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

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

Submitted by Matt Dagnall

York Hall in London wasn’t quite sold out, but it was pretty full and had a great atmosphere for the night.

– Taichi defeated Chris Brookes (15:03)

Taichi kept leaving the ring and avoiding Brookes at the start, and when they eventually came to blows, a crazy brawl erupted all around the arena. The two had good chemistry when back in the ring and had a decent back-and-forth match.

Brookes had Taichi in a submission when El Desperado came out and distracted the official — who then didn’t see Taichi tap out. Will Ospreay came down to even the odds (despite not yet being cleared to wrestle) and went to hit Desperado with Taichi’s mic stand, but Taichi ducked and Ospreay hit Brookes, and then got a superkick from Taichi.

Taichi took advantage and submitted Brookes after a low blow. After the match, Ospreay apologized and raised Brookes’ hand, only for Brookes to turn on him and give the still-injured Ospreay a moderate beatdown. This was expertly booked and the crowd lapped it up.

– The Great-O-Kharn defeated Shane Taylor (7:14)

Lord Gideon Grey came out and said that RevPro had given in to his demands for The Dominator to have a match, but said it would be against a mystery opponent. Shane Taylor came down to little reaction and got an alright match out of the improving O-Kharn

 There were a lot of strikes and suplexes, but O-Kharn won fairly quickly with a chokeslam after interference from Gideon Grey. Taylor got a good ovation at the end. This was a pleasant surprise on the card and O-Kharn remains undefeated.

– Josh Bodom defeated Chris Ridgeway (8:19)

This started off very hot with both wrestlers wanting to get at the other. They fit a lot into a short amount of time here, as the match hit top gear a few minutes in.

Ridgeway went crazy with kicks and nearly won with an ankle lock. Bodom was incredible. He did a picture-perfect moonsault to the outside, followed by a tombstone on the apron and a Bliss Buster for the win. Bodom was busted open halfway through and looked sadistic with blood all over his body — this was a really good showing from him, as per usual.

– El Phantasmo defeated El Desperado (15:58)

As is often the case, the first half main event was stellar. It started off pretty fast paced as both men ran the ropes and got the crowd involved. They slowed down a bit, with Desperado gaining control until Phantasmo started to get the upper hand, leaping all over the place with the crowd firmly in his corner.

The last few minutes were insanity, with all sorts of near falls as the crowd became very invested. Phantasmo won this with his swanton and moonsault combination and received a huge ovation. Phantasmo is a superstar and it is only a matter of time before he is signed up somewhere.

– Satoshi Kojima defeated WALTER (11:40)

Kojima is incredibly over in the United Kingdom and WALTER is a pretty effective heel, so this made for a good dynamic. WALTER chopped the life out of Kojima, who kept on attempting to fire up but being swatted down.

Eventually, Kojima quickly won with a lariat in what was barely a three count — a clearly improvised finish due to WALTER being apparently hurt. WALTER was taken to the back with the medics, but it didn’t seem to be too serious.

Kojima cut a promo and was about to challenge Tomohiro Ishii until Bodom came out announcing he was moving up to heavyweight. He said Kojima was the past and he was the future, while demolishing a loaf of bread, much to the distress of the leader of Bread Club.

The match could have gotten very good had it not ended abruptly — but regardless, you have to again question the booking of WALTER here. It genuinely baffles me why he isn’t treated as a bigger star in RevPro and there was no need for Kojima to win this.

– MK McKinnan defeated “Speedball” Mike Bailey (14:37)

This was Bailey’s return to York Hall after an over two-year absence following his incredible run in 2016. It was awesome to finally see him back. McKinnan was clearly not that over at the start of the match and the crowd was pretty worn out too, however this incredible match brought them right back up.

Both men wrestled really well, starting off on the mat before going to the top rope and the ramp. Bailey hit his double-knee moonsault on the apron, there was a massive superplex, and several great near falls. McKinnan got Bailey in a choke and elbowed him till he passed out.

This was really good stuff, and a very strong win for McKinnan, who has looked fantastic since returning. Hopefully Bailey can stick around too as he’s such a valuable asset.

