Category: WWE

WWE Announces Lita Will Join Jim Ross On Commentary For The Mae Young Classic

Image result for Jim Ross & Lita Mae Young Classic

WWE announced that Lita will be joining Jim Ross to announce the upcoming Mae Young Classic.

 WWE has announced that the first-ever Mae Young Classic women’s tournament will stream exclusively on WWE Network, starting Monday, Aug. 28, with the first four episodes available on demand. Episodes five through eight will be available on demand on Monday, Sept. 4. The final match will stream live from Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 10 p.m. ET.

The Mae Young Classic will be called by WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross, who will be joined on color commentary by four-time Women’s Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Lita. The tournament, named after WWE Hall of Famer and one of the greatest WWE Superstars in history, Mae Young, will feature 32 of the top female competitors from around the world participating in a single-elimination tournament.

“The Mae Young Classic is a unique and exclusive offering for WWE Network subscribers and further highlights our ongoing commitment to the ‘women’s evolution’ in sports and entertainment,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events and Creative. “It’s a privilege to showcase these talented women from around the world and to provide them with an opportunity to shine before a global audience on WWE Network.”

Competitors announced thus far include Toni Storm from New Zealand; Princesa Sugehit from Mexico; Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan, Tessa Blanchard, and Abbey Laith from the United States; Kavita Devi from India; Jazzy Gabert from Germany; and Taynara Conti from Brazil.

WWE Network will also stream an exclusive special entitled, Mae Young Classic: Bracketology immediately following SummerSlam, on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 11 p.m. ET.

Fans can watch the Mae Young Classic and all of WWE Network’s programming by signing up at WWENetwork.com.

Daniel Bryan Teases Returning To ROH, Reveals Date His WWE Contract Expires?

Cody Rhodes won the ROH World Championship this past Friday night, which resulted in several of his former WWE co-workers offering their support and congratulations on social media. One tweet in particular stood out, especially amid rumors that Daniel Bryan is working on returning to the ring.

Bryan tweeted the following:

Bryan has “a little over a year” left on his contract with WWE. This of course would make him a free agent by the aforementioned date in September and it would certainly be possible he could wrestle then.

The latest update on Bryan’s health came on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Live where Dave Meltzer stated Bryan had tests performed in April and while he doesn’t know the results of the tests, they could have provided the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion with some hope about returning to the ring.

Bryan is not medically cleared to wrestle in WWE and officially retired in February of last year. An EEG reflex test revealed a lesion in his brain’s temporoparietal region. The lesion is believed to be responsible for seizures Bryan suffered after concussions that he hid from WWE.

Bryan has been working for WWE since in an on-camera role that does not include him getting physical as the general manger of SmackDown. He returned to television last week after being off due to paternity leave.

Source: WrestlingINC

Alberto El Patron (Del Rio) Breaks Up With Paige

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Alberto El Patron, f.k.a. Alberto Del Rio, broke up with Paige last night while in Orlando. The couple went public with their relationship in May of 2016, and got engaged last October.

According to a source who saw the breakup, Alberto reportedly said that “enough was enough” and that he reached his limit and knew that it was time to break up. SEScoops also reported on the breakup, and noted that the couple had a “blowup” and that most of Alberto’s family and friends are glad that they split.

Earlier in the day, Paige posted photos with Alberto thanking Jeff Jarrett for VIP treatment at Universal Parks, as seen below.

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Paige apparently responded to reports of the breakup on Twitter:

Source: WrestlingINC

GLOW Netflix Series Features Cameos From A Bunch Of Popular Wrestlers (Photos)

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The new Netflix series GLOW was finally released yesterday … and the series included a few surprise cameos from across the world of wrestling!

While the involvement of Awesome Kong and Chavo Guerrero, Jr. was known about before airing, the series based around Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling also surprised viewers with unexpected cameos.

Lucha Underground star Johnny Mundo appeared in the first episode as Salty “The Sack” Johnson, a pro-wrestler hired (and fired) to train the female wrestlers.

Ex-WWE star Carlito and Impact Wrestling‘s Tyrus have small reoccurring parts as Carmen’s older brothers Tom and Kurt Wade — aka The Lumberjacksons.

While Alex Riley was known to have a part in the show before airing, now we know what it was. He plays a wrestler named Steel Horse, who main events a show some of the girls attend in episode 5.

Joey Ryan plays Mr. Monopoly in the same episode and his wife Laura James is there as well.

Episode 5 also features the Legion Hall where PWG events occur and Christopher Daniels/Frankie Kazarian in a match as nameless wrestlers with Lucha Underground referee Marty Elias — and Daniels hits the Best Moonsault Ever.

Finally, while Guerrero himself does not appear in the series, the gym where the cast trains is named after him … but blink and you’ll miss the easter egg. Plus, a later episode is dedicated to Chavo Guerrero Sr. — who passed away earlier this year — and Brooke Hogan makes an appearance.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

 

Bobby Fish Wrestled His First Match In NXT

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Former Ring of Honor star Bobby Fish wrestled his first match in NXT on Friday against one of the brand’s top talents.

