Impact last night, headlined by the 20-man gauntlet match to crown the new GFW World champion, did 296,000 viewers on POP, down 24,000 viewers from last week’s show. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Former WWE and TNA star Matt Morgan running for Longwood City Commissioner
Matt Morgan, the former WWE and TNA star, announced his candidacy for Longwood City Commissioner, District 4 in Seminole County, Florida.
“I have never been the type to sit back and ‘armchair quarterback’ or just complain about things. I am the type that goes out and gets things done. I feel it’s my duty to step up and finally start doing what needs to be done here for my fellow neighbors in this beautiful city,” Morgan said.
The 40-year-old 7-foot star moved to Seminole County eight years ago with his family – his wife Larissa and 3-year-old son Jackson. “I want to do everything possible to make this city a place my three-year-old autistic son can take pride in. I hope that one day he decides to raise his family here as well. I decided it’s time to start doing. It’s time to be the voice for the voiceless here in the city of Longwood,” he added.
Morgan wrestled for WWE between 2002 and 2005 and for TNA between 2007 2013. He recently returned to on Impact earlier this year but was released from his deal in July.
Big Cass undergoes successful knee surgery
Big Cass underwent successful knee surgery yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center under the care of Dr. Jeff Dugas to repair the torn ACL he suffered during his street fight match against his former tag team partner Enzo Amore.
Unfortunately for the big man, he is expected to be out of action for up to 9 months as rehabilitation for such surgery is one of the longest.
His real-life girlfriend Carmella was by his side when he went under the knife and posted post-surgery photos.
Dr. Jeff Dugas is the “go-to” guy of WWE and he has operated on a lot of Superstars such as John Cena, Seth Rollins, Sheamus, Cesaro, Finn Balor, and many others.
Edge discusses that time he almost went to TNA
In his latest podcast with Christian, Edge discussed how he came close to jumping ship to TNA back in 2008 when his contract was up, but ultimately decided to stay with the WWE.
Edge said that he never talked this with anybody but when his WWE deal was up, TNA officials reached out to him and offered him a contract with limited dates which he thought would be great for his body since he needed a break. He also brought up the possibility of wrestling AJ Styles and Samoa Joe at that time, which would be different from the WWE roster which he went through already.
But the WWE Hall of Famer said that WWE always felt like home and recounted how when he went to WCW for a couple of matches, he walked out thinking that that place was not for him.
Edge felt that it was the right decision for him to stay in the WWE and finish his career there although for Christian, things were different and going to TNA was certainly the best option for him to take.
The Pod of Awesomeness featuring Edge and Christian is available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.
The Miz climbs to #6 spot in longest WWE Intercontinental title reigns chart
The Miz noted on his Instagram that he is now the 6th longest WWE Intercontinental champion of all time with a total of 432 combined days as champion.
“Today I surpass my childhood favorite #UltimateWarrior. I will never forget as a kid painting my face, putting strings on my arms and running around the house doing my best Ultimate Warrior imitation. It’s an honor to be on this prestigious list with such great legends,” he wrote.
According to history books, he surpassed the Ultimate Warrior for the sixth position and will pass Razor Ramon next week in fifth who is at 437 days. The run to the second place isn’t far off as Tito Santana has 443 days, The Honky Tonk Man has 454 days and Don Muraco has 541 days. The first position is occupied by Pedro Morales at 619 days.
The Miz is in his seventh title reign, surpassed only by Chris Jericho who had nine Intercontinental title reigns so far.
The former WWE champion won his seventh IC title at Extreme Rules in June against Dean Ambrose.
Asuka vacates NXT Women’s title
It’s a title reign record that it will take years before someone breaks it, but last night at the NXT television tapings, Asuka vacated the NXT Women’s title and will be moving to the main roster soon.
The Empress of Tomorrow surrendered the title to NXT General Manager William Regal during the last segment of the tapings. According to WWE.COM, her reign will officially end on the date that her historic announcement airs in about a month.
Regal said that he is “negotiating” with the Raw and Smackdown General Managers to see where Asuka will eventually land.
Asuka is currently sidelined with a broken right collarbone and will be out of action for up to two months. After the announcement was done, Triple H presented her with a bouquet of flowers in the ring as fans chanted “Thank you Asuka.” The rest of the NXT locker room emptied to join in on the celebration from the top of the ramp.
She won the title at NXT Takeover: Dallas on April 1, 2016 and has been champion ever since. She is also undefeated in NXT.
Eli Drake becomes the new GFW World champion
Eli Drake became the unlikely new GFW World champion last night on Impact after he won a 20-man gauntlet match, an impressive feat considering he entered as the first competitor.
Drake joined the company in 2015 and had only won the King of the Mountain title before winning the big one last night.
The new champion spent most of his career on the independent circuit and had a few WWE appearances. In 2013 he signed a WWE developmental deal and was given the name of Slate Randall but he was released a year later.
NXT tapings tonight wrap up 6 straight days of television production
WWE will tape a month worth of NXT television tonight at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida as the fallout from NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III starts.
The tapings tonight will wrap up six straight days of television production for the company which started on Saturday night.
Perhaps the biggest news will be the arrival of Adam Cole, who teamed up with fellow former ROH members Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish at Takeover. The three viciously attacked the new NXT champion Drew McIntyre. Bobby Roode has moved on to Smackdown but there’s a good chance he will be at the tapings to wrap up his NXT work.
Also, Asuka is currently sidelined with a broken collarbone. One would expect some sort of announcement regarding the NXT Women’s title and its future. Most collarbone fractures heal within eight weeks so it’s highly likely that Asuka will still keep the title during her rehabilitation rather than the title getting stripped away from her.
NXT commentator Mauro Ranallo will be flying in from Las Vegas where he is doing work for Showtime for the upcoming Mayweather vs McGregor boxing fight. He will return to Sin City following the end of the tapings.
New GFW champion to be crowned tonight on Impact
Tonight on Impact Wrestling, a new Global Force Wrestling World champion will be crowned as 20 stars will participate in a gauntlet match.
The title, previously held by Alberto El Patron, was declared vacant after El Patron was stripped off the belt following the suspension stemming from the airport incident with Paige in July.
The 20 individuals who will be participating in tonight’s gauntlet match are in alphabetical order: Bobby Lashley, Braxton Sutter, Chris Adonis, EC3, Eddie Edwards, Eddie Kingston, El Hijo De Fantasma, Eli Drake, Fallah Bahh, Garza Jr, Johnny Impact, Kongo Kong, KM, Low Ki, Mahabali Shera, Mario Bokara, Moose, Richard Justice, Suicide, and Taiji Ishimori.
This episode of Impact was taped last week following the live-to-tape broadcast.
WWE signs new TV deal in the Caribbean with live broadcasts
WWE and Flow 1 – the Caribbean’s go-to channel for leading local, regional and global content – today announced a multi-year agreement to televise Raw and Smackdown live beginning this Monday, August 28. Flow 1 will now be the exclusive English-language home of WWE in the Caribbean.
Flow 1 will televise Raw live at 8PM ET Mondays and Smackdown live at 8PM ET Tuesdays. Additionally, Flow 1 will air WWE Experience, a one-hour weekly WWE highlights show, on Saturdays at 8PM ET, and This Week in WWE, a 30-minute weekly highlights show, on Sundays at 10PM ET.
“WWE is a renowned global sports entertainment brand that fits perfectly with our overarching strategy to bring our valued customers the best, most popular content to meet their specific demands,” said Garry Sinclair, President of the Caribbean for Cable & Wireless, operator of Flow. “This is a big deal for WWE fans across the Caribbean, as this partnership enables us to bring even more content that viewers around the world enjoy.”
Fans will also be able to watch the shows anytime, anywhere via Flow To Go, an innovative mobile app that allows authenticated Flow customers access to their shows from a web browser, smartphone or tablet. They can also re-watch any episode to catch up at any time on Flow’s On-Demand Platform.
“We’re pleased to have Flow join us in televising WWE programming throughout the Caribbean,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer. “This partnership allows us to expand our reach as we deliver our unique blend of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment throughout the region.”
Smackdown rating for 08/22/2017
Smackdown did 2,685,000 viewers this week, for the first show following SummerSlam. That is a 155,000 viewer increase over last week’s show. It’s the most-watched Smackdown since April 11. The number was good enough to land Smackdown in the #1 spot in the top 50 chart among the 18-49 demographic but it was #5 in the overall viewership overall. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Low Ki departs Global Force Wrestling
PWInsider.com is reporting that Low Ki is the latest one to have departed Global Force Wrestling due to creative differences.
The 37-year-old former X-Division champion had four stints with the company dating back to their early days in 2002. His latest return was in April of this year and immediately won the X-Division title for the fifth time in his first match back.
In an episode of Impact that aired earlier this month, Low Ki joined LAX and attacked Alberto El Patron. The two had to wrestle on the Destination X-themed episode of Impact last week but since El Patron was still suspended, the match was scrapped.
Low Ki was part of the 20-man gauntlet match for the vacant GFW World title which will air tomorrow on POP.
PWInsider adds that the split was “amicable” although there were some sources who suggested that another reason he’s gone is due to money.
Investigation against Paige dropped as El Patron refuses to press charges
Investigation against WWE Superstar Paige in connection with the Orlando airport incident has been dropped by the State Attorney’s Office after her fiancee Alberto El Patron refused to press charges against her.
Paige was investigated and was going to be charged with domestic violence, with El Patron as the victim, back in early July and faced automatic dismissal from WWE per their Wellness Program policy. The SAO had enough evidence to prosecute her according to TMZ but El Patron looks like he has saved her career for the moment.
Their incident at the airport resulted in chaos, first with El Patron being arrested, then an eye-witness came forward with audio evidence of their fight, and then the investigation taking a 180 degrees turn with Paige named as the attacker.
It wasn’t just bad news for Paige though as GFW suspended El Patron pending their internal investigation and then stripped him off the GFW World title for his behavior. El Patron remains suspended and with GFW taping two months worth of Impact it could be a while before we see El Patron back on television.
Big Cass to undergo surgery, out for up to 9 months
Big Cass needs to undergo surgery to repair an ACL tear he suffered during a street fight on Monday Night Raw against Enzo Amore.
“It looks like he has an ACL tear, possibly a medial meniscus tear, but we’re going to wait for the radiologist to evaluate the MRI and give us their full report,” WWE ringside physician Dr. Chris Robinson said.
Cass will be traveling to Birmingham, Alabama this week to undergo surgery and start the rehabilitation process which is expected to take up to nine long months.
The injury occurred when Cass was going for a big boot but Amore held down the ropes, sending his former tag team partner flying out and landing badly on his leg. After initially ignoring the pain and continuing on with the match, Cass had to eventually stop after his knee gave out, causing him to roll out of the ring and the referee stopping the match, handing Enzo a win.
Enzo Amore joins 205 Live
Amidst rumors of backstage heat with his fellow co-workers, Enzo Amore was moved to the 205 Live roster and will now be wrestling inside the purple ropes.
Amore interrupted Neville’s celebration promo after successfully defeating Akira Tozawa to retain the Cruiserweight title, declaring that the 205 Live broadcast is now the “realest show in the room.”
There have been several stories floating around about Enzo Amore and his behavior backstage. There are rumors that he was given The Miz treatment from years ago, where he is not allowed to change in the same dressing room among other things. Amore was kicked off a tour bus by Roman Reigns during a recent tour after his attitude continued to irritate several people.
Dwayne Johnson slips to #2 in Forbes’ top 10 best-paid actors chart
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson lost his #1 place on Hollywood’s top 10 best-paid actors chart however he came mighty close in #2.
Johnson earned a total of $65 million for the year, approximately half a million more than last year, but he was toppled by his Pain & Gain co-star Mark Wahlberg, who came in at $68 million – just $3 million more than Johnson.
The former WWE champion remains one of the most in-demand stars in Hollywood.
Bobby Roode arrives on Smackdown Live
Just days after losing his NXT title, Bobby Roode returned to the Barclays Center last night on Smackdown as the newest member of the blue brand and received a thunderous ovation complete with the usual sing-along to his theme song.
Roode wrestled former NXT star Aiden English on his main roster debut and afterward told Renee Young that SmackDown Live went from “being great to being absolutely glorious.”
Bobby Roode signed with NXT in the beginning of 2016 and made his first public appearance at NXT Takeover: Dallas. He made his in-ring debut in June and had a solid run as one of the company’s top performers. He won the NXT title at NXT Takeover: San Antonio from Shinsuke Nakamura and held the title till last weekend where he lost it to Drew McIntyre at Takeover: Brooklyn III.
The 40-year-old Toronto native is said to be moving quickly into the Smackdown main event picture soon.
Dana Brooke’s 26-year-old boyfriend Dallas McCarver passes away
TMZ.COM is reporting that Dallas McCarver, the 26-year-old boyfriend of WWE Superstar Dana Brooke passed away.
The bodybuilder known as “Big Country” apparently died after he choked on his food at his Florida home. Brooke told TMZ that he was found unconscious just after midnight Tuesday morning by a friend at his home shortly after they spoke on the phone.
He was taken to a local hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. There does not seem to be any foul play involved according to police.
Brooke told TMZ that McCarver told her he was about to make dinner and the last thing he said to her was, “I love you. Goodbye.”
In a post on Instagram, Brooke wrote that the Lord received “another angel” who happened to be her life, the only one who understood her. “He is the best individual I have ever met – my ying to my yang…finished my sentences and knew what I was thinking before I’d say it,” she wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYHH-5EAMS0/?taken-by=ashasebera_danabrooke
Smackdown! Live TV report for 08/22/2017
First off, I would like to give my best wishes and blessings for Ric Flair. I didn’t write anything last week about him because I wanted to wait until more news broke out, and I honestly was preparing for the worst, thinking I would have to write a tribute piece tonight. I am glad that did not happen, and that he is on the road to recovery.
In the business he loves, SummerSlam in the books, and we have a “new era” of sorts that begins with Smackdown! tonight. We have new champions, some still champions, and a whole lot of questions as to who’s going against who for the next month. I will not spoil for those who want to be surprised, so instead just read on to find out!
Smackdown Live Television Report for August 22, 2017 – “More Opportunities”
Introduction Segment: Video Promo
A recap of SummerSlam featuring the United States Championship Match between Champion A.J. Styles and challenger Kevin Owens with Commissioner Shane McMahon as the special referee is shown.
Arena Promo
We go live to The Barclay’s Center and the United States Champion A.J. Styles is out first. Amid chants of his name, he has a microphone in hand in the middle of the ring. “Welcome to Smackdown! Live, ‘the house that A.J. Styles built!’ And I am still your United States Champion after beating Kevin Owens at SummerSlam.” He calls himself “the workhorse of WWE,” and brings back the United States Championship Open Challenge, beginning immediately! The man to answer … the former champion, Kevin Owens.
“K.O.” stands on stage with a mike too, but A.J. quickly denies him. Owens disputes the outcome of their SummerSlam match, and reiterates a “screwjob” from a McMahon to a “legendary Canadian.” The Commissioner now joins in the ring with the two rivals. Shane sticks to his word that he “called the match right down the middle, and in the end, A.J. won, fair and square.”
Kevin argues about McMahon’s physical aptitude and then airs footage of the three-count that was waived off because Styles placed his foot on the bottom rope. A.J. has heard enough and tells Owens that if he wants it, he can have a rematch. Shane relents but books it, however, “K.O.” wants more. Citing numerous issues, he wants a referee of his own. McMahon refuses but Styles is fine with it, so Shane again reluctantly agrees, but also puts Owens on notice that this will be his last opportunity for the championship if he loses.
Office Promo
General Manager Daniel Bryan is on his cellphone when The Singh Brothers walk in. They introduce WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, who puts himself over. Daniel points out that he can’t win without the help of Samir and Samil, which Mahal becomes displeased with the accusation. Bryan books a match with Shinsuke Nakamura taking on The Singh Brothers tonight!
Commercials.
Backstage Promo
Kevin Owens spots Sami Zayn and asks him to be the referee, despite their history. Sami doesn’t even recall why they started feuding as they have been for a while, which Owens agrees and tells him that Zayn’s not had much of a job on Smackdown! lately, so why not have one tonight. Sami looks like he is pondering that idea while Kevin walks away.
Arena Promo
Aiden English calls for a spotlight and he sings in an operatic voice, until he is interrupted by ….
“GLORIOUS!”
Bobby Roode makes his Smackdown! debut and will be wrestling now!
Match #1: Single – Aiden English VS. Bobby Roode
They both pose and then Bobby clotheslines Aiden to the floor!
Commercials.
Roode and English go back-and-forth until Aiden misses a top-turnbuckle dive and is slammed with a spinebuster. Bobby signals, and then drives English to the canvas with his Glorious DDT! (Implant DDT). Roode covers fro the victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Bobby Roode
Post-match, Rene Young interviews “Glorious.” He touts his successes, and thanking Shane and Daniel for bringing him to Smackdown off of Free Agency. “Smackdown went from being ‘great’ to being ‘glorious!’”
Office Promo
Daniel is with Chad Gable, who wants a new start. Bryan is going to give it to him in the form of a new tag team partner – the returning Shelton Benjamin! Chad is excited, but Benjamin seems a little more reserved and wants to find out what happens next week when they will be in their first match together as a team.
Backstage Promo
Kevin Owens has a referee’s shirt and hands it to Sami Zayn, but Zayn denies him afterall.
The Hype Bros – Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley make their entrances for a bout, next!
Commercials.
Match #2: Tag Team – The Hype Bros (Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder) VS. Tag Team champions The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) (Non-title)
Mojo and Jimmy start out trading shots, and then Jey and Jimmy double-team Mojo, allowing The Usos to take control. Rawley eventually gets the hot-tag to Zack, but The Champions are too much and Superkick him for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winners via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champions The Usos
Post-match, Jimmy and Jey warn all of Smackdown! Live’s Tag-Teams that The Usos are here to rule!
Shinsuke Nakamura is walking through the halls, and is taking on The Singh Brothers next!
Commercials.
Match #3: Two-On-One – Shinsuke Nakamura VS. The Singh Brothers (Samir and Samil) (with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal)
Even though both Brothers can be in the ring at the same time, Nakamura dominates the early part of this contest. Jinder helps out – hands off – and that allows The Singhs to double-team for a bit, until Shinsuke catches one of the Brothers in a Triangle Choke, forcing them to give-in!
Winner via Submission: Shinsuke Nakamura
Post-match, Mahal attacks, but Nakamura turns it around and hits his Kinsasha knee-to-the-face!
Backstage Promo
Kevin is still looking for a referee and is caught by Breezango! They want to be his “referees,” but he flat-out rejects them. Baron Corbin walks up and offers his help, only if he gets a shot at the title. Owens agrees.
Commercials.
Arena Promo
New Women’s champion Natalya struts to the ring. She puts down former champion Naomi, and declares herself “forever” to be Smackdown’s champion. She promises to bring back “dignity” to the championship.
“Ms. Money In The Bank” Carmella and James Ellsworth make their entrances and threaten Natalya about her cashing in for a title shot. “At SummerSlam, I let you have your moment, but just remember, when the time is right, I’ll be trading in my contract for that championship. Capiche?”
Match #4: Tag-Team – Women’s Champion Natalya and Carmella (with James Ellsworth) VS. Becky Lynch and Naomi
Carmella and Naomi start out, with Carmella dancing around at first, and then suddenly tagging in Nattie. The Champ and Naomi lock up and we go to break!
Commercials.
Becky and Nattie are now in the ring, with Natalya stomping away at Lynch in the corner. Nattie clamps on a grounding rear-chinlock, but Becky works out of it, however Natalya hits back with a clothesline. Nattie wants to switch, but Carmella hops off of the apron; they argue and Becky takes advantage. She elbows Natalya out of the corner, but the Women’s Champion pulls her off of the second turnbuckle and covers but only gets two! Lynch reverses a suplex into an inside cradle, and then tags in Naomi, who locks on her submission. Natalya works out of that and tries the Sharpshooter, but Naomi wiggles out. Nattie forces Carmella in, and Becky and Naomi finish her off!
Winners via Pinfall: Becky Lynch and Naomi
Commercials.
Backstage Promo
Dasha is with a Dolph Ziggler, who is back after a long absence. He pokes fun at everyone who has some fancy attribute to them, claiming that’s what he needs to be noticed again. Dolph vows to start that next week.
Locker Room Promo
Lana is with Tamina and tells her that her “quest” for the Women’s championship starts next week. She has Tamina bring out her “rage” through meditation, and calls her “the most-feared woman on Smackdown! Live.”
Backstage Promo
United States Champion A.J. Styles is walking towards the entrance area when Baron Corbin stops him. He wants to make the same deal with Styles, but A.J. informs him to get in line with the Open Challenge next week, when Styles wins tonight. Corbin quips “see you out there, champ,” and walks away.
Baron Corbin makes his entrance for the main-event, next!
Commercials.
Match #5: Single for the United States Championship – Kevin Owens (Challenger) VS. A.J. Styles (Champion) (Special Referee: Baron Corbin)
Owens stalls on the outside and then slides in and stomps away. Styles gains control as Corbin fairly looks on.
Commercials.
Kevin trips up A.J. on the apron and throws him into the barrier with a fall-away slam. He rolls him back in the ring for a near-fall, and then wears him down with a grounding rear-chinlock. Owens continues to govern until Styles reverses into a wheelbarrow-facebuster!
They slug away at each other and then A.J. hits numerous fists and kicks. He measures Kevin in the corner and runs at him with a leaping-forearm! He almost gets this after a fireman’s-carry neckbreaker! Styles and Baron have calm words, and then A..J. sets up for the Phenomenal Forearm; Kevin ducks but gets trapped in the Calf-Crusher! He just about taps and almost clasps the bottom rope; Styles rolls him away, but Corbin tells Styles that Owens actually did grab the rope.
Kevin shoves A.J. into Baron, who shoves Styles back into a roll-up for a very-quick two! Owens rolls-up again for another fast-count, and they both clothesline each other. Commissioner McMahon charges down and bickers with Corbin about his officiating. In the ring, Kevin gives A.J. a low-blow and covers, but Shane pulls Baron out of the ring! They squabble again, and then Corbin ditches the referee shirt and job!
McMahon is now the ref, to Owens’ chargin! Styles capitalizes with his Phenomenal Forearm and covers for the victory!
Winner via Pinfall and STILL United States Champion: A.J. Styles
Post-match, A.J. celebrates as Kevin looks on in disbelief and anger to close the show.
End of Smackdown! Live.
Raw rating for 08/21/2017
The post-SummerSlam Raw did 3,404,000 viewers, up 171,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. This was the most-watched broadcast of Raw since April 10.
Hour one opened with 3,416,000 viewers, then increased to 3,581,000 viewers, before dropping down to 3,216,000 in the third and final hour. 365,000 viewers tuned away between hour two and three.
The show had competition from the NFL pre-season and the Donald Trump Presidential address. Raw’s numbers were good enough for #1, #3, and #4 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)