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Category: News

  • NJPW Best of the Super Juniors final lineup announced

    The lineup has been released for the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors finale on Sunday early morning at 4 a.m. Eastern and 1 a.m. Pacific time on New Japan World. This is essentially New Japan’s version of the June PPV event.

    • Jushin Liger & Sho Tanaka vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Yohei Komatsu
    • Tiger Mask vs. Chase Owens
    • Mascara Dorada vs. Barbaro Cavenario (first-ever singles match)
    • Bobby Fish vs. Barreta
    • Nick Jackson vs. Rocky Romero
    • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi & David Finlay
    • Kazuchika Okada & Gedo vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Cody Hall
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto & Togi Makabe & Katsuyori Shibata & Captain New Japan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba & Yoshi-Hashi
    • BOSJ Finals: Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly

  • ICYMI: Evolve Wrestling May 31 results: Drew Galloway vs. Strong, Richards vs. Gulak

    From Queens, NY & submitted anonymously  

    Ethan Page defeated Johnny Gargano by referee stoppage when Page chocked out Gargano with the “GargaNoEscape” along with a string a round Gargano’s throat. 

    The entire Johnny Gargano-Ethan Page program has been underwhelming.  After the two month build up, they basically had a just a regular match.   The art of a grudge match is something that is lost on the indies today.  Though workers today are more athletic, they are way behind the workers of the past in how to tell a proper story when it comes to being a grudge match. They should have made this match look like a fight.  Page clowned around in the beginning which didn’t put me in the mindset that this was a grudge match.   It was just a regular match it would have been good, but since they are trying to sell this as a grudge it made this a poor match.

    Trevor Lee pinned Rich Swan in 10:48 with a flipping belly to belly duplex 

    Solid match by both.  The more and more I watch Rich Swann, the more I become a fan of this guy.  The guy is talented all around. My gut feeling it won’t be long until the WWE signs him up for NXT.   Trevor Lee is definitely an up and coming talent on the indies who is getting a lot of hype.  He deserves it as he is good, but he just needs to work on connecting with the crowd.  His lack of facial expressions stands out.  He is still young, so it should come over time if he wants to step up his game.    Ten minutes of action was perfect as the match did not drag.

    Rey Horus pinned Tracy Williams with a huracarana in 5:11

    Way too short to develop into anything other then a quick TV match.  The more I see of Rey Horus, the more it stands out how green he is.  He definitely needs a veteran or a dance partner who is also good at the Lucha Libre style in the ring with him.  I am a fan of style clashes, so seeing Tracy Williams catch style countering Horus’s lucha style was entertaining while it lasted.

    After the match, the Premier Athlete Brand of Anthony Nese and Caleb Konely attacked Horus.   Tracy Williams and Drew Gulak (Williams’s second) just left without helping Horus.  Which was weird since Williams and Horus shook hands before the match and Gulak worked as a babyface later on in the night.   TJ Perkins made the save and it set up…….

    Premier Athlete Brand of Anthony Nese & Caleb Konely w/ SoCal Val defeated TJ Perkins & Rey Horus in 9:52 when Konely pinned Horus after a moonsault off the top rope. 

    I hate impromptu matches.  They never make any sense.  TJP helped Horus because back at the Evolve shows in San Jose, CA in March,  PAB turned on TJP after a six-man tag.   They match was okay, choppy most of the match.  Horus took the heat, but later looked lost many of times as they worked towards the finish.  The standout again was Caleb Konely.  As I keep saying, he is one of the only guys on this roster who understands how to work heel.  Konely pinned Horus for the second time (he pinned him in a singles match at EVOLVE 41), so they maybe building to Horus beating Konely down the line. 

    Biff Busick defeated “Speedball” Mike Bailey in 10:04 with a bulldog choke. 

    At this point, Evolve 44 had been a so-so card, but these last three matches really made the show.  Biff Busick and Mike Bailey was a lot of fun.  Love how Bailey has created his style around his Tai Kwon Do or Karate style.   On the indies today, everyone works damn nearly the same, but this kid is standing out.  Busick is one of the top indies workers on the planet today and showed it here guiding Bailey through a great match.   They have worked together many of times in the past, so they have their story down.  Bailey at one point did a standing moonsault into a double knee drop that did not look fun for Busick.  He also did a top rope shooting star double knee drop as Busick was hunched over.  First time I had ever seen that and it was nasty.   Busick got the win with the bulldog choke and Bailey sold the choke perfectly.  I really hope Bailey works on his body and gear because he has so much potential.  Until then, he reminds of Mikey Whipwreck .

    Davey Richards pinned Drew Gulak in 18:48 with a roundhouse kick. 

    Loved this match, but the crowd didn’t seem educated on the submissions both men put on each other.  The crowd respectfully clapped during the match, but there was no real heat.  Both understand submissions and how to sell them, so for me this was a lot of fun.  I always liked Davey Richards, but stopped paying attention to him when he went to TNA.  Seeing him back with Evolve has been a real pleasure and I look forward to seeing him versus Drew Galloway, Timothy Thatcher and Biff Busick in the future.  Gulak is always solid all the way around with his ring work.  He can do it all.   There was a fun little moment in the opening when both had leg locks on each other in the middle.  Each kept cranking on it, but neither would submit.  Both shook hands while still in the hold and agreed to release each other and start back up on their feet.  Gulak kept focusing in locking on the ankle lock for the submission throughout the match.  He always went back for that hold and told a great story.   The crowd picked up more towards the end with the bigger moves and Davey Richards won with his running roundhouse kick as Gulak was seated.   Richards has won four straight since returning to Evolve,  so a title shot should go to him in the near future.  Really looking forward to that title match with Galloway.

    EVOLVE Champion Drew Galloway pinned Rodrick Strong in 22:55 with five double arm DDT’s 

    Another great match between these two.  The Galloway vs Strong program has been fun and each time they put on a great match.   Only thing I found weird was they did the cage match the meeting before instead of the final meeting.   Cage match used in a middle of the program always is ass backwards booking.  Galloway and Strong delivered another hard hitting match.   It was a lot of strikes with punches, knees, elbows and big clotheslines.   They made it look like a grueling fight unlike Gargano-Page did in their “grudge match”.    Galloway finally put Strong away with five double arm DDT’s.   It was a bit overkill, but Galloway’s facial expressions and Strong’s selling made it work.

    After the match Galloway cut his usual rally cry for Evolve and pro wrestling.   He does it every show and honestly and I never get tired of hearing it.   I really hope he gets recognition in the upcoming WON Year End Awards for Wrestler Of The Year and even Comeback Of The Year.   Galloway put over Strong after defeating him.   During his promo the Premier Athlete Brand came out with their manager SoCal Val and attacked Galloway.   SoCal Val earlier said if Galloway retains the title, he should give a title shot to one of her Premier Athlete Brand stable members and Galloway agreed.  SoCal Val told Galloway that in July that Galloway will face Trent Baretta for the title in July.    I was hoping she would say Caleb Konely, but the announcement of Baretta was a letdown for me personally.  I think Konely should get the title shot based on his work over the last four shows for Evolve with his great heel work.

    Overall Thoughts:

    This was a good show . The last three matches are worth the price of the IPPV alone, especially if you are into submission wrestling matches as Richards-Gulak was great. I hated the location of the event as it was some fire station in New York.  It was weird seeing the fire fighter uniforms hanging in the background and some motor home in the background.   I would love see Evolve spend a little more on production.  They have a really good product and they should present it better.   You pay to watch this IPPV and then you see this low rent building they are in and you question what did youI just buy.  Luckily for me, I know the talent on the card and I know the effort in the ring will be great.  But, for a new fan, it could be a turn off.  I understand the struggles of the indy scene and venue’s are tough to get, but they could have done better.

  • After Dark Radio for tonight — Benjamin Radford taking a skeptical look at ghost hunting, Bigfoot, chupacabra, 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 2 AM ET/11 PM Pacific for two hours!

    Tonight we will be joined by special guest Benjamin Radford of Skeptical Inquirer and tons of books and articles to take a skeptical look at ghosts, Bigfoot, UFO’s and tons more! 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@wrestlingobserver.com, and make sure you put “AFTER DARK” in the subject line. Remember, this show survives on your participation, so please send those emails or be prepared to call!

  • UFC Fight Night 68 Picks From The Secret Psychic Spy~!

    By the Secret Psychic Spy (secretpsychicspy@yahoo.com)

    Starting Bankroll: $1,500

    Current Bankroll: $544.99

    Last week: 2/5 Overall 51/90 (57%)

    Slightly better last week but still in the red, it’s time to turn things around. Although I have to admit that if I were you the reader, I’d be tailing these picks at this point. I do think there’s a lot of value on this card even if it is mostly in the betting favorites. There are no real longshots on this card so it is worth betting on some of the surer things. Fight Night 68 marks the UFC’s return to the Cajun State and features a battle of two hard-hitting Middleweight veterans in the main event and in fact I will be picking a winner in that main event.

    Pick 1 – Dan Henderson (30-13) +175 over Tim Boetsch (18-8) I’m betting $100 to win $175

    A lot of people are thinking that Hendo is done after a glorious MMA career that has seen him at or near the top since his debut almost 20 years ago. His career has certainly seen better times. But his opponent hasn’t been much better of late. I think Henderson’s got one more big fight left in him and we see the return of Decision Dan on Saturday as he grinds out a win over the Barbarian.

    Pick 2 – Joe Soto (15-3) -175 over Anthony Birchak (11-2) I’m betting $100 to win $57.14

    You might remember Soto from his impromptu title challenge against TJ Dillashaw last summer. Or maybe you don’t because you’re one of the many MMA fans that chose to skip that show. In any event, Soto gave the champion everything he could handle for five rounds and proved he belongs. He’s a former Bellator champion as well. Birchak didn’t put up much of a fight in his UFC debut earlier this year against Ian Entwhistle and I think he goes 0-2 here.

    Pick 3 – Thiago Tavares (19-5-1) over Brian Ortega (8-0) I’m betting $100 to win $58.82

    Ortega looked great in his UFC debut and then we found out why as he was popped for PEDs in his post-fight drug test. Even with the use of PEDs, he’d be in tough against the veteran Tavares, who was a real contender at Lightweight and looked great in his Featherweight debut. Pretty sure this fight’s going to end in a submission and also fairly confident that Tavares will hand Ortega his first career loss.

    Pick 4 – Joe Proctor (10-3) -210 over Justin Edwards (8-4) I’m betting $100 to win $47.62

    Edwards has been out for well over a year and didn’t look particularly when we last saw him, including a loss in his Lightweight debut against Ramsey Nijem. Proctor is 2-1 since Edwards last fought and I think that the cage rust is going to get the better of Edwards and Proctor scores a knockout win.

    Pick 5 – Dustin Poirier (17-4) -185 over Yancy Medeiros (11-2) I’m betting $100 to win $54.05

    I’m most confident of all in this bet. From literally the second his last fight ended, Poirier has been looking forward to climbing into the Octagon in his home state. Poirier has looked like an absolute destroyer in his last 3 wins, with the only blemish in that time being the first round KO against Conor McGregor that helped make the decision to move up in weight classes for him. Poirier didn’t lose any power or speed in the higher class by all accounts and I think he takes this one quick and decisively and then celebrates Cajun style.

    All told, I’m betting $500 with a chance to win $392.64

    On with the betting game.

    2015 Betting Game: Secret Psychic Spy vs Ryan Frederick

    Current Standings:

    Ryan Frederick: $176.92 (Picked Noons, Browne, Magny, Matthews)

    Secret Psychic Spy: $152.63 (Picked Breese, Pyle, Wee, Andrews)

    I won and Freddy lost last week (get used to that one) and we’re in a virtual dead heat. I’m picking the underdog to try and take the lead here and going with my main man Hendo. I usually put Freddy’s picks over but he’s dead wrong this week and making this pretty easy for me.

