Month: July 2020

Home / Month: July 2020

The Miz & John Morrison are getting a SmackDown Tag Team title shot when WWE returns to Saudi Arabia next month.

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E) will defend their titles against Miz & Morrison at Super ShowDown on Thursday, February 27. Miz & Morrison were set up as New Day’s challengers by defeating The Revival, The Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado), and Heavy Machinery in a fatal four-way number one contender’s match on SmackDown tonight.

After The Miz gave Scott Dawson the Skull Crushing Finale, Morrison pinned him with Starship Pain. The Revival had hit a double-team superplex/splash combo on Dorado, but Miz tagged himself in during it.

Tonight was the first time Miz & Morrison have teamed together since Morrison’s return. They’ve been feuding with New Day since Morrison came back to WWE television earlier this month.

This is the first match announced for Super ShowDown. The show is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will air live on the WWE Network starting at noon Eastern time.

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Mahabli Shera returning to Impact Wrestling

July 2, 2020 | News | No Comments

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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.

(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)


According to PWInsider, former Impact wrestler Mahabali Shera will be returning to the company soon, presumably at the upcoming television tapings in Toronto following the Rebellion PPV on April 28.

Shera wrestled for Impact from 2011-2017 before he was released from the company and signed with WWE/NXT. Shera’s last match with Impact was on Nov. 11, 2017 when he beat Caleb Konley. Shera signed with WWE on Feb. 14, 2018 and reported to the WWE Performance Center. Shera was released last fall; he never debuted on NXT TV but wrestled on several Florida house shows.

Shera originally debuted with Impact (TNA) for the King Ka King project in India in 2011.

The last prominent role for Shera on TV was in 2017, when he won the SIX Invitational Tournament during Impact’s set of television tapings in India.

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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.

(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)


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

Baron Corbin won a Fatal Four-way Elimination match to earn a Universal Championship match vs. Seth Rollins at Super Showdown.
On Raw, the announcers said that Rey Mysterio suffered a separated shoulder at the hands of Samoa Joe during their match at Money in the Bank and also said he would have to relinquish the United States Championship. Samoa Joe came out and noted that Rey “would do the right thing” next week and he would be there to take back what was always rightfully his.
Triple H said this week that Tyler Breeze is officially classified as an NXT roster member again.


•WWE Weekly Event Results

WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Salina, Kan.) 5/27/19

Event cancelled by WWE on 5/23/19 and “rescheduled” it to 10/26/2019

If you attend a live event, please send results to [email protected]. Thanks!


•WWE TV Match Results

Monday Night Raw TV Results 5/27/19

(1) Shane McMahon (w/ Drew McIntyre) beat Lance Anoa’i
(2) Becky Lynch & Nikki Cross beat The IIconics
(3) Ricochet defeated Cesaro
(4) Baron Corbin beat Braun Strowman, The Miz, and Bobby Lashley in a Fatal Four-way Elimination match to earn at Universal Championship match at Super ShowDown
– The Miz was eliminated by Baron Corbin after he was hit with an End of Days
– Lashley and Strowman were both counted out, which gave Corbin the victory
(5) Seth Rollins defeated Sami Zayn

24/7 Championship Update

R-Truth remains 24/7 Champion

Smackdown Live TV Results 5/28/19

(1) Kofi Kingston beat Kevin Owens
(2) Mandy Rose (w/ Sonya Deville) beat Carmella
(3) Bayley defeated Lacey Evans
(4) Roman Reigns & R-Truth defeated Drew McIntyre & Elias (w/ Shane McMahon)

24/7 Championship Update

R-Truth retained by pinning Drake Maverick (not entirely sure what the champion pinning a challenger means…)
Elias beat R-Truth to win the 24/7 Championship with the help of Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre
R-Truth regained the Title with the help of Roman Reigns after the main event of Smackdown

205 Live Results (Aired on WWE Network) 5/28/19

(1) Mike Kanellis beat Brian Kendrick
(2) Noam Dar defeated Mike Karma
(3) Humberto Carillo beat Jack Gallagher

WWE Main Event (Aired on Hulu and WWE Network) 5/30/19

(1) Cedric Alexander beat EC3
(2) Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins defeated Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows

Source: WKPWP Post-Raw On-Site Correspondent


•Upcoming Lineups for Stadium/PPV Events

WWE Super ShowDown on June 7 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Seth Rollins (c) vs. Baron Corbin for the Universal Championship
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship
“The Demon” Finn Balor (c) vs. Andrade for the Intercontinental Championship
Goldberg vs. The Undertaker
Triple H vs. Randy Orton
50-Man Battle Royal
Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon
Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley
Lars Sullivan vs. Lucha House Party in a Three-on-One Handicap match
50-Man Battle Royal


•Upcoming Events

Fri. 5/31/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Santa Ana Star Center, Rio Rancho N.M.
Sat. 6/1/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Extraco Events Center, Waco, Texas
Sat. 6/1/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock, Texas
Sun. 6/2/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Reed Arena, College Station, Texas
Sun. 6/2/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Foster Communications Coliseum, San Angelo, Texas
Mon. 6/3/19 WWE Raw, Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Mon. 6/3/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Tue. 6/4/19 WWE Smackdown, Sames Auto Arena, Laredo, Texas
Fri. 6/7/19 WWE Super Showdown, King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Sun. 6/9/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Save Mart Center, Fresno, Calif.
Sun. 6/9/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Stockton Arena, Stockton, Calif.
Mon. 6/10/19 WWE Raw, SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
Mon. 6/10/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nev.
Tue. 6/11/19 WWE Smackdown, Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, Calif.
Fri. 6/14/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Sat. 6/15/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Pepsi Center, Denver, Colo.
Sat. 6/15/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.
Sun. 6/16/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Maverik Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sun. 6/16/19 WWE Live Event, Raw Roster, Pechanga Arena, San Diego, Calif.
Mon. 6/17/19 WWE Raw, Staples Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
Mon. 6/17/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, Calif.
Tue. 6/18/19 WWE Smackdown, Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, Calif.
Fri. 6/21/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Adams Center, Missoula, Mont.
Sat. 6/22/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Spokane Arena, Spokane, Wash.
Sun. 6/23/19 WWE Stomping Grounds, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, Wash.
Mon. 6/24/19 WWE Raw, Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett, Wash.
Mon. 6/24/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Toyota Center, Kennewick, Wash.
Tue. 6/25/19 WWE Smackdown, Moda Center, Portland, Ore.
Thur. 6/27/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore
Fri. 6/28/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Ryogoku Arena, Tokyo, Japan
Sat. 6/29/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Mississippi St. Fair Coliseum, Jackson, Miss
Sat. 6/29/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Ryogoku Arena, Tokyo, Japan
Sun. 6/30/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Monroe Civic Center, Monroe, La.
Mon. 7/1/19 WWE Raw, American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Tue. 7/2/19 WWE Smackdown, AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Sat. 7/6/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Sat. 7/6/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Adirondack Bank Center, Utica, N.Y.
Sun. 7/7/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Sun. 7/7/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, N.Y.
Mon. 7/8/19 WWE Raw, Prudential Center, Newark , N.J.
Mon. 7/8/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Cool Insuring Arena, Glens Falls, N.Y.
Tue. 7/9/19 WWE Smackdown, SNHU Arena, Manchester, N.H.
Fri. 7/12/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, Maine
Sat. 7/13/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, VSU Multipurpose Center, Petersburg, Va.
Sat. 7/13/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Massmutual Center, Springfield, Mass.
Sun. 7/14/19 WWE Extreme Rules, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
Mon. 7/15/19 WWE Raw, NYCB Live, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.
Mon. 7/15/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, The Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Tue. 7/16/19 WWE Smackdown, DCU Center, Worcester, Mass.


•Latest TV Highlights

Monday Night Raw

Sami Zayn was out for the first Electric Chair segment which is an opportunity for fans to ask a wrestler anything they want and they must answer. Sami came out and sat in the electric chair (yes, the chair looked like a very old electric chair used to put people to death) and started answering questions. First, a man asked him when he was going to retire and Zayn responded by asking if his parents were related. Next, a little girl asked him if he missed the Ginger Snaps (he and Becky Lynch’s short lived Mixed Match Challenge team). Sami responded first by scolding her parents then he asked the little girl if she meant Becky or Seth before a sly wink poking fun at their relationship. After a couple more questions, Sami scolded the crowd saying they could’ve asked him about anything “You could have asked me about AEW!” He then mockingly gasped while some fans broke out in a quick AEW chant while Corey Graves talked over him. Seth would quickly come out for their match together and Seth threw the chair out of the ring as Renee Young lamented the fact that the chair only made it through one show before being destroyed.
WWE teased that Lesnar would be making his Money in the Bank contract announcement on Raw this week, but that did not happen. Kofi Kingston and Seth Rollins both came out to hear Lesnar’s announcement. Brock came out carrying the briefcase like a boom box again, with fake speakers put on the briefcase itself. He danced around for a moment, pointed at Kofi and Kofi’s music started to play, then he pointed at Seth and his music began playing. Seth was not amused and decided he was done and walked off. Heyman then said that they were going to make the announcement, but Seth ruined “their Brock party” then he and Lesnar left the ring. Later in the night, Brock and Heyman were back out to “make their announcement” (spoiler: it didn’t happen again). Seth came out immediately after Brock and Heyman. Seth tried getting Lesnar to cash in the contract immediately. Heyman began reading the contract before Brock stopped him and asked if he seriously had a full year to cash in. Lesnar then slapped Heyman with the MITB contract as Heyman asked him how he didn’t know that. Lesnar grabbed the mic and said he has a whole year to make a decision. “Seth Rollins, screw you” Lesnar said before dropping the mic and leaving the ring.
Baron Corbin wins a very strange Fatal Four-way Elimination match to earn a title shot against Seth Rollins at Super Showdown (in Saudi Arabia by the way). The match was advertised as an elimination match between Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, The Miz, and A.J. Styles before Raw, but early into Raw the announcers told the audience that A.J. Styles wasn’t able to wrestle, so Baron Corbin was replacing him. In the match, the four were all in the ring for a long time before Corbin eventually pinned The Miz after an End of Days. Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley were then simultaneously counted out, which left Corbin as the winner.

Smackdown Live

It was Shane McMahon appreciation night here on Smackdown. At the top of the second hour, Shane, Drew McIntyre, and Elias all came down to the ring. Shane said he doesn’t do what he does for trophies (while pointing to the Best in the World Trophy) adulation, or celebration. He threw to a video package of his career highlights and while the fans booed and Corey Graves celebrated the video, Shane thanked Kevin Dunn and the production team. He then turned his focus to Roman Reigns and their match at Super Showdown. Elias then began to sing Shane a song when R-Truth ran into the ring while being chased by Drake Maverick. After Truth pinned Maverick, Shane and McIntyre beat up R-Truth, then Elias scored a three count to become the new 24/7 Championship. Shane then announced the 24/7 Championship rule was being suspended until after the main event which would be Mcintyre & Elias vs. R-Truth and Roman Reigns. Reigns would pin Elias to win the main event with a spear. Shane and McIntyre retreated to the stage leaving Elias alone. Roman came to the realization that the 24/7 Rule was again in effect since the main event match was over, he speared Elias again and encouraged R-Truth to pin him to win back his title, which he did.
Smackdown opened this week with Kevin Owens walking to the ring. A video package aired of Owens turning on Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods before they joined Owens back live in the ring as he sat on the top turnbuckle. Owens very emphatically proclaimed he did not attack Big E last week like Kofi’s accusing him of doing. Owens then said Ziggler doesn’t need to thank him for weakening Kofi ahead of Super Showdown for him, he can thank him with a title shot. Kofi interrupted saying everyone knows he attacked Big E (no, we actually don’t know…). Finally, the match began and after a lengthy television match, Kofi picked up the hard fought win with the Trouble in Paradise as Ziggler was seen in the back watching and prepping for their match at Super Showdown.


•Listen to the latest Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-Show – Smackdown Post-Show

PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by Rich Fann from the PWTorch Dailycast’s “Deep Dive” to review Smackdown with live callers, talk to on-site correspondents from Tulsa, Okla., and answering mailbag questions on Roman Reigns, Shane McMahon, Kevin Owens, Kofi Kingston, Charlotte, Lacey, 24/7 Title, Supercard hype, and more. Then they discuss Rich’s weekend in Las Vegas with thoughts on the in-person experience at Starrcast II and AEW Double or Nothing.

-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “Wade Keller” on your podcast app of choice


•WWE Social Media Highlights

Some wrestlers slyly managed to mention AEW’s Double or Nothing PPV on Saturday. Love how outspoken some of these guys are getting.

I hope everyone enjoys [REDACTED] today. I genuinely wish the best for all involved in [REDACTED]!

— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) May 25, 2019

I am happy for pro wrestling ❤️

— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) May 25, 2019

I LOVE WRESTLING

— $asha Banks (@SashaBanksWWE) May 26, 2019

I love awesome Kong ahhhhh

— $asha Banks (@SashaBanksWWE) May 26, 2019

Here’s a sad mid-card Twitter feud for you…

You better sit your ass down. https://t.co/DNIM4hIzTl

— Dean Muhtadi (@MojoRawleyWWE) May 25, 2019

Shouldn't you be talking to yourself in the mirror realm or something? https://t.co/TccfiG5IpM

— Cedric Alexander (@CedricAlexander) May 25, 2019

Careful little buddy. Guys on my show are over 205lbs…well…I guess you always were too.

Anyways, earn your first win on Raw then come holler at me. I’ll be happy to show you who you really are. https://t.co/mCG9zXp09o

— Dean Muhtadi (@MojoRawleyWWE) May 25, 2019

Here is the obligatory Becky Lynch update:

I want to see wrestling win this. Even if your favorite didn't win, or the outcome wasn't what you wanted, I want wrestling to win against all odds, against all superpowers & mostly because I want Ronnie to win an award for the thing she hates the most.https://t.co/33J8FiXnX8

— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) May 25, 2019

Over the weekend the Toughest SOB in WWE and Stone Cold had a closed-door match—and like Rocky and Apollo Creed the outcome of me winning will never be known. pic.twitter.com/rHkHLQGMlT

— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) May 25, 2019

Six hours! Or as WWE likes to call it, a short PPV https://t.co/sjwsNmUr3x

— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) May 27, 2019

pic.twitter.com/Rx5ojIEJDA

— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) May 27, 2019

YOU need eyes in the back of YOUR head? Yeah…right pic.twitter.com/uIppCKyxM3

— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) May 28, 2019

I attacked you back then because I knew that five years later you would post a landscape video in portrait on Twitter. I should have hit you harder.

— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) May 28, 2019

Bray Wyatt and Big E are going to have a sleepover at the Firefly FunHouse? Yep, I’d watch that.

pic.twitter.com/gCrdYP8SlJ

— Austin Creed (@XavierWoodsPhD) May 29, 2019

pic.twitter.com/oJMNWmHjlQ

— KOFI (@TrueKofi) May 29, 2019

Let @LukeHarperWWE shine and we’ll call it even. https://t.co/ifvLFBPsyz

— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) May 29, 2019

Be careful what you ask for

I’ll see ya around amigo

Keep up the fantastic work!

— Bray Wyatt (@WWEBrayWyatt) May 29, 2019

Bless you, friend.

P.S. I’d like to see a sex scandal involving the witch and the buzzard next episode.

— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) May 29, 2019

Yikes!!

Are you saying you wanna have a slumber party at the FunHouse???

Say no more let’s do it!!!!! pic.twitter.com/9bmnBNaPHq

— Bray Wyatt (@WWEBrayWyatt) May 29, 2019

Drake Maverick and R-Truth are still trying to get the 24/7 Championship over on Twitter

#RunTruthRun #DanceBreak #SDLive #wwe pic.twitter.com/eyA7UH3dXS

— WWE R-Truth (@RonKillings) May 25, 2019

Went into the heart of the @BOKCenter to get help from the @WWEUniverse

Run @RonKillings Run!!#WWE @WWE #Maverick247 #SDLive pic.twitter.com/oKRQmWKnEP

— Maverick 24:7 (@WWEMaverick) May 28, 2019

LAUNDRY ROOM??

I was RIGHT THERE!!!#WWE @WWE #Maverick247 #SDLive

— Maverick 24:7 (@WWEMaverick) May 29, 2019

Ok… Done. @IAmEliasWWE #WWE @WWE #SDLive #Maverick247 pic.twitter.com/vQzylqbRes

— Maverick 24:7 (@WWEMaverick) May 29, 2019

WASTE OF PAPER.

As you were… @RonKillings #WWE @WWE #Maverick247 #SDLive pic.twitter.com/SWsL5Lszen

— Maverick 24:7 (@WWEMaverick) May 29, 2019

Any time. Any place. Anywhere!!!#Maverick247 https://t.co/dcDd0MYQC8

— Maverick 24:7 (@WWEMaverick) May 29, 2019

You pile of garbage!!!

WHAT GATE ARE YOU AT???#WWE @WWE #Maverick247 https://t.co/CcEHONjsNU

— Maverick 24:7 (@WWEMaverick) May 29, 2019

Business just picked up @RonKillings #WWE @WWE #Maverick247 pic.twitter.com/36YOH0CM4K

— Maverick 24:7 (@WWEMaverick) May 29, 2019

Why did you pin me @RonKillings ?

Why did @WWERomanReigns help you after I’d printed all of those new @IAmEliasWWE flyers? WHY!?

I will find you…#WWE @WWE #Maverick247 #247Titke #RunTruthRun pic.twitter.com/7Hf3Lu2NNn

— Maverick 24:7 (@WWEMaverick) May 30, 2019


•Closing Commentary

– I feel like I’m pretty critical of WWE in my closing commentary sections most weeks so I wanted to start with some positives from this week. For the record, I will never apologize for being critical, I’m critical because I care and I want WWE to be as successful as possible, but man it’s hard to be positive at times. So, with ratings in the toilet again this week, let’s look at the few things WWE did well! First, I thought we saw some good wrestling matches. Ricochet and Cesaro had a very good match on Raw, Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn also had a pretty good match on Raw. Even though it was a Money in the Bank rematch I thought the Kevin Owens vs. Kofi Kingston match was also a good match to open Smackdown. None of these matches are worthy of someone going out of their way to see, but if you DVR the show, or see the highlights on YouTube, I wouldn’t skip over these three matches if you do want to watch the good stuff from WWE TV this week.

I also really liked Roman helping R-Truth win the 24/7 Championship back. R-Truth was screwed by Shane, Drew McIntyre, and Elias earlier in the night, so when Roman and R-Truth won in the main event, I like seeing Roman help a fellow baby face in R-Truth. Roman righted a wrong while simultaneously messing with his heel opponent, that’s what a baby face should do! Baby faces should work together and be willing to help each other out if possible and, when presented with an opportunity to do so, Roman did just that and helped right that wrong. I know it’s minor, but I really did like that and if Roman keeps doing those little things, I think it will go a long way. They need to keep it up though! Have Roman come intervene if Finn Balor is getting beat up, even if it doesn’t pertain to Roman. You want him to be the top baby face in WWE? Make him more relatable to fans and have him do things to help other baby faces in need, not being so self-centered. Honestly, it may be too late for this, people may see right through it and boo him anyway, but having him be the standup guy who’s selfless and relatable will be much better than the guy too cool to be there who’s playing a wrestler on television.

The third thing I liked this week was Drake Maverick and R-Truth on Twitter. WWE doesn’t get credit for this in my opinion, Truth and Maverick do. They have won me over with the 24/7 Championship gimmick. I think the gimmick is great if it’s in its own little universe. There are still some things I really hate about it, which I’ve already written about, but Maverick and Truth on Twitter are doing more to put this championship over than WWE. In the Social Media Highlights above, I’ve posted their interactions from Twitter, but I just wanted to reiterate here how much I’ve enjoyed their interactions.

– So, even with the positives listed above, there are some serious negatives still in WWE. I just want to quickly touch on the different things I found to be the biggest issues with Raw this week rather than going in depth on any of these topics. First was just the lackluster start to Raw. I’m sure a majority of the wrestling community was anxious to see how WWE would respond to AEW’s Double or Nothing PPV on Saturday night, and WWE “responded” at the start of Raw with another bait and switch of Brock Lesnar cashing in his MITB contract, a super weird Dolph Ziggler beat down of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. I found that beat down to be super awkward because of the two commercial breaks put in during it and how strangely they transitioned to commercial then back out of commercial. Then, following the Dolph/Kofi angle, we had a Shane McMahon match. Yes, the first match on Raw, which didn’t start until after 8:50 PM Eastern Time, was Shane McMahon vs. an enhancement talent named Lance Anoa’I, who is related to Roman Reigns. That is a HORRIBLE open to Raw and the ratings reflect that.

Raw also featured another ridiculously bad segment called the Electric Chair with Sami Zayn where he was asked some questions from the audience and apparently he was supposed to answer them truthfully, but he never really did, he just insulted fans for how bad their questions were. I think this is Vince’s idea of being edgy, but it wasn’t at all. Calling it the Electric Chair is silly, having Sami sit in something resembling a legitimate electric chair was kind of distasteful to me considering people were put to death in electric chairs and Sami wasn’t being put to death, he was answering some silly fan questions. There’s also the symbolism of WWE putting the wrestler of Syrian heritage in a device that was used to kill people less than two weeks before going to Saudi Arabia, a country Sami isn’t allowed to go to due to his Syrian heritage, but we’ll just ignore all that symbolism because, while it is present, it’s not relevant to my point of this segment being awful. So, the questions from the audience were pretty lame, Sami didn’t bother answering them, he just insulted fans, and then, since he didn’t get a question about AEW like he must have thought he would, he slips it into his promo as he scolds fans for their bad questions. Him mentioning AEW lead to a spike in Google searches for AEW! WWE LITERALLY SENT PEOPLE TO SEARCH OUT THEIR COMPETITION! I’m just stunned by how bad this whole thing was.

– I would like to point out just how illuminated the Jon Moxley (F.K.A. Dean Ambrose) interview with Chris Jericho is. It’s truly an eye opening experience to listen to him explain what frustrated him in WWE and when he decided he wasn’t going to resign with them. I would say most of the things he discusses are more so reaffirming what people already think about Vince McMahon and the backstage environment, but listening to his stories was fascinating. You can listen to the podcast HERE or you can check out Sean Radican’s summary of the podcast including key quotes from Moxley HERE.


NOW CHECK OUT OTHER WEEKLY OVERVIEWS HERE.

OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S WWE OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – WWE (thru 5/22): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more

Independent wrestler Chris Dickinson is coming to MLW this April.

MLW announced today that Dickinson will make his debut for the promotion when they return to the Chicago area for their Intimidation Games television tapings. The tapings are taking place at Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, April 18.

MLW hyped up Dickinson while announcing his debut:

Chris Dickinson is tough as nails. A Staten Island roughneck known for crushing wrestlers on their heads with a variety of suplexes, Dickinson talks a big game and backs it up in the ring.

A powerhouse wrestler, Dickinson is a tank in the ring known for taking his opponent’s best yet continuing to march forward and unleash destruction. 

Bullying adversaries by imposing his strength, Dickinson is a challenge to many for his ability to quickly transition from power moves to technical wrestling only to overwhelm an opponent with a blitz of brawling. A hybrid wrestler of sorts, Dickinson is the master of the Pazuzu Bomb — a spectacular version of the Awesome Bomb into the turnbuckles. 

Promising a “one man chi-town rumble” on April 18, the punishing powerhouse Chris Dickinson now sets his sights on Major League Wrestling.

Debuting for MLW is part of what is a big month of April for Dickinson. He’s facing Minoru Suzuki at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport III on Thursday, April 2 and Shingo Takagi at Pro Wrestling Revolver’s Pancakes & Piledrivers IV on Saturday, April 4. Both of those shows are taking place in Tampa, Florida during WrestleMania week.

Read More

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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.

(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)


AEW officially announced today it will premiere on TNT with a new Wednesday night, two hour weekly series on Oct. 2, 2019. The following is their press release…


 TNT Premieres All Elite Wrestling’s 

Live Weekly Matches on Wednesdays Beginning October 2 

Watch the Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dm7VOhNQK8 

July 24, 2019 – WarnerMedia announced today that the new professional wrestling league All Elite Wrestling (AEW) will begin airing its two-hour weekly matches on TNT on Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET. The highly-anticipated, action-packed matches will take place in different cities across the nation each week on Wednesdays, starting in Washington, D.C., at the famed Capital One Arena. Ticket pricing and on-sale date for the televised live event will be announced on Monday, July 29, at 12 p.m. ET via AEW’s social media platforms. 

AEW features a world-class roster of diverse male and female wrestlers, giving fans a new wrestling experience for the first time in 20 years. Founded by President and CEO Tony Khan, AEW is headlined by Cody & Brandi Rhodes, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), Kenny Omega, Hangman Adam Page, Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley. The roster is also filled with incredibly skilled competitors including Nyla Rose, Awesome Kong, Dustin Rhodes, Jungle Boy, Dr. Britt Baker, MJF and SCU. In addition to being in-ring talent, Cody, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega also serve as EVPs with Brandi Rhodes serving as Chief Brand Officer. Renowned commentator Jim Ross has also joined the league. 

Focused on fast-paced, high-impact competitions, AEW offers fans more athleticism along with real sports analytics. Wrestlers are also given freedom to explore their characters and highlight their athletic abilities. Introducing statistics to wrestling for the first time ever, AEW will raise the stakes for its matches and deepen fan engagement by tracking each competitor’s wins and losses as wrestlers pursue championships. Their moves and damage to their opponents will also be analyzed on-air to provide insights into their winning streaks. 

WarnerMedia has been offering fans exclusive access to AEW’s previous matches that kicked off in May. Their extremely popular events DOUBLE OR NOTHING, FYTER FEST and FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN were all streamed on B/R Live. The highly anticipated ALL OUT event in Chicago on Saturday, Aug. 31, will also stream on the platform. B/R Live’s high fan engagement provides an invaluable opportunity to build AEW’s audience and maximize its viewership. 

About TNT 

TNT, a WarnerMedia Entertainment brand, is basic cable’s #1 network in primetime among young adults and is home to some of television’s most popular slate of original series, including The Alienist, Animal Kingdom, Claws, I Am the Night and the upcoming sequel The Alienist: The Angel of Darkness. TNT’s forthcoming, premium unscripted series include Shaq Life and the live, multiplatform event Chasing the Cure. TNT also presents popular shows such as Bones and Castle; primetime specials and sports coverage, including the NBA and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships and the forthcoming, professional wrestling league All Elite Wrestling (AEW). 

Website: www.tntdrama.com 

About WarnerMedia 

WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. 

Warner Media is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). 

About All Elite Wrestling 

AEW is a new professional wrestling promotion headlined by members of The Elite (Cody and Brandi Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page) and Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley. For the first time in many years, AEW is offering an alternative to mainstream wrestling, with a growing roster of world-class male and female wrestlers who are poised to bring new spirit, freshness and energy to the industry. The inaugural event under the AEW banner was DOUBLE OR NOTHING on May 25 in Las Vegas, followed by FYTER FEST on June 29 in Daytona Beach, FIGHT FOR THE FALLEN on July 13 in Jacksonville, and ALL OUT on August 31 in Chicago. For more info, check out @AEWrestling (Twitter), @AllEliteWrestling (Instagram), /AllEliteWrestling (FB), AllEliteWrestling (YouTube), and additionally, AllEliteWrestling.com. 

Samoa Joe has been suspended for 30 days for a violation of WWE’s wellness policy.

WWE announced the news via a statement today: “WWE has suspended Nuufolau Seanoa (Samoa Joe) for 30 days effective Monday, February 24, for his first violation of the company’s talent wellness policy.”

Joe is currently out of action after suffering a concussion during a commercial shoot for WWE earlier this month. Prior to that, Joe had returned to the ring after also suffering a concussion while teaming with Kevin Owens against Seth Rollins & Murphy on the January 27 episode of Raw.

Joe is the fourth wrestler to be suspended by WWE for a wellness policy violation in recent months. Robert Roode and Primo Colon were given 30-day suspensions in December, while United States Champion Andrade was suspended for 30 days on January 28.

Andrade will return to the ring as part of the Tuwaiq Trophy gauntlet match at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia this Thursday. The match will also feature AJ Styles, Bobby Lashley, Erick Rowan, R-Truth, and Rey Mysterio.

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Overnight ratings are in for last night’s SmackDown on FOX. The go-home show for Elimination Chamber was down nearly 10 percent in total viewers, averaging 2.453 million viewers.

Hour one averaged a strong 2.579 million viewers, but the show dropped off 10 percent for the second hour, which averaged 2.326 million. That portion of the show was mainly the tag team gauntlet match that featured the teams that will be competing in the SmackDown Tag Team title Elimination Chamber match on Sunday.

Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode won the gauntlet match and will be the final team to enter the Elimination Chamber in Sunday’s title match.

SmackDown did a 0.7 in the 18-49 demo, tied for its lowest number of 2020. It averaged a 0.4 rating in 18-34, matching the lowest number in that category since the move to FOX in October. 

SmackDown tied with several other shows for the top rank in 18-34 but trailed ABC’s Shark Tank in 18-49, which did a 0.8. 

In terms of total viewers, SmackDown was well behind every other show on the major networks. 

Here’s a look at the SmackDown ratings and viewership numbers so far in 2020:

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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.

(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)


The “season premiere” of WWE Monday Night Raw on USA Network drew a 1.78 rating, a leap from the previous several weeks ratings including last week’s 1.69 and the prior week’s 1.64. One year ago this week, Raw drew a 1.63 rating, so this was the second week in a row this year’s rating beating the previous year’s rating. This was the best rating since the 1.79 on Aug. 26.

The first hour drew 2.701 million viewers, the second hour 2.592 million viewers, and the third hour 2.416 million viewers. It was the highest third hour viewership since Aug. 19 It was also the best first-hour viewership since Aug. Aug. 12.

Raw’s three hours finished in the usual positions of no. 4, 5, and 6 in the key 18-49 demographic rankings among other Monday night cable shows, behind the NFL game on ESPN (Bengals vs. Steelers, which drew a 3.5 demo rating), the pre-show on ESPN (1.7), and the post-show on ESPN (1.0). Raw drew 0.9 demo rating for the first two hours and a 0.8 demo rating for the third hour. Raw edged out “90 Day Fiancé” on TLC which drew a 0.7 rating.

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RECOMMENDED: NXT Rating: Fewer viewers tune in for week two on USA Network, how did it compare to TNT’s movie airing opposite in AEW’s future timeslot

The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles has now been officially announced for WrestleMania 36.

WWE had advertised that Undertaker and Styles would take part in a contract signing for their WrestleMania match on tonight’s Raw, but the contract wasn’t there when Undertaker came out and Styles didn’t come down to the ring. Instead, Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson appeared on the video screen from backstage.

Styles had the contract in his hand and cut a promo on The Undertaker, calling him over the hill and blaming Michelle McCool for Undertaker still wrestling. Styles said he would pay for Undertaker’s assisted living costs after their match.

Styles signed the contract and made Gallows and Anderson bring it to the ring. Gallows and Anderson placed it into the ring and went to back away, but the lights went out and Undertaker appeared behind them when they came back on. He attacked them, signed the contract, and shoved the piece of paper into Anderson’s mouth.

Undertaker then stared down Styles on the video screen as he headed to the back.

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WrestleMania 36 has been moved from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

“In coordination with local partners and government officials, WrestleMania and all related events in Tampa Bay will not take place,” WWE announced. “However, WrestleMania will still stream live on Sunday, April 5 at 7 pm ET on WWE Network and be available on pay-per-view. Only essential personnel will be on the closed set at WWE’s training facility in Orlando, Florida to produce WrestleMania.”

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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.

(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)


The following article is part of our Weekly Overview Series to 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

Marty Scurll, per Dave Meltzer on WOR, Scurll is a free agent. He will allegedly be making an appearance for an unnamed company, not ROH or NWA. He is signed to the January ROH show in Atlanta and Hard Times in late January.
Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll, PCO, and Brody King) will defend the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championships against Rush, Dragon Lee, and Kenny King. The match will take place at Honor Reigns Supreme.


•Live Event Results

There were no live events this week.


•Upcoming Major Show(s)

ROH Honor Reigns Supreme
1/12/19 @ 7:30pm
Cabarrus Arena – Concord, NC

Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll, PCO, and Brody King) (c) vs. La Faccion Ingobernable (Rush, Dragon Lee, and Kenny King) for the ROH World Six-Man Tag-Team Championships.


•Upcoming Events

ROH Saturday at Center Stage (Honor Club Event) in Atlanta, GA at Center Stage
ROH Honor Reigns Supreme (Honor Club Event) in Concord, NC at Cabarrus Arena
ROH on Tour in Nashville, TN – 2/28/20
ROH on Tour in Saint Charles, MO – 2/29/20
ROH on Tour in Dallas, TX – 6/5/20
ROH on Tour in San Antonio, TX – 6/6/20

All current live events are located on rohwrestling.com.


•Latest TV Highlights: 12/22/19 ROH Wrestling

ROH TV Results
December 22nd, 2019
Airing on Sinclair Networks and rohwrestling.com

This week was all about the best of ROH in 2019. The matches highlighted were as follows:

Shane Taylor vs. Bandido from the Best in the World PPV.
Highlights of Jay Lethal and Matt Taven’s 60 minute draw at the 17th Anniversary PPV.
Marty Scurll, PCO, Brody King, and Flip Gordon vs. Barbaro Cavernario, Hechicero, Okumura and Rey Bucanero from the Global Wars tour.
Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Rush and Dragon from episode 410 of ROH TV.

Check out the full detailed recap by Jason Powell at prowrestling.net.


•ROH in the Media

Episode 4 of the PWTorch VIP podcast Podcast of Honor is up!

Ryan Sullivan and I recap the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2019. I also give an ultimatum to ROH management about the Women of Honor division, as well as my rankings of all nine Star Wars movies.

Find it HERE.


•Social Media Scene

Other matches announced for Honor Reigns Supreme.

SIGNED FOR JAN. 12 IN CONCORD, NC!@rey_horus vs. @_AndrewEverett@TheFlipGordon vs. @flamita_dtu

Don’t miss the best pro wrestling on the planet! Get your tickets today: https://t.co/D9ROLjwVIM

Streaming LIVE for #HonorClubhttps://t.co/vS7fcMBTTh or download the #ROHApp pic.twitter.com/AuTpy7xzDt

— ROH Wrestling (@ringofhonor) December 26, 2019

A good piece of advice from Kenny.

Pro tip: Start making your 2020 changes TODAY. Don’t wait for the 1st

— Kenny King (@KennyKingPb2) December 26, 2019

#newTK?

Took a step,
Lost a bet.
They cut out my tongue now I’m full of regret.

Be careful what you say if they ain’t gonna listen anyway.#elamericano pic.twitter.com/CB9c5hKlZE

— Man With No Country (@WildHorseTKO) December 26, 2019


•Closing Commentary

ROH in 2019 has been a roller coaster ride, to say the least. It feels like the promotion has lost about 75% of their once vibrant and passionate fan base. Will ROH make the necessary moves in 2020 to gain a portion of that audience back? Will they try to make new fans who will undoubtedly become disillusioned with WWE programming?

Will WWE buy the company in 2020 for the tape library and to use ROH as a proving ground for talent a la NXT a few years ago?

Will Sinclair decide to stop losing money on a wrestling company and shut ROH down?

One or none of these things could happen in 2020, but one thing that is for sure: ROH will be a rollercoaster for the foreseeable future.


Tyler has been a wrestling fan for 20 years. He’s from Columbus, Ohio. His Twitter account is @ringoftyler and he hosts a podcast over at @tandbwrestling.


NOW CHECK OUT OTHER WEEKLY OVERVIEWS HERE.

OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S WWE OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – ROH (thru 12/18): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more

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