Last night during ROH’s Honor Reigns Supreme in Concord, North Carolina, Flip Gordon hit a running dropkick onto Tracy Williams and then began favoring his knee after the move. The referee had to stop the match after Gordon ended up rolling out to ringside in pain.
Referee Todd Sinclair made the decision to call for the bell because Gordon couldn’t finish the match and Williams was named the winner. Gordon had to be helped to the back.
Flip Gordon hit a running dropkick onto Tracy Williams during tonight's Honor Reigns Supreme card. He immediately began favoring the knee, eventually rolled to the floor and the match was called off. Will try and get an update.
All Elite Wrestling’s inception will continue to dominate wrestling media headlines throughout the year, particularly with so many questions still be to be answered about the upstart promotion.
Television remains the biggest of these. AEW may live or die on their ability to score a deal, and with Impact Wrestling’s recent struggles in the TV market, they face a tough task to find a station offering the required levels of exposure.
AEW President Tony Khan spoke on Sean Waltman’s X-Pac 12360 podcast earlier this week, though he was unable to go into any specifics on the matter. Here’s what he had to say:-
“There’s interested parties … a number of interested parties … it’s gonna be great for everybody. Like I said, I want it to be great for the fans. And I want every week, I want people to be excited about what this week is gonna bring in wrestling. Whether you’re a kid in school, or you’re at work and you want something to look forward to at night, I want it to be a big part of everyone’s week. I think for the talent, I just think this is a great opportunity for everybody to create something. “
This sounds promising. It was speculated last week that Khan would use his considerable media connections to score a favourable TV deal, and with networks like TBS/TNT mentioned, the early signs are encouraging. Securing a contract that’s even in the same ballpark as WWE’s upcoming Fox agreement seems like a pipe dream, though.
Big name signings will increase AEW’s bargaining power in these negotiations. Chris Jericho may not be enough on his own, though the acquisition of Kenny Omega may help convince networks that AEW is a viable commodity.
It’s official! Former Impact Wrestling star Trevor Lee has announced he signed a WWE contract.
Lee announced the news Friday night in North Carolina following the main event of a CWF Mid-Atlantic show while addressing rumors about his future.
“This week I was no longer a free agent,” Trevor explained. “Because I signed a contract to the WWE.”
As you may recall, Lee parted with Impact Wrestling in November after a 4-year run with the company. It was heavily rumored that he left to pursue a job with WWE.
The new signee told the CWF Mid-Atlantic audience that he’d stay with the company until losing their top title, and would next defend the belt in a six-pack scramble on February 2.
NXT UK Tag Team Championship (Vacant): Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) vs. James Drake & Zack Gibson – Winners and first-ever NXT UK Tag Team Champions: James Drake & Zack Gibson
Devlin comes out, Banks tries to attack Devlin with a suicide dive through the ropes, but Devlin retaliates and attacks Banks’ knee even more, stomping away at it on the steel steps. Johnny Saint comes out and explains how there is no way for Banks to compete, therefore, Saint has back-up plan… another opponent for Jordan Devlin to face. Finn Balor’s music plays!
WWE UK Championship: (C) Pete Dunne vs. Joe Coffey –Winner: Pete Dunne
After the match as Dunne celebrated in the ring, Walter came out. Walter entered the ring and as he starred down Dunne, Coffey came back in the ring and Walter hit him with a big boot knocking him out of the ring. Fans chanted Walter, Walter, Walter as he and Dunne starred each other down as they got face-to-face, the Walter left the ring and Dunne continued to celebrate.
Historic first-ever NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool, this Saturday at 2 p.m ET/ 11 a.m. PT on the award-winning WWE Network, with a special NXT UK: Blackpool Pre-Show airing at 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT.
WWE UK Championship: (C) Pete Dunne vs. Joe Coffey
NXT UK Women’s Championship: (C) Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm
NXT UK Tag Team Championship (Vacant): Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) vs. James Drake & Zack Gibson
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!
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.
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.
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.
