Thursday, 28 February 2019
Why Should Jon Jones Get Rematch After I Beat Him? • MMA News
Why Should Jon Jones Get Rematch After I Beat Him? • MMA News
If Anthony Smith shocks the world at UFC 235 and hands Jon Jones the first non-DQ loss of his MMA career, where does the light heavyweight division go from there?
One name that sticks out is certainly Thiago Santos, who holds a victory over Anthony Smith just last year in the middleweight division and who currently sits at #4. There are also names like Dominick Reyes, who, if victorious over Volkan Oezdemir, could be knocking on the door of a title shot as well. There’s also Corey Anderson, who is in the mix and has been lobbying for a title shot for some time now. But perhaps the most expected next course of action would be an immediate rematch for Jon Jones, right? Not so fast says Anthony Smith.
“When they first started asking that question, it was a quick yeah,” Smith told ESPN regarding a hypothetical immediate rematch against Jon Jones. “But then, the more you think about it, like, why? Why does he get an immediate rematch? Why?
“Like, we’ve already set the precedent. Stipe Miocic didn’t get one. Daniel Cormier didn’t give him his immediate rematch. You know, he went on, and did his thing, and went on to the next challenge. I don’t see why I can’t do the same.”
Another big-name champion in his prime who was knocked off of his throne without ever receiving an immediate rematch is Jose Aldo, who lost his featherweight championship to Conor McGregor in 2015. Prior to that loss, Aldo had gone undefeated for 10 years. While Stipe Miocic and Jose Aldo are both great names, that is company that Jon Jones certainly would not want to join should Anthony Smith defeat him at UFC 235 and proceed to initiate Jones into the No-Rematch Club.
UFC 235 takes place this Saturday, March 2, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Do you believe that Jon Jones should get an immediate rematch if he loses to Anthony Smith at UFC 235?
The post Why Should Jon Jones Get Rematch After I Beat Him? • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Huge Match Advertised For Fastlane
Huge Match Advertised For Fastlane
During local advertising in the Cleveland, Ohio area, WWE is advertising a three on two handicap match that will feature Seth Rollins and the returning Roman Reigns To face off against Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre on March 10th at Fastlane.
This is coming off of the breaking news that former Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, announcing that his Leukemia was in remission and that he would be returning this past Monday.
For those who did not see, Reigns announced that he was in remission and would be returning to WWE. Later in the night, he was involved in a segment in which we saw him and Rollins come to the aid of Dean Ambrose.
The post Huge Match Advertised For Fastlane appeared first on mmHighlights.
Bryce Mitchell Wants To Handle Business At UFC Nashville, Then Grapple Ali Abdelaziz • MMA News
Bryce Mitchell Wants To Handle Business At UFC Nashville, Then Grapple Ali Abdelaziz • MMA News
Most fans figured Bryce Mitchell’s next opponent was going to be Dan Ige.
If you missed it, the pair of featherweights went back-and-forth on Twitter last month, even involving manager Ali Abdelaziz – who Ige works for at Dominance MMA.
You a young blood, I know somebody who can give you a nice southern ass whooping and his name is Daniel @Dynamitedan808 and you might actually get a blue check mark after the fight. Have your people call @seanshelby https://t.co/KGARDBncEO
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) January 17, 2019
I‘ve never been to Tennessee but seems like a good place to bury a body 
— Dan Ige (@Dynamitedan808) January 17, 2019
But instead, Mitchell is scheduled to face Bobby Moffett at UFC on ESPN+ 6 on Mar. 23. While he’ll be the first to admit that the opponent never matters, the news did catch the TUF 27 competitor off guard.
“I was [surprised].” Mitchell told MMANews. “Whenever I saw that Ali [Abdelaziz] wanted me to fight his buddy Dan [Ige]. I figured that Ali guy was one of those upper level whatever you call it, he’s in the club. He’s going to get to pick whatever fight he wants. I guess it didn’t go that way I’m fighting Bobby Moffett now. Both of them are tough, I just needed a fight and he happened to be calling me out so that’s why I said I would fight him.”
Mitchell (10-0) returns to the cage after suffering a gruesome scrotum injury last year and will be competing for the first time since his promotional debut in July 2018. While he respects Moffett as an opponent, there is a bit of added revenge for “Thug Nasty” ahead of the matchup.
“[Moffett] fought one of my good buddies and training partners, T.J. Brown. I mean the dude is a savage, [Moffett] beat TJ on a decision, you could argue the decision either way. But regardless it was a good fight. I’m taking him very serious, a lot’s on the line for both of us it’s going to be a thrown down. I see me getting a finish and that’s what I’m going for. I hate the decisions, just as much as the fan hate them. Trust me I hate them more. You think it’s fun not knowing if your hand is getting raised? I’m trying to get a finish and I’m sure he is too.”
With MMA Lab product Moffett on deck first, Mitchell says the jiu-jitsu match against Abdelaziz is on hold at the moment. However should he come out healthy after Mar. 23, Mitchell feels confident the matchup will happen.
I’ll make you a deal young man I’ll fly you to Vegas we’ll do 10 minute grappling round and if I don’t finish you I’ll give you 10k cash but if I finish you, you have to fight @Dynamitedan808 or we can spar but you have to sign the waiver. I’ll follow you DM me https://t.co/1Ifm2MB5aM
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) January 18, 2019
10K if you don’t sub me, an extra 5K if I sub you @AliAbdelaziz00
Win or lose against you in a grappling match, as soon as I get an offer to fight @Dynamitedan808 it will be accepted. No prob, you got my word. Deal?@Abraham_kawa @matt_frm
— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) January 18, 2019
“I didn’t even know who this Ali guy was and I then I looked him up. I accepted his grappling match. I private messaged him, my manager did, he sent me the screenshots. He private messaged me on Twitter and we agreed. He was going to fly me up to New York and Renzo Gracie’s gym and we’ll thrown down. If I survive 10-minutes with him, he’s supposed to give me $10,000. So that’s what got my attention. He was talking all this crap then he started throwing out this money. So I was like, alright we’re doing this for real. Basically I just private messaged him, after this fight if I’m healthy this 100% for sure go. He even said go ahead and worry about the fight first. Then we’ll do this little thrown down later. We’re going to do this after the fight. It has nothing to do with the UFC. It’s a man versus man, I’m taking his word for it. I hope he’ll come through. If he does there’s honor in that, if he doesn’t he’s a coward.”
The post Bryce Mitchell Wants To Handle Business At UFC Nashville, Then Grapple Ali Abdelaziz • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Andre Fili Recaps Win Over Myles Jury & Says He’s Open To A Future In Pro Wrestling • MMA News
Andre Fili Recaps Win Over Myles Jury & Says He’s Open To A Future In Pro Wrestling • MMA News
Andre Fili didn’t have any doubt about his hand getting raised this time.
Coming off back-to-back split decisions – a win against Dennis Bermudez and a loss against Michael Johnson – Fili put on one of the best performances of his career in a unanimous decision victory over Myles Jury at UFC on ESPN 1. One of the benefits the Team Alpha Male product had heading into the matchup was two of his teammates, Rick Glenn and Chad Mendes had already fought Jury. It was just another factor capping off what he describes as one of the best camps of his career.
“I mean regardless of who you’re fighting, having teammates like that will help for sure.” Fili explained to MMA News. “Especially because they’ve already been in the cage with them. Chad had some good insight, there were lessons to be learned from that fight. There were many more lessons to be learned in my option from his fight with [my teammate] Rick Glenn. That gave us a good look of what to prepare for and I just felt great about this fight. I felt good about the win I felt great going into it. I prepared so well for it. I’m training physically and I’m also training mentally, I’m getting better every day. I was going to win this fight and there was no other option”
Fili (19-6) has now won three of his last four fights and is entering in the prime of his career at 28-years of age. With that said, Fili is aware how deep the division is and looks to keep the momentum going.
“From now I got to win every fight from here on out. It’s time to start making noise, climbing the ranks and get that belt man. I’ve been doing this for a while and it’s time to get my f**ing props. [I want to return] sooner for sure. I’m trying to get four in this year. I want to be in the cage every two-three months. Stay healthy. That’s part of the reason I’m not eating bad and letting my weight ballooning up. I felt really good this fight, I felt strong. Keep the gains going and just staying ready.”
