Chelsea Green is no longer part of the Robert Stone brand. Green teamed with Charlotte Flair against Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley in victorious fashion last night. After the match, Green fired Robert Stone in a clip shot exclusively for social media.
“Every since signing with the Robert Stone brand, it’s worked, we’ve worked. After tonight, Chelsea Green is the hottest she’s ever been. That’s why, you’re fired,” Green said to Stone.
At first, Stone seemed to feel Green was joking but it dawned on him at the end of the video that she was being quite serious.
Actually I’m kidding. I don’t wanna fire you. Were you kidding??? Let’s talk. Did you block my number ????
Video of Chelsea Green firing Stone can be viewed below:
A recent segment on NXT also involved Aliyah attempting to convince Robert Stone she would be a good fit with his brand.
Chelsea Green Gone From The Robert Stone Brand
Green debuted in NXT on the January 29th episode. She surprisingly dropped the match to Kayden Carter but would avenge the loss on the February 19th edition of NXT.
Green then qualified for a #1 Contenders ladder match by defeating Shotzi Blackheart on the March 4th show. On April 29th, Green defeated Xia Li to bring her single’s record on the brand to 3-1. Her victory alongside Charlotte Flair last night was her 4th victory in NXT thus far.
Brie Bella has said that she is worried about her marriage to Daniel Bryan. In a promo clip for tonight’s episode of Total Bellas, Brie tells her sister Nikki that she is worried that her and Bryan are growing apart.
“He and I both … We don’t have a lot of time together as a couple,” Brie said. “At times we feel like single parents, when he comes back in town, I leave. We’re kind of growing apart, we’re not growing together.”
Brie continued to talk about how the couple has started to want different things. Bryan and Brie were married in 2014 after 2 years of dating.
The couple has planned a romantic getaway to Sedona, Arizona to work on their relationship.
“In the last eight years, Bryan and I have just wanted different things than what we’ve both wanted together in the beginning. I think we really need to come up with some compromises, and I know that if I want my marriage to work, I have to go into Sedona so honest. I can’t come back to Phoenix with any regrets.”
Bryan is scheduled to face Jeff Hardy this week on Smackdown. The match is a semi-final tournament match to determine a new Intercontinental Champion.
WWE taped next week’s episode of RAW at the Performance Center yesterday. During the show, Kairi Sane was injured while performing in a match with Nia Jax. According to a report from Wrestling Observer Radio, Kairi Sane was bloodied up after hitting the ring steps during the match.
“Everyone who I’ve talked to has said no one’s blaming Nia Jax, this was not Nia Jax’s fault even though other things have been,” said Dave Meltzer.
“Basically Kairi Sane got whipped into the ring steps. One person said that she may have stumbled but she was trying to take it on her side. She did take it on her side, her head did hit the steps,” he continued.
“Her head hit the steps, she was bloodied up, she was knocked silly.”
It is not yet known if Kairi has a concussion or not, however. The match was stopped and it is not clear if the match will air on television or if it will be edited before airing.
Kairi’s last match to air on WWE programming was a victory over Ruby Riott. The match aired on the May 5th episode of Main Event.
Chris Jericho’s Rock N Rager at Sea is still scheduled to set sail in 2021. Jericho gave a big update yesterday on the cruise that is currently scheduled to happen on February 1st to 5th, 2021.
The cruise is now advertising 4 days of wrestling matches, 3 Fozzy concerts, an event titled “Family Feud with Chris Jericho,” autograph sessions, live podcasts and more. Jim Duggan, Ted Dibiase, Bully Ray, and more are already confirmed for the event.
Those who have sailed on the cruise before can prebook now. First-time cruise-goers can sign up for presale here.
Last year’s cruise featured the taping of an episode of AEW Dynamite branded “Bash at the Beach.” The promotion stated after last year’s event that they would air Dynamite live from the cruise in 2021.
“We recognize we’re in the midst of uncertain times right now – times that call for extra flexibility, special value, and an absolute assurance that your health and safety are being closely looked after,” reads ChrisJerichoCruise.com.
Several new protocols will be coming to the cruise industry following the resumption of their businesses. The cruise line Jericho uses for the Rock N Rager at Sea has already stated they will no longer be greeting guests with high-fives.
“We expect new protocols to continue changing and the planning for your event will continue evolving right alongside them. One measure we’ll implement right away is saying goodbye to our beloved welcome high-fives. However, you can still count on a friendly Sixthman face upon your arrival to greet you and welcome you to the party!”
More information about health protocols for the cruise can be found here.
Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite from Daily’s Place Amphitheater featured prominent branding for HBO Max, the new streaming service from WarnerMedia.
HBO Max launched this week and includes programming from TNT and other WarnerMedia properties. HBO Max logos appeared all over the ringside area on AEW Dynamite, including the ring apron, turnbuckles, ring posts, announcers’ booth and more.
There has been some speculation that AEW programming, either Dark or show, could end up on the streaming service as well.
Kevin Reilly is the chief content officer for HBO Max and also the President of TNT, TBS, and truTV. He spoke with Variety following the extension of AEW’s deal with TNT. During the discussion, Reilly spoke highly of AEW and noted that AEW Dark could be moved off of YouTube and onto a WarnerMedia property.
“We just figured, ‘Let’s bring it onto the network and make it a place where you truly plant up and coming talent,’” Reilly said regarding Dark. “I think we’ll start doing more packages there and filming some behind-the-scenes stuff, not for the matches that night but with other talent to plant stories and grow things that could eventually become another show in and of itself.”
AEW President Tony Khan also wished WarnerMedia luck on the launch of HBO Max yesterday. He wrote on Twitter, “Thank you all who watched Double or Nothing & made it a huge success 2 years in a row! We’ve officially been in business for 1 year now & we owe it all to great fans supporting us + Kevin Reilly & our partners at WarnerMedia! Good luck on the big #HBOMax launch today, my friends!”
Get your free trial for HBO Max at HBOMax.com. A trailer for the new streaming service can be viewed below. WarnerMedia’s vast catalogue of films and TV shows are included.
After being called out by Chris Jericho last night on Dynamite, Mike Tyson walked to the ring flanked by numerous MMA fighters. Tyson’s entourage included several notable former champions and one recently retired double-champion.
When Tyson’s crew came out, Henry Cejudo was one of the first visible big names to appear on the screen. Cejudo is coming off of defending the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 249 against Dominick Cruz. The 33-year-old announced he was retiring after the fight, though there are some who feel this is just a negotiating strategy. Cejudo is an Olympic gold-medalist and a 2-division champion in the UFC, having held both the flyweight and bantamweight belts.
Also in Tyson’s crew was Vitor Belfort. The 43-year-old is a former UFC light heavyweight champion. He also won the UFC heavyweight tournament at UFC 12.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAt5ZfmByVL/
“Suger” Rashad Evans was also in Tyson’s crew on Dynamite last night. Evans is also a former UFC light heavyweight champion. Additionally, Evans won the Ultimate Fighter season 2 and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019.
Actor Mickey Gooch was also part of Tyson’s entourage.
Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler debuted on AEW Dynamite last night.
Following the night’s opening match, the Young Bucks were attacked by the Butcher and the Blade. Harwood and Wheeler then drove into the stadium and acted as if they were going to attack the Bucks before then beating down the Butcher and the Blade.
The Young Bucks then extended a handshake offer to FTR but Harwood and Wheeler turned their backs on them and left.
FTR’s AEW debut can be seen in the player below:
Shortly after their segment last night, Harwood & Wheeler (as well as ShopAEW) posted to Twitter and revealed what “FTR” actually stands for: “F*ck The Rest.”
Harwood and Wheeler received a Cease and Desist letter from a tag-team named the Revolt. In response, FTR’s attorneys noted that their team name is FTR and what that stands for can change based on storylines.
“Our clients do not intend and have never intended to call themselves FEAR THE REVOLT,” Harwood and Wheeler’s attorney responded to the letter. “They have at all times and in every way made it clear that their tag team name would be FTR, and that FTR can and would mean different things depending on their storyline and creative. They are not responsible for and cannot be held responsible for dirt sheets and others incorrectly attributing to them a name other than the name they have chosen, FTR.”
Rhea Ripley became the inaugural Women’s Champion on WWE’s NXT UK brand and her career in the company has been on the rise ever since.
However, during a recent appearance on the Wrestling Friends podcast, the former champion discussed a number of things and she also revealed that she wasn’t originally going to win the title.
Rhea revealed that she wasn’t supposed to make it past the second round of the tournament that was held for the crowning of the inaugural champion, but she somehow ended up winning the whole thing:
“It was a wild couple of days. I don’t think I was supposed to make it past the second round. I don’t really know what happened, everything just kept changing. They kept changing the matches, everything.
Going into the final with Toni, I wasn’t supposed to be in the finals.” said Rhea Ripley “I don’t know what happened in the meetings or what was said or done, but somehow I won the whole tournament.”
The female star joined NXT UK in 2018 during the shows’ premiere. She competed in the tournament for the crowning of the inaugural women’s champion of the brand and defeated Toni Storm in the finals to win the title.
Ripley has become a fan favourite since then and she has been featured regularly on WWE programming. After losing the NXT UK title, she had a reign with the NXT Women’s Championship and she competed at this year’s edition of WrestleMania as well.
A lot of famous WWE superstars have ended up in the company by coincidence and the story of the current United States Champion Apollo Crews is something similar.
The new champion appeared on this week’s episode of WWE Backstage and among other things; he also revealed how music artist Wale and WWE Hall Of Famer Mark Henry played a part in getting him into the company.
Crews explained that the music star messaged him on Twitter after seeing his work. He got in contact with Mark Henry and the WWE Hall Of Famer then arranged a tryout for him:
“Wale messaged me on Twitter about 2013 or something like that. He was like, ‘I just got hip to all your work. I love it. How can we get you in the WWE? At the time, I was just traveling around in England and Japan, just enjoying what I was doing.
He gets in contact with Mark Henry who sees my work and he gets me a tryout.” recalled Apollo Crews. “A couple of weeks later I get an email from Canyon Ceman saying they want to bring me down to Orlando for a tryout and I was like there’s no way this is real.”
The US Champion took part in a WWE tryout camp in October 2014 and he was then offered a development contract. He reported to the Performance Center in April 2015 and the former NXT star has been a part of the WWE roster ever since.
Apollo Crews made his main roster debut in April 2016. He recently won his first title in WWE, defeating Andrade for the United States Championship at this week’s episode of Raw.
The Undertaker has been doing media rounds to promote his The Last Ride documentary series and in the spree he recently had an interview with Pardon My Take podcast. During the interview, the former World Champion was asked about the worst bump he has ever taken and The Dead Man recalled one of his old matches with Yokozuna where he gave the Monster Sized Athlete a flying DDT.
Taker explained that Yokozuna hit the mat half a second before him and it drove up a piece of wood. The wood caught him in the ribs and it broke a couple of his ribs. According to the wrestling legend, it was a pretty painful experience. The Last Outlaw then also talked about his recent Super Showdown match with Goldberg and discussed a ‘nearly catastrophic’ bump he took during the bout:
“Obviously, I’ve had a few recently. The bump that I had in Saudi when I was working with Goldberg, I think that one was a couple of inches from being catastrophic.” said the Undertaker. “The way I hit on that one, it kind of set out nerve impulses to all of my injuries at once. It was like an electrical charge went through my body.”
The Attitude Era star also talked about the various types of matches he has competed in and said that he always trusted the company and never objected to any kind of match. The Undertaker faced Goldberg at Super Showdown 2019. The former WCW Champion got concussed early in the match and his condition resulted in many failed spots. The bout attracted a lot of criticism from the fans after the show.
The death of Owen Hart is one of the most tragic incidents in the history of wrestling and it has been in talks recently due to the release of a documentary on the matter.
Former World Champion Edge recently had an interview with Inside The Ropes where he talked about a number of things and he also discussed the unfortunate incident.
During the interview, Edge revealed how he found out about Owen’s death. He recalled how he had left the building before the show and they got a call from Luna Vachon:
“We actually left the building because we weren’t on the show, I think Luna called Dave (Gangrel) because we were riding together and told us, and we went to the hospital. Jeff was the only one there, and we just sat.
We knew, but we just sat there.” said Edge. “We sat there for hours just thinking that can’t be real, how is that real? Even to this day, it just doesn’t seem real.”
Kofi Kingston was one of the stars who attended the beach memorial service held for the former WWE star Shad Gaspard after his passing earlier this month.
The New Day member was the recent guest on WWE Backstage where he talked about a number of things and discussed the impact of Shad Gaspard on the people around him.
Kingston dubbed Shad as a ‘gentle giant’ who enjoyed the presence of other people. He continued by saying that his impact on people’s lives was emphasized by the number of persons who attended his memorial:
“On the inside, he was kind of a gentle giant who really enjoyed the presence of other people, and it was shown by being there on that beach with all of those people, I looked around several times saying, ‘man, Shad really had an impact.’
“It’s really unfortunate for his wife [and] his son, but with a glass half full mentality, it really emphasizes how important it is to live your life, with enthusiasm, with passion and kindness.” said Kofi Kingston. “So that way, when the day comes, when you do get called to a different place, you have left an impact, and Shad, 100 percent, left an impact.”
Shad Gaspard passed away after being caught up in a riptide at Venice Beach, California earlier this month. Lifeguards had reached out to the former wrestler but he asked them to help his 10-year-old son first.
Gaspard unfortunately got crushed by another large wave before rescuers can reach back to him. People from around the world including present and past wrestlers like Kofi Kingston and The Rock have since paid their tribute to the former WWE star.
The May 27th edition of Dynamite aired live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the first episode of Dynamite following AEW Double or Nothing. The Revival debuted as FTR tonight and Chris Jericho called out Mike Tyson at the end of the show.
Dynamite Results (5/27)
Young Bucks & Matt Hardy def. Private Party & Joey Janela
Brian Cage def. Lee Johnson
Hikaru Shida def. Christi Jaynes
Kip Sabian & Jimmy Havoc def. SCU to earn a shot at the tag titles next week
Jungle Boy won the Battle Royal & will face Cody next week for the TNT Title
Here are 6 takeaways from this week’s Dynamite:
FTR Made Their Debut
Matt Hardy and the Young Bucks faced Joey Janela and Private Party in the first match of the night.
Match Recap: Matt and the Young Bucks dominated early and isolated Joey Janela in the corner of the ring. Isiah Kassidy tagged in and knocked Nick to the apron. Marq Quen tagged in and hit Nick with a Hurricanrana off the apron. Janela planted Nick with a Death Valley Driver outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Kassidy tagged back in and continued to beat Nick Jackson down before locking in an Abdominal Stretch. The action spilled outside the ring and Nick accidentally hit Blade with a Superkick. The Young Bucks brawled with Butcher and Blade as Jim Ross joked (shot at WWE) that the wrestlers could be stuck behind plexiglass.
Kassidy and Matt Hardy tagged in and Isiah connected with an Enziguri. Janela hopped in the ring and walked right into a Side Effect. Joey battled back and knocked the Young Bucks out of the ring with a Dropkick. Private Party flipped onto the Young Bucks outside the ring as Joey was hung up in the ropes. Marq tweaked his knee and Isiah returned to the ring. Young Bucks then hit a couple of Splashes to win the match.
Butcher and Blade attacked Young Bucks after the match. FTR (formerly The Revival in WWE) then showed up in a truck and saved Matt and Nick. FTR then walked away from a handshake to end the segment.
Opinion: AEW’s tag team division was already excellent and it just got even better. I hope Marq Quen’s injury isn’t serious because Private Party are extremely entertaining.
Match Recap: Cage launched Lee across the ring and followed it up with a Splash in the corner. Brian connected with a release German Suplex as Taz watched along from the entrance ramp. Brian Cage hit a Buckle Bomb and then the Drillclaw for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Taz told Moxley that he respects him and he is the top guy. Taz stated that Moxley is dealing with a machine at Fyter Fest and Cage will rip Jon’s heart out of his chest at the PPV.
Britt Baker came to the entrance ramp in a wheelchair and Tony Schiavone joined her. Baker listed the rules of being a role model. Rule #3 was don’t hurt the role model, and said that her broken tibia was a conspiracy. Britt said she is close personal friends with the top executives and without her there is no women’s division.
Baker added that Statlander being an alien is a crock of shit and called Shida a fraudulent champion. Britt accused Nyla Rose of being a conspirator as well because she usually leaps off the top rope with precision.
Baker then showed several pictures and stated that referee Aubrey Edwards was the mastermind behind all of this because she is always there when she gets injured. Baker announced that she will be back All Out. Baker then rolled away and it was revealed that “Roll Model” was written on the back of her wheelchair.
Tony Schiavone interviewed TNT Champion Cody tonight. Cody said that Tom Brady is his favorite QB because he wasn’t the first pick. Cody said when Tony Khan started AEW he wasn’t the first, second, or third call but it doesn’t bother him because he is the first champion of America’s greatest network.
Cody said his mother taught him everything he needs to know and that this isn’t about talent. He vowed to outwork anyone and that he is about to cut a schedule like no wrestler before. Cody announced that he will stand out her every week for an Open Challenge every week on Dynamite.
Jungle Boy Will Face Cody Next Week For The TNT Championship
Jungle Boy
Orange Cassidy took his time getting to the ring for the Battle Royal. Earlier in the night, Orange Cassidy walked through a backstage promo with Inner Circle. Jericho got pissed off and Santana & Ortiz got revenge by attacking Cassidy during his entrance.
Match Recap: Luchasaurus eliminated Luther by Chokeslamming him onto the floor and to the outside. MJF elimated Sonny Kiss and then beat him down some more outside the ring. Billy Gunn eliminated Colt Cabana and Colt couldn’t believe it. Dark Order handed Cabana a flyer as Dynamite went to a break.
Marko Stunt eliminated Christopher Daniels and went for a Crossbody but Wardlow caught him. Wardlow then launched Marko onto Daniels to eliminate him. MJF and Wardlow teamed up on Luchasaurus and beat him down. Wardlow and MJF then eliminated Billy and Luchasaurus.
Jungle Boy, MJF, Wardlow, and Orange Cassidy were the final four wrestlers in the match. MJF put on the Dynamite Diamond Ring and tried to hit Cassidy but he ducked and hit Wardlow. Jungle Boy then eliminated MJF and then teamed with Orange Cassidy to eliminate Wardlow. Cassidy hit two Superman Punches and knocked Jungle Boy to the canvas. Jungle Boy battled back and sent Orange Cassidy over the top rope to win the Battle Royal. It was then announced that he will face Cody next week for the TNT Championship.
Inner Circle held a Pep Rally to lift their spirits following their loss to The Elite in the Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing. The Jaguars cheerleaders performed on the entrance ramp and were then joined by Vickie Guerrero. Vickie introduced the members of Inner Circle as they came down to the ring.
Jericho said it has been a rough time for Inner Circle but they will rise again. Chris handed out shirts that had Inner Circle as the winners of the Stadium Stampede match on it and the wrestlers started throwing them back in the ring. Sammy stated that they didn’t win the Stadium Stampede but match but they participated.
Guevara handed them trophies and Santana gave out food, Vick’s Vapor Rub, Timberlands, and a picture of Marc Anthony to Jericho. Chris gave Sammy a scooter and Hager read a poem he wrote entitled “Happiness”. Hager’s poem turned dark very quickly and Jericho stopped him.
Chris said that he wanted Mike Tyson’s head on a platter and that he has been dreaming about getting his hands on Tyson’s fat head. Sammy stated that he got Jericho a cheese platter and A Little Bit of the Bubbly but most of it was eaten.
Mike Tyson and his entourage (Henry Cejudo, Vitor Belford, Rashad Evans) came down to the ring and started trash talking with Inner Circle. Jericho said he has been dreaming of this for ten years ever since Tyson turned on him. Chris demanded an apology but Mike Tyson ripped off his shirt and flexed in front of Jericho instead. A brawl then broke out before the AEW locker room broke it up.
Opinion: This was completely ridiculous and I couldn’t help but laugh at Jericho shouting “Tyson!” at the top of his lungs as he was being held back. I have no idea where this is all going but it should be a fun watch. Mike Tyson struggled to rip his shirt in half and it was hilarious. Dynamite was another fun show this week and next week should be great too with two title matches already announced.
Charlotte Flair & Chelsea Green def. Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai.
Tommaso Ciampa def. Leon Ruff
Timothy Thatcher def. Matt Riddle – Cage Fight
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Adam Cole Talks With Mr. Regal
Adam Cole (Photo: WWE)
NXT Champion Adam Cole was supposed to celebrate one year of his title reign but instead had a Zoom call with NXT General Manager William Regal to have an open negotiation.
Cole cut a promo about The Velveteen Dream and how he wants him out of his life for good. Regal said that it’s not all about Cole. He said that Cole will defend the NXT Title against The Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver: In Your House.
Cole complained about Dream having his own spotlight and a couch. Regal said that both Dream and Cole want a spotlight. Cole called that insulting because he’s been the cornerstone of NXT and that The Undisputed Era has made Regal look better than he is.
Cole said that after he beats Dream at TakeOver then he wants the stipulation of Dream never getting a title shot again as long as he is the champion. Regal stated that he will find a setting that is worthy of such a match.
Matt Riddle vs. Timothy Thatcher with Kurt Angle as the special guest referee in a Cage Fight is in the books.
Whatever expectations that fans might have had heading into this contest, it seems based on feedback via social media, that those expectations were exceeded.
It looked like the old lion’s den set up with no ropes but just simply a ring with a steel cage around it and a scaffold above it. They implemented more of a fight style move set and submissions. Thatcher went over when he locked in a rear-naked choke and Riddle went to sleep.
It was even better thanks to Angle being in the ring. While he’s not under contract with the company anymore, it has been reported that many WWE producers who were let go weren’t released outright but rather furloughed with the expectation that some of them could be brought back once WWE starts running more shows.
It’s also been reported that Riddle is headed to the main roster and expected to work on the SmackDown brand. If not the last match on NXT television then one of the last matches, Riddle had a memorable fight.
A Triple Threat to determine the Group A winner of Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament went down that saw Drake Maverick vs. Kushida vs. Jake Atlas.
WWE gave them the opening slot of the broadcast and around 15 minutes of screen time. The finish saw Kushida put Atlas in an armbar only to lay back on the mat and have Maverick pin Atlas for the win.
It was a clever finish that didn’t take away from Kushida or Atlas while moving the underdog story along with Maverick. As a result of this win, Maverick has advanced to the tournament finals as he’s the winner of Group A.
Maverick will take on El Hijo Del Fantasma, the winner of Group B, on the June 3 episode of NXT.
Whatever the ref says goes…
It looks like @WWEMaverick continues to FIGHT ON as he defeats @KUSHIDA_0904 & @iamjakeatlas to advance to the #WWENXT#Cruiserweight Championship Tournament finals! pic.twitter.com/IVCgXD9n8Q
Charlotte Flair and mystery partner vs. Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley in a tag team match took place on this show.
While there were various stars who fans thought were going to serve as the partner of the NXT Women’s Champion, but it turns out that it was Chelsea Green.
It was a fine tag bout that saw Flair and Green go over when Green took a shot from Io then Io knocked Rhea off the apron. This allowed Flair to pin Io by using the ropes in a roll-up for the win.
This was the latest build for this program heading into the Triple Threat Match that will see Charlotte put the NXT Women’s Title on the line when she defends it against Io and Ripley at NXT TakeOver: In Your House special next month.
The third match of the night saw Raquel Gonzalez with Dakota Kai in her corner to defeat Shotzi Blackheart with Tegan Nox in her sidelines.
It was a hard-hitting affair with the most notable thing in the match was the bad botch by Shotiz, which saw her attempt to hit a springboard back dive to the floor but she overshot it and landed badly on the back of her head.
After the match, Candice LeRae came out to the ring to have some words with Nox.
This appeared to be a continuation of the Nox-Kai feud that started last November with the addition of LeRae. Perhaps, we’ll get a future match.
Here’s that rough looking landing from Shotzi Blackheart on NXT
Cody Rhodes has announced an ‘open challenge’ that will see him defend the new TNT Championship each week on AEW Dynamite.
The first challenger to the TNT Championship actually circumvents the Open Challenge stipulation. During Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Jungle Boy won a Battle Royal to earn a shot at the TNT title next week (June 3rd).
The final four participants in the Battle Royal were Jungle Boy, MJF, Wardlow, and Orange Cassidy. You can see footage from the Battle Royal here:
TNT Championship Open Challenge
The Open Challenge format creates some very interesting scenarios for the TNT Championship. Instantly, the belt has something unique that sets it apart from the AEW World Championship. It presents Cody as a ‘fighting champion’ and establishes the TNT title as a ‘workhorse’ belt that is defended frequently on television.
The Open Challenge format also presents the scenario of mystery opponents each week. Former WWE Superstar Zack Ryder, for instance, took notice.
Rhodes just became the inaugural AEW TNT Champion when he beat Lance Archer in the tournament finals at the AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view event on Saturday night. Boxing legend Mike Tyson presented the championship.
Fan reactions to the title’s design were mixed after it was presented by Tyson. Tony Schiavone had mentioned on the broadcast that due to the pandemic, the title wasn’t actually finished yet.
It’s a simple title belt design with a red strap and silver plates. The center plate has TNT in the middle while the side plates have a house on it, which is actually a replication of Ted Turners’ mansion.
A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House.
During Wednesday’s episode of NXT, WWE NXT Champion Adam Cole had a Zoom call with NXT General Manager William Regal to address his problems with The Velveteen Dream.
This is where Regal announced that Cole will defend the NXT Title against The Velveteen Dream at the show with him finding a setting of his choosing.
However, Cole added a stipulation, which was if Dream loses then Dream can never get a title shot again as long as Cole is the champion.
The following matches are now confirmed for NXT’s next big event:
NXT Champion Adam Cole vs. The Velveteen Dream – Dream can’t challenge for the title as long as Cole is champion should he lose, setting to be determined
Karrion Kross vs. Tommaso Ciampa – Singles Match
NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai
Finn Balor vs. Damian Priest
WWE presents the NXT TakeOver: In Your House event on Sunday, June 7, 2020 in and will air on the WWE Network.
The Revolt, formerly known as The Revival, has made their debuts in All Elite Wrestling.
The former WWE stars did so on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT after the opener that saw Matt Hardy and The Young Bucks vs. Private Party and Joey Janela in a six-man tag team match.
Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, formerly Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, arrived in the arena in a truck and walked down to the ring after The Butcher and The Blade had attacked The Young Bucks. Wheeler and Harwood made the save for The Young Bucks.
They hit a spike piledriver to Blade then hit their finisher to Butcher. The segment ended when they had a staredown with Matt and Nick Jackson.
WWE released the former WWE Tag Team Champions from their contracts in April after they had requested to be let go. The Revival potentially going to AEW when their deals with WWE were up has been speculated about for over a year now.
Now, it’s a reality. The Young Bucks and FTR have talked about wanting to work with each other for years.
Becky Lynch recently did an interview with espnW where she spoke about the big news that she shared on an episode of Monday Night RAW earlier this month.
Lynch revealed that she was pregnant. In the interview, she was asked how it feels to know that she has the option to return to her career once she’s given birth
The former WWE RAW Women’s Champion talked about how that’s something she’s always preached and wanting women to have that equality in addition to having the same treatment and pay as male talent.
She thinks this goes hand in hand where a guy can go and have a kid and doesn’t have to miss a beat in his career, but that’s different for women.
She also looks at it as a fortunate thing because they get to experience things that men never will. She pointed out that it just doesn’t mean that it’s got to be the end for a career in any line.
Lynch also confirmed that she does plan to make a return to a ring when she’s able to.
“Yeah. It’s one of those things where I know what I feel and think as a person without a child,” Lynch said. “I don’t know what that’s going to look like when I do have one, and that’s my priority. I’ll tell you, it’ll give me more motivation than ever, I could imagine. But this isn’t the end of me, one way or the other.”
Lynch is due in December with her first child with Seth Rollins, who proposed to her back in August.
CM Punk got fans talking over two posts on his official Twitter account that started out with responses.
Punk responded to a tweet from FITE TV asking fans about their favorite all-time Punk moments, which the former WWE Champion responded with a simple “TBD,” which means to be determined.
Of course, WWE has taken the interesting approach of building the rematch between Randy Orton and WWE Hall of Famer Edge as “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.” This wrestling match will take place at the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view.
The two stars just worked a Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania 36 in April. Punk promoted his appearance on next Tuesday’s episode of WWE Backstage on FS1 in another tweet.
This is where he called the episode the greatest show in the history of the series.
With Punk watching WWE programming again through his work on the WWE Backstage show that airs weekly, there have been some rumors about his status with the company.
However, as recent as March, it was reported that there’s been no communication between the two sides about working together again. Time will tell whether that changes.
Viewership data is in for Monday’s WWE RAW and Friday’s SmackDown. Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
RAW Viewership
Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 1.735 million viewers, which is down from the 1.757 million viewers last week.
SmackDown averaged 2.044 million viewers on FOX in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. This is up from the 2.042 million viewers that the show did for the previous week’s episode of SmackDown.
The show averaged 2.040 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was down from the 2.043 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets.
The first hour drew 2.076 million viewers while the second hour did 2.003 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 2.030 million viewers while the second hour did 2.055 million viewers.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demos, the same from the 0.50 rating as last week’s show.
AEW has released new top-5 rankings for its men’s women’s and tag team divisions. MJF is now the #1 ranked men’s single’s competitor in the company.
AEW Men’s Single’s Rankings
AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (12-0) TNT Champion: Cody (10-1)
MJF (6-0) (previously unranked)
Lance Archer (5-1)
Brodie Lee (5-1)
Kenny Omega (4-0)
Darby Allin (6-3)
As Cody is now the TNT Champion he leaves the single’s rankings and is replaced by his rival, MJF. #1 Maxwell Jacob Friedman returns to the rankings following having been removed as he dealt with various injuries. MJF defeated Jungle Boy at Double or Nothing and Marko Stunt on last week’s Dynamite. Cody defeated #2 Lance Archer in the finals of the tournament at Double or Nothing.
The rest of the division’s rankings remain unchanged.
Brian Cage may not appear in the rankings but he has earned a title shot against Jon Moxley. Cage debuted at Double or Nothing and won the Casino Ladder match. Moxley and Cage will headline Fyter Fest 2020.
#3 Brodie Lee picked up his first loss in AEW at Double or Nothing when he lost his title shot against Jon Moxley.
#4 Kenny Omega wrestled in the Stadium Stampede match won by the Elite. #5 Darby Allin was in the Casino Ladder match but failed to win.
AEW Women’s Division
Champion: Hikaru Shida (10-1)
Nyla Rose (5-2) (previously champion)
Kris Statlander (4-4)
Britt Baker (4-4)
Yuka Sakazaki (1-1)
Penelope Ford (3-3) (previous unranked)
There is a new AEW Women’s World Champion. Hikaru Shida defeated Nyla Rose at Double or Nothing to win the title. #1 Nyla Rose drops to the #1 contender spot as a result.
#2 Kris Statlander picked up a victory over #5 Penelope Ford at Double or Nothing.
#3 Britt Baker was injured in a tag match on Dynamite last week. She is scheduled to address her injury on tonight’s show.
#4 Yuka Sakazaki hasn’t wrestled since the AEW Dark that was filmed at Revolution on February 29th.
#5 Penelope Ford debuts in the rankings for the first time. She lost to #2 Kris Statlander at Double or Nothing but defeated KiLynn King on Dark. Ford also defeated former champion Riho on Dark back in March in what was quite the upset at the time.
AEW Tag Team Division
Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (6-0)
Best Friends (9-3)
The Natural Nightmares (4-0) (previously unranked)
Private Party (4-2)
The Dark Order (5-0) (-2)
The Young Bucks (2-2) (-1)
#2 QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes made a huge leap this week in the rankings. The Natural Nightmares defeated Alex Reynolds and John Silver from the Dark Order on Dark this week for their 4th straight victory. Allie was shown eating QT Marshall’s apple ominously in the crowd during the match in what could be the beginning of an angle.
#1 the Best Friends have likely earned a title shot after securing their top-ranking in a match against #3 Private Party on the Kickoff show this week.
#4 The Dark Order fell 2 spots this week, likely due to inactivity. With travel restrictions between the US and Canada for athletes being eased soon, we could see Evil Uno and Grayson back shortly, however.
#5 The Young Bucks fell one spot, likely due more to the Natural Nightmares moving up so highly in the rankings more than anything else. They were on the winning end of the Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing.
The Jurassic Express fell out of the tag rankings this week.
The ‘Murderhawk Monster’ Lance Archer recently appeared on the Talk Is Jericho podcast. The former TNA, WWE and New Japan performer would discuss a number of topics from his career; including how he would end up leaving Japan after eight years to join All Elite Wrestling.
“So everything was a whirlwind” Lance Archer began, discussing the transition back to the United States. “We literally just finished the World Tag League last year, I got home on December 9th I think? AEW was coming to Dallas on the 11th so I got home on a Monday and AEW was in Dallas on the Wednesday.”
Lance Archer would elaborate further, saying “I know Billy [Gunn], so many of the guys like Trent, who was getting ready to work with Moxley. I know Kenny Omega and all these guys, they’re friends of mine.”
The Murderhawk Monster would then reveal that initially he was just going to the show to see friends, not actually looking for a job at the time.
“I was like I want to go see my friends, I’m not going looking for a job. I’m not going to bother anybody, I don’t want to be that guy going ‘hey man can you can you hook me up brother?’ I didn’t want to be that way you know? And things were good with me in New Japan so it wasn’t like I was in essence needing to do that at the time.”
Lance Archer
Lance Archer Meets Tony Khan
Lance Archer would then talk meeting AEW President Tony Khan for the first time. “So I just wanted to go see my friends and it was one of those situations where I got to meet Tony for the first time and we had a good conversation. He and I talked that night and we talked about the possibility of something in the future. It came to be that they found out that I didn’t have a full contract; I had never had a full contract working with New Japan for over eight and a half years. Or just eight years at that point.”
Chris Jericho was completely bemused at this, referencing how WWE had previously taken the likes of AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Gallows and Anderson from New Japan. “Even after they raided Gallows and Anderson, AJ and Nakamura they didn’t sign you up to a contract!?” Jericho asked.
Lance Archer would then reveal that newer talent in New Japan are now signed to full contracts. “They did have guys and I’m absolutely blessed for those guys. The [Will] Ospreays and Juices [Robinson] and guys like that. They were all under contract, but I was a guy that had been with the company for over eight years and never was.”
Do you think that New Japan are going to miss having Lance Archer on their roster? Let us know in the comments
Matt Riddle reflected on his confrontation with WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg at last year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
The first news about this came from Riddle, who shared the story when he appeared on the SummerSlam Watch Along Livestream.
Due to the comments made by Riddle about the legendary pro wrestler in the past, when they ran into each backstage, they exchanged some words.
The NXT star made an appearance on today’s episode of The Bump where he was asked about his relationship with Goldberg.
Riddle started out by stating that they have differing opinions and mindsets about the business. He stated that he likes to push the pace and expects a lot from himself. Riddle understands that they don’t see eye-to-eye on that type of thing and how to work.
“He doesn’t want to be my bro, I completely understand. I didn’t really want to be his bro. That’s just how the cookie crumbled.”
Regarding the confrontation at SummerSlam, Riddle recalled how Shane McMahon was down the hall from them at the arena and watched the whole thing. It turns out that McMahon thought that they were going to fight.
“And after, Shane was like, ‘Thanks for not swinging on Goldberg.’ Could you imagine? Matt Riddle punches Goldberg unconscious in the back. I can’t do that. That is not a stallion move. You get a match set-up and beat him in front of millions. That’s a Stallion move.”
Riddle will take on Timothy Thatcher in a Cage Fight on Wednesday’s episode of NXT.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson thinks his 18-year-old daughter Simone has major potential in the world of professional wrestling.
Simone Johnson signed with WWE back in February. She has been training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. She could be seen in the crowd (behind plexiglass) during Monday’s WWE Raw.
The Rock recently sat down with Access and spoke about his daughter following in his footsteps. The Rock says he’s proud of his daughter, who has big shoes to fill as a fourth generation wrestler.
“Simone has been training to become a WWE,” The Rock began. “It’s so cool. I’m so proud of her because that world, that is a difficult world not only to be in but it’s a difficult world to make it in.”
Simone Johnson talks about fulfilling her WWE dreams
The road to greatness in WWE is never easy. For Simone Johnson, she has a rich family legacy to live up to. The Rock also feels it’s more difficult being a woman in the business, despite progress made in recent years.
“It’s also doubly-difficult when you’re a woman,” he said. “She goes in there and she not only has big shoes to fill and is well-aware of our family name but also has this desire to create her own path, which is the best part about it. Also, she goes in humble, hungry, and is a student every day and just wants to learn. I’m very proud of her.”
When asked about Simone’s in-ring ability, the Rock didn’t hold back.
“She’s badass,” Rock said about her in-ring ability. “Yes, she kicks ass.”
Impact Wrestling presented the semi-finals of its #1 Contenders tournament this week. They also announced that Deonna Purrazzo is on her way to the promotion after having been released by WWE last month.
Impact Tag Team Championships The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) defeated Cody Deaner & Wheels
#1 Contenders Tournament (Semi-Finals) Trey defeated Michael Elgin
Trey Upsets Michael Elgin To Advance To Tournament Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rbS01UBzoc
Heading into this week’s main event, few were giving Trey a chance in his match with perennial title-contender Michael Elgin. Trey surprised many with his ability to hang with Elgin during the match but ultimately it looked as though Elgin was going to take the match. Just as Elgin seemed like he had Trey right where he wanted him, Sami Callihan’s ICU music and video began to play. Elgin defeated Callihan in the 1st round of the tournament.
Although Callihan never came out, the distraction was all Trey needed to land a pinning combination on Elgin and score the upset victory.
Deonna Purrazzo is coming to Impact Wrestling. Before the night’s main event, a vignette featuring Purrazzo aired. In the video, Purrazzo explains what being a “Virtuoso” means. The 25-year-old had been with WWE for the last 2 years before being released last month.
The North Visit The Deaner Family Compound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yegKYSPk0o
Josh Alexander and Ethan Page traveled to the Deaner compound for a tag title match this week. Page, Alexander, and Deaner have been unable to travel to recent Impact tapings due to US-Canada travel restrictions.
Deaner selected a rather large man by the name of Wheels to be his teammate in this cinematic-style match. The match quickly spilled all over the compound. Alexander and Deaner ended up on top of a trailer and Alexander hit a piledriver to take Deaner out of the match for a while. The North then double-teamed Wheels and eventually attacked the referee for a perceived slow count. While this was going on, the various Deaner family members rescued Cody from atop the trailer.
Deaner returned to the match in hot-tag fashion. He looked to have Cody down for a 3-count after a DDT but the referee was still down. Then the North’s personal ring-announcer from recent matches hit a low-blow on Wheels and fast-counted him to give the North the win.
The segment ended with the North running away from the compound with the belts as the various Deanner family members chased them.
Ace Austin Advances To Tournament Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McqUZhfdDLU
Former X-Division Ace Austin is now just one win away from being the new #1 contender to the Impact World Championship. He scored an arguable upset victory over Hernandez in the semi-finals of the tournament to kick off the show this week.
The story of the match was that Austin was able to counter the big-power moves that Hernandez would go for. The end of the match came when Austin clipped Hernandez’s knee, hit the Fold, and scored a 3-count.
Nevaeh Rescues Havok From Kimber Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cu_JAo4jgo
Previously on Impact, Kimber Lee defeated Havok after using a pair of brass knuckles. A rematch was scheduled for this week and Kimber Lee again went to use the brass knucks, having hid them in the ring apron. As she did so, however, Nevaeh made the save for Havok. It was the first time Nevaeh has actually gotten involved in the action since she’s been shown ominously watching Havok’s matches.
Nevaeh hit Kimber Lee before she could use the brass knuckles and the referee called for the bell. Havok and Nevaeh then beatdown Kimber Lee and celebrated together to end the segment.
Johnny Swinger Helps Chris Bey Defeated Cousin Jake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6d_r7whdX4
Johnny Swinger accompanied Chris Bey to the ring for his match against Cousin Jake this week. Bey and Swinger have been aligned in recent weeks and a program involving them and Willie Mack appears to be building.
Swinger helped Bey score the victory this week. Jake was forced to turn his attention to Swinger on the apron and the distraction would cost him the match. After Jake knocked Swinger off the apron, Bey hit a fame-asser followed by the Final Finesse for the win.
Swinger and Bey looked to attack Jake after the match but Willie Mack made the save.
