Sound the alarms and take cover as one of the most controversial wrestlers has made his in-ring return at Impact last night. Former WCW champion Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner showed up at the television tapings and will also be at the Slammiversary pay-per-view.
Steiner has not worked for Impact since 2012, which was his second stint with the company. Steiner originally joined TNA in 2006 and stayed there for four years before leaving and returning again in 2011 where his second go in the company only lasted a year.
Steiner had an ugly departure from TNA in 2012, publicly bashing Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff and making some nasty remarks about the two. Attorneys for the company eventually filed a legal complaint against him and Steiner counter-sued saying he was owed money. Steiner also filed a second lawsuit later in the year saying he was injured while wrestling Jeff Hardy who was said to be intoxicated at the time.
Despite being one of the most recognizable names, Steiner only had one title reign in TNA, a run as a Tag Team champion along with Booker T.
Following the return of Low Ki to Impact Wrestling, another former star made his return during the television tapings this weekend.
Matt Sydal, formerly known as Evan Bourne in WWE, returned to Impact 12 years after his last outing in the company then known as TNA. His first run in TNA only lasted a year and was mainly used as an enhancement talent.
After his short run in TNA, he moved to Ring of Honor and eventually up to WWE, where he lasted seven years. Unfortunately he received two Wellness Program suspensions and then broke his foot, spelling his end in the company in 2014.
Late last year, Sydal was arrested in Japan for smuggling marijuana. He pled guilty to the charges and was then released from prison three months later.
WWE cruiserweight Tajiri announced on his Twitter that he is leaving WWE and returning to Japan, just months after signing a new deal with the company.
Tajiri said that even though his knee injury has healed and WWE doctors gave him the okay to return, being 46 years of age is “risky” to step back in a WWE ring. Tajiri signed a full-time deal with WWE in January of this year but then suffered a knee injury at an NXT taping, leaving him out for several weeks. He eventually returned in February during an episode of 205 Live but has not been used since.
The Japanese Buzzsaw said that that even though he returned to the company for just four months, he has no regrets. He thanked Triple H for letting him return and being part of the Cruiserweight Classic tournament last year.
Mauro Ranallo has officially left WWE according to an exclusive story by Newsweek. Ranallo confirmed the news via statement issued to the publication but refused to blame JBL for his departure.
“WWE and I have mutually agreed to part ways. It has nothing to do with JBL,” Ranallo told Newsweek by e-mail. A WWE spokesperson confirmed Ranallo’s exit and said he will remain under contract through August 12.
Ranallo has been absent from WWE television since the March 7 Smackdown Live broadcast, missing every television show since then including WrestleMania. He admitted on Twitter that he had health issues, issues that were later revealed to be bouts with depression.
Newsweek also reached out to JBL for comments about Ranallo’s departure. “Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago,” Layfield told Newsweek in a statement. “WWE addressed my behavior and I responded accordingly, yet my past is being brought up because of recent unfounded rumors. I apologize if anything I said playing ‘the bad guy’ on a TV show was misconstrued.”
WWE also denied the bullying claims that have clouded the story. “As part of our commitment to creating an inclusive environment, in April 2011, WWE launched our anti-bullying campaign, Be a STAR, which encourages young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect,” a WWE spokesman told Newsweek. “As a publicly traded company, that mantra carries forward in our corporate culture. As such, we fully investigate any allegations of inappropriate behavior including the recent alleged situation with John Layfield (aka JBL), despite no formal complaint having been submitted.”
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported last week that WWE has been working hard with Ranallo’s representatives for a settlement which will also include a clause for Ranallo not to talk publicly about the alleged rumors.
It looks like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be the big winner coming out of this Fast & Furious franchise as Universal Pictures is looking to green-light a spinoff of the series focusing on the characters of The Rock and Jason Statham.
