Wrestling legend Butch Reed has passed away at the age of 66.
Reed’s official Instagram account announced this morning that the former WCW World Tag Team Champion passed away today due to heart complications.
“To everyone who reached out god bless you. Today we lost a great man. Due to heart complications Bruce ‘Butch’ Reed passed away. Butch is in heaven now with the wrestling god’s. I am sure he is already booked for a Heavyweight Championship match. Once again thank you for all the prayers. We will keep this page going in his memory. For funeral arrangements send me a dm for information if you would like to attend. God bless everyone and god bless in heaven ‘Hacksaw Butch Reed’,” they wrote on Reed’s account.
Reed had significant runs with Mid-South Wrestling, WCW/NWA, and WWE, among other promotions. He is most known for his role in the Doom tag team with WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons.
Reed’s Instagram account revealed just earlier this week that he had suffered two massive heart attacks in 202.
Below is the full post from Reed’s Instagram account:
There are very few women’s wrestlers still around who performed during the 1990s but former WWE Women’s Champion Jazz is still going strong. She’s spent over 20 years in the ring and has had stints in WWE, ECW and NWA where she was recently the Women’s Champion.
“Maybe I was a few months ago, but honestly, I just had my last match this past Sunday,” revealed Jazz. “I’m done with in-ring; last match. Yeah, I’m going to say ever. I’m done. I’m limping right now, so I’m done yes. Yeah, but I’m not going to Terry Funk it. I’m done.
“I was going to do a whole tour in 2020, but with the pandemic happening, that kind of screwed everything up. But we’ll see for 2021. I may try to do a little tour around.”
“Well, I’m really done. But I go out there and do 45 seconds – 1 minute. That’s all I got,” stated Jazz.
Her first big break in the business came in 1999 when Jazz joined ECW under the name of Jazzmine. Paul Heyman played a big part in helping kickstart her career and Jazz talked about Heyman’s influence.
“I always give Paul E credit because the birth of Jazz happened in ECW. So, without Paul E, there would be no Jazz and he not only gave me an opportunity, he pushed me to just go out there and let it happen. But he would tell the guys, ‘Don’t go easy on her.’ It’s pretty scary before a pay-per-view match and he’s over there telling your opponent, ‘Beat the f–k out of her!’ and you’re already nervous and then, he comes over there to me, ‘I want you to put it on him. Beat him like he stole from your mama!’ That’s how Paul E is,” recalled Jazz.
“He likes to get in your mind and he’s good at it. But yeah, he’s the one who gave me my first opportunity and it was up to me. I was given the opportunity and it was either nut up or shut up.”
When ECW went bankrupt, lots of talent ended up joining WWE but if you ask those former ECW Originals, most would say that they would have stayed in ECW if the company stayed afloat. There was a special kinship amongst ECW wrestlers and Jazz was asked if WWE was on her radar at that time.
“No, because everyone in ECW… that was our home. We were such a family and I don’t know if you ever go to any signings – WrestleCons or whatever – but if you see any ECW people there, it’s nothing but love. There was no jealousy because everybody had the opportunity to shine. I mean, the ring crew, they even got a chance to wrestle every night,” stated Jazz.
“So, it was no fighting for a spot. You had your top guys and that was understandable, but every night, you’re going to get an opportunity to work and that’s what it’s about.”
It was her time in ECW that led to Jazz joining WWE and she recalled the whole process it took for her to come on WWE’s radar, get signed and then make her debut.
“Yes, again, Paul E was there in WWF at the time and I saw Dreamer in Tyler, Texas, I believe at an Indy Show, and he was like, ‘Jazz, I’m going to talk to Paul and see if we can get you a tryout.’ And I was like, ‘Hell yeah! That sounds great!’ So, that got everything set up,” stated Jazz. “I went over there and I worked Ivory in a dark match and when I approached her, she was like, ‘Oh my God! Nice to meet you! Molly Holly told me all about you! She loves you. She said you’re awesome!’ So, she made the match all about me. She really did and they said that was the biggest response they ever had from a ladies’ match was our dark match.
