Author: John Bass

Matt Hardy Says He’s Been “Greenlit” To Return To Action

Matt Hardy was on Twitter earlier today and in a response to an individual asking if he had retired, Hardy revealed that he has been physically greenlit and doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon. Hardy was originally suffering from pain stemming from his lower back and his pelvis fusing together and he used this time away from the ring to rehab the afflicted areas.

Hardy’s last televised match was August 13, 2018, when he and Bray Wyatt lost to “The B Team’s” Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel in a match for the Raw Tag Team Championships. His final match before taking time away to rehab was at a WWE Live Event in Corpus Christi, Texas on September 25, 2018.

Hardy recently had an interview with Akhilesh Gannavarapu from Wrestling Inc. and during the discussion, Hardy explained that he sees himself returning sooner rather than later.

“As far as a timetable of when I’m going to return, I don’t have an exact timetable but I would say sooner than later,” Hardy said. “There is not a set timeline [for me returning]. Whenever I was ‘going home’ there were some issues, some nagging injuries I was dealing with. I had to go home and do some rehabilitation.”

Matt responded to the individual on Twitter with, “No, I am not retired & not going to be retiring anytime soon. I’ve worked my ass off to rehabilitate & have physically been greenlit. My body is in the best shape it’s been in in years & I’m the lightest I’ve been in 20 years.” You can read the full tweet below:

Source: WrestlingINC

Former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion Akam Reportedly Out With An Injury

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Former WWE RAW Tag Team Champion, Akam from The Authors of Pain has been sidelined with a leg injury, according to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Radio.

Meltzer explained that the injury is the reason AOP hasn’t been used on TV in recent weeks, and Akam is expected to be out for at least a few months.

Akam’s last television match with The Authors of Pain was on the December 17, 2018 episode of WWE RAW, losing a Fatal-4-Way tag team match to The Revival’s Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder. They would compete in a handful of WWE live events shortly after that, but remain off TV.

Along with their recent reign as the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions, AOP has also held the NXT Tag Team Championships once and won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in 2016.

Source: WrestlingINC

Additional Details On The Revival Requesting WWE Releases

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In case you missed it, Bodyslam.net first reported Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson made the request following their match on Raw and Fightful reported that there was fear The Revival were on the way out of the company.

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, sources tell them that the tag team’s decision to ask for their releases was based on how little time and respect the division is given. We’re told the duo is frustrated about the lack of promos, backstage segments and direction of the division. Not just for themselves, but the entire division … such as the tag match on Monday being used as a cutaway segment.

One source also pointed to The Club being an afterthought on TV after coming to WWE as a major signing and Authors of Pain being absent from television not long after their debut as additional examples.

Pro Wrestling Sheet says they we’re told the The Revival’s feelings on the subject boiled over last Monday after the tag team champions Bobby Roode/Chad Gable weren’t even featured on the show, so they asked WWE officials for their release. At this point, the request has been denied.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, The Revival’s contracts don’t expire until April of 2020.

Sources: Pro Wrestling Sheet and Wrestling Observer

Maria Kanellis Denies Asking For WWE Release

maria kanellis mike denies requesting release wwe contract

Maria Kanellis has released a statement denying that she requested her release from WWE.

It was reported this past week that she and Mike Kanellis asked WWE to release them from their contracts. According to Maria, however, that’s not entirely true.

“I DID NOT ask for my release,” she wrote on Instagram. “Speculation and rumors are running rampant. Someone is playing all the wrestling news sites.”

For what it’s worth, multiple sources confirmed the story. Plus, additional publications have since confirmed their request was denied.

Read Maria’s full statement below.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Impact Wrestling Preview 1/18/19

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Impact tonight on Pursuit Channel and on Twitch – 10/9c

* LAX vs. oVe

* Rich Swann vs. Trey

* Jordynne Grace vs. Dark Allie

* Eddie Edwards vs. Ethan Page

* Scarlett Bordeaux select winner of talent search

* Heath update on Taya Valkyrie

MLW Fusion Live Returns On beIN SPORTS February 2

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MLW issued the following announcement:

beIN SPORTS TO AIR NEXT LIVE MLW FUSION SPECIAL ON SATURDAY NIGHT FEBRUARY 2ND  

Major League Wrestling and beIN SPORTS are excited to announce that on Saturday night February 2nd at 8pm ET, the 2300 Arena will host the next MLW Fusion LIVE on beIN SPORTS.

MLW Fusion LIVE will feature a big main event as the undefeated Hart Foundation challenge Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenixfor the World Tag Team Titles.

Fans who tune-in for MLW FUSION LIVE will also be treated to appearances by World Heavyweight Champion Low Ki, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, Salina de la Renta and many others.

Other matches for the live beIN SPORTS network special will be announced in the coming days.

Tickets to witness the event live in Philadelphia start at $15 at MLWgo.com.

Kenny Omega Says He Will Be Wrestling On A Large International Platform, Comments On AEW

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Kenny Omega appeared at the Tokyo Sports Awards earlier this week and wished good luck to All Elite Wrestling.

“I cannot tell the future. I would like to say good luck to AEW. It is going to be amazing. I am interested because it is a group of friends of mine. Since they are my friends, I have no choice but to support,” Omega said, according to a Google newspaper translation from Japanese to English.

Omega also said he won’t be on the Tokyo Sports stage next year, for New Japan, but that he “would still be putting on Match of the Year performances on a large international platform,” according to a translation by Chris Charlton.

It’s believed that Omega will sign with AEW over WWE once his NJPW contract officially expires at the end of this month. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported that Omega already turned down an offer from WWE.

Source: WrestlingINC

Impact Wrestling Star Matt Sydal Undergoing Surgery

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Impact Wrestling star Matt Sydal was pulled from a Warrior Wrestling event earlier this month due to an injury. No additional details were known until yesterday when Sydal announced he is having surgery next week to repair torn cartilage in his knee. Sydal noted he should be back to in-ring action by March or April.

https://twitter.com/findevan/status/1085961834132320256

WWE Superstars Nikki Cross & Killian Dain Get Married

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Former SAnitY partners Killian Dain and Nikki Cross are now married.

There are some reports on the two just getting engaged but WWE reports that they are married. WWE congratulated the happy couple on their website.

Dain revealed the tying of the knot on Twitter. He wrote, “Only took us 10 and a half years but when it’s right, its right. I love you @NikkiCrossWWE”

Cross also tweeted on the marriage, playing off the “10 Year Challenge” meme on social media. You can see both of their posts below:

https://twitter.com/KillianDain/status/1086010554563682305

https://twitter.com/NikkiCrossWWE/status/1086010990691524611

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE Reportedly Offering To Beat Contract Offers From Other Groups, Backstage News On WWE Signings

WWE officials have made it clear to certain talents that they will beat any offer from other promotions, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

This new idea to beat offers came up after Bandido decided to sign with Ring of Honor over WWE. It’s interesting to note that they did not try to beat the offer that Chris Jericho received from All Elite Wrestling. Word is that WWE has told talents that if they can show on paper an offer from another promotion, then they will beat it, and even double it on the spot, if the talent immediately signs with WWE.

With rumors of so many talents looking to leave WWE or sign with other promotions over WWE, Vince McMahon and other company officials are going very hard right now in trying to avoid the idea that people do want to leave, and the concept that talents can get more money elsewhere if they leave or that they can benefit from leaving. This is why WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar keeps getting better offers to keep him from UFC, even though WWE would allow a UFC return for The Beast, and why they have started to push some talents who had been unhappy, because there are viable options for them to leave.

The Observer points to the financial advantage that WWE has over promotions like AEW and ROH, as they are structured for major profits in the future, plus they can and will stockpile talents, even if they don’t have a definite idea on how to use those talents.

On a related note, PWInsider reports that WWE officials have started to approach Superstars whose deals are expiring in the next year, trying to lock them up to longer-form deals. WWE has been locking talents in to five-year deals for some time, including The Miz and Kevin Owens, but the timing is interesting with the launch of AEW and other promotions also getting aggressive with talent signings.

Source: WrestlingINC