New Japan announced earlier Friday that Hiroshi Tanahashi would not be able to return for the Dominion PPV show for his scheduled ladder match with Intercontinental Champion Kenny Omega.
The 6/19 match at Osaka Jo Hall — the first ladder match ever in New Japan and scheduled for the IC title, was the No. 2 match on what is one of the company’s three biggest shows of the year. Omega will now defend his title in a ladder match against Michael Elgin, a rematch of Omega’s last title defense.
With a severe shoulder injury, Tanahashi is physically in considerably worse condition than they are letting on. An angle was shot on the first day of the Super Juniors tour where Omega “injured” his shoulder to cover for the injury. There is no word on when he will return.
The realization that Tanahashi probably couldn’t do the show was only known for perhaps the last 48 hours or so.
The other top matches on the show will be Tetsuya Naito defending the IWGP title against former champion Kazuchika Okada, and Never Open weight champion Yuji Nagata defending against former champion Katsuyori Shibata.
No other matches have been announced but it is expected that Ricochet, Will Ospreay, Matt Sydal and The Young Bucks will all be wrestling on the show in key matches.
Bliss wins it with the Sparkle Splash. The Tampa crowd was giving Morgan the business for being from Jersey but she rolled with it.
– Dan Matha beat Steve Cutler
Crowd is all over Matha lately, calling him “Mr. Clean” due to his white trunks and shaved head. Big Dan won it with a big boot.
– NXT Women’s Champion Asuka and Adrienne Reese beat Mandy Rose and Nia Jax
Asuka Lock on Rose for the win.
– Noah beat Cezar Bononi
Big sit-out slam by Noah for the win.
– In ring interview with Brazillian talent Adrian Jaoude, the Ollympic hopeful who is still working at the Performance Center.
– Sawyer Fulton and Alexander Wolfe beat Mojo Rawley and Hugo Knox
Hugo is back to being his happy dancing face persona to team up with the hype man Rawley. However they were no match for the power of Fulton and Wolfe.
– Austin Aries beat Wesley Blake
Pre match, ring announcer Mike Rome introduced Blake as “Murphy” to set him off and continue the ongoing break-up story. Aries wins it with the Last Chancery to send everyone home happy.
– No Way Jose d. Tino Sabbatelli with the full nelson slam
Crowd loved Jose and was into him. A perfect performer for a good opener.
– Carmella d Peyton Royce with her triangle choke
This was okay, a cool down from the previous match. Some “How you doin’” chants early on.
– Tye Dillinger d Buddy Murphy with The Perfect 10 neckbreaker
Before the match, Dillinger talked about Regal finally giving him a match for TakeOver. Crowd was into chanting 10. Murphy mocking Dillinger most of the match. Good, but lots of stalling.
– NXT Tag Team Champions American Alpha d The Revival with Grand Amplitude
Easily the best match on the show. Started fast, had some very close nearfalls at the end. Not as good as the Dallas match, but very very good. I would say it was better than any of the matches on the main house show they had 3 months ago too.
Intermission
– Andrade Almas d Angelo Dawkins with a running knee into the corner
Almas didn’t have a titantron, not even his hype-up video, so most people had no idea who he was. Dawkins could not keep up and it was pretty ugly. He was the worst possible first impression opponent, but Almas showed signs of brilliance with his flying and got an okay reaction after the match.
– Bayley d Daria Berenato with the Bayley to Belly
Bayley is really popular with the fans. This was disappointing because Daria needs some work, and Asuka was advertised for the show but didn’t show up. Strange that she nor Nia Jax were on the show, but Bayley is but supposedly out with injury in storyline. Also kinda just okay, but Bayley was able to shine through with her offense at the end.
– Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor d Elias Samson and NXT Champion Samoa Joe
Nakamura pinned Samson with the Kinshasa. Nakamura had the biggest reaction of the night. Samson with the most heat. Joe with a mixed reaction, and Balor with the 2nd biggest entrance pop. Very good 15 minute match. Balor and Joe story was told well with Joe ducking out and Balor getting into his face even while taking care of Samson.
Overall I thought it was just as good if not better than the 2/28 main roster house show. With the smaller arena and the more active crowd, it was a pleasant experience.
Day 10 and 11 results are here for you all to see. Since Day 10 footage dropped just a few hours before day 11 went live in New Japan, I combined them into one post instead of two.
6/2 from Aichi, B block action:
Chase Owens vs. Volador Jr.
Solid match. Owens has come across better as a heel within the Bullet Club on this tour.Volador hit early with a tope suicida but Owens controlled most of the match, even taking off Volador’s mask and taunting him as he beat him up while wearing the mask. Voldaor made a comeback near the end, and the two exchanged some pretty good near falls. Volador scored the win with the super hurricanrana off the top rope.
Tiger Mask vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
Crowd was really into this as the bell rang. They’ve been feuding for a years with one another, sometimes over the NWA Junior Heavyweight title so that may be why. Tiger Mask did a big dive in the first minute of the match, but Liger got a super quick pinfall with a crucifix. It’s one of those finishes that happen just to make you think anything can happen, though it also probably means it won’t be the last time they face off, either.
Bobby Fish vs. Will Ospreay
Great match. Ospreay did a bunch of cool stuff here. Fish was really good in laying in stiff kicks and keeping Ospreay grounded during his offense, and Ospreay was great in coming up with dynamic ways of laying him out and getting the edge. He did the Sasuke special and that wiped out Fish at one point. Fish went for a brainbuster but Ospreay turned it into a stunner. Ospreay eventually made one last comeback and won with the springboard stunner. The whole dynamic of this match was pretty great.
Baretta vs. Ricochet
Good back and forth match. Ricochet went for the Benadryller but Baretta countered with a reverse Dudebuster for a really great nearfall. Ricochet took a half nelson suplex on the apron, landing on his head and crashing to the floor. If anyone wants to complain about something around here, it should be all the head first spots on the apron. They teased a countout spot, but Ricochet got back in on time. Baretta hit the knee strike for another nearfall, but Ricochet reversed the pin and got the 3.
6/3 results from Korakuen Hall, live on New Japan World:
Volador Jr., Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Ricochet vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Will Ospreay and Trent Baretta
This was really great, one of the best openers on the tour so far. Ospreay wanted to start with Volador, and mostly held his own when doing lucha offense with him, though timing was slightly off at times. Ishii and Tenzan were in and hit each other hard. Ospreay and Ricochet were in (which the crowd liked very much) and had a great back and forth battle. They have excellent chemistry with one another! Volador and Ricochet did some amazing dives to the outside. Volador went for a sunset flip but Baretta simply just sat down on him and got the win. That felt a bit anti climatic.
Katsuyori Shibata, Jay White, Juice Robinson and Bobby Fish vs. Yuji Nagata, Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger and Manabu Nakanishi
Fun tag match. Lot of tropes here but the crowd was into it and was never dull. People popped big time when Nakanishi went to the top rope and laid out Robinson with a crossbody. Nagata and Jay White are the ones left in the ring, as it has usually been as I guess they’re in kind of a mini feud. White doesn’t win, as he’s pinned with a backdrop suplex.
David Finlay vs. Kyle O’Reilly
Pretty good stuff. The crowd helped this match as they were into it most of the way. Finlay fought out of a half Boston crab and the crowd popped when he grabbed the ropes. Finlay busted out the stretch muffler then hit a German suplex for another nearfall. O’Reilly came back with a brainbuster but Finlay got the shoulder up. O’Reilly followed that with the gogoplata and got the win.
Gedo vs. Rocky Romero
So everyone comes out and they start arguing. Gedo wants to know why he brought Trent with him. Rocky says he just wants to see the match. They all act like they’re going to fight, but then stop and hug each other. Gedo then says he has a big surprise – the bell will ring and Romero will cover him 1, 2, 3. Romero likes this idea. So the bell rings. Gedo goes to lay down, Romero covers…but Gedo tricks him and counters the roll up for a near fall. From here its a pretty solid back and forth match. Baretta interfered a lot in the match, sometimes right in front of the referee which is really nice of the ref to let him do that. Romero gets the win with two knee strikes, and everyone makes up after the match.
Hiroshi Tanahashi came out. It was announced that he is out of Dominion, so the IC title match with Kenny Omega is off. He aims to return in time for the G1 Climax. Kenny Omega comes out, not particularly happy. He says that instead of apologizing to the fans, you should be apologizing to me. Tanahashi told him to shut up, which led to Omega cheap shotting Tanahashi. Bullet Club members came down to beat him up, but suddenly their opponents for the upcoming eight man tag arrive and clear house, Elgin leading the way, dishing out a huge tope con hilo to the floor. This is where we start the next match.
Kenny Omega, Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi and Bad Luck Fale vs. Yoshi-Hashi, Yoshitatsu, Captain New Japan and Michael Elgin
This was mostly just a one man wrecking crew kind of match as Elgin completely dominated the match, disposing everyone with ease. He did all of his power spots, including the powerbomb to the floor that wiped out a lot of the Bullet Club. He powerbombed Chase Owens for the win in a relatively short match.
Elgin takes out a ladder and says he feels comfortable up here, so maybe he can challenge at Dominion. Omega says your time has come and gone, maybe it’s Captain New Japan or Yoshitatsu’s time but it isn’t yours. Omega finishes off saying he’s looking forward to the rest of the tour, which pretty much means we’ll get a confirmation by the end of it.
Kazuchika Okada, Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto vs. Tetsuya Naito, Evil and Sanada
Naito’s deal today was he kept trying to make eye contact with Milano Collection AT but it wouldn’t happen. Good match. Crowd was into it, as they have been for a lot of this show. Yoshi-Hashi and Sanada are another duo who have developed a rivalry on this tour. They fought back with some back and forth good action. Crowd was white hot for the ending. Yoshi-Hashi kicked out of a lot of nearfalls but got caught in the skull end. Yoshi-Hashi tried valiantly to escape, but couldn’t, eventually passing out.
Bushi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
Taguchi’s silliness today has him emulating Bushi and Naito, complete with green lipstick and green suit. Some solid work. Taguchi has been really good in this tournament. He unleashed another tope. There was a blatant low blow towards the end of the match that the ref didn’t seem to care about. This was not a good night when it came down to refereeing a match here in New Japan. There was a ref bump towards the end. Taguchi was on top of Bushi when the referee tumbled to the floor thanks to Bushi, who grabbed him as he was being rolled up. Taguchi got distracted just long enough with Bushi to break free and hit the codebreaker for the win. Pretty decent.
Kushida vs. Matt Sydal
Really good match. Solid work throughout leading to a heated, pretty great finish.Lots of mat work early. Kushida zoomed in on the leg quickly. Kushida sprang forward with a swanton bomb to the floor, knocking Sydal loopy. Kushida went to the top turnbuckle, Sydal tried to counter with a standing hurricanrana but Kushida turned it into a roll up for a nearfall. Sydal followed that back with a reverse rana and tried for the shooting star press but Kushida avoided it. He fought back with the hoverboard lock. Sydal tried to escape, but after Kushida rolled him into the middle he had no choice but to submit.
The two shook hands and bowed after the match. Sydal says he still has a chance of winning the tournament, but even if he doesn’t he still wants a title match down the line. Kushida seemed fine with this and the two shook hands again, with Kushida cutting a promo to close out the show.
Really good show. Nothing was bad, crowd was hot and everything was good.
– Air Date: June 2, 2016 – Location: BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford, IL
– The Big News:
AJ Styles is a full-fledged heel and won a match with the Styles Clash. Also, it appears the MITB ladder match will just involve the six guys already announced.
– Show Recap:
AJ Styles & The Club confront The New Day
The New Day came out to a big reaction. They mentioned the Vaudevillains robbing everyone of the opportunity to see Stephanie McMahon dance. Xavier Woods seemed particularly bummed about this.
What was more notable to New Day though was the attack by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. New Day were about to remind us that they are our WWE Tag Team champions, but Anderson and Gallows interrupted. The Club said the New Day didn’t exactly look like champions on Raw, and the Club would be the champs soon.
Woods wondered what kind of “club” they actually were, and figured they meet in a treehouse. Big E said they definitely weren’t the hair club for men. New Day challenged them to a fight but figured they wouldn’t accept without their papi AJ Styles with them. That brought out Styles.
Styles was a full-fledged heel. He said this wasn’t a new day, it’s “our day,” and the WWE belonged to the Club. New Day reminded them who the tag champs were. Styles called Kingston a joke for being in an act like New Day after all these years. Kingston reminded Styles that he was a multiple time IC, U.S. and Tag Team champion, and what was really funny was how long it took AJ just to get to WWE.
Styles reminded them what happened on Raw and challenged Kingston to a match, which he accepted. Good segment. Styles and Kingston both came off well.
They announced a tag match between Dean Ambrose and Sami Zayn vs. Alberto Del Rio and Kevin Owens.
Non-Title: Becky Lynch beat Women’s Champion Charlotte (w/Dana Brooke) via DQ
Like JBL, Lawler is not a fan of what Charlotte did to Ric Flair, although he doesn’t seem as disgusted by it. Brooke provided a distraction two minutes into the match allowing Charlotte to take over going to commercial.
They went back and forth after the break leading to Lynch trying an armbar as Mauro Ranallo let us know she trains in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Charlotte powered out, though, and hit a powerbomb. Charlotte went for a moonsault but landed on her feet as Lynch rolled out of the way. Lynch applied the Disarmer but Brooke tried pulling Charlotte out of it so the referee called for a DQ.
Brooke finally pulled Charlotte out of the ring, but Natalya cut them off on the ramp. Natalya and Lynch tried to apply their submission moves on the heels but they escaped through the crowd. The action was fine but the finish was crap. The crowd liked Becky.
MITB Interview Segment
Backstage, Renee Young interviewed Zayn and Ambrose. With Ambrose standing right there, Zayn tipped his hat at Renee. Zayn said he and Ambrose have a good track record as a team despite Ambrose’s comments on Monday.
Ambrose was skeptical of Canadians because of Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho and the border patrol guy. Zayn told Ambrose he shouldn’t have tried to bring nunchucks into the country. Owens and Del Rio interrupted. Owens tried to convince Ambrose that Zayn was manipulating him. After Del Rio added some insults of his own, Ambrose said they should just fight right now but the heels left.
The Dudley Boyz beat Golden Truth via pinfall
Tyler Breeze and Fandango sat in Breeze’s lounge at ringside. Truth rapped a new song on the way out, and they had the lyrics on the screen. Lawler called it terrible, and he’s right. During the match, Breeze jumped on the apron to take a selfie, so Truth knocked him off. Goldust was distracted, so D-Von pushed him into Truth and used a school boy for the win. Breeze and Fandango made bad jokes afterwards. This was not good.
They ran a video package for, of all things, Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler. Outside of the arena, Renee said Corbin requested for interview time. She asked why they were doing it outside, and Corbin said the crowd doesn’t deserve his presence after they cheered what Ziggler did on Raw. Corbin said the next time he enters an arena it would be to end Ziggler.
Sami Zayn & Dean Ambrose beat Alberto Del Rio & Kevin Owens via pinfall
Ranallo plugged Raw in Oklahoma City and Lawler namedropped “J.R.” They showed a graphic for the MITB ladder match and there was no seventh mystery guy, just the six guys who already qualified.
There were some “Ole” and “Let’s go Ambrose” chants early on. There was a dumb spot during the heat where Del Rio hit a version of his double foot stomp finisher and never went for the cover. They double-teamed Ambrose on the outside so Zayn hit a flip dive to take out the heels.
Ambrose hit the rebound clothesline and went for the hot tag, but Del Rio knocked Zayn off the apron. Ambrose used a neckbreaker and went for the tag again but Zayn was still down. Del Rio tried a running enziguri on Ambrose, but he ducked and Del Rio nailed Owens instead. Zayn made the hot tag and immediately hit Del Rio with the Helluva kick for the win. Really good finish.
An enraged Owens grabbed Saxton’s headset and said he was sick of his partners costing him matches and he would show them what will happen at MITB. Owens grabbed a ladder to go after the briefcase, but Cesaro ran out and gave him a springboard uppercut – while wearing in his suit. Cesaro climbed the ladder and grabbed the briefcase, sealing his fate. Ambrose and Zayn appeared nonplussed.
Non-Title: U.S. Champion Rusev (w/Lana) beat Jack Swagger via submission
Lana introduced Rusev, and her accent was about 20% as strong as usual. As Swagger made his entrance, Rusev attacked him and tossed him into the steps. The referee asked Swagger if he was ok to start the match and he said yes. I feel like they’ve done this exact angle with these two before.
Rusev tried a superkick immediately but Swagger caught him for the ankle lock. Rusev escaped to the outside and cut off Swagger with a clothesline and took control. Swagger did get some offense but Rusev won with the Accolade. He refused to break the hold, so Titus O’Neil made the save, and Rusev bailed.
They actually plugged that after a break they would show the crap angle with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. And then they did. Also, there was another dumb segment with Darren Young and Bob Backlund. Basically, Backlund wants Darren to walk, not run. Literally.
AJ Styles (w/The Club) beat Kofi Kingston (w/New Day) via pinfall
They had a quick back and forth exchange and they both did a kip-up at the same time to face off, because wrestling is fake and choreographed. Just kidding. It’s fine. Styles got the better of Kingston with a couple of arm drags and posed with the Club.
Kingston got the better of the next exchange, which led to a corner dropkick accompanied by Woods playing the trombone. The Club and New Day all jumped in the ring but they were held back from fighting. This led to a commercial break, which was only two minutes into the match. Keep in mind they had already gone to commercial break after the entrances.
Anyway, after a while, Woods, Big E, Gallows and Anderson all got in each others faces outside the ring. Kingston was distracted so Styles ran him face first into the steel post. Crowd chanted for Kofi as Styles had control. As the announcers discussed Styles’ attitude, Saxton asked why AJ didn’t just show his hand in the first place, to which Lawler replied, “You’ve obviously never played poker.”
Kingston came back with a monkey flip, dropkick, clothesline and leg drop. Styles ducked the Trouble in Paradise and hit a fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker. Styles went for the Styles Clash but Kingston (sort of) countered and eventually hit a double knee attack for two. Styles set up for the Phenomenal forearm but Woods distracted him with the trombone, allowing Kingston to use an S.O.S. for a near fall.
Anderson attacked Woods on the outside, so Big E tossed Gallows into the barricade. Anderson lept at Big E, but Big E caught him and hit a belly-to-belly onto the announce table, which was cool. Gallows booted Big E, so Kingston took out Gallows with a crazy flip dive. As Kingston stepped back into the ring through the ropes, Styles caught him with a Pele kick and nailed the Styles Clash for the win. Fun stuff.
– Final Thoughts:
AJ Styles as a heel with The Club is cool and freshens things up. Tonight’s main event was pretty good but this was an otherwise normal Smackdown show.
