According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Gran Metalik has been absent from WWE 205 Live lately as he has been back in Mexico resolving Visa issues.
Jazzy Gabert Confirms Her Mae Young Classic Status
Independent star Jazzy Gabert, who competed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic last year, revealed on Twitter that she will not be in this year’s tournament.
Gabert was offered a WWE contract after the Mae Young Classic last year, however, medical examinations revealed a neck injury back in October of last year forcing WWE to withdraw the contract offer.
Back in April of this year, we reported that WWE had interest in signing Gabert, but there remains no word as to why she is not competing in this year’s Classic:
As you by now might know, I will not be at the #myc this year!
The hope was high, I saw your tweets. Thank you for your support!
Wishing all the fantastic girls on the Tournament lot of success and most of all FUN!
I will be watching đ
â Alpha Female (@Jazzy_Gabert) August 2, 2018
NXT Takeover Brooklyn 4 Logo Revealed
As seen below, WWE has revealed the official logo for NXT Takeover Brooklyn IV, taking place on August 18th in Brooklyn, NYC at The Barclays Center:
#WWE Reveals the Official Logo for #NXTTakeover Brooklyn IV! pic.twitter.com/12eyGUDcj3
WWE has released the following video, listing the top 3 moments of the week:
#RAW and #SDLive have been bringing the heat on the road to #SummerSlam!
A post shared by WWE (@wwe) on
Click Here: Japan Rugby ShopSeth Rollins Does Shanghai Photoshoot
WWE has released the following video previewing a photoshoot Seth Rollins did for “Elle” magazine while he was in Shanghai doing promotional work for WWE:
.@WWERollins flexes his muscles for #ELLEMen as he participates in a photo shoot in Shanghai! #WWEShanghai pic.twitter.com/BOuxcgow93
â WWE (@WWE) August 12, 2018
WWE Network Reveals ‘Superstar Picks’
As noted, WWE has debuted a new Network feature called “Superstar Picks”, and the first installment featuring Sasha Banks offering her classic Network picks. Below is the full list of picks from Banks, per WWE.com:
Superstar Picks debuts on WWE Network
How are WWE Superstars born? From super fans, of course. Many of todayâs Superstars spent countless hours being captivated and inspired by some of WWEâs most thrilling moments. But who were their favorite Superstars? And what were their favorite matches? Find out, as WWEâs top Superstars sit down to personally select and discuss their all-time favorite matches. Where were they watching? Why did that match leave such an impression? Who helped inspire them to follow their WWE dreams? Hear it all from the Superstars themselves, as they present their favorite matches in their entirety on Superstar Picks, available exclusively on demand on the award-winning WWE Network.
Sasha Banks Superstar Picks
Eddie vs. Rey (1997) Sasha Banks recalls one of her earliest favorites and greatest inspirations â Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio from Halloween Havoc 1997.
Undertaker vs. Shawn (2009) Sasha discusses the magical WrestleMania 25 encounter between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker and the incredible crowd response.
Eddie vs. Rey (2005) Sasha reminisces about the lack of lying, cheating, and stealing in the WrestleMania 21 match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio.
Revival vs. Alpha (2016) Sasha shares a story of tears and inspiration while watching The Revival and American Alpha tear the house down at NXT TakeOver: Dallas.
Trish vs. Lita (2004) The Boss reminisces about Trish Stratus and Lita seizing their opportunity to main event Monday Night Raw in December of 2004.
Cena vs. Edge (2006) Sasha recalls the classic TLC Match where Edge defended his WWE Championship against John Cena in front of an extremely biased Toronto crowd.
Trish vs. Mickie (2006) Sasha embraces the opportunity to work with Mickie James, the woman at the center of an intriguing storyline with Trish Stratus in 2006.
Sami vs. Cesaro (2013) The Boss looks back at her earliest days in NXT and how a match between Cesaro and Sami Zayn helped motivate her to be a show-stealer.
Eddie vs. Brock (2004) Emotions run deep as Sasha reflects on Eddie Guerreroâs defining championship victory and a gesture that still holds a place in her heart.
Impact Wrestling continues to tease the debut of a new Knockout and above is the latest promo video.
Get ready for an electric new Knockout COMING SOON to IMPACT Wrestling!
DeAngelo Williams Wants a Match With Top Star
Following DeAngelo Williams’ return to Impact Wrestling this week, Austin Aries and Williams trash talked each other on Twitter with Williams challenging Aries to a match:
Hey @AustinAries I guess u are hot stuff now that u cheap shotted me and hit me with a chair when I wasnât looking! Why donât u square up like the belt collector u claim to be! Make it happen @IMPACTWRESTLING đĄđĄ
Last November the WWE Universe saw the return of the hellacious WarGames match – or at least, a modern take on the old classic – as the structure headlined a massive NXT Takeover even in Houston, Texas during Survivor Series weekend.
WWE.com has officially confirmed that WarGames will be making its return this November, when NXT Takeover comes to Los Angeles for the very first time during a massive four-day series of events centered around the 2018 Survivor Series pay-per-view. Exactly who will be participating in this year’s incarnation of the bout won’t be known for several months, but last year we saw a gigantic, bloody, triple threat battle between The Undisputed Era, Sanity and The Authors of Pain.
As noted, this will be the first time a major NXT special will air not just in L.A., but on the entire west coast! Tickets go on-sale this Friday, July 20th starting at 1PM ET. Check out the official release on WWE.com for more information.
UpUpDownDown has released the above video, featuring Xavier Woods live at this year’s San Diego Comic Con:
Live from the floor of San Diego Comic-Con 2018, AUSTIN CREED jumps into the FUNKO booth to check out all of the exclusives they’re selling this year! From Pops to Dorbz and a sweet Golden Girls skateboard, CREED might blow his entire savings here!
Jinder Mahal’s Birthday
In today’s pro wrestler birthday news, WWE star Jinder Mahal turns 32 years old. WWE is celebrating Mahal’s birthday with the following clip:
Throw it back to the DEBUT of the #ModernDayMaharaja as we celebrate the birthday of @JinderMahal today! pic.twitter.com/5PKO0lcaZS
Mahal recently reunited with 3MB to rewatch WWE’s WeeLC match, and you can check that out below in case you missed it:
.@JinderMahal, @HeathSlaterOMRB and @DMcIntyreWWE get the band back together to watch the infamous WeeLC Match at #ExtremeRules 2014 with a special guest via FaceTime! pic.twitter.com/j6WL2EYO2Q
â WWE (@WWE) July 12, 2018
Wrestler Catches Fire After Botched Leg Drop Spot
Pro Wrestling Sheet has obtained the following video of Mexican wrestler Angel Azul hitting what he calls the âGuillotine of Fireâ during a cage match this past Sunday against female wrestler Heroina at an MWE show in Matamoros, Mexico. The spot is botched, and it resulted in Azul catching fire:
WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler recently appeared on Lilian Garcia’s “Chasing Glory” podcast, and below are some interview highlights via WrestlingNewsSource.com:
WWE officials initially wanting to pair him with Kurt Angle:
âA little before I got called up to do the Spirit Squad I was told by the in-between when youâre hearing youâre gonna get called up to WWE, the main roster. They were like, âHey, they really like that you have an amateur wrestling backgroundâ and I had my crew cut, my military haircut. They go, âItâs great that you have no tattoos, weâre kinda looking at you as Kurt Angleâs protegee or something.â If Kurt Angle hadnât won that gold medal and came to WWE I might not have even got a chance. But because he was so good and he did so well when he got here theyâre like, âmaybe we can give some smaller guys a try and because of him I got a chance to work here. And they go, hey maybe we consider you as his protege and I go, âWhat? This is the craziest thing ever!â Cut to four weeks later and Iâm a cheerleader with four other guys, but still the thought was there that maybe that was gonna happen.â
The Spirit Squad’s time in WWE and learning from legends:
âIt just became a rotating cast of legends. It was like Dusty Rhodes, Roddy Piper, Ric Flair and it never ended and it was like, âWoah.â We were learning stuff that other people didnât get a chance to learn like on a regular basis we were very spoiled. We were kinda seen as jokes but also we were fighting DX in the main event of a pay-per-view in a cage or somethingâŠWhen we finished the Caddy I go, âAw Iâm fired, okay⊠oh I get a second chance Iâm gonna try to do everything I can if this is it.â Even being a cheerleader bummed me out, but I go, âIf this is it, Iâm gonna give them every opportunity to go we need this guy on the roster.’â
Read Also: Listen to Ziggler and Rollins React to Extreme Rules Crowd in the Ring
The end of the Spirit Squad:
âSo we did the year, I tried to learn everything I could. I was still okay but at a year-and-a-half in, two yearsâŠyou can be okay but not great you know. Then that came to an end and they go, âDonât worry, we have plans for you guys. One of you guys doesnât really know what youâre doing yet weâll worry about him later but we have some plansâ and next week we were not at TV. Then travel is canceled and I go, âOkay, if I get fired now I did everything I could, we did a year run where I listened to everybody I tried to have psychology, tired to learn everything. I go, âbut if I get a chance to get called back I wanna be the best wrestler they have that thereâs no reason for me to ever get taken off the roster again or fired or anything. So I went from the three practices a day I was doing to five practices a day and going to OVW shows and going there early and having a practice match in the ring before the show started. I just wanted to have every â if they give me a chance I donât want them to have a reason to send me back. Thatâs what drove me to be better than I should be. It was half the time we were a joke but half the time we were in main events of pay-per-views and with five of us we could make up for it.”
âFor months they go, âAny day this could be over.â And then when they said that, weâd go win the Tag Titles and go do something else so you never know. It was to get another team some heat in a third-tier for a story on the main event of the show and then that was the end of us. I said, âthat didnât really help us, but you know we had a year run.’â