“Paul’s like, ‘You’re going to get a call on Monday! …Three months later, I did receive a phone call from Johnny Ace. ‘Don’t really know who you are kid, but everyone, they talk good about you. But yeah, we want you to be part of the company. Your contract’s on its way to you.’ And Jim Ross was telling me, ‘Just go to OVW to get the ring rust off’ because I hadn’t been in the ring for a little while – well wrestling – but I guess to just to get back to the TV style of performing. I was in OVW for 6-to-8 weeks and they called me up to debut for Survivor Series [2001].
“Yeah and low and behold, I was always a babyface in wrestling, and then, when I get to WWF, they tell me, ‘We want you to be a heel.’ And I was like, ‘Oh wow.’ S–t, it worked out right?!”
Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to The Chris Van Vliet Show
The contents of the email said that the survey would help NWA “gauge your interest in the NWA,” and it would “allow us to show potential sponsors that wrestling is a product worth investing in.”
The survey asks typically questions like gender, age, education and financial status. The survey then asks fans their level of NWA fandom, if they are a subscriber to the WWE Network and any other paid wrestling subscription service, how likely they are to buy a NWA PPV and what factors would lead them to buy a PPV and if they have ever purchased merchandise from the NWA.
A return date has not been confirmed, but the email acknowledged how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed wrestling and NWA’s goal in trying to figure out the best way to bring back Powerrr.
“The landscape of wrestling has changed over this past year for no fault of anyone’s,” the email for the survey read. “We are working and trying to determine the best way to bring back Powerrr. With the answers to these survey questions, we can begin planning even further. As always our end goal is to provide you the fan great quality entertainment while honoring the history and legacy of the NWA name.”
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis confirmed on social media that “NWA Powerrr” will be returning.
Aldis confirmed it while responding to a fan who tweeted about being sad that “NWA Powerrr” was gone.
His full tweet was, “Steve, let me be crystal clear: #NWAPowerrr is not gone. Stay tuned.”
“NWA Powerrr” premiered on October 8, 2019, on YouTube. The show has been on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
NWA recently teamed up with United Wrestling Network to do the weekly PPV series, “Primetime Live.” In the first “Primetime Live” PPV, Aldis successfully defended the NWA Worlds title against Mike Bennett.
The second episode of “Primetime Live” was earlier this week with NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa retaining her title against Priscilla Kelly.
Joseph Laurinaitis, better known in the professional wrestling world as Road Warrior Animal, died at the age of 60 on Wednesday morning. Animal’s official Twitter account broke the news — “At this time, we would like to confirm the passing of Joseph Laurinaitis aka Road Warrior Animal at the age of 60. The family is planning to release a statement later today. At this time we ask for you to keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.”
WWE then released a statement responding to the Hall of Famer’s passing, writing, “WWE is saddened to learn that Joe Laurinaitis, known to WWE fans as Road Warrior Animal, has passed away. WWE extends its condolences to Laurinaitis’ family, friends and fans.”
Born in Philadelphia, Laurinaitis made his pro wrestling debut in November 1982 as The Road Warrior. He was quickly convinced by manager Paul Ellering to start working as a tag team alongside Mike Hegstrand (Road Warrior Hawk) as The Legion of Doom. Their iconic looks, impressive physiques and dominant in-ring style helped make them one of, if not the, most popular tag teams in pro wrestling history. The two would set out to work in numerous promotions — Georgia Championship Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions, the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling from 1983-2014. The two were inducted into the WWE and Professional Wrestling Halls of Fame in 2011 and the NWA Hall of Fame in 2012. Hegstrand passed away at the age of 46 back in 2003.
“One of the most intense Superstars to ever step into the squared circle, the 6-foot-2, 300-pound Animal spent the majority of his career alongside his tag team partner, Hawk,” WWE’s statement read. “Together, they formed what was arguably the most successful, popular and feared tandem of all time — The Road Warriors. With their intimidating face paint, outfits covered in metal spikes and impressive array of power moves, the duo captured titles and destroyed opponents wherever they roamed. Their dominance made them so popular that the phrase “Road Warrior pop” has been used in locker rooms to describe particularly deafening reactions from the crowd ever since.”
Tonight’s AEW Dynamite airs on TNT from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
* Jon Moxley vs. MJF’s lawyer Mark Sterling
* Santana and Ortiz vs. Best Friends
* Chris Jericho vs. Joey Janela
* Private Party and SCU (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian) vs. Young Bucks and Jurassic Express (Winners of the match face each other at All Out)
* NWA World Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa in action
WWE Hall of Famer “Bullet” Bob Armstrong has passed away at age 80. His son Scott Armstrong confirmed the news on social media.
