Home Blog Page 897

Bollywood Boyz Share Message From Bret Hart Following WWE Release

Chris Stephens
-
0

The Bollywood Boyz/Singh Brothers were two of several releases made by WWE yesterday. They made their WWE debuts in the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic and then were packaged together with Jinder Mahal in 2017. They would be by his side as he won the WWE Championship that year.

The brothers from Burnaby, British Columbia took to Twitter today to share some comments they received from Bret Hart following their release.

The week before their WWE release, the brothers Tweeted out a picture of Bret Hart wearing their t-shirt.

Before signing with WWE, the Bollywood Boyz competed for TNA’s India based promotion, Ring Ka King in 2011. They also performed for Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling promotion in 2015. They won the promotion’s tag titles that same year. Between the two of them they are also 9x WWE 24/7 title-holders. Sunil has held the title 4x and Samir has held it 5x.

“All the bumps, torn ACL’s, dislocated shoulders, it’s all been worth if for the last 5 years. And how ironic, we finished our last match with a shoulder hanging out of socket It’s fitting we got fired while showing up for wrestling training – we love what we do, with a passion,” the team Tweeted out following their release.

Bayley, Amanda Huber & More Comment On Tyler Breeze’s Release

Chris Stephens
-
0

Tyler Breeze was one of several members of the NXT brand to be released yesterday. The 33-year-old had been with the company since 2010. Several people connected to Breeze have commented on his WWE career and release on social media recently.

Bayley had the following to say regarding Breeze:

“Breeze spent so much time teaching me things in the ring, watching my matches, little details, character work, (and later teaching me in LIFE) that I would literally write WHAT WOULD BREEZE DO on my wrist for my matches,” she Tweeted.

Amanda Huber also spoke about Breeze on Instagram. She mentioned how Breeze was one of the only people who knew from the beginning when Brodie Lee first got sick. Amanda wrote a touching note about how much Breeze’s friendship has meant to her family.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQkXsHkBy7Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=4007e7b2-11b8-4fb7-8a62-1048fe444c92

Breeze and Xavier Woods have also both posted about the friendship they have shared throughout their WWE careers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQkJxpTM58H/?utm_medium=copy_link

“When I met @mmmgorgeous we were in FCW. We were cool but ended up both being injured once and we would keep each other from going insane by waking up and playing borderlands 2 online together. Through this video game we realized that we were the ying to the others yang.”

Universal Title Match Made Official For Money In The Bank

Chris Stephens
-
0

WWE has made the Universal Title match at Money in the Bank official. After Edge returned last night on Smackdown, a title match between him and Roman Reigns on the PPV was made official during Talking Smack.

During the Talking Smack broadcast Seth Rollins was a guest and was not happy about Edge being granted the title shot. Rollins stormed off of the set in response.

Talking Smack aired footage that took place immediately following Smackdown involving Edge confronting Adam Pearce. Edge told Pearce he wants the match that should have happened at WrestleMania and was then granted it.

Updated Money in the Bank Card

The updated card for Money in the Bank is as follows:

  1. WWE Championship
    Bobby Lashley (c) vs Kofi Kingston
  2. RAW Women’s Championship
    Rhea Ripley (c) vs Charlotte Flair
  3. Men’s Money in the Bank 
    John Morrison vs. Ricochet vs. Riddle vs. Big E vs TBD
  4. Women’s Money in the Bank
    Asuka vs. Naomi vs. Nikki Cross vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella vs TBD

The event is scheduled for July 18th from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. It is scheduled to be the 12th such PPV in the Money in the Bank lineage dating back to 2010.

Trent Shares Photo From Neck Fusion Surgery

Chris Stephens
-
0

Trent from the Best Friends took to Twitter today to share post-surgery photos. Evidently, the AEW star had neck fusion surgery recently. He’s been out of action for over 2 months. His last match was on April 21st when he faced Penta El Zero Miedo on Dynamite. There is currently no timetable for his return.

Trent had actually only been back in action for a few weeks after missing 4 months due to a torn pec. He missed from December 16th to April 7th due to that injury.

Trent and the Best Friends In AEW

Mainly due to Trent’s injuries, the Best Friends have spent only 1 week in the AEW top-5 tag-team rankings this year. They were ranked on January 6th, 2021 but haven’t been back in the top-5 since. They’ve only wrestled two 2-on-2 tag matches and both were on Dark: Elevation. The last time the Best Friends challenged for the AEW tag-team titles was in October. They dropped a title match to FTR on the October 14th, 2020 Dynamite show.

As for the other members of the Best Friends squad, Kris Statlander is currently ranked #4 in her division and has a match with the Bunny tonight on Dynamite. Niether Orange Cassidy or Chuck Taylor have matches upcoming on the schedule. Cassidy beat Cezar Bononi last week in singles competition and is currently ranked #3 in his division, however.

Several WWE Performance Center Recruits Receive New Ring Names

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Several recently-signed WWE Superstars have received new ring names.

According to the Roster section of the WWE Performance Center website, the following changes have been made:

  • Harlem Bravado is now Andre Chase
  • Drew and Jacob Kasper are now Brutus and Julius Creed
  • Avery Taylor is now Jacy Jayne

The United States Patent & Trademark Office database shows that WWE filed to trademark all four ring names earlier this month (June 11th).

Julius Creed (Jacob Kasper)

Dg5ewN U0AAPmsA?format=jpg&name=small

Hopefully all four of these talented athletes have bright futures in WWE. The company has high hopes for Julius Creed (Jacob Kasper) in particular, a two-time All American heavyweight wrestler from Duke University.

Last October, former WWE agent Gerry Brisco told ESPN that Kasper reminds him of a young John Cena.

“In my nearly 50 years in the wrestling business, I have seen only a few wrestlers who have such powerful personalities that when they come into a room, everyone there knows that person has arrived,” Brisco said. “Jacob Kasper has that type of personality, and he reminds me in many ways of a young John Cena.”

Nikki Cross Reacts To WWE Releasing Her Husband Killian Dain

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Superstar Nikki Cross took to social media to react publicly to her husband Killian Dain being released from WWE yesterday.

Dain had been part of the NXT brand over the past year, where he was teaming with Drake Maverick. The duo had adopted an ‘odd couple’ type of gimmick, with Maverick of course being the far smaller of the pair and more of comedy type character.

“The whole world is waiting for you my love” Nikki Cross tweeted in reaction to Killian Dain being released. “I have seen your talent, your experience, your versatility, your work, your passion, your dedication, And your heart, first hand and up close.”

“I have the best seat in the house, I can’t wait to watch you unleashed. My man [heart emoji]” Cross would conclude.

Nikki Cross on Killian Dain

Nikki Cross and Killian Dain were both previously part of the Sanity stable in NXT. The group had a successful run on the gold and black brand, but notably they were underutilized and discarded quite quickly on the main roster of WWE.

With Dain now gone, Nikki Cross remains the only member of Sanity still contracted with WWE, as Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe were also previously released from the company.

Prior to signing with WWE, Killian Dain/Big Damo was a mainstay on the European independent scene, topping the card for the likes of Rev Pro, What Culture Pro Wrestling and OTT.

Damo issued his own response to the release, saying that “chip is back on my shoulder” and that his email was open for media and booking enquiries.

The now former Killian Dain also confirmed that he has a 90-day no compete clause, whereas some of the other talent that were released had either 30-60.

Xavier Woods Reacts To WWE Releasing Tyler Breeze

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Superstar Xavier Woods took to Instagram to react to the release of his friend and UpUpDownDown co-host, Tyler Breeze. It was confirmed yesterday that Breeze would no longer be working for the company, and his tag team partner Fandango was also one of the names let go in yet another round of WWE releases.

Here’s the full comments from Woods regarding his friend being released from the company:

“When I met @mmmgorgeous we were in FCW. We were cool but ended up both being injured once and we would keep each other from going insane by waking up and playing borderlands 2 online together. Through this video game we realized that we were the ying to the others yang. Started talking and hanging out more and realized I was really charismatic but not the best wrestler and he was an amazing wrestler but not the most charismatic. We fit together like puzzle pieces and began learning from each other. Some coaches told me quite a few times to “watch who I hang out with”, “distance yourself from that guy”, “why would you wanna tag with him? He’s not going to help your career”.

Xavier Woods on Tyler Breeze

Some even tried lying in an attempt to put us against each other. We never understood it but by never letting anyone ever get to us he taught me how to be better in the ring and I helped him bring out his natural charisma. Since then every step my @wwe career Matt has literally always been there right with me no matter what. He pushes me to get better and to believe in myself when I don’t. I’m not sure where I’d be in life if he wasn’t in mine. Today sucks. It really sucks. But I’m happy because now my incredibly talented friend gets to whatever he wants to do and I’m so happy that he has that freedom. Love you man!”

It is not currently known if Tyler Breeze will remain with UpUpDownDown or if Woods is alluding to a new video game venture in his statement. Jessamyn Duke was released from WWE as a contracted Superstar but remained with the YouTube channel.

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Austin Creed (@austincreedwins)

WWE SmackDown Results (6/25): Edge Attacks Roman Reigns, MITB Qualifiers

Robert Lentini
-
0

WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome in Tampa, Florida. Roman Reigns held a State of the Universal Championship Address tonight on SmackDown. Big E squared off against Apollo Crews in a Money in the Bank Qualifying Match. It was also announced that Sami Zayn will face Kevin Owens in a Last Man Standing Match Money in the Bank Qualifier next week.

SmackDown Results (6/25)

  1. Bayley & Seth Rollins def. Bianca Belair & Cesaro
  2. Big E def. Apollo Crews to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  3. Liv Morgan def. Carmella to qualify for the MITB Ladder Match
  4. Jimmy Uso def. Dolph Ziggler

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Jey Uso Didn’t Show Up

Paul Heyman was backstage and said that Dominik and Rey will not be here tonight but will be acknowledging the Tribal Chief from their hospital beds. Jimmy Uso arrived and Roman wondered where Jey was. Jimmy claimed that Jey is a no show. Jimmy added that he talked to Jey on the phone and he said he isn’t coming back.

Reigns got pissed off and boasted about taking him from being “one of the Usos” to “Main Event Uso”. Roman said that it was unacceptable for Jey to not show up and Jimmy noted that he is here tonight. Jimmy said he is not anybody’s bitch but will help Reigns tonight. Roman asked if Jimmy was offering to be his right hand man. Jimmy didn’t say that but did say that he can do what his brother does. Reigns told Jimmy to prove it and he walked away.

Bayley Pinned The SmackDown Women’s Champion

SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair & Cesaro faced Bayley & Seth Rollins in the first match of the night. Bianca said that we are just a couple weeks away from returning to crowds before turning her attention to Bayley. Belair noted that she beat Bayley at Hell in a Cell and cannot stop smiling about it.

Seth Rollins interrupted with a grin on his face and bragged about his victory over Cesaro at Hell in a Cell. Rollins suggested that Bianca’s win over Bayley at Hell in a Cell was a fluke and then Bayley interrupted.

Bayley made her way to the ring and called Bianca Belair a “pathetic loser”. Bianca responded with a punch to the face and Bayley fell down. Bayley hid behind Rollins and then tackled Bianca. Cesaro rushed the ring and attacked Rollins. Cesaro threw Rollins to the outside and started trash talking with Bayley.

When SmackDown returned from a break, Rollins and Cesaro started off the action. Seth went for a Crossbody but Cesaro countered into a Backbreaker. Bayley and Bianca Belair then tagged in and traded shots. Bianca took control with a Backbreaker of her own and followed it up with a standing Moonsault for a near fall.

Bayley tried to buy some time and rolled out of the ring. The SmackDown Women’s Champion followed her out there and Bayley sent her into the barricade. When SmackDown returned from a break, Bayley was in control of the match and Belair was selling an arm injury.

Bayley focused her attack on the arm for a bit until Cesaro tagged in. Cesaro knocked Rollins off the apron and delivered an uppercut to his face outside the ring. Back in the ring, Cesaro hit a Crossbody off the top turnbuckle for a two count. Cesaro hit the Swing and went for a Sharpshooter but Bayley distracted him. Rollins capitalized with a roll-up for a two count.

Bianca set up for the KOD but Rollins hopped in the ring for a distraction. Bayley hit Belair with a chop block to the knee and followed it up with the Rose Plant for the pinfall victory.

Pat McAfee Hilariously Celebrated Shinsuke Nakamura

Boogs brought his guitar into the ring and introduced Nakamura as not just the King of Strong Styles but the one true king of WWE. Boogs shredded the guitar as Pat McAfee pounded a couple of water bottles as if they were beers. McAfee shouted “here’s to the king!” as Nakamura danced around.

Baron Corbin was then interviewed backstage by Kayla Braxton. Corbin was devastated watching Nakamura dance around with the crown on his head. Braxton didn’t know if she should call him King Corbin or not. Corbin said that he has lost it all and not just his crown. Baron then wondered what’s the point and sulked away.

Big E Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Big E faced Apollo Crews tonight in a Money in the Bank Qualifying Match. Commander Azeez was ringside for the match. Big E sent Crews through the ropes and the Intercontinental Champion landed in front of Commander Azeez. Crews connected with a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, the champ was still in control and hit Big E with a Dropkick for a two count. Apollo followed it up with a Suplex for another near fall. Big E battled back with a Belly to Belly Suplex and followed it up with a Splash. Crews connected with three German Suplexes in a row and went for the cover but somehow Big E kicked out at two.

Big E locked in a Stretch Muffler submission but Crews reached the ropes with help from Azeez. Apollo hit an Enziguri and then a Frog Splash for a near fall. The action spilled to the outside and Big E planted Crews with a Uranage. Commander Azeez tried to hit Big E with the Nigerian Nail but the referee caught him.

The referee kicked Commander Azeez out from ringside but Apollo capitalized on the distraction with a roll-up for a two count. Big E got up and hit the Big Ending for the pinfall victory. Big E has qualified for the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Seth Rollins Wants A Universal Title Shot

Seth Rollins approached Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce backstage. Rollins brought up Reigns’ State of the Universal Championship Address later and said he wanted to be the Tribal Chief’s next challenger.

Rollins added that he has never been more prepared in his life and claimed that nobody else on the roster deserves a title shot more than him. Pearce told Seth that they are not ready to make a decision yet but Deville added that they will take it under advisement.

Liv Morgan Qualified For The MITB Ladder Match

Sonya Deville introduced Carmella as the first selection for the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Carmella bragged that she is a two time MITB winner and claimed that she is the most beautiful woman in WWE. Carmella offered Sonya a redo on her intro but Liv Morgan interrupted.

Liv noted that she defeated Carmella last week and that she should be in the ladder match. Carmella joked that the Money in the Bank Ladder Match is for real stars and Liv got angry. Liv slapped Carmella in the face and the two superstars were about to brawl but Sonya Deville broke it up. Sonya said that Liv Morgan can prove that she deserves to be in the match by facing Carmella now. Carmella got annoyed but Deville said she will not be removing Carmella from the Ladder Match as SmackDown went to a break.

Carmella was in control of the match when SmackDown returned. Carmella connected with some kicks to the face in the corner of the ring as Women’s Tag Team Champions Tamina & Natalya were shown watching backstage. Liv exploded out of the corner with a Clothesline for a two count. Carmella got Liv in a head scissors but Morgan countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory. Carmella demanded to be announced as the most beautiful girl in WWE after the loss.

Jimmy Uso def. Dolph Ziggler

Jimmy Uso squared off against Dolph Ziggler tonight on SmackDown. Earlier on the show, Jimmy was pacing around backstage trying to figure out what Roman Reigns meant by telling him to “prove it”. Heyman told Jimmy that they will pick an opponent for him tonight and Jimmy vowed to win. Paul told Jimmy that he better win now or it could be very bad for him.

Jimmy controlled the action early and leveled Dolph with a shoulder tackle. Jimmy followed it up with an Enziguri and went for the cover but Dolph kicked out at two. Ziggler booted Jimmy in the face and then a Dropkick for a two count. Dolph slowed things down and applied a Sleeper Hold in the middle of the ring.

Uso escaped but Ziggler connected with a kick and an Elbow Drop for another two count. Jimmy sent Ziggler out of the ring and delivered a Suicide Dive to Robert Roode that sent him over the announce desk. Dolph capitalized with a Zig Zag on the steel steps as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Ziggler went for a Neckbreaker but Jimmy countered with a Clothesline. Jimmy went for a Superkick but Dolph got out of the way and hit another Zig Zag for a near fall. Jimmy then connected with a big Superkick for the pinfall victory.

Edge Returned & Attacked Roman Reigns

Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman were shown watching Jimmy’s victory. Jimmy made his way backstage and wanted Reigns’ thoughts on the victory. Roman smirked but didn’t say a damn thing. Reigns started to head to the ring and Jimmy followed him. Paul stopped him and said to let Reigns have the spotlight. Heyman then patted Jimmy on the chest and said “you did great” several times as if Jimmy were a child.

Roman Reigns made his way to the ring with Heyman for the State of the Universal Title Address. Heyman rolled highlights of Reigns destroying Dominik and Rey Mysterio on recent episodes of SmackDown and ran down the list of superstars Reigns has defeated (Kevin Owens, The Fiend, Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Edge, Cesaro, The Mysterios).

Paul said that Roman Reigns has taken out the entire division in less than a year and that they now have to do something that has never been done on network TV. Heyman handed Reigns the microphone but Edge’s music hit. Edge made his return and rushed the ring.

Edge sent Reigns to the apron and hit him with a Clothesline. Edge bounced Roman’s face off the announce table a few times but Reigns responded with a Superman Punch. Roman grabbed a chair but turned around into a Spear from Edge. Jimmy then got Speared through the barricade by Edge as Reigns retreated up the ramp. Edge shouted that he is right here if Reigns wants a fight to close the show.

Edge Returns On WWE Friday Night SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Edge made his return on Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown in the final segment of the show. 

Paul Heyman did a promo about how the WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns had beaten everyone and listed those who he has defeated in his title reign from Kevin Owens to Daniel Bryan to Edge and more. This led to the WWE Hall of Famer coming out to get into a brawl with Reigns. 

Both guys got their spots in. Edge hit a spear to Reigns then went to hit Reigns with duel chairs, but Jimmy Uso ran out to make the save and attack Edge. Moments later, Edge speared Jimmy through the barricade and had a staredown with Reigns, who was selling on the stage. Edge yelled that he’s right here to end the show. 

It appears that this will be the main event from the SmackDown side for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 18, 2021 from Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena, which will have fans. 

Edge was last seen in the triple threat title match with Reigns and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 37 that saw “The Big Dog” retain his championship. 

SmackDown Stars Added To Money In The Bank Ladder Matches

Andrew Ravens
-
0

WWE held the first set of SmackDown qualifying matches to determine some of the participants for the Money in the Bank ladder matches.

Sonya Deville announced that Carmella will be in the women’s match as she is a two-time women’s Money in the Bank winner. Liv Morgan made it known that she was not pleased with Deville’s announcement and argued that she beat Carmella last week that she deserved to be in the match as well. 

This set up a situation where Deville declared that if Liv defeated Carmella again, she would be added to the match. That happened on this show. 

For the men’s ladder match, Big E beat Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews in a qualifying match. 

Raw stars Asuka, Naomi, Alex Bliss, and Nikki Cross have already qualified for the women’s match while Ricochet, Matt Riddle, John Morrison from Raw are in the men’s match. 

WWE presents the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, July 18, 2021 from Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena that will air on Peacock. WWE will be announcing more competitors for these matches in the coming weeks.

Backstage Details On Latest WWE Talent Releases

Andrew Ravens
-
0

WWE released 13 Superstars on Friday – Killian Dain, The Bollywood Boyz (Sunil Singh, Samir Singh), Marina Shafir, Arturo Ruas, Curt Stallion, Fandango, Tyler Breeze, Ever-Rise (Chase Parker, Matt Martel), Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, and August Grey.

WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan led a meeting at WWE Headquarters about the decision to do another round of talent releases. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reports there were apparently more names set to be released that had not been confirmed.

There were some wrestlers who were “saved” from the chopping block at the last minute.

The 205 Live wrestlers that got cut were on higher contracts than WWE had been giving out for work on that brand as of late. Just like the other talent releases, these cuts were a part of ongoing budget cuts ahead of the company going back on the road next month. 

Dain and Nese are under a 90-day non-compete clause while Grey has a 30-day non-compete clause.

Wrestlers who are under the 30-day non-competes will become free agents after Friday, July 25 while those under the 90-day non-compete clauses will be free agents after Thursday, September 23.

WWE Had Plans The Works For Marina Shafir Before She Was Released

Andrew Ravens
-
0

WWE had plans in the works for Marina Shafir, but that has been nixed as WWE released her on Friday afternoon. 

Pwinsider.com reports that WWE had plans to change her ring name and there were some pitches about the new name in recent weeks in addition to the plans for her. It was said her release came as a surprise. 

She signed with WWE back in May 2018 and last wrestled on WWE 205 Live on January 29 when she teamed with Zoey Stark for a loss to Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart in a tournament match for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles.

She was seen with her husband, Roderick Strong, several weeks ago on an episode of NXT TV when there was a backstage segment where Strong said he was “done” with the brand. However, this past Tuesday night, he returned as part of The Diamond Mine, but Shafir was nowhere to be seen.

Killian Dain, The Bollywood Boyz (Sunil Singh, Samir Singh), Arturo Ruas, Curt Stallion, Fandango, Tyler Breeze, Ever-Rise (Chase Parker, Matt Martel), Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, and August Grey were also released today.

Shafir has yet to publicly comment on her release. 

WWE Releases Fandango, Tyler Breeze, Tony Nese & More

Chris Stephens
-
0

WWE released another round of talent on Friday, June 25th, according to Mike Johnson and Sean Ross Sapp. The list of releases includes:

  • Fandango
  • Tyler Breese
  • Tony Neese
  • Ariya Daivari
  • Tony Nese
  • Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel)
  • August Grey
  • Singh Brothers (Bollywood Boyz)
  • Marina Shafir
  • Killian Dain
  • Arturo Ruas
  • Curt Stallion

Several of the released performers addressed their situations on social media.

Fandango

Fandango’s last match came on an episode of NXT taped on June 15th. Along with Tyler Breeze, Fandango defeated Imperium.

Tyler Breeze

Breeze had been with WWE since 2010, when he made his debut for Florida Championship Wrestling. He’s a former NXT Tag Team Champion with Fandango.

Tony Nese

Tony Nese last wrestled on an episode of 205 Live taped on June 15th. He lost to Ikemen Jiro on the show. Daivari’s last match was the week prior where he teamed with Nese and defeated the team of Ari Sterling & Asher Hale.

Nese is a former 1x WWE Cruiserweight Champion. He defeated Buddy Murphy on the WrestleMania 35 Kickoff show to win the belt. Nese had originally been hired by the company in 2016 for the Cruiserweight Classic and subsequent launch of 205 Live.

Ariya Daivari

Daivari was also signed to WWE in 2016 for the Cruiserweight Classic that year and subsequent launch of 205 Live. His older brother, Shawn Daivari, currently works as a producer for WWE.

News of WWE cutting several cruiserweight wrestlers comes at the same time there are reports that NXT plans to put greater emphasis on the division. The Diamond Mine and KUSHIDA are both expected to play a major role in the division moving forward.

Ever-Rise

Ever Rise, Chase Parker & Matt Martel, lost to Hit Row on this week’s episode of NXT. They recently signed new contracts with WWE.

WWE Releases Writer Who Said She Was Not Required To Know Anything About Wrestling

Chris Stephens
-
0

WWE has let go writer Kenice Mobley. This comes after comments the comedian made on the “Asian Not Asian” podcast where she said WWE did not require her to know anything about wrestling.

News of Mobley’s release was reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.

What Did Kenice Mobley Say?

Earlier this month, Mobley appeared on the Asian Not Asian podcast and spoke about her new job on the WWE creative team.

“Yes, I have just been hired by WWE. Given the things that you know about me and my entire life and what I’m into, yes [that’s surprising]. Yes, also a surprise for me. They did not require me to know anything about wrestling but I do have a background in film production and comedy writing and they’re like, ‘Perfect. Come on in,” she said (Transcriptions via Post Wrestling).

She continued to talk about being assigned to the WWE RAW team. Mobley then commented on WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and the Hurt Business.

“So I am on the Monday Night Raw team. So there’s Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown and the people I know that are on it are Bobby — his name is either Bobby Ashley or Bobby Lashley and I really should know that. He’s like this giant Black guy and he and the people who are part of his crew, I know that they call — or at least as of last year, they called themselves The Hurt Business. The Hurt Business. They wear suits and they’re like, ‘We’re cool.’”

Mobley doing standup on the Tonight Show can be viewed below:

H/T POST Wrestling

Update On Becky Lynch’s WWE Return and Why She Missed WrestleMania

Chris Stephens
-
0

Leading up to WrestleMania, it was reported that plans were in place for Becky Lynch to return during the event. That never happened, however. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lynch’s return at Mania didn’t happen because she was in the process of negotiating a new deal with WWE.

“Lynch wasn’t used at WrestleMania as first talked about and teased by her because they were waiting for her to sign a new deal, which is now in effect and because they felt it was too early to debut her before she would be back wrestling,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The report would also say that Lynch’s return to WWE is expected to happen soon. She has been training at the Performance Center and was backstage at Hell in a Cell.

Previously, it was mentioned in the Observer that Lynch would return at Mania in a segment that had something to do with a big vehicle akin to Austin’s beer truck or Kurt Angle’s milk truck. A talking segment with Bayley would have been where she made her return.

Lynch herself sent out several teasers on Twitter in the build to WrestleMania that she would be there. She sent out the below Tweet teasing she’d appear on Night 1 of Mania this year:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1380641408269250561

WWE Announces UK Tour In September

Chris Stephens
-
0

WWE is heading back to the UK in September. The company has just announced a 4-show tour from September 19 to the 22nd.

  • Newcastle – Utilita Arena (Sunday, September 19, 2021)
  • London – The O2 (Monday, September 20, 2021),
  • Cardiff – Motorpoint Arena (Tuesday, September 21, 2021)
  • Glasgow – The SSE Hydro (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)

WWE made a point to note that this will be a “Smackdown tour.” Promotional materials for the tour include only Smackdown roster members. It is rumored that WWE could have a draft that takes place at the end of August or beginning of September, however.

WWE has not been in the United Kingdom since November of 2019. A tour had been scheduled for May of 2020 but was postponed due to the global pandemic.

The tour will conclude with a return to Scotland for former WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre in Glasgow. McIntyre spoke with Talk Sport last year about his goal of bringing a WWE PPV back to the UK.

“This situation has affected a lot of plans, let’s just say things were looking positive and when things are looking a little bit more normal, I’ll be pushing once again because, we’re on the right path and it’s not a case of if it will happen, it’s when it will happen.  We’ve just got to roll with the punches right now and eventually we will get that UK PPV we deserve,” McIntyre said in the interview.

NJPW Announces Fans To Attend Strong Tapings In Long Beach

Chris Stephens
-
0

NJPW has announced that for the first time ever, episodes of New Japan Strong will be filmed in front of live fans on August 16th. The show will take place from Thunder Studio in Long Beach.

NJPW has revealed that “extremely limited tickets” will start on June 30th. They are also advertising that 9 matches will take place on the show. General admission seats are $60 with ringside seats going for as much as $120.

NJPW listed the following names as being on the show:

  • NEVER Openweight Champion: ‘Switchblade’ Jay White
  • STRONG Openweight Champion ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor
  • ‘Flamboyant’ Juice Robinson
  • ‘The Man of the Hour’ Lio Rush
  • Shota Umino
  • Ren Narita
  • ‘Mr. No Days Off’ Fred Rosser
  • ‘The Alpha Wolf’ Karl Fredericks
  • ‘Wild Rhino’ Clark Connors
  • ‘Young Gun’ Hikuleo

“Premiering in August 2020 on NJPW World and FITE, NJPW STRONG began without a live crowd, but has quickly become critically acclaimed and a favorite of fans around the world,” an NJPW press release reads.

The show will be part of NJPW’s “Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021” series of episodes of Strong. The New Japan Strong tapings will take place 2 days after the Resurgence event from The Torch at the LA Coliseum.

Impact Results 6/24: Tommy Dreamer Has A New Role In The Company

Chris Stephens
-
0

Impact Wrestling on 6/24 featured a tag-team title match and Tommy Dreamer receiving a new role in the company. The promotion is continuing to build to Slammiversary on July 17th.

Impact 6/24 Quick Results:

  1. Rosemary defeated Tasha Steelz
  2. Deonna Purrazzo defeated Susan
  3. Rohit Raju & Shera defeated Petey Williams & Trey Miguel
  4. Jake Something defeated Sam Beale
  5. Impact Tag Team Championships
    Violent By Design (Deaner & Joe Doering) defeated Satoshi Kojima & Eddie Edwards

Rosemary and Havok Move Closer To Tag Title Shot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nSdGwJt_Zw

After Rosemary and Havok dumped Fire N Flava in the trash last week (where they discovered a bag labelled “Mickie James”) Rosemary took on Tasha Steelz in singles action to kick off this week’s show. After Kiera Hogan attempted to get involved from the outside, Havok came to ringside in support of Rosemary. Rosemary then picked up a victory with her double-underhook slam finish she’s titled “As Above So Below.”

Josh Matthews noted on commentary that this result moves Havok and Rosemary closer to a title shot.

Tommy Dreamer To Serve As An Impact Consultant For Anthem

Last week on Impact, Anthem sent a representative to deal with the Don Callis situation. That representative turned out to be Tommy Dreamer. This week, it was revealed by Dreamer himself that Anthem has asked him to stay on as a consultant and he will oversee operations in the wrestling promotion. How this will impact Scott D’Amore’s role is not immediately clear.

Deonna Purrazzo is Done With Susan & Kimber Lee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL2_6VvCOCI

The Knockouts Champion said she was done with Kimber Lee and Susan last week and this week she faced Susan in singles competition. Purrazzo picked up the win with the Fujiwara armbar and then continued the assault after the match. She left the ring area shouting at both Kimber Lee and Susan that she was done with them.

Don Callis and Tommy Dreamer Agree To Huge Main Event Next Week

Don Callis visited with Tommy Dreamer in a backstage segment and said there were no hard feelings over his firing last week. Callis then issued a challenge for next week with Tommy Dreamer fielding a team of guys to go up against Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers. As the show would go on, Moose, Sami Callihan, and Chris Sabin would be revealed as the members of Team Dreamer.

Sides Being Taken In The X-Division

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPItR3OSurE

The return of Ultimate-X at Slammiversary has the X-Division all at odds with each other. Chris Bey said in a backstage segment this week that he’s not going to choose sides and that’s what’s going to help him become a 2x X-Division Champion. Petey Williams and Trey Miguel told him he better pick a side before a side picks him.

Later in the show, Rohit Raju and Shera would defeat Williams and Miguel following a distraction form the outside by Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. The heels continued the assault after the match but this brought out X-Division Champion Josh Alexander for the save. He succumbed to the numbers disadvantage as well, however. Meanwhile, Chris Bey watched from the ramp but chose not to get involved.

Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace Hash Things Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rpf-IuagLY

After winning but then losing the Knockouts Tag Team titles in quick succession, Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace have had their problems in recent weeks. This week, Ellering opened up to Grace about their string of losses and problems with Tenille Dashwood. Jazz came out to help settle things between the two. Grace eventually said she needed time to think and headed to the back. Then Dashwood and Kaleb came out but Ellering was not in the mood this week. She challenged Dashwood to a singles match and then her and Jazz cleared the heels out of the ring.

Jake Something Defeats Sam Beale Despite Brian Myers’ Coaching

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3z9my6qVdY

Brian Myers is serving as something of a mentor for Sam Beale at the moment. It didn’t help Beale much this week, however, as he was defeated by Jake Something. After the match, Myers’ lesson to Beale was that in order for him to be a success, he must do the opposite of what Something does.

Violent By Design Retain Tag Titles Over Satoshi Kojima & Eddie Edwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjth2H5fia8

Eddie Edwards teamed with NJPW’s Satoshi Kojima this week and challenged the tag champions from Violent By Design. Eric Young’s stable uses the Freebird rule to defend the titles and this week it was Deaner and Joe Doering who did so.

After a back and forth title clash, it seemed as though Edwards and Kojima had VBD right where they wanted them. Edwards charged out of the corner to hit Doering with the Boston Knee Party but the big man countered it into a sit down power-bomb for the 3-count. It was a convincing win for Violent By Design. They closed the show by celebrating on the stage with the belts.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Next week:

  1. TJP & Fallah Bah vs Willie Mack & Rich Swann
  2. Chris Bey vs Petey Williams
  3. Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs Sami Callihan, Moose & Chris Sabin

Slammiversary (July 17th):

  1. Impact World Championship
    Kenny Omega (c) vs Sami Callihan
  2. X-Division Championship
    Ultimate-X
    Josh Alexander (c) vs Rohit Raju vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Ace Austin vs Petey Williams
  3. Moose vs Chris Sabin

Recently Released NXT Star Ezra Judge Signs for MLW

Alex Laybourne
-
0

Former WWE developmental talent Ezra Judge has landed himself a spot on the MLW roster following his release in May. The announcement was made on Twitter by MLW founder Court Bauer. Ezra Judge will be going by his real name in MLW, having adopted the Judge surname in WWE.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1408206792446906370

The 6’8 former NFL player signed for WWE in 2019. He never made it to the main roster and was released during the cuts in May 2021.

Ezra Judge came into wrestling fairly late in life. Having started out playing college football and was eventually drafted into the IFL. Following a short stint in football, Judge turned to bodybuilding. Picking up a few wins on the NPC circuit before turning to the IFBB Pro Tour in 2016. He placed 3rd in the Lou Ferrigno Classic that year, his highest placing in a bodybuilding competition.

Sports have been in Ezra Judge’s life since childhood, excelling in most disciplines through school, earning double letters in both track and baseball before his football days.

Signing for WWE was his first experience in wrestling. MLW will certainly offer him a very different working environment, but one a man of his size and build could thrive within.

The Judge will be a surprise package for many, as his wrestling career is still in its infancy, and at 32 years old, he still has the time needed to craft a character and skillset. Ezra Judge was held in high regard within WWE, and his NXT release was a surprise. He was picked up in the 6th round of the recent MLW draft, and will no doubt be eager to get in the ring and show exactly what he can do.

WWE Smackdown To Air From Madison Square Garden On September 10th

Chris Stephens
-
0

WWE will be headed back to Madison Square Garden on Friday, September 10th, 2021. According to a report from PW Insider, their sources from MSG have confirmed WWE will run Smackdown from the world’s most famous arena on that date.

It will be the first time WWE has run the venue since December of 2019. WWE typically runs a show at MSG every December 26th but it was cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

WWE presented both a RAW and a Smackdown from Madison Square Garden in 2019. They had previously just been running house shows in the venue dating back to Survivor Series 2011.

AEW’s NYC Debut Just Days Later

WWE’s show in New York will come just weeks before AEW presents a show from Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, September 22nd.

AEW President Tony Khan commented on AEW’s NYC debut in a press release sent in to SEScoops earlier this month.

“We wanted our first show in New York City to be extraordinary and epic in scale, and there’s no better venue to bring out the best in our talent and creativity than the iconic USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.”

Khan continued, “We love the concept of wrestling in a non-traditional venue and placing our AEW ring on center court in the awe-inspiring Arthur Ashe Stadium. I can’t wait for fans to experience our live AEW DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM show in one of the coolest venues on the planet.”

Kenny Omega and Andrade Trade Jabs On Twitter

Chris Stephens
-
0

Kenny Omega and Andrade will face off for the AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania in August. Omega doesn’t feel Andrade has done enough to challenge for his AEW World Championship, however. Omega responded to a Tweet from AEW and noted that Andrade hasn’t done enough to earn a shot.

“I checked the win/loss record. He ain’t even close. Wins and losses count here, brah,” Omega Tweeted.

“I got tired of being in a company that only talks like you, I decided to resign to demonstrate my success in the ring, mr win….” Andrade responded.

Kenny Omega vs Andrade

Andrade made his first post-WWE appearances on June 12th and 13th for RGR Lucha Libre. On night 1, he teamed with El Idolo and Piloto Suicida to defeat the team of El Hijo del Santo, Misterioso & Rey Leon. On night 2, he teamed with Misterioso in a loss to El Hijo del Santo & Piloto Suicida.

As for Omega, he’s been said to be dealing with multiple nagging injuries at the moment. His last match was for Impact at Against All Odds when he defeated Moose. His last match in AEW was the world title match at Double or Nothing on May 30th.

Shayna Baszler Comments On “Juggling Act” To Remain True To Her Roots

Chris Stephens
-
0

Shayna Baszler has 26 professional MMA fights on her record. She also went through a very old-school training to prepare her for professional wrestling. Now, however, Baszler is on RAW where she has been involved in an angle with supernatural aspects to it. Baszler lost to Alexa Bliss at Hell in a Cell and has also had run-ins with Bliss’ doll Lilly.

Baszler recently spoke to Sports Illustrated. She talked about coming from an old-school background and juggling the storylines she’s been working on RAW.

“It’s always been a constant juggling act, and that’s not just on Raw,” Baszler said. “That’s also [been the case in] my time in NXT and the indies. I come from a very old-school professional wrestling tradition. Josh Barnett and Billy Robinson were my main coaches, and they’re really, really old-school.”

“It’s been a juggling act to stay true to my martial lineage in professional wrestling, that style I bring where people believe what I do.”

“It’s special. There are wrestlers that work for 20 years to build that legitimacy in the eyes of the fans, and I have it when I come through the curtain.”

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1406782686803468292

Shayna Baszler On Staying True To Her Martial Lineage

Baszler continued to talk about if she feels that Billy Robinson would support what she is doing in WWE.

“I always think about Billy when I get in the ring,” Baszler said. “After he passed away [in 2014], I remember Josh saying, ‘At the end of the day, if Billy would look at it and nod his head, then you’re doing fine.’ I hope Billy would be understanding that I’m trying to do this balancing act between my old-school, pure wrestling style and the way it’s presented on TV today.”

Baszler would say that she’s just trying to show that she can be counted on to work with what she is given.

“I need to show that I can be counted on to nail whatever it is I’m being asked to do,” Baszler says. “It’s easy to be a badass tyrant like I was in NXT. I can totally fit that role. After establishing myself as that, it’s important to show I can cover a wide range of what professional wrestling is today.”

Baszler and her partner Nia Jax were defeated by Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss on RAW. The result of the match means Bliss and Cross have both qualified for the MOney in the Bank ladder match.

Nikita Koloff Believes the Art of Professional Wrestling is Dead

Alex Laybourne
-
0

It is not uncommon for older generations to sit back and reflect on how times have changed. On how the old ways were the best. This is especially prevalent in the field of professional wrestling. An industry where times have very much changed. Talking in a recent interview with Wrestling Inc former NWA and WCW star Nikita Koloff spoke about how he feels the art of professional wrestling has died.

“[There is a reason] why the product looks like it does today versus what many, many, many of the fans of the ‘80s and early ‘90s have told me is the golden age of wrestling,” noted Koloff. “And what they’ve done, because of writers, who write matches and write interviews, they set [up]… what wasn’t so much a decline as it was a transition in the business, from taking creative control from the wrestler. Where I had the ability to go in the ring and tell a story spontaneously in the ring. If the fan wasn’t buying into it, I could change it up in a second in the ring and do something different. So, I learned that pretty quick.”

His comments are certainly understandable, when looking at WWE and the tight control they insist upon. However, there could be a counter argument made that times are changing, and the ‘old ways’ or wrestling are coming back.

AEW have already proven that you can be successful by giving the wrestlers creative freedom. Now, with the ‘forbidden door’ now open – or re-opened – the territorial days of yesteryear might just be upon us again.

Nikita Koloff Believes The Clarity Around Wrestlers Ruins the Storytelling

Nikita Koloff continued to talk about how fan reaction and involvement was also not what it used to be. Citing the decline of the mystique of wrestling, and the death of kayfabe as a reason for the way modern professional wrestling is falling flat.

“Even when you watch fan reaction back then, that’s the difference of why the fans even reacted differently back then versus now. Because now [wrestling] is so exposed, right? Everybody knows the match is written out and they go in and perform it. And again, taking nothing away from their athletic ability, but if the fan is not buying into the match, you’re still gong through all the spots and the whole deal. Whether they’re buying into it or not.

“And that’s the main difference why the product looks like it does today versus the product back then. I think, personally, it mainly has to do with no more ring psychology. That art has died.”

There is undoubtedly some validity to Nikita Koloff’s claims. However, there are still enough moments of genuine shock in the world of wrestling to remove the certainty of his comments. There is still an emotional investment in matches. This proves that in certain circles at least, the art of professional wrestling is alive and well.  

Nick Gage Says That He “Respects” Matt Cardona Ahead of GCW Homecoming

Jake Skudder
-
0

GCW Champion and Deathmatch King Nick Gage recently appeared on the NotSam Wrestling podcast. The Game Changer Wrestling Champ discussed a number of topics on the show, including his upcoming opponent for GCW Homecoming, Matt Cardona.

Cardona recently appeared at GCW’s Zombie Walk event, hiding under a ‘druid’ costume and pulling off Jon Moxley mannerisms before hitting a Paradigm Shift DDT on Gage. Matt Cardona then revealed who he really was to a massive reaction of boos from the GCW crowd.

Speaking on the NotSam podcast, Nick Gage would say how much respect he has for Cardona as a pro wrestler, grinding in WWE even when the company would not give him the push that he necessarily deserved.

Nick Gage on Matt Cardona

“Before he did all that clown sh*t and I was messing with him on Twitter, I had mad respect for that guy” Nick Gage began. “We’re talking about a guy who had been in WWE for over a decade. Him and Brian Myers, I just respect them.”

“I’m a wrestler at heart and I respect them grinding all those years at that place and they would never give him a shot” Gage continued. “He climbed the ladder and won the Intercontinental Title in front of 100,000 people. How awesome was that?”

Nick Gage finished by promoting the match between the two at GCW Homecoming, saying that it is going to be far more violent than Cardona is used to.

“Now, he’s going to get in the ring with me, there will be glass surrounding him, and we’re gonna go” Gage stated. “He steps into my world and he knows what it is. It’s violence, blood, gory, and I’m going to cut him and he’ll feel that burn. All the stuff we use in GCW is real. We don’t use fake glass or snip the barbed wire.”

Dr Britt Baker Reveals Her Own ‘Role Models’ from WWE

Jake Skudder
-
0

AEW Women’s Champion Dr Britt Baker D.M.D recently appeared at Steel City Comic Con. The pro wrestler and dentist discussed a number of topics during her time on panel, including a question regarding her own personal ‘role models’ in wrestling.

Interestingly, Dr Baker chose two performers from WWE rather than some of the talent performers in All Elite Wrestling.

“Probably Bayley or Sasha [Banks], it’d have to be one of them,” began during the panel. “Those are two of my role models that I watched when I was first training to be a wrestler.”

Dr Britt Baker D.M.D on Sasha and Bayley

“That was five years ago. When I was training, they were main eventing NXT TakeOver” Dr Britt Baker continued. “That was when the tides were turning and they kind of paved the way for my generation of wrestling. Even though they are still in my generation, they came before me.”

The landscape of Women’s wrestling is constantly changing, with many of the best wrestlers in the world performing across different promotions.

Triple H recently caused some stir when he said in a press conference that WWE had the “best Women’s talent in the world” and that all of the best wrestlers “want to work for WWE.” These comments drew the ire of the likes of Thunder Rosa, who is also a major player in the AEW Women’s division alongside Britt Baker.

1...896897898...3,401Page 897 of 3,401