Deadline Hollywood reports that Universal execs already met to discuss the concept and a screenwriter, Chris Morgan, has already been chosen. Morgan is the chief writer of the series. “The idea is for Johnson’s U.S. Diplomatic Security Agent Luke Hobbs to form an unlikely alliance with Statham’s Decker Shaw for a movie that conceivably could be made while they are figuring the next Fast film,” Deadline.com writes.
The Fate of the Furious is Johnson’s fourth appearance in the Fast franchise, having appeared from Fast 5 onwards. Statham is in his second movie with the franchise and the two share some incredible chemistry on screen.
Impact did a total of 320,000 viewers this week, up 18,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast and the best number in a month. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Speaking on The Dan Le Batard Show on ESPN, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair gave his own version of events of the bar incident which happened a few weeks ago in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Flair said that while he was at The Deck at the Gas House located at 305 E Superior St bar, he politely asked if they could put the Masters golf tournament on TV. The bartender told Flair that this wasn’t a sports bar and Flair replied saying that he never said it was, he just asked if they could put on the golf tournament on the screens.
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer said that he had one drink and then asked for another drink and the bartender used the same glass, rather than give him a new one. When the bartender challenged Flair and asked him if he’s trying to teach him how to bartend, Flair replied, “Not if I don’t have to, dumbass.”
The bartender then asked Flair to clarify if he just called him a dumbass and Flair said he could call him a dumbass or a fat ass. The 16-time World champion was then kicked out of the bar for disrespecting the employee.
Former 3-time X Division champion Low Ki returned to Impact during last night’s episode as the surprise sixth entrant in a match for the X Division title.
Low Ki’s return was a very successful one as by the end of the match, he walked out of the six-sided ring with the gold, beating Andrew Everett, Sonjay Dutt, Dezmond Xavier, Suicide, and champion Trevor Lee.
This is his fourth stint with the company, having previously wrestled for TNA between 2002 and 2004, 2006 and 2008, and 2014 to 2015. Low Ki even had a stint with WWE between 2008 and 2010, wrestling under the name of Kaval.
On this episode of Total Divas, a fun girls getaway turned into a drunken night of catfights, one Diva finally began to see the light, and Brie Bella’s conception woes continued.
Getting pregnant hasn’t been as easy as the former female wrestler thought it would be. Because Brie’s career involved performing wrestling moves that took a toll on her body; conceiving is significantly harder for her than for females who don’t step into the squared circle night after night. Also, because Brie and her husband, WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan are extremely health and environment conscious, Brie has decided to adopt a vegetarian diet.
However, Brie didn’t seem to realize that eliminating meat from her diet would severely limit her iron intake which would make conceiving even harder. What isn’t clear is why Brie suddenly decided to become a vegetarian. Perhaps, because she is no longer wrestling she figured that she no longer needed as much protein as she did when she was supporting an active lifestyle. Maybe she simply wanted to become more like her husband who adopted a vegan lifestyle early in his career. Whatever her reasoning, Brie’s resolve was severely tested when she found out that former WWE Diva, Rosa, had decided to eat meat during her pregnancy despite having been a vegetarian before.
In addition, Brie’s sister Nikki decided to prove to her sister that eating meat was the best way to conceive. She illustrated her point by having seven spinach salads delivered to her sister for dinner while ordering a large steak for herself. I guess Brie decided to eat meat because she is expecting her first child very soon!
Meanwhile, as Brie debated the virtues of meat versus vegetarianism another Diva debated the virtues of having friends versus not having any. New Diva, Lana, decided to go with her friends and fellow Divas Renee Young and Naomi to Anguilla to perform charity work for WWE.
Originally, the trip was supposed to be girls only, but at the last minute Lana’s husband, WWE superstar Rusev decided to come along. However, Renee and Naomi suddenly felt abandoned by their friend but choose to have a good time anyway. Their good time included many cocktails and shots and that led to both Divas becoming extremely intoxicated. Due to their impaired judgment they decided to wake Lana and her husband up. They were extremely loud and decided to take a midnight plunge into the pool.
This angered Lana so much that she threatened to call the cops if her friends did not quiet down. Renee then taunted Lana saying, “What?, I couldn’t hear you over our fun.” Then, harsh words were exchanged between the Divas and Renee decided to pack to go home.
The next morning, an exhausted Lana complained to her husband that “friends are complicated.” Rusev explained to his wife that friends are a necessary part of life and might be worth some complication. I have to say that I agree with Rusev. Thankfully, all the Divas made up and were able to do the charity work that they came to do.
Another Diva learned that sometimes vision is complicated as well. Maryse, WWE Diva and wife of The Miz, has been privately battling bad vision for some time, and refusing to get glasses or contacts. Her husband tried many ways prove to her that her vision was bad enough to require some intervention. He purchased multiple pairs of glasses trying to convince his wife that she would look sexy in them.
However, Maryse refused to wear them. Then, the Miz suggested that Maryse get Lasik eye surgery but Maryse was not convinced. Then Maryse accidentally sent a suggestive photo meant for the Miz’s eyes to multiple members of the WWE roster. So then, Maryse finally decided to get the eye surgery that she needed. We shall see if Maryse’s vision has any impact on the rest of the season of Total Divas.
Chris Jericho will be part of the season premiere of Tanked tonight on Animal Planet starting at 10PM ET.
Jericho is described as an “aquarium aficionado” who has passed his love of fish to his three kids who are thrilled to have a hand in the design of their new tank, built by the two hosts and their company.
The show features Wayde King and Brett Raymer who are two of Sin City’s most imaginative businessmen and owners of Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM), one of the country’s most successful builders of aquariums.
The next time Lana will be making her way to the ring during a Smackdown Live episode, she won’t be walking down the ramp…but dancing down the ramp.
Lana, along with her husband Rusev, have been moved to Smackdown from Raw during the Superstar Shake-up and Lana will now be involved in the women’s division rather than just being Rusev’s valet.
The 32-year-old blond bombshell has been practicing her entrance at non-television NXT live events and let’s just say online feedback has been pretty brutal. WWE has been airing the “coming soon” vignettes of Lana dancing to hype up her arrival on the blue brand.
You can watch a video of her entrance from an NXT live event a few days ago below.
After an absence of three months, Impact Wrestling returns on television screens in the United Kingdom tonight on Spike UK starting at 9PM GMT.
The deal includes new episodes of Impact premiering less than 24 hours after the broadcast airs in the United States on POP as well as Impact pay-per-views, One Night Only specials, and Xplosion, which will air soon My5.
Spike UK, the sister of channel of Spike TV in the United States, is owned by Viacom International Media Networks Europe and launched in April 2015.
Impact aired on Challenge TV before they were dropped and then Anthem launched an app for UK and Irish viewers only which enabled them to watch Impact and other shows from the TNA vault for 4.99 GBP a month.
The trailer of Wrestling with Chyna, the documentary that was being shot on the former WWE Women’s and Intercontinental champion before she passed away, has been released on YouTube today by director Erik Angra.
A Kickstarter campaign to fund the documentary – with a goal of $10,000 – was reached in July 2015 with nearly $13,000 collected. The documentary followed Chyna across the United States as she chronicled her history, rediscovering herself with the media and critics, and trying to get her life back on track again.
Unfortunately, Chyna passed away in April of last year and the discovery of her body was all caught on tape. The ending of the trailer for the documentary shows her manager, Anthony Anzaldo, opening the door of her Redondo Beach apartment and calling her name before it fades to black.
The documentary was originally titled the Reconstruction of Chyna but it was changed to Wrestling with Chyna following her death.
Episode 13 of season 6 of Total Divas, titled Group-Sext, did a total of 589,000 viewers, down 4,000 viewers from last week’s show. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Impact Wrestling will be holding a fresh set of television tapings starting tonight with a live-to-tape Impact that will air tonight “live” on POP TV.
