Author: John Bass

MLW: Fusion Preview 10/26/18

Watch Friday nights 8pm ET on beIN SPORTS. New episodes of FUSION are available on demand anytime anywhere for free uncut and uncensored Saturday nights 6:05pm at YouTube.com/majorleaguewrestling.

This Friday night terror will rule the ring as MLW and beIN SPORTS presents their first Halloween special on October 26th at 8pm ET entitled MLW FRIGHT NIGHT.

Featuring night blood-curdling bouts, MLW FRIGHT NIGHT will feature a double main event.

“England’s Most Dangerous Man” Jimmy Havoc will face Sami Callihan in a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match as their feud reaches its final stage. Who will survive the mayhem? Tune in to find out!

The night will also feature a chilling clash as the “French Canadian Frankenstein” PCO rampages with LA Park (presented by Salina de la Renta). In a battle of two destroyers, this monster mash is a match featuring the most unpredictable brawlers in the sport.

Stokely Hathaway breaks his silence as he addressees his shocking kidnapping earlier this year.

Plus, Joey Ryan takes on prospect Richard Holliday!

A new MLW: FIGHTLAND control center will reveal more matches for the league’s upcoming November 8th debut in Chicago plus tons more!

Tony Schiavone and Matt Striker call the action ringside from New York City!

Girl Up And WWE Create Sports For A Purpose Program To Promote Girls’ Leadership

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WWE and Girl Up have announced a new multi-year partnership that will see the 2019 launch of Sports For A Purpose, which will create a culture of sports participation for girls around the world. Below is the full announcement with comments from Stephanie McMahon:

GIRL UP AND WWE® CREATE SPORTS FOR A PURPOSE PROGRAM TO SUPPORT GIRLS’ LEADERSHIP

NEW YORK and STAMFORD, Conn., Friday, October 26, 2018 – Girl Up and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced a multi-year partnership to support the creation of Sports For a Purpose, which will launch in the fall of 2019 and create a culture of sports participation for girls around the world. The program will equip Girl Up’s girl leaders with tools and resources so that they can help tackle the gender-based barriers girls face to playing sports, including access to safe play spaces and sporting equipment.

“We are excited to launch Sports for a Purpose with WWE and help break down the gender barriers that girls and women face in sports, while fostering an encouraging environment for girls’ leadership,” said Anna Blue, Co-Executive Director, Girl Up.

“WWE is proud to partner with Girl Up to create Sports For a Purpose, a new program designed to help our youth achieve gender equality in sports,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “Playing sports has a positive impact on girls’ leadership skills, confidence and self-esteem, and we are excited to work with Girl Up to create this meaningful program.”

“When girls develop their leadership on the field or on the court, they take those skills with them to their schools and communities. We hope this program encourages a new generation of girls to pave the way for better gender equity in sports,” said Melissa Kilby, Co-Executive Director, Girl Up.

Team sports are a proven way to develop leadership skills, confidence and positive body image, but compared to boys, girls are twice as likely to drop out of sports by age 14. Girls who play sports are more likely to have positive mental health, higher academic achievement and more likely to earn a college degree.

Girl Up, an organization and global leadership development initiative, positions girls to be leaders in the movement for gender equality. Through leadership development training, Girl Up gives girls the resources and platform to start a movement for social change wherever they are. Girl Up was founded in 2010 and continues to work across a global community of partners to achieve gender equality worldwide.

This new partnership was announced in advance of Evolution, WWE’s first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view event, another milestone for WWE’s female performers. WWE Evolution airs Sunday, streaming live on WWE Network.

Why address girls and sports?

* 61 percent of girls participated in sports, compared with 75 percent of boys

* 29 percent of girls participated in two or more sports, compared to 47 percent of boys

* Male college athletes receive 36% more scholarship dollars than female college athletes at NCAA institutions

* Men get 30% more prize money in sport.

* Just 5% of sports media coverage features women.

