Author: John Bass

Eddie Kingston Does This Charitable Act At Indie Shows

Throughout his time with All Elite Wrestling, Eddie Kingston has still maintained a healthy schedule of independent shows on many weekends to complement his work on “AEW Dynamite” and “AEW Rampage.” While speaking to Marc Maron on a special wrestling-themed episode of “WTF,” Kingston discussed his reasons for continuing to work independent promotions, and shared that he usually makes a charitable donation with a significant portion of his earnings.

“I like doing the independents still,” Kingston said. “Because without the independents, I would’ve went nuts years ago. … A lot of times — well, they already announced it a couple times. I hate it when they do this. I usually will go there and do a show, but I’ll tell them, ‘Take half my money, and give it to a charity that’s local.’ And I tell them not to announce it, just do it. And they announced it anyways.” Kingston stated that he sees these donations as his way of giving back after working his way through the independents for most of his career.

Over the last year, Kingston has stayed busy working for promotions across the country such as House of Glory, Beyond Wrestling, DEFY, and Glory Pro. On top of his work with his home promotion and on the independents, the AEW star has competed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, facing off against Tomohiro Ishii and even teaming with Kazuchika Okada to wrestle “Switchblade” Jay White and Juice Robinson of Bullet Club in October. After months of trash talk back and forth, Kingston will soon return to the promotion to face White in a singles match at NJPW Battle in the Valley on February 18.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 2/8/2023

AEW Dynamite “Championship Night” will air live tonight on TBS and emanate from the El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas.

  • AEW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Acclaimed (c) vs. The Gunns
  • AEW World Trios Championship Match: The Elite (c) vs. Top Flight & AR Fox
  • World Title Eliminator: AEW World Champion MJF vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • Women’s Title Eliminator Match: AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter vs. The Bunny
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Rush
  • Garcia-Guevara Gauntlet Match

Impact Wrestling & NJPW Announce Joint Show On WrestleMania Weekend

Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced today that they will co-produce a show on Thursday night, March 30, at the Globe Theater in Los Angeles. The following was sent out:

IMPACT Wrestling & New Japan Pro-Wrestling Announce Major Co-Produced Live Show, Set For Thursday, March 30th in Los Angeles

“Multiverse United: Only The STRONG Survive” Will Feature Must-See, Cross-Promotion Dream Matches

“Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Will Ospreay Expected To Be A High-Energy, Action-Packed Match of the Year Candidate

IMPACT Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling will co-produce a major live pro wrestling show on Thursday night, March 30, at the Globe Theater in Los Angeles with megastars from both promotions in-action and numerous first-ever dream matches confirmed.
 
The show, Multiverse United: Only The STRONG Survive, will air live on pay-per-view on fite.tv, starting at 8 p.m. PST.
 
IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander steps into the ring at Multiverse United against KUSHIDA, while “Speedball” Mike Bailey battles Will Ospreay in the co-main event that will be a nonstop fight for bragging rights.
 
The Bailey-Ospreay battle is their fifth-ever one-on-one contest and the first since August 2022, with their first-ever back in 2015. “Will Ospreay is the best professional wrestler in the world, after me,” Bailey said. “So, this will be the best professional wrestling match of the year.”
 
Alexander is the longest-reigning IMPACT World Champion and also was half of the decorated tag-team The North that is the longest-reigning IMPACT World Tag Team Champions. KUSHIDA is a 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a 2-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion (with Time Splitters teammate Alex Shelley). KUSHIDA is a 2-time winner of the prestigious Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
 
Also confirmed for Multiverse United: NJPW’s Jeff Cobb battles former IMPACT World Champion Moose. IMPACT stars confirmed for the dual promotion spectacle: reigning X Division Champion Trey Miguel, Ace Austin and Chris Bey, plus most of the Knockouts. NJPW will be represented at Multiverse United by KENTA, Rocky Romero, Minoru Suzuki, Clark Connors, Kevin Knight, Fred Rosser and many others.
 
