The Usos defeated Curtis Axel and Heath Slater on tonight's WWE RAW to advance to the second round of the new tag team tournament. After the match, they were attacked by a debuting Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. The former IWGP Tag Team Champions destroyed The Usos in and out of the ring as fans cheered them on. Gallows and Anderson came through the crowd and left over the barrier, taunting The Usos.
As noted, The Dudley Boyz defeated The Lucha Dragons to advance tonight as well. The winners of the tournament will face WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, apparently at WWE Payback. The Dudleyz will face the winners of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady vs. The Ascension while The Usos will face the winners of The Vaudevillains vs. Goldust and R-Truth.
Since 2006
*******************||Trending||*******************
April 11, 2016
Doc Gallows And Karl Anderson Debut On WWE RAW Tonight In Los Angeles
January 23, 2016
Big Backstage Update on the TNA – Bullet Club Situation, Why TNA Issued a Statement, Possible Legal Action, Details on TNA – AJ Styles Meeting
As we reported earlier this evening, TNA issued a statement via ImpactWrestling.com, which revealed they had been in talks with AJ Styles, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, and the talks lead to a deal signed by all three talents. The following is an excerpt from the TNA statement:
“[The deal] was agreed upon and signed by all. Start dates were determined, creative decided, merchandise designed and plane tickets purchased.”
Shortly after TNA released its statement, a representative from AJ Styles’ management team contacted WZ and issued the following, refuting TNA’s claim:
“No contract was ever finalized nor signed by the parties”.
According to PWInsider.com, talks between TNA and AJ Styles began sometime back in November, and Styles was a very high priority for TNA as they wanted him to return as the company was debuting on POP TV, to show the fans that TNA was turning things around. Talks between Styles and TNA continued through November and December, and those talks lead to the idea of Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson debuting in TNA alongside Styles. Gallows and Anderson were looking to leave New Japan Pro Wrestling, and at the time, Gallows was not under contract, and Anderson’s deal with NJPW expires on February 1st.
TNA, as they noted in their statement, bought Styles a plane ticket for the Impact Wrestling tapings in Bethlehem, PA, and one of the rumored return plans for Styles was to shoot vignettes at a local hotel, and then insert them into the Impact Wrestling broadcasts so that everyone would be surprised. Styles would have then made his in-ring return at the upcoming TNA tour of The UK, along with Gallows and Anderson.
The story currently making the rounds is that once AJ Styles’ agent Bill Behrens learned Styles, Gallows and Anderson had signed TNA deals without his supervision, he was not happy about it, and was against the deal. This prompted Behrens to begin communicating with TNA, who by that time already had their legal department working on long form contracts for the three talents.
TNA noted that discussions between Styles, Gallows and Anderson culminated on December 14th, at a meeting which took place in Dixie Carter’s home in Nashville. The meeting was reportedly attended by Carter, Styles, John Gaburick, Gallows, Anderson and others. The meeting reportedly “could not have gone better”, and following the meeting contracts were presented to the talents, start dates were locked in, logos were created, and story lines were worked on. The talents came back with amendments to the offered contracts, to which TNA agreed.
Shortly after the Christmas holiday, TNA stopped hearing from Styles, Anderson and Gallows, as phone calls were neither answered nor returned, and text messages were not responded to. Bill Behrens then reportedly contacted TNA and told them the deal was off, and all three talents would not be signing contracts. TNA officials were reportedly shocked to hear this news, as they were under the impression all three talents were already signed, and now the company’s big “reboot” plans were out the window. The creative plans in place for Styles and the others were reportedly going to take TNA through a significant portion of 2016, so it left them void of major creative plans. There was also a feeling in TNA that AJ Styles was the company’s “Sting”, the one TNA original that the company couldn’t live without, and they were unable to get him back.
TNA sources remain adamant, as evidenced by their statement, that all three talents signed deals with the company, and although no lawyers were involved, the thought was the talents were a lock. TNA has not heard directly from Gallows or Anderson, however it’s being said Styles did contact them to let them know he would be doing what’s best for his family.
TNA is said to be very frustrated with the communication stopping, and the wrestlers backing out of their deals, which is why they issued a statement via the TNA website. TNA feels the company did the right thing, however they were “wronged” by the talents involved, so they issued the statement because they didn’t want to look like a “patsy”, and didn’t want fans thinking the company let its “Sting” go to WWE without an attempt to get him back.
With regards to potential legal ramifications stemming from this entire ordeal, word is that as of late Friday no decision had been made yet as to whether or not TNA will pursue legal action. There’s also a lot of speculation that TNA might have timed its statement to potentially put an AJ Styles debut at the WWE Royal Rumble in jeopardy.
~ Kayfabe by Kaliqo~ at 9:40 AM
Labels: AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, TNA, WWE
January 5, 2016
WWE Website Picks Up On Rumors Of AJ Styles And Other NJPW Stars Coming In
WWE's website has picked up on the rumors of New Japan Pro Wrestling stars AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and Shinsuke Nakamura possibly leaving NJPW for WWE.
It's rare that WWE's website covers rumors like these and they are promising updates. Below is what they wrote:
Are AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows coming to WWE?
The sports-entertainment world has been buzzing this week with speculation that WWE has signed four massive international Superstars.
Numerous media outlets reported Monday that AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson and Luke "Doc" Gallows — most recently of New Japan Pro Wrestling — are in negotiations to compete under the WWE banner.
The office of WWE COO and EVP of Talent Relations, Triple H, declined to comment on the rumors for WWE.com.
Reports began circulating late Sunday that all four had reportedly given their notices to New Japan management. Fueling the rumors that Styles, Nakamura, Anderson and Gallows were WWE-bound was a series of tweets involving reigning NXT Champion Finn Bálor.
Until recently, Styles, Gallows and Anderson were all part of New Japan's Bullet Club faction, a stable formerly led by Bálor when he wrestled in Japan under the alias Prince Devitt. For months, Bálor has made it clear that he's still tight with the Bullet Club members, even tweeting photos of them wearing his "Bálor Club" T-Shirts. On Monday, Bálor stirred the pot again, tweeting an image of Anderson sporting trunks that bore Finn's "demon" design. Additionally, the official Twitter account for the Bullet Club tweeted the NXT Champion Monday, telling him to keep more Bálor Club shirts on hand in case they need them. That tweet has since been deleted.
~ Kayfabe by Kaliqo~ at 9:33 PM
Labels: AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Finn Balor, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Puroresu, Shinsuke Nakamura, Triple H, WWE
Rumor Mill - WWE Reportedly Signs AJ Styles And Other Top NJPW Stars
WWE has reportedly signed New Japan Pro Wrestling stars AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and current IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, according to F4WOnline. We first exclusively reported in early December that WWE was interested in signing Nakamura. The group reportedly informed NJPW booker Gedo that they were finishing up before WrestleKingdom 10 this morning.
No word yet on when the four will begin work with WWE but Nakamura apparently is not leaving early as he will most likely drop his title before leaving.
F4W added that Anderson was reportedly also in talks with TNA and close to signing but the WWE deal came through instead. Anderson, Gallows and Nakamura are expected to honor their Ring of Honor dates for February and AJ is likely done with ROH going forward.
~ Kayfabe by Kaliqo~ at 6:36 AM
Labels: AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Indy Wrestling, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Puroresu, Rumor Mill, Shinsuke Nakamura, WWE