Brazil is still no.1 volleyball country in the FIVB World Ranking. Russia remain second. Serbia and Cuba have both moved up one place in the men’s FIVB World Rankings to No.3 and No.4.
The changes come after the reduction of percentage points in continental championships (100 per cent to 50 per cent) and from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (75 per cent to 50 per cent).
Brazil and Russia remain on top of the men’s rankings following the changes but despite their gold medal win at the Olympic Games, the reduction in weighting means USA slip to No.5 from No.3 while Germany move to No.9 from No.10 at the expense of close rivals Poland. Further down the table the Czech Republic celebrated the biggest jump in the rankings, rising six places from No. 23 to No. 17 while Spain moved up four places to No. 20 from No. 24 with both teams benefitting from their 2010 FIVB Men’s World Championship outings in Italy last September and October.
The winners from two matches that are scheduled for tonight’s Dynamite will face each other next week in a number one contender’s match for the AEW World title.
PAC vs. Darby Allin and Jon Moxley vs. Sammy Guevara have already been announced for tonight. AEW’s social media today added a new stipulation to those matches. The winners of both matches will face one another next week on the Jericho’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Cruise edition of Dynamite. The winner of that match will become the one contender to the AEW World title.
Moxley and Jericho have had plenty of interactions with one another in the last few weeks. Jericho offered Moxley 49% ownership of the Inner Circle as well as a Ford GT if he were to join the Inner Circle. Last week, it appeared that Moxley had accepted the offer, but then told Jericho he was just kidding. He instead laid out Jericho and took the car keys.
The Bash at the Beach edition of AEW Dynamite will take place tonight at the Watsco Center in Miami, Florida.
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
A.J. Styles announced on Twitter that he has signed a new contract with WWE.
Kurt Angle announced his retirement match at WrestleMania will be against Baron Corbin, Braun Strowman became the first person to declare entry in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and Rey Mysterio announced that he is taking on Samoa Joe at WrestleMania for the United States Championship
WWE announced that Sue Aitchison, a 30+ year WWE employee, is this year’s recipient of the Warrior Award and the latest member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
•WWE Weekly Event Results
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) 3/15/19
(1) Drew McIntyre beat Dean Ambrose
(2) Natalya beat Tamina
(3) The Ascension defeated Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins
(4) Lucha House Party beat Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers
(5) The Revival (c) defeated Chad Gable & Bobby Roode to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(6) Bobby Lashley (c) beat Apollo Crews & EC3 in a Triple Threat match to retain the Intercontinental Championship when he pinned EC3
(7) Sasha Banks & Bayley defeated The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan) to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
(8) Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a No Disqualification match
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Dubuque, Iowa) 3/16/19
(1) Samoa Joe (c) beat R-Truth (w/ Carmella) to retain the United States Championship
(2) Jeff Hardy beat Andrade
(3) Nikki Cross defeated Sonya Deville
(4) Carmella & Nikki Cross beat Sonya Deville & Lacey Evans
(5) Rowan defeated Mustafa Ali
(6) Becky Lynch beat Charlotte
(7) The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) beat Sanity (Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe w/ Killian Dane)
(8) Asuka (c) beat Mandy Rose to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship
(9) Randy Orton defeated A.J. Styles
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Milwaukee, Wis.) 3/16/19
(1) Ronda Rousey (c) beat Dana Brooke to retain the Raw Women’s Championship
(2) Drew McIntyre beat Dean Ambrose
(3) Natalya beat Tamina
(4) The Ascension defeated Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins
(5) Bobby Lashley (c) beat Apollo Crews & EC3 in a Triple Threat match to retain the Intercontinental Championship
(6) The Revival (c) defeated Chad Gable & Bobby Roode to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(7) Lucha House Party beat Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers
(8) Sasha Banks & Bayley defeated The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan) to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
(9) Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a No Disqualification match
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Peoria, Ill.) 3/17/19
(1) Samoa Joe (c) beat R-Truth to retain the United States Championship
(2) The Hardy Boys defeated Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev
(3) Nikki Cross beat Sonya Deville
(4) Nikki Cross & Carmella beat Sonya Deville & Lacey Evans
(5) Rowan defeated Mustafa Ali
(6) Becky Lynch beat Charlotte
(7) The New Day beat Sanity
(8) Asuka (c) defeated Mandy Rose to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship
(9) A.J. Styles beat Randy Orton
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Green Bay, Wisc.) 3/17/19
(1) Drew McIntyre beat Dean Ambrose
(2) Lucha House Party defeated Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers
(3) The Ascension beat Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins
(4) Bobby Lashley (c) (w/ Lio Rush) beat Apollo Crews & EC3 to retain the Intercontinental Championship
(5) The Revival (c) defeated Bobby Roode & Chad Gable to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(6) Ronda Rousey (c) beat Dana Brooke to retain the Raw Women’s Championship
(7) Natalya beat Tamina
(8) Sasha Banks & Bayley (c) defeated The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan) to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
(9) Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a No Disqualification match
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Rockford, Ill.) 3/18/19
(1) Samoa Joe (c) beat Andrade & R-Truth in a Triple Threat match to retain the United States Championship
(2) Nikki Cross beat Sonya Deville
(3) Nikki Cross & Carmella defeated Sonya Deville & Lacey Evans
(4) The Hardy Boys beat The Bar and Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev in a Triple Threat match
(5) Rowan defeated Mustafa Ali. Kevin Owens ran out after the match and hit Rowan with a Stunner
(6) Becky Lynch beat Charlotte
(7) The New Day defeated Sanity
(8) Asuka (c) beat Mandy Rose to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship
(9) 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 3/18/19
(1) Finn Balor & Braun Strowman beat Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush when Strowman pinned Rush
(2) Elias defeated No Way Jose
(3) Kurt Angle beat Chad Gable
(4) Natalya (w/ Beth Phoenix) vs. Sasha Banks (w/ Bayley) ended in a no contest when Tamina attacked all four while Nia Jax had them distracted while talking on the stage
(5) Ricochet defeated Jinder Mahal (w/ Singh Brothers)
(6) Ronda Rousey (c) beat Dana Brooke in less than a minute to retain the Raw Women’s Championship
(7) Apollo Crews defeated Baron Corbin
(8) Drew McIntyre beat Seth Rollins after Brock Lesnar distracted Seth leading to a Claymore Kick by McIntyre
Smackdown Live TV Results 3/19/19
(1) The IIconics beat Sasha Banks & Bayley
(2) Kofi Kingston’s Gauntlet Match:
– Kofi Kingston beat Sheamus with a quick roll-up
– Kofi Kingston pinned Cesaro after the S.O.S.
– Kofi Kingston beat Rowan via Disqualification after Rowan attacked Kofi with a chair. Rowan would continue the attack until he claw slammed Kofi through the announce table
– Kofi Kingston pinned Samoa Joe after countering Joe’s Muscle Buster into a leverage pin. Joe put Kofi into a sleeper hold in the ropes after the match.
– Kofi Kingston beat Randy Orton after countering an RKO attempt into a roll-up pinfall
– Vince McMahon came out to congratulate Kofi, but also let him know he had one more opponent to beat in this Gauntlet Match. Daniel Bryan then came out as the final opponent
– Daniel Bryan pinned Kofi Kingston after a running knee
205 Live Results (Aired on WWE Network) 3/19/19
(1) Mike Kanellis (w/ Maria Kanellis) beat Akira Tozawa
(2) Tony Nese defeated Cedric Alexander to win the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament. Nese will face Buddy Murphy at WrestleMania.
WWE Main Event (Aired on Hulu and WWE Network) 3/21/19
(1) Rezar beat Curt Hawkins
(2) Titus O’Neil & Lucha House party defeated The Revival & The Ascension
Source: WKPWP Post-Raw On-Site Correspondent
•Upcoming Lineups for Stadium/PPV Events
WWE WrestleMania on April 7 from New York City, N.Y.
– Alexa Bliss announced as the host of WrestleMania
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Championship
Triple H vs. Batista in a No Holds Barred match
Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin in Kurt Angle’s final match
Shane McMahon vs. The Miz
A.J. Styles vs. Randy Orton
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio for the United States Championship
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Known Entrants (1): Braun Strowman
•Upcoming Events
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. 4/9/19 WWE Smackdown, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mon. 4/15/19 WWE Raw, Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tue. 4/16/19 WWE Smackdown, Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Fri. 4/19/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Sat. 4/20/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wis.
Sat. 4/20/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Bank of Springfield Center, Springfield, Ill.
Sun. 4/21/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, Minn.
Sun. 4/21/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Tax Slayer Center, Moline, Ill.
Mon. 4/22/19 WWE Raw, Wells Fargo Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Mon. 4/22/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Sioux City, Iowa
Tue. 4/23/19 WWE Smackdown, Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Mon. 4/29/19 WWE Raw, Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.
Mon. 3/29/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Big Sandy Superstore Arena, Huntington, W.Va.
Tue. 4/30/19 WWE Smackdown, Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Sun. 5/5/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Ford Center Evansville, Evansville, Ind.
Mon. 5/6/19 WWE Raw, U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio
Mon. 5/6/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, The Corbin Arena, Corbin, Ky.
Tue. 5/7/19 WWE Smackdown – KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky.
Wed. 5/8/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Thur. 5/9/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
Thur. 5/9/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Forest National, Brussels, Belgium
Fri. 5/10/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland
Fri. 5/10/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Arena Du Pays D’Aix, Aix-en-Province, France
Sat. 5/11/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden
Sat. 5/11/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Utilita Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Sun. 5/12/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway
Sun. 5/12/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, England
Mon. 5/13/19 WWE Raw, The O2, London, England
Mon. 5/13/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, England
Tue. 5/14/19 WWE Smackdown, The O2, London, England
Tue. 5/14/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Accorhotels Arena, Paris, France
Wed. 5/15/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, England
Wed. 5/15/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Getec Arena, Magdeburg, Germany
•Latest TV Highlights
Monday Night Raw
Brock Lesnar was back on television this week with Paul Heyman. The two opened Raw this week and Heyman began by saying Seth Rollins necessitated this appearance by Brock. Heyman then began talking about Brock’s alleged issues with smaller wrestlers that Seth had brought up previously. Heyman then moved on to talk about Seth and why in the world he’d want to fight Drew McIntyre tonight. Drew’s music hit and he walked out on the stage. He said it’s about time he gets the respect he deserves. Drew then told Brock to have his advocate find him a new opponent for WrestleMania because he was going to brutalize Seth and he won’t make it to WM. Seth ran out with a chair and hit Drew with it a number of times, maybe a dozen or more. Seth then turned his attention towards the ring where Brock stood unimpressed. As Seth climbed into the ring, Brock climbed out and Heyman kept talking with Brock to ensure he didn’t enter the ring to face off with Seth. In the Main event, Seth and Drew had a very physical match, as Rollins went for The Stomp, Brock’s music hit distracting Seth. As Seth stared at Lesnar, McIntyre hit him with a Claymore Kick for the win.
Kurt Angle named his WrestleMania opponent tonight. He thanked the McMahon’s for allowing him to pick his opponent for his retirement match, then said he had so many people he’d like to face, but only one he wanted to beat. He then said nothing would make him happier than making Baron Corbin tap out at WrestleMania so he can retire as the happiest man in the world. Kurt then took on Chad Gable in his “retirement tour” of matches on the way to WrestleMania. The fans were not thrilled with Corbin being the announcement, there was no reaction when Kurt said it, and later in the night when Corbin wrestled Apollo Crews, the fans could be heard chanting “We want Cena.”
Smackdown Live
Kofi Kingston gets tricked by Vince McMahon again. Before the Gauntlet match, Daniel Bryan addressed the crowd to talk about Kofi. He started by questioning the fact that he’s being held back by the McMahons. He said Kofi was chosen for an unearned title shot out of the tag division and he’s a B+ player, which is why the fans like him because B+ is good enough for them. In the Gauntlet match itself, Kofi pinned four of his five known opponents, Rowan actually got himself disqualified very early into his match with Kofi when he grabbed a chair and hit Kofi with it. After Kofi rolled up Randy for the fifth and final win, The New Day came out to celebrate with him. Big E and Xavier Woods, along with a large group of other baby faces on the roster, were shown multiple times throughout the Gauntlet match cheering Kofi on, showing that the locker room is behind him. Vince McMahon interrupted the celebration by The New Day to congratulate Kofi, but also let him know he had one more opponent in the Gauntlet match. Big E and Woods were irate and Daniel Bryan would come out and eventually get the pin after a running knee to defeat Kofi.
Becky and Charlotte face off again, this time on the “Kevin Owens Show.” Owens read off multiple examples off the trash talk between Becky, Charlotte, and Ronda from social media, but finished by saying the fans don’t want to hear them talk anymore. As Owens left the ring he said fans want to see them fight. Charlotte made a comment, Owens asked Becky for her response, and Becky punched Charlotte prompting the brawl. Referees and other backstage people struggled to keep them apart, but the brawl continued. As they continued the brawl, the show moved on to the next segment.
•Listen to the latest Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-Show – Smackdown Post-Show
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by Ring Rust Radio’s Mike Chiari as they discuss WWE Smackdown with live callers first, then an on-site correspondent from Indianapolis, Ind. followed by a mailbag segment. They talk about Kofi Kingston running the gauntlet and then No Chance In Hell kicks in with Vince McMahon pulling the rug out of New Day’s and the fans’ celebration, Becky Lynch and Charlotte on The KO Show, Sasha & Bayley pay a visit, and Miz reacts to Shane McMahon’s turn, 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
Big E with a strong and thoughtful message here posted on Wednesday afternoon following the events on Smackdown. It will be very interesting to see what The New Day do in response to McMahon’s latest swerve on Smackdown this week.
pic.twitter.com/ml7MhQwOGj
— Florida Man (@WWEBigE) March 20, 2019
Becky Lynch update:
An all new #RondaOnTheRoad is up!!!! follow me and @RRouseydotcom to #wwelive shows in Toronto & Rochester, #Raw in Cleveland and #Fastlane in Pittsburgh!!! https://t.co/daPW7EMTWt
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) March 15, 2019
pic.twitter.com/iODXtM0kfQ
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) March 16, 2019
pic.twitter.com/iDL0gYp7iX
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) March 19, 2019
We all wish you would https://t.co/y1x0ea6r70
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) March 19, 2019
Kurt Angle’s decision was a bit underwhelming, so much so that even he made a comment about it.
View this post on Instagram
My farewell match will be against Baron Corbin at Wrestlemania. I realize it’s not the most popular decision from a fan’s perspective… BUT I will make Corbin tap out on the biggest stage of them all…. and I Hope you can share this moment/accomplishment with me on April 7th. Baron is a legit tough guy. It won’t be easy but it never is. #itstrue #wrestlemania35 #wwe #wrestling
A post shared by Kurt Angle (@therealkurtangle) on
Underwhelming. https://t.co/BzUZL4Ip1A
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) March 19, 2019
Chad Gable took a minute to celebrate Kurt’s career this week.
What’s that saying about heroes becoming rivals? @RealKurtAngle signed this for me in 2000. Wished me luck after I told him I was going to make the Greco-Roman Olympic Team and then wrestle in WWE. 20 years later, here we are. Grateful for last night. Thanks, Kurt. pic.twitter.com/KUSzEwxkx4
— Chad Gable (@WWEGable) March 19, 2019
Thank you Chad. You’re an Amazing athlete, and one of the most technical Superstars in the business. It was an honor to be in the ring with you. #itstrue #fellowolympians https://t.co/7tSbpU7BKa
— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) March 19, 2019
•Closing Commentary
– I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I was absolutely shocked with Kurt Angle’s WrestleMania opponent, but not the good kind of shocked. I didn’t see my face, but I felt like the guy WWE caught on camera after Brock broke the streak vs. Undertaker. I couldn’t (and still can’t) believe that WWE is going to make Kurt Angle’s retirement match be against Baron Corbin. No offense to Corbin, but he is not worthy of that spot at all. Sure, he gets booed, but come on, this is just hilarious. On a positive note, I’m glad WWE built in a bathroom break for me; I’m going to need it with this 7+ hour adventure.
Just looking back at some other legends and their last matches, usually they get a premier opponent they finish their careers against – until now! Shawn Michaels’ last match (before last year) was against Undertaker. Stone Cold Steve Austin’s final match was with The Rock. Ric Flair’s final match was with Shawn Michaels. Kurt Angle’s final match as of now is against Baron Corbin. One clearly does not fit in here.
The disappointment is partially the fans’ fault, but it’s also WWE’s fault for teasing Kurt’s announcement for a week, allowing the fans a chance to let their imaginations run wild. The most popular option I heard was John Cena, and I think that would’ve been great. I guess it’s still possible to do, and I’m as sick of the recent swerves as everyone else, but I’d love Vince to come out and say Corbin isn’t box office enough and announce Cena as Angle’s actual opponent.
I’m not the most rabid Kurt Angle fan in the world, but he was fantastic throughout his career, and I just feel like his final match being against Baron Corbin isn’t the respect he deserves. Is WWE going to allow John Cena’s final match to be against No Way Jose? Absolutely not, and while I know Corbin is a few rungs on the ladder above No Way Jose, I still don’t think he’s at a level to justify him being Angle’s final match in WWE.
– I know that the stories have been told for a few weeks – even months – now, but the idea that Vince is just taking away the things people rightfully earn continues to eat away at me. First, he takes away Becky’s (Royal Rumble earned) WrestleMania match because he thinks she has a bad attitude. Then, he takes away Kofi’s match at Fastlane because “it’s his obligation to the fans and stakeholders to provide the biggest box office attraction possible.” He’s completely undermining the idea of this being a sport where people compete and earn title shots. I know he doesn’t like the word wrestling, but “sports entertainment” still contains the word “sports!” Imagine if Roger Goodell were to take away a Super Bowl appearance because a smaller market team like Kansas City or Indianapolis won their Conference Championship game simply because they weren’t the most profitable matchup. Or what if he took away a team’s Super Bowl appearance because the coach or fans have a bad attitude? It’s just moronic. WWE is showing fans once again that wins and losses don’t matter at all, until the one time a year when they do. Remember, Becky Lynch’s run to the top started with her quietly going on a long winning streak, and before WWE knew it, she’d been undefeated for six months and had more fan support than ever.
What’s worse than the ridiculousness of him arbitrarily taking away these matches that they both earned is the way that they “triumphantly” earn back what is rightfully theirs to begin with! Becky Lynch “earned back” her WrestleMania match by having Ronda Rousey interfere and get Charlotte disqualified to give Becky back her already earned opportunity. That’s the triumphant moment for the underdog baby face? Now, we haven’t seen the resolution to Kofi’s quest to WrestleMania, but it’s not going to be a triumphant moment either. How can it be? He earned the opportunity by pinning Daniel Bryan previously and in the past. That’s been enough, but now it isn’t. Kofi may earn back his opportunity, but again, that was already his, so getting back what you’re owed isn’t triumph; that’s justice.
The other issue I have is in both situations Vince doesn’t get his comeuppance. Just another way the baby face wrestler didn’t triumphantly win. Sure, Becky got her match back, but nothing happened to Vince. Not even a “take that” type of moment. It’s still possible with Kofi, but highly unlikely. It’s as though Vince just says,“oh, okay, fine,” and that’s the glorious triumph. We the fans who “are the authority” can actually get what we’ve been rooting for. Take that, Vince!
WWE is trying so hard to keep these stories interesting that they’re falling apart at the last possible moment. The finish is in sight, and it just seems like WWE can’t get out of their own way to cross the finish line. There was no need to have Becky Lynch have her match taken away so arbitrarily, and if you wanted to go that route of her getting her match back, I guess that’s understandable because there’s a ton of time between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, but why did Vince have to take her match away from her for “having a bad attitude” when they had the built-in story that she wasn’t a scheduled competitor in the Royal Rumble match? The obvious story that most people thought would be told was completely ignored. Then, if you still want Vince to do that angle with Becky, don’t go do a similar story on the men’s side with him taking away Kofi’s opportunity because he isn’t the biggest star! They’re just overthinking everything. Get back to basics! Tell simple stories, have wins matter, have people go one winning streaks that get them title matches, have someone at the top of the card go through a serious losing streak and have to refocus themselves. Instead, we have stories about people not being big enough stars to main event, tag teams forming because their fathers didn’t tell them they were proud of them as kids, and having someone destroy a sports car that was being held together with a hot glue gun just to sell a toy and to have a few backstage segments at WrestleMania. I hope they can reset after WrestleMania and get back to basics – because right now they’ve really lost their way and I’m finding it hard to justify watching 5 hours of television every week.
NOW CHECK OUT OTHER WEEKLY OVERVIEWS HERE.
OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S WWE OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – WWE (thru 3/13): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more
A video that aired during tonight’s Royal Rumble broadcast announced that this year’s Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia will take place on Thursday, February 27. The show will air live on the WWE Network starting at noon Eastern time.
On commentary, Tom Phillips said the show will be held in Riyadh.
This will be the first time WWE has returned to Saudi Arabia since their post-Crown Jewel travel delays. Crown Jewel 2019 was held at Riyadh’s King Fahd International Stadium on October 31.
Following Crown Jewel and those travel delays, WWE announced an “expanded” partnership with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority. It officially guarantees that WWE will hold two large-scale events in Saudi Arabia through 2027.
WWE’s 10-year partnership with Saudi Arabia began with the Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018. This year’s Super ShowDown will be the fifth event in the deal.
Last year’s Super ShowDown took place in Jeddah on June 7 and was headlined by The Undertaker vs. Goldberg.
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 interview highlights with Impact Wreslting’s Taya Valkyrie were provided to PWTorch.com by the host of Interactive Wrestling Radio…
Show: Interactive Wrestling Radio
Guest: Taya Valkyrie
Date: 05/03/19
Your Host: James Walsh
Current reigning and defending Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie joins the Wrestling Epicenter live from South Philadelphia, Pa. at the 230 Arena (formerly the ECW Arena) for a brand new interview. “Wera Loca” discusses the state of women’s wrestling in Impact Wrestling and beyond as well as talks about the ways that the ECW Arena reminds her of Lucha Underground’s original Temple, her match with Jordynne Grace at Rebellion, her fantastic street fight with Tessa Blanchard from Mexico on Impact a few months back, and more.
To listen to this episode in MP3 format or stream it off YouTube, visit Wrestling Epicenter. Check out the whole catalog of interviews while you are at it!
•Taya Valkyrie on handing Jordynne Grace her first loss in Impact at Rebellion: “I’m just proud of my performance. I mean, I’m proud of the whole show start to finish. But, I felt that I really tried to bring different aspects of my wrestling game. (laughs) I’m sure Jordynne was studying me so I really wanted to surprise her with some different things and really bring something special. I feel like we did that.”
•On wrestling in front of her home country’s fans in Canada again: “It’s been very interesting. (laughs) I really wish we would wrestle on the West Coast because it was my first time in Toronto since I was a child on a chior trip. People don’t realize how large Canada is. It is very expensive to travel from the west to the east. It was my first time in Toronto since I was literally 11. It was cool to get back there and really get a feel for the city which I had never really done before. It was cool!”
•On her critically acclaimed Street Fight with Tessa Blanchard on Impact in February: “I think we really pushed each other. I’ve had experience in street fights and things like that before in AAA. I was very prepared and I think I really pushed her to her limits. She did as well. I do think that was one of my best matches of the year so far. I hope everyone takes a look at it. I feel that every time I’m in the ring taping Impact or at any indy show, I’m always pushing myself to be better. I don’t want to say it is a Match of the Year (candidate) because it is only May. There is so much left to do! But, I definitely recommend people check it out. The Lucha Libre fans are hard to impress and I feel like we left them extremely impressed! (laughs) It was a great time for me. I’m looking forward to seeing what else we can do this year.”
•On enjoying being a heel: “Most of my career, I’ve been a heel. The Taya you are seeing now is just a developped version of my years in AAA and Lucha Underground. She’s just a version of that. Being a baby face was fun because it challenged me to do things that I really hadn’t done in years or wrestle in a certain way. But, it has been very fun revisiting this version of Taya and trying to push the envelope and show how awful I can truly be. (laughs) Come on! Who doesn’t love a good villain? Expect more awfulness coming your way!”
•On recently suffering head trauma when a moonsault went wrong: “I’m fine. I went to the hospital just because of pressure on the eye itself. I was worried that I could have fractured my orbital bone. I didn’t know what it could have been. I had an MRI and everything is fine. I just had severe swelling for like 5 days. By the time I got to WrestleCon (United We Stand), the swelling had gone down. Obviously, you can cover bruising with make-up! The glorious part of being a woman is you can put make-up on and you can hide everything! Obviously, everything is fine now. I’m in the ring every day. But, I haven’t moonsaulted yet. (laughs) Everyone has accidents. Everyone has things go wrong. I’ve moonsaulted like 7 zillion times. That is the most frustrating thing about it – Sometimes you just don’t even know why. But, with that said, I’m going to be hitting the gymnastics center when we’re back from this loop and doing stuff in the ring to try and get this (the moonsault) dialed in. I’m sure it was just a fluke accident. I still don’t know what it was. But, I’ll get back on the horse. My husband keeps asking me, “So, when are we going to go and backflip into the foam pit?” (laughs) I’m like, “All right, lets go!” It will happen, no worries!”
•On the state of the women’s wrestling revolution in 2019: “I’m very proud of how far we’ve come. I’ve been wrestling for like 8 years. When I think back to 4 years ago, it is completely different. It has been an incredible thing to live and see first hand how things have changed. I still think we have a LONG way to go, like, a very long way to go. But, everything in its time. I’m really proud to be a part of a company like Impact Wrestling which allows every woman on its roster to have a storyline, to have something going on, to be important, to be featured. For example, Rebellion had 3 different opportunities for women to be featured in matches. That is a really cool thing. I feel like if we keep moving in this directon, we really will feel equal. I think there are still things that need to change especially on the indies. I feel like the (big) companies are giving us.. Like, if you look at AEW, if you look at Impact Wrestling, if you look at WWE…. If you look at the major companies, women are given the opportunity to be featured but on the indies, I feel women are not given that opportunity. There is companies like RISE and SHIMMER which have done an amazing job. There’s Lucha Libre which always have multiple women’s matches. But then, you have some companies that don’t have more than 1 women’s match if that because they don’t think women’s wrestling is… interesting? I don’t even know. (laughs) It is like, come on guys! We’re proving we can wrestle just as well as the men can. We’re doing all types of street fights and tables matches. We’re giving 15, 20, 30 minute matches. I don’t know why some people still have such a closed minded opinion about it. Give these women a chance! We still have so many girls in the indy’s that have yet to be discovered and it is in the indy’s that they will be discovered. Give these ladies a chance!”
•On working in the legendary ECW Arena AKA 2300 Arena: ”I’m pretty excited because the last time I wrestled here would have been just after I moved to the (United) States working for House of Hardcore for Mr. Tommy Dreamer against Jessika Havok. That was like 2 years ago. I just thought the crowd was crazy, the place was electric, it is fun! The best comparison to that would be the Temple of Lucha Underground. I’m very excited to be back to bring heel Taya in all her mysery and disdain to the people of Philadelphia. (laughs) I’m excited for the next few days!”
•On the positive culture change of Impact Wrestling: “I really hope so. I really don’t understand why people, all of a sudden, decided they weren’t going to take it seriously. Negativity and gossip… THey did this, she did that. I don’t even know! If you like what you’re seeing, if you like the wrestlers that we have on the show – Guess what? We have some of the most amazing and talented wrestlers on our show from top to bottom, from the first match to the last one. What’s the problem? I just want people to open their hearts and their eyes and realize the negativity isn’t doing anything but hurting the business. If you love wrestling, why would you want to do that? If you’re a real fan, why would you want to talk bad about a place that really has been pushing the limits of professional wrestling, it has given people jobs, and it has been making people happy? Our pay per views are different than every other pay per view you will ever see… Our TV show is as well. Support us! Support what Impact Wrestling is doing for this industry! Lets continue to grow!”
On Thursday’s investors conference call, WWE chairman Vince McMahon said the company has had advanced talks with major OTT players about changes to the WWE Network that could mean a significant revenue increase for the company.
McMahon called the potential deal(s) “transformative”.
Those changes could be content rights with marquee events like WrestleMania and the Royal Rumble or perhaps a different distribution model for the WWE Network altogether. McMahon said if a change is made, it will be announced this quarter as the talks are that far along.
When asked about the plans for the Network, McMahon said they have a lot of options. One is to remain as they are now with a free and paid tier while the other is to distribute more content to “the majors”. He later clarified “majors” as OTT companies.
“There’s no better time as of right now to exercise the selling of our rights,” he said.
In a follow-up answer, interim CFO Frank Riddick said that while the devil is in the details, there is nothing that would stop them from selling those rights if they chose to.
McMahon was asked about whether they would consider adding advertising to the Network and he said they would be interested if they kept the model as is. If they brought on other partners, that decision would be up to them.
As of last quarter, the WWE Network had 1.43 million subscribers, a 10% drop from the previous quarter, and generated $184.6 million in yearly revenue, down $15 million from 2018. The company predicted a modest increase for Q1 2020 for 1.47 million.
WWE signed two massive five-year TV deals with both Fox (SmackDown) and NBCUniversal (Raw), giving the company $2.35 billion from 2019-2024.
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.)
If there were any thoughts Eric Bischoff was hired as Executive Director of Smackdown Live to work behind the scenes and not play an on-air role, those thoughts were wiped out with today’s advertisement for tickets for his first Smackdown in San Antonio, Tex. next week.
The ad features Bischoff front and center, surrounded by Bayley, Finn Balor, Dolph Ziggler, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair, and Kofi Kingston. The ad reads: “See what Eric Bischoff has in store for Smackdown Live!”
They are also advertising Kofi vs. Dolph for the WWE Title and Becky vs. Charlotte for the Smackdown Title.
Yesterday, WWE announced Bischoff will be the new executive director of Raw, a new position within the creative hierarchy. This ad suggests if Bischoff has actual power behind the scenes to enact real change in the presentation of the show, he will also be utilized as an on-air character.
Here is a 90 second snippet of Bischoff telling me in 2009 what he felt was wrong (and fixable) about Vince McMahon’s approach to presenting his product… (NOTE: This interview is currently being edited and prepped to be posted on the VIP Podcast Feed this weekend in two installments over two hours each.)
https://www.pwtorch.com/site/wp-content/uploads/post/2019/06/BischoffSnippet1-2009.mp3
99 CENT VIP SALE…
Listen to Keller’s entire 4.5 hour interview w/Bischoff from 2009
You can hear a 4.5 hour interview I conducted with Eric Bischoff ten years ago in the summer of 2009 where he marched through his entire career, with a focus on the highs and lows of his time running WCW and also his transition to WWE as a character. He spoke openly about his thoughts on Vince McMahon after getting to work with him behind the scenes in WWE after years competing with him. We are offering a special VIP membership price this week for those who want to dive into our in-depth analysis of the Bischoff and Heyman hires with over two hours of podcast analysis focused on that topic yesterday, plus our exclusive coverage of ROH Best in the World and AEW Fyter Fest this weekend along with all other VIP features. Check us out for 99 cents for a full month of access. For details, CLICK HERE.
[Thanks to PWTorch reader Jason Embry for sending us the ad]
Chris Bey is the newest addition to the Impact Wrestling roster.
Impact announced tonight that Bey has signed with the promotion: “BREAKING: We’re incredibly excited to announce that @DashingChrisBey has signed with IMPACT Wrestling! #IMPACTonAXSTV”
Impact didn’t reveal further details about Bey’s deal with the company.
A hype video for Bey aired on tonight’s episode of Impact. The video announced that Bey is coming to Impact soon.
Bey, who has made some appearances for Impact before, was in action at the promotion’s television tapings in Las Vegas earlier this month.
Bey’s name came up on today’s AEW media call with Cody Rhodes. Cody was asked if signing more wrestlers of color for the men’s singles division was still a priority for AEW. Cody confirmed that it is and said that he was “taking a deep dive” on YouTube looking at Bey, though he noted that they hadn’t spoken to Bey yet.
Cody previously mentioned Bey in January during a Twitter Q&A when he was asked if there’s anyone on the indies he’s keeping a close eye on.
“Cody saying my name means a lot to me, but that just means I have to work harder,” Bey told Sports Illustrated last month. “I want to be better every day, and I want to become the ultimate version of myself as a performer and a human being in the way I’m able to contribute to society.
“I want to provide opportunities and help people the way people have helped me and given me opportunities. I’m focused on moving forward, and I’m going to keep working hard.”
Bey also wrestled on an episode of 205 Live in October and lost to Ariya Daivari.
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.)
Ongoing coverage, reviews, and analysis of this weekend’s Starrcast 3 shows and events from Chicago, IL.
GCW’S SECRETS OF SPRING BREAK & TURNER MEMORIES WITH JIM ROSS AND TONY SCHIAVONE
AUGUST 30, 2019
PRO WRESTLING TEES THEATRE
LIVE FROM CHICAGO, IL
It was a tale of two eras at 6pm during Starrcast’s Friday evening sessions. In one room, Joey Janela, Ethan Page, and others broke down the secrets behind GCW’s Spring Break. The other room featured Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone telling stories and sharing memories of their time in the wrestling business.
Joey Janela immediately took over in the GCW room and demanded the water bottles onstage be replaced with White Claw. From there, the format of the panel was revealed and would include live watch-a-longs of Spring Break matches of the past with Janela, Page, and others providing live commentary as they played. The commentary didn’t feature artistic breakdowns of the matches, but rather a lively and comedic discussion around various happenings within them instead.
Janela vs. Marty Jannetty from 2017 was up first. Janela cracked jokes about Jannetty to the live audience who popped for them throughout the “analysis.” Panelists laughed at the match commentary and feverishly attempted to figure out who was the referee for the bout. PCO vs. WALTER from 2018 was featured second. Janela complimented WALTER as a performer, but also proudly stated that both he and PCO had since sold out.
Conceptually, the format of the panel was an interesting idea. That said, hearing Janela, Page, and others break down the matches in a serious and informative way without the comedy would have been a more effective approach and one that would have filled their 90-minute slot more efficiently. Janela and the other panelists were funny, but the shine of the jokes wore off once the second match breakdown began.
Joey Janela was a hit with an open microphone in his hand and his witty banter and charisma shined throughout the program. That alone is worth a watch for those who have subscribed for the weekend.
In the JR and Schiavone room, Ross and Tony sat back in their chairs and reminisced about their days in the wrestling business. Their time wasn’t only for stories as both men talked up AEW as a viable national promotion and sold their upcoming TNT show to a captivated audience. Ross went so far as to put the hard sell on folks telling them to set their DVR’s to make sure they catch the show from episode one and beyond. Ross and Schiavone both appeared supremely proud to be where they were and sounded passionate as they discussed the energy behind AEW.
DDP made a special appearance near the end of the program. Page sat down and relished his moment alongside two of his friends. The three men plugged DDPY before Page told a story about Cody from when he was in high school as a very successful amateur wrestler. After hearing the story and how Page taught Cody to learn from losing, it’s easy to see how Cody has been able to persevere through a tumultuous run in the wrestling business. Page also revealed to Schiavone and Ross that he used to call Cody by a special nickname. Young Buck. Ironic? Page certainly thought so.
Both Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone are important voices and ambassadors of the professional wrestling business. The comfort with which they talked about the business was remarkable and the understanding of the business of the business was also clearly defined.
If you’re looking for a fun stroll down memory lane and to get some historical perspective around the current happenings in wrestling, this panel is for you.
NOW CHECK OUT OTHER STARRCAST 3 COVERAGE: STARRCAST 3 SPOTLIGHT: From undesirable to undeniable
The second season of Viceland’s ‘Dark Side of The Ring’ docuseries focusing on some of the seedier and infamous stories throughout the history of pro wrestling is going to return in late-March.
The news was first reported by PWInsider and confirmed independently with sources close to the show. There is no exact date for the season kickoff as of this point.
While season one featured six episodes, season two will be ten episodes with nine subjects meaning one will be two hours instead of their customary one. Some of the topics confirmed include:
The Chris Benoit story (expected to be the two hour focus)(
Brawl For All
The life and times of Dino Bravo
New Jack
Herb Abrams, founder of the UWF
The life and times of Owen Hart
The season two renewal was announced last summer as the series did very well for the Viceland channel, setting their record for the highest viewed premiere in their three year history.
Season one featured the Montreal Screwjob, the bizarre relationship between Randy Savage and Elizabeth, the Fabulous Moolah, the life and times of Bruiser Brody, the life and times of Gino Hernandez, and the legacy and tragedy of the Von Erich family.
Here is my 2019 interview with series co-creator and producer Evan Husney about the creation of the series.
