LOS ANGELES (February 24, 2023) – AXS TV, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc., presents coverage of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s first Stateside event of 2023, Battle In The Valley; as well as top highlights from NJPW’s 51ST Anniversary Celebration, 2023 New Japan Cup tournament, and more—beginning Thursday, March 2 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
The series gives viewers the best seat in the house to dynamic New Japan Pro-Wrestling action, delivering one hour of blockbuster content compiling the best moments from the promotion’s most recent broadcasts. Each episode is broadcast in English and features expert play-by-play commentary from NJPW’s own Kevin Kelly, Chris Charlton, Ian Riccaboni, and Matthew Rehwoldt.
AXS TV’s upcoming New Japan Pro-Wrestling schedule is as follows:
March 2 — Battle In The Valley
– NJPW roars into the Golden State for Battle In The Valley—its first U.S. event of 2023—as Mercedes Moné (f.k.a. Sasha Banks) makes her long-awaited NJPW in-ring debut, challenging inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI for the coveted belt.
March 9 — Battle In The Valley
– AXS TV’s Battle In The Valley coverage continues as NJPW icons Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi renew their classic rivalry, with the IWGP World Heavyweight title on the line. And exiled Jay White takes his feud with Eddie Kingston to the next level in a Loser Leaves NJPW Match.
March 16 – March 23
– Relive the most exciting moments and matchups, as NJPW celebrates its 51ST Anniversary. Plus, coverage from the 2023 New Japan Cup tournament, boasting an impressive bracket featuring some of NJPW’s top wrestlers.
March 30
– Tune in for the finale of the prestigious New Japan Cup tournament as a winner is crowned, setting the stage for the spectacular Multiverse United: Only The STRONG Survive pay-per-view event—the highly-anticipated NJPW and IMPACT Wrestling collaboration, which promises to be the most expansive joint venture between the two global icons in over a decade.
April 6
– Super Jr. Tag Team winner Lio Rush seeks to hold NJPW singles gold for the first time ever, going toe-to-toe with Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.
AXS TV produces the English-language version of New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a joint venture with New Japan World and in association with TV ASAHI CORPORATION.
The legal case against Jeff Hardy stemming from the DUI stop in June 2022 is over.
After submitting a written plea of nolo contendere, the judge sentenced Hardy to 38 days in county jail which have been already served, two years probation, 10-year suspension of his driving license, $4,586 in fines, community service, two years with an interlock device, 90-day vehicle impoundment, and he also has to attend court-mandated rehab program.
His nolo contendere plea was to accept whatever punishment but not accepting or denying responsibility over anything he was charged for.
He originally pled not guilty for his June 28 arrest and was charged with one count of DUI, one count of driving under a suspended/canceled/revoked license, and one count of driving while his license was restricted.
Jeff was suspended by AEW after his arrest and has not appeared on AEW television since then.
A pay-per-view list being advertised on Spectrum’s website shows that AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door will be returning in June for a second go.
The pay-per-view is listed to be happening on June 24 and will sell for $49.99. Last year’s event took place on June 26 at the sold-out United Center in Chicago, Illinois, with 16,529 in attendance.
The first Forbidden Door was announced in April of last year, just two months before the show and that led to several NJPW stars appearing on AEW television leading up to the event. The show was a big financial success for both AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling so a second event was a no-brainer.
The 2022 show was headlined by Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi to crown the interim AEW World champion.
The Spectrum pay-per-view list also shows Double or Nothing set for Sunday, May 28.
NXT drew 589,000 viewers this week, down 51,000 viewers from the prior week. The show did a 0.14 rating in the 18-49 demo, up 0.01 from last week and placed #16 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Variety is reporting that Mercedes Varnado, the artist formerly known as Sasha Banks and now Mercedes Mone, has signed with UTA for representation.
UTA will help Varnado explore new opportunities across film, television, theater, etc. On Twitter, UTA wrote, “UTA is excited to work with professional wrestler, actress, and model @MercedesVarnado in all areas.”
United Talent Agency is one of the biggest agencies in the world representing winners and nominees of Academy, Emmy, Grammy, Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, Producers Guild, Golden Globe and People’s Choice awards.
She will continue to be repped by her lawyer, Keven Undergaro.
The world of professional wrestling is constantly changing, with new stars rising to prominence while established names take on new challenges. In 2023, many free-agent wrestlers will be waiting for the right opportunity to take their careers to the next level.
It all started in 2023 with the debut of Sasha Banks, who took up the new name Mercedes Moné. The appearance of Luchador Dragon Lee in WWE also set the ball rolling for this season. After signing up with the NXT, Karl Fredericks from New Japan also created much excitement.
We’ll see many more new signings as significant events like Royal Rumble take place. If you’re to believe the grapevine, here’s a list of wrestlers who a major company must sign in 2023. Also, we see some wrestlers with expiring contracts. So, it will be interesting to see which path they will take.
Wrestling Scene in 2023
Since WWE signed Dragon Lee, fans expect that it will invite more independent and free agents into its circle. So, we shall wait and see what new arrivals 2023 will bring. Also, a new streaming service focused on wrestling events has set sail in 2023. It is called Premier Streaming Service, providing content on pro wrestling, combat sports, and other entertainment. So, besides the current streaming providers supplying wrestling content, fans will have another option.
