A2ZWEBDESIGNSUSA

Month: November 2023

NJPW News: Tanahashi signs new deal, Elgin out of Wrestle Kingdom with injury, U.S. dates sell out quickly

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

-G1 Climax 28 winner Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is set to main event Wrestle Kingdom 13 on Jan. 4 against IWGP World Hvt. Champion Kenny Omega, has signed a new deal with NJPW. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Tanahashi announced the signing on his Twitter account, which can be seen below:

 

Radican’s Analysis: It’s good to hear that Tanahashi is locked up under a deal, especially with WWE going after any and all talent that they can acquire. Tetsuya Naito recently did an interview in Japan saying WWE came after him over the summer and he turned them down. I haven’t heard any confirmation of WWE going after Tanahashi, but I am sure they would sign him in a heartbeat if they could. 

-Michael Elgin is out of action after suffering a knee injury on Nov. 30 during World Tag League. Elgin finished the tour and tried to rest the injury, but it got worse and it turned out he had a bucket tear in his meniscus. Elgin is not expected to be out of action for more than a couple of months. Yuji Nagata will replace Elgin in the NEVER Openweight Six Man Gauntlet match teaming with Jeff Cobb and David Finlay. This extends Nagata’s streak of appearing on Tokyo Dome cards to 31 years.

-NJPW’s dates in the U.S. on Jan. 30 in Los Angeles and Feb. 1 in Charlotte sold out quickly. It is unknown what they set up for in Los Angeles, but the Globe Theater can hold up to 1,000 fans. The Grady Cole Center in Charlotte is set up for 1,200 and holds 3,900. The shows aren’t going to be major shows and will be held concurrently with NJPW’s “New Beginning” tour in Japan.

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Kris Statlander: I’m proud I was in Jade Cargill’s last AEW match

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Ahead of Saturday's AEW Full Gear and her title defense against Julia Hart and Skye Blue in a three-way, I spoke with TBS Champion Kris Statlander.

Statlander defeated Jade Cargill, the longest reigning TBS Champion at May's Double or Nothing. Since then, she has successfully defended against Emi Sakura, Ruby Soho, Britt Baker, and Cargill in a rematch.

Statlander talked about Saturday, her long title reign thus far, and more.

Full Gear 

"I mean, every title defense, you always have the slight worry in the back of your mind, hoping that you don't mess up and fumble and lose. But I've beaten both of them before and I feel like I am in their heads more than they think that I am. And I feel pretty confident."

Even though she's trying to beat them both, she is also proud of the progress Blue and Hart have made in their young careers.

"As another female wrestler, I am just so proud of the progress of both of them have made and I am so proud to see them getting more comfortable in their skin. It's unfortunate that they have to be doing that against me. But you can't deny their progress, you can't deny their star power and you can't how bright of a future they have."

Cargill 

Not only did Statlander end the 508-day reign of Cargill, she was also Cargill's opponent in her final AEW match.

"It was terrifying. To try and fill the shoes of such a star, that first night that it happened where I first became the champion, it was so exciting to be back and be a part of the roster and an active wrestler again, of course. But there's so much pressure that comes with being a champion, being a worthy champion, and you don't realize that until you have the belt in your hands.

And then once the belt is in your hands, the target's on your back, and everyone just has a much closer eye on you. And then being her last match, it felt bittersweet because I felt like there's so much more that I could have done with her. I feel like we really helped each other a lot and I'm just really proud that I got to be the last match. I think it was a very fitting sendoff."

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C’est l’une des morts les plus bouleversantes de l’Histoire du cinéma : 50 ans après, on ne s’en est toujours pas remis

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"Soleil Vert", classique de la science-fiction d'un atroce pessimisme, était l'ultime film d'Edward G. Robinson. Mourant d'un cancer, il puisa dans ses dernières forces pour incarner un personnage dont la fin, à double lecture, est dévastatrice.

Le 26 juin 1974 sortait en France Soleil Vert de Richard Fleischer. Adapté du roman Make Room ! Make Room ! de Harry Harrison et publié en 1966, le film est devenu un classique de la SF hors du commun d’un atroce pessimisme, dont le discours catastrophiste écologique et humain n’a hélas rien perdu de sa force. Bien au contraire.

“Soleil vert, film de science-fiction, confine presque au documentaire. Tout ce que j’y ai montré à titre fictif est désormais d’actualité. Ce film est un adieu au second Paradis Terrestre détruit cette fois par les humains” dira Fleischer, terriblement lucide, des années après la sortie de son chef-d’œuvre absolu.

“Il y avait un monde autrefois…”

New York City. Année : 2022. Avec 40 millions d’habitants, la ville est devenue une métropole surpeuplée, où règnent la misère absolue et le manque de nourriture. Les gens s’entassent partout où ils peuvent : dans la rue, dans les cages d’escaliers…

Un atroce brouillard jaunâtre de pollution flotte d’ailleurs en permanence au-dessus de la ville. L’écosystème, si fragile, a pratiquement disparu. Les arbres, les animaux ont disparus, victimes de la déforestation, la surexploitation, et la pollution.

Le développement industriel à marche forcée et ses ravages, les effets non maîtrisés de la surconsommation et l’épuisement des ressources naturelles ont achevé d’hypothéquer l’avenir de l’Homme en quelques décennies à peine.

Pour les plus fortunés, qui ont accès à l’eau potable et à de vrais aliments cultivés dans des fermes protégées comme des forteresses, rien n’est trop beau. Une tranche de bifteck se négocie 500 $, un pot de confiture 150 $.

De quoi donner la mesure de cette scène du film, terriblement émouvante, dans laquelle Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston) et Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson) font un repas avec des aliments devenus inaccessibles pour le commun des mortels. Alors que Thorn est un enfant du “Soleil” et n’a rien connu d’autre, Sol, lui, qui a connu l’ancien monde, se souvient des saveurs oubliées…

A la fois partenaire, ami et plus encore véritable père de substitution, Sol est le gardien de la mémoire d’un monde perdu à jamais; celui d’une Terre encore belle avant qu’elle ne soit condamnée et détruite par la main de l’Homme.

Aidant Thorn à mener son enquête au coeur de la Soylent Corporation, Sol découvre avant lui l’effroyable vérité qui se cache derrière la composition de cette nourriture de substitution soit-disant faite avec des planctons.

“Tu peux voir ça ? Ce n’est pas beau ?”

Voulant prendre congé d’un monde qui n’est, depuis longtemps, plus le sien, et qui lui est insupportable, Sol décide de se faire euthanasier; une démarche d’ailleurs vivement encouragée par les Autorités.

Après avoir donné ses préférences au personnel médical, Sol est conduit dans une pièce où on lui fait boire un breuvage qui ralenti les battements de son coeur jusqu’à l’éteindre en une vingtaine de minutes.

Allongé sur un lit dans la pièce, tandis que la musique de Beethoven et Tchaikovsky est lancée, il découvre, bouleversé pour la dernière fois, les images époustouflantes d’un paradis terrestre disparu : des cerfs qui s’ébattent, des oiseaux, un levé et couché de soleil, une mer pas encore souillée, des fleurs en pleine floraison dans des prairies..

Revoici la séquence, pour mémoire. Prévoyez un petit paquet de mouchoirs à portée de main, au cas où…

“Je t’aime, Thorn” lance Sol à son ami, venu en urgence assister à ses derniers instants. “Tu peux voir ça ? Ce n’est pas beau ? Je te l’avais dit !” – “Oui… Comment pouvais-je savoir ? Comment pouvais-je l’imaginer ?” lui répond Charlton Heston, se mettant à pleurer…

En une merveilleuse série de gros plans, Fleischer nous montre le visage si expressif de Robinson, à la fois illuminé et apaisé, avant de grimacer de douleur en lui révélant ce qu’il sait. Une scène porteuse d’une charge émotive à fendre les pierres en deux.

Et pour cause : Edward G. Robinson était alors atteint d’un cancer en phase terminale. Cette scène est la dernière qu’il tourna, avant de s’éteindre deux semaines après.

Comme le révélera Fleischer, l’épouse de Robinson venait chaque jour sur le tournage, pour voir si tout allait bien pour son mari. Tous les jours, sauf un : celui où fut justement prévu le tournage de cette scène déchirante, qui lui était impossible à voir et à supporter.

Les larmes de Heston ne sont d’ailleurs pas des larmes de cinéma, mais bien celle d’un acteur au courant de la gravité de l’état de son vieux complice en fin de vie, avec qui il avait déjà tourné à l’époque des Dix Commandements.

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Dans cette séquence où Robinson contemple une forme accélérée de la vie sur Terre, avec cette économie de mots s’effaçant devant la puissance évocatrice des images, c’est aussi la symbolique d’un immense acteur revoyant défiler sa propre vie, ses joies, ses luttes et ses peines, son oeuvre en tant qu’artiste, avant de tirer sa révérence.

Nombreux sont les talents de cinéma à avoir vu leurs carrières progressivement éteintes au gré d’une succession de petits rôles de plus en plus anecdotiques. Dans les années 70, beaucoup de stars de l’âge d’or du cinéma hollywoodien terminèrent leurs carrières dans des films catastrophes et leurs castings cinq étoiles, alors très à la mode.

Mais très peu en vérité ont terminé leurs carrières avec un ultime rôle ayant une résonnance aussi puissante et bouleversante que celui d’Edward G. Robinson dans Soleil vert, dont la fin nous laisse encore K.O debout.

La Finlande se dit prête à fermer totalement sa frontière avec la Russie "si nécessaire", affirme le Premier ministre

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Le Premier ministre finlandais hausse le ton. La Finlande s’est dit prête, lundi 27 novembre, à fermer son dernier poste frontalier avec la Russie, si Moscou continue de lui envoyer des migrants sans papiers. “Nous avons fermé tous nos points de passage à la frontière Est sauf un et nous sommes prêts à fermer le dernier si nécessaire”, a déclaré Petteri Orpo lors d’une conférence de presse. “La Finlande protège les frontières extérieures de l’Union européenne et de l’Otan. Nous ne laisserons pas ce phénomène se poursuivre”, a-t-il ajouté.

Au total, quelque 800 migrants sans papiers, provenant essentiellement du Moyen-Orient et d’Afrique, se sont présentés à la frontière de la Finlande avec la Russie depuis août, selon Helsinki. Conséquence, la Finlande a fermé, en deux semaines, tous ses postes frontaliers avec la Russie. Excepté celui se trouvant le plus au nord, limitrophe avec la région russe de Mourmansk dans l’Arctique.

Le gouvernement finlandais estime que la Russie tente de le déstabiliser. Petteri Orpo a estimé la semaine passée qu’il s’agissait d’une “action systématique et organisée par les autorités russes”. Les relations entre les deux voisins se sont considérablement détériorées le début de la guerre en Ukraine, qui a conduit la Finlande, inquiète pour sa propre sécurité, à rejoindre l’Otan en avril 2023.

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1/3 NXT TV Taping Report (Spoilers) from Full Sail: A farewell to call-ups, ten bells for Okerlund, Takeover Phoenix card takes shape around quests for gold

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

NXT TV TAPING
JANUARY 3, 2019
WINTER PARK, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
REPORT BY TOM STOUP, PWTORCH CORRESPONDENT

Kayla Braxton opened the show and announced Nikki Cross vs. Bianca Belair, Adam Cole vs. EC3, and Kassius Ohno vs. Keith Lee.

(A) Stacey Ervin pinned Shane Thorne in the first of multiple dark matches. Now solo following Nick Miller’s release, Thorne entered with his usual look, including a “The Mighty” jacket. Thorne skeptically mimed playing piano along with his new silent film score-sounding theme, and shrugged to the crowd. He was warmly received but quickly earned derision as he faced Ervin. Ervin won with a beautiful moonsault.

The crowd rose for a ten bell salute to honor “Mean” Gene Okerlund, and chanted “Mean Gene.”

Johnny Gargano hit the ring and vowed to win more and become “a champion” in 2019. He said his opinion of Tommaso Ciampa hasn’t changed, but he is interested in going after “Rick” for the North American title just like Ciampa suggested.

Ricochet entered to “That’s a champion” chants and said all Gargano had to do was ask. He asked if Gargano will try to take the title face-to-face or by ambushing from behind in a parking lot. Ricochet suggested the match take place at TakeOver: Phoenix.

Ciampa entered but Gargano shut him up before he could make a point, insisting this situation is not about the champ.

Aleister Black appeared on the tron after spooking Ciampa with the ominous opening tone of his music. He called Gargano a lap dog and hit his catch phrase toward Ciampa. The lights went down, and Black appeared behind Ciampa and attacked. He nearly put Ciampa through the announce desk but Ciampa wriggled away and escaped.

While distracted by the fray, Ricochet fell to a sudden superkick from Gargano. Gargano leered at the felled North American Champion then sauntered off to his music.

(1) Bianca Belair pinned Nikki Cross. Cross caught Belair in the ring skirt for some free strikes but Belair press-slammed her in retaliation and began to dominate with a standing moonsault and a backbreaker. Cross rallied and hit a bulldog. Belair began to get frustrated as Cross would not go down for three. Cross hit The Purge but Belair rolled out. The wrestlers simultaneously beat a ten count after Belair backdropped Cross on the ramp. Belair flattened Cross with a forearm but collapsed before she could make the cover. Cross whiffed on a top rope cross body, which allowed Belair to hit her latest finisher for the win.

Cross showed some emotion as she soaked in “Thank you, Nikki” chants. She took a young fan’s Nikki Cross sign and manically celebrated with it, then stood atop the commentary desk and, for lack of her usual jacket, removed her shirt and whipped it around in further celebration.

(2) Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel defeated Hector & Stanley via pinfall. To close what may or may not have been a dark match (for what it’s worth Aichner and Barthel have been teaming at house shows) Aichner hurled Hector at Barthel, and Barthel converted the assist in to a German Suplex pinning combination.

(3) Adam Cole (with Undisputed Era) pinned ECIII. As ECIII entered he excitedly shouted “One more time” to the fans. Not long in to the match Cole slammed ECIII in to the ring steps, and Bobby Fish shouted “Happy New Year!” ECIII impressively suplexed Cole back in to the ring while standing on the bottom rope, then hit the Name Drop. Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong tried to get involved but ECIII cleared them out. When ECIII turned around he ate a superkick and a Last Shot from Cole to put things away.

After the bell Undisputed Era swarmed ECIII, but War Raiders Hanson & Rowe returned and absolutely flattened the heels. At one point Rowe slammed two members of the Era simultaneously.

As the Raiders’ theme played, fans chanted “ECIII.” ECIII feigned unceremonious departure, but when he ran back to the ring he was shooed by an official so the ring crew could sweep the canvas. ECIII snuck over to hug Mauro Ranallo and give Percy Watson a Too Sweet, then as he humbly took in the NXT crowd’s adulation for a final time, he acted as if he’d been started startled when WWE’s “Best of Both Worlds” music video started playing.

Break.

(4) Street Profits defeated Metro via pinfall. Metro Brothers Chris and JC were simply introduced as “Metro” (though their tron still features their fraternal name) and they still dress like ‘50s greasers. Angelo Dawkins suddenly shoved Montez Ford to the mat at one point, but it was played as a comedy moment to fake out the opposition. The match ended quickly with a frog splash from Ford.

The Profits celebrated in the crowd afterward, but were attacked by Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler of Forgotten Sons. Jaxson Ryker ran in to “We forgot you” and “you still suck” chants, and the heel trio stood over their prey. Notably, Ryker did not attempt his slingshot powerbomb.

Break. The ring crew repaired a damaged area in the center of the canvas.

Bianca Belair hit the ring to say she sent chaos packing in last week’s episode. She said she will win the women’s championship at TakeOver: Phoenix. Shayna Baszler interrupted, flanked by Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, and said Belair may be the “strongest” and “fastest” but she’s not the smartest. She said it won’t matter how strong Belair’s arms are after they’ve been torn off. Belair said, “Girl. The only thing these arms are going to be doing is holding that title over my head.” Baszler accused Belair of being all talk, and of being secretly afraid. She said she will change “Un-De-Feated” to “O-Ver-Rated,” which drew dueling chants of the phrases. Baszler turned to call off Duke and Shafir, claiming it would just be she and Belair at TakeOver. Belair took the opportunity to slap Baszler to the mat. She ducked Duke and Shafir before walking out tall.

(5) Dominik Dijakovic pinned Adrian Jaoude. Jaoude’s name is still spelled “Jauode”on his tron graphic. The wily Jaoude tried to mat wrestle to throw Dijakovic off, but the big man could play that game, too. Dojakovic clubbed Jaoude and said, “Time to fly” before chucking him across the ring. He stomped Jaoude, who tried for a leg lock. Dijakovic booted Jaoude and hit Feast Your Eyes for a convincing victory.

Kayla Braxton reminded the crowd of the upcoming Kassius Ohno vs. Keith Lee match, and said Johnny Gargano would be “in action” next.

(6) Johnny Gargano pinned Humberto Carillo. Gargano mouthed along with his theme on his way to the ring, just another touch he’s gradually working in as he goes more and more to the dark side. Carillo’s entrance got a quiet response but he quickly began to draw some crowd love with his inspired aerials as the match got underway. The confident Gargano had to keep on his toes with the resilient Carillo, but never looked the lesser competitor. He prowled for his opening, and won with his swinging DDT.

As he took in a decidedly mixed reaction, Gargano said something to the camera on the apron before leaving. One may imagine he was addressing Ricochet.

(7) Kassius Ohno pinned Keith Lee. One may imagine this match will be built with backstage segments en route to another Ohno/Riddle TakeOver encounter. Lee became vulnerable when he caught his foot charging at a dodging Ohno. Ohno began picking Lee apart. At a relatively slower pace, every move in this match meant something. Lee mounted a comeback, at one point tackling Ohno nearly out of his boots. The official pleaded with the frustrated Lee to get away from the ropes, but Lee shoved the official away. When Lee checked on the official, Ohno hit a low blow on him from behind. Ohno nailed the reeling Lee with a discus elbow for three.

A seething Matt Riddle ran in wearing business casual and a yellow tie with his signature sandals, but Ohno evaded and walked out as Riddle jawed at him and checked on Lee.

Velveteen Dream came out for a promo, and said he has Ricochet’s North American Title in his sights. Adam Cole interrupted with Bobby Fish and said Dream should pump the brakes because Undisputed Era is going for all the gold in 2019. Cole spoke as if this segment will take place the week of TakeOver, and mentioned that Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong are getting ready to defend their titles at the event (presumably against War Raiders, judging by their prior segment). Bobby Fish took the mic and was drowned out by “Shut up, Bobby” chants. He said 2019 will still be “our era.” Dream said he is ready to “dispute” that claim, but “only if it’s OK with Adam.” Incensed, Cole and Fish charged but Dream easily dumped them out of the ring and strutted away.

(8) Lacey Evans pinned Xia Li. Li received a nice reaction for her singles debut. At one point early on Li leapt all the way straight up to the taller Evans’ shoulders when each were in a standing position, and rolled Evans up for two. Li dove at Evans in the corner but hit the post with her shoulder. The official (who has a shaved head) instructed Evans to stay off the hair, and Evans snapped back, “What do you know about hair?” Li tried to maintain her discipline but became desperate, repeatedly kicking at Evans. She leapt from the second rope, and was knocked clean out in midair by a wild Woman’s Right. Evans fell in to a successful cover. The called-up Evans had no time for the appreciation of the nasties in the Full Sail crowd.

Kayla Braxton announced that Velveteen Dream vs. Bobby Fish had been made official for later in the show.

(9) Oney Lorcan & Danny Butch defeated Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel via pinfall. Some very convincing late-match sequences highlighting Aichner in particular made it seem as though the heels were about to upset the favorites, but Lorcan and Burch fired up and stole the victory with a roll-up.

Hopefully not, but it seems probable this was also a dark match so to pad the relatively scant taping event with more action for the live crowd. Whether this presumption is correct or not, for an event using more than one dark match to deliver to the expected duration despite having a lighter than usual load of episodes to get in the can before TakeOver, at this point transitions between segments began to feel rushed as if something had run long. As far as can be discerned any rushing that may have occurred did not seem to cause problems with the end results.

(10) Kairi Sane & Io Shirai defeated Tanea Brooks & Amber Nova via pinfall. Brooks distracted Sane early to gain an advantage that Shirai quashed with her signature aerials. Mid-match Sane tagged back out and tossed a t-shirt to a young fan. Sane tagged back in for a team maneuver and collected the pin. The team looked like super adorable BFFs as they celebrated.

(11) Velveteen Dream pinned Bobby Fish (with Adam Cole). Dream put his own spin on Red Dead Redemption with a cowboy hat for his entrance, and one can only imagine how Mauro Ranallo will verbally frame the getup. Cole teased like he was going to sneak attack Dream from the very onset. Dream struggled to zero in on the slippery Fish, eventually landing a missile dropkick and pausing to pose for hard cam between attacks. He couldn’t keep his attention off Cole, even saying “That’s for you, Bay Bay,” as he struck at Fish. Fish took advantage of Dream’s lack of focus and went on a calculated offensive, honing in on Dream’s left leg. When the crowd chanted “Velveteen” Cole shot back, to which the crowd chanted “Shut up, Adam.” The official tried to get Dream out of the corner and Dream said, “Don’t touch me; I’m the Dream!” Fish worked a leg lock and Cole pulled the rope away from Dream. Dream slung Fish out of the ring and on to Cole. Fish flew back in but fell victim to the Purple Rainmaker for the win. Dream soaked in the crowd’s love from the ramp and blew kisses.

Ricochet hit the ring to address Johnny Gargano with a promo. He accused Gargano of being cowardly, and said Gargano hasn’t changed – he only showed his true colors. Ricochet said he has already shown his true colors and proven he is better than Gargano by winning the North American Championship. Gargano interrupted, walking with a purpose and saying he has a plan, but a fight broke out when he got in the ring. Tommaso Ciampa slipped in and knocked Ricochet to the floor from behind. As he admired the result of his deed, Aleister Black ran in and attacked Black from behind for a second time. Gargano pulled Black off of Ciampa. He looked at the North American championship on the mat, then contemplatively looked at Ciampa for a moment. The former DIY teammates simultaneously hit their finishers on their TakeOver opponents and pensively walked up the ramp together. The crowd chanted “hug it out.” As Ciampa and Gargano stared in to one another on the stage and Gargano looked as though he was about to stop Ciampa from backing off, Candice LeRae ran in and desperately led her husband away. Ciampa clutched his championship.

As Black and Ricochet recovered after the taping portion of the evening seemed to conclude, all four members of Undisputed Era walked out to no music. Though the crowd was vocally anticipating “War,” Heavy Machinery ran in and joined the faces to scare off the heels. Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight said the “afterparty” had begun and called for an official.

(B) Aleister Black, Ricochet, and Heavy Machinery defeated Undisputed Era via pinfall in a dark main event. The match featured all the house show hallmarks as the wrestlers engaged in verbal interplay with the crowd and the action was widely focused on feeding the faces and building to Dozovic’s hot tag. At one point Strong played jump rope with O’Reilly’s body as Knight delivered a big swing to the air guitarist, but Strong tripped and was struck by his own partner on a subsequent revolution. When Dozovic hit the Worm, he set it up just like NXT trainer Scotty 2 Hotty. Black and Ricochet hit simultaneous moonsaults to the outside on to Cole, Fish, and O’Reilly, and Dozovic pinned Strong after a Compactor.

Fans chanted “we will miss you” as Dozovic and Knight celebrated and took pictures with fans.

RELATED: 1/2 NXT TV REPORT: Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno, Nominations for NXT 2018 Year-End Awards, Ricochet vs. Dream extended recap

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WWE RAW PRIMER 1/14: Triple threat IC Title match, Ronda & Sasha team, Braun and Brock, The Revival “conspiracy,” Royal Rumble matches

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRIMER
JANUARY 14, 2019
MEMPHIS, TENN. AT THE FEDEXFORUM
AIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00PM EST
BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST

Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young

Arena and Items Advertised by WWE

Tonight, we inch a little closer to the Royal Rumble as Raw returns to the FedExForum in Memphis, TN.  for the first time since October of 2013.  It’s crazy to think of the turnover in personnel over the last five plus years.  At that time, we were getting ready for the Yes! Movement with now WWE Champion Daniel Bryan and CM Punk was on the active roster.  The Shield were approaching one year of being on the main roster, and the two world titles were held by Randy Orton (WWE Championship) and Alberto Del Rio (World Heavyweight Championship).  Del Rio would soon drop the title to, you guessed it, John Cena.

That was then and this now and as for Raw tonight, here’s what is advertised by WWE.comsubject to change as the day goes on:

  • Rivalries converge in Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat Match
  • The Boss and The Rowdy One face common enemy
  • Is Braun Strowman truly ready for Brock Lesnar?
  • The Revival “conspiracy” continues
  • Royal Rumble matches take shape

Triple Threat Intercontinental Championship: Dean Ambrose (champ) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley

Last week was a busy week for former Intercontinental Champion “The Kingslayer” Seth Rollins.

At the onset of Raw, Rollins was seen brawling with “The All Mighty” Bobby Lashley.  As you may recall, two weeks ago, Rollins lost to Lashley via DQ when attacked both Lashley and his manager Lio Rush with a chair.  This was following Triple H telling Rollins, his former fierce rival, he wanted to see “the guy that would do anything to win.”  Nevertheless, this led to an impromptu six-man tag team match which saw Rollins & a returning John Cena & Finn Balor defeat Lashley & Drew McIntyre & Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose.  Rollins pinned Ambrose to score the win for his team.

Rollins would demand a rematch for the IC title with Ambrose, of which Triple H was willing to oblige.  He “nearly defeated Ambrose” when Lashley would interfere and allow Ambrose to score the win, retaining his championship.  Lashley later put Rollins through a table.

Tonight, Ambrose defends against Rollins again plus Bobby Lashley in a triple threat match.

Frank’s Analysis:  It was great to see a good old-fashioned brawl to start a Raw.  We haven’t seen something like that since the Attitude Era if memory serves me correctly.  Nonetheless, the triple threat here should serve as a bridge to get Rollins and Lashley into a singles feud while squeezing some more juice out of the Rollins-Ambrose situation.  If Rollins is expected to eventually de-throne Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, you need to get him out of the Intercontinental title picture but protect him at the same time.  They need to do the same for Lashley, for whom WWE has done significant damage to since his return last year.  His more determined & intense ways in recent weeks is much better than the guy bending over to give us useless butt poses.  It will be interesting to see the finish for this match tonight.

It is important to note that even though the Rollins-Ambrose match was advertised throughout the show, viewership did drop in the third hour.  I personally don’t read too much into that considering people probably didn’t expect Rollins to regain the championship, but it’s a factor that shouldn’t be ignored.

Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey & Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax & Tamina

Last week, we had the debut of “A Moment of Bliss” hosted by former Raw & Smackdown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss.  He first guest was current Raw champ Ronda Rousey.  Ronda discussed how she wanted to face the “unsung hero” of Raw, Sasha Banks.  This did not sit well with former champion Nia Jax, as you will see in the YouTube highlight:

Sasha would go on to challenge and defeat Nia to earn a championship opportunity at the Royal Rumble.  Tonight, Sasha & Ronda put their upcoming match aside and team to face Nia Jax and Tamina in a tag match.

Frank’s Analysis:  Did the McMahons deputize Sasha with authority to book matches all of a sudden?  I have to admit I did like Sasha telling Ronda she would happy to teach her to lose with dignity and class.  That could be planting a seed for a heel turn at some with Ronda considering her history with handling her losses in UFC.  It’s good to see Sasha involved in something a little more substantial than running around with Bayley and feuding with the Riott Squad.  The question is what is to follow.  With Women’s Tag Team Championships on tap, one would expect Sasha and Bayley to be in the picture for that and thus the Sasha-Ronda feud is likely a one-off deal.

WWE continues to feature Ronda in tag matches on TV to limit her exposure which for the most part is smart.  It’s something that shouldn’t be overdone at risk of overexposure and making her appearances feel less special.  The Ronda segment was also in the third hour that lost viewership, and was a segment advertised ahead of time.

Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman Continued

“The Beast” Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against the “Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman at the Royal Rumble.  Forgive me as I have said it will be Strowman’s fourth televised attempt at dethroning Lesnar since SummerSlam 2017, where Strowman was part of a fatal four-way match.  It will actually be his fifth attempt, as he was part of a triple threat match at last year’s Royal Rumble which featured Kane & he against Lesnar.  His other attempts were singles matches at No Mercy in September of 2017, and Crown Jewel this past November (you know, that global event with….oh never mind).

Strowman called out Lesnar last week, to which Lesnar responded on the Titantron with Paul Heyman.  After much back and forth amongst themselves, they finally came out to the ring.  We thought we were going to get a confrontation, but Lesnar blew off Strowman.  If you really want to relive this segment, here you go:

Nothing is on paper for tonight between these two (thankfully…oops did I say that), but we’ll likely get more of a follow-up as we get ready for their championship match at the Rumble.

Frank’s Analysis:  This segment has been ripped to shreds enough, and rightfully so.  I won’t pile on, but I’ll ask a few questions.  If Braun is still hurt, why tease a confrontation?  Do a backstage interview or a sit-down and let’s hear something other than “Lesnar is going to get these hands.”  They’ve done plenty of sit-downs in the past with upcoming Lesnar matches.  It works better for him and if they do it with Strowman, it could get us to see a different side of him other than the limited character we’ve seen thus far.  WWE.com has featured videos of his rehab and thus perhaps that’s their way of doing that.  Many have said they are not looking forward to this match, and I can’t blame them. 

It doesn’t help either that Lesnar had a look on his face that showed “I get paid for this” while doing absolutely nothing productive.  I hate to repeat myself, but it’s getting nauseating seeing Brock Lesnar on television with the Universal Championship.  For me it’s not because of how they told the story of how he’s part time and doesn’t care, as I was feeling that way long before WWE did significant damage to him during the Roman Reigns feud.  You want Lesnar here from time to time that’s fine but keep him out of the title picture.  Reserve him for those specials matches against people like Drew McIntyre, Pete Dunne (maybe, eventually), A.J. Styles, Finn Balor, etc. 

The Revival “Conspiracy”

The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) challenged Raw Tag Team Champions Bobby Roode & Chad Gable in a lumberjack match last week.  It was their second chance at the champs on TV since facing them on the Christmas Eve episode.

Gable scored the pin on Dawson, but not without controversy as Dawson’s foot was on the rope.  By WWE emphasizing this, it’s likely we get follow-up tonight perhaps in the form of a rematch or a path for the Revival to earn one.

Frank’s Analysis:  Wouldn’t it make sense to do this to a babyface tag team, which theoretically would get the very astute announcers and fans angry that the fan favorites are being screwed and deserve justice?  Doing this to a heel team makes no sense and it does Roode & Gable no favors.  They could be trying to turn Revival babyface.  If they want to do that, just turn them but make it clear to the fans so they can get behind them and want to see them win the championship rather than doing whatever it is they are trying to do.

Royal Rumbles Matches

Last week, John Cena opened Raw and announced his entrance into this year’s Royal Rumble before competing in the six-man tag that was discussed earlier.  Elias did the same before serenading the crowd and losing to Baron Corbin (who for some reason still hasn’t gone back to wrestling gear).  Jinder Mahal and Apollo Crew also announced their participation before Apollo & Ember Moon defeated Jinder & Alicia Fox in a mixed tag match.  Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and Finn Balor are also in from Raw.

On the women’s side from Raw Alicia Fox announced her entrance last week.  She will join Ember Moon, Natalya, The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan), and Sasha Banks.  It’s unknown if Sasha will be pulled from the Rumble considering she is challenging Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s Championship.

Frank’s Analysis:  I have a short list for Rumble winners, subject to my changing my mind over the next few weeks:

  • John Cena
  • Randy Orton
  • Seth Rollins
  • Drew McIntyre
  • Andrade “Cien” Almas
  • Samoa Joe

I sadly have Cena and Orton on there because it’s not out of the realm of possibility either of them wins, as sad as that sounds in 2019.  Rollins or McIntyre would be more of my choice, as either one of them would be a logical opponent for Lesnar at WrestleMania, assuming Lesnar retains over Strowman.  Almas is in their just because I like to throw a surprise winner.  It would ring similar to Alberto Del Rio in 2011.  I don’t see Joe as very likely, but it not crazy to imagine him winning and challenging Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship as a babyface assuming Bryan retains until ‘Mania.

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Other Items from Last Week:

  • Hulk Hogan returned to pay tribute to his long-time friend “Mean” Gene Okerlund, who sadly left us just after New Year’s Day.  It was overall well done and appropriate for such an important figure in wrestling history.

NXT Callups

No NXT callups arrived on television for either show; however, EC3 and Lacey Evans worked dark matches before Raw last week. It turns out they didn’t air on the Main Event TV show, though. EC3 defeated Curt Hawkins while Lacey Evans lost to Natalya.  EC3 and Evans appear headed to Raw as I discussed in last week’s primer.

Heavy Machinery worked a dark match prior to Smackdown and defeated Primo & Epico.  They appear headed to that brand.

There are conflicting reports regarding Lars Sullivan no-showing dark matches last week while WWE was in Orlando and Jacksonville.  Some say he was a no-show and went home due to anxiety attacks, while some say he was never in the area whatsoever.  We’ll pay attention as this story unfolds in the coming days.  Sullivan has been hyped as coming to the main roster since Survivor Series.  Him not being at the last NXT taping and rumors of mental issues are an interesting combination.

WWE still showed the video of all the callups “coming to WWE.”

Trevor Lee 

I am excited to see that former Impact Wrestling and soon-to-be former CWF wrestler Trevor Lee has signed with WWE.  He has completed his time with Impact; however, dates with CWF are still on his calendar.  It is expected he will check in with NXT upon his arrival.

Start Time & Matches Advertised on the Arena Website

The FedExForum is advertising a start time of 6:30 p.m.

  • Intercontinental Championship match: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
  • John Cena & Finn Balor & Elias vs. Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin & Bobby Lashley

They show these matches as part of their “update” which came out last week.

Follow me on Twitter @FrankPeteani or e-mail me at [email protected].  Questions and discussion are welcome.  Thank you for reading!

WEEKLY OVERVIEW – NXT (thru 1/17): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more

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Click:Courier bag making machine

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

The following is the latest in a new series of weekly in-depth articles exclusive to PWTorch which will help put in perspective major wrestling promotions with a weekly overview, looking at news and roster developments, results, future line-ups, social media activity, key interviews, plus a timely commentary at the end. We will be featuring similar features on other promotions each week and each will be updated weekly.

•Top Stories of the Week

  • Dakota Kai confirmed via her social media that she suffered a torn ACL last month and will be out six to nine months. “Unfortunately this will take me out for a bit… It’s going to be a tough ride, mentally and physically. I know that. The last thing I want is any sympathy… but hear me when I say this; Within my whole being, I know for sure I will be back stronger than ever. I will hit the ground, running. That’s a promise.”
  • The final two matches for NXT TakeOver Phoenix were made official this week. Matt Riddle will take on Kassius Ohno in what will hopefully be the conclusion to their feud and Ricochet will defend his North American Championship against Johnny Gargano.
  • NXT alums Heavy Machinery, EC3, and Lacey Evans all made their main roster “debuts” this week in non-match/backstage cameos. The peculiar case of Lars Sullivan has yet to be addressed and grows weirder and weirder each week.

•NXT Live Event Results

January 10. Largo, Fla.

  • Mansoor Al Shehail beat Rick Bugez
  • Jessie Elaban and Kacy Catanzaro beat Aliya and Vanessa Borne
  • Jeet Rama beat Riddick Moss
  • Jaxson Ryker (w/Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake) beat Stacey Ervin Jr.
  • Raul Mendoza and Humberto Carrillo beat Cezar Bononi and Adrian Jaoude
  • Punishment Martinez beat Kona Reeves
  • Candice LeRae beat Deonna Purrazzo
  • Ricochet, Keith Lee, and Matt Riddle beat Shane Thorne, Johnny Gargano, and Kassius Ohno

(Results courtesy of f4wonline.com)

January 11 Fort Pierce, Fla.

  • Stacey Ervin Jr. beat Kona Reeves
  • Kacy Catanzaro and Lacey Lane beat Aliyah and Vanessa Borne
  • Kassius Ohno beat Mansoor Al-Shehail
  • Shane Thorne beat Boa
  • Matt Riddle beat Punishment Martinez
  • Mia Yim beat Chelsea Green and Riddick Moss
  • Deonna Purrazzo beat Xia Li
  • EC3 and Heavy Machinery beat The Forgotten Sons

(Results courtesy of f4wonline.com)

January 12 Orlando, Fla.

  • Matt Riddle beat Shane Thorne
  • Aliyah and Vanessa Borne beat Lacey Lane and Kacey Catanzaro
  • Punishment Martinez beat Kona Reeves
  • Chelsea Green beat Reina Gonzalez
  • The Street Profits and Stacey Ervin Jr. beat The Forgotten Sons
  • Dominik Dijakovic beat Rick Bugez
  • The Undisputed Era won a five-team tag team gauntlet match that included Rocky and Boa,
  • Humberto Carillo and Cezar Bononi, Saurav Gurjar and Rinku Singh, and Heavy Machinery

(Results courtesy of f4wonline.com)

•Upcoming Major Show Line-up: NXT TakeOver Phoenix

NXT Takeover Phoenix
January 26, 2019
Phoenix, AZ (Talking Stick Resort Arena)

Confirmed Lineup:

  • Tomaso Ciampa (Champion) vs. Aleister Black
  • Undisputed Era (Champions) vs. War Raiders
  • Ricochet (Champion) vs. Johnny Gargano
  • Shayna Baszler (Champion) vs. Bianca Beair
  • Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno

•Upcoming Events

Thursday Jan. 17 – Venice Community Center (Venice, Fla.)
Friday Jan. 18 – University Area CDC Gymnasium (Tampa, Fla.)
Saturday Jan. 19 – Citrus Springs (Citrus Springs, Fla.)
Thursday Jan. 24 – Viejas Arena (San Diego, Cal.)
Friday Jan 25 – Riverside Municipal Auditorium (Riverside, Cal.)
SATURDAY JAN 26. – WWE NXT TAKEOVER PHOENIX – TALKING STICK RESORT ARENA (Phoenix, Arizona)
Thursday Jan. 31 – Highlands Today Center (Sebring, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 1 – Orlando Live Events (Casselberry, Fla.)
Saturday Feb. 2 – Lakeland Armory (Lakeland, Fla.)
Thursday Feb. 7 – The Reserve Pavilion at Hilton Ocala (Ocala, Fla.)
Thursday Feb. 7 – RWJ Barnabas Arena (Toms River, New Jersey)
Friday Feb. 8 – St. Petersburg Armory (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 8 – Mid-Hudson Civic Center (Poughkeepsie, New York)
Saturday Feb. 9 – Lowell Memorial Auditorium (Lowell, MA)
Saturday Feb. 9 – Sanford Civic Center (Sanford, Fla.)
Sunday Feb. 10 – Ryan Center (Kingston, Rhode Island)
Thursday Feb. 14 – Bartow Armory (Bartow, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 15 – Cocoa Armory (Cocoa, Fla.)
Saturday Feb. 16 – Mark Lance Armory (St. Augustine, Fla.)
Friday Feb. 22 – Havert L. Fenn Center (Fort Pierce, Fla.)
Thursday Feb. 28 – Express Live! (Columbus, Ohio) – JUST ADDED
Friday Mar. 1 – The Stage AE (Pittsburgh, Penn.) – JUST ADDED
Saturday Mar. 2 – Maxwell Snyder Armory (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Saturday Mar. 2 – Agora Theatre (Cleveland, Ohio) – JUST ADDED
Sunday Mar. 3 – Royal Oak Music Center (Detroit, Mich.) – JUST ADDED
Thursday Mar. 7 – Minnireg Hall (Largo, Fla.)
Saturday Mar. 9 – Crystal River Armory (Crystal River, Fla.)
Saturday Mar. 9 – Dade City Armory (Dade City, Fla.)

•Latest TV Highlights: 1/16 NXT TV Report

  • (1) The Street Profits beat The Metro Brothers by pinfall (4:06 – 5:55)
  • Forgotten Sons post-match beat down (6:43 – 9:17)
  • Cathy Kelly backstage interview with Matt Riddle and Keith Lee (9:52 – 10:30)
  • Aleister Black green screen promo (12:18 – 13:10)
  • Bianca Belair in ring promo (14:10 – 19:18)
  • Baszler/Shafir/Duke interrupt (15:11)
  • (2) Dominik Dijakovic beat Adrian Jauode by pinfall (22:19 – 26:35)
  • War Raiders battlefield promo (27:54 – 29:37)
  • (3) Johnny Gargano beat Humberto Carrillo by pinfall (35:15 – 39:57)
  • Tommaso Ciampa and Goldie boiler room promo (41:59 – 43:25)
  • (4) Kassius Ohno beat Keith Lee by pinfall (48:33 – 56:45)

•NXT in the media

  • Bianca Belair continues her media tour ahead of her huge NXT Women’s Championship match with women’s champion Shayna Baszler at NXT TakeOver Phoenix. Belair sat down with Byron Saxton for a wwe.com feature. She discusses paying her dues in NXT and the excitement of fighting at her first TakeOver. LINK
  • Steve Austin posted a classic podcast he had done with NXT General Manager William Regal. Definitely worth a listen as he discusses his early years in wrestling, joining WCW in the early nineties, and much more. LINK

•Latest NXT Podcast – “PWT Talks NXT” PWTorch Livecast

In this episode, Kelly Wells, Justin James, and Tom Stoup cover the careful booking for Belair-Baszler, thoughts on UK’s first TakeOver, meetings with widely known superfans, and more.

-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “PWTorch” or “Pro Wrestling Torch” on your podcast app of choice

•Top NXT Tweets of the Week

Ciampa Tweet of the Week – My 3 year old daughter now calls her plastic NXT Championship “Goldie”

https://twitter.com/ProjectCiampa/status/1085730688152805377

Thank you NXT for giving me Riddle in Phoenix.

Click Here:

Kyle O’Reilly has permanent handprints on his chest.

That’s a whole lot of man beef right there.

•Thoughts and Comments

  • Bianca Belair was the highlight of this week’s NXT. Her attitude and performance while standing toe to toe with women’s champ Baszler and her two sidekicks was awesome. She’s made for moments like this.
  • The athleticism possessed by Montez Ford is off the charts. I’ve NEVER seen anyone get as high as he does on a frog splash (including Eddie Guerrero). The Street Profits will be NXT Tag Team Champions by the end of 2019.
  • Anyone else notice who did all the damage during the brawl between The Street Profits and The Forgotten Sons? Why, Jaxson Ryker, of course. This new feud must end with Ryker breaking off as a singles competitor after turning on Black and Cutler.
  • NXT breaks the record when it comes to consecutive squash matches for new big men. Thinking back to Baron Corbin, then Lars Sullivan, and now Donovan Dijakovic. Just squash after squash after squash. At some point with all of them, it got old and Dijakovic is getting to that point.

NOW CHECK OUT OTHER WEEKLY OVERVIEWS HERE.

OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S WWE OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – NXT (thru 1/10): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more

1/27 WWE Royal Rumble On-Site Report from Phoenix: Most against-the-grain crowd reaction, most popular, seating issues, Royal Rumble Burger review, fan exhaustion

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

WWE ROYAL RUMBLE ON-SITE REPORT
JANUARY 27, 2019
PHOENIX, ARIZ. AT CHASE FIELD
AIRED LIVE ON WWE NETWORK

– Other than a smattering of empty seats at the top of the upper sections, available seating was nicely filled out. They had tarped off two sections in the upper deck, one on either side of the outfield big-screen. The 12 lower deck sections on the outfield side behind the hard camera were completely tarped off. It is odd going to a major stadium show but looking at a clear outfield and no big stage setup. The ballpark environment was a refreshing change that clearly made WWE think outside of the box and go with something different than their usual PPV setup.

– Big props to Chase Field for having the best legroom and most space between seats of any venue I’ve attended for a wrestling event. I’m 6-1 and still had about a foot between my knees and the row in front of me. I’ll take all the comfort I can get for a show of this length. As nice as the seat was, and as much as I appreciated the unique environment, I do hope they don’t run any more major shows at a ballpark. The field is just so large that stadium seating starts very far back. The ring is so far away no matter how good your seat is. I felt most sorry for people seated on the floor level where there were about 50 rows of seating that were not tiered whatsoever. I felt this affected crowd reactions throughout the show, where it felt like things were happening that we were supposed to react to, but couldn’t see. Especially during the Rumble matches, the big screens were taken over for countdowns and entrance videos. Other times they just left the Royal Rumble logo up in lieu of a live picture. Even with “good seats” it was just difficult to make out what was happening in the crowded ring without added context from the big screen.

– The odd sight-lines and potential for pole obstructions made for an angsty ticket purchasing experience. There would have been few seats with a clear view of both the ring and the entrance stage, without being blocked by poles. I settled on tickets directly opposite the hard camera in the lower bowl. If it were a traditional setup, that would have provided great views of the ring and entrance. In this case, I was actually to the left of and behind the entrance. These were $206 from TicketMaster, and I picked them up last week. I got similar seats a few sections off-center just after they went on sale, but was able to exchange when I found better available. For those who don’t know, TicketMaster will swap you to a seat of equal or greater value if you call their Fan Services line and pay a $10 exchange fee. This is possible until the final three days prior to the event.

– I made the life-altering decision to indulge in a Royal Rumble Burger. I may never overcome the shame. Or the atherosclerosis. Delicious, but not sure it was worth waiting in line for 45 minutes. They had run out of the crispy onions and side garnish by the time I was served. Boo!

– This was a fairly go-along, get-along crowd. Not super raucous, but they didn’t come to sit on their hands. The only reaction against the grain that I can recall was loud booing for Ronda Rousey. The strongest positive reactions were for Becky Lynch, Shane McMahon, Sasha Banks, and Seth Rollins. I was expecting a stronger reaction for Finn Balor, but exhaustion had surely set in by that point. The NXT surprises in the Rumble matches got good pops too. The loudest one I can recall being for Aleister Black. I think you’ve got to apply some sort of grading curve to crowd reactions the later we get into the show. I stopped cheering just past halfway through the show to conserve energy, sit back, and just watch the show without draining myself. I’m sure I wasn’t alone.

– I don’t have a lot to add in terms of off-air happenings. The same promos that aired on WWE Network during down moments also aired on the big screen, so there wasn’t much time where the live experience was incongruent with the broadcast.

– I attended Royal Rumble Axxess, at 8 a.m. Sunday morning. A smoothly run, refreshing experience compared with WrestleMania Axxess, which is usually hectic. The meet-and-greet lines moved quickly since they had set up professional photo booths, rather than having fans fumble about taking phone camera pictures. This was a great addition. I got to meet and exchange a few words with Samoa Joe. He was pleasant, but about as intimidating a physical presence as you would expect.

-I’m traveling home to Orlando, at the PHX airport as we speak. Even if I was able to stay for Raw and Smackdown, I don’t think I’d have been able to brave it. These four-show weekends are challenging, so props to your correspondents and anybody else sticking it out!

RELATED: WWE ROYAL RUMBLE PPV RESULTS 1/27: Keller’s full detailed report including Lesnar vs. Balor, Rousey vs. Banks, Asuka vs. Becky, Bryan vs. Styles, Rumble matches

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MJF agrees to team with Samoa Joe at AEW Full Gear Zero Hour

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The end of Rampage saw MJF agreeing to defend the ROH Tag Team titles with Samoa Joe at AEW Full Gear Zero Hour against The Gunns.

MJF jumped Jay White, who was giving a sit-down interview during Friday’s Rampage. Juice Robinson attacked MJF during the brawl, but was thrown into a TV by MJF. The confrontation between MJF and White eventually made its way to the ring. The Gunns jumped MJF as he gained back the AEW World title belt. White was about to attack MJF with the belt when Joe’s music hit. Bullet Club Gold bailed as Samoa Joe extended his hand to MJF. The two shook hands to end the segment.

Samoa Joe previously told MJF that he would help defend the ROH Tag Team titles against The Gunns if he would give Joe an AEW World Championship match. MJF had dismissed the idea.

A match for the ROH World Championship between champion Eddie Kingston and Jay Lethal was also made official for Saturday’s pre-show. On Friday’s Rampage, Lethal informed Kingston that he had one day left in his championship reign, accusing Kingston of ducking him. The two exchanged words before Lethal and the rest of his group walked away. Once they left, Ortiz appeared next to Kingston.

Also added to Zero Hour is a match between Claudio Castagnoli and Buddy Matthews. After Matthews defeated Wheeler Yuta on Friday’s Collision, Matthews continued to assault Yuta until Castagnoli came down for the save. Castagnoli said he was tired of the House of Black and the darkness and wanted to challenge Matthews in the light. Matthews accepted the challenge.

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Here is the updated card for Saturday’s Full Gear:

AEW Full Gear, Saturday, November 18, 8 p.m. Eastern time on pay-per-view —

AEW World Champion MJF defends against Jay WhiteAEW Women's World Champion Hikaru Shida defends against Toni StormAEW International Champion Orange Cassidy defends against Jon MoxleyAEW Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks & Big Bill defend against FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler), House of Black (Malakai Black & Brody King) and LFI (Rush & Dralistico) in a ladder matchTBS Champion Kris Statlander defends against Julia Hart & Skye Blue in a three-wayHangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland in a Texas Death MatchSting, Darby Allin & Adam Copeland vs. Christian Cage, Luchasaurus & Nick WayneThe Golden Jets (Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) — Winner gets an AEW Tag Team title shot, Golden Jets disband if they lose

Zero Hour pre-show, 7 p.m. Eastern time on AEW's YouTube & social media channels —

ROH Tag Team Champions MJF & Samoa Joe defend against The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn)ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston defends against Jay LethalClaudio Castagnoli vs. Buddy Matthews

WWE RAW PRIMER 2/4: Stephanie invites Becky, Angle’s future, Bayley & Sasha vs. Alicia & the Twisted Sister, Rollins’ Decision, Balor vs. Lashley, Double J vs. Elias

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRIMER
FEBRUARY 4, 2019
PORTLAND OR. AT THE MODA CENTER
AIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00 P.M. EST
BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST

Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Renee Young 

Arena, and Items Advertised by WWE

We are now in the full swing of things for WrestleMania as Raw rolls into the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon after last appearing in October of 2017.  The arena, which opened for business in 1995, has held WWE events as far back as 2004, including Unforgiven for that year.  Current WrestleMania main eventers Seth Rollins and Ronda Rousey were 18 and 17 respectively at the time just to illustrate how time flies.  Nonetheless while we are in WrestleMania season our attention is on Elimination Chamber, which takes place in less than two weeks on Sunday, February 17.

Here’s what is advertised by WWE.com subject to change as the day goes on.  Thus far three matches are on tap for what looks to be an incredibly packed show:

  • Stephanie McMahon invites Becky Lynch to Raw
  • Kurt Angle will address his WWE future
  • Sasha Banks & Bayley face Alicia Fox & Nikki Cross in final Raw WWE Women’s Tag Team Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
  • Does Seth Rollins regret his decision to choose Universal Champion Brock Lesnar as his WrestleMania opponent
  • Will Braun Strowman get payback against Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin?
  • Finn Balor looks for retribution against Bobby Lashley
  • Jeff Jarrett comes swinging for Elias

Stephanie McMahon Invites Becky Lynch to Raw

Stephanie McMahon has invited 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch to Raw, following her challenging of Ronda Rousey last week.  Words don’t do justice for what went down, so here’s the YouTube clip from WWE’s channel:

It’s never quiet on Twitter with Becky and Ronda these days:

Any questions?  We’re two months before WrestleMania and it’s started already between these two.  One can only imagine what Stephanie has in store for Becky.  Remember, there is a history with Stephanie and Ronda that may or may not factor in here.

Frank’s Analysis:  WWE has been heavily scripting wrestlers’ promos for a long time.  Last week was evidence of it not working with Ronda prior to her match with Bayley.  To complain about it is futile because it’s been done for such a long period of time.  Unless AEW or some other promotion proves to be true competition for WWE, why should we expect things to change?  With that said it’s interesting that Ronda was so heavily rejected.  You wonder if it had to do with anything in regard to the news of her possible departure from WWE after ‘Mania, or just the fact that people want to see Becky beat her in that match.

Before we get excited, let’s not forget the possibility of Charlotte Flair being inserted into this match.  This tweet from Becky indicates her desire for it to happen unless I’m reading her intentions wrong:

Regardless of what Becky may or may not want, I think we all can agree on what we want to see.  I can’t imagine her not wanting this match one-on-one, but I fear she may want her bestie included to share that main event moment together.  It should stay one-on-one, as that’s what the fans clearly want to see given their reaction last week.

Kurt Angle Addresses His Future

On Friday night, Olympic gold medalist and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle sent out this tweet:

Our beloved Olympian who won a gold medal with a broken freakin’ neck has had some unceremonious moments on TV lately.  He entered the Royal Rumble at #4 and was eliminated rather quickly by Big E.  Last week on Raw, he lost in four minutes to Baron Corbin in a previously unadvertised match.  Corbin won with his Deep Six and not his finisher End of Days.

I’m sure we’re all curious of the future of Kurt and tonight, he addresses that future.

Frank’s Analysis:  It’s hard to say what may be really going on here.  Kurt is been certainly treated like an afterthought.  It could be leading to where he questions his future and has to “go back to his roots” or something of that nature to get ready for a bigger match at WrestleMania against whomever where he puts his career on the line.  (Undertaker?  Last match for both?  Probably not because can we expect Kurt to carry a match, but you never know.).  If it’s the end of the line for Kurt that’s fine, I just hope he’s treated with a little more respect.  I understand he went to TNA/Impact for years but it’s not like he didn’t put plenty of money in Vince’s pocket during his initial run.  If he’s going to be used now and then as a wrestler, then utilize him in a way a veteran with nothing to prove should be used.  Let him look like a credible threat that could win but comes up short against the younger, up-and-coming wrestler.

Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Alicia Fox & Nikki Cross in a Qualifier

At the Elimination Chamber PPV, an elimination chamber match will be held to determine the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.  Last week, Nia Jax & Tamina qualified by defeating Alexa Bliss & Mickie James.  Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan of the Riott Squad qualified by defeating the odd combo of Natalya and Dana Brooke (whom I don’t know from week to week if she’s a heel or a babyface).  Over on Smackdown, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville qualified, not by wrestling, but by announcing their participation in the match.

Sasha & Bayley each challenged Ronda Rousey unsuccessfully for the Raw Women’s Championship last week between the Royal Rumble and Raw.  They reunite the Boss ‘n Hug Connection this week to face Alicia Fox & Nikki Cross.  Let’s call them the Twisted Sisters?

Frank’s Analysis:  The way this whole thing has been put together is a joke.  The situation between Nia & Tamina and Alexa & Mickie last week was downright laughable.  Between the pre-match promo to Alexa voluntarily getting off the top rope onto Mickie who was on Nia’s back for a Samoa drop.  It doesn’t get any sillier than that.  Mandy & Sonya not having to wrestle to qualify is nonsense.  I understand there’s less depth on the Smackdown side, but it’s not the point.  If you want me to take a match such as this seriously, everybody has to get in the same way.   

It should be noted that were women’s tag team champions in the WWE (then WWF) from 1983-1989.  The initial champions were Velvet McIntyre and Princess Victoria, who were the NWA Women’s Tag Team Champions.  When the WWF seceded from the NWA in 1983, they were recognized as the first WWF Women’s Tag Team Champions.  That lineage will not be recognized as part of these championships.

Rollins Has Chosen Lesnar for WrestleMania

Following his Royal Rumble 2019 victory, Seth Rollins had a decision to make as to which champion he would challenge at WrestleMania.  In a heartfelt opening segment promo, he made cases for challenging both Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and Smackdown’s WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, someone with whom he’s been friends with for a long time dating back to their days in Ring of Honor (he wasn’t that specific on TV).

At the end of the night, when we expected Rollins to come out with his decision, Lesnar appeared with Paul Heyman instead.  Heyman suggested he take on Bryan and have a “fine grappling match.”  Rollins interrupted, and went out to get in Lesnar’s face.

As they went at it, Lesnar treated Rollins to six F5s to close out the show.  We didn’t get Rollins’ decision on air; however, we learned on WWE.com afterwards that he had chosen Lesnar.  Here’s what happened after Raw went off the air:

Frank’s Analysis:  There’s no surprise here as we expected Rollins to face Lesnar at WrestleMania.  You could certainly argue the merits of a match with Daniel Bryan, but they look to be going with Rollins as their guy.  The way to do that is to defeat Lesnar.  This was how they eventually christened Roman Reigns.  Thus far they have told the story of Rollins overcoming the odds by getting back into the Rumble after having been put through the table, and he’ll certainly have to do the same with Lesnar.  The merits of what they’ve done overall with his Rumble win and taking a one-sided beating from Lesnar have been debated.  WWE has a large task in front of them as far as building the anticipation for this match.  I have to admit Lesnar’s part time status actually helps here 

Braun Strowman’s Revenge Against Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin

Last week, in another unadvertised match, Braun Strowman took on Drew McIntyre just prior to the final segment.  During the course of the match as Braun was about to hit Drew with the ringside steps, Baron Corbin interfered causing a disqualification.  Drew & Corbin and Braun went back and forth ultimately ending up with Braun being slammed onto the steps.

No match has been announced yet, but follow-up is expected tonight.

Frank’s Analysis:  There’s not much to pick apart here.  Corbin has been feuding with Braun on and off for a while.  Braun did get the win that caused Corbin to lose his GM position at TLC in December.  McIntyre has been taking quite a few more loses than one might have expected lately.  He was eliminated from the Royal Rumble by Dolph Ziggler and didn’t figure into the final four as I expected.  In theory they protected him last week, but you wonder if the damage has been done.  Braun was protected as he should be, and we move forward.  There’s probably a tag match forthcoming either tonight or at the next PPV.  Let’s not hope Nicholas returns.

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Non-Title Match: Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Finn Balor

Finn Balor came out last week to discuss his coming up short against Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.  He oddly emphasized a few times that he held his head high, because despite losing he made Lesnar believe.

Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley came out with his manager Lio Rush.  Lio made a point to tell Balor that a “twerp” like him (has Lio looked in the mirror?) never deserved a Universal Championship match in the first place.  He said Lashley was stronger and faster than Lesnar would ever be.  Balor pointed out how Lashley only lasted 12 seconds in the Royal Rumble, which lead to Lashley attacking Balor.

Tonight, they go one-on-one in a non-title match.  They were opponents in the early stages of Lashley’s heel turn in late October as well as going at it on Raw in Manchester, England in early November.  Balor won the initial contest while Lashley won in Manchester.

Frank’s Analysis:  Balor sure seemed fine with losing.  While we all expected it, it’s not the point.  The idea is to win the big match, and when you don’t, you’re disappointed.  You want Balor to come out and say something to the effect of “Lesnar may have won this one, but I will never give up my quest to be Universal Champion.”  Rollins moving into that program makes things tricky, but that’s also not the point.  One should not be content to take a champion to the limit.  They should want to win.  With that said, this feud concerns me because they are finally getting it right with Lashley but also gave Balor a huge spot recently.  You hope neither competitor gets damaged in this feud.

Elias vs. Jeff Jarrett

J E double F … J A double R … E … double T … that’s double J, ha ha, Jeff Jarrett.

Last week, Elias apparently turned heel to mark about the 1,000th turn we’ve seen recently in WWE.  He trolled the crowd during his performance only to have Jeff Jarrett come out and interrupt.  Moments later we got treated to a returning Road Dogg, who was once the “Roadie” for Jeff Jarrett back in the mid-1990s.  They sang Jarrett’s “hit song” With My Baby Tonight (it is a catchy song).  As they were approaching the ring, Elias hit Dogg with a guitar from behind.  Jarrett and Elias went at it in the ring and when Jarrett teased us with hitting Elias with a guitar, Elias stopped him and hit Jarrett with it laying him out.

Tonight, Jarrett and Elias go one-on-one.

Frank’s Analysis:  Hearing Jeff Jarrett’s theme makes me think of my college years and the bad days of WWE.  That’s not Jarrett’s fault, but hey he’s back and the writing is still overall very questionable.  Thinking about this Elias turn back to heel why don’t we take a look at the turns since August shall we?

  • Braun Strowman: heel turn then back to babyface
  • Bobby Lashley: heel turn
  • Dolph Ziggler: I’m just Dolph Ziggler turn (what, he’s the one that said I’m not a good or bad guy…I’m just Dolph Ziggler)
  • Becky Lynch: heel turn then back to babyface
  • Charlotte Flair: heel turn
  • Carmella: babyface turn (by just getting paired with R-Truth)
  • Dana Brooke: changes by the week
  • Daniel Bryan: heel turn
  • Big Show: heel turn then back to babyface
  • Rusev: babyface turn then back to heel
  • Bella Twins: heel turn (part time but still counts)
  • Nia Jax: heel turn
  • Alexa Bliss: I can’t figure it out
  • Mickie James: see Alexa Bliss
  • Vince McMahon: whatever is needed for the show
  • Triple H: babyface turn (I think)
  • The Miz: babyface turn

 I may be missing a few.  As far as Elias vs. Jarrett it’ll be fun in a way but I can’t imagine it being much to speak of as time goes on.

Other Possible Items for Tonight 

  • Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins teamed together on TV for the first time in nearly eight years and lost to the Revival.  Their last match was on Superstars in 2011 against Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov.  It’s hard to say if we’ll see if any follow up.  They made a point a reuniting them in a big way two weeks ago only to have them lose the following week, albeit to the much-beleaguered Revival.
  • As has been well-covered here at PWTorch, Dean Ambrose has advised WWE that he will not renew his contract upon its expiration at the end of April.  Last week he lost to Seth Rollins clean.  Following that match sat in a chair and was going to talk to the fans, only to be interrupted by Nia Jax and Tamina.  Jax knocked Ambrose out of the ring.  With her attacking R-Truth and entering herself in the men’s Royal Rumble, it appears they could be heading towards an intergender situation with Ambrose on his way out.  The last intergender match on WWE programmiBy Frank Peteani, PWTorch Specialistng was a lumberjack contest between Asuka and James Ellsworth last summer.  Some other matches of note through the years were Jeff Jarrett vs. Chyna for the Intercontinental Championship, Jarrett’s infamous last match in WWF in 1999.  There was also Vince McMahon vs. Stephanie McMahon in an “I Quit” match at No Mercy in 2003.
  • Mojo Rawley was seen talking to himself in the mirror, saying people think he’s a nobody because of himself.  Despite a start-and-stop push for Rawley through the years, look for follow-up on this tonight.

Start Time & Matches Advertised on the Arena Website

The Moda Center is advertising a start time of 4:30 p.m. local time.  They show the following matches, which clearly shows things haven’t been updated:

  • Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins (obviously incorrect as Lashley is IC champ).
  • Finn Balor & Elias vs. Drew McIntyre & Bobby Lashley (are they flipping Elias back to being babyface?  I can’t keep up)

They also advertise Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey appearing.

Follow me on Twitter @FrankPeteani or e-mail me at [email protected].  Questions and discussion are welcome.  Thank you for reading!