Exclusive Ring Rust Radio interview with former Ring of Honor World Champion Adam Cole about ROH's move to Destination America, NXT and more

The hosts of Ring Rust Radio – Donald Wood, Mike Chiari and Brandon Galvin – recently got the chance to talk to former Ring of Honor World Champion Adam Cole about Ring of Honor’s move to Destination America, coming back from injury, WWE NXT and much more. You can listen to the interview at the YouTube link below or continue past the link and read the entire interview right here.

Donald Wood: Obviously, the biggest news from the week was Ring of Honor's announcement that the company will be on Destination America Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET starting June 3. What is your reaction to the news and what is the general feeling amongst other wrestlers in the locker room regarding the move?

Adam Cole: I was shocked and just as floored as everybody else was.  Ring of Honor offices kept everyone in the dark as far as what was going on but the excitement level through the talent is really high.  With how everyone feels, how amped we are, and with how hard everyone has been working, this is a giant step forward for us.  I think we are going to be in an additional 57 million homes and that’s huge for accessibility and viewership potential for Ring of Honor.  This is something our entire team has worked very hard for, we feel that we deserve it, and we’re not going to give anyone any reason to believe that we should not be on a national television platform.  

Mike Chiari: ROH’s partnership with Destination America came as a huge surprise to those who follow the business, mostly due to the fact that TNA came to the channel pretty recently. It seems like a lot of the talent have differing opinions about what it means for both companies, but how do you view it? Do you feel like it’s competition or do you look at it as more of a partnership?

Adam Cole: I actually don’t look at it as either.  Ring of Honor has gotten where it’s gotten by solely making itself better especially from 2014 to 2015.  I don’t want to say we have lived in our own bubble because we are very aware of what’s going on outside, but we are very focused on internally making ourselves better.  Everything from production, talent, matches, storyline, we are very hyper focused on that.  We try not to get too wrapped up in the entire competition thought process, but the entire thing is very exciting for pro-wrestling.  The idea now is you have Ring of Honor on before TNA Impact and that’s three hours of wrestling potentially on cable television on Wednesday nights.  Again, it’s not a partnership either though.  We’re not affiliated with TNA whatsoever, we’re focused on us, and it just so happens we’re on right before TNA.  As far as being a wrestling fan I think it’s an exciting time for them.  As for us, we are so hyper focused on doing what we can so this is as successful as possible for us.

Brandon Galvin: Best in the World is coming up in a few weeks and you've been one of the top performers at this event for Ring of Honor historically. It was announced that The Kingdom will face the Bullet Club, but I think most would agree the focus will be on you mixing it up again with AJ Styles since you guys clearly have a special chemistry. Now in a multi-man match, would you prefer the opportunity to wrestle in a singles match against him or are you excited about the opportunities offered in a six-man tag?

Adam Cole: I think the six man has a lot of potential to be something special.  Anytime there’s more bodies in there especially when the other bodies are the Young Bucks and my Kingdom partners Matt Taven and Michael Bennett, I think creates a really cool and exciting dynamic.  Of course the chance to wrestle AJ in another one on one encounter would be awesome.  I really enjoyed our match at War of the Worlds and for much more special reasons I enjoyed our match in Philadelphia.  To get the chance to wrestle him on a PPV scenario would be really cool.  I think as far as fans, if you like watching a car crash and a really exciting six man Ring of Honor wrestling action than this match is definitely going to deliver that so I am looking forward to the match on PPV.

Mike Chiari: You’ve had a lot of memorable moments during your time in ROH, but your Fight Without Honor against Jay Briscoe for the world title in December was easily one of the best matches of the year and it received a ton of praise from fans. Why do you feel like yourself and Jay have such great chemistry in the ring, and what’s your level of interest in rekindling your feud in the near future?

Adam Cole: I cut an interview where I talked about Jay and I being like the Batman and Joker.  I really feel that way and the feud between us will never die.  When you look at the two characters, they are just so polar opposite and that’s why I think it attracts so well.  I think initially the interest from the Ring of Honor fan base about the battles Jay and I had was it wasn’t traditional in Ring of Honor you have two of the best going at it to see who number one is.   Jay and I have so many different dynamics that we can play off of and fortunately we had a really extended amount of time to build up to this Fight Without Honor.  This wasn’t a scenario where we had three months to build up to Fight Without Honor.  We had been feuding for almost a year and a half so the backstory was there.  What was kind of easier than anticipated to put certain things into place to really tell that story, get the fans invested, and get the fans behind everything?  I just think it’s the classic scenario, whether its Adam Cole or Jay Briscoe in a wrestling ring, a television show, or a movie, it just clicks because the characters are so different.

Brandon Galvin: Speaking of Jay Briscoe, Donny and I have noticed how more and more fans turn on wrestlers during long stretches of being on the top. It happened to John Cena, CM Punk and many more before them. As one of the top young wrestlers in the world, what is your take and perception when you see fans starting to turn on their former favorites?

Adam Cole: I think it’s just a classic scenario of people liking the underdog and jumping on the bandwagon and get behind the guy before he makes it big.  It’s exciting to want something different.  Everybody whether they realize it or not wants change.  I think overtime, it’s just the reality and the nature of the beast that people want something different instead of getting the same thing they see all the time.  Nobody is saying that Jay Briscoe is doing a bad job, he is true and tested being with the company since the very beginning.  So everyone I think very much respects Jay Briscoe.  Like anyone involved with any sort of entertainment, generally speaking people do like change.  I think it’s just a situation where the Ring of Honor fans want something different.

Donald Wood: At the end of 2014, you suffered a shoulder injury that temporarily derailed an incredible two-year run. You returned recently to Ring of Honor and look to be performing at an elite level once again. How is the shoulder holding up and can you describe the injury and your recovery process?

Adam Cole: This injury goes back to me wrestling with a fracture in my elbow and a partially torn triceps for probably a year and a half to two years.  I worked through it because I knew I was about to get a run with the Ring of Honor world title.  I was still PWG champion so I had to continue to work through everything and have a really good run.  Unfortunately, I dislocated my shoulder at a Pro Wrestling Gorilla event and I popped it back in to finish the match and thought I was going to be OK.  Long story short, I got a MRI and it was a torn labrum which is a vital tendon in the shoulder that can cause problems with your bicep, triceps, or even neck down the line.  It was something that I needed to get fixed and opted to get it fixed after Ring of Honor Final Battle.  The rehab process was more mentally draining than it was physically and I thought the physical part was easy.  Of course it hurt and got redundant, but it was more the idea of sitting out while all this great stuff was going on and I wanted to be back in there.  I also did hit some hiccups in the recovery process but the doctor told me it may be smart to come back in June so there really was a scare there for a minute that I wouldn’t be able to do the Ring of Honor/New Japan shows.  Fortunately, I was able to let the thing rest up and come back at Philadelphia Best in the World.  I’m taking it easy on my schedule until June just to make sure my shoulder holds up ok.  It felt fine but the most difficult thing was not being able to train in a ring whatsoever.  When I wrestled AJ, that was the first time I was between the ropes at all in five months.  I hadn’t done any wrestling training or anything like that in the meantime.  It was really nerve wracking, not so much if my shoulder was going to hold up but that I was going to be able to perform.  Fortunately for me wrestling is like riding a bike.  The second I got in there everything just clicked and came back fortunately.

Mike Chiari: One of the biggest stories in wrestling right now is Samoa Joe’s WWE debut at NXT TakeOver, and the fact that he’s still permitted to work with other companies like ROH. That type of freedom is pretty unprecedented as it relates to WWE, so if that ultimately becomes the new norm, how do you think that might impact performers and their willingness to make the jump to a brand like NXT?

Adam Cole: I think it will be really interesting.  Obviously Samoa Joe is the first one to get a contract of this kind and it sounds very appealing to a lot of different people.  I think a lot of it depends on how willing Triple H, WWE, and NXT are willing to give guys deals like this.  Then obviously it will be interesting to see what route guys go.  I know a lot of guys, including myself, that are very happy at Ring of Honor but obviously you never say never with things.  The problem with the scenario is it’s so hard to predict.  With Ring of Honor on Destination America, a lot of people are wondering if Samoa Joe can even come work those shows on TV, I have more questions than answers when it comes to stuff like that.  It certainly is going to create a real feeling of suspense and excitement in pro wrestling that we haven’t had for quite some time.  The idea of not knowing where people are going to show up, when they are going to show up, who they are going to be wrestling for, similar to the way it was in the Attitude area.  I think this is just a really an exciting cool time for wrestling with not knowing where people are going to show up.

Brandon Galvin: You've been a favorite of ours for a long time now and we see you as a future megastar in the business. Over the years you've really developed into one of the top all-around performers and somebody with great intensity, but are there any areas you feel you need to improve on or would call weaknesses?

Adam Cole: Absolutely.  I have said this before, I think the second you stop thinking you need to improve you’re capped off and can’t progress any further so 100% there are areas for improvement.  As far as something outside the ring, while sitting out with the shoulder injury I’d like to get myself in the best possible shape I possibly could.  I’m looking at coming into the PPV in the best shape I have been in a while.  Trying to get myself not just back to where I was, but better than where I was.  One of the things with me for a long time was I had a really quick metabolism.  So I think my metabolism is finally slowing down and now I’ll really be able to work on that aspect of my game right now.  Cosmetically things are just as important as stuff in the ring.  I’m trying to improve my promo work because I am so passionate about promos in wrestling.  The ability to give a good interview really is make-or-break for some people.  Of course I am always trying to improve on stuff inside the ring as well.  It’s tough to pinpoint one area as far as in ring work goes because I am always trying to get better.  Every time I go back and watch my own stuff, I find a million things I would change.  That’s the fun part about wrestling though: there is no such thing as being perfect.  Everyone is always trying to get better all the time.  There are areas of my game I will always work on and try to improve on.

Donald Wood: You have attended tryouts for WWE in the past. With the success of former independent stars like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Neville, how has NXT helped change the perception for wrestlers trying to make the jump to the WWE and does a run in NXT interest you when you're time in ROH comes to a close?

Adam Cole: The entire game changed with NXT here, I feel like pro wrestlers are running the industry.  Every area now, WWE, Ring of Honor, international exposure, the guys at the top are genuine born and bred wrestlers.  It doesn’t matter your shape or size, if you’re a good pro-wrestler, not only will you have a job but you will be able to make a solid living as a pro-wrestler.  With NXT though, anyone who says they don’t want to have a WrestleMania moment someday is kidding themselves.  Of course I have entertained the idea of working with WWE someday.  NXT is indeed the epic catalyst or best shot to getting up to the main roster.  With the way things are going with Ring of Honor and how good they have been to me since the injury from 2010, I am not even thinking about WWE right now.  I am totally focused on what we got going on with Ring of Honor.  I am still young, I am 25 years old, the relationship with Ring of Honor and New Japan is fantastic for me.  The fact Ring of Honor just got this television deal has really changed the game.  You never know, if Ring of Honor continues to grow the way it is, it will be a legitimate place for guys to make a living in pro-wrestling for years to come.  Ring of Honor is the place I call home, but like they say in pro wrestling, never say never.

Donald Wood: how about your thoughts on Lucha Underground?

Adam Cole: I think it’s great for the business and I’m a big fan of their energy style.  I am going to be honest; I have only seen a handful of their shows.  I don’t religiously follow Lucha Underground but I have a lot of friends there and the fact is they get to make a living doing what they love to do.  It’s a different product, and different in wrestling isn’t always good, but for Lucha Underground’s case it is good.  I think it’s cool and different and the more places guys have to work and the more chances people get to watch wrestling the better it is.  I think it’s great and Lucha Underground is doing great things.

NXT, Lucha Underground, and Indy Wrestling Minute - Your Weekly Source for Independent Wrestling News

NXT Takeover: Unstoppable, 5/20

The first match on Takeover was Tyler Breeze taking on Finn Balor for the #1 contender spot. Breeze came to the ring flanked by several “models” each taking selfies or whatever as Breeze entered.

Before the match starts, they show video from the parking lot where Hideo Itami was “attacked” prior to the show to write him out of the match. He allegedly has a severe shoulder injury and could be out 6-8 months. Several arriving wrestlers rush over to help him but Kevin Owens walks by unphased and just says “That’s a shame.”

Finn Balor debuts slightly updated demon paint. Now he has wings and spikes on his back as well as a giant eye on his back.

Breeze takes off the turnbuckle after hitting a Supermodel Kick and stomps Finn in the opposite corner but the ref pulls him out. Finn rolls up Breeze and when he kicks out, Finn is tossed into the exposed buckle. Breeze hits a Beauty Shot but Finn kicks out! And Breeze is furious with the ref.

Balor escapes the ring and heads up the ramp. He surprises Breeze when he walks by then climbs the entranceway and leaps onto Breeze. Finn drags Breeze back to the ring and shotgun dropkick into the corner followed by a Coup de Grace for the win. Kevin Owens watches the match on a monitor backstage.

Hafthor Bjornsson (The Mountain on Game of Thrones and basically a demigod out of Norse mythology after breaking a 1,000 year old strength record) is in the crowd with Stephanie McMahon.

They do some recaps of the NXT tour shows in Philly and Albany.

Next match, Dana Brooke and (Evil) Emma vs Charlotte and Bayley. Thought it was interesting that Bayley got top billing, entering after Charlotte.

Brooke starts with Bayley but Charlotte soon tags in to take a few shots at Brooke. Emma and Bayley go face to face but Emma runs away and puts Brooke in between them, but Bayley leaps through the ropes and dropkick both of them.

Charlotte locks in Figure 8 but Brooke breaks it up. Bayley takes out Brooke with a Belly to Bayley and Charlotte hits Natural Selection on Emma for the win. Bayley and Charlotte hug and both do a Flair Strut as the segment ends.

OK match overall but they didn’t seem to work well together, the teams that is. Brooke is still a little too green and missed some spots which made the match feel uneven overall.

Recap of Sami Zayn vs John Cena to hammer home that Zayn is hurt, in case you missed it.

Next, Rhyno makes his way out to take on Baron Corbin. Rhyno gets a huge reaction but Corbin’s reaction is pretty mixed.

Corbin botches falling out of the ring. Before long, Corbin takes control of the match, keeping Rhyno on the mat. Rhyno fights back a little and they collide both going to the mat. Rhyno starts to get some momentum. Corbin fights out of a belly to belly but Rhyno hits one. Sets up for Gore but Corbin catches a lariat and wins with End of Days.

Corbin’s longest match by far. Showed a little more than he has before but wasn’t overly impressive. Still lots of little slip ups and needs to work on developing his heel persona more.

Recap of Kevin Owens on Raw, taking out Cena and stomping on the US Title belt.

NXT Tag Title match next, Enzo and Cass out first to take on Blake and Murphy. Enzo calls Blake and Murphy Team Cottonelle, because they’re S-A-W-F-T SAWFT.

Blake and Murphy have new, more subdued music now, but their tron and light show is still seizure inducing.

Enzo in first but quickly tags out to Cass who takes control of the tag champs. Enzo and Cass using good double team moves to keep the champs off balance.

Cass tag Enzo and sets him up on the top rope to throw him into a splash but Alexa Bliss attacks Carmella from behind which distracts Cass. He goes to check on Carmella and gets super kicked by Murphy while Alexa pushes Enzo from the top rope behind the ref’s back. Blake pins Enzo to retain and Alexa walks out with the champs.

Recap of Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks’ former friendship and how it all fell apart during a fatal fourway for the title, when Sasha beat Charlotte for the title.

Becky unveils a new look for the match, a vaguely steampunk aesthetic and fiery orange hair. Sasha gets a surprisingly big response from the crowd but people are behind Becky, more and more as the match goes on.

Becky doing a lot more technical work than usual in this match, really work toward the arm bar finish she’s been using in recent weeks. They trade nearfalls early on in the match too and I’m having flashbacks to RVD vs Jerry Lynn.

Sasha eventually takes control, mocking Becky’s pose to the crowd and stretching her with a straight jacket choke. Becky tries to fight back but Sasha stays a step ahead, throwing her into the corner and then drops the knees on Becky’s arm. Sasha even stretches Becky like how Pentagon Jr breaks arms.

Becky takes Sasha to suplex city, using a hammerlock belly to back suplex then a pump handle suplex to weaken Sasha’s arm. Becky eventually locks in the seated arm bar but Sasha gets to the ropes. Sasha tosses Becky out while still on the mat after the rope break then hits a dive through the ropes but Becky sorta catches her, then throws Sasha into the ring steps.

Becky goes to the top but Sasha surprises her and pulls her down, snapping Becky’s arm across her knee then locking in the Bank Statement for the win.

Recap of the Zayn/Owens feud. Sami comes out first and is fired up. Owens out next with a Cena US title “Champ is here” shirt and gets a “You can’t see him” chant.

At the bell, Owens jumps out of the ring and stares down Zayn. But Zayn rushes out after him and hammers away on Owens all around the ring, brushing off Owens’ attacks and pressing his own attack. Owens sets up for an apron powerbomb but Zayn flips him backward and continues to hammer on Owens.

Zayn throwing Owens around outside, into the steps and into the guardrail, knocking it loose. They start brawling into the crowd, despite the ref trying to get them back into the ring. Owens tries to power bomb Zayn on the bare floor but he holds onto the bleacher railing to save himself. He pops Owens over the guard rail back toward the ring then hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for a 2 count. Owens tries to escape but he is pulled back in and sends back elbows into Zayn. Zayn half and half suplex but only 2.

Owens counters a springboard tornado DDT into a back breaker. He sets up for a cannonball but Zayn escapes. Zayn exploder into the corner and sets up for Helluva Kick but Owens rolls out of the ring. Zayn exploder outside and sets up for Helluva against the ring post but Owens pops him up into a powerbomb on the apron.

Refs out to check on Zayn but Owens still hammering on him. More refs show up and pulls Owens off but he won’t stop. The trainers try to check on Zayn but Owens won’t relent and Owens throws him back in the ring. Owens drags him to the center by his neck and picks him up and suddenly William Regal is there in his face. Regal tries to back him off and it looks like Owens may be listening, but then he goes back after Zayn and Regal pulls him off by his nose and Owens turns and headbutts Regal and he falls to the mat in a heap.

Owens goes outside to get his belt but also grabs a chair. He gets in the ring and winds up as the refs beg him to stop and he gets one swing in before strange music hits that we’ve never heard before. Owens looks to the entrance way and...WHAT’S SAMOA JOE DOING IN THE NXT ZONE?!

Joe gets in the ring to loud “Joe is gonna kill you” chants and gets right in the face of Kevin Owens. Owens backs off but Joe gets back up in his face and Owens turns and walks off before anything happens. Owens comes back out after a replay and drops his belt, looking like he’s gonna fight and Joe puts up his hands but Owens gets his belt and walks out,

Lucha Underground, 5/20

In the first match of the night, Marty “The Moth” Martinez faces Prince Puma. Striker talks about Marty says he can trace his roots back to one of the original Aztec tribes but says it in a way that makes his lineage sound suspect.

Konnan tells Puma “This guy is a joke - treat him like a joke.” Marty goes to shake hands and Puma does but then Marty hugs him too, I guess because they are both Aztec. Marty wants a pre-match photo op and Puma agrees but Marty clotheslines him when he isn’t looking.

Marty puts up a good fight but Puma gets the win with a 630 senton.

Afterward, Hernandez appears at the top of the ramp. Konnan tells him he thought they were boys but turns out Hernandez is nothing but a sorry son of a bitch. He tells him that he makes lambs look tough, calls him baby nuts and that if he wants a shot at the title to step in the ring and face Prince Puma right now. Hernandez was walking toward the ring but then stops and turns around and the crowd chants baby nuts at him.

Vampiro sits down with Johnny Mundo. Asks him why Mundo threw ADR through the window. Mundo says he came to prove he’s the best in the world and thinks done a good job proving that. There’s a lot of talented people in LU, but none as good as him. Says he’s know Alberto a long time and did what he did to make a statement, to make him understand, to make him realize. Vamp asks if he’s jealous of Alberto. Mundo says he’s been here since day one busting his ass then Alberto just strolls in. Says he’s overconfident, overpaid, and overrated. Says Alberto is done, he forced his hand and went through the window. Says maybe he thought I was just some dude in catering he could slap around. Mundo says he came to LU because he wanted to be here, not because he didn’t have anywhere else to go. He doesn’t care that Alberto is a 2nd generation luchadore, who he is or where he’s from - Johnny Mundo is the biggest star in Lucha Underground and this is his world. But you already knew that and winks.

Dario Cueto in his office talks to The Crew about how ancient Aztecs made human sacrifices to appease the gods. And that the Crew has a similar opportunity, to climb the ladder and make a sacrifice of Ivelisse, Son of Havoc and Angelico. And if they can’t, that wouldn’t just anger him, it would anger the gods. And he knows someone who would have no problem sacrificing them.

The next match, “The Golden Warrior” Delavar Daivari is in the ring to take on...Texano? Again? At least this time Texano is a little more calmed down and they might actually have a real match this time.

Daivari runs out of the ring  and sneak attacks Texano when he enters back in the ring. Striker and Vamp talk about how Daivari got his money from his rich, real estate family but Texano had to work for everything he got. Why are they trying to make Texano a face?

Daivari works Texano’s arm with numerous holds, getting a few near falls. Texano takes him over with a big superplex and it looks like he’s building momentum. He hits a codebreaker and gets a 2 count and looks like he is in control but Big Ryck shows up from nowhere and clotheslines Texano for the DQ. Did Daivari pay off Ryck?

Daivari calls him in and stomps Texano, takes him to the top rope and Daivari hits a hurricanrana. Ryck forces the ref to the mat to count a 3 as Daivari covers Texano while sipping his whiskey.

Cueto watches the action from his office and someone pokes him in the back but when he turns around, there’s no one there. He sits down and suddenly Catrina is behind him.

She says if it’s a sacrifice he wants, Mil Muertes will deliver. She wants him to let Mil end the man who cannot die and he agrees to a match next week. Asks her what match she wants and she simply says “deathmatch.”

Like...like a for reals deathmatch?

Black Lotus walking down train tracks with a bag. Looks like she left El Dragon Azteca. There’s a voiceover of her saying “She appreciates all you’ve done for me but I’m ready to fulfill my destiny - to kill the brother of Dario Cueto.” Sounds like a letter to Dragon. Shows Dragon reading the letter and suddenly Chavo appears and says “If you don’t want her to die, you’re gonna need my help.”

After commercial, Chavo sits down with Dragon and says his tribe, the Guerreros and the Cuetos have a rich history - most of it painted in blood. Dragon says the Guerreros are liars and cheaters. Chavo agrees but they are also familia and they are in danger and Dragon can make it stop. And in return, he’ll protect Black Lotus. Dragon says he will clear his debts but he must protect Black Lotus with his life.

Ladder match time for Trios Championship. The Crew out first. Followed by the champs with Ivelisse on crutches. Before they even get to the top of the steps, the Crew are running up them to jump the champs. The Crew overwhelm Havoc and Angelico as Ivelisse struggles to make her way down the steps. Bael attacks Ivelisse and knocks her down, choking her with a crutch.

Havoc pulls out a massive ladder but Cortez and Cisco attack him before he can do anything with it.

Crew 3-on-1 Angelico as he tries to climb the ladder. The Crew has ample opportunity to climb the ladder and get the belts, but instead they choose to keep battering the champs. And it bites them in the ass as Havoc starts to fight back and takes out all three. He sets up a ladder under the belts but Cortez and Cisco stop him.

The Crew is definitely more interested in inflicting pain on the champs than going for the belts. The Crew tears the boards off Cueto’s office window and hammer Angelico with them. They then set up two tables outside the ring and Cisco climbs it but Angelico dumps him off and into Cueto’s office. Angelico lays Bael on a table and leaps off the top of Cueto’s office and prepares to dive on Bael but Cortez attacks him from behind with a kendo stick.

Havoc takes on all 3 Crew in the ring. He takes two out with a double back elbow and sets BAel on a table. Cisco tries to stop him but he gets pushed off through 2 tables on the outside. Havoc hits a SSP on Bael on a table but doesn’t get all of it and the table doesn’t break. Angelico is still in a heap on top of the office and Ivelisse is nowhere to be seen.

Cortez is in the ring by himself. He starts to climb the ladder and Angelico from nowhere, leaps off the office and missile dropkicks Cortez! Everyone in the ring is down and Cueto looks on from his office. Ivelisse starts to make her way into the ring. She starts climbing the ladder but Cisco gets in and climbs the other side. She bites his hand and reaches for the belts. She finally reaches one and unhooks it, winning the match for her team. Cueto looks pretty distraught in his office.

LU maybe officially renewed?

According to the Univision corporate website, it seems that Lucha Underground may be officially picked up for a second season on the El Rey Network.

The website lists the second season as starting 4^th Quarter 2015 (October 28) – 3^rd Quarter 2016 (July 27). It doesn’t list any other specific info like a set number of episodes in the second season.

Ring of Honor

ROH “Best in the World”

Friday, June 19

Jay Briscoe vs Jay Lethal – Title for Title

Moose vs Michael Elgin vs Roderick Strong – World Title #1 Contender

Six-man tag – The Kingdom (Adam Cole, Michael Bennett, and Matt Taven) vs Bullet Club (AJ Styles and the Young Bucks)

ROH “Aftershock” tour taping

June 20

Already signed – Samoa Joe and AJ Styles vs The Addiction

Figures Toy Company announces Series 1 of ROH figures. They will include Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, Adam Cole and Kevin Steen.

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/104-ring-of-honor/42729-roh-announces-names-in-first-action-figure-collection

Ring of Honor is headed to Destination America! I did a write up yesterday, which you can find at this link.

Lucha Libre World Cup results

AAA “Lucha Libre World Cup” Results

May 24

Mexico City, Mexico at Palacio de los Deportes

AAA’s Lucha Libre World Cup tournament featured top stars from the U.S., Mexico, and Japan representing AAA, TNA, ROH, NOAH, and All-Japan.

The match ups sounded cool (I haven’t gotten to watch any of the show) but in the end, the AAA Dream Team won (Alberto El Patron, Rey Mysterio and Myzteziz/original Sin Cara) won the tournament in a surprise to absolutely no one.

Trios Rosters

– Team AAA Dream Team: Rey Mysterio & Alberto El Patron & the Original Sin Cara (Mistico/Myzteziz).

– Team Mexico Legends: Dr. Wagner Jr. & Blue Demon, Jr. & Solar.

– Team AAA: El Hijo del Fantasma & Psycho Clown & Texano, Jr.

– Team U.S.A./TNA: Matt Hardy & Mr. Anderson & Johnny Mundo (Lucha Underground).

– Team U.S.A./ROH: Moose & A.C.H. & Brian Cage (Lucha Underground).

– Team Int’l: Drew Galloway (TNA) & El Mesías & Angélico.

– Team NOAH: Yoshihiro Takayama & Taiji Ishimori & Atsushi Kotoge.

– Team All Japan: Kenzo Suzuki (representing All Japan) & Tiger Mask (Koji Kanemoto) & Masamune.

Results

Quarterinals

AAA Dream Team def. Team NOAH in the opening quarterfinal match.

Team U.S./ROH def. Team AAA in a quarterfinal match.

Team Mexico Legends def. Team All Japan in a quarterfinal match.

Team U.S./TNA def. Team Int’l in a quarterfinal match.

Semifinals

AAA Dream Team def. Team U.S./ROH in a semi-final match.

Team U.S/TNA def. Team Mexico Legends in a semi-final match.

Finals

AAA Dream Team def. Team U.S./TNA in the finals to win the tournament.

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla

PWG DDT4

May 23

Quarterfinals

-The Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds and John Silver) def. Team Tremendous (Dan Barry and Bill Carr)

-The Inner City Machine Guns (Ricochet and Rich Swann) def. Drew Gulak and Biff Busick

-Trevor Lee and Andrew Everett def. ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey and Matt Sydal

-Monster Mafia (Ethan Page and Josh Alexander) def. The World’s Cutest Tag Team to become the PWG tag team champions (Roderick Strong interfered to cause the loss)

Semifinals

-The Beaver Boys def. Monster Mafia to become the new PWG tag team champions

-Trevor Lee and Andrew Everett defeated The Inner City Machine Guns

Non-tournament

-Johnny Gargano def. TJ Perkins

-Roderick Strong def. Chris Hero and Brian Cage to retain the PWG title

Finals

-Andrew Everett & Trevor Lee defeated The Beaver Boys to win DDT4 AND become the new PWG tag team champions

Absolute Intense Wrestling

JT Lightning Invitational results

 Night 1, May 23

(Both Jennifer Blake and Alessandro Del Bruno were unable to make the show. Tyson Dux could not make the tournament due to family issues and Alexia Nicole could not make the Girls’ Night Out show on Night 2 due to border issues)

Opening round

-Louis Lyndon def. Tyler Thomas

-Matt Cross def. Joshua Singh

-Josh Prohibition def. Dick Justive

-Davey Vega def. Heidi Lovelace

-DJ Z def. Alex Daniels

-Athena def. Flip Kendrick

-BJ Whitmer def Doug Gilbert via

-Cedric Alexander def Colin Delaney

-Nick Gage def. Eric Ryan

-Tracy Williams def. Little Guido

-2 Cold Scorpio def. Cheech

-Raymond Rowe def. Rickey Shane Page

Night 2

Girls’ Night Out 15

-Rae Lyn def. Angeldust

-Mary Dobson def. Marti Belle

-Mary Elizabeth Monroe and Taeler Hendrix def. The Social Network of Annie Social and Heidi Lovelace

-Ethan Page comes out and talks about border issues. He has his tights on and talks about debuting on GNO 6. Page challenges Tyler Thomas.

-Ethan Page def. Tyler Thomas with the spinning Dwayne

(Candice LeRae missed her flight.)

-Jenny Rose def. Annie Social (replacing Candice LeRae)

-Allysin Kay def. Mia Yim

-Veda Scott and Josh Alexander def. Athena and Rickey Shane Page

-Alex Daniels, Kaplan, and Brian Carson def. Joshua Singh, Frankie Flynn, and Ryan Fairly

JLIT 2015

Quarterfinals

-Josh Prohibition def. Matt Cross

-DJ Z def. Cedric Alexander

-Tracy Williams def. Athena

-Raymond Rowe def. Nick Gage

-Intense Champion Davey Vega def. BJ Whitmer

-Louis Lyndon def. 2 Cold Scorpio

Non-tournament

-Samoa Joe def. Johnny Gargano with the musclebuster

-Tim Donst came out to cut a promo when Nick Gage interrupted. Donst revealed that he will be coming back at Absolution X to wrestle Gage!

-Nightmare Freddy def. Dick Justice with a claw hold

Semifinals

(Davey Vega is out of the tournament because of an injury. Louis Lyndon gets a bye to the finals.)

-Josh Prohibition def. DJ Z

-Raymond Rowe def. Tracy

Absolute Championship

-Josh Alexander def Ethan Page after a tombstone to retain

AIW Tag Team Championship

-To Infinity and Beyond def. the FBI when Delaney pins Smothers

JLIT 2015 Final (three way elimination)

-Raymond Rowe def. Josh Prohibition and Louis Lyndon to win the 2015 JLIT