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  • THURS. UPDATE: Dusty Rhodes, Flair, Tough Enough, WWE deal, no TNA commentary in Canada, UFC

    By dave@wrestlingobserver.com”>Dave Meltzer

    Smackdown tonight on Syfy:

    Ryback vs. The Miz non-title
    Jack Swagger vs. King Barrett
    Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler non-title
    Paige vs. Alicia Fox
    Roman Reigns & Randy Orton & Neville vs. Sheamus & Kane & Kofi Kingston

    Last week the big story was the tease of a Steve Austin vs. Brock Lesnar match at WrestleMania.  This week we have a double issue because of such a busy news week, with our lead story talks about the background of that promo and why the match isn’t happening.  We have the background of Austin, Lesnar, Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon, what led to the promo on the WWE Network, why Vince McMahon was unhappy about it, and what happened from there including Austin talking about the situation.

    We also have the first look at the Wednesday night wrestling wars with ROH & TNA, an update on MMA in New York, coverage of one of UFC’s best shows in recent years, New Japan’s summer look at including the G-1 Climax and Super Juniors tournament along with a history of the New Japan junior heavyweight division, as well as full coverage of the Hall of Fame and the new season of Tough Enough.

    The Latest Wrestling Observer: June 15, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Latest on Austin-Lesnar, Destination America, NY MMA

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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 talks about Steve Austin and Brock Lesnar.  We look at Austin’s comments regarding what he said last week, we look at the background, we look at why Vince McMahon wasn’t happy about what happened, we look at what this seems to end speculation on, where the Texas death match comment came from and what we don’t know about the situation and why the book seems closed on the match.

    We’ve got full details on the first week of both ROH & TNA together on Destination America.  We look at the audience for both groups, and what the quarter hours told about both groups.  We look at what the ratings seem to have indicated about both ROH and TNA and their audiences, as well as the next time this should be evaluated.

    We also look at Money in the Bank, the WWE Network special on 7/4 from Japan with the lineup.  We also look at the rest of the tour, an idea floated for the Slammys, what Vince McMahon wants out of the live talk shows on the WWE network, update on Tyson Kidd, why the stock is rising, Dwayne Johnson entertainment news, how the Kevin Steen action figure triggered so many things, return of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman, special guest on Raw next week, Austin signs a new deal, and lots of the recent WWE tryout camp.

    We also look at the Jessicka Havok situation.

    We also look at all the NXT and WWE house show notes and business notes from the past week.

    We look at the new attempt to pass legislation in New York to legalize MMA, how this affects pro wrestling in the state as well as boxing, why MMA has to agree to certain things that are inherently unfair in a last ditch effort to get into the state.  We also look at a unique law regarding attendance at events in the bill, as well as what rules are in place to promote pro wrestling in New York.

    We’ve got coverage of one of the year’s best events, Saturday’s UFC show in New Orleans.  We look at the record tied, the career of Dan Henderson, the career of Brian Ebersole, as well as business notes and full coverage of the show.

    We also look at New Japan’s G-1 Climax tournament, who is in, who is out, what is says about current booking, the big shows on the tour, coverage of the show, prior winners, handicapping the tournament, why the winner is already planned out and how far in advance booking is, as well as the next few shows on New Japan World and the Dominion PPV show.

    We also have coverage of this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, why the interest level was down, business notes on the tournament, a look at the great finale match, as well as coverage of the final shows.  We also have a history of the New Japan junior heavyweight division, including the stars that build the division and the 1996 heyday period.

    We’ve got full coverage of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremonies last month in Amsterdam, NY, with the awards, presentations, and a look at talent like Jumbo Tsuruta, Rick Martel, Vivian Vachon, Whipper Watson, Pedro Morales, The Freebirds and Curt Hennig.

    We also look at the new season of Tough Enough, who was and wasn’t picked to be part of the show, notes on why the winners are going to have it tough and not winning may to advantageous, as well as notes and backgrounds of some of the people involved.

    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:

    –A look at this year’s Busca de un Idolo tournament’s first shows

    –What happens in pro wrestling the night before UFC

    –Problems between companies in Mexico regarding CMLL pulling talent

    –Notes on Verano de Escandalo and U.S. iPPV and the card

    –First notes on TripleMania

    –What mach may be headlining this year’s TripleMania

    –Upcoming AAA TV

    –The debut of the three generations of green mist trio

    –Dragon Gate two big shows coming this week

    –All Japan’s big event for the week

    –A tag team of stars from two different promotions has a long reign as tag champions gone

    –More on the new Japan NOAH relationship and how this relates to the New Japan World service

    –New Japan scouting talent in the U.S. this summer

    –New Japan’s upcoming shows in Singapore

    –Satoru Sayama health update

    –Notes on the beginning shows of Global Force Wrestling

    –Notes on the lineups and what is and isn’t important about these events

    –Special celebrity guest added

    –An unselfish act acts an aspiring pro wrestling career

    –Another streaming service expected to start featuring 800 hours of a lost library

    –Chris Hero’s three hour gauntlet match and full details

    –Bill Goldberg talks about a potential pro wrestling farewell match and what could stand in the way

    –Who Goldberg still keeps in touch with in wrestling

    –Goldberg talks Brock Lesnar

    –A look at the big show at Citifield in New York this past week

    –A look at what TNA angle was revived on the show and how Goldberg fit in

    –A.J. Styles vs. Lionheart match coverage, back story, and why the crowd was so hot

    –Kris Travis talks return from cancer

    –Tons of indie big show news

    –A suspended senator in Canada participates in a pro wrestling show

    –Early ROH champion moving into MMA

    –Son of former Oregon star suspect in a beating death

    –Wrestling star in talks for a national cable television show unique deal

    –Update on the next ROH PPV

    –A look at the weekend ROH events

    –Why they did the Mickie James angle

    –TNA gets another international deal

    –UFC’s Labor Day weekend show announced

    –Two new title fights announced

    –Comparing Bader vs. Gustafsson as challengers for Cormier

    –When Cormier is targeting his first title defense

    –What Bader needs to do to get a title shot

    –Update on Anderson Silva and his suspension hearing, as well as Nick Diaz

    –Ben Rothwell accuses Cain Velasquez of PEDs and Velasquez responds

    –Former UFC star gets TV major network announcing gig

    –An interesting question that the courts may have to decide regarding UFC contract clause

    –Lots of new UFC fights

    –Notes on Shamrock vs. Kimbo

    –The first head to be cut off in new stronger penalties for PED usage

    –War Machine has court outburst

    –TV martial arts star with pro wrestling ties in bad health

    –Fighter comes back from nearly being stabbed to death to win a small promotion world title

    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:

    *November 17, 1997 (full details of everything leading to the most famous wrestling match finish of modern times at the Survivor Series plus a history of in-ring double-crosses)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    *April 21, 2003 (history of WWF continues with the expansion nationally, the death of the regional territories and the rise of Hulk Hogan)

    *May 12, 2003 (The life and death of Elizabeth and the rise of fall of Lex Luger)

    *June 9, 2003 (Part 1 of history of WWF vs. WCW wars and what many say was the greatest year in U.S. wrestling; plus a look at Fred Blassie)

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

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

    *August 25, 2003 (2003 Hall of Fame issue with huge profiles on the controversial career of Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit as well as historical features on Earl Caddock and Francisco Flores)

    *September 22, 2003 (Part 3 of the history of the WWF vs WCW war with the seeds that caused the collapse of the industry in the 90s, Zahorian trial, Gulf War controversy, Flair leaves WCW while holding world title and much more)

    *October 27, 2003 (The fascinating life of Stu Hart plus the story of Road Warrior Hawk)

    *January 19, 2004 (2003 Awards issue)

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

    *February 23, 2004 (History of Guerrero family with Eddy’s win over Brock Lesnar)

    *March 1, 2004 (History of WWF continues with the period that brought the company down in early 1992, the mistakes, the real stories and how the business changed)

    *March 8, 2004 (History of Wrestlemania, its greatest matches and best and worst shows as voted both by wrestlers and non-wrestlers and Wrestlemania history books)

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

    *July 12, 2004 (A look at more on Ric Flair’s book and his comments on Bruno Sammartino, Bret Hart and Mick Foley)

    *August 16, 2004 (History of the Olympians in pro wrestling)

    *August 23, 2004 (2004 Hall of Fame issue and biggest issue of the year with huge profiles on Kazushi Sakuraba, Undertaker, Bob Backlund, Masahiro Chono, Ultimo Dragon, Kurt Angle and Tarzan Lopez–this counts as one issue if you are asking for a free issue, but ordered separately, due to size, is $6 in North America and $7 overseas)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    *April 10, 2006 (Behind the scenes at the 2006 Wrestlemania/Hall of Fame week)

    *July 24, 2006 (The History of the Von Erichs and World Class Championship Wrestling–the most unreal story ever in wrestling)

    *September 4, 2006 (The Rise and Fall of Kurt Angle; 2006 Hall of Fame inductions of Eddie Guerrero, Paul Bowser, Masakatsu Funaki, Aja Kong and Hiroshi Hase including tons of wrestling history around the world from the 20s through the 60s, the evolution of working to not working in Japan, and a look at Guerrero in hindsight, double issue $6 or $7 overseas)

    *October 9, 2006 (A look back nine years later at the life and legacy of Brian Pillman with tons of inside information about what made him tick as his real objectives)

    *November 15, 2006 (History of WCW part one, Eric Bischoff’s book and how the industry was changed forever)

    *November 20, 2006 (History of WCW part two, Why Jim Ross left WCW, How Bischoff changed the company, signing of Hulk Hogan, Beginning of Nitro, Jesse Ventura, Brian Pillman, Chris Jericho and signing Wrestlemania planned celebrity away)

    *November 27, 2006 (History of WCW part three, When Bischoff challenged McMahon to fight; Truth and fiction around Bret Hart signing with WCW and why it didn’t click)

    *December 6, 2006 (details behind Pride’s offers to sell promotion and Part four of History of WCW part four, Hogan-Goldberg match and why there was no rematch, WCW loses NBC network deal in 1999 and the real reasons the company fell apart)

    *January 22, 2007 (2006 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

    *February 14, 2007 (Life and Times of Bam Bigelow)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    *July 23, 2007 (Part five of Benoit double murder-suicide)

    *July 25, 2007 (Part six of Benoit double murder-suicide)

    *August 15, 2007 (The legend of the God of Japanese wrestling and his influence on MMA, Karl Gotch)

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

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

    *December 31, 2007 (History of Ric Flair and the heyday of wrestling at the Greensboro Coliseum)

    *January 21, 2008 (2007 Awards issue, double issue $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

    *March 17, 2008 (Life and times of Johnny Weaver)

    *March 24, 2008 (Life and times of Gary Hart)

    *April 10, 2008 (Farewell to Ric Flair; My thoughts, Shawn Michaels talks of Flair’s meaning to him; Hall of Fame; Wrestlemania double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas)

    *August 11, 2008 (Ric Flair leaves WWE; Updated history of pro wrestlers and MMA fighters who went to the Olympics)

    * September 8, 2008 (2008 Hall of Fame double issue, $7 on its own, $8 overseas; part one of Killer Kowalski bio)

    * September 15, 2008 (Life and Times of Evan Tanner)

    * September 22, 2008 (The amazing career of Killer Kowalski, one of our most in-depth bios)

    You can also order any of these issues on their own for $4 in North America or $5 overseas.

    We now have available personally autographed copies of Tributes II, our latest book, as well as a DVD that comes with it talking more about the subjects in the book. The book covers the life stories of Lou Thesz, Wahoo McDaniel, Elizabeth, Fred Blassie, Road Warrior Hawk, Andre the Giant, Curt Hennig, Johnny Valentine, Davey Boy Smith, Terry Gordy, Owen Hart, Stu Hart, Gorilla Monsoon, The Sheik and Tim Woods..

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

    THURSDAY’S NEWS UPDATE

    • We’ve got a ton of stuff up on the front page on Dusty Rhodes.  Rob Naylor and I spent nearly an hour reminiscing about Dusty Rhodes with all kinds of stories from all through his career, from his turn in Florida, the heyday is Georgia, JCP and his recent work at the Performance Center with WWE talent.  Dusty was a captivating larger than life individual.  He had a hand in so many lives whether they were people he worked with or fans from the 70s and 80s when he was one of the top stars in the business.  He was an amazing character and there’s a lot of good, and some bad, that can be said, but we all owe so much to him and in big ways and little ways, it is amazing how much we were all influenced by him, right down to my son and his best friend who are named Cody and Dusty.
    • Dusty Rhodes is the No. 2 most searched term in the U.S. today with 200,000, behind only Christopher Lee.  On Twitter, the only trends at this writing from pro wrestling and MMA were Dusty Rhodes (174,000), and Invicta (274).
    • The big event with a reunion of the stars of Florida wrestling, as well as people like Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns and Kofi Kingston from WWE, was to take place tonight at the Jewish Community Center in Tampa, the former Fort Homer Hesterly Armory, which housed some of Rhodes’ most famous matches.  The event starts at 6:30 p.m. tonight.   
    • Chip Caray and Joe Simpson on today’s Atlanta Braves baseball game mentioned the death of Dusty Rhodes and were very positive about he and wrestling.  The Braves and Georgia Championship Wrestling, with Rhodes as the top star, really built TBS as a national station.
    • Ric Flair’s statement on Rhodes’ death:
    • “Today I lost one of my greatest opponents and greatest friends.  He was the definition of heart and soul and I’m honored to have shared the ring with him countless times.  He became the American Dream because wrestling needed a hero they could respect, and he was the man for the job.  Dusty Rhodes, I will miss you my mentor and friend.”
    • A big story from Mexico was that Cain Velasquez refused to shake Fabricio Werdum’s hand yesterday at breakfast for Werdum calling him a fake Mexican.  Werdum later said that Velasquez was a great representative of Mexican fans, but that he just meant he was American, not Mexican, and I think blamed it all on Luke Rockhold for whatever reason.
    • TNA Slammiversary will be carried on the Fliipps app live on 6/28 for $39.95.  As noted earlier this week, the ROH show on 6/19 will also be on the Flipps app.
    • Names cut as of yesterday from Tough Enough were:

    Carly Marshall due to a knee injury

    Kevin Penczek

    Jason Vazquez

    Ava Knight-Salicka

    Lorenzo Davis II

    Adam Ohriner

    Krishany San Jorge

    Philip Guilford

    • Ohringer was the Big O from Zack Ryder’s old show, who was once on TNA Gut Check.  He was, along with Mike Hayes, one of the two most recognizable names of the 40 because he had experience in and around wrestling for years.
    • In regards to the story in the new issue of the Observer on why WWE is looking at getting word out to prospective wrestlers that they aren’t going to be interested in talent that appears going forward in TNA and ROH, that also includes WWE at least talking about a deal with WWNLive (Evolve).  As noted on last night’s radio show, the deal was not signed, at least as of yesterday afternoon and could easily fall through.  Until the deal is completed, it’s not fully known what the deal would entail past obviously some form of a working relationship.
    • Here are notes for weekend UFC television.
    • UFC 188 weigh-ins are at 7 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow on FS 2.  Karyn Bryant, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping and Ariel Helwani are hosts.
    • Prelims are on FX, not FS 1, at 8 p.m. Saturday night.
    • On the version of Impact that aired in Canada last night on The Fight Network, they forgot to send the commentary track.  It was described as like watching a spot show on New Japan World. (thanks to Paul Fontaine)
    • WWE stock fell 60 cents a share today to $15.37 after a lot of growth the past two weeks.
    • NBC Sports Network will be airing the U.S. trials in wrestling for the world championships on Sunday at 7 p.m.
    • Lana from WWE appeared as a celebrity guest at the CMT Awards.
    • Jessica Aguilar, the WSOF strawweight champion who many considered the best in the world at that weight, debuts on the 8/1 UFC show in Rio de Janeiro against Claudio Gadelha.  Most likely the winner will get a title shot coming out of this match.
    • Another new UFC fight announced is Marcio Alexandre Jr. vs. George Sullivan, this taking place on 7/12 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand, the day after a big PPV show.
    • Absolution X on 7/10 in Cleveland at the Ohio City Masonic Arts Center with Young Bucks & Johnny Gargano & Josh Prohibition & Alex Daniels vs Samoa Joe & Ethan Carter III & DJ Zema Ion & Raymond Rowe & Matt Cross in a street fight, Josh Alexander vs. Rickey Shane Page, Tim Donst vs. Nick Gage, Eddie Kingston vs. Ethan Page I Quit match, Davey Vega vs B.J. Whitmer for Intense title, Veda Scott vs. Athena plus Chris Sabin, Cedric Alexander, Louis Lyndon, Flip Kendrick and Candice LaRae wrestle, and an appearance of Vader.
    • Lance Archer & Chris Masters headline on 6/28 for Future Stars of Wrestling at the Silverton Casino in Las Vegas.
    • All Pro Wrestling at the Bayshore Community Center (across from the Cow Palace) in San Francisco tomorrow night headlined by MVP vs. Willie Mack, Ricardo Rodriguez vs. Marcus Lewis, JR Kratos vs. Jeff Cobb, plus Candice LaRae, Timothy Thatcher, Joey Ryan, Dylan Drake, Jody Kristofferson and more.  I was thinking of going to this show but the Dusty thing throws a monkey wrench in that plan.
    • In what is notable years later, Australian historian Graeme Cameron noted to us that on June 10, 1966, at Sydney Stadium, Harley Race beat Nick Bockwinkel in a match which was actually to set up a tag match with Larry Hennig & Race vs. Bockwinkel & Bill Dromo.  A decade later, Race and Bockwinkel were NWA and AWA champions, each with multi-year runs.
    • Smash Wrestling on 7/19 in Toronto at the Franklin Horner Community Centre with Matt Cross vs. Tarik in an I Quit match and Chris Hero vs. Rich Swann.
    • Rock Solid Wrestling on 8/15 in MacTier, ONT at the MacTier Memorial Arena with Cody Deaner headlining.
    • Squared Circle Live on 7/12 in Etobicoke, ONT at the Royal Canadian Legion
    • The Crash promotion on 7/3 in Tijuana has La Parka & Psycho Clown vs. Parka Negra & Zorro
    • CMLL from Monday night in Puebla:  Demus 3:16 & Mini Jocker & Sauron b Astro & Mini Fantasy & Shockercito, Asturiano & Magnus & Rey Samuray b Disturbio & Fuerza Chicana & Policeman, Fuego & Titan & Triton b Cancerbero & King Jaguar & Raziel, Euforia & Gran Guerrero & Ultimo Guerrero b Atlantis & Marco Corleone & Maximo, Dragon Rojo Jr. & Polvora & Rey Escorpion b Mistico & Valiente & Volador Jr. (thanks to Kris Zellner)
    • Orlando Pro Wrestling from Tuesday night in Orlando:  Lince Dorado b Slade Porter, Chico Adams b Joey Mayberry, Chasyn Rance b Li Bryan, Santana Garrett b Shaniah to keep NWA womens’ title, Aaron Epic b Ace Andrews, Tyranus & Night Stalker & Dalton Murphy & Rex Bacchus b Gabriel Black & Bobby Fonta & Josh Parker & Russell Payne, Rhett Giddins b Mark Silva.  Next show is Saturday night at 8 p.m. at the Team Vision Dojo in Orlando. (thanks to Al Haft)
    • Hoosier Pro Wrestling on 6/27 at 6:30 p.m. in Columbus, IN at JD Byrider’s lot is a canned food drive for the loacal food banks.  Admission is six cans of food.  Be sure to bring your own lawn chair.
    • Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore on 7/18 in Toronto at the Ted Reeve Arena with Young Bucks, Team 3-D, Johnny Mundo, Rhino, Tommy Dreamer, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian, Tony Nese, Eddie Kingston, Thea Trinidad, Matt Taven, Michael Bennett, Maria Kanellis, Tomasso Ciampa and the return as a farewell to wrestling of Traci Brooks.
    • World Pro Wrestling on AXS has announced its TV coverage of the greatest tournament in pro wrestling history, the 2014 G-1 Climax:

    June 26 – Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Katsuyori Shibata plus highlights of Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomoaki Honma and A.J. Styles vs. Kazuchika Okada

    July 3 – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata plus highlights of Yuji Nagata vs Shinsuke Nakamura, Tetsuya Naito vs. A.J. Styles and Kazuchika Okada vs. Karl Anderson

    July 10 – Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada plus highlights of Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale and Tomoaki Honma vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

    July 17 – Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomohiro Ishii plus highlights of Minoru Suzuki vs. A.J. Styles and Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Hirooki Goto

    July 24 – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura plus highlights of Tomoaki Honma vs. Katsuyori Shibata and Kazuchika Okada vs. Yujiro Takahashi

    July 31 – Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki plus highlights of Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bad Luck Fale, A.J. Styles vs. Togi Makabe and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

    August 7 – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. A.J. Styles

    August 14 – Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kazuchika Okada

    All of these shows are great.  July 17 has two match of the year candidates and the other shows almost all have at least one.

    • Pro Wrestling Eclipse on Friday in Oshawa, ONT at the Legion 471 at 2 p.m.
    • Pure Wrestling Association on 7/5 in Dundas, ONT at the Hamilton Air Force Association Hall.
    • The BBC talks Lucha Libre

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

    1973 – Masked Lee & Sandy Parker beat Jumbo Miyamoto & Mariko Akagi in Sasebo to win the WWWA tag titles

    1976 – Umanosuke Ueda beat Rusher Kimura in Ibaragi to win the IWE title

    1977 – Rollerball Mark Rocco beat Bert Royal in Manchester to win the British heavy middleweight title

    1980 – Alan Dennison beat Jim Breaks in London to win the British welterweight title

    1981 – Takashi Ishikawa & Akio Sato beat David & Kevin Von Erich in Tokyo to win the All-Asia tag titles

    TODAY’S PRO WRESTLING VIDEOS

    WWE

    6/8/15 WWE RAW “Fallout”:  The Big Dog Owns The Yard

    6/8/15 Top Ten WWE RAW Moments

    WWE Canvas 2 Canvas-Rhyno Gores Through The Canvas

    6/10/15 Emotional Rusev Crashes Lana’s Interview

    MISC. STUFF

    Top 5 Moves Of Oleg The Usurper

    Bobby Roode On “The Apter Chat”

    Dean Malenko On “The Apter Chat”

    Jake “The Snake” Roberts On “The Apter Chat”

    CHIKARA Podcast-A-Go-Go (Episode 419)

    Dad You Don’t Work, You Wrestle (Episode 123)

    AnarchyPro “Internet Beatdown” (Webisode 12)

    FULL WRESTLING SHOWS

    5/16/15 APW Live

    4/18/15 CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling’s “High Tension” Live

    TNA

    The Question Mark (Episode 11)

    What Does Rockstar Spud Think His Chances Are Of Winning The World Title?

    Kenny King And MVP Talk About Bringing the X Division Title Back To The BDC

    Brooke Comments On Being First To Defeat A Dollhouse Member

    A Look At The X Division Qualifying Matches At #DestinationX

    LUCHA UNDERGROUND

    Outside With Vampiro:  Linda Vista Community Hospital

    INDY TV SHOWS

    West Virginia Championship Wrestling TV (Episode 231)

    Premiere Wrestling Experience TV (Episode 1)

    Premiere Wrestling Experience TV (Episode 2)

    Premiere Wrestling Experience TV (Episode 3)

    Covey Pro Wrestling TV (Episode 209)

    West Coast Wrestling Connection TV (Episode 54)

    Pro Wrestling Syndicate TV (Episode 23)

    5/22/15 Future Stars Of Wrestling “High Octane” TV

    Anarchy Wrestling TV (Episode 487)

    America’s Most Liked Wrestling TV (Season 1, Episode 8)

    GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING

    #GFWGRANDSLAM Tour Recap From Waterloo, Iowa

    TOMORROW’S WWE NETWORK SCHEDULE (thanks to Bert Duckwall)   12:00 AM ET
    RAW FLASHBACK The Undertaker is set to face Kama but Ted Dibiase may have a change of plans. WWE Champion Bret Hart joins The Brother Love Show.

    1:00 AM ET
    THE WWE LIST Whether it’s winning the Diva’s Championship, or posting a very flattering photos on Twitter… These Divas do it all to stay trending.

    1:30 AM ET
    WWE UNFILTERED WITH RENEE YOUNG Renee Young chats with the King of the Ring Bad News Barrett, discussing everything from music, marine biology and everything in between!

    1:45 AM ET
    CULTURE SHOCK WITH COREY GRAVES Corey Graves experiences a culture shock at the 2015 Star Wars Celebration, getting caught up in the hype for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

    2:00 AM ET
    WWE COUNTDOWN Counting down the Top Ten Most Infamous Intercontinental Champions of all time!

    3:00 AM ET
    WWE MONEY IN THE BANK 2013 Can John Cena overcome the brute strength of Mark Henry or will the world’s strongest man finally capture the WWE Championship?

    6:00 AM ET
    WWE NXT The future is here. Witness the entertainers, the leading men and women, the Superstars of tomorrow — this is NXT!

    7:00 AM ET
    TOTAL DIVAS What starts as a couples road trip for Eva and Ariane ends in an all out blowout, and Bryan is keeping tabs on Brie.

    8:00 AM ET
    THE WWE LIST Whether it’s winning the Diva’s Championship, or posting a very flattering photos on Twitter… These Divas do it all to stay trending.

    8:30 AM ET
    WWE UNFILTERED WITH RENEE YOUNG Renee Young chats with the King of the Ring Bad News Barrett, discussing everything from music, marine biology and everything in between!

    8:45 AM ET
    CULTURE SHOCK WITH COREY GRAVES Corey Graves experiences a culture shock at the 2015 Star Wars Celebration, getting caught up in the hype for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

    9:00 AM ET
    WWE NXT The future is here. Witness the entertainers, the leading men and women, the Superstars of tomorrow — this is NXT!

    10:00 AM ET
    TOTAL DIVAS What starts as a couples road trip for Eva and Ariane ends in an all out blowout, and Bryan is keeping tabs on Brie.

    11:00 AM ET
    THE WWE LIST Whether it’s winning the Diva’s Championship, or posting a very flattering photos on Twitter… These Divas do it all to stay trending.

    11:30 AM ET
    WWE UNFILTERED WITH RENEE YOUNG Renee Young chats with the King of the Ring Bad News Barrett, discussing everything from music, marine biology and everything in between!

    11:45 AM ET
    CULTURE SHOCK WITH COREY GRAVES Corey Graves experiences a culture shock at the 2015 Star Wars Celebration, getting caught up in the hype for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

    12:00 PM ET
    WWE NXT The future is here. Witness the entertainers, the leading men and women, the Superstars of tomorrow — this is NXT!

    1:00 PM ET
    TOTAL DIVAS What starts as a couples road trip for Eva and Ariane ends in an all out blowout, and Bryan is keeping tabs on Brie.

    2:00 PM ET
    THE WWE LIST Whether it’s winning the Diva’s Championship, or posting a very flattering photos on Twitter… These Divas do it all to stay trending.

    2:30 PM ET
    WWE UNFILTERED WITH RENEE YOUNG Renee Young chats with the King of the Ring Bad News Barrett, discussing everything from music, marine biology and everything in between!

    2:45 PM ET
    CULTURE SHOCK WITH COREY GRAVES Corey Graves experiences a culture shock at the 2015 Star Wars Celebration, getting caught up in the hype for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

    3:00 PM ET
    MONDAY NIGHT WAR The strategies that helped Eric Bischoff build WCW would hasten the decline of both he and his company.

    4:00 PM ET
    WWE BEYOND THE RING Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Anthology presents the lineage of this epic match!

    6:00 PM ET
    TOTAL DIVAS Nikki is devastated when she discovers John’s kept a secret from her. Rosa’s unaware she’s competing in her pursuits of an NFL player.

    7:00 PM ET
    TOUGH ENOUGH In the pursuit to become a WWE Superstar, eight hopeful athletes compete for a million dollar WWE Contract and find out who is Tough Enough!

    8:00 PM ET
    WWE SUPERSTARS WWE Superstars features the best of the best, in matches you’ll have to see to believe. You never know what to expect, so expect everything.

    9:00 PM ET
    WWE BEYOND THE RING Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Anthology presents the lineage of this epic match!

    11:00 PM ET
    WWE SUPERSTARS WWE Superstars features the best of the best, in matches you’ll have to see to believe. You never know what to expect, so expect everything.

  • UFC 188 preview: 5 storylines to watch, betting odds and predictions

    By Ryan Frederick, WrestlingObserver.com

    The Octagon returns to Mexico City for the second time on Saturday night for their next pay-per-view offering, UFC 188, and the unification of the UFC Heavyweight Championship. The main card action comes at 10 PM eastern time, with a full preliminary slate beginning at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass before moving over to FX at 8 PM eastern time.

    UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez makes his return after almost twenty months out of action when he takes on Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum to unify the championships. The two have been jawing back-and-forth during fight week, and the fans in Mexico City are in hot anticipation of the bout as both are very popular in the country. In the co-main event, it will be a much anticipated lightweight bout between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez. Let’s dive deeper into the fight card and find five storylines to keep an eye out for on Saturday night.

    1. Who walks away as the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion?

    UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon in Mexico City to face the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum in the main event of UFC 188 to unify the championships. Velasquez hasn’t fought since his one-sided beating of Junior Dos Santos at UFC 166 in October 2013, a beating so bad that Dos Santos has only been able to fight once himself since then. Velasquez has had a myriad of injury issues over his career, and he came close to being stripped of the championship, and would have with one more injury, so an interim championship was made.

    That is where Werdum came in, and he defeated Mark Hunt at UFC 180 in November to become the interim champion. Werdum has two wins since Velasquez last fought, winning a number one contenders bout over Travis Browne in April 2014 before his win over Hunt. Werdum has won five straight fights and eight of his last nine. Velasquez has just one loss in his career, a flash knockout at the hands of Dos Santos, but he avenged that loss twice already. Werdum also has a loss at the hands of Dos Santos, who may be next in line depending on the outcome of this bout.

    Velasquez and Werdum were supposed to fight in November after coaching TUF: Latin America, but Velasquez’ injury prevented that. He comes in with a lot of potential ring rust, and the last time he had a layoff this long, he suffered his only career defeat. If he is injury free, he might be the best fighter on the planet, and he is a machine inside the Octagon. On paper, its a tough match-up for Werdum, but Werdum is too big of an underdog to be doubted. Werdum has submission skills unlike anyone Velasquez has ever fought, but at the same time, Velasquez is a different kind of fighter than anyone Werdum has fought. This fight favors Velasquez to walk away as the undisputed champion, and should make for an entertaining main event.

    2. Who wins the long-awaited bout between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez? 
    Former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez and former Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez will finally square off in a long-awaited bout that has been years in the making when they meet in the co-main event on Saturday night. Back when there was talk of them fighting while they were in different promotions, no one knew when and where they would or could fight, and no one expected it to be years down the road and inside the Octagon. Both men are looking to get themselves back in the hunt for gold at 155 pounds, and a win gets the victor on the right path, and the loser may never get themselves back on track.

    Melendez has fought twice for the UFC Lightweight Championship, which is astonishing since he has had just 3 UFC bouts. He lost a close decision to Benson Henderson, a fight that many thought he won, but came back and defeated Diego Sanchez before being submitted by then-champion Anthony Pettis in December, the only time Melendez has been finished in his career. Alvarez would’ve fought for the title had he beaten Donald Cerrone in his UFC debut, but he came up just short, and now looks to make a fresh run as he got any Octagon jitters he may have had out of the way.

    They should have an excellent fight. Both men bring it all and are known for exciting bouts. They both have power, good wrestling and good submissions, and both men can easily go the full distance, even in the higher altitude of Mexico City. It is a close fight on both paper and in the odds. Both men might not be as great as they were when they were once rumored to fight, but they may also be better than their last performances indicate. I favor Alvarez just a little bit, I think he’s long been a slightly better fighter, and with his first UFC performance done with, I expect him to bounce back and win here.

    3. How will Kelvin Gastelum fare as a middleweight? 
    Kelvin Gastelum will be making his return to 185 pounds when he takes on Nate Marquardt on the main card. Gastelum won TUF 17 as a middleweight, but he went to what was thought to be his natural class of 170 pounds following his victory over Uriah Hall. He then ran into some issues making weight, but it seemed to happen when he wasn’t working with nutritionist Mike Dolce. He had trouble making weight for a fight against Rick Story, but ultimately made it. He then missed weight for his bout against Nico Musoke, but came back to make weight easy for his fight against Jake Ellenberger the last time the UFC was in Mexico City, and it was the best performance of his career when he won by submission.

    Then came UFC 183 in January. It was a chance for Gastelum to possibly get a title contenders’ bout as he took on Tyron Woodley. Gatselum missed weight by nine pounds, prompting UFC President Dana White to announce he was being forced to move up for his next fight. He also lost for the first time in his career to Woodley as he dropped a split decision. Gastelum has talked about his desire to move back down to welterweight following this fight, but he is likely going have to earn the trust of the UFC brass again in order to move back down to 170 pounds.

    He gets a match-up against UFC veteran Nate Marquardt on the main card on Saturday night. Marquardt is someone who spent a little time fighting at 170 pounds, but moved back up to 185 pounds as he felt more comfortable there. Marquardt is just 1-4 in his last five fights and is entering the backend of his career. Gastelum should be able to get the win here, but Marquardt is a tough veteran who will be fighting for the 50th time in his career. Gastelum is younger, faster and has good power, and Marquardt’s chin is going by the day. This is Gastelum’s fight to lose.

    4. Can Henry Cejudo fight his way into a title fight?

    Olympic medalist Henry Cejudo makes his third Octagon appearance on Saturday night in the featured preliminary bout when he takes on Chico Camus. Cejudo is being built up for a title fight, and if he were to notch his first UFC finish, he may pass John Dodson in the pecking order and get the next title fight. That should be plenty of motivation for Cejduo, not to mention fighting in front of the Mexican crowd, as he comes from a Mexican heritage. Cejduo fights for the second time at 125 pounds in the UFC, and it is his second chance to show he can make that weight cut down to flyweight.

    He has a tough opponent in Camus, who fights for the second time at 125 pounds as well, and is coming off an impressive victory over Brad Pickett in November. Camus has had mixed success in the Octagon and Cejudo is the toughest challenge he has had to date. Cejudo hasn’t shown his wrestling skills, preferring to keep the fight standing and throwing punches. Camus will be a game opponent and Cejudo will probably need to mix in his wrestling. If Cejudo can get the takedowns and score a stoppage win, he might just cement himself as the next challenger for Demetrious Johnson.

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

    This is a solid card shaping up in Mexico City with a lot of Mexican stars looking for good performances. TUF Latin America winner Yair Rodriguez will meet Charles Rosa in a solid featherweight bout on the main card. Both men are solid prospects and each have just one loss in their career. Opening the main card on pay-per-view is a women’s strawweight bout between undefeated fighters Tecia Torres and Angela Hill. Both are young in their careers, but as the 115-pound division expands, both will be looking to move up the rankings, and someone will be leaving with their first career loss.

    In preliminary action, the other TUF Latin America winner, Alejandro Perez, will meet Patrick Williams in a bantamweight bout. Undefeated lightweight Francisco Trevino looks to avoid his first loss when he meets Johnny Case, who has won ten straight fights. And, inexplicably put on the UFC Fight Pass portion of the card, welterweights Augusto Montano and Cathal Pendred meet. Montano had a big win in the Mexico City debut to improve to 15-1 in his career, and Pendred is unbeaten in his past eleven fights.

    Full UFC 188 Fight Card, Betting Odds & Predictions

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

    UFC Heavyweight Championship Unification: Cain Velasquez(c) vs. Fabricio Werdum(ic)
    Betting Odds: Velasquez (-525), Werdum (+415)
    Prediction: Velasquez by knockout in round 2

    Lightweights: Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez
    Betting Odds: Melendez (-175), Alvarez (+155)
    Prediction: Alvarez by decision

    Middleweights: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nate Marquardt
    Betting Odds: Gastelum (-500), Marquardt (+400)
    Prediction: Gastelum by knockout in round 1

    Featherweights: Yair Rodriguez vs. Charles Rosa
    Betting Odds: Rodriguez (+190), Rosa (-230)
    Prediction: Rosa by decision

    Women’s Strawweights: Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill
    Betting Odds: Torres (-300), Hill (+250)
    Prediction: Torres by decision

    PRELIMINARY CARD (FX- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)

    Flyweights: Henry Cejudo vs. Chico Camus
    Betting Odds: Cejudo (-1100), Camus (+700)
    Prediction: Cejudo by decision

    Lightweights: Efrain Escudero vs. Drew Dober
    Betting Odds: Escudero (+135), Dober (-155)
    Prediction: Dober by submission in round 3

    Bantamweights: Alejandro Perez vs. Patrick Williams
    Betting Odds: Perez (-165), Williams (+145)
    Prediction: Perez by knockout in round 2

    Lightweights: Francisco Trevino vs. Johnny Case
    Betting Odds: Trevino (+335), Case (-420)
    Prediction: Case by decision

    PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)

    Welterweights: Augusto Montano vs. Cathal Pendred
    Betting Odds: Montano (-160), Pendred (+140)
    Prediction: Montano by decision

    Featherweights: Gabriel Benitez vs. Clay Collard
    Betting Odds: Benitez (+215), Collard (-255)
    Prediction: Collard by decision

    Welterweights: Albert Tumenov vs. Andrew Todhunter
    Betting Odds: Tumenov (-450), Todhunter (+360)
    Prediction: Tumenov by knockout in round 1

  • Dusty Rhodes passes away

    Paul Levesque on Twitter just announced the passing of Dusty Rhodes.

    Dusty Rhodes was one of the most charismatic pro wrestlers in history and among the most popular wrestlers and biggest drawing cards of the 70s and 80s.

    The only details we’ve heard is that he had a fall at his house earlier today and his kidneys were shutting down and he started to get dehydrated.

    Rhodes is generally considered the biggest star in the history of the Florida regional territory and booked Jim Crockett Promotions in the 80s and WCW in the 90s.  He’s been working in WWE developmental for years.

    We will update shortly.

  • Wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes passes away at age 69

    By Dave Meltzer, WrestlingObserver.com

    On Twitter Thursday, Paul “HHH” Levesque announced the passing of Virgil “Dusty Rhodes” Runnels Jr. He was 69.

    Rhodes was one of the most charismatic pro wrestlers in history and among the most popular wrestlers and biggest drawing cards of the 70s and 80s. He was born Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. and took his name from a baseball star of an earlier era.

    The only details we’ve hearda as of this time is that he had a fall at his house earlier Thursday, his kidneys were shutting down and he started to get dehydrated.

    > Listen: Wrestling Observer Breaking News Audio 6/11: Dusty Rhodes passes away

    Rhodes is generally considered the biggest star in the history of the Florida regional territory and booked Jim Crockett Promotions in the 80s and WCW in the 90s.  He’s been working in WWE developmental for years as a promo coach.

    Rhodes was a college football and baseball player at West Texas State, a contemporary of Bruiser Brody and Terry Funk.  He got into pro wrestling after playing semi-pro football. He made his first name in wrestling as a heel, teaming with Dick Murdoch, as the Texas Outlaws.  The team held numerous championships, and had strong runs in a number of territories.

    Eventually, they went their separate ways. Rhodes had become the top singles heel in the Florida territory when Eddie Graham sensed the crowd was starting to get with him because of his colorful interviews and mannerisms.

    Before the turn, Graham tested his theory in a world title match where Rhodes faced then-champion Jack Brisco who had been Florida’s most popular wrestler for years. He put a spot in where Rhodes delivered his elbow drop and Brisco, instead of kicking out, put his foot over the ropes. That one move caused the crowd to get behind Rhodes, proving Graham’s theory.

    He then booked an angle where Gary Hart and Pak Song turned on Rhodes in a tag team match. Rhodes became the biggest draw and most popular wrestler in the state with his first run setting box office records in most cities.

    He became a touring star and was brought into all the big money territories, whether it was the WWWF, AWA, Carolinas, Georgia or wherever a main event attraction was needed, while remaining mostly based in Florida.

    When Georgia Championship Wrestling starting getting a national foothold, Rhodes was its top babyface with a feud with Ole Anderson & Ivan Koloff.

    In 1984, Rhodes moved to the Carolinas to become the booker for Jim Crockett Promotions. This led to a huge increase in business in 1985 and 1986, but things started faltering in 1987 and for a variety of reasons, between going with a pat hand and repetitive main event finishes, attendance fell while spending increased.

    Crockett sold the promotion to Turner Broadcasting in 1988 after significant money losses. Rhodes had a falling out quickly with Jim Herd, who was put in charge of WCW.  This led to his run as the “Common Man” in polka dots with WWF. Some of this was retribution since Rhodes (as booker) was considered Vince McMahon’s biggest adversary just a few years earlier in quest for national domination of the business.

    After being fired by McMahon after a few years as a headline wrestler, Rhodes’ active career was over and he went back to WCW, where he performed a number of roles including booking and television announcing.

    As far as an ability to work and control a crowd as a babyface, Rhodes ranks right up there with anyone at any point in pro wrestling history and was an unquestioned all-time great.

  • Lance Archer talks GFW and Killer Elite Squad

    Show: Interactive Wrestling Radio courtesy of http://www.WrestlingEpicenter.com

    Guest: Lance Hoyt AKA Vance Archer
    Date: 07/11/15
    Your Hosts: Patrick Kelley & James Walsh

    Global Force Wrestling announced their roster recently and one name that jumped out amongst the highly esteemed roster was Lance Hoyt who was Vance Archer in the WWE. The former TNA star and current co-holder of the GHC and NWA World Tag Team Titles in New Japan Pro Wrestling . We have interviewed Hoyt twice prior to this and always thought that with his size, talent, and professional approach to the media, he’d be a great name to draw to in the United States. With Global Force Wrestling, he seems to be realizing that opinion recently appearing on Fox Sports along with WWE Legend “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and GFW founder and legend in his own right, Jeff Jarrett. This time, it is one on one time with Lance Hoyt for an excellent interview that really shows his passion for the industry. A great read. But, a better listen.

    You can listen to the MP3 and stream the YouTube video for free right now at http://www.WrestlingEpicenter.com. There is NO subscriptions… We do this free of charge. So, come on by, check out our past interviews, our store, and give us a “Like” on Facebook!

    Here is a text overview of some of the key points discussed:

    On ROH, TNA, Lucha Underground, & NXT all airing on a packed Wednesday night:
    “It definitely is an interesting time for wrestling. I think it is a great time for wrestling! WCW was always Women’s Crush Wednesday. I’m calling it “Wrestling Crush Wednesday. You have a chance to watch 4 different products with 4 different styles. If you’re a fan, this is a great time!”

    On the inception of Global Force Wrestling:
    “I think the good thing and is his (Jeff Jarrett) willingness and want to use different talents from different places at different times which is maybe not what people are used to. People are used to a crew of guys that they see on a consistent basis. That’s good, but what this (GFW) is going to provide is a new flavor all the time. I think that is sometimes what is missing… Not that the guys and girls are stale but sometimes the product, with the turnaround, makes it feel stale.” He remarks on the fact that some of the upcoming Grand Slam tour shows prior to the Vegas TV tapings will also see a mix of talent, some main-stay GFW guys while there will also be a local talent feel as well. He goes on to say, “The mix of talent that you’re going to see is what is going to make Global Force Wrestling different and exciting because you don’t know what you’re going to get.”

    On if there is any reservations about holding the tour in baseballs tadiums after TNA’s shockingly low turn-out for baseball stadium shows in later 2013:
    “I think it is always a cocnerning factor. The one thing it does have in its corner is got that buzz going around it and it has had that buzz for a while now. There is a curiosity factor of “Well, lets see what this is all about” ” Hoyt says that there is getting to be a buzz around all wrestling at the moment citing ROH, TNA, and of course, WWE, but also with New Japan having their show on AXXSTV. He cites that he worked a Main Event Wrestling independent event in Carthage, Texas that drew over 1,000 fans. He says, “I think that is what is going to be on GFW’s side. Because it is an outside venue, It is a starting off process, it is a growing process. People are excited about GFW and they should be! On June 12th and June 13th, you’ve got the “Bullet Club” Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows who are one of the longest reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions for one of the most respected companies in wrestling, NJPW. You’re going to get to see PJ Black, formerly Justin Gabriel. You’re going to get to see Chris Adonnis, formerly Chris Masters and I think he’s underrated . I’ve had some amazing matches with that dude. People don’t understand how good he actually is!” Hoyt goes on to say that they don’t expect to sell out the stadiums and that it will be difficult because the stadiums are so big that even a thousand or two thousand fans might look like a smaller crowd, they’d be very happy with a thousand fans at each show. He also says Jeff Jarrett is working tirelessly to get the word out about the shows.

    On the state of TNA, a place he worked from 2004-2009:
    “I really hope they (TNA) work out whatever situation they have going with Destination America and keep going because they have a lot of great talent there.” He hypes the Dirty Heels and the Wolves’ matches, “And I’m a tag team guy and I’m putting this over.” He goes on to say that if or when the company does disapear from American TV and if and when it disapears from international TV, there would be a lot of very talented guys trying to find a new place to work.

    On where TNA took a “wrong turn”:
    “I don’t know where they took a wrong turn. They’ve been trying a lot of things that they were told they had to do… You know, “You’ve got to get out of Orlando. You’ve got to get out of Orlando!” Well, they attempted that. Whether they attempted it the right way, I don’t know. I wasn’t there and I wasn’t a part of the company. But, they DID try it. I don’t think the Monday Night Wars scenario was a good one. This is a DVR age – They don’t have to choose to watch one or the other. It is a very different era in that sense. I think it was a combination of different things. Whether it was that or that they got away from being what it was supposed to be, Total Nonstop Action, I think it is all hearsay. I think if you watch the product now, it is very strong with a lot of great talent. But, they’re fighting an uphill battle to maintain their spot in the business and I think that is kind of sad because they’ve been around for so long. I get mad sometimes when the fans get real negative about the wrestling and things that are happening. I’ve gotten into Twitter arguments saying that if something bad were to happen (to TNA), in a sense, it is their fault for not choosing to support it.”

    On WWE developmental from when he was there (FCW) to the current NXT product:
    “It is a VERY different process”, Hoyt says. He goes on to say that FCW was a trud developmental territory while NXT is a very polished show that is pushing the main WWE show to be better to compete with their “developmental” product. He praises NXT and says, “I personally think Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) has the best entrance in professional wrestling right now.” He also praises Triple H for finding talent and providing a platform for the talent to show what they may not have known they had before. Hoyt thinks NXT is a great thing for the WWE and the wrestling business.

    On teaming with Davey Boy Smith Jr in the “Killer Elite Squad”:
    “We work very hard to make sure that KES is what they see, notice, and want to see more of every time we step in the ring.” He jokes that usually in tag teams, he plays the Diesel role to a Shawn Michaels type guy but in this case, he’s only a few inches taller than Davey. He also jokes that Davey is only in his late 20’s, adding, “Damn it!” He says they are capable of singles success but are working hard to keep the KES as strong as possible. They are, at the time of this interview, the GHC and NWA World Tag Team Champions. They defend the tag belts at an upcoming NJPW event, “We are Suziki Gun” available on NJPW World.

  • On this day in pro wrestling history (June 11): 1879 Boston title change, Styles wins NWA/TNA gold

    By Brian Hoops, WrestlingObserver.com

    1879 – H.M. Dufur defeated James Owens in Boston, Massachusetts to win the American Collar-and-Elbow Title.

    1933 – In Waterloo, Iowa; Bronko Nagurski beat Frank Topaz

    1943 – In St. Joseph, Missouri; Ronnie Etchison beat Tom Zaharias, In a Boxing match, Lee Wyckoff beat Cowboy Luttrall via ko-3rd round, George Pavich beat Carlos Rodriquez and Gene Reardon drew Bill Dusen

    1955 – Doug Donovan & Ivan Kameroff defeated Luther Lindsay & George Dussette to win the Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title.

    1964 – In Kansas City, Kansas; Mongolian Stomper beat Moose Evans 2 to 1 falls, The Lawman beat Lee Henning … Larry (Rocky) Hamilton beat Baron Von Strauss and Steve Bolus and Tom Poulos beat Tokyo Tom and Bulldog Plechas

    1965 – Wilbur Snyder & Dick the Bruiser defeated The Assassins (Guy Mitchell & Joe Tomasso) to win the World Wrestling Association Tag Team Title

    1970 – In Winnipeg; Edouard Carpentier & Pepper Gomez beat AWA Tag Team Champions Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon via dq and Lars Anderson beat Bob Windham

    1970 – In Kansas City; Frank Hester defeated Scandor Akbar via DQ, Pat O’Connor defeated Tom Brandon, The Viking fought Roger Kirby to a draw, Danny Little Bear & The Viking & Pat O’Connor defeated Roger Kirby & Scandor Akbar & Don Drummer and Baron Von Raschke & Harley Race defeated Rufus R. Jones & Bob Ellis in three falls.

    1971 – In Winnipeg; AWA Tag Team Champions Red Bastien & Hercules Cortez beat Mad Dog Vachon & Butcher Vachon, In a Death match
    The Crusher beat Strong Kobayashi, Blackjack Lanza beat Dr. Big Bill Miller and Nick Bockwinkel beat Paul Diamond

    1971 – The Assassins, (Tom Renesto & Jody Hamilton) won the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title, defeating Ray Gunkel & El Mongol in Atlanta, Georgia

    1973 – El Marquez defeated Karloff Lagarde for the Mexico National Welterweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico; Masked Lee & Sandy Parker defeated Jumbo Miyamoto & Mariko Akagi for the WWWA World Tag Team Title in Sasebo, Japan

    1975 – Gene & Ole Anderson defeated Wahoo McDaniel & Paul Jones to win the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Title in Raleigh, North Carolina

    1976 – Great Kusatsu & Mighty Inoue defeated Rip Tyler & Eddie Sullivan to win the IWA Japan World Tag Team Title in Furukawa, Japan; In Denver, Colorado; Larry Hennig & Jos Leduc no contest Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke, Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell beat Blackjack Lanza & Bobby Duncum, Russ Francis pinned Kim Duk and Buddy Wolff beat Billy Red Cloud

    1980 – Alan Dennison defeated Jim Breaks for the British Welterweight Title in London, England; In Ottawa, Ontario; Verne Gagne & Greg Gagne beat Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Heenan, Dino Bravo went to a double countout with Jerry Blackwell, Jesse Ventura beat Steve Olsonoski, Adrian Adonis beat Mad Dog Vachon and Jerry Blackwell beat Super Destroyer Mark III. Attendance was 4,000

    1981 – In Winnipeg; AWA Tag Team Champions Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura beat the Crusher & Baron Von Raschke. In a Non Title Match, Jim Brunzell beat AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel, Mike Graham beat Buck Zumhofe and Jerry Blackwell beat Mad Dog Vachon. Attendance was 3,000; Takashi Ishikawa & Akio Sato defeated Kevin & David Von Erich to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan.

    1983 – King Tonga & Gran Apolo defeated Buddy Landel & Terry Gibbs for the WWC North American Tag Team Title in San Juan, Puerto Rico; At the Cow Palace in San Francisco, Ken Patera & Jerry Blackwell beat Mad Dog Vachon & Baron Von Raschke, AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel beat Wahoo McDaniel, Mike Graham beat Buck Zumhofe Rick Martel beat Blackjack Lanza dq and Greg Gagne beat John Tolos

    1984 – Rick Rude defeated Jerry Lawler to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee

    1989 – The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) defeated The Southern Force (Black Bart and Tony Anthony) in Orlando, Florida, to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Title.

    1993 – Tracy Smothers defeated Tony Anthony to win the held up SMW
    Heavyweight Title in Knoxville, Tennessee; Saemi Numata defeated Kumiko Maekawa for the AJW Junior Title.

    2003 – At a TNA weekly PPV taping in Nashville,Tennessee; AJ Styles won the TNA/NWA World Title by defeating Raven and Jeff Jarrett.

    2005 – In Brandon, Florida; Chris Sabin defeated Sonjay Dutt to win the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup.

  • UFC ‘Ultimate Fighter’ June 10 TV results & recap: Hayder Hassan vs. Felipe Portela

    By Steve Juon, Wrestling Observer

    Previously on TUF: The Blackzilians are now up 200-50 after Vicente Luque submitted Nathan Coy in the third round.

    The Blackzilians choose Felipe Portela for the eighth fight and final bout of the second round that’s worth 50 points. Glenn Robinson: “We wanted to finish with the guy with the biggest mustache.” Portela talks about how he left everything behind in Brazil, and how his wife has been supporting his dream, “but now it’s my time.”

    American Top Team’s Michael Graves believes they can still win. Nathan Coy thinks it’s in poor taste that the Blackzilians keep goofing off after their wins. Tyrone Spong comes to the house to give his ‘Zilians a pep talk. Luque: “It’s great that I could bring another win, and we gotta keep that up.”

    Kamaru Usman: “Coy is a seasoned veteran. Luque executed his strategy to a tee.” Carrington Banks: “They want to catch us with a match-up and we don’t care who we get.” Spong: “Keep snatching their souls one by one just like that.”

    Dan Lambert and American Top Team are trying to figure out how to get back on track. Dana White: “He has to pick the most f*cking ferocious animal he has in the gym.” White says they’re in danger of being mathematically eliminated before the show even ends. Therefore they’re going back to the well and using Hayder Hassan to get a second W for the team.

    Hassan: “I told them put me back in there for every single fight.” Lambert: “He walked the walk when he got his opportunity.” Hassan: “I’m too skilled to go out there and not represent my team. I don’t care if you think we’re broken. Put me in the cage and I’ll knock everyone out. I’ll knock the confidence out of your brains.” Commercial.

    Weigh ins: 170.25 for Hassan. Portela is 170 even. Here’s the interesting thing – these two have ALREADY fought. Hassan beat him back at Titan FC 31 with a first round TKO. Matt Mitrione gives the Blackzilians motivation and says if you stomp this one out, they can’t possibly come back from it. UFC pads the show with a bunch of filler so the fight doesn’t start until 10:35 ET.

    * Felipe Portela (Blackzilians) vs. Hayder Hassan (American Top Team)

    Hassan is in the blue trunks and Portela the back. Portela gets a takedown in the first five seconds but Hassan gets right up. Portela clings to his back and Hassan complains about a low blow knee. The ref gives Portela a warning but also tells Hassan to let go of the cage. Hassan finally pushes free at 1:05. He’s throwing lots of lefts. Portela gets a single leg but can’t keep Hassan down. Hassan is bobbing and weaving and firing combos with confidence.

    Portela is covering up a lot but some strikes are getting through. Hassan keeps backing him up. Portela tries to keep him at distance with kicks. Portela is begging Hassan to bring it with 55 seconds left. That’s a bad idea. Hassan unloads on him with 28 seconds left. Portela is backing up eating shots until the horn. 10-9 round for Hassan.

    Portela’s corner is pouring water over his head and telling him not to back up any more. “Mix it up!” Hassan’s corner is telling him it’s time to land a big combo and get the knockout. Portela didn’t take their advice – he’s still backing up. Hassan connects with three straight lefts. Portela finally throws a good right hook and a few kicks. Hassan is undeterred. Portela’s hands and arms have to be sore from all the strikes he’s tried to block.

    His left eye is getting swollen up. For every one shot Portela gets, Hassan gets three. Hassan lands a big combo at 3:27. ATT is chanting louder than the Blackzilians in their own gym. Hassan isn’t slowing down. 40 seconds left in R2 and he’s pouring it on. Portela gets a takedown with 10 seconds left but Hassan jumps up IMMEDIATELY. I suspect after the break Hassan gets a unanimous decision.

    With six minutes of TV time left there’s not going to be a third round. The judges have scored it 20-18, 19-19, 20-18 for Hassan by majority decision. American Top Team narrows the lead by 50 points and regains control of the home gym.

    It will be 200-100 next week and the final round of fights are worth 100 points each so it’s all new again. See you then!

  • Frankie Kazarian talks frustration from his days in TNA

    The following is from a third party:

    The latest Pro Wrestling Illustrated Podcast features a lengthy interview with ROH tag team champ Kazarian. In it, Kazarian talks about working an upcoming tag team match with all three of his groomsmen, whether WWE has a stigma toward ex-TNA talent, what modern wrestlers could learn from the Ultimate Warrior, and more.

    The PWI Podcast is available for download on iTunes or can be streamed at pwi-online.com.

    In this highlight, Kazarian recalls the time in 2009 when Dixie Carter held a meeting with the entire roster to tell them they needed to “step up,” then decided to air the meeting on television.

    “That was just one of many of those types of meetings we had. I remember them making decisions to show that on TV, to give fans a glimpse into the reality that goes on. And I remember everybody—just everybody—thinking that was a rotten idea, except the people who produce the television show . . . That wasn’t the first time we were told that. We were told that by her. We were told that by Vince Russo. We were told that the reason our house shows don’t draw is because none of us are names–that we’re not draws . . . Well, we’re not names because, a lot of times, you’re writing really, really terrible stuff.

    “And you’re doing really stupid things to guys like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe, who have the potential to be huge names, but are a little bit handcuffed. So, yeah, a lot of the blame was always put on the wrestlers. And we were left shaking our heads, like, ‘Is it our fault?’ We didn’t think so. There was always that call to arms to step up. And, for the most part, it was never the wrestlers that needed to step up.’

  • Jeff Jarrett talks promoting GFW brand, TNA pulling talent and TV deal

    The following is from a third party:

    Wrestleview.com’s Adam Martin had the opportunity to sit down with Global Force Wrestling owner and founder Jeff Jarretton Wednesday evening to discuss the upcoming debut of GFW this weekend in Jackson, TN and Knoxville, TN. Jarrett also discussed his reaction to TNA pulling Tyrus from upcoming live events and the latest on the TV tapings in Las Vegas this July.

    On the use of social media to promote the GFW brand: 

    “I love it in a real positive way. Global Force Wrestling or Jeff Jarrett can touch the consumer, the viewer, the fan instantaneously and we don’t have to go through traditional channels. When I was growing up when I first broke in, you would have the local promoter come out. He’d write the story and it’d come out at the very best three or four days later. That is really best case scenario. Then as time went along you may get a live news hit, the sports guy come out and do a live news thing. Then you roll through time and you’ve got 500 digital channels and you’ve got streaming services – Netflix, Roku, Amazon, going on and on. YouTube. Social media. Instagram. Vine. Snapchat. That’s really where the fans are. You were on the field with us, tweeted the first pitch and the whole world saw it in 30 minutes? 15 minutes? I like that as a promoter. You can touch the fan base.”

    His reaction to TNA pulling Tyrus (former WWE star Brodus Clay) from live events:

    “Am I disappointed that George Murdoch can’t be part of it? Absolutely, but life happens. TNA, it’s very obvious that they don’t have the vision and don’t have the mindset that I do. That it was without question, you know, George, yep you’re going to be on our non-televised events. And that’s where we stand. He agreed to it. He was legally available for us and then whatever happened – I don’t want to speak for George. I don’t want to speak for TNA. I don’t know. He told me, “I can’t make it.” I’ll sort of leave it at that. When one door closes on a situation, that’s opportunity and the door is opened for other talents to come on. In the month of July we got a couple different announcements coming up. Some former World Heavyweight Champions (will) be part of the Global Force Wrestling roster.”

    When more details about GFW and a television deal is expected:

    “I release information when I feel the time is right. I think you guys have accepted that fact. I think it helps everybody, the anticipation. Professional wrestling is no different than the music business or other forms of entertainment. 15, 13 years ago, the CD is how the music business made its money. Then you went to .99 downloads or $1.29 downloads. Now it’s streaming. It’s a different form of how the consumer consumes content. My goal, Global Force Wrestling, I’m standing on global. We got alliances with 13 promotions on 5 continents and we are on a much smaller world than we used to be. My goal is to make sure that the content we produce is going to be able to be consumed on a global basis. The ‘TV deal’ – those details will be released at the appropriate time. Traditional forms of cable network television, they are definitely in the rear view mirror.”

  • Lucha Underground June 10 TV results & report: Cage vs. Hernandez vs. Drago vs. King Cuerno

    By Jeremy Peeples, WrestlingObserver.com

    Last week, Jack Evans had a really fun match with Argenis and gained his first win in the company. He also won an ancient medallion from Dario Cueto. Chavo Guerrero turned heel after a couple of weeks as a babyface by luring Black Lotus into an attack by Cueto’s crew and they’re threatening her with Cueto’s brother – Motunza, who killed Bael a few weeks back. The Trios champions retained against Daivari, Ryck, and Cage thanks to Texano. Pentagon Jr. beat Sexy Star in a submission match using a modified surfboard and not his usual arm snapper. Vampiro left the table and went to save Sexy Star from being a victim, and then smashed his head into a mirror while we heard him talk about the darkness via commentary clips. He’s found his personal dark side, and he’s set to unleash Hell soon enough.

    The show begins with a recap of Chavo’s saga in the company and the end of Drago. Drago is shown above the Temple with wings in a really badass shot diving down. Los Rayobacks sing us in while Vamp apologizes for getting in the ring last week. Striker says that Sexy will only be out a couple of weeks. Dario Cueto says that in ten weeks, we’ll have Ultima Lucha! It will be a yearly event with the biggest fights and tonight, we’ll determine who fights for the title at Ultima Lucha. He has invited all of Prince Puma’s past opponents – but Fenix can’t compete because Mil Muertes killed him. Of course, since he left out Drago and we just saw Drago, we know he’ll be in this. Sometimes, predictable is very good. Blue Demon Jr. will be at Ultima Lucha and he comes down to the ring in a suit. Dario says that he’s made a match tonight to prevent ring rust – a match with Chavo and The Crew, sans Bael due to the monster Motunza. 

    Blue Demon Jr. vs. Chavo Guerrero – Anything Goes

    Demon is working in a suit and eats a kick to the face from Chavo. Striker talks about the Guerrero dynasty including Shaul. They fight on the floor and Demon gets some forearm strikes. The Crew jumps Demon and Vamp says he hates Demon. Chavo canes the daylights out of him. The Crew beats him up and Chavo wins with a frog splash. We get another badass shot of Drago flapping his wings and looking cool. Chavo talks to Black Lotus in her cell as they pan over to Motunza, who we just hear growl.

    Dario is threatened by Drago, who logically points out that he’s faced Prince Puma. Cueto says that he’s been banished, but he’s found a loophole. He’s in the match, but he must win to stay in the company and he’ll lose his mask as well. Drago accepts the terms – this was excellent!

    Catrina and her catsuit bring The Disciples of Death down to the ring. They have white, purple, and gold trim. The faces come down as Vamp talks about them being silly and Striker says that they’re livers of a free life. This is an odd matchup, but could be really good – sometimes clashes in styles work out.

    The Disciples of Death vs. Pimpinella Escarlata, Mascarita Sagrada, and Bengala

    The Disciples are gobsmacked by Pimpi, who dances around and eats chops. Chop exchange between Gold and Pimpi. Pimpi doesn’t call it the rear view, but does prevent a corner charge with his ass. Pimpi dives into the crowd and kisses a fan. Ground tag to Bengala. Bengala’s gear is like a zebra version of Ultimo Dragon’s. The Disciples team up on Bengala, who gets a big chant already. Double-jump Lionsault to a disciple, but Gold attacks with a kick to the jaw.

    Iffy swinging rana off the top to Gold leads to a triangle jumping corkscrew dive to the floor! Sagrada comes in and is beaten up by White and tossed around. All three buzzsaw kick Sagrada! Pimpi gets tossed around and Bengala eats more kicks. Wacky lucha things send Sagrada into the corner and then into the other corner via flips. The Disciples get a double wheelbarrow doomsday device missile dropkick. They dump Sagrada over the top onto Bengala. Pimpi dropkicks two of them to the floor, but eats a boot. Catrina does the lick of death and they hit a triple dominator for the win. This was an interesting match to watch, and got over The Disciples as a serious threat.

    Vampiro hypes up the return of Drago tonight. Johnny Mundo goes into Dario’s office and asks why he isn’t in the title match qualifier tonight since he faced Puma. Cueto says that he wants him to be champion by the time Ultima Lucha starts. Sure, Mundo gave him a black eye – but he looks great in sunglasses. He loved seeing Johnny put Alberto through a window and views him as the future of Lucha Underground. Mundo says he knows that he’s better than Puma, and Cueto says that he has a new concept – Prince Puma vs. Mundo in an iron man match. This eight month old company has managed to reinvent the Royal Rumble and make stipulation matches seem like a big deal, so the idea of a Mundo vs. Puma iron man match should turn out to be excellent in execution.

    Melissa Santos is mid-ring and announces tonight’s four way main event. Cage comes out first, followed by King Cuerno. Hernandez and his new black and white gear are out, while Drago rounds out the field to a huge pop. Drago comes down with his wings while the announcers act shocked – that’s a bit odd. Drago has new shiny black gear and Hernandez looks scared shitless. Drago also has a new, scarier mask while Santos says that a loss here banishes Drago and he’ll have to unmask.

    Cage vs. Hernandez vs. Drago vs. King Cuerno – Ultima Lucha Title Match 4-Way

    Cage and Hernandez start it off, but are then followed by Drago and Cuerno. Flipping headscissors by Drago and a lucha drop-down exchange gets 2 for Drago. Drago gets a pop-up facebuster, but eats a Very Mexican uppercut from Cuerno. Hernandez gorilla presses Hernandez, but Cage prevents a Border Toss. Cage kicks away at him and takes him down with a dropkick. Striker talks about Cage wanting to be a pro skateboarder, but he couldn’t beat anyone up there.

    Drago hops off of Cage for a rana to Cuerno. Cage tosses Drago to the floor before Cuerno and Cage team up to kick Hernandez and then double suplex him. Cage hits an Okada flying elbow before a Cuerno dive, but Drago prevents a pin. Drago low-bridges Cage and ranas Cuerno. Cuerno and Cage are hit with a double lariat, but the impact sends Drago down instead. Powerbomb and lungblower combo by Cage and Cuerno. Cage catches Drago and tosses him while glaring at Cuerno. Hernandez clubs Cuerno down, but he comes back with strikes and chops him hard in the ropes. Hernandez pounces him and sends him flying.

    Hernandez and Drago square off, and Drago trips him up. A Superfly dive gets 2 for Drago. Killshot is standing high on the perch above the commentators. Cage tries to attack Cuerno from behind, but he senses him, ducks a lariat, then a discus and catches Drago for a Finlay roll. Cage moonsaults him and Cuerno hits a flying knee to the gut. Hernandez gets the inverted torture rack gutbuster to Cuerno, but eats a double jump moonsault from Cage.

    Vamp asks why no one is going for a cover and Striker says they’ll give up their backs in the process. Running rana to Cuerno from Drago leads to a corkscrew dive from Cuerno to him on the floor. Hernandez turns into a dive attempt, but eats a big forearm before faking Cage out and Taker diving the pile.

    Cage moonsaults on the pile on the floor and lands right on his knees. Cuerno is mid-ring for the Arrow of Death, and sends it to Killshot. Cuerno dives onto Cage and Drago since Hernandez left the scene immediately and tosses Cuerno into the ring to kick his ass. He comes in, but eats a flip powerbomb by Drago to the floor! Drago uses mist on Cuerno and wins with his wacky lucha cradle! Drago is the new number one contender and will face whoever the champion is at Ultima Lucha! 

    The crowd goes crazy for Drago. He gets a series of chants and stares down Puma mid-ring. Cueto looks out of his office and Catrina says that he should have put Muertes in the match. Catrina says that every man immortal or mortal craves power, and Muertes kills everything in his way. Cueto says that he’ll face Drago in two weeks and the winner faces the champion at Ultima Lucha. She tells him that Motunza is no match for Mil Muertes as Cueto just looks shocked. This was a super-fun episode of the show and well worth going out of your way to see. It would be nice if they hadn’t deflated Drago’s big win here by ending the show with him, like Hernandez, having to defend his contendership.

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