MLW Fusion Preview 6/23/22, Battle Riot Information

Major League Wrestling FUSION tonight at 8pm ET features the first ever Weapons Of Mass Destruction Match, streaming worldwide for free on MLW’s YouTube channel and Saturday nationwide on cable and dish on beIN SPORTS. 

  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction Match: Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
  • World Middleweight Championship: Myron Reed (champion) vs. KC Navarro vs. Arez
  • Los Maximos in action

The bloody and bitter CONTRA civil war between Jacob Fatu and Mads Krugger reaches its final chapter as in MLW’s first-ever Weapons of Mass Destruction Match this week on Fusion.

The ringside will be a warzone in ways you’ll never see in the squared circle. Military grade equipment and other elements of destruction will be placed in mysterious crates that line the ringside area is weaponized to set the stage for the final fight between Jacob Fatu and Mads Krugger.

Will Fatu’s recent change in attitude and rediscovery of his family roots provide the drive he needs to finally to topple the masked mercenary, or will Mads Krugger’s past experience in urban warfare propel him to slay “The Samoan Werewolf” and finally lay claim to being the true power behind CONTRA? Tune in and find out!

Who will Alex Hammerstone defend the World Heavyweight Championship against at Kings of Coliseum? MLW drops the scoop TONIGHT.

Come one! Come all! The eyes of the fight media are on National Openweight champ Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas as they dish on Bomaye Fight Club’s next major initiative.

Cesar Duran summons Strange Sangre to deal with his mega Microman dilemma. 

The “Young GOAT” dives deep into the shark infested waters of the Middleweight division as Myron Reed puts the World Middleweight Championship on the line two of the division’s best in KC Navarro and “The Master of Strange Style” Arez!

Los Maximos enter an MLW ring for the first time in nearly 2 decades as they look to put World Tag Team Champions Hustle & Power on notice.

MLW returns to New York City’s Melrose Ballroom tonight (June 23), for Battle Riot IV featuring an MLW Fusion TV taping.

IMPACT Preview 6/23/22

Eight nights away from Against All Odds, the fallout from Slammiversary begins on an all-new IMPACT! this Thursday at 8/7c on AXS TV and 8:30pm ET on YouTube for IMPACT Insiders.

The following line-up is announced for tonight:

  • Impact World Champion Josh Alexander vs. Deaner
  • Chelsea Green vs. Mia Yim
  • Shark Boy & Bhupinder Gujjar vs. Johnny Swinger & Zicky Dice

Black Taurus vs. Andrew Everett on Before the IMPACT, streaming this Thursday at 7:30pm ET exclusively on IMPACT Plus, YouTube and Facebook. 

Backstage News On Rhea Ripley’s Expected Recovery Timeline

Rhea Ripley’s current injury is not expected to be a long-term one according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

It was revealed on “WWE Raw” this week that Ripley has not been medically cleared to compete in her scheduled “WWE Raw” Women’s Championship match at the upcoming WWE Money In The Bank premium live event, where she was expected to face Bianca Belair. While the company didn’t reveal any details about the nature of her issues, Ripley has since done that herself.

She took to social media to respond to a fan who claimed she didn’t look injured by stating, “Brain/teeth [injury]. Can’t see a brain injury. Stop being incompetent and reaching at nothing.” This is the reason why she has been written off television for now, but it isn’t expected to be a lengthy absence for her, as Ripley is set to be back fairly soon.

The Judgment Day star had shown a picture of some dental work she had done recently, which relates to the teeth issue she mentioned on social media. Ripley had braces put on the top of her mouth, clearly showcasing how the work had to be done in order to fix the injury she suffered.

https://twitter.com/RheaRipley_WWE/status/1534559936247742471

Because of her injury, WWE held a fatal five-way at the start of “WWE Raw” this week in order to create a new number one contender for Belair’s title. In the end, Carmella picked up the victory against Becky Lynch, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Liv Morgan, and she will get her title shot at WWE’s Money In The Bank next Sunday.

When Belair announced the news of Ripley’s injury status, the EST of WWE did make it clear that she would still defend the title in the future against Ripley when she does return to the company, although there is no official date on when that is going to be taking place.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Bryan Danielson Not Cleared To Compete At Forbidden Door Or Blood And Guts, Teases Forbidden Door Replacement

Another case of bad luck has struck AEW. Bryan Danielson is out for NJPW and AEW’s Forbidden Door, as well as AEW Blood and Guts.

 Danielson’s injury is an especially devastating blow; not only was he set to have a dream match against NJPW’s Zack Sabre Jr, but he was also booked to fight alongside the Blackpool Combat Club at AEW Blood and Guts.