In his debut match, Fish lost to rising star Aleister Black.

Jim Cornette Talks His Response To Police When Served With Vince Russo’s Protective Order

jim cornette vince russo protective order restraining order

Jim Cornette released a new YouTube video where he responded to Vince Russo filing an order of protection against him. In the video, Cornette detailed police officers serving him with the document, an EPO out of Posey County, Indiana, at his home.

Cornette joked that he didn’t know what an EPO was, nor did he know the location of Posey County, Indiana. He thought EPO had something to do with environmental protection or hazardous waste until one of the officers asked him if he knew a Vincent Russo. Cornette recalled laughing and joking, calling for his wife, who also thought it was hilarious. The officers informed him the order was filed due to threatening comments made on national podcasts.

“I guess I’m going to have to modify my behavior,” Cornette said in response to being served with the 9-page protective order. “I thought that we were just bros doing podcasts, he always said it was my shtick — I think that was a quote — to knock him, then I did it for downloads and attention and everything. You know, ’cause that’s what my people expected of me and etc. and you wouldn’t take out a protection order over that, you’d be foolish to do that. So I didn’t realize he was taking it so seriously.”

“And obviously the last thing that I would ever do is disobey a court order, I would not do that. And I certify that here right now in public,” Cornette said. “So I’m going to do the things this court order says because a lot of the boxes are checked off… Vince Russo says he’s been a victim of stalking by me. That I threatened to cause physical harm to him that I placed him in fear of physical harm and this would happen not only on national podcasts but that I’ve been doing this — in his own handwriting here — since October of 1999 in five different states.”

Russo and Cornette’s feud goes back decades, with things escalated recently when Cornette claimed on WWE Network‘s Table For 3 episode entitled ‘Creative Committee’ that Russo writes Vince McMahon every week about wanting to go back. A claim Russo emphatically denied on the Wrestling Inc. podcast. This resulted in Cornette challenging Russo to a shoot fight and Russo issuing an ‘apology’. It was learned on Thursday that Russo had filed an order of protection against Jim Cornette.

“So I’m going to stay away from Vince Russo’s house that I’ve never been to,” Cornette said in response. “And his place of employment if we can find it. And I’m going to stay away from his wife Amy, who I haven’t seen since 1997. And I won’t call him on his current phone number that I’ve never called and didn’t have before last week.”

“And most of all, I promise that I would never commit,” Cornette paused and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, hold on, I’m going to read from, I’m actually quoting here. I would never do any of these things I’m prohibited from doing. I would never commit acts of domestic or family violence, stalking or sex offenses against Vince Russo or his household members or any other kind of member that he might have hanging around. Never would I do such a thing. I swear to that.”

Cornette stated that he wants to apologize to Vince Russo for putting him in fear of physical harm. He stated the last thing he wants on his conscious is the thought of Vince Russo lying awake at night sacred of him. Cornette said he didn’t realize what he had done and feels horrible. Cornette thought after Russo’s “apology” that they were making progress. You can watch Cornette’s latest video embedded in the player above. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please provide with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Source: WrestlingINC

Hardcore Legend Mr. Pogo Passes Away At Age 66

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Former Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, W*ING, and Big Japan Pro Wrestling star, Mr. Pogo, has passed away at age 66. According to a Yahoo Japan article, Pogo died in the hospital from a cerebral infection after receiving back surgery in Gunma, Japan.

Initially starting in Japan in the early 70s, he worked his way to Canada and the United States before coming back to his home country. Along the way, Deathmatches became his specialty and most fans will remember him – with his scythe in hand – facing off against Atushia Onita in a feud that would lead them to encounters like an Electrified Exploding Barbed Wire Double Hell Death Match. He also faced off against some of the best in the world including Ric Flair, Harley Race, and Terry Funk. In 1996, Pogo broke his neck during a match against Terry Funk and while he attempted a comeback, he was semi-retired after the injury.

Source: WrestlingINC

Mauro Ranallo Announces He’s Returning To WWE NXT

Just when you thought he was out, Mauro Ranallo gets pulled back in — because the announcer says he’s not sitting out his WWE contract after all, he’s just switching brands.

Ranallo revealed on Thursday that he’ll soon join the NXT announce team and explained, “WWE and I mutually agreed to end my responsibilities on SmackDown having nothing to do with rumors about disputes. As I remained under contract with WWE, we discussed a variety of options.”

As we previously reported, this is now the second time Mauro has shot down rumors that he intended to leave the company due to bullying at the hands of JBL.

Mauro adds, “Despite originally agreeing to part ways, there was always a desire to continue working together. We have come to terms on a new agreement that benefits both WWE and me, and I am thrilled to announce I will now be part of the NXT broadcasting team.”

