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Impact Wrestling signs new television deal in the Philippines

By
Colin Vassallo
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Impact Wrestling today announced a new broadcast deal with Tap Digital Media Ventures Corp. to broadcast its flagship weekly show Impact on TAP EDGE across the Philippines beginning this September.

Impact will air weekly on TAP EDGE on Saturday nights at 9PM. The network can be found on SkyCable Channel 218. TAP EDGE will also broadcast all major pay-per-view events, including Bound For Glory, which takes place on October 20 in Chicago, Illinois.

“We have always seen tremendous engagement from our fans in the Philippines across IMPACT Wrestling’s digital and social platforms,” said Ed Nordholm, Chief Corporate Officer of Anthem Sports & Entertainment and President of IMPACT Wrestling. “We are excited to expand our presence in the Filipino market through our new broadcast partnership with TAPDMV.”

“We are thrilled to bring IMPACT Wrestling to the Philippines,” said Celinda De Guia, President and CEO of TAPDMV. “Filipinos have always loved wrestling and there’s a renewed interest with a growing community of both new and longtime wrestling fans in the country. Our plan is to make IMPACT Wrestling available on our linear and OTT platforms.”

Peter ChanLiong, TAPDMV COO, added: “IMPACT Wrestling is the perfect fit for our channel, TAP EDGE. It truly complements our line-up of action sports, MMA and Esports. We look forward to the excitement and thrills IMPACT Wrestling will bring.”

Miz & Mrs S1 E19 rating

By
Colin Vassallo
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The season one finale, episode 19 of The Miz & Mrs did a total of 1,094,000 viewers, up 97,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast.

Miz & Mrs has done pretty good for USA Network, beating out both Total Divas and Total Bellas in terms of 18-49 demographics and overall viewership. For season one, Miz & Mrs averaged 1,059,000 viewers over a 19-episode run. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)

WWE reaches out to Enzo Amore and Big Cass for possible NXT return

By
Colin Vassallo
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Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting that WWE has been in touch with Enzo Amore and Big Cass about a possible return to the NXT brand.

The two have quite a history in WWE and it all started when Enzo Amore was fired after allegations came up that he raped a fan in a hotel while working for WWE. The allegations ultimately led to nowhere and the police dropped the case mainly due to the inconsistency of the accuser. Amore, who was the Cruiserweight champion at the time, was fired in late January 2018 for failing to disclose that he was under investigation in the case rather than because of the serious accusation. Amore insisted he did not know he was under investigation and a Phoenix PD investigation report later confirmed that.

In November of the same year, Amore sat ringside at the Survivor Series wearing a wig to conceal himself. He sat across the hard camera and was on television most of the time. Eventually he was made and he then removed his wig and started to cut a promo. Security eventually ejected him from the show and no mention of him was made.

Big Cass was fired in June 2018 after he went off script and beat up a little person during a live episode of Smackdown. He was specifically ordered not to take it that far before the segment but did so anyway, angering the management in the back. He was planned to be one of the participants in that year’s Money In The Bank ladder match and was taken out of it and fired a month after the incident.

He eventually admitted that a string of bad decisions he made led to his firing and did not blame anyone for getting rid of him at the time. His battle with alcohol and bad attitude did not help things, making him one of the least-liked guys backstage.

Both Amore and Cass have popped up at indie shows here and there and the two made a run-in during the ROH/NJPW show at Madison Square Garden during WrestleMania weekend.

While somewhat always controversial, the tag team were super over while teaming up during their NXT and WWE days so it’s not a surprise that WWE has reached out again although at this point it remains to be seen if Enzo and Cass have any desire to return.

The Military Makeover episode with Lacey Evans to air tomorrow on Lifetime TV

By
Colin Vassallo
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The episode of The Military Makeover featuring WWE Superstar Lacey Evans with host Montel Williams will premiere tomorrow, August 30 on Lifetime TV.

The Military Makeover team will be renovating the home of Gold Star Widow Cody Patron, whose home was severely damaged last year during Category 5 Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida.

The episode features Evans helping out Williams, crew, and volunteers along with The Home Depot, Simon, and Goodman Manufacturing to give the gift of a beautifully renovated home to Cody. The series is similar to the old Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC but it focuses only on military families.

All aired episodes can be replayed at www.militarymakeover.tv.

Ex-NFL player Rob Gronkowski says he’d be ready to participate in a WWE match

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE logo

Former New England Patriots tight end and big WWE fan Rob Gronkowski was asked about a potential WWE run during a press conference in New York this week where he was there to announce a partnership with Abacus Health Products, a company which produces CBD products.

Gronkowski, who is a personal friend of WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley, explained that he doesn’t think he would be able to do a full-time gig with the company but he would be down for doing “one crazy match.”

He said he could handle practicing for the match and participating, even for a Royal Rumble match or something similar.

“I’m not saying when…maybe five years. I got the rest of my life to do that,” the 30-year-old said. “I’ve always dreamed about doing that…just one time. Going in there and going full out. That may be a possibility, one time…down the road.”

Gronkowski was involved in the ending of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33, helping Rawley win the match.

Smackdown rating for 08/27/2019

By
Colin Vassallo
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Smackdown this week drew 2,088,000 viewers, down 54,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The show was #1 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and was #7 in overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)

Cesaro appearing at NXT Takeover UK: Cardiff

By
Colin Vassallo
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“The Swiss Superman” Cesaro will be appearing at NXT Takeover UK: Cardiff this coming Saturday although in what capacity remains to be seen.

In a video recorded after Raw, Cesaro said that he’s been hearing a lot about NXT UK and it was time for him to take a trip to Cardiff to find out first hand what it’s all about. “And maybe I’ll take a little…hands-on approach,” he said.

The interview suggests that Cesaro will indeed be in action, following the footsteps of fellow WWE Superstar Finn Balor who appeared on the first-ever NXT Takeover UK from Blackpool back in January.

NXT Takeover UK will take place this coming Saturday on the WWE Network at 7PM GMT, which is 2PM ET.

Pre-order now available for All Out on FITE TV

By
Colin Vassallo
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FITE has started taking pre-orders for the All Out pay-per-view, offering the event for $19.99 worldwide…excluding the United States.

If you’re in the United States, the show is also available for pre-order through regular PPV providers and the B/R Live streaming service for $49.99. Those in the United Kingdom and Ireland will need to order the pay-per-view through ITV Box Office for £14.95 and €17.95 respectively.

English and Spanish commentary is included with the FITE order and if you pre-order now you get $2 credit to use elsewhere on the website.

FITE is also airing all the Starrcast III panels, offering all the content for $39.99 as part of the Starrcast Weekend Pass.

To pre-order the pay-per-view go to fite.tv.

Impact to start covering accommodation costs for talent on the road

By
Colin Vassallo
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PWInsider.com is reporting that Impact Wrestling is now paying for hotel costs for everyone who is on the road when the company does television tapings.

Professional wrestlers often have to pay their own hotel and rental car costs when going from city to city unless it’s for a major pay-per-view or an overseas trip. The case is pretty much the same for everyone but Impact seems to be breaking the mold by offering their talent to cover accommodation costs.

The new cool perk will begin with the Impact Wrestling television tapings in Las Vegas, Nevada next week and will be the norm going forward. PWInsider adds that during a meeting back in May, they were told that this is something they’re trying to work out as a way to “give back” to their roster.

The Fiend advertised for a Hell In A Cell Universal title match

By
Colin Vassallo
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Bray Wyatt’s new character The Fiend looks like he will be entering Hell In A Cell come October as The Golden 1 Center, the site of the show, is advertising a HIAC match between Wyatt and the winner of Rollins vs Strowman for the Universal title.

The show is taking place in Sacramento, California on October 6 and yesterday the Twitter account of the arena sent a tweet saying, “Get ready @WWE fans… ‘The Fiend’ @WWEBrayWyatt challenges @WWERollins or @BraunStrowman to a #HIAC match! Get your tickets now, and stay tuned.”

Just because they’re advertising it it doesn’t mean that it’s actually going to happen as promotional material is done a few months in advance but considering how they’ve been pushing Wyatt lately, it would not be a surprise if that is actually the main event.

Tickets for Hell In A Cell have done well and while the arena is not sold out yet, it will probably come close to that once the day of the show arrives.

Ali and Gable advance in King of the Ring tournament

By
Colin Vassallo
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Smackdown’s King of the Ring quarter-final matches were decided yesterday on the show with the bracket over at the blue brand also complete.

Ali defeated Buddy Murphy to advance to the next round while Chad Gable defeated his former tag team partner Shelton Benjamin to move forward.

The quarter-final matches for Smackdown now consist of Elias vs Ali and Chad Gable vs Andrade. Over at the Raw side, it’s Samoa Joe vs Ricochet and Cedric Alexander vs Baron Corbin.

These matches will take place next week while the semi-finals will take place on the September 9 and 10 episodes of Raw and Smackdown from Madison Square Garden.

Raw rating for 08/26/2019

By
Colin Vassallo
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Monday Night Raw had an average of 2,527,000 viewers this week, down slightly by 7,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The show this week went up against the MTV Video Music Awards which did just under 2 million viewers.

Hour one started with 2,637,000 viewers, then went up to 2,686,000 viewers in the second hour, and down to 2,260,000 viewers in the third and final hour.

Raw was #2, #3, and #4 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and #5 in overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)

AJ Styles planning to retire after WWE contract ends

By
Colin Vassallo
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Current WWE United States champion AJ Styles told Lilian Garcia during her latest episode of the Chasing Glory podcast that this is his last contract with WWE and is planning to retire after it wraps up in a few years.

Styles was joined by his fellow O.C. members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to discuss a variety of topics with the former Raw ring announcer when the status of his time with WWE came up.

“I had no doubt that, you know, this is what I was going to do for my career. It really was. And you couldn’t have told me any different,” Styles said, crushing any rumors that might have been there before that he was leaving WWE.

“And I can tell you that the contract that I signed, here in the WWE, is my last. This is it for me. This is where I’m going to end my career no matter what happens. I got to…you know? I want to be there for my kids.”

Styles announced that he signed a new WWE deal in March of this year but has not disclosed for how long his new deal is. His original contract ran for three years.

Cracker Barrel to be the sponsor for Allin vs Janela vs Havoc All Out match

By
Colin Vassallo
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All Elite Wrestling today announced that Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has been named the presenting match sponsor of the triple threat bout between Darby Allin, Joey Janela and Jimmy Havoc at the upcoming All Out pay-per-view, a match which now carries the name of Cracker Barrel Clash.

AEW EVP’s Matt and Nick Jackson previously worked with Cracker Barrel, creating the Biscuit Party caps and the company has also sponsored three of their matches.

The Cracker Barrel Clash marks the first official match sponsorship at an AEW event. The sponsorship includes cross-promotional activities with AEW talent, customized co-branded graphics, in-venue signage and social media activation.

Hobbs & Shaw nears $600 million worldwide in box office revenue

By
Colin Vassallo
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Dwayne Johnson continues to bring on the hits as his movie Hobbs & Shaw made its debut in China over the weekend and delivered the largest August opening ever in the country.

With $102 million just from China, it’s also the second largest opening for the Fast & Furious franchise behind The Fate of the Furious.

Hobbs & Shaw now has $147,629,635 in domestic box office and an additional $440,400,000 in international box office for a worldwide total of $588,029,635.

The movie is $8 million away domestically from surpassing the 2009 Fast and Furious on the franchise chart, currently sitting in sixth out of nine movies.

