Author: John Bass

ROH Announces New Signees For Several Upcoming Events

Ring of Honor has announced that several new stars will be appearing at upcoming shows in the United States.

PCO, Brody King, Mark Haskins and Bandido will be appearing at the international TV tapings on January 12 in Atlanta. They are also booked for January 13 in Concord; January 24 in Dallas, January 25 in Houston, January 26 in San Antonio, February 9 in Lakeland and February 10 in Miami. All four are also booked for the ROH 17th Anniversary pay-per-view on March 15 in Las Vegas and the international TV taping on March 16 in Vegas, and the HonorClub live event on March 31 in Baltimore.

Below is ROH’s full announcement on the four new signees:

STAR-STUDDED ROH SIGNEES TO APPEAR AT UPCOMING U.S. SHOWSBaltimore, MD, December 26, 2018—Ring of Honor has had the pro wrestling world buzzing by signing four of the hottest free agents in pro wrestling to exclusive contracts, and ROH officials have now confirmed that the star-studded signees will be appearing at all of ROH’s upcoming U.S. events.

The Best Wrestling on the Planet will bring new acquisitions PCO, Brody King, Bandido and Mark Haskins to Atlanta for an international television taping on Jan. 12 and Concord, N.C., on Jan. 13 before heading to Texas for shows in Dallas (Jan. 24), Houston (Jan. 25) and San Antonio (Jan. 26), and Florida for events in Lakeland (Feb. 9) and Miami (Feb. 10). The four acclaimed performers have also been signed for ROH’s 17th Anniversary pay-per-view in Las Vegas on March 15, an international television taping in Las Vegas on March 16, and a live event to be broadcast for HonorClub in Baltimore on March 31.

All roads lead to G1 Supercard, which takes place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on April 6 and sold out within minutes after going on sale to the general public. 2018 has been the most successful year in ROH’s 16-year history, and these four signings solidify that ROH’s future has never been brighter.

The story of PCO’s career resurrection reads like something out of a Mary Shelley novel, but in this instance, real life is indeed stranger than fiction. PCO (Pierre Carl Ouellet) wrestled for the biggest wrestling promotions in the world in the 1990s before he quietly retired in 2010.

The Canadian powerhouse burst back onto the scene in 2018 and quickly became one of the most talked-about and sought-after wrestlers on the independent circuit. At age 50, PCO has not only completely reinvented himself as a superhuman force of nature, but he has proved to be better than ever inside the ring.

PCO made his dramatic debut in ROH at the recent international television tapings in Philadelphia as a member of Villain Enterprises alongside “The Villain”Marty Scurll and Brody King, who also was making his first appearance in ROH.

King, who has been one of the top stars on the independent scene since making his pro wrestling debut three years ago, stands 6-foot-5, weighs 285 pounds and has an unabashed love for dishing out violence inside a wrestling ring.

King is more than just a wild brawler, however. The heavily tattooed Los Angeles native is incredibly agile, can perform flying moves and has a strong amateur wrestling background. When he isn’t busting heads inside the ring, the heavily tattooed Los Angeles native is banging his head on stage as the frontman for hardcore metal band God’s Hate.

Masked luchador Bandido is regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative high-flyers in the industry. The 23-year-old sensation is one of 2018’s breakout stars and has wowed audiences all around the globe.

A fourth-generation star, Bandido competed in the prestigious Battle of Los Angeles in September and made it all the way to the finals. Also that month, he participated in the six-man tag match that headlined the All In pay-per-view before more than 11,000 fans at the sold-out Sears Centre near Chicago.

Haskins made a strong impression when he competed on ROH shows in the UK this year and last. The native of Oxford, England won the inaugural ROH International Cup this past August on the Honor Re-United UK Tour, and he went on to push ROH World Champion Jay Lethal to the limit in a match hailed as one of the best in ROH in 2018.

A tough-as-nails fighter and one of the UK’s top stars, Haskins has 12 years of experience despite being just 30. He has won numerous championships and holds victories over some of the biggest names in the sport.

Fans can get a first-hand look at PCO, Brody King, Bandido and Mark Haskins at the aforementioned live events. The shows (excluding the TV tapings) also will stream LIVE for HonorClub. Please visit ROHWrestling.com or the ROH App for more information.

Source: WrestlingINC

CBS Sports Names Becky Lynch Wrestler Of The Year, “The Man” Responds, Full List Of CBS 2018 Award Winners

CBS Sports has named Becky Lynch their 2018 Wrestler of the Year.

The Man took to Twitter today and responded to the honor. She wrote, “Start of 2018, I couldn’t even get on TV. You’re never truly down, you’re never truly out. Stand up and fight. Keep swinging even if you don’t know what you’re swinging for, or at. If you’re like me you’ll eventually slap a head that deserves it and the whole world will notice.”

CBS’ praise for Lynch included the following:

“In a year filled with stunning developments, no one shook up the world of professional wrestling more than Becky Lynch, who has turned both WWE and the business as a whole on its head over the last six months by not only winning the hearts and minds of fans across the globe but doing so while standing out as “The Man” in an industry historically dominated by men. The 31-year-old Rebecca Quinn — largely marginalized by WWE over the last two years despite being a clear fan favorite — has not only become arguably the most popular superstar in the company, she looks to have forced it to change its plans for its biggest show of the coming year, WrestleMania 35 in New York. And that is why Lynch is the 2018 CBS Sports Wrestler of the Year.How has she done it? Quite simply by showing a renewed confidence and natural swagger that has been compared to everyone from Steve Austin to Roddy Piper to countryman Conor McGregor. In actuality, the comparisons do not do Lynch justice and hardly explain why she is now “The Man.” Lynch has quite simply become the best version of herself, a take-no-prisoners bad-ass who is defying convention by exorcising the demons created from two years of being kept out of the championship picture.”

Becky Lynch responded with the Tweet below:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1078047928973967360

Below is the full list of the 2018 CBS Sports Pro Wrestling Award winners. Those marked with an asterisk (*) were WWE-only awards

  • Wrestler of the Year: Becky Lynch (WWE)
  • WWE Male Wrestler of the Year: Johnny Gargano
  • NJPW Wrestler of the Year: Kota Ibushi
  • Match of the Year: Kenny Omega def. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW Dominion 6.9)
  • WWE Match of the Year: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (TLC)
  • NXT Match of the Year: Andrade “Cien” Almas def. Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)
  • Tag Team of the Year: The Usos (WWE)
  • Rookie of the Year: Ronda Rousey (WWE)
  • Commentator of the Year: Mauro Ranallo (NXT)
  • Comeback Wrestler of the Year: Daniel Bryan (WWE)
  • Breakthough Wrestler of the Year*: Buddy Murphy (205 Live)
  • Feud of the Year*: Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa (NXT)
  • Best Pay-Per-View of the Year*: TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs
  • Best Moment of the Year*: Becky Lynch attacks Ronda Rousey on Raw
  • Best Promo of the Year*: Daniel Bryan before TLC
  • Smack Talker of the Year*: Samoa Joe
  • Worst Angle of the Year*: DeGeneration X vs. Brothers of Destruction

Source: CBS Sports and WrestlingINC

Tama Tonga Announces Pre-WrestleMania 35 ‘Bullet Club Block Party’

bullet club block party tama tonga announcement video njpw new japan

Bullet Club will be throwing a tailgate party before WrestleMania 35 in New Jersey and Tama Tonga made the announcement from Korakuen Hall.

The NJPW star has been teasing a block party for weeks and now we know why.

“The Bullet Club Block Party” will officially take place on Sunday, April 7 in conjunction with Jimmy’s Seafood. More details will be announced on January 2.

According to the event’s Twitter page, “This isn’t some invade the parking lot and throw up a tent event. This is gonna be at a real venue where WE call the shots, so be ready for a real party.”

Tonga published a video announcement shot in the ring after a match.

Watch the announcement below.

https://twitter.com/Tama_Tonga/status/1078010743054893056

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Zack Ryder Helps Surprise Young Fans With WrestleMania 35 Christmas Gift (VIDEO)

zack ryder wrestlemania 35 surprise video

The holiday season is a time for giving and Zack Ryder helped with that by recording a video message to let two young fans know they’ll be going to WrestleMania 35.

The footage was shared on Twitter and shows two parents in a video message who get interrupted by Ryder, much to the surprise of the children watching.

“Mom and Dad want you to know how proud they are of you and they have organized a very special Christmas present for both of you,” Zack explains to the kids. “Grab your passports and pack your bags, because you’re going to WrestleMania 35 in New York.”

https://twitter.com/RookeryMike/status/1077942297864491014

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE NXT Preview 12/26/18

NXT, tonight at 8 ET on WWE Network.

* Will Heavy Machinery end Undisputed ERA’s reign of dominance?

* Belair, Shirai, Yim and Evans to clash in NXT Women’s Title No. 1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match

* Will NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa address the steel cage controversy?

* Jaxson Ryker plans to “Do unto others” and enjoy it

WWE NXT UK Preview 12/26/18

Back to back episodes of NXT UK, today at 3 ET and 4 ET on WWE Network.

