WWE King Of The Ring Tournament Brackets Released

WWE released the King of the Ring tournament brackets for the first round.

The announcement came in a video released Friday afternoon by WWE.

First round matches featuring RAW competitors are as follows:

  • Cesaro vs. Samoa Joe
  • Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Cedric Alexander vs. Sami Zayn
  • The Miz vs. Baron Corbin

First round matches featuring SmackDown Live competitors are as follows:

  • Kevin Owens vs. Elias
  • Ali vs. Buddy Murphy
  • Chad Gable vs. Shelton Benjamin
  • Apollo Crews vs. Andrade

The 2019 King of the Ring tournament kicks off tonight on RAW

AAA “Invading NY” Location Changed To Hulu Theater At MSG, First Matches Announced

AAA officially announced that their “Invading NY” event on Sunday, September 15th will be held at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and not at the Garden itself. The Hulu Theater has a capacity of about 5,600, while the Garden can seat up to 20,500 fans.

It was also announced that Tessa will defend her Reina de Reinas (Queen of the Queens) Championship against former champion, Taya, while AAA legends Blue Demon Jr. and Dr. Wagner Jr. will clash in a grudge match. Blue Demon Jr. will be putting his mask on the line against Dr. Wagner Jr.’s hair.

“We are thrilled to bring the most popular Lucha Libre legends to fans in the Hulu Theater at MSG,” said Dorian Roldán, Director General of Lucha Libre AAA.

Regarding the event being moved to the Hulu Theater, Roldán added, “We want to ensure the quality of the experience for our New York area fans and the Hulu Theater offers the kind of setting in keeping with many AAA extravaganzas. Every seat is up close to the action and less than 177 feet from the ring, so our fans will have the kind of exciting, personal experience they expect from AAA.”

Current ticket holders will be guaranteed a new seat assignment of equal or greater value than the seat they already purchased.

Following Invading NY, AAA will run the Forum in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 13th.

Tickets are now on sale for both the New York and the Los Angeles events and may be purchased at the box offices or online in Spanish or English at luchalibreaaausa.com, ticketmaster.com or MSG.com. Both events will be available on pay-per-view live worldwide on FITE, or from all cable and satellite TV providers on pay-per-view.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

MLW Fusion Preview 8/17/19

What happens when Mexico’s most feared brawler take on England’s most dangerous man?

Thanks to Konnan’s “first wish,” a dream match may turn into a nightmare for Salina de la Renta as her destroyer LA Park is forced to take on her slithering associate Jimmy Havoc in a New York Street Fight in this week’s wild main event.

Information is power and Konnan has a lot of info and dirt on Salina de la Renta. Will the Puerto Rican powerbroker get her power back or will Konnan continue to mess with Promociones Dorado and the empresaria?

Another one of Salina de la Renta’s enemies Mance Warner will also be in the house as Promociones Dorado dispatches Salina’s personal “El Sicario” to take out the Bucksnort brawler once and for all.

Will the summer of the Southern Psychopath end at the hands of Martinez? Or will Salina regret setting this showdown in motion?

MLW will share an update on Marshall Von Erich.

“Filthy” Tom Lawlor has some news that he promises will shake CONTRA Unit to its core. What does the scrappy MMA fighter have in store for the global dealers in violence? Tune in to find out.

Speaking of the war between Lawlor and CONTRA, who is the fourth member of Lawlor and the Von Erichs team? The world is watching but will we get any closer to an answer?

After a wild few weeks, the Hart Foundation have finished the much-anticipated next episode of H2tv.

Plus: the War Chamber control center and more!

Join Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini from the sold out Melrose Ballroom in New York City for a hot hour of top ranked wrestling.

MLW Partners With Martial-Arts Advance Research Systems (MARS) To Launch An Innovation Lab

MLW announced that they are partnering with Martial-Arts Advance Research Systems (MARS) to launch an innovation lab.

MLW issued the following:

Major League Wrestling is partnering with Martial-Arts Advance Research Systems (MARS) to launch an innovation lab.

The innovation lab is designed to explore furthering athlete development and injury prevention in addition to bout analysis and athlete evaluations.  MARS will also provide MLW’s television division with in-depth analytics to further enrich the viewer’s experience.

MARS is a leading sports analytics and insights technology company. Known for their breakthrough researchexploring the science and engineering underlying athletic endeavors, this partnership marks MARS’ first foray into professional wrestling.

“MARS is going to bring some breakthrough tech to MLW,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “We’re extremely proud of this partnership and what it will bring to the league, its athletes and fans.”

MARS has worked in the past with MIT Management Sloan School and with some of today’s global leaders in combat sports.

The innovation lab will tap into MARS’ emerging technology team.

The innovation lab will be housed in the MARS training complex in Ballard, Utah.

The league has been already been putting the partnership to good use with MARS testing all sorts of new innovations – innovations that will be coming to a TV near you soon.

Image result for MLW and Martial-Arts Advance Research Systems

Impact Wrestling Preview 8/16/19

Tonight’s Impact on Pursuit Channel and Twitch.

* Sammi Callihan & Dave Crist vs. Tommy Dreamer & Tessa Blanchard

* Rich Swann, Willie Mack & RVD vs. The Rascalz

* Madison Rayne & Kiera Hogan vs. Jordynne Grace & Alexia Nicole

* Moose vs. Fallah Bahh

* Desi Hit Squad vs. The Deaners

Vampiro Posts Emotional Video About His Daily Struggle With Alzheimer’s, Launches GoFundMe

Wrestling veteran and current AAA Director of Talent Vampiro took to Facebook to speak about the difficulties he’s been going through since his recent diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease. In the four and a half minute video, Vampiro noted how he feels lost and doesn’t know where he is most of the time. In the video, he is supposed to be going to a therapy session, but does not know why he’s there. It causes him to have a panic attack, which chips away at his emotional state and his ability to stay uplifted during the difficult time.

“I’m lost,” Vampiro said tearfully. “I don’t know where I am. I gotta stay strong, right? I’m having a major panic attack. This Alzheimer’s thing, some of the affects are I forget why I’m supposed to be where I’m at. I’ve been sitting in my car for about 40 minutes and I don’t know what to do. It comes and goes and it’s really hard.”

In addition, he also mentions how he is tired of taking his medications because they make him feel like a “zombie.” He says towards the end of the video that he will do whatever it takes to fight this, in terms of staying positive for the sake of his health.

“I’m trying so hard,” Vampiro states. “I’m going to come back and I’m going to be ok. But I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to take those drugs anymore. I don’t want to take that medicine. It makes me a f**king zombie. But when I don’t take it, I don’t know what’s going on.”

If there was one thing that Vampiro says that he wants fans to take away from his video, is the importance of having patience with those who are affected with mental illness, because it is not something that can just go away overnight.

“If you have anybody in your life that are going through these issues, like mental health, please understand it’s an every day, all day thing. It never goes away.”

The former Lucha Underground color commentator announced his diagnosis back in April of this year on his Facebook, stating that he was scared about this diagnosis and if it could lead to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. He did mention in his post back then and in his video published on Tuesday that he will stand tall and fight through this.

A GoFundMe page was created for Vampiro with a $22,000 goal so that he can receive stem cell replacement therapy.

“I can beat this but I need help. I have not had an income In a year so I am stuck,” Vampiro’s GoFundMe reads. “Once I am better I will give a portion of all my earnings to people who need help, support and financial aid . It’s so hard , but , I can beat this . I have the desire , I have the heart, but I am hurting bad . Critical pain from the injuries and well, this alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and the chronic arthritis in my whole body, well to me it’s just bulls–t and I can beat this.

“I am asking for help so I can get stem cell replacement therapy in Columbia at the end of the year, once I have that, I will dedicate my life to helping others even more than I already do.

“Stem Cell Replacement therapy I believe will save many many lives … right now I need it to save mine.”

Currently, the page has raised over $2000. For those interested in donating to his cause, please click here.

Below is the video he posted on his Facebook this week.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Matt Hardy Wants Fans’ Opinions On Gimmick, Says He Has Hard Decisions To Make In Coming Months

Matt Hardy wants to know what the fans think! The WWE star posted tonight a poll on Twitter asking what fans thought of The Ultimate Deletion and his Broken/Woken gimmick. The choices are simple, “YES, it was wonderful” and “NO, it was not wonderful.” The poll so far has over 1,000 votes and 96% picked Yes.

Hardy explained why he wants input from fans, because in the coming months he has some tough decisions to make. He also explained that he wants to spend his last years in the wrestling industry being as creative and productive as possible.

At the moment, Hardy’s gimmick is “you don’t understand how hard it is to be Matt Hardy.”

Matt Hardy’s full quote, “I wish to spend my last few years in the wrestling industry being as creative & productive as possible. I have some hard decisions in the coming months & the wrestling fan’s opinions matter to me. What did you think of The Ultimate Deletion?”

Below is the poll:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Goldberg On What Went Wrong In His Match With The Undertaker At WWE Super Showdown

Former multi-time world champion and WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg was a guest on Booker T’s The Hall Of Fame podcast. During his discussion with Booker, Goldberg wasn’t shy about looking back at the match he had against The Undertaker at WWE Super Showdown 2019.

“I’m not going to make excuses, that’s for sure. I’m just going to answer questions and give facts,” Bill stated. “Facts are the reason why I had that match [with The Undertaker] and took that opportunity, was because it was an opportunity of a lifetime whether I was 22, 52 or 102, you know? Not that it was in Saudi Arabia but because it was against The Undertaker. He was the one guy that I never crossed paths with, and the heat – I knew going in it was going to be hot. In Georgia playing for The Falcons, or The Georgia Bulldogs, or the L.A Rams down in Los Angeles, it’s hotter than hell and you know it’s going to be hot. It’s one of those things you accept.”

