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Dana White On Brock Lesnar’s Decision, John Cena, Possible GFW Show Date, More

By
Jim Somers
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– UFC President Dana White appeared on WAAF in Boston today and talked more about WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar staying with WWE. White agreed that Lesnar made the right decision.

– Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling is reportedly booking talents for their upcoming Las Vegas events, according to PWInsider. Apparently GFW is planning an event for Saturday, August 22nd in Vegas.

– John Cena granted another Make-A-Wish wish before Monday’s RAW in Los Angeles. WWE’s Community website has photos of Cena’s meeting with 16 year old Brock at this link.

– Some of the WWE talents are training with the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium this week. WWE tweeted the following photos of Titus O’Neil and Daniel Kilgore:

You got him, Dan. RT @WWE: After a heated exchange, @TitusONeilWWE & @DanielKilgore67 come to terms on training
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) March 25, 2015

WWE Officially Announces Partnership With TapOut, Vince McMahon Comments

By
Jim Somers
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WWE Officially Announces Partnership With TapOut, Vince McMahon Comments Photo: AllCityImages.com

WWE sent us the following this morning:

ABG AND WWE® LAUNCH TAPOUT™ JOINT VENTURE

NEW YORK AND STAMFORD, CONN., March 25, 2015 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Authentic Brands Group, LLC (ABG) today announced a joint venture for Tapout™, a newly repositioned fitness lifestyle brand. Tapout™ is now the official fitness and training partner of WWE, and will be integrated across WWE’s global platforms including TV programming, WWE Network, pay-per-view broadcasts, live events, digital, and social media.

“Tapout was ABG’s first acquisition and it continues to be a global brand with strong sales and blue chip partners all over the world. We have a very strong commitment to the brand’s ongoing success,” said Jamie Salter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ABG. “WWE is a media and entertainment force and we are excited to partner with them on Tapout’s future growth.”

“WWE is always looking for new opportunities to partner with best-in-class organizations, develop new products for our fans and drive shareholder value,” said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. “This joint venture aligns with our strategic approach, and we look forward to building the Tapout brand.”

As part of this strategic partnership, WWE will create new content featuring its Superstars and Divas in Tapout™ apparel and market the brand across all platforms. Tapout™ branding will also be featured at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and all performers, trainers, and staff will be outfitted in Tapout™ workout apparel.

“WWE’s expansive reach provides a global platform to broaden Tapout’s presence and consumer base,” said Nick Woodhouse, President and Chief Marketing Officer of ABG. “This is a powerhouse pairing given the synergy between Tapout’s brand promise to be the premiere hard-body fitness brand, and WWE’s commitment to training and fitness.”

“Combining ABG’s strengths in retail brand development, licensing and distribution with WWE’s marketing expertise, global reach and passionate fan base, makes for a powerful partnership,” said Michelle D. Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer. “The Tapout brand will enable us to expand into new product categories and further grow our current $1 billion consumer product retail business.”

The next generation of Tapout preserves the original brand essence and drives a hard-body, fitness-centric message positioned around motivation, discipline and determination. An all new line of men’s and women’s performance apparel and accessories will launch at retail in Spring 2016. New Tapout™ branding and packaging will roll out in key categories throughout 2015 starting with beverages, supplements and fitness centers.

Preview For Tonight’s WWE NXT Broadcast 3/25/15

By
Jim Somers
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Credit goes to Bleacher Report for the information.

Last week threw a monkey wrench into the normal schedule by mixing matches that were taped at Full Sail University with matches that were taped for the Arnold Sports Festival.

Normally, the spoiler reports are pretty accurate for which bouts will be shown on which dates, but that won’t be the case for the next few weeks.

The biggest evidence of this is that a match that was taped for a show in April will be broadcast as this week’s main event.

As always, WWE.com has a video preview available that highlights the events leading up to the showdown, and this week will definitely be a show you won’t want to miss.

Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor

It’s been six weeks since Finn Balor won the right to challenge Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship, and they will finally have their big encounter Wednesday.

Owens and Balor have had little contact in the weeks leading up to this match, but their feud was kicked into high gear last week when Balor came to Alex Riley’s rescue.

Owens defeated Riley and then decided to continue beating on him relentlessly until Balor made the save. They didn’t need a personal angle to sell this storyline, but it certainly helps.

Until last week, there was virtually no build for this match. Ever since TakeOver: Rival, Owens has been facing guys like Riley and Adrian Neville.

Having Balor and Owens have a short brawl to hype this match was smart. The popularity of both wrestlers is enough to get the hardcore fans invested, but it takes more to get casual fans to care, especially if they are not familiar with the two wrestlers’ work from before they signed with WWE.

Owens and Balor wrestle with different styles, but they are both performers who leave everything in the ring to give the fans a night to remember. Even if every other match is boring, this one will make the show worth seeing.

Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks

We got to see Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks fight last week, but this time, the title will be on the line.

Bliss managed to pick up a countout victory during last Wednesday’s show, but she won’t be able to win the title that way. She will have to actually pin or submit Banks.

While it would be exciting to see a new champion crowned, it doesn’t feel like the right time for several reasons.

