This week’s Impact Wrestling on POP did a total of 226,000 viewers, down 29,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. Taking out the Thanksgiving edition of Impact, this was the least-viewed Impact of 2017 so far. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Triple H dances with Jinder Mahal and Singh Brothers after main event in India
WWE fans in India got quite the match between Triple H and Jinder Mahal today, a match which Triple H won after delivering two Pedigrees.
After the match, Triple H told the New Delhi crowd that India is in good hands with Jinder Mahal and Mahal then vowed to return as the WWE champion next time. But the fun did not stop there as the post-match antics were as entertaining as the match.
The Singh brothers started dancing the traditional Bhangra in the middle of the ring together, and along with Mahal they tried to get Triple H to join them. It took quite a bit of convincing to do but the crowd ate it up. Eventually, Triple H agreed and first danced the Bhangra with Mahal, then with the Singh brothers one by one. It did not turn out to be a good dance for Samir though as just before they finished, Triple H transitioned from the Bhangra to the Pedigree for another pop from the crowd.
Triple H also wrestled in Abu Dhabi against Roman Reigns last night and lost his match after a spear.
You can see the post-match antics from New Delhi below.
Former adult star Mia Khalifa rips into Ronda Rousey for transitioning to WWE
WWE has a lot of famous celebrities who are fans, but former adult movie star Mia Khalifa is certainly not one of those fans.
On the latest Out of Bounds show on Complex, hosted by Gilbert Arenas and Khalifa herself, Khalifa was not down with Ronda Rousey joining the WWE. “This is where her career will go to die. I have no respect for the WWE, I don’t think it’s a real sport. It’s choreography,” she said. The 24-year-old Lebanese-born American added, “It’s embarrassing, you go from real fights to wearing a sequin unitard and pretending to fight?”
One individual who replied to her statement was Hurricane Helms, who said that he won’t be upset by her statement. “She’s entitled to her opinion. Our bodies take a pounding. And well…so does hers,” he said, adding a smiley emoji at the end.
While her pornographic career was short, Khalifa became the most searched-for performer on one of the most popular adult video sharing websites. She still does webcam “modeling” and since October, she hosts the daily sports show on Complex News’s YouTube Channel.
Bagwell/Levy lawsuit against WWE over Network royalties dismissed
A lawsuit that could have set a dangerous precedent for WWE was officially dismissed yesterday. The lawsuit in question is the one that Marcus Bagwell and Scott Levy, otherwise known as Raven, brought against WWE over royalties from their image and likeness on the WWE Network.
The duo alleged that WWE breached their contract agreements by not paying them royalties for shows that streamed on the WWE Network which included both of them. Currently, WWE does not pay out any royalties to past or present Superstars for streams on the WWE Network. WWE argued that the WWE Network service is different from that of home video sales (DVDs), and while they do pay out royalties for DVDs, the Network is an online streaming service so there’s no physical sale.
The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice and Bagwell and Levy cannot sue WWE again over the same subject. It is believed that all parties involved reached an out-of-court settlement, which is confidential.
Total Divas S7 E5 episode recap: The Bella Rush
This week on Total Divas, one Diva dared to ask the age-old question, “What’s in a name?” or more accurately how much is a name worth?
WWE Superstar Lana tried to do something nice for her husband by celebrating a special Bulgarian holiday known as Names Day. Apparently, in Bulgaria, on one day a year every person with the same name gets together with all other who have the name, and throws a giant party. I wonder what happens if you have a unique name. Do you just have a party all by yourself?
Anyway, Names Day Is just like a birthday, so everyone is required to bring gifts. Therefore Lana asked Rusev what he wanted for his Names Day gift. His answer was surprising to all viewers. It looks like the Bulgarian brute has a biological clock; and it’s ticking. He asked Lana to help him expand the family as a gift. This presents a slight problem because Lana isn’t ready to have kids and as we all know, babymaking is kind of a joint process. Most couples would have discussed their differences in private, but not these two!
Aside from having the debate in front of TV viewers, which is odd in itself, Lana apparently felt comfortable announcing Rusev’s special wish to the entire Name Day party guest list. I agree all the Superstars who said that this was wildly inappropriate party conversation.
While no baby seems to be on the horizon for Rusev and Lana who eventually agreed to wait to have children until after Lana achieved all her career goals, Alexa Bliss bought herself a baby of the porcine variety. That’s right, WWE Universe, the domineering take no prisoners, multiple time champion is a huge animal lover. However, it seems she is no longer content to own a menagerie of cats and dogs, but has added a baby pig to the mix.
Because of her new four-legged roommate, Larry Steve, Alexa has decided to stop eating pork products, and is encouraging friends to do the same. This encouragement was lost on fellow Superstar Nia Jax who ordered a bacon cheeseburger just minutes after helping Alexa pick out her new pet. Oops!
Meanwhile, Nikki and Brie Bella were spending some much needed sister time at Nikki and her fiancé’s beach house in San Diego. While they were there, the sisters discussed how much they missed the adrenaline rush that they got from in-ring performances. They were determined to get the same rush from other activities. So, together sisters attempted skateboard tricks and bet on the horse races, but decided that nothing could match the satisfaction they got from wrestling. So, it looks like we are going to be seeing a Bella Twin come back in 2018, which adds even more drama to upcoming episodes of Total Divas.
Sheamus suffering from spinal stenosis
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting that WWE Raw Tag Team title holder Sheamus is currently suffering from spinal stenosis.
Sheamus went back home last week for rehab, and even posted a video on YouTube showing one of the methods he’s using to alleviate the pain. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal, resulting in a neurological deficit. Symptoms include pain, numbness, and loss of motor control. There is no cure for spinal stenosis, but there are treatments to help relieve symptoms and surgery may be required to prevent further damage to the cord itself and prevent paralysis.
Spinal stenosis was the career-ending cause for WWE Hall of Famers Stone Cold Steve Austin and Edge.
WWE visits military installations in San Diego for Tribute to the Troops
On Tuesday, WWE Superstars from both brands attended the Tribute to the Troops festivities in San Diego as WWE held its 15th annual Tributes show from Naval Base San Diego.
The show was filmed earlier in the day as the Smackdown crew had to pull double duty, performing a live show later in the day. Over the past few years, the show had been taped prior to Smackdown in the same arena but this time, WWE gave it more of the military look by holding the show at a base.
While in San Diego, WWE superstars spent time giving back to military personnel and their families. Activities included a bullying prevention rally, as well as hospital visits and military outreach initiatives at various installations, including Naval Base San Diego, Naval Air Station North Island and Naval Medical Center San Diego. Music artists, Machine Gun Kelly, Bebe Rexa, and Sam Harris sang for the sailors during the broadcast.
WWE taped five matches for the show, which will air as a two-hour special next Thursday on USA Network as part of WWE Holiday Week. Clips from during the day at various military installations will also be aired.
You can see a collection of 38 photos from WWE’s activities throughout the day including from some of the matches below.
The Great War has arrived in the WWE!
So, you love wrestling? Then, are you aware of the recent news from the House of Hardy? And, yeah! Have you gone through Dealslands? Well, it has a lot of lucrative coupons that you can grab to buy tickets for the foremost wrestling events at an affordable rate. However, if you want to enlighten yourself about what exactly happened in the House of Hardy recently then just read ahead:
Anthem Sports has recently altered their policy while letting the former talent persisting with their gimmicks. Moreover, Matt Hardy had even taken a strong stunt on the WWE television. The scenario might seem like that it has taken a lot but it finally became a reality and many things came ahead together which even included the rebooting of Vanguard 1. It is definitely making sense that the drone from Hardy is not the only familiar face which is going to emerge on Raw very soon.
If you don’t have an idea
During almost throughout 2016, the saga of Broken Matt dominated over the Impact Wrestling as the Broken Hardys were continuing on their Expedition of Gold and they were even creating a dominance in reaching everywhere. After the comeback of Matt and Jeff Hardy to WWE at WrestleMania 33, it seemed like that they had a return to their team Xtreme Gimmick while leaving the Broken Universe back in Impact Wrestling because of the reason that they will not let the intellectual property to go off.
The core part of the matter
At Raw, Matt Hardy received a proper beating from Bray Watt on this week. In fact, he was suddenly breaking in front of our eyes and the things seemed like that they came together again. This theory took the foremost position when Anthem Sports claimed that they would amend their talent contract and allow them to take their gimmicks with them while leaving the company. The same fact even applied to the former talent which meant that the Broken Universe was finally expected to come home to the famous House of Hardy.
Speculation of Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The assumptions turned true when Hardy was woken rather than being broken off in WWE. But, it was even a true speculation that whichever moniker they might have opted for, it would have been similarly incredible to hear the same kind of storytelling from them on a WWE stage.
Although, the official Twitter account of Vanguard 1 was dormant and since February it has sprung back to life while showing a GIF of a computer that was booting up. Matt Hardy soon gave a reply to his old friend while informing his drone that the time for returning to the trenches of the Great War had come. Some amazing things happened around and we were lucky enough to experience the same!
Moreover, Matt Hardy even came up with an epic video which shows that he is ordering a ‘Senor’ to himself so that he can procure the coat of battle. It can be pretty much assumed that he was talking about none other than Senor Benjamin here!
What’s Coming Up?
It is needed to pay a keen intention to everything that Matt Hardy does. It’s because each little action from him is supposed to be a stride towards something very huge. If WWE is concerned about saying anything then the Woken Universe is expected to be far bigger than the Broken Universe could ever be.
Total Divas S7 E5 rating
Episode five of season seven of Total Divas, titled The Bella Rush, did 562,000 viewers last night on E!, an increase of 14,000 viewers over last week’s episode. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss make WWE history in Abu Dhabi
WWE Raw Women’s champion Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks made history today in Abu Dhabi, becoming the first female WWE Superstars to wrestle in the United Arab Emirates.
During previous tours to Abu Dhabi, WWE did not allow women to wrestle due to the strict rules imposed on them especially when it comes to clothing. Both Bliss and Banks wore full bodysuits for their match, covering their full body to comply with the religious laws. WWE filmed the match for historical purposes, a match which Alexa Bliss won.
In a post-match interview backstage, an emotional Sasha Banks said that it feels crazy that they managed to do it and cried because over the importance of this moment. “It’s bigger than me. It was insane. From the moment I walked out there and when the announcer announced it was going to be a women’s match, you could hear the crowd care,” Banks said.
You can see the whole interview below.
Referee Earl Hebner wants another shot in WWE
Former Impact Wrestling referee Earl Hebner told Sports Illustrated that he would love to go back to WWE and finish his career where he started.
Hebner spent 17 long years with the company but was fired in 2005 after he was caught selling WWE merchandise without permission from a shop in St. Louis he co-owned.
“Vince McMahon was always good to me, and he gave me the opportunity to be who I am and what I am. I would love to go back and, if nothing else, do one more match to say thank you very much for what you’ve done for me,” Hebner said.
The referee, who has an identical twin Dave who was also a referee, was the one involved in the Montreal Screwjob, ringing the bell to end the match that changed professional wrestling forever. His son Brian also refereed for WWE before both went to Impact Wrestling.
Hebner added that he left Impact Wrestling as he got pay cut after pay cut and it wasn’t worth it anymore to work for them. He was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 2015 after 11 years with the company.
Sources claim Rousey/WWE deal imminent
USA Today is reporting, citing sources, that a deal between Ronda Rousey and WWE is imminent and the two parties are currently finalizing the details of her move to the company.
When USA Today contacted WWE for comment, the company did not immediately respond. Rousey herself has not talked much about it and when confronted by a TMZ paparazzo several weeks ago, she said she’d rather keep it as a surprise if it happens.
Gene Le Bell, a personal friend of Rousey who is often part of her training camps, said that occasional appearances in WWE might work better for her rather than a permanent spot on the roster. “I love Ronda, and anything she can do to make money for her and her new husband then I am rooting for her. She will get a lot of money and that’s great.”
Rousey, one of UFC’s top athletes until her big fall from grace following a long, undefeated streak, has often talked about being a pro wrestling fan and made several appearances on WWE television. She was involved in a high-profile segment at WrestleMania 31 with The Rock, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon, but that was the only time she stepped inside a WWE ring on television.
The former UFC Bantamweight champion has been undergoing wrestling training at Brian Kendrick’s gym and spent a few days at the WWE Performance Center as well.
Two weeks ago, UFC President Dana White said he hoped Rousey would not return to the Octagon following her two back-to-back quick losses. “I wouldn’t want to see it,” White said. “I wouldn’t want it to happen. I care about her. She has got money … and all that stuff. I don’t want to see it happen.”
Smackdown rating for 12/5/2017
Smackdown this week drew 2,493,000 viewers, down 187,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The show was #2 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic. It’s the first time in five weeks that Smackdown drew less than the previous week. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Total Divas episode preview for tonight: The Bella Rush
E! will air episode five of season seven of Total Divas tonight with an episode titled The Bella Rush.
The synopsis for the episode reads, “Lana hosts a Bulgarian Name’s Day party for Rusev in Nashville but isn’t ready to give him what he really wants as a present. Nattie buys her parents a house, but soon realizes they are the tenants from hell. Meanwhile, the Bellas miss the adrenaline rush of wrestling and try to find a fix to replace it.”
Bret Hart sues surgeon for $1 million over botched wrist procedure
The Calgary Sun is reporting that WWE Hall of Famer Bret “Hit Man” Hart is suing the surgeon who operated on his wrist for $1 million.