The California native likes to do his talking in the cage and isn’t one to call out his next opponent. When asked about who he’ll square off with next, Fili responded with former WWE star Stone Cold Steve Austin. A pro-wrestling fan growing up, Fili says he’d leave the door open to a potential crossover once his MMA career is over.
“The media just pressured me about the next fight, like they wanted me to call someone out so bad.” Fili explained. “That’s cool but sometimes it’s corny to me the way people go about it. I just didn’t want to any corny s**t. So I called out Stone Cold in “Hell In A Cell”, “Losers Leave Town” match. Pro-Wrestling is just like fighting, they tell the best stories. I got to make it important. When Stone Cold and I square off in the square circle it will actually mean something. Man I love pro-wrestling, I’m not super into it now I just don’t watch it as much. Pro-wrestling is the reason I’m a fighter today. I’m not sure I have the legs for 9 pro-wrestling’] I’d have to get some leg gains. I’d love to get some pro-wrestling fights in once I win this title.
The post Andre Fili Recaps Win Over Myles Jury & Says He’s Open To A Future In Pro Wrestling • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Jon Jones Does Not Mean What He Says • MMA News
Jon Jones Does Not Mean What He Says • MMA News
Anthony Smith is aware of subtle mind games being played between himself and Jon Jones leading into their UFC 235 main event this Saturday from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. These games may not be overt, but Smith has noticed them.
“Oh, yeah, the mental warfare’s happening,” Smith told ESPN. “And it’s subtle, and I’m sure most people don’t notice it, but me and Jon know what’s going on. He’s trying to get over on me. He’s the big dog on campus, you know what I mean? He’s the senior, and I’m the freshman, you know? And he’s trying to make sure that that’s known.”
There’s only one problem to the game Smith believes Jones to be playing, and that is he is without an opponent:
“But he’s playing a game with himself,” Smith said. “Like, I just don’t care. I mean, you can be the big guy on campus. I don’t care. I’m coming regardless. All the other stuff has no bearing on the fact that I’m coming across that cage Saturday night.”
Another reason why Smith is not taking Jon Jones’s mind games seriously is because, Smith implies, the words being spoken are not coming from a credible individual:
“Jon doesn’t say anything for no reason. Everything he says has a reason behind it. He’s very, very smart. There’s subtle signs and signals to try to get me to think one way, and there’s no reason to worry about what he’s saying, because whatever he says is not actually what he means. So there’s no reason to pay attention to it.”
Have you noticed any mind games being played between Jon Jones and Anthony Smith headed into UFC 235?
The post Jon Jones Does Not Mean What He Says • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Patricio Pitbull Plans On Vacating Bellator Lightweight Title If He Beats Michael Chandler • MMA News
Patricio Pitbull Plans On Vacating Bellator Lightweight Title If He Beats Michael Chandler • MMA News
Patricio “Pitbull” Freire will challenge for Michael Chandler’s Bellator lightweight championship. The fight goes down at Bellator 221 from Rosemont, Illinois on May 11th. Freire currently reigns as the promotion’s featherweight champion and will attempt to become the company’s second-ever “Champ Champ”. However, he has zero interest in keeping the title longer than fight night.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Freire said he has no interest in winning the belt and is only focused on beating Chandler:
”The only difference is that those guys moved up to have the belt. I don’t want the belt, I want Michael Chandler’s head,” Freire said. “I want a win over him. His belt is not my goal. His belt will be the consequence of my win. My goal is to beat him up, make him feel pain.”
He then confirmed that he will be vacating the title the same night if he emerges victorious:
“The belt will be vacated on the same night. I have no plans holding that belt.”
Freire’s brother, Patricky, is also gunning for the lightweight title, which is likely a motivating factor in Patricio’s decision. It will be interesting to see how “Pitbull” and Chandler handle one another once they’re locked inside the cage.
What do you think about Freire’s plan to vacate the lightweight title if he beats Michael Chandler?
The post Patricio Pitbull Plans On Vacating Bellator Lightweight Title If He Beats Michael Chandler • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Zabit Magomedsharipov Tries To Get Face-To-Face With Jeremy Stephens Backstage (Video) • MMA News
Zabit Magomedsharipov Tries To Get Face-To-Face With Jeremy Stephens Backstage (Video) • MMA News
This weekend’s (Sat. March 2, 2019) UFC 235 pay-per-view (PPV) is stacked from top to bottom. One of the more compelling fights on the card is a featherweight match-up between Zabit Magomedsharipov and Jeremy Stephens. Before they fight Saturday night, Zabit and Stephens had an interesting interaction with one another backstage at their designated fighter’s hotel.
Both men were getting groomed up by UFC officials, and Zabit playfully tried to get face-to-face with “Lil Heathen”. Check it out here:
Zabit tries to get face to face with Jeremy 
#UFC235 pic.twitter.com/DcZUUaAgdU
— Dovy
(@DovySimuMMA) February 28, 2019
Stephens recently had a three-fight win streak snapped by former featherweight king Jose Aldo. Aldo finished Stephens in the first round with a vicious body attack. Prior to the defeat, Stephens defeated the likes of Gilbert Melendez, Doo Ho Choi, and Josh Emmett. Now, he’ll attempt to become the first man to defeat Zabit in the UFC.
Zabit has been perfect in his first four UFC bouts. He has finished all but one of his fights by way of submission, only having gone the distance once. Now, he’s ready to test himself against the division’s elite, and the path starts with Stephens. He’ll certainly face a stiff test against Stephen’s proven knockout power.
What do you think about Magomedsharipov trying to get face-to-face with Stephens before their fight?
The post Zabit Magomedsharipov Tries To Get Face-To-Face With Jeremy Stephens Backstage (Video) • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Smackdown Live Report (02/26/19)- The KO Show Returns
Smackdown Live Report (02/26/19)- The KO Show Returns
Welcome everyone back to WNW! This week, we were live in Charlotte, North Carolina for Smackdown Live as our own Ryan McClure was in attendance!
Opening Segment: Before people get upset that we saw Vince McMahon take Kofi out of the WWE Championship Match at Fastlane, don’t panic. This story should play out to Kofi getting his championship at WrestleMania. It will all payoff in the end. Besides, it was great to see KO make his return to the ring after double knee surgery. The crowd was behind Kingston the entire time and we will see him in the championship picture at Mania. I’m sure of it. A
The Bar vs The Hardyz: Card is subject to change everyone, and that’s what happened here. Johnny Gargano was set to face Cesaro but we were greeted with the return of Matt Hardy, teaming with his brother Jeff. Matt looks like he is in great shape along with showed no sign of ring rust after a long hiatus. Looks like the Woken gimmick is gone from now, but that’s okay with me! B+
R-Truth vs Rey Mysterio vs Andrade for the United States Championship: The crowd was behind Truth the entire match and adored his pre-match speech about John Cena being his idol. As for the match, a good three way match that protected all men. Truth picking up the win made sense as the feud between Mysterio and Andrade doesn’t seem to be over just yet. A-
Charlotte Flair Segment: I am not sure how it came across on television, but the crowd gave some heat to Flair, considering it being in her hometown. I wasn’t a fan of the promo. It’s not that it was bad, but they could have used Flair’s time in the ring to give to the Women’s Championship Contenders on Smackdown. No other women segment or match were on this week’s show. I will say the crowd was super hot for Becky, who wasn’t used on the show. C-
Aleister Black and Ricochet vs Nakamura and Rusev: I want to state that Rusev is still over and WWE was wrong to turn him back to being a heel. The match was good, but a much slower pace than I expected it to be. I’m glad that Black and Ricochet are together as a team as the two are such talented performers that they do not need to be lost in the shuffle. It will be exciting to see if Black and Nakamura have a chance to have a program down the road as the two showed off great chemistry. B+
AJ Styles and Randy Orton Backstage: Plans of AJ and Randy going to WrestleMania this year, the seeds have been planted. A
Daniel Bryan and Rowan vs Kevin Owens and Kofi Kingston: Strong main event match that saw a finish of Owens hitting a stunner on Bryan to pick up the win. Like I said before, don’t give up so quick because this story will be paid off in the end. A
The post Smackdown Live Report (02/26/19)- The KO Show Returns appeared first on mmHighlights.