If you find yourself unable to watch wrestling events when abroad, you can try a VPN for PC. It lets you enjoy access to content you view in your home country. How? Well, a Virtual Private Network changes your IP address and, in turn, lets you connect to a server in your country. Then, you can enjoy online content as you do at home.
Trish Adora
Trish Adora is one of the top female wrestlers in the world today, yet she is still unsigned. Adora made her debut in 2016, but she already has a wealth of knowledge from her time in ROH, AEW, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, MLW, and GCW, among others.
Adora’s journey to Japan to wrestle for TJPW and open the year with a tremendous bout against Miu Watanabe would be a terrific way to get the year started. Fans should continue to keep an eye on Trish Adora in 2023, as she is one of the hottest free agents in wrestling and would be a valuable addition to any women’s division across the globe.
Sasha Banks
Banks, a part of the famed Four Horsewomen stable, has won seven WWE Women’s Championships and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in women’s professional wrestling history. She was the show-stopper in 2021’s WrestleMania, had several incredible bouts, and even appeared in The Mandalorian!
She hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since May of 2022. Since then, her future with WWE has been in doubt, but Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer reports that she will no longer be working for WWE as of the new year. She recently got representation from United Talen Agency, which will help her find opportunities in film, TV, and more.
Mandy Rose
If Mandy Rose were released from WWE in 2022, it would be one of the most stunning moves of the year. Rose’s debut has generated a lot of buzz in the wrestling world, making her a rising star in the business. Her recent stint in NXT has prepared her well for a stretch on the indies, controversy or not.
She has one of the longest NXT Women’s Champion reigns, lasting 413 days. Along with Gigi Dolan and Jacy Jayne as Toxic Attraction, she also ruled the company’s women’s segment. If Mandy signs with another organization or chooses to rejoin WWE later this year, 2023 might be a pivotal year for her comeback.
Lio Rush
Rush made his professional wrestling debut at MLC Pro Wrestling. As his career progressed, he competed for various organizations, including PWG, CZW, and ROH. Before joining the WWE, he won several titles in both singles and tag team competitions.
After an absence of many years, Lio Rush would return to New Japan in 2022, first appearing at their New York City event, where he would join the CHAOS faction and then join Junior Tag League later that year. The tournament would be won by him and YOH, but they would lose in Wrestle Kingdom 17. New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) needs to add a new face to the Junior Heavyweight Division in 2023. Hence they need to sign Lio Rush to a full-time contract.
Jake Something
It was expected that if Jake Something became a breakthrough star in Impact Wrestling’s X Division, he would be scooped up by AEW or New Japan and start frequently appearing at AEW Dark and New Japan Strong tapings in 2022. As of the beginning of 2023, he is still considered a free agent, which means he will never be given a contract to sign.
During the tail end of his time in Impact Wrestling, Jake Something, who had a fantastic appearance and physical presence, showed a lot of potential. If Tony Khan is intrigued by the big guy, he may be an excellent signing for ROH when it begins operations in 2023, making him a viable candidate for that brand.
Conclusion
In conclusion, several free-agent wrestlers are waiting for the right opportunity to take their careers to the next level. It will be interesting to see where they end up and how they will impact the industry. From Tessa Blanchard to Bo Dallas, these talented performers would be a valuable addition to any major wrestling company in 2023.
Monday Night Raw drew an average of 2,006,000 viewers this week for the post-Elimination Chamber show, up 194,000 viewers from last week’s program. This was the third most-watched Raw of 2023 so far.
The show started with 2,186,000 viewers, then dropped to 2,065,000 viewers in the second hour, before closing the night with 1,768,000 viewers.
Raw was #1, #2, and #3 in the top 50 cable chart for the night in the 18-49 demo with 0.60, 0.58, and 0.50 ratings respectively for an average of 0.56, up 0.09 from the previous week. Raw was the #1 broadcast in all of cable and network television for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
WWE Superstar Sonya Deville announced that she is now engaged to her fiancé Toni Cassano. The news was carried by PEOPLE, who had exclusive photos from the proposal.
The two met each other less than a year ago after Deville invited Cassano to a live event. They had never met before the show and Deville saw her live for the first time after she made her entrance!
“I got her a front-row ticket to my show, and I was going to take her out to dinner after,” Deville told PEOPLE. “But I didn’t have time to meet her before the show, so the first time I ever saw Toni was when I was coming out doing my entrance ready to wrestle and I looked into the crowd.”
The 29-year-old then proposed to Cassano on February 15 at a wine cellar cave in Towaco, New Jersey, and right after giving her a custom-designed ring in front of her friends and family, Cassano had a surprise for Deville: an engagement ring she had carried with her for months.
“I proposed, then Toni’s like, ‘Grab my purse.’ And she pulls out a freaking ring box, and she’s like, ‘I’ve been carrying this around in my purse for four months. So whenever you proposed, I could give you a ring immediately back,'” Deville said.
Cassano has two young daughters, aged 7 and 11, and while they were involved in the proposal, she said that she wanted them to be as surprised as well.
“I wanted it to be epic,” Sonya continued. “I’ve never proposed to a woman before and I wanted this to be the most special for Toni and for her kids too.”
