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WWE NXT Results (6/17): Title Matches, Top Stars Exchange Promos

Andrew Ravens
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The June 17th, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

WWE NXT Results (6/17)

  • NXT Tag Team Champions Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) (c) def. Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango)
  • Damian Priest def. Killian Dain
  • Aliyah def. Xia Li
  • Dakota Kai (w/Raquel Gonzalez) def. Kayden Carter (w/Kacy Catanzaro)
  • Bronson Reed def. Leon Ruff.
  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks & Bayley def. Tegan Nox & Shotzi Blackheart

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

WWE NXT Tag Team Titles 

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NXT Tag Team Champions Imperium defended their titles against Breezango.

It was a decent back and forth match that opened the show. WWE gave Fandango and Tyler Breeze quite a bit of offense. In the end, the champions retained the titles. 

Indus Sher made their way out to make their presence known. However, they were interrupted by Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan as the match continues.

A Triple Threat Match to determine the new #1 contender’s for the Tag Team Titles took place back on June 3rd as Breeze & Fandango battled The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) and Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. The babyfaces went over to win the contest. 

It’s clear that the majority of fans didn’t think Breezango would win and didn’t take them seriously, but it was a nice change and we got a title match out of it. 

WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles

Sasha Banks Bayley

Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart challenged Bayley and Sasha Banks for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. 

WWE saved this contest for the main event of the show. It was a fun match with Bayley and Banks successfully retaining the titles. Post-match, Io Shirai came out and attacked both Bayley and Banks. They had a staredown to close out the show. 

It was nice to see Bayley and Banks, who are NXT originals, come back to the yellow and black brand, but it’s not likely that many fans thought they would drop the titles to the makeshift team of Nox and Blackheart. 

NXT doesn’t really have a tag team division in NXT so it appears they’ll go back to being singles stars. 

Adam Cole Responds, Title Matches Galore

Adam Cole
Adam Cole

NXT Champion Adam Cole decided to respond to Karrion Kross’s challenge from last week’s show. Of course, last Wednesday’s show closed with Scarlett walking out to the ring and placed an hourglass in the ring then there was a Kross logo placed on the screen. 

Cole did a promo backstage about how Kross tried to scare him but he’s not worried because he’s seen this film play out many times, but knows how it ends. It ends with him overcoming a challenger and standing tall as the NXT Champion. 

This led to Keith Lee walking up and telling him that his time is coming to an end as NXT Champion. However, it won’t be Kross taking the title from Cole, it would be him. Lee smashed the hourglass and Cole walked away. 

In the following segment, Cole did a promo in the ring to open the second hour. He said he’s never taken his reign for granted. He said Kross throwing his name out for a title shot doesn’t work. He put over Kross for beating Ciampa. 

Cole addressed Lee’s threat and noted maybe he wants a second title. He likes the sound of champ-champ. This led to Lee coming out to do another straight promo segment with Cole, but Johnny Gargano came out for a promo. Gargano brought up coming after the NXT North American Title but questioned why he would stop there and thinks he should go after the NXT Title as well.

Finn Balor followed and said they can stop being marks for themselves and go back to being a mark for him. Balor said that he’s never held the NXT North American Title and sent a warning to Lee about taking his title before telling Cole that he’s coming for his title. He called Cole a transitional champion. 

William Regal appeared and announced Lee defending the title against Gargano and Balor next week. The winner of that match will take on Adam Cole in a Champion vs. Champion Winner Takes All Contest on July 8th. 

Killian Dain Is Back

killian dain nxt 8 21

In a return after a hiatus, Killian Dain took on Damian Priest in a singles match that served as the second bout of the night. 

Dain controlled the majority of the match with Priest making a comeback in the later stages of it. It was a hard-hitting style between two big men with Priest going over in the end. 

Dain hadn’t been seen since the March 25th episode of NXT and was absent since then. Up until his most recent hiatus, he had been working squash matches in order to build him up further as a monster. 

He took a clean loss in this match, which only further shows how high WWE officials are of Priest. 

Therapy For Roderick Strong

pjimage 2019 11 24T190759.946

We saw Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Roderick Strong in a limo where they were trying to get Strong to go see a therapist in order to get him over his fear of Dexter Lumis. 

They tried to hype him up about how this therapist is the best in the world. It turns out that the therapist was Kyle O’Reilly, who was dressed up with glasses and a hat. 

Strong detailed how he couldn’t stop thinking of Lumis and how he hates people staring at him.

They showed him various pitches and asked Strong to describe what he saw. O’Reilly told Strong that he needed to face the trunk that is behind his fears of Lumis. They tried to get him to go into the trunk, but he ran away. 

Cole said he thought he made progress but they needed to go get Strong. 

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1273419449341816833

Ricky Starks Answers Open Challenge In AEW Debut

Andrew Ravens
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Ricky Starks is All Elite. 

The former NWA star made his AEW debut on this week’s episode of Dynamite in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place on TNT. He did so by answering the open challenge set out by Cody Rhodes in the middle of the show. 

After an in-ring promo by Rhodes and Arn Anderson, a video hyped Starks’ debut.

This saw him challenge Rhodes for the AEW TNT Championship, which featured a back and forth contest that ended with “The American Nightmare” hitting his signature finisher, Cross Rhodes, for the win to allow him to retain the title. 

Based on social media, Starks had an impressive performance in his first outing under the All Elite Wrestling banner. 

https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1273420682710470657
https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1273421112731451395
https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1273421449836015624

Just last month, Starks announced his departure from the NWA and free agency status. Clearly, his time on the market didn’t last long. 

Starks had been with the NWA since August of 2019. During his time with the NWA, he had been praised by many and seen as a rising prospect in the pro wrestling business. 

https://youtu.be/ZQTFoYcR1I8

Top WWE Star Decided Against Working Wednesday’s RAW Tapings

Andrew Ravens
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0

The trend of WWE stars deciding against working TV tapings while the world deals with the coronavirus continue. 

Kevin Owens did not attend Wednesday’s WWE RAW TV tapings, per a report at Fightful. Owens had communicated to WWE that he wouldn’t be at the set of tapings on Wednesday morning.

Owens’ decision came just two days after it was revealed that a WWE developmental talent had tested positive for COVID-19 after working last Tuesday’s TV taping.

The word going around backstage is that Owens expressed his decision respectfully and he was not pressured to participate once he spoke up.

WWE is hoping to have Owens back by the next set of tapings. However, his status is unclear at this point. 

Roman Reigns was the first star to decide against working the tapings and followed by Sami Zayn, who was eventually stripped of the Intercontinental Title. 

WWE Using Friends And Family At TV Tapings Is Start Of Plan To Have Fans In Attendance

Andrew Ravens
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0

WWE continues to make plans in order to have fans attend their shows again. 

Earlier this week we noted how WWE officials are preparing to host fans at events again by the end of this summer. There are several people in the company who are hoping to start in August. 

Fast forward to Monday, WWE allowed friends and family to attend television tapings. There was also reports that local fans were allowed to be in attendance, but those reports were dismissed. 

In an update, it was reported by Wrestling Inc that having limited fans is just the “beginning” phase of having full crowds again.

The next phase would see NXT recruits be removed from being used as fans in order to use just family, friends, and a select group of fans who knew someone to be able to attend. NXT recruits would still have to be available for tapings if they needed more people.

The third phase would be to have only fans in the audience with likely at least 50% capacity to show people watching at home that things are returning to normal and it’s okay to attend live events again when the company holds shows. 

Finally, the last stage in the phase would be a return to touring for at least TV and pay-per-view events in the fall.

Rusev Thought Vince McMahon Telling Him About Wrestling The Undertaker Was A Rib

Andrew Ravens
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0

Rusev told a great story in a recent video that was posted on his Youtube channel involving Vince McMahon and The Undertaker. 

The former WWE star took on the legendary pro wrestler in a Casket Match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in 2018.

Originally, WWE had wanted Rusev to face Taker at this show. However, plans changed with Chris Jericho being Taker’s opponent and then a third change was made with Rusev finally being booked against “The Deadman.”

After putting over Taker and stating that not only was it great to wrestle Taker, but it was a dream come true, he recalled Vince McMahon telling him about the match. 

“I thought it was a rib. I got called in the office by Vince. He said ‘Miro, I got you working with The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia’. I’m like (laughs) and ‘I’m winning right?’ That’s exactly what I said, that’s what exactly my reaction was. Because I thought he was joking.”

Rusev noted that he knew at that time he was nowhere near the level of being able to work with such a legendary star. While he had his Rusev Day gimmick going on at the time, he never thought he would wrestle Taker in Saudi Arabia in such a large crowd. 

“So I said and ‘I’m going over, right?’ He was like ‘hahaha.’ He looked at me kind of weird. I’m like ‘Alright sir, I’ll see you next time'”

“Then I went out and Road Dogg goes, ‘why did you act like this?’ I’m like ‘what do you mean?’ He’s like ‘why would you say that?’ I’m like ‘well, he’s joking with me, I would joke back with him, I’m not gonna just sit there.’ He’s like ‘no that’s not a joke, you are actually working Taker.’ I was like, ‘no freaking way! I’m such an a**hole’ Yeah, it was a funny story.”

Rusev then brought up why he was pulled from the match. WWE wanted to turn him babyface and not have him drop a loss to Taker.

Thus, he was pulled, but when the Crown Prince asked why Rusev wasn’t wrestling Taker, McMahon changed the plans for the third time. 

CM Punk Shares John Cena Won Big Match He Was Originally Planned To Win

Andrew Ravens
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0

CM Punk shared an interesting story that he hadn’t told in recent memory that involves John Cena. 

The former WWE Champion did so during Tuesday’s episode of WWE Backstage on FS1. The match was the Men’s Royal Rumble bout that took place at the pay-per-view event in 2008. 

It turns out that Punk was supposed to win the contest. However, plans changed as WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon decided to have Cena win the contest instead. 

This was a big surprise return at the time as Cena was out of action with a torn pectoral muscle at the time. However, Cena, who’s known to recover fast, made a quick turnaround and returned earlier than anyone anticipated.

“I was supposed to win! I was supposed to win that Royal Rumble, then John Cena comes back after three months from a torn pec. Thanks a lot, John.”

While plans for the winner of this contest did change, that didn’t stop WWE’s plans to push CM Punk as a top player in the company. Just months after the Royal Rumble event, WWE had him win the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 24. 

This allowed him to later cash in to become World Champion.

Randy Orton Talks Tommaso Ciampa’s Retirement Claims If Called Up To Main Roster

Andrew Ravens
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0

Randy Orton recently spoke with Brent Brookhouse of CBS Sports about his beef with Tommaso Ciampa and past comments made by the former NXT Champion. 

Last December, Ciampa came out and stated that if he’s ever called up to the main roster whether that be RAW or SmackDown, he would retire. The reason for that is due to his history of neck problems. 

Last March, Ciampa suffered a neck injury that ultimately led to him getting surgery and relinquishing the NXT Title.

Orton started out by talking about how he watched Ciampa’s  ‘Black Heart’ documentary on WWE Network that followed him around after his neck surgery. Orton admitted that he teared up a bit when he saw Ciampa wake up from surgery and his beautiful little daughter was sitting on his lap. He called it heartwarming. 

Orton stated that he wants Ciampa to have a long, healthy career and retire instead of going to get a new trade or work somewhere else to provide for his family. He stated that wrestling is a business and wrestlers need to make money. 

“I would think, no matter how much you love NXT, you’ve got to look at the bigger picture. If you don’t think you’re going to last on the road for Raw and SmackDown? Do something about it. Go and sign a contract that calls for you to only show up at TV.

They do NXT every week and they do a TakeOver whenever. They’re wrestling about as much as we’re wrestling, especially right now. With the future and no one knowing how many shows we’re going to be putting on, I think it’s a bit of a cop out to say, ‘I can get four years of NXT versus one year of Raw or SmackDown.'”

Orton continued by noting that the type of hustle Ciampa has shown makes him believe that Ciampa is capable of doing that. 

“I think he’s a big fish in a relatively small pond. I don’t mean that as a knock, to be clear.”

Orton noted that he wants to see Ciampa become a big fish in a bigger pond. He also wants to see Ciampa under the pressure to have something like the greatest wrestling match ever. He added that he would love to work with Ciampa. 

Aubrey Edwards Working On The AEW Video Game

Michael Reichlin
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0

The AEW video game is in development, but do not expect to play it any time soon.

AEW referee Aubrey Edwards was Chris Jericho’s guest on the latest installment of the Talk is Jericho podcast. During their discussion, Edwards revealed that she is involved in the game’s development.

Edwards not sure what she was authorized to reveal, aside from saying that the game is “very, very early on” in the development cycle. “It’s definitely a way’s out,” she said.

AEW Executive Vice President Kenny Omega, an avid gamer, is also involved. Edwards says she talks to Omega a lot about the project.

Chris Jericho asked what makes a good wrestling game. They know expectations are high. “It has to kick ass.” They are listening to feedback and will give the people what they want. They spoke about the importance of a robust Create-a-Wrestler suite.

She spent several years working on mobile games and believes that experience will help AEW deliver a great product. WWE’s release of 2K20 was an all-out disaster. Edwards talked about what went wrong with that game.

Her gaming console of choice is the Nintendo Switch. She likes that it affords her the flexibility to play from home or while on the road traveling. This bodes well for a Switch release of the AEW game.

Listen to Aubrey Edwards’ comments about the AEW video game and much more on the latest episode of Talk is Jericho:

Ryback Talks Paul Heyman Being Vince McMahon’s ‘Bitch’

Jake Skudder
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0

Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently commented on the creative direction of the company on his Conversation With The Big Guy podcast. The ‘Big Guy’ talked about Paul Heyman being removed as the Executive Director of RAW; plus the reasons he feels the company made that decision.

Ryback on Paul Heyman

“Vince [McMahon] is in control at the end of the day” Ryback would begin. “Heyman? Even with the little issues that I had with him from a personal standpoint and working together? He’s a creative individual, and I knew that being down at Ohio Valley Wrestling. Heyman had some good stuff down there.”

Ryback then claimed that anyone in that position with WWE ends up being Vince McMahon’s ‘bitch.’ “The problem is when…anybody who gets put in that position up there? You’re just Vince’s bitch. You’re going to work non stop, your stress level is going to go through the roof and your blood pressure is going to go through the roof. You are that much closer to a heart attack each and every day.”

The ‘Big Guy’ elaborated further, saying “you draw your best pictures and he [Vince] just rips it up and says ‘draw me another picture! Draw me another picture!’ There’s only so much you can do. Out of 100% of your ideas? You might see 10% make it to TV, but even that 10% is not your true 10%. It’s just Vince taking whatever scraps he takes from it to put out there.”

Do you think that Paul Heyman being removed from the position of Executive Director was a mistake? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

Ryback
Ryback

Mustafa Ali Moving To WWE’s RAW Brand

Michael Reichlin
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0

Mustafa Ali will be competing on WWE Raw when he returns to action. The news was first reported by PWInsider.

Ali has been off television since February. He was scheduled to challenge for the WWE Championship in the main event of Elimination Chamber. He was pulled from the match after suffering a concussion at a live event, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer.

It was an unfortunate break for the former Chicago Police officer, who was in the midst of a strong push on the SmackDown brand. He first arrived on the scene in WWE back in 2016 during the Cruiserweight Classic tournament. After some time on 205 live, he was called up to SmackDown in 2018.

There has been speculation that Mustafa Ali is the man behind the SmackDown hacker vignettes that have been airing in recent months.

Ali’s move to Raw comes amid the recent shakeup of WWE’s creative structure.

Mustafa Ali is still listed as a SmackDown wrestler on the WWE website.

Breaking: WWE Cancels Today’s Smackdown Taping

Chris Stephens
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0

WWE has once again canceled a planned taping of WWE Smackdown. The company was originally supposed to tape the show yesterday. A positive COVID-19 test from a developmental wrestler then caused yesterday’s taping to be postponed. The WWE roster underwent testing for the virus yesterday instead.

Reports are now coming out that today’s planned taping of Smackdown has also been cancelled. Gary Cassidy of Sportskeeda was the first to report that the show was being called off. John Pollock has since reported that today’s tapings of 205 Live, Main Event, and next week’s RAW are going ahead as planned, however.

The Smackdown taping was delayed for 40 minutes due to yesterday’s COVID-19 test results still coming in. Now, the plan is to tape Smackdown this Friday.

WWE Taping Schedule

WWE still plans to tape 2 episodes of NXT tonight from Full Sail University. Tonight’s episode will air live. They will then tape next week’s episode immediately following.

WWE released the following statement to media earlier this week:

“A developmental talent, who was last on site at WWE’s training facility on Tuesday, June 9, has tested positive for COVID-19. Since that time, no other individuals that attended the facility have reported symptoms. However, out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the health and safety of the company’s performers and staff, all talent, production crew and employees on site at the training and production facilities will be tested for COVID-19 immediately. Following the test results, WWE plans to proceed with its normal television production schedule.”

AEW Rankings Report (6/17): MJF Remains At #1

Chris Stephens
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0

AEW has released updated top-5 rankings ahead of tonight’s edition of Dynamite. MJF continues to top the men’s single’s rankings with an undefeated 6-0 record.

#3 Penelope Ford and #4 the Dark Order also made gains in the rankings this week.

AEW Men’s Single’s Rankings

AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (13-0)
TNT Champion: Cody (12-1)

  1. MJF (6-0)
  2. Lance Archer (6-1)
  3. Brodie Lee (5-1) 
  4. Kenny Omega (4-0)
  5. Chris Jericho (2-1)

There was no movement in the men’s single’s division this week in AEW. TNT Champion Cody successfully defended his title against Marq Quen. #2 Lance Archer picked up a single’s victory on Dark. Champion Jon Moxley, #1 MJF, #3 Brodie Lee, #4 Kenny Omega, and #5 Chris Jericho all had the week off.

#4 Kenny Omega will team with Hangman Page tonight to defend the tag belts against the Natural Nightmares. #5 Chris Jericho will team with Sammy Guevara to take on the Best Friends with the winners facing the champions at Fyter Fest. #1 MJF will face Billy from the Gunn club tonight as well.

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AEW Women’s Division

Champion: Hikaru Shida (11-1)

  1. Nyla Rose (6-2)
  2. Kris Statlander (4-4) (injured)
  3. Penelope Ford (4-3) (+2)
  4. Britt Baker (4-4) (injured) (-1)
  5. Yuka Sakazaki (1-1) (-1)

#3 Penelope Ford moves up 2 spots after pinning the champion in tag-team action last week. She teamed with #1 Nyla Rose to earn the victory over champion Hikaru Shida and #2 Kris Statlander last week.

Unfortunately, Statlander announced this week she’s out with a torn ACL that will require surgery. #4 Britt Baker is also on the shelf/in a “Role’s Royce” for awhile.

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AEW Tag Team Division

Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (7-0)

  1. Best Friends (9-3)
  2. The Natural Nightmares (5-0)
  3. Private Party (4-2)
  4. The Dark Order (6-0) (previously unranked)
  5. Young Bucks (2-2)

SCU drops out of the tag rankings this week and #4 the Dark Order are ranked once again. Stu Grayson and Evil Uno picked up a win on Dark this week after having been absent for weeks due to travel restriction between the US and Canada.

It’s a big week for the tag division tonight, however. The tag titles are on the line as the champions defend against #2 the Natural Nightmares. #1 The Best Friends will put their previously earned title shot on the line against Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara (Le Sex Gods) as well.

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Don Callis Teases Big Name From ECW Headed To Impact

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling has been going all out teasing wrestling fans that some free agents will be appearing at Slammiversary on July 18th. On this week’s show, it was noted on commentary that what happens at Slammiversary will change the company’s course for possibly years to come. The tagline for the event is “Our World Will Change.”

On the Impact post-show with Jimmy Jacobs and Don Callis last night, the co-Vice President of the company teased that another name could be on their way to the promotion. Callis noted that he learned a lot from this person beginning in 1999. That was the year Callis began working for Extreme Championship Wrestling.

“So, Jimmy, you might want to bring your autograph book because I just got the scoop. Someone who we didn’t even think was available might be coming, I’m just saying,” Callis said. “I’ll say this, I learned a lot from him, Jimmy, I learned a lot from him from 99 to 2001, do your homework, everyone. All you internet people out there, you figure out, who am I talking about? Who’s undergone some changes recently?”

A few names are possible here. One is Gabe Sapolsky, who was a writer with ECW from 1993 until the company closed in 2001. Sapolsky had been with EVOLVE but the company recently announced a hiatus in the wake of the global pandemic.

Another option here is Lance Storm, who was recently furloughed or released by WWE. Storm closed down the Storm Wrestling Academy last year to accept the position with WWE. He had actually worked at least one taping for Impact in a similar role before signing with WWE.

Many fans have suggested Paul Heyman as someone Callis could be referring to here. Heyman is still under a performer’s contract with WWE, however, in spite of being let go from the creative team. It’s not clear when Heyman’s contract as a performer with WWE is up.

Steve Corino is a dark horse possibility here too. Corino is currently a trainer in NXT and there has been no news that he was released or furloughed but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened and the news simply hasn’t leaked out.

Another dark horse theory suggested by some is Joey Styles. The reasoning here being that Callis and Styles worked commentary together from 99-01. Callis mentioned the person recently “underwent some changes” though, and there hasn’t really been any news relating to Styles since he left the industry in late 2016.

Callis’ comments can be heard in the player below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTRBI7OKg0g

WWE Resumes Taping Wednesday With Hectic Schedule

Chris Stephens
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0

After a scheduled taping of WWE Smackdown was canceled yesterday, it appears WWE is filming nearly 2 weeks’ worth of content today.

A positive COVID-19 test of a developmental wrestler who had been acting as a fan at tapings caused WWE to change plans. Instead of taping Smackdown yesterday, WWE instead had its roster tested for the virus.

The company is set to resume tapings today and is filming a large amount of content. The following shows will be taped today from the WWE Performance Center:

  • Next week’s edition of RAW/Main Event/RAW Talk
  • This week’s edition of Smackdown
  • This week’s edition of 205 Live
  • Next week’s edition of Smackdown
  • Next week’s edition of 205 Live

UPDATE: WWE Cancels Tuesday’s TV Tapings After Talent Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Later tonight from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, WWE is scheduled to film the following:

  • Tonight’s edition of NXT
  • Next week’s edition of NXT

Should WWE succeed in completing the tapings for the above schedule, they would then have enough content to cover up until Monday, June 28th, 2020.

WWE’s next PPV will be Extreme Rules, which is scheduled for Sunday, July 19th, 2020.

NBC Confirms “Young Rock” Series For Mid-Season Debut

Chris Stephens
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0

Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson will star in and serve as a producer on NBC’s “Young Rock” next year. The network announced its fall schedule recently and noted multiple shows that had been pushed back to midseason/summer next year, one of them being the series focused on the Rock’s early career.

NBC pushed “Young Rock” back to midseason along with other new shows “Kenan” starring “Kenan Thompson” and the Tina Fey’s Mr. Mayor. Former WWE head writer Brian Gerwitz is also set to be involved with the show. The show is expected to premiere next summer.

Young Rock will focus on the Rock’s days before he was in WWE.

Earlier this year, the Rock posted a video to social media talking about what fans can expect from the series.

Young Rock

“We’re going to find the Rock wreaking havoc in the streets of Hawaii getting arrested,” Johnson said in the above video. “We were forced to leave the island and move to all places, Nashville, Tennessee. Those were the years that were very formative and helped shape me. The confluence of wild personalities that came in and out of my life during these times are just fascinating.”

The Rock also serves as an executive producer on NBC’s The Titan Games.

Impact Results (6/16): Former World Champion To Return

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling continued its build to Slammiversary last night on AXS TV and Twitch. The promotion continued to tease that several recently released WWE wrestlers could be on their way to the promotion. In particular, EC3 was heavily teased.

Impact Wrestling 6/16 Quick Results

  1. Impact Tag Team Championships
    The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) defeated The Rascalz (Dez & Wentz)
  2. Neveah defeated Kimber Lee
  3. Rhino defeated Rohit Raju
  4. TNA World Heavyweight Championship
    Moose (c) defeated Hernandez
  5. Reno Scum defeated Team XXXL
  6. Street Fight
    Ace Austin defeated Eddie Edwards

Here are 9 takeaways from Impact 6/16:

Former World Champion To Return To Impact Wrestling

Impact has been heavily-teasing that recently released wrestlers from WWE could be on their way to Impact. They have teased that Rhino’s former tag partner who “has kids” could appear at Slammiversary. EC3, Anderson & Gallows, and several others have been teased as well. This week, Impact confirmed that at least one former World Champion will be at Slammiverary.

Slammiversary will take place on Saturday July 18th, 2020. The tagline for the event is “Our World Will Change.”

EC3’s Music Plays Following Moose Victory

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl11DSQq26g

Moose continues to claim he is the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. This week he defended the title against Hernandez. Moose hit his opponent with an inadvertent (or perhaps purposeful) low-blow before picking up the win with a No-Jackhammer-Needed spear.

After the match, EC3’s old music played briefly instead of Moose’s. This clearly unnerved the self-proclaimed champion. Eventually, Moose’s music played and he celebrated with the TNA title to close the segment.

The North Retain Over The Rascalz, Trey Attacked In The Back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGt1UEvai9s

Ethan Page & Josh Alexander picked up a win this week over Dez & Wentz to kick off the show. The Rascalz earned the title shot by defeating TJP and Fallah Bah previously.

Page took Dez out of the match after countering a suicide dive and throwing him into the guardrail. Then, in the ring, Alexander crotched Wentz on the top-rope before the North hit their assisted-spinebuster finish for the win.

Following the match, the North went to the backstage area and were insulted to find nobody at the monitors watching their match.

When the Rascalz went to the back, they noticed someone had attacked Trey.

“The Virtuoso” Deonna Purrazzo Attacks Jordynne Grace Again

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

Deonna Purrazzo attacked Jordynne Grace last week on Impact. She locked the champion in an armbar to close the show. This week, we were shown highlights of an interview with Purrazzo who talked about debuting for Impact early in her career. She referred to herself as the best women’s technical wrestler in the world and is confident coming back to the promotion.

After the segment, Grace was interviewed in the back. She said that if Purrazzo wanted a title shot, all she had to do was ask. Purrazzo then attacked and locked Grace in an armbar once again.

Madman Fulton Aligns With Ace Austin

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

This week’s main event pitted former rivals Eddie Edwards vs Ace Austin in a street fight. The two will also be involved in the 5-way Impact World Title match at Slammiversary.

Edwards gave Austin a brutal neck breaker onto a table leg and looked to be setting his opponent up for the Boston Knee Party when Madman Fulton interfered. Fulton delivered a choke slam to Edwards and held him up for Austin to give him the Fold.

On commentary they revealed that Fulton was likely the man who attacked Trey in the back.

Rhino Defeats Rohit Raju As Commentary Teases Ex-WWE Wrestlers To Slammiversary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReWMpeTvW3k

Last week on Impact Wrestling, Rohit Raju and Rhino were involved in a mild altercation in the back. Rhino told Raju he has a tag-team partner and that tag-team partner “has kids.” This provided an opportunity for Josh Matthews and Madison Rayne to tease ex-WWE wrestlers showing up at Slammiversary. Matthews stated that what happens at Slammiversary could change the projection of Impact for years to come. Rayne said her sources confirmed that Slammiversary will be “can’t miss.”

Rhino picked up the win with a Gore. After the match, Raju looked distraught as Matthews wondered aloud if he would throw a childish fit again.

Neveah Picks Up Victory Over Kimber Lee, Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz Look On

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MW1a0qLw40

Kimber Lee faced Neveah this week on Impact. Neveah is now aligned with Havok after having ominously watched her matches from the crowd in recent weeks. This week, however, Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz played that role. Hogan & Steelz had an altercation in the back last week with Havok & Neveah.

Neveah picked up the victory with a vicious-looking DDT. The win gets a measure of revenge for the new team after Kimber Lee had previously defeated Havok. After the match, Hogan & Steelz threw popcorn in the face of Havok and the two teams almost came to blows until Hogan & Steelz fled the area.

Reno Scum Defeated Team XXXL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NPGfRn3drM

Reno Scum picked up a victory over Team XXXL this week. On commentary, they noted that with The North’s victory over The Rascalz this week that the winner of this match could be in line for a title shot. It looks like the North vs Reno Scum could be a match we get some time in the near future.

Next Week On Impact Wrestling

The following has been booked for next week’s edition of Impact Wrestling:

  • Susie vs Taya Valkyrie
  • Rob Van Dam, Joey Ryan & Jake Crist (Cancel Culture) vs Crazzy Steve & TBD & TBD
  • Willie Mack & The Deaners vs Chris Bey, Johnny Swinger & TBD

Drew McIntyre Reveals Which Superstars He Wants To Face, Almost Signing With NJPW

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WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has revealed which top Superstars who would like to face off against. Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, McIntyre opened up about his dream opponents. He also revealed how close he was to signing with New Japan Pro-Wrestling prior to a phone call from Triple H.

According to Dreew McIntyre, the Superstar at the top of his list is none other than “The Phenomenal One,” AJ Styles. He noted how the two of them are “ships in the night.” McIntyre explained how when he had left WWE and was heading towards Impact Wrestling, Styles was going in the opposite direction. When both men were competing on the independent circuit, “it never worked out.” Even when both McIntyre and Styles were with WWE and on the same brand, they were both heels at the time and so couldn’t necessarily feud. “I thought it was finally about to happen, and then he went to SmackDown. Eventually, it’s going to happen.”

Other names Drew McIntyre would love to feud with include Sheamus, Jinder Mahal, Kofi Kingston and Big E, Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Randy Orton and Undisputed Era members Adam Cole and Roderick Strong. 

Drew McIntyre’s New Japan Plans

While listing possible opponents, Drew McIntyre expressed his interest in wrestling against NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. He believes that his in-ring style would mesh perfectly with New Japan’s hard-hitting strong style. According to him, he was prepared to sign with NJPW in 2017. A phone call from Triple H changed those plans. 

“Before Hunter called me to come back to WWE, the place I was going next was Japan,” Drew McIntyre stated. “My style would be perfect there and I could learn so much. The two opponents on the top of my list were Tanahashi and Okada. Ospreay would be great, as well. I wrestled him outside of WWE in a couple of my favorite matches. But still, I have to go with Tanahashi and Okada.”

Drew McIntyre recently defended his WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley at this past Sunday’s pay-per-view, Backlash. 

Shotzi Blackheart Talks About Her Time On The Indies, In-Ring Style

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NXT Superstar Shotzi Blackheart has been enjoying success within WWE’s black-and-gold brand as of late. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Blackheart shared her experiences performing on the indies prior to WWE. She also reflected on her in-ring style and what she brings to the ring.

Shotzi Blackheart commented on her time in the indies, admitting she had a lot of time to find herself as a wrestler and performer. It remains something she is thankful for. She believes it gave her a lot of independence and helped her to become a “well-rounded businesswoman.” Shotzi Blackheart confessed her time on the indies was a lot of fun and was even silly at times. One thing it helped show her was how much heart you needed to make it in pro wrestling.

Shotzi Blackheart’s In-Ring Style

When it comes to her in-ring style, Blackheart compares herself to Evil Knievel. She purposeful wants to channel a “daredevil spirit” and bring that into the ring with her. “That’s how I see my character. I kind of have tunnel vision and I just do it. I try not to think about it. It’s more, ‘This sounds crazy! Let’s go!’”

Shotzi Blackheart is in line for her biggest NXT opportunity to date during tonight’s episode of the show. She teams with Tegan Nox to take on the team of Sasha Banks and Bayley for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. 

Arn Anderson On Nexus Invasion, Daniel Bryan’s Firing

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All Elite Wrestling’s Arn Anderson has reflected on the Nexus invasion angle, which saw them attack John Cena. Speaking on his ARN podcast, Anderson noted how NXT wasn’t a strong brand at that time. Instead, it was viewed as being WWE’s “school.”

According to him, the initial idea was to have NXT’s students “combine forces” and have Wade Barrett act as their spokesperson. He believes this would have led to “as formidable a force as you have in the entire company.”

Although believing the angle to be excellent, Anderson stressed how it “got cut off too short.”

He argued how WWE should have allowed Nexus to go on a tirade and garner as much heat as possible: “They should have been able to slaughter anybody at any time. You’re talking about an invasion.” 

By developing a storyline with John Cena, Anderson noted how it would only be a matter of time before Cena had to get some momentum on his side. Given how the Nexus was a full stable against one Superstar, this posed a problem.

“When you see that you have something, let’s sit down and see what we have for these guys and think our way through this and see how much mileage we can get out of these guys. If they would have got red hot, they could have attacked heels and babyfaces. That’s a what if? I personally thought it was a great gimmick that got cut off too quickly.”

Arn Anderson On Daniel Bryan’s Firing

Following the Nexus invasion, Daniel Bryan would be fired from WWE. This was because Bryan choked Justin Roberts with his tie during the angle. Anderson argued how they were given “carte blanche” to destroy everybody and everything. He believes those involved were instructed to “go out there and get yourself over.”

Arn Anderson described how, when Bryan choked Roberts, “The guy in the big chair saw it and probably went ape sh*t.” This reaction eventually led to Bryan’s release.

He argued that the only reason he was brought back was because letting him go after those instructions was a “lousy thing to do.”

“For him to be held responsible and lose his job when nobody told him not to do it, most guys were not even aware that the rule existed. They were all told but it was not something that was right in their prefrontal lobe every minute of every match. I think the only reason Daniel Bryan was brought back was because of the groundswell of the audience that was pulling for him. They knew he got screwed and they wanted him back. That’s the reason he came back, and the only reason.”

Elias Reveals He Was Set To Face The Undertaker At Super ShowDown

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The recently released episode of The Undertaker’s docuseries, The Last Ride, featured footage of ‘Taker interrupting Elias in the ring. He would proceed to deliver a chokeslam and Tombstone Piledriver to Elias. Turns out that this exchange was intended to build into a matchup between the two Superstars at WWE’s 2019 Saudi Arabia event, Super ShowDown.

Taking to his Instagram account, Elias revealed how a clash was “set to happen” in Saudi Arabia after their segment. He reflected on how everything about that night was “electric.”

As can happen, however, plans changed. Instead of Elias, The Undertaker would ultimately face off against Goldberg.

“Myself and The Deadman have crossed paths multiple times since I’ve been here, and I hope it’s not the last,” Elias wrote. “There is a great story to be told both on screen & behind the curtain. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it.”

The fourth episode of Undertaker: The Last Ride was made available this past weekend. The docuseries has provided an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at The Undertaker as he reflects on his legacy and what he still wants to accomplish in pro wrestling. The final episode is scheduled to air on the WWE Network on Sunday, June 21.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdWdEolhe2/?utm_source=ig_embed

The Undertaker Reflects On His Interest In Signing With WCW

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The Undertaker has opened up about his interest in potentially signing with WCW. His interest stemmed from his past frustrations with WWE’s creative direction. Speaking with Sam Roberts on the Not Sam Wrestling podcast, The Undertaker highlighted how there were too many “really goofy characters” in contrast to WCW. According to ‘Taker, WCW was doing “real angles.”

‘Taker noted how it was common knowledge that WCW had an open checkbook. The money being offered was something he was well aware of, especially as “You would be able to get a good check and stay at home most of the time.”

He admitted that thoughts of jumping to WCW for the money “were there.” However, he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to do it. The Undertaker joked how he isn’t the best businessman, but revealed that “something inside me said you couldn’t leave here [WWE].”

The Undertaker then recalled an opportunity to renegotiate his contract at that time. He reflected on how he had only been with the company for approximately 8 or 9 months. With his contract close to expiring, he was hoping to “get a little bump on the money.” 

His meeting would see him opposite Jim Herd, Ole Anderson, and Jim Barnett. According to ‘Taker, “They looked at me straight in the eyes, and said you are a great athlete, but nobody will ever pay to see you wrestle. My loyalty to Vince was stronger than the short term cash I could have made if I left.”

The first four episodes of The Undertaker’s docuseries, Undertaker: The Last Ride, are available to stream now on the WWE Network.

Details Regarding Drew McIntyre & Bobby Lashley Rivalry

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Drew McIntyre successfully defended his WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley this past Sunday at WWE’s Backlash pay-per-view. According to Louis Dangoor of WrestleTalk, their recent feud stemmed from McIntyre and Lashley’s interest in working together.

According to Dangoor, both Superstars enjoyed working together in the past based on their time in Impact Wrestling. This history gave them the confidence to reignite a feud in WWE. Both men believed they could put on a great match if only given the opportunity. Both Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley allegedly saw great value in their rivalry and felt it would help develop their characters.

Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, And Paul Heyman

Despite having been removed from his role as RAW Executive Director, Paul Heyman was allegedly instrumental in developing their feud. The “structure and pacing” of McIntyre and Lashley’s Backlash clash was reportedly heavily influenced by Heyman’s guidance and input.

It’s worth noting that the eventual finish involving Lana was done in accordance with what Vince McMahon wanted to see.

Her involvement ultimately cost Lashley his opportunity at Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship. This storyline would continue onto this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, with Bobby Lashley demanding a divorce from Lana.

Vince McMahon Reportedly Believes Angel Garza Is A “Young Eddie Guerrero”

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Vince McMahon is reportedly a huge fan of RAW’s Angel Garza—so much so that he has allegedly compared the Superstar to a “young Eddie Guerrero.” According to Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, Vince McMahon sees a lot of potential in the rising Superstar. Angel Garza is, at the time of writing, only 27-years-old.

He has already had several standout moments in WWE. Garza was a top contender for the Cruiserweight Championship in NXT. Since coming to the red brand, Garza has aligned himself with Zelina Vega and Andrade.

Paul Heyman Project: Angel Garza

Angel Garza joined several Superstars rumored to have been a Paul Heyman project. Since Heyman’s removal as RAW’s Executive Director, it remains to be seen how those passion projects will be affected.

Angel Garza joined Andrade, Rey Mysterio, Austin Theory, Viking Raiders, The Street Profits, Murphy, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Asuka, Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, and Apollo Crews as reported Heyman projects.

Many of these Superstars have been heavily featured in recent weeks. Nia Jax competed for the RAW Women’s Championship against Asuka at Sunday’s Backlash event. Apollo Crews recently claiming the United States Championship for the first time from Andrade on the 25/5 episode of Monday Night RAW.

Bully Ray Calls ‘The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’ An “8-Star Match”

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WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray had high praise for this past Sunday’s Backlash main event. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray addressed “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” between Randy Orton and Edge. Despite having minor issues with the match going on last, that didn’t stop his enjoyment of the action, describing the clash as an “8-star match.”

Bully Ray argued how only World Heavyweight Championship matchups should go on last. He acknowledged that there were many extenuating circumstances heading into Backlash. He noted how, by not having Drew McIntyre defend in the main event, “all you do is give me a kink in the armor of Drew McIntyre telling me he is not good enough to go on last.”

Addressing the piped in fan noise that WWE edited in, Bully Ray stressed how it was an unnecessary addition. He didn’t feel it was needed as he doesn’t need to be informed of what to like or not like during a match.

Regarding the match itself, Bully Ray believes it was a “This was an excellent match. This was a very well performed match. This was like an 8-star match and I don’t put star ratings on anything.”

He spoke about how the match was presented as one continuous match, performed as if it was in front of 20,000 people. Bully Ray also highlighted how Edge and Orton went “straight through like two professionals would.” As far as he’s concerned, they approached the matchup with an old school mentality. 

Edge would unfortunately suffer a triceps injury during the recording of the matchup.

Chris Jericho Shares What He Believes Is Holding Roman Reigns Back

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All Elite Wrestling’s Chris Jericho has revealed what he believes is holding Roman Reigns back from becoming pro wrestling’s top star. Speaking with Adam Wilbourn of WhatCulture, “Le Champion,” praised Reigns, sharing how he would love to have him become a part of the AEW roster. According to Jericho, he believes WWE needs to allow Reigns more freedom to be himself. If they do, the former AEW World Champion thinks Reigns could easily become the biggest star in wrestling.

Jericho noted how he’d put Roman Reigns at the top of any roster wish list. “Not only is he a great worker but he’s such a cool guy. If they just let him be him he’d be the biggest star in the industry, for real. That’d be a guy I’d love to get my hands on for sure.”

Roman Reigns has not been a part of WWE programming since refusing to wrestle Goldberg at WrestleMania 36. Due to his previous battles with leukemia, Reigns falls into a high-risk category in regards to the coronavirus pandemic. His decision to step away from the ring revolved around wanting to protect his family and newborn twins. Roman Reigns was scheduled to face off against Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship. Reigns was eventually replaced by Braun Strowman, who would defeat Goldberg and claim the gold.

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