Kevin Knight completed the first defense of his TNT Championship against Claudio Castagnoli during “AEW Dynamite Spring Break-Thru.” 

Knight won his first singles title in a Casino Gauntlet Match to crown a new TNT Champion on Sunday’s Dynasty, pinning former champion Daniel Garcia after Anthony Bowens, Bandido, El Clon, Mike Bailey, PAC, Rush, Tommaso Ciampa, and Wheeler Yuta had already entered and fought alongside them. The title was vacated ahead of the event by Kyle Fletcher after he sustained an injury. 

Knight defended the title against the only man in the Death Riders not to be fighting for a title on Sunday, Castagnoli, and looked to be having a hard time for it as the challenger looked for his Giant Swing. 

Knight escaped the move, hitting his signature UFO Splash from the top to secure the title, handing Castagnoli his first another singles loss in his first match since losing the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship to Hechicero in March. 

Although he can’t necessarily hear the voices, as he jokingly noted on social media, Myles Borne can feel them coursing through his veins. Similar to his idol and one who many say he strikingly resembles both physically in his looks and how he moves in the ring, Randy Orton. In an interview with Denise Salcedo, Borne recalls how long he’s been compared to RKO.

“A lot of people said that the comparison started just here. That’s actually not true,” the current NXT Men’s North American Champion said. “I remember growing up, people actually stopped me and my mother and public, and would ask if I was related to Randy. I would just laugh about it. I was like ‘why would you think that?'”

Years later, the encounters continued, with Borne recalling ahead of his WWE tryout how four men creepily watched the former prospect and his mother eat their dinners at Texas Roadhouse, then followed them across the street, only to approach and ask if Borne was Orton’s son. Loving the comparisons, “The Kid”  hopes to measure up to the same excellence as “The Legend Killer” someday.

“It’s cool to be compared to him because he’s such a legend. He is someone who I…grew up watching. He inspired me. And he’s one of the reasons I’m here now,” he concluded.

Borne’s first capture of WWE gold came on the February 24 edition of “WWE NXT,” where he defeated Ethan Page. The young star would go on to defend his title again against Page in a rematch immediately after his big win, and then recently, to a man who put relevancy in the title, the only former three-time champion, Johnny Gargano. Borne emerged victorious against “Johnny Wrestling” at “NXT” Stand & Deliver earlier this month. 

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Denise Salcedo” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

The road to WrestleMania 42 hasn’t been without its bumps, from major stars getting injured, causing high-profile matches to be changed, to fan response to additions reportedly from top brass at TKO being overwhelmingly negative. Head of creative, Paul “Triple H” Levesque sat down with commentator Joe Tessitore ahead of the big event, and explained a major difference between the professional wrestling business and other sports before their big games.

“If you lose your quarterback… If you lose your star center or star guard in the NBA, you have a second string guy to back him up, and you hope those second string guys are pretty good,” he explained. “There is no backup Cody Rhodes. There is no backup Randy Orton. There’s no backup Roman Reigns. There’s no backup CM Punk… it’s different because it’s the individual attraction.”

He explained that unlike a TV show, there’s the human factor. Levesque said you could write the greatest script in the world to get to a big battle scene, and right before that scene, the star gets injured. Unlike TV, there’s no waiting to shoot that final moment.

“The variables are so many and they’re so varied that you sort of have to, at any given time, be ready for anything and be able to move on from anything,” he said. “Doesn’t mean it’s easy. Doesn’t mean it’s not the most frustrating thing that I’ve ever experienced, but it’s a part of what we do.”

Triple H explained he once received wise words from the late Dusty Rhodes. He explained that, in your mind, you see things 100 percent. But, if you can get just 70 percent of that on TV, Rhodes said it was a “grand slam.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WWE and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Former UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt has been conditionally bailed after an initial hearing in a New South Wales court. 

Hunt was arrested on Tuesday evening for stalking or intimidation with intent to cause physical harm, with the “Sydney Morning Herald” reporting that police had answered a call-out and made the arrest after arriving on scene.

New South Wales Police confirmed to Wrestling Inc. that at about 6:30 PM AEST on Tuesday, officers attached to Richmond Police District arrested Hunt at a home on Broken Head Road, Newrybar, following reports of an alleged domestic incident. He was taken to Ballina Police Station where he was charged. 

He was denied bail ahead of his initial court appearance on Wednesday, scheduled for 9:30 AM AEST, during which Judge L. Viney heard police allege that Hunt had been helping a family member with a task when he started to behave in an “intimidating and berating manner.” This was said to have caused “fear and distress” for one witness and the family member in question. 

It was further alleged that Hunt had texted the woman a death threat: “I’m just going to murder you in the end anyway.”

The defense disputed that the message was sent, and he was not charged in relation to the text. However, police continued to oppose bail due to a “heightened risk” to the alleged victim and community. 

And though the defense argued that his combat sports career was irrelevant, responding to police reasoning that it was a factor, it was stated he is likely to plead guilty to the stalking and intimidation charge.

The New South Wales Bail Division confirmed to Wrestling Inc. that Hunt was granted bail at Ballina Local Court ahead of another hearing on April 30. It has been further reported that an application for an Apprehended Violence Order is being sought.

Castagnoli comes to the ring, accompanied by Death Riders. Knight follows, accompanied by Speedball.

As soon as the bell rang, Claudio charged Knight, but Knight leapfrogged him. He takes him down with a dropkick and sends him over the ropes. Claudio blocks a dive attempt by turning him inside out. He follows with multiple stomps. The pace is very fast and each block moves. They exchange blows. Claudio responds with a scoop slam and then puts him in neck vice. Knight uses the ropes for an armdrag takedown. Claudio pulled him out of the ring. Knight delivers a Phenomenal Forearm from the apron.

After the break, Claudio scoop slams Knight. Knight rolls him up. Knight follows with another forearm. Knight connected with multiple uppercuts and a scoop slam. He followed with a standing UFO. Claudio hit him with a forearm and Knight dropkicked him off the apron and followed with a tope. Back in the ring, Knight went for a hurricanrana, but fell. Claudio pulled him in a gut wrench and pulled him up top in the gut wrench. Claudio uppercut him after the came off the top.

Claudio catches Knight and lands a backbreaker and pin for two. Knight blocks the Neutralizer. Claudio puts him in the Giant Swing. Knight blocked Claudio and went up top for a lariat. Knight went back up top to land a UFO Splash for the win.

Winner: Kevin Knight

After the match, Knight says Claudio is one of the hardest hitting dudes he’s ever been in the ring with. He’s looking good and feeling even better. Before we won this, I did lose those Trios titles. He told Speedball not to blame himself. Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. Tonight they have a big one with Allin and MJF. The Jet will be keeping an eye on that because “Jet 2 Belts” sounds “2 Fly”.