* Gallus’ Joe Coffey vs. Ligero

* Kenny Williams vs. Jordan Devlin

* Zack Gibson & James Drake vs. “Wild Boar” Mike Hitchman & “Primate” Jay Melrose

* Marcel Barthel makes his NXT UK debut against Mark Andrews

AJ Styles Drops Vince McMahon On WWE SmackDown To Begin Interesting New Storyline, WWE Edits Segment

Image result for AJ Styles Drops Vince McMahon On WWE SmackDown To Begin Interesting New Storyline, WWE Edits Segment

Last night’s Christmas edition of WWE SmackDown closed with a very interesting exchange between Vince McMahon and AJ Styles. You can see video of the segment above.

There’s no word yet on where they’re going with this segment but speculation is that we’ll see a darker side to Styles. The segment ended with The Phenomenal One dropping the WWE Chairman, but only after McMahon slapped Styles in the face.

The backstage segment started with McMahon greeting Styles backstage, which was AJ’s only appearance on this week’s show. This was Vince’s second straight appearance for the blue brand following the “fresh start” that was announced by the McMahon family last week.

WWE made a few edits to the video they released on YouTube, which was missing a few lines from the taped segment that aired on TV tonight. Based on the YouTube video that was released, the exchange went like this:

Vince: I want to know, what’s your name?

AJ: My name?

Vince: I want to know, who are you?

AJ: AJ Styles, The Phenomenal One. Two-time WWE Champ. SmackDown Live… the house that AJ Style built.

Vince: I was thinking about that. If this is the house that AJ Styles built, why aren’t you competing in your house tonight? Why is Daniel Bryan competing in your house tonight? Why is he raising holy hell and you’re back here walking up and down the hallway. I don’t quite get that. See, he’s the new Daniel Bryan. I want to know who the real AJ Styles is. Because, like it or not, we’re a lot alike. You got a black hole in your heart and I know it. But there’s an animal in there, an animal is begging to get out. That animal is eating you alive. You want it to come out, I want to see it. I want to see that animal. Oh yea, I want to see it, AJ. I want to see it, and I’m going to see it.

That is when Vince slapped AJ in the face and the two stared each other down. AJ then fired back and dropped Vince with a right hand. Styles stood over Vince, growling, as officials rushed into the room and Vince barked at them to get AJ out. The video does not show this but a referee asked Vince if he was alright and Vince said he thinks he’s good. SmackDown went off the air with Vince laying on his back, smiling, while looking up at the ceiling.

There were a few more edits made to the video released on YouTube, including Vince commenting on how he has seen WWE Superstars come & go, win their titles and earn their money, only to become complacent and then go home. Vince said he knows that’s not AJ, and that’s when he mentioned that they are alike. Vince also said AJ has a tormented soul, and AJ is afraid to lose control because of what would happen. Vince also said if AJ is harnessing all of this darkness, he will brutalize and terrorize the locker room.

Source: WrestlingINC

Mauro Ranallo Involved In Car Crash, Says Survival Was A Christmas Miracle (PHOTOS)

mauro ranallo car accident christmas miracle

Mauro Ranallo says he was the recipient of a Christmas miracle Sunday night after a car crashed into his vehicle at full speed and he managed to survive.

Ranallo shared photos of the accident scene on Instagram, which shows some pretty serious damage to both vehicles in the front, and wrote: “An Angel was looking over me last night. A car lost control and smashed into me at full speed.”

“Happy to report that no one was seriously injured,” the NXT announcer continued. “I’m still in shock. I guess my work here isn’t done yet.” He then hashtagged the post “Christmas Miracle.”

Photos of the crash scene can be found below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BryWh7ZgO03/

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

MLW Fusion Preview 12/21/18

Watch MLW Fusion on beIN SPORTS 8pm ET / 5pm PT tonight.

For over a month “Filthy” Tom Lawlor has waited for his shot at Simon Gotch after the Team Filthy turncoat betrayed Lawlor in Chicago. Tonight Lawlor finally gets his opportunity to get the snitch Simon Gotch in the ring.

For the first time ever MLW will present a No Holds Barred fight where there are no ropes, no rules, no rounds with the winner defeating his adversary by either knockout or submission. See Lawlor vs. Gotch on beIN SPORTS tonight!

Other matches leading up to the main event:
•Hart Foundation vs. Tommy Dreamer & Barrington Hughes
•DJZ vs. Hijo de LA Park
•Dezmond Xavier vs. Andrew Everett

H2tv is back with the Hart Foundation training with award winning pedigree Persian cats while on the road.

Konnan and Salina de la Renta’s Promociones Dorado ready for a World Championship showdown next week on FUSION.

Plus the leader of Los Ingobernables Rush and more!

Join Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini from South Florida for a great night of pro wrestling!

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!

Becky Lynch Revealed As Asuka’s Opponent At Royal Rumble

Image result for Asuka's WWE Royal Rumble Opponent Revealed

Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka is now official for the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Lynch vs. Asuka was announced during this week’s WWE Main Event episode, which was a recap show with no new matches, hosted by Scott Stanford.