On last night’s episode of Dynamite, Bryan Danielson opened the show by announcing to the AEW faithful that he had “good news and bad news.” The bad news is that he will not be competing at either Forbidden Door or Blood and Guts. The exact diagnosis of Danielson’s injury is unclear, but Bryan Danielson explained that his injury was the result of what Chris Jericho and Jake Hager did to him during the “Anarchy in the Arena” match at Double or Nothing.

Danielson’s good news is that he has found a replacement for him at both Forbidden Door and Blood and Guts. He touted this mystery man as one of the greatest technical wrestlers in the world, and someone more than capable of taking on Zack Sabre Jr. Danielson concluded his promo by teasing the audience; he announced that he won’t be telling anyone (including ZSJ) who this replacement will be.

Zack Sabre Jr appeared on the ramp, making his AEW debut.

ZSJ and Danielson exchanged some heated words, with the cocky Brit proclaiming himself the best technical wrestler in the world.

Danielson’s big secret will undoubtedly lead to boatloads of speculation over the next few days. There’s a decent amount of names who could fit Danielson’s criteria. Johnny Gargano, Cesaro and Jonathan Gresham, for example, are both proficient technical wrestlers that could contractually speaking appear at Forbidden Door and Blood and Guts. However, fans will just have to wait and see who ZSJ’s opponent is.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1539762360012967936
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1539762844362805248

Source: TheSportster

Update On When Charlotte Flair Could Return To WWE TV

The “SmackDown” Women’s Championship is currently held by Ronda Rousey, but the WWE Superstar she captured the title from seems poised to make a return to the blue brand this summer.

The PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC, is advertising that Charlotte Flair will be in attendance at the “SmackDown” TV taping scheduled for Friday, August 12. The venue’s official website states that Ronda Rousey, Drew McIntyre, and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, The Usos, will be in the house. In addition, “Raw” Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will be defending her gold in a Triple Threat Match against Rhea Ripley and Asuka. The blurb then states “plus Charlotte Flair” to cap off the main introduction to the event.

WWE SummerSlam is set to take place on July 30 in Nashville, TN, two weeks before the taping Flair is announced for, which seems to indicate a return is on the horizon, whether it be leading into the big summer event, at the event, or post-event.

Flair last appeared at the WrestleMania Backlash premium live event last month, where she lost the “SmackDown” Women’s Championship to Rousey in an “I Quit” Match. “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” had been feuding with Flair after making a return to WWE following a nearly three-year absence in January. She won the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble Match and ultimately chose Flair to face at WrestleMania 38 but was controversially defeated, before the “I Quit” Match was set for the following month. WWE explained “The Queen’s” absence by stating, in storyline, that she suffered a “fracture of the radius” during the bout with Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash following the Ronda Armbar, which also involved a steel chair for added leverage.

During her sabbatical from the company, Flair tied the knot with her partner, former WWE Superstar and current AEW wrestler, Andrade el Idolo, in Mexico. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair walked his daughter down the aisle at the ceremony, which was attended by Finn Bálor, Rey Mysterio, Apollo Crews, and former “Raw” Women’s Champion Lina Farene (Nia Jax). Flair and Andrade also went on their honeymoon following the wedding to celebrate.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dynamite Preview 6/22/22

The speculation surrounding Bryan Danielson’s health and his immediate future is expected to be put to rest on tonight’s “Dynamite”. AEW announced Danielson will address Sunday’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view and the “Blood & Guts” match being promoted for next Wednesday.

AEW is also promoting that we’ll hear from Christian Cage tonight. Cage turned on Jungle Boy at the end of last Wednesday’s “Dynamite” after Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus lost the AEW Tag Team Championship in a ladder match against The Young Bucks.

The following line-up is announced for tonight:

  • AEW Mid-Atlantic Championship Qualifying Match: Malakai Black vs. Penta Oscuro
  • Marina Shafir vs. Toni Storm
  • Chris Jericho & Lance Archer vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Jon Moxley
  • Orange Cassidy & Roppongi Vice vs. Will Ospreay & Aussie Open
  • Bryan Danielson will address Forbidden Door and Blood & Guts
  • We’ll hear from Christian Cage

 (Saraya) Paige Announced For Starrcast As Her WWE Deal Nears Its End

Earlier this month, Paige revealed her WWE contract will come to an end on July 7 and her deal will not be renewed. The former Divas Champion also confirmed she intends to wrestle again, but as of right now, where exactly she plans to do that has not been revealed. Especially since she also confirmed in the same statement that even though she intends to wrestle again, Paige has not yet been cleared.

