AEW has announced that former NXT wrestler Tino Sabbatelli (Sabatino Piscitelli) will make his debut on Tuesday’s Dark episode.
Tino, using the name “Sabby” now, will team with Brady Pierce to face The Best Friends in tag team action.
This will be Tino’s first appearance since being released from NXT in mid-April along with other employees due to the negative impact of COVID-19. A former NFL player, Tino was signed by WWE in the fall of 2014. He teamed with Riddick Moss at times in NXT, but his run was interrupted by various injuries.
AEW has not announced that Tino has signed a contract, but wrestlers used on Dark often are not under contract yet.
AEW Dark airs each Tuesday night at 7PM ET on the AEW YouTube channel. The following matches were announced for this week:
– Kilynn King vs. Diamante
– Sabby and Brady Pierce vs. Best Friends
– Aaron Solow vs. Scorpio Sky
– Rache Chanel vs. Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida
– Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler vs. The Butcher and The Blade
Vince McMahon reportedly changed the finish to the Raw Women’s Championship match between Asuka and Sasha Banks at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules on Sunday.
The original plan for the match had Asuka defeating Banks to retain the title. However, Vince McMahon made a late call and changed the finish at the last minute, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.
There was no reason given for why Vince made the change.
Banks vs. Asuka ended in controversy as the referee took errant green mist from Asuka, blinding him while Bayley counted the pin for Banks. Bayley then intimidated the timekeeper into ringing the bell to end the match. Banks’ theme music then played as Bayley presented her with the Raw Women’s Championship.
Banks and Bayley later promised to explain what happened during tonight’s Raw on the USA Network, where they will also celebrate their wins at Extreme Rules. Below is post-PPV footage of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions making their escape with the gold:
It should be noted that WWE still lists Asuka as the Raw Women’s Champion.
Banks tweeted after Extreme Rules and commented on how The Golden Role Models are taking over.
“Officially taking over the whole company! Jajajajjajajajajajajajjajajajajajja #2beltzbanks #ExtremeRule,” she wrote.
Kayla Braxton has twice tested positive for COVID-19. Once back in March and again recently. Unfortunately, Braxton said she has been sent numerous negative messages online regarding her health. She released a statement on the matter through her social media channels.
“I tested positive for covid late March. I notified my company and I left and self quarantined for 4 weeks,” Braxton begins her statement.
“I then was retested and tested negative. I still wore a mask and took all necessary precautions but then once again, I tested positive a couple of months later. This time I had no symptoms but still, I left work and self quarantined for 14 days. Last night, you all were tweeting super insensitive things regarding my health.”
Kayla Braxton Addresses Online Negativity
Braxton continued to elaborate on some of the negative messages she’s received.
“A couple of you even said you thought I had died and maybe that woulda been for the best. Guys. This isn’t okay. When I said don’t be stupid like me I meant, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can’t test positive twice. I did everything I could. And this can happen to you. Moral of the story is: stop bullying people online, especially for something that concerns health. It’s so gross and you should be embarrassed.”
Pro-wrestling experienced real tragedy earlier this year as a result of online bullying and harassment.
Braxton continued, “Let’s all be better. This is a hard time for everyone and we’re all experiencing a state of the world we’ve never experienced before. Build each other up. Help people. Just be good to people. And to all of you who have lent your support, I’ve seen you. And thank you. We need more people like you.”
After appearing at Impact’s Slammiversary PPV on Saturday, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows made an appearance on Being the Elite this week. The episode begins with the Young Bucks looking back on a meeting they had with Anderson and Gallows back in 2016.
Anderson, Gallows, and The Young Bucks are shown talking about how great their Bullet Club run is going. The Bucks then mentioned to Anderson and Gallows that they think they can start their own wrestling company. At first, Anderson and Gallows seem excited by the idea. After the Bucks left the room, Anderson and Gallows expressed some skepticism.
“You know this Bullet Club thing is getting us to New York, right?” Gallows whispered to Anderson.
“Those little marks not realize it’s a work?” Anderson asked.
“Do you think TNT wants wrestling after what happened last time? No,” Gallows asked.
“Vanilla little people is what it is,” Anderson said.
“We’re going to tag with Hunter one day, trust me,” Gallows continued.
“I love the fact that you want to team with Triple H,” Anderson added.
Anderson and Gallows don’t appear again in the episode. They will likely be on Impact Wrestling Tuesday night, however.
In recent weeks, multiple reports have stated that Kairi Sane will be leaving WWE shortly. A story in Tokyo Sports reported that Sane is likely returning to Japan by the end of the summer. A recent report from PW Insider, however, is now stating that this upcoming set of tapings from the Performance Center will be her last with the company.
WWE is scheduled to tape tonight’s RAW and next week’s episode today from the Performance Center. Sane then will likely not be on any further programming past the July 27th edition of RAW.
The report continues to say that Sane is leaving on good terms and will remain part of WWE’s extended family to some degree. There had been talk at one point of her serving in an ambassador’s role with a potential NXT Japan brand. Plans for a developmental territory in the country seem to have been shelved, however.
Sane was married earlier this year and WWE has been aware of her plans to return to Japan since at least May.
Sane signed with WWE in 2016. She won the Mae Young Classic the following year. She is also a former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion along with Asuka and a former NXT Women’s Champion.
MJF is accusing AEW World Champion Jon Moxley of holding him back.
MJF, who recently celebrated his 1 year anniversary with AEW, responded to a fan on Twitter who expressed frustration over how he’s not in the world championship chase and hasn’t been on TV every week. MJF tweeted back and called Moxley out, teasing that things may be changing soon.
“It’s almost as if there’s a certain individual in the company who doesn’t want me to be spotlighted. There may be a ‘paradigm shift’ in how things are run around here #notmychampion,” MJF wrote.
Update: MJF continues to take digs at Moxley on social media. On Monday afternoon, MJF wrote the following and tagged the tweet, #NotMyChampion:
You’ve been brainwashed into believing pro wrestling is meant to be done like a car crash.
It is believed that MJF is a strong contender to challenge Moxley for the AEW World title at All Out on Saturday, September 5th.
MJF recently spent some time at the top of the weekly men’s division rankings, but he was bumped from that #1 spot last week by Brian Cage, on the day of Cage’s championship match with Moxley on the Fight for the Fallen edition of AEW Dynamite. Cage lost that match, and it’s been rumored that Moxley’s next feud would be with MJF.
MJF will be in action this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite Wardlow will be in his corner. With Fyter Fest and Fight for the Fallen in the books, don’t be surprised if we see MJF continue his campaign against AEW Champion Jon Moxley.
The Horror Show at Extreme Rules featured a rather unique match stipulation for Seth Rollins vs Rey Mysterio. The match could only end after one competitor had extracted the eyeball of the other. Mysterio had his eye badly damaged but WWE would later report that doctors felt there was a chance they could save his vision.
According to a report on Wrestling Observer Radio, this was done in case Mysterio ends up re-signing with the promotion. His injury allows WWE to write him out of storylines for now but then bring him back if he signs a new contract.
“That finish was because he had not signed,” said Dave Meltzer. “As I mentioned, if he doesn’t sign, the obvious finish is he has to lose. If he does sign, the obvious finish is that he has to win.”
“The reason they gave that open-ended thing that we may save his eye is in case he does sign, that’s their out.”
A user on Twitter posted some photos that show an extracted eyeball was visible during the post-match scene:
Meltzer would also note that what took place was not the original plan for the match.
“They did a different plan than the original plan which was a taped match and this CGI thing where you would see him lose the eye even though it wasn’t real.”
Apollo Crews was scheduled to face MVP for the United States championship at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules last night. The match didn’t happen, however. Instead, MVP just declared himself the new champion.
According to a report from Wrestling Observer Radio, Crews was removed from the show due to COVID-19 related concerns. Comments on the show seemed to imply Crews has tested positive for the virus but did not outright say that is the case.
“Apollo Crews was COVID-19,” Meltzer said regarding Crews’ absence from the show. “People have been suspecting it and it was.”
Crews would later post to social media regarding MVP’s title claims.
“MVP is the new United States Champion — at least, according to himself,” reads a WWE.com report about the situation. “He declared himself as such at The Horror Show at WWE Extreme Rules when Apollo Crews wasn’t cleared to compete in their scheduled match due to a bulging disc.”
The United States championship is the first title Crews has held since debuting on the main roster in 2016. MVP’s 419 days spent with the title across 2 reigns is good for 5th all-time in that category. Only Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Greg Valentine, and Blackjack Mulligan have held the title for more days.
IMPACT Wrestling held their Slammiversary PPV event this past weekend. The show saw a number of talents make their return, such as the Motor City Machine Guns, Eric Young and Gallows & Anderson.
One of the unexpected twists from the event saw Deonna Purrazzo defeat Jordynne Grace by submission to become the new IMPACT Knockouts Champion.
Deonna Purrazzo has been appearing for the company without an actual contract in place, per Fightful. This led many to believe that Purrazzo would not be winning this weekend, as why would IMPACT put their top Women’s Championship on a performer working without a full-time deal set in stone?
Even after winning the title, Purrazzo is still reportedly working on a ‘per-appearance’ basis. This with no full-time deal in place. This could mean that she is free to appear for any other company whilst holding one of IMPACT’s top titles.
Big Swole wrote and published a letter recently on issues impacting Black athletes in pro-wrestling. The title of her letter is “We Just Want To Be Heard.” It asks questions regarding why more Black athletes aren’t at the top of the wrestling industry.
“Imagine being told ‘I already have enough Blacks on my roster.’ This is what it is like being a Black professional wrestler. The keys to Black wrestlers’ success have been dangled up high but just close enough to give hope,” Swole wrote.
“Why is it that Black people dominate and excel in other participated sports except for wrestling? What is it about this profession that is different from the inner workings of other professional sports? One of the main issues is there are people in this business who actively try to deter the careers of Black wrestlers,” she continued.
Swole posted to Twitter that she is using writing as a form of release, leading to the publication of the letter. The below Tweet links to a Google file with the full letter.
Big Swole is currently suspended from AEW for kidnapping Britt Baker. The two have been involved in quite the feud as of late. Baker will not be cleared to compete until September, however. Swole was only informed of her suspension after she made the drive to Daily’s Place and arrived at 9 PM.
Former WWE Superstars Mike Bennett and his wife Maria Kanellis-Bennett have opened up to fans about their experiences with WWE prior to being released.
Bennett revealed via Twitter that, despite its drug testing policy and insistence that it puts talents health and wellbeing first and foremost, WWE never paid or supported his recovery journey.
He explained how he never went to rehab and instead “My wife was my rehab.” Bennett noted how he recovered on the road while adhering to WWE’s travel schedule. According to him, WWE “never paid for my rehab” and “never reached out” to him during his recovery from addiction.
Bennett shared how “Not a single person in management ever contacted me to see if I needed help or if I was doing ok in my recovery.All credit goes to my wife”
Bennett stressed how he isn’t saying WWE had an obligation to reach out to him. However, when people claim his rehab was paid for, it undermines and takes away all the hard work and support Maria provided. Those false claims are something that will “never be ok” with him.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett also opened up on Twitter. She shared what she and Mike were allegedly told and promised by WWE. Maria has previously called out WWE over its decision to release her and Mike amidst a global pandemic so soon after her giving birth.
Her series of Tweets seem to indicate what they were told by WWE as they contemplated re-signing with the company. Both Maria and Mike would sign multi-year contracts in 2019.
Fans speculated that the pair signed with WWE knowing Maria was pregnant. This would have allowed them to make money while at home after their baby was born. This was not the case, however, as Maria was not aware she was pregnant until after signing her new WWE contract.
According to Maria, she was told and promised the following:
“Think about your family. – @wwe”
“We want to make sure your family is taken care of. -@wwe”
“Look at the position (she) put you in by naming you. – @wwe”
“Don’t you think you’d remember something like that. – @WWE”
“(He) still wants to sign you to this. -@WWE”
“We used to get away with a lot, we can’t get away with (that) anymore. -@WWE”
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) July 18, 2020
We want to make sure your family is taken care of. –@wwe
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) July 18, 2020
Maria explained how she’s not “spilling tea” or spreading gossip with her series of tweets. Instead, she wanted to give fans insight into what she and Mike were told and experienced.
The couple joined several other Superstars to be released earlier this year as a cost-cutting decision. WWE attributed its decision to the coronavirus pandemic having impacted upon business.
Bobby Fulton is currently in hospital and a surgery scheduled for this morning has been postponed. The 59-year-old revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer back in December. His Twitter account has been updating fans on his condition.
This is Dillon Hines. I’m sadly informing you today that my father has been admitted to the hospital. He’s in poor condition. Please send positive thoughts and prayers for him. Thanks! pic.twitter.com/hDIHfymcJw
Dad's surgery that was scheduled for 8am EST has been postponed to 1pm EST. This surgery is very serious as it is to take care of an artery that he is internally bleeding from. One wrong move in this surgery could cause a stroke. Prayers, please.
In December, Fulton’s Twitter account posted the following:
“Good Evening! It’s Friday December 6th at 11 pm. As you know or most know, I had a very important Doctors Appointment today. The News wasn’t what I wanted to hear. God My Heavenly Father has never done me wrong ever! I serve a mighty God. A risen Savior in my Lord Jesus Christ. I want no sympathy! I’m just informing you, that I have cancer in my throat. That’s gonna be treated the game plan is being put together on this coming Tuesday. I want your continued prayers. ALL THINGS work together for good for those that love God. That are CALLED according to his PURPOSE. No sympathy just prayers. Thanks.”
Montez Ford recently spoke with Inside the Ropeswhere he talked about working with Paul Heyman and his WrestleMania 36 experience.
According to the WWE RAW Tag Team Champion, he owes Paul Heyman his life. Ford noted how he and his partner, Angelo Dawkins, are practically indebted to Heyman. He stressed how Heyman was supportive of the team “since day one.”
Montez Ford shared how the first time The Street Profits met Heyman, he took the time to give them a “wealth of knowledge” upon their RAW debut.
“[…] he was the first person that came and found us and talked to us and pretty much just took us under his wing and there’s so much I can say and describe but he’s given us a whole bunch of stuff and he’s pretty much been there the whole way and given us a lot of motivation, man and insight and you guys know, getting any type of insight, anything from Paul Heyman man is golden so just in short terms I can say that, man I’m just privileged to know and have worked with him in the time period that we did, you know?”
Montez Ford On Competing At WrestleMania 36 With A Broken Back
The Street Profits made their WrestleMania debut at this year’s event back in April. Montez Ford actually broke his back prior to the event, but would still compete at the show. He and Dawkins would successfully defend their championships against Angel Garza and Austin Theory. They competed on the second night of WrestleMania’s two-day show.
Reflecting on his decision to compete despite his injury, Montez said “I broke my back, man, okay? You know what I’m saying?Who do you know broke they [sic] back and still made it to WrestleMania? Who do you know man, just tell me one person. I’ll wait. Exactly. It’s alright, you’re talking to him right now, man. Who do you know?”
Despite competing at WrestleMania 36 in front of zero fans and with a broken back, Ford stressed the experience was a “blessing.” He noted how with the coronavirus pandemic forcing so many changes worldwide, his WrestleMania memories will be “forever cemented” for him and remains grateful that they were able to have their moment.
Former WCW star Konnan has shared his belief that All Elite Wrestling’s Kenny Omega has “failed” on American television.
Speaking on his podcast Keepin’ It 100 with Konnan, Konnan acknowledged how Omega had managed to get “majorly over” in both Mexico and Japan. However, he doesn’t believe Omega has been able to connect with American audiences in the same way.
Konnan attributed this to Omega’s promos, pointing out how they aren’t on the same level as other top wrestlers. He also highlighted how Omega “has not been pushed as a star, but just another guy who can work.”
He noted how there is plenty of other talent who know how to work. Because of this, “Omega doesn’t stand out in any way.”
He juxtaposed Omega’s AEW presence to how he was used in Mexico. According to Konnan, Mexican fans loved Omega as an aura had been built around him. This led to fans going crazy every time he entered an arena, something Konnan believes “has not happened in AEW.”
Kenny Omega “Doesn’t Cut A Good Promo”
Konnan’s co-host, Disco Inferno, added his thoughts on the matter. He explained how wrestling weekly on American television is totally different from being an independent wrestler or performing in Japan. He added how talent needs to not only have matches but deliver promos, sell facial expressions, and build up a plethora of skills every week.
When it comes to Omega’s mic work, Disco Inferno stated “Omega doesn’t cut a good promo.”
He added, “This is why it has become difficult for him to elevate himself to the level of Jericho and Moxley because his mic skills are not close to those guys. Also, he doesn’t understand the psychology of what you have to do in the ring and mic on American TV.”
Disco noted how it’s not a good look if a wrestler’s character “can’t even get over in squash matches.” He stressed how a wrestler shouldn’t focus on making their opponent look good, but should instead focus on getting over as a superstar. It’s something he believes AEW has yet to do with Kenny Omega.
During the event, MVP would come out with Bobby Lashley. MVP claimed how, because Crews was unable to defend his championship, he was now the WWE United States Champion via forfeit. MVP then grabbed the recently revealed re-designed US Championship belt from ringside.
WWE did not announce MVP as the new champion or seemingly acknowledge or recognize MVP’s declaration. At the time of writing, WWE.com still lists Crews as the current WWE United States Champion.
“@The305MVP is trippin thinking he can claim himself the #USChampion. I was looking forward to shutting you BOTH up once and for all tonight at #ExtremeRules but once I’m cleared .. #ImComingforwhatsmine”
Apollo Crews was set to defend his WWE United States Champion at Extreme Rules against MVP. However, Crews would suffer a storyline back injury courtesy of MVP’s associate Bobby Lashley. This injury forced the match to be canceled.
It was noted during the show that Crews was in attendance at the WWE Performance Center for the show, but was unable to pass the physical to allow him to wrestle. There has been speculation that Crews’ removal from WWE programming could be due to coronavirus concerns, but this has not yet been confirmed.
WWE has released an update on Rey Mysterio following last night’s “Eye for an Eye” matchup. Mysterio faced off against Seth Rollins, eventually losing the hotly contested and personal bout.
“After the sickening conclusion of the Eye for an Eye Match, Charly Caruso provided an update on the condition of Rey Mysterio. Mysterio was rushed to a local medical facility to be treated for a potential globe luxation.”
The update continued, “Medical experts were optimistic that if the optic nerve is not severed and there is not too much strain on the blood vessels and nerves that connect the eye to the rest of the head, there’s a chance Mysterio can maintain his vision.”
Last night’s “Eye for an Eye” confrontation took place during WWE’s The Horror Show at Extreme Rules event. It was the first time this match type has taken place. A victor could only be declared after they had forced an eyeball out of their opponent’s skull.
Several reports suggested WWE would use CGI or effects to pull off the conclusion to the match. However, that ultimately wasn’t the case. Instead, the ending came after Rollins forced Mysterio’s eye into the corner of the ring steps. Once he had seen what he had done and realization set in, Rollins would throw up at ringside.
WWE’s “The Horror Show at Extreme Rules” aired tonight on the WWE Network. McIntyre defended the WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler and Braun Strowman battled Bray Wyatt in a non-title Swamp Fight in the main event.
Extreme Rules Results
Kevin Owens def. Murphy (Kickoff Show)
Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura def. New Day to become SmackDown Tag Team Champions
Bayley def. Nikki Cross to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Seth Rollins def. Rey Mysterio in an Eye for Eye Match
The RAW Women’s Championship match had a controversial ending
Drew McIntyre def. Dolph Ziggler to retain the WWE Championship
Bray Wyatt def. Braun Strowman in a non-title Swamp Fight
Here are 6 takeaways from the PPV:
Cesaro & Nakamura Won The SmackDown Tag Titles
New Day defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Nakamura and Cesaro in the first match of the night.
Match Recap: New Day dominated early and beat Cesaro and Shinsuke down outside the ring. Kingston connected with a Dropkick that sent Cesaro into the steel steps. Big E set up a table but got launched into the plexiglass by Cesaro. Nakamura hit Kingston with a Dropkick and then set up a table in the ring.
Kingston knocked Cesaro to the apron and Big E him him with a Spear that sent both superstars out of the ring. New Day set up Cesaro on top of a table on the entrance ramp. Cesaro got down and Kofi went for a Splash but Shinsuke and Cesaro hit him in the face with a table. Kingston battled back and leveled Shinsuke with a Trust Fall.
Big E stomped away on Cesaro in the corner as Kingston stacked two tables on top of each other. Kofi shouted that they brought this on themselves but it allowed Nakamura to get back up. Shinsuke knocked Kingston out of the ring as Cesaro got Big E in the Swing. Nakamura hit Big E with a knee to the face.
Kofi hit Nakamura with a Splash and then delivered a Clothesline to Cesaro. Kofi perched Cesaro up on the top rope and went for a Hurricanrana but Cesaro blocked it. Cesaro then Powerbombed Kofi through the two tables to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Bayley Retained The SmackDown Women’s Championship
Bayley defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Nikki Cross tonight at Extreme Rules. Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks were ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Bayley controlled the action early and mocked Nikki Cross by posing in the ring. Nikki battled back and hit a Tornado DDT and followed it up with a Crossbody for a near fall. Nikki hit another Crossbody off the top rope for a two count.
Bayley rolled out of the ring to regroup but Nikki hit her with another Crossbody off the ring apron. Bayley drove Nikki into the ring apron and bashed her face into the plexiglass. Back in the ring, Bayley applied a Headlock as the crowd got behind Nikki.
The SmackDown Women’s Champion trapped Nikki in the ring skirt and hit her with several punches. Cross escaped under the ring and to the other side. Bayley went for a Baseball Slide but Nikki trapped her in the ring skirt and beat her down.
Back in the ring, Nikki mocked Bayley by doing her old poses before locking in a Crossface in the middle of the ring. Bayley broke free and hit a Bayley to Belly but Cross somehow kicked out at the last moment. Bayley perched Cross on the top turnbuckle and connected with a Superplex for another two count.
Bayley shared a hug with Sasha before going for a Dropkick. Cross blocked it and sent Bayley into the ring post. Nikki followed it up with a Running Bulldog and then made her way to the top rope. Cross hopped down and hit Bayley with a Neckbreaker for another near fall. Nikki went back up to the top rope but Bayley tripped her up.
Bayley connected with a knee to the face and went for a cover but once again Nikki kicked out at two. Bayley charged at Cross but Nikki got out of the way and Bayley crashed into the turnbuckle. Nikki connected with a Neckbreaker off the ring apron and to the floor outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Bayley and Nikki traded Clotheslines. Sasha handed Bayley the Boss ring (brass knuckles) and Bayley hit Nikki in the ribs with them while the referee was distracted. Bayley slammed Nikki to the canvas with the Rose Plant for the victory. Bayley is still the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Match Recap: Mysterio slammed Rollins into the ring post and took out a tool box from under the ring. Seth grabbed a kendo stick and hit Rey in the back of the neck. Seth followed it up with a Falcon Arrow on the ring apron and Rey crashed to the floor.
Rollins slammed Mysterio into the plexiglass and rolled him back in the ring. Seth grabbed the kendo stick and tried to shove it Rey’s eye but Mysterio blocked it. Rollins sent Mysterio out of the ring and he fell on top of table.
Seth tried to rip Rey’s out but Mysterio broke free and hit Rollins with a steel chair. Back in the ring, Rollins set up the kendo stick by the ring post and tried to slam Rey’s eye into it. Mysterio broke free and sent Rollins to the canvas. Rey connected with a Frog Splash off the top rope and followed it up with a Tornado DDT.
Mysterio sent Rollins out of the ring and Powerbombed him into the barricade. Rey tried to rip Rollins’ eyes out but Seth broke free. Mysterio hit Rollins with the Stomp and shoved his eye into the corner of the steel steps. Rollins hit Rey with a low blow and then a Superkick to the face.
Seth connected with the Stomp and then shoved Rey’s eye into the corner of the steps. The referee called for the bell as Mysterio called for a doctor. Someone shouted “Rey’s eye is sticking out of his head!” as Rollins got disgusted. Seth then vomited on the floor outside the ring to end the segment.
I need to know where the fake eye was being kept ?
Opinion: Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio did the best they could with this stipulation. I was initially intrigued but it became clear after a few minutes that this was going to be a stupid match. The ending of this match was comically bad. I couldn’t help but laugh when Rollins vomited because of how ridiculous it was. My favorite part of the match was the referee checking to see if someone lost an eye whenever their head was slammed into the turnbuckle or announce table.
The Ending To The RAW Women’s Championship Match Was Ridiculous
Asuka defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks tonight at Extreme Rules. Kairi Sane and Bayley were ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Sasha controlled the action early and locked in the Bank Statement. Asuka broke free and Banks stomped on the champion’s hand. Banks connected with a Meteora and went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at two. Asuka battled back and connected with a Hip Attack. Sasha went for a Sunset Flip but Asuka blocked it by hanging onto the ropes. Asuka dropped Sasha to the floor outside the ring with a knee to the face.
Back in the ring, Asuka connected with a spinning backfist that sent Banks to the corner of the ring. Asuka perched Banks up on the turnbuckle and hit her with a Codebreaker. Asuka went for another Hip Attack but Banks dodged it and brought the champion outside the ring.
Banks Powerbombed Asuka into the plexiglass before rolling her back into the ring. Sasha hit Asuka with a Frog Splash off the top rope and went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at two. Sasha quickly locked in the Bank Statement in the middle of the ring but Asuka was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold.
Asuka connected with a German Suplex and then a kick to Sasha’s face for a near fall. Asuka hit another German Suplex and then a Hip Attack for a two count. Asuka went for a Dropkick but Banks got out of the way. Sasha hit a running knee to the face and went for the cover but the RAW Women’s Champion kicked out at two.
Asuka went for a German Suplex off the top rope but Sasha landed on her feet. Banks hit a running knee and made her way to the second turnbuckle. Sasha grabbed her knee and fell to the canvas. Banks demanded that the match continue and started trading punches with Asuka. Sasha went for the Bank Statement but Asuka blocked it. Asuka applied the Asuka Lock and Banks tapped out but Bayley distracted the referee. Banks had one of the Women’s Tag Team Championships but the referee ripped it away. Asuka went for green mist but Sasha got out of the way.
Opinion: I have no idea why they decided to turn the ending of this match into a clown show but that is what happened. I’m assuming that Asuka is still the champion because Bayley just putting on the ref’s shirt doesn’t make her a referee. I was really looking forward to this match and the finish was so idiotic that it completely ruined it. Asuka and Banks were well on there way to having a great match too. Sasha grabbing her knee and shouting “I have to be champion!” was a great moment but everything fell apart in the last five minutes.
Drew McIntyre defended the WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler tonight. Ziggler announced that the stipulation will be Extreme Rules for him only. If McIntyre gets disqualified, counted out, etc Dolph will be the new champion.
Match Recap: Ziggler brought a chair into the ring but McIntyre ripped it away. If Drew hit Ziggler with the chair he would lose the title so he threw it out of the ring. Dolph set up a table outside the ring and Drew was about to Suplex him through it but thought better of it. McIntyre rolled Ziggler into the ring and hit him with a Powerbomb.
Dolph hit McIntyre with a low blow before bringing more steel chairs in the ring. Ziggler hit McIntyre with a chair several times and went for the cover but Drew kicked out at two. McIntyre rolled out of the ring to regroup and Ziggler went for a Crossbody off the apron. McIntyre caught him and sent Ziggler flying over the announce table.
Ziggler hit McIntyre with a Fameasser off the announce table but Drew battled back and sent Ziggler flying into the plexiglass. Back in the ring, McIntyre set up for the Claymore but Dolph countered with a chair shot. Ziggler planted McIntyre with a Zig Zag and went for the cover but Drew kicked out at two.
The action spilled out of the ring and Ziggler set up McIntyre on the table. Dolph hit an Elbow Drop through the table but McIntyre was able to get back into the ring before the ten count. Ziggler hit a Fameasser, a Zig Zag, and then a Uranage on top of a steel chair but McIntyre kicked out at two. Ziggler set up for a Superkick but McIntyre connected with a Claymore out of nowhere for the pinfall victory. Drew McIntyre is still the WWE Champion.
Strowman and Wyatt battled in a non-title Swamp Fight to end Extreme Rules.
Match Recap: Strowman looked for Wyatt to start it off as stock footage of animals running around was played. Strowman fought off a couple of masked people before he was hit in the back of the head with a pipe. It was revealed that it was Wyatt Family Strowman that hit hit him with the pipe.
Braun woke up and was tied to a chair as Wyatt’s theme played. Bray showed up and said that Braun cannot hurt him because he is already dead. Wyatt stated that the human race is like a bacteria but Strowman is like him. Wyatt claimed that together they can be like gods and society will bow to them. Braun refused to join Wyatt and Bray vowed to destroy the monster Braun has become. Someone brought in a giant snake and it bit Strowman.
Braun woke up again and hit a guy in the face with a shovel. The man then caught on fire and Strowman laughed his ass off. A woman’s voice said “Braun you don’t need to do this”. The voice was a hallucination of Alexa Bliss and added “I know you’ve always wanted to be together”.
Strowman walked towards the Bliss image and Bray popped out and attacked him. Strowman fought back and put Wyatt on a boat that drove away. The boat drove itself back to the dock and Wyatt wasn’t inside. Bray hit Strowman from behind and they both went underwater.
Braun was the first one to swim out of the swamp and climbed up the ladder to the dock. Wyatt showed up again and hit Strowman over and over with a row. Bray shouted “look what you made me do!” as Braun got back up. Strowman booted Bray through the railing and back into the swamp. WWE then did a false finish and had the copyright logo in the bottom corner of the screen. Wyatt popped out of the swamp and dragged Strowman back inside. The Fiend then emerged and said “let me in” to close the show. Wyatt won the match because he was the one who emerged from the swamp.
Opinion: Well, this was certainly no Boneyard Match. The segment where Strowman was chained to the chair with Wyatt was talking about society crumbling and trying to recruit Strowman back to the Wyatt Family was absolutely terrible. There were some cool shots and moments sprinkled in but I didn’t find the Swamp Fight to be captivating at all.
Extreme Rules: The Horror Show was one of the weirdest PPVs I’ve seen in some time. Apollo Crews wasn’t cleared to compete so MVP just declared himself the United States Champion, with the announcers saying that he is not the champion. Sasha Banks left Extreme Rules with the RAW Women’s Championship but isn’t the champion (I think) because Bayley isn’t a referee. I enjoyed the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match the most at Extreme Rules. I didn’t think that was going to be the case but a lot of the matches tonight were convoluted and disappointing.
The Swamp Fight between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman was the latest installment in WWE doing cinematic type matches.
It took place at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event. The match was different although it was a non-title match, which meant that Strowman didn’t have any worries about losing the WWE Universal Title.
The match featured Wyatt disappearing several times. Strowman took out a few masked men. Strowman got hit in the back with a shovel and it turned out that it was the older version of Strowman.
We then see Strowman tied to a chair with Wyatt trying to talk him into joining him again. There was a lady that came in with a snake then we saw Strowman set a guy on fire. The woman was revealed as Alexa Bliss. Strowman tackled Wyatt into a boat, which later started driving by itself.
It ended when Strowman sent Wyatt into the water. Strowman said that it was over, but Wyatt jumped out and pulled him into the water with him. The water turned red and Wyatt popped up as The Fiend. We see a close-up shot on his face with him laughing and he asks to let him in. That’s how the match ended. Wyatt won the match.
Firefly Funhouse Wyatt has lost to Strowman and Wyatt won at Extreme Rules while portraying his old gimmick.
With each star holding a win over each other it could lead to a third and final match that would take place at SummerSlam for the Universal Championship.
The unique clash between Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler is in the books.
McIntyre was able to successfully retain the WWE Championship in his latest title defense at the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event on Sunday night in Orlando, Florida.
After weeks of build-up to what the exact stipulation would be, it turns out that it was an Extreme Rules Match only for Ziggler. Thus, it saw Ziggler use any weapon he wanted while McIntyre tried to fight him in an actual wrestling match.
One of the highlights of the match saw Ziggler hit an elbow drop off the top rope onto McIntyre through a table on the floor.
Ziggler brought the fight to the champion but in the end, it was McIntyre standing tall by hitting the Claymore Kick for the win.
This championship match was booked back on the June 22nd episode of RAW when Ziggler made a surprise appearance on the show where he revealed that due to the trade involving AJ Styles being moved to Friday Night SmackDown, RAW was able to select two SmackDown stars. It ended up being Ziggler and Robert Roode being moved as a result.
Ziggler had been hyping the stipulation as a first-ever type of match.
The Eye for an Eye Match had fans talking heading into Extreme Rules and will likely have them talking coming out of the WWE pay-per-view event.
Seth Rollins battled Rey Mysterio in such a match after a heated storyline that has played out over the course of several weeks on television.
Just like WWE had confirmed when listing the match on their website, there a winner could only be determined by extracting the opponent’s eye. So how was the contest? It was a slow spectacle that had a mixture of them doing wrestling moves while also using various weapons as weapons.
That included kendo sticks, pipes, screwdrivers, steel steps, and more. The finish came when Mysterio’s right eye was pushed first into the corner of the steel step and then all of a sudden we saw a fake eye briefly. Rollins began puking after the match.
Just before WWE had announced the match, it was reported by Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline.com that WWE originally did an angle where Rollins sent Mysterio eye first into the corner of a steel step for a reason.
That was to write Mysterio off television in case he didn’t sign a new deal. Mysterio had been wearing an eye patch as part of his mask since the angle.
As of this writing, there’s still no word yet on whether Mysterio has signed a new deal with WWE or plans to hit the free agent market when he’s able to do so.
WWE kicked off its Extreme Rules event with a title change as Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura are on top of the tag team division on SmackDown.
Nakamura and Cesaro beat Big E and Kofi Kingston in a Tables Match at Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center.
The finish of the match saw Cesaro powerbomb Kofi off the middle rope through two tables for the win. Unlike other tables matches with tag teams, Big E didn’t need to be put through a table.
Back on the April 17th episode of SmackDown, The New Day dethroned The Miz and John Morrison as the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. This reign marked the eighth time that The New Day had won WWE Tag Team gold.
These two teams have been feuding for quite some time on WWE television. Two weeks ago on an episode of SmackDown, Nakamura and Cesaro introduced the tables by putting Big E and Kingston through them. This set up the gimmick match for this gimmick heavy themed pay-per-view event.
What are your thoughts on Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro winning the SmackDown Tag Team Titles? Was this the right idea by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Chris Jericho went into detail as to what AEW originally had planned for this past Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite for himself and Orange Cassidy.
Of course, the show that aired on TNT saw Cassidy get some revenge on Jericho and other members of the Inner Circle by dumping gallons of orange juice on them in the ring from Daily’s Place.
The former AEW World Heavyweight Champion recalled what they wanted to do for the angle during his weekly Saturday Night Special YouTube show.
The Inner Circle doused in orange juice by Orange Cassidy (Photo: AEW)
He first started talking about coming up with the idea for what they actually did by remembering the bloodbaths that the Brood used to do. They would have their rival stand in the ring and get blood dumped on them.
“I originally wanted Orange to come into the venue in an orange juice truck, kind of like [Kurt Angle] did with the milk truck or whatever it may be. But if you see at Daily’s Place whenever they have cars come in – Cody tried to drive it in that one time, and now they have FTR driving.
And you can only get to a certain area and then you have to stop, so you couldn’t get a whole orange juice truck, even if there’s such a thing. But I’m sure we could have made one, and he would have sprayed orange juice on [us].”
Jericho noted that the orange juice bath from the heavens was more manageable than the truck and so they went with it although there was a bit of uncertainty about it because they had to be in the right spot or it wouldn’t have worked.
The card for Sunday’s (July 19, 2020) WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event has been finalized.
The company hasn’t officially announced the main event of this event that takes place in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center and will air on the WWE Network, but it will most likely be WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler.
Also on tap for the show are two cinematic matches – Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio in an Eye for an Eye Match and Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman in a Swamp Fight. The Bar Fight between Jeff Hardy and Sheamus was moved from Extreme Rules to next week’s SmackDown.
As a reminder, we will be providing coverage of this special on Sunday evening starting at 6 PM EST. Here is the final card for the show:
Final WWE Extreme Rules Card
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Asuka vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Nikki Cross
Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman – Swamp Fight
Eye For An Eye Match: Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews vs. MVP
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura – Tables Match
EC3, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Eric Young have all joined Impact Wrestling.
Eddie Edwards vs. Trey Miguel vs. Ace Austin vs. Rich Swann vs. Eric Young in an Elimination Match for the vacant Impact World Championship was booked as the main event of Saturday’s Slammiversary pay-per-view event from Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.
Edwards defeated Ace Austin to win the title. Post-match, Madman Fulton began to beat down Edwards and Austin joined in. The Good Brothers walked down and made the save. They all stood tall together.
All of these stars were released from WWE in April when the company decided to make mass firing of staff and talent. The wrestlers who were released were under a 90-day non-compete clause until July 15th, which at the time had prevented them from officially signing a deal with any promotion.
Over the last few weeks, it was reported that Anderson and Gallows had agreed to signing with Impact. The promotion made it official earlier on Saturday. They also agreed to a separate deal with another promotion, which will allow them to work for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Before this event, the promotion had been teasing the return of EC3 to Impact as his entrance music was played on an episode of Impact.
The Motor City Machine Guns made their Impact Wrestling return at Slammiversary.
The Rascalz, Wentz and Dez, issued an Open Challenge during Saturday’s Slammiversary pay-per-view event. This is when the music of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin hit. The Guns won the match after Sabin pinned Dez.
Sabin had previously been teasing an appearance at Slammiversary while Shelley had recently tweeted, “The past year of my career has been one of my absolute favorite, and it’s been because of my autonomy, my freedom, and the respect I get and give to and from my peers and fans.”
Sabin and Shelly began teaming together back in 2006 where they found success in every promotion they worked for by winning titles.
The Motor City Machine Guns broke up in 2018 months after Shelley suffered an injury and Sabin went off to retire from the pro wrestling business.
Their tenure in Impact goes back to when the promotion was named TNA from 2007 until 2012. Sabin returned to the promotion to work as a producer for last year.
On the flip side, Shelley last wrestled this past February for ROH. This came after he had worked a tag team match where he teamed Kushida in a losing effort to the Grizzled Young Veterans as part of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in January under the WWE NXT banner.
