Tag: ej nduka

Daily Update: Christine Lubrano, EJ Nduka, weekend preview

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Friday Update

– We will have our week in review show with Garrett Gonzales tonight. Our weekend show will be Sunday night covering a giant few days of shows around the world.

– The new issue of the Observer is up on the site now. It’s loaded with news and analysis of all the major stories:

  • Lots more on the AAA sale to TKO (and that it’s not actually completed), CMLL’s cryptic response, Grand Slam Mexico, Dorian Roldan talks why he sold and Konnan and Latin Lover talk the future of AAA and in theory how things change in Mexico and the U.S., plus the major business goals.
  • Tam Nakano ends her career, Mayu Iwatani leaves Stardom, Stardom puts on its biggest show with its biggest match in history and a couple of award categories this should do well in.
  • Update on WWE Backlash
  • Update on both major lawsuits against Vince McMahon and WWE. New plaintiffs emerge in the ringboys suit and a new Vice President is implicated, and Janel Grant’s attorneys push for the case to move forward while the defendants want discovery held up.
  • Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff promote Real American Freestyle. What they need for success, what mistakes they’ve already made and is Hogan the right person to the face of the company
  • Full coverage of TNA Rebellion
  • Long story on the Hollywood Demons episode on the Von Erichs, how this is different from other stories, more on the deaths, the political situation in Texas and things in the new documentary that aren’t completely accurate, as well as dispelling major myths.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings, including placings, demos, competition and more for all the shows
  • End of the CMLL Universal championship tournament with a super finish
  • MLW vs. CMLL matches this week
  • Champion Carnival update
  • Lots of New Japan big matches coming up
  • Meiko Satomura retires
  • Big indie shows this week
  • Big Progress tournament this week
  • RVD injury update
  • More NXT stars on TNA television
  • AEW expects one of its biggest gates for upcoming show
  • Bryan Danielson talks his career and AEW
  • Advanced ticket sales for upcoming WWE and AEW shows
  • Lots of injury updates
  • PFL involved in a number of messy lawsuits
  • Freak show fight with powerlifters gets major attention
  • SmackDown time slot change
  • Did you know the person behind the movie with Liv Morgan did a movie based on a Hall of Fame 80s and 90s pro wrestling legend
  • Value of WWE’s PLEs on the open market
  • The story of the most powerful man in combat sports that most reporters aren’t touching
  • Lots of notes on the Smashing Machine movie
  • How much Dwayne Johnson has made since joining the TK Board
  • More talk on a WWE all-women’s PPV show

– SmackDown tonight is in Des Moines, IA. At this point the only stuff announced is that Randy Orton will be there, as if he wouldn’t be there leading up to the PLE where he’s challenging for the title. John Cena isn’t advertised. The Miz vs. Aleister Black is announced. They had 6,500 tickets out as of last night in an NBA arena, so this will be the weakest WWE taping attendance of late. We’re looking for reports on the show with anything before or after the show that is notable such as dark matches or Speed matches with results to [email protected]

– Pat McAfee and Booker T were hosting the kickoff show for tonight’s Fatal Fury in Times Square boxing event with Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando Romero and Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez. They were just on with Turki Alalshikh. Not that this is the place, as the pregame show hardly is, but It has been amazing the lack of media follow-up to The Athletic story on Alalshikh It’s really sad to see this play out before your eyes.

– Regarding Christine Lubrano and being let go as part of cuts yesterday, what we were told is that a lot of what she was doing was duplicating work being covered by Bruce Prichrd and other executive assistants. It was not an individual firing but part of a number of people let go in different departments for cost cutting reasons.

– EJ Nduka, who has been under AEW contract for two years, mostly in ROH as the partner of Lee Johnson, saw his contract expire this past week. Because of his size, physique and athletic ability, he was seen as someone with major potential by WWE, but they cut him. MLW pushed him hard as a top star until he signed with AEW.

– We’re doing polls this weekend on both nights of NJPW Dontaku, you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match for each show to [email protected]. The shows will air at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning Eastern time and 2 a.m. Eastern late tomorrow night.

The first show has:

  • Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai
  • Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin & Yoh & Master Wato vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson & Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Yuya Uemura & Taichi & Taka Michinoku vs. Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi & Bushi
  • Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi & Ryusuke Taguchi vs Callum Newman & Great O’Khan & Jakob Austin Young
  • El Phantasmo vs Konosuke Takeshita for World TV title
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Shota Umino vs Shingo Takagi
  • Losers are out of Bullet Club tag team match: David Finlay & Gabe Kidd & Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors & Taiji Ishimori vs. Evil & Ren Narita & Sanada & Sho & Yoshinubu Kanemaru

– Dragon Gate Dead or Alive will be the company’s final event in Nagoya’s Dolphins Arena, taking place on Monday.

– UFC in Des Moines will air on ESPN2 and ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. Eastern

  • Juliana Miller (126) vs. Ivana Petrovic (125.5)
  • Thomas Petersen (250) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (259)
  • Gaston Bolanos (135.5) vs. Quang Le (135.5)
  • Marina Rodriguez (115.5) vs. Gillian Robertson (115.5)
  • Ryan Loder (185.5) vs. Azamat Bekoev (155.5)
  • Yana Santos (136) vs. Miesha Tate (135.5)
  • Jeremy Stephens (155) vs. Mason Jones (155.5)
  • Cameron Smotherman (135.5) vs. Serhiy Sidey (135.5)
  • Montel Jackson (136) vs. Daniel Marcos (135.5)
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio (170) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (170.5)
  • Reiner de Ridder (185.5) vs Bo Nickal (185.5)
  • Cory Sandhagen (135.5) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (135)

Lots of interest in the semi as it’s the first major test for Nickal and not a stylistically advantageous fight for him. Plus Stephens returns and former champion Miesha Tate is back in action.

– Arena Mexico tonight is CMLL vs. MLW:

  • Reyna Isis vs. Alejandra Quintanilla
  • Barboza & Zandokan Jr. vs. Donovan Dijak & Ikuro Kwon
  • Satoshi Kojima & Okumura defendMLW tag titles against Magnus & Rugido
  • Paul London vs. Neon
  • Matthew Justice vs. Ultimo Guerrero for the MLW Openweight Title
  • Mistico vs Kushida

– The two Fukuoka shows are the last two dates of Naito and Bushi in New Japan.

– We don’t have a number, but Forbidden Door at the O2 Arena in London tickets went on sale to the public today.

– Cedric Alexander’s WWE non-compete period ends very shortly.

– Add referee John Finnegan to the list of people who are retiring at the TWA Reunion show tomorrow night in Philadelphia. Breaker Morant and Tony Stetson are also retiring as wrestlers on the show.

– AAA has its first major show since the announcement of the sale tomorrow night at Juan de la Barrera Gym in Mexico City. Top matches are El Hijo del Vikingo & Negro Casas & Pagrano vs. Alberto El Patron & Forastero & Sanson, La Parka (debut in ring of third person in that charcter) & Octagon Jr. & Laredo Kid vs. Kento & Nobu San & Takum, and Mesias defends the Latin American title against Nino Hamburguesa.

– CMLL announced the Copa Juniors, a tournament for second generation wrestlers, takes place on 5/23 and 5/30 at Arena Mexico.

– There will be a ten-man Cibernetico on the 5/24 Dean Rasmussen tribute show put on by AEW for free on 5/24 in Glendale, AZ, the night before Double or Nothing. There will be CMLL talent in that match.

– Northeast Wrestling tomorrow night in Danbury, CT has Matt Riddle vs. Brad Baylor and NEW champion Matt Taven vs. BRG, as well as KC Navarro vs. Nic Nemeth.

– At the TNA Under Siege show on 5/23, Trick Williams & Frankie Kazarian face Joe Hendry & Elijah in the main event.

– Sting will make an appearance on the 7/25 Big Time Wrestling show at Trust Field in Charlotte, NC. It is billed as his last appearance in Charlotte with his makeup.

– Douglas Silva de Andrade of UFC was suspended for six months for testing positive for furosemide, a diuretic. The test was taken on 2/14 and led to Silva de Andrade being pulled from a match two weeks later against John Castaneda. The UFC’s drug testing partner Combta Sports Anti-Doping examined a supplement Silva de Andrade said he was taking and found furosemide in it so believe it was inadvertent usage so he was only suspended six months.

– Individual tickets for Worlds Collide and Money in the Bank on 6/7 go on sale Wednesday at 8 a.m. Pacific time. There will be a presale the day before.

– Dwayne Johnson turns 53 today. 

– Abdullah the Butcher will be honored at the August Cauliflower Alley Club banquet in Las Vegas.

– Wardlow has applied to trademark his name.

– All Caribbean wrestling announced Gal Barklay appearing on its 6/28 show in Nassau, Bahamas, the first WWEID talent to work in the Caribbean. Also announced is Prince Agballah vs. Elijiah Burke, Kenny King vs. Marty Scurll and Kaylia Capri vs. Aleah James. Mark Henry heads this organization.

– IWF announced a 10/4 show in North Arlington, NJ High school.

– Memphis Wrestling TV tomorrow features a WWE ID match with Aaron Roberts vs. Jackson Drake.

EJ Nduka confirms departure from AEW

Posted on by Joseph Currier

EJ Nduka is no longer with AEW following the expiration of his contract.

After Fightful reported today that Nduka is a free agent following the expiration of his AEW deal, Nduka confirmed the news in a tweet, saying he’s not someone who is meant to ride the bench.

“I was never meant to sit. Benches were made for the unsure,” Nduka wrote. “I’ve heard the call now it’s time to move. If you think this guy was made to ride the bench you need to call the 1800 number cause you suffer from mesothelioma you pencil neck reject.”

The 36-year-old Nduka is a former college football player and bodybuilder who started his pro wrestling career at the WWE Performance Center. After being released by WWE in 2021, he joined MLW and had a Tag Team title reign in the promotion while teaming with Calvin Tankman.

Nduka made his AEW debut in a Dark match in 2023 but mostly wrestled in ROH while signed to the company. He and Lee Johnson had been working together as a tag team in ROH. Nduka made a couple of appearances alongside Swerve Strickland in AEW, but their partnership did not continue after that.

Ring of Honor TV live results: Death Before Dishonor go-home show

Posted on by Arya Witner

The final stop before Friday’s Death Before Dishonor has arrived with this week’s Ring of Honor on HonorClub.

Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta will take on Shane Taylor Promotions’ Anthony Ogogo & Lee Moriarty.

Ahead of their Survival of the Fittest match on Friday, ROH TV Champion Atlantis Jr. will team with Lio Rush against Shane Taylor & Johnny TV.

Former MLW Tag Team Champion EJ Nduka will make his promotional debut as he challenges Jon Cruz.

In a 10-man tag team match, Top Flight, Action Andretti, Komander & the returning Fuego Del Sol will take on the Iron Savages, Nick Comoroto, Jacked Jameson & Anthony Henry.

Marshall & Ross Von Erich will be in tag team action against Dark Order’s John Silver & Alex Reynolds ahead of a trios clash on Friday.

Lexy Nair will interview Queen Aminata and Red Velvet ahead of their respective title challenges of ROH World Women’s Champion Athena and ROH Women’s TV Champion Billie Starkz Friday.

Abadon will make her return to ROH action this week as well.

*********

-The show starts with video of Roderick Strong pinning Tomohiro Ishii from Collision last week and then being confronted by Mark Briscoe. That segued into a quick Blood and Guts recap and a backstage promo by Mark Briscoe where he was confronted by Mike Bennett. Bennett told Briscoe there are more important things than wrestling. Of course this was all a set up so Matt Taven could attack him from behind. Roderick Strong told him he may be ROH Champion now, but he’ll never be Mr. ROH.

*********

-Lexy Nair interviewed Bennett and Taven, who don’t have opponents for Death Before Dishonor. Bennett said TK hasn’t been answering his messages, so they must be getting the day off. Taven was in the middle of thanking TK when Paul Wight walked in with good news and bad news. The good news is Wight is now on the ROH Board of Directors. The bad news is because of the shenanigans they have pulled, they will now defend at Death Before Dishonor against Ishii and Kyle O’Reilly.

*********

Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta defeated Lee Moriarty & Anthony Ogogo w/Shane Taylor

Just a reminder, Yuta is the ROH Pure Champion and apparently they are now babyfaces because Claudio is slapping the fans hands. Tomorrow is Yuta vs Moriarty.

Moriarty and Yuta start and we get some nice wrestling with a lot of mirror spots. Yuta has a really nice armdrag. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but I will always appreciate a good armdrag. Ogogo tagged in and demanded Claudio tag in as well, so of course, Claudio obliged. Ogogo hit a punch to the liver, but Claudio quickly took back over and tagged out. Thanks to a distraction by Moriarty, Ogogo got the heat on Yuta. Yuta played babyface in peril really well and the crowd popped a little for the Claudio hot tag as the former ROH Champ ran wild on Moriarty. Claudio went for The Big Swing, but Moriarty fought and made the ropes. Claudio ran around the outside with a European Uppercut to Moriarty and fell through the barricade, which hadn’t been properly secured. Ogogo took back over, but missed his Discuss Punch and got hit with a pop up uppercut, but the fall was broken up by Moriarty. A 4-way broke out, highlighted by a Yuta Suicide Dive to Moriarty. Finally Claudio used The Big Swing on Ogogo and pinned him after a lariat in around 13 minutes. After the match, Yuta and Moriarty had to be separated, but Shane Taylor punched Yuta in the jaw.

Fun opener.

*********

-Lexy Nair was in the ring to introduce the challengers in the Women’s title matches at Death Before Dishonor: Queen Aminata and Red Velvet. Aminata challenges Athena for the Women’s World Title and Velvet faces Billie Starkz for the TV Title. This was actually taped last night at Dynamite, while the matches happened last Saturday.

Lexy asked Velvet a question and then pulled the microphone away. Then she asked Aminata how she sleeps last night after what she did to Athena and pulled the mic away again. This time Aminata ripped the mic away and said the bitch got what she deserved.

This brought out Athena, who was carried to the ring by an ROH staff member. Athena hobbled into the ring and got held up by Lexy. Athena said Lexy did her best, but these two are too uncultured to do an interview segment. Athena said ever since she beat the tar out of those two, they were nothing but tyrants and bullies. Athena noted they called her Ashy and called Billie “trashy”. Athena said Aminata is not ready for the opportunity she usurped and the two of them are raggedy ass lot lizards. This brought out Billie Starkz, who attacked the challengers from behind. Billie is wearing matching gear and Lexy took off Athena’s boot because of course she’s not actually injured.

My computer keeps crashing, but ultimately the champions laid out the challengers leading into tomorrow.

*******

Gates of Agony defeated Angelico and Serpentico

This was a lot more competitive than I expected it to be. Actually, Angelico and Serpentico got a lot of offense on Bishop Kaun. Of course, the Gates finally took over and specifically on Angelico. Serpentico eventually got the hot tag and did a flying crossbody to Toa, but got caught and dropped with a powerslam. That was probably a Pobody’s Nerfect moment, as they pretty much immediately ignored it and Serpentico ran wild for a few seconds, before he got cut off and pinned after Open The Gates.

*******

EJ Nduka defeated Jon Cruz

Nduka is like a foot taller than Cruz. Apparently he’s a legitimate 6’8 and I believe it. Nduka held Cruz up for a vertical suplex and held him there for around 10 seconds before tossing him. He did it a second time for a count of 11 from the crowd. Nduka used Snake Eyes and a flying shoulder tackle, called The Hammer, before picking up the win with Exodus, which is a spinning back suplex.

*******

-We got a video package for the MXM Collection, who will debut tomorrow at Death Before Dishonor.

*******

Johnny TV & Shane Taylor w/Taya Valkyrie defeated Lio Rush & ROH TV Champion Atlantis Jr

The bell rings, but the match can’t start until TV and Taya make out. Taya gets on the apron to yell at Lio Rush, but he runs at her, so she falls off into Johnny’s arms, but then Johnny has to drop her, as Lio is flying through the ropes at him. Taylor got tired of the shenanigans and booted Lio’s head off. Atlantis got in and worked really well with TV. Rush was in with Taylor and it honestly looked ridiculous with the size difference that Taylor needed interference by Taya on the floor to cut Lio off. Taylor slapped around Lio and bad mouthed him in the corner, which got the crowd to react, but they were yelling for Taylor to slap him around more. Taylor did mockingly get the crowd to chant for Lio briefly, however. We had a bit of a contrived spot where Lio rushed between Shane’s legs and then had to literally stop because it wasn’t time to make the hot tag yet and Johnny TV, who blind tagged in, needed to to get in the ring, run across and cut him off. Of course, seconds later, TV was playing to the audience and let Atlantis get the tag. A 4-way breaks out and Lio did this neat move where he bounced off the bottom ropes with his thighs and hit a Stunner. Finally Atlantis accidentally superkicked Lio and got pinned by Taylor after a Package Piledriver.

It was a fine match, but it felt like it could have been a lot better.

*******

In reality no one would have complained had the show ended here. We got a 1-hour show with 4 matches and a lot of good stuff to plug DBD. However, we needed more.

*******

Abadon defeated Dulce Tormenta

Well if the show had ended, I wouldn’t have gotten to see my favorite non-binary wrestler win a squash match. Dulce got to do a little bit, but Abadon got the win with a Black Dahlia.

*******

Komander, Action Andretti, Top Flight & Fuego Del Sol w/Alex Abrahantes defeated Iron Savages, Nick Comoroto & Anthony Henry

This is Fuego’s first AEW match since February 2023. Well, it’s his first ROH match, but you know what I mean.

Everyone got the chance to tag in, do something, get cut off, sell for a minute and tag out to start the match. Bronson and Boulder threw around Komander like he was a 161 pound Luchador and they were 2-300 pounders. Fuego made up for lost time by being dropped on the pretty black mats by Henry and then got quadruple-teamed in the heel corner. In case you haven’t seen Nick Comoroto since The Factory broke up, he looks A LOT different without the beard. He has grown out sideburns and looks like the perfect 80’s/early 90’s heel and that’s not a bad thing. Bronson teased a standing moonsault, but instead did a sit down splash. Dante Martin eventually got the hot tag and him and Darius ran wild on all 5 heels until they had their heads knocked off by a double clothesline by Comoroto. Outside the ring, Iron Savages were teasing doing something to Fuego, but they got stopped and we had a crazy dive sequence by Dante, Action and Fuego. Finally in the ring, all the babyfaces hit a splash on Comoroto and Dante Martin pinned him.

*******

-Backstage Queen Aminata and Red Velvet both vowed to win their matches.

*******

Tomorrow night at Death Before Dishonor:


-Athena vs Queen Aminata for the Women’s World Title

-Billie Starkz vs Red Velvet for the Women’s TV Title

-Mike Bennett & Matt Taven vs Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii for the ROH Tag Team Titles

-Wheeler Yuta vs Lee Moriarty for the ROH Pure Title

-Diamante vs Legit Leyla Hirsch in a Texas Death Match

-Atlantis Jr. vs Lee Johnson vs Lio Rush vs Shane Taylor vs Johnny TV vs Brian Cage in a Survival of The Fittest Match for the ROH TV Title

-Komander vs The Beast Mortos

-Dark Order vs Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erich’s where the winners get an Undisputed Trios Title Match at Battle Of The Belts on Saturday

-Mark Briscoe vs Roderick Strong for the ROH World Title

*******

Ross & Marshall Von Erich w/Kevin Von Erich vs John Silver & Alex Reynolds w/Evil Uno

The Dark Order got the early advantage on Marshall, complete with Evil Uno cheating from the outside. Ian noted this wasn’t the Evil Uno we’re used to. I mean his name IS Evil Uno, what did you expect? Ross tagged in, but got power bombed by Silver on Reynolds’ knees, which did not feel good. I mean I am not Ross Von Erich, but I can’t imagine it would tickle. Ross was able to make the hot tag to Marshall, which gave him the chance to run wild. Silver went to the middle ropes, but Marshall got up with a dropkick to knock Silver to the floor. Marshall went for The Iron Claw, but Evil Uno jumped on the apron and got a Claw. However that just gave Reynolds and Silver and chance to gain a brief advantage. That lasted until Reynolds yelled at Kevin outside the ring. He turned around and got his head taken off by a clothesline by Marshall, who picked up the win.

After the match, all three Dark Order members attacked Ross and Marshall. Kevin teased getting in the ring, but instead Dustin Rhodes ran in for the save. Reynolds was left and he stood up to all 3 faces, who just let him talk all the shit in the world, until Kevin got in the ring and slapped on The Iron Claw, which easily got the biggest reaction on the show.

The show ended with the Von Erich’s and Dustin standing tall.

*******

I don’t think I am being mean by saying this, but again, the show would have been better off ending after an hour. The rest of the stuff was nice, but you could have substituted the two squash matches for this main event and no one would have batted an eye. The last 30 minutes was fun, but did nothing to build to tomorrow’s show. However, if you’re someone who is going to pay for Honor Club, you probably aren’t going to be turned off by the excess.

Thank you all for reading. If you wish to hear my thoughts on classic wrestling, check out Something Else Podcast Network, available on almost all your favorite streaming platforms. My co-hosts Trae and Cyndi join me to discus Mid-South Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, NWA: Total Nonstop Action and Smoky Mountain Wrestling and it’s completely free-e-e!

EJ Nduka reportedly under AEW contract

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former MLW Tag Team Champion EJ Nduka has reportedly been under contract with AEW for some time.

Fightful first reported the signing Tuesday. Nduka briefly retweeted a fan-made #AllElite graphic, but removed it. The type of deal he signed, or the length, was not reported. He has yet to respond to a request for comment.

According to the report, the 34-year-old signed at some point after making his AEW debut against Konosuke Takeshita on a January episode of Dark taped at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. 

Nduka hasn’t wrestled since then and has less than 20 career matches under his belt — the majority of which were in MLW where he spent part of 2021 and all of 2022. He and Calvin Tankman won their tag titles before losing them to the Samoan Swat Team in his final match before becoming a free agent. He also unsuccessfully challenged MLW Champion Alex Hammerstone in a last man standing before he left.

In addition to Mexican and Japanese promotions, Fightful noted that Nduka drew interest from WWE where he had briefly began his career in NXT in early-2020. He wrestled just two house show matches before departing.

MLW Underground results: Middleweight & Tag Team title defenses

Posted on by Iain Oliver

This week’s MLW Underground was taped in Philadelphia with Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker on the call.

On tap this week: two title matches, an MLW title contract signing, and a hardcore match to kick off the show.

Before our opening match, Real1 was wheeled out to ringside in his wheelchair after being on the receiving end of a hit-and-run by Mance Warner a few weeks ago. He threatened Warner that he called the cops which brought out the “Southern Psycho.” But, as soon as Warner got on the mic and went to confront Real1, the Calling Card Attackers’ music hit and Ricky Shane Page made his way out.

Ricky Shane Page defeated Mance Warner in a hardcore match

This was a gruesome bloodbath with weapon shots from the opening seconds as Page took weapons from an operating table as he entered. Warner was busted open early on, but fought back and threw multiple steel chairs, garbage cans and wooden boards into the ring.

Warner hit a neckbreaker onto a seated chair and then speared Page through a wooden board for a two count. Moments later Page got his revenge and threw Warner through another board. Three pairs of chairs were then set up facing each other as both fighters found themselves on the top rope where Warner superplexed Page onto the chairs.

The bloody action silenced Real1 on commentary as Warner came close with a lariat and then went face-first into an exposed turnbuckle corner. Warner was able to shake that off and hit a DDT off the apron through another wooden board at ringside.

As Warner was struggling to get into the ring, Real1 popped up from ringside showing no ill effects from the hit and run and smacked Warner with his crutch. This allowed Page to grab him and hit a modified chokebreaker (a knee to the back of the head instead of a backbreaker) to win the match for Raven’s newly formed stable.

– Backstage, Billie Starkz’s photoshoot was interrupted by Taya Valkyrie, John Hennigan and Sam Adonis who, after a few insults, agreed to a featherweight title match, later announced for next week.

MLW Middleweight Champion Lince Dorado defeated La Estrella (w/ Cesar Duran) to retain

Cesar Duran came out to introduce “the next MLW Middleweight champion” in Estrella.

The story of the match was that Estrella left Dorado and Microman high and dry a few weeks ago in a trios match, opting to take Duran’s money and join his Azteca Lucha stable instead.

If Warner vs. Page was the hardcore checkbox of the night, this was the high-flying lucha libre checkbox. Estrella took the champion out early with a twisting Fosbury Flop through the middle rope, but Dorado came back to hit a series of hurricanranas, superkicks and his handspring cutter for a two count.

Dorado then hit a top rope hurricanrana to the apron, sending Estrella to the floor. They hit a mirror image handspring twisting kick spot that left Dorado’s arm draped over Estrella for another two count. Dorado then hit a trifecta of moonsaults on each rope, but Estrella got his legs up on the third.

Estrella hit a sliding German suplex, a missile dropkick, and a poisonrana for a close near fall of his own.

Dorado hit a standing super hurricanrana from the top rope, but Duran interrupted what would have been the match-winning pinfall. Microman then appeared from under the ring to help Dorado and he took out a Duran henchman with a dive from the apron.

Microman then threatened Duran with a Singapore cane which prevented him from interfering again. Dorado reversed a suplex with a power bomb before making his way to the top rope to hit his shooting star press to pick up the win. 

– Alex Kane announced backstage that in two weeks, he will take on Davey Boy Smith Jr.

– MLW owner Court Bauer hosted the Hammerstone vs. Fatu contract signing. During the signing, we had a cut-in from Raven’s Calling Card Attackers with a short video clip. Live in the arena, the signing finished with another pull-apart brawl.

– Backstage, Duran was kidnapped by two of his so-called henchmen. They grabbed him and put a sack over his head before dragging him away.

Samoan SWAT Team defeated Hustle and Power to win the MLW Tag Team titles

Calvin Tankman and EJ Nduka jumped Juicy Finau and Lance Anoa’i as they made their entrance. This kicked off the brawl-filled, hard-hitting title match that eventually saw Anoa’i picking up the title-winning pinfall on Nduka after hitting his top rope splash.

Both teams brawled around ringside before the bell rang, so they used chairs and the guardrail legally to hammer each other. Nduka flipped off the apron onto Finau before Anoa’i took everyone out with a tope con hilo.

The match officially began with a table set up in the corner of the ring that Anoa’i went through via a Nduka spinebuster.

After a break, Anoa’i made a comeback and Finau got the hot tag to run wild and squash the champions in the corner with an avalanche and a hip attack. Finau then hit a running double crossbody before defying gravity with a dive through the middle rope to the floor. Anoa’i then hit a top rope splash on Tankman for a very close near fall.

Finau teased a top rope splash, but Nduka pushed him off the top. Tankman pounced Anoa’i before the champions hit a double team spinning suplex/neckbreaker combination, but only for a two count as Anoa’i heroically kicked out.

Nduka then tried to take the easy road out and bring powder into the match, but Anoa’i kicked it out of his hands, Finau hit a Samoan drop and Anoa’i hit another top rope splash on Nduka to get the three count and pick up both the win and the titles for the Samoan SWAT Team.

Having Tankman kick out of the splash and Nduka take the loss was smart given Nduka’s future lies away from MLW.

Jacob Fatu, Samu (Lance’s father) and other members of the family came into the ring to celebrate with the new champions as the announcers hyped up next week’s Fatu vs. Hammerstone title match, suggesting it could be the second Anoa’i family title win within two weeks.

Next week:

  • MLW Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Jacob Fatu
  • MLW Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie defends against Billie Starkz

EJ Nduka making AEW Dark debut against Konosuke Takeshita

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A former NXT and MLW wrestler is set to make his AEW debut on this week’s episode of Dark.

EJ Nduka will compete for AEW for the first time as he faces Konosuke Takeshita on AEW Dark tonight. The match was filmed at AEW’s set of Dark tapings at Universal Studios on January 29.

Nduka, a former football player, was released by WWE/NXT in May 2021. He joined MLW after his release and held the MLW Tag Team titles once during his time with the promotion. 

Nduka’s contract with MLW expired last month. Dave Meltzer reported at the time that there were multiple promotions interested in Nduka:

EJ Nduka, who has gotten rave reviews from management [in MLW], has his contract coming due imminently and there is interest in him from multiple promotions including WWE having expressed some interest in bringing him back. Nduka, 34, is a 6-foot-5 high level bodybuilder and former college footballer who bounced around Canadian Football, Arena Football and some NFL camps until signing with WWE in 2018 and becoming Ezra Judge. He’s a guy who hasn’t worked a ton of indies, but has worked Mexico and been pushed in MLW where he currently holds the tag team titles with Calvin Tankman. WWE cut him in May 2021 which was when they were cutting guys probably in his case based on his not making television and already being older when the idea was they wanted younger guys in NXT. The name has come up in AEW as well as Japan

In addition to facing Takeshita on Dark, Nduka will be featured on tonight’s debut edition of MLW Underground on the Reelz channel. Nduka is challenging Alex Hammerstone for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship in a Last Man Standing match.

AEW Dark premieres on YouTube at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Here’s the full card for tonight’s show:

AEW Dark (Tuesday, February 7) —

  • Konosuke Takeshita vs. EJ Nduka
  • Slim J vs. Mascara Dorada
  • Rush vs. Aiden Park
  • The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd) vs. Logan Cruz & Tyshaun Perez
  • Baliyan Akki vs. Rico Gonzalez
  • Blake Christian vs. Serpentico
  • Dalton Castle vs. Dante Casanova
  • Kiera Hogan vs. Megan Meyers

WWE has ‘expressed some interest’ in bringing back EJ Nduka

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE is interested in bringing back a wrestler they cut from developmental in 2021.

EJ Nduka was released from WWE on May 19, 2021, after having been with the company since 2019. He would debut in MLW the following month and is currently one-half of the promotion’s tag team champions along with Calvin Tankman. 

Dave Meltzer wrote in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE has expressed interest in bringing Nduka back to the company. 

Meltzer wrote:

EJ Nduka, who has gotten rave reviews from management [in MLW], has his contract coming due imminently and there is interest in him from multiple promotions including WWE having expressed some interest in bringing him back.

Meltzer continued:

WWE cut him in May 2021 which was when they were cutting guys probably in his case based on his not making television and already being older when the idea was they wanted younger guys in NXT. The name has come up in AEW as well as Japan

Nduka and Tankman are scheduled to defend the MLW Tag Team Championships against The Samoan Swat Team (Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau) on Saturday’s Blood & Thunder event from Philadelphia. He is also booked for a show with the KAOZ promotion on February 26, 2023, in Monterrey, Mexico.

The 34-year-old is billed at 6ft 6′ and 265 lbs. Prior to getting into wrestling, he had stints with both the Indoor Football League and Canadian Football League. Nduka also competed in several bodybuilding competitions from 2016-18. 

Tag Team title match added to MLW Blood & Thunder

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A Tag Team title match has been made official for MLW’s first television tapings of 2023.

It was announced today that EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman will defend their MLW Tag Team titles against The Samoan Swat Team (Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau) at MLW Blood & Thunder on Saturday, January 7. The event is a TV taping for MLW Fusion.

Nduka & Tankman have held the MLW Tag Team titles since defeating 5150 (Danny “Limelight” Rivera & Slice Boogie) this February.

Anoa’i & Finau are part of a new-era Samoan Swat Team in MLW alongside Jacob Fatu. Fatu is facing Dragon Gate wrestler Ben-K at Blood & Thunder. 

MLW is billing the Nduka & Tankman vs. Samoan Swat Team title bout as a matchup between two undefeated teams.

Blood & Thunder is taking place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The updated card for the tapings is listed below:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Yamato
  • MLW Tag Team Champions EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman defend against Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Ben-K
  • Johnny Fusion (the former John Morrison) returns to MLW

Last Man Standing World title match set for MLW Fightland

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The MLW World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line in a Last Man Standing match at Fightland 2022.

It was announced today that Alex Hammerstone will defend his MLW World Heavyweight title against EJ Nduka at Fightland on Sunday, October 30. The match will air on a future episode of MLW Fusion.

Hammerstone’s World title reign recently reached the one-year mark. At last year’s Fightland, he defeated Jacob Fatu to become MLW World Heavyweight Champion.

Nduka is also a champion in MLW. He currently holds the MLW Tag Team titles with Calvin Tankman. They won the titles from 5150 at MLW’s SuperFight tapings this February.

The Fightland tapings are being held at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Three matches have been announced for the event thus far:

MLW Fightland (Sunday, October 30) —

  • Last Man Standing match: MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against EJ Nduka
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Lio Rush
  • Willie Mack vs. Calvin Tankman

Triple threat MLW Tag Team title match announced for Kings of Colosseum

Posted on by Ian Carey

A triple threat match for the MLW World Tag Team Championships has been added to Kings of Colosseum 22. 

The promotion announced on Thursday that Hustle & Power (Calvin Tankman & EJ Nduka) will defend their titles against The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall Von Erich) and 5150 (Danny Rivera and Slice Boogie) on the show. 

The Von Erichs had been scheduled to challenge 5150 for the belts on January’s Blood & Thunder event from Dallas but tested positive for COVID-19 and were pulled from the show. Boogie and Rivera then dropped the belts to Tankman & Nduka at SuperFight from Charlotte in February. 

MLW Kings of Colosseum 22 takes place Friday, May 13 from Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena. 

The updated lineup for the show is as follows:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Richard Holliday (w/ Alicia Atout)
  • Taya Valkyrie vs. Holidead to crown the inaugural MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion
  • Weapons of Mass Destruction match: Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
  • MLW World Tag Team Champions Hustle & Power (Calvin Tankman & EJ Nduka) vs. The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall Von Erich) vs. 5150 (Slice Boogie & Danny Rivera)
  • The Sandman in action

Title change at MLW SuperFight TV tapings

Posted on by Ian Carey

EJ Nduka and Calvin Tankman are the new MLW World Tag Team Champions. 

At tonight’s MLW SuperFight tapings in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nduka revealed Tankman as his mystery partner in a match for the titles. They then defeated 5150’s Danny Rivera and Slice Boogie to win the belts. Matches from the taping will air in coming weeks on MLW Fusion.  

5150 had defeated Los Parks to win the titles at War Chamber on November 6th, 2021. They had been scheduled to defend them against Marshall & Ross Von Erich at MLW Blood and Thunder on January 21st, but the brothers tested positive for COVID-19 and were removed from the card. 

Other matches taking place Saturday at MLW SuperFight include the following:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Davey Richards
  • Stairway to Hell match: Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
  • Killer Kross vs King Muertes
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Kane defends against Calvin Tankman, Matt Cross, and ACH in a four-way match
  • MLW Tag Team Champions 5150 defend against EJ Nduka and a mystery partner
  • Ross & Marshall Von Erich vs. Ricky & Kerry Morton
  • nZo vs. KC Navarro
  • Alex Shelley vs. Richard Holliday
  • Trios match: Arez, Gino Medina & Mini Abismo Negro vs. Puma King, Octagon Jr., and a mystery partner
  • Gangrel vs. Gnarls Garvin
  • Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat appears

Mystery partner Tag Team title match added to MLW SuperFight

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The MLW Tag Team titles will be on the line at SuperFight this Saturday.

It was announced today that MLW Tag Team Champions 5150 (Slice Boogie & Danny “Limelight” Rivera) will defend their titles against EJ Nduka and a mystery partner at SuperFight. The tapings are being held at the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, February 26.

5150 won the MLW Tag Team titles from Los Parks last November. Those two teams faced off in a rematch on last week’s episode of Fusion, with 5150 retaining in a ladder match.

“Fresh off of defeating Los Parks in a contractually obligated rematch, 5150 demanded a match at SuperFight in Charlotte. Going as far as to sign an open contract bout sheet, 5150 fears no one and vows they’re bulletproof against any challenge to their belts,” MLW wrote.

“Wasting no time, EJ ‘The Judge’ Nduka took them up on the task, signing the dotted line… but leaving his partner’s name undisclosed.”

MLW teased whether Nduka will have a partner or face 5150 on his own: “When pressed for who is partner will be for the title bout, EJ told MLW.com, ‘Who says I even have a partner? This is the year of the Judge. It’s undeniable.'”

Nduka joined MLW after being released from NXT last year.

Here’s the updated card for the SuperFight tapings:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Davey Richards
  • Stairway to Hell match: Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
  • Killer Kross returns to MLW
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Kane defends against Calvin Tankman, Matt Cross, and ACH in a four-way match
  • MLW Tag Team Champions 5150 defend against EJ Nduka and a mystery partner
  • Ross & Marshall Von Erich vs. Ricky & Kerry Morton
  • nZo vs. KC Navarro
  • Alex Shelley vs. Richard Holliday
  • Trios match: Arez, Gino Medina & Mini Abismo Negro vs. Puma King, Octagon Jr., and a mystery partner
  • Gangrel vs. Gnarls Garvin
  • Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat appears

War Chamber match set for November MLW TV tapings

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Team Hammerstone and Contra Unit are going to war at November’s MLW television tapings.

MLW has announced that Alex Hammerstone, Richard Holliday, EJ Nduka, and a partner will face Contra’s Jacob Fatu, Mads Krugger, Ikuro Kwon & Josef Samael in a War Chamber match at next month’s TV tapings in Philadelphia. The tapings are being held at the 2300 Arena on Saturday, November 6.

Hammerstone defeated Fatu to win the MLW World Heavyweight Championship at Fightland last week. On this Wednesday’s episode of Fusion: Alpha, Samael said Fightland wasn’t the end and the final battle between Hammerstone and Contra is in sight. Samael challenged Hammerstone to face Contra in a War Chamber match. Hammerstone responded by accepting the challenge.

Later in the episode, Kwon tried to attack Hammerstone but was taken out by Nduka. Nduka said he’s tired of Contra’s nonsense, and Hammerstone offered Nduka a spot on his War Chamber team.

The War Chamber is MLW’s version of a War Games match. It features a cage with barbed wire on top of it.

Here are the rules for the War Chamber match:

  • A coin toss determines which team enters first.
  • 1-on-1 for 5:00 in stage 1 of the War Chamber.
  • The winner of the coin toss comes out for 2-on-1.
  • Alternating teams have wrestlers enter every 2 minutes.
  • Once all combatants are in the War Chamber, victory is won by submission, surrender or pinfall.

Former NXT wrestler EJ Nduka coming to MLW

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A recently released NXT wrestler is coming to MLW.

During this week’s edition of MLW’s 2021 Open Draft, it was announced that EJ Nduka is coming to MLW. Nduka will make his MLW debut at the promotion’s Battle Riot tapings, which are being held at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 10. The tapings mark the start of a new season for MLW. It will be the first MLW event with fans in attendance since March 2020.

Nduka was released by WWE last month as part of a round of NXT cuts. Nduka, a former football player and bodybuilder, had signed with WWE in August 2019. He used the name Ezra Judge in NXT but never made his television debut.

Dave Meltzer wrote about Nduka when he was released by WWE:

The response we heard is people were shocked he was cut so there must be a story that wasn’t well known or something. His wrestling name was Ezra Judge but he never made it to NXT television. His lack of success also shows how much wrestling has changed because he would have had two months of training and been put in main events had he come along in the 80s. Think about this, he’s bigger than Lex Luger, a better athlete than Luger, better or the same body as Luger (Luger could have never won the contests he won) and Luger was spotted and was main eventing day one after weeks of training because that’s what they did with guys like that in the 80s.

Nduka is now using the nickname “The Judge.”

This round of the MLW Open Draft also included the announcements that Contra Unit and Bu Ku Dao will be returning for MLW’s new season.