Jonathan Gresham was in a good spot financially when the COVID-19 pandemic first took effect but he thought his in-ring career could be over.
Gresham has been renowned for his technical wrestling and his hard work has paid off. He is the current ROH World Champion and is set for a big undisputed title match with Bandido at Supercard of Honor on April 1.
While it looks to be smooth sailing for Gresham now, there was some uncertainty back in 2020.
Jonathan Gresham On Dealing With Pandemic
Jonathan Gresham appeared on The Kurt Angle Show and said that from a financial standpoint, he was more worried about wrestlers who were on per appearance deals and didn’t have a job guaranteed. With that said, he was still concerned about his own career (h/t Fightful).
“Yes. I try to stay optimistic. I’m a pessimist from the start, but when it hit I was financially in a pretty good situation but I was more concerned about my comrades, guys that were coming up and on pay-per-appearance with Ring of Honor. So, I was really thinking about them.
“ROH did a really good job of keeping us on payroll the entire pandemic, so I was concerned but I was also thinking, ‘Okay, I’m going to jump to what next?’ I spent my entire adult life becoming a professional wrestler, so there was really nothing else I could really use that knowledge for, so that was kind of scary.
“But yeah, I thought it was over for me. But I was just going to ride the wave of the contract. Money was still coming in and hope for the best.”
It’s safe to say that Gresham will be sticking around in the wrestling business. Reports have already surfaced claiming that Gresham could very well be in business with both ROH and AEW for the foreseeable future.
Reika Saiki, a former TJPW and Actwres girl’Z titleholder, has announced her retirement.
Saiki issued a statement on her Twitter account. She suffered a fractured jaw back in 2019 and hadn’t competed since. The injury is fully healed but Saiki has decided to walk away from the wrestling industry.
Saiki had also been known for being a bodybuilder but she’s stepping away from that venture as well. In her statement, Saiki revealed her desire to transition into acting.
TJPW will be holding a retirement ceremony for Saiki on May 3.
Saiki started training at the Wrestle-1 dojo back in 2015. She made her pro wrestling debut in March 2016, defeating the late Hana Kimura.
In her career, Reika Saiki captured the Tokyo Princess of Princess Championship, Tokyo Princess Tag Team Championship, won the 2017 Tokyo Princess Cup, and captured the AgZ Championship.
ROH star Bandido is prepping for Supercard of Honor but things could get a bit murky after the event.
PWInsider is reporting that Bandido’s work visa under the ROH banner will be expiring soon. It’s been said that ROH had no plans of renewing any work visas before Tony Khan purchased the promotion.
Mike Johnson also notes in the report that Bandido could find himself in a similar situation that other international talents in ROH could be facing. That being, international stars may need to pull out of independent bookings this summer if their visas can’t be renewed.
The report claims that if Bandido can’t get his visa renewed, then he will take booking dates in Mexico in the short term.
Bandido is scheduled to take on Jonathan Gresham at Supercard of Honor on April 1. The winner will be recognized as the undisputed ROH World Champion.
Kairi Sane has returned to wrestling for the first time since 2020. On Stardom’s World Climax Show earlier today in Tokyo, Sane returned using the ring name KAIRI.
KAIRI left WWE back in July 2020 to be with her husband in Japan. She was an ambassador for WWE upon her return to the country. When the deal expired, she was free to sign with any other wrestling promotion.
KAIRI announced back in February that she would be joining Stardom. And for the first time since 2020, the 33-year-old returned to in-ring action at the promotion’s World Climax Show.
KAIRI teamed up with Mayu Iwatani to defeat the team of Tam Nakano and Unagi Sayaka in a tag team match. She took her team to victory by hitting her signature elbow drop. She looked in great shape and impressed fans with her incredible moves. She also made a post on Twitter to announce her return to wrestling, aptly writing, “I am back!!”
KAIRI has previously wrestled for Stardom under the ring name of Kairi Hojo from 2012 to 2017. She became a one-time World of Stardom Champion, a one-time Wonder of Stardom Champion, a three-time Goddess of Stardom Champion and a four-time Artist of Stardom Champion. This was her first match for the promotion in five years. KAIRI will have her first singles match for Stardom since her return on Saturday where she will face Starlight Kid.
KAIRI signed with WWE in 2017, also the year when she won the Mae Young Classic. She would go on to win the WWE NXT Women’s Championship, and the Women’s Tag Team Championships once with Asuka. KAIRI’s fans would be interested to see what’s in store for “The Pirate Princess” next, as Stardom was her home before she arrived in WWE.
Among all the new generation of wrestlers, MJF is one star who is holding the torch of old-school wrestling. His character work has helped him become one of the most talked-about wrestling personalities at the young age of 26. The fastest-rising pro wrestler of all time recently spoke to Ariel Helwani. He discussed the current wrestling landscape and detailed his issues with the performers of the new generation.
The AEW star said that people are trying to become something that they are not. Per MJF, wrestlers nowadays are trying to fool people into believing that they are a star:
“Here’s my issue with professional wrestling today and why I stand out like no other. I feel like people are putting on a superhero costume before they go through the curtain, they are trying to be something that they’re not. They’re trying to fool people into believing they’re a star. The reason why the territory days were a beautiful thing is because these men were themselves. They were men.”
MJF explained that nobody had to tell people like Tully Blanchard or Ric Flair how to act. Such names became famous just being themselves. According to the salt of the earth, people like Buddy Landel were authentic just like he is:
“Just like I’m as real as it gets and that’s why, to me, that’s the golden age of professional wrestling. Right now, we’re having a resurfacing of the golden age of professional wrestling and I’m leading that charge. You’re welcome.”
During the talk MJF also revealed that WWE had shown interest in him before he joined AEW. The Pinnacle leader went into detail behind his decision to choose Tony Khan as his boss over Vince McMahon. You can check out his comments at this link.