The lawsuit states that decades ago, Hart injured his right wrist by chipping his scaphoid, one of the eight small bones in the wrist. Two years ago, he visited Dr. Justin Yeung, a plastic surgeon, who advised that he could perform surgery to repair his wrist by partial fusion of the wrist bones.
On November 23, 2015, the former WWE champion underwent wrist surgery at Peter Lougheed Centre under the care of Dr. Yeung. Six weeks later, Hart returned to the hospital to have three pins removed and complained about swelling and pain and told the doctor that his index finger and thumb were numb and didn’t function.
Dr. Yeung advised Hart that he should wait and see how the wrist heals over the next few months but Hart claimed that after subsequent visits – in March, April, and August of 2016 – he still had severe pain and couldn’t move his fingers.
“The defendants were negligent, breached the duties of care they owed to Mr. Hart and breached their agreement with (him),” the lawsuit states. One of the negligence that Hart is accusing the doctor of is regarding a tourniquet on his right arm that was left on too long, such that the circulation of the nerves and tendons to his right thumb and index finger were damaged by a prolonged insufficient supply of oxygen.
“He is unable to participate in his previous recreational and social activities,” the statement of claim states. He is unable to use his right hand to pick up and functionally use objects, including pens, pencils, eating utensils and tools. He is unable to properly dress himself without assistance.”
The Calgary Sun adds that in October, Hart underwent a second surgery in Vancouver but the outcome is not yet known.
Changes to two title matches at Clash of Champions
Two title matches at Clash of Champions got some minor modifications as the Smackdown Women’s title match is now a gimmick match and another team has joined the Smackdown Tag Team title match.
Charlotte Flair and Natalya will now be wrestling in a lumberjack (or jill?) match for the title while Rusev and Aiden English got themselves a spot in the tag team title match after they beat The New Day on the show. This match will now be a fatal 4-way match including The Usos and Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable as well.
Two other title matches on the card feature Baron Corbin vs Bobby Roode vs Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat match for the United States title and AJ Styles vs Jinder Mahal for the WWE title.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next week
The Hollywood Walk of Fame will be smelling what The Rock is cooking as the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced that former WWE champion and the hardest working man in show business, Dwayne Johnson, will finally get his own star on the Walk of Fame.
The ceremony will take place on December 13 at 11:30AM PT at 6801 Hollywood Blvd., in front of Hollywood and Highland.
“Not only does Dwayne have a great personality and talent, but he also does a great amount of philanthropic work which is part of the criteria for earning an immortal spot on the Walk of Fame,” producer of Walk of Fame ceremonies Ana Martinez said. “We envision scores of photos being taken at his star by his fans.”
Johnson has been a big box office success lately and is currently #2 in the top 10 best-paid actors in Hollywood according to Forbes. His next movie with Jack Black and Kevin Hart, Jumanji, opens later this month.
Raw crew jets off to Abu Dhabi and India for tour
The Raw brand has jetted off to the other side of the world for a few days as they will be performing two shows in Abu Dhabi and one show in India.
The tour starts tomorrow at the Zayed Sports City Tennis Stadium in Abu Dhabi and there will be another show on December 8 in the same location. That show was supposed to be a show in India but slow ticket sales contributed to the cancellation of one of the shows. To encourage fans to purchase a ticket to the second show in Abu Dhabi, WWE announced that Roman Reigns would be taking on Triple H.
On Saturday, December 9, the Raw crew will be at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, India for an event headlined by Jinder Mahal taking on Triple H. The original belief was that Mahal would be walking into the tour as the WWE champion but everything changed during the UK tour when Styles won the title on Smackdown.
Everyone will fly back to the United States on Sunday to prepare for Monday Night Raw.
Big tag match set up for Clash of Champions with major stipulation
A big tag team match has been added to the Clash of Champions pay-per-view involving Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens taking on Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura.
But that is not all, as Shane McMahon will be the special guest referee of the match…and if Zayn and Owens lose, they will be fired!
The whole angle was set up last night on Smackdown with Orton given the opportunity to choose his own tag partner for the match. Nakamura saved Orton following his match against Zayn at the end of the show, revealing himself as Orton’s partner.
But before the show went off the air, Shane McMahon dropped the news that he was appointing himself as the referee of the match and adding the stipulation that the heel duo would be fired if they are not successful.
Raw rating for 12/04/2017
Raw this week did an average of 2,813,000 viewers, up 54,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast.
Hour one did 3,147,000 viewers, then dropped to 2,862,000 in the second hour, before closing the night way low at 2,430,000 viewers. Raw lost a massive 717,000 viewers from hour one to hour three.
The show was #3, #5, and #6 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
You must be logged in to post a comment.