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Claudio Castagnoli Discusses Joining AEW, Future of Blackpool Combat Club, More

August 5, 2022 • Admin

ROH World Heavyweight Champion Claudio Castagnoli was recently interviewed by Bleacher Report, where he discussed several topics. Among them were joining AEW, winning the ROH Heavyweight Championship, the future of the Blackpool Combat Club and more. Below are some highlights from the interview: On joining AEW and the matches that he had: “[Blood and Guts] was awesome in a way that I was thrown right into the fire,” he said. “It was a kind of trial by combat, so to speak. Trial by Blackpool Combat Club [laughs]. I wrestled Zack Sabre Jr. that Sunday in a very, very technical match. I think he’s probably one of, if not the, best technical wrestlers in the world. “And then there was the Blood and Guts match on Wednesday where I was in from the beginning to end. I’m always looking for challenges and that was definitely a big one. It’s so much fun to be in the ring with the Blackpool Combat Club. “I’ve only known Wheeler Yuta for about a month, but it feels way longer. Bryan Danielson..

Impact Wrestling Results – August 4, 2022

August 5, 2022 • Admin

Impact Wrestling Date: August 4, 2022 Location: Old Paristown Hall, Louisville, Kentucky Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt We’re just over a week away from Emergence and most of the show has already been set. The World and Knockouts Title matches are ready to go but now we need to build up a little more of the card. That is what we can take care of over the next two weeks, as Emergence is already starting to look strong. Let’s get to it. The opening recap looks at Honor No More’s issues, setting up a ten man tag at Emergence. If Honor No More wins, they get a Tag Team Title shot, but if they lose, they’re done. Opening sequence. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Rosemary Taya Valkyrie and Jessika are here with Rosemary but there is no Chelsea Green for some reason. They glare at each other to start before Rosemary wins a test of strength. A bite to the face in the corner sets up a bulldog to drop Purrazzo again but she’s back up to wrap Rosemary’s arm around the rope. That doesn’t do ..

WWE Changes Longstanding Rule About “Dirty Words”

August 5, 2022 • Admin

Get your scripts updated. WWE has been undergoing a variety of changes and some of them are going to be felt for a long time to come. Most of these changes have been behind the scenes, but a good many of those are going to have an impact on what happens in front of the camera. That seems to be the case again, as some longstanding rules might be relaxed a bit. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is relaxing its rule on the use of the terms “wrestler” and “wrestling” in promos. Previously, the terms needed prior authorization to be used but now the terms are no longer considered dirty. This is said to be part of the changes taking place in WWE, many of which are seen as positives. Triple H is now in charge of both creative and talent relations and is said to be someone who cares about talent. Opinion: This is the kind of change that seems like the most logical idea in the world. At the end of the day, only WWE would ever think to call itself sports entertainment rather ..

Ric Flair’s Last Match Comes Close To All Time Record Attendance And Gate Revenue

August 5, 2022 • Admin

That’s quite the number. While AEW and WWE get the most attention in the wrestling world, they are certainly not alone. There are all kinds of other promotions, some of which have television or web series that you see on a regular basis. At the same time, there are other places where it is a bit harder to find them, and one such one off show did something very impressive. Last weekend, Jim Crockett Promotions was brought back for one night only to present Ric Flair’s Last Match. The show featured Ric Flair wrestling for the last time, teaming with Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the event drew 6,800 fans and a gate of $448,502, both of which are the second highest results in independent wrestling history, behind All Out’s 10,541 fans and $458,525 gate. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that you do not see happen very often but well done for Flair for having such a well received show. Flair may not have the best ..

Bryan Danielson On Real Life Heat With Miz And Famous Talking Smack Segment

August 5, 2022 • Admin

It’s part of the business. Wrestling is a unique form of entertainment, as the industry is built around the idea of scripted feuds and rivalries. The wrestlers regularly get along behind the scenes, though that is not always the case. There are some wrestlers who do not get along no matter what, and that is the situation between two of the more prominent names today. AEW’s Bryan Danielson was a guest on Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast and discussed his real life heat with the Miz. Danielson talked about the segment between the two of them on Talking Smack, where Miz yelled at him after Danielson called Miz a coward in the ring. The original idea would be for Danielson to punch Miz, either causing him to get fired or to set up a match between the two. Danielson felt that it was better to walk away and leave Miz with his momentum as he was not medically cleared to wrestle. While Danielson said that they don’t like each other, he does respect Miz for all of his hard work. Since yo..

WWE NIL Signee Officially Charged With Sexual Battery, Warrant Issued For His Arrest

August 5, 2022 • Admin

That’s a serious situation. Back in 2021, WWE announced the Next In Line program, which was designed to find non-wrestling athletes and bring them into the WWE system, with the chance of eventually becoming WWE stars. The program has brought in several prospects, but now one of them is facing some very serious legal issues that could change his career path in a huge way. According to the Oklahoman, WWE NIL signee and former Oklahoma State University wrestler AJ Ferrari is facing a charge of felony sexual battery with a warrant being issued for his arrest. Ferrari was accused of holding a woman down in Stillwater, Oklahoma on July 2 and performing unwanted sexual acts on her. The woman filed an emergency protective order against Ferrari three days later. WWE has not commented on the situation or on Ferrari’s future with the NIL program. Opinion: That is a very serious charge and if the accusations against him are true, I cannot imagine he is going to have much of a future with WWE. Fe..

Take Two: Kane Earns Another Major Political Victory

August 5, 2022 • Admin

He’ll have another. Wrestlers often have to rely on their talking abilities to make the fans care about what they are doing. If a wrestler is good enough with a microphone, it can open quite a few doors for their careers. This is the case for other industries outside of wrestling, and that was the case again for another legend who achieved quite the success outside of the ring. WWE Hall Of Famer Glenn Jacobs, better known as Kane, has announced that he has been re-elected as Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee on Thursday. This marks Jacobs’ second term in office with another four year term. Jacobs has still made occasional wrestling appearances while in office, most recently at Summerslam. He also wrestled in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel 2018. THANK YOU Knox County for electing me to serve a second term as your mayor. I am so grateful for the support you have shown me and my family throughout my campaign for re-election, and will continue to do all I can to serve you to the best of my ..

NXT UK Results – August 4, 2022

August 5, 2022 • Admin

NXT UK Date: August 4, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd Things should be getting a bit more energized around here as we had the big showdown for the United Kingdom Title last week. Ilja Dragunov is going to need a fresh opponent after dispatching Wolfgang and a bigger one would be nice. This week is a title week also, as we have Meiko Satomura defending the Women’s Title against Sarray. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Here is United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov for a chat….and he’s on crutches. Dragunov says he suffered a severe ankle injury during his title defense last week (insert clip here) and that means he cannot defend his title. Therefore it has to be vacated, but he isn’t going to talk about how hard this is for him. Everyone back there is fighting hard every day and there is nothing special about him. He doesn’t regret anything he did in the ring and when he looks around the ring, there are bits of his so..

WWE Has Started Making Changes To Multiple Wrestlers Across Multiple Rosters

August 5, 2022 • Admin

Switch em up. WWE is going through a lot of behind the scenes changes and that means we might be in for some changes in front of the camera as well. There are a lot of things that could be improved by a few changes and some of those could make things a good deal more interesting. Now we might be seeing a few of those changes coming to pass, both on the main roster and in NXT. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter won the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles this week on NXT. Following the win, the two of them talked about how hard they had worked to get here. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the promo was an example of characters being course corrected from their villainous characters to heroines under the new regime in WWE. This is also true of Becky Lynch, who turned babyface after her loss to Bianca Belair at Summerslam. There is no word on who else will be changed around in the near future. Opinion: This is a good idea, as there are some people who belong on one side of the fence rather t..

WRESTLING RUMORS: Possible Sign Sasha Banks Is On Her Way Back To WWE

August 5, 2022 • Admin

Even more evidence. One of the biggest wrestling stories of the year has been Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out on WWE and leaving the company back in May. The two were the reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time and the titles were vacated in the process. There have been rumblings that the two may be returning to WWE, and now we have a bit more evidence. According to Wrestlingnews.co, Banks, under her real name of Mercedes Varnado, is no longer being advertised for the Los Angeles Rams celebrity flag football game, scheduled for this Friday. Banks had been advertised as of Wednesday evening but an updated roster from Reddit does not include her. While there is no guarantee of what the change means, there is a chance that WWE pulled her from the event if she is returning to the company. Here are Wednesday and Thursday’s advertisements: Who ya got?! Celebrity Flag Football rosters are set for Team Ramsey + Team Donald! » https://t.co/YqQkpKw4Qa pic.twitter.com/boDqCLysLl..

The Important Bell: Excellent News On WWE Legend’s Battle Against Cancer

August 5, 2022 • Admin

That is some great news. There have been some famous names throughout wrestling history and some of them are among the most likable athletes that you will ever see. That makes it all the sadder when something bad happens to them, but sometimes that kind of story can have a happy ending. Thankfully that seems to be the case again with one of the most memorable stars of the last few decades. WWE Hall Of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan has shared a video showing him ringing a bell at a hospital, meaning that he has completed cancer treatment and is now cancer free. Duggan had announced in May that his cancer had returned after having previously beaten it in the 1990s. There is no word on when Duggan will be able to return to his public appearances. He last wrestled in May 2019. This is awesome. Check out Duggan ringing the special bell: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: You don’t get to see something like this very often and it is still one of the most special moments that y..

Another Former NXT Star Signs With AEW/Ring Of Honor

August 5, 2022 • Admin

Welcome to your new home. WWE has long since dominated the wrestling world but things have been changing a bit in recent years. The rise of AEW has shaken up the industry just a little bit, and while WWE is still the undisputed top company, AEW has offered wrestlers a new place to go that they might not have had before. It seems that is the case again with a former WWE wrestler. According to Fightful Select, former NXT star Blake Christian has signed with either AEW or Ring Of Honor. Christian, who previously wrestled in NXT under the name Trey Baxter, appeared at Ring Of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor event in July. He has also wrestled in a variety of other promotions, including GCW, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. There is no word on when he will wrestle for either promotion next. Opinion: This isn’t the biggest surprise as Christian is someone who has done some good things everywhere he has gone. It makes sense for AEW or Ring Of Honor to see what he can do under the..

NXT United Kingdom Title Vacated, Tournament To Be Held

August 4, 2022 • Admin

That’s one way to get it off of him. Titles are one of the most important parts of any wrestling show, as they are the way to determine the best around. A wrestler might be the reigning champion or chasing the title and that can often be the centerpiece of any promotion. That means a title change can be a huge moment, but unfortunately this one did not go as originally intended. This week on NXT UK, United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov was forced to vacate his championship due to an injury suffered in his recent title defense against Wolfgang. As a result, an eight man tournament will be held to crown the new champion. This is the first time in the title’s history that the title has been vacant for any reason, with Dragunov’s reign ending at 347 days. Here are the brackets for the tournament: Oliver Carter vs. Charlie Dempsey Trent Seven vs. Wolfgang Tyler Bate vs. Kenny Williams Mark Andrews vs. Joe Coffey Opinion: This is one of those things that is never good but sometimes it j..

Becky Lynch: “Having Triple H at the Helm of the Ship is Phenomenal”

August 4, 2022 • Admin

The man has spoke. Becky Lynch was recently interviewed by ESPN as a part of a special article on the departure of Vince McMahon as CEO of WWE. She spoke on his departure as well as her thoughts on Triple H now being in charge of the company. Below are some comments from The Man: On Vince McMahon leaving WWE: “It is the dawning of a new era,” Becky Lynch, one of WWE’s top stars, told ESPN on Friday. “For me, it’s crazy and sad because everything I’ve ever known about WWE has always had Vince in charge, and we wouldn’t have WWE the way it is if it wasn’t for Vince. He’s somebody who believed in me and allowed me to do everything that I’ve done.” On Triple H being in charge of the company: “We have the opportunity to change some things that maybe weren’t so great that we didn’t love,” Lynch said to ESPN. “I think everybody’s very excited and optimistic because we know that the people in charge [are] some of the greatest minds in the business, you know. Having Triple H at the helm of..

REVIEW: Ric Flair’s Last Match: Please Be An Accurate Description

August 4, 2022 • Admin

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over twelve years now and have reviewed over 6,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? Ric Flair’s Last Match Date: July 31, 2022 Location: Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee Commentators: Tony Schiavone, David Crockett, Ian Riccaboni We had to get here eventually and I’m not that happy about it. This is a show that I haven’t really wanted to watch since it was announced and that hasn’t changed since. While I absolutely respect what he did in the ring, I’m not the biggest Flair fan and seeing him do something this risky isn’t something I particularly needed to see. The good thing i..

Out Of Their Hands: WarnerBrothers/Discovery Merger Could Be Bad News For AEW

August 4, 2022 • Admin

The important part. AEW has been around for a few years now, with most of its focus being built around the weekly Dynamite series. The show has built a consistent audience that rarely goes below a certain level, which is quite the selling point for the company. However, there are some forces at work that could cause AEW some problems and there is nothing they can do about it. AEW’s parent company WarnerMedia and Discovery have recently merged, meaning that AEW has a new boss. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Discovery is making all kinds of budget cuts, which could be a problem when AEW’s next television deal is negotiated next year. This could mean that AEW’s new deal could be worth significantly less, or that the company could have to move elsewhere, though nothing will be known for sure until next year. Opinion: This merger is one of the biggest stories in all of entertainment at the moment and things are starting to look shaky for the future of some of these properties. Tha..

Nice And Quiet: Interesting Backstage Update On MJF’s AEW Status

August 4, 2022 • Admin

Of all people to not talk. While the focus in wrestling tends to be what happens between the bells, a wrestler having the ability to speak well might be even more important. Without a wrestler speaking to the fans and making them care, a story is only going to have so much impact. As it turns out, one of the best talkers in wrestling today has not had much to say lately. Back on the June 1 edition of AEW Dynamite, Maxwell Jacob Friedman cut an in-ring promo insulting the company and owner Tony Khan. Friedman has not been seen and barely referenced on AEW TV since and it is not clear when he will be returning. According to Fightful Select, Friedman has been silent since the promo, making no contact with any known AEW wrestler or staff member. Khan has not been heard discussing Friedman either. Opinion: This is one of those stories that could go in a few different ways, but it would be nice to see it go in some way. I’m not sure when Friedman is going to be back, but if he isn’t back j..

Hook Them Up: New Pairing Forms This Week On AEW Dynamite

August 4, 2022 • Admin

Join the team. A manager can do quite a few positive things for a wrestler. There might be someone who needs someone to do the talking for them or someone who can bring some instant interest to them. AEW does that on a regular basis with a variety of managers who work for several wrestlers. Now they have another pairing which was formed this week and already has potential. This week on AEW Dynamite, Ethan Page was in the ring and complained about getting no attention in AEW. Page asked why he wasn’t having a match every week or why his face wasn’t featured in more advertising for the company. Stokely Hathaway came out and stared at Page before handing him his business card. The two left together, suggesting that Page has joined Hathaway’s group. Page had been associated with Dan Lambert for several months but there was no mention of Lambert this week. Opinion: This is something that could be interesting as Page does need something to do. Page has talent but he has not had the chance ..

Hurry Up: Interesting Detail On Dakota Kai’s WWE Return

August 4, 2022 • Admin

They didn’t do much in advance. WWE has been shaken up quite a bit over the last few weeks and there is a good chance that it is going to continue for a good while to come. Some of these changes have taken place behind the scenes, with some of those moves causing changes in front of the camera. That was the case last week and things were a bit more rushed than they seemed. At Summerslam, Bayley made her return to WWE TV after over a year away due to a torn ACL. She was soon joined by Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai, who were making their returns after being gone from NXT for several months. Kai appeared on this week’s edition of the Bump and revealed that her appearance was a last minute decision and not planned in advance. Kai was originally released from WWE on April 29, just over three months before her return but did not wrestle a match for any other promotion. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that has me interested, as it is the sort of change that you might see happen on a fairly regu..

They’re Done: Top AEW Stable Has Violent Split This Week On Dynamite

August 4, 2022 • Admin

That’s going to be a big one. AEW has been around for a few years now and the company has built up a rather deep roster in its existence. This involves a group of wrestlers who have been around the world with all kinds of success. That includes wrestlers being paired together in different units, but now one of those groups has fallen apart in a pretty violent way. This week’s AEW Dynamite featured the return of the Undisputed Elite, including Adam Cole. During his speech, Cole revealed that he was injured and unable to participate in the upcoming Trios Titles tournament. Cole also said that fellow Undisputed Elite members the Young Bucks would be unable to participate as well because they would be physically unable. This caused Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly to attack the bucks, with Hangman Page having to make the save. Page did not embrace the Bucks and left without them. Opinion: This feels like something that is designed to set up the return of Kenny Omega, but if that is not the c..