rollins and putting him in the Mandible Claw.
The next night on Raw also included an angle with The Fiend. At the start of the show, it was confirmed that Rollins will defend his Universal title against The Fiend inside of Hell in a Cell at next month’s PPV. In the main event segment, The Fiend put Kane in the Mandible Claw after Kane made an appearance in Knoxville, Tennessee and saved Rollins from Robert Roode, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson. The Fiend then taunted a terrified Rollins, and the show ended with a distorted version of the Firefly Fun House theme song and intro video.
Current subscribers click here to continue reading.
WON NEWSLETTER: NXT debut on USA, Clash of Champions reviewed
NXT debuted on the USA Network and we look at the good and the bad of the first broadcast, plus have coverage of a number of major weekend shows and stories behind the scenes at all of them, and extensive details on New Japan’s business plans going forward as some of the lead items in the new issue of the Observer.
We look at the changing TV landscape, NXT numbers, problems with the web site, the two big TV bouts, all the things promoted for the future, and what happened at the show.
We also have a full report on Clash of Champions, with a look at the business notes, the Hell in a Cell show, a major item going forward on ticket sales throughout U.S. wrestling, PPV estimates, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
We look at the changes at AXS TV and how it affects wrestling going forward, as well as MMA.
We also look at tons of changes happening in WWE in October, FOX’s plans for promoting Smackdown, Smackdown on the West Coast, Paul Levesque talks changes in NXT, what When Worlds Collide will be, Takeover changes, value of NXT to WWE business going forward, FS 1 studios show update, Smackdown going overseas, Kacy Catanzaro, Royal Rumble notes, Ric Flair notes, WWE stock market value, most watched shows on the WWE Network, as well as a look at the weekend WWE and NXT live events with match rundowns, highlights and business notes.
We’ve got coverage of New Japan’s Destruction shows, previewing this week’s big show, the Young Lions tournament, as well as looking at the two shows this past week.
We look at the New Japan annual financial report, talking about revenue, profits, U.S. expansion and how it’s going, why WWE runs so many smaller markets and how that applies too New Japan and AEW, a look at where New Japan revenue comes from, New Japan World subs, merchandise sales, what match was most important to New Japan World growth, how AEW got television on TNT without ever running a show while New Japan struggles to make any TV money.
We also have an interesting talk by Jon Moxley about competing in G-1.
We also have full coverage of AAA in New York, the story behind why it was different from a usual AAA show, why a lot of talent wasn’t there, why the main event was handicapped as compared to past matches as well as match-by-match coverage with star ratings, business notes and poll results.
We also have a full repot of UFC from Vancouver, what’s next for the different fighters, match-by-match coverage and business notes.
We also update the situation over the weekend involving Big Cass. We run it down, a well as give his own thoughts on why he’s sorry for what happened.
We also have full coverage of all the WWE television shows from the past week.
We’ve also got in-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows,the key demos for the WWE shows and what can be learned from them.
We also have the results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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MONDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
The Maury Show’s Twitter account posted a video with Maury Povich telling Maria & Mike Kanellis and Rusev to give him a call if they need a paternity test.
“Where Are They Now?: SmackDown Anniversary Special” will premiere on the WWE Network at 8 p.m. Eastern time this Friday.
Roman Reigns is on the cover of the latest edition of Inked magazine.
Reigns reflected on returning to Hawaii to wrestle at Sunday’s SmackDown house show.
Pro Wrestling
TheWrap.com reported that AEW has been talking with WarnerMedia executives about a studio show in addition to the weekly Dynamite show. Executive Brett Weiss was quoted as saying, “Knowing full well that within the WarnerMedia ecosystem we have B/R Live, we’ve got all these different components at our disposal. The more content for these fans the better, and we would love to figure out what something like that looks like.”
Jerry Lawler spoke to The Daily Beast for a story on Brian Christopher Lawler’s death and how it was handled by the Hardeman County Jail.
AEW is advertising an appearance by Hangman Page for their TNT premiere: “What does @theAdamPage have on his mind? #9Days till #AEWDynamite”
Eddie Kingston has been announced for the NWA’s TV tapings in Atlanta on September 30 and October 1. It was teased that Kingston won’t be coming alone.