AEW will debut a new unscripted series on TBS titled AEW All Access starting in March and will air immediately following Dynamite. This was the special announcement Tony Khan had hyped for the past week and it was Adam Cole who actually announced the show.
AEW All Access will follow some of the company’s biggest stars, including Adam Cole, Dr. Britt Baker, Sammy Guevara, Tay Conti, The Young Bucks, Saraya, Wardlow, and Eddie Kingston along with Khan with each episode following the AEW stars as they prepare for television.
“We’re always looking for new ways to engage with fans and give them unique access to our incredible talent,” Khan told Variety. “With the new AEW: All Access series, they’ll have a chance to peek behind the curtain and into the lives of their favorite wrestlers like never before. To show the human side of some of these larger-than-life figures will give fans a rare perspective about who these wrestlers are when the cameras aren’t typically on.”
Jason Sarlanis, President of Turner Networks, ID, & HLN, linear and streaming, said that AEW has an amazingly loyal and dedicated audience and the “powerful partnership” with Tony Khan and AEW allows them to expand the franchise “in a way that invites viewers inside the world of wrestling like never before.”
From Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, AEW: All Access is produced by Shed Media in association with AEW and Activist Artists Management. Khan serves as an executive producer along with Dan Peirson, Lisa Shannon, Sam Berns, Alan Bloom, Bernie Cahill, and Jon Kanak.
This show will replace Rhodes to the Top which was already commissioned for a second season but of course never ended up airing as both Cody and Brandi Rhodes left AEW, with Cody joining WWE.
Last Week’s Rating: 824,000 overall; 0.27 in 18-49 demo
With just two shows left, we’re now on a collison™ corse for Revultion.
It’s Wednesday night, it’s Dynamite. Let’s go.
…..
Wheeler Yuta vs Orange Cassidy, All-Atlantic Title
Backstory: Yuta came out of nowhere to interrupt Cassidy on Friday, whining that the Best Friends and never taught him anything and how much better off he is without them, that Cassidy didn’t care about his title so he wanted to take it from him (Cliff notes: Yuta was a little pr***)
The big crowds continue when AEW heads West. Can’t help but contrast the storytelling here vs the whole Sami Zayn storyline. AEW gave this deeply personal conflict a whole four days to develop.
Yuta took a cheap swing, Cassidy rolled him up for two, ducked under a leapfrog then nailed a cazadora into a bridge, the two rolling around in and out of pinfalls, each bagging a series of near-falls.
Yuta went outside for a breather but was baited into re-entry by Cassidy threatening to put his hands in his pockets. Yuta got a couple more twos with various cradles, Cassidy countered by using Yuta’s own seatbelt against him.
Very fast start. Very athletic.
Yuta again bailed, bringing Claudio Castagnoli to ringside to slap Yuta and tell him to stop being ‘pretty’.
After which, Yuta got aggressive, going after Orange, sending him through the ropes, nailing him with a tope then flinging him into the barricades and across a table at ringside. Very heelish as the ref told him to get it back in the ring.
He obliged. But left Cassidy struggling on the floor as Claudio headed backstage, his work done.
Weak boos for Yuta as he slapped and chopped his former friend in the corner. Until Cassidy got his arms up, got the pockets, irritating Yuta who blistered him with strikes and chops. Cassidy struck back with the kicks, slipping to the apron to plant Yuta into the buckle ten times. But was caught coming off the top into a Manhattan drop, enziguri, diving elbow strike from the top.
Yuta then dropkicked Cassidy off the apron to bring the break.
And was up top again as we returned, missing badly on a splash, Orange trying to get himself going, launching an Orange Punch. Yuta countered, eventually into a brainbuster. Seeking wrist control, it backfired when Cassidy pulled him in, hitting up-kicks then hauling Yuta up into a hug.
Yuta responded with a headbutt then launched fists to the side of the head. Orange slipped behind, Yuta twice swung himself back in through the ropes, then dropped under into a German, keeping his grip. Cassidy countered into a German of his own, then rolled through into a two count. Yuta responded with Cassidy’s mousetrap pin for 2.9. The crowd applauded.
Both spat at each other as a fistfight broke out, launching into lariats at the same time to leave both down.
Cassidy dumped Yuta to the apron, Yuta dragged him out with him but ate a back body drop onto the hardest part of the ring. And was then dropped via diving ddt off the apron.
A tornado one followed, this time in the ring. Yuta countered Beach Break into a piledriver. Cassidy kicked out at two as an aggressive Yuta launched H&A then hooked the Seatbelt.
Orange finally hit Beach Break, Yuta kicked out at two but was nailed with an Orange Punch despite begging-off as Cassidy retained.
I’m sure this was a very good match. Slick, athletic, lots of counters and pin attempts. I’m bored of Yuta, never thought he had a chance to win and there was no real reason to be invested in a match that went very long at over twenty minutes.
Afterwards, Cassidy wanted a hug, bringing Claudio back out to order Yuta not to.
WINNER: Orange Cassidy
Renee with Hangman and Evil Uno. Page immediately interrupted Uno to reiterate that he didn’t want them involved. Uno said that what he heard was Page saying they weren’t on his level, requesting Page stay away tonight. Uno said Moxley would find out why his name was Evil Uno.
Because it was the last one left by the time you got there when they were handing them out?
