Hulk Hogan recently appeared in a YouTube video talking about his WrestleMania 18 match. The Rock also recently commented on the match during a Q&A session on social media.
According to Hogan, the match provided some unique challenges for him.
“When I went back, they wanted me to go down to Miami and practice the match,” Hogan said. “Andre was the one who raised me and his thing was this is who is going to win or lose and whatever happens in the match, don’t worry.”
Hogan wasn’t used to practicing his matches and he didn’t want to go through a full run through with bumps beforehand.
“Pat Patterson wanted me to go through the match and I said I can’t do that,” he continued. “If we go through this whole match here and I’m falling down and getting up and taking dropkicks and hooking on the top rope and going over, I’m going to get hurt.”
“They were cool enough that I didn’t have to go through the match, didn’t have to take any bumps,” he continued. “But I said ‘alright, let’s walk through this.'”
Hogan also talked about how they did everything they could to make him the heel leading up tpo the match but the WrestleMania crowd cheered him anyway.
“On the way out to the ring, I heard this mixture of turbulence and energy,” Hogan said. “It was like, it reminded me of WrestleMania III when I went out with Andre.”
Hogan’s comments and full-bearded look can be viewed in the player below:
“About six months before the match happened, Vince McMahon came to me and said, ‘How do you feel about bringing Hulk Hogan back?’” recalled the Rock. “I think Hogan had left WWE on not so great terms. He asked, ‘How do you feel about bringing Hogan back?’
I said, ‘How does the locker room feel?’ He said, ‘I talked to a few locker room leaders and it’s mixed.’ I said, ‘I love it. I think having him back is intriguing and very selfishly, I would like to wrestle him.’ He said, ‘Funny you say that. I have a match in mind. You vs. Hogan at WrestleMania.’”
Kylie Rae recently announced that she has signed a long-term deal with Impact Wrestling. The 27-year-old took part in an interview with Alicia Atout recently and spoke about a variety of subjects including returning to wrestling after a brief hiatus last year.
“The day I made the return – like I had my first match in a couple of months, it didn’t feel real,” Kylie said about the response she got from the live crowd that night. “Like still to this day, somebody paid everybody to go to that show and cheer for me.”
Kylie continued to say that she didn’t get the kind of reaction that she did.
“Some fans that I do have, I’ve built up that friendship with them,” she continued.
“I’ve just been living every day like day-to-day at this point and just trying to enjoy the ride because it’s about the journey.”
The full conversation between Alicia Atout and Kylie Rae can be viewed in the player below:
Kylie Rae On Signing With Impact Wrestling
Rae spoke about signing with Impact Wrestling in a backstage segment on Impact Wrestling this week:
“I’m going to tell you how it feels, it feels amazing,” Kylie Rae said backstage. “You know what? It’s been one emotional year. We’ve had highs, we’ve had lows, we’ve had ups, we’ve had downs. But I knew from the moment that I stepped in this Impact wrestling ring, the arena, this is my home. I felt that, I felt that. That’s why I’m very proud to announce Kylie Rae just signed a long-term wrestling contract with Impact Wrestling baby!”
WWE legend John Cena recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast. The 15-time World/WWE Champion appeared on the show to discuss the current ‘state’ of sports entertainment and what Cena believes the company needs to move forward.
Starting the interview, Graves would ask Cena what WWE needs to do to usher in a new ‘era,’ akin to how the Ruthless Aggression or PG Eras were created.
John Cena on ‘Eras’
“It needs what I’m not sure it [WWE] can produce,” John Cena began. “And that’s just the state of where everything is now. Which is weird because it kind of always corrects itself. So we’re in a day and age where WWE needs a frontman.”
Over the past couple of years WWE has been pushing for the ‘brand’ to be the attraction, and not the individual. This counteracts decades past, where the likes of Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Brock Lesnar were positioned as the ‘top dog’ of the company. This is something that Cena addresses, he says that an ‘era’ is defined by the main star in the company.
“Even if they liked the guy last week. They say ‘f*ck you, you’re not going to tell me who I like!”
– John Cena
“That’s how we’ll be able to define what the era is,” Cena revealed. “Because it takes on those personality traits of its top star, like I’ve said before…I don’t know, if all things considered? The crowd is so mixed, that if the company puts its faith behind an individual, the knee jerk reaction of the audience? Even if they liked the guy last week? Is to say ‘f*ck you, you’re not going to tell me who I like!’ So the audience is also tipping the scales of this not being able to happen.”
Universal Popularity
John Cena finished by discussing the idea of ‘universal popularity,’ saying how he believes it will never happen again due to the state of the industry. “Universal popularity will never happen. Because someone [in WWE] will see it and get onto it and be like, ‘he seems to be getting popular, let’s stop this right now.’ Or ‘she seems to be getting popular, let’s change this right now.’ And I’ve seen it happen with guys who are really like darlings of that underground crew. They make it, and then as soon as they make it the rug is pulled out from them.”
John Cena is definitely the right person to talk about this issue. As it’s arguable that the ‘polarising’ top babyface was perfected by Cena during his run over the past 10-15 years.
Doyou think that WWE needs to create another top person to build the company around? Let us know in the comments
John Morrison has shared how this weekend’s WrestleMania 36 still has a backstage “buzz.” WrestleMania 36 will air this weekend, with the entire card taking place in front of zero fans due to coronavirus concerns.
Speaking with Muscle & Fitness, Morrison explained how, although the atmosphere of the pre-recorded show will be different, people are still excited to deliver the “Show of Shows.”
“I mean, yeah, the atmosphere is a little bit different than an arena full of 100,000 people, but it’s still WrestleMania. It still has this vibe, it still feels like the most important show of the year. It still had that buzz backstage.”
John Morrison On Staying Fit
With gyms closed, John Morrison then shared how people can continue to stay in shape while self-isolating. He noted how now is the time for people to get into cardio if they have the equipment at home. Even if you don’t, he recommended you use a jump rope or do DDP Yoga.
“There’s a million different kinds of home workout type things you can do. My daily routine is some sort of resistance training… I mean obviously no one’s got like a full array of Hammer Strength equipment in their house. But there’s a lot of stuff you can do with pushups and using your body and leverage to change the resistance on your muscle groups.”
Morrison continued, “Different kinds of pushups and sit ups. If you have anything to hang off, body weight, mid rows, pull-ups. Squat variations, lunges… Broken up in the small chunks throughout the day is what I’ve been recommending to people.”
John Morrison was set to team with The Miz to defend their WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 36. However, with The Miz being pulled from the matchup, this will reportedly no longer take place.
WrestleMania 36 airs on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5.
Triple H has addressed the current status of WWE’s black-and-gold brand amidst the current coronavirus outbreak. During an interview with PWInsider, “The Game” noted how the brand is doing well despite the global situation forcing them to perform in front of zero fans.
“Again, we’re like everybody else trying to deal with very stressful circumstances and trying to do the best with circumstances that are changing on a minute by minute basis,” Triple H explained. “If you go back a month ago and tell people that you’re in the situation that you’re in today, it’s almost unthinkable. But here we are.”
He continued, “Over the last few weeks we’ve gone to doing all our shows without fans out of the Performance Center to the point of even, for the most part, doing WrestleMania that same way. The decision to shift NXT slightly to not doing a Takeover separate and bringing Takeover and putting them onto the weekly episodic series really just came down to, I think, a decision of amount of content that needed to take place in a very short period of time leading into WrestleMania and everything else, and it just made sense for us to do it in a different factor.”
Taking TakeOver To NXT
NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay was due to take place this Saturday, April 4. Coronavirus concerns, however, forced WWE to cancel all their WrestleMania week plans. TakeOver included. Rather than delay the event, WWE instead set all matches scheduled for TakeOver for future NXT episodes.
Triple H argued how, given TakeOver was a separate event from WrestleMania 36, it made sense to approach their matches from a different angle.
“When you take into consideration the fact that it’s a separate event, but really no one’s going to be there to see it live anyways, it really made sense for us to do it this way.”
He continued, “We’ll start tonight with Keith Lee defending the North American Championship against Dominik Dijakovic and Damian Priest and continue into next week. Not all the matches, at this point, will be able to take place, but we’ll get there down the line and continue to create the content that we can.”
Delivering Entertainment During COVID-19
Triple H then stressed how WWE is committed to providing entertainment to people worldwide. He noted how their programming can help people forget the real-world situation, if only for a few hours.
“And it won’t be perfect, it won’t be exactly what everybody wants it to be, maybe in some manner,” Triple H said. “But if they can forget about that and just tune out and turn it on and just let themselves been entertained, hopefully we can do that for you and let you forget about it for a brief period of time.”
WrestleMania 36 will air on the WWE Network this weekend on April 4 and April 5.
NXT Superstar Keith Lee has opened up about whether he ever considered taking a break from wrestling during the current coronavirus pandemic. Speaking with CBS Sports, Lee stated how, although it may have been a consideration for many, he felt confident in the protocols WWE has put in place to ensure the safety of their Superstars.
“[…] with the protocols that we’ve had, it’s kind of made it possible for us to get it done. I think that for me, it never was really a thought [in my head] because I knew of what the protocol would be and the things necessary in order to even be okay and cleared to enter the building and things of that sort. So I was fairly confident in the circumstances that were set forth before us.”
Keith Lee On Empty Arenas, Missing The Crowd
His commitment to performing has led Keith Lee to wrestle in front of an empty WWE Performance Center. He compared this experience to wrestling in front of a live crowd. Lee acknowledged how “there is definitely a certain level of adrenaline that the crowd offers.”
He talked about how the crowd being there sometimes helps things hurt less. Lee then reflected on how he would get in the “zone” after coming out of the back and embracing the atmosphere.
“[…] based on last week’s episode and there being nobody there, the first punch to my ear really rocked me, and that’s not a normal thing for me. So that’s something that I’ve taken note of, and I’ve tried to prepare myself going forward. Things are going to hurt more and that’s okay. All I can do is absorb those and use those instead to hopefully reset adrenaline levels where I can push forward.”
Current Fitness Regime
Keith Lee then detailed how he’s staying fit now that he cannot work out at the WWE PC. He shared his regime, pointing to “basic things like pushup variations, burpees, squat jumps and lunges, mountain climbers, things of that sort.”
He then shared which YouTube channels he follows that help keeps him motivated and exercising, including Jeff Cavalier, Mike Rashid, and Simeon Panda.
Seth Rollins has opened up about what it’s like to try and perform in front of zero fans. “The Monday Night Messiah” explained to Sports Illustrated how it is a “weird” experience for him. He noted how these empty arena shows reminded him of when he was first getting started in pro wrestling.
“It’s weird. It’s taking me back to my days wrestling in front of eight people. I’ve been there before,” Rollins confessed. “I’ve grown accustomed to Monday Night Raw, 10,000 people. It’s a whole different vibe.”
He continued, “Everything’s somber. We all want to get through this, but we’re all trying to figure this thing out together. When the whole thing started to develop here in the States, I purposely didn’t tweet or Instagram anything about wrestling because I didn’t feel right about it. Then I got out there and I cut this promo on Monday Night Raw and I got back and I had this sense of relief almost.”
Seth Rollins Misses The Crowd Connection
When it comes to cutting a promo, Seth Rollins no longer has an audience to feed off of. Acknowledging this, he stressed how with a crowd in attendance, it feels like you’re having a conversation—one they are a part of.
“If you don’t have that, there’s a lot of pressure. And also not having the ability to do multiple takes. Monday Night Raw is live, so that’s a one-take promo,” he said. “That’s a one-take monologue. I don’t get the opportunity to cut-and-paste that thing together. It’s not like a movie.”
“Wrestling, on the other hand, is fluid. It’s in the ring and it’s moving around. There’s a lot of you can do. There are a lot of changes you can make. A promo is nerve-wracking. You can hear everything. There’s no audience to drown anything out. You can hear cameramen shuffling. You hear everybody whispering in the back. It’s really eerie in a way.”
Heel Or Babyface
Having turned heel and adopted his new Messiah gimmick, Seth Rollins admitted that there’s something special about having the crowd’s support. He reflected on having the crowd cheer for him when he would win, calling it an “incredible thing.” Despite currently playing a heel, however, Rollins stressed how he’s good in both roles.
“There is something fun and easier about being a jerk. I think it’s easier in 2020 to be disliked for saying your piece than trying to be liked because somebody is always gonna complain about something.”
He continued, “I can’t think of an athlete, actor entertainer alive that is universally loved in this day and age. There is always someone trying to tear you down. If your job is to get torn down, then that makes life a lot easier for you. There are positive and negatives to both sides. It’s hard to pick one. Luckily for me, I’m good at both.”
Current WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch recently joined Sporting News for an interview. She is set to defend her title at this weekend’s WrestleMania 36 in front of zero fans. Despite this situation, Lynch doesn’t seem phased by the empty arena atmosphere.
“I remember wrestling in front of seven people, if even. And with Irish people, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they’re not really shy, right? They’re usually quick-witted with comebacks from things where you can hear all of them when they’re in the crowd.”
She continued, “Sometimes just a few people is worse than nobody. I’ve already been through, to wrestling in front of next to nobody. WrestleMania will be the first time that I wrestle in front of nobody in terms of a WWE audience. I’ll just be bringing that energy, bringing that intensity. And I don’t want to lose my championship. I want to go on over here. I want to be over here being a champion. I want to retire with this thing.”
Becky Lynch’s Championship Reign
Becky Lynch then reflected on her run as RAW Women’s Champion. She won the title at last year’s WrestleMania 35 on April 7, 2019. Admitting that she has reflected on her lengthy reign, Lynch confessed that being a long-term champion brings its own difficulties and obstacles.
“It’s pretty crazy and it brings its own challenges. And because of that, because I’ve had it for a year, I’ve been nonstop going for a year, over a year,” she explained. “So, it really was a case of constantly going and constantly being on the go and now and I’ve finally gotten the chance to reflect on the past year and reflect on what I want for the future, the next year, which is pretty cool.”
How The Champ Stays Positive
With the coronavirus currently gripping the entire globe, Becky Lynch shared how she tries to stay positive during these unprecedented times. She noted how she’s lucky enough to still be able to perform and entertain, whether there are people in the crowd or not.
“I am privileged enough that I still get to go, whether there are crowds or not, go out there and perform for people at home watching and hopefully give them a little bit of a break. And also, really just things that you don’t really get the time to do a lot of the time, like catching up on movies and documentaries and changing your workouts a little bit. It makes you a little bit more creative. And then cooking. I love cooking and I’m never at home to cook.”
Rhea Ripley is set to defend her NXT Women’s Championship at this weekend’s WrestleMania 36 event. Despite the surreal circumstances surrounding their clash, Ripley has stated she remains excited for the opportunity to wrestle Charlotte Flair.
“To be knowing that I’m going to WrestleMania 36 to face Charlotte Flair and put my NXT championship on the line is just absolutely insane, I’m so, so excited,” she explained to the New York Post. “Man, I’m going to be in tears afterward. I know it.”
Rhea Ripley Draws Strength From Scars
Giving the interview a poignant, introspective angle, Ripley opened up about how she draws strength from her personal scars. Looking at them helps to remind her of what she has previously overcome. This reminder subsequently helps to resolve her and keep her pushing forward.
“I still feel myself slipping there from time to time, but I find that if I do look at the scars that I have from that time it helps me to remind myself that I’ve been through all of this and I was able to overcome it.”
She continued, “[…] I think that that’s really special in the way that I know that I can keep going and keep doing what I love and I have people in my life that are going to help me overcome whatever I need to overcome at that point in time. … I have fans there for me and I’m legitimately working the job I dreamt about since being a child and I have to remember that sometimes.”
Ripley’s Unique Look
Rhea Ripley also spoke about her unique look. Ripley stressed how she loves her punk aesthetic and that if someone isn’t a fan, she “couldn’t care less.” For her, it’s about being able to be true to herself.
“I’m being me and that’s what I’m trying to put forward. I’m trying to put forward that everyone should be comfortable in their own skin and they should be happy being themselves.”
Rhea Ripley attempts to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair this weekend at WrestleMania 36. The two-day event will air on the WWE Network on April 4 and April 5.
WWE Superstar The Big Show recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. During the interview the 7 foot 2 giant would discuss a litany of topics from his career; including the brand new ‘The Big Show Show’ that is coming to Netflix.
This is arguably the biggest out of the ring opportunity that Paul Wright/The Big Show has had in his career. Big Show has previously appeared in motion pictures, such as Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy, but this is the first ‘vehicle’ for the WWE Superstar that has seen him be the main focus.
Big Show on Joining WCW
Show would start the interview with Gorilla Position by describing how different opportunities are now as opposed to when he first joined WCW in 1995. “No, I’m not even close to being were I was when I first started” Big Show began. “I was a kid from South Carolina, and I’m still [then] blown away that I’m working in the same ring with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. It’s like I should get an autograph before they figure out that I shouldn’t be here and kick me out!”
The Chance To Appear on Netflix
Big Show
Big Show elaborated further, saying “to understand where our business has grown since then and the opportunities are available now for for all the talent across the board. So many different avenues of being able to build their brand, to build a worldwide brand. And a lot of talents are doing that now, [even] for me to end up with my own TV show in partnership with Netflix. Big Show would also reveal that he has been pushing for this sort of opportunity for years. Although he had no idea that it would lead to such a slot on a massive streaming service.
“I think he probably knew that if he didn’t let me have this opportunity I was gonna like come into his office and throw things out of the window”
Big Show
“I drove Vince [McMahon] nuts for years, about trying to get me a vehicle like this” Big Show revealed. “From trying to have my own segment on RAW or Smackdown. Even something like when we got the WWE Network like ‘hey, I should have my own show I could do this, I could do that.’ And when this partnership came up with Netflix and WWE; I’m so thankful and grateful that Vince let me lead the charge on this opportunity. I think he probably knew that if he didn’t let me have this opportunity I was gonna like come into his office and throw things out of the window.”
‘The Big Show Show’ premieres only on Netflix on April 6th, check out the trailer for the new series below:
All Elite Wrestling’s Jim Ross has been missing from the promotion’s announce team in recent weeks. The decision to minimize his travel was made to protect him from potential unnecessary exposure to the coronavirus. During an interview with WrestlingInc.com, Ross explained how he and AEW President Tony Khan had a long conversation before coming to the decision.
“Tony Khan and I had a very long and thoughtful talk that he initiated. I’m an asset for that company in his view, and mine too, and he said I’ve got to protect you because he knows I won’t protect myself,” Ross explained.
“So, the decision was to stay home for a couple of days and I’m not gonna be on Dynamite this week or next until we see where this thing is headed. If it gets worse, I’m 68 and in a high-risk group. I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna get the flu because my ego says I’ve gotta be on TV. ‘Oh I can’t lose my spot, because then I won’t get my push!’ Stop. Please.”
Jim Ross On Maintaining Growth
Jim Ross stressed how pro wrestling isn’t the same as the NFL, NBA, or MLB. He noted how what they do is a “theatrical presentation and a TV show.” He added how it’s not about selling tickets right now.
Instead, delivering Dynamite is a means to give their fanbase a break from the “insanity” the world is dealing with. “It’s an entertainment show and I applaud all of those guys that are braving the elements and challenges of the coronavirus to put on an entertaining show on Wednesday nights.”
He talked about the importance of maintaining continuity before commenting on how it’s an “interesting time in our lives.” Ross then stressed how he believes pro wrestling isn’t in danger, but the industry needs to maintain its continual growth under the circumstances. “We’ve got to be smart and take into consideration what this virus is. We can never lose sight of what we’re facing right now.”
Although not present for Dynamite shows, Jim Ross has been providing a post-show breakdown. These are uploaded to AEW’s official YouTube channel. Ross has been doing these alongside fellow commentary members Taz and Excalibur.
AEW Dynamite aired live tonight from an undisclosed location. The remaining four wrestlers in the TNT Championship tournament revealed tonight.Kip Sabian, Dustin Rhodes, Colt Cabana, and Lance Archer completed the bracket and the tournament will begin next week.
Kenny Omega squared off against Trent in the first match of the night. Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy accompanied Trent to the ring. AEW wrestlers were once again back in the crowd for tonight’s episode.
Match Recap: Omega took Trent down to start things off and applied a Headlock. Trent broke free and caught him with a knee to the face. Kenny sent Trent to the corner and shoved his boot in his face. Omega unloaded a chop to Trent’s chest but Trent battled back with a Double Stomp that sent Kenny rolling out of the ring.
Trent connected with a Moonsault and shared a hug with Orange Cassidy and Chuck. Omega sprinted across the ring and flipped onto everyone on the outside. Back in the ring, Omega slammed Trent to the canvas and went for a cover but Trent kicked out at two.
Kenny connected with a Backbreaker and followed it up with two more of them for a near fall. Trent went to work on Kenny’s injured hand for the next few minutes of the match. Kenny battled back and Powerbombed Trent in a steel beam in the arena. The action returned to the ring and Kenny hit a Neckbreaker over his knee for a two count.
Trent connected with a Tornado DDT and followed it up with a Splash in the corner. Trent hung up Kenny in the ropes and planted him with a Baseball Slide German Suplex as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Kenny and Trent were trading chops with five minutes remaining.
Omega hit a knee to the face but Trent shrugged it off and hit a Piledriver for a near fall. Trent went for another Tornado DDT but Omega escaped and connected with a beautiful Snap Dragon Suplex. Kenny followed it up with a V-Trigger with two minutes remaining. Trent hit a Belly to Back Suplex off the top rope and Omega landed awkwardly. Omega then hit the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Kenny Omega and Trent had a great match to start this week’s Dynamite. I really like how many minutes are left in the time limit throughout the match. It adds tension and made the last part of the match that much more intense. Hopefully Omega is alright after it appeared he landed on his neck. Trent has had several great singles matches in AEW already. He had a very good match with Jon Moxley and an awesome one with Omega tonight.
Lance Archer made his in-ring AEW debut tonight. Before the match, Jake Roberts claimed that Cody is afraid of Archer and Brandi Rhodes must wear the pants in the relationship. Archer then faced Marko Stunt.
Match Recap: Archer took out a worker on the way to the ring. Archer then leveled Stunt with a Clothesline and beat him down in the corner. Marko tried to fight back but Lance Archer sent him flying across the ring with a Release Suplex. Marko ran away and then hit Lance with a few Dropkicks in the corner.
Archer leveled Stunt with a shoulder tackle and sent him flying out of the ring. Lance then hit a massive Chokeslam and followed it up with the Blackout for the pinfall victory. After the match, Archer Chokeslammed Marko onto Billy and Austin Gunn.
Another vignette for the Exalted One aired this week. Brodie Lee stood in front of a TV with static and demanded that members of Dark Order refer to him as “Mr. Brodie”.
One of the members of Dark Order yawned and Brodie scolded him. Brodie said he looked weak and he cannot have that in Dark Order. Lee asked that he never yawn in his presence again and asked him to leave the room.
8 & 9 of Dark Order then faced Natural Nightmares (Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall).
Match Recap: QT Marshall threw the mask that Brodie presented him last week in the air as a distraction to start things off. QT hit a couple of punches before Dustin tagged in. Rhodes hit an Arm Drag as a couple wrestlers chanted “you still got it!”.
Marshall tagged in and 8 & 9 took turns beating him down in the corner. QT battled back with a Suplex and tagged Dustin back in. Rhodes hit an Atomic Drop and followed it up with a Bulldog. Dustin planted #9 with a Powerslam and followed it up with a Cannonball off the apron. Back in the ring, Natural Nightmares hit a Flapjack for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Brodie Lee came down to the ring and Powerbombed the member of Dark Order that took the pinfall. Lee then stared at the other member of Dark Order before he left the ring.
Jericho cut a promo from in his hot tub and went on a rant about everyone in The Elite being morons. Vanguard 1 showed up behind Jericho as Chris turned his attention towards Matt Hardy.
Chris got up and said “Vanguard 1, I knew you’d come”. Jericho couldn’t bring himself to say the word “sorry” and once again tried to recruit Vanguard 1 to Inner Circle. Jericho presented Vanguard 1 with a tiny Inner Circle shirt.
Vanguard took off once again and Jericho whipped a bottle of bubbly at him. Jericho then shouted “release the hounds!” and his dogs then chased Vanguard 1 away to end the segment.
Opinion: This entire segment was hilarious but I think the most underrated part is that Jericho was apparently in the hot tub with pants and a belt on.
Sammy Guevara and Shawn Spears faced Cody and Darby Allin in the main event of this week’s Dynamite.
Match Recap: Spears started off the match in control and hit Cody with a shoulder tackle. Cody battled back with a boot to the face and tagged in Darby. Spears hit him with a punch to the face and tagged in Sammy. Guevara wanted to vlog instead and approached Brandi by the barricade. Sammy asked for a kiss and Brandi took his phone again. Darby leveled Sammy with a shoulder tackle and sent him flying into the barricade. Cody and Darby connected with dueling Suicide Dives as Dynamite went to a break.
When Dynamite returned, Sammy hit Darby with a knee to the face and knocked him out of the ring. Back in the ring, Guevara hit Allin with a Double Stomp and tagged Spears back in. Spears hit Darby with a chop to the chest. Sammy bet Shawn that he couldn’t hold up Darby in a stalling Suplex. Spears accepted the challenge, hung Darby up for ten seconds and won the money.
Spears then bet Sammy that he couldn’t do it for 15 seconds. Sammy accepted the bet and won. Shawn then went all in and tried to do it for 20 seconds but Darby rolled him up for a two count. Allin then planted Spears with a Suplex of his own as Cody pleaded for a tag in the corner.
Sammy missed with a Shooting Star Press and Cody tagged in. Cody hit Spears with an Enziguri and then delivered a Powerslam to Sammy for a near fall. Cody followed that up with a Cutter for another two count. Cody locked in the Sharpshooter but Spears broke it up. Cody then trapped Spears in a Figure Four but Sammy broke it up with a Shooting Star Press.
Guevara went for a Cutter but Cody countered into a Cross Rhodes. Spears dragged Spears out of the ring and threw him over the barricade. The heels in the crowd started beating Cody down as Dynamite went to a commercial.
Back from the break, Spears and Sammy had Cody trapped in the corner. Cody connected with a Moonsault and tagged in Darby. Allin took out Sammy and Spears with a Dropkick and followed it up a springboard Coffin Drop. Allin leveled Sammy with a Suicide Dive and went for one on Spears but he caught him.
Spears launched Darby into the barricade and placed him on top of it. Guevara hit Allin with a Dropkick and then turned around into a Splash from Cody. Back in the ring, Spears hit C4 and rolled Cody back to the outside. Allin climbed up the steel beam and hit a Coffin Drop onto Spears and Guevara.
Darby and Sammy then battled on the top turnbuckle. Sammy threw Darby into the barricade once again. Cody hit Sammy with a Reverse Suplex but Spears immediately hit Cody with a Frog Splash. Guevara slid a chair into the ring and Darby ripped it away. As Allin tossed the chair out of the ring, Spears capitalized on the distraction and rolled up Allin for the victory. After the match, Cody tried to help Allin up but Darby leveled him with a right hand. Allin then got pissed off and walked backstage to close the show.
— AUTHORS OF WRESTLING (@authofwrestling) April 2, 2020
Opinion: I loved that Darby Allin leveled Cody after the match because both men are in the upcoming tournament to crown the first TNT Championship. I do not think it was Darby turning heel, I believe it was supposed to signify that he was sick of losing and was frustrated.The tag match tonight was also solid and I enjoyed the mid-match gambling by Sammy and Spears.
Overall, this week’s episode of Dynamite was a very entertaining show with a couple of great matches. It was also announced that Moxley will defend his AEW Championship against Jake Hager in two weeks in an No Holds Barred Empty Arena match. You can check out a video package that aired to hype the match below.
The April 1, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
The show was headlined by a Triple Threat Match for the NXT North American Title with Keith Lee defending against Damian Priest and Dominik Dijakovic.
WWE NXT Results (4/1)
The Velveteen Dream def. Bobby Fish
Dexter Lumis def. Jake Atlas
Dakota Kai def. Shotzi Blackheart, Deonna Purrazzo, Xia Li, Aliyah and Kayden Carter
KUSHIDA def. Joaquin Wilde
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee def. Damian Priest & Dominik Dijakovic
Here are the 4 takeaways from this week’s NXT show:
Second Chance Gauntlet Match
Dakota Kai
WWE held a Second Chance Gauntlet Match in order to determine who will get the final spot for the six-woman Ladder Match.
The Gauntlet featured Aliyah, Kayden Carter, Deonna Purrazzo, Shotzi Blackheart, Dakota Kai, and Xia Li. As seen in the contest, Kai ended up going over.
Other competitors in the Ladder Match include Io Shirai, Candice LeRae, Chelsea Green, Mia Yim, and Tegan Nox. The winner of the match will become the new #1 contender to the NXT Women’s Championship, which is currently held by Rhea Ripley.
The new #1 contender will earn a future title shot in a match that will take place after WrestleMania 36 due to Ripley defending the title against Charlotte Flair at this show.
Dexter Lumis, formerly known as Samuel Shaw, took on Jake Atlas in a singles match which marked the second contest of the night.
Lumis went over in the contest. This marked the television debut for Atlas.
Lumis was under contract with TNA (now known as Impact Wrestling) from 2010 – 2015 where he won the Gut Check competition.
He was announced as part of the Performance Center recruits by the WWE that started training at the facility in Orlando, Florida back in March 2019.
Trevor Lee, 3.0, Elliott Sexton, Nick Comoroto, Rachael Ellering, Karen Q, Jonah Rock, Ricardo Miller and Omari Palmer were also part of this class.
This comes a week after a vignette aired promoting Lumis’ return was aired on the program.
Lumis competed in a tournament named NXT Breakout Tournament last July. This marked his TV debut but he lost in the first round of the tournament to Bronson Reed.
The Velveteen Dream vs. Bobby Fish in a singles match is in the books as the match took place on this show.
It was a fine match but not as good as Dream’s bout with Roderick Strong that also took place on NXT TV. Dream went over in the contest.
Since Dream came back from being on the shelf with an injury, he hasn’t found his groove that he was in regarding his in-ring work for whatever reason. Perhaps, he’s not 100%.
Either way, he makes up for that with his character and promo work, which has always been fanatic.
Clearly, WWE is building up to Dream challenging NXT Champion Adam Cole for the strap. When that exactly happens is up in the air due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
A Triple Threat for the NXT North American Title with Keith Lee defending against Damian Priest and Dominik Dijakovic took place. This was the biggest match on the show.
As seen in the match, Lee went over in his latest successful title defense. This was the right call.
Not only due to Lee still having somewhat of a short reign thus far but no titles should change hands in front of no fans in attendance.
WWE has been building up this match involving these stars for a few months now. Lee has had his good share of matches with both stars within this time. Also, Priest and Dijakovic have battled as well.
Perhaps, WWE will move forward with Lee feuding with someone else following this match considering that they don’t have anything to back up as to why they should get another crack at the men’s secondary title on the NXT brand.
As expected, Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager has been confirmed by All Elite Wrestling.
The promotion announced on Wednesday night that Moxley will make his next title defense as the AEW World Heavyweight Champion against Hager on the April 15th episode of Dynamite on TNT.
News of this contest was first broken by WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross while doing an interview with Dave Meltzer and Jim Valley on Wrestling Observer Radio earlier this week.
Also, the promotion has confirmed that this contest will be an Empty Arena No Holds Barred Match. The bout was taped last week.
This was expected to happen not only due to Ross’ comments but also because Hager has been climbing up the men’s rankings.
AEW Men’s Division
World Champion: Jon Moxley (8-0)
Chris Jericho (0-1)
Jake Hager (4-0) (+2)
Cody Rhodes (5-1)
Kenny Omega (2-0) (+1)
Darby Allin (4-2) (previously unranked)
Hager made his AEW in-ring debut against Dustin Rhodes which saw the enforcing for the Inner Circle go over at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event in Chicago, IL back in February.
As of this writing, no other matches have been announced for this show but that is expected to change as it gets closer.
AEW has announced the full bracket for the TNT Title tournament.
There will be 8 competitors in the tournament. Originally, AEW hyped that the single-elimination tournament would feature the biggest names in AEW all vying for the inaugural TNT championship belt and they lived up to the expectation set.
All Elite Wrestling previously announced on Tuesday evening that Cody vs. Shawn Spears and Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara would be on the left side of the tournament.
Fans have picked up on the fact that both of these matches are rematches from previous AEW pay-per-view event events. Darby Allin defeated Sammy Guevara at AEW Revolution in February while Cody defeated Shawn Spears at AEW All Out in August.
On Wednesday before the episode of Dynamite on TNT, the promotion confirmed Kip Sabian vs. Dustin Rhodes and Lance Archer vs. Colt Cabana for the right side of the bracket.
The finals of the tournament will take place at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event on Saturday, May 23, in Las Vegas.
Whether this event actually takes place remains to be seen as the outbreak of the coronavirus continues. In fact, the venue is not currently running shows as a result.
Triple H did an interview with Pwinsider.com to talk about a wide range of topics including the decisions made by WWE regarding the coronavirus and running shows.
More specifically, NXT, which did take a week off in mid-March with no matches or in-ring talking segments but rather aired three video packages. Since then, WWE has taped several episodes of the weekly show on the USA Network.
“There is that intimacy with NXT, but no matter what brand it is, Smackdown, NXT, whether it’s WrestleMania or whether it’s Takeover. You’re working for that reaction, and that is really what the performance is about. I think the shifting of that in some way, it’s a totally different mindset working in an empty arena.”
Triple H continued by noting how performers have talked about their performance and they go bigger in this direction because of that reaction. In this situation, they don’t have that reaction from fans so they’re trying to pull their best feelings out, for what those reactions would be and timing of things.
Despite those challenges, he thinks the talent has done a phenomenal job in this situation as they’ve all stepped up together as a team and helped each other out. By seeing them looking out for each other and giving each other advice, it’s inspiring to see.
“I think we all believe right now, and nobody is being required to do any of this, the talent aren’t required to do this, if they have a problem, they don’t perform. And nothing is going to be held against them.”
Triple H stated that while everybody has their own feelings on this and for the most part, their talent, crew, and staff want to do this. He called seeing their talent wanting to perform despite the circumstances is inspiring.
While at these tapings, Triple H brought up seeing the people there and everybody is having fun.
“They’re all banding together, feeling like they’re in this together and they’re in this challenging situation, but they’re all doing their best to make it work out.”
He brought up how it reminds him of when WWE used to go over to Iraq and Afghanistan under trying circumstances performing shows for the troops. He thinks it’s the same thing as there is a bond and a sense of camaraderie. He added that he’s all proud of them.
Seth Rollins spoke with Sports Illustrated to talk about a wide range of topics including WWE taping television from an empty Performance Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There has been much of a debate over WWE holding WrestleMania 36 despite the problems around the world with the virus. The majority of fans think WWE made the wrong call regarding this event and believe the company should’ve postponed it.
While Rollins isn’t sure as he’s not a medical expert, he is glad to give some entertainment for the fans.
“Obviously the airports are still open. Should they close? I don’t know. I wish I had answers. I’m sure a lot of people do. Right now, I’m just trying to stay as hygienic as possible, keep my distance from as many people as I can.
As of now, I feel great. Knock on wood, I’ve been able to avoid this thing. I know a lot of families and people who have been affected by it. It’s extremely contagious and it’s very dangerous. I wish I had more answers. I wish I knew what was the right thing to do. After WrestleMania, we’re gonna recollect and see where we’re gonna go from here.”
Rollins continued by noting he’s very humble and grateful that he still has a job that still needs him. He understands that a lot of Americans are not in that boat and their futures are uncertain.
Thus, if providing them with some entertainment can help them out, then he feels like the company is being productive in doing something right.
WWE faces yet another hurdle due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, the governor of Florida announced a statewide stay-at-home order that goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, April 3 and will expire on April 30.
It could be extended by a subsequent order. The issue of the order is done to take all measures to limit the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for its citizens. Especially for senior citizens and those with underlying medical conditions.
This order also means that “all persons in Florida shall limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.”
We’ve noted on the site before that WWE has already taped this Friday’s SmackDown, both nights of WrestleMania 36, and next Monday’s Raw. Also, NXT taped multiple episodes on March 22.
This comes after Orange County, Florida had already put a stay-at-home order into effect from March 26 to April 9.
There’s no word yet on what WWE plans to do about next week’s episode of Smackdown and TV episodes of all programming going forward aside from the dates mentioned above.
AEW has released its weekly rankings for April 1st, 2020. The promotion releases new top-5 rankings every Wednesday for its men’s, women’s and tag team divisions.
AEW Men’s Division
World Champion: Jon Moxley (8-0)
Chris Jericho (0-1)
Jake Hager (4-0) (+2)
Cody Rhodes (5-1)
Kenny Omega (2-0) (+1)
Darby Allin (4-2) (previously unranked)
There was quite a bit of movement in the men’s single’s division this week. Jake Hager moves up to the #2 spot after picking up a victory over Chico Adams on Dynamite.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman drops all the way out of the rankings this week likely due to inactivity. He had been ranked #2 last week. MJF wrestled just once in March after his victory over Cody at Revolution. He teamed with the Butcher and the Blade in a win over Jurassic Express on March 11th.
Kenny Omega moved up one spot this week after defeating Sammy Guevara in a AAA Mega Championship defense on Dynamite last week.
Darby Allin scored victories over Kip Sabian on Dynamite and over Preston Vance on Dark. The two wins move him into the top-5 rankings in the #5 spot.
Cody defeated Jimmy Havoc on Dynamite this week to move to 5-1 and retain his #3 ranking.
AEW Women’s Division
Champion: Nyla Rose (4-1)
Hikaru Shida (5-1)
Kris Statlander (2-3)
Yuka Sakazaki (1-1)
Britt Baker (2-2)
Riho (3-3)
There was no movement in the AEW Women’s division this week. There actually weren’t any matches in the division this week on either Dark or Dynamite likely due to travel restrictions.
AEW Tag Team Division
Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (6-0)
The Dark Order (5-0)
The Young Bucks (2-2)
SCU (2-3)
Lucha Bros (1-2)
Best Friends (3-3)
There was no movement in the tag-team division this week. There weren’t any tag-team matches on either Dynamite or Dark this week.
Impact Wrestling presented two shows on AXS TV last night. After the company’s regular weekly 2-hour show a special 1-hour TNA One-Night-Only special aired.
Impact Wrestling 3/31/20 Quick Results:
Josh Alexander defeated Eddie Edwards
Kylie Rae defeated Cassandra Golden
Moose defeated Kid Kash
Old School Rules Sami Callihan defeated Tommy Dreamer
Cody Deaner defeated Joey Ryan
Tessa Blanchard defeated Ethan Page
TNA Cross The Line 3/31/20 Quick Results:
Hernandez defeated Chase Stevens
Suicide & Manik defeated Kid Kash & Johnny Swinger
Rhino defeated Madman Fulton via DQ
Building To Tessa Blanchard vs Michael Elgin vs Eddie Edwards
In the main event this week, Tessa Blanchard defeated Ethan Page. Eddie Edwards came out to ringside and prevented Josh Alexander from getting involved in the match. This allowed Blanchard to hit Magnum on Page for the win. Earlier in the evening, Page had helped Alexander score the upset victory over Edwards but then Blanchard came out to prevent the 2-on-1 attack from the North. Edwards then repaid the favor to her in this match here.
After the match, however, Michael Elgin hit the ring and took out both Blanchard and Edwards with a clothesline. Elgin attempted to powerbomb Blanchard but Edwards hit him with a kick and the two babyfaces stood tall in the ring while Elgin stared at them from the outside to end the show.
It’s not clear when we will get this match but when we do, Michael Elgin will likely stop at nothing to come away with the belt.
Raven Attacks Tommy Dreamer As Rivalry Will Never Die
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hC_mIbmJSE
Rhino was just about to finish off Madman Fulton with a Gore in the main event of TNA Cross the Line this week. OVE came out and caused the disqualification, however. This brought out Tommy Dreamer who attempted to make the save but OVE still held the numbers advantage until the lights in the arena went out. When the lights came back on Raven was in the ring with a kendo stick and he promptly took out OVE leaving him alone in the ring with his rival Tommy Dreamer.
While it looked as though Raven was going to help his old rival, he then hit him in the head with a kendo stick and left the arena. This allowed OVE to go back on the attack against the babyfaces. The locker room then spilled out with TNA stars as they cleared OVE from the ring.
The TNA No Place Like Home event has been postponed. There is currently no word on when or where the event will take place but Impact is said to be looking into alternative ways to produce both it and the Rebellion PPV as well as other postponed shows. A disclaimer on the show this week directed fans to ImpactWrestling.com for more details.
Big Proper Pump? Scott Steiner Has No Time For Cancel Culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv864iNsfBc
On the TNA special following Impact this week, Scott Steiner cut a promo about how he is not very politically incorrect. This brought out Joseph Ryan who said that Steiner should have been canceled along time ago and offered him a spot in Cancel Culture. Ryan suggested he go by the name “Big Proper Pump.”
Steiner promptly tossed Ryan out of the ring and rejected his offer, however.
Sami Callihan and Tommy Dreamer Get Hardcore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb2MFRlZSmM
Sami Callihan cut a promo this week on Impact saying that Ken Shamrock doesn’t get to cut the line here in this company. This brought out Tommy Dreamer who took umbrage with Callihan hitting Shamrock with a fireball recently. They then went at it in an old-school rules match which in Impact is a hardcore match or a street fight.
Callihan would pick up the victory but things continued after the match was over. Rhino came out to save Dreamer but that brought out the members of OVE who then had the numbers advantage over the extreme legends. It appears that Callihan might not be as aligned with his former cronies as much these days as instead of celebrating in the ring with the faction, the lights went out and when they went back on Callihan was gone and the rest of OVE was left alone standing in the ring.
Cody Deaner Avoids Cancellation via Cancel Culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj_qbAzjCe0
Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes didn’t join their Cancel Culture stablemate “Joseph Ryan” at ringside this week. Josh Mathews explained that the pair did not want to be around the Deaners’ “toxic masculinity.”
Deaner was able to pick up the victory after Cousin Jake got involved on the outside. Jake poured beer into the mouth of Ryan which set up a DDT from Deaner for the win. On commentary, they mentioned that Ryan may not be doing himself any favors by choosing not to use his “powers.”
Suzie’s Back, Realizes She’s Su Yung and Has Stabbed People…Which Is Wrong
"I realize I'm @realsuyung – Su Yung stabbed people and put them in coffins. That's bad."
Suzie is back. Su Yung’s less murderous persona appeared in a backstage segment this week after Su Yung and Havok went on an epic journey through the undead realm last week. Havok ultimately stabbed, killed, and sent James Mitchell to heaven in the segment. This week, Suzie was seen making the Deaners uncomfortable in the back. She mentioned that she now realizes that she is Su Yung as well but likes being just Suzie.
Kylie Rae Signs With Impact Wrestling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHzp80tjWLM
Popular Chicago-based wrestler Kylie Rae has signed a long-term contract with Impact Wrestling. She announced her signing in a backstage segment this week after having disposed of Cassandra Golden in single’s competition.
“I’m going to tell you how it feels, it feels amazing,” Kylie Rae said backstage. “You know what? It’s been one emotional year. We’ve had highs, we’ve had lows, we’ve had ups, we’ve had downs. But I knew from the moment that I stepped in this Impact wrestling ring, the arena, this is my home. I felt that, I felt that. That’s why I’m very proud to announce Kylie Rae just signed a long-term wrestling contract with Impact Wrestling baby!”
Reno Scum Attack Rich Swann On Behalf Of Ace Austin
Rich Swann is still on the injured list but was interviewed from his home this week. Swann said that he feels Mack will defeat Austin for the X-division title but the current champ interrupted the interview. Austin tried to sow the seeds of dissension between Mack and Swann, telling Swann that Mack seemed quite happy to move on without him. There was then a knock at Swann’s door and Austin informed him that he sent Reno Scum after him. Mack then tried to get at Austin later in a backstage segment.
Moose Takes Out TNA Alumni Kid Kash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGTxwmscsVQ
Moose has been vocally critical of the former TNA Wrestling. This week, he faced former X-Division champion Kid Kash. Before the match, Kash cut a promo telling Moose he wouldn’t have cut it in the original TNA. Moose’s trash-talking of TNA probably won’t decrease after this match, however, as he was able to put away Kash with the No-Jackhammer-Needed spear.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
The following matches were announced for next week’s episode of Impact Wrestling:
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the events of the Monday Night RAW. This week’s episode was once again filmed with no live audience, and a lot of the promo work was shot ‘backstage.’
Bully would compare the work between the ‘big 4’ promos on the show; notably Kevin Owens, Edge, Undertaker and Paul Heyman.
Bully Ray on Edge and Undertaker
“‘Takers promo was good, Edge’s promo was great,” Bully Ray began. “They were all [the big four], you know, all of them did a phenomenal job. But there was a reason why Edge’s was better. But man, all of these people talking to us. Edge made me want to put my hands in my pocket and pull out money to plop down on a pay per view.”
This will of course be Edge’s first singles match back in a WWE ring since 2011, following his return from a neck injury that kept him out of action. It was originally believed that Edge would never be able to return, but seemingly he has the fire and passion to cut some of the best promo work of his career over the past few months.
Selling Fans on a PPV
“And whenever I’m teaching students at the Team 3d Academy, and I’m teaching them about the art of the promo? I say I tell them you have one job at the end of this promo” Bully Ray elaborated.
“That one job is that when you’re done talking, no matter what you say, and no matter how long you say it for. Whether that’s one second, one minute, or five minutes. The idea is to make the fan want to put their hands in their pocket and plunk down 20 bucks for a T shirt. Plunk down 50 bucks for a pay per view, plunk down whatever for a ticket. And those four promos last night from ‘Taker, Edge. Owens and Paul? They all made me want to do it.”
“The only part I don’t think I liked? Is when ‘Taker said: ‘you mentioned her.'”
– Bully Ray
Bully Ray would then go into why he felt Edge’s promo was better, citing the fact that Undertaker’s may have felt a little bit more ‘scripted’ in execution. “Taker had me hook line and sinker” Bully began. “The only part I don’t think I liked? Is when ‘Taker said: ‘you mentioned her.’ [He] was telling AJ ‘you mentioned her,’ I knew that he was talking about his wife Michelle. But then when he had to go ahead and say her whole name Michelle McCool? I went, ‘Ah, don’t tell me her whole name I know her whole name already!’ that felt a little forced to me.”
Styles Clash vs Faithbreaker
Ray would then move on to the fact that Undertaker was trying to bring the Styles Clash vs Faithbreaker conversation into the story. With Michelle McCool seemingly ‘borrowing’ AJ’s move in the early 2010’s.
“Bringing up the name of the finish that Michelle McCool used, which is basically the styles clash, I guess she had given another name? That felt a little bit forced.”
“I personally never saw Michelle McCool use the finish. I know they showed me maybe footage once of it. I’m really not associating Michelle McCool with the Styles Clash, so it almost came across to me like Undertaker was really pushing his wife. To get over her. That part right there felt like a little bit of a round peg in a square hole. So that’s why I said his stuff was good because I loved everything that he did. And I especially loved his holy trinity line.”
The overwhelming feeling from both Bully Ray and co-host Dave LaGreca was that the promos from Monday Night RAW were more than enough to convince people to purchase WrestleMania 36 this weekend. For the first time ever the event is being held over two nights, and will now be available to purchase on FITE TV.
Do you feel that Edge’s and Undertaker’s promos were enough to get you to watch WrestleMania this weekend? Let us know in the comments
AEW announced half of the brackets for the upcoming TNT Championship tournament last night on Dark. The other half of the bracket will be announced tonight on Dynamite. The 8-wrestler single-elimination tournament is set to begin on April 8th and is scheduled to conclude at Double or Nothing.
The left-side of the bracket is as follows:
Cody vs Shawn Spears
Darby Allin vs Sammy Guevara
Both matches are rematches from previous AEW PPV events. Darby Allin defeated Sammy Guevara at AEW Revolution. Cody defeated Shawn Spears at AEW All Out.
Tony Khan was quoted in a press release announcing the tournament.
“It’s been a privilege working with Kevin Reilly and TNT to bring fans the best live wrestling show week after week on AEW: DYNAMITE, especially during these tumultuous times,” said Tony Khan, president and CEO of AEW.
“I’m glad we’re now able to announce the TNT CHAMPIONSHIP. The first ever titleholder will be determined by an unforgettable tournament that fans will not want to miss, and that our wrestlers will be desperate to win. I’m excited for the announcement of the full bracket live on Dynamite this week. And, it’s only fitting that the champion and the title belt will carry the logo of the globally-respected TNT brand, and that they’ll represent not only AEW but also the great quality programming, massive reach, and storied history in the wrestling business that are all associated with TNT.”
Kylie Rae was announced as having signed a long-term contract with Impact Wrestling on AXS TV last night. The often-smiling wrestling has appeared on Impact shows in the past but after a single’s victory last night Rae announced in a backstage segment that she had signed with the promotion long-term.
“I’m going to tell you how it feels, it feels amazing,” Kylie Rae said backstage. “You know what? It’s been one emotional year. We’ve had highs, we’ve had lows, we’ve had ups, we’ve had downs. But I knew from the moment that I stepped in this Impact wrestling ring, the arena, this is my home. I felt that, I felt that. That’s why I’m very proud to announce Kylie Rae just signed a long-term wrestling contract with Impact Wrestling baby!”
Kylie defeated Cassandra Golden in single’s action last night on Impact Wrestling.
Rae was briefly a member of the AEW roster, having competed at the first AEW Double or Nothing. AEW President Tony Khan stated in a media scrum at All Out that she had requested her release from the company and was departing under “amicable” terms.
27-year-old Kylie Rae is from the Chicago area where she has been a fixture on the independent scene. She is a 3x Diamonds Division Champion for Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling promotion, a former Phoenix of RISE Champion, and AAW Women’s Champion.
AEW Dynamite returns tonight on TNT. AEW has been holding ’empty arena’ editions of Dynamite the past few weeks at Daily’s Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville, FL. This is due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
As the situation grows more dire, additional restrictions have been placed on public gatherings. It is believed AEW held tapings over the past several days from an undisclosed location somewhere in the southeast United States.
AEW Dynamite Preview (4/1)
AEW TNT Championship Tournament Announcement
AEW will soon introduce a new championship title, the AEW TNT Championship. An 8-man tournament has been announced to crown the first champion. As announced on AEW Dark, the ‘left’ side of the brackets will feature the following matches in the quarterfinals:
Cody vs. Shawn Spears
Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin
Tonight on Dynamite, AEW will reveal the 4 men who will populate the other two quarterfinal matches.
Cody and Darby Allin vs Sammy Guevara and Shawn Spears
Fourif of the TNT Championship tournament participants will be in tag team action. Fan favorites Cody and Darby Allin will square off against Sammy Guevara and Shawn Spears.
Kenny Omega vs. Trent
Kenny Omega, one half of the AEW World tag team champions, will face Trent of the Best Friends.
The Murderhawk Monster Debuts
Lance Archer, the Murderhawk, will make his AEW in-ring debut. He’s managed by Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Archer has his sights set on an eventual showdown with Cody. You can be sure he’s looking to send a message with his first outing in an AEW ring
AEW Dynamite Post Show
Immediately after Dynamite goes off the air, AEW will sent the Dynamite Post Show live on the company’s YouTube channel. Jim Ross, Excalibur and Taz will host.
Join us here after the show for our weekly AEW Dynamite Results & Takeaways.
Kevin Sullivan will be appearing on Jim Cornette’s podcast, Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru, to give his perspective of Nancy Benoit’s story. He will also be interviewed about how the tragedy and its fallout have affected him.
Cornette announced the news during a recent episode of his show. He stressed how he wanted to give Sullivan a platform to address the situation. He believes that the recent episode of Dark Side of the Ring unintentionally painted Sullivan in a negative light. The show premiered with a two-hour special on the Benoit family tragedy.
“The glaring exception was Kevin Sullivan and because he was not there to tell his story, he came off badly, undeservedly so I thought because a lot of us in wrestling know a lot of the backgrounds and more of the personalities and more of the stories than just these knuckleheads that think they know everything on the internet.”
Kevin Sullivan’s Untold Story
Jim Cornette shared how he brought up this issue with the show’s producer Evan Husney and director Jason Eisener. According to Cornette, Kevin Sullivan’s absence from the show can be attributed to either miscommunication or a lack of communication between the parties. Cornette promised that this would be a topic of conversation between himself and Sullivan.
“He didn’t know what the thing was gonna be like and he didn’t know how big this thing was going to become and he didn’t want to upset Nancy’s parents, but anyway now that Evan and Jason was kind of feeling bad that his story was not in there and as both you and I talked, we thought that he undeservedly came off badly because he wasn’t there to talk and just one line saying ‘Kevin Sullivan declined to be interviewed for this show’ made it sound like he had something to hide or he was trying to protect himself, when in actuality it was lot of case it was the other way around.”
Cornette explained that he’s not doing the episode for a “big ratings deal.”
Instead, he hopes that everyone will listen with an open mind in order to hear Kevin Sullivan’s unheard side of the story.
“[…] that’s the one [story] that has not been told, of all of this, that’s the one that hasn’t been told because of Kevin’s desire basically not to hurt the family anymore than they’ve already hurt by all of this…”