Wrestling legend Gangrel spoke with SEScoops Ella Jay this week to promote his return to Major League Wrestling (MLW). The Attitude Era star competed on this week’s episode of MLW Fusion, which you can catch on YouTube.
During the half-hour conversation, Gangrel spoke about a wide variety of topics. In this installment of our write-up, we’re focusing on The Brood.
The Brood was a faction in WWE during the beloved Attitude Era. Led by Gangrel, the Brood helped introduce Edge and Christian to the WWE Universe. A later incarnation, The New Brood, saw Gangrel paired with Matt and Jeff Hardy.
The Brood remains popular to this day, as evidenced by Edge busting out the Brood entrance and “Brood Baths” in some of his recent feuds. Gangrel would have been down for a surprise Rumble appearance and a Brood reunion in WWE, but gave a surprising (and disappointing) reason why it never happened.
Here’s our half-hour interview with Gangrel, with some highlights below:
“People Won’t Remember The Brood”
Last year, Christian reunited with Edge at the Royal Rumble. This year, fans were hoping that Gangrel would make an appearance at the Rumble to continue the Brood nostalgia tour.
Gangrel says he’d speak to Edge about reuniting the Brood in WWE, but Edge didn’t think Vince McMahon would be on board.
“No, I would talk to Edge, he would tell me that he didn’t believe Vince McMahon believed people will remember The Brood, let alone myself.”
– Gangrel on a Brood reunion in WWE
Over the past year, Edge has paid homage the Brood several times, including for special entrances and for unleashing “Brood Baths” on his enemies.
Edge’s Brood entrances were always a hit with WWE fans, but he really had to work hard in order to convince Vince McMahon that it was worth doing.
“[Vince is] very set on certain things, so [Edge] told me he had to work like two and a half months to get the music to be able to do a ‘Broodbath,’ not a bloodbath because the networks wouldn’t have blood,” Gangrel continued.
“He did that for two and a half months and and he said he was trying to work it all out. He said he did it pay homage to The Brood and myself and all that he was super happy about it.”
Gangrel said he actually had an AEW appearance lined up at one point that would have included an elaborate entrance, but that got derailed.
“And then when I told [Edge] ‘Yeah well…’ He was like, so excited to tell me on that Monday, and I go ‘Well… I was supposed to do AEW that Wednesday, they were gonna do the whole entrance and everything.’ But it just trended so much that it was just like forget it. So that was a bummer one way, but in another way it was just great to see Adam, Edge come out to that and then it cut and go to his music. It was just really, really cool and I was super happy for him and honored and flattered.”
Watch Edge’s Brood entrance from WWE Day 1 (1.1.22)
Memories of Working with the Hardys, The New Brood
Gangrel spoke fondly about working with Matt and Jeff Hardy in the early years of their careers.
“Yeah, well, a lot of people ask me what was my favorite Brood, The New Brood or the old Brood. I always say older with Christian and Edge because for one, we’re the original. We were working the Hardys and we had a program with them. I always love wrestling the Hardys. I personally love wrestling Matt Hardy because he’s a thumper. He’ll get in there and he’ll mix it up. Matt Hardy is a bit harder and tougher than people think.
I remember Michael Hayes would drive those poor guys crazy. I hope that I didn’t drive Christian and Edge as crazy as Michael Hayes did with his old school banter like ‘It’s my dime and it’s my time’ and stuff like that.
They’re just great guys. I’ve known them since, I don’t know, like since they were 16-17? I think we were all floating around doing extra work and different stuff for WWF whenever they came to the South. So I’ve known them for a long time. They’re just tremendous guys. Jeff’s super laidback, Matt’s more always intense about the business stuff. I’m super super happy for them.”
Gangrel also revealed that he’s going to be wrestling against The Hardy Boyz somewhere in Virginia soon. It will be Gangrel and Joey Janela (the “The New New Brood”) against The Hardys (“The Old New Brood”).
Gangrel with The Hardys
Steve Austin’s Input on Theme Music
The Brood’s theme music is legendary (you can listen below) and really set the tone for the group’s image. Gangrel shared a cool story about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin giving him advice about the importance of entrance music.
“…One time Steve Austin asked me, ‘What do you like about you like your music?’ The music that I had with the Brood. I go, ‘I could walk to it.’ And he goes, ‘That’s the key thing, you really want to become one with your entrance music. You really want to get that groove and that vibe and be able to gel with that coming out to get a feel.’
MLW’s two next shows are scheduled for WrestleMania weekend, at Gilley’s in Dallas, TX. If you’re in town, visit MLWTix.com for ticket information.
After months of rumors and speculations, Triple H finally opened up about his cardiac event from last year during his appearance on Stephen A’s World. The Game announced his retirement from in-ring competition, leading to an outpouring of posts about his influence on the business from both WWE and AEW stars.
The interview made people wonder about the future of his current role with the company. Talking about it, Triple H claimed that his foot is not off the gas:
“No, my foot’s not off the gas, I suppose in some manner I’ve got to step back a little bit. I’m still in recovery and my endurance is not exactly quite what it used to be before. But right now I’m back, I’m at the office. I am fully focused on recruiting and developing of our talent in the future.”
The King Of Kings claimed that his focus is on finding potential future stars such as Gable Steveson. It’s about making sure WWE is a success for generations to come:
“It’s finding that, it’s creating that future. That’s the biggest focus for me and as we move forward from there, it’s making sure WWE is a success for generations to come.”
Dolph Ziggler has been with WWE for over 15 years. He has seen the highs and lows of being a talent in the company and has become well versed in dealing with the infamous WWE creative. The NXT champion appeared on After The Bell podcast where he talked about dealing with all the sudden plan changes.
