Category: Wrestling News

The Great Muta Signs Pro Wrestling NOAH Contract After Winning GHC Heavyweight Title

Pro wrestling legend and new GHC Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta (Keiji Mutoh) has signed a two-year deal with Pro Wrestling NOAH.

A joint press conference was held with Mutoh and new DDT KO-D Openweight Champion Jun Akiyama, according to F4Wonline.com. The 58 year old Mutoh confirmed that he will be a regular member of the Pro Wrestling NOAH roster for the next two years. The 51 year old Akiyama also announced that he has joined the DDT roster full-time.

Muta defeated Go Shiozaki to win the GHC (Global Honored Crown) Heavyweight Title for the first time at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Destination 2021 event from Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan on Friday. Akiyama won the DDT KO-D Title in Kawasaki, Japan on Sunday morning at DDT Pro-Wrestling’s Kawasaki Strong 2021 event by defeating Tetsuya Endo. DDT and NOAH are ran under the same parent company, CyberAgent.

Muta’s first title defense will be on March 14 at the Great Voyage event in Fukuoka. After winning the title this past weekend, he was confronted by Kaito Kiyomiya and challenged for March 14.

Muta made pro wrestling history with his GHC Heavyweight Title win as he is now the third person to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title for New Japan Pro Wrestling, the All Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown, and now the GHC Heavyweight Title. The other two wrestlers are Yoshihiro Takayama and Kensuke Sasaki.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Dustin Rhodes Asks Fans To Pray For Terry Funk

AEW star Dustin Rhodes took to Twitter to ask fans to pray for WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk.

Rhodes revealed that he talked to the 76-year-old today and that he is in a lot of pain.

He tweeted, “Just got off the phone with Terry Funk. He is in a lot of pain and could use some prayers. One of the greatest #TrueLegends to ever be in the ting. Appreciate y’all”

https://twitter.com/dustinrhodes/status/1358502857851473930

Last Thursday, Funk sent out a video on Twitter asking fans to please stop sending fan mail to his home.

https://twitter.com/TheDirtyFunker/status/1357089707214188548

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Wrestling Legend Butch Reed Passes Away

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:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK6sUPCpnKp/?utm_source=ig_embed

Source: Wrestling Inc

Scarlett Estevez Joins Disney Channel Series ‘Ultra Violet & Blue Demon’

Disney Channel has given a series order to Ultra Violet & Blue Demon, a superhero coming-of-age luchador action-comedy from a girl’s point of view, starring Mexican luchador and professional wrestler Blue Demon Jr. as a version of himself and Scarlett Estevez (Bunk’d) as Ultra Violet. As reported by Deadline.

The series unfolds as a magical luchador mask selects 13-year-old Violet (Estevez) to become Ultra, the superhero successor to her uncle, who is the famous Mexican wrestler Blue Demon Jr. and a superhero-in-disguise. Ultra begins her own secret superhero training with her uncle, all while having to navigate the ups and downs of middle school. As they start to work together, Uncle Blue realizes he can learn a few things from Ultra’s modern Gen-Z take on crime-fighting.

“Blue Demon Jr. is a Mexican cultural icon and we are looking forward to introducing him—and the luchador mythology—to our viewers,” said Rafael Garcia, vice president, Development, Disney Branded Television. “With Violet and her family, we also have the opportunity to present an authentic Mexican American family in a series that combines humor and adventure in a unique Latinx shake-up of the superhero genre.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKnaZiQjGlM/?utm_source=ig_embed

Source: Article is from Trevor Decker News

The Rock Reveals First Official Trailer For “Young Rock”

Former WWE Champion The Rock has released the first official trailer for the new “Young Rock” comedy series from NBC.

The series will premiere on Tuesday, February 16 at 8pm ET, and will run for thirty minutes each week.

Rock tweeted about the trailer release and wrote, “Our 1st official trailer for @NBC’s #YoungRock. Humbly shaking my head at the wild Forrest Gump-ish life I’ve lived. And man the lessons I learned along the way from loved ones who now walk in the clouds. Look forward to making ya laugh & maybe a little bit more. FEB 16th!”

https://twitter.com/TheRock/status/1354210007361970181

Young Rock will chronicle the formative years of “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson, and The Great One himself will appear in each episode.

NBC gave the series a straight-to-series order in January of last year. Filming on Young Rock began back in November in Queensland, Australia, at locations in and around Brisbane and South East Queensland. The show is coming from Fresh Off the Boat creator Nahnatchka Khan and co-executive producer Jeff Chiang, who wrote the pilot episode together. Khan and Chiang are executive producing Young Rock, along with Rock, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Jennifer Carreras and former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz of Seven Bucks Productions. Daina Reid will direct various episodes, while Jeffrey Walker will serve as co-executive producer.