ROH’s show in San Antonio on November 10 has been moved to the Aztec Theatre. It’s the second and final night of this year’s Survival of the Fittest.
Jay Briscoe and Jeff Cobb will be on opposite sides of the Vegas Wild Card eight-man tag match at ROH’s TV tapings this Saturday. They’re the first participants announced for the match.
Jonathan Gresham wrestled on night three of PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles despite having a lymph node infection.
UFC/MMA
Jeremy Stephens (seen above) detailed a confrontation he had Sunday with Yair Rodriguez after Saturday’s abruptly ended main event. He is pushing for the two to rematch at one of the UFC’s upcoming shows in Boston, Washington D.C., or New York City.
UFC announced that Brian Ortega will face Chan Sung Jung (aka the Korean Zombie) in the main event of the UFC’s final show of the year, an ESPN+ event in South Korea. This will be Ortega’s first action since being stopped by featherweight champion Max Holloway last December. This would mean that if the Stephens-Rodriguez match is rebooked for this year, it won’t be a main event.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Kurt Angle wins WWF title at Unforgiven 2001
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
This week’s WWE Smackdown Live on USA Network drew a live and same-night-DVR viewership number of 1.75, up negligibly from last week’s 1.73. January averaged a 1.76 rating, so this is right in line with that.
One year ago this week Smackdown drew a 1.80 rating. The 2017 average so far is 1.76; the 2018 through this week was 1.80.
Keller’s Analysis: This is the water level of Smackdown right now, but the reviews for the show lately have been largely negative, so they could see further erosion compared to year-ago numbers if they don’t shake-up the monotonous and nonsensical focus on the Daniel Bryan-Shane McMahon dynamic where nobody is particularly likable. This week’s Smackdown drew a strong thumbs down with 48 percent disliking the show, 17 percent liking it, and 35 percent neutral. The ratings now are barely above pre-Brand Split and pre-Live on Tuesdays levels. Two years ago Smackdown drew a 1.72 rating this week.
NOW CHECK OUT THIS RECENT REPORT: WWE touts digital media growth, says evidence emerging of dollars following eyeballs (w/Keller’s Analysis)
This week’s AEW Dark features four matches that were taped in Garland, Texas:
PAC will be in action on the show, with him teaming with The Hybrid 2 (Jack Evans & Angelico) against Best Friends (Trent Barreta & Chuck Taylor) & Orange Cassidy.
The show will also feature singles matches with Britt Baker and Kris Statlander before they face off on tomorrow’s Dynamite. Baker faces local wrestler Machiko on Dark tonight, while Statlander takes on Bea Priestley.
The winner of Baker vs. Statlander on tomorrow’s Dynamite will become the number one contender to Riho’s AEW Women’s Championship.
SCU (Scorpio Sky & Frankie Kazarian) will defend their AEW Tag Team titles against The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) on Dynamite tomorrow. SCU are also in action on tonight’s Dark, with Sky & Kazarian facing Private Party (Marq Quen & Isiah Kassidy) in a non-title match.
Tonight’s show also features an appearance by Vickie Guerrero on guest commentary.
Click Here: COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES 2019
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
The following is the latest in a new series of weekly in-depth articles exclusive to PWTorch which will help put in perspective major wrestling promotions with a weekly overview, looking at news and roster developments, results, future line-ups, social media activity, key interviews, plus a timely commentary at the end. We will be featuring similar features on other promotions each week and each will be updated weekly.
•Top Stories of the Week
The Injury bug has taken a bite out of the NXT’s Women’s division. It was reported that Dakota Kai suffered a knee injury at a live event in Green Bay, Wisconsin over the weekend. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Kai underwent an MRI and it is believed to be a torn ACL. She was a major cog in the current NXT Women’s Championship storyline so the loss will be felt.
Tyler Breeze made his return to NXT this Wednesday in a loss to Ricochet for the NXT North American Championship. No word yet if this is a one off until his tag team partner Fandango can get healthy or if it’s a long term stay. Either way, always good to see Prince Pretty in the ring.
