KnokX Pro has issued a statement on the incident that occurred at their show on Saturday night.
Raja Jackson, the son of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, entered the ring and attacked wrestler Syko Stu (Stuart Smith). He slammed Stu to the mat and continued punching him while he was unconscious before several people intervened to subdue him. Stu was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
It was later reported by Fightful that Raja entering the ring was planned. However, his continued attack on the unconscious wrestler was not.
KnokX Pro’s statement reads:
“First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with our brother Mr. Stuart Smith (Syko Stu) as he remains a priority and we are monitoring his well being.
What was supposed to be a planned and agreed upon wrestling spot, turned into a selfish, irresponsible act of violence against Mr. Smith. This egregious act is reprehensible and never should have occurred.
In the 17 years of operation of KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy, there has never been anything as heinous take place such as this and we apologize to our patrons and fans.”
Rampage Jackson issued a statement on the incident on Sunday morning, mentioning that he had been told Stu is currently “awake and stable.”
WWE’s Rusev also released a statement noting that he’s trained with Stu for 15 years.
“I’ve known and trained with @SykoStu for 15 years. He is a former US Army veteran and amazing guy. There are no excuses for what happened in that ring. Praying for strong Kick out.”
She defeated AZM in the finals of the tournament on Saturday, which was held in Ota, Tokyo. With the win, Watanabe earns the right to challenge for the World of Stardom Championship, currently held by Saya Kamitani.
Watanabe said after her win (via Google Translate):
“Momo Watanabe is the champion! Finally winning on my ninth appearance. To all the jerks who’ve been supporting Momo Watanabe, I kept you waiting, huh? To all the belt holders around the world, get ready because this Momo Watanabe is coming for you. From now on, it’s the era of Momo Watanabe!”
The tournament used a format similar to this year’s G1, with three wrestlers from each block advancing to the knockout round. Watanabe had the fewest points of any wrestler to advance, finishing third in the Blue Stars B Block with 8 points off a 4-3 record. She defeated Ami Sohrei in the first knockout round, Sareee in the quarterfinals, and Saori Anou in the semifinals before defeating AZM in the finals.
This was the 14th edition of the tournament. No wrestler has won the tournament more than once. Former winners include Maika, Suzu Suzuki, Giulia, Syuri, Utami Hayashishita, Hana Kimura, Mayu Iwatani, Toni Storm, Yoko Bito, Kairi Sane, Iyo Sky, Nanae Takahashi, and Yuzuki Aikawa.
Momo Watanabe and AZM went to battle ready to destroy each other for the glory, Momo knew this was her landmark and AZM the moment to go to the next level but in the end Momo did it and became the #STARDOM 's 5 Star Grand Prix absolute winner pic.twitter.com/HJAmntSuSY
C4 (Capital City Championship Combat) Wrestling out of Ottawa has raised a significant amount of money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
The promotion has been running its annual Fighting Back fundraiser since 2011 and this year raised over $132,000. The amount includes the $38,000 raised as part of Mystery Wrestling’s 24-hour stream of the world’s longest wrestling match ever on record.
“Unbelievable, thank you to everyone who made this possible! We raised $132 000 !!!! I’m so proud to be part of a wrestling community like the one we have here in ottawa,”wrote Stu Grayson in response to the news.
“This is legitimately one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a part of. Over 130K and counting for this year’s #FightingBack donation to @cancersociety I’m so proud of my wrestling family,” wrote Evil Uno.
C4 announced the amount raised at a show on Friday night at a sold-out Preston Event Center in Ottawa. Grayson, Uno, Ortiz, Danhausen, Richard Holliday, and more wrestled on the card.
“Since August 2011, we have gathered annually raise as much money as possible in memory of Phrank Morin – as well as all of those close to us who have suffered through cancer of all sorts. Since 2011, well over half a million dollars has been raised through this cause,” reads the Fighting Back fundraising page.
In a post shared on social media Thursday night, former Ring of Honor World Champion Jonathan Gresham revealed a potentially devastating medical situation where he suffered two strokes just days ago.
Gresham wrote that on Tuesday, he woke up and was unable to walk, see, move the left side of his body, and could barely talk.
“It took me 30 minutes to dial 911, but I finally did. I woke up in the hospital, couldn’t remember what had happened. They told me they had done an MRI and I had two strokes. I’ve had a lot of tests run but everything has come back clean. They’re not sure what happened, and the only thing they said was it could have been a possible complication from a bad case of COVID I had a couple of weeks ago. They said we may never know the exact reason,” he wrote.
Gresham said he taking the next two-to-four-weeks off to both recover and be medically cleared. He last wrestled at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XIV last Saturday, losing to Pete Dunne.
He also noted that current WWE NXT wrestler and wife Jordynne Grace “saw me get carted off from the house on our Ring doorbell camera and somehow flew from Orlando to Atlanta in time that she was there when I woke up.”
He added that he wasn’t convinced he had suffered a stroke until Grace showed him a picture (seen below) of his face.
“I never thought this would be something for me to worry about at 37 years old,” he said. “I will be back soon.”
Konosuke Takeshita will replace Jon Moxley on this Thursday’s Pro Wrestling Revolver event.
Moxley was set to face Gringo Loco at the promotion’s Heat Em Up card in Dayton, Ohio, but the former AEW World Champion stated in a video Tuesday that because of circumstances beyond the control of himself and the promotion, he won’t be able to make the date.
As a result, Moxley picked the debuting Takeshita to take his spot:
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
A video message from JON MOXLEY.
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Mox will be unable to compete.
“If there’s going to be a replacement for me, it needs to be approved by me,” Moxley said. “We only accept the best. So on August 3, you are going to get a chance to see one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, live and in person in an environment like nowhere else in Dayton, Ohio, and his name is Takeshita. Dayton, I’ll be back.”
The last time Takeshita and Moxley interacted on AEW television was on Dynamite two weeks ago when Takeshita walked out on the Blackpool Combat Club during their Blood & Guts match with The Golden Elite.
Moxley is scheduled to appear on Wednesday’s 200th episode of Dynamite from Tampa, Florida, when he faces Trent Beretta and Penta El Zero Miedo in an anything goes match.
Sting is among the talent announced for the Global Pro Wrestling Summit event set for Israel in September.
Haus of Wrestling was first to report that Sting will serve as a special ambassador for the Thursday, September 14 show announced for Jerusalem, Israel. Allstars Israel is the company promoting the Global Pro Wrestling Summit event.
Among other talent announced for the event are Rob Van Dam, Ultimo Dragon, El Hijo del Vikingo, Frankie Kazarian, Psycho Clown, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Paul London, Seleziya, and Oleg Prudius (formerly WWE’s Koslov). Rikishi will also serve in an ambassador role for the show alongside Sting.
Matches announced for the Global Pro Wrestling Summit include El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Paul London vs. Ultimo Dragon in a triple threat match to crown a junior heavyweight champion, Rob Van Dam vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Psycho Clown in a no holds barred triple threat, as well as a 15-man Holy Land Rumble showcasing Israeli talent in a battle royal for a future title shot.
Pais Arena in Jerusalem will host the event.
A press release from Allstars Israel, text courtesy of Haus of Wrestling:
Global Pro Wrestling Summit
September 14th, 2023 Pais Arena. Jerusalem, Israel
Top professional wrestling talent from around the world will converge in Jerusalem on September 14th for this one-of-a-kind spectacular live event. The Global Pro Wrestling Summit is sure to thrill the 11,000 fans expected to pack the state-of-the-art Pais Arena. This will be the first major professional wrestling event in Israel since World Wrestling Entertainment appeared in the holy land in front of rabid, packed houses in 1994. Professional wrestling is truly a worldwide phenomenon, and the Global Pro Wrestling Summit is set to become the ultimate celebration of the incredibly unique and dynamic styles from around the globe. The star power and entertainment of American Pro Wrestling, vibrant characters, costumes, and astonishing acrobatics of Mexican Lucha Libre, power and precision of British wrestling, powerful Polynesian style representing wrestling’s rich Samoan dynasty, no-nonsense striking and submission grappling of Japanese Strong style, incredible women’s division talent, overall expertise of the Jr, Heavyweight division and more will all be on display. The Global Pro Wrestling Summit will showcase the full spectrum of pro wrestling and illustrate why it is woven into the fabric of cultures around the world. The first wave of talent announcements for the event are as follows, with many more to be revealed leading up to the event:
A special appearance by Sting
The Icon Sting is one of the most beloved, respected, and enduring legends in the history of pro wrestling. The Stinger, a Hall of Famer himself, has had classic rivalries with wrestling’s greatest stars including Ric Flair, The Great Muta, Kurt Angle, Hulk Hogan, Mick Foley, Vader, and countless others. Sting will act as an Ambassador, helping to usher in the World’s greatest pro wrestling talent to Jerusalem.
Rob Van Dam
Hall of Famer, The Whole Damn Show Rob Van Dam will be in action at the Global Pro Wrestling Summit. From taking it to the extreme during the height of ECW to becoming Mr. Money in the Bank, defeating John Cena to become WWE Champion, to multiple championships at Impact Wrestling and beyond, RVD is one of the most decorated performers in pro wrestling history. RVD is sure to bring his unique blend of athleticism, innovative extreme offense, and carefree attitude to Pais Arena.
Vikingo
It would be hard to argue that any single talent is setting the worldwide wrestling scene on fire more than Vikingo. From winning the AAA Mega Championship to being the flag bearer for the art of Lucha Libre in major promotions including AEW and Ring of Honor, nobody is more exciting and relevant around the wrestling world than this mind-blowing luchador. Vikingo pulls off astonishing aerial feats that special effects artists and video game creators could not dream up.
Seleziya
The women’s Division in pro wrestling is stronger than ever, and has truly gone global. The first female talent announced for The Global Pro Wrestling Sumit, Seleziya is no exception. Seleziya, who has had experience in major promotions including Impact Wrestling, is the first Iraqi-born female pro wrestler in history. This is a distinction that Seziya does not take lightly, and she is motivated to become a top star on the global scene.
Rikishi
Like Sting, Rikishi will be on hand as an ambassador, helping fans celebrate this incredible collection of wrestling talent from around the world. Rikishi truly is wrestling royalty as a key member of the Samoan Dynasty that includes the likes of The Wild Samoans, The Rock, Yokozuna, Umaga, Roman Reigns, his sons and current WWE Superstars the Usos and Solo Sikoa and many more. Rikishi is a Hall of Famer, and decorated former Intercontinental and multiple-time World Tag Team Champion. It is always a good time when Rikishi is involved, perhaps he’ll pack a pair of his signature sunglasses and might have his dancing shoes on!
Shay Blanco & Idan Boulder
Blanco and Boulder are a popular Israeli tag team that intends to issue an open challenge to anyone in the world to face them on September 14th. They hope to show the world that Israel has some excellent pro wrestling talent that will finally have a chance to shine on the world stage.
More talent announcements and intriguing first-time matches will be announced soon. Championship history will take place at the event, as two inaugural Champions will be crowned (details to come). Ticket on-sale information will be announced shortly as well. See you at The Summit!
GPWS will crown its first-ever Jr. Heavyweight Champion in a three-way dance between Vikingo, the legendary Ultimo Dragon,and former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Paul London.
In a second 3-way dance, RVD will square off against Frankie Kazarian and Psycho Clown in a no-holds-barred fight to the finish.
Also announced today as competing at the Global Pro Wrestling Summit…
Oleg Prudius (formerly “Koslov”) returns to action to represent his true home country of Ukraine
“Green Beret” Tom Howard, the top American ever in Japan’s Zero-One promotion, famed for his legendary battles with Shinya Hashimoto, also returns to battle
Powerhouse Davey Boy Smith, Jr. heads to Israel to represent his home country of England
The matches for these three high-impact, strong-style competitors, are yet to be announced.
It’s expected that MANY more competitors from around the world are yet to be added to this once-in-a-lifetime spectacular. Check in with https://www.allstars-israel.com/ for updates on added talent, on matches as they’re made, and on special ticket packages.
The former Peyton Royce is returning to professional wrestling.
World Series Wrestling in Australia announced that Cassie Lee, the former Peyton Royce, would be appearing on their upcoming Full Throttle tour that will take place on October 6-13.
After the promotion aired the announcement video, Lee wrote on Twitter “Let’s grapple!,” along with a gif that read “and I’m back in the game!”
Following their release from WWE in 2021, both Lee and Jessie McKay (Billie Kay), who teamed together in the WWE as the IIconics, signed with Impact Wrestling where they were known as The IInspiration, winning the Knockouts Tag Team titles. In April of last year, both Lee and McKay announced their departure from Impact Wrestling, announcing that they would be “indefinitely stepping away from in-ring action”.
Others announced for this fall’s WSW tour include The Motor City Machine Guns, Frankie Kazarian, Brian Cage, Speedball Mike Bailey, Matt Cardona, and Steph De Lander.
While there is still no clarity on the long-term relationship between MLW and Reelz, the former did announce that Battle Riot V will appear on the network this April.
A spot during this week’s MLW Underground stated the annual 40-man match for a future MLW Championship shot would air “this spring” on Reelz. On Twitter Wednesday, they announced the airdate will be on Tuesday, April 25th in their usual time slot.
The event is set to be taped on Saturday, April 8th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The questions surrounding MLW and Reelz are due to Reelz’ new relationship with Peacock. Because WWE has an exclusive arrangement with Peacock, MLW’s weekly Underground TV has to be blacked out when it airs on the streaming service.
Variety reported that MLW would wrap up with Reelz in early-April after a ten-week run. Both sides denied making the statement to Variety and a Reelz representative said, “No decisions have been made by MLW or Reelz and we are both committed to a good outcome for MLW, its fans and Reelz.”
However, that non-committal to their future raised questions as to how long MLW will remain on Reelz due to the Peacock exclusivity.
MLW is still involved in a lawsuit against WWE and in an amended complaint, they used this situation to attempt to bolster their claims.
Thus far, seven episodes have aired of MLW Underground TV. Shortly after the new show began, new episodes of MLW Fusion ceased on former network partner BeIn.
The Ring of Honor World title will be on the line on the first weekly ROH TV show and the first under the Tony Khan regime.
Claudio Castagnoli will be looking for the fourth defense of his second reign as he defends against AR Fox.
NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. will compete in his first ROH match since 2018 as he defends against Blake Christian while ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Embassy will be in non-title action against Joe Keys, Rex Lawless & LSG.
Mark Briscoe, one half of the ROH Tag Team Champions, takes on Slim J while former Impact wrestler Lady Frost will make her promotional debut against Willow Nightingale.
The rest of the card will see Konosuke Takeshita vs. Josh Woods; former ROH World Champion Christopher Daniels against Rohit Raju; The Renegades vs. Madison Rayne & Skye Blue; Metalik vs. Ari Daivari; and The Kingdom vs. The Infantry.
**********
This show took place from the new Ring of Honor set in Universal Orlando Studios. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on the call.
Mark Briscoe defeated Slim J (w/ Smart Mark Sterling & Ari Daivari)
Both men adhered to the Code of Honor, with Slim J quickly kicking Briscoe’s arm away after the handshake. Briscoe quickly chopped Slim J out of the ring in response. After a lockup, Smart Mark Sterling distracted the referee, allowing Slim J to low blow Briscoe to take control. Briscoe quickly regained control with a boot in the corner and a basement dropkick. Briscoe went for a chair-assisted dive to the floor, but Ari Daivari pulled Slim J out of the way.
Back in the ring, Briscoe chopped Slim J into the corner. Sterling cut off an Iconoclasm attempt, allowing Slim J to hit a hurricane kick out of the corner for a nearfall. A split-open Briscoe tried fighting back, but Slim J hit a springboard reverse DDT for another nearfall. Slim J took the referee’s attention, allowing Daivari to lay the boots to Briscoe on the floor.
Briscoe fought out of a Slim J side headlock with some redneck kung fu, and caught Slim J with a dropkick. Briscoe hit his brother’s signature neckbreaker for a nearfall. A pair of running forearms led to the Redneck Boogie for another nearfall. Briscoe hit the Spicolli Driver before a Froggy Bow attempt was avoided. Briscoe hit a big boot and scored the win with the Jay Driller.
– Backstage, Lexy Nair interviewed former ROH TV Champion Tony Deppen, who has a TV Title match next week against Samoa Joe. Deppen read a pre-written statement, noting that he will beat Joe for the title with one of his two submission holds, either the STF or the Classic Chickenwing.
The Kingdom (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven) (w/ Maria Kanellis-Bennett) defeated The Infantry (Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo)
Bennett started the match with Bravo. After some quick tags, Taven took control of Bravo with a big dropkick. The Kingdom took control of Bravo with a tag team combination that ended in a Purple Thunder Bomb from Taven for a nearfall. Another tag team combination ended in a Taven elbow for a nearfall.
The Infantry came back after a tag to Dean, laying into Bennett with 2-on-1 offense. They went for tandem superkicks, but Taven yanked Dean out of the ring. Taven crotched Bravo on the top rope, leading to the Proton Pack for the win.
– A video aired with words from both Blake Christian and Zack Sabre Jr., hyping the NJPWWorld TV Title match coming up next.
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Blake Christian to retain
This was a quality title match on this debut episode of ROH. Christian looked as good as I’ve ever seen him, and Sabre played off of the crowd so well in this smaller room environment.
This was Sabre’s third defense of the title. This match had a 15-minute time limit, as is the custom with the NJPW World TV Title.
Early on, Christian worked his way out of Sabre’s submission holds, scoring a nearfall with a crucifix. Sabre took Christian up-and-over by the arm before ripping at Christian’s arm and wrist. Christian fought out with a lucha armdrag, and scored another nearfall with an inside cradle. Christian sent Sabre to the floor and went for a Fosbury Flop, but Sabre caught Christian in a cravate before torquing his neck on the apron. Sabre made sure to note that he was the best technical wrestler in the world, calling out our own Bryan Alvarez. Or maybe he was calling out Bryan Danielson. You know what, it was probably Danielson.
Christian landed on his feet out of a snapmare and sent Sabre into the ropes, hitting a bottom rope 619 and a springboard crossbody. Sabre caught a kick, but Christian hit a shotgun dropkick that sent Sabre into the corner. Christian had an offensive flurry that ended with a back suplex for another nearfall. Sabre caught Christian in a facelock and took Christian over with a suplex.
Sabre took some time to gloat with Christian in control, but Christian got on the offensive with a spear on the apron and a successful Fosbury Flop. Christian hit a springboard knee, but Sabre countered the follow-up with a Cobra Twist. Sabre turned it into a Dragon Sleeper-style hold, but Christian got to the ropes to break the hold.
Sabre piefaced Christian as the 10-minute call was made, but Christian came back with chops to the chest. Christian caught Sabre with a Spanish Fly for a nearfall. Sabre hooked Christian’s arm in a fireman’s carry, but Christian landed a Death Valley Driver and a brainbuster for a nearfall. Sabre ducked a springboard, but Christian effortlessly moved into a handspring high kick. Christian went for a springboard 450, but Sabre caught him by the neck and transitioned into a reverse Triangle choke for the submission win.
– Lexy Nair was backstage with Smart Mark Sterling, Ari Daivari, and Konosuke Takeshita. Sterling tried to talk Takeshita out of a match with his charge Josh Woods, but Takeshita turned down the offer.
– Christopher Daniels cut a promo, stating that despite being a Ring of Honor original, he had a lot more to do in ROH.
Christopher Daniels defeated Rohit Raju (w/ Jora Johl)
The announcers hyped up Raju’s accomplishments in Impact Wrestling as a former X Division Champion. Raju took control early, getting a cover with a running elbow drop. Daniels countered a hip toss and laid out Raju with a leg lariat. A vertical suplex from Daniels scored a nearfall. Johl, looking like Andrew Tate on day release, cut Daniels off in the ring and laid him out with a clothesline on the floor as Raju took the referee.
Raju swept the leg of Daniels before scoring a nearfall with a standing double stomp. Raju hit a pair of shoulder blocks, but Daniels caught him on the third one and turned it into a Saito suplex. Daniels hit an overhead throw before Raju cut off an Angel’s Wings attempt with a jumping knee. Raju missed a top rope double stomp, and Daniels laid him out with a uranage. The Best Moonsault Ever followed for the win.
– Lexy Nair was backstage with former ROH Tag Team Champions Rhett Titus and Tracy Williams. They hyped up their accomplishments and went to leave before being called back into frame by Aussie Open. Kyle Fletcher made the challenge for a tag team match next week, which was quickly accepted.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Josh Woods
A standout match here. Woods was a pushed act in the Sinclair era of ROH, and they gave him a lot against Takeshita here. Don’t skip this one.
After an early exchange of holds, the men traded unsuccessful shoulder blocks. Takeshita eventually won the exchange before hitting the 10 punches in the corner. Woods shoved Takeshita onto the ropes before hitting a gutwrench suplex for a nearfall. Woods worked on Takeshita’s midsection, wrapping him in the ropes and stretching him against the ropes with a fisherman’s hold.
Takeshita reversed a kitchen sink knee with a roll up for a nearfall before following up with the jumping clothesline. Takeshita dropped Woods with the Helluva Kick, but Woods shoved him down off of the top rope before he could follow up. Takeshita took control back with a DDT on the apron. A springboard manuever from Takeshita missed, but a Blue Thunder Bomb didn’t, scoring a nearfall. Woods ducked another Helluva Kick, kneeing Takeshita in the face. Woods landed a Doctor Bomb and another heavy knee for two.
Woods went to the top rope, but Takeshita caught him with a boot. Woods went back to the midsection with strikes before taking Takeshita down with a corkscrew suplex for a nearfall. The men traded suplexes before taking each other down with elbows. The crowd chanted This Is Awesome as both men recovered. Woods went for the Chaos Theory, but Takeshita cut it off with a rollup. Takeshita went for the Chaos Theory, with Woods doing the same counter, but Takeshita held onto the waist and hit a big Wheelbarrow Suplex for the win.
– Lexy Nair interviewed ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli before his title defense against AR Fox. Castagnoli says that Fox may have cost him some money at Christmas time, but no one would spoil his defense or his mood on this debut episode of ROH television.
The Embassy defeated Joe Keys, Rex Lawless, & LSG
An excellent squash for the Embassy, with Lawless and Keys never even tagging in.
Kaun and Moses took out Lawless and Keys on the floor before the bell rang. Cage caught LSG on a springboard dive and drove him into the corner. Cage gorilla press slammed LSG into the corner. The Embassy destroyed LSG with offense, eventually putting him out of his misery with an assisted powerbomb for the win.
Ari Daivari (w/ Slim J & Smart Mark Sterling) defeated Metalik
Despite a video package hyping him up, Metalik didn’t get an entrance here. The announcers said that Daivari paid off the production team to not air Metalik’s entrance.
Metalik quickened the pace early, hitting lucha armdrags before hitting his rope walk dropkick. Slim J took Metalik’s attention when Daivari ducked a basement dropkick, allowing Daivari to send Metalik into the post. Daivari grinded down Metalik with short range knees for a nearfall. Daivari quickly cut off a Metalik comeback with a back elbow for another nearfall.
Daivari took Metalik to the top rope, but Metalik knocked him down before hitting a ropewalk crossbody. Metalik ran wild, sending Daivari to the floor with a handspring elbow. Metalik followed Daivari to the outside, hitting a step-up senton. A springboard splash from Metalik got a nearfall. Metalik went for another springboard, but Daivari cut him off with a superkick to the back of the head. Daivari went for a splash of his own, but Metalik moved and scored a nearfall with a rollup.
Sterling took the referee, which allowed Slim J to interfere. Slim J held up Metalik for a lariat, but Metalik ducked. Metalik went for a roll-up, but Sterling still had the ref. Daivari caught Metalik with a short-arm clothesline, called In Trust We Bust, for the win.
– Lexy Nair, earning her paycheck, interviewed AR Fox. He talked about trying out for ROH a decade ago and not getting a callback. Ten years later, he’s gonna try to win the ROH World Title on the debut episode of ROH on Honor Club.
Skye Blue & Madison Rayne defeated Charlette & Robyn Renegade
The announcers mentioned the Renegades recent NWA Women’s Tag Team Title win as they made their entrance.
Blue and Robyn Renegade started, with Blue outworking Robyn to start. After a tag to Rayne, Robyn pulled Rayne to her corner to make a tag out to Charlette. Rayne and Blue worked over Charlette before Blue hit a running kick for a nearfall. Charlette hooked Blue into the ropes, allowing Robyn to hit a boot to take control. A double suplex attempt got turned into Blue rolling up both women for a nearfall.
Blue fought to make a tag to Rayne, who ran wild on both Renegades, hitting a cutter on Robyn for a nearfall. Robyn fought out of a Cross Rayne attempt, tagging out to Charlette who hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. All four women hit big strikes to lay each other out. Rayne tagged out to Blue, who hit a top rope crossbody for a nearfall. Rayne hit a spear to Robyn to send her to the floor. Blue hit Skyfall on Charlette for the win. William Patrick Corgan should take note, we may have a future title match here.
– Ian Riccaboni welcomed ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta to the ring. Yuta took offense to Riccaboni calling him the junior member of the Blackpool Combat Club, stating that he worked hard to get where he’s gotten to in Ring of Honor. He made a challenge to anyone who wanted a Pure Title match, a challenge which was answered by Timothy Thatcher. The match is set for next week.
Willow Nightingale defeated Lady Frost
After some early frivolity, Nightingale dropped Frost with a set of shoulder blocks. A low crossbody from Nightingale scored a nearfall. Nightingale hit a pair of lariats and a bodyslam, before Frost came back with a neckbreaker. Frost used her agility to land a headscissors and a crucifix pin for two. The women hit dual high kicks to take each other down.
Nightingale charged Frost in the corner before laying her out with a big boot. A main event spinebuster scored a nearfall for Nightingale, but Frost took her down with a kick in the corner. Frost went to the top and hit a high-arching moonsault for a nearfall. Frost went for a tackle in the corner, but Nightingale caught her in a gutwrench and hit the Babe With The Powerbomb for the win.
– Ian Riccaboni interviewed Nightingale post-match. She noted that she’s won on the last two pay-per-views, and with this win tonight, she feels that she’s earned an ROH Women’s Title match. Athena joined proceedings to accept the challenge for next week.
ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli defeated AR Fox to retain
This was a fun main event for tonight’s show. The crowd was into both guys, and Fox acquitted himself well in the position. The post-match challenge, presumably for Supercard of Honor, will get a lot of buzz going.
This was Castagnoli’s fourth defense of his second reign.
The men traded holds as the crowd did dueling chants for both men. After early exchanges, Castagnoli dropped Fox with an uppercut and a big leg drop for only a one count. Fox fought out of a powerbomb attempt, hitting a wheelbarrow bulldog. Fox went to the top rope, but Castagnoli hit a base jump dropkick. Castagnoli went to toss Fox off the top rope, but Fox caught him in a headscissors. Castagnoli was successful in cutting off a springboard attempt.
A gutwrench suplex scored a nearfall, leading to Castagnoli putting on a hold to Fox’s bad knee that Fox quickly used the ropes to break. Castagnoli tossed Fox with another gutwrench suplex and a vertical suplex before putting a single leg crab on in the middle of the ring. Fox reached the ropes, so Claudio dragged him over the apron and double stomped him in the back.
Castagnoli laid in shots to Fox’s lower back. Fox sent Castagnoli to the apron and hit a DDT to cut him off. Fox fired up with shots, landing a cutter out of the corner for a nearfall. Fox hit a running clothesline into the corner, before following up with a superman dive to Castagnoli on the floor. Fox hit a top rope senton for a nearfall. Castagnoli hit a big boot out of the corner for a nearfall.
Castagnoli faked a strike that Fox fell for. Fox went for the kip up counter, but Castagnoli caught Fox in the giant swing that sent Fox to the floor. Castagnoli hit a Gran Naniwa-style ropewalk elbow for a nearfall. Castagnoli locked on a Sharpshooter, and transitioned into a Crossface. Fox rolled him up for a nearfall, leading to a Castagnoli lariat for another nearfall.
ROH chants rang out from the crowd as Castagnoli took Fox to the top rope. Fox snuck out and landed two big kicks to Castagnoli on the top before landing a running DVD. Fox hit the 450 splash for a close nearfall that got the crowd to their feet. The men traded elbows, before Fox caught an uppercut into a backslide for a nearfall. Fox went for a springboard, but Castagnoli cut him off in mid-air with an uppercut for the win.
– After the Code of Honor was adhered to, Eddie Kingston made his way to the ring. Kingston said he promised Jon Moxley that he wouldn’t fight Castagnoli in AEW, but this isn’t AEW. Kingston made a challenge for the ROH World Title, but Castagnoli blew him off to boos from the crowd.
MLW’s Richard Holliday announced on Twitter that as of Friday, he had completed his chemotherapy treatments for cancer and that it’s “time to recover.”
In December of last year, Holliday revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was halfway through 12 scheduled rounds of chemotherapy.
He had undergone tests in September following a summer where he battled through what he described as “vicious” night sweats in June and severe dizzy spells in July. After going to the emergency room, doctors noted dangerously low levels of iron and hemoglobin and they believed he was anemic.
When iron pills didn’t help bring his levels back up, doctors ran additional tests where they found out it was cancer. He said his doctors were optimistic for his recovery.
Yesterday I finished my treatment. Your outreach and support has guided me through this process.
Delmi Exo has signed a contract with MLW, per Court Bauer on Friday’s Busted Open Radio.
Known as “The God Queen” on the indies, Exo made her return to the company at this month’s SuperFight TV taping in Philadelphia against B3CCA.
Exo previously worked for MLW in 2021, debuting with a win over Brittany Blake. She then worked twice alongside her sister Ashley Vox (The Sea Stars) and picked up two wins along the way.
It’s believed the deal is for one year.
Exo has primarily worked out of the Northeast U.S. for Limitless Wrestling out of Maine and both GRIND Pro Wrestling and Wrestling Open out of Massachusetts in addition to Shimmer.
She also has experience in the pre-Tony Khan Ring of Honor as part of the Sea Stars. She also worked one singles match in a December 2021 loss to Max The Impaler.
The aforementioned B3CCA is also expected to return to MLW for several more dates, according to a source. She made her MLW debut at the SuperFight taping and also made her WWE debut last Friday in a loss to Lacey Evans.
MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie will now defend her title at Saturday’s SuperFight in Philadelphia against Billie Starkz.
Valkyrie was originally scheduled to defend against Delmi Exo. In the announcement, it was said that Azteca Lucha matchmaker Cesar Duran orchestrated the change for reasons that are unknown. As of Monday morning, Exo was still promoting as if her title shot was still on but she was later announced to be taking on the debuting B3CCA instead.
MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Jacob Fatu
Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alex Kane in a no ropes catch wrestling match
Lio Rush vs. Davey Richards
Real1 vs. Microman vs. Mance Warner vs. TBA in a dumpster match
John Hennigan vs. Willie Mack
DragonGate Open the Twin Gate Champions Big Boss Shimizu & Kzy defend against TBA
MLW Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie defends against Billie Starkz
Rickey Shane Page vs. 1 Called Manders in a hardcore match
The Jay Briscoe Ring of Honor tribute show and celebration of life is now available for free on both YouTube and HonorClub.
The three-hour show features a mix of new tribute matches taped on Wednesday, January 18th, three of Briscoe’s ROH matches, and sit-down interviews with those who knew him.
Here’s the lineup:
ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta defends against Hagane Shinno
Marina Shafir vs. Mighty Mayra
Eddie Kingston vs. QT Marshall
ROH Women’s Champion Athena defends against Madison Rayne
Juice Robinson vs. Brandon Cutler
Yuka Sakazaki vs. Sandra Moone
ROH Champion Claudio Castagnoli defends against Christopher Daniels
Adam Cole in-ring promo
Archive matches on the show include:
ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe vs. Adam Cole
Jay Briscoe vs. Christopher Daniels
The Briscoes vs. Kings of Wrestling (Final Battle 2006)
The show also features sit-down thoughts from BJ Whitmer, Samoa Joe, Adam Cole, Matt Hardy, Christopher Daniels, Eddie Kingston, Austin Gunn, Stokely Hathaway, Ryan Nemeth, Prince Nana, Claudio Castagnoli and Zane Decker.
Jay Briscoe’s wife posted an update to Facebook Wednesday asking for prayers for their children following a fatal Tuesday evening car crash that took her husband’s life.
Ashley Pugh said her daughter, Gracie, is having surgery on her back and asked for people to “pray for her precious legs to move again!” She said her other daughter, Jayleigh, has “some pretty serious injuries, but is stable and resting” while the couple’s other child Gannon is waiting for them at home.
Details are still light on what exactly happened in the aforementioned crash in Laurel, Delaware, Tuesday around 5:30 PM Eastern that took the life of the 38-year-old Briscoe (Jamin Pugh) and another person that has yet to be identified other than they were also driving a vehicle involved in the crash.
Out of respect for the family, the Laurel School District closed their schools Wednesday.
There was an outpouring of love for Briscoe and his family on social media Tuesday following the news, coming from all corners of the wrestling world including dozens and dozens of wrestlers and executives from WWE, AEW, the former ROH regime, Japan, and more.
Ring of Honor wrestler Jay Briscoe and one other person died Tuesday evening after a fatal car crash in Laurel, Delaware.
While details are still limited at this time, Delaware State Police did report that the crash occurred in the area of Laurel Road and Little Hill Road around 5:30 PM Eastern.
It’s unknown how many vehicles were involved, but the driver of another car involved also died.
According to an initial report on the Shore News Beacon, “four patients were trapped.” There were two fatalities and “two critical patients” with one referenced as pediatric.
Briscoe (born Jamin Pugh) was set to turn 39 later this month.
Due to the tragic accident, the Laurel School District is closing their schools Wednesday.
AEW & ROH head Tony Khan tweeted the news several hours afterward:
Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today. Jay and his brother Mark dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day. We'll do whatever we can to support his family. Rest In Peace Jamin
A fixture in ROH for 20 years, Briscoe and his brother, Mark, started making a name for themselves in the early 2000s in the Northeast U.S. indie scene working for CZW, NWA Wildside, NWA and other promotions.
But it was in ROH that the Sandy Fork, Delaware, natives became tag team stars synonymous with the promotion. The two first won their ROH Tag Team titles in 2003 and had just begun their 13th reign at December’s Final Battle by defeating FTR in a double dog collar match.
In addition to holding the company’s Six-Man titles with Bully Ray in 2017, Jay Briscoe also was a two-time ROH World Champion. first holding the gold in 2013 and then for a longer run in 2014 through 2015.
He and Mark wrestled around the world and held the IWGP Tag Team titles, the GCW Tag Team titles three times, the Impact Tag Team titles, and the NEVER Openweight Tag Team titles to name just a few.