Bob Armstrong made his wrestling debut in 1960.
During his career, Armstrong held several titles such as the NWA Columbus Heavyweight Championship, NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship, NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, USA Heavyweight Championship, NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, and SCW Heavyweight Championship.
Armstrong was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.
He wrestled his last match on May 11, 2019, for Continental Championship Wrestling in Dothan, Alabama, where he defeated The Assassin.
“Bullet” Bob Armstrong is also the father of Brad, Steve, and WWE Hall of Famer “Road Dogg” Jesse James. He had partnered with each of his sons at various points in his career.
WWE has released the below statement about his passing.
WWE is saddened to learn that “Bullet” Bob Armstrong, a WWE Hall of Famer and patriarch of the legendary Armstrong wrestling family, has passed away at age 80.Equal parts strongman and showman, Armstrong, who was born Joseph James in Marietta, Ga., on Oct. 3, 1939, proved himself as one of the most tenacious grapplers on the planet during the territorial days of sports-entertainment. He secured his toughman reputation long before he ever set foot in the ring, thanks to his tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps and his seven-year tenure as a member of the Fair Oaks (later Cobb County) Fire Department.
Armstrong, however, didn’t rest on his laurels when he was between the ropes. He handled himself well in the rough-and-tumble southeastern territories by employing an assortment of holds and moves, including his feared sleeper and Georgia Jawbreaker. He also possessed the gift of grappling gab, giving him the uncanny ability to wear down a rival with his words as well as with his strength.
His chosen trade later became a family business, as Armstrong’s four sons — Joseph, aka Scott Armstrong, Brad, Steve and Brian, aka WWE Hall of Famer “Road Dogg” Jesse James — followed in their father’s footsteps. The Armstrong boys often found themselves in their dad’s corner, as “Bullet” Bob partnered with each of his sons at various points in a competitive career which spanned over six decades.
For his part, Armstrong often credited his beloved wife, Gail, as the secret to his success. Upon being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, the self-proclaimed “ol’ war horse” also made the case that his many triumphs likely benefited from divine intervention, too.
“I think somebody up there likes me,” Armstrong said during his 2011 WWE Hall of Fame induction speech. “I got to live my dream.”
WWE extends its condolences to Armstrong’s family, friends and fans.
NWA President Billy Corgan is denying a recent rumor claiming the promotion is shutting down.
Corgan shared the following statement on Thursday via social media:
A quick note about the National Wrestling Alliance, which I fought for, and won ownership of a few years back. We are NOT shutting down. So please disregard any and all rumor to effect. The @NWA is not and will not be for sale, and those talent who are under contract remain under contract for a reason: which is that we at the NWA are trying to figure out a way to provide our great fans with wrestling content in a very, very tough environment. And, most importantly, keep our talent safe and the standard of production you’ve come to expect from us at a high level. Anything less, in my opinion, is unacceptable. So yes, appreciate the interest, appreciate the chatter, but don’t appreciate the unsourced rumors and speculation.
The rumor gained steam after Raven said during an interview that he had heard the company would not return after recently going into hiatus following the departure of Dave Lagana.
ROH booker/wrestler Marty Scurll has released a statement regarding a sexual abuse allegation made about him as part of the current #SpeakingOut movement.
The accusations were made by a fan who claims Scurll sexually abused her in 2015 after an IPW: UK show when she was 16 years old and intoxicated.
I am aware that a young woman has bravely come forward with her account of sexual abuse by some members of the wrestling community in the UK 5 years ago, a community I was a part of.
Although I truly believe that our encounter that evening was consensual, and the fact that the encounter was legal; is almost not the point. I understand that she now views our encounter as part of a bigger problem within the wrestling community.
What concerns me at this moment is that from what I have been reading, she is a fan of wrestling and was made to feel unsafe within that community. This is not acceptable. I also understand that people have been attacking her on social media, and I implore you to please stop. She has a right to her voice and it is our responsibility to listen.
Ring of Honor has yet to comment on the matter as of this writing.
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