The Octagon returns to the Los Angeles area this weekend for UFC 199 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on Saturday for the next big pay-per-view event. It is headlined by two title bouts as UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold defends against Michael Bisping, and UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz defends against Urijah Faber. Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when making your fantasy line-ups for Saturday’s UFC 199 event.
STUDS —
Luke Rockhold ($11,400)
Luke Rockhold has the highest salary of the 26 fighters competing on the UFC 199 card, and with him defending his newly-won UFC Middleweight Championship in the main event, he is poised to have a big night. He was originally scheduled to defend against Chris Weidman, but a neck injury suffered by Weidman forced him to pull out, thrusting Michael Bisping into the title fight on just two weeks’ notice. We’ve already seen what Rockhold has done to Bisping before, and that was with Bisping on a full training camp.
Bisping has come along well since being dominated and submitted by Rockhold in November 2014, but there isn’t much to show that a second fight between the two would be any different. Rockhold is one of the best fighters in the world, with excellent kickboxing and smooth submissions. There is a reason he has the highest salary on the card, and I expect him to defeat Bisping in similiar fashion to their first bout. Rockhold is the biggest must-own on the card.
Dustin Poirier ($10,600)
Dustin Poirier is looking for his fourth consecutive win since making the move to 155 pounds when he takes on Bobby Green in the main card opener on Saturday night at UFC 199. Poirier went into his last fight against Joseph Duffy as a solid underdog, but put on perhaps his most impressive performance in his UFC career when he dominated Duffy en route to a decision victory. His opponent on Saturday, Green, hasn’t fought since November 2014, and is coming off of major knee surgery. Poirier has shown excellent striking and a good submission game, and Green is a very solid fighter. However, Green coming off of the major injury raises a lot of questions, and they will all be in Poirier’s favor. Green is tough, but I expect Poirier to put up a lot of points and to get the win on Saturday.
VALUE PLAYS —
Luis Henrique da Silva ($8,700)
Luis Henrique da Silva is the latest addition to the UFC light heavyweight division and he enters his debut fight on Saturday with a perfect 10-0 record. He has also won all ten of his fights by stoppage, and only twice has he gone past the first round. He has also done all of this in just over two-and-a-half years of active competition, and at 26-years-old, he has every chance to become a threat at 205 pounds. He fights another undefeated 205-pound prospect in Jonathan Wilson in preliminary action.
Wilson does have one UFC bout in his career, a quick first-round knockout win over Chris Dempsey last August. Wilson has scored six of his seven career wins by knockout, so both men have power. You’re likely looking at a finish in this fight, so it’s a matter of finding value. I like da Silva to win this fight, and at just an $8,700 salary, he is going to be an excellent value pick that will help you fit your budget.
Dan Henderson ($8,400)
Dan Henderson is a legend of the sport, but a legend that is nearing the end of his career at 45 years of age. This is the last fight on his UFC contract, and retirement may be next, though continuing to fight is still on his mind. If this is his last fight, he wants to ride out into the sunset in impressive fashion. He is coming off the disappointment of a fight week cancellation of his bout against Lyoto Machida, and now he fights Hector Lombard on Saturday. Lombard is making the move back up to the middleweight division after some time at 170 pounds, and he is coming off a loss to Neil Magny in which he looked great for four minutes but faded quickly.
He still has power but Henderson still has a chin, but Lombard can be knocked out if a punch connects. And Hendo still hits very hard no matter his age. Lombard is in a must win fight, and that could make him fight reckless, which opens the door for Henderson. With that right hand, a salary of $8,400 always makes Henderson a value play. He has a very good chance of winning this.
FIGHTERS TO AVOID —
Jessica Penne ($10,200)
Jessica Penne is one of our two fighters to avoid on this card. She hasn’t fought in nearly a year and is coming off a beating at the hands of strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk in Germany last June. She is still a little undersized for 115 pounds, and she will be taking on an opponent who will have the size advantage over her in Jessica Andrade, who is moving down from 135 pounds. Andrade had mixed success as a bantamweight but has lost two of her last three and a move was likely necessary if she wants to fight for a title in the future. Penne is more well-rounded and is the betting favorite. I like Penne to get the win here, but I don’t expect her to get a finish, and I don’t expect her to rack up a lot of points in getting the win. There are better options on this card, so she will be a pass for me.
Clay Guida ($8,500)
Clay Guida is an interesting one. He is still one of the more beloved fighters on the UFC roster, and he probably has a job for life. He has been firmly established as a gatekeeper but can still score a win on any given fight night. He is being used as a stepping stone on Saturday for the undefeated Brian Ortega, who is going to get a push in the featherweight division. It is another chance for Ortega to build his resume, but another dangerous one. Guida is still a great wrestler but can be submitted and Ortega is great at submitting opponents. Guida can still be competitive, but I don’t think he can against ranked opponents, which Ortega is. However, we have seen fighters who are being groomed for stardom have their hype trains derailed, and Guida is capable of doing that to Ortega. It is just too risky to think it will happen to where you would want Guida in your lineup. Guida is a pass for me.
OUR LINEUPS —
RYAN FREDERICK: Luke Rockhold ($11,400), Dominick Cruz ($11,300), James Vick ($9,400), Luis Henrique da Silva ($8,700), Dan Henderson ($8,400)
Luke Rockhold is my top pick. I fully expect him to finish Michael Bisping in their championship bout in the same kind of fashion that he finished them the first time they fought. Bisping may be better than he was then, but so is Rockhold, who is one of the best in the world. I’m also putting Dominick Cruz on my roster. I think he beats Urijah Faber, and I think it goes the distance, and that 25 minutes is more chances to rack up points. James Vick is undefeated and has looked good, and Beneil Dariush is having a quick turnaround after being finished, and I like Vick in their fight. Luis Henrique da Silva and Dan Henderson are my value plays, and I have them both on my roster. I see them both scoring knockout wins, which will be big points.
PAUL FONTAINE: Luke Rockhold ($11,400), Max Holloway ($10,800), Elvis Mutapcic ($9,600), Dong Hyun Maestro Kim ($9,300), Urijah Faber ($8,100)
This is a tough show to pick a team for with a lot of big favorites. I’ll start with Faber, who if I’m picking straight up, I think he probably loses. But the way he wins is by catching Cruz in a quick submission and if he does, it will be a lot of points. Even if it goes five rounds and he loses, he might score a lot of strikes. Rockhold to me is almost guaranteed to score an early finish, as he’s done in his last five fights. Holloway is similar as he’s rung up 8 straight wins since losing to Conor McGregor. I like the Maestro to beat Polo Reyes, who has a 5-2 career record with both losses coming inside the distance.
PEACH MACHINE: Dominick Cruz ($11,300), Dustin Poirier ($10,600), James Vick ($9,400), Jessica Andrade ($9,200), Dan Henderson ($8,400)
I always go with Hendo. I’m sure it’s a bad choice, but Hendo was pissed that Machida didn’t fight him last month, so I’m hoping he takes it out on Lombard. Poirier is a total killer and I like him to finish Green. Andrade is tough and Penne has been out for a long time. This will be a good fight. I believe Cruz is the smartest fighter today and I expect him to make Faber look silly.
A huge double issue of the Observer is out this week, including the real catalyst behind the WWE brand split, a breakdown of the roster, justice denied again in the Jimmy Snuka case, Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay and the Super Juniors tournament plus a full rundown, the story behind Bill Goldberg and the WWE video game and the Brock Lesnar tease, famous boxer vs. pro wrestler fights, WWE schedule and injury rates, business rundowns from the past two months for WWE & TNA, updates on cable stations that carry wrestling and MMA, and one of the greatest territorial business runs in history in the life and career of Cowboy Frankie Laine.
Our lead story looks at the WWE brand split, why it happened, what is known that isn’t a secret, ads out post brand split, plans for the split two months ago and what the ad department was told then, what different arenas have been told this week, thoughts behind decisions having too be made, plus a roster rundown on what positions WWE is strong and weak in, and where NXT talent should fit in and who is ready, or who can fill a slot.
There is also an update on the Jimmy Snuka situation, with a realistic view if there will be a trial and what the time frame is and what happens next.
This issue also looks at the Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet match, Vader’s reaction, Super Juniors standings and rundowns of the shows plus looking at where things are going.
Updates on Money in the Bank, stars returning to television soon, how the NBA & NHL playoffs coincide with wrestling the next two weeks, an update on NXT, lots of WWE performers off TV for the next several weeks, notes from lawsuit depositions that are eye opening, Cena getting a gigantic endorsement deal, Rollins return news, injury updates, lots of Dwayne Johnson news, WrestleMania in the future notes, notes on how little talent gets told in advance about things, who watches what on WWE network, plus we’ve got rundowns of every WWE & NXT events over the past week and business notes on the shows, all included in in this issue.
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
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.
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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.
Also in this issue:
Dragon Lee injured again
Angle shot off his legit injury
Latest from the different major shows at Arena Mexico
More changes with Elite
Japanese legend debuts at Arena Mexico this past week
Notes of the 2016 wrestling World Cup in Mexico
Notes on the 2016 World Grand Prix tournament in Mexico
Konnan continues to go after AAA after the fallout
Notes from the last AAA TV tapings
Update on the King of Gate tournament
Next major All Japan show
Pro Wrestling NOAH major show and next major show
NOAH announces how it will determine who from company goes into the J Cup
Note on Adam Cole with New Japan
One of the greatest stars of all-time announced for DDT big show
Inoki show draws big crowd with Kota Ibushi
More on the Hogan lawsuit with Gawker
Lots more on Cody Rhodes leaving WWE and is bucket list and what it means, plus what is being talked about
Story behind one of the most famous angles in Memphis history
A look at Tony Schiavone today
Big main event program in Puerto Rico involving ex-WWE star
Surprise doing vignettes for Lucha Underground this past week
Update on ROH contracts
Tons of new plans for ROH including for international stars coming in
Interesting new ideas in ROH
Notes on upcoming ROH shows
Notes from TNA Slammiversary
Dixie Carter talks state of TNA
Complete UFC business rundown for the past two years
More on UFC Hall of Fame
Notes on this weekend’s show
Paige VanZant update
Lots of new UFC fights
Notes on TUF Latin America
Notes on C.M. Punk
UFC fighter in Guinness World Records
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.
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.
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.
There was a pretty wild press conference today for UFC 199. It was all about the two title fights and a continuation over what started the night before on UFC Tonight. It was noted that this show in Los Angeles has four California based fighter in two title matches now with Luke Rockhold (Santa Cruz/San Jose), Michael Bisping (Los Angeles), Cruz (San Diego) and Urijah Faber (Sacramento). It is possible after next week that Northern California would have three different world champions, as well as the NBA & NHL champion. Granted, I expect of the five, two of them are unlikely right now with the Sharks down 2-0 and Faber against Cruz.
The big news at the press conference was Luke Rockhold, after Bisping used lady body parts to describe him and claiming over and over that he turned down fighting Jacare Souza (not exactly accurate but it was a weird storyline for Bisping to take because it made him come across a lesser contender than Souza) where Rockhold admitted that he has a torn MCL. That rumor has been going around and Bisping said he knew Rockhold had a weak knee. Rockhold also admitted that he had done no grappling training in camp but still was taking the fight.
We’re looking for reports tonight from the NXT shows in Evansville, IN and Tampa to Dave@WrestlingObserver.com.
SMACKDOWN TONIGHT ON USA
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch non-title
R-Truth & Goldust vs. Dudleys
Dean Ambrose & Sami Zayn vs. Alberto Del Rio & Kevin Owens
Rusev vs. Jack Swagger non-title
Kofi Kingston vs. A.J. Styles
NEW JAPAN LIVE FROM TOKYO KORAKUEN HALL FRIDAY AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME ON NEW JAPAN WORLD
Volador Jr. & Ricochet & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Trent Baretta & Will Ospreay
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi & Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson & Jay White & Bobby Fish
David Finlay vs. Kyle O’Reilly
Rocky Romero vs. Gedo
Satoshi Kojima & Michael Elgin & Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Bushi
Kushida vs. Matt Sydal
Friday night has these shows we’re looking for reports from:
*ROH in Collinsville, IL (Jay Briscoe & War Machine vs. Jay Lethal & Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian, Adam Cole vs. Kamaitachi, Roderick Strong vs. Silas Young vs. Stevie Richards vs. Moose)
NEW JAPAN WORLD FRIDAY NIGHT ON AXS TV AT 8 P.M. FOR A TWO HOUR SPECIAL
Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr. & Titan vs. Cavernario & Felino & Mr Niebla
La Mascara vs. Pierroth
Atlantis & Marco Corleone & Valiente vs. Negro Casas & Shocker & Ultimo Guerrero
Saturday night we’re looking for reports from:
*WWE in Lubbock, TX (Roman Reigns, A.J. Styles, Seth Rollins, Alberto Del Rio, Charlotte, Rusev, Usos, Kalisto, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Cesaro)
*WWE in Tulsa (Kane, Big Show, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Paige, Enzo, Cass, Dudleys, Apollo Crews, Sheamus, New Day, Erick Rowan, Braun Strowman)
*NXT in Atlanta at Center Stage
*NXT in Fort Pierce, FL.