Banks hasn’t been champion very long, so dropping the belt makes very little sense. The biggest reason Bliss likely won’t end up with the title is that there are other women who deserve to climb that mountain first.

Regardless of the outcome, they should be able to produce a fun match that makes Banks look like a strong champion and Bliss look like a worthy challenger.

Other Matches

The next few weeks are going to be a confusing time for people who like to know what will be shown on NXT before deciding if they want to watch the program.

As stated earlier, WWE conducted their usual round of NXT tapings at Full Sail University for weeks in March and April, but the Arnold Sports Festival forced WWE to mix things up a bit.

What we know for sure is that several matches were taped that have yet to air, and some of them will have major repercussions on certain storylines.

One bout that we could see would feature Bayley, Charlotte and Becky Lynch fighting for a chance to face Sasha Banks for the Women’s Championship.

If this match is anything like the others we have seen from these three women, it will be an instant classic. The toughest part is picking the one who would make the best challenger for Banks’ title.

Charlotte is the only former champion of the bunch, and her history with Banks is well-documented. They have churned out several amazing performances, and it would be great to see them add one more to the list.

Bayley is everyone’s favorite underdog. She has been chasing the title for many months but keeps coming up short. She also has quite a history with the champion, making her a perfect opponent.

Becky Lynch was aligned with Banks for a few months, but she has gone her own way. She is the newest to the scene out of the three possible No. 1 contenders, but she has the most overall experience in the business.

Lynch getting her own solo title shot would help her solidify her status as one of the top women in the division. When it comes down to it, any one of these women would make an excellent No. 1 contender.

It will be interesting to see what other matches are peppered into the show from the recent block of tapings. Considering this is also the week before WrestleMania, we may see some footage from Axxess included.

WWE’s developmental system always manages to produce something entertaining, and Wednesday’s main event almost ensures that trend will continue.

What are you looking forward to on this week’s NXT?

Dana White Reacts To Brock Lesnar’s Big WWE Announcement (Video), Roman Reigns On Conan

By
Jim Somers
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In the video above, UFC President Dana White reacts to the news of WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar signing a new multi-year deal with WWE.

White said he was just texting with Lesnar, who he called a stand-up guy, and he’s happy for both WWE and Brock. White said he knew about Lesnar re-signing a few hours before the news broke. White added that Lesnar did some amazing things in UFC and it was fun to have him.

– Roman Reigns appeared on Conan Tuesday night to promote his WWE World Heavyweight Title match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. Reigns talked a variety of unusual topics, including baby oil and his hair. Here are the highlights of the interview:

* Conan says the two met before, and said he was interested in Reigns’ hair. Conan compared his to Reigns’.

* Conan asks how wrestlers get a grip on each other with the baby oil, and Reigns calls it a “slippery situation.” Reigns says he was beating on Sheamus during his first WrestleMania and baby oil almost caused a big botch.

* They put over Roman Reigns’ spear, and Reigns said it was natural to adopt the move since he’s played football his entire life.

* Reigns says he wore a size 15 shoe at 15 years old. He said it was tough to shop at that age.

* Reigns is asked about being groped by female fans on the way to the ring. He said he called one the “buttcheek bandit” and tells a pretty funny story about the girl. He said the security guard asked her if it was worth it and she said “Oh yeah” and ended up getting to stay.

In all, Reigns’ appearance was a brief, four minute encounter. He was also scheduled to be on TMZ Hollywood Sports this evening, but wasn’t featured for unknown reasons. He did, however, appear on ESPN’s SportsNation.

The “OH MY GOD!” Review: MXPW “Maximum Impact” TV For July 2004

By
Heels Inc
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0

Maximum Impact 2004-07-02 (Matches taped 2004-05-22 from War Memorial in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla)

Heavyweight: Vacant
TV Champion: “Black Nature Boy” Scoot Andrews
Tag Team: Vacant

Highlights from last weeks main event. It’s still unexciting even in highlights form.

Ryan O’Reilly vs. Steve Madison
And here we go with more crappy MXPW action. O’Reilly gets the arm and Madison does the Owen Hart backflip off the ropes thing to reverse it. Only he did it really slowly. Madison with a slam and O’Reilly bails to the floor. Madison goes for a dive but stops in his tracks as O’Reilly runs away. Madison goes to the apron and dives onto O’Reilly from there. O’Reilly though able to get up and send Madison into the rail. Back in the ring O’Reilly does the river dance into an elbow, haha. Madison hits an enziguri then hits the ropes but O’Reilly catches him in a side slam. O’Reilly goes for a second river dance elbow but misses. Both men up and Madison hits a clothesline. O’Reilly goes for a tilt a whirl but Madison lands on his feet and hits a brain buster for 2. Madison goes up top but misses a dive. Chokeslam bomb by O’Reilly gets 2. O’Reilly charges but gets caught in the abdominal stretch rollup for the 3 count in 7.01

It’s time for another addition of “Inside the Guardrails”. This time Chris Nelson is with Chaz. Chaz talks about how there is no competition in the upcoming Heavyweight Title Tournament. They talk about Chaz being a brand new father. Nelson asks if his son will play football or wrestler and Chaz says golf. Chaz then makes fun of Nelson because he calls the show “Inside the Ropes” at the. Generally that would be something you would want to reshoot.

Kevin Devine vs. Chaz, ref Chuck Hart
Chaz gets things going with a hip toss, body slam and elbow drop. Chaz with the Boss Man sit on the guy as he is draped on the second rope. Chaz sends Devine into the corner and hits the burning hammer. Butt bump in the corner is followed up but the downward spiral which they now call “the thingy”. Chaz picks up the win in 2.49.

Rico Cassanova vs. Apolo, ref Mickie Jay
Apolo throws around Rico a bit. Big hanging vertical suplex by Apolo. Rico tries to reverse an irish whip but Apolo is just to big and he pull Rico back in and nails a clothesline. Rico moves on a corner charge and then charges himself but catches a big boot. Apolo with a muscle buster but he picks up Rico at the 2 count. Apolo hits another big boot followed by a TKO for the win in 4.21.

Dennis Knight meets up with New Jack and Hack Meyers outside he is there to wish them luck in their match against the Blackharts. The Blackharts then attack from behind and the two team brawl.

We see highlights of the pervious Tag Team Title Tournament matches.

Joey Machete & Shawn Murphy (w/ ???) vs. The Vandals, ref Bruce Michaels
This match is for the titles. Apparently the other semi finals match is no longer happening. All four man go at it right away and spill to the floor. Blackharts and the team of New Jack and Hack Meyers were both eliminated from the tournament due to the brawl they just got into. The Market Crashers have dropped the tag team name and are now only going by their names. The ref tries to get control of the match but things are out of control. Tommy Vandal and Machete finally turn this into an actual tag match after 3 minutes of all four men fighting. Tommy in control and then he tags Ricky. Murphy comes in behind the refs back and hits a low blow and then tags. Murphy chokes Ricky as Tommy distracts the ref trying to get into the ring. Machete comes in now. Ricky comes back with a clothesline on Machete and gets two. We go to commercial and when we come back the Vandals have made a tag but Machete cuts off Tommy and slams him. Tommy comes back though and both teams tag. Ricky hits a nice looking running blockbuster on Murphy and spin buster on Machete. Tommy goes for a super kick but Murphy pulls the ref in the way. Machete and Murphy hit the sideslam/neck breaker combo and another ref comes down and counts the fall. Machete and Murphy are the new tag team champions. 7.17 of the match was shown.

Highlights for next week and thus ends another episode of Maximum Impact.

My thoughts on the show…
Good show this week. We got two competitive matches that were pretty good and the squashes were nice and short.

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Maximum Impact 2004-07-09 (Matches taped 2004-06-25 from War Memorial in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla)

Heavyweight: Vacant
TV Champion: “Black Nature Boy” Scoot Andrews
Tag Team: Joey Machete & Shawn Murphy

Highlights from last week and then we go to Mark Nulty and Chris Nelson and they tells us that tonight the Heavyweight Tournament begins.

David Babylon vs. Steve Madison, ref Chuck Hart
Madison now has brown hair. Maybe he was getting tired of being called Chris Candido. Some are work back and forth. Babylon with a slingshot oklahoma roll. That looked really cool. Babylon with a tilt a whirl into a cross face but Madison gets to the ropes. Madison goes to the floor and Babylon follows with a dive over the top rope. Madison’s ankle looks broken. They go back into the ring and Babylon gets the pin in 2.42. Madison sits in the ring and starts to take off his boot as we go to a prerecorded interview.

Nulty is with Apolo. Apolo talks about all his accomplishments and that Warlord is the past and he is the future.

We learn that Madison has suffered a broken ankle and will be out of action for 14 weeks.

Nulty is with Jeff Bradley. Bradley says he’s ready to kick ass and win the title.

Bruiser Bradley vs. Apolo, ref Mickie Jay
We previously know Bradley as Dudley Dudley in ECW. First match of the tournament. They do the test of strength gimmick where Apolo keeps lift the opposite hand that Bradley is. Bradley gets pissed and Apolo just taps him in the mouth with a jab. They go blow for blow and Apolo hits a back drop. Bradley goes to the floor Apolo follows and Bradley takes over. Apolo misses a corner charge in the ring and hits his shoulder on the ring post. Bradley all over Apolo. Big clothesline gets a 2 count. Bradley with a piledriver that almost gets the 3 count. Bradley brings it to the entrance ramp and goes for another one but Apolo backdrops him. Back in the ring Apolo with another back drop and a bunch of clotheslines. Urinagi gets a 2. Bradley up he rakes the eyes and he goes for his bull rope. The ref stops him allowing Warlord to come down and hit Apolo with a chair. Bradley covers and gets the surprise win in 7.33.

We get some promos from Vampire Warrior, Warlord and Norman Smiley who all have matches coming up next week.

Mark Nulty interviews Ryan O’Reilly.

Ryan O’Reilly vs. Chaz, ref Bruce Michaels
Nelson picks O’Reilly to win the tournament. We get some prerecorded comments from Chaz. Chaz quickly hits the burning hammer at gets 2. O’Reilly goes to the eyes and hits a clothesline. River dance elbow drop for 2. O’Reilly stays on Chaz for a few minutes but Chaz comes back hits the butt bump in the corner followed up by the thingy for the win in 3.45. I decided to look up O’Reilly on wikipedia and learned that he is now in the WWE as Konnor of the Ascension.

We go back stage where the Tag Team Champions and their manager are doing a photo shoot. For some reason someone walks right in front of them even though they are clearly taking pictures. The champs kick the guys ass.

Boobs interviewer finally tells us her name! Connie Cabral is with some young fans. She asks them who they wanted to win the tag team title tournament all but one kid say the Vandals. Punisher shows up and says that since the kids want it that tonight the Vandals get another match. Connie is now a luxury real estate marketer and appears on HGTV.

Dennis Knight talks about winning the tournament.

Dennis Knight vs. Lex Lovett, ref Chuck Hart
Pre recorded comments from Lex Lovett he says the same thing that everyone else says when they are in a tournament. Back and forth for the first few minutes until Knight takes over. Lovett tries to come back with a leg lariat but Knight cuts him off right after to regain control. Back breaker by Knight and then he comes off the second buckle but misses the driving forearm. Lovett fires back and hits a a few clotheslines and a german for 2. Lovett though hangs onto the waist lock. Knight fights out and goes for the reverse DDT. Lovett fights out and hits a running blockbuster and advances to the semi finals in 6.31.

Connie Cabral is with the Vandals. The Vandals want another title match and they get one next week.

My thoughts on the show…
Good show again this week. The title tournament has me interested an I’m glad they didn’t go with the “safe” booking of putting Apolo and Knight into the next round. So far advancing into the semi finals are Bruiser Bradley, Chaz and Lex Lovett. The final first round match next week will be Warlord against Norman Smiley. I expect Apolo to factor into that match we also get the Vandals against Joey Machette and Shawn Murphy for the tag titles.

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Maximum Impact 2004-07-16 (Matches taped 2004-06-25 from War Memorial in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla)

Heavyweight: Vacant
TV Champion: “Black Nature Boy” Scoot Andrews
Tag Team: Joey Machete & Shawn Murphy

Highlights from last week and then Mark Nulty and Chris Nelson run down the show.

Bruiser Bradley vs. Vampire Warrior, ref Mickie Jay
They say this is a tournament match which confuses me. Bradley attacks from behind but Warrior spits blood into Bradley’s face. They go to the floor with both men hitting the guardrail. Finally back in the ring but they immediately go back to the floor. Back in the ring Warrior with a suplex for 2. The both choke away at each other as the ref tries to break them apart. Bradley hits a big clothesline puts his feet on the rope for added leverage and gets the win in 4.38 to advance in the tournament.

The Vandals are getting ready for their title match.

Kahagas vs. David Babylon, ref Bruce Michaels
Connie Cabral taps Kahagas on his shoulder before he comes to the ring to try and get an interview but he turns and swings his kendo stick at her as she falls to the ground. Kahagas with a back fist and drop kick. Babylon with the tilt a whirl into a cross face. Kahagas gets out and hits a flying head scissor from a standing position. Looked nice. Babylon though out of nowhere hits sliced bread. Kahgus hits a half nelson driver he calls the Tokyo Monster Driver for the win in 2.52.

The Warlord vs. Norman Smiley, ref Chuck Hart
Final first round tournament match here. Will Smiley be able to use his wrestling ability to beat the much stronger Warlord? What role will Apolo play in this match if any? Let’s find out! Smiley goes full steam ahead with clotheslines but Warlord doesn’t budge. Warlord goes for a clothesline of his own but Smiley rolls under it then dance. This makes the big man mad. Warlord runs through Smiley and now he goes to town. Warlord hammers on the back of Smiley and locks in a bear hug. Smiley makes a comeback but still can’t take Warlord down. Warlord cuts for Smiley and locks in the full nelson. Apolo shows up on the ramp. Warlord releases the hold to jaw with Apolo. Smiley with a school boy and he gets the pin in 6.13.

Tag Team Champions Joey Machete and Shawn Murphy are backstage with their manager and she tells them that they better not blow this she tells them it’s time to go.

Tag Team Champions Joey Machete & Shawn Murphy (w/ ???) vs. Vandals, ref Mickie Jay
Machete starts with Tommy Vandal and they get nose to nose. The tag titles are pretty nice looking. Tommy slaps Machete and they go at it. Tommy with a rana. Both men then go for a cross body at the same time. Both teams tag. Ricky with a spin buster and Murphy bails to the floor. Murphy and Machete regroup and the Vandals dive to the floor onto them. Back in the ring Murphy takes over on Tommy. Tommy able to take though but Ricky comes in and gets powerslammed. Tag to Machete but he misses an elbow drop. Ricky with a sunset flip, Murphy breaks it up and Machete hits a clothesline and tags. Ricky ducks a double clothesline and hits his own. Tag to Tommy and he hits a running stomp in the corner. Murphy however takes back over and we go to commercial break. Back from break and Murphy is beating away on Tommy. Tommy tries to hit a rana but Murphy doesn’t go over. Machete comes in a drop kicks Tommy. Tommy hits a super kick but Murphy doesn’t go down. Tommy charges but Murphy throws Tommy in the air and hits a cutter. Both men up at the same time and they each charge and land a clothesline. By the way the commentators have been calling the Vandals the wrong names this whole match. Each teams tag and Ricky comes in and hits a big spine buster on Machete. Murphy comes from behind and they go for a double suplex. Tommy stops it and joins in and now the Vandals suplex Murphy and Machete. Machete goes for a a suplex from the apron to the floor. Ricky blocks it and tries to bring it inside but Murphy trips him up and holds his foot down. Machete falls on top and gets the pin. 11.11 of the match was shown.

Preview of next weeks show. We will see the semi finals of the Title Tournament as well as Apolo taking on the Warlord.

My thoughts on the show…
Main event was good. Warlord match was of course slow and boring and the other two were really nothing. Not bad but not worth watching. So I timed out this show 15 minutes is commercials. 5 minutes is the highlights from last week and last 10 minutes is next weeks preview. That only leave 30 minutes of the 1 hour show dedicated to new material. That’s pretty bad if you ask me. That’s always how it is too.

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Maximum Impact 2004-07-23 (Matches taped 2004-06-25 from War Memorial in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla)

Heavyweight: Vacant
TV Champion: “Black Nature Boy” Scoot Andrews
Tag Team: Joey Machete & Shawn Murphy

Mark Nulty and Chris Nelson are joined at the commentators table by Tag Team Champions Joey Machete and Shawn Murphy. Maybe they will tell us their managers name this week.

Kahagas vs. Johnny Vandal, ref Bruce Michaels
A new Vandal brother makes his debut today. Vandal flings himself around the ring a bit sending Kahagas to the floor. Vandal follows with a suicide dive through the ropes. Kahagas with a back body drop on the floor. Back in the ring Kahagas stays in control. A roundhouse kick gets a 2 count. Kahagas with a gory special looking submission. Vandal breaks out of it and hits a DDT. Kahagas stays upside down on his head for about 30 seconds, looks pretty awesome. Both men back up Kahagas with “green mist” I put it in quotes because nothing actually comes out of his mouth or ends up on Vandal’s face. Kahagas follows up with a inverted suplex into a cutter and gets the win in 4.07.

Chris Nelson is with Tommy and Ricky Vandal for “Inside the Guardrail”. Vandals say they are going to win the tag team championship. This was an absolutely awful interview on all three mens part.

Bruiser Bradley says he is going to take out Chaz and head to the finals of the title tournament.

Bruiser Bradley vs. Chaz, ref Chuck Hart
Bradley attacks as soon as Chaz hits the ring. Bradley all of Chaz for the first few minutes. Fisherman buster gets a 2 count. Bradley misses a second rope leg drop. Chaz with an atomic drop and a flying clothesline. Chaz comes off the top rope with the stage dive and gets the win in 4.25. Chaz moves on to the finals.

Lex Lovett talks about his upcoming match with Norman Smiley.

Lex Lovett vs. Norman Smiley, ref Mickie Jay
The two men go back a forth on the mat to start things off. They do some nice back and forth arm work. Five minutes in and it’s been all smooth mat wrestling. Smiley with some european uppercuts and then he gets aggressive with some stiff kicks to the back. Big swinging slam and then he locks in a submission. Gut buster gets 2. Smiley goes for a drop kick but Lovett holds onto the ropes and Smiley crashes to the mat. Lovett hits a drop kick of his own for 2. Suplex gets 2 for Lex. Guillotine on the top rope and Lovett now stepping on the throat of Smiley. Lovett with a guillotine leg drop from in the ring to the apron. Lovett brings a chair in the ring but Smiley kicks it away from him. Smiley stomps away on the knee of Lovett. Hanging double under hook suplex by Smiley. Lovett launches himself at Smiley but gets caught in the big wiggle. Smiley goes for the wheel barrel slam but Lovett reverses into a bulldog for 2. Leg lariat gets another 2. They go back and forth fight for an irish whip but then Smiley locks in the Norman Conquest and gets the submission win in 13.10.

Warlord vs. Apolo ref Bruce Michaels
The big men go face to face and come to blows. Apolo hits a few shoulder tackles but Warlord doesn’t go down. A flying shoulder tackle finally takes him down and he bails to the floor. Back in Warlord with a stun gun. Crowd dead silent. Warlord with a clothesline for 2. Who the fuck thought this was a good idea to put as the main event on TV. Apolo fights back and Lands a super kick. Apolo picks up Warlord but Dennis Knight and Blackharts show up ending the match in DQ in 5.29. New Jack and Hack Meyers make the save chasing them out of the ring. New Jack gets a mic and challenges the Blackharts to a cage match next week.

New Jack and Hack Meyers are with Connie Cabral and they hype the cage match for next week.

My thoughts on the show…
Main event was really boring. Lovett Smiley was decent I really enjoyed the back and forth they did in the beginning, Chaz and Bradley should have had a little more time. You can watch this one up until the main event then just turn it off.

Fighting Spirit Review: All Japan “Giant Baba 17th Memorial” 1/31/15

By
Kevin Wilson
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Kevin Wilson of PuroresuCentral

Date:  January 31st, 2015
Location:  Tokyo Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance:  1,711 (Super No Vacancy)

To celebrate Giant Baba, All Japan put together this odd looking card with no title matches or important matches.  But it does have some of the younger wrestlers facing off, and also for some reason we get KENSO against Inoue because someone out there in the world hates me.  Here is the full card:

– Yohei Nakajima vs. Yuma Aoyagi
– Naoya Nomura vs. SUSHI
– KENSO vs. Masao Inoue
– Jinsei Shinzaki and TARU vs. Taiyo Kea and Yuto Aijima
– Genichiro Tenryu, Akebono, and Ultimo Dragon vs. Suwama, Atsushi Aoki, and Hikaru Sato
– Go Shiozaki, Kento Miyahara, and Kotaro Suzuki vs. Jun Akiyama, Takao Omori, and Fuchi

Onto the goodness!

Yohei Nakajima vs. Yuma Aoyagi
Nakajima gets Aoyagi in the ropes but gives a clean break.  They go back and forth and Nakajima hits a scoop slam.  Nakajima picks up Aoyagi and Nakajima hits a dropkick followed by a hiptoss.  Cobra twist by Nakajima but Aoyagi gets to the ropes.  Back up they trade blows and Aoyagi hits a dropkick.  Scoop slam by Aoyagi, he goes up top and he hits a diving crossbody for a two count.  Back bodydrop by Nakajima and he hits an elbow in the corner followed by a backdrop suplex.  Nakajima kicks Aoyagi in the back but Aoyagi sneaks in an inside cradle for two.  Nakajima applies an Octopus Hold, and Aoyagi quickly submits.  Just a young lion type match but fundamentally sound and it was shown in full so I know they didn’t cut out any mistakes.  A good opener but very basic.  Score:  5.0

Naoya Nomura vs. SUSHI
Nomura and SUSHI trade strikes to start and SUSHI hits a bodyslam.  They trade elbows and Nomura hits a vertical suplex.  Dropkick by Nomura and he hits a scoop slam.  Nomura goes up top and he hits a missile dropkick.  Jumping elbow by Nomura in the corner and he hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count.  Nomura goes up but this time SUSHI avoids the missile dropkick.  Crab hold by SUSHI, Nomura gets out of it but SUSHI hits a superkick.  Lariat by SUSHI, he goes up top and delivers the diving headbutt for a three count.  This one was worse than the last since it was equally basic but SUSHI is a bore to watch.  Just an utterly not interesting character.  So another rookie-style match void of anything interesting but fine technically.  Score:  4.0

KENSO vs. Masao Inoue
I don’t want to watch this, please don’t make me.  KENSO knocks Inoue to the mat and throws him in the corner before hitting a few slaps.  KENSO throws Inoue out of the ring, he removes the mat and DDTs Inoue onto the bare floor.  They return to the ring and KENSO slaps Inoue some more before hitting a pair of big boots.   Two more boots by KENSO but Inoue hits lariats in the corner.  Inoue waits forever for KENSO to get up but KENSO hits an STO for a two count.  Brainbuster by KENSO but that gets a two also.  KENSO slaps on a STF and hits another brainbuster for a two count.  KENSO goes up top and he hits a diving elbow drop for the three count.  What an odd little match, it was basically a glorified squash.  It still had issues of course, the floor DDT meant nothing which is an issue and Inoue really needed a hope spot at the end so it wasn’t just KENSO destroying him.  Not unwatchable but certainly not good.  Score:  3.5

Jinsei Shinzaki and TARU vs. Taiyo Kea and Yuto Aijima
Shinzaki and Aijima start off the match, this is an incredibly odd assortment of wrestlers.  Headlock work by Kea and he manages to hit a dropkick.  Shinzaki smacks Kea, he grabs his arm and walks the ropes 3/8ths of the way around the ring before chopping Kea.  TARU and Aijima are tagged in and they try to knock each other over, which Aijima wins.  They trade elbows, Aijima goes off the ropes but he gets pulled out of the ring and thrown into the railing while YASSHI distresses the referee.  TARU rams Aijima into the column up in the stands and then into the ring post.  Back in the ring TARU applies a nerve hold but Kea breaks it up.  TARU tags in Shinzaki and Shinzaki goes back to the nerve hold.  Laziest hold known to man.  Aijima gets out of it and he hits a spear, making the tag to Kea.  Jumping elbow by Kea and he hits a lariat.  He gets rid of the Voodoo Murders and Kea hits a DDT to Shinzaki.  Kicks by Kea but Shinzaki avoids the TKO.  Mandala Hineri by Shinzaki and he tags in TARU.  Kick by TARU and he hits a scissors kick.  Kick to the head by TARU, he gets a kendo stick and hits Kea in the arm with it.  Kea hits TARU and he hits a side Russian leg sweep.  Kea tags in Aijima, knee to the stomach by Aijima to TARU and he hits a reverse splash for a two count.  Lariat by Aijima and he boots TARU in the head.  Backdrop suplex by Aijima and he gets a two count.  TARU catches Aijima with a chokebomb and he tags in Shinzaki.  Swandive chop to the head by Shinzaki, he goes up top and hits a diving shoulderblock for a two count.  Aijima hits a back bodydrop but Shinzaki kicks him in the chest and hits the powerbomb.  Kea breaks up the pin attempt so Shinzaki locks in the Gokuraku-Gatame and Aijima submits.  I think I enjoyed this match because it was just so random and weird.  Plus I like Shinzaki.  But aside from the super boring nerve hold stuff that I hate, they kept the action moving from start to finish and it was a good mix of heeling (Voodoo Murders) and good wholesome Shinzaki awesomeness.   Nothing ground breaking but fun nonetheless.  Score:  6.5

Genichiro Tenryu, Akebono, and Ultimo Dragon vs. Suwama, Aoki, and Hikaru Sato
Tenryu and Suwama start off and they trade chops.  Suwama isn’t being soft with Tenryu which I am sure Tenryu appreciates.  Rolling kick by Tenryu out of nowhere and Suwama falls out of the ring.  Suwama comes back in and they trade strikes, with Suwama knocking Tenryu down in the corner.  Tenryu punches Suwama in the face, and Suwama tags in Sato.  Sato kicks Tenryu down in the corner, honestly anyone that thinks Tenryu shouldn’t retire hasn’t seen him in a while, he gets up like Vader or Akebono.  Sato tags in Aoki, Tenryu chops Aoki to the mat and tags in Akebono.  Akebono hits a press slam on Aoki and hits an elbow drop for two.  Akebono tags in Ultimo Dragon and Ultimo Dragon attacks Aoki in the corner.  Aoki gets the advantage and hits a snap vertical suplex.  Headscissors by Ultimo Dragon and he hits an elbow.  Ultimo Dragon tags Tenryu in and Tenryu chops Aoki in the head.  Tenryu applies an armbar but Suwama breaks it up.  Tenryu tags in Akebono but Aoki avoids him in the corner.  Aoki also avoids the elbow drop and tags in Suwama.  Suwama gets on Akebono’s back but Akebono drives him back into the corner.  Dropkick by Suwama, he goes for a powerbomb but Akebono back bodydrops out of it.  Akebono tags in Tenryu, and Tenryu trades chops with Suwama.  Punches by Tenryu and Suwama tags in Sato.  Kicks by Sato but Tenryu punches him in the face and tags in Akebono.  Akebono squishes Sato in the corner and he hits an elbow drop.  Sato avoids the body press, Aoki runs in and both he and Sato take turns kicking Akebono.  Akebono hits a double lariat, he throws him into the corner and hits a body avalanche.  Ultimo Dragon runs in, he dropkicks Aoki out of the ring and hits a plancha suicida down onto him.  Body press by Akebono to Sato, cover, but Suwama breaks it up.  Tenryu and Suwama trade chops, Akebono picks up Sato and he hits a side Russian leg sweep.  Body press by Akebono and he picks up the three count.  Poor Tenryu, his body is really breaking down on him, probably a good thing he has announced his retirement later this year.  This was a fine six man tag but it didn’t need all six of them, Sato and Ultimo Dragon did very little.  I enjoyed it for what it was, it had its fun parts, but nothing special.  Score:  6.0

Go Shiozaki, Kento Miyahara, and Kotaro Suzuki vs. Jun Akiyama, Takao Omori, and Fuchi
Dammit why is Fuchi in this, stupid All Japan.  Suzuki and Fuchi start off and Fuchi hits a shoulderblock followed by a wing clutch cover for a two count.  Shiozaki is tagged in and he chops Fuchi.  After we are done with the Fuchi silliness, he tags in Akiyama.  Akiyama shoulderblocks Shiozaki but Shiozaki chops him in the chest.  Shiozaki drives Akiyama back and both Miyahara and Omori are tagged in.  Omori and Miyahara try to knock each other over, which Miyahara wins with a big boot.  Omori tags in Fuchi and Fuchi is thrown out of the ring.  Miyahara goes to the floor and with Suzuki they hit a spike piledriver.  Shiozaki slides Fuchi back in for Miyahara, and Miyahara chokes Fuchi against the ropes.  Miyahara goes to piledrive Fuchi on the floor again but Akiyama breaks it up.  They get back in the ring but Fuchi rolls back out and Shiozaki hits another spike piledriver on the floor.  I guess spike piledrivers are Fuchi’s kryptonite.  Suzuki stays in the ring with Fuchi and punches him around the ring.  Handspring elbow strike by Suzuki to Fuchi and he knees him in the corner.  The Fuchi beatdown continues until he finally tags in Omori.  Omori boots Shiozaki and he hits a heel kick.  Omori and Shiozaki trade chops and Shiozaki hits a backdrop suplex.  Shiozaki tags in Miyahara, and Miyahara dropkicks Omori.  Jumping elbow by Miyahara and he hits a Northern Lights Suplex for two.   Miyahara locks in the cross armbreaker but Akiyama breaks it up.  Miyahara knees Omori in the corner and he hits a big boot for a two count.  Miyahara goes up top but Omori joins him, hitting a superplex.  Omori boots Miyahara but Miyahara ducks the Axe Bomber and hits a big boot of his own.

Omori tags in Fuchi while Suzuki is tagged in, and Fuchi scoop slams Suzuki.  Another scoop slam by Fuchi, Miyahara runs in the ring but Fuchi rakes his eyes.  Fuchi bodyslams Miyahara but Shiozaki walks in the ring and bodyslams Fuchi. Omori comes in to help, and Fuchi dropkicks Shiozaki. Shiozaki is triple teamed but Shiozaki takes back over and Fuchi is triple teamed instead. Elbow by Suzuki to Fuchi and he hits him with a tiger feint kick. Suzuki picks up Fuchi but Fuchi hits a backslide for a two count. Kick by Fuchi and he hits a backdrop suplex. Fuchi tags in Akiyama, and Akiyama hits a running knee to Suzuki for a two count. Another running knee by Akiyama but Miyahara breaks up the pin attempt. Akiyama and Suzuki trade elbows but Akiyama hits a lariat. Exploder by Akiyama, he picks up Suzuki but Suzuki hits an armdrag. Pin attempts by Suzuki but Omori breaks it up. Suzuki elbows Omori but Akiyama knees Suzuki for a two. Fuchi grabs Suzuki and hits a backdrop suplex. Wrist-Clutch Exploder by Akiyama to Suzuki, and he picks up the three count. This was a… fitting All Japan main event. I have no idea if that is a compliment or not, but it was just exactly what you would except. I still think the Fuchi bodyslam stuff is silly and best saved for the beginning of the card. The action was generally solid but nothing really set it apart too much aside from when Akiyama was in the ring. Not a bad way to end the show and the match didn’t feel as long as it was. Score: 6.5

Final Thoughts:

This is probably the most complete event for All Japan in 2015, but unlike the last event it lacked that single match that I could really recommend seeing. The main event was perfectly fine wrestling and a few of the other matches were solid, but nothing here was special or memorable in any way. For MOTY seekers you can skip this one, but just for an overview of what All Japan is doing so far in 2015 this is probably the best card so far. Just don’t expect much from KENSO vs. Inoue.

Grade: C- 

Backstage News On Brock Lesnar Possibly Turning Babyface, More

By
Brian Grey
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0

Source: F4WOnline

As noted, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar appeared on ESPN today and announced that he has signed a multi-year deal with WWE after Vince McMahon made him an offer he couldn’t refuse at RAW in Los Angeles.

Lesnar mentioned how he has been training for MMA but something was missing mentally for him, which was one of the factors that led to him going with WWE. Lesnar reportedly has been doing two months of MMA training that was described as very serious. Lesnar had been training up until just a few days ago preparing for a return to the Octagon.

It was also noted by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter today that friends close to Lesnar and his wife Sable did not want him to return to professional fighting.

Brock staying with WWE for a few more years obviously opens the door for several high-profile feuds and the expected big babyface turn. Some are expecting Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 event to see Lesnar as a super babyface against Reigns as a super heel, due in part to the crowd. A Lesnar babyface turn has reportedly been decided on within WWE since the first of the year.

Breaking News: Brock Lesnar Re-Signs With WWE, Details, Vince McMahon’s Offer

By
Crazymax Jack
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0

Moments ago on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Brock Lesnar announced he is closing the door on his MMA career and then went on to announce that he officially re-signed a multi-year with the WWE last night. Lesnar says he didn’t want to keep it quiet because he wanted to be fair to the fans and let them know prior to WrestleMania. Brock quoted “Old Vince McMahon put the offer on the table that I couldn’t refuse”.

Lesnar revealed that he signed a new deal at RAW in Los Angeles last night after receiving an offer he couldn’t refuse. Lesnar said it took him over a year to decide and he wanted to be the one to make the announcement.

Lesnar got choked up at one point said his pro wrestling career is not over and his legacy here will continue but his legacy in UFC’s Octagon is over. Lesnar said he wants to have fun and something was missing mentally while he’s been training for a return to MMA. Lesnar feels he was born to be an entertainer and wondered what he would have to gain if he did return to UFC.

Lesnar said he couldn’t refuse the offer that Vince McMahon made him at RAW and wanted fans to know before Sunday’s WrestleMania 31 event. Lesnar said he wants to leave WrestleMania with the title.

Lesnar also stated that his recent appearance at the UFC pay-per-view was not a negotiating tactic. He said he just wanted to feel the UFC atmosphere for one last time. He added that UFC President Dana White agrees with his decision.

Former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman, who now works for ESPN, also interviewed Lesnar and asked how much fun Lesnar is going to have at WrestleMania. Lesnar said he always has fun and people who watch his matches also have fun. Lesnar said he loves the pro wrestling business and hates the travel so this new deal is good for him.

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