Former ROH and TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries made his WWE NXT debut at tonight’s TV tapings from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. The debut should air on the March 2nd episode.
Aries was introduced in the ring by NXT General Manager William Regal. As Aries was making his way out, he was attacked by Baron Corbin and destroyed, so that appears to be his first NXT feud.
TNA Impact Wrestling has issued the following statement. It should be noted and we can confirm through AJ Styles management that he denies the claim
AJ Styles has always been synonymous with TNA and TNA synonymous with AJ Styles. AJ helped build the foundation of IMPACT WRESTLING, and his phenomenal body of work lives in our rich history – something we are very proud of.
In the last few weeks, rumors have swirled about AJ Styles, his future and TNA Wrestling. Fans have asked for the status and wrestling media have made numerous inquiries.
For the past several months, AJ and TNA were involved in serious discussions to bring him back home to TNA. Creative discussions escalated and two additional wrestlers, Drew Hankinson and Chad Allegra, were enthusiastically added.
These discussions culminated on December 14th in Nashville, Tenn., where all attended a meeting at Dixie Carter’s home. A handshake and written deal between AJ, Drew, Chad and TNA was agreed upon and signed by all. Start dates were determined, creative decided, merchandise designed and plane tickets purchased.
Over the Christmas holiday, and after the lawyers finalized the long form agreement, all communication with TNA stopped.
AJ’s lawyer contacted TNA and stated the wrestlers had changed their mind and would not be honoring their commitment to TNA.
While Sting is the only announced inductee for the 2016 Hall of Fame class so far – WhatCulture Wrestling has posted the video below with a list of five other inductees that they say a respected source close to the WWE has given to them.
Source: F4WOnline
WWE has reportedly signed New Japan Pro Wrestling stars AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and current IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, according to F4WOnline. We first exclusively reported in early December that WWE was interested in signing Nakamura. The group reportedly informed NJPW booker Gedo that they were finishing up before WrestleKingdom 10 this morning.
No word yet on when the four will begin work with WWE but Nakamura apparently is not leaving early as he will most likely drop his title before leaving.
F4W added that Anderson was reportedly also in talks with TNA and close to signing but the WWE deal came through instead. Anderson, Gallows and Nakamura are expected to honor their Ring of Honor dates for February and AJ is likely done with ROH going forward.
We’ll have more on this story later.
BREAKING NEWS: Can you smell it? Dwayne The Rock Johnson is coming to ELECTRIFY WWE WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium!
Ring of Honor stars Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis finished up with the company at last night’s TV tapings in Philadelphia. PWInsider reports that the couple and ROH were not able to agree on terms for a new deal.
Their departure was not a real big surprise as people within ROH had been expecting them to leave for some time. This likely means they are done with New Japan Pro Wrestling as well.
Bennett’s partner Matt Taven is signed with ROH through March or April of 2016.
Kanellis and Bennett were reportedly telling people that they will be starting with TNA in January.
The Undertaker appeared in a segment of NBC’s “Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. The wrestling legend gave the tombstone Piledriver to someone dressed in a turkey costume. Brad Maddox was the guy in the turkey costume.
While Brad Maddox as The Turkey was not named during the skit with The Undertaker on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon this week, his name was listed at the end of the show when they thank everyone who helped with that episode.
Here is the video.
The Undertaker & John Cena may face off as a main event for WrestleMania 32, WrestlingInc.com reported. The last time Cena and The Undertaker battled in a singles match at a pay-per-view event was in 2003.
Citing a report from PWInsider.com, Marc Middleton of WrestlingInc.com wrote the two Superstars are—at least for the time being—options for one of the main events of the biggest show of the year.
According to Middleton, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer also questioned whether a WWE source was trying to throw him off the scent when telling him Cena and The Undertaker have other angles lined up for WrestleMania. Meltzer labeled the tip a possible “red herring.”
First, Randy Orton suffered a shoulder injury that will keep him out for months. Then, Rollins tore his right ACL, MCL and medial meniscus, thus ruling him out for WrestleMania as well. Those are two potential headliners out of the equation, leaving WWE scrambling to find alternatives.
Cena currently remains off for an extended break as well, but is advertised for a live event on Dec. 26 at Madison Square Garden. Depending on when or if he chooses to avenge his United States Championship defeat to Alberto Del Rio, Cena would be open for a major WrestleMania storyline.
Luca Franchini, who does WWE announcing for Sky Italia in Italy, announced on Facebook that WWE informed the network that this year’s SummerSlam will be 4 hours long, in order for them to prepare and make room for the extra hour.
Franchini noted that SummerSlam is now scheduled to begin at 7pm EST instead of 8pm EST, pushing the Kickoff Pre-show up to 6pm EST.
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