New WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman has reflected on his exchange with Brock Lesnar during 2018’s Royal Rumble. After delivering a knee that Lesnar considered to be too stiff, “The Beast Incarnate” would unleash a few legitimate shots to Strowman. Speaking with talkSPORT about their encounter, Strowman revealed that the two Superstars simply laughed it off backstage.
“We laughed about it afterwards,” Strowman confessed. “It is what it is. We got to the back and I said ‘Hey, my bad,’ he said the same thing and we went about our business. We’re both grown ups, we both knew what we were getting into and at the end of the day, we’re both very dominant males and neither of us wanted to give in an inch, so in the end we took an inch from each other.”
Whenever working with Lesnar, Braun Strowman shared how he adopted the mentality that he’s heading into a real fight. Referencing their Royal Rumble moment, Strowman joked how he “got a little ants in my pants.” He claimed Lesnar did too. They then threw some heavy shots at each other and then carried on.
Devlin is unable to travel to the United States to defend his title due to the current coronavirus pandemic. WWE’s decision to crown an interim champion, however, has seemingly rankled Devlin.
Taking to Twitter, Jordan Devlin called WWE’s decision shocking and disrespectful. He then stressed how they can crown a new champion and give them a replica of his title, but the WWE Universe all know who the real champion is.
Devlin wrote: “First things first, absolutely shocking and disrespectful decision by @WWE management. Secondly, you can crown a fraud champion and give him a little replica of my title, but everyone around the world knows who the REAL NXT Cruiserweight Champion still is.”
First things first, absolutely shocking and disrespectful decision by @WWE management.
Secondly, you can crown a fraud champion and give him a little replica of my title, but everyone around the world knows who the REAL NXT Cruiserweight Champion still is. https://t.co/rIA7AJZwod
At the time of writing, there is no indication as to when this new tournament will take place. Regal shared that he would be revealing further details in the next few days.
He also intends to provide an update on the NXT Tag Team Championships, currently held by Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne. Much like Devlin, Dunne is presently stuck in the United Kingdom and is unable to travel due to worldwide travel bans.
Night One of WrestleMania 36 was headlined by WWE’s cinematic Boneyard matchup. The bout saw The Undertaker take on AJ Styles in a pre-recorded movie-style clash. During WWE show The Bump, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray shared how it was probably the best performance he had ever seen from AJ Styles.
Bully Ray praised several matches from across WrestleMania weekend. He shared that the Boneyard matchup was his favorite. He noted how the concept was an out the box idea, especially with The Undertaker showing up as The American Badass.
After the match, Bully Ray text Styles. He referenced the fact they have a history together, having both worked in the same companies before WWE. The Hall of Famer then relayed how he told Styles his match “was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen you involved in.”
He stressed how the match “didn’t include one wrestling move” and that wrestling moves didn’t matter. Instead, it was all about the storytelling and the spectacle. He explained how he had never been more emotionally invested in AJ Styles than during this match.
Bully Ray Proposes A Dream Match
Bully Ray argued how this match represented a rebirth for The Undertaker. He acknowledged how The Undertaker can’t continue to wrestle throughout the year, noting how he has maybe one or two matches left in him.
However, if ‘Taker continues to compete in cinematic matchups like the Boneyard Match, he wouldn’t be unhappy about that decision. If WWE does continue to pursue this style for The Undertaker going forward, Bully Ray explained it’s the perfect scenario to deliver a matchup between ‘Taker and Sting.
Current WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley has admitted she “loves” the idea of once again feuding with the long-time friend Sasha Banks. Speaking with Sporting News, Bayley opened up about her heel turn and what it would mean to reignite her feud with “The Boss.”
Bayley revealed that she was thrilled when she found out she would be turning heel. She confessed that it was a challenge she was always interested in pursuing. She noted how she felt she could “maybe do even better than the other character.” Once she turned heel, however, Bayley shared it was harder than she expected it to be. With her new gimmick, she suddenly had a lot more to learn that she hadn’t encountered before.
Bayley Vs. “The Boss”
Regarding restarting a feud with Banks, Bayley stated how it’s something she’s “always dreamed about, especially after Takeover five years ago.” According to her, as soon as they got to the back, she was already eager to do it again. She added how Banks is her favorite person to be in the ring with.
“Luckily, throughout my time on ‘”Raw” and “SmackDown,” I’ve been able to share every WrestleMania with her and almost every pay-per-view. We’ve been tag team champions. I’m so grateful that we’re doing stuff together every single year. That’s definitely something I would love to do again before we both retire.”
Executive Vice President of AEW Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Busted Open Radio. The former WWE Superstar would discuss a plethora of topics regarding AEW’s ongoing taping schedule and the way that they are dealing with the COVID-19 coronavirus situation.
One of the topics brought up was that of Brodie Lee’s Exalted One character. Over the past few weeks there have been vignettes with Lee that show him to have characteristics akin to WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Cody was asked about this on Busted Open, and he denied that the character is an ‘outright parody’ of McMahon.
Cody Rhodes on the Exalted One
“I could never tell you the original plan. And I don’t even know if there ever even was an original plan” Cody began. “I will say it’s very unlikely on AEW you’ll ever hear the name Vince McMahon said.”
Cody Rhodes would then go on to talk about his respect for McMahon and his time in WWE. “If you do hear me say it [Vince’s name] in interviews? In general I always speak very, very highly of him. Because A) he’s Vince McMahon and B) I was a WWE guy to start. I didn’t come from anywhere else, I came up through their feeder system. They were the house that built me.”
Parallels Between WWE CEO & Brodie Lee
Cody Rhodes would finish by stating that there are definitely parallels between the Exalted One and Vince McMahon. However Cody seems to indicate that these are purely coincidental, and that it’s all down to Brodie Lee’s “style of leadership” for the Dark Order.
“I don’t want to be vague or coy with your question,” Cody said. “When it comes to the parallels between Brody’s style of leadership? There are a lot of unique parallels but I don’t think it’s particularly a spoof on Vince McMahon. We’ll see how develops in the next few weeks, I think Brodie just has a very…’power’ boss, very animal kingdom, kind of social Darwinism type approach to the Dark Order. And I think that falls in line with perhaps some of Vince’s quirks. But it is not an outright spoof on the legendary Mr. McMahon…not outright.”
Check out the video below if you have not already seen the Exalted One on AEW television. Let us know in the comments if you think that it is a spoof on the WWE CEO, is Cody Rhodes playing around with us?
Newly crowned NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair has commented on her new number one contender. Last night on NXT, a six-woman Ladder Match took place to determine who would be the first to challenge Flair for her title. Io Shirai would emerge victorious. She defeated Tegan Nox, Dakota Kai, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae and Chelsea Green.
Taking to her Twitter account, Flair acknowledged Shirai’s win. However, she didn’t seem too sure she should be congratulating her. She suggested that all Shirai has won is an opportunity to experience her Figure-8 submission finisher.
Charlotte Flair was reacting to a post from WWE’s official account, which featured a picture of Shirai holding a briefcase emblazoned with the NXT logo aloft. Flair accompanied her response with the caption, “A ladder match where the prize is a figure-8. Congratulations?”
Charlotte Flair defeated NXT Superstar Rhea Ripley this past weekend at WrestleMania 36. Her victory makes her a two-time NXT Women’s Champion.
The decision was reportedly made in order to help boost NXT viewership during their Wednesday ratings war with All Elite Wrestling. Triple H recently explained that NXT is in it for the long-term and that he isn’t phased by Dynamite’s string of ratings victories over the black-and-gold brand.
At the time of writing, there is no indication as to when Charlotte Flair will defend her championship against Io Shirai.
Rhea Ripley addressed reports that she is no longer in the United States due to work visa issues. In a video uploaded to social media, the former NXT Women’s Champion clarified that she’s still in the US. As seen below, she accompanied a clip of herself at home with a message reading, “Yo wrestling world…still in America…”
*reports*: "Rhea Ripley lost to Charlotte because her visa expired and is back in Australia"
However, separate reports suggested that her loss may have been related to her work visa needing renewing. According to these, Ripley was set to renew her visa in Australia. She would then travel back to the United States for further TV tapings. With the coronavirus pandemic shutting down production of most shows, WWE is instead readying plans to pre-record several episodes. They intend to continue delivering their flagship shows RAW, SmackDown and NXT.
If there was truth to these visa issues, Rhea Ripley would not have been able to participate in these subsequent tapings. Although that doesn’t seem to be the case right now, if Ripley needed to travel back to Australia, she may have a hard time returning to the States due to the travel restrictions currently in place.
The April 8, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
The show was headlined by Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano.
WWE NXT Results (4/8)
Io Shirai def. Chelsea Green, Mia Yim, Tegan Nox Candice LeRae, and Dakota Kai – Ladder Match
Rinku Singh and Saurav Gurjar def. Ever-Rise
Johnny Gargano def. Tommaso Ciampa
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Rinku & Saurav In-Ring Debut
After making their television debut a week ago by attacking Matt Riddle, Rinku and Saurav made their in-ring debut.
They did so when they took on Ever-Rise in a tag team match that served as the second match of the night.
As expected and rightfully so, Rinku and Saurav went over in a dominating performance. They’re the latest tag team in NXT and one to see who will get a big push in NXT.
Malcolm Bivens, who is best for his time in EVOLVE, is the manager of the team made up of two big men. The tag team division in NXT is in need of some new blood as the latest feud had seen Riddle and Pete Dunne go up against The Undisputed Era.
It will be interesting to see if Rinku and Saurav get over with fans in attendance once things get back to normal.
The continuation of the slow build for the program between The Velveteen Dream and NXT Champion Adam Cole continues.
WWE had Cole cut another promo from the poolside at his home. Cole talked about how Dream went through one of the baddest stars on the NXT roster in Bobby Fish and he called it a lucky win.
Cole talked about how unfortunately for Dream, lightning never strikes twice especially when the lighting is the greatest NXT Champion, which is him. Cole stated that Dream is a guy who doesn’t deserve a title shot because Dream is a pretender and he’s the real deal.
Cole stated that if Dream keeps pushing then he’ll end the experience or shatter Dream’s spotlight because Dream can’t do anything about it. It was another great promo to further their program.
WWE still has yet to announce when the match will take place but it’s likely sooner rather than later.
After weeks of build-up, WWE held a Ladder Match to determine the top contender to WWE NXT Women’s Championship.
The competitors in the contest were Chelsea Green, Mia Yim, Tegan Nox, Io Shirai, Candice LeRae, and Dakota Kai. It ended up being Io Shirai who won the match.
It was a wild match with several high spots. If you’ve seen one ladder match in WWE, the same formula is the same. It had a table crash spot as well as Knox going through a ladder off the middle rope. This was a nice way of building up a new #1 contender for the title.
Charlotte Flair beat Rhea Ripley to win the NXT Women’s Title at WrestleMania 36. One would think that Ripley would get an automatic rematch. Time will tell whether that happens.
In the meantime, WWE can have Flair feud with the new #1 contender if they wanted to hold off on Flair vs. Ripley 2.
In the main event of the show, as expected, Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano took place. It was held in an unknown location that wasn’t the Performance Center or Full Sail University with a ring and a referee.
It was exactly what you thought it would be as it was a brawl. WWE shot it in a cinematic way somewhat like the Boneyard Match was between The Undertaker and AJ Styles from WrestleMania.
There were no commentators for the match. It was just the sound of the ring and the wrestlers reacting to moves. At one point, Ciampa brought out a crutch and they even brawled outside.
The finish saw Candice LeRae, who is Gargano’s wife, hit a low blow to Gargano then to Ciampa. Gargano pulled out a cup afterward and laughed. Gargano hit his finisher for the win.
These two have been feuding with each other off and on for a few years now under the WWE NXT banner. The stipulation going into the contest was that after this bout, this would be the final one-on-one encounter between them in NXT.
Now, it’s pro wrestling and that could change at any time but with both guys making it known that they would like to stay in NXT for the rest of their careers. It appears that this might be the last match that we see with them going against each other. Time will tell.
The next challenger to WWE NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair will be Io Shirai.
During Wednesday’s episode of NXT on the USA Network in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University, WWE held a match that would determine who is next line for a title shot.
A Ladder Match that saw Chelsea Green, Mia Yim, Tegan Nox, Io Shirai, Candice LeRae, and Dakota Kai took place with the winner becoming the next challenger to the title.
It was a lengthy match that had a table crash spot as well as Knox going through a ladder off the middle rope.
Io Shirai was victorious, earning the right to challenge Charlotte Flair for the NXT Women’s Title.
WWE hasn’t announced exactly when this contest will take place as it will go down but it’s likely to be featured on an upcoming episode of NXT TV on the USA Network.
This match was supposed to take place at the NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay event during WrestleMania 36. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the event was canceled.
Thus, WWE made the decision to air matches planned for the show to take place on NXT TV.
Flair beat Rhea Ripley to win the NXT Women’s Title at WrestleMania 36 – Night 2 this past Sunday night.
WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts is currently quarantined alone in a hotel room.
The legendary pro wrestler confirmed the news while doing an interview with The WrestlingInc Daily’s Nick Hausman. This is where he stated that he thinks everyone needs to stay home amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Other sports leagues have shut down but wrestling promotions such as AEW and WWE continue to run shows by holding TV tapings.
Roberts stated that we all have to buckle down. As much as he hates the idea, he thinks it’s the smart thing to do. He stated that everyone needs to pull together until the virus is gone. It upsets him to see people not follow the recommendations.
“It shows you how selfish some people can be,” Roberts said.
Roberts stated that people who don’t go along with the recommendations cause this thing to last longer than it should. He thinks people like that should be arrested and put in jail.
Roberts revealed that he’s currently quarantined in an Atlanta hotel room. This will last a few weeks. He recently made an appearance on AEW Dynamite that had a makeshift crowd of talent.
The reason for him being in quartine is due to him living with Diamond Dallas Page. Before he left to go to the AEW Dynamite TV tapings, DDP told him if Roberts left then he can’t come back.
“Well, AEW wanted me to come out, so … what did I do? I went and did it but then I couldn’t go back to Dallas’ house,” stated Roberts.
There is a baby at DDP’s house and nobody wants to get sick especially around a baby, according to Roberts. Thus, DDP took the hard-line. Roberts added that he had to do it for AEW because he wants to help the promotion by being on TV to manage Lance Archer.
However, now admittedly, he’s paying for it. AEW has reportedly filmed content to last the next few weeks.
WWE has announced a match and segment for Friday Night SmackDown this week.
The company did so on Wednesday evening. First up, newly crowned WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman is slated to make an appearance on this week’s show. He’ll do so as he ushers in his new era as champion.
Also announced was new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss making their first title defense against Kairi Sane and Asuka, which will be a rematch from the biggest event of the year for WWE.
Night One of WrestleMania 36 on Saturday saw Bliss and Cross capture the titles from The Kabuki Warriors.
This segment comes after Strowman beat WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 36 – Night 1.
Strowman was not originally supposed to challenge Goldberg for the WWE Universal championship. WWE never booked him in a match on the card. Strowman has recalled being up in Wisconsin where he has some land and was going to see his family to get away.
Roman Reigns was supposed to be in the contest against Goldberg. However, Reigns announced his decision to pull out of the event due to health concerns.
AEW Dynamite aired from an empty arena on TNT tonight. The TNT Championship tournament began and Chris Jericho joined commentary for the entire show.
AEW Dynamite Results (4/8)
Lance Archer def. Alan Angels
Hikaru Shida def. Britt Baker
Best Friends def. Kenny Omega & Michael Nakazawa
Brodie Lee def. Lee Johnson
Cody Rhodes def. Shawn Spears to advance to the semifinals of the TNT Championship tournament
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Lance Archer Dominated
Lance Archer
Chris Jericho joined Tony Schiavone on commentary for tonight’s show. Lance Archer battled Alan Angels in the first match of the night.
Match Recap: Archer went for a big boot but Alan Angels ducked and hit a couple of kicks. Archer shrugged them off and quickly hit the Blackout for the pinfall victory.
Before the match, Jake Roberts said Cody is done if he steps in the ring with Lance Archer. Roberts joked about Marko Stunt facing Lance Archer last week and called him an idiot. Jake added that he will not be surprised if Cody loses to Shawn Spears tonight in an effort to not face them.
Hikaru Shida Defeated Britt Baker In A Great Match
Hikaru Shida battled Britt Baker tonight on Dynamite.
Match Recap: Baker booted Shida in the knee and then retreated to the apron. Baker bounced Hikaru’s face off the turnbuckle several times. Britt kicked Shida in the knee but Shida battled back and shoved Baker to the corner.
Britt unloaded several right hands to Shida’s face and followed it up with a running kick for near fall. Baker sat on the apron, smiled and started taunting Shida. Britt asked Tony to tell everyone that this her division and Shida got back up.
Hikaru hung Baker up on the barricade and hit her with a knee to the face as Dynamite went to a commercial break. Back from the break, Shida hit Baker with a Suplex for a near fall.
Shida locked in an Arm Bar but Baker was able to make it to the ropes. Baker battled back and hit a Slingblade and followed it up with a Suplex for a two count. Baker went for the Lockjaw but Shida escaped.
Britt and Hikaru traded punches to the face and Shida connected with an Enziguri. Baker hit a Superkick and both wrestlers fell to the canvas. Baker was bleeding from her nose and took Shida down to the canvas. Britt applied the Lockjaw but Hikaru broke free and booted Baker in the face. Hikaru dumped Baker to the ring apron as Britt was laughing with blood pouring out of her nose.
Shida and Baker battled on the top rope. Hikiru slammed Britt across the top turnbuckle and followed it up with a running knee strike for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: This match was great and probably the match Britt Baker has had in AEW. Shida has now won 8 of her last 9 matches and remains the #1 contender.
Match Recap: Omega and Chuck Taylor started the match off. Chuck hit a couple Arm Drags and brought Kenny to the corner. Trent and Nakazawa as Spears shouted that he is watching Michael because he is still looking for a tag partner. Nakazawa and Trent traded chops before Michael rubbed baby oil on his chest. Trent went for a chop but his hand slid right off Nakazawa’s chest.
Omega tagged in and beat Trent down in the corner. When Dynamite returned from the break, Nakazawa crotched Trent on the top rope. Kenny Omega tagged in and hit an Elbow Drop for a one count. Chuck tagged in and tripped up Nakazawa and he fell onto Omega.
Orange Cassidy rolled into the ring and gave a thumbs up. Omega and Nakazwa tried to hug him but Cassidy got out of the way. Nakazawa sprayed oil in Cassidy’s face but Orange had another pair of sunglasses in his pocket. Trent hit Nakazawa with a DDT for a near fall.
Kenny tagged back in and hit Trent with a Backstabber. Omega followed it up with a Snap Dragon Suplex but Trent battled back with a big boot. Chuck hit a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Nakazawa broke it up. Kenny hit Trent with a Buckle Bomb and Nakazawa followed it up with a Fallaway Slam off the top turnbuckle.
Nakazawa hit the Ultimate Venom Arm but Chuck broke it up. Michael accidentally caught Omega with the Ultimate Venom Arm and Kenny rolled out of the ring. Trent plant Nakazawa with a Piledriver. Best Friends finally hit their finisher on Nakazawa for the pinfall victory.
Matt Hardy Challenged Chris Jericho To Come To His Compound
Broken Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy responded to Chris Jericho in a vignette tonight. Hardy claimed Sammy Guevara is a false god and probably cannot even speak Spanish. Hardy said Jake Hager is very smart and well spoken but Jericho has him brainwashed.
Hardy said he cannot allow Inner Circle to take over All Elite Wrestling. Vanguard 1 arrived with a Matt Hardy shirt. Hardy stated that he was asking for the Inner Circle shirt and Vanguard 1 said that it was in a dumpster fire.
Matt then challenged Jericho to come to the Hardy compound and to battle in the Elite Deletion.
Match Recap: Cody controlled the match early and applied a Headlock. Spears escaped and hit Cody in the chest with a couple chops. Shawn rolled out of the ring and shoved Billy Gunn. Spears threw a steel chair in the ring but Cody hit him with a Cutter for a near fall.
Cody climbed to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Spears got out of the way. Spears planted Cody with a Piledriver and went for the cover but Cody kicked out at two.
Spears launched Cody into the turnbuckle and followed it up with a kick to the face as the action spilled out of the ring. Shawn set up a guard rail against the ring and Suplexed Cody on top of it.
The action returned to the ring and Cody battled back with a Powerslam for a two count. Spears connected with a Powerbomb as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Spears brought a table out from under the ring but Cody took him out with a Suicide Dive.
Spears hit Cody with a Superplex and then tried to take the padding off the top rope. Brandi hopped on the apron for a distraction and Cody went for the Cross Rhodes. Spears blocked it and sent Cody crashing through the table with the C4. Cody got into the ring at nine and Spears threw a tantrum.
Spears went for C4 but Cody escaped and hit two Cross Rhodes but Spears kicked out at two. Cody then applied the Figure Four and Spears shoulders were on the mat for a three count.
Opinion: I really enjoyed this match and I thought that the finish was great. Overall, Dynamite was solid this week and I’m looking forward to the AEW Championship match next week between Hager and Moxley. Chris Jericho was gold on commentary tonight as well.
Some backstage news has surfaced regarding the latest match that WWE booked for newly crowned WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
Monday’s episode of RAW saw McIntyre battle The Big Show in the main event with the WWE Title on the line.
WWE revealed after the match, which saw McIntyre successfully retain the title, took place after he had won the championship on Sunday night.
WWE aired the match on Monday night during RAW. This was after he dethroned Brock Lesnar for the strap in the headliner of WrestleMania 36 – Night 2.
PWinsider.com reports that the match was done in order to show how strong McIntyre was coming out of the WrestleMania 36 win. The idea behind it was despite the physical drain of battling Lesnar, he overcame Big Show “just 20 minutes before” that.
It was also done to show fans that McIntyre beat two of WWE’s biggest Superstar on the same night.
WWE showed footage that after beating Lesnar on Sunday night and getting his custom title plates installed, McIntyre came back to the ring for an interview with Sarah Schreiber. This led to him being interrupted by the returning Big Show. The former WWE Champion called for the first title shot and got that.
McIntyre was then interrupted by the returning Big Show, who wanted the first title shot.
With WWE planning to hold more TV tapings, officials have issued a memo to wrestlers and staff.
TMZ Sports reports that this memo was telling them how they plan to keep everyone safe during this time as the coronavirus continues.
The email outlined protocols for working during the COVID-19 outbreak. It was noted that the WWE medical team will continue to take the temperature for everyone who works the tapings before they enter the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Talents are allowed to arrive early to the building due to the safety measures causing some delays in people getting into the training facility.
It was noted that WWE officials were very happy with the way things went down with the recent TV and WrestleMania 36 tapings two weeks ago. Thus, the company plans to use similar protocols for the tapings being held this week.
Once works are inside of the building, they are encouraged to wear a face mask. If they can’t get one then they are encouraged to make one. There were instructions on how to make a mask by sewing fabric, wearing a bandana, or ripping off an old t-shirt sleeve.
Per the memo, the masks will have to come off when cameras are rolling for the taped shows. There was a reminder of washing their hands before and after handling masks, and to wash hands with soap & warm water for 20 seconds was brought up.
WWE plans to start taping several episodes of RAW, NXT, and SmackDown starting this Friday through next Thursday.
The plan is to keep following the CDC guidelines for the outbreak and will have talent stay at one hotel and tape in waves.
Major League Wrestling CEO Court Bauer recently spoke with MLW.com for an in-depth interview. Bauer spoke about MLW’s television partnerships, an ambitious project he’s working on and how the Coronavirus pandemic has affected MLW operations.
Bauer started off by thanking the medical professionals on the front lines putting their lives at risk to help everyday people. He said they are the real heroes of this situation. MLW wants to do its part to entertain people and take their minds off the current situation.
Operationally, live events are on hold and several MLW stars have had their first international tours postponed. It is discouraging, but things are still brewing behind the scenes. MLW officials have discussed expanding their content offerings both domestically and internationally. They recently closed TV deals in Poland, the Middle East, North Africa and there are more things in the pipeline.
Bauer said, “There are a few more content deals in the works which he hopes to be able to share the details of soon.”
There has been some buzz in recent months that MLW has been negotiating with major over-the-top streaming as a new means of distribution for MLW content.
“I have been told by our agency I can’t comment specifically on anything pertaining to the rumors out there,” Bauer began. “Let’s just say things are happening; it’s very encouraging. The ebb and flow of deals and discussions isn’t what it typically is because of the pandemic but things are progressing. We have calls set for this week, in fact. We have the good fortune of one of entertainment’s best agencies representing us and they’ve been very active. “
The MLW Radio Network has added a few new shows to its spring line-up, including Talk’n Shop hosted by Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and Rocky Romero, as well as shows from Dutch Mantell and a few more on the way.
There is much more to the interview, which you can read in its entirety over at MLW.com.
Former WWE manager/announcer Jim Cornette recently weighed in on the Firefly Fun House match from WrestleMania 36 this past weekend. In an absolute shock to nobody, Cornette was not a fan of the match. Here’s exactly what the leader of the ‘Cult of Cornette’ had to say on the Drive Thru podcast.
Jim Cornette on Cena vs Wyatt
“What the fuck?” Jim Cornette began. “Just what in the tee total, french fried, t*tty f*ck was that? I like John Cena and I’ve never said anything bad about John Cena. I assume John Cena is gone from the WWE and will never come back? And the only reason he participated in this I would think, is because he’d never be seen again by this audience.”
The overall reaction to the match from fans appears to be mixed. Some have praised WWE for creating a storyline driven experience, helping to get Wyatt’s character back into the mix. However, Cornette would disagree:
“F*cking Lewis Carroll has Alice down the rabbit hole.”
Jim Cornette
“All right, how do I make notes on this? He [Cena] came to the ring, then Bray’s in the funhouse. Then there he goes through the door because the puppet tells him to. F*cking Lewis Carroll has Alice down the rabbit hole. They came up with new material that sucked donkey a**. I wrote the following: ‘this is the end of wrestling, why am I wasting my time watching this?'”
Boneyard vs Firefly Funhouse
Cornette would then finish by comparing the Firefly Funhouse match to the Boneyard Match from the night before. “This isn’t even a cool movie fight scene” Cornette stated. “This is just stupid, nonsensical. Even in the movie fight scene they weren’t obviously acting silly and doing schtick with each other. I’ve never met Bray Wyatt, but I’m disappointed in John Cena.”
It is not currently known where or if this storyline will be ongoing. John Cena has recently been on Twitter and Instagram, so the idea of an ‘alternate dimension’ may be off the cards. Not sure that Corny would enjoy that much either…
What did you think of the Firefly Funhouse match? Let us know in the comments
This week’s episode of Monday Night RAW saw the aftermath of the WrestleMania 36 event. Although the ‘RAW After Mania’ has been known to be the ‘best’ show of the year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic this week was a more sombre affair.
WWE have been utilising what talent they have available for taping over the past couple of weeks. Notably, stars such as Roman Reigns and The Miz have been pulled or voluntarily left the Performance Center due to concerns over the pandemic. WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray recently commented on the situation, discussing how WWE have been put in an awkward position with the ongoing pandemic and travel restrictions.
Bully Ray on the ‘tip of the iceberg’
“Let’s take what people see” Bully Ray began on the latest episode of Busted Open Radio. “People see what’s on their television. And that’s all that they see. What you see on your television is the tip, of the tip, of the iceberg. There’s so much going on beneath the surface when it comes to actually getting what you see on TV, to make it to that TV. One of the biggest things is travel, a lot of the people that you’re seeing on the show? Especially Monday Night RAW? That’s local people.”
The Big Show
Bully Ray elaborated further, specifically talking about the appearance of The Big Show to face Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship. “There might have been a fly in or two, but most of them are local that they can count on. The Big Show, everybody’s like, ‘why the Big Show? Why would the Big Show get a Championship shot?’ Why did they use the Big Show? Because he lives about an hour and a half away in Tampa. Drive to the Performance Center, drive home from the Performance Center. Duh? There you go, people. That’s why it was the Big Show.”
Vince McMahon call?
“That’s probably a Vince call saying, ‘I need a strong win for Drew coming out of WrestleMania.'”
Bully Ray
Bully would then go on to say that he believes it was a last minute Vince McMahon call. Taking one of the biggest (literally) Superstars in the company to give McIntyre a big first title defence. “That’s probably a Vince call saying, ‘I need a strong win for Drew coming out of WrestleMania.’ Big Show is seven foot two, 450 pounds. He is the biggest guy they’ve got in the company. Let Drew beat the Big Show with his finish, it’ll be something credible the night after WrestleMania for Drew.”
It is currently unknown what the situation is regarding WWE and how they are going to be taping going forward. The COVID-19 situation is changing on a daily basis, and as of now the company does appear to be taping at the Performance Center, although it is not confirmed how many shows they will be able to get in the can.
The arrival of Killer Kross in NXT appears imminent. Triple H was recently interviewed by SI.com and he commented on the potential of the 34-year-old from Las Vegas.
“The first time you see him, you know right away that he’s something special,” Triple H said about Kross. “It’s been a long path for him to get where he is. He is a unique talent that combines what he does in the ring with his charisma and his intelligence. I’m excited for him to be here.”
Kross debuted in Impact Wrestling in the summer of 2018. He would be with the promotion for a year until various conflicts arose between him and the company. He was finally released from his contract last December after not appearing on television for several months.
Recently, Kross performed for Major League Wrestling at a show in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena. In storyline, he was attacked in the back by King Mo and Team Filthy.
A video teasing Kross’ arrival in NXT begins at the 4:21 mark of the below video:
Triple H’s full interview with SI.com can be read here.
The NXT Cruiserweight Championship has been vacated. Former Jordan Devlin is stuck in the UK due to Coronavirus and is unable to fulfill his duties as champion.
A tournament will be held to crown a new Cruiserweight champion, as announced by NXT General Manager William Regal on Wednesday’s edition of WWE’s The Bump web series.
Details on the tournament, including the entrants and the full bracket, will be revealed in the coming days.
Devlin commented on the situation on Twitter. As seen below, he is not happy. Devlin calls it an ‘absolutely shocking and disrespectful decision’ to crown a new champion in his absence. He went as far as to label the tournament winner a ‘paper champion’ and claims NXT fans know who the real champion is. Devlin is setting up a potential unification bout down the road, which could generate a lot of fan interest.
First things first, absolutely shocking and disrespectful decision by @WWE management.
Secondly, you can crown a fraud champion and give him a little replica of my title, but everyone around the world knows who the REAL NXT Cruiserweight Champion still is. https://t.co/rIA7AJZwod
NXT has been in somewhat of a limbo state as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. In recent weeks, WWE moved all television tapings to the WWE Performance Center. This included WrestleMania 36 this past weekend. It also resulted in the cancelation of NXT Takeover: Tampa Bay. Matches that were scheduled for that show are airing on NXT TV over the next several weeks.
Impact Wrestling will reportedly be filming several episodes of its weekly show from an empty studio setting in Nashville, TN. Tommy Dreamer noted on Busted Open Radio that Impact will be taping 2 months worth of shows over a 2-day period. The Wrestling Observer has since reported that the location of the tapings will be in Nashville.
The tapings will likely include the Rebellion PPV as well. The show may be changed to a special on AXS TV rather than a traditional PPV, however. Similar to both AEW and WWE tapings, various safety measures will be taken including taking performers’ temperatures before they are on set.
The Executive stay-at-home order in Tennessee permits filming for television on a closed set.
2 Knockouts matches were added to the show last night. Jordynne Grace will defend her title against Taya Valkyrie in a Full Metal Mayhem match. Kylie Rae will also face Kiera Hogan on the show.
The announced lineup for Impact Wrestling’s Rebellion show is as follows:
Impact World Championship Tessa Blanchard (c) vs Michael Elgin vs Eddie Edwards
Knockouts Championship Full Metal Mayhem Jordynne Grace (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
Impact Wrestling presented a show on AXS TV and Twitch last night. The show emanated from the Coca-Cola Roxy from Atlanta, GA. The main event for the show was a tag team title match with the North defending against Tessa Blanchard & Eddie Edwards.
Impact Wrestling 4/7/20 Quick Results:
2-on-1: Willie Mack defeated Reno Scum
Chris Bey defeated Daga
Havok defeated Madison Rayne
Rhino & Tommy Dreamer defeated Dave & Jake Crist (OVE)
Impact Tag Team Championships The North (c) defeated Tessa Blanchard & Eddie Edwards
Here are 9 takeaways from Impact Wrestling 4/7/20:
Tessa Blanchard Refuses To Tag Eddie Edwards, Michael Elgin Attacks
After Eddie Edwards and Tessa Blanchard were forced to align last week in order to fend off the North, the two were granted a shot at the tag titles this week. With Tessa scheduled to defend the world title against both Eddie Edwards and Michael Elgin in a triple threat match at Rebellion, however, she was a little hesitant to trust Eddie too much.
The end of the match came when Tessa hesitated to tag in Edwards and it allowed the North to hit their burning hammer into a spinebuster finishing move for the win.
A great tag team should always win against two great singles
After the match, Michael Elgin hit the ring and took out Tessa Blanchard with an Elgin bomb and stood tall with the world title belt to close the show.
Ken Shamrock Is Searching For Sami Callihan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ8yMxp7vho
Previously on Impact Wrestling, Sami Callihan was revealed as the hacker behind the ICU videos. He also delivered a fireball to Shamrock’s face. This week, Jimmy Jacobs interviewed Shamrock who detailed the impacts of Sami’s attack. The lights in the room began to flicker and Shamrock stated he knew who was behind it. The MMA legend and future Impact Hall-of-Famer then stormed off in search of Callihan.
Madman Fulton Takes Out Some Extreme Legends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNQKUANlPEc
Rhino and Tommy Dreamer defeated the Crist brothers this week after Rhino hit a Gore on former X-Division champion Jake Crist. After the match, Madman Fulton (who had been ejected from ringside during the match) returned and attacked both Rhino and Tommy Dreamer as the other members of OVE helped. On commentary, it was noted that the 3 members of OVE are lost without the leadership of Sami Callihan. Fulton and the Crists stood tall over a flattened Tommy Dreamer to end the segment.
“Susie” Drops Match To Kiera Hogan
Su Yung’s less murderous persona “Susie” faced Kiera Hogan this week in single’s competition. While Susie kept pace with Hogan throughout the match, a mistake she made would end up costing her. Susie reached for the bloody glove that Su Yung normally uses to apply the mandible claw but said glove was not there. This allowed Hogan to hit a swinging fisherman suplex for the win.
The win for Hogan helps her build momentum heading into Rebellion when she’ll face the newly signed Kylie Rae.
Havok Destroys Madison Rayne
For much of this episode, Madison Rayne was on commentary with Josh Matthews. For one segment, however, she wrestled Havok who is fresh off having stabbed James Mitchell to death in the undead realm. Havok caught Madison with a tombstone piledriver to pick up the win.
Johnny Swinger To Face “Young Buck” M. Jackson Next Week
Johnny Swinger appeared in a video this week with Rosemary. The two were in a bar where Rosemary was scouting souls to steal. Swinger approached Rosemary and said she could steal his soul or take him anywhere if she has a car. Rosemary explained that “the Valkyrie” would never let her live it down if she did anything with him, however. Swinger also said during this interaction that he’ll be taking on a “Young Buck” with the name “M Jackson” next week.
Chris Bey Steals Victory From Daga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6sLhGrQtJw
After a fast-paced match between Daga and Chris Bey, the newcomer to the promotion grabbed the ropes during a pinning attempt to get the 3-count. While the win helps the 24-year-old move up the rankings, he showed this week he’s not afraid to bend the rules to pick up a victory.
Willie Mack Defeats Reno Scum, Attacked By Ace Austin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qywrfND6Upg
Last week on Impact Wrestling, Reno Scum attacked an injured Rich Swann during an interview segment. This week Willie Mack took on and defeated both members of the team in the opening match of the night. After the match, however, the X-Division champion snuck up behind Mack and delivered a vicious kick to the head. The members of Reno Scum then held Mack as Austin hit his finishing move “the Fold” on him to end the segment.
AEW has released its weekly rankings for April 8th, 2020. The promotion releases new top-5 rankings every Wednesday for its men’s, women’s and tag team divisions.
AEW Men’s Division
World Champion: Jon Moxley (8-0)
Jake Hager (4-0) (+1)
Chris Jericho (0-1) (-1)
Cody Rhodes (5-1)
Kenny Omega (3-0)
Darby Allin (4-2)
The only movement in the men’s single’s rankings this week saw Jake Hager climb over his Inner Circle stablemate Chris Jericho for the #1 contender spot. Hager has a shot at Jon Moxley’s AEW World Championship in 2 weeks on Dynamite.
Cody and Darby Allin teamed up this week in the main event, dropping a match to Shawn Spears & Sammy Guevara. Omega defeated Trent to stay undefeated in 2020 single’s matches. Jericho wore long pants in a hot tub this week but it is unclear if this affected his spot in the rankings.
AEW Women’s Division
Champion: Nyla Rose (4-1)
Hikaru Shida (6-1)
Kris Statlander (2-3)
Yuka Sakazaki (1-1)
Britt Baker (2-2)
Riho (3-3)
Hikaru Shida once again retained her #1 ranking in the division this week. She defeated the newly signed Anna Jay in single’s competition on Dynamite. There was no movement in the women’s division rankings this week. A big match is scheduled for tonight in this division, however, as the #1 ranked Shida faces former title-challenger and the #4 ranked Britt Baker.
AEW Tag Team Division
Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (6-0)
The Dark Order (5-0)
The Young Bucks (2-2)
SCU (2-3)
Lucha Bros (1-2)
Best Friends (3-3)
There was no movement in the tag team rankings this week. The Natural Nightmares team of QT Marshall & Dustin Rhodes might be vying for a spot in the top-5 soon, however. They defeated Dark Order members #8 and #9 this week on Dynamite. There were also a couple of tag matches on BTE this week but it does not appear those are counting toward AEW win/loss records. The Young Bucks took on a local team named High Risk and SCU defeated Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler. SCU has challenged High Risk to a “squash match” for next week.
Trent from the Best Friends put in a good-showing in single’s competition against Kenny Omega this week on Dynamite. Other than that match, no other ranked tag teams had a match this week.
All Elite Wrestling returns to TNT tonight with an all-new episode of AEW Dynamite. Th following is a preview for the show:
TNT Championship Tournament Begins
Dynamite will feature the first match in the tournament to crown the first-ever AEW TNT Champion. First round matches include Cody vs. Shawn Spears, Sammy Guevara vs. Darby Allin, Kip Sabian vs. Dustin Rhdodes and Lance Archer vs. Colt Cabana.
Tonight, the quarterfinals begin with Cody vs. Shawn Spears.
Women’s Match
Two of AEW’s top ranked female stars will be in action when Hikaru Shida faces Britt Baker. Both of them are in the hunt to become the next challenger to AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose.
Tag Team Match
Kenny Omega, one half of the AEW World Tag Team Champions with Adam “Handwash” Page, teams up with longtime friend Michael Nakazowa vs. against Best Friends. Orange Cassidy will be in their corner.
It’s Wednesday.. You Know What That Means
Brodie Lee, the Exalted One of the Dark Order, will be in action.
Chris Jericho & Tony Schiavone on Commentary
As announced by AEW President Tony Khan earlier this week, Dynamite will feature a special announce team of Tony Schiavone and Le Champion, Chris Jericho. Khan tweeted that the duo has “amazing charisma” and the makings of one of the best commentary teams he’s heard in his 30 years as a wrestling fan.
Join us here later tonight for our AEW Dynamite live discussion and post-show results and Takeaways.
Newly crowned WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has opened up about breaking a cardinal WWE rule following his victory at WrestleMania 36. Following his historic win over Brock Lesnar, McIntyre reached out towards a camera. He would symbolically connect with the WWE Universe supporting him at home.
McIntyre shared how, as WrestleMania took place in front of zero fans, he found himself in his own little moment. It then clicked that there would be millions of people watching at home, celebrating his momentous accomplishment. It was at this point that McIntyre would break one of WWE’s established rules.
“One of our rules in WWE is that you don’t look down the camera and break the fourth wall, like you wouldn’t do in a movie,” McIntyre explained. “But I couldn’t help myself. In that moment, I just wanted to thank everybody for supporting me, for supporting WWE during this time and choosing WWE to take your mind off these difficult times. I wanted to let everyone know how I felt, and I’m so glad we kept that in the show.”
McIntyre revealed he wasn’t sure if the moment would make the cut. He stressed how he “really meant it” as he reached out.
Drew McIntyre On Reliving His Win
WrestleMania 36 was a pre-recorded event that aired this past weekend. The decision to relocate and record on a closed set was made to protect Superstars and staff amidst the coronavirus pandemic. This led to Drew McIntyre owning the WWE Championship before the WWE Universe finding out.
According to McIntyre, he took the title home with him and locked it in a room. He wouldn’t take it out again until the match had aired. He noted how “things are not official until they happen.” McIntyre then revealed he watched the show live alongside the rest of the world. He enjoyed watching the event, admitting it helped him to take his mind off of things.
“Watching myself was very crazy, being on the couch — watching it just like everyone else, wondering what was going to happen. I kind of pushed out of my head what had happened.”
Drew McIntyre then shared how he reacted during his clash with Lesnar. He divulged that his wife had to move away from him as he was re-enacting moments, darting from side to side as the action played out. When he watched himself win the title, he saw the emotion on his face and remembered how real it was.
“In that moment, it was real again as I was watching it. I went upstairs, I opened the door and I took the title out, now that it was official,” McIntyre said. “I had another moment with my wife in the house, and with my family on Zoom. I had my whole family on there.”
Triple H is apparently unfazed by All Elite Wrestling’s recent string of ratings victories over NXT. The two shows compete head-to-head on Wednesday nights in what many have dubbed the Wednesday Night Wars. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, “The Game” explained why he isn’t concerned, noting that he believes it’s a long game.
“I’m a believer in the long-term game,” Triple H said. “You create the right product, and over time, people will find it. I think back to Monday nights years ago, and it looks different now, but there were periods of time when WWE was putting on much better shows and the content was much better, but we were still getting beat. We were not winning ‘the war,’ but we stayed true to who we were.”
Triple H stated how fans are attracted to a flashy, exciting product that can’t maintain its momentum, then “it loses that pizzazz.” According to him, it’s the determination to commit to the long-term that will see a true winner. He stressed how he’s not concerned by the week-by-week numbers. Instead, all he cares about is putting on the best NXT show possible every week.
NXT General Manager William Regal is set to appear on WWE show The Bumplater today to reveal some breaking news regarding NXT. This week’s episode will see Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano compete in an empty arena match. Triple H made the matchup official during last week’s episode of NXT.