* Women’s sport receives only 0.5% of the sports world’s total sponsorship income (men get 62.1%).

* And yet, the benefits are undisputable…Teens girls who play sports not only do better in school, but also are more likely to have stronger leadership skills, high self-esteem, stronger relationships and improved physical health:
– 23 percent more likely to get seven hours of sleep
– 21 percent more likely to be successful in school
– 13 percent more likely to graduate from a four-year college

WWE Announces First 30 Minutes Of Evolution To Simulcast On Twitter

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WWE has announced that the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s Evolution pay-per-view will stream live on Twitter:

As history unfolds this Sunday at WWE Evolution, Twitter will offer the WWE Universe and beyond one additional avenue to view the first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view in WWE history.

Beginning at 7 p.m. ET, the first 30 minutes of Evolution will be simulcast on the social media site — a first for a WWE pay-per-view. The stream will be carried by the @WWE handle as well as @TwitterLiveand @TwitterSports, with custom emoji for the hashtags #WWEEvolution, #RondaRousey and #NikkiBella.

The entire show will be available to stream live on the award-winning WWE Network and will feature a Raw Women’s Title Match between Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, Kairi Sane vs. Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship and Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm in the Finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic. The event will be preceded by the Evolution Kickoff Show at 6 ET/3 PT, which also streams on WWE Network and streams free on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.

Samoa Joe Out Of Action With Injury

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Samoa Joe is currently out of action with another injury, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

There’s no word yet on details of the undisclosed injury but Joe has not been cleared to compete. Joe was set to challenge WWE Champion AJ Styles at the Supershow live events last weekend but he was not there.

Joe’s last match came on the October 9 SmackDown episode, a World Cup qualifier loss to Jeff Hardy. He lost to WWE Champion AJ Styles a few days before that at Super Show-Down in Australia but he spent most of September and now October out of the ring.

In the match with AJ at Super Show-Down Joe worked a injury angle – Joe went for a Muscle Buster but legs gave out and AJ won the match by Joe tapping out to the Calf Crusher. Joe lost his World Cup qualifier match to Jeff Hardy due to referee stoppage when Joe couldn’t stand on his feet.

For what it’s worth, Joe made the following cryptic tweet back on October 17:

Source: WrestlingINC

Backstage News On Roman Reigns Announcement, When Vince McMahon Found Out, What People Were Told

As noted, very few – if any – of the talent knew that Roman Reigns was battling leukemia again before he made his announcement on RAW this past Monday night. The leukemia had been in remission since late 2008. Dave Meltzer noted in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that few people in the company knew that he had ever battled the disease.

According to The Observer, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose were not even told about Reigns’ diagnosis. An hour before the show a few people, including Rollins and Ambrose, were told that Reigns would vacate the WWE Universal Championship to open up the show, but weren’t told why and that it would be explained his his promo. Reigns reportedly told Rollins and Ambrose to be ready to meet him after his promo was done, but they weren’t told what the promo would be about. Michael Cole also knew that Reigns would be vacating the title to open the show, but it’s believed he didn’t know why. It’s not known if he told Corey Graves and Renee Young beforehand as well.

Meltzer reported that Reigns was in a bus all day before the show, which he had requested. Vince McMahon wasn’t at RAW, but was working throughout the day to prepare people who had to know about Reigns’ announcement without providing specifics. McMahon reportedly first found out about Reigns’ diagnosis before the weekend, on Thursday night, October 18th. Reigns missed last weekend’s live events, but there was never a reason given why.

Triple H ran Monday’s RAW and produced the announcers, although Vince was in constant contact with him. In addition to Triple H, it’s believed that Kevin Dunn, Mark Carrano in talent relations and writers Dave Kapoor and Ed Koskey knew what the promo would be about. Stephanie McMahon and Michael Hayes were not at the show either.

The creative team was told that Reigns was vacating the title and there would be changes to the show. As noted, Dean Ambrose turning heel was always the plan, however it was changed to happen on Monday’s show because they felt it would be more effective there instead of continuing with the originally planned storyline.

Source: WrestlingINC

Matt Hardy Teases Upcoming WWE Match With Jeff Hardy, Plans For Matt’s TV Return & Character Change

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Matt Hardy spoke with Cultura Colectiva while in Mexico for the recent WWE promotional tour he was on. Hardy was there to promote the December 1 WWE live event in Mexico City, which will feature Superstars from both brands after originally announced as a RAW event.

Hardy, who has been out of action for a few months while he deals with some health issues, revealed that he and brother Jeff Hardy will be teaming up again in Mexico.

Hardy said the following before Roman Reigns took time off to battle leukemia, “It’s going to be earth-shattering! It’s the only live event we’re doing all year and all the top stars of both brands will be there: Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Ronda Rousey, AJ Styles, me, my brother—everybody! I’m in fact gonna petition to have a Hardy Boys tag-team match even though we’re on different brands. I’m excited for this, man.”

Hardy also gave a preview of the House Hardy Halloween special that airs after WWE Evolution on the WWE Network and revealed that his role will be difference once he does return to WWE TV.

“Yes, on the WWE Network there’s gonna be a regular series featuring Woken/Broken Matt Hardy and my family, which will be entitled House Hardy—the first episode is going to air right around Halloween,” Hardy said. “It’s going to be incredibly entertaining! I’m looking forward to that. On the other hand, when I come back to WWE TV, my role is going to be altered a little bit (it won’t be 100% Broken/Woken Hardy.) So, I get to have the best of both worlds.”

Hardy spoke more about his return to WWE TV and how his character will be a bit different. Hardy said “Woken Matt” will live on with the WWE Network.

“It’s not 100% decided what I’ll end up doing once I return to WWE TV, that hasn’t been finalized yet. But I’m pretty sure we’ll take a tangent from the Woken/Broken Matt Hardy persona,” Hardy said. “That persona will definitely live on at the Network, and it might come back out on TV. I feel like when I return to WWE TV it’s gonna be—have you ever seen The Incredible Hulk when Bruce Banner got angry and turned into this green monster?—well, I feel you’re gonna have Matt Hardy and then there’ll be something that causes Matt Hardy to transform into Woken or Broken Matt Hardy.”

Source: Cultura Colectiva via WrestlingINC

WWE Issues Statement On Daniel Bryan/John Cena Reportedly Refusing Crown Jewel Appearances

daniel bryan john cena crown jewel wwe statement

But it seems like John Cena and Daniel Bryan’s status is an even bigger question mark. After all, there were reports that WWE Creative was told Cena wasn’t doing the show and we can only assume that Bryan — given his many moral convictions doesn’t want to go either.

John Cena and Daniel Bryan gave for refusing to work the Crown Jewel event —- Daniel Bryan has a huge moral conviction to the idea and also has a public profile, but nowhere near to Cena’s. Since John Cena is a huge movie star already and slated to possibly become one of the biggest box office draws next to The Rock, his association with the country might be ill-timed.

Now Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that their sources have confirmed that Daniel Bryan has refused to go to the event and WWE has issued a statement saying:

“As always, we maintain an open line of communication with our performers and will address each situation accordingly.”

Bryan Alvarez discussed this on Wrestling Observer Live where he discussed the idea of these two huge (and still advertised) Superstars saying that they’re not headed to Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

“Now, Monday and Tuesday the feeling was that the show was in great jeopardy of not taking place in Saudi Arabia. It’s possible that they said, “We’re not doing the show in Saudi Arabia” and the company said, ‘It’s probably not taking place in Saudi Arabia so let’s keep the matches’ and that’s what they did.”

“Now it seems they’re absolutely going to Saudi Arabia so on Monday and Tuesday we’ll find out if there’s anything from that story. It’s been days and WWE hasn’t said anything about that story. But on Monday and Tuesday if they shoot angles taking them off the show, then you’ll know why.”

