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  • TNA makes an offer for Moose

    It appears that Moose (real name Quinn Ojinnaka) may be on his way to a new home, but not the one many originally thought.

    Major League Wrestling reported on their Twitter account Wednesday morning that the free agent had signed a multi-year agreement with TNA Wrestling — a report Ojinnaka refuted, telling them he has an offer from the company but hasn’t signed as of now.

    Our Dave Meltzer has been reporting about Moose’s future for several weeks in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter including this from last week:

    “The situation with Moose changed in the past week as well. WWE backed off on signing him at this moment due to a 2009 domestic violence allegation which led to him being suspended for a game when he was in the NFL. He was actually told not to worry by WWE with the idea it’s just a timing situation (given the recent situations with Adam Rose and Jerry Lawler) and not a closed door.

    He was originally expected to be part of their September NXT introduction class with guys like Tommy End and Big Damo and most likely Roderick Strong, who did finish up here over the weekend. Moose has had offers from Lucha Underground, TNA, which offered the most money of anyone ($100,000 per year) and the door is open to staying here as well. Those at ROH view his future here as something that has changed a few times and it may or may not change again.

    Right now they are going with the idea it could go either way. But the plans aren’t booked right now with him as a key part of things. The impression we have is it is most likely he will be elsewhere soon which rules out WWE as well. He was beaten a few times on TV and the PPV because he may be gone and was expected to be gone when the shows were first laid out. But the door is open for him to stay. The TNA offer was always the best one money-wise, but there is the feeling that if you go to TNA, you fall off the radar. Plus, nobody knows the future of TNA.”

    At one time it appeared that Ojinnaka was headed to the WWE and would start at the Performance Center in September, but Dave Meltzer reported in last week’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE backed off of signing the former football journeyman because of a 2009 domestic violence allegation that led to him being suspended from the NFL for one game.

    Ojinnaka’s wife alleged that he threw her down the stairs during an argument over a female friend that he had friended on Facebook, and Ojinnaka accused her of trying to stab him with a pen. The two are now divorced.

    Ojinnaka left the NFL in 2012 after a seven-year career with four different teams. After his time in football was over, the longtime wrestling fan decided to pursue a career in professional wresting and debuted in 2014 with Ring of Honor. 

    MLW also tweeted that Lucha Underground/AAA have not made an offer to Moose, but that TNA and ROH are still in play for his services.

  • UFC Fight Night 90 DFS Playbook: value picks, who to avoid

    It is UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nevada and Thursday night brings us UFC Fight Night 90, the first of three straight nights of action inside the Octagon.

    This event will be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout as champion Rafael Dos Anjos defends against challenger Eddie Alvarez.

    Below are our studs, value plays and fighters to avoid when setting your fantasy lineups for Thursday night’s event.

    STUDS

    Joseph Duffy ($11,100)

    Joseph Duffy is coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier in which he was completely outclassed, so he takes a big step backwards in taking on Mitch Clarke on Thursday.

    Clarke will be fighting for the first time since losing to Michael Chiesa in April 2015. The 2-3 Clarke appears to be a rebound fight for Duffy, who is 14-2 in his career and was ranked in the top 15 prior losing against Poirier.

    Duffy is a finisher and 13 of his 14 wins have come by stoppage. Clarke has only been finished once in his career, but he doesn’t have the same skillset that Duffy does. Duffy is a strong striker, has excellent submissions and good grappling. Clarke is a good grappler as well, but loses this match-up on foot.

    Duffy has the highest salary of all the fighters on the card, but is still a good investment. I expect him to win big on Thursday.

    Gilbert Burns ($10,800)

    Gilbert Burns is looking to bounce back from his first career loss when he fights Lukasz Sajewski on the card’s prelims Thursday night. Burns had won the first 11 fights of his career before dropping a decision to Rashid Magomedov in November.

    That loss is nothing for Burns to hang his head about as Magomedov is 19-1 in his career, but it showed some holes that Burns needs to fill to get back on track inside the Octagon.

    At his best, Burns is arguably the lightweight division’s best submission artist and has the strongest grappling chops. He has scored 10 of his 11 wins by finish, with seven wins by submission. He also trains with a strong camp in the Blackzilians.

    He is a strong favorite over Sajewski, who also lost for the first time in his career when he made his UFC debut in his last fight. Sajewski hasn’t fought the level of competition that Burns has. And if Burns can avoid the slow start that has often plagued him, he should be able to end this quickly. I feel confident in having him as a stud play.

    VALUE PLAYS

    Eddie Alvarez ($8,600)

    Eddie Alvarez is looking to make history when he challenges Rafael Dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Championship in the main event of UFC Fight Night 90. And he is also looking to become the first fighter to hold championship gold in both the UFC and Bellator promotions.

    He gets his title shot against Dos Anjos on the heels of wins over former champions in Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez. Alvarez has just two losses in the last eight years, coming to Michael Chandler and Donald Cerrone, so he presents a real challenge in this fight.

    Dos Anjos has looked like a killer the last several years and is the rightful champion at 155 pounds. He finished Cerrone quickly in his last fight, but is coming off an injury and no one knows what he will look like in this new era of the UFC.

    I actually like Alvarez to score an upset as this fight goes the distance and the extra time allows for more point scoring opportunities. He is a risk, but I find a lot of value in Alvarez.

    Alvaro Herrera ($8,500)

    Alvaro Herrera is another interesting fighter with a low salary who has a lot of value on Thursday night’s card. He is coming off a 30-second knockout win in his UFC debut in November, which was his first fight in over three years.

    He gets back to action against Vicente Luque in the opening bout of Thursday’s card, and Luque is looking to score his second straight win.

    Luque has been inconsistent in his career, winning just eight times in 14 career bouts. He is tough to finish, having only been finished twice in his five losses. But Luque has finished opponents in seven of his eight wins, including in his last bout against Hayder Hassan in December. Herrera has scored finishes in eight of his nine wins, but has also been finished in all three of his losses.