Tonight’s taping kicks off four days of hard work for the crew who will be filming several episodes of Impact on Soundstage 20 that will run on TV over the next several weeks. Multiple tapings will be held during the weekend.
After these shows are done, Impact returns to Orlando during the 4th of July week, starting Sunday, July 2 through Thursday, July 6, with no tapings on Independence Day. The last set of tapings announced so far will take place in August, with a start date of Thursday, August 17 going through Sunday, August 20.
WWE today announced the appointment of Sheetesh Srivastava as Vice President and General Manager, WWE India.
Srivastava will lead WWE’s strategic business initiatives and day-to-day operations in India and work with partners across all of WWE’s lines of business, including television, live events, marketing, sponsorship, new media, licensing and merchandising. Srivastava is a seasoned executive with more than 18 years of experience in driving strategic business growth in domestic and international markets. He will report to Ed Wells, WWE Executive Vice President, International.
“India is key to the global growth of WWE, and we are confident Sheetesh will successfully help develop our brand and business in this critically important country,” said Wells. “WWE is committed to expanding its presence in India, and we are pleased to welcome Sheetesh to further our efforts in the market.”
India represents WWE’s single largest regional contribution to the brand’s massive social media community of 750 million followers globally. To increase engagement with fans in India, WWE recently launched WWEShop.in, the company’s first-ever local, e-commerce experience in India.
Srivastava joins WWE from The Walt Disney Company in India, where he most recently led business development for Disney Media Networks, overseeing branded content creation, distribution, marketing and syndication. Earlier in his career, he held senior management roles at Reliance Broadcast Network, The Times of India Group, and Frito Lay India.
WWE Hall of Famer and former Raw General Manager Mick Foley underwent successful hip surgery yesterday and is now on the road to recovery.
“Thanks for all the well-wishes, kind words and prayers for my hip surgery. Spirits are high after a visit from Buddy the Elf in recovery,” Foley wrote. The Buddy the Elf was his daughter Noelle dressed as an elf.
Late last year, Foley admitted he needed hip surgery but he did not have Medicare part d plans 2021 health insurance to cover an operation that costs $60,000. He recounted how for 26 years he had insurance but for the past four years, things got complicated and missed a few payments and when 2016 rolled around, he was no longer insured.
His daughter Noelle wrote in a post on Instagram that his recovery will most likely be tough and require a great deal of physical therapy, “but I am so excited to see how much this will change his life!” Noelle added that the doctor said that this was the worst hip he’s ever seen.
“It’s crazy to think about how much suffering my dad has been through over the years so I’m praying this will make a huge positive impact on his daily life,” Noelle wrote.
Tuesday Night Smackdown! Live Television Report for April 18, 2017 – “Championship Opportunities”
Introduction: Video Promo
A recap montage of last week’s “Superstar Shake-Up” and the United States Championship picture plays.
Arena Promo
We go live to the arena and Charlotte’s music plays. She struts out as we are welcomed by Tom Phillips, john “Bradshaw” Layfield, and new Smackdown! Live commentator Byron Saxton. In the ring, Charlotte is angered that she has not gotten a Women’s Championship Match already.
Women’s Champion Naomi answers her and accepts, emphasizing it with a slugging forearm! They start to brawl until a referee runs down to break them up. Commissioner Shane McMahon dances out and makes a match between the two for tonight, and if Charlotte wins, she will wrestle Naomi next week on Smackdown! Live for the title.
Charlotte dives back in the ring and sweeps up Naomi, punching away. The Women’s Champ fights back and Charlotte bails to the aisle.
Up, a Six-Pack Challenge to see who wrestles for the WWE Championship!
Commercials.
Office Promo
Natalya is mad that she had not been considered for the Women’s Championship. Carmela and James Ellsworth walk in; they see Natalya’s side but James puts over Carmela as the top woman on Smackdown!. those three argue until Tamina joins and also makes a case for herself; Shane tells Tamina more or less the same he told Natalya. All except Shane walk-off.