    Freddy’s pick and analysis:

    Brian Ortega +150 over Thiago Tavares

    I’m going with a bit of an upset here as Ortega is undefeated but the underdog to the UFC veteran Tavares. Tavares has looked impressive in his two fights at featherweight, but injuries have hampered him over the past few years. Yes, Ortega is coming off a drug suspension, something Tavares is familiar with, but both have been out of action since roughly the same time. Ortega is very skilled and I think he will be a solid contender who will rise up the featherweight rankings, and I like him in a close fight on Saturday night.

    Good luck, enjoy the fights and above all else remember, Freddy’s going down!

    –

  • FRI. UPDATE: UFC vs. WWE, Ric Flair on NXT, New Japan tourney, PWG, Top NOAH team at WWE camp

    By Dave Meltzer
    dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    We’re looking for reports on tonight’s WWE show in Jackson, MS (John Cena, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Ryback, King Barrett), ROH in Collinsville, IL (Jay Briscoe & Roderick Strong vs. Moose & Michael Elgin, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs. Matt Sydal & Delirious non-title, Jay Lethal vs. Raymond Rowe non-title, Matt Taven vs. Hanson, Michael Bennett vs. Dalton Castle, Adam Page vs. Mark Briscoe, Silas Young vs. Cheeseburger) and NXT in Fort Pierce, FL at dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    We’ll be doing one poll this weekend, which will be for Sunday’s New Japan Best of the Super Juniors final show.

    World Series of Fighting at 9 p.m. on NBC Sports Network

    Hakeem Dawodu vs. Chuka Willis

    Mark Drummond vs. Michael Hill

    Smealinho Rama vs. Blagoi Ivanov for heavyweight title

    Lance Palmer vs. Chris Horodecki for featherweight title

    New Japan on AXS at 9 p.m.

    Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe

    Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan

    RFA on AXS at 10 p.m.

    Danny Mainus vs. Boston Salmon

    Ashley Gooch vs. Brandon Griffin

    Andrew Sanchez vs. Clinton Williams

    Bruno Fazatto vs Jarred Mercado

    Thiago Rodrigues vs. Marcus Edwards

    Benjamin Smith vs. Gilbert Smith for welterweight title

    Saturday we’re looking for reports from:

    WWE in Baton Rouge (John Cena, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Ryback, King Barrett).

    WWE in Salt Lake City (Roman Reigns, Kane, Dean Ambrose, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus)

    ROH in Nashville at the Fairgrounds Arena (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs. Raymond Rowe & Hanson vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe non-title, Michael Elgin vs. Matt Sydal, Roderick Strong vs. Dalton Castle, Moose vs. B.J. Whitmer vs. Cheeseburger vs. Silas Young, Adam Page vs. Will Ferrara)

    NXT in Largo, FL

    UFC on Saturday from New Orleans

    Fight Pass at 7 p.m. Eastern

    Leonardo Morales vs. Jose Quinonez

    Ricardo Abreu vs. Jake Collier

    FS 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern

    Justin Edwards vs. Joe Proctor

    Christos Giagos vs. Chris Wade

    Omari Akhmedov vs. Brian Ebersole

    Derrick Lewis vs. Shawn Jordan

    Alex Caceres vs. Francisco Rivera

    Joe Soto vs. Anthony Birchak

    Brian Ortega vs. Thiago Tavares

    Yancey Medeiros vs. Dustin Poirier

    Matt Mitrione vs. Ben Rothwell

    Dan Henderson vs. Tim Boetsch

    New Japan World live from Tokyo Yoyogi Gym at 4 a.m. Eastern time Sunday

    Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly for the 2015 Best of the Super Junior championship

    Sunday we’re looking for reports from:

    WWE in Lake Charles, LA (John Cena, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Ryback, King Barrett)

    WWE in Pensacola, FL (Roman Reigns, Big Show, Dean Ambrose, Kane, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus)

    Raw is Monday in New Orleans.

    Smackdown and Main Event will be taped Tuesday in Lafayette, LA.

    In a busy news week, we’ve full coverage of all of UFC’s changes when it comes to drug testing, as well as other things the company is doing for fighters, looking at the pluses, the minuses, and the loopholes in the new system of drug testing.  We also look at Brock Lesnar vs. Steve Austin, Samoa Joe in WWE and how it’s changed, Destination America and wrestling, we’ve got a look at Money in the Bank, Elimination Chamber, the death of Tommy Rogers, UFC in Brazil, Dwayne Johnson’s latest projects and the retirement of Masashi Aoyagi.

    The new issue is up on the site at June 8, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Tommy Rogers bio, Austin-Lesnar notes, WWE signs Samoa Joe full-time

    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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    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.

    Our lead story looks at the UFC’s new drug testing program, the keys to the program, questions that still need to be answered, loopholes, how often fighters will be tested, ability to beat the system and more.

    We look at Brock Lesnar vs. Steve Austin, Austin’s promo on the WWE Network, Austin vs Lesnar history, and the value of next year’s WrestleMania on PPV and the Network.

    We look at the new deal Samoa Joe is talking with WWE about, how the deal has changed, Joe’s future on the indies, Joe’s ROH future, what led to the change, as well as an update on the Tyson Kidd injury situation in the match with Joe.

    We also preview and update Destination America and wrestling, as well as the competition on Wednesday nights.  We update Destination America on TNA and ROH, comparisons, how TNA hurt itself if it needs to shop for a new outlet by his actions this past two weeks, DA promotion of the two shows and why ROH on DA is only good for TNA.

    We’ve got full coverage of the Elimination Chamber show, as well as a look at Money in the Bank, burning out programs, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

    We have a look at the life of Tommy Rogers, looking at the highlights of his career, how he achieved stardom, the last years of his life, how he got into wrestling, how The Fantastics were formed, the feuds with the Midnight Express and The Sheepherders, the first Clash of Champions, the first Crockett Cup, and time in Japan.

    We also look at Brock Lesnar’s return to WWE, the 7/4 show in Tokyo, Sami Zayn injury update, Rusev injury update, Kevin Owens new changes, Lots of Dwayne Johnson career notes, why WWE won’t tape TV in Kentucky, Lots of WWE acting notes, WWE hiring, NXT updates, Stephanie McMahon looking at selling more stock, Finn Balor talks career, lots of notes about people at the training camp, Nelson Frazier lawsuit and annual income for Mabel and Viscera.

