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Lucha Underground Analysis (July 12th 2017): Taya serves up some brutality before Sexy Star gets her revenge

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Welcome to this week’s Lucha Underground review, believers! Last week Taya got involved in Sexy Star‘s Cueto Cup Match to help her Worldwide Underground comrade PJ Black.

This week Taya takes on Jeremiah Crane in a second round Cueto Cup match. Before the two meet in the ring, however, Taya issued this warning:

She promises Jeremiah that the Worldwide Underground will take over the tournament, any means necessary. She says she plans to do the same to him like she did to Ivelisse when she beat her at Ultima Lucha Dos.

Their match up is first on this week’s episode:

Taya makes quite the entrance as Jeremiah observes. The action starts off quick with Jeremiah rushing head first into her. Taya stops him in his tracks, yelling STOP! He looks at her and she smacks him across the face.

She poses for a second while Jeremiah brushes it off. He immediately sends her to the ground with a hard kick. She rolls out of the ring to collect herself and Jeremiah rushes headlong at her, knocking her down with a flying shoulder block.

Jeremiah clears out the first row as Taya lays on the chairs. He does a victory lap around the ring before hitting Taya with a cannonball into the chairs. Taya slowly tries to make it to her feet but Jeremiah grabs her first. He hoists her up but she scrambles off his shoulders and into the crowd. He starts crawling up the balcony but Taya starts pummeling him with blows.

He grabs her by the throat but she pokes him in the eyes. She continues hitting him and eventually he hurtles to the ground. She jumps off the balcony and hits Jeremiah with a cross body. She throws him back into the ring. She pounces on him and continues her assault with punches.

She runs at him in the corner but Jeremiah evades her, hits her hard in the face with his knee. She looks shocked as the camera pans in. Jeremiah looks at her with crazy in his eyes as he winds up for another hit but Taya kicks him right in the groin. She then runs at him with triple hits, her body, a clothesline and her knees.

She pins him but it’s not enough. She kicks him in the face several times, egging him to “come on!” He grabs her check but she start slapping him in the face and chest. He returns the fire. He pins her, but it’s not enough. She crawls to the corner as he gets ready to hit her again. He comes at her but she kicks him right in the jaw.

He screams no and punches the side of her face. He tries to pick her up but she balances on his shoulders again and hits a Canadian Destroyer. She goes up to the top rope but here comes Sexy Star!

Jeremiah takes advantage of the distraction, hitting Taya in the back. He kicks her in the face and buckle bombs her into the opposite corner. She reverses another attempt at a manevour with a surprise pin but it’s no dice.

Jeremiah kicks her in the face. He hits the Cranial Contusion to advance in the Cueto Cup. After the match Sexy Star walks into the ring, puts on brass knuckles, and knocks Taya out.

Later on in the show Catrina makes an appearance with Mil Muertes as he takes on Paul London. The Rabbit Tribe try to distract him but Mil didn’t come to play. He takes him out and Catrina delivers the lick of death after the match.

Famous B and Beautiful Brenda are up to no good as they continue to try and recruit Texano to their side.

Fenix then squares off against Marty “The Moth” Martinez. Mariposa interferes multiple times, but the final time she tries to attack Fenix with an “Aztec Pride” lunch box, Melissa Santos grabs the lunchbox to stop her. This leads to a pin fall.

However, after the match, Marty uses a fork from the lunchbox to attack Fenix as Mariposa holds back Melissa, making her watch the carnage.

Thoughts: I’m very disappointed that not one woman has advanced in the tournament now. However, I do appreciate how intense this match was and how hardcore bouts seem to be Taya’s forte. She’s a master story teller when it comes to bringing the match to another level and mixing in her character beats. This was a really fun match.

I enjoy Jeremiah’s work so it was interesting watching both these fiery people go up against each other, each bringing their own version of crazy. I also very much love the constant, fast-paced action. I could watch them wrestle all day at this pace and because the match was so unpredictable, the audience was able to really rally around Taya. I was rallying around her too even if her stable is full of arrogant weasels. She’s the only one in her group that stands on her own and doesn’t need assistance.

Sexy Star continues to blur the lines of her pure babyface character. She does have an edge about her that hasn’t been brought out since her No Mas match with Mariposa. It’s this part that’s coming out even more after she got screwed last week. I’m curious to see where this feud leaves her. Taya and Sexy had beef earlier this season, where will they go next?

So, is Mil not injured at all after Jeremiah attacked him a few weeks ago? I’m surprised to see him win. Catrina was by his side as usual, did she work some kind of magic that we haven’t seen yet?

Mariposa continues to do her job fantastically well, helping her brother in this match despite losing. What is the end game here with Melissa? Will they abduct her, will they abduct Fenix? Melissa isn’t a wrestler and I’m curious how her role will evolve.

What’s with Famous B and Beautiful Brenda’s obsession with Texano? I haven’t written much about her but she continues to crush her valet role. She’s more than just a valet, she’s an integral part of Famous B, showing others that he can transform lives.This is really neat and these side plots are always entertaining.

What did you think of this week’s episode? What’s next for Melissa? What will Sexy Star do now? Sound off in the comments below.

The post Lucha Underground Analysis (July 12th 2017): Taya serves up some brutality before Sexy Star gets her revenge appeared first on Diva Dirt.


WWE officially announces all 32 competitors to Mae Young Classic

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Tonight via Facebook Live, WWE have officially announced the names of all 32 competitors to the Mae Young Classic:

  • Representing Japan: Kairi Sane
  • Representing United States of America: Tessa Blanchard
  • Representing United States of America: Abbey Laith
  • Representing Brazil: Taynara Conti
  • Representing Germany: Jazzy Gabert
  • Representing India: Kavita Devi
  • Representing Australia: Toni Storm
  • Representing Mexico: Princesa Sugehit
  • Representing United States of America: Lacey Evans
  • Representing United States of America: Sarah Logan
  • Representing United States of America: Bianca BelAir
  • Representing Scotland: Piper Niven
  • Representing New Zealand: Dakota Kai
  • Representing United States of America: Sage Beckett
  • Representing Australia: Rhea Ripley
  • Representing Scotland: Kay Lee Ray
  • Representing England: Ayesha Raymond
  • Representing United States of America: Candice LeRae
  • Representing South Korea: Mia Yim
  • Representing United States of America: Rachel Evers
  • Representing United States of America: Santana Garrett
  • Representing United States of America: Renee Michelle
  • Representing Dominican Republic: Marti Belle
  • Representing United States of America: Mercedez Martinez
  • Representing United States of America: Vanessa Borne
  • Representing United States of America: Reina Gonzalez
  • Representing China: Zeda
  • Representing China: Xia Li
  • Representing United Staets of America: Shayna Baszler
  • Representing United States of America: Nicole Savoy
  • Representing United States of America: Serena Deeb
  • Representing United States of America: Miranda Salinas

Watch the full Mae Young Classic Parade of Champions below:

The first four episode of the Mae Young Classic will be available on the WWE Network beginning Monday, August 28th. The second half of the tournament will then be available on demand beginning Monday, September 4th with the plans of a live finale from Las Vegas on Tuesday, September 12th.

WWE will also broadcast a special preview to the tournament that will air next month on Sunday August 20th via the WWE Network following WWE’s SummerSlam.

What do you think of the full list of competitors to the Mae Young Classic? Do you have a final four in mind? Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below!

The post WWE officially announces all 32 competitors to Mae Young Classic appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Mae Young Classic profile and analysis – Gabert, Nevin, Kai

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By Dan Murphy

Jazzy Gabert

6’2’’, 190, Berlin

2016 PWI Female 50 Ranking: NL

Previous wrestling identity: Alpha Female

Bio: The Berlin-born “Alpha Female” made her pro debut in 2001, training under Joe. E. Legend and Murat Borporus. An absolute powerhouse of a competitor, she thrived in numerous European promotions, including Pro-Wrestling EVE, where she won the EVE championship. She has made multiple tours of STARDOM where she has held the World of Stardom, Goddess of Stardom (tag team), and Artist of STARDOM (six-man tag) titles. She had a brief run in TNA in 2014 where she feuded with Velvet Sky, but she left the promotion a short time later. She has also branched into MMA, going 1-1 since her MMA debut in October 2016.

Style: Powerhouse/brawler. Superior striker, especially when it comes to stiff forearm shots to the chest. Extensively studied submission grappling in preparation for MMA, but raw power is usually enough to get the job done.

What to Watch For: An assortment of power moves, including the chokebomb, powerbomb, tilt-a-whirl slam, and lariat.

Biggest Strength: Physical power. To date, she is the largest female announced for the Mae Young Classic. Depending on her fighting weight, she may well outweigh some of her opponents by more than 90 pounds. Based purely on stature, she would have to be considered a favorite. When you factor in her experience and MMA background, she’s absolutely one to watch.

Biggest Weakness: Unproven in the U.S. Gabert has been a dominant force in international competition, but her foray into the US (in TNA) was unremarkable. She still has to prove that she’s more than a big strong woman. She need to show she can match wits with a Tessa Blanchard or keep up with a Kairi Sane. On paper, she’s got to be considered a favorite … but wrestling matches aren’t won on paper.

Diva-Dirt Odds of Winning: 3:1

Summary: In order to win the Mae Young Classic, Gabert is going to have to show a stamina and resiliency we have not yet seen out of her. Everyone is going to be gunning for her to knock her out of attention. She has to prove that the size of her heart and fighting spirit is commensurate with her physique.

Piper Niven

5’8’’, 220, Ayrshire, Scotland

2016 PWI Female 50 Ranking: NL

Previous wrestling identity: Viper

Bio: A lesser known entry in the field, Niven trained under Damian O’Connor and Mikey Whiplash and made her pro debut in 2008. A fans of Randy Orton, she adopted the name Viper as a tribute, though her brawling, roughhouse style proved to be much different than her idol, even earning her the nickname Big Van Viper at one point. She has collected several singles titles throughout the United Kingdom and made her SHIMMER debut in 2016 where she scored wins over Jessicka Havok and Heidi Lovelace, as well as a title shot against Madison Eagles. She also earned a title shot at STARDOM champion Io Shirai in January.

Style: A brawling juggernaut. Deceptively quick and agile, she tends to batter down opponents with strikes, splashes, sentons, and avalanches. Anyone who draws Niven is going to be in for the fight of their life and they’re going to walk out of the ring battered and bruised.

What to Watch For: Surprises. Niven can move. Suicide dives or moves off the top rope aren’t out of the question. Even though she usually has a size advantage over her opponent, don’t expect her to stand in the middle of the ring and rely on power alone.

Biggest Strength: Pure strength. The harder Niven hits, the better her chances of winning the tournament. She’s going to use all of her 200-plus pounds to her advantage.

Biggest Weakness: Unproven in tournaments. In the past year, Nevin was eliminated in the semifinals of the Pro-Wrestling EVE title tourney, the first round of the DW women’s tile tourney, the semifinals of the FSW top contender’s tourney, and the quarter-finals of the SWE Queen of the Ring tourney. She has yet to prove that she can go all the way, and it’s unlikely that she will in the Mae Young Classic.

Diva-Dirt Odds of Winning: 8:1

Summary: Nevin is a talented and entertaining wrestler, but the tournament format doesn’t suit her strengths. Had she been brought up and been given the Nia Jax treatment (winning several one-sided matches to show her strength), she could become a major player. But against such a diverse group of skilled competitors, she’s not likely to look as dominant as Jax did, which lessens her chances of catching the imagination of the fans (and the front office).

Dakota Kai

5’4’’, 118, East Auckland

2016 PWI Female 50 Ranking: 21

Previous wrestling identity: Evie

Bio: The East Auckland, New Zealand, comes into the Mae Young Classic fresh off a successful SHIMMER tag team run with Heidi Lovelace (Ruby Riot). Kai is coming up on her 10 year anniversary in the ring and has faced a wide variety of competition from around the world, including her runs in SHIMMER and STARDOM. She is a former PWWA (Australia) champion and former Artist of STARDOM (trios) champion with Kellie Skater and Hiroyo Matsumoto.

Style: The captain and founder of “Team Kick” is known primarily for her repertoire of vicious kicks, including her vaunted parabola kick, as well as Kawada-style shin kicks, roundhouses, and front kicks. Primarily uses kicks and other strikes to set up a Go To Sleep variation (using a shin kick instead of a knee smash) or a double foot stop off the top rope to put opponents down for the count. Small in stature, she is an absolutely explosive and charismatic competitor.

What to Watch For: Kicks, and lots of them. But, more than that, Kai is one of the best pure babyfaces in the game. Her ability to sell and rally the crowd behind her is unparalleled. She will likely establish herself as an early favorite and will likely be one of the most buzzworthy competitors in the field.

Biggest Strength: Charisma. Kai could very well become the next Bayley in terms of WWE success. Her striking offense looks terrific, but her ability to connect with an audience cannot be overstated. The WWE main roster is in her near future.

Biggest Weakness: It’s a bit nitpicky, but if we have to identify one weakness in Kai’s game, it might be her promo ability. She comes off as the girl-next-door, which worked wonders for Bayley. But she doesn’t carry herself as being someone larger than life, which is a trait WWE rewards. She’s going to have to be more vocal to stand out from the pack.

Diva-Dirt Odds of Winning: 2:1

Summary: When Evie made her SHIMMER debut in 2013, the backstage buzz was that Americans fans were seeing their first look at a future WWE women’s champion. She’s on pace to make that hype a reality. The Mae Young Classic could be her launching point, and she’s certainly a favorite to win it all. But even if she doesn’t win, we’re confident that she will become a major player in NXT and WWE in the coming months.

The post Mae Young Classic profile and analysis – Gabert, Nevin, Kai appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Mae Young Classic Spoilers, Episodes 1-4

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WWE has taped the first four episodes of their Mae Young Classic Tournament. Brackets and spoilers below.

Mae Young Classic Brackets:

  • Princesa Sugehit vs. Kay Lee Ray
  • Vanessa Borne vs. Serena Deeb
  • Zeda vs. Shayna Baszler
  • Piper Niven vs. Santana Garrett
  • Mia Yim vs. Sarah Logan
  • Xia Li vs. Mercedes Martinez
  • Rhea Ripley vs. Miranda Salinas
  • Jazzy Gabert vs. Abbey Laith
  • Toni Storm vs. Ayesha Raymond
  • Kavita Devi vs. Dakota Kai
  • Candice LeRae vs. Renee Michelle
  • Marti Belle vs. Rachel Evers
  • Bianca Belair vs. Sage Beckett
  • Taynara Conti vs. Lacey Evans
  • Nicole Savoy vs. Reina Gonzalez
  • Kairi Sane vs. Tessa Blanchard
Spoiler

* Crowd lights are turned off during the matches like the Cruiserweight Classic. Matches have a 15-minute time limit.

Episode 1, First Round:

* Princesa Sugehit defeated Kay Lee Ray. Crowd is hot and behind KLR. Solid match. They exchange chops in the corner. KLR locks in a Koji Clutch but Princesa turns it into a roll up for a near fall. Stiff kicks from Sugehit. KLR misses a senton bomb and Sugehit locks in an armbar for the win

* They’re doing the same thing as the CWC with the winners’ hand being raised with the loser at the end

* Ronda Rousey is here at ringside. SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi is brought out for the next match

* They introduce Jessika (Kennadi Brink) as the first full-time female referee in WWE history to a big pop

* Serena Deeb defeated Vanessa Borne. Serena goes for a monkey flip, but Vanessa throws her over the top and hits an elbow. Vanessa hits a headbutt for a near fall. Serena goes for a spear, but Vanessa sidesteps it and Serena slams the turnbuckle. Vanessa with a Samoan Drop for 2. Vanessa misses a splash, Serena ducks a clothesline and nails a spear for the win

* William Regal is shown at ringside. Charlotte Flair and Bayley are sitting behind Ronda. Ronda, Marina Shafir, and Jessamyn Duke are moved to ringside for Shayna’s match

* Shayna Baszler defeated Zeda. Shayna refuses to shake hands. They grapple and Shayna tries to lock in an armbar. Zeda with a monkey flip for 2. Zeda locks in a choke, but Shayna powers out, lifts her up for a suplex, but flips her into a choke for the tapout. Shayna goes to ringside and poses with her fellow Four Horsewomen

* Bayley and Carmella are ringside for the next match, and in a cool move, they’ve moved Izzy up to sit between them for the match

* Piper Niven defeated Santana Garrett. Piper misses sitting on Santana and Santana hits a dropkick for 2. Piper nails a running cross body for a near fall. Santana hits a tornado DDT for a near fall. Santana hits her handspring elbow but Piper nails a crossbody. Santana flips Piper off the top rope and gets a 2 and the crowd goes nuts. Piper hits a senton to Santana’s back and then a sit out powerslam for the win. Crowd got really into this one

Episode 2, First Round:

* Tamina Snuka is ringside for the first match

* Mia Yim defeated Sarah Logan. Good match. Mia with a flurry of kicks for a 2 count. Mia locks in an octopus on the ropes then hits a missile dropkick for a near fall. Mia locks in a guillotine choke, but Sarah powers out and they trade punches and kicks while seated. Sarah goes for a clothesline but Mia sucks it and hits a suplex for a near fall. Sarah hits a dropkick to the corner and then a suplex off the top rope for a near fall. Mia hits Eat Defeat for the win

* Mercedes Martinez defeated Xia Li. Lots of kicks from Xia to start. Quick match. Not a ton of note in it. Mercedes transitions a surfboard into a reverse guillotine choke for a quick tap out

* Emma, Maria & Mike Kanellis are shown at ringside

* Rhea Ripley defeated Miranda Salinas. Rhea with a huge dropkick in the corner. Miranda with a roll up for 2. Rhea hits a full nelson slam for the win. Rhea got over big with the crowd

* Nia Jax and her family are now at ringside

* Abbey Laith defeated Jazzy Gabert. Abbey with stiff forearms to start, but Jazzy keeps throwing her down. Crowd comes unglued the third toss down. Abbey ducks a kick and hits a jawbreaker to stagger Jazzy. Jazzy locks in a move similar to the Anaconda Vice, but Abbey fights out. Jazzy tries to lift her up from an armbar position, but Abbey deadweights and Jazzy locks in a rear naked choke. Abbey goes for a crossbody off the top and Jazzy power slams her. She goes for the cocky cover and only gets one. Abbey fights back and hits a step up enziguri and the yes kicks, but can only get 2. Abbey hits a senton bomb for a 2 count. Crowd is super into this. Jazzy folds her in half with a clothesline and goes in with punches on the mat. Jazzy goes for the crucifix/Widow’s Peak move, but Abbey rolls out and rolls her up for the win. Jazzy hugs Abbey post match and raises her hand

Episode 3, First Round:

* Charlotte Flair and Sara Amato are now ringside

* Toni Storm defeated Ayesha Raymond. Ayesha refuses the handshake. Toni is super over. Nice technical chain to start. Ayesha with a scoop slam for 2. Crowd booing Ayesha heavy. Ayesha goes up top, but comes down and jawjacks with the crowd. She goes up in the opposite corner for a splash, but misses and Toni rolls her up for the win

* Dakota Kai defeated Kavita Devi. Playing the David/Goliath angle here. Kavita dominating with power moves, including a press slam and lifting Dakota up with one arm. Kai ducks a corner splash and then hits her base-running kick and a double stomp off the top for the win

* Johnny Gargano, Natalya and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix are now ringside. Nia Jax and family members are still there from the previous episode

* Candice LeRae defeated Renee Michelle. Gargano is ringside cheering and chanting for his wife Candice. They start with a series of 1-counts leading to a respectful standoff. Candice gets back in control with a codebreaker and hits a neckbreaker for a near fall. Candice with chops in the corner. Renee with a spin kick for 2. Candice hits a running kick on a seated Renee for a near fall. Candice hits jumping spinning neckbreaker off the top for the win

* Rachel Evers defeated Marti Belle. Kassius Ohno is ringside to support his girlfriend Rachel. Rachel goes for lockups, but Marti keeps claiming she’s not ready. Marti playing big heel here. Rachel with a bicycle kick for 2. Marti necks her on the rope and takes control. Sloppy work from Marti, she’s not having a good showing at all. Rachel hits a spinebuster for a near fall. Marti hits a Stroke for a near fall. Rachel gets a small package on Marti for the pin

Episode 4, First Round:

* Akira Tozawa is at ringside

* Bianca Belair defeated Sage Beckett. Montez Ford is also at ringside to support his fiancé Bianca. Bianca with a leg drop to the back and a splash for 2. Sage hits a sit out full nelson slam for a near fall. Sage with a corner splash and a running kick but only gets 1. Sage puts Bianca in the tree of woe and splashes her. Sage misses a Vader splash, and Bianca whips her with her hair and hits a spear for the win

* Alicia Fox takes Tozawa’s seat at ringside

* Lacey Evans defeated Taynara Conti. Conti with kicks and strikes to start. Conti with an overhead throw for 2. Lacey with a twisting neckbreaker and a flip off the mat into an elbow. Lacey hits a sitdown driver for the win. Taynara refuses the handshake at the end

* Nicole Savoy defeated Reina Gonzalez. Nicole goes for a pele, but Reina pulls her hair and knocks her down. Sloppy match. Nicole locks in an armbar for the win.

* Kairi Sane defeated Tessa Blanchard. Kairi is a star. This crowd loves her. Tessa with a neckbreaker for 2. Big chops from Kairi. Baseball slide forearm and a big axehandle from Kairi for 2. Tessa sidesteps and drapes Kairi in the ropes, hitting a leg drop to her back. Tessa goes up top, but Kairi hits a forearm. Tessa knocks her off the rope and hits a cannonball senton for a near fall. Series of roll ups for twos. Tessa goes for a kick but Kairi catches her leg and hits a kick to the back. Kairi hits the Alabama Slam and the elbow to a huge pop for the win.

(Source)

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Today in History: Vickie Guerrero makes her WWE debut

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On this day in history:

July 14th, 2005 | Though she’s well known now for her abrasive personality, Vickie Guerrero made her first WWE appearance in the role of a peacemaker, appearing on an episode of SmackDown to try to convince her husband Eddie Guerrero to cease his vendetta against Rey Mysterio. She interrupted a promo by Eddie, coming to the ring with their two daughters (including former NXT Superstar Shaul Guerrero). She pleaded with Eddie to keep whatever secret he was dangling in front of Rey to himself, demonstrating impressive mic skills for someone with no experience. Eddie would eventually relent – sort of.

What are your memories of this moment?

Also occurring today in history:
* 7/14/13 – AJ Lee defeats Kaitlyn to retain the Divas Title at Money in the Bank 2013.

The post Today in History: Vickie Guerrero makes her WWE debut appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Sasha Banks on how WWE’s Women’s Evolution came to be

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Two years have now passed since Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch all made their WWE main roster debuts in what is considered to be the launch of the ‘Divas/Women’s Revolution’.

In an interview with FOX Sports Australia, Sasha Banks looks back on how the Women’s Evolution came to be, first arriving to the main roster and the possibility of WWE hosting the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble. Highlights of the interview below.

On first being called up to the main roster: “I was so nervous. Becky (Lynch) and Charlotte were so excited to get called up but I was like, ‘No, we have something so special down in NXT’. We were so spoiled and the fans were just too good to us. I remember getting called up and we were still doing really short matches. And I didn’t even understand what the storyline was of having these random teams, and what were we fighting for?”

On how the rise of women’s sports helped the Women’s Evolution: “I think it’s all because of that connection. We have to go with what’s going on in the universe. I felt like if we just still doing what we were doing, ‘Divas’, I felt like it wouldn’t really relate and the fans would have been like, ‘well if other women in sports are doing it, why can’t they?’ They’ve (women) just been taking over and we had to go with the times and evolve. And here we are in this women’s evolution.”

On the possibility of a Women’s Royal Rumble: “I would be so down for that. Because I wanted to be in the first women’s Money in the Bank, but Smackdown had to get that, but I would love to have a women’s Royal Rumble. And I’d hope they’d bring in younger women, and older women from the past, I think that would be so cool.”

Sasha also discusses first finding out she would main event Hell in a Cell with Charlotte and finding out WWE’s rebranding of the Divas division to Superstars.

You can read the full interview here.

What did you think of the interview? How do you think the Women’s Evolution came to be? Would you like to see a Women’s Royal Rumble take place? Let us know in the comments below!

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Mae Young Classic Spoilers, Episodes 5-8

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WWE has taped the second half of their Mae Young Classic Tournament. Spoilers below.

Click here to view the non-spoiler brackets of the Mae Young Classic Tournament

Spoiler

Episode 5, Second Round:

* The remaining 16 women are on stage with the Mae Young Classic trophy to start us off. 2nd round matches have a 20 minute time limit.

* Abbey Laith defeated Rachel Evers. Great match. Huge dueling “Let’s go Rachel/Let’s Go Abbey” chants at the start. Abbey hits a suicide dive after a springboard armdrag. Rachel with a running senton for a near fall. Rachel with an STO and a springboard leg drop for 2. Both girls nail a bicycle kick at the same time to lay the other out as the crowd goes nuts and chants “women’s wrestling.” They trade punches and kicks. Rachel cuts Abbey off with a forearm and hits a scoop slam off the top rope for two. Abbey ducks a boot and hits a powerbomb for the win.

* Emma is ringside for the next match. Serena Deeb vs Piper Niven is shown on screen as a match for later.

* Piper Niven defeated Serena Deeb. Serena with a headlock early, trying to wear her down. Serena goes for a scoop slam off, but Piper falls on her for a 2. Piper with a headlock. Serena with a roll up for 2. Piper with a running cross body for 2. Serena gets her knees up as Piper goes for a running senton. Serena hits a sliced bread like run up the ropes into a side headlock. Serena with a slam and a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Serena tries to get her in a fireman’s carry but can’t get her up, and Piper throws her into the corner and hits a cannonball. Piper sidesteps a corner spear and hits a middle rope splash for a 2. Piper goes to the top and misses a splash, but reverses Serena’s Irish whip attempt into the Michinoku driver for the win.

* Bayley is also seated in the crowd with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

* Kalisto is now ringside for our next match.

* Mercedes Martinez defeated Princesa Sugehit. Princesa goes for the three amigos but Mercedes catches her in the ropes. Princesa sidesteps a running corner boot and nails a codebreaker. They battle on the top rope, and Princesa tosses Mercedes off the rope and hits a tornado DDT for a near fall. Princesa with a tilt-o-whirl into an armbar, but Mercedes gets out. Mercedes hits a Fisherman Suplex for the win.

* Mike & Maria Kanellis are at ringside.

* Kairi Sane defeated Bianca Belair. Bianca backs Kairi in the corner to start. Bianca getting the best of Kairi with overpowering moves. Kairi fires up and hits a dropkick. Kairi with forearms. Bianca whips Kairi in the midsection with her hair, and then just starts sipping her all over ther ring into the corner with it. Crowd goes nuts for it and boos Bianca out of the building. Bianca catches Kairi and hits a delayed vertical suplex with squats for a close near fall. Bianca with more power moves and a few different submissions. Bianca hits a Glam Slam for a near fall. Kairi gets her knees up on a splash and fights back with chops. Kairi hits a forearm off the middle rope after an Irish whip. Kairi locks in a submission but Bianca fights out and hits a powerslam for 2. Bianca with a stiff forearm but it just fires Kairi up. Bianca is dazed but hits a spinebuster, and a 630 splash for a nearfall. Crowd goes nuts. Kairi sidesteps the spear, nails the sliding forearm, a spinning backfist, and the elbow for the win.

Episode 6, Second Round:

* Nigel McGuinness is ringside.

* Toni Storm defeated Lacey Evans. Toni offers a handshake, but Lacey pulls her in to a headlock. Toni with a big boot and hits her butt-to-the-head moves, but Lacey ducks the final one and gets a roll up for 2. Lacey dives over the top with an elbow drop for a nearfall. Toni with forearms and hits a draping backcracker. Toni hits a fisherman driver onto her knee for the win.

* We have dueling Four Horsewomen as Ronda Rousey, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir are brought to ringside on the opposite side of Charlotte, Bayley, and Becky Lynch (with Sasha Banks on FaceTime)

* Shayna Baszler defeated Mia Yim. Mia ducks a kick and gets a roll up. Mia nails a suicide dive right in front of Ronda & co. Shayna blocks a kick and goes to work on the ankle. Shayna hits a gut wrench suplex for 2. Mia takes over with kicks. Shayna comes out of the corner with a knee strike for 2. Mia gets a suplex for 2, and goes for another, but gets caught in a heel hook. Mia fights out of it and hits a powerbomb for 2. Mia goes up top and goes for a 450, but Shayna catches her in a choke for the win. The Four Horsewomen on either side of the ramp jawjack, as Shayna stares down Charlotte, Becky, and Bayley as Charlotte challenges her to bring it.

* Dakota Kai defeated Rhea Ripley. Dakota flips Rhea out of the ring, but she lands on her feet. Rhea gets Dakota in an electric chair, and slams her face into the apron. Rhea with a dropkick for 2. Dakota with a roll up for 2. Rhea with a pop-up and lets Dakota splat the mat for a near fall. Dakota fights back with a kick. Dakota hits the corner kick for a near fall. They fight on the top rope and Dakota hits the double stomp with Rhea in the tree of woe for the pin.

* Johnny Gargano is ringside for our final 2nd round match: Candice LeRae vs Nicole Savoy.

* Candice LeRae defeated Nicole Savoy. Nicole kicks Candice’s hand away on the handshake attempt. Candice with a tornado DDT. Nicole folds Candice in half with a nasty German suplex. They grapple and trade submissions. Candice hits a facebuster. Nicole dodges a corner kick but gets hit with a boot when she tries one of her own. Nicole hits two roll-through butterfly suplexes and transitions into an armbar. Nicole dominating and hits a German for a 2. Nicole reverses and tilt-o-whirl armbar attempt into a firemans carry slam into the turnbuckle. Nicole goes for a butterfly off the top, but Candice fights off. They fight up top and Candice hits her swinging neckbreaker off the top for the win. Candice runs out and hugs Johnny after the match.

Episode 7, Quarterfinals:

* Drew Gulak is ringside for our first quarterfinal match. 25 minute time limit for the quarters.

* Mercedes Martinez defeated Abbey Laith. Lockup to start. Mercedes with a headlock. Abbey hits a facebuster split and a few armdrags for a near fall. Mercedes with forearms and chops in the corner. Abbey out of the corner with rapid fire chops and a bicycle kick for 2. Abbey with kicks in the corner. They brawl on the apron and Abbey knocks Mercedes off and hits a crossbody off the top. Abbey rolls her in for 2. Mercedes throws Abbey out of the ring and tries to drape her over the top rope, but Abbey slides over and hits a German for a near fall. Mercedes fights back with kicks and hits a fisherman suplex for the win. Crowd is not happy with that one. Abby is busted open a bit.

* Johnny Gargano back out at ringside to support his wife, as are Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke to support their Four Horsewomen friend.

* Candice LeRae vs. Shayna Baszler is up.

* Shayna Baszler defeated Candice LeRae. Shayna refuses the handshake. Shayna with a huge jumping knee to start. Candice ducks a boot and kicks Shayna out of the ring. Candice hits a suicide dive into a tornado DDT and rolls her in for a near fall. Candice with the GargaNo Escape to a huge pop. Shayna gets the ropes but Candice rolls off and keeps the hold. Shayna deadlifts her into a side slam. They brawl on the top and Candice goes for her neckbreaker, but Shayna turns it into her rear naked choke for the win. Crowd booing huge as Shayna won’t let the choke go. Shayna finally lets it go and jaw jacks with Gargano. Gargano jumps the rail to check on Candice. After having her hand raised, Shayna kicks Candice in front of Johnny. After Shayna left the ring, Johnny helped Candice up to a huge ovation and left her to take a bow.

* Lana is ringside for our next match: Piper Niven vs. Toni Storm.

* Toni Storm defeated Piper Niven. Great back and forth at the beginning ending with both ladies holding hands and kicking out of a double pin attempt while still locked up, and a bridge up kickout by both to a standing ovation. Piper with a running crossbody for a nearfall. Piper with a running senton for 2. Piper dodges Toni’s corner splash, but Toni dodges the cannonball and hits her splash. Piper hits the Michinoku driver, but Toni kicks out. Piper is distraught and hits the cannonball, and goes up for a splash, but Toni German suplexes her off the middle rope and hits a leg drop off the top for the win. Great match.

* Funaki is out for our next quarterfinal: Kairi Sane vs. Dakota Kai. On the way to the ring, Ronda Rousey asks for a hi-five from Kairi and gets excited when Kairi obliges.

* Kairi Sane defeated Dakota Kai. Nice exchange at the start. Kairi hits a running neckbreaker for a big pop. Kairi with chops in the corner. Kairi goes up top but Dakota pulls her down for a 2 count. Dakota with a big face wash boot for 2. Kairi with big chops and a dropkick as Dakota is on the ropes. Dakota hits the running boot. They trade forearms and go up top. Dakota goes for the double stomp, but Kairi leans out of the way and hits a forearm off the top for a nearfall. Dakota with a huge kick, but Kairi ducks the running kick, nails an Alabama Slam, and hits the elbow drop for the win. Awesome match.

* WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix is out to be a guest commentator for the next match.

* Tessa Blanchard, Jazzy Gabert and Kay Lee Ray defeated Santana Garrett, Sarah Logan and Marti Belle. Jazzy Gabert gets a massive pop from the crowd and huge Jazzy chants. Tessa & Sarah start, and the crowd erupts in We Want Jazzy chants. Sarah tags Santana who gets a series of pin attempts. KLR in, and they double team Santana as the ref is distracted, but Santana gets a double springboard armdrag for a 2 count. Marti in, and they trade forearms. Jazzy gets the tag and the crowd comes unglued. Jazzy kills Marti. Crowd is on their feet. Jazzy with a torture rack on Marti and she throws her into the turnbuckle and tags Tessa. Marti with a facebuster, and gets the hot tag to Santana. However the crowd explodes as Jazzy is tagged back in. The crowd boos as Santana locks in a choke, but KLR breaks it up. KLR accidentally takes out Jazzy, and the women all take each other out. It ends up with Jazzy alone with Marti, and Santana comes off the rope, but Jazzy catches her, puts her over her shoulder and nails a face plant driver for the win. The crowd erupts in “Please Sign” Jazzy chants.

* Triple H out. The crowd erupts in “Please Sign Jazzy” chants, and Hunter laughs and says we did this in the Cruiserweight Classic and it cost him too much money, he’s got budgets. He says he’s out her to thank us. There’s not been a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for women’s wrestling until now. He says there’s one more person he needs to thank, and that’s Sara Amato. Triple H gives a really nice speech about Sara’s journey and how much she’s helped bring women’s wrestling up and they give her a bouquet of flowers. The crowd gives her a nice “Thank You Sara” chant. Triple H jokes that Sara hates him right now, but there’s one thing left to ask: “Are You Ready” for the semifinals?!?

Episode 8, Semifinals:

* The semifinals have a 30 minute time limit.

* Shayna Baszler defeated Mercedes Martinez to advance to the finals. Mercedes shoots for a takedown to start. Shayna does a lackadaisical kick and Mercedes unloads with forearms. Mercedes catches Shayna with kicks and punches and locks a headlock in. Mercedes goes side and tries to lock in an armbar. Shayna fights out and unloads with forearms. Shayna with a roll through gut wrench suplex for 2. Shayna has a leglock in and transitions to an ankle lock. Mercedes with kicks to the face to fight out. They trade forearms and Mercedes slaps Shayna and unloads with forearms. Mercedes hits the fisherman suplex, but her leg is too hurt for hurt to make the cover and Shayna kicks out at 2. Mercedes with a barrage of suplexes. Mercedes goes for the Fisherman again, but Shayna fights out and locks in the rear naked choke. Mercedes tries to fight it but eventually taps out to give Shayna the win. Post match, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Sara Amato present Shayna with a bouquet and raise her hand, and also congratulate Mercedes.

* Kairi Sane defeated Toni Storm to advance to the finals. Collar and elbow to start. Great back and forth technical exchange. Toni with a pin attempt. Lots of technical wrestling here at the start. Kairi ducks a forearm on the apron, but misses a top rope forearm, ducks a clothesline and hits a running boot. Toni with uppercuts, but they just fire Kairi up. Kairi pulls Toni off the apron and goes up top and hits a big crossbody to the floor. Kairi rolls her in and gets 2. Kairi with a half crab but Toni gets to the ropes. Toni blocks the sliding forearm and hits her corner butt splash, but Kairi explodes out of the corner with a spear on the second attempt. They trade strikes and Kairi fires up and hits a huge chop. Kairi goes for the elbow but Toni blocks and hits a Muscle Buster/Fisherman Buster for a nearfall. Toni blocks a spinning backfist and locks in an armbar while laying on Kairi’s back. The crowd explodes with Kairi chants and Kairi reverses it for a near fall. Toni goes for the leg drop, but Kairi rolls over and Toni lands on Kairi’s back. Kairi gets a cross legged Boston crab locked in then hits the elbow drop for the win. Awesome match but a little botchy at the end. Same post match as the other semi.

* Kairi is on the stage with Triple H, Sara and Stephanie, when Shayna Baszler walks out. They square off like a UFC press conference and pose for photos with the trophy behind them. Stephanie raises Shayna’s arm and Sara raises Kairi’s as Triple H gives them the stage and we get the announcement of this being the final match for Las Vegas on Tuesday, September 12th.

(Source)

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Today in History: AJ Lee referees CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan at Money in the Bank 2012

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On this day in history:

July 15th, 2012 | AJ Lee had been spurned by both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, so the drama was amped up to 11 when she was appointed guest referee for their No DQ WWE Championship match. A replacement referee had to be issued when AJ was accidently knocked off the ring apron by Punk, but she reappeared near the end of the match, tossing a steel chair into the ring to liven things up. The culmination of the match saw Punk send Bryan through a table from the top rope. AJ counted the pin, but seemed especially reluctant to do so.

What are your memories of this moment?

Also occurring today in history:
* 7/15/07 – Eric Young & Gail Kim defeated Bobby Roode & Traci Brooks at Victory Road 2007.
* 7/15/12 – Layla, Kaitlyn & Tamina Snuka defeated Beth Phoenix, Natalya & Eve Torres at Money in the Bank 2012.

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GFW Impact Write-Up (July 13th, 2017): Ins and Outs

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Hola Knockout fans and welcome to this week’s Impact… or hmm… rather the very first GFW Impact Write-Up!? First off, I’d like to thank Matthew for covering the last two episodes of Impact Wrestling and Slammiversary during my short break. And my what an episode to come back to: the company formerly known as TNA is going through yet another name/merge as GFW takes over (the identity crisis continues!) and we hear a major announcement from the returning Gail Kim.

Jeremy Borash introduces his good friend Gail as she gets set to make her special announcement. He calls Gail a pioneer Knockout who truly defied a division. No arguments there JB! The Hall of Famer looks beautiful as the Impact Zone greets her to a tremendous ovation.

Gail starts off by revealing that she has been holding on to this announcement for quite awhile now. She expresses her gratitude of having the chance to work with some of the most talented and respected people in the business. She’s performed for millions around the world – literally giving her soul, mind and body to wrestling with no regrets. We love you Gail!

With all that being said, Gail officially announces that by the end of 2017, she will retire from in-ring competition. A “No” chants begins to break out. Gail thanks all of the friends she’s been able to make throughout her career and thanks Impact Wrestling for allowing her to be herself.

Lastly, Gail thanks all of the fans, who begin a dual “Thank you Gail” and “Please don’t go” chant. Gail closes out the segment by stating to that she intends to go out on top, right here in her home of Impact Wrestling! #ThankYouGail

Karen Jarrett and Gail both comment on the retirement announcement during GFW’s Last Word and Inside Out.


In some of the more humorous highlights of the night, Scottish wrestling star Grado is on a mission of finding a bride in an attmept to avoid deportation from the United States. That’s one way to beat the system. His ace attorney Joseph Park suggests he marry a Knockout, saying that all the boys are doing it.

Grado approaches a parade of Knockouts that include Ava Storie, Amber Nova, Rebel, McKenzie Mitchell, Sienna, Rosemary and Allie. All these lovely ladies, sadly, reject the beloved bachelor to a simple date.

After being told ‘No’ so many times, Grado meets back with Joseph Park who says he is running out chances. To help Grado, Joseph hands Grado a bottle of champagne and a box of the finest chocolates. Champagne you say, clearly Laurel Van Ness is next on Grado’s love connection agenda!

Speaking of Laurel, she’s up next in a match against Ava Storie:


As the bell rings for this contest, Josh Matthews questions how many it has been since Laurel has word her broken bride wedding dress. Same Josh, same,

Laurel starts off by charging after Ava, who literally ducks and covers Laurel into a roll up for a two count. Ava traps Laurel via body scissors and goes for a series of pin attempts all around the ring to no avail.

Avail switches gears, landing a series of forearms to Laurel and whips her to a corner but Laurel reveres. The Broken Bride stays in control as she knocks Ava off and goes for the cover that earns a two count.

Laurel maneuvers Ava back to a corner, where she stomps her head to the bottom turnbuckle. After choking Ava out via ring ropes, Laurel goes for the Curb Stomp but Ava manages to escape.

Ava blocks and catches Laurel’s kick, countering it out with a neck breaker. Laurel retreats to the outside, looking to walk out of the match but Ava chases after her and tosses her back to the six sided ring. As Ava re-enters the ring, she is struck with a running knee from Laurel all leading up to second rope DDT that earns Lauerl the three count and win!

Post match, Grado and Joseph Parks are back on our screens to congratulate Laurel on her win. The Impact Zone are fully behind Grado as he tries to charm Laurel into going out on a date with him.

Grado compliments Laurel from head to toe and asks him she would like to possibly grab some food, drinks and catch a movie. Grado just wants an answer damn it! While the Impact Zone lets out a ‘Yes!’ chant, Laurel doesn’t give Grado an answer as her beast of a hunch man Kongo Kong comes out to chase away Grado and his lawyer.

During GFW’s Last Word, cameras catch Laurel where she apparently agrees to Grado’s proposition to a date.

Thoughts: Say it ain’t so Gail! I absolutely love Gail Kim, so it is very bittersweet to hear of her forthcoming retirement. On one side, the Knockouts division will lose their MVP of many years; a woman who is practically the synonym to the Knockouts division. On the other hand, health comes first and with a tremendous career of nearly two decades, Gail will no doubt leave behind a career she can be very proud of! Thanks for all you have done for women’s wrestling Gail!

As for as everything else, the Knockouts seem to be in a stuck rut at the moment. Even though this week’s Knockouts match was short (the trend continues) I think this was Ava’s best showing on Impact so far. She looked more comfortable in the ring and I think there is a chance to see her grow if the company would just give her something to work with and not switch her from babyface to heel every other week. Same goes for all the newest additions to the Knockouts division: MJ Jenkins, Diamanté, Alisha Edwards, Christina Von Eerie.

I’m a bit disappointed that Rosemary has yet to make a full on cameo since her defeat from Slammiversary (no, that small Grado bit doesn’t count) as we continue to head into this full GFW take over. This has been one of the company’s hottest act and after making a turn to her character, I’d like to see what she’ll do next after such a lengthy reign as Knockouts Champion.

From what it seems, the GFW Women’s title will be the replacement to the Knockouts one come Destination X next month. I understand this is all part of their 1000th ‘reset button’ fiasco but there’s so much prestige behind the Knockouts title that this is giving me flashbacks to 2010’s Night of Champion scenario involving the WWE Women’s and Divas Titles.

I’m unsure how to feel going forward with the GFW re-branding. Changing the name of the company may take some of the ‘bad’ from the previous TNA and Impact history but there were still plenty of good that came from it – especially when it came to the Knockouts division! I still believe in this division (the talent is there!) but unless creative do their part in investing in them, the only thing that will truly change is the name.

What did you think of this week’s Impact? Are you shocked by Gail’s announcement? How do you feel about the GFW rebrand? Let us know in the comments below! 

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Gail Kim comments on upcoming retirement

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On this week’s episode of GFW Impact Wrestling, Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer Gail Kim announced that she would officially be retiring from in-ring competition by the end of the year 2017.

Gail has taken to Instagram to comment on her upcoming retirement writing the following:

“I’ve had 17 AMAZING years in pro wrestling and unfortunately it’s something that can’t last forever. I’m grateful for all the ups and downs because it made me who I am today. All I ever wanted was to be the best ‘wrestler’ And the business has given me so much more. More gifts than I ever could hope for. I always said that I would retire when I couldn’t give all of me ALL of the time. That day and decision has come with some difficulty and peace at the same time but for the remainder of 2017, you better believe you will get ALL of me! I intend to #MakeMyMark and #GoOutOnTop !!!! Thanks for all the support and love after last night’s announcement. It isn’t over yet!”

Instagram Photo

Gail initially debuted for the WWE in 2003, capturing the Women’s Title in her debut match, before being released in 2004. She returned to the company in 2009 and remained with them before unofficially parting ways in 2011.

During her time with Impact Wrestling and launch of their Knockouts division, Gail became the inaugural Knockouts Champion, a title she would win on six separate occasions. She has topped PWI’s Female 50 in the year 2012 and has played a keystone to some of Impact’s most notable Knockouts feuds and matches that include Awesome Kong, Taryn Terrell, The Beautiful People, Brooke Adams and Maria Kanellis.

Outside the ring, Gail has also served as a mentor and judge during the second season of British Boot Camp. In 2016, Gail became the first woman to be inducted to the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame.

What are your thoughts on Gail’s retirement? What been some of your favorite moments in her career? Who would you think to see her final match against? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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Main Event Redux (July 13th, 2017): Mickie battles Emma

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Good day readers and welcome to this week’s Main Event Redux! It’s been well over a year since I’ve covered a women’s match from WWE’s C+ program but this week we’re back and treated to a match-up pitting Raw Superstars Mickie James and Emma against each other. Let’s see how the action unfolds.

The match starts off with a tie-up, Emma winning the bout by locking Mickie in a headlock. Mickie escapes by cleverly rolling Emma through and manages to lock in a headlock of her own. Emma breaks free by shoving Mickie to the ropes, only to be taken down by a shoulder block. Mickie runs to ropes and takes Emma down once again with dropkick that earns a two-count.

Emma takes a breather by drawing back to the ropes but manages to take control of the match after sliding and striking Mickie from behind. She follows up by throwing Mickie face first to a top turnbuckle and then whipping Mickie to the ropes. Mickie reveres upon return, striking Emma down with a swift kick.

The women meet back at the turnbuckle, where Mickie sets Emma up for her signature cornered hurricanrana but Emma counters this out into a powerbomb for a win! As Emma goes for the cover, backstage cameras catch Dana Brooke tuning to the match. What’s this, Main Event actually giving us a potential follow up to Dana’s meeting with Emma from the Great Balls of Fire Kick-off show?

Back to the in-ring action, Emma tries to wear Mickie down with a suplex and a grounded full nelson hold. Mickie gets to her feet, striking Emma with some elbow shots to break free from Emma’s grasp but is taken down with a clothesline.

Emma goes on to place Mickie upside-down from the familiar turnbuckle and slides under the bottom rope to the outside. From there, Emma pulls Mickie’s hair but lets go before the referee calls for a DQ.

Emma returns inside the ring and lays a kick to the back of Mickie James, knocking off the former Women’s Champion from the corner. Emma goes for the cover but Mickie stays alive! For a second time in this match, Emma locks in a full nelson hold but Mickie breakouts with repetitive elbow shots.

Momentum begins to build up for Emma as she strikes Emma with a combination of kicks, clotheslines and a flapjack. Mickie climbs the top rope of a turnbuckle to land a diving seated splash to Emma for a two count.

Back on their feet, Mickie kicks Emma in the midsection and hits the Mickie-DT that earns her the three count victory. Post match, we find Dana still carefully looking on to this one-on-one match-up.

Thoughts: Wow what a fun match! I think we can all agree that both Emma and Mickie are two talents that have been neglected on Raw. This match really played out some of the strengths that both Superstars can play when given the chance.

Emma’s got attitude, aggression and tactics up her sleeve while Mickie is the seasoned fan favorite. It was such a relief to actually hear the crowd pop and get behind Mickie James again!

Right now, the WWE are trying to juggle multi-person matches on both Raw and SmackDown when it comes to their Women’s division. I get that they want to spotlight as many Superstars as they can but its comes at the price of repetitive stories/narratives. Raw has one more hour of air time than SmackDown, surely they can somehow carry a secondary women’s feud outside the title picture, can’t they?

Here, Main Event even took the time to acknowledge the encounter Emma had with Dana Brooke and while there wasn’t that much to take away from it (yet), continuity is key! Let’s just hope some of this carries on to Raw in the weeks ahead.

What did you think of the match? What do think will happen between Emma and Dana Brooke? Would you like to see an Emma/Mickie feud play out on Raw? Let us know in the comments below!

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Today in History: Daniel Bryan proposes to AJ Lee

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On this day in history:

July 16th, 2012 | A day after refereeing his defeat, AJ Lee teamed up with Daniel Bryan to take on Eve Torres and The Miz. AJ and Daniel won, and after the match he dropped to one knee to propose to her. Despite being pelted with “NO!” chants from the crowd, AJ said yes and agreed to marry him, their wedding eventually set for the Raw 1000 special.

What are your memories of this moment?

Also occurring today in history:
* 7/16/06 – Sirelda, AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels defeated Gail Kim, Chris Harris & James Storm) to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles for Daniels and Styles at Victory Road 2006.

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Week ending July 16th, 2017

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Each week, The Backpage will wrap up some of the smaller news stories, rumors, editorials and gossip making the rounds in women’s wrestling. Got a tip for next week? Send it in.

* Triple H takes a moment to honor WWE’s Performance Center assistant head coach Sara Amato during the Mae Young Classic. (Twitter, Instagram)

* WWE have compiled bios for all 32 competitors of the Mae Young Classic. (WWE.com)

* There is a lot of talk that Nikki Bella will be returning to action soon and appearing come SummerSlam. (PW Insider)

* Sports Illustrated reports that Talking Smack has been canceled as a weekly series due to Vince McMahon feeling that the show’s unscripted style was not in the company’s best interests. (Sports Illustrated)

* AJ Brooks opens up about her mental health journey. (NAMI)

* There is speculation that former TNA President Dixie Carter will appear on Raw being revealed as the mysterious person behind the Kurt Angle texting storyline. (Sportskeeda)

* The finish of Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss’ match at Great Balls of Fire was changed at the last minute because WWE wants to use the reports the two women dislike each other in real life to extend their feud. (Cageside Seats)

* Brie Bella will make her first major public appearance since Birdie’s birth at San Diego Comic-Con International. (WWE.com)

* According to The Wrestling Observer, WWE have changed their mind and gave Kairi Sane permission to use her elbow drop finisher despite originally being told that she couldn’t do it because it was ‘Bayley‘s move’. (Wrestling INC)

* Mick Foley shares an incredible story about how Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch created a great moment for dying WWE fan. (IWNerd)

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Today in History: Trish Stratus puts Lita through a table

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On this day in history:

July 17th, 2000 | After interference by Test and Albert brought a match between the Dudley Boyz and the Hardy Boyz to an abrupt end, Lita and Trish Stratus were left in the ring with a table and a ladder. Test and Albert left Lita prone on the table, but before Trish could drive her through it, Lita was up and climbing the ladder. Trish was able to shove her off, though, sending her rival off the ladder and through the table.

What are your memories of this moment?

Also occurring today in history:
* 7/17/11 – Kelly Kelly defeats Brie Bella to retain the Divas Title at Money in the Bank 2011.

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Raw Discussion Post: July 17th, 2017

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WWE’s SummerSlam is a month away and the Raw Women’s division is looking to hype up the upcoming PPV.

Read WWE.com’s preview to tonight’s show below:

One week after Nia Jax rendered Bayley unable to compete when The Huggable One teamed with Sasha Banks against the juggernaut and Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, Bayley pinned the self-proclaimed “Goddess of WWE” in an intense rematch this past Monday night. Based on that victory, it seems Bayley is back in the fight. Is the beloved Superstar inching toward a championship opportunity after pinning the titleholder?

Tune in to Raw on the USA Network at 8pm ET.

Discuss the show in the comments!

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Today in History: The Divas and Women’s Titles are defended at Money in the Bank 2010

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On this day in history:

July 18th, 2010 | At Money in the Bank 2010, both the Divas Championship and the Women’s Championship were up for grabs: Alicia Fox defended the Divas Title against Eve Torres while Layla put the Women’s Title on the line against Kelly Kelly. Alicia was able to hold on to her belt by delivering a scissors kick to Eve. Layla, meanwhile, retained her title by reversing a pin attempt by Kelly into one of her own. As it turned out, neither belt was destined to change hands that night.

What are your memories of these moments?

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Raw Redux (July 17th, 2017): There can only be one

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Greetings one and all, it’s Josue here and I’ll be covering Raw for Alex this week. Last week, we saw Bayley score a big win when she pinned the Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss in tag team action. With SummerSlam nearly a month away, can Bayley keep her momentum going in time for a title shot at the PPV event? Let’s see how things unfold!

This week, Bayley is set to go one-on-one with Alexa Bliss. The Raw Women’s Champion lands the first strike with a slap across Bayley’s face. Bayley responds by carrying Alexa to a corner and stomps at the champ. Alexa reverses, laying in a few stomps of her own but Bayley is able to create separation when she kicks Alexa in the midsection. Just as Bayley is able to take Alexa down, Nia Jax’s music hits and out comes some backup for Alexa as we head to a commercial break.

When we return, we see Nia is at ringside and Alexa in control over Bayley with a grounded Hammer Lock. Bayley gets to her feet, trying to fight out of Alexa’s hold but gets taken down instead for a two-count.

Bayley catches a boot from Alexa which causes the champion to lose her footing and go down. Bayley then sends Alexa to the ring ropes, setting up for an elevated neck breaker from the middle ropes! The crowd is hot for Bayley, who begins to unleash lots of offense with forearm shots, back elbow shots, a side suplex and a flying elbow drop to Alexa from the second ropes of a corner.

Before Bayley can cover Alexa, the champion rolls to the outside ring. Bayley chases after her but Nia blocks Bayley’s path, serving up as a distraction to allow Alexa land in a cheap shot to Bayley.

Alexa tosses Bayley back in the ring as Nia cheers Alexa on. Suddenly Nia is attacked from behind by none other than Sasha Banks! A dropkick to the apron takes Nia out while back in the ring a Bayley-to-Belly takes Alexa down for the three count win! Bayley has now pinned the Raw Women’s Champion for two weeks in a row!

Post match, during a WWE.com exclusive video, Alexa says she isn’t worried about the ‘technicalities’ of the matches she has had with Bayley as she is still the Raw Women’s Champion.

Later in the evening Sasha Banks and Bayley meet with Raw GM Kurt Angle backstage, who is anxious about coming clean on his “big secret”. Anyone else disappointed that Kurt’s big reveal wasn’t the rumored Dixie Carter affair? All I’m saying is that it would’ve made for one hell of a “WTF? Moment” in 2017 darlin’!

Anyway, back to the heart of the matter, the BFFs explain of a little disagreement they are having at the moment: which one of them deserves to face Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam for the Raw Women’s Title?

In Bayley’s case, she’s been able to pin the champion for two straight weeks now while Sasha already, technically, won her title match against Alexa back at Great Balls of Fire. Sasha argues that had Alexa not pull out that count out stint, she would be a four time Raw Women’s Champion, thus is looking for a fair and proper rematch.

Instead of deciding who truly deserves it more, Kurt books a number one contender match between the two Superstars for next week’s Raw. The winner of that match will go on to face Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam.

Thoughts: So this was probably one of the more safer episodes of Raw. Bayley keeps her momentum going, Alexa remains the target of her peers, Sasha and Nia play supporting roles (for now) and we inch closer to finding out what our Raw Women’s match for SummerSlam will be. Small progression but overall, nothing completely new.

The Bayley/Alexa match was all right – it’s been creative’s direction of Bayley’s character that was always puzzling to me than her ringwork. Bayley is still a fan favorite (how sweet was that small fan interaction Bayley had prior to the match?) so I’m glad to see her pick up steam as she steams back into the title picture.

If rumors are true of a Fatal Four Way at SummerSlam, I’m expecting Nia to interfere next week. If anything, her involvement this week is foreshadowing the inevitable. My only hope is that some tension builds up between Nia/Alexa and/or Sasha/Bayley before the big PPV. Let’s at least try and shake things up WWE. We saw some hint of competition during Sasha and Bayley’s meeting with Kurt, let’s continue with that.

Another question I have this week outside Dixie Carter’s no-show is where the hell is Emma? I’m still waiting to see/hear what she had whispered over to Dana Brooke from the Great Balls of Fire Kickoff show. We saw something on last week’s WWE Main Event but it would appear that storyline is back on the backburner. By the time WWE even remembers building up that segment, its anticipation (if any) will be gone.

What did you think of this week’s Raw? What do you think will happen during next week’s number one contender match? How soon do you think it will be before see a follow-up from the Emma/Dana reunion? Let us know in the comments below1

The post Raw Redux (July 17th, 2017): There can only be one appeared first on Diva Dirt.

Taylor Wilde reveals she was considered to participate in WWE’s Mae Young Classic

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Last week, WWE officially revealed the names of all 32 participants to their Mae Young Classic tournament.

Since then, former Knockouts Champion Taylor Wilde has revealed via Twitter that she almost came out of retirement as she was considered to partake in the women’s tournament. However, due to an injury she suffered while training, she opted out participating. You can read Taylor’s tweets below:

I was considered to partake in the Mae Young Classic. Due to an injury sustained in training, retirement is where I will stay. However, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t consider other opportunities. I’m just retired as in-ring talent. Congrats to the success of the tournament & what it means to women’s wrestling. It’s an exciting time to be in the sport as a female.

The Canadian wrestler retired from the ring back in 2011.

Would you like to have seen Taylor Wilde participate in the Mae Young Classic?

The post Taylor Wilde reveals she was considered to participate in WWE’s Mae Young Classic appeared first on Diva Dirt.

SmackDown Discussion Post: July 18th, 2017

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Tonight is SmackDown’s go home show before Battleground where a Five Way Elimination match between Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Lana, Natalya and Tamina will take place to determine who will face SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi at SummerSlam.

Despite not being in the match, Carmella still has her sights on the SmackDown Women’s Title:

Tune in to SmackDown on the USA Network at 8pm ET.

Discuss the show in the comments!

The post SmackDown Discussion Post: July 18th, 2017 appeared first on Diva Dirt.

New plans for Raw Women’s Title match at SummerSlam?

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On this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, it was announced that Sasha Banks and Bayley would go one-on-one on next week’s show to determine which one of them would face the Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam on next week’s show.

Originally, it was rumored that the Raw Women’s Title would be defended at SummerSlam in a Fatal Four Way match Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks

However, it is now being reported by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Radio (via Wrestling INC) that the Raw Women’s Title will now be defended in a singles match, with previous rumors of Alexa Bliss versus Nia Jax happening.

SummerSlam takes place August 20th live on the WWE Network.

What are your thoughts on the rumors of this new match-up? Who do you think will win next week’s number one contender match? What do you think will happen in the weeks leading up to SummerSlam? Let us know in the comments below!

The post New plans for Raw Women’s Title match at SummerSlam? appeared first on Diva Dirt.

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