AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross announced for next WWE SmackDown

Another AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross match has been added to the lineup for the August 11 WWE SmackDown episode. 

Following up on the Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal coming up on Saturday, Styles and Kross will have their third televised match in the last three months on next week’s SmackDown show.

Styles vs. Kross wrestled on the May 19 SmackDown, as well as the July 7 SmackDown from Madison Square Garden, with Styles winning both bouts. The two also squared off in a dark match on the June 30 SmackDown taping, with Styles coming away with the victory in that meeting as well. 

Already announced for next week is a United States Championship match, with Austin Theory defending his title against Santos Escobar, the winner of the recently concluded United States Championship Invitational tournament. Escobar defeated Rey Mysterio in the tournament finals on last week’s SmackDown by referee stoppage after Mysterio suffered a legitimate injury. 

The updated lineup for the Friday, August 11 SmackDown: 

  • United States Championship: Austin Theory defends against Santos Escobar
  • AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross

McIntyre vs. Kross strap match added to WWE Extreme Rules

Karrion Kross and Drew McIntyre will meet in a strap match at Extreme Rules.

On Friday’s SmackDown, McIntyre said he was tired of Kross attacking him from behind, and went to the very top of WWE to get the match at Extreme Rules. After Kross managed to lay out McIntyre, he accepted the challenge for October 8.

After McIntyre issued the challenge, Scarlett appeared as Kross’ music played. Kross attempted to attack McIntyre from behind, but McIntyre saw it coming and fought back, attacking Kross with a strap he brought to the ring. Scarlett eventually intervened, shielding Kross and ended up throwing a fireball at McIntyre. The fireball gave Kross the distraction needed, regaining the advantage before eventually choking out McIntyre, accepting the Extreme Rules match.

Here is the lineup for Extreme Rules, which will take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

  • Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair vs. Bayley
  • SmackDown Women’s Championship: Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey in an Extreme Rules match
  • Strap match: Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross

WWE plays cryptic ‘White Rabbit’ song at SmackDown, house show

For the second night in a row, the song “White Rabbit” ominously played to a live WWE crowd. 

During a commercial break on Friday’s edition of SmackDown, the Jefferson Airplane song played to the fans in the arena but was not shown on television. The house lights were shut off and red lighting lit up the stage as the song came to an end. 

On Saturday night, it was played again to those in attendance at a house show in Bakersfield, California. 

https://twitter.com/RayonGreenfiel4/status/1571369397486325760

Some have speculated that this could be related to Karrion Kross, as he was known as The White Rabbit in Lucha Underground. Others have commented that it could be teasing Bray Wyatt returning to the company. 

Grace Slick wrote “White Rabbit” in the mid-1960s. The song’s lyrics are below:

“One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don’t do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she’s ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you’re going to fall
Tell ’em a hookah-smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small

When the men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you’ve just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice
I think she’ll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen’s off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head”

WWE SmackDown video highlights: Drew McIntyre vs. Solo Sikoa

After helping Roman Reigns retain at Clash at the Castle, Solo Sikoa made his main roster in-ring debut on SmackDown last night.

Drew McIntyre was out for revenge on Sikoa, showing up with a steel chair and interrupting SIkoa’s official introduction into The Bloodline. That set up McIntyre facing Sikoa in last night’s main event.

The Street Profits helped McIntyre deal with The Usos and Sami Zayn during the match, but it ended in a disqualification when Karrion Kross appeared and put McIntyre in the Kross Jacket. The show faded to black as McIntyre tried and failed to break free.

Also on last night’s show, Ronda Rousey won a five-way elimination match to earn a SmackDown Women’s Championship shot against Liv Morgan at Extreme Rules, the Brawling Brutes took on Imperium, and more.

More coverage from last night —

WWE SmackDown video highlights —

The Brawling Brutes vs. Imperium

Solo Sikoa joins The Bloodline, Drew McIntyre interrupts

Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah vs. Toxic Attraction

Ronda Rousey wins five-way match, will challenge Liv Morgan at Extreme Rules

Ronda Rousey encourages Shayna Baszler to get vengeance

The Street Profits & Hit Row vs. Maximum Male Models & Los Lotharios

Braun Strowman destroys Alpha Academy

Drew McIntyre vs. Solo Sikoa

SmackDown fallout: Liv Morgan is looking forward to beating Ronda Rousey again

SmackDown fallout: You have to go through the day to get to the Knight

Karrion Kross opens up about ‘pretty incredible’ WWE return

Karrion Kross says the experience of returning to WWE and being offered everything he had been “striving for” is difficult to put into words. 

Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux appeared on an episode of After The Bell released on Friday. During the conversation, they spoke about being released from WWE in November and eventually returning to the company on the August 5 edition of SmackDown. 

“I was nervous that I wasn’t going to feel those same butterflies anymore,” Scarlett said of her return. “Because I did become almost too peaceful and content with not being there. Just going through day by day, I’m like I love wrestling, I don’t need it to make me happy because at one point my identity was completely associated with my career, like that was everything about it.”

“I was most worried when I went out there, ‘Am I going to feel that?’ And oh my God, everything is back like rushing in and it’s just as special as the first time I ever had my first match. It was perfect, it was amazing,” she continued. 

Kross was also asked about his experience of returning to the company he had been released from months earlier. 

“It’s really hard to find the words, man. To want something so bad and then to have to accept that that’s not a reality anymore and then to get a call one day, out of the blue, and to be offered everything you’ve been striving for, it’s pretty incredible.” 

Scarlett continued to say that accepting WWE’s offer was an easy decision to make. 

“When Hunter called us, he was the best boss we’d ever had so it was a complete no-brainer. It was just like, no other company has ever compared to it. We trust him, we definitely trust him with our characters and storylines so it’s absolutely perfect.” 

“I always felt respected and heard by Hunter and even more so now,” she continued. 

Earlier in the conversation, Kross was asked about his release from the company last November. He said that he knew he was not doing his best work on WWE’s main roster at the time. 

“I can compare it to a comedian being called up to play the biggest stage they’ve ever been at in their entire lives but then the promoter basically says, ‘Hey, you can’t hit your best jokes.’ It’s like you’ve been scratching and crawling to be in front of the biggest audience your entire career and then you can’t hit your best stuff and it was difficult.” 

Scarlett also spoke about her release from the company. 

“My immediate feeling was I was just straight up pissed. I’m like, ‘Dude, we’re awesome, we’ve been killing it.’ I know we’re great to work with, we get along with everybody and I’m like, ‘What are they thinking?’ That was my first reaction.”

After their release, Scarlett said she felt confident they would end up back in WWE at some point. Kross, on the other hand, was skeptical that they would return. 

“You wake up every morning and you chase this WWE thing before you are even there. I always looked at every single show I did before WWE as a dress rehearsal for WWE,” he said. 

“When you are put in a position where that is taken from you, as a grown man, you have to let it go. You have to let it go and you need to shift your energy in a different direction that’s going to work for you.”

“I had to let it go and as I let that go, I began to study things and get involved with different business and I began to have this fear that I was beginning to enjoy other things a lot more and some of those things could have become contractual and if they did call back, what was I going to do?”

Kross also revealed that he considered going into MMA and bare-knuckled boxing as well. 

“Here’s some breaking news, so Daniel Gracie is one of our head instructors for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he was urging me to relocate to Philadelphia to fight in the UFC. Then on top of that, while that was going on, I was speaking with David Feldman from Bare Knuckled Fighting Championships and I was on the verge of taking a three fight deal.” 

Kross also revealed that he wrote a book during his time away from WWE as well. 

“I wrote a book and it is in the editorial process,” he said. “It’s a memoir of my life and there is obviously a lot of wrestling involved but while I’ve had all this time to think and be away, I just wish that I had a book like this or I wish I knew somebody who could kind of talk to me about this stuff growing up because I didn’t have anybody like that and so I wrote the book with the intention to help people that are in similar situations or if you just want an entertaining read.” 

WWE SmackDown highlights: Intercontinental title match, Hit Row returns

WWE SmackDown last night featured more returns to the company and an Intercontinental Championship match in the main event. 

After making their WWE return on last Friday’s show, Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux were back this week. Scarlett interrupted an in-ring promo by Drew McIntyre. With McIntyre distracted, the Usos jumped him from behind. The Usos then told Scarlett to tell Kross that this is the Bloodline’s territory. Scarlett responded to the Usos by saying Kross has the same message for them. 

Much like what was done on Raw with the United States Championship, there was a video package on last night’s show detailing the lineage of the Intercontinental title. Later in the night, Gunther successfully defended the belt against former two-time champion Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event. 

Hit Row returned to WWE on SmackDown as well. B-Fab, Top Dolla, and Ashante “Thee” Adonis become the latest formerly released talent to be brought back to the company by the new regime. 

We also saw another team advance in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament this week. Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah defeated Shotzi & Xia Li to advance. 

More coverage from last night —

WWE SmackDown video highlights —

Raquel Rodriquez & Aliyah vs. Shotzi & Xia Li

Karrion Kross & Scarlett Bordeaux backstage promo

Intercontinental Championship video package

Scarlett’s arrival leads to an Usos ambush on Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre surprise attacks the Usos backstage

Ronda Rousey crashes WWE Clash at the Castle Contract Signing

Sonya Deville & Natalya are ready for Lyons and Stark

Kofi Kingston’s Keno stick surprise backfires

Happy Corbin drops Ricochet from behind

Hit Row make a smash return

Los Lotharios attempt to join Maximum Male Models

Drew McIntyre & Madcap Moss vs. The Usos

Gunther vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Intercontinental Championship Match

Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark to bring NXT 2.0 intensity to SmackDown

Freddie Prinze Jr. says Karrion Kross was to be his promotion’s first champion

Freddie Prinze Jr. had big plans for Karrion Kross to be part of his promotion. 

Earlier this year, Prinze revealed that he has plans to start his own wrestling company “within the next 18 months.” According to comments he made recently on his Wrestling With Freddie podcast, Karrion Kross was to be the company’s first champion. 

“I’m working hard at it,” Prinze said about the promotion he plans to create. “My champion, and I’d spoken with him a lot, was going to be Killer Kross. He was my guy, I was building the whole thing around him. We had kind of worked on the story, we had talked about philosophy, talked about his character, his wife’s character, with the caveat of, ‘hey, you can’t hold your career up to make my thing go.’ So I said if you get other offers, you need to make a living, go make a living.”

Prinze then revealed that he spoke with Kross the night before his return on SmackDown last Friday. 

“It was actually Thursday, the day before SmackDown, I get a text that says, ‘hey man, I need some advice, let’s chat.’ And so I already know, I already know, and I almost wrote him the day before, ‘hey with Vince gone you’re going to get a call from Hunter.’ I literally wrote this text, and I said ‘and he’s going to offer you the moon and if you say no you are out of your mind so don’t trip.’ Then I deleted the whole text and instead, I just sent him a picture from this storyboard guy that is doing part of the show for me so that I can pitch it properly. I just sent him a picture of some of the storyboard stuff instead because I didn’t want to freak him out.” 

“The very next day I get this text from him, ‘can we talk, I need some advice.’ We start chatting and he says, ‘I talked to Hunter, they made an offer and it’s real and I think I believe him when he’s telling me what’s going to happen and you and I need to talk.’ I said, ‘yeah brother’ and I told him what I just told you, I was like, ‘dude, I wrote you a text yesterday that I deleted because I knew this was going to happen once Vince left the company.'”

“We talked about it and I said, ‘look, you’d be crazy to chase my dream in place of yours.’ Your dream was never to be – I don’t want to say the name of my federation – your dream was never to be the Freddie P champion, it was to be the WWE Champion. I said, ‘I couldn’t hold you up from that.'”

“I want to see you succeed at the highest level and my federation is not going to be at the highest level, that’s WWE forever. We’re talking and he goes, ‘that’s funny, that’s the same thing my mom said.’ And I said, ‘dude, always listen to your mother, always listen to your mother.'”

“We hang up and then the next day I’m watching this segment with Roman Reigns and Drew and all of a sudden my champion runs out and just kills Drew and puts him on the clock. And I remember being like, ‘oh, they are putting a rocket ship on this man, which is what they should have done the first damn time.'”

Daily Update: Karrion Kross, WWE Most Wanted Treasures, Ric Flair’s Last Match

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • Match and performer of the week
  • Rundown of SummerSlam, poll, star ratings, angles
  • Early notes on Clash at the Castle
  • Business notes on both shows
  • Scary moves during the show
  • Ric Flair’s last match show, the good, the bad, the ugly, and where it stands among the biggest indie shows in history
  • The life and legacy of Ric Flair
  • Behind-the-scenes notes on the show
  • Business coverage of the show
  • UFC 277 coverage by Ryan Frederick, match-by-match, what happens next for all the key fighters on the show, business notes and more
  • Full G1 coverage with the standings, key stories, notes on the matches this week and coverage of all the past week shows.
  • Coverage of Dragon Gate’s two major shows over the weekend including one of the company’s best matches, title changes and future notes
  • The life and career of Gil Hayes, a Stampede Wrestling Hall of Famer who was one of the key building blocks of WWC in Puerto Rico, a unique life of a headliner who is largely forgotten today
  • Ratings and trends of all the national shows
  • CMLL announces the biggest matches for its anniversary show, the biggest event of the year
  • CMLL announces its annual World Grand Prix
  • First two nights of the Stardom Five Star Grand prix
  • More on the new IWGP World Women’s Championship and why it is happening
  • Karl Fredericks leaves New Japan
  • New Japan’s U.S. show rundown
  • XFL news under Dwayne Johnson
  • Women of Wrestling starting up
  • New book on ECW
  • More news on King of Indies
  • Old promotion in Mexico restarting with a national TV deal
  • The WBD financials and how it affects AEW, as well as where AEW could be very valuable
  • Cost of AEW compared to usual Discovery fare, ratings, and compared to WWE programming
  • New trademark by AEW and what does it mean
  • More on new AEW promotions
  • Upcoming WWE & AEW ticket sales
  • Streaming numbers for WWE & AEW
  • International TV ratings
  • Major new UFC fight scheduled
  • Jake Paul-Rahman fight falling apart notes
  • Sasha Banks & Naomi
  • Peacock financials
  • New PPV location
  • WrestleMania launch party
  • How Nick Khan got to WWE and his deal making ability
  • What was the match that never happened which led to Nick Khan’s first interaction with WWE
  • Dana White talks his only live WrestleMania
  • Bryan Danielson talks famous Talking Smack segment with Miz

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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Tuesday News Update

WWE

  • Main Event matches taped for this week include Cedric Alexander vs. Shelton Benjamin and Mustafa Ali vs. T-Bar.
  • Ciampa and Shayna Baszler are set for tomorrow’s episode of The Bump.
  • Karrion Kross and Scarlett have been added to SmackDown’s internal roster, according to PWInsider. Kross is positioned as the number two heel under Roman Reigns.
  • DEFY announced that Kross will be unable to compete at their Doomsayers event on August 20. However, he and Scarlett will be at the show for an exclusive meet and greet.
  • PWInsider reported that filming is underway for the second season of WWE Most Wanted Treasures. AJ Francis, aka Top Dolla, has not been a part of the new season’s shoots as he was during the first season. Lita has been regularly involved.
  • Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the WWE 2K video game, listed WWE 2K23 for a release for fiscal year 2023.
  • NBCUniversal has a job opening for a Creative Director, Peacock Sports & WWE.
  • Rey Mysterio is the subject of this week’s Canvas 2 Canvas.
  • Matches added to WWE’s YouTube page today include Drew McIntyre vs. Baron Corbin from the August 9, 2021 edition of Raw, Alexa Bliss vs. Shayna Baszler from Hell in a Cell 2021, and a segment involving Alexa Bliss attacking Bayley with a kendo stick from the May 15, 2017 edition of Raw.

AEW/ROH

  • This week’s AEW Road to focuses on Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley, Jade Cargill vs. Madison Rayne, and the coffin match between Darby Allin and Brody King.
  • Recent AEW match graphics have shown Anna Jay’s name to be Anna Jay A.S. moving forward. Jay has mentioned the new name in recent promos.
  • TMZ has footage from the Tay Conti/Sammy Guevara wedding from over the weekend.

Other Wrestling

  • The epilogue for Ric Flair’s Last Match.
  • Keiji Mutoh will be wrestling as The Great Muta at NOAH’s Osaka event on September 3.
  • Bobby Fish will face Yuya Uemura at DEFY Doomsayers on August 20.
  • GCW announced they are bringing in Dragongate’s YAMATO for their October 8 and 9 cards in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
  • KAORU, best known for her run in All Japan Women, Sendai Girls, and appearances on WCW programming in the 90s, had her final match on August 8.

WWE SmackDown video highlights: Karrion Kross and Scarlett return

The Paul “Triple H” Levesque era continued to take effect last night with two more names from Levesque’s NXT returning.

Karrion Kross and Scarlett made their returns to WWE on last night’s SmackDown. Kross was immediately placed into the main event picture as he was involved in an angle with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre.

Kross attacked McIntyre in last night’s show-closing segment. Kross and Scarlett then sent a warning to Reigns, with Scarlett putting an hourglass in the ring and Kross motioning that Reigns’ time as champion is running out.

Kross and Scarlett were both released by WWE last November. Kross is a former NXT Champion but had an unsuccessful stint on the WWE main roster last year when he was called up without Scarlett by his side.

Reigns is set to defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against McIntyre at Clash at the Castle next month. The SmackDown Women’s Championship match for that pay-per-view was confirmed last night, with Shayna Baszler winning a gauntlet match to become the number one contender to Liv Morgan.

More coverage from last night —

WWE SmackDown video highlights —

SummerSlam video package

Roman Reigns arrives to SmackDown in style

Ricochet laughs at Pat McAfee’s video about Happy Corbin

Ricochet vs. Happy Corbin

Sami Zayn wants to be let back into The Bloodline’s locker room

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludwig Kaiser

The Usos ask Sami Zayn for a favor

Video package recaps Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey’s SummerSlam title match

Sonya Deville interrupts Liv Morgan

Gauntlet match: Aliyah vs. Sonya Deville

Gauntlet match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville

Gauntlet match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shotzi

Gauntlet match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Xia Li

Gauntlet match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya

Gauntlet match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shayna Baszler

The Usos tell Sami Zayn he needs to start pulling his weight

The Viking Raiders vs. Jim Mulkey & Tommy Gibson

Kofi Kingston vs. Erik

Gunther video package

Karrion Kross and Scarlett return

SmackDown fallout: Women’s Tag Team title tournament will begin on Monday

SmackDown fallout: Liv Morgan is willing to do anything to remain champion

SmackDown fallout: This victory is just the first of many to come for Ricochet

Wrestling Observer Radio: Karrion Kross shows up on SmackDown, AEW TV ratings

Dave Meltzer and I are back on Wrestling Observer Radio after a two week hiatus talking all the latest news in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter including stories on the business of Ric Flair’s Last Match, Warner Bros. Discovery, Karl Fredericks, Daniel Bryan & the Miz, and Dana White at WrestleMania 34.

We also talk about all the media Dave has been doing of late including Talk Is Jericho, and the Sports Illustrated’s Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina. We look at AEW TV ratings and the G1. We also talk about Dax Harwood’s tweet about Dave and why he posted it. 

Join us for All Out weekend at Dave and Bryan’s Q&A.

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Karrion Kross, Scarlett return to WWE on SmackDown

Karrion Kross and Scarlett are back in WWE.

The end of tonight’s SmackDown saw the return of Karrion Kross and Scarlett to the company. As Drew McIntyre was cutting a promo on Roman Reigns ahead of their match at Clash at the Castle in September, the screen went gray, with ominous music playing as Scarlett appeared on the entrance ramp. Kross appeared and attacked McIntyre from behind. Kross stared down Roman as Scarlett put an hourglass in the ring. She turned the hourglass upside down, with the sand falling to the bottom as Kross pointed at Reigns to end the show.

Fightful had reported on Friday that WWE had interest in bringing back Kross, who along with Scarlett was released on November 4 of last year after a short run on the main roster.

As NXT Champion, Kross was called up in July of last year and lost his first match on Raw against Jeff Hardy. He soon started to appear on TV wearing a helmet and suspenders. After being taken off TV, he was released in November along with Scarlett, who despite being called up to the main roster never appeared on TV.

Since being released, Kross has continued to wrestle on the independent scene, making appearances for NJPW Strong, Warrior Wrestling, and MLW. He appeared on Ric Flair’s Last Match this past Sunday, defeating Davey Boy Smith Jr..

Report: WWE has discussed bringing back Karrion Kross

Karrion Kross has been discussed as someone who could potentially return to WWE. 

According to a report from Fightful Select, Kross has been “discussed as a name of interest” the company could bring back. Kross and his wife, Scarlett Bordeaux, were released from the company on November 4, 2021. 

WWE has already seen one previously released wrestler return since Vince McMahon’s departure. Dakota Kai returned to WWE at SummerSlam on Saturday after having been released from the company on April 29. 

Kross first signed with WWE in early 2020 and debuted in NXT that April. He defeated Keith Lee to win the NXT Championship in just his seventh match for the company at TakeOver XXX. Kross never lost a singles match in NXT until dropping the title to Samoa Joe at TakeOver 36. 

On the July 19, 2021, edition of WWE Raw, Kross lost his main roster debut to Jeff Hardy in under 2 minutes. He was given a new look, entrance, and Scarlett no longer accompanied him to ringside. 

Since leaving WWE, Kross has performed for MLW, NJPW of America, CYN, Warrior Wrestling, and most recently for Jim Crockett Promotions at Ric Flair’s Last Match

MLW Fusion results: Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger, Killer Kross and Gangrel return

Joe Dombrowski and Rich Bocchini welcomed us to Charlotte, North Carolina, and ran down tonight’s card: a Stairway To Hell match between Jacob Fatu and Mads Krugger, the return of Gangrel and Killer Kross, and the announcement from Cesar Duran on whether or not he is stripping Alex Hammerstone of the MLW Heavyweight title.

Killer Kross defeated Budd Heavy

Kross made light work of cult favorite Heavy by dropping him on his head with a Saito suplex, hitting a running forearm to the back of the head and causing a referee stoppage by hammering the back of Heavy’s head and neck with repeated forearms.

Kross gave Heavy two free shots at the start of the match before dropping him with a big boot while Heavy revved up for a third shot.

Hopefully, Kross stays around for a while as he will give the main event scene a nice shake-up with some fresh matches. The last time we saw Kross was a one-off appearance in the middle of the Von Erichs vs. Team Filthy feud before he signed with WWE for his run in NXT.

– We were then going to hear a joint announcement from Duran and Richard Holliday regarding Hammerstone’s World title but as Holliday was entering through the curtain, Hammerstone jumped him and they brawled to the back.

– To make up for the lost time, we cut to Los Parks for their latest culinary infomercial from their family restaurant. An unhappy customer questioned them on their chili sandwich and Los Parks beat him down before asking us to give them a good review on Yelp.

Gangrel defeated Gnarls Garvin

Garvin got on the mic, asked for an opponent, and got one in the returning Gangrel.

Gangrel was walking gingerly on his left leg but put in a good amount of time and can still do what he needs to have a decent match. There was no fire entrance, goblet, “red viscous liquid” or his fantastic Brood theme, but he still had the mannerisms and the fangs of the old 1999 Gangrel.

This started as a walk and brawl in and out of the ring, but the interest cranked up when Gangrel started using his circular sickle knife to cut away at Garvin’s forehead. We then got the announcement that is was no disqualification — thank goodness or Gangrel would have felt like a fool.

That was the beginning of the end for Garvin as after some more punishment to his busted open forehead by Gangrel’s fangs, he missed a top rope splash and was hit with Gangrel’s Impaler DDT to give the returning star the win.

– TJP walked in on Duran while he was on his phone talking about an investigation into his actions. He wanted to carry some gold instead of these “indie darlings,” so Duran granted him a Middleweight title shot. This angered EJ Nduka who was listening in to the conversation. Nduka demanded a shot at 5150 after they attacked him and spray-painted him, so Duran granted that match, too. 

Duran then had to quickly leave as he got word Hammerstone was chasing Holliday around the building. The camera cut to the chase as Holliday was trying to call Alicia Atout for a way out, but Hammerstone ripped his shirt off and continued the chase.

– Savio Vega was then shown sneaking into Duran’s unattended office, pocketing some cash and releasing Micro Man from a suitcase.

Mads Krugger defeated Jacob Fatu in a Stairway to Hell match

A Baklei War Club and Maliliu Cane (Singapore cane wrapped in razor wire) hung high above the ring.

This started at 100 mph as the near seven-foot Krugger dove through the ropes and took out Fatu who was holding a ladder on the outside. Fatu came back and hit a big Samoan drop before hitting his impressive handspring moonsault while a ladder laid on top of Krugger.

Krugger beat down Fatu for a while, but Fatu reversed a whip and sent Krugger upside down and headfirst into a ladder in the corner. Give him credit: Krugger had his crazy bumping boots on tonight.

Fatu headbutted Krugger off the top of the ladder and brought his cane into action. A few shots to the back and the head had Krugger busted open.

After a commercial break, Fatu hit a chair-assisted coast to coast onto Krugger as the stunts and bumps continued to the delight of the crowd.

Fatu set up a table in the center of the ring but as wrestling law goes, he who sets up a table goes through said table. Both climbed a ladder in the corner and Krugger superplexed Fatu through his own table. 

Fatu fought back and looked to have the match firmly in his control after a superkick and a uranage. But former CONTRA teammate Ikuro Kwon passed Krugger his club to use and Fatu was knocked out. He was then on the receiving end of a reverse tree slam to give the win to Krugger.

After the match, Krugger said CONTRA was reborn and he will build it in his image. As he finished talking, Fatu took him out with a chair shot before officials and referees pulled them apart, so look for this feud to continue.

– Backstage, Hammerstone was still chasing Holliday. The champion caught him and ripped his pants off this time. Holliday somehow escaped Hammerstone’s clutches and ran from the building in his underwear into a waiting limousine with Atout.

Next week:

  • MLW Tag Team Champions 5150 defend against EJ Nduka & a mystery partner

Killer Kross returning to MLW at SuperFight

Killer Kross is on his way to MLW. 

After airing a series of mystery vignettes that pointed to a Kross return, the official announcement was made during tonight’s MLW Fusion. Kross will take part in the SuperFight event to be taped for Fusion on Saturday, February 26 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Here is the last vignette: 

And here is the official announcement from the MLW Control Center segment:

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1491948852760522755

Kross last appeared for MLW in 2020, working a pair of matches at a Fusion taping at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. 

A former WWE NXT Champion, Kross has worked a couple of indie matches this month following his 90-day non-compete clause expiring after being released by WWE on November 4, 2021. 

Here is the SuperFight lineup thus far:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Davey Richards
  • Stairway to Hell match: Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Kane defends against Calvin Tankman, Matt Cross, and ACH in a four-way match
  • nZo vs. KC Navarro
  • Ricky & Kerry Morton debut
  • Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat appears
  • Killer Kross returns

Killer Kross set for first post-WWE match at WrestlePro event

The former Karrion Kross’s first post-WWE match has been announced.

Killer Kross will face Flip Gordon at WrestlePro Killer Instinct on Saturday, February 5, 2022 in Rahway, New Jersey. 

Kross was part of a WWE mass-release event on Thursday, November 4, just hours after the company announced that they had generated $255.8 million in revenue and $77.9 million in OIBDA in the third quarter of 2021.

Kross is a two-time former WWE NXT Champion, holding the title for a combined 140 days. A four-day run in August 2020 was cut short due to injury, but Kross regained the NXT title from Finn Balor at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two on April 8, 2021. Kross lost the NXT title to Samoa Joe at TakeOver 36 on August 22, 2021. 

Kross made his main roster WWE debut in a series of dark matches and an appearance on Main Event this past Summer. His television debut on Raw came on the July 19, 2021 episode. While still holding the NXT title, Kross lost to Jeff Hardy in 1:40 on that show. 

Kross’s fiance Scarlett Bordeaux was also released on November 4, and was also announced for WrestlePro Killer Instinct. Bordeaux will take on Harley Cameron. 

A third match, Matt Cardona vs. Dan Maff, is also set for the event. Tickets for Killer Instinct have yet to go on sale, according to the company’s website.