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

AEW Dynamite New Year’s Smash (Night 2) Preview 1/13/21

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite: New Year’s Smash (Night 2) episode airs on TNT at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

* PAC vs. Eddie Kingston

* Miro vs. Chuck Taylor (If Chuck loses, then he has to be Miro’s “young boy” until after Kip and Penelope’s wedding)

* “The Waiting Room” with Britt Baker featuring Cody

* FTR (with Tully Blanchard) vs. Jurassic Express (with Luchasaurus)

* Darby Allin (c) vs. Brian Cage with Taz (AEW TNT Championship)

* Serena Deeb (c) vs. Tay Conti (NWA Women’s World Championship)

* The Elite in action

* What is Inner Circle’s New Year’s Resolution?

Mystery WWE NXT Team To Debut, Full Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Brackets Revealed

The full brackets have been announced for the 2021 WWE NXT Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

The tournament will feature 16 teams. WWE previously announced 12 teams but 4 more were revealed today.

One mystery team on the bracket is called MSK. WWE had filed to trademark the “MSK” name but there’s no word yet on who this is for. WWE posted a teaser tweet for the MSK team today, seen below, and fans are speculating that this could be the new name for Desmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz, formerly known as The Rascalz in WWE. Xavier and Wentz recently signed with WWE but there’s no word yet on when they will debut.

The first round of the tournament will kick off tonight with The Undisputed Era vs. Breezango and Ever-Rise vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans. The winners of the tournament will receive the Dusty Classic Cup and a future title shot from NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch.

Below is a look at all 16 teams for the tournament, and the full bracket. Stay tuned for more.

FIRST ROUND
* The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong) vs. Breezango (Tyler Breeze, Fandango)

* Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari vs. Ashante “Thee” Adonis and Desmond Troy

* Kushida and Leon Ruff vs. The Way (Austin Theory, NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano)

* Ever-Rise (Chase Parker, Matt Martel) vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake, Zack Gibson)

FIRST ROUND
* MSK vs. Jake Atlas and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott

* Killian Dain and Drake Maverick vs. Curt Stallion and August Grey

* Imperium (Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner) vs. Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik)

* Legado del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde, Raul Mendoza) vs. The Bollywood Boyz (Sunil Singh, Samir Singh)

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 1/13/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature the beginning of the 2021 Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Matt Striker And D’Lo Brown Revealed As New Impact Announce Team, Josh Mathews Promoted

Impact Wrestling has announced that a new broadcast team will start this Saturday with the Hard To Kill pay-per-view.

Matt Striker will serve as Impact’s new play-by-play announcer, while D’Lo Brown will handle color commentary duties. Striker and Brown will call the weekly Impact TV show, and pay-per-view events.

Striker noted that he’s excited, nervous, thankful and humbled to be returning to TV.

“I’ve always loved professional wrestling. It is a love that unites so many people,” Striker said in the official press release. “Pro wrestling is a sport and I want to be mindful to call it as such. I’ve learned and grown so much since I began, and I thank the fans – and the critics – for that.

“It is not lost on me the opportunity that is before me – I can once again lend my voice to the sport that I love. In doing so, I’m poised to describe, analyze, and witness the most advanced athletes the sport has ever seen. I am excited, nervous, thankful, and humbled. I cannot wait to get out there. You will always be able hear the fan in me.”

Brown also said he’s very excited to join the commentary team after working behind-the-scenes for the company.

“I’m very excited to join the IMPACT Wrestling broadcast booth and I know working alongside Matt Striker will be a lot of fun,” Brown said. “I believe in IMPACT Wrestling, with its amazing roster of skilled Superstars and Knockouts – and can’t wait to have the best seat in the house to call all the action.

“I’m humbled to follow the IMPACT broadcasting path of Don West and Mike Tenay, and most recently Don Callis, Madison Rayne and certainly Josh Mathews. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity. I know there are big shoes to fill, but Striker and I will do our best.”

Striker and Brown are replacing Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne. Mathews has signed a new multi-year contract with the company and is being promoted to Senior Producer of the weekly Impact TV show and pay-per-view events. Rayne will give an update on her future at Saturday’s pay-per-view. The veteran Knockout provided color commentary in 2020 but is reportedly leaving the company for a job outside of pro wrestling.

“My play-by-play career has spanned nearly 20 years – from WrestleMania to Bound For Glory to incredible moments from IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV,” Mathews said in the press release. “Producing will allow me to have a bigger role in the overall production of our weekly show, PPVs and IMPACT+ Specials.

“This transition has been a great process, Matt and D’Lo are bringing a fresh energy and are ready to go. It was a special year in 2020, and both Madison Rayne and I will always be grateful for the opportunity and look forward to these exciting changes.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Officially Announces “Superstar Spectacle” Event With Jinder Mahal And Other Top Stars

WWE has officially announced the Superstar Spectacle event for Tuesday, January 26.

There’s no word yet on when the two-hour event will air on the WWE Network, but it will air at 8pm IST in India on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3, and Sony MAX. There will be commentary in English and Hindi. It’s been reported that the event will tape next Thursday, from the WWE ThunderDome at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL.

The event will feature Superstars from WWE NXT, RAW and SmackDown. Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal has been announced for the show. It will be his first appearance since undergoing knee surgery in June of 2020.