While she might not be wrestling there – or if she is that’s yet to be confirmed – what will likely be Paige’s first post-WWE appearance has now been revealed. The soon-to-be former WWE Superstar will be a guest at Starrcast 5. Paige will be meeting and greeting fans at the event as well as hosting her own show which will be called Saraya: Turning The Page.

The name of Paige’s Starrcast show also reveals what name the retired wrestler will be going by once July 7 has been and gone. Saraya was the most likely choice as not only is the name Paige likely owned by WWE in this instance, but Saraya is Paige’s real name. She doesn’t seem to hold much animosity towards WWE, though anything she needs to get off her chest may well be revealed once her contract has officially run down.

Starrcast is returning for a fifth time and will take place across SummerSlam weekend at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Tennessee. The addition of Paige is a big deal, but the crown jewel of the weekend is still Ric Flair’s return match. At the age of 73, The Nature Boy will be competing for the first time in more than a decade. The match has proven so popular that it was recently moved to a larger venue.

As for Paige, her wrestling life has been somewhat stagnant recently. Even though she has been under contract with WWE, she hasn’t appeared on TV since 2020. Paige’s last match was at the end of 2017. In that match, Paige was kicked in the back, suffering the scary injury that would force her to retire at the age of just 25.

Source: TheSportster

WWE NXT Preview 6/21/22

Tonight on WWE NXT 2.0 at 8 pm ET on USA Network:

KUSHIDA Returns To NJPW

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s New Japan Road show in Korakuen Hall, a familiar face graced the cerulean blue canvas. Former-IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA made a shocking return to the company after three years away. KUSHIDA challenged current IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori, after Ishimori’s successful defense against Hiromu Takahashi.

Backstage at Korakuen Hall, KUSHIDA announced that he’d not only signed with NJPW but that he plans “to spend the rest of [his] wrestling life” in the promotion, according to NJPW’s English broadcaster and translator Chris Charlton.

KUSHIDA went on to praise the work of Hiromu Takahashi, El Desperado and Taiji Ishimori, saying they carried the standard well, but that he plans on taking the IWGP Jr. Title, saying that if he doesn’t win the belt “I have no place here.”

KUSHIDA left New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2019, later signing with WWE. KUSHIDA went on to compete on WWE’s developmental brand NXT, where he held the WWE NXT Cruiserweight Championship. WWE even reunited KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley’s Timesplitters tag team in the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, but much to the chagrin of fans the reunion was short lived. A move away from the in-ring focus of NXT frustrated KUSHIDA, with the wrestler reportedly voicing numerous frustrations with the direction of the promotion’s developmental brand. KUSHIDA was last seen on WWE TV being attacked by Von Wagner. The six-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion’s parted way with WWE in April of this year. The return and promise of spending the rest of his career in NJPW is reminiscent of the way Kota Ibushi signed with the company in 2019, after years of being a freelancer.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Bruce Prichard Assumes WWE Talent Relations Role, John Laurinaitis Placed On Leave [Report]

Bruce Prichard is reportedly filling in for John Laurinaitis, who has been placed on leave while the WWE board conducts its investigation.

As its board conducts an internal investigation into alleged hush payments, WWE has implemented a few personnel changes. As reported, Vince McMahon recently stepped aside as CEO and was replaced by his daughter Stephanie, now the company’s interim CEO and chairwoman. Another boardroom move was reportedly initiated on the evening of Monday, June 20, when Bruce Prichard was announced as WWE’s Interim Head of Talent Relations.

Per PW Insider, a Prichard will assume the role previously occupied by John Laurinaitis, who has been placed on “administrative leave”. The move was reportedly announced via an email to WWE personnel, which stated that Laurinaitis would not be on the road with WWE “pending the conclusion of our Board of Directors’ internal investigation.”

Prichard is also a Senior Vice President of WWE and serves as the Executive Director of both Raw and SmackDown.

On Wednesday, June 15 the Wall Street Journal dropped a bombshell story that claims WWE’s board received an email containing details of a workplace affair McMahon conducted with a now-former WWE paralegal and the subsequent payments made in exchange for the unknown person’s silence.

The email alleges that the female paralegal was initially hired on a salary of $100,000 per year, but her salary was doubled after she began a sexual relationship with McMahon. Allegedly, when McMahon ended the relationship with the former WWE employee, he “gave her like a toy” to the company’s general manager of talent relations John Laurinaitis.