Eva Marie is all black everything on the latest issue of Millennium magazine!
Sporting long, brunette tresses, instead of her signature red locks on the magazine’s cover, the Superstar talks about the moment she first dyed her hair red after getting the call that she would be added to WWE’s then main roster.
“You got the job. You’re going to be flying to Wrestlemania on Monday, and you’ll be dying your hair,” Eva recalls from the phone conversation.
“I have natural black hair. I was sitting in a New York salon and as they were stripping the color of my hair, I made a decision. I was listening to Rihanna‘s album where she had that crazy bright red hair and I said ‘I’m going to go Rihanna red,” she adds.
Eva also discusses her very first feature film role in the Nicolas Cage-starrer, Inconceivable.
“After I got the part, when I got on set, I was a bit nervous. Not only was this my first feature film, but I was going in there with big time actors and actresses. Academy Award winners!” she says.
E!’s reality hit show Total Divas has been nominated for a WIN (Women’s Image Network) Award under the “Best Reality Series” category. WWE took to Twitter to congratulate the show’s cast members for their nominee.
Unfortunately for the WWE, the bigger story coming from their tweet stems from the featured image used – which failed in include current Total Divas cast members Naomi and Paige but included Alicia Fox despite Alicia not being a full on cast member this season.
Naomi responded to WWE’s tweet to question why she wasn’t included in the featured image:
Former WWE Women’s Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Lita will no longer serve as host and analyst for WWE’s Pre-Shows programming.
According to F4WOnline (via Wrestling INC), both Lita and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler are no longer working full time with the company and are now under WWE Legends contracts.
Going forward, Renee Young will host SmackDown’s Pre-Shows alongside Booker T while Charly Caruso will join Booker as co-host for Raw’s Pre-Shows. It should be noted that both Lita and Lawler are still loosely affiliated with the company and may be brought back on the WWE Network for special occasions.
Lita began her full time gig as host for WWE’s Pre-Shows over the summer as part of WWE’s Battleground PPV event.
So last week, Sasha Banks won the title for the third time in Charlotte’s hometown. The sweet revenge was tipped by Charlotte’s father, Ric Flair, coming down to the ring and raising her bitter rival’s arm in victory. Despite what one of their mothers was saying on Twitter to me last week (oh yes, I went there), I enjoyed the twist in the story and this week would see the fallout. Last week proved that the women could draw the ratings, so how would things play out this week?
First off, during the RAW pre-show, we had a segment where Bayley was handing out Bayley bears and holiday hugs backstage. She gives one to Cedric Alexander, but a possessive Alicia Fox jumps in. She calls Bayley a ‘scared little girl’ and refers to Cedric as her “man”. Bayley challenges her to a match on RAW, which Fox accepts… while a confused Cedric looks on.
Fast forward to the match, which was a bit of a fart compared to the amazing run of matches we’ve seen this past week. In about 3 minutes, Alicia goes back to her 2014/15 crazy erratic offence (why she didn’t wrestle like this against Nia, I will never know) until Bayley locks in a Bayley-to-belly for the win. I mean… if that was supposed to lead to a feud or anything… that’s over now.
The night also sees a really weird and slightly disturbing ‘honeytrap’ angle between Lana and her husband Rusev, which starts off with Lana seen taking off her ring and throwing it at Rusev backstage. Enzo Amore and Big Cass look on, with Enzo providing comfort for an upset Lana. She invites him to his hotel, making it pretty clear that she wants some “extra comfort”. Hesitant at first, Big Cass advises him not to calling, calling her “Trouble with a capital T”.
Throughout the night, the tale plays out with Rusev challenging Big Cass to a match and Enzo bumping into Ric Flair, who allows him to use his limousine to get to the hotel! However, Rusev doesn’t come to the match, Cass clocks what’s happening and tries to contact Enzo… but he blocks his call.
Back at the hotel, Enzo is still hesitant, but the sultry Lana seduces him into the room and gets him to strip down to his boxers. Lana then says, “Vy durak”… a confused Enzo asks her to translate, where she reveals that it means “You’re a fool”. She calls in Rusev, who lays a beatdown that would have made Attitude Era fans happy. He smashes him through a table, cracks a lamp over his back and then crushes a flower vase over the back of his head. Pretty much lifeless, Rusev drags Enzo out of the room, while Lana closes the door and places the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door… classy WWE… classy….
Also, before we get to the Women’s Championship coverage, we finally get the reveal that Emma will be transforming into Emmalina next week! Sure we have no idea what this means, but it means that we’re getting Emma back and lord knows that we need something fresh in the RAW women’s division. Dear WWE, please don’t fuck this up and turn someone who should be up there with the 4HW with a lame T&A/comedy gimmick.
Right, so onto the MAAAIIIIN EVEENNT – earlier on in the night, RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks throws down the challenge and proposes an Iron Man match against Charlotte at Road Block… because you know… they needed another big gimmick match right?
The ending segment of the show sees Charlotte coming to the ring, to publicly apologize to her father Ric Flair after dismissing him last May. First off, it’s revealed that she has accepted the Iron Woman match against Sasha Banks for Road Block!
Onto the apology, Charlotte replays the clip from May, recapping how she kicked her Dad out of the ring. She goes on to say how upset it made her feel to see Ric Flair celebrate with Sasha Banks last week, making her feel inferior. She starts to get tearful, saying “All I ever wanted was my Dad’s approval… no one knows what it’s like being Ric Flair’s daughter in this business?!”.
She calls him out to the ring and a tearful Ric Flair comes down to the ring. Charlotte apologises, opens up her arms and Ric gives her daughter a hug. She offers another hug, but as he moves in, Charlotte slaps the taste out of his mouth and shouts “YOU SON OF A BITCH! I’m your flesh and your blood! Who is she to dedicate her victory to MY FATHER?!”.
Sasha Banks runs down to the ring, but Charlotte dismantles her easily. Throwing her into the barricade, hitting a sick Alley-Oop into the turnbuckle and dragging her limp body in front of her Dad shouting “This is your Champion”. Showing shades of May, Ric is left in tears as he’s screwed over by his daughter one more time.
Thoughts: RAW… RAW… RAW… when I started doing the RAW Reduxes, I was so full of life and so positive, but now I’m literally writing about the same thing several months later.
As I mentioned last week, it makes us fans seem so unappreciative as Charlotte and Sasha have been doing amazing… but overkill isn’t even the word to describe it. They’ve proven that they can draw, but what the WWE needs to realize is that if they need that momentum to continue, then they need other women involved. The reason why the women’s matches at TLC didn’t click with the crowd is because even they are in the shadow of Charlotte and Sasha.
I can be frank and say that seeing these two in an Iron Man match is not something that I’d like to see. Also knowing that Charlotte has a record that I don’t see being broken soon is another big red flag. Now before one of their Mothers decides to come for me on Twitter again, I think you all know that I’m appreciative of their talents both in the ring and on the mic. They are getting ratings, they are more popular than Trish and Lita ever were, but we have absolutely nothing to gain from seeing them have another match – let alone one that lasts for 30 minutes. If you disagree with me, then I’d love to read your comments below.
Bayley and Alicia’s program, I have zero interest in. Alicia turning heel out of nowhere brings us back to 2010, Bayley being a cocky face is slowly tainting her character and Alicia/Cedric aren’t even a couple yet?! It just seemed rushed and what a waste of time for Alicia really… It seems like Emmalina will probably be more likely to get involved with these girls, so we’ll see how this plays out. This whole ‘women’s mid-card’ is causing a terrible division that it’s very hard to get into anyone else, since the focus is always on the overexposed Charlotte and Sasha.
Finally, let me talk about Lana being the honeytrap mistress – since I still don’t know how I feel about it. We’ve had to go through the PG era and they are loosening the reigns on risky content, it just felt so awkward to see Lana using her t&a and then have Charlotte/Sasha going on about a revolution and women being equal. Also, remembering how the Lana character started out… being super reserved and prestige… to seeing her flashing her boob… it’s a weird adjustment. I mean overall, it adds a whole new evil edge to her character, but seeing a man (who had already been demolished 2 times before) get savagely beaten in a hotel? Very Attitude Era! I usually love it, but it just felt so out of place.
Anyway, where do you stand with the Lana segments – like it or lump it? Can you be bothered to watch ANOTHER Banks/Flair encounter? Do you care about the RAW women’s mid-card? Let me know in the comments below.
Earlier in the evening, Sasha was interviewed about how it felt to win back the Raw Women’s title from Charlotte in “Flair Country”.
Acknowledging that Charlotte is set for a title rematch and their earlier battles involving Charlotte’s father Ric Flair, Sasha says she wants to make history yet again by challenging Charlotte to an Iron Man match – which Charlotte accepted.
During Raw’s final segment, Charlotte offered her father a public apology, which dates back to when she dismissed her father on a May episode of RAW. Charlotte said she was ashamed of her actions from six months ago but said the only thing harder than losing her title was seeing Ric congratulate and raise Sasha’s arm high.
She would ask her father to join her in the ring, give her apology and the father/daughter looked as though they could patch things up… until Charlotte slapped Ric across the face for for his “betrayal”.
The dirty deed would cause Sasha to come out, leading to beatdown that ended with Charlotte throwing Sasha to the barricade as well as being tossed face first to a ring post.
This marks the first time in two women have competed in this stipulation under the WWE main roster umbrella. Sasha Banks previously competed in NXT’s first women’s Iron Man match against Bayley at NXT TakeOver: RESPECT.
WWE’s Roadblock: End of the Road airs Sunday, December 18th at 8 PM ET on the WWE Network.
It was a story of good versus evil, success vs jealousy, and the blame game. TLC took place last night and definitely left its mark on SmackDown’s women’s division. With a bitter rivalry coming to an end, a mystery slowly being unravelled and the rise of the wicked, the ladies of the blue brand have a lot ahead of them, as the game is really changing for them all.
The first women’s match to take place was the No Disqualification bout (though somehow count-outs were involved?) between the Fearless Nikki Bella and the Princess of Staten Island Carmella. The women, dressed to destroy, went right in with the attacks. Following a bit of outside action, Nikki speared Carmella as soon as the pair went between the ropes. Nikki aims to powerbomb Carmella to the side of the ring, but the Princess of Staten Island manages to toss her to the stairs via a Hurricanrana. The action goes back to the ring and Carmella’s focus is on Nikki’s hurt leg. After a few stomps, suplexes to the ropes and tying her upside down from the top turnbuckle, Carmella smashes a kendo stick across the Fearless One’s body. We also can’t forget the “you can’t see me” tease from the jealous rival.
Carmella then gets her opponent into the Code of Silence, ready for a submission win. However, Nikki’s ring awareness comes into play as she grabs a hold of the kendo stick and smashes it over Carmella’s shoulder, leading her in screaming agony. But although she’s hurt, she pushes through and takes to the outside. Just as she is about to use the stick, Nikki kicks her in the back, landing Carmella straight on the ground. The pair then attack one another by using the barricade/ring post, but it’s Nikki who takes charge. The veteran climbs on top of the fan barrier and jumps backwards to implant a roundhouse kick to Carmella’s face. The Princess of Staten Island then receives a few hits on the leg via a kendo stick and is left defenseless for a short while. Her only tactics that fall through are a kick as well as tossing Nikki to the outside – and this is where she goes wrong.
As Carmella gives herself some time to recover from the attack, she manages to do the same for her opponent. And once she goes outside to grab a hold of Nikki, she is met with the wrath of a fire extinguisher, blasting in her face. Nikki hops back into the ring and repeats this again multiple times, refusing to give Carmella time to regroup. And once she feels that the Princess of Staten Island has had enough, Nikki puts her in the Rack Attack 2.0 and walks away with the victory!
After some celebrating and an attempt to walk backstage, the Fearless One is interrupted by the words of her bitter rival. Carmella angrily tells Nikki that she’s wrong about her accusations regarding the Survivor Series attack. And though the attacker wasn’t Carmella, the loser reveals that it was Nikki’s ‘Total Divas’ friend Natalya who’d enforced the ambush a fortnight ago.
Later on in the show, the Queen of Harts is questioned on the words of Carmella. However, instead of responding to the query, Natalya chooses to wish Becky Lynch good luck for her title defense. She compliments her for representing the division so well with her athleticism and star power, before calling Carmella’s accusation “absurd” and referring to her as a “liar”.
The tables match soon follows and the champion and Alexa Bliss strut down to the ring. As soon as the match starts, Becky takes down Alexa, beating her until she’s too vulnerable to fight back. She then takes to the outside of the ring to set up a table, ready to take home the victory. Before she can do that however, Alexa kicks her in the head throws her into the barricade. Bliss then puts the table away but is quickly beaten down by Lynch. A short while later Alexa is left alone in the ring as Becky sets up a table outside. But as Becky attempts to suplex her way to victory from the side of the ring, Alexa reverses, and almost forces Lynch to crash into the table. The situation soon turns around as the pair switch positions. Unfortunately for the champion, Alexa is still holding on despite the kicks.
Becky then finds herself on the top turnbuckle whilst having Alexa literally biting into her hand, followed by a push to the middle of the ring. After a few offensive moves from Bliss, the challenger takes to the outside to set up a table. But before she can fully set it up, Becky attempts to knock her down but is quickly smashed into the stairs.
Later on, Becky finds herself in some trouble as she is laid onto a table, ready to receive a Twisted Bliss. But, fully aware of the situation, Lynch attacks her opponent before she can implement the move, thus saving herself from a loss. The pair then find themselves on the top rope, the same position in which we saw them last Tuesday. Learning from her mistakes, Lynch pushes the table away before she can fall into it. Soon the table is set into the corner and Alexa finds herself receiving a “Straight Fire” combo from Becky. This is soon followed by a few failed attempts at tossing their opponent into the corner table from both parties.
Becky manages to gain control and is readying herself to smash Alexa through a table via a suplex. But, taking note from earlier on, Bliss tosses the table over and reverses the move into a DDT – on an upside table. After some time recovering, Becky grabs a hold of Alexa and implants the Dis-arm-Her with the use of the upside down table leg, leaving the challenger screaming for release.
The women’s champion soon sets a table across the bottom rope in the top left side of the ring, with Alexa placed firmly on top. However, before she can jump onto her opponent, Alexa swings her onto the ground, saving herself from losing the bout. The action soon pours to the side of the ring (in which a set up table lays waiting nearby) where both women are holding on to save themselves by punching the other in an attempt to see them fall. Alexa quickly rakes Becky’s eyes and is forced off of the apron, though her feet land on the ground. Bliss then moves the apron to allow Becky’s leg to lose balance. Taking control of this opportunity, Alexa grabs hold of Becky and powerbombs her into the nearby table, and thus awarding her with the SmackDown Women’s championship!
A victorious Alexa takes the Women’s championship and screams “I told you! I told all of you!” at the camera and crowd. As the Wicked Witch of WWE celebrates her victory, Becky is questioned about her loss. Lynch says how she doesn’t appreciate having a microphone in her face, and that she’s upset with herself about the loss.
WWE.com then catches up with the former SmackDown Women’s champion backstage, where she seems better enough to talk. The Lass Kicker says that though she doesn’t ask the company for much, she is “begging” both Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon for another shot at the title. She ends off the video by saying that after being told that winning a title changes people, Alexa will find out that losing a title changes them even more.
On Talking Smack, a victorious Alexa Bliss turns into an emotional Alexis Kaufman. Bliss says how her family saw her perform for the first time on the main roster this same night, so it’s an even more emotional moment for them to see. Through tears she tells us about how much her mother means to her as she’s helped her through a lot of rough times.
She soon reminds us of the Dis-arm-Her that took place with the table and shares how painful her current situation is because of it. Renee Young then says that the night was incredible for both competitors but is soon shut down as Alexa doesn’t feel that she owes this victory to Becky at all. Alexa then says that despite Lynch’s “effort”, she didn’t try hard enough to win.
In regards to her upcoming challengers, Alexa says that her title win validates everything she says. And despite any of the women stepping up to her, they will never dethrone her as the face of the blue brand. She adds that she’ll be a better champion than Becky as she was “made to be a champion”, and that when WWE thought of the “new era,” they thought of none other than Alexa Bliss.
After Bliss leaves Bryan and Young boast about how proud they are of all four female competitors and that Bryan looks forward to giving them more opportunities to shine.
Thoughts: It’s not often in which we get two stipulation matches for the women. In fact, it’s literally never happened in one night before. And I can’t help but be in awe of both matches.
Carmella vs Nikki Bella, though not as intense as expected, really proved to be a competitive bout. It was clear from the start that both women hated the other and there was genuine fuel behind either lady’s flame. From the blood-fight worthy gear to the anger in their expressions, it was evident that the two competitors hated the other – and that’s how you tell a story.
Throughout the whole match both Superstar pushed the other to their limit, and it really worked wonders. The desperate attempts at hurting the opponents and the great spots truly worked well to tell this story.
My only setback is the fact that the pair weren’t allowed outside of the ring for long without being counted out – in a No Disqualification match. What stopped Bella and ‘Mella from really going all the way was the fact that their storytelling was limited to between the ropes. They couldn’t pour out into the audience, nor could they use the stage or even go to the back – unless they wanted to be counted out, that is. This feud really needed to go just that one step further, and a little while longer spent outside could’ve done that.
However, it’s understandable that the side women’s feud should never outdo the title picture. And if the pair were allowed the opportunity to go all the way, then the Tables match may not have prospered as well as it did. I mean, the crowd were already pretty exhausted during the second one, so this may not have worked in Lynch and Bliss’ favor.
And speaking of Lynch and Bliss… what a match. I absolutely loved the ring psychology and incredible chemistry between the pair. The story here was between a driven down and fed up hero fighting against the wicked and conniving villain – and this was explored tremendously throughout.
Becky has always worked best as an underdog, so it was really nice to see her try to overcome the odds against Alexa like this. Going into the feud it was really simple to paint Bliss as a passable villain that would easily be pushed aside, but SmackDown decided against that.
Instead of making Alexa look somewhat weak, creative have decided to make her not only hated, but strong as well. Despite the rake of the eyes and the pulling of the apron, it wasn’t the dirty tactics that purely lead her to her victory. Alexa is clearly seen dominating a lot of the match, and even inserts a signature move as well as clever uses of the ring to secure the victory. She doesn’t pull a quick one on a dominant hero. Instead, she shows off her abilities and proves herself as a threat – and thus pushes herself forward as a competitor.
And this only allows me to wonder what is next for Becky Lynch…
I highly doubt that Lynch will win her rematch, so the path may be misty for the former SmackDown Women’s champion. My prediction is that Carmella’s words about Natalya are all false, and in fact, it is Lynch that attacked Bella at Survivor Series. Whilst being the only champion to not captain their team, jealousy can easily arise in the Lass Kicker. And with this devastating loss happening so soon, this could be perfect ammo for a heel turn… Yes?
Also, before I end this review, I’d just like to compliment WWE creative for their use of Natalya. Her current gimmick is all kinds of hilarious, and she really is working this ‘tweener schtick well. Well done, WWE!
What did you think of tonight’s show? Are you pleased with the winners? How do you feel about the near future for the women’s division? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Former TNA Knockouts Champion Allie recently spoke with A Music Blog, Yea? (AMBY for short) to discuss women’s wrestling, signing with TNA after her collarbone injury and thoughts on why TNA fans have been so behind her Allie persona. Highlights below:
On the rise of women’s wrestling: “I’m so so proud of not only the women in our company but just women wrestlers as a whole. I think that there is a lot more attention on us. I think that we are looked as athletes now, which is something that I remember when I started back in 2004, it was still sort of the year of ‘We want puppies!’ or the Bra & Panties matches. I think it has just come a long way and it’s really exciting to see kind of where we’re headed.”
On her Allie character: “I’m really excited for the Allie character because I think that everyone has been Allie. Everyone has been bullied, everyone has been mistreated and everyone feels like they didn’t have a voice. So for Allie to finally have a voice and to say ‘No, you aren’t going to treat me this way!’, it was very amazing, I was very happy about that. Keep watching Allie because I promise this is not the first time she has found her ground. Just hold on tight because she is finding the strength and you’ll hear her roar very soon.”
On signing with TNA after her collarbone injury: “It was very emotional for me. When I got hurt I was out for six months. It was the first real injury I ever had and I had to have surgery on it. I think any athlete will tell you, when you can’t do what you’re passionate about, when you wake up in the morning thinking about what you can’t do because it is taken away from you, it really messes with your head. So when I came back, I made a promise to myself that, no matter what, this was going to be the best year. I’m just going to go out there and give it my all. So, when I was signed with my husband [TNA’s Braxton Sutter], we were signed together on the same day, it was one of the most emotional experiences in my life, I was so happy. It was a very very cool moment.”
On who her dream match would be with: “One would be Shawn Michaels. It probably would never happen but in my imaginary world it would and it would be awesome! And Trish Stratus, I love Trish Stratus.”
Pro Wrestling Sheet is reporting that the WWE have offered their former Women’s Champion a new deal to return and compete on their main roster.
Mickie James made her WWE debut back in October 2005 and in her WWE career, has won the WWE Women’s Championship on five occasions as well as the Divas Championship on one occasion. She was released from the company in April 2010.
Update 12/08/16 : PWInsider reports that Mickie James will join WWE’s SmackDown brand in January 2017.
Would you like to see Mickie James make a full time return to the WWE? Which brand would you prefer to see her compete in? How would you book her return? Let us know in the comments below!
Tonight at TLC, Alexa Bliss got her rematch for the SmackDown Women’s title against Becky Lynch in a Tables match and this time walking away with the gold.
Becky cornered Alexa early on and quickly went hunting for tables under the ring. Alexa caught up with Becky, managing to take her down to delay a table from being introduced.
The champion then pursued Alexa to the opposite side of the ring, setting up for a power bomb through the announcement table but Alexa held on to the ring ropes and fended herself from Becky with kicks to the head. The Superstars met back in the ring, where Becky connected a snap suplex to Alexa. Becky then retracted her steps from, pulled out a table from the ring and successfully set it up at ringside.
A battle from the ring apron began, with Alexa escaping near defeat by biting Becky’s fingers and using the ropes to choke out the champion. Alexa then set up a table of her own inside the ring.
The table would get tossed all around the ring after Alexa managed to block Becky’s Bex Plex. The challenger would turn the table upside down to land a DDT to the champion through the upturn table. Still, Becky also managed to have her own fun with the misplaced table by running Alexa’s arm through the legs of the table and locking in the Dis-Arm-Her Submission.
In the end, the initial table Becky had set up would be her downfall, as Alexa would dodge a kick from Becky and send the champion through a table via power bomb through to win her first SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Nikki took down Carmella early on with a spear and the Superstars stumbled to the outside ring. Nikki set Carmella up a powerbomb to the ring apron but Carmella countered with a head scissors to the steel steps.
The action found its way back to the ring after Carmella threw Nikki to the barricade. From there, Carmella began to target Nikki’s left leg, striking the body part with a kendo stick.
When Carmella went for her Code of Silence finisher, Nikki reached for the same kendo stick used against her to strike Carmella and escape the submission hold.
The Superstars scattered to the outside again, where Nikki landed a big boot to the back of Carmella and followed up with a flying kick from the barricade. As the match came to an end, Nikki slowed down Carmella’s pace with the use of a fire extinguisher and stacked up the Staten Island Princess with a Rack Attack for the three count.
Post match, Carmella took to the mic to inform Nikki know that she wasn’t behind the Survivor Series attack that forced Nikki to be sidelined. Rather it was Nikki’s Total Divas co-star Natalya.
The show also served as a second taping for Japan, with all matches filmed for Stardom World. Full results below, courtesy of Diva Dirt’s Jack, who was on hand at the London show.
Results:
It was announced before the show that Toni Storm would not take part to due an eye injury suffered in Germany.
Leah Owens defends the RCW Women’s Title over Nina Samuels with a single leg crab. A great opening match. Nina is definitely one to watch!
Alex Windsor defeats Little Miss Roxxy via the Windsor Knot. A really hard fought match with some great heel banter from Alex.
Nixon Newell and Rosemary had a brilliant purge match. Nixon’s hand was smacked off the ring post, had her throat jammed by a chair off the ring post, a baseball bat submission applied to her, and was dropped into thumbtacks. Toni Storm then entered the fray, telling us that despite not being medically cleared, she had been inserted into the match. Some green mist to Nixon later and some powder in Rosemary’s eyes, Toni pinned Nixon after an Emerald Fusion to become the new BEW Women’s Champion, ending Nixon’s 500+ day reign.
Be sure to Like British Empire Wrestling on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @bew2k14.
Tonight at TLC, Alexa Bliss challenges Becky Lynch for the SmackDown Women’s title in a Tables match. Which Superstar will through a table by the end of the night? The Diva Dirt team weighs in:
Abir: I’m extremely excited for this one. Both women hates the other so much that I truly expect it to be a full out brawl. I’m *hoping* we won’t see Alexa Bliss smash herself through a table with a missed Twisted Bliss, and am hoping/predicting that we’ll see Becky win through a Bex Plex from the top rope. But either way, Becky will win.
Alex: Having the table stipulation added to this match should be exciting, it’s the edge that these two needed to take their skills to the next level. While Becky is an underdog, she’s barely dipped into her reign as a Champion which is why I see Becky winning tonight. Due to Alexa’s petite stature, I’m hoping this leads to a really cool spot when she goes through the table. I feel that this match needs to be at the start of the card and hopefully a great showcase to show that they can run with the ball too… no pressure ladies!
Jack: I’m calling Alexa Bliss to miss a Twisted Bliss, sending her crashing though a table set for Becky. The Irish Lass Kicker will follow that up with a BexPlex through a table in the corner, keeping the title with the luck of the Irish. Even if that lovely scenario right there doesn’t happen, Becky is taking this one still. Becky wins.
Josue: I don’t see Becky dropping the title just yet. I think we’ll see a lot of fun spots and near calls in this match but it will end with Becky Lynch knocking Alexa off the ring apron and into an already set up table outside the ring. Becky Lynch for the win!
Matthew: I’m picking Becky Lynch to get the job done. This should be intense and physical as this rivalry is the most important on the SmackDown side of things. Alexa Bliss deserves every opportunity she can get but she’ll fall completely short in this one. I’ll say this much; Becky Lynch is for real.
Stephanie: I’m rooting for both women as I believe working with Becky will really raise Alexa to the next level. Becky will win so she can continue her reign and take all comers but I expect Alexa to put becky through one of the most intense battles we’ve ever seen involving tables. Neither girl will be afraid to fight dirty and I’m hoping we see either a Bex Plex through a table or an attempt at a Twisted Bliss through one. This match and our No DQ match are the ones to watch. I’m thinking we’ll get to see the women really push to make it a very memorable night, continuing to elevate the SmackDown women’s division and set the ground work for everyone’s next feuds.
BREAKDOWN: 0 for Alexa Bliss, 6 for Becky Lynch.
Who do you agree with? Who is just dead wrong? What are your predictions? Sound off in the comments below!
Tonight at TLC, Nikki Bella and Carmella settle their differences by tossing the rule book out the window in a No DQ contest. Which Superstar will walk away from TLC with a victory? The Diva Dirt team weighs in:
Abir: This is the last time we’ll see these women face off in a while, so seeing them really go at it is what I really expect to witness. Towards the end of the match, whilst things will be looking up for Nikki Bella, her attacker – probably Eva Marie – will interfere to cause a distraction/take her down, leaving Carmella with the victory.
Alex: While I’m enjoying this feud, I think it’s coming to an end tonight. Nikki Bella is one of the most marketable women right now, but she’s got quite stagnant – I don’t know whether it’s because she needs to take it easier, but seeing her miss out on the Survivor Series match was such a shame. She’s not had any major wins since returning, so I’m thinking tonight will be the night Nikki wins. Hopefully they bring the fight backstage and while their ring skills may be a tad below Charlotte/Sasha, I’m sure their characters will make this one entertaining to watch.
Jack: This match is going to be F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! As much as I love Nikki, Carmella needs the win more here, and I see her as the natural next challenger for Becky‘s title, if Naomi doesn’t get a look in that is. I predict a screwy finish, which will lead into a new feud for Nikki, either with Natalya or Eva. Carmella wins.
Josue: I’m glad these two have been given a stipulation match to work with. After Carmella’s beatdown at the hands of Nikki on SmackDown, I’m anticipating a lot of aggression for this match. Carmella never actually took responsibility for Nikki’s Survivor Series attack, so I think tonight will be the night where the true attacker will be revealed. My thoughts are that Eva Marie will make her WWE return, cost Nikki the match and give Carmella the win!
Matthew: I would say Carmella would get the win over Nikki because of two things: One, to propel herself as a ruthless heel who might get an opportunity for the SmackDown Women’s Championship; and two, Nikki is still popular among casual fans but this loss wont hurt her in the short term.
Stephanie: I’ll be happy with either competitor winning but Carmella needs the win more here to solidify her as a ruthless heel. Their feud has been steadily building over time and her matches with Nikki and the other women have gotten much better. Carmella is in a place where this match will really test her abilities and working opposite Nikki has given her the opportunity to improve in the ring, increase her pacing and impact. Nikki already has the crowd behind her, a win for Carmella would give her the heat she needs to move into another feud that would egg the crowd into wanting to see her get her just desserts. Carmella wins.
BREAKDOWN: 5 for Carmella, 1 for Nikki Bella.
Who do you agree with? Who is just dead wrong? What are your predictions? Sound off in the comments below!
Each week, The Wrap will wrap up the week in women’s wrestling by compiling the week’s smaller news stories, rumors and gossip – anything not normally covered by Diva Dirt. Got a tip for next week? Send it in.
* Monday Night Raw’s match featuring Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair for the RAW Women’s Title in a Falls Count Anywhere mainevent, drew 3.110 million viewers. It is the second largest audience for the show since football season began. (PW Mania)
* Jade makes BBC List of inspirational and influential women for 2016. (BBC)
* There is also speculation that Roadblock will feature a Raw Women’s Title rematch between Sasha Banks and Charlotte. Ric Flair could turn on Sasha at the event, to help Charlotte recapture the championship and keep her pay-per-view win record going. (NoDQ.com)
* Cage Side Seats names Alexa Bliss as the “steal” of the WWE Draft for SmackDown Live!. (Cage Side Seats)
* WSU commentator Jon Harder highlights the WSU Era under Sean McCaffrey from 2007-2012. (HardWayHQ.com)
* Veda Scott announces she has been granted her release from ROH. (Twitter)
* Natalya speaks with Fuse TV to reveal who will drive her crazy on this season of Total Divas. (Fuse TV)
* Former WWE Superstar Ariane Andrew speaks with People.com to share how she is in better shape since retiring from wrestling. (People.com)
Raw could be on the verge of adding another female Superstar to their roster.
According to a report from PWInsider, Tamina has been medically cleared by doctors to return to the ring and will be traveling on the road as early as next week with the Raw roster.
After confirming she would return to WWE in September, Tamina has been training for weeks at the the WWE Performance Canter for her eventual return to squared circle:
Tamina underwent surgery earlier this year to repair torn ligaments. She last wrestled on April 23rd, in a multi-women tag team match that took place in Malaga, Spain. Her last televised match was during the April 21st edition of Smackdown, where she teamed up with Naomi to take on the team of Natalya and Paige.
Are you excited to see Tamina back on television? What are your thoughts on Tamina joining Raw? How would you book her return? Let us know in the comments below!
PWInsider reports the company has informed talents that they plan to have a marathon week of tapings from January 4th through January 10th 2017 at Universal Studios. These tapings will cover Impact Wrestling, TNA Xplosion and TNA’s One Night Only PPV series.
The report also adds two days from these tapings will call for a double taping with the idea of having enough material to carry Impact Wrestling until March 2017. There are also talks of TNA possibly bringing back live house shows for 2017 but no official word on when that may happen.
What are your thoughts on this TNA format of tapings? What would you like to see happen in TNA in 2017? Let us know in the comments below!
Hola Knockout fans and welcome to this week’s Impact Write-Up. We enter this final month of 2016 with a brand new TNA Knockouts Champion after Gail Kim made the decision to vacate the title due to injury. Elsewhere, we are also treated to a Thanksgiving Fallout after Allie completely snapped against Maria Kanelllis and Laurel Van Ness during last week’s dinner table segment.
Our first Knockouts sighting come from the ever-so flirtatious Laurel, who says she’ll need to some “cheering up” for Braxton Sutter after he failed to capture the X-Division title. Is he even really considered an X-Division star?
When Allie asks why she never sees Laurel and Braxton out together, Laurel explains that the pair are “keeping things on the down low”. Laurel goes on to say that while Braxton may feel sorry for Allie, she has no sympathy for the fan favorite and that by the end of the night, she’ll be without a job.
To address Allie’s employment status, we head to the ring to find Maria (though the Impact Zone refers to her as “Pie Face”) alongside Laurel. Tis the season of giving, Maria starts off by patting herself on the back due to her charitable persona. She says she has given TNA fans a role model they can look up to. While a few may appreciate Maria’s effort, most overlook it and with that, Maria calls out Allie.
Allie wastes no time apologizing for her accidental face pie toss to Maria last week but Maria isn’t buying. Instead, Maria accuses Allie of being jealous of Laurel’s relationship with Braxton and adds that she has been the worst assistant to have ever worked for her.
Laurel then takes her licks to Allie by revealing she went out on a hot date with Braxton the previous night. An angered Allie bites back but Maria inserts herself back in the dispute, getting into Allie’s face to belittle her again and calling her a “stupid bitch”.
Naturally, this causes Allie to slap Maria across the face. Allie! Allie! Allie! The good feel moment is cut short when Laurel takes Allie down with a right forearm and beats her down. Score one for the Heels this week.
We move on to our main event of the week, Six Sides of Steel for the Knockouts title between Jade and Rosemary:
The former Knockouts Champion Gail Kim makes an entrance first for this big match-up. She formally relinquishes the Knockouts title and finds a nearby close seat to fully support her Korean sista Jade!
On the subject of the possibility of Gail retiring, guest commentator Madison Rayne notes that Gail has said during their world travels together that she will continue to wrestle until she is no longer able to give 110%
After our contenders make their entrances and Jeremy Borash gives his big-feel introductions, the match begins! The Knockouts scramble through the cage door, Josh Matthews making it known that this match will be determined by pinfall or submission, and trade fighting fists against each other. Rosemary wins the tussle after running Jade’s face to the steel steps.
Rosemary takes a look under the six sided ring to find a trash can that she tosses inside the ring along with her opponent. Jade gets back on her feet, able to take Rosemary down with a variety of kicks and a gutwrench suplex before heading to a commercial break.
When we return, Jade remains in control of the match, delivering a head scissors take down and several knee shots to Rosemary. Jade dashes towards Rosemary but comes to a halt when the Demon Assassin teases a mist attack. Having slow down Jade, Rosemary begins to land some strong clothesline attacks and running Jade’s face across the steel cage.
Jade tries to mount a comeback with rapid kicks but gets caught in Rosemary’s clutches and suplexed to the cage! Remember that trash can from the start of the match? Well, it’s about to be put to use as Rosemary places it carefully next to Jade’s right shoulder, looking to repeat her Coast to Coast attack from two weeks ago.
The plan doesn’t follow through this time as Jade gets up in time, uses Rosemary’s weapon against her and knocks off Rosemary from the top rope via hurricaranna! Now it is Rosemary’s turn to feel the punishment of the cage, as Jade throws her face first and rams Rosemary’s back to the steel walls of the cage.
Jade goes for her packaged piledriver finisher but Rosemary manages to counter out with a beautiful German Suplex. The Knockouts then begin to climb the cage but Jade is able to knock Rosemary off. Jade continues to climb until she reaches the very top of the cage.
From there, Jade takes careful aim to Rosemary and soars from the heavens to hit a big time crossbody! The big risk only earns a two count over Rosemary. Jade takes a chance for another aerial attack but this time Rosemary catches up.
She blinds Jade with a mist attack, mounts her over the shoulder leading to the Red Wedding and three count pin. Rosemary is your new Knockouts Champion… and from the outside cage, Gail isn’t too thrilled about this.
Thoughts: A huge sigh of relief in knowing that we have finally been given a MOTY from the Knockouts.
This main event was really fun to watch between two breakthrough stars from TNA. After Jade’s Dollhouse split from earlier this year, this is the kind of match I’ve been hoping to see from someone like Jade. She has the crowd behind her and spots like the amazing top cross body makes you want to see even more!
In my eyes, Rosemary has just been the most interesting Knockout of 2016; granted it took her towards the end of the year to actually interact and enter in the Knockouts division but to see her hold the gold made it that much worth waiting for.
As great of a match this was, I do have to say that I wish these two had more time to build for a longer feud. Had Gail not gotten injured when she did, I really think we could have seen more promos from Rosemary leading up to her eventual title win. I also think that Rosemary winning the title over the likes of Gail would have given Rosemary more of a rub (she already has one win over Gail) but from the looks of it, the two could meet down the line.
Another issue I do feel the need to address, as other fans have mentioned, is the hot potatoes reigns we’ve seen the Knockouts title undergo. Just this year alone (including this match), the title has been traded hands six different times – with five of those times being under a new name. For the most part, none of these reigns had been memorable or had any meaning behind them. I would call myself a liar if I didn’t say these hot potatoes reigns, like the Raw Women’s title, has put a damper on the belt. I’m happy for Rosemary but I really hope that TNA management can give us a memorable reign this time around.
As for the secondary Knockouts storyline, I think Allie continues to do well in her role across Maria, who I also give props too. The split from these two is long overdue and I’m glad that things are finally moving forward with it. My only real complaint is that Allie’s breakaway from her bullies seems to stem from her jealousy of Braxton/Laurel when I think it should really be for the nonstop name calling and bullying she’s had to endure up to this point.
The love triangle cattiness just feels unnecessary and a bit out of place but if the payoff leads to Allie getting in the ring and actually being able to wrestle the likes of Laurel then so be it.
What did you think of this week’s episode of Impact? How do you think Rosemary’s reign as Knockouts Champion will play out? How would you book the Allie/Maria saga next? Let us know in the comments below!
NXT arrives in the land of the rising sun this weekend and NXT Women’s Champion Auska will face a familiar foe when the brand tours Osaka, Japan. WWE Japan announced that she will take on Nia Jax via twitter.
I don't get your cryptic talk @WWEAsuka ! Get ready because this "humongous" woman is ready to beat your thong wearing butt! ?? https://t.co/8EQfKOaAn7
What comes?! What's going on right now? Am I being punk'd?? Are you trying to get me @WWEAsuka?! I'm gonna give you a wedgie w/your thong https://t.co/Cmv3THdrGj
The last time both fought was in June at NXT TakeOver: The End…where Nia pummeled Asuka before succumbing to a lethal succession of kicks and hits. Since then Asuka has remained undefeated and has held the NXT Women’s Championship for more than 245 days.
NXT travels to Japan on Saturday, Dec. 3 at in Japan’s historic Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan.
Other matches set for the card include:
NXT Champion Samoa Joe vsShinsuke Nakamura
Tye Dillinger vs. Bobby Roode vs. Elias Samson
NXT Tag Champions Johnny Gargano-Tommaso Ciampa aka #DIY vs. Tajiri and Tozawa
Tino Sabbatelli and Riddick Moss vs. Dash and Dawson aka The Revival
As previously announced, this Sunday (December 4th) British Empire Wrestling will team up with Revolution Championship Wrestling of Spain, for a second taping for Japan which will be a Stardom World Alliance sanctioned show.
As seen on last night’s episode of Impact Wrestling, Rosemarybecame the new Knockouts Champion and British Empire Wrestling have now announced via Facebook that Rosemary will take on British Empire Wrestling Women’s champion Nixon Newell in a champion vs. champion match:
Other matches and appearance announced for this weekend’s show include:
Tonight on Impact Wrestling’s main event, the vacated Knockouts Championship found a new title holder in Rosemary. The Demon Assassin won the belt by defeating Jade in the anticipated Six Sides of Steel cage match.
The previous Knockouts Champion Gail Kim had a front row seat for the match, in full support of Jade.
At the starting sound of the bell, both Knockouts slipped to the outside cage, where Rosemary took this chance to toss a trash can inside the ring.
Once both Knockouts found their way back to caged ring, the two battled for control of the match, with Rosemary running Jade’s face through the cage while Jade relied on rapid kicks against Rosemary.
When Rosemary attempted a coast to coast, Jade knocked Rosemary off her game by tossing the trash can to her and following up with an elevated hurricarrana.
Jade would use the cage environment to her advantage again by climbing the very top of the cage to hit a super flying cross body but it wasn’t enough to put Rosemary down for the three count.
Instead, Jade would go for another high flying offense but this time was blinded by a mist from Rosemary, who then delivered a Red Wedding F-5 to Jade, pinning her for the three count to win the Knockouts title.
According to Show Buzz Daily, the third episode of Total Divas, titled “A Big Flippin’ Deal”, drew in a viewing audience of 595,000.
This is up 134,000 more viewers than last week’s season low rating of 461,000 – which was also the same week of the Thanksgiving holiday.
In the 18-49 demo, the episode drew in a 0.27 rating, which is higher than last week’s 0.17.
The episode was the 24th most watched show on cable last night, up from last week’s number 46 ranking.
Did you catch Total Divas last night? What do you think about these ratings? How do you think the rest of the season’s ratings will play out? Let us know in the comments below!
Welcome to the NXT redux. This week continues to focus on Asuka‘s stranglehold on the division, which is unfortunately suffocating as she continues to stand at the top.
Asuka enters to a thunderous pop. Nicole is already in the ring. Asuka gets close and drags Nicole down. Nicole makes it to the ropes and fights her way to her feet. She starts punching Asuka but Asuka just shakes it off. She just feeds off the energy and lands a hip attack on Nicole. She vigorously kicks her. Nicole collaspes but she tries to collect herself .
Nicole gets up and comes flying off the top rope but Asuka catches her in an arm bar. They wrestle for a bit. Nicole goes for a kick but Asuka hits her in the face. Asuka gets Nicole on the ground and puts her in the Asuka lock for the win.
Later on in the night she’s interviewed by Dasha Fuentes.
Dasha congratulates her on another dominate victory. Dasha says others have noticed a change in her demeanor but Asuka says there’s been no change. She says she’s the best and she just wants competition but there is none in the NXT division yet.
During the show we also get another glimpse at what Sanity can do as Nikki Cross continues to make an impact.
Thoughts: What the hell NXT? I’m incredibly disappointed in what the brand is doing across the board. It’s been an issue now that NXT doesn’t know whether it wants to be developmental or a full fledged, fleshed out touring brand. For something that’s supposed to develop talent, it is really dragging its feet in creating memorable characters and stories for us to care about.
Just because it was the day after TakeOver and a holiday was coming up doesn’t mean the brand couldn’t maximize every chance it could get in trying something new or refreshing. Instead we get another squash match. What was the purpose of this? We already know Asuka has decimated the competition. I’ll stop ranting right here though and say I did like Nicole and thought she got her offense in very well. However, how would we know what else she’s capable of when the match only lasted less than five minutes?
I’m really NOT a fan at all of this: the writers writing about the division being buried by feeding Asuka these lines of there being no competition when it’s creative and booking that’s actively burying the division by not developing the women.
I know how NXT works, they build up and establish talent by using enhancement competitors. Then the formula goes by the wayside and we start to get development through bouts between women in the division. Except they haven’t been doing this at all with the depleted division. Instead we’re now stuck in this endless cycle of feeding Asuka while the other women in the division get the scraps. Where’s the vision for anyone?
Who is Ember Moon? Is she a warrior werewolf? I’m a fan and they can do so much with her but all we’ve been getting is the same endless cycle of squashes. She’ll begin to stand out when she has a meaty feud akin to what was blossoming between her and Mandy Rose.
Why should I care about Liv Morgan or Aliyah? Because right now, I don’t.
Why are any of the women here?
Additionally, if they’re going to continue using Nikki in these unique ways, NXT should either begin some mixed gender feuds or slowly introduce integender bouts again. It’s only a matter of time before she runs into a brick wall where the male talent can’t get even with her because WWE doesn’t believe in women all out brawling with the men in matches.
I’ve read the spoilers and I know what’s coming up for the division and hopefully we get a future triple threat or fatal four-way against Asuka for the title but the brand is spinning its wheels when it should be mapping out the division and what’s ahead for everyone and moving full steam ahead.
I’ll tell you right now, once Asuka or Ember’s streak is broken, if there’s no narrative plan for them, the mystique of it all will fail and be meaningless. They can only use a winning streak as a crutch for so long. Look at the main roster, where the hell is Nia Jax? She’s supposed to be this unstoppable monster and yet she’s MIA half the time. Also Sasha Banks‘ streak was randomly broken on SmackDown the night of the draft without so much as a word. Pitiful.
There’s no excuse for not building up anyone in any of the women’s divisions through backstage segments, at the very least.
It’s a shame it has come to this. Maybe NXT should be watching alternative promotions or look to SmackDown to see how to utilize its talent effectively. The brand can sure use some help right now.
What did you think of this week’s NXT? How would you book the division? Sound off in the comments below.
Former Knockouts Champion and Knockouts Tag Team Champion Taylor Wilde also briefly spoke with ImpactWrestling.com to discuss her TNA run and thoughts on tonight’s big Six Sides of Steel cage main event match between Jade and Rosemary.
Thoughts on first signing with TNA as a Knockout: “When I was a Knockout, the world was beginning to see a big shift in focus to the women’s division in TNA. The ladies were beginning to be involved in predominate story lines and were getting to wrestle in two matches a night. I felt honored to be a part of this movement.”
Thoughts on Knockouts main eventing an episode of Impact Wrestling: “I think it’s great two women are competing in the main event. My hope is that the females continue to move forward. TNA has always hired women who are competitive in the ring and hungry to make a difference in professional wrestling.”
Thoughts on Rosemary’s partnership with Abyss: “Like any TNA fan should know, Abyss is a ticking time bomb. Having him as an ally can either be an asset or a disaster. I’m sure Rosemary will use him as an asset but also keep her wits.”
Be sure to tune in to Impact Wrestling tonight on Pop TV at 8 pm ET to watch Jade and Rosemary’s main event match.
What are your favorite Taylor Wilde memories in TNA?
Welcome to the Temple, Believers! We have a special episode coming our way and one of the most enjoyable hours of television I’ve seen recently in a long time as the debuting Black Lotus Triad takes on Pentagon Dark.
Black Lotus has been looking to get even with Pentagon after he broke her arm last season during LU’s Ultima Lucha Dos. Her gang of assassins made a surprise debut two weeks ago during Aztec Warfare 3 to exact some revenge. Now they all have a chance at retribution in a Gauntlet Match!
Let’s jump into the action with our first fight as Doku takes on Pentagon:
The action starts off with incredible back and forth stiff hits. It’s not long before Pentagon overpowers Doku, however, as he inflicts punishment by taking her to the outside and hitting her with more stiff offense including a gorilla press toss head first into the apron.
The fight is taken back into the ring where Pentagon continues to control the match. Doku is able to dodge some of his maneuvers as she hits a spear, and goes to the top rope for an elbow drop. She goes up again for the elbow… but he catches her arm and breaks it, ending the first of four matchups.
Backstage Catrina corners Jeremiah Crane while he is working out.
She says it’s a shame what happened to Ivelisse but Jeremiah says it’s funny she should be so concerned when they have a match set for Ultima Lucha. He hopes Ivelisse will be healthy enough for it now.
Catrina reminds him that it was her who brought him here and asks him if he’s happy to see her. She says she knows he still loves him since he’s wearing a piece of her amulet around his neck. But now, she loves someone else. She leaves and he looks on, frustrated.
We’re back in the ring with Pentagon as he takes a mic.
He addresses the crowd and says it doesn’t matter how many there are, he will break all their arms! He promises Black Lotus that he won’t just break her arm too, he’ll break the rest of her in half.
They exchange arm drag reversals before Yurei takes control by delivering a body block from the top rope. The fight spills to the outside where Yurei takes control. She tosses Pentagon into the crowd and follows up by continually beating his head into a chair. She then delivers a weak blow to Pentagon with the ring bell before bashing his head into the side of a wall nearby.
Pentagon fights back with a series of kicks. It’s not enough to keep Yurei down. She continues unloading on him and then tosses him back into the ring. She delivers a knee to the face but when she goes for a second, Pentagon catches the leg and puts her in a knee bar.
Yurei is able to make it to the ropes, forcing the brake. But Pentagon starts working on the left leg. She endures a series of chops and fights back, hitting a hurricanrana from the top rope and then goes back up to the top rope for a deadly double stomp.
Pentagon tosses her in the corner but she fends him off with a series of kicks. She hits a tornado DDT and then does a move off the second rope that gets caught in Pentagon’s signature package pile driver. He follows up the move by breaking her arm.
After defeating her, his next challenge is Hitokiri:
Hitokiri is Pentagon’s greatest challenge yet. She sneak attacks him right off the bat from behind. He slides out of the ring, she runs up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a moonsault!
She follows up with a suicide dive and then takes a chair to start unloading on him. Hitokiri rips up the floor mats to expose the concrete. Pentagon tries to fight her, but she kicks him low and delivers a body slam onto the floor to the delight of Vampiro.
Back in the ring, Pentagon lands a kick but it barely affects his Hitokiri. However, when she’s goes for a handstand flip against the ropes, he kicks her hard in the abdomen.
Now Pentagon has the advantage. He dishes out the punishment outside and then tosses Hitokiri outside. He proceeds to throw her into the chairs.
And then he whips her with the camera cable and then chokes her with it. He then pulls her against the ring pole while he has the cable wrapped around her neck and pulls.
Now it’s Pentagon who uses the chair from earlier. After hitting her with it a couple times, he sets it up. He doesn’t do anything with it yet. Instead, he tosses her into the chairs from earlier and pulls up the mat himself to expose concrete and delivers a modified AA to Hitokiri onto the floor.
He tries to toss her into the set up chair, but she stops short and drop toe holds him face first. She then runs up the stairs and onto Dario’s office! She jumps off the roof, performing a cross body to take Pentagon down!
Hitokiri is up first and tosses Pentagon into the ring. But he’s the one to fight back and goes for the Package Piledriver… but she fights out and hits the Canadian Destroyer for the win!
Finally we have Black Lotus as she makes her way down to the ring with her two fallen Triad members in tow.
Before the match can begin as Pentagon lies there, she kicks the ref who is checking on him. The audience shouts, “Break his arm!”
Black Lotus kicks him several times before doing just that! Suddenly El Dragon Azteca appears and Black Lotus tells her group to retreat. She leaves and El Dragon towers above Pentagon. He surveys Pentagon’s damage before breaking his other arm!
Thoughts: This episode was so satisfying and is the most fulfilled I’ve felt in a long time watching any promotion. I will admit I was nervous as to how the match was going down when the first two Triad members fell to Pentagon. Here’s this badass all-female assassin group that is supposedly legendary and Pentagon is still able to break their arms?
However, when commentary started to sell Hitokiri, Io Shirai, as one of the toughest members, I realized they put him up against competitors who were at various stages of weakness before he got to the toughest fighters in the clan.
She did not disappoint. None of them disappointed at all. It was probably one of the most violent intergender matches I’ve ever seen, and your mileage may vary with it its brutality, but I loved it! All of them put their bodies on the line, all of them brought their A game!
Doku, Kairi Hojo , was so stiff with her hits and Pentagon didn’t hold back either. He’s one of the most exceptional wrestlers in the Temple too and can work a match with any opponent in any feud. He’s got a great look straight out of Mortal Kombat and he mixes lucha libre with effortless power wrestling. He’s one of my favorites. Doku working as his opposite brought out fierce offense. It was sick.
Yurei, Mayu Iwatani, brought out more mat wrestling and began to take the match to the next level by beating him up in the crowd. Her double stomp was better than Finn Balor‘s, it looked so impactful.
Pentagon’s battle with Hitokiri was an all out brawl. It was the slickest of the two where both players got in their hits. Her selling and ragdolling was out of this world when Pentagon threw her into a pile of chairs. She upped the level of intensity by ripping the mats up and exposing the concrete floor. She body slammed Pentagon on the floor and it was incredible. She then took a floor bump when he did the same to her.
Hitokiri is also the first woman to dive off of Dario’s office! She took flight multiple times during this match and it was beautiful each time. Her finisher is also one of the slickest looking things I’ve ever seen.
Black Lotus’ part was a little deflating, only because I want to see her in action wayyyy more. I was under the impression she would fight Pentagon but I loved the end to this feud. She breaks one arm and then El Dragon breaks the other. What a way to punish Pentagon for sacrificing so many people’s arms to his master over the course of three seasons. It was a fitting end to this story and it made sense. How is he going to come back from this?
I must also commend the editing team for the seamless integration between vignettes and in ring action. Multiple story arcs were brought forward as the night focused on the Triad taking on Pentagon. We learned that Catrina and Jeremiah have a past which brings up even more questions and starts building his back story as well as forwards the conflicts between Ivelisse and Catrina.
I’ve read an unfortunate thing that this may be the first and last time we see the Triad though. I only hope that this opens the doors for more joshi wrestlers to come in and get exposure. LU is a champion for women and they don’t hold them back. This match is further proof that they are seen as equals who can be strong characters, carry high profile feuds, and participate in all out war against the men. The bar keeps getting higher for the women and they reach it every time.
I want to thank LU again for giving women this platform and for writing such compelling material. This show is a constant reminder of why I fell in love with wrestling in the first place.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Sound off in the comments below.
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