Hello and welcome to the WrestleTalk News - I’m Oli Davis.
And make sure you’re subscribed to this channel to get mine, Luke and El Fakidor Laurie
Blake’s Extreme Rules reactions on Monday - where if Fakidor wins the predictions, he’ll
officially join the WrestleTalk team.
I know he infiltrated us twice, but how can you not trust that guy?
Last month PWInsider reported that WWE’s spiritual home Madison Square Garden was upset
that WWE was hosting some of its WrestleMania 35 festivities next year in their rival venue
the Barclays Center.
This was apparently the final straw in a relationship that had been souring for some time, and The
Garden were reportedly planning to host other wrestling promotions - which would be the
first non-WWE shows there since the 1920s.
Mexican promotion AAA apparently had a slot booked for later this year, and Ring of Honor
owners Sinclair announced their own plans to run the Garden in early 2019, following
the success of All In selling out 10,000 seats for their September 1st show.
But the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported it only took one call from someone in WWE
for MSG to drop their plans, with ROH COO Joe Koff telling PWInsider:
"We had a deal with [Madison Square] Garden and they then told us they were backing out
after communications from the WWE.
We are not able to get any other dates in any kind of discussion."
But not even a week after WWE’s most recent MSG show last Saturday, which the venue lit
itself purple in honour for the Undertaker wrestling in the main event [IMAGE], it appears
those plans are back on thanks to some classic New Japan no selling, with ROH announcing
a huge joint G1 Supercard show at the Garden on April 6th next year - the night before
WrestleMania!
- with the Japanese promotion Speaking at the show’s announcement, Madison
Square Garden’s executive vice president Joel Fisher said: "We are thrilled to welcome
Ring of Honor Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling to Madison Square Garden for the much anticipated
G1 Supercard.”
MSG just turned heel on WWE!
With New Japan’s slow expansion in the United States, this is a huge move against Vince
McMahon’s company - turning wrestling venues all around the world into a global chessboard,
casting the wrestlers and assorted performers as kings, queens, bishops, knights and more.
We’re getting a real-life wrestling version of Game of Thrones, SWAFT Nation!
Just without the incest storylines.
For now.
One such chessboard square appears to be the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which the Wrestling
Observer Newsletter reports has sided with WWE.
Cody Rhodes apparently approached the Staples Center when looking for a venue to host All
In, but “was pretty much told that they weren’t interested in any wrestling that
wasn’t WWE.”
With All In eventually selling out 10,000 seats in just 30 minutes, it makes you wonder
how sales would’ve fared in the Staples Center’s much larger 21,000 capacity.
Another key piece in the game has emerged to be Rey Mysterio, who has been in negotiations
with WWE since his Inferior Royal Rumble return in January.
He’s since appeared again for them at the Greatest Royal Rumble, but he reportedly only
wants a part-time contract with the company, while WWE want him full-time.
Meanwhile, he’s continued to wrestle for numerous independent promotions and New Japan
- where he’s just been announced for the final show in this year’s G1 tournament
on 12th August.
The Wrestling Observer claims that while Rey still hasn’t signed with WWE, “the discussions
are close enough that they’ve talked about what commitments he has and doesn’t have
left.”
Key amongst these is All In, which Mysterio still wants to wrestle on, but WWE “would
rather he doesn’t do it”.
New Japan, ROH, WWE, Impact - which team are you on?
Vote in our latest ‘Question on a Poll’ match by clicking the ‘i’ above my head.
The results of yesterday’s Questions on Polls are Enzo Amore’s consensual shorts
being the weird wrestling merch you want to see - you’re in luck, because that somehow
already exists - and Toni Storm being everyone’s favourite pick to see in this year’s Mae
Young Classic tournament It’s Extreme Rules this Sunday!
Find out mine and Luke’s and El Fakidor Laurie Blake’s predictions by clicking the
videos onscreen now!
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I’ve been Oli Davis, and that was wrestling.