WWE NXT Preview

WWE NXT returns to the WWE Network tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 CT).

Scheduled for tonight’s show is Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Bate in a No. 1 Contendership match for the WWE United Kingdom Championship.

TM61 will also return to tag team action for the first time in over a year.

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More on reports of Jeremy Borash departing Impact Wrestling and signing with WWE

As covered earlier today, longtime TNA/Impact Wrestling personality Jeremy Borash has signed with WWE according to a report by PWInsider.com.

While neither Borash or WWE have publicly confirmed the signing as of this evening, more details have started to emerge about possible plans for Borash in the company.

According to new reports by both PWInsider.com and The Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online, Borash will reportedly be taking on some kind of role with NXT. The same report by PWInsider indicated that the hiring of Borash was a call made by Triple H.

It isn’t known when Borash will officially start with WWE, but the belief is that he has fulfilled all of his prior obligations with Impact Wrestling and would be available to begin with the company at the NXT TV tapings this Thursday night in Atlanta.

It should be noted that when Impact announced it was creating a new 24/7 channel on Twitch, Borash was slated to host a new weekly video podcast by reviving the popular Live Audio Wrestling show that was previously part of the Fight Network. Those plans are now clearly off despite the launch of the channel only a few weeks ago

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Rumble, Ronda, Genesis, Impact Comings and Goings, Raw 25, Oh My

WWE 205 Live Preview

205 Live, beginning at 10:30 p.m. Eastern (9:30 CT) on the WWE Network, will feature the reveal of a new General Manager for the brand including plans for the now vacant WWE Cruiserweight Championship following the release of Enzo Amore last week.

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WWE Mixed Match Challenge Preview

WWE Mixed Match Challenge returns to Facebook Watch immediately following Smackdown at 10:00 p.m. Eastern (9:00 CT). This week will feature the teams of Braun Strowman and RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch.

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WWE Smackdown Preview

Scheduled for tonight’s Smackdown Live is the fallout from the Royal Rumble PPV on Sunday when Shinsuke Nakamura won the 30 Man Royal Rumble, declaring he would challenge AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34. The only match advertised is Kofi Kingston vs. Zack Ryder vs. Rusev vs. Jinder Mahal with the winner becoming the new No. 1 Contender for the WWE United States Championship.

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Report: Longtime TNA/Impact Wrestling personality Jeremy Borash signs with WWE

Longtime TNA Wrestling/Impact Wrestling personality Jeremy Borash has been hired by WWE according to a new report by Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com this morning.

Borash has reportedly finished up his duties with Impact Wrestling, which included doing voiceovers for new episodes of Impact last Thursday and filming footage for the company at Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore event last Friday in Philadelphia.

According to the report by PWInsider, Borash was backstage at WWE events this past weekend in Philadelphia for Royal Rumble weekend. He was said to be telling people he was just visiting friends if he was asked or spotted by those backstage.

Outside of a brief stint with WCW, Borash was among the class of “TNA Originals” that included Abyss and James Storm who were still working for the company. Storm has since departed the company, leaving Abyss (Chris Park) as the only one remaining.

Borash handled a number of production and creative duties with Impact for over 15 years and was literally the face of the company when it came to publicity, ring announcing at live events (including the first ever TNA house show back in 2006) and video on YouTube. He worked very closely with Matt and Jeff Hardy producing the “Broken” footage as well.

Borash has yet to comment on the hiring as of Tuesday morning, nor has WWE provided any official comment about the report at this time.

Opinionated View- Damn I hope this isn't true 

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New Rumors Suggest There Is Heat Between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman

SportsKeeda reports that there are rumors of legitimate heat between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman after their match at the Royal Rumble last night.

During the match, it seemed that Braun hit Brock with a stiff knee to the head. Brock then immediately got up and started delivering legitimate punches to Braun’s head. The audio feed had to be silenced multiple times after it seemed like the two were taking shoot punches at each other. You can see some footage of the blows below.

Lesnar ain't happy, y'all. pic.twitter.com/cNNylNN4W3

— Emmet Russell (@AussieEmmet) January 29, 2018

BROCK! ☠️ pic.twitter.com/9e5jk8GzZr

— TDE Wrestling (@totaldivaseps) January 29, 2018

The punches between the two made some feel as though they were not originally planned and there is heat between both men.

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Jonathan Coachman signs with WWE, starts back tonight as part of RAW commentary team

WWE.com announced this morning that Jonathan Coachman (aka The Coach) has signed a deal to return to the company and will join the RAW commentary team starting tonight.

Coachman will join Michael Cole and Corey Graves going forward every Monday night, replacing WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. WWE noted that Booker T will continue to take part as a panelist for WWE kickoff shows as well as being a “WWE ambassador.”

Coachman first signed with WWE (then the WWF) back in 1999, taking on a role as a backstage interviewer and later transitioning to a career on commentary on RAW with Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler. He also served as an interim RAW General Manager.

He left WWE back in 2008 and signed with ESPN in an on-air anchor role. Coachman would later be part of WWE segments on ESPN interview various talent. He then quietly parted ways with ESPN last year when the company began cutting jobs.

Coachman appeared on the RAW 25th Anniversary episode last Monday night.

Opinionated View- Oh thank god Booker has been replaced. 

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Potential Rousey/WrestleMania plans

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online reports that the current WrestleMania plans for Rousey is to team with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon this April in New Orleans.

This is the same match WWE attempted to put together at WrestleMania 31, where Rousey made an appearance with Rock, Stephanie and Triple H. Whether or not The Rock has any interest in returning to the ring for WWE is also another big question.

Opinionated View- Hopefully this is just Dave trying to get a story out and "Beat" everyone. So he just lazily said  this. Because this match would be awful. Ronda is a great athlete but she will be a rookie and need help. Rock hasn't wrestled in years and during his last comeback his only good match was with Punk who carried him. Triple H is the king of flopping at Mania and Stephanie is one of the worst performers ever.

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The Dudley Boyz to be inducted into the Class of 2018 WWE Hall of Fame on April 6

WWE.com announced on Monday afternoon that The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) will be inducted into the Class of 2018 WWE Hall of Fame this April.

The announcement, which was first broke by CBS Sports on Monday afternoon, notes that The Dudley’s will be joining Goldberg as the latest inductees for the ceremony during WrestleMania 34 weekend on Friday, April 6 in New Orleans.

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Rumble, Ronda, Genesis, Impact Comings and Goings, Raw 25, Oh My

Ronda Rousey signs full-time deal with WWE, debuts on Sunday night at Royal Rumble

Former UFC champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey made her official debut as part of WWE on Sunday night at the close of the Royal Rumble PPV in Philadelphia.

According to ESPN.com, the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion has agreed to terms on a full-time contract with the WWE going forward.

Rousey provided a quote to ESPN about her WWE debut tonight.

“This is my life now. First priority on my timeline for the next several years. This is not a smash-and-grab; this is not a publicity stunt. When I first met with Triple H, I told him, ‘There are other things I can do with my time that’ll make way more money, but I won’t enjoy nearly as much.'”

WWE had Rousey shake hands with Stephanie McMahon to close the PPV following an in-ring confrontation with Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and Asuka (the winner of the first ever women’s Royal Rumble).

ESPN is already featuring an interview with Rousey about her WWE signing.

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Twitch announces 10 days of live and legacy wrestling including Impact, House of Hardcore

Twitch has announced 10 days of both live and legacy pro wrestling featuring Impact Wrestling, House of Hardcore, AAA and more starting tonight (January 26).

You can check out the full press release below.

Twitch Gets its Slam on with 10 Days of Live and Legacy Wrestling

Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, IMPACT Wrestling, House of Hardcore, Hoodslam, and Shout! Factory TV to live stream new and classic wrestling content on their respective Twitch channels

SAN FRANCISCO – January 26, 2018 – Social video service Twitch today announced a 10-day event celebrating both live and legacy content from top wrestling organizations. The opening day highlight is Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide’s “Guerra de Titanes” (Clash of the Titans) at 7:00 PM PST on January 26, with Shout! Factory TV, House of Hardcore, IMPACT Wrestling, and Hoodslam also providing thrilling wrestling action during this 10-day showcase. The lineup ensures an epic shared experience of pandemonium in the ring, including plenty of exclusive programming.

“Wrestling on Twitch has continued to grow as more and more organizations realize the appetite their fans have for being able to interact with each other in chat while watching matches online,” said Annie Berrones, Director of Emerging Content Marketing. “With so many top wrestling promotions working with Twitch to help us celebrate the sport over the course of ten days, we’ve become the perfect place for the community to thrive and grow.”

Wrestling fans can tune into these programs on their respective channels:

Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide — Mexico’s largest wrestling promotion kicks off the 10 Days of Wrestling on Twitch. Don’t miss the first AAA Major Show of the year, “Guerra de Titanes” event on January 26 @ 7:00 PM PST. Channel: Twitch.tv/LuchaLibreAAA.

House of Hardcore — Created in 2012 by former ECW World champion and WWE® Hardcore champion wrestler, Tommy Dreamer and promoting events internationally since 2012, they will be featuring new exclusive matches on January 26 @ 5:00 PM PST. Channel: Twitch.tv/HouseofHardcore.

IMPACT Wrestling — As one of the world’s largest wrestling entertainment properties, creating more than 200 hours of original content annually across television and other digital platforms, IMPACT Wrestling will air matches and news segments, including Live Audio Wrestling (The LAW) and Mathews’ Megacast on their 24/7 Twitch channel. Also, on January 29 they are airing their weekly flagship IMPACT! show at 3:00 PM PST. Channel: Twitch.tv/IMPACTWrestling.

Shout! Factory TV — A-Teams of Classic Wrestling — Starting January 30 @ 11:00 AM PST, Shout! Factory TV will host a 13-hour marathon showcasing tentpole events and promotions that shaped today’s pro wrestling scene. First to air is “Classic Wrestling Battles,” which features matches dating back to the 1950s between legends such as Dick the Bruiser, Gorgeous George, and “Haystack” Calhoun. Also to air is “Brawlin’ Beauties GLOW,” a look back at the first-ever, all-female promotion and the personalities who paved the way for women in pro wrestling. Channel: Twitch.tv/ShoutFactoryTV.

Hoodslam — This outrageous and edgy wrestling organization features the best of the San Francisco Bay Area who will fight live on Twitch on February 2 @ 8:00 PM PST. Channel: Twitch.tv/Hoodslam.

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Matches For Royal Rumble Pre-Show

– WWE has announced two more matches for the Royal Rumble Kickoff show, joining the recently announced US Open Challenge from Bobby Roode. They include:

* Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. The Revival
* Kalisto, Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak

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Rich Swann Cleared of Charges Over Domestic Altercation

Rich Swann is clear of charges in the domestic incident he was arrested for back in December. PWInsider reports that the charges were dropped by the prosecutor’s office due to “insufficient evidence.”

Swann was arrested on December 10th following an altercation with his wife Veronica Riggs, better known as Su Yung. He had been accused of grabbing her in a headlock after she left their car in the middle of an argument, dragging her back to the car as she screamed for help and driving away. Charges of charged with false imprisonment/kidnapping and of battery: touching or striking were levied. Swanna has since reconciled with Riggs.

WWE suspended Swann under the company’s zero-tolerance policy regarding domestic violence. Swann is likely to be reinstated now that the charges are dropped, though no announcement has yet been made.

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Impact Wrestling Preview: Genesis

Impact returns to Pop TV tonight (January 25) for a new Genesis special.

Scheduled for the show tonight is Eli Drake defending the Impact Global Championship against Alberto El Patron and Johnny Impact in a Six Sides of Steel match, Lashley vs. Moose, EC3 defends the Impact Grand Championship against Matt Sydal, Ishimori defends the Impact X Division Championship against Andrew Everett and Laurel Van Ness defends the Impact Knockouts Championship against Allie.

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More on Enzo Amore Being Fired

It was reported yesterday that WWE had released Enzo Amore one day after he had been suspended by WWE due to a police investigation regarding an allegation of rape against him. Following that news, many wondered how the situation went from suspension to firing with the investigation still ongoing. News then came out that Enzo was aware of the allegations against him and failed to tell WWE about them until they became public knowledge. Enzo has denied the allegations.

PWinsider reports that WWE management was completely unaware of the allegations and the criminal investigation into the October 2017 incident until media outlets started to reach out to the company for comments on the situation. This was while the company was putting together Raw 25, and had plans locked in for Enzo to face Goldust during the third hour of the show. When the company learned of the allegations, Amore was approached and asked about them. Amore denied the allegations were true. The fact that the investigation was months old and he failed to inform WWE management about them led to his immediate suspension and removal from the Barclays Center.

WWE is a publicly traded company and heavily promotes to children, which is why they acted so quickly. Management was angry that Amore, who they had built the entire 205 Live brand around in recent months, had put them in a position where, on a major media day, they had to react to media inquiries over one of their talents being accused of rape. One source told PWinsider that the only way the timing could have been worse would been for WWE to have been blindsided by this on WrestleMania weekend.

WWE decided to fire Amore the next day, with the situation being that the company was upset at his lack of disclosure, and that it was, “the last straw” for Amore within the company. The site continues on, stating that sources within the company stated that there have been a number of issues, including the company being unhappy that he had gone on social media to mock Big Cass’ legitimate injury when he hadn’t been instructed to do so. There was also the situation in Europe where he was thrown off a tour bus for allegedly being loud and not letting talents sleep even after he was asked to quiet down. Within the company, among the wrestlers, the site says that Amore had been one of the least liked members of the locker room, often dressing and traveling on his own. Amore not coming forward to the company to inform them that he was under investigation was said to put things over the edge and led to his firing.

Opinionated View- Enzo is an idiot. But WWE was stupid in there own way. There are a lot of stories about Enzo and he behaves on the road and in the locker room they were asking for trouble keeping him around. And being stupid enough to push him so strong was temping fate.

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