WWE Elimination Chamber 2025

By Steve Ward

WWE ventured north of the border to the Rogers Center in Toronto, Canada tonight for the final stop on the Road to WrestleMania - Elimination Chamber. The card featured four matches with two Elimination Chamber matches headlining the card, one for the women and one for the men, with the respective winners punching their tickets to a world championship bout on the Showcase of the Immortals.

 

Women’s Elimination Chamber

Bayley vs. Naomi vs. Alexa Bluss vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan

Winner: Bianca Belair

 

The stakes were high in the opening bout of the evening as the winner of the Women’s Elimination Chamber would earn at shot at the Women’s World Champion at WrestleMania 41. The first two participants were Morgan and Naomi, however, before the match began, Jade Cargill made her long-awaited return and viciously attacked Naomi! It was believed that Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were the culprits of the attack that put her out of action, but I guess we have our answer now. Naomi was ruled out of the match and Belair was the next to enter. The fourth competitor to enter the match was Roxanne Perez. With all three women in the ring incapacitated following a brutal melee, Bayley was the fourth to enter the match. After Alexa Bliss made her way into the match, it didn’t take long for the next elimination as Morgan hit Oblivion on Bayley to allow her to earn the pinfall. Roxanne Perez was next to go as she fell victim to a Codebreaker from Morgan and then the Twisted Bliss from Alexa. Bliss was the next eliminated after delivering Sister Abigail to Belair only to find herself on the receiving end of a roll up pin from Liv. Moments later, Belair hit the KOD to punch her ticket to WrestleMania.

 

Trish Stratus & Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax & Candice LeRae

Winners: Trish Stratus & Tiffany Stratton 

 

Nia Jax dominated much of this match, but we knew Trish wouldn’t lose in her hometown. In the closing moments, Trish hit a bulldog on Nia Jax from the turnbuckle and tagged in Tiffany Stratton who, moments later, hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to seal the victory. 

 

Unsanctioned Match

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

Winner: Kevin Owens

 

As a result of the package piledriver that nearly broke Zayn’s neck at the hands of Owens just a matter of weeks ago, WWE would not “medically clear” Zayn to compete - hence the unsanctioned match. By the end of this match, which lasted a little too long, there were broken tables and chairs littering the arena as a reminder of the chaos that had taken place. Kevin Owens finally put Zayn out of his misery following multiple power bombs on the ring apron.

 

After the match, Owens was going to package piledrive Zayn on the concrete floor only to be interrupted by the returning Randy Orton. Orton delivered an RKO and was going to follow up with a punt to the cranium of Owens before WWE officials stepped in.

 

Men’s Elimination Chamber

Seth Rollins vs. C.M. Punk vs. John Cena vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Logan Paul vs. Damian Priest

Winner: John Cena

 

Another high stakes bout set the stage for the main event as the winner of the Men’s Elimination Chamber would earn a shot against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. The first combatants in the match were Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre. The third man to enter the fray was Damian Priest with Logan Paul and John Cena to follow. McIntyre seemed poised to eliminate Cena as Priest had other plans and rolled him up for the elimination. McIntyre lost it and took out Priest leaving him vulnerable to Logan Paul who delivered a splash from the top of one of the pods to put him away. Moments later, Punk entered the match and delivered the Go To Sleep to Logan Paul to eliminate him. The next man to go was Seth Rollins after a Go To Sleep from Punk and an Attitude Adjustment from Cena allowed Punk to cover Rollins. In the closing moments, Rollins made his way back into the chamber to deliver a stomp to Punk’s head, on the steel platform surrounding the ring, allowing Cena to cinch in the STF for the submission victory.

 

The Rock confronted Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and John Cena in the ring following the main event to see if Cody would accept his offer to become his champion and “sell him his soul.” Cody told The Rock to go “F” himself (which was shockingly unedited). John Cena then embraced Cody as if to congratulate him for standing up to “The Final Boss” when The Rock gave the cutthroat sign to Cena who made a massive heel turn by kicking Rhodes between the uprights and left him a bloody mess in the ring to end the show.

Winter Memories

By Frank Bartolini

New York City is nicknamed “The Big Apple.” During the holiday season on Manhattan Island, that piece of fruit sizzles—no matter how low the thermometer dips. Tourists from around the globe pose for a memory by the iconic evergreen decked out in Christmas regalia at Rockefeller Center. Macy’s lights up Herald Square. A few blocks away at Sony Hall in Times Square, New York’s top boxing promoter, Larry Goldberg of Boxing Insider Promotions, delivered a December fight card that delighted fans and added a punch to the local fight scene.

Goldberg has carved out a niche. Fight fans line up down 46th Street, across from the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where Broadway-goers queue up to see Hamilton. Inside Sony Hall, veteran matchmaker Eric Bottjer assembles competitive bouts for a crowd of sharply dressed attendees, sipping pricey cocktails served by waitstaff.

On this evening, just eight days before Christmas, the fight of the night featured two flyweights. Angel Giovanny Meza Morales of Mexico was brought in as an opponent for the popular Andy Dominguez Velasquez. Morales gave Velasquez all he could handle. After eight rounds of intense action, Velasquez eked out a hard-fought split decision victory.

As always, the post-fight enthusiasm lingered. Crowds spilled onto the sidewalk. Managers, trainers, and promoters huddled, strategizing their fighters' next moves. Fashionably dressed fans, still buzzing from the action, debated which Irish pub to visit for a nightcap. Just a block away, McCarthy’s Irish Pub on 46th served as the go-to spot for our crew to enjoy appetizers and cocktails.

Larry Goldberg and Boxing Insider Promotions will return to Sony Hall on Thursday, February 20th. Following that, they head to the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City on Saturday, March 22nd.

Also in December, “THE ONE”, an Off-Broadway play, ran for one week at the AMT Theater on 45th Street. It was a one-man biographical performance about the life of Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay. Written and directed by opera singer David Serero, who also appeared as Angelo Dundee in one scene, the show was minimalistic, with just a few props. Actor Zack Basile convincingly portrayed Ali, blending narration and pantomime. Special guest Gerry Cooney appeared onstage, answering audience questions about Ali at the evening’s conclusion. Serero also delivered a booming operatic rendition of the national anthem at Boxing Insider’s Sony Hall fight night.

Once the holiday decorations were packed away, Kings Promotions kicked off the 2025 boxing calendar with a card in Philadelphia on Friday, January 17th. Held at Live! Casino, the event featured a stacked undercard, courtesy of Kings Promotions head Marshall Kaufman.

Hot Philadelphia prospect Atif Oberlton, a light heavyweight, dispatched the tough but overmatched Joaquin Berroa Lugo of the Dominican Republic in five rounds of a scheduled eight. Oberlton improved to 12–0, with 10 of those wins coming by knockout. Lugo suffered his first loss, dropping to 6–1 with 4 KOs. The card drew a packed house, with too many local luminaries and fighters in attendance to list.

Oberlton is scheduled to return on Friday, March 14th, when Kings Promotions brings boxing back to Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem, PA. Local Allentown junior welterweight Joseph Adorno will headline in a scheduled eight-round contest.

Most ringside pundits agree: it’s time for Oberlton to face stiffer competition. All eyes are on Kaufman to see who he’ll match his rising star against next.

Regional promoters like Kaufman and Goldberg are the lifeblood of the professional fight game. These club shows are where future champions are made.

WWE Royal Rumble 2025

By Steve Ward

This year’s incarnation of the Royal Rumble emanated from Lucas Oil Field, home of the Indianapolis Colts in front of a capacity crowd. Tonight’s card would feature a slim four matches with two title bouts and two Royal Rumble matches with the Men’s battle royal headlining the show.

 

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Winner: Charlotte Flair

 

The show kicked off in full force with the first of two 30-participant Royal Rumble matches.

The order of entry was as follows:

 

1. Iyo Sky
2. Liv Morgan
3. Roxanne Perez
4. Lyra Valkyria 
5. Chelsea Green
6. B-Fab
7. Ivy Nile
8. Zoey Stark
9. Lash Legend 
10. Bianca Belair
11. Shayna Baszler
12. Bayley 
13. Sonya Deville
14. Maxxine Dupri
15. Naomi
16. Jaida Parker
17. Piper Niven
18. Natalya
19. Jordynne Grace
20. Michin
21. Alexa Bliss
22. Zelina Vega
23. Candice Lerae 
24. Stephanie Vaquer
25. Trish Stratus
26. Raquel Rodriguez 
27. Charlotte Flair
28. Giulia 
29. Nia Jax
30. Nikki Bella

 

Final Four:

Nikki Bella, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, and Roxanne Perez.

 

Once the field was narrowed down to the final four women, Nikki Bella was the first eliminated by Nia Jax. Jax was eliminated next by Charlotte as she battled with Perez on the ring apron. Charlotte then made quick work of Perez by kicking her off the ring apron meaning Charlotte had punched her ticket to WrestleMania in her first appearance in over a year. The women put on an entertaining match and WWE delivered with four surprise entries in the form of Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Nikki Bella, and WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus! It was also interesting to note that they mentioned Bella as the returning Nikki Bella so she may have elected to come out of retirement - WWE programming will nonetheless be interesting this week.

 

WWE Tag Team Championship 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match

# DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa) (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)

Winners: # DIY 

 

We arrived at this bout tonight after Gargano led everyone to believe late last year that # DIY were on the outs until a nefarious low blow helped them to steal the tag team gold on an episode of Smackdown. Tonight, MCMG will seek retribution in a 2 out of 3 falls match. # DIY scored a quick fall as they feigned a tag, unbeknownst to MCMG, allowing Ciampa the opportunity to blindside Shelley with a knee to the face. MCMG then rallied in a big way as they turned momentum in their favor and utilized some tandem offense as they hit the Skull and Bones on Gargano to claim the second fall. The final moments of the match saw # DIY in dire straits as Gargano was being propped up by Shelley while Sabin ascended to the top rope. Two hooded assailants then emerged as one struck Sabin with a crutch allowing Gargano to steal the pinfall and retain their titles. Following the match, the men revealed themselves as The Street Profits who then proceeded to also lay waste to # DIY.

 

Undisputed WWE Championship Ladder Match 

Cody Rhodes ( c ) vs. Kevin Owens

Winner: Cody Rhodes

Kevin Owens felt betrayed by Cody Rhodes when he sided with Roman Reigns upon his return which lead to Owens carrying out a heinous attack on Cody at Badd Blood. This sparked a bitter rivalry that would culminate in a ladder match tonight. After breaking several ladders and beating each other thoroughly, Cody Rhodes finally incapacitated Owens by putting him through a ladder propped up between the ring and announce table with an Alabama Slam. This allowed Cody the opportunity to easily scale the ladder in the ring and retrieve both belts.

 

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

Winner: Jey Uso

 

The show would conclude with the Men’s Royal Rumble Match to determine the one man who would punch his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 41.

 

The order of entry was as follows:

 

1. Rey Mysterio
2. Penta 
3. Chad Gable
4. Carmelo Hayes
5. Santos Escobar
6. Otis
7. Bron Breakker
8. Akira Tozawa  (replaced by YouTuber ISHOWSPEED after Tozawa was knocked out by Carmelo Hayes in the entryway)
9. Sheamus
10. Jimmy Uso
11. Andrade
12. Jacob Fatu
13. Ludwig Kaiser
14. The Miz
15. Joe Hendry (TNA World Champion)
16. Roman Reigns
17. Drew McIntyre 
18. Finn Balor
19. Shinsuke Nakamura
20. Jey Uso
21. AJ Styles
22. Braun Strowman
23. John Cena
24. CM Punk
25. Seth Rollins
26. Dominik Mysterio
27. Sami Zayn
28. Damian Priest
29. LA Knight
30. Logan Paul

 

Final Four:

John Cena, Logan Paul, Jey Uso, and CM Punk.

 

Once the field was trimmed down to the final four, Punk was the first to be eliminated by Logan Paul after he dumped Reigns and Rollins out simultaneously. Logan Paul was then clotheslined out of the ring by John Cena just moments later. After a brief back and forth exchange on the ring apron, Uso found himself hoisted onto Cena’s shoulders seemingly seconds from elimination. Instead of falling victim to the Attitude Adjustment, Uso slickly slipped off his shoulders back into the ring and casually pushed Cena to the floor booking his spot in the main event of WrestleMania. While this match had no lack of main event talent, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of surprise entries (I don’t consider Joe Hendry a real surprise as he was a regular on NXT last year during a brief talent swap between WWE and TNA). It was nice, however, to see WWE remembered that they have “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles on their roster as he had been banished to Live Event duty since his last televised appearance in October. This week should be interesting as Jey Uso will likely decide whether he will challenge Gunther or Cody Rhodes for their respective championships at Wrestlemania 41.

WWE Bad Blood 2024

By Steve Ward

WWE resurrected it’s Bad Blood moniker following a several year hiatus for tonight’s Premium Live Event (that still doesn’t sound right) which emanated from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. This evening’s show had a special start time of 6 pm ET to cater to those who wanted to also watch UFC 307 at 10 pm ET (a downside of WWE being under the same umbrella as UFC - TKO Holdings). Additionally, the card for tonight’s event was rather slim at five matches, as opposed to AEW’s regularly robust shows, and would be headlined by Roman Reigns teaming up with Cody Rhodes to face Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.

Hell In A Cell Match

Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk 

Winner: CM Punk via pinfall

The longstanding, bitter rivalry between these two combatants would come to a head tonight as they would do battle in Hell In A Cell to mark the third encounter of their trilogy - with each man holding a win over the other. This match was the bloodiest encounter I’ve seen in WWE for more than a decade as both men were busted open early in the match (a sign of WWE looking to potentially ditch the PG era) and took each other to the limit with the use of tables, ring steps, and wrenches to name a few weapons put to use. In the end, Punk wrapped his knee in a chain before delivering his fourth Go To Sleep to finally put away the Scottish Psychopath.

WWE Women’s Championship

Nia Jax (c) vs. Bayley

Winner: Nia Jax via pinfall

Bayley sought to regain the title she lost to Jax at Summerslam (with an assist from Tiffany Stratton) tonight. Tiffany Stratton again made her presence felt in the contest after the referee was inadvertently pancaked by Nia Jax. This allowed the champ to regain momentum as she executed a Samoan Drop from the turnbuckle and the followed it up with her version of the Bonzai Drop to retain her title.

Finn Balor vs. Damian Priest

Winner: Damian Priest via pinfall

Balor and Priest have been embroiled in a bitter feud since Finn betrayed his former Judgement Day brethren at Summerslam costing him the World Heavyweight Championship in the process and tonight the animosity would spill over. In the closing moments of the match, Carlito and JD McDonagh made their way to ringside in an attempt to give Balor the edge. Balor was able to execute his patented Coup de Grace three times but his fourth attempt would prove to be his downfall as Priest countered with the South of Heaven to solidify his victory.

WWE Women’s World Championship (with Dominik Mysterio in a shark cage)

Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley

Winner: Rhea Ripley via DQ

Mysterio viciously betrayed Rhea Ripley at Summerslam costing her the coveted Women’s Title and subsequently seeing her ousted from the Judgement Day. To help ensure “Dirty” Dom would not interfere in the bout, he was suspended in a shark cage above the entryway. Late in the match, Dom managed to get the cage open but fell out of the door and found himself hanging upside down. This prompted Rhea to take a kendo stick to Dom until she was jumped from behind by a returning Racquel Rodriguez. This led to a disqualification of Liv Morgan, however, a title cannot change hands by DQ so Liv escaped with her title.

Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu vs. Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns

Winners: Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns via pinfall

Cody recruited his former bitter rival and the man he took the Universal Championship from at WrestleMania, the “Original Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns, to battle the new tribal chief Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. In the closing moments of the match, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa made their presence known to turn the tide back in favor of Solo and Jacob. This didn’t last long as an individual concealing his face with a bandana emerged from the crowd to neutralize the Tongans with a pair of super kicks. The man then revealed himself as Jimmy Uso who had been out of action since April. This supplied just enough of a distraction for Roman Reigns to break Solo in half with a devastating spear to cap the victory for his team.

Following the match, the New Bloodline proceeded to beat down Cody Rhodes only for Jimmy Uso to convince Roman to return to the ring and save him. Once the dust settled The Rock’s music echoed throughout the arena as he stood in the entryway and stared down the Universal Champion, Cody Rhodes to close the show.

WWE Summerslam 2024

By Steve Ward

WWE Summerslam emanated from Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio this evening in front of a raucous sellout crowd. Tonight’s card featured seven matches, six of which were title bouts. The card was headlined by Cody Rhodes going toe to toe with Solo Sikoa for the WWE Undisputed Championship with the air of speculation as to whether Roman Reigns would make his long-awaited return.

Women’s World Championship 

Rhea Ripley w/ Dominik Mysterio vs. Liv Morgan (c)

Winner: Liv Morgan via pinfall

Rhea Ripley finally received her opportunity tonight for vindication and to regain the title she never lost. Ripley was previously forced to relinquish her title shortly after WrestleMania due to injury. In the weeks following, Liv Morgan became infatuated with Ripley’s man, Dominik Mysterio, who eventually helped her win the Women’s Title in Saudi Arabia. That brings us to tonight where Ripley, who had seemingly taken Dirty Dom back, attempted to win back her title. In the closing moments of the match, Ripley was unable to finish Morgan with the Riptide so she turned to a steel chair. Dom grabbed the chair warning Ripley that she would be disqualified only to, moments later, toss the chair into the ring so Morgan could drive Ripley’s head into it with the Oblivion.

WWE Intercontinental Championship 

Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn (c)

Winner: Bron Breakker via pinfall

Following his unsuccessful bid to win the Intercontinental Championship at Money In The Bank, Breakker has been on a warpath with Zayn in his crosshairs. While this was not the dominating effort one would anticipate, Breakker withstood a Blue Thunder Bomb from Zayn in the final minutes of the bout and countered the Heluva Kick with a spear. Breakker then put Zayn away with another body breaking spear to claim his first main roster title.

WWE United States Championship 

Logan Paul (c) vs. LA Knight

Winner: LA Knight via pinfall

Logan Paul put his 270-day title reign on the line this evening against another Superstar seeking his main roster singles title, LA Knight. In the closing moments, rapper MGK handed Paul brass knuckles which he managed to use to no avail as moments later Knight countered Paul’s attempt to put him away with the BFT to claim the US Title.

WWE Women’s Championship

Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax

Winner: Nia Jax via pinfall

Nia Jax earned her shot at Bayley’s title tonight as a result of her victory in the Queen of the Ring tournament. Late in the match, Tiffany Stratton made her way to the ring to distract Bayley. This provided Jax the window of opportunity she needed to turn the tides in her favor as she hit two powerbombs and then not one, but two, Annihilators (an homage to Yokozuna’s Bonzai Drop) to win the title.

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

Special Guest Referee - Seth Rollins 

Winner: Drew McIntyre via pinfall

The bitter rivalry between Punk and Drew would come to a head this evening as Punk is finally cleared to wrestle following his torn triceps suffered at the Royal Rumble (despite making regular appearances since WrestleMania where he cost McIntyre his newly earned title to Mr. Money in the Bank Damian Priest five minutes after winning it from Seth Rollins). Seth Rollins would also be the special guest referee tonight after blaming Punk for costing him the World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank last month. Late in the match, Punk got into a verbal altercation with Rollins and eventually boiled over with emotion and delivered the GTS. As Punk turned his attention back to McIntyre, he received a low blow followed by a brutal Claymore Kick. This allowed McIntyre to claim victory and a measure of revenge.

World Heavyweight Championship 

Damian Priest (c) vs. Gunther

Winner: Gunther via submission 

Tonight Damian Priest would be required to defend his title against Gunther who earned his shot by winning the King of the Ring Tournament. The final minutes of the match saw Priest’s Judgement Day running mate Finn Balor make his way to ringside seemingly in support of Damian. Priest proceeded to rally and hit the Razor’s Edge and South of Heaven and proceeded to attempt a pinfall. Balor then betrayed Priest and put Gunther’s leg on the ring rope to break the count. Gunther finally cinched in back-to-back sleeper holds with the second putting Priest to sleep and crowning Gunther with his first World Heavyweight Championship.

WWE Undisputed Championship 

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Solo Sikoa 

Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall

Tonight’s match had been in the making seemingly ever since Solo took control of The Bloodline following Roman Reign’s loss at WrestleMania. Surprisingly, this bout, contested under Bloodline Rules, began with Solo coming to the ring alone. The match began as a typical back and forth affair until Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga intervened only to be quelled by Randy Orton and Kevin Owens. Just moments later, Jacob Fatu intervened to turn the tides in Solo’s favor again. Fatu then put Rhodes through a table but injured himself in the process. Next, the unspeakable happened as Roman Reigns made his long-awaited return and delivered a Superman Punch and spear to Solo which allowed Cody to hit the Cross Rhodes to retain his title.

Boots Ennis Defends Title in Front of 14,000 Fans in Philly

By Frank Bartolini

Matchroom Boxing returned to Philadelphia on Saturday night in front of over fourteen thousand derrieres in the seats. Eddie Hearn won the IBF Welterweight King Jaron "Boots" Ennis Sweepstakes. After Showtime Boxing's demise, Ennis, Philadelphia, PA., was left without a promotional contract. Promoters from around the globe lined up outside the "Philly’s Next Champ" boxing gym to court the world champion. Hearn cashed the winning ticket and immediately began scheduling to have "Boots" defend his crown in Philadelphia. Specifically, the Wells Fargo Center, where the event was held. 

Armenian David Avanesyan, 147 lbs., was brought in to challenge for Ennis’ belt. Being heavily favored did not deter Ennis' preparedness. A physically primed Ennis, 146.5 lbs., was adorned with a light blue and white decorum for his homecoming. Once Ennis disrobed, his chiseled physique was on display. 

From the sound of the opening gong, Ennis controlled the action scoring with hard to the head and body shots. One body punch from Ennis landed south of the border. Upon receiving the low blow, Avanesyan fell to his hands and stayed there for a couple minutes. Ennis finished the first session strong when a recovered Avanesyan found his feet. 

To his credit, Avanesyan arrived to win a world title, moving forward throughout the contest. While getting pummeled during the bout, Avanesyan managed to get his licks in. Quite a few Avanesyan right uppercuts to the chin snapped Ennis' head back. Some of Avanesyan’s shots stung Ennis. Ennis would get backed up against the ropes or into a corner and respond with fire power. With about a minute left in the fifth, Boots landed a left hook to the midsection followed by a left square on the chin that sent Avanesyan crashing to the canvas. Gamely beating the count, Avanesyan received a beating until the bell rang. Wisely, after the ring physician and Avanesyan’s corner convened, they chose not to allow the boxer out for the next session. At this decision, referee Eric Dali waved off the affair and declared Ennis the victor by fifth round TKO. 

Born in Russia, Avanesyan calls the United Kingdom his home and flies back to England with a 30-5, 18 KOs record. Ennis remains undefeated at 32-0 29 KO’s. Earlier in the evening, New Jersey native and Philly-based junior featherweight Christian Carto,124.5 lbs., systematically broke down and overmatched Carlos Buitrago, Nicaragua, with power punches landing on every legal area above the torso. Hitting the canvas after suffering a painful trouncing in round three, Buitrago,125.75 lbs., rose to finish the round. Wisely for all those involved in Buitrago’s corner it was decided their charge would be better served by his tailbone staying on the ring stool. Being declared winner by third round TKO, Carto is now 23-1, 16 KOs. Buitrago dips to 38-14, 22 KOs. 

A big ticket seller, Carto turned pro around the same time as Ennis. At one time, Carto was a promising prospect that was being offered contracts by numerous promoters. After suffering an upset knockout loss back in 2019, Carto’s career was stalled by the COVID pandemic and a series of injuries. From February 2019 until the end of 2023, Carto only fought three times. Under the tutelage of Bozy Ennis and promoted by Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotions, Carto’s career is back on track scoring three victories by knockout in 2024. 

Since invading the shores of America in November of 2017, Matchroom Boxing has promoted numerous shows in the United States. What would the fight game be today in the USA if this promoter never chose to do business here? At the post-fight conference, Eddie Hearn said he would like to bring Ennis back to the Wells Fargo Center in late October or November of this year.

WWE Money in the Bank 2024 Recap

By Steve Ward

The WWE finally returned to North America for a “Premium Live Event” this evening as Money in The Bank emanated from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. WWE’s last three PLE’s were held in France (Backlash), Saudi Arabia (King of the Ring), and Scotland (Clash at The Castle) and they will finally return to the US next month for SummerSlam. While I understand that WWE is a global brand with shareholders to answer to, they should remember that the company was built in the United States and the fan base deserves more than watered down weekly programming. As for tonight’s event, the card featured five bouts with two titles contested and would be headlined by the Men’s and Women’s Money In The Bank matches which would have the potential to heavily influence the title landscape of WWE moving forward.

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade vs. Chad Gable vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Jey Uso vs. LA Knight
Winner: Drew McIntyre

The show surprisingly kicked off with the Men’s Money In The Bank Match which proved to be foreshadowing for a cash-in later in the show. The winner of the match would be awarded a contract for a title bout at any time. Following a chaotic match filled with ladders being trashed and bodies broken, it appeared in the closing moments that Jey Uso would retrieve the briefcase. Then out of nowhere, Drew McIntyre threw a ladder that struck Uso in the face and knocked him from the ladder. McIntyre followed up with a Claymore Kick to dispose of Uso and ascended to the top of the ladder to become Mr. Money In The Bank.

Intercontinental Championship

Sami Zayn (c) vs. Bron Breakker

Winner: Sami Zayn via pinfall

Following his monumental upset over Gunther at Wrestlemania to end his historic Intercontinental Title reign, Zayn faced, arguably, his most daunting opponent in Bron Breakker - the son of Rick Steiner and, obviously, nephew of Scott Steiner. Bron Breakker put on a phenomenal display of power and agility as he dominated Zayn for the entire match. In the closing moments, Breakker delivered a body breaking power slam and squared Sami up for the spear. Zayn was able to avoid disaster and kicked Breakker in the face. The defending champ then delivered a Heluva Kick to put Breakker down for the three count and sneak out of Toronto with his title.

Following the match, there was a segment hosted by Trish Stratus where John Cena was introduced to cut a promo announcing he would be retiring from in-ring competition at the end of 2025. 

World Heavyweight Championship

Damian Priest (c) vs. Seth Rollins

Winner: Damian Priest via pinfall

At this year’s Wrestlemania, Rollins lost his title to Drew McIntyre (who subsequently lost it minutes later to Damian Priest who cashed in the Money in The Bank briefcase) and spent two months out of action due to a procedure on his knee. Tonight, Rollins would attempt to regain his title against the Judgement Day’s Damian Priest. This match devolved into chaos halfway through as Drew McIntyre came down to the ring and cashed in the Money In The Bank briefcase making it a triple threat encounter. After McIntyre disposed of Rollins, CM Punk emerged from the crowd and brutally reciprocated the beat down he received several weeks ago in his hometown of Chicago. A vulnerable McIntyre then fell victim to the South of Heaven at the hands of Damian Priest who was able to retain his title. 

Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Naomi vs. Zoey Stark vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Chelsea Green vs. Iyo Sky

Winner: Tiffany Stratton

The same reward would literally hang in the balance as in the men’s match to start the show with the winner earning a contract for a title opportunity at any time in the next year. In the closing moments, Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton were on side by side ladders jockeying for position to grab the briefcase. Stratton shoved Green’s ladder launching her to the floor where she crashed through two tables. Stratton then retrieved the briefcase unopposed.

Six-Man Tag Team Match

Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, & Jacob

Fatu) w/ Tonga Loa

Winners: The Bloodline via pinfall

Since Cody Rhodes dethroned the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, and took his Universal Championship at Wrestlemania, he has remained embroiled in a bitter feud with the newly revamped Bloodline with Solo Sikoa in charge. Since Wrestlemania, Sikoa first ousted his brother Jimmy Uso, then recruited Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, the sons of the legendary Haku/Meng, unleashed the “Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu, son of the Tonga Kid, and viciously beat down Paul Heyman when he would not “acknowledge” Solo as new Tribal Chief. That leads us to tonight’s bitter grudge match where Rhodes recruited backup in Owens and Orton. With bodies strewn about, the announce table in shambles, and the referee knocked out for a significant amount of time, the closing moments saw Jacob Fatu prop up Cody Rhodes so Solo Sikoa could deliver a Samoan Spike to the jugular. The referee was then helped back into the ring to count the pinfall as Solo covered Cody.