Gail Kim, Christy Hemme, and Amy “Lita” Dumas are teaming up to create a new television show titled KAYfABE, a one hour show which is described as “50 percent story and 50 percent in ring action.” The project was launched today on Kickstarter with a goal of $400,000 to be raised.
“It is an edgy, racy, cinematic television series about a female led professional wrestling start up. This show is a dramatization and collection of female stories inspired by real life events,” the description of the show reads.
The show promises to take viewers behind the curtain, into the locker room and outside of the arena with drama, passion, humor, love, anger, frustration and real life challenges with real storylines of abuse of power, manipulation, injury, addiction, and inequality.
The $400,000 budget is to get the pilot production, campaign rewards, platform fees and credit card processing, and operational costs. The trio hope to reach $4.8 million in funds to have an eight-episode season. Several rewards are being offered to those who contribute starting with $5.
There are a few wrestling personalities attached to the show already including Tom Casiello, Jimmy Jacobs, Chavo Guerrero, and David Sahadi. Other names who will be part of the production team are Geordy Sincavage, Doug Lebow, Alisha Edwards, Curtis Blank, Bryan Edwards, Sebastian Sokolowski, Kevin Hooper, DS Shin, Shawn Zuzek, Javier Lovato, and Jeffrey Lamont Brown.
In what is certainly a sign of ending on a good note and not burning any bridges, WWE.COM today uploaded a story on Matt Hardy leaving the company, calling him a trailblazer.
The short story lists his championship achievements and notes how he stole the show at WrestleMania on several occasions with his brother in TLC matches. It also puts over Hardy for the “uncanny connection” he has built with WWE fans through his several character changes.
The statement, titled Matt Hardy’s contract expires, ends with, “WWE thanks Matt Hardy for his contributions to sports-entertainment and the WWE Universe and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.”
Ticketmaster.com has an entry for the Money In The Bank pay-per-view listed as taking place from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on Sunday, May 10.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 13 at 10AM ET while the pre-sale kicks off on Wednesday, March 11 at 10AM ET and ends the next day. Citi Cardmember pre-sale starts a day earlier on Tuesday, March 10 at 10AM ET.
The official website of the Royal Farms Arena still has no entry for the pay-per-view on their calendar.
Tokyo Sports is covering the rumor of a possible merger between WWE and All Japan Pro Wrestling which would see AJPW being absorbed by WWE and possibly renamed to NXT Japan.
WWE has been looking at the possibility of expanding the NXT brand to Japan after the successful launch of NXT UK and opening the third WWE Performance Center in the country.
In comments to Yahoo! Japan, AJPW President Takeshi Fukada said that he’s glad to see that the company has a worldwide value but there’s no final decision yet on what will happen about a possible merger with WWE. He said that he hopes that the visit of Jun Akiyama to the WWE Performance Center in May will shed more light on the situation as Akiyama meets Triple H and other WWE officials.
If WWE ends up absorbing All Japan Pro Wrestling it would mean that another major player has taken control of another wrestling promotion in Japan. Bushiroad owns New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom while Cyber Agent owns Pro Wrestling NOAH and DDT.
Five matches have been announced so far for tonight’s Monday Night Raw, the go-home episode for this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
Set for tonight are Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler, The Street Profits vs Seth Rollins and Murphy for the Raw Tag Team titles, AJ Styles vs Aleister Black, Rey Mysterio and Humberto Carrillo vs Andrade and Angel Garza, and a 24/7 title defense by Riddick Moss.
Baszler was supposed to face Asuka but the former Smackdown Women’s champion was replaced due to a sprained wrist.
Apart from these matches, WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix will appear live to address Edge’s injury. Is an RKO by Orton on Phoenix on the horizon leading up to Edge’s return next week?
All Elite Wrestling has made another subtle hint at Matt Hardy joining the promotion by posting an image simply saying “The Exalted One is Near” on Twitter just after Midnight.
However, upon zooming in on the photo, on the words E of Exalted and I of Is, there’s the words “Sitting in a dead tree” in very faint grey on the white text. In the video that Matt released also just after Midnight, he is seen sitting on a throne…made of wood.
There have been several hints over the past few weeks of Matt Hardy joining AEW to be the leader of The Dark Order. Last week, Hardy addressed Orton in a video titled “Dear Dr RKO” which when you scramble the words they come out to Dark Order.
Hardy announced that he is now a free agent after his deal expired on March 1 at Midnight.
Former All Japan Pro Wrestling President Jun Akiyama will be serving as a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center between May 12 and May 22. The announcement was made on the AJPW’s official Twitter account.