Not a fan of angles like these: Uno thinking he’s on Mox or Page’s level makes him seem delusional. Doesn’t make for much sympathy when Moxley beats the stuffing out of him.
…..
Ricky Starks came out to a very nice reaction. He accepted that the rematch would never happen so he’ll be moving on from Chris Jericho, offering an open challenge to face him at Revolution, noting that he knew there was someone back there who wanted to face him.
Jericho’s music hit and he hit the stage.
They played Jericho’s entire theme song while the two just stood there.
Jericho said he knew what Starks was trying to do, suggesting he take pride in the victory he did have and to leave it at that. ‘You are not at my level.’ Then wishing him well in his open challenge. Just as Peter Avalon’s music hit to answer it.
Jericho blasted him with a Judas Effect then headed to the ring.
The vet threatened to take the open contract and ‘embarrass’ Starks. Starks wondered why Jericho needed the JAS if he was that good, questioning whether Jericho could ‘get the job done by yourself’. Jericho of course took the bait, snatching the contract as the crowd chanted for him to ‘sign it!’.
He then said he could definitely beat Starks and would even sign an addendum that the JAS would stay in the back for the match. But he didn’t have a pen.
‘I do…’ responded Ricky. Jericho then signed and addended (is that a word?) the document to make the match official for the ppv.
Jericho exclaimed that ‘nobody outsmarts the Ocho’, as Ricky smiled because he’d done just that. In contrast to the previous segment, here the babyface was smart.
Still not into this match but this was an effective segment and Starks came off like a star before a big crowd.
…..
A quick promo video of all the contestants in the tag battle royale vowing to win it. Short but makes the match seem more important.
The Acclaimed vs Big Bill & Lee Moriarty
Backstory: If there is one, I can’t think of it and watch every week
Caster threatened to remove the heels ‘like Robert Sarver’, then targeted Big Bill specifically – ‘your girl just text me, she says you’re S-A-W-F-T.’
Caster and Moriarty set us off, Caster landing an armdrag but being caught via a Big Bill knee from the apron. Moriarty played air guitar but was a victim of a blind tag and a very nice double-team backbreaker as the ads arrived.
Bill had Bowens on his back as we returned. The Gunns had hit the ramp as Bill missed a splash in the corner. Bowens ran through Moriarty, dropping him off the shoulder via reverse fireman’s carry.
But the Acclaimed and Billy took too long scissoring and were attacked by Bill (more dumb babyfaces as even Schiavone said there was a time and a place).
The Gunns stomped away at their dad at ringside as Excalibur noted they hadn’t touched any competitors. Moriarty hit a spinning slam, Bowens barely kicked out. Fighting back, he hit the Arrival then tagged Bowens to hit the elbow to bag the win.
They absolutely aren’t, but you could easily believe someone was trying to sabotage the Acclaimed with their booking lately. This should’ve been over quickly. In dominant fashion too.
WINNER: The Acclaimed
Schiavone invited out Christian who didn’t make it to the mic, being speared and pounded by Jack Perry, left laying on the ramp as Perry fetched a pair of chairs. Perry couldn’t decide whether to go through with a con-chair-to and was hit with a low blow by a ‘heel’ merely protecting himself from a devastating attack.
Excalibur called it a ‘moment’s hesitation’. But it was a lot longer than that, and made Jungle Boy look really dumb.
Cage then smashed Perry’s head into a chair several times, the youngster limp and bleeding from the forehead. The crowd were so concerned they began chanting for Aubrey.
…..
Joe/Wardlow package. They re-told the story from last week about Wardlow’s dad. Joe said the biggest mistake Wardlow ever made was stepping back in the ring with him.
Saraya vs Skye Blue
Backstory: None
Only the former Paige’s third match in half-a-decade and it’s against Skye Blue with no build?
Blue didn’t even get an entrance, they immediately nearly messed-up a cazadora, Storm got up on the apron as Blue just stood and looked at her for a long time, allowing Saraya to attack. This show is decimating babyfaces left, right and center.
Saraya got two after Toni suplexed Blue on the outside. The crowd were almost silent. Easily the quietest they’d been all night.
Though did come alive as Blue grabbed a submission. Saraya got another two, ate an elbow in the corner, then a boot but caught Blue posing on the middle rope. Blue fought her off, hit a cross body then a step-up knee strike and dropkick to the side of the head.
Storm stepped on the apron so Aubrey completely ignored the pin, Blue went after Toni but turned round into a kick to the head then was twisted up into a scorpion cross lock, tapping immediately.
We have a new definition for the word ‘sucked’. This made Blue look stupid and Saraya look weak.
The second it’d finished, Jamie Hayter’s music hit, she and Britt flew to the ring as the heels bailed. Just as they reached the top of the ramp, Ruby’s music played as she made the ‘belt’ motion at Hayter.
Can’t she just wrestle Shida again? Please?
WINNER: Saraya
Justin introduced Bryan Danielson to another big reaction from the crowd. Immediately playing to them, he promised to do everything in his power to beat MJF for his title. But first wanted to talk about what MJF said last week, that MJF hated him.
Talking about all the things MJF had done to him and his friends ‘and he… hates… me?’. Before he could get any further, Max’s music interrupted. Max cried and whined about everyone always turning their back on him, including some girl he’d proposed to.
