Norwegian Rudo

This is kind of awesome

From PWInsider: During yesterday's conference call to discuss the first quarter earnings of 2017, WWE's Michelle Wilson noted that the current plans for the announced WWE Network women's tournament, a 32 competitor event, would take place in the third quarter of the year. PWInsider.com has confirmed that the plan is to begin filming episodes of the tournament in July, likely at Full Sail University in Florida (although the idea of filming it elsewhere has not been ruled out), with the series being added to the Network via VOD. The current plan is to not release the episodes as a weekly episodic series but to release sets of episodes at once. The tournament would be similar to the Cruiserweight Classic with a big focus being on different international competitors. We are told there are talents already going through the traditional background checks that take place before WWE offers deals as well. The current plan is to hold the finals of the tournament as a live WWE Network special on Tuesday 8/29. With the live special, the current plan is for 8-10 "episodes" total.

Progress have announced Flamita will be at SSS16 weekend. A Look at the setup for the WWEUK tapings

She was pictured in an "official" NXT group photo wearing a sling. I would hardly call that confirmation.

The WWEUK tapings this weekend will be very interesting. There are rumours several people were trying to get out of their WOS contracts to switch to WWE, and this was one of the main reasons for the WOS postponement. No names mentioned, but I would suggest the ICW wrestlers are prime candidates. It's worth noting the Coffey brothers were missing from the press conferance...

The thing at the tapings was an obvious angle. Might have been to cover an older injury, or she may just be selling the angle.

Highlight video of one of Nixon Newell's last matches before heading to Orlando. Her and Brookes are basically each others Flair/Steamboat. Nixon's first match outside her home promotion she was teamed with him, and they've teamed or feuded ever since. Just for a laugh, here she is as a contest winner at Slammiversary 2013.

They are so top heavy atm that they'd have to really try hard to not have a great looking top few matches.

They usually start out charging a lot, and then as they lose the novelty the price gradually comes down.

Another report suggested it might have been Street Prophets.

Suspect at least Billie is on the chopping block with all the new talent headed in. She might be saved if they do a tag division and decide they want the aussies as an established team.

Toni is rumoured for the WWEUK show, but I don't know how concrete those rumours are, or if she'd be able to do both that and Stardom.

I know, but even though the story is light on detail, I have to assume with MGM being involved means it's going to be significantly more than four minute episodes posted on their website. I was inspired to watch some Caged Heat, and if they were transported to NXT in 2017 they would be the most over act there.

The moment we've all been waiting for is at hand! The glorious return of WOW is imminent, and Caged Heat are ready to toss some refs. http://deadline.com/2017/04/mgm-television-partners-wow-women-of-wrestling-create-content-1202072742/

Dammit, wrong thread, sorry.

As far as I know it's not more complicated than he's a local guy who's got somewhat of a name. He might even be working cheap if they give tryouts to people from his school.

Rumour is Axel Dieter Jr. has been signed. WXW announced his last show is April 30th and he is pursuing overseas opportunities. Looks like he will start at the same time as Hojo, Evie & Nixon Newell.

You definitely have a higher opinion of Chelsea Diamond then I do. Her selling and such is OK, but her offense is just so terrible. Chelsea Green is better at character stuff than in-ring, but I'd still rate her far higher than CD.

Are you sure you're not confusing her with Chelsea Diamond? Chelsea Green was supposed to do a tour, but did like 1 show before she travelled to India to do a show for Khali where she broke her collarbone. Green is a Lance Storm trainee and is fairly decent. Good mouthy heel and not bad in the ring for her experience level. She is also Laurel Van Ness in Impact Wrestling.

Surely this has to be an NXT thing and not a main roster thing? Unless they're planning a mass promotion, Raw and Smackdown has something like 6 women each, and the logistics of the taping schedule would be very tricky. Either the Raw women would need to stay on the road an extra day or the Smackdown women would miss the monday houseshow, and there are problems with international TV deals which might mean 5+ hour tapings. In NXT on the other hand they're going to have a huge bounty of talent soon: Asuka Ember Moon Peyton Royce Billie Kay Aliyah Liv Morgan Nikki Cross Kimber Lee Heidi Lovelace Mandy Rose Daria Berenato Bianca Blair Macey Estrella Sarah Bridges Danielle Kamela Andrea (Rosie Lottalove) Taynara Melo Victoria Gonzalez Zhao Xia Julie Ho + these are reporting to Orlando soon Evie Kairi Hojo Nixon Newell Demi Bennett Isabel Lahela From the Observer this week it sounded like they were planning on signing a significant number of tournament contestants as well. Just for arguments sake let's add: Io Shirai Mia Yim Rachael Ellering Toni Storm Deonna Purazzo Kay Lee Ray Shanna Tessa Blanchard I make that 8 who are currently on TV semi-regularly, 15 or so who should pretty much be ready to go, and another 5+ that aren't too far away. That's far too many for a one hour show where they'd at most get two matches. Add to that that the tapings would be far easier than for the main roster (tapings every other week, or two days of taping once a month?), it just makes far more sense.

Not sure if this was ever true, but even if it was they backed away from it quickly. As someone mentioned, they signed Kimber Lee who had one of the more infamous intergender matches of the past few years, and most of their other signees also frequently wrestle men. Haven't heard anything aboout WWE offering Mayu, but they're after Toni Storm who is basically #4 in Stardom at the moment.

If you haven't seen it you really need to catch the SPPT against Ringkampf in Progress. Fantastic match and vey different. They work heel and make Walther and ADJr look a million bucks. Dahlia is a great heel, constantly cheating, and takes a big bump at the end. Love that match. Also looking forward to seeing their match against Strickland/Callihan when it hits Demand Progress.

The 10 man tag was so choreographed that even Meltzer, whose wet dreams feature the Young Bucks, thought it was too much. The Janela show was very up and down. Some things worked for me, some things really didn't. My winners; Keith Lee, The South Pacific Power Trip (2 major shows, 2 ****+ matches, appeared at Axxess, probably got WWEUK deals) and Sami Callihan, just for the fact that he worked 10+ shows and unlike seemingly everybody else, he never phoned it in. I'm not a big fan of his wrestling, but full of respect for his efforts this weekend.

Maybe Aliyah, there will probably be several Aussies in it anyway.

I would be shocked if their recent signees like Evie, Hojo and Nixon Newell aren't in. Maybe not all, but at least some of them. Maybe even one or two trainees they really like? I hope and expect them to keep their TV regulars out though.