*ROH in Indianapolis at the Harvest Pavilion (Adam Cole & Adam Page vs. Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley, Jay Lethal vs. Mark Briscoe non-title, Moose vs. Jay Briscoe, Roderick Strong vs. Kamaitachi vs. Jason Kincaid vs. ACH vs. Lio Rush vs. Will Ferrara)
UFC 199 FROM THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES
Fight Pass at 6:15 p.m.
Maestro Dong Hyun Kim vs. Polo Reyes
Kevin Casey vs. Elvis Mutapcic
Luiz Henrique da Silv vs. Jonathan Wilson
Tom Breese vs. Sean Strickland
FS 1 at 8 p.m.
Jessica Andrade vs. Jessica Penne
Beneil Dariush vs. James Vick
Clay Guida vs. Brian Ortega
Alex Caceres vs Cole Miller
PPV at 10 p.m.
Dustin Poirier vs. Bobby Green
Dan Henderson vs. Hector Lombard
Max Holloway vs. Ricardo Lamas
Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber for bantamweight title
Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping for middleweight title
NEW JAPAN WORLD SUNDAY AT 3 A.M. EASTERN TIME FROM GUNMA
Ryusuke Taguchi & Jay White vs. Yoshi-Hashi & Rocky Romero
Yuji Nagata & Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi & David Finlay & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Kushida & Juice Robinson & Captain New Japan & Matt Sydal
Tiger Mask vs. Trent Baretta
Will Ospreay vs. Jushin Liger
Bobby Fish vs. Chase Owens
Ricochet vs. Volador Jr.
Satoshi Kojima & Michael Elgin & Yoshitatsu vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo vs. Tetsuya Naito & Evil & Seiya Sanada & Bushi
*WWE in Amarillo (Roman Reigns, A.J. Styles, Seth Rollins, Alberto Del Rio, Charlotte, Rusev, Usos, Kalisto, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Cesaro)
*WWE in Lawton, OK (Kane, Big Show, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Paige, Enzo, Cass, Dudleys, Apollo, Crews, Sheamus, New Day, Erick Rowan, Braun Strowman)
*ROH in Columbus, OH at the Ohio Expo Building (Jay Briscoe vs. Roderick Strong, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian defend the tag title against War Machine, Adam Cole vs. Lio Rush, Dalton Castle vs. Kamaitachi)
NEW JAPAN WORLD MONDAY AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME FROM SENDAI (English language commentary)
Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil
Volador Jr. vs. Will Ospreay
Ricochet vs. Chase Owens
Bobby Fish vs. Tiger Mask
Jushin Liger vs. Trent Baretta
Matt Sydal vs. David Finlay
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Gedo
Kushida vs. Bushi
Raw will be Monday in Oklahoma City. John Cena, Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho are all booked on the show along with the usual regulars.
NEW JAPAN WORLD TUESDAY AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME FROM SENDAI (English language commentary)
Best of the Super Juniors championship match
Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday in Wichita. John Cena is not scheduled but Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho are scheduled.
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Figure Four Weekly 5/30/2016: Big Vito’s deposition – If you thought Evan Singleton’s deposition went badly for the plaintiffs in the WWE concussion lawsuit, then that appears to be nothing compared to what happened a week later during Vito LoGrasso’s deposition on May 18th. Given the back and forth over LoGrasso claiming that head injuries caused partial deafness when, in the past, he had spoken of having a hearing impairment since birth, the deposition promised to be interesting. It over-delivered.
A huge double issue of the Observer is out this week, including the real catalyst behind the WWE brand split, a breakdown of the roster, justice denied again in the Jimmy Snuka case, Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay and the Super Juniors tournament plus a full rundown, the story behind Bill Goldberg and the WWE video game and the Brock Lesnar tease, famous boxer vs. pro wrestler fights, WWE schedule and injury rates, business rundowns from the past two months for WWE & TNA, updates on cable stations that carry wrestling and MMA, and one of the greatest territorial business runs in history in the life and career of Cowboy Frankie Laine.
Our lead story looks at the WWE brand split, why it happened, what is known that isn’t a secret, ads out post brand split, plans for the split two months ago and what the ad department was told then, what different arenas have been told this week, thoughts behind decisions having too be made, plus a roster rundown on what positions WWE is strong and weak in, and where NXT talent should fit in and who is ready, or who can fill a slot.
There is also an update on the Jimmy Snuka situation, with a realistic view if there will be a trial and what the time frame is and what happens next.
This issue also looks at the Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet match, Vader’s reaction, Super Juniors standings and rundowns of the shows plus looking at where things are going.
Updates on Money in the Bank, stars returning to television soon, how the NBA & NHL playoffs coincide with wrestling the next two weeks, an update on NXT, lots of WWE performers off TV for the next several weeks, notes from lawsuit depositions that are eye opening, Cena getting a gigantic endorsement deal, Rollins return news, injury updates, lots of Dwayne Johnson news, WrestleMania in the future notes, notes on how little talent gets told in advance about things, who watches what on WWE network, plus we’ve got rundowns of every WWE & NXT events over the past week and business notes on the shows, all included in in this issue.
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.
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.
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.
One thing I want to mention about the Jimmy Snuka case ruling is that the judge changed the date of the ruling without letting anyone know, most notably the two sisters of Nancy Argentino who have pushed for investigation and prosecution of this case for 33 years. This enabled the judge to announce the ruling without them in the court room.
In the Best of the Super Junior tournament from earlier today in Nagoya
Volador Jr. (3-2) beat Chase Owens (2-3)
Jushin Liger (3-2) beat Tiger Mask (2-3)
Will Ospreay (2-3) beat Bobby Fish (2-3)
Ricochet (4-1) beat Trent Baretta (2-3)
Our annual web site convention takes place 7/7 to 7/10 in Las Vegas. Among the activities is all you can eat steak at Texas de Brazil, $72 per person on Thursday night and a $39 lunch at 2 p.m. on Friday at Buca de Beppo at the Excalibur. Payments can be sent for reserving those two events via paypal by 7/1 to SRJAIALAIOT@yahoo.com. Mention what you are ordering. Details of other weekend activity in conjunction with UFC 200 is on the Facebook page searching for 10th annual F4W convention and on the message board in the Empire Get Together section.
David Schultz, the subject of three movies and documentaries over the past year regarding his murder, as well as coach Bill Farrell, referee Rick Tucci and administrator Joe Scalzo are to be inducted into the World Wrestling Hall of fame in a ceremony on 8/12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before the start of the Olympic wrestling competition.
TNA Impact on Tuesday night did 346,000 viewers. It was down from last week, but well up from what the show had been doing when it aired twice instead of once.
WWE
The second Smackdown taping after the brand split will be 7/26 from Buffalo. There is a presale going on right now with the code word: SMACKDOWN
For the first time, UFC will be doing early weigh-ins. The actual weigh-ins will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow. There will be a public weigh-in where the fighters will appear and their weigh-in weights announced that will be televised at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Fighters will pose and square off and do interviews, but the weights that will be read will be from earlier in the day. It will air on FS 1. The idea is this allows fighters several more hours to rehydrate. Of course it also allows them several more hours to get to a weight far beyond the actual fighting weight. Most fighters are happy about it because once they get to weight, they can weigh in, rather than wait for the weigh-ins without being able to eat or drink.
Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes will lead more than 100 motorcycles riding from the Los Angeles Harley Davidson dealership to UFC Fan Village on Saturday before the show. Fan Village will be at the Forum at West Manchester Blvd.
The WWN pro wrestling group is looking for MMA fighters of Chinese, South Korean or other Asian American fighters for work at help@WWNLive.com.
Cody Rhodes gets another one off his bucket list as he’s facing Mike Bennett on the 8/26 Northeast Wrestling show outdoors at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, MA.
NWA Classics has changed its name to NWAOnDemand.com and is offering one week free. The web site is mostly old Houston matches from the Paul Boesch tape library. Among the matches they have include Harley Race defending the NWA title against Rick Martel, Jumbo Tsuruta, El Halcon and Gino Hernandez, AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel against Bruiser Brody, Dusty Rhodes and Ricky Morton, Midnight Express vs Rock & Roll Express, Andre the Giant, David Von Erich vs. The Spoiler, Dick Slater vs. Mongolian Stomper, Gino Hernandez & Tully Blanchard as a tag, Von Erichs, Magnum T.A., Mr. Wrestling II, Ken Patera, Jose Lothario, Superstar Billy Graham and much more.
Here is an ACH interview with The Sporting News talking his sometimes mistaken personality, growing up in the ROH locker room, his recent matches against New Japan stars and his hope of working for the promotion, possibly going to WWE and who he would like to face at theJune 24 Best in the World ’16 PPV.
Chase Owens has pulled out of his 6/24 date in Elizabethton, TN for NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling due to international commitments. Toby Farley will take his place and team with Buff Bagwell against Jordan Kage & Chris Richards. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall will make appearances on the show.
Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion has shows on 6/24 in East Burnwood, Victoria, Australia at the Whitehorse Club with Dreamer, Mickie James, Carlito, MVP and Lisa Marie Varon; 8/6 in Pasadena, TX at the Convention Center with an afternoon convention; and 9/17 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia with an afternoon convention and a show at night. They will also run 9/16 in St. James, NY at the Sports Arena.
Fusion Wrestling from Saturday night in Warsaw, VA: Dirty Money b Jefferson Early, Aden Chambers & Brandon Day b Brutal Bob Evans & Tim Hughes, Jimmy Valiant & Ricky Morton & Preston Quinn b Christian Tarr & Outlaw Ink, Victor Griff b Memphis Mofo, Lee Valiant b Arik Royal, MVP b Kongo. Ricky Steamboat also appeared on the show. Next show is 8/6 in Warsaw, VA.
Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling on 6/25 in Vancouver at the Russian Community Centre as well as 7/16 in Vancouver at the Commodore Ballroom.
Destiny Wrestling with Jeff Jarrett, Kongo Kong, Jennifer Blake, Moose and Santino Marella (as referee) has a TV taping for Fibe TV1 at Marella’s Don Kolov Arena at his gym in Mississauga, ONT.
Pure Wrestling Association on 7/9 in Kitchener, ONT at the Alpine Club.
Northeast Wrestling on 6/4 in Hickory, NC at the LP Frans Stadium with appearances by Ric Flair and Magnum T.A. plus The Hardys will be wrestling on the show.
Legacy Fighting Championship on 7/22 from Lake Charles, LA at the Golden Nugget headlined by Robert Drysdale (6-0), the BJJ expert against Ryan Spann (9-2) for the light heavyweight title. The show will air live on AXS that night at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
All Star Wrestling on 6/17 in Garibaldi Highlands, BC at the Totem Hall.
Al Snow vs. Hannibal for the Canadian title plus a women’s match and a Battle Royal on Saturday night in Smiths Falls, ONT for Great North Wrestling.
Pro Wrestling Phoenix from last night in Omaha: Paul Daniels b Mad Dog McDowell, Joey Daniels b Ajax Adams, Cuco Santiago b Zac James, Dalton Lee Roth b Purple, Con Artiest b Robert Storm, Branden Juarez b Pat Powers. Next show is 7/29 in Omaha at the Waiting Room Lounge with Sonjay Dutt.
An Al Snow interview can be seen here.
EVENTS
June 4 – UFC 199 from the Forum in Los Angeles with Michael Bisping getting his first title opportunity of his career battling Luke Rockhold for the middleweight belt
June 4 – In celebration of Metro Pro’s Sixth Anniversary, Demolition (Ax & Smash) will be in action on Saturday, Turner Recreation Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The event address is: 831 S. 55th St., Kansas City, KS 66106 – Tickets can be bought in advance.
June 5 – AAA’s Victoria World Cup men and women’s trio tournament finals at Los Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City which will be a live iPPV show
June 7 – New Japan Best of the Super Juniors finals from Sendai live on New Japan World
June 8 – NXT Takeover from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL featuring Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor in a cage match plus a loaded lineup that includes American Alpha vs. The Revival and probably Shinsuke Nakamura vs Austin Aries, which could be WWE’s match of the month.
June 12 – TNA Slammiversary headlined by Drew Galloway vs. Bobby Lashley for the TNA title from Orlando
June 12 – Revolution Pro Wrestling in London, England headlined by Kurt Angle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
June 17 – AAW “Killers Among Us” features Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Johnny Gargano, Drago vs. Chris Hero, and more at 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL) All Ages Event – Tickets available.
June 18 – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
June 19 – New Japan Dominion, one of the company’s biggest events of the year, featuring Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi in a ladder match for the IC title
June 19 – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title
June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
Kansas City, Kansas: – Joe Pazandak beat Roy Graham in 2 out of 3 falls to become the number one contender to the NWA World Title – Sonny Myers beat Abe Kashey
1960
Osaka, Japan: – Dan Miller and Frank Valois defeated Rikidozan and Michiaki Yoshimura to win the JWA All Asian Tag Team Titles
Windsor, Ontario, Canada: – Bob Ellis defeated Dick the Bruiser to win the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title
1962
Detroit, Michigan: – Dick the Bruiser defeated Wilbur Snyder to win the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title
St. Paul, Minnesota: – Mr. M & Bob Geigel beat Joe Scarpello & Doug Gilbert – Larry Hennig beat Gene Anderson
1967
Chicago, Illinois: – The Devils Duo (Angelo Poffo & Chris Markoff) beat Dick the Bruiser & the Crusher – Wilbur Snyder drew Johnny Powers – Johnny Valentine no contest with Earl Maynard
1970
Chicago, Illinois: – Dick the Bruiser & the Crusher beat Chain Gang (Jim & Jack Dillinger) – Baron Von Raschke beat Edouard Carpentier – Wilbur Snyder beat Dr X via dq – Dr Bill Miller beat Pepper Gomez
1978
Mexico City, Mexico: – El Faraon defeated Alfonso Dantes for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title
1979
Chattanooga, Tennessee: – Dennis Condrey defeated Ron Garfield to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: – Dick The Bruiser & The Crusher beat Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Duncum – Super Destroyer Mark II beat Mad Dog Vachon via count out – Greg Gagne beat Pat Patterson
Houston, Texas: – The Spoiler was awarded the WCCW American Heavyweight Title when champion Wahoo McDaniel was unable to compete due to injury
1980
Greenville, South Carolina: – Matt Borne & Buzz Sawyer defeated Jimmy Snuka & The Iron Sheik in a tournament final to win the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Titles
Chattanooga, Tennessee: – Dennis Condrey defeated Gorgeous George Jr. to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title
Memphis, Tennessee: – Ken Lucas and Ricky Morton defeated Gypsy Joe and Skull Murphy for the AWA Southern Tag Team Titles
1983
Tokyo, Japan: – At the finals of the first IWGP tournament, Hulk Hogan defeated Antonio Inoki by countout to win the tournament – Tiger Mask won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title, defeating Kuniaki Kobayahi for the vacant title
1983
Kansas City, Missouri: – Harley Race defeated Dewey Robertson for the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title (Race would vacate the title eight days later when Race won the NWA World Heavyweight Title in St. Louis, Missouri from Ric Flair)
1987
Buffalo, New York: – The Honky Tonk Man defeated Ricky Steamboat to win the WWF Intercontinental Title
1990
Mexico City, Mexico: – El Dandy defeated Angel Azteca to win the NWA World Middleweight Title
Memphis, Tennessee: – Tony Anthony and Tom Burton defeated the Southern Rockers’ (Rex King and Steve Doll) for the USWA Tag Team Title by defeating King in a handicap match
1993
Koyama, Japan: – The Patriot (Del Wilkes) and The Eagle (George Hines) defeated Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi for the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
2004
Nashville, Tennessee: – Jeff Jarrett defeated champion Ron Killings, A.J. Styles, Raven and Chris Harris in the first-ever King of the Mountain match to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title
2005
Winnipeg, Manitoba: – Kenny Omega defeated Chris Sabin in the finals of Premier Championship Wrestling’s Premier Cup to become the first NWA Canadian X Division Champion
2013
TNA Slammiversary | Boston, Massachusetts: – Chris Sabin defeated Kenny King and Suicide in an Ultimate X match to win the TNA X Division Championship – Magnus, Samoa Joe and Jeff Hardy defeated Aces & Eights (Wes Brisco, Garett Bischoff and Mr. Anderson) – Jay Bradley defeated Sam Shaw – Devon (with Knux) defeated Joseph Park by countout to retain the TNA Television Championship – Abyss defeated Devon (with Knux) to win the TNA Television Championship – Gunner and James Storm defeated Bobby Roode and Austin Aries, Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez and Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) in a Four-way elimination tag team match to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship – Taryn Terrell defeated Gail Kim in a Last Knockout Standing match – Kurt Angle defeated A.J. Styles – Bully Ray defeated Sting in a No Holds Barred match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Dana White was on both ESPN SportsCenter and Colin Cowherd’s show on Fox Sports One Thursday promoting Saturday’s UFC 199, and also updated the status of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey while he was at it.
In regards to McGregor, White said that a rematch with he and Nate Diaz may never happen. He said that McGregor badly wants the fight, White is trying to get the deal done, and Diaz has interest. He said he is trying, but doesn’t know if it will ever happen.
This stems from the meeting White and Lorenzo Fertitta had with Diaz on May 20. Diaz made demands for a rematch with McGregor that were evidently well above what UFC was going to offer. The talks ended without the sides coming close.
Regarding Rousey, White targeted either December or January for her return. She is believed to have two fights left on her current contract, and it should be noted that at least one potential buyer of UFC has wanted Rousey signed to a longer term deal due to her value as part of the product.
White said that Rousey just had arthroscopic knee surgery yesterday and is hoping she fights in December. If not, she’d fight on the first show of 2017, but that the 11/12 show in Madison Square Garden is out.
Rousey has a number of acting commitments, but the days are continually changing.
White also said that Rousey’s first fight back would be against whoever holds the bantamweight title. Miesha Tate holds the title right now and will defend at UFC 200 against Amanda Nunes. Should Holly Holm beat Valentina Shevchenko two weeks later on FOX, one would think it’s an easy decision for Holm to challenge for the title in the fall.
