Author: John Bass

Vince McMahon Faces New Lawsuit Following Return to WWE Board

Vince McMahon returned to WWE’s Board of Directors last month to execute a sale of his billion-dollar company and negotiate new television deals. Vince’s return caused his daughter Stephanie McMahon to resign from WWE, leaving Nick Khan as the sole CEO of the juggernaut wrestling promotion.

Throughout January, Vince has been sued multiple times by multiple individuals and entities over his return to WWE’s Board.

Bloomberg now reports that on January 26th, shareholder Dennis Palkon filed a new lawsuit against WWE in Delaware Chancery Court.

The lawsuit seeks WWE’s internal files to launch an investigation into the allegations that Mr. McMahon “raped and sexually assaulted employees and contractors over decades” and paid millions of dollars in hush money to silence those allegations. The lawsuit further states “There are serious questions about how Vince McMahon obtained and delivered those funds to his victims” and suggests that McMahon reinstating himself as Executive Chairman of WWE’s Board displayed a “flagrant disregard for basic corporate governance norms.”

According to the lawsuit, if the information provided proves McMahon guilty of breaching his fiduciary responsibilities, “the plaintiff intends to achieve what the board wanted to, but could not in light of Vince McMahon’s thuggery [and initiate proceedings] to bar Vince McMahon from ever serving on the WWE board again.”

WWE has been dealing with three other lawsuits over McMahon’s return this past month.

Source: eWrestlingNews

Bam Bam Bigelow And Others Will Reportedly Be Dark Side Of The Ring Subjects

The fourth season of VICE’s “Dark Side of the Ring” is in production. The documentary series, which focuses on controversial topics throughout the history of pro wrestling, will see the late Bam Bam Bigelow, Abdullah the Butcher, and the late Mike Awesome be profiled in the new season, according to PWInsider. It’s said that Mick Foley, Jim Cornette, Terry Funk, and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan have all been interviewed for upcoming episodes.

Bigelow, who performed for promotions such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling, WWE, World Championship Wrestling, ECW and the Memphis Wrestling territory throughout his career, faced many struggles in his personal life. In his younger years, the former ECW World Heavyweight Champion was often arrested and was once incarcerated in Mexico City for six months. Years later, Bigelow struggled with his health and addiction. He passed away in January 2007. 

Meanwhile, Abdullah the Butcher – a WWE Hall of Famer – is known for performing in hardcore matches around the globe. Because of his activities in such bouts, Butcher has several scars on the top of his head from excessive blading. In 2014, the former All Japan Pro Wrestling star was forced to pay out $2.3 million in damages to Canadian wrestler Devon Nicholson, who had accused Butcher of blading without consent and infecting him with hepatitis C. Regarding Awesome, he controversially departed ECW and signed with WCW while still reigning ECW World Champion in the 1990s. The former WWE Hardcore Champion was tragically found dead at his home in February 2007.

“Dark Side of the Ring,” created by Evan Husney and Jason Eisener, first aired in 2019 and has previously covered topics such as the Montreal Screwjob and Vince McMahon’s steroid trial. Chris Jericho has narrated the show since season two. 

Source: Wrestling Inc,

AEW Dynamite Preview 2/1/2023

AEW Dynamite will air live tonight on TBS and emanate from the Wright State University Nutter Center in Dayton, OH.

  • AEW TNT Championship No Holds Barred Match: Darby Allin (c) vs. Samoa Joe
  • TBS Championship: Jade Gargill (c) vs. Red Velvet
  • “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley
  • Bryan Danielson vs Timothy Thatcher
  • Konouke Takeshita vs Brian Cage
  • The Acclaimed in Action

Kota Ibushi Is A Free Agent After Expiration Of NJPW Contract, NJPW Confirms Departure

New Japan Pro Wrestling has officially announced that Kota Ibushi is no longer with the company.

Ibushi’s contract expired on January 31st, and the decorated wrestler is officially a free agent.

You can read the official announcement below:

“Kota Ibushi leaves New Japan Pro-Wrestling
With the conclusion of his contract period on January 31, 2023, Kota Ibushi has departed New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Ibushi had been recovering from injury since October 2021.

We apologize to Ibushi’s fans for the abrupt announcement and join them in wishing Ibushi the very best in all his future endeavors.”

Fightful reports that several big wrestling companies have “major interest” in Ibushi, from full-time deals to one-off appearances. It is believed that Ibushi will remain a free agent and sources close to the wrestler noted that he was happy with his free agency prior to signing with NJPW, which was apparently a “live and learn” experience.

The report also states an unspecified “significant private matter” that Ibushi was dealing with which strained his relationship with NJPW, who wanted him to work through the situation.

Ibushi will be competing in several GCW events at The Collective over WrestleMania 39 weekend. Ibushi has already been booked in a singles match against Mike Bailey for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 9.

https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1620612152813064192

Source: eWrestlingNews

WWE RAW Preview 1/30/2023

Tonight’s live WWE RAW from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 8/7c on USA Network.

  • Fallout from the Royal Rumble.
  • The road to the WWE Elimination Chamber officially begins tonight
  • While no matches or segments have been officially announced for tonight’s RAW at the time of this writing, we could find out some matches for the upcoming WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 special event, as well as the possible revelation of which women’s title the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley will be targeting heading into her guaranteed championship opportunity on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” at WrestleMania.
  • Also, we may here from Cody Rhodes made his return at the Royal Rumble this past Saturday night, winning the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble and earning his spot against Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at “The Granddaddy of Them All” WrestleMania this coming April.

The Funeral Service For Jamin “Jay Briscoe” Pugh Now Available To Watch

On Sunday, a funeral service for late Ring of Honor wrestler Jamin “Jay Briscoe” Pugh was held in Laurel, Delaware.

The official YouTube channel of the Laurel School District hosted a livestream of the funeral, which you can see below. During the service, Jay’s mother, father, and brother Mark recalled their memories of their beloved family member.

You can watch the service below.

On behalf of all of us here on eWn, we send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jamin “Jay Briscoe” Pugh.

Jey Uso Says “I’m Out” Of The Bloodline After WWE Royal Rumble 2023

Sami Zayn’s tenure as the Honorary Uce has ended, and Jey Uso is leaving The Bloodline with him.

At this past weekend’s Royal Rumble 2023 pay-per-view event, Zayn was ejected from the group after refusing to attack Kevin Owens and for striking Roman Reigns with a steel chair.

While Reigns, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa all attacked Zayn, Jey refused to do so and instead walked away from his family.

Taking to Instagram, Jey shared an image from the night, with the simple caption “I’m out.”

Jey had been at odds with Zayn for months, but came to Sami’s defense during the ‘trial’ on last week’s “RAW is 30” show.

Source: eWrestlingNews

NJPW Announces STRONG ON DEMAND, Rebranding For All American NJPW Live Events

New Japan Pro Wrestling has overhauled its STRONG brand in order to consist of all the American shows under one banner.

NJPW announced on Sunday that all NJPW events in the United States will henceforth take place under the STRONG brand, and the weekly taping of NJPW Strong will switch to a “duel model” of STRONG LIVE and STRONG ON DEMAND.

The inaugural show under the new STRONG LIVE branding will be February 18th’s Battle in the Valley in San Jose, California event. The upcoming pay-per-view event will make up four episodes of their weekly TV series that is set to air on their new STRONG ON DEMAND service starting on March 4th.

The four-part model will continue with other United States live events that include March’s Strong Style Evolved at WrestleCon and April’s Capital Collision in Washington, DC, and Collision in Philadelphia shows.

You can check out the full announcement below:

“NJPW of America, STRONG transform in 2023 【NJoA】
STRONG LIVE, STRONG On Demand to see the best in the US
Since its inception during the COVID pandemic in 2020, NJPW STRONG has seen the best rising stars in the US compete with familiar names from the Japanese stage and beyond. Monthly tapings have seen passionate fans witness great action live, with matches from those tapings being distributed every week on NJPW World and FITE.

Additionally, Pay Per View events from the US have seen still more memorable moments, from Jon Moxley and El Desperado’s wild deathmatch at “Music City Mayhem” to Eddie Kingston and Kazuchika Okada teaming for the first time, and STARDOM’s Mayu Iwatani defending SWA gold at “Rumble on 44th Street”.

In the past, these PPV offerings were presented under the NJPW rather than NJPW STRONG branding in order to make them more distinct from the weekly TV style presentations on NJPW World and FITE. As NJPW moves into a new era in 2023 however, so too does action in the US, and the time has come to further fortify the NJPW STRONG brand, as well as to ensure even more people sample the incredible action that NJPW presents in the US.

Moving forward, all events from New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the US will carry the branding of NJPW STRONG. In addition, the weekly ‘TV taping’ format of STRONG will shift to a dual model: STRONG LIVE and STRONG On Demand.

The first STRONG LIVE event will be Battle in the Valley on February 18 from the sold out San Jose Civic. With Mercedes Moné versus KAIRI for the IWGP Women’s Championship, Fred Rosser defending the STRONG Openweight Championship against KENTA, Jay White and Eddie Kingston in a grudge match, and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship also on the line, this immense card is a must watch event for fans live in English on FITE, or in Japanese on NJPW World PPV.

All this action will also be made available in March with NJPW STRONG On Demand. STRONG On Demand will see matches from STRONG Live cards delivered in a four part weekly basis through the month, much as NJPW STRONG has been to date.

NJPW STRONG on Demand March schedule

March 4 Battle in the Valley week 1: 2 matches

March 11 Battle in the Valley week 2: 3 matches

March 18 Battle in the Valley week 3: 2 matches

March 25 Battle in the Valley week 4: 3 matches

This model will continue with our return to WrestleCon this March with Strong Style Evolved, before NJPW Capital Collision in Washington DC and Collision in Philadelphia from the world famous 2300 Arena!

