Nia Jax (Lina Fanene) got trolled over the weekend at an independent wrestling event.
The former WWE Superstar champion has been vocal about her opposition to COVID-19 vaccine, as well as masks that are worn to stop the spread of the virus. She feels very strongly about these views.
Last month, she wrote on Twitter that many of ‘your favorites’ agree with her. She went as far as to say, “I know a lot of people in many professional sports that just paid & got a real card from a doctor..soooo”
Independent promotion WWR+ (Women’s Wrestling Revolution Plus) ribbed Nia Jax at latest show. The WWR+ ring announcer announced that Nia Jax would be heading to the ring, but then corrected himself and said she would not be able to appear due to the venue’s vaccination policy.
The gag got a mild reaction from the audience, as seen below:
Jax has said she’s almost certainly done with wrestling. She is scheduled to make a rare appearance at WrestleCon during WrestleMania weekend in Dallas, TX.
Former WWE Superstar Toni Storm has generated over $35,000 dollars in the 24 hours since her OnlyFans account has gone live.
Storm revealed earlier in the week that she was going to be offering exclusive content to fans on the platform, and it went live on Saturday 19th.
As of writing, there are currently 1837 likes on the first post of Storm’s OnlyFans, which means there are at least 1837 people signed to the service paying at most $19.99 per month.
There are also yearly discounts available on the subscription service, but the majority of subscribers will likely be paying the $19.99 monthly subscription.
It’s worth noting that OnlyFans takes a 20% cut, but that is still a significant amount of money being generated for the former WWE Superstar.
Toni Storm OnlyFans
It’s an absolutely huge amount for the former PROGRESS Women’s Champion to earn in such a short space of time.
With potential earnings like that going forward, you’d wonder why she would even consider getting back in the ring anytime soon.
Of course, Toni Storm left WWE back in late 2021, with the reasoning supposedly being that the Australian star was “burnt out.”
It was a shock at the time, with Storm in a feud with Charlotte Flair and a potential title match for the former WWE NXT UK Champion down the line.
There’s no indication that she has signed with the likes of IMPACT or AEW, but for the time being she appears to be focusing on providing fans with content on her OnlyFans account.
Storm’s partner Juice Robinson is currently in the United States performing for both NJPW STRONG and IMPACT Wrestling, so there’s a chance that she could follow him to AXS TV on Thursday nights alongside the likes of Gisele Shaw, Deonna Purrazzo and Kiera Hogan.
Rising independent wrestling star Kidd Bandit hopes to impress at Game Changer Wrestling: Effy’s Big Gay Brunch.
After starting their career last year, Bandit has become a fan favorite in the independent wrestling scene. The star has also competed for All Elite Wrestling twice only months into their career. “The Protagonist of Professional Wrestling” is having success in their profession, but it came after years of hardship.
I recently had the chance to speak one on one with Kidd Bandit. Here’s the video of our discussion, followed by written highlights.
Kidd Bandit Early Life in the Philippines
Growing up in the Philippines, Bandit had a challenging upbringing. Their mom struggled financially, and their dad worked overseas. While still a kid and in school, Bandit sold cigarettes to earn money.
“…I wanted to be a wrestler, but when you are a kid living in poverty, you didn’t really have dreams,” said Bandit. They continued, “… I attended a catholic school for a bunch of rich kids because I was smart enough to get into the school, but I didn’t have the funds. My mom scrapped by. She did what she could. My father worked overseas. For me, I had to sell cigarettes as a kid. In the Philippines, you kind of have to make by.”
Bandit explained that some people worked as street vendors or did what they could to make money. The independent wrestling star clarified that they didn’t smoke cigarettes but helped sell them for profit. “The Protagonist of Professional Wrestling” was unsure life would get better. Fortunately, their mom got a better work opportunity, and Bandit moved to the United States with her.
(Via AEW)
Kidd Bandit Getting into Professional Wrestling
While in the Philippines, Bandit didn’t have cable. However, they would play the WWE games on the Playstation 2, which sparked the interest in wrestling.
After coming to the U.S, the Bandit family settled in California, where the star became more interested in wrestling. During this time, The independent wrestling star would often play with Cody Rhodes in Smackdown vs. Raw 09. Bandit credits their 8th-grade teacher for helping motivate them to follow their dreams. Life came full circle last year when Bandit attended the Nightmare Factory to train under Rhodes.
In 8 months, Bandit has quickly achieved success and is beloved by wrestling fans.
Kidd Bandit on Dealing with Success
Bandit is becoming a star on the independent scene, but his stardom comes at a price. They are dedicated to professional wrestling. Although it has resulted in excellent opportunities, Bandit is struggling to balance their personal life.
Bandit admitted that they have sacrificed relationships because they are devoted to their wrestling career.
“…It’s gotten to the point that this is my job. I make enough of an income to support myself just as a wrestler. It’s pretty amazing to be in that position, but it’s also very alarming because this basically happened overnight for me. The people I could ask for advice, and it’s going to sound arrogant, but some of the people who I usually look up to for advice I’ve passed them over. I’m a bigger name than the people I want to ask for help, so now it’s getting to the point where I’m blazing a path on my own,” said Bandit.
Bandit further explained, “My friend Trevor Outlaw kind of told me this is that years from now people will look back at like Kidd Bandit story and say that I set the pace for what it’s like to be an indie wrestler who works hard. Because I don’t think anyone has blown up, at least in the indies, I don’t think anyone has blown up as fast as I have. It always baffles people when I tell them I’m only eight months in, whereas some people would say that they wouldn’t be at the amount of level of travel or exposure that I’m experiencing now until years, decades even into their careers and I’m doing that less than a year. It’s very overwhelming, It’s very scary. It’s very lonely.”
Although the success happened quickly, Bandit won’t let it change who they are.
Kidd Bandit on EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch
GCW: Effy’s Big Gay Brunch takes place on April 2nd at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. The event will feature wrestlers that are from the LGBTQ+ community. Incidentally, Effy’s Big Gay Brunch that will occur in the state is also taking away the rights of transgender children.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wants the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents that want their transgender children to receive medical treatment like puberty blockers and other gender-affirming procedures. He believes it is child abuse. The BBC reported on Mar. 11 that “Judge Amy Clark Meachum ruled that the directive from Governor Greg Abbott violated the Texas state constitution.” Judge Meachum’s decision stopped the investigations, as the report states that a “trial challenging the directive is due to take place in July.”
Bandit is aware of Effy’s Big Gay Brunch’s importance and shared they plan to donate their money to The Trevor Project.
“When I found out about the whole thing in Texas, and it’s not just Texas actually, I know there is a Don’t Say Gay Bill in Florida. There’s the Idaho one, which is very similar to Texas. There is a lot of invalidation going around,” said Bandit. They continued, “…I messaged Effy I was like what we are doing in Dallas means a lot more now. I don’t know if I should say this. I don’t even remember if I told him this, I don’t care about the money right now. I was planning on donating it all to The Trevor Project anyway, but it was one of those things I remember being a teen not knowing who I was.
Bandit reflected on growing up and hearing LGBTQ+ slurs often. However, they believe the LGBT+ community is more accepted today, but more needs to be done.
What to Expect From Kidd Bandit at EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch
Bandit isn’t sure who they are facing at EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch. However, they plan to compete at the highest level and showcase their skills.
“…I’m coming into this like Super Saiyan 4, Super Saiyan God. The Kidd Bandit Big Gay Brunch is going to be pushed to the limit times ten because I’m not going to come in there and just say oh, we are just as good as a heterosexual wrestler,” said Bandit. They explained, “…I got to be honest for the longest time if you were LGBT in wrestling you existence was tokenized, you were looked as a sideshow attraction, you were hired as a diversity hire. Nah, this time, we get to show the world, and hell, we might even be better, so there is a lot to prove, especially with it being in Texas.”
EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch will be available on FITE for $13.99 or 139.99 if you buy the GCW: The Collective bundle. For Bandit, They will continue to follow their dream as they aim to have a great match at the event.
AEW and DDT Pro Wrestling from Japan have partnered up together.
DDT held its “DDT Judgement 2022” show to celebrate their 25th anniversary on 20 March at the Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. At the event, AEW’s Michael Nakazawa returned to DDT to face CyberFight President Sanshiro Takagi in an “I’m Sorry” match. The match came to be because Nakazawa was tired of Takagi embarrassing him and Nakazawa challenged him to the match.