Alvarez also said that if Cena and Bryan end up going to Saudi Arabia then there is nothing to the story. Then again, it could still be true but WWE was willing to pull a bigger money truck (that’s a truck full of money) up to their homes.

Only time will tell what happens next, but it seems like we’re in the middle of another wait and see kind of situation. But for sure — unless something else happens like Vince McMahon gets a call from President Trump telling him to cancel the Crown Jewel event or move it (which isn’t likely) we’ll still see Crown Jewel take place in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Ringside News

Impact Wrestling Preview 10/25/18

Tonight’s IMPACT on Pop TV is at it’s new time of 10pm ET/ 9pm CT

* Impact World Championship: (C) Johnny Impact vs. Fenix

* Gama Singh vs. Rahit Raju

* Moose & Killer Kross vs. KM & Fallah Bahh

* Tessa Blanchard’s rebuttal to Taya Valkyrie

* Su Yung vs. Kiera Hogan

Cody Rhodes Says He’s Not In Bullet Club, Transitioning To A New Role In Pro Wrestling?

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The much talked about free agency of about half the Bullet Club continues to gain stream through not only the ticking countdown and WWE related notes from “H” on Being the Elite, but through social media, as well.

Earlier this month, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Marty Scurll, and Adam Page tweeted out somewhat similar words about selling their “final Bullet Club style shirt” while adding, “it also might be my favorite.” The group looks to be distancing themselves for either a move to WWE or staying put and simply working under their own group name, like “The Elite.”

Today, Cody wrote he’s “100% not in the Bullet Club” during a fan Q&A on Twitter. Also noting at this month’s NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling the “new” Bullet Club was featured with Jay White, Gedo, and Jado joining up with the Bullet Club “OGs” and he wasn’t involved at all in that segment.

https://twitter.com/CameronHolt41/status/1055148105446948866

https://twitter.com/Knucklexhead/status/1055195733924700161

To add to Rhodes’ comments, Tama Tonga tweeted out the below photo yesterday, making it pretty clear who’s in the group.

Somewhat separate from this story is Rhodes losing the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship back to Nick Aldis in a two-out-of-three falls match over the weekend at NWA 70 in Nashville, Tennessee.

On Instagram, Rhodes commented on the success of the event and thanked the fans who tuned in. Rhodes also said he’s beginning to “transition to a new role in pro wrestling.” We most likely won’t know what that new role is until the new year.

“As I begin a transition to a new role in pro-wrestling, I hope all the fans who’ve discovered the NWA recently…stay on board and continue to watch the likes of Nick Aldis, Avalon, Willie Mack, Jazz and many more. As I continue my remaining dates with the good folks at ROH, I’d like to thank them and The NWA for allowing me to cross imaginary lines and give the fans something special!”

Source: WrestlingINC

Mickie James Gives Update On Alexa Bliss Following Recent Concussion

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Alexa Bliss suffered a concussion wrestling Ronda Rousey at a live event over the weekend, but Mickie James says she’s confident her tag partner will still be in attendance at Evolution.

Mickie gave an update on Alexa’s condition during Wednesday’s edition of Busted Open on Sirius XM and said, “She’ll definitely be there on Sunday,”

“I know she’s doing better,” James continued. “I try to talk to her everyday, I know she’s doing better every day. Obviously, we all know, this isn’t ballet and it comes with the territory. So, as long as it’s what’s best for business and what’s best for her long-term health. I have no doubts that, regardless, we’ll all be out there and it’s gonna be amazing.”

The moment the injury occurred can be seen below.

As you may have noticed, Alicia Fox was injected into the feud involving WWE Hall of Famers Lita and Trish Stratus during Raw this week … so it seems like she may be a backup plan if Alexa doesn’t get cleared.

Mickie’s comments on Busted Open can be heard below.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet