TNA announced that they will hold six television tapings in the United Kingdom while on their Maximum Impact tour in the country in January 2016.
The company will hold two television tapings per event, starting with Manchester on January 29, then London on January 30, and then Birmingham on January 31.
TNA is short on television tapings and is rumored to be going to India to tape some television shows over there which will air on Destination America. Last month Dixie Carter revealed to Sports Illustrated that TNA has no television deal past January 2016 as Destination America did not renew it yet.
WWE Hall of Famer Lita has taken on a full time job with WWE following her stint as a coach on the latest season of Tough Enough.
Lita, real name Amy Dumas, is now working as a producer/agent for the company and is attending television tapings as well as helping sometimes in NXT. She last worked full time with WWE back in 2007 and retired after wrestled her final match against Mickie James at the Survivor Series.
She made sporadic appearances on WWE television over the following years and in 2014 she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. In May of this year she was announced as one of the three coaches of Tough Enough along with Billy Gunn and Booker T.
Finn Balor and Samoa Joe defeated The Mechanics in the first semi final of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic; Baron Corbin and Rhyno defeated Jason Jordan and Chad Gable in the second semi final of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic; Asuka defeated Dana Brooke; Apollo Crews defeated Tyler Breeze; Finn Balor and Samoa Joe defeated Baron Corbin and Rhyno to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament; Bayley defeated Sasha Banks with three wins against two in a 30 minute Iron Man match to retain the NXT Women’s title.
After the Iron Man match, the whole NXT roster came out on stage to congratulate Sasha Banks and Bayley with William Regal giving flowers to Sasha and Triple H giving flowers to Bayley. This was Sasha Banks’ last night in NXT and it ended with “Thank You Sasha” chants from the Full Sail crowd.
Former WWE Superstar and the newest villain in the latest James Bond movie, Dave Bautista, got married to his girlfriend Sarah Jade.
This is the third marriage for the former WWE champion having already been married to his first wife Glenda and then Angie. He has two daughters from his first wife.
His new wife Sarah Jade is a professional pole aerialist and owns the Buttercup Pole Dance, a pole dance and fitness studio in Tampa, Florida.
Bautista will play Mr. Hinx in the upcoming James Bond movie Spectre. You can see a photo of the two of them from their wedding below.
Defense attorneys for “Superbly” Jimmy Snuka found no objection for the motion to bypass a preliminary hearing in the murder case of his former mistress Nancy Argentino and it looks like the case will go straight to trial.
Snuka, according to the Lehigh Valley Live website, will remain free pending the trial outcome as he is not a flight risk. Snuka is being charged with a third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter after the District Attorney’s office reopened the 32 year old cold case last month.
The WWE Hall of Famer was present at court today but did not speak. He was not in a wheelchair like when he surrendered himself to police and looked better from photos published by the website. Snuka is suffering from stomach cancer.
“The sooner this gets brought to court, to a jury, the better,” his attorney Robert Kirwin said. “It’s not a day he dreads. It’s a day of freedom for him.” He said that Argentino’s death was just an unfortunate accident and not a murder.
Kirwan said a recent ruling allowing hearsay testimony at preliminary hearings make the proceedings a sham. “The benefit (of a preliminary hearing) would have been non-existent,” he said. “No cross-examination, no live witnesses would be testifying,” and the transcripts wouldn’t be available until later, Kirwan said. “He is not dreading this trial. He’s looking forward to clearing his name. and I expect him to be found innocent of all charges,” Kirwan added.
There is a photo on Twitter circulating showing former TNA champion James Storm walking towards the entrance of Full Sail University accompanied by WWE’s Billy Gunn. The photo was put online by Rob McCarron, host of the Shake Them Ropes podcast.
Storm wrestled for TNA from 2002 up until June of this year and left the company after his contract expired. He’s one of the most decorated champions in TNA history, winning the TNA title once, the Tag Team titles six times, and the NWA Tag Team titles seven times.
While Storm could be just visiting friends at the show, speculation has already started that he might be a surprise at tonight’s Takeover show. Storm was rumored to have been ringside at the NXT live event in Nashville but he shot down the reports saying he wasn’t there.
TNA announced that starting tonight on Impact Wrestling, the TNA World Title Series will kick off to crown a new undisputed TNA World champion.
“We don’t have a champion right now, so we worked strategically and creatively to turn this misfortune into an exciting new format that allows us a true, fair way to determine who is the best of the best,” said Billy Corgan in a statement on ImpactWrestling.com. “We believe this World Title Series will bring the prestige and legitimacy of the Championship to another level.”