According to Fight Network, he’ll be replacing Tom Phillips.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

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WWE Reveals More Names For The Mae Young Classic Including Daughter Of WWE Hall Of Famer

WWE has confirmed 5 more wrestlers for The Mae Young Classic, which films next month from Full Sail University. The following names were confirmed today:

* Abbey Laith (formally known as Kimber Lee)
* Tessa Blanchard
* Jazzy Gabert
* Taynara Conti
* Kavita Devi

WWE previously confirmed Toni Storm, Lacey Evans, Sarah Logan and Princesa Sugehit (Sujei) for the tournament.

International powerhouses, Performance Center standouts and third-generation grappler named to Mae Young Classic

The anticipation for WWE’s inaugural Mae Young Classic continues to grow with the announcement of five more entrants into the tournament, as first reported by ESPN.com.

Third-generation wrestler Tessa Blanchard, hard-hitting veteran Abbey Laith, black-belt judoka Taynara Conti, international bruiser Jazzy Gabert and Great Khali protégé Kavita Devi are the latest additions to the Classic, which streams this summer, exclusively on WWE Network.

They will join Toni Storm, Princesa Sugehit, Lacey Evans and Sarah Logan, who were announced last week for the 32-woman tournament.

Twenty-one-year-old Tessa Blanchard, of Charlotte, N.C., may be new to the WWE Universe, but her last name isn’t. The daughter of WWE Hall of Famer and Four Horseman Tully Blanchard, granddaughter of wrestler-turned-promoter Joe Blanchard, and stepdaughter of NWA legend Magnum TA, Tessa decided to follow in the family trade after watching her father’s Hall of Fame induction in 2012.

Since her 2014 debut, Blanchard has competed across the globe, including in the U.K., China, Japan and the Maritimes (where she once wrestled 23 nights in a row). She has even garnered praise from The Rock, whom she worked with on the set of the movie “Fighting with My Family.”

Abbey Laith grew up admiring revolutionaries like Lita, Chyna and Ivory, but the WWE Performance Center standout — renowned for her strikes and suplexes — will have a chance to break new ground of her own in this summer’s Classic. Coming to wrestling with an extensive background in dance, particularly ballet, Laith began training for the ring while working toward a bachelor’s degree in dance education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Laith, who counts WWE Cruiserweight Drew Gulak as one of her original coaches, developed into wrestling royalty on the independent scene. She captured titles in SHIMMER Women Athletes and Shine Wrestling and became the only woman to hold the Chikara Grand Championship before joining the Performance Center earlier this year.

A newcomer to sports-entertainment, 22-year-old judo master Taynara Conti might be one of the Classic’s least-seasoned wrestlers inside the ring. However, the Performance Center recruit isn’t lacking world-class combat-sport experience.

Conti spent years honing her martial arts skills in her native Brazil, eventually being promoted to black belt in judo and blue belt in jiu-jitsu. She competed in the 2016 Olympic trials in judo, and though Conti narrowly missed the cut, her thunderous throws helped put her on the radar of WWE talent scouts. Having trained under WWE coaches since last October, Conti will get her first chance at The Mae Young Classic to show the world what happens when a decorated judoka enters the ring.

Representing Germany in the Classic is Jazzy Gabert, a muscle-packed, 6-foot-1 brawler who has wrestled internationally for more than 15 years. A strongwoman and professional MMA fighter outside the ring, the bruising Berliner has achieved her greatest success in Europe and Japan.

Gabert is a multi-time champion in Japan’s Stardom organization, and she is currently a women’s champion for groups in Germany and Switzerland. In MMA, she has fought under the banners of the Rizin Fighting Federation and IFO Europe.

 

Kavita Devi is a powerhouse student of former World Champion The Great Khali. Hailing from Jind, Haryana, India, the 5-foot-9 Devi is a top competitor in Khali’s Punjab-based organization, Continental Wrestling Entertainment. She gained the attention of WWE talent scouts at a tryout this past April in Dubai.

Devi was an accomplished kabaddi player in high school and is also a competitive powerlifter. In 2016, she won gold in the 75 kg weightlifting division at the South Asian Games. Inside the ring, Devi has racked up victories using a head-caving roundhouse kick.

Source: WrestlingINC

Vince Russo Files Emergency Protective Order Against Jim Cornette

jim cornette vince russo protective order restraining order

Looks like the fight between Vince Russo and Jim Cornette won’t be happening … because Russo has responded in their bitter battle by slapping his arch-nemesis with a restraining order.

Cornette tweeted a photo of the court document, which was filed on Friday, and it shows that Vince claims Jim has been stalking him. His caption said, “Golly, VOLDERMORT just filed a Emergency Protective Order on me. I can’t hang out with him anymore!”

As we previously reported, Cornette recently challenged his former coworker to a brawl on his podcast … with such stipulations as no guns, no knives, no cameras and no publicity.

According to PWInsider, Russo is claiming JC has been stalking him across state lines since 1999. He listed the 6/15 episode of Cornette’s show as an incident of stalking and harassment, due to Jim promising that he had a “gift” for Russo.

PWI also reports Cornette was served at his home in Kentucky and is ordered to stay away from Russo and his wife, as well as their home and VR’s place of employment … wherever that may be.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet