Tuesday, May 31, 2016

TV Tonight 5.31


By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

MLB
Rangers @ Indians (STO, 6pm)
Dodgers @ Cubs (ESPN, 8pm)
Tigers @ Angels OR Twins @ Athletics (MLB, 10pm)

OTHER SPORTS
WNBA: Minnesota Lynx @ New York Liberty (ESPN 2, 8pm)

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The BET Life of; Brandy (BET, 8pm)
America's Got Talent, PREMIERE (NBC, 8pm)
500 Questions (ABC, 8pm)
Hotel Hell (FOX, 8pm)

Roots, Part 2 (History/A&E/Lifetime, 9pm)
Inside The Label; Ruff Ryders (BET, 9pm)
Coupled (FOX, 9pm)
IMPACT Wrestling (POP TV, 9pm)

Maya & Marty, PREMIERE (NBC, 10pm)
Person Of Interest (CBS, 10pm)
Chrisley Knows Best (USA, 10pm)
Chasing Destiny (BET, 10pm)
Chopped (Food Network, 10pm)
First Impressions with Dana Carvey (USA, 10:30pm)

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon 5.31.16: RAW Results #RAW

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, brought to you by Triple Threat CLE, is back with this week's RAW Recap Edition. 

This week's RAW was live in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for this year's Memorial Day show. Tonight's show was highlighted with one big thing, John Cena's return from shoulder surgery. Also on the show WWE World Tag Team Champions The New Day faced The Vaudevillains in a non-title match. The Usos battled Tyler Breeze and Fandango in tag team action. WWE United States Champion Rusev battled Zack Ryder in a non-title match. Enzo and Big Cass battled The Dudley Boys in tag team action. Nattie Neidhart battled Dana Brooke in one on one women's division action. Baron Corbin battled Dolph Ziggler in a one on one match. The main event saw a six man tag team match with Sami Zayn, Cesaro and Dean Ambrose battling Kevin Owens, Alberto Del Rio and Chris Jericho.

*** RAW ***

- RAW kicked off with the roster on the RAW stage and a ten bell salute in celebration of Memorial Day and to all those that served in our armed forces.

- Shane and Stephanie McMahon Promo: Shane mentions Smackdown will go live in July. Stephanie announces the return of John Cena tonight. The New Day are out and interrupt the siblings. Woods says they were excited for live Smackdown, but now it's paranoia because there will be a draft to split the rosters. Kofi asks where New Day will end up and if they'll be split up. Shane and Stephanie decide they haven't figured that out yet and anything is possible. Big E wants a dance challenge with Shane and Stephanie, but The Vaudevillains interrupt and get a non-title match against The New Day. 

- The New Day vs. The Vaudevillains: The match closes out with Gotch and English beating down Kingston, until Kingston tags in Big E. Big E hits English with a belly-to-belly suplex and a running splash. Big E. goes for Big Ending, but Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows jump out of the crowd, hit the ring and beat down The New Day.
Winners: The New Day, by DQ.

- Backstage, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows say that they can be deadly without AJ Styles and they just put the tag team division on notice.

- Backstage, Big Show and Apollo Crews go face to face. Show says he doesn't want to fight. Show tells Crews that Sheamus attacked Crews last week because Sheamus doesn't think Crews will fight back.

- The Usos vs. Tyler Breeze and Fandango: Goldust and R-Truth are on commentary for this match. The match closes out with Fandango getting distracted as Jimmy hits the Uso Kick on Breeze. Jey grabs Fandango and crucifix pins him for the victory. After the match, Golden Truth hit the ring and beat down Breeze and Fandango.
Winners: The Usos, by pinfall.

- Roman Reigns Promo: Reigns talks about Seth Rollins selling out two years ago and turned on The Shield. Rollins calls himself THE MAN, but he runs away from THE GUY. Seth Rollins interrupts, goes to speak but stops. Rollins runs to the ring but again stops and laughs. Rollins again runs back to the ring as Reigns goes to leave but again stops and laughs, playing mind games with Reigns.  

- Rusev vs. Zack Ryder: The match closes out with Ryder hitting a second rope dropkick and two Broski boots. Ryder goes for the Rough Ryder, but Rusev counters and drops Ryder. Rusev applies The Accolade submission and forces Ryder to tap out. After the match, Rusev says he's better then every single American in the arena. Titus O'Neil interrupts and says real Americans fight and then decks Rusev. Rusev rolls to the floor and escapes.
Winner: Rusev, by submission.

- Backstage, Stephanie McMahon tells Charlotte she's embarrassed to have Charlotte as the WWE Women’s Champion and is a waste of talent for her actions last week.

- Enzo and Big Cass vs. The Dudley Boys: The match closes out with Bubba wasting time and firing up the crowd. Enzo hits a drop kick and tags in Cass. Cass hits the Empire Elbow, but Bubba comes back and goes to the top rope. Cass cuts off Bubba and tosses him off the ropes. Enzo and Cass hit their Rocket Launcher finisher and score the pinfall.
Winners: Enzo and Big Cass, by pinfall.

- John Cena Promo: Cena is happy to be back and the New Era will have to go through Cena. AJ Styles' music hits and out comes Styles. Styles says he's been waiting for this moment, doesn't understand why Cena gets a bad rap and wanted to be the first one to tell Cena welcome back. Cena and Styles shake hands as Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson arrive. The Club call Styles a kiss ass and The Club is here to kick ass. The Club get to the ring as Cena and Styles get ready to fight. Styles suddenly TURNS HEEL and attacks Cena from behind. Styles, Gallows and Anderson 3-on-1 beat down Cena and leave Cena laid out.

- Nattie Neidhart vs. Dana Brooke: The match closes out with Nattie nailing a lariat on Dana. Nattie goes for the Sharpshooter submission, but Charlotte jumps onto the apron. Dana takes advantage of the distraction and hits Nattie with her finisher to score the pinfall. After the match, Charlotte and Dana 2-on-1 beat down Nattie until Becky Lynch hits the ring and makes the save.
Winner: Dana Brooke, by pinfall.

- Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler: Right as the match starts, Ziggler kicks Corbin in the junk and gets DQ'ed. After the match, Ziggler says he lost by DQ, but Corbin is the real loser.
Winner: Baron Corbin, by DQ.

- "Six Man Tag Team Match": Sami Zayn, Dean Ambrose, and Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Alberto Del Rio: The match closes out with Jericho diving off the top rope, but gets kicked by Ambrose and hooked for Dirty Deeds. Jericho counters into the Code Breaker, but Ambrose counters that with his rebound clothesline. Jericho counters the rebound clothesline and hits the Code Breaker on Ambrose. Owens tags himself in before Jericho can go for the pinfall. Zayn comes in and nails Helluva Kick on Del Rio. Owens drops Zayn with a super kick. Ambrose catches Owens on the distraction, hits Dirty Deeds and scores the pinfall to end the show.
Winners: Sami Zayn, Cesaro and Dean Ambrose, by pinfall

This Week In The Show 5.31.16 #MLB


By Alex Hale, @DaSportsGenius7

As I’ve said since the beginning of the year, the MLB Regular Season is one big 6 month roller coaster.  Only a few weeks ago we were praising the Chicago White Sox starting rotation and then the Cleveland Indians started to bring them down to earth.  Injuries are plaguing multiple teams, yet somehow most of those teams are weathering the storm.  Plus come on we ALL had the Minnesota Twins somehow fighting the Atlanta Braves for the worst record in baseball.  Every time I come back to write these for everyone to recap the past few weeks, it never ceases to amaze me the unpredictability of this game.  Well once again let’s go over my biggest observations over the past few weeks in the MLB Season.


Royal Pains- For the defending World Champions, the Kansas City Royals were considered by many that as long as they were healthy, they would compete for a chance to repeat as World Champions.  While as it stands the Royals are in 1st Place in the AL Central, it has come at a cost.  Over the past few weeks the Royals lost 2 cornerstone players in Mike Moustakas (Torn ACL) and Alex Gordon (Fractured Wrist).  They barely escaped another major injury in Salvador Perez who only has a bruised left thigh.  As talented as the Royals are, they’re potentially one major injury away from their chance to defend their title going away completely.

My thoughts- As it stands, Eric Hosmer has been the entire offense for the Royals.  With Kendrys Morales having a rough season so far, they need others to step up to offset their losses offensively.  While their bullpen has been as advertised and the rotation has been solid, my major question is how much of that magic from last year they had is still there?


The Trade Winds Are Blowing- While a bit early for Trade Deadline talk, that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from swirling over the past week.  According to multiple sources, the Chicago White Sox have already spoken to the San Diego Padres about SP James Shields.  Although there’s been “significant” talks about this deal, I think it won’t happen until after the trade deadline.  With teams like San Diego, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Atlanta pretty much out of it, teams normally check out the market to see who’s interested.  With how historically bad Atlanta and Minnesota have been playing, plus San Diego wanting to cut bad contracts, it seems already this Trade Deadline could have multiple blockbusters.

My thoughts- Names I’ve heard that might be available are OFs Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis, and Ender Inciarte.  On top of James Shields, I think the Padres could move Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross.  Add to that the onslaught of trades Atlanta has made over recent years, I think any trade possible is on the table.


