As stated last week by Daniel Bryan, a Money In The Bank Ladder match took place. The match included Carmella, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Tamina and Charlotte Flair. James Ellsworth was not present as Bryan had banned him from the arena earlier in the night.
In tonight’s contest, Carmella won the Money In The Bank contract, and became the unified Miss Money In The Bank. Now, whenever she wants, the Princess of Staten Island can cash in her contract to have a match against the SmackDown Women’s champion.
Despite being banned, Ellsworth ran into the ring and climbed the ladder. However, Lynch pushed over the ladder and knocked James out.
As Becky climbed the ladder, Carmella hit her already weak leg with a steal chair. This then allowed Carmella to climb the ladder and retrieve the briefcase.
Last week, we saw the Princess of Staten Island Carmella being forced to forfeit her contract due to the fact that James Ellsworthtook the briefcase down at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view two weeks ago.
Daniel Bryan decided that to make the match fair, all five women deserved a rematch. Carmella insisted that as there are no rules in the contest, that she did not technically cheat to win. She also stated that the likes of Seth Rollins and Sheamus had non-participating men help them to win their match, yet both were able to keep their briefcases and cash in when they wanted. Bryan refused to use this as an excuse as despite her words being true, the winning men were the ones to take down the briefcase themselves.
Naomi also retained her championship earlier, so she could easily have the contract cashed in on her at any moment within the next year.
What did you think of the match? Did the right woman win? Let us know your views in the comments below!
June 28th, 2009 | At 2009’s The Bash, Melina and Michelle McCool came full circle from Melina’s debut match against Michelle back in 2005. The match put Melina’s Women’s Championship on the line, and Michelle (with Alicia Fox by her side) was determined to capture it, at one point exploiting Melina’s bad knee with an excruciating submission. A kick to the head and a Faithbreaker put Melina down for the count and allowed Michelle to emerge as the first woman to have held both the Divas and Women’s Championships.
The Cueto Cup continues tonight and it’s Taya‘s turn to prove herself against the more seedy characters of the Temple.
She’ll take on Joey Ryan who has a special message for her:
By using innuendos he says that he’ll defeat Taya tonight as he makes his way to the Lucha Underground Championship.
Additionally, LU has released a preview for tonight’s episode:
“The Cueto Cup erupts into all out warfare in this week’s Lucha Underground. Jeremiah Crane’s jealousy boils over, as Crane and Killshot face one on one. Find out who survives the next round this Wednesday, June 28th at 8:00pm ET on El Rey Network.Plus, a new luchador arrives at the Temple to compete for the Cueto Cup title, is there room for one more? Don’t miss new one-hour episodes of the lucha libre wrestling series from Emmy Award winning producer Mark Burnett Wednesdays at 8:00PM ET on El Rey Network.”
Additionally, Kobra Moon is set to appear alongside Vibora as he faces Paul London tonight.
Lucha Underground airs tonight at 8 pm ET on the El Rey Network. Episodes can also be purchased on iTunes and Seasons One and Two are available on Netflix.
Are you excited for this match up? What else do you want to see during tonight’s show? Sound off in the comments below.
So Ruth has finally established her wrestling persona, and it turns out to be a bad Yakov Smirnoff impression.
Inspired by the neglectful hotel manager at The Dusty Spur, Ruth unveils a Soviet shtick at the opening of a new Patio Towne store (the number-two purveyor of indoor/outdoor lifestyle in Southern California). The franchise owner (Patrick O’Towne, naturally) flatly says he isn’t interested in sponsoring women’s wrestling.
“I get it. Lady wrestlers. Women can do anything men do, blah, blah, blah. I appreciate it. But it’s not going to help me sell lawn chairs,” he says.
Ruth goes off-script, spicing up a dull ribbon-cutting ceremony by cutting an off-the-cuff promo on the sins of capitalism before segueing into a commercial for Patio Towne, winning over Mr. O’Towne and seemingly landing GLOW its first corporate sponsorship.
Sam Sylvia and Bash managed to sweet-talk the TV executive into providing a time slot with a multi-faceted pitch. “They are going to be wrestling with their own female stereotypes, metaphorically,” Bash says. “Porn you can watch with you kids,” Sylvia adds. Something for everyone.
As Bash and Sylvia are schmoozing the suits, the GLOW girls are beginning to go stir-crazy, holed up in the Dusty Spur. Justine has develop da crush on the local pizza delivery boy, a Flock of Seagulls-wannabe wonderfully named Billy Offall. Melanie is dying to get out, but Cherry is watching her like a hawk to make sure she doesn’t break curfew. Rhonda reveals she is “shagging” Sam. And Debbie is frustrated that her nemesis, Ruth, seems to be learning the ropes much faster than she is.
Carmen decides to take Debbie out to see her first pro wrestling show, and Melanie tags along. Christopher Daniels makes an in-ring cameo showcasing his Best Moonsault Ever, but the main event is Mr. Monopoly (played by Joey Ryan) against Steel Horse (played by Alex Riley). Carmen explains the intricate backstory of their feud, when Debbie – the former soap opera star – has an epiphany.
“Oh my God, it’s a soap opera!” she exclaims. “This whole things is a soap opera. I understand what I’m doing!”
Once she sees Steel Horse bare-chested, Debbie has forgotten all about the husband she just left and breaks curfew for a backstage romp with The Steel Horse. The next morning, she calls Sam, rejuvenated and saying she is “all in” with GLOW. The only thing she needs now is a strong heel … and there’s no stronger heel in 1980s America than an old-fashioned Communist.
“NXT Women’s Champion Asuka will put her coveted title on the line against the crazed Nikki Cross tonight on NXT. The title showdown will be a historic Last Woman Standing Match, further adding to the chaos surrounding the huge championship contest.
The extreme stipulation was a logical next step in Asuka and Cross’s rivalry after the two brawled throughout Full Sail University on the June 14 episode of NXT. Along with Ruby Riot, they competed in a Triple Threat Elimination Match for the NXT Women’s Title. After Riot had been eliminated, Asuka and Cross fought outside the arena, only to return and eventually crash through a table, leaving them laid out in a heap of carnage.
Asuka’s record-breaking NXT Women’s Title reign has overcome many obstacles, but she has yet to face a challenger as crazy as Cross in a bout that caters to chaos like a Last Woman Standing Match. Will we see the end of The Empress of Tomorrow’s historic title reign?
Find out tonight at 8/7 C on the award-winning WWE Network.”
Watch the video package for tonight’s match below:
Tonight is the night for vengeance. It’s time for the women to take what was supposed to be theirs, and make it memorable. All five competitors
Before the night begins, some of the women are interviewed about the night’s main event.
Charlotte Flair is the first to be interviewed. The former RAW Women’s champion states that she is “confident” that “the right woman will walk out the winner” – and that woman is her.
Carmella is then interviewed next. The Princess of Staten Island reminds us of how she won the previous contest “fair and square”. She insists that just because the General Manager Daniel Bryan didn’t like the ending, it doesn’t mean that we need to redo the match. Carmella leaves us by stating that she will still get back what is “rightfully” hers, and thus will become the “undisputed Miss Money In The Bank.”
So now, onto the show!
Daniel Bryan takes to the ring to address the upcoming Money In The Bank match, but before he can get into it in detail, the F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S Carmella walks to the ring, with James Ellsworth by her side. Again, we see her go on about how unfair the rematch is, as she didn’t break any rules the first time. Bryan is persistent with his words as well, but it is Ellsworth that offers a bit of a turning point with the events. After insulting Bryan, claiming that he’s a “gutless, spineless, coward that has no grapefruits to cut it in the ring anymore so he made up some hooky injury,” the General Manager decides to take it one step further. As mentioned last week on Talking Smack, Ellsworth was banned from ringside during tonight’s Ladder match. So now, Bryan bans Ellsworth from the entire arena – bring in the security!
A cocky Ellsworth then tries to escape from the incoming security guards whom are made to drag him from the ropes. He manages to convince them to let go, and soon dashes away from them. Unfortunately his attempt of jumping over the barricade ends up with his stomach being hit, so he is soon carried away, kicking and screaming. Delightful.
So now let’s get on to the match we’ve been waiting for!
All five women enter the ring, and the bell rings. The women quickly attack one another, attempting to knock their opponents out to give themselves a chance at climbing the ladder.
The contest lasts for quite a while – though required adverts do take place. We see each woman get her shining moment, and it works perfectly for each.
Becky Lynch proves to be a sneaky member of the match as when Charlotte and Tamina are fighting over an unhooked ladder, the Lass Kicker climbs it. She soon finds herself falling with it, but does knock down Flair in the process. Lynch also spends the match offering Bexploders to pretty much all of her opponents.
Tamina ends up being quite the powerhouse in We see a ruthless spear from her, as well boots to people’s faces, as well as a Superfly Splash (from the top rope) and Samoan Drop onto Lynch.
Natalya and Charlotte spend the majority of the match fighting each other. At the top of the ladder, Neidhart is inches away from the briefcase, but after placing another ladder onto Natalya’s ladder, Flair climbs up. It is Carmella that knocks the two of them down however. Neidhart finds a few shining moments as she powerbombs Lynch to the ground aggressively, smashes a ladder into Charlotte, and inserts the Sharpshooter onto Carmella. Her downfall occurs however as she chases Flair into the crowd and the end up fighting there until the end of the match.
Charlotte is also a big star in the match. She boots Natalya in the face, inserts the Natural Selection onto Carmella and has a lot of heated exchanges with Tamina. After feeling the wrath of Snuka, she knocks her down and attempts to trap her between the ladder as she climbs. Carmella then climbs the ladder too, but Snuka gets the better of both of them by lifting up the prop and drops them both onto the ground.
Another poignant moment is when Charlotte, Becky, Tamina and Natalya all climb onto the ladder. However the aggression and weight gets the better of them and they all tip over onto the mat. Carmella soon climbs the ladder on her own, but each woman then returns to lift it up and place it on the side. They then have a quick brawl which knocks down Flair and Snuka. ‘Mella then takes advantage and jumps on both Neidhart and Lynch.
Towards the end of the match, we see Ellsworth run up to the ring as an attempt to get the briefcase down for Carmella, yet again. But unfortunately for him, Becky runs into the ring and tilts the ladder over, leaving Ellsworth landing on the ropes – right in his baby maker! Ouch!
However, despite having the momentum, Lynch finds herself being attacked by Carmella, with a focus on her leg. The Princess of Staten Island knocks a steel chair into her, leaving her knocked out. This then gives Carmella the chance to climb the ladder – which she does – and she ends up taking down the briefcase. Give it up for your Undisputed Miss Money In The Bank!
On Talking Smack, Carmella gloats to Bryan about taking home the briefcase. Despite demanding an apology however, Daniel refuses to give her one. She continues to brag and then insists that when her time to cash in the contract comes, she will become the next SmackDown Women’s champion. She also slates Naomi, saying that all she does is “glow in the dark”. But before anyone can comment on her words, ‘Mella leaves to go celebrate her win!
At another point in the night, we get our other Money In The Bank rematch as Naomi defends her SmackDown Women’s championship against Lana. Before the match begins, Lana attacks Naomi, looking to end the match as early as possible. Naomi insists that she is okay, so the match begins. This is then followed by Lana inserting her Spinebuster. And after a close call, Naomi manages to kick out. The champ then kicks Lana, knocking her down. She then drags her into the corner, inserts a Split-Legged-Moonsault, and takes home the win. Just like that.
Also, this incredible moment is found during the champ’s celebration and it is definitely the highlight:
After the match, Lana is confronted by Dasha Fuentes in the SmackDown Fallout where she is asked to vent her frustrations. However, we see a tearful version of the Ravishing Russian, with no words to share whatsoever.
Our other “segment” of the night is between Maria Kanellis and Mike Kanellis. The two attempt to remind us of their love and journey, but just as the “seven years ago” comment is brought up again, Sami Zayn enters to begin his match with Baron Corbin. Better luck next time, guys!
Thoughts: This is exactly what Money In The Bank should have been. Between a brilliant Ladder match to the champion looking unbeatable, the pay-per-view has pretty much been erased – good riddance!
The night has allowed a bit of redemption for the briefcase, as well as giving Naomi a better title reign. But let’s focus on the latter for the minute.
Naomi needed to look strong as her first few weeks as champ revolved around her getting beat down by and losing to the Welcoming Committee. So, she did need to win here, for her own benefit. Lana could have done with the win however, as she has now had three matches on WWE television and has lost all of them – two being in her rebranded era. This didn’t really do her an awful lot of favours and only made Naomi look strong, though. Which in the long run, may not be the best option, depending on where WWE wants to go with it.
If Lana is to play the role of the resident jobber, which with her green level of abilities would make sense, then this is fine. But if we’re supposed to take her seriously and be angered by her, then this wasn’t the right way to go about it. She also needs to look strong, and being defeated cleanly by Naomi two matches in a row – one of them not even lasting longer than two minutes – didn’t do her much good.
So this is a bit of a tough one to critique. It made the champ look great, meaning that the briefcase holder would have a tough battle later on. But it ended the momentum for a rising star. Personal opinion aside, every character deserves an opportunity. So unless this is a way of bringing in a spoilt brat kind of gimmick of Lana – one where she constantly demands rematches – then her chances of stardom may have crashed and burned. But we’ll see what’ll happen. Either way, I’m glad that the champion is looking strong.
Now onto the main event. What a match!
This contest wasn’t the spotfest we were expecting. We didn’t see the women jumping off of ladders to knock down their opponents as opposed to taking down the briefcase. Instead, they all took every opportunity they could to win the match. And that makes more sense than doing a Moonsault from the top of the ladder just to take one person down.
The point of the match was to exemplify just how desperate these women are to be champion. They saw earlier on how tough their leader is, so they all needed to give it their A-game in order to come out on top. They didn’t care to entertain fans, they cared about the briefcase too much. And so they should be.
Each time one woman climbed the ladder, another jumped into the ring, regardless of how hurt they may have been. And it did wonders for them all; in particular, Carmella.
Throughout the match we saw the Princess of Staten Island become the main target of her opponents. Whenever she would attempt to win, every woman would do what they could to take her down – even if it meant they all had to team together. She was one of the biggest threats here, and it made her look as tough as she needed to be. ‘Mella didn’t exactly come across as the Powerhouse (that was Miss Snuka!) but she came across as threatening. Her conniving ways were at the top of each woman’s mind, and they did all they could to try to take her down. Between running into the ring as soon as she climbed to the third step, to lifting up the ladder and placing it elsewhere. We should also note that they didn’t bother knocking her down here. And it’s because they’re not threatened by her strength, just her mindset. All the women had to do was remove Carmella from proximity of the briefcase and she was out of their hair. Whereas with anyone else, they all immediately tried to knock each other out. And this proved to be their biggest downfall. Every time the other women climbed the ladder, they were fatigued. But Carmella could climb quickly. She wasn’t in the best shape of course, but compared to everyone else she had more stamina.
I also want to point out that Tamina Snuka was – yet again – the star of the match. Her brutal spear, her excellent Superfly Splash, and the power of taking down each of her opponents was most definitely noted. We tend to only see a basic side to Snuka. During her Singles matches she’s only ever allowed to give a boot here and there, a Samoan Drop at one point, and then she’s made to lose. But here, despite losing, she went all out. She had some of the best spots and was definitely the star we always knew she was.
On top of all of this, what made this match so great was the storytelling, as well as the potential for more storytelling in the future. Becky got her comeuppance with Ellsworth, Carmella got to be the sneaky winner a briefcase holder needs to be, Tamina proved to be a Powerhouse, and Charlotte and Natalya gave room for another feud between the two.
Because of Natalya, Charlotte wasn’t able to stop Carmella from taking down the briefcase. Despite the initial objective of trying to take down the briefcase, Neidhart became infuriated with Flair constantly taking her down. Every time she would near the finish line, Charlotte would get in the way. She stopped her attack on Carmella, she climbed the ladder when Natalya was about to win, and she constantly attacked her throughout. So with all of this build, the Queen of Black Harts had enough of Flair, so decided to take her down. Of course this proved to be the wrong thing to do in the end, but it can easily give us another great feud between the two – let’s just hope that Natalya can finally come out on top this time.
Another feud that can follow this is Carmella facing Becky Lynch. If it weren’t for Carmella, Becky could have won the match, and if it weren’t for Becky, Carmella wouldn’t of had needed to struggle to win in the end. Also, I can appreciate the nod to the very first Money In The Bank match back at Wrestlemania 21 here. Just like Carmella did to Becky, Edge slammed a chair against the back of Chris Benoit’s back, allowing the Rated R Superstar to take home the briefcase. Storytelling!
And now, we finally have a clip of a woman at the top of the ladder grabbing the briefcase – hoorah!
All in all, this was a brilliant night for the women. They ruled the show, got (somewhat) redeeming writing, and gave us a classic Money In The Bank match. Of course, the first one will always be reduced to the silly finish, but in the end, we got a great contest and to me, this will always be the real first women’s Money In The Bank Ladder match.
What did you think of the night? Did the right women win? Where do we go from here? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Emily Read, owner and promoter of the all female wrestling company Pro Wrestling Eve, took to Twitter to discuss the treatment of women (and other issues) within the industry.
Read, known for her constant push for gender equality within professional wrestling, used the firm’s Twitter account to address some issues regarding women within the industry.
Though she was limited to 140 characters per tweet, Read made her voice heard very clear through her powerful messages.
Her first message read: “People that say “I’m a big supporter of women’s wrestling” when only interested in small divisions of mainly male promotions – do **** off.”
The EVE owner then went on to address WWE specifically, stating that the company “would (not) have pushed a #WomensRevolution if it wasn’t for media or corporate reasoning.” This is in reference to the “evolution” of women in WWE that began in July 2015. Stephanie McMahon addressed that there was an “evolution with women in sport”, citing Ronda Rousey and Serena Williams, and that the ladies of WWE needed to play catch-up.
Read also stated that if a promotion is to label their female wrestlers as a “women’s division” then their male counterparts need to be referred to as the “men’s division”. The reasoning behind this is that women’s wrestling should not be seen as a “sub-category” and should be placed on the same level as the work of men.
The topic of fan chants was soon brought up as Read told fans that “just because a female is a heel, doesn’t mean you can chant ‘slut’ at her”. Pro Wrestling Eve has in fact banned multiple people in the past – and continues to do so – for making crude comments such as this. The company has made it very clear that they value respect over the money of these people, and that there will be “no apology accepted.”
To end their comments, Read left us by saying that the late and great Chyna should be placed into the Hall of Fame for her great work. Compared to the fact that Stone Cold Steve Austin hit his wife, as well as the fact that The Ultimate Warrior was homophobic, it’s hypocritical that Chyna’s porn days are what is keeping her back.
Emily commented further on the Ultimate Warrior, as well as calling out the bigotry of AJ Styles, discussing her favorite member of Edge & Christian, plus more. This can all be read through this link.
On top of pushing for gender equality, Emily Read constantly discusses mental health, and spoke to Metro.co.uk about how wrestling has helped her to stay alive.
Pro Wrestling Eve is an all-female, pro feminist wrestling promotion based in East London, UK. With stars such as Rhia O’Reilly, Jinny, Emi Sakura, as well as formerly having WWE’s Paige and Nikki Cross, they constantly host a star studded, engaging and empowering roster. The company also has a no tolerance policy for fans that chant problematic comments/cause issues throughout the show – with no chances given. Comments are also dealt with immediately and publicly, so if you are to attend, you should know that you will be in safe hands. And to top that off, even GLOW star Kate Nash is a big fan of the show.
If you want to catch the next exciting show in the Pro Wrestling Eve calendar, be sure to get your ticket(s) here.
For those that aren’t able to attend the show, EVE recently released an on-demand streaming service for fans to access across the globe. So if you want to see champion Sammii Jayne defend her title, then head to Eve on Demand now.
The next EVE show takes place on July 15th, so make sure that you don’t miss out on the UK’s premier feminist-punk-rock wrestling show!
What do you think of these comments? Are you a fan of EVE? Let us know your views in the comments below!
June 29th, 2008 | At Night of Champions 2008, Women’s Champion Mickie James put her title on the line against newcomer Katie Lea. Katie had been in the WWE since the start of the year, but she had only just recently started competing in the ring. This was her biggest match thus far, and though she didn’t succeed in winning the Women’s Title, she did manage to move out from under the shadow of being “the Diva in that incest storyline”.
What are your memories of this moment?
Also occurring today in history:
* 6/29/14 – Paige defeats Naomi to retain the Divas Title at Money in the Bank 2014.
* 6/29/14 – Layla defeats Summer Rae at Money in the Bank 2014.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to this week’s NXT review! We have an action packed episode in store for us, with glimpses of the old NXT we know and love returning to form. I’m excited, you’re excited, let’s jump into this!
Asuka and Nikki Cross‘ rivalry has been brewing in the background for months as Asuka defended her title and steam rolled through the entire women’s division.
Their rivalry has become so heated and violent that William Regal announced the first ever Last Woman Standing Match, so the two could settle their differences in the most depraved way possible.
Before we get to our main event, the third in a series of main events this week for women in the WWE, Nikki couldn’t help herself as she attempted to attack Asuka as she pulled into Full Sail earlier that day!
Asuka’s SUV starts pulling up to the venue as Nikki cross bodies the front of the car. Screaming her head off, she starts trying to get at Asuka. It takes three security guards to hold her back!
Now we get to our main event:
Nikki waits in the ring as Asuka makes her entrance. Commentary starts really putting over Asuka’s dominance, her winning streak, her unstoppable nature.
They tie up on and off and stare each other down before Nikki takes control.
Highlights throughout the match include Nikki getting a bunch of chairs out and trying to suplex Asuka on them, but instead she sends her into the stairs.
Asuka tosses Nikki into the stairs and pulls out a trash can. Asuka puts the trash can over Nikki and hits her with kicks and a dropkick off the top rope.
Nikki hits her swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker several times, but Asuka gets up at 9. Nikki runs at her with the title belt, but Asuka nails her with a kick to the head. Asuka nails a spinning backfist and hits 4 German suplexes in a row.
Asuka attempts to suplex Nikki out of the ring onto the pile of chairs Nikki pulled out earlier, but Nikki slides out and powerbombs her onto them. Asuka knocks Nikki off the ramp and jumps off with her hip attack from the ramp.
They brawl to the announce table area. Nikki grabs a plastic table and a ladder. Nikki lays Asuka across the table and climbs the ladder, but Asuka climbs too. Asuka suplexes Nikki off the ladder and through the announce table. Asuka barely gets up at 9 to pick up the win!
Thoughts: WOWWWWW,this is everything Asuka needed to put back the spark in her high profile and lengthy reign. This is what I’ve been craving for, for months!
This match was the perfect climax for Asuka’s and Nikki’s rivalry. The spots, the brutality, this had everything and really expressed the fact that Nikki wants to fight any way possible and she takes pleasure in it while Asuka will do the same, but better.
We’ve seen Asuka rise through the women’s division in spectacular fashion, taking down the ace of the promotion, Bayley, to capture the title. She squashed local talent, she granted matches to those who thought they could step to her, like Liv Morgan, she’s taken out monsters like Nia Jax and she began competing in triple threats to defend her title.
Though this natural progression has stalled at times, we’ve finally arrived to a much more brutal and apt place for her, actual stipulation matches. Asuka has been there, done that, in regular one on one competition and slowly but surely she’s reached a point where she’s clutching the title by a thread.
Her last rematch with Ruby Riot and Nikki a few weeks ago saw her struggle much more than she has been and her first match with those two opened up more vulnerabilities and we caught glimpses of her weak spots.
We all know who the nail in the coffin will be for her but, what if it escalated to another stipulation match? Ember Moon needs more development before they, more than likely, collide at Brooklyn. I’d like to see more of this ruthless aggression and I’d like to see her more often on NXT television.
My question now is, where does this leave Nikki? When she was signed there was such anticipation from the women’s wrestling community, the “Best in the Galaxy” had arrived. This insane heel turn has been a revelation for Nikki. Your mileage may vary when it comes to pairing women with a male stable but having Nikki cause chaos with Sanity was the perfect way to introduce her. It slowly opened up a crack into what she was capable of, even if she rarely ever had a set plan.
We haven’t seen someone this sadistic, this unpredictable since Luna in the 1990s. Nikki is fantastic in her role and here her character beats were on point. She reveled in her masochistic nature when Asuka was hitting her, smiling and laughing. She’s wonderful. She also pulled out some more effective moves, which moving forward will put her over the top.
I’d really like to see her take a role similar to Samoa Joe last year and interfere in matches or beat up girls backstage while demanding another title shot.
Also, that backstage segment where she basically dive bombed Asuka’s car was amazing, I was losing it. It’s the little things that NXT can and should be doing to really build character and matches. Stories guys, matches benefit immensely from them.
What made the NXT Women’s Division stand out in the first place was the willingness to allow the women to shine and build to fantastic, all out wars. This match is on par with what we’ve come to expect from the brand. While NXT has struggled over the year to be consistent, allowing the women to go back to brutal, hard hitting matches with edge of your seat action and near falls, will signal to me that they still care about the division.
There’s still a lot to work on and NXT needs to step it up but this match is proof that creative can create magic when they really try. It’s time to stop letting the division flounder and instead build it to flourish. If this match is any indication, the brand is on the right track to showcasing a budding division again.
What did you think of last night’s match? What do you want to see next? What do you think Asuka will do now? What’s in store for Nikki? Sound off in the comments below.
We hit the midpoint of the season with Sam Sylvia’s dream match slowly becoming a reality as Debbie (Liberty Belle) now has a perfect foil in Ruth’s Soviet sympathizer. The only problem is that Debbie isn’t particularly fond of the idea of working with the former best friend that boinked her husband.
The affair between Ruth and Mark still doesn’t seem to make much sense, though. Ruth is mousy and sweet, while Debbie – as we saw in her scene with Steel Horse in episode 5 – is bombastic and sexually aggressive. Even with a newborn causing libidos to lag, Mark’s tryst with Ruth and his subsequent unsolicited confession to his bombshell wife is perhaps the most unrealistic aspect of the series.
“You are a bright shining star,” Sylvia says, attempting to sell Debbie on a program with Ruth. “She is a dirty, nasty, stepped in dogshit heel.”
Still, Debbie refuses to work with Ruth and demands that Sam finds her a better opponent. Sam sends Ruth home while he tries pairing the former soap opera actress with other adversaries, with no success. Tamme “The Welfare Queen” (played by “Awesome Kong” Kia Stevens) thoroughly upstages Debbie, accidentally winning over the crowd and causing Debbie to walk out of the ring.
“The Mad Bomber,” “She-Wolf,” and “Vicky the Viking” also prove to be lousy foils for Debbie, who struggles to make her All-American girl click.
“Get over it,” Sylvia says to Debbie, encouraging her to put her bad blood with Ruth aside for the good of the program. “You still have to wake up and be a professional. You can’t just do coke and piss away all your money and screw people named after liquors. What happens then?”
“You end up here?” Debbie asks.
“You end up here,” Sylvia agrees.
Meanwhile, Ruth convinces the Russian manager of the Dusty Spur hotel to bring her to a party so she can interact with his family and further develop her Russian persona. Ruth manages to inadvertently offense the party guests with her hacky accent and stereotypical takes on Russian culture, until she wins them over by performing a song from Yentl.
Ruth returns to the gym, intent on portraying an orthodox Jewish character, but Debbie steps in and calls out “Zoya the Destroya.” The two have a brief lock-up in the ring and the chemistry is obvious. GLOW has its first main event.
Justine, Sam’s starry-eyed fan, has become disgruntled after learning that the director is sleeping with “Brittanica,” accusing him of using GLOW as his “personal casting couch.” As the episode ends, she steals Sam’s video camera out of his locker as the screen goes to black.
Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax aren’t the only ones who may be making their way to Total Divas, it’s now rumored Carmella is joining the cast as well.
The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Paige will not be returning when the seventh season rolls around. Instead WWE is looking to replace her with Ms. Money in the Bank herself.
Carmella previously showed up in a picture with Maryse a few days ago, leading fans to speculate if she’d be included in some type of capacity.
While it’s unclear at this time if Alexa, Nia, and Carmella are the only new additions this season, Naomiconfirmed that she will be back next season and Natalya, Lana, and Nikki Bella have been posting pics to social media with the hashtag #TotalDivas.
Still no word on when the official cast announcements will be made.
Are you surprised by this news? Sound off in the comments below.
Welcome to this week’s Lucha Underground! The Cueto Cup continues this week with Taya taking on Joey Ryan.
Before we get to the tournament, however, we check in with the Mistress of Macabre, Catrina.
She stands by with Mil Muertes. She says tonight begins his journey to getting back the LU Championship. She tells him to destroy them all! He says he will destroy them for her before they kiss. Jeremiah Crane stands in the shadows?
Mil takes on Veneno in a Cueto Cup Match. He makes quick work of his opponent as Catrina curses Veneno with the Lick of Death.
Next, Kobra Moon is out to accompany Vibora as he takes on Paul London.
Paul takes the fight to Vibora but, he’s like a stone wall. Paul reaches for his carrot as he bumps into Kobra Moon. He then takes her hostage with his carrot, what? She eggs Vibora on but Paul pushes Kobra into Vibora as a distraction.
She commands Vibora to take him out! The members of the rabbit tribe rush the match to distract Vibora before they randomly disappear under the ring. However, they subdue Vibora outside the ring and he’s counted out, making Paul the victor. Kobra approaches Vibora and slaps him for failing to advance in the tournament.
Next up Taya and Joey Ryan go head to head:
She makes her entrance with the crowd chanting “La Wera Loca!” and then Joey makes his sleazy entrance as Taya looks on in disgust and amusement.
He grazes his lollipop down his chest before offering it to Taya. She smacks it out of his hand and kicks him in the gut. She clubs him down before clothes lining him into the ropes. She hits him with double knees.
He rolls out of the ring to collect himself but she follows. She slaps him hard on the back before dragging him by the chest hair into the ring. As she makes her way onto the apron Joey superkicks her and she lands on the ground.
The fans rally behind Taya as Joey takes the fight to her outside the ring. He rolls her back into the ring after bashing her head into the apron. Joey signals he’s going to the top rope but Taya slaps him across the face. She continues to slap and chop him before throwing him off the turnbuckle.
She hits him with a double stomp and attempts a pin, but it’s not enough. She rushes at him in the corner but meets the turnbuckle. Joey slaps her hard on the back. He hoists her up in the electric chair position but Taya reverses it with stiff shots to Joeys head.
She plants him with a Northern Lights Suplex before stomping his face in for the win!
In the back, looking all business, Mil is attacked by Jeremiah! He yells she’s mine, referring to Catrina, as he beats him up.
Thoughts: Things are going down in Catrina’s neck of the woods. Did Jeremiah kill Mil? It sounded like he broke his face. However, we’ve seen Mil get resurrected before. My question is, what’s the end game here? I’m missing Ivelisse. I know she was injured for most of this season but, I feel like her inclusion again would really shake things up here. I’m a bit perplexed as to why no one has mentioned her absence either.
I know we’re moving towards some kind of twist or reveal in Catrina’s story too and I’m curious as to where this will put us. She continues to look for ways to assert her power and for someone who is so powerful, she’s a supernatural being after all, I’d like to see much more of it on display. She continues to blow her role away and I’d really like to see her step into the ring, which is also why Ivelisse is sorely needed for this story. Who does Catrina’s heart really belong to?
Kobra Moon is also someone I’d like to see more of in the ring. Lucha Underground has no qualms about showing off what its women can do, but it feels like so far we haven’t gotten enough of them. Kobra is doing well though and commands viewers with her presence.
The match between Taya and Joey Ryan was entertaining and I wish it was a bit longer. Taya sells really well and can take a beating, it’s well known that she can hang with the most vile in the hardest hitting matches so she doesn’t shy away from violence there. I just feel like we’re still just scratching the surface of what she can really do and I’d like to see her compete much more often. I’m pleased that she’s advancing because this definitely gives us a chance to possibly get that. Her Northern Lights was reminiscent of Alicia Fox‘s, who definitely has the most beautiful one in the business. I want to see what other moves she has up her sleeve.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Sound off in the comments below.
June 30th, 2003 | Taking part in a Battle Royal hardly seems like the makings of an impactful debut, but Gail Kim‘s first match in the WWE was pretty much as memorable as it gets. Gail outlasted the likes of Ivory, Jacqueline, Jazz, Molly Holly, Trish Stratus and Victoria to be the last woman standing and win the Women’s Title. Her impressive feat – winning the title in her debut match – remained unmatched until Paige‘s main roster debut twelve years later.
What are your memories of this moment?
Also occurring today in history:
* 6/30/14 – AJ Lee returns to the WWE and defeats Paige to win the Divas Title.
Hello Knockout fans and welcome to this week’s Impact Write-Up! Slammiversary is this coming Sunday and the road to the Championship Unification matchup between Sienna and Rosemary is starting to take shape.
On the last Impact from Mumbai, India and the final one before Slammiversary, we had a taste of Women’s Title Unification match as the GFW Women’s Champion Sienna will team up with the loaded but stable “Hot Mess Express” Laurel Van Ness and her cousin KM to face off against Braxton Sutter, Allie, and the Knockouts Champion Rosemary. Let’s go straight to the action.
First we see the team of KM, Sienna and Laurel Van Ness ever the ring; with Laurel falling off the wagon after that disastrous wedding, she needs to hold it together for this matchup. Next up we see Braxton Sutter and Allie make their way to the ring, receiving a huge welcome from the Mumbai fans. Next comes Rosemary, and before going to battle, she gave both Braxton and Allie a little tap on the head and the battle begins with a riot.
First off we see Laurel and Allie go at it, but seconds later she tags KM. Allie went on to tag Braxton because men aren’t allowed to hit girls on IMPACT. As Braxton dishes out some hurting sandwiches to KM, the cocky one tried to powerbomb Sutter only to end up on a wrong end of a rollup attempt, which happened to be a near-fall.
As KM delivered huge moves such as the Sit-out Full Nelson Slam as well as the Vertical Suplex, it looked like Braxton would end up being a victim of KM’s all-out assault. But Braxton battled back, however, giving KM a Snap Suplex to the turnbuckles. Both men tagged their respective partners (KM tagged LVN, Braxton tagged Rosemary) and the scrap was on.
While everybody was brawling in the middle of the ring, Braxton nailed KM with a Slingshot Crossbody, LVN has Rosemary in the Unprettier, Allie plants Laurel with a Samoan Powerslam, Sienna laid Allie with a kick, and right before Sienna was about to put Rosemary out with the AK47, Rosemary countered it. But then came her poison mist, she nails Laurel with it, not Sienna. Sienna tried again with the AK47 but Allie came flying in with a Ruining Codebreaker. And once Laurel was alone with the Demon Assassin, Rosemary finished off the Hot Mess with the Red Wedding for the win.
After the match, the trio celebrated, though Rosemary is not much of a hugger. Instead, the Hive Queen patted both Braxton and Allie on the head before focusing on Sienna before their collision course this Sunday.
Thoughts: To me, the beginning of the match looked like a Pier 4 Brawl than a traditional 3-on-3 match. You can actually feel the tension between the two champions leading up to Slammiversary, and it hopefully it doesn’t stop there.
I’ve been a fan of both Sienna and Rosemary during their Independent heydays, but now they take their acts on the big stage on Sunday. While Sienna may be getting more heat as the top heel of the fabled Knockouts division, I like how the people behind the scenes are building up the face turn of Rosemary. The differences in fan support will often be the deciding factor, but their talents are the foundation.
As for Allie and Laurel, I’m hoping they will make their Slammiversary appearance in some fashion, I don’t know at this time. But let’s hope they show up in some capacity.
Slammiversary is this Sunday, and it won’t be pretty.
What did you think of this week’s Impact? Let us know in the comments below!
Twenty-eight year-old Kairi Sane, nicknamed “The Pirate Princess” in her home country of Japan, where she is one of the most celebrated women’s wrestlers of the modern era, announced today that she has signed with NXT and will compete in this summer’s global women’s tournament. Formerly known by the alias Kairi Hojo, Sane has wrestled for five years and was a multi-time champion in the Japanese organization Stardom. Her pirate persona is inspired by her elite background in yachting: Before entering the mat game, Sane competed in the yachting world championship and was considered an Olympic hopeful. Though Sane has often carried a spyglass to the ring, it’s her highlight reel-worthy diving elbow drop — thought by many to be the most beautiful in the world — that has navigated her to many milestone victories.
Auckland, New Zealand’s Dakota Kai, also known as Evie, has held titles not just in her native country, but also in Australia, Japan and the United States (including the SHIMMER Tag Titles with NXT Superstar Ruby Riot). The 10-year veteran, also known as “The Captain of Team Kick,” is famous for her wide variety of strikes, including a running Yakuza kick that, in GIF form, has taken on a life of its own among wrestling fans. She ventured into WWE’s orbit once before, in a 2015 loss to Nia Jax on NXT. Two years later, she is now a recruit at the WWE Performance Center and looking to prove she belongs for good this time.
Hailing from Ayrshire, Scotland, Piper Niven, aka Viper, is an experienced powerhouse who has competed across numerous promotions, including Shine, SHIMMER and Glasgow-based Insane Championship Wrestling. Drawn to sports-entertainment at an early age thanks to the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Chyna, Niven played contact sports in her youth, setting the foundation for her eventual in-ring debut in 2008. She is revered for her high-impact offense, which includes senton splashes, powerslams and a signature Michinoku Driver.
Bianca Belair, formerly known as Bianca Blair, of Knoxville, Tenn., qualified for the Mae Young Classic with a recent victory over NXT Superstar Aliyah. Calling herself the “EST of NXT,” Belair claims to be the strongest, fastest and toughest woman on the Performance Center roster. Before joining WWE in 2016, she competed in track and field at University of South Carolina, Texas A&M and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and she is a regional CrossFit competitor who has been featured in RX Magazine. Prior to making her NXT debut, she shined in last year’s inaugural Performance Center Combine, putting up amazing numbers such as a 400-pound trap-bar deadlift and a 2.07-second 10-yard sprint.
The commentary team will be lead by Lita and Jim Ross. Additionally, WWE Network will also stream an exclusive special entitled, Mae Young Classic: Bracketology immediately following SummerSlam, on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 11 pm ET.
The tournament begins Monday, Aug. 28, with the first four episodes available on demand. Episodes five through eight will be available on demand on Monday, Sept. 4. The final match will stream live from Las Vegas on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 10 pm ET.
What do you think of these new additions? What other names do you think will be added? Sound off in the comments below.
Episode 7 opens with an uncharacteristically nervous Bash smoking a cigarette and grilling Sam Sylvia on outstanding expenses, including Sam’s video camera that has turned up missing. Sylvia is taken aback at his producer’s newfound frugality (this is a far cry from the guy with the drug-dispensing robot and the private chopper we saw a few episodes back).
As it turns out, Bash has had the purse strings snipped by his mother after sinking $600,000 into GLOW so far. Now Bash is trying to make the show a reality on a shoestring budget that he’s trying to play off as a DIY aesthetic.
Debbie is unimpressed with Cherry’s training and decides she needs more advanced training if Liberty Belle is going to be GLOW’s star attraction. She, Ruth, and Carmen take a field trip to Carmen’s family home to ask Carmen’s pro wrestling brothers (played by Tyrus and Carlito, who we see holding an apple when the girls arrive).
The brothers grudgingly agree to show the girls a few moves in a ring set up in the backyard. Debbie wants to learn how to fly to make the audience “shit their pants,” but gets a case of acrophobia when she gets to the top rope, settling on a cross-body block from the second turnbuckle as her finisher.
In a practice run for the TV taping, GLOW holds its first live event, drawing a crowd of about 20 disinterested onlookers and “a homeless guy.” The show gets off to a terrible start as Carmen (as Machu Picchu) is overcome by a panic attack and flees the guy without ever entering the ring. Humiliated, she is consoled by Bash, who privately reveals his financial woes. Both are terrified of letting down their families.
A lackluster wrestling exhibition gets heated when Cherry convinces The Beatdown Biddies to wear Ku Klux Klan robes and hoods instead of the gimmick Sylvia handed them as bickering old ladies. The Biddies are conflicted. “What if Bill Cosby bets mad at us?” one asks. “It’s not racist if the black girls came up with the idea, right?”
The KKK team gets super heat from the crowd, and Cherry (as Junkchain) and Kia Stevens (Welfare Queen) become huge babyfaces against their racist opponents. Junkchain goes off-script again, pulling the robe and hood off one of her opponents, leaving her standing in the ring in her granny panties before scurrying to the back.
With the crowd finally engaged, the main event between Liberty Belle and Zoya The Destroya starts off hot, with the women exchanging holds they learned from Carmen’s brothers. But when Debbie mounts the buckles for her finisher, she sees her estranged husband, Mark, in the crowd. Stunned, she flees the ring, leaving Ruth, the referee, and the crowd befuddled. Rhonda comes to the rescue, jumping into the ring and performing a catchy rap routine she had developed, and eventually the rest of the GLOW girls (minus Debbie, Carmen, and She-Wolf) join in as the audience applauds.
Backstage, Mark serves Debbie with divorce papers. We also learn that Justine, apparently jealous of Sam’s romantic relationship with Rhonda, stashed the stole video camera in Rhonda’s locker, looking to frame her for the theft.
The first show is in the books and it’s not quite a disaster, but tensions are nearing a breaking point.
“Will Naomi once again dash Lana’s championship dreams, or will the third time be a charm in The Ravishing Russian’s quest to claim the SmackDown Women’s Title?”
Lana faces off against Naomi for the title on SmackDown, July 4, at 8 pm ET on the USA Network.
What do you think about this news? Sound off in the comments below.
After Anthem Sports announced that it purchased Nashville-based Global Force Wrestling, the company is now confirming that TNA will no longer exist.
Anthem Sports, the Canadian company that also owns the Fight Network, will rebrand its wrestling league as GFW and Nashville native Jeff Jarrett will helm the creative aspects of the promotion. Its staple weekly program on Pop TV will continue to be called “Impact.”
According to The Tennessean, “The rebranding comes almost 15 years to the day that Jarrett and his father Jerry Jarrett launched TNA. The wrestling promotion ended up under the control of Dixie Carter, endured a turnstile of cable television partners and garnered negative headlines for unpaid bills, unpaid talent and state tax liens.”
The move to rebrand is designed to distance the company from the financial struggles and legal drama that hung over its brand.
GFW already has momentum in the market and Slammiversary is slated to be held on Sundy, July 2.
“We’re a global brand,” Jarrett said of the rebranding. “We have partnerships in Mexico, Japan, other places. Collectively coming together, we’ve combined forces and basically the rebrand final touches happen (on Sunday) at ‘Slammiversary.'”
July 1st, 2014 | With Brie Bella having quit the WWE, Stephanie McMahon turned to her sister Nikki to unleash her anger, booking her in a series of Handicap matches. On an episode of Main Event, Nikki was set to face Cameron and Naomi two-on-one when Stephanie appeared, assigning Nikki a less-than-helpful partner: the unbalanced Alicia Fox. Sure enough, Alicia made the situation even worse for Nikki, rejecting her attempt at a tag, kicking her in the face and watching on as Cameron pinned her for the win.
July 2nd, 2012 | AJ Lee, who had been torn between her affections for CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, was named the special guest referee for their WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank, putting both in the difficult position of trying to remain on her good side. When she found herself displeased with the both of them, AJ capped off the main event of Raw by putting them through a table. How’s that for equal treatment?