There have been two matches announced for next weeks NXT TV show. One will see Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke take on Dakota Kai and Io Shirai and the main event will be Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match.
•NXT Live Event Results
Dec. 6 Milwaukee, Wis.
Matt Riddle beat Kassius Ohno
Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai beat Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir
Bobby Fish beat Humberto Carrillo
Dominik Dijakovic beat Kona Reeves
Aleister Black beat Johnny Gargano
Ricochet and Heavy Machinery beat The Undisputed Era (Cole, O’Reilly, Strong)
Shayna Baszler beat Candice LeRae to retain NXT Women’s Championship
Tommaso Ciampa beat Velveteen Dream to retain NXT Men’s Championship
(Results courtesy of F4WOnline.com)
Dec. 6 Dade City, Fla.
Shane Thorne beat Boa
Lacey Evans beat Xia Li
Luke Menzies beat Mansoor Al-Shehail
Kacey Catanzaro and Lacey Lane beat Vanessa Borne and Deonna Purrazzo
Keith Lee beat Fabian Aichner
The Street Profits beat Rick Boog and Riddick Moss
Aliyah beat Chelsea Green
War Raiders and Babatunde Aiyegbusi beat The Forgotten Sons
(Results courtesy of F4WOnline.com)
Dec. 7 Fort Pierce, Fla.
MJ Jenkins beat Deonna Purrazzo
Brennan Williams beat Luke Menzies
Wesley Blake beat Denzel
Aliyah and Reina Gonzalez beat Jessie and Chelsea Green
Keith lee beat Punishment Martinez
The Street Profits beat The Forgotten Sons
Lacey Evans beat Mia Yim and Io Shirai in a triple threat
The War Raiders beat Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch
(Results courtesy of F4WOnline.com)
Dec. 7 Green Bay, Wis.
Adam Cole beat Humberto Carrillo
Kassius Ohno beat Dan Matha
Matt Riddle beat Dominik Dijakovic
The Undisputed Era (O’Reilly and Strong) beat Heavy Machinery to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship
Candice LeRae, Kairi Sane, and Dakota Kai beat Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marine Shafir by DQ
Velveteen Dream beat Johnny Gargano
Ricochet and Aleister Black beat Tommaso Ciampa and Kona Reeves
(Results courtesy of PWInsider.com)
Dec. 8 Venice, Fla.
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch beat Rick Boog and Mansoor Al-Shehail
Xia Li beat Vanessa Borne
Babatunde Aiyegbusi beat Fabian Aichner
Aliya and Reina Gonzalez beat Jessie Elaban and MJ Jenkins
Shane Thorne beat Riddick Moss
War Raiders beat Brennan Williams and Punishment Martinez
Nikki Cross beat Deonna Purrazzo
The Street Profits and Keith Lee beat The Forgotten Sons
(Results courtesy of F4WOnline.com)
Dec. 8 St. Paul, Minn.
Matt Riddle beat Kassius Ohno
Jessamyn Duke (w/Marina Shafir) beat Candice LeRae
Bobby Fish beat Humberto Carrillo
Dominik Dijakovic beat Kona Reeves (w/Dan Matha)
Aleister Black beat Johnny Gargano
Heavy Machinery and Ricochet beat The Undisputed Era (Cole, O’Reilly, Strong)
Kairi Sane beat NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler by DQ
Tommaso Ciampa beat Velveteen Dream to retain NXT Men’s Championship
(Results courtesy of F4WOnline.com)
Dec. 9 Des Moines, Iowa
Matt Riddle beat Dominik Dijakovic
The Undisputed Era (O’Reilly and Strong) beat Heavy Machinery to retain NXT Tag Team Championship
Adam Cole beat Humberto Carrillo
Kassius Ohno beat Dan Matha
Shayna Baszler and Marina Shafir beat Candice LeRae and Kairi Sane
The Velveteen Dream beat Johnny Gargano
Aleister Black and Ricochet beat Tommaso Ciampa and Kona Reeves
(Results courtesy of Wrestling-News.net)
•Upcoming Major Show Line-up: NXT TakeOver Phoenix
NXT Takeover Phoenix
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January 26, 2019
Phoenix, AZ (Talking Stick Resort Arena)
Projected Lineup:
Tomaso Ciampa (Champion) vs. Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream
Undisputed Era (Champions) vs. Heavy Machinery
Ricochet (Champion) vs. ?
Shayna Baszler (Champion) vs. Bianca Beair
•Upcoming Events
Thursday Dec. 13 – Orlando Live Events (Casselberry, Fla.)
Friday Dec. 14 – Citrus Springs Fla.
Saturday Dec. 15 – Minnreg Hall (Largo, Fla.)
Friday Jan. 4 – Center Stage Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia)
Saturday Jan. 5 – Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium (Spartanburg, South Carolina)
Saturday Jan. 5 – Crystal River Armory (Crystal River, Fla.)
Sunday Jan. 6 – Durham Armory (Durham, North Carolina)
Friday Jan. 11 – Havert L. Fenn Center (Fort Pierce, Fla.)
Thursday Jan. 17 – Venice Community Center (Venice, Fla.)
Friday Jan. 18 – University Area CDC Gymnasium (Tampa, Fla.)
Saturday Jan. 19 – Citrus Springs (Citrus Springs, Fla.)
Thursday Jan. 24 – Viejas Arena (San Diego, Cal.)
Friday Jan 25 – Riverside Municipal Auditorium (Riverside, Cal.)
SATURDAY JAN 26. – WWE NXT TAKEOVER PHOENIX – TALKING STICK RESORT ARENA (Phoenix, Arizona)
Thursday Jan. 31 – Highlands Today Center (Sebring, Fla.)
Saturday Feb. 2 – Lakeland Armory (Lakeland, Fla.)
Thursday Feb. 7 – The Reserve Pavilion at Hilton Ocala (Ocala, Fla.)
Thursday Feb. 7 – RWJ Barnabas Arena (Toms River, New Jersey)
Friday Feb. 8 – St. Petersburg Armory (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 8 – Mid-Hudson Civic Center (Poughkeepsie, New York)
Saturday Feb. 9 – Lowell Memorial Auditorium (Lowell, MA)
Saturday Feb. 9 – Sanford Civic Center (Sanford, Fla.)
Sunday Feb. 10 – Ryan Center (Kingston, Rhode Island)
•Latest TV Highlights: 12/5 NXT TV Report
Adam Cole in ring promo (4:11 – 6:23)
(1) EC3 beat Bobby Fish by pinfall (6:53 – 12:28)
Heavy Machinery clears ring (12:50 – 14:27)
Dakota Kai and Io Shirai backstage interview (14:33 – 15:18)
(2) Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan beat The Mighty by pinfall (18:21 – 23:26)
Aleister Black/Tommaso Ciampa/Johnny Gargano video highlight package (24:41 – 28:36)
DIJAKOVIC IS COMING! (30:01 – 30:30)
Shayna Baszler/Marina Shafir/Jessamyn Duke with Cathy Kelly (30:32 – 31:23)
(3) Mia Yim beat Reina Gonzalez by pinfall (34:31 – 37:58)
Aleister Black backstage promo (41:00 – 42:18)
(4) Ricochet beat Tyler Breeze by pinfall (46:53 – 56:41)
•NXT in the media
On WWE.com there was a great back and forth with The Forgotten Sons. When asked about his past NXT Tag Team Championship experience, Wesley Blake said, “The difference is, Blake as champion was just that. A vessel. A marquee. Someone with no identity without that championship. Now, I have a family that’s a bond and our purpose is stronger than ever. The man, Wesley Blake, that you see now, is fulfilled.”
An ESPN article written by Tim Fiorvanti touched on Shawn Michaels work at the Performance Center and his effect on NXT Superstars such as Adam Cole. Cole states, ”Shawn Michaels, to me and to so many people, is just the greatest in-ring performer of all time,” Cole noted back in April. “He’s a big reason I decided to pursue pro wrestling myself. I saw him, and I was so amazed and captivated by what he did that I said, ‘Oh, someday I want to do that.’ To be able to share a ring with him in any capacity was huge, and for him to be the guest referee in that match was so awesome.”
•Latest NXT Podcast – “PWT Talks NXT” PWTorch Livecast
In this anniversary episode, Kelly Wells, Tom Stoup, and Harley R. Pageot cover the Tyler Breeze surprise and whether he could stick around, the tag team hierarchy, Dakota Kai’s injury, and more.
-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “PWTorch” or “Pro Wrestling Torch” on your podcast app of choice
•Top NXT Tweets of the Week
Ciampa tweet of the week. I predict this match will never happen.
ONE DAY… pic.twitter.com/mx8nx4Bo0w
— BLACKHEART (@ProjectCiampa) December 9, 2018
He would immediately become the second best twitter feed in NXT
Hey guys when is @WWENXT on tonight ?
— Prince Pretty (@MmmGorgeous) December 12, 2018
It’s my favorite Christmas movie too Lacey.
pic.twitter.com/BFofKGIKq0
— Lady of NXT (@LaceyEvansWWE) December 7, 2018
I’d be OK with all of that.
2019 spoiler? @AdamColePro says it's #undisputed. @KORcombat @theBobbyFish @roderickstrong #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/GiibuYCFRW
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 13, 2018
•Thoughts and Comments
I absolutely love Tyler Breeze coming back to NXT, even if it is just for one match. I hope this paves the way for more and more underused and underutilized main roster superstars to make their return to NXT.
The Hanson injury might be more serious that I had first thought. Heavy Machinery seems to have stepped right into the number one contender spot that was once occupied by the War Raiders. The tag team division is so loaded that I could see a few different teams holding the titles in 2019.
Just awful news on the Dakota Kai injury. I feel like she was just starting to come into her own and the relationship with the full sail crowd was just developing. She’s still very young, so hopefully this will be a small speed bump in the road.
The NXT Men’s, Women’s, and Tag Team Championships all seem to be headed in a certain direction, but the same can not be said about the North American Championship. After Ricochet’s victory over Breeze, the contenders are “limitless” but I have absolutely no idea what they’ll do. Adam Cole, Keith Lee, Matt Riddle, Bobby Fish, EC3 could all potentially step up to the plate. Great time to be an NXT fan with names like that on the roster.
NOW CHECK OUT OTHER WEEKLY OVERVIEWS HERE.
OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S WWE OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – NXT (thru 12/6): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more
The following is the latest in a new series of weekly in-depth articles exclusive to PWTorch which will help put in perspective major wrestling promotions with a weekly overview, looking at news and roster developments, results, future line-ups, social media activity, key interviews, plus a timely commentary at the end. We will be featuring similar features on other promotions each week and each will be updated weekly.
The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invoked the country’s independence leaders yesterday as he claimed the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy fulfilled their dreams of a united India.
In an historic address on live television, Mr Modi said the government’s decision to scrap Article 370 of the constitution – which gave the state unique freedoms – “will rid Jammu and Kashmir of terror and separatism”.
The move “fulfils the dreams of Sardar Patel, BR Ambedkar [two independece leaders] and hundreds of thousands of patriots,” Mr Modi said.
Underlining the most dramatic constitutional change in India’s 70-year history as an independent nation, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that Article 370 “benefited no one” and prevented the state from developing.
“The Kashmiris who were deprived of benefits and development because of special status, will no more be left behind,” he said, lamenting the deaths of 42,000 people in clashes since independence.
Kashmir | Read more
TV anchors noted that most Kashmiris were unable to hear the prime minister’s words as they have been under lockdown for almost a week with no access to the internet or telecommunications networks.
Mr Modi also said that Pakistan and militant groups based in Kashmir had historically “instigated the people of J&K through certain agents” because of the potential ambiguity of the state’s special status.
But he pledged that now women, workers, “minorities” and law enforcement would all benefit from the changes and mean Kashmiris would “enjoy equal rights” to other Indians.
He also promised “free and fair” state elections, increased investment in sport and a range of other benefits in a speech taken as an address to the rest of India rather than Kashmiris themselves.
Information coming from Kashmir is limited, with severe travel restrictions in place especially for journalists and NGOs.
In the past week around 500 politicians, activists and alleged separatists have been detained, prompting the UN Human Rights Council to say "we are deeply concerned about the situation in the region”.
