Wrestling Observer Live with Mike Sempervive is back for the MOTHERSHIP EDITION. Two hours of your phone calls and tweets on everything from Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary, stupid wrestler tweets, the World Cruiserweight Classic, the state of NXT and so much more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Submitted by Stephen Darrow
The show opened with the announcer telling us there were two changes: Tony Nese being added to the cruiserweight match to make it a 5 way elimination match and the non-title Hot Sauce v Tim Thatcher match would now be a title match.
– Dark Match: Joe Coffey def. Rory Gulak via submission
Gulak did some sort of a Tye Dillinger gimmick where he would evade a move and yell “amazing” or something similar. Coffey put him in a ridiculous standing boston crab and Gulak tapped instantly.
– Cedric Alexander def. Fred Yehi via pin
I thought this ended up being the best singles match on the show. It had the stiffest forearms/chops of the evening, and that is saying a lot. It looked like Cedric forearmed Yehi a little too hard and Yehi started to lay them in which looked pretty real to me. There was a dive spot where Alexander knocked the barricade back into the people in the first row. They went into the ring and started exchanging big moves, finally ending with a flurry from Cedric that gave him the victory. Yehi stayed in the ring in shock while Cedric celebrated, Cedric went down to the mat and they exchanged a very manly handshake.
– Bravado Brothers def. Jason Cade and Darby Allin via pin
After some standard tag work in the ring, Bravados took them outside and smashed them into the barricades a few times. Action went back into the ring where Cade threw one of the brothers out of the ring. He then went over the barricade into the crowd. The spot of the night happened when Cade leaped from the apron onto a basketball hoop that was left down in the gym, then hit a hurricanrana on one of the Brothers (I still don’t know which one is which). Action found its way back into the ring where Bravado brothers hit their finish and got the pin.
– Matt Riddle def. Trevor Lee via submission
Pretty blah match except for a spot where Riddle was thrown into one of the barricades and they broke apart, crashing into the people in the first row. Riddle tapped him with the Bro-Mission.
– Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher def. Hot Sauce Williams via submission
Hot Sauce sent the rest of Catch Point to the back because he didn’t want an asterisk next to his name when he won the title. Thatcher then entered with no title belt as Riddle had stole it from him. Thatcher was very technical and kicked out of a few moves that looked devastating. He ended up catching Hot Sauce in an armbar and tapped him.
After the match, Riddle entered with the belt and cut a promo on Thatcher saying he deserved a title shot. Stokely Hathaway then entered and told him his boy TJP earned a spot in the cruiserweight series and neither of the other two had one. He felt TJP deserved the next shot. Thatcher said he would give TJP the next shot, then it would be Riddle in a Last Man Standing match. Thatcher then exited the ring without trying to get his title belt from Riddle.
– Cruiserweight Elimination Match: Tony Nese pinned TJP in a match involved Drew Gulak, Lince Dorado, and Johnny Gargano
Tony Nese entered first and cut a promo on how all he wants is a shot to show to the world what he can do in the WWE cruiserweight tourney. They implied that if he won he would be in the series. All the other entrants came in one by one and cut similar promos. Gargano made some vague WWE references.
Very good match, non-stop action. Gargano was eliminated early via roll-up by Gulak. Lots of dive spots, the barricades were knocked silly this match. Dorado did a moonsault onto the 3 remaining competitors and right as he was setting it up, Drew Galloway and EC3 entered and beat up Gargano. They cut a promo but the mic wasn’t quite working. After the moonsault spot, Gulak slept outside for about 5 minutes. Back in the ring, Dorado was pinned. Next, Gulak was eliminated by TJP. Nese and TJP then battled for a solid 10 minutes. TJP kicked out of a sit out tombstone piledriver. Nese started yelling “I am not losing this match”, went into a hulk-up mode, and hit TJP with another piledriver then a 450 for the pin.
With the win, Nese is now in the WWE cruiserweight tournament.