The 50-year-old from Osaka has spent all of his career wrestling with All Japan and Pro Wrestling Noah and never was part of a major promotion outside Japan.
There are big rumors that NXT will open its Japan branch this year so his arrival at the Performance Center is certainly adding more fuel to that fire. Akiyama will also be meeting Triple H, with the two having met a couple of times last year as well when WWE toured Japan.
Just after Midnight, Matt Hardy uploaded a video on YouTube where he announced that he is now a free agent and no longer under a WWE contract.
Hardy thanked WWE for the way they treated him and his family and said that he would be back some day. “I love WWE. WWE is my home,” he said, adding that he has nothing but good things to say about the company. He said that if it wasn’t for Vince McMahon, he would not be able to obtain the quality of life he has now so he will always be grateful for that.
Matt said it’s just time for him to take a break and the reason he needed to leave WWE is because when it comes to creative stands and his creative outlook on himself, him and WWE are on different pages.
He said that in the last three or four years of his in-ring career, he needs to cement his legacy and while he’s 45 years old, he needs to be utilized in a certain way but he has a lot to offer still. He requires to have a creative input in his career but WWE was not allowing him to do that.
Matt Hardy’s WWE contract officially expires at Midnight tonight and on Twitter, Hardy mentioned “3220” which decoded would be March 2, 2020.
“With 3220 rapidly approaching, I highly recommend watching & analyzing these videos… POSTHASTE,” Hardy wrote, giving links to the Free The Delete series on his YouTube channel.
Matt is wildly believed to be heading to All Elite Wrestling and be the leader of The Dark Order. Unless WWE made a mega offer and something to keep Matt creatively happy, the chances of him going to AEW are…wonderful! There were talks that Hardy was also offered a spot on the NXT brand.
One thing’s for sure, the anticipation of where Matt Hardy will go will be over soon.
Sports betting is fun and entertaining, regardless of whether it is done online or a bettor opts to visit or call a land-based bookie. However, the act of sports betting isn’t always seamless and perfect. There are instances wherein mistakes are inevitable. As such, here are some of the biggest sports betting blunders that bettors commonly make.
Signing up with a Poor Operator
Perhaps one of the biggest sports betting mistakes of all time is to sign up with an unreliable operator. It is important to choose a reputable sports bookie with a long history of paying the winnings of successful and lucky bettors. The experts behind the T-sbobet.com website not only emphasize this, but they also note that reliable sportsbooks also offer sbobet promotions and sign-up bonuses, which eventually ensures the longevity of a bettor’s bankroll. It will be very unfortunate if after the adrenaline rush you feel in the game and eventually winning, you will not be able to get your earnings at the end.
Chasing Losses
Another significant mistake in sports betting is chasing losses. After having a streak of rough losses, it can truly be tempted to keep on betting, with an aim to recover back. However, this often leads to more losses because there is a great chance that the player is no longer focused on choosing lines with an advantage, but rather, they are more concentrated on the money that they are losing.
Betting too Many Games
Betting on several games at once just for fun or simply getting some action can sometimes be unavoidable. However, constantly betting with this frame of mind may cost players in the long run. This is because placing wagers without a solid basis or a decent edge will only lead to foreseeable losses that may no longer be recovered.
Betting on Unfamiliar Sports
One of the biggest sports betting blunders is placing a wager on an unfamiliar sport. However, this often happens in high-profile tournaments or matches, which can even be hyped by excessive media attention. It can truly be enticing for casual or novice bettors and doing so time and again may be alright. However, continuously betting on a sport that you don’t really understand may cost you with a hefty sum in the end.
Hometown Favoritism
Finally, hometown favoritism is considered as another big sport betting mistake that you need to avoid. However, this often happens, especially for sports fans who are amateurs in betting. It can prove to be an area where you can miss an important edge because of your bias. Nevertheless, betting on your hometown team is a sign of patriotism, and there is really nothing wrong with this unless you are looking into making some extra bucks through sports betting.
Keep in mind to practice responsible gambling to minimize your risk of getting into avoidable sports betting blunders. This will guarantee that not only will you have a good time, and your chances of winning will even be greater. While certain sports betting mistakes may be deemed as inevitable, there are surefire ways to avoid these ultimately.
Chicago’s own Colt Cabana made a surprise appearance at AEW Revolution yesterday, coming to the aid of SCU during the Buy-In show.
In the post-show media scrum with reporters, AEW President Tony Khan said that Cabana has signed with the promotion and will be serving three roles – announcer, wrestler, and a coach. Khan also confirmed that Cabana will be allowed to work for other independent promotions while still signed to AEW.
Cabana, 39, is a favorite on the indies, having spent most of his wrestling career there apart from a short stint with WWE in 2007. He is best known for his work with Ring of Honor.
The former NWA champion was famously sued along with CM Punk by WWE doctor Christopher Amann for comments made during the November 2014 episode of his podcast The Art of Wrestling. Punk and Cabana teamed up to take on the WWE doc and won but the two fell apart with both of them suing each other alleging breach of contract and fraud.
Tickets for the NXT UK Takeover: Dublin WWE Network event will go on sale tomorrow, Monday, March 2 at 9AM local time at Ticketmaster.ie.
The show will be taking place from the 3Arena on Sunday, April 26 in a country that is actually not in the United Kingdom, but a country that has its fair share of WWE and NXT Superstars.
Finn Balor, who is Irish, is scheduled to take part in the next set of NXT UK television tapings and will probably feature in the event as well.
MMA is a combination of different martial arts and fighting techniques, including judo, karate, wrestling, boxing, and Muay Thai, which is a form of boxing in Thailand. Whether you’re new to the sport or you are a regular participant in the octagon, it’s essential to have the right gear. Participants in the ancient battle forms must be able to protect their hands and knuckles while still having the ability to grapple and move around unrestricted.
Movement
MMA uses some boxing techniques. However, the two sports are uniquely different, and the same gear won’t work for both. Unlike boxers that use a fighting stance that keeps their feet on the ground, MMA fighters spend time all over the ring in various positions. To stay on top, they need MMA gloves that provide protection while allowing movement. Boxing gloves completely cover and pad the entire hand, including the knuckles and fingers, to prevent bone bruises and breaks. These won’t allow you to grapple or wrestle on the ground with your opponent.
Additionally, MMA gloves are much heavier, adding an extra four ounces to eight ounces of weight to each hand that can reduce movement, decrease speed, and cost you that round or entire match. It’s essential to choose ones with the right balance of padding to protect your hands, but not so much that it restricts movements.
Purpose
The purpose is mixed martial arts. But boxers and MMA fighters can use different gloves for sparring, competition, and working with a heavyweight bag. It might sound confusing with three, but there is a difference between sparring and competition-style gear.
When you’re just practicing with a human partner and not equipment, you want to have some impact, but not one that will hurt them. A sparring partner is normally a coach or teammate. A little knockdown play is fine, but without some extra padding, the wrong move could cause a costly injury to an ally, and even render them unconscious.
With protective coverings for going one-on-one with the heavy bag, you don’t need as much padding to protect the hands and fingers. Nonetheless, pay attention to the heavyweight bag. If it doesn’t have much padding, you may want to use sparring or competition gloves instead to add more protection between your thinly covered bones and the inanimate object.
In competition, whether it’s a match sanctioned by Dana White or a fight at a local club, the goal is to beat your challenger. Here you need to have enough impact with each hit to inflict damage. That’s not to say you want to cause severe injuries during competition. With these matches, the right gloves allow you to hit the opponent hard enough to win, but not so much that you cause permanent harm or even kill them.
Protection
Mixed martial arts involves fast reflexes and fluid movements with little protective gear. Although they protect their body and strike with their hands and feet, MMA fighters need hand and knuckle protection.
Palm Design
Whether you’re looking for sparring, training with a heavyweight bag, or heading into the octagon with your nemesis, there are two different palm designs that have various benefits and potential disadvantages. Open-palm styles are more breathable than traditional, closed-style gloves. These have adjustable wrist straps to hold them in place. Perforated palms give some airflow and still look like regular gloves. Choose whichever option works best for your style. If sweaty palms have caused difficulties with your performance in the past, consider the newer, open style to reduce these problems.
Size
Another important reason to invest in MMA gloves is to get the size right. After accounting for the right thickness, purpose, and design, you want to have the right overall fit. Although they only come in small, medium, large, and some are available in extra-large, getting as close to the size that fits you will give you an advantage on the mat.
Gloves that are too big will be bulky, making it hard to move your hands, and can lead to injuries from areas lacking protection and trying to fight with gloves that aren’t stationary. Using a pair that’s too small can also restrict movements and cause circulation problems and damage to your hands in some cases.
When choosing, remember going with lower prices or the wrong styles can increase your chances of an injury and be much more costly in the future. With the right MMA gloves for sparring, competition, and bag work, you’re ready to grapple with your next opponent in the octagon.
The Moxley Era has arrived. Le Champion has lost his AEW World title after 182 days as Jon Moxley defeated Chris Jericho during Revolution to win his first title with the promotion.
Before the match ended, Mox took off his eye patch to reveal that he could see and then hit the Paradigm Shift for the clean pin as the Chicago crowd came unglued to congratulate the new champ.
Following the match and celebrations, Mox cut a promo in the middle of the ring as fans chanted for him. “I love this shit!” Mox said. “It has been one hell of a year for yours truly. One hell of a long road.”
He then put over the fans for sticking with him through thick and thin. “You are the energy that fuels AEW. A year ago we had this conversation saying we’re bringing pro wrestling back to the people. And that’s what we’ve done. This doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to all the AEW fans,” he continued.
His wife, Renee Young who was at the show, tweeted “GOOSEBUMPS!” following the win.
Here are the results from last night’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view which took place from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
The Dark Order defeated SCU during the Buy-In show; Jake Hager defeated Dustin Rhodes; Darby Allin defeated Sammy Guevara; Kenny Omega and Hangman Page defeated The Young Bucks to retain the AEW Tag Team titles; Nyla Rose defeated Kris Statlander to retain the AEW Women’s title; MJF defeated Cody; Pac defeated Orange Cassidy; Jon Moxley defeated Chris Jericho to become the new AEW World champion.
It was announced during the Revolution pay-per-view that the March 25 episode of Dynamite on TNT will feature AEW’s version of WarGames titled Blood and Guts.
The match looks like it will be identical to the WarGames concept with two rings and one massive cage that covers both rings. WWE has the trademark for the WarGames name which is why AEW can’t use it but in WWE’s version – which NXT uses – the cage doesn’t have a ceiling.
The Blood and Guts quote was actually uttered by Vince McMahon during a conference call with reporters when he said that unlike the newcomers, they don’t need to do a lot of blood and guts on television to gather attention.
The March 25 episode will take place from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Tickets are available now.
HELLO everybody! It’s @TheMagnumDA here for the FINAL ROUND of the Three Stages of Pick’em Hell!
Colin and I are tied at 1 show apiece – he won NXT TakeOver Portland, and I scooped up WWE Super ShowDown thanks to The Undertaker stealing the Gauntlet Match from AJ Styles! Oh, plus that little Goldberg thing that happened…so that brings us to TONIGHT. AEW Revolution…and we’re not wasting any time. We’re starting straight from the top of the card. The winner of THIS contest will walk away the WOPC Undisputed Champion, and head right into WrestleMania as the defending titleholder.
ON WITH THE PICKS!
AEW World Championship
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Jon Moxley
Magnum: Fozzy is going on tour…Jericho’s title reign is close to six months…all the signs are there for Jericho to finally pass the torch. But…not so fast. 🙂 Moxley made a lot of enemies on his quest to get to Chris Jericho, so it’s only fitting that someone costs Moxley his shot at the gold. Jericho retains.
Colin: I think there will be a new AEW World champion by the time the night is over. Jericho has been awesome as a champion and the guy can reinvent himself in a million ways but it’s time to make way for Mox to reign supreme.
MJF (with Wardlow) vs. Cody (with Arn Anderson)
Magnum: In my mind, I see a scenario playing out where Wardlow destroys Arn, and helps MJF get the win. I could also see Arn “accidentally” dropping Cody with a chair or a tire iron. Either way, MJF is going to slither his way to another victory.
Colin: The whole lashing thing on television was awesome. Too bad it wasn’t in Saudi LOL! I love this feud and for it to continue, the heel has to win this one somehow. Doesn’t matter if he cheats. MJF wins and a big return match at DoN.
AEW World Tag Team Championship
Kenny Omega and “Hangman” Adam Page (c) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)
Magnum: This thing is going to spill over tonight. Pun definitely intended! I think Page is going to sabotage Omega and somehow cost his team the championships. The Young Bucks have been patient, but the time has finally come. New Champions!
Colin: Hoping Page turns on Omega here. It’s always risky giving the AEW EVPs the titles because we all know how fans hate people in power to be champions. The Young Bucks to win the titles here.
Jake Hager vs. “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes
Magnum: Rhodes winning here is completely counterproductive. Hager, on the other hand…? He’s just getting started. Show ’em that SWAG, JACK. Hager wins big, likely by submission.
Colin: I really would like Dustin to win here but I have a feeling that as long as Hager remains undefeated in MMA, he will remain undefeated in AEW. Makes sense too. Hager wins.
Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara
Magnum: I am very much looking forward to this match. These are two young stars who have received a lot of TV time, and well deserved. I’m really digging Darby, though. I’ll take him to win tonight.
Colin: Two of AEW’s youngest stars and I think and hope they will steal the show. Both of them are good but which one needs a win more than the other? I predict Darby Allin wins.
AEW Women’s World Championship
Nyla Rose (c) vs. Kris Statlander
Magnum: The piece with Statlander during the AEW Revolution preview show was hilarious. Tony Schiavone’s bit from that segment was worth the price of admission alone. Unfortunately, for Kris…that’s where the fun ends. Nyla Rose is a destructive force. She’s not going anywhere. Nyla retains.
Colin: Nyla just won the title so there’s no way they will take it away from her this early. #AndStill
Pac vs. Orange Cassidy
Magnum: Pac is freaking fantastic. Watching him evolve into “The Bastard” is a true joy to watch. The guy’s got a world of talent. Orange Cassidy, on the other hand…? Cool gimmick, bro. Pac destroys this lad.
Colin: I don’t get Orange Cassidy to be honest. Don’t ask. Just on that, I’m giving Pac the win. I still can’t believe WWE blew it with him when he was there.
SoCal Uncensored (Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) w/Christopher Daniels vs. The Dark Order (Evil Uno and Stu Grayson) w/Alex Reynolds and John Silver
Magnum: Tonight is where the Dark Order will finally regain any momentum lost from before. If the rumors are true about Matt Hardy, then I wouldn’t be surprised if their trajectory shifts upwards tonight. Give me the Dark Order to win and make a statement.
Colin: I would imagine that with their leader soon to be revealed, the Dark Order will be having some kind of momentum. That ending on Dynamite with them in the main event a few months ago was hideous, but we’ll file that under the “everyone has a night off” category. The Dark Order wins.
There you have it fans! THE THREE STAGES OF PICK’EM HELL ENDS HERE. Enjoy the show tonight! We’ll see you at the ELIMINATION CHAMBER. @TheMagnumDA signing off!
Odds for five matches from tonight’s Revolution pay-per-view were released. We do not have the numbers for the other matches on the card and only showing what is being advertised up until today.
In the AEW World title match, Jon Moxley has the advantage over Le Champion, with Mox having 5/7 odds and Jericho at 1/1, which could mean a title change is in sight.
Current AEW Women’s champion Nyla Rose is favorite to retain her title with odds of 12/25 while Kris Statlander is at 8/5 for the upset.
The Young Bucks will be hoping for a title win against fellow Elite members Kenny Omega and Adam Page. Oddsmakers think that this is a great possibility with The Bucks having 3/8 odds of winning the titles while the current champions have 7/4 odds to retain.
In one of the most anticipated matches of the night, MJF is the favorite to win against Cody with odds of 5/9 while Cody is at 7/5 to win. And Dustin Rhodes is 21/10 favorite to win against undefeated MMA fighter Jake Hager who is 16/5.
Friday Night Smackdown on FOX had 2,716,000 viewers tuning in thanks to the fallout from Super ShowDown and the appearance from John Cena. Hour one did 2,736,000 viewers and hour two dipped slightly to 2,697,000. This was the most-watched Smackdown since October 11, 2020 and it did 259,000 viewers more than last week. Smackdown topped all networks when it comes to the demos. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
During a luncheon hosted yesterday in Tampa to promote WrestleMania, WWE Chief Brand Office Stephanie McMahon addressed the ongoing concerns about the coronavirus and how it would hit WWE, or in this case WrestleMania, come April.
With many sporting events being delayed or even canceled, having 70,000 fans from all around the world gather in one spot for a wrestling event is weighing on the minds of many.
“The health and safety of not only our fan base, but also our superstars, really does come first,” McMahon said as quoted by the Tampa Bay Times. “We don’t want to put anyone in a bad situation ever, regardless of the circumstance. Those are not risks worth taking.”
Although not a pandemic yet, the threat levels of the coronavirus are being upped everyday and WrestleMania is just over a month away.
John Saboor, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Special Events, said that there are active and ongoing discussions internally and those will continue leading up to the show.
The Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Rob Higgins, also said that his team is working with the Tampa International Airport and the aviation authority to ensure the safety of the thousands of fans who will descend upon Tampa in the next few weeks.
“Thirty-six days is a long time, so it’s hard to predict. I think we just continue to information gather as much as possible, so that we are as prepared as possible.”
McMahon also added that if necessary, WWE will comply in enacting any measure that is required to make sure everyone is safe.
But for now, work continues to make WrestleMania in Tampa a smashing success.