The Rock, who has said the series will be special and unlike anything else he’s ever done, previously revealed the cast of the show, with details on each character they will be playing, including the role of his late father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson. You can click here for that reveal.

Rock N’ Roll Express, Tony Atlas, Wildfire Tommy Rich & More Named to Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame 2021 Class

The 2021 class of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame has been revealed, with Rock N’ Roll Express, Tony Atlas and more set to be inducted. The Hall of Fame announced the following names as 2021 inductees, per PWInsider:

* Pioneer Division: Mad Mountain Dean & Paul Bowser
* TV Era Division: Tiger Conway Sr. & Jose Lothario
* Modern Era Division: Tony Atlas & Wildfire Tommy Rich
* Womens: Judy Martin & Juanita Coffman
* International: Leo Burke
* Executive: Don Owen
* Tag Team Division: Rock ‘n Roll Express (Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton)
* Territory Era: Skandor Akbar
* Referee: Ronnie West

The induction weekend is currently scheduled for May 13th through the 15th and would be when both the 2020 and 2021 classes are inducted. Details on that event are still to come as they work towards a resolution for an event that is safe in the face of the pandemic.

Source: 411Mania

Don Callis Says There’s Nothing Left For Him To Do In New Japan

Don Callis has hinted that his association with New Japan Pro Wrestling may be at an end as there’s nothing left for him to do there.

Callis addressed his NJPW business dealings on Sitting Ringside with David Penzer.

“I see my business with New Japan as being done,” he said. “When I went into New Japan in 2017, they were on one level. When I booked Jericho vs. Omega at the Tokyo Dome, their entire business model changed. Their revenue went up exponentially. They’ve been riding the Don Callis effect ever since,” he continued,

Callis then suggested that his time with New Japan is probably at an end.

“There is nothing left for me to do in New Japan,” he claimed. “Anything I could do in New Japan now would pale in comparison to the game-changing nature that I did three years ago,” he said.

Despite hinting at the end of his relationship with NJPW, Callis did recently tease a program between AEW Champion Kenny Omega and IWGP Champ Kota Ibushi.

“In order for Kota Ibushi to truly evolve into the Kota Ibushi he can be, he Kota needs to get on an airplane and he needs to come from Japan and defend that title around the world like Kenny Omega does,” he told TalkSPORT’s Alex McCarthy.

As you may recall, the dastardly Don Callis recently took on the role of Omega’s manager. Callis also instigated a Bullet Club reunion on Dynamite.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Marty Scurll Parts Ways With Ring Of Honor

Marty Scurll has officially parted ways with Ring of Honor, according to a statement from the promotion.

Ring of Honor confirmed Scurll’s departure on social media.

“Marty Scurll and Ring of Honor have mutually decided to part ways,” the statement read.

https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/1346230018914082818

Scurll joined Ring of Honor in 2016, and was made head of the company’s booking committee last year.

Allegations were made against Scurll during the Speaking Out movement, and RoH’s parent company Sinclair Broadcasting announced that an internal investigation was underway.

WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley Reveals He Has Tested Positive For COVID-19

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley revealed on Twitter Friday evening that he has tested positive for COVID-19 after participating in a virtual signing last month.

Foley noted in his video post he has been under quarantine for the last 18 days in a hotel room. 

Foley said in his video post that there were two men in the room with him. Both men wore masks.  However, Foley said he took his mask off to help with the signing.  He said that it was later that night one of the men experienced symptoms.  Foley went on to say that he waited the required five days before he went to get tested.

He said in his post that his symptoms include body aches, loss of smell, affected hearing, and being easily fatigued. He especially noted that the worst part of this is missing out on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with his family. 

He asked that everyone people take the coronavirus very seriously, to mask up, social distance and look out for one another. 

You can check out Foley’s entire Twitter video post below:

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1345177069408321536

Source: WrestleView

United Wrestling Network Suspending Weekly PPV Series Due To COVID-19

For the past few months, United Wrestling Network and NWA have been doing the weekly PPVs, “Primetime Live.” During last night’s PPV, United Wrestling Network President Dave Marquez announced that the PPV series will be suspended for the rest of 2020.

The suspension is due to the ongoing pandemic and Marquez not knowing where things may lead with California. Primetime Live is produced at the Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California.

The UWN President also doesn’t want to keep changing the weekly lineup at the last minute due to COVID-19.

Lio Rush, Mike Bennett, Davey Boy Smith Jr, Fred Rosser, Thunder Rosa, Chris Dickinson, NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis, and NWA World Women’s Champion Serena Deeb are just a few who have been part of the weekly PPV series.

The plan is for Primetime Live to return in 2021. We will keep you updated once an official return date is announced.

https://twitter.com/unitedwrestling/status/1333965635974352896
https://twitter.com/unitedwrestling/status/1333976966131748864

Source: Wrestling Inc.