The World Title Series will feature a format like the World Cup, with thirty-two wrestlers competing in a tournament. The wrestlers will be divided into eight groups to begin round-robin group play. Winners receive three points, a draw receives one point and a loss earns zero points. The top two point-getters from each group will advance to the field of 16 and a single elimination tournament where the competitor who wins advances.
The complete World Title Series will broadcast weekly on Impact Wrestling. The show will feature advancements in the presentation of professional wrestling offering new features like a virtual set where hosts Josh Mathews and Pope will update viewers on the World Title Series leaderboard, incorporate social media interactions from fans and wrestlers, and make predictions.
Live tonight from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, WWE presents NXT Takeover: Respect on the WWE Network. The full card is as follows:
Finn Balor and Samoa Joe vs The Mechanics in the semi final match of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic; Jason Jordan and Chad Gable vs Baron Corbin and Rhyno in the second semi final of the Dusty tournament; The final of the tournament featuring the winners of each of the first two matches listed above; Apollo Crews vs Tyler Breeze; Asuka vs Dana Brooke; and Bayley vs Sasha Banks in a 30 minute Iron Man match for the NXT Women’s title.
The show will be running for two and a half hours with one more match likely to be added to the card. The Takeover pre-show starts at 7:30PM with Renee Young, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, and Lita.
During a conference call with reporters to promote tonight’s NXT Takeover: Respect, Triple H was asked if it was hard convincing Vince to have Sasha and Bayley main event tonight’s NXT show.
Triple H said that while Vince has the final say most of the times, it doesn’t work that way in NXT and while he can overrule him anytime, he lets him present NXT the way he wants it. Triple H said that Vince was okay with the women main eventing the show and loved their first match at NXT Brooklyn.
He added that Vince was backstage at NXT Brooklyn the whole time and just watched the show, noting it was hard for him to not be involved creatively since he wants to put his own touch on everything. HHH also said that Vince told him that he couldn’t wait to see the Iron Man match between Bayley and Sasha.
In the WWE 24 series on NXT Brooklyn you could see Vince McMahon along with Stephanie multiple times hanging backstage watching the show.
Just days after winning the TNA title at Bound For Glory, Matt Hardy has vacated the belt to continue the angle about Ethan Carter III filing and obtaining an injunction to prevent Matt and the title from appearing on TNA television.
“Sometimes leaders have to make personal sacrifices for the greater good. EC3 has put myself, Jeff, TNA & TNA fans in a terrible position,” Hardy wrote on Twitter, adding that he heard that the “first court date is months away.”
Hardy then relinquished the title in a video posted on ImpactWrestling.com to make the injunction go away. The angle was created to explain why Hardy is not presented as the TNA champion on Impact Wrestling since no new shows have been taped so far.
“I am at peace knowing that my family is proud of me & my accomplishments,” Hardy then wrote on Twitter.
Monday Night Raw ratings continued to tank with this week’s show featuring the return of Brock Lesnar doing 3,378,000 viewers, just 48,000 viewers up from last week.
Hour one did a total of 3,473,000 viewers, followed by 3,494,000 in the second hour, and then dropped to 3,167,000 in the third and final hour with a John Cena main event. The third hour had the worst number in a month. (Ratings credit: TV By The Numbers)
E! today announced that production on season five of the popular reality show Total Divas has begun and will introduce WWE’s newest Diva, Mandy.
Mandy is the Tough Enough finalist Amanda Saccomanno who came in second place, losing the final public vote to Sara Lee.
Joining Mandy on the cast will be Nikkie and Brie Bella, Natalya, Eva Marie, Paige, Rosa Mendes, and Alicia Fox. Trinity, who wrestles as Naomi, has once again lost her place in the cast.
TNA has no Impact Wrestling television tapings lined up for now so Matt Hardy won’t be seen on TNA television as the new champion until TNA resumes television tapings.
To explain Hardy’s absence as champion, the company is running an angle – online – which has Ethan Carter III filing an injunction that prevents Matt Hardy or the TNA World Championship from appearing on Impact Wrestling this week moving forward.
The whole angle has been playing on Twitter via Dixie Carter and Hardy himself as well as on EC3’s Facebook and the company’s ImpactWrestling.com website.
TNA talent and staff are rumored to be going to be doing some television tapings in India that will take them through the rest of the year.
