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WWE NXT Results & 5 Takeaways (3/11)

Andrew Ravens
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The March 11, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. 

The show was headlined by Pete Dunne & Matt Riddle vs. The Undisputed Era to for the NXT Tag Team Titles.

WWE NXT Results (3/11/20)

  • Keith Lee def. Cameron Grimes to retain the NXT North American Title
  • Mia Yim def. Dakota Kai to qualify for the #1 Contender’s Ladder Match
  • KUSHIDA def. Raul Mendoza
  • Tegan Nox def. Deonna Purrazzo
  • Pete Dunne & Matt Riddle def. The Undisputed Era to retain NXT Tag Team Titles

Here are the 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Keith Lee Retains NXT North American Title

Keith Lee
Keith Lee

WWE NXT North American Keith Lee made his latest title defense against Cameron Grimes on this show. 

It was a hard-fought battle and they went back and forth just as expected. The right call and likely predictable for most fans, Lee successfully retained the title. 

WWE set up this contest last week when Lee was doing a promo in the ring and Grimes came out to rant about what he can do in the ring. Lee said that Grimes made the gravest mistake of his life.

Grimes bragged about beating Dijakovic in less time than Lee did, which led to Lee knocking him out of the ring. 

This appeared to be a match that was for the title in hopes of getting a bump in the ratings and something to keep Lee busy heading into WrestleMania weekend.

Post-match, Damian Priest attacked Lee with a pipe but Dominik Dijakovic ran Priest off. Lee then got up and thought Dijakovic was the one who attacked him so he powerbombed him. Apparently, this feud with all three stars will continue. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1237895735615447043
https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1237893505118171136

The Broserweights Retain NXT Tag Team Titles

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The Broserweights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle) put the NXT Tag Team Titles on the line in their latest defense against The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish). 

It was up there with the quality that their original match had and the same finish, which was Dunne and Riddle winning in their first televised defense. 

Dunne and Riddle beat Fish & O’Reilly for the straps at the NXT TakeOver: Portland event at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon last month. 

With WWE not waiting to book this rematch at NXT’s next special, TakeOver: Tampa next month, it appears that WWE has decided to go in a different direction for these two teams. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1237914599950880769

Tegan Nox vs Mia Yim

Mia Yim - WWE.com

Tegan Nox vs Mia Yim with the winner being added to the #1 contender ladder match at NXT Takeover: Tampa was booked on this show in a late addition to the lineup. 

It was a solid back and forth affair with the winner being Yim in a surprising move. After the match, Raquel Gonzalez beats down Yim.

Nox had been in a feud with Dakota Kai but it appears that the feud was ended after last week’s show that featured Kai going over in a Steel Cage Match. 

Yim joins Chelsea Green in the contest to see who will be next in line for a shot at the title. Four spots remain with those being filled in the coming weeks. 

WWE presents the NXT TakeOver: Tampa event on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida and will air on the WWE Network.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1237899472182497280

Charlotte Flair Attacks Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley Charlotte Flair
Photo Credit: WWE.com

NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley came out for a promo where she talked about knocking Charlotte Flair on her a** come WrestleMania 36.

This led to Flair coming out and telling Ripley that she’s too much to handle. 

Flair told her that she would take her into deep waters and drown the fastest rising star in the company. She added that Ripley wouldn’t do anything about it. This led to Ripley attacking her and a brawl broke out. 

Flair hit her with a big boot then went for the Figure Eight submission but Ripley countered it until Flair knocked her down and attacked the left knee of the champ by hitting it against the ring post then locking in the Figure Four around it. 

A solid segment with them actually getting physical to further their feud at WrestleMania 36 next month. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1237907969402195968

Tommaso Ciampa Fights Johnny Gargano

gargano Ciampa NXT Takeover
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Tommaso Ciampa came out for a promo asking where Johnny Gargano was. This led to Gargano appearing on the big screen and telling him that they would do this on his time. 

Gargano said that Ciampa is a horrible person and ran him down about being out due to neck surgery only for fans to chant his name when he returned. Ciampa walked to the backstage area and started a brawl with Gargano. 

Security tried to break it up but Ciampa fought them off. They brawled all over the Performance Center. Gargano sent Ciampa crashing through a window in a door. Ciampa threw a weight at Gargano, who moved, and it crashed into glass. Ciampa and Gargano went crashing off a platform through the announce table to end the segment. 

While not confirmed, this feud is expected to end at NXT TakeOver: Tampa next month. 

As far as this segment goes, it was one of the best brawls in pro wrestling in recent memory. 

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1237921223419539462

Ricochet Sends Message To WWE Fans, Comments On Bouncing Back

Andrew Ravens
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Ricochet decided to take some time in order to send a message to fans. 

He did so in a post on his official Twitter account after seeing fans comment on how they missed seeing him during this Monday’s RAW episode. Instead, he worked the Main Event TV taping before the show. 

This is where he told them that they should be happy that he gets to perform for them at all.

“Okay, I just want to say everyone should be happy that I get to perform for you all every week. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to me in what capacity. So let’s celebrate that and not dwell on anything else. #LifeIsGreat.”

Ricochet made another tweet earlier this afternoon where he wrote, “Bouncing back is my thing!”

This comes as his slump continues. He lost a squash to WWE Champion Brock Lesnar at the WWE Super ShowDown pay-per-view event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the Mohammed Abdou Arena. 

The following week, he lost another quick match to WWE 24/7 Champion Riddick Moss on RAW. Of course, this week Ricochet wrestled Eric Young on Main Event. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the original plan was for R-Truth to face Moss on RAW but WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon changed it to Ricochet being booked in the match. 

Ricochet Opens Up About Brock Lesnar Match, If He’d Go ‘Home’ To NXT

Lance Archer Revealed As Jake Roberts’ Client

Andrew Ravens
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After a week of speculation from fans, the client of WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts was revealed as Lance Archer. 

The reveal was made during the opening segment of Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite in Salt Lake City, UT at the Maverik Center on TNT when Cody Rhodes was battling Ortiz in a singles match. 

The two men walked through the crowd and were sitting at ringside for the match. 

Roberts made his All Elite Wrestling debut last week when he did a promo segment with Rhodes about how he didn’t like what the AEW executive was doing. 

More specifically, how he was tired of hearing Rhodes complain and had a message for him. This is where he noted that he won’t take on Rhodes but his client will.

Archer was supposed to make his AEW Dynamite debut last week but it was pushed back after late-minute changes to the card. 

Archer had a great year in 2019 that was highlighted with impressive performances in the G1 Climax tournament. He also earned his first title under the NJPW banner by winning the IWGP United States Title. 

For those who may not recall, Archer, who’s real name is Lance Hoyt, had a run with WWE from 2009 to 2010 where he worked on the ECW and SmackDown brands as Vance Archer. 

Lance Archer Responds To Online Trolls And Haters

Tommaso Ciampa Thinks WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite TV Ratings Should Matter

Andrew Ravens
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Tommaso Ciampa did a recent interview with Rick Ucchino of Sportskeeda where he spoke about the ongoing battle between WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite. 

It’s been billed as the Wednesday Night Wars between WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite. 

While the two shows don’t draw the same ratings that Raw and WCW Monday Night Nitro did back in the Attitude Era, it’s a real fight. 

The former WWE NXT Champion made it known that he wants NXT to win and thinks that people should care about the ratings between the two shows. 

“It makes it a little bit more fun. It brings that competitive edge out. I mean 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.”

Ciampa stated now that NXT is on the USA Network, the promotion is doing live TV and no longer ‘yeah buts’ but rather the NXT roster is doing everything that you would constitute as a main roster player. 

Ciampa added that he thinks that’s the main thing as they made a switch and the stink of NXT being a developmental brand is gone. 

Aside from a few instances, NXT has lost the majority of the ratings battle against AEW in overnight and other TV ratings. 

Triple H Comments On Tommaso Ciampa Not Wanting Main Roster Call Up

Details On WWE’s Current Plans For Rob Gronkowski

Andrew Ravens
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The ongoing story of Rob Gronkowski heading to WWE continues to evolve. 

The first news to break about his status with the company started on Tuesday night when Ryan Satin reported on the weekly television show, WWE Backstage, on FOX Sports 1 that the former NFL player was close to signing a deal with the company. 

Fast forward to Wednesday, The Wrap reported Gronkowski has indeed signed with WWE and is slated to make an appearance on the March 20th episode of SmackDown from New Orleans. This will make his debut on SmackDown. 

Per the report, WWE already has plans for him in place including seeing him make an appearance at WrestleMania 36, WWE’s biggest event of the year, next month.

It should be noted that Gronk won’t be wrestling at the show. Instead, WWE plans for him to make an appearance in order to build-up to a match after WrestleMania.

While that is known, there’s still no word yet on who his opponent will be or when his in-ring debut will take place. 

Pwinsider.com released a report of their own that stated Gronkowski will be working as an active pro wrestler and his deal was described as being similar to Ronda Rousey. 

The former WWE RAW Women’s Champion worked a part-time schedule that included having matches at pay-per-view events and live events aside from making appearances on Monday Night RAW.

Rob Gronkowski Addresses Potential WWE Career

Jake Roberts Gives Details On His New Client

Chris Stephens
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Jake “the Snake” Roberts shocked the wrestling world last week on Dynamite by coming out to confront Cody Rhodes. Roberts told Cody and the live crowd that he was not there to praise Cody but rather to slay him. He then said he was once told to never turn his back on someone he is afraid of or someone he respects before doing exactly that to Cody.

Roberts mentioned that he has a new client he will be managing and that client is going to face Cody. The legend posted the following details about his new client to his Instagram stories:

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Previously, Roberts had posted a picture of his appearance on Dynamite last night with the following caption:

“Beware AEW…The Darkness has arrived.
And to answer your questions: Yes I wrote what I said. No I don’t ever do “practice runs.” On the first shot I give you my heart and soul. I’m not giving up my sobriety. And…I have so much more left to do…the time is NOW.”

Jake “the Snake” Roberts

Roberts is arguably one of the most compelling wrestlers of all time and his debut on Dynamite last week garnered a strong response online from fans and those in the wrestling industry alike.

https://twitter.com/OfficialTAZ/status/1235424008549498885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1235424008549498885&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F585422766.shtml
https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1235393067529748482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1235393067529748482&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F585422766.shtml

From Randy Orton:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9VqDSkg5Qx/?utm_source=ig_embed

Bully Ray feels Roberts’ AEW debut should lead to a change regarding how the DDT is used in wrestling today:

And Cody’s response:

Matt Hardy Says “Today Is The Day”

Chris Stephens
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With speculation that Matt Hardy could be AEW bound running rampant, the free agent teased that we could find out more about his future soon..

Hardy and the Young Bucks have been building a story via YouTube as of late. With Dynamite set to air tonight, Hardy is teasing that “Today is the Day.”

He followed that Tweet up to state that a special episode of #FreetheDelete will be available later today:

Reby Hardy posted this outtake of young King Maxell flubbing a line during a recent filming as well:

https://twitter.com/RebyHardy/status/1237558670679920640

Matt Hardy’s Free Agency

Hardy recently spoke to SI.com about his free agency. He mentioned that he has spoken with Impact, NWA, and NXT in addition to AEW.

“My goal is to legitimately surprise people and draw emotion from them. I always want to entertain the audience and keep them guessing. I’ll make a decision within the next 30 days, and it could be by next week. It all depends on how everything comes together,” Matt would say. “I am speaking with AEW, and I am very close with the Young Bucks. We’ve been great friends for a long time. They understand this business and know how to break the fourth wall and have fun with all of this. They really are special. I’ve also spoken with IMPACT and I spoke with the NWA. I had great conversations just this week with Triple H about NXT.”

Hardy’s time in Impact Wrestling came to a bit of tumultuous end but he has since offered much praise to the promotion. He seems to be into the angle with ICU:

Hardy also recently took the time to compliment the team of Jurassic Express, who wrestled last night on AEW Dark:

MJF was not impressed:

AEW Rankings Released For 3/11/20

Chris Stephens
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0

AEW has released its weekly rankings for March 11th, 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 (7-0)

  1. Chris Jericho (0-1)
  2. MJF (3-0)
  3. Kenny Omega (1-0)
  4. PAC (3-2) (+1)
  5. Cody Rhodes (3-1) (-1)

The only movement in the men’s single’s division this week saw PAC move up to the #4 spot after defeating Chuck Taylor. MJF and Cody didn’t compete this week. Kenny Omega is on the shelf with an injured hand so he didn’t compete this week either. Jericho picked up a win in the main event of Dynamite as he and Sammy Guevara defeated Darby Allin. Jon Moxley was supposed to be Allin’s partner but was attacked pre-match by the Inner Circle.

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AEW Women’s Division

Champion: Nyla Rose (4-1)

  1. Hikaru Shida (4-1)
  2. Riho (3-1)
  3. Kris Statlander (2-2)
  4. Yuka Sakazaki (1-1)
  5. Britt Baker (2-2)

There was no movement in the women’s rankings this week. Big Swole picked up a win over Leva Bates on Dynamite this week so she might have earned some votes but still sits outside the top-5. Hikaru Shida defeated Abadon this week on Dark to retain her #1 ranking.

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AEW Tag Team Division

Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (6-0)

  1. The Dark Order (5-0)
  2. The Young Bucks (2-0)
  3. SCU (2-3)
  4. Best Friends (3-2)
  5. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara (1-0) (previously unranked)

Private Party falls out of the top-5 rankings this week. They picked up a win on Dark against Brandon Cutler and Sonny Kiss but Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara) crack the rankings after their win over Darby Allin & Jon Moxley in the main event of Dynamite, although Moxley never did make it to the match.

The Dark Order lost in 8-man tag action this week to SCU and Colt Cabana but that doesn’t count to their 2-on-2 record. Jurassic Express picked up a win on Dark as well over Kip Sabian and Peter Avalon but still sit outside the top-5.

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Impact Wrestling Results & Takeaways (3/10/20)

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling presented a show from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas last night on AXS TV and Twitch. The main event this week featured the final match in the best-of-5 series between Michael Elgin and Eddie Edwards.

Impact Wrestling 3/10/20 Quick Results:

  1. Rhino defeated Madman Fulton
  2. The Rascalz defeated Desi Hit Squad
  3. Knockouts Championship: Jordynne Grace (c) defeated Lacey Ryan
  4. Willie Mack & Ace Austin defeated the Swinging Disco Balls (Disco Inferno & Johnny Swinger)
  5. Best-of-5 Series: Michael Elgin vs Eddie Edwards ends with no declared winner.

Triple Threat World Title Match At Rebellion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay84DGY4K_M

Michael Elgin and Eddie Edwards met in the main event this week. The match was the 5th and deciding bout in their best-of-5 series. The winner would earn a shot at the World Title at Rebellion. It looked like Edwards had the match won after hitting the Boston Knee Party but the original ref was down and the replacement ref was not able to get into the ring in time.

Then with two refs in the ring, Elgin had Edwards locked in a submission but Edwards turned it into a pinning combination. One ref called for the end of the match after Eddie tapped to the submission but the other counted Elgin’s shoulders down for three.

As the referees argued, Tessa Blanchard came out and announced she’d take them both on at Rebellion and we now have our main event set.

Sabu Returns To Impact Wrestling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBJAjs7-VFU

Rhino defeated Madman Fulton this week in the opener with a Gore. The Crist brothers accompanied OVE’s monster to the ring but were quickly sent to the back by the ref. OVE returned to ringside after the match to deliver a post-match attack to Rhino. The lights went out and a fellow ECW alumni returned to the ring when Sabu appeared along with Super Genie. Sabu delivered a DDT on Fulton onto a chair.

Jordynne Grace’s Open Challenge Continues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArKTqcv7daY

Unlike the previous Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace has set out to be a fighting champion. She set out another open challenge for this week and Madison Rayne was only too happy to find a challenger to take her on.

Lacey Ryan answers the call this week and gave it her all but ultimately the champion retained with a Grace Driver. Madison Rayne did not seem pleased with the result.

Chris Sabin To Referee King of the Mountain Match At TNA: There’s No Place Like Home

Chris Sabin is a pioneer of the X-Division and his tag-team with Alex Shelley, the Motor City Machine Guns, is one of the most influential teams of the last two decades. Sabin will be returning to Impact Wrestling as the special referee of the King of the Mountain World Title match at the TNA: There’s No Place Like Home event on March 3rd.

Moose interrupted his interview and announced he will be in the match. Moose has had his issues with wrestlers from “TNA” as of late.

Taya & Rosemary Drink Away Their Sorrows

Taya Valkyrie is dealing with the impact of losing her Knockouts title while Rosemary is still reeling after the death of her friend the Bunny. Rosemary had thought that helping Suzie escape the clutches of James Mitchell would bring her peace but it hasn’t. The two unlikely allies found solace in each other at the bar this week.

Willie Mack Gets Help Against The Swinging Disco Balls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Mf0h2quCI

The Swinging Disco Balls (Disco Inferno & Johnny Swinger) wrestled in their second match for Impact this week. The match started as a 2-on-1 handicap match against Willie Mack but X-Division Champion Ace Austin ran to ringside to be Mack’s partner. Austin hit Disco with the Fold followed by Mack’s 6-Star Frog Splash for the win.

Is this a new side to Ace Austin?

Later in the show, Swinger and Disco were heard arguing and Disco stormed off.

ICU Secret To Be Revealed Next Week

https://twitter.com/IMPACTWRESTLING/status/1237546718033408000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1237546718033408000&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fimpactwrestling.com%2Fimpact-on-axs-tv-results-march-10-2020%2F

The mysterious ICU has continued to hack into Impact Wrestling accounts. This week, they hacked into the official Impact Wrestling Twitter account but not only that, somehow ICU was able to hack into ShopImpact.com and put its own merchandise for sale!

ICU let it be known that the secret will be revealed next week:

https://twitter.com/IMPACTWRESTLING/status/1237551875034992640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1237551875034992640&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fimpactwrestling.com%2Fimpact-on-axs-tv-results-march-10-2020%2F

The Rascalz Pick Up The Win Over Desi Hit Squad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WAqR4jy5ZA

The Desi Hit Squad has been on quite the roll since the return of Mahabali Shera but they weren’t able to handle the double-team moves of Wentz and Trey from the Rascalz this week. The loss will likely not sit well with Gama Singh. As for the Rascalz, they put themselves one step closer to a shot at the tag belts with the win.

Rob Gronkowski Reportedly Close To Finalizing Deal With WWE

Steve Russell
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Former New England Patriot player Rob Gronkowski is reportedly close to signing a deal with WWE. The news was announced by Ryan Satin during last night’s episode of FS1’s WWE Backstage. 

At the time of writing, it is still unclear what kind of role WWE has in mind for Gronkowski.

“According to multiple sources, former NFL star, three-time Super Bowl champion and current Fox Sports analyst Rob Gronkowski is deep in talks with WWE and close to finalizing a deal,” Satin said.

“While the capacity in which he’d be used is unclear at this time, I’m told that Gronk could be making an appearance in WWE as early as March 20th on Friday Night SmackDown in New Orleans.” 

Rob Gronkowski’s WrestleMania Moment

This wouldn’t be the first time that Gronkowski has been featured in WWE. Back in 2017 during WrestleMania 33, he jumped the barricade in order to help his friend Mojo Rawley. Thanks to his assist, Rawley was able to win the Andrew the Giant Battle Royal.

Adding to the speculation, both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon recently attended Gronkowski’s Super Bowl beach party. Triple H has also publicly invited Gronkowski to this year’s SummerSlam event in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Rob Gronkowski has previously shared his dreams of getting involved with pro wrestling. He noted how it probably wouldn’t be a full-time career, but he would love to have “one crazy match.” 

With other notable celebrities and sports stars having recently had notable matches in WWE, including Cain Velasquez and Tyson Fury, it seems that it will only be a matter of time until a marquee match might involve Rob Gronkowski.

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

City Of Tampa To Discuss Canceling Major Events Due To Coronavirus

Chris Stephens
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City officials and Mayor of Tampa Jane Castor will meet tomorrow to discuss the possible canceling or postponing of major events in the city. This could include WrestleMania 36, other planned WWE events in the city, and all independent wrestling events scheduled for the week.

New Japan Pro Wrestling has canceled all events between March 1st and 21st including the 2020 New Japan Cup.

Events Canceled Due To Coronavirus

Santa Clara County in California has already banned all large gatherings in the area. The ban puts at risk several San Jose Sharks home games. Pearl Jam and several other music artists have postponed tours as a result of the outbreak. South By Southwest in Austin, Texas this year has been canceled. The Coachella Music Festival has been postponed until October.

Major sporting leagues such as MLB, NHL, and NBA have limited media access to locker rooms as a result of the outbreak. The NBA has discussed the idea of holding games in arenas with no spectators as well.

Ireland has canceled all St. Patrick’s Day parade events as well.

Chris Jericho has said that Fozzy’s tour will go ahead as planned unless they are told they can’t.

“Why wouldn’t it?” Jericho said after being asked if the tour was still on. “I don’t think the public should panic so much. [We’re still going on] unless the cops tells us we can’t.” He then referred to the coronavirus situation as “mass hysteria.” 

Lio Rush Addresses His Time Away From WWE, Future Goals

Steve Russell
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NXT Superstar Lio Rush recently joined Sports Illustrated for an interview. During their conversation, Rush opened up about his six-month hiatus from WWE before sharing his future goals in the company. He also touched on his musical ambitions outside of the squared circle.

“Craved for Blood began during my time away from the WWE when my mind was in a tenuous space, all over the place, and that’s the vibe that created the song, I went through a negative place, and I worked to harness that and put it in the song,” Rush said.

“The entire song is a code that people have to crack, A line that means a lot to me is, ‘These tricky minds deep inside, we all think alike.’ Every job has its stresses, and the entertainment field is stressful. People need to find a release. A creative outlet for me outside of wrestling is my music.”

Lio Rush On His Time Away

Following his time away from WWE, Lio Rush admitted that his return was “pretty special.” He reflected on his first run in NXT, noting that he only had a short time there. 

“Some people were surprised I am a wrestler after they were only used to seeing me beside Bobby Lashley as a manager on Monday Night Raw. People know I can talk on the mic, but I want to show the world I can do it all. It’s special to be back wrestling, and I want to show I am one of the best wrestlers in the world.”

When it comes to his future goals, Rush is focused on creating a bigger name for himself. He also wants to highlight that he is a hard worker and is ready for whatever may come, noting “I’m prepared for anything that comes my way.”

Ilja Dragunov On Learning From Triple H & Shawn Michaels, Wanting To Wrestle Aleister Black

Steve Russell
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WWE NXT UK Superstar Ilja Dragunov discussed what his career has been like since signing with WWE. Speaking with talkSPORT, Dragunov also opened up about working with WWE Hall of Famers Triple H and Shawn Michaels, as well as sharing his ambition of facing RAW Superstar Aleister Black.

“I get the feeling people understand me and that’s very important to me, it’s why I love my work here so much,” Dragunov said. “They understand what I’m doing without really telling them a lot. And in WWE, I’ve seen absolute professionals on a whole new level that I’ve never seen before, I don’t regret a single day that I’m here.”

Ilja Dragunov On Growing As A Performer

Ilja Dragunov expressed how working with legends like Triple H and Shawn Michaels allows him to learn from the very best. Dragunov explained how his experiences in WWE are a “completely new horizon” for him. “I know things I never thought I’d know and I see them from a different perspective. I’ve grown as a performer every single day. This is the most exciting time in my life.”

Having previously faced off against Cesaro and Finn Balor, Dragunov isn’t content with that being his last crossover with a main roster Superstar. He admitted there are a lot of names he would love to face, but one stands out more than others: Aleister Black.

“I think when it comes down to European names, guys like Aleister Black, who I knew before his time in WWE. I think we would connect very well and that’s a fight people would want to see, maybe.”

The Usos Recall WWE Telling Them They Looked Too Much Like Roman Reigns

Steve Russell
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Joining The New Day on their podcast Feel The Power, SmackDown tag team The Usos recounted how WWE told them they looked too much like Roman Reigns following their heel turn. 

Jey Uso explained how “Obviously, for the heel change, we needed to change everything, but they were saying when they had first seen us working in all black, it was like, ‘you guys look too much like Roman. Don’t look like Roman.’ Man, who the hell else are we supposed to look like? We’re in the same gene pool, uce.'”

He continued, “Like, we fought to get that [face paint] off. They wanted us to keep it, but in my mind it wasn’t going to work. There was no way we could get away from that. Like, we were colorful, but then we had to get completely away from that. ‘They can’t tell who y’all are without the face paint.’ You know how that is.”

The Usos On Standing Out From Their Family

They confessed that separating themselves from their wrestling dynasty was a difficult task. Alongside Reigns and their late uncle Umaga, The Usos are the sons of Hall of Famer Rikishi.

Jimmy Uso shared how “[…] they all had their own style, right? And that’s why me and use [were] like, ‘man, that’s what we need.’ But we always knew our style is easy. It’s us. It’s hip. It’s cool. We can kick it with anybody. It’s neutral. To me, we’re just neutral to everybody.”

The Usos recently competed in an Elimination Chamber matchup for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Despite being one of the final two teams, The Miz and John Morrison would manage to defend their titles. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

AEW Dynamite Preview: Cody Rhodes vs. Ortiz, Big Tag Team Match

Andrew Ravens
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1

AEW will present a new episode of their weekly television show, Dynamite, tonight that will feature the build towards their Blood & Guts special show later this month. 

Thus, it’s time to look ahead to tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The show is expected to start with Jurassic Express vs. MJF, The Butcher and The Blade in a six-man tag team match.

Although not confirmed, the belief is that Adam Page and a mystery partner vs. Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho will serve as the headliner. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on who the mystery wrestler will be. 

AEW holds this show in Salt Lake City, UT at the Maverik Center on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. AEW is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:

  • Adam Page and a mystery partner vs. Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho – Team Match
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Ortiz – Singles Match
  • Death Triangle vs. Joey Janela and Private Party – Six-Man Tag Team Match
  • Jurassic Express vs. MJF, The Butcher and The Blade – Six-Man Tag Team Match
  • AEW to reveal the rules for the Blood and Guts match in Newark, New Jersey later this month.

AEW will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds. 

AEW Dynamite & NXT TV Viewership (3/4)

Ryback Talks About Coronavirus Concerns Impacting WrestleMania 36

Steve Russell
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0

Former WWE Superstar Ryback has shared that some current roster members believe WrestleMania may be cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. Addressing the situation on Ryback TV Shooting Blanks Wrestling Report With Raj Giri, Ryback highlighted the spread of the virus in the United States. He noted how it would only take one Superstar to get sick. If they did, the entire locker room would be affected in no time.

“From a wrestler’s standpoint, [WrestleMania] is in Tampa and they’re gonna bring people from all over the world to this location. If I’m a wrestler – and I’m speaking from the talent as I’ve talked to a couple of people – the talent believe that WrestleMania is possibly going to get cancelled. This is a business and it will impact a lot of things but you have to protect the wrestlers at all costs.”

Ryback On Fan Interactions During Coronavirus Concerns

Ryback added how there should be no fan interaction between Superstars and fans at any Axxess events, noting how “[…] wrestlers should only have to show up to WrestleMania and if you do the Hall of Fame, you keep the talent away from the audience.”

He continued, “You have to be really protective of the wrestlers from a business perspective if you go through with this. I have a feeling [Vince] is gonna try to go through with it no matter what. He’s gonna have to be forced to say ‘No’ if it does happen.”

Multiple events, conventions, attractions and concerts have been shut down, rescheduled and cancelled in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus. With ‘Mania taking place next month, officials are reportedly in serious talks to ensure the safety of fans and talent.

WrestleMania 36 takes place on April 5 from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLd69cGeEac

Booker T Isn’t “Sold” On Becky Lynch Vs Shayna Baszler

Steve Russell
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7

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T recently shared his support in WWE’s decision to book Roman Reigns vs Goldberg at WrestleMania 36. However, during a recent episode of his podcast The Hall of Fame, Booker T remained unconvinced about another headline matchup: Shayna Baszler vs Becky Lynch.

“I’m not sold on it. I’ll just say that. I’m not sold on it yet,” he confessed. “But I’m like this man. I’m thinking about the performance more than anything, I’m thinking about when you go out and perform, you know, in Elimination Chamber…WrestleMania. Those are big moments for me. Going into a match like that. I trust Becky Lynch. Becky has done a lot of good things over this last year, she’s put herself in position to, you know, be called ‘the man.’”

Booker T On Becky Lynch’s Past Opponents

Booker T noted how Lynch has been performing at a consistent quality against “really, really high calibre talent.” Booker T then pointed towards her matches with both Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks, adding how they can “go out there and really perform [at the] next level.”

“Now I’m wondering, Becky Lynch against Shayna Baszler. You know, how is that thing gonna go? How are they going to match up? As far as going out there and creating some beautiful magic? Because at the end of the day it really is all about Shakespeare. It really is all about going out there and performing for the fans.”

Becky Lynch aims to defend her WWE RAW Women’s Championship against Shayna Baszler at WrestleMania 36. The event takes place on April 5 from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. 

H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription.

Rusev Details His Goals Ahead Of WrestleMania 36

Steve Russell
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1

WWE Superstar Rusev has opened up about his goals ahead of WrestleMania 36. Speaking with The Pop Break, he also shared his journey becoming a naturalized US citizen and reflected on his babyface turn.

“Oh, it’s my biggest accomplishment in life,” Rusev said on becoming a US citizen. “I’ve always admired the United States of America growing up. Call it brainwashing, call it destiny, call it whatever—I knew one day I was going to come here. Just to be able to be called a US Citizen here in America, it’s the proudest thing I can probably say that I’ve achieved.”

Rusev Day & Future Goals

When he first debuted with the company, Rusev was positioned as a monster heel. Since that time, however, his image has softened with the WWE Universe who now enjoys chanting ‘Rusev Day’ alongside him. 

Reflecting on the babyface turn, Rusev admitted that he’s just being himself now. “The WWE Universe, they just appreciate all the body of works that I’ve done. And the commitment that I’ve done with every single character, and every single storyline that I’ve been put in.”

He continued, “Whether good, bad, or indifferent, or some just badly written stuff. I’ve always committed one thousand percent and so has [Lana]. Fans can see that and they appreciate it. That’s why my popularity just grew and we are where we are.”

Despite not having wrestled since February, Rusev is focused on achieving a few goals ahead of WWE’s biggest event of the year. The first one? Get back on TV.

“Well my goal is to get on TV, because I haven’t been on TV in a while,” Rusev admitted. “That’s my goal. Where’s my next opportunity? I’m just waiting for that. I just can’t wait to crush—pun intended—whatever they throw at me. I’m ready for it.”

WrestleMania 36 takes place on April 5 from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. 

Eric Bischoff Discusses Which Superstar He Wanted To Work With, Dennis Rodman

Steve Russell
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0

Former Executive Director of SmackDown Eric Bischoff has named which Superstar he was looking forward to working with the most. Talking about his time working with the blue brand on his podcast, After 83 Weeks, Bischoff shared an idea he had for a returning Superstar. 

“I thought Sheamus was somebody that I was really, really excited to work with because I think there’s far more potential there than we’ve seen,” said Bischoff. “There’s a fresh character there that, at least, I saw in my head. It may not have worked. But I saw it in my head and I was anxious to try to make it work.”

Bischoff worked with WWE as SmackDown’s Executive Director for approximately four months before being replaced. 

Eric Bischoff On Dennis Rodman

During the episode, Eric Bischoff also discussed Dennis Rodman. With WWE having announced that a WWE Network documentary is in the works on Rodman, Bischoff speculated about the chances of Rodman being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a celebrity entrant. 

“If it was me, and I was on the Hall of Fame committee, or I was the person making that decision, or whatever the process is, you would have to consider it, because Dennis is a pretty high-profile individual.”

When asked who he thought might induct Rodman if he were announced, Bischoff declined to answer. He explained that he is already so fatigued by the amount of Hall of Fame related tweets he is receiving, so he tends to scroll by it now instead. 

The nWo is due to be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year. Though some believe Bischoff should be included as a part of the group, there are many who believe he deserves a solo induction.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

WWE NXT Preview: Two Championship Matches

Andrew Ravens
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0

WWE will be presenting a different yet big episode of its weekly NXT television program. Thus, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of NXT.

The company is building up this show around two title matches – North American Champion Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grime and The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) vs. NXT Tag Team Champions The Broserweights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle).

WWE holds this show in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for NXT. 

WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:

  • North American Champion Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grimes.
  • The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) will challenge NXT Tag Team Champions The Broserweights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle) for the titles. 
  • How will Adam Cole react to The Velveteen Dream’s actions?
  • What does Johnny Gargano have planned for Tommaso Ciampa?
  • Tegan Knox vs. Mia Yim with the winner being added to the #1 contender ladder match at NXT Takeover: Tampa.

WWE will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds heading into the NXT TakeOver: Tampa event that takes place on Saturday, April 4, 2020 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida

Join us here later tonight for our post-show WWE NXT Results and Takeaways feature.

AEW Dynamite & NXT TV Viewership (3/4)

Chris Jericho Comments On Coronavirus, Fozzy Tour

Steve Russell
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1

Former All Elite Wrestling World Champion Chris Jericho won’t allow coronavirus concerns to derail his upcoming Fozzy tour. Speaking with TMZ Sports, Jericho explained how the tour would still be going ahead, stating how he doesn’t think the public should be panicking the way they are. 

“Why wouldn’t it?” Jericho said after being asked if the tour was still on. “I don’t think the public should panic so much. [We’re still going on] unless the cops tells us we can’t.” He then referred to the coronavirus situation as “mass hysteria.” 

Chris Jericho’s Tour Dates

Jericho reportedly chose the dates of the upcoming tour so that there would be no conflict with his AEW commitments. Fozzy’s “Save The World” tour begins on Thursday, April 16 in Savannah, GA. It will culminate on Sunday, August 9 in Sturgis, South Dakota. 

His words come in the wake of multiple events, conventions, attractions and other tours being shut down in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Chris Jericho lost the AEW World Championship to the current titleholder, Jon Moxley, during AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view on February 29. Jericho recently competed in a match on AEW Dynamite. He promised that if Moxley walked away of his own accord, he would take a leave of absence from AEW for 60 days. Last week’s episode of Dynamite ended with the Inner Circle power bombing Moxley off the ramp and through a table.

WWE RAW & SmackDown Viewership

Andrew Ravens
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1

Viewership data is in for this week’s episodes of Friday Night SmackDown and Monday Night RAW. 

Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

SmackDown Viewership

SmackDown averaged 2.456 million viewers on FOX in Buffalo, NY at the KeyBank Center. This is down from the 2.687 viewers that the show did for the previous week’s episode of SmackDown.

The show averaged 2.453 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was down from the 2.717 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets. 

The first hour drew 2.579 million viewers while the second hour did 2.326 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 2.736 million viewers while the second hour did 2.697 million viewers. 

SmackDown pulled in a 0.70 rating in the 18-49 demos, down from the 0.80 rating as last week’s show.

WWE SmackDown Results & 4 Takeaways (3/6)

RAW Viewership

Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 2.163 million viewers in Washington, D.C. at the Capital One Arena on the USA Network, which is down from the 2.257 million viewers the previous week. 

Here is the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • Hour 1: 2.157 million – Last Week: 2.358
  • Hour 2: 2.222 million – Last Week: 2.297 
  • Hour 3: 2.109 million – Last Week: 2.115

Here is the hourly 18-49 demos breakdown:

  • Hour 1: 0.68 – Last Week: 0.76
  • Hour 2: 0.71 – Last Week: 0.75
  • Hour 3: 0.68 – Last Week: 0.70

WWE RAW Results & 7 Takeaways (3/9)

Ryback Says He Hopes Matt Hardy Winds Up In AEW

Jake Skudder
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3

Former WWE Superstar and host of the Conversation With The Big Guy podcast Ryback recently discussed the situation regarding Matt Hardy.

Matt Hardy recently left WWE after his contract with the company finished. With the ‘Free The Delete‘ YouTube series Hardy has been teasing his next destination in the wrestling world.

The overwhelming belief is that Hardy will eventually end up in AEW; with The Young Bucks having appeared in a recent episode of Hardy’s online series.

Matt Hardy Going To AEW?

Ryback says he hopes Matt Hardy winds up in All Elite Wrestling, but expects him to enjoy a little ‘down time’ following his release from WWE.

“I had a little interaction with him, maybe four or five weeks ago” Ryback began. “He’s been in that system for so long. I think we all know how it works. And think it was just let the contract run out, and he’ll probably enjoy a little downtime. After you know, being there for the last few years. I would hope he goes to AEW personally, because I think a guy like that? You want their work; not just for himself, but to be working with the younger guys and instilling some of that psychology. Because he [Matt Hardy] does have good psychology.”

Potential Run on the Independent Scene

Ryback would elaborate further, describing how beneficial Matt Hardy could be to the AEW brand. “He’s very creative, and I think he’s gonna he’ll be very beneficial to that AEW roster…if he can get there eventually. I wouldn’t be shocked if he did a little run on the Indies again though, just because.”

He continued, “I mean you can clean up as far as financially [working the independent scene]. It’s very laid back and it’s very enjoyable there when you first leave WWE as far as what that money that is offered on the table. It’s great and he, he will be able to probably have a nice run with that if you want and then go to AEW or just jump right in one day a week anyways. He may just be ready to go, So, I hope he’s at AEW at end of the day.”

Subscribe top Matt Hardy’s YouTube channel to follow his Free The Delete series and other Hardy-branded digital content.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj3nstTudDo

Nia Jax Injury Update

Chris Stephens
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6

Nia Jax had double-ACL surgery in April of last year and has been on the shelf ever since. At the time of her injury, it was reported that she would be back sometime in the first quarter of 2020. According to a recent report from PW Insider, Nia Jax has been cleared to get back in the ring and could return at any time. WWE is said to just be waiting for the right time to introduce her back into the company’s storylines.

Nia Jax in WWE

At the time of her injury, Nia Jax was in a tag-team along with Tamina Snuka. The two women competed at WrestleMania 35 in a fatal 4-way tag team match. The bout was for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. The match was won by the Iiconics, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce. Sasha Banks and Bayley went into the match as the tag champs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya comprised the fourth team.

At the previous years WrestleMania, Jax defeated Alexa Bliss to win the WWE RAW Women’s Championship. She would hold the belt for 70 days until dropping it back to Bliss at Money in the Bank.

AEW Issues Statement Regarding Coronavirus Disease

Michael Reichlin
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19

All Elite Wrestling has issued a statement addressing the COVID-19 Coronavirus disease that has the entire world on high alert.

As of this writing (3/10/20), AEW live events are moving forward as scheduled. The company is closely monitoring the situation and will use the guidance of government officials and health organizations to determine if any changes are necessary.

Please visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to learn more about how you can keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19.

Here is the official word from AEW:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

?All AEW events are currently moving forward as scheduled. Of course, the safety and well-being of AEW fans, partners and talent is always our top priority, so we will continue to closely monitor the rapidly evolving situation related to COVID-19 and be guided by government officials, health organizations and venue management. AEW will update ticket purchasers if there are any changes to the event schedule, and we encourage everyone in the AEW family to be good to themselves – and each other – by taking preventative actions as recommended by the CDC and WHO.

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