A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank PPV and it features the top title on the SmackDown brand.
Bray Wyatt vs. WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman is now official for the show. WWE had Michael Cole announce the match on Friday’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
There’s speculation that Wyatt may be wrestling the match as himself instead of The Fiend. As of this writing, that’s not confirmed.
If you recall, Wyatt wrestled as himself back in December when he faced The Miz at the TLC pay-per-view event. He dressed like his character that appears during the Firefly Fun House segments.
WWE presents the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, May 10, 2020. The event was slated to be held at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, MD but plans were changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Updated WWE Money in the Bank Card
WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman
TBA vs. TBA – Men’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match
Nia Jax vs. Asuka vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Dana Brooke or Naomi vs. TBA vs. TBA – Women’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Performance Center in Orlando tonight. Daniel Bryan battled Cesaro in a MITB Qualifying match and the SmackDown Tag Team Championships were on the line in the main event.
WWE SmackDown Results (4/17)
Tamina def. Sasha Banks to earn a title shot
Sheamus def. Denzel Dejournette
Dana Brooke def. Naomi to qualify for the women’s MITB Ladder match
Daniel Bryan def. Cesaro to qualify for the men’s MITB Ladder match
King Corbin attacked Elias
Big E def. The Miz, and Jey Uso to capture the SmackDown Tag Team Championships
Here are 6 takeaways from tonight’s show:
Bray Wyatt Gave Braun Strowman A Gift
Women’s Tag Team Champions Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss came down to the ring to begin this week’s show. Alexa and Nikki hosted “A Moment of Bliss” and welcomed Universal Champion Braun Strowman as their guest.
A graphic for Strowman versus Bray Wyatt at Money in the Bank was shown as Braun entered the ring. Alexa congratulated Braun on winning the title and he responded by congratulating them on defeating the Kabuki Warriors twice.
Braun said he used to be a part of the Wyatt Family but that is a part of his past that he is trying to forget. He added that he doesn’t owe Bray an apology and that Wyatt likes to get inside people’s head in order to make them doubt themselves.
Strowman claimed that Wyatt will not get the Universal Championship, instead he will just get these hands. Braun grabbed a gift that was in the corner of the ring and thanked Alexa for it.
Bliss told Braun that she didn’t get him a gift but Braun opened it anyway. Strowman took his old black sheep Wyatt Family mask from out of the box as Wyatt’s laugh echoed throughout the Performance Center.
Tamina Earned A Shot At The SmackDown Women’s Title
Sasha Banks faced Tamina tonight on SmackDown. Tamina would earn a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship if she won the match. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley joined commentary for the match.
Match Recap: Banks gave a Tamina a small “Legit Boss” t-shirt before the bell rang. Tamina shouted that she wars an XL and then launched Banks across the ring. Sasha rolled up Tamina for a two count. Tamina took control and threw Banks out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Banks had Tamina against the ropes and connected with a kick to the face. Banks applied a Headlock but Tamina escaped and hit a Uranage. Sasha rolled out of the ring to try and regroup but Tamina followed her out there. Bayley distracted Tamina and Banks capitalized by shoving her into the ring post.
Sasha launched Tamina into the steel steps and Lacey Evans’ music hit. Evans hit Bayley with a forearm to the face and Tamina hit Banks with a Superkick for the pinfall victory. Tamina earned a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
After the match, Lacey Evans was interviewed backstage and made sure to mention she is a marine before vowing to knock out Sasha Banks.
Opinion: Banks losing to Tamina is just ridiculous. I don’t have much interest in Bayley vs. Tamina and I certainly don’t have interest in Tamina as the SmakcDown Women’s Champion. I’m hoping that Sasha Banks is going to win the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match in a few weeks and her friendship with Bayley continues to deteriorate.
Naomi faced Dana Brooke in a Money in the Bank Qualifying match tonight.
Match Recap: Naomi rolled up Brooke for a two count right away. Naomi followed that up with a Dropkick and went for another cover but Dana was able to kick out at tow. Brooke sent Naomi to the outside and pointed at the MITB briefcase suspended above the ring.
Brooke hit a Dropkick and locked in a submission in the middle of the ring. Naomi escaped and caught Dana with a kick to the face. Dana battled back with a Powerbomb for a near fall.
Naomi went for the Rear View but Brooke countered into a roll-up. Naomi then hit the Rear View but Brooke kicked out at two. Naomi went for a Moonsault but Dana got out of the way. Brooke then rolled up Naomi for the pinfall victory. Dana Brooke qualified for the women’s Money in the Bank match in a few weeks.
Sonya Deville asked Mandy Rose to join her in the ring so that she can make things right. Mandy didn’t come to the ring and Sonya got emotional. Deville said that she has never had someone like Rose in her life and begged for her to come down to the ring.
Mandy Rose came to the ring and told Sonya that she has nothing to say to her. Sonya told Mandy that she has spent more time with her than her family in the past five years. Deville changed her tune and called Mandy the most selfish human being she has ever met in her life.
Deville claimed that Mandy was so ready to kick her to the curb and that Fire & Desire was always about Rose. Sonya added that Mandy Rose is just eye candy with no talent. Dolph Ziggler joined the party and told Mandy that he made a huge mistake. Ziggler told Rose that he will spend however long it takes to make it up to her.
Dolph asked Mandy to look him in the eye and tell him that she doesn’t feel anything for him. Rose told Ziggler not to touch her and Sonya leveled Mandy with a punch. Otis rushed the ring and punched Ziggler in the face. Mandy tried to attack Sonya but Deville retreated out of the ring. Otis then hit Dolph with a Splash and then the Caterpillar Elbow to end the segment.
Opinion: I wasn’t expecting Sonya Deville to be the star of this segment but she was. Her promo was terrific tonight and hopefully we see more of that going forward.
Cesaro faced Daniel Bryan in a Money in the Bank Qualifying match. Shinsuke Nakamura and Drew Gulak were ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Bryan controlled the action early and knocked Cesaro out of the ring. The glitch appeared and the masked man said that they have heard all the lies but when will they hear the truth. The masked man said “some keep their friends close but others keep their enemies closer”.
Bryan focused his attack on Cesaro’s left arm and dragged him to the canvas. Cesaro battled back and hit a Body Slam for a two count. Cesaro locked in a Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring but Bryan was able to get to the ropes to break the hold.
Daniel went for an Arm Bar but Cesaro quickly escaped. Bryan hit Cesaro with a kick to the back of his head for a near fall. Cesaro connected with a knee to the face for a near fall and then locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring. Daniel escaped but walked right into a massive Clothesline from Cesaro.
Cesaro unloaded several uppercuts but Daniel battled back and applied the Yes Lock in the middle of the ring. Shinsuke Nakamura tried to interfere but Gulak launched him into the barricade. Cesaro reached for the ropes but had no choice but to tap out. Daniel Bryan qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder match.
Big E, Jey Uso, and The Miz battled in a Triple Threat match in the main event of this week’s show. The Miz and John Morrison’s SmackDown Tag Team Championships were on the line.
Match Recap: Big E planted The Miz with a Belly to Belly Throw and knocked Jey out of the ring to start the match off. Big E brought Miz to the outside and launched him into the barricade. Big E cleared off the announce table but turned around into a Superkick from Jey.
The Miz booted Big E in the face and teamed up with Jey. The Miz and Jey Suplexed Big E through the announce table as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Jey Uso hit a Samoan Drop on Miz and followed it up with a Suicide Dive.
Back in the ring, Big E planted Jey with a Uranage. Jey battled back and hit Miz and Big E with a Superkick. The Miz hit Jey with the Skull Crushing Finale but Uso kicked out. Miz applied the Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring as Big E was laid out on the floor outside the ring.
Big E got up and broke up the Sharpshooter. Big E then planted The Miz with the Big Ending for the pinfall victory. New Day are once again the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
Opinion: I find it impossible to get invested in the tag team divisions in WWE. New Day winning the titles once again does nothing for me. Overall, SmackDown was still a solid show this week. Cesaro and Daniel Bryan had a very good match tonight, but I think Sonya Deville stole the show with her promo.
As expected, WWE is continuing to release talent due to budget cuts and now the releases are coming from the NXT brand.
On Wednesday, WWE decided to release or furlough several wrestlers as well as producers from their contracts with the company.
WWE made it publicly known that they had plans to cut back on talent expenses in addition to other areas of business expenses due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
PWInsider.com reported today that the following NXT stars were released from WWE over the past few days:
Tino Sabbatelli
Cezar Bononi
Mars Wang
Taynara Conti
Nick Ogarelli also revealed that he was released. It should also be noted that there are some wrestlers who have been removed from the Performance Center roster page as well.
As of this writing, there have been no reports as to whether the following talent has been released: Edgar Lopez, Faisal Kurdi, Hussain Aldagal, Jorge Bolly, Marcos Gomes, Mohamed Fahim, and Omari Palmer.
The following talent was let go on Wednesday by WWE:
WWE will have some interesting footage shown when they air the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
Pwinsider.com reports that the company taped footage for the show at their corporate headquarters in Stamford, CT earlier this week.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet as to whether the content was filmed at the main WWE building or its TV studios or both. It was just noted that filming took place at the company HQ.
What’s interesting is that it was noted WWE filmed material on the roof of the main building, known as Titan Tower.
WWE is slated to hold its Money in the Bank pay-per-view event slated to be held on Sunday, May 10, 2020.
The show won’t be held in Baltimore or at WWE’s training facility, Performance Center, in Orlando, Florida. Instead, WWE has an unknown location in mind for the show.
This comes after it was revealed that WWE decided to make some big changes to its TV schedule through June. It should be noted that on the schedule, there wasn’t a date listed for May 10 at the Performance Center.
Since last month, WWE has been taping and airing shows from the Performance Center due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
It appears that WWE wants fans to forget about Roman Reigns for now.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the current instruction for WWE TV is that no one is to ever mention Reigns.
As of this writing, there was no reason given for the edict. It is interesting considering Reigns is one of WWE’s top stars.
The former WWE Champion hasn’t been seen on WWE television for a few weeks now and it’s for a good reason.
Reigns was supposed to challenge Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36 – Night 1. That all changed. Reigns announced his decision to pull out of the contest. The reason for this is due to his concerns about the coronavirus and rightfully so as he has a weakened immune system with his leukemia battle.
Reigns didn’t feel comfortable with working the match because he is at a higher risk of complications from the virus.
Reigns has not been mentioned on WWE TV since that March 27 episode.
There’s still no word on when Reigns will return to WWE action. The latest report about his status came after WrestleMania, which noted at the time that his status was unknown.
Meltzer added that it’s up to Reigns on when he will return, and no one that was talking knew when that would be. It’s possible that Reigns is away for several months due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Big Show recently spoke with FOX News where he took on the criticism from fans and media regarding WWE’s decision to run shows during the coronavirus pandemic.
The company has been doing so at the closed-set WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida since last month. They’ve aired several episodes of RAW and SmackDown while airing NXT shows from in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
The former WWE Champion began by talking about how the company is eager to give fans the product and comfort they want during the pandemic. He also pointed out that despite their beliefs, WWE is taking their duties very seriously.
“We’re trying to do things the best that we can to entertain and also follow a lot of safety and health guidelines,” Show said.
He brought up knowing that for a fact since he challenged WWE Champion Drew McIntyre for the strap. He mentioned how WWE had a medical screening, temperature taking, and social distancing.
“It was really nice to see how much WWE went after making the talent as safe as possible and those that wanted to compete for the fans. And that was one thing that’s been made very clear to all the talents — you don’t have to. If you feel uncomfortable, stay at home, stay with your family.”
Big Show continued, “If you’re not in a situation where you could put someone else at risk… and you want to try to entertain your fans, you can,” he added. “I thought they did a great job and WrestleMania turned out amazing.”
Until the arenas start to hold events again, it appears that the Performance Center will be the home for the company holding events for the near future.
WWE is slated to hold its Money in the Bank pay-per-view event slated to be held on Sunday, May 10, 2020.
The card for the show has already been decided upon, according to a new report by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, WWE planned to hold this show in Baltimore. Now, the company will have to move the show. The belief was that it would be held in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center.
WrestleVotes reports that the show won’t be held at WWE’s training facility. Instead, WWE has a different location in mind for the show. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on where the show will take place.
WWE has already confirmed there will be both a men’s and women’s Money in the Bank Ladder bouts. Asuka, Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax have qualified for the women’s match.
Planned WWE Money in the Bank Matches
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins
WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt
WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Street Profits vs. Viking Raiders
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions Miz and Morrison vs. The Usos vs. The New Day
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Tamina
WWE Women’s Tag TeamChampions Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss vs. Dana Brooke and Carmella
WWE officials have decided to make more changes to its TV schedule. After returning to live shows this week for RAW, NXT and SmackDown, starting next week, these shows will all be taped in advance for the next several months.
Original Taping Plans
As recently as last week, WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon made the decision to tape several episodes of their TV programs that would get them through next month. That changed when WWE was deemed an essential business by the Florida Governor.
Last Friday, McMahon decided to scrap the mass filming format in order to run live shows every week.
WWE is attempting to increase the level of safety for performers during the outbreak of the coronavirus, which is why another change to its TV schedule was made.
WWE has decided to go forward with live episodes of next Monday’s Raw and NXT next Wednesday on the USA Network. They will also air live SmackDown episodes tonight and next Friday.
New WWE Schedule
Starting April 25, that will change. The company has plans to tape TV on various dates through July 1. Here’s the new schedule:
* Saturday, April 25: WWE will tape two episodes of SmackDown to air on May 1 and May 8
* Monday, April 27: WWE will tape two episodes of RAW – one for that night and one for May 4, the following week
* Wednesday, April 29: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT – one for that night and one for May 6, the following week
* Monday, May 11: WWE will tape one RAW episode for that night and one SmackDown episode for that Friday, May 15
* Tuesday, May 12: WWE will tape one RAW episode for May 18, and one SmackDown episode for May 22
* Wednesday, May 13: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT, one for that night and one for the following week, May 20
* Monday, May 25: WWE will tape two episodes of RAW, one for that night and one for June 1
* Tuesday, May 26: WWE will tape two episodes of SmackDown, one for May 29 and one for June 5
* Wednesday, May 27: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT, one for that night and one for June 3
* Monday, June 8: WWE will tape one RAW episode for that night, and one SmackDown episode for that Friday, June 12
* Tuesday, June 9: WWE will tape one NXT episode for June 10
* Monday, June 15: WWE will tape one RAW episode for that night and one SmackDown episode for June 19
* Tuesday, June 16: WWE will tape one RAW episode for June 22 and one SmackDown episode for June 26
* Wednesday, June 17: WWE will tape two NXT episodes, one for that night and one for June 24
* Monday, June 29: WWE will tape two episodes of RAW, one for that night and one for July 6
* Tuesday, June 30: WWE will tape two episodes of SmackDown, one for that Friday, July 3, and one for July 10
* Wednesday, July 1: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT, one for that night and one for July 8
The WWE Performance Center could be the venue for Top Rank Boxing to run some events. Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum recently revealed he is interested in possibly running events from the venue in Orlando.
Arum spoke with ESPN recently and said he is interested in running events from the PC but not before June.
“It’s very, very interesting, and we’re going to be in touch with them. There’s a possibility to use their facility to maybe do events without a crowd.”
“We’re very close with Vince [McMahon] and the WWE,” Arum said to ESPN. “So let’s see, but we’re still not talking before June.”
Arum would continue to say, however, that running events from the WWE Performance Center depend on what happens in the next few weeks.
“But it all depends, the whole reopening of the country, the different states, it all comes down to the same thing — testing, adequate testing,” he continued. “You cannot open it and have athletes compete against each other with referees, the judges, with camera people, unless you can ensure that it’s safe, and the only way you can ensure that it’s safe is with testing. It comes down to testing.”
Sporting Events, Including Wrestling, in the State of Florida
The state of Florida didn’t deem WWE on its own an essential business. Rather the state issued additions to its essential services list on April 9th, 2020. The 3rd addition states that the following services are now classified as “essential” in the state of Florida:
“Employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience – including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any other necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production – only if the location is closed to the general public.”
This would seemingly open the door for any sports league provided they have a national television deal.
Eric Bischoff came into TNA Wrestling in early 2010 and was gone by the fall of 2013. At the time Bischoff came in, TNA had been using a 6-sided ring. The company would revert back to a traditional 4-sided ring shortly after Bischoff and Hogan signed. Bischoff was recently asked a question about the 6-sided ring in TNA on an episode of his “83 Weeks” podcast and the former President of WCW did not hold back his opinions.
“It was stupid, right?” Bischoff said about the ring. “Here is the logic that I heard ‘yeah but when people are flipping through the channels they’re going to see that 6-sided ring and stop and go ‘hey, what’s that? Maybe we should watch that.’ That was the entire psychology and strategy behind this 6-sided ring.”
“First of all people don’t click through channels anymore,” he continued. “Even in 2010, it was just an absurd rationale and strategy to come up with a 6-sided ring for no other reason than to capture the audience that maybe surfing channels or as it was put, clicking through channels, and stop because they were going to see something that looked odd to them. Think about that? That’s pretty fu**ing stupid. So, that was my approach coming in and I was very vocal about it.”
On a recent episode of Table for 3, AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett and Sting gave their opinions on the 6-sided ring.
“I grew to love it,” Styles said. “I thought it made us so different from anything anybody else was seeing. It was kind of like with cagefighting, it looked like that. It made it more sports-oriented being so different to that box ring. We had 6-sides and looked like MMA kind of, it was different. I loved that look to the point where when I heard we were going to lose it, I was mad.”
“I wasn’t complaining when it was gone,” Sting added.
John Morrison left WWE in 2011 and returned in 2019. He is currently 1/2 of the Smackdown tag team champions along with the Miz. Morrison was recently a guest on Konnan’s “Keepin it 100” podcast and spoke about the backstage culture in WWE in addition to other topics.
Konnan asked Morrison about the differences he sees in WWE now compared to before he left in 2011.
“It seems like there’s less a**holes there now,” Morrison said on the show. “But then I was like ‘I wonder if I’m the asshole?'”
Both Taya and Konnan seemed to disagree with this sentiment, however.
“The whole idea of hazing, paying your dues, and getting your a** kicked every day, it was still like that when I came in with Joey Mercury, those times have changed. That and it also feels like there are a lot of guys that are similar.”
“I feel like there’s a grit factor that you can’t learn at the PC when you are under contract,” he continued. “Being on a 12-hour van ride driving across Mexico to make a town and you’re cramped up, not showering and getting your nose broken. That type of culture when you go through that, it gives you a grit that you can’t learn in developmental.”
He then said that the work he did in other promotions while away from WWE helped him as a performer.
“Lucha Underground and AAA and Impact and everything I did while I was away filled me out as a performer.”
Impact Wrestling is reported to have filmed enough content recently to cover several months worth of television. The company filmed at a studio in Tennessee last week but according to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, multiple key names were not in attendance.
The most notable name to not attend the recent tapings is the Impact World Champion, Tessa Blanchard. She is from the California area and is said to have not traveled to Tennessee. Blanchard was scheduled to defend her title against Michael Elgin and Eddie Edwards in a triple threat match at Rebellion but it is now not clear if that match will take place.
“Blanchard not coming was her own choice, unlike with AEW where the California crew was told not to come,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Ethan Page and Josh Alexander, the North, looked as though they were about to enter a program with TJP & Fallah Bah but it is likely neither Page nor Alexander was at the last set of tapings. Page and Alexander are both from Ontario, Canada and would not have been able to travel in. They did, however, offer the recently released Eric Young a spot in their faction:
Although not confirmed, it is believed that Sami Callihan did attend the tapings after stating awhile back he would not be wrestling during the pandemic. His match against Ken Shamrock was announced as airing next week.
It’s not clear if one of or both Jordynne Grace and/or Taya Valkyrie missed the tapings. Valkyrie was scheduled to challenge Grace for the Knockouts Title in a Full Metal Mayhem match at Rebellion. That match does not appear to be advertised for the show anymore.
Impact Wrestling Rebellion Lineup
On the last episode of Impact, they announced several matches for night 1 of Rebellion (next week) but just one match for night 2.
Here is what the company has announced thus far:
Night 1:
X-Division Championship Ace Austin (c) vs Willie Mack
Kylie Rae vs Kiera Hogan
Tommy Dreamer, Rhino & TBD vs OVE (Madman Fulton, Dave & Jake Crist)
Roberto Múñoz Carrillo, known as Black Demon in Lucha Libre, has died after contracting the COVID-19 virus. He was 39-years-old. His death is reported to have occurred on April 13th, 2020.
Carrillo wrestled for Promociones Pendragon Rojo, an independent promotion from the San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora area in addition to other local independents. Carrillo won the promotion’s 3rd annual Pendragón Rojo Cup recently. The tournament was held on February 15th, 2020. He debuted on the local scene in 2009 and wrestled as a rudo.
The news was first reported by Spanish-language Lucha news outlet, SuperLuchas.com:
Sonora based indie luchador Black Demon passed away a few days ago. SuperLuchas is reporting it as a coronavirus related death, the first wrestler to die of it in Mexico. https://t.co/7WwfOwar2R
AAA has announced that they will run empty-arena shows in Mexico soon. The events will air on YouTube as well as Twitch. A tournament is being planned for the next few shows although names of competitors have not been released. The location for the tapings has not been revealed either.
— Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (@luchalibreaaa) April 15, 2020
“With the aim of a healthy company to the millions of wrestling fans and enthusiasts around the world, this tournament will be held CLOSED, so that our fans can have fun from the shelter and security of their home and enjoy this show in the company of the family,” a translation of the statement reads.
“One of the novelties that this tournament will have is that the public will have the opportunity to influence LIVE the fate of each of the wrestlers participating in it, through interactive surveys that will be published on digital platforms.”
All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes was a guest on this week’s episode of AEW’s official podcast, Unrestricted. During the interview with hosts Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards, Dustin opened up about the origins of his WWE character Goldust and Vince McMahon’s decision to have his father, Dusty Rhodes, dressed in polka dots.
Dustin Rhodes Becomes Goldust
Dustin recalled Vince McMahon pitching him the Goldust gimmick. He remembered how Vince would refer to Goldust as “androgynous.”
He listened to the idea and agreed to meet up to discuss the gimmick further. After the call ended, Dustin would seek out a dictionary to look up what androgynous meant. He admitted he had no idea what he had just agreed to.
Understanding the term, Dustin compared the gimmick to an Adrian Street or Adrian Adonis character. He added how he was into the idea of the face paint as he was “a big fan of Sting’s face paint and face paint in general.”
It wasn’t until a matchup with Savio Vega that Dustin would really connect with Goldust. He shared how Vega would work hard to have him experiment with situations that were “way over the line” for him.
He explained how he was a country boy from Texas, and trying these things scared him to death. “But that’s when I realized when I finally did it that to make something successful, you have to step out of yourself, outside of the box, and you got to create some magic of your own. You can’t just be scared all the time. You got to take a chance.”
Dusty’s Polka Dot Gear
After his father, Dusty Rhodes, signed with WWE in 1989, he began wearing polka dot gear. Tony Schiavone asked Dustin if he thinks this decision was made to embarrass the Rhodes family in some way. Schiavone pointed to Goldust and Stardust as potential further examples of his argument.
Dustin confessed that he believes that could have been the case, and it was something he thought of at first. He then stressed how he wasn’t entirely sure: “At the beginning, I was thinking that, but Vince kept going with me, and I don’t know if he really didn’t give a s—t.”
“[…] I was young, so I didn’t really think about those things or look too much in depth. I mean Vince and I, he would come to me and he would say, ‘Dustin, you’re going to get a lot of flack on this,’ and he would be very personable with me and say, ‘you know, if you have any problems you call me.’ And I did on more than a few occasions not huge problems but just minor things that I was trying to work out because I was unsure at the time because I was so young.”
Looking back on his experiences, Dustin confessed that, at 50, he doesn’t believe it was a rib on him. Although he can’t be sure regarding Dusty’s polka dots, Dustin believes that Vince “meant it and every bit of it” when it came to Goldust and his offer to help.
AJ Styles is devastated over WWE’s decision to release his former OC brothers Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. The former WWE Champion feels personal responsibility that he couldn’t protect them and their jobs.
It was just a few weeks ago that Gallows & Anderson were part of the Styles & The Undertaker’s Boneyard Match at WrestleMania. They now find themselves out of work, along with 20+ other WWE performers following this week’s layoffs. They had been with the company since April 2016.
AJ Styles commented on Gallows & Anderson’s releases from WWE during an online video stream, seen below. He spoke about all the talent let go, but it’s clear Gallows and Anderson leaving hit closest to home.
“That one hurt really bad,” Styles said. “The only way I can explain it is that these guys are my family and I couldn’t take care of my little brothers. I didn’t manage to do that and I feel responsible for them being released. It’s devastating.”
Karl Anderson has teased a return to Japan following the news that he has been released from WWE.
Anderson posted a video to his Twitter account, which has been renamed to “MachineGunKA” in reference to his pre-WWE name. The short video features shots of Santa Monica, California before cutting to clips of a plane taking off. Shots of travel and driving are then intercut before the video cuts to images of Tokyo, Japan.
It then cuts to a black screen with white text that reads “Machine Gun,” his former moniker while in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Prior to signing with WWE in 2016, Karl Anderson was in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He was a member of their popular heel stable Bullet Club. During his time in New Japan, Anderson was a multiple-time IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. He held the titles with both Giant Bernard and his O.C. partner Gallows.
If Karl Anderson does head back to NJPW, he may not be able to participate for some time given the travel restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. NJPW has been forced to cancel several tours due to the outbreak and, like many wrestling companies, may not run shows for some time.
SmackDown Superstar Drew Gulak has opened up about his relationship with Daniel Bryan following their encounter at Elimination Chamber. He was asked by Corey Graves on his WWE podcast After the Bellto explain why their chemistry is so important, and why Elimination Chamber held a special meaning for them.
Gulak explained how Elimination Chamber was “up the street from where I trained.” Not only that, it was also where Daniel Bryan “cut his teeth at the Murphy Rec Center.” That gave the event some extra special meaning to both Superstars.
He reflected on how, prior to Elimination Chamber in March “We never touched in the ring. He got to call my matches at the Cruiserweight Classic, which was kind of cool because that was him getting a chance to kind of see that style.”
Drew Gulak noted how his in-ring technical style is “different” and that he believes he their clash at the pay-per-view “woke up something inside of him to be like, ‘Man I want to do more of that.’” He believes it had a similar effect on a lot of people. He noted how inspiring people to try something and explore a different avenue is something he loves doing.
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One of WWE’s recently furloughed backstage personnel was Shane Helms. In a recent interview with Busted Open Radio, Helms addressed the releases made this past Wednesday. He acknowledged the position that Vince McMahon is in amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Helms believes that Vince McMahon will probably be taking the decision just as hard as those impacted, noting how “Leadership has a price.”
Shane Helms On Vince McMahon’s Decisions
Quoting Michael Jordan, Helms noted how “winning has a price.”
According to Shane Helms, every decision Vince McMahon makes has a “million-dollar price tag” attached to it. It’s a responsibility that Helms claimed he would never want to experience. He explained that this because of the amount of stress and responsibility Vince McMahon goes through every day.
“I understand people going after him, he’s the biggest name, why wouldn’t they? At the same time, I just hope fans understand that—I don’t think it was him behind a desk being maniacally evil,” Helms said. “It was a tough decision. I don’t think he enjoyed making it. Vince loves being able to pay people. He loves putting on this product. This industry exists because of some of the decisions he’s made.”
Shane Helms acknowledged the circumstances in which these cuts occurred. He is aware of how difficult this will be for people but hoped that they can remain positive during this tough time.
How does @ShaneHelmsCom feel about the recent @WWE releases & furloughs?
Heath Slater has addressed his recent release from WWE. The former 3MB member was let go by the company on Wednesday. He wasn’t the only one as WWE also released several other in-ring talents and backstage personnel.
Taking to his Instagram account, Slater reflected on his career in WWE. He expressed his gratitude for being able to live his dream and for the friendships he’s made. Slater then confessed that he understood why he was one of the Superstars to be let go.
Heath Slater acknowledged how his family, wife, kids and the WWE Universe could all see that his “fire was fading.” It’s something that Slater takes fault for, admitting “That’s all on me.” He added how putting other Superstars over all the time and consistently losing can take a toll on a person, and that’s what happened to him.
With in-ring talent now sitting out a 90-day non-compete clause, Heath Slater is already looking to the future. Eager to embrace future opportunities, he noted how on July 17, he’ll be able to “spread my wings and fly a little bit.”
For the first time in a long time, he reveals he can feel a fire inside him again. He confessed that he’s excited to get in “legit” shape and actively feed that hunger he hasn’t felt in some time, adding “No bullshi*, get ready for the encore.”
Former WWE Superstar Tommy Dreamer has addressed WWE’s decision to release several in-ring talents and backstage personnel. The company cut them on Wednesday, citing the impact made by the coronavirus pandemic as the reason behind the decision. Hosting a live stream on his House of Hardcore Twitch channel, Dreamer argued how people can’t hate either WWE or Vince McMahon for what’s happened, stressing that this is simply business.
Dreamer explained how everyone needs to take one day at a time. He shared that he has reached out to several of those who were let go. According to him, they will be fine as “There’s life after WWE.”
He argued how some of those who were let go may eventually be re-hired by the company.
For those who don’t find their way back, however, “You got some television time, you got the recognition or hey guess what, if you feel you weren’t used to potential, great. It happens to everybody. My heart goes out to them it goes out to them cause of their families and the uncertainty at this time.”
Tommy Dreamer hoped that the released talents will receive payment for the next three months until their non-compete clauses expire. He believes that live wrestling shows probably won’t start up again until at least October or November.
Tommy Dreamer Defends WWE’s Decision
Defending WWE’s business decision, Tommy Dreamer stressed how “You can’t hate the WWE. You can’t hate Vince McMahon. That is business and it’s big business.”
“I saw it in my little, little ass company and I see it from WWE all the way down and I use this example for everyone who goes, “Oh, they should stop live television, they should stop doing this, they should stop doing that” — think of the financial hit WWE took with the loss of WrestleMania from merchandise, live gate, all that stuff.”
He highlighted how all of what’s happened comes down to money. Acknowledging that “it sucks,” Dreamer reiterated how WWE is ultimately a business and that nobody has a job guaranteed forever.
Former WWE SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff recently discussed what is now being billed as ‘Black Wednesday.’ WWE released a significant number of on-air and backstage talent earlier this week and Bischoff would weigh in on the situation for the After 83 Weeks w/ Christy Olson podcast.
Eric Bischoff on Released Talents
“Like most people? My thoughts go out and to some degree my heart because some of these people I know. And some I know quite well and have worked with and I’m friends with” Eric Bischoff began on the released and furloughed talent. “But many of them I don’t know, nonetheless you can’t help but feel bad for them. You know professional wrestling is not like any other business, really. Maybe you could draw some parallels in professional sports? But so many of the talent that get into professional wrestling get in at a very young age. Either in lieu of college or right after college. They spent 5, 10, 15, 20 years in the industry? I think reading some of the social media posts by some of the individuals let go? Some of them have been with WWE for 10 years 15 years or more.”
Transitioning To Another Industry?
Eric Bischoff would then discuss how it may be difficult for some of the performers to transition into another role in another industry. “It’s not easy to pickup and apply those job skills that you’ve acquired, perfected over the last decade or more to another line of work” Bischoff stated. “So it can be shocking anytime you get let go. I guess I can speak from experience right!? Anytime you get let go, it’s a little bit of a shock to the system and you’re kind of dazed and confused and wondering what’s going to happen next. But a lot of that talent, a lot of them if not all the talent? They wouldn’t have been there if they didn’t have a high degree of skill, talents and abilities.”
You’ve developed into a great talent Drake. Reflect, re-charge, and return even stronger! https://t.co/nPeiBoVMPQ
When the news broke on Wednesday 15th released talent Drake Maverick posted an emotional video on Twitter acknowledging his departure from WWE. As you can see above, Eric Bischoff responded to the British Superstar, and he referenced this on the podcast. “I said this to Drake Maverick actually in a post not too long ago. Take the opportunity to just reflect a little bit. Recharge and just get ready to return stronger than ever. Take advantage of the time off to heal up if you’ve been on the road a lot over the last year or two, or 10. Think about your career. Think about your character, think about some new ways that you can modify and evolve that character to make it even more entertaining. Take an acting class online, you don’t even have to take a class in person. Learn how to write comedy, learn how to do anything other than things you already know to to help improve your ability. To be entertaining when we all come out of this pandemic, and we will.”
Speaking with Wrestling Observer Live ahead of Wednesday’s Dynamite, Moxley stated how his heart goes out to everyone affected. He explained how he heard the news through the grapevine, admitting that it’s a weird time for everybody. He added how he feels very fortunate at this point in time. Moxley explained how he won’t spend even a single second feeling sorry for himself as he is aware that “I’ve got it pretty good, all things considered.”
Jon Moxley & Renee Young In Self-Isolation
Right now he is stuck in the house with his wife, WWE’s Renee Young. He doesn’t mind, however, as she is his “favorite person to hang out with anyway.”
Breaking down how the couple are spending their time in self-isolation during this time, Moxley shared they are hanging out a lot as well as “getting it on all over the house all day.” They’ve also been watching a lot of movies. Young has also been getting involved with some cooking projects to pass the time.
“So, I’m basically hanging out and having a beautiful woman feed me meals every day. No matter how the World Title match turns out tonight, I feel like a World Champion and I am very blessed at this time.”
Jon Moxley successfully retained his AEW Championship against Jake Hager during this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite. The two clashed in an Empty Arena No Holds Barred matchup.
Despite her real-life husband being released from WWE earlier this week, Lana has committed to the on-screen storyline between herself, Rusev, and Bobby Lashley.
Lana is still in an on-screen romance with Lashley on WWE programming. Their pairing came off the back of a soap opera-esque storyline that saw her leave Rusev for Lashley. Taking to her Twitter account, Lana shared a video of Rusev yelling at her during a past RAW segment. In it, he is blaming her for his loss to John Cena at WWE’s Payback pay-per-view in 2015.
She accompanied the video with a caption that reads, “I hate to be the person in these trying times but let this be a reminder of who @RusevBUL really is !!! #ThankYouRusev …… NEXT !!!!! #thankunext.”
At the time of writing, Rusev has not reacted to Lana’s message.
The last tweet sent out by Rusev was his farewell message to the WWE Universe. It reads, “Thank you All, Rusev out!”
Lashley has previously shared how he was uncertain whether the storyline between the trio would continue. He believed it lacked a definitive conclusion. He recently suffered a loss at WrestleMania 36 to Aleister Black. This came after taking bad advice from Lana, suggesting that the two may eventually be heading split.
New WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. The SmackDown Superstar would discuss his title win at WrestleMania 36 earlier this month, as well as the hectic 24 hours that preceded the event.
Strowman was not initially pegged to face then Champion Bill Goldberg at WrestleMania. Roman Reigns was the challenger heading into the event, however due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic the ‘Big Dog’ would pull out of the show. This forced WWE to make a last minute change, and it was decided that Braun Strowman was the man to take the belt from Goldberg.
Driving To Wisconsin
“Oh yeah, without a doubt it was the craziest 24 hours of my life” Braun Strowman began. “There was quarantine and telling everybody to stay at home and doing everything they could to help control the spread of this virus. So I figured, you know, I have some land up in Wisconsin, I haven’t seen my family, they live out in the middle of nowhere. I’ve got 80 acres out in the middle of nowhere, it’s literally a town that’s barely incorporated. There’s 400 people in the old town so I was like, well, if I got to be locked down I’m gonna be locked down out in the middle of nowhere, being the country boy that I am.”
Vince McMahon
Strowman would then reveal how the 21 hour car journey ended with phone call from Vince McMahon. “So I loaded up my belongings in my car and drove 21 hours to Wisconsin. I got one hour away from my property and I got a phone call from the chairman of WWE, saying ‘Braun we’ve had some last minute changes, there’s a couple emergencies happening. We need you.’ And I said, ‘well, I’m in Wisconsin I just drove for 21 hours.’ He [Vince McMahon] said ‘we know, we’re sending a jet to Atlanta at 9pm, you leave at 9:15pm.’ So I made it to Wisconsin long enough to grab a quick bite at dinner and then headed to the little regional County Airport.”
Braun Strowman in a Four-Seater Jet
Strowman elaborated further, saying “I jumped on a four seater jet; which I’m terrified of flying on by the way because I barely can fit my large hairy self in there. So it was a pretty impressive, a very fast jet. It was timely to get me there. I think we got from Wisconsin back to Orlando in 1 hour 30 minutes? We were rocking and rolling. I landed, with the time change and everything? I got into Orlando like midnight-ish back to Florida? Got in bed about at one o’clock in the morning, woke up the next day and headed to the Performance Center.”
Goldberg vs Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman would finish by thanking his opponent in the WrestleMania 36 match. “I want to say a big thanks to Bill Goldberg for giving me the opportunity. To know and trust in me to want to get in there and ‘get these hands’ per se.”
Do you think that Strowman was the right man to beat Goldberg for the Universal Championship? Let us know in the comments
Former WWE Superstar Eric Young has reacted to his WWE release. The former Sanity leader took to Twitter to thank fans for their words of encouragement following the announcement on Wednesday.
Young explained that it was difficult to explain just how much the support he’s received means to him. He added that it’s more appreciated than people could know. Taking a positive approach to the release, Eric Young added how he’s excited about the possibilities and choices that are now ahead of him. Notably, he stressed he is also excited to “right others wrongs.”
Young tweeted, “Thanks for all the kind words everyone! It’s hard to explain what they mean to me so I won’t even try. Know it is appreciated more than you could ever know! EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES! EXCITED ABOUT MY CHOICES! EXCITED TO RIGHT OTHERS WRONGS! #WORLDCLASSMANIAC”
Eric Young & Other Released Talents
Eric Young signed with WWE back in 2016. He was one of several Superstars who were released from WWE earlier this week. The decision to let them go was made due to the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on business.
He joined fellow in-ring talent such as EC3, Zack Ryder, Rusev, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson to name a few. Alongside wrestlers, a number of backstage personnel were furloughed.
Discussion: Where do you expect Eric Young to end up next?
WWE released several of their in-ring talent earlier this week. They cited the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as the reason behind their decision. The company revealed that they will now be making an estimated monthly savings of $4 million based on these releases. It wasn’t only talent who were affected as numerous backstage personnel were furloughed.
WWE’s Projected Furlough End Date
According to Wrestling Inc., these furloughed employees were given an information packet explaining the process. It was noted that they were furloughed due to the “current level of work available as a result of COVID-19.”
The coronavirus pandemic itself was referenced as an unforeseen circumstance—one likened to a natural disaster. Wednesday was their last official workday. Their furlough period begins from Saturday. It is intended to continue through until July 1, 2020, though it was highlighted that this was subject to potential change due to the current situation and ongoing uncertainties.
With no firm end date set, there is an alleged expectation that it could last fewer than six months. WWE would be able to extend or end the furlough at their discretion. The company intends to keep employees up to date with all decisions made during this time. It was noted, however, that future layoffs may be needed.
It’s worth noting that WWE will be covering health insurance contributions during this furlough period for those enrolled in their health plan. Titles will also be withheld by those who will be furloughed. WWE noted that these employees will not be receiving a paycheck. They may be eligible for unemployment benefits as well as support through the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. If they are, they would be provided additional unemployment insurance of $600 per week.
Non-Compete Clause End Date
Insofar as the WWE talent released, they are reportedly under 90-day non-compete clauses. According to PWInsider, the former Superstars would be able to begin taking dates and appearing for other promotions from Wednesday, July 15.
At the time of writing, the list of those who were released stands at 22 wrestlers, 10 producers, 3 coaches, 2 announcers, 1 referee, 1 creative writer, and 2 on-air talents. They included Kurt Angle, Drake Maverick, Heath Slater, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and more.
Given that the majority of sports organizations and wrestling promotions have been forced to reschedule and cancel events in the wake of the coronavirus, it is unknown at this time whether these wrestlers would be able to even begin taking dates after their non-complete cause expires.