This dual model will give fans on a budget the chance to stay up to date with the hottest action in the US through their regular NJPW World subscription, while the very best live experience on the planet awaits on pay per view as it happens.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling thanks fans for their dedicated support of NJPW STRONG to date- we can’t wait to have you join us for Battle in the Valley and what lies beyond in a thrilling new chapter for all of NJPW.”

Source: eWrestlingNews

WWE Appears To Confirm Nia Jax’s Return With New Merchandise

Nia Jax’s return at the 2023 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view event doesn’t appear to be a one-off, with a new piece of merchandise being released for the former RAW Women’s Champion.

Jax returned to WWE as the #30 entrant in this year’s Women’s Rumble match, after being released from the promotion in November 2021.

After her shocking return, WWE released a new shirt for Jax, using her moniker as the ‘Irresistible Force.’

Source: eWrestlingNews

WWE Royal Rumble 1/28/2023 (Results)

WWE color commentator Pat McAfee made his return last night during the 2023 Royal Rumble. He joined the commentary team which featured Corey Graves and Michael Cole.

30-MAN ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH:

Entry Order:

  1. Gunther
  2. Sheamus
  3. The Miz
  4. Kofi Kingston
  5. Johnny Gargano
  6. Xavier Woods
  7. Karrion Kross
  8. Chad Gable
  9. Drew McIntyre
  10. Santos Escobar
  11. Angelo Dawkins
  12. Brock Lesnar
  13. Bobby Lashley
  14. Baron Corbin
  15. Seth Rollins
  16. Otis
  17. Rey Mysterio – Nevered entered the Rumble, he was apparently taken out in the back by his son Dominik
  18. Dominik Mysterio
  19. Elias
  20. Finn Balor
  21. Booker T
  22. Damian Priest
  23. Montez Ford
  24. Edge – After he was eliminated, Edge chases Priest and Balor back up the ramp and they begin brawling until Rhea Ripley comes out and helps. However, as she turns around Beth Phoenix appears and hits Rhea with a spear and the brawling continues until officials break it up.
  25. Austin Theory
  26. Omos
  27. Braun Strowman
  28. Ricochet
  29. Logan Paul
  30. Cody Rhodes

Winner: Cody Rhodes

MOUNTAIN DEW PITCH BLACK MATCH:
Bray Wyatt def. LA Knight

After the match, Wyatt then ends up with some form of mask on his face with a completely different look than before, and he stalks Knight. He uses the kendo stick to hit Wyatt on the head but he just walks through it as the blows don’t register. Wyatt eats a trio of shots to the head but he doesn’t flinch as hey head through the fans, and Wyatt grabs Knight and locks in the Mandible Claw. 

Uncle Howdy is then shown above Wyatt on a platform, and he launches himself off the top of the platform, crashing through Knight underneath as the area explodes. Above him are the puppet characters who look down and watch everything.

RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP:
Bianca Belair (c) def. Alexa Bliss

After the match the lights flicker and a playground is shown with various Wyatt related logos. Uncle Howdy asks her if she feels in charge, and Bliss is then shown looking scared inside the ring.

30-WOMAN ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH:

Entry Order:

  1. Rhea Ripley
  2. Liv Morgan
  3. Dana Brooke
  4. Emma
  5. Shayna Baszler
  6. Bayley
  7. B-Fab
  8. Roxane Perez
  9. Dakota Kai
  10. Iyo Sky
  11. Natalya
  12. Candice LeRae
  13. Zoey Stark
  14. Xia Li
  15. Becky Lynch
  16. Tegan Nox
  17. Asuka
  18. Piper Niven
  19. Tamina
  20. Chelsea Green
  21. Zelina Vega
  22. Raquel Rodriguez
  23. “Michin” Mia Yim
  24. Lacey Evans
  25. Michelle McCool – She was sitting in the crowd
  26. Indi Hartwell
  27. Sonya Deville
  28. Shotzi
  29. Nikki Cross
  30. Nia Jax

Winner: Rhea Ripley

UNDISPUTED WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
Roman Reigns (c) w/Paul Heyman and Sami Zayn def. Kevin Owens

After the match, all of The Bloodline appear. Jey Uso wants to honor him but Reigns says no and he wants them to attack Owens more which The Usos do as they beat down on Owens, hitting the 1D. They then trap Owens’ head into a chair as Solo Sikoa charges into the corner with a hip attack. The Usos then handcuff Owens to the top rope, leaving him helpless as they continue the attack with superkicks. 

Reigns then gets set to hit Owens with a chair but Zayn gets in the way and he tells Roman it is beneath him as it is enough. Instead, Reigns hands Zayn the chair himself, and he then steps infront of him and Zayn teases hitting Roman but he doesn’t. Reigns then pushes Zayn several times as he screams in his face, but Zayn then uses the chair…on Reigns! He apologizes to Jey, and then Jimmy Uso nails him with a superkick and begins a beatdown himself. Sikoa then hits the Samoan Spike to him as Reigns instructs them to keep attacking him and they beat him down as Jey watches on. They hen want more Jey to get involved, but he simply leaves the ring as he cries and walks away from The Bloodline. Reigns then takes out his frustration with a chair on Zayn himself.