Home Blog Page 1178

Jim Ross Doesn’t Think WWE Will Cancel WrestleMania 36

Steve Russell
-
0

All Elite Wrestling commentator Jim Ross doesn’t believe WWE will cancel WrestleMania 36. At the time of writing, fans worldwide are still unsure as to whether WWE’s largest event will take place due to coronavirus concerns. Speaking on his podcast Grillin’ JR, Ross broke down why he thinks WWE won’t be cancelling. 

“I don’t think it’ll [be cancelled],” Ross said. “It would be a shocker, it would be a huge loss for not only the WWE financially but also for fans that are planning on going and making it a part of an annual excursion or there first WrestleMania ever.”

He continued, “WrestleMania is a major event and that’s an understatement obviously, but it’s a major event from the standpoint that many other companies use WrestleMania as a source of creating new revenue. It could be detrimental to a lot of companies, but knowing the wrestling mantra as I do, I don’t think it’s going to be cancelled.”

Jim Ross On Impact On Sales, Attendance

Jim Ross shared how he had heard WWE is struggling to sell tickets for RAW and SmackDown. He noted that WrestleMania is allegedly still selling well. Although he doesn’t feel WWE will cancel the show, Ross added how there will be ongoing discussions about this virus and how it will affect projected attendance numbers. 

“I think people could be more cautious and it is available on television and on the WWE Network. I don’t think it will cancel but I do think the ongoing discussions about this virus will affect the attendance at some events for everybody coming to Tampa.”

WrestleMania 36 is scheduled to take place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Despite meeting last week to discuss options, Tampa officials have claimed they may have to “pull the plug” on the event. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

Tommaso Ciampa Believes Ratings “Sure As Hell” Matter

Steve Russell
-
0

Former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa has shared his belief that the Wednesday Night War between NXT and All Elite Wrestling absolutely matters. Speaking with Sportskeeda, Ciampa opened up about why he thinks the ratings have helped pro wrestling, claiming that both promotions ultimately “want to win.”

“It makes it a little bit more fun. It brings that competitive edge out,” said Ciampa. “I mean, I have friends over there and I also have people over there I’ve never met or ever shared a ring with. “It’s awesome to see, you know, everyone just elevating their game. Everyone just wants it. I don’t know if people say ratings don’t matter… they sure as hell matter. Like, you want to win.”

Tommaso Ciampa On NXT Airing On USA, Being A Third Brand

One of the decisions that helped legitimize NXT is WWE’s decision to reposition it as a third brand. Previously, the black-and-gold brand had long been WWE’s developmental brand. Ciampa points out how NXT airing on USA Network has also helped everyone pull together to deliver great shows.

“Now that we’re on USA, we’re doing live TV. There’s just no more ‘yea buts.’ They’re [NXT roster] doing everything that you would constitute of as a main roster player,” stated Ciampa. “I think that’s the main thing, that switch. That developmental like, stink is just gone.”

Tommaso Ciampa is expected to face off against Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay. The show is set to take place on April 4 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Bobby Lashley On Continuing Rusev/Lana Storyline, Bringing Back “The Old Bobby”

Steve Russell
-
0

WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley has addressed his recent storyline with Rusev and Lana during an appearance on WWE’s The Bump. He confessed he is unsure whether WWE is actually done with their feud.

“[…] there are still a lot of things that I still want to do,” Lashley stated. “I got put in a role with Lana for some time now. I don’t know what’s going to go on with Rusev and I. I don’t know if that’s done if it’s finished if it’s not finished.”

The Old Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley then turned his attention to WWE’s upcoming pay-per-view, WrestleMania 36. He shared how there are so many things he’d like to achieve and Superstars he’d like to wrestle. He then teased that the WWE Universe may start seeing “a little bit of the old Bobby.”

“Man, there are many things that I want to do. There are so many people that I want to be in the ring with, that in the next few weeks, you’ll start to see a little bit of the old Bobby. You might see something big at WrestleMania, like a big matchup.”

Explaining what fans can expect if he does bring back “the old Bobby,” Lashley stated how he’s pretty basic. “I love to fight, I’m a fighter. I’ve wrestled my entire life. I’ve talked about doing the bare-knuckles fight, maybe next year, if Vince allows me to do it. I like to train, I like to fight and I like to wrestle.”

He continued, “Since I’ve been back, they haven’t been able to see that. I feel like I’m getting back to my roots after this match I had with Zack Ryder. It kind of showed who I am, and what I’m about. I think the next few weeks leading up to WrestleMania, I think you’re going to see more of that.”

At the time of writing, Bobby Lashley doesn’t have a matchup scheduled for WrestleMania 36. The show is expected to take place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. That is if Tampa officials don’t “pull the plug” on the event.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Steve Austin Talks About 3:16 Day Ahead Of RAW

Steve Russell
-
0

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is scheduled to appear on a special edition of Monday Night RAW today. Today has been branded 3:16 day, something that Austin has claimed to not know WWE was intending to do. 

“Now, I didn’t declare this holiday,” Austin said on his show, The Steve Austin Show. “I didn’t declare it a national holiday on my own behalf. It seems like the WWE Universe has declared 3/16 to be Steve Austin Day because of the famous promo I cut way back at King Of The Ring in 1996 when I got kicked in the mouth by Marc Mero.”

Steve Austin’s Iconic Promo

Steve Austin then reflected on how he needed to get stitches in his upper lip after that match. He returned from hospital to wrestle Jake “The Snake” Roberts. After his victory over Roberts, Austin would be interviewed by Dok Hendrix. Austin then delivered his historic promo, using the now famous ‘Austin 3:16’ and ‘Because Stone Cold said so’ catchphrases for the first time.

“I hit two home runs, two grand slams in fact, at a pay-per-view that I was never even supposed to win from the get-go,” he said. “So all these years later, we celebrate, I guess, the beginning of officially announcing it on Monday Night RAW, 3:16 Day, so thank everybody for the support for all these years and I’m looking forward to making another appearance on Monday Night RAW.:

Austin continued, “My appearances on that show are few and far between. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing, but I’m going to be raising hell and drinking plenty of cold Broken Skull IPA, my beer from El Segundo Brewing Company.”

Like last week’s SmackDown, tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW will be performed in the WWE Performance Center. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

Elias Believes He Is “Capable Of Even More” In WWE

Steve Russell
-
0

WWE Superstar Elias recently joined Busted Open Radio. During their conversation, Elias opened up about his WWE career to date, admitting that he is “begging” for more opportunities. He explained how he would love to be further along in his career as he feels capable of doing more. 

“I am begging for the opportunity to be, you know, even further along than where I am. And you know what, it’s great,” Elias said. “I’m on television every week and people feel alive. But I tell you what, man, I feel like I’m capable of even more. I am looking for that on all aspects, to the point where people might be getting upset with me [because] I’m pushing so hard.”

He spoke about being able to play his guitar and further his connection with the crowd on the fly. Elias then stressed how he just wants the door of opportunity to “open up just a little bit.” If it does, he’s confident he could break through to the next level.

“The good thing is I have a passion for playing music and playing guitar. I’m always, always thinking of new ways to note, you know, new riffs, I jam around on my guitar. As well as new ways to interact with the crowd, new catchphrases whatever it may be. So, you know, I’m just waiting for, you know, for the door to open up just a little bit. So I can bust through you know what I’m saying? Man that’s all I’m asking for.”

At the time of writing, Elias doesn’t have a matchup scheduled for WrestleMania 36. The show is expected to take place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. That is if Tampa officials don’t “pull the plug” on the event.

H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription.

Jushin “Thunder” Liger Joins WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2020

Anutosh Bajpai
-
2

Jushin “Thunder” Liger is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Tokyo Sports first broke the news of his induction earlier today and WWE has since confirmed that the Japanese Wrestling Legend will be inducted into Hall Of Fame on Thursday, April 2, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Liger started his wrestling career in high school as an amateur wrestler and later aspired to become a professional wrestler. But he was initially rejected by NJPW dojo because he didn’t meet the height requirements of the academy at the time.

Though this didn’t stop the Japanese star and he moved to Mexico for training. Liger trained in very hard conditions there and according to the wrestling star himself; he was almost starving while studying in Mexico.

He was finally accepted by NJPW dojo when some company officials visiting the country took pity on him and invited him back to Japan to train alongside other wrestlers.

Jushin made his wrestling debut in March 1984 at the age of 19. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the top junior heavyweights in the history of the business, winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 11 times during his career.

He first made his name in the United States by making appearances for WCW in 1990 and since then, he has wrestled for companies such as ROH, Impact Wrestling and more.

Jushin “Thunder” Liger will be joining Batista, nWo, The Bella Twins, JBL and The British Bulldog in the Class of 2020.

Jon Moxley Discusses Being A ‘Different Person’ In AEW

Anutosh Bajpai
-
1

Jon Moxley released a video of escaping a prison-like setting shortly after leaving WWE which was a metaphor of the former World Champion finally breaking out of the mental constraints of the company.

The AEW Champion recently had an interview with The Walkway to Fight Club podcast where he talked about things like retaining his WWE entrance in AEW and more.

Discussing the difference between AEW and WWE, the former WWE Champion said that his AEW character is like a ‘whole different person’ that has been sleeping or been in jail:

“It’s just kind of like a whole other different person that had been like sleeping or in jail or suspended. It was like Jon Moxley was serving an eight-year suspension and then he finally got reinstated,”

The former WWE star continued by saying that it’s hard to explain but when you are being pushed in so many different directions and saying someone else’s words, you feel like you are not yourself anymore.

Explaining the difference between the two companies, Jon Moxley said that in AEW, he just walks out and does whatever the situation calls for, doesn’t matter how tired he is.

Apart from this, Jon Moxley also discussed the crowds at AEW, saying that he thinks TVs don’t do justice to how hot some of their crowds are. Check out his prison video below:

Quotes via WrestlingInc

Sheamus On Being Skeptical About Part-Time Champions

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

A lot of people disliked the idea of taking the Universal Championship from Bray Wyatt and putting it on Goldberg and it appears that WWE star Sheamus is not a fan of it either.

The former WWE Champion was in Ireland last week where he talked to media and discussed things like the upcoming WrestleMania 36 event and more.

Talking about the company’s decision of putting the world title on the 53-year-old star, Sheamus said that he is always skeptical about the champions who just pop up once in a blue moon and it’s important to have a full-time champion:

“I’m always skeptical about champions who just pop up once in a blue moon, like once every six months, or once every year,” Sheamus said. “I think it’s important to have your champion on every week, that’s how I grew up watching WWE that’s how I see it.”

Though later in the interview, the former Champion revealed that the WrestleMania match he is looking forward to is between the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre.

WrestleMania is scheduled to take place from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on April 5, 2020, but there is a possibility of Tampa officials cancelling the show if the coronavirus situation remains the same.

Matt Hardy: “WWE & Jeff Hardy Are Completely Free To Use Twist of Fate”

Rayan Sayyed
-
1

Matt Hardy’s brother Jeff Hardy made his return to this week’s Friday Night SmackDown, where he changed his finisher’s name from the Twist of Fate to the Twist of Fury.

The next day Matt Hardy’s wife, Reby Hardy, tweeted the trademark logo, “TM”. Many fans took to mean that Matt had trademarked the Twist of Fate name and now that he is no longer a part of WWE, Jeff was not allowed to use it.

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/1238644849265516549

Matt Hardy then had to come out and clear the misconception regarding the move. Fans were jumping on Reby and Matt as they assumed he didn’t want his brother Jeff to be able to use the name. The clarification came after a fan on Twitter asked Matt why he had trademarked the name “Twist of Fate”.

Matt Hardy clarified by replying, “I DID NOT. The @WWE & Jeff are completely free to use “Twist of Fate.” The change 100% came on their end. I wouldn’t ever do anything to hinder my brother. I’m thrilled to see him back on #WWE TV, looking healthy & happy.”

It’s still unclear why Reby posted the trademark message on her Twitter account, which lead to this unnecessary internet drama. While Reby and Jeff have history between them, it has to be noted that her posting the logo doesn’t necessarily mean she was even hinting at Matt Hardy trademarking the move. Twitterati just assumed what they wanted to anyway.

Matt Hardy is gone from WWE, but he is still continuing his “Free the Delete” YouTube series where he is teasing a change in his character’s current persona. He has heavily hinted at joining All Elite Wrestling, since none other than the Young Bucks themselves appeared on the past two episodes.

Related: Jim Ross On If Matt Hardy And Jeff Hardy Might Join AEW In The Future

AEW To Reportedly Continue Forward With Scheduled Blood And Guts Match

Rayan Sayyed
-
0

AEW will be reportedly be going forward with their plans for the six-man tag team match between The Elite and The Inner Circle on this Wednesday’s Dynamite.

There have been several changes regarding AEW Dynamite’s location. Originally, AEW was going to Rochester, NY for Dynamite but it was then moved to Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place.

On Friday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced that the city is suspending all events and gatherings at city facilities due to the coronavirus outbreak. TIAA Bank Field, which is one of the impacted venues announced by the mayor, is connected to Daily’s Place where Dynamite will be held. It is, however, believed that the show is still on at the venue but will be held without an audience.

Coming back to The Elite-Inner Circle match, the winners of this bout will receive an entry advantage in the upcoming Blood and Guts match. The match features two factions, Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana, and Ortiz vs. Cody, Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and a partner that is yet to be determined.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Radio, AEW President Tony Khan was rewriting this week’s show and chose to keep the six-man tag team match in. Since this match is being held to determine who will get an entry advantage in the Blood and Guts match, it is being speculated that said match is going to take place on March 25 as planned.

While the show was originally scheduled to take place on March 25 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, it will possibly be held at the same venue as this week’s show – at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

Seth Rollins On WrestleMania 36 Status: Nobody Knows, I Go Where They Tell Me

Rayan Sayyed
-
2

Seth Rollins should not be asked questions about WrestleMania – he made it very clear that he doesn’t know what the company is planning.

Rollins hosted a Q&A session on his Instagram Live on Saturday and when he was getting questions about WrestleMania’s status, he said that he has no idea if the show is going to take place or not.

“WrestleMania, I don’t know! Don’t ask me questions, I don’t know! I am not in charge of that. I go where they tell me. This Monday, I’ll be in Orlando at the PC doing Raw in front of nobody just like SmackDown was on Friday. Probably just how NXT will be on Wednesday. About WrestleMania. Nobody knows. It’s all up in the air,” said Seth Rollins.

The upcoming Raw episode is going to take place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in front of no audience just like this week’s SmackDown.

On March 13, WWE had released a statement saying that they had no plans to cancel WrestleMania. While the company seemed to be committed to moving ahead with the event as planned, they have confirmed that contingency plans are in place in case the local authorities in Tampa decide to cancel the show.

Hillsborough Commissioner Les Miller has said that Tampa officials will “probably have to pull the plug” on WrestleMania if WWE can’t come to a decision by themselves on canceling the event. “I’m hoping that Vince McMahon and WrestleMania and WWE make that call themselves. But a week from now, if they have not done that and we consider the situation we’re in, we will probably have to pull the plug on that,” Miller was noted as saying.

WWE talent are concerned over performing in front of the massive WrestleMania crowd – and most of them feel that the event will be canceled due to the worsening situations of the outbreak.

Alexa Bliss Reveals If She Ever Had Plastic Surgery

Rayan Sayyed
-
0

Alexa Bliss recently cleared the air around any rumors of her getting plastic surgery done, at least on her face.

Bliss posted a throwback photo on her Twitter account showing how her smile hasn’t changed since she was a kid, to which a fan replied suggesting that she had plastic surgery work done: “didn’t have plastic surgeries then”. Bliss snapped back with the following comeback: “The only plastic surgery I’ve had is my boobs… 4x lol #JustBeingHonest”.

Bliss has never hidden the fact that she has had breast implants and openly discusses them on social media when asked by fans.

Bliss has suffered from physical and emotional issues due to her past eating disorders. In the WWE 365 episode featuring her, Bliss talked about this topic. She noted that she got implant surgery done on her at the age of 17 to help her feel more womanly, which helped her cope with self-image issues.

Bliss got to a point where she weighed only 85 pounds due to her eating disorder. Her condition got to the state where she would have died if she hadn’t been admitted in a hospital. Bliss has also said that she doesn’t regret getting implants as they helped her get over her eating disorder and body image issues, and this decision was supported by her doctors.

The Rock’s Netflix Film Pauses Production Owing To Coronavirus

Rayan Sayyed
-
0

The Rock’s Netflix feature Red Notice has paused production for two weeks due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The heist film has a star-studded cast of Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds who have been filming since late January. Just like many other ongoing film and TV projects, as well as wrestling events, Red Notice has halted all production to ensure the safety of cast and crew members.

The announcement of Red Notice‘s suspension was made in a video shared by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on his Instagram on Saturday. The Rock, who is also the producer of the film via his Seven Bucks Productions banner, shared the following in writing:

“We are pressing pause on our @netflix production of RED NOTICE effective this Monday for the next two weeks. It’s my privilege to speak eye to eye with our entire crew to help give a little clarity and guidance, as the most important thing right now is for us to get everyone home to their concerned families. […] We’ll continue to monitor and assess this situation closely to make the best decisions for our families first and then our businesses.

“We’re a resilient nation who ultimately, will always rise to the occasion to be accountable and work together to overcome whatever hardship lies in front of us. Our country will do its job, as the rest of the world will do theirs. Everyone please stay healthy, vigilant, safe and let’s protect one another. We’re all in this – together,” The Rock wrote.

The Hollywood Reporter says that Netflix will continue to pay the cast and crew while Red Notice‘s production is on hold.

Red Notice is about an Interpol agent who tracks the world’s most wanted art thief. The film is expected to release on the streaming platform in 2021, and it’s unclear if this halt will have a major impact on the release.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9uMBz_FUSB/?utm_source=ig_embed

Jim Ross Reveals Reason Behind Eddie Guerrero’s Push In WWE

Rayan Sayyed
-
0

Jim Ross has explained the reason behind Eddie Guerrero’s push in the WWE and why Vince McMahon loved him.

During a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross was asked the reason behind Eddie Guerrero’s push by WWE, even though the company preferred to push larger guys at the time.

Jim Ross explained that Eddie Guerrero’s allure was in the fact that he had a lot of charisma and he could work with anyone in the ring. These qualities made the Latino Heat a valuable asset in Vince McMahon’s eyes.

“The fact that Eddie could work with anybody. He could work with a bigger babyface and make it real. He could work with a bigger heel and make it even more real,” Jim Ross said on the podcast.

Jim Ross On If Matt And Jeff Hardy Might Join AEW In The Future

Jim Ross also said that if one was to poll the locker room about their opinion on who the best workers were, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit would come out on top.

Ross added that Guerrero wanted to get out of the “cruiserweight” mold.

“They were fresh, Eddie was hungry. He didn’t want to be called a cruiserweight or a midget or whatever. I think it’s consistency and the fact that everybody wanted to work with him.”

Jim Ross revealed that wrestlers used to go to Vince and tell him that if given the chance, they would like to work with Guerrero. The chairman realized that there was something in Guerrero that everyone wanted to wrestle with him.

Jim Ross described Guerrero beating Brock Lesnar in the Cow Palace as a very emotional moment for everyone, to see their colleague succeed.

“It was emotional as hell. I cried, a lot of guys cried. For him, it was a realization of a life long dream to be the top guy in the biggest company.”

Jim Ross also added that he is happy that Guerrero was able to experience being the top guy in the company before he passed. It was a life long dream for him, and JR believes that the Latino Heat would have been very happy to finally achieve that dream.

Quotes used in this article courtesy of Wrestlingnews.co.

Impact Lockdown Postponed As Venue Cancels All Scheduled Events

Rayan Sayyed
-
0

Impact Lockdown, which was scheduled for March 28, has been postponed.

The news comes from Border City Wrestling, which was coordinating with Impact to hold the event in Windsor, Ontario, California. The independent wrestling promotion announced that the host of the event, St. Clair College, has canceled all scheduled events, including Impact Lockdown.

Here is the full statement:

“To our valued Border City Wrestling fans, as you may have heard, St Clair College has canceled all on-campus events, including Lockdown, until early April due to Coronavirus prevention efforts

We are currently exploring all available options for the event to take place while also taking into consideration public safety and guidelines from the health professionals.

Please keep checking this page for further updates.

For those who have already purchased a ticket and would like a refund, please contact your original point of sale.”

The company has said that they are waiting on word on the March Breakdown event set to be held the next day in Belleville, Michigan.

About Impact Lockdown

This Impact Lockdown event would have been the company’s first since four years. The steel cage-focused show was last held in 2014.

There have been 12 Lockdown events in Impact/TNA history. Along with Slammiversary and Bound for Glory, the event was at one point a staple of Impact’s PPV schedule. The last time the event was held was in 2016. The main event of that show was Matt Hardy taking on Ethan Carter III for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Impact/TNA has also used a War Games-style match at these events in the past. While only one ring is used for Lethal Lockdown matches, two teams face each other and wrestlers from each team enter the match at staggered intervals. 16 of these matches have taken place at Lockdown events over the years.

Mojo Rawley Says SmackDown’s Backstage Was Like A “Ghost Town”

Rayan Sayyed
-
1

Mojo Rawley says that the empty arena SmackDown episode that aired this week was an insane event. It was certainly a surreal episode of the show and Rawley provided some details about how the situation was backstage at the arena.

Rawley appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio show to discuss his friend Rob Gronkowski joining the WWE. While there, he also talked about the state of affairs from the historic SmackDown episode from the WWE Performance Center’s empty makeshift arena.

Mojo Rawley first started off by saying that he is always around at the Performance Center in Orlando because that is where he lives. He went for a vacation in the Bahamas, and when he landed there he got a text from WWE asking him if he can make it to SmackDown the next day. Rawley described his reaction to the text as, “I looked around at the beach and said… I’ll be right back.”

Mojo Rawley detailed the backstage situation at SmackDown, saying, “It was insane. [But] I was pretty excited about it. You know, being at the Performance Center having a show with no fanfare. I mean that’s what we do, what WWE is about [reacting to fans]. That’s how we gauge all of our matches. [I was] curious and intrigued to see what it was gonna be like. Not only that, like I said I’m there training every day.”

The Performance Center building in Orlando, Florida was transformed according to Mojo Rawley. He elaborated further, saying that the backstage is usually bustling with staff and other workers but this time it was like a “ghost town.”

“I just wanted to see how they would transform the building and you know what rooms are gonna be the locker rooms and where the catering was gonna be. In the meeting rooms!? It was wild, man. There was really no people in there, I mean when Smackdown started Friday, Mojo Rawley said. “I think at any given point you could be maybe see one other person in whatever room you’re in. Because the Performance Center is huge and we didn’t have that many guys on the show yesterday. So it’s like a ghost town back there, I was wondering where people kept popping out of to go into gorilla for segments.”

Quotes used in this article courtesy of Wrestlingnews.co.

MLW Suspends Live Events For 45 Days Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

Michael Reichlin
-
1

Major League Wrestling (MLW) has announced a 45-day suspension of live event due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. MLW’s April 18th event from Chicago, IL at Cicero Stadium has been rescheduled for Friday, June 12th.

MLW sent in the following press release regarding the hiatus:

Major League Wrestling temporarily suspends promoting live events for 45 days due to pandemic

MLW programming to continue Saturday nights on beIN SPORTS and YouTube

NEW YORK — Major League Wrestling has suspended promoting live events for 45 days, effective immediately, as the league continues to assess the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

At the appropriate time, the league will communicate plans for promoting live events outside of the 45-day temporary hiatus and update the status of league events.

MLW programming will continue to air Saturday nights on beIN SPORTS on cable and satelitte, MLW’s YouTube channel and with partners around the world during this period.

As a result of the temporary suspension of promoting live events, MLW’s April 18th event in Chicago has been rescheduled for Friday night June 12 at Cicero Stadium. All tickets purchased for the originally scheduled date will be honored at this time.

The MLW family would like to extend our appreciation and well wishes to all doctors, nurses, emergency services staff, first responders and medical professionals on the front line working to address the public health crisis in our nation and around the world.

Konnor Teases The Ascension’s Next Move After WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
-
6

Konnor and Viktor, who were collectively known as The Ascension in WWE were one of the stars who were released from their contracts in December last year.

The duo have returned to the independent circuit since then and it appears that the tag team has decided what’s next for them as they are teasing something big for the future.

Konnor was recently interviewed by WrestlingInc where he was asked if he has been contacted by any big companies and replying to it, the former WWE star claimed that they are going to be back on TV:

“Right now I’m kind of just enjoying the moment, but as far as offers and things like that, there’s been some cool (stuff) that have been possibly going on, of course, you can’t really discuss but we’ve got some pretty cool things man that have opened up.

We haven’t mentioned it. If we do anything, we want it to be a surprise. We will be back on TV. I’m not gonna say with who, but it’s gonna be great. It’s gonna be awesome. We’re going back to our old ways. We get to be us. It’s gonna be awesome no doubt about it.”

Konnor was part of the original NXT when it was branded as a reality show and when asked about his experience of the time, he described it as the worst part of his career.

The former NXT star claimed that you can ask anybody who worked on that version of NXT and they will tell you it was hell because you never knew what you were doing. You can check out his full interview at this link.

John Cena Watches 205 Live From Audience Stand (Video)

Anutosh Bajpai
-
2

WWE had moved this week’s episode of SmackDown and 205 Live to the Performance Center due to coronavirus threats and the shows were broadcasted without an audience.

John Cena who was featured in the main event segment of SmackDown took advantage of the situation and watched the broadcast of 205 Live from the audience stand.

The company later posted a video of the Cenation Leader enjoying the show. The 16 time World Champion claimed that watching wrestling live is something he has often longed to do and there is no experience like it:

“This is something that I often longed to do—watch this done live, there’s no experience like it, A guy like me, sometimes sticks out in the crowd. I definitely stick out in the crowd today, because I am the crowd.

But I’m in the tech area and because of the circumstances; I get the treat of watching this live. Now, I’m used to performing in front of a crowd, so I’m a rookie at all this stuff. I’m watching the pros and taking notes. This is awesome.”

John Cena had a confrontation with his WrestleMania opponent Bray Wyatt during SmackDown and The Fiend warned the former World Champion that it’s going to be a slaughter at the Show Of Shows.

These two will meet in a one on one match at WrestleMania 36, though it will only be possible if the event takes place as scheduled and it’s not cancelled by the Tampa officials.

Becky Lynch On How WWE Locker Room Is Reacting To Coronavirus Outbreak

Anutosh Bajpai
-
1

Coronavirus is affecting the whole world and WWE is also feeling the effects of the same. The company has moved some of its shows to the Performance Center though they have not cancelled any major events yet.

This means that the WWE stars are still on the road but if we believe the current Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, there haven’t been any major changes in the locker room due to the outbreak of the disease.

The current Champion was recently interviewed by TVInsider and when asked about the environment backstage, she explained that the business is being conducted as usual:

“It’s business as usual. I think we’re constantly meeting different people. We’re constantly shaking hands. We know to use hand sanitizer.” said Becky Lynch “We’re always exposed to so many different bacteria in our lives and so many different countries. You can’t freak out about any of this stuff. You have to continue on and hope for the best.”

The Raw Women’s Champion was also asked about the difference between Ronda Rousey and her WrestleMania opponent Shayna Baszler and Becky Lynch claimed that the former NXT Champion is a ‘different animal.’

She mentioned how Baszler has been wrestling longer and claimed that we haven’t really seen her full potential on Raw. You can check out Becky Lynch’s full interview at this link.

Nikki Bella On If Her Recent Tweet Was A Dig At John Cena

Anutosh Bajpai
-
1

A recent tweet from Nikki Bella about life had made many fans wonder and the people have been speculating whether the former Champion was taking a shot at her ex-fiancé John Cena with the post.

However, the former Divas Champion talked about these confusions on the latest episode of the Bellas podcast and claimed that she doesn’t always talk about Cena:

“Anytime I want to post a quote or I want to share words of wisdom, everyone always think I’m talking about him. I don’t always talk about my ex-fiancé, and honestly, you guys, I have no reason to throw shade at him. I can’t tell you guys enough. I’m not that type of person. I wish people knew that. My life does not revolve around my ex-fiancé.”

The future Hall Of Famer also explained that John Cena is not the only person she has loved. According to Bella, she fell in love three times before the Cenation Leader came into her life and she has loved people after leaving him as well.

The Relationship of Nikki Bella And John Cena

Nikki Bella dated John Cena for six years, and Cena had proposed the female star at WrestleMania 33. However, the duo broke up shortly before their marriage in 2018. You can check out the mentioned tweet below:

Both the stars have since moved on with their lives. John has started dating Shay Shariatzadeh while Bella has been dating her Dancing With The Stars partner Artem Chigvintsev and earlier this year she announced that she was pregnant.

Quotes via Yahoo.com

Shane McMahon Tells Chuck Liddel To Call Him After Expressing WWE Interest

Andrew Ravens
-
2

Shane McMahon has given his reaction to UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell expressing interest in a potential move to WWE. 

This comes after “The Iceman” told TMZ that he would be interested in doing one match. 

McMahon gave his take about the possibility when asked about it by the media outlet. It should be noted that the two are friends and McMahon has tried to convince him of doing this in the past. 

“I know Chuck very well, so all he has to do is give me a ring. I’d love to do that with Chuck, that’d be awesome.”

It should be noted that Liddell has never trained for pro wrestling but does have an amateur wrestling background.

McMahon is not an executive for WWE and hasn’t been in years. Instead, since making his return to the company a few years ago, he has only been used as an on-air talent whether that be a general manager or wrestler. 

McMahon was written off of WWE television in October when he lost to Kevin Owens.

Visit our partner site MMANews.com for more news from the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

Chuck Liddell Says Shane McMahon Tried To Recruit Him To WWE

WWE Stars Concerned About WrestleMania, New Countries Added To US Travel Ban

Andrew Ravens
-
0

For now, WrestleMania 36 is still being planned but that is likely to change in the coming days. 

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported that he reached out to over 20 members of the WWE roster to get their feelings about the coronavirus, which has impacted all industries and led to WWE airing their weekly television shows from the Performance Center in front of no fans. 

It was noted in the report that “Each expressed concern about performing in front of such a massive crowd, especially with the possibility of the situation worsening before WrestleMania.” 

While talent ould only speculate on the fate of WrestleMania, it was noted that the majority of stars he talked with felt it will be canceled due to the evolving situation with the outbreak. 

On Saturday, the United States Government announced that the UK and Ireland have been added to the US travel ban list. It begins at midnight (ET) on Monday.

This comes after President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that a 30-day travel ban between the United States and Europe due to the Coronavirus situation was in place. 

The overwhelming belief is that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon will be forced into postponing WrestleMania 36.

Tampa Officials Threaten To ‘Pull The Plug’ On WrestleMania If WWE Doesn’t Reschedule

Kevin Owens Event Rescheduled Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

Steve Russell
-
0

Inside The Ropes has been forced to reschedule their Kevin Owens ‘One Night Only’ event due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show was intended to take place on March 20 at The Engine Works in Glasgow, Scotland. It will now take place on June 5 at the same location.

They released an official statement via their Twitter account. In it, they share how they have been in “constant communication” with WWE and Kevin Owens.

Ultimately, they have made the decision to postpone. This was done in order to ensure the safety of their fans, staff and Owens himself.

“We’ve been in constant communication with WWE and Kevin in regards to going ahead with the show. While we would have loved to have delivered the show next Friday, given the continuing escalation of the virus, we are left with no choice but to postpone the show until Friday June 5th 2020.”

They stress their commitment to delivering this event, but wanted to make sure they are able to host it in a “safe capacity for all parties involved.”

WrestleMania Coronavirus Concerns

The coronavirus has forced several events, conventions, tours and more to postpone, reschedule or cancel. At the time of writing, WWE remains committed to delivering WrestleMania 36. The company do have “contingency plans” in place, however, in case things worsen.

Tampa Bay officials met with WWE last Thursday to discuss viable options. Still, it was noted by Hillsborough Commissioner Les Miller that Tampa may have to “pull the plug” on ‘Mania if WWE does not deliver a firm plan of action.

Jim Ross On If Matt And Jeff Hardy Might Join AEW In The Future

Steve Russell
-
1

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announcer Jim Ross recently spoke about the possibility of Matt and Jeff Hardy joining AEW’s ranks. He addressed the idea during an episode of his podcast, Grillin’ JR. Ross wasn’t shy about wanting to see Matt in AEW and noted how Jeff can “help any company” he’s a part of, but only if he’s healthy.

“When Jeff Hardy is clean and sober and healthy, he can help any company in a big big way,” Jim Ross said. “Then Matt [Hardy], of course, now a free agent. You know there’s a lot of talk about where he’s going. I know where I’d like to see him go, you know obviously I’m selfish.”

Ross continued, “Matt Hardy is another guy that, from his intellect to his character, his integrity, and existing in-ring skills can help any wrestling company. Including the one that I worked for at AEW. I wish him the best.”

If Matt Comes, Will Jeff Follow?

Jim Ross speculated that if AEW is able to sign Matt Hardy to their roster, then “maybe” his brother wouldn’t be too far behind. Matt has been long suspected by fans to be the ‘Exalted One’ AEW’s Dark Order frequently refer to.

Matt Hardy has confirmed he is in talks with various promotions including AEW, NWA, ROH, and Impact Wrestling. No official announcement has been made over where he will go, but he has stated his decision will be within the month. 

Jeff, meanwhile, made his long-awaited return to SmackDown during last night’s episode. He defeated Baron Corbin in his return match to an empty WWE Performance Center.  

1...1,1771,1781,179...3,097Page 1,178 of 3,097