Category: Wrestling News

Tommy Dreamer On House Of Hardcore’s HUGE Weekend, Talent Used Signing With WWE, His Diverse Roster

Image result for Tommy Dreamer House of Hardcore

Today The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling welcomes back the one and only “Innovator Of Violence” and ECW Original, Tommy Dreamer. Promoting the upcoming HUGE weekend for his House of Hardcore promotion (tonight in Freehold, NJ at iPlay America and Saturday night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia) Dreamer opens up on how his shows have helped Independent pro wrestling and how his vision for a “NO POLITICS, NO BS” environment has proven to be a great destination for all kinds of wrestling talent. The full episode can be downloaded at this link.

What he has in store for his HOH shows Friday night in NJ and Saturday in Philly:

“Booking is easy. Availability is a different thing and with these shows at first I was like what am I going to do with this? All of a sudden I have a lot of and when I tell you this it is that I have too many people for these two shows. The fans are going to see two great things and the only way they are going to see these shows (because) it is not going to be on any streaming device and you are going to have to attend it to see it. I have not advertised one match for The Arena and my advance is huge and I did that purposely. I wanted to see what I had and I also want to see how much my fans trust what I am doing.”

“If you look at everybody on the poster they will all be there and I’ve got a bunch of surprises for you and if that doesn’t wet you whistle than the Rock N’ Roll Express will be there and they’ve never wrestled in The Arena as a tag team and you can say goodbye to Bobby Fish. He’s not a huge House of Hardcore guy but he was a huge Ring of Honor guy and he wrestled in that building a million times. I love to be able to offer people a goodbye and let them say goodbye to the audience that has watched them grow and I am as happy as can be for Bobby Fish, I wish I had Kyle O’ Reilly (I do not) but with Bobby Fish I am happy he is finally able to go to NXT.”

Does he get frustrated when talent he uses regularly depart for WWE:

“House of Hardcore 34 and 35 are coming up and I was doing something to lead to something else and my friend went through all of the guys (we’ve had) and he said that thirty nine people that have wrestled for you are all working for WWE and I thought that was cool. At first when that would happen I would get mad and thought I would find more stars and use this as a different platform because until I am able to sign guys to contracts than I am okay with it. They will remember for some guys that they had some breaks and got to hang out and work The Arena and work in a lot of cool places.”

Ideas on how to put a House of Hardcore card together:

“I am always excited for myself the performer because this main event we’ve got I wrestled it in Australia and it was myself, MVP and Jack Swagger and when I want guys to bring it to me, they brought it to me and I loved it. The match was so good that I wanted to showcase it another on one of my shows and I get the opportunity when guys are free and I am able to do that. I had assisted them in both of their WWE careers and I am blessed to do that with guys. MY “MVP” is usually Sami Callihan for the amount of great wrestling that he does and for the first time ever (vs. Bully Ray) at iPlay. Bobby Fish who is now no more and he’ll be in NXT now will wrestle Rhett Titus and I am the biggest Rhett Titus fan. When I see someone of his talent and what he does and see how hungry he still is I will take ten Rhett Titus’ over anybody else. When you put these things together even thought it is my money, you do what the fans want to see and I am happy.”

Personal favorite matches of his in HOH:

“Me and Matt Hardy had something special. Me and Ethan Carter had something special, me and Eric Young, me and Bobby Roode and I’ve been blessed to piggy back off of a lot of stuff when I was doing stuff with TNA. Some of my favorite matches from House of Hardcore are me versus Cody Rhodes for the emotional aspect of his father being my hero and I hired Cody into WWE and I love Cody’s work and what he has become post WWE. Me and Billy Gunn in Australia took on The Young Bucks and it was the main event in Australia and billed its as The Young Bucks versus The Old Bucks that don’t give a f*ck. I do a lot of joking on my Facebook and when I saw advertisements for it and told them I was kidding, I was just happy that they put a star “F”.”

Comparing the growth of HOH to the evolution of ECW:

“It’s funny because when the original ECW started we were just an indy and it was a company that was running once a month or once every other month. The beauty of ECW and you can watch it on the WWE Network but you can watch the company grow and if you watch those TV tapings and watch the dates you can watch the audience grow and grow.”

“I’ve had that and I try to give that back and if I can’t I’ve had so many people (like) Matt Hardy. He would sit at the curtain and watch guys matches and when me and Matt got ready to wrestle that night than Bubba would watch the matches and even Christian did. Christian had not attended an Independent event in forever but he wanted to hang out and chill in the back and watch it. I asked him to be my eyes and if you see something you like than tell me and if you see something that you don’t tell me or better yet tell them. I love that.”

Source: WrestlingINC  with credit to The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling FOR THIS TRANSCRIPTION

Terry Funk On Wrestling Again At 73-Years Old, His Father Passing Away After Wrestling, Jerry Lawler

Image result for Terry Funk

Terry Funk spoke with Sports Illustrated‘s “Extra Mustard” section on a number of wrestling topics. Here are some of the highlights:

Wrestling again at 73-years old:

“I’m back doing what I love. I’m really honest about this, I don’t need the money. …I don’t know if I can kick some ass or not, I don’t know if I can get my foot up that high. [Laughs] I’ll bet I can. I’ve been working out hard at it, and one more time is all I want.”

His Dad (Dory Funk) wrestling and passing away shortly after:

“My pop was in the business and he loved it very much. He actually went ahead and passed away while wrestling. We used to have a few parties out at the house and invite the wrestlers. There was one by the name of Lance Thornton, and he thought he could take my father. My father went ahead and said, ‘Dah gumit, I don’t think you can do that.’ So everybody pushed by the tables and chairs in the house, and they went at it. My father, who was 54 at the time, beat him. He sat down beside me and said, ‘Wasn’t bad for an old man, was it?’ Then he got up and left the room and went out the front door. About 15 minutes later, my wife came to me and said, ‘Your father is out on the front porch and thinks he’s having a heart attack.’ Sure enough, he was, and he passed away. He passed away doing what he loved. I certainly don’t want to pass away, but I’m doing what I love. And so what if I’m doing it in my 70s? I know this is hard for some people to understand, but I still think I can kick ass. This love of wrestling has been in my family with my dad, my brother, and myself. To this day, it’s what I love.”

Jerry Lawler (who will be one of his opponents in September):

“Lawler sure is different. I love sharing my moments with people that I made money with. I used to love to wrestle on the same card as him, and I’m back to doing what I love.”

You can read the full interview by clicking here.

Source: WrestlingINC

Funk is advertised to wrestle on Sept. 23 for Big Time Wrestling in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Backstage Update On Rey Mysterio – WWE, The Vince McMahon – Konnan Story, Rey Going To GFW, More

According to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Rey Mysterio would not be returning to WWE after the company had interest in bringing him back to help with the Latin market. Word was that Vince McMahon was not interested in working with Rey’s representation, specifically Konnan.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports this week that while Rey and WWE were talking, the discussions were said to be overblown in the first place as Rey was looking at signing with GFW because of the easier schedule and because it would allow him more freedom to do side projects. When word first got out about Rey talking with WWE, The Observer was told that it was actually GFW that Rey was talking with, and that there was nothing significant to the WWE talk. Rey is unlikely to sign a regular WWE deal at this point in his career, unless it was for a very limited number of dates, and the pay wouldn’t come close to what he could earn as an indie talent if the company offered him a non-talent public relations job.

Regarding Rey’s status with Lucha Underground, he had a very good deal going with them but the fact that he’s looking for work elsewhere as their biggest name is not a good sign for the promotion. It looks like Rey and LU are parting ways, and it’s been noted that he’s expected to receive a significant offer from GFW. Rey’s deal with LU would have made him one of the higher paid wrestlers in the world, working a limited number of dates and still having freedom to work other indies. The Observer notes that the money isn’t there for Rey to be offered what his prior deal was, due to various issues with the promotion – long delays in between tapings, no live event touring and no movie, which was never promised but was pitched. Rey reportedly ended up signing for less than the numbers offered when he was first told about LU’s interest, but it was still far more money than he could get from any other promotion.