Ziggler who recently revealed that his NXT title win was a last-minute decision as well, mentioned that you rarely get what you want in the company:
“It’s not even, ‘You don’t always get to do what you want to do.’ It’s, ‘You rarely get to do what you want to do.’ You might be a champion one day, and then the next day, you’re not on the show.”
Dolph Ziggler noted how you can go from being one of the hottest acts to not being on the card the next day. According to him, it’s not always personal:
“It’s like, ‘We need to get this Roman-Brock story on. This is the part, and we need you to do this, this, and this, and you’re gonna have to sacrifice a few other pieces.’ A lot of times, two thirds of the roster is being sacrificed. and you go, ‘That’s going to be you no matter whether you’re new or old.’”
With all this trouble many wonder why he has not quit the company yet. Ziggler answered the question saying that “They never missed one check, so I appreciate that.” Though elsewhere he also claimed that you get a high once in a while which almost makes it worthwhile because you trucked around.
How do you feel about Dolph Ziggler’s assessment of the WWE creative? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
The Get to Know Wrestling Podcasts series looks at The Black Announce Table. The podcast is making strides in the wrestling community with its new deal with Seat Geek. The Black Announce Table shares how the brand came together, the growth in wrestling podcasting and what the partnership means for independent content creators.
It can be challenging for independent wrestling content creators to find success, particularly in podcasting. Since it grew in popularity, wrestling podcasting has become a competitive profession, mainly dominated by former wrestlers’ names attached to the project. However, new independent podcasts have emerged in popularity in recent years, like The Black Announce Table.
After years of producing content, the independent wrestling brand announced a partnership with Seat Geek. The deal opens new opportunities for the brand and creates new possibilities for other podcasters.
I recently had the chance to speak with the group. Here’s the video of our discussion, followed by written highlights.
Get To Know The Black Announce Table Podcast
In 2017, Ephraim “SkyHighEph” Lawrence created the Black Announce Table Podcast alongside Codie “Codie Dre” Wilson and Chris Ann “Ms. Sookoo” Sookoo. All three content creators got into podcasting because of their love for wrestling. The group also noted that when they started, there weren’t aware of many well-known black wrestling podcasters, but they did credit Cheap Heat and Wrassle Rap as podcasts that stood out.
Although it took time reach their success, the podcast has flourished with over 200 episodes. When speaking on the growth of the podcast, Lawrence said, “… We’ve never rushed anything, and we’ve taken step by step by step, we’ve taken it at our own pace and our own time. That’s just been the way it worked out for us.” He shared that the brand also has multiple shows on Patreon that fans requested to help their growth. Lawrence continued,”… As far as branding and becoming a brand to go back to my dad again, do it yourself. I can’t sit here and wait on some company or some brand or somebody to come and reach out to me. I might sit here forever to try to get that. Let’s do it ourselves.”
The partnership with Seat Geek is The Black Announce Table for unique because the group is independent and not backed by another brand. Although they don’t rule out potentially working with the likes of Spotify, they are focused on working for themselves and increasing their audience.
The deal also shows the increased interest for independent wrestling content creators. On Feb. 17, The Hollywood Reporter shared that Spotify signed an agreement with Complex Networks for audio programming. Among the new Complex shows was the introduction of their wrestling show led by The Jobber Tears Podcast‘s Sir Wilkins and Church of Joshi’s Alex Queen of the Ring. Other content creators like Public Enemies Podcast, The Black Rasslin’ Podcast, and Bell to Belles also show growth in engagement with fans and wrestlers.
The Black Announce Table believes more opportunities are coming for wrestling content creators. Wilson also believes podcasting overall is experiencing success and noted Pat McAfee’s $120 Million deal with FanDuel. “These deals they are signing for podcast right now is at an all time high. Looking back on it, starting this podcast and everything we didn’t know all of this was in the future, if anything, said Wilson. He continued “We just wanted to get out here and talk, but now seeing the avenues and the plays that can happen from the podcast right now is crazy.”
The group hopes to continue to increase their audience and compete with other wrestling podcasts. Podbay ranks The Black Announce Table Podcast number 34 on trending wrestling podcasts. However, most podcast ahead of them are either published by a network or associated with an established wrestler. The success of The Black Announce Table shows that independent wrestling content creators can thrive and live their dream of talking about wrestling.
With a three-decade long career in professional wrestling, The Undertaker is one of most successful pro wrestlers of all time. His advice is very useful for any talent including Keith Lee.
The limitless one recently appeared on AEW Unrestricted. He talked about things such as receiving a big pop during his AEW debut and more.
Speaking of The Dead Man, Lee revealed something The Undertaker told him a long time ago that has been instrumental to his career:
“He told me, years, and years, and years ago. ‘In this life, whatever it is I choose to do, I need to make sure that it means something. Don’t do anything for nothing, always make it mean something.’
“That is something that I have applied, especially wrestling in the indies.” said Keith Lee, “Any match that I’ve had, I’ve tried to make it sure that match meant something special.”
The AEW star also detailed another interaction he had with one of the most legendary pro wrestling names in Jim Ross. Lee revealed that Ross pulled him aside after his third failed tryout with WWE.
According to him, JR told him that he believed him to be a ‘million-dollar talent’ despite the rejection. It was something he appreciated very much coming from the Attitude Era star.
While many people saw it coming, the official announcement of Triple H’s retirement from in-ring competition still hit the wrestling world hard.
The whole of wrestling industry came together to thank The Game for his contributions to the business on the occasion. This included not only his friends but the many talents he helped bring the spotlight on during his time as the head of NXT.
Alexa Bliss noted that it was Triple H who came up with the idea for Alexa’s Playground. She thanked the former world champion for everything.
The man who came up with the concept of “Alexa’s playground” so talented in and out of the ring ??Thank you for everything @TripleH what an incredible in-ring career ?????? #ThankYouTripleHhttps://t.co/bfjgPsE6S9
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) March 25, 2022
Rhea Ripley revealed that The King Of Kings was the reason she started watching WWE. The former NXT UK women’s champion also mentioned how he helped her get further in the business.
From being the reason I started watching @WWE, to the reason I made it further in this business. Thank you for everything @TripleH ?? pic.twitter.com/z29dZLNMKc
Mustafa Ali posted a photo of Triple H addressing a room full of Cruiserweight Classic talents. He noted how the WWE EVP gave chances to many dreamers.
He did a lot of things. One of the most incredible things he did is give a room full of dreamers a chance. Thank you @TripleHpic.twitter.com/tNlzOWo3te
The Miz thanked the wrestling veteran for the wealth of knowledge he has shared over the years. He also advised H to enjoy the extra time he will have with his daughters.
Triple H it was an honor to have shared the ring with you. Thank you for the wealth of knowledge you have given to me over the years. Enjoy the extra time you will now have with your girls. #ThankYouTripleHpic.twitter.com/GL5FsadoJJ
The names reacting to Triple H’s retirement also included Ric Flair, Miro, Adam Cole and many more. You can check out some of the reactions below:
Just Landed & Wanted To Finish My Thoughts. After Being Put Under In 4 Different Surgeries In 7 Weeks, I Totally Understand The Fear & Anxiety Of Being Put To Sleep & Not Waking Up. You’ve Had One Of The Greatest Careers! Your Legacy Will Live On Forever! Much Respect! @TripleHpic.twitter.com/soaX9UOZZC
I will forever cherish this moment from you! This simple gesture gave me confirmation that I was finally walking in my purpose. You changed my life. Thank you for giving me a chance, for believing in me, & for all of your contributions inside & outside of the ring! @TripleHpic.twitter.com/5416Azy1tx
Thanks for doing so much for the professional wrestling industry, @TripleH. Your passionate love for the biz shines through & I’m happy I was able to experience some special moments with you. All the best, Paul. pic.twitter.com/34IhNfzPKw
Cody Rhodes’ WWE return is all but officially confirmed at this point. The real question is which avatar of the former TNT champion we will be seeing when he returns to WWE programming.
WrestleVotes Twitter account recently provided some update on the matter. They noted that some high-ranking officials have made a push for the former champion to return in his American Nightmare persona:
“Two very high-profile people were adamant to the boss that if (when) Cody Rhodes arrives, he should be exactly what he was in AEW. Presentation, ring gear, theme music, pyro, etc. The visual impact of the “American Nightmare” crossing the line is significant here.”
Two very high profile people were adamant to the boss that if (when) Cody Rhodes arrives, he should be exactly what he was in AEW. Presentation, ring gear, theme music, pyro, etc. The visual impact of the “American Nightmare” crossing the line is significant here.
After leaving WWE in 2016, the former Legacy member went on to become an indie sensation. He later played an instrumental role in the formation of All Elite Wrestling.
However, after Tony Khan decided to centralize the creative control in the company, Cody Rhodes made the decision to leave the promotion earlier this year.
WWE has been teasing the return of the former champion in recent weeks. All signs are pointing towards him having a match with Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38.
How do you feel about Cody Rhodes making his WWE return? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
AEW Rampage was taped on Wednesday from the HEB Center in Cedar Park, Texas. Ricky Starks defended the FTW Championship against Swerve Strickland in this week’s main event. Lance Archer battled Dustin Rhodes to begin the show.
Rampage Results (3/25)
Dustin Rhodes def. Lance Archer
reDRagon def. Dark Order
Nyla Rose def. Madi Wrenkowski
Ricky Starks def. Swerve Strickland to retain the FTW Championship
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Dustin Rhodes def. Lance Archer
Dustin Rhodes faced Lance Archer in the first match of the night. Before the match, Archer attacked one of Dustin’s students and had him in the Electric Chair on the ramp. Dustin broke it up and a brawl broke out. The match officially started once both wrestlers battled to the ring. Rhodes sent Lance Archer to the outside and went for a Senton but missed. Rhodes had blood coming from his ear and Archer beat him down as Rampage went to a commercial.
When Rampage returned, Archer connected with a Full Nelson Slam and went for the cover but Dustin kicked out. Dustin battled back and hit Cross Rhodes but Archer powered out at two. Lance connected with a Chokeslam for a two count and then went for the Black Out but Rhodes escaped. Dustin sent Archer into the exposed turnbuckle and rolled him up for the win.
After the match, Dan Lambert encouraged Lance Archer as he attacked Dustin. Archer threw Rhodes into the steps and then attacked some of his students. Lance then put Rhodes through a table to end the segment.
Fuego del Sol came to the ring and thanked the fans for their support. Fuego wanted to get revenge on House of Black and called them to the ring. Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews, and Brody King made their way to the ring and beat the hell out of Fuego. Dark Order then confronted House of Black on the entrance ramp for a stare down.
Dan Lambert and Men of the Year were interviewed backstage. TNT Champion Scorpio Sky announced that he will not be continuing the tradition of open challenges for the title. Sky claimed that the TNT Championship is too prestigious for people to be given a chance without earning it.
reDRagon Picked Up A Win, Adam Cole Stole The Tag Titles
ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) faced Dark Order’s Alan Angels (5) and 10 tonight. Dark Order controlled the first minute of the match before Rampage went to a commercial break. When Rampage returned, the action went back and forth. Angels hit both O’Reilly and Fish with a Crossbody. 10 followed it up with a Spinebuster on Bobby Fish but reDRagon battled back. Fish and O’Reilly hit Chasing the Dragon for the pinfall victory.
After the match, reDRagon beat Dark Order down some more before AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express (and Christian Cage) made the save. O’Reilly & Fish retreated and distracted the tag champs. Adam Cole took the opportunity to sneak down the entrance ramp and steal the tag titles. Cole stole the AEW Championship from Hangman Page on Dynamite two nights ago.
Nyla Rose was advertised as “in action” tonight, which is essentially AEW’s way of saying it will be a squash match. Rose faced Madi Wrenkowski and defeated her with ease. Chris Jericho was on commentary and declared Nyla Rose as his “Sports Entertainer of the Week” during her entrance.
HOOK Wasn’t Interested In QT Marshall’s “Certificate of Accomplishment”
QT Marshall made his way to the ring to present HOOK with the “QT Marshall Certificate of Accomplishment”. HOOK strutted to the ring and didn’t seem pleased to receive the certificate. Marshall claimed that the certificate signified the student surpassing the teacher. Aaron Solo was in the ring and shot off a confetti gun to celebrate. HOOK bashed Solo over the head with the glass encased certificate and exited. Danhausen showed up to try and curse HOOK but he just walked right by him. Danhausen was in disbelief to end the segment.
Ricky Starks Retained, Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland Sent A Message To Team Taz
Ricky Starks defended the FTW Championship against Swerve Strickland in this week’s main event. Mark Henry interviewed both competitors before the match. Starks mocked Swerve’s “whose house?” catchphrase and joked that he got evicted from his last house (fired from WWE). Swerve Strickland vowed to take the FTW Championship from Starks and got the crowd to chant his catchphrase during the promo.
Starks and Swerve both got chants before the bell rang. Strickland started off the match in control and connected with a Dropkick. Starks responded by slamming Stickland’s head into the turnbuckle as Rampage went to the final commercial break of the show.
When rampage returned, Ricky connected with a DDT and went for the cover but Swerve kicked out at two. Swerve sent Starks to the outside and hit a Shooting Star Press off the apron. Back in the ring, Strickland followed it up with a Double Stomp off the top rope for a near fall. Starks knocked Swerve to the outside and Powerhouse Hobbs leveled him with a shoulder tackle while the referee was distracted. Hobbs rolled Swerve back into the ring and Starks hit the Roshambo for the pinfall victory. Ricky Starks remains the FTW Champion.
After the match, Team Taz came down the ramp to celebrate with Ricky Starks with a banner. When they lowered the banner, Keith Lee showed up and attacked them. Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland sent Team Taz on the retreat to close this week’s edition of Rampage.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Sasha Banks battled Rhea Ripley, Shayna Baszler, and Queen Zelina in a Fatal 4-way tonight. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar enjoyed the show from Roman Reigns’ locker room as he waited for the Universal Champion to arrive.
Humbert def. Ricochet via count out (Championship Contender’s match)
Sasha Banks def. Queen Zelina, Rhea Ripley, Shayna Baszler in a Fatal 4-Way
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Brock Lesnar Is Waiting For Reigns, Nakamura def. Jimmy Uso
SmackDown opened up with WWE Champion Brock Lesnar standing outside of Universal Champion Roman Reigns’ locker room. Kayla Braxton asked Lesnar about his attack on Reigns last week. Lesnar claimed that he paid some fines, bought a new SUV for Roman, but it is his favorite color, blood red. Lesnar added that he spoke to management and they warned him not to touch Reigns unless he is provoked. Brock entered the locker room and enjoyed some snacks while he waited for Reigns to arrive.
Jimmy Uso battled Shinsuke Nakamura in tonight’s first match. Jey Uso and Rick Boogs were ringside for the match. The Usos will be defending the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Boogs & Nakamura at WrestleMania. A brawl broke out between the two teams before the bell and The Usos got launched out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial b break.
When SmackDown returned, the match officially started and Jimmy controlled the action early. Uso got Nakamura in an armbar but Shinsuke escaped and mocked The Bloodline’s finger point taunt. Jimmy connected with an Enziguri but Nakamura shrugged it off and sent Jimmy out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial.
Back from the break, Nakamura was still in control and went for the Kinshasa but got distracted by Jey Uso attacking Boogs ringside. Jimmy asked for Boogs’ guitar but Rick broke it up. Boogs launched Jey into the ring post as Nakamura capitalized on the distraction with the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory.
Brock Lesnar was still in Reigns’ locker room and took a sip of champagne. Lesnar wasn’t a fan of the taste and spit it out all over the place as SmackDown went back to a commercial.
Drew McIntyre was interviewed backstage tonight. McIntyre said his rivalry against Happy Corbin has become personal and he finds joy in making Corbin’s life a living hell. Drew claimed he could take out Corbin any time he wants but is saving the moment for WrestleMania. Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss were then shown backstage. Corbin said he we was going to defeat McIntyre and celebrate over his body at WrestleMania.
Ridge Holland was supposed to face Kofi Kingston tonight on SmackDown. Sheamus & Butch were ringside for the match. Kofi Kingston made his way to the entrance ramp and announced the return of Xavier Woods. King Woods got a great reaction from the crowd and then battled Ridge Holland in a singles match. Holland went after King Woods’ leg and beat him down for a minute. Woods responded with a roll-up for the quick pinfall victory.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman arrived backstage in a car. Reigns warned Lesnar to get out of his locker room before he gets there and cracks his head open.
Ronda Rousey came down to the ring before SmackDown went to a break. Charlotte Flair will be defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania. When SmackDown returned, Rousey called out Flair but the champion appeared via satellite. Flair said she’s not in Brooklyn and doesn’t have to answer when Rousey calls because she’s the one that is the champ.
Rousey said she broke her first competitor’s arm at 14 and has since lost count. Ronda claimed that Charlotte will be another broken arm added to the list (that she has lost count of). Brock Lesnar was asked to respond to Reign’s warning and decided to throw a lamp across the room.
Angel Garza faced Intercontinental Champion Ricochet tonight in a Championship Contender’s match. Garza capitalized on a distraction from Humberto Carrillo and pinned the champ with a simple cradle to earn a future title shot. Ricochet demanded a match against Humberto Carrillo and sent him out of the ring with a Dropkick as SmackDown went to a break. This was also a Championship Contender’s match.
When SmackDown returned, Ricochet hit a Frankensteiner off the top rope but got distracted by Garza. Humberto rolled him up for a two count but Ricochet responded with a Northern Lights Suplex. Angel pulled Humberto out of the ring and the champ dove onto both of them. Ricochet rolled Humberto back into the ring but Angel prevented the champion from getting back into the ring. Humberto won the match via count out. It was announced that Ricochet will defending the Intercontinental Championship in a Triple Threat match next week on “WrestleMania SmackDown.
Michael Cole spoke to Pat McAfee about his upcoming match against Austin Theory at WrestleMania. Austin came out of nowhere and hit McAfee with a cheap shot. Pat was pissed off and chased Theory backstage. However, Austin hid in Vince McMahon’s office and Mcafee bashed on the door out of anger to end the segment.
Austin Theory is playing mind games with @PatMcAfeeShow.
Queen Zelina, Sasha Banks, Shayna Baszler, and Rhea Ripley competed in a Fatal 4-Way tonight on SmackDown. Queen Zelina & Carmella will defend the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Banks & Naomi, Ripley & Liv Morgan, and Baszler & Natalya at WrestleMania.
Sasha and Rhea Ripley started off the action as Shayna retreated out of the ring. Banks sent Ripley to the corner and connected with a Bulldog for a two count. Vega got Banks out of the ring and bashed her into the commentary table. Everyone started brawling as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Sasha went for the Bank Statement but Baszler broke it up. Sasha then got Baszler in the Bank Statement but Rhea Ripley broke it up before Shayna tapped. Vega connected with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb on Banks and went for the cover but Shayna broke it up at two. Vega knocked Baszler to the outside and took an opportunity to pose for the crowd. It quickly backfired and Sasha got Vega in the Bank Statement for the submission victory.
In addition to the IC Title Triple Threat match announced for next week’s WrestleMania edition of SmackDown, next Friday’s show will also feature the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman finally arrived at Barclays before the final segment of tonight’s show. Heyman told Reigns that he doesn’t feel good about this but the Tribal Chief assured him it will be fine as SmackDown went to a final commercial break.
Roman Reigns took his time getting to the ring when SmackDown returned and posed with the Universal Championship as pyro went off. Reigns asked Brooklyn to acknowledge him and wondered where Brock was. Lesnar appeared on the Jumbotron and bashed Reigns’ vehicle. Roman laughed and claimed Brock was scared of him. Lesnar hit the vehicle with the axe a few more times before exiting.
Lesnar made his way through the crowd and arrived near the announce desk where a bunch of security guards were waiting for him. Brock grabbed a steel chair and leaped off of the announce table. Lesnar beat down the guards with the chair as Reigns retreated. Roman cut a promo backstage vowing to beat Lesnar at WrestleMania and make Brock acknowledge him as the Undisputed Champion.
On Friday, Triple H announced his retirement from wrestling after dealing with viral pneumonia that led to cardiac issues which resulted in a defibrillator being put into his chest. He won’t be able to actively compete in the ring again.
In the full interview with Stephen A. Smith on Stephen A’s World, Triple H revealed that there were plans in place for him to compete at WrestleMania 38. However, his health scare nixed those plans.
“I was already at a place in my career, as far as the in-ring goes, where I was comfortable being done and finished. If the right thing came along, I hadn’t really said much, but if the right thing came along and they wanted me to do it.”
He continued, “I had a conversation with Vince McMahon about doing something at WrestleMania this year in Dallas. We had talked about and there were plans for. Obviously, when this happened, it shut all that down. As far as the schedule, WWE is an intense place, it’s 24/7 and you’re running, running, running. It put things in perspective for me.”
Triple H did not give what the exact plans for WrestleMania 38 were. He did note that he is back in the office and now focused on recruitment. His endurance is not quite what it used to be before, but working his way there. He wants to make sure that WWE is a success for generations to come.
Sami Zayn has shared what he expects to go down once he shares the ring with Jackass co-creator and star Johnny Knoxville.
In storyline, Knoxville has been a thorn in Zayn’s side for months. Knoxville even cost Zayn the WWE Intercontinental Championship. He lost the gold to Ricochet on the March 4 episode of SmackDown thanks to Knoxville’s interference.
Sami Zayn vs. Johnny Knoxville: What To Expect
Metro got a chance to speak with Zayn, who is scheduled to clash with Johnny Knoxville on night two (April 3) of WrestleMania 38. Zayn discussed his expectations for the match:
“On the one hand, yeah, I get to test that pain threshold of his, which he’s famous for. But on the other hand, if it’s straight up wrestling I don’t think anybody expects him to be able to hang with me.
“But the fact that it’s anything goes might open the door to some of the stuff he’s good at, which is the gags and the pranks and the weapons and whatever else it is….I think this whole thing has been a lot of fun, certainly for me.
“I hope it’s been fun for the audience as well, because we’ve gotten to build the match in some very unique and orthodox ways that you just don’t get to do with another WWE superstar. We’ve gotten to do some really outside the box, unconventional and fun things to build this match.”
Zayn admitted that he was never a fan of the Jackass series. The former NXT Champion said he simply doesn’t like to watch other people get hurt.
Kurt Angle spoke to Sports Illustrated and he detailed what Gable Steveson must do in order to thrive in this industry.
“He’ll need to make sure he’s well prepared and learns all the techniques, which I think he will do very quickly, but the hardest part is the character perspective. I would tell him to practice daily, look in a mirror and work on those promo skills. He needs to show he has a lot of fire and personality. That’s where a lot of former amateur wrestlers have failed in professional wrestling. They didn’t have the personality.”
Angle also shared his opinion on what made Steveson so good in the amateur ranks.
“To be in the very best in the entire world at his age at only 21, it’s very rare. And Gable proved he is the best in the world … The way he’s able to shuffle and turn his matches into a dogfight, and then come out on top, he’s really good at that.
“He’s such an incredible athlete for his size. Watch his balance; it’s amazing. He has a good knack for knowing where his body and his hips are. The kid is so mature, from a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint.
“And he brought a positive light on the sport of amateur wrestling. To me, that is incredible. Now he has the chance to make a big splash in WWE.”
A lot of comparisons between Angle and Steveson have been made. Angle was a multiple-time world champion in WWE and Impact Wrestling. He was even a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Angle’s success didn’t just boil down to his incredible in-ring work. He also had the personality to match. Time will tell whether or not Steveson can captivate the WWE Universe.
Chris Jericho had a major health scare last year at a time when AEW still bringing in big names such as Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, and Adam Cole.
Jericho was hospitalized in December with what was described as a treatable non-covid health issue, which caused his rock band Fozzy to cancel concerts in Swansea, Wales, and Nottingham, England. He was hospitalized just so the doctors could observe him overnight.
AEW President Tony Khan recently sat down with STRONG STYLE on Outlaw Nation to discuss a wide variety of subjects. During it, he noted that Jericho was out of action for a few months due to a blood clot.
“When CM Punk Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole came in, I saw them as adding two great stars. We already had Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley. Well, very quickly. Chris Jericho had a blood clot and was out of the ring for months. And Jon Moxley was gone for months, and Kenny Omega has been out for months. So we had our first three champions. Jericho Moxley and Omega all go out within a very short time span.”
He added that he was glad he signed Punk, Danielson, and Cole or they would have been in real trouble at the end of the year. Khan didn’t confirm when Jericho was dealing with this, but he did miss two months around the time period that Khan was talking about.
Jericho’s last match of 2021 was at AEW Full Gear on November 13th where The Inner Circle defeated American Top Team in a street fight. He didn’t wrestle until the January 26th episode of AEW Dynamite in a tag team match.
Ricky Starks is the current FTW Champion but what exactly is his goal with the title?
Starks has made several successful FTW Title defenses. It’s a piece of hardware created by Taz in his ECW days. The “Human Suplex Machine” passed the title down to Brian Cage before turning on him. Starks then defeated Cage to capture the gold.
Ricky Starks On Plans For FTW Championship
Ricky Starks made an appearance on Busted Open Radio and he went into detail on the pressure of making sure he does Taz justice with his title reign.
“You know what, ever since I actually won the title, it’s been a very big goal of mine to – I don’t wanna say revamp, but make it a lot more important than what the previous champion was doing with it. And so, obviously, Taz is very protective of the FTW Championship because there’s a big history and it’s a part – it’s a huge part of him.
“So, not only do I have the pressure of making sure I retain the championship, but I also have the pressure of making sure that I do right by Taz. And represent that championship as best as I can to my ability. And I think we’ve gotten to a point him and I, where he can trust me, that I will not do wrong by him when it comes to the FTW Title.”
Starks’ next title defense will be against newly-signed AEW talent Swerve Strickland. The two will share the ring on the March 25 episode of Rampage.
A new trademark filing may be used for All Elite Wrestling’s highly anticipated AEW console video game.
On Monday (3/21), AEW filed an application to secure the phrase, AEW: Fight Forever. According to the US Patent & Trademark Office database, the Goods & Services usage is listed as:
“Downloadable game software; Downloadable computer game software; Downloadable electronic game software; Downloadable interactive game software; Video game discs; Downloadable video game programs; Downloadable video game software; Recorded video game programs; Recorded video game software.”
AEW also filed to trademark the term “Undisputed Elite” this week. The Goods & Services usage for Undisputed Elite is described as:
“Fan clubs; Providing a website featuring entertainment information in the fields of sports and entertainment; Providing entertainment information in the fields of sports and entertainment via a website; Conducting entertainment exhibitions in the nature of wresting exhibits and performances by professional wrestlers; Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network.”
AEW Video Game
AEW is expected to release its first console video game later this year. Below are some recent articles chronicling the games development:
WWE executive Paul Levesque (Triple H) has provided an update on his health and future after undergoing a “cardiac event” in late 2021.
The 14-time World Champion spoke with Stephen A. Smith for ESPN this week. A portion of the conversation aired on Friday’s episode of First Take.
Triple H said, “I had a viral pneumonia. My lungs were inflamed, as the next couple of days went on, it got increasingly worse, and my wife saw some blood and stuff that I was coughing up. I went and got checked, and it was coming from the viral pneumonia, but I had fluid in my lungs, fluid around my heart.”
Doctors performed a thorough examination, including an EKG. Ejection fraction is the way your heart pumps blood and 55-60 is considered a healthy range. Triple H was down to 30.
“I got a quick text message saying “Don’t take time, pack your bag and head to the emergency room… by the time i got to the emergency room, my ejection fraction got down to about 22, which… I was in heart failure, bad. By the next morning, they figured that out, by the time I was going in to get a heart catheter my ejection was down to 12. I was nose diving and sort of at the 1-yard line of.. where you don’t want to be, for your family and your future.”
https://youtu.be/o5N1AurWE3I
As a family man, Triple H got emotional talking about his medical emergency.
“Let me tell you, its 99% .. it gets real, we have three young girls, 15, 13 and 11. Suddenly I come home, I’m a little bit sick, and their dad who is strong, always, suddenly is in the hospital. I don’t know if they understood the consequences of it, but there’s moments in there where .. when they’re putting you out for stuff and you think, ‘Is this it? Do you wake up from this?’ That’s tough to swallow and makes you think differently… it makes you think differently about life. It doesn’t make you any less driven for the things that you do, but it certainly makes you appreciate the things that you have more, your friends, your family.”
Triple H then confirmed he will never wrestle again because he had a defibrillator pacemaker installed in his chest.
“For me, as far as in-ring, which I get a lot, I’m done. I will never wrestle again. I have a defibrillator in my chest, which .. It’s probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on life tv.”
Stephen A. Smith’s full interview with Triple H premieres Friday night on Stephen A’s World, which streams on ESPN+.
Pete Dunne is the latest Superstar to receive a new ring name on WWE’s main roster. Fans have widely mocked his new name, Butch, but he’s trying to keep a positive outlook on things.
The former NXT UK champion appeared on Mark Andrews: My Love Letter to Wrestling. Among other things, he revealed his reaction to his new name.
The superstar now known as Butch suggested that it may be a good time to change things up since he has been in NXT for 5 years. Dunne then explained that his persona will remain the same despite the renaming:
“The thing is with me, whether it’s a name or whatever changes, that’s not what really endeared me to the audience in the first place, right?
I’d like to think anyway it’s the quality of the in-ring work,” said Pete Dunne, “and that’s what I’m going to keep the same, of course. And it’s going to get better, it’s going to improve as time goes.”
The English star signed with WWE way back in 2016. He first had a successful run in NXT UK before he moved to the main NXT brand in 2020.
After competing in dark matches for months, Dunne finally made his main roster debut during the March 11 episode of SmackDown. He aligned himself with Sheamus and Ridge Holland, and revealed his new name Butch.
WWE has announced that Shad Gaspard will receive the Warrior Award next week at the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.
Gaspard tragically passed back away in May of 2020. He was caught in a rip current in Venice Beach while saving his son.
Shad was with WWE from 2002-2007. However, his most notable work in the company comes from his partnership with JTG as a part of Cryme Tyme. Cryme Tyme debuted in OVW and the main roster 2006. The group was released in 2007, and then brought back from 2008 to 2010.
The Warrior Award
The Warrior Award is “presented to an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance” and who has lived life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior.
The award was established in 2015. Connor “The Crusher” Michalek, Joan Lunden, Eric LeGrand, Jarrius “JJ” Robertson, Sue Aitchison, Rich Hering and Titus O’Neil are all past recipients of the award.
Hall of Fame 2022
So far, The Undertaker, Vader, and Sharmell have been announced for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class.
The 2022 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony airs Friday, April 1st on Peacock immediately following WWE SmackDown.
Congratulations to the family and friends of Shad Gaspard.
The fourth edition of IMPACT’s Rebellion is just about a month away and matches are starting to get announced.
This will be the go-to article for an updated card of the matches and segments announced for IMPACT’s Rebellion pay-per-view.
Rebellion is annually held during the month of April, and the event was first held in 2019. Last year’s event was headlined by Rich Swann vs Kenny Omega in a winner take all match for the Impact World Championship and the AEW World Championship. This match, and show, acted as the beginning of Kenny Omega’s journey in IMPACT Wrestling as The Belt Collector persona.
IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion 2022 Matches
IMPACT World Championship: Moose (c) vs. Josh Alexander
IMPACT X-Division Championship: Trey Miguel (c) vs. Ace Austin vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey
IMPACT Tag Team Championship Eight Team Elimination Challenge: Violent By Design (c) vs. TBD
IMPACTKnockouts World Championship: Tasha Steelz (c) vs. Rosemary
AAA Reina De Reinas Championship: Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie
Tomohiro Ishii vs. JONAH
Jonathan Gresham vs. Eddie Edwards
Date, Time & How to Watch
IMPACT Wrestling Rebellion is scheduled to take place at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. This event follows IMPACT’s Multiverse of Matches event that will take place during WrestleMania weekend through WrestleCon on April 1 at 10:00PM EST.
IMPACT’s Rebellion takes place on Saturday, April 23, 2022. The air time is set for 8:00 PM EST.
You can watch IMPACT’s Rebellion on FITE or through cable pay-per-view providers. The show is priced at $39.99.
We are just a week out from WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania. Once again, the event will be a 2-night affair, a trend that’s expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
WWE’s decision to hold WrestleMania over two nights is based on several factors, most importantly, ticket sales and merchandise revenue. By splitting up the match card over two nights, WWE avoids a 7+ hour marathon show, which many fans found to be excessive.
The current plan is for each night of WrestleMania to run for five hours, according to the Wrestling Observer. This includes a 2-hour kickoff show (6-8pm ET) and a 3-hour main show (8-11pm ET). There’s a strong likelihood the main cards run over 3 hours.
WrestleMania Saturday and Sunday will be shown in movie theaters across the United States and Canada. Fathom Events, the company bringing WrestleMania to theaters, lists a 4-hour run time for the main shows.
The WrestleMania Saturday pre-show will air on the USA Network, in addition to it streaming on Peacock. As of this writing, we haven’t seen anything about the WrestleMania Sunday pre-show airing on television.
We’ve received a few questions about whether or not there will be a battle royal at WrestleMania. WWE has featured these in the past, as a way to get more talent on the card. As of this writing, there are no plans for a men’s or women’s battle royal. There has been talk of holding an Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on WWE TV in the weeks ahead.
WWE continues to move tickets for WrestleMania, with approximately 60,800 and 58,500 tickets sold for Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The stadium will be configured for 65,000 fans, but WWE will almost certainly announce an attendance above 70,000.
For what it’s worth, the secondary market for WrestleMania tickets has been softer than usual. That is likely a function of there still being thousands of seats still available, starting at around $35.
Do not read too much into the fact that there are still a lot of tickets available for WrestleMania. This will be the most profitable WWE event by a long shot, in terms of ticket sales and merchandise revenue.
