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  • WWE Smackdown July 31 TV results: Cesaro & Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens

    By Steve Khan, WrestlingObserver.com

    – Air Date: July 30, 2015 (July 29 in Canada)

    – Location: BOK Center in Tulsa, OK

    The Big News:

    Cesaro pinned Kevin Owens in a tag-team main event.

    Show Recap:

    Seth Rollins came out to start the show. They aired clips of John Cena beating him on Raw and footage of Rollins breaking Cena’s nose. Rollins was greeted with “You tapped out” chants.

    Rollins said he reached his breaking point on Raw and his rage got the best of him, which is why he broke Cena’s nose and sent him to the emergency room. He cut to the footage again, this time in slow motion. They also showed the photos from the website of Cena’s busted face.

    Rollins laughed and called it gruesome and beautiful. Cesaro interrupted because he didn’t want to hear Rollins go on and on (and on and on) like he does every week, and reminded Rollins that he tapped out. Rollins said he didn’t tap, it was a strategic move because he has bigger things to worry about than Cena’s little US Title.

    Cesaro mentioned that he and Rollins have a rematch later but said he could make Rollins tap out right now. Rollins accepted his challenge. Rollins was given some pretty bad dialogue here.

    Non-Title: Cesaro beat WWE Champion Seth Rollins via DQ

    Cesaro tried a sharpshooter but Rollins escaped the ring and Kevin Owens sauntered out to join commentary. Phillips asked Owens about his interview from the website. Owens said he wasn’t going to repeat himself and Phillips can just go watch it.

    Owens told Phillips he should call the match like he’s being paid to do. Owens said he broke his nose in his first NXT match but nobody was talking about that. Owens reminded Phillips that he was there for that but wasn’t calling Owens a hero like Cena.

    As Cesaro went for the big swing, Owens asked the announcers if they remember when he said Cesaro should watch is back. Owens then left the announce table and attacked Cesaro for the DQ. Rollins looked annoyed at first but they double teamed Cesaro briefly and left. Owens was great on commentary.

    8-Man Tag Match: Lucha Dragons & Los Matadores (w/El Torito) beat The Ascension & The New Day (w/Xavier Woods)

    New Day cut a fun promo before match—which I can’t really do justice—saying they should be number one contenders if they beat both the Lucha Dragons and Los Matadores tonight. I believe they called Big E, “Big Wool” because he’s a heavy sweater. Prime Time Players were on commentary again and Darren Young wore glasses and had a clipboard to take notes.

    Heels got the heat on Sin Cara until he made the hot tag to Kalisto. Torito took out Woods with a 619 (around the ring post). Los Matadores took out Konner with dives and Kalisto pinned Viktor with a rollup. New Day berated Viktor afterwards. They could probably make better use of Kalisto who really stands out even in limited action.

    Backstage, Rich Brennan caught up with Kevin Owens who was leaving the building. Brennan informed Owens that he was teaming with Rollins to face Cesaro and a partner of his choosing. Owens didn’t know this, but said whoever teams with Cesaro is going to be sorry.

    They aired a video package for Becky Lynch. She called herself the best and was gunning for Nikki Bella’s diva’s title. Lynch also said that she teamed with Paige because she’s known Paige since she was 13 years old.

    Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt did a promo. Wyatt said they were going to fix a mistake and asked Roman Reigns if he could trust Dean Ambrose the way Bray trusts Harper. I think that’s what he said, anyway.

    Rusev (w/Summer Rae) beat Jack Swagger via submission

    Before the match, Rusev ranted about Lana and is mad at himself for falling for a backstabbing Russian-wannabe. Rusev casually told Summer that they would take Dog Ziggler for a walk after he crushes his opponent. They were about to kiss, but Jack Swagger interrupted. Rusev was great again.

    Jerry Lawler asked why they named the dog “Ziggler,” and would love to see puppies on SmackDown, so he’s a little behind. A fan yelled “Get out of my country!” at Rusev. Simmer down, guy.

    They had a surprisingly long match here in Swagger’s home state. It felt long and boring at first, but to their credit, it picked up and was pretty good by the end. The crowd was sort of behind Swagger was well.

    Eventually, Rusev hit a superkick and applied the Accolade. Swagger almost fought out of it, but Rusev squeezed it in and Swagger tapped.

    After the match, Rusev was about to kiss Summer, but he noticed Swagger getting to his feet. Rusev charged at him but Swagger countered with a slam and ankle lock. Rusev crawled out of the ring to escape. Swagger posed and they played his music. Weird.  

    Backstage, Brennan asked Cesaro if he found a partner. Cesaro looked at his Tyson Kidd armband and said, “not here.” Cesaro said he has a problem with both Rollins and Owens and doesn’t care if he has to fight alone.

    Stardust beat R-Truth via pinfall

    Stardust won with Cross Rhodes, which he is now calling The Queen’s Crossbow, another Green Arrow reference. After the match, Stardust told Truth he’s failed this city and tried to put a Stardust mask on him (the one they sell for kids) while calling out Neville. Neville ran out and caught him with a dive. Stardust managed to bail through the crowd. The crowd didn’t care about any of this, not even Neville running out.

    Backstage, Sheamus cut a nothing promo. He doesn’t like Randy Orton.

    They aired a video package for Brock Lesnar/Undertaker and announced that Lesnar would be on Raw.

    Cesaro & Dean Ambrose beat Kevin Owens & Seth Rollins via pinfall

    Cesaro entered ready to fight on his own, but Ambrose came out before the bell rang. He ran right after Rollins, of course, and the heels bailed just in time for commercial.

    The heels worked over Cesaro for a few minutes until he tagged Ambrose, who ran wild on Rollins. Owens got in Ambrose’s way allowing Rollins to hit him with a turnbuckle powerbomb. He followed with a flying knee and superkick but Ambrose kicked out. Ambrose dodged a senton from Owens and tagged Cesaro who hit a Swissblade.

    Rollins tried to interfere but Cesaro got him in the big swing swing and sharpshooter. Cesaro then clotheslined himself and Owens to the floor. Ambrose took out Rollins with a superplex and clothesline. Owens caught him with a superkick and went for the pop-up powerbomb, but Cesaro rolled up Owens for the win.

    Cesaro celebrated like this was a big deal, jumping on the announce table to pose to the crowd. He hugged Ambrose and the show ended.  

    Final Thoughts:

    Rusev vs. Swagger was the top of the hour segment, which tells you all you need to know about this show. Cesaro getting another win is nice, but this was an otherwise missable show. You could really feel how light they were on talent the way certain segments were dragged out. Despite the light crew, the main event was only about 10 minutes.

    Also, no women’s match tonight. The revolution will be televised only some of the time.

  • UFC 190 Preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds & predictions

    By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com

    The most dominant champion in the UFC today makes her return to the Octagon on Saturday night when the UFC heads back to Rio de Janeiro for UFC 190 live on pay-per-view. The event, a four-hour main card with seven fights, airs at 10 PM eastern time on your local pay-per-view channel. A slate of six preliminary bouts begins at 7 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before heading over to FOX Sports 1 for more coverage at 8 PM eastern time.

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey headlines the event in her next title defense when she defends against the undefeated challenger, Bethe Correia, in her own home country of Brazil. Correia has the chance to shock the world and unseat Rousey as the champion at 135 pounds, but she will have her work cut out for her. In the night’s co-main event, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua takes on Antonio Rogeiro Nogueira in a rematch ten years in the making. There are several intriguing bouts on the card, so let’s take a closer look at five storylines to keep an eye on heading into Saturday’s UFC 190 event.

    1. Does Bethe Correia have a chance against Ronda Rousey?

    Bethe Correia has a chance to unseat Ronda Rousey and score the biggest upset in UFC history and become the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 190. But does she even stand a chance against Rousey? As of this writing, Rousey is a -1700 favorite in the betting odds, and if it closes that high, she will be the biggest favorite in UFC history. Correia is currently at +1100 on the betting odds, higher than any title challenger ever. That is all a testament to how dominant Rousey is because Correia is undefeated as well, scoring nine wins in nine professional fights.

    Correia has won three fights in the UFC Octagon. She scored a split decision over Julie Kedzie in her debut, then followed that with a unanimous decision win over Jessamyn Duke and a TKO win over Shayna Baszler. The last two wins have come over two of what is dubbed as the “Four Horsewomen”, a group of friends led by Rousey. Needless to say, Rousey is looking for revenge not just for that, but for comments Correia made about her personal life in recent months. Correia has seemingly unleashed another side of Rousey that we have yet to see, and Rousey has vowed to make Correia pay. Whether that is a quick fight or a prolonged beatdown remains to be seen.

    The big question still remains of whether Correia stands a chance. It is hard to envision that she does. Rousey has been the most dominant fighter of this era, and perhaps ever. She has finished all but one fight in the first round, and has won her last three fights in a combined 96 seconds. She has finished all of her opponents, and Correia has scored just two of her nine wins by finish. Correia had trouble against Duke, who has likely fizzled out of the UFC after three straight losses, and while she has some decent power, hitting Rousey is another thing. Those betting on Correia hope lightning strikes, but this fight belongs to Rousey. It is only a matter of how long will it take.

    2. What is left in the tank for Mauricio Rua and the Nogueira brothers?

    Three of the most popular Brazilian fighters in the history of the sport enter the Octagon on Saturday night as former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and twin brothers, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and former UFC and PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, compete at UFC 190. Rua and Rogerio will meet in the co-main event in a rematch of their bout from June 2005 in PRIDE, a fight won by Rua, while Rodrigo will take on Stefan Struve in a heavyweight bout.

    All three men have been in their share of wars in the past, and it has caught up to them. Rua is just 3-5 in eight fights since losing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship to Jon Jones, while the Nogueria brothers are both just 2-3 in their last five fights. Rua hasn’t fought since November, Rogerio hasn’t fought since July 2014, and Rodrigo hasn’t fought since April 2014. Rogerio has fought just twice since December 2011, and Rodrigo has fought just once in each of the last three years. All three men have had a litany of injuries over the years, and their best days are clearly behind them.

    Can magic strike for any of the three on Saturday? Rua and Rogerio had a classic battle in PRIDE, but that was over ten years ago now and both have slowed down due to the toll taken over the years. They have the chance to steal the show once again, and both are still capable of fun fights. Rodrigo has provided two classic moments over the years when the Octagon has been in Rio de Janeiro, and he has an opponent in Stefan Struve who has been in some tough battles as well and is capable of being finished. All three are legends in Brazil, and while their best days are behind them, the crowd will be in support of all three, and we will see what is left in their gas tanks these days.

    3. Will the next challenger for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship be decided?

    The UFC women’s strawweight division is less than a year old, but it is quickly building to being one of the most exciting divisions in the UFC. They have an exciting and undefeated champion in Joanna Jedrzejczyk who is coming off an impressive win and looking for her next challenge after defeating Jessica Penne in June. Jedrzejczyk is out of action for a little bit after injuring her thumb in that fight, and the next challenger for her could be decided on Saturday night in the main card opener. That is when Claudia Gadelha looks to rebound from her first career loss when she welcomes former WSOF Women’s Strawweight Champion, and in what many peoples’ eyes is the top strawweight in the world, Jessica Aguilar to the UFC for the first time.

    Gadelha is coming off her first career loss in December to the now-champion Jedrzejczyk, and it was a split decision in a close fight that many gave to Gadelha. It was Jedrzejczyk’s only real test to date, and a rematch for the title would definitely be next should Gadelha win. Aguilar stands in the way, and with a 10-fight win streak and being a high-profile signing, a win would also put her next in line. She is a well-rounded fighter but she also tends to be predictable in her attacks. She’ll need variance against Gadelha, who has a strong ground game. The betting odds favor Gadelha big time, and that is very surprising as some money could be made on Aguilar. This is a close fight on paper though I do tend to favor Gadelha as she has an edge on the feet.

    4. Can Neil Magny make it eight straight wins in a tough match-up against Demian Maia? 
    Neil Magny has been one of the pleasant surprises in the UFC’s welterweight division as he has racked off seven straight wins heading into UFC 190 on Saturday. He has been very active, fighting five times in 2014 and twice this year, and win-or-lose, you know he’ll be wanting to fight at least once, maybe twice, again this year. He is slowly climbing the rankings, but he is only ranked 13th, a testament to how tough the 170-pound division is. He hasn’t fought ranked competition yet, but that is changing on Saturday night as he looks to score his eighth straight win in his toughest test to date.

    That comes in the former of Demian Maia, a former title challenger at middleweight and winner of two straight fights after tough back-to-back losses to Jake Shields and Rory MacDonald. Maia has performed well in Rio de Janeiro, scoring a nasty submission win over Rick Story in his last fight in Rio. Maia is a big step up in competition for Magny, but it is what Magny needs if he is going to actually be able to get into title contention at 170 pounds. Most would assume that eight straight wins should mean a title shot, but that division is stacked, and a win here could get Magny a fight against a top-five opponent with a title opportunity on the line. Better yet, a win would move Magny up in the rankings and show that his win streak has been no fluke. It is a big test for him as they headline the preliminary card.

    5. What else is there to look for on the card?

    As typical with fight cards in Brazil, this event is stacked with Brazilian fighters looking to score wins in front of the home country crowd. This event will net the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4, which was moved from a June event due to visa issues. Glacio Franca and Fernando Bruno meet in the lightweight finals, and Reginaldo Vieira and Dileno Lopes meet in the bantamweight finals. Also on the main card is a heavyweight bout as Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva looks to end his 4-fight winless streak when he takes on Soa Palelei, who is 12-1 in his last 13 fights.

    In additional preliminary action, light heavyweights Rafael Cavalcante and Patrick Cummins square off as both look to rebound from a loss in their previous bout. TUF: Brazil season 3 winner Warlley Alves looks to remain undefeated in his career when he takes on Nordine Taleb, who sports a 3-0 record in the UFC. Iuri Alcantara looks to rebound from a disappointing loss when he takes on Leandro Issa, winner of two straight. Middleweights Vitor Miranda and Clint Hester also do battle, as well as bantamweights Hugo Viana and Guido Cannetti, who could both be fighting for their spot on the UFC roster on Saturday.

    Full UFC 190 Fight Card, Betting Odds & Predictions

    MAIN CARD (PPV- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)

    UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship: (C) Ronda Rousey vs. (#5) Bethe Correia
    Betting Odds: Rousey (-1700), Correia (+1100)
    Prediction: Rousey by submission in round 1

    Light Heavyweights: (#8) Mauricio Rua vs. (#11) Antonio Rogeiro Nogueira
    Betting Odds: Rua (-200), Nogueira (+170)
    Prediction: Rua by knockout in round 2

    TUF Brazil 4 Lightweight Finals: Glacio Franca vs. Fernando Bruno
    Betting Odds: Franca (-170), Bruno (+150)
    Prediction: Franca by decision

    TUF Brazil 4 Bantamweight Finals: Reginaldo Vieira vs. Dileno Lopes
    Betting Odds: Vieira (+260), Lopes (-320)
    Prediction: Lopes by submission in round 3

    Heavyweights: (#15) Stefan Struve vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
    Betting Odds: Struve (-170), Nogueira (+150)
    Prediction: Nogueira by submission in round 2

    Heavyweights: (#12) Antonio Silva vs. Soa Palelei
    Betting Odds: Silva (+170), Palelei (-200)
    Prediction: Palelei by knockout in round 1

    Women’s Strawweights: (#1) Claudia Gadelha vs. (#15) Jessica Aguilar
    Betting Odds: Gadelha (-450), Aguilar (+360)
    Prediction: Gadelha by decision

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

    Welterweights: (#6) Demian Maia vs. (#13) Neil Magny
    Betting Odds: Maia (-165), Magny (+145)
    Prediction: Maia by decision

    Light Heavyweights: (#10) Rafael Cavalcante vs. (#14) Patrick Cummins
    Betting Odds: Cavalcante (+140), Cummins (-160)
    Prediction: Cummins by decision

    Welterweights: Warlley Alves vs. Nordine Taleb
    Betting Odds: Alves (-225), Taleb (+185)
    Prediction: Alves by decision

    Bantamweights: (#13) Iuri Alcantara vs. Leandro Issa
    Betting Odds: Alcantara (-250), Issa (+210)
    Prediction: Alcantara by submission in round 3

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

    Middleweights: Vitor Miranda vs. Clint Hester
    Betting Odds: Miranda (+135), Hester (-155)
    Prediction: Hester by knockout in round 2

    Bantamweights: Hugo Viana vs. Guido Cannetti
    Betting Odds: Viana (-310), Cannetti (+255)
    Prediction: Viana by submission in round 1

  • WWE ticket passwords from major New York events

    The password for the 10/3 tickets in Madison Square Garden, which will include an appearance by Brock Lesnar, is GARDENWWE

    The SummerSlam superstar panel presale password is SLAM15.

    Tickets are available at ticketmaster.

  • WWE News: Layla El retires from wrestling

    On Wednesday, WWE.com announced that Layla El is retiring from wrestling after nine years with the company.

    She said that it was time to start the next chapter in her life, and had gotten tired of the travel. She noted that she is now engaged and would be looking to start a family, as well as do other television work in the U.S. or the U.K.

    El came to WWE after winning the 2006 Divas Search, and was best known for her tenure as part of LayCool, a tag team with Michelle McCool, who retired after getting married to Mark “Undertaker” Calaway.

  • TNA Impact July 29 TV Report – Jeff Jarrett Hall of Fame Induction

    By Jeremy Peeples, WrestlingObserver.com

    Last week, we found out that Jeff Jarrett would be going into the hall of fame tonight. His induction video showcased his career from Memphis through now and put him over slightly more than even his ’02-’06 title runs did in TNA. Magnus faced Bram in a street fight for reasons that were never explained, let alone adequately explained.  Bram won this all-weapons match with a schoolboy cradle of course. Eli Drake cut a great promo on Drew Galloway, and we got a horrible and annoying exchange between Taryn and Brooke that was almost saved thanks to Gail coming in and cleaning house. Due to TNA not checking on Hernandez’s legal status with Lucha Underground, we got a re-airing of the Slammiversary main event. The King of the Mountain match aired without any explanation of the rules, so the reverse ladder penalty box title match might’ve been a bit confusing for some. Tigre Uno challenged Donald Trump to come to the Impact Zone tonight, and while I’m not a betting man, I would bet a healthy sum that he doesn’t show up on this pre-taped show from weeks ago.

    Eric Young faced Rockstar Spud in a chain match for some reason. Since TNA has all of this extra time to fill due to Hernandez, why can’t they fill that up with storyline explanations? They’ve already got supplemental content like this shot in HD for Youtube, why not put it on the show so things make sense? Speaking of which, Matt was somehow named the number one man in the TNA Top 5 and beat Bobby Roode in a nothing tables match to earn a World Title shot. Don’t let all of the words fool you though – there’s very little exciting actually going on in TNA outside of Gail Kim being a ninja and destroying Taryn’s faction.

    The show starts with a recap of the Storm and Mickie issues alongside the rise of Matt Hardy as a World title-level guy and we’ll see Mickie’s final match in TNA, and Jeff Hardy returns too. Austin Aries comes down while Josh says that Aries will probably go into the TNA Hall of Fame one day. Aries says he’s not in a good mood and mocks Bully for not making him a top contender. Bully comes out in jeans, a shirt, and a pleather jacket and praises the fans. Bully says that Aries lost to Kurt, but he will give him a shot at the X Title – which Aries literally laughs off as a title for guys who aren’t main eventers. Josh says that Spud main evented and only got that due to the X Title. No, actually he opened the show while cashing in that title and main evented before ever winning this title against EC3.

    Spud puts over Aries as possibly the best TNA World Champion in history, and he’s very upset to hear him bury the X Title. Aries says Spud isn’t a rockstar, and that if he can’t beat Spud, he doesn’t even belong in this ring. Bully talks about how great “the kid” is, despite Spud being 32. Bully makes Spud vs. Aries, and if Aries loses, he’s done. But if he wins, he gets to be called “Rockstar” Austin Aries. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse than Austin Starr, probably worse.

    We get a quick rundown of next week’s show’s events – it’s being called No Surrender. Kurt Angle talks to Chris Melendez about “that kid” Eric Young is 35, and they’re coming to the ring to call out EY next. Chris Melendez comes down with Kurt Angle for a match with Eric Young, but he calls him out like he wants a match despite Christy announcing this like it’s a match. It is, but first, EY talks to him about piledriving him. He’s also got the chain still, but I can’t see if he still has the Hammer Jammer on.

    Eric Young vs. Chris Melendez

    Chris shoves EY down while Josh talks about Austin Aries vs. Rockstar Spud for the rights to the name “Rockstar” being made official for next week’s show. EY stomps a mudhole into him while Josh says that sure, EY lives in America now, but he’s really a Canadian who doesn’t respect America. EY drapes him over the apron and drives his elbow into the neck while Pope calls him the Bearded Terror a bunch. EY rakes the eye and gets a piledriver for the win. Josh hypes up Brooke vs. Marti Belle for the title next.

    JB meets with Matt to ask about what match type he’ll pick tonight. Matt says “we” have picked the match, but we won’t know tonight. JB asks who “we” is – so is Jeff Hardy’s return supposed to be a surprise or something? The generic knockouts video brings us to Marti’s intro while Josh says he won’t talk during the intro, but does. Instead of showing Brooke bending over, they cut to a shot of Billy Corgan’s tour poster.

    Brooke vs. Marti Belle – Knockouts Title Match

    Taryn distracts Brooke, resulting in a rabbit lariat for 2. Brooke gets a flying lariat off the second rope and a series of clotheslines. Dollhouse gets involved to attack Brooke, but Gail’s tron hits and the distraction leads to the X-factor/butterface maker/butterface makeover. This wasn’t all that good or noteworthy in any way. Tigre Uno calls out Donald Trump next.

    We see more of Tigre in Mexico with his kids and we go to the Impact Zone where Christy says that Donald isn’t here, and so he’s a coward. EC3 says he doesn’t care about Matt Hardy’s stipulation and we go to another break. Former country music sensation J-E-Double F J-A-Double R-E-Double-T meets with former pop music sensation Billy Corgan. EC3 comes down with Tyrus while Josh talks about how he has been victimized for supporting EC3.

    EC3 Talks About Matt Hardy

    EC3 buries Jeff for having nothing but rednecks as fans, and while he might be afraid of Jeff, he isn’t afraid of Matt. He talks about Jeff falling off of everything in wrestling, but getting hurt on his little moped and calls Matt Khloe to his Kim. Jeff saunters out while Josh tries to get “Humanomoly” over as his new nickname. Jeff and EC3 blather on for a bit while Jeff says he’ll be back wrestling soon. Matt comes out and says it’s not a competition between he and Jeff – they have one another’s backs at all times. Jeff has Matt grab some objects from under the ring. We get a table, chair, and a ladder. After a while, we get a Full Metal Mayhem match announced. Storm and Serena face Magnus and Mickie next.

    We get Team 3D’s induction video alongside earlier clips of the Angle and Sting inductions to hype up Jeff Jarrett’s induction later. Magnus says that the the world has been waiting for he and Mickie to team for two years, but tonight, it’ll be a fight. Storm and Serena come out, with Storm in ridiculous orange and green camo gear.

    Mickie James and Magnus vs. James Storm and Serena

    Magnus and Storm start this with a brawl while Pope talks about Storm vs. Magnus at the PPV being one of the best matches in the history of the Impact Zone. Serena cheapshots Magnus and Storm attacks, but avoids Mickie and chinlocks Magnus for an ad break. We return to see Mickie chase Serena, but Storm backstabs Magnus. He gets another chinlock and a lungblower. Mickie gets the tag and runs wild on Serena, but Storm grabs Mickie and she slaps him. Gutbuster to Mickie from Serena, but Magnus spears Storm. Serena calls for Khoya to come down, and whips Mickie into the steps. Magnus sidesteps Khoya and the stick hits Storm, leading to a Magnus powerbomb. Mickie gets the jumping DDT on Serena for the win. Mickie’s portions of the match were exciting, but the Magnus-Storm stuff didn’t click.

    Jeff Jarrett’s hall of fame induction is next. But first, we get Ken Anderson talking to Mike Tenay about his future in wrestling. Ken says that Bram is dark, but he can get dark too. Bram tells Ken to kiss his kids goodbye, because it’s personal. Why is it personal? What is their grudge? Gail Kim faces the Dollhouse next week, which is the only new match added to No Surrender right now. Jeff Jarrett’s hall of fame induction video from last week is aired again.

    Jeff Jarrett Hall of Fame Induction

    Mike Tenay is in the middle of the ring to introduce Dixie Carter. She talks about Jeff having the industry in his blood and how she met him when they happened to live next door to each other in an apartment complex. Thanks to Jeff, TNA exists and without him, they wouldn’t be here. Jeff thanks everyone who has ever bought a ticket or a piece of merchandise. He thanks everyone who has received a check from TNA, and thanks Bob and Janice Carter for believing in him. He tears up with this and says that he always got to the office first to make the first pot of coffee. He thanks the Ring Ka King crew for sacrificing their time around the holidays.

    He thanks anyone who worked in the X division, anyone who was in the tag division, and thanks Team 3D for coming from WWE to TNA. He thanks Nash, Foley, Steiner, and Booker T for coming to TNA. He tells Dixie that they’d have some ups and downs, but without her making the decision to bring him into the Hall of Fame, he wouldn’t be here. He talks about the importance of family and how he and his father had a falling out seven years ago. They were estranged for many years, but six weeks ago, they reconciled. He thanks Jerry and says that Jerry should be here before he is, but he loves him and thanks him. He thanks his daughters and Kurt’s kids for loving and supporting him. He thanks Karen for being his rock over the past many months and their love conquered their obstacles. Mike Tenay is holding back tears, Karen is crying, Jeff is weeping, and the crowd is chanting “thank you, Jeff”. TNA could end right here and it would feel pretty much perfect. The roster greets Jeff on the ramp and we get a rundown of No Surrender.

    To see every screenshot taken for the show, just click here.

  • Lucha Underground July 29 TV results & recap- Ultima Lucha Part One – The Mack vs. Cage hardcore

    By Jeremy Peeples, WrestlingObserver.com

    Last week, the build for Ultima Lucha was finalized. The Gift of the Gods title was debuted, and each of the seven medallions will be used in it to determine title shots for season two (if there is one). Other than the creation of a new title, it was a very good and effective show. Johnny Mundo and Texano had a fun match, while Cage and The Mack had a short match that built up this week’s falls count anywhere main event with a long post-match brawl all over the place. Fenix also won a battle royal to get his medallion back, and he defended it against Party. Puma laid out Mil Muertes to close the show and build up their title match next week.

    The show begins with a recap of the events that led us to tonight’s show – with a Cage vs. Mack rundown. We see Drago get his revenge and get a title shot, only to have Mil Muertes steal it. More recaps show the trios champs are attacked by the Disciples of Death, while Hernandez talks smack to the fans leading to a fans get the straps match. Dario Cueto meets with Black Lotus in her cell, while he is in a slick tuxedo. Matanza grunts in the background and we hear Dario talking about him as a monster not through size, but his circumstances. Dario tells her that Matanza didn’t kill her parents – El Dragon Azteca did. They close the scene by showing her beating up a chalk outline of a person on the cell wall and nailing the heart. This took some twists and turns and I loved it.

    Ultima Lucha gets its own logo on the screen while Vampiro and Striker welcome us to the show. We get the card tonight and each match gets its own poster in the building – they look beautiful, so hopefully they monetize those and try to sell them. The opener is The Mack vs. Cage. Mack comes down, but he gets jumped by Cage on the steps.

    The Mack vs. Cage – Falls Count Anywhere

    Cage has a new black and yellow singlet and tosses Mack onto the top of Dario’s office. Cage slams him down hard and Striker says the ceiling has been reinforced. Exploder suplex on the bleacher from Mack to Cage! Fire extinguisher to the face of Mack leads to a stop sign shot and a DDT onto it for 2. Mack breaks a board on Cage’s back and hits him with a cooler full of Miller Lite. Mack takes a sip of a “Mackweiser” and hits a stunner for 2. Odd to use a Budweiser reference for Miller Lite. They fight up top and Mack kicks him and hits a sitiout powerbomb off the apron through a table on the floor! This gets 2 and a “this is awesome” chant.

    Mack and Cage brawl up the steps to Cueto’s office ceiling once again. Sitout spinebuster on top of a garbage can from Mack gets 2. Cage gets a discus lariat over the railing into the crowd. Deadlift suplex from the railing to the ceiling gets 2! Cage gets some cinder blocks and curb stomps his head through one of them for the win. The trios tag title match is up next, and it’s hyped up with Angelico’s crazy dives.

    After a break, we come back to the Temple where we get a rundown of next week’s two hour finale for the season. Striker makes a clear difference between Ian Hodgkinson and Vampiro, treating Vampiro like a split personality of Ian’s – which has been hinted at for a month or so now. The Disciples of Death come down with Catrina, and the Disciples do actually have names – but we don’t get graphics. One is in a gold mask, one is in silver, and the other is in purple – so that will be the key difference used here. The champs come down with Ivelisse still on crutches.

    Team Havoc vs. Disciples of Death – Trios Tag Title Match

    Bario attacks Ivelisse and Vamp praises the tactic. The black and gold disciple lands a torture back powerbomb to Angelico. Striker points out that this could be the first title change yet on Lucha Underground – which is amazing statistic given that it has LU and AAA’s top title on it. Flying knee sends one Disciple down for 2. A Disciple gets a stretch muffler onto Ivie’s good leg, but Havoc saves her. Havoc’s double handspring elbow gives them a breather for a second. Striker talks about how everyone wants an “Ultima Lucha Moment”, and Angelico runs up the wall to attack a Disciple. He then dives off of the office ONTO THE FLOOR. This man is nuts and he’s got blood coming from his mouth. Catrina stalks Ivie, and we get a catfight – which Striker prefaces by saying “I love ya, Joey!” Catrina wins the fight bonking her with the stone and giving her team the win. This was the worst Trios tag title match so far, but still fun. Catrina licks Ivie’s face and she holds her stone high while the champions hold their titles high as well. Striker toasts to Vampiro and the fans come down, with complete bios for some by Striker. Hernandez comes out without a top, and has painted in his Superman logo – either for legal reasons or due to the shame of using the Man of Steel version of the logo.

    Hernandez vs. Drago – Believer’s Backlash Match

    Hernandez crotches him up top and sends him to the floor – but the fans help him back in. Hernandez goes out there and gets whipped on the back and face. His forehead is just a strap-shaped red mark now. Drago hits a billion kicks and clotheslines him to the floor to eat more lashes from the Hot Tub podcast guy. Fallaway powerbomb hits Drago while the fans in the crowd and on the floor cheer. Hernandez gets a splash, but Drago gets the knees up and lands a running tornado DDT. Way of the Dragon only gets 2 for Drago.

    Hernandez lifts him up and Striker calls it a Last Ride, but he border tosses him to the crowd on the floor. Supermex dive is met with yellow mist while fans lose their minds. Hernandez goes under the ring, leading to fans waiting for him and Drago setting up a table on the other side. Drago has nunchuks and nails Hernandez onto the table. Big splash off the top rope to the floor and through the table! Drago sends him in for another splash and the win! To close the show, we get yet another rundown of the two hour finale. El Dragon Azteca arrives and fights someone to get into the Temple despite being threatened with the possibility of death. This was a pretty fun show – not as good as many weeks, but still solid.

  • Plans for SummerSlam updated, Return of Undertaker, Rise of NXT, G-1 Climax, UFC PPV business notes

    The return of the Undertaker and build to SummerSlam, Battleground coverage, the rise of NXT and situation with ROH, the G-1 Climax tournament and some major UFC stories are the major stories in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.  The issue is on the site right now at http://www.f4wonline.com/component/content/article/110-wrestling-observer-newsletter/43691-july-27-2015-wrestling-observer-newsletter-the-undertaker-returns-at-battleground-nxtroh-insanity-with-liger-booking-and-more

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    The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.

    Our lead story concerns the build to SummerSlam.  We look at advertising that has already been cut for the show, what are the possibilities for Sting, the Lesnar-Undertaker angle, the booking of WWE right now, the situation with the women, plus full coverage of Battleground with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results on the show.

    We also look at the booking of  Jushin Liger to NXT on 8/22, ticket sales for the show, plans for the NXT show, how the Liger booking affects ROH and has caused such a political turmoil.  We look at the NXT card as well as the competing ROH show.  We look at the Liger booking, ROH working with New Japan, ratings with New Japan stars vs. shows without New Japan stars, NXT touring, the next NXT vs. ROH head-to-head in September, the next ROH PPV show and much more.

    We also have full coverage of the G-1 Climax tournament, with all of the shows planned for the next week, as well as full coverage of opening night in Sapporo with match-by-match-coverage, star ratings and poll results.

    We also look at a major story concerning fighters for UFC to address which is the banning of IVs for rehydrating after weigh-ins starting October and why the story is far more significant than people realize.

    We also look at a potential alliance between ESPN and WWE and the ethical debate regarding the coverage.  We also look at the Hogan/Gawker lawsuit and each side’s case, an update on the Dr. Christopher Amann lawsuit against C.M. Punk and Colt Cabana, an update on Dolph Ziggler and what he claims is his contract status, Undertaker working more than just SummerSlam, Stephanie McMahon talks gay characterizations in future WWE creative as well as a look back from former creative members regarding different suggestions on gay characterizations in the past.  We look at more WWE banned terms and how some were changed and why.  We also look at how the characters are being described for Camp WWE, which is really hilarious.

    We’ve also got notes on Chris Jericho working more house shows, Tough Enough notes, John Cena in the movies, how the WWE Network free month has changed, as well as what to look for over the next week in WWE stock.

    We also have full coverage of the next month of NXT TV tapings, as well as coverage of all the WWE and NXT house shows this past week and business notes from the shows.

    We also have notes on TripleMania being on U.S. PPV for the first time on 8/9, including price point, why it’s happening now, and its history as well as broadcast information.

    We also have coverage of both UFC events held over the past week, with the Mir vs. Duffee and Bisping vs. Leites shows.  We’ve got business notes and stories behind both events.

    We also have notes on the third season of New Japan World on AXS, including highlights of the new season, all the matches airing from 8/14 to 12/11 including when the Wrestle Kingdom 9 matches will air, as well as notes on the schedule for 2016.

    We also look at Dragon Gate’s Kobe World Festival show and CMLL’s Sin Salida show, which were two of those two company’s biggest events of the year.

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

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

    Also in this week’s issue:

    –62nd anniversary of pro wrestling at Arena Puebla.

    –What pro wrestling star appeared in the Latin American version of ESPN The Body magazine

    –Notes on All Japan’s next title bouts

    –Pro Wrestling NOAH stars jr. tournament

    –A look at a near riot at a pro wrestling show in Japan with details on it

    –Lots of New Japan business talk

    –Changes being made by New Japan

    –How New Japan continues to try and copy WWE

    –Who New Japan considers its business partners

    –Plans for all three New Japan Sumo Hall shows in August, as well as the annual King of Pro Wrestling show

    –Notes on the first major New Japan shows after G-1

    –Big Japan runs its biggest event of the year

    –Notes on the death of wrestling historian Fred Hornby

    –Coverage of Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore show

    –Notes on the GFW TV tapings this week

    –Notes on GFW going to the U.K.

    –Notes on PWG this week

    –Wrestling stars in TV movie roles

    –The retirement of Serena Deeb and her farewell as well as career highlights

    –What TV show did a major promotion get invited to be on and why did they decide against it

    –Why did ROH send a cease and desist latter to GFW

    –A look at the ROH show in Las Vegas this past week as well as a possible future direction of Austin Aries

    –Notes on the next ROH TV tapings and schedule

    –Update on Kurt Angle’s condition

    –Story behind MVP leaving TNA and all BDC footage being taken down due to legal issues with Lucha Underground

    –How it all went down

    –How TNA is changing its contracts

    –Notes on TNA’s Bound for Glory PPV

    –Notes on TNA production

    –Why the Stitch Duran story is such a big deal

    –Duran runs through what happened

    –UFC 189 PPV notes

    –Thoughts on UFC 190 on PPV and wide variety of estimates

    –A look at plans for UFC to run AT&T Stadium in Dallas

    –Why UFC won’t run a Friday night PPV

    –How Pacquiao did when he headlined Texas Stadium

    –Potential matches for later this year

    –A look at the fourth quarter for UFC this year

    –Notes on Ronda Rousey winning ESPY awards

    –More on Rousey and Mayweather and story behind the diss

    –UFC 191 matches

    –UFC 192 main event

    –More on Fedor in UFC

    –Aldo threatens to sue Chael Sonnen

    –Another drug test failure

    –Mike Swick retires

    –Cerrone accuses Dos Anjos of PEDs

    –Coverage of this past week’s Bellator show and who to watch for from the show

    –Tito Ortiz talks his future 

    If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today.

    New subscribers ordering 24 or 40 issues have to let us know what major stories of the past 11 years you are most interested in and we’ll send the issue with the best coverage of that story. We’ve got coverage of every major PPV event and world wide spectacular, every major star switching promotions, histories of companies like FMW, Rings and New Japan, retirement and obit issues of every major star who fits into those descriptions over the past 11 years, as well as our biggest issue every year, the annual awards issue, and our most controversial issue of every year, the Hall of Fame issue.

    Our most requested issues in our history are:

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

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

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

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

  • Tuesday night WWE ratings

    It was a split bag last night with Total Divas showing an increase and Tough Enough showing a decrease.

    Tough Enough did 980,000 viewers, down 14 percent from last week.

    Total Divas did 1,083,000 viewers, up 9 percent from last week.

  • WED UPDATE: Hulk Hogan’s lawyers lash at at Gawker, legal news on Jimmy Snuka, Wanderlei Silva, UFC antitrust

    by David Bixenspan | davidbix@wrestlingobserver.com | Follow @davidbix

    Tonight:

    * NXT at 8:00 p.m. ET on WWE Network has Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady vs. The Mechanics, Baron Corbin vs. Jesse Sorensen, Chad Gable and Jason Jordan in action, Charlotte vs. Dana Brooke, Blake and Murphy (c) vs. The Vaudevillains for the NXT Tag Titles, and more.

    * Lucha Underground at 8:00 p.m. ET on El Rey has part one of Ultima Lucha with Angelico, Ivelisse, & Son of Havoc (c) vs. The Disciples of Death for the Trios Titles, Hernandez vs. Drago in a Believers Backlash (Fan lumberjacks with straps) match, and The Mack vs. Cage in a falls count anywhere match. With Vampiro wrestling on part two next week, Michael Schiavello joins Matt Striker at the announcers’ table.

    * UFC Tonight returns at 8:00 p.m. ET, though on Fox Sports 2 for this week instead of Fox Sports 1.

    * Impact Wrestling at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on Destination America is being built around Jeff Jarrett’s induction into the TNA Hall of Fame.

    *ROH at 11:00 p.m. ET on Destination America (no more 8:00 p.m. ET showing) has Michael Bennett & Matt Taven vs. Corey Hollis & Jonathan Gresham, a six-way with Cheeseburger vs. Dalton Castle vs. Moose vs. Caprice Coleman vs. Brutal Bob Evans vs. Silas Young, and ACH vs. Bobby Fish.

    **** 

    The newest issue of Figure Four Weekly is up on the site for subscribers (subscribe here) with a feature story looking at WWE’s firing of Hulk Hogan and how it relates to all of the litigation with Gawker including:

    * How Hogan’s racist comments and the set of sex tapes his tirade was part of tied into the FBI investigating someone attempting to extort money from Hogan.

    * How long it’s been known that something like this could come out.

    * Gawker alluding to the idea that the FBI was helping Hogan cover up these statements.

    * Where The National Enquirer and Radar Onlne could have sourced the story from.

    And much more. Plus, as always, we have  all of the usual reviews and international news.

    Also, now available for the first time on Kindle (meaning Kindle devices and anything with the Kindle app) is Fall Guys, the seminal 1937 book that has been described as being like the 1930s version of the Wrestling Observer. It was surprisingly not on Kindle already, so we put together a nice version with a full table of contents w/ chapter marks, proper formatting on everything, etc. Right now it’s available from the American, Canadian, and Australian Amazon/Kindle stores OR you can also buy it from anywhere in the world on PayHip, who will provide you with both Kindle and ePub (every other e-reader) format files, and you can either sideload them to your device or have them email it to your Kindle. 

    **** 

    The return of the Undertaker and build to SummerSlam, Battleground coverage, the rise of NXT and situation with ROH, the G-1 Climax tournament and some major UFC stories are the major stories in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 

    The latest Wrestling Observer: July 27, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: The Undertaker returns at Battleground, NXT/ROH insanity with Liger booking

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    The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.

    Our lead story concerns the build to SummerSlam.  We look at advertising that has already been cut for the show, what are the possibilities for Sting, the Lesnar-Undertaker angle, the booking of WWE right now, the situation with the women, plus full coverage of Battleground with match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results on the show.

    We also look at the booking of  Jushin Liger to NXT on 8/22, ticket sales for the show, plans for the NXT show, how the Liger booking affects ROH and has caused such a political turmoil.  We look at the NXT card as well as the competing ROH show.  We look at the Liger booking, ROH working with New Japan, ratings with New Japan stars vs. shows without New Japan stars, NXT touring, the next NXT vs. ROH head-to-head in September, the next ROH PPV show and much more.

    We also have full coverage of the G-1 Climax tournament, with all of the shows planned for the next week, as well as full coverage of opening night in Sapporo with match-by-match-coverage, star ratings and poll results.

    We also look at a major story concerning fighters for UFC to address which is the banning of IVs for rehydrating after weigh-ins starting October and why the story is far more significant than people realize.

    We also look at a potential alliance between ESPN and WWE and the ethical debate regarding the coverage.  We also look at the Hogan/Gawker lawsuit and each side’s case, an update on the Dr. Christopher Amann lawsuit against C.M. Punk and Colt Cabana, an update on Dolph Ziggler and what he claims is his contract status, Undertaker working more than just SummerSlam, Stephanie McMahon talks gay characterizations in future WWE creative as well as a look back from former creative members regarding different suggestions on gay characterizations in the past.  We look at more WWE banned terms and how some were changed and why.  We also look at how the characters are being described for Camp WWE, which is really hilarious.

    We’ve also got notes on Chris Jericho working more house shows, Tough Enough notes, John Cena in the movies, how the WWE Network free month has changed, as well as what to look for over the next week in WWE stock.

    We also have full coverage of the next month of NXT TV tapings, as well as coverage of all the WWE and NXT house shows this past week and business notes from the shows.

    We also have notes on TripleMania being on U.S. PPV for the first time on 8/9, including price point, why it’s happening now, and its history as well as broadcast information.

    We also have coverage of both UFC events held over the past week, with the Mir vs. Duffee and Bisping vs. Leites shows.  We’ve got business notes and stories behind both events.

    We also have notes on the third season of New Japan World on AXS, including highlights of the new season, all the matches airing from 8/14 to 12/11 including when the Wrestle Kingdom 9 matches will air, as well as notes on the schedule for 2016.

    We also look at Dragon Gate’s Kobe World Festival show and CMLL’s Sin Salida show, which were two of those two company’s biggest events of the year.

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

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

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    Wednesday Daily Update

    • TMZ is reporting that Hulk Hogan’s lawyers have filed new documents in his lawsuit against Gawker asking for an investigation into the leak of his racist and homophobic comments that have been released the last few days. Radar Online wrote that “[Hogan’s] attorneys have asked the judge to permit them to appoint an independent electronic forensic expert that would be given access to Gawker’s computer network, systems and tablets in the hopes of uncovering a mole.”

    Gawker’s lawyers had successfully sued the FBI for the records of the investigation surrounding the attempted extortion of Hogan using the sex tape, but only Gawker’s lawyers are allowed to see those records (as in they can’t share them with anyone else at Gawker), which include the sex tapes, audio of the sting operation, transcripts of the sex tapes, and various other documents.  The new filing more or less alleges that if Gawker wasn’t being the leak, it sure looks like they were. It’s such a huge gamble that it seems unlikely, though: If Hogan’s side can prove Gawker leaked the transcripts, then he most likely wins without having to go to trial.

    Gawker issued this statement: Hulk Hogan has only one person to blame for what he said and no one from Gawker had any role in leaking that information.

    Radar is also claiming that court documents reporting the existence of three sex videos is a new exclusive even though that information was reported weeks ago.

    • Per Irv Muchnick, the grand jury decison regarding whether or not Jimmy Snuka will face charges in the 1983 death of girlfriend Nancy Argentino is expected this week. At the time, he coroner had recommendd that police investigate her death as a homicide, citing evidence of domestic abuse among other reasons, but it was never really followed up on. The grand jury proceedings had been delayed repeatedly but finally got going again recently.
    • Not exactly shocking, but the UFC has sued Wanderlei Silva for saying that they’ve fixed fights. This one will be interesting if it doesn’t end quickly and quietly.
    • John Nash is reporting at Bloody Elbow that n the UFC antitrust lawsuit, the judge denied a Zuffa (UFC) motion to stay discovery. This doesn’t mean that the plaintiffs will get all of the financial statements and so on that they want, but they can start depositions, interrogotories, and document discovery. What becomes public all depends  on what gets filed with the court for one reason or another.
    • As noted on the front page, Joseph Duffy vs. Dustin Poirier is headlining the October 24th UFC Fight Pass card in Dublin. Big step up in both competition and positioning for Duffy, AKA “the last man to beat Conor McGregor.” Poirier had previously asked for a ranked opponent next, but it lookes like he softened on that once he broke into the top 15 anyway and got offered a main event.
    • At MMAFighting, Dave Meltzer has:

    His UFC on Fox postmortm.

    Notes on the UFC on Fox show being their biggest Summer special to date.

  • On this day in pro wrestling history (July 29): Ric Flair vs. Bobo Brazil, Nick Bockwinkel vs. Mil Mascaras

    By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

    1964 – Lord James Blears & Neff Maivia defeated Mr. Moto & Nikita Mulkovich for the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Title in Honolulu, Hawaii

    1965 – In Kansas City; Dick the Bruiser beat Bobo Brazil 2 falls to 1, Bob Geigel and Dr. X drew Ronnie Etchison and Sonny Myers 1 fall each, Mongolian Stomper beat Johnny Ramirez and Jerry Miller drew Bob Brown

    1966 – In Milwaukee; The Crusher beat AWA Champion Mad Dog Vachon dq and The Alaskan & Big K beat Verne Gagne & Doug Gilbert.

    1972 – In Chicago; AWA Champion Verne Gagne beat Baron Von Raschke, Ivan Koloff beat Billy Robinson by count out and Bobby Heenan & Blackjack Mulligan beat Ramon Torres & Sailor Art Thomas

    1973 – In Green Bay, Wisconsin; The Crusher beat Superstar Billy Graham by countout, Wahoo McDaniel beat Nick Bockwinkel, Larry Heiniemi & Buddy Wolff beat Billy Robinson & Geoff Portz in 2 out of 3 falls and Greg Gagne beat Bill Crouch. Attendance was 6,488.

    1976 – Tiger Jeet Singh defeated Seiji Sakaguchi to become the first NWF Asian Heavyweight Champion (a New Japan title) in Osaka, Japan.

    1977 – Ric Flair defeated Bobo Brazil in Richmond, Virginia to win the NWA United States Championship; In Denver, Colorado; AWA Tag Team Champions Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum on a reverse decision dq, Pedro Morales beat Super Destroyer dq, Angelo Mosca beat Ray Stevens and Billy Robinson beat Roger Kirby

    1980 – Bill Dundee defeated Paul Ellering for the Southern Heavyweight Title in Louisville, Kentucky

    1983 – In Houston, Texas; Mil Mascaras drew AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel, Junk Yard Dog beat Butch Reed dq, In a Taped Fist match, Dusty Rhodes beat King Kong Bundy, In a Texas Street fight, Hacksaw Duggan beat Ted Dibiase and Tommy Rich beat Kamala

    1984 – In Milwaukee; Road Warriors beat AWA Tag Team Champions Crusher & Baron Von Raschke dq, Jim Brunzell no contest King Kong Brody, Fabulous Ones beat Nick Bockwinkel & Mr Saito, Tony Atlas beat Steve Regal, Larry Zbyszko beat Billy Robinson and Curt Hennig beat Bobby Heenan

    1985 – Jerry Lawler defeated Bota The Witchdoctor in Memphis, Tennessee, for the Southern Heavyweight Title; In Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Ronnie Garvin & Jimmy Garvin beat Raymond Rougeau & Jacques Rougeau dq, AWA Tag Team Champions Road Warriors beat Tonga Kid & King Tonga, Jos Leduc beat Great Samu and Dino Bravo beat The Superstar

    1988 – Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy defeated Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu in Takasaki, Japan to win the All Japan Tag Team Championship (PWF World & NWA International Titles); Yoshihiro Asai defeated Ray Richard in Mexico City, Mexico for the UWA World Welterweight Title. Asai would go on to become better known as Ultimo Dragon.

    1989 – Super Medic I defeated Chicky Starr for the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Title in Caguas, Puerto Rico

    1991 – Awesome Kong (not the TNA wrestler) defeated Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified World Title in Memphis, Tennessee