Reports on Thursday said up to 70 “suspected terrorists” were transferred from the Kashmiri capital, Srinagar, to the city of Agra by the air force, an unprecedented move for people not even officially charged.
The reaction to the law changes has transcended national borders, with India’s old adversary Pakistan saying they are tantamount to human rights abuse against the majority Muslim inhbitants of the state.
On Wednesday, Islamabad expelled India’s top envoy and announced it would downgrade diplomatic relations. India responded by saying Kashmir was a “sovereign matter”.
Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted: “What should be obvious is the international community will be witnessing the genocide of the Kashmiris in IOK [“Indian Occupied Kashmir”]. Question is: Will we watch another appeasement of fascism, this time in the garb of BJP government, or will the international community have the moral courage to stop this from happening?”
On Thursday an infamous Pakistani cleric said that “jihad is mandatory now” and called on Islambad to “open the border for our fighters to target Indian forces in Kashmir.”
Demanding the release from jail of militants in the Jaish-e-Muhammad group, Maulana Abdul Aziz told the Times “we have to respond to Indian atrocities.”
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Frenchproducers of absinthe, the green spirit said to have inspired Van Gogh, have won a 15-year battle to have their fiery drink receive European protected status.
This week, Brussels granted absinthe of Pontarlier in eastern France on the Swiss border the official protected geographical indication mark, PGI.
The drink’s powers were notorious in late 19th-Century Paris among bohemian artists and writers. Many swore it expanded consciousness and enhanced creativity, dubbing it the Green Fairy.
Van Gogh is said to have painted his masterpiece, The Starry Night, under its influence and it has been suggested the drink drove him mad.
Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso all partook in "l’heure verte" – a five o’clock ritual of sipping absinthe with a lump of sugar on a spoon.
Pontarlier was famous for the production of absinthe until France banned the drink in 1915, in part due to fears it would knock out French forces in the First World War.
When the ban was partially lifted in the 1990s, Pontarlier distilleries once again starting producing a watered-down version of the mind-bending original only to see a raft of foreign rivals flood the market.
The new European protected status will help fight off foreign imitators, said François Guy, in charge of one of the two main Pontarlier producers of absinthe.
“We even found South African absinthe with Napoleon and the fleur de lys on the label,” he told Le Parisien.
Mr Guy was instrumental in proving that thujone, the molecular in wormwood scientists initially blamed for causing hallucinations and brain damage, was relatively harmless.
“Its quantity has been reduced to make it inoffensive but it remains essential for the taste,” he said.
“It was above all the alcohol levels and huge quantities of absinthe consumed in the Belle Epoque that caused such serious damage.”
The EU’s PGI mark designates a product “originating in a specific place, region or country whose given quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its geographical origin and at least one of the production steps of which takes place in the defined geographical area”.
But the mark represents a Pyrrhic victory for Pontarlier’s other main producer, Pernot, as it stipulates that the recipe must contain a minimum of 20g per litre of thujone.
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“It so happens that Japan and the United States ban any presence of thujone and these are our main export markets,” a spokesman told L’Est Républicain.
Racing driver Jessi Combs, considered the "fastest woman on four wheels," was killed in a car accident trying to break her own record, police said Wednesday.
Combs’s jet car crashed Tuesday in the Alvord Desert where she was pronounced dead at the scene, officers in the northwestern US state of Oregon said in a statement.
Combs, 39, earned her "fastest woman" title in 2013 when she hit 398 miles (641 kilometers) per hour, and police said the fatal crash occurred while "attempting to break" the record.
"Jessi Combs was pronounced deceased at the scene," the Harney County Sheriff’s Office statement said. "The cause of the crash is unknown at this time and is currently being investigated."
Combs, who also appeared on various US television shows, previously tried to break her record in October.
According to industry media, she was able to exceed her previous speed to reach 483 miles per hour, but a mechanical problem meant the record couldn’t be officially validated.
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She had expected to do even better on Tuesday.
Combs, an accomplished mechanic, had challenged herself to beat American stuntwoman Kitty O’Neil’s 1976 "fastest woman in the world" record, which was set on a three-wheel vehicle also in the Alvord Desert, at 512 miles per hour.