– Drew Galloway def. Ethan Page via pin — Anything Goes
Match almost immediately left the ring and they fought all over the gym. They tossed a plastic trash can around and Drew grabbed a half full Coke bottle out of it and smashed it on Ethan’s head. Drew went for a suplex on the outside and Page reversed it. Action went back to the ring and Drew emptied the ring of chairs, another barricade, then grabbed a fan’s plastic chair. Page then went outside and grabbed a tiny ladder. He Irish whipped Galloway into the ladder, which was propped up on the ring and barricade. The ladder went flying about 10 feet almost into the crowd. Match went back into the ring and Drew hit his dirty deeds finisher onto a couple of steel chairs for the pin.
After the match, EC3 came out to celebrate with Drew. He said his open challenge was off because he already beat everyone up in the back and there was no one left. Gargano then came out and cut more WWE related promos, said something about him being “best for business” and he “knows how to play the game”. Gargano then said he didn’t want to pin EC3 so this would be a last man standing match. EC3 accepted the challenge and Drew went to the back.
– Johnny Gargano def. EC3 via KO in a Last Man Standing match
Back and forth match, good action. EC3 got mad at the ref for not counting fast enough so he knocked him out. He beat Gargano up and went to the back for another ref. The second ref counted to 9, Gargano got to his feet and EC3 whacked him with a chair. The ref started counting from 1 and EC3 told him “no that’s not 1, its 10”. The ref disagreed and EC3 then knocked that ref out as well.
Galloway came in, and then the Catch Point stable came in to help Gargano. They cleared Drew from the ring and it was left with EC3 surrounded by three men and the third ref. EC3 pleaded to the ref who just patted him on the face, EC3 then turned around to eat a bunch of superkicks. The match ended with EC3 being superkicked into the ref who gave him the Stone Cold salute, then a pretty well executed stunner. EC3 was then tossed over the top onto a table that was at ringside that didn’t break and the ref counted to 10.
At that point, the four men in the ring celebrated and the ref got a nice pop for his stunner. After the cameras were off, the ref attempted a spin-a-roonie and The Worm…which weren’t great.
1933
St. Paul, Minnesota:
– World Heavyweight Champion Jim Londos defeated Ray Richards
1938
Waterloo, Iowa:
– Al Bisignano went to a 60 minute draw with Earl Wampler
– Otto Kuss beat Alford Johnson
1944
Des Moines, Iowa:
– Earl Wampler beat Tom Zaharias in 2 out of 3 falls
1947
Kansas City, Kansas:
– MWA Champion Orville Brown beat Lee Wykoff 2 falls to 1
– Sailor Fred Blassie beat Jack McDonald on a third fall DQ
1952
Kansas City, Kansas:
– Heart of America Champion Sonny Myers beat Roy Graham 2 out of 3 falls
– Ronnie Etchison and Bob Orton Sr. wrestled to a draw
– Doug Henson defeated Bob Clay
– Larry Hamilton beat Jack Hader via DQ
1958
Orange City, Iowa:
– United States Heavyweight Champion Verne Gagne defeated Ernie Dusek in 2 out of 3 falls
– Emil Dusek defeated Jack Pesek in 2 out of 3 falls
1962
Minneapolis, Minnesota:
– AWA Champion Mr. M beat Larry Hennig
– Pat O’Connor & Doug Gilbert beat Bob Geigel & Stan Kowalski
1964
Denver, Colorado:
– AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Fritz von Erich dq
– Wilbur Snyder beat Mitsu Arakawa dq
– The Crusher beat Doug Gilbert
1971
Omaha, Nebraska:
– AWA Tag Team Champions Red Bastien & Hercules Cortez beat Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon
– Midwest Champion The Claw (Tom Andrews) beat Dr. Big Bill Miller
– Midwest Tag Team Champions Bob Ellis & Alberto Torres beat Ox Baker & Ali Ben Kahn
1974
Denver, Colorado:
– Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens beat The Crusher & Wahoo McDaniel to regain the AWA Tag Team Title in a Steel Cage Match
– Ivan Putski beat Superstar Billy Graham via dq
– Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Larry Heiniemi & Buddy Wolff in 2 out of 3 falls
