WWE has released a statement on the passing of Rick Derringer: “WWE is saddened to learn that Rick Derringer has passed away. An accomplished musician who landed a Top 40 hit in 1973 with ‘Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,’ Derringer lent his talents to WWE in the 1980s by creating Hulk Hogan’s iconic ‘Real American’ entrance theme. Collaborating with WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart, Derringer also worked on the theme for legendary tag team Demolition. WWE extends its condolences to Derringer’s family, friends and fans.”
House of Glory has announced Deonna Purrazzo vs. Karissa Rivera (f/k/a Elektra Lopez) for their June 7th show at NYC Arena in Queens, NY.
Shelton Benjamin calls John Cena the best promo in wrestling: “John Cena’s, to me, the best promo in wrestling. I used Cena because he’s like one of the faces of pro wrestling, but he’s also from my class. He’s always been a guy… when he talks, he can win over anybody. You put him in any situation, it can be as ridiculous or as serious (as possible), and he makes it work.”
Here’s the lineup for the next episode of WOW Women of Wrestling. (WOW)
- Kara Kai, Sugar, and Xena Phoenix vs. Top Tier
- Santana Garrett vs. Sylvia Sanchez
- Spring Break 24/7 (Brittany Bay, Crystal Waters, and Sandy Shore) vs. Chainsaw, Daisy Lane, and Fury
- WOW World Championship Match: The Classmaster vs. Paola the Colombian GOAT (Abilene Maverick and Samantha Smart are handcuffed to one another)
Here’s an updated card for Collision on Saturday. (AEW)
- AEW Continental Championship Eliminator Match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Anthony Bowens
- AEW International Title #1 Contender Tournament Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Komander
- AEW International Title #1 Contender Tournament Match: Hechicero vs. Mascara Dorada
- Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero, & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly
- Skye Blue vs. Mina Shirakawa
Chelsea Green’s nose was “a clean break” and she’s not expected to miss any time while it heals, but she will need to wear a face mask on television. (FF)
From MLW: “Major League Wrestling today announced a Lighting Match: Paul London vs. CMLL’s Neon at the beIN SPORTS TV taping portion of MLW Summer of the Beasts, from the Melrose Ballroom in New York City on Thursday, June 26.”
A recent Big Japan match for Daisuke Sekimoto was stopped when he complained of numbness in his hands and legs. The good news is that neither a CT nor a MRI scan showed any spinal cord injuries or abnormalities, and he has regained full sensation. The bad news is this obviously doesn’t clear up what happened or why and he’ll need follow up visits with many medical professionals. I doubt he wrestlers again until this is solved.
Nashville based Aro Lucha is shutting down: “It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the decision to dissolve Aro Lucha, Inc. This conclusion follows extensive deliberation and stems from significant challenges we’ve faced, notably the unforeseen departure of Rey Mysterio early in our evolution and the recent acquisition of Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide by WWE. These events have profoundly impacted our operations and market position.” The thing is… this announcement is basically bullshit. They haven’t run a show since 2018. It’s not like WWE bought AAA seven years ago.
Former IWGP champion Salman Hashimikov has passed away in his native Russia at 73 years old. He was the first European to hold New Japan Pro Wrestling’s heavyweight belt, beating Big Van Vader (Leon White) in 1989 before losing it 48 days later to Riki Choshu. My condolences to his family, friends and fans.
This week’s Dynamite did a 0.16 18-49 with 636,000 viewers, up from 0.15 and 575,000 viewers last week. (Wrestlenomics)