    We also note Kevin Owens talking his career, Ric Flair talk show,who Flair wants to manage, WWE stock updates, notes on all the WWE and NXT house shows plus business notes from the past week.

    We also look at how the Brazilian economy affects UFC in different ways, how it is similar to situations with pro wrestling in the past, as well as a look at Saturday’s show with match-by-match coverage and business notes.

    We also look at the pro wrestling career of Masashi Aoyagi, and how he got into wrestling, what promotion he kicked off and how that changed the wrestling business and more.

    We also have our monthly WWE & TNA business breakdowns.

    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:

    –Update on this year’s Busca de un Idolo tournament

    –Latest big matches from Arena Mexico

    –Former star from more than 20 years ago returns to Arena Mexico for the first time in decades

    –More on the AAA World Cup show

    –Notes from the last two sets of AAA TV tapings

    –Wrestle-1 world tour notes

    –Road to Keiji Muto tournament

    –Dragon Gate King of Gate tournament

    –Next big Dragon Gate matches

    –Cryptic tweet by an American who wrestles in Japan

    –An interesting what if regarding New Japan bookings

    –Politics of wrestling regarding New Japan

    –What New Japan may have to change

    –Notes on the Super Juniors tournament and all the results

    –Benefit show for cancer-striken star

    –Genichiro Tenryu’s final match in Osaka

    –Update on GFW

    –Mid Atlantic wrestling reunion

    –Update on Terry Funk

    –Update on Lucha Underground and Alberto Del Rio

    –More on NESN deal

    –What wrestling star has a 3.83 GPA in collage right now

    –ROH notes from the weekend shows

    –Really weird stuff in TNA

    –Contract singing announcements

    –Notes from a second TNA conference call with talent

    –What happened with Tyrus and GFW

    –GFW reaction

    –TNA 2015 Hall of Fame plan that fell through

    –Notes on TNA arena events

    –Update on legislation to get UFC in Madison Square Garden

    –Looking at Sara McMann’s complaints about he Reebok deal

    –The business and income of Ronda Rousey

    –UFC boosts minimum

    –UFC lawsuit update

    –Upcoming UFC title matches

    –What happened with the Leslie Smith street fight on Saturday night

    –UFC makes a number of cuts

    –Update on T.J. Grant

    –Update on Rashad Evans

    –Lots of new UFC fights

    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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    *December 21, 1998 (the complete Vince McMahon-Bret Hart conversation right before the Survivor Series match so you’ll know exactly what was said–the conversation played in edited form both on the inaugural broadcast of Confidential as well as in Wrestling with Shadows, but everything that was said between the two about the match that was going to take place that same night)

    *August 1, 1994 (the most detailed coverage anywhere of the Vince McMahon steroid trial, an issue praised in numerous newspaper article and Sex, Lies and Headlocks)

    *March 26, 2001 (death of WCW and history of pro wrestling on the Turner networks)a

    *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)

    *July 8, 1991 (Ric Flair leaves WCW as world champion/Zahorian steroid trial)

    *February 8, 1993 (the life and times of Andre the Giant)

    *May 13, 2002 (the life story of the most incredible pro wrestling career ever, a look at Lou Thesz, in one of the largest issues of our history)

    *January 27, 2003 (part one of the two-part series covering the career and life of The Sheik)

    *February 3, 2003 (Part two on The Sheik including thoughts from people who worked with him and where he stands historically)

    *March 24, 2003 (history of the WWWF title, inside behind the Sammartino, Backlund and Backlund era)

    *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)

    *June 16, 2003 (Freddie Blassie through the eyes of his biggest rivals and friends)

    *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)

    *February 2, 2004 (History of Toronto wrestling, Jack Tunney life story, Royal Rumble and Battle Royal history)

    *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)

    *October 4, 2004 (the life and times of Big Bossman; as well as details of the life and times of one of the most influential men world wide in pro wrestling history, Jim Barnett)

    *November 15, 2004 (the full story of what happened between Kurt Angle and Daniel Puder, plus coverage of the most important week in the history of TNA)

    *January 24, 2005 (2004 Awards issue, Rock and WWE part company)

    *March 14, 2005 (the 50 biggest money players in the history of WWF and a look at their Hall of Fame)

    *May 9, 2005 (the life and times of Chris Candido)

    *June 20, 2005 (The full story behind Paul Heyman and the death of ECW, as well as coverage of One Night Stand, Hardcore Homecoming and behind the scenes of both shows)

    *July 18, 2005 (death of Shinya Hashimoto and his records with a look at the fall of New Japan, the Matt Hardy angle, tons of WWE firings, Cornette firing in detail as well as problems of a WWE developmental territory in our biggest news issue of the year which is a double-sized issue and would be $6 on its own and $7 overseas)

    *August 24, 2005 (2005 Hall of Fame issue with career profiles of Paul Heyman, HHH and Freebirds plus debut of MMA Hall of Fame)

    *September 12, 2005 (History of Mid South Wrestling)

    *October 10, 2005 (Life and Times of the Ultimate Warrior)

    *November 21, 2005 (Life and Times of Eddy Guerrero and Crusher, double issue $6 on its own and $7 overseas)

    *December 5, 2005 (The Eddy Guerrero special issue, double issue $6 on its own, $7 overseas)

    *January 9, 2006 (The life and times of Superstar Billy Graham, plus New Year’s Eve 2005 coverage)

    *January 16, 2006 (2005 Awards double issue, $6 or $7 overseas)

    *April 3, 2006 (Story of Ann Calvello and the history of Roller Derby–many called this the best issue of the Observer ever)

    *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)

    *March 5, 2007 (WWE begins plans that will change the business)

    *March 12, 2007 (Life and Times of Mike Awesome)

    *March 19, 2007 (Life and Times of Ernie Ladd)

    *April 4, 2007 (Life and Times of Badnews Allen Coage–which many are calling one of the best issues in history)

    *July 2, 2007 (Part one of the Benoit double murder-suicide)

    *July 5, 2007 (Part two of the Benoit double murder-suicide)

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

    *July 19, 2007 (Part four of the Benoit double murder-suicide)

    *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)

    *October 15 (2007 Hall of Fame double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas including inductions of The Rock, Tom Packs and the original Strangler Lewis)

    *November 12, 2007 (Life and times of Fabulous Moolah and history of U.S. women’s wrestling) .

    *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.

    FRIDAY’S NEWS UPDATE

    • UFC and WWE are both running the Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans within two days of each other.  While both sides will claim there is no competition and they attract different audiences, Raw coming after a UFC in the same market is usually way down from usual levels.  In this case, however, I think both will probably be hurt by the other but UFC will be hurt worse given the lack of star power in the lineup.
    • The AAA Verano de Escandalo show on 6/14 from Arena Monterrey will be on iPPV in both English and Spanish.  The show will go head-to-head with WWE’s Money i the Bank show.
    • Ric Flair will be working the NXT show in Columbus, OH on 6/13.  Zack Ryder is booked on the NXT tour next weekend as well, which runs Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Columbus.
    • New Japan hasn’t released the card yet for Sunday’s show in Tokyo at the second Yoyogi Gym.  We’ll update when the card is out, which should be later today.
    • The 6/26 PWG show in Reseda, CA, sold out in six minutes last night.
    • Add Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste from Pro Wrestling NOAH to those at the current WWE tryout camp.  They were doing cardio and fundamentals yesterday.
    • I’m told to set my DVR tomorrow for the CMLL show on Azteca America as apparently the Dragon Lee vs. Negro Casas match is worth seeing.
    • The first-ever Rush vs. L.A. Park match was announced for 6/27 in Tlalnepantla (thanks to Robert Bihari) 
    • Bellator has released eight fighters:  Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Razak Al-Hassan, Alejandro Villalobos, Curtis Millender, Jesse Juarez, Rafael Silva, Antonio Duarte and Julio Cesar Nevez.
    • Premier Wrestling on Sunday at the IFDES Lodge-Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA at 5 p.m.

    JR Kratos (7-2) vs. Dylan Drake (4-3) for the Premier heavyweight title

    Timothy Thatcher (2-2-1) vs. Marcus Lewis (4-3)

    Jeff Cobb (5-2-1) vs. Kaimana (1-2)

    Gabriel Gallo (2-0) vs. Sledge (4-4)

    Joe Graves (1-0-1) vs. Buddy Royal (2-3)

    Will Cuevas (1-2) vs. Dom Vitalli (0-3)

    Tickets are on sale at www.premierwretle.com

    • EWF tonight in Covina, CA at 4315 N. Vincent Ave.
    • TSW Night of Champions on 6/20 in Vincennes, IN at the Eagles Lodge.
    • Capital City Championship Combat on 6/19 in Ottawa at the Vanier Columbus Club.
    • CMLL from Tuesday night in Guadalajara:  Furia Roja & Thunder Boy b Metatron & Tapatio, Magnum & Robin & Sensei b Camorra & Cholo & Rafaga, Astral & Electrico & Shockercito b Demus 3:16 & Nitrito & Pequeno Olimpico, El Terrible & Rey Bucanero & Vangellys b Atlantis & Delta & Guerrero Maya Jr., Mistico & Valiente & Volador Jr. b Gran Guerrero & Niebla Roja & Ultimo Guerrero (thanks to Kris Zellner)
    • Laredo Brother & Laredo Kid & Valiente  vs. Guerrero Negro Jr. & Teddy Hart & Mascara Maligna Jr. headlines 6/13 in Houston at Plaza Garibaldi.
    • Misterioso Jr. & Rush vs. Brian Cage & Steve Pain headlines Sunday in Cudahy, CA at the Potrero Night Club.
    • Volador Jr. & Misterioso Jr. & Mistico vs. Blood Eagle & Histeria & Mr. Niebla headlines 6/19 in Tijuana at Gimnasio Independence. 
    • One of our readers who subscribes to the WWE Network got an e-mail yesterday offering them June free. 
    • Rock Solid Wrestling on 7/9 in Sudbury, ONT for a benefit show for the Playground Hockey League.
    • Raymond Rowe of ROH in a music video
    • A stunner performed at a high school graduation
    • A show on movies with wrestlers
    • The CFL is the latest league to have a concussion lawsuit against it.  Every league of any size in a combat sport is going to get one of these 
    • The Miami Herald talks to Jerry Lawler about his DVD release, which includes an interview with his 89-year-old high school art teacher as well as Lance Russell
    • The definition of the word Flair includes Ric Flair

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

    1965 – Killer Kowalski beat Hercules Cortez in Melbourne to win the IWA title

    1971 – Mark Lewin & King Curtis Iaukea beat Tiger Jeet Singh & Mr. Fuji in Sydney to win the IWA tag titles

    1974 – Mariko Akagi & Junko Sasaki beat Jean Antone & Sandy Parker in Nagoya to win the WWWA tag title

    1980 – Antonio Inoki beat Stan Hansen in Tokyo to win the Madison Square Garden tournament

    1986 – Johnny Saint beat Jon Cortez in Bristol to win the world lightweight title

    1990 – Terry Gordy beat Jumbo Tsuruta in Chiba to win the Triple Crown and Akira Taue & Shinichi Nakano beat Davey Boy Smith & Johnny Smith to win the All-Asia tag titles.  I was in Japan and supposed to go to that show and ended up at a business meeting in Tokyo that went long and you can just imagine my reaction later that night when I found out I missed a Triple Crown title change.  And yes, the Tsuruta vs. Misawa match three nights later at Budokan Hall was originally to be a Triple Crown title match, and if the title was at stake, I doubt Baba would have done the last minute switching of the finish and it wouldn’t have been one of the most famous matches of the last 50 years in Japan.

    1992 – Kyoko Inoue beat Bison Kimura in Asahikawa to win the All-Pacific womens’ title

    1997 – El Samurai beat Koji Kanemoto in Tokyo to win the Best of the Super Juniors tournament

    2004 – Kazuyuki Fujita beat Hiroshi Tanahashi in Osaka to win the vacant IWGP heavyweight title

    2005 – Takashi Sugiura & Yoshinobu Kanemaru beat Ikuto Hidaka & Minoru Fujita in Tokyo to win the GHC jr. title

    TOMORROW’S WWE NETWORK SCHEDULE

    12:00 AM ET
    WWE BEYOND THE RING Rey Mysterio: Life of a Masked Man features exclusive and candid comments from the Ultimate Underdog on his sports entertainment path!

    1:30 AM ET
    FIRST LOOK A First Look to watch exclusive content from WWE Home Video’s latest release, Daniel Bryan – Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes!

    2:00 AM ET
    WWE NXT The future is here. Witness the entertainers, the leading men and women, the Superstars of tomorrow — this is NXT!

    3:00 AM ET
    WWE SUPERSTARS WWE Superstars features the best of the best, in matches you’ll have to see to believe. You never know what to expect, so expect everything.

    4:00 AM ET
    TOTAL DIVAS Nikki is devastated when she discovers John’s kept a secret from her. Rosa’s unaware she’s competing in her pursuits of an NFL player.

    5:00 AM ET
    WCW MONDAY NITRO On this episode of WCW Monday Nitro Hulk Hogan meets Sting in a huge main event match up.

    6:00 AM ET
    WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER 2015 The Intercontinental Championship and the WWE Tag Team Titles will be decided inside the merciless Elimination Chamber, LIVE on WWE Network!

    9:00 AM ET
    TOTAL DIVAS Nikki is devastated when she discovers John’s kept a secret from her. Rosa’s unaware she’s competing in her pursuits of an NFL player.

    10:00 AM ET
    WWE BEYOND THE RING Rey Mysterio: Life of a Masked Man features exclusive and candid comments from the Ultimate Underdog on his sports entertainment path!

    11:30 AM ET
    FIRST LOOK A First Look to watch exclusive content from WWE Home Video’s latest release, Daniel Bryan – Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes!

    12:00 PM ET
    TOUGH ENOUGH The last two contestants standing prepare for a final match at the WWE training facility. Stone Cold announces the winner live at RAW!

    1:00 PM ET
    WWE COUNTDOWN Counting down the Top Ten Most Unique Matches of all time!

    2:00 PM ET
    THIS WEEK IN WWE Get caught up on all the highlights from Raw and SmackDown with This Week in WWE.

    2:30 PM ET
    WWE QUICK HITS WWE Quick Hits 4 brings you some of the most unique, entertaining, and sometimes outrageous clips, unearthed from the depths of WWE Network!

    3:00 PM ET
    SATURDAY NIGHTS MAIN EVENT Featuring a huge battle royal with Hulk Hogan, Mr. Perfect and more. Ultimate Warrior faces Sgt. Slaughter. Ted DiBiase battles Bret Hart.

    4:30 PM ET
    STONE COLD PODCAST WWE Hall of Famer and Icon Stone Cold Steve Austin will have a no holds barred LIVE interview with Paul Heyman!

    5:30 PM ET
    THIS WEEK IN WWE Get caught up on all the highlights from Raw and SmackDown with This Week in WWE.

    6:00 PM ET
    WWE COUNTDOWN Counting down the Top Ten Most Unique Matches of all time!

    7:00 PM ET
    MONDAY NIGHT WAR A controversial group of superstars set out to better sports entertainment and would rely on one another to do so.

    8:00 PM ET
    SATURDAY NIGHTS MAIN EVENT Featuring a huge battle royal with Hulk Hogan, Mr. Perfect and more. Ultimate Warrior faces Sgt. Slaughter. Ted DiBiase battles Bret Hart.

    9:30 PM ET
    STONE COLD PODCAST WWE Hall of Famer and Icon Stone Cold Steve Austin will have a no holds barred LIVE interview with Paul Heyman!

    10:30 PM ET
    THIS WEEK IN WWE Get caught up on all the highlights from Raw and SmackDown with This Week in WWE.

    11:00 PM ET
    SATURDAY NIGHTS MAIN EVENT Featuring a huge battle royal with Hulk Hogan, Mr. Perfect and more. Ultimate Warrior faces Sgt. Slaughter. Ted DiBiase battles Bret Hart.

  • UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs. Henderson weigh-in results & live video

    Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of the UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs. Henderson weigh-ins from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana kicking off at 5 PM eastern time. The event airs on Saturday night on FOX Sports 1 with a main card start time of 10 PM eastern time. A full slate of preliminary card action kicks off on UFC Fight Pass at 7 PM eastern time before moving over the FOX Sports 1 at 8 PM eastern time. This marks the UFC’s first visit to New Orleans since September 2011.

    The event will be headlined by a five-round middleweight bout between Tim Boetsch and former PRIDE and Strikeforce Champion Dan Henderson. The co-main event on the card is a heavyweight bout between rising contenders Ben Rothwell and Matt Mitrione. Also on the main card is a lightweight bout between Louisiana native Dustin Poirier and winner of two straight “Performance Of The Night” bonuses, Yancy Medeiros.

    Leonardo Morales missed weight for his bout, coming in at 140 pounds, four pounds over the bantamweight limit. Joe Proctor made the lightweight limit with the use of a towel. Alex Caceres needed the towel to make the bantamweight limit at 136 pounds. Yancy Medeiros also missed weight for his bout, coming in 3.5 pounds over the lightweight limit of 156 pounds. Other than that, all was cordial at the weigh-ins.

    UPDATE: Morales later came back to attempt to re-weigh but ultimately ended up weighing in at 137 pounds, one pound over the limit. Medeiros never re-weighed as Poirier knew ahead of time he would be missing weight. Both men will forfeit 20 percent of their purses.

    MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT):

    Tim Boetsch (185.5) vs. Dan Henderson (186)
    Ben Rothwell (265) vs. Matt Mitrione (255)
    Dustin Poirier (156) vs. Yancy Medeiros (159.5)
    Thiago Tavares (146) vs. Brian Ortega (146)
    Joe Soto (136) vs. Anthony Birchak (136)
    Francisco Rivera (136) vs. Alex Caceres (136)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT):

    Shawn Jordan (263.5) vs. Derrick Lewis (264.5)
    Brian Ebersole (170.5) vs. Omari Akhmedov (171)
    Chris Wade (155.5) vs. Cristos Giagos (155.5)
    Joe Proctor (156) vs. Justin Edwards (156)

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 7 PM ET/4 PM PT):

    Ricardo Abreu (183) vs. Jake Collier (185.5)
    Jose Quinonez (135) vs. Leonardo Morales (137)

  • A.J. Styles talks going to GFW, NXT as well as ROH getting on DA

    AJ Styles joined Inside The Ropes radio show yesterday. Here are the highlights:

    Would he go to Global Force Wrestling:

    I think that there’s definitely an opening, it’s just finding an opening in the schedule. That’s the biggest problem we’ve come across is my schedule is so full that it’s hard to fit me in. That’s the problem we’re having right now. I always stay busy but I’d say it’s only a matter of time before I show up in Global Force.

    His reaction when he found out ROH were going to be on Destination America:

    A huge shock to me. Did not expect something like that. It’s one of those things where I was told and I just started laughing. It was just one of those things, I was so surprised I just started laughing hysterically. I even called a couple of my buddies in Ring of Honor and we just chuckled together. It’s gonna be fun man. We always did a great job with wrestling but now there’s something to prove and I think you’re gonna see a different Ring of Honor, in a good way.

    Would he go to NXT?

    The first thing I’m gonna do is what’s best for me and my family, that’s what I’m gonna do. People know I was in TNA but I don’t think people think of me now as ‘The TNA Guy’ Now they see me as a New Japan guy or a Ring of Honor guy. I had to work to make sure I wasn’t known as a TNA guy to get my product, being AJ Styles, out there again but at the end of the day like I say, whatever’s best for me and my family I’ll do. This is a business. Despite what people may think “AJ left TNA” this is a job. I thought I deserved a little bit more for all the effort and stuff into, you know any business, and to not get paid what I think I deserve would be dumb. You don’t work hard to take a step down, you work hard to take steps up. I went out and found a step up in the wrestling business and if there’s another opportunity to step up, then I’ll do that.

    You can hear the full interview at this link: http://theinsidenetwork.podomatic.com/entry/2015-06-03T11_31_39-07_00 where he also talks about working face and heel, Samoa Joe in NXT, if he believes there’s anything that can save TNA and more

  • On this day in pro wrestling history (June 5): Eric Bischoff beats Terry Funk for WCW Hardcore title, Szabo wins NWA title from Nagurski

    By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

    1941 – Sandor Szabo defeated Bronko Nagurski for the NWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Title in St. Louis, Missouri.

    1947 – In Kansas City, Kansas; MWA World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown beat The Swedish Angel in 2 out of 3 falls. Also, Ralph Garibaldi Jack McDonald by third fall DQ, Tug Carlson beat Dan O’Connor and Jack Hader beat Jack Page.

    1952 – In Kansas City, Kansas; The Duseks (Dick, Ernie and Joe Dusek) beat Steve Gob, Sonny Myers and Bob Orton Sr. in 2 out of 3 falls, Ronnie Etchison beat Tony Galento 2 out of 3 falls and Joe Dusek and Bob  Orton Sr. drew.

    1958 – At Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas; Sonny Myers no contest with Otto Von Krupp, Thor Hagen and Joe Scarpa beat Bob Orton and Rip Hawk.

    1967 – In Davenport, Iowa; Johnny Powers beat the Crusher in a Texas Death Match, AWA Tag Team Champions Larry Hennig & Harley Race beat Rene Goulet & Earl Maynard, and Jack Lanza beat Big K (Stan Kowalski).

    1971 – In Milwaukee, Wisconsin; AWA Tag Team Champions Red Bastien & Hercules Cortez beat Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon,
    Strong Kobayashi beat Bull Bullinski and Nick Bockwinkel beat Paul Diamond. Attendance was 5,876.

    1976 – In St. Paul, Minnesota; Larry Hennig & Jos Leduc beat Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke dq, Russ Francis & Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Bobby Heenan & Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum and Buddy Wolff beat Scott Irwin. Attendance was 5,262.

    1977 – In Green Bay, Wisconsin; Ray Stevens beat AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel by DQ, Jim Brunzell & Billy Francis beat Angelo Mosca & Roger Kirby, Super Destroyer beat Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund wrestled to a draw with Billy Robinson.

    1982 – In Rockford, Illinois; Jerry Blackwell & Sheik Adnan beat Hulk Hogan & Baron Von Raschke, Rick Martel beat Bobby Heenan,
    Ken Patera beat Brad Rheingans and Buck Zumhofe beat Sgt Goulet.

    2000 – Eric Bischoff defeated Terry Funk for the WCW Hardcore Title in Atlanta, Georgia.

    2001 – Jeff Hardy defeated Jerry Lynn for the WWF Light Heavyweight Title in Grand Folks, North Dakota.

  • NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 6-5-15 report Korakuen Hall: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Chase Owens

    by Bryan Rose, WrestlingObserver.com

    This morning is another live event for New Japan, this time being broadcasted on New Japan World live at Korakuen Hall. This is the last show before the finals, so we’ll have a clear idea of those matches by the time the show is over. We already know that Kushida is in the finals, but who will join him is still in the air.

    Yohei Komatsu vs. Beretta

    They had a fast paced match that was full of action. Komatsu got the half crab and managed to transition to an STF but Beretta grabs the ropes. Beretta follows with a tornado DDT and takes him to the apron, where he slams him with a fireman’s carry. Komatsu makes a tremendous comeback, kicking out of Beretta’s knee strike, then mounts a great comeback, but gets caught with another knee strike and is pinned. Really great opener.

    David Finlay vs. Tiger Mask IV

    A solid back and forth match. There were times that things seemed a bit off between the two, but mostly just solid back and forth work. Finlay kicked out of the tiger driver, but eventually submitted to a modified crossface chickenwing. For the record, both him and Yohei Komatsu ended up with no wins in this tournament.

    Barbaro Cavernario  vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

    Liger and Cavernario started things off by doing some mat wrestling, exchanging surfboards. Liger exits the ring and Cavernario fires off with a tope con hilo across a ring post to the floor on Liger then followed with a giant splash from the top rope to the floor. Liger cut him off with the palm strike and a liger bomb. Cavernario made a comeback, got frustrated, then Liger cut him off and won with a brainbuster. Short, but full of action and cool high spots by Cavernario.  

    Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma, Hirooki Goto, Togi Makabe and Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Yoshi Hashi, Kazushi Sakuraba, Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii

    This went like you’d expect – everyone paired off with their rival. Tanahashi had the heat on him briefly, but then it went back to guys working with their rivals. Goto laid out YH and had Honma go for the kokeshi but Yoshi Hashi dodged. Goto went for a lariat but YH blocked it. Nakamura came back and attacked Honma, looking for the boma ye but Honma came back with the tornado kokeshi. Ishii took him out and Nakamura got the boma ye, but everyone came and broke it up. Everyone separated again, then Nakamura pinned Honma with another boma ye. Good action packed match, but it’s been done.

    Shibata was laid out with an armbar by Sakuraba then Nakamura struck Goto with a boma ye after the match, cutting a promo on him.

    Mascara Dorada vs. Rocky Romero

    Romero came to the ring wearing a dual Black Tiger/Dorada mask. Romero with a big suicide dive on Dorada at the start. Dorada soon topped that with a step up tope con hilo to the floor. Turned into a solid back and forth match. Dorada got the win after Romero got crotched and Dorada hit a hurricanrana, followed by a Michinoku Driver.

    Bobby Fish vs. Nick Jackson

    Jackson had Cody Hall out there as a second. He got laid out accidently by Nick, but then he took out Fish which allowed Jackson to get the heat. They actually did a spot where Jackson kept telling Fish to suck it, but then a dazed Fish headbutted him in the nether regions. They also did a spot where Cody Hall grabbed Fish and carried him all the way backstage for a count out tease, but sure enough Fish came back at 19. Nick kicked the ringpost by accident and Fish made a comeback and started work on the leg. They had a great sequence of back and forth action before Fish caught Jackson and laid him out with a falcon arrow for the win.

    Gedo vs. Kyle O’Reilly

    The story of the match initially was that Gedo was working as the babyface underdog as O’Reilly worked on him. But he made a comeback and worked on O’Reilly’s leg, including wrapping it around a post in the figure four position. They worked for submissions towards the end. Gedo went for a roll up but O’Reilly caught him and worked with a armbar. Gedo caused a ref bump, low blowed O’Reilly and hit the superkick, complete shot and Gedo clutch but O’Reilly kicked out. After Gedo kicked out of a brainbuster O’Reilly followed with an armbar that eventually got Gedo to tap. This was the best match of the night, with lots of great back and forth work, mat wrestling, and the last few minutes were pretty damn great. 

    Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Chase Owens

    Back and forth early. Taguchi hit a huge tope con hilo on Owens to the floor. They worked on body parts with Taguchi working over Owens’ leg and getting the ankle lock in a couple of times. Owens removes the padding on the mats and tries for the package piledriver on the exposed hardwood floor but Taguchi escapes and hits a DDT. Taguchi hits the dodon, then poses like Nakamura and hits a seated hip attack. Taguchi did his pose then went for another dodon, but Owens counters and out of nowhere hits the package piledriver for the win. That puts Taguchi out of the finals and O’Reilly in, so it’s Kushida vs Kyle O’Reilly in the finals. Good, solid match.

    O’Reilly, bum leg and all, hobbled to the ring as he and Kushida, who was on commentary all night, had a staredown. O’Reilly left as Kushida cut a promo and the show ended.

    Final Standings:

    Block A:

    Kyle O’Reilly (12)

    Ryusuke Taguchi (10)

    Beretta (8)

    Jushin Thunder Liger (8)

    Chase Owens (8)

    Babaro Cavernario (6)

    Gedo (4)

    Yohei Komatsu (0)

    Block B:

    Kushida (12)

    Mascara Dorada (10)

    Bobby Fish (10)

    Rocky Romero (8)

    Tiger Mask IV (8)

    Nick Jackson (6)

    Alex Shelley (2) (Out of tournament due to injury)

    David Finlay (0)

    And here are recaps of the previous shows for quick reference:

    Day 1: Gedo vs. Ryusuke Taguchi

    Day 2: Kushida vs. Nick Jackson

    Day 3: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Kyle O’Reilly

    Day 4: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Beretta

    Day 5: Chase Owens vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

    Day 6: Rocky Romero vs. Tiger Mask IV

    Day 7: Kushida vs. Bobby Fish

    Day 8: Kushida vs. Tiger Mask IV

    Day 9: Mascara Dorada vs. Bobby Fish

    Day 10: Rocky Romero vs. Kushida

    Day 11: Bobby Fish vs. Mascara Dorada

  • NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 6-5-15 live report Korakuen Hall: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Chase Owens

    by Bryan Rose, WrestlingObserver.com

    This morning is another live event for New Japan, this time being broadcasted on New Japan World live at Korakuen Hall. This is the last show before the finals and semifinals, so we’ll have a clear idea of those matches by the time the show is over. We already know that Kushida is in the finals, but who will join him, as well as who will compete for third place, is still in the air.

    Yohei Komatsu vs. Beretta

    They had a fast paced match that was full of action. Komatsu got the half crab and managed to transition to an STF but Beretta grabs the ropes. Beretta follows with a tornado DDT and takes him to the apron, where he slams him with a fireman’s carry. Komatsu makes a tremendous comeback, kicking out of Beretta’s knee strike, then mounts a great comeback, but gets caught with another knee strike and is pinned. Really great opener.

    David Finlay vs. Tiger Mask IV

    A solid back and forth match. There were times that things seemed a bit off between the two, but mostly just solid back and forth work. Finlay kicked out of the tiger driver, but eventually submitted to a modified crossface chickenwing. For the record, both him and Yohei Komatsu ended up with no wins in this tournament.