Houston We Have a Problem- For a team that was my personal World Series pick, the Astros have not lived up to their full potential this year.  Carlos Correa is going through a sophomore jinx so far and really only Jose Altuve is hitting consistently for them.  On top of that Dallas Kuechel has fallen off completely after winning the Cy Young award last year.  Plus we all had the Astros big trade acquisition CP Ken Giles being a total bust and Luke Gregerson to still be their closer now.  Something needs to be done to the Astros to wake this team up as the Mariners are currently in 1st and the Rangers are set to finally welcome back SP Yu Darvish and to finally pair him with Cole Hamels.  I do repeat… HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

My thoughts- I honestly don’t understand this other than teams figured them out.  The Astros have all the talent offensively you could want, a solid rotation with the defending Cy Young winner and a very good bullpen (outside of Giles).  If I’m the Astros I start looking at potential trade options for another starter because I feel the hitting will come around, the starters need help right now.


Who’s Philadelphia Taking #1 Overall?- Okay I know, nobody cares for the MLB Draft, but this is where teams can turn a 5 year rebuild into a 3 year rebuild.  With the Phillies surprising most of the baseball world with a 26-24 record (as of 5/30), the Phillies are only a few weeks away from being on the clock.  In this year’s draft, the top players in this class are Florida SP AJ Puk, HS SP Jason Groome, Tennessee 3B Nick Senzel and Mercer OF Kyle Lewis.  As it stands right now, it seems like Puk will be the #1 pick by the Phillies, but the feeling is that there is no lock on who the Phillies would take.

My thoughts- The top player in this draft is AJ Puk, a lefty starter who dominated LSU in the SEC Tournament.  He’s a front of the line starter and Philly doesn’t have a future star lefty pitcher.  Pair him potentially with Vince Velasquez, Aaron Nola, and Mike Appel (if he can turn it around), that’s a scary rotation there by pure talent and potential.  Only other player I’d consider if Kyle Lewis, but Puk is the pick.

From April to October, the MLB season is an odyssey unlike anything.  I mean what other sport do we see a team like the Yankees win a game after recording 1 HIT for the first time since 1913.  The Yankees hadn’t won their first World Series yet when this happened.  The Orioles struck out 52 times… IN A SERIES!  I know a lot of younger fans might think Baseball is a boring sport, but things like this that have happened almost every year, it’s just a matter of what historical accomplishment good or bad will happen next?  We’re 2 months into the baseball season and I’m starting to sense that something historical will happen when we reach the end of this road.  I’m excited and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next!

Monday, May 30, 2016

TV Tonight 5.30


By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

NBA PLAYOFFS
NBA Tip-Off (TNT, 8pm)
Thunder @ Warriors, Game 7 (TNT, 9pm)

2016 STANLEY CUP FINAL
Sharks @ Penguins, Game 1 (NBC, 8pm)

MLB
Rangers @ Indians (STO, 6pm)
Yankees @ Blue Jays OR Pirates @ Marlins (MLB, 7pm)

======

WWE Raw (USA, 8pm)
The Bachelorette (ABC, 8pm)
So You Think You Can Dance, PREMIERE (FOX, 8pm)
American Dad (TBS, 8:30pm)

Roots, PREMIERE (History/Lifetime/A&E, 9pm)
Houdini & Doyle (FOX, 9pm)
12 Monkeys (SyFy, 9pm)
The Detour (TBS, 9pm)

TURN: Washington's Spies (AMC, 10pm)
Mistresses, PREMIERE (ABC, 10pm)
Person Of Interest (CBS, 10pm)
Hunters (SyFy, 10pm)

Scream, PREMIERE (MTV, 11pm)

The Puck Drops Here 5.30.16: 2016 Stanley Cup Final Edition #StanleyCup


By Chris Lulovics, @CLulovics

After a tremendous playoff race, two teams have emerged from the insanity that is the NHL playoffs to play for sports most prestigious trophy. Whether you call it "The Cup", "Lord Stanley's Cup", or "The Holy Grail", it doesn't matter. It is the goal of every hockey team at the start of the season in October to make it this far.

We will see from the Western Conference, making their first ever trip, will be the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks made it by beating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round 4-1. Then the Nashville Predators 4-3. And then the St. Louis Blues 4-2. After years of making the playoffs only to lose in an early round, they finally brushed that dark cloud hovering over them. San Jose is playing some of the best hockey in recent years and they easily have a chance, a really good chance by the way, of winning the whole thing.

On the other side of things, the Pittsburgh Penguins are no strangers being in this position. Sidney Crosby, love him or hate him, is one of the top players of this generation. Along with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, they definitely have the scoring whether it be from goals or assists. What could provide to be the biggest difference in the series is the play of rookie goaltender Matt Murray. Murray, who replaced veteran, Marc-Andre Fleury during an injury will become the 6th rookie goalie to start in the Finals, has been playing unlike a rookie seemingly unfazed and showing poise beyond his years. Penguins fans in recent years might be a little happy that Fleury is not playing as in recent years his play not all his fault has been the downfall of recent playoff years.  If Murray plays as he has been and can, then the Cup will be coming back to Pittsburgh.

This definitely will be a very good series as both teams have the talent and goaltending to win.  Biggest questions will be will Pittsburgh's Murray falter in the Finals or continue to play the way he has been all playoffs?  Will the Sharks lack of playoff experience this deep prove to be the deciding factor or will they continue to show that they are what everyone expected them to be and come out on top? Be sure to check out the website for game times and channels.

I have this series going 6 games, with the Penguins bringing the Cup back to Pittsburgh.  If you take a look back at the playoff preview edition, I will probably be wrong since my predictions weren't up to par.  But if I could predict everything being right I would predict the lottery numbers and win millions.

I hope you've enjoyed the articles throughout the season.  Enjoy the Finals, get ready for an amazing off season, enjoy your summer and I'll see everyone around draft time or right before the World Cup of Hockey.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

TV Tonight 5.29


By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

MLB
Dodgers @ Mets (ESPN, 8pm)

NASCAR & RACING
Sprint Cup: Coca-Cola 600 (FOX, 6pm)

MMA & BOXING
UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt Prelims (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
UFC Fight Night: Thomas Almeida vs. Cody Garbrandy (FOX Sports 1, 9pm)

====

The Carmichael Show, SEASON FINALE (NBC, 8pm & 8:30pm)
Undercover Boss, SEASON FINALE (CBS, 8pm)
The Girlfriend Experience (Starz, 8pm)

Game Of Thrones (HBO, 9pm)
Preacher (AMC, 9pm)
House Of Lies (Showtime, 9pm)
American Ninja Warrior: All Stars (NBC, 9pm)

Penny Dreadful (Showtime, 10pm)
Silicon Valley (HBO, 10pm)
United Shades of America; Is It Cool To Be Hip? (CNN, 10pm)
Veep (HBO, 10:30pm)
Talking Preacher (AMC, 10:30pm)

Last Week Tonight (HBO, 11pm)

Weekend 3 Count 5.29.16 #WWE #NXT #TNA #ROH #Lucha #GFW

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, brought to you by Triple Threat CLE brings you the Weekend 3 Count. W3C brings you wrestling news, rumors and recaps from around the wrestling world. You'll find news and recaps involving WWE, NXT, TNA, ROH, Lucha Underground, GFW, NJPW, CZW, House of Hardcore and any Indy promotion that I find an interesting story or a cool discovery in. Be sure to check out the W3C every Sunday afternoon @TripleThreatCLE On Twitter.

*** WWE/NXT ***

- Brand Split And Live Smackdown: WWE officially announced on Wednesday that they are in fact getting ready to do another brand split. RAW and Smackdown will each have their own shows, rosters and storylines. WWE also announced that Smackdown will become a weekly live show starting on Tuesday, July 19th. There hasn't been any word as of yet on if WWE will bring back the World Heavyweight Championship and have two World Champions again or continue to run with one WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Also there has yet to be any word on how pay per views will happen as of yet. In the past WWE would rotate all RAW pay per views, all Smackdown pay per views and have both shows on the "Big 4" pay per views. WWE also announced an up coming draft to determine the rosters and is being rumored to take place on July 11th. WWE also have stated that they are possibly looking at Roman Reigns as the face of RAW and John Cena as the face of Smackdown.

- Cody Rhodes Released By WWE: Last week on the day of my W3C deadline, Cody Rhodes announced that he was leaving WWE, as he had asked for his release. This week's W3C edition has the full update on exactly what's going on with the youngest Rhodes brother. There had been speculation at first when Cody dropped the bombshell that he wanted his release, that it was just part of an up coming storyline. PWInsider reported that those who had spoken to Cody had said that after giving the departure a lot of thought, he absolutely had decided he wanted out of the company after 10 years. Cody was still under contract with WWE, which was set to expire this summer. Instead of re-signing or just letting the contract expire, Cody decided to just ask to opt out of the company all together. Reports have also stated that Cody and the WWE have no issues with each other, it was just something Cody wanted. WWE granted Cody his wishes and released him Sunday afternoon and posted the following on WWE.com

"WWE has come to terms on the release of Cody Rhodes as of today, May 22, 2016. WWE wishes Rhodes the best in all his future endeavors."

After the release was made final, Cody Rhodes issued a statement about his release on Twitter. Rhodes stated that he was creatively frustrated and begged the WWE to let him abandon the Stardust character. Rhodes then took shots at WWE creative, stating one guy was too busy hitting on developmental divas and the other guy was too busy pretending to be like ex-WWE writer Brian Gewirtz.

- Eden Released: Many figured this was coming as well. Eden, aka Brandi Rhodes (Cody's Wife), also asked for and was granted her release from the WWE this week. Brandi stated that she has found a new career to follow, reason why she asked for her release from the company.

- Adam Rose Released: In what seems like a no brainer, the WWE officially released Adam Rose, after rumors stated that he asked for it. Rose was currently serving an indefinite suspension from WWE after being arrested two weeks ago for a domestic dispute with his wife, where Rose apparently grabbed his wife's face and grabbed the phone out of her hand when she went to call the police.

- Seth Rollins Returns: Last Sunday at WWE Extreme Rules, Seth Rollins made his long awaited return from injury. Stop what you're doing and check out my WWE Extreme Rules recap and read what happened.

- Top 10 Ways To Use Seth Rollins: With Seth Rollins returning from injury at WWE Extreme Rules, a top 10 list was posted this week online on how to use Rollins in his return. Surprisingly a Shield reunion didn't make the list. How would you use Rollins if you were a WWE Booker?
#10. The return of The Authority.
#9. Feuds with Cena, Orton, Wyatt, Jericho, Styles, Owens or Cesaro over #1 Contendership.
#8. Feud with Dean Ambrose.
#7. Feud with Brock Lesnar.
#6. #1 pick in a possible brand split.
#5. Winning Money In The Bank.
#4. Possible The Authority vs. The Club vs. The Family Feud.
#3. Turning Rollins baby face.
#2. Feud with Roman Reigns.
#1. A Shield Triple Threat Match.

- New WWE United States Champion: In case you missed WWE Extreme Rules last Sunday, again, stop what you're doing and read my recap of the show and see how Rusev became the new WWE United States Champion.

- Interview With Shane McMahon: This past Monday after RAW, Mick Foley sat down with the prodigal son, Shane McMahon, for a tell all podcast. Shane talked about growing up with Vince McMahon never there, starting off in WWE, his wrestling training, his favorite matches, wanting to earn respect, the Montreal Screwjob and how it really affected Vince, WWE's buying of WCW, why Shane left WWE for 7 years and how Vince reacted, his relationship with Stephanie and Triple H, his match with The Undertaker, leaping off Hell In A Cell, what happened backstage after the match and finally his opinion on if he's happy where the product is going today. You can read the whole interview HERE, or check out the replay on the WWE Network.

- Women's Money In The Bank?: Dave Meltzer of Wresting Observer stated on Wrestling Observer radio that there have been rumors that WWE might do a Women's Money In The Bank ladder match this year at the yearly pay per view in June. 

- Balor Club Coming Soon?: This past Monday's RAW saw the end of AJ Styles in The Club, as he let his voice heard. Styles told Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson they'll always be brothers, but he wants nothing to do with them constantly getting in the way of his matches. Gallows and Anderson walked out on Styles and the internet rumors began to fly. Almost immediately the internet world began to point at the Finn Balor debut getting closer. Which now makes the most sense and could begin a huge Balor Club vs. Styles feud.

- Cedric Alexander WWE Bound?: There have been rumors and speculation on Cedric Alexander possibly going to WWE after he finished up with Ring Of Honor last week. Alexander recently had a WWE tryout and has been expected for WWE's Cruiserweight Classic.

- Naomi Update: Naomi tweeted out this week on Twitter that she is back on the road with WWE and is hoping to be cleared to wrestle this week. Naomi has been sidelined since the beginning of May with a torn tendon in her ankle.

- Sasha Banks Injury: According to Squared Circle Sirens, Sasha Banks was reportedly injured. SCS claimed that Sasha sustained an injury during a live event match in Virginia on May 15. The website claimed that it may have had something to do with her head, possibly a concussion. Later in the day, PWInsider's Dave Meltzer, confirmed the injury and stated how it happened. It appeared that Sasha was injured by the referee, who accidentally caught her with a solid knee to the head in a freak accident. As of now this is only a rumor and no official announcement has been made by WWE.

- Sports Illustrated's Fittest 50: Sports Illustrated recently announced that both Seth Rollins and Charlotte of the WWE have made SI's Fittest 50 list this year. Charlotte was listed at #24 under most fit female athletes, while Rollins also came in at #24 on the men’s list.

- WWE Money In The Bank Card So Far:
-- "WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match": Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins
-- "Money In The Bank Ladder Match": Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. ???

- NXT Takeover: The End Card So Far:
-- "NXT World Championship, Steel Cage Match": Samoa Joe (c) vs. Finn Balor
-- "NXT World Tag Team Championship Match": Jason Jordan and Chad Gable (c) vs. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder
-- "NXT Women's Championship Match": Asuka (c) vs. Nia Jax
-- "#1 Contender Match, For The NXT World Championship": Austin Aries vs. Shinsuke Nakamura


*** TNA IMPACT WRESTLING ***

- TNA Impact Recap:
-- Matt is annoyed with Tyrus and Rockstar Spud trying to get him to stop fighting Jeff Hardy. Matt says that if Spud and Tyrus can defeat Jeff Hardy in a ladder match tonight, the bout at Slammiversary won't happen. But if they lose to Jeff, the duo are out of his stable for good.
-- Ethan Carter defeated Matt Hardy, by DQ, after Mike Bennett attacked EC3. After the match, Bennett says EC3 doesn't get his match against Bennett cause he had to pin or submit Hardy.
-- Maria announces Gail Kim vs. Sienna and says if Gail loses, she's fired. Sienna attacks Gail from behind to end the segment.
-- Al Snow defeated Grado, by pinfall with the Snow Plow. Baron Dax and Basille Baraka interfered in the match, helping Snow.
-- Bobby Lashley demands a rematch with Drew Galloway and both men look like they're about to brawl until Dixie Carter shows up. Dixie announces Lashley vs. Galloway at Slammiversary with the only way to win is by knockout or tap out. Both men take out security and officials, brawl with each other and ends with Lashley choking out Galloway.
-- Trevor Lee defeated Eddie Edwards, DJ Zema Ion and Andrew Everett in an Ultimate X Match, to retain the TNA X-Division Championship.
- Gail Kim defeated Sienna, by pinfall with a sunset flip to keep her TNA job. After the match, Maria attacks Gail, slapping her and driving her head into the mat.
-- Jeff Hardy defeated Tyrus and Rockstar Spud, in a Handicap Ladder Match. Jeff wins the right to fight Matt Hardy and Tyrus and Spud are now out of Matt Hardy's faction.

- TNA Slammiversary Card So Far:
-- "TNA World Heavyweight Championship, Knockout or Tap Out Match": Drew Galloway (c) vs. Bobby Lashley
-- "Full Metal Mayhem Match": Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

- Pop TV President Comments On TNA: Pop TV President Brad Schwartz was interviewed recently by PWInsider. Schwartz had the following to say about the rumors of TNA Impact being cancelled, due to not being listed on the 2016-2017 TV schedule listings. Schwartz assured us that they are in fact just rumors and TNA Impact isn't going anywhere.

"My relationship with Dixie is very special and ultimately, I think the product that is going on the air every Tuesday night is the best wrestling product going. The characters, the ring action, it is amazing to watch. We have a long term deal with Impact and you know, until there are twenty different shows doing better than it, it's going to stay where it is for awhile".

- Ryback TNA Bound?: Last week during WWE Extreme Rules, Ryback sent out the following tweet that said: "#FeedMeMore during #ExtremeRules if you want to see Ryborg in the Impact zone…". Many have stated that there is no official word at all about Ryback going to TNA as of yet and he's probably just trolling the WWE fans.

- AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup: TNA officially announced that Ethan Carter, Eli Drake and Tyrus will represent Team USA in AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup, which takes place on June 3rd and June 5th in Mexico. Rockstar Spud has also been announced for Team Resto del Mundo with Mil Muertes and Apolo. TNA Knockout Sienna will be working the women's division on Team USA with Cheerleader Melissa and Santana Garrett.


*** RING OF HONOR ***

- ROH Best In The World Card So Far:
-- "ROH World Heavyweight Championship Match": Jay Lethal (c) vs. Jay Briscoe
-- "ROH Television Championship Match": Bobby Fish (c) vs. Dalton Castle


*** LUCHA UNDERGROUND ***
- Lucha Underground TV Recap:
-- Joey Ryan defeated Mascarita Sagrada, by pinfall with a second rope DDT.
-- Cage defeated Chavo Guerrero, by pinfall with the Lucha Destroyer, to win the Gift Of The Gods Championship. Cage says he's cashing in next week for his Lucha Underground Championship match.
-- Jack Evans, P.J. Black and Johnny Mundo defeated Rey Mysterio, Prince Puma and Dragon Aztec Jr., by pinfall after Evans hit Puma with a steel chair, to win the Lucha Underground Trios Championship.


*** NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING ***

- Hiroshi Tanahashi Taking Time Off: NJPW announced that Hiroshi Tanahashi will be taking some much needed time off to heal up some minor injuries. Tanahashi is scheduled to face The Bullet Club's Kenny Omega on June 19th in a Ladder Match and NJPW wanted Tanahashi at 100% for the match. During the Best of the Super Juniors show this week, The Bullet Club attacked and beat down Tanahashi with a ladder, which was NJPW's way of writing Tanahashi off of future shows until his match against Omega.


*** OTHER NEWS ***

- Noelle Foley Update: Mick Foley's upcoming WWE Network show called "Holy Foley" will have a clip of Mick's daughter, Noelle, training to become a wrestler. Squared Circle Sirens have stated that the training facilty Noelle is training in is in Deer Park, NY not far from where the Foley family lives. NYWC is run by former ECW wrestler Mickey Whipwreck.

- Former ROH Owner Confronting Flair: Former Ring of Honor owner, Cary Silkin stated recently that he's planning on showing up to one of Ric Flair's autograph signings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at the Sands Casino on July 23rd and demanding $41,000 that Flair supposedly owes. Silkin stated that back when he owned ROH he sued Flair for the money after Flair failed to meet requirements for an ROH Ambassador role Flair had been paid for. The lawsuit, however, was dropped when Sinclair Broadcasting bought out ROH.

- The Miz and Marine 5: WWE announced that WWE Studios are making The Marine 5: Battleground, staring once again, The Miz. The film will also feature WWE Superstars Maryse, Heath Slater, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel and Naomi. The film will begin production this Tuesday, May 31, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The Miz returns as Jake Carter, an ex-Marine who served in the Middle East and is now saving civilian lives stateside as an EMT. After responding to an emergency call in an abandoned parking lot, Carter finds himself protecting an injured man from a ruthless biker gang. With the odds stacked against him, Carter utilizes his unique Marine skills to stop the bikers’ rampage before any more innocent blood is shed. This will be Miz's third starring role in the Marine series in what has become a cult hit.

- Pabst Blue Ribbon Worn WWE: John Cena returns to action this Monday night on RAW and of course he'll be sporting new ring gear. Beer giant Pabst Blue Ribbon, however, is threatening to sue over an issue with copyright infringement against both Cena and WWE. PBR is stating that Cena's new ring gear looks very similar to the PBR logo. PBR tweeted both Cena and WWE and threatened a cease and desist or else legal action would be taken. As of Saturday afternoon, WWE did in fact pull the new Cena merchandise off WWE Shop. Below is a picture of what Cena's new shirt looks like and also a picture of Cena wearing a PBR shirt.

And that's this week's W3C! Join me every Sunday afternoon as I bring you news, recaps and rumors all around the wrestling world!

Friday, May 27, 2016

TV Weekend 5.27 - 5.28


By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

Caught On Camera with Nick Cannon (FRI, NBC, 8pm)
500 Questions (FRI, ABC, 8pm)
Undercover Boss (FRI, CBS, 8pm)
Masters Of Illusion (FRI, The CW, 8pm & 8:30pm)

Real Time With Bill Maher (FRI, HBO, 10pm)
ELeague (FRI, TBS, 10pm)

------

Outlander (SAT, STARZ, 9pm)

======

NBA PLAYOFFS
NBA Countdown (FRI, ESPN, 7:30pm)
Cavaliers @ Raptors, Game 6 (FRI, ESPN, 8:30pm)

Warriors @ Thunder, Game 6 (SAT, TNT, 9pm)

MLB
Orioles @ Indians (FRI, STO, 7pm)
Dodgers @ Mets OR Cardinals @ Nationals (FRI, MLB, 7pm)

Red Sox @ Blue Jays (SAT, MLB, 1pm)
Orioles @ Indians (SAT, STO, 4pm)
Yankees @ Rays (SAT, MLB, 4pm)
Dodgers @ Mets (SAT, FOX, 7pm)
Astros @ Angels OR Twins @ Mariners (SAT, MLB, 10pm)

MMA & BOXING
Premier Boxing: Felix Diaz vs. Miguel Vazquez (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 10pm)

NASCAR & RACING
XFINITY Series: Hisense 300 (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 2:30pm)

SOCCER
UEFA Champions: Real Madrid CF vs. Club Atletico de Madrid (SAT, FOX, 2:30pm)
International Friendly: United States vs. Bolivia (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)

TENNIS
2016 French Open, Men's and Women's Third Round (SAT, NBC, 12pm)

GOLF
2016 Senior PGA Championship, Third Round (SAT, NBC, 2:30pm)
DEAN @ DELUCA Invitational, Third Round (SAT, CBS, 3pm)

COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Oklahoma vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (FRI, ESPN 2, 7pm)
Washington vs. Alabama (FRI, ESPN 2, 9pm)

James Madison vs. LSU (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)
Missouri vs. Michigan (SAT, ESPN, 3pm)
Florida State vs. Utah (SAT, ESPN 2, 4:30pm)
Alabama vs. Washington (SAT, ESPN, 5:30pm)
Arizona vs. Auburn (SAT, ESPN 2, 6:30pm)
Utah vs. Florida State (SAT, ESPN, 7:30pm)*
Washington vs. Alabama (SAT, ESPN 2, 8:30pm)*

OTHER SPORTS
WNBA: Atlanta Dream @ Dallas Wings (FRI, NBA TV, 8:30pm)
Track and Field: Prefontaine Classic (SAT, NBC, 5pm)
Arena Football: Philadelphia Soul @ Cleveland Gladiators (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 7pm)

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon 5.27.16: SmackDown Results #SmackDown

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, brought to you by Triple Threat CLE, is here with your Smackdown Recap Edition.  

This week's Smackdown took place in Norfolk, Virginia. Alberto Del Rio battled Zack Ryder in a money in the bank qualifying match. Rusev defended the WWE United States Championship against Kalisto. Nattie Neidhart battled Dana Brooke in one on one Women's Division action. Fandango and Tyler Breeze battled Goldust and R-Truth in tag team action. The Miz defended the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Cesaro in the main event.

*** Smackdown ***

- Michael Cole Interview: Cole is in the ring and brings out Dean Ambrose for an interview. Ambrose says he's been through just about everything thrown at him in life, came out on top and Money In The Bank will be no different. Kevin Owens interrupts, mocks Cole and tells him to leave the ring. Owens says the only thing crazy about Owens is the fact he thinks he's winning Money In The Bank. Sami Zayn interrupts next and says no one cares what Owens thinks. Zayn says he'll not be focused on Owens, Owens costing him the NXT World Title, Owens costing him the WWE Intercontinental Title, but he'll be focused on winning Money In The Bank. Zayn also informs Ambrose that he needs to take Zayn serious in this match. Alberto Del Rio interrupts next and says he's going to become a two time Money In The Bank winner. Zayn says no one cares because Del Rio hasn't even qualified yet. Owens finally attacks Zayn from behind and runs away. Ambrose goes for Dirty Deeds, but Zayn blocks and has a stare down with Ambrose.

- "Money In The Bank Qualifying Match": Alberto Del Rio vs. Zack Ryder: The match closes out with Del Rio countering the Rough Ryder and gets Ryder in the tree of woe. Ryder counters the double foot stomp and hits the Rough Ryder on Del Rio, but Del Rio rolls outside. Ryder chases Del Rio back into the ring where Del Rio catches Ryder in the cross arm breaker submission and forces Ryder to tap out.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio, by submission.

- Enzo and Big Cass Promo: The Dudley Boys immediately cut off Enzo as he gets into his promo. Enzo says we have a couple of haters and Bubba must have forgot he lost on RAW. Cass says it seems the Dudleys have a problem with them. The good news is that Enzo and Cass are problem solvers and will erase the Dudleys from the equation. The Dudleys head to the ring and Bubba stops and says they're not fighting tonight, instead they fight on RAW that is if they can get out of Virginia and this god forsaken city their in. Cass describes the Dudleys as S-A-W-F-T SAAAAAWWWFFFTTTTTT

- Backstage, Rusev is mindset on destroying Kalisto tonight. Says titles are for men and Kalisto is a baby. Rusev will crush Kalisto tonight.

- "WWE United States Championship Match": Rusev (c) vs. Kalisto: The match closes out with Rusev going for a diving headbutt, but Kalisto moves. Kalisto goes for a 450 Splash, but Rusev gets his knees up in the air for the block. Rusev lands a jumping thrust kick to the back of Kalisto’s head. Rusev locks Kalisto in The Accolade submission and Kalisto taps out. After the match, Rusev continues to beat down Kalisto. Titus O’Neil hits the ring to make the save and challenges Rusev, but Rusev retreats.
Winner: Rusev, by submission, to retain the WWE United States Championship.

- Dana Brooke vs. Nattie Neidhart: Charlotte is on commentary for this match. The match closes out with Brooke landing a clothesline, but misses an elbow drop. Nattie locks Dana in the Sharpshooter submission, but Charlotte hits the ring and attacks Nattie for the DQ. After the match, Nattie gets Charlotte in the Sharpshooter submission, but Dana makes the save. Charlotte and Dana 2-on-1 attack Nattie and leave her laid out.
Winner: Nattie Neidhart, by DQ.

- Backstage, AJ Styles says he was so close to winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Styles says that he doesn’t know what’s next for him, but he should think of something and he walks away.

- Golden Truth vs. Tyler Breeze and Fandango: The match closes out with Fandango knocking Goldust off the apron, distracting Truth. Fandango distracts the referee allowing Breeze to hit a super kick on Truth. Fandango covers and scores the pinfall.
Winners: Tyler Breeze and Fandango, by pinfall.

- Seth Rollins Promo: Rollins says he came to Smackdown because the RAW crowd was salty. Rollins asks if everyone missed him and then says he wishes he could say the same about the fans. Rollins drops the microphone and leaves.

- "WWE Intercontinental Championship Match": The Miz (c) vs. Cesaro: The match closes out with Cesaro going for the Cesaro Swing, but Miz escapes to the floor. Miz grabs his title and tries to leave, but gets smacked with a Cesaro European uppercut. Cesaro gets a near fall crossbody on Miz. Miz sends Cesaro shoulder first into the turnbuckle, hits the Skull Crushing Finale and scores the pinfall.
Winner: The Miz, by pinfall, to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

- This closed out this week's Smackdown.