Comments Ronda Rousey made recently on Jackass star Steve-O’s podcast have struck a chord with members of the WWE locker room. Rousey has now fired back at those who have criticized her for using the ever-polarizing “fake” word to describe pro-wrestling.
Rousey referred to pro-wrestling as “fake fights” during the podcast while explaining that she quite enjoys participating in them.
“Running out there and having fake fights for fun is just the best thing,” Rousey said. “I love choreography, I love acting, I love theatre. Live theater and some of the last forms of live theatre. But, I was doing basically part-time and I was away from home 200 days out of the year.”
This led to Lana posting a lengthy Tweet criticizing the former RAW Women’s Champion.
“I can’t wait for Ronda 2 one day return 2 WWE. Even if WWE orders me to make Ronda look good in the ring, which is the ONLY way for Ronda 2 look good in the ring w/me. I’ll risk my job 2 go down in history as the one from this biz that knocked her the F**K out! #TestMeBitch,” Nia Jax Tweeted.
Ronda Rousey Responds
Rousey then issued the following statement on the matter:
WWE Superstar Nikki Cross recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast in the UK. The Scottish born Superstar discussed a number of topics regarding her WWE career thus far, including her WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship win at WrestleMania 36. Over the past year Cross has been teaming with Alexa Bliss, in a team that many fans believed would be short lived. Nikki Cross would discuss how the team came together, and how her and Alexa Bliss are now best friends beyond the ring as well.
Nikki Cross on WrestleMania 36
Discussing her WrestleMania 36 win, Nikki Cross would say “to do it alongside Alexa, who’s someone that I could see speak all day about? And just have wonderful things to say about? To get to do it with her and to get to do it with my best friend? Was just fantastic.”
Teaming With Alexa Bliss
Cross would then move on to how the team was formed. “So it was almost a year ago now. Yeah, May last year. You know, we both had ideas that kind of involved involved the other [person], we had ideas to work together” Cross revealed. “And then we kind have on screen and off screen kind of developed [in a] very similar way. We became closer, you know, initial conversations and then it turned out a longer conversation that then turned into ,travelling together. You know sat next to each other as we’re waiting for the plane to board the plane. During the drives together; these four hour drives, and three hour drives together. You know, checking into the same hotel you know? It kind of just grew. Whatever you saw on screen was very much what happened off screen.”
Carmella and Dana Brooke challenged the new Tag Team Champions on SmackDown this week, you can check out the video for that below.
Do you think that Bliss and Cross will remain a team for the foreseeable future? Let us know in the comments
Reports revealed yesterday that WWE will be moving back to Live TV as soon as this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw and now the company has confirmed the same.
The promotion recently released a statement to ESPN and a WWE spokesperson confirmed to the site they will be returning to live TV beginning next week.
Their statement as seen below focuses on the importance of
providing a diversion to people in this hard time and notes that the shows will
be produced with only the essential personnel in attendance:
“We believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times. We are producing content on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance following appropriate guidelines while taking additional precautions to ensure the health and wellness of our performers and staff. As a brand that has been woven into the fabric of society, WWE and its Superstars bring families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance.”
Previous reports have revealed that it was Vince McMahon’s decision to return to live TV and the Boss made the call this past Friday before the SmackDown tapings.
The main reason behind this decision is believed to be the fact that the promotion will be at risk of breaching their TV contracts if they produced any more taped shows. You can check out a detailed report on the matter here.
The decision of Roman Reigns to pull out of WrestleMania 36 due to health concerns after the coronavirus outbreak made a lot of headlines before the PPV event and it still remains a hot topic of discussion. The other part of this equation was Goldberg who ended up defending his Universal Championship against Braun Strowman at the Show Of Shows after the Big Dog decided not to work the event.
Goldberg opened up about this change for the first time since WrestleMania 36 when he recently appeared on the Carcast podcast. The former WCW star first mentioned how everybody knows about Reigns’ leukaemia diagnosis and how he is in remission now. He then claimed that he doesn’t know why the match was even considered despite the public knowledge of this situation:
“I don’t know why it was even considered in the beginning, except for the fact that we’d invested time and WWE invested the money in the angle, in the match, you know. So literally until the 23rd hour, it was still a possibility that he and I were going to wrestle. So plans kind of changed at the very last minute. I did my match with Braun, and it was possible that I could do a match with Roman again before the 5th [the night the match aired]. That obviously fell through.”
Goldberg Reveals His Reaction To Roman Reigns’ Decision
The now-former Universal Champion also detailed the precautions WWE was taking with the people entering the Performance Center and mentioned that he was told the match was still a possibility until the last minute. The former Champion then discussed the reported incident with The Miz that led to Reigns’ decision and when asked about his reaction to the whole thing, Goldberg said that you have to love the guy because he was still willing to go through it up until the 11th hour:
“I think what happened was, somebody was sick and Roman
heard about it. They didn’t have [COVID-19], they just had the flu. But just
the fact that someone was sick in those circumstances, at the end of the day he
just couldn’t do it. You know, more power to him to continually want to get it
done, whether that’s realistic or unrealistic from a person in his shoes are
concerned. But you’ve got to love the guy because up to the 11th hour, he was
still willing to do it.”
During the interview, Bill Goldberg also revealed that he had signed a 2 match contract with WWE and so his obligations for the year are done after he taped his match with Braun Strowman. Though this doesn’t necessarily mean that the former Champion is done for the year and it’s likely that the company will call him up again when they feel the need to add star power to any of their shows down the line.
Chris Jericho is regarded as one of the greatest mic workers in all of wrestling and a lot of people believe that he should obtain a role on the commendatory desk when he decides to hang his boots and retire from active competition.
Fans got a little preview of what it would be like to have Y2J on the commentary booth full time when he joined the announcers’ desk on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
Jericho discussed his experience on his Saturday night special Facebook stream and the former AEW World Champion admitted that it was a fun experience:
“It was pretty fun, I’ve never commentated on a whole show before. The reason why I wanted to do it was just to have a presence on the show. As we kind of put a hold on so many things including “Blood & Guts,”
So I wanted to be on the show and provide a little energy, just in case.” said Jericho. “You know we are working in front of eight people, 10 people all strategically spaced apart of course.”
A fan then asked the former WWE star if he would do commentary after retiring from active competition and he said: “Absolutely, I always loved doing commentary, to do it for a whole hour or two hours is not easy to do.”
It has been confirmed that Chris Jericho will be returning to the commentary booth with Tony Schiavone for this Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
Ric Flair competed in a retirement match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24; however, he couldn’t stay away from the ring for very long. The wrestling legend returned to action a year later and wrestled a number of matches following his comeback.
One of the important stops of his post WWE career was TNA where the Hall Of Famer stayed for a couple of years and during a recent interview with WrestlingInc, the former World Champion revealed why he joined the company.
Flair explained that the reason behind his move was simple
enough and according to the 16 time world champion, the reason he joined TNA
was the money:
“I needed the money. Very simple. I was paying alimony to three women at one time and lawyers, revealed Flair. “I got bombed as everyone hit me and then the IRS.
It’s very simple – like Jim [Ross] said, I needed the money. I would have never have gone there. Even though I got to hang around Kurt [Angle] and Sting, it was a disaster.”
Ric Flair also talked about his retirement match with Shawn Michaels and revealed that he didn’t know that HBK was going to deliver the famous “I’m sorry, I love you” line before hitting the sweet chin music that ended his WWE career.
Apart from this, The former World Champion also talked about the coronavirus pandemic affecting the world and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.
An on-screen talent in WWE has fully recovered after resting positive for COVID-19, a WWE statement today revealed. The person is not on the roster but is an on-screen talent with the company. This could mean a commentator, ring announcer, backstage interviewer, or similar role.
Pro Wrestling Sheet and Fightful both reported on Saturday that an on-screen talent in WWE tested positive for the virus. According to the report from Pro Wrestling Sheet, the person attended a dinner with people in the health care field after the last set of tapings. They began to develop symptoms in the days following. WWE released a statement to media saying that the person did not have any contact with other WWE employees following their exposure.
“A WWE employee has tested positive for COVID-19,” a WWE statement reads. “We believe this matter is low risk to WWE talent and staff, as the individual and a roommate became symptomatic in the days following exposure to two people working in acute health care on the evening of March 26, after WWE’s TV production on a closed set was already complete. The employee had no contact with anyone from WWE since being exposed to those two individuals, is doing well, and made a complete recovery.”
Memo To Employees Regarding Positive COVID-19 Test Of WWE On-Screen Talent
Fightful is reporting that the following memo was distributed to WWE employees recently:
“We have just been notified that (name redacted) was diagnosed with COVID-19. WWE doctors spoke with (redacted) this morning and reported (they) last had contact with anyone at WWE on March 26 at the Performance Center. As you know, (redacted) is not an in-ring performer and we believe this matter is low-risk to you per the following chronology:”
The name of the person was published in the memo with their permission. It has been redacted in the report by Fightful, however.
“Those of you who were potentially exposed would be cleared for travel by the evening of Thursday, April 9 at the latest, since the last possible exposure to any WWE talent personnel should have been at least 14 days prior.”
This news comes on the heels of reports WWE will return to broadcasting live shows. WWE plans to air RAW live on Monday. The company then plans to air live episodes of RAW, Smackdown, and NXT weekly. WWE had originally planned to tape several weeks of programming this weekend.
WWE normally utilizes a single-elimination format for its tournaments. This will not be the case for the upcoming NXT cruiserweight tournament, however. The promotion announced the upcoming tournament in order to declare a new interim NXT cruiserweight champion. This is due to the travel restrictions faced by the current champion and member of the NXT UK brand Jordan Devlin.
The format utilized for the upcoming cruiserweight tournament will resemble the one used in New Japan Pro Wrestling for its annual G1 tournament. 8 Superstars will be split into two groups. Each superstar will have 3 round-robin matches, 1 against each other wrestler in their group. The wrestlers with the best record in each group will then face each other in the finals. The winner will then be declared the new NXT interim cruiserweight champion.
If two wrestlers have the same record at the end of the round-robin stage, the tie-breaker will be the head-to-head record between the tied participants.
WWE has also announced that the participants and groups will be revealed tomorrow.
Current NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin won the title at the Worlds Collide event in January. He won a fatal 4-way match against champion Angel Garza and Isiah Scott and Travis Banks.
Not only was Big Show’s new series on Netflix released recently, but he also received a WWE title shot on Monday’s edition of RAW. According to the big man, he’s not worried about wrestling during the ongoing pandemic. He told TMZ recently that WWE is being very cautious with its performers and keeping everyone safe.
“I think anyway of escaping is good,” Big Show said during the interview. “Any way that people can find escaping whether it’s in a book whether it’s in your favorite program on TV or favorite streaming service or break out your favorite board game at home. Whatever you can do to stay engaged, to take your mind off everything that’s going on.”
“My attitude is if they need me, I’m always willing to help and do whatever I can to help,” Show said about WWE.
He was then asked if he felt safe going out there and performing during this time.
“Absolutely 100%. Our Performance Center, the way it’s set up, the way it’s been shot, the way that our company is taking this very seriously and at the same time still being able to provide some type of escape for our fans to keep our fans engaged, I think it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Big Show’s comments can be heard in the player below:
Netflix’s documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness” is currently a popular hit on the streaming service. Many pro-wrestling personalities have spoken about Joe Exotic’s history in the wrestling industry ever since its release.
Vice recently spoke to promoter Robert Langdon from Texoma Pro Wrestling who worked with Joe to promote multiple shows. The events served as a fundraiser for Joe’s zoos. Joe Exotic served as the color commentator for the shows which were streamed on his official YouTube channel.
“Joe knew nothing about wrestling. And we knew this,” Langdon said. “We spent a lot of money on the show to make sure Joe looked professional.”
The first show took place in the parking lot of Joe’s zoo and included a nighttime fireworks display. A second show was organized two years later in the zoo itself. This show featured WWE alumni Charlie Haas and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Tim Storm. Wrestler Moonshine Mantell was also on the show and spoke about his experience with Vice.
“You meet the biggest characters in (wrestling), so when I first met Joe Exotic, it was just another night. I didn’t think anything of the stuff he wore, the tigers, anything like that, I was just like, ‘yeah, this is definitely pro wrestling,’” Mantell said. “He fit right in just perfectly.”
Langdon also spoke about how he didn’t make any money on the show but that didn’t matter to him. As others who worked the shows have mentioned, they enjoyed being around the big cats.
“It was really different. We didn’t pull a large crowd, so I kinda lost my butt on it,” Langdon continued. “But it wasn’t about the money; it was about the animals.”
NWA World Heavyweight Champion recently spoke about his experience working with Joe Exotic. He noted that he was shocked by what he was charged and convicted of in a video posted to the NWA YouTube channel.
Vince McMahon has reportedly made the decision to return to live programming beginning with this Monday’s edition of RAW. Smackdown, NXT, and RAW are currently scheduled to air live every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from the WWE Performance Center moving forward.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, McMahon made the decision to move back to live shows on Friday. This was as the company had plans to run tapings all weekend. The move is possibly due to WWE’s contracts with both Fox and NBC Universal. The contracts only allow for a certain number of shows to be prerecorded per year.
Speculation currently holds that if WWE were to air more taped shows, they risk violating the terms of its contracts. This could potentially lead to the networks withholding money or finding a way to restructure the deals. It is not clear, however, if Fox or NBC Universal would be motivated to do this.
Some in WWE are said to have been shocked by Vince’s decision. Others, however, have defended the move due to the potential financial implications. It is also not clear if Vince was instructed to return to live shows by the networks or if this is something he decided to do on his own.
Lana recently took offense to some comments made by Ronda Rousey on Steve-O’s podcast. During the podcast, Rousey talked about the difficult WWE travel schedule and performing for ungrateful fans. She also used the polarizing word “fake” to describe wrestling, which Lana then reacted to.
“I have NO WORDS for her audacity to save “fake fighting” !!!!!! If it’s fake why can’t Paige & Tyson Kidd can’t wrestle anymore ?? If it is fake why couldn’t Edge wrestle for 11 years ???? This is a contact sport where REAL things happen!” Lana Tweeted.
Rousey referred to wrestling as “fake fights” when talking about how much she enjoyed taking part in the performances.
“Running out there and having fake fights for fun is just the best thing,” Rousey said. “I love choreography, I love acting, I love theatre. Live theater and some of the last forms of live theatre. But, I was doing basically part-time and I was away from home 200 days out of the year.”
I have NO WORDS for her audacity to save “fake fighting” !!!!!! If it’s fake why can’t @RealPaigeWWE & @TJWilson can’t wrestle anymore ?? If it is fake why couldn’t @EdgeRatedR wrestle for 11 years ???? This is a contact sport where REAL things happen! https://t.co/cYvGpTjmci
In storyline, Lana is currently married to Bobby Lashley. She ended up costing him his match to Aleister Black at WrestleMania, however. Lana insisted that Lashley give his opponent a spear but this allowed Black an opportunity to hit Black Mass for the win.
Former World Champion The Big Show recently had an interview with TVinsider to promote his new Netflix show where he talked about a number of things.
While the Largest Athlete In The World has not officially announced plans for his retirement yet, there has been a lot of talk about him possibly hanging his boots in recent times.
During the interview, The Big Show was asked if he has an opponent picked out for his retirement match and the former Champion responded negatively:
“I don’t have an opponent picked out yet for my final
match because I think that is a ways away. What I have done is stepped back as
far as full-time, five nights a week, in the trenches. I’ve done that for 25
years.
Now it’s time for the guys to stake their claim and build their characters and legacies.” said The Big Show. “I’m always there to help those guys along. I think that is one of the great advantages of where I am in my career.”
The former WCW star went on to explain that he is able to
help guys in his current role in the company and he is still occasionally able
to do what he loves.
Apart from this, The Big Show also talked about WWE’s decision to produce shows without a live audience, saying that this escape is important at this time. You can check out his full interview at this link.
Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley were praised for putting on one of the best matches at WrestleMania 36 despite the challenging circumstances and the lack of audience.
The new NXT Women’s Champion recently had an interview with
CBS sports where she talked about things like the progress of NXT, potential
future opponents and more.
During the interview, Flair explained how she adapted to the situation at the WWE Performance Center for her match, saying that she looked at it as an opportunity to have the best match she can:
“I just looked at it as an opportunity to show the
world that we were going to have the best match, everyone wonders, ‘Was it
hard? Was it different?’ OK, there’s no crowd. OK, it’s WrestleMania, so I’m
going to have the best match. That’s how I looked at it.
Honestly, you always need to remember that there are more people watching at home.” said Charlotte Flair. “So, this time I just thought, ‘OK, the audience won’t dictate the flow, I will dictate the flow.’ That was the only thing that was different.”
The former Raw Women’s Champion also praised her WrestleMania opponent Rhea Ripley and said that whether she wants to realise it or not, Ripley has the ‘it’ factor.
Apart from this, Charlotte Flair talked about her championship win at the Show Of Shows and named Mia Yim as her ideal opponent in NXT. You can check out her full interview at this link.
Former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore recently appeared on Ryback’s Conversation With The Big Guy podcast. The former Cruiserweight Champion discussed a litany of topics from his career in wrestling, including the ‘failed’ deal between he, Big Cass and NJPW/ROH when they ‘invaded’ the Madison Square Garden event over WrestleMania weekend.
Enzo Amore on Big Cass’ ‘bumps in the road’
“Well Cass hit some bumps in the road” Enzo Amore began. “Bumps that would have made it an impossibility. At that point when I piqued my interest in getting back into pro wrestling? I wanted to do it with Big Cass. It was the endeavour that I took on, to see my best friend back on his feet doing well and doing what he loved.”
Big Cass’ ongoing battle with depression
Big Cass went public back in 2019 about his ongoing battles with depression. The former WWE Superstar spoke with DDPYoga’s YouTube channel back in July, saying “Being depressed is one thing, having depression on a daily basis is something different” Cass revealed. “Anyone that looks at them like they’re weak or a crybaby or whatever? That person is ignorant. ‘He has money and everything he dreamed of.’ That don’t mean f—-all when you’re not well mentally.”
NJPW/ROH deal falling through
Enzo Amore would finish by clarifying that the deal with NJPW/ROH did fall through. He also questioned how exactly he could get back into the pro wrestling industry as the deal he and Cass were hoping for fell through. “Ultimately? You know when he [Cass] had a hiccup here and there? I was now kind of finessing the idea of potentially getting back in the ring. But I didn’t want to do it for anybody. Like I love Mike and NEW (North East Wrestling), but was I going to do that every weekend? F*ck no. What am I gotta do? You know? Ring of Honor, New Japan, you know that deal fell through.”
Not much has been heard about Roman Reigns ever since he pulled out of his WrestleMania 36 match against Goldberg and WWE has also ceased any mention of the former World Champion on their programming.
Dave Meltzer talked about the former Shield Member in the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter and provided some updates on the Big Dog.
Some recent comments from Triple H sparked speculations that the company might already be planning his return, however, Meltzer notes that “it is said to be up to Roman Reigns when he returns”.
When Can Roman Reigns Return To WWE Programming?
While a time frame for his comeback is not known, due to his previous health conditions it’s believed that the former champion will not return to active competition until the coronavirus outbreak is contained in some way.
This means that the former Champion could stay out of action for months, making it hard for the company to plan something for Reigns’ comeback.
For those who don’t know, Triple H had said that the story of Roman Reigns pulling out of WrestleMania would ‘unfold in a unique way’ but it didn’t turn out to be the case.
The company simply announced that Braun Strowman will be replacing the Big Dog at the Show of Shows and they have not even mentioned his name since Roman Reigns released a video on Instagram explaining his decision to pull out of the event.
Ric Flair is arguably one of the greatest in-ring performers of any generation and during a recent interview, he revealed who he thinks is the best wrestler in WWE right now.
The Nature Boy recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about WrestleMania 36, the future plans of her daughter Sophia and more.
Talking about Randy Orton, Ric Flair declared the Viper to
be the best in-ring wrestler and claimed that he is the best male performer in
the business right now:
“It’s time that it needs to be said. Randy is the best
in-ring wrestler and he has been for a long time, Randy has to be motivated
because he’s been in the business for a long time.
But when it comes down to it, Randy is the best male
performer in the business.” claimed Flair. “When he takes off that
vest, who looks better than Randy Orton?”
The WWE Hall Of Famer also praised his daughter Charlotte’s performance at WrestleMania. He said that she set the bar so high in her WrestleMania match against Rhea Ripley that he hopes that nobody will get hurt trying to get over it.
This is not the first time Ric Flair has made such comments and just recently, he had praised Randy Orton while also calling Charlotte the ‘female Orton’. You can check out his comments at this link.
Edge finally got his revenge on Randy Orton at WrestleMania 36 and now that he is done with the former World Champion, the Rated R Superstar is looking at his future and talking about the opponents he would like to face.
The former Champion recently appeared on the After The Bell Podcast, and when asked about potential dream opponents, he pointed out that there is a lot of talent in each one of the WWE rosters.
Edge first took names from NXT and NXT UK including the likes of Adam Cole and Walter. Coming to the SmackDown roster, he explained that he felt a special connection with Roman Reigns when the two met at Royal Rumble:
“If I look at Smackdown, I mean Reigns and I has to
happen someday. There’s just there’s no way around it. It just has to and to
get that little taste of it at the Rumble, that felt good man. That felt like
we were in a pocket.
We are in a zone, and that’s the first time we’ve ever
touched. So for it to feel like that, that’s when you know. I had that with
[Kurt] Angle.” said Edge. “I had that with Randy. I had that with
Taker. I had that with Jeff [Hardy]. That can be a rare feeling.”
The Ultimate Opportunist then moved on to the Raw roster and
took names like Aleister Black and Seth Rollins. He also mentioned how AJ
Styles has been in the industry for over two decades but Royal Rumble was the
first time the two got to face each other.
Apart from this, Edge also talked about his match with Randy Orton, and revealed what reignited his passion for pro wrestling. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.
The post WrestleMania episode of Monday Night Raw saw the NXT star Bianca Belair confirming her call up to the main roster and now another NXT team has been called up, though this time on SmackDown.
This week’s episode of SmackDown saw the team of Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler and Jaxson Ryker, collectively known as the Forgotten Sons officially joining the Blue Brand’s roster.
The newest members of the SmackDown roster went up against Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik of Lucha House Party in a tag team match which they won.
Out of these three, both Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler have pretty much started their careers in WWE. Blake reported to the Performance Center in July 2013 while Cutler made his NXT debut in June 2014.
Ryker on the other hand, first made his name while working for Impact Wrestling. He was known as Gunner in the company and he won a number of championships during his stint with the promotion from 2010 to 2015. He joined NXT in 2017.
It was Wesley Blake who first formed the tag team The Forgotten
Sons with Steve Cutler in 2017 and the two were later joined by Jaxson Ryker in
August 2018, making it a stable in the Black And Yellow brand.
WWE has announced several things in advance of next week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
Among the matches revealed for this show include two qualifying matches that will determine the first batch of stars in this year’s Men’s and Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Matches.
Daniel Bryan vs. Cesaro will take place for the men’s match while Dana Brooke vs. Naomi will take place in the women’s match.
Also on tap will WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champion The Miz vs. Jimmy Uso vs. Big E in a Triple Threat Match with the titles on the line. WWE had John Morrison defend the titles in a Ladder Match against Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso at WrestleMania 36, which saw him successfully retain the titles.
WWE will be taping this episode of SmackDown Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center this weekend.
Updated WWE SmackDown Lineup
Daniel Bryan vs. Cesaro – Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
Dana Brooke vs. Naomi – Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
Sasha Banks vs. Tamina – If Tamina wins, she earns a WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship match.
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champion The Miz vs. Jimmy Uso vs. Big E – Triple Threat Title Match
AEW announcer Jim Ross did an interview on this week’s edition of the Top Rope Nation Wrestling Podcast where he spoke about The Revival.
Now that Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder are no longer under contract with WWE, the belief is that they will be signing with WWE. When asked whether the former WWE stars could be headed to AEW, Ross noted how it’s a big IF it happens because he doesn’t know their goals.
“I think they would fit into our team very, very well. You know, we’re trying to be a little bit more athletic, athletically oriented, more fundamentally sound in our storytelling, and The Revival team certainly fits that bill. They are one of the best tag teams in the world, period, no matter where it is.
So I think they would do great in our company, whether that happens or not remains to be seen. There’ll be gross speculation that it’s a done deal, all that good stuff.”
Ross noted how he doesn’t know why Tony Khan, who handles their talent relations, wouldn’t be interested in signing The Revival. Thus, he thinks there’s a possibility they come to work for AEW.
Ross noted that he likes the style of the team and that he would love to call their matches. He likes them because they’re a throwback team and fundamentally sound. He praised them for being old school-oriented in the process of telling a story.
Ross later added that based on what he’s read online, he isn’t sure whether they have a non-compete deal. It should be noted that it’s been reported that they do not have that clause and thus are available to sign with anyone right now.
Ross stated that he hopes The Revival will consider AEW. He stated that they were not sports entertainment type wrestlers and that was never a great fit for them.
The legendary pro wrestler added that The Revival is wrestling guys and they need to be in a wrestling company. Thus, for Ross’ money, that spot would be AEW.
WWE SmackDown aired from the Performance Center in Orlando tonight. It was the first episode of SmackDown following WrestleMania 36. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Kabuki Warriors in a WrestleMania 36 rematch. Braun Strowman battled Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event.
WWE SmackDown Results (4/10)
Shinsuke Nakamura attacked Braun Strowman
Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross def. Kabuki Warriors to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
Dolph Ziggler def. Tucker
Forgotten Sons def. Lucha House Party
Sheamus def. Cal Bloom
Braun Strowman def. Shinsuke Nakamura
Here are 8 takeaways from this week’s show:
Shinsuke Nakamura Interrupted Braun StrowmanWith Some Knock Knock Jokes
New Universal Champion Braun Strowman kicked off the show and made his way to the ring as highlights of his victory over Goldberg at WrestleMania aired.
Braun cut a promo and said opportunity knocked on his door, he answered it and knocked the door of it’s hinges. Strowman stated Goldberg is a WWE Hall of Famer for a reason but at WrestleMania he put him down for good.
Shinsuke Nakamura interrupted and made his way to the ring. Nakamura said he was knocking on Strowman’s door and bragged about their victory over Strowman to take the Intercontinental Championship. Strowman told Shinsuke that he was going to get these hands later tonight. Cesaro hopped on the apron and Braun fought him off. Shinsuke then booted Strowman in the face to end the segment.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross defended their Women’s Tag Team Championships against the Kabuki Warriors tonight on SmackDown. Asuka and Kairi Sane dropped the titles to Bliss and Cross at WrestleMania 36.
Match Recap: Kairi went after Bliss and leveled her with a Dropkick to start the match off. Asuka tagged in and stomped away on Bliss in the corner of the ring. Kairi tagged back in as the Kabuki Warriors isolated Bliss in the corner.
Bliss battled back and rolled up Kairi for a two count. Alexa smacked Sane in the face but it just pissed her off. Sane unloaded some punches to Alexa before stomping on her toes.
Asuka tagged back in and knocked Cross off the ring apron. Sane tagged in again and hit Bliss with a Dropkick for a near fall. Asuka hit Bliss with a Hip Attack outside the ring and then hopped on the announce table. Nikki knocked Asuka to the floor and followed it up with a Crossbody as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Nikki and Asuka were battling in the ring. Asuka was in control and quickly tagged Kairi back in. Kairi hit a Splash in the corner and followed it up with an elbow to the back as Cross desperately tried to crawl to the corner.
Asuka tagged in and Nikki caught her with a boot to the ribs. Cross rolled Asuka up for a two count and then planted Asuka with a Bulldog. Sane and Bliss tagged in and Alexa hit a couple Clotheslines.
Bliss connected with a Dropkick and then Doubles Knees to the midsection. Bliss with a Moonsault and Kairi caught her with a Spear for a two count. Alexa hit Sane with a right hand to the face and tagged in Nikki.
Asuka lifted Cross up onto her shoulders as Sane climbed to the top rope. Sane hit a forearm to the face and Asuka locked in the Asuka Lock but Bliss broke it up. Kairi and Bliss tagged in and Alexa hit a DDT but Asuka dragged Kairi out of the ring to break up the cover.
Alexa climbed up to the top rope and hit Twisted Bliss onto the Kabuki Warriors outside the ring. Back in the ring, Bliss climbed to the top rope but Sane rolled out of the way. Cross tagged in and hit the Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory. Bliss and Cross are still Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Elias stood on the perch King Corbin threw him off and boasted about putting an end to King Corbin at WrestleMania.
Elias asked the viewers to dim their lights and clap along to his new song. He sang that he dethroned the king at WresteMana and didn’t blame anyone for doubting him.
He compared himself to Simba and claimed that he was the new king. Elias added that Money in the Bank briefcase is looking good to him and he is going to turn it into a guitar case.
Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville came down to the announce table and started shouting at Corey Graves and Michael Cole. They claimed that they just wanted the best for Mandy Rose. Tucker interrupted and said that he has some pictures for Dolph to see. The pictures were of Otis and Mandy Rose working out together. Tucker added that after what Ziggler did to him last week, they have some unfinished business and they are going to take care of it right now.
Match Recap: Sonya Deville hopped on the apron for a distraction right away but Tucker didn’t bite and launched Dolph into the turnbuckle. Tucker stomped on Ziggler a couple times before planting him with a Suplex for a two count. Ziggler caught Tucker with an elbow to the face but Tucker shrugged it off and catapulted Dolph into the turnbuckle.
Ziggler rolled out of the ring to try and regroup but Tucker followed him out there. Tucker bounced Dolph’s face off the announce table and then slammed him into the steel steps. Dolph raked Tucker’s eyes and went for a knee to the face but Tucker caught him. Tucker slammed Ziggler on top of the announce table as Cole and Graves darted out of the way.
The action returned to the ring and Tucker connected with a massive Powerslam for a near fall. Tucker followed it up with a big Clothesline and shouted at Dolph to get up. Tucker hit Ziggler with a Crossbody off the second turnbuckle for a two count. Ziggler hit Tucker with a Superkick for the pinfall victory.
The SmackDown Tag Titles Will Be On The Line Next Week
John Morrison and The Miz. Image Credit: WWE.com
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Miz and John Morrison hosted an episode of the Dirt Sheet tonight on SmackDown. They boasted about retaining the titles at WrestleMania and Morrison pointed out that he is the first person in history to ever retain the titles by himself.
The Miz joked that he was the first person in history to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships from his couch. Morrison and Miz stated that it was good news that our Universal Champion actually shows up and it is also good news that John Cena disappeared.
Miz and Morrison performed “Hey Hey” and danced around the ring. The Usos interrupted and came down to the ring. The Miz said he is still not medically cleared and cannot compete tonight. New Day joined the party and claimed they consulted with WWE executives, Martha Stewart etc. New Day said it will be Jey Uso, The Miz, and Big E next week in a Triple Threat match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Opinion: I thought it was supposed to be a start of a “new season” following WrestleMania. Instead, it has just been a bunch of rehashed feuds so far. I thought the automatic rematch clause was done with, so I’m not sure why the Kabuki Warriors got a title match tonight.
The Forgotten Sons made their SmackDown debut tonight against Lucha House Party. Corey Graves said that they dominated NXT while hyping them up. I guess I missed that episode of NXT.
Match Recap: Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler dominated early. Cutler hit Lince Dorado with a Backbreaker as Jaxson Ryker looked on from outside the ring. Blake tagged in continued to beat Lince down. Metalik tagged in and hit a Crossbody on Blake and Cutler.
Metalik connected with a Dropkick to Blake and went for the cover but Cutler broke it up. Cutler launched Dorado out of the ring as Metalik hit Blake with an Enziguri. Blake leveled Metalik with a Clothesline and Cutler followed it up with a Stomp for the pinfall victory.
Tamina Can Earn A Title Shot If She Beats Banks Next Week
SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and Sasha Banks made their way to the ring during the second hour of this week’s show. Bayley said Paige tried to ruin their friendship but failed.
Bayley bragged about beating everyone and claimed that she is the best. Bayley corrected herself and said we are the best and that they are the ultimate role models.
Banks claimed that nobody can touch them before Tamina interrupted. Inexplicably, Sasha Banks and Bayley continued to be afraid of Tamina despite her horrific win/loss record.
Tamina challenged Bayley to a match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Bayley said Tamina can have her title match if she can beat Sasha Banks. Tamina accepted and claimed that Bayley just screwed over Sasha Banks.
Opinion: I still do not understand why anyone would be afraid of Tamina. I also don’t understand why anyone would be rooting for her all the sudden. Thus, I don’t give a damn about a potential title match between Bayley and Tamina. The only thing I’m still mildly interested in is the eventual feud between Bayley and Banks. Bayley’s ego is getting out of control and she put Sasha Banks in a match next week that The Boss wanted no part of.
Braun Strowman battled Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event of this week’s show. Cesaro was ringside for the bout.
Match Recap: Strowman hit a big boot that sent Nakamura flying to the corner of the ring to start the match off. Braun followed it up by launching Shinsuke across the ring with ease. Strowman threw Nakamura to the outside and followed him out there. Braun rolled Nakamura in the ring and got distracted by Cesaro. Shinsuke capitalized with a knee to the face but Strowman slammed him into the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Shinsuke was in control and had Braun in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Braun battled to his feet and planted Nakamura with a Side Slam to break the hold. Strowman knocked Cesaro off the apron and followed it up with a massive Clothesline to Nakamura. Braun sent Shinsuke out of the ring and leveled him with a shoulder tackle.
Strowman hit another shoulder tackle that knocked Cesaro over the barricade. Back in the ring, Nakamura hit a boot to the face and went for the cover but the Universal Champion kicked out at two. Strowman got up and planted Shinsuke with the Running Powerslam for the pinfall victory.
After the match, an episode of Firefly Fun House ran. Bray congratulated Braun Strowman on becoming Universal Champion and claimed that he was happy for him. Wyatt heard some voices and said that he is sure Strowman has learned his lesson by now. Bray claimed that Strowman turned his back on him but he think he can forgiven.
The puppets disagreed and Bray asked Braun to apologize to him. Strowman said he is not playing these games and Bray vowed to teach him some manners. Wyatt pointed at the Universal Championship and said he wants it back. Bray said that he brought Strowman into this world and is going to have to take him out. Strowman added that he is ready for Wyatt any time he wants.
Opinion: Strowman versus Bray could be an interesting feud with Braun being a former member of the Wyatt family. I like how WWE is having qualifying matches for Money in the Bank over the next few weeks. Bryan will battle Cesaro and Naomi will face Dana Brooke next week. I find that much better than just simply putting superstars in the match with no explanation. Overall, this was a forgettable episode of SmackDown but some feuds were set up and hopefully the show becomes more entertaining in the upcoming weeks.
WWE made a big announcement on Friday, which was that The Revival’s Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have been released from the company.
Now, the belief is that the former tag team champions are headed to WWE’s rival promotion, AEW. This move could happen earlier than originally expected.
Of course, this all comes down to whether they can reach a deal with All Elite Wrestling. On Friday afternoon, WWE Backstage reporter and Pro Wrestling Sheet owner Ryan Satin noted on Twitter that The Revival is not under a non-compete clause with WWE.
Thus, they are now free to work for any promotion they want including AEW. It comes down to WWE mentioning in the announcement of the Revival’s departure that they have been granted their “immediate release” from the company.
The Revival potentially going to AEW when their deals with WWE are up has been speculated about for over a year now.
On a related note, the tag team formerly known as The Revival has changed their names at least on Twitter. This is an indication as to what they’ll now be going by.
Scott Dawson has changed his name to @DaxHarwood Dash Wilder has changed his name to @CashWheeler. Dax Harwood’s real name is David Harwood and Cash Wheeler’s real name is Daniel Wheeler.
It appears that WWE’s hope of expanding in the Japanese market might have increased due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It was noted by Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE’s place in Japan has once again changed because of the virus. In fact, this time, the virus might cause them to benefit from it.
Last year it was documented that WWE had been making moves in the country because they’re planning to launch the next NXT brand there and opening up the Japan Performance Center just like they did in the UK.
The original goal was for WWE to launch the brand this year but with the coronavirus taking over the world, there’s no word yet on how it will impact the plans.
However, it was noted in the report that it seems to be inevitable that WWE will have the NXT Japan brand and Performance Center. Now, it all comes down to working everything out.
Prior to the virus, no promotion wanted to sell to WWE but now some companies in Japan are suffering from tough financial times due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, it’s turned into a buyers market. Promotions are more willing to do so now, which could see WWE buy a local infrastructure in order to be a competitive force in the market.
Finally, Meltzer stated that with MMA no longer being a threat to NJPW, the only thing able to threaten New Japan Pro Wrestling would be WWE. Meltzer added that the odds are significantly higher for a deal to be made.
WWE was in talks with Pro Wrestling NOAH to buy the company last year and WWE was still having talks with All Japan Pro Wrestling as of early March.
WWE is gearing up for another string of TV tapings in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. The tapings start on Friday and run through next Thursday.
WWE plans to tape several episodes of NXT, RAW and SmackDown in addition to Main Event and 205 Live, according to PWInsider. The idea is to tape enough footage to get them to the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on May 10th, which isn’t taking place in Baltimore.
Earlier this week, WWE issued a memo to wrestlers and staff regarding the coronavirus and how they are taking extra safety measures to keep everyone safe. Talent started to travel to Orlando on Wednesday morning while talent in the area is driving to the facility if they’re needed.
WWE will be taping as many as 4 episodes during this string of tapings. However, they have planned on cleaning the Performance Center and changing ring ropes, canvas and aprons as they go.
While new content will be filmed, WWE plans to air replays of matches from pay-per-view events on episodes of RAW and SmackDown.
With Money in the Bank needing a new location, it’s very possible that the event will take place at the Performance Center. WWE has still advertised the event for May 10, but no new location has been confirmed.
There’s no word yet on whether the show will air live or be taped. What is known is that this time that they have after taping TV will allow them to strategize and plan their next moves as they continue to work through the outbreak.