Hobbs & Shaw is still playing in over 3,000 theaters in the United States.

Raw quarter-final matches for the King of the Ring tournament set

By
Colin Vassallo
-

The two Raw quarter-final matches for the King of the Ring tournament will be taking place next Monday.

Yesterday on Raw, Ricochet was in a surprise victory over heavy favorite Drew McIntyre while Baron Corbin defeated The Miz to advance.

Now it will be Samoa Joe taking on Ricochet in the first quarter-final match and Cedric Alexander taking on Baron Corbin in the second one. The winners of the two matches will meet at Madison Square Garden for the semi-final.

Two more matches will be held on Smackdown tonight with Ali vs Buddy Murphy and Chad Gable vs Shelton Benjamin.

Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman pulling double duty at Clash of Champions

By
Colin Vassallo
-

Two new matches were announced for the Clash of Champions pay-per-view card and Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman will be pulling double duty on the show.

Braun Strowman will be challenging Seth Rollins for the Universal title in one of the main events but the duo are also the Raw Tag Team champions and with all titles set to be defended on the card, they will have another match before their main event.

A tag team turmoil match was held on Raw with the winners becoming the new #1 contenders for the Raw Tag Team titles. The teams included Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik, Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins, The Revival, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, Heavy Machinery, The Viking Raiders, The B-Team, and Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

Ziggler and Roode were the fourth team to enter the match and won the match after they defeated Dorado and Metalik, Ryder and Hawkins, The Revival, and Heavy Machinery.

AEW confirms the hiring of Tony Shciavone as senior producer

By
Colin Vassallo
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All Elite Wrestling today confirmed that it has signed Tony Schiavone to a full-time, multi-year agreement.

The former WCW and WWE commentator will be joining the broadcast team and will also serve as senior producer for AEW events. Schiavone will continue doing his producing work for the University of Georgia Football and Baseball Network, and will call the play-by-play for the Atlanta Braves’ Triple A team, the Gwinnett Stripers.

“Tony ‘The Silver Tongue’ Schiavone was the lead voice of pro wrestling at a time when it was dominating the globe,” said Cody Rhodes, EVP of AEW. “It’s a pleasure to have him join AEW as a senior producer and member of the broadcast team. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a UGA fan either. I think Tony is one of the most underrated lead men with the narrative of pro wrestling there’s ever been. I’m thrilled to get into the studio with him. Let’s welcome Tony to All Elite Wrestling.”

Last week it was rumored that Schiavone signed a deal but AEW did not confirm the news. He was also being pursued by WWE to return to the company nearly 30 years after he left.

Sasha Banks back in action as four matches announced for tonight’s Raw

By
Colin Vassallo
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Four matches have been announced so far for tonight’s Monday Night Raw from New Orleans, including two from the King of the Ring tournament.

Wrestling her first match since WrestleMania 35, former champion Sasha Banks will be taking on her former friend Natalya while Smackdown Women’s champion Bayley will wrestle Nikki Cross in the second women’s match on the show.

Meanwhile the King of the Ring tournament will have Ricochet taking on Drew McIntyre and The Miz vs Baron Corbin.

Steve Austin to appear on September 9 episode of Raw from Madison Square Garden

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin will be appearing on Monday Night Raw on September 9 live from Madison Square Garden.

Tickets for the Raw on September 9 and Smackdown on September 10 haven’t been selling great and the addition of Austin on Raw and The Undertaker on Smackdown were done in a bid to boost ticket sales.

Austin last appeared in a WWE ring at the Raw Reunion show. His show Straight Up Steve Austin airs immediately after Raw on USA Network.

This will be the first time that Raw is held at MSG since November 16, 2009 as WWE moved its NY base to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn due to the high costs that come along with hosting a show at MSG and union rules.

Tickets for both Raw and Smackdown are available at Ticketmaster.com.

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