‘You deserve it!’
She left him and now all he has left is his title. And Danielson’s trying to take it from him. The only thing stopping him ‘from grabbing a fistful of pills and calling it a day’.
Whereas everyone loves Danielson. Respects him. And he has a family who loves him, which MJF said Danielson takes for granted. He hates Danielson because he’s had more concussions than anyone and is still in ‘my sport’.
Every time Danielson steps through the ropes he’s saying wrestling is more important than his children, spitting in MJF’s face by taking everything Max would kill for ‘for granted’. He’s even worse than his mentor Regal because he’s addicted to the spotlight. And at Revolution, he’s going to give Danielson all the spotlight he could want.
Before addressing Danielson’s children through the camera as BD threatened to ‘kick the s*** outta you’ for doing so.
MJF promised to ‘make dadaa pay for all of his selfishness’ by ripping his arm out of the socket so ‘dadaa can never play with you again… never pick you up again’ by bringing ‘early onset CT…’ Danielson smacked him with a mic and pounded him from the mount before being quickly dragged away by security.
Though kept breaking free and having to be dragged away again.
This was a killer angle. A genius-level promo and the first depthful storytelling on the whole show.
They even replayed it after the ads.
…..
Then cut to Tony with Hayter and Britt. Jamie isn’t a fan of what Saraya’s been doing, while acknowledging that she does deserve a title shot because she hasn’t lost. Though Ruby also deserves a shot. So challenged them to a triple threat at Revolution.
Revolution Tag Team Battle Royale
Contestants: Top Flight, Aussie Open, Lucha Bros, Jarrett & Lethal, Rush & Preston Vance, Silver & Reynolds, 2.0, Tony Nese & Ari Daivari, Best Friends, Butcher and Blade
These tag belts have come a long way the last couple years. In the wrong direction. The ‘champs’ have never been less credible. And now we’ve gone from almost too many good teams to having to draft in Aussie Open.
No-one got an entrance, they all just piled into the ring as the bell rang.
Mark Briscoe came out and brawled with Josh Woods.
The Lucha Bros eliminated Ari Daivari to take it down to nine teams as the break beckoned.
Butcher and Blade eliminated Aussie Open & Darius Martin at the same time.
Silver got rid of Blade.
Penta eliminated Vance but Vance helped Rush get rid of Penta. Fenix walked the ropes to pump kick Rush out of the match. He’s amazing. First good thing in the match.
Silver & Reynolds eliminated by Butcher.
Danhausen came in to Curse 2.0, they flung him out, he Cursed them from the outside as the Best Friends eliminated them. Lethal and Jarrett immediately got rid of Taylor.
There’s a time and a place for comedy.
Dante Martin, Fenix, Trent, the J’s and Butcher were left as we went to our second break of the match.
Butcher stomped Martin off the apron and out of the match, Fenix got rid of Butcher, the J’s got rid of Rey who the crowd loved, leaving them and Trent.
Trent kept nearly eliminating both as Satnam Singh waited to catch them if they fell. He prevented both from being eliminated at the same time after a shotgun dropkick. If any of these teams were smart, they’d just hire a bunch of lumberjacks to catch them all match.
Jarrett hit the Stroke and threw Trent out. He skinned the cat, was flung over by Lethal and skinned the cat again, helped by Orange. Trent back body dropped Lethal to eliminate him. Singh again stopped Jarrett being eliminated.
This is so bloody stupid.
Jarrett eliminated Trent to win.
I knew it.
WINNER: Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal (Advance to four-way at Revolution for tag belts)
The House of Black promo. Thousands of people see the same thing they do. A problem in the company that needs getting rid of. They’ll purify AEW with a firestorm then rebuild. They challenged the Elite to see them ‘face to face’ on Friday.
…..
Renee was backstage with Tony Khan. Since this announcement impacts the major stars in the company, he introduced Adam Cole to make the announcement. Starting next month there’s a show called AEW All-Access airing for an hour immediately after Dynamite, like a documentary series. There’ve been rumors about it for months.
The night that show debuts, he’s going to make his in-ring return on Dynamite.
Pleased for Cole but the announcement was a let-down as usual.
…..
Promo from the J’s and etc. The Gunns interrupted to suggest they take out the Acclaimed. Lethal said that wasn’t a bad idea.
Jon Moxley vs Evil Uno
Backstory: Uno, kinda/sorta Hangman’s friend?, challenged Mox last week
Hangman was shown backstage with Uno as Mox made his entrance. If – and that’s a big if – the latter wins, it’ll be his hundredth in AEW.
Uno made his entrance during the ads.
And was immediately on top, fighting Mox to the corner, flinging chops as Page was again shown watching backstage. Ripping his vest off, he whipped and choked Moxley with it before launching splashes in the corner.
Then hauled him upstairs for a superplex. Mox fought him off, ripping at the mask which the crowd booed but being booted off the apron. Uno launched a senton off the top to the outside, raining down rights from the mount.
But made the mistake of pursuing Moxley and was introduced to the ring steps. Somehow he was almost unconscious after one move. Mox hammered away with cross faces as the blood poured from underneath Uno’s mask.
Uno responded with a piledriver, then another, count of two. Blood was all over Uno’s upper chest.