    This fight is primed for a finish, and I see Herrera’s punching power being the difference. His salary is worth a good amount of value.

    FIGHTERS TO AVOID

    Anthony Birchak ($10,700)

    Anthony Birchak has one of the highest salaries on the card, and I don’t think he’s worth that high price.

    Birchak is just 1-2 inside the UFC Octagon, and all three of his fights have ended in the first round. He has suffered a submission loss to Ian Entwistle and a knockout loss to Thomas Almeida, and scored a knockout win over Joe Soto in betweeen those losses. Birchak does have 10 wins by finish, but he has been finished in all three of his losses.

    I do like him to get the win over Dileno Lopes on Thursday, but I’m not all that confident in him winning by stoppage. I see him going the distance and getting a decision over Lopes. With his high salary, you have to expect a finish if you have him on your team. Birchak is an easy avoid for me.

    Russell Doane ($9,000)

    Russell Doane is another fighter that should be avoided on Thursday night’s card.

    He hasn’t fought in almost a year and is coming in riding a two-fight losing skid. His last three fights have gone the distance and he hasn’t looked overly impressive in those bouts.

    He gets a tough match-up against Pedro Munhoz, who has been one of the top prospects in the bantamweight division, but has struggled against tougher competition.

    Doane doesn’t land a lot of strikes in his fights, but he is good at takedowns. Munhoz has good takedown defense and is the more well-rounded fighter. And I see that being the difference with him taking a decision. Avoid Doane as I feel he will be fighting a losing battle on Thursday.

    OUR LINE-UPS

    RYAN FREDERICK- Joseph Duffy ($11,100), Gilbert Burns ($10,800), Derrick Lewis ($9,600), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Eddie Alvarez ($8,600)

    I like Joseph Duffy as my top play on the card and I see him having no troubles against Mitch Clarke. I’m expecting him to end it by at least the end of the second round, and probably even in the first.

    I also like Gilbert Burns to bounce back and get a stoppage win, likely by submission as his ground game is so good.

    I have Derrick Lewis on my team as well. He has the size and power edge over Roy Nelson, and I think he can knock Nelson out. Alberto Mina is undefeated with 11 stoppage wins, and is facing Mike Pyle who is nearing the end of his career. I can see Mina knocking Pyle out early in their fight.

    The last fighter on my team is Eddie Alvarez. I believe he will end Thursday night as the new UFC Lightweight Champion, and that it will go the distance, which gives him more chances to score points.

    PAUL FONTAINE- Vicente Luque ($10,900), Reginaldo Vieira ($10,200), Roy Nelson ($9,800), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Dileno Lopes ($8,700)

    All but one of Luque’s career wins have come by finish and his opponent Alvaro Herrera has been finished in all three of his losses. To me, that’s a recipe for some bonus points for Luque.

    Vieira was the TUF Brazil season 4 champion and he beat a guy I also have on my team in his official UFC debut. That win was the first time he’d gone to the judges in one of his wins. I see the fight with Marco Beltran being an all-out balls to the wall brawl with Vieira being the last one standing.

    Roy Nelson should score a late KO or submission over Derrick Lewis. Nelson is tough to finish and Lewis will probably gas out before getting caught by a shot that drops him.

    I’m surprised Alberto Mina is an underdog against the aging Mike Pyle. Mina scored a finish in his UFC debut and then beat a tough vet in Yoshihiro Akiyama in his follow-up. He’s unbeaten and an impressive finish over a another vet like Pyle should move him up the ranks.

    My last pick is more a pick against Anthony Birchak than for Dileno Lopes. Birchak has been finished in the first round of two of his last three fights. And Lopes has a KO or sub in eight of his last nine wins. 

    PEACH MACHINE- Rafael Dos Anjos ($11,000), Alan Jouban ($10,000), Derrick Lewis ($9,600), Alberto Mina ($9,500), Marco Beltran ($9,200)

    I hate this card, but I love Rafael Dos Anjos. He’s really good and will most likely be one of the most dominant champions in UFC history after it’s all said and done.

    Nelson is done and Lewis will KO him. I hate Pyle so I’m picking Mina. Jouban is handsome. I just love Carlos Beltran of the NY Yankees and I assume Marco is related. Play this lineup!

  • DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling July Marathon: Mike Jackson

    Photo of Tony LeDue, Pat Rose, and Mike Jackson by Karl Stern

    If you watched WTBS-17 Georgia Championship wrestling or NWA World Championship Wrestling later, you saw the fiery underdog Mike Jackson week after week.  In fact, many of the enhancement workers you saw on those shows were booked by Jackson.

    Mike played a very important role in the territorial era of wrestling, promoting, and booking undercard talent. A tremendous in-ring worker, many workers of that era, including legends like Ric Flair, praised Mike’s work. 

    Jackson worked many major promotions during the 1980s including Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South (later UWF), Southeastern (later Continental), Florida, and Mid-Atlantic. He even worked for WWF when they came south of the Mason-Dixon line. Mike was a great worker who had a role in wrestling and an important one — even if that role didn’t mean fighting for world titles often.

    Karl got to work around Mike a lot in the 1990s when he was king of the indy scene in the Deep South and learned a lot about how to promote the right way by watching him.  Starting out in the 1970s working for Nick Gulas and still working until this day, Jackson has seen many eras of wrestling come and go. 

    On today’s edition of the Karl Stern July Classic Wrestling marathon, learn all about Mike Jackson.

    Time is running out to order a Super Stern Stick 16gb flash drive full of pro wrestling history.  Order soon before time runs out.

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  • TNA Impact Wrestling live results: Hardy vs. Hardy – The Final Deletion

    Previously on Impact:

    Last week on Impact, Bobby Lashley retained the TNA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Drew Galloway and EC3 in a triple threat match. Also, Broken Matt Hardy showed up in a wheelchair and challenged Jeff Hardy to one more match. After Jeff agreed, Matt jumped out of the wheelchair and beat him down.

    Tonight on Impact:

    On tonight’s Impact, Matt and Jeff will face off in one final encounter known as The Final Deletion. This match will not take place at the Impact Zone, but instead will be held at Matt’s home in North Carolina. The match has a good amount of buzz going in.

    Show Recap:

    – Impact kicks off with a warning from Matt’s gardener, Senor Benjamin. He tells us that only trained professionals can perform matches like tonight’s and not to imitate what we see. He says all of this in Spanish.

    – Next we go into the Hardy home where Matt and Reby are celebrating Maxel’s birthday. Senor Benjamin has a present for Maxel and asks if Matt is sick. Matt says that his birthday present to Maxel is deleting Jeff from the family. Matt tells Senor Benjamin to prepare the battlefield for massacre. This was done incredibly well and was effective in building anticipation for the main event.

    – In the arena, X Division champion The Miracle and Maria make their way to the ring. The Miracle reminds us that he is going to use Option C and wants to use it tonight.

    TNA President Dixie Carter makes her return after a one-week leave of absence. Miracle and Maria are not happy to see her. Dixie informs Miracle that he can use Option C, but is first going to defend the X Division title against the entire division in an Ultimate X Match.

    X Division Champion “The Miracle” Mike Bennett w/ “The First Lady Of Professional Wrestling” Maria Kanellis-Bennett vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Mandrews vs. DJ Z vs. Braxton Sutter vs. Rockstar Spud vs. Trevor Lee vs. Andrew Everett /Gregory Shane Helms in an Ultimate X Match

    – Back from commercial and the match is underway. This was a really good match. The story was that Miracle is out of his element in this environment. Sutter kicked Spud really hard and he had to be taken to the back after being busted open. DJ Z leaped off of Lee’s back and dove onto a bunch of guys on the outside.

    Miracle tried to jump vertically to grab the belt, which obviously failed. He tried climbing across the cable but again failed. Mandrews climbed up the Ultimate X structure and hit a sweet looking moonsault onto everyone on the floor. Miracle can’t figure out how to get the X Division belt so he grabs a ladder. But Edwards won the match when he climbed the structure and kicked Miracle off of the ladder he was climbing.

    Edwards is the new X Division champion and the question now becomes whether he will cash in the title for a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

    – Josh informs us that both EC3 and Drew Galloway have been suspended for the backstage brawl they had last week. The two will meet later tonight in a face-to-face interview.

    King of the Mountain Champion Eli Drake vs. “Cowboy” James Storm

    Drake tried to get disqualified by hitting Storm with the KOTM title but referee Brian Hebner stopped him. Storm got the advantage and hit the Last Call Super Kick, but the momentum sent Eli to the outside. Storm tried to bring him back in but Drake was finally able to use the belt to get purposely disqualified.

    Post-match, Drake hit his finisher on Storm and posed with the belt.

    – In the back, Edwards is glad to be X Division champion again but has a lot to think about in regards to Option C.

    Jade vs. Marti Bell in a Street Fight

    Both women are wearing street clothes. There are all kinds of weapons at ringside, including a trash can, baking sheets, chairs and kendo sticks. Bell uses a baking sheet to get the advantage and then backdrops Jade onto a trash can. Bell brought in a baton but Jade used nunchucks to counter her attack. Jade won the match with a package piledriver on a steel chair.

    – Next, we see Jeff at his home gardening and playing the guitar. At first it seems like the start of Jeff’s newest drama on the CW.  But what happens next is like a combination of Doctor Who and Star Wars. Suddenly, a drone flies into the shot and spies on Jeff. A hologram of Matt appears out of the drone and challenges Jeff to show up at his house. Jeff chases the drone away, but Matt is actually at Jeff’s house and ruins all the hard work Jeff just completed in the yard.

    – The Miracle and Maria come back out and they’re irate over Bennett losing the X Division title. Maria has had enough and calls out Dixie Carter.

    Instead, TNA executive Billy Corgan comes out. They’re both happy to see Billy. Maria says that she wants to be made TNA President and that Dixie’s one-week leave of absence wasn’t long enough. Maria says it’s either her or Dixie.

    Dixie Carter comes back out. Maria goes crazy repeating “You or Me” over and over like a maniac. Miracle demands to be in the main event at Destination X for the title or they walk. Maria repeated “You or Me” over and over again until Billy told her to shut up. Billy actually backs up Dixie despite siding with Miracle and Maria for the last few weeks. Billy is sick of this too and tells Miracle and Maria to quit. Miracle instead promises that he’s going to ruin Destination X.

    – Back from commercial, Senor Benjamin is busy preparing the battlefield. There is a ring, chairs and fireworks. Matt shows up with gasoline and tells Benjamin to soak the battleground.

    – In the back, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley is asked about Eddie Edwards and Option C. Lashley says he fights with his hands and doesn’t do a bunch of circus moves. Lashley tells Edwards to keep his title.

    Decay (Abyss, Crazy Steve & Rosemary) vs. BroMans (Robbie E. & Jesse Godderz) and Raquel

    The BroMans came out first. As Decay made their way to the ring The BroMans showed a video of Rosemary making out with Bram. All six brawled on the outside to start the match. The finish came when Raquel took out Rosemary. Abyss went to chokeslam Steve on Robbie E. but he moved. Jesse took out Abyss and The BroMans hit the Bro-Down on Steve for the win.

    – In the back, Jesse and Raquel reveal to Robbie E. why they were being so secretive last week. Robbie E. was happy and they celebrated their win.

    – Jeremy Borash is in the ring and brings out X Division champion Eddie Edwards for his decision regarding Option C. Lashley comes out as Edwards is about to make his decision. Lashley tells Edwards not to vacate the title. Instead, Lashley suggests that both men put their championships on the line next week. Edwards can end up with both the X Division and World titles, but so can Lashley.

    Both men agree and It’s official for next week, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Lashley vs. X Division Champion Edwards for both championships. They brawl briefly and Lashley set up Edwards for a spear but Edwards countered with a knee. Edwards posed with both titles to close the segment.

    – The interview with EC3 and Drew is next. Because of their suspensions, neither man is allowed in the Impact Zone and are at separate locations. This was a great segment and both men were excellent here. 

    – Next, we get the referee pulling up to Matt’s home. It’s night with the ring set up outside surrounded by lights. Matt plays a violin to summon Jeff.

    The Final Deletion – Broken Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy

    This was an insane match and a gigantic spectacle. I would highly recommend going out of your way to see it. There is background music throughout the whole match and no commentary. The editing, music and directing were all excellent.

    They used all kinds of weapons including kendo sticks and ladders. Jeff hit the Swanton but Matt kicked out. Jeff wedged a ladder in the corner and placed Matt on it. Jeff climbed up a tree and went for the Swanton but Matt moved. Matt picked up fireworks and shot them at Jeff. The whole place filled up with smoke. In a great spot, Matt looked for Jeff but ran away as Jeff shot him with fireworks. Matt was able to briefly find cover inside of a dilapidated boat.

    Eventually, Matt got a sleeper on Jeff and left him for dead in a lake. Matt thought he had the match won, but Willow suddenly jumped out of the lake.

    Willow had the advantage until Senor Benjamin shocked him with a taser. Both Willow and Benjamin disappeared. Matt found Willow and covered him to win, but when he unmasked him it was Senor Benjamin. Jeff reappeared and choked out Matt. Jeff climbed up a giant structure shaped like the Hardy’s symbol. At this point, Matt pulled out a match and we get a quick flashback. Matt sets the structure on fire and Jeff falls off the top. Matt pins Jeff to win the match.

    Next Time on Impact:

    Next week on Impact, it’s a special edition known as Destination X. The main event will feature TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley against X Division Champion Eddie Edwards in a match for both titles.

  • WWE Smackdown & Main Event spoilers: No Brock announcement; Chris Jericho vs. Sami Zayn

    The WWE Universe will have to remain on #BrockWatch a little longer.

    Despite teasing that Brock Lesnar’s SummerSlam opponent would be announced on this week’s SmackDown, the live crowd in Toledo, OH, left Tuesday’s taping with no more knowledge of who Lesnar would be facing at the August pay-per-view than everyone at home. Instead, the announcement will be inserted into the SmackDown broadcast in post production.

    WWE Main Event

    – Cesaro beat Curtis Axel with the Sharpshooter

    – Baron Corbin beat Sin Cara with the End of Days

    – The Golden Truth beat the Ascension with their finish

    – WWE United States Champion Rusev submitted Apollo Crews with the Accolade

    SmackDown

    – Seth Rollins beat Jey Uso after hitting the Pedigree. WWE Champion Dean Ambrose was the special guest ring announcer and egged on Rollins during the match. Ambrose and Rollins got into an altercation after it was over, but Rollins backed off.

    – Zack Ryder beat Sheamus with an elbow drop. Ryder came out to an updated version of his theme music. Ryder challenged Rusev after the match, and the match was later announced for this Monday’s Raw. Rusev did an promo mocking both Ryder and the United States.

    – Natalya ambushed Becky Lynch in the ring before Lynch’s match could get started. The two women brawled with Natalya getting the upper hand with the Sharpshooter until refs pulled them apart.

    – Enzo Amore and Big Cass came out doing their usual schtick. They talked about teaming with John Cena against The Club at Battleground. The Club interrupted them and set up a match between Enzo and Styles.

    – AJ Styles beat Enzo Amore with the Styles Clash.

    – Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens went at it verbally in a mostly comedic segment backstage.

    – I-C Champion The Miz beat Kalisto after hitting the Skull Crushing Finale

    – Sasha Banks did a backstage interview, and was interrupted by WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte and Dana Brooke. Brooke vs. Banks was announced for Raw.

    – In the show’s main event, Sami Zayn beat Chris Jericho with a roll-up. Kevin Owens was on commentary and got involved with the finish, inadvertently giving Zayn the win. Owens beat down Zayn after the match.

    – The dark match was Ambrose, Enzo & Cass going over The Club.

  • Daily Update: Cena’s 4th of July, Hardy vs. Hardy, ROH new matches

    In celebration of yesterday’s Fourth of July holiday, John Cena posted a video on his Twitter account celebrating the diversity of America in conjunction with advocacy group Love Has No Labels. The full version of the PSA was later uploaded online.

    Cena also brought a pediatric cancer survivor into the ring to celebrate overcoming the disease after Raw went off the air last night.

    The Raw rating will be in later than normal due to the holiday weekend, but given the poor reception to the food fight and the lackluster booking, it is expected that it will be the lowest rated Raw program of all time. 

    Smackdown is tonight in Toledo. No John Cena or Seth Rollins advertised. Dean Ambrose, A.J. Styles and Kevin Owens are the top names advertised.

    THE ROUNDUP

    ​The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11. Stay up to date on all the latest wackiness by following Ed in San Antonio on Facebook. Plus, follow us on @WONF4W or @BryanAlvarez. We will be live tweeting from all the events. Use #F4WVegas to get in on the fun. 

    ​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!

    Figure Four Weekly

    READ IT HERE: Figure Four Weekly 6/27/2016: WWE concussion lawsuit update, more – The latest information in WWE’s concussion lawsuit. 

    Subscribers click here to continue reading.

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    READ IT HERE: July 4, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: NJPW G1 tournament preview, Ali vs. Inoki anniversary, more – A preview of NJPW’s G1 tournament, notes on the anniversary of Ali vs. Inoki, plus tons more.

    It’s a double issue week featuring a look back 40 years at what was the biggest undertaking up to that point in pro wrestling history, and Inoki vs. Ali match, how it came together, what happened that night, coverage of the upcoming G-1 Climax tournament, coverage of Ultima Lucha 3 and details on where the company stands, full coverage of the WWE cruiserweight classic, ROH Best in the World coverage as well as a look at those coming and going from the promotion, the death of Ryan Jimmo, the life and times of Gypsy Joe, and far more about the fallout of the Roman Reigns suspension.

    The lead story details this years G-1 tournament including what will air in English, newcomers to the tournament, some interesting political news regarding who is and isn’t in it, as well as a complete lineup for every show.

    This issue looks at the background of Ali vs. Inoki, the first time boxer vs. wrestler with major stars came close to happening, boxing champions who did wrestling and wrestlers who faced boxers including involving one of the all-time greats, Thesz vs. Marciano talk, and the two best known mixed matches prior to Ali vs. Inoki in the U.S.

    There is also a look at Japanese pro wrestling in the 70s and how that led to the match, the business of Billy Robinson involving Inoki vs. Baba, how Inoki was being marketed, and the attempts to put together Ali vs. Bruno Sammartino and how that led to this.

    The goals of Ali vs. Inoki for the New Japan side, the pro wrestling angles, just how big the match was why the match wasn’t a work, where Ali’s career stood at the time, media coverage, how the terrible rules were the reason the fight, Sammartino’s broken neck and return, Stan Hansen becoming a superstar in Japan, and why Ali vs. Inoki was not a success in much of the U.S, and much more in this issue of the Wrestling Observer. 

    Subscribers click here to continue reading.

    You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer.

    You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to dave@wrestlingobserver.com.

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    If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

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

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter BACK ISSUE

    READ IT HERE: May 31, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Death of Owen Hart – The life and death of Owen Hart, details on WWF Over the Edge, plus tons of news.

    TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE

    To promote Tuesday night’s Hardy vs. Hardy: The Final Deletion spectacle, TNA has uploaded video of several people in the wrestling and film industries reacting to the match.

    Ring of Honor announced IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, IWGP Intercontinental Champion Michael Elgin and Hiroshi Tanahashi for their August 19th Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view and August 20th TV taping in Las Vegas.

    Ring of Honor World Champion Jay Lethal will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Wednesday night’s Tampa Bay Rays game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

    Cody Rhodes will now face Zack Sabre Jr. in his first match since leaving the WWE on August 19th at Evolve 66 in Joppa, MD after Johnny Gargano was removed from the show because of another commitment. Also announced was Rhodes vs. Chris Hero at Evolve 67 in Brooklyn, NY the next night.

    Will Ospreay will face Mark Haskins in a number one contender’s match for the PROGRESS championship at the promotion’s July 31st show at the Electric Ballroom in London.

    WWE and Professional Wrestling

    UFC and other Mixed Martial Arts

    • Conor McGregor’s interview for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue was one of the lead stories on ESPN’s website Tuesday. McGregor talks about dreaming of becoming a fighter, his fighting style and how he would have fared if he had chosen boxing as a career.
    • After an injury to Linton Vassell, Francis Carmont will now face Lukasz Klinger on the main card of Bellator 158 on July 16th at the O2 Arena in London. Bellator also announced that James Mulheron will face London native Neil Grove on the show’s prelims.
    • World Series of Fighting announced that they have signed bantamweight Jesse Brock to a multi-fight agreement.
    • Forrest Griffin and Dan Hardy will hold a party for UFC Fight Pass subscribers at The Pool at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa on July 6th at 6:30 p.m. PT.

    Miscellaneous (results, podcasts, amateur wrestling, plugs)

    • Cody Rhodes will be the first guest on Ric Flair’s new podcast this Wednesday. The show will be available on http://www.MLWRadio.com, iTunes, Stitcher and at RicFlairShow.com.
    • Prior to his appearance at this weekend’s Heroes & Villains fan fest, Rhodes did his first interview since leaving WWE with the Walker Nation podcast. Rhodes talks about preferring the developmental model of OVW to NXT, falling briefly out of love with wrestling after losing to the Big Show at WrestleMania 28, never winning the Money in the Bank briefcase despite being told twice that he was going to and working with WWE to write a book about his father.
    • Adam Cole was on the Chad Dukes Wrestling Show this week talking about joining the Bullet Club, being on Cody Rhodes’ list of desired opponents and the Will Ospreay vs. Vader controversy.
    • Former NWA World Champion Ronnie Garvin was interviewed by Great North Wrestling’s The Hannibal TV and detailed a real fight he once had with “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

    RESULTS

    • GOUGE Wrestling on July 4th in Raleigh, NC: Timmy Lou Retton b Zane Riley in a wave the flag match to retain the GOUGE Title, Roni Nicol b Maddi Max, Waylon Maze & Juan Jeremi b Mickey Gambino & Jimmy Jack Funk Jr. to win the GOUGE Tag Team Titles, Seymour Snott b Chet Snerling, Noise Pollution b Otto Schwanz & El Dinero Blanco, Livid the Clown b Mamma’s Boy, No Direction b Johnny Flawless & Victor Andrews, Old School b Ryker Flamingo

    SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

    • July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has information up on Facebook, or email him F4Wfan@hotmail.com. Keep up with all the action on Twitter by following @WONF4W, @BryanAlvarez, @DaveMeltzerWON, @FO_VVerhei, @EdinSanAntonio, @PaulAceFontaine, @FilthyTomLawlor or @PeachMachine. Use #F4WVegas or search for us on our group FaceBook page. You can also follow Granny‘s adventures on FaceBook. 
    • July 7 – Rock Solid Wrestling runs in Sudbury, ON.
    • July 7 – UFC Fight Night Las Vegas at MGM Grand. Rafael Dos Anjos vs Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title
    • July 8 – The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Claudia Gadelha for the UFC strawweight title
    • July 9 – UFC 200 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier for the UFC light heavyweight title; Brock Lesnar vs Mark Hunt; Miesha Tate vs Amanda Nunes for the UFC women’s bantamweight title; Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar for the interim UFC featherweight title
    • July 9 – Pure Wrestling Association “Summer Assault” 11 Year Anniversary – Alpine Club, 464 Maple Avenue, Kitchener, Ontario
    • July 9 – All Pro Wrestling + Fit of Mind present: #MalaceInThePalace from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, CA.
    • July 9 – Upstate Pro Wrestling in Rochester, NY, features Ethan Page, HC Loc, a triple threat match main event, and more.
    • July 9 – Acclaim Pro Wrestling presents: Star-Mageddon 6!
    • July 9 – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fundraising event.
    • July 13 – UFC Fight Night in Sioux Falls, SD. Michael McDonald vs John Lineker
    • July 16 – In Your Face Wrestling Presents: “Malicious Intent” – Polish Community Center, 225 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NYwww.iyfwrestling.com
    • July 16 – Bellator 158 : London featuring Paul Daley vs Douglas Lima, Michael Venom Page, Linton Vassell and Matt Mitrione
    • July 17 – Lucha by the Water ft Blue Demon Jr! – Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2G8, 3-6 pm. Tickets here.
    • July 17 – Premier Wrestling at the IFDES Lodge and Portuguese Hall in Gilroy, CA with Joe Graves vs. Gabriel Gallo for the Premier. Tickets at www.premierwrestle.com.
    • July 22 – Ignite Wrestling in Fort Pierce, FL at the National Guard Armory on a show with Lince Dorado, Mr. 450 Hammet, Lio Rush, Martin Stone, Los Ben Dejos, and more
    • July 22 – AIW runs on 7/22 in Cleveland, OH, with Ethan Page vs. Josh Prohibition vs. Josh Alexander, and Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae vs. Ethan Carter III & Karlee Perez
    • July 22 – The Lou Thesz Hall of Fame weekend show in Waterloo, IA, featuring Ricochet vs. Sami Callihan, Wes Brisco, B. Brian Blair, Jessika Havok, Tessa Blanchard, a steel cage match and more – This is the weekend Dave Meltzer will be honored.
    • July 22 – Bellator 159 from Mulvane, KS. Darrion Caldwell vs Joe Taimanglo. Melvin Guillard vs David “Caveman” Rickells
    • July 23 – Live Pro Wrestling, Glengarry Sports Palace, 170 McDonald Blvd. Alexandria, Ontario
    • July 23 – UFC on FOX from Chicago – Holly Holm vs Valentina Shevchenko.          
    • July 23 – Chikara Pro announced a doubleheader event at Toronto’s Franklin Horner Community Center.
    • July 23 – AAW  in Merrionnette Park, IL, with Sami Callihan vs. Pentagon Jr., Zack Sabre Jr., Marty Scurll; Tommaso Ciampa; Fenix; Johnny Gargano, and plenty more. Here’s what you missed on their last show.  
    • July 23 – Masters of Ring Entertainment in Wilmington, NC, as part of Pro Wrestling Fan Expo 3 will feature Jeff Jarrett vs. ECIII vs. James Storm, announced by Jarrett in this video.
    • Merritton Community Centre 7 Park Ave St. Catharines, ON
    • July 24 – Crossfire Wrestling – Merritton Community Centre, 7 Park Avenue St. Catharines ON, for our 5 year Anniversary show “BRING THE HEAT V”
    • July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY
    • July 30 – WSOF 32: Moraes vs. Hill 2 – Live on NBCSN from Everett, Washington. Also featuring Ben “Phoenix Jones” Fodor vs Caros Fodor in a brother vs brother fight
    • July 30 – Smash Wrestling – Oshawa Music Hall, 39 King St E, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 1B2
    • July 31 – BATTLEWAR 36; Les Foufounes Électriques, 87 Sainte-Catherine Street East
    • Montreal, QC
    • Aug 21 – Chavo Guerrero Jr. will appear for Smash Wrestling on in Pickering, Ontario at Super Showdown lV.

    TODAY IN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HISTORY: Great American Bash 1986; Gordy/Williams win WCW World Tag Team Titles; Val Venis wins WWF IC Title

  • DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling July Marathon: “Wildfire” Tommy Rich

    Tommy “Wildfire” Rich became a near instant star in the early 1980s but almost as quickly as he shot to stardom, he fell from the top going from one of the youngest NWA World Heavyweight champions to a comedy figure in just a few years time.

    So, what went wrong? Actually, Rich had a better career than most give him credit for. And in this show, Karl Stern will talk about that in detail, including Rich’s involvement in one of the best angles of 1987.

    Fred Ward and Harley Race believed in Rich to such a degree that he had a short run as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion while being one of the hottest ever babyfaces in Georgia. Often moving back and forth between Georgia and Memphis wrestling, it seemed like Rich was building toward becoming one of the biggest stars of the 1980s and possibly beyond.

    But it burnt out as quickly as it started. Though Rich worked a variety of places including Continental, AWA, and WCW, he never came close to recapturing that magic he had early on in Georgia.

    But for a short time in 1987, he did. Along with Paul Heyman (Paul E. Dangerously at the time) and Austin Idol, he was part of one of the last great angles of the territorial era where the heels finally outsmarted Jerry “The King” Lawler. In the weeks leading to a big hair vs. hair match, Rich laid down a great series of promos and matches which helped build to the big surprise – when he came out from under the ring in a steel cage match and cost Lawler his hair for the first and only time in his career.

    On the latest episode of our classic wrestling July marathon, join us in taking a look at “Wildfire” Tommy Rich.

    Time is running out to get the Super Stern Stick 16gb flash drive full of pro wrestling history! Get free shipping worldwide!

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  • Daily Pro Wrestling History (07/05): Great American Bash 1986; Gordy/Williams win WCW World Tag Team Titles; Val Venis wins WWF IC Title

    1915

    Omaha, Nebraska:
    – Joe Stecher defeated Charlie Cutler for the World Heavyweight Title 

    1940

    Des Moines, Iowa:
    – World Heavyweight Champion Orville Brown beat Karol Zbyszko

    1956

    Houston, Texas:
    – Kay Bell defeated Buddy Rogers to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title 

    1962

    – Buddy Rogers and Johnny Barend defeated Johnny Valentine and Bob Ellis for the Northeast version of the NWA United States Tag Team Titles

    Greensboro, North Carolina:
    – Hans Schmidt defeated Pat O’Connor to win the NWA United States Heavyweight Title

    1968

    Atlanta, Georgia:
    – Ramon and Alberto Torres defeated El Mongol and Tarzan Tyler in a one-night tournament final to become the first NWA Georgia Tag Team Champions

    1969

    Chicago, Illinois:
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher no contest Chain Gang Frank Dillinger & Jack Dillinger
    – Bill Watts beat Larry Hennig 
    – Wilbur Snyder beat Angelo Poffo

    Chattanooga, Tennessee:
    – Johnny Walker and Bearcat Brown defeated The Great Mephisto and Dante to become NWA World Tag Team Champions (Mid-America version) 

    1971

    Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada:
    – Steven Little Bear and Dean Higuchi defeated The Skull Brothers to win the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Titles

    Davenport, Iowa:
    – AWA Tag Team Champions Red Bastien & Hercules Cortez beat Larry Hennig & Lars Anderson
    – Bull Bullinski beat Joe Turco 
    – Billy Robinson beat Big K

    1972

    Miami, Florida:
    – Hiro Matsuda and Tim Woods defeated The Zodiac (Bob Orton) and Taurus (Dennis Hall) for the NWA Florida Tag Team Titles

    1973

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
    – The Crusher & Wahoo McDaniel beat AWA Tag Team Champions Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens for the belts (decision later overturned) 
    – Superstar Billy Graham beat Billy Robinson by disqualification
    – Larry Heiniemi beat Ken Patera

    1974

    Atlanta, Georgia:
    – Buddy Colt defeated Mr. Wrestling II to win the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Title 

    1975

    Detroit, Michigan:
    – The Sheik defeated Bobo Brazil for the Detroit version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Title

    1982

    Fort Worth, Texas:
    – Kevin and Kerry Von Erich defeated King Kong Bundy and Bugsy McGraw to win the World Class American Tag Team Titles 

    Memphis, Tennessee: 
    – Stan Lane and Ron Bass defeated The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Norvell Austin) for the AWA Southern Tag Team Titles

    1985

    Dallas, Texas:
    – Iceman Parsons defeated Chris Adams for the World Class American Heavyweight Title 

    Montgomery, Alabama:
    – Scott Armstrong defeated Bill Ash to win the Southeast version of the NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Title

    San Antonio, Texas:
    – Al Madril and Chavo Guerrero defeated American Force (Paul Diamond and Nick Kiniski) for the Texas All-Star Wrestling Texas Tag
    Team Titles

    1986

    Great American Bash: Charlotte, North Carolina:
    – NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Denny Brown and Steve Regal fought to a time-limit draw
    – Robert Gibson pinned NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Black Bart
    – The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole and NWA World Television Champion Arn Anderson) defeated Sam Houston and Nelson Royal
    – Manny Fernandez pinned Baron Von Raschke in a Bunkhouse match
    – Wahoo McDaniel pinned Jimmy Garvin in an Indian Strap match
    – Ronnie Garvin defeated NWA National Heavyweight Champion Tully Blanchard by knockout in the fifth round of a Taped Fist match
    – NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) defeated Ivan and Nikita Koloff in a Russian Chain match
    – Jimmy Valiant pinned Shaska Whatley in a Hair vs. Hair match
    – NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champion Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A. and Baby Doll beat NWA World Tag Team Champions The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey) and Jim Cornette in a Steel Cage match
    – Ric Flair pinned Ricky Morton in a Steel Cage match to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Title

    1992

    Atlanta, Georgia:
    – Bobby Eaton pinned Larry Zbyzsko
    – Johnny B. Badd and Jushin Liger fought to a draw
    – Dustin Rhodes pinned Greg Valentine
    – Ron Simmons pinned The Super Invader
    – Barry Windham pinned WCW World Television Champion Steve Austin
    – Sting defeated Arn Anderson
    – Brad Armstrong pinned Scotty Flamingo (Raven) to win the WCW Light Heavyweight Title
    – Nikita Koloff and WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Rick Rude fought to a double disqualification
    – Terry Gordy and Steve Williams defeated The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) to win the WCW World Tag Team Titles

    Naucalpan, Mexico:
    – Canek defeated Dos Caras for the UWA World Heavyweight Title 

    1993

    Memphis, Tennessee:
    – Jerry Lawler defeated Owen Hart to win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Title 
    – CW Bergstrom & Melvin Penrod Jr. defeated USWA Tag Team Champions New Jack & Home Boy to win the titles

    1994

    Warrensville, North Carolina:
    – Chris Candido defeated Scott Studd to win the vacant SMW Television Title 

    1996

    Mexico City, Mexico:
    – Mexico National Middleweight Champion El Hijo del Santo defeated The Great Sasuke to win CMLL’s annual Gran Prix Tournament 

    1998

    Naucalpan, Mexico:
    – Magnum Tokyo defeated El Hijo del Gladiador to win the IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Title

    2000

    Fort Lauderdale, Florida:
    – Val Venis defeated Rikishi to win the WWF Intercontinental Title

  • WWE RAW Hits & Misses: Food fighting, phoned-in writing, and a Boss defined

    The hits were thin on the ground on Monday night’s holiday edition of RAW, to say the least. Read on as I search for the positives in the carcass of a dead-as-a-doornail, completely phoned-in edition of the WWE’s flagship show.

    — The Hits —

    Food fight!

    Beginning a holiday edition of RAW with a comedy segment like this is tantamount to telling your audience not to bother, but I’m only mildly ashamed to admit that I loved it. While I understand that Bo Dallas inadvertently pouring punch over himself is change-the-channel heat for many, I firmly believe that wacky bits like this help to add color to the WWE’s cast of characters and get them over.

    Remember, it was a holiday edition of SmackDown on which John Cena began his transformation from a ruthlessly aggressive bore to the Vanilla Ice wannabe that ultimately broke the glass ceiling.

    Little touches like Cesaro dispassionately arm-wrestling Apollo Crews through the chaos, or Kevin Owens eating chips under the table to avoid the melee, make me laugh and more inclined to watch those involved again in the future. Even Fandango sensually spraying whipped cream on himself raised a chuckle as did the ultra-wacky first-person pie-facing that Owens sustained at the segment’s conclusion. This would never happen on Canada Day, indeed.

    Xavier’s apprehension about a trip to the woods

    I enjoyed the contrast between Big E and Kofi Kingston’s naivete and Xavier Woods’ apprehension in the face of the Wyatt’s invitation. Woods, who has looked far more uncertain than his wisecracking buddies in recent weeks, did a great job of angrily warning against the dangers of complacency ahead of their impending trip to the Wyatt compound.

    One can only assume that the WWE are looking to outdo the viral buzz garnered by the Hardy’s recent exploits in TNA with this New Day excursion. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn out as poorly as things usually do when this company tries to piggyback on a trend.

    — The Misses —

    Team USA vs. The Multi-National Alliance

    Look, there were positives to this 16-man omnishambles, namely the Pop-Up Powerbomb delivered by Owens to Mark Henry, and the heartstring-tugging Real Americans callback. Those aside, I find it difficult to care about a match that involves a large part of one’s roster getting pinned in short order with recent US champion Kalisto getting squashed by Henry like a bug being a particular lowlight.

    Not that I was very keen on the lesser-spotted, retirement-verging Big Show quickly pinning Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio, especially given the fact that his mobility appeared even more limited than the last time we saw Mr. Wight. Cesaro and Sheamus were also both sacrificed at the altar of giving Zack Ryder his biannual moment in the sun with the former’s elimination generating strong boos from a bemused crowd.

    Protecting Owens by having him disqualify himself for using a chair on Sami Zayn was fine, but it was hilarious to see Kane be given the same treatment. God forbid Kane is pinned.

    Cena/Club rehash

    Once again, AJ Styles and John Cena had impeccable delivery, but the material they had to work with again left much to be desired. An unnecessarily long talkfest saw both men rehash prior arguments, including Styles breaking out the “shovel” references again.

    Credit goes to Cena for trying manfully to rouse a crowd that had sat through an appalling first two hours of RAW. “You’re not as fired up as you normally are!” complained the weary 15-time champ. And hey, at least Karl Anderson got to brag about his “hot Asian wife” again.

    On a positive note, the Enzo & Cass rescue of Cena, paired with the later announcement of a 6-man tag for Battleground is good news. The prospect of another Cena vs. Styles singles match so soon after the first was not an enticing one if you recall how much the quick turnaround hurt Owens last year after his debut victory over the unseeable one.

    Throwaway matches befitting of a throwaway show

    Main event aside, this show featured six matches, four of which – including the Rusev U.S. title defense against Titus O’Neil – were total squashes. The other two, featuring the remaining unsuspended participants in the Battleground triple threat, were unnecessarily long 10 minute-plus affairs given their totally predictable outcomes.

    Both Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose surprised no one by emerging victorious from competitive back-and-forth matches against Dolph Ziggler and The Miz respectively. Ambrose then predictably equalized Rollins’ beatdown from last week by giving him a Dirty Deeds on the Spanish announce table. Boring.

    Vickie Guerrero’s appearance goes nowhere

    In a further sign that the writing staff were phoning it in, Vickie Guerrero’s appearance on Monday’s show was easily the weakest of the recent ex-SmackDown general manager cameos.

    She basically said her “Excuse Me!” catchphrase several times and screeched for a bit about running SmackDown before being carted off by security. Even Ziggler’s St. Peter-esque denial of his former squeeze couldn’t save this. Although I did enjoy that Dolph’s phone conversation featured an admission of another defeat: “I tried very hard…I was close!”

    The definition of a Boss

    While Charlotte’s whiny heel delivery was again effective, I was not a fan of the confrontation the Women’s champion had with Sasha Banks. Banks’ scripted promo, in which she rapped on the definition of a Boss was the definition of cringe for me, only matched by the awful Dana Brooke’s inability to get removed from the ring competently.

    Banks’ air kick to a prone Brooke whiffed just as much as the material the writing staff stuck her with. Keep this up and they won’t be able to manufacture those “We Want Sasha” chants for much longer.

  • Off-air notes from WWE Raw plus Superstars spoilers

    Submitted by Jeff Caldwell and Chris Featherstone from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH

    – Shining Stars d. Breezango

    The Stars cut a heel promo on the city before the match, and won with a dropkick/leg sweep combination on Fandango.

    – Usos d. The Ascension 

    Usos come out to a chorus of boos. Crowd becomes split after their chant, and even more in favor of them when the Ascension comes out. “Let’s go Usos!” chant during the match. Usos win after the top rope splash from Jimmy to Konnor.

    **********

    Crowd was moderately into the show with the biggest pops (in descending order) going to New Day, Enzo/Cass and John Cena.

    It may just be me but I didn’t remember there being so many commercials on the TitanTron during the show. Basically any time a commercial break was made and wasn’t during a match, there was a commercial break on the TitanTron. It seemed a lot more than usual, but it never killed the crowd.

    The only thing that may be of note that may or may not have made the show was during the 16-man tag. What I think happened was during a commercial break, the guys really were just supposed to entirely stop what they were doing and essentially stand around doing nothing after some integral spots were blown. I can’t remember ever seeing a match look more like it went to commercial than this one. Half the guys standing outside the ring looked dazed while the other half stood in the ring looking dazed. It was like one of those typical spots where you expect a dive to take place but it never did.  

    Enzo and Cass & John Cena vs. The Club

    Dark match after the show wasn’t promoted, so I think it caught much of the crowd off guard and many left during it. It was a good match although a bit sloppy, and the crowd was awkwardly quiet during much of it to the point Anderson was taunting the crowd by putting one finger to his mouth to signal for them to hush to which there was little reaction. 

    I think this feud will be a fun one because much of the crowd actually boos The Club, and Enzo and Cass are actual babyfaces people cheer. Cena got the pin and won the match, then proceeded to celebrate with a kid from Make a Wish.