"Timeless" Toni Storm will have a tune-up match on this Friday's AEW Rampage ahead of her Full Gear Women's World title match.
Click Here:
As announced during Wednesday's Dynamite, Storm will face Emi Sakura on Friday's live Rampage episode. Storm asked for a tune-up prior to Full Gear in a backstage segment where she was introduced to Mariah May on Dynamite. Sakura was announced as the opponent later in the broadcast.
Also set for Friday's Rampage, Renee Paquette will conduct a sit-down interview with AEW World Champion MJF. The champ was left laying by Bullet Club Gold at the conclusion of Wednesday's Dynamite. MJF defends the World title against Bullet Club Gold's Jay White at Full Gear, and defends the ROH Tag Team titles on the Full Gear pre-show against The Gunns of Bullet Club Gold. MJF's partner for the match has yet to be revealed.
Paquette will also conduct a sit-down interview with White on Rampage.
This week's Rampage airs live on Friday, November 17 at 10 p.m. Eastern time on TNT following a special Friday airing of Collision at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The Rampage lineup:
Toni Storm vs. Emi SakuraMJF sit-down interview with Renee PaquetteJay White sit-down interview with Renee Paquette
FARMINGDALE, NY — The first annual “Gina Rose Pellettiere Day” was celebrated in Farmingdale Village on Friday — what would have been the beloved music educator’s 44th birthday.
Pellettiere died on Sept. 21 when the bus she was on overturned and tumbled down a 50-foot ravine. She and her students were headed to their annual band camp trip in Greeley, Pennsylvania, where each year, she taught students how to play music and march for the Farmingdale High School football team’s halftime shows. Pellettiere was the single mother of a 2-year-old son, Joseph.
Farmingdale Village adopted the day in honor of “Ms. P,” as her students knew her, because of “her kindness and special dedication to the students of Farmingdale,” Mayor Ralph Ekstrand told Patch.
Find out what's happening in Farmingdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A proclamation was signed by Ekstrand acknowledging Nov. 17 as “Gina Rose Pellettiere Day.”
“This prestigious award is a celebration and tribute to Gina’s untiring efforts and contributions to the students of Farmingdale High School, their families and the Farmingdale community,” the proclamation reads. “The impact Ms. P had on her students is immeasurable. Her enthusiasm and love of music was inspiring. Ms. P was always there to help when she was needed, encouraging her students to go beyond what they thought they could accomplish to reach their true potential. Our sincerest gratitude to Gina for her commitment and dedication to her students and the entire Farmingdale community. She will be sorely missed.”
Find out what's happening in Farmingdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Pellettiere was mourned by thousands of students, parents and community members in the wake of the tragedy. Her death prompted multiple community members and business owners to raise money for those impacted by the bus crash.
Beatrice “Bea” Ferrari, 77, of Farmingdale, was the second casualty in the Orange County bus crash. She was a retired teacher who chaperoned the trip each year. Her family recently gave the village the green light to have a day named after her in May — her birth month.
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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
WWE Announced on Twitter that the next Superstar Shake Up will take place on Raw on April 15 & Smackdown on April 16.
WWE is now locally advertising a Dean Ambrose vs. Nia Jax match for a WWE Live Event on Feb. 22 in Jonesboro, Ark. SOURCE
The WWE Performance Center announced twelve new wrestlers joining them on Monday this week. Rachael Ellering, Trevor Lee, ACH, Jonah Rock, Karen Q, Samuel Shaw, Scott Jagged Parker, Big Magic, Elliot Sexton, Nick Comoroto, Ricardo Miller, and Omari Palmer were all listed. LINK
WWE announced three matches for Elimination Chamber this Sunday on social media ahead of Raw and Smackdown this week. Over the weekend they announced Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott for the Raw Women’s Championship, then on Monday afternoon they announced the Intercontinental Championship match as well as the Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin match
Vince McMahon announced on Raw that he has suspended Becky Lynch 60 Days in storyline for “her attitude” and “thinking she’s bigger than WWE” and that suspension runs out five days after WrestleMania. Vince then announced that Charlotte would be replacing Becky in the WrestleMania match with Ronda Rousey.
The Revival won the Raw Tag Team Championships this week on Raw
WWE shared a phone recorded video from Kevin Owens, who announced he will be returning from injury in about one month. Owens recorded the video while bowling with his family and it had a baby face feel to it as he laughed and talked about spending time with his family. Owens did say he does not know which brand he will be on when he returns. The video ended with Owens laughing at himself after bowling a ball directly into the gutter.
WWE announced on Tuesday that Mustafa Ali will not be competing at the Elimination Chamber due to injury. Kofi Kingston will be his replacement.
•WWE Weekly Event Results
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) 2/8/19
(1) Bayley, Dana Brooke, & Natalya beat Alicia Fox, Mickie James, & Nikki Cross
(2) EC3 defeated Dean Ambrose
(3) The Ascension beat Zack Rdyer & Curt Hawkins
(4) Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush beat Finn Balor in a Handicap match to retain the Intercontinental Championship
(5) Drew McIntyre defeated Elias
(6) Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (c) defeated The Revival to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(7) Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a Street Fight
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Dekalb, Ill.) 2/9/19
(1) Shelton Benjamin beat Tye Dillinger
(2) Naomi vs. Mandy Rose ends in a No DQ after Sonya Deville interferes. Carmella comes down to help Naomi and a tag match is booked.
(3) Naomi & Carmella beat Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
(4) Mustafa Ali defeated Samoa Joe
(5) Asuka beat Charlotte to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch attacked them both after the match
(6) Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura (w/ Lana) beat The Usos and The New Day
(7) R-Truth (w/ Carmella) defeated Andrade Cien Almas
(8) Jeff Hardy & The Miz beat The Bar
(9) A.J. Styles defeated Randy Orton
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada) 2/9/19
(1) Bayley, Natalya, & Dana Brooke beat Nikki Cross, Alicia Fox & Mickie James
(2) EC3 defeated Dean Ambrose
(3) The Ascension beat Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
(4) Bobby Lashley (c) (w/ Lio Rush) beat Finn Balor to retain the Intercontinental Championship
(5) Drew McIntyre beat Elias
(6) Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (c) beat The Revival to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(7) Braun Strowman defeated Baron Corbin in a Street Fight
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Fort Wayne, Ind.) 2/10/19
(1) Asuka (c) beat Sonya Deville to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch attacked them both after the match
(2) Jeff Hardy & The Miz beat The Bar
(3) Naomi beat Mandy Rose
(4) R-Truth (c) defeated Andrade Cien Almas to retain the United States Championship
(5) Tye Dillinger & Mustafa Ali beat Shelton Benjamin & Samoa Joe
(6) Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura beat The Usos & The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E)
(7) A.J. Styles beat Randy Orton
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Saginaw, Mich.) 2/10/19
(1) Bayley, Natalya, & Dana Brooke beat Nikki Cross, Alicia Fox & Mickie James
(2) EC3 defeated Dean Ambrose
(3) The Ascension beat Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
(4) Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush beat Finn Balor to retain the Intercontinental Championship
(5) Ronda Rousey (c) defeated Nia Jax to retain the Raw Women’s Championship
(6) Drew McIntyre beat Elias
(7) Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (c) beat The Revival to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(8) Braun Strowman defeated Baron Corbin in a Street Fight
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Canton, Ohio) 2/11/19
(1) Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura beat The Usos & The New Day
(2) Naomi defeated Mandy Rose
(3) Shelton Benjamin beat Tye Dillinger
(4) Asuka beat Sonya Deville to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship
(5) R-Truth (c) beat Samoa Joe & Andrade Cien Almas
(6) Jeff Hardy & The Miz beat The Bar
(7) A.J. Styles defeated Randy Orton
SOURCE
If you attend a live event, please send results to [email protected]. Thanks!
•WWE TV Match Results
Monday Night Raw TV Results 2/11/19
(1) Nia Jax & Tamina defeated Bayley & Sasha Banks and Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan when Jax pinned Bayley. With the loss, Sasha Banks & Bayley will now start the Elimination Chamber match.
(2) Finn Balor beat Drew McIntyre via DQ after Bobby Lashley attacked Finn
(3) Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, & Kurt Angle beat Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, & Bobby Lashley (w/ Lio Rush) when Balor pinned Lashley
(4) Ruby Riott beat Nikki Cross
(5) Dean Ambrose defeated EC3
(6) The Revival beat Bobby Roode & Chad Gable to win the Raw Tag Team Championships
Smackdown Live TV Results 2/12/19
(1) Naomi & Carmella beat The IIconics and Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville when Naomi pinned Mandy Rose. With the loss, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville will start the Elimination Chamber Match
(2) Randy Orton won a Gauntlet match to be the last entrant into the Elimination Chamber match
Order of Eliminations:
– Kofi Kingston beat Daniel Bryan after hitting the Trouble in Paradise
– Kofi Kingston beat Jeff Hardy after hitting the S.O.S.
– Kofi Kingston beat Samoa Joe after countering a Coquina Clutch into a surprise pin. Joe put Kofi in the Coquina Clutch after the loss until A.J. Styles came down to stop it.
– A.J. Styles beat Kofi Kingston with the Calf Crusher after Kofi refused to stop the match following Joe’s attack.
– Randy Orton beat A.J. Styles with the R.K.O. from Styles’ blindside for the win in about five seconds
205 Live Results (Aired on WWE Network) 2/12/19
(1) Jack Gallagher beat Lince Dorado
(2) Tony Nese defeated Noam Dar in a No Disqualification match
WWE Main Event (Aired on Hulu and WWE Network) 2/14/19
(1) Heavy Machinery beat The Ascension
(2) The B-Team & Tyler Breeze beat Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers
SOURCE
•Upcoming Lineups for Stadium/PPV Events
WWE Elimination Chamber on Feb. 17 from Houston, Tex.
Women’s Tag Team Elimination Chamber Match – Winners will become the new Women’s Tag Team Champions
Nia Jax & Tamina vs. The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan) vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs. The IIconics vs. Naomi & Carmella
Sasha Banks & Bayley and Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville will start the match
Shane McMahon & The Miz (c) vs. The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy vs. A.J. Styles vs. Kofi Kingston in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa for the Cruiserweight Championship
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Ruby Riott for the Raw Women’s Championship
Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship in a two-on-one handicap match
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
WWE WrestleMania on April 7 from New York City, N.Y.
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Charlotte for the Raw Women’s Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship
•Upcoming Events
Fri. 2/15/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Bert Ogden Arena, Edinburg, Tex.
Sat. 2/16/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Sames Auto Arena, Laredo, Tex.
Sat. 2/16/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Rapides Coliseum, Alexandria, La.
Mon. 2/18/19 WWE Raw, Cajundome, Lafayette, La. Click Here:
Mon. 2/18/19 WWE Live Event, Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles, La.
Tue. 2/19/19 WWE Smackdown, Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, La.
Fri. 2/22/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, First National Bank Arena, Jonesboro, Ark.
Sat. 2/23/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.
Sat. 2/23/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Bancorpsouth Arena, Tupelo, Miss.
Sun. 2/24/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, Ala.
Sun. 2/24/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.
Mon. 2/25/19 WWE Raw, State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Ga.
Mon. 2/25/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Savannah Civic Center, Savannah, Ga.
Tue. 2/26/19 WWE Smackdown, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.
Fri. 3/1/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, WYCC, Salisbury. Md.
Sat. 3/2/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Mark Etess Arena, Atlantic City, N.J.
Sat. 3/2/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
Sun. 3/3/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Eaglebank Arena, Fairfax, Va.
Sun. 3/3/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, N.Y.
Mon. 3/4/19 WWE Raw, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
Mon. 3/4/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Westchester County Center, White Plains, N.Y.
Tue. 3/5/19 WWE Smackdown, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Sat. 3/9/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Little Cesars Arena, Detroit, Mich.
Sat. 3/9/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, N.Y. Sun. 3/10/19 WWE Fastlane, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Mon. 3/11/19 WWE Raw, PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Penn.
Mon. 3/11/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Covelli Centre, Youngstown, Ohio
Tue. 3/12/19 WWE Smackdown, Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio
Fri. 3/15/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Sat. 3/16/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Five Flags Center, Dubuque, Iowa
Sat. 3/16/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wis.
Sun. 3/17/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Ill.
Sun. 3/17/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Mon. 3/18/19 WWE Raw, Allstate Arena, Chicago, Ill.
Mon. 3/18/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, BMO Harris Bank Center, Rockford, Ill.
Tue. 3/19/19 WWE Smackdown, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Ind.
Fri. 3/22/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Cure Insurance Arena, Trenton, N.J.
Sat. 3/23/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, First Arena, Elimra, N.Y.
Sat. 3/23/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Adirondack Bank Center, Utica, N.Y.
Sun. 3/24/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Keybank Center, Buffalo, N.Y.
Sun. 3/24/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Mullins Center, Amherst, Mass.
Mon. 3/25/19 WWE Raw, TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Mon. 3/25/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, PPL Center, Allentown, Pa.
Tue. 3/26/19 WWE Smackdown, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
Fri. 3/29/19 WWE Live Event – Supershow, Eastern Kentucky Expo Center, Pikeville, Ky.
Sat 3/30/19 WWE Live Event – Supershow, Wesbanco Arena, Wheeling, W.Va.
Sun. 3/31/19 WWE Live Event – Supershow, Giant Center, Hershey, Pa.
Mon. 4/1/19 WWE Raw, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Mon. 4/1/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Berglund Center, Roanoke, Va.
Tue. 4/2/19 WWE Smackdown, Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, Md. Sun. 4/7/19 WWE WrestleMania, Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Mon. 4/8/19 WWE Raw, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Tue. 4/8/19 WWE Smackdown, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
•Latest TV Highlights
Monday Night Raw
Sasha Banks & Bayley will start in the Elimination Chamber after losing a Triple Threat match against the other two Raw tag teams in that match. Sasha Banks was taken out by Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, and Ruby Riott and she was eventually taken to the back leaving Bayley without a partner. After a valiant fight, Bayley was pinned by Nia after a Samoan Drop.
The Revival won the Raw Tag Team Championships in a match that wasn’t advertised before Raw or during the show at all. The match happened near the end of Raw, but not in the main event, and the crowd was very quiet for most of the match. By the end, the crowd was getting into it, but this was not a very big moment.
Vince McMahon overrules Stephanie and Triple H, suspending Becky Lynch for 60 days and replaces her at WresteMania with Charlotte. In the opening segment of the show, Triple H and Stephanie apologized to Becky and asked her to apologize to them, if she did she would have her match with Ronda. Becky spent the next two and a half hours of Raw contemplating if she should apologize, getting advice from Finn Balor, Alexa Bliss, and others. In the last segment of the show, she decided to apologize and Triple H and Stephanie congratulated her and reinstated her for WrestleMania. Ronda Rousey came down to the ring to confront Becky, but before she could, Vince McMahon came out onto the stage and said that Triple H and Stephanie may forgive her, but he doesn’t accept her apology. He said she has a bad attitude and she thinks she’s bigger than WWE. Because of this, she’s suspended for 60 days, a suspension that ends five days after WrestleMania, and Vince then introduced Charlotte as Ronda’s new WrestleMania opponent.
Smackdown Live
Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville will join Bayley & Sasha in starting the Elimination Chamber match after they lost a Triple Threat match against the other two Smackdown tag teams in the Elimination Chamber match. The IIconics constantly avoided being tagged during this match, which is logical because there was no reward for winning as Corey Graves would constantly point out during this match both nights. Eventually Naomi would pin Mandy Rose for the win. The IIconics would then attack Naomi and Carmella after the match to stand tall heading into the Elimination Chamber.
Charlotte started Smackdown tonight to talk about replacing Becky in the WrestleMania match with Ronda. Charlotte said she thought she taught Becky better than to get herself suspended. Charlotte then called herself the backbone of the division and noted that the fans think she was chosen as Becky’s replacement by Vince McMahon because she’s his favorite, but in reality it’s just a good business decision. She predicted the fans will be chanting “This is awesome” during the WrestleMania match, then fans then started a “You suck” chant and Charlotte started saying “What?” back at them to keep the chant going. Charlotte then added that she’d be ringside for Ronda’s title defense this Sunday vs. Ruby Riott.
Kofi Kingston validates why he’s a good replacement for Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber. Early in the night, they announced Mustafa Ali had not been medically cleared to compete Sunday or in the Gauntlet match here on Smackdown. A member of The New Day would be his replacement, but it wasn’t initially announced who. Daniel Bryan would start the gauntlet match against that member of New Day and all three teased being the replacement, but it was Kofi who would get the spot. Kofi would then eliminate Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy, and Samoa Joe in the Gauntlet match. Kofi would be attacked by Samoa Joe after he beat him and he then lost to A.J. Styles. Kofi Kingston spent over one hour in this Gauntlet match and A.J. Styles tried to reason with him, but Kofi refused to just lose. The cameras caught Kofi yelling “I’ve waited too long. It’s been eleven years. Fight me!” at A.J. after Styles tried to get Kofi to just quit following Samoa Joe’s post-match attack. Styles would force Kofi to submit to the calf crusher with only two minutes left on Smackdown. A.J. then stood facing the stage as Randy Orton’s music played and Randy would R.K.O. Styles from behind and get the pin as the show went off the air. Orton will now enter the Elimination Chamber match last.
•WWE in the Media
– The second part of Rusev and Lana’s conversation with Lilian Garcia on the Chasing Glory podcast was released on Monday. Lana and Rusev open this part of their conversation talking about how they first met while in NXT. Lana talked about her relationship with Dusty Rhodes saying that she worked closely with him because Dusty loved her passion and her previous experiences. Because of that, Lana said she actually helped produce things in NXT including the Adam Rose vignettes. They also talked about their time on Total Divas, saying that they enjoyed being on the show. Lana talked about auditioning to be on the show multiple times and threw in a very interesting note saying that she auditioned to be on the show a second time following season 4 and Vince McMahon only wanted her to be on the show if she had her Russian accent and E! Network said absolutely not because the show is reality television. That delayed their debut on Total Divas, it was then put on delay another year because during season 5 of Total Divas, Lana and Rusev were in a storyline against each other and they didn’t want them to be fighting on WWE programming, then together for Total Divas. That’s why they didn’t debut until season 6 of Total Divas.
The breaking news that was teased last week is that Lana was not selected for the new season of Total Divas. With Lana not being selected, obviously Rusev will not be on the show either. Lana said she was extremely disappointed when she was told the news. Lana says they were told that they were basically a shoe-in to be back on the show, she also said they were told to “start working on their spin-off show” at one point. Kevin Dunn told Lana that the new executives at E! Network felt that the demographic they cater to do not like Lana and Rusev at all and that’s the reason they weren’t asked back on the show. Lana tells this story through tears the entire time and it’s very obvious that Total Divas really meant a lot to her. Lilian asked Lana if she liked the way she was portrayed on Total Divas and Lana responded saying that there were some things she got really mad about, but she knew that was what she signed up for when agreeing to do the show. Lana fires back at the idea that she wasn’t liked because of the way she acted on that show saying that’s the fault of the editors for casting her in that light and, at times, switching out sound bites in conversations that would be taken completely out of context. She brings up the example of the huge fight between her and Paige saying that the way it was portrayed on Total Divas isn’t at all what actually happened.
When asked if he would like to be back on Total Divas, Rusev said no he’d rather go make his own show. Lilian then asks if they feel like they have more they want to accomplish in WWE and they both say absolutely. Rusev says he still loves wrestling and it’s a challenge, but they both seem to embrace the challenges that come with WWE.
Rusev and Lana also announce that they are collaborating with someone on a comic book that should be released some time in 2019. They didn’t reveal any specific details about the comic book. Lana also reveals that she has a learning disability and that was going to be a story on an episode of Total Divas, but Natalya’s father passing away was a more important story to tell. Lana acknowledges that Jim Neidhart absolutely deserved to be recognized, but she says there were other stories that could’ve been removed that weren’t even as serious as Lana’s story. Lilian asks Lana to tell that story on the podcast so Lana begins to explain that she couldn’t read until she was ten years old and she’s dyslexic. For Total Divas, she was tested and said that if Rusev were to be tested he would test in the 90%+ range most likely, but she tested at 1% that’s how extreme her learning disability is.
If you want to listen to the interview, you can find it HERE.
•Listen to the latest Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-Show – Smackdown Post-Show
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by Jake Barnett from ProWrestling.net as they discuss WWE Smackdown with live callers first, then an on-site correspondent from Toledo, Ohio, and then later answering Mailbag questions. They discuss Kofi Kingston’s big night, Charlotte gloating in a heel promo, final Elimination Chamber hype, and more.
-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “Wade Keller” on your podcast app of choice
•WWE Social Media Highlights
A few of the wrestlers in WWE are beginning to openly vent about their frustrations with their positioning on the roster and how under-utilized they are on the main roster. Here is a quick collection of some of those tweets.
Tried. https://t.co/oiarrUEj30
— Ronnie Arneill (@perfec10n) February 9, 2019
Another fun fact…. one time I wrestled Liger in his only WWE match…. what the hell happened ?!?! 😐 🤔
Becky was very active this week both before and after the happenings of Raw. She started with this silent video with subtitles recreating and mocking Ronda’s promo to her as she was escorted out of Raw last week.
Going to RAW again this week. Hope I have another one of these special moments with Ronnie. pic.twitter.com/PF7VeunIW6
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 9, 2019
I’ve had 7 knee surgeries and no one’s ever seen me limp. #IceAndAdvilBitch
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) February 10, 2019
Pretty sure everyone has seen you limp at least twice.
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 10, 2019
You stayed out too late last night but have an exam this morning? You faking a knee injury but have #Wrestlemania looming in your future? Whenever you need to suck it up and handle business, I personally prescribe this shirt to ease your pains, b*tch!https://t.co/8MzPVhH9KW
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) February 9, 2019
I’m sorry for all the Twitter murder lately, Ron Ron. You’re so proud of your one line that you made a little tee shirt page. Awww. Give The Man one so people will actually know it’s out there.
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 10, 2019
Complete and utter bullshit.
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 12, 2019
View this post on Instagram
This isn’t what’s best for business. This isn’t what’s in demand. I have no idea what the hell this is. Vince McMahon doesn’t even believe in his own girl @charlottewwe – If he didn’t make us the main event of #SurvivorSeries he’s sure as hell not making us the main event of #WrestleMania. The #WomensEvolution was robbed tonight. For a recap of Raw check the link in my bio
A post shared by rondarousey (@rondarousey) on
So Ronnie is afraid that old Char is dragging her out of the WM main event, huh? Rightfully so. We all know who was making this happen, and now I’m sitting at home watching it collapse. Might have to do something about that. https://t.co/iHCTdz4wlo
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 13, 2019
Mustafa Ali shared a video of his daughter interacting with some other Smackdown wrestlers during a house show last week.
She's my world. She got to spend some time hanging out with @MsCharlotteWWE, @CarmellaWWE @RonKillings and even did a #DanceBreak! #WWEDekalb @WWE pic.twitter.com/8yz6ETM4C0
— Mustafa Ali / Adeel Alam (@MustafaAliWWE) February 10, 2019
Charlotte took to Twitter to troll all of the fans who were upset that Vince had suspended Becky for WrestleMania and replaced her with Charlotte. Paul Heyman also chimed in.
Wow, I didn’t realize that so many of you didn’t want me in the match. Taking that into account, I’ll be asking management to remove me effectively immediately.
When I say "not a prediction, it's a spoiler." It's not my gimmick, catchphrase or shtick. It's a SPOILER!
2 years ago, I stated @MsCharlotteWWE would be the 1st woman to main event @WWE @WrestleMania.
It wasn't a prediction. It was a spoiler!https://t.co/cfi7XkmujG
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) February 12, 2019
•Closing Commentary
So instead of complaining about the direction of the Becky Lynch/Ronda Rousey/Charlotte angle, or how bad I thought Raw was this week, I’m going to do some Elimination Chamber picks. I picked the Royal Rumble matches and was 8 for 9. I didn’t pick the last minute kickoff show match that was added, and I was wrong about the United States Championship match, but that’s pretty good! More than me being good at picking, I think most of the matches were just fairly obvious, so let’s do it again!
(1) Women’s Tag Team Elimination Chamber Match – Winners will become the new Women’s Tag Team Champions
We now know that Sasha & Bayley and Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville will start the match. WWE has done a decent job building this match, and having the triple threat matches this week was an acceptable teaser of sorts. The stipulation of punishing the losers instead of rewarding the winners made for weird rules that Corey Graves pointed out both nights, which wasn’t a good decision. It makes The IIconics being cowardly and not wanting into the match look genius. Regardless, the matches were good teasers and at least they had some stakes put on them.
Prediction: Nia Jax & Tamina
My Hope: Nia Jax & Tamina win and they build towards a match between them and Sasha & Bayley at WrestleMania
(2) Shane McMahon & The Miz (c) vs. The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
Not much to say about this match. The build has been minimal, but the “McMiz TV” segment this week was pretty good. The Usos are leaning heel, but the crowd chanting heavily for them was interesting.
Prediction: The Miz & Shane retain
My Hope: The Miz & Shane
(3) Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy vs. A.J. Styles vs. Kofi Kingston in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship
Mustafa Ali being removed is disappointing, but Kofi Kingston will be a fine replacement. They did a great job building his credibility as a contender in the Gauntlet match on Smackdown. I also appreciated another Gauntlet match and another match with stakes attached to it. The finish of Orton hitting the R.K.O out of nowhere on A.J. was beyond predictable given the fact they had maybe two minutes left in the show, Styles was staring at the stage, and the weird camera angle they refused to cut away from, but predictable isn’t always a horrible thing. We now know Orton will enter the Elimination Chamber match last, thanks to that win.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan retains. They just recreated the championship belt, I can’t see them wasting the time to do that to immediately switch the title and get rid of this wood and hemp version
My Hope: Selfishly, I’d love Samoa Joe to win, but I’m happy to see Bryan retain as well
(4) Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa for the Cruiserweight Championship
Not too much to say on this one. It should be very good from an in-ring perspective. I’m more curious if they’ll find a reason to toss it on the pre-show again. If they want 205 Live to be taken seriously, they need to put the championship match on the main card when they can.
Prediction: Buddy Murphy retains
My Hope: Buddy Murphy retains. I really like Murphy and I’d like to see him continue to dominate.
(5) Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Ruby Riott for the Raw Women’s Championship
WWE isn’t even bothering to try to make the fans care about this match. Ruby Riott had a match on Monday and they could’ve used that to make her look strong and look like a legitimate contender; instead they cut away in the middle of that match to have Ronda tell Becky it’s stupid of her to not apologize and ruin their WrestleMania match. That tells me even Ronda isn’t worried about Ruby. On top of that, this match was announced over the weekend on Twitter. That’s about as lackluster a build as you could possibly have to a championship match.
Prediction: Ronda Rousey retains
My Hope: Ronda retains, but hopefully they don’t completely kill all of Ruby’s credibility. It would be nice to see her put up a great fight and punish Ronda for overlooking her as a legitimate threat
(6) Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship in a two-on-one handicap match
I was baffled on Monday that the announce team was talking this up like Finn being in a two-on-one handicap match was an advantage for him. What a ridiculous notion. It’s an advantage for Finn to be facing Bobby Lashley and his manager Lio Rush, who still regularly wrestles on 205 Live and was undefeated for some time there. Terrible storytelling to act as if being outnumbered is a good thing, in my opinion.
Prediction: Lashley retains
My Hope: Finn Balor wins. I’d hate to see him “put up a good fight” and lose in two consecutive PPV matches. I’d rather him win it and move on quickly from Lashley. I’m tired of seeing Finn fighting McIntyre, Lashley, and Corbin, and them harping on his size.
(7) Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
I have nothing positive or negative to say about this match. It exists, so I guess I’ll watch it. Maybe it’ll be a good bathroom break match. McIntyre has nothing to do this PPV and I think that’s noteworthy.
Prediction: Corbin wins with the help of McIntyre
My Hope: They decide this match is unnecessary and they cut it out of the show entirely so we don’t have another four hour PPV. I wish…
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
The Tuesday night (2/19) edition of WWE Smackdown Live on USA Network drew a 1.63 rating, up from last week’s 1.54 rating. It’s the 2019 high point for the show and the highest rating since Nov. 13, likely driven by Elimination Chamber fallout in general and Kofi-mania in particular, although anticipation that Becky Lynch might make another appearance despite being under contract and the chance to see the four NXT wrestlers again might have contributed to drawing viewers and retaining viewers during the two hours.
The February average is up to 1.52 after a slow start with a 1.39 rating on Feb. 5 up against President Trump’s “State of the Union” address. The 2019 average is 1.51 so far, below the 1.75 average from one year ago through this week.
One year ago Smackdown drew a 1.72 rating; two years ago Smackdown drew a 1.96 rating.
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RELATED: WWE Raw Rating: Best rating since last August, but one of the two biggest drop-offs in last 52 weeks, concerning trend when women main event, more metrics
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa is going to be out of action for an extended period of time after having neck surgery, which will be performed within the next few days according to PWTorch sources. Ciampa, the current NXT Champion, was expected to work through WrestleMania weekend and take time off for surgery after that weekend, but his neck condition worsened recently and he is going to have to have the surgery now.
[SPOILER ALERT: At the last set of NXT tapings, an angle had been shot to set up Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT Takeover special during WrestleMania weekend. The pair were in the midst of an intricate long-term feud that has been a big part of NXT programming the last several years.]
All plans regarding Ciampa in NXT’s ecosystem now have to be changed as the NXT Championship will be vacated. NXT has another set of tapings set to take place before WrestleMania weekend, so the creative team will have time to adjust the card.
Ciampa had been recently called up to the main roster and wrestled on Raw and Smackdown. He was paired with Johnny Gargano as D.I.Y., but the duo did not appear on Raw or Smackdown this week.
Sources tell PWTorch that Ciampa is expected to make a complete recovery from his surgery and be back and better than ever when he returns to action. Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer originally reported Ciampa was scheduled to have neck surgery.
Radican’s Analysis:My best wishes go out to Ciampa, who has had an incredible program with Gargano that was likely going to be blown off at Takeover during WrestleMania weekend. He’s had to overcome a lot in terms of injuries in recent years, but the good news is that he’s expected to be back and better than ever once he’s able to return from neck surgery.
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
WWE HALL OF FAME REPORT – HONKY TONK MAN (Segment 1)
APRIL 6 2019
BROOKLYN, N.Y. AT BARCLAY’S CENTER
STREAMED LIVE ON WWE NETWORK
HOSTS: Corey Graves & Renee Young
-Graves and Young introduced the show from the stage. They explained the new set, with a stage and a ring in the middle of the arena. Graves joked that they had to switch stages because Hillbilly Jim was still talking at the old podium from last year’s ceremony.
-Jimmy Hart cruised to the ring like a 30 year old. He got right to it and told the story of Honky Tonk Man, whom he met in 1979. He said he was part of Wrestling’s First Family for four years, then they went their separate ways. He he went to New York City and when he was there, he was managing King Kong Bundy, Greg Valentine, and Jim Neidhart. He said he got a call from the office that they had someone else for him to manage. He said he went to Memphis to shoot some video footage with Honky Tonk Man. He said they cut the Honky Tonk Man song and two others while down there. He said then they put a rocket on him and in 1987 he beat Ricky Steamboat for the IC Title and they never looked back. He said Diamond Dallas Page drove his pink Cadillac from Tampa, Fla. to Toronto, Ontario just so he could drive HTM to the ring at WrestleMania 6. He then introduced HTM.
-Honky Tonk Man drove into the arena in a pink Cadillac. He said it’s a real honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with such a great class. He said he never thought it would happen, “and none of you out there ever thought it would, either.” Fans chanted “You deserve it!” He said they have a saying, “Never say never in WWE because you never know what’s going to happen. I am living proof of that, for sure.” (I’m not sure how many people understood why he was saying that, because he has said so many harsh things about WWE and top personnel over the years.)
He said it’s been a great ride and he’d do it all over again. He thanked Jimmy Hart. He gave a shout out to his son and daughter and his wife. He said he had a vision for this character in his mind with black hair, side burns, a greaseball type of character that might catch on somewhere and maybe give his career a boost. He said he needed a name to accompany the look. He said while driving the Gulf Coast one day, a song from the ’60s came on: “I’m a honky tonk man.” He said the words in the song described the character he was trying to create. He said he presented the gimmick to a local promoter. The promoter asked him if he could play a guitar. He admitted he couldn’t at all. “He said that will make it even better,” he said. Laughs from the crowd. He said the promoter told him to hit his opponent with the guitar. He did it, and his character was off and running. They showed Sting on the big screen. Fans cheered.
Honky said he went to Calgary and learned how to stand, what to say, how to say it, so that he could present this character. He said WWE was selling out arenas all across North America. He jumped at the chance to join WWE. He said without a certain recommendation, he likely wouldn’t have had his career. He said they’ve been friends for many years and still are today. He then revealed it was Hulk Hogan by saying, “I love you, brother.” He said WWE shined his character up and put the finishing touches on it. He sid they did something he couldn’t do with the character – they gave it life. “No promises, no guarantees, just opportunity,” he said. “They made this character a household name.” He said because of WWE, the character will never die. “This character will live forever,” he said. “That is the power of WWE.” He said it’s truly an honor to be part of such an incredible family. His music played.
Jimmy said he can’t leave until he singing his record hit song. HTM said, “Let’s make this a legendary 2019 Hall of Fame! Make some noise, put your hands together, turn the music on!” HTM sang his theme song. Heath Slater was really into it. Kane stood frozen. Travis Browne was really into it, too. They cut to New Day who were 100 percent into it, especially Big E. HTM went to ringside and circled the front row and continued singing the whole way up the ramp to the back.
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
On the latest edition of The Ross Report podcast, Jim Ross announced he will be leaving WWE when his contract expires on March 29. Ross noted on his podcast that he recently spoke to Vince McMahon and they mutually agreed to part ways. Ross also mentioned that he didn’t think he would be out of a job for long.
Late last year, Ross parted with with AXS TV where he had been announcing NJPW shows alongside Josh Barnett. Ross’s name has been linked with AEW since sources began talking about the Being the Elite crew launching their own promotion in the fall last year, but nothing is confirmed between Ross and AEW at this point.
Radican’s Analysis:Ross saying he won’t be out of word leads me to believe that there’s a good chance he will immediately make the jump to AEW when his WWE contract expires at the end of this month. It was widely believed among people I spoke to close to the situation that Ross would be leaving WWE when his contract expired at the end of March prior to his announcement today.
Ross was used sparingly by WWE during the last year. His last appearance on air with WWE was as part of the pre-show panel before the Greatest Royal Rumble special that aired on the WWE Network last April.
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
Despite their best efforts, Dragon Gate and WrestleCon could not get visas for the Dragon Gate talent to work the WrestleCon events during WrestleMania week next week. WrestleCon released a statement on the Dragon Gate talent being removed from the shows, which can be seen in the tweet below:
Official Press Release regarding Dragon Gate. pic.twitter.com/RIOSrZQuu8
— WrestleCon (@wrestlecon) March 29, 2019
Four matches have been announced for the April 4 WrestleCon: Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow event at 7 p.m. EST, which will air on iPPV on Fite TV and as part of a Highspots Wrestling Network subscription at highspotswrestlingnetwork.com. The matches announced for the WrestleCon supershow in New York include Bandido vs. Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shane Strickland, Dragon Lee vs. Barbaro Cavernario, and Masato Tanaka vs. Eddie Kingston. WrestleCon usually keeps most of their WrestleMania weekend card a mystery, but after the Dragon Gate talent was forced to pull out of the events, they decided to release several matches on the card.
-WrestleCon: USA vs. The World takes place on April 5 at 11 a.m. in New York. The show will air on iPPV on Fite TV and as part of a subscription to the Highspots Wrestling Network (highspotswrestlingnetwork.com). The matches announced for the event include Brian Cage vs. Masato Tanaka, MJF vs. Ethan Page, Sammy Guevara vs. Puma King, The Rascalz vs. Australian Suicide & Adam Brooks & Robbie Eagles, Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Emil Sitoci, David Starr vs. Daga, Rich Swann vs. Ikeman, LAX vs. The Hart Foundation (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Teddy Hart), and Black Taurus vs. Daga.
-WrestleCon is also presenting Joey Ryan’s Penis Party on April 5, at 8 p.m. EST in New York. You can watch the show on Fite TV on iPPV or on highspotswrestlingnetwork.com with a monthly subscription. The matches announced for this event include Taya Valkyrie & John Morrison vs. The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon & Fenix), David Arquette vs. Timothy Thatcher, Dan Barry vs. Bill Carr, Puma King vs. Black Taurus vs. Mr. Iguana vs. Shark Boy vs. Green Ant, Matt Striker & Chuckie T & Trent vs. Mike Babchik & Tommy Dreamer & Colt Cabana, Matt Striker & ??? vs. Mike Babchik & Tommy Dreamer, Rosemary & Allie vs. Holidead & Thunder Rosa, and Joey Ryan & Val Venis & Sexxxy Eddy vs. Session Moth Martina, Priscilla Kelly & Scarlett Bordeaux. Also announced for this event are Arez, Su Yung, Brody King, Flamita, and Tracy Smothers.
Radican’s Analysis: With WrestleCon and Dragon Gate officials working together diligently for so long to ensure the Dragon Gate talent appeared at WrestleCon, this brings about a lot of concern when it comes to companies in America using international talent going forward. It will be interesting to see what happens with AAA running in New York in September at Madison Square Garden, as the company has a presser scheduled for next week in New York to announced the show.
NEWARK, NJ — If you ask Latisha Porter-Vaughn about her experience with progressive hearing loss – which wasn’t diagnosed until she was a teenager – she’s quick to tell you that it was a journey filled with obstacles. But the Newark native was determined not to let it define who she was.
“Instead, it became a driving force behind my quest to understand and live life with purpose,” she says.
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Porter-Vaughn has been a passionate advocate for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, blazing a trail as the first African-American president of the Hearing Loss Association of America-New Jersey Chapter, and helping to improve education and employment for students as a researcher for the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes.
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She has also authored two books in the field: “How We Hear: A Useful Guide for the Hearing to Understand Hearing Loss,” and “A Story of a HearStrong Champion Persisting Against All Odds.” A third book launch is on the horizon for January.
Now, Porter-Vaughn is gearing up to capture yet another career milestone: the annual Oticon Focus on People Awards.
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The national awards program “honors advocates, hearing care professionals and everyday heroes making a real difference for people with hearing loss.” First-place winners will receive a $2,500 cash prize and a $1,000 donation to a charity of their choice.
Porter-Vaughn is one of the finalists up for an award this year in the “Hearing Loss Champion” category. Online voting is open through Dec. 8. Learn more or cast a vote here.
Watch Porter-Vaughn speak about her life experience – and why you should take a moment to vote for her – in the video below.
According to Porter-Vaughn, she hopes the award will give her a larger platform as an advocate to fight for change.
“I’ve encountered challenges and broken through a glass ceiling, but opportunities for advancement for people with hearing loss remain limited,” she urges.
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Baron Corbin vs. Wes Lee is now advertised for Tuesday's show. WWE posted to X on Monday to confirm the news.
The match was set up in an angle on last week's show when Corbin interrupted a backstage interview with Lee.
Lee returned to NXT for the first time since September 12 on night two of Halloween Havoc. He attacked Dominik Mysterio and made it clear he wants another shot at the North American title. Mysterio defeated Lee to win the championship in July.
As for Corbin, this will be his first match on WWE programming since Carmelo Hayes defeated him and Dijak in a number-one contenders match on the October 17 episode.
WWE NXT lineup for Tuesday, November 14:
NXT Tag Team titles: Chase U defends against Tony D’Angelo and StacksIron Survivor Challenge qualifier: Roxanne Perez vs. Lash LegendIron Survivor Challenge qualifier: Trick Williams vs. Joe CoffeyThe Brawling Brutes (Butch & Ridge Holland) vs. Out The Mud (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price)Supernova Sessions with guests Alpha AcademyClick Here:
