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Category: News

  • WED UPDATE: Jimmy Snuka murder case to go to trial, TNA UK tour, and more

    Show notes for tonight:​
    NXT TakeOver: Respect airs live on WWE Network at 8:00 p.m. ET (pre-show at 7:30 p.m. ET) with Bayley (c) vs. Sasha Banks in a 30 Minute Iron Man Match or the NXT Women’s Championship, Finn Bálor & Samoa Joe vs. Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder in a Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semifinal, Jason Jordan & Chad Gable vs. Baron Corbin & Rhyno in the other Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semifinal,  the tournament final, Asuka vs. Dana Brooke. and Apollo Crews vs. Tyler Breeze.

    UFC Tonight airs at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 

    A rerun of last week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter airs at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 and it’s titld “A Faithless Foe.” It has Connor McGregor lecturing the fighter who lost last week, a Team Faber fighter skipping practice, and more

    Impact Wrestling at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Destination America is the the first show where we don’t really know what will air because it will consist of the “non-storyline” matches shot at the last set of tapings. Officially, this is the start of the “World Title Series” to determine a new champion in light of Matt Hardy vacating the title to render Ethan Carter III’s injunction moot. Your mileage may vary as to whether or not this was planned all along, especially considering they announced that some of the Knockouts will be participating.

    The Ultimate Fighter at 10:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 is titled “Just Do Something.” The fighters spend a night out relaxing with their coaches.

    ROH at 11:00 p.m. ET on Destination America is loaded, withThe Time Splitters vs. The Briscoes and Kazuchika Okada vs. Roderick Strong.

    Please send reports from major shows, recommended links, etc. to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com:

    ****

    Figure Four Weekly:

    The newest issue of Figure Four Weekly is now up for subscribers (subscribe to the site here and get access to Figure Four, the Observer, tons of audio, and more) featuring details on all facets of Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker, including a better understanding of Gawker’s defense, what else the judge has sealed to protect Hogan, and more. On top of that, we have all the usual stuff like Vinny’s reviews and international news.

    The recent FREEFigure Four Weekly is still up with a look at the crazy story of why Gawker thinks the FBI may have helped Hulk Hogan cover up his racist and homophobic comments. A judge has ordered the FBI to turn over the records of their investigation, and what Gawker is saying in court about what has and hasn’t been turned over paints a very interesting picture.

    Also, now available for the first time on Kindle (meaning Kindle devices and anything with the Kindle app) is Fall Guys, the seminal 1937 book that has been described as being like the 1930s version of the Wrestling Observer. It was surprisingly not on Kindle already, so we put together a nice version with a full table of contents w/ chapter marks, proper formatting on everything, etc. Right now it’s available from the American, Canadian, and Australian Amazon/Kindle stores OR you can also buy it from anywhere in the world on PayHip, who will provide you with both Kindle and ePub (every other e-reader) format files, and you can either sideload them to your device or have them email it to your Kindle.

    ****

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    If you saw the JBL interview with Eric Bischoff, or even if you didn’t, we have what is already one of the most talked about and praised issues of the Wrestling Observer this year up on the site right now.  The main theme is fact vs. fiction, covering both the WWE historical view of the Monday Night Wars and the Eric Bischoff version, going through every point and cutting through things like outright B.S., faulty memories and interesting truths.

    The new double issue also covers SummerSlam in Brooklyn, the real story behind the UFC announcing a show in Madison Square Garden, Jon Jones’ legal punishment and future, coverage of both of the New Japan PPV shows this past week as well as a look at their direction as they build toward King of Pro Wrestling and later, the Tokyo Dome show, UFC in Japan and a look at that business, the retirement of Rich Franklin, a Hall of Famer running for Mayor, the retirement show of Genichiro Tenryu, more concerning drug testing questions, SummerSlam PPV numbers and what we can learn from them, as well as the death of German legend Axel Dieter Sr.

    The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter:  October 6, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Analysis of Bischoff Network interview, Jones plea and tons more. 

    You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer

    You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    Rates are:

    For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.

    If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

    The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.

    We look at Eric Bischoff and his role, both good and bad, in what the pro wrestling industry has turned into.  We look at the WCW boom, the creation of Nitro, the early war, the NWO era, the peak and the fall of WCW.

    We look at the mistakes made, the fall of WCW, the emergence of Bill Goldberg, the real origination of the streak idea,   We look at the rapid decline of the company and why.  We look at how and when things went down, as well as why, how history shows the merger excuse doesn’t hold water, the complete b.s. of the WWE’s Monday Night War narrative.  We look at the dying days of WCW and Eric Bischoff’s plan he never got a chance to implement.

    We look at Eric Bischoff’s background, how he got into wrestling, his first meeting with Verne Gagne, his WWF tryout as an announcer, his connection with Japan, the unique case of Sonny Onoo, and the death of the AWA.

    We look at the sale of Georgia Championship Wrestling, Vince McMahon’s one-year run on TBS and problems with Ted Turner, where Bill Watts fit into the scene then, and the scene prior to the launch of Nitro.

    We look at WCW before Bischoff got power, what really happened with Jim Ross and WCW, , moves by Bill Watts, .  We look at the first Nitro, the real story behind Lex Luger, what Lex Luger really got, what really happened in WCW with HHH and Mick Foley, Foley getting into WWF, the story behind Bischoff’s firing of Steve Austin, the cruiserweight division and its double-edge sword, what was the point of no return, the Montreal screw job and why so many, even in wrestling, missed key points in that story, Mike Tyson at WrestleMania, Kevin Nash as a booker, DX invades Nitro and the Bischoff vs. McMahon challenge to a fist fight and the story behind the PPV that went 30 minutes over.