In one of the latest Ric Flair podcasts, the 16 time champion noted that Austin said he would boycott WrestleMania 32 if Michael Hayes was not going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Flair was speaking to Hayes, a member of the legendary Fabulous Freebirds, when he made the comment, and told Hayes that Austin made it clear to him that he would boycott the show unless Hayes finally is inducted into the Hall.
The news prompted Austin to shoot down the second WrestleMania 32 rumor surrounding him. “The reports of me boycotting #WM32 are once again, pure bullshit. The End,” Austin wrote on Twitter.
Last week Austin also used Twitter to say that the rumors of him being in a match at WrestleMania 32 against Brock Lesnar are false and it’s not going to happen.
WWE today launched the WWE Network gift cards which are available for purchase from Walmart stores.
No credit card will be required after you apply the gift card to your account and unless you top it up when it expires, your Network subscription will be automatically canceled.
Each gift card will come with a three-month subscription to the Network so you will be paying $29.97 for the card.
The WWE Network gift card is so far exclusively to Walmart.
Three more matches were announced for the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view last night on Monday Night Raw with the WWE, Tag Team, and Divas titles to be defended.
The Divas champion, Charlotte, will be defending her title against number one contender Nikki Bella, their third one-on-one match in their program so far.
The Dudley Boyz continue their quest to regain the WWE Tag Team titles after 10 years gone from the company with champions The New Day in their way.
Seth Rollins will also be putting the WWE World Heavyweight title up for grabs against Kane with the stipulation being that if Demon Kane loses the match, then Corporate Kane will be dismissed from his role as Director of Operations.
Former WWE champion CM Punk came out with an attack on WWE’s partner Susan G. Komen, calling the largest and most-funded breast cancer organization a scam.
“If you’re going to give money to a company that claims to raise money for finding a cure for cancer, please do some research. Komen is a scam,” Punk wrote on his Twitter.
Komen has over 100,000 volunteers across the world and partners with some of the largest brands including Bank of America, American Airlines, HP, Ford, and WWE among others.
After receiving a ton of criticism for his tweet, the UFC fighter responded with, “The truth is never popular. F*ck all you crazy asses. Read a book.”
WWE partners with Susan G. Komen every October and donates money from merchandise sales and raises breast cancer awareness through WWE television and online properties.
As today is another unfortunate anniversary, this one of the death of Brian Pillman in 1997, I will not give Raw a title, or intro/closing comments, but instead provide my thoughts on the late-great wrestler after the report.
Monday Night Raw TV Report for October 5th, 2015
Introduction Segment: Video Promo and Welcoming
Highlights from Raw last week, with Kane getting approval to still be Director Of Operations much to WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins’ dismay is shown. The regular Raw video plays and the pyro blasts in the TD Garden Arena. Michael Cole welcomes us to Boston, Massachusetts, as Byron Saxton announces that The Dudley Boyz will take on Seth Rollins and The Big Show!
Segment #2: Arena Promo
The music of “The Beast” plays and he walks out with his advocate, Paul Heyman. Still-images of Brock Lesnar’s match with The Big Show from last Saturday’s event at Madison Square Garden in New York are shown. Back in Boston, boisterous “Suplex City” chants ring out and delay their promo. Paul finally gets on the mike and pronounces himself as “the advocate of the ‘Slayer of the Giant,’ and the ‘Raw Beast of Boston’ Brock Lesnar!”
Heyman moves onto the next pay-per-view, Hell In A Cell, where is client will once again face The Undertaker in a Hell In A Cell match. Paul E. puts over “The Phenom” as a destructive force since 1990, but now he is meeting Lesnar in Hell In A Cell, a whole new environment, where Brock will be the destructive force. He shows the footage from WrestleMania XXX, where Brock defeated `Taker and broke his undefeated streak. Heyman declares that Undertaker wasn’t “man enough” to win cleanly at SummerSlam this year, and shows the finish of that match too. Paul says that Lesnar didn’t have to “low blow” “The Deadman” for a win; but at HIAC “one of you walks out the winner of the history of ‘Brock Lesnar VS. The Undertaker’ and one of you will not walk out of the cell at all. That is a statement!”
Before they can go on, The Big Show interrupts. He gives props to Brock for their bout at MSG, and wants to shake his hand, but Brock declines and walks off. Show doesn’t take kindly, putting his vote in for The Undertaker “to beat you again.” Lesnar hops the apron and overhead belly-to-belly suplexes show, then plants him with an F-5! Brock stands over, proud of his work.
Segment #3: Office Promo
Seth Rollins is with Stephanie McMahon, complaining that Show is now out of the Tag-Team match and it looks like he’ll have to wrestle The Dudleys on his own. McMahon orders him to “figure it out.”
Commercials.
Match #1: Six-Man Tag-Team – Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Randy Orton VS. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Braun Strowman)
Harper and Reigns start off, but this breaks down quickly with Roman, Dean, and Randy tossing The Wyatt Family to the floor.
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Ambrose is laying on the canvas, and Luke walking around him. Harper approaches cautiously, but is rolled-up with a small package for two! Braun is now in and controls over Dean, catching him off a slingshot crossbody! He slams “The Lunatic Fringe” hard, then switches with Bray. He also wears down Ambrose, as does Strowman when he’s tagged back in.
Commercials.
Bray’s in again and stomps on Dean, but misses a running senton splash. Strowman is slapped on his hand, but also misses a run, instead hitting the ring post. Ambrose manages the hot-tag to Orton, who cleans house on Harper. He drives him with the hanging-DDT, but is pulled out of the ring by Braun before he could go for an RKO! Reigns is in and Superman Punches Wyatt off the apron, then whales away on the floor! Braun holds him back, but Ambrose rockets through the ropes with a dive! Reigns hits Superman Punch on Strowman, then Dean jumps onto him, and he and Braun fall into the timekeeper’s area!
In the ring, Roman ducks a clothesline from Luke and sit-down pwerbombs him instead! He gears up, but Bray hits him with a forearm and Luke superkicks him! 1 – 2 – Randy stops it! Bray attempts a Sister Abigail on Orton, but “The Viper” counters and tries an RKO but Wyatt escapes. Randy gets the RKO on Harper, and Roman follows with a Spear and the cover for the victory!
Winners via Pinfall: Roman, Dean, and Randy
Post-match, Reigns yells at Bray “at Hell In A Cell, me and you are done, and I’m gonna be the one that wins it. Believe that!”
Later tonight, United States Champion John Cena will present another Open Challenge!
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Match #2: Single – Neville VS. Sheamus
(Note: King Barrett is on commentary.) Prior to the contest, Sheamus rips the fans for not being an authentic Irish city. He says he should’ve been there mascot, then mocks Neville and compares him to a leprechaun. He calls Neville a “loser” and proclaims himself a “winner.”
Neville responds with a kick-to-the-gut and the bout is on! He gives Sheamus a flurry of punches and kicks in the corner, so much that the referee has to hold him back. Barrett goes to ringside, which allows Sheamus to hit the Brogue Kick for a quick finish!
Winner via Pinfall: Sheamus
Commercials.
Segment #4: Arena Promo
Kane is standing in the ring, with his left foot covered in a walking boot due to the damage Rollins had done last week. He announces that Rollins’ tag-team partner will be him, but the WWE World Heavyweight Champion objects. He marches down and tells Kane that “I’m not playing your little games; not tonight, not ever again!”
Kane retorts that it is all about “bringing out the best” in Rollins, however that he also “has to go through hell.” Seth wants to return the favor and also take Kane to hell, but both are now interrupted by Stephanie McMahon. She chastises Rollins for not being a “team player,” and books him to defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Hell In The Cell against The Demon Kane! Also, she adds that Kane will team with Seth tonight, and that if The Demon doesn’t beat Rollins at HIAC, then The Director of Operations job will cease to exist!
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Segment #5: Office Promo
Rollins is now nitpicking his situation COO Triple H. “The Game” doesn’t give him sympathy, and tells him to “do unto others…”
Match #3: Single – Natalya VS. Paige
They lockup then Natalya slugs away in the corner. Paige goes into a victory roll, but Natalya reverses into one of her own, then Paige reverses it back! Natalya dropkicks Paige to the floor, but Paige hits back with a big kick on the outside. Paige puts Natalya back in the ring, then locks on a leg scissors around Natalya’s waist. Natalya turns it around and punches hard but Paige clamps on a Guillotine Headlock and wears Natalya down, but Natalya soon picks her up. Paige falls on her in a crossbody position for two, then grapples Natalya in an Abdominal Stretch. Natalya reverses it into one of her own and pulls back on Paige’s free leg with a modified version. Paige elbows out of it, but misses a running knee-in-the-corner.
Natalya clotheslines Paige and gives her a Russian Legsweep. Paige knees back off the ropes but eats another big clothesline. 1 – 2 – Paige kicks out! Paige reverses a whip and drivers Natalya to the mat with her former finisher, the Paige-Turner, but again only gets two! Paige goes to slap Natalya, but Nattie ducks and slams her down, then hits a running front-dropkick to her face! Nattie covers but can’t take this! She carries Paige, but the former “Diva Of Tomorrow” slides out. Natalya catches her and ties her up in The Sharpshooter, but Paige wiggles to the ropes.
Paige jawbreaks Natalya with the middle rope and rolls her up for a near-fall, then runs at her with a kick. Natalya catches her and spins Paige around again in The Sharpshooter, and this time, she taps!
Winner via Submission: Natalya
Cole, John “Bradshaw” Layfield” and Saxton review the match between Ryback and Kevin Owens for the Intercontinental Championship from last week’s Smackdown!
Segment #6: Video Promo
Ryback declares “actions speak louder than words”
I.C. Champ Kevin Owens makes his entrance and will be in action, next!
Commercials.
Match #4: Single – Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens VS. Sin Cara (with Lucha Dragons partner Kalisto)
Owens completely governs this bout until he turns his attention to Kalisto on the outside. Cara makes a comeback, but it doesn’t go too far, as Kevin drives him down with the Pop-Up Powerbomb and gets the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens
Post-match, Owens also assaults Kalisto and sets up for an apron powerbomb until Ryback charges out, chasing Kevin away.
Segment #7: Backstage Promo
Stephanie is on her cell phone when Tag-Team Champions The New Day walk up. They want to give some positive vibes to Ms. McMahon, but she is not in the mood; not even a trumpet will cheer her up. She then tells the trio they will meet The Dudley Boyz again at HIAC for the Tag-Team Titles.
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Segment #8: Arena Promo
Superstars are on the stage, and Roman Reigns and John Cena are in the ring with some women who have survived/are surviving breast cancer. The WWE’s partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation is supported by everyone in the ring, and the fans in attendance who cheer respectively and encouragingly for all suffering from this disease.
Commercials.
Match #5: Tag-Team – Director of Operations Kane and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins VS. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von)
Kane and Rollins argue to start, then Seth takes the brunt of the punishment by The Dudleys for the gist of this bout. Kane blindly tags Rollins and takes out D-Von. He and Seth start to actually be a tag-team and pick apart “the brothers.”
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Kane and Rollins continue to manage until Kane’s ankle bothers him. Kane clutches his ankle and switches with Seth. An assistant rushes over to check on Kane then, suddenly, Rollins cuffs Kane to the ring post, preventing him to being taken to the back. Kane is knocked off the apron and the restraints break, so the ringside attendant helps him up the ramp; Kane looks back and smiles threateningly.
The Dudleyz make a comeback and go for a table, but Rollins dropkicks it into them. The referee calls for the bell.
Winners via Disqualification: The Dudley Boyz
Post-match, Seth takes his WWE World Heavyweight Championship and tries to leave, but Demon Kane hurries out. He boots Rollins in the ring, but turns around into a 3-D from The Dudleyz, due to what happened last week on Smackdown! where The Demon chokeslammed them.
The WWE World Heavyweight Champion sees an opportunity and sets up a table in the ring. He yells over a seemingly out-cold Kane, but The Demon grabs Rollins by the throat and chokeslams him through the table!
Commercials.
Match #6: Six-Diva Tag-Team – Team B.A.D. (Naomi, Tamina, and Sasha Banks) VS. Team Bella (Alicia Fox, and Brie and Nikki Bella)
Before this contest, both teams go at it verbally on who’s better. Naomi and Nikki begin, with Nikki giving Naomi a Lou Thesz Press. Naomi counters with her corner headscissors shake, then tags in Sasha. She slams Nikki’s head into the turnbuckle then kicks away. “The Boss” is elbowed by Nikki and taken over by Brie. She counters a double-boot out of the corner, then drops both her knees on Brie.
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Fox and Naomi are going at it now, with Alicia twirling Naomi around with a backbreaker. Brie is back, bulldogging Naomi out of the corner. She works over Naomi and taunts Banks. She tags in her sister, but Naomi rolls Nikki up for a near-fall! Nikki goes back to work with a front-facelock, but Naomi twists out of it and gives Nikki a jawbreaker. Nikki hits back with a clothesline/spear for two, then charges her shoulder into Naomi’s gut in the corner. Alicia’s back and Northern-Light Suplexes Naomi for a quick two!
Team Bella continue to wear down Naomi until she moves from a running move by Alicia. She gets the much-needed and popular tag to Sasha, who acts like a “boss” all over Alicia. This breaks down, with Sasha locking in Fox with the Bank Statement Crossface and making her give up!
Winners via Submission: Team B.A.D.
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Segment #9: Arena Promo
Summer Rae is in the ring and is pleased with her partnership with Rusev so much that she shows a video of their relationship. She then gets down on bended knee and proposes to him. Rusev accepts, but does not want it to be immediately. They walk away.
Commercials.
Match #7: Single for the United States Championship – John Cena (Champion) VS. ???
Big E begins strong with a powerful shoulder-block, then punches in the corner.
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Langston is still in control, scoop-slamming Cena, but missing a running shoulder and connecting with the ring post instead. Cena runs at him but is slammed with one arm! Big splashes Cena on the apron and continues to dominate until he misses another run and tumbles over the rope after Cena tossed him! On the outside, Langston manages to whip Cena into the steel steps.
Cena begins a comeback with a couple shoulder-tackles and the spin-out powerbomb. He hits the Five-Knuckle Shuffle Fistdrop, but Kofi and Xavier hold onto Big and prevent an Attitude Adjustment attempt. Charles Robinson, the referee, makes the signal of throwing them out. shortly after this, Cena manages to plant Big E. with the A.A. and cover to receive the victory!
Winner via Pinfall and STILL United States Champion: John Cena
Post-match, The New Day jump back in the ring and attack Cena until Dolph Ziggler runs out and tries to help. The odds are not in his or Cena’s favour, as New Day continue the assault on the fan-favorites. The Dudley Boyz now try to help, but are also soon put to the mat. Tag-Team Champions The New Day have dominated Cena, Ziggler, and The Dudleys, and are standing tall and proud in the ring to close the show.
End Of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings
Eighteen years ago, pro-wrestling lost one of the greatest minds for the business, and a man who overcame many odds in his life, Brian Pillman. My first memory of Pillman was when he was doing the “prayer” and “praise” promo for an injured Bret Hart in 1997; immediately, I was hooked, not only to him, but to WWF. I had watched it on-and-off a little before, but my consistency really started after watching that segment. (I have since been watching right through.)
Brian had this uncanny ability to make you believe almost everything he was doing was absolutely real, and, for the most part, you could not tell what was storyline and what was life. Of course, this is both good and bad, but that’s another debate for later.
I have watched many of his matches, both from W.C.W. and WWF; I really loved both the “Flyin’” Brian character and the “Loose Cannon” persona; I believe he could’ve continued to go far in this business, especially in the “Attitude Era” as he absolutely summed up that moniker in his later career.
You are missed Brian, and may you continue to Rest In Peace.
With the announcement of the WrestleMania travel packages came also the news that WWE will be holding an NXT live event on Friday, April 1, two days before WrestleMania. Earlier this year WWE did the same and sold out NXT in a matter of minutes with virtually zero advertising.
The Friday NXT show in Dallas will take place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Arena, located inside the Convention Center where WWE will host the multi-day Axxess fan interaction event.
The perfectly round arena is located on the Exhibit Level and features approximately 7,400 permanent tiered seats in the low and balcony levels, and can accommodate another 1,800 seats on the floor.
In an interview published today by IGN.COM with Daniel Bryan promoted WWE 2K16, the former WWE World Heavyweight champion said he will be willing to return to the independent circuit if WWE doctors continue to block his return.
“One neurologist who specializes in concussions – who was the neurologist for the Super Bowl last year – cleared me with no limitations. All my testing came back excellent. But the WWE’s medical doctor is skeptical, because of my history of concussions and that sort of thing. So they will not clear me,” Bryan said, adding that there are two doctors with a split decision at the moment and WWE is going to send him to a third one to break the tie and decide his future.
Bryan mentioned that he had a discussion with Cena where Cena asked if he’d go back doing indies if his relationship with WWE came to an end. “Absolutely,” Bryan said, with Mexico being his first stop.
But if the third doctor decides to effectively kill his WWE in-ring career, Bryan still wonders if it’s smart to go against the orders of two doctors.
“The WWE doctor Joe Maroon [is] amazing and highly respected in the concussion field, and if they send me to a third neurologist who’s also highly respected in the concussion field and they say literally no…well, then is it really smart to go against two doctors? I get all fired up…and then I’m like, maybe that’s not the best thing for me and my family going forward.”
