Category: Wrestling News

Conflicting Reports Emerge Regarding Roxanne Perez Situation In WWE NXT

Last week on the “WWE NXT” Roadblock special, “NXT” Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez successfully defended her title against Meiko Satomura. Following the momentous victory, Perez suddenly collapsed, and WWE have been providing updates ever since, including when she was discharged last Friday night. While the injury gives every indication of being storyline, separate outlets are reporting conflicting things as to its legitimacy.

Today on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that the situation was vague and that hopefully nothing is wrong, but there might be. He also suggested that until they know what the situation is, WWE has to be vague about it. However, Fightful Select were a lot more direct, reporting that Perez is fine and that her “injury” is and always has been for storyline purposes. It should be noted that WWE has not shied away from discussions or replays of the incident on “NXT” programming, which would suggest it is kayfabe.

In perhaps continuing with said storyline, WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels announced this week that with Perez’s health in question, “NXT” needed to take steps to potentially crown a new women’s champion at Stand and Deliver, beginning with a series of qualifying matches this past Tuesday. “With Stand and Deliver in less than three weeks I have the obligation to announce we possibly have to crown a New NXT Women’s Champion,” he tweeted

Tuesday night’s “NXT” saw both Zoey Stark and Gigi Dolin qualify for the Ladder Match at Stand & Deliver, which is slated for April 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Perez, meanwhile, has held her title since defeating Mandy Rose on the December 13 episode of “NXT.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Provides Update On NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez

This past Tuesday night at “WWE NXT” Roadblock, “NXT” Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez successfully defended her title against the legendary Meiko Satomura. Following the bout, though, and shortly after Satomura handed her the championship, Perez suddenly “collapsed” to the mat. Medical officials, referees, Shawn Michaels, and even Booker T rushed to the ring to check on her. The last thing viewers saw was Perez being taken away on a stretcher to an ambulance backstage. Now, WWE has provided a further positive update on the champion.

“Update: Roxanne Perez has been discharged from the hospital and is now at home resting,” WWE tweeted.

WWE’s first update Tuesday night simply stated that she’d be kept in the hospital overnight for further testing. So while the latest announcement is certainly progress, it’s also worth monitoring whether or not she’ll be competing at the “NXT” Stand and Deliver event on Saturday, April 1. Thus far, only two matches have been announced for the big show. Johnny Gargano will make his in-ring return to “NXT” to take on the man who brutally attacked him before he left WWE in 2021, Grayson Waller. Also, Carmelo Hayes is set to challenge “NXT” Champion Bron Breakker.

Perez has been “NXT” Women’s Champion since December 13, when she dethroned Mandy Rose, ending her 500-plus day reign and becoming the developmental brand’s youngest-ever women’s champion in the process. Perez has successfully defended it five times since, including Tuesday’s contest against Satomura. While the bout itself lasted nearly 14 minutes, vignettes leading up to their showdown showed the champ putting herself through very rigorous workouts.

Roxanne Perez’s injury at NXT Roadblock concerned fans about her well-being. Fortunately, the whole collapsing scenario was a take from an angle with Shawn Michaels on RAW in the mid-90s. Similar to HBK, Perez took several blows to the head, which led to the kayfabe injury.

As fans pointed out, Roxanne Perez’s injury at NXT Roadblock is kayfabe because the referee didn’t show the dreaded X sign. The signal is used whenever a superstar is grievously injured and isn’t a part of the storyline. WWE takes head injuries seriously and if Perez did suffer one, multiple reports would have hit the wrestling capsule already.

The injury angle did put over Roxanne Perez in a major way. She may now sport the neck brace as a reminder of her heroics. Her participation in Stand and Deliver is unknown, although the injury could mean she will be out of the ring for a while.

Nonetheless, The Prodigy does have a challenger in line. Tiffany Stratton staked her claim to the Women’s Championship before Roadblock rolled out. It remains to be seen if the showdown will be booked for April 1 or a later date.