Konnan noted that he had not negotiated with WWE on behalf of Mysterio, and that if Rey wanted to return to WWE and anyone saw Konnan’s involvement as a negative, then he would stay out of the talks and Rey would negotiate for himself. The SI story noted that the rift between Vince and Konnan goes back decades to when the company invested big bucks into the Max Moon character for Konnan. He ended up staying in Mexico to work as a top star and while he was recently welcomed backstage at a WWE event as a guest of Chris Jericho, SI noted that issues still exist between Konnan and the WWE office. The Observer noted that the issues over the Max Moon character were started 25 years ago and almost nobody involved is still with the company, except Vince. It was indicated that the Vince – Konnan story may have been overblown.

Regarding Rey and GFW, GFW Executive Karen Jarrett fueled the rumors last month when she posted a photo with Rey to her Instagram account. It’s worth noting that the photo has since been deleted. Rey is under contract with LU through the end of season three, which airs in September, but he does have a 90-day non-compete clause in the deal. He will be a free agent after that and it’s believed he will debut with GFW then.

Source: WrestlingINC

Lucha Underground Preview 8/9/17

The quarterfinals of the Cueto Cup continues. An FBI agent arrives at the temple to speak with Dario Cueto. Captain Vasquez gets an unexpected visitor.

* The Rabbit Tribe strikes the Worldwide Underground in trios action!

* Cueto Cup Quarterfinal Match: Texano vs. Pentagon Dark

* Cueto Cup Quarterfinal Match: Mil Muertes vs. Jeremiah Crane

WWE And GFW Assigned Trademark Attorneys For Matt And Jeff Hardy

WWE’s applications for trademarks relating to Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy filed on June 19 were assigned to a trademark attorney on July 27, according to PWInsider. This means they’ll bypass the three-month wait period that applies to most applications.

Global Force Wrestling’s applications for trademarks relating to the Hardys were filed on April 28 and were also assigned to a trademark attorney on July 27.

WWE’s application for Matt Hardy received an initial refusal due to potential confusion with the “Broken Matt Hardy” application, which was filed first by Hardy himself. All other actions will be frozen until Matt’s application is finalized. A similar situation happened with GFW’s application.

Both of WWE’s applications also received an initial refusal due to WWE not providing consent from Matt and Jeff to trademark their respective names. They quickly responded with consent from both of them.

WWE’s application for a trademark on the Hardy Boyz name was filed in April and is set to be published for opposition to the public at the end of August.

Source: WrestlingINC

Japanese Star Yoshihiro Takayama Reportedly Paralyzed From Wrestling Accident

Image result for yoshihiro takayama

According to MMA website, Middle Easy, MMA Fighter and former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Yoshihiro Takayama is reportedly paralyzed from the neck down after a failed spot during a wrestling match back on May 6 for the DDT pro wrestling promotion. During the match, Takayama attempted a Sunset Flip on his opponent, but fell on his head performing the move.

MMA fans will remember Takayama in his incredible battle against Don Frye at Pride 21 in 2001. Takayama also worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah, winning multiple titles at each promotion, including the GHC Heavyweight Championship in Noah.

While his injuries were known at the time, representatives have just now brought the severity of the news to the public. The article also indicates medical costs could be a concern for the family, but a way to help out has yet to come to light.

Samoa Joe and William Regal on the news:

Source: WrestlingINC

Jessamyn Duke Wrestling Training Photos

As reported yesterday MMA 4 Horsewomen Jessamyn Duke has begun wrestling training at Santino Bros Wrestling Academy in Southern California earlier this week during a seminar taught by NJPW’s Rocky Romero.

Jessamyn’s move is interesting, since last month she and her fellow Four Horsewomen had an on-camera encounter with the Four Horsewomen of NXT during a Mae Young Classic match featuring Shayna Baszler.  Furthermore, TMZ reported in 2014 that Rousey was only interested in a WrestleMania match if her crew were also involved.

Let the speculation continue.

Here are some photos:

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Jessamyn Duke Starts Pro Wrestling Training

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, MMA fighter Jessamyn Duke started wrestling training last weekend. She was working out in a class run by Rocky Romero at the Santino Brothers pro wrestling school in Southern California. Duke is friends with Shayna Baszler, who is in the Mae Young Classic. Along with Ronda Rousey and Marina Shafir, the four were known as MMA’s four horsewomen.

Source: 411Mania

Lucha Underground Preview 8/2/17

Tonight on Lucha Underground on the El Rey Network.

The Cueto Cups quarterfinals begin; Dario admonishes Matanza;
Marty The Moth continues with his unscrupulous behavior towards Melissa.

* Dragon Azteca Jr vs Johnny Mundo

Reby Hardy On If They Are Willing To Face Anthem In Court, If She Thinks An Agreement Will Be Made

Sports Illustrated has an interview with Reby Hardy regarding the ongoing dispute between the Hardys and Anthem Sports over the “Broken” intellectual property. Below are a couple of highlights:

Are the Hardys willing to go to court to pursue the IP? Are you optimistic of a judge or jury ruling in your favor?

“Going to the court is not like going to the grocery store. There is a lot of money involved in a legal case, which is another reason why Anthem is dragging this out as long as they can. Jeff Jarrett said, “Just keep dragging it out, they’ll get tired of spending money.” We would rather settle this like civil human beings, which is what we have tried to do for months and months.

“There are so many things that, if we choose to go to court, we can also add into the case. Senor Benjamin, who is my father, never signed a release to have his image be marketed. Technically, they should not have been able to air his footage. They do not have a release for my son, Maxel, who had no written documents saying he could be on set at Universal Studios, which could jeopardize their relationship with the place where they film on a monthly basis. There is also the fact that I created—shot, directed, and edited—so much footage that I never gave them a release to use, either.”

Anthem also denies that it ever asked for a significant percent of Hardy merchandise, including Jeff Hardy’s art work and music, as well as stated that the contracts offered to Matt and Jeff were almost close to equal in terms of pay. Is the company being truthful, and where do we go from here?

“We literally have those documents in email form from Ed Nordholm.

“In one of the contracts, Anthem snuck in a percentage the company would be owed from any income from ShopMattHardy.com and JeffHardyBrand.com. The fact that they would feel entitled to that is a joke. Jeff Hardy’s site is literally his paintings and music; it has nothing to do with wrestling and is an artistic venture. Why are they entitled to any of that? To slide that into the contract was a real shady move, and we have the documents to prove it.

“Jeff Jarrett’s plan was to give Jeff Hardy all the money, and he actually said to pay Matt as little as possible because he believed Matt could not go anywhere without Jeff Hardy. I had reservations about WWE for a long time, but I forgot all of my reservations and our loyalty to the TNA brand after I learned that.

“F— these guys, to put it bluntly. After Matt financed his own shoots and put hours and hours of his own time writing the shows? F— these guys. We didn’t have any scripts. They’re claiming IP, they’re claiming this is their character and development, but we never had one script or one shoot sheet. That was all Matt pouring himself into the character and dedicating himself to it.

“The amount of time and effort he put into this made it his brainchild, which is why this is more of a personal matter than business. It was all our creation, and we can easily prove that it was all us, and it’s nothing but ego on their end. Matt refused to re-sign, they really believed that he could not go anywhere else, and we called them out on their bluff. Ed Nordholm actually told Jeff Hardy’s attorney, “Tell them to go to WWE.” Is that the way you negotiate? To try to get someone to sign a s— contract to work at your s— company for s— money? When it comes down to it, this comes down to their ego versus all of the time, effort, and passion we have put into this project and gimmick.

“This is a personal investment vs. ego. I feel like there will never be an agreement without going to court.”

Reby also discussed Anthem thinking they own the “Broken” gimmick, Anthem saying that Matt asked for an extra $100,000 during contract negotiations and more. You can read the full interview by clicking here.

Source: WrestlingINC