    In the UFC Madison Square Garden announcement, we look at the thought process behind the strategy.

    FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW CLICK HERE

    If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today.

    New subscribers ordering 24 or 40 issues have to let us know what major stories of the past 11 years you are most interested in and we’ll send the issue with the best coverage of that story. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    Wednesday Daily Update

    • Raw ratings
    • SmackDown spoilers
    • NXT TakeOver: Respect preview
    • Today in history
    • The defense and prosecution in the Jimmy Snuka case agreed to skip a preliminary hearing and go straight to trial today, with the defense getting all of the grand jury transcripts as part of the deal. Snuka’s lawyer described a potential preliminary hearing as a “sham” because the prosecution was going to have one investigator recount what was heard in front of the grand jury, arguing it would be hearsay. Anyway, with Snuka about to undergo chemotherapy, it’s in everyone’s best interests to move quickly. Snuka’s lawyer had one of the most unfortunate gaffe’s you’ll come across in something like this, saying that, with regards to his client, “he’d like to leave this world knowing that he’s an innocent man, not whatever you think he’s guilty.” So he doesn’t know now?
    • Irv Muchnick has gathered all of his blog’s Snuka coverage into a handy index.
    • James Storm has been spotted at Full Sail University, for whatever it’s actually worth.
    • 2K Sports announced all of the details for WWE 2K16’s optional downloadable content. A Hall of Fame Showcase mode includes, of all things, Ric Flair vs. Tatsumi Fujinami from the first annual WCW Superbrawl in 1991. The game is out on October 27th and available for pre-order now.
    • TNA officially announced the January UK tour.
    • Marcos Galvao’s Bellator Bantamweight Championship defense against Eduardo Dantas has been postponed due to Dantas suffering a rib injury.
    • World Series of Fighting has officially announced their one night lightweight tournament for WSOF 25 on November 20th in Phoenix, Arizona. The fighters in the tournament will be Luis “Baboon” Palomino, Brian Foster, Mike Ricci, Islam Mamedov, Brian “The Bandit” Cobb, Jorge “Macaco” Patino, Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino and Rich Patishnock.
    • News from Kris Zellner’s Lucha Report (fullly illustrated version with results and lineups available here):

    ALL ELITE has changed their name to LUCHA LIBRE ELITE and they also announced that they are running Arena Mexico on 10/25.

    Former EMLL performer Héctor Picasso Martínez aka Guerrero Negro Jr. was shot twice early Monday morning from someone who was driving past him and he was hit twice out of the six shots fired. He was with his girlfriend at the time and she was able to drive him to the hospital where he was classified to be in stable condition but delicate. 

    • Dave has two nw articles at MMAFighting:

    UFC 192 postmortem

    UFC 192 prelim viewership notes

  • On this date in pro wrestling history 10-7: Rich wins Macon title, HHH and Orton trade title wins

    1957
    Wichita, Kansas:
    – Richard Brown defeated Red Berry to win the NWA Central States Title

    1959 
    Mobile, Alabama:
    – Lee Fields defeated The Mighty Yankee to win the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title

    1960
    St. Joseph, Missouri:
    – Sonny Myers beat Bob Orton in 2 out of 3 falls to earn a title shot against NWA World Champion Pat O’Conner  

    1964 
    – Chin Lee defeated Silento Rodriguez for the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title

    1965
    Kansas City, Kansas:
    – Bobo Brazil beat Bob Brown 2 falls to 1
    – Mongolian Stomper beat Bob Geigel 2 falls to 1
    – Cowboy Bob Ellis beat Bulldog Plechas 

    Denver, Colorado:
    – Dick the Bruiser beat Larry Hennig
    – Wilbur Snyder beat Harley Race dq
    – Chris Markoff beat Eddie Sharkey
    – Mighty Igor Vodik beat Lorenzo Parente
    – Tim Woods beat Ivan Kalmikoff

    1967
    Omaha, Nebraska:
    – AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Bob Orton
    – Midwest Tag Title Match, AWA Tag Titles not on the line: Midwest Tag Team Champions Doug Gilbert & Reggie Parks beat AWA Tag Team    
      Champions Larry Hennig & Harley Race
    – Fabulous Moolah beat Princess Little Cloud
    – Bob Ellis beat Bob Geigel
    – Mike DiBiase beat Bob Boyer

    1972
    Chicago, Illinois:
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens beat Andre Rousimoff (Andre the Giant) & Dr X
    – Wahoo McDaniel beat Larry Hennig

    1979 
    Macon, Georgia:
    –  Tommy Rich defeated Killer Karl Kox to win the Macon Heavyweight title

    1981
    Seattle, Washington:
    – King Parsons defeated Gene Kiniski by disqualification
    – Buddy Rose defeated Matt Borne

    1984
    Chicago, Illinois:
    – Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher & Baron Von Raschke beat Road Warriors & Paul Ellering
    – King Kong Brody drew Jerry Blackwell
    – Nick Bockwinkel beat Tony Atlas dq
    – Fabulous Ones beat Mr. Saito & Billy Robinson
    – Jim Brunzell beat Larry Zbyszko

    1985
    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Harley Race beat Koko Ware to win the NWA Mid-America Title
    – CWA International Champ The Mongolian Stomper beat Phil Hickerson
    – Jerry Lawler fought Bill Dundee to a no contest

