Category: Other Wrestling

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Former WWE wrestlers Emma & Riddick Moss expecting first child

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Former WWE wrestlers Tenille Dashwood (Emma) and Mike Rallis (Riddick Moss) are expecting a baby.

The couple revealed the news on Friday, sharing a video on Instagram where they found out Dashwood is pregnant. The baby is expected to arrive in 2025, and Dashwood wrote that she and Rallis are “over the moon” to become parents for the first time and can’t wait to welcome their child into the world.

Dashwood and Rallis got engaged in June 2023 and were married this March. Since being released by WWE last September, the couple has been focusing on outside-the-ring projects like creating travel content for social media. Both Dashwood and Rallis did compete for Oceania Pro Wrestling in Australia this April. Rallis wrestled at a show for Black Label Pro this week as well.

While with WWE, Dashwood and Rallis were briefly paired together as an on-screen couple. It was Dashwood’s second stint with the company after previously being released in 2017. Their releases last September came during roster cuts that were made after WWE was acquired by Endeavor.

Willow Nightingale to defend Women’s title at CMLL 91st Anniversary show

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Willow Nightingale will make her first defense of the CMLL Women’s Championship at the promotion’s 91st Anniversary event.

CMLL revealed Wednesday night that Nightingale’s first defense will come against Zeuxis in Arena Mexico on the 91st Anniversary event scheduled for Friday, September 13.

AEW will have a heavy presence at the 91st Anniversary show, with Chris Jericho facing Mistico in a dream match on the card, plus Orange Cassidy set to make his CMLL debut on the show.

Nightingale will also be in action on this Saturday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view, facing Kris Statlander in a Chicago street fight. Nightingale’s CMLL title will not be on the line in the All Out contest.

Zeuxis made her AEW debut earlier this year, losing to Mercedes Mone in a TBS title bout on the June 12 Dynamite.

Nightingale won the CMLL Women’s Championship on a joint NJPW/CMLL Fantasticamania event in San Jose on July 13.

wXw will no longer work with Tristan Archer following abuse allegations

Posted on by Ian Carey

Germany’s Westside Xtreme Wrestling has commented on Tristan Archer.

Yesterday, former NXT UK wrestler Amale posted a statement to X accusing Archer of physical and emotional abuse. She also stated that legal proceedings have been initiated.

wXw announced on Tuesday that they will no longer be working with Archer in light of the allegations.

The APC Catch promotion out of France also announced Archer will not be part of their upcoming shows.

“Following recent events and after deliberation with the members of the APC management, it has been decided that Tristan Archer will not appear on the organization’s upcoming shows,” reads a translation of the promotion’s post.

Six promotions including Rixe, CACC, and BZW released a joint statement saying they condemn all forms of violence but are not in a position to comment directly on the allegations. The statement continues to say that since the matter is now under legal proceedings all parties directly involved will be suspended until further notice.

“Nevertheless, given the various public revelations and others subject to legal proceedings, we inform you that the participation of all persons directly involved in this matter in events organized by the signatory promotions will be suspended until further notice,” reads a translation of the below statement.

Don Callis announced for Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro commentary team

Posted on by Ian Carey

Scott D’Amore says Maple Leaf Pro will have a “dream team” at the commentary table.

AEW’s Don Callis has been announced as joining Mauro Ranallo when the promotion runs its debut shows on October 19 & 20 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Both events will stream as pay-per-views on Triller.

The news was announced Wednesday on Talk Is Jericho.

D’Amore would later comment:

“DON CALLIS to MAPLE LEAF PRO!! The commentary team is among the most important aspects of a pro wrestling broadcast. Callis joining Mauro Ranallo gives MLP a Dream Team calling all the action!”

Callis was voted Best Non-Wrestler in the 2023 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards, finishing ahead of Paul Heyman and Prince Nana.

Announced talent for Maple Leaf Pro includes: Konosuke Takeshita, El Phantasmo, Raj Dhesi (FKA Jinder Mahal), Josh Alexander, Gisele Shaw, KUSHIDA, Alex Zayne, Kevin Knight, Jake Something, Kylie Rae, ROH Women’s World Champion Athena, Mike Bailey, Trevor Lee, QT Marshall and Miyu Yamashita.

Alexander vs. Takeshita is the only match announced for Maple Leaf Pro’s debut shows thus far.

Nikki Bella contacts divorce lawyers in wake of husband’s domestic violence arrest

Posted on by Ian Carey

Nikki Garcia, FKA as Nikki Bella, is reportedly taking steps to divorce Artem Chigvintsev.

TMZ reports that Garcia has contacted divorce lawyers in the wake of Chigvintsev’s arrest for domestic violence last week.

“Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Nikki has been making calls since Friday, and we’re told her intention is to file to end her marriage,” the outlet wrote.

The report continued to state that Chigvintsev is currently staying with a friend and not in the family home he shares with Garcia and the couple’s four-year-old son Matteo.

On Monday, Garcia appeared on Netflix’s “Unfinished Beef” hot dog eating contest and Bodyslam’s Stephanie Hypes noted she was not wearing her wedding ring during the broadcast.

Chigvintsev was arrested Thursday morning after authorities responded to a 911 call at approximately 10 AM local time in Yountville, California. He was later booked for felony corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, although Garcia has not been confirmed as the victim. Chigvintsev’s bail was set at $25,000, which he has since posted.

According to audio files obtained by TMZ, Chigvintsev called 911 requesting medical assistance but would later call back to cancel. He noted during the call that his wife had thrown shoes at him.

Paramedics turned back after he canceled but police showed up at the address and “observed obvious injuries on the victim’s body” leading to Chigvintsev’s arrest.

Garcia’s team released a statement through US Weekly on Friday, saying, “This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.โ€

NJPW’s Kevin Knight to make MLW debut

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW wrestler Kevin Knight is set to debut for MLW later this month.

At MLW Fightland, Knight will make his debut in a singles match against Bobby Fish. It will be part of the TV taping portion of the event, which is being held at Center Stage in Knight’s hometown of Atlanta on Saturday, September 14.

Knight is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, holding the titles with KUSHIDA. Knight recently teamed with Rocky Romero & YOSHI-HASHI in a victory over Bullet Club War Dogs (David Finlay, Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) at NJPW Capital Collision.

In MLW, Fish is part of a newly formed stable with The Andersons (Brock Anderson & CW Anderson) and Brett Ryan Gosselin. They laid out Paul London at MLW Summer of the Beasts.

The Andersons made their MLW tag team debut at Summer of the Beasts and are set for action at Fightland, but their opponents have not been announced.

Fightland’s main card will stream live on MLW’s YouTube channel. The show is being headlined by Satoshi Kojima defending his MLW World Heavyweight Championship against Mads Krugger.

March 26, 2007 Observer Newsletter: WWE stars named in Sports Illustrated steroid article

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The Sports Illustrated web site this past week ran a story, that is likely to appear in the magazine this week, regarding anabolic steroid use among professional athletes. The story was picked up by all the major wire services and was covered in numerous newspapers around North America and a major subject of discussion on sports talk shows the next day.

The story listed six major WWE names as allegedly either being prescribed or receiving anabolic steroids or Growth Hormone in 2004 and 2005.

Besides Kurt Angle, who had already been named in the first story, the story was the result of an investigation of the files of Dr. David Wilbirt of Phoenix, a somewhat known doctor in the wrestling profession. Wilbirt had written 3,879 prescriptions between November 2004 and April 2005 for “patients” who had requested drugs over the Internet. The story, by reporters Luis Fernando Llosa and L. Jon Wertheim, said Wilbirt’s name has surfaced several times in the official documents the magazine received from the “Operation Netroids” investigation.

Subscribers can read this issue here.

Nikki Garcia releases statement following husband’s domestic violence arrest

Posted on by Josh Nason

A rep for former WWE star Nikki Garcia has released her first statement since her husband Artem Chingvintsev’s arrest Thursday on domestic violence charges where injuries were reportedly involved.

From US Weekly, the statement reads, “This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time.”

It is unknown if Garcia, the former Nikki Bella in WWE, is a victim as the Napa County (California) Sheriff’s office stated Thursday that โ€œthe victim in the case has asked for total confidentiality.”

The alleged incident(s) took place Thursday morning as local authorities responded to a domestic violence call at a location in Yountville. Chingvintsev was arrested and later booked on a felony domestic violence charge with bail set at $25,000.

TMZ reported Friday that Chingvintsev called 911 and requested medical assistance, claiming Garcia threw shoes at him. He then called back and tried to cancel the call, saying he no longer needed medical help. Police still showed up at their home within an hour, arresting him without incident.

The two celebrated their second wedding anniversary this week after being married in 2022, first meeting on Dancing with the Stars in 2019. They share a four-year-old son.

Minoru Suzuki wins MLW Tag Team titles with Ikuro Kwon

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Japanese wrestling legend Minoru Suzuki is now a champion in MLW.

At Summer of the Beasts in New York City on Thursday night, Suzuki and his Contra Unit partner Ikuro Kwon defeated Satoshi Kojima & Okumura to win the MLW Tag Team titles. After Kwon blinded Okumura with mist, Suzuki pinned him with a Gotch-style piledriver.

Contra Unit’s Mads Krugger and Janai Kai joined Suzuki and Kwon as they laid out Kojima in a post-match angle. Krugger will challenge Kojima for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship next month at Fightland.

Kai also holds MLW gold as the Women’s Featherweight Champion.

Since debuting for the promotion in October 2023, Suzuki has made regular appearances for MLW. He’s currently working as a freelancer in Japan and the United States.

Summer of the Beasts saw former WWE wrestler Donovan Dijak make his MLW debut, promising to bring destruction and devastation. He mentioned Kojima, Suzuki, Matt Riddle, and Timothy Thatcher as targets and vowed to become the next MLW World Heavyweight Champion.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1829341467203993732

The full Summer of the Beasts event can be watched for free on MLW’s YouTube channel.

Date revealed for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XII

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Josh Barnett has revealed the date and location for Bloodsport XII.

The twelfth event in the co-promoted Barnett/GCW Bloodsport series has been announced for Sunday, November 24 in Jersey City, New Jersey at The White Eagle.

The New Jersey location is notable as the show will take place on AEW Full Gear weekend, with the Full Gear pay-per-view set for the day before in Newark, New Jersey.

Barnett announced the date in a social media post, noting that The White Eagle hosted the first Barnett-branded Bloodsport in April 2019:

“The Hardest Hitting Event in all of Professional Wrestling returns… Josh Barnett’s: Bloodsport is headed back to where it all started – The White Eagle in Jersey City, Sun Nov. 24th. Tickets on sale soon.”

Bloodsport XI was held in July in Brooklyn and featured talent from WWE including Shayna Baszler and The Creed Brothers from the Raw brand, plus NXT’s Charlie Dempsey.

No talent has been announced for the November 24 date to this point.

Hall of Fame luchador Villano V passes away

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Villano V — a member of the legendary Mendoza wrestling family — has passed away at 62 years old.

His death was confirmed by CMLL with the promotion issuing a statement on Thursday sending its condolences to the family and friends of Villano V (Ray Mendoza Jr.). In their statement, CMLL called Villano V a great figure in Mexican wrestling history and a member of one of its greatest dynasties.

Along with his four brothers, Villano V was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame as Los Villanos in 2022. Their father Ray Mendoza was a lucha libre icon and part of the inaugural Observer Hall of Fame class of 1996.

Villano V made his pro wrestling debut as a teenager in the 1970s. In 2008, he was part of one of the best matches of the year when he headlined CMLL’s 75th Anniversary Show by defeating Blue Panther in a mask vs. mask match. He worked for WCW in the 1990s with Villano IV, who is now the only surviving Villano brother.

Lucha Libre AAA issued a statement extending its condolences to Villano V’s family as well.

Nikki Garcia’s husband Artem Chigvintsev arrested on domestic violence charges

Posted on by Josh Nason

The husband of former WWE star Nikki Garcia was arrested Thursday on domestic violence charges in Yountville, California.

TMZ first reported the news, adding that “the victim in the case has asked for total confidentiality” according to the Napa County Sheriff’s office. As of this writing, it is unknown if she is the victim.

According to the report, local authorities responded to a domestic violence call before 10 AM local time Thursday at a location in Yountville. That is where Artem Chingvintsev of Dancing with the Stars fame was arrested and later booked on a felony domestic violence charge with bail set at $25,000. Injuries were reportedly involved.

Garcia, formerly Nikki Bella in WWE, was in Napa as recently as Wednesday according to her Instagram account. The two celebrated their second wedding anniversary this week after being married in 2022, first meeting on the DWTS show in 2019.

They share a four-year-old son.

Mick Foley ‘probably’ would have chosen MJF as opponent for final match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

When he was planning to come out of retirement for one final match, Mick Foley considered MJF being his opponent.

Foley announced earlier this year that he was considering having one last match for his 60th birthday in 2025. But Foley called off those plans after suffering a concussion while only doing light training. During an appearance at Nickel City Comic Con this summer, Foley stated that — if he had gone through with the idea — he probably would have chosen MJF as his opponent.

“When I was thinking of having that last match, I’ll tell ya what — when I announced that intention, there was no shortage of people from every promotion reaching out to me. And one guy I probably would have gone with because heโ€™d clearly done some thinking about it and lined out six great weeks of TV was MJF,” Foley said. “We didnโ€™t take a photo together because we didnโ€™t want to like ruin the secret meeting, but I heard what he had to say, I really liked it. I had no doubt that he would have pulled it off perfectly. Heโ€™s so good and in his prime that he could have worked around my weaknesses and played to my strengths. And I think we could have done something pretty cool. MJF. Final answer.”

Foley had been considering having one last match as a way to motivate himself to lose weight. It would have had a Death Match stipulation. When he first brought up the idea, Foley mentioned Matt Cardona and Jon Moxley as potential opponents.

If Foley did have the match, it would have been his first time wrestling since appearing in WWE Royal Rumble 2012. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.

Foley said at Nickel City Comic Con that having a hip replacement in 2017 has helped improve his quality of life. He didn’t want to risk that by wrestling again.

Athena to compete for Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling

Posted on by Joseph Currier

ROH Women’s World Champion Athena is set to compete at the debut events for Scott D’Amore’s new promotion.

Athena will be in action at Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling Forged In Excellence this October. It’s a two-night event taking place on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20. The shows are being held at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and will air live as pay-per-views on Triller TV.

Since December 2022, Athena has been on a dominant run as ROH Women’s World Champion. She retained against Queen Aminata last month at Death Before Dishonor.

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling has yet to announce Athena’s opponents for Forged In Excellence. Kylie Rae and Gisele Shaw are among the other talent set to wrestle at the shows.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Josh Alexander is the first match that’s been announced for the event. QT Marshall, El Phantasmo, Raj Dhesi (Jinder Mahal), KUSHIDA, Alex Zayne, Kevin Knight, Jake Something, and Trevor Lee are also advertised.

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling is a revival of the Maple Leaf Wrestling brand that originally existed from the 1930s to 1980s. It’s a new venture for D’Amore after he was fired as president of TNA Wrestling this February.

Mauro Ranallo is returning to pro wrestling commentary as the voice of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling.