Pro wrestling fans tuning into Ronda Rousey’s MMA return this weekend will hear a familiar voice on the commentary team.
MVP Promotions has announced that Mauro Ranallo will be the play-by-play announcer for Saturday’s broadcast on Netflix, working alongside former MMA fighter Kenny Florian. The main card begins at 9 p.m. Eastern time streaming live from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Ranallo has a long history calling marquee boxing and MMA events, along with having served as a commentator for WWE and NJPW. He still contributes to wrestling commentary with Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling in his native country of Canada. In 2018, Showtime released the documentary “Bipolar Rock ‘N Roller” focused on Ranallo and his struggle with bipolar disorder.
Elle Duncan, Tyron Woodley, and Ariel Helwani will anchor Netflix’s Rousey vs. Carano coverage as hosts of the event, with Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez, and Cat Zingano appearing as guests. The broadcast team also includes Sibley Scoles (reporter), Sean Wheelock (rules and scoring), and Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts (in-cage announcer).
Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian of MVP are the promoters for this event, which is Netflix’s first time airing live MMA. The show has a five-fight main card:
For the first time ever, Mauro Ranallo is set to call an AEW/ROH-associated event.
It was announced today that Ranallo will be part of the broadcast team for Global Wars Canada, working with Ian Riccaboni and Don Callis on the commentary team. The show is being co-promoted by ROH and Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling and will take place in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on Friday, March 27.
“Ring of Honor has always been defined by excellence both in the ring and on the microphone,” Khan said. “Mauro Ranallo’s return alongside Ian Riccaboni and Don Callis brings together three of the best voices in professional wrestling today. Global Wars represents a major moment in the continued partnership between Ring of Honor and Maple Leaf Pro, and we’re proud to present this event to fans around the world on WatchROH.com.”
“Having Mauro Ranallo return to Maple Leaf Pro is a tremendous moment for our company,” D’Amore said. “Mauro is one of the great broadcast voices in combat sports. Pairing Mauro with Ian Riccaboni and All Elite Wrestling star Don Callis creates an all-star booth worthy of the Global Wars stage and reflects the strength and international scope of our partnership with Ring of Honor.”
Ranallo is a combat sports announcer who has previously worked for WWE and NJPW. He was the subject of the 2018 Showtime documentary “Bipolar Rock ‘N Roller,” where he opened up about his struggle with bipolar disorder.
St. Clair College in Windsor is hosting Global Wars on March 27 and then MLP’s Uprising event on March 28. Ranallo will not be on commentary for Uprising due to a prior commitment with Premier Boxing Champions. Riccaboni and Callis will be handling commentary that night.
Maple Leaf Pro is a classic Canadian wrestling brand that was revived by D’Amore in 2024 following his departure from TNA Wrestling.
Scott D’Amore’s new pro wrestling venture will have a familiar voice on commentary.
During an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, D’Amore announced that Mauro Ranallo has agreed to return to pro wrestling announcing as the voice of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. The promotion launches on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20 with events at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
“You need to have a great voice, and I think we have one of the very best,” D’Amore said. “I think indisputably the best combat sports cross-genre announcer — because Mauro Ranallo has agreed to be the voice of Maple Leaf Pro.”
D’Amore said he’s so stoked and honored to have Ranallo with the promotion. They’ve known each other for 25 years dating back to Stampede Wrestling.
Along with his work in boxing and MMA, Ranallo has done pro wrestling commentary for WWE, NXT, and NJPW. He also made a cameo for Impact Wrestling in 2021 when D’Amore brought him in to call a match between Kenny Omega and Rich Swann.
Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling is a revival of the brand that originally existed from the 1930s to the 1980s. The promotion’s October 19 and October 20 events will air live as pay-per-views on Triller TV.
Konosuke Takeshita, El Phantasmo, Raj Dhesi (former WWE wrestler Jinder Mahal), Josh Alexander, Gisele Shaw, KUSHIDA, Alex Zayne, Kevin Knight, Jake Something, Kylie Rae, and Trevor Lee have been announced for the shows.
This new venture comes after D’Amore was fired from TNA Wrestling in February as part of a leadership shakeup. He was the president of TNA prior to departing the company.
Former WWE commentator Mauro Ranallo is the host of a new celebrity reality series on CBS.
CBS has announced that the Ranallo-hosted reality series “Beyond the Edge” will premiere on Wednesday, March 16 at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Episodes will be an hour long.
The show will feature nine celebrities “trading their worlds of luxury to live in the dangerous jungles of Panama, where they face off in epic adventures and endure the most brutal conditions, as they push themselves to go far beyond their comfort zone.”
Lauren Alaina, Ray Lewis, Craig Morgan, Metta World Peace, Paulina Porizkova, Mike Singletary, Jodie Sweetin, Colton Underwood, and Eboni K. Williams are the celebrities competing on the series. They will be raising money for their chosen charities on the show.
Ranallo is an announcer for Showtime Sports. Last April, he returned to pro wrestling commentary to call Kenny Omega and Rich Swann’s title vs. title match at Impact Wrestling’s Rebellion pay-per-view.
Here’s the full description for “Beyond the Edge,” along with the trailer for the show:
For two weeks, the celebrities will see if they have the grit to withstand torrential downpours, scorching heat and deadly wildlife while living in the exotic Panama jungle. There won’t be any judges or eliminations – instead, each celebrity must rely on their inner fortitude, physical ability, and courage, and have faith in their teammates to endure in the wild. For each day they last, and every grueling adventure challenge they win with their team, the celebrities will raise more money for their charities. If a player reaches their breaking point, they can ring a bell to signal that they are ready to go home. At the end of the 14 days, the top two earners will go head to head in one final adventure, to see who can become the BEYOND THE EDGE champion and take home the most money for their charity.
We’re pushing limits with one of the most intense celebrity adventure challenges EVER attempted. The new reality series #BeyondTheEdge comes to CBS on March 16. pic.twitter.com/22KhMNZgMd
Impact Wrestling is pulling out all the stops for its upcoming Rebellion pay-per-view main event that features their World Champion Rich Swann against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a title vs. title match.
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi broke the news Thursday that former WWE and NXT broadcaster Mauro Ranallo will be calling the main event on Sunday, April 25th. Impact tweeted about Ranallo shortly after Thursday’s Impact Wrestling wrapped.
This will be the first time the Showtime boxing and Bellator MMA play-by-play man has callled wrestling since he and WWE parted ways last August. In a December interview, he was very complimentary of the company in explaining why he left.
PWInsider reported that Ranallo is only coming in for this match with the deal coming together over the last several weeks. They also said Ranallo was at Impact’s studio Wednesday doing voiceover work for Omega vs. Swann video packages as well as this Tuesday’s preview show on AXS. Some of that content has already been released on their YouTube channel.
In a rare interview, combat sports broadcaster Mauro Ranallo held court with John Pollock of POST Wrestling Monday, talking about his time in WWE, his new daily podcast, and a wild year in which he experienced some career highlights including calling a Mike Tyson fight.
Ranallo was extremely complimentary of WWE, Vince McMahon, Paul Levesque, and Michael Cole for their support and giving him the opportunity to improve his standing which helped him get other opportunities. However, he said he had issues with some of the changes put into place in the broadcast booth that ultimately helped his decision along.
“I thought Jerry Lawler and Byron Saxton and I had instant chemistry, but they made the changes they felt they had to make. It’s their company. I have proven I can work with almost anyone as a broadcaster, but there were many times I was like, “What is going on here?” A four-man booth…an eight-man booth. Someone on Twitter posted a picture that at one point, there were literally eight people on headsets. I get it, but that’s not what I want as a commentator.”
The 50-year-old said live NXT shows were “the best experience I could ask for” but even doing the show from home, he was having panic attacks on the morning of recording the shows in his final few months. For his own mental health, he had to call it quits.
“With all due respect, I didn’t like what was happening and who was involved. All respect to all announcers, but I also believe in chemistry. Maybe I was the problem. On show day, I’m not a great guy to be around because I’m completely f’n focused. I’m prepared and I expect everyone else to be the same. There was another reason. I’m a play-by-play announcer and I think I’m one of the better ones in the business — I need to be left alone at times.”
He also didn’t close the door on a future return if the situation was right.
Ranallo also gave his thoughts on his relationship with Showtime, the Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. experience, Snoop Dogg wanting to put him on a song, his new Maurologue podcast, why leaving social media a year was the best decision he has made, and more in the near hour-long interview.
WWE posted the following statement on Mauro Ranallo’s departure: “WWE and Mauro Ranallo have mutually and amicably agreed to part ways. Mauro’s passion and enthusiasm left an indelible and exciting mark with WWE and its fans, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
**********
Mauro Ranallo and WWE have agreed to terms of his release today and it is expected that it will be announced officially shortly.
Unlike in the past, this departure was not on any negative terms. Ranallo has missed the last few NXT broadcasts due to going back to British Columbia where his mother has been hospitalized. He was looking for a less stressful schedule even though WWE did accommodate him as best they could as he had been doing the shows from a home studio in Santa Monica, California, where he lives, as opposed to flying into Orlando each week since the start of the pandemic.
“I appreciate the opportunity I had to realize my childhood dream of working in sports entertainment, and I wish WWE well in the future. Now I want to direct my focus and devote my time to my other projects and to my mental health charitable activities and the well-being of my mother and myself,” Ranallo said.
Ranallo’s departure comes at the same time WWE has been in talks with Stu Bennett (Wade Barrett) to come to the company full-time. Bennett started last week as a third announcer in working with Vic Joseph and Beth Phoenix on the NXT show.
Ranallo will continue to work for Showtime doing boxing and with Bellator doing MMA, but at 50, had achieved his childhood dream of announcing for WWE and was looking at devoting more time to mental health advocacy, doing voiceover work and other television and/or digital projects.
After more than a week on the sidelines, Mauro Ranallo is scheduled to return to the NXT broadcast booth this Wednesday night.
Ranallo’s return was first reported by Pro Wrestling Sheet and confirmed independently by Dave Meltzer.
The 49-year-old was set to call some of the action at Survivor Series, but following a critical tweet by WWE color commentator Corey Graves, Ranallo did not work the event and deactivated his social media accounts. WWE said on the SS broadcast that Ranallo had blown out his voice at TakeOver and would be back that following Wednesday for NXT. Tom Phillips filled in for him instead.
Graves apologized on his WWE-produced podcast, claiming the now-deleted tweet was designed to play into the brand supremacy element of SS and that he was going to bring it up during the pay-per-view broadcast while the two were calling a match.
Ranallo, who has publicly battled bipolar disorder, missed time with WWE in 2017 and the two sides eventually parted ways. He re-signed with WWE a few months later, agreeing to call NXT TV and TakeOver events.
WWE’s four days in Chicago’s Allstate Arena were headlined by the Survivor Series, which drew the largest, but hardly the loudest crowd of the weekend.
A legitimate sellout of 11,500 fans on 11/24 indicated a few things.
First, the lowest rated brand by far drew the loudest reactions. The matches pushed the hardest on television got mixed reactions. Nobody seemed to care much for Raw and Smackdown, and were heavily into NXT.
And based on the fact they did a scoreboard on the seven interbrand matches, which ended with NXT winning four, Smackdown two and Raw one, you could very clearly see the priority right now is trying to market the NXT brand as not being viewed as developmental or lesser, and most importantly, use the show to increase Wednesday night ratings. From a strategic standpoint, they couldn’t have done better. Time will tell if the strategy works long-term but writing this without knowledge of how numbers will turn out, thus far the angles that built the show plus the appearances of main roster talent have turned around the NXT ratings. The idea is, at least for now, that you will no longer see the Raw and Smackdown talent on NXT as much, so getting the brand over is the key long-term. It should help and the race should tighten up. I would suspect NXT viewership to increase even without Raw & Smackdown talent, at least to well above the pre-SS build-up levels. The key was the push in making people like Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley, Keith Lee, Roderick Strong and Matt Riddle into stars based on booking here, combined with the fact that of the three singles title matches, the NXT title bout with Adam Cole beating Pete Dunne was clearly the best of the three.
– With Mauro Ranallo missing the episode after the tweet Corey Graves sent during TakeOver: WarGames, Tom Phillips filled in on commentary during tonight’s NXT and called the show with Nigel McGuinness and Beth Phoenix.
Phoenix noted that Ranallo wasn’t there and said they were looking forward to seeing him next week. WWE didn’t give an explanation for his absence. As a cover for Ranallo not appearing at Survivor Series after Graves’ tweet, Michael Cole had said that Ranallo blew out his voice calling TakeOver but would be back on NXT this week.
On the episode of his After the Bell podcast that was released today, Graves said that he never meant to offend, disrespect, or disparage anyone with his tweet and apologized if it was taken that way. Graves had posted during TakeOver: “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer. #NXTTakeoverWarGames”
– After taking a press slam from the ring to the outside onto Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish was removed from the Tag Team title match on tonight’s NXT due to injury. The move happened near the start of the match, with Roderick Strong coming out in street clothes and replacing Fish during a commercial break.
O’Reilly & Strong retained the titles by defeating Keith Lee & Dominik Dijakovic.
– It was announced after tonight’s show went off the air that — starting on Friday — referee Jessika Carr is moving from NXT to SmackDown. Carr gave a farewell speech to the crowd:
NXT’s Twitter account posted a tweet thanking Carr: “An inspiration for women everywhere. Thank you for everything, @WWELadyRefJess. We’ll miss you. #ThankYouJess #WeAreNXT #WWENXT”
On this week’s edition of his After the Bell podcast, Corey Graves addressed the tweet that he sent about Mauro Ranallo during NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Graves addressed the tweet at the start of the podcast episode. He said that he never meant to offend, disrespect, or disparage anyone and apologized if it was taken that way:
Before we go any further, on a personal note, I need to address something. This past Saturday during the TakeOver: WarGames event, I sent out a tweet. It was an unpopular opinion, as I often do, with the intention of just stirring up a little controversy — maybe have something fun to talk about on TV or here on the show. It was maybe not the most professional way to go about things, and it was never meant to offend or disrespect or disparage anybody. That was never my intention. If it was taken as such, I apologize, deeply. That was not my intention. I would never intentionally cause anybody any undo stress, especially a co-worker. So, I apologize.
Graves had tweeted during Saturday night’s TakeOver show: “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer. #NXTTakeoverWarGames”
Ranallo, who has been open about battling bipolar disorder, didn’t make his scheduled appearance on commentary during Survivor Series. He also deactivated his social media accounts.
As a cover for Ranallo not appearing on the show, Michael Cole claimed during Survivor Series that Ranallo blew out his voice calling TakeOver but would be back on this week’s episode of NXT.
Post Wrestling reported overnight that Ranallo won’t be calling tonight’s NXT. Their report stated that “there has been communication over the past few days between Ranallo and those in the company but the decision was made that he would not be coming to the show this week.”
Post Wrestling also noted that it isn’t known if Ranallo will be back for next week’s NXT episode.
Mauro Ranallo will reportedly not be at NXT tonight.
John Pollock of POST Wrestling reported that Mauro will not be at NXT this week at Full Sail University. Ranallo hasn’t called any WWE events since NXT TakeOver: WarGames this past Saturday.
Triple H on the WarGames post-show said that Ranallo, who is the lead announcer of NXT, would be calling matches the following day at Survivor Series. However, Ranallo was not on the card. During the show, Michael Cole on commentary said that Ranallo was set to be at the event, but his voice blew out and was unable to be part of the show.
This stems from a tweet Corey Graves posted on Twitter during TakeOver where he wrote “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer.”
Ranallo has since deactivated his Twitter account.
We have polls today for both NXT Takeover and Survivor Series this weekend. 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]
WWE SURVIVOR SERIES AT 6 P.M. EASTERN ON THE WWE NETWORK FROM THE ALLSTATE ARENA IN CHICAGO
Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio no holds barred for WWE title – On paper this looks to be strong. Lesnar has had some of his beat matches against smaller great workers and Rey qualifies as both. Lesnar is a -400 favorite. A title change her would qualify as a major surprise.
Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Bayley – This is the brand champions against each other match that has gotten the most attention. Based on 5 Dimes odds, Baszler is the favorite at +110-, with Bayley +205 and Lynch +225. With no title at stake, it doesn’t mean much who wins, but Baszler would seem to make the most sense here.
Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan for Universal title. Wyatt is a -1350 favorite. The entire story plays like he has no chance, and granted, they did that with Seth Rollins before he beat Brock Lesnar, but Wyatt had been destroying everyone and Bryan doesn’t have any significant momentum.
Adam Cole vs. Pete Dunne for the NXT title – Cole is a -565 favorite to retain, since they’ve already started heavy building Cole vs. Ciampa. The big thing here is how much time they get and how the crowd responds. If this match was on an NXT show, it would be incredible and there’s no reason it shouldn’t be here.
A.J. Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Roderick Strong – Another match that looks great on paper. Styles is the -120 favorite with Nakamura at +185 and Strong at +335. Another match that looks strong on paper.
Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Viking Raiders vs New Day – Another match that looks great on paper with Viking Raiders at 1-75, Fish & O’Reilly at +225 and New Day at +525
Seth Rollins & Drew McIntyre & Kevin Owens & Randy Orton & Ricochet vs. Roman Reigns & Mustafa Ali & Shorty G & King Corbin & Braun Strowman vs. Team NXT in an elimination match – Some questions regarding Owens, who may switch to the NXT side since that team is a secret. Team NXT is +140, Team Smackdown is +165 and Team Raw is +230. The Owens switch has led to betting on Team NXT.
Charlotte Flair & Natalya & Asuka & Kairi Sane & Sarah Logan vs. Sasha Banks & Nikki Cross & Lacey Evans & Carmella & Dana Brooke vs Rhea Ripley & Candice LeRae & Team NXT in an elimination match. We’re told Flair is fine after being bloodied up on Friday night. It’s currently Raw at +105, NXT at +170 and Smackdown at +290.
Lio Rush vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto for the cruiserweight title. No odds are out. Tozawa and Kalisto were pulled from the 205 Live roster to the main roster, but now are back again. This will be a pre show match.
Raw will be Monday night at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.
F4W NEWSLETTER: CM Punk joins WWE Backstage Joseph Currier gives his thoughts on CM Punk’s return to the pro wrestling world.
When CM Punk first walked out of the company, no one would have guessed that his return to WWE-related programming would come at nearly midnight on an FS1 studio show.
The possibility became more and more of a reality over the past few months, but — with Punk saying FOX hadn’t followed up on his tryout — it was still a surprise when it happened. At the end of the second official episode of WWE Backstage, Renee Young hyped that it was time for the show to have its first iconic, history-making moment. “Cult of Personality” then hit, with Punk making his way into the studio and stepping into the ring at the center of the set.
“It’s as simple as this: Just when they think they’ve got the answers, I change…the culture,” Punk said, “I’ll see you here next week.”
FOX Sports wasted no time confirming that Punk had officially joined Backstage. They sent out a press release announcing that Punk will be a special contributor and analyst on the show and will make select appearances alongside hosts Renee Young and Booker T.
Backstage is a FOX production, which means that Punk will be working for them rather than WWE. That distinction is obviously really important. Just like Punk appearing at Starrcast didn’t mean that he was going to show up at All Out, this doesn’t guarantee that we’ll see Punk at Survivor Series, WrestleMania, or that he’ll ever wrestle another match again. It’s been almost six years since Punk wrestled. He’s 41 years old now, has dealt with injuries throughout his career, and has never sounded passionate about returning to the ring since he’s been gone.
The story behind Jim Cornette’s greatest attribute, his mouth, leading to his latest fall, is covered in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. We talk about the line he said, the background of the line, why Cornette was wide open for this reaction even though others have said worse of late to little or no outcry.
The new issue also covers:
NWA’s decision to get rid of him and what that happened, what opened Cornette up to this, his reaction, Nick Aldis and Dave Marquez speak on the subject, why it is not in the NWA’s best interest to be critical of AEW, Cornette’s line about Justin Roberts which started all this, how Jerry Lawler, Randy Orton and Eric Bischoff fit into the same story and how social media has changed things.
Cornette’s background, how he got started in wrestling, his managerial heyday, his time as a promoter and the lesson of how times have changed.
Five shows in six days in Chicago this week, lineups, ticket sales and ticket demand.
The return of C.M. Punk to WWE television on Backstage, rating, what he said and thoughts on the show.
Paul Levesque press conference and his talking on different subjects, an ACH update, NXT U.K. Takeover card, Starrcade card, Canadian ratings, German ratings, next Mexico show, NXT injuries, main roster injuries, WWE current market value, most watched shows on WWE Network and a rundown of all the NXT and WWE house shows over the past week with business notes.
The career of Ben Askren, including how WWE’s leading scout viewed him coming out of college and why he didn’t get an offer, his amateur background, his strengths in promoting himself, his career and his being forced to retire.
New Japan tag team tournament, standings plus notes and every match in the first week and coverage of the bigger show.
UFC show from Sao Paulo, Brazil with Jan Blachowicz vs. Ronaldo Jacare Souza.
Japan saying goodbye to Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, what he was best known for in the country as well as coverage of his memorial this past week.
Wednesday ratings, with every match,every segment, viewers, demos and high points, the major lessons of the AEW viewer and the WWE viewer and the NXT viewer.
Full coverage of all the WWE and AEW television shows from the past week.
In-depth looks at the ratings of all the major shows, the key demos and quarters for AEW and WWE, what happened head-to-head and what can be learned from them.
Results of all the major pro wrestling events around the world over the past week.
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SUNDAY NEWS UPDATE
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Survivor Series and the latest news on Wrestling Observer Radio. You can also send e-mail questions to the show to [email protected]
I’d also heavily recommend listening to interviews on the site over the last few days, as Jim Valley & Fumi Saito interviewed Chris Jericho, myself and Jim Valley did a show with Kenny Omega and we also did a show with Marshall Zelaznik. A lot of people noted the latter show because Zelaznik, who was a key player at inDemand during the PPV era, was the key guy staring UFC Fight Pass and in the expansion of UFC internationally, is now the CEO of Glory. The discussion is how difficult it is with the weakening of television in trying to get a new product that is successful elsewhere to get big in the important U.S. market.
Corey Graves on Twitter knocked Mauro Ranallo by saying, “Just for the record guys. I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer.” Given Ranallo’s well-known mental health issues, that have continued recently, as much as announcers are fair game from fans under any circumstances unfortunately it’s bad form from other announcers, particularly given what happened a few years ago. Ranallo then deleted his Twitter account. Paul Levesque at one point said Ranallo would be on the show tonight.
Frank Shamrock, Ranallo’s friend and manager, tweeted to Graves a picture saying “Social media has made too many of you comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the mouth for it.”
Takeover didn’t crack the Google search list although at one point the biggest Google search topic coming off the show was Britt Baker. Paul Levesque said that the Baker mention was a coincidence. He said the person who called for the shot as they were looking for a stunned crowd reaction for the final move, where Tommaso Ciampa gave Adam Cole the air raid crash off the top of the cage and through a table. They saw Baker, having no idea who it was, and Mauro Ranallo,when seeing her on the screen, identified her as Cole’s girlfriend. That was quite unique.
On paper, Survivor Series when you look at the matches looks to be the strongest WWE PPV in a long time. There isn’t one match that on paper doesn’t look good, and every match has the potential to be great. Survivor Series should finish high in Google searches for today as WWE major PPVs always do. So far this week, the only stuff that cracked the searches related to boxing. Last night’s Deontay Wilder heavyweight title defense over Luis Ortiz via seventh round knockout was the most searched for topic in the U.S., at more than 1 million searches. That should indicate a good PPV number. The other listing was Floyd Mayweather at No. 13 on Friday, stemming from his teasing coming out of retirement and working with Dana White. This would not be MMA, but White is looking to start up his own boxing promotion.
WWE
Because ticket sales are soft for Monday, which is more from running four straight nights, WWE announced last night they were adding Seth Rollins vs. The Fiend in a cage match fro the Universal title. That would be a dark match. Notable announcing that last night when Bray Wyatt/Fiend is scheduled for a title defense tonight that literally nobody expects him to lose in. (thanks to Mike Miazga)
Jake Atlas noted that he would continue to be part of Bar Wrestling in 2020. Not sure how that relates to his expected start at the Performance Center.
PWP on Thursday night from Omaha: Donnie Peppercricket b K-Dos, Moonshine Russell b Logan James, Nicky Scent b Willy Sweet, Jack Darling & Uncle Ricky b Seto Kobara & Tim Boston, Brett Bishop b Purple-DQ, Lars Metzger b Mack Riggs, Duke Cornell b Con Artiest, Tony Cortez & Manford Zablinski & Gideon Tenpenny b Pat Powers & Paul Daniels & Joey Daniels. Next show is 12/18 at the Waiting Room Lounge in Omaha headlined by Arik Cannon.
CWE on 12/1 in Sault Ste. Marie, ONT at Soo Blaster with Juventud Guerrera, Jimmy Jacobs and Vinny Marseglia.
Stardom from yesterday in Tokyo at Shinkiba First Ring: Saya Iida & Saya Kamitani b Ruaka & Rina, Jungle Kyona b Itsuki Hoshino, Starlight Kid & Saki Kashima won three-way over Bea Priestley & Leo Onozaki and Konami & Zoe Lucas, Mayu Iwatani & Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano b Natsuko Tora & Jamie Hayter & Session Moth Martina, Riho won three-way over Hana Kimura and Hazuki, Momo Watanabe & AZM & Utami Hayashishita b Kagetsu & Natsu Sumire & Andras Miyagi to win the Artist of Stardom trios titles when Miyagi turned on her partners (thanks to Shannon Walsh and wrestlingwithdemons.net)
Results from today’s Stardom show in Tokyo: AZM & Leo Onozaki b Hina & Itsuki Hoshino, Bea Priestley won three-way over Andras Miyagi and Starlight Kid, Natsuko Tora & Jamie Hayter & Session Moth Martina b Hana Kimura & Zoe Lucas & Rina, Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita b Saya Iida & Saya Kamitani, Kagetsu & Hazuki & Natsu Sumire b Mayu Iwatani & Riho & Saki Kashima, Jungle Kyona & Konami kept the Goddesses of Stardom tag titles over Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano.
ASWA from last night in Wollongong, New South Wales: Dean Draven b Banjo Powers, Grand Linstrom b Phil Picasso, Vagrant Boys & Jack Zimmer b Banks & Goran Nikolov-DQ, Keega Brettle b Jace Chalmers, Jasmin Vottora & Johnny Starr b Nikki Poteet & Tony Cruise, Minoru Tanaka b Kingston Eclipse.
ACW from last night in Adelaide, Australia: Riley b Neon, Ace Wilson & Joe Mundie b Isaac Bailey & Joey Triton, Casey Johns b Blair Valentine, Cadie Tre b Jack Rossely, Havok b Duke Marshall, Jesse Hendy b Edward Dusk, Matt Hayter b Adam Brooks to win ACW title (thanks to Kevin Chiat)
Saraya Knight, Mercedes Martinez, Erika Reid, Meiko Satomura and Hiroyo Matsumoto have been announced for a 12/7 NHPW how in Perth, Australia.
Australian Wrestling Alliance is running 11/30 in Brisbane with all proceeds going to benefit the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in their efforts to help wildlife affected by Australia’s wildfires.
All Star Wrestling on 12/7 in Maple Ridge, BC at the Maple Ridge Seniors Activity Centre.
Toni Storm vs. Avary has been announced for WrestleRock on 12/13 in Australia.
Singapore Pro Wrestling from last night: CK Vin b Blue Nova, Prince Khaleed & Sultan Singh b Jang Kawi & Top Notch, Alexis Lee b The Coloniser, Trexxus NC Aiden Rex, Team ACE b Trexxu & Aiden Rex, Butcherman won three-way over Black Arrow and Destroyer Dharma, Mighty Dragon Family b Team GM, Tajiri b Andruew Tang
Hoosier Pro Wrestling on 12/7 in Columbus, IN at the 4-H Fairgrounds with Shiloh Jonze vs. Flash Flanagan.
Hugo Savinovich ran a show last night in Guaynabo, PR as a tribute to Bret Hart. Star Roger & Hiram Tua won three-way TLC match over Hellspawn & Gladiador Angel (champions) and Controversial Inc to win the tag titles, Karissa Rivera won three-way over Vanilla Vargas (AAA) & Ivelisse Velez (former champ) to win the women’s title, Boricua Guerrero won four-way over Pablo Maruqez, El Hijo de L.A. Park and Noriega to win the NGW International title (Noriega was champion), Teddy Hart DCOR Chicano, Killer Kross b Brian Cage-DQ for interference by Melissa Santos, Ken Anderson b Mr. Aguila, Katie Forbes (Impact) b Kamille (NWA), Rush b Mecha Wolf 450-DQ when L.A. Park interfered, Blue Demon Jr b L.A. Park when Rush interfered, Rob Van Dam b Mil Muertes falls count anywhere. Next show is 11/21/20 called DemonMania, a tribute to Blue Demon Jr. (thanks to Leonardo Mendez Toledo)
Limitless Wrestling has a big show on 11/29 in Yarmouth, ME.
NXT announcer Mauro Ranallo is shaken up, but otherwise fine following a car accident last night.
On Instagram, Ranallo posted several pictures of what appears to be a nasty accident, with both cars involved in the accident suffering from severe damage. It isn’t known where the accident occurred.
“An Angel was looking over me last night,” Ranallo wrote. “A car lost control and smashed into me at full speed. Happy to report that no one was seriously injured. I’m still in shock. I guess my work here isn’t done yet. #ChristmasMiracle”
Ranallo currently is the voice of NXT, calling all major TV shows and big events. He’s also well known for his sports broadcasting career, calling boxing, kickboxing and MMA. He currently serves as an announcer for Bellator, calling their most recent events in Hawaii last weekend. He also serves as the voice for Showtime boxing, calling last year’s Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor boxing match.
Due to his commitments with Showtime Boxing, Mauro Ranallo won’t be calling NXT TakeOver: Chicago on Saturday.
Ranallo announced the news on Twitter today, noting that Vic Joseph would be filling in for him alongside Nigel McGuinness and Percy Watson: “I’m blessed to have more than one job. Unfortunately, dates may conflict. Off to Dallas for a @ShowtimeBoxing tripleheader. That means I won’t be in Chicago for #NXTTakeOver You’ll be in good hands with @VicJosephWWE @McGuinnessNigel & @WWEPercyWatson”
Ranallo will be in London this coming Monday and Tuesday to be part of the announce team with McGuinness for WWE’s United Kingdom Championship tournament shows at Royal Albert Hall. They’re set to air on the WWE Network on June 25th and 26th at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
The Allstate Arena is hosting Saturday’s TakeOver special. There will also be a 30-minute pre-show with Charly Caruso, Sam Roberts, and Pat McAfee starting at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