Moxley slipped behind to lock in a sleeper, launching H&A elbows, back to the sleeper, over into the Bulldog Choke, really wrenching back as Uno was fading, the mat covered in blood. Mox had to capture the legs too to finally get the submission.
But wouldn’t release the hold. Bringing Silver and Reynolds down, they were intercepted by Claudio and Yuta, Hangman finally hit the scene, pounding Moxley around ringside and readying a Buckshot when Mox headed for the hills.
Moxley should’ve been more dominant for this to really be effective.
WINNER: Jon Moxley
…..
Next Rampage:
Young Bucks vs Aussie Open (something to look forward to)
The HOB have challenged the Elite to meet them face to face
Sammy Guevara vs Action Andretti
Willow Nightingale vs Toni Storm
Lance Archer wrestles
Keith Lee & Dustin Rhodes promo seg.
Next Dynamite:
The second Tag Team Casino Battle Royale
Hook (reinstated out of nowhere) vs Someone picked by Stokely Hathaway
More TBA on Rampage
Added to Revolution:
Ricky Starks vs Chris Jericho, JAS banned from ringside
Hayter vs Saraya vs Soho, Women’s Title
…..
Overall impressions
The worst episode of Dynamite I have ever seen. Outside of one tremendous promo this show offered nothing outside of predictable outcomes and terrible booking.
If you like wrestling the opener was very good. I do like wrestling, but I like there to be a reason for it and some chance of both guys winning. A story more developed than ‘he challenged him last Friday’. And the constant title matches are a crutch which serve only to make the outcome even more obvious.
WWE’s newest block on A&E drew higher numbers than what the season finale of each show drew last year.
The Biography episode featuring the nWo had 495,000 viewers, up from the last season finale featuring WrestleMania 1 which drew 385,000 viewers. The show did a 0.15 rating in 18-49 demo and was #25 for the night.
The WWE Rivals episode that followed with Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant did 444,000 viewers and a 0.14 rating in the 18-49 demo, finishing #27 on the chart. That is up from the 251,000 viewers the episode of Stephanie McMahon vs Brie Bella did. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
When ratings take a bit of a hit, you can bet on one thing: Tony Khan will make special announcement, and that’s what the AEW President will do tonight on Dynamite.
No hint has been given on what this special announcement will be, but the last one made was the purchase of Ring of Honor. Khan did tell the Phoenix New-Times that this will be about “an exciting development” for the company but did not talk about it more.
Five matches have been announced for tonight’s show as well featuring Jon Moxley vs Evil Uno of The Dark Order, Skye Blue vs Saraya, The Acclaimed vs Big Bill and Lee Moriarty, an All-Atlantic title match with Orange Cassidy vs Wheeler Yuta, and the Revolution Tag Team Battle Royale.
The Battle Royale winners will join The Gunns and The Acclaimed in a four-way match for the AEW World Tag Team titles at Revolution. Scheduled to be part of the match are Top Flight, Best Friends, Tony Nese and Ari Daivari, The Butcher and The Blade, Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal, The Lucha Bros, Rush and Preston Vance, Aussie Open, Daddy Magic and Angelo Parker, and The Dark Order.
WWE relies on superstars to carry the name of the company. In the past decade, top names like Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have been the face of WWE. However, that is not to say that no other stars have risen during that period. Homegrown talents have emerged to push through the company merchandise. For example, Logan Paul transitioned from boxing to wrestling, and he is one of the success stories at WWE.
Triple H, one of the WWE legends and currently the chief content officer, has been instrumental in improving the wrestling sport. He introduced many stars to WWE. In some instances, he has expressed disappointment in the underwhelming performances of the stars, but there is hope that they will develop now and in the future. Each year, WWE strikes gold in the quality of young wrestlers, and you can rest assured that they will rise to the occasion.
Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in the world. Due to its popularity, many fans have identified their favourite fighters to support and bet on them. There are many wrestling events worldwide happening daily. Enthusiastic bettors can find a wide range of betting markets at online betting sites and wager on WWE matches for both men and women. Apart from the thrill of watching top fighters battle it out in the ring, you could be lucky to win some bets and bonuses.
Below are five stars that will likely break out in 2023.
Austin Theory
2022 may not have been the best year for Austin Theory, but it had its share of success for him. He had a terrible run of form, losing a number of matches to bigger stars. His better days came when he won the United States and Money in the Bank titles.
The year ended on a high note when Austin revamped his gimmick and high-profile feuds with Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins. During the era of McMahon, Theory was poised to take on John Cena in WrestleMania 39. This feat just shows you that he is a big star in the making. When Triple H took over, Theory has excelled with his recent gimmick makeover that has people talking about such a young prospect.
Raquel Rodriquez
Raquel recently put up a superstar display in the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey, leaving no doubt that she is the next big thing in WWE. Her success is partly attributed to Triple H, who gave her a strong push in NXT. The efforts by Triple H since he took over the creative process are bearing fruit because Raquel now enjoys a deep connection with the crowd.
The reason why the 31-year-old is marketable is that she is quite solid in the ring. She also boasts a strong physique and height. She is the tallest woman on the WWE’S main roster. Over time, Raquel has built a strong character, and the in-ring experience will certainly make her a champion come the end of the year.
Solo Sikoa
Two major events have elevated Solo Sikoa, and he is already a superstar. His involvement in The Bloodline has brought him massive popularity. The Bloodline is currently the biggest stable in WWE. Another event is when Sikoa debuted as Roman Reign’s enforcer less than four months ago.
Sikoa only made his debut in September at the Clash at the Castle. Since then, he has displayed exemplary performances for The Bloodline. His skills in the ring have sold him as the faction’s heavyweight, prompting WWE to present him as the group’s X-factor. No doubt that Sikoa will become a main eventer in 2023.
Montez Ford
Before McMahon exited the WWE ranks, he was working on a massive singles push for Montez Ford that would lead to the end of The Street Profits. However, Ford took a low profile when Triple H came into management. The main setback was not because of the new administration, but he suffered an injury that saw him sidelined for the longest period.
Owing to this setback, Montez Ford will certainly fight a big battle to come out as a singles star. However, he is up to the task and poised to emerge among the top prospects this year because of his promo ability, in-ring skills and superstar charisma. At 32, he is obviously at the peak of his career, and he is already something special.
Impact Wrestling EVP Scott D’Amore said during an appearance on Busted Open Radio that they need to book IWGP Women’s champion Mercedes Mone versus Impact Knockouts champion Mickie James for somewhere.
D’Amore, who just recently met Mercedes for the first time, said it was great to finally cross paths with her following her match against KAIRI this past Saturday at NJPW’s Battle in the Valley.
Saying he’s a fan of both Mercedes and KAIRI, D’Amore noted how both put on an outstanding title match. “The wrestling was amazing, the emotion was fantastic,” he said. “And, I got talk to her afterward, Mercedes is obviously is very focused and a passionate professional. Her wrestling is top notch, her attitude seemed great to me.”
A while ago Mone said that she would like to have a match against Mickie James and James, also on the show, said she wanted it.
“We have to get you two in a ring somewhere and get this done,” the EVP said.
Rampage on TNT this past Friday drew just 287,000 viewers, down 87,000 viewers from last week. This was the least-watched episode in the history of the show. Rampage aired in a different time slot of 7PM ET due to NBA coverage. The show did a 0.07 in the 18-49 demo, another record low, and was #57 in the top 150 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The pre-sale for the Smackdown and Money In The Bank combo events from The O2 Arena in London went online an hour later than the advertised time as Ticketmaster pushed back the start to 1PM local time.
And despite a long wait, it was a very frustrating afternoon for WWE fans as tickets quickly disappeared, confirming that the 20,000-seater arena was not big enough to hold this event in the first place.
Frustrated fans took to Twitter to voice their disappointment and will now have another – albeit smaller chance – of scoring tickets when the rest go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 24.
Ticket prices for both shows were £846.50, £677.75, £509.00, £368.40, £284.00, £227.75, £188.40, £149.00, £126.50, £104.00, and £70.25.
WWE is using the maximum space for the arena by opting not to have a stage for either show and instead using an entrance similar to that of Clash at the Castle and Royal Rumble.
Mars, Take-Two Interactive and WWE today announced that SNICKERS and WWE 2K23 will return as joint Presenting Partners of WrestleMania 39.
Following a successful co-promotion at last year’s WrestleMania, which marked the first time two brands served as Presenting Partners for WWE’s pop culture extravaganza, the partnership continues at WrestleMania 39.
Ahead of the biggest matches of the year at WrestleMania, SNICKERS and WWE 2K23 will continue their multi-platform campaign from last year on the Road to WrestleMania.
“The SNICKERS brand is thrilled to be back as one of the presenting sponsors of WrestleMania 39,” said Ray Amati, Director of Media, Mars Wrigley. “Over the years we have seen the passion of WWE fans and know they are always hungry for high quality entertainment, which we look forward to delivering alongside our partners. SNICKERS will continue to be a solution for fans when they feel out of sorts before, during or after WrestleMania.”
“We’re excited to come back even stronger and co-present WrestleMania 39 with SNICKERS as we tag team for WWE’s biggest event of the year,” said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Global Marketing Strategy at 2K. “Like our WWE 2K23 cover Superstar, John Cena, we’ll ‘Never Give Up’ as we take on SNICKERS head-to-head and provide fans with engaging content leading up to the main event matches.”
“Last year we brought together two of our most-tenured brand partners for WrestleMania and it’s exciting to continue the partnership as WrestleMania goes Hollywood in April,” said Craig Stimmel, WWE Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Partnerships.
Both brands will be showcased during WWE’s flagship TV programs Monday Night Raw on USA Network and Friday Night SmackDown on FOX leading up to WrestleMania, as well as during the WrestleMania Kickoff Show and WrestleMania each day on Peacock. The partnership also includes custom digital and social content on WWE.com and WWE’s YouTube channel, which is the No. 1 most-viewed sports channel in the world.
The pre-sale for the Smackdown on June 30th and Money In The Bank on July 1 combo events from The O2 Arena in London go online at Noon local time and the pre-sale code required to purchase tickets is WWEPRESALE.
The pre-sale will last till Friday, February 24 at 11AM and then the general on-sale will kick off at Noon local time.
There will be no single tickets for Smackdown or Money In The Bank just yet and WWE is hoping to bank on a big turn out by combining both shows regardless if you’re attending one or both.
A max of nine tickets per person and per household applies. Tickets in excess of nine will be cancelled.
Ticket prices have not been announced.
WWE is using the maximum space for the arena by opting not to have a stage for either show and instead using an entrance similar to that of Clash at the Castle and Royal Rumble. The O2 Arena holds up to 20,000 fans.
Friday Night Smackdown on FOX from Montreal did a total of 2,383,000 viewers, down 85,000 viewers from the prior week. The show did a 0.58 rating in the 18-49 demo, down 0.06 as well but it was #1 on all of television for the night, beating everything on network and cable television. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Sports betting has brought significant changes to the way and manner people place wagers in recent years. When gambling on sports, you need to be proactive and quick as everything occurs in the twinkle of an eye. However, with the introduction of cryptocurrency, bettors are in for a rush of short and fast-paced sports betting.
Crypto comfortably caters to the speed of sports games and transactions compared to fiat currency. Hence, many are switching to betting on crypto sports sites, especially using Bitcoin. Nonetheless, gambling, no matter what form, can be very tricky; it takes a lot of skill and patience to make profits.
One does not just pick up a device, log into your platform, and start betting immediately. It would help if you kept certain things in your mind to avoid losses. Every bettor has their style or strategy that they apply to their bet; staking on sports is not something on a whim. Moreover, it would help if you made specific calculations and permutations to achieve a reasonable profit. Therefore, check this resource to discover some of the best ways to win big in crypto sports betting sites.
The Basics of Crypto Sports Betting
Once you have any cryptocurrency and you intend to use it for sports betting, automatically, you are already a Bitcoin sports punter. Unfortunately, many newbie bettors hear about Bitcoin sports betting and think it needs to be clarified. However, they need to learn that Bitcoin sports betting is staking with the various crypto you can find.
Crypto sports betting simply put – where players use digital currencies as the primary payment source. It bears the same similarity as traditional sports betting sites. However, the difference is that you gamble with crypto like Bitcoin, litecoin, and dogecoin rather than using fiat currency.
5 Tricks that will Help you Win Big on Crypto Sports Betting Sites
Winning big on online bookies like Bitcoin sports betting sites depends on your strategy and quick-wittedness. The most profitable bettors always have a bag of tricks on them whenever they log into an online bookmaker. They study the game and know the perfect bait to apply to the current match, and in most cases, it works in their favor. Therefore, here are ten tricks that will help you win big in Bitcoin sports betting sites.
1. Always research your selected outcomes
When placing your bets, especially on sporting events, review every outcome you select through proper research. If you want to win big in sports betting, you must be willing to invest time and effort. Check the statistics on every game you want to play, and run the analysis on the option you wish to select.
For example, many gamblers backdate their stats up to five years to get a perfect description of how the outcome will play out. Hence, many pro bettors use third-party apps for their stats. However, some Bitcoin sports betting sites have an inbuilt data sheet; you can check this resource to help your bet.
2. Control your Bankroll
Many may think winning big on Bitcoin sports betting sites is by staking high, but this is not the case. Placing huge bets would rather incur you to suffer heavy losses and start an endless loop of wasted chances. However, controlling your bankroll is the primary way of winning big on Bitcoin sports betting sites.
You control your bankroll by controlling your bets, knowing when to stake high and knowing when to gamble low. Also, when you make profits from a chance, always set aside a specific percentage, which should be higher than the amount of your initial bet. Furthermore, investing small amounts and slowly racking up your profits is best. Although, you need to be very careful and know when it is the right time to take a break.
3. Try Out Accumulators
Rather than focusing on a single bet, try out multiple bets by playing accumulators on the site. Accumulators are like the jackpot of sports betting sites; you can win exceedingly big when you try out accumulators. In accumulators, you can play multiple games in which the odds are numerous, thus leading to an even higher payout.
Also, you have the option of adding games from other sports, which helps by eliminating any competition you consider to be risky. So in an Acca bet, you can have soccer, tennis, and basketball in the same chance.
4. Use your Bonuses and Promotions
An unfamiliar way of winning big on Bitcoin sports betting sites is by using the bonuses given to you by these bookmakers to stake high. The platform always rewards frequent bettors with specific amounts on their bet accounts. Therefore, one of the best ways to put these bonuses to perfect use is by staking them on higher markets.
Some casinos may limit the expected payout when you bet with prizes so that you can split your bets in such cases. The main advantage of this trick is that if the change is successful, you stand to gain a lot, but if it isn’t, you practically lose nothing.
5. Select a Bitcoin sports betting site of high reputation
Most people have yet to learn this, but the type of platform you are currently registered on determines the quality of profit you can get. For example, sports betting operates on market odds, and each bookmaker has its value of odds offered. Lesser quality sites usually have lower odds attached to their market selections, thus limiting your profits significantly.
But this is different when operating top-notch platforms; their odds are generally the best in the industry, making them the perfect option for gamblers who play to make large profits. Aside from the odds, they also have additional features on their platforms that makes betting more profitable. Picking the most suitable wrestling websites for example is increasing your chance to win – by getting better info, analysis and latest news.
Conclusion
Making significant profits when gambling all lies in your hands; you need to be willing to do your research, control your money, and know when to stop. Additionally, you need to know the perfect time to apply such tricks and make them work in your favor.