Goldberg mentioned how with each new match he books, the preparation leading up to it varies. Bill ultimately regrets his attention to trimming down and getting in shape as opposed to weight training and getting bigger for Super Showdown.

“I had the perfect storm of crappiness because, for me, people don’t know all the things that go into everything,” Goldberg said. “At 52, going against The Undertaker and being Bill Goldberg in the short period of time that I had, I can either do one or two things – I can get in really good shape or I can try to get as big as humanly possible so I don’t look like an old Bill Goldberg against The Undertaker. So, it’s a compromise; it’s always a compromise. This last time, though I didn’t need the cardio, man, I didn’t concentrate on getting big at all for the 4 weeks that I had. I just tried to get in shape. I didn’t try to add a pound. I tried to lose weight this time. Every situation is different. It’s like trapping for a different team. I liken everything to football because I’m a meathead and was born into a football helmet.”

Goldberg also explained that his stiff connection with the ring post was something he and many others were expecting to happen. He apparently goes out of his way to try and make the spots he is a part of look as realistic they possibly can.

“But the ring post thing, hey man, that’s a spot that a couple of the bookers came up to me and said, well, we called it,” Goldberg said. “We knew you were going to do that because 50% of the time I have done that spot I have not had good results. Because here’s the deal, I don’t profess to be an entertainer on the level of Ric Flair that can go out and make people laugh. I mean, I can, but it’s not my way of doing things. My way of making people’s jaws drop is blurring the line of reality and fiction so everything I do has to be – it’s like the kick I took from Dolph Ziggler.

“The first kick that I took felt really good because I had to react to it because it was planted on me. It was perfect,” Bill continued. “That is the way I work, man, I am a reactionary guy. If I am going to be a Defensive Lineman that was an All-American, if I’m going to be a guy who played a couple of years in the NFL, if I am going to be a guy that was known to be a thrasher, I’m not going to run into a turnbuckle and miss it and act like it killed me. I can’t do that, so I have to make it look as close as killing me as possible, and sometimes, unfortunately, the circumstances are such that I go a little overboard. And when you accelerate at an age, your body can’t take that overboard as it used to.

Along with an intense heatwave, Goldberg noted how the timing between he and The Undertaker caused additional issues to take place during their match at Super Showdown.

“I can’t bounce back from it like I used to, and then the perfect storm of the heat, and the perfect storm of The Undertaker not having the timing and not going at the same time at one point or something. Hey, at the end of the day, there’s never been a freaking dude in the middle of the ring that I couldn’t pick up, period. It was an unfortunate deal that I shouldn’t have gone as hard as I went. And then there were a couple of people saying that he referee should have called it. Well guess what? The referee asked me 15 times how I felt and you know what I told him? Fifteen different answers. I felt different every single time that he asked me.”

Goldberg followed up the poor performance against The Undertaker was a crowd-pleasing victory over Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam this past Sunday. When the subject of his storied career reaching it’s final chapter was brought up, Goldberg seemed conflicted on where his future is going.

“No, [I’m not finished],” Goldberg said. “I mean, I’d be content if I never stepped foot in the ring again. But I don’t know, it’s not something I aspire to do but it is something I aspire to do. I don’t know. I have no idea; I just don’t.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Co-President Michelle Wilson Sells Nearly 80% Of Her Company Stock

WWE Co-President Michelle Wilson sold 158,134 shares of her WWE stock last week. The shares, which amounted to 79% of her stake in the company, were sold at $69.30 worth $10,958,686.20.

Wilson now owns 41,508 shares worth around $2.7 million. According to Bloomberg, WWE is stating that she sold the shares for personal reasons. It was noted that she still has enough equity to meet the requirements for an officer at the company.

As previously reported, Wilson had also sold shares in late July, along with fellow WWE Co-President George Barrios, WWE CEO Vince McMahon, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, Kevin Dunn and Mark Kowal. Wilson had sold around $4.5 million of company stock during that transaction.

WWE stock is currently trading at $69.47, down 30% from its peak of $99 this past April.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Ronda Rousey Joins Cast Of Fox Show 9-1-1

Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey has joined the cast of 9-1-1 on Fox.

Deadline reports Rousey has been cast as a firefighter named Lena Bosko on the upcoming third season of the show. The character is described as “a stoic and fearless member of the Los Angeles Fire Department Station 136 who leaps into action to save lives when a disaster hits.”

For those unfamiliar, 9-1-1 is about the “lives and careers of emergency response providers who put their lives at risk to save others” and stars Angela Bassett, Peter Krause and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

The recently released trailer for the upcoming season centers on a tsunami engulfing Santa Monica. The announcement does not say when Rousey’s character will first appear on the series.

Season three of 9-1-1 premieres September 23 at 8pm.