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Category: News

  • TNA: Tyrus/Brodus Clay on Dusty Rhodes, John Cena as ‘the white P.N. News’

    The following is from a third party:

    TNA’s Tyrus joined CBS Radio’s Chad Dukes Wrestling Show this past week to discuss working with EC3, working with Jason Albert,Dusty Rhodes, John Cena’s recent mention of him on Raw, TNA/ROH, and more.It’s a very hilarious listen in which Tyrus pulls no punches when joking about the Funkasaurus gimmick, John Cena, and ROH.

    On Jason Albert: 

    “I think my game expanded tagging with him.  So deep, man he knows so much he doesn’t let anything bother him, where I’m more emotional. Everything bothers me. Like somebody says something sideways I’m like, ‘I’m gonna kill that-‘ and he’ll be like, ‘Hey man, hey, relax it’s okay forget it.’ Perfect example, when we had to do that lingerie spot, I was more upset that he had to do that and he was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to make this work.’  And we ended up being a tag team.  I wanted us to turn heel together.”

    “Performance-wise not seeing him is a disservice to the fans but as a trainer, I think you’re going to start seeing this next generation of guys coming up under his tutelege, you’re going to see a lot of guys that really got their stuff together.  His influence, I mean he was he was in the Attitude Era and he was in after that, he was in New Japan, as far as like moves, psychology, and stuff I can’t think of anyone better to be honest with you.”

    On Dusty Rhodes: 

    “I mean, I couldn’t have done [The Funkasaurus] without Dusty Rhodes. He was so instrumental in the whole character thing.”

    “I spent the whole day with Dusty and he played ‘Moves Like Jagger’ and me and him danced to it in the arena all day.  I actually have the footage but I was told I was never allowed to show it but I watched it the other day because I missed him.”

    “This is the same guy when I first got there and I was about four hundred sixty pounds they told me I had to wear trunks.  I was like, ‘Oh my god, they hate me.’  So what does Dusty do?  He comes to work with his shirt off.  He walks around the arena with his shirt off.  ‘If I can do it baby, you can do it.’”

    Joking about John Cena’s mention of him on Raw recently:

    “Cena ran his mouth a couple weeks ago that I was lumped in with the XFL, son of a bitch, and I was like he XFL was cool.  And listen, the only difference between him and P.N. News is that he got a push, because he wasn’t the first rapping gimmick.  He wasn’t the first guy with a chain, he just won some titles. If he didn’t he’s just white P.N. News. It’s good. He wants to do an open challenge, keep running your mouth you know, you’ll see the US Title in TNA.  I’ll keep it for as long as I want to.  But yeah I mean it’s one of those things where you know what my name’s being dropped in three wrestling promotions in one week, why not.”

  • John Cena, WWE announced as finalists for Sports Humanitarian of the Year awards

    The following is a press release:

    The inaugural Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN and PlayStation, will celebrate and honor athletes, teams, nonprofits and members of the sports industry for using sport to serve communities and make a positive impact on society, it was announced by John Skipper, President, ESPN. The event, which will take place Tuesday, July 14 at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, will be the first of its kind, bringing together the leagues and sporting community to pay tribute to the collective good of sports. 

    Multiple sports-related leagues and/or governing bodies — including MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, NHL, USOC, USTA, WNBA, WWE and the Women’s Sports Foundation — have nominated athletes, teams and community members that are using the power of sports to transform lives and uplift communities. Highlights of the evening will be featured during a 30-minute special on ESPN, July 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

    During the event, which will be hosted by Laila Ali, winners will be announced from among the finalists for two major award categories — Sports Humanitarian of the Year and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. Additionally, the event will celebrate four inaugural “Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award” (ESPN + inspire) winners, recognized for taking risks and using innovation to help the disadvantaged.

    “Through their selflessness and compassion, the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are improving lives of many around the world,” Skipper said. “The awards pay tribute to some incredible individuals and organizations and the extraordinary impact of their efforts on society.”

    PlayStation is the presenting sponsor of the Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, which will benefit the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund at The V Foundation — a fund that encourages cutting-edge research for minority populations suffering from cancer. An independent panel of judges selected the finalists, including, Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light,  Sharon Roerty, Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sab Singh, Founder of Sports Doing Good and professor at Farmingdale State College, and Caryl Stern, CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF.

    “Humanitarianism is a central narrative of sport — as athletes aspire towards greatness, their ability to make a mark on society is as important as their athletic accomplishments,” said Stern. “The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards give rise to the increasingly important role that sports can play in society, and how the sports community can work together to build and inspire strong communities.”

    SPORTS HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

    The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award is given to an athlete whose continuous, demonstrated leadership has created a positive impact on their community through sports. The honoree will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN’s Corporate Citizenship department to advance the impact of the charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

    Finalists (winner to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):

    • Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers (NFL): Inspired by his own humble beginnings, Boldin is a passionate advocate for underprivileged youth and works to help them to overcome their limitations by expanding educational and life opportunities. Through his foundation, he provides a network of support with mentoring and after-school programs, scholarships, and annual summer enrichment programs — all of which are creating tangible impacts in the lives of children in Baltimore, South Florida and San Francisco. Becoming an Oxfam Ambassador on his own accord, Boldin also has testified before Congress to strengthen human rights protections for communities impacted by the oil and mining industries in Africa. In 2014, Boldin and his wife, Dionne, made a $1 million pledge to help youth in need by providing 4-year college scholarships to four deserving high school graduates annually.
    • Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever (WNBA): Growing up with a hearing impairment, Catchings was no stranger to being bullied, but she used her disability as inspiration and fuel to do her best in the classroom and on the court. Today, she teaches young girls about embracing their differences, building their self-esteem and overcoming obstacles. Through her Catch the Stars Foundation, she promotes fitness, literacy and mentoring to youth in Indianapolis. Catchings has served on the U.S. Department of State’s Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports and has supported countless programs in the community through her unwavering volunteer efforts and financial support.
    • John Cena (WWE): WWE Superstar John Cena’s popular catchphrase “Never Give Up” is also a real-life mantra that he uses to inspire those battling life-threatening illnesses. For more than a decade, Cena has been a force in granting the wishes of children in partnership with Make-A-Wish. As the most requested wish granter of all-time, he has granted nearly 500 wishes for children around the world. Additionally, Cena is also a passionate advocate in the fight against breast cancer, helping to spread the word about the importance of early detection.
    • Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (NHL): As founder of the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation and an ambassador for the Garden of Dreams Foundation, Lundqvist has seized the opportunity to positively impact the lives of children most in need through education and health services. He’s touched the lives of thousands of children and families in New York City, the Dominican Republic and Sweden with both personal and financial support. He’s also providing a platform to the next generation of community leaders, by selecting a group of young adults to complete community service projects and volunteer work, as part of his Young Ambassadors Program.

    SPORTS HUMANITARIAN TEAM OF THE YEAR

    The Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year represents a sports team (and their community relations department or foundation) that demonstrates how teamwork between athletes and their team’s community relations or foundations can create a significant impact on a community or cause. The winner will receive a $75,000 grant (and $25,000 grant for each of the three finalists) from ESPN to the qualified charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

    Finalists (winners to be announced at awards ceremony July 14):

    • Chicago Bulls (NBA): The Chicago Bulls’ work in the community is a collaborative effort among the team’s players, fans, corporate partners, community partners, and front office staff. Community is a fundamental part of the team’s business operations and the Bulls feel a responsibility to give back to the city and people who give so much to them. Last year, the Bulls organized over 100 community events focused on youth education, health and wellness, violence prevention, and the military with more than 30,000 people impacted. The team’s Season of Giving alone, reached 16,000 people in the Chicago community, with 1,000 gifts and 2,200 meals provided to families in need. Additionally, the Bulls distributed $2.5 million in cash and in-kind donations in support of local organizations.
    • Portland Timbers (MLS): Stand Together, the club’s community outreach platform, harnesses the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the Portland metro area through targeted programs, deep partnerships and philanthropic giving. Stand Together focuses on youth activity, education and the environment, with an emphasis on cultural diversity and access for all to play. Since the club’s inaugural MLS season in 2011, the Timbers have given more than $2.4 million in cash and in-kind donations, including their philanthropic work through the Portland Timbers Community Fund, the club’s field-grants program, and various experiential and charitable activities. The club’s signature Stand Together Week annually benefits 30+ different nonprofits throughout the greater Portland metro area. Since 2012, Stand Together Week has generated over 7,000 volunteer hours by 2,000 volunteers on more than 100 projects.
    • San Francisco 49ers (NFL): At the heart of the 49ers philanthropic efforts is their deep commitment to the San Francisco 49ers Academy, a middle school for low-income students in the highly challenged city of East Palo Alto. The team has supported the Academy from top to bottom with grants; player, alumni, ownership and staff involvement; mentorships; and facility enhancement. Inclusive of the contributions to the 49ers Academy, since 1992, the Foundation has donated $30.6 million to support nonprofits, contributing $4.6 million in 2014, including a $1 million grant to launch the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute to enable motivated and talented young scholars to reach their full potential.
    • WWE Community Relations: WWE leverages the power of its brand and platforms to help address important social issues worldwide, and through its partnerships, they support programs and initiatives that positively impact children and families around the world. WWE has granted more than 6,000 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions through Make-A-Wish, and launched an anti-bullying program, Be a STAR, to encourage young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect through education and grassroots initiatives.  More than 100,000 kids from all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries have taken the pledge to end bullying through the program. WWE is also a strong advocate for athletes with intellectual disabilities and breast cancer awareness through their work with Special Olympics and Susan G. Komen respectively, and they are staunch supporters of the U.S. military through their annual Tribute to the Troops celebration and partnership with Hire Heroes USA to help returning vets transition to the civilian workforce.

  • On this day in pro wrestling history: 2nd Steve Austin WWE title reign begins, infamous Stan Hansen AWA title belt stripping story

    By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

    1923 – In St. Louis, Wladek Zbyszko beat Carl Wendell and Harry “Speedy” Schaeffer beat Steve Sanders

    1939 – In Kansas City, Mike Kilonis beat Prospector Pete in 2 out of 3 falls and Wladek Zbyszko defeated Walter Sirois.

    1944 – Lee Wykoff beat Dave Levin in Kansas City to capture the MWA World Heavyweight Title.

    1963 – At Midway Stadium in St. Paul, MN; Crusher beat Moose Evans in 2 out of 3 falls,AWA Tag Team Champions Ivan Kalmikoff & Karol Kalmikoff beat Tiny Mills & Stan Kowalski, Don McClarty beat Joe “Tiger” Tomasso and Doug Gilbert no contest Iron Mike DiBiase; In Waterloo, Iowa; AWA Champion Verne Gagne defeated Bob Orton, The Medics defeated Steve Bolus & Steve Kovacs and Bob Geigel beat Ray Gordon.

    1967 – In Amarillo, Texas; Nick Kozak won a Russian Roulette battle royal for $1,000, Kinji Shibuya beat Dory Funk Jr to win North American Title, Bearcat Wright & Thunderbolt Patterson beat AWA Tag Team Champions Larry Hennig & Harley Race by dq and Nick Kozak drew The Alaskan.

    1968 – In Bloomington, MN; AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Larry Hennig, The Crusher & Bill Watts beat Harley Race & Dr. X and Mad Dog Vachon beat Dutch Savage. Attendance was 7,593.

    1972 – At Memorial Hall in Kansas City; Rufus R. Jones defeated Juan Sebastian, Omar Atlas & Bob Geigel defeated Chati Yokouchi & Yasu Fuji, Harley Race beat Pat O’Connor and The Stomper & Danny Little Bear beat Roger Kirby & Black Angus; In a cage match in Fargo, ND; The Crusher beat Ivan Koloff, Wahoo McDaniel beat Larry Hennig and Dusty Rhodes beat Don Muraco

    1973 – In Denver, Colorado; The Crusher & Wahoo McDaniel beat Superstar Billy Graham & Ivan Koloff in 2 out of 3 falls, Billy Robinson beat Ray Stevens via dq, Geoff Portz beat Rene Goulet and Greg Gagne beat Bill Crouch. Attendance was 6,431; Kim Sung Ho defeated Alfonso Dantes for the EMLL NWA Light Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.

    1974 – In Minneapolis, Ivan Putski beat Superstar Billy Graham by countout and Billy Robinson beat Larry Heiniemi. In Chicago, AWA Tag Team Champions Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens beat Wahoo McDaniel & Chris Taylor and Bobo Brazil beat Baron Von Raschke by dq.

    1986 – The AWA announces that since World Champion Stan Hansen refused to wrestle Nick Bockwinkel in Denver, Colorado, Hansen was being stripped of the title and Bockwinkel was named the new champion. (Hansen was ordered to lose the belt to Bockwinkel and refused and left the building, ran over the AWA belt with his pickup and mailed the belt back to Gagne). Also on the card, Verne Gagne & Greg Gagne & Jimmy Snuka beat Nord The Barbarian & Boris Zhukov & Sheik Adnan, AWA Tag Team Champions Buddy Rose & Doug Somers beat Midnight Rockers and Sherri Martel beat Candi Devine

    1992 – Tom Prichard defeated Brian Christopher for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee

    1998 – Steve Austin defeated Kane for the WWF World Heavyweight Title in Cleveland, Ohio,

    1999 – The Hardy Boyz defeated Faarooq & Bradshaw for the WWF World Tag Team Title in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

    2008 – Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes defeated Hardcore Holly to win the WWE Tag Team Titles.

  • Bellator News: Ken Shamrock addresses worked Kimbo fight allegations, what was said during the clinch, more

    By Josh Nason, WrestlingObserver.com

    For the first time publicly that I know of, Ken Shamrock finally commented on the allegations that he and Kimbo Slice participated in a “worked” match in the main event of Bellator’s recent big show on Spike TV. He did an interview with Australia-based Submission Radio and discussed the fight, Joe Rogan’s comments about it, whether there’s still interest in fighting brother Frank or Royce Gracie, and if bare-knuckle boxing is still in his future. 

    Here’s the transcript provided by Submission Radio:

    On why he couldn’t finish Kimbo on the ground:

    “Well it’s frustrating for me too, because when I look back on it I just can’t believe I couldn’t finish it. And it really was just basically the excitement, you know? It felt like I was dominating him. I controlled his wrists in the clinch, I controlled his body in the corners, I controlled takedowns, I was able to take him down pretty easily twice, and then he gave up his back and I put my hooks in, and it just felt like everything was easy and I felt stronger. And instead of just working and using technique, when I threw the choke on – immediately when I threw the choke on, I tried to use power and strength just to choke him out, you know?

    “I just…it was just overexcitement, you know? I got the position that I wanted and I was gonna finish it quickly, and then I made a lot of mistakes. I mean trying to squeeze in on there and then not being able to, and I was squeezing it, not being able to balance myself on his back and make sure that I stayed where I was supposed to be in case he wanted to come up. And you know, it’s just stupid mistakes. There’s nothing I can do about it. I look back on it, it was idiotic and dumb, but you know, I’m human, and I went in there and I did the best I could. I made a mistake and I paid for it.”

    If it was true that Kimbo was talking to him during the clinch and what exactly Kimbo said:

    “That’s correct, there was talking. When I had his wrist – and it was after I took him down the first time and he got back up and I had him in a front face lock and I had his wrist controlled – he told me to let him go. “let me go, let’s bang, lets bang” and then I kneed him in the face, on the side. I had it and he goes “is that all you got” and I said “no, no, baby. I got something else for ya” and that’s when I took him down and got his back and tried to choke him out.”

    Was he surprised that Kimbo was able to escape the submission:

    “Listen, Kimbo didn’t escape it. What happened was that I went in for the choke and tried to slip the choke in tighter, and when I did that, I turned my body sideways on his back and I slipped off. It wasn’t what he did, it was what I did. It was my mistake, nothing that he did ’cause he didn’t do anything other than let me fall off his back.”

    His response to Joe Rogan and some of the MMA community believing his fight with Kimbo was fixed:

    “Why in the world would someone in Joe Rogan’s position sound off on something like that when there’s no proof, when it’s just speculation of his thoughts of what he thought. That could literally ruin somebody’s career. That’s like me going out there and telling his wife that he cheated on his wife, yet I don’t have any proof, but someone just said something. Those are things, when you say them being in a professional position where you have the people’s ear and you have a responsibility to make sure that whatever you say, you can back up, that you could prove, and not just say it because you think it. Because you ruin people’s lives on something that you have no proof. And he’s wrong what he’s saying. He’s wrong what he’s saying, and therefore he could have ruined my career and my life on what he’s saying, when there’s no proof to it.”

    Was the fight was really “fixed”?

    “I swear on everything that I love, my family, my god, everything that I love. That fight was not fixed. And the people that are saying it are saying it because they’re angry or they lost a bet, because they bet in Vegas, or they’re just trying to be hurtful. That’s it.”

    Will he fight again?

    “Absolutely. What I did in that fight, if you look at the body of work that I did, it was completely domination over a guy that was supposed to be stronger a guy than me, that was supposed to be bigger, stronger, and obviously you look at what happened when I signed to do this fight. A lot of the same people that are saying the fight was fixed, almost all of them said I should have never been in the ring, “I can’t, I’m 51, I’m too old, I can’t compete at that age”. And now they’re saying I can’t lose. Now they’re saying there’s no way I could have lost. So I’m really confused on these guys and the way they think, because one minute I can’t fight and I shouldn’t be in the ring, and the next minute I can’t lose. They’ve lost their mind.”

    “I’m gonna be better next time I get in the ring because It’s not gonna be seven years before I get back in the ring again. So I’m gonna be better the next time I go out, so why would I stop now when I’ve already put in a great body of work and I can get better.”

    Would he be open to fighting Royce Gracie next?

    “I’ll tell ya, Royce Gracie is the one I want to fight. I mean it’s been a long time coming. That second fight that we had, he’s the one saying “oh it was a draw, it was a draw” and I think anyone who watched it knows it’s not. But in my opinion, man let’s do this third one. The whole tour that I’m on right now when I came back, was to get fights that were unfinished. And Kimbo jumped up, I got that. Royce has gotta be the next in there. I want that one so bad, but I don’t want people just to think this either, because if I ever get the opportunity to fight Kimbo again, then I’m going to jump at that. Because in my opinion, man, he got lucky. But whatever, he won the fight. I give him props to it.”

    On how the third fight with Royce would play out differently to their previous two:

    “Oh man, [I would be] so much more knowledgeable. When I fought Royce I was two and a half years in, and he had all the experience behind him, and then the training of the education of training. We weren’t all there. We were developing these – I developed to sit in the pocket and ground and pound. So all of this ground and pound, I developed that in order to fight Royce. So there’s so much more of a development that I’ve had since that time when I was just learning on the fly. While I was in the ring I was learning how to fight these guys. So now with all the education that I have and the understanding that I have, there’s no way Royce Gracie would be able to go with me like he did then. There’s no way in my opinion. I’m gonna stop him.”

    Would he be open to fighting his brother Frank in Bellator:

    “I don’t exclude anything. I would never just straight out challenge my brother, but if it was fight that he wanted or a fight that made sense then I’d do it. Absolutely.”

    Is he still planning to do his bareknuckle boxing event?

    “Yeah, well actually we’re in the process right now. I can’t really talk much about a lot of the stuff we’re working through right now, but yeah that’s gonna happen. And we’re just waiting to put the all the, cross the t’s and dot the I’s right now. So right now it’s looking really good. It’s something I’m really interested in. No doubt.”

  • WWE July 28 Roanoke, VA, house show results: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

    Submitted by Chris Cawley

    – I-C Champion Ryback over Mark Henry (Went around 15 minutes, typical big man stuff. Crowd was hot for Ryback.

    – R Truth over Tyler Breeze. Breeze got on mic denied losing to R truth and demanded someone else come to ring

    – Jimmy Uso over Tyler Breeze. Superkick and “match” was over.

    – Lucha Dragons over Ascension and Los Matadores. Tag team elimination rules, Matadores eliminated first.

    – Roman Reigns over Bray Wyatt. Reigns was really over with this crowd, match ended with a spear.

    – Alicia Fox and Emma over Cameron and Summer (Not great, a lot of missed spots and sloppy work.

    – Sheamus over Jack Swagger. Match went about 20 minutes, Sheamus slid MITB briefcase to distract ref and deliver Brouge kick after poking Swagger in the eye while ref removing briefcase.

    – WWE Champion Seth Rollins over Dean Ambrose in a street fight. At one point, Ambrose was powerbombed through table in the corner. Virginia athletic commission doesn’t allow fighting through crowd so was tame in that regard. Match used a couple chairs and a belt. Was a suplex spot on the smaller ramp used for house shows. Crowd was hot for Ambrose.

    J and J security ran in at end, beat on Ambrose and did the whole powder in the eyes but that backfired and Rollins was able to get the pin. After the match, Rollins got on mic and said he was going to finally destroy Ambrose and ordered J and J to get another table. Ambrose fought back and put Rollins through table with an elbow drop to send fans home happy.

  • SUN UPDATE: UFC Canada, GFW, Dwayne Johnson movie, McGregor, Rhodes, LU star on AAA

    By dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>Dave Meltzer

    We’re looking for your thoughts on tonight’s TNA Slammiversary show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    We’re also looking for reports on tonight’s WWE house shows in Roanoke (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt,  Sheamus, Ryback, Dean Ambrose) and Reading, PA (Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, King Barrett, New Day), as well as the weekend NXT shows in Cocoa Beach, FL on Friday night and Citrus Springs, FL on Saturday night.

    TNA SLAMMIVERSARY ON PPV SUNDAY

    Robbie E vs. Jessie Godderz

    Awesome Kong & Brooke vs. Taryn Terrell & Jade & Marti Bell

    Magnus vs. James Storm Non-sanctioned match

    Davey Richards vs. Austin Aries – Winner gets to choose the Iron Man stipulation for the TV match already taped as the fifth match in the best-of-five for the tag tiles

    Matt Morgan vs. Bram

    Bobby Lashley & Ken Anderson vs. Ethan Carter III & Tyrus

    King of the Mountain match:  Jeff Jarrett, Eric Young, Drew Galloway, Bobby Roode and Matt Hardy

    Raw will be Monday night in Washington, DC.  This is the one show of this PPV cycle that Brock Lesnar isn’t booked on.  He will be back the following Monday. 

    Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Hershey, PA.

    A story about the life and career of Buddy Landel, plus the Jose Aldo injury, Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and whether it was or wasn’t real and Cora Combs and the last link to the heyday of U.S. women’s wrestling are the main stories in the June 29 issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    The Latest Wrestling Observer June 29, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Buddy Landel obituary, Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice coverage

    Web site subscriptions, which include access to both current and older newsletters as well as every audio show in the history of the site are at  Sign up here for as low as $9.99 per month!

    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@wrestlingobserver.com”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

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    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 first look at the injury to Jose Aldo Jr. and thoughts on the 7/11 fight with Conor McGregor.  We look at the different options UFC had in this situation.

    We’ve got a major story on the life and career of Buddy Landel.  We look at the circumstances of his death, why Landel never reached the level of success his ability should have gotten him, his life before and after wrestling, and the story that, at the age of 24, changed the direction of his career.

    Landel talked about getting fired from Crockett Promotions at what turned out to be the high point of his career, examine the talk of his being given the world title at the time, as well as his own very candid thoughts about if he had won the title.  We look at what was planned for him, and how his firing changed the entire history of the business because it in a roundabout way led to the creation of the Four Horseman.

    We look at the situation with Crockett Promotions in the middle of a hot period in 1985, the Starrcade 85 show, and the Flair vs. Rhodes program.  We look at the story behind Landel’s statement that he and Flair broke Elvis’ attendance record in Raleigh and the true story of that night.

    We also look at his run in Tennessee including the last sellout at the Mid South Coliseum and the angle leading to that, as well as the famous 27 fall Texas death match that was among the best matches of the 80s. We look at his start in sports, growing up as a fan, and how Landel got into pro wrestling.  We look at his early years, his first push, the creation of the Nature Boy gimmick, working with Junkyard Dog in Mid South, his return to Crockett Promotions and why he never got another chance, what Buddy Rogers told him, and the last stages of his career and life after wrestling.

    We also look in depth at the Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock right.  We look at different kinds of works, and the ones that could not have happened and the ones that could have.  We look at what the person closest to the action said about it, as well as a look at the background of Ken Shamrock.

    We also have a lot more about the records set for the fight, as well as future matches that both or either could do going out of this.  We also look at other business notes for the show, as well as Bellator’s next major event in September, and full coverage of the TV event.

    We also have an update on Daniel Bryan, Bret Hart talks Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns and others, Dolph Ziggler’s future prospects, Talk of another NXT live special this summer, More on the next WWE network special show, notes on a former tag team of the year candidate team that WWE is looking at getting, more on Tough Enough, as well as Dwayne Johnson projects and injuries to Jamie Noble, Erick Rowan and Tyson Kidd.

    We also have notes on why Randy Orton wasn’t at TV this past week, frustration from the inside on WWE creative, Hogan talks WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels in a movie, WWE house shows, the sad plight of Chyna, as well as a look at the weekend NXT and WWE house shows as well as weekend business.

    We also have coverage of the ROH Best in the World PPV show, and where the company is headed.

    We’ve also got a story on the life of Cora Combs, the last link to the Billy Wolfe/Mildred Burke glory days of women’s wrestling.  We look at her career, her decision in the promotional split that ended up taking the women’s side of wrestling down, the Moolah years, being in the first woman’s match ever held in New York and the story behind it.  We also look at the last period of her career, as Lady Satan, working against her daughter, as well as look at some of the oldest wrestlers of all-time and the oldest living wrestles..

    We’ve also got full coverage of the weekly UFC show in Germany and the rise of Joanna Jedrzejczyk.  We look at her unique stardom, as well as other coverage of the show.

    We also have notes on how the WWE’s Payback PPV did and where the PPV business currently stands.

    The Observer is the world’s most detailed weekly pro wrestling publication, in its 32nd year of publication, and is read by the biggest names in the pro wrestling, industry, MMA industry, sports world and on Wall Street.

    We also have our regular features such as the most complete look at ratings, plus results of the major house show events each week in pro wrestling and MMA, and complete inside rundowns of all the TV shows.

    Also in this week’s issue:

    –More on AAA’s Verano de Escandalo show

    –Former WWE star signs major deal as a brand ambassador with one of the biggest movie companies in the world and his duties

    –Another former WWE star working big shows in AAA

    –Notes on future AAA shows

    –Ricochet returns to Japan

    –Notes on the next Dragon Gate iPPV show

    –Final event of the Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial tour

    –Notes on the upcoming NOAH GHC jr. tournament

    –More G-1 Climax notes as far as TV goes

    –New Japan heads to Singapore

    –Notes on Dusty Rhodes and Tommy Rogers

    –More on Global Force Wrestling

    –Lots of PWG notes

    –Notes on Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore show

    –Pro wrestling returns after 20 years to one of its most famous former arenas

    –More on Lucha Underground

    –Notes on upcoming ROH shows

    –A look at the next month of ROH television

    –More on people leaving TNA

    –Story behind Hernandez coming to TNA

    –More on TNA PPV show

    –TNA wrestlers appear on Destination America programming

    –UFC press conference coming

    –Major official leaves UFC

    –Lots of new UFC fights

    –More talk about UFC events in the future in Mexico City

    –Why Dana White didn’t go to the UFC show in Germany

    –Dana White talks about a reality show he’s filming

    –Latest on the heavyweight title picture

    –Lots of changed matches on the UFC shows

    –UFC injury updates

    –Lots of new UFC fights

    –Stiffest MMA suspension to date to a former champion

    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.

    Our most requested issues in our history are:

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    *October 22, 2001 (why the adult audience has left pro wrestling in such great numbers and what needed to have been done to save them)

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    *April 21, 2003 (history of WWF continues with the expansion nationally, the death of the regional territories and the rise of Hulk Hogan)

    *May 12, 2003 (The life and death of Elizabeth and the rise of fall of Lex Luger)

    *June 9, 2003 (Part 1 of history of WWF vs. WCW wars and what many say was the greatest year in U.S. wrestling; plus a look at Fred Blassie)

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    *July 28, 2003 (Part 2 of the history of the WWF vs. WCW war and the plans to make new superstars in the early 90s, what happened, and the night where the three biggest wrestling companies in the world combined for a joint show and what happened)

    *August 25, 2003 (2003 Hall of Fame issue with huge profiles on the controversial career of Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit as well as historical features on Earl Caddock and Francisco Flores)

    *September 22, 2003 (Part 3 of the history of the WWF vs WCW war with the seeds that caused the collapse of the industry in the 90s, Zahorian trial, Gulf War controversy, Flair leaves WCW while holding world title and much more)

    *October 27, 2003 (The fascinating life of Stu Hart plus the story of Road Warrior Hawk)

    *January 19, 2004 (2003 Awards issue)

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    *February 23, 2004 (History of Guerrero family with Eddy’s win over Brock Lesnar)

    *March 1, 2004 (History of WWF continues with the period that brought the company down in early 1992, the mistakes, the real stories and how the business changed)

    *March 8, 2004 (History of Wrestlemania, its greatest matches and best and worst shows as voted both by wrestlers and non-wrestlers and Wrestlemania history books)

    *July 5, 2004 (A look behind the scenes and Ric Flair’s book and his background with Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan)

    *July 12, 2004 (A look at more on Ric Flair’s book and his comments on Bruno Sammartino, Bret Hart and Mick Foley)

    *August 16, 2004 (History of the Olympians in pro wrestling)

    *August 23, 2004 (2004 Hall of Fame issue and biggest issue of the year with huge profiles on Kazushi Sakuraba, Undertaker, Bob Backlund, Masahiro Chono, Ultimo Dragon, Kurt Angle and Tarzan Lopez–this counts as one issue if you are asking for a free issue, but ordered separately, due to size, is $6 in North America and $7 overseas)

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    *April 10, 2006 (Behind the scenes at the 2006 Wrestlemania/Hall of Fame week)

    *July 24, 2006 (The History of the Von Erichs and World Class Championship Wrestling–the most unreal story ever in wrestling)

    *September 4, 2006 (The Rise and Fall of Kurt Angle; 2006 Hall of Fame inductions of Eddie Guerrero, Paul Bowser, Masakatsu Funaki, Aja Kong and Hiroshi Hase including tons of wrestling history around the world from the 20s through the 60s, the evolution of working to not working in Japan, and a look at Guerrero in hindsight, double issue $6 or $7 overseas)

    *October 9, 2006 (A look back nine years later at the life and legacy of Brian Pillman with tons of inside information about what made him tick as his real objectives)

    *November 15, 2006 (History of WCW part one, Eric Bischoff’s book and how the industry was changed forever)

    *November 20, 2006 (History of WCW part two, Why Jim Ross left WCW, How Bischoff changed the company, signing of Hulk Hogan, Beginning of Nitro, Jesse Ventura, Brian Pillman, Chris Jericho and signing Wrestlemania planned celebrity away)

    *November 27, 2006 (History of WCW part three, When Bischoff challenged McMahon to fight; Truth and fiction around Bret Hart signing with WCW and why it didn’t click)

    *December 6, 2006 (details behind Pride’s offers to sell promotion and Part four of History of WCW part four, Hogan-Goldberg match and why there was no rematch, WCW loses NBC network deal in 1999 and the real reasons the company fell apart)

    *January 22, 2007 (2006 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

    *February 14, 2007 (Life and Times of Bam Bigelow)

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    *July 10, 2007 (Part three of the Benoit double murder-suicide)

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    *July 23, 2007 (Part five of Benoit double murder-suicide)

    *July 25, 2007 (Part six of Benoit double murder-suicide)

    *August 15, 2007 (The legend of the God of Japanese wrestling and his influence on MMA, Karl Gotch)

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    *December 31, 2007 (History of Ric Flair and the heyday of wrestling at the Greensboro Coliseum)

    *January 21, 2008 (2007 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

    *March 17, 2008 (Life and times of Johnny Weaver)

    *March 24, 2008 (Life and times of Gary Hart)

    *April 10, 2008 (Farewell to Ric Flair; My thoughts, Shawn Michaels talks of Flair’s meaning to him; Hall of Fame; Wrestlemania double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

    *August 11, 2008 (Ric Flair leaves WWE; Updated history of pro wrestlers and MMA fighters who went to the Olympics)

    * September 8, 2008 (2008 Hall of Fame double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas; part one of Killer Kowalski bio)

    * September 15, 2008 (Life and Times of Evan Tanner)

    * September 22, 2008 (The amazing career of Killer Kowalski, one of our most in-depth bios)

    You can also order any of these issues on their own for $4 in North America or $5 overseas.

    We now have available personally autographed copies of Tributes II, our latest book, as well as a DVD that comes with it talking more about the subjects in the book. The book covers the life stories of Lou Thesz, Wahoo McDaniel, Elizabeth, Fred Blassie, Road Warrior Hawk, Andre the Giant, Curt Hennig, Johnny Valentine, Davey Boy Smith, Terry Gordy, Owen Hart, Stu Hart, Gorilla Monsoon, The Sheik and Tim Woods..

    To get all of those biographies as back issues of the Observer would be a $60 value today. This is a collection of some of the best Observer articles of the past several years in a hardcover, full-color format that is 239 pages. There is also a foreword by Bret Hart. The book price is $12.95 plus $3.50 for shipping costs in the U.S., $20 for shipping costs to Canada and $25 for shipping costs outside North America. You can order the book the same way you order the newsletter.

    SUNDAY’S NEWS UPDATE

    • Nothing from the weekend in combat sports made it to the Google listings.  For twitter, the biggest numbers were Yoel Romero (70,800), Jeff Jarrett (3,229), Jacare Souza (3,158), Gay Jesus (6,699) and Slammiversary (3,434).
    • San Andreas was No. 6 at the box office this weekend and is estimated at doing $5,275,000 and is at $141.9 million domestic after five weeks.
    • The UFC Canada comment regarding a potential 12/5 show after New York fell through was:  “Following the news in New York, we are now looking at the schedule for the remainder of the year and will be making event decisions in the coming weeks.  There is nothing to announce or confirm at this time.”
    • GFW will make the official announcement of Nick Aldis, formerly Magnus, with the promotion tomorrow. 
    • A story on Dwayne Johnson’s new movie project “Rampage”
    • Conor McGregor will be a guest on Conan O’Brien on TBS on Thursday night. (thanks to Jon Southerland)
    • This week, Dusty Rhodes was on the cover of Globe Magazine and Kevin Nash, as part of Magic Mike XL (which opens this week) was on the cover of People Magazine (thanks to Jeff Gagliardo)
    • All Elite Wrestling has a show at Arena Mexico today headlined by Shelton Benjamin & Rush vs. Volador Jr. & Ezekiel Jackson, plus Marco Corleone & La Mascara vs. Hernandez & Heddi Karaoui.  Notable that Hernandez was still booked there as of yesterday with the TNA PPV today.  Jackson, who is Big Ryck in Lucha Underground, is also notable because All Elite is considered competition to AAA.
    • Gunner and James Storm are now taking independent bookings through Bill Behrens at showbis@aol.com  Gunner is flying out of Greensboro and Storm out of Nashville.  Also available is Moose out of Atlanta, as well as A.J. Styles (Atlanta), Drew Galloway (Tampa), Matt Sydal (Tampa), Sean Waltman (Philadelphia), Christopher Daniels (Los Angeles), Frankie Kazarian (Los Angeles), Devon Dudley (Orlando), Tommy Dreamer (New York LaGuardia), DDP (Atlanta), Shane Helms (Raleigh), Earl Hebner (Richmond), Abyss (Cincinnati), Eric Young (Nashville), EC 3 (Tampa), Big Ryck (Los Angeles) and The Young Bucks (Los Angeles).
    • Santana Garrett and Colt Cabana debut with GFW on the 7/9 show in Appleton, WI.  Cherry Bomb Laura Dennis debuts on 7/10 in Erie, PA.  Johnny Gargano is booked on 7/11 in Eastlake, OH.
    • Josh Nason went 5-0 in predictions last night on the UFC show, while David Bixenspan, Front Row Brian, Steve Juon, Jack Encarnacao and Mike Sempervive went 4-1, me and Mike Swayer went 3-2 and John Pollock went 2-3.
    • Bayley was off the NXT shows this weekend due to a broken hand. 
    • Karen Jarrett talks going to TNA
    • TNA Slammiversary airs live in France on Mai Chaine Sport at 2 a.m. and will be re-airing on 7/5 at 8 p.m.
    • Hoosier Pro Wrestling canned food drive show last night in Columbus, IN which brought over 1,200 cans of good to the East Columbus Community Center: Scarecrow b Jonathan Owens, AJ Hawkins b Wicked Clown, Clint Poe b Dewey Brown, Mitch Johnson & Miss Alice b Stompin Steve to win the Intergender tag team titles, Drax O’Brien & Lightning Bolt Jackson b TVZ, Flash Flanagan b TJ Kemp.  Next show is 8/1 (thanks to Jerry Wilson)
    • World League Wrestling from Friday night in Troy, MO:  Jon Webb (NOAH) b Michael Magnuson, Derek McQuinn b Jon E. Rock, Leland Race b Dustin Bozworth-DQ, Stacy O’Brien b Heather Patera, Dave DeLorean & Jayden Fenix b Brandon Espinosa & Justin D’Air, Superstar Steve Fender & Derek McQuinn b Dave DeLorean & Jayden Fenix to win tag titles (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
    • Lucha Xtreme TV from last night in Fresno, CA:  Prince Nagi & Kevin El Divino b Johnny Dynamo & Aki So, Mustafa Saed & CB 3 b Vintage Dragon & Cyanide, Johnny Plinko b Marcus Eriks-DQ (thanks to Jon Southerland)
    • Smash Wrestling on 7/19 at 4 p.m. in Toronto before Battleground at the Franklin Horner Community Center with Matt Cross vs. Tarik in an I Quit match, Chris Hero vs Rich Swann, Johnny Gargano vs. Scotty O’Shea and Drew Gulak & Biff Busick vs. Overdogs, plus Super Smash Brothers, Candice LaRae and more.
    • The Crash runs Friday night in Tijuana at Auditorio Municipal with La Parka & Psycho Clown vs. Parka Negra & Zorro and ACH vs. Bestia 666 vs. Extreme Tiger (Tigre Uno) vs. Pentagon Jr., plus two other Lucha Underground wrestlers with B-Boy vs. Famous B and Australian Suicide & Rey Hours vs. Flamita & Daga. (thanks to Kris Zellner)
    • The Iowa Northwoods League baseball team the Waterloo Bucks has pro wrestling night on 7/9 at Riverfront Stadium featuring an appearance by Kevin Nash.  He will sign autographs before and during the game, throw out the first pitch and do 1/2 inning of broadcasting.  The first 500 fans will get a foam wrestling belt.  This is the night before the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame events in Waterloo.
    • Alberto El Patron, Tommy Dreamer and Colt Cabana headline 7/12 in Pasadena, TV o na show called Bustin For Autism produced by Lone Star Championship Wrestling with the show at 6 p.m.  Alberto faces Houston Carson, Cabana faces Raj Singh (Jinder Mahal), Hernandez faces Ray Rowe of ROH and Dreamer faces Lance Archer and Cherry Ramons faces Joey Ryan.  Also scheduled to appear are Jim Duggan, Scott Norton, Katrina and Ivelisse from Lucha Underground, Candice LaRae, Gene Snisky, Matt Riviera, Greg Anthony and Chaz Taylor.
    • Great North Wrestling on 8/14 in Brockville, Canada at the Memorial Center with Road Warrior Animal as the referee for Hannibal vs Darko.  Honky Tonk Man is also on the show.
    • Chael Sonnen talks a number of subjects including the heavyweight division of UFC, Joe Rogan, politics, steroids, drug legalization, Mel Gibson, Racism and of course… the current state of the Heavyweight division. It’s an hour and twenty minute interview, so the below video is time coded more specifically to his MMA comment. Some highlights as they relate to MMA.

    “That’s a tough dude right there man…. I did not know he was as good as he is. … I was shocked, I did not think that he could hold up against Cain and not only did he hold up, he BROKE Cain. Yeah that submission was there, but if it hadn’t been a guillotine it would have been an armor it would have been a choke, Cain was ready to be done. There were a million different ways to end that fight… That’s the point of fighting. To make the other guy quit.”

    On whether there’s a current case to be made for Werdum being among the top 3 heavyweights of all time, Chael addressed Fedor, Werdum’s standing losses, and then of course went full Chael on the heavyweight division –

    “The whole point for point thing doesn’t exist. You want to figure it out, let’s get in the cage. A few of us will enter regardless of weight class and we can figure this damn thing out.

    … The bottom-line is Jon Jones will show up and kick his ass right now (Werdum). He’d kick his ass it wouldn’t even be a problem. Daniel Cormier could go up and kick his ass! It’s the heavyweight class, he’s a tough guy, but it’s a wimpy weight class it always has been. If you’re a good athlete and you’re a heavyweight, you go into the NFL! You don’t go into cage fighting, the weight-class sucks and I don’t have respect for it, so there.”

    ON THIS DAY IN PRO WRESTLING HISTORY INTERNATIONAL (thanks to Graeme Cameron)

    1963 – El Santo beat Karloff Lagarde to win the Mexican national middleweight title

    1966 – Billy Joyce beat Ian Campbell in Edinburgh to win the British heavyweight title

    1974 – Jumbo Miyamoto & Junko Sasaki beat Sandy Parker & Betty Niccoli to win the WWWA tag titles

    1974 – Anibal beat Adorable Rubi in Mexico City to win the Mexican national middleweight title

    1987 – Chigusa Nagayo beat Dump Matsumoto to win the Grand Prix tournament

    1998 – Yukihiro Kanemura & Hiromichi Fuyuki & Koji Nakagawa beat Hayabusa & Hiskatsu Oya & Ricky Fuji in Hachinohe to win the FMW six man street fight tag titles

    2008 – Minoru Suzuki & Taiyo Kea beat Joe Doering & Keiji Muto in Osaka to win the All Japan world tag title

    2008 – Kennichiro Arai & Taku Iwasa & Shinobi beat Shingo Takagi & Gamma & Yamato in Nagoya to win the Open the Triangle Gate titles

    2014 – Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori beat Suwama & Joe Doering in Sapporo to win the All Japan world tag tltles

  • WWE Boston June 27 house show results: Rock makes surprise appearance, John Cena vs. Kevin Owens

    By Kyle Poissonnier

    Really, really good crowd.  Been to a few New England events living in Portland, ME, and this was by far the best crowd.

    Mark Henry vs. I-C Champion Ryback

    Henry got a good reaction. Good reaction for Ryback.  Slow match, good support for Ryback.  Henry messed up the ending failing to get in place for Ryback’s splash so Ryback readjusted in mid air for a splash and win.  No shell shock.

    Neville vs. Kofi Kingston

    Great heel heat on Kofi.  Really knows how to work the crowd.  Neville got a good reaction.  Some really great fast paced action in this one.  10 min match with Neville scoring a red arrow for a win.

    Heath Slater and Luke Harper vs. Axelmania and Macho Mandow

    Honestly a terrible match.  Axelmania and Macho Mandow are not that over and actually got booed a few times. Forgettable match with Axelmania and Macho Mandow picking up a pinfall victory.   

    Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler vs. King Barrett and Sheamus

    Great response for Ziggler and Jericho got a huge returning pop.  Some Mic time for all before the match with Jericho and Ziggler making fun of Sheamus.  Good match, good back and forth with Jericho hitting the codebreaker on Barrett for the win.

    U.S. Champion John Cena vs. NXT Champion Kevin Owens

    Owens has that heel cool factor as the crowd popped for him. He taunted Cena’s dad in the front row. Cena got a big hometown reaction.  This was literally a replay of their 2nd match at money in the bank.  Great spots, tons of false finishes.  Match went almost 20 minutes until Owens Low-blowed Cena for a DQ, he rolled back in and got an AA to make the crowd happy.  Best match of the night.  Chants of “this is awesome” a lot during this match.

    – Bo Dallas came out and basically ran down Boston for five minutes and how bad it’s sports teams have become and trashed Tom Brady.  He started singing which seemed to go on for wayyyy too long.  The Rock’s music hit and at first I think most people thought it was a joke.  He promptly walked out and got an enormous pop.  The last time I was in the garden in 2001 was one of the last times the Rock appeared at a house show.  Lots of shock and cheers.  Rock got in the ring and mocked Bo for a while and stuck up for Boston, told Bo to take a victory lap before hitting him with a rock bottom and people’s elbow.  Posed for the crowd and left everyone in the crowd happy.

    Naomi VS Paige vs. Divas Champion Nikki Bella

    Honestly the crowd was so shocked from the Rock most people had their heads down in the phones on social media in shock.  No energy, slow match, there was a fan vote stipulation I cant remember.  Nikki took the pin for the win.  Most people stayed on phones or took a bathroom break.

    Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

    Wyatt got a good reaction.  Crowd loved his entrance.   Reigns came out to about 80% cheers and support.  Still a much better reaction than he gets on TV.  Pretty slow match, ended after about 6 minutes with a double count out- which obv they had to do not wanting to a give a victory to either man before they meet at Battleground.  Fans booed the finish quite a bit.  Cheered Reigns though as he left.

    WWE Champion Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

    Show went well over 3 hours at this point, so crowd was really drained at this point a little even though they gave Ambrose a great pop.  Good back and forth and Ambrose had some really good near falls that got the crowd back into it.  Bray Wyatt came down and slammed the door on Ambrose’s head allowing Rollins to climb out and win.  After the match, Reigns came down to help Ambrose spearing Wyatt and clearing the ring  Ambrose and Reigns stayed and celebrated with the crowd sending them home happy.       

  • Updates regarding Kurt Angle and talent leaving TNA

    – Kurt Angle will be having surgery to remove a tumor on his neck but it is not a major operation and he is expected to be ready to wrestle in about three weeks, which would be touch and go with the next tapings from July 22 to July 29.

    – TNA’s Bob Ryder stated on Twitter that Awesome Kong and Taryn Terrell are still under contract, until December and March respectively, contrary to what was reported here earlier today.

  • After Dark Radio for tonight 12 ET/9 PT: Steven Streufert talks the Bluff Creek Project, Bigfoot, tons more!

    After Dark Radio with Bryan Alvarez returns tonight streaming LIVE AND FREE from the After Dark Radio Show website on the Dark Matter Radio Network. You can also now stream the show through the front page of this website using the link on the right-hand side of the front page!

    The show airs at MIDNIGHT ET/9 PM Pacific for two hours!

    Tonight we will be joined by special guest STEVEN STREUFERT of the Bluff Creek Projectfor an awesome discussion! We will also be taking your open lines phone calls on any topic imaginable! Check the website for NEW call-in numbers/email addresses in addition to our normal toll-free line.

    We will also be discussing tons of news, both from our website, afterdarkradioshow.com, our Facebook page, and, of course, Artbell.com, plus taking your phone calls, emails and Twitter questions!

    All of the phone numbers are available at afterdarkradioshow.com. You can send in emails on any topic to bryan@afterdarkradioshow.com. Remember, this show survives on your participation, so please send those emails or be prepared to call!

  • On this day in pro wrestling history (June 28): legendary Mankind vs. Undertaker Hell In A Cell match, Ken Shamrock vs. The Rock

    By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

    1923 – In St. Louis, Missouri at the Polish Hall; Wladek Zbyszko defeated Ivan Orloff in 2 straight falls. Also, Jack Kelly defeated Barney Kuczma. (Wladek Zbyszko was billed as the World Greco-Roman wrestling champion).

    1939 – In St. Louis; Warren Bockwinkel beat Swede Swenson, Joe Stecher defeated Joe Millich and Jim Logas beat Mannie Marqulis

    1946 – In St. Joseph, Missouri before 4,200 fans; Mildred Burke beat Juanita Coffman, Bobby Bruns defeated Ray Villmer, Bill Lee double countout with Dean Detton and Sonny Myers defeated Nate Brown.

    1955 – In Minneapolis before 7,200 fans; Butch Levy & Leo Nomellini beat Kinji Shibuya & Ike Eakins, Ilio DiPaolo beat Shag Thomas (as King Toby), Johnny Kostas drew Dick the Bruiser as Bruiser Afflis and Red Bastien beat Al Warshawsky

    1962 – Ilio DiPaolo & Joe Scarpello defeated Mr. M and Bob Geigel to become the first AWA Canadian Open Tag Team Champions in a one night tournament in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada.

    1963 – In Lewiston, Minnesota; AWA Tag Team Champions Ivan Kalmikoff & Karol Kalmikoff beat Doug Gilbert & Don McClarty in 2 out of 3 falls.

    1966 – In Davenport, Iowa; AWA Tag Team Champions Dick the Bruiser & the Crusher beat Mad Dog Vachon & the Alaskan, Billy Red Cloud beat Chris Markoff, Wilbur Snyder beat Big K by dq and Eddie Sharkey drew Doug Gilbert

    1969 – In Bloomington, Minnesota; In a Non title match, Bill Watts beat AWA Champion Verne Gagne. Also, Flying Redheads Red Bastien & Billy Red Lyons beat Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon, Wilbur Snyder beat Dr. X by dq, Pampero Firpo beat Stan the Moose and Bob Geigel beat Rene Goulet

    1974 – In Sheboygan, Wisconsin; The Crusher beat Larry Hennig, Wahoo McDaniel beat Larry Heiniemi (sub Billy Graham) in 2 out of 3 falls, Greg Gagne beat Buddy Wolff by dq and Jim Brunzell pinned Bill Howard

    1975 – In St. Paul, MN; AWA Champion Verne Gagne no contest Baron Von Raschke, Chris Taylor beat Mad Dog Vachon by countout and Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Mitsu Arakawa & Kim Duk

    1978 – In Davenport, Iowa; AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Rufus R Jones and Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens beat Jim Brunzell & Steve Olsonoski (sub Greg Gagne)

    1979 – In Winnipeg; Billy Robinson & Verne Gagne beat Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens, AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Super Destroyer Mark II by dq, Billy Robinson beat Lord Alfred Hayes by count out, Stan Hansen & Bobby Duncum beat Greg Gagne & Wahoo McDaniel, Jesse Ventura beat Paul Ellering and Buddy Wolff beat Ron Ritchie

    1980 – In Milwaukee; In a No DQ Match, AWA Tag Team Champions Verne Gagne & Mad Dog Vachon beat Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura, In an Arm Wrestling (Special Referee: The Crusher) Dino Bravo beat Jerry Blackwell and Tito Santana beat Super Destroyer Mark II

    1981 – In St. Paul, MN; AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Baron Von Raschke, Jesse Ventura beat The Crusher by dq, Tito Santana no contest Sheik Adnan, AWA Light Heavyweight Champion Mike Graham beat Buck Zumhofe, In a Handicap Match, Jerry Blackwell beat Ben Deleon & Juan Valez, Adrian Adonis beat Jim Brunzell and Brad Rheingans beat Laurent Soucie

    1982 – Chief Jay & Jules Strongbow defeated Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito for the WWF Tag Team Titles in New York City at Madison Square Garden.

    1986 – In an ESPN special event in Oakland, California; Jerry Blackwell beat AWA Champion Stan Hansen by dq, Nord The Barbarian beat Nick Bockwinkel, Curt Hennig & Midnight Rockers beat Buddy Rose & Doug Somers & Alexis Smirnoff, Scott LeDoux no contest Larry Zbyszko, Colonel DeBeers beat Brad Rheingans (sub Scott Hall), Jimmy Snuka beat Jay York, Sherri Martel beat Candi Devine to win AWA ladies title and Earthquake Ferris beat Ali Kahn. Attendance was 1,500.

    1993 – The Bruise Brothers defeated the Rock n’ Roll Express for the Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Title in Council, Virgina; Jeff Jarrett defeated Brian Christopher for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee.

    1997 – Chris Jericho defeated Syxx for the WCW Cruiserweight Title in Inglewood, California.

    1998 – In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ken Shamrock defeated Rocky Maivia to win the King Of The Ring tournament. Also, The Undertaker defeated Mankind in a Hell In A Cell match and Kane defeated Steve Austin in a First Blood match to win the WWF World Heavyweight Title.

    2009 – At the Bash PPV, Rey Mysterio defeated Chris Jericho in a title vs. mask match to win the WWE Intercontinental Title. Also, Edge and Chris Jericho defeated Carlito & Primo and Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes to win the WWE Tag Team Championship and Michelle McCool defeated Melina to win the Divas Title.

    2012 – Badd Influence, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian defeated Kurt Angle & AJ Styles to win the TNA World Tag Team Titles.