Sources: Wrestling Inc. and sportskeeda

IMPACT Wrestling No Surrender 2/24/2023 (Card)

IMPACT Wrestling No Surrender 2023 special event from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, Nevada streaming on IMPACT Plus, YouTube for IMPACT Ultimate Insiders and FITE.

CARD

Impact World Title Match
Rich Swann vs. Josh Alexander (c)

Impact Knockouts World Title Match
Masha Slamovich vs. Mickie James (c)

Dot Combat Match for the Impact Digital Media Title
Moose vs. Joe Hendry (c)

Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Titles Match
The Hex (Allysin Kay, Marti Belle) vs. The Death Dollz (Taya Valkyrie, Jessicka) (c)

#1 Contenders Fatal 4 Way
Brian Myers vs. PCO vs. Steve Maclin vs. Eddie Edwards

Busted Open Radio Segment
Hosted by Dave LaGreca, Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer

Six-Man Tag-Team Match
The Bullet Club (KENTA, Ace Austin, Chris Bey) vs. Time Machine (Kushida, Impact World Tag Team & NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns)

Singles Match
Frankie Kazarian vs. Big Kon

Busted Open Live segment to hash out Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer’s issues with Dave LaGreca

Countdown To No Surrender Pre-show Match
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Gisele Shaw

Countdown To No Surrender Pre-show Match
Jonathan Gresham vs. Mike Bailey

Busted Open Live segment to hash out Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer’s issues with Dave LaGreca

Wrestling Legend Jerry Jarrett Passed Away

Pro wrestling lost a true legend of the industry yesterday with the death of Jerry Jarrett.  

Conrad Thompson mentioned Jarrett had been battling esophageal cancer during a recording with Jarrett’s son, AEW star Jeff Jarrett, that was released earlier today.

Along with his mother Christine, Jerry Jarrett put Memphis wrestling on the map as one of the true catalysts for making the territory so hot in the 1970s and 1980s. Along the way, he was responsible for making a number of stars in the business such as Jackie Fargo, Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell, and his own son Jeff. In addition, talent such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin credited Jarrett for helping them build the proper foundation to get their careers off the ground. 

Jarrett’s career spanned decades as both a wrestler and promoter. In 1969, he made his in-ring debut for NWA Mid-America, where he went on to become a 10-time NWA Southern Tag Team Champion. Jarrett initially retired from in-ring competition in 1988 ahead of promoting United States Wrestling Association, but competed in a handful of matches for USWA until his final bout in 1995. 

In 2002, after years of consulting work with both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, Jerry and son Jeff co-founded the promotion that became Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling, now known as Impact Wrestling. Jarrett parted ways with TNA in 2005 after a dispute over the company’s direction — this led to a falling out between Jerry and Jeff until their reconciliation a decade later, after agreeing to never talk about wrestling.

In 2018, Jarrett was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Jarrett was 80 years old, and his contributions are being remembered by friends and colleagues whose lives he impacted over the years.

“I’m hearing reports of my friend and long-time booker/promoter Jerry Jarrett died this morning in TN,” tweeted Mantell. “I last saw him last year when we did the VICE show THE TERRITORIES in Atlanta. Very creative booker. Condolences to Jeff/Deborah and the Jarrett family.”

“Sad news of a great guy who has passed away. Condolences go out to the Jerry Jarrett Family,” wrote The Honky Tonk Man, adding that Jarrett gave him a break in wrestling that he’ll never forget.

“Godspeed, Jerry Jarrett. My heart goes out to his family and friends. What a legacy,” said former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce.

“Such sad news on Jerry Jarrett – will always be in my heart – one of the greatest promoters that gave way to some of my most fondest professional moments – he will be missed”

Below are some other reaction from the wrestling world.

https://twitter.com/RealMikeTenay/status/1625632618837602304

Lanny Poffo Dead At 68, WWE Issues A Statement On His Passing 

Lanny Poffo, known during his time in the World Wrestling Federation as “Leaping Lanny” and “The Genius,” has died at age 68. The news was broken by “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan on his Instagram page on Thursday afternoon. The cause of his death is unknown at the time of this writing. 

Poffo’s prolific wrestling career began in the 1970s during the territorial era, appearing in promotions such as the National Wrestling Alliance before jumping to International Championship Wrestling, which was owned by his father, Angelo Poffo. After stints in the Continental Wrestling Association and Mid-South Wrestling, Poffo joined the World Wrestling Federation from 1985 to 1992, where he became known for his heel work and his poetry. 

After leaving WWF, he joined the company’s rival promotion, World Championship Wrestling, from 1995 to 1999. According to Cagematch, he wrestled his final match in January 2020 for Survival Championship Wrestling in Rensselaer, New York. Poffo inducted his brother “Macho Man” Randy Savage into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2020, he appeared on an episode of “AEW Dynamite” as part of a tribute to the legends of Memphis Wrestling

Outside of wrestling, Poffo was an author who published two books, including the anti-smoking book “Limericks from the Heart and Lungs!” His biographical comic, “The Genius of Lanny Poffo” was released in 2018, the same year he started his “The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo” podcast, which saw him interview a host of wrestling legends. Per IMDb, he was also an actor who starred in movies such as “Curse of the Wolf,” “Ninja: Prophecy of Death” and “Alien Danger 2! With Raven Van Slender.”

WWE issued the following statement on the passing of Lanny Poffo.

Lanny Poffo passes away

WWE is saddened to learn that Lanny Poffo, best known to sports-entertainment fans as The Genius, passed away at 68 years of age.

The son of Angelo Poffo and younger brother of WWE Hall of Famer “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Lanny Poffo had a style all his own. Arriving in WWE in 1985 alongside his brother, “Leaping” Lanny Poffo was one of the first high-flyers in WWE. While he achieved some success as a fan favorite reading his own poetry and throwing Frisbees to the crowd, he reached new heights as The Genius while managing Mr. Perfect.

WWE extends its condolences to Poffo’s family, friends and fans.

Bam Bam Bigelow And Others Will Reportedly Be Dark Side Of The Ring Subjects

The fourth season of VICE’s “Dark Side of the Ring” is in production. The documentary series, which focuses on controversial topics throughout the history of pro wrestling, will see the late Bam Bam Bigelow, Abdullah the Butcher, and the late Mike Awesome be profiled in the new season, according to PWInsider. It’s said that Mick Foley, Jim Cornette, Terry Funk, and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan have all been interviewed for upcoming episodes.

Bigelow, who performed for promotions such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling, WWE, World Championship Wrestling, ECW and the Memphis Wrestling territory throughout his career, faced many struggles in his personal life. In his younger years, the former ECW World Heavyweight Champion was often arrested and was once incarcerated in Mexico City for six months. Years later, Bigelow struggled with his health and addiction. He passed away in January 2007. 

Meanwhile, Abdullah the Butcher – a WWE Hall of Famer – is known for performing in hardcore matches around the globe. Because of his activities in such bouts, Butcher has several scars on the top of his head from excessive blading. In 2014, the former All Japan Pro Wrestling star was forced to pay out $2.3 million in damages to Canadian wrestler Devon Nicholson, who had accused Butcher of blading without consent and infecting him with hepatitis C. Regarding Awesome, he controversially departed ECW and signed with WCW while still reigning ECW World Champion in the 1990s. The former WWE Hardcore Champion was tragically found dead at his home in February 2007.

“Dark Side of the Ring,” created by Evan Husney and Jason Eisener, first aired in 2019 and has previously covered topics such as the Montreal Screwjob and Vince McMahon’s steroid trial. Chris Jericho has narrated the show since season two. 

Source: Wrestling Inc,

Kota Ibushi Is A Free Agent After Expiration Of NJPW Contract, NJPW Confirms Departure

New Japan Pro Wrestling has officially announced that Kota Ibushi is no longer with the company.

Ibushi’s contract expired on January 31st, and the decorated wrestler is officially a free agent.

You can read the official announcement below:

“Kota Ibushi leaves New Japan Pro-Wrestling
With the conclusion of his contract period on January 31, 2023, Kota Ibushi has departed New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Ibushi had been recovering from injury since October 2021.

We apologize to Ibushi’s fans for the abrupt announcement and join them in wishing Ibushi the very best in all his future endeavors.”

Fightful reports that several big wrestling companies have “major interest” in Ibushi, from full-time deals to one-off appearances. It is believed that Ibushi will remain a free agent and sources close to the wrestler noted that he was happy with his free agency prior to signing with NJPW, which was apparently a “live and learn” experience.

The report also states an unspecified “significant private matter” that Ibushi was dealing with which strained his relationship with NJPW, who wanted him to work through the situation.

Ibushi will be competing in several GCW events at The Collective over WrestleMania 39 weekend. Ibushi has already been booked in a singles match against Mike Bailey for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 9.

https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1620612152813064192

Source: eWrestlingNews

Jerry “The King” Lawler Wrestles In Match For 53rd Straight Year

Jerry “The King” Lawler has competed in at least one wrestling match for 53 straight years.

Lawler can claim that distinction after working on an independent show on January 21 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The WWE Hall of Famer defeated the Beer City Bruiser at the event, titled Acts of War Games 2.

Source: eWrestlingNews

Why Becky Lynch Vs. Bayley Steel Cage Match On WWE Raw Is XXX Didn’t Happen

Fans looking forward to the Steel Cage Match between bitter rivals Bayley and Becky Lynch on “WWE Raw is XXX” were left puzzled as the match ended abruptly, with the referee never calling for the bell. 

According to Fightful Select, WWE called an audible on the Bayley vs. Lynch bout due to the earlier “Tribal Court” segment featuring The Bloodline going longer than planned, which meant that “several segments needed to be trimmed” through the rest of the show.  

Fightful added that the original plan was for “the match and entrances to get two segments,” which would have typically meant a 10-14 minute match at the least. Once the opening Bloodline segment ran too long, WWE felt it made sense to “work an angle to set up to a full on match” at a later date, rather than having a short cage match lasting barely a few minutes. WWE obviously had a ton of segments already planned for the rest of its 30-year anniversary edition of “Raw.”

The angle in question was set up after Bayley and Lynch got their entrances, following which Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and Dakota Kai jumped “The Man” and launched her into the wall of the cage with a double-team flapjack. Thereafter, Kai once again smashed Lynch’s back against the cage before locking the cage to deny WWE Official Adam Pearce and others entry into the cage. Following a moonsault from Kai, Damage CTRL hit a triple-team move planting Lynch face-first to the mat.  

Eventually, Pearce used a boltcutter to enter the ring, but Lynch was deemed unable to compete. The segment ended with Damage CTRL posing atop the cage. 

Both Bayley and Lynch are confirmed entrants in Saturday’s Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Lynch has the opportunity to win the annual battle royal for the second time in her career, following her victory in the second-ever Women’s Royal Rumble in 2019, meanwhile, Bayley has never won the Rumble. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Police Did Wellness Check On Kevin Nash After Troubling Podcast Comments

On a recent episode of the Kliq This podcast, Kevin Nash worried fans when he mentioned how it’s been 12 weeks since the death of his son Tristen and it’s been rough for him. 

“Today is week 12 that I lost my boy. Time flies when you got a gun in your mouth. I mean, time flies when you’re having fun,” Nash stated.

Sean Oliver told Nash that he should not joke around about things like that. Nash, who is a gun owner, then responded, “I can do whatever the f**k I wanna do. Long as I leave a note.”

TMZ is reporting that police did a wellness check on Nash after his troubling comments on his podcast this week, and Nash told them that he had no intention to follow through on what he said on his podcast.

Source: eWrestlingNews