    1989 
    Bayamon, Puerto Rico:
    – Invader #1 defeated Ivan Koloff in a Russian Chain Match to win the WWC Puerto Rican Heavyweight Title
    – Caros Colon defeated Steve Strong in a Barbed Wire Cage match to win the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title
    – Cuban Assassin & Jerry Morrow defeated Miguel Peres, Jr. & Hurricane Castillo, Jr. for the WWC Caribbean Tag Team Title 
    – Chris & Mark Youngblood defeated Rip Oliver & Abdhuadein to win the WWC World Tag Team Title

    1990 
    Tokyo, Japan:
    – Manami Toyota defeated Bison Kimura in a tournament final for the All Japan Pacific Title 

    1991
    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Dutch Mantell & Tony Anthony beat Eric Embry & Tom Prichard via DQ
    – Jeff Jarrett & Robert Fuller beat The Texas Outlaws (Doug Vines & Jeff Sword) to win the USWA Tag Team championship
    – USWA Unified Champ Jerry Lawler beat GWF TV Champ Eddie Gilbert via DQ
    – Jeff Jarrett & Robert Fuller fought Eric Embry & Tom Prichard to a no contest in a lights out match

    1993
    Hazard, Kentucky:
    – SMW Tag Team Champions Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson fought Scott & Steve Armstrong to a no contest
    – SMW Heavyweight Champion Brian Lee defeated Tracy Smothers 
    – Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Ray via disqualification

    1995 
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
    – Raven & Stevie Richards defeated The Pitbulls to win the ECW World Tag Team Champions
    – Psicosis defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. in 2 out of 3 falls match
    – ECW TV Champion 2 Cold Scorpio defeated JT Smith
    – ECW World Heavyweight Champion The Sandman defeated Mikey Whipwreck to retain the title

    2007 
    Chicago, Illinois:
    – Triple H defeated Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship 
    – Randy Orton defeated Triple H to regain the WWE Championship in a rematch later in the show
    – Beth Phoenix defeated Candice Michelle to win the Diva’s Championship

  • WWE NXT TakeOver Respect preview: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks, Asuka’s debut, more!

    20 years ago, the WWF and WCW took their pay per view schedule from 5-7 a year to a monthly schedule. At the time, the worries were that they were watering down their product by running so many big shows and it would ultimately lead to fewer and fewer buys. In retrospectm bad booking by both companies led to their respective buyrates tumbling, but having 12-16 pay per views a year led to more throwaway shows and lackluster builds.

    For NXT, this is the shortest period of time between their major shows since they began last February. Going forward, we have TakeOver on December 16 and another one in February. After that, we have the pre-WrestleMania house show that may become a TakeOver special if everything goes well, Hopefully, I’ll be here in six months talking about the buzz for that show and not having the discussion about saturation that WWF/WCW had two decades ago.

    So what has changed for Bayley and Sasha Banks since Brooklyn?

    The NXT women’s match and title win did so much for Bayley’s career. She came out in Full Sail and was a bigger star thanks to it. On the other hand, it cemented Sasha Banks’ position as the best all around young female under contract. 

    Can Bayley and Sasha do better than they did in Brooklyn?

    How do you do better than the best women’s match of the year and, arguably, the best WWE match this year? If I trust any two people to do it, it’s these two ladies. They went 18:16 in a ****1/2 match and now have 11 more minutes to add that extra half star.

    If I have learned anything in the last 21 months since NXT Arrival it’s to stop doubting the women. I have learned to stop saying “It should be good, but….” Sasha and Bayley have proved that they deserve my confidence and yours. If WWE announced an IronMan match with the men, I would have the same reaction as Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez where they should just announce a regular match and have them go 30 minutes. Instead, I believe this will be the best IronMan Match in WWE history and if you doubt the abilities of these two ladies, re-watch the last five TakeOver women’s matches.

    Who is left in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic?

    After 16 teams, we have narrowed things down to four: two makeshift teams, the fastest rising heel team on NXT, and one duo that no one saw making it this far.

    When the brackets were first released for the tournament, I did some fantasy booking and assumed the final four would be Samoa Joe & Finn Balor vs Blake & Murphy, and Jason Jordan & Chad Gable vs Tomasso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano. Needless to say, I am not an expert prognosticator. 

    NXT Champion Finn Balor and Samoa Joe are both coming off victories in Brooklyn, and began the next day with the simmering tension between the two. Taken off the excellent Triple H-Batista storyline from late-2004, this angle is being built with subtlety. Joe will gaze at Balor’s belt from time to time and tease tension. Obviously, this will lead to a heel turn and an eventual title match, but we will debate the “perfect” time to do it. They are the overwhelming favorites to win the tournament, since they are the only baby face team left and it would help set them up for their inevitable match. Chances of winning: 90%

    Baron Corbin & Rhyno were once enemies and squared off at TakeOver: Unstoppable in May, but they have since become allies and a good team at that. They always seem to be on the verge of breaking up, but I think this team is better off together right now than apart. Plus we always need new challengers for The Vaudevillains. They aren’t the in-ring workers Gable & Jordan are, but they are bigger names. Their chances of winning are based purely on if they want to do an angle post-match with Cody & Dustin Rhodes, who will be awarding the trophy. Chances of winning: 5%

    Chad Gable & Jason Jordan are an excellent team and are only getting better. Both men are great in the ring and have a natural cockiness about them. Their chemistry has improved and the team has gotten better now that Jordan’s only hang-up is saying “Ready, Willing & Gable”. The best match in the finals would be these two vs Joe & Balor, and this is NXT where potential match quality is a big deal at the Takeover specials. Likewise, they will only win the tournament if they want to do a post-match angle with the Rhodes’ brothers. Chances of winning: 5%

    Dash & Dawson have absolutely no chance in winning the tournament. None. Zero. There are three heel teams in the final four and they drew Joe & Balor in the semi-finals. This is both men’s first chance to have a big Takeover match and having a quality performance is what these two men need. Chances of winning: 0%

    What else is happening?

    The in ring debut of Asuka! I have never seen this young lady wrestle, but all it took was a smile to get me excited. I still believe the segment on Wednesday would have been much better had they not aired the video Dana Brooke got scared watching. However, with that out of the way, this match will go five minutes and set up Asuka for future matches with Emma and, eventually, Bayley. 

    Plus, Tyler Breeze will sports entertain with Apollo Crews in the mid-90’s ppv special. The build for this match was non-existent with a cameraman informing Breeze of this match. Breeze remains the most underrated wrestler on NXT and Crews needs to find an opponent to have a great match with. If these two get 10-13 minutes, this could be the second or third best match on the show.

    Where is Nia Jax?

    She got lost on the way to Full Sail. She hit the DuBurns Arena in Baltimore, the Davis Arena in Louisville, Center Stage in Atlanta and the Impact Zone in Orlando, but someone has pointed her in the right direction and will be here soon.

    I watch 3 hours of Raw, 2 hours of SmackDown, 2 hours of Impact, an hour of ROH and an hour of New Japan every week. Why should I watch this? 

    First of all, stop watching SmackDown. I have a great Doctor Who analogy, but this isn’t the time for it. 

    NXT TakeOver specials are the closest thing you can get to a sure thing in wrestling. They have produced seven specials going into this week and the worst one was still better than most wrestling PPVs the last two years. This show will go 2-2 ½ hours and it will fly by and leave you wanting more. When was the last time you said that about Raw? You will not feel like you have wasted your time with something that will happen again next week. 

    Are you finished yet?

    Yes! Now watch NXT TakeOver: Respect this Wednesday night at 8pm EST/7pm CST on the “Award Winning, Revolutionary WWE Network”!

  • Dragon Gate Japan iPPV Thursday, new merchandise store opening

    Dragon Gate will presenting an iPPV from its monthly Korakuen Hall show early Thursday morning.

    The show will air at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time Thursday morning, and 2:30 a.m. Pacific, with video-on-demand an option.  It is available at http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv235460088 at a cost of 1,500 yen, or $12.50 U.S.

    The promotion is probably the second most popular in Japan and has the fastest action of any group.

    The main event will be an Open the Triangle Gate title match with Cima & Gamma & Don Fujii vs. Shingo Takagi & Cyber Kong & Kotoka.

    The rest of the card has:

    Super Shisa & Shachihoko Boy vs. Lindaman & Yosuke Santa Maria
    Masato Yoshino & Akira Tozawa & T-Hawk vs. Dragon Kid & Kzy & Flamita
    Jimmy Kanda & Genki Horiguchi vs. Eita & Draztick Boy
    Jimmy Susumu & Kaito Ishida vs. Ryo Saito & Takehiro Yamamura
    BxB Hulk & Masaaki Mochizuki & Big R Shimizu vs. Yamato & Naruki Doi & Mondai Ryu
    Jimmy K-Ness vs. Naoki Tanizaki

    There will be an international merchandise store for Dragon Gate merchandise that will be launched later this month.  We will have more details on that in upcoming weeks.

  • WWE 24: NXT Brooklyn Recap: HHH, Bayley, Kevin Owens, and Finn Balor

    With NXT Takeover: Respect right around the corner, WWE is bringing back its WWE 24 series to chronicle the events of the Brooklyn Takeover show at the Barclays Center from the night before SummerSlam. The roster starts the special talking about how excited they are to have sold the building out under the NXT banner. HHH says they’ve taken what was developmental and are now selling out NYC. Hunter tells the NXT crew “holy f—ing sh-t!” and there’s no other way to describe the rise of NXT. Owens says he saw the rise and wanted to be a part of it. HHH says the goal of NXT is to be a platform for the roster to learn on and be more than just developmental. Matt Bloom describes NXT as punk rock and underground.

    Paige says it feels like an independent with less talking and more action. Charlotte says the new crew has no idea where they came from, and they talk about how poorly-run FCW was. Charlotte says some shows had only 9 fans. Seth puts over the Full Sail crowd as being their own thing, while Enzo says that fans reciting his promo is just a sign that they’ve been doing it at their own home. Corey puts over Blue Pants as being made entirely by the FS crowd, and she says she’s like the wacky neighbor in the sitcom – you don’t know when she’s going to show up.

    Fans pose with Samoa Joe while Bayley says the fans are able to connect with the wrestlers on a deeper level while one of the Ascension guys calls them the best fans in the world meeting them outside the building. We see clips of the initial NXT shows outside of Full Sail, while Byron says they expected Barclays to get maybe 7,000. For the second time, we see the HHH clip about them being developmental two years ago and selling out NXT. HHH tells the class that they’ll kick ass in NYC. We see some media appearances and a graphic notes it will be the final NXT show for Charlotte, Becky, Sasha, and Owens. Finn takes some photos with fans and says he had a great morning until he remembered he had a ladder match. He loves NXT and doesn’t ever want to leave it. Finn says he was determined to wrestle after seeing WWE and Bloom says he was determined to succeed no matter what and we see clips of the mini-doc they did on him earlier this year. F

    inn is amused by a locker room noting that he has dancers now. Owens says that he first met Balor in England before they came to NXT and now they’re having a match here. Owens says he drove to TLC in 2012 to see his friend Seth Rollins debut and he got emotional then, and now he’s main eventing NXT’s biggest show ever in the Barclays Center. Balor says it’s tough to not see his parents for months, but it’s part of the sacrifice. Sasha is amused that she now has bodyguards, and they’re apparently sharing a room with Stephen Amell here.

    Sasha says she’s excited because the fans bought tickets to see them and tears up thinking about the journey they’ve had. Sasha says she’s been watching since she was 10 and always wanted to be in WWE. She wanted to be the female Eddie Guerrero and we see photos of her notebook from 2005 where she went to Judgment Day and filled out pages on the card. Her mother knew she would get there and Sasha says she would always e-mail schools to train. She started in 2010, got signed by WWE in 2012, and now she’s on the main roster living her dream. She says she was 99 pounds when she started and opponents were scared to even touch her. She’s first cousins with Snoop Dogg, and noticed he was always called “boss”, so she took that for her character and liked the sound of “The Boss” Sasha Banks. Sasha says she’s nervous, but she’s got an NXT panel to go to now. Corey says they couldn’t sell tickets to save their lives in FCW and we see clips of Seth becoming the first NXT Champion with JR on commentary. It’s amusing to see him swing the title around here since he would later do that with the WWE Title at WrestleMania 31.

    HHH hypes up that WM 31 was a show with at least one guy in a match from NXT. Well, other than Brock vs. Taker and Sting vs. HHH. Sasha says she dreamt of having matches like the men, but as a kid, all she had to watch was stuff like bra and panties matches. Sasha says she was told to wrestle like a diva when she came in, but she wanted to fight. HHH said that he wanted them to be treated just like the men and Sasha says they all wanted to change for the future. Bayley says their goal is to have better matches each time out. Sara Amato says they’re all driven, while Becky says they all bring something different to the table and it allows them to compete without taking spots. HHH says that they’re about 30% where they want to go and gives Sasha a lot of credit for getting to that point and he puts Bayley over huge too. We see photos from Bayley’s youth of her posing with Bret and holding a pink-backed belt over her shoulder in another photo. One photo has her in a Rey shirt, while another shows her with Cena in his Ruck Fules shirt. 

    Bayley wrote a lot of poetry in school about wrestling. Bayley’s mother says she was determined to do well, and Bayley says she needs it all. She didn’t like being on camera, but loves how much she’s grown. Bayley says she’s basically either herself, or herself as a 10 year old now. Bayley hugs her fans and we see her recite another piece of writing from her youth while tearing up thinking about how much she loves wrestling. The actual document is shown and her teacher was quite happy with it. Bayley says she wants to have the best women’s match that anyone has ever seen. Six hours before the show, we see dress rehearsals for the entrances. Tyler says his is a tour of NYC.

    HHH tells Crews to slow down and take his time. Finn does his intro and we see Kevin Owens and his son Owen. Kevin asks if his son filled in for him and he said it shouldn’t be too hard – just walk and shake your head. Kevin says his son loves John Cena, so he had his wife record Owen’s reaction and we see the unbridaled joy of him seeing his dad going up against Cena.

    Becky Lynch is backstage looking at photos on her phone, including one with her mother when they were flight attendants. Becky’s excited for her parents to see catering. The look of sheer joy in Becky’s eyes is amazing here. Finn and his painter discuss the bodypaint idea. Finn says the paint helps him channel something within. Before he debuted it, his friend told him the paint was his worst idea yet – but it’s worked out great two years later. Bloom says the character is part of him and that’s why it works. Finn is upset with how the rehearsal went earlier. He’s prepared physically and mentally, and can rehearse, but he doesn’t know what to expect from the match since it’s his first ladder match. We see Kevin pass Vince’s office with a giant no smoking sign on it while Fill says Kevin is a master of ladder matches. Finn doesn’t know how to approach the match. 

    Showtime is nearing and Charlotte is getting her makeup done. Fans talk about how excited they are for NXT and we see more of it being the boutique indy that HHH has designed NXT to be. Corey says the difference in NXT is they don’t just put their divas in the main event – they are the main event. Becky’s mom says she’s cheering for Becky just to change the outcome tonight. It’s also the first time she’s seen Becky wrestle live. Ric Flair says he’s proud of what Charlotte has done in just two years.

    Bayley tears up a bit before her match, and HHH tells the crew their attitude needs to be “follow that”. Michael Hayes is is an astonishing getup. He has lavender pants and vest combo alongside a purple shirt underneath it, a WM 31 ballcap, and a black fanny pack. The roster makes their intros on the Takeover show and pre-show tapings. Becky and Charlotte come down while Ric watches their match on a monitor backstage. The Kliq, Rick Ruben, and Seth Rollins are shown in the crowd. Blue Pants’ intro gets over huge as does the Vaudevillians’ title win. Apollo Crews’ match is shown in highlight form and with his intensity, he comes off as almost like Goldberg. Bayley says she wants fans and the roster to say it’s the best women’s match they’ve seen. Sasha says they’ll have the greatest women’s match in NXT history. Bayley says that for every show, she peeks out to feel the crowd. In Brooklyn, she doesn’t need to – and we see the crowd imitating both her and the inflatable tube men.

    Sasha comes out and says she that she had to scream to let out emotion while in the Escalade. Sasha’s mom wipes a tear from her eye after the intro and we see clips of the match. The roster loses it seeing Bayley spike her head on the mat when Sasha held onto the buckle for the top rope rana. Bayley’s mom is in the crowd scared for her daughter. Top rope double knee spot is shown alongside the ring step big boot. Sasha’s dive over the ref is shown from the crowd’s perspective. All of the film footage here looks fantastic and gives things a different feel. Bayley’s scary reverse super rana is shown, then the belly to Bayley and the title win! WWE’s Four Horeswomen celebrate in the ring and they got a standing ovation backstage. Seth wipes a tear from his eye after it from the crowd. Cesaro says that kind of reaction is what wrestling is all about.

    Sasha tells a story that Bayley told her she didn’t want to go, and she didn’t want to. Sasha cries thinking about raising the four fingers up and now that era is over. Kevin Owens hugs Bayley and says that it’s a tough act to follow. Cesaro says the ladder match has the chance to be brutal, and that’s what you want in a ladder match. Fans are shown banging their heads to Kevin’s theme. Kevin hugs his son in the crowd and hugs Becky’s mom. Finn does his intro and says the only time they got it right was live – they tried and failed 30 times before. Owens slamming him on the ladder and then doing Finn’s pose is shown. Finn flips to the floor to regain control and then hits the double stomp, but eats the powerbomb while being pulled off the ladder. We get a beautiful shot of Finn doing his pose right before the double stomp off the ladder. He climbs up and grabs the title to win the match. Finn poses with HHH after the match backstage.

    Finn says he hopes Kevin leaves NXT and can now become an even bigger star on the main roster. Kevin says he did his best, but knows it could’ve been better. Finn says it’s just the start of a bright future for NXT. HHH says Dusty called the roster his NXT kids while everyone tells Dusty stories about how much he meant to them. Charlotte says that Bayley would be on top, and Dusty was right. Becky says she loves all the fans who love NXT while Blue Pants cries at the thought of reaching this point. The show closes to a Sinatra-style song set to NXT clips.

    *****

    This was a perfect time capsule for the growth of NXT, and it really felt like they’ve achieved their goal of making NXT what ECW was in the ’90s. It’s a place where international talent can be used nearly-perfectly in front of an audience that adores them already, while veterans can be given new life and stale talents can try something new and add new dimensions to their acts. There was a sense of sadness in the roster going from NXT to the main roster throughout this, and it wasn’t just due to the “last day of high school” feeling. It’s like Sasha knew this was the peak of her career in every major way, so she was going to savor every moment of it. She came off wonderfully here, as did both Becky and Bayley. Charlotte left no impression, while Kevin Owens came off as a hard-working guy who almost seems to realize he might’ve come here a bit late since he did his best, and didn’t feel it was good enough. WWE 24 has been hit or miss, but this was far better than expected and went into more depth than they usually do by just focusing on fewer people. 

  • WWE Smackdown 10/6 spoilers: Randy Orton & Roman Reigns vs Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman

    The New Day came out.  They showed the ending of Raw and talk about how they’ve destroyed everyone, Cena, Ziggler and the Dudleys.  Ziggler came out and said that they cost him his shot at the U.S. title.  He challenged Big E.  The Dudleys then came out as well and say they’ll make sure the match is fair.

    Big E beat Bubba Ray Dudley due to help from Kofi Kingston.

    Becky Lynch & Natalya & Charlotte beat Bella Twins & Alicia Fox.

    Ryback beat Rusev.

    The Wyatt family did a promo talking about the Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns Hell in a Cell match.

    King Barrett beat Neville.

    Stardust came out and cut a promo on Neville, so their program is continuing.

    Randy Orton & Roman Reigns beat Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman via DQ when Wyatt used a foreign object.  The New Day attacked Reigns after the match and The Dudleys made the save, with the segment ending with the Dudleys putting Woods through a table.

  • WWE Raw Ratings 10-5: Numbers remain the same

    Raw last night did 3.37 million viewers, slightly up from the 3.32 million viewers last week. Last week was the lowest non-holiday rating for Raw since October of 1997 when there was head-to-head competition from Nitro. All five shows since Labor Day have done between 3.32 million and 3.4 million viewers, so if nothing else, the audience is consistent.

    The big competition, a Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, drew 14.40 million viewers which was up from the prior week of 13.52 million viewers.

    The three hours were:

    8 p.m. 3.47 million viewers
    9 p.m. 3.49 million viewers
    10 p.m. 3.17 million viewers

  • TNA: Matt Hardy vacates TNA title (video)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyK0Mn6HkZA

    TNA wrestling just posted a video where Matt Hardy has vacated the TNA championship.

    The storyline is that Ethan Carter III got an injunction that prohibited Hardy from appearing on the show claiming that Dixie Carter was in collusion with the Hardys to stack the deck against him.

    Hardy claimed that while he hates to do it, that because it would be months before a court date and he couldn’t appear during that period, the best thing for the good of the company was for him to relinquish the title. The story of the championship is meant as a ratings hook for tomorrow night’s show.

    TNA did tape a tournament early in its last tapings so that could be how the championship ends up being determined.

  • TUES UPDATE: UFC Champion Jumps To New Team, Bayley, and much more

    Tuesday has Smackdown/Main Event tapings in Philadelphia.  No John Cena here, with Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns being the biggest stars.

    Please send reports from major shows, recommended links, etc. to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com: for major shows, best match/worst match/thumbs up or down or in the middle poll responses should be sent to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

    NXT TAKEOVER WEDNESDAY FROM FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY IN WINTER PARK, FL at 8 p.m. on the WWE network

    Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the NXT title in a 30 minute Iron Woman match

    Dusty Rhodes tag team tournament semifinals & finals

    JJ Jordan & Chad Gable vs. Rhyno & Baron Corbin

    Samoa Joe & Finn Balor vs. Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson

    Apollo Crews vs. Tyler Breeze

    Asuka vs. Dana Brooke

    Figure Four Weekly:

    Figure Four Weekly (10/5/15): Latest on Hulk Hogan Lawsuit Against Gawker

    Details on all facets of Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker, including a better understanding of Gawker’s defense, what else the judge has sealed to protect Hogan, and more.