Nakazawa lost, so according to the stipulation, he had to apologize to Takagi in front of the audience. Even though Nakazawa apologized, Takagi slammed him on a bunch of containers.
After the match, Nakazawa said that he hopes AEW and DDT get along going forward, and Tagaki thanked Nagazawa and Kenny. “Let’s make AEW, DDT and ALL of the Wrestling world more exciting,” he said.
— DDT Pro-Wrestling (English) (@ddtproENG) March 20, 2022
Afterwards, AEW VP of Talent Relations, Christopher Daniels appeared via video to make an announcement regarding the partnership:
“Ohayou gozaimasu! This is Christopher Daniels, and I am Vice President of Talent Relations for All Elite Wrestling. And I’d like to take this opportunity to say congratulations to DDT on their 25th anniversary. And I’d like to also announce that AEW and DDT have come to an agreement to bring DDT’s wrestlers to the United States of America. And I for one am looking forward to introducing the top talent from DDT to the American wrestling fanbase. So until that time, ganbatte kudasai DDT! And we will see you soon.”
You can watch the video of the announcement below:
?Announcement! ?
AEW's VP of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels has a message! @facdaniels
Vince McMahon revealed recently that he would be the one to induct Undertaker into Hall Of Fame. Though The Dead Man himself is nervous about this because he has no idea what Vince will say.
The wrestling legend recently had an interview with Dallas Morning News. He mentioned how the boss loves to play practical jokes:
“I have absolutely no clue what he’s going to say, I’m a little bit nervous,” said The Undertaker, “there’s no one that Vince loves to play practical jokes on more than me.
The fact that the Hall Of Fame is on April Fool’s Day, who knows what’s going to happen. I do know it’s going to be emotional; I am not sure to what lengths he will go to not to completely fall apart and be emotional.”
Undertaker also noted that it was him who asked Mr. McMahon to induct him. Though according to him there has been radio silence between the two since then:
“We’ve almost had radio silence here for the last few weeks after I asked him to induct me. So, I have no idea what to even begin to expect from him,”
Apart from this, Taker discussed how he turned down the Hall Of Fame induction the first time he was offered. You can read his comments on the matter here.
Former AEW EVP and reportedly re-signed WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes made some intriguing comments regarding his previous place of employment in an interview that has resurfaced.
In an old episode of the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Rhodes revealed that he wanted to stay with the company as an EVP until he “died.”
“I wanna stay an Executive Vice President of All Elite Wrestling, and I’ve told Tony [Khan] this, until I die” Rhodes claimed during the interview with Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards.
“This is where I, this is the end of my road. I can’t necessarily go back [to WWE], the others can change [their mind] but I really can’t” Rhodes concluded.
Cody Rhodes Re-Signing with WWE
Rhodes is of course entitled to change his mind on the matter, and it appears he has done so with his WWE return impending.
Although Cody has taken shots against WWE in the past couple of years, it is clear that Vince McMahon does not take these personally.
There have been many instances of Superstars returning to the company after having issues in the past, and it’s fair to say that these problems were a whole lot worse than destroying a throne on PPV.
Hopefully, this will be a good move for Rhodes’ career, and he will be able to return to WWE in a main event level capacity.
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar recently revealed to SmackDown Superstar Natalya that he wanted to have a dream match with her uncle and WWE Hall of Famer, Bret Hart.
Speaking to the Sports Guys Talking Wrestling Podcast, Natalya revealed discussions backstage with the Beast Incarnate, saying that Lesnar vs Hart was a dream match of his.
“I like to go to Brock for advice and he does know what he’s talking about” Natalya revealed during the interview.
“He told me a dream match for him would’ve been to wrestle Bret Hart” the daughter of Jim Neidhart continued.
“We were talking last week and he said that would’ve been a dream match because I told him how much Bret was a fan of his work. I think Brock is awesome” Nattie concluded.
Brock Lesnar vs Bret Hart
Obviously, Bret Hart vs Brock Lesnar is not a match that could ever happen, but it is certainly an intriguing prospect.
Many other performers have listed Hart as their dream opponent, with the likes of CM Punk heaping even more praise on ‘The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be’ in recent months.
Kurt Angle has said in the past that he wishes he could’ve had a match with the Hall of Famer, and Hart himself reciprocated the idea in his autobiography.
Matt Sydal has not been seen on AEW programming for a while. Turns out the reason for it is a knee injury he suffered a few weeks ago.
The AEW star took on his Twitter to react to all the wishes he got on his birthday on March 19. He also provided some update on his health, confirming that he dislocated his knee which is going to keep him out of action for sometime:
“Thanks for the birthday love. A brief update: I dislocated my knee a few weeks back which is why I haven’t been active in AEW. In good news, there were no tears in my acl or pcl. Gonna do some meditating then BRB better than ever. “
Thanks for the birthday love. ??? A brief update: I dislocated my knee a few weeks back which is why I haven’t been active in AEW. In good news, there were no tears in my acl or pcl. Gonna do some meditating then BRB better than ever. ???
The high-flying star made his AEW debut during the All Out PPV in 2020. He was the Joker in the Casino Battle Royale.
Matt Sydal last wrestled for Tony Khan’s promotion during the February 16 episode of AEW Dark: Elevation. His team won a 10-person tag team match on the show.
WWE Raw star Gable Steveson has successfully defended his NCAA championship, becoming a two times champion in the process.
The amateur wrestling star faced Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz in the finals on Saturday. The match took place in Detroit.
The Apple Valley native snapped his opponent down the mat in the opening seconds of the match. This gained him the lead which he would not lose till the end.
Gable Steveson established a 4-1 advantage with another takedown late in the first period. One more takedown in the second period then ensured his 6-2 victory in the championship match.
The heavyweight star hugged his coach and gave the crowd his signature backflip as his victory celebration. After that, Steveson took off his shoes and left them in the center of the mat, indicating the end of his collegiate career.
WWE sent out an official statement on Gable Steveson’s win. People from the company, including Triple H also congratulated him on Twitter:
Barstool Athlete Gable Steveson ends his wrestling career with his second national championship and leaves his shoes on the mat.
Steveson signed a multi-year deal with WWE in September 2021. The Olympic Gold Medalist was drafted to the Raw brand and he has made a few on-screen appearances for the company since then. Though his contract officially begins in May when he graduates from college.
Rhino, the former WWE star currently performing on Impact Wrestling has plans to wrestle for at least another 5 years before finally hanging up his boots and transitioning to a behind-the-scenes role as a producer.
Rhino is enjoying his time in Impact Wrestling after having a long-lasting career in the ring. He is celebrating 27 years in pro wrestling and discussed his longevity in the industry while appearing on the podcast The Angle. He also discussed how long he expects to see himself competing full-time in the ring and what his plans are afterwards.
Rhino said he isn’t planning to return anytime soon and he has a lot of time left in the business. When asked who he would like to face before his eventual retirement, Rhino named Kevin Owens.
Speaking on the podcast, Rhino said, “I would really like to… I don’t know why Kevin Owens’ name just popped in my head. Probably because I am here in Philly, and I am talking to you from Philly.
“I’m at that point where I’m starting to, you know, [be] less in the ring and more behind the scenes in phase and that’s one of the beauties I love about Impact. One of the many beauties is that I can start producing. So, and then hopefully I can get, God willing, five more years out of in the ring full time. I would definitely like to do one of my last shows at the arena. Hopefully, I have the ability to be the one to choose whether to walk away,” Rhino said.
Rhino has had a long career in wrestling, starting from ECW. He won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship and the ECW Television Championship, being the last champion to hold both titles. He would then go on to work for the WWE and was involved in The Invasion storyline. He stayed with the company until 2005 and then worked with TNA and won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Rhino would return to WWE in 2015 and worked in NXT as a veteran. He would then be promoted to the main roster and on his time in SmackDown, he would become the inaugural SmackDown Tag Team Champion with Heath Slater. He left WWE again in 2019 and has been working in Impact Wrestling since then.
Jeff Hardy wasn’t sure that his AEW debut will be happening on the post-Revolution Dynamite until last minute. This was because he leaked news of his AEW commitment.
Speaking of his debut, Jeff mentioned how he thought it would be delayed because of his viral video. He said that he didn’t even know his flight schedule the day before:
“I was crazy nervous that whole day. It was so bizarre, the night before, I had no idea what time my flight would be, if I was going. I kept telling myself, ‘they’re probably going to wait until next week because [of the video]'”
Jeff Hardy then revealed that he learned on the morning of March 9 that the plans were still on. Matt Hardy explained that Tony Khan couldn’t speak to Jeff in an official capacity until the day of his debut:
“Tony (Khan) wasn’t going to speak to him until his contract was totally done. We were planting the seeds of me turning babyface and being able to re-team with Jeff at some point in the future, there wasn’t a set time of when it would happen for sure.”
Matt Hardy noted last week that he has extended his contract with AEW. Later in the episode, he revealed that his brother was offered the same deal by Tony Khan.
Many expected Kenny Omega to be back by the time for Revolution when he first took time off from AEW programming.
The PPV came and went without a sign of the former AEW champion. Latest reports now suggest that fans will have to wait even longer for the Cleaner’s return.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently provided some update on the AEW star. He noted that Omega is currently recovering from an arthroscopic knee surgery which takes about 10 weeks.
In addition to the knee surgery, Kenny Omega is expected to undergo procedure for a sports hernia at the end of March. The usual recovery time for this is two months.
Meltzer noted that apart from this “there’s also other things he’s taking care of.” With all the issues he has been dealing with, there is currently no timetable for his return.
The former IWGP heavyweight champion himself commented on his hiatus last month. He had noted how they initially expected him to be back by February but it doesn’t appear to be the case anymore.
Though this doesn’t mean Omega is not involved with the company in other capacity. He has been working on the AEW video game in the meantime and has also been thinking about his post wrestling career.
During this week’s SmackDown, major changes were made to the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match scheduled for WrestleMania 38.
Originally, the match was set involving Sasha Banks and Naomi going against WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Carmella and Queen Zelina Vega.
The match was then changed to a triple threat contest when Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan defeated the champions in a non-title match on last week’s Raw, thus getting added to the mix.
But during this week’s SmackDown in Charlotte, North Carolina, Shayna Baszler and Natalya attacked during an ongoing Banks and Naomi vs. Ripley and Morgan tag team match. They attacked everyone and caused havoc.
Prior to the attack, Banks and Naomi hit a splash and a Moonsault on Ripley and went for the pin, only for Morgan to break it up. They sent Morgan out of the ring, with Banks tagging in and them picking up Ripley onto the top rope. However, Morgan lifted them all instead and all of them slammed on to the ring. This is exactly when Natalya and Baszler made their attack.
Carmella and Queen Vega, who were sitting in on commentary, got into the ring until everyone was down except for Vega and Carmella in a face off with Baszler and Natalya. Natalya pointed to the WrestleMania sign, making their intentions clear that they plan on coming after the titles at “The Grandest Stage Of Them All”.
After the match in a backstage segment, WWE Official Sonya Deville told Baszler and Natalya that she loved their efforts for a title match opportunity. She then made an official announcement which stated that Baszler and Natalya were added to the title match, thus making it a fatal-four-way for WrestleMania 38.
CM Punk missed both Dynamite and Rampage this week. His absence has surprised fans and caused many rumors about the reason behind it.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer recently talked about the former world champion. He revealed a potential reason why he didn’t appear on AEW programming.
Meltzer noted that the filming of the second season of Heelz will be taking place over the next several weeks. CM Punk is reportedly going to reprise his role.
The AEW star played the character of a heel wrestler Ricky Rabies in season one of the series. This is likely the reason for his absence from both the weekly TV shows.
CM Punk had teased that he would go after Hangman Page’s AEW title following Revolution. It’s possible that this feud will kick off once he returns.
Starring Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig, Heelz is a pro wrestling drama series. Amell plays the role of Jack Spade in the show and Ludwig plays his brother Ace Spade.
Heelz focuses on the struggles of the two brothers as they fight over the control of their late father’s wrestling promotion Duffy Wrestling League in Duffy, Georgia.
Jeff Hardy’s high publicized exit from WWE made a lot of headlines last year. It started with Hardy walking out of a live event mid-match and being sent home as a result. The WWE officials then offered him rehab and the former world champion was released from his contract when he refused.
There was a lot of confusion about the incident at the time. Matt Hardy had said that his brother would explain his side of the story when the time comes. The charismatic enigma finally opened up about it on The Extreme Life Of Matt Hardy.
Hardy first claimed that certain things happen for a reason. He believes that he was guided by something higher than him:
“Certain things happen for a reason. Subconsciously, that was maybe the smartest thing I’ve ever done, guided by something higher than me, I’ll say. The best way I can describe my journey the last few months in WWE was like ‘glimmers of hope, maybe I still do have something.’”
Jeff Hardy explained that he had some glimmers of hope at times during his run in WWE. Though there were other times when he wondered why was he even with the company. Per Hardy, he didn’t feel important in the promotion anymore:
“That night in Edinburg, Texas, I finished my heat, I took the heat, and I said, ‘I’m ready to go’. Went over the rail, disappeared into the crowd. Naturally, they think I took something like drugs or whatever, but I didn’t. If I was that bad, I should have never went out there, that’s the way I see it.
I thought, ‘Just another unpredictable thing I can do and I’ll get away with it’. It was more serious than that. Again, it was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done because everything worked out so perfectly, mainly because my first day in AEW, I felt valuable for the first time.”
The former champion claimed that he gets chills thinking about the care and love he was shown in AEW. In WWE, he felt like they just wanted to keep him there to sell action figures. He also mentioned how he is excited about having his first action figure with face paint in AEW.
The rebranded NXT 2.0 has so far failed to impress fans with the viewership numbers but it appears that USA Network officials are happy with it.
The development brand has been averaging about 600k viewers. Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast recently discussed these numbers.
The wrestling journalist revealed that he recently had a conversation with someone from USA Network. They told him ‘Yeah, we’re fine with the six-somethings.’
He mentioned how the show was in the range of 700k viewers with the slammed roster during the black and gold era of the development brand.
The USA Network doesn’t care if there are more main roster stars making appearances on the show, and they are happy with the current ratings.
WWE made a deal to broadcast NXT on USA Network every Wednesday night in August 2019. The show made its TV debut in September.
After constantly failing to beat AEW’s weekly flagship Dynamite in ratings, the black and yellow brand was moved to Tuesday nights in April 2021.
The September 14, 2021 episode of the show then saw the beginning of the 2.0 era for the brand, with a focus on younger talents and a completely different setup compared to its previous iteration.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. Universal Champion Roman Reigns and WWE Champion Brock Lesnar confronted each other during tonight’s episode. Charlotte Flair called Ronda Rousey to the ring tonight ahead of their SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 38.
Sasha Banks & Naomi vs. Liv Morgan & Rhea Ripley ended in a DQ (interference)
Ridge Holland def. Kofi Kingston
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Brock Lesnar Attacked Roman Reigns
Universal Champion Roman Reigns came to the ring with SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and Paul Heyman. Reigns stood silently in the ring as the crowd chanted before eventually telling them to acknowledge their Tribal Chief.
Roman boasted about smashing Lesnar in Madison Square Garden and making him bleed everywhere. Heyman interrupted and claimed that Brock Lesnar has experienced a weather delay and will not be here tonight.
Reigns claimed that Lesnar is afraid because he is in god mode. Heyman interrupted again and announced that Lesnar has landed and is on his way. Roman and The Usos made their way backstage to their car. They made their way to their exit car but Lesnar showed up with a forklift. Lesnar smashed through the windows while cackling as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Lesnar tipped the car over. Roman and The Usos escaped to a truck and drove away. Brock ripped off the door and threw it at the truck. Lesnar then picked up his cowboy hat and picked up the truck door.
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar made his way to the ring and with the truck door. Lesnar leaned against the car door before booting it over. Brock said he is coming for Roman’s blood at WrestleMania and marched backstage.
Los Lotharios (Angel & Humberto) faced Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs in the first match of the night. Humberto and Shinsuke started off the action. Humberto applied a Headlock and tagged in Angel. Los Lotharios isolated Nakamura in the corner and took turns beating him down as Boogs pleaded for a tag.
Humberto connected with an Enziguri and Angel followed it up with a flurry of strikes to Shinsuke’s face. Angel posed for the crowd before hitting a Splash in the corner. Humberto tagged in and Dropkicked Boogs off the apron. Humberto followed it up with a Clothesline on Nakamura for a close two count.
Boogs hopped back on the apron as Nakamura battled out of a submission hold. Boogs finally got the tag and took control of the match. Rick bench pressed Angel a couple of times before throwing him on top of Humberto. Boogs did some curls with Angel before planting him with a Powerslam for the pinfall victory.
Drew McIntyre & Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) faced Happy Corbin, Shanky, and Jinder Mahal in a 6-man tag team match. Shanky beat Erik down to begin the match and tagged in Mahal. Erik hit Mahal with a Spinebuster and tagged in Ivar. Viking Raiders slammed Mahal to the mat as Madcap Moss watched on from ringside.
Jinder battled back and tagged in Happy Corbin. Ivar knocked Happy out of the ring and welcomed him back in the ring with some jabs to the face. Corbin shrugged them off and planted Ivar with a big Powerslam. Corbin slapped McIntyre in the face and then hid behind the referee as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
Back from the break, Mahal dragged McIntyre off the apron but he dropped him with a right hand. McIntyre stared at Corbin before getting into the ring. Ivar tagged in McIntyre but Corbin ran away and tagged in Shanky. Drew hit him with a couple shoulder tackles before throwing Jinder out of the ring.
McIntyre lifted Shanky up with ease for a Michinoku Driver and followed it up with a Claymore Kick for the pinfall victory as Corbin watched on in horror from outside the ring. McIntyre will face Happy Corbin at WrestleMania.
Sami Zayn & Johnny Knoxville Will Be Anything Goes
Sami Zayn cut a backstage promo about his WrestleMania opponent, Johnny Knoxville, tonight on SmackDown. Zayn noted that Johnny is so intent on bringing his world to WWE and challenged him to an Anything Goes match on Night 2 of WrestleMania 38. Knoxville later accepted the challenge in a cellphone video.
Natalya & Shayna Baszler Were Added To The Women’s Tag Title Match At WrestleMania
Sasha Banks & Naomi battled Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan this week. Women’s Tag Team Champions Queen Zelina & Carmella were ringside for the match. The champs will be defending the titles against these two teams at WrestleMania in a Triple Threat match.
Liv and Sasha started off the action. Banks went for an arm drag but Morgan landed on her feet and taunted The Boss. Sasha slammed Liv to mat and rolled her up for a two count. They both went for Dropkicks and popped back up for a stare down. Banks asked for a handshake but quickly got Morgan in a Headlock.
Naomi tagged in and hit Liv with splash for a two count. Rhea tagged in and got Banks up for a Vertical Suplex. Ripley held her up for a bit before dropping her to the canvas for a near fall. Liv tagged back in and continued to beat Banks down in the corner of the ring.
Liv sent Banks and Naomi out of the ring and Rhea leaped onto them as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Rhea got Naomi up for a Suplex but she escaped. Naomi connected with an Enziguri and both superstars fell to the mat.
Sasha Banks & Liv tagged in and The Boss hit Morgan with a running knee to the face. Banks hit Double Knees off the middle rope and went for the cover but Liv was able to kick out at two. Rhea Ripley tagged in and leveled Banks with a Dropkick off the top rope for a near fall. Rhea went for Riptide but Sasha countered into a Backstabber. Naomi followed it up with the slit-legged Moonsault but Liv broke up the cover.
Naomi and Banks perched Rhea up on the turnbuckle and joined her up there. Liv snuck up from behind for the Tower of Doom spot and everyone crashed to the canvas. Shayna Baszler & Natalya rushed the ring and attacked to end the match in a DQ. Baszler booted Ripley in the head and bashed her into the ring post. The champs joined in on the attack and cleared the ring. Natalya & Shayna Baszler pointed at the WrestleMania sign to signify they want in the title match.
Pat McAfee took off his headset and walked away from Michael Cole as SmackDown went to a break. McAfee emerged from Vince McMahon’s office backstage and marched to the ring. He said fell in love with professional wrestling the first time he saw it. Pat referred to Michael Cole as the GOAT and started dropping catchphrases from legendary wrestlers. McAfee was about to do The Rock’s catchphrase before Austin Theory interrupted.
Theory entered the ring with a microphone and got right in Pat’s face. McAfee said he was told to apologize to Theory or he will lose his dream of a match at WrestleMania. Pat kept stopping himself before apologizing and Theory reminded him that these are Vince’s orders. McAfee apologized that Theory’s parents raised a douchebag and that he is a punk bitch. Austin laughed in Pat’s face before taking a selfie. Theory then shoved McAfree and said “you apologized!” before leaving the ring.
Kofi Kingston faced Ridge Holland tonight on SmackDown. Sheamus & Butch were ringside for the match. Kingston dominated early and hit a Crossbody outside the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. Kofi ducked under a Clothesline and hit one of his own when SmackDown returned. Kingston followed it up with the Boom Drop and went for Trouble in Paradise but Ridge blocked it.
Sheamus hopped on the apron for a distraction and Butch shoved Kingston off the turnbuckle. The referee then kicked Sheamus & Butch out from ringside. Kingston rolled up Ridge for a two count and then hit a Double Stomp. Butch rushed the ring again for a distraction and Ridge hit a Powerslam for the pinfall victory.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair came down to the ring in the final segment of this week’s show. The crowd chanted “you tapped out!” and Charlotte joked that she couldn’t hear them. Flair claimed that she is the mountain Rousey has to climb to build a legacy here. Charlotte boasted about kicking Ronda’s ass last week and claimed that Rousey doesn’t have the spine to do this for long. Flair dared Ronda to come to the ring and Kayla Braxton even warned Rousey that it might be a trap.
Ronda ignored her and started walking down the entrance ramp. Rousey entered the ring with the SmackDown Women’s Champion and Flair grabbed a kendo stick. Ronda ducked and got in a few strikes. Rousey went for an armbar but Flair escaped. Rousey backed Charlotte into the ring post a couple times before applying an Ankle Lock. Flair had another kendo stick in the timekeeper’s area and choked Ronda with it to break the hold. Charlotte then Powerbombed Ronda Rousey through the announce table and posed on top of her to close the show.
Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay are set to face off for the first time ever under the NJPW banner.
Ospreay has been calling out Moxley, who responded today in a promo posted by NJPW. Moxley challenged Ospreay to face him at NJPW Windy City Riot on Saturday, April 16.
Moxley warned him in the promo that Ospreay’s words have consequences and while he may never have seen a wrestler more talented than Ospreay, it might be time for Moxley to beat some humility into him.
Ospreay first called out Moxley at a Revolution Pro Wrestling event last month and then again backstage on the New Japan Cup tour recently.
BREAKING@jonmoxley has responded to @willospreay– and has demanded a fight April 16 in Chicago!
Windy City Riot will air live on Fite TV as a pay-per-view from the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois. No matches have been officially confirmed for the show, but the following names are advertised to appear:
Cody Rhodes will indeed be back in WWE if a new report is to be believed.
PWInsider is reporting that Cody put pen to paper about 10-14 days ago. The report notes that Cody is expecting to make his return to WWE during WrestleMania weekend. It’s been said that the current plan is to have him compete on the Monday Night Raw brand.
Cody is one of the founding members of AEW. When word broke that he and Tony Khan failed to come to terms on a new deal, it sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling industry.
Back in January, Cody Rhodes confirmed a report from Fightful claiming that he had been working AEW shows without a contract.
This is what Cody said after losing the TNT Championship to Sammy Guevara at the Beach Break episode of Dynamite:
“There are so many elephants in the room. This is an insane week in wrestling. People think that the Sean Ross story is BS, it’s not. I’m working here without a contract. I’m not even on the payroll anymore. I’m working here on a handshake deal. That is 100% legitimate, I swear on Pharaoh’s life.”
Cody was indeed telling the truth and he’s back with WWE. Rhodes got his start with WWE back in 2006 under Ohio Valley Wrestling. He made his main roster debut in 2007 and stood with the company until 2016 when his request to be released was granted.
Tony Khan knows how important Supercard of Honor is in beginning the transition period for ROH.
In early March, Khan announced that he is the new owner of Ring of Honor. At first, many questions were unanswered such as whether or not Khan would be running the promotion or if he’d have someone else in charge.
Khan told reporters during the AEW Revolution post-event scrum that will be the booker for ROH. Shortly after the scrum, SEScoops exclusively reported that Khan and his team at AEW were planning on running Supercard of Honor.
Transition Period For ROH, Says Tony Khan
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Tony Khan discussed the importance of Supercard of Honor as a transitional event for ROH.
“I had not scheduled this pay-per-view, the Ring of Honor Supercard but I really think it’s important for me because they sold tickets and made a commitment for the fans, to still do the show.
“I see it as a transitional show in many ways that