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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.)
•Top Stories of the Week
Thursday’s Impact Wrestling episode, drew 101,000 viewers which is down 22 percent from last week’s 129,000 viewers. (SOURCE)
Multiple sources have claimed Trevor Lee’s contract with Impact Wrestling ends on December 31, 2018. (SOURCE)
Despite Impact’s TV deal ending this year, it seems they will remain on Pop TV for the beginning of 2019. (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter 11/19/2018)
The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz) will be making their Impact debut in two weeks. (SOURCE)
The Dec. 20 and 27 episodes of Impact Wrestling will be “Best of” shows. These shows will consist of matches/segments chosen by fans. (SOURCE)
VIP Tickets for Homecoming go on sale on Monday, November 19 and individual tickets go on sale Monday, November 26. (SOURCE)
•Live Event Results
*TV Taping Spoilers*
11/11/2018 – Impact Vegas, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev. – RESULTS AT PWTORCH
11/12/2018 – Impact Vegas, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev. – RESULTS AT PROWRESTLING.NET
11/13/2018 – Impact Vegas, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev. – RESULTS AT PROWRESTLING.NET
•Upcoming Major Show Line-up: Homecoming in Nashville
Impact Homecoming
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January 6, 2019
Nashville, Tenn. at the Fairgrounds
(1) Johnny Impact (c) vs. Brian Cage – Impact World Championship match
(2) Tessa Blanchard (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie – Impact Knockouts Championship match.
(More matches haven’t been announced, but are listed HERE.)
•Upcoming Events
11/30/2018 – Gold Rush, Newark Pavilion, Newark, Calif.
12/1/2018 – One Night Only: Back to Cali, Salinas Pal Youth Center, Salinas, Calif.
1/6/2019 – Homecoming, The Asylum, Nashville, Tenn.
1/7/2019 – Impact Live, The Asylum, Nashville, Tenn.
1/25/2019 – Battle of Brooklyn, St. Pats CYO Sports, Brooklyn, N.Y.
1/26/2019 – One Night Only: New Beginnings, Holy Family Academy, Hazleton, Pa.
2/15/2019 – Impact Live, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
2/16/2019 – Impact Live, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
2/17/2019 – Impact Live, Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
3/22/2019 – Impact Tapings, St. Clair College, Windsor, Ont.
3/23/2019 – Impact Tapings, St. Clair College, Windsor, Ont.
4/4/2019 – Culture Clash 2019, 9112 144th Place, Queens, N.Y
•Latest TV Highlights: (11/15 Impact Wrestling)
Impact Wrestling from Nov. 15, 2018, from Sam’s Town Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Aired on Pop TV at 10 p.m. EST.
Announcers: Josh Matthews and Don Callis.
(1) Tessa Blanchard (c) defeated Ray Lyn – Non-title match.
-After the match, Tessa called out Taya Valkyrie, then Taya hit the ring and announced she’s challenging for the Knockouts title at Homecoming.
-In the casino, KM told Fallah Bahh they will face LAX tonight.
(2) LAX (w/Konnan) (c) defeated KM & Fallah Bahh – Non-title match.
-Backstage, Mckenzie Mitchell interviewed Heather Monroe. Kiera Hogan approached Monroe and warned her that Su Yung is very dangerous.
-LAX were backstage celebrating their win with Konnan. Santana said they should give the Lucha Bros a title shot, but Konnan quickly shut that idea down.
-In the ring, Eli Drake cut a promo saying he is the last of a dying breed. Tommy Dreamer made his way to the ring, and took shots at Drake’s attire. Dreamer then gave Drake a history lesson on professional wrestling. Drake and Dreamer teased a fight tonight, then Drake backed-off and left.
-Backstage, Scarlett Bordeaux approached the referees, she said that she loves men with power and authority.
(3) Johnny Impact (c) defeated Matt Sydal (w/Ethan Page) – Non-title match.
-After the match, Killer Kross came out and accepted defeat from last week. Kross then offered his services to Impact, but he declined the offer.
-Backstage, Eddie Edwards jumped Moose, but he was restrained by three doctors.
(4) Su Yung defeated Heather Monroe
-After the match, Yung beat down Monroe, but Kiera Hogan made the save. Allie appeared as “Dark” Allie, then Yung attacked Hogan from behind. Allie and Yung held hands as they left.
(5) Brian Cage (c) defeated Sami Callihan (w/oVe) – X Division Championship match.
-After the match, Cage announced he is cashing in the X Division title, in January, at Homecoming.
For a more detailed report and analysis check out the full PWTorch.com TV Report HERE.
•LATEST PWTORCH LIVECAST COVERING IMPACT
PWTorch.com’s Mike McMahon and Andrew Soucek discuss Impact Wrestling! They take listener emails on Impact’s TV future and other topics. They discuss Brian Cage cashing in Option-C at Homecoming, Johnny Impact vs. Matt Sydal, and Cage vs. Sami Callihan.
-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “PWTorch” or “Pro Wrestling Torch” on your podcast app of choice
•Impact in the Media
Pentagon Jr, Fenix, and Taya Valkyrie were on the Impact Wrestling press pass this week. Topics ranged from Survivor, sports, and what they like best about Lucha libre wrestling.
Brian Cage was interviewed by The Mirror this past week. Cage expressed that he wants to be remembered as the most unique X division champion. He also discussed future goals with Impact, dream matches, and the current state of Indy wrestling.
•Social Media Scene
Two MASSIVE Championship matches have been confirmed for Homecoming on January 6th in Nashville.
IMPACT World Championship: @TheRealMorrison (c) vs. @MrGMSI_BCage
IMPACT Knockouts Championship: @Tess_Blanchard (c) vs. @TheTayaValkyrie
VIP Packages go on sale Monday! pic.twitter.com/zz8FPlmC3B
— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) November 16, 2018
I'm still "Impact wrestling Star" Trevor Lee
— Trevor Lee (@TLee910) November 16, 2018
Derrotas que saben a victorias.
Gracias a todos por todo 🙏🏻
A loss that feels like a victory.
Thank you everyone for everything #Animo #MexaKing #LuchaBrothers pic.twitter.com/JAO0wAkqW6
— REY FENIX👑MexaKing (@ReyFenixMx) November 10, 2018
Please, don’t call for me unless I send for you. https://t.co/dPlZkwTRXT
— Tessa Blanchard (@Tess_Blanchard) November 10, 2018
•Closing Commentary
Impact Wrestling is widely considered the third largest pro wrestling company in the U.S., behind Ring of Honor and of course WWE. Impact will never overtake WWE as the top wrestling promotion, but they could overtake ROH if they were to make a few changes to their schedule.
The biggest change they need to make is simplifying their PPV schedule. Hopefully, they are going to start running quarterly PPVs, but why are “One Night Only” PPVs still a thing? The One Night Only PPVs do not follow storylines that take place on TV and they are aired on a dying platform that has numerous technical errors.
TV tapings are now bi-monthly/monthly depending on the season. If tapings stay monthly, that would help keep storylines fresh and it would be easier to make storyline changes if talent departs.
Obviously, Impact can’t afford to run live events every week, but they should get on a consistent live event schedule. Even if it’s only once or twice a month, it would be better than what they currently run. Also, air these live events on Twitch. At least then you can receive capital from tips and subscribers. Another major mistake they are making is partnering up with regional indy promotions. It’s not because I hate indy wrestling, but if you want people to take your company seriously, you can’t be seen on the level of those promotions.
In conclusion, if Impact could run monthly TV tapings, promote live events, and clean up their PPV model, some fans may change their overall perspective of the company. Impact can’t afford to ignore their fans like larger promotions can (WWE). Impact’s viewership has drastically dropped off this year and the excitement for the Scott D’Amore and Don Callis era has gone away. Things need to change and change fast before it’s too late.
NOW CHECK OUT OTHER WEEKLY OVERVIEWS HERE.
OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S IMPACT OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – IMPACT WRESTLING (thru 11/16): Impact viewership rebounding a bit in new timeslot, Josh Matthews downplays timeslot change, schedule, big event updates, social media, interview highlights, commentary on Homecoming
Landon Pipkin has been a pro wrestling MMA fan for over a decade. e is from Raleigh, North Carolina. Find him on Twitter @pipkinbrand. Email: [email protected]
DAILY UPDATE
Latest News:
WWE SmackDown ratings down for post-Thanksgiving episode
Charlotte to face Asuka & Kairi Sane in handicap match on WWE Raw
WWE SmackDown video highlights: Wyatt issues challenge to Bryan
WWE 205 Live results: Angel Garza vs. Jack Gallagher
Seth Rollins ‘apology’ segment set for WWE Raw
Sheamus, Alexa Bliss & Elias return to WWE SmackDown
Jon Moxley vs. Joey Janela official for AEW Dynamite
WWE SmackDown live results: New face in Firefly Fun House
Latest Audio:
WOL Saturday: SD, JR, Stardom changes, AEW women’s division 11/30
B&V: Bryan and Vinny review AEW and NXT head-to-head! 11/29
F4W NEWSLETTER: NXT’s Survivor Series involvement Joseph Currier looks at how WWE featured NXT at Survivor Series and in the build to the PPV.
Even with how forced the battle for brand supremacy can admittedly be, Survivor Series is one of the bright spots on the WWE calendar.
The PPV has given us some of the main roster’s best matches in recent years. Last year, we got Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan and Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair (filling in for the injured Becky Lynch). In 2017, Lesnar faced AJ Styles. Those matches wouldn’t have happened without the brand vs. brand concept. And while there would ideally be more substantive stakes involved, the brands facing off has given some life to the traditional Survivor Series elimination tag matches.
The added involvement of NXT this year only improved things. The battle of the brands would have been even more forced without their inclusion. Viewers can believe that NXT really wants to prove that it’s better than Raw or SmackDown. It’s much harder to suspend your disbelief and buy into Raw and SmackDown’s wrestlers being undyingly loyal to their brand just weeks after a draft.
Current subscribers click here to continue reading.
WON NEWSLETTER: December 2, 2019 Observer Newsletter: Survivor Series weekend, Mauro Ranallo/Corey Graves
Coverage of Survivor Series weekend and five shows in six nights in Chicago, as well as the business, polls and more, heads this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We look at the directions things are going, how DVR viewership affects all the major shows, the decision on match order, what Vince McMahon was doing during the Survivor Seres main event, the next two major shows as well as Survivor Series and Takeover with full coverage and star ratings for every match.
The issue also covers:
The myth of NXT as developmental, World’s Collide, the next Takeover, the mention of Britt Baker on the air and more.
The tragic death of Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.
Changes in the UFC drug policy, regarding levels, what drugs are low levels now allowed, what UFC is encouraging fighters to do as far as supplements, .
The situation with Corey Graves and Mauro Ranallo, what happened, why Graves should have been more careful, and where things stand.
Jim Cornette’s apology, how his departure from the NWA took place, more of the background as to why Cornette was castigated for things that nobody would have batted an eye about had others said and why, what NWA wanted to do with him and why their hand was forced.
C.M. Punk signing with FOX, Vince McMahon’s thoughts on Seth Rollins pushing the Punk match, TV ratings in Canada and overseas, WWE get awarded, legend selling home, Oney Lorcan talks future, Mike Bennett talks wanting to leave, Injury updates in WWE, WWE market value and the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network, plus notes on the house shows.
Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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 [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
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SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE
WWE
WWE unveiled a custom Universal title belt for The Fiend on SmackDown last night. The belt was created by Tom Savini Studios, with Bray Wyatt also still having the regular Universal Championship.
WWE Shop is selling handcrafted Fiend custom title belts for $6,499.99. They’re “made from the same materials and with the same craftsmanship you saw ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt debut on WWE SmackDown.”
Luke Harper filed a trademark for “Brodie Lee,” which was the name he used prior to WWE.
Danny Burch tweeted after defeating an enhancement wrestler on last night’s 205 Live: “@WWE205Live my name is Danny Burch and tonight I got to share my unique culture with the #WWEUniverse A pint and fight is a great british night! Knuckle up lads…I’m coming! #guvnor #englandscallingyoumugs #victory”
Vince McMahon made a brief appearance in a post-SmackDown video where Kofi Kingston & Big E celebrated The New Day’s five-year anniversary.
Pro Wrestling
AEW posted video of a promo where PAC demanded a rematch against Kenny Omega. They each have one singles win against each other, with PAC defeating Omega at All Out and Omega defeating PAC on Dynamite this week.
In a reply on Twitter, Matt Jackson teased AEW coming to Southern California in the spring.
Jerry Lynn noted that the surgery he had for a bulging disc was a success.
The Lucha Bros will defend their House of Glory Tag Team titles against Private Party at House of Glory 9 in Queens, New York on December 7.
FOX Sports Australia has a Q&A with NJPW president Harold Meij. He spoke about Wrestle Kingdom 14 being a two-day event: “Our shows, generally speaking, all sell out. Our product is very popular here in Japan. Because 2020 is an Olympic year, so there’ll be more global eyes on the sports and culture of Japan, we thought well, we’re part of the culture of Japan as well. Particularly for the night-life. It’s been said that Japan is very good for daytime tourism but not so much for night-life – there are restaurants and bars and that kind of thing, but not so much other types of entertainment. So even the government is saying let’s look at pro wrestling as a night-life alternative to just restaurants. Because 2020 is an Olympic year, and because the demand for our product has been so great, that’s why we decided next year not to have just one Tokyo Dome day but two. The planning for that was more than a year before that – trying to get the venue obviously, but also deciding whether we want to do it, because it’s a risk for us as well. Can we suddenly double the number of people coming? We have to see how it goes, of course. Anything if you overdo it becomes stale. We want to keep the specialness of it, so I don’t foresee doing it every year – hopefully every so often, that would be wonderful, but we’ll have to see how the fans react the first time.”
Meij was asked how NJPW’s United States subsidiary will impact the promotion’s relationship with ROH: “I actually think it complements a lot of the relationships that we have, especially with ROH for example. As we do these shows and more fans fall in love with our product, as we do more joint matches with ROH – whether ROH comes to us or we go to them – the value of the total package increases. They would see that our wrestlers are very good and so are the ROH ones.”
Meij responded to a question about whether NJPW would work with AEW: “We’re very open to working with anyone, we don’t exclude anyone. But it does take time to create that trust between companies. And right now AEW is still in the exploratory phase; they’re trying to establish themselves as a brand, what is that brand? They’re about one year in, and we’re starting to see what their brand is all about. Then we’ll have to see if that brand fits our brand of course. At this stage, they still have different styles than we do, and that’s the only thing. We’re looking at what their brand positioning is and whether it complements ours.”
Kelly Klein revealed that ROH blocked her on Twitter.
Producer David Sahadi announced that he’s returning to Impact Wrestling full-time: “After a long hiatus, I’ve decided to jump back into ‘the game’. Full time. @IMPACTWRESTLING is arising! And the best is yet to come…”
Bandido returned to CMLL at last night’s Arena Mexico show.
Lance Storm appeared on the latest episode of Talk is Jericho and discussed the life and times of the Storm Wrestling Academy.
MMA
With Tony Ferguson officially signing his deal for the fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson is official for the UFC’s PPV in Brooklyn on April 18.
Conor McGregor wished Donald Cerrone well ahead of their fight.
Jorge Masvidal wants to face Nick Diaz or McGregor next.
Francis Ngannou issued a challenge to Alexander Volkov for UFC 246.
Tito Ortiz thinks there’s a good chance he’d defeat Jon Jones if they fought.
Daily Pro Wrestling History: Antonio Inoki wins WWF title
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
(Search “wade keller” to subscribe in podcast app or CLICK HERE to subscribe in Apple Podcasts.)
WWE TLC PPV ON-SITE REPORT
DECEMBER 16, 2018
SAN JOSE, CALIF.
REPORT BY JOHN M. OF RIPON, CALIF., PWTORCH CORRESPONDENT
It looked like a legit sellout. Only seats blocked off were behind the stage. A few seats were open round the hard cam. The upper deck looked completely full. When the pre-show Cruiserweight match started it was about 75 percent full.
-The crowd was into the Cruiserweight Title match. Lots of “205” chants and dueling “Lets go Cedric/Lets go Murphy” chants.
-The crowd was about 90 percent full for Bobby Lashley vs. Elias. The crowd was happy to see Elias and hated Lashley and Lio Rush.
-Moving into the main show, the crowd was very hot for the first half of the show, but there was a definite drop-off after the Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax match until the main event.
-My seats were to the right of the stage, first row near the floor. There was a walkway for people who sat on the floor and during Baron Corbin’s promo, WWE’s production staff were setting up the aren’a security to hold fans back so we knew something was about to go down. When Braun Strowman came out to a huge reaction, Apollo Crews walked right in front of us with chair in hand. At this point Braun got the loudest reaction until Kurt Angle made his return. It was very loud for this. The crowd was really into this whole thing, happy to see Corbin lose.
-Fans were very supportive of Natalya in her match and I would say this match over-delivered. I thought it was pretty good.
-Finn Balor was very over and I thought this result was a huge surprise. Not sure Drew McIntyre should be losing even if they are doing it with screwy finishes. I hope this leads to something for Finn.
-Lots of boos for Nia and I would say about 80 percent positivity for Rousey. I think Ronda is tremendous for how inexperienced she is. Sometimes I’m not sure fans realize it. When Nia was shown walking backstage holding her arm, Becky got a tremendous reaction when she was on the screen and then a bigger cheer when she knocked out Nia. After this, as I mentioned, the crowd seemed a bit tired.
-The crowd was really into the beginning of the A.J. Styles vs. Daniel Bryan match. Lots of dueling chants. Very electric. I’d say mid-match the crowd was wearing down. On a side note, I don’t know how long they will be able to keep Bryan a heel. People still like him. There was a mixed reaction, but he is too entertaining in my mind.
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-Onto Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins. The biggest surprise to me was the crowd had zero interest in this match. “This is Boring!” chants were loud. “We Want Tables!” and “Becky!” chants too. I took it as it’s a long show and we want the main event. Also wasn’t as intense of a match as I was expecting. I hope the crowd rejecting this match doesn’t hurt a potential Seth main event push.
-Main event time. All three women got positive reactions, Becky being the loudest. Lots of “Becky” chants. The crowd was into everything. Lots of boos after Ronda pushed over the ladder. I don’t think it was a heel turn, but I don’t see the crowd being happy with her on Monday. Asuka got a massive reaction when she grabbed the belt. The crowd liked her a lot and was okay with Becky losing the title to her. Asuka exited first and then Charlotte and Becky had a staredown on the ramp with referees between them. Charlotte’s music hit and she exited talking trash to Becky. Becky exited last to her music and a great reaction. More Becky chants.
Awesome show live.
Best reactions
1. Becky
2. Asuka title win
3. Seth entrance
4. Kurt Angle
5. Finn Balor
Best heel reactions
1. Corbin
2. Lashley/Lio
3. Drew
RELATED: WWE TLC PPV RESULTS 12/16: Keller’s report including Bryan vs. Styles for WWE Title, Becky vs. Charlotte vs. Asuka for Smackdown Title, Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax for Raw Title, Dean vs. Seth for IC Title
Submitted by E.A. Krol from the Marian Catholic High School gym
Warrior Wrestling put on its seventh show Friday in Chicago Heights, IL, about 30 miles south of downtown Chicago. This was the first time for the promotion on Fite TV and it was one of the biggest independent events of the year in the U.S.
Danhausen def. Reilly Maguire (pre-show)
Danhausen prevailed over a student of Michael Elgin’s in a comedy match.
Templario def. Jake Lander
Templario won with a face first reverse duplex off the second rope in a bonus match that went about 15 minutes. The crowd was into this. Lander also trains at Elgin’s school in St. Louis.
Savanna Stone def. Holidead
Stone won in about nine minutes with a spear.
Impact X Division champion Ace Austin def. Blake Christian and Carlos Romo in a three-way to retain
To explain why he did not have his belt with him, Austin did a promo before the match poking fun at WALTER for getting the NXT UK belt stolen in Chicago. The crowd chanted “you forgot it!” In response. They took turns resting on the outside at the start before Romo (from White Wolf Wrestling in Spain) won a slap battle. At the end, each got to hit a finisher off the top with the third guy breaking up a pin attempt on the other two. Austin retained over Christian in about 11 minutes.
Robert Anthony (w/Frank the Clown) def. Jake Atlas
Frank did a pre-match promo telling the crowd it was the holiday season and he had a gift for the crowd: himself. His gift to Atlas was his best friend, Robert “Ego” Anthony, who came out to Queen’s “Can’t Stop Me Now”.
Early on, Anthony stalled and the crowd chanted “You’re a baby!” and Atlas got in the fetal position in the corner in a nice touch. Atlas called for quiet before chopping Anthony loudly a couple times. He missed a third and Anthony took over. Atlas hit a flipping top rope DDT but Frank put Anthony’s foot on the rope. In the end, Frank grabbed Atlas’ leg while the ref was tending to Anthony, who rolled up Atlas for the win in about 11 minutes.
Michael Elgin and Sam Adonis went to a draw
Adonis told the crowd to shut up about his brother (WWE announcer Corey Graves). He turned 33 today and the crowd wished him a happy one. Elgin won a chop battle and told the ringside fans he “really liked chops” before pasting Adonis, who soon after hit a tope. Elgin barely beat the 10-count back in. Elgin eventually hit a sitdown power bomb for two. Elgin hit a Samoan drop on the apron and Adonis missed a flip dive off the top, Elgin hit a lariat and a last ride sitdown power bomb for two.
Then, we got a double lariat and the bell rang for a 20-minute draw which fans booed. Afterward, Elgin said his relationship with Chicago has been a little rocky, but tonight was his birthday, and he’ll be damned if he’s gonna go to a draw. He called for five more minutes and the crowd chanted for it. Adonis declined and said they could do a no-time-limit rematch in Feb. 15 at Warrior Wrestling 8. Elgin brought in a little kid and told him a secret. He didn’t want to lose on his birthday. Elgin rolled up the ref and the kid counted three.
Black Taurus def. Drago, Aerostar, Rey Horus and El Gringo Loco in a five-way scramble
This was non-stop action as you would expect. Horus dove over the top rope and hit a rana outside. Taurus hit the pop up Samoan drop on Horus like Jacob Fatu does. Loco, a local who also appears for MLW, dove over the top onto everyone but Horus as they made the local guy look good. Taurus and Aerostar spit at each other. Taurus and Loco botched a spot near the finish, which was Taurus hitting a spinning slam on Loco for the win in nine minutes. They bumped fists and posed for pictures after the well-received match. A few fans threw money in the ring.
Kurt Angle made an appearance and was greeted with the “you suck” chant. He did a short promo and noted John Cena’s first match was against him in Chicago and said he took on Randy Orton (and Rey Mysterious) at WrestleMania 22 here as well.
Lance Archer def. Brian Pillman Jr.
New Japan’s U.S. champ had a tune-up match before he takes on AEW’s Jon Moxley at Wrestle Kingdom. Archer took a lot of the match and no sold Pillman’s chops. Archer hit the EBD claw to win in about 12 minutes. Fans were really into it when they went to the near falls.
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Minoru Suzuki def. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
Lawlor came out wearing a yellow vest to a New Kids on the Block song, waving his arm. Suzuki got the biggest pop so far with a good portion of the crowd here to scream “Kaze ni Nare”. This was mat wrestling at first, followed by outside brawling and a chop/strike battle. Suzuki got the better of the exchange. They tried to choke each other out and reversed each other. Suzuki hit the Gotch piledriver about 14 minutes in for the win. Afterward, he left all the fans attempting high-fives hanging. On his way out, he teased putting a move on the kid who counted Elgin’s pin on the ref earlier in the evening.
Warrior Wrestling Champion Brian Cage def. El Phantasmo to retain
El-P took a couple hats off fans who tried to ‘Too Sweet’ him and tossed them into the crowd. He grabbed the mic from the ring announcer and said “I’ve been waiting a long, long time to say this: CM Punk sucks.” He also said Colt Cabana sucked, Chicago deep dish pizza sucked, and the Cubs sucked. The last one got cheers because the event was in White Sox territory. Cage clotheslined him for his troubles.
This was a speed vs. power match. They brawled in the crowd. Cage kicked El-P while he had a plastic trash can over his head. El-P took over with a dive through the ropes onto Cage. El-P did his rope walk spot. El-P got a handful of tights for two and somehow got Cage up for the airplane spin. Cage hit a buckle bomb and back breaker and the ref counted to three, but it wasn’t the finish. Oops.
Cage suplexed El-P back into the ring from the second rope. El-P hit a destroyer that Cage no sold, who then hit him with a big lariat for a spin bump and hit his finisher for the win in about 17 minutes.
CHAOS (Will Ospreay, Rocky Romero, Amazing Red) def. The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz, Trey Miguel)
The main event of the evening pitted the New Japan faction against the Impact team. Rocky and Wentz started off with some comedy and Red and Xavier were next. They were super fast. Ospreay was really into the match on the apron. He got the tag amid soccer chants of his name. This had the most sustained heat of the night even four hours in. Miguel got tied to the tree of woe and CHAOS each slide kicked him.
The Rascalz got heat on Romweo, who hit a double rana and hot tagged Red. Ospreay hit a standing twisting moonsault for two, then Pip Pip Cheerio. Ospreay went for an Os cutter but was pushed over the top rope instead.
There was a series of dives to the outside, topped by a Red monkey flip to one of the Rascalz off the top to the outside, landing on everyone else. Ospreay got the storm breaker on Xavier for the win in 24 minutes.
Both teams got on their knees and hugged after the match. Ospreay did the show-ending speech, singing “Sweet Home Chicago”.
6.5.0
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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.)
KELLER’S MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
AIRED DECEMBER 31, 2018
TAPED DEC. 29 IN DETROIT, MICH.
AIRED ON USA NETWORK
Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young
PODCAST NOTE: Because tonight’s show falls on a holiday evening and is pre-taped, there won’t be a live caller stream segment for the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show, but we invite your emails questions and comments for the taping of the podcast tonight, which will be available a few hours after Raw.
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[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with a wide shot of the center of the arena with a cage lowering over the ring. Cole introduced the show, saying it would be a marquee match kicking off Raw. Cole said Drew McIntyre has entered the Royal Rumble match. Cole was struggling with a hoarse voice himself (I’m not alone, then.) Graves said the winner of the Rumble faces “a champion of his choosing in a main event of WrestleMania.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Interesting to hear Graves emphasize “a main event” instead of saying “the main event,” which led to a lot of consternation among some fans last year over whether the Rumble winner was booked for the final match on the big event.)
(1) DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. DREW MCINTYRE
Four minutes into the show, the bell range the match began. (They can’t necessarily do this every week, but it’s nice to kick off a show with wrestlers wrestling instead of authority figures yapping for ten minutes. Now if they could just stop doing mid-match commercial breaks, they’d end 2018 with two new good habits.) Ziggler tried to climb out of the cage three seconds into the match, but Drew yanked him down. The announcers called it a smart strategy. (If you presume Ziggler is cast as the babyface here and he wanted a cage match to get revenge on McIntyre, why would he hope to win in fluke-like fashion by simply fleeing the cage seconds after the bell rang? What would that prove? These cage match rules in WWE are awful, but Ziggler’s psychology in playing within the rules here was way off, unless you don’t believe he’s the babyface here, and given his promo saying he’s neither a good guy or a bad guy, maybe he’s not – but then why would fans care either way about this match?) Cole said Ziggler is really bothered by what Drew did to him. Graves said the focus should be what Drew did *for* Ziggler. When Drew got an early advantage, Drew said this is what he wanted and he’s an idiot for wanting a cage match with him; Ziggler punched him. Dolph stopped Drew from escaping over the top at 3:00. They stood on the top rope and battled. They each straddled the top rope at 4:00. Cole called it a “stalemate” and they cut to a break. [c]
They showed Finn Balor watching the match on a monitor backstage. (He couldn’t have watched from a more fake looking awkward angle, but at least we (a) knew who he was because we could see his profile, and (b) knew what he was watching because we could see the front of the TV screen. So, you know, it’s totally worth looking totally stage and awkward and un-human-like to position him that way.) Drew catapulted Ziggler, but Ziggler rolled through for a near fall. Then he threw Drew into the side of the cage twice. Drew went down. Ziggler landed a superkick seconds later for a near fall. When Ziggler tried to crawl out of the cage, Drew grabbed his legs and then they head-butted each other. Ziggler got up first and crawled toward the opened door, but Drew grabbed him again. Ziggler slammed the door on Drew’s head. Ziggler connected with a Fameasser for a near fall. They cut to a break at 12:00. [c]
Back live Ziggler was on top of the cage and Drew was meeting him there to stop his exit. Drew gave Ziggler a superplex off the top of the cage. A “This is awesome” chant was heard. Cole acknowledged the chant and said it was the WWE fans (he said “fans,” not “Universe”) showing respect for the match. Drew stood over Ziggler and told him to rise. Drew yelled more at Ziggler about how he wanted this. He suplexed him into the side of the cage and did more trash talking. Drew told him to fight, fight, fight. Ziggler took his advice and fought back with a Zig Zag out of nowhere for a near fall. Cole exclaimed it was a “last gasp effort.” Graves said Drew got caught admiring his own dirty work and ended up paying. When Ziggler stood and yelled at Drew, Drew connected with a Claymore Kick that looked just great (thanks to both guys). Cole said it might be the most devastating finishing maneuver in WWE today. Graves said, “Without a shadow of a doubt.” Drew sat up and laughed and clapped and got a maniacal look as he set up a second kick. He connected with a second one and scored the three count.
WINNER: McIntyre in 20:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good action that was designed to be hard-hitting and dramatic, with Drew ultimate made to look a level higher than Ziggler. Drew is carrying himself in every way as a top tier centerpiece act right now, and really has consistently since his return to WWE. The WWE machine is behind him in the narrative, too.)
-Ziggler yelled at him, “Is that all you got?” Graves said he must be delirious. Drew entered the ring with a chair. He pounded away at Ziggler with a barrage of fists, then put a chair against his head and delivered a dropkick to the chair. “Oh my god!” yelled Cole. Drew stood at ringside and said he is king of the Raw jungle. He said it didn’t have to be this way. He said he told Ziggler to walk away, but he kept coming. He said he is “nothing, pathetic, and dead weight.” He said now that the Ziggler chapter is closed, they can focus on what really matters. He said it’s time to prove he is the King of the WWE, so he is going to win the Royal Rumble match and win the Universal Championship. Cole said who could argue with Drew after what they just witnessed. Drew saw Ziggler standing up, so Drew turned and returned to the cage. He gave Ziggler another Claymore Kick.
-They went to the parking garage where Shane McMahon and Triple H got out of the limo. (Shane acted like a fool dancing around Triple H, who gave the reaction to Shane that I have every time I see Shane.)
(Keller’s Analysis: Instead of showing top executives arriving after a big cage match, which makes the match feel not worthy of their time, just show a clip of them “from earlier today” arriving in the same way. It’s one thing for, say, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman to show up 30 minutes late after a big cage match, but it sends a really bad message when Triple H and Shane show up late for their own show.) [c]
-New Year’s Resolution for WWE Superstars: Finn Balor wished for a push that matches his crowd responses (or he wants to become Universal Champion again)… Ember Moon wished for character development by WWE (or winning the Women’s Royal Rumble match)… The Ascension wished for a TV win and one skit that didn’t make them look like buffoons (or the return of Fashion Files and a Raw Tag Team Title reign)… Lucha House Party wished for one segment where they didn’t end it by chanting “Lucha!” over and over (or they chanted “Lucha” over and over).
-Cole thanked fans for spending Christmas Eve with them.
-Seth Rollins made his ring entrance. He said he’s not for New Year’s Resolutions because the pace of life is too fast in WWE for that. He said every week is a chance for a fresh start. He said he is not interested in waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square. He said he has earned a rematch against Dean Ambrose and he wants it right now. Triple H’s music interrupted.
(Keller’s Analysis: So is this the Triple H we see smiling alongside his wife representing with pride how great a company WWE is, or the babyface daddy of NXT, or the nostalgia act who is Shawn Michaels’s zany DX buddy who fans adore, or the heel prickish Authority Figure who stomps on the dreams and hopes of fans’ favorite wrestlers with egotistical and unfair abuse of his power? They all co-exist in this WWE narrative interchangeably, sadly.)
Triple H said there is not going to be anything automatic anymore, which is why he’s informing his IC Title rematch is not going to happen. Boos. Triple H said he’s not sure Seth deserves a rematch.
(Keller’s Analysis: So are fans supposed to feel good about Shane McMahon saying automatic rematch clauses are “antiquated” or feel bad about the new edict, since it now affects Seth and being enforced by a stern heelish Triple H? This is the sloppy stuff WWE has to clean up.)
Hunter said he once believed in Seth. Seth told him he only believed in him because he was his puppet. Triple H said he made him believe in him. He said when he doubted it, Seth kicked his ass at WrestleMania and made him believe in him again. He said now all he sees is a shell of the man he once believed in “asking for stuff.” Seth said he’s not asking for anything. He said he’s been carrying Raw on his back for the last year. Cheers. He said Brock is up in Saskatchewan doing whatever it is Brock does, while he was “churning out classics with Finn Balor, Dolph Ziggler, Mojo Rawley of all people.”
(Keller’s Analysis: So the point Seth is making here is that he churned out “classics” because he got a “good match out of Mojo.” WWE has to stop this. Seth shouldn’t care about “carrying Raw with good matches.” Seth’s character should care about winning matches, so having a “classic” with Mojo shouldn’t be a bragging point, but rather the least of his accomplishments because Mojo, in the storyline world of WWE, is a relative push-over easy win compared to Balor and even Ziggler. Let “match quality” stand on its own and be self-apparent. There’s not a single NFL coach who made the playoffs this year bragging about how exciting their victories were in a context where that’s where the pride is, rather than on the winning itself. Coaches care about winning. “Exciting games” is what losers talk about to soften the blow of losing. Winners talk about victories while patting their opponents on the head for putting up a “good fight” or a “nice effort.” A tweak of Seth’s language can accomplish this, but the way he talked about Mojo shifted the focus from victory to match quality because beating Mojo should have been the least of his accomplishments, not the most noteworthy one.)
Seth asked Triple H if he wants the ruthless bastard and soulless guy who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Triple H got in his face and said that’s what he wants. He said he wants him to burn it all down against “the almighty Bobby Lashley.” Seth said he will take all Lashley has to give and then he’ll take all Dean has to give including the IC Title, and then he’ll take Brock Lesnar if he gets in his way and take his Universal Title if that gets in his way and he’ll take down his whole family if Triple H gets in his way.
Shane McMahon ran out. Cole said he was there to diffuse the situation. Graves said he hasn’t seen that fire in Seth’s eyes for some time. Shane asked Hunter to please stop amping up Seth until he literally burns this place down. Shane announced a “Fresh Start Battle Royal” to determine the no. 1 contender for the IC Title. He then told Seth to go get ready for Lashley. Finn Balor’s ring entrance took place.
(Keller’s Analysis: Shane even gets to talk to Hunter like Shane does everyone else – like that jerk little league coach sternly talking down to the ten year olds like he’s on some power trip with all of his power blinks and condescending inflection? And since when is holding a battle royal to determine a challenger some sort of new thing? They’ve done this booking crutch so often it’s a cliche, and having Renee preach about what a fresh start this really is doesn’t erase fan memories of this being a go-to move by numerous G.M.s over the years. This show is more of a parade of the usual being framed in a con as something fresh and new.) [c]
(2) BATTLE ROYAL FOR INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE SHOT
The ring was filled with wrestlers after the break. They showed the tail end of No Way Jose’s entrance and Baron Corbin was the last to enter. They cut backstage to Dean Ambrose reacting to various moves in the match. He also chose to stand oddly sideways and turning his head sharply to look at the screen peripherally. The Lucha House Party eliminated Titus O’Neal. They cut to a break. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
Lince Dorado eliminated Kalisto and then Balor eliminated Since. Other in the match were Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, Tyler Breeze, Konnor Viktor, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, and Mojo Rawley. Crews eliminated several wrestlers one after another including tossing Breeze onto six wrestlers at ringside. Corbin chokeslammed Crews. Cole declared Crews’s run “just about over,” meaning in Vince McMahon’s World of Heavy-handed Reverse Psychology, Crews was going to win. Corbin eliminated Balor. Boos. It came down to Ryder, Hawkins, Corbin, and Crews. Corbin laughed at Hawkins. He tossed him over the top rope, but Hawkins landed on the ring apron. He then yanked Corbin over the top rope by his neck, but Corbin held on and dropped Hawkins to the floor. Crews leaped off the top rope, but Corbin ducked and went for a chokeslam, but Crews avoided it and then he knocked Corbin out of the ring with an enzuigiri.
WINNER: Crews in 12:00 to earn an IC Title shot.
-Charlie Caruso interviewed Crews afterward in the ring. He said he has been asking for and begging for a fresh start like this. He said he can’t think of any better way to spend his last day of 2018 than becoming the new Intercontinental Champion.
(Keller’s Analysis: I wish that interview was better. It had awkward syntax and timing, a nervous laugh between sentences which is characteristic of green promos, and nothing of substance other than he’s been losing most of his matches and now he finally won a big one and somehow that is thanks to the McMahons finally giving him an opportunity. The idea here was good – a celebratory in-ring promo – and he was good conveying excitement about winning and valuing the opportunity, but the execution was just so-so.)
-In a backstage interview, Natalya said 2018 was a whirlwind year for her, including losing her father, but also being part of Evolution and wrestling Ronda Rousey last week. She said she wants to face Rousey again at WrestleMania, so she plans to win the Rumble. In walked Nia Jax and said maybe Rousey won’t be the champion at WrestleMania. Tamina then attacked Natalya from behind. Tamina and Jax beat up Natalya. Jamie Noble and Adam Pearce got between them. [c]
-They replayed the angle with Jax, Tamina, and Natalya before the break.
-The announcers talked about what happened. Renee said she wouldn’t want to be Nia once Rousey gets wind of what just happened.
-Corbin stood mid-ring and said what happened wasn’t fair. He said he deserves a fresh start as much as anyone. He said he tried hard to please the fans, but all they did was boo him. He said he had to deal with all of the egos and the prima donnas in the locker room, plus he had to deal with the McMahons and the sponsors. He said he deserved a reward. Elias interrupted with a guitar strum. He sat on the stage and played “Auld Lang Syne.” He said he wants to party, but he doesn’t invite losers to his parties, so Corbin has to go. Fans chanted “You’re a loser!” at Corbin. Elias said Corbin is such a loser, it was his plan to never bring Raw to “a depraved and rundown city like Detroit,” but he got on the phone with his buddy Kid Rock and they both agreed this city is on the rise. (Almost every fan in that crowd bought tickets before Corbin was fired.) Elias got fans to chant “Walk With Elias!” He said he has a song to sing tonight. He sang a song at the expense of Corbin, making fun of him losing his G.M. job and playing to the Detroit fans. Corbin walked toward Elias. Elias stopped mid-song and met him in the aisle and they fought at ringside and into the crowd. Corbin eventually fled. Cole said 2018 can’t end soon enough for Corbin.
-The announcers said Natalya & Rousey vs. Nia & Tamina had been signed.
-New Year’s Resolution: Drake Maverick & AOP vowed to become more brutal and barbaric until they get their Raw tag Team Title rematch and becomes champions again… The Riott Squad said their opponents will show their true selves and break and they are there to apply pressure… Zack Ryder said his resolution is have more matches on Raw and collect all the WWE action figures… No Way Jose said he’s going to enjoy the moment and not worry about next year. His Conga Line joined him and they acted like fools for five seconds…
(3) EMBER MOON & BAYLEY & SASHA BANKS vs. THE RIOTT SQUAD (Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan)
Cole said all six will be part of the Women’s Rumble in four weeks. Renee said Logan ate a deer heart at her Viking-themed wedding. Renee said Ember “never takes her eye off the ball” and “controls her own destiny.” Renee called the announcers “rude” because they were questioning her about contradicting herself over whether Ember Moon has New Year’s Resolutions or not. When the match broke down to chaos, they cut to a break. [c]
The Riott Squad dominated after the break against Banks. Sasha made a comeback and reached for a tag, but neither of her partners were there because of a brawl seconds earlier at ringside. Bayley blind-tagged in seconds later and surprised Logan with a top rope elbow for the win.
WINNERS: Bayley & Sasha & Ember in 12:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match with a fan-friendly ending. Good to throw those in now and again, a match without a major angle or anything.)
-The announcers hyped Seth vs. Lashley was next. [c]
-A commercial aired for “Total Bellas” returning Jan. 13. (The best part of that is the return of Sarah K’s reports on the series exclusively at PWTorch.com! Can’t wait to read what Sarah has to say about Nikki entering the dating scene.)
-The announcers introduced a vignette on Braun showing him beating up Kevin Owens, Kane, and a lot of equipment. There was a particular focus on the Owens angle with the Port-a-Potty and tipping lots of things over including the semi-trailer.
(4) SETH ROLLINS vs. BOBBY LASHLEY (w/Lio Rush)
Lio said Lashley is ready for a fresh start. Seth went after Lashley aggressively at the start. One might say Seth is showing ruthless aggression. (That’s what Vince McMahon thinks solves everything when ratings are down – just preaching about “ruthless aggression.” It’s a mindless testosterone fueled non-solution that is a substitute for introspection and honest dialogue about how to improve things.) Lio went after Seth at ringside, and sent Seth head-first into the ringpost with a head scissors. [c]
[HOUR THREE]
Seth eventually made a comeback and played to the crowd. He flew through the ropes with a tackle. And another right after. When Seth climbed to the top rope, Lio distracted him. Seth went after him, but Lio avoided him and ran to the time keeper’s area. Seth eventually caught up to him and dropped him over the ringside barricade. Lashley hit Seth from behind. Hard to have too much sympathy for Seth there given how long he was preoccupied with Lio. Seth made a comeback and bashed Lashley with a chair across his back. Lio leaped at Seth, but Seth caught him with the chair in mid-air with a jab. Seth took turns bashing each heel with the chair over and over. Cole said, “Triple H asked for it, he got it.” Seth stomped Rush who took a weird angle and bumped onto the top of his head.
-Backstage Ronda Rousey was intensely meditating backstage as Natalya paced in front of her.
-Renee plugged the Ambrose vs. Crews IC Title match. [c]
-The announcers said John Cena will be on Raw next week in Orlando, but first he’ll be on Smackdown (Not) Live tomorrow night. Renee said she is “stoked” to have Cena back on Raw. Cole threw to the vignette on the five NXT acts arriving in WWE in 2019.
(4) JINDER MAHAL & THE SINGH BROTHERS vs. HEATH SLATER & RHYNO
They replayed Rhyno dressed as Santa beating up Jinder and the Singh Brothers last week. The announcers complimented the shape the Singh Brothers are in now that they’re in wrestling gear and not slacks and shirts as usual. Rhyno hot-tagged in and gave both Singh Brothers a belly-to-belly. Jinder tagged in, but Rhyno gave him a spinebuster. He signaled for the Gore. One Singh Brothers yanked on Rhyno’s leg as the other Singh distracted the ref. Jinder them surprised Rhyno with a kick to the face and the Khallas for the win.
WINNERS: Mahal & Singh Brothers in 4:00.
-Dean Ambrose spoke about defending his IC Title against Apollo Crews backstage. He said everybody seems to be talking about fresh starts. “Do I look like a guy who needs a fresh start?” he said. “I don’t think so.” He said Seth, on the other hand, doesn’t look good. He said he looks angry and bent out of shape. He said as the moral compass of WWE, he still has an obligation to fulfill his promise to the people and take everything Seth holds dear and burns it down. He said this isn’t going to be the Apollo Crews storybook ending for 2018. He said he’s not the type to enjoy feel good moments. He said he will make it personal duty to ensure Apollo’s fresh start has a rotten ending.
(Keller’s Analysis: That was good delivery by Ambrose that almost overcame the scripted nature of it until the too-cute closing line that’s just entirely unnecessary.) [c]
-New Year’s Resolutions: Bobby Roode & Chad Gable said they plan to shut up The Revival next week and continue to make the Raw Tag Team Division absolutely glorious… The Revival said they are resolved to bring credibility back to the Raw Tag Team Division… Bayley said her resolution is to become the first-ever WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions with Sasha Banks. Sasha agreed 2019 will be their year…
(5) DEAN AMBROSE vs. APOLLO CREWS – Intercontinental Championship match
Grave asked Renee what Dean’s resolutions were. Renee said that’s not what married couples do. Cole said he and his wife do. Renee sarcastically said she sits with Dean at him “with a dream board.” Graves laughed at striking a nerve with her. They replayed what Triple H and Shane McMahon said to Dean earlier. As Crews came to the ring, Cole said IC Title wins can be a launching point to greatness, noting Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H. Graves said Crews grew up in a military family and WWE was his escape and he idolized Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage. They did formal ring introductions. Crews attacked Dean before the bells, and the referee ridiculously rewarded it by calling for the bell after Crews got the unfair advantage. #Ruthless Aggression. Cole said Crews recognizes what an opportunity this match is Crews did a lightning fast backflip after some early offense against Ambrose. Ambrose retreated to ringside two minutes in and they cut to a break. [c]
Ambrose was in control after the break. Crews ducked a charging Ambrose, who tumbled to the floor. They collided mid-ring with simultaneous clotheslines. Crews rallied and kipped up. He let out a big roar. The post-production crowd noise editing didn’t make Crews seem super-over. Ambrose raked Crews’s eyes. Cole said the ref didn’t see it. (What if the ref did, though? Ambrose would have been given an empty warning, that’s all.) Ambrose set up a Dirty Deeds, but Crews escaped with an enzuigiri and then landed a sitout powerbomb for a near fall. Crew flip dove onto Ambrose on the floor, then threw him back into the ring. Crews climbed to the top rope and went for a frog splash, but Dean moved. Ambrose landed a Dirty Deeds for the win.
WINNER: Ambrose in 9:00 to retain the Intercontinental Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good spirited performance from Crews. It should be followed up on with Crews in coming weeks, with this match having a real discernible impact on how he approaches his WWE career at the start of 2019. If it’s just a one-off that filled some time on a holiday TV show and the focus goes entirely back to just the top tier guys and he’s just an interchangeable lower-mid-card guy with no journey or aspirations, this will end up being less than it should have been and, in a way, a needless step down for Ambrose to “barely beat” someone who mostly dominated him for eight minutes before a quick-strike Dirty Deeds for the win.)
-Alexa Bliss talked about being in charge of the Women’s Division in 2018 and how she’ll miss having that power. She said she made history, though, and next week she’ll make more history. She said next week will be the premier of her very own talk show “A Moment of Bliss.” She said she’l be the first woman to host a talk show and her first guest will be Ronda Rousey. She brought up that Rousey worshipped Roddy Piper, but she suggested she dress appropriately for the occasion because she’ll “be in the presence of a goddess, not slumming it in some pit.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Good utilization of Bliss. I hope it’s a weekly show and they utilize Bliss to help heels and babyfaces get their characters over with the audience.) [c]
-A vignette aired on Brock Lesnar. Cole said he’ll be on Raw next week and he can’t wait.
(6) TAMINA & NIA JAX vs. NATALYA & RONDA ROUSEY
The heel duo came out first, then Natalya, and finally Rousey. Rousey was angry about what they did to Natalya earlier and cleared the ring of the two heels before the bell. She insisted on starting the match. Tamina charged, but Rousey judo tossed her twice hard. Tamina tagged in Jax. Jax charged, but Rousey ended up rolling Jax around and going for an early armbar. Jax fought it off. Rousey stood and cornered her. Jax reversed her in the corner and then threw her across the ring. Rousey tagged in Natalya who showed an aggressiveness noted by the announcers as different than usual from her. #RuthlessAggression. Renee said they don’t get to see this spark in her that often. She slammed Tamina and scored a soft two count. She went for a sharpshooter, but Tamina fought out of it. Nia dragged her to the floor. Natalya slidekicked both of them. Rousey leaped off the top ope onto both of them. [c]
The heels were in control after the break, tagging in and out against Natalya. Natalya collided mid-air with Tamina. They were both slow to get up. Natalya reached for Rousey, but Tamina grabbed her leg. Natalya fought free and hot-tagged Rousey. Tamina also tagged in Jax. Rousey gave Jax a step-up running nee and then a judo throw for a two count. Rousey landed a leaping right elbow to the side of Jax’s head for a two count. Jax powered Rousey into the air and then dropped her leading to a two count. Jax climbed to the second rope for a Samoan Drop, but Rousey fought out of it. Tamina tagged herself in and superkicked Rousey for a near fall. They didn’t do as much (or any) post-production sound editing this week, so the crowd reactions were actually muted sounding compared to Smackdown last week, which used post-production to make up for the exhausted crowd.
Tamina head-butted Rousey once, but missed on a diving headbutt afterward. Rousey then went for an armbar. Jax legdropped Rousey to break it up. Natalya entered, but ate a superkick from Tamina. Tamina rolled onto Rousey for a near fall. She leaped off the top rope with a Superfly Splash, but Rousey lifted her legs and blocked it, then applied an armbar for the tapout.
WINNERS: Rousey & Natalya in 13:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Rousey has a knack for this. Her wrestling a match is no longer an edge-of-your-seat affair where you wonder if she’ll mess up or look especially green. She has a style that is distinct, but her timing flows with the pro wrestling style. Good formula tag match. Seeing women main event TV shows and having it not be a big deal that anyone talks about as being some sort of “statement” or “aberration” is a real accomplishment, and it’ll be one of the biggest things 2018 is remembered for in pro wrestling history.)
-The announcers hyped next week features the return of the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, The Revival challenging Roode & Gable, “A Moment of Bliss” with Rousey, and the return of John Cena. They went back to the ring as Rousey and Natalya celebrated together.
PODCAST NOTE: Because tonight’s show falls on a holiday evening and is pre-taped, there won’t be a live caller stream segment for the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show, but we invite your emails questions and comments for the taping of the podcast tonight, which will be available a few hours after Raw.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents a special Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast featuring a WrestleMania 36 Preview with ex-WWE Creative Team member and professional stand-up comedian Matt McCarthy.
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WWE.com has confirmed PWTorch’s report that broke news late last night that Dean Ambrose is departing WWE when his contract expires in April.
WWE posted a teaser headline today that says: “Full details on Dean Ambrose’s future in WWE.” Then the story headine reads: “Dean Ambrose not renewing WWE contract when it expires in April.” The full statement follows:
Dean Ambrose (Jonathan Good) will not be renewing his contract with WWE when it expires in April. We are grateful and appreciative of all that Dean has given to WWE and our fans. We wish him well and hope that one day Dean will return to WWE.
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That is as friendly a “sendoff” statement as WWE issues with an overt wish he one day returns to WWE.
PWTorch.com first reported late last night that Ambrose this weekend had given his notice to WWE that he did not intend to sign a new contract WWE offered him a few weeks ago. He was offered a raise and his reason for leaving was not money-related, but rather because of a build up of frustration with how his character was written for him and his lack of creative freedom, something very important to him. Friends say while it’s hard to ever read Dean, he made the best of bad situations that were presented to him and for a long time hid how upset he was with directions his character took.
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Instantly, social media lit up after last night’s PWTorch report that he’s likely headed to AEW. PWTorch reached out to a number of sources and no one is saying anything to indicate either way. Because of contract tampering concerns, it makes sense that AEW and Ambrose wouldn’t begin any conversations until after April. That said, PWTorch can confirm that Ambrose is telling confidants he has no intention of leaving pro wrestling and still has a love and passion for pro wrestling. Because AEW is open about offering talent wide latitude when it comes to how their characters will be presented and not scripting promos as a policy, plus AEW has deep pockets, it’s logical to speculate he could end up being a major acquisition for AEW.
If this is the case, it could be the first of several big name departures from WWE, although it’d have to be done on either highly informal indications of offers or on pure speculation on wrestlers’ part because of contract tampering concerns. Ambrose would be a major name for AEW to acquire not just because of his potential once unleashed from WWE Creative’s restrictive vision for his act, but also because it will be well known he chose to leave WWE and wasn’t signed as a “free agent” or “outcast” who didn’t make it in WWE.
Read our original story here: Dean Ambrose leaving WWE shortly after WrestleMania when his contract expires in April
For more details on this situation with Dean, you can become a PWTorch VIP member for 19 cents (for a limited time with our 98 percent off sale) and listen to last night’s Wade Keller Hotline with additional details, analysis, and speculation on the ramifications of this news. CLICK HERE FOR VIP INFO & COUPON CODE
If Ambrose ends up joining AEW, that’s a massive coup. He’s been underutilized forever and will be significantly more effective given more leeway and creative freedom. That group also needs heels and he would be a great antagonist for pretty much everyone on that roster.
— Todd Martin (@ToddMartinMMA) January 29, 2019
When WCW creative was consistently failing its talent, WWF was able to scoop up the best young talent like Jericho, Guerrero, Benoit, Giant because they wanted to maximize their potential. WWE creative’s been failing their talent; a perceived competitor could lead to a repeat.
— Todd Martin (@ToddMartinMMA) January 29, 2019
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