Just weeks after Wanderlei Silva had his lifetime ban reduced to 3 years, “The Axe Murderer” has signed with Bellator MMA to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract the promotion announced today. Silva is eligible to apply for reinstatement in May of 2017 and cannot fight anywhere that recognizes suspensions by the Nevada State Athletic Commission until that time.
Bellator has announced a number of international events for 2016 so it’s possible he could fight before that time. Silva has a 35-12-1 record and this signing comes on the 3rd anniversary of his last fight in the UFC, where he scored a 2nd round KO of Brian Stann, who retired after that fight. The former Pride Middleweight Champion was a legendary figure in the sport who had a stretch between April 2000 and December 2004 where he had 18 fights with no losses and 14 knockouts. Those fights were against the top fighters in the world at the time including, Dan Henderson, Rampage Jackson, Sakuraba, Mirko Cro Cop and others. He’s now 39 with his best days over a decade behind him but as shown in recent weeks, Bellator seems willing to book fights with guys that are long past their prime and have done so with ratings success.
No fight was announced, or even hinted at, in the company press release but they did say that Silva fielded multiple offers from companies around the world before deciding to sign with Bellator MMA.
Last time on Impact Wrestling: Lockdown! All the matches took place in the diabolical Six Sides of Steel Cage, sending the audience into roars. The main event left an impact with Matt Hardy defeating Ethan Carter III to retain the TNA World title! Rockstar Spud turned on EC3 by slamming the cage door on his head helping Matt win the match.
Tonight on Impact
Tonight kicks of Kurt Angle Week in TNA. Kurt’s nearly ten year long career in TNA Wrestling is coming to an end. Kurt Angle Week will include: Kurt’s final two matches in TNA and a commemorative Kurt Angle Farewell Tour bundle, which are available at ShopTNA.com. The Kurt Angle Farewell Tour Bundle includes a Kurt Angle T- Shirt, Kurt Angle poster and other merchandise. Also, fans are encouraged to share their favorite Kurt Angle memories using #ThankYouKurt.
The Farewell Tour is nearing its conclusion and tonight Kurt competes in his second to last match in TNA. Kurt will face off with one of TNA’s most talented wrestlers and one of half of Beer Money, Bobby Roode. Then later, bursting back into the ring, EC3 and Matt Hardy continue their feud over the TNA World title. Not just that, but “The Miracle” Mike Bennett meets his toughest challenge yet when he faces Drew Galloway.
Show Recap
– We start the show off backstage, as TNA World Champion, Matt Hardy, Reby and Tyrus approach Rockstar Spud. Matt proclaims to Spud, “You’re my number one guy.”
– Josh Matthews and The Pope welcome us to the show and Josh lets us know that we’re kicking the night off with the second last match in The Kurt Angle Farewell Tour.
The Kurt Angle Farewell Tour: Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode
The night begins with a bang! Right off the bat we get hit with the main event, Roode vs. Angle. Roode comes out alone and leaves James Storm in the back. Josh mentions that Kurt is going to be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame at the Arnold Expo next month. Josh failed to mention that HHH and NXT will also be involved with the Arnold Expo.
What an amazing match. These two worked a babyface vs. babyface match like it was all she wrote. They have a charismatic dual back and forth, both sides scoring several near falls. They traded submission holds with Kurt going for the Ankle Lock and Roode going for the Crossface. Kurt powered out of the Crossface and hit the Angle Slam, but only got a two count. Roode hit the Roode bomb, but Kurt kicked out. Kurt got the Ankle lock on Roode again, and this time Roode tapped out.
Post match, Kurt and Roode embraced and posed for the crowd. This was a fantastic match and they tore the house down, the roof was on fire, not literally obviously, but certainly metaphorically. The live crowd embraced this match and truly appreciated its significance by cheering for both men.
– Bobby Roode grabs the microphone, but before he speaks we cut to commercial.
– Back from commercial, it’s a mini Kurt Angle Celebration. Roode has the mic and says, “There is no shame in losing to one of the best wrestlers alive.” Roode thanks Kurt for everything he has done for the fans and the company. The crowd is chanting “Thank You, Angle, Thank You, Angle.” Kurt becomes humbled and emotional. James Storm comes down to the ring and thanks Kurt as well.
Storm pulls out two beers to celebrate Kurt’s career. The only problem is Kurt doesn’t want a beer, so James pulls out a jug of milk. Kurt chugs down the milk as the crowd chants, “Chug! Chug! Chug!” Kurt says that he wants to see Beer Money vs. TNA Champs The Wolves. The Wolves came down the ring to join the celebration and to show respect to Kurt. The Wolves agree to defend their titles against Beer Money. Josh says it’s official for next week.
– TNA World Champion Matt Hardy, his powerful wife, Reby and his brute force, Tyrus come down to the ring. Matt mentions that he’s beaten EC3 so many times it’s boring now, he’s no longer amused. Matt say’s he’s done facing EC3 and that EC3 will never get another title shot again. Matt thanks Rockstar Spud and encourages him out. Spud comes down to the ring wearing all black and not his custom bright colors and bowtie. The crowd chants “You Sold Out!” and “EC3”. Rockstar Spud becomes angry, and his enemies won’t like him when he’s angry, the crowd might though.
Spud talks about how terrible EC3 treated him. Spud promises to dedicate his life to Matt Hardy, Reby and their son, Maxell. Spud tells Matt “they’ve gotten rid of the cancer” in reference to taking out EC3 last week. Cue the catchiest music in wrestling, EC3 runs down and clears the ring. EC3 challenges Spud to a fight later tonight.
– Backstage, Gail walks down the hallway when the interviewer asks to talk to him about Maria. Gail says she wants to talk to Maria and is going to call her out to the ring for a fight.
– We get another creepy video featuring Decay walking down the streets. Bring on the nightmares!
– Back from commercial, backstage Matt, Reby, Tyrus and Spud are arguing with TNA President, Dixie Carter. Dixie is disgusted by their actions. They want her to fire EC3. Dixie is going to wash her hands of the situation by making EC3 vs. Rockstar Spud an unsanctioned match.
Monster’s Ball: Abyss w/ Decay (Crazy Steve & Rosemary) vs. Jimmy Havoc
As Decay makes their way to the ring, we get a recap of Jimmy Havoc trying to get Rosemary back and Decay beating him down. Jimmy Havoc is wearing a “Die Havoc Die” t-shirt. Havoc is the hometown hero for tonight as he hails from London. Like most Monsters’ Ball matches, and Abyss matches, there are lots of weapons at the wrestler’s disposal. Crazy Steve and Rosemary set up tables ringside. Abyss tries to use a cheese grater but Havoc steals it. Havoc uses the cheese grater on Abyss’ groin. This gives Havoc a brief advantage.
Jimmy goes to the top rope, but Rosemary distracts him and Abyss nails him with a chair shot. Jimmy falls from the top through a table on the outside. Abyss goes to use Janice, but Havoc makes another come back and he sends Abyss through a table in the corner. Havoc pulls out a barbwire board from underneath the ring. Havoc teases using Janice on Abyss, but Abyss hits the Blackhole Slam on the barbwire board for the pin and the win!
– TNA Knockouts Champion Gail Kim comes down to the ring. They recap the Lethal Lockdown from last week and Gail talks about the Knockouts division. The crowd loves Gail and is going crazy for her. Gail calls out Maria Kanellis and requests a fight. Maria finally comes down to the ring. They argue back and forth. Maria mentions that she was on The Celebrity Apprentice and in Playboy. Maria brings up Donald Trump to get some heat, which she got. Maria says she won’t wrestle and starts to leave. Gail chases after her, but Jade runs out and jumps Gail, beating her pretty bad. Jade poses with the Knockouts Title over the fallen body of Gail Kim.
– King Of The Mountain Champion Eric Young and Bram come down to the ring. EY wants a fight and demands a challenger and referee. Out comes Belfast’s own Big Damo. Big Damo is very well know on the Independent scene in the U.K. Josh mentions that Damo has a cult following. By the time Big Damo actually gets to speak, EY slaps him, stifling the large brute.
King of The Mountain Champion Eric Young w/Bram vs. Big Damo
Out of nowhere Big Damo hits a running dropkick that sends EY to the outside of the ring, starting the match. For a big guy, Big Damo is extremely agile and quick on his feet. Damo dominates the early moments with high impact moves. However, EY quickly gains the advantage. Damo makes a comeback and scores several near falls. Eric Young hits a very impressive Piledriver on Big Damo and scores the win.
-Backstage, Drew Galloway talks about his upcoming match with “The Miracle” Mike Bennett. Drew says that not even a Miracle can save Bennett tonight because he’s going to make an example of him.
“The Miracle” Mike Bennett w/ “The First Lady of Professional Wrestling” Maria Kanellis vs. Drew Galloway
Back from commercial, “Miracle” Mike Bennett and “The First Lady of Professional Wrestling”, Maria Kanellis make their way down to the ring. They recap Bennett beating Drew backstage a few weeks ago. Drew has his Feast of Fired Briefcase with him as he heads to the ring. In another recap, they bring up Drew beating Kurt with Drew’s new submission, The Iron Maiden.
Drew dominates the early part of the match, but Bennett trips Drew on the apron and takes over. Bennett sets up for the M.I.P. but Drew counters into a sweet looking Celtic Cross that would make Sheamus proud. Drew hits the Claymore and locks on the Iron Maiden submission. Maria puts Bennett’s leg on the bottom rope, breaking up the submission. With Drew distracted by Maria, Bennett rolls up Drew for the three count to win the match.
-Backstage, Matt Hardy and Tyrus approach Rockstar Spud and hype him for his upcoming match.
-Back from commercial, backstage The Wolves talk about their match next week with Beer Money.
-Earlier, Grado was outside talking about accomplishing his dream of competing in TNA. The dream was shattered in the Feast or Fired match. He says next week he is going to prove that he was screwed.
Ethan Carter III vs. Rockstar Spud
They recap Rockstar Spud turning on EC3 last week. Spud makes his way to the ring and he’s very confident. Backstage, as EC3 makes his way to the ring both Tyrus and Matt Hardy jump him. However, EC3 gets the better of both guys and he locks them in the back of a tractor-trailer. Back in the arena, Spud is shocked when EC3’s music hits as he expected Hardy and Tyrus to take him out.
Back from commercial, Spud tries to run up the ramp, but EC3 cuts him off. Rockstar Spud is on his own because Hardy and Tyrus are locked in the back of the tractor-trailer. Spud keeps trying to escape, but EC3 is really enjoying throwing Spud around. Spud gets the brief advantage but EC3 quickly takes over. Spud continues to find ways to cheat in order to gain the advantage, but EC3 makes a comeback each time. The crowd is chanting for tables and unlike The Dudley Boys, EC3’s going to give them what they want. EC3 sets up a table in the ring. Spud tries to crawl up the ramp, but EC3 brings him back. Spud hits a low blow to slow down EC3. EC3 makes his own comeback and powerbombs Spud through the table. EC3 locks on a chokehold to put an end to the match.
Final Thoughts
Another good Impact this week. The shows have been solid lately and TNA is trying there best to make each Impact important. Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode was fantastic match and a show stealer. Exciting matches and decent angles throughout the show kept it fun to watch and compelling for the crowd.
Next Week on Impact
Next week is a historic and sad TNA Impact with an exciting line up. The Kurt Angle Farewell Tour and Kurt Angle’s TNA career comes to its final conclusion. The highly anticipated main event will feature Kurt Angle’s final match in TNA as he takes on “The Destroyer”, Lashley. Also, TNA Tag Champs The Wolves defend against Beer Money in a tag team dream match.
From Atlanta, GA’s Philips Arena, taped for Wednesday in Canada and Thursday in the U.S.
Dean Ambrose opened the show sitting on a chair in the ring. He said that some people have five-year plans, but he has a five second plan. He said it sometimes gets him in trouble like when Brock Lesnar throws him through a windshield or HHH beats him down, but it sometimes works because he’s got a world title match. He wondered if he’d have to defend against Lesnar or HHH after he wins the title.
Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens came out and said he’s the IC champion and there are no contenders for him around. Owens insulted Ambrose and tried to attack him, but Ambrose nailed him with a chair.
– Sheamus & Rusev beat The Usos when Sheamus pinned Jimmy after a Brogue kick. After the match, the Dudleys came out and attacked the Usos. The Dudleys had a table but refused to use it.
– Dolph Ziggler beat The Miz for revenge for Raw.
– R-Truth was at catering. He apologized for how he’s been treating Goldust and said he would be his partner. Goldust refused and threw food in his face.
– Sasha Banks DDQ Becky Lynch when Charlotte attacked both of them.
– WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day did a promo building up their match with A.J. Styles & Chris Jericho on Raw on Monday.
– A.J. Styles beat Kofi Kingston
– Dean Ambrose beat I-C Champion Kevin Owens in a non-title match with the Dirty Deeds.
Raw held up from last week’s stronger than usual numbers and remained the most watched show on cable last night.
WrestleMania season and the buzz from last week’s return of Shane McMahon led to a strong first hour. There was a second hour drop, but the third hour, with the promise of revealing i HHH would face Dean Ambrose for the WWE title, was the second largest third hour since August, with very little drop from hour two. What’s notable is the third hour went 74 minutes, and usually a long overrun can hurt ratings because people don’t stay for the duration.
Raw did 3.71 million viewers, down just four percent from last weeks show which came the day after Fast Lane.
The three hours were:
8 p.m. 3.95 million viewers 9 p.m. 3.66 million viewers 10 p.m. 3.55 million viewers
The second most watched show was the O’Reilly Factor on Fox News which did 3.56 million viewers.
Kansas City, Missouri: – Everett Marshall beat Joe Savoldi 2 falls to 1 – John Pesek beat Steve Faraday (sub for Rex Smith) – Wladek Zbyszko beat Andreas Costanos – Dutch Hefner beat Pat McClary – Charles Santon drew Sol Slagel (as Schlegel)
1952
San Francisco, California: – Ben and Mike Sharpe defeated Ron Etchison and Sandor Szabo for the San Francisco NWA World Tag Team Titles
1953
Honolulu, Hawaii: – Al Kashey and Tom Rice defeated Bobby Bruns and Rikidozan to win the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Titles
1956
Toronto, Ontario, Canada: – Billy Watson beat NWA World heavyweight champion Lou The on a disqualification – Pat O’Connor beat Pat Fraley – Killer Kowalski beat John Barend – The Smith Brothers, Al and John beat Don Beilteman and Pat Flanagan
1966
Dallas, Texas: – Duke Keomuka and Fritz Von Erich defeated The Destroyer (Dick Beyer) and The Golden Terror to win the Texas NWA World Tag Team Titles
1967
Honolulu, Hawaii: – Curtis Iaukea won the Hawaii NWA United States Heavyweight Title by defeating Johnny Barend
1968
Dothan, Alabama: – Dennis Hall and Ken Lucas defeated Chin Lee and Pancho Villa to win the NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Titles
1972
Los Angeles, California: – Goliath and Kinji Shibuya defeated Dory Dixon and Earl Maynard to win the NWA America’s Tag Team Titles
1975
Bayaman, Puerto Rico: – Pierre Martel defeated Carlos Colon for the WWC North American Heavyweight Title – Toru Tanaka won a tournament final to become the first WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Champion
1976
Madison Square Garden: – Ric Flair defeated Pete Sanchez in his MSG debut – Superstar Billy Graham and Ivan Koloff defeated WWWF World Tag Team Champions Louis Cerdan and Tony Parisi in a two-out-of-three falls match – WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Ernie Ladd to retain the title – WWWF United States Heavyweight Champion Bobo Brazil defeated Jerry Blackwell to retain the title
1977
Shreveport, Louisiana: – Dick Murdoch defeated The Great Zimm (Waldo Von Erich) to win the NWA Tri-State North American Heavyweight Title
1981
Atlanta, Georgia: – Steve Keirn won the NWA National Television Title from Kevin Sullivan
Minneapolis, Minnesota: – Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell no contest AWA Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura – Baron Von Raschke beat John Studd – Nick Bockwinkel beat Tito Santana – Handicap Match: Buck Zumhofe & Brad Rheingans beat Jerry Blackwell – Steve Regal beat Bill Howard – Curt Hennig beat Nacho Berrera
Naucalpan, Mexico: – Villano III defeated Fishman for the UWA World Light Heavyweight Title
1982
Memphis, Tennessee: – Jerry Lawler defeated Dutch Mantel to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title
1986
WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event: Phoenix Arizona: – WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Don Muraco by disqualification to retain the title – WWF Tag Team Champions Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine (with Johnny V) defeated The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid (with Captain Lou Albano)) to retain the title – The Junkyard Dog pinned Adrian Adonis (with Jimmy Hart)
Regina, Saskatchewan: – Ben Bassarab and Chris Benoit defeated Wayne Farris (Honky Tonk Man) and Ron Starr to win the Stampede International Tag Team Titles
1989
San Juan, Puerto Rico: – Carlos Colon won the WWC Television Title from Jason the Terrible
1992
Yokohama, Japan: – Bam Bam Bigelow and Big Van Vader defeated Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Muto for the IWGP World Tag Team Titles
1992
Mayagez, Puerto Rico: – The Heartbreakers (Wendell Cooley and Frankie Lancaster) defeated Rex King and Ricky Santana to win the WWC World Tag Team Titles
1993
Memphis, Tennessee: – Jeff Jarrett won the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title by defeating Brian Christopher – JC Ice defeated Danny Davis in a tournament final to become the first USWA Middleweight Champion
Sevierville, Tennessee: – Bobby Eaton defeated Tim Horner to win the SMW Television Title
1997
Memphis, Tennessee: – Flash Flanagan and Billy Travis defeated PG-13 (JC Ice and Wolfie D) to win the USWA Tag Team Titles
1998
ECW Living Dangerously: Asbury Park, New Jersey: – Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Taz to win the ECW TV Title – Al Snow and ECW World Tag Team Champion Lance Storm defeated ECW World Tag Team Champion Chris Candido (with Tammy Sytch) and ECW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas (with Francine) – Rob Van Dam (with Bill Alfonso) pinned 2 Cold Scorpio – New Jack & Spike Dudley defeated The Dudley Boyz (Buh-Buh Ray & D-Von) (with Big Dick, Sign Guy and Studley Dudley) and Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney in a three-way elimination match – Tommy Dreamer pinned Justin Credible (with Jason Knight and Nicole Bass)
1999
Tokyo, Japan: – Tomohiro Ishii and Yuji Yasuraoka defeated Shinjiro Otani and Tatsuhito Takaiwa to win the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
2002
Indianapolis, Indiana: – Eddie Guerrero defeated Rey Misterio, Jr. and IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion CM Punk in a three-way match to win the title
Carrollton, Georgia: – Scotty Riggs defeated Dustin Rhodes for the Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title – Glacier and Ron Studd won the TCW Tag Team Title from Southside Trash
2003
Tokyo, Japan: – Kenta Kobashi defeated Mitsuharu Misawa to win the NOAH GHC Heavyweight Title
Yokohama, Japan: – The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated The Shane Twins (Mike and Todd) to win the Independent Pro Wrestling Tag Team Titles
2005
Albany, New York: – Orlando Jordan defeated John Cena to win the WWE United States Title
2006
Louisville, Kentucky: – Brent Albright defeated CM Punk in a tournament final for the OVW Heavyweight Title
2015
ROH Anniversary Show: Las Vegas, Nevada: – ROH World Tag Team Title Match: reDRagon defeated Young Bucks to retain the titles – ROH TV Title Match: Jay Lethal defeated Alberto El Patron to retain the title – ROH World Title Match: Jay Briscoe defeated Michael Elgin, Tommaso Ciampa and Hanson to retain the title – Roderick Strong defeated BJ Whitmere – AJ Styles defeteated ACH – Michael Bennett & Matt Taven defeated The Addiction & Karl Anderson (Doc Gallows missed the event)
In an effort to increase the star power of the April post-WrestleMania tours of Europe, WWE announced that the recently-retired Daniel Bryan and The Undertaker would be heading to each be part of one leg.
It had already been announced that there would be a Daniel Bryan Appreciation Night in London, one of many such events happening in the months ahead, one of which is happening at NYC’s Madison Square Garden on March 25th.
While that will be a big draw on one tour, Shane McMahon’s opponent for Wrestlemania has been added for the other tour, actually wrestling on the shows. No opponent has been announced yet.
Previously, the two tours were announced as being headlined by Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus on one tour and I-C champion Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose on the other tour. Reader Tom Griffiths said that for the first show, the lineup is listed as Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns, New Day vs. Rusev & Sheamus, and Kane, Strowman, Becky, Sasha, Charlotte (w/ Flair), Usos, Dudleys, Jack Swagger, Rowan, Neville, Stardust, Sin Cara & Tyler Breeze.
The tour dates for the Wrestlemania Revenge tour is as follows:
Saturday, 16 April, 7:30 p.m.: Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham, England
Sunday, 17 April, 5 p.m.: Nottingham Capital FM Arena, Nottingham, England
Monday, 18 April, 7 p.m.: Monday Night Raw at O2 Arena, London, England SOLD OUT
Tuesday, 19 April, 7 p.m.: SmackDown taping at O2 Arena, London, England
Tuesday, 19 April, 7:30 p.m.: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
Wednesday, 20 April, 7:30 p.m.: Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England
Wednesday, 20 April, 7:30 p.m.: The SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Thursday, 21 April, 7:30 p.m.: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
Friday, 22 April, 7:30 p.m.: Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
Saturday, 23 April, 7:30 p.m.: The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland
Crowd was pretty dead for this match who didn’t know who Corbin was. Corbin won with End of Days.
– Sin Cara vs. Stardust
Good pop for both, good match. Crowd really into chanting “Cody”. Sin Cara went over.
– R-Truth vs. Adam Rose
R-Truth wins with help from Goldust.
– Alberto Del Rio vs. U.S. Champion Kalisto
Good match. Kalisto wins. Crowd really into the match.
– Team B.A.D. vs. Summer Rae and Sasha Banks
Summer and Sasha win. Crowd into Sasha. “We want Sasha ” chants throughout match.
– Sheamus vs. Mark Henry
Sheamus wins.
– Dean Ambrose vs. I-C Champion Kevin Owens
Ambrose wins via DQ I think for refusing to stop kicking Ambrose in the corner? Owens gets on mic, downtalks Evansville and a kid with a sign that said “sux” instead of “sucks”. Ambrose hits the dirty deeds. Crowd goes home happy.
Overall, it was a good, solid house show. Ambrose and Owens by far the most over people all night.
On Monday, the relationship between WWE, WWN, and Evolve Wrestling continued to develop as WWN announced that NXT General Manager William Regal will appear at Evolve’s next two shows in New York.
He will be available for pictures and autographs at both the March 19th event in Queens, NY, and the following night in Brooklyn. Regal will have an undisclosed role at both shows as well.
Regal first made an appearance at the Evolve 54 show in Orlando, held the same weekend as the Royal Rumble, where he helped set up the Evolve title match between Timothy Thatcher and former UFC fighter Matt Riddle, who WWE is said to be interested in. It’s fair to assume that Regal would be looking at talent for the Global Cruiserweight series scheduled to take place on the WWE Network this summer.
After doing a quick internet search, I believe this is the first time in RAW’s history that it has aired on LEAP DAY, which would be today, February 29th.
With the major matches for WrestleMania set, tonight’s RAW in Nashville is headlined by the return of the Undertaker, in his first appearance since the Survivor Series. His appearance itself isn’t the curiosity. Rather, it’s how far the company will go to make him a heel for his match with Shane McMahon.
Will he be a full-fledged heel? If so, how? Will he be a reluctant heel grudgingly going against Shane at the behest of The Authority? Will he be a subtle heel like the one Bret Hart portrayed to perfection during the 1997 Canada-USA feud? Perhaps of more importance will be the return of Shane McMahon, and whether the remarkable reaction to his return in Detroit will be just a one-week pop, or something sustainable. Some of the undercard matches for WrestleMania could also be set into motion on tonight’sshow, including Charlotte’s challenger for the Divas championship.
Our live coverage starts at 8 ET.
The Big Takeaway: HHH will wrestle Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at some point before WrestleMania. Show was prominent for who wasn’t there. Shane McMahon, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman were all absent. The Undertaker returned for a very brief apperance, telling Vince McMahon that when he wrestles Shane at WrestleMania, Shane’s blood would be on Vince’s hands, not his. Undertaker was a babyface acting like he going into this match vs. Shane against his will.
Show Recap:
HHH started the show and talked about how everyone has an authority figure in their lives. They may hate they authority figure, but they’re afraid to speak out against it. The figure is there for people to understand their place in life. Roman Reigns should know that place, but he chose to challenge and disrespect authority. Crowd chanted for Reigns, but HHH played up that Reigns suffered a broken nose and he was home breathing through his mouth hoping that his place at WrestleMania is still safe.
Dean Ambrose came out and told HHH he just got off the phone with Reigns, who told HHH he was coming for HHH. Then HHH introduced Ambrose as an Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Bromance. Ambrose laughed it off and turned his attention to being jumped by Brock Lesnar last week, along with Shane McMahon returning and HHH jumping Reigns. Crowd chanted for Shane. Ambrose asked HHH who did he want to win the Triple Threat match at Fast Lane. More to the point, who did HHH NOT want to win at Fast Lane. HHH refused to answer, but said it was clear Ambrose wasn’t a factor in that match. Ambrose got in HHH’s face and said he was the last guy HHH wanted to face at WrestleMania. HHH laughed and thought Ambrose was crazy. Ambrose said HHH was smart enough to know he would never want to get in the ring with Ambrose. Ambrose said he could see that HHH doesn’t think he could beat Ambrose. Crowd started chanting “You can’t be him.”
This was a long-winded way of Ambrose challenging HHH for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. HHH said he would take it under advisement and give him an answer by the end of the night. Ambrose wanted to know how, by text or phone call. HHH said Ambrose was going to get the night off tonight, but since Ambrose decided to confront him, Ambrose would face Alberto Del Rio while the rest of the League of Nations would be at ringside.
This was your classic boring HHH 20-minute opening segment.
HHH started the show and talked about how everyone has an authority figure in their lives. They may hate they authority figure, but they’re afraid to speak out against it. The figure is there for people to understand their place in life. Roman Reigns should know that place, but he chose to challenge and disrespect authority. Crowd chanted for Reigns, but HHH played up that Reigns suffered a broken nose and he was home breathing through his mouth hoping that his place at WrestleMania is still safe.
Dean Ambrose came out and told HHH he just got off the phone with Reigns, who told HHH he was coming for HHH. Then HHH introduced Ambrose as an Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Bromance.
Ambrose laughed it off and turned his attention to being jumped by Brock Lesnar last week, along with Shane McMahon returning and HHH jumping Reigns. Crowd chanted for Shane. Ambrose asked HHH who did he want to win the Triple Threat match at Fast Lane. More to the point, who did HHH NOT want to win at Fast Lane. HHH refused to answer, but said it was clear Ambrose wasn’t a factor in that match. Ambrose got in HHH’s face and said he was the last guy HHH wanted to face at WrestleMania. HHH laughed and thought Ambrose was crazy. Ambrose said HHH was smart enough to know he would never want to get in the ring with Ambrose. Ambrose said he could see that HHH doesn’t think he could beat Ambrose. Crowd started chanting “You can’t be him.” This was a long-winded way of Ambrose challenging HHH for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
HHH said he would take it under advisement and give him an answer by the end of the night. Ambrose wanted to know how, by text or phone call. HHH said Ambrose was going to get the night off tonight, but since Ambrose decided to confront him, Ambrose would face Alberto Del Rio while the rest of the League of Nations would be at ringside.
This was your classic boring HHH 20-minute opening segment.
Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks went to a double pin draw (9:40)
This was the best women’s match on Raw in awhile. Finish was Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch were battling on the top rope. Banks went for the Sunset Flip Power Bomb and hit it. For some reason, Banks layed back on the mat while Lynch’s feet over her, leading to a double pin. Charlotte and Ric Flair watched from ringside. Fans chanted “Triple Threat,” but we’re supposed to wonder who Charlotte will now face at WrestleMania. Charlotte and Flair smugly walked to the back as Banks and Lynch looked confused.
Bray Wyatt did a promo from the back. He said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. Wyatt said he thought maybe he was insanity. On the other hand, Wyatt said maybe his mind was the key to saving the entire world. It starts with an idea, which becomes a plan, which becomes a beautiful symphony. He can give the world enternal paradise. If you don’t join him, you will find yourself exactly as the rest as everyone else. Conquered.
There was a segment from SmackDown where the Miz and Dolph Ziggler argued about past WrestleMania accomplishments. Ziggler said he wondered if Miz deserved to even be a WWE Superstar.
The Miz defeated Dolph Ziggler (1:04)
Miz won after whipping Ziggler face first into the corner and a schoolboy cradle. Ziggler has done clean jobs to Kevin Owens, Heath Slater and Miz so far in 2016. What did he do?
Stephanie McMahon came out to finish her speech from the Vincent J. McMahon Spirit of Excellence Award last week that was interrupted by Shane. Crowd booed her and chanted for Shane. She dropped her preapred remarks and opted for the remarks the writers prepared for her. She tipped over the podium and tore into the fans about cheering Shane after he vansihed for seven years. Stephanie said if Shane really cared about his family, he would have shown up to a WrestleMania or a Raw, which he hasn’t done. He accused him of abadoning his family.
Stephanie said it kills Shane that HHH and she are in power. Stephanie said Shane’s sons would have to fight for control over the company with her daughters. She said the Undertaker would defeat Shane at Hell in a Cell, and dismember him. And Shane could take a permanent vacation. Stephanie said the fans were lazy and entitled. Sooner or later, reality would come around and slap them right in the face. She said sooner or later, the fans would have to bow down to the Authority, and bow down to the Queen, her. Stephanie had excellent delievery on her promo, but I’m not sure if the family dynamics are something that will draw money. I bet a reality show about the behind the scenes interaction among the McMahons would be straight money, though.
Rusev and Sheamus defeated Lucha Dragons (5:04)
Rusev pinned Kalisto with a spin kick after Del Rio distracted Kalisto. Sheamus laid out Sin Cara on the floor with a Brogue Kick. Afterwards, Del Rio hit his Diving Double Foot Stomp on Kalisto. Michael Cole is still playing up the Kalisto-Del Rio program. League of Nations have started waving their arms in unison like they’re all calling for the DDT.
Natalya did a product placement promo with Renee Young talking about how Subway sandwiches help her keep fit. Well, Subway does need a new spokesperson.
Ryback did one of those awful inset promos saying how Spotlight may have won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. But if the Spotlight doesn’t shine on him, then he’s going to take it.
Ryback defeated Adam Rose (2:02)
Ryback won with vicious ground and pound and pinned Adam Rose with Shellshock. Announcers tried to get over that Ryback was being more aggressive. With his G&P, it feels like Ryback came along 20 years too late. He would fit in doing a UFC gimmick in 1996, which was basically what Goldberg was doing. Earlier, Rose attempted some of the worst crossfaces in recorded wrestling history.
The New Day did a promo comparing themselves to the great three-man units in history. I thought that was going to lead to Michael Hayes coming out to announce the Freebirds Hall of Fame induction. Instead, it led to Y2AJ.
Y2AJ defeated The New Day (C) in a nontitle match (8:56)
Good match where Chris Jericho made Kofi Kingston tapout to the Walls of Jericho. A.J. Styles got the heat taking the Unicorn Stampede and a big splash from Big E. They aired highlights of a six-man match between YUAJ and Mark Henry vs. New Day from SmackDown, where Kingston hit Jericho with the Trouble in Paradise. Jericho had a legit black eye from the spot. After the win, Y2AJ challenged New Day to a match for the championships next week in Chicago. Feels like the right time for New Day to drop the straps. Or it could be a heel turn for Styles in order to make way for Karl Anderson and Drew Gallows and form a group. Styles has become the new Cesaro, as fans held up signs reading “You Don’t Want None,” which is the title of Styles’ music.
Vince McMahon came out. He came out to a flat reaction and didn’t look happy. Vince then said “Do you know who I am?” Whew, he’s stealing Bully Ray’s catchphrase. Or the Mountie’s. Vince brought up the possibility of Shane running Monday Night Raw if he defeated the Undertaker, which meant Stephanie and HHH would effectively quit the business. I’m sure.
Vince said Shane would lead Sports Entertainment into a different era than ever before if he won. But only fools believe in miracles. Vince said he loves Shane, but he loves him enough to teach him a lesson he’ll never forget. He loved Shane enough to put him in the ring against the Undertaker, who he introduced.
Time will go on and the industry will continue, but there will never be an entrance like the Undertaker’s again.
Vince started to put Undertaker over, but Undertaker grabbed him by the throat. Undertaker said Vince knew what would happen when he closes that door behind him at WrestleMania. Undertaker said the blood of Shane would be on Vince’s hands, not his. And he left. The ring entrance was ten times longer than the actual apperance.
Vince said the reality is he would stand in the ring after WrestleMania, saying Shane has failed to defeat the Undertaker, failed him as a son and he would lose his inheritance. He vowed to write Shane out of his will and give it all to Stephanie. Vince said he would renounce Shane as his son and Shane will no longer be his son, he will be just a son of a bitch. One can question Vince’s creative decisions, but the fact is he’s so gifted as a non-wrestling performer, if he wasn’t in the WON Hall of Fame as a promoter, it would be necessary to include him as an on-screen character.
Bubba Ray Dudley defeated Jey Uso (2:11)
Bubba Ray Dudley pinned Jey Uso after a Full Nelson Slam. After saying for weeks that the fans would never see them use tables again, Devon Dudley pulled out a table. Jimmy Uso, like a total geek, ran after Devon, who simply tossed the table into Jimmy.
Goldust approached R-Truth again backstage. Before he could say another word, Truth told Goldust they would never be a tag team and he didn’t need a partner. Goldust appeared to have tears in his eyes and walked off without saying anything. Truth looked remorseful.
The Big Show defeated Kevin Owens (C) via countout in a nonitle match (2:37)
They teased a countout finish with Owens giving the Big Show a tornado DDT on the floor. Show beat the count, then gave Owens a choke slam onto the ropes, where Owens was crotched. The story is Owens did the same thing to Big Show on SmackDown Thursday, which means the only thing worse than parity pinfall booking is parity countout booking.
Brie Bella did an interview with Young. Lana showed up and started talking about how Daniel Bryan left her out in the old while her man is still competing and gives her everything she wants. Brie shot back that Rusev was a great double for a grizzly bear in the Revenant, and Lana could talk once she has the guts to get in the ring.
Naomi defeated Brie Bella via submission (4:07)
Naomi won with a Crucifix as a submission hold after Tamina interfered. Naomi’s finisher is she does a crucifix while grabbing her opponet’s arm, but the way she applied it, she could have done it to my grandmother and she wouldn’t have sold it. Lana came out afterwards and laughed at Brie.
The Fabulous Freebirds were named as the new inductees as the WWE Hall of Fame. Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts, Terry Gordy…and Jimmy Jam Garvin. Sort of like Van Halen getting inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and they include Gary Cherone.
Lynch and Banks argued about who would have won their match earlier tonight if a draw hadn’t been declared when Charlotte and Flair walked up. Charlotte told them they would meet again on SmackDown on Thursday night. The winner would face her at WrestleMania. The loser of the match would fade into oblivion. The other would be the answer to a trivia question: “Who was the person Charlotte defeated at her first WrestleMania?” She and Flair laughed and left as the babyfaces stewed.
Dean Ambrose defeated Alberto Del Rio by DQ (9:07)
Ambrose spent the entire match selling. He had his right armed taped selling Brock Lesnar’s F-5 on the floor last week. At one point, Del Rio gave him the cross armbreaker against the ropes. Ambrose barely sold it before giving Del Rio a neckbreaker. But please, tell me more about how Ring of Honor guys don’t understand psychology.
It led to HHH coming out and ordering the League of Nations to attack Ambrose. Since HHH peaked in 1999, can we just call the LON the NWO Black and White and be done with it? The League beat down Ambrose. HHH started to talk down to him about how he would never understand Ambrose couldn’t stand up to authority. Ambrose rose up and punched HHH, which quickly made a comeback ending with a pedigree. HHH told Ambrose that he would get his title match.
Ambrose got the microphone while still selling and said “Hey Hunter! Thanks.” HHH looked pissed, rolled up his sleeves as the League disappeared and proceeded to beat the hell out of Ambrose with numerous punches delievered on the announcer’s table. The camerawork here resembled the end of ECW where they zoomed in quickly during every punch, and zoomed out afterwards. It was enough to give you motion sickness. But not as bad as seeing the heels stand tall over the babyfaces for the 88th time out of the past 93 shows. That’s a totally made up figure, by the way. But if you looked it up and found that it really was the case, would you be surprised?
SUMMARY:
A flat show. I’m unclear what the Undertaker’s motivation is for wanting to wrestle Shane at WM. It was never explained tonight. I know that HHH has to get heat in order for WrestleMania to have something special, but it’s clear the fans like Ambrose more than Reigns. I’m not sure either can be the flagbearer for the company. But seeing HHH out there as the top heel at 46-years-old reminds me of seeing Hulk Hogan in WCW 2000 still main evening PPVs against Ric Flair long after his star had faded and well past his drawing peak. And what’s the end result? To put over Reigns, who isn’t the answer either.
WWE announced Monday that the Fabulous Freebirds, the quartet of Michael Hayes (Michael Seitz), Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts (Dale Hey) and Jimmy Garvin (James Williams), will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the Saturday, April 2nd ceremony at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, during Wrestlemania weekend.
Like with Sting and The Godfather, these names had been released and reported on a month ago.
Dallas is makes sense since the Freebirds real heyday came from 1983-1985 based in the city while feuding with the Von Erich brothers, Kevin, Kerry, David and Mike.
While Garvin never worked as a Freebird during the heyday, he often teamed with them. Later, Hayes & Garvin, as a version of The Freebirds, were U.S. tag team champions in WCW.
Hayes, who has had a long career in WWE creative, had been pushing for Garvin to be inducted with the other three. It also makes sense since Gordy and Roberts have both passed away. Gordy suffered a stroke due to an overdose on a flight to Japan and his career was never the same. He passed away at just 40 years old. Roberts died in 2012 at the age of 65 from pneumonia after battling throat cancer for years.
Hayes & Gordy started The Freebirds in smaller Southern territories as best friends. In 1979, while working for Mid South Wrestling, owner Bill Watts added Roberts to the group, feeling Hayes was more of a manager and saw Gordy & Roberts as the traditional tag team. They went to Georgia and became national stars with many breakups and makeups over the years.
However, it was Hayes & Gordy costing Kerry Von Erich the NWA title in a match with Ric Flair on December 25, 1982, that ushered in the boom period of World Class Championship Wrestling. The team broke up when Gordy became a regular for All Japan Pro Wrestling, and various incarnations of the group formed. Gordy would team with Hayes and Roberts between tours, and sometimes one or another member of the group would turn and feud with the other as they tried to keep things fresh as World Class died out.
The group had a very brief run together in WWF with the idea of making them into musical stars after Hayes had recorded “Badstreet USA.” It ended up being a very short run as they were fired which led to Gordy signing with All Japan where he teamed with Stan Hansen for a while, eventually forming oe of the greatest tag teams ever in Japan with Steve “Dr. Death” Williams.