– Baron Von Raschke beat Geoff Portz
– Kay Noble (sub Cora Combs) beat Vivian Vachon
– Larry Hennig beat Paul Perschmann (Playboy Buddy Rose)
1975
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
– AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Billy Robinson by countout
– Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Bobby Heenan & Ray Stevens
– Dusty Rhodes beat Siegfried Steinke
– Ivan Putski beat Buddy Wolff by dq
– Roddy Piper beat Scotty Campbell
1976
Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
– In a No DQ Match; Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke beat Larry Hennig & Jos LeDuc
– Verne Gagne & Greg Gagne beat Bobby Heenan & Ray Stevens
Chicago, Illinois:
– AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Chris Taylor
– The Crusher beat Bobby Duncum by dq
– Blackjack Lanza beat Red Bastien
– Wilbur Snyder beat Billy Red Cloud
1980
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
– AWA Tag Team Champions Verne Gagne & Mad Dog Vachon beat Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura
– In a Ladder Match; Dino Bravo beat Jerry Blackwell
– The Crusher & Greg Gagne beat Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Heenan
– Steve Olsonoski beat Super Destroyer Mark II
1983
Las Vegas, Nevada:
– AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Wahoo McDaniel
– Ken Patera & Jerry Blackwell beat Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke
– AWA Light Heavyweight Champion Mike Graham beat Buck Zumhofe
1991
WCW Clash of Champions: Knoxville, Tennessee:
– IWGP Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner defeated Masahiro Chono & Hiroshi Hase
– WCW U.S. Champion Lex Luger defeated The Great Muta
– WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair defeated Bobby Eaton in a two out of three falls match
1998
Tokyo, Japan:
– Kenta Kobashi defeated Toshiaki Kawada for the All-Japan Triple Crown
2001
Baltimore, Maryland:
– Test defeated Rhyno for the WWF Hardcore Title
2012
TNA Slammiversary:
– Mr. Anderson defeated Sting for the TNA Heavyweight Title
Yujiro had Mao with him as she proceeded to do a very rated R dance. I don’t think we’ve seen her or any girl with Yujiro since the G1. They aired the match in full, and was fine. Very physical. Yujiro is one of those that are hit and miss as he can be very sloppy at times, but he was fine here for the most part. He got the sneaky win after Cody Hall interfered, allowing him to low blow Kojima and pin him with the Miami Shine.
Kojima says no matter how bad he looks, he promises to never give up. No matter how he does it, he will fight to the end.
Goto said that looking back, G1 25 was hard, but liked the breaks and this type of schedule fit him the most. He desires the belt that Okada had. Facing the Heavyweight champion as the Intercontinental champion…he never experienced that.
This was another match where it started slow, turned into a pretty good back and forth match and evolved into something great. The crowd were into it and I think were genuinely interested in seeing the IWGP champion (at the time) face the Intercontinental champion (also at the time). Titles still mean a lot in Japan, unlike in US where I couldn’t tell you a lot of the current champions off the top of my head. Nice back and forth match with Hirooki Goto getting the clean win with the shouten kai. Hey, when the IWGP title is on the line he always has a better chance of winning. When it is on the line, well..
Goto says “I’VE CONQUERED IT!” to massive cheers. He wants the crowd to celebrate with three cheers, and they do. He says accidents don’t happen twice, we’ll beat the rest. Goto feels that he’s opened a new door. He welcomes anyone to challenge him for the IC title. He had mixed feelings beating Okada. 2015 was a year of change for him, and he’d like to challenge for the belt again.
Interestingly, a ROH commercial for Best in the World aired near the end of the program. Might not be too unusual, but it’s the first time I’ve seen during this show.
