Speculation On Alexa Bliss Vs. Natalya At WWE Super ShowDown In Saudi Arabia

There’s now heavy speculation on WWE doing a women’s division match at WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia on Friday. This would be the first time female Superstars perform in the Kingdom, if it happens.

PWInsider, has reported that Natalya is making the trip to Saudi Arabia for Friday’s big event in Jeddah. Fightful has since revealed that Alexa Bliss is also making the trip. There’s no official word yet on why they are making the trip to the Kingdom, or if they will appear. Renee Young is also making the trip over, but she will likely be calling the show as she did at Crown Jewel last year.

Furthermore, @Wrestlevotes reported today that WWE discussed doing a women’s match at Super ShowDown several months ago. The idea then was to do Nia Jax vs. Natalya, but Jax is currently out of action with an injury. It looks like they might do Bliss vs. Natalya now, which would be huge for WWE due to local laws and customs that have prevented women from wrestling there.

Bliss and Sasha Banks made history back in December 2017 when they wrestled the first women’s match in the Middle East during a WWE live event in Abu Dhabi. Bliss recently spoke with Sky Sports and said she hopes to participate in another first for the company in Saudi Arabia.

“I would love to [have a match in Saudi Arabia],” Bliss said. “I was very nervous at first with the match in Abu Dhabi because I didn’t know how we were going to be received but it was actually incredible. The crowd was all for our women being there and having that title match. I had an amazing time and I would love to be able to be have a match in Saudi Arabia if given the opportunity. Women have never competed there in any aspect so it would be awesome to entertain there and break down barriers. It shows that our business is global.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Eli Drake Announces Departure From Impact Wrestling, Backstage Notes

Former Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Eli Drake announced on Twitter yesterday that he is a free agent, taking bookings via Bookelidrake@gmail.com.

“After 4 years with Impact Wrestling, some ups, some downs, I would like to thank them for the overall great experience. Through those years, I had the fortune of carrying 3 different title belts, having my own talk show (Fact of Life), and was always given the trust to craft my own promos, virtually from day 1. I appreciate the chance that was taken on me and the trust I was given, as well as the friends and experiences I gained along the way. I wish Impact Wrestling nothing but continued success and growth going forward. Today, I am OFFICIALLY a FREE AGENT,” the statement read.

Drake and Impact recently agreed on a settlement regarding his termination and his non-compete clause, which paved the way for Tuesday’s announcement on being a free agent, according to PWInsider. Drake is now free to sign a deal with any wrestling promotion.

Despite issues between the two sides back in April, it sounds like the split was on somewhat good terms. PWInsider noted that one Impact executive told them, “We are happy to have the issue resolved and we wish Eli Drake well going forward.”

It was reported in early April that Drake had been released from his Impact contract on April 7, weeks before it was to expire on May 31, and that Impact officials were looking to stop him from signing with any other promotions by pursuing a breach of contract claim. It was also reported that Drake had heat from the company for speaking out against intergender wrestling.

Drake’s first post-Impact booking has been announced for the Championship Wrestling From Hollywood promotion on Father’s Day – Sunday, June 16 from The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California. Drake will do battle with UWN TV Champion Scorpio Sky and Eric Watts in a Triple Threat.

Drake had a Twitter exchange today with former Impact executive John Gaburick, who returned to work for WWE after leaving Impact in late 2017.

Gaburick responded to Drake’s Twitter statement and wrote, “Nice job kid. Class.”

Drake responded, ” Thank you, sir. I appreciate you. Thank you for the opportunity.”

There were rumors on Drake talking with WWE earlier this year, but that was never confirmed. We will keep you updated on any potential interest from WWE or AEW.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jon Moxley Wins The IWGP US Title At NJPW’s Best Of The Super Juniors Finals, Full Results

In his first championship match since leaving WWE, Jon Moxley has won gold. He defeated Juice Robinson at the Best of the Super Juniors Finals to win the IWGP United States Championship.

This was Juice’s fourth defense of the title after beating Cody Rhodes for it at Wrestle Kingdom 13. After a hard-hitting affair, Moxley pinned Robinson following the debut of his new finisher, the Death Rider. It is a high angle double arm DDT, almost similar to Dirty Deeds.

You can see how the title changed hands in the videos below:

https://twitter.com/BulletClubIta/status/1136234648542076931

https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/1136238669524869120

https://twitter.com/BulletClubIta/status/1136241970068754432

Below are the full results from the Best of the Super Juniors Finals:

* Will Ospreay def. Shingo Takagi (BOSJ Finals) – Ospreay will now face Dragon Lee for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Dominion on June 9th.
* Jon Moxley def. (c.) Juice Robinson (IWGP US Title)
* Jay White def. Hiroshi Tanahashi
* Kazuchika Okada and Rocky Romero def. Marty Scurll and Brody King
– Okada pinned King following a Rainmaker
* Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA and BUSHI def. Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma and Toa Henare
– EVIL and SANADA pinned Henare following a Magic Killer
* YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask def. Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki and DOUKI
– YOSHI-HASHI pinned DOUKI following Karma
* El Pahntasmo, Robbie Eagles and Taiji Ishimori def. Ryusuke Taguchi, SHO and YOH
– El Phantasmo pinned SHO following CR II
* Dragon Lee, Titan and Shota Umino def. Bandido, Jonathan Gresham and Ren Narita
– Lee pinned Narita following multiple knee strikes

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Live Preview 6/4/19

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live will take place from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas with the final hype for WWE Super ShowDown.

* Goldberg comes to SmackDown LIVE for the first time ever

* “A Moment of Bliss” with special guest SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley

* Lars Sullivan to give an exclusive interview

* Will Roman Reigns be out for payback?

* Will Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler butt heads before Super ShowDown?

Several WWE NXT Superstars Get New Ring Names

The following WWE NXT Superstars have officially received their new ring names:

* Trevor Lee is now known as Cameron Grimes

* Eric Bugenhagen is now known as Rik Bugez, which had been in the works

* Adrian Jaoude is now known as Arturo Ruas

* Jessie Elaban is now known as Jessie Kamea

* Luke Menzies is now known as Ridge Holland

XFL Forms A Health Advisory Committee

Finding ways to enhance player safety, the new XFL has launched a health advisory board. The members of the board consist of experts in neurology, mental health and orthopedics and are considered the top minds in the world today.

In a statement, the XFL announced the hiring of Dr. Julian Bailes, who will serve as Chief Medical Advisor. Other members of the board include Dr. Larry Lemak and Dr. Claudia Reardon. Daniel Wright, the former Head Athletic Trainer for the Milwaukee Brewers, will become the Vice President of Health and Safety. There will be room for more members down the line.

“The health and safety of our players is an important focus on our path to reimagine football and deliver a great product to fans when we kick off in February 2020,” XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck stated. “Putting in place the right experts and medical professionals is key. Our health advisory committee will work closely with our football operations department to create protocols and build best practice guidelines that put player health and safety at the forefront of everything we do.”

Dr. Bailes has football experience before; he served as team physician of the Pittsburgh Steelers for over ten years. A member of the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee and Chairman of the Pop Warner Football Medical Advisory Committee, Bailes has also worked for the NCAA for fifteen years. The chairman of NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Neurology department, he was featured prominently in Will Smith’s ‘Concussion’ movie in 2015. He was played by Alec Baldwin.

Dr. Lemak founded Lemak Health, an orthopedics and primary care center. He also serves as a member of the Pop Warner Football Medical Advisory Committee. The Medical Director for the NFL’s European League for 15 years, the same league Oliver Luck was a part of, Lemak also served as the Medical Director for Major League Soccer. He also founded the National Center for Sports Safety and the Alabama Sports Foundation.

A sports psychiatrist, Dr. Reardon works as an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Psychiatry. While no NFL-related experience, Reardon is considered the top consultant when it comes to mental health in sports. As the sole psychiatrist on the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, she also works with the International Olympic Committee, leading a workgroup called Mental Illness in Elite Athletes.

It is expected that Daniel Wright, an athletic trainer since 1985, will be a part of the hiring process, supervising and evaluating new athletic trainers for the XFL. He became the Athletic Trainer for the Brewers in 2011 after a stint as their Assistant Athletic Trainer and Conditioning Coordinator. He also held positions with the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. A graduate from the University of Oregon, Wright was the President and co-owner of an athletic injury rehabilitation facility called FitLife Health Systems, Inc.

The relaunched XFL season is expected to start in February of 2020, just a few days after the Super Bowl.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Ric Flair Accuses Former Manager And Friend Of Embezzling Money From Him

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair released another YouTube video yesterday. Flair called out his former agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni of Legacy Talent and Entertainment, accusing her of embezzling money from him.

Flair also accused Zanoni of letting his “Wooooo!” and “Ric Flair” trademarks to expire. WWE ended up registering them for him. He also accused her of grabbing “all the money you could run with” after assuming he was going to die. Flair said he hopes his video gets Zanoni disbarred, noting that he spoke with an attorney before recording it. He also claims Zanoni called his wife Wendy Barlow, using a blocked number, and threatened her.

Flair noted that he was friends with Zanoni for 20 years, and her client for 10 years. He apologized to WWE Hall of Famers Sting, Kurt Angle and Mick Foley for referring them to Zanoni. He also thanked his friends, doctors and WWE for supporting him through his recent heath issues, and noted that Zanoni didn’t visit him while he was hospitalized in Atlanta.

Flair previously parted ways with Zanoni in September 2017 after a health scare, and filed a lawsuit against the agency, claiming they embezzled $46,000 from him. That figure includes a $25,000 payment from the ESPN 30 For 30 producers that they didn’t tell him about, and a $12,000 royalty advance for a endorsement deal with Jake’s Fireworks.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Bully Ray Comments On Fan Incident At ROH Live Event

Yesterday an individual tweeted out a story about his experience at a Ring of Honor event this past weekend that picked up traction online. According to the individual, he was booing The Allure (Velvet Sky, Angelina Love and Mandy Leon) and exchanging words with the group. At one point the fan said that he was having words with Velvet Sky, and Mandy Leon allegedly spit on him.

“Velvet and I exchange words along with the rest of the Allure. Nothing crazy. Mandy Leon spits on me from the side. Not preferable but I honestly don’t care. Segment ends,” the fan tweeted, who goes by “xIAMHOLLYWOODx” on Twitter. “Side note. I love and respect like 99% of all wrestlers. I honest to god never try to make the show ABOUT me, get myself over, etc. My rule of thumb is to boo the bad guys and cheer the good guys. It’s rare that I’ll flip the script but I always decide to go along with the show.”

The group would come out again later in the show and another exchange would take place with the fan eventually being brought to the back and spoken to by Bully Ray.

“Suddenly BULLY RAY comes out from a back room. Full on gear since he was in the opening segment of the show and he looks PISSED,” the fan continued on Twitter. “Much bigger than me so I’m kinda taking a step back on this here. Security backs off and it’s just us two,” he wrote. “He said ‘hey. I heard there was incident tonight with you and some of the girls’ ‘Uh… yeah? I guess’ *I’m so lost* ‘So here’s the deal. You’re done talking down to them. You need to treat them with respect. Don’t be saying anything you wouldn’t say to your mom, you got it?!’

“I’m not trying to act tough. I was legit being intimidated with purpose and I wasn’t about to get kicked out during match 3 so I just bit the bullet and said ‘sure… yes sir… yeah, I understand… yup…’ He said ‘End of convo. Go be a fan.'”

ROH General Manager Greg Gilleland provided Wrestling Inc. the following statement:

ROH has always taken fan-first approach, with fan experience being at the forefront of all of our live events. We consider this to be very serious and will be conducting an internal review over the next 48 hours to determine the appropriate actions.

Since then, Bully Ray commented on the situation, below is his full statement.

“And now the truth. I could not have been any nicer to said ‘fan.’ Yes, nice, hard to believe. I never threatened, intimidated or berated said ‘fan.’ I handled the situation the exact opposite way most would assume, with decorum. [The conversation] lasted less than 30 seconds. I even gave the fan a friendly pat on the back and told him to enjoy the show and ‘go be a fan.’ His response, ‘Thanks Bully.’ Fan version of story is embellished to make fan look like a ‘victim.’Many other fans who attended the shows in Kent and Portland have already confirmed on social media how said fan ‘cross the line’ with multiple talents, both men and women.

In retrospect, the ‘fan’ should have been ejected.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until after ‘fan’ was asked to not be ‘so rude,’ did we find out that severity of the vile comments and lewd sexual gestures made towards the women.

I think we can all agree that in 2019, this type of behavior towards women is unacceptable and goes far beyond the scope of, ‘I paid for my seat, I should be able to do or say whatever I want.’

I live by the motto, ‘Respectful fans always get what they want. Rude fans always get what they deserve.’

At the end of the day, I’m guilty of defending three women that needed a bit of defending. Not by being a bully, by being a man.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Shayna Baszler And Adam Cole Coming To The WWE Main Roster?

There continues to be talk of WWE NXT Champion Adam Cole and NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler coming to the main roster, according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio. There’s no word yet on when the call-ups might happen, but Meltzer noted that Baszler is “supposed to be geared” for a call-up and has everything they’re looking for, from her age to her look and her aura. Cole won the title from Johnny Gargano at Saturday’s NXT “Takeover: XXV” event, while Baszler retained her title over Io Shirai.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Brock Lesnar Destroys Seth Rollins And Reveals He Will Cash In At WWE Super ShowDown

Brock Lesnar was set to cash in his Money In the Bank title shot on WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins during tonight’s RAW, but looks like the cash in will now come at WWE Super ShowDown on Friday in Saudi Arabia.

As seen below, Lesnar came out to destroy Rollins following a beatdown from Baron Corbin, who will challenge Rollins in a singles match at Friday’s pay-per-view. Paul Heyman kept encouraging his client to cash in, but Lesnar yelled at him and said “Friday!” to indicate the cash in will come at Super ShowDown. Lesnar has been advertised for Super ShowDown since it was announced, but his plans were up in the air following the announcement of Corbin vs. Rollins.