    ****

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    If you saw the JBL interview with Eric Bischoff, or even if you didn’t, we have what is already one of the most talked about and praised issues of the Wrestling Observer this year up on the site right now.  The main theme is fact vs. fiction, covering both the WWE historical view of the Monday Night Wars and the Eric Bischoff version, going through every point and cutting through things like outright B.S., faulty memories and interesting truths.

    The new double issue also covers SummerSlam in Brooklyn, the real story behind the UFC announcing a show in Madison Square Garden, Jon Jones’ legal punishment and future, coverage of both of the New Japan PPV shows this past week as well as a look at their direction as they build toward King of Pro Wrestling and later, the Tokyo Dome show, UFC in Japan and a look at that business, the retirement of Rich Franklin, a Hall of Famer running for Mayor, the retirement show of Genichiro Tenryu, more concerning drug testing questions, SummerSlam PPV numbers and what we can learn from them, as well as the death of German legend Axel Dieter Sr.

    The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter:  October 6, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Analysis of Bischoff Network interview, Jones plea and tons more. 

    You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer

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    For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.

    If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

    The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.

    We look at Eric Bischoff and his role, both good and bad, in what the pro wrestling industry has turned into.  We look at the WCW boom, the creation of Nitro, the early war, the NWO era, the peak and the fall of WCW.

    We look at the mistakes made, the fall of WCW, the emergence of Bill Goldberg, the real origination of the streak idea,   We look at the rapid decline of the company and why.  We look at how and when things went down, as well as why, how history shows the merger excuse doesn’t hold water, the complete b.s. of the WWE’s Monday Night War narrative.  We look at the dying days of WCW and Eric Bischoff’s plan he never got a chance to implement.

    We look at Eric Bischoff’s background, how he got into wrestling, his first meeting with Verne Gagne, his WWF tryout as an announcer, his connection with Japan, the unique case of Sonny Onoo, and the death of the AWA.

    We look at the sale of Georgia Championship Wrestling, Vince McMahon’s one-year run on TBS and problems with Ted Turner, where Bill Watts fit into the scene then, and the scene prior to the launch of Nitro.

    We look at WCW before Bischoff got power, what really happened with Jim Ross and WCW, , moves by Bill Watts, .  We look at the first Nitro, the real story behind Lex Luger, what Lex Luger really got, what really happened in WCW with HHH and Mick Foley, Foley getting into WWF, the story behind Bischoff’s firing of Steve Austin, the cruiserweight division and its double-edge sword, what was the point of no return, the Montreal screw job and why so many, even in wrestling, missed key points in that story, Mike Tyson at WrestleMania, Kevin Nash as a booker, DX invades Nitro and the Bischoff vs. McMahon challenge to a fist fight and the story behind the PPV that went 30 minutes over.

    In the UFC Madison Square Garden announcement, we look at the thought process behind the strategy.

    FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW CLICK HERE

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    Tuesday Daily Update

    • Notes on Triple H’s NXT conference call
    • WWE Raw live results 10-5: Brock Lesnar and Undertaker build to Hell in a Cell
    • Today in history
    • Unfortunate news from Beau James: Bill Bowman aka Bill Sky of The Sky Brothers and Interns with Joe Turner passed early this morning in Pensacola. Mike Norris is working on a bio now. Bill was a big star in Gulf Coast, Tennessee, Georgia, and Mid Atlantic. 
    • Bayley talks to Rolling Stone. Who was her “Bayley” when she was a kid? “Lita made me realize it was possible to just be myself and be able to achieve my dreams. I would watch every interview with her, read every interview, I had her DVD – or back then, it was VHS – but I remember she would say that fans would come up to her at autograph sessions and be like, ‘Man, I feel like we would be friends if you weren’t on TV.’ And that always stuck with me. Lita was the one who made me realize that I didn’t have to change who I was to be where I wanted.“
    • The big MMA story of the day is T.J. Dillashaw leaving Team Alpha Male for Elevation Fight Team, which Dillashaw confirmed to Ariel Helwani after an initial report by Globo. This comes on the heels of Faber airing grievances about former Alpha Male coach Duane Ludwig (who transformed Dillashaw’s style and has a gym near the gyms Elevation uses) on The MMA Hour, which he said was because Conor McGregor made comments about the team drama on The Ultimate Fighter.
    • Helwani is also reporting that Fedor Emelianenko’s opponent on New Year’s Eve is expected to be a kickboxer turned 1-0 MMA fighter by the name of Jaideep Singh. Looks like Pride really is back.
    • Figures Toy Company released a photo of the head sculpt of their upcoming A.J. Styles action figure.
    • Bellator MMA announced that Chidi Njokuani (Anthony’s brother) will make his promotional debut on Nov. 20 Against Ricky Rainey. That’s on the undercard of th event headlined by Hisaki Kato vs. Melvin Manhoef.
    • Devon Nicholson released a new interview that he did with Harley Race.
    • Masked Republic has a new line of officially licensed Perros de Mal merchandise at LuchaShop.com. Coupon code BIX will get you 10% off your order.
    • AAW returns this Friday to the Berwyn Eagles Club (6309 W. 26th St. Berwyn, IL). Doors:  7:00pm   Belltime: 7:45pm. Tickets Available http://aawrestling.com/tickets/ – Ethan Page vs. Johnny Gargano in a 2/3 falls match headlines.
    • Ricky Steamboat will corner Ricky Morton against Kid Kash at Enter The Dragon on Saturday, October 17, which takes place at Elizabethton High School (907 Jason Witten Way) in Elizabethton, TN (37643). 8:00 PM Bell Time.
    • If you missed it, Bill Apter’s book was released earky and is now available on Kindle as well as in paperback. The Kindle price, which was a bit high a few days ago, is now a much more reasonable $8.49. Highly recommended from what I’ve read so far.
    • WWE’s next home video release is Sting: Into the Light on DVD and Blu-Ray, which comes out a week from today and is available for pre-order.
    • On the newest edition of the Between the Sheets podcast, Kris Zellner and I are joined by Mike Rogalewski to talk September 29th to October 5th, 1996. WWF in turmoil in New York City, comings and goings in Japan, Konnan vs. Antonio Pena at a tipping point, ECW getting red hot, and the early days of the nWo aren’t as great as we remember. 

  • WWE NXT TakeOver Respect Triple H conference call notes (updated with audio)

    With NXT TakeOver: Respect scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, that means it’s also time for Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s routine of doing a media conference call the day before the event.

    Apologies for the delay in audio (found below) and for some of the background noise as the wrong mic was muted. (At least you heard the debut of my dog.)

    – They reiterated WWE Wrestlemania tickets are now on sale.

    – HHH apologized for being late and said he had to stop and call Bruno Sammartino and wish him well on his 80th birthday.

    – He mentioned the UK tour, put over the WWE 24/7-esque show on the Network, and the Nashville and Louder Than Live music festival events this past weekend.

    – He said the ‘Respect’ name has a lot to do with Dusty Rhodes and his meaning to the business. He put over the Dusty Rhodes Classic tag tourney finals and everyone on the show wanted to do Dusty proud. He talked about the Bayley/Sasha match at length.

    – He talked about Breaking Ground, a show that is being shot right now with all kinds of behind the scenes information that will be coming on the Network soon.

    – He was asked about the makeup of the crowd being younger and the ‘unique demographics’ NXT has brought him. He said there’s some crossover with WWE for young adults, but NXT is “more edgier, underground, niche.” “We’re feeding that niche, but that niche is huge.” He said that if NXT is more punk and hip-hop, WWE is more pop music. “I know who my fanbase is with NXT, and that’s who I’m trying to serve.”

    – He hopes to have a fully functioning third brand that is touring as much as WWE is now. They have interest in doing more things like the L.O.L. music festival. They are getting to the point now where they are running out of bandwidth and have to say ‘maybe next year’ to more things than they did before.

    – He was asked about who took over for Dusty in teaching promos. He said it’s a split right now. They are using a similar format to what Dusty had, but they are using people more geared toward what they are trying to accomplish. William Regal, some guests, and some staffers are filling in until they figure that out.

    – He was asked about Jushin Liger and whether we’d see more like that. He said he’s open to everything but there are “limitations due to business reasons” with WWE. He said he looks at NXT with an open slate and an open mind.

    – He was asked about the rise of female wrestlers and Bayley vs. Sasha Wednesday. He said their Brooklyn match was one of the best he’s ever seen and not just for women. He referenced Ronda Rousey and the U.S. women’s soccer team. He put over their athleticism, passion, etc.

    – He was asked about Bayley’s desire to learn more about the backstage/TV process with recently doing some timekeeping and whether other talents were interested in learning more. He said some talents do, and others don’t. At RAW, there isn’t that much of an opportunity to do that while at NXT, there is more of a chance to do that. He says he encourages talent to learn as much as they can, and how much he was interested in that side of things. He especially mentioned Sami Zayn as wanting to do that as he recovered from injury.

    – He talked about the recent Finn Balor tweets about TNA and with TNA talent, and whether he was concerned at all of that. He taked about how talents take a bus in certain areas and that when they passed the TNA offices, he wanted to stop and take a picture. HHH said Balor hit him up immediately about it, but HHH thought they were funny and didn’t see it as a big deal at all. He thought they were fun.

    – He talked about the difference in ‘IronMan’ match vs. ‘IronWoman’ match, and debating over the name. He referenced how people win the Ironman competition, and that people like Lita mentioned she liked IronMan more, saying she thought it was derogatory to call it otherwise.

    – He was asked about whether it was hard to sell the idea of an IronMan match in NXT to Vince, but HHH said he doesn’t make that final call in NXT. He said Vince “loved it” and takes a bad rap for some of the decisions he makes. He said Vince is all about the fans and that it may take him a while to come around. He said there might be a way that Vince likes to present things that are different. He talked about how Vince hesitated about coming to NXT Brooklyn because he would be just sitting and watching the show. HHH said he was able to sit at gorilla and just enjoy the show. He loved Sasha/Bayley and told HHH he can’t wait for the IronMan match.

    – He was asked about Asuka’s debut against Dana Brooke, and what adjustments she’ll have to make in order to make it in NXT. He brought up how everyone has to adjust including talents like Hideo Itami.

    – He was asked about what the thought process was in having the Divas “Curtain Call” moment at NXT Brooklyn. He joked he wanted to see who would get fired out of the deal. He talked about Vince telling him that if you put yourselves in the seat of a fan, you’ll never go wrong. He talked about the emotion involved in all of that.

    – Final question was on Gabe Sapolsky and the relationship there between Dragon Gate USA & Evolve, specifically Johnny Gargano’s recent appearance, and whether they are a feeder system for NXT. HHH says he sees all of it as a feeder system, he really like what they do, and wants to support their shows. He said if he didn’t have room at the P.C. for talent and wanted them to get additional work, he’d send them to Gabe. He said the indie undercurrents are healthy for the business, and would do anything he could for them. 

    – He said he’s a big fan of Apollo Crews and laughs when he hears references to him being potentially the first black WWE Champion. “Guys like Rock, Booker T…I guess they don’t count?”

    Call ended at 3:17 PM EST.

    Click here to listen to the whole call or just right click & save.