Tickets for Multiverse United start at $60 and go on-sale THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, starting at 10am EST. Front-row seats and the coveted balcony seats are $350 each – and those prized, limited VIP seats are perk-filled, including an exclusive event t-shirt, commemorative ringside photograph, and more! For tickets, go to highspots.com
 
“We are very excited for this unique collaborative event that brings together two of the best wrestling companies in the world,” said IMPACT Wrestling executive vice-president Scott D’Amore. “Since NJPW returned to AXS TV just over a year ago, we have been looking at ways to expand our working relationship between the two brands. Multiverse United on March 30th at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles is the first of many exciting collaborations between IMPACT and NJPW.”
 
NJPW representative director Takami Ohbari said, “New Japan Pro-Wrestling and IMPACT have been a winning combination on AXS TV, and now fans get to see these two companies share the same ring in person. I personally cannot wait to see what arises from this special card, and I can guarantee fans will experience a historic event the likes of which they’ve never seen before.”
 
The IMPACT Wrestling/New Japan Pro-Wrestling relationship began in 2005 with Jushin Liger facing Samoa Joe at BOUND FOR GLORY. In 2006, Hiroshi Tanahashi faced AJ Styles at FINAL RESOLUTION and New Japan fielded Team Japan for the 2006 World X-Cup. 
 
IMPACT was involved in New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom events from 2008 to 2011, with such legendary matches as Kurt Angle vs. Yuji Nagata, Abyss vs. Manabu Nakanishi, and Giant Bernard and Tomko vs. The Steiner Brothers. Other stars who have participated in IMPACT/New Japan matches, including the Motor City Machine Guns, Kevin Nash, Masahiro Chono and Tomohiro Ishii, among others. The 2011 Wrestle Kingdom featured a World Championship title defense by Jeff Hardy against Tetsuya Naito. 
 
In 2021, NJPW tag team FinJuice arrived in IMPACT Wrestling, as well as Jay White, Satoshi Kojima, Minoru Suzuki, the Guerrillas of Destiny, and others.
 
IMPACT star Ace Austin competed in NJPW’s 2022 Best of the Super Juniors. Ace Austin and Chris Bey made the finals of the 2022 NJPW Super Junior Tag League and the Motor City Machine Guns are the reigning NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions.

Jerry ‘The King” Lawler Suffered A Stroke 

Action News 5 in Memphis, Tennessee is reporting that Lawler suffered a stroke at his home in Fort Meyers, Florida. He later underwent surgery and is said to be recovering at a Florida hospital.

 Dutch Mantell took to Twitter to provide an update on “The King,” noting that he spoke with Lawler’s son Kevin who said that the WWE Hall of Famer was improving. He wrote,

“Just talked to Kevin…he said that he talked to the Dr. who said that Jerry is improving. He suffered some paralysis on his left side that he is now regaining use of. The Dr. said that Jerry should recover from this episode. Good luck Jerry.”

https://twitter.com/DirtyDMantell/status/1623048354098806790

Dave Brown, a longtime friend of Lawler, provided an update to commercialappeal.com by noting that Lawler could move his legs and arms. 

Lawler’s longtime commentary partner Jim Ross gave an update on Lawler’s condition by writing the following: 

“I spoke very briefly with ⁦Jerry Lawler tonight. He’s obviously weak but I could understand his affected speech. Jerry’s prognosis is positive but he needs all our thoughts and prayers. #LoveYaKing”

https://twitter.com/JRsBBQ/status/1623193574606262277
https://twitter.com/DirtyDMantell/status/1623060730734866437

Lawler previously suffered a stroke back in 2018, and had a heart attack during a live broadcast of WWE Raw back in 2012.

Backstage News On Scrapped WrestleMania 39 Plans For Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes may have promised to take the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns during his promo exchange with Paul Heyman last night on “WWE Raw,” but at one point in time WWE had other plans for him in regard to WrestleMania 39, according to Dave Meltzer on “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

This plan would have seen a brand new title created by the company that would have been defended on NIght One of WrestleMania, while Reigns would defend his titles on Night Two. It was noted that Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, and Seth Rollins were the names discussed to walk away with the mysterious new title, with WWE hoping to have two top titles once again. 

This idea only would have happened if The Rock had been involved at WrestleMania 39. There had been a “pie-in-the-sky” idea for the WWE legend to win the Royal Rumble match earlier this month and go on to face Reigns at WrestleMania. Of course, Rhodes won the Rumble match instead, and The Rock is not scheduled to be in a WrestleMania match this year due to the Hollywood star not having enough time to get into ring shape.

Rhodes is now set to collide against Reigns at WrestleMania in the main event. However, there could be another twist yet due to the fact that the “Tribal Chief” is defending his titles against Sami Zayn at the upcoming Elimination Chamber event first. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 2/7/2023

Tonight’s WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center on the USA Network.

  • Fallout from Vengeance Day
  • Bayley will appear for a Ding Dong Hello segment with Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin
  • Valentina Feroz vs. Lyra Valkyria
  • What’s next for NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez
  • I’m sure well see more on Carmelo Hayes wanting a shot at NXT Champion Bron Breakker

Lita Makes Surprise Return To WWE Monday Night RAW – Aids Becky Lynch Against Damage CTRL

WWE Hall of Famer Lita made her return to WWE during this week’s episode of RAW and has her sights set on Damage CTRL.

In the main event of RAW, Bayley faced Becky Lynch in a Steel Cage match, the same match the pair were meant to have at RAW’s 30th-anniversary show.

During the closing moments of the match, Lita made her return and took out IYO SKY and Dakota Kai who were at ringside.

Lita’s most recent match in WWE was at last year’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event, where she lost to then-Champion Becky Lynch in a RAW Women’s Title match.

During an episode of the Broken Skull Sessions, Bayley named Lita as her dream opponent from any era.

It is WrestleMania season, and Lita’s new pattern seems to suggest she likes showing up around the Elimination Chamber. Did she just appear for a one-off last night? Or is there more involvement planned for her in the coming months?

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1622807855345831937

Sources: eWrestlingNews and Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On When ROH TV Tapings Will Begin

Back in December, following Final Battle, Tony Khan announced plans for a weekly TV show for Ring of Honor that would air as part of a revamped Honor Club sometime in 2023. It’s been radio silence since. However, with ROH’s Supercard of Honor pay-per-view rapidly approaching at the end of March, it appears developments may be picking up on the start of that ROH television show. 

Fightful Select reports that ROH tapings are lined up for the end of February in Orlando, Florida. While a venue hasn’t been 100% confirmed, talent is presuming that tapings will occur at the soundstages of Universal Studios, where AEW has regularly taped “AEW Dark” in the past. Voices of Wrestling had previously reported ROH would hold tapings on February 25 and 26.

Things get a little murkier beyond those tapings as far as any more in the future, but it’s expected that what’s on the calendar for the end of February should take ROH all the way up to Supercard of Honor. Tony Khan has yet to specify an airdate for ROH’s first weekly show on Honor Club, but given the timetable, it is logical to believe it’d be at the start of March, with several episodes properly building in the weeks to the event during WrestleMania weekend.

Several AEW contracted talents — who had been signed as far back as last year — were noted as likely to appear, having inked deals with the intent to be used for ROH. ROH Champions Claudio Castagnoli, Athena, The Embassy, Samoa Joe, and Wheeler Yuta should be heavily featured.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Danhausen Forms Tag Team With Chris Jericho On Jericho’s “Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager At Sea” Cruise

There might be a very nice, very evil, and very new tag team entering the AEW tag team picture.

Over the weekend as part of Chris Jericho’s “Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea” cruise, AEW’s resident ghoul Danhausen teamed up to become a unit for a pair of matches on the voyage. “Danhausen and Jerichohausen… the most hausen tag team of all hausen!!” one traveler tweeted, posting a photo of Danhausen and Jericho in matching facepaint and red capes. Another attendee shared a look at Danhausen and Jericho both using “The Walls of Jericho” against Austin and Colten Gunn.

Jericho’s annual cruise event typically features wrestlers — mostly from AEW’s roster at this point — in addition to a few other stars from ROH, GCW, and NJPW. Musical artists like Jericho’s rock group Fozzy, Quiet Riot, and “Platinum Max” (AEW World Tag Team Champion Max Caster) performed this year as well. Danhausen was advertised as the cruise’s “guest host” for the weekend. 

Even before his AEW debut in early 2022, Danhausen had grown into a beloved figure among wrestling fans, making a name for himself on the independent scene and on social media. Known for casting “spells” on his adversaries, he has racked up an 8-5 record in his first year with AEW. Although with the recent attention he’s been garnering, it’s not out of the question to see bigger things on the horizon for him in his second year with the promotion — especially considering his association with the All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 2/6/2023

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network and emanate from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.