Submitted by Sara Tuitau from College Station, TX
Enzo and Cass vs. The Dudleyz
Enzo and Cass were so over with the crowd of course. A lot of comedic bits going in the match. The Dudleys were in charge most of the match until the hot tag to Cass. Then another hot tag to Enzo and eventually the finisher for the win.
Fandango vs. Goldust
There was some technical difficulties with the screen. Breeze came out to cause a distraction. Then, R-Truth came to Goldust’s aid which led to the pin on Fandango for the win. Then there’s a bit of dancing and rapping to close it out.
U.S. Champion Rusev (w/Lana) vs. Titus O’Neil
Pretty good match with a lot of “USA” chants but in the end, Rusev makes Tius tap out. Afterwards, Rusev keeps beating up on Titus when the Lucha Dragons come out for the save.
The Wyatt Family (Erick Rowan/Braun Strowman) vs. Big Show and Kane
Pretty good pops for both Show and Kane. Kinda of a slow match but in the end, Kane pinned Rowan for the win. Then both Kane and Big Show do a double choke slam on Strowman.
– Intermission
Eva Marie, Lana, and Dana Brooke vs. Summer Rae, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks
Lana did most of the work on her team and Becky took most of the shots. Sasha gets the hot tag, Bank Statement on Lana and she taps out.
Viktor vs. Zack Ryder
Pretty good match with some good spots. In the end, Zack hits his finisher and pins Viktor.
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dean Ambrose
Good match as always with these three. Everyone gets their spots and hit their signature moves. Dean hits Kevin with Dirty Deeds for the pin.
Submitted by Christopher Falken
– Bullet Club member Adam Cole is in the hospital with pneumonia and has been pulled from tonight’s show and Sunday’s show in Milwaukee, WI. Will Ferrara takes his place to face Chris Sabin tonight.
– Dalton Castle def. Juice Robinson
Lots of comedy early on. It got more physical as it went on and lots of back and forth. They shake hands after the match, and TV Champion Bobby Fish comes out for a live Fish Tank with Dalton. Dalton requests for it to be a sitdown interview but they don’t have any chairs. Dalton has 2 more Boys come out and they form human chairs for them to sit on. Lots of comedy. They promise to remain friends after their match at Best in the World, but Fish says he doesn’t see Dalton as a champion, making him storm off. Neither one came off like a heel.
– Chris Sabin def. Will Ferrara
Decent match. Daniels comes out for commentary to lead into the next match.
– Silas Young/Beer City Bruiser def. War Machine and Moose/Lio Rush
Excellent match and easily the match of the night with nonstop action. Rush was the star despite being there to take the pin and the crowd came alive after being dead nearly the whole show so far.
– ACH def. Alex Shelly
Solid match. ACH cut a promo afterwards and calls Shelley one of his idols. Shelley puts him over to bring the show into intermission.
– Steve Corino comes for an interview after intermission. He cuts a promo on BJ Whitmer, who has been on commentary all night. He says a lot of nothing.
– Donovan Dijak def. Cheeseburger
About the match you’d expect with Cheeseburger getting little bursts of offense in only to be cut off seconds later and tossed around. Kaz’s turn to do commentary for the next tag match.
– ANX def. The Young Bucks and RPG Vice
Both ANX and RPG Vice work heel over the returning Bucks who haven’t missed a beat. King stole the pin on Trent after he got hit with a Meltzer Driver and said ANX was going to make wrestling great again.
– Michael Elgin def. Kamaitachi
Not a lot of people in the crowd were familiar with Kamaitachi, but got behind him when he was on offense. They raise each other’s arms after the match.
– Daniels comes out for one last time and cuts a promo hyping the main event. Quick promo, just some cheap heat and out come the tag teams.
– Briscoe Brothers def. ROH Champion Jay Lethal/Roderick Strong and ReDRagon
Fans were tired out by this point but got back into it towards the end. Bucks interfere and interrupt the Lethal Injection while Jay hits the Jay Driller on Strong to end the show.
Overall, there were no bad matches. The attendance seemed down from the last few shows run in Hopkins. No return date announced.
Photo: Jason Elliott & additional notes from Josh Nason
Bobby Roode made his WWE in-ring debut Saturday at the NXT show at the Download Festival in Derby, United Kingdom, defeating Angelo Dawkins.
Roode had very briefly been advertised for the tour, before it was pulled because they wanted his debut to be a surprise. He had appeared briefly on the last two NXT Takeovers in a backstage segment on Wednesday and in the crowd in Dallas.
It is expected the 39-year-old will work the remainder of the tour.
Here’s what happened Friday:
– Hugo Knox defeated Sawyer Fulton after hitting a split-legged moonsault
– Nikki Glencross defeated Peyton Royce after clamping on a swinging fisherman’s suplex.
– Baron Corbin returned to defeat Angelo Dawkins & Alexander Wolfe in a handicap match via End of Days. Corbin put Wolfe through a table after the match.
Here’s what happened Saturday for the first of two 90 minute sessions:
– No Way Jose def. Alex Wolfe
– Tye Dillinger def. Sawyer Fulton
– Carmella def. Nikki Glencross
– Bobby Roode def. Angelo Dawkins
– NXT Women’s Champion Asuka def. Peyton Royce
– Finn Balor and Hugo Knox def. NXT Tag Champions The Revival in a non-title match
Here are the results for the second 90-minute session:
– Bayley & Carmella def. Nikki Glencross & Nia Jax
– Angelo Dawkins def. Wesley Blake
– Triple H did a promo, talking about the Golden Gods Spirit Of Lemmy Award.
– Alexa Bliss def. Peyton Royce
– American Alpha def. Saywer Fulton & Alexander Wolfe
– Shinsuke Nakamura & Andrade “Cien” Almas def. NXT Champion Samoa Joe & Baron Corbin
Reports from any and all shows can be sent to newstips@wrestlingobserver.com.
Amid a quiet weekend in the world of combat sports, the calm got disrupted a bit Saturday afternoon with news that former TNA World Champion and NXT TakeOver background regular Bobby Roode made his promotional debut at the organization’s two day run at the UK-based Download Festival. Here’s a look at his entrance.
Roode downed Angelo Dawkins in his debut, and could be appearing Sunday as NXT has four hours of matches booked at the Festival. He didn’t appear on last Thursday’s TV tapings, but could be a presence via the magic of videotape with an official contract signing, a promo, etc.
So now what? With many of the top NXT talents expect to be brought up to WWE when the brand extension happens in July, NXT will still need to keep the cupboard stocked with a few veterans to mix with the up and comers. There’s also the concern of WWE bringing up too many talents and not having a plan on what to do with them — something that has plagued them in the past.
Saturday was a nice step forward for Roode and it will be fun to see how NXT debuts him and what the vision is for his career throughout 2016. With more of an opportunity to make an, ahem, impact in the WWE system than ever before, he picked a good time to explore his free agency options after what felt like a lifetime in TNA.
TNA SLAMMIVERSARY PPV FROM UNIVERSAL IN ORLANDO AT 8 P.M.
Sunday we’re looking for reports from WWE in Baton Rouge (Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Rusev, Enzo, Cass, Kane, Big Show, Braun Strowman, Erick Rowan, Sami Zayn, Dudleys, Lane, Sasha Banks), Lake Charles, LA (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, A.J. Styles, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Charlotte, Alberto Del Rio,Natalya, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Usos, New Day), NXT in Darby, UK and ROH in Milwaukee at the Turner Hall Ballroom (Adam Cole vs Colt Cabana, Christopher Daniels vs. Kamaitachi plus the finals of Tag Wars).
Raw will be Monday in New Orleans including the return of Shane McMahon. It’ll be the go-home show for Money in the Bank. NXT also runs in Belfast, Northern Ireland. There are also TNA tapings in Orlando.
Smackdown and Main Event will be taped Tuesday in Biloxi, MS and NXT runs in Dublin, Ireland. There is also an almost live Impact in Orlando as well as the taping for the following week’s show.
TNA tapings will continue on Wednesday in Orlando. NXT will be in Liverpool, England.
THE ROUND-UP
If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!
Figure Four Weekly 6/9/2016: Will Christopher Nowinski testify in WWE concussion lawsuit? – The latest battleground in the WWE concussion litigation is whether or not Christopher Nowinski can be compelled to testify. Issues cited in a WWE opposition to the plaintiffs’ effort are included in the lawsuit.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
READ IT HERE: June 13, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Deaths of Muhammad Ali and Kimbo Slice, Brock Lesnar returning to UFC, more
A look at the lives and careers of Muhammad Ali and Kimbo Slice, the return of Brock Lesnar to UFC and the story behind it and coverage of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament are the lead stories in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Our Ali story talks about the changes in public opinion on him going through the years, his place in culture, the Ali-Frazier fight, the Ali-Liston fights, his being banned from boxing, the creation of different world titles, the Ali-Foreman fight, the Thrilla in Manila, the inspiration of the movie Rocky, what Ali took from pro wrestling, Gorgeous George and Fred Blassie, and what he gave back to pro wrestling, the Ali vs. Inoki story, Ali’s appearances in relation to pro wrestling, Ali’s pro wrestling matches that are often forgotten, Ali working the first WrestleMania and the Superdome in New Orleans for Bill Watts, the sad ending of his career and the fraud on the public that was the Larry Holmes fight.
The death of Kimbo Slice is also covered. Read about the circumstances leading to the death, how he became famous, his real background, what he did between football and MMA, the Sean Gannon fight, Elite XC, his television ratings records, the crazy night that was supposed to be the Ken Shamrock fight, the death of Elite XC and how media a misunderstanding ended the promotion, Kimbo’s days in UFC, the highest rated season of Ultimate Fighter, and sustaining the drawing power. Plus, a look at Kimbo Slice and pro wrestling and why it was about to happen, and how it fell apart, is covered. There’s also look at Slice in boxing, and the Dada 5000 fight.
Finally, read about the Brock Lesnar to UFC deal, what Lesnar said about why he’s coming back should it be believed, the choice of Mark Hunt as the opponent, why the deal took so long to be announced, how this affects pro wrestling, Lesnar’s regrets about re-signing with WWE but why you can question that, the drug testing issue and the Ariel Helwani issue that reporting the story first turned into.
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.
Current subscribers click here to continue reading.
You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer.
You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.
Rates are:
For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to moonsault@mediaplusint.com For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.
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.
Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 3, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Death of Rick Rude, WWF Backlash review, more. A look at the life and career of Rick Rude, a review of WWF Backlash, plus tons more.
SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE
Canadian authorities reportedly dropped criminal charges against Teddy Hart stemming from sexual assault allegations in 2014. The case apparently lacked criteria needed for it to proceed. An attorney representing Hart says his client always maintained his innocence. Hart also signed a peace bond to not have any contact for two years with the two women who accused him of the charges. His attorney said Hart has no interest in contacting them.
Evolve runs their second iPPV in as many nights, heading to Orlando for an 8 PM start for Evolve 62. It looks like a fun show featuring their champ Timothy Thatcher, a five-way WWE cruiserweight tourney preview where Tony Nese can grab a spot if he wins, an ECIII open challenge, and more. Here’s a look at last night where Chris Hero made his presence felt.
In an update on the manslaughter trial of a Pennsylvania man accused of causing the death of an 18-month-old by imitating wrestling moves, a judge will not allow the prosecution to show jurors computer-generated videos of the moves. If the 21-year-old man on trial takes the stand to testify, the judge may allow the images shown during cross-examination. The injuries suffered were allegedly from the defendant imitating Undertaker’s Last Ride and Rock’s Rock Bottom. The defense says the death was an accident. The trial is set to begin on Wednesday.
WWE & Pro Wrestling
Dave Bautista teaches Hollywood couple Anna Faris and husband Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, Parks & Rec) some wrestling moves.
