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Backstage News On If WWE Plans To Return To Touring After WrestleMania

Anutosh Bajpai
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The WrestleMania 37 event will see the return of a live audience for WWE shows for the first time in more than a year and 25,000 fans are expected to attend each night of the Show Of Shows.

This news, combined with the fact that WWE is expected to leave the Tropicana Field after the PPV made many wonder if the company could be planning to return to touring after the event.

However, if reports from Sports Illustrated are to be believed then it won’t be the case and the site is reporting that the company does not plan to return to its touring schedule for the first half of 2021.

While venues are reopening around the country, the current plan is to keep the Thunderdome setup at the Yuengling Center while the officials gauge “whether it is prudent to return to a weekly live event model.”

This strategy is opposed to the competitors of the company in AEW which has just announced its first non-televised event for WrestleMania weekend.

There is no word yet on what the company plans for the second half of the year and if they could be planning to go on road once again for the latter half of 2021.

Latest On Daga And Tessa Blanchard Possibly Joining AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former Impact Wrestling star Daga might be headed to AEW soon after spending most of 2020 at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Mexican professional wrestler is a former trios champion from Lucha Underground who got recognization among American fans when he signed with Impact Wrestling in February 2019.

He stayed in Mexico for the most part of 2020 and it was revealed in October last year that the company officials have accepted his request for a release.

Dave Meltzer provided some update on his future in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter and he reported that “there has been talk of Daga coming in.”

Though as far as the future of his wife Tessa Blanchard goes, he noted that it’s a decision that will be made “based on the perceived value of her to the product vs. the negativity and backlash in some quarters such a signing would have.”

Impact wrestling made Blanchard their world champion when fans were still attending the events. Despite some backlash on social media, there was never a visible backlash from those in attendance.

However, the situation has changed now. With multiple accusations against Blanchard for inappropriate behavior, it’s possible that the company that signs the female star will have to face major backlash from fans.

Would you like to see Daga and Tessa Blanchard join the AEW roster in near future? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Logan Paul Announced For SmackDown Appearance Next Week

Anutosh Bajpai
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YouTube star Logan Paul has been announced for making an appearance at next week’s episode of SmackDown after his recent Twitter exchange with Sami Zayn.

This week’s episode of SmackDown saw Kevin Owens hosting the KO Show with Sami Zayn as a guest, following up from last week’s episode of the show where Zayn attacked the former universal champion with a Helluva Kick.

During the segment, Zayn announced that he will be hosting a red carpet premiere for his conspiracy documentary on the Blue Branded show next week and Paul will be his special guest:

The company also announced a WrestleMania match between the two during the show when KO challenged his long-time rival to a bout at the Show of Shows and the former NXT champion accepted this challenge.

WWE has been building towards an appearance from Paul recently. It started when Sami Zayn said that his documentary will do “Logan Paul numbers” in terms of viewership during the March 12 SmackDown episode.

The YouTube star responded to this name drop on Twitter. The two have been exchanging words on the social site since then, hinting that the company was building towards something.

There is no word yet on if this will be a one-off appearance for Logan Paul but with WrestleMania being around the corner; it’s possible that he will end up getting involved in the announced bout between the two WWE stars.

WWE Confirms Major Change To WrestleMania Main Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has officially confirmed a major change to the WrestleMania main event and announced that the Universal Championship bout will now be a triple threat match involving Roman Reigns, Edge, and Daniel Bryan.

The opening segment of this week’s episode of SmackDown followed up from the events of Fastlane and it saw Daniel Bryan demanding another shot at the Universal title before being taken out by Edge.

After building towards the big announcement throughout the episode, Adam Pearce finally confirmed Bryan’s addition to the match in the main event segment featuring all three of the match participants.

The segment ended in chaos as all three tried to take out each other after the big announcement. The show ended with Edge standing tall in the ring.

The reports of this change have been a point of discussion recently and it has been said that Edge’s appearance played a part in Vince McMahon’s decision to make the big title match a triple threat.

WWE has now announced 11 matches for both nights of WrestleMania and the company has assigned the nights for most of these bouts except for the match between Shane McMahon and Braun Strowman.

The company is expected to announce a stipulation for the match and it’s likely that they will confirm the date for the fight then. You can check out the updated match card for the show here.

WWE SmackDown Results (3/26): Universal Title Match Set For WrestleMania, Edge Attacks

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WWE Fastlane. There were several matches for WrestleMania set during tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Adam Pearce officially announced the Universal Championship match for WrestleMania during the final segment of this week’s SmackDown.

SmackDown Results (3/26)

  1. Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura
  2. Apollo Crews & Alpha Academy def. Big E & Street Profits
  3. Bianca Belair def. Natalya
  4. Rey Mysterio def. Dolph Ziggler

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Edge Attacked Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan came down to the ring to begin this week’s episode of SmackDown. Bryan said in a perfect world, he would be standing in the ring as Universal Champion and be heading to the main event of WrestleMania. Bryan noted that neither of those things are true because Edge hit him with a steel chair at Fastlane as he was tapping Roman Reigns out.

Bryan said he was tired of doing things the right way and claimed that he earned being in the main event of WrestleMania and is willing to earn it all again. Daniel suggested a rematch for the Universal Championship tonight and will not leave the ring until he gets what he wants.

Daniel took a seat in the middle of the ring and waited as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Adam Pearce told Daniel that the referee’s decision is final and Roman’s next title defense will be against Edge at WrestleMania.

Bryan suggested that he face the winner of that match at WrestleMania and Pearce stated that will be unfair. Daniel said that Edge should face Roman Reigns on Night 1 and the winner will face him on Night 2. Edge interrupted and ripped the microphone away from Adam Pearce.

Edge joined Bryan in the ring and shouted that every match in the ring could be his last match. Edge shouted that this is his dream, everything he worked for and Bryan wants to rip it away. He noted that he won the Royal Rumble while Bryan has lost twice to Roman Reigns. Edge called Bryan a son of a bitch and claimed he didn’t deserve a title shot at WrestleMania. Bryan tacked Edge but he battled back and hit Daniel with a Spear.

Edge then hit Bryan with a steel chair before exiting the ring. Roman Reigns was shown backstage with Jey Uso and Paul Heyman. Reigns instructed them to bring him Adam Pearce and use force if they have to. Reigns got in Pearce’s face and told Adam that he only gets him for one night and one title defense at WrestleMania.

Peace told Roman that he understands his point and will make his decision by the end of the night. Edge then showed up in Reigns’ locker room and said he was here to talk. Edge noted that Daniel Bryan was trying to steal their spotlight and he did it again in 2014. Edge added that if Bryan is involved, he can beat him for the title instead of Reigns if it is a Triple Threat match.

Seth Rollins Will Face Cesaro At WrestleMania

Seth Rollins faced Shinsuke Nakamura again tonight on SmackDown. Rollins defeated Nakamura at WWE Fastlane. Seth and Nakamura locked up in the middle of the ring to begin the action. Nakamura booted Seth in the midsection and sent him to the apron.

Rollins climbed up the turnbuckle but Shinsuke tripped him up and hit a knee to the ribs. Shinsuke followed it up with a knee to Rollins’ head as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Rollins was in control and hit a Slingblade for a two count. Nakamura battled back and connected with the sliding German Suplex for a near fall.

Rollins caught Shinsuke with a knee to the face and followed it up with the Falcon Arrow but Nakamura kicked out at two. Rollins shouted that Nakamura should respect him because he has done more than Shinsuke can ever dream of.

Nakamura planted Rollins with the Landslide and went for the cover but Seth was able to kick out at the last moment. Rollins dodged the Kinshasa and elbowed Nakamura in the face. Nakamura went for a Triangle submission but Seth broke the hold with a Powerbomb. Rollins followed it up with the Stomp for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Seth Rollins attacked Nakamura and set up for another Stomp. Cesaro rushed the ring in dress clothes and hit Rollins with a Gutwrench Suplex. Cesaro leveled Rollins with a massive uppercut and went for the Swing but Seth escaped out of the ring.

Seth Rollins was interviewed backstage and said he was sick of being embarrassed by that failure Cesaro. Rollins challenged Cesaro to a match at WrestleMania and vowed to teach him a lesson about respect. Seth added that he will never be in the Swing again and Cesaro attacked him from behind. Cesaro got Rollins in the Swing and accepted Seth’s challenge.

Big E Will Face Apollo Crews At WrestleMania

Intercontinental Champion Big E teamed up with Street Profits to face Alpha Academy and Apollo Crews. It was announced that Big E will defend his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania.

Alpha Academy isolated Montez Ford in the ring and beat him down for the first few minutes of the match. Gable planted Montez with a beautiful Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall.

Apollo Crews tagged in and continued to beat Ford down. Big E tagged in and hit Gable with a couple Belly to Belly Suplexes. Chad went for an Armbar but Big E escaped to the corner. Big E planted Gable with a Uranage in the corner of the ring. Alpha Academy hit an awesome Clothesline/German Suplex combo on Angelo Dawkins. Apollo Crews then connected with a slam on Big For the pinfall victory.

Opinion: I’ll never understand the appeal of having a champion pinned to sell a title match. There’s no reason to have already seen Crews pin Big E before the title match.

Owens Will Face Zayn At WrestleMania, Logan Paul Will Be On SmackDown Next Week

Kevin Owens came down to the ring for an episode of the KO Show. Owens said he has a question and the only person that can answer it is Sami Zayn. Last week on SmackDown, Zayn hit Owens with a Helluva Kick after he did believe his conspiracy theories.

Zayn came to the entrance ramp and said he was sorry for what he did last week. Sami stated that he had no business kicking Owens but the conspiracy stuff has been getting to his head. Sami hopped on the ring apron and told Owens that he can still be a part of the documentary.

Sami claimed that he is having a red carpet premiere for the trailer for his documentary next week. Zayn brought up Logan Paul and how he is going to help him get the word out about the documentary. Sami said that Logan is going to be on SmackDown next week. Owens challenged Sami Zayn to a match at WrestleMania and Sami retreated to the corner. Zayn accepted the match and Owens attacked him. Owens stomped on Zayn in the corner of the ring to end the segment.

Banks Sent A Message To Belair

Bianca Belair faced Natalya tonight on SmackDown. Tamina was ringside for the match. Belair sent Natalya to the corner and drove her shoulder into her midsection several times. Bianca followed it up with a shoulder tackle that sent Natalya out of the ring.

Natalya regrouped with Tamina before hopping up on the apron. Belair chased her around and beat her down some more in the corner of the ring. Natalya missed with a Dropkick and Belair tried to pin her a couple times. Bianca hit Natalya with a Body Slam and climbed to the top rope.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks’ theme hit and Belair got distracted. Tamina booted Belair in the face and Bianca fell to the floor as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Sasha Banks was on commentary as Natalya connected with a Hurricanrana for a two count. Natalya drove Belair to the corner of the ring and stomped her to the canvas.

Natalya went for a DDT but Bianca countered into a Suplex. Belair connected with a couple shoulder tackles and then a Dropkick. Bianca planted Natalya with a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Natalya kicked out at two. Belair missed with a Moonsault and Natalya capitalized with a big Clothesline for a two count.

Natalya went for the Sharpshooter but Belair booted her away. Bianca rolled out of the ring to regroup and Sasha Banks started taunting her. Belair slapped Banks in the face before returning to the ring. Bianca hit Natalya with the KOD for the pinfall victory. After the match, Banks planted Belair with the Backstabber and pointed at the WrestleMania sign.

Rey Mysterio def. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler faced Rey Mysterio tonight. Robert Roode and Dominiki Mysterio were ringside for the match. Mysterio sent Ziggler across the ring and went for a 619 but Dolph caught him with an elbow to the face. Ziggler went for a Powerbomb but Rey countered and sent Dolph to the outside. Mysterio went for a Hurricanrana but Ziggler caught him and Powerbombed Rey over the barricade. Ziggler then hit Dominik with a Superkick to the face as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Ziggler hit Mysterio with the Fameasser but Rey kicked out at two. Roode got into the ring and Rey hit him with a Dropkick. Ziggler hit a Zig Zag but Rey kicked out. Mysterio hit Dolph with a 619 and then a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.

Reigns Will Defend Against Edge & Daniel Bryan At WrestleMania

Adam Pearce made his way to the ring and Universal Champion Roman Reigns immediately followed him as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, piped in “you tapped out!” chants were heard as the camera focused on Reigns’ face.

Edge made his way to the ring and joined Pearce and the Universal Champion. Daniel Bryan joined the party and came down to the ring. Adam Pearce said he understands everyone’s concerns and they make sense. Pearce added that what Bryan says also makes sense and that he is right when he says he deserves another shot at the Universal Championship.

Pearce told Reigns that he will only defend the title once at WrestleMania. Peace announced that Reigns will defend his Universal Championship in a Triple Threat match against Edge and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania. Bryan and Edge traded punches in the corner. Reigns hit Bryan with a Superman Punch and went to hit Bryan with a chair. Edge hit Reigns with a Spear and unloaded with chair shots on both of his opponents at WrestleMania.

Edge put Roman’s head on a steel chair and unloaded some shots on Jey. Reigns escaped out of the ring and Edge dragged Bryan to the middle of the ring. WWE officials tried to break it up but Edge hit them with the chair. Bryan rolled out of the ring and escaped as Edge took a seat in the middle of the ring to end the show.

Opinion: It is crazy to think about how we’ve arrived at Edge turning heel but we are here. I’ve always liked Edge better as a heel anyways and there is no negative in adding Daniel Bryan to this match. It is worthy of the main event at this year’s WrestleMania.

Several Matches Booked For WWE WrestleMania 37

Andrew Ravens
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Several new matches have been announced for the upcoming WWE WrestleMania 37 event. 

On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn, WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E vs. Apollo Crews, and Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins were made official. 

Crews vs. Big E is a rematch from the Fastlane pay-per-view event, which saw Big E go over to retain the title. Owens vs. Zayn, a long-standing rivalry, was made official during a Kevin Owens Show segment. Finally, Rollins defeated Nakamura again in a singles match, another rematch from Fastlane. After the match, Rollins attacked Nakamura until Cesaro made the save.

WWE presents WrestleMania 37 on Saturday, April 10th, and Sunday, April 11, 2021 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida that will air on Peacock. 

Night 1 

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair

Bad Bunny vs. The Miz

Night 2 

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley

Randy Orton vs. The Fiend

Match Date TBA

WWE Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. AJ Styles and Omos

Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E vs. Apollo Crews

Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins

Bret Hart Believes WWE Should Have Banned Thigh Slapping Years Ago

Andrew Ravens
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Bret Hart has given his take regarding leg slaps in WWE. 

Vince McMahon issued a new edict earlier this month about wrestlers no longer being allowed to do leg slaps during their matches. The company has placed a sign at the Gorilla position regarding the leg slaps that reads, ‘do not slap leg when kicking.’

The WWE Hall of Famer took part in a virtual signing/meet and greet earlier this week for The Asylum Wrestling Store. This is where he gave his opinion. 

“I heard a few days ago that they outlawed or banned or nobody’s allowed to do the slap stuff anymore,” said Hart (H/T to POST Wrestling). “And I’m like ‘they should’ve stopped that ten years ago.’ It’s slap, slap, slap, slap.”

Hart recalled how his brother, Owen, was one of the guys that started a lot of that and one of the best to do it. 

“But come on, enough is enough, in every match.  You see guys do stuff and you’re going, ‘That wouldn’t even make a slap sound.’ When you punch somebody in the jaw, it’s not a slap sound. You know, it’s a different kind of sound and you’re making a slap sound for everything. Every single move you do is a slap sound, slap, slap and I totally agree.”

Hart noted that he’s glad they put their foot down on that but thinks they’re ten years late in doing so. The legendary started added, “they’ve already kind of in a lot of ways, sadly, ruined wrestling by making it so fake.”

Dana White Rules Out Possible UFC Return For Ronda Rousey

Andrew Ravens
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For fans hoping to see Ronda Rousey make a return to the UFC, Dana White has some bad news for you. 

The UFC President has shot down the possibility of the former UFC Bantamweight Champion ever returning to the Octagon. He did so as he spoke with the media ahead of Saturday’s UFC 260 pay-per-view event.

While talking about the return of Meisha Tate, who is bitter rivals with Rousey and has lost to her on a few different occasions, White mentioned he recently had a telephone conversation with Rousey. However, they didn’t talk about her MMA return. 

“Don’t even f***ing start you guys,” said White [h/t/ The Sun]. “Yesterday about lots of different things, not this, but yes we talked yesterday. [She is] Absolutely, positively not coming back ever.”

Rousey lost the UFC title to Holly Holm and then lost her final UFC fight against Amanda Nunes in December 2016 where she lost in the first round by knockout.

She joined WWE in 2018 where she became a top star for the company and became Raw Women’s champion. She worked her last match in WWE against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 35. Rousey went on hiatus to start a family. Her contract with WWE expires in April.

Edge’s Appearance Was A Factor In Vince McMahon Changing WrestleMania 37 Plans

Andrew Ravens
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It appears that the appearance of Edge may have played a factor in WWE changing WrestleMania 37 plans.

Of course, the WWE Hall of Famer is slated to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 37. However, the company plans to add Daniel Bryan to the bout and make it a three-way match. This is the reason why Edge turned heel at Fastlane that featured him hitting double spears to Reigns and Bryan, which allowed Reigns to retain the title. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that a source within WWE noted the issue of Edge’s age, not so much the number but the look of his age, was a concerning point for Vince McMahon. 

The source stated Edge “was looking older each week” on WWE TV since returning in January. The WWE Chairman and CEO decided to make a change to the match partially because of Edge’s look in addition to wanting to shake-up things. 

McMahon has made various changes to plans for WrestleMania. The feeling then was that Bryan would be the babyface.

WWE WrestleMania 37 takes place on Saturday, April 10th, and Sunday, April 11, 2021 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The match will take place on the second night. 

WWE Ranks Its Top-50 Female Performers In Modern History

Chris Stephens
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The WWE Network has been airing shows counting down the top-50 female superstars of the modern era. Female Superstars who made their names before the 1990s have not been included in this list.

The top-50 WWE female superstars of the modern-era are:

  1. Trish Stratus
  2. Charlotte Flair
  3. Becky Lynch
  4. Chyna
  5. Asuka
  6. Sasha Banks
  7. Alundra Blayze (Medusa)
  8. Lita
  9. Ronda Rousey
  10. Bayley
  11. Beth Phoenix
  12. Mickie James
  13. Alexa Bliss
  14. Victoria
  15. Molly Holly
  16. Sable
  17. Paige
  18. Shayna Baszler
  19. A.J Lee
  20. Natalya
  21. Rhea Ripley
  22. Michelle McCool
  23. Stephanie McMahon
  24. Luna Vachon
  25. Io Shirai
  26. The Bella Twins (Ranked together)
  27. Melina
  28. Ivory
  29. Bull Nakano
  30. Naomi
  31. Kairi Sane
  32. Jaqueline
  33. Gail Kim
  34. Carmella
  35. Bianca Belair
  36. Nia Jax
  37. Maryse
  38. Jazz
  39. Lacey Evans
  40. Eve Torres
  41. Ember Moon
  42. Layla
  43. Nikki Cross
  44. Candice LeRae
  45. Kelly Kelly
  46. Shotzi Blackheart
  47. Sonya Deville
  48. Kay Lee Ray
  49. Kaitlyn
  50. Toni Storm

Some performers on the list have commented on their ranking.

The Twitter account for the late-Chyna posted the following:

Gail Kim was asked about only coming in at #33. Kim had two runs with WWE from 2002-04 and again from 2008-11.

“I didn’t do much there. Besides the title win, there was nothing else besides gimmick matches. It’s WWE rankings. Not women’s wrestling rankings, but thanks anyway,” Kim Tweeted at someone who expressed they thought she should have been ranked higher.

Thea Trinidad Signs Short-Term Deal With Undisclosed Company

Chris Stephens
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Thea Trinidad has signed with someone but what company has landed her remains a mystery. According to a report today from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Trinidad has signed a short-term deal with someone, we just don’t know who or even if it is a wrestling company.

It is being reported, however, that the company is not AEW and the deal she signed will prevent her from working for AEW, at least in the short-term.

“Trinidad has signed a deal. We don’t know with who or even that if it’s with a wrestling promotion, but the deal she signed would not allow her to work for another wrestling company and it was not with AEW. It was a somewhat short-term thing and the door wasn’t shut on her eventually working with AEW but it won’t be any time imminently,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

AEW’s Tony Khan has expressed interest in bringing Trinidad in, however.

“She was in a non-compete last time I checked. I’ve been waiting for that… I don’t talk to people when they have the non-compete,” Khan said on Wrestling Observer Radio last month. “I’ve been waiting on her non-compete to expire… when we get through this tournament and through this pay-per-view, I’d be interested to see where she’s at.” 

Daniel Bryan Wants To Face Bailey Matthews At WrestleMania

Rayan Sayyed
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Daniel Bryan has said that he wants to face William Regal’s son, Bailey Matthews, ten years from now at WrestleMania. Regal has been Bryan’s friend and mentor in the wrestling business for a long time. Regal’s son Matthews made his debut on NXT UK in February 2021. Bryan spoke with talkSPORT where he was asked about his future dream WrestleMania scenarios, and that’s when he named Matthews.

“It’s hard to say one, Daniel Bryan said. “If I could do a match ten years from now, and this is assuming that I’m still capable of doing it and that he progresses to a level like that, one of the things that I think would be really cool… William Regal’s son, Bailey Matthews. He just recently started on NXT UK. For his experience level, he’s doing really well. I loved being able to wrestle William Regal the times that I did in WWE, but I’m not sure people know how much he has affected my career. He has affected it so much. What he’s given to me and he’s never asked for anything from me.”

Daniel Bryan added that he has “an infinite amount of respect” for William Regal. He thinks it would be cool if he is able to wrestle with his son at a huge stage like WrestleMania. Bryan attributed his place in the wrestling world to Regal and said that he wouldn’t be where he is right now without Regal. “I wouldn’t be where I’m at without William Regal. To me, I think that’s a really cool one,” he added.

Bailey Matthews was announced as part of three other signings for its NXT UK brand in January. Matthews wrestled under the ring name Joe Bailey and trained in the NJPW dojo at one point. He has only wrestled one match for the UK brand so far, by making his debut against Tyler Bate on the February 25 episode of NXT UK.

Orange Cassidy Debuts New Entrance Music By The Pixies

Chris Stephens
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Before Orange Cassidy signed with AEW, he frequently used the Jefferson Starship song “Jane” as his entrance music. Recently, Tony Khan said he tried to get the rights to use the song in AEW but was unable to. It was then revealed that he has purchased the rights to the Pixies’ song “Where is my mind?” as Orange’s new entrance theme.

Orange Cassidy will team with Chuck Taylor against Ryan Nemeth and JD Drake on AEW Dark: Elevation next week.

As it turns out, the new entrance music turned out to be “Where Is My Mind?” by the Pixies. Khan made a statement to Pitchfork about the news.

“A few weeks ago, I played it for him, he said he loved it. I asked if he wanted to me to try to license it, he gave me his ‘thumbs up,’” AEW CEO Tony Khan said in a statement to Pitchfork. “I signed a multiyear agreement to use the song, and every use of the song in AEW will live in our content library forever in perpetuity.”

Khan also recently purchased the rights to use the song “Tarzan Boy” for Jungle Boy. Additionally, he purchased the rights to “Ol’ 55” by Tom Waits for the Brodie Lee tribute show.

Video of Cassidy using the theme can be viewed in the Tweet below:

NJPW Will Reveal New IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Belt

Rayan Sayyed
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0

New Japan Pro Wrestling is going to reveal the brand new belt for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship before champion Kota Ibushi defends it at Sakura Genesis in April. The company announced that the belt will be witnessed by fans during the Road to Sakura Genesis event on March 30 where Ibushi is set to team with Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan in the main event against Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan. The announcement reads, “At Sakura Genesis on April 4, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kota Ibushi will defend his brand new title for the very first time against Will Ospreay in our main event. Days before this huge kard (sic) in Ryogoku, fans can witness the future of NJPW competition in Korakuen Hall. On March 30’s Road to Sakura Genesis event, the brand new championship belt will see its first public reveal!”

NJPW decided to unify the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Intercontinental Championship belts, both of which were held by Kota Ibushi. He defended both the titles successfully against El Desperado at the NJPW 49th Anniversary Show in Tokyo on March 4, 2021 which marked the final defense of the titles. Will Ospreay then won the 2021 New Japan Cup earning a title shot against Ibushi at Sakura Genesis.

Here is the full line-up for NJPW Sakura Genesis which will take place on April 4:

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
    Kota Ibushi (c) vs Will Ospreay
  • IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
    El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) vs. SHO & YOH
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Satoshi Kojima vs. Jay White & Bad Luck Fale 
  • Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & Shingo Takagi vs. The Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & a mystery partner
  • Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL, KENTA, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori & Dick Togo
  • Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado

Bobby Lashley: Haven’t Been Able To Develop WrestleMania Storyline

Rayan Sayyed
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Bobby Lashley is set to face Drew McIntyre to defend his WWE Championship at WrestleMania 37’s Night One next month in April. The two got involved in the title picture back in February on the Elimination Chamber event. Lashley had helped The Miz to cash in Money in the Bank by attacking McIntyre after his Chamber match. While Lashley was able to face Miz for the title as part of the deal for helping him, and now that he is in a program with McIntyre, the champion admitted that they haven’t been able to develop the storyline properly yet because they haven’t had the opportunity to. Lashley’s initial time as champion was spent with Miz, while McIntyre was juggling between Lashley and Sheamus at Fastlane. “The Almighty” has said that they will try to build something up the next few weeks before their big match at WrestleMania.

Speaking to the We Watch Wrestling podcast, Bobby Lashley stated, “Me and Drew are going to go all out, we’re going to beat the hell out of each other. That’s what we always do. We’re going to have to build something up the next few weeks because we haven’t had the opportunity to. I had the match with him last year and after that, Lana cost me the win, and we never came back to it. I want to come back to it and there’s a lot of things we can do leading up to WrestleMania. Ultimately, just being in the ring with Drew, I know we’re going to steal the show match-wise. It’s going to be a different match than the other ones. We’re hard-hitting. Sheamus and I beat each other up bad. Drew is going to be that, times ten since it’s WrestleMania.” (h/t Fightful)

Bobby Lashley won a match against Sheamus on Raw this Monday. After the match, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander came out to beat Sheamus down outside the ring. Drew McIntyre rushed down the ramp and saved Sheamus from the assault. He then went inside the ring and stared down Lashley. As they started arguing, MVP broke it up and told Lashley to save it for WrestleMania. McIntyre then went on to face Alexander and Benjamin in a Handicap match. According to the stipulation of the match, if McIntyre won the match, Benjamin and Alexander would be banned from ringside for the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania. McIntyre was able to pick up the victory which means the two members from Hurt Business won’t be present ringside for Lashley.

Bayley On How Vince McMahon Reacted To Her Heel Look

Anutosh Bajpai
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While Bayley spent the majority of her WWE career as a babyface, she surprised everyone when she turned heel in 2019 and defeated Charlotte Flair to become the new SmackDown women’s champion.

Alongside her new attitude, the former champion debuted a new look as well. She got rid of the iconic ponytail and left the hugger gimmick behind her too.

Bayley opened up about this change during her recent interview with Renee Paquette on Oral Sessions podcast and she revealed how Vince McMahon reacted when he first saw her new look:

“He was in the production office, and I walked in. [I go], ‘All right, Vince. Here I am.’ He kind of just stared at me for a second. And then I spun around to make sure he knows that I cut my hair. I did this awkward spin, and he goes, ‘[It] looks awesome!’”

Bayley also talked about the origin of her Ding Dong! Hello talk show which she has introduced on WWE programming recently. She revealed that she was told about the plans for the show just 2 days before the TV tapings.

Apart from this, the former champion talked about things such as coming up with the persona for her talk show, how Dusty Rhodes helped her during her early days and more.

John Silver Provides An Update On His Shoulder Injury

Anutosh Bajpai
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John Silver injured his shoulder during his match against TNT Champion Darby Allin in the main event of Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

Darby Allin picked up the victory after hitting a Canadian Destroyer on the Dark Order member.

The champion cut a promo praising his opponent after the show went off air and he revealed that Silver dislocated his shoulder halfway through their contest:

“I don’t think anybody here knows, but I’m pretty sure you dislocated your shoulder about halfway through that match, but g*ddamn, did you put everything into it! And I’m down to do it anytime again. Thank you, John. Thank you.”

John Silver himself confirmed the news of his shoulder damage later on and on Twitter he wrote “came up short tonight. Shoulder is messed up. Doctor doesn’t think it’s too serious but I’ll keep everyone updated once I know.”

Here is the spot in question:

https://twitter.com/HeelDoors/status/1374912497208164353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The Meat Man has since provided an update on his condition. On Friday, Silver wrote on Twitter that he’s expected to miss about 4-6 weeks of action. The good news is that he will not require shoulder surgery. A six week layoff puts John Silver back in action in May, several weeks before AEW’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view.

We wish John Silver a speedy recovery.

Jordynne Grace Discusses Future Options After Expiry Of Impact Contract

Anutosh Bajpai
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Impact Wrestling star Jordynne Grace has her contract with the company expiring in May and there is some talk on what the future might hold for her. The former knockouts champion recently had an interview with Wrestling Perspective Podcast where she talked about a number of things.

During the interview Grace also talked about her future and gave us an idea about her thought process. She first revealed that going to WWE has been a childhood dream for her. However, she explained that it was the only option when she was growing up but things have changed now:

“Okay, so yes, WWE was, I mean it still is, it was my childhood dream forever. But that was the only option back when I was growing up. Now, it’s just like, there are so many doors that you can go through and kind of they’re all like in front of you at the same time. So I mean it’s kind of a handoff.

I love the opportunity that IMPACT has given me, but obviously it’s going to be a lot less money than WWE would give me if I were to go there and they would give me a lot less input on my character. So it just kind of depends on if I get older and I’m feeling like I need to be stacking some money for retirement, then I think that’s a place I would probably go.”

Jordynne Grace then admitted that she honestly has no idea what will happen when her contract with the company expires and everything will depend on the situation at the time:

“Honestly, I have no idea what’s going to happen when my contract is up with IMPACT in May. I have no idea. I can’t foresee the future, and who knows who’s going to offer me something or if I’m going to stay here. I truly have no idea.”

Jordynne Grace has been a significant part of Impact’s knockouts roster since her signing with the company in October 2018. She was the one who defeated Taya Valkyrie for the knockouts title in January 2020, ending her 377 days long reign with the title. She also competed in the Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament alongside Jazz.

She could be a decent signing for both AEW and WWE’s women’s roster and it would be interesting to see if she ends up joining either of the companies after the expiry of her current contract.

Aleister Black Seen At WWE Performance Center

Anutosh Bajpai
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Aleister Black hasn’t been seen on WWE programming in a while but latest reports indicate the former NXT champion might be getting ready for his return.

The SmackDown star is dealing with some minor injuries but now PWinsider is reporting that he has been seen at the Performance Center in Orlando over the last several weeks.

It indicates that Black is working towards his return to the ring, though there is no word yet on how long it might take for him to be medically cleared to compete.

The heavy hitter hasn’t been seen on WWE programming this year and he last appeared on WWE TV during the October 12, 2020 episode of Monday Night Raw.

Aleister Black competed in a No Disqualification match against former Universal Champion Kevin Owens on the show. He unfortunately lost the bout and hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since.

The former NXT star was drafted to SmackDown after this but he hasn’t made any appearances for the Blue Branded Show and his absence has left fans puzzled.

While it seems to be too late for Aleister Black to get involved in a WrestleMania program, it would make sense for him to make his return right after the big event. Though we will have to see if this turns out to be the case.

Latest Update On Triple H After Being Quarantine

Anutosh Bajpai
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Triple H is back on work after being quarantined.

Reports came out earlier last week that the game had missed the March 15 episode of Monday Night Raw and he had also not been in attendance for the March 17 episode of NXT.

It was said at the time that Triple H had been quarantined. Though his situation was being kept quiet and it wasn’t confirmed that if the WWE star had COVID-19.

The latest Wrestling Observer Radio provided some update on the situation. It notes that WWE VP returned to work this week and he was backstage for NXT.

Several other competitors who were held off the TV tapings last week due to coronavirus concerns were also back in the arena for this week’s episode of the Black and Yellow brand last night.

A number of well known wrestling personalities have had to deal with coronavirus since the pandemic began. People like The Rock, AJ Styles, Mick Foley and more have tested positive for the disease.

NXT has seen a number of COVID-19 outbreaks in recent months as well. Though Triple H’s return before the upcoming Takeover: Stand & Deliver event is still a good news for the brand.

Backstage Update On Keith Lee Being Absent, Original Plans

Anutosh Bajpai
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Raw star Keith Lee has mysteriously been away from the WWE programming in recent weeks, making fans wonder about his status with the company. Now Fightful Select has provided some update on his condition and the site reveals that the former NXT champion has been sidelined due to medical reasons.

It’s not a case of creatives having nothing for him. Lee was originally taken off TV due to health reasons back in February and he hasn’t been cleared by the doctors since. The former champion underwent some medical testing when he was originally taken out of action last month. Though there is no word yet on the results of the tests.

The report also reveals that the company had plans for Keith Lee to win the United States Championship before being pulled from the Elimination Chamber PPV. The former NXT star last wrestled on the February 8 episode of Raw where he defeated Matt Riddle.

He was scheduled for a triple threat match alongside Bobby Lashley and Matt Riddle at Elimination Chamber. John Morrison replaced Keith Lee in this match after he was pulled from the show. The bout then saw Riddle capturing the US title by defeating the other two opponents.

Keith Lee is actively trying to get cleared but so far he hasn’t been given the green light by WWE doctors. We will have to wait and see if he is able to make a return before the WrestleMania 37 event next month.

Backstage News On The Miz Vs Bad Bunny Being Announced As A Singles Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has announced that Grammy award-winning rapper Bad Bunny will be taking on former WWE champion The Miz in a singles match on night 1 of the upcoming WrestleMania 37 event.

This announcement was surprising to some as people were expecting to see a tag match involving John Morrison and Damien Priest.

PWinsider has now provided some update on the situation and latest report from the site reveals why the company chose to go with a singles match between The Miz and Bad Bunny instead of a tag team bout.

According to the site, both Morrison and Priest are currently dealing with minor injuries and the company has announced a one on one match as a precaution.

The officials didn’t want to announce a tag team match and then be forced to change the bout in case the stars are not cleared to return to the ring by the time of the event so they went with the announced bout.

Though there is no word yet on when or how both these stars suffered their injuries and how long they are expected to stay out of action.

Since their injuries are not very serious, it’s possible that both the stars will be cleared before the Show Of Shows. In the case they are cleared, the company is expected to add them to the announced bout, making it a tag team match.

Impact Wrestling Moving To Thursday Nights

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling has announced that its weekly flagship television show is moving from Tuesday to Thursday nights. The first episode in the new slot will be April 8th, 2021.

Impact also announced that the main event of that show will feature Kenny Omega wrestling on the weekly show for the first time. He will team with Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows against Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, and Willie Mack.

“IMPACT Wrestling has years of  history airing on Thursdays, which was the night for high-energy, action-packed matches, starring some of the most high-profile stars in pro wrestling history,” said IMPACT Executive Vice-President Scott D’Amore. “Nothing is changing from that front when IMPACT! jumps back to Thursday nights.”

“The new home, once again, for must-see matches is Thursday nights on AXS TV,” D’Amore added.

NXT is rumored to be moving to Tuesday nights immediately following WrestleMania. If this holds true, it would mean NXT’s first Tuesday night show would be April 13th. On SundayApril 10th, Impact will present Hardcore Justice as an afternoon show so as not to go head-to-head with WrestleMania. Impact’s Rebellion PPV recently moved to April 25th, 2021 from April 24th, likely to not go head-to-head with UFC 261.

Bella Twins Will Be At WrestleMania, Latest On Their WWE Futures

Michael Reichlin
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The Bella Twins are headed back to WWE. On the latest episode of The Bellas Podcast, the Total Bellas stars revealed they plan to “take the stage” at WrestleMania 37 in typical ‘Bella style.’

The former Superstars turned reality TV stars are amongst the top attractions headlining this year’s WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Aside from an appearances WrestleMania, Nikki and Brie are in fact planning a return to the ring. The Bellas are expected back on WWE TV in the second half of 2021, with an in-ring return slated for this fall.

The Bellas have expressed their desire to wrestle again on several occasions. Earlier this month, they expressed interest in going after the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. They’ll have their work cut out for them, as the titles are currently held by Shayna Bazsler and Nia Jax.

The Bella Twins retired from active competition back in March 2019. They both gave birth to baby boys just one day apart in August 2020.

Nikki’s husband Artem Chigvintsev said in a recent interview, “She’s been having talks about coming back and doing something together with Brie. They both have kids, and I feel like they still have this unclosed chapter with wrestling. I would not be surprised.”

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Bella Twins wrestling again is Nikki’s neck. She’s been working on neck-strengthening exercises in hopes of being able to have one last run performing for the WWE Universe.

Red Velvet Is Officially All Elite

Chris Stephens
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Red Velvet teamed with Cody Rhodes at Crossroads in a losing effort to Jade Cargill and Shaquille O’Neil. Today, Cody Rhodes announced that Red Velvet is officially all elite after the company upgraded her contract.

Rhodes took to Twitter to announce the news:

Red Velvet In AEW

Velvet made her pro debut in 2016 and has performed primarily in the Florida area. She has won championships with promotions such as Fighting Evolution Wrestling and Full Throttle Pro Wrestling.

Velvet has wrestled 25 matches for AEW since debuting last June. She holds a 10-10 singles record but is on a 9-match winning streak in one-on-one matches. Her last loss in one-on-one competition came to Tay Conti on the November 11th, 2020 episode of Dynamite. Her singles record in 2021 is 5-0 and that is good enough to have her ranked at #2 in the AEW women’s division.

She has a 3-2 record in tag-team matches to bring her overall AEW record to 23-22.

During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Velvet talked about how she got her ring name:

“A show came up asking for wrestlers and anyone can do it. I had to cut a promo. I went to my friend’s house and I was like, ok, I’m going to cut a promo. I’m going to be a wrestler. He said, ‘What is your wrestling name’, and he was a huge wrestling fan. I said, ‘Red Violet.’ He said, ‘Ew, That’s not good.’ I said, ‘I have nothing. That’s like my alter ego.’ He said, ‘You’re small, petite, spicy, you’re very elegant in the way you do things. Your hair is super red. Your skin is beautiful chocolate. You remind me of a red velvet cake.’”

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