Hard To Kill and Royal Rumble Main Event Changes. SmackDown Results. NJPW Strong Results. Ring of Honor & AEW News

About this Episode

    <p>I’m Matt Carlins and this is JUST Pro Wrestling News for Saturday, January 16, 2021.</p>

This update is sponsored by the Indy Mayhem Show. Check out the new episode with Roni Nicole RIGHT NOW wherever you get your podcasts.

Results from Friday night’s SmackDown and New Japan Strong are straight ahead in this update but first…

Impact Wrestling presenting its Hard To Kill pay per view tonight..and there’s a last-minute change to the main event.

Impact announced Friday that Alex Shelley is off the show due to “unavoidable circumstances”. Moose will take his place in the interpromotional showdown - teaming with Impact Champ Rich Swann and Chris Sabin...against AEW Champ Kenny Omega and Impact tag champs Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows.

Also tonight, the finals of the Knockouts Tag Team title tournament: Havok and Nevaeh vs. Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz

Deonna Purrazzo is defending her Knockouts Championship against Taya Valkyrie.

Manik puts his X-Division title on the line in a 3-way against Chris Bey and Rohit Raju.

A Barbed Wire Massacre between Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards.

Plus, Ethan Page vs. his alter ego The Karate Man.

(STINGER: WWE)

So much for Adam Pearce’s Universal Title shot at the Royal Rumble.

Pearce appeared to outsmart Roman Reigns on last night’s SmackDown...luring Reigns into signing a contract for a Last Man Standing match. But as soon as Reigns put pen to paper, Pearce started complaining about an old knee injury...then revealed his suitable replacement - Kevin Owens, who will now challenge Reigns at the Rumble.

Two more entrants for the men’s Royal Rumble were announced last night - Jey Uso and Cesaro.

Cesaro got a big win last night - using the Neutralizer to beat Daniel Bryan. While Jey Uso opened the show with a LOSS to Shinsuke Nakamura.

Apollo Crews used a handful of tights to pin Sami Zayn. Crews gets another shot at Big E’s Intercontinental Championship on next week’s SmackDown. We should also note that Apollo was seen in Roman Reigns’ dressing room during the show.

Sounds like we’re gonna get an intergender match in WWE. Sasha Banks agreed to give Carmella another shot at the SmackDown women’s title - but only AFTER Sasha gets a match against Carmella’s sommelier Reginald.

TWO first round matches in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic held on last night’s 205 Live. No big surprises. Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza got past the Bollywood Boyz...and Killian Dane and Drake Maverick beat August Grey and Curt Stallion.

WWE is now promoting Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss for Monday night’s Raw!

(STINGER: Ring Of Honor)

Shane Taylor is next in line for a shot at the Ring Of Honor World Championship currently held by Rush. ROH announced Friday that Taylor won an online fan vote by a wide margin. The date for that title match is still to be determined.

(STINGER: New Japan)

New Japan will kick off its Road To The New Beginning Tour Sunday at Korakuen Hall. It’s a tag team main event - SHO & Master Wato vs. Jr. Heavyweight Champ Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI.

El Phantasmo’s suspiciously powerful superkick struck again on last night’s New Japan Strong..as he delivered the finishing blow for Bullet Club’s team.

Next Friday, we’ll get the New Japan Strong debut of Ren Narita - taking on Ring Of Honor’s Bateman.

(STINGER: AEW)

A follow-up on that report a couple weeks ago about AEW shifting its TV production to Miami for a month. Bodyslam.net’s Cassidy Haynes - who was behind that original report - now says the road trip is canceled - and AEW is staying at Jacksonville’s Daily’s Place indefinitely.

AEW announced Friday the latest postponement of what it hopes will one day be a LIVE Dynamite at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center. The new date is September 15. The show was originally scheduled for last March.

That’s JUST Pro Wrestling News for Saturday, January 16. Our next update comes your way MONDAY morning. Enjoy your weekend and be sure to subscribe to this feed. Click that notification bell. And leave us a rating or review. It all helps and we do appreciate it.

I’m Matt Carlins. Thank YOU for listening.