UFC & MMA
SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR
TODAY (JUNE 11) in professional Wrestling History: Rick Rude wins Southern Title; AJ Styles wins TNA/NWA Title
From Dave: For those coming to our convention 7/7 to 7/10 in Las Vegas, the people at The Las Vegas Fight Shop, who have been subscribers for probably 25 years, have a special to those coming. They have a Friday night from 6-8 p.m. signing with Randy Couture and a Saturday from Noon to 2 p.m. signing with Nate Diaz. The signings require the purchase of an Affliction shirt, but anyone from the site can get 20% off a shirt and VIP treatment to cut down the line. Also, anyone from the site who comes to the store can get 20 percent off anything all weekend.
– Anthony Nese vs. Fred Yehi
Yehi won via submission after clamping on the Koji Clutch. Nese did a promo afterward saying despite his losing streak, he wants an opportunity in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic and he wants it Saturday night.
– Darby Allin vs. Ethan Page
Page won after hitting a package piledriver. Earlier in the match, Page gorilla press slammed Allin over the ropes and into a support beam that was said to be a big spot.
– Cedric Alexander vs. Matt Riddle
Riddle submitted Alexander with a neck crank after hitting a fisherman’s buster.
– Evolve Tag Team Champs Catch Point (Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams) vs. Bravado Brothers (Harlem & Lancelot Bravado)
Champs retain after Williams pinned Lancelot after a big DDT spot. Post-match, Catch Point are cutting a promo and calling out Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher came out, and told the guys to get lost.
– Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Chris Hero
Said to be a great match. Thatcher retained the gold by submitting Hero with a cross armbar.
Post-match, Riddle, Gulak, Williams, and Stokely Hathaway all came out to contront Thatcher. Williams wants his title shot Saturday and Thatcher agrees.
– Drew Galloway & Ethan Carter III vs. Johnny Gargano & TJ Perkins (Unsanctioned Street Fight)
Wild match that spilled everywhere including on the bar inside the arena and outside the arena. Big action, table spots, you name it. Gulak came out to check on Perkins after Galloway powerbombed him through a table. This brought Hero out who hit a piledriver on Gulak and then booted Gargano and piledrove him to turn on Evolve. ECIII hit the One Percenter on Perkins for the win.
Post-match promos by Galloway and Carter reveal a fourth member of their crew: Cody Rhodes! Rhodes will debut for the promotion on August 19th in Maryland against Gargano.
**********
Evolve 63 card — Saturday from Orlando, FL:
– Evolve Champion Timothy Thatcher vs. Tracy Williams
– WWE Cruiserweight Tournament preview: Johnny Gargano vs. Drew Gulak vs. TJP vs. Lince Dorado vs. Tony Nese elimination match. If Nese wins, he’s in the tourney.
– Anything Goes: Drew Galloway vs. Ethan Page
– ECIII open challenge to anyone on the Evolve roster
– Matt Riddle vs. Trevor Lee
– Fred Yehi vs. Cedric Alexander
– The Bravado Brothers vs. Jason Cade & Darby Allin
1879
Boston, Massachusetts:
– H.M. Dufur defeated James Owens to win the American Collar-and-Elbow Title
1933
Waterloo, Iowa:
– Bronko Nagurski beat Frank Topaz
1943
St. Joseph, Missouri:
– Ronnie Etchison beat Tom Zaharias
– in a Boxing match; Lee Wyckoff beat Cowboy Luttrall via ko-3rd round
– George Pavich beat Carlos Rodriquez
– Gene Reardon drew Bill Dusen
1955
– Doug Donovan & Ivan Kameroff defeated Luther Lindsay & George Dussette to win the Pacific Northwest Tag Team Titles
1964
Kansas City, Kansas:
– Mongolian Stomper beat Moose Evans 2 to 1 falls
– The Lawman beat Lee Henning
– Larry (Rocky) Hamilton beat Baron Von Strauss
– Steve Bolus and Tom Poulos beat Tokyo Tom and Bulldog Plechas
1965
– Wilbur Snyder & Dick the Bruiser defeated The Assassins (Guy Mitchell & Joe Tomasso) to win the World Wrestling Association Tag Team Titles
1970
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
– Edouard Carpentier & Pepper Gomez beat AWA Tag Team Champions Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon via dq
– Lars Anderson beat Bob Windham
Kansas City, Kansas:
– Frank Hester defeated Scandor Akbar via DQ
– Pat O’Connor defeated Tom Brandon
– The Viking fought Roger Kirby to a draw
– Danny Little Bear & The Viking & Pat O’Connor defeated Roger Kirby & Scandor Akbar & Don Drummer
– Baron Von Raschke & Harley Race defeated Rufus R. Jones & Bob Ellis in three falls
1971
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
– AWA Tag Team Champions Red Bastien & Hercules Cortez beat Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon
– In a Death match; The Crusher beat Strong Kobayashi
– Blackjack Lanza beat Dr. Big Bill Miller
– Nick Bockwinkel beat Paul Diamond
Atlanta, Georgia:
– The Assassins, (Tom Renesto & Jody Hamilton) won the NWA Georgia Tag Team Titles by defeating Ray Gunkel & El Mongol
1973
Mexico City, Mexico:
– El Marquez defeated Karloff Lagarde for the Mexico National Welterweight Title
Sasebo, Japan:
– Masked Lee & Sandy Parker defeated Jumbo Miyamoto & Mariko Akagi for the WWWA World Tag Team Titles
1975
Raleigh, North Carolina:
– Gene & Ole Anderson defeated Wahoo McDaniel & Paul Jones to win the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Titles
1976
Furukawa, Japan:
– Great Kusatsu & Mighty Inoue defeated Rip Tyler & Eddie Sullivan to win the IWA Japan World Tag Team Titles
Denver, Colorado:
– Larry Hennig & Jos Leduc no contest Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke
– Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum
– Russ Francis pinned Kim Duk
– Buddy Wolff beat Billy Red Cloud
1980
London, England:
– Alan Dennison defeated Jim Breaks for the British Welterweight Title
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada:
– Verne Gagne & Greg Gagne beat Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Heenan
– Dino Bravo went to a double countout with Jerry Blackwell
– Jesse Ventura beat Steve Olsonoski
– Adrian Adonis beat Mad Dog Vachon
– Jerry Blackwell beat Super Destroyer Mark III
1981
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
– AWA Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura beat the Crusher & Baron Von Raschke
– In a Non Title Match; Jim Brunzell beat AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel
– Mike Graham beat Buck Zumhofe
– Jerry Blackwell beat Mad Dog Vachon
Tokyo, Japan:
– Takashi Ishikawa & Akio Sato defeated Kevin & David Von Erich to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
1983
San Juan, Puerto Rico:
– King Tonga & Gran Apolo defeated Buddy Landel & Terry Gibbs for the WWC North American Tag Team Titles
San Francisco, California:
– Ken Patera & Jerry Blackwell beat Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke
– AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Wahoo McDaniel
– Mike Graham beat Buck Zumhofe
– Rick Martel beat Blackjack Lanza dq
– Greg Gagne beat John Tolos
1984
Memphis, Tennessee:
– Rick Rude defeated Jerry Lawler to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title
1989
Orlando, Florida:
– The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobs and Jerry Sags) defeated The Southern Force (Black Bart and Tony Anthony) to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Titles
1993
Knoxville, Tennessee:
– Tracy Smothers defeated Tony Anthony to win the held up SMW Heavyweight Title
– Saemi Numata defeated Kumiko Maekawa for the AJW Junior Title
2003
Nashville,Tennessee:
– AJ Styles won the TNA/NWA World Title by defeating Raven and Jeff Jarrett
2005
Brandon, Florida:
– Chris Sabin defeated Sonjay Dutt to win the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup
