Tag: tony deppen

Daily Update: Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, CannonballFest

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Notes from the new issue:

  • Life of Hulk Hogan, notes on his death, WWE expansion, comparisons with Rikidozan, Santo and Dwayne Johnson, the complicated legacy, the story behind the tape that ruined his legacy, last WWE appearance, Bobby Heenan comments, Jimmy Hart’s first connection with Hogan, first match with Andre and how it got him to national TV, lies about his career, meeting Superstar Billy Graham the start of his career and the real story on Hiro Matsuda, Ed Leslie, Austin Idol, New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Terry Funk hotel room story, never doing jobs, the myths about the AWA title, leaving the AWA, his most famous match with Inoki, his return to WWF, the first WrestleMania, record breaking attendance, WrestleMania III payoff, Ultimate Warrior, WestleMania VII with Sgt. Slaughter, the Zahorian and McMahon steroid trials, Jerry McDevitt, going to WCW, the rise and fall of WCW, the Sting & Goldberg matches, the end in WCW and return to WWE, the TNA run and life after wrestling.
  • Updates on SummerSlam
  • Notes on Buff Bagwell
  • The most detailed look at what we’ve learned about both viewing habits on Netflix as well as actual numbers for Smackdown, NXT, PPVs and shows from the past.
  • Complete UFC 318 coverage and retirement of Dustin Poirier
  • G-1 notes
  • TNA Slammiversary coverage
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings over the past week
  • CMLL anniversary show taking shape
  • MJF headed to Arena Mexico
  • The amazing Friday night show this past week
  • The weekend battle of Mexico City
  • A look at why CMLL is on fire
  • Omos update
  • Stardom major show coverage
  • All Japan big matches
  • NOAH and the two GHC title bouts
  • Real American Freestyle update
  • How the financial situation after WWE has changed for certain women after leaving the company
  • A look at Ed Don George and his being honored this past week
  • More on Cowboy Bob Ellis
  • AEW on MAX update as well as DVR numbers
  • Bryan Danielson talks a lot about many different things
  • The Ali Act and the attempt to change it to benefit TKO
  • Dana White on Jon Jones
  • Lots of new UFC PP main events
  • Diego Sanchez arrested
  • Ben Askran returns home
  • Changes in the WWE workplace
  • Notes on Survivor Series this year
  • Punk on his promos
  • Goldberg talks
  • McIntyre with Logan Paul
  • A celebrity out of the video game after his situation with WWE has changed
  • WWE weekend house shows

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Thursday Update

WWE

  • The White House streamed today’s executive order signing where Paul “Triple H” Levesque was among those named to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. Linda McMahon also attended the press conference.
  • Levesque posted a tweet thanking everyone who has watched WWE: Unreal on Netflix: “The reception of @WWE: UNREAL on @netflix has been incredible so far. Our goal has been to show the passion and drive that goes into our weekly television, as well as showcasing our talent through the highs and lows. Thank you all for watching.”
  • This week’s episode of “What’s Your Story?” is a conversation between Stephanie McMahon and John Cena.
  • On the show, Stephanie mentioned that – before Triple H’s heart issues in 2021 – she was always worried about losing him early. Now that he’s survived that, the feeling has gone away and she is no longer worried about him dying young. She opened up about realizing what’s important in life:
    • I believe in helping people as much as you can, if you can, even if that’s just listening to them, even if that’s just smiling at somebody that you don’t know. My favorite thing in the world is smiling at a little kid walking by and they smile back. That’s like the greatest feeling. Simple things are what it’s all about.
    • And I think that’s what you learn, if you learn, the longer you live. It’s not about the material stuff. It’s about the stuff that matters most. And, you know, I almost lost Paul, my husband. And what’s weird, and I haven’t talked about it, is I always had a feeling that I was going to lose him early. I just had that feeling. And after we got through everything, that feeling went away.
    • It’s like a pattern that was supposed to have been changed. And it was, I mean, such a gift, truly. And then I started going through all this stuff in the company, and I realized there is nothing more important to me than my family, than my husband and my kids. That’s what matters most, and I want to give as much time as I possibly can. I’ve given everything I possibly have to the business, you know, my whole life. And I wanted to give back to them. And that’s when I took that first leave of absence, which didn’t last very long. But I knew what mattered, and I know what matters now.
    • And I believe that love is what life is all about. And if you can help somebody in any way, I think that that is what it’s all about. You know, it’s about giving back.
  • Damian Priest and Zelina Vega surprised a young fan by inviting them and their family to attend SummerSlam and meet Rhea Ripley.
  • WWE wrestlers including Vega, Aleister Black, Raquel Rodriguez, and Roxanne Perez volunteered at the Nourish NJ soup kitchen today.
  • Vega was interviewed on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
  • Cody Rhodes made appearances on ESPN First Take and WFAN Radio.
  • Jey & Jimmy Uso took The GQ Brothers Quiz, answering questions to see how well they really know each other.
  • Busted Open Radio has an interview with Jade Cargill.
  • The Toronto Sun’s No Holds Barred podcast spoke with Sami Zayn ahead of SummerSlam.
  • WWE uploaded a SummerSlam week vlog featuring Dominik Mysterio.
  • Logan Paul also uploaded a new vlog episode.
  • Lex Luger reacted to the passing of Hulk Hogan: “This one really hit me. Needed some time to process it all. Thank you Hulkster for all you did for me and so many others. My heartfelt prayers and condolences for your family and closest friends. I will see you again in heaven my friend. Save me a ringside seat”

Other Wrestling

  • Teal Piper, the daughter of Roddy Piper, remembered her father on the 10th anniversary of his death: “A decade gone today and the silence of your absence is still deafening. #riprowdyroddypiper”
  • Willow Nightingale vs. Tony Deppen is set to take place at CannonballFest in New Providence, New Jersey on September 14. “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Matt Tremont has also been announced for the show, which is a fundraiser for wrestler Jeff Cannonball as he battles ALS. Among the others who have been announced for the show are MJF, Mike Santana, Masha Slamovich, Wheeler Yuta, Joey Janela, and Megan Bayne. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (August 1).
  • AEW artist Melanie Coleman is the guest on a new edition of AEW Unrestricted.

Tony Deppen to undergo surgery for broken arm

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Independent wrestling star Tony Deppen is facing a few months out of action after suffering a broken arm.

The injury happened during a match where Deppen faced Zack Sabre Jr. for GCW in Brooklyn on Thursday night. Deppen wrote that “a freak accident turned into a severe break” of his arm. Despite being injured, Deppen continued to wrestle for a few more minutes because of how much the match meant to him.

Deppen will need to undergo surgery to repair the injury. Once surgery happens, he’ll have a two-month recovery time.

Deppen wrote that, as an unsigned wrestler with two kids, he’s scared and a little overwhelmed after getting injured. But he promised to get through this and come out stronger than ever.

Deppen’s full social media post about the injury can be seen below:

Somehow I’ve made it 17 years into my journey of pro wrestling without a major injury – until now.

Last night a freak accident turned into a severe break on my arm. I continued to work with a broken arm for a few more mins, cause they match meant way more to me than anything. According to the doctor, There’s no way for it to heal back into place naturally, so the only option is to undergo surgery.

At the moment they can’t schedule it for about a week or two; after that it’ll be a 2 month recover to make sure the steel plate in my arm heals properly.

I’ll be honest, at the moment, I’m scared and a little overwhelmed. 2 kids, not a contracted wrestler, and a variety of other things that come up as an adult; and I’m not sure what I’m going to do. But I’m going to do what I do, and get through this, and come out stronger than ever.

It’s not gonna be fun – besides COVID, this will be thee longest I’ve gone with out wrestling in 17 years. I don’t know what to do with myself, especially with one arm. Ha. all I know is I’m going to work harder than i have ever done.

Thanks to gcw the opportunity, thanks to Zach for the match – truly the botb – and thank you to the fans for the amazing support.

See y’all in 2-3 months

Love you

Tony

Deppen worked ROH’s television tapings at Universal Studios earlier this month. He’s faced Samoa Joe and Brian Cage on previous episodes of ROH TV.

Under ROH’s previous ownership, Deppen held the ROH Television title one time.

Deppen has also made several appearances on AEW Dark and Dark: Elevation in the past.

Jon Moxley to defend GCW title against Tony Deppen at You Wouldn’t Understand

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Jon Moxley’s next GCW World Championship defense is officially set.

The AEW star will make his return to Game Changer Wrestling at the promotion’s “You Wouldn’t Understand” event on Saturday, June 18. It was announced today that Moxley will put his GCW World Championship on the line against Tony Deppen at the show.

“You Wouldn’t Understand” is being held at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York and will air live via Fite TV.

Moxley has been GCW World Champion since winning the title from Matt Cardona in September 2021. He’s made successful title defenses against Nick Gage, Homicide, and AJ Gray.

This will be Moxley’s first GCW appearance since March.

Moxley will also be in action at “The People vs. GCW” on Friday, July 29. That show is being held at the Nashville Fairgrounds as part of Starrcast V.

The updated card for “You Wouldn’t Understand” is listed below:

  • GCW World Champion Jon Moxley defends against Tony Deppen
  • Jack Evans vs. Ninja Mack
  • The SAT vs. Gringo Loco, ASF & Drago Kid
  • Joey Janela vs. Mike Jackson
  • Homicide vs. Grim Reefer
  • Charles Mason vs. Nate Webb

TV title match official for ROH Best in the World

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A new match has been made official for next month’s ROH Best in the World pay-per-view.

It was announced today that Tony Deppen will defend his ROH Television Championship against Dragon Lee at Best in the World. Deppen is part of ROH’s Violence Unlimited stable and Lee is part of La Faccion Ingobernable.

The TV title match was confirmed for Best in the World after Deppen retained the title against Tracy Williams and Lee in a triple threat match on the latest episode of ROH TV. Deppen rolled up Williams to get the win after Lee gave Williams a low blow. Lee could have broken up the pin but chose not to.

After the triple threat TV title match, Lee’s La Faccion Ingobernable stablemate Kenny King said that Lee’s strategy was just not to get pinned — even if that meant that he didn’t win. King said that, with Williams being pinned, Lee is now the number one contender to the TV title. King said Deppen will defend the TV title against Lee at Best in the World. Lee threatened that La Faccion Ingobernable would come to Deppen’s house and take the title if he didn’t.

Lee was ROH TV Champion going into the promotion’s 19th Anniversary PPV this March, but Lee suffered a ruptured eardrum and had to miss the tapings for the event. King instead defended the TV title on Lee’s behalf and lost it to Williams. Deppen defeated Williams on ROH TV last month to win the TV title.

When Lee was ROH TV Champion, he retained the title against Deppen at Final Battle last December. Deppen won a four corner survival match earlier in the night to get that title shot.

Best in the World is taking place at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on Sunday, July 11. It will be the first ROH event with fans in attendance since February 2020. Here’s the updated card for the PPV:

  • ROH Television Champion Tony Deppen defends against Dragon Lee
  • Brody King vs. Jay Lethal
  • EC3 vs. Flip Gordon
  • Last Man Standing match: Josh Woods vs. Silas Young

ROH TV results: Deppen vs. Williams vs. Lee TV title match

Posted on by Skylar Russell

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

The Big Takeaway —

The Survival of the Fittest tournament continued with Bandido advancing to the six-way elimination match finals, while Tony Deppen made his first defense of the Television title.

**********

Quinn McKay joined us in the studio. McKay recapped the Survival of the Fittest tournament to date and promoted the Bandido vs. Bateman match that’s taking place on this episode.

McKay also announced that Tony Deppen will defend his ROH Television Championship against Dragon Lee and Tracy Williams in a triple threat match in this week’s main event. McKay made sure it was recognized that Lee never lost the TV title, but rather that his fellow La Faccion Ingobernable stablemate Kenny King lost it for him at the 19th Anniversary PPV.

**********

Survival of the Fittest first-round match: Bandido defeated Bateman (13:23)

Bateman had a really good promo beforehand about the sacrifices he’s made to get to where he’s at today.

Bateman is a really smart wrestler, and this match proved that. Bandido tried to accelerate the match to his pace in the early stages, but Bateman always seemed to have him scouted.

At around the three-minute mark, Bateman cleaned Bandido’s clock with a forearm that genuinely seemed to catch him off guard. Bateman hits so hard and so stiff and is a top tier striker in North America in my opinion.

The story here was that Bandido kept trying to turn the jets on, but Bateman would stop him almost every time. But Bandido eventually found a way to start his own engine and get the big moves in — including a phenomenal top rope twisting dive. Bandido even picked up Bateman and hit a great Michinoku Driver at one point.

The finish saw Bateman leaning over the middle rope and trying to catch his breath when Bandido sprung off his back and hit a catapult German suplex for the win.

After the match, Vincent appeared at ringside with Dutch and Vita VonStarr. Vincent said that his journey of self-clarity made him realize his one goal is the ROH World Championship. Vincent shamed Bateman for failing him, and then Bateman offered himself for sacrifice. VonStarr and Dutch attacked Bateman, who was willing to take the beatdown.

**********

Triple threat match: Tony Deppen defeated Tracy Williams and Dragon Lee to retain the ROH Television Championship (11:27)

This was a really, really fun match. Dragon Lee tried to stay out of the action early and let Williams and Deppen wear themselves down, but both guys recognized Lee’s gameplan.

All three guys have different styles, but they all have one thing in common: they all hit really hard. Williams and Lee had a great 20-second exchange of straight forearms in the middle portion of the match.

Deppen has really good intensity attached to his style of wrestling and it makes it to where his matches don’t have a dull moment. There was a really good spot in the latter half of the match where Lee started a German suplex chain that saw all three men hit a few suplexes.

The final sequence saw Lee hit a low blow on Williams, but Deppen stole the pinfall to retain the TV title. Lee had a chance to break it up but chose not to.

After the match, The Foundation, Violence Unlimited, and La Faccion Ingobernable all made their way out. Kenny King claimed that the strategy for Dragon Lee was simply to not be pinned, allowing him to slide into the number one contenders spot. King challenged Deppen to defend the TV title against Lee at next month’s Best in the World pay-per-view.

**********

Final Thoughts —

Two great matches made for a very easy to digest episode of ROH TV. Bateman is extremely underrated in the ring in my opinion. He had a great showing here. Bandido was the right man to win. I’m iffy about the post-match antics, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt for now.

Deppen vs. Williams vs. Lee was really fun. I can’t put into words just how great Dragon Lee is, and the fact that he’s only 26 years old makes it almost unbelievable. I really didn’t like the finish of this match at first, but after letting it simmer for a minute I can understand the want of having Deppen vs. Lee in front of a crowd at Best in the World.

In closing, this week’s episode of ROH TV is: Recommended Viewing.

ROH announces triple threat TV title match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A triple threat Television title match will be taking place on ROH TV later this month.

Tony Deppen will defend his ROH Television title against Tracy Williams and Dragon Lee in a triple threat match on the ROH TV episode that premieres the weekend of Saturday, June 19. The announcement of the title match was made on the latest edition of ROH Week By Week.

This will be Deppen’s first title defense since becoming ROH TV Champion. Williams and Lee were the two most recent champions prior to Deppen.

Lee was ROH TV Champion heading into March’s ROH 19th Anniversary pay-per-view but had to miss the tapings for the show due to a ruptured eardrum. Lee’s La Faccion Ingobernable stablemate Kenny King defended the title on behalf of Lee at the PPV but lost it to Williams. Deppen then defeated Williams for the TV title last month.

Lee & King were also the ROH Tag Team Champions heading into 19th Anniversary. Lee’s father Bestia del Ring filled in for him at the PPV, but Williams & Rhett Titus defeated King & Bestia del Ring to win the titles. Lee & King will challenge for Williams & Titus’ Tag Team titles in a Pure Rules match on the episode of ROH TV that premieres this coming weekend.

Tony Deppen wins ROH Television title

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Tony Deppen is the new Ring of Honor Television Champion.

Deppen defeated Tracy Williams to capture the title for the first time on Ring of Honor television, which aired this weekend in syndication. Williams had been champion since March 26, when he defeated Kenny King (subbing for Dragon Lee) to win the title.

Deppen confirmed the title win on Twitter, noting that despite winning the TV title, he currently isn’t signed to Ring of Honor.

“For everyone that told me I’d never get anywhere: f*** off,” he wrote. “To all the people that Always put their neck out for me to help me get in front of new eyes: im gonna continue to bust my ass because y’all Always believed in me. Oh. Still not signed. This belt is mine now.”

At Ring of Honor’s 19th Anniversary show back in March, Deppen joined forces with Brodie King, Homicide, and Chris Dickinson. Together, they are known as Violence Unlimited.

Tony Deppen to challenge for ROH TV title

Posted on by Joseph Currier

New Ring of Honor Television Champion Tracy Williams’ first title defense is set.

ROH has announced that Williams will defend his Television title against Tony Deppen on the ROH TV episode that premieres this weekend. The episode will premiere on local affiliates starting on Saturday, May 1. It will be uploaded to ROH’s website on Monday, May 3.

Williams won the Television title by defeating Kenny King at ROH’s 19th Anniversary pay-per-view last month. King was defending the title on behalf of Dragon Lee, who had to miss the PPV due to a ruptured eardrum.

The Foundation’s Williams & Rhett Titus also defeated La Faccion Ingobernable’s Kenny King & Bestia del Ring to win the ROH Tag Team titles at the 19th Anniversary PPV. Bestia del Ring was replacing Dragon Lee in that match.

Deppen unsuccessfully challenged Dragon Lee for the ROH TV title at Final Battle last December. Deppen won a four-way match earlier in the night and then advanced to face Dragon Lee.

ROH’s 19th Anniversary PPV ended with the debut of new faction Violence Unlimited. The group consists of Brody King, Deppen, Homicide, and Chris Dickinson. They beat down La Faccion Ingobernable and laid out The Foundation’s Jay Lethal in the show-closing angle of the 19th Anniversary PPV.

In the main event of the latest ROH TV episode, Brody King, Homicide & Dickinson faced Rush, Kenny King & Bestia del Ring in a six-man tag match. The match ended in a disqualification after Brody King hit Bestia del Ring with a chair. A brawl between Violence Unlimited, La Faccion Ingobernable, and The Foundation then closed the show.

The episode of ROH TV that premieres this weekend will also feature The OGK (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) vs. Beer City Bruiser & Ken Dixon.

New faction debuts at ROH 19th Anniversary

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Homicide and Chris Dickinson appeared at the end of tonight’s ROH 19th Anniversary show, forming a stable with Brody King and Tony Deppen.

The angle started after Rush, who successfully defended the ROH World Championship, and the rest of La Faccion Ingobernable (Bestia del Ring and Kenny King), attacked Jay Lethal. The Foundation (Rhett Titus, Tracey Williams, Jonathan Gresham) came in for the save, but was overwhelmed by Rush and his stable. Brody’s new stable then came in and cleared the ring, eventually taking out both stables. All four men posed with one another to close out the show, making it clear they were a new stable in the company.

Brody King later wrote on Twitter: “Is it just me or is there something about @IanRiccaboni and @azucarRoc screaming “ COP KILLER “ that’ll make the hair on your arms stand up? The past, The present, THE FUTURE. Change is here. VLNCE UNLTD IS HERE. @ringofhonor #ROH19”

Homicide has been associated with Ring of Honor since the first show in 2002, and is a former ROH World Champion. He hasn’t appeared for the promotion since 2014, but was scheduled to appear at ROH’s Past vs. Present event last March before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Chris Dickinson has appeared on NJPW Strong in the last year and is also a regular for Game Changer Wrestling, most notably appearing on their Bloodsport events.

ROH TV results: Tony Deppen vs. Kenny King

Posted on by Skylar Russell

The Big Takeaway: Dak Draper defeated Fred Yehi, Tony Deppen upset ROH World Tag Team Champion Kenny King, and Flamita defeated Flip Gordon.

The broadcast began with Quinn McKay checking in from the studio. She previewed the three matches that are set to take place tonight and played a clip of Jay Lethal’s comments after winning the number one contendership to the ROH World Championship.

Lethal said despite losing the ROH Tag Team titles, he has a chance to redeem himself at the upcoming 19th Anniversary PPV. Lethal also hinted at the rest of The Foundation being involved in championship matches at the PPV, citing that they have a chance for a “gold sweep”.

McKay revealed later that Rhett Titus and Tracy Williams will challenge Kenny King and Dragon Lee for the ROH World Tag Team titles at the PPV.

*****

Dak Draper had pre-match comments. Draper said he respects Yehi for not letting his success get to his head, but can’t say the same for himself. Draper laughed about letting it go to his own head and called it a good thing. He finished off the promo by saying he eats success for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. 

Fred Yehi reflected on his losses in ROH. Yehi said that if he doesn’t win, he doesn’t “eat”. Yehi then acknowledged that Dak Draper is on a bit of a tear, but asked if he was ready for a hungry savageweight.

Dak Draper defeated Fred Yehi in a Pure Rules match (11:15)

Yehi and Draper adhered to the Code Of Honor.

Both men jockeyed for a position for a good minute before coming to a stalemate. Draper eventually picked Yehi’s leg and tried to keep him grounded but it didn’t work. Yehi had a moment of offense with a few chops that took Draper off his feet. Yehi remained in control as a commercial break ensued. 

Over the break, Draper retained control. Draper hit Yehi with a beautiful tilt-a-world power slam. Draper tried to capitalize but Yehi answered with a series of strikes that brought him to the ground yet again. Yehi attempted a Koji Clutch, but Draper denied it. The two men made it back to their feet and Draper nailed Yehi with a closed fist strike (which is illegal in Pure matches). Draper was issued a warning from the referee. Draper took advantage of a weary Yehi and hit a sloppy-looking Magnum K.O for the win.

******

Quinn McKay had a pre-match interview with Tony Deppen. Deppen said that one match stands between him and being the #1 Contender for the ROH Television Championship. Deppen said he knows La Faccion Ingobernable will be lurking around the ring, but he’s ready for anything.

Kenny King also had pre-match comments. King taunted Deppen for being an “Internet” favorite and dared him to step in the ring with him. King’s work in recent months has been a delight to watch. 

Tony Deppen defeated Kenny King (9:26)

King offered the Code Of Honor to Deppen but then hit Deppen with a forearm instead. King took control of the match early and dominated Deppen in the corner and on the ground into a commercial break.

Back from the break and Deppen tried to roll up King but failed. King retaliated and hit a great pop-up spinebuster for a two count. Deppen made his way back to his feet and flushed King in the jaw with a forearm, followed by a series of chops and slaps. Deppen kept the momentum going with a knee to the face that sent King reeling to the outside.

Deppen followed King to the outside and nailed him with a tornado DDT on the floor. Deppen rolled King back in and attempted a springboard dropkick, but he slipped. King then tried to hit Royal Flush, but Deppen countered and rolled him up for the 3 count. 

Immediately after the bell, LFI immediately rushed the ring and attacked Deppen. Brody King hit the ring to save Deppen but Rush showed up as well, making the odds stacked against King. LFI introduced a table to the ring and put King on it. La Bestia flew off the top rope and crashed into King through the table. The segment ended with LFI standing over King 

******

Flamita def Flip Gordon (10:02)

Gordon and Flamita traded open palm strikes to start the contest. They took the match to the outside quickly, with Flamita connecting with a moonsault off the second turnbuckle onto Gordon. Gordon rolled back in the ring and Flamita tried to dive onto him again, but Gordon caught him with a dropkick. 

Gordon maintained control for a few more minutes, eventually powerbombing Flamita off the top rope. Gordon picked up Flamita by his mask and started to taunt, but Flamita responded by spiking Gordon with a poison rana instead. Flamita went to the top rope and hit a magnificent frog splash on Gordon, but that didn’t put away The Mercenary. 

In the closing sequences of the match, Mark Briscoe appeared from under the ring and slid a chair in the ring. With the referee distracted Briscoe pulled out another chair and nailed Gordon with it, allowing Flamita to roll him up for the win. 

After the match, Gordon began beating up Flamita and ripped his mask off. Gordon taunted Flamita with the mask until Bandido and Rey Horus hit the ring, standing beside an unmasked Flamita to end the broadcast. 

*******

Final Thoughts:

This week’s episode of ROH TV was exactly what it seems like on paper: filler. The three singles contests were average or good, but didn’t really contribute to any storyline or hype for the PPV. Tony Deppen seemed a bit slow and as if his timing was off during his match. Kenny King has always been very hit or miss for me, but his recent reintroduction to LFI is good and works well for him. King has also teased being annoyed with LFI, so a break-up could be coming soon. 

Not a big fan of Tracy Williams and Rhett Titus challenging for the ROH Tag Team Titles given the ranking system, but it fits the whole “Foundation vs LFI” vibe they’re giving off for the PPV.

Daily Update: GCW, Paul Heyman, Alberto El Patron

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

DAILY UPDATE

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

JOB LISTING: Web/UI Developer(s)

  • Experience with OnLamp (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP)
  • GITHUB and Linux command line experience while be helpful as well.
  • CMS – Drupal and WordPress. vBulletin
  • Possible experience with AWS (s3 specifically), Dreamhost, UI development
  • Cloud based hosting experience a plus
  • Javascript also a huge plus

While this is a diverse request this doesn’t have to be just one person! If you fit any part of this please feel free to inquire.

This is not just for projects related to F4WOnline.

  • Send all inquiries to [email protected] with title WEB DEVELOPER.
  • If you have inquired before, please send your information again. 

Latest Free YouTube Video:

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here!

WON NEWSLETTER: January 25, 2021 Observer Newsletter: Why a quarantine policy could affect wrestling & MMA

We’ve got a double issue of the Observer out this week with notes on how President Biden’s new policies on international travel will affect wrestlers and fighters from different countries.

Also in this issue:

The new WrestleMania plans, including how the Super Bowl plays into it, the time frame for the shows for both nights, the inside hopes for attendance and how the dynamic is different this year as to what gets announced.  We also look at the decision making in regards to Dallas and Los Angeles, update the Royal Rumble and also have notes on match plans.

Coverage of Impact Hard to Kill, with notes on the key angles, the departure of Madison Rayne, Taya Valkyrie and Ethan Page, Page’s scathing words after his departure, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.

Dwayne Johnson’s new TV show about his life, new WWE signees, Dusty Rhodes men’s and women’s tournament, Kofi Kingston talks his injury, WWE television personality gets an ESPN TV show, A.J. Styles talks retirement, lawsuit update, where wrestling shows ranked with network sports, who is looking for new entrance music, what aspect of WWE’s major events are they trying to sell, why Raw will have two very tough dates for competition soon, as well as the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.

Coverage of both UFC shows over the past week and the story behind Max Holloway’s setting records.

A story on the life of Paul Varelans, an early star of UFC and MMA around the world, as well as his different forays with four different pro wrestling companies as well as his infamous angle with Taz in ECW. For the first time, Missy Hyatt talks publicly about the situation plus comments from all involved. We look at the tournament days of UFC, crazy street fights, and much more.

A story on the life of Guy Hauray, the voice of WWF in France for a generation. 

A story on famous carnival shooter and pro wrestler Dick Cardinal, who was the oldest living pro wrestler at the time of his death. 

History of the biggest draws in pro wrestling each year from 1916 to 2020, including what wrestlers were No. 1 for the most years. 

Win-loss record of every WWE talent in 2020 including who wrestled the most dates, who never lost, who never won and more.

Television ratings of the past week, segment-by-segment numbers for the past two weeks on Wednesday, who was watching in different age groups, how different segments did on Raw & Smackdown.

ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

Bryan and I will be back tonight with Wrestling Observer Radio with the main story being the WWE/Peacock Network deal. I’ve been in contact with people all day regarding the story and tonight’s show, besides covering Raw and the other news, will be mostly a Q&A on the deal.  If you’ve got any questions, send them for tonight’s show to [email protected]

Alberto Rodriguez’s (Alberto El Patron) trial for aggravated kidnapping and four counts of sexual assault that was scheduled to begin today was moved to 5/3.  A conviction will be difficult because the accuser apologized to him on social media which appeared at the time was her recanting her story.

Raw tonight is headlined by a face-off with Drew McIntyre, who has recovered from COVID and wrestled on the Friday taping for India, and Bill Goldberg. Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss for the women’s title, Charlotte Flair vs. Shayna Baszler and Matt Riddle in a gauntlet facing Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander and MVP, and if he wins, gets a shot at Bobby Lashley for the U.S. title is on the show.  They will also likely announce most of Sunday’s Rumble since this is the last Raw show prior to the PPV.

WWE

  • The Superstar Spectacle, designed for India, airs at 9:30 a.m. on the WWE Network
    Rey Mysterio & Ricochet & Diishar Shanky & Giant Zanjeer vs. Dolph Ziggler & King Corbin & Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro
    A.J. Styles vs. Jeet Rama
    Charlotte Flair & Sareena Sandhu vs. Bayley & Natalya
    Finn Balor vs; Guru Raaj
    Drew McIntyre & Indu Sher vs. Jinder Mahal & Singh Brothers
  • I don’t expect him on TV, but Paul Heyman is at Raw today. Heyman is in charge of Bill Goldberg’s promos so he most likely is there to work on whatever Goldberg is doing on tonight’s show.  Since there is no storyline relationship, it would make no sense for him to appear on the air.

UFC

  • SportsBetting.ag is listing a lot of MMA odds. For Conor McGregor’s next opponent:
    Nate Diaz +200
    Dustin Poirier +300
    Justin Gaethje +400
    Tony Ferguson +600
    Jorge Masvidal +800
    Michael Chandler +1000
    Charles Oliveira +1200
  • For Dustin Poirier’s next opponent
    Michael Chandler +150
    Charles Oliveira +250
    Conor McGregor +450
    Khabib Nurmagomedov +600
    Nate Diaz +800
    Justin Gaethje +1400
    Tony Ferguson +1400
  • UFC lightweight champion on 12/31/21
    Dustin Poirier +200
    Michael Chandler +300
    Charles Oliviera +400
    Khabib Nurmagomedov +450
    Conor McGregor +800
    Justin Gaethje +1200
    Tony Ferguson +2500
    Nate Diaz +5000
  • Nik Lentz, after his loss of Movsar Evloev via split decision Saturday, announced his retirement due to vision issues. His claim of having lost 40 percent of his vision and realized he couldn’t compete at a high level leads to a lot of questions that need to be asked about commissions and UFC allowing him to fight in the first place with that level of vision issues.

OTHER NOTES

  • It looks like Will Ospreay’s match with Satoshi Kojima on Saturday in Nagoya will be no DQ based on what happened in today’s Ospreay & Great O’Khan vs. Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan match.
  • The Wrestling Estate just posted an exclusive report on independent wrestling running shows during the pandemic with three promoters explaining how their business has been and two explaining why they haven’t run.
  • TJP & Bu Ku Dao vs. Violence is Forever with the winners getting a shot at tag champs L.A. Park & El Hijo de L.A. Park joins Savio Vega vs. Richard Holliday in a strap match on MLW on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on YouTube.
  • Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1) puts his KSW featherweight title up against Daniel Torres (11-4) in the main event of the KSW show on 1/30 in Lodz, France available at www.KSWTV.com
  • ROH TV this week has Shane Taylor & The Soldiers of Savagery vs. Jonathan Gresham & Jay Lethal & Tracy Wlliams, plus Dalton Castle vs. Josh Woods  in a Pure Rules match.
  • Tony Deppen vs. Jordan Oliver in an Iron Man challenge match will be part of the GCW Fight Forever show, a 24-hour streaming event. The show is about getting donations for talent that hasn’t been able to work much during COVID.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: WWE Royal Rumble 2015

CONTACT INFORMATION

Four-way match for TV title shot later in night set for ROH Final Battle

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ring of Honor has revealed how Television Champion Dragon Lee’s challenger for Final Battle will be decided.

It was announced today that Tony Deppen, Dak Draper, LSG, and Josh Woods will face off in a four-way match at Final Battle. The winner will go on to challenge Dragon Lee for the TV title later in the show.

Woods picked up a big win on this week’s episode of ROH TV, defeating Jay Lethal in a Pure Rules match. LSG also recently impressed against Lethal. He went to a 15-minute time-limit draw against Lethal in a Pure Rules match on ROH TV last week. Lethal was declared the winner by split decision.

Deppen is a regular for Game Changer Wrestling. He made his ROH debut by losing to PJ Black in the first round of ROH’s recent Pure title tournament. The tournament was won by Jonathan Gresham.

Draper was the winner of last year’s ROH Top Prospect tournament.

After being on hiatus since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ROH returned to television production with closed set tapings in Maryland this August. Dragon Lee hasn’t appeared since ROH’s return.

Dragon Lee has been ROH TV Champion since winning the title from Shane Taylor at last year’s Final Battle.

Final Battle is taking place on Friday, December 18. It will air on pay-per-view and HonorClub. Dragon Lee’s brother and La Faccion Ingobernable stablemate Rush will defend his ROH World Championship against Brody King in the main event. EC3 vs. Jay Briscoe is also set for the show.

GCW Collective participant Tony Deppen tests positive for COVID-19

Posted on by Josh Nason

Indie wrestler Tony Deppen revealed on Twitter that he has tested positive for the coronavirus a week after he was part of GCW’s The Collective weekend.

Deppen said that everyone he was around all weekend had negative results, “even the people I was in a car with for 9 hours. I guess I am just the lucky one.” He said he has been in isolation for the last week and “actually felt like death”, adding he and his wife had to cancel their baby shower which is the hardest thing for him to accept.

Deppen wrestled twice on Saturday, October 10th: once in a gauntlet match at Effy’s Big Gay Brunch and then against Alex Shelley at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 4.

GCW’s ownership have urged both fans and wrestlers to get tested after last weekend’s group of shows as several wrestlers tested positive including AC Mack, Dan the Dad, and Cabana Man Dan. The positive tests have affected other organizations as Ring of Honor announced that several wrestlers brought into work their set ot TV tapings that were at the Collective would not be used as a precaution.

ROH Pure title tournament rules revealed, updated list of entrants

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ten of the 16 entrants have now been confirmed for Ring of Honor’s Pure title tournament.

It was announced on today’s episode of ROH Week By Week that Rocky Romero, PJ Black, and Tony Deppen will be taking part in the Pure title tournament. This will be Deppen’s ROH debut. He was originally supposed to debut in the tournament when it was scheduled to begin in April.

The three additions join Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, Matt Sydal, David Finlay, Tracy Williams, Josh Woods, and the debuting Wheeler Yuta as wrestlers who have been confirmed for the tournament.

The tournament will be featured on ROH television when the promotion returns to TV production this month.

ROH has also clarified the rules for Pure matches:

  • Every match begins and ends with the Code of Honor handshake.
  • Each wrestler has three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pinfalls. After a wrestler exhausts his rope breaks, submission and pin attempts on or under the ropes by his opponent are legal.
  • Closed-fist punches to the face are not permitted; only open-handed slaps or chops to the face are allowed. Punches to other parts of the body are permitted, excluding low blows. The first use of a closed fist will get a warning; the second will be a disqualification.
  • As in standard ROH matches, there will be a 20-count when a wrestler is on the floor.
  • Outside interference will result in automatic termination from the roster for the wrestler that interferes.
  • There will be two blocks, single-elimination format.
  • Round 1 matches have a 15-minute time limit.
  • Block semifinals have a 20-minute time limit.
  • Block finals have a 30-minute time limit.
  • The tournament final has a one-hour time limit.
  • There will be three judges for each match, and time-limit draws will go to a judges’ decision.

ROH revealed this January that the Pure title was being revived, but the tournament was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously confirmed international participants like Yuji Nagata, Doug Williams, Mark Haskins, Slex, Joe Hendry, and Ren Narita will no longer be in the tournament due to travel restrictions.

The Pure title was first introduced in 2004 and was unified with the ROH World Championship in 2006.

Tony Deppen to make ROH debut in Pure title tournament

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The lineup for ROH’s Pure title tournament is almost fully set.

ROH announced today that Tony Deppen will make his debut in the tournament. He’s the 15th entrant confirmed for it.

There’s only one entrant left to be announced for the tournament. Doug Williams, Jonathan Gresham, Alex Shelley, Rocky Romero, Mark Haskins, Slex, Tracy Williams, Marty Scurll, Fred Yehi, Yuji Nagata, Joe Hendry, Dalton Castle, Ren Narita, and Josh Woods are the other wrestlers set for it.

Deppen is a regular for Game Changer Wrestling. He also made his PWG debut last year and was an entrant in the Battle of Los Angeles.

ROH hyped up Deppen in their announcement:

A young man with many years experience, Deppen’s growth accelerated in 2019 and into 2020, competing in top independent organizations like Beyond, Game Changer Wrestling, PWG, and Chikara. Deppen has begun to compete internationally and is an amateur and submission expert.

Deppen’s ROH debut comes in this tournament and is one of the most highly-touted free agents in the world. Deppen could not only capture the Pure Championship but negotiate himself an even bigger money contract should he capture the title!

The first round matches in the Pure title tournament are taking place at Pure Excellence night one in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, April 10 and Pure Excellence night two in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, April 11. The quarterfinals will then be held at ROH Battlestarr 2020 in New York City on Thursday, April 23.

The winner of the tournament will be ROH’s first Pure Champion since 2006. The title featured rules where “closed-fist punches were illegal, and each competitor was allowed three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pinfalls during the match; after that, pinfalls and submission holds on or under the ropes would be legal.”