Month: July 2020

Home / Month: July 2020

The build to AJ Styles and Samoa Joe’s next WWE Championship match will continue with a contract signing on Tuesday’s SmackDown.

WWE had Paige announce the segment last night. The contract signing will be for their title match at Super Show-Down in Melbourne, Australia on October 6. The stipulation is that it’s a no disqualification, no countout match where there must be a winner.

Styles retained against Joe at Hell in a Cell earlier this month. Styles got the pin while Joe had him in the Coquina Clutch, but the storyline was that Joe should have won due to Styles submitting while the referee was counting and couldn’t see it.

Their match at SummerSlam ended in a disqualification when Styles snapped and hit Joe with a chair after Joe taunted his family.

Raw and SmackDown are both being held at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado this week. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre defending their Tag Team titles against The Revival, Brie Bella vs. Ruby Riott, and Bobby Lashley vs. Elias have been announced for Raw.

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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.)


This week’s WWE Smackdown drew almost exactly the same number of viewers as John Cena’s new “American Grit” show on Fox…

WWE Smackdown TV Ratings Tracking

April 14: Thursday’s Smackdown scored a 1.70 rating, down from a 1.75 rating last week.

Smackdown drew 2.355 million viewers, down four percent from 2.444 million viewers last week for the post-WrestleMania episode.

Smackdown’s cable TV audience was nearly identical to the season premiere of Fox’s “American Grit” hosted by John Cena, which drew a final audience of 2.35 million viewers on broadcast TV.

– DEMOGRAPHICS: Smackdown’s demo ratings were up and down compared to last week. Adults 18-49 was identical, males 18-34 was slightly down, and males 18-49 was slightly up to a four-week high.

– Overall, Smackdown continues to underperform compared to last year on Syfy, two years ago on Friday nights on Syfy, and the First Quarter of this year.

During the first quarter, Smackdown averaged a 1.77 rating and 2.481 million viewers, mainly on the strength of January episodes. Smackdown has not topped a 1.77 rating since February 4.

american gritfoxjohn cenasmackdownusa networkwwewwe ratingswwe smackdown

The North Korean authorities have reportedly reminded citizens that they could face execution if they indulge in watching South Korean television shows. 

According to Radio Free Asia, the regime has been hosting lectures in South Hwanghae province, in the west of the country near the border with South Korea, to demand that residents abstain from watching “decadent video materials of capitalism".

A source told the outlet’s Korean service that police officials began hosting lectures in the province in the new year. 

“In a recent lecture, they told us they are aware that a growing number of people are able to manipulate the frequencies [of their televisions] to watch South Korean TV programmes,” the source said.

“They said that regardless of any individual’s status, those caught in violation could be executed by firing squad. [They want to] instill fear,” the source added.

Anti-North Korea leaflets in balloons to be floated across the borderCredit:
Lee Jae-won/Reuters

The report suggests that the recent thaw between North and South Korea has emboldened North Koreans near the border to take the risk of secretly watching forbidden television shows at dawn, during times of peak electricity. 

“The authorities have been focusing on South Hwanghae because it is relatively close to the DMZ (demilitarised zone),” the source said.

“They believe that the people living in the border regions are more likely to turn into an opposition force, posing a threat to the system.”

The Telegraph could not independently verify the information, or whether the threat of execution is a scare tactic intended to control the population. However, if confirmed, it hints at growing concern among the North Korean authorities that outside information could prompt citizens to push for change. 

Activists in South Korea have long-waged campaigns to flood the North with flashdrives containing news bulletins and documentaries or to release balloons filled with money, food and fliers, in an attempt to influence the public and foster dissent. 

Smuggling and possession of such items carry stiff penalties, including the risk of a prison sentence. 

Controlling the flow of information to the Hermit Kingdom is crucial to Kim Jong-un’s ability to maintain his iron grip on power and the loyalty of his citizens, say analysts.

But unlike his father and grandfather, who created legends about their own achievements and abilities among the population, the younger Kim faces the challenge of keeping his people isolated from the global internet age to sustain the propaganda narrative about his own god-like status. 

Officially, citizens may only access the state intranet and its heavily censored content, while calls or emails to foreigners must be registered with the local authorities. 

Foreign news is highly restricted and pornography and Bibles are both considered to be “evil methods of infiltration”, used to “destabilise society.”    

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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.)


WWE World Hvt. champion Roman Reigns joined Michael Cole for the weekly storyline-driven sit-down interview on WWE’s website.

First, Reigns endorsed his latest foe, A.J. Styles, saying they have “competitive chemistry” that brought the best out of them for their two-match series at Payback and Extreme Rules.

Reigns said competing for the WWE Title also brought the best out of both of them, and their battle was a message to the locker room that if you want the title, you have to bring it at that level.

Asked if the rivalry produced a new edge to him, Reigns said he does think that Styles brought out his killer instinct. Reigns endorsed Styles’s in-ring skills and technical abilities forcing him to step up his game.

Asked if he’s ready to handle the pressure of being champion after conquering his first foe since WrestleMania, Reigns said he doesn’t feel added pressure because he wants to be “center stage.” He said he came to WWE “to be The Guy, the top guy, the King of the Mountain.

Second, Reigns discussed the former “guy,” Seth Rollins, who never lost the WWE Title. Reigns noted they came into WWE together with no names and then made names for themselves before Seth turned on him.

Cole also brought up what he described as the “greatest MITB cash-in moment” when Rollins cashed in on him (and Brock Lesnar) at WrestleMania 31. Reigns laughed at Cole’s histrionics, but noted that he’s been sitting on that moment for over one year.

Reigns said he was able to redeem some of that at this year’s WrestleMania when he became WWE champion. But, Seth has taken a lot from him. He did credit Seth for helping him grow and become the guy he is now based on that moment (playing up the hero’s journey of using obstacles in the fictional storytelling to grow as a character).

Cole noted that Seth believes he is still The Guy after injury cost him the title. Reigns noted that he doesn’t think Seth is ready for him, otherwise he would not have snuck up on him after his main event match against A.J. Styles and then ducked a fight on Raw.

The interview closed with Cole wanting to know what Reigns thinks about Seth’s accomplishment as WWE champion versus who Seth is.

Reigns said part of him wanted to puke when he heard Seth talking about carrying the company in his Raw TV return promo. But, now that he has been champion for a few months and felt the responsibility of the position, Reigns said he understands what Seth is saying, he just could have said it better to the audience (babyface response to the heel’s promo).

Reigns said he respects that Rollins was WWE champion for almost 300 days in his first title reign, while he’s been champion three times now and not come close to 300 days.

“Do I respect Seth Rollins? Yeah, I respect him. But, he doesn’t respect me. But, after what I do to him at Money in the Bank, he will,” Reigns closed the interview.

extreme rulesextreme rules 2016mitb 2016money in the bankroman reignsseth rollinswwewwe extreme ruleswwe world title

Henri d’Orléans never achieved his goal of ascending the throne of France, but the presence of Prince Albert of Monaco and other royals lent his funeral the solemn pomp of a state occasion. 

Queen Sofia of Spain, the mother of King Felipe VI, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco and a host of European aristocrats paid their respects to Henri, Count of Paris, at the Royal Chapel of Dreux on Saturday.  

Their attendance seemed to signal their assent to his claim to the now defunct French crown, but the death of the 85-year-old count has revived a bitter centuries-old succession dispute.

His son, Jean d’Orleans, is a descendant of France’s last king, Louis-Philippe, and the Duke of Orléans, the brother of Louis XIV, the Sun King. But his legitimacy is contested by the rival House of Bourbon. 

Their pretender to the throne, which was abolished in the 19th century, is Louis de Bourbon, a direct descendant of Louis XIV. Another of his ancestors is Queen Victoria.

The death of Prince Henri d'Orleans has opened up a contest for the claim to the non-existent French throneCredit:
PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP/Getty Images

Jean d’Orléans, 53, a fervent Catholic and former banker, manages a vast forest inherited from his grandmother. He claims France is “monarchist at heart” and argues that the French long for a figurehead above the political fray. He has sought to cast himself as a man of the people, expressing support for the gilets jaunes protesters.

Louis de Bourbon, 44, known as the Duke of Anjou, is a polo-playing financier with movie-star looks. He was brought up partly in Spain and dreams of a Spanish-style constitutional monarchy, but is mocked by supporters of Jean d’Orléans for his Spanish accent.

France’s most active royalist movement, Action Française, supports Jean d’Orléans, but there is also a third pretender, which further divides the small monarchist movement.

Jean-Christophe Napoléon, also known as Prince Napoléon, is the Bonapartist claimant. A descendant of Emperor Napoléon I, he works as a banker in London and tries to stay out of the heated succession battle.

Jean d’Orléans, however, remains ever hopeful of a restoration of the monarchy. In a statement released at the weekend, he said: “If the French so wish, we will renew the historic and necessary pact between the Nation and the Royal Family.”

DAILY UPDATE

The Latest News

NJPW World Tag League live results: Cobb & Elgin vs. EVIL & SANADA
NXT post-TakeOver conference call audio with Paul ‘HHH’ Levesque
NXT TV taping spoilers: Three matches taped before TakeOver
NXT TakeOver WarGames II live results: WarGames, two title matches

The Latest Audio

WOR: NXT Wargames, UFC, Dave goes to NXT in San Jose, more! 11/18
Pacific Rim Podcast: WWE Hall of Famer Madusa/Alundra Blayze 11/17

We’re doing polls on both last night’s NXT Takeover and today’s Survivor Series. You can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to [email protected].

WWE SURVIVOR SERIES FROM THE STAPLES CENTER IN LOS ANGELES WITH PRESHOW STARTING AT 5 P.M. EASTERN ON WWE NETWORK

Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair — These two have been in Southern California intently working on their match. It’s huge for both because it’s Rousey’s biggest match that was thrown at her at the last minute as opposed to with a lot of preparation. We don’t know at this point which match goes on last but this seems to have the most interest. For Flair, she’s kind of fallen in the shadow of Becky Lynch, but is also coming off the best match of her career a few weeks ago. Rousey is a whopping -530 favorite. Keep in mind that based on odds here the “smart money” isn’t in, and really that hasn’t been the case in months so these are not predictions, just guides and are often wrong. Anything can happen but this doesn’t feel like the right night to end the Rousey streak unless Lynch interferes to cause it.

Brock Lesnar vs  Daniel Bryan — This is entirely up to Lesnar. If Lesnar is up to working a great match, a great match it will be since Bryan has thought about this match for more than three years since it was originally the 2015 SummerSlam main event idea. Bryan had indicated it was a match he was very much looking forward to. It’s kind of weird since Bryan just turned heel and in this match on paper, it would figure he’d be better off as a face. A lot about this match is interesting including crowd reactions. Lesnar is a -300 favorite.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins – This is a first-time meeting and is something Rollins has greatly looked forward to. Nakamura is a -400 favorite, so I guess the belief is that Ambrose will cost Rollins the match, which does make sense. Nakamura hasn’t had a truly killer match on the main roster but there is potential here to be a show stealer.

AOP vs. Sheamus & Cesaro — AOP is a -250 favorite. This will be a big test because AOP usually does squash matches, and in a sense this is heel vs. heel and they can’t walk over The Bar. It’s a real test to see how AOP stands as well as how the crowd takes to these two teams.

Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley & Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre & Finn Balor vs. The Miz & Jeff Hardy & Rey Mysterio & Samoa Joe & Shane McMahon in elimination match — There are a lot of interesting confrontations here with Mysterio in the ring with a lot of new people, Joe in with Strowman, McIntyre and Lashley, Mysterio vs. Balor, Strowman vs. Joe and more. These type of matches are usually good. The Raw team is a -385 favorite, likely beacuse Strowman is being groomed for Lesnar and McIntyre is being protected. 

Ruby Riott & Nia Jax & Tamina & Mickie James & Natalya vs. Asuka & Naomi & Carmella & Sonya Deville & ? in elimination match — Still no word on the fifth member of the Smackdown team. Smackdown is a slight favorite at -160. If the belief is Raw is winning the two big matches on the show, the tag title and men’s elimination, then Smackdown probably has to win the close ones. Jax is really the only one to be protected in this match, since she’s facing Rousey next. But they could DQ her out if need be.  

Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali for cruiserweight title — From a technical standpoint, this should be one of the best matches on the show.  Like always, it depends on what kind of crowd is there. If it’s last night’s crowd, these two will probably kill it. If it’s a different crowd and more mainstream oriented, it may be tough for them as far as crowd response goes. But I can’t imagine it not being good and perhaps great. Murphy is now a -400 favorite.

Bobby Roode & Chad Gable & The Ascension & B Team & Revival & Lucha House Party vs. Usos & New Day & Colons & Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows & Sanity tag team elimination match — This is the preshow match. For the same reason of balancing out, Smackdown is a strong -420 favorite here. Also, the two strongest teams of the ten as far as being pushed are the Usos and New Day, and they are both on the Smackdown side. This is on the preshow, and preshow matches are historically rushed. I’d think with 20 men and a minimum of five falls and as many as nine, that this should be the longest preshow match of the year.

Raw will be Monday night from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

NEW JAPAN TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT TUESDAY IN TAKAOKA ON NEW JAPAN WORLD ON SAME DAY TAPE DELAY

Togi Makabe & Toa Henare vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb vs. Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Togi Makabe & Toa Henare

Smackdown, 205 Live and Mixed Match Challenge will be taped on Tuesday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles

NEW JAPAN TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT ON WEDNESDAY IN SHIBATA ON NEW JAPAN WORLD SAME DAY TAPE DELAY

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino
Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi vs. Baretta & Chuckie T
Evil & Sanada vs. Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi


F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Looking at the WWE-EVOLVE relationship  

The evolution of WWE’s relationships with promotions they’re friendly with continued to take shape this past weekend. Five WWE-contracted wrestlers were in action for EVOLVE last Friday and Saturday: The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford), Fabian Aichner, Kassius Ohno, and Mustafa Ali. Killian Dain made a surprise appearance for ICW in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday, defeating Mikey Whiplash after it had been advertised that Whiplash would be facing a wrestler from WWE.


WON NEWSLETTER: November 19, 2018 Observer Newsletter: Survivor Series shake up, more

One week ago, the Survivor Series was to be headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. A.J. Styles and Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch in battles of the Raw and Smackdown brand champions.

But just days before the show, two unrelated incidents saw both main events that were heavily-looked forward to change.

And in doing so, one of the key matches at WrestleMania, possibly the main event, was also established.

Right now the plan is for Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch to headline WrestleMania. After the injury to Lynch on 11/12, a fractured nose and a concussion from a punch by Nia Jax during an in-ring Raw vs. Smackdown women’s brawl, she was out of the match that, due to the promos on both sides, was the most looked-forward to match on the show.

The next day, both Vince McMahon and Rousey decided that the best course of action was to do the match at WrestleMania. Rousey and Lynch immediately went at it hard on social media, even though Rousey’s new opponent on the PPV is Charlotte Flair.


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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back both tonight and tomorrow night with Wrestling Observer Radio. We’re talking Survivor Series as well as the latest news tonight. You can send e-mail questions for the show to [email protected].

You can vote on star ratings for tonight’s show through the Kambi web site. The over-under betting has these numbers:

Rousey vs. Flair ****
Lesnar vs. Bryan ****1/4 
Rollins vs. Nakamura ****
Men’s 5 on 5 match ***3/4
Women’s 5 on 5 match **1/2
AOP vs. The Bar ***1/2
Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali ***3/4
Tag team 5 on 5 ***
        Based on these predictions, it looks like it will be a good show.     

Other star ratings odds you can bet on. These are the odds for best match:

Lesnar vs. Bryan +175
Rousey vs. Flair +175
Rollins vs. Nakamura +200
Cruiserweight title +275
Men’s tag +300
Any other match +1000
You can also get -105 odds to bet on whether Lesnar vs. Bryan or Rousey vs. Flair will be the better match.  

As far as mainstream stuff, neither Takeover nor UFC cracked 20,000 searches which is a very low number, so from a mainstream interest level neither show was there. Takeovers never do. Today’s show should do in the 500,000 to 1 million range.  This week two pro wrestling topics cracked the last as Becky Lynch had 100,000 searches on Tuesday and David Arquette had 50,000 yesterday for his match with Nick Gage.

Undertaker, who was in Los Angeles for an autograph session yesterday, flew home already according to PW Insider. 

I want to make a mention of a Go Fund Me, as we’ve mentioned this before, for former pro wrestler Jerry Grey. Grey is battling stage four colon cancer which has drained all of his savings. Grey wrestled and ran shows for decades in the Florida area primarily.  

The Coy Wire CNN Travel series had an episode in Tokyo and there are clips in there preview of Wire talking with both Harold Meij and Kenny Omega, as well as some women New Japan fans.

WWE
Mark Henry will be awarded the 2019 Iron Mike award, which is the lead award each year from the Cauliflower Alley Club at its 54th annual reunion. The reunion takes place from 4/29 to 5/1 at the Gold Coast Casino in Las Vegas.   
Sabu had very negative comments about Jim Ross after his fall yesterday. When asked to explain, he said it was over a 1988 Great American Bash show at Cobo in Detroit where he said that they gave Sheik $10,000 and his family was owed $90,000 more. Ross wasn’t running the company and a $100,000 payoff for a house show didn’t exist in that era. It doesn’t really even exist in this era.  $10,000 was unheard off for one show in 1988 unless it was a PPV show or perhaps a giant house show. I think Kevin Sullivan was the one who felt Sheik would help them draw big in Cobo and he did get a big reaction. It was a short main event with Dusty Rhodes & Sheik over Sullivan & Dick Murdoch in a cage match and Sheik used his camel clutch on Sullivan. 
MISCELLANEOUS
Toni Storm won the wXw women’s title yesterday from Melanie Gray. (thanks to Shannon Walsh)
Melbourne Championship Wrestling from last night in Melbourne: The Brat Pack b Tome & Stevie Filip (Tome turned on his brother) in a tag title match, Avary b Aria, Dowie James b Lochy Hendricks 4-3 in a 30:00 Iron Man match, Slex b Adam Brooks to win the Intercommonwealth title, Men for Hire b Helter Skelter, Gino Gambino b Jonah Rock to keep the NCW title. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Pro Wrestling League from last night in Gold Coast, Queensland: Robbie Eagles b Tim Kade, Caveman Ugg b Jade Diamond, Adonis won over Jaxon Cross, JL Gold, Rufio, Spaceman Dacey and Jesse Daniels, Mick Moretti b Xander Sullivan, Jake Nova b Rip Reilly, Street Revolution b Babes & SMS, Mick Moretti over Robbie Eagles, Caveman Ugg and Jake Nova in a ladder match to become the first Australian Pro Wrestling League champion. (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
St. Louis Anarchy Wrestling from Friday night in Alton, IL: Mighty Micah b Kenny Alfonso, Hoodie & Anaya b Nick Iggy & Kerry Awful, Larry D b Jake Garvin, Matt Kenway & Adam Caster b Buddy Shephard & Everett Connors, Jake Parnell b Chip Day, Gary Jay b Hallowicked, Anthony Gutierrez won over Logan James, Sage Phillips, Mikey McFinnegan, Steve Manders and Paco Gonzalez, ACH & Mat Fitchett & Davey Vega b Kody Lane & Zac Taylor & Ethan Price, Jake Dirden & Thomas Shire b Logan & Sterling Riegel, Jeremy Wyatt b Jonathan Gresham to keep the Gateway title. (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
Eve announced that its 2019 Wrestle Queendom show, its big event of the year, takes place on 6/30 at York Hall in London. Last year’s show set a promotion record with 900 fans and they are hoping to break that record this coming year. 
Chase Owens vs. Sigmon headline for Innovate Wrestling on 12/1 in Morristown, TN at the Tally Ward Rec Center, a regular spot for a number of regional promotions over the years.
PCW Ultra on 12/7 has announced Penta 0M vs. Shane Strickland, Tessa Blanchard vs. Delilah Doom, ACH vs. Jake Atlas, Taya Valkyie vs. Heather Monroe and they also announced a 1/18 show.
Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling from last night in East Carondelet, IL: Moondog Rover b Purple Passion, Jake Prater b Keith Smith, Gary Jackson & Billy McNeil b Curtis Wylde & Waco, PT Beckham b Kowalski-DQ, Gil Rogers b Bobby D, Ricky Cruz b Big Texan, Flash Flanagan & Ken Kasa b Superstar Steve Fender & Christopher Hargas-DQ. (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
Reality of Wrestling Ladies Night out from last night in Texas City, TX: Alex Gracia b Myka Madrid, Keira Hogan b Aerial Monroe, Ivory Robyn b Angel Blue, Taya Valkyrie b Jazz (subbing for injured Jordynne Grace), Hyan b Su Yung in a no DQ match (crazy wild match people were raving about), AQA b Kylie Rae, Ivelisse b Thunder Rosa. They announced the next all women’s show like this for 2/23. (thanks to Shannon Walsh)
Australian wrestler Lena Kross was injured in an 11/9 match with Saraya Knight. She is expected back early next year. She had to pull out of an 11/25 match against Brandi Rhodes for World Series Wrestling. Savannah Summers will replace her. That promotion had both Cody and Joey Ryan booked and both won’t be able to wrestle on the shows so they are looking at getting another international star in, but said it wouldn’t be announced until the first day of the tour.   
Truth Martini will be back on a number of Michigan indie shows including 12/7 in Royal Oak, MI where he will be getting an Ambassador Award presentation by Eddie Venom.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Team WWF vs. The Alliance


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One morning last July, Amer locked the front door of his house in the southern Syrian city of Daraa, shoved his house keys and documents into his jeans pocket, and rode off on motorcycle.

“I had no hope of survival,” he recalled. “I was leaving my country, my friends, my family, everything I was used to. So I felt like it was ending. Like everything was ending,” he told the Telegraph in an exclusive interview.

But today, the 33-year old has a new set of house keys – to a small rented flat in an East Anglian town where he is trying to rebuild his life "from zero" – and a new ID card – a blue-covered British identity document, proof of his status as refugee granted asylum in Britain.  

His journey…

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Western-backed forces said on Saturday morning that in a “very short time” they would announce the defeat of Isil.

Jiya Furat, a commander with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said that they had cornered the remaining Islamic State militants in one tiny neighbourhood of Baghouz village in eastern Deir Ezzor province, under its fire from all sides.

"Very soon bring good news to the whole world," he said in an apparent reference to an announcement about the defeat of the extremists in Syria.

There are thought to be just a few hundred Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) fighters left, most of whom foreign.

Hundreds of civilians have poured out of Baghouz in recent days but a number are thought to still be left, which is slowing down the SDF.

US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters gather as they prepare to expel hundreds of the Islamic State group (IS) jihadists from the Baghouz area in the eastern Syrian province of Deir EzzorCredit:
AFP

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, reported late Friday that a convoy of seven trucks, three ambulances and other vehicles including Humvees for the US-led coalition headed toward the Isil-held area.

The group said it believes that the aim is to draw out the remaining Isil gunmen and their families.

"The convoy is likely to come back with at least 200 Islamic State group members of different nationalities," the Observatory said, adding that it was not clear if they would agree to surrender.

Hundreds of Isil fighters have surrendered over the past weeks and were apprehended.

The battle for Deir Ezzor, which began in September, has seen some of the heaviest fighting in the four-and-half-year offensive.

Isil has been fighting hard for the last of their so-called caliphate, which once spanned an area in Iraq and Syria the size of Britain.

US President Donald Trump is expected today to announce the end of the jihadists’ caliphate.

"We have a lot of great announcements having to do with Syria and our success with the eradication of the caliphate and that will be announced over the next 24 hours," Mr Trump told journalists at the White House on Friday.

Israeli warplanes struck dozens of targets in Gaza early on Friday after rockets were fired at Tel Aviv for the first time since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. 

In the hours after the Israeli strikes, another nine rockets were fired from Gaza towards southern Israel, according to the Israeli military. 

No fatalities were reported on either side but the escalation comes after weeks of tension on the Gaza border and at a politically sensitive moment in the middle of Israel’s election. 

The incident began at around 9pm on Thursday when two rockets were fired from Gaza towards Tel Aviv, Israel’s second largest city. 

Sirens wailed and municipal bomb shelters were opened for the first time since the 2014 war. 

Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of staff Aviv Kohavi hold a security consulation in Tel Aviv, March 14Credit:
Reuters

Although the rockets fell harmlessly in open areas, any effort to strike on Tel Aviv is considered a major escalation by Israel. 

Israel said that Hamas, the Islamist militant group which controls Gaza, had fired the rockets. 

However, Hamas denied it was responsible and promised to take action against those who fired them. “The rockets tonight are against the national consensus,” the Hamas interior ministry said. 

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister and defence minister, summoned Israel’s military and security leadership to the defence ministry. 

Mr Netanyahu is trailing behind his centrist opponents in opinion polls ahead of the April 9 elections and was under intense political pressure from all sides to mount a significant retaliation. 

In the early hours of Friday morning, Israeli warplanes struck around 100 Hamas targets inside Gaza, according to the Israeli military. 

About | Hamas

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said they attacked a rocket manufacturing site, a Hamas naval post, and a centre used to plan Hamas operations in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian media said that only 27 targets had been struck.

The Hamas health ministry said four people had been injured in the strikes including a man and a woman in Rafah, a city in Gaza near the Egyptian border. 

A delegation of Egyptian security officials had been in Gaza working on efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas after weeks of heightened tensions. 

The Egyptians reportedly left Gaza immediately after the first rockets were fired, to avoid being caught up in an escalation between the two sides. 

Israel’s military said that rocket fire continued on Friday morning and that nine projectiles were fired from Gaza into southern Israel. 

Six of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system while another failed to clear the Gaza border, the IDF said.

Israel and Hamas have not fought a major war since 2014 but in the last year there have been periodic flare ups. 

In each case, a ceasefire has been brokered by Egypt and the UN but civilians on both sides live in fear of another outbreak of all-out war. 

The flare-up of Thursday and Friday drew a US statement of support for Israel. "Hamas and other terror orgs in Gaza continue to fail their people day after day & drag Gaza further & further down by constantly choosing violence," tweeted Jason Greenblatt, the White House’s Middle East envoy. "This method will never work. Ever!"

Tensions have been high for the past year along the Israel-Gaza frontier since Palestinians began violent protests near Israel’s border fence that have often drawn a lethal response from the Israeli military.

About 200 Palestinians have been killed in the demonstrations and about 60 more Palestinians have died in other incidents, including exchanges of fire across the border. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed by Palestinian fire.

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WWE has announced a Royal Rumble Axxess Meet & Greet with WWE COO Triple H & WWE CBO Stephanie McMahon for Sunday. Tickets are available now. The Sunday Meet & Greets with Drew McIntyre & WWE Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley have been pulled.
Chase Field in Phoenix will be selling a Special Royal Rumble Burger for Sunday’s Royal Rumble PPV Event, as seen below. The burger features 18 ounces of Pork Bratwurst Patty, Cheddar Cheese, Smoked Bacon, Crispy Coleslaw, Fried Onions, BBQ Aioli & A Toasted Onion Roll, topped with Fried Mac & Cheese Wedges. You can check out a photo of the burger below:

Meet the Royal Rumble Burger.
We put an 18 oz. pork bratwurst patty on a toasted onion roll.
Then we added cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, crispy coleslaw, fried onions and BBQ aioli.
And then we topped it with fried mac and cheese wedges.
Available Sunday at @WWE #RoyalRumble. pic.twitter.com/rh2o78lNXi
— Chase Field (@ChaseField) January 23, 2019

Below are the highlights from this week’s episode of NXT UK, which featured a showdown between WALTER & WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne, Travis Banks vs. Jordan Devlin in the main event and more.

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