Al Iaquinta Wants “Crazy” Tony Ferguson Next • MMA News
Al Iaquinta Wants “Crazy” Tony Ferguson Next • MMA News
With Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway occupying the interim lightweight title slot, Al Iaquinta is on the hunt for a new UFC opponent. It sounds like he’s interested in a fight with former interim 155-pound champion Tony Ferguson. Speaking to Submission Radio recently, “Ragin’” explained why a fight with the “crazy” Ferguson interests him:
“He’s definitely not too bright. That’s a weird dude. That’s one weird individual. So, I don’t know what he thinks about, but I think it would be a good fight. I think I’d get to him. I think I’d get to him for sure. His best attribute is just that he’s a wild man.
“He’s crazy, he’s got good cardio, and I think my cardio is just as good, but I’m way more seasoned, way more polished. He makes way too many mistakes. And his craziness kind of gets him through it, but I’m too… you know, Kevin Lee was winning and then Kevin Lee broke. He gets it done somehow.
“I don’t know how he does it, but he’s not doing it against me. He’s not doing that. No way. No way. I refuse nothing less than knocking out Tony Ferguson if that fight gets made. You know, as dumb as he is, maybe the smartest thing is not to fight me for him, that’s for sure.”
Iaquinta hasn’t competed since his unanimous decision win over Kevin Lee in December. Prior to that, the Long Islander stepped into the cage with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the vacant lightweight title. Iaquinta was able to go the distance with “The Eagle”, but fell to the Russian on the scorecards. Despite suffering a lopsided defeat, Iaquinta believes he now has the formula to hand Khabib his first career loss.
Ferguson last competed in October in the co-main event of UFC 229. He defeated ex-lightweight champion Anthony Pettis by second-round TKO. After two rounds against “El Cucuy”, Pettis suffered a broken hand and was unable to get off the stool for the third round. As a result, Ferguson picked up the win. Now, he is looking for a big fight next, but the finances have to be to his liking if he’s going to accept.
What do you think about Iaquinta wanting to fight Ferguson next?
The post Al Iaquinta Wants “Crazy” Tony Ferguson Next • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Cowboy Teases UFC 239 Fight With Conor McGregor • MMA News
Cowboy Teases UFC 239 Fight With Conor McGregor • MMA News
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has once again teased a fight with Conor McGregor. The match-up has been teased for the past several weeks, and it sounds like this might just be the direction the UFC is going in for McGregor’s next fight. Recently, Cerrone took to Instagram to once again tease a fight with “Notorious”. He posted a photo of a Budweiser beer next to a bottle of McGregor’s “Proper 12” Irish whiskey.
Cerrone also suggested fighting McGregor at UFC 239 on July 6th:
“@budweiser vs @properwhiskey 
July 6th”
Talk of McGregor vs. Cerrone really heated up after “Cowboy’s” recent win over Alexander Hernandez. The longtime UFC veteran upset Hernandez at UFC Brooklyn in January with a knockout win. After the fight, Cerrone respectfully called McGregor out, to which the Irishman said he’d be honored to share the Octagon with “Cowboy” after such a great performance.
Rumors of contract bouts being signed have also circulated throughout the newswire, to which UFC President Dana White denied. McGregor is currently serving a six-month suspension for his UFC 229 actions. He’s eligible to return to fighting action in early April. That’s right on time for a fight to headline “International Fight Week” in July.
Do you think McGregor vs. Cerrone will happen at UFC 239?
The post Cowboy Teases UFC 239 Fight With Conor McGregor • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
UFC 235 Main Card Staredowns (Videos) • MMA News
UFC 235 Main Card Staredowns (Videos) • MMA News
The UFC 235 pay-per-view (PPV) is right around the corner. In just two days (Sat. March 2, 2019) the UFC will host one of their biggest events of the year from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. On the main card, former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren will make his UFC debut. He’ll go one-on-one with former UFC welterweight king Robbie Lawler.
Both men faced off for media last night (Wed. February 27, 2019) in “Sin City”. Check it out here:
Flip flops pic.twitter.com/jArqh99fsD
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 28, 2019
Also, in the co-main event of the evening, Tyron Woodley will defend his welterweight championship. He’ll be taking on the flourishing Nigerian challenger Kamaru Usman. Usman is hoping to become the first-ever Nigerian-born UFC champion in history. Check out their face off below:
pic.twitter.com/Z2MTzvbmiF
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 28, 2019
Finally, Jon Jones will be defending the UFC light heavyweight championship for the first time since 2015. He’ll be taking on Anthony Smith, who earned his title opportunity with his current three-fight win streak. Smith is hoping to pull off the biggest upset in UFC light heavyweight history this weekend. Watch as the two main eventers faced off below:
Main event pic.twitter.com/oGcYWdKqMg
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 28, 2019
MMA News will be providing coverage of UFC 235 this weekend. Be sure to keep it locked here for the latest.
Who are you picking in this weekend’s top UFC 235 main card match-ups?
The post UFC 235 Main Card Staredowns (Videos) • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Jon Jones Prefers Brock Lesnar Over Daniel Cormier At Heavyweight • MMA News
Jon Jones Prefers Brock Lesnar Over Daniel Cormier At Heavyweight • MMA News
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ move up to heavyweight is inevitable. The division move has been teased throughout Jones’ mixed martial arts (MMA) career in recent years. However, there are two top match-ups for “Bones” at the moment should he make the move. Those being against Brock Lesnar and longtime UFC rival Daniel Cormier – who just so happens to be the current UFC heavyweight champion.
Before he can focus on any of that, Jones will defend his 205-pound strap this weekend. He’ll main event UFC 235 on pay-per-view (PPV) opposite Anthony Smith. Speaking at media day this week, Jones was asked about a move up to heavyweight. When asked for his preference in a match-up against either Lesnar or Cormier, Jones opted for the former (via MMA Junkie):
“I’d take Brock Lesnar,” Jones said. “I’d take Brock Lesnar because he brings in a whole different audience and people have already seen me make ‘DC’ cry twice already. I’ve got nothing against that guy. Let him have his heavyweight dominance.”
“DC” GOAT?
Jones went on to explain his pick, saying many consider Cormier to be the best of all time. To move up to a division against such a talented opponent, who would hold a 30-pound weight advantage, is a big risk:
“The reason why I think it would cost more for me is because Daniel Cormier is considered by most people, by some people I should say, as the greatest of all-time,” Jones said.
“And to fight the greatest of all-time when he’s weighing 30 pounds more than me, it’s dangerous no matter who you are. I want to make it worth my while because ultimately my health is on the line.”
What do you think about Jones opting for Lesnar over Cormier at heavyweight?
The post Jon Jones Prefers Brock Lesnar Over Daniel Cormier At Heavyweight • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
WWE NXT Results (02.27.19) – WWE Wrestling News World
WWE NXT Results (02.27.19) – WWE Wrestling News World
Full results:
- Johnny Gargano does an in-ring promo about how he lost the North American Title but he also talks about bringing it on RAW and Smackdown proving what NXT is all about. Tommaso Ciampa interrupts and proposes that Gargano is best whenever he teams with Ciampa. He offers to team with him so they can win the Dusty Classic and get an NXT Tag Team Title shot at TakeOver: New York. Gargano smirks and agrees.
- Aliyah/Vanessa Borne def. Taynara Conti/Xia Li by pinfall
- Dominic Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee went to a Double Countout
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley and Sasha Banks show up in the ring to announce that they will be defending their titles on RAW, Smackdown AND NXT so they tell the women’s division to step it up.
- Non-Title: Shayna Baszler (Women’s Champion) def. Mia Yim by submission
The post WWE NXT Results (02.27.19) – WWE Wrestling News World appeared first on mmHighlights.
WWE Smackdown Live Viewership Report (02.26.19)
WWE Smackdown Live Viewership Report (02.26.19)
This week’s episode of Smackdown Live featured the return of Kevin Owens and had around 2,150,000 viewers, which is down from last week but still the second-highest ratings of the year thus far.
Smackdown ranked #9 in cable viewership for the night and #1 in the 18-49 demographic for the second week in a row.
2019 WWE Smackdown Viewership Archive:
January 1, 2019 – 2,091,000 viewers
January 8, 2019 – 2,032,000 viewers
January 15, 2019 – 2,148,000 viewers
January 22, 2019 – 2,142,000 viewers
January 29, 2019 – 2,137,000 viewers
February 5, 2019 – 1,847,000 viewers
February 12, 2019 – 2,034,000 viewers
February 19, 2019 – 2,269,000 viewers
February 26, 2019 – 2,150,000 viewers
2018 WWE Smackdown Viewership Archive
2017 WWE Smackdown Viewership Archive
2016 WWE Smackdown Viewership Archive
Expanded WWE Smackdown Viewership Archive
The post WWE Smackdown Live Viewership Report (02.26.19) appeared first on mmHighlights.
WWE NXT UK Results (02.27.19)
WWE NXT UK Results (02.27.19)
Full results:
- Tyler Bate def. Jack Gallagher by pinfall
- WALTER def. Kassius Ohno by pinfall
- UK Tag Titles: James Drake/Zack Gibson (c) def. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch by pinfall
The post WWE NXT UK Results (02.27.19) appeared first on mmHighlights.
WWE Hires Several Performers for NXT UK
WWE Hires Several Performers for NXT UK
It looks like WWE has hired several familiar faces for the NXT UK brand according to a recent press release. Jazzy Gabert, Kay Lee Ray, Ilja Rukober, Jay Melrose and Oliver Sauter are the names mentioned below:
NXT UK signs five new Superstars
Five new Superstars from throughout Europe — Ilja Rukober, Kay Lee Ray, Jazzy Gabert, Oliver Sauter and Jay Melrose — have joined the NXT UK roster. The group will join other NXT UK Superstars in training at WWE’s United Kingdom Performance Center in North London.
The 25-year-old Rukober, who has competed around the world under the ring name Ilja Dragunov, was born in Russia and raised in Germany, where his career in sports-entertainment took root. Often described as “Unbesiegbar” (the German word for “invincible”), Rukober is feared for his unbridled intensity inside the ring. He turned heads at a WWE tryout in Cologne last November.
Ray and Gabert, both of whom competed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic in 2017, were introduced as incoming NXT UK competitors while they were sitting ringside at TakeOver: Blackpool in January.
Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, the 5-foot-8 Ray has racked up numerous championship reigns over her 10-year career, including three stints as Insane Championship Wrestling’s women’s titleholder. Known for throwing caution to the wind, the Scottish daredevil recently appeared on NXT UK on WWE Network and promised to “go straight to the top” of the Women’s division.
Gabert made an unforgettable impression during her Mae Young Classic appearance in 2017, leaving onlookers in awe of her incredible power. Widely regarded as one of the strongest women in sports-entertainment, the burly Berliner stands 6-foot-1 and has won wrestling titles in Germany, Japan and Switzerland.
Sauter comes to NXT UK from Dietikon, Switzerland. The 24-year-old was a soccer standout before training for the ring. Fast-moving and hard-hitting, Sauter wrestled throughout Europe under the professional alias of Oliver Carter. Like Rukober, he attended last year’s tryout in Cologne.
NXT UK fans, meanwhile, have already grown familiar with “Primate” Jay Melrose, the ape-mask-wearing Superstar who debuted on the brand in December. Hailing from Newcastle, England, the 220-pound Melrose served in the British army for six years, including as a member of the British Household Cavalry, which provides direct protection for the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace.
Keep your eyes peeled for the newest signees when NXT UK streams every Wednesday at 3 ET/8 GMT on the award-winning WWE Network.
The post WWE Hires Several Performers for NXT UK appeared first on mmHighlights.
Wednesday, 27 February 2019
Two Big Names Set to Return Again on This Week’s RAW
Two Big Names Set to Return Again on This Week’s RAW
After a surprising return on the previous edition of RAW, it seems that Batista will be making yet another appearance on next week’s show, which will also serve as the go-home edition of RAW for Fastlane.
Making another appearance will also be Roman Reigns, who had just returned to the show this past Monday to announce that his leukemia was in remission again.
The post Two Big Names Set to Return Again on This Week’s RAW appeared first on mmHighlights.
Backstage News on Batista vs. Triple H, WWE TV Formatting, and The Hardy Boyz
Backstage News on Batista vs. Triple H, WWE TV Formatting, and The Hardy Boyz
The following article is part of our premium news section. If you’re interested in this news and you’re not a premium subscriber, why not give it a try? We put out breaking premium news and backstage news on a frequent basis that we can 100% confirm. If you ARE a premium member, welcome back! Thanks for helping us do what we do.
Tom Fenton Reports:
-As we saw the return of Dave Batista to WWE this past Monday on RAW, his return obviously is for the Wrestlemania match with Triple H. WWE had been negotiating and talking to Batista for months, the Wrestlemania match was always the plan. That being said there were major hurdles to get this done. Originally, the first hurdle was making sure Batista was available and didn’t have any conflicts with his movie schedules during Wrestlemania weekend. Once seemed that he would be available around WrestleMania weekend the tease from Smackdown 1000 was set up. The second hurdle came when Triple H tore his pectoral muscle. They needed to make sure Hunter would be able to get medical clearance and also that there wasn’t a risk of re-injuring his peck. Once Triple H began training and the timeline hit Batista knew the match COULD go on, but the ball was in his court whether he WANTED it to. Bastia was courted by a top AEW talent, however, this was seen as nothing more than a negotiation tactic used by Batista. When the final hurdle was cleared the Ric Flair angle was on and the match at Wrestlemania was set. For those asking, if Triple H couldn’t go the plan was to wait until Summerslam. The issue waiting was that hurdles with scheduling would likely go back up.
-WWE had tried to keep the Batista appearance under wraps, but once Batista was spotted WWE took changed tactics and sent out leaks as well so people would tune it. Speaking of tuning in, make no mistake about it, WWE set up that show to have Roman on at the 8 pm mark, Becky on at the 9 pm hour, and Braun on at 10 pm with action throughout and a hot finish. Much of this had to do with a new directive moving forward. WWE knew that it’s old, predictable format of match segment commercial, reverse order repeat, was growing stale. WWE and production looked at other programs and even some reality shows that leave small introductions or cliff hangers before commercial. As we saw on not only RAW but Smackdown as well, the shows are paced much faster with little downtime on the shows. The matches going into the next segment with little to no gap and then the commercial after the segments are introduced you will continue to see. In bigger matches we will now likely see a ring entrance of one talent, then a commercial, and then the ring announcer announcing the talent. This is something they’re borrowing from MMA, boxing, and other sports. The reformatting tweaks will continue until WWE gets how they want. While the viewership increase these last 2 weeks is great, this past Monday was attributed to the Roman and the Batista segment to bookend the show.
-WWE scrapping the Gargano vs. Cesaro match was a last minute change done to reintroduce Matt Hardy with Jeff Hardy. While WWE wanted to keep working with both Hardy Boys and keep their time left with the company pleasurable, I cannot confirm that the company pulled the trigger on the year extension as Jeff was unlikely to leave and WWE was likely to add the injury freeze time to Matt’s deal when it expired. With all of that being said, the story attributed to this year extension is likely very accurate.
The following article is part of our premium news section. If you’re interested in this news and you’re not a premium subscriber, why not give it a try? We put out breaking premium news and backstage news on a frequent basis that we can 100% confirm. If you ARE a premium member, welcome back! Thanks for helping us do what we do.Subscribe for full article
Get Access to Our Exclusive Content
Learn More
Already subscribed?
Log In
The post Backstage News on Batista vs. Triple H, WWE TV Formatting, and The Hardy Boyz appeared first on mmHighlights.
Upcoming Schedule for Roman Reigns
Upcoming Schedule for Roman Reigns
According to WWE themselves, it looks like the Big Dog is back for the long haul.
Roman Reigns made his return on Monday night and looks to be scheduled for TV tapings extending to May 13th when WWE goes to England.
Reigns is not yet scheduled for live events in the US but he is being advertised for overseas shows during the post-Wrestlemania European tour.
It is expected he will work a match at Wrestlemania in some form.
The post Upcoming Schedule for Roman Reigns appeared first on mmHighlights.
UFC 235 Loses Bantamweight Bout Due To Illness • MMA News
UFC 235 Loses Bantamweight Bout Due To Illness • MMA News
UFC 235 now has one less fight.
The event is set to take place this Saturday night (March 2). In the main event UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will defend his gold against Anthony Smith. The co-main event will also feature a title bout as welterweight king Tyron Woodley puts his championship on the line against Kamaru Usman.
Marlon Vera Pulled From UFC 235 Card
Marlon Vera was scheduled to compete on the prelims against Frankie Saenz. The UFC has announced that the bantamweight tilt will not be taking place. Here is the promotion’s statement:
“Due to illness, Marlon Vera has been removed from his UFC 235 bout against Frankie Saenz. The UFC 235 card, which airs live on Pay-Per-View and is headlined by the light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Anthony Smith, will proceed as scheduled with 12 bouts.”
Vera was hoping to extend his winning streak to three. He’s coming off finishes over Wuliji Buren and Guido Cannetti. Saenz was also pushing for his third straight win. He’s nabbed back-to-back victories over Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Briones.
MMA News will continue to provide any last-minute updates on the UFC 235 card. We’ll also be providing live coverage of the event this weekend. Be on the lookout for our main card predictions on Friday.
The post UFC 235 Loses Bantamweight Bout Due To Illness • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Conor McGregor & Tony Ferguson Exchange Words On Social Media
Conor McGregor & Tony Ferguson Exchange Words On Social Media
Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson had a rather interesting exchange on social media.
Ferguson will be sitting on the sidelines while featherweight champion Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier collide for the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight gold. That’s because Ferguson turned down the fight for UFC 236 on April 13. “El Cucuy” already held interim gold once and was stripped of it due to injury, so many feel he doesn’t want to go down that road again.
McGregor & Ferguson Go Back-And-Forth On Twitter
Ferguson recently tagged McGregor in a post and seemingly called out the former two-division champion:
“No Sauce Mcnuggets” @TheNotoriousMMA Just A Replica Of A Former Self He Used To Be. I’ve Got A Solid Right Hand To Test That Chin Of His. How Sweet It Is, -Tiramisu Tuesday pic.twitter.com/KGnJHeExsc
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) February 26, 2019
“’No Sauce Mcnuggets’ [Conor McGregor] Just A Replica Of A Former Self He Used To Be. I’ve Got A Solid Right Hand To Test That Chin Of His. How Sweet It Is, -Tiramisu Tuesday.”
McGregor’s response wasn’t what many had anticipated:
If we have the ability to go back, Tony. Then we have the ability to go forward again!
I wish you well and am praying for you as a fellow colleague.
Respect to my Paradigm familia.
Yours sincerely, Burger King. https://t.co/71YwROhTbo
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) February 26, 2019
“If we have the ability to go back, Tony. Then we have the ability to go forward again! I wish you well and am praying for you as a fellow colleague. Respect to my Paradigm familia. Yours sincerely, Burger King.”
Ferguson wasn’t moved:
You’re More Like A Dairy Queen Ya Phony… CSO Of Champ Shit Only – Thee Champ pic.twitter.com/2MUmlR6lcD
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) February 27, 2019
“You’re More Like A Dairy Queen Ya Phony… CSO Of Champ Shit Only – Thee Champ.”
McGregor will be eligible to compete again in April. He’s currently serving a suspension handed out by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his role in the UFC 229 post-main event brawl. UFC president Dana White has said that McGregor will not be fighting in April, however.
Do you think Conor McGregor vs. Tony Ferguson ever takes place?
The post Conor McGregor & Tony Ferguson Exchange Words On Social Media appeared first on mmHighlights.
WWE Smackdown Live – Feb 26, 2019
WWE Smackdown Live – Feb 26, 2019
WWE Smackdown Live 2019
Do not miss WWE Smackdown Live game. The most exciting WWE Smackdown Replay games are avaliable for free at Full Match TV in HD. We acknowledge that ads are annoying so that’s why we try to keep our page clean of them. Anyway the maintenance of the server depends on that, so it will be kind of you if you deactivate your adblock. Enjoy the WWE Smackdown Live game!
WWE Smackdown Live
If you have buffering issues, just right click on the video and save as or click on the download button below
Do not forget to follow us on Facebook for more updates.
The post WWE Smackdown Live – Feb 26, 2019 appeared first on mmHighlights.
205 Live Results (02.26.19)
205 Live Results (02.26.19)
Full results:
- #1 Contendership Tournament – Round 1: Tony Nese def. Kalisto by pinfall
- #1 Contendership Tournament – Round 1: Drew Gulak def. The Brian Kendrick by submission
The post 205 Live Results (02.26.19) appeared first on mmHighlights.
Big Main Event Change at WWE Fastlane
Big Main Event Change at WWE Fastlane
On tonight’s edition of Smackdown Live, Kofi Kingston was prepared to sign his contract to face Daniel Bryan for the WWE Title at Fastlane but Vince McMahon interrupted and decided to replace Kingston with his new pick.
Kevin Owens.
Kofi looked on in shock and The New Day was ushered out of the ring so Owens and Bryan could sign their title match contract.
The post Big Main Event Change at WWE Fastlane appeared first on mmHighlights.
Tuesday, 26 February 2019
WWE RAW Viewership Report (02.25.19)
WWE RAW Viewership Report (02.25.19)
This week’s edition of RAW, which featured the return of Roman Reigns, had around 2,992,000 viewers, which equates to the best numbers for the show since August 20th.
RAW ranked #1 for the night in cable viewership. It ranked #1 in the 18-49 demographic for the fourth week in a row.
Hour one- 3,167,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,952,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,648,000 viewers
Average – 2,992,000 viewers
2019 WWE RAW Viewership Archive:
January 7, 2019
Hour one- 2,609,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,294,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,070,000 viewers
Average – 2,324,000 viewers
January 14, 2019
Hour one- 2,775,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,781,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,610,000 viewers
Average – 2,722,000 viewers
January 21, 2019
Hour one- 2,840,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,403,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,143,000 viewers
Average – 2,462,000 viewers
January 28, 2019
Hour one- 2,816,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,718,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,575,000 viewers
Average – 2,703,000 viewers
February 4, 2019
Hour one- 2,656,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,552,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,321,000 viewers
Average – 2,510,000 viewers
February 11, 2019
Hour one- 2,689,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,445,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,252,000 viewers
Average – 2,462,000 viewers
February 18, 2019
Hour one- 3,046,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,840,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,427,000 viewers
Average – 2,771,000 viewers
February 25, 2018
Hour one- 3,167,000 viewers
Hour two- 2,952,000 viewers
Hour three- 2,648,000 viewers
Average – 2,992,000 viewers
2018 WWE RAW Viewership Archive
2017 WWE RAW Viewership Archive
2016 WWE Raw Viewership Archive
2015 WWE Raw Viewership Archive
Expanded WWE Raw Viewership Archive
The post WWE RAW Viewership Report (02.25.19) appeared first on mmHighlights.
Smackdown Live! Live Coverage & Results (02.26.19)
Smackdown Live! Live Coverage & Results (02.26.19)
Good evening wrestling world! Tonight’s Smackdown Live comes to us from Charlotte, North Carolina, in what is sure to be an exciting episode. Tonight, Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston make their WWE Championship match at Fastlane official. Also, we will see NXT call up Johnny Gargano take on one half of The Bar, Cesaro. All of this and more in the coming moments!
We start the show with Shane and Stephanie McMahon in the ring, as well as the WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan, and Erick Rowan. They are in the ring for the contract signing between Bryan and Kofi Kingston. Shane McMahon begins with going over some of the highlights of Kingston’s career, while also calling his eleven year career a huge success. He recaps how he has won numerous titles in the WWE.
Stephanie goes on to recap the amazing month Kingston has had, including his victory in the gauntlet match to become number one contender, Kingston taking Bryan to the limit at the Elimination Chamber, and him pinning Bryan last week.
Kingston, along with Big E and Xavier Woods, make their way to the ring after the introduction from the McMahons. In the ring, Kingston says that after eleven long years, he is finally receiving the chance that he has always wanted. He says none of it would be possible if it wasn’t from his teammates and the WWE Universe. He says at Fastlane, he will finally become the WWE Champion.
Bryan signs the contract, and as Kingston goes to sign his portion of it, Vince McMahon interrupts, much to the surprise of Shane and Stephanie. Vince says that he appreciates everything Kingston has accomplished. However, McMahon says that he is replacing Kingston in the title match. He says he is replacing him with a man that is more deserving, more qualified. He introduces Kevin Owens, much to the surprise of the WWE Universe.
Owens makes his way to the ring, and sits in the chair of Kofi Kingston. An irate New Day complain to Shane and Stephanie, but eventually leave the ring. (Commercial)
We come back as Owens talks to the McMahons backstage. He says that it is nice that Vince recognises his talent. He also says that he would like to team with Kofi Kingston tonight to take on Daniel Bryan and Rowan tonight. They say that they will consider it.
The Bar vs. The Hardy Boyz
Matt Hardy gets a huge ovation from the crowd as he returns. Jeff and Cesaro begin the match with a lockup in the middle of the ring. Jeff gets the better of the exchange as he tags in his brother. The momentum swings as Cesaro is able to get Matt into the corner and tag in Sheamus. Sheamus deliver huge blows to the chest of Matt. Matt is able to fight back and back Sheamus into his corner, tagging in Jeff. The two are able to hit Sheamus with a spin cycle. Cesaro tries to break up the attack, but is sent to the outside, as is Sheamus. There, The Bar is hit with a flying senton by Jeff as we go to commercial. (Commercial)
During the break, The Bar have taken control of the match. Sheamus has Jeff in a headlock, but Jeff is able to escape, but only momentarily. He tries to get to his corner, but fails as Sheamus is able to pull him back to his corner. The two go back and forth for a moment, until Cesaro attempts to interfere. However, Jeff is able to deliver a Whisper in the Wind, and then tag in Matt. Matt comes in hot, flooring Cesaro after delivering a Side effect. Matt goes for the Twist of Fate, but Cesaro sends him into the middle rope, where Sheamus delivers a knee to the face of Matt. Cesaro goes for a pin, but Matt kicks out. The kickout sends Cesaro flying backwards, which allows Jeff to hit a Twist of Fate. He follows it with a Swanton Bomb and the Hardys pick up the victory. Matt and Jeff Hardy win
Backstage, Lana tells the team of Ricochet and Aleister Black that she doesn’t know what the big deal about the duo is. They respond, saying Rusev and Nakamura will learn exactly what the hype is.
Up next, R-Truth will issue an open challenge for his United States championship! (Commercial)
In the ring, Truth says the he is going to follow in his hero’s, John Cena’s, footsteps and continue the U.S. open challenge. Andrade answers the challenge, but Rey Mysterio interrupts him. Mysterio attacks Andrade at the entrance ramp, and proceeds to make his way to the ring. Andrade enters the ring, but Truth stops him before he can attack Mysterio. Truth says that he will take on both men.
United States Championship Match: R-Truth vs. Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio
Andrade hits Mysterio with a running boot as soon as the bell rings. Truth goes for a runin scissors onto Andrade, but fails. Mysterio hits Andrade with hurricanrana, that sends him to the outside of the ring. Mysterio turns his attention to Truth, but is hit with a running spinning back elbow from Truth. Truth turns his attention to Andrade on the outside, but Andrade is able to grab Truth and powerbomb him onto the mat outside. Mysterio goes for a siding suicide dive on the outside of the ring, but Andrade catches him and delivers a code breaker. (Commercial)
We return to the match as the action continues. Truth and Mysterio trade blows back and forth, but end up delivering flying cross bodies to each other, swinging both men. Andrade is able to his running double knee to Mysterio in the corner. He attempts the same to Truth, but Truth is able to avoid it. Truth is able to pick up momentum, delivering moves from John Cena’s moveset, including the five knuckle shuffle. He attempts an Attitude Adjustment, but Andrade is able to get out after a distraction from Zelina Vega. Truth is sent to the outside of the ring, as Mysterio hits Andrade with a hurricanrana. Mysterio goes for a 619, but Andrade avoids it. The two go back and forth, until Andrade is able to land a huge back elbow to the temple of Rey. Truth is able to return to the match and the three men trade blows. Mysterio is able to position both men for the 619, successfully hitting it on Andrade. However, Truth is able to avoid it and end up rolling Mysterio up for a pin. Truth is able to shock Mysterio and gain the pinfall victory. R-Truth wins
After the match, Andrade attacks Mysterio. He attempts a hammerlock ddt, but Mysterio is able to battle out and position Andrade for a 619, but Andrade is able to escape before Rey can land it.
Up next, Charlotte Flair will address the actions of Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey from last night’s Raw. (Commercial)
Charlotte makes her way to the ring to a mixed reaction from her hometown crowd. In the ring, she says backs the decision of Vince to replace Kofi with Owens, just like she liked the decision of for herself to replace Becky Lynch. Flair says that she is the gold standard, someone that can handle everything that comes with being the champion.
She says that she knows what she knows why both women made the decisions that they made, and that is because both women fear her. She says that Becky is afraid that she will be exposed by Flair, and that Rousey fears that Flair will give her a beating as bad as the one she did at Survivor Series. Flair says that she would never lay down her title the way that Rousey did.
She says that because Rousey laid her championship down, she is going to next week’s Raw s that Vince McMahon can crown her Raw Women’s Champion. (Commercial)
The post Smackdown Live! Live Coverage & Results (02.26.19) appeared first on mmHighlights.
Ask WNW: Is Vince On Board with Kofi Kingston? Will Finn Balor Win The Universal Title This Summer? Will Undertaker Wrestle at WrestleMania? Is Roman Back Full Time?
Ask WNW: Is Vince On Board with Kofi Kingston? Will Finn Balor Win The Universal Title This Summer? Will Undertaker Wrestle at WrestleMania? Is Roman Back Full Time?
Is Vince considering strapping the WWE Championship on Kofi Kingston?
We’ve been doing our best to try and find out how Vince is feeling about things and as of right now, he’s playing this one very close to the chest. However, I have to say, Vince would be crazy not to at least be considering strapping Kofi with the WWE Championship either at Fastlane or even at WrestleMania. Kofi has captured the attention of the WWE Universe and say what you will about the crowd getting distracted easily, they are behind Kofi all the way. It’s my firm belief that listening to crowds in these rare organic moments is how superstars become mega stars. It’s how someone goes from midcard to firmly at the top of the card. There’s really no reason NOT to do it and I don’t think there is a better story to be told.
Will Finn Balor win the Universal title this summer?
It’s hard to say if anyone specifically will win the championship so far out. I will say this, assuming Brock Lesnar drops the title at WrestleMania to Seth Rollins, it will certainly open up the chances for Finn and everyone else. Having a champion who appears every Raw, every PPV, and is always taking challengers is best for business. When you have a champion who doesn’t appear very often it crowds up the main event picture and creates less opportunities for main eventers. Again, assuming Seth becomes champion at WrestleMania we will, once again, have a fighting champion. Could Finn become champion again this year? It’s possible, and a great deal more possible when Lesnar isn’t the champion.
Will we be seeing the Undertaker last match in this year WrestleMania? And if yes, who will he be facing?
It seems that this year WrestleMania will be Undertaker-less. I don’t know if we’ve seen the last of The Undertaker at WrestleMania, but every year that goes by it’s more and more likely we’ve seen the last of the Undertaker. I would like to think we’ll get at least one more WrestleMania match out of the Undertaker, but I think that every year. At some point The Deadman is going to hang up his boots for good. Nothing is set in stone, but it’s very, very unlikely we’ll get The Undertaker at WrestleMania this year. I would say if we don’t see him (or hear about him) by the week after Fastlane then it’s a done deal that we’ll be going without Undertaker this year.
With Roman’s announcement last night that he is back, does this mean he’ll be returning full time as of last night?
It certainly seems so! At first, I was also confused. When Roman said, “I’m back!” Did he mean as of tonight or did he mean soon? Would we get more details? However, when he stepped in with Seth Rollins to save Dean Ambrose our question was answered. Personally, I’m really excited to see where Roman fits into the WrestleMania card. I wouldn’t mind seeing Roman take on Kevin Owens when he returns soon. I don’t THINK they’d put him in the match with Rollins and Lesnar but never say never in WWE. We’ll just have to see what’s in store for the Big Dog. All I know is I’m thrilled to tears to see Roman back and healthy.
If you have questions you’d like answered in Ask WNW be sure to comment them below or on our Facebook Post or email them to AskWNW@WrestlingNewsWorld.com
The post Ask WNW: Is Vince On Board with Kofi Kingston? Will Finn Balor Win The Universal Title This Summer? Will Undertaker Wrestle at WrestleMania? Is Roman Back Full Time? appeared first on mmHighlights.
The Raw Report Card (2/25/19): The Big Dog Returns!
The Raw Report Card (2/25/19): The Big Dog Returns!
Opening segment Roman Reigns announcement
Grade: A+
Reasoning: I mean…did you really think this segment would get anything less than the top grade? Thrill to tears to see Roman back in the WWE happy and healthy.
Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. The Revival
Grade: B
Reasoning: This match went pretty quickly, or at least it felt like it did for me. Everyone did a great job and once again the NXT call-ups pick up the win. The momentum for the NXT guys is really strong right now. However, I don’t know how I feel about The Revival winning the championships and then losing two weeks in a row. I hope this goes somewhere….
In-ring Segment: Elias Interrupted
Grade: C+
Reasoning: Lacey Evans interrupting everyone just to do a model walk is already starting to bore me. Do something! Talk to someone, smack someone, attack someone! This isn’t a runway it’s the WWE! She’s too talented to just have her do a model walk with no purpose. Mix that with Elias who hasn’t had a real, legitimate rivalry in nearly 18 months other than getting interrupted and it felt very formulaic. However, the second half of this segment was saved when Ambrose came out and ended up hitting Dirty Deeds. Ambrose has been feeling much more comfortable lately, I guess he makes a better face after all.
The Riott Squad vs. Ronda Rousey & Natalya
Grade: Match C+ Post Match: A
Reasoning: This match fine, nothing special. I thought everyone put in a solid match, but it was clearly just a set up for the post-match shenanigans. Becky Lynch showing up again to attack Ronda and company was great. I’m thrilled they decided to mix things up and have her appear here instead of at Ric’s celebration was refreshing. Not that her interrupting Ric’s party would’ve been bad, but it was what everyone was expecting. Becky always bring eyes and makes segments better. True to their word, Becky was arrested on sight.
In-Ring Segment: Ronda and Stephanie McMahon
Grade: B
Reasoning: The actual meat of this segment was brilliant and I loved it. Ronda still playing her anti-Stephanie/HHH thing was well executed and her as the “face” of this storyline it makes sense for her to say “Hey I came here to fight the best and you took the best out of the picture, what’s the point in having a champion who takes on the ‘chosen’ challengers?” Laying down the Raw Women’s Championship and walking out was just vague enough to keep me interested to see what that means for next week. However, the execution of the promo was a little awkward, so it lost points. Ronda still has some work to do in the promo department, but she’s still getting better all the time.
Kurt Angle vs. Jinder Mahal
Grade: D-
Reasoning: I talked about this recently in Ask WNW, but they cheapen Kurt Angle’s return to the ring and how special it is to have Kurt wrestling for them again when they use his matches as filler. You’ve got Kurt FREAKIN’ Angle wrestling in a WWE ring again! He should be up there with match from HHH, Sting, Undertaker, and other legends. Instead, it’s completely devalued when he faces Jinder Mahal in a random, pointless, throwaway match in the middle of the show.
Moment of Bliss and Intercontinental Championship Match: Finn Balor vs. Lio Rush
Grade: B+
Reasoning: I’m not sure why Alexa Bliss isn’t more involved in the Women’s Division right now, but it’s a shame because she’s one of the best characters in all of WWE. We’ve seen these two guys compete a pretty high number of times in the last several weeks, but they can still entertain. The storyline with Rush and Lashley feels like it takes one step forward, two steps back. Are they friends? Are they allies? Are they fighting? Who knows, not WWE creative that’s for sure.
Backstage Segment: Ascension make fun of Heavy Machinery
Grade: F
Reasoning: Normally, I would just skip over something so small. However, I really wanted to address how much I dislike the Heavy Machinery gimmick and it’s exactly like Jesse and Festus back in the day. One character who is just “the normal one” but also acts as the “keeper” for the weird one. That gimmick crashed and burned and this one will, too. Nothing against the wrestlers, they’re fine. This gimmick is a crash and burn waiting to happen
No Disqualification Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Drew McIntyre
Grade: A
Reasoning: The match itself was pretty good, however, you all know why this got a high grade. After the match was over Lashley, Corbin, and Elias attacked Ambrose. However, Rollins and Roman Reigns came out to make the save! Rollins and Reigns didn’t stick around to help Dean up or show him a ton of support, but they had his back.
Nia Jax vs Bayley
Grade: A
Reasoning: I’m glad they had Bayley win this match because, honestly, she’s the right person to have win. They need to show that both Sasha and Bayley are still incredible solo wrestlers who are in a tag team together. Honestly, I’m so tired of them hyping Nia like a monster, a destroyer, when she loses quite frequently. I know that may go against what I just said, but for me the ship has sailed on Nia. She’s got the Big Show affect where she never wins, but I’m supposed to “oh” and “ah” when she shows up like she’s going to dominate. She doesn’t. Let’s not pretend she does.
Ric Flair’s 70 Birthday Party
Grade: A+
Reasoning: What an unexpected end! I thought for sure we’d see Becky Lynch back in the arena somehow, but this was far better! Batista shows up back in WWE, dragging a camera man (which was a brilliant touch) and attacking Ric Flair. Batista drags Flair out and Triple H runs from the ring to make the save. Seeing Batista back was great, I’m thrilled to see him. He’s starting off as a heel this time, smart move by WWE. We all knew SOMETHING was going to happen during this birthday party, but WWE crushed it on this one. It easily surpassed my expectations and they were already pretty high by expecting Becky to show up.
Grade for the whole show: A
Reasoning: This show started strong, had strong moments throughout the show, and ended strong. That’s enough to get an A in my book. Yes, there were some weak moments here and there, it’s pretty expected during a three-hour show. However, if your beginning, middle, and end are strong I’m happy. I’m thrilled to see Roman back, I’m thrilled to see Batista back, and I’m happy we got to see Becky! Great show! Let’s see how Smackdown does.
The post The Raw Report Card (2/25/19): The Big Dog Returns! appeared first on mmHighlights.
Dustin Poirier Has Message For Nate Diaz (Video) • MMA News
Dustin Poirier Has Message For Nate Diaz (Video) • MMA News
Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz might have not happened in November. However, perhaps there’s still potential for the fight down the road. The bad blood is certainly still there. Poirier and Diaz were matched up for UFC 230 on pay-per-view (PPV) in November. The 155 pounders were given the co-main event slot.
However, a hip injury to Poirier forced the contest to be called off. Fast-forward three months later, Poirier is now matched up against featherweight champion Max Holloway for the interim 155-pound title. The fight will headline UFC 236 on pay-per-view (PPV) in April. “The Diamond” spoke to ESPN about the fight this week, and touched on his failed bout against Diaz.
Earlier this week, Diaz took a shot at Poirier on Instagram:
When asked what he had to say to Diaz if given the opportunity, Poirier had a lot to share (via BJPenn.com):
“Be real,” Poirier said. “Be real, man. Tell the truth. Tell them how you were playing games [ahead of UFC 230], how you over-negotiated, how you didn’t take the main event spot when the UFC offered it to us.
“They were offering me different opponents, maybe a backup cause they knew Nate was out of the fight. So much stuff happened. Look, maybe me and Nate will cross paths one day, I don’t know. But just be real, dude. You preach all this stuff, practice what you preach, man. Be real, tell the truth.”
“Be real.” 
@DustinPoirier keeps his response to Nate Diaz simple (via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/xVYUvX1rHi
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 26, 2019
What do you think about Poirier’s comments about Diaz?
The post Dustin Poirier Has Message For Nate Diaz (Video) • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.
Latest Inductee Announced For WWE’s Hall Of Fame
Latest Inductee Announced For WWE’s Hall Of Fame
As first reported by CBS Sports, WWE will be bringing the Honky Tonk Man into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame.
Honky Tonk Man will be joining D-Generation X as inductees into the Hall of Fame on April 6th in Brooklyn, New York.
The post Latest Inductee Announced For WWE’s Hall Of Fame appeared first on mmHighlights.
WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.25.19) – Savannah, GA
WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.25.19) – Savannah, GA
Full results:
- Tag Titles: The Usos def. The New Day, The Bar and Rusev/Shinsuke Nakamura
- US Title: R-Truth def. Rey Mysterio and Andrade
- Lacey Evans/Nikki Cross def. The IIconics
- AJ Styles/The Miz def. The Bar
- The Good Brothers def. SAnitY
- Jeff Hardy def. Samoa Joe
- Women’s Title: Asuka def. Charlotte Flair
The post WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.25.19) – Savannah, GA appeared first on mmHighlights.
Roman Reigns Returns to RAW, Makes Big Announcement
Roman Reigns Returns to RAW, Makes Big Announcement
It was a historic night on RAW as Roman Reigns made his return to the ring since announcing his second fight with leukemia.
Reigns thanked the fans for their love and support before announcing that he was once again in remission and would be back to in-ring action very soon.
He is also expected to have a big announcement tomorrow on Good Morning America.
The post Roman Reigns Returns to RAW, Makes Big Announcement appeared first on mmHighlights.
*SPOILERS* WWE Main Event Taping Results (02.25.19)
*SPOILERS* WWE Main Event Taping Results (02.25.19)
Full spoilers:
- Rezar def. No Way Jose
- Apollo Crews def. EC3
Editor’s Note: UM… why is EC3 jobbing to lower-midcard guys on Main Event?
The post *SPOILERS* WWE Main Event Taping Results (02.25.19) appeared first on mmHighlights.
Monday, 25 February 2019
WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.25.19) – Savannah, GA
WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.25.19) – Savannah, GA
Full results:
- Tag Titles: The Usos def. The New Day, The Bar and Rusev/Shinsuke Nakamura
- US Title: R-Truth def. Rey Mysterio and Andrade
- Lacey Evans/Nikki Cross def. The IIconics
- AJ Styles/The Miz def. The Bar
- The Good Brothers def. SAnitY
- Jeff Hardy def. Samoa Joe
- Women’s Title: Asuka def. Charlotte Flair
The post WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.25.19) – Savannah, GA appeared first on mmHighlights.
Monday Night Raw Live Coverage & Results (02.25.19)
Monday Night Raw Live Coverage & Results (02.25.19)
Good evening wrestling world! Tonight’s Raw comes to us live from Atlanta, Georgia. Tonight, after four months, Roman Reigns will return to update the WWE Universe on his battle with leukemia. We also celebrate the 70th birthday of the two time hall of famer, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. All of this and more in the coming moments!
We start the show with the return of the former Universal Champion, Roman Reigns. He is greeted with an absolutely amazing response from the crowd in attendance. In the ring, he immediately thanks the WWE Universe for their support for his battle with his disease. He announces that he in in remission, and that he is returning! He thanks the WWE Universe once again as we go to break. (Commercial)
Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. The Revival
Before the match can being, The Revival attack the duo. However, their attack backfires as Black and Ricochet are able to quickly turn the tables on the champions, sending them to the outside of the ring. Once the champions are on the outside, they are both hit with flying sentons from the NXT standouts. (Commercial)
We return as the tag team champions have taken control of the match. However, Ricochet is able to make a quick surprise attack to Black. Black comes into the ring hot as he shows off his striking ability, delivering a flurry of quick kicks and knees to the Revival. However, Wilder is able to make a tag to Dawson and the two attack Black. Dawson hits Black with a huge ddt, and goes for the pin. Black is able to get his foot on the bottom rope at two. The two stand and trade a couple of blows, but Wilder attempts to interfere from the outside of the ring. Ricochet is able to stop the diversion by pulling Wider to the outside mat and then land a standing moonsault from the apron. On the inside, Black delivers a huge Black Mass to Dawson and pins him for the victory. Aleister Black and Ricochet win
Backstage, Charly Caruso interviews Baron Corbin and asks him about some of the questionable things that Corbin said about Roman Reigns. Corbin tells Charly that some of his past statements may have been taken out of context, but he hopes from Reigns’ sake that the two do not cross paths. (Commercial)
Elias is in the middle of the ring as we return. Before he can even begin, he is interrupted by Lacey Evans. She makes her way towards the ring, but does not enter and returns back to the locker room. Before he can begin, He is interrupted by Dean Ambrose. Ambrose says that he wants a rematch against McIntyre in a no disqualification match. In the ring, Elias says he was about to sing for the crowd until Ambrose interrupted him. Elias attempts to hit Ambrose with his guitar, but Ambrose avoids it and delivers a Dirty Deeds. (Commercial)
The post Monday Night Raw Live Coverage & Results (02.25.19) appeared first on mmHighlights.
Two More Stars Backstage At Raw
Two More Stars Backstage At Raw
This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw seems to be filled with stars as Roman Reigns will be returning to update everyone on his battle with Leukemia. Also, WWE is set to celebrate the 70th birthday of Ric Flair.
While we cannot confirm if he will be appearing for tonight’s show, but The Rock has been in Atlanta over the weekend and fans have spotted him in the Area on Monday.
Two more names that are backstage for this week’s Raw is Batista and Sting. No word yet on whether or not the two will play a role in tonight’s show or just visiting.
With WrestleMania around the corner, WWE is trying to pop the ratings for people to get excited for the shows of shows.
The post Two More Stars Backstage At Raw appeared first on mmHighlights.
WWE RAW Live Event Results (02.24.19) – Montgomery, AL
WWE RAW Live Event Results (02.24.19) – Montgomery, AL
Full results:
- Tag Titles: The Revival def. Bobby Roode/Chad Gable
- Mojo Rawley def. Tyler Breeze
- Intercontinental Title: Finn Balor def. Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush
- Drew McIntyre def. Dean Ambrose
- Natalya def. Alexa Bliss
- Titus O’Neil/Heath Slater & Rhyno def. Jinder Mahal/Singh Brothers
- Women’s Tag Titles: Bayley/Sasha Banks def. The Riott Squad
- Braun Strowman def. Baron Corbin
The post WWE RAW Live Event Results (02.24.19) – Montgomery, AL appeared first on mmHighlights.
WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.24.19) – Greenville, SC
WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.24.19) – Greenville, SC
Full results:
- Tag Titles: The Usos def. The New Day, The Bar and Rusev/Shinsuke Nakamura
- US Title: R-Truth def. Rey Mysterio and Andrade
- Lacey Evans/Nikki Cross def. The IIconics
- AJ Styles/The Miz def. The Bar
- The Good Brothers def. SAnitY
- Jeff Hardy def. Samoa Joe
- Women’s Title: Asuka def. Charlotte Flair
The post WWE Smackdown Live Event Results (02.24.19) – Greenville, SC appeared first on mmHighlights.
Professional Fighters League Inks Multi-Year Broadcast Deal with ESPN • MMA News
Professional Fighters League Inks Multi-Year Broadcast Deal with ESPN • MMA News
Professional Fighters League (PFL) has a new broadcast home after inking a multi-year deal with ESPN.
The terms of the deal were announced on Monday with the PFL moving all of their events to the ESPN family of networks including ESPN2 and ESPN+. In addition to the deal with ESPN in the United States, PFL also struck a similar broadcast rights deal with TSN for their cards to air in Canada.
The PFL cards will air on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.
The broadcast deal will officially kick off on Thursday nights in May with regular season events running through August. Three playoff cards will then air in October with the season finals being held on New Year’s Eve with the event airing exclusively on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
The PFL format features a ‘regular season’ where fights take place across several weight classes with fighters earning points for wins and method of victory. Following a pair of opening round matchups, the fighters are then ranked into the ‘playoff’ format where they compete in a single elimination tournament all culminating in the finals.
The winners of last season’s PFL tournaments each received a $1 million grand prize.
“We are pleased to add the PFL to our combat sports roster,” ESPN executive vice president of programming Burke Magnus said in a statement. “This unique and innovative competition structure provides MMA fans with a great option to see some of the best fights and content in the sport. ESPN is the home of combat sports, and we look forward to delivering thrilling live PFL events and powerful storytelling to fans, across all platforms.”
PFL had previously been under a broadcast rights deal with NBC that went year over year with the majority of the promotion’s cards airing on NBC Sports Network.
Now the PFL joins the UFC on the ESPN format with cards also airing on ESPN+.
“We are thrilled to bring the PFL to ESPN, the undisputed leader in sports,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement. “ESPN is a ground-breaking pioneer that has fundamentally changed the way fans consume sports, and we at the PFL are reimagining MMA for fans and fighters.”
The first PFL event on ESPN’s family of networks will be May 9.
The post Professional Fighters League Inks Multi-Year Broadcast Deal with ESPN • MMA News appeared first on mmHighlights.