Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including Dynamite ratings, WWE and AEW ticket sale notes, a match that could sell a bunch of tickets coming up, Gunther Stark, an update on Ali, your calls and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Tag: ali
WWE reveals SmackDown’s men’s division team for Survivor Series
Team SmackDown is the second group to be revealed for this year’s traditional Survivor Series men’s elimination match.
Roman Reigns, King Corbin, Braun Strowman, Mustafa Ali & Shorty G (Chad Gable) will represent SmackDown in their triple threat elimination tag match against Team Raw and Team NXT. The announcement of the team was made on last night’s episode of WWE Backstage.
On Monday, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, Ricochet & Drew McIntyre were announced as Raw’s team for the match. NXT’s team has yet to be revealed.
There will also be a women’s division elimination tag match between the brands at Survivor Series. Sasha Banks, Dana Brooke & Carmella are the first three wrestlers confirmed for Team SmackDown.
Survivor Series is taking place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on Sunday, November 24. Here’s the updated card for the pay-per-view:
- WWE Champion Brock Lesnar defending against Rey Mysterio
- Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler in a non-title match
- United States Champion AJ Styles vs. Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong in a non-title match
- Raw Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders (Ivar & Erik) vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs. NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) in a non-title match
- Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown vs. Team NXT five-on-five-on-five men’s elimination tag match
- Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown vs. Team NXT five-on-five-on-five women’s elimination tag match
Three wrestlers added to Team Hogan at WWE Crown Jewel
The lineup for the Team Hogan vs. Team Flair match at Crown Jewel is almost fully set.
On tonight’s SmackDown, it was announced that Roman Reigns, Ali, and Shorty G (Chad Gable) will be on Team Hogan. They’ll be teaming with Rusev & Ricochet against Team Flair in the five-on-five tag match.
Randy Orton, King Corbin, Bobby Lashley & Shinsuke Nakamura will be on Team Flair. The last member of their team has yet to be revealed.
Reigns is the captain of Team Hogan, while Orton is the captain of Team Flair. Seth Rollins was originally announced as the captain of Team Hogan, but he was removed from the match after it was announced that he’ll be defending his Universal Championship against The Fiend in a falls count anywhere match at Crown Jewel.
Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair will both be appearing on SmackDown next week, which is airing live on FS1 due to game three of the World Series being on FOX.
Hogan and Flair are the coaches of their teams but won’t be wrestling in the match.
Crown Jewel is taking place at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday, October 31. It will air live on the WWE Network, with the main card starting at 1 p.m. Eastern time.
WWE SmackDown live results: King of the Ring quarterfinals
The build to Clash of Champions continues as SmackDown takes place from the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
Daniel Bryan demands an apology from Roman Reigns for spearing him last week. Reigns had proof that Rowan was at the scene of the forklift incident. Bryan denied any involvement, but Reigns speared him anyway.
WWE Champion Kofi Kingston defends against Randy Orton at Clash of Champions. Last week, Orton and Kingston brawled backstage, and Orton gave Kingston a draping DDT on the floor. WWE.com is teasing that Kingston is looking for payback.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley turned against Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch last night on Raw. Bayley sided with Sasha Banks and beat down Lynch. Bayley defends her title against Charlotte Flair at Clash of Champions and is scheduled to appear tonight.
The King of the Ring continues with the quarterfinals as Ali takes on Elias and Chad Gable goes one-on-one with Andrade.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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SmackDown Woman’s Champion Bayley made her way down to the ring. She got a mixed reaction. There was a good amount of boos but also some cheers. She said nothing has changed and she was siding with her best friend. She’s just trying to lift people with her heart and hugs.
She called herself a hero and role model. She’s trying to show the kids what it means to be loyal. Bayley couldn’t turn her back on her friend. She’s trying to put SmackDown on the map and wants to prove that she’s a deserving champion.
Bayley promised to beat the most selfish person on the roster, Charlotte Flair. Flair’s music hit and she made her way to the ring. Flair noted what you see is what you get. She said there is no blindsiding and no hugging. She told Bayley to hold the belt real tight because she’s coming for it.
Sasha Banks music hit, and she walked down the aisle. Flair attacked Bayley and rocked her with a boot. Banks jumped in the ring, but Flair cut her off. Bayley attacked Flair from behind with the chair.
The fans chanted “One more time.” Bayley handed the chair to Banks, and she attacked Flair. The fans broke into a loud “Becky” chant.
Elias defeated Ali in a King of The Ring Quarterfinal match
This was a good match. Ali had the early advantage and sent Elias to the floor. He attempted a dive, but Elias caught him and slammed him on the ramp. Elias threw Ali around ringside and press slammed him into the timekeeper’s area.
Back from the break, Ali rocked Elias with a dropkick. He rocked Elias with hard chops and followed up with the rolling X factor for a near fall.
Ali hit a suicide dive and sent Elias into the barricade. Elias injured his arm, but Ali injured his knee.
Ali climbed to the top, but Elias cut him off. Ali fought back and hit a 450 to Elias’s arm. Ali locked on the cross face, but Elias made the ropes. Elias fought back and hit a sit-out powerbomb for a close near fall.
Elias worked over the injured knee and hit it against the post. They fought on the top rope, but Elias pushed Ali off. Ali moonsaulted to the floor and landed on his feet. Elias attempted a dive, but Ali hit a superkick.
Ali attempted the 450, but Elias moved. Elias fought back and hit the drift away for the win. Elias advances to the semi-finals and faces the winner of Chad Gable vs. Andrade later tonight.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Samoa Joe backstage. He discussed facing Ricochet and Baron Corbin in the semi-finals. He’s here scouting the competition and promises to become king.
Fire & Desire defeated Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross in a non-title match
Cross attacked Mandy Rose with forearms to start the match. Sonya Deville distracted Cross and Rose attacked her from behind. Cross hit a cross body from the top to the floor.
Back from the break, the heels were firmly in control. Bliss got the hot tag and ran wild. Cross took out Rose with a crossbody.
Bliss caught Deville with a DDT and climbed to the top for Twisted Bliss.
Cross applied the sleeper on Rose on the floor. Rose sent Cross into the apron. Bliss was distracted and then attempted Twisted Bliss, but Deville got her knees up. Rose hit a knee on Bliss for the win.
Samoa Joe ran into Chad Gable in the back. Joe mocked Gable for being short and called him Bilbo. He told Gable he’s mentally weak. Joe walked away, but Gable seemed bothered by the comments.
Randy Orton made his way down to the ring. The fans broke into a loud “Randy” chant. Orton promised to win the WWE Championship at Clash of Champions and called Kofi Kingston a fraud. He discussed injuring Kingston last week.
The fans broke into a loud “Kofi” chant. He showed footage of Orton attacking The New Day over the last few weeks. Orton promised no more traps and challenged Kingston to come down to the ring.
Kingston’s music hit but The Revival attacked him as he came out. Big E and Xavier Woods are injured an unable to help Kingston. Kingston fought back against The Revival, but Orton jumped Kingston.
Orton repeatedly called Kingston stupid as he stomped on him. Kingston fought back again, but he couldn’t overcome the odds. Orton and The Revival then gave Kingston a super RKO.
They recapped the Roman Reigns mystery attacker angle.
Chad Gable defeated Andrade (w/Zelina Vega) in a King of the Ring Quarterfinal match
On commentary, Corey Graves continued to make short jokes throughout the match. Zelina Vega mocked Gable for being short as well.
This was another good match. Andrade attempted a moonsault, but Gable rolled out of the way. Andrade landed on his feet and tried a standing moonsault, but Gable got the knees up.
Gable hit a moonsault for a very close near fall. The fans broke into a “Gable” chant.
Andrade fought back but missed the double knees in the corner.
Gable hit a German suplex, but Vega distracted the referee. Andrade caught Gable with a back elbow and attempted the hammerlock DDT, but Gable rolled through and pinned Andrade to advance to the semi-finals. The fans popped huge for Gable’s win. Gable takes on Elias in the next round.
Aleister Black defeated Shelton Benjamin
Black had the early advantage, but Benjamin took over. Black fought back with kicks. Benjamin caught Black with a knee, but Black hit a series of strikes. Benjamin missed a kick, and Black hit Black Mass for the win.
In the back, Drake Maverick fought off The Singh Brothers and Curtis Axel to retain the 24/7 title. Bo Dallas snuck up from behind and rolled up Maverick to win the title.
Intercontinental Champions Shinsuke Nakamura defeated “Andrew Howard”
Nakamura and Sami Zayn made their way down to the ring. Zayn mocked the fans. He asked Nakamura’s opponent if his name is Andrew Howard. He shook his head no. Zayn said it doesn’t matter since he’s named The Miz tonight.
Zayn did commentary on the live mic during the match. This was a total squash and ended when Nakamura hit the Kinshasa.
Bo Dallas rolled into the ring, trying to get away from a bunch of guys. Maverick rolled up Dallas to regain the 24/7 title.
R-Truth was in a lamp disguise next to the King of the Ring throne. Truth rolled up Maverick to win the title.
Daniel Bryan made his way down to the ring. The fans broke into a loud “Daniel Bryan” chant. He said it’s nice to around people that believe him. He said he hates liars and demands an apology from Roman Reigns.
Reigns made his way down to the ring. Rowan attacked Reigns from behind and threw him into the ring steps. Bryan tried to stop Rowan, but he shoved Bryan to the floor.
Rowan gave Reigns a powerbomb into the ring post. Rowan then gave Reigns the Iron Claw in the ring. He grabbed the mic and pointed out that Reigns thinks Bryan was behind the attack, but it was Rowan. He mocked Reigns and challenged Bryan to come in the ring and slap him. Rowan is nobody’s puppet.
The fans broke into a loud “Yes” chant. Rowan admits he was behind the attacks. He hit Reigns with the steps and cleared the announce table.
Bryan got in Rowan’s face and slapped him. Rowan snapped and gave Bryan the Iron Claw through the table. Rowan yelled that nobody tells him what to do.
WWE SmackDown live results: Ali vs. Murphy, Gable vs. Benjamin
SmackDown takes place tonight from the Raising Cane’s River Center Arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Last week, Daniel Bryan revealed Rowan’s doppelganger as the “real culprit” that attacked Roman Reigns. Bryan and Rowan are demanding Reigns make a public apology for wrongfully accusing Rowan.
The King of the Ring tournament continues with SmackDown’s remaining first-round matches. Buddy Murphy takes on Ali, and Chad Gable goes one-on-one with Shelton Benjamin.
Randy Orton and The Revival attacked Xavier Woods last week on Raw. WWE Champion Kofi Kingston got some revenge when he attacked Orton and The Revival last Tuesday. Orton and The Revival are scheduled to appear tonight.
SmackDown Woman’s Champion Bayley defends against Charlotte Flair at Clash of Champions. The match was set up last week on a Moment of Bliss, with the segment ending when Bayley shoved Flair out of her chair. Flair promises to respond to Bayley tonight.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Kayla Braxton approached Roman Reigns backstage and asked about Daniel Bryan and Rowan demanding an apology. He’s got a lot of unfinished business, but he wants to save it for the ring.
WWE Champion Kofi Kingston made his way down to the ring. They recapped Randy Orton and Kingston’s feud. They announced Kingston defending against Orton for Clash of Champions.
The fans broke into a loud “Kofi” chant. Kingston noted Orton loves to call him stupid. He pointed out that he attacked Orton last week. Orton made this feud personal, but Kingston wants to prove that he deserves to be champion.
Orton made it personal by attacking Woods and bringing his family into it. Last week, Orton slithered away because he saw the look in Kingston’s eyes. He promised to defeat Orton at Clash of Champions and remain the WWE Champion.
Suddenly, Orton started calling Kingston stupid on the big screen. He would come down there to attack Kingston, but instead, he’s going to wait until Clash of Champions. He was trying to figure out what to do when somebody sent him a letter.
Orton read the letter. The letter asked Orton to stop hurting Kingston because it makes him cry at night. The letter is from Kingston’s son. Orton realized he’s staying at the same hotel as Kingston’s family and he’s going to pay his son a visit. Kingston left the ring and ran into the back.
In the back, Kingston attacked Orton and officials tried to break it up. Orton took over and gave Kingston the draping DDT. Orton called Kingston stupid and left.
In the back, Big E left the trainer’s room. Kayla Braxton and asked about Kingston. Big E was furious and promised to get revenge on Orton.
They recapped Buddy Murphy defeating Daniel Bryan last week and Rowan attacking him after the match.
Ali defeated Buddy Murphy in a first-round King of the Ring match
This was a good match with lots of intense back and forth action. They had a heated exchange to start the match. Ali used a hurricanrana and sent Murphy to the floor. He set up for a dive, but Murphy cut him off for a near fall.
Back from the break, Ali used a dropkick and sent Murphy to the floor. He followed up with a suicide dive. In an excellent spot, Ali attempted the rolling X-Factor, but Murphy picked him up and tossed Ali to the floor.
Murphy followed up with an insane flip dive. The fans broke into a loud “Buddy” chant.
Murphy missed a Meteora and Ali hit a superkick. He hit a reverse rana for a close near fall.
Murphy used a powerbomb for a two count and hit a knee. The fans broke into a “This is Awesome” chant. They traded shots in the middle of the ring. Ali hit a spinning heel kick and sent Murphy to the apron. Ali then hit a tilt a whirl draping DDT and hit the 450 for the win in an excellent finish.
After the match, Murphy shook Ali’s hand and raised his arm. Ali advances in the King of the Ring and takes on Elias in the quarterfinals.
In the back, Ember Moon approached Bayley. Moon promised to defeat Bayley in the ring someday. Moon said Flair’s wrong and Bayley is the face of the division. Moon said the better woman won at SummerSlam.
Lacey Evans approached them and promised to prove she’s the face of the division and will show it in their match later.
They recapped Sami Zayn and Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura attacking The Miz.
The Miz made his way to the ring. He noted Zayn is Nakamura’s spokesperson because Zayn can’t do it on his own. Zayn is a hanger-on and is just using Nakamura. Nakamura doesn’t need Zayn. Miz noted he made the Intercontinental title. He then challenged Nakamura to a match for Clash of Champions
Sami Zayn interrupted and noted he liberated Nakamura. Nakamura is feeling stronger and better in years. Zayn noted Nakamura is an artist, poetic and King of Strong Style. He called Miz the King of Soft Style. Zayn threatened to beat some respect into Miz. Miz challenged him to come in the ring.
Zayn noted he doesn’t do things on his terms. Miz came out to attack Zayn, but Nakamura attacked Miz from behind. Nakamura then gave Miz the Kinshasa against the LED board. Nakamura then gave Miz a second Kinshasa in the ring.
They announced Big E vs. Randy Orton for later tonight.
Kevin Owens entered Shane McMahon’s office and found Elias. Owens is looking for McMahon, but he’s not there. Owens thanked Elias and left.
SmackDown Woman’s Champion Bayley defeated Lacey Evans
Bayley had the early advantage, but Evans took over with a slam. Bayley regained control with a knee and rocked Evans with a clothesline on the floor.
Charlotte Flair made her way down to the ring. Back from the break, Evans slowed the pace down with a chin lock. Bayley used a crossbody, but Evans took back over. Bayley tied Evans up in the ropes and rocked her with a dropkick. Evans regained control.
Bayley caught Evans leg in the ropes and hit a big clothesline to take over. Bayley attempted the Bayley-to-Belly, but Evans attacked the arm. Evans hit the moonsault for a near fall.
They traded pinfall attempts. Bayley caught Evans with a knee and Bayley-to-Belly, but Evans grabbed the bottom rope.
Evans kicked the injured left arm and hit a neck breaker. Bayley regained control and hit a Bayley-to-Belly. She followed up with an elbow off the top for the win.
Kayla Braxton spoke with Daniel Bryan and Rowan in the back. Bryan noted he proved Rowan’s innocence last week. Bryan promised not to leave until they receive an apology from Roman Reigns.
Randy Orton defeated Big E
Big E and Orton brawled on the floor around ringside. Big E tossed Orton over the announce table. Orton used a thumb to the eye, but Big E fought back. Orton sent Big E shoulder first into the ring post to take over.
Big E fought back with a series of clotheslines. Orton regained control when Big E missed the splash on the apron. He then gave Big E a back suplex on the announce table.
Back from the break, Big E gave Orton a back suplex on the announce table. He hit Orton with a belly-to-belly suplex and went for the splash, but The Revival caused the distraction. Big E went for the Big Ending, but the Revival interfered again. Orton then hit the RKO for the win.
After the match, Orton and The Revival gave Big E an assisted RKO.
In the back, Sara Schreiber interviewed Chad Gable. Gable noted Shelton Benjamin should know better not to underestimate him.
Benjamin approached and made a bunch of short jokes and left.
They recapped R-Truth defeating Elias for the 24/7 Championship at Fox Founders Day. Truth then appeared on the Fox College Football Kickoff Show. One of the hosts, Rob Stone, defeated Truth to win the title. Then Elias rolled up Stone to regain the title.
In the ring, Elias sat in the King of the Ring throne wearing the crown. Elias talked about winning the tournament and talked about how good he looks in the crown.
Kevin Owens approached and attacked Elias. They fought in the ring and Owens gave Elias the stunner. Owens didn’t attempt the pin to win the 24/7 title and just walked off.
Truth entered the ring and tried to pin Elias, but Drake Maverick pulled Truth out. Maverick then pinned Elias to win the 24/7 Championship.
Chad Gable defeated Shelton Benjamin in a First Round King of the Ring match
On commentary, Corey Graves made short jokes throughout the match.
Benjamin had the early advantage and scored a near fall. Gable fought back and caught Benjamin with a high angle German suplex. Benjamin fought back with a flying clothesline. He applied the Ankle lock, but Gable rolled through.
Gable leaped off the apron, but Benjamin caught him and tossed him into the barricade. Gable attempted a moonsault, but Benjamin moved, and Gable landed on his feet.
Benjamin caught Gable with knee and attempted a powerbomb.
Gable reversed and rolled up Benjamin to advance. Gable takes on Andrade in the quarterfinals.
Roman Reigns made his way down to the ring to address Daniel Bryan and Rowan. Before Reigns could speak, Daniel Bryan interrupted on the big screen and told Reigns to say I’m sorry.
Reigns asked the fans if he should apologize. Reigns then showed footage of his attack and found footage of Rowan. Bryan was furious. He slapped Rowan in the face and grabbed a mic. He promised he didn’t know anything and that he hates liars. He made his way down to the ring.
Bryan called Rowan a liar and said somebody told him to do this. He said it wasn’t him, but Reigns speared Bryan anyway.
Ali replaces Finn Balor at WWE Smackville
Finn Balor was supposed to face Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at Smackville tonight, but that match didn’t end up happening.
WWE announced shortly before Smackville started that Balor wouldn’t be able to wrestle tonight: “During the week, @FinnBalor suffered an undisclosed injury. @WWE Medical has unfortunately not cleared him for competition tonight at #SMACKVILLE. It is unknown who or if @ShinsukeN defends his title tonight. Stay tuned as we learn more.”
Nakamura instead retained his title against Ali at tonight’s special. Nakamura entered at the start of the show and wanted to win by forfeit. As the referee was about to count Balor out, Ali came down and cut a promo setting up that Nakamura would be defending the Intercontinental title against him immediately.
Ali hit a satellite DDT for a near fall and went to the top rope near the end of the match, but the finish was Nakamura avoiding the 054, sending Ali face-first into the middle turnbuckle, and retaining with the Kinshasa.
Post Wrestling’s John Pollock tweeted that he was told Balor is dealing with a “24-hour bug type situation” and WWE is hoping he’ll be ready for Tuesday’s SmackDown. Balor vs. Dolph Ziggler has been announced for the episode.
WWE Petersburg live results: Balor vs. Nakamura vs. Ali
Submitted by Michael Yoen
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan & Rowan defeated Heavy Machinery to retain their titles
Bryan was heavily booed, while Heavy Machinery got a good reaction from the fans. There was lots of playing to the crowd to start. Bryan rolled up Otis for the pin.
After the match, Heavy Machinery laid out Bryan and Otis gave him the caterpillar.
– Kayla Braxton announced that Shane McMahon had Kevin Owens banned from the building after his actions on SmackDown.
– Ember Moon defeated Liv Morgan
This was all action and better than expected. Moon won with the eclipse.
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville attacked Moon after, with Asuka and Kairi Sane making the save. That led into the next match.
– Asuka & Kairi Sane defeated Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
Sane pinned Rose after an elbow off the top rope.
– Elias did a promo and introduced his partner Sami Zayn. They insulted the crowd and threatened to do a duet but were interrupted by Big E and Xavier Woods.
– Big E & Xavier Woods defeated Elias & Sami Zayn by DQ
Dolph Ziggler interfered to cause the disqualification. Kofi Kingston then came out to even the odds and hit Zayn with Trouble in Paradise. This was Kingston’s only appearance of the night even though he was advertised to face Ziggler. Kingston is dealing with a minor back injury but has said he’ll be fine for Extreme Rules.
New Day got the biggest reaction of the show.
Owens then showed up and stunned Ziggler and Zayn.
– SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley defeated Nikki Cross to retain her title
Bayley was really popular with the ringside kids. Charlotte was originally advertised in TV ads and it was then changed to Alexa Bliss a couple of weeks ago, but neither appeared.
The match was a little clunky early, but they recovered. Bayley won with the Bayley-to-Belly.
– Andrade and Zelina Vega came out to cut a promo but were interrupted by Drake Maverick being chased by Apollo Crews and Buddy Murphy. Crews and Murphy kept screwing up and hitting each other instead of Maverick.
R-Truth and Carmella then came out and Truth had Maverick pinned until Andrade took out Truth. Maverick ran to the back.
– Aleister Black defeated Andrade
Black and Andrade both got good reactions. The match was short, but the action was crisp. Vega interfered several times against Black, but he won with the Black Mass.
– Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor defeated Shinsuke Nakamura and Ali in a triple threat match to retain his title
Balor got the second best reaction of the night. Ali worked hard. For the finish, Balor pinned Nakamura after hitting the Coup de Grace.
Fatal four-way match, KO Show segment set for WWE SmackDown
WWE has made two more announcements for Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings in London, England.
A fatal four-way match featuring SmackDown’s men’s Money in the Bank ladder match participants is set for the show. Finn Balor, Ali, Randy Orton, and Andrade will face off in the four-way match.
Braun Strowman, Ricochet, Drew McIntyre, and Baron Corbin are Raw’s wrestlers for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
WWE is also teasing whether or not Kofi Kingston will accept Kevin Owens’ invitation to appear on the KO Show on Tuesday. The episode is the go-home show for Money in the Bank, and Kingston will defend his WWE Championship against Owens at the pay-per-view.
Monday’s Raw and Tuesday’s SmackDown are both being taped at the O2 Arena in London. Asuka & Kairi Sane vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville has also been announced for SmackDown.
NXT UK wrestlers will be appearing on Tuesday’s 205 Live. Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese will take on Ligero in a non-title match, and WWE has announced a fatal four-way match between Humberto Carrillo, Jack Gallagher, Mark Andrews, and James Drake.
New WWE 24, Chronicle episodes to premiere next weekend
New episodes of WWE Chronicle and WWE 24 are set to premiere on the Network next weekend.
The updated WWE Network schedule for next week lists that a new Chronicle episode focused on Mustafa Ali will air at 8 p.m. Eastern time next Saturday (May 18), while a new edition of WWE 24 focused on Becky Lynch will then premiere after Money in the Bank on Sunday, May 19.
Both documentary-style specials are listed in hour-long time slots.
Here’s the brief description for Ali’s Chronicle episode: “Get an inside look into Ali’s Muslim faith, his climb back to the World title picture and his career aspirations as a WWE Superstar.”
The description for Lynch’s WWE 24 episode is: “Witness the rise of ‘The Man’ Becky Lynch from her Irish wrestling days to competing in WrestleMania’s first all-women’s main event!”
Lynch will have two matches at Money in the Bank, defending the Raw Women’s Championship against Lacey Evans and defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair. Ali will be one of the participants in this year’s men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Two matches, Kevin Owens segment set for WWE SmackDown
WWE has made a few announcements for Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown.
Bayley, Ember Moon & Carmella will team against Charlotte Flair, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville in a six-woman tag match on Tuesday night. Ali vs. Andrade has also been confirmed for the episode.
Bayley, Moon, Carmella, and Rose are SmackDown’s participants in this year’s women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, while Charlotte is challenging for Becky Lynch’s SmackDown Women’s Championship at the pay-per-view.
Ali, Andrade, Finn Balor, and Randy Orton are SmackDown’s participants for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Money in the Bank is taking place at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut on May 19. Kofi Kingston will defend his WWE Championship against Kevin Owens at the PPV, and WWE has announced a segment for Tuesday’s SmackDown where Owens will respond to Kingston. Kingston got revenge on Owens by attacking and brawling with him on this week’s episode.
WWE is also hyping that Shane McMahon will crown new SmackDown Tag Team Champions on Tuesday.
WWE shortens Mustafa Ali’s name
Mustafa Ali is the latest to have his name shortened.
WWE.com updated Mustafa Ali’s bio page this afternoon, shortening his name to just Ali. Any mention of his former first name has been dropped, so it is likely going forward he will only be going by his last name.
He had returned recently on television after being out a few weeks last month due to a concussion. As fate would have it, his injury actually was the catalyst for Kofi Kingston to enter the main event scene on SmackDown. He replaced Ali as part of a gauntlet match to determine who would enter last in the Elimination Chamber. Although he didn’t win the match, nor did he win in the actual Elimination Chamber itself, his performances connected with the crowd.
Ali is not the first to have his name changed once he was brought up to SmackDown. Otis (Dozovic), Tucker (Knight), (Luke) Harper, (Erik) Rowan and Andrade (Cien Almas) also had longer names before they were shortened.
Daily Update: The passing of Muhammad Ali, UFC 199 tonight
MUHAMMAD ALI
Muhammad Ali is very likely the most well known and important figure in the history of sports. Besides Jackie Robinson, no other athlete may have had as great an impact on society, as Ali’s refusal to participate in the Vietnam War stands out as a seminal moment in American history. That’s to say nothing of his public conversion to Islam and his steadfast refusal to play down his faith. Those two acts alone helped to define a generation.
Of course, his fame was international as well, and that same influence was felt throughout the globe. From Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), site of the famous Rumble in the Jungle, to the Philippines, home to the Thrilla in Manila, Ali truly was a World Champion.
His connections to pro wrestling are thoroughly documented, with Ali crediting pro wrestling for influencing his bombastic public persona. And in a funny twist, Ali’s fight with Antonio Inoki ended up essentially being the birth of mixed martial arts.
Ali’s legacy is one that would fill several books and will safely live on for decades. There was never a man like him before and there will never be one like him again.
Tons more on Muhammad Ali:
New Zealand Herald looks at his famous fight with Antonio Inoki. The article includes a video with Gene LeBell talking about the damage Inoki’s leg kicks had on Ali.
Miami Herald has a story about Dusty Rhodes saying he almost had a match with Ali in Florida. The article includes a link to a video of Dusty telling the story (the Ali part starts at 3:35).
Yahoo! Sports describes how Ali not only influenced pro wrestling and MMA but how wrestling promos also influenced him.
Forbes looks back to 1995 when Ali attended the festival in North Korea that featured a Ric Flair vs. Antonio Inoki pro wrestling match as the main event. A few weeks back on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Flair talked about that trip and told stories about flying to North Korea with Ali and his entourage.
A Calgary Herald an article mentions that Ali was once given a photograph of himself posing with Stu Hart. The person that gave the photo to Ali said he was speechless. The photo and him being unable to speak at the time were both rare.
A sports news site from the Philippines briefly mentions Ali getting some inspiration from pro wrestling when listing things you may not know about him.
Here is a classic Muhammad Ali promo featuring some often quotes lines: “I have wrestled with an alligator… tussled with a whale… handcuffed lightning… thrown thunder in jail…”
Here is a collection of clips featuring some of his best promos (starts at :37). Besides his promos, highlights include a pull-apart brawl with Joe Frazier in a studio with Howard Cosell doing play-by-play.
Here is Freddie Blassie doing a run-in during an Ali appearance on The Tonight Show with guest host McLean Stevenson (of M*A*S*H fame). It was part of the promotion leading into the Inoki fight.
Here is Ali jumping in the ring to confront and throw hands with Gorilla Monsoon on a WWWF show in 1976. After Ali starts jabbing him, Monsoon picks Ali up in an airplane spin with Vince McMahon calling the action on commentary. The angle was part of the build towards Ali vs. Inoki.
Here is Ali vs. Buddy Wolfe in boxer vs. wrestler exhibition match on an AWA card from Chicago in 1976. It was also part of the buildup to Ali vs. Inoki. That match aired on ABC during a “Wide World of Sports” broadcast and features an intro by Howard Cosell. Verge Gagne is the referee. Freddie Blassie is a cornerman.
Here is Ali vs “Sodbuster” Kenny Jay in another boxer vs. wrestler exhibition on an AWA card in the Midwest. Gagne was also the referee in this match.
Here is Ali cutting promos on Inoki at a press conference in Japan promoting their fight. Inoki was mostly laughing at his insults.
Here is an extended trailer for a promising new documentary on the Inoki vs. Ali fight.
Here are highlights from Ali vs. Inoki.
UFC 199 TONIGHT FROM THE FORUM IN LOS ANGELES
Fight Pass at 6:15 p.m.
- Maestro Dong Hyun Kim vs. Polo Reyes
- Kevin Casey vs. Elvis Mutapcic
- Luiz Henrique da Silva vs. Jonathan Wilson
- Tom Breese vs. Sean Strickland
FS 1 at 8 p.m.
- Jessica Andrade vs. Jessica Penne
- Beneil Dariush vs. James Vick
- Clay Guida vs. Brian Ortega
- Alex Caceres vs Cole Miller
PPV at 10 p.m.
- Dustin Poirier vs. Bobby Green
- Dan Henderson vs. Hector Lombard
- Max Holloway vs. Ricardo Lamas
- Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber for bantamweight title
- Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping for middleweight title
NEW JAPAN WORLD SUNDAY AT 3 A.M. EASTERN TIME FROM GUNMA
- Ryusuke Taguchi & Jay White vs. Yoshi-Hashi & Rocky Romero
- Yuji Nagata & Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi & David Finlay & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Kushida & Juice Robinson & Captain New Japan & Matt Sydal
- Tiger Mask vs. Trent Baretta
- Will Ospreay vs. Jushin Liger
- Bobby Fish vs. Chase Owens
- Ricochet vs. Volador Jr.
- Satoshi Kojima & Michael Elgin & Yoshitatsu vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
- Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo vs. Tetsuya Naito & Evil & Seiya Sanada & Bushi
LUCHA LIBRE WORLD CUP SUNDAY FROM PALACIO DE LOS DEPORTES IN MEXICO CITY ON IPPV AT www.internetvluchalibreworld.cup.tv
Sunday we’re looking for reports from:
*WWE in Amarillo (Roman Reigns, A.J. Styles, Seth Rollins, Alberto Del Rio, Charlotte, Rusev, Usos, Kalisto, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, Cesaro)
*WWE in Lawton, OK (Kane, Big Show, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Paige, Enzo, Cass, Dudleys, Apollo, Crews, Sheamus, New Day, Erick Rowan, Braun Strowman)
*ROH in Columbus, OH at the Ohio Expo Building (Jay Briscoe vs. Roderick Strong, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian defend the tag title against War Machine, Adam Cole vs. Lio Rush, Dalton Castle vs. Kamaitachi)
NEW JAPAN WORLD MONDAY AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME FROM SENDAI (English language commentary)
- Kazuchika Okada & Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tetsuya Naito & Seiya Sanada & Evil
- Volador Jr. vs. Will Ospreay
- Ricochet vs. Chase Owens
- Bobby Fish vs. Tiger Mask
- Jushin Liger vs. Trent Baretta
- Matt Sydal vs. David Finlay
- Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Gedo
- Kushida vs. Bushi
Raw will be Monday in Oklahoma City. John Cena, Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho are all booked on the show along with the usual regulars.
NEW JAPAN WORLD TUESDAY AT 5:30 A.M. EASTERN TIME FROM SENDAI (English language commentary)
- Best of the Super Juniors championship match
NXT TAKEOVER THE END ON WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M. FROM FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY IN WINTER PARK, FL
- Andrade Cien Almas vs. Tye Dillinger
- Asuka vs. Nia Jax for women’s title
- Jason Jordan & Chad Gable vs. Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder for tag titles
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Austin Aries
- Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor cage match for the NXT title
Smackdown and Main Event will be taped on Tuesday in Wichita. John Cena is not scheduled but Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho are scheduled.
THE ROUND-UP
- NXT Nashville, TN, live results: Elias Samson hurts his ankle; Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor
- Galloway, Lashley, Broken Matt and Brother Nero highlight TNA return to PPV
- Wedding bells are in the air for WWE couple
- Dana White: No Rousey on MSG show, McGregor vs. Diaz rematch might not happen
- TUF 23 recap: Party bus, Boyz II Men reference & a fight
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Figure Four Weekly 5/30/2016: Big Vito’s deposition – If you thought Evan Singleton’s deposition went badly for the plaintiffs in the WWE concussion lawsuit, then that appears to be nothing compared to what happened a week later during Vito LoGrasso’s deposition on May 18th. Given the back and forth over LoGrasso claiming that head injuries caused partial deafness when, in the past, he had spoken of having a hearing impairment since birth, the deposition promised to be interesting. It over-delivered.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
READ IT HERE: June 6, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: More details on WWE brand split, Jimmy Snuka found incompetent, more
A huge double issue of the Observer is out this week, including the real catalyst behind the WWE brand split, a breakdown of the roster, justice denied again in the Jimmy Snuka case, Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay and the Super Juniors tournament plus a full rundown, the story behind Bill Goldberg and the WWE video game and the Brock Lesnar tease, famous boxer vs. pro wrestler fights, WWE schedule and injury rates, business rundowns from the past two months for WWE & TNA, updates on cable stations that carry wrestling and MMA, and one of the greatest territorial business runs in history in the life and career of Cowboy Frankie Laine.
Our lead story looks at the WWE brand split, why it happened, what is known that isn’t a secret, ads out post brand split, plans for the split two months ago and what the ad department was told then, what different arenas have been told this week, thoughts behind decisions having too be made, plus a roster rundown on what positions WWE is strong and weak in, and where NXT talent should fit in and who is ready, or who can fill a slot.
There is also an update on the Jimmy Snuka situation, with a realistic view if there will be a trial and what the time frame is and what happens next.
This issue also looks at the Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet match, Vader’s reaction, Super Juniors standings and rundowns of the shows plus looking at where things are going.
Updates on Money in the Bank, stars returning to television soon, how the NBA & NHL playoffs coincide with wrestling the next two weeks, an update on NXT, lots of WWE performers off TV for the next several weeks, notes from lawsuit depositions that are eye opening, Cena getting a gigantic endorsement deal, Rollins return news, injury updates, lots of Dwayne Johnson news, WrestleMania in the future notes, notes on how little talent gets told in advance about things, who watches what on WWE network, plus we’ve got rundowns of every WWE & NXT events over the past week and business notes on the shows, all included in in this issue.
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Check out the latest online Wrestling Observer BACK ISSUE: April 26, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Davy Boy Smith recovering in the hospital, UFC to be sanctioned by Nevada State Athletic Commission, more. This past week has seen Davey Boy Smith, going stir crazy in a Calgary Hospital, attempt to start battling back after the worst year in his life.
SATURDAY NEWS UPDATE
PRO WRESTLING
- No surprise, but John Cena vs. AJ Styles is official for Money in the Bank.
- No update this morning on the status of The Drifter, who appeared to have injured his ankle at the house show last night and left the building on crutches. He was in a lot of pain, and it was definitely not a worked angle despite the fact that NXT has been doing the fake injury finish for a little while now.
- WWE announced a new episode of Breaking Ground immediately following NXT Takeover on Wednesday. It appears to be a reunion show where we take a look at what everyone is up to since the series ended. I hope they focus on Tyler Breeze and his main roster success.
- WWE has also been adding AWA Supershows to their Vault area on the WWE Network.
- St. Louis Post Dispatch has an interview with Jay Lethal talking about his career in ROH and the article also plugs a show from Friday.
- Nick Denton, Gawker owner, is confident that they will do much better when they appeal the Hulk Hogan lawsuit which ordered Denton to pay the Hulkster 140 ga-zillion dollars.
- An Orlando paper has a feature on local indie wrestling going from the ring to the stage.
- Bleacher Report describes how blind fans can enjoy pro wrestling.
- Kansans City blog The Pitch features an interview with Demolition Ax.
- The Missoulian (Missoula, MT) has a gallery with exactly two photos from an independent show.
- WhatCulture lists “8 reasons why Ricochet and Will Ospreay ARE wrestling”
- The next Superkick’d show is scheduled for July 8th in Toronto and is promising ‘eight matches, live music, alcohol, and hot girls!’ We’re awaiting confirmation on whether John Pollock is defending his hardcore title on the show.
- VCW returns to Toronto’s Super Wonder Gallery with SuperSlam 4 on June 30th. We’re awaiting confirmation on whether Wai Ting will finally challenge for the TV title on that show.
- This week on 6:05 Superpodcast, Brian Last and David Bixenspan talk to Bob Barnett about his decades of fandom including meeting Vince McMahon when they were kids, chat with Jammie Ward about tape trading and ’80s wrestling hardcore fandom in general, learn more about “Rasslin'” singer/songwriter Glen Goza, and much more.
MMA
- Jon Jones has been tweeting a lot about Muhammad Ali.
“Rest in peace to my greatest inspiration”
“A few things I’ll cherish forever” (accompanied by above pic)
- Nikita Krylov and Ed Herman have been signed to fight at UFC 201 in Atlanta in a light heavyweight bout.
MISC.
- The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) has a feature on a beach wrestling competition. The article describes the new take on an old sport as “expanding the traditional gymnasium sport to America’s sandy beaches.” Kind of like Bash at the Beach in 1995 but no ring or spandex.
- The Daily Star (UK) features arguably the most intense arm wrestler ever displaying his intensity and it is indeed intense. Warning: Language is NSFW (and the video player opens automatically so be prepared for intensity)
- James Renner will be our guest on After Dark Radio Sunday night, 9 PT/12 ET on the Dark Matter Digital Network, live and free. Details and a link are always available on the front page.
EVENTS
- TONIGHT – ECWA on Saturday night in Woodbury Heights, NJ at the Community Center with Sean Carr vs. Papadon
- TONIGHT – UFC 199 from the Forum in Los Angeles with Michael Bisping getting his first title opportunity of his career battling Luke Rockhold for the middleweight belt
- TONIGHT – In celebration of Metro Pro’s Sixth Anniversary, Demolition (Ax & Smash) will be in action on Saturday, Turner Recreation Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The event address is: 831 S. 55th St., Kansas City, KS 66106 – Tickets can be bought in advance.
- TONIGHT – Aerostar vs. Flamita vs. Laredo Kid vs. Septimo Dragon headline tonight in Benbrook, TX at the Camp Bowie Bingo Hall. The same promotion has a tag match tomorrow night in Houston at the Atlantico Hall with Aerostar & Laredo Kid vs. Flamita & Ultimo Ninja.
- TONIGHT – CWE in Morden, Manitoba at the Morden Block Party Street Festival has a free show with a 1 p.m. start time.
- TOMORROW – AAA’s Victoria World Cup men and women’s trio tournament finals at Los Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City which will be a live iPPV show
- TOMORROW – Silver Star Promotions at the 4 Ever Arena in Fort Worth has Caristico & El Hijo del Fishman vs. Silver Star & Psicosis Jr.
- June 7 – New Japan Best of the Super Juniors finals from Sendai live on New Japan World
- June 8 – NXT Takeover from Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL featuring Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor in a cage match plus a loaded lineup that includes American Alpha vs. The Revival and probably Shinsuke Nakamura vs Austin Aries, which could be WWE’s match of the month.
- June 11 – ECCW Port Coquitlam, BC at the Elks Hall #49.
- June 11 – NECW presents the 2016 IRON 8 Championship, Saturday Night, June 11 in Wakefield, MA
- June 12 – TNA Slammiversary headlined by Drew Galloway vs. Bobby Lashley for the TNA title from Orlando
- June 12 – Revolution Pro Wrestling in London, England headlined by Kurt Angle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- June 17 – AAW “Killers Among Us” features Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Johnny Gargano, Drago vs. Chris Hero, and more at 115 Bourbon Street (3359 w 115th Street Merrionette Park, IL) All Ages Event – Tickets available.
- June 18 – UFC in Ottawa: Rory McDonald vs. Stephen Thompson
- June 18 – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine with “NEF 24: PROMISED LAND.” Tickets for “NEF 24” are on sale now.
- June 19 – New Japan Dominion, one of the company’s biggest events of the year, featuring Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada in an IWGP title match and Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi in a ladder match for the IC title
- June 19 – WWE Money in the Bank from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
- June 24 – ROH Best in the World from Concord, NC with Jay Lethal vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH title
- June 24 – Isao Kobayashi vs. Justin Lawrence will appear on Spike.com as the top prelim fight Bellator Dynamite show in St. Louis. This will be a combination MMA and kickboxing show.
- June 25 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
- June 26 – Ultima Lucha tapings in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles at The Temple
- July 2 – Stars of Wrestling from Alameda, CA at the Alameda Point Gym has Bobby Lashley, Carlito and The Boogeyman appearing.
- July 2 – NWA Cajun Heat in Morgan City, LA at the Municipal Auditorium with Jax Dane vs. Mustang Mike for the NWA title, Rob Conway vs. Rodney Mack and an appearance by Kevin Nash.
- July 7-11 The 10th annual Wrestling Observer/F4W convention in Las Vegas, EdinSanAntonio has all the information up on Facebook, or email him at [email protected].
- July 9 – Smash Wrestling in Fort Erie, ONT at the Native Friendship Center. Chris Hero will headline this fund raising event to raise money for the Godson of Jeremy Elliott, who Hero will wrestle. Elliott’s Godson is a patient at the CPRI Treatment Center.
- July 24 – Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr. headlines for Lucha Libre New York at Club LaBoom in Queens, NY.
- August 13 – Rey Mysterio Jr. will headline a show at Montgomery High School in San Diego, his alma mater, for Viva La Lucha promotions. Also appearing are Konnan, Psicosis, Johnny Mundo, Teddy Hart and TJ Perkins.
Today in Professional Wrestling History: Lawler & Dundee win Southern Tag Titles; Billy & Chuck win WWE Tag Team Gold
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