Previously on Impact:

Last week on TNA Impact, Ethan Carter III began his road to redemption by defeating Rockstar Spud in a cage match. This was the first in a series of matches that EC3 must win in order to get a rematch with Mike Bennett. Meanwhile, Willow made his return last week and attacked Jeff Hardy. This was most perplexing because Willow is the alter ego of Jeff.

Tonight on Impact:

On tonight’s show, TNA World Champion Drew Galloway puts his title on the line against Bobby Lashley. Also, Jeff continues his mission to unmask Willow and reveal his true identity.

Show Recap:

-Earlier today, we see Drew Galloway entering the Impact Zone with the TNA title. Also earlier today, Bobby Lashley arrives at the Impact Zone. What a coincidence. Lashley and Drew spot each other backstage and get into a brawl.

-In the Impact Zone, Willow makes his way down to the ring. Josh Matthews and The Pope recap Willow’s attack last week.

Willow enters the ring and takes the microphone, his voice is distorted.  He says he is Willow and hear him roar. No, but seriously, he makes an extremely demonic cackle. This brings Jeff to the ring causing the crowd to cheer in ovation. Jeff lets us know that there is only one Willow and he lives inside of him. Jeff speaks like Willow and does the cackling laugh. This leads to a match.

Jeff Hardy vs. Willow

This was a short match and was basically a squash. Jeff dominated Willow and won with the Twist of Fate. After the match, Jeff attempted to take the mask off of Willow when a second Willow attacked Jeff from behind. The two Willows beat down Jeff and pointed at the entrance. A third Willow walked out and Pope said it looked like Jeff. This Willow also spoke with the distorted voice and said he was going to be Jeff’s worst nightmare.

Back from commercial, the two Willows held Jeff as the third Willow addressed him. Willow unmasked to reveal…Maxell Hardy! Just kidding, its Matt Hardy, but he was messed up. This was a different Matt. He spoke with a weird tone and had a streak of blonde hair. It also appeared that his left eye is messed up and appears to be all white. Presumably, the Swanton bomb from the heavens a few weeks ago caused all of this. Matt told Jeff that he scarred him. Matt choked out Jeff in the middle of the ring to end the segment.

-In the back, a tall, beautiful, bubbly blonde approached Velvet Sky. She introduced herself as Allie, Maria’s assistant. She informed Velvet that she has a match with Sienna later. Velvet got in Allie’s face and she backed down. Just then, Allie got a call from Maria who had her assistant tell Velvet that if she lost to Sienna, Velvet will be fired. Allie is better known as Cherry Bomb from the Indies.

-We get a recap of Drew and Lashley brawling earlier in the day. Next, Jeremy Borash interviews TNA President Dixie Carter. She announces that tonight’s title match will be a lumberjack match.

Sienna vs. Velvet Sky w/Velvet’s job on the line

As Velvet makes her way to the ring, Josh reminds us that if Velvet loses she is fired. They’re pushing Sienna as a monster and she dominates the early part of the match. Velvet makes a short comeback and scores several near falls. However, it’s not enough and Sienna hits her finisher to pick up the win. Velvet is fired and is in fact done in TNA.

-Next we get a vignette of Mike Bennett and Maria hanging out by the pool. Maria looked ridiculously hot and The Miracle knows it. He tells Maria to get some sun and then they’ll go over to the Impact Zone to make a miracle happen.

-Back from commercial, Maria is apparently done getting some sun as she introduces The Miracle. He asked if the fans believe in miracles and the crowd chanted “No we don’t”. Miracle discussed EC3’s road to redemption and that if he doesn’t win he won’t get a rematch at Slammiversary. Miracle calls out a future hall of fame because he wants to beat one. He brings out Earl Hebner and challenges him to a match. He provokes Earl to shoving him in the face. Bennett calls out a second referee.

“The Miracle” Mike Bennett w/ “The First Lady of Professional Wrestling” Maria Kanellis vs. “The Referee” Earl Hebner

Mike knocks down Earl and covers him. The referee is hesitant to make the count. Earl kicked out at two and a half to a massive pop from the crowd. Bennett flipped out and got in the referee’s face. Earl gave a low blow to The Miracle. Maria distracted Earl and Miracle knocked him down. Bennett pinned Earl to win the match.

Post match, Miracle continued to attack Earl until EC3 ran out for the save. Miracle distracted EC3 and Tyrus jumped him from behind. Bennett announced that EC3 will face Tyrus in a Last Man Standing match. EC3’s road to redemption continues after the commercial.

Last Man Standing: Ethan Carter III vs. Tyrus

Back from commercial and the match is underway. Tyrus set up a chair in the corner but EC3 countered and sent him shoulder first into the chair. EC3 brings a table in the ring and uses the steel chair on Tyrus. Tyrus barley makes it to his feet at the count of nine. EC3 goes for the one percenter by Tyrus counters and sends EC3 through to steel chairs. EC3 makes it back to his feet before the count of 10. Tyrus set EC3 up on the table and went up for the Vader Bomb. EC3 got back to his feet and power bombed Tyrus through the table. However, Tyrus made back to his feet and continued to beat down EC3. EC3 gives Tyrus the Samoan Drop through a guardrail set up by Tyrus. EC3 placed the steel steps on top of Tyrus. Tyrus is unable to answer the count of 10 and EC3 wins the match.

Like last week, The Miracle came out after the match but unlike last week was not clapping.

– Next we get a video package of Bobby Lashley training in the gym.

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– We get a recap of Willow/Matt’s attack on Jeff earlier. In the back, Jeff is irate over the attack. He challenges Matt to a match at Slammiversary.

Eddie Edwards and DJ Z vs. The Helms Dynasty (X Division Champion Trevor Lee & Andrew Everett w/ Gregory Shane Helms)

This is a fast paced match with lots of high impact moves. DJ Z chases Everett around ringside and runs right into a sick boot from Lee. The heels take over on Z and isolate him in their side of the ring. Eddie gets the hot tag and runs wild on the heels. Z tags himself in and hits an insane suicide dive threw the turnbuckles on an angle. Eddie hits a dive onto Lee and DJ Z connects with a DDT on Everett to win the match.

-We get a recap of Velvet losing in her last match in TNA to Sienna. In the back, Velvet cuts an emotional promo and fights back the tears. She says goodbye to TNA, her friends and the fans. As noted earlier, Velvet is in fact finished with TNA.

-Another video package this time on Drew Galloway training.

Facts of Life with Eli Drake w/King of the Mountain Champion Bram

It’s time for Facts of Life with Eli Drake. It’s also time for one of the most annoying gimmicks in wrestling. Every time Eli says, “dummy” he presses a button and a graphic pops up of Eli saying, “Dummy, yeah.” I blame Mr. Anderson for fact that his segment now exists. Eli does his own introduction using his “announcer” voice. Eli has his Feast or Fired KOTM title shot briefcase with him. Eli brings out KOTM champion Bram. Eli wants Bram to simply hand over the KOTM title but Bram refuses. Eli teases cashing in his title shot but instead he leaves. They brawl briefly until Eli escapes.

-In the back, EC3 cuts a very brief promo. He wants Mike Bennett and his rematch. EC3 only said about five to seven lines, but it was still far better then the previous segment.

-Still in the back, EC3 confronts The Miracle and Maria. EC3 demands his match with Bennett. The Miracle refuses and lets EC3 know he’s not done on his road to redemption. Next week, EC3 must defeat Matt Hardy and maybe if he’s victorious he’ll get his rematch with Bennett.

Lumberjack Match: TNA World Champion Drew Galloway vs. “The Destroyer” Bobby Lashley

Members of the TNA roster surround the ring for the lumberjack match. They trade moves to start the match. Lashley sends Galloway to the floor on the heel side of the ring.

Back from commercial, Lashley is in control of the match and sends Drew back outside to the heel side of the ring. The heels tease beating Drew, but they send him back in the ring. Lashley dominated Drew, but Galloway got back to his feet and made a comeback. Galloway goes for the Future Shock DDT but Lashley got out of it. Drew used the Celtic Cross and set up for the Claymore kick when the heel lumberjacks pulled Drew out of the ring resulting in the end of the match.

Post match, all hell broke loose with all the entire roster brawling at ringside. DJ Z and Trevor Lee both hit dives onto the lumberjacks. In a sick spot, Eddie gave a super plex to Andrew Everett from the top rope to the outside on all the lumberjacks.

In the ring, a bunch of guys hit moves. Bram knocked out Lashley and Eli knocked out Bram. Jeff took out Eli and set up for the Swanton. Matt ran out and brawled with Jeff to the back. Bennett took out Eli. EC3 starred down Bennett who backed off. Lashley then speared EC3 and Galloway caught Lashley with the Claymore. Drew then hit a dive to the outside on everyone to end the show.

Next Time on Impact:

EC3’s road to redemption continues as he battles Matt Hardy. Also, Grado returns to go one-on-one with Al Snow. Plus, next week the Ultimate X match returns.

Triple H recently took part in a media conference call that he usually does a few days before upcoming NXT Takeover shows. With NXT Takeover: Brooklyn set to begin this Saturday, Pro Wrestling Sheet were on the call and provided updates on the latest statements from Triple H. When discussing Aleister Black’s current groin injury, he noted that it was completely unexpected and it caused the entire main event of Takeover to be shifted since Black originally set to headline the show against Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa in a Triple Threat match for the NXT Championship. Triple H is still hopeful that the former NXT Champion will be able to come back to NXT and continue his career before the end of the year.

Triple H says when Aleister’s injury occurred, everything went back on the table in regards to shifting the card. At end of the day, however, it made sense to go with a singles match for Ciampa/Gargano. “Adding anyone else in there would’ve been a third wheel without a story.”
— Pro Wrestling Sheet (@WrestlingSheet) August 15, 2018

During the call, “The Game” was also asked about the current status of Neville, a former Cruiserweight Champion who has been off of TV for nearly a year now but remains under contract with the company. WWE has reportedly decided to freeze his contract until the two sides reach an agreement on whether or not he will be staying with the company or leaving soon. When asked about possibly bringing him back for the new NXT UK brand, Triple H claims that he is not clear on where Neville currently stands in WWE. Triple H was one of his biggest advocates in NXT though, and he still believes that he is a talented star, so it will be interesting to see if the former NXT Champion does return to WWE at some point in the future.

Triple H on Neville’s whereabouts:
“I’m not 100% positive, I would need to go back and look into that.”
“To me, one of the most talented guys in the world.”
“Time will see where that ends up.” pic.twitter.com/ruJarNLG1I
— Pro Wrestling Sheet (@WrestlingSheet) August 15, 2018

Finally, the former world champion was asked about the status of NXT Superstar Tegan Nox. Nox just competed during the recent TV tapings for the Mae Young Classic tournament, but sje suffered a legitimate leg injury during one of her matches after landing awkardly during a dive outside of the ring, and she was then eliminated from the tournament. Triple H said that Nox is not going to be able to return to the ring for quite some time due to nature of her injury. Pro Wrestling Sheet also reports that Nox was set to move to the finals of the tournament before she received the injury. Although Tegan Nox is on the shelf once again, Triple H believes that she will work harder to come back and that she will still be a huge star in the company down the road.

Also mentioned in this article: Sources say Tegan was booked to go to the finals of the MYC before the injury occurred.
Such a bummer for her. https://t.co/J9QPVb7hlk
— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) August 15, 2018

While nothing is even close to happening with bringing in Bill Goldberg to WWE in a wrestling capacity, 2K officially announced his inclusion as a character in the WWE 2K17 video game, made public last night in an ad that aired on RAW. As discussed on Observer Radio, this opens up intriguing possibilities for a return match based on past history with Ultimate Warrior, Brock Lesnar, and Sting appearing in 2K ads. He did an interview with IGN you can see here. WWE definitely wants you to think that Goldberg returning is a possibility. 

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FROM HIROSHIMA ON TUESDAY (taped for New Japan World available later in the day)

Bushi vs. David Finlay
Matt Sydal vs. Rocky Romero
Kushida vs. Gedo
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kyle O’Reilly

Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on today in Rockford, IL  We’re also looking for reports on this show.

NEW JAPAN BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FROM NAGOYA ON THURSDAY (taped for New Japan World, available later in the day)

Volador Jr. vs. Chase Owens
Jushin Liger vs. Tiger Mask
Bobby Fish vs. Will Ospreay
Ricochet vs. Trent Baretta

THE ROUND-UP

Cody Rhodes return features a match against Kurt Angle  
WWE SummerSlam NXT weekend show is still on 
Ranking the top UFC PPV draws of all time from McGregor to Mighty Mouse
WWE RAW live results: John Cena returns
Andre Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett signed for UFC Germany return

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If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!  

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Figure Four Weekly 5/30/2016: Big Vito’s deposition – If you thought Evan Singleton’s deposition went badly for the plaintiffs in the WWE concussion lawsuit, then that appears to be nothing compared to what happened a week later during Vito LoGrasso’s deposition on May 18th. Given the back and forth over LoGrasso claiming that head injuries caused partial deafness when, in the past, he had spoken of having a hearing impairment since birth, the deposition promised to be interesting. It over-delivered.

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Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: May 30, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Return of Seth Rollins and the WWE brand split, plus tons of news 

With two of the biggest news stories of the year, the WWE brand split and the UFC sale both in play, we’ve got a new issue of the Observer packed with news.

Our lead story looks at the brand split, with what we do know, what has and hasn’t been decided and the background of how it went down. There’s also more info on the UFC sale talks.  Plus there is coverage of the return of Seth Rollins, the build to Money in the Bank and have coverage of Extreme Rules, the negotiations for a Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz fight and look more at the Floyd Mayweather vs. McGregor rumors. Take an in-depth look at the departure of Cody Runnels (Rhodes) from WWE and his future prospects, plus look at his complaints regarding people in the company. All this plus a look at the New Japan Super Juniors tournament, the funding of the Hulk Hogan lawsuit, the World Cup trios tournament coming up and a feature on the last PWG show.

The lead story looks at every aspect of the brand split.  It looks at the original goals and reasons for it and what did and didn’t work, plus how it’ll be different this time, how the touring will work, and an examination of what talent knows and tentative plans in place.  Vince McMahon’ reaction is a big part of this, and this issue explains how the deal went down, the story behind the story and other aspects to be considered. There’s also a look at Smackdown going live, the affect on the fan base, the affect on TNA and why it was important to get Smackdown away from Thursday.

Another big story in this issues is Extreme Rules, the decision to make Seth Rollins a heel and current plans for Money in the Bank, and also match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Details about what’s going on with Conor McGregor, including Colin Cowherd’s claim that Mayweather vs. McGregor is happening, as well as a look at the Nate Diaz negotiations last week and what McGregor has said publicly.

Finally, this issue looks at Cody Runnels leaving WWE, what he said was the reason why, and a look into those reasons, and a look at the realities of WWE business decisions and his background.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL PREVIEW.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

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You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer.

You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
 
Rates are:
 
For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.
 
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: April 26, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Davy Boy Smith recovering in the hospital, UFC to be sanctioned by Nevada State Athletic Commission, more. This past week has seen Davey Boy Smith, going stir crazy in a Calgary Hospital, attempt to start battling back after the worst year in his life.

TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE

Earlier today, John Ourand of Sports Business Journal tweeted that Monday’s Game 7 betwen Golden State & Oklahoma City did around an 11.2 rating — a record for any NBA game on cable. The first game of the Stanley Cup Finals between San Jose and Pittburgh did around a 2.8. We’re still awaiting RAW ratings, but expect them to be affected by the big competition.

Enzo and Cass are guests on SportsCenter tonight. Will ESPN let them call Coachman SAWFT?

Goldberg appeared on the latest Ringer Wrestling podcast with David Shoemaker Tuesday as well. He is asked about returning to action and while he didn’t say no, he didn’t say yes either. He had spoken about wanting to wrestle one last time so his child could see him, but he has yet to find the perfect scenario to do so. Can WWE create one he would approve?

If you have not seen the Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet match from the Best of the Super Juniors tournament that everyone has been raving about of late, New Japan has put it up absolutely free on Youtube. You’ll have to rewind about a dozen times to catch all the incredible action. It’s far more entertaining than “just another indy spot fest.” It’s phenomenal storytelling AND incredible athletics. 

Pro Wrestling

Paige beat Summer Rae and Jack Swagger beat Viktor of the Ascension at the Superstars tapings before Raw went on the air last night. Viktor of the Ascension is currently being rebranded as “The Demonic” Victor, with different face paint. His tag team partner, Konnor, is currently serving a wellness policy suspension. 
The 2 hour RAW replay Friday night on SyFy did 403,000 viewers and was the top rated show of the night for that network. This would be a replay of the May 23rd show. It was down from last week, which did 467,000 viewers.
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch is advertised for Smackdown tonight, as is Styles & Gallows & Anderson vs. Roman Reigns & Usos, although the latter is a dark match and may very well not take place.
This post-Raw video with Mick Foley and Becky Lynch is notable mostly for how much weight Foley has lost of late.
The NWA is re-launching their NWA Classics service at NWA On Demand, complete with a new website and the first week free for subscribers.
SI’s Extra Mustard chatted with Velvet Sky on Bubba Dudley, WWE, and TNA.
Kamaitachi will be facing Chris Dickinson on 6/17 in NYC at the House of Glory / Beyond Wrestling joint show in Queens, NY.
The two-day JT Lightning 2016 Invitational Tournament is available to purchase and stream right now.
The creators of Netflix hit Orange is The New Black got another Netflix show greenlit: a comedy series based on the 80s female wrestling organization GLOW. No, seriously. It’s happening. It will be a half-hour comedy with 10 episodes.
ECWA returns to action this Saturday in Woodbury Heights, NJ.
For those with San Francisco Chronicle online access, there’s a story about Nick Reckas from 1975 and his association with the city’s mayor.
Not everyone is standing with Hulk Hogan and the anti-Gawker group. Here’s an NYT op-ed from someone that is with Gawker.

MMA

In an interview with Submission Radio, Max Holloway talked about his fight with Ricardo Lamas, why he’s in his head, what he wants next and his prediction on how he wins at UFC 199.
Also in an interview with Submission Radio, Conor McGregor’s boxing sparring partner and former IBO welterweight champion Chris Van Heerden discussed boxing Conor, what would happen in a boxing match with Mayweather, how McGregor would do as a boxer and if he thinks Conor will outbox Nate Diaz in a MMA rematch.
For those into the bizarre, here’s a clip of BJJ match that ended via submission due to someone farting in their competitor’s face which caused vomiting. Yes, we just wrote that sentence.
UFC announced they are launching their first podcast UFC Unfiltered with comedian Jim Norton and fomer UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra that will air twice a week. The show kicks off on June 21st. Essentially, it’s another version of The Fighter & The Kid.
In case you missed it, our own Paul “Ace” Fontaine has an article here ranking the top UFC PPV draws of all time from McGregor to Mighty Mouse. It’s a really good read for those into the drawing aspect of stardom.

EVENTS

June 1 – PWP runs tomorrow night, at the Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha, NE
June 4 – UFC 199 from the Forum in Los Angeles with Michael Bisping getting his first title opportunity of his career battling Luke Rockhold for the middleweight belt
June 4 – In celebration of Metro Pro’s Sixth Anniversary, Demolition (Ax & Smash) will be in action on Saturday, Turner Recreation Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The event address is: 831 S. 55th St., Kansas City, KS 66106 – Tickets can be bought in advance.
June 5 – AAA’s Victoria World Cup men and women’s trio tournament finals at Los Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City which will be a live iPPV show
June 7 – New Japan Best of the Super Juniors finals from Sendai live on New Japan World
June 8 – NXT Takeover from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL featuring Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor in a cage match plus a loaded lineup that includes American Alpha vs. The Revival and probably Shinsuke Nakamura vs Austin Aries, which could be WWE’s match of the month.
June 11 – NECW presents the 2016 IRON 8 Championship, Saturday Night, June 11 in Wakefield, MA
June 12 – TNA Slammiversary headlined by Drew Galloway vs. Bobby Lashley for the TNA title from Orlando
June 12 – Revolution Pro Wrestling in London, England headlined by Kurt Angle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
June 17 – AAW “Killers Among Us” features Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Johnny Gargano, Drago vs. Chris Hero, and more at 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL) All Ages Event – Tickets available.
June 18 – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
June 18 – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine with “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” are on sale now.
June 19 – New Japan Dominion, one of the company’s biggest events of the year, featuring Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi in a ladder match for the IC title
June 19 – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas 
June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title 
June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple   
July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has all the information up on Facebook, or email him at [email protected].

Today in Professional Wrestling History: Kowalski vs. Bruno Death Match; Andersons win Georgia Tag Titles; Ryback wins IC Title

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Submitted by Murdo MacKenzie

Sold out show tonight. Stacked card, hot crowd, and hot building.

Marty Scurll def. Noam Dar via submission (chicken wing) at 17:22

They started with some good ol’ World of Sport style catch as catch can wrestling. Dar got the upper hand early. Scurl played the ‘villain’ really well while Dar was the babyface. Yet, the crowd is 50/50 for both guys. This was a very good match. I’m a big fan of the ‘villain’ gimmick. Scurll has lots of nice little spots that work the gimmick perfectly. Example: setting up the superkick, then just as he calls for it, he faints and stiff kicks his opponent’s shin. Great stuff.

Pete Dunne def. Martin Stone after hitting a pump handle fallaway slam at 12:28

Dunne is the British Cruiserweight Champion but the belt is not on the line this evening. This was very much a tough guy, punch/kick match. A good match. After, Stone cut a promo to say thank you to the fans for supporting him. Despite him not living in the UK, he will always be a British wrestler. He puts over Dunne as well.

– Big Damo submitted Big Daddy Walter at 13:30

This a battle of the big guys with both wrestlers trying to…well, I guess out ‘big’ the other guy. This match was ok for a big guy brawl.

– Shibata vs. Zack Sabre Jr announced for the Rev Pro Summer Sizzler in July.

– Will Ospreay def. “Speedball” Mike Bailey after hitting the Springboard stunner at 17:25

Incredible reaction for Ospreay with chants of “You deserve it”. He’s truly given a ‘heros return’ ovation. They worked a karate vs wrestling/lucha story for the match. “They are artists” chants along with “F*ck you Vader” chants. Ospreay hits a Vader bomb at one point. Looks like that’s a new part of his arsenal.

Ospreay gets on the mic and thanks the UK fans and Rev Pro for being his home. He puts over Rev Pro booker Andy Quildan for always believing in him. Osprey states even though he’s only been wrestling for 4 years, this style will take a toll on his body and he most likely won’t work as many dates next year. However, he’ll always find time to come back home to Rev Pro. Nice touch.

Josh Bodom def. Chris Hero at 17:33

Bodom wins after the ref takes a bump from a hero stumble. Bodom hits a low blow while the ref is down and then a spinning back fist for the win.

Redman & Garrett def. British Tag Team Champions The Revolutionists at 8:46 to win the titles

This match started out pretty good with a nice top rope dive from Garret onto James Castle by the entrance, but the match went a bit crazy when all 4 guys were having a free for all in the ring including double pins. Not sure if the match was a NO DQ or tornado rules but it ended in a bit of a mess with Redman & Garrett picking up the victory and becoming NEW Undisputed British Tag Champions

Kurt Angle def. Zack Sabre Jr via submission at 9:03

Big reaction for Sabre, huge reaction for Kurt. They played Kurt’s WWE theme and the fans chanted, “You suck”. They begin by trading holds and reversals with Zabre getting the better of Angle and subsequently Angle taking charge. Dueling chants throughout the match. The match started at a slow pace with the expectation that they were building to something special. However, they quickly went to near falls/submissions. After a trio of rolling German suplexes, Angle clamped on the ankle lock and it was over.

Mutual respect at the end. Angle cuts a promo to say he was amazed at the level of talent at Rev Pro this evening and thanked the fans. He put over Sabre as one of the best guys on the indie scene. He than apologised for not being able to go at 100% , but he has a knee injury. He said he would be back and we will see him again, “Oh it’s true”, etc.

This show is available on RevPro’s OnDemand service on Tuesday for those wanting to check it out.

Depending on how you look at it, either today or yesterday was the 40th anniversary of Ali vs. Inoki. The show took place on June 25 in the U.S., but it was June 26 in Japan where the match took place live due to the time difference. In something amazing, nobody has heard this until this past weekend, but this is Bill Apter with Bruno Sammartino from the dugout of Shea Stadium watching the Ali vs. Inoki match together and their comments. Josh Gross has a piece in Newsweek on that match as well. 

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We’re doing one poll this weekend for tonight’s ROH show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected].

We’re looking for reports on WWE’s house show on Saturday night in Boston (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Rusev, Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Alberto Del Rio, Usos, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson) and Saturday’s ROH TV tapings in Concord, NC (Kyle O’Reilly challenges for the ROH title, Silas Young & Beer City Bruiser challenge for the tag titles, Briscoes vs. Young Bucks in a battle of the IWGP tag team champions vs. IWGP jr. tag team champions, Jay White vs. Kamaitachi and Roderick Strong vs. Dalton Castle) to [email protected].

Sunday has two WWE shows, with one crew in Orlando (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Usos, Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Austin Aries) and the other in Jacksonville (Big Show, Kane, Rusev, Charlotte, Natalya, Enzo, Cass, Kalisto, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, New Day). Ultima Lucha 3 is a being taped in Los Angeles on Sunday with Johnny Mundo vs. Prince Puma title vs. career as the main event, Fenix vs. Marty the Moth mask vs. hair and a ladder match for the Gift of the Gods title with Son of Havoc vs. Pentagon Jr.

NEW JAPAN FROM KORAKUEN HALL LIVE ON NEW JAPAN WORLD AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME MONDAY MORNING

Ryusuke Taguchi vs. David Finlay
Manabu Nakanishi & Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Kazushi Sakuraba & Rocky Romero & Baretta
Satoshi Kojima & Matt Sydal & Yoshitatsu vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Hangman Page & Chase Owens
Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma & Juice Robinson
Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Seiya Sanada & Evil
Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito & Bushi

        This is a big show because the G-1 Climax members and main event matches will be announced during intermission.

Raw is Monday night in Tampa and is the only show of the week with John Cena scheduled.

Smackdown will be taped on Tuesday night in Tampa, with a skeleton crew because a number of wrestlers are laving after Raw for Honolulu.

There will be a tour of Japan and Hawaii that starts Wednesday night in Honolulu (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Usos, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, A.J. Styles, Chris Jericho).

THE ROUNDUP

Daily Pro Wrestling History (06/25): Rock pins Vince McMahon to win WWE title
NXT TV tapings spoilers: Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura; AA vs. Revival 2/3 falls
ROH Best In The World live results: Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe; Addiction vs. MCMG  
Bellator Dynamite 2 live results: Rampage Jackson vs. Satoshi Ishii; Michael Chandler vs. Patricky Pitbull  
The Week In British Wrestling: After beating a Hero, Marty Scurll tries to avoid the End

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​The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas takes place during UFC’s International Fight Week from July 7 – 11. Ed in San Antonio has information on Facebook, or you can email him at [email protected]. It’s always a fun time, so hurry up and make your plans to join Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez, Vinny, Granny, Ed, Peach, Dez, Dr. Lucha, Rodney, Sr. Jaialai, “Filthy” Tom, and the rest of the group in beautiful Las Vegas this July. Plus… some extra secret surprises.

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​If you’ve ever wanted to WATCH our radio shows here on the site, check out our Youtube page! No full video shows, but lots of video clips, full free audio shows that you can tell your friends about, and much more to come! Make sure you subscribe today!  

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Figure Four Weekly

READ IT HERE: Figure Four Weekly 6/20/2016: Never trust Nigerian investors – Growing up as a way-too-hardcore-for-my-age wrestling fan, I looked forward to watching whatever flavor of wrestling from the Dallas Sportatorium was on ESPN and in syndication at the time. The ESPN show was perfect for kids who loved pro wrestling: It aired at 4 p.m. eastern time, so it was perfect for after-school viewing… Subscribers click here to continue reading. 

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Wrestling Observer Newsletter

READ IT HERE: June 27, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Roman Reigns suspended, Money in the Bank review, more – Details on the suspension of Roman Reigns after a wellness policy violation, Money in the Bank reviewed, more…

A look at the prospective UFC sale is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The issue looks at the main bidders, what kind of money is being bid, how much the Fertittas have made from the endeavor, the situation with Dana White, what is and isn’t expected to change, why the sale is coming now and who exactly owns what percentage of the company, plus a look at just how deep the UFC 200 show is.

Pluse there is a major story on the gamble of Brock Lesnar in UFC 200, the most in-depth look at the Ariel Helwani situation that you’ll find anywhere, full coverage of NXT Takeover, UFC 199, WWE Money in the Bank, and the details of TNA’s struggle to stay alive, its PPV and its future. There is also a breakdown on the WWE cruiserweight classic, and monthly WWE and TNA business figures.

This issue looks at Michael Bisping’s unlikely title win, all the ramifications of the Lesnar deal, what it shows about WWE, a look back at the last time WWE risked one of their stars against an outsider without scripting, how Ariel Helwani got to be a star reporter and how that played into what happened last week, and what aspects of the story that are really more important that haven’t been covered or have been overlooked.

Inside this week, there is also a look at the death of a key WWE musician, more on what Ali learned from pro wrestling, Bryan Danielson attends WWE event, Bobby Roode’s debut, notes on SummerSlam, new WWE executive hire, new WWE announcer, WWE looking for new members of creative, who is expected to return shortly, another animated WWE movie, update on Paul Heyman plus a full rundown on all the WWE & NXT live events this past week and business notes on the shows.

Subscribers click here to continue reading.

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You can also order the print Observer right now and get it delivered to your door via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer.

You can also order print issues at www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
 
Rates are:
 
For the United States, it is $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]  For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52.
 
If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today.  With a 40-issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues. 

Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: May 10, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Fans celebrate life of Giant Baba at Tokyo Dome, PRIDE 5 recap, more. The final chapter in the career and life of Shohei Baba took place on the biggest show he ever main evented and the biggest show he ever promoted–some three months after his death.

SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight with our weekend Wrestling Observer radio show. Without a major show to cover today, we’ll have more time for questions so you can send them to [email protected]. We’ll also be talking the Sandra Toffoloni interview on Talk is Jericho and any questions on that subject will get priority.   

The complete G-1 Climax tournament roster, blocks and main matches will be announced early tomorrow morning during intermission at the Korakuen Hall show. Regarding some names people may speculate on, Kyle O”Reilly, Roderick Strong and Adam Cole are all booked at the 7/29 PWG show which tells you they will not be in G-1. I believe Cole will debut during this tour on the Sumo Hall shows at the end but not be in the tournament.

As noted all weekend, Shinsuke Nakamura & Finn Balor face Austin Aries & Samoa Joe at today’s WWE house show in Orlando. Nakamura and Asuka will then be brought to TV this week, although my guess is if either appears it would be in a dark match, and after Raw will be going to Honolulu and then to Japan. Today would be Nakamura and Aries’ first WWE appearance. Balor has done shows already, as has Joe, with Joe having the match with Tyson Kidd which led to Kidd’s near fatal broken neck a year ago.

The Johnny Mundo vs. Prince Puma title vs. career match is being taped this afternoon in Los Angeles as the main event of Ultima Lucha 3. Other matches taped today are Pentagon Dark vs. Son of Havoc in a ladder match for the vacant Gift of the Gods title, Drago & Steve Pain & Luchasaurus defend the trios titles, Mantanza Cueto vs. Dragon Azteca Jr. in a cage match, Sexy Star vs. Taya last woman standing, and a three-way with Mil Muertes vs. Cage vs. Jeremiah Gray (Sami Callihan).

Michael Elgin won the Elite tournament beating Volador Jr. in the finals last night at Arena Mexico. This is not the CMLL Grand Prix, which is an iPPV taking place this coming Friday that Elgin is also in.  Elgin last night beat Lio Rush, Bram and then Volador Jr. to win.

WWE

Central Intelligence with Dwayne Johnson was No. 3 at the box office this weekend, estimated to do $18.4 million, behind Finding Dory and Independence Day:  Resurgence. 
So the Elite vs. New Day feud actually started this past weekend in Orlando as Xavier Woods, the WWE’s video game superstar faced Kenny Omega, the video game superstar of New Japan at the Wyndham Orlando Resort.  They battled in the Street Fighter V game and Omega won a game that was streamed live on the Capcom Fight’s Twist channel.  Both The New Day and Elite have tried to do a viral build for a match that in theory would be politically impossible, as well as make remarks on both New Japan shows and WWE shows that manage to slip through the cracks. 
WWE signed another female interviewer, Carly Arnolt, who comes from Fox59 in Indianapolis where she was a sports reporter.
The reason Zumbi wasn’t in the WWE cruiserweight tournament and instead did the Elite tournament is that WWE didn’t get his visa issues done in time. Paul Levesque talked that they would like to give him another shot, and also talked of the cruiserweight classic as being an idea they can repeat.  
WWE is banning bags from this point forward at NXT tapings at Full Sail University.
An article on Dwayne Johnson’s movie career is here.
Former WWE television announce Bill Cardille, 87, out of Pittsburgh, is now battling cancer.

UFC

Mark Hunt on Inside MMA talking his fight with Brock Lesnar is here. 

MISCELLANEOUS

Vader vs. Will Ospreay was announced yesterday for an 8/12 show in York Hall in London.  That stems from a unique angle, where Vader kept knocking the Ricochet vs. Ospreay match. Ospreay then did the Vader reverse splash in almost all his matches and say it was “Vader time.” Vader got a series of dates in the U.K. out of it.
Jim Ross is involved in promoting an OklaMania show on 7/17 in Oklahoma City at the Cox Convention Center. Among those appearing and doing autographs will be Sting, Matt & Jeff Hardy, Jerry Lawler, Jim Duggan and Jim Cornette.
An update on the painkillers scandal at the University of Minnesota’s wrestling team and J Robinson is here.
Jessie Godderz has been on CBS All Access of late along with Jeff Schroeder, another Big Brother competitor, analyzing the current season of the show.
Tyrus from TNA was on the Fox News Channel yesterday at 10 p.m. on The Greg Gutfeld show. (thanks to Jake Koch)
Glory announced a 7/22 show at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk.
For those who are history buffs, June 25 was the unofficial Texas death match day in Florida wrestling. Among the big ones were Steve Keirn & Bob Backlund vs. Bob Orton Jr. & Bob Orton Jr. (1976 Fort Lauderdale), Dusty Rhodes vs. Don Muraco (1980, Miami Beach), Sweet Brown Sugar (Skip Young) vs. The Assassin (1981, Melbourne). There were also eight world title matches in Florida on that date that we have records of, including Lou Thesz vs. Sammy Steamboat (1965, Miami Beach), Dory Funk Jr. vs. Ciclon Negro (1969 Miami Beach), Jack Brisco vs. Bob Roop (1975 Miami), Harley  Race vs. Jack Brisco (1977 St. Petersburg), Harley Race vs. Jack Brisco (1979 West Palm Beach), Harley Race vs. Barry Windham (1983 Orlando), Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes (1984 West Palm Beach) and Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (1986 Miami Beach). (thanks to Barry Rose)
Great North Wrestling from last night in Pembroke, ONT before 300 fans:  Hannibal b Maximus Testosterone (a strongest man in the world type guy), Nikolai Volkoff b Messiah, Bruiser b Freak Nelson & Madman Taylor, Jeremy Prophet b K-Nine, Lady Yasmine b Flow Riley, Soa Amine won handicap match. (thanks to Anthony Ambros)
Lucha Xtreme TV from last night in Fresno: El Spirito b Dark Usagi, Tommy Wilson b Chris Nar, Homicide b Anthony Idol (thanks to Jon Southerland)
Besides seeing Ali vs. Inoki 40 years ago yesterday, going back 42 years ago today, I was at the Miami Beach Convention Center for a sold out show headlined by Dusty Rhodes & Don Muraco beating Giant Baba & Pak Song in the main event. To protect Song, the top heel, and Baba, who wasn’t about to do the job, they had the Korean Assassin (another notable Japanese star, although pretending to be Korean, Shozo Kobayashi, run in and Dusty actually pinned him). Other matches were Bob Armstrong over Buddy Colt in a North American title match (Armstrong won quickly), Ron & Robert Fuller over Jerry Brisco & Bill Watts (Watts turned on Brisco), Bobby Duncum over Bob Roop, a babyface Kevin Sullivan & Tony Charles over the Hollywood Blonds (which was a great match), Korean Assassin over Tom Jones, and Pat Barrett drew The Samoan (Reno Tuufuli).
Rey Mysterio Jr. returns to the WWC in Puerto Rico on 7/16 in Bayamon in a three-way match with Carlito and a mystery third person for the Universal title.
Another find from the past, this was a 1972 episode of The Great American Dream television show, which predated Dusty Rhodes using that name. Roller Derby star Ann Calvello at 42 shows up at the 5:00 mark of the show 

Shimmer results from matches taped yesterday in Berwyn, IL:

Volume 82

LuFisto b Vanessa Kraven
Shayna Baszler b Solo Darling
Viper b Heidi Lovelace
KC Spinelli & Xandra Bale b Crazy Mary Dobson & Samantha Heights
Shazza McKenzie b Evie
Nicole Matthews b Nixon Newell
Tessa Blanchard b Thunderkitty
Kellie Skater b Courtney Rush (Rosemary in TNA)
Nicole Savoy b Ryo Mizunami to retain the Heart of Shimmer title
Cherry Bomb (Allie in TNA) & Kimber Lee b Kay Lee ray & Mia Yim (Jade in TNA) to retain the Shimmer tag titles
Madison Eagles b Arisa Nakajima-DQ to retain the Shimmer title

Volume 83

Veda Scott b Crazy Mary Dobson
Heidi Lovelace b Taylor Made
Nicole Matthews b Shazza McKenzie
Jessicka Havok over Allysin Kay, Mia Yim and Yumi Ohka
Kay Lee Ray b Rhia O’Reilly
Tessa Blanchard b Evie
Nicole Savoy b Shayna Baszler to retain the Heart of Shimmer title
Cherry Bomb & Kimber Lee b K.C. Spinelli & Xandra Bale to retain the tag title
Kellie Skater b Ryo Mizunami
Madison Eagles b Viper to keep the summer title

They are taping two more DVDs today, including Eagles vs. Skater for the Shimmer title, Cherry Bomb & Kimber Lee vs. Evie & Heidi Lovelace vs. Kay Lee Ray & Mia Yim vs. Spinelli & Bale for the tag titles in an elimination match. (thanks to Martin Bentley)

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