WWE has released Sawyer Fulton, whose real name is Jacob Southwick. Fulton had signed with WWE in September of 2012. He joined Sanity in September of 2016, however was forced to leave the group that December after suffering an injury.
“This has been an absolutely amazing time in WWE,” Fulton wrote on Twitter. “After my injury I worked as hard as possible to come back, and it just happened to not work out. However, I’m not ashamed of being released by any means, I held nothing back and at the end of the day I’m happy to leave with my head held high.”
Fulton had returned to action this past May, however was never used on television. Fulton thanked NXT and said that they would see each other again in the future.
“Honestly I can not wait to start down this new path, and travel, and wrestle in front of new crowds,” Fulton wrote. “WWE, NXT thank you for everything you have done for me, and we will see each other again soon. And for all my brothers in the back, I’m sure we will make another town together in the future. I love You all. See you soon!”
You can check out Fulton’s full statement below:
A new path is beginning to unfold and I'm excited to walk it! Time to move forward to the same goal! pic.twitter.com/locZPJZTzR
NJPW’s Power Struggle will take place on November 5 live on NJPW World at 3am ET and NJPW has announced the full card for the show with the addition of Kenny Omega defending the IWGP United States Championship against Beretta. Here’s the updated card:
* David Finlay vs. Katsuya Kitamura
* The Young Bucks vs. Titan and Dragon Lee
* Juice Robinson, Tiger Mask IV, Jushin Thunder Liger, KUSHIDA, and Hirai Kawato vs. Zack Sabre Jr, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, and TAKA Michinoku
* Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Cody, Chase Owens, and Yujiro Takahashi
* SHO and YOH vs. Ryusuke Taguchi and ACH (Super Jr. Tag Tournament Final)
Matt Hardy has hired an IP lawyer out of Nashville, TN to help acquire the “Broken” trademark, according to a report by PWInsider. According to the article, Hardy submitted a CWf Mid-Atlantic Wrestling promotional poster featuring him with his Broken gimmick during the “Expedition of Gold” tour after the USPTO refused his trademark registration this past May for “unacceptable specimens/documents provided as proof of use.”
SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon took to Twitter yesterday and announced AJ Styles vs. WWE Champion Jinder Mahal for next Tuesday’s taped SmackDown episode from Manchester, England. The match was made after Jinder and The Singh Brothers attacked AJ following his win over Samir Singh on this week’s blue brand show.
No word yet on AJ’s match with Rusev that was planned for Tuesday’s SmackDown. The winner of that match was to earn the final Team SmackDown spot for the men’s 5-on-5 Traditional Elimination Match at Survivor Series.
Tuesday’s SmackDown in Manchester will also feature Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos with the titles on the line.
After thirteen years with Impact Wrestling, referee Brian Stiffler says he’s leaving the company.
Stiffler tells Pro Wrestling Sheet, “I’m extraordinarily grateful for being given the opportunity to have worked with TNA/IMPACT for the past 13 years. I’ve learned and grew so much with the help of so many incredible people, including Brian and Earl Hebner (who also I became best friends with!!).”
The long-time referee continued, “The locker room is so unbelievably talented and passionate. And the crew has some of the hardest working men and women I’ve ever been around. As I leave, I wish them all nothing but continued success and all the best!!”
No word on Stiffler’s current plans for the future.
The official rules have been announced for the triple-team, two-ring main event for the WWE NXT”Takeover: WarGames” event on November 18th from the Toyota Center in Houston during Survivor Series weekend. As noted, that match will feature The Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly vs. The Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong vs. SAnitY’s Killian Dain with NXT Tag Team Champions Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe.
WWE’s official preview for the match notes that each team will select one member to start the match inside the cage while the remaining participants are locked inside shark cages near the entranceway. After 5 minutes, the final two members from one team will enter the match, giving that team an advantage. 3 minutes later the second team’s members are released, followed by the final team’s members after another 3 minute period. The first competitor to pick up a pinfall or submission earns the win for his team once all three teams are inside the structure.
It’s worth noting that the two side-by-side rings have been confirmed but there is no official word on a roof covering the structure.
Below is WWE’s official announcement on the updated WarGames rules:
Official WarGames Match rules for NXT TakeOverThe WarGames Match returns at NXT TakeOver: WarGames in Houston, and WWE.com has the official rules for the massive three-team showdown.
It has been a while – almost 20 years, in fact – since fans have been able to experience a live WarGames Match, so consider this a refresher course. There are also a few added wrinkles to this epic match that you may not see when watching past WarGames clashes on the award-winning WWE Network.
The rules of the match are as follows:
* The three-member teams of SAnitY (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe & Killian Dain), Undisputed ERA (Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly), and The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) & Roderick Strong will wage war inside a massive steel cage that surrounds TWO rings.
* All three teams will be contained inside separate shark cages by the entranceway, with a member from each team (as chosen by his respective squad) starting the match.
* After five minutes, the remaining members from one team will be released from their shark cage and allowed to enter the match.
* When another three-minute period elapses, the remaining members from a second team are released from their shark cage and enter the match.
* Following another three-minute period, the final team’s members are released from their shark cage and enter the match.
* Once all three teams have entered the WarGames Match, a victory can be attained via pinfall or submission.
Don’t miss the historic return of the WarGames Match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames in Houston on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 8 ET/5 PT, streaming live on WWE Network.
Buff Bagwell has long-maintained that Jim Ross had something to do with him being fired from the WWE. In a recent interview with Title Match Wrestling, Bagwell stuck to his claims and went on a long-winded rant about JR.
Bagwell asserts that Ross spread rumors about Bagwell’s mother, Judy, calling him to ask if her son could have the weekend off. He said this, coupled with a lackluster match against Booker T on RAW that same week, led to him being released from the company.
“Do you really believe that you’re gonna fire Buff Bagwell over one bad match? Come on, man,” Bagwell said. “Do you really believe, out there in video world, that Buff Bagwell got fired because of his mother? Do people really believe that I had my mother call the WWF and say let him off Augusta in Birmingham? Well f**k no that’s not true! Why would I do that? But people believed it. And one person was responsible: Jim Ross. And only God, Jim Ross and me know the truth, and who’s gonna believe me. Nobody… The true, true story is Jim Ross created that monster, and people believed it.”
As the head of talent relations at the time, it was Ross’ job to inform superstars when their contracts have been terminated. Bagwell understands it wasn’t actually Ross’ decision to let him go.
“It may not have been Jim. Jim made the call, and that’s the route he took,” Bagwell said. “He said, ‘Hey, it’s a s****y job what I got here. It’s a job I gotta do, I gotta call people. It’s a bad job.'”
Ross had responded to Bagwell’s claims on his podcast in 2015, saying he was just doing his job by delivering the news of his firing and he never did anything to ruin his reputation. But Bagwell stands by his beliefs.
“To be honest with you, that could be true,” he said. “But somebody, and I was told it was Jim, somebody started the ‘mother called in’ [rumor]. And what Jim’s leaving out right there, is on video they have a roundtable meeting, and Jim Ross rips my f***ing ass out.”
Bagwell says that he never saw the tape himself because his father told him not to watch it. He then goes into a profanity-laced tirade against Ross, calling him a liar and saying he ruined his career. Bagwell said it would be impossible for him to ever forgive Ross.
“Absolutely not, there’s no way… There’s no way to mend a fence, brother, of costing me my life,” he said. “Jim Ross, I feel and I just proved on tape, Jim Ross ruined my career. He started this f***ing rumor about my mother and ruined my career. How do you mend that fence? How do you do that? Now, do I think he was the mastermind behind it all? Absolutely not… But I think Jim has all to do with what I’m talking about with my mother calling the office, and starting that rumor and everybody believed it. I think Jim was 1,000 percent behind that.”
As noted, WWE announced on Sunday that they have parted ways with Emma, Summer Rae and Darren Young. Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reports that Emma’s departure had been in the works for some time as she had significant heat with company officials. The doors reportedly remain open for Emma to return down the line but some see her departure as “addition by subtraction” in the locker room.
Emma reportedly created enemies on the WWE writing staff and made those issues worse with the way she spoke out on Twitter. Emma did have as much respect as an in-ring performer as any other female Superstars in the locker room but her release sent a message to the locker room.
The decision to release Emma, Young and Summer reportedly came on Friday during Vince McMahon’s routine budget meeting. The Superstars were told on Sunday before they would have needed to fly out for work on Monday. WWE then made the announcements on their website and social media accounts.
Another day, another exit from Impact Wrestling … this time it’s long-time referee Brian Hebner.
Hebner tweeted about his exit on Wednesday evening and wrote, “Wanted to let everyone know that I have asked & been granted my release from @IMPACTWRESTLING!”