Other Indian talent announced include The Bollywood Boyz, Indus Sher, Jeet Rama, Kavita Devi, Guru Raaj, Giant Zanjeer and Dilsher Shanky. Also announced for the card are WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair, SmackDown Tag Team Champions Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler, Rey Mysterio, AJ Styles, Bayley, The New Day, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Ricochet, among others, plus an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.

“We love the passion and support from the huge WWE Universe in India, so we’ve teamed up with SPN, the exclusive home of WWE in India, to surprise our fans with an incredible event to kick off 2021,” said Triple H in the official announcement. “WWE Superstar Spectacle will be an epic event with electrifying matches featuring some of the biggest names in WWE along with our incredible Indian performers, plus thrilling and authentic Indian-inspired entertainment.”

Stay tuned for updates as WWE will be announcing matches for Superstar Spectacle in the coming days. Below is the full announcement issued today:

WWE and Sony Pictures Network India announce WWE Superstar Spectacle

WWE Superstar Spectacle, an unprecedented two-hour television special event for India featuring WWE’s Indian performers alongside Superstars from Raw, SmackDown and NXT, will premiere exclusively on Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 3 and Sony MAX on India’s Republic Day, Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. IST, with commentary available in both English and Hindi.

The unique showcase of Indian-inspired action will emanate from the state-of-the-art WWE ThunderDome and incorporate stunning elements of traditional and contemporary Indian culture among epic matches featuring WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, Rey Mysterio, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair, AJ Styles, Bayley, The New Day, Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, Ricochet and many more plus an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.

“We love the passion and support from the huge WWE Universe in India, so we’ve teamed up with SPN, the exclusive home of WWE in India, to surprise our fans with an incredible event to kick off 2021,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development. “WWE Superstar Spectacle will be an epic event with electrifying matches featuring some of the biggest names in WWE along with our incredible Indian performers, plus thrilling and authentic Indian-inspired entertainment.”

“WWE has consistently featured among the top watched sports properties in India over the years,” said Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India. “We are excited about presenting WWE Superstar Spectacle to WWE fans and viewers in India on Republic Day which will showcase and celebrate the best of the next generation Indian talent in WWE.”

With matches announced in the coming weeks, WWE fans can look forward to witnessing appearances by 10 Indian WWE talent, including:

* WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal, the first WWE Champion of Indian descent.

* The Bollywood Boyz, WWE Superstars Samir and Sunil Singh.

* The first all-Indian tag team in WWE, Indus Sher, featuring Rinku and Saurav.

* NXT Superstar Jeet Rama.

* Kavita Devi, the first Indian woman to sign a WWE contract.

* The Great Khali trainees Giant Zanjeer (7ft 2in, 340 pounds) and Dilsher Shanky (7ft, 310 pounds).

* Guru Raaj, the first Indian-born high-flyer in WWE.

The arrival of WWE Superstar Spectacle comes at a time when WWE’s popularity in India continues to increase. WWE is one of the most-watched sports properties in India, and India ranks No. 1 for WWE YouTube consumption and No. 1 in WWE Facebook followers. In addition, WWE has been actively recruiting elite athletes and performers from the country. In 2019, WWE hosted its largest tryout in history, where more than 70 top athletes from India showcased their abilities in Mumbai and four Indian recruits were selected to train at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, U.S.

Follow WWE social channels for all the latest updates on WWE Superstar Spectacle.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

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

Kofi Kingston Injury Update

Kofi Kingston has provided an update on the jaw injury that caused him to miss this week’s edition of Raw.

The former WWE Champion was unable to accompany his tag partner Xavier Woods to the ring on Monday and he explained why in a recent Instagram Live video.

I gotta apologize, I feel like I’m talking out of the side of my mouth and I’m dealing with like a jaw injury right now and my mouth is only closing on one side,” Kofi revealed. “If I sound kind of funny, that’s why. Ordinarily, I do a lot of imitations and impersonations and impressions, but I’m not doing that right now,” he added. “I’m talking funny just trying to figure this situation out.”

The announce team on Raw referenced Kofi’s injury, but its level of severity has yet to addressed on air.

Kofi lost a couple of teeth during The New Day’s match with The Hurt Business at TLC last month.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Impact Wrestling Preview 1/12/21

This week’s show is the go-home edition for Saturday’s Hard to Kill PPV where Omega teams up with Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers against Impact World Champion Rich Swann and The Motor City Machine Guns. IMPACT! tonight at 8/7c on AXS TV and Twitch!

* Kenny Omega and Don Callis to appear

* Rich Swann vs. Karl Anderson

* Tenille Dashwood with Kaleb vs. Rosemary

* Kimber Lee with Impact Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo vs. Taya Valkyrie with Rosemary

* Deaner with Eric Young and Joe Doering vs. Tommy Dreamer with Rhino and Cousin Jake

As noted, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows appeared on last week’s AEW Dynamite where The Young Bucks also joined up for a Bullet Club reunion.

WWE RAW Preview 1/11/21

Tonight’s WWE RAW will feature more on the Road to the 2021 Royal Rumble, live from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL.

WWE is advertising that tonight’s RAW will be a “huge night” for WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. McIntyre will face Randy Orton in a non-title singles match, and they are teasing a possible appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg to follow up on last week’s return. McIntyre has not officially answered Goldberg’s challenge for a title match at The Rumble.

It’s believed that more Royal Rumble Match participants will be confirmed on tonight’s RAW as well.