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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.)
The following is the latest in a new series of weekly in-depth articles exclusive to PWTorch which will help put in perspective major wrestling promotions with a weekly overview, looking at news and roster developments, results, future line-ups, social media activity, key interviews, plus a timely commentary at the end. We will be featuring similar features on other promotions each week and each will be updated weekly.
•Top Stories of the Week
WWE Announced on Twitter that the next Superstar Shake Up will take place on Raw on April 15 & Smackdown on April 16.
WWE is now locally advertising a Dean Ambrose vs. Nia Jax match for a WWE Live Event on Feb. 22 in Jonesboro, Ark. SOURCE
The WWE Performance Center announced twelve new wrestlers joining them on Monday this week. Rachael Ellering, Trevor Lee, ACH, Jonah Rock, Karen Q, Samuel Shaw, Scott Jagged Parker, Big Magic, Elliot Sexton, Nick Comoroto, Ricardo Miller, and Omari Palmer were all listed. LINK
WWE announced three matches for Elimination Chamber this Sunday on social media ahead of Raw and Smackdown this week. Over the weekend they announced Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott for the Raw Women’s Championship, then on Monday afternoon they announced the Intercontinental Championship match as well as the Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin match
Vince McMahon announced on Raw that he has suspended Becky Lynch 60 Days in storyline for “her attitude” and “thinking she’s bigger than WWE” and that suspension runs out five days after WrestleMania. Vince then announced that Charlotte would be replacing Becky in the WrestleMania match with Ronda Rousey.
The Revival won the Raw Tag Team Championships this week on Raw
WWE shared a phone recorded video from Kevin Owens, who announced he will be returning from injury in about one month. Owens recorded the video while bowling with his family and it had a baby face feel to it as he laughed and talked about spending time with his family. Owens did say he does not know which brand he will be on when he returns. The video ended with Owens laughing at himself after bowling a ball directly into the gutter.
WWE announced on Tuesday that Mustafa Ali will not be competing at the Elimination Chamber due to injury. Kofi Kingston will be his replacement.
•WWE Weekly Event Results
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) 2/8/19
(1) Bayley, Dana Brooke, & Natalya beat Alicia Fox, Mickie James, & Nikki Cross
(2) EC3 defeated Dean Ambrose
(3) The Ascension beat Zack Rdyer & Curt Hawkins
(4) Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush beat Finn Balor in a Handicap match to retain the Intercontinental Championship
(5) Drew McIntyre defeated Elias
(6) Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (c) defeated The Revival to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(7) Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a Street Fight
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Dekalb, Ill.) 2/9/19
(1) Shelton Benjamin beat Tye Dillinger
(2) Naomi vs. Mandy Rose ends in a No DQ after Sonya Deville interferes. Carmella comes down to help Naomi and a tag match is booked.
(3) Naomi & Carmella beat Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
(4) Mustafa Ali defeated Samoa Joe
(5) Asuka beat Charlotte to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch attacked them both after the match
(6) Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura (w/ Lana) beat The Usos and The New Day
(7) R-Truth (w/ Carmella) defeated Andrade Cien Almas
(8) Jeff Hardy & The Miz beat The Bar
(9) A.J. Styles defeated Randy Orton
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada) 2/9/19
(1) Bayley, Natalya, & Dana Brooke beat Nikki Cross, Alicia Fox & Mickie James
(2) EC3 defeated Dean Ambrose
(3) The Ascension beat Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
(4) Bobby Lashley (c) (w/ Lio Rush) beat Finn Balor to retain the Intercontinental Championship
(5) Drew McIntyre beat Elias
(6) Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (c) beat The Revival to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(7) Braun Strowman defeated Baron Corbin in a Street Fight
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Fort Wayne, Ind.) 2/10/19
(1) Asuka (c) beat Sonya Deville to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch attacked them both after the match
(2) Jeff Hardy & The Miz beat The Bar
(3) Naomi beat Mandy Rose
(4) R-Truth (c) defeated Andrade Cien Almas to retain the United States Championship
(5) Tye Dillinger & Mustafa Ali beat Shelton Benjamin & Samoa Joe
(6) Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura beat The Usos & The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E)
(7) A.J. Styles beat Randy Orton
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Raw Roster (Saginaw, Mich.) 2/10/19
(1) Bayley, Natalya, & Dana Brooke beat Nikki Cross, Alicia Fox & Mickie James
(2) EC3 defeated Dean Ambrose
(3) The Ascension beat Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
(4) Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush beat Finn Balor to retain the Intercontinental Championship
(5) Ronda Rousey (c) defeated Nia Jax to retain the Raw Women’s Championship
(6) Drew McIntyre beat Elias
(7) Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (c) beat The Revival to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships
(8) Braun Strowman defeated Baron Corbin in a Street Fight
SOURCE
WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster (Canton, Ohio) 2/11/19
(1) Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura beat The Usos & The New Day
(2) Naomi defeated Mandy Rose
(3) Shelton Benjamin beat Tye Dillinger
(4) Asuka beat Sonya Deville to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship
(5) R-Truth (c) beat Samoa Joe & Andrade Cien Almas
(6) Jeff Hardy & The Miz beat The Bar
(7) A.J. Styles defeated Randy Orton
SOURCE
If you attend a live event, please send results to [email protected]. Thanks!
•WWE TV Match Results
Monday Night Raw TV Results 2/11/19
(1) Nia Jax & Tamina defeated Bayley & Sasha Banks and Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan when Jax pinned Bayley. With the loss, Sasha Banks & Bayley will now start the Elimination Chamber match.
(2) Finn Balor beat Drew McIntyre via DQ after Bobby Lashley attacked Finn
(3) Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, & Kurt Angle beat Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, & Bobby Lashley (w/ Lio Rush) when Balor pinned Lashley
(4) Ruby Riott beat Nikki Cross
(5) Dean Ambrose defeated EC3
(6) The Revival beat Bobby Roode & Chad Gable to win the Raw Tag Team Championships
Smackdown Live TV Results 2/12/19
(1) Naomi & Carmella beat The IIconics and Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville when Naomi pinned Mandy Rose. With the loss, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville will start the Elimination Chamber Match
(2) Randy Orton won a Gauntlet match to be the last entrant into the Elimination Chamber match
Order of Eliminations:
– Kofi Kingston beat Daniel Bryan after hitting the Trouble in Paradise
– Kofi Kingston beat Jeff Hardy after hitting the S.O.S.
– Kofi Kingston beat Samoa Joe after countering a Coquina Clutch into a surprise pin. Joe put Kofi in the Coquina Clutch after the loss until A.J. Styles came down to stop it.
– A.J. Styles beat Kofi Kingston with the Calf Crusher after Kofi refused to stop the match following Joe’s attack.
– Randy Orton beat A.J. Styles with the R.K.O. from Styles’ blindside for the win in about five seconds
205 Live Results (Aired on WWE Network) 2/12/19
(1) Jack Gallagher beat Lince Dorado
(2) Tony Nese defeated Noam Dar in a No Disqualification match
WWE Main Event (Aired on Hulu and WWE Network) 2/14/19
(1) Heavy Machinery beat The Ascension
(2) The B-Team & Tyler Breeze beat Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers
SOURCE
•Upcoming Lineups for Stadium/PPV Events
WWE Elimination Chamber on Feb. 17 from Houston, Tex.
Women’s Tag Team Elimination Chamber Match – Winners will become the new Women’s Tag Team Champions
Nia Jax & Tamina vs. The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan) vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs. The IIconics vs. Naomi & Carmella
Sasha Banks & Bayley and Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville will start the match
Shane McMahon & The Miz (c) vs. The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy vs. A.J. Styles vs. Kofi Kingston in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa for the Cruiserweight Championship
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Ruby Riott for the Raw Women’s Championship
Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship in a two-on-one handicap match
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
WWE WrestleMania on April 7 from New York City, N.Y.
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Charlotte for the Raw Women’s Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship
•Upcoming Events
Fri. 2/15/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Bert Ogden Arena, Edinburg, Tex.
Sat. 2/16/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Sames Auto Arena, Laredo, Tex.
Sat. 2/16/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Rapides Coliseum, Alexandria, La.
Mon. 2/18/19 WWE Raw, Cajundome, Lafayette, La.
Mon. 2/18/19 WWE Live Event, Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles, La.
Tue. 2/19/19 WWE Smackdown, Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, La.
Fri. 2/22/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, First National Bank Arena, Jonesboro, Ark.
Sat. 2/23/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.
Sat. 2/23/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Bancorpsouth Arena, Tupelo, Miss.
Sun. 2/24/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, Ala.
Sun. 2/24/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.
Mon. 2/25/19 WWE Raw, State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Ga.
Mon. 2/25/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Savannah Civic Center, Savannah, Ga.
Tue. 2/26/19 WWE Smackdown, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.
Fri. 3/1/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, WYCC, Salisbury. Md.
Sat. 3/2/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Mark Etess Arena, Atlantic City, N.J.
Sat. 3/2/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
Sun. 3/3/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Eaglebank Arena, Fairfax, Va.
Sun. 3/3/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, N.Y.
Mon. 3/4/19 WWE Raw, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
Mon. 3/4/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Westchester County Center, White Plains, N.Y.
Tue. 3/5/19 WWE Smackdown, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Sat. 3/9/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Little Cesars Arena, Detroit, Mich.
Sat. 3/9/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, N.Y.
Sun. 3/10/19 WWE Fastlane, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Mon. 3/11/19 WWE Raw, PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Penn.
Mon. 3/11/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Covelli Centre, Youngstown, Ohio
Tue. 3/12/19 WWE Smackdown, Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio
Fri. 3/15/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Sat. 3/16/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Five Flags Center, Dubuque, Iowa
Sat. 3/16/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wis.
Sun. 3/17/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Ill.
Sun. 3/17/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
Mon. 3/18/19 WWE Raw, Allstate Arena, Chicago, Ill.
Mon. 3/18/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, BMO Harris Bank Center, Rockford, Ill.
Tue. 3/19/19 WWE Smackdown, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Ind.
Fri. 3/22/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Cure Insurance Arena, Trenton, N.J.
Sat. 3/23/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, First Arena, Elimra, N.Y.
Sat. 3/23/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Adirondack Bank Center, Utica, N.Y.
Sun. 3/24/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Keybank Center, Buffalo, N.Y.
Sun. 3/24/19 WWE Live Event – Raw Roster, Mullins Center, Amherst, Mass.
Mon. 3/25/19 WWE Raw, TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Mon. 3/25/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, PPL Center, Allentown, Pa.
Tue. 3/26/19 WWE Smackdown, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
Fri. 3/29/19 WWE Live Event – Supershow, Eastern Kentucky Expo Center, Pikeville, Ky.
Sat 3/30/19 WWE Live Event – Supershow, Wesbanco Arena, Wheeling, W.Va.
Sun. 3/31/19 WWE Live Event – Supershow, Giant Center, Hershey, Pa.
Mon. 4/1/19 WWE Raw, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Mon. 4/1/19 WWE Live Event – Smackdown Roster, Berglund Center, Roanoke, Va.
Tue. 4/2/19 WWE Smackdown, Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, Md.
Sun. 4/7/19 WWE WrestleMania, Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Mon. 4/8/19 WWE Raw, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Tue. 4/8/19 WWE Smackdown, Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
•Latest TV Highlights
Monday Night Raw
Sasha Banks & Bayley will start in the Elimination Chamber after losing a Triple Threat match against the other two Raw tag teams in that match. Sasha Banks was taken out by Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, and Ruby Riott and she was eventually taken to the back leaving Bayley without a partner. After a valiant fight, Bayley was pinned by Nia after a Samoan Drop.
The Revival won the Raw Tag Team Championships in a match that wasn’t advertised before Raw or during the show at all. The match happened near the end of Raw, but not in the main event, and the crowd was very quiet for most of the match. By the end, the crowd was getting into it, but this was not a very big moment.
Vince McMahon overrules Stephanie and Triple H, suspending Becky Lynch for 60 days and replaces her at WresteMania with Charlotte. In the opening segment of the show, Triple H and Stephanie apologized to Becky and asked her to apologize to them, if she did she would have her match with Ronda. Becky spent the next two and a half hours of Raw contemplating if she should apologize, getting advice from Finn Balor, Alexa Bliss, and others. In the last segment of the show, she decided to apologize and Triple H and Stephanie congratulated her and reinstated her for WrestleMania. Ronda Rousey came down to the ring to confront Becky, but before she could, Vince McMahon came out onto the stage and said that Triple H and Stephanie may forgive her, but he doesn’t accept her apology. He said she has a bad attitude and she thinks she’s bigger than WWE. Because of this, she’s suspended for 60 days, a suspension that ends five days after WrestleMania, and Vince then introduced Charlotte as Ronda’s new WrestleMania opponent.
Smackdown Live
Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville will join Bayley & Sasha in starting the Elimination Chamber match after they lost a Triple Threat match against the other two Smackdown tag teams in the Elimination Chamber match. The IIconics constantly avoided being tagged during this match, which is logical because there was no reward for winning as Corey Graves would constantly point out during this match both nights. Eventually Naomi would pin Mandy Rose for the win. The IIconics would then attack Naomi and Carmella after the match to stand tall heading into the Elimination Chamber.
Charlotte started Smackdown tonight to talk about replacing Becky in the WrestleMania match with Ronda. Charlotte said she thought she taught Becky better than to get herself suspended. Charlotte then called herself the backbone of the division and noted that the fans think she was chosen as Becky’s replacement by Vince McMahon because she’s his favorite, but in reality it’s just a good business decision. She predicted the fans will be chanting “This is awesome” during the WrestleMania match, then fans then started a “You suck” chant and Charlotte started saying “What?” back at them to keep the chant going. Charlotte then added that she’d be ringside for Ronda’s title defense this Sunday vs. Ruby Riott.
Kofi Kingston validates why he’s a good replacement for Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber. Early in the night, they announced Mustafa Ali had not been medically cleared to compete Sunday or in the Gauntlet match here on Smackdown. A member of The New Day would be his replacement, but it wasn’t initially announced who. Daniel Bryan would start the gauntlet match against that member of New Day and all three teased being the replacement, but it was Kofi who would get the spot. Kofi would then eliminate Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy, and Samoa Joe in the Gauntlet match. Kofi would be attacked by Samoa Joe after he beat him and he then lost to A.J. Styles. Kofi Kingston spent over one hour in this Gauntlet match and A.J. Styles tried to reason with him, but Kofi refused to just lose. The cameras caught Kofi yelling “I’ve waited too long. It’s been eleven years. Fight me!” at A.J. after Styles tried to get Kofi to just quit following Samoa Joe’s post-match attack. Styles would force Kofi to submit to the calf crusher with only two minutes left on Smackdown. A.J. then stood facing the stage as Randy Orton’s music played and Randy would R.K.O. Styles from behind and get the pin as the show went off the air. Orton will now enter the Elimination Chamber match last.
•WWE in the Media
– The second part of Rusev and Lana’s conversation with Lilian Garcia on the Chasing Glory podcast was released on Monday. Lana and Rusev open this part of their conversation talking about how they first met while in NXT. Lana talked about her relationship with Dusty Rhodes saying that she worked closely with him because Dusty loved her passion and her previous experiences. Because of that, Lana said she actually helped produce things in NXT including the Adam Rose vignettes. They also talked about their time on Total Divas, saying that they enjoyed being on the show. Lana talked about auditioning to be on the show multiple times and threw in a very interesting note saying that she auditioned to be on the show a second time following season 4 and Vince McMahon only wanted her to be on the show if she had her Russian accent and E! Network said absolutely not because the show is reality television. That delayed their debut on Total Divas, it was then put on delay another year because during season 5 of Total Divas, Lana and Rusev were in a storyline against each other and they didn’t want them to be fighting on WWE programming, then together for Total Divas. That’s why they didn’t debut until season 6 of Total Divas.
The breaking news that was teased last week is that Lana was not selected for the new season of Total Divas. With Lana not being selected, obviously Rusev will not be on the show either. Lana said she was extremely disappointed when she was told the news. Lana says they were told that they were basically a shoe-in to be back on the show, she also said they were told to “start working on their spin-off show” at one point. Kevin Dunn told Lana that the new executives at E! Network felt that the demographic they cater to do not like Lana and Rusev at all and that’s the reason they weren’t asked back on the show. Lana tells this story through tears the entire time and it’s very obvious that Total Divas really meant a lot to her. Lilian asked Lana if she liked the way she was portrayed on Total Divas and Lana responded saying that there were some things she got really mad about, but she knew that was what she signed up for when agreeing to do the show. Lana fires back at the idea that she wasn’t liked because of the way she acted on that show saying that’s the fault of the editors for casting her in that light and, at times, switching out sound bites in conversations that would be taken completely out of context. She brings up the example of the huge fight between her and Paige saying that the way it was portrayed on Total Divas isn’t at all what actually happened.
When asked if he would like to be back on Total Divas, Rusev said no he’d rather go make his own show. Lilian then asks if they feel like they have more they want to accomplish in WWE and they both say absolutely. Rusev says he still loves wrestling and it’s a challenge, but they both seem to embrace the challenges that come with WWE.
Rusev and Lana also announce that they are collaborating with someone on a comic book that should be released some time in 2019. They didn’t reveal any specific details about the comic book. Lana also reveals that she has a learning disability and that was going to be a story on an episode of Total Divas, but Natalya’s father passing away was a more important story to tell. Lana acknowledges that Jim Neidhart absolutely deserved to be recognized, but she says there were other stories that could’ve been removed that weren’t even as serious as Lana’s story. Lilian asks Lana to tell that story on the podcast so Lana begins to explain that she couldn’t read until she was ten years old and she’s dyslexic. For Total Divas, she was tested and said that if Rusev were to be tested he would test in the 90%+ range most likely, but she tested at 1% that’s how extreme her learning disability is.
If you want to listen to the interview, you can find it HERE.
•Listen to the latest Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-Show – Smackdown Post-Show
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by Jake Barnett from ProWrestling.net as they discuss WWE Smackdown with live callers first, then an on-site correspondent from Toledo, Ohio, and then later answering Mailbag questions. They discuss Kofi Kingston’s big night, Charlotte gloating in a heel promo, final Elimination Chamber hype, and more.
-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “Wade Keller” on your podcast app of choice
•WWE Social Media Highlights
A few of the wrestlers in WWE are beginning to openly vent about their frustrations with their positioning on the roster and how under-utilized they are on the main roster. Here is a quick collection of some of those tweets.
Tried. https://t.co/oiarrUEj30
— Ronnie Arneill (@perfec10n) February 9, 2019
Another fun fact…. one time I wrestled Liger in his only WWE match…. what the hell happened ?!?! 😐 🤔
— Prince Pretty (@MmmGorgeous) February 9, 2019
Oh I’m still rich don’t get me wrong… but there’s still ⛽️ in the tank u know? 😏 https://t.co/czNsvysQ39
— Prince Pretty (@MmmGorgeous) February 9, 2019
Current @wwe status pic.twitter.com/3aIHxl5igU
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) February 4, 2019
https://twitter.com/KillianDain/status/1092098739878195202
Becky was very active this week both before and after the happenings of Raw. She started with this silent video with subtitles recreating and mocking Ronda’s promo to her as she was escorted out of Raw last week.
Going to RAW again this week. Hope I have another one of these special moments with Ronnie. pic.twitter.com/PF7VeunIW6
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 9, 2019
I’ve had 7 knee surgeries and no one’s ever seen me limp. #IceAndAdvilBitch
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) February 10, 2019
Pretty sure everyone has seen you limp at least twice.
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 10, 2019
You stayed out too late last night but have an exam this morning? You faking a knee injury but have #Wrestlemania looming in your future? Whenever you need to suck it up and handle business, I personally prescribe this shirt to ease your pains, b*tch!https://t.co/8MzPVhH9KW
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) February 9, 2019
I’m sorry for all the Twitter murder lately, Ron Ron. You’re so proud of your one line that you made a little tee shirt page. Awww. Give The Man one so people will actually know it’s out there.
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 10, 2019
Complete and utter bullshit.
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 12, 2019
View this post on InstagramThis isn’t what’s best for business. This isn’t what’s in demand. I have no idea what the hell this is. Vince McMahon doesn’t even believe in his own girl @charlottewwe – If he didn’t make us the main event of #SurvivorSeries he’s sure as hell not making us the main event of #WrestleMania. The #WomensEvolution was robbed tonight. For a recap of Raw check the link in my bio
So Ronnie is afraid that old Char is dragging her out of the WM main event, huh? Rightfully so. We all know who was making this happen, and now I’m sitting at home watching it collapse. Might have to do something about that. https://t.co/iHCTdz4wlo
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) February 13, 2019
Mustafa Ali shared a video of his daughter interacting with some other Smackdown wrestlers during a house show last week.
She's my world. She got to spend some time hanging out with @MsCharlotteWWE, @CarmellaWWE @RonKillings and even did a #DanceBreak! #WWEDekalb @WWE pic.twitter.com/8yz6ETM4C0
— Mustafa Ali / Adeel Alam (@MustafaAliWWE) February 10, 2019
Charlotte took to Twitter to troll all of the fans who were upset that Vince had suspended Becky for WrestleMania and replaced her with Charlotte. Paul Heyman also chimed in.
I’m going to #WrestleMania…
ISN’T THIS EXCITING?!?!
👸 #RAW pic.twitter.com/BSJwPlFGCq
— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) February 12, 2019
Wow, I didn’t realize that so many of you didn’t want me in the match. Taking that into account, I’ll be asking management to remove me effectively immediately.
J/K
I could not possibly care less what you think 👸
— Ms. WrestleMania (@MsCharlotteWWE) February 12, 2019
I’ll be front row to watch @RondaRousey & @RubyRiottWWE face-off to decide who gets to face the Queen in MY #Wrestlemania main event match. Might need you guys to help me pick a dress. 👸 #SDLive pic.twitter.com/DywbL8wkgD
— Ms. WrestleMania (@MsCharlotteWWE) February 13, 2019
When I say "not a prediction, it's a spoiler." It's not my gimmick, catchphrase or shtick. It's a SPOILER!
2 years ago, I stated @MsCharlotteWWE would be the 1st woman to main event @WWE @WrestleMania.
It wasn't a prediction. It was a spoiler!https://t.co/cfi7XkmujG
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) February 12, 2019
•Closing Commentary
So instead of complaining about the direction of the Becky Lynch/Ronda Rousey/Charlotte angle, or how bad I thought Raw was this week, I’m going to do some Elimination Chamber picks. I picked the Royal Rumble matches and was 8 for 9. I didn’t pick the last minute kickoff show match that was added, and I was wrong about the United States Championship match, but that’s pretty good! More than me being good at picking, I think most of the matches were just fairly obvious, so let’s do it again!
(1) Women’s Tag Team Elimination Chamber Match – Winners will become the new Women’s Tag Team Champions
We now know that Sasha & Bayley and Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville will start the match. WWE has done a decent job building this match, and having the triple threat matches this week was an acceptable teaser of sorts. The stipulation of punishing the losers instead of rewarding the winners made for weird rules that Corey Graves pointed out both nights, which wasn’t a good decision. It makes The IIconics being cowardly and not wanting into the match look genius. Regardless, the matches were good teasers and at least they had some stakes put on them.
Prediction: Nia Jax & Tamina
My Hope: Nia Jax & Tamina win and they build towards a match between them and Sasha & Bayley at WrestleMania
(2) Shane McMahon & The Miz (c) vs. The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
Not much to say about this match. The build has been minimal, but the “McMiz TV” segment this week was pretty good. The Usos are leaning heel, but the crowd chanting heavily for them was interesting.
Prediction: The Miz & Shane retain
My Hope: The Miz & Shane
(3) Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy vs. A.J. Styles vs. Kofi Kingston in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship
Mustafa Ali being removed is disappointing, but Kofi Kingston will be a fine replacement. They did a great job building his credibility as a contender in the Gauntlet match on Smackdown. I also appreciated another Gauntlet match and another match with stakes attached to it. The finish of Orton hitting the R.K.O out of nowhere on A.J. was beyond predictable given the fact they had maybe two minutes left in the show, Styles was staring at the stage, and the weird camera angle they refused to cut away from, but predictable isn’t always a horrible thing. We now know Orton will enter the Elimination Chamber match last, thanks to that win.
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Prediction: Daniel Bryan retains. They just recreated the championship belt, I can’t see them wasting the time to do that to immediately switch the title and get rid of this wood and hemp version
My Hope: Selfishly, I’d love Samoa Joe to win, but I’m happy to see Bryan retain as well
(4) Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa for the Cruiserweight Championship
Not too much to say on this one. It should be very good from an in-ring perspective. I’m more curious if they’ll find a reason to toss it on the pre-show again. If they want 205 Live to be taken seriously, they need to put the championship match on the main card when they can.
Prediction: Buddy Murphy retains
My Hope: Buddy Murphy retains. I really like Murphy and I’d like to see him continue to dominate.
(5) Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Ruby Riott for the Raw Women’s Championship
WWE isn’t even bothering to try to make the fans care about this match. Ruby Riott had a match on Monday and they could’ve used that to make her look strong and look like a legitimate contender; instead they cut away in the middle of that match to have Ronda tell Becky it’s stupid of her to not apologize and ruin their WrestleMania match. That tells me even Ronda isn’t worried about Ruby. On top of that, this match was announced over the weekend on Twitter. That’s about as lackluster a build as you could possibly have to a championship match.
Prediction: Ronda Rousey retains
My Hope: Ronda retains, but hopefully they don’t completely kill all of Ruby’s credibility. It would be nice to see her put up a great fight and punish Ronda for overlooking her as a legitimate threat
(6) Bobby Lashley (c) & Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship in a two-on-one handicap match
I was baffled on Monday that the announce team was talking this up like Finn being in a two-on-one handicap match was an advantage for him. What a ridiculous notion. It’s an advantage for Finn to be facing Bobby Lashley and his manager Lio Rush, who still regularly wrestles on 205 Live and was undefeated for some time there. Terrible storytelling to act as if being outnumbered is a good thing, in my opinion.
Prediction: Lashley retains
My Hope: Finn Balor wins. I’d hate to see him “put up a good fight” and lose in two consecutive PPV matches. I’d rather him win it and move on quickly from Lashley. I’m tired of seeing Finn fighting McIntyre, Lashley, and Corbin, and them harping on his size.
(7) Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
I have nothing positive or negative to say about this match. It exists, so I guess I’ll watch it. Maybe it’ll be a good bathroom break match. McIntyre has nothing to do this PPV and I think that’s noteworthy.
Prediction: Corbin wins with the help of McIntyre
My Hope: They decide this match is unnecessary and they cut it out of the show entirely so we don’t have another four hour PPV. I wish…
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OR JUMP TO LAST WEEK’S WWE OVERVIEW: WEEKLY OVERVIEW – WWE (thru 2/6): Top stories of week, major show lineups, live event results, schedule of live events, noteworthy social media posts, more
Despite the coronavirus and concerns around it affecting business, sports, and entertainment events around the world, WWE announced Wednesday they are moving ahead with this year’s WrestleMania 36 in Tampa, FL.
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“The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay. We remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, and like other entertainment properties in the U.S., there are currently no plans to cancel or postpone our upcoming events.”
The cancellation of major spectator events hasn’t hit the United States with cancellations or postponements even as new cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to pop up daily including several cases in the Tampa Bay area. Major League Baseball said they have no plans to cancel or postpone games while the NBA and NHL have continued their seasons without issue.
The main concern is with travelers coming from around the world to the WWE’s biggest annual event plus all of the additional events throughout the week. As of this writing, there have been 80 reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States with nine deaths. 24 of those are travel related. More than 95,000 people worldwide have been affected with 3264 deaths, nearly all in mainland China.
When asked last Thursday about how the virus could affect WrestleMania, Stephanie McMahon had a similar response to the aforementioned statement, telling the Tampa Bay Times that, “The health and safety of not only our fan base, but also our superstars, really does come first. We don’t want to put anyone in a bad situation ever, regardless of the circumstance. Those are not risks worth taking.”
Recently, both New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom canceled the majority of their March slate due to the virus.
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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.)
The Sept. 3 WWE Smackdown drew a 1.54 rating, up from last week’s 1.50, and right in line with the ten-week rolling average of 1.50. Total viewership was 2.130 million, below ESPN’s U.S. Open Tennis and two programs on Fox News, but it topped all shows in the 18-49 target demographic with 0.7 rating. Tennis on ESPN drew a 0.5 rating in that demo to finish no. 2.
One year ago this week, Smackdown drew a 1.68 rating, and two years ago it drew a 1.74 rating.
The current 2019 average is 1.51, down from the year-ago average of 1.71 and the two-years-ago average through this week of 1.75.
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WWE Smackdown moves to Fox broadcast network starting the first week of October, kicking off the new Friday timeslot with an anniversary celebration featuring big names from the past.
A roster talent reshuffle is penciled in for later in October, but WWE hasn’t officially announced it yet. It’s expected there will be a stronger delineation between Raw and Smackdown roster members than is currently the case. The NXT roster could be in the re-draft also.
Donald Trump dismissed impeachment threats on Monday as Democrats clamoured for the US president to be investigated over claims he pushed the Ukrainian government to help damage a political opponent.
Senior figures within the Democratic Party have suggested Mr Trump abused his power after he appeared to admit he had raised corruption accusations against Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, during a phone call with Ukraine’s president.
The July 25 call was reportedly the trigger for an intelligence services whistleblower complaint which the White House is refusing to release to Congress.
Mr Trump has suggested that Mr Biden, while serving as Barack Obama’s Vice President, pressured the Ukrainian government to fire its top prosecutor because he had been investigating a company that employed Mr Biden’s son, Hunter.
In fact several western governments, including the US, and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund supported the prosecutor’s ousting.
Mr Trump defended his phone call with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as he arrived at the UN General Assembly on Monday, telling reporters: "what Biden did is a disgrace. What his son did is a disgrace".
Asked how he viewed the threat of impeachment, he replied: "Not at all seriously".
Leading Democrats have so far resisted calling for impeachment, but said Mr Trump’s latest actions may amount to an attempt to involve a foreign government in US presidential elections.
Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat House Speaker, warned the White House it had until Thursday to release the whistleblower complaint, or risk severe consequences.
Mrs Pelosi has opposed previous calls for impeachment attempts but in her strongest language on the matter yet, she told Democrats: “If the Administration persists in blocking this whistleblower from disclosing to Congress a serious possible breach of constitutional duties by the President, they will be entering a grave new chapter of lawlessness which will take us into a whole new stage of investigation”.
Let’s be clear, Donald Trump pressured a foreign government to interfere in our elections. It goes against everything the United States stands for.
We must make him a one-term president.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 22, 2019
Another senior Democrat, Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, suggested that impeachment “may be the only remedy” if Mr Trump refuses to release the whistleblower complaint.
"I have been very reluctant to go down the path of impeachment (but)… we may very well have crossed the Rubicon here," Mr Schiff told CNN.
Several Republicans have called for Mr Trump to release more information about the call and the whistleblower’s complaint.
"I would just urge the president – you know, he’s talking openly about the conversation – to release as much as possible," said Senator Lindsey Graham, an ally of Mr Trump.
Another Republican senator, Mitt Romney, a vocal critic of Mr Trump, said any evidence the president had asked his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate Mr Biden "would be troubling in the extreme."
Mr Trump later suggested he may release a transcript of his controversial phone call with Mr Zelenskiy, but said he was concerned about the precedent it would set.
"I could do it very easily, but I’d rather not do it from the standpoint of all the other conversations I have," he told a press conference on Monday.
The Democratic leadership have been reluctant to pursue impeachment proceedings ahead of an election year but face significant pressure to act from the party’s progressive wing.
One of the liberal base’s most vocal members, congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, made this evident in a scathing attack over the weekend.
"At this point, the bigger national scandal isn’t the president’s lawbreaking behavior – it is the Democratic Party’s refusal to impeach him for it," she said in a tweet.
All eyes will be on Washington Thursday, when the administration official who blocked release to Congress of the whistleblower complaint, acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, is scheduled to testify publicly on the issue before a House panel.
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Police have “geolocated” a French friend and former associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in South America after he went “missing” in the wake of the disgraced American financier’s death, say French reports.
Jean-Luc Brunel, 74, a model scout who founded the Miami-based MC2 model agency with financial help from Epstein, dropped from sight after his friend’s death from apparent suicide in a US prison in August.
In 2015 he denied any involvement in Epstein’s alleged offences. French prosecutors have not named him and he has not been charged with any crimes.
On Tuesday, they announced that they had searched Karin Models, an agency he founded in 1978.
Le Parisien said that police had tracked Mr Brunel to South America although they gave no indication of which country.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a friend of Mr Brunel told Le Parisien: “As part of his professional activities, he organised agency dinners frequented by very pretty girls. And to balance things out, men were invited but it didn’t go any further than that.”
As part of a sex trafficking probe, police on Monday also searched Epstein’s vast Parisian apartment on Avenue Foch, one of the capital’s most expensive streets, favoured by royalty, celebrities and billionaires.
According to French media, Epstein’s French-Brazilian butler opened the door to the Parisian home, which contains around 50 rooms, including one dedicated to massage.
The newspaper said the flat showed signs of having been cleaned out.
French investigators last month launched a preliminary investigation into whether any French citizens or residents were victims or accomplices of Mr Epstein’s alleged crimes.
They were pursuing allegations that Mr Epstein raped or sexually assaulted underage girls in France on the basis of three letters from Innocence in Danger, an advocacy group.
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Three women have since given testimony to police but the events they allege took place have past the statutes of limitations for any prosecution to take place.
That has prompted police to issue a call for other alleged victims to come forward.
Epstein was found hanged in his New York jail cell on August 10 while awaiting trial.
Hunters have shot dead Belgium’s first wild wolf in more than a century, conservationist groups monitoring the resurgent species have said.
Naya, a she-wolf, has been missing since May. Scientists and associations watching her since she was first spotted in Belgium in January 2018 fear the worst.
Her male companion August is now exhibiting signs of being a lone wolf once more, experts said. Naya was pregnant when she was last seen in May on one of the 60 wildlife cameras set up in rural Limburg, close to the Dutch border.
“I am 100 percent sure that Naya was shot. It is the only plausible explanation," said Sil Janssen, of the Natuurhulpcentrum animal shelter in Oudsbergen, which is in the eastern Flemish region that Naya made her territory.
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“Hunters have free rein in the area,” Mr Janssen told the Het Nieuwsblad newspaper. “They may hunt wild boars there, but if they suddenly have a wolf in front of them, they will not hesitate. "
Hubertus Vereniging Vlaanderen, a Flemish hunting association, demanded Mr Jannssen provide evidence or take back the accusation. If proved, Naya would be the first wolf killed by hunters in Belgium since 1897, 122 years ago.
“This is pure suspicion and an attempt to blacken an entire sector without having the necessary material evidence. Has he seen remains?”, said Geert Van den Bosch, director of the association.
“Does he know the name of the so-called perpetrator? If he has it, he must report it as a criminal offence and await the results of a possible investigation."
Where did Britain's wolves go?
Jan Loos, of WelkomWolf (Welcome Wolf), said that hunters were to blame for Naya’s suspected death.
“I’ve had phone calls and voice messages in which hunters were threatening to kill them. They literally announced it,” he told the Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper.
“August [Naya’s mate] is still visible but his behavior has changed. He hunts less, walks in different directions. It is clear that he no longer has to deal with his partner or his children . "
Mr Loos added, “Every day we hear nothing from her, it increases the chance that she is no longer alive. If she is dead, we will not have to look far for the cause."
Mr Jannssen said that wolves do not die in childbirth or move away from their territory once they have cubs. He said that if Naya had been hit by a car, the conservationists would have found out by now.
“I can’t prove she was shot, but you don’t have to be clairvoyant to see that," he said, “the other scenarios are not really an option.”
Belgium’s Nature and Forest agency has not confirmed Naya’s death. No body has been found and the agency continues to investigate her disappearance.
"We have no news about Naya, but we will meet with the parties involved next week," said Jelle De Wilde, of the agency.
Naya made international headlines in 2018 when she travelled 310 miles in ten days from Germany, through the Netherlands and into eastern Belgium.
Until then, Belgium was the only country in continental Europe to have not reported a wild wolf sighting, environmental group Landschap said at the time.
Wolves disappeared from most of Western Europe from the beginning of the 20th century because of hunting, growing cities and industrialisation but are now recolonising the continent.
A Moroccan journalist was sentenced to a year in prison for extra-marital sex and having an abortion, in a case activists say is politically motivated.
Hajar Raissouni, 28, and her fiancé were arrested in August as they left a gynaecologist’s office. She maintains she was was not having an abortion, which is illegal in Morocco, but having a blood clot removed.
Both Ms Raissouni and her partner were sentenced to a year in jail, while her doctor was sentenced to two years in jail and two years of a suspended medical license once released.
Ms Raissouni works for Akhbar Al-Youm, an independent newspaper which has criticised the government. Her uncle Souliman Raissouni is the newspaper’s editor-in-chief and a vocal critic of the state, while another uncle, Ahmed Raissouni, is a former leader of a leading Islamist party in the country.
Ms Raissouni’s lawyer said sufficient evidence had been provided to prove no abortion took place and the prosecution was a politically motivated attack on her and her newspaper. “We are shocked by this verdict," he said, adding that the family will appeal.
“This is a black day for freedom in Morocco,” said Ahmed Benchemsi of Human Rights Watch on Twitter.
Ms Raissouni said she was subjected to forced medical examinations while under arrest to determine whether she had had sex and an abortion, and police questioned her about her work and her uncles. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights said the exams were tantamount to torture.
The case has become a rallying cry for women’s rights activists campaigning against laws that target women.
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In response to Ms Raissouni’s arrest, a female-led group of Moroccan artists and activists formed, calling themselves the Moroccan Outlaws. They sent the government a petition containing the signatures of 490 Moroccan public figures, mostly women, who declared that if Ms Raissouni has broken the law then they also do so every day. A similar petition distributed among the general pubic garnered a further 8,000 signatures.
In 2018 nearly 15,000 people were prosecuted in Morocco under a law prosecuting sexual intercourse outside marriage. Meanwhile between 600-800 illegal, and as such, life-threatening, abortions are carried out each day.
"These laws are used as tools of vengeance for people’s political or ideological positions,” said Kamira Nadir, a publisher who co-founded Moroccan outlaws. “These kinds of laws shouldn’t exist anymore in Morocco. The real definition of a crime is what they did to her, what they made her suffer, not what she did."
Turkey’s president, in his strongest warning yet, threatened on Saturday to launch a military operation into northeastern Syria, where US troops are deployed and have been trying to defuse tensions between Washington’s two allies – Turkey and the Syrian Kurds.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s threats were a warning that a US-Turkish deal to secure Syria’s troubled border with Turkey was faltering. He said a Turkish military operation against the US-backed Kurdish forces could begin "maybe today, maybe tomorrow".
The Turkish military has been dispatching units and defense equipment to southeastern Sanliurfa province in the past month. Mr Erdogan had expressed frustration, threatening a unilateral operation, but this was his most specific threat amid concerns from the Syrian Kurds of a limited military operation.
"We have given all kinds of warning regarding the (area) east of the Euphrates to the relevant parties. We have acted with enough patience," Mr Erdogan said.
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A Turkish military operation, however limited, would put major pressure on the more 1,000 US troops in northeastern Syria and who operate closely with the Kurdish-led forces, whether to implement the security mechanism or in fighting IS.
The Turkish leader has repeatedly expressed frustration with Washington’s support for Kurdish groups in Syria. His threats continued despite a deal reached with Washington in August to carry out joint patrols and move Syrian Kurdish fighters away from the border.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said it is committed to the agreement between Turkey and the U.S. to preserve stability in the region.
"However, we will not hesitate to turn any unprovoked attack by Turkey into an all-out war on the entire border to DEFEND ourselves and our people," SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali tweeted Saturday.
Turkey views the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged an insurgency against Turkey for 35 years.
Ankara and Washington consider the PKK a terror group but they diverge on the issue of the YPG, which forms the core of US-backed Syrian forces against the Islamic State group and is loosely linked with the SDF. Turkey has been infuriated by US support for the group.
Turkey and the US disagree on the size of the area to be monitored by joint patrols, and also on who is to oversee it. Turkey wants its soldiers to monitor an area as deep as 19 miles. The US and the Kurdish forces have identified an area only as deep as 9 miles deep.
Mr Erdogan has said the joint patrols with the US are not enough and appear to be designed to waste time. He called the joint ground and air patrols a "tale."
Three joint US-Turkish ground patrols have run since launching almost a month ago. Kurdish forces have moved away from the frontier and set up new local forces to control border posts, and dismantled fortifications considered a threat by Turkey.
The US European Command tweeted Saturday – apparently in response to the Turkish threats – saying the U.S. and Turkish militaries were already working "to address Turkey’s legitimate security concerns."
"The Department of Defense will be transparent as each phase of the security mechanism is implemented," it said.
Mr Erdogan said his country wants to send 2 million Syrian refugees now in Turkey to the area it has called a "safe zone." But the Syrian Kurdish group administering the area said only those from the area can return – a number likely to be much smaller.
Mr Erdogan also demanded an answer from the US on whether it will consider the Syrian Kurdish fighters "terrorists."
When President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent Turkish warplanes and armoured units thundering into Syria this week, he did so in the name of places like Akçakale.
The dusty town is wedged up against the Syria border, so close that its residents can see the yellow and green flags of Syrian Kurdish forces fluttering in the near distance.
Before Syria’s plunge into war in 2011, the international border was barely noticed. Merchants crossed from Akçakale into the neighbouring Syrian town of Tel Abyad, while families went back and forth between the countries for weddings and funerals.
Today, Akçakale represents the two problems Mr Erdoğan says he is determined to solve with his military assault on northeast…
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A former member of top South Korean girl group F(x), who had spoken out against cyber bullying, was found dead on Monday, police said.
The body of Choi Jin-ri, better known by her stage name Sulli, 25, was discovered at her home in Seongnam, south of the capital, Seoul, police said.
"Her manager visited her home after failing to reach her since their last call the night before," police said in a statement.
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Sulli, 25, was grappling with severe depression, police said. They did not elaborate.
Sulli debuted with the five-member F(x) in 2009. It became one of the most popular girl groups in South Korea and helped fuel the global K-pop craze.
Sulli left the group in 2015 and launched a career as a solo singer and actress.
Most recently, she appeared on a television programme in which K-pop stars discussed their experiences with malevolent online comments.