Impact premieres tonight on Pursuit Channel and on Twitch – 10/9c
* Johnny Impact is out for revenge
* Lucha Bros vs. The Rascalz
* Willie Mack vs. Sami Callihan
* Tessa Blanchard in action
* Is Dark Allie here to stay?
Author: John Bass
MLW Fusion Preview 1/11/19
Generations clash as the hardcore legend Tommy Dreamer looks to teach the Hart Foundation’s Brian Pillman Jr. an extreme lesson in respect. What happens when Dreamer fights Pillman in a Singapore Cane match?
Dragón Lee and Rich Swann tangle in the air and on the mat as things heat up in Miami in this first-ever encounter between two top grapplers.
After the brutal attack outside the arena during MLW Fusion LIVE in December, Team Filthy’s Fred Yehi is back and wants a piece of Low Ki. Is the World Heavyweight Champion making a mistake taking on Yehi this close to SuperFight?
Having failed to take out Tom Lawlor, Promociones Dorado demands the mercenary Sami Callihan redeem himself. How will he do this? Tune in to find out!
The SuperFight control center is back with some new matches for February 2nd’s big card in Philadelphia.
A newcomer is on his way to Major League Wrestling.
Plus, the #1 ranked wrestler “Filthy” Tom Lawlor is in the house!
Matches:
•Singapore Cane Match: Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Pillman Jr.
•Non-title bout: Low Ki (presented by Salina de la Renta) vs. Fred Yehi
•Rich Swann vs. Dragón Lee
Join Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini ringside in Miami as Major League Wrestling presents the fastest and most dangerous hour of combat sports you’ll experience anywhere in the world.
Watch MLW FUSION Friday nights on beIN SPORTS at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Don’t get beIN? Subscribe to MLW’s YouTube channel for free and stream binge on MLW FUSION anytime anywhere!
Big News On John Cena’s Planned WWE WrestleMania 35 Match, Why It May Not Happen
WWE has had plans to do Lars Sullivan vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 35, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. However, that match may not happen due to a situation that came up this week.
Sullivan was scheduled to make his main roster debut at the January 7 RAW from Orlando, likely a dark match. Sullivan either didn’t show up to the arena or did show up, and left the building, apparently due to an anxiety attack.
WWE officials talked with Sullivan and smoothed things over, and everything was fine. Sullivan was then supposed to work a dark match the next night at SmackDown in Jacksonville but he didn’t show up, and apparently flew back home to Colorado. No other details on his status and the match with Cena are known at this time.
Lars had been scheduled for a “monster push” on WWE’s main roster. You could assume that Lars would have won his first big match, against Cena at WrestleMania, but a source noted to The Observer that the win could be premature. While the match was on the books for WrestleMania, officials had not discussed the finish.
It’s believed that the Cena vs. Sullivan feud would have kicked off at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view later this month. We should know more on if the match will happen then.
Source: WrestlingINC
Backstage News On WWE’s Deals For The Young Bucks & Hangman Page, Kenny Omega’s Status
Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks and Hangman Page turned down WWE offers in order to be a part of the new All Elite Wrestling promotion, headed by Jacksonville Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan.
Triple H reportedly had worked hard and offered unique deals in hopes of signing all four, according to Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. According to Meltzer, Page’s deal was to work NXT for main roster money. Page was to have been pushed as one the top stars on the brand.
WWE also had a unique three-year deal for the Bucks, which would have been for the same amount of money as A.J. Styles. The WWE deal included having their Being The Elite show airing weekly on the WWE Network. It also had a unique six-month window that would have allowed them out of their contracts if they weren’t happy.
It was noted that The Elite had roughly 12 hours of discussions with Triple H, and they praised him for how things were handled. Apparently Triple H also saw the humor in the Being the Elite episode where the Bucks superkicked Kazarian, who was dressed like Triple H, repeatedly as their way of publicly turning down the WWE offer.
As noted, Kenny Omega’s contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling expires at the end of the this month and he is expected to sign with AEW after February 1st, when he is a free agent. It was reported in The Observer that the word is that Omega has already turned down WWE’s offer.
Source: WrestlingINC
WWE Launches UK Performance Center
The new WWE UK Performance Center was officially launched today in London by Triple H, Charlotte Flair, Finn Balor, WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, WWE PC Head Coach Matt Bloom, Coach Robbie Brookside, NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint and many others.
The 17,000 square feet facility features two training rings, world-class equipment and more. This is the first of what will be many WWE Performance Centers outside of the United States.
Below is the full WWE announcement along with video from the press conference and photos from the launch:
WWE ushers in the opening of the state-of-the-art UK Performance Center WWE announced the opening of the groundbreaking UK Performance Center, its first world-class training facility outside of the United States and a significant step in WWE’s efforts to localize its content around the world, at a press conference today in London.
With 17,000 square feet, two training rings, world-class strength and conditioning equipment, and versatile content creation infrastructure, the UK Performance Center will enable WWE to train athletes utilizing a comprehensive program, including in-ring training, physical preparedness and character development.
The facility is the first of what will be many Performance Centers outside of the United States, WWE EVP of Talent, Live Events & Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque said.
“It’s about going the world over and finding the greatest athletes and the greatest performers in any market we can,” he said. “It’s an incredible undertaking, looking for the greatest athletes from around the world, bringing them to places like this that will be set up around the world to train that next generation of Superstars.”
Superstars Charlotte Flair, Finn Bálor and WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne all spoke of the overall importance of the facility and the resources it will offer to athletes who train there.
“Embrace every opportunity with everything you have, because I promise you there is everything in this facility to become a WWE Superstar,” Flair imparted to the NXT UK roster members in attendance.
“This Performance Center creates a clear path in the United Kingdom to becoming a WWE Superstar,” Bálor advised. “To the young hopefuls that are going to be knocking on the door … take full advantage of this incredible facility and I’m sure I’ll be seeing you guys in a WWE ring very soon.”
“Every time we step in this ring, we are proud to represent this brand,” Dunne said. “With this amazing facility, we have a chance to train together and develop together, and that only increases the feeling of being part of a winning team.”
More than 30 of the best European talent signed to the NXT UK brand will train at the UK Performance Center and can be seen weekly on the NXT UK program that streams every Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. GMT on the award-winning WWE Network.
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1083670673258700801
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1083673818395299843
https://twitter.com/NXTUK/status/1083674111900090368
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1083675931057811457
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1083676489080541184
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1083678106198659072
https://twitter.com/WWEUK/status/1083676733616939008
https://twitter.com/NXTUK/status/1083681847706554368
Pro Wrestling Illustrated Reveals “Wrestler Of The Year” And “Woman Of The Year” For 2018
In a close vote, Becky Lynch topped Ronda Rousey for 2018’s “Woman of the Year”, as voted by the readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Lynch received 40 percent of the vote, four percent better than Rousey. Asuka and Tessa Blanchard were distant runners-up.
Rousey being selected number one in PWI’s “Woman’s 100” led to Lynch posting some disparaging tweets about PWI – and Publisher Stu Saks in particular. Even though Lynch appeared happy while posing for the PWI cover of the awards issue with the Woman of the Year plaque, she complained about her #11 placement in the “100” throughout much of the photo shoot.
Rousey achieved a near-record 87 percent of the vote in being named “Rookie of the Year”. The widest margin of victory in the 46-year history of the PWI awards was enjoyed by The Giant (Big Show), who garnered 88 percent of the vote for “Rookie of the Year” in 1996.
AJ Styles was named “Wrestler of the Year” for the third straight year. Styles now has earned a total of seven Achievement Awards. Styles earned 46 percent of the votes in the “Wrestler of the Year” category, followed by Kenny Omega (17 percent), Cody (8 percent), and Seth Rollins (7 percent). He also was voted “Most Popular” for the second straight year. The only other wrestler to receive WOTY honors for three straight years is Ric Flair (1984-1986).
Styles and Becky also topped Wrestling Inc.’s Best of 2018 for “Male Wrestler of the Year” and “Female Wrestler of the Year”, respectively.
PWI’s annual year-end issue can be purchased in print or digital formats at pwi-online.com.
Source: WrestlingINC
All Elite Wrestling Announce Team News
It looks like Alex Marvez will be one of the All Elite Wrestling announcers. The SiriusXM NFL Radio host now lists AEW in his Twitter bio, along with the “#ChangeTheUniverse” hashtag. Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Marvez had been in line for an AEW announcing position and Marvez hosting Tuesday’s Double Or Nothing rally with Conrad Thompson is a good sign that he will get the position.
You can get a closer look at Marvez working the AEW rally in the video below, which was the lead-in to the actual rally. There’s no word yet on who might join Marvez at the AEW announce table but it does not look like Thompson will be calling the action.
Source: WrestlingINC
WWE Announces “Worlds Collide” With Talent From Multiple Brands
WWE today officially announced the WWE Worlds Collide Tournament during Royal Rumble weekend as part of Axxess. The tournament will feature talent from the NXT, NXT UK and 205 Live brands. The tournament will start as a 15 man battle royal on Saturday, which will determine the first round matches for the tournament beginning later that day. The winner of the battle royal will receive a bye in the first round.
The tournament will conclude on Sunday at the final Axxess session. The winner of the tournament will be awarded a future title shot.
You can check out the full announcement below:
The Superstars of NXT, NXT UK and 205 Live are set to battle in the first-ever WWE Worlds Collide Tournament, one of the most unique tournaments in sports-entertainment history, and it all goes down at Royal Rumble Axxess in Phoenix.
Brand-versus-brand dream matches will become a reality as 15 Superstars in total — five from NXT, five from NXT UK and five from 205 Live — will compete over the course of two days, with the tournament winner receiving a future NXT, NXT UK or 205 Live Championship Match of their choosing. That means anyone can become a champion on any brand!
The WWE Worlds Collide Tournament, which will be taped for a WWE Network special, kicks off with a 15-Superstar Battle Royal on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the 8 a.m. session of Axxess. The order of elimination in the Battle Royal will then determine the First-Round Matches for a 15-Superstar, single-elimination tournament beginning later that session. The Battle Royal winner will receive a first-round bye.
The tournament will continue at Saturday’s second session of Axxess, taking place from 1-5 p.m., before concluding at the final Axxess session on Sunday, Jan. 27, from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Featuring a veritable who’s who from all three brands, the tournament will include the following Superstars:
From NXT
From NXT UK
From 205 Live
- Cedric Alexander
- Humberto Carrillo
- Tony Nese
- Drew Gulak
- TJP
Given the format of the tournament, there’s no telling who will fight whom when the brands collide. Which Superstar will rise to the occasion, beat out the best of his brand (and others), and claim a future title opportunity — and what championship will he choose to go after?
Royal Rumble Axxess, which takes over the Phoenix Convention Center Friday, Jan. 25, to Sunday, Jan. 27, will also feature NXT UK tapings on Friday and Sunday, as well as Superstar meet-and-greets, the WWE Superstore, photo opportunities, other live matches and much more throughout the entire weekend. Tickets are available now at Phoenix.Ticketforce.com.
Backstage News On Chris Jericho’s AEW Contract, AJ Styles Speculation
Chris Jericho’s new contract with All Elite Wrestling is reportedly for 3 years, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Meltzer said Jericho revealed that this is the best contract of his career.
As noted before, Jericho talked with WWE and AEW up until the last minute, signing his AEW contract just recently. It came down to AEW offering Jericho a better deal. Jericho will be allowed to work New Japan Pro Wrestling and his cruise, which are stipulated in the contract.
It’s no secret that AEW and WWE are getting aggressive when it comes to signing top talents to contracts. AEW is expected to pursue WWE talents when their contracts expire. Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks have friendly relationships with many of the WWE talents, which will help with potential negotiations. One top WWE Superstar who has a contract coming up that they are familiar with is AJ Styles. Meltzer speculated on WOR that Styles has a lot of leverage right now because he’s a top WWE talent and AEW would offer him a significant deal with an easier schedule. Styles is making a lot of money with WWE right now but AEW potentially could beat that. AJ turns 42 this year and if he really wants an easier schedule with good money, he could get that from AEW.
Meltzer noted that no one is in a better position between WWE and AEW right now other than Styles, except for maybe Kenny Omega. Omega’s future has not been confirmed but it’s still believed that he will end up with AEW after his New Japan Pro Wrestling contract expires on January 31.
It was also noted that AEW is offering good money to wrestlers right now. During the recent Double Or Nothing rally, Cody talked about how AEW wanted to change the wrestling economy and how they wanted to pay wrestlers good money because happy, paid wrestlers translates to happy fans. Some of the AEW contracts are totally exclusive but others are being allowed to work elsewhere. AEW officials are wanting to make everything beneficial for all talents. There’s no word yet on what talents like “Hangman” Adam Page are earning from AEW but WWE made a strong offer to Page and he turned them down.
Source: WrestlingINC
WWE Announces Official Cookbook
Celebrity chef Allison Robicelli teased a new WWE project earlier this week. WWE announced that project today – The Official WWE Cookbook. Insight Editions will release the cookbook on Tuesday, March 19. It will feature more than 75 recipes with full-color photographs. The 8×10 hardcover book will include 128 pages.
You can pre-order the cookbook at a sale price via this link. Below is WWE’s announcement on the book along with the cover art:
“WWE: The Official Cookbook” available this MarchInsight Editions today announced “WWE: The Official Cookbook” featuring a collection of recipes and dishes inspired by your favorite WWE Superstars and Legends.
“WWE: The Official Cookbook” gives fans a guide to creating a variety of fun dishes and drinks including recipes like The Rock’s Jabroni Macaroni Salad, John Cena’s Fruity Pebbles treats, and Nacho Man Randy Savage.
Featuring more than 75 recipes and striking, full-color photographs, “WWE: The Official Cookbook” contains separate categories for food and drinks — from appetizers to desserts — creating the ultimate recipe collection for the WWE Universe.
“WWE: The Official Cookbook” is in stores Tuesday, March 19 and available for pre-order now.
Source: WrestlingINC
