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  • Daily Update: Sheamus the new WWE Champion, New WWE reality series

    WWE SURVIVOR SERIES 2015 FALLOUT

    A New WWE Heavyweight Champion was crowned last night at WWE Survivor Series(Check out Dave Meltzer’s recap) but it was quickly taken away when Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank.  In the WWE World Heavyweight title tournament, Roman Reigns first defeated Alberto del Rio in the semi-finals and then his “best friend” Dean Ambrose in the finals to win the title.  After refusing to shake HHH’s hand post-match, Reigns then speared Hunter. Out of nowhere, Sheamus entered the ring, cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, and after two brogue kicks pinned Reigns for the title.

    Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer with the post-Survivor Series wrap-up show, all the matches and angles, is Roman Reigns the next Lex Luger, and more! Plus, New Japan notes, tons of mailbag questions and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

    The Bryan & Vinny Show is back with our post-Survivor Series wrap-up show! SHEAMUS IS THE NEW CHAMPION WTF! All the matches top-to-bottom, thoughts on the storyline with Roman Reigns and where it’s probably going, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

    FEEDBACK AND REPORT REQUESTS

    We’re looking for your thoughts on last night’s Survivor Series, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer

    We’re looking for live  Raw reports tonight from Nashville as well, with Superstars matches, dark matches and anything else that wouldn’t be evident from the live show.  We’re also looking for reports on last night’s Lucha Underground tapings as well as the NXT shows this weekend from Venice and Fort Pierce, FL at Dave Meltzer

    NEW JAPAN TAG LEAGUE 2015 FROM ISHIKAWA AT 4:30 A.M. EASTERN AND 1:30 A.M. PACIFIC EARLY TUESDAY/LATE MONDAY

    Tournament matches:

    Daniels & Kazarian vs. Fale & Tonga

    Bennett & Taven vs. Gallows & Anderson

    Nagata & Nakanishi vs. Okada & Yoshi-Hashi

    Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday in Indianapolis.

    Figure Four Weekly

    Figure Four Weekly (11/16/15): Rey Mysterio vs. Low-Ki and The Anatomy of a Dream Match
    A road report for Jersey All-Pro Wrestling’s 19th Anniversary show takes a deep look at the latest match in Rey Mysterio’s dream match tour vs. Low-Ki.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    We have one of the biggest issues of the year, with such a huge news week this past week.  We look at exactly what went into Holly Holm’s victory over Ronda Rousey, a story on the life and times of Nick Bockwinkel, the Reid Flair angle and build to Survivor Series, Destination America dropping wrestling, and the 104-year-old attendance record being broken, as well as the story behind the firing of Billy Gunn, an update on The Rock at WrestleMania, La Sombra to WWE, the AAA world title gets decided and a lot more are headline stories in the new double issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter which is on the site right now.

    If you have an interest in history, this is a huge issue, as well as a perspective on what happened in the most talked about UFC fight in history.

    We look at the fight, the background of Holly Holm, what is going on in Rousey’s life, what led to the upset, thoughts on a rematch, what it means for business, the early business notes on the fight including where PPV may come in, previous fights like this, and what happened after the fight. We look at UFC’s biggest upsets, the gambling perspective, rematch odds, business notes and match-by-match coverage with poll results.

    The life and times of Nick Bockwinkel is one of the best bios we’ve done, with comments from people whose careers he has touched, my own personal thoughts on Bockwinkel, what current WWE superstar had his career path changed greatly because of a suggestion by Bockwinkel to an independent promoter, a look at his life, his career, some of his most famous matches, his career title history, the controversy over Hulk Hogan not getting the AWA title, his place in the business when it changed and life after wrestling.

    We also look at the Reid Fliehr angle, how it was set up, comments by Ric Flair, how ESPN got exposed in its wrestling coverage, the Owen Hart DVD and more.

    PLUS MUCH MORE! CLICK HERE FOR A FULL WRESTLING OBSERVER PREVIEW

    The Latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter: November 23, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Holm defeats Rousey, Nick Bockwinkel passes away, more

    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” target=”_blank”>dave@wrestlingobserver.com

    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 sent to you today. 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.

    Click here for the most requested Wrestling Observer back issues.

    TODAY’S DAILY UPDATE

    • Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw as well as taking your e-mail questions to mailbag@wrestlingobserver.com
    • Nothing thus far announced for Raw, which takes place in Nashville.  The Buffalo Bills face the unbeaten New England Patriots in the NFL game.  It will be interesting to see if the first hour curiosity coming off the title switches is enough to deliver a rating and how well they can keep that audience past the first hour.
    • It didn’t appear smart money came in, at least not significantly on last night’s show.  While Roman Reigns was a 60-to-1 favorite to beat Alberto Del Rio, and Undertaker & Kane were 20-to-1 favorites, everyone could figure those results.  Dolph Ziggler was a favorite and Reigns was only a -210 favorite over Ambrose in the finals (thanks to David Taylor)
    • WWE ended up the No 2 searched term on Google with 500,000 searches, but that’s misleading because a lot of the searches had to do with ISIS, and the searches were stronger no Saturday than Sunday.  The Alvarez vs. Cotto fight had 1.2 million searches on Friday and Saturday.
    • The movie “Spectre,” with Dave Bautista, was No. 2 at the box office behind the Hunger Games in the U.S. this past weekend with $15,043,729 to give it a current total of $154,146,608 domestic.  I was also No. 2 in Australia (thanks to James Stanios)  

    WWE

    • Announced last night on the PPV is the WWE would be doing a new reality show called “Ride Along” where two WWE performers will be talking in a car and it would be filmed.  They also announced Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels as new guests on the Stone Cold Podcast and a new series called “Edge & Christian’s Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness.”
    • WWE stock closed down three cents per share today to $17.22.
    • Raw on 2/15 will be from the Arrowhead Center in Anaheim.  Tickets go on sale on 12/11.
    • A story on Titus O’Neil filmed an episode of the show “Tanked” on Animal Planet this past week.  The show will air in April.  O’Neil, who I believe will be called by his real name, Thaddeus Bullard, said he wanted a University of Florida theme and not a WWE theme.
    • Dolph Ziggler will be doing a comedy show at Kowloon’s, the Chinese restaurant in Saugus, MA, that is the big pro wrestler hangout when they run in Boston.  The show is scheduled for 12/12.
    • An interview with the Dudleys – from  talkSPORT’s Gorilla Position podcast

    UFC

    • Tryouts for the spring 2016 season of Ultimate Fighter will take place on 12/14 in Las Vegas at the Red Rock Casino.  They are looking for women’s strawweights, women’s bantamweights and male light heavyweights.  Candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 34 and have .500 or better records in MMA with a minimum of three pro fights.  Applications, which must be brought to the tryouts.  Registration starts at 8 a.m.  Fighters will be required to grapple and hit pads ad bring their own gear.  The show will film in January and February and air starting in April.
    • The Las Vegas Review-Journal has a story on the UFC production unit

    MISCELLANEOUS

    • TNA will be announcing a code on Wednesday on Dixie Carter’s Twitter for tickets to the TV tapings from 1/5 to 1/9 in Bethlehem, PA. 
    • A story by Mike Mooneyham on Bill Apter’s new autobiography
    • Martin Dasko, a pro wrestler at Santino Marella’s school, interviewed Misha Cirkunov from the UFC
    • CZW on 12/12 has its annual Cage of Death show at Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ.  The show will be at 8 p.m.  Matt Tremont vs. Devon Moore vs. AR Fox vs. Masada for the CZW title headlines.
    • One Championships has announced a 12/11 show in Manila, Philippines at the Mall of Asia Arena.  They expect a huge crowd with Philippines favorite Brandon Vera facing Shi Lewis Perry in a match to determine the first One heavyweight champion.  They also have a brother and sister on the same show, with Angela Lee, who has gotten a lot of attention, as well as her younger brother, Christian Lee, both on the same show.
    • Jim Connors, who was the Time Warner Cable News Sports Director in Raleigh, passed away on Saturday at the age of 51.  Connors conducted the Bruiser Brody shoot interview and also published wrestling results in different Philadelphia newspapers during the 80s. 
    • Premier Wrestling on Saturday night in Gilroy, CA at the IFDES Lodge-Portuguese Hall with Jeff Cobb (6-3-1), Timothy Thatcher (4-2-1) and Joe Graves (2-1-1) in a round robin tournament fought European style with rounds.  There will also be three judges for the matches, Oliver John, Dave Dutra and MMA reporter Danny Acosta.  The show also featuers JR Kratos (9-2) vs. Gabriel Gallo (4-0) for the Premier title and a woman’s title tournament with Nicole Savoy (3-1), Kahmora (1-1), Raze (0-2) and Kikyo Nakamura (0-1).  Vito Rea, a catch wrestling star, makes his debut with the promotion against Buddy Royal.  Tickets are at www.premierwrestle.com.
    • Maryland Championship Wrestling on 12/4 in Felton, DE features Mick Foley and The Headbangers at Delaware Auto Exchange.  They will be doing a 6:30 p.m. meet and greet.  The Headbangers will also wrestle on the show.
    • In Your Face Wrestling on 3/12 in Albany, NY at the Polish Community Center featuring Bob Holly.
    • There was a wrestling show on Friday night in Windsor, ONT before the stag party for Tyson Dux at Club Alouette.  Results were:  Space Monkey b Sebastian Suave, Muscles Marinara b Bret MacLeod, Phil Atlas & Brent B b Ray Steele & Jake Something, Brad Martin b John Greed, The Fraternity b Al & Bryan Castle, Cody Deaner b Joe Coleman, Tyxon Dux & Aiden Prince b John E. Bravo & Idris Abraham (thanks to Steven Ashe)
    • L.A. Park, Pantera, El Hijo del Pantera and Lince Dorado headline for LuchaTO on 1/24 in Scarborough, ONT at 3107 Danford Avenue.
    • I Believe in Wrestling from Saturday night in Orlando:  Braydon Knight b Chico Adams, Rex Bacchus b Slad Porter, Alexx Light b Gabriel Black, Brandon Scherer b CT Brown, Mark Silva b Tyranus, Rhett Giddins & Lince Dorado & Josh Parker b Mike Reed & Josh Hess & Ace Andrews.  Next show is 12/5 with Santana Garrett and Teddy Hart.
    • Stardom today in Fukuoka, Japan:  Alex Lee b Datura, Act Yasukawa b Hiromi Mimura, Kairi Hojo & Hiroyo Masumoto & Jungle Kyouna b Kyoko Kimura & Holidead & Kris Wolf, Mayu Iwatani b Kaori Yoneyama for the High Speed title, Santana Garrett b Io Shirai to win the Wonder of Stardom title.  Garrett returns to the U.S. holding the Stardom title as well as the NWA title. (thanks to Al Haft)
    • Rockstar Pro Wrestling has a free show Thanksgiving night at the Rockstar Arena in Dayton with a five on five elimination match.
    • Here is a listing of independent wrestling charity shows in the upcoming weeks:

    November

    * Ultimate Championship Wrestling holds a benefit show on  November 27 at the Prime Event Center in Bay City, MI. It  was originally designed to benefit Cassidy Christie, the  daughter of local wrestler Pete Christie. But Cassidy passed  away on Veterans Day after a long battle from cancer. The  show will go as UCW raises donations for her Church, St.  Catherine of Sienna in Bay City, Michigan. 

    Many of the Michigan independent wrestlers from many  promotions have agreed to donate their time for this special  event. Former WWE stars Brian Christopher and Scotty Too  Hotty team for the first time in Bay City. Also signed to  appear is ECW legend Sabu. 

    * Come join the stars of NWA Vendetta Pro Wrestling on  November 27 as they present Winter Wonderslam 2015 right  back at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria, CA. Bring a new  unwrapped toy, and receive a autographed collectible poster.  Featured matches: Lil Cholo defends against So Cal Crazy for  the Vendetta Pro Heavyweight Championship, The 3rd Annual  Rowland Alexander Memorial Battle Royal, The Classic  Connection (Levi Shapiro & “The Ace” Buddy Royal) defend  their NWA Western States Tag Team Championship against The  Von Dooms (Vintage Dragon & Cyanide) 

    * TRUE Wrestling Presents: ‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas  on Saturday November 28th, 2015 at the Salvation Army, 320  West Second Street, Berwick, PA. Doors open 6:00 pm (7:00 pm  belltime). Scheduled to appear: Kras Van Tassel, Mark  Maverick, Aaron Anthony, The Cash Masters, Tony Deppen,  Aaron Arbo, and more. General Admission $10 advance/$12.  Fans can save $5 off and receive a door price when you  donate an unopened toy valued at $5 or more. 

    * New Jersey’s Old Time Wrestling is holding an annual food  drive for all shows in November and December, returning to  Williamstown, NJ on Saturday, November 21. Anyone who brings  a bag of non-perishable foods will receive a $5 coupon which  can be applied to merchandise, food, or admission at all OTW  events. In addition, Pat King (in association with The  Chive) will be traveling across the country from Texas to  Philadelphia in a quest to gather donations to fight hunger.  On November 30, he will be putting on a special benefit show  in the OTW Arena in Williamstown, NJ featuring some of your  favorite OTW stars. We ask that all who attend the event  please bring nonperishable donations or use this link to  help give to a wonderful cause www.gofund.me/fighthunger1

    * Power Pro Wrestling returns to The Milford Delaware Boys  and Girls Club, in Milford, DE on November 28 for our Toys  For Tots show. All of your favorite PPW Stars will be there.  Featured matches will be: Sicend defending the PPW  Championship vs. Brittany Blake, Diaz vs Vic Ramon, Riot  City defending the PPW Tag Titles vs BLKOUT, WBDC, and  Pretty Ugly, Sonny Deeds vs. Michaels Amaydo, and Solo  Darling vs. Veda Scott 

    December

    * 3XWrestling presents Holiday Havoc 6 on December 4th, and  the 3XW annual Toys for Tots Drive at the El Merenderos  Event Center, 900 E Army Post Road, Des Moines, IA 

    * Pure Wrestling Association returns to Guelph, ON on  December 4 for “Spirit of the Season” at the Red Chevron in  Guelph, ON. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy and PWA will  give you two colour posters. 

    * Pure Wrestling Association returns to Guelph, ON on  December 5 for “Spirit of the Season” at the Alpine Club in  Kitchener, ON. Please bring a new, unwrapped toy and PWA  will give you two colour posters. 

    * Charity Wrestling Show comes to Kingston Gospel Temple,  Kingston, ON, Canada on December 5 with a 7:00 pm belltime.  All proceeds will go to Hands of Hope, a charity that  provides groceries over the holiday season to families in  need, Christmas presents for kids and more. There will be a  meet-and-greet with legendary WWE referee Jimmy Korderas,  legendary Canadian trainer Ron Hutchison and possibly  another special guest. 

    * Hoosier Pro Wrestling continues giving back as they return  to Columbus, IN on December 5 with Former NWA World Champion  Tommy “Wildfire” Rich in action; Crazy Mary Dobson vs.  Amazing Maria, Mad Man Pondo vs Cooter, the debut of Vic The  Bruiser, a Heavyweight Title defense by TJ Kemp, a tag title  defense by Big Country Clint Poe and Cowboy Marc Houston.  Please bring a new or gently used toy. 

    * WAR Wrestling returns to Lima, OH on December 5 for United  or Divided in a fundraiser for the Veterans Food Pantry.  Front row sold out, second row $15, General admission is  free will offering with 100% of the donation going to the  Veterans Food Pantry. 

    * The originator of Toys for Toys events in the  Philadelphia/South Jersey region, United Wrestling  Coalition, will be doing the same on December 5 at Kelly’s  Bar/Banquet Hall, 14 Railroad Avenue, Wrightstown, NJ 

    * 2300 (ECW) Arena presents a Toys for Tots collection at  the CHIKARA Pro Wrestling season finale at the 2300 (ECW)  Arena on December 5 with a 7:30 pm belltime. Hallowicked  defends his CHIKARA Grand Championship against Eddie  Kingston and Icarus. 

    * ECWA Pro Wrestling will hold its annual Toys for Tots show  on December 5 at the Woodbury Heights Community Center,  Woodbury, NJ 

    * Right Coast Pro returns to Newark, DE, at the Life  Community Church, Otts Chapel Road, on December 5 show and  will hold a food collection for the “Feed the Need Ministry”  in Newark, DE at their monthly show. 

    * Atomic Championship Wrestling returns to Stevens Fire Hall  (91 Stevens Road, Stevens, PA) on December 5 with a Toys for  Tots collection and canned food collection. 

    * Crossfire Wrestling presents Jingle Bell Brawl IV on  December 5 at The Merritton Community Centre 7 Park Avenue,  St. Catharines, ON, benefiting The Niagara Children’s Centre  Foundation with Former TNA Superstar Cody Deaner vs Former  TNA World Heavyweight Champion “Showtime” Eric Young!  General Admission tickets are available. Call the hotline at  905-329-2693 or go to http:// www.crossfirewrestling.com

    * Pure Wrestling Association returns to Guelph, ON on  December 6 for “Spirit of the Season” at Hafa Hall in  Dundas, ON. Please bring a canned food item, and PWA will  give you two colour posters. 

    * Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling returns to Warren,  MI on December 6 for Hardcore With A Heart at The Ritz.  Admission is five cans of food. The Main Event puts the 2015  Malcolm Monroe Sr Memorial Cup winner Jake Something and the  Xtreme Intense Champion Orlando Christopher together to face  off against The “Mad Dragon” Hakim Zane w/ Truth Martini in  his corner and JOE COLEMAN w/ MARK GJOKA in his corner. ZACH  GOWEN will defend his Lightweight title against the newest  number one contender, who is not wasting any time to take  advantage of his title shot, IDRIS ABRAHAM. 

    * Grumpy’s Bail Bonds Operation Christmas sponsors show in  Portland, TN at the Richland Park Gym on December 11 with  Ricky Morton, Bill Dundee, and TNA’s Crimson. 

    * Brew City Wrestling will run its annual Headlock for  Hunger on December 11 at the Knight of Columbus Hall in West  Allis, WI. The show features a food drive for the Hunger  Task Force of Greater Milwaukee. Fans are asked to bring two  non-perishable food items. 

    * Chaotic Wrestling will do its second Toys for Tots show of  the year on December 11th at the Woburn, MA at the Elks  Lodge, 295 Washington St, Woburn, MA. 

    * Join Game Changer Wrestling in Howell, NJ on December 12.  On that night we will be giving back! Not only via our Toys  for Tots fundraiser, but to a pioneer of our industry, as we  honor “Reckless Youth” Tom Carter for his contributions to  the sport of Pro Wrestling. Not only that, but #WWE Hall of  Famer George “The Animal” Steele and the lovely Terri  Runnels will be in the house. For this special celebration  to kick off the holiday season with Santa and his elves, get  your tickets, NOW by calling the GCW Ticket line at 201-257-  8621. 

    * Chaotic Wrestling is joining forces once again with The  United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots Program on  December 12. In Lowell, MA, we will be collecting NEW,  UNWRAPPED TOYS to help provide a happier holiday for  families in need. 

    * All Star Wrestling presents Bodyslams For Toys on December  12 at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, 6050 176 St, Surrey, BC,  Canada. Bring a new unwrapped toy for a boy or girls with at  least a $10 value and get in FREE. 

    * Combat Zone Wrestling presents its annual Toys for Tots  collection (in conjunction with the Marine Corps Reserve) to  take place for the eleventh year in a row with Combat Zone  Wrestling’s 17th annual Cage of Death on December 12 at the  Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ. Cage of Death is part of  an all day CZW event, including a Combat Zone Wrestling  afternoon student show. 

    * GALLI Lucha Libre presents its annual GALLI Toy Drive  Navidad event in Villa Park, IL on December 13, 

    * 2300 (ECW) Arena and Ring of Honor present a Toys for  Tots collection at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle PPV on  December 18 at the 2300 (ECW) Arena on December 18 with an  8:30 pm belltime. 

    * 2300 (ECW) Arena and Ring of Honor present a Toys for Tots  collection at Ring of Honor’s TV taping on December 19 at  the 2300 (ECW) Arena on December 18 with an 6:00 pm  belltime. 

    * SCW Entertainment returns to the Coronaca Fire Department  in Coronaca, PA for the 5th annual Toys for Tots event on  December 19. Featured matches: Anderson Strong (c) vs. Dean  Richards in a SCW Heavyweight Championship/30 Minute Iron  Man Match, TJ Boss vs. Ben Wright in a Cage Match/Loser  Leaves SCW/Winner is # 1 Contender to the SCW Heavyweight  Title, and Kat Daddy (c) vs. Karl Hager for the SCW Internet  Championship 

    * Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling will hold Wrestling  With Hunger in at the Elks Hall #49 ,2272 Leigh Square, Port  Coquitlam, BC on December 19 (8:00 pm belltime/ 7:30 doors  open) to support Share Family Services Food Bank. All seats  ONLY $16 

    * Wrestling for a Cause will run The Fight for Haylie on  December 12 in Pryor, OK (7:00 pm belltime) . 100% of the  show’s proceeds go to the family of a child with cancer. 

    * Keystone Championship Wrestling will hold its yearly Toys  for Tots show, tentatively scheduled for December 19. 

    * Premiere Wrestling Xperience is offering an opportunity  for spectators to bring a new unwrapped toy to the Hickory  National Guard Armory, 1251 8th St NE in Hickory, NC on  December 19. Spectators who bring a new unwrapped toy (with  a suggested minimum value of just $10) can attend their  event for only $10 and any child, aged 12 and under, who  also brings an unwrapped toy will be FREE in rows 3-8. 

    * Great Canadian Wrestling presents Season’s Beatings ’15 on  December 27 at Harmony Creek Community Hall, 15 Harmony Rd.  N, Oshawa Ontario. This is the annual Christmas show for  local food bank. Fans are asked to bring donations for  Harmony Creek food bank. No matches yet announced. 

    Between all of these over the years, thousands of children  have been able to have a Christmas or Hanukkah. Please help  your local independent promotion do the same, or encourage  them to schedule an event soon for the Holidays if they  haven’t already. If you’re a promoter, PLEASE email me and  let me know of your holiday charity themed plans (fund-  raisers/collections for clothes, food pantries, Toys for  Toys, etc.) at wrestling or MMA events to  bobmagee1@hotmail.com. 

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

    1986 – Kuniaki Kobayashi beat Hiro Saito to win the All Japan world jr. title

    1990 – Blue Demon Jr. beat Super Astro in Vallahermosa to win the WWA middleweight title

    1997 – Momoe Nakanishi & Nanae Takahashi beat Megumi Yabushita & Sunmie Sakai in Kawasaki to wint he Japanese womens’ tag team tilte

    2000 – Tomoaki Honma beat Zandig to win the Big Japan death match title in Yokohama

    2003 – Don Fujii beat Susumu Yokosuka (Jimmy Susumu) to win the Open the Dream Gate title

    2005 – Christopher Daniels won a three-way over Sonjay Dutt and Alex Shelley in Tokyo to win the Zero-One Max title

    2010 – Naruki Doi & Gamma beat Susumu Yokosuka & K-Ness in Osaka to win the Open the Twin Gate titles

    2012 – Genki Horiguchi & Ryo Saito & Naoki Tanizaki beat Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino & Shachihoko Boy in Saga to win the Open the Triangle Gate titles

  • WWE Main Event results: Heath Slater compared to a cat using a litter box

    By Alan O’Brien for WrestlingObserver.com

    The Main Takeaway:

    WWE really wants you to like Titus O’Neil.

    *****

    The Usos pinned Adam Rose & Brad Maddox (7:30)

    But first, viewers were treated to the now obligatory Adam Rose C-show pre-match promo, in which he blames the fans for his previous gimmick not getting over.  This was the same old, same old – delivered in a weird hybrid of his the Adam Rose voice and Ray Leppan’s actual voice – with one exception. He finished by introducing us all to the returning Brad Maddox.

    Brad gets some mic time of his own as he rushes down the ramp, calling the fans “morons” and reminding them that he was fired as RAW General Manager in this very building last year. He attributes his black attire and new dyed-blonde hair to an “identity crisis” and has just enough time to favourably compare the latter to the “puke-orange” University of Tennessee colours before the producer cuts him off abruptly!

    Boring match here, with The Usos coming off poorly for taking so long to put away jamokes of this stature. Not helped by Tom and Byron on commentary, who bury Maddox by speculating that he may have been the worst general manager of all time.

    Personally, I thought he excelled in that role. The role of wrestler? Not so much. Although Bradley had the words “REAL GOOD” embroidered on his black tights, his heel work was anything but here – including a seemingly never-ending heat segment at the expense of Jimmy Uso.

    Jimmy eventually tagged out when Brad apparently attempted a Rough Ryder in the corner, crotching himself on the top rope. Jey came in off the lukewarm tag and cleaned house, leading to the finish of stereo superkicks to Adam Rose followed by a Superfly Splash from Jimmy. Poor Adam. This time last year he was wrestling on the Survivor Series main card.

    – Tom Phillips, now sporting facial hair in an attempt to make him look older than 16, throws to a video package featuring Titus O’Neil helping to raise money for a Navy Seals Museum. This featured Titus smiling widely, shaking hands and bumping fists. It also featured his advocate-in-chief, Batista, telling us how great “The Real Deal” is. Is he over yet?

    – Backstage, the lovely Jojo wants to ask Titus some hard-hitting questions about his vital main event match with Heath Slater tonight. Titus cuts her off to do some dumb comedy with tag partner, Darren Young. Darren has bad breath! He’s going to turn Heath Slater into the ONE MAN BODYCAST! Oh man, my sides. He then finishes this lead balloon of an interview by creeping everyone out, hitting on the lovely Jojo (“You don’t have to buy a t-shirt, ‘cause I’d give you one! Woooo!”). Is he over yet?

    Naomi w/Sasha Banks and Tamina submitted Alicia Fox w/Brie Bella and the worst hairstyle ever (5:53)

    Seriously, Foxy’s new hair needs to be seen to be believed. She has voluntarily given herself the largest receding hairline known to womankind. It’s incredible.

    The third Bella worked face here, falling victim to the dreaded distraction finish. Usual bad divas match, in which they poorly attempted some silly looking athletic spots with no underlying psychology. Also featured the loudest spot call in history, when Naomi emerged from the corner after rubbing her buns in Fox’s face, shouted “RANA!” on camera, and then proceeded to do a ‘rana.

    Finish made Fox look like an idiot (as all WWE babyfaces apparently should), voluntarily running over to swat away both Sasha and Tamina from the apron, leading to a rollup and Naomi’s new submission finish – a leg-based head-and-arm choke. Looked kinda crummy, to be honest. Kinda really crummy.

    Titus O’Neil pinned Heath Slater (6:35)

    The “Terrible Announcing Line of the Night” award goes to Byron Saxton, who proclaimed upon Slater’s entrance that he is “like a cat who refuses to use the litter box….he does his own thing!” Jesus.

    Either Byron or Tom helpfully informs us that these two men formed a tag team on this very programme just over a year ago. The now-defunct SlaterGator also featured on last year’s Survivor Series main card. Their opponents? Adam Rose and The Bunny!

    Long shine segment for Titus consisting solely of him slapping Heath in the chest repeatedly. Nice moveset there, homes. Heath eventually transitions to the heat by raking the eyes off a slam attempt. Titus’ comeback emanates from a Slater headlock and consists of a big boot and what can only be described as a pumphandle drop. Genichiro Tenryu, I hope you’re taking notes.

    The finish was a Clash of the Titus off a top rope flying nothing attempt from Slater. We then get an overlong in-ring celebration from Titus. Awkward. He eventually resorts to leaving the ring and imposing the Millions of Dollars chant on an unwilling child at ringside. Seriously, is he over yet?

    Final Thoughts

    A bit of a showcase for O’Neil, who has emerged on the scene three decades too late to avail of the natural charisma and star quality he so plainly has. Unfortunately, these days, not being able to work is a major drawback. This is the guy who managed to get two bad matches out of Sami Zayn, remember? Rest of the show was a non-event really, with none of the wrestling climbing above adequate. Far cry from the Sasha/Becky and Neville/Owens matches of the last few weeks.

  • Cesaro confirmed out four to six months with rotator cuff surgery

    WWE confirmed Monday that the injury to Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli) is a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder and is likely to be out of action four to six months.

    In the WWE.com piece, Cesaro said he suffered the injury two months ago, but essentially ignored it, not realizing the severity. He said he had maintained range of motion and he was hurt, but his strength wasn’t down significantly and he was continuing to train on it. This past week, he had the shoulder examined and found it was a complete tear. He said he just got the word of the tear today and is having surgery this afternoon.

    The injury was reported Sunday when Cesaro was pulled from a tag team match at Survivor Series. We had been told that he would probably be needing surgery, but that was to be determined, and that he was getting the shoulder evaluated today.

    ****

    Bryan Alvarez and I discussed the injury on last night’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

  • WWE Breaking Ground ep. 4 recap: Tag teams take center stage

    Submitted by Ryan Pike for WrestlingObserver.com

    Key Takeaway:

    A very focused episode of Breaking Ground showcased two tag teams: the all-amateur pairing of Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, and the mis-matched rookie Mojo Rawley and WWE veteran Zach Ryder. Their journey through the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic anchors arguably the series’ best episode to-date.

    Show Recap:

    This edition spent a good deal of time with four men in two tag teams: former amateur wrestlers Jason Jordan and Chad Gable, former football player Mojo Rawley and current WWE superstar (doing double-duty in NXT) Zach Ryder.

    Jordan wrestled since he was a kid, something we learn about while seeing adorable childhood photos of him in a singlet at a meet. He’s a unique case, as wrestling has given him some structure in his life – compared to two of his older brothers, who are in jail. The coaches praise his athleticism, but noted he seemed to struggle at times to be believable in the ring. Regal says that until recently, he hadn’t found his “thing,” and we get clips of Jordan as an occasional enhancement talent on NXT television.

    Enter Chad Gable. We learn a bit about him. Like Jordan, he was a high-level amateur wrestler – he went to the 2012 Olympics. He’s smaller, athletic and has charisma. Jason Albert says Gable’s personality has rubbed on on Jordan a bit, and we see them hanging out and playing basketball. “I guess you never thought you’d lose to a short white guy in basketball,” jokes Gable. Later on, we tag along with them as they drive to an event. They joke around. Later we hear that Gable hurt his ankle in Texas, and the coaches move around some matches to maximize his rest so he’s ready for the Dusty Rhodes tournament.

    The contrast to the “best friends with similar backgrounds” tag team is Mojo Rawley and Zach Ryder. Mojo’s a crazy man who used to play football and made the NFL but got injured. He buys a house and parties in it. He’s young and loud, and despite his enthusiasm it seems like he’s peaked in NXT already. The coaches discuss in a meeting that he doesn’t get what an opening match is supposed to be or have.

    Enter Zach Ryder, his new partner – and coincidentally, an opening match guy on the WWE main roster. Ryder’s more experienced and more mature, and sees the tag team as an opportunity to get back to the main roster more regularly – and to probably prove to WWE that he can be used to help younger guys, which could extend his tenure. And Rawley sees Ryder as a path to the main roster. Yet in an odd contrast, Ryder and Rawley don’t ride together (Rawley travels with Dana Brooke) and they text each other regularly, but they aren’t best friends or anything. The show seemingly goes out of its way to show Jordan and Gable riding together and being buddies and Ryder and Mojo being mis-matched.

    In addition to the main two teams, we hang out with ZZ and Cal Bishop. ZZ is still woefully out-of-shape and has horrible cardio, and actually walks out of a cardio workout (with Albert and Robbie Brookside yelling at him to continue) because he’s so blown up. Cal Bishop is a California kid signed out of college by Gerry Briscoe, but currently out with a shoulder injury. Dana Brooke and the coaches praise him for his look and his commitment, especially since he’s gone through all the rehab for his injury. He cuts a promo in promo class about adversity and battling through it. It’s actually pretty good, and they seem to really make viewers like him. On this show, that either means he’s either going to do really well or he’s going to get cut next week.

    Final Thoughts:

    The more focused Breaking Ground has been in its episodes, the better the show has been. This was easily the most focused episode and so far, the best the series has been in helping audiences get to know the NXT talent.

  • Daily pro wrestling history (11/23): John Cena & Edge win WWE titles, Scott Hall wins World War 3

    1933

    St. Louis, Missouri:
    – Ray Steele beat John Pesek 
    – Orville Brown and George Zaharias wrested to a 30 minute draw
    – Dick Shikat beat Fred “Frank” Speer  

    1961

    Rochester, Minnesota:
    – Bob Geigel & Otto von Krupp (Boris Malenko) beat Dale Lewis & Pat Kennedy to win AWA tag title
    – Millie Stafford & Annette Palmer beat Jessica Rogers & Mars Monroe
    – George Armstrong (sub Steve Druk) beat Jules LaRance

    1965

    Sioux City, Iowa:
    – AWA Champion Mad Dog Vachon beat Mad Russian Stan Pulaski
    – Reggie Parks beat Haru Sasaki dq
    – Mitsu Arakawa drew Billy Red Cloud
    – Tim Woods beat Danny Plechas

    1968

    Chicago, Illinois:
    – Verne Gagne beat Blackjack Lanza by countout
    – Dick the Bruiser & the Crusher beat Larry Hennig & Harley Race
    – Edouard Carpentier beat Mitsu Arakawa
    – Bill Watts beat Mike Riker
    – Pampero Firpo beat Fernando Stampos

    1972

    Kansas City, Kansas: (Thanksgiving show)
    – Rufus R. Jones defeated Juan Sebastian
    – Les Thornton defeated Hans Schmidt via DQ
    – The Destroyer defeated Bobby Whitlock
    – Harley Race fought Black Angus to a double-CO
    – Black Angus won a 17-man Battle Royal 

    1978

    Minneapolis, Minnesota:
    – Non title: Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat AWA Tag Team Champions Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens
    – Super Destroyer Mark II beat Billy Robinson
    – Bobby Duncum beat Paul Ellering
    – Steve Olsonoski beat Cecil DuBois dq
    – Iron Sheik beat Kenny Jay

    1981 

    New York, New York:
    – Pedro Morales defeated Magnificent Muraco to win the WWF Intercontinental Title 

    1994 

    San Antonio, Texas:
    – Bob Backlund defeated Bret Hart to win the WWF World Heavyweight Title 
    – The Undertaker defeated Yokozuna in a Casket Match

    1996

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Steven Dunn & Flash Flanagan defeated The Grimm Twins (Ron & Don Harris) to win the USWA Tag Team Titles 

    1997 

    Auburn Hills, Michigan:
    – WCW Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr 
    – WCW United States Champion Curt Hennig defeated Ric Flair 
    – Scott Hall won the three ring, 60-man World War 3 battle royal 

    2008 

    Boston, Massachusetts:
    – Edge defeated Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov to win the WWE Title 
    – John Cena defeated Chris Jericho to win the WWE World Title

    2014

    St. Louis, Missouri:
    – Nikki Bella defeated AJ Lee to win the Divas Title
    – Team Cena defeated Team Authority
    – The Miz and Damien Mizdow defeated The Usos, Goldust & Stardust and Los Matadores to win the WWE Tag Team Titles

  • ROH bringing in New Japan talent for February Vegas weekend

    Ring of Honor announced on Monday that they will be bringing in stars from New Japan Pro Wrestling for their first PPV event of 2016, their 14th anniversary show, as well as for television tapings the next day.

    Both the 2/26 PPV and the 2/27 taping for four weeks of TV will be held at Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The weekend is timed to take place between New Japan tours so the top stars will be available, ensuring they’ll be on several weeks of ROH TV.

    The first name publicly announced is New Japan’s most charismatic wrestler, current IC champion Shinsuke Nakamura with other names to be announces soon.

    Just last week, ROH announced their move to Comet TV, a Sinclair-owned science fiction station that is available in some form or fashion in 65 million homes. The company’s final show on Destination America will be this Wednesday at 11 PM EST.

  • TNA announces five night run of TV tapings

    On Monday, TNA announced its next round of television tapings: five straight days in Bethlehem, PA, at The Sands Bethlehem Events Center, a
    building TNA has taped at in the past.

    Announced for the tapings are Kurt Angle, Matt & Jeff Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Ethan Carter III, Drew Galloway, Bobby Roode, Gail Kim and Tigre
    Uno.

    The tapings will start with a live show on 1/5 that will serve as the debut episode of Impact on Pop TV. It’s more likely the show will be semi-live as previously advertised live shows over the past year plus have actually been same day tapings delayed by two hours.

    They will also be taping every day through 1/9. Between these tapings and scheduled tapings in the U.K. at the end of January, the promotion should be covered for all television for the first quarter of 2016.

    There will be an Internet pre-sale starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday through Thursday at 10 p.m.  TNA will be announcing a code for tickets
    shortly.  Tickets will go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. to the public at Ticketmaster or at 800-745-3000.

    Last week, TNA announced their move to POP TV, a station that reaches 85 million homes.

  • Combat Zone Wrestling Night of Infamy iPPV report 11/21

    By Bob Magee

    Combat Zone Wrestling returned  to the Flyers Skate Zone last night live, and on iPPV for Night of Infamy 2015, its go-home show leading up to the annual Cage of Death: 

    The pre-show opened with Dave Crist and the remaining members of OI4K cutting a promo on behalf of Jake Crist .

    * Xavier defeated Aaron Williams

    * Post-match Neiko Sozio came out with a kendo stick directed at OI4K….This segued into Sozio vs. Dave Crist. Crist defeated Sozio after repeated interference by OI4K, including a somersault plancha off the top rope to knock Sozio out. Post-match, apaprently just for fun, Dave Crist super kicked one of the CZW security stafft. 

    Night of Infamy

    * Bad Boy Joey Janela defeated Lio Rush to successfully defend his CZW Wired Television Title after caught him with an inside pinfall out of nowhere. 

    * Greg Excellent (with Chrissy Rivera) submitted “Wrench” Conor Claxton. with a double leg submission.

    * TV Ready (Pepper Parks/Blk Jeez with Cherry Bomb with her arm in a sling at ringside) defeated Nation of Intoxication’s Lucky 13 and Devon Moore, as Parks got the pinfall after a BLK Jeez top rope double stomp.

    * Chainsaw Joe Gacy and Tim Donst went to a no-contest after an out of control brawl. The crowd didn’t seem happy with a match being thrown out in CZW. Joe Gacy says he wants another match with Donst at Cage of Death on December 12…an I quit match.

    * AR Fox defeated Nation of Intoxication’s Danny Havoc by pinfall

    * Bill Carr and Dan Barry of Team Tremendous successfully defended their CZW World Tag Team Titles over IWA Mid South’s The Hooligans (Devin Cutter and Mason Cutter).

    Post match, Cherry Bomb ballshotted Dick Justice, then TV Ready jumped Team Tremendous and challenged them for the CZW Tag Team Titles next month at Cage of Death. 

    *  MASADA defeated Drew Gulak (with Rory Gulak) with a knockout after several knee strikes by MASADA

    * The main event saw a Squared Circle of Sacrifice match with Bulldozer Matt Tremont successful defended his CZW World Heavyweight Title against DJ Hyde after a Death Valley Driver on a barbed wire board. A Squared Circle of Sacrifice match turned out to be two sides of the ring with barbed wire ropes, two sides exposed with chairs and barbed wire boards, not to mention staple guns, cinder blocks, glass panels, and light tubes in or around the ring.

  • WWE Survivor Series 2015 Reader Feedback

    Thumbs way down.
    All the talent and possibilities they have and those are the final two standing? Shows who the bosses want, we get. Sheamus and Reigns. Wow. Couldn’t have booked it worse if they wanted to lose viewers tomorrow night and the foreseeable future as fast as possible.
    Awful.

    Brian Mazza

    Thumbs uppish.

    Best match: Ambrose v Owens

    Worst: Undertaker/Kane v The Wyatts

    The matches were mostly entertaining if not especially memorable. The curse of the show was match endings seemingly : the traditional Survivors match (pretty good until New Day walks out, hen… well…), Charlotte/Paige, Ziggler/Breeze & the Reigns/Ambrose final were all marred by it. Only Reigns/Del Rio & Ambrose/Owens built to a satisfying payoff.

    The “surprise” Sheamus win makes sense from a story perspective, but I can’t say it makes me interested in future directions, & it didn’t do Roman any favors. For a second it looked like they were doing a double-turn with him & Triple H…

    Steven Grant

    Henderson NV

    Dave,

    This show sucked, thumbs down.

    Best match ADR vs Reigns
    Worst match 10 man tag w/Shameus

    Ambrose’s upper body is awful. Needs to get on the main event gimmicks. He looks like me when I work out and I should not be a wwe main eventer.

    I don’t know if it’s too late for this but I loved the Tenryu retirement show, big thumbs up.

    Best match Tenryu vs Okada
    Worst match tag w/Ogawa

    Thanks, Erin Hotovy

    Hi Dave,
      Just thought I would provide some Feedback on Survivor Series. I gave the show a thumbs in the middle, not that bad, good in spots, but not really that great either. Better then a “B” show, but not by much. I would have to say the best match of the night would probably be the Taker/Kane match VS The Wyatts since it was a cool spectacle but mostly just big spots at the right time, and the worst match of the night would have to be the 5 on 5 elimination match during the main show. I missed the elimination match on the pre show.

    Roman / Del Rio – I thought this was a pretty good match, my two choices for the winning the title when the tournament began was both of these guys, I think Alberto would be a great heel champ, and I think Roman would have also made for a great heel champ as well, but more on that later. Good win for Roman.

    Ambrose / Owens – Was not all that surprised to see Ambrose win, even though I was pulling for Owens since I think he is one of the most talented guys on the roster right now. But they have been building on the friendship between Roman and Dean during the tournament and what would happen if they met in the finals, so I saw the Ambrose win coming. Ah well.

    New Day / Sheamus / Barrett VS Lucha Dragons / Usos / Ryback – Match was entertaining and good for comedy because of the New Day, but also got my vote for worst match of the night because it was just a comedic throw away match. It’s hard to watch matches like this where it’s just built around the comedy segments. And I’m a fan of New Day and they have won me over with their comedy spots, but hard to take them seriously as a result and they are tag champs right now so it dilutes the title as a result.

    Paige / Charlotte – Not a bad match for the Divas title, was very good in spots and very physical, but have seen better. I think the whole angle with Flair and her late brother really just ruined the match for me, so it was hard for me to get into this match as a result. Although WWE really retracted on the angle they used on Raw and tried to back track and utilize damage control, the match was really ruined in my opinion from that tasteless angle which still has me dumbfounded why they would go that route and mention Reid Flair the way they did. Just bad taste and was not necessary at all to get the match over. But good to see Charlotte retain since Paige is starting to get annoying in my opinion as they are making her character a little too whiney and complaining. Just stick to having good matches and get the ball back rolling on the Divas revolution.

    Ziggler / Tyler – Didn’t really care who won this match since the whole feud has really been pointless. But good win for Breeze since it would be dumb to have him lose after just making his main roster debut. However having him with Summer Rae is not doing him any favors. Poor Summer just seems to be the career killer for everyone, lol.

    Taker /Kane VS the Wyatt Family – I thought this was a very good match for what it was and who was involved. I knew Taker and Kane couldn’t really do much to carry the match that long in this latter stage of both their careers and the Wyatts would really have to step up and make it look good. I think it would have been better and really a no brainer to have a traditional 5 on 5 elimination match since it would make everyone look that much better, but this seemed to work out just fine too. Really cool entrance by Undertaker, was expecting more in general throughout the night in honor of the Taker since they were celebrating his 25 years since his debut in WWE in 1990 but this match served it’s purpose well. I thought a good angle they could have utilized if they went for a traditional elimination match would be to have mystery surprise partners for Taker and Kane, possibly Sting, Batista, and Brock as his partners would have been awesome. But that’s just me playing fantasy league booker, lol. But good match otherwise.

    Roman / Dean – Not sure what to say about this match. I think Roman as a face is going nowhere fast. Evident by crowd starting to boo him. Was hoping Roman would turn heel during the match on Dean and win the title as a heel champion. I think Roman as a heel champion would be awesome. Face Roman not so much. When Roman did win the title, I automatically thought something was up since they still had plenty of time left on the show for something to happen, which I knew would not bode well for Roman. And of course that’s exactly what happened when Triple H came to the ring then Sheamus cashed in and won the title. Kind of lazy in my opinion. And Roman gets screwed out of the title again since WrestleMania. Face Roman is just not going to get over. Heel Roman will make a great champion. But Shemaus as champ? Wasn’t he just in a comedy filler mid match card? Well it was an entertaining show but not the greatest. They can only improve from this point. Go heel Roman!

    Thanks,
    Jon Southerland
    Clovis, Ca.

    WWE Survivor Series

    Thumbs in the middle: Not that great of a show, it started good but lost steam down the line. Way too many video packages and outside the ring stuff. Between the end of the Ziggler vs Breeze match and the start of the main event there were 37 minutes with just ten of in-ring action for the Taker match, only to do a rushed final. 

    Best Match: Ambrose vs Owens

    Worst Match: Tag Opener 

    1. Goldust, Neville, O’neill & Dudleys vs Dallas, Miz, Stardust & Ascension. A total throwaway match. 

    2. Reigns vs ADR. Good opener. Finally Del Rio had a good match. ***1/2

    3. Ambrose vs Owens. Very good but these two can be better; given the result, it’s possible they’ll have a feud. ***3/4

    4. Ryback, Lucha Dragons & Usos vs. Barrett, Sheamus & New Day. It started good but once the New Day walked away the match died. In fact, they never got the crowd fully back for the rest of the show. **3/4

    5. Charlotte vs Paige. They really tried and did some cool spots but the crowd was dead. Maybe it was the New Day walk out effect, the Charlotte’s brother angle effect or that people just don’t care about the divas. Maybe a bit of all. ***

    6. Breeze vs Ziggler. Too short to be something. **

    7. Taker & Kane vs Wyatt & Harper. They put Harper there to take the bumps. Taker did his thing so it was fine. Hopefully this is the end of their feud. **1/2

    8. Reigns vs Ambrose. What they did was good but way too rushed. It was clear that there was an angle coming. ***

    9. Sheamus vs Reigns. In 2015 Sheamus is the WWE champion once again. Those title matches vs Ryback (given the result of the tag match) will be great. What’s next, Barrett turning on him? I just hope that this is not an excuse to do the dreaded Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan match at Mania (N/R)

    Leonardo Mendes Toledo

    Thumbs Up
    Best Match: Reigns v Ambrose
    Worst Match: Charlotte v Paige

    I think they made a big mistake with the succesful cash in. Could sense that was coming for Triple H to sucker him with a handshake and when Reigns is a face who sees right through it, made him stand out. If he was able to beat Sheamus too, I have to think that would have really cemented him. “This guy survived a tourney, hunter, and a cash in? Wow”. Not like they have to protect the briefcase anymore since two people have failed. This would get the case off Sheamus and potentially also allow an opponent for TLC by The Authority sending Sheamus against Reigns. But no, now Reigns is champion for a moment now has to chase *again*. No matter how the storyline spins it most audience members will now see reigns as a guy who blew it *again*

    Anyway this was another good event. At this point I forget the last PPV I didnt like. Had technical issues first 10-15 of the preshow, as a lot folks did apparently on Twitter. All three tournament matches were great. Im a sucker for Owens but thought Ambrose-Owens was the weakest of the three just slightly off but still good. Liked both elimination matches, The New Day one more. The trombone moment was priceless especially with Wade. The divas match should have started with Charlotte going balistic and there wasnt enough of that. More stiff than WWE womens matches but just lacking a little. Glad to see Breeze win after the tourney handling.

    Think WWE was hoping the crowd would take over singing for Lilian as many other sports teams have done at times like these but they didnt get going.

    So TLC will likely be the aforementioned Sheamus-Reigns match and guessing basically they “have” to have Sheamus retain which frankly sucks, makes Reigns keep choking. If theres some title held up or other wackiness its Bryan-Orton/Authority all over again.

    Reigns may not be perfect right now but they had the chance to strap a triple rocket to the guy and see what happens ans they went the other way here. Too bad.

    Michael O’Brien

    WWE Survivor Series Feedback

    Thumbs Up

    Best Match: Roman Reigns vs Alberto Del Rio

    Worst match: Goldust, Dudleys, Titus O’Neal and Neville vs Acension, The Miz, Bo Dallas and Stardust

    I enjoyed the show as a whole and am glad to have watched it. I am however disappointed in the finishing Money In The Bank angle. WWE had a chance to light a spark tonight with a great match between Reigns and Ambrose if they were given time but they went with booking that wasn’t really for me. I do hope they move toward Reigns winning the title from Sheamus at TLC or Rumble as I don’t see it as a Mania main event but they will probably want The Authority involved no matter what. They really need to move on from the booking of MITB surprise wins as it is played out after ten years. They could keep MITB and just get rid of the rule that it is any time and place.

    All that being said the in-ring action was good tonight. The semi-finals were good. Charlotte and Paige had a much better match than I expected and was the best stuff from Charlote since she came to the main roster. I liked the main show elimination match as a showcase for The New Day, Xavier Woods is one of my favorites to watch right now.

    I didn’t have a lot of interest in Undertaker and Kane, but did think that Luke Harper made the most of the showcase.

    Dave Musgrave

    Oshawa, Ontario

    Thumbs way down.

    Best match:  Ambrose/Owens or Reigns/Del Rio

    Worst match:  Reigns and Ambrose or that atrocious tag match between BOD and Wyatts.

    I don’t know what I expected from this clueless company.  The worst part is this show was good until the last two matches.  They were both so bad that it just invalidated the rest of the show.  If I didn’t enjoy the network as an entity and NXT so much I’d cancel my subscription tonight.  I sure as hell have zero interest in watching Raw now.  I mean, I was glad Sheamus cashed in but I don’t care about him as a champion, I don’t hate it like I hate Roman Reigns as a champion, but I really don’t care at all.

    And I don’t mind Reigns as a worker, I usually enjoy his matches.  The match with Del Rio was great.  But once he’s in the Cena spot you know WWE is going to write the same shitty stories with Reigns that they do with Cena.  That match with Ambrose should have been great, but it was completely devoid of any drama and suspense and the finish was flatter than Pepsi. 

    I like that guys like Owens, Neville, and Breeze are making main roster money but I selfishly wish they’d just stayed in NXT instead of being on Raw.  No wonder Finn Balor says he doesn’t want to be on the main roster.  I don’t blame him.

    By the way I didn’t think it possible since I loved him as a kid but I absolutely hate the Undertaker now and can’t wait for him to retire already.

    – Ben Brennan

    Best match Roman Reigns vs Alberto Del Rio

    Worst match Sheamus vs Roman Reigns

    Almost gave it a thumbs in the middle due to the ending but I really did enjoy everything else on the show…but they Lex Lugered Reigns, he will never be the guy after this.

    Wade Hauge

    Overall: Thumbs up show. Going into the event WWE had two main objectives; crown a new champion and cement a #1 heel. When Sheamus cashed in the briefcase and defeated Reigns, he achieved the objectives and in doing so provided a needed change to the landscape of WWE. All of the tournament matches were meaningful, different and enjoyable.  The Undertaker match was pure nostalgic fun. The rest of the card was take it or leave it. I would have left the WWE Divas title match.

    Best Match: I would provide a slight edge to Ambrose/Owens over Reigns/Del Rio, though both matches were very good.

    Worst Match: The Divas match was long and missable. They tried and failed.

    Preshow Survivor Series Match: Neville, Dudley Boys, Titus and Goldust vs. The Ascension, Bo Dallas, Stardust, and The Miz. Entertaining addition to the Survivor Series pre show. I am glad to have Goldust back. The wrestlers looked like they were having a good time at the onset. The crowd was tame for the majority of the match and the heat segment did wane. Nonetheless, it was a crowd pleasing finish with the babyface team getting a strong victory. **

    WWE World Championship Semifinal Match: Alberto Del Rio vs. Roman Reigns. Good match. Pedestrian and somewhat clunky beginning with some well timed and unexpected transitions going down the stretch. Crowd was only lukewarm for Reigns, but they appreciated the action and effort in the ring. If the plan is to make Reigns earn the belt with two long and hard fought matches. Step one was successful. ***

    WWE World Championship Semifinal Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens. Very good match. They went back and forth to start, settled into some formula heat during the middle, and took it home with an awesome closing sequence. The crowd is interested, but they don’t seem invested in cheering one wrestler and booing the other. ***1/2

    WWE Divas Title Match: Charlotte vs. Paige. Disappointing contest.  The action was okay at best and the story was inconsistent and difficult to follow. Many contrast the difference in presentation of women in NXT compared to WWE. Not enough emphasis is placed on the disparity of in ring quality between women in NXT and WWE.  The fact that the same women who shined in the ring in NXT look confused and uncoordinated in WWE is baffling. *1/2

    Tyler Breeze vs. Dolph Ziggler. The action was crisp, the crowd was cold. Call it the crowd, call it the spot on the card, call it whatever you want; the reaction and crowd response was absent. **

    Survivor Series Match: Ryback, Lucha Dragons, and The Usos vs. The New Day, Shemus, and King Barrett. Bizarre layout for a heel vs. face Survivor Series match. Up to the point that the New Day left, the action was strong. Once the New Day left, the air was let out of the room. The most unlikeable character in the match, Sheamus, was the most valiant and courageous of the ten.  The last five minutes felt like dead air. **

    Brother of Destruction vs. Wyatt Family. Fun nostalgia match that served as another enjoyable pit stop on the Undertaker retirement tour. Taker looked good and Kane, Harper, and Wyatt fulfilled their respective roles sufficiently. An angle closing match that ended with an emphatic exclamation point that pleased the live crowd. ***

    WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose. Shorter than expected, but intense and competitive while it lasted. The match ended before they reached the peak, which made the finish less predictable. All of the after the bell shenanigans, from the show of respect, to the confetti, followed by the spear to Triple H, and concluding with the MITB cash in and Sheamus victory were all spot on. **3/4 for the match.

    Derrick Hubbard

    Definitely a THUMBS UP.  A solid show all the way around.

    Good tournament matches, a good backstage promo by Kevin Owens, a surprisingly good women’s match sans Sasha Banks, and a good surprise to close the show.  I *swear* when I saw that confetti, so evocative of Daniel Bryan’s title victory where he immediately lost the belt, I knew that Sheamus would be cashing in.  (I was less sure he would win, but I saw the cash in, especially with so much time left.)  I’m not sure I understand Reigns being angry with HHH, or how this is going to play out in a way that makes sense.  Also, I can’t wait until some heel or wise baby face gets intentionally counted out or disqualified at one of these unfair cash-ins.

    BEST MATCH:  I honestly think it was Reigns-Del Rio.  Del Rio looked great, and worked well with Reigns.

    WORST MATCH: Breeze-Ziggler was technically good, but lacked a bit of emotion for me.  Still, I do like Prince Pretty.  (He needs some work on promos though, as we saw in the Social Media Lounge.)

    Richard Orloski

  • Ring of Honor 11/21 TV results and recap: ROH TV Title match Jay Lethal vs Roderick Strong

    The Big Takeaway – Excellent TV title match caps off a strong episode of ROH TV this week.   

    Moose w/Stokely Hathaway vs Dominick Carter

     Carter is a 200 lb’er that looks like he’s about 12 years old so this probably isn’t going to go very well for him. A handshake and a spear and it’s over.

    WINNER – MOOSE by pinfall

    Hathaway takes a mic and calls out Jay Lethal. He promises that Moose will be the next ROH champion. He says that this sounds familiar and references Big Mike, Michael Elgin. He says that Moose is bigger, stronger and a better wrestler than him because he beat his opponent faster than Elgin did last week. He suggests that Elgin packs up his things and gets to the back of the line. This brings out Elgin. He says that Moose did beat his opponent quicker but Elgin’s opponent was 200 lbs heavier. He chastises Moose for not speaking for himself and Moose says “we can do this right now”. They look like they’re going to square off but this brings out the House of Truth.

    Truth Martini accompanied by an unnamed lovely young redhead, along with Donovan Dijak and J Diesel. He makes fun of all 3, calling Hathaway toddler-size and says none of them are worth of saying Lethal’s name. He does identify the woman as the “very lovely Tayler Hendrix”. She looks much different than she did in TNA, kind of Lady Gaga-ish, if Gaga had red hair. He says everything they were talking about was “whack”. Elgin says he’s going to take Martini’s side piece and check into a motel later, which pops the crowd. Martini says no one talks to Tayler like that and we can do this right now.

    Moose w/Stokely Hathaway and Michael Elgin vs The House of Truth (Donovan Dijak/J Diesel) w/Truth Martini and Tayler Hendrix

    They start by brawling on the outside with Elgin and Moose completely dominating as we go to commercial. After a break, they’re in the ring and Elgin is all over Dijak. He makes a tag to Moose, who nails a perfect dropkick. The story here is that Elgin and Moose are competing to see who looks more impressive. Moose stares at Elgin after each move and then does a hard tag to Elgin.

    Elgin does the Harry Smith delayed suplex while the crowd counts on Dijak. They get to about 30 before Elgin finally drops him. Then Elgin and Moose get into a shouting and shoving match. Diesel and Dijak try to take advantage but Moose and Elgin are ready for it. Tayler gets involved and that’s enough to turn the tables as Diesel gets a brief flurry of offence on Moose. Kelly brings up that Diesel now wants to go by his real name, Jay “Diesel” Daddiego.

    That doesn’t last long as Elgin gets tagged in and runs wild, ending off by nailing Dijak and Daddiego with a cannonball out of the ring and then grabbing Hendrix, threatening to kiss her but then tossing her aside. Kelly points out that the House of Truth is banned from ringside for the TV title main event. Elgin with a Buckle Bomb on Daddiego but not before Moose hits a blind tag. Moose hits a spear and steals the pin and the two get into another staredown after the pin.

    WINNERS – MOOSE/MICHAEL ELGIN by pinfall

    Storytime with Adam Cole is next and he’s here to talk about the Kingdom. Matt Taven and Michael Bennett have reigned supreme and beaten everyone that’s got in their path. We then get highlights of last week’s title defence against the Addiction. The masked KRD guy helped the Kingdom retain. They will face War Machine at Final Battle. And next week on ROH TV, Cole goes one on one with Dalton Castle.

    We get a video package next for tonight’s main event with a promo from Roderick Strong mixed in with video footage of their previous battles. Excellent rundown for anyone that might just be tuning in and not familiar with their history.

    Back to the ring and BJ Whitmer is there with Adam Page and Colby Corino. He mocks Steve Corino’s retirement speech last week. He doesn’t believe Corino’s story about a broken neck and feels he’s just scared. He calls out Nigel at ringside for believing his story.  He then calls Nigel a liar for quitting a couple years ago. Nigel gets into the ring to confront Whitmer. Nigel is sick of listening to Whitmer’s whining. He says if Corino can’t be at Final Battle then neither can Whitmer. Adam Page is guilty by association and he can’t be there either.

    Main Event for the ROH World Television Title –

    Champion Jay Lethal vs Roderick Strong

     Duelling chants to start. After a bit of grappling where Strong has the advantage, Lethal goes to the outside to regroup. Back in and Strong has Lethal tired up in knots  but Lethal manages to escape and grabs his belt to tease a countdown but Strong follows him and chases him back into the ring. Strong nails a dropkick and Lethal rolls out again as we go to break.

    After the break, they’re both outside the ring and Lethal whips Strong into the barricade a few times and soaks in the jeers of the crowd. Lethal tosses him back into the ring after chopping him a few times and is firmly in control. They exchange chops in the ring and Lethal selling the power of the chop but still in control as Nigel explains that being whipped into the barricades took a lot out of Strong.

    Another chop battle in the middle of the ring and Strong gets the better of it, knocking Lethal down. Lethal Injection but Strong counters with a dropkick to the back of Lethal’s head. Both guys down and another duelling chant from the crowd starts up. Both up and Strong nailing Lethal with chops and he’s grabbing his chest in pain. Lethal goes for the Lethal combination but Strong blocks it and then hits a series of running forearms on Lethal. He tries for a running knee strike but Lethal blocks it. Strong then hits a backbreaker for a 2 as we go to another break.

    Back from break and Lethal has Strong in a triangle submission hold but Strong makes the ropes for the break and then rolls out. Lethal does his trifecta running dives to the outside but Strong catches him on the third and gives him an Olympic Slam (called as such) on the floor. They both struggle to get back in the ring before the 20 count.

    Another chop exchange and Lethal gets the best of it, dropping Strong with a DDT at the end. Lethal goes to the top rope but Strong catches up to his and they battle on the turnbuckle. Strong with a slam off the top and they both go flying. Strong puts on the Stronghold in the centre of the ring. Lethal maneuvers into a pinning combination for two. Lethal with a Superkick to set up the Lethal Injection. Strong kicks out and that draws some boos and a THAT WAS THREE chant.

    Lethal questioning the ref as well and sets up for another Lethal Injection but takes his time and Strong rolls him up for two. Strong then hits three straight high knees and then sets Lethal up on the top turnbuckle. Lethal reverses into a Blockbuster from the top rope and that only gets a two. More boos from the crowd and Lethal is incredulous.

    Lethal covers him a couple more times but Strong kicks out and then springs to his feet. Lethal with two straight superkicks and then runs the ropes but Strong catches him with a jumping knee. Gutbuster, Sick Kick and a Backbreaker follow. Strong then puts on the Stronghold in the centre and Lethal taps.

    WINNER AND NEW ROH WORLD TV CHAMPION – RODERICK STRONG by submission

    Announcers put this over huge as it’s the first time in over a year that Lethal’s been pinned. Martini and Hendrix out to console Lethal outside the ring as Strong celebrates in the ring.