Category: WWE

Fun Night At Independent Wrestling Event, The Boogeyman, WWA

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Last night me and my nephew attended an independent wrestling promotion (World Wrestling Alliance) in Evansville, Indiana. As far as I know, the WWA promotion is mostly a Kentucky area based promotion. This event was their debut in Evansville, In.

Last night’s event in Evansville, In featured former WWE Superstar The Boogeyman. He ate worms and slung them into the crowd. It was a great to see how he interacted with the little kids before the show and during intermission. He would approach the kids asking – “are you a good kid or a bad kid?” Some of the kids would go running. At one point I seen him go up to a little girl and squat down to her level and talk to her. Boogeyman is a class act.

We got to see new tag team champs crowned, a heel turn, a falls count anywhere match that included the use of chairs, a ladder and a table and someone getting shoved off the balcony onto a crowd of wrestlers and security. There was also a match between two very talented high flyers that probably put on the best match of the night. Both competitors received a standing ovation from most of the crowd.

It was a fantastic event, we had more fun at this WWA event than at a WWE event. I highly recommend attending a WWA event or any local indy promotion event.

https://www.facebook.com/WWAISNOW/

Below are some of my photos from the WWA event in Evansville, In:

Update: WWA has uploaded the WWA Hysteria 60: Return to Evansville  – featuring The Boogeyman on their YouTube page: WWAISNOW

WWE Elimination Chamber (RAW) 2/25/18

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Men’s Elimination Chamber Match (Winner to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34): The Miz vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor vs. John Cena vs. Braun Strowman vs. Elias

First Ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match – RAW Women’s Championship: (C) Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks vs. Mickie James. vs. Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville

Asuka vs. Nia Jax (If Nia Jax wins she will be added to the Raw Women’s Championship Match at WrestleMania 34)

RAW Tag Team Championship: (C) The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) vs. Titus O’Neil & Apollo

Bray Wyatt vs. Matt Hardy

Ronda Rousey’s official RAW contract signing

(Kickoff) Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson

Brian Cage On Turning Down WWE After Recent Talks & Who Released Him During His First WWE Run

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Brian Cage recently appeared on the Pancakes and Powerslams Show, here are the highlights…

On His WWE Run & Who Released Him: “I had a groin injury, and was put into this squash match that lasted about 3 minutes. During the match, I was supposed to get spot where I was going to get a boot, but I couldn’t race to the boot because my groin was torn and so he threw the boot like 12 feet away, and you were wondering what he was doing,” said Cage. “Despite having awesome matches with TJ Wilson, none of that mattered, it was only that spot where they felt that I didn’t want to do that spot, so I was really upset about it. I ended up on Tough Enough, and when we ended up in a town in Fresno, I met with John Laurinaitis and asked him how the match went, he said it went great. He said that let’s just get through WrestleMania because there was a month left until WrestleMania, and I was okay with that. I thought to myself why he would lie to me. Why would he bring me down, so I was confident about it. WrestleMania came and went but I never heard back from them. I called him and he said to me, ‘Nevermind, we are going to release you.’ I asked what he meant by that and he said that they are no longer interested in me. I was so pissed; I said that it was okay, thank you for responding and doing business with him. Through all the ups and downs from being signed, to being released, to Tough Enough, I said, enough of this. I don’t care about that anymore. I don’t care if I don’t go back now. My life is substantially better, both personally and professionally after my release.”

On Recent Talks With WWE: “I had been recently in talks with WWE and they said that there were these trials coming up and whether I was available, then they changed their minds saying that they couldn’t bring me in for those upcoming tryouts, they would try again for the next one, and so on and so forth,” said Cage. “That was the way it went through, about a year and change. Finally, when they were going to bring me in for a tryout I said okay. After I booked my flight and everything, I thought about it and the next day I said, nevermind, I don’t want to do it anymore. They said, what do I mean I don’t want to do it? I responded by saying that I had signed with Impact Wrestling, Lucha Underground, AAA. I just didn’t want to go on that weekend that they were offering so I said that I am not interested at this time. It just felt really good to say that. They asked if I wanted to come through for the next tryouts and I said that we will see what would happen. Since then, I haven’t been to a tryout since. Am I willing to go back? I’m not begging to go back, but it would have to be where the opportunity would be perfect for me to go back. Right now, my life is great, my life is awesome, and there is no need for me to go back. I wouldn’t say that I would never go back, but if it doesn’t ever end up happening, I am okay with that.”

Source: 411Mania

NXT Releases The Brackets For The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Bracket

WWE issued the following:

The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is back, and WWE.com has the tournament bracket!

NXT General Manager William Regal announced the return of the Dusty Classic this week and revealed that matches will begin on the March 7 episode of NXT, with the tournament winners going on to challenge Undisputed ERA’s Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly for the NXT Tag Team Championship at TakeOver: New Orleans.

Eight of NXT’s top duos will compete in the tournament honoring WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes. The first round will feature four must-see matches, including a showdown between rising young tag teams Heavy Machinery and Street Profits; a rematch of the 2016 tournament final, the red-hot returning duo of TM61 vs. former Dusty Classic winners The Authors of Pain; the athletic tandem of Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli against the chaos-seeking SAnitY; and what is sure to be a slugfest pitting hard-hitters Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch against the bastions of British Strong Style, Tyler Bate& Trent Seven, aka Moustache Mountain.

Which duos will advance to the second round of the prestigious tag team tournament and come one step closer to challenging for the NXT Tag Team Titles at TakeOver: New Orleans? Tune in to NXT every Wednesday night at 8/7 C on the award-winning WWE Network as the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic returns!

WWE Reportedly Not Publicizing Drug Testing Policy Violations From NXT And Developmental Talent

On August 30, 2007, WWE announced the suspensions of 10 of its performers for violations of the company’s Wellness Policy (now officially known as the Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy) based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany County District Attorney’s Office in Albany, New York. At the time, it was WWE’s practice not to release the names of those suspended, but the company pledged that beginning on November 1, 2007, it would publicly disclose ‘the names of anyone who is suspended under the Wellness Policy.’ Now in 2018, this rule apparently no longer applies to all people under contract to WWE for ‘in-ring services.’

 According to Dave Meltzer in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, while it remains company policy to publicly disclose a WWE performer’s name and duration of the suspension for a violation, this only applies to those on the main roster. Meltzer says NXT performers and other developmental talent are not subject to having their name publicly disclosed for a drug testing violation.

This contradicts what is written in WWE’s Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy, which states that it ‘is applicable to and binding upon all WWE Talent under contract to WWE who regularly perform in-ring services as a professional sports entertainer.’

17. APPLICABILITY OF THIS POLICY
This Policy, as it may be amended from time to time, is applicable to and binding upon all WWE Talent under contract to WWE who regularly perform in-ring services as a professional sports entertainer (“WWE Talent”).

Two months after the policy change went into effect, WWE suspended two developmental performers on January 15, 2008 — Neil Bzibziak (aka Chet Jablonski and Chet the Jet) and Derrick Neikirk — for violations of the company’s Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy. Since then, WWE has only publicized one suspension of a developmental talent and it was 10 years ago (Afa Anoa’i Jr. on March 20, 2008, who joined the main roster later that year under the name of Manu).

In April 2016, WWE announced the suspension of both Adam Rose and Konnor for 60 days each for a second violation of the company’s policy. However, WWE never announced when either talent had served their first respective suspensions.

Meltzer said then that both Rose and Konnor were in developmental at the time of their first respective suspensions. WWE suspended Rose in 2013 and Konnor in 2006 (both for 30 days). Rose is the last known suspension of a developmental talent.

Source: WrestlingINC

State Of Louisiana Bans Blood & Piledrivers, What Could This Mean For WrestleMania 34 Weekend

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It is being reported that the boxing and wrestling commission of the State of Louisiana is going to put restrictions on pro wrestling matches including blood and piledrivers.

John Pollock of Post Wrestling tweeted the following:

John Pollock of Post Wrestling interviewed Russell Naquin of the Louisiana Boxing & Wrestling Commission to discuss certain statewide guidelines that professional wrestlers and promoters must follow. WrestleMania 34 will be taking place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, and there are a host of other wrestling events scheduled in the state ahead of the big event. Naquin noted that both blood and piledrivers are prohibited on pro wrestling events statewide, due to an incident which injured a competitor several years ago.

In addition, Louisiana requires any promoter who is holding an event to have a license. The state does allow existing promoters with licenses to loan them out to others.

Performers are also required to have blood work completed that cannot be more than six months old, to prove that they are HIV negative, and Hepatitis B and C negative. Pro wrestlers are not allowed to compete unless this information is submitted prior to them competing. In addition, wrestlers are subject to completing a ringside physical at the day of the show.

These restrictions bring up an interesting dilemma. The Undertaker is rumored to compete against John Cena at WrestleMania, and has been training to prepare for the match. With these restrictions, Undertaker might not be able to perform his Tombstone at the event since it’s considered a piledriver. Taker did hit a Tombstone on Brock Lesnar during their match at WrestleMania 30, which also took place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, however that may have been before the move was outlawed.

Since blood and piledrivers have been banned for years, this should not be a major issue for WWE. However, although Vince McMahon has promoted WWE as a sports entertainment company to prevent having licenses for every state, Pollock did note that a license for a wrestler within the state costs $25.

This ban on blood and piledrivers will have more of an impact on the other wrestling promotions running shows in the New Orleans area during WrestleMania weekend such as Impact Wrestling and ROH.

Check out the video below from Pro Wrestling Unlimited

Sources: WrestlingINC, Post Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unlimited

WWE Has No Plans To Sign Kaitlyn At This Time,

Kaitlyn - Celeste Bonin

PWInsider reports that WWE currently has no plans to re-sign Kaitlyn (Celeste Bonin) even though she recently returned to wrestling. The site suggests she may have bigger goals than simply wrestling on the independent scene.

Source: 411Mania

Paul Heyman Says Brock Lesnar ‘Always Ready’ For UFC Return, Talks Being An Advocate For Ronda Rousey

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Paul Heyman recently spoke with TMZ (transcript via WrestleZone), here are the highlights…

On a potential return to UFC for Brock Lesnar: I think Brock Lesnar does whatever Brock Lesnar wants to do. If Brock Lesnar wants to fight in UFC then Brock Lesnar will fight in UFC. If Brock Lesnar wants to fight in WWE then he will fight in WWE. Ask Braun Strowman. Ask Randy Orton. Ask THE UNDERTAKER. Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do.

On if the time away from UFC makes it harder for Brock Lesnar to return there: The time away actually makes him better because his body get a chance to heal. The problem with all these UFC fighters is, and they are all fantastic athletes, top of the world, they all wear their bodies down in these training camps. All these guys that are cutting weight are destroying their bodies. Brock Lesnar is probably the healthiest fighter to enter UFC if he decides to do that. He’s always ready. Always.

On the rumors that Paul Heyman may have interest in advocating for Ronda Rousey: Why limit the people I have my eye on to just Ronda Rousey? I have my eye on anyone who is a top box office attraction. I have my eye on Ens Kanter of the New York Knicks. I have my eye on Aaron Judge and Luis Severino of the New York Yankees.

On if he would venture into other sports other than just combat sports: How do you know other sports aren’t coming to me? When you are the best advocate on the face of the entire planet, you’re in demand. My plate is full. When you advocate for the reigning, defending, undisputed heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar that’s a 24/7 job. If I happen to find an extra moment or two in my schedule for someone else… that’s just a whole bunch of side cash for me.

Source: 411Mania

 

New Speculation on Brock Lesnar Not Staying With WWE Post WrestleMania 34

Brock Lesnar’s Brock Lesnar WWE Raw 10818

The WWE Summerslam tickets feature WWE superstars including Braun Strowman, Ronda Rousey, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, The New Day, Shinsuke Nakamura, Roman Reigns and many others. Brock Lesnar does not appear on the tickets, as shown below by ESPN Reporter Arash Markazi. This has led to speculation that Lesnar won’t be returning to the company once his contract expires in April. There have been rumors that Lesnar is interested in one last UFC run for a few big money fights.

Source: 411Mania

WWE NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Return Details

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WWE NXT General Manager William Regal has announced that the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will return this year. The matches begin on the March 7th NXT episode and the winners will face NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish at “Takeover: New Orleans” during WrestleMania 34 weekend.

 Below is the official announcement:

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic returnsNXT General Manager William Regal announced that the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will be returning.

The tournament honoring the memory of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes will begin in two weeks on the March 7 episode of NXT, and the winning tandem will challenge Undisputed ERA’s Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly for the NXT Tag Team Championship at TakeOver: New Orleans.

With NXT’s Tag Team division as crowded as it’s ever been, the competition to be a part of this epic tournament is sure to heat up. Who will join teams such as The Authors of Pain, Heavy Machinery, Street Profits and TM61 in this epic tag team tournament?

Source: WrestlingINC