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.
Last night’s unique episode of SmackDown Live took place in front of a crowd of zero fans. WWE made the decision to broadcast the show from the WWE Performance Center with only key personnel in attendance.
Because of this, it appears that measures were put in place to minimise potential danger to their Superstar. This extended to having them take a break during commercials. Unbeknownst to WWE, however, there were versions of the episode delivered to international audiences showcasing the break in the action.
SmackDown’s Opening Contest
During the show’s first match between Sasha Banks and Bayley versus Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, all four Superstars stop competing when they know the show has gone to commercial.
This allowed them the opportunity to rest and take a break without needing to continue the action to an empty audience.
The international feed of SmackDown shows they just stopped wrestling while the show was in commercial breaks! pic.twitter.com/ygZIWjZTpT
In the footage, the women can be seen talking, with Nikki Cross frequently running around the ring and having a good time. During this, the referee adjusts the tag ropes in each corner. As the show comes back from commercial, however, it’s clear the competitors are once again getting into position for the show.
The decision was made to have SmackDown air in the WWE PC due to coronavirus concerns. Wanting to minimise the potential spreading of the virus, WWE instead opted to move their operations to the PC.
Despite this approach, the company appear to still be committed to delivering WrestleMania 36 from Raymond James Stadium on April 5. They do, however, have “contingency plans” in place if the situation were to change with Tampa officials or the stadium itself.
During an episode of their podcast, Feel The Power, The New Day opened up about how they deal with backstage politics. They also broached how they decide which member of the group wrestles in a matchup.
“I feel like when you really look at [backstage politics], a lot of it is getting that tough skin, so you know you can bite back because cutting promos is how we sell [pro] wrestling.” Woods explained, “so if you can’t do it in the back, then they don’t think that you can do it out there.”
How The New Day Decide Who Wrestles
Woods broke down how they usually decide who wrestles in a matchup. He detailed how the first step is for everyone to share their “selfish” reasons for being in the match. Once those are out in the open, the trio will discuss those reasons before talking about why everyone else should be in the match. This process leads to a detailed discussion.
Despite this democratic process, there is also an element of rotation in play:
“[…] a lot of times, the rotation is, whoever wasn’t in gets rotated out, so like if it’s E and Kof, next it will be me and E, and then, it’ll be me and Kof. And then, Kof and E. Yeah, me and Kof are Speed Force. And then, Kof and E is Pops & Powers. And then, me and E are Muscle Bomb. Yes, E’s the muscle, Kof is the speed, and I’m the hybrid, so I’ll kind of adjust to whoever.”
At the time of writing, The New Day is not currently scheduled for a matchup at WrestleMania 36. The event is set to place on April 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
WWE Hall of Famer Lita has shared her thoughts on one of WWE’s newest signings, Rob Gronkowski. Joining ESPN’s late-night sow Now or Never, Lita explained how she loves seeing people cross over from being a pro athlete to pro wrestling. She noted how they don’t normally account for the charisma and work ethic that goes into being an in-ring competitor.
“I love seeing that small percentage of people that cross over because being a professional athlete you’re so focused and you’re not thinking about the charisma and the stuff that goes into being a wrestler.”
Lita Lists On Gronkowski Needs To Do To Succeed
Lita then pointed to how Gronkowski and his friend Mojo already showcase plenty of charisma and personality. She believes he has the raw tools to allow him a good starting point in WWE.
“But you see Gronk and Mojo together, who also has that larger than life personality,” Lita said. “You might not know all the moves, you might not know all the ins and outs but there’s no denying that charisma and that personality, he has the personality.”
Gronkowski will reportedly be making his SmackDown debut on March 20. He will apparently have some kind of role at WrestleMania 36, potentially setting up a future storyline past “The Grandest Stage of Them All”.
SmackDown Superstar Sheamus has been open about his intentions to claim the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Doing so would see the ‘Celtic Warrior’ become a Grand Slam champion within the company.
Speaking with Sportskeeda, Sheamus was asked about his Intercontinental Championship ambitions. He also spoke about the current champion Sami Zayn, and whether it matters to him who he stands across when it comes to that belt.
When asked if he still wanted the title, Sheamus responded “Of course. That’s the only thing I want to do. At the moment, I set one goal at a time, and the one title that’s missing from my cabinet is the Intercontinental Title – so the goal right now is to win the Intercontinental Championship. I don’t care about anything else. That’s all I’m focused on.”
He shared how he can’t take anything away from Sami Zayn and his accomplishment. Sheamus joked how Zayn is 48-years-old and, “for someone who’s 48 years old and still doing this, it’s an incredible feat, you know?”
Sheamus On Choosing An Opponent
But what if it isn’t Zayn he faces if he’s able to secure a championship opportunity? Sheamus explained his opponent doesn’t matter to him, only the gold.
“Dunno, mate, I don’t… That’s all I care about right now, that’s what I’m focused on. The other things would be like an appetiser, do know what I’m saying? As of right now, I’m not really in a storyline, I just kind of finished one with Shorty G and Apollo Crews, and there’s only three weeks to ‘Mania, so it would definitely be Sami Zayn. If Cesaro had won that, Cesaro vs Sheamus at WrestleMania would have been incredible.”
At the time of writing, Sheamus does not have a WrestleMania 36 matchup.
Despite being advertised for last night’s unique episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Paige was not in attendance for the show. Turns out the reason behind his absence was thanks to travel concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Ryan Satin of ProWrestlingSheet, Paige “did not travel to Florida for Smackdown due to coronavirus related travel concerns which the company accommodated.”
Paige herself would address missing the blue brand show. Taking to Twitter, she wrote:
“Sorry guys travel made it very hard for me to get there for #SmackDownLIVE with everything that’s going on. Completely out of my control. [sad face emoji] very sorry.. But at least @itsBayleyWWE is keeping you entertained” She accompanied her message with a gif of a woman laughing into her drink, causing it to spray everywhere.
Last night’s SmackDown Live took place in an empty WWE Performance Center. Only essential personnel were in attendance, including ‘The Game’ Triple H and Michael Cole who both provided commentary.
The decision to move the show to the WWE PC was made due to the coronavirus threat. WWE aren’t the only ones affected, with All Elite Wrestling also having made changes to upcoming shows to help protect their fans and talent.
At the time of writing, WWE is still committed to going ahead with WrestleMania 36. Last night’s episode continued to build towards their biggest event of the year, despite other organizations delaying, rescheduling or outright cancelling their events.
Fans worldwide are waiting to see what will happen to WrestleMania 36 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite WWE’s apparent insistence that the show will go on, some Tampa officials don’t appear to share their approach.
WWE and Tampa officials met last Thursday to discuss options in the face of the pandemic. Hillsborough Commissioner Les Miller had previously explained that no firm decision had been made. Both parties will meet once more if WWE cannot make a decision. In an interview with Fox 13, Miller stated how Tampa officials will “probably have to pull the plug” on WrestleMania if WWE can’t come to a decision.
“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.”
WrestleMania’s Coronavirus Concerns
Worldwide events, conventions and organisations have all been dramatically impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. WrestleMania is one of the last holdouts to not postpone or cancel.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister expressed his hopes that WWE would follow in the wake of the NBA, NHL and MLB, to name a few.
“I commend every sports franchise for erring on the side of caution,” Chronister said. “I hope that the WWE follows suit. I don’t ever want to see people put profit over public safety.”
WWE’s Coronavirus Statement
Following Thursday’s meeting, WWE released an official statement. They stressed their commitment to WrestleMania and revealed they are putting “contingency plans” in place.
“While we remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that it is cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues.
The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay.”
At the time of writing, WrestleMania 36 is still set to take place on April 5 from Raymon James Stadium. Last night’s episode of SmackDown took place in an empty WWE Performance Center. Only essential crew were in attendance. The show continued its build towards WrestleMania.
This week’s episode of NXT was broadcasted from the Performance Center and it appears that the building will be the home of the Black And Yellow brand for the foreseeable future.
Full Sail University has announced that they are shutting down all classes, labs and “group events” until the end of April after coronavirus was declared a national emergency in the United States yesterday.
PWinsider is reporting that due to this step, next Wednesday’s NXT tapings from the arena has been suspended and the show will be broadcasted from the performance center for the foreseeable future.
WWE had brought in fans in three buses for this week’s NXT episode but the plan going forward will be to tape the show in an empty arena with only the essential personnel in attendance, similar to the broadcast of this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.
While no time table for it was released, the site notes that
the current plan is to return to the Full Sail University campus for the show
when it is feasible.
NXT is not the only event that has been affected by the epidemic. After the mentioned SmackDown episode, WWE has confirmed that this week’s episode of Raw will also air from the Performance Center under similar settings.
The company has mentioned that they are monitoring the
situation and it’s likely that more events will be cancelled or rescheduled in
future. We will keep you posted on the situation.
The recent reports of Triple H receiving a demotion within WWE made a lot of buzz and it appears that the Game has also heard these talks.
This week’s episode of SmackDown Live aired from Performance Center due to coronavirus threats and only the essential personnel were in attendance for the show.
The godfather of NXT was also present for the episode and Triple H took over the commentary duties alongside Michael Cole for the night.
What’s interesting is that during the episode Cole mentioned how busy H was and replying to him, The King Of Kings said that “I am the only man in the history of the world that can get demoted and get busier apparently”:
— Alastair McKenzie??????? (@Mckenzieas93) March 14, 2020
For those who don’t know, it was reported recently that WWE has edited Triple H’s job title from being the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events & Creative to Executive Vice President of Global Talent Development & Strategy.
In the new position, the former Champion is made in charge
of running NXT and overseeing the global development of the brand, including
the negotiations for TV rights.
His previous duties of negotiating with talents have been taken over by Vince McMahon’s Chief of Staff Brad Blum and many people within the company are seeing it as a ‘quiet demotion’ for Triple H.
The Revival looks to be on their way out of WWE and it appears that the duo is already preparing for their time outside of the company once their contract expires.
PWinsider is reporting that Dash Wilder has applied to trademark Cash Wheeler as a stage name as well as the name to use for merchandising purposes.
While not confirmed, this likely means that the current WWE star is planning to go by the name once The Revival leave the company and become free agents.
Though these are not the only trademarks filed by the duo in
recent times and they have previously filed an application for the phrase Top
Guys which can be their post-WWE name.
On the other hand, the company has filed a trademark application of their own and they are trying to register Revival’s original NXT name The Mechanics and some other catchphrases to try and stop the team from using them outside of the promotion.
Scott Dawson’s current WWE deal is set to expire in early
April while WWE has added time to Dash Wilder’s contract for the time he missed
due to injury.
While the exact dates are unknown, it’s believed that
Wilder’s contract will expire sometime in mid-June, after which, he will be
free to sign with any other promotion.
WWE announced on this week’s episode of SmackDown that the Universal Champion Goldberg will be returning to WWE Television on next week’s episode of the show.
This week’s episode of SmackDown saw Roman Reigns having a
sit down interview with Michael Cole where the Big Dog talked about his
WrestleMania 36 opponent.
Reigns said that he respects Goldberg but mentioned how he
is a part-timer and the former Universal Champion claimed that the company does
not have time for that.
The former Shield member then promised to beat the former
WCW star, and set things right in WWE by taking the championship back from the
53-year-old star.
After this, WWE announced that Goldberg will be making his return to WWE programming during next week’s episode of SmackDown where he and Roman Reigns will sign the contract for their upcoming match.
This week’s episode of SmackDown Live was broadcasted from WWE Performance Center due to coronavirus threats. Monday’s episode of Raw has also been moved to the PC and it’s most likely that next week’s SmackDown will be rescheduled as well.
Roman Reigns is expected to face Goldberg at WrestleMania, though the company is also putting contingency plans in place in case the show is cancelled. You can read WWE’s statement on WrestleMania here.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. In addition to the takeaways below, Mojo Rawley announced that Rob Gronkowski will be on SmackDown next week.
Triple H welcomed the audience to the WWE Performance Center for the show. He asked the fans to forget about the world for a bit and let WWE put a smile on your face. Triple H joined Michael Cole on commentary.
Banks and Bayley said it doesn’t matter if there are zero fans because they are still the face of the division. Bayley demanded that Paige come down to the ring and Cole stated that she isn’t here yet because of travel issues. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross interrupted and claimed that they haven’t gotten a response from the Kabuki Warriors. They said that they wanted the Women’s Tag Team Championships and added that they are looking for a fight. Bayley asked for a referee and the match began.
Match Recap: Nikki and Alexa started the match in control and isolated Bayley in the ring. Bayley rolled out of the ring to regroup and Nikki followed her out there. Nikki leveled Banks with a Crossbody off the steel steps as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Alexa Bliss smacked Sasha in the face as Triple H imitated Vince McMahon.
Nikki Cross stomped on the steps to fire up a nonexistent crowd as Bliss was trapped in the corner. Cross got the tag but Banks quickly threw her to the canvas. Sasha went for Double Knees but Cross countered into a small package for a two count. Asuka attacked Alexa Bliss from behind as Bayley distracted the referee. Sasha locked in the Bank Statement for the submission victory.
Opinion: This will likely be the new normal for the next few weeks and it is going to be tough to get used to. However, it is definitely great to still have some form of WWE on TV.
Roman Reigns was interviewed about his match against Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Reigns stated that remaining in good health has been driving him this entire year.
Michael Cole asked Reigns about critics claiming that Roman put himself in the main event and doesn’t deserve it. Roman stated that his level of commitment is higher than everyone else’s and he deserves to be in the main event of WrestleMania because he has been main-eventing in small towns every night on the road.
Reigns said he has a lot of respect for Goldberg and he is an icon in this business. Roman claimed that WWE doesn’t have time for part timers anymore. Reigns then vowed to defeat Goldberg at WrestleMania.
Opinion: The line about WWE not having time for part timers anymore was laughable since the majority of the WrestleMania card is built around them. Lesnar versus McIntyre feels like more of a WrestleMania main event than this match but it is what it is. Reigns and Lesnar already did the full timer versus part timer angle as well. On a positive note, Reigns came off so much better in this interview than he does in a typical scripted promo.
Daniel Bryan had another conversation with Drew Gulak backstage tonight. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, Cesaro, and Shinsuke Nakamura interrupted. Zayn called Gulak a nobody and claimed that Bryan was a shell of himself. Bryan got in Sami’s face but Cesaro got in the way. Cesaro will face Daniel Bryan later tonight. Drew Gulak, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Cesaro were ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Cesaro unloaded a series of uppercuts to Bryan and knocked him to the canvas. Cesaro connected with a Superplex and went for the cover but Bryan kicked out at two. Cesaro locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring but Bryan countered into a roll-up for the quick pinfall victory.
After the match, Shinsuke Nakamura hopped in the ring and attacked Bryan from behind. Drew Gulak fought Shinsuke off but Sami attacked him from behind. Nakamura and Cesaro launched Gulak into the steel steps before Bryan hit a Suicide Dive out of nowhere. Sami, Nakamura, and Cesaro then retreated.
Jeff Hardy made his return tonight and was interviewed backstage. King Corbin interrupted and a match was announced for later tonight. Elias joined commentary for the match.
Match Recap: Corbin knocked Jeff Hardy out of the ring and sent him flying into the barricade. Back in the ring, Jeff Hardy connected with a Jawbreaker and followed it up with a Clothesline. Corbin battled back and hit Deep Six for a near fall. Elias hopped on the announce table and played his guitar to distract Corbin. Jeff capitalized with a Twist of Fate and followed it up with a Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory.
John Cena was interviewed by Michael Cole to close the show. Cena wished everyone well at home and hopes to have the crowd back soon. John stated that multiple people have blamed him for their failures and that you can just add Bray Wyatt to the list.
Cena added that potential can be good but it can also make people lazy. John claimed that was the case with Bray and he is own worst enemy. Cena brought up some of the big losses he has and pointed out that nobody ever says he is buried because he adapts and gets his ass back in the fight.
John stated that WWE needs to invest in their future and Bray Wyatt does not represent that. Cena mentioned Rhea, Ciampa, Riddle, McIntyre, and Velveteen Dream as the future of WWE. Cena vowed to end Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania and called him the most overrated WWE superstar in existence.
Bray Wyatt interrupted and hopped in the ring. Wyatt said that Cena only cares about himself and will bury anyone along the way as long as he gets his spotlight. Bray called Cena an addict for the spotlight and brought up losing to him at WrestleMania six years ago.
Wyatt claimed that Cena broke him but The Fiend put him abck together. Bray stated that it is going to be a slaughter at WrestleMania and Cena doesn’t know it yet. Wyatt told Cena to let him in to close the show.
Opinion: Wyatt and Cena had an excellent promo to close this week’s show. The lack of a crowd is glaring but WWE is making the best of a tough situation. I thought Triple H was hilarious the entire show as well. WWE filled some time by airing the entire SmackDown Tag Team Elimination Chamber match during the broadcast and I’m expecting more of that on RAW. Obviously not having a crowd sucks but I’ll take it over no wrestling at all.
Jeff Hardy made his return to in-ring action on WWE television after being on the sidelines for nearly a year.
He did so on Friday’s episode of SmackDown on FOX. As seen on the show, WWE set up the contest in a backstage segment which is where it was revealed that Hardy would be battling Baron Corbin in a singles match. This contest saw Hardy go over.
Last week Hardy was spotted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in order to have his progress towards an in-ring return checked on.
While his deal with WWE was scheduled to expire on Sunday, March 1, WWE has added extra time to the contract to make up for the time he’s been out. WWE has done this with various stars in the past.
Hardy underwent knee surgery back in May with the expected timeline that he was going to be out of action for approximately 6-9 months following surgery to repair a damaged knee.
In January, it was reported that WWE officials have pushed Jeff to address his personal health as a result of those charges, which he has been working hard to do so. He confirmed this during an appearance on WWE Backstage.
Paige isn’t giving up on the idea of a potential in-ring return.
Page was interviewed by Inside The Ropes where she talked about a wide range of topics. This includes the possibility of one day returning to action and competing in the ring.
“I think it is always a possibility one day, you can never say never,” Paige said. “It’s not going to be any time soon. That’s mostly all I can say about it, it’s really hard because I just had a neck surgery in August.
My neck is just getting healthier quicker the second time around which is crazy, I feel absolutely fantastic. So, we’ll see where it goes.”
The former WWE Divas Champion and SmackDown General Manager has spinal stenosis, which has kept her from not being medically cleared by WWE doctors to wrestle again.
Previously, WWE hadn’t cleared talent to make a return to the ring with such an injury. However, WWE Hall of Famer Edge dealt with the same injury.
Now, he’s back in action as he’s slated to take on Randy Orton in a match at WrestleMania 36.
AEW Dynamite In Jacksonville Still On Despite Coronavirus Ruling
For now, the latest location for next Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite episode on TNT is still on.
There have been several changes within all industries due to the coronavirus pandemic. Originally, AEW was going to run Rochester, NY next week for their weekly television show but it was 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. This decision came after the COVID-19 outbreak hit Duval County this week.
TIAA Bank Field, which is one of the impacted venues on the list, is connected to Daily’s Place, the location of where Dynamite will be held.
After the announcement by the Mayor, this caused speculation as to whether next week’s Dynamite episode would take place. However, Dave Meltzer provided an update as to where things stand right now.
He did so when he reported on Twitter this afternoon that Wednesday’s episode is still on for Daily’s Place in Jacksonville.
“Just a note from AEW, Wednesday’s show at Daily’s Place is still on. Things are still having to be worked out as far as details go but it will have to be without fans,” Meltzer wrote.
Adam Page Shares Funny Changes
Adam Page took to social media to address the ongoing virus. It’s supposed to be a funny press release, which it is.
It actually notes in the header text, “Typed onto a piece of paper by an AEW errand boy at the drunken behest of Hangman Adam Page”. You can read it here:
More news regarding Rob Gronkowski reportedly signing with WWE has surfaced online.
The first news of this story broke earlier this week thanks to a report by The Wrap, who noted that the former NFL player had signed with WWE.
Per the report, he will be making his SmackDown on FOX debut during the March 20 episode from New Orleans.
It was also added that he would be making an appearance at WrestleMania 36 to begin a storyline that will lead to a match at an upcoming pay-per-view event.
In an update, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Gronk’s role at WrestleMania is still being decided and an appearance is not a lock at this point.
What is known is the fact that he’s expected to wrestle at least a few matches under his WWE contract. It’s likely that he will step into the squared circle to wrestle at the SummerSlam pay-per-view in Boston from the TD Garden.
The idea for him wrestling at the show is due to him getting a good reaction and likely help attendance as he played his entire NFL career with the New England Patriots. His opponent at this show is unknown.
In light of the ongoing Coronavirus disease outbreak, All Elite Wrestling is relocating the next two weeks of AEW Dynamite tapings.
Next week’s show, originally scheduled for Rochester, NY, will now take place from the Daily’s Place amphitheater in Jacksonville, FL. The first AEW Dynamite show from Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena will take place Wednesday, July 8th.
The March 25th episode of Dynamite, originally scheduled for Newark, NJ, will be held at a venue to be determined. AEW Dynamite from Newark’s Prudential Center will take place Wednesday, July 22nd.
As of this writing, AEW has yet to comment on the fate of the highly anticipated Blood & Guts double steel cage match (The Elite vs. The Inner Circle) that was booked for 3/25.
The following is an official statement from AEW sent in to SEScoops.com regarding the changes:
Rochester
As a precautionary measure against COVID-19, we are relocating next week’s AEW DYNAMITE show on March 18 from Rochester, NY, to Jacksonville, FL. This show will be televised live on TNT from Daily’s Place, and be managed under a restricted attendance policy. The DYNAMITE show in Rochester will be rescheduled for Wednesday, July 8, at Blue Cross Arena.
Fans who have already purchased tickets to the Rochester show will be offered a refund via the point of purchase, or have their original ticket valid for admission to the event on July 8. Additional details will be forthcoming.
Newark
In addition, the DYNAMITE show on March 25 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, will be relocated to a new venue, which will be announced shortly. This show will be televised live on TNT on March 25, and be managed under a restricted attendance policy. The DYNAMITE show in Newark will be rescheduled for Wednesday, July 22, at the Prudential Center.
Fans who have already purchased tickets to the Newark show will be offered a refund via the point of purchase, or have their original ticket valid for admission to the event on July 22. Additional details will be forthcoming.
We appreciate your understanding as the safety and well-being of our fans and talent is always our top priority. We will continue to closely monitor this evolving situation related to COVID-19 and be guided by government officials, health organizations and venue management.
This coming Monday’s WWE RAW taping from Pittsburgh, PA has been cancelled due to the ongoing Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
According to PWInsider, the “3/16” edition o f RAW will be broadcast live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
The venue hosted Wednesday’s episode of NXT. Tonight’s WWE SmackDown, originally scheduled for Detroit, MI, is also taking place at the training facility. Based on these latest changes, it appears the WWE Performance Center will be the home of WWE television tapings for the forseeable future.
SmackDown Live will feature appearances from John Cena, Paige and Jeff Hardy.
WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is advertised for RAW to celebrate 3:16 Day, March 16th.
Despite the very serious risk to public health, WWE still plans to hold this year’s WrestleMania at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, FL on Sunday, April 5th.
While things are still uncertain, WWE looks to be committed to moving forward with WrestleMania despite the coronavirus outbreak and the company has said that they have contingency plans in place, in case the event is canceled.
WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently had an interview with
WrestlingInc where he talked about a number of things and also discussed the
upcoming event.
The former Champion first talked about the Royal Rumble event and Edge’s return during the show and he then went on to say that the match between The Rated R Superstar and Randy Orton could be the match of the night at WrestleMania:
“I think WWE may be pushing it with the returning Superstars, but Edge and Randy Orton is gonna captivate the audience,” said Mick Foley “We get to see Randy doing what he does best and I think it’s gonna challenge for Match of the Night.”
The WWE Legend also talked about Colt Cabana’s AEW signing
and said that he is at a loss to explain why a major promotion had not signed
the former ROH star so far.
He had asked about it to WWE and TNA management and according to Mick Foley, he was told that the former NWA World Champion was ‘too hokey’. You can check out the WWE Hall Of Famer’s full interview at this link.
Drew McIntyre has opened up about the promo freedoms WWE has afforded him. Speaking with the Gorilla Position Podcast, McIntyre confessed it’s more natural for him to deliver a promo without a script.
“It’s way more natural for me to go out there without a script, just bullet points, have a laugh and get the crowd involved than it was during the first time I returned to Raw and was talking about eating carcasses, which no-one could relate to because no-one talks like that in real life.”
Drew McIntyre On Paul Heyman & Earning Trust
Drew McIntyre shared how Paul Heyman is an individual who knows what he is capable of. He highlighted Heyman’s knowledge of his work outside of WWE contributed to his current promo work.
“Paul Heyman is certainly someone who knows what I’m all about, what I’m capable of and what I’d done outside the company,” he explained. “I don’t think the boss had ever seen me just let loose on the mic.”
Reflecting on getting to this point of trust, McIntyre noted how it started small. At first, he was allowed to deliver unscripted promos for smaller segments. Over time, he earned enough trust to do deliver them for more significant moments.
Drew McIntyre is set to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
All Elite Wrestling announcer Jim Ross has confessed he was wrong about his first impressions of Orange Cassidy. Speaking on his podcast, Grillin’ JR, Ross spoke about how Cassidy connects with the audience, and that he stands out by being “different.”
“Number one, Orange Cassidy is different. He is marketing himself differently. He’s got a different in-ring style,” Ross explained. “What he did in the match [against PAC], under his presentation rules. Hands in his pockets taking it easy. Chilling, you know, being cool. [It] was nothing short of extraordinary how this guy does what he does with his hands in his pockets. It is amazing to me.”
Jim Ross And His “Old School” First Take
Jim Ross shared how he felt bad for those fans criticising Cassidy, judging him by his size. Ross confessed he was too “old school” when he first started watching him perform, believing “‘it’s never gonna get over stupid.’”
“He’s a stud man, he’s got it. So I feel badly for those criticising, because they’re basing it on size only or that he’s got a different presentation that they haven’t seen. That’s not really fair to the talent.”
Ross continued, “I admit when I first saw Cassidy, my old school self said ‘it’s never gonna get over stupid.’ And I was wrong. I don’t mind admitting I’m wrong when I’m wrong, and I was wrong on Orange Cassidy, he’s a fine guy. He’s a good Pro, and he’s got a different act.”
Orange Cassidy joined Best Friends in saving Joey Janela and Private Party from a beatdown at the hands of Death Triangle this past Wednesday on Dynamite.
A new episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown is here and it features an interesting lineup.
With just hours until bell time, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of SmackDown.
Several segments have been announced thus far for this show including the return of former Divas Champion Paige to confront WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.
WWE holds this show from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for SmackDown.
The event was originally slated to be held in Detriot, Michigan at the Little Caesars Arena but that was changed due to coronavirus concerns. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Jeff Hardy to make his return to WWE television
Paige to confront WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley
John Cena will appear this week on Friday Night SmackDown to address his WrestleMania opponent Bray Wyatt.
WWE will also be announcing matches for existing feuds that will take place heading into the WrestleMania 36 pay-per-view event that is still scheduled for next month in Tampa, Florida.
Join us here later tonight for WWE SmackDown Results and our post-show SmackDown Takeaways feature.
AJ Styles joined FS1’s WWE Backstage this week. During his appearance, he was asked about his upcoming matchup against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 36.
This past Monday night on RAW, Styles delivered a promo that referenced ‘Taker by his real name and suggested he was past his prime. Despite his promos disrespect, Styles confessed he is excited to grapple ‘The Deadman.’
“Come on, I don’t think I said anything that one of our fans wouldn’t have said themselves,” he argued. “Let’s talk about the retirement, putting his fist up, what a beautiful moment that was, and he came back!”
He continued, “Listen, he’s The Undertaker right, so much respect for this guy and everything he’s done for our business. Hopefully we get in the ring together, I’m excited about it.”
AJ Styles’ Bucket List Match
AJ Styles referred to this matchup as a “bucket list” item for anyone in the pro wrestling business. “I mean really, it’s The Undertaker guys. It’s huge, I want to be able to learn from this man. How much can I learn from this man?”
He continued, “I have studied him for years, the matches with Shawn [Michaels] are unbelievable. I want to know what he knows and the only way to get it is to get in the ring with him.”
Styles stressed that he’s not done yet and that he’s keen to keep learning. He admitted that getting older means Superstars can’t do things they used to. Instead, they have to learn and adapt in order to keep performing and moments that “have the most impact.”
AJ Styles and The Undertaker face off at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Triple H has shared his thoughts on ‘The British Bulldog’ Davey Boy Smith‘s induction into the Hall of Fame.
Taking to Twitter, he highlighted Smith’s decorated career. He noted how he provided a national sense of pride for the United Kingdom. Triple H added how this induction allows the British Bulldog his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.
“A favorite of the @WWE Universe, decorated career and a source of national pride for the entire @WWEUK, British Bulldog is taking his rightful place in the #WWEHOF. Together, we can celebrate his in-ring career and memory as a father, husband, and Superstar.”
A favorite of the @WWE Universe, decorated career and a source of national pride for the entire @WWEUK, British Bulldog is taking his rightful place in the #WWEHOF. Together, we can celebrate his in-ring career and memory as a father, husband, and Superstar. pic.twitter.com/aRzFrXPKOQ
Corey Graves revealed the news that Smith would be inducted into this year’s class during his podcast, After The Bell. He was joined by Smith’s son, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Tyson Kidd and Natalya. It was revealed during the episode that Smith Jr. will have the honor of inducting his late father. The Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on April 2 during WrestleMania week.
“It’s been long overdue but I am really excited and glad to be inducting my father into the 2020 Hall Of Fame,” Smith Jr. said. “It’s something that is great not only for my family but the WWE Universe as well.”
‘The British Bulldog’ joins Dave Batista, The Bella Twins, JBL and the nWo as part of the 2020 Hall of Fame class.
You can add the Bullet Club Beach Party to the growing list of coronavirus canceled events.
The stable shared the unfortunate news via their Bullet Club Beach Party Twitter account. The official statement noted how their first priority is to the health and safety of their guests and talent. They added how “No one is more disappointed in this outcome than us.”
“We are as upset by this outcome as you all are, but we do not want to let this be the end of the road. We have plenty of gas left in our tank, and we fully intend on running an event in the distant future, within calendar year 2020.”
Bullet Club conceded that the entire coronavirus situation is “fluid.”
They added that they are working diligently to get fans refunds for their tickets and meet and greet purchases.
Bullet Club members Tanga Loa, “Switchblade” Jay White, KENTA, Bad Luck Fale, Haku, Bone Solider and El Phantasmo were just some of the club’s members scheduled to appear. Other wrestlers included RUSH and Dragon Lee.
Although WrestleMania 36 still seems to be going ahead, plenty of other promotions have taken action to help combat spreading the virus. New Japan Pro-Wrestling has canceled several New Japan Cup events, and ROH has recently canceled their 18th Anniversary pay-per-view.
