Author: John Bass

Backstage News On WWE Trying To Lock Up Talent At This Week’s WWE SmackDown

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As we previously reported, WWE confirmed that Dean Ambrose will be leaving the company when his contract expires in April.

PWInsider is reporting at this week’s SmackDown, WWE officials were meeting backstage with any WWE Superstars who’s contracts where going to expire within the next two years in an attempt to sign them to new deals.

WWE has been looking to sign their Superstars for five-year deals for awhile now with Kevin Owens and The Miz as recent examples. At the moment, they obviously don’t want talent heading off to the newly formed All Elite Wrestling, which was partially set off by Ambrose’s deciding to exit from the company in April.

The report continued that many of the talent backstage “were in amazement” as they watched WWE officials try to lock up new deals.

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE Has Reportedly Decided On Their WrestleMania 35 Main Event

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According to Sports Illustrated, sources close to WWE have said the current plan is to have WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch be the main event of WrestleMania 35. WWE’s biggest show of the year will go down on April 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The SI news does conflict with a report from two days ago on Wrestling Observer Radio that said the match would eventually become a triple threat with the addition of Charlotte somewhere down the line. Dave Meltzer did note the match could always be changed.

The only other announced match so far for WrestleMania 35 is WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar taking on Seth Rollins. Rollins won the Men’s Royal Rumble and chose Lesnar as his upcoming opponent.

Lynch replaced an injured Lana at #28 in the Women’s Royal Rumble match this past Sunday after losing a WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match to Asuka earlier in the night. Lynch would last eliminate Charlotte from the Rumble to guarantee herself a Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 35.

Earlier this week on RAW, Lynch made an appearance and announced her opponent would be Rousey.

Source: WrestlingINC

AEW “Double Or Nothing” Ticket Announcement Party Details: Who Could Reportedly Show Up?

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On February 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, All Elite Wrestling will hold a Ticket Announcement Party for their next event, Double or Nothing, which will take place on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The party gets started at 6 pm PT and will be streamed on all of the promotion’s social media accounts.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, some more details have come out about who is expected to show up on February 7. A lot of talent is scheduled to be there, including some who weren’t at the AEW Jacksonville Rally. CIMA (who is involved with OWE) and Bea Priestley (who isn’t currently signed) were mentioned in the WON report.

Brandi Rhodes previously noted some more of the women’s division will be there and Dave Meltzer is reporting AEW is scouting Japan heavily for new talent.

The biggest name to possibly show is up Kenny Omega, who’s NJPW contract expires in early February. Although he has not officially signed, the feeling is there’s a “good shot” he’ll be at the upcoming event.

On the latest Being the Elite, Omega’s phone started a new countdown, which ends the same day as the Ticket Announcement Party.

Source: WrestlingINC

Update On The Death Of Brian Christopher, Subpoenas Issued

Brian Christopher passed away at the age of 46 on July 29 when he was found in a Hardeman County Tennessee jail cell after allegedly hanging himself while in isolation. Christopher’s father WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler has remained steadfast that he doesn’t believe the story and that things aren’t adding up when comparing evidence to the jail’s version of events.

ABC-24 is reporting attorneys representing Lawler have now filed two subpoenas, which are demanding answers from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and The Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office with the ongoing investigation of Christopher’s death. The investigation was initially opened the same day Christopher passed away after being taken off life support. Attorney Jeff Rosenblum spoke to ABC-24 about wanting an explanation.

“We were tired of waiting,” Rosenblum said. “This family has waited for more than six months for the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Department to provide them with detailed explanation and the documentation as to what happened to their son and we decided that we would take this into our own hands.”

The report continued that no medical examiner’s report has been filed.

Back in August on his podcast, Dinner With The King, Lawler believed they may have to start up their own investigation to get to the truth.

“Once we see the results of that investigation, then we might have to launch an investigation of our own,” Lawler said. “This is not about a lawsuit or trying to sue the jail or sue the Sheriff or sue the county or anything. It’s not about that at all. It’s just about finding out what really happened here.”

Christopher was a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion alongside Scotty 2 Hotty.

Source: WrestlingINC

NJPW The New Beginning USA From Los Angeles Results 1/30/19

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NJPW The New Beginning USA tour began last night at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles.

Results:

* Alex Coughlin vs. Clark Connors goes to a time-limit draw
* Jonathan Gresham defeated Tyler Bateman
* Colt Cabana defeated Shane Taylor
* KES (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) defeated Brody King & Marty Scurll
* Jeff Cobb defeated Karl Fredericks
* David Finlay defeated Chuck Taylor (No DQ Match)
* Juice Robinson & Tracy Williams defeated RPG Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta)

Sarah Logan Was One Of The Vikings In War Raiders Entrance At NXT TakeOver: Phoenix

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WWE shared a video on Wednesday confirming what many had already suspected — Sarah Logan was one of the Vikings in War Raiders’ entrance at TakeOver.

“I’m gonna be a Viking for my husband’s first-ever TakeOver title match,” an excited Logan says at the top of the Performance Center video.

Rowe later revealed in the video that the crew also included his brother and sister.

After their big title win at the event, the tag team were interviewed with Logan by their side. “They always say aim for the stars and you’re gonna be ok,” her husband Rowe explained in the video. “This was the stars. This was the impossible dream.”

Watch the full behind the scenes video below.

XFL Partners With The Spring League To Reimagine Football

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XFL announced that they have partnered with  The Spring League as they work to reimagine the game of football.

XFL posted the following on Facebook:

Report: Hideo Itami To Be Released By WWE

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According to a report from Fightful, Hideo Itami is the latest wrestler within WWE to ask for his release from the company. Unlike others who reportedly did the same, however, they are also reporting it’s likely he will be granted his wish.

Not long after the aforementioned report was published, Itami changed his name on Twitter back to Kenta and tweeted this:

https://twitter.com/HideoItami/status/1090473371924492289

His issues, unsurprisingly, apparently have to do with being dissatisfied with his creative direction. He felt like a truly hot commodity when he originally debuted in NXT but never seemed to get off the ground, with various injury issues partly to blame. When he was put on 205 Live, there was some hope but the cruiserweight division hasn’t done much for many and Itami is likely much better off heading back to Japan.

Hideo Itami has not yet received his WWE release, according to PWInsider. He will be receiving it, and when he does, he will be subject to the 90-day non-compete clause. Itami is expected to return home to Japan.

Sources: CageSideSeats, PWInsider, Fightful and WrestlingINC

Trent Baretta and Chuckie T Reportedly Leaving NJPW Soon

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Trent Baretta and Chuckie T are finishing up with New Japan after they complete their scheduled shows on the New Beginning USA Tour, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer notes that Baretta was offered a contract with a big push and booking dates guaranteed throughout the year. Baretta had reportedly spoken to New Japan management prior to his decision to leave and told them he would agree to a new deal, however, he’s now backing off from the deal and is on his way out.

There’s no word yet on what the future plans are for Baretta and Chuckie T but Meltzer speculates that AEW is a likely alternative because of their good relationships with The Elite.

Baretta began his professional wrestling career in 2004 and it didn’t take long for him to get signed by WWE. He traveled through WWE’s developmental territories before appearing on TV as a lower-card singles competitor. After being released in 2013, Baretta began wrestling in such promotions as Pro Wrestling Guerilla, TNA/Impact Wrestling, and Ring of Honor. Beretta is a former four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with his current promoter, NJPW.

Chuck Taylor, or “Chuckie T”, began pro wrestling training at the age of fifteen in Hardin, Kentucky, despite laws in the state that required someone to be eighteen to compete. Taylor would travel to Tennessee or Illinois just to work shows a his age and receive exposure. He is arguably most notable for his time wrestling with New Japan, Ring of Honor, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Taylor is a former two-time PWG World Champion.

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE Confirms Dean Ambrose Not Renewing Contract

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WWE has confirmed that Dean Ambrose will not be renewing his WWE contract when it expires in April.

WWE issued the following statement:

Dean Ambrose (Jonathan Good) will not be renewing his contract with WWE when it expires in April.

We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE