Impact Wrestling has taped additional matches during tonight’s semi-live show. Spoilers below.
NXT Redux (April 19th, 2017): You win some, you lose some
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Welcome to this week’s NXT review! Last week brought us several developments in the women’s division as multiple women set their eyes on toppling Asuka‘s reign and each other.
This week the Iconic Duo is in action against Liv Morgan and Aliyah after being subjected to a taste of their own medicine last week. Before we get to the match though we are presented with a video package highlighting Asuka’s carnage throughout the division.
In the video each woman in the division stakes her claim for dethroning the Empress of Tomorrow.
After the video package Liv Morgan and Aliyah prepare to face off against Billie Kay and Peyton Royce. Let’s watch:
All women make their entrances. The bout starts off with Liv and Billie squaring off. Billie dominates her from the get go. After Billie celebrates her dominace with Peyton, Liv manages to avoid her offense with a maxtrix evasion. She traps Billie in her rolling pin combo. Aliyah tags in and they double team Billie.
Aliyah and Billie go back and forth before Peyton tags in. They double team Aliyah. Aliyah goes for a headscissor pin combo but Peyton kicks out. Peyton then flattens Aliyah with a spinning kick. Peyton drags Aliyah to the corner and then tries to hoist her up but Aliyah flips over her and drags her into a pin.
Billie tries to keep Peyton standing from ringside but Liv interferes with a running dropkick, allowing Aliyah to roll up Peyton. The newbies win and leave the Icons to throw a temper tantrum in the ring.
Thoughts: After such a fresh episode last week, this week is a bit of a let down. I’m expecting more from NXT. This inconsistency in rebuilding the division and padding it out is unacceptable.
With that said though, upon second viewing, the match wasn’t that bad. It was pretty basic. Liv and Aliyah need a ton of work and Aliyah having to roll up Peyton for a win still makes the Icons look strong in defeat. The Icons play their role to perfection. Billie and Peyton have truly come into their characters. Their moves are also syncing up quite nicely. Having that tantrum at the end of the match was also a nice touch. It’s really the little things, the attention to detail that gets them over and has the audience gravitate to their characters.
My main issue though with the match is, our developing victors barely got to show anything off. This is usually fine when going up against heels but, Liv and Aliyah should be doing more. I still don’t understand what Aliyah’s character is and it’s not completely her fault either. I get the sense that she’s not being given any clear direction, she’s just there. I did really like her ring gear though.
I’m not a fan of these very short matches. It doesn’t do anything for anyone. The only way the girls are going to develop even more is by being given time to really work. Compared to last week’s short match between Ruby Riot and Kimberly Frankele, this doesn’t look good. Liv and Aliyah need more guidance and then I believe they’ll be able to work quicker and smoother.
Onto the video highlighting the NXT Women’s Champion. The video package for Asuka keeps her visible, which is good. I still don’t know why they can’t feature her in some sort of backstage segment, or have her present on the sidelines watching the competition. She holds the championship, she should be on the show, end of story.
It’s also still unclear if she’s a bonafide heel yet. It’s apparent they are running with the fact that “she’ll do anything” to keep the title, which is moving us in the right direction. I just wish the rest of the women’s division was moving right along with it.
*Side Note*
As an aside, I want to issue a warning to the comments section. Body shaming of any of the wrestlers will not be tolerated. Those comments will be removed and the poster banned from the thread. We at Diva Dirt will not put up with attacks on any of the women’s bodies. Enough is enough.
What did you think of this week’s episode of NXT? What do you want to see the Iconic Duo do next? How would you book Liv and Aliyah? Sound off in the comments below.
Impact Wrestling Reaction: April 20th, 2017
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As announced earlier this week, tonight on Impact Wrestling Rosemary defends her Knockouts Title against ODB. Below is the preview to tonight’s match:
This week ODB gets her shot at becoming a 5-time Knockouts Champion. Could this be the opponent that Rosemary cannot get into the psyche of and gain the upper hand going into the match? ODB is like nothing Rosemary has ever faced before in the six-sided ring. A founding member and cornerstone of the Knockouts, ODB knows what it takes to stick and stay, and she’s got the resume to prove it. However, we have to wonder if ODB has ever stood toe-to-toe with anyone as maniacal and unorthodox as The Demon Assassin. Does ODB possess the mental and physical strength to outlast Rosemary and her mist of many colors? Or will this new breed of Knockout prove to be too much for our beloved original member of the Knockouts? Time will tell as we count down the days until we see Rosemary defend her championship live this Thursday on IMPACT on POP!
ImpactWrestling.com have also highlighted LAX’s Diamanté ahead of tonight’s show:
In just one month, she is starting to shake up things in the Knockouts Division. Just her presence in LAX says enough about her rough and tough demeanor. She is able to handle the ins and outs that come with being the only female in a group of intimidating, menacing men, therefore it gives her an edge when she competes in the ring with the Knockouts. With just under a decade of wrestling experience, this fiery Miami native is no holds barred, and she displayed those qualities as she competed in the gauntlet match to become the number one contender for the Knockouts Championship.
Impact also tweeted a video package on the troubles hovering of Allie and Braxton Sutter thanks to Sienna:
The issues between @Sienna @2CockyKM and @BraxtonSutter @AllieImpact has gotten to the next level. @RealKongoKong is #FuryUnleashed pic.twitter.com/PlZlc3HAnI
— IMPACT WRESTLING (@IMPACTWRESTLING) April 19, 2017
Tune in to Impact Wrestling tonight at 8pm ET on POP TV!.
Discuss the show in the comments!
In defense of Nikki Bella
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There’s a lot of animosity toward Nikki Bella even though the former longest reigning Divas Champion has come a long way. She’s a focal point, a tenacious and relentless force in the evolving landscape of the women’s division. Nikki’s transformation from just a Diva to a full fledged wrestler changed my heart and my mind about her. I think it’s time we pay her some respect.
Flashback to 2014 and The Bella Twins held a tight grip on the then Divas Division. They represented everything I disliked in professional wrestling, high school mean girls who relied on their looks to get ahead while having minimal wrestling abilities. I’d constantly ask myself if these women knew they deserved more, they could be more than this.
Matches were short, bouts were sometimes tragic, and stories were consumed by stereotypical tropes where every woman hated each other just because they were “jealous.”
The Bellas, Nikki Bella, in particular would have an immense following online. Divas reigned supreme. Many would come to the defense of a struggling division that was just about to be reborn with the next NXT class and women who would follow in the Four Horsewomen’s footprints. The main issue of these days was the fact that no one emphasized the women enough. They are competitors who should be held up on a strong pedestal like their male counterparts.
The Bellas admitted in interviews that they wanted much more for the women and called out management for not taking the division seriously enough. Nikki wanted to compete in hardcore matches, raise the bar for competition, leave an impact that showed that she was more than just a pretty face dating John Cena. These would be just words until 2015 when a new era would arrive.
Fans demanded a women’s division and now the Bellas had to step up or get out. Nikki time and again risked life and limb to continue her reign as the longest Divas Champion. Because the division was thin and mishandled, Nikki carried the division on her back as she inched her way towards a record setting reign. She’d push herself and wind up injuring her neck.
Once the three horsewomen arrived Nikki mixed it up in the ring. Her particularly strong moveset was put to the test and she was allowed to work it like never before. She presented herself like a hoss with multiple power move variations including Alabama Slams, powerslams, back body drops, spinebusters, and other mat slams. She continued to hit hard with her forearm and enzuigiri kicks. Her opponents were now other women who could dish it out and bring a depth of competition to the forefront. Now the arena was primed for longer, harder matches.
Her last few matches with Charlotte Flair began to show signs that Nikki’s heart was truly in this and she wasn’t just a Diva, she was a wrestler.
Stories for the division still lacked creativity but it was all about stable wars before the fearless one could ultimately pass the torch to Charlotte and bow out to undergo surgery, her career suddenly on the line. Brie stepped up her game to fill the gap slowly but surely each time she got into the ring with Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch. The division was rebranded back into the Women’s Division with the reintroduction of the Women’s Championship. Representation was finally coming after so many years of being an afterthought.
After Brie’s retirement, Nikki’s recovery was featured on ‘Total Divas’ and ‘Total Bellas.’ She also recently admitted in an interview with People that her injury was so severe that “I literally was told, ‘You have that one percent chance of getting back in that ring,’ and when I did, woo!”
Nikki continued to endure criticism from fans online, time and again forcing her to reiterate her passion for the business. She’d work with brother-in-law Daniel Bryan on new moves.
She went to the performance center to train with Bayley, Billie Kay, Natalya and many others before returning at Summerslam for the SmackDown brand.
And today I was doing this! STAY FEARLESS! #nevergiveup
Thank you @itsmebayley! You rock! pic.twitter.com/vFoWFvLZDU
— Nikki & Brie (@BellaTwins) July 27, 2016
Upon arrival the same criticisms cropped up, she’d bury the division and become the first SmackDown Women’s Champion, people asserted.
The opposite happened. When she returned from injury, Nikki went from a petty high school girl to a veteran determined to make a comeback in a newly populated division. With renewed purpose she looked to capture some former glory after almost suffering a career ending injury. Her story bares fruit to heartwarming outcomes.
Because she stepped back into the ring to prove she still belonged, SmackDown made her a babyface. Her narratives with other women in the division centered around her shallow tendencies, her relationships, and belittle her skills but she’d persevere. She put over three women in the span of seven months.
Though her in ring abilities are still a little limited because of her neck, Nikki took multiple bumps in numerous backstage brawls that lead up to her first hardcore match, something she’s said she’d always wanted. She whipped out a new finisher, became a hard hitter, and pushed to stay in step with the rest of the women. Carmella went from a face to a heel and finally got some name recognition because of her feud with Nikki.
Brawls continued, this time with Natalya. Nikki took even more spills. Because Nikki is so recognizable, her opponents are elevated with every match or backstage beating. Natalya came into her own as an affable heel. Natalya and Nikki’s chemistry was palpable as they entered a Falls Count Anywhere match. Nattie gave Nikki her best match to date as they would throw everything and the kitchen sink at each other. Nattie would win the feud via Maryse‘s interference.
Maryse and The Miz solidified themselves as top heels by ruthlessly targeting Nikki and John’s relationship. For weeks the pair would call them reality star shams. They went hard in promos and cut deep by telling Nikki her dream of getting married would never come true. Though the match at WrestleMania was short of a mat classic, Nikki’s dreams of an engagement came true and shortly after she announced another hiatus to rest her neck. Rumors circulate that she came back to the square circle too soon, originally slated to return in the fall instead of August 2016.
Nikki made me eat my words. Nikki’s evolution from a babe with a twin in 2008 to barely there celebrity escort in 2010 to Nikki “Queen of Strongstyle” with that brutal forearm, changed my heart and mind. Yes, her acting work can improve, her promos could be less wooden or monotone, her attitude a little more sincere, but she’s a work in progress that continues to evolve.
If she didn’t love this business, she would have never come back. Every time a wrestler steps into the ring, their neck is on the line. Nikki has done more than enough to prove she belongs.
In defense of Nikki Bella, take a moment to reflect and admit that she loves this business. Enough with the Bella hate, it’s so 2014. It’s time to recognize that there’s a place for women like Nikki and celebrate her dedication to this craft.
What do you think about Nikki Bella’s evolution? Sound off in the comments below.
SmackDown Redux (April 18th, 2017): The Queen’s City
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The Shakeup has taken place, and now it’s time for it to take its place. With Tamina Snuka and the “biggest acquisition” of the Shakeup, Charlotte Flair, now ready to make their first moves, this episode in an intriguing one. And one that seems to set the pace pretty well…
At the top of the show, The Queen graces us with her presence as she enters the ring. Pretty soon, after elegantly smiling, she gets into the zone, demanding a title shot. According to Miss Flair, seven days without a title opportunity is far too long. So she needs one now.
And to her luck, the SmackDown Women’s champ Naomi comes out to the ring. Naomi states that over on SmackDown Live, there are no kings or queens, but there are champions. And champions, according to Naomi, fight, so she’s willing to let the blue team newbie fight for the title. And thus, she attacks Charlotte, tossing her outside of the ring. Charlotte wants to continue the fight and even pushes the referee out of the way, but SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon comes out to settle the differences.
McMahon says that regardless of résumés, SmackDown Live is about opportunity. So Charlotte must earn hers. And in order to do that, she’ll have to defeat Naomi in a match that same night. Cue the intense grin of the Queen. Naomi is also feeling pretty confident, but Charlotte quickly attacks her as an attempt to knock some of that away.
Once Shane gets backstage, he’s greeted by Natalya as she complains about not being given an opportunity for the SmackDown title whilst Charlotte is handed one straight away. He then reminds her that she had one at Wrestlemania, and it fell through her fingers. Oops. And although she meant a one-on-one match, she is quickly interrupted by the Princess of Staten Island and James Ellsworth. Carmella states that she surprisingly agrees with Neidhart’s views on the “coattail riding, coach flying, opportunity stealing, unappealing, daddy’s little wannabe.” Ellsworth then says that they disagree with Natalya however, as the person that deserves the title shot is Carmella. Neidhart then threatens Chinderella but is interrupted by SmackDown Live newbie Tamina.
Snuka says that she deserves a title shot too, but as Ellsworth scoffs at this idea, she defends herself, leaving James a little bit scared. Carmella then defends her friend and the conversation becomes pretty inaudible as they all squabble. However, Natalya quickly gets the group together and says that as management have their own plans, she has her own too – so they leave the room to discuss it.
The group then bump into Flair backstage and nastily welcome her to the locker room. Despite their words however, Charlotte walks past, but not before Natalya bumps her shoulder…
Flair then heads out to the ring to face the champ – and it’s a good one. There are some great moves/combinations such as the whip to the chest combined with the kicks to the side. On top of that we see Naomi use moves that have previously won her matches, yet Charlotte overcomes them. The bout is very close but after Charlotte pushes Naomi mid Rear-View and inserts the Natural Selection, the newbie takes home the win. So now, Charlotte Flair is the number one contender for the SmackDown Women’s championship!
After getting backstage, Charlotte sees the ladies and then winks and woos at them before smugly walking off. Nice.
"No one's going to outwork me… and I WILL have that title around my waist next week!" – @MsCharlotteWWE #TalkingSmack @WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/UY7I47DttW
— WWE (@WWE) April 19, 2017
On Talking Smack, the new number one contender says that she will rise to the top, and no one will beat her. Fighting words.
A promo for Lana then shows up later on, and I think we’re supposed to care for it.
Thoughts: The inevitably push of Charlotte is here, but it doesn’t appear to be what it seems.
The idea that Flair is coming onto SmackDown Live demanding to be on top is interesting. It almost feels as though she’s going to go through a downward spiral when she crashes… and have a face turn?
Charlotte is joining SmackDown with high hopes, and with high demands. She’s putting herself on a pedestal and is going up against SmackDown’s toughest competitor. She will crash and burn as Naomi is in for a lengthy reign, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.
Miss Flair is already being targeted by the ladies backstage, something that only protagonists seem to find themselves receiving. And there seems to only be one woman missing too… Becky Lynch!
Lynch has a great history with Flair, one that includes them being both enemies and friends. So maybe she will get involved?
I see the trio of ‘Mella, Neidhart and Snuka costing Flair her title opportunity next week, and eventually (whether it be the same episode or another time) Lynch will come to the rescue, confirming Flair’s full face turn.
Do I want to see Charlotte as a face? I didn’t think I did, but I can definitely see it working now. People are growing to like her as she’s proven how talented she is. And with fans rooting for Flair, this can easily give the heel push the likes of Carmella, Natalya and Tamina need – especially with the ultimate babyface in Becky being apparent.
The loss for Naomi isn’t something to worry about. During her feud with Alexa, she came across as invincible – she even managed to overcome five other women in the span of five minutes! Naomi is the hot topic on SmackDown Live and has looked brilliant over the past month, so this loss is exactly what she needed. Fans enjoy her because she’s real. She’s relatable. Naomi encourages fans to “feel the glow” even when they’re down – so is there really a point of saying it if she’s constantly on top? She needs to lose, and Flair needs to look strong – for now – if she’s going to have a huge downward spiral. This is interesting to watch, and the change in dynamics is extremely engaging. I’m excited.
As for Lana… well, her clips look overly edited to the point where her bad dancing is way too obvious. It feels as though she raises her leg and we have to cut to a new shot because she has no consistency. I have no hope for this woman, and the sooner she realizes that she belongs in the 2011 division as a jobber, the better.
What do you think about this episode? What are your predictions for the coming week? Who will defeat Naomi for the title? Let us know your views in the comments below!
NXT Reaction: April 19th, 2017
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Billie Kay and Peyton Royce are seeking revenge against Liv Morgan after their backstage altercation last week. Read WWE.com‘s preview to tonight’s episode of NXT below:
Last week on NXT, while Billie Kay and Peyton Royce were up to their usual tricks, filming themselves as they put down everyone in their path at the WWE Performance Center, they ran into Liv Morgan and Aliyah. These Superstars are no strangers to one another, having been entrenched in a bitter rivalry for weeks. Even though there clearly is no love lost between them, tensions boiled over when Morgan pushed Kay into a hydrotherapeutic tub in the trainer’s room. Of course, the self-proclaimed “Iconic Duo” were not completely innocent in this exchange, as they had first approached Morgan and Aliyah and began pestering the latter. With their rivalry clearly nowhere near ending, will we see these adversaries battle inside the ring this week? Will Kay and Royce look for revenge after they were humiliated in front of everyone at the hands of Morgan?
Tune in to NXT on the WWE Network at 8pm ET.
Discuss the show in the comments!
Women’s Title match announced for next week’s SmackDown Live!
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Tonight on SmackDown, newly recruited SmackDown Superstar Charlotte Flair won a shot to Naomi’s SmackDown Women’s Championship for next week’s episode of SmackDown Live!.
If @MsCharlotteWWE can beat @NaomiWWE tonight, she'll be #1Contender and get a #SDLive #WomensTitle opportunity NEXT WEEK! pic.twitter.com/vrM0aDsJWk
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 19, 2017
Kicking off the show, Charlotte demanded an opportunity for the Women’s Title, which brought out the reigning champion Naomi. The two Superstars brawled it out until SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon came out with the proposition that if Charlotte could beat Noami in a non-title match, she would get a title shot next week.
SHE DID IT! @MsCharlotteWWE defeats @NaomiWWE to earn a shot at her #SDLive #WomensTitle NEXT WEEK! pic.twitter.com/dY42HsJFnm
— WWE (@WWE) April 19, 2017
During their one-on-one match later in the evening, Charlotte was able to defeat Naomi after avoiding the Rear End with a big boot and connecting a Natural Selection for the three count.
Are you excited for this match? Who do you think will win? What else do you think will happen on next week’s show? Let us know in the comments below!
SmackDown Reaction: April 18th, 2017
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As a result of last week’s Superstar Shake-Up, Charlotte Flair and a returning Tamina have joined WWE’s blue brand SmackDown and WWE.com have given the following preview to tonight’s show:
During last week’s Superstar Shake-up, two Superstars altered the complexion of SmackDown LIVE’s women’s division. Second-generation heavy-hitter Tamina and five-time former Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair stunned the WWE Universe with their shocking arrival.
But it’s time to get down to business in the wake of the Shake-up, and there’s no doubt that the newcomers will have their eyes on Naomi and the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Who will be next to try and dethrone the titleholder?
Tune in to SmackDown tonight at 8pm ET on USA Network.
Discuss the show in the comments!
RAW Redux (April 17th, 2017): RAW taste of Bliss
Last week, the ‘Superstar Shake-up’ sent shockwaves in the RAW Women’s Division as we gained the pocket rocket Alexa Bliss and the resident veteran Mickie James, while losing The Queen Charlotte to the blue brand. A scuffle last week set the new battle lines between this new group of women, leaving us all to question who would be at the top of the list to challenge Bayley for the RAW Women’s Championship? However, it looks like the RAW writers have that answer, as this week we were treated to a fatal-4-way match to establish who would be our Number 1 contender to go against Bayley at Payback!
Pre-match we are treated to neat little vignettes highlighting the strengths of each of tonight’s competitors. Mickie’s highlights that this is her first match on RAW in 7 years, Nia’s underscores her dominance, Alexa’s showcases her rise to the top of the SmackDown Live women’s division and Sasha’s reflects on her ‘trailblazing’ accomplishments since her debut on the main roster.
As the women make their way down to the ring, the hometown girl Alexa Bliss appears to get the biggest pop from the crowd (despite being heel!) – which is a fair shout considering the ever popular Sasha is in the ring and the golden girl from 07-10 Mickie is in the mix too!
The beginning of the match follows typical ‘Nia match’ functionalities, aka. Nia squashing everyone one by one, lots of no-selling spots and running into people in the corners. It’s a bit more interesting here, as Alexa is in the mix and her cowardly heel tactics help create another dimention to this match.
RAW Women’s Champion Bayley is shown watching a monitor backstage, seizing up all of her challengers going at it. We’re treated to a neat exchange which is arguably a dream match combination with Sasha and Mickie going toe-to-toe for the first time in the centre of the ring, until Nia pulls Mickie out of the ring. Sasha then takes out both of them with a suicide dive as we head to a break.
Coming back from the break and our two new SmackDown draftees Alexa and Mickie are in the middle of the ring. Nia shows her dominance by countering a charge by Alexa into a scoop slam. She catches Sasha from the top rope and hits her with a scoop slam on top of Sasha’s body. She then finishes off by hitting a wheelbarrow slam on Mickie on both the other opponents!
The closing stages of the match sees Sasha taking on Alexa Bliss. Sasha manages to lock in the Banks Statement, but it gets broken up by Mickie James! Mickie climbs up to the rope to finish off Sasha with her signature Diving Thesz Press, but Sasha knocks her down and climbs up to try and attempt a Superplex of some sort. However, she’s exposed as Nia is able to club her from behind. Nia picks Sasha over her shoulder, uses her body as a battering ram to shove Mickie off the top turnbuckle and hits her signature Samoan Drop.
Although, before we grab our spatulas to scrape up Sasha, Alexa hits a seated dropkick onto Nia which forces her out the ring. She picks up the scraps as she steals the victory and capitalises on Nia’s damage to Sasha! Alexa Bliss is our number 1 contender for the RAW Women’s Championship and is going to Payback! As Alexa celebrates, Nia is livid and it’s clear to see that this is definitely not the end!
Following her victory, Alexa is boastful as she warns that she’s ready to take over the RAW women’s division.
Elsewhere backstage, we catch up with Alicia Fox who is showing a video to Dana Brooke. The video shows her getting covered in powder during last week’s 205 Live when she opened up her package. Emma joins the conversation and tries to stir the pot, accusing Dana of joking about Alicia’s mishap and showing that video to everyone in the locker room over and over again.
While Dana seems shocked and tries to deny this, the ever-erratic Alicia has gone from 0-100 and is already annoyed that she’s been made fun of and tells her that she doesn’t want to be her friend anymore. Alicia storms off, leaving Emma to continue her cheeky digs at Dana, warning her that since she wanted to stand on her two feet, she’s going to ‘test her balance’.
Finally, we see our last new RAW women’s addition, Maryse, who is out with her husband The Miz. Following from last week’s developments, Dean Ambrose is a guest on this week’s MizTV. In classic Maryse style, she jumps onto the mic before things can get physical and tells Ambrose that ‘the Championship doesn’t make the man, the man makes the Championship’. Before she can finish her point, Ambrose give her his microphone and starts to take off his extra baggage, he removes his jacket and throws it at Maryse which gives him enough time to charge at The Miz!
While The Miz is getting attacked, Maryse strikes Ambrose with a microphone from behind! This allows Miz and Maryse to escape the ring, but it’s clear to see that these two are clearly not over their beef from SmackDown Live!
Thoughts: Thank God for the shake up! This week was another strong one for our RAW women’s division and it’s all because everything feels so fresh! I won’t lie, I was initially shocked that they gave us this match-up already, but it makes sense while all of these women are hot off the press. The small video vignettes were a really neat way to build up the match and raise the stakes for each of the women involved.
It also made me realise how long I had literally been writing about the same 4 women: Sasha promo about women’s revolution, Bayley promo about dreams, Charlotte promo about being the best and Nia running into people and doing Samoan Drops. Finally, I have new stuff to write about and watch!
We could argue and say that it may be too early for Alexa to go for the title already, but it’s better to go for it while it’s fresh. Case in point is the Champ herself, Bayley… the WWE waited way too long to bring her up and so by the time she won the title, it was just inevitable. Right now, at least we have an unexpected sense in the air – will Alexa win the title early? Will Sasha get involved? Will Nia get involved? It’s not so predictable at the moment, which is the best thing to do after such a shake up.
I also have to give credit to all these women that they managed to put on quite a solid match that wasn’t just a spotfest, which many of these multiple women matches tend to be. Let’s also reiterate that a lot of those women had not worked together in awhile, so for them to rustle up a good match like that over a week goes to show the great combinations we have at hand here. Alexa VS Nia, Alexa VS Sasha, Sasha VS Mickie, Mickie VS Nia – I’m excited for all of those possibilities, especially if they can get more time to work together.
Also, I’m very intrigued with our Emma/Dana B-story here… Dana has some good steam being face, but the Emma/Dana pairing was really enjoyable as heels. As I mentioned last week, these women aren’t really in the title picture and a lot of character needs to be done with them now, so these little skits can really make or break these two. I’m all for seeing them get interjected into the division at some point, but a little backbone to give your general fan to care is necessary at this point. They are directionless and the roster is brimming with possibilities, so there is a big chance of getting lost… case in point Miss Foxy, who for the record was also refreshing to see on the show!
Are you happy that Alexa is number 1 contender already? Do you think Dana will revert back to heel and join Emma? Did you forget Alicia was on the RAW roster too? Send in those comments below!
Knockouts Title match confirmed for this week’s Impact Wrestling
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Impact Wrestling returns to the Impact Zone this week for their next set of television tapings, starting with a semi-live show Thursday night.
ImpactWrestling.com has confirmed that Knockouts Champion Rosemary will be in action this week as she defends her title against ODB.
ODB, who made her return to the company last month, won a Knockouts Gauntlet match to become the number one contender to Rosemary’s Title.
Read ImpactWrestling.com’s preview to this week’s Knockouts title match below:
This week ODB gets her shot at becoming a 5-time Knockouts Champion. Could this be the opponent that Rosemary cannot get into the psyche of and gain the upper hand going into the match? ODB is like nothing Rosemary has ever faced before in the six-sided ring. A founding member and cornerstone of the Knockouts, ODB knows what it takes to stick and stay, and she’s got the resume to prove it. However, we have to wonder if ODB has ever stood toe-to-toe with anyone as maniacal and unorthodox as The Demon Assassin. Does ODB possess the mental and physical strength to outlast Rosemary and her mist of many colors? Or will this new breed of Knockout prove to be too much for our beloved original member of the Knockouts? Time will tell as we count down the days until we see Rosemary defend her championship live this Thursday on IMPACT on POP!
Impact Wrestling will be holding television tapings from April 20th – April 23rd.
Are you excited to see this match? What else do you predict will happen on this week’s episode of Impact? What would you like to see happen from this set of Impact Wrestling tapings? Let us know in the comments below!
Raw Women’s Title match announced for Payback
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Tonight on Monday Night Raw, a new number one contender to Bayley’s Raw Women’s Title was crowned in Alexa Bliss after winning a Fatal Four Way match that included Mickie James, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks.
Nia dominated the match early on but it was some sneakiness from Alexa’s part towards the end of the match that would earn her the number one contender spot at Payback.
After Nia managed to knock Mickie James off a turnbuckle corner onto the outside ring, she connected a Samoan Drop to Sasha Banks. Alexa would go on to hit a dropkick to Nia, sending her out of the ring and covering Sasha for the win.
You're looking at the NEW #1Contender for @itsBayleyWWE's #RAW #WomensChampionship, The #SmallButFierce @AlexaBliss_WWE! pic.twitter.com/By48flyGPc
— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2017
WWE’s Payback takes place Sunday April 30th on the WWE Network at 8pm ET.
Are you excited to see this match?
Raw Response: April 17th, 2017
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One week after the Superstar Shake-Up, WWE.com has given the following preview to tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw:
There were some major shifts in the Raw Women’s division this past Monday night as Alexa Bliss and Mickie James joined the Team Red roster, but it was Nia Jax who ruled the night, first defeating former Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and then laying waste to another former champion, Sasha Banks, and its current bearer, Bayley. As the fan-favorite titleholder writhed in agony on the mat following a ring-shaking Samoan drop, Jax proclaimed, “This championship is mine, Bayley!” Will that statement become a reality sooner than later?
Additionally, WWE caught up with Alexa Bliss to get her thoughts on Raw taking place in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio:
* There will be a fatal four-way match between Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks for the number one contender spot to the Bayley’s RAW Women’s Title:
#RAW #WomensChampion @itsBayleyWWE's next challenger will be determined TONIGHT in a #1Contender's #Fatal4Way! pic.twitter.com/CuQ0etbdl5
— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2017
* Alexa Bliss defeated Mickie James, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks to become the new number one contender for Bayley’s RAW Women’s Championship:
You're looking at the NEW #1Contender for @itsBayleyWWE's #RAW #WomensChampionship, The #SmallButFierce @AlexaBliss_WWE! pic.twitter.com/By48flyGPc
— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2017
* Emma stirred up some trouble between Dana Brooke and Alicia Fox by falsely accusing Dana of laughing behind Alicia’s back from a segment during last week’s episode of 205 Live. An angered Alicia walks out on Dana but Emma referred to this as a test of balance to see how well Dana can truly stand on her two feet.
An opportunity to throw @DanaBrookeWWE under the bus? @EmmaWWE is ALL about it! @AliciaFoxy #RAW pic.twitter.com/dNqKqLdILA
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 18, 2017
Tune in to Raw on the USA Network at 8pm ET.
Discuss the show in the comments!
Charlotte Flair and Nikki Bella teasing a future feud for SmackDown on social media
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Nikki Bella‘s reign as the longest Divas Champion in history was ended by Charlotte Flair in 2015 in two high profile matches where both women pushed each other to the limit. Afterwards, Nikki took time off to get surgery on her neck, rest, and recuperate while Charlotte would brag that she took down the last diva.
Now that Charlotte has been drafted to the blue brand, Nikki told Charlotte via social media that she’s coming for her crown.
Wow @MsCharlotteWWE to #SDLive Hhhmmm even more motivating to get back! N #UnfinishedBusiness pic.twitter.com/NaNSKTFwkm
— Nikki & Brie (@BellaTwins) April 12, 2017
I'll be waiting woman ?? #SDLive https://t.co/dUJgtJQ2kp
— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) April 13, 2017
Nikki also took to The Bella’s YouTube channel to briefly issue another stern warning to Charlotte:
— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) April 15, 2017
Nikki is currently taking some time away from the ring to heal a “slight herniation” in her neck. Her recovery from her previous neck surgery was featured on both ‘Total Divas’ and ‘Total Bellas’. There’s no word yet on when she’ll return. However, she’s keeping busy as Executive Producer for ‘Total Divas’ as well as continuing to be the star and Executive Producer of ‘Total Bellas’ (alongside her twin sister Brie Bella). The twins continue to update their YouTube channel regularly.
Meanwhile, Charlotte’s first target on SmackDown remains to be seen after being drafted to Tuesdays. We’ll have a clearer picture in the coming weeks.
Do you want to see them square up in another program on SmackDown? What do you think about this possible feud? Sound off in the comments below.
Vote for the Star of the Week ending April 16th, 2017
Whose star shone brightest this week? You tell us!
With our Star of the Week poll, we’ll pick the week’s top five women in wrestling and let you choose who is number one.
This week’s poll will open each Sunday and close on Monday afternoon.
Let’s take a look at this week’s top five:
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Alexa BlissAlexa Bliss made her presence felt on Raw as part of the Superstar Shake-Up with a fierce message towards Sasha Banks and the Raw Women’s Champion Bayley.
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Alisha EdwardsAlisha Edwards got some payback against Angelina Love on Impact and won an Impact Wrestling contract at ONO Victory Road: Knockouts Knockdown.
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Nia JaxNia Jax defeated Charlotte Flair on Raw and later went after Mickie James, Sasha Banks and Bayley in an ambush attack, fully setting her sight on the Raw Women’s Title.
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RosemaryRosemary gained some momentum of ahead of her Knockouts Title defense against ODB with a victory over Santana Garrett on Impact. |
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Ruby RiotDespite some ringside distraction from Nikki Cross, Ruby Riot picked up a win over Kimberly Frankele on NXT |
Who did you vote for?
Week ending April 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.
* Kayla Braxton welcomes the newest member of the NXT broadcasting team Christy St. Cloud. (YouTube)
* Build Series interviews Natalya and Nikki Bella to discuss Total Divas. (Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, Video 4)
* PWInsider reports Paige is on track for a comeback this summer. (PWInsider)
* AJ Brooks comments on Big E accidentally hitting her during an episode of Raw. (Twitter)
* WWE ranks Asuka number three of their list of “10 Biggest Signings of NXT’s TakeOver Era”. (WWE.com)
* Sasha Banks reunites with former Team B.A.D. members Naomi and Tamina in Boston. (Instagram)
* Bleacher Report writer Ryan Dilbert blogs on what he wants his daughters to learn from the evolution of WWE’s Women Division. (Medium.com)
* Ruby Riot‘s theme song ‘We Riot’ is available on WWE’s Music YouTube page. (YouTube)
* Wrestling INC interviews Alundra Blayze to discuss her WWE Hall Of Fame induction, Paige Twitter feud, her new podcast and more. (Wrestling INC)
* Mia Yim is in Orlando and expected to be a part of WWE’s upcoming Women’s Tournament. (Cageside Seats)
* Paige does karaoke at Alberto El Patron‘s restaurant. (No DQ.com)
* Natalya blogs on The Undertaker‘s wrestling legacy. (Calgary Sun)
Fight Network interviews Allie and Angelina Love
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Fight Network, the broadcasting network and home of Impact Wrestling in Canada, recently conducted a round of interviews with several Impact Wrestling stars including former Knockouts Champions Allie and Angelina Love. Allie discusses her favorite moments from Impact while Angelina touches on some of her wrestling experience in Mexico. Videos and highlights of the interview below.
Allie:
Favorite Impact Wrestling moment: “I guess this is like sort of really cheesy but there was, I believe, a five-way match for the Knockouts Championship and I won by a fluke. Even though it was short-lived and was part of our storyline and all of that, I have to say I instantly started crying when Earl [Hebner] counted to three and that was real. There are pictures of me holding the belt and literally I’m crying and it was a really really special moment for me because this is something that I’ve literally dreamed of and worked so incredibly hard. I’ve been told ‘No’ so many times, so many times, and every wrestler has that story. Every wrestler will tell you that they’ve had the door closed on them multiple times but to sort of come full circle and to be staying there with Earl Hebner, come on its Earl, he’s like amazing and to be holding the Knockouts championship was probably in my top five most amazing moments ever in my entire career.”
On her Allie character: “Playing the part that I do and having the experience that I have, to step into a role where I have to be very shy and naïve and not so gifted in the ring is incredibly challenging. It’s probably the hardest thing ever. Any wrestler will tell you that, It’s very very hard when you’ve been doing something as long as I have and just to step into a role where you’re not supposed to know to do those things is really really hard. So I was happy with how the entire match kind of came together and I felt every single person played their part so well. Then doubling back a little bit, another moment in Impact that was really really special for me and for Braxton Sutter was the wedding. That, again, was probably my top five most amazing wrestling moments. There’s a second where we’re standing across from each other and we’re looking at each other we both had tears in our eyes. Then to come together and he dipped me and we kissed and the crowd was going bananas and there’s chaos all around us, it was such a real moment. That was real life for us, that was all the hard work we put in and it finally paid off and we didn’t come in separately, we came together and we may not have had a storyline per se together when we came in but to organically come together and have it end with this big wedding was probably one of the coolest things ever.”
Angelina Love:
Wrestling in Mexico: “My experience in Mexico was a complete polar opposite of any experience I’ve had in Canada and United States. I got my behind handed to me in some of the most unsafe ways ever when I was in Mexico. It was right after I got released from WWE and I mean, I got it handed to me and for me, I was the only girl that spoke English. So I was standing in like a group of like six girls including myself and everyone’s just like ‘do, do, do, and do’ and I’m just like, ‘Okay. I don’t really know what’s going on. Can somebody translate for me?’ To me, it felt like it was different because it’s not so much like character stuff and taking something and selling. It’s just like, boom, boom, boom, go, go, go for twenty minutes. We’re more used to more like a show aspect of it; you know take your time with this and be like this.”
What did you think of the interviews? What have been your favorite Allie Impact Wrestling moments? Do you agree with Angelina’s point of views of the wrestling in Mexico? Let us know in the comments below!
WWE Payback to feature two women’s matches?
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Raw’s first PPV since the Superstar Shake-Up will be Payback, taking place on Sunday April 30th.
While no women’s matches have officially been announced for the event, Cageside Seats’ rumor roundup is speculating that the upcoming PPV will feature two women’s matches that include Bayley defending the Raw Women’s Title against Nia Jax as well as a triple threat number one contender match that includes Sasha Banks and newly drafted Superstars Alexa Bliss and Mickie James.
This week’s episode of Raw saw Nia Jax defeat Charlotte Flair in a one-on-one match and later taking out the champion during a run-in altercation. The segment also highlighted Alexa Bliss and Mickie James’ introduction to the Raw brand and a tease of Sasha Banks re-entering the Raw Women’s Title scene.
What are your thoughts on these rumored Payback matches? Who would you like to see Bayley defend the Raw Women’s Title against next? What do you think will happen on the next episode of Monday Night Raw? Let us know in the comments below!
Charlotte Flair looks to become the evil queen of SmackDown
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Charlotte Flair‘s accolades are impressive and she hopes to add to her log of achievements now that she’s on SmackDown. USA Today’s For the Win column caught up with the Queen as she focuses her eyes on conquering the SmackDown Women’s division.
On moving to SmackDown:
“I am looking at it as a new opportunity to see what I can do with a different brand and try to capture the Smackdown Live women’s championship. I think it’s going to be fresh and fun and I can’t wait to see where it goes.”
“I’m looking forward to facing Becky [Lynch] again. I feel as if we never finished our rivalry, considering my dad helped me win in Dallas at WrestleMania. I’ve never had a competitive one-on-one singles match with Naomi, and I think she’ll be my target. I think being able to showcase my athleticism vs. Naomi will be an intriguing matchup. Plus, facing Natalya again and Tamina and I’ve never faced Carmella.”
On developing herself on Raw:
“I like to add evil in front of queen. More people are catching on to the queen character, which is great for me. People caught on to the ‘Second Nature,’ Ric Flair’s daughter, second generation character. But having a different title with ‘The Queen’ separates me from ‘Second Nature’ and being Flair’s daughter. This allows me to have my own persona.”
On how she views the Land of Opportunity:
“In terms of the new challenges on a completely different brand, I’m looking forward to where this group of women can take the SmackDown Live women’s title. I’ve never held the Smackdown women’s title. The competitiveness and eagerness would be with me whether I stayed on RAW or not, but I’m looking forward to challenging myself with this group of women.”
During the interview she also discusses her last match with Nia Jax, having her WrestleMania moment, the inspiration behind her attires, and more.
What do you think of this interview? Are you excited to see Charlotte on SmackDown? What would you like to see her do? Sound off in the comments below.
Alexa Bliss is ready to take the spotlight on Raw
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The Superstar Shakeup changed the landscape of the Raw and SmackDown’s Women’s divisions and Alexa Bliss, who was granted a chance to shine on the blue brand, shared her feelings about being sent to Raw in a recent interview with Fox Sports.
On finding out when she’d be drafted to Raw:
“I found out pretty much that morning. The night before we got travel, and were going to be able to travel where Raw was. I wasn’t sure if they were bringing people in to kind of throw us off or if we were actually being drafted to Raw. It was really cool, because I’ve done a lot on SmackDown and now it gives me the opportunity to see what now I can do on Raw.”
On her relationship with current Raw Women’s Champion Bayley:
“Bayley helped me a lot in my career, especially in NXT. I had some of my best NXT matches with her, and she definitely helped me develop as a talent, because you’re just as good as the person you’re in there with. She definitely helped me so much with all of that, and I’m really excited to see what happens if we can have some kind of match or feud on Raw. I think it’d awesome.”
On reuniting with Nia Jax and possibly working alongside her:
“I was so excited! Nia and I, we used to room together on the NXT trips, and we’re super, super close. We’re best friends. It’s awesome that we can be on the same brand together. I feel like if we could ever be aligned together on Raw, that would be awesome – because, you know, I can just talk a lot of crap and she can back it up for me. Basically kind of like what our friendship’s like anyway. It was a lot of fun, I’m super excited. She’s the best, and I’m so excited to be able to hang out with her more and work with her more in the ring.”
On her experiences on SmackDown:
“SmackDown has been branded as the ‘land of opportunity,’ and to be able to take the opportunity that they have given me and really kind of run with it, I think it’s been amazing. They gave me a lot of time and opportunity to show my character and who I am and what I bring to the division. [It’s] given a lot of attention to the women’s division as a whole and really built the women’s division of SmackDown. When I was on SmackDown, I would say we had the most well-rounded women’s division, and I think that’s all because of the opportunities SmackDown gives. I think it was definitely the right place for me to start.”
During the discussion she also talks further about her time on SmackDown, how the draft affects friendships, her WrestleMania moment and more.
Check out the full interview here.
What did you think of this interview? What would you like to see Alexa do on Raw? Sound off in the comments below.
Impact Write-Up (April 13th, 2017): Unleash the fury
Hola Knockout fans and welcome to this week’s Impact Write-Up! As per Karen Jarrett last week, a mixed tag match was booked for this week’s show pitting Allie and Braxton Sutter taking on the cousin team of Sienna and KM. With everyone involved having so much to say to one another in the last few weeks, let’s see how their words shift into action inside the six-sided ring.
Before we get to any Knockouts action, we have a sit-down with Karen Jarrett to hear her notions on the #MakeImpactGreat movement. Naturally, Karen discusses the shift in power that took place earlier this year that saw her husband Jeff Jarrett return to the company that he started. Karen praises her husband’s presence and says that he brings in positivity to any atmosphere he enters. Karen wraps up her minute long clip with the promise of more exciting changes to come from Impact Wrestling! Hmm, we’ve heard that promise plenty of times from Impact already haven’t we?
Time for our Mixed Tag Team match:
Braxton and KM are ready to start things off but what’s this, Josh Matthews coming down the entrance ramp before any punches can even been thrown? And here I thought we would, at least, be able to get through this match without having to hear his bickering with Jeremy Borash over at the commentary table. Can you believe their feud has actually attained a main event slot on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling?
Sienna wastes no time getting involved in the match by pulling Braxton’s left leg when he runs the ropes causing him to trip and fall. Aha, two can play at that game! Allie also causes KM to misstep during his run at the ropes with a leg pull leading to a mean stare down between the Knockouts.
The men continue to go back and forth with another until Braxton lands a corner suplex to KM that takes him out. Sienna tags herself in and strikes Braxton behind his back. She charges after him when he tries to regroup from a corner but Braxton dodges out the way. Although she is hesitant at first, Allie makes a tag and brings the fight to Sienna with forearms and a clothesline.
Allie climbs the second rope of a turnbuckle and goes for a crossbody but gets caught mid-air by Sienna. Lucky for Allie, KM is still crawling around in the middle of the ring and Sienna trips over his calves causing her to fall back on the mat and into an accidental pinfall that gets the three count! Allie and Braxton win!
Everything is all smiles and hugs for the beloved couple ominous music hits the Impact Zone! The unleashed fury has arrived in the form of Kongo Kong! Braxton shields Allie away from this new threat and tries to fight Kongo off but he no-sells Braxton’s punches. Kongo then lays out Braxton with a Samoan Drop and corner cannon ball combination.
With the damage done, Sienna orders Kongo to step out of the ring and at the moment our residential broken bride Laurel Van Ness runs to the ring. Allie tries to fight Laurel away but she is simply outnumbered. Sienna lays Allie out via AK-47 (please stick to this finisher Sienna) and Laurel then attacks Allie with a shoe until Sienna tells her to get a hold of herself. The unnamed heel stable makes their exit while Braxton checks on her sweetheart.
We move on to more Knockouts action as the Knockouts Champion Rosemary takes on Santana Garrett:
As Rosemary makes her entrance, the commentary put over how dominate her reign has been since she captured the gold back in December. Could Rosemary go on to become the longest reigning Knockouts Champion?
Headband of Power and cape wearing Santana makes her entrance next but is immediately pummeled to a corner at the sound of the bell by our Knockouts Champion!
Rosemary whips Santana across the ring but Santana leaps onto the bottom ropes, avoiding Rosemary. She rolls up the champ through multiple pin-attempts but each time comes short of the three count. Santana stays on Rosemary and slows her down with a lucha-style arm drag.
Rosemary takes control of the match after countering Santana’s corner charge attack with an elbow and then illegally chokes her with the use of the top ring rope. The Demon Assassin earns a near pin fall after taking Santana down with a rough clothesline.
Still staying in control of the match, Rosemary lands a T-Bone Suplex to Santana and then locks in a bridged neck wrench to wear Santana down. Santana makes it to the ropes, forcing Rosemary to break the hold. Rosemary sets Santana up for the Red Wedding but the challenger escapes the finishing maneuver and starts to mount a comeback!
Santana lands a back hand spring elbow, a Russian Leg Sweep, a head scissors off the top rope onto Rosemary – all leading up to a Shining Star Press but Rosemary is able roll out of harms way. The champion takes advantage of this and reconnects the Red Wedding that puts Santana away for the three count. May Rosemary’s reign as Knockouts Champion continue!
And finally, our last bit of Knockouts sighting comes from Angelina Love and Alisha Edwards who continue to take part in the Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards feud.
"They deserve every bit of suffering"-@ActualALove
What will happen next between @TheEddieEdwards & @RichardsWesley?!#MakeImpactGreat pic.twitter.com/MUhhUOYX7l
— IMPACT WRESTLING (@IMPACTWRESTLING) April 14, 2017
During a backstage PDA session, Angelina tells the interviewing cameraman that the couple feel no remorse for their brutal attacks towards their former friends last week.
Davey would later be in action against DJ Z, with Angelina at his side, and win via submission. However, the real action came post match when Eddie Edwards is seen fighting through Impact Wrestling security to get his hands on Davey! In the midst of the pull apart between Davey and Eddie, Alisha emerges from the back, enters the ring and lays a beat down to Angelina! It takes a separate group of security and officials to keep everyone apart from one another!
Thoughts: A slightly better episode of Impact compared to last week.
Starting off with the mixed tag match, am I the only one who was getting Lei’D Tapa debut flashbacks during Kongo Kong’s debut? This match was disappointing as it was used purely to introduce Kongo to Impact which is all right but Allie’s ‘win’ here comes across as a total fluke. I would just rather see Impact begin to give Allie’s character some more freedom when it comes to in-ring action. She already has her trainer Braxton by her side and we’ve seen her stand on her own against both Sienna and Laurel so to see Allie pick up another ‘accidental’ win feels uneventful.
On the bright side, I am glad to Sienna continue to be the one in charge of this stable. The heels have the numbers and power so, again I ask, what will it take for Allie and Braxton to combat them? Could they recruit some help? Will they need to find a way to disband them? Give us some answers Impact!
The Rosemary/Santana match was a lot better than I had expected. Part of me figured, what with Santana being brought in as an outside talent, that this would be a typical squash match; which was not the case. This match was short but sweet and just really made me wish that Impact gave this side of Santana instead of the Brittany moniker we saw a few years ago; although I was totally for the Samuel/Brittany pairing! Rosemary already has her next challenger for the Knockouts title in ODB which is a match that I’m predicting will take place during next week’s semi-live episode of Impact.
The Davey/Angelina vs. Eddie/Alisha feud has to be leading to a mixed tag match for this year’s Slammiversary. Props to Impact if that is the route they are going with as this feud actually has a build to it, emotions attached and brought out some of the best Impact moments we’ve seen this year thanks to Davey and Eddie. Angelina just shines through in this new role since her return and what a great moment it was to finally see Alisha bring a fight to Angelina.
What did you think of this week’s episode of Impact? Would you like to see Santana rejoin the Knockouts division? What do you think will happen on next week’s show? Let us know in the comments below!
“Who knows?”: AJ Brooks teases possible return to the WWE
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AJ Brooks is experiencing a monumental new chapter in her career. The former WWE Superstar recently released her first book, ‘Crazy is My Superpower!’, which is currently doing a promotional blitz across the country and is also now a New York Times bestseller:
But, what may excite AJ fans even more is the possibility of the three-time Divas champ returning to the ring, which she teases in an interview with CBS Sports.
She says: “I am so happy where I am right now and I feel like I had such a pitch perfect career that I would be nervous about tarnishing that. I feel like it’s kind of full-circle and perfect for exactly what I wanted. But who knows?”
But, there’s certainly one thing that AJ knows and that’s the anxiety she doesn’t miss feeling during WrestleMania season: “The really interesting thing about WrestleMania is that it is such a spectacle that you can’t absorb it when it’s happening. It’s this blur of a memory also because it was 10 seconds long or something like that; I think I was a manager at that time. It was such a short match and there were so many people. The matches I probably remember the least were my four WrestleManias. They just go by in a panic. Everyone waits for that moment and then it just passes you by so fast. I was really lucky. I think one of the WrestleManias I was the only woman on the show in New Jersey and I’m from New Jersey so that was really special. Oh, God the fear! I don’t miss the fear!” she adds.
When asked about the increased emphasis on women’s wrestling due to the Women’s Revolution AJ says: “That makes my heart swell. That’s all I ever wanted for the industry while I was there and for all the wonderful women after I was gone. There are a lot of really great girls who are still there that I was really fortunate enough to work with or have their tryout matches. I just want the best for them and I’m so happy that they’re getting their time. That’s all that we could ever hope or fight for. I’m so proud of them. I hope they’re also getting paid as much as the guys since they’re seen as just as important. I hope that they’re also getting paid because that’s half the battle, honestly.”
You can AJ’s full interview here.
Are you hoping to see AJ come back to the ring one more time? Who would you want to see in a match with her? Have you picked up your copy of Crazy is My Superpower yet, and if so, what are your thoughts on the book? Sound off in the comments below!
NXT Redux (April 12, 2017): A fresh focus
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Welcome to this week’s NXT review. This week’s show boasts new beginnings and right off the bat we’re greeted with a revamped theme song and an improved opening credits sequence. A new era, where have we heard and seen this before?
However, we start off women’s division action with some TakeOver fallout highlighting Ember Moon‘s character. This is a very encouraging start to the broadcast. Let’s watch:
We get a video package highlighting the bout between Asuka and Ember. After that fateful night Ember reflects in the empty arena. She said this was supposed to be her opportunity to show the world she could do anything. As she looks on she says it was supposed to be her destiny to be the one to make history and dethrone Asuka. She says TakeOver is where it all went wrong and it’s where Asuka proved that she would do anything to retain her title. She vows to be the next champion.
After Ember’s segment, we’re introduced to Ruby Riot as she makes her formal in-ring debut on an episode of NXT!
As Ruby makes her entrance an introductory video plays in the corner. She says she made her debut up against Sanity but she’s here in NXT because she has her eyes on the gold. With this match, she says, she’ll start on that path and incite a riot.
Her opponent is someone very familiar. It’s Kimberly Frankele, formally known as Kimber Lee! They eye each other up before squaring off. The wrestling starts off fast with reversals until Kimberly is able to start digging into Ruby with hard punches. She smashes Ruby’s face into the turnbuckle but then Ruby is able to counter with a boot to Kimberly’s face.
She then goes up for a flying huricanrana. All of a sudden though Nikki Cross pops up and starts banging on the barricade in the audience. Trying not to let the distraction get to her, Ruby grabs Kimberly but winds up eating a jawbreaker instead.
Ruby collects herself but Kimberly grabs her and grounds her with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Kimberly starts kicking Ruby while Nikki observes. Kimberly and Ruby then trade hard slaps in the corner. Ruby takes control of the match with multiple clotheslines and a dropkick. She then knees Kimberly’s face into the turnbuckle. The stiff hits continue as Ruby puts Kimberly away with a winding up pele kick.
Ruby ends the match staring down Nikki.
After the match we’re taken to some footage from earlier that day featuring Billie Kay and Peyton Royce as they continue their quest to redecorate the Performance Center in their image.
They spot Liv Morgan and Aliyah, calling them NXT’s resident losers. Peyton taunts Aliyah about her loss last week. Liv winds up pushing Billie into a tub in retaliation.
Thoughts: I can get used to this. Three women’s segments on one show, lord have mercy! It’s been quite some time since the women were able to capture this much time. I want to say it’s almost been a year since we’ve had so much development. I’m very pleased with this week’s episode of NXT. It hit all the right notes in all the right ways.
Though the new theme song on it’s own leaves something to be desired, it fits with the new opening sequence which now features more women than the old one did. That’s a very good sign.
Now to the segments, let’s start off with Ember. Her revelations video was a bit stiff but moving at the same time. This loss is going to propel her forward with a more determined focus. This is what her character has needed. Ember’s been lacking development and direction since she debuted. We knew she’d be special, we know she’s a fantastic talent, but her motives were still thin. We still don’t know much about her but this segment is taking her in a new and better direction. Now we’ll truly know who Ember is. We’ve seen her fall, it’s her next actions that will give us what we need to know. Also, she’s finally being given some mic/promo time. I want her to give us everything she’s got and she’ll get there. Like I said, her voice over was stiff but NXT is developmental, with practice she’ll learn when to emote and effectively use her voice to get herself over even more. I’m ready for it.
The match between Ruby and Kimberly was fiery. I could watch them wrestle all day and would have loved for them to get the chance to work even more. I can’t wait until Kimberly is able to flesh out a firm character for herself and her theme song was great! Ruby is also very swift and very smooth. I’m already a very big fan of her and this is the first time I’m seeing her in action outside of that TakeOver spot. Kudos to NXT for taking the time to give Ruby some more motivation too. It was a nice touch to have that promo video as she entered the ring. I loved how this furthered her story line with Nikki too.
Nikki plays her role so wonderfully. She’s crazy and can’t control herself. Ruby is dynamic and seems to pack a more controlled version of madness. When they collide it should produce a delightful match. I can’t wait to see it!
The last segment was wild also. I’m glad they decided to give the Icons and the newbies a consistent narrative. They followed up on Peyton’s win against Aliyah and tried to show us that the underdogs will fight back.
Aliyah still needs heaps of character work but now we know for certain Aliyah and Liv are partners too and Liv has her back. Liv was her gutsy self so no complaints there. She’s already partially established as a no nonsense babyface even if her style needs tweaking.
All in all it’s very encouraging to see NXT start this “new era” on the right foot. Now I want to see them keep it up!
What did you think of last night’s NXT? Are you excited for a possible Ruby/Nikki showdown? Did you like Ember’s segment? Sound off in the comments below.
WWE Superstar Shake-Up Aftermath
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Your Two Cents is our interactive feature where we ask for the opinions of our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook followers.
This week, we’re asking this: Which WWE brand’s Women’s division are you looking most forward to after the Superstar Shake-Up? We’ve read your responses on our social media pages and picked some of the best submissions to highlight here on the website. As always, you can join the debate by leaving your comments!
- Adam DeSoto: Raw. Time for that brand to shine again.
- Brett Duplisea: SmackDown Live. Raw may have a stronger division, but SmackDown just has better storytelling and every girl has gotten to shine in various storylines, not just the two same girls feuding over a title like Raw.
- Daniel Royce Wilhelm: I have high hopes for both brands. I hope SmackDown finally gives Tamina a dominant solitary role, and I would love to see some sort of 3 way feud between Natalya, Charlotte Flair and Tamina seeing as they are all second generation superstars. As far as the title, I’d love to see a heel turn for Becky Lynch putting her up against Naomi. Also I think we are all curious as to whether Lana will be wrestling or not… I sure hope so. For Raw, I sincerely hope Bayley drops the belt to Emma or Alexa Bliss soon. I could see either of the two of them carrying the division in the right direction and giving Dana Brooke, Mickie James, maybe even Summer Rae and Paige title shots. This whole “this has always been my dream” crap from Bayley and Sasha Banks is so old and tired. Also I HOPE after the sloppy match this past week that WWE sidelines Nia Jax until she can get better in the ring, because I thought Charlotte was gonna get killed in their match this week.
- Matthew Brown: Raw! Now that Emma has returned & Alexa & Mickie have been drafted to Raw, the division feels fresh & things have already taken a turn in the right direction. I’m actually excited for the next episode of Raw already & I haven’t been excited about Raw for a while!
- @Music_Wrestling: SmackDown because Naomi is champ, they got Charlotte Flair, Tamina is back and maybe Lana will finally wrestle.
- @Nogr3yareas: Honestly was Team SmackDown cause of the diverse stories given but I cant lie Raw is looking nice with Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. So much they can do – Alexa gives me Trish vibes also Mickie and Nia on one show gives me throwbacks to Beth Phoenix vs Mickie for the title. Nia being so green, such a crisp vet like Mickie is what she needs to help her. Mickie has wrestled them all from TBP, Gail Kim, Trish Startus & Lita.
- Philipe Caldas Sousa: Raw. Love Maryse but I am sad that she doesn’t fight.
- Sieg Ramos: SmackDown, still have high hopes for Tamina.
- @TgDenovan: Obviously Raw Division. In SmackDown, Charlotte, Becky and Naomi will carry the division on their backs.
- @TheJoseCanUC: SmackDown. I’m curious to see how adding Tamina and Charlotte will fare for the previous mainstays, especially when their top heel left.
- Tom Fox: It’s good to see that both divisions are now equaled out. I would personally say that I’m looking more forward to SmackDown only because the writers are a lot more better and looking back at what they did this past year with the division, each girl served a purpose. Saying that though, RAW does now look more interesting with a mix up of girls.
And now we turn it over to you…
Give us your two cents! Which WWE brand’s Women’s division are you looking most forward to after the Superstar Shake-Up?
Lita opens up about her former relationships with Matt Hardy and Edge
Lita recently appeared on Lilian Garcia‘s “Making Their Way to the Ring” podcast where she opened up deeply about her former relationships with Team Extreme member Matt Hardy and the Rated R Superstar Edge. In the interview, she also talks about how her absentee father affects her and her relationships. She also discusses her impact in wrestling, her love of traveling, redefining life goals, and more.
Highlights below courtesy of Wrestle Zone:
On realizing her relationship with Matt Hardy was coming to an end in 2005:
“We were slightly disconnected while I was at home recuperating because he was still 100% into his career and I was 100% out of it at the moment because I had to be. And I remember thinking ‘Yeah we’re not gonna be together after our careers are over because of that, that is our bond. The way we view life, our interests, they don’t really align you know? I can’t see myself growing old with this person.”
On her relationship with Edge:
“I know both of us were kind of like, ‘Oh sh*t’ you know once we started to-to realize we were more than just two bros just hanging out. And so the hard thing that has always been with this time period is, you know, we realized we were going down a path that we shouldn’t and what I mean by that is mentally, mentally.”
“We’d kissed finally and freaked out.”
She adds, “Adam was on the road and I said ‘Hey, you know what? Let’s take this as an opportunity. We need to be in our own worlds and evaluate and don’t do anything because you know, like don’t do anything for me, I’m not gonna do anything for you. I need to figure out what is right for my world. You need to figure out what’s right for your world. If we meet up on the other side, cool. If not, I support and respect whatever your decisions are. He’s like ‘Okay that seems like the mature adult thing to do’.”
Her thoughts on the whole thing being turned into a storyline:
“It became such a hot story and they said ‘They want to turn this into a story, but you guys have been professional, he hasn’t, there is money involved in this storyline, but it’s your call’.
“You know we felt terrible he lost his job over it so we’re like ’Yeah, we made our bed we’ll lie in it.’
What she learned about the whole ordeal:
“I think just acceptance of me with all my flaws and acceptance of everyone else and all their flaws as well.”
On her relationship with her father:
“My dad never came to a soccer game, a swim meet, anything. So I just never … it was odd I never knew him, but I didn’t know that I didn’t know him, because I saw him everyday. And the moment my parents split up, we pretty much never talked. Because I didn’t have anything to talk to him about now that he’s not under the same roof.”
How her relationship with her father has affected her:
“I know that it’s affected my relationship with men because it makes me keep a wall up and never really give in, because I’m like I don’t want the rejection. You know? And I just never felt accepted by my dad. He was just never interested in me, you know? And I do feel like I’ve always just leaned on ‘Oh I’m a tomboy, I’m into like you know, cool dude stuff, I’m into skateboarding, I’m into hardcore, I’m into martial arts’, because it’s like, yeah I wanted approval from guys. I wanted to be around things that the guys were doing and I wanted them to be like ‘Wow you can do this as good as me, high-five’. And realizing that, that’s why I was gravitating towards that was a little hard to swallow.”
What did you think about this episode of Lilian’s podcast? What revelations about Lita interested you the most? Who would you like to see Lilian chat with next? Sound off in the comments below.
Renee Young and Dean Ambrose get married
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Renee Young is a married woman.
The WWE broadcaster and Total Divas star took to Twitter to confirm reports that she has tied the knot to fellow WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose:
Marriage is nice. Thanks for all the love ????
— Renee Young (@ReneeYoungWWE) April 12, 2017
The pair are currently featured in season six of Total Divas but have kept their relationship private in the past few years with Renee revealing that some fans have given her hard time over her relationship to Dean Ambrose.
Congratulations to Renee and Dean!