– Undisputed British Tag Team Champions Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) to retain their titles (21:50)

This had a really big-fight feel as both teams have been pretty invincible in RevPro this year. Suzuki dominated both opponents early on, scaring Fletcher, who was worked over for a lot of this. Davis tagged in and ran wild before being worn down by Suzuki’s submission-based offense.

Davis tagged Fletcher back in for an awesome staredown between Fletcher and Suzuki — Fletcher finally facing his fear. However, just as Fletcher was getting the upper hand, Sabre came in and they started applying double submissions. Davis eventually broke it up and Aussie Open hit their double-team finishers, each of them being kicked out of. Then while Sabre had Davis in a submission, Suzuki pinned Fletcher with the Gotch-style piledriver.

This was an odd result, — Aussie Open had been building to this since January and I’m not sure where they go from here.

– Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii defeated Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion David Starr to retain his title (19:07)

The build to this match was great, with Starr claiming he is not just the best cruiserweight but the best wrestler. The match was designed to appeal to the fans who object to NJPW talent holding RevPro titles and would prefer full-time champions like Starr.

Starr mocked Ishii’s walk and stance, while Ishii just stared down his opponent. Starr outwrestled Ishii early on, being too technical, nimble, and agile for the heavyweight and wearing him down. As you’d expect, Ishii came firing back with heavy forearms, but Starr was able to match him and never gave up despite taking a beating.

They exchanged more strikes and chops, with Ishii often no selling Starr’s strikes and even hitting the best superplex I’ve ever seen. Starr hit a combination of lariats and followed with a Han Stansen — but Ishii kicked out at one. Ishii then hit his brainbuster for the win.

A really good main event and the crowd was very into Starr potentially being a double champion. After the match, Suzuki-gun attacked Ishii and Sabre announced that he never got his rematch from when Ishii beat him for the title back in April. Sabre will get his rematch at Wrestle Kingdom 13. The crowd loved this announcement — it almost made up for Starr not winning.

Final thoughts —

This was an excellent show from top to bottom, with every match ranging from good to incredible. RevPro is often criticized for being all in-ring and no story, but they did very well to combat that at this show. The three big angles were really well booked and will lead to other matches down the line, with the Ospreay/Taichi stuff and Sabre/Ishii stuff standing out in terms of story.

The in-ring side was as good as ever, with The McKinnan vs. Bailey match, Phantasmo vs. Desperado, and obviously the main event standing out. The only concern is in the booking decisions. The main criticism of RevPro right now is that the NJPW guys that come over always win, after at Global Wars UK when every New Japan guy won except from against El Phantasmo. This was again the case here.

The WALTER loss hurt, as well as both Starr and Aussie Open losing their title matches. I think most people assumed at least one of Ishii and Suzuki-gun would lose their titles and neither did, which came as a surprise. It does make the RevPro roster look weak if they always lose to NJPW guys and it’s certainly an issue that needs addressing before more of the fan base become angered.

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

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

NXT’s United Kingdom brand will be having its first TakeOver special at the beginning of 2019.

WWE announced today that NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool will take place at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England on Saturday, January 12, 2019. The Empress Ballroom was also home to WWE’s first United Kingdom Championship tournament in 2017, where Tyler Bate became the inaugural WWE UK Champion before dropping the title to Pete Dunne in May 2017.

NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool will air live on the WWE Network.

NXT UK will also be holding a set of television tapings at the Empress Ballroom on Sunday, January 13, 2019. Liverpool is hosting NXT UK TV tapings today and tomorrow.

Tickets to NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool and the TV tapings at the Empress Ballroom will go on sale via bookingsdirect.com on Monday (November 26) at 10 a.m. local time.

The weekly NXT UK series began airing on the WWE Network last month. WWE has recently been airing two episodes per week to catch up on the tapings, with two more episodes scheduled for Wednesday. They’ll feature Dunne defending his title against Jordan Devlin and Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley in the finals of the NXT UK Women’s Championship tournament.

When Chiemi Yonashiro was told an object from a United States military helicopter appeared to have fallen onto the nursery where she had dropped off her three-year-old daughter Mimaru just hours earlier, she burst into tears.

Her daughter – and around 70 other children playing at the nursery at the time – were unhurt, but for Mrs Yonashiro, 46, the incident confirmed her conviction that her family was not safe living in southern Japan’s Okinawa region for one uncomfortable reason: the heavy presence of US military.

“Every day we fear that our lives are at risk,” the mother-of-two told the Sunday Telegraph. “I do not want to let my daughter or other children to experiences such strong fears. I don’t want anyone to suffer this way anymore.”

Mrs Chiemi is one of tens of thousands of Okinawa residents who will on Sunday be offered the opportunity to express their views on the longstanding presence of US military in the region in a historic referendum.

Voters will be asked whether they agree with a deeply controversial plan to relocate a US military base from the crowded residential Futenma region to a more remote part of the island – with early polls indicating that as many as 70 per cent will vote no.

The result of the referendum is legally non-binding and unlikely to stop the government from pushing ahead with relocating, with reclamation work already underway. However, a “no” result is likely to be viewed as a powerful symbol of local opposition to US military.

Okinawa, a subtropical archipelago closer to Taipei than Tokyo, has long been of enormous strategic importance to the US, with the main island hosting more than half of the 47,000 American military personnel based in Japan, despite accounting for less than one per cent of the country’s total land area.

Tensions between the US military and locals have soared in recent years, with a steady stream of complaints over noise, accidents by military aircraft and crimes committed by military personnel and civilian employees.

Momentum to local resistance to US military presence has escalated since last September when Denny Tamaki came to power as Okinawa Governor after campaigning heavily against the relocation plans.

Critics of the relocation say it will damage the island’s delicate marine eco-system and potentially increase aircraft accidents, with many calling for the base to be closed down completely or moved to another part of Japan.

The fact the referendum is taking place at all is likely to cause a major headache for Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, who is intent on keeping relations smooth with his key ally US president Donald Trump.

The timing of the referendum is also sensitive, in the light of preparations underway for the US-North Korea summit in Vietnam next week and discussions over plans for Mr Trump to visit Japan in May and June.

The controversial relocation plan has been a potential thorn in Washington-Tokyo relations since it was first proposed more than two decades ago, with one former Japanese PM resigning over the issue.

For Mrs Yonashiro, the falling aircraft part at Midorigaoka Nursery in December 2017 was one of a string of incidents that crystalised her deep-rooted opposition to the presence of US military in the region.

During the same month, a large object resembling a window frame also reportedly fell from another US military helicopter into the grounds of a nearby elementary school, causing a stone to lightly injure a child.

“Parents here have felt a sense of crisis since these objects fell into schools, one after another,” says Futenma-born Mrs Yonashiro, who also has an eight-year-old son Tamaru. “Children in Okinawa have a right to live a peaceful life but they are living with danger. As long as US military aircraft are flying over Okinawa, the danger will not go away. I strongly feel this is the time to change Okinawa. It’s not just a matter of military bases, it’s about children’s lives.”

Takehiro Kamiya, the head of Midorigaoka Nursery, was no less outspoken in his opposition to US military forces in Okinawa in the run-up to the referendum, highlighting how military aircraft fly over the building on a daily basis.

“We do not need the military bases anymore,” he told the Sunday Telegraph. “There have been accidents of military aircraft crashing, falling objects and crash-landings, as well as murder, rape, theft, traffic accident, drunk driving. The US military still fly over our communities as if nothing has happened. Would such a thing be allowed in Tokyo or in the UK?”

He added: “We demand that military bases not be relocated, but closed or demolished.”

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

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

DAILY UPDATE

The Latest News

Alexa Bliss not yet fully cleared to return
WWE SmackDown falls below two million viewers this week
XFL announces start date, team cities and venues
ROH TV results: SCU defend their titles
UFC looking to book controversial Greg Hardy for ESPN+ debut show
WWE Mixed Match Challenge results: SmackDown’s quarterfinals
Watch the XFL announce their teams and venues at 12 PM Eastern
WWE SmackDown video highlights: Daniel Bryan lays out AJ Styles
Tom ‘Dynamite Kid’ Billington passes away at 60 years old
Semifinals set for WWE Mixed Match Challenge season two

The Latest Audio

Portland Wrestlecast: Tom Prichard on Don Owen and the WON HOF 12/5
WOL: Death of Dynamite Kid, record-low RAW ratings, Smackdown, XFL news, more! 12/5
B&V&C: Retro Raw and Nitro from 19 years ago this week! 12/4

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: Looking ahead to 2019   

As we enter December, it feels like 2019 has been cemented as an absolutely pivotal year for the immediate future of professional wrestling. The global arms race for talent continued this past week. It was confirmed that WALTER, who is legitimately one of the best wrestlers in the world, has signed with WWE. He’s been signed for NXT’s United Kingdom brand and could play a part in the potential NXT Germany. 

WON NEWSLETTER: December 3, 2018 Observer Newsletter: Death of Larry Matysik, NXT UK contract changes

Sorting out the future of the UK independent scene and the changes made in what WWE UK contracted wrestlers are allowed to do is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer.

The new double issue is a major look back at history as well, with a huge story on Larry Matysik and the rise and fall of St. Louis wrestling in the 70s and the 80s, and a look at Texas wrestling with the life of Jose Lothario.

The lead story talks about the original WWE deals, cards that have to change, promotions that have to change booking plans at different levels, as well as the end of Walter on the independent scene.

Look at why Walter chose this deal and what makes him unique in WWE regarding goals, as well as why he’s not already on the main roster and never went to New Japan. Look at how many promotions are affected, and the future of some of the most popular U.K. groups.

The article on Larry Matysik includes looking at some of the biggest matches of the St. Louis wrestling club, how Matysik started with pro wrestling, his start as a television announcer, the heyday of Wrestling at the Chase, how talent was paid, and how Ric Flair first got into St. Louis.

There is a feature on the career of Jose Lothario, the role of Mexican stars in Texas wrestling, how Lothario first became a major U.S. star long before his famous Texas run. Also look at his feud with Gino Hernandez, his long title history record, and comments from many of the biggest stars on his career.

ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to [email protected]. 

Rates in the United States are $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 choose one free classic issue or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.

WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE
This week’s NXT UK episodes opened with a tribute graphic for Dynamite Kid. There was also a scrolling message on the lower third of the screen for the episodes, 205 Live, and NXT, with WWE extending its condolences to his family, friends, and fans.
Bret Hart wrote about the death of Dynamite Kid: “There are people in life that have a ripple effect both professionally and personally. Tom ‘Dynamite Kid’ Billington was one of those people. The second professional wrestling match of my career was against Dynamite. I benefited from his greatness and through our matches in Stampede, WWE, and everywhere in-between, I became a better wrestler because of him. Dynamite truly was the best wrestler ever, pound-for-pound. Tom was family, my brother-in-law, and we were very close. In many ways I felt like one of the few people who truly knew him, both the good and the bad. I saw Tom one final time this past June in England and I can only hope he is finally at peace. My thoughts are with his children Browyne, Marek, and Amaris, and the entire Billington family.”
Becky Lynch tweeted about her VIP session for Royal Rumble Axxess selling out: “They tell me that my Royal Rumble VIP Axxess, sold out in 90secs. I see and hear you all, all the tee shirts, the signs, the posts, the love. The Man sees you all. They didn’t expect us, but here we are”
Alicia Warrington announced that she’s the newest member of the NXT broadcast team. Her name will be Alicia Taylor and she’ll be appearing on this weekend’s house show loop.
After World of Sport’s Justin Sysum wrote an open letter to British Wrestling about WWE UK’s new restrictions and said that he doesn’t want a job with WWE, Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Trent Seven all responded to him on Twitter:
Dunne: “Every step myself and other members of the NXT UK roster have taken within WWE over the past two years has been nothing but a benefit to the independent scene. Don’t disregard that because of hear say and rumours.”
Bate: “NXTUK is a great opportunity for all UK based performers to showcase their talents and make a living doing what they love doing. This open letter to British Wrestling is based off of nothing but rumours, don’t believe everything you read.”
Seven: “Hang your head in shame Justin. We’ve all worked incredibly hard over the past few years to create a thriving scene for all levels of talent to perform on. Delete your tweet and stop attention seeking.”

During a dark match against The Miz after Mixed Match Challenge last night, Daniel Bryan played the heel by saying “It’s your birthday…congratulations, you’re stupid” to a  kid with a birthday sign. The crowd then chanted happy birthday to the kid.
WWE stock closed yesterday at $71.56 per share.
WWE Network News reported that Jerry Blackwell vs. Colonel DeBeers in a ladder match (AWA, November 27, 1986) and The Dudleyz vs. The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer & Spike Dudley in a Stairway to Hell match (ECW,  May 16, 1998) will be added to the WWE Network’s hidden gems section tomorrow morning.
The XFL noted that its top players (“tier-1 quarterbacks”) will be paid at least $250,000 per season.
WWE presented The V Foundation with a check for $1.2 million on behalf of Connor’s Cure.
Scott Dawson started a petition to get WWE to suspend Lucha House Rules.
Pro Wrestling
Impact Wrestling will be returning to Mexico City on January 11 and January 12 for television tapings at Fronton Mexico. Impact also taped TV there in September.
Impact celebrated reaching two million subscribers on YouTube last night: “We just crossed 2 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS on YouTube! Thank you to everybody that subscribes and watches. We’ve added nearly 900,000 subscribers this year alone and broken every record multiple times!  We plan to do a little something special to celebrate next week!”
Dezmond Xavier vs. Andrew Everett is set for MLW’s TV tapings in Miami on December 13.
Timothy Thatcher has been added to Game Changer Wrestling’s Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport event, which is taking place on Thursday, April 4 during WrestleMania week.
UFC/MMA
The Nevada Athletic Commission granted Conor McGregor a continuation in his case for the post-UFC 229 brawl. A disciplinary hearing for McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov was scheduled for next Monday. MMA Fighting reported that Nurmagomedov is highly unlikely to be in attendance and that “sources said a continuance is still possible, as is some kind of settlement agreement, which has become regular protocol for the NAC over the last year plus.”
Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, Valentina Shevchenko, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk took part in a press conference today ahead of UFC 231.
The UFC uploaded episode three of Embedded for Saturday’s PPV.
Dominick Cruz will return to the Octagon against John Lineker at UFC 233 on January 26.
Joanne Calderwood vs. Ariane Lipski has been moved from UFC 233 to the UFC’s first ESPN+ show on January 19.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Randy Savage’s last match

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Western-backed forces say they plan to crush the Islamic State terror group within two days after launching an operation to clear out the group’s final stronghold.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish-led group that has been the US-led coalition’s main ally against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) in Syria, commenced their final assault on the village of Baghuz just after sunset on Friday night.

“After evacuation of thousands of civilians and our comrades who were held hostage in Baghouz, the operation to clear the last remaining pocket of Isil started at 18:00 this evening,” Mustafa Bali, a spokesman for the SDF said.

Mr Bali told The Daily Telegraph that said the operation is expected to last two days, but may take a week to complete as hardened jihadists fight back with heavy weapons and suicide car bombs.

Isil, which once ruled over eight million people in a proto-state covering large swathes of Syria and Iraq, now controls a patch of land about 700 metres across on the banks of the Euphrates river.

The demise of ISIL in Syria and Iraq

The operation follows three weeks of evacuations of civilians from the tiny pocket. About 17,000 people, mostly women and children, have left in the past 16 days.

SDF commanders estimate there are around 1,000 Isil fighters remaining in the pocket, along with an unknown number of non-combatants.  

They may include John Cantlie, a British journalist who was kidnapped in 2012. Ben Wallace, the UK Security Minister, said last month that there was reason to believe Mr Cantlie is still alive.

Photo Dispatch: Syria's fight against ISIL

Although the fall of Baghuz would mark the end of the group’s pretensions to a caliphate, SDF officials have warned it will continue to present a security threat.  

Sleeper cells using guerrilla tactics continue to carry out drive-by shootings and suicide bombings in liberated areas. Some fighters still hold some desolate territory in a remote area west of the Euphrates River.

“All the remaining fighters are experienced and professional. They the true radicals and jihadist fighters. Therefore they will fight to the end,” Mr Bali said. “We do not expect any to surrender.”