Match #1: Six-Pack Challenge – Dolph Ziggler VS. Erik Rowan VS. Jinder Mahal VS. Luke Harper VS. Mojo Rawley VS. Sami Zayn
(Stipulation: #1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Championship)
All go at it for a bit until Harper and Rowan are left to wrestle.
Commercials.
All are set up on the top turnbuckles in superplex positions! Sami sunset-flip-powerbombs from the turnbuckle for two! Harper is alone in the ring and runs through the ropes a couple of times onto Jinder, Mojo, and Sami, respectively!
Erik almost gets this after a big boot on Dolph! He then powerbombs Ziggler from the ring onto the others on the floor!
Commercials.
Rawley and Dolph are now in the ring. Dolph dives from the turnbuckle in a crossbody-position, but Mojo catches him and slams him from a fireman’s-carry! Mahal comes back in and plants Dolph, but Sami just breaks up the count!
Sami ends in the ring alone, and then dives over the ropes with a swanton! He is fired up, and as he goes for his Helluva Kick on Jinder, two men on the outside – The Bollywood Boyz (Harv and Girv) – hold back his legs. Mahal takes advantage, planting Zayn to the canvas with a Cobra Clutch slam! He covers and receives the victory!
Winner and #1 Contender to the WWE Championship: Jinder Mahal
Post-match, Rene Young interviews Mahal. He slams Americans for being “anti-cultural,” but warns them they will have no choice to but to accept culture when he becomes the new WWE Champion. The current one – Randy Orton – saunters out. He congratulates Jinder but threatens that an R.K.O. is waiting for him.
Orton moves onto Bray Wyatt, whom he will wrestle in a “House of Horrors” Match at Payback on April 30. Bray appears on the Titantron, and while warning Randy of what awaits them at Payback, images of their rivalry and “asylums/hospitals” mixed are mixed in.
Commercials.
Video Promo
A mixture of New Day highlights air to signify their return soon!
Video Promo
We have a look at Shinsuke Nakamura’s career thus far!
Backstage Promo
A.J. Styles is inquired about who he wants to face for the United States Championship – current Champion Kevin Owens or his challenger, Chris Jericho. He says it doesn’t matter and then Baron Corbin interrupts. He and A.J. jaw at it, and then decide to wrestle later tonight!
Backstage Promo
Charlotte is walking the halls and right into Tamina, Natalya, Carmela, and James Ellsworth. They “welcome” her to Smackdown! but she just shoves her way through to the entrance way.
Commercials.
Match #2: Single – Charlotte Flair VS. Women’s Champion Naomi (Non-Title)
(Stipulation: If Charlotte wins, she will wrestle Naomi on Smackdown! Live next week for the Women’s Championship)
They lockup and go into the corner. Charlotte hits a spinning-forearm and then mudhole-kicks away. She grapples a grounding rear-chinlock but Naomi turns that into an armlock. They faceoff and then Naomi gets a couple of twos with pin combos. Charlotte cartwheels out of a wristlock and clamps on a Figure-4-Necklock. She slams Naomi a few times in that position, but Naomi works her way back.
Naomi slaps and kicks Charlotte hard, and Charlotte chops in return. Naomi fires back with rapid bicycle-kick but botches a headscissors over the ropes that was supposed to send both tumbling to the floor smoother.
Commercials.
Charlotte dominates for a while until Naomi kicks back. She goes for her finish, but Charlotte stops herself and drives Naomi face-first to the mat with her Natural Selection finisher, subsequently the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner and #1 Contender to the Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair
Commercials.
Backstage Promo
Charlotte walks past James Ellsworth, Carmela, Natalya, and Tamina. She winks, “woos,” and walks away.
Match #3: Tag-Team – The Colons (Primo and Epico) VS. American Alpha (Jason Jordan and Chad Gable)
Primo and Chad begin, with Gable using amateur moves on Primo. He tags in Jordan, and they switch back-and-forth on Primo until Epico distracts the referee, allowing Primo to run Chad into the ring post. Epico is in, front-suplexing Gable and then propping him atop the turnbuckle, but Chad turns that into an armbar with scissors against the ropes!
Gable makes the hot-tag to Jason, who cleans house on Primo and Epico. Soon after, Primo hits Jordan from the outside and Epico traps him for the fall!
Winners via Pinfall: The Colons
We are shown the ending to the Six-Pack Challenge again. After the break, United States Champion Kevin Owens will issue his first “Face of America Open Challenge.”
Video Promo
Lana appears to be remade as a “sexy dancer.” The video depicts her dancing around a chair in a silk robe, opened to show a bit of her bra.
Commercials.
Backstage Promo
Dasha asks Tye Dillinger about his Smackdown! debut a couple of weeks ago; he shows clips of his career.
Match #4: Single – Gary Dandy VS. United States Champion Kevin Owens (Non-Title)
Owens finishes Dandy very quickly with his Pop-Up Powerbomb!
Winner via Pinfall: United States Champion Kevin Owens
Post-match, Kevin rips on his Payback opponent/challenger, Chris Jericho, and then on the commentators, offering words in French.
Baron Corbin makes his way to the ring for the main-event, next!
Commercials.
Match #5: Single – Baron Corbin VS. A.J. Styles
(Note: United States Champion Kevin Owens is on commentary.)
Baron and A.J. measure each other up for a bit, and then Baron takes over.
Commercials.
“The Lone Wolf” is governing until he runs into two feet from A.J. in the corner! Baron chases Styles in the ring but runs into the ring post! A.J. reverses the momentum, hitting a Pele Kick! He goes for his Styles Clash, but Corbin counters into a chokeslam-backbreaker! 1 – 2 – A.J. kicks out! “The Phenomenal One” manages to lock on his Calf-Crusher, but Baron crawls to the ropes for a break. Corbin catches Styles off of a run into his Deep-Six spinning-backdrop! 1 – 2 – A.J. just kicks out!
As Baron runs at Styles, A.J. pulls the top rope down. On the outside, he sets up Corbin for another Styles Clash, but Baron dumps him onto Owens! A.J. gets up and runs off of the apron with a knee and then the Phenomenal Forearm from the steps that sends Corbin over the corner of the barricade! Styles runs back into the ring, as referee Mike Chioda finishes counting!
Winner via Count-Out: A.J. Styles
A furious Kevin looks on as A.J. celebrates to close the show.
Smackdown this week drew 2,544,000 viewers, down a whooping 561,000 viewers from last week’s show. Smackdown, like Raw, went head to head with the NBA Playoffs. This was the least watched Smackdown since the January 10 episode. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
During his latest podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin tackled the rumors spreading online on why he was absent from WrestleMania this year.
Austin said that during that same week of WrestleMania, he was in the process of selling his Broken Skull Ranch located in Tilden, Texas, and could not make the trip to Orlando for the show. The former WWE champion said that his ranch was for sale for the past 18 months and things started moving right around WrestleMania, preventing him from leaving.
Austin shot down the rumors that he is done with WWE, calling all the online rumors “total BS,” but admitted that he never talked to anyone about being part of WrestleMania 33. The Rattlesnake said WWE did reach out and invited him down to Orlando but it was not meant to be this year.
“They know I love going to the Hall of Fame and I had some of my very close friends going in this year. But as it goes, I was having to drive down there, fly down there to get all my stuff, drive back after just selling the place, getting all our stuff. Man, I was too busy,” Austin explained on his podcast.
“I will always be a part of the WWE. The WWE will always be a part of my life. I’m in this thing for the rest of my life,” Austin added, saying that there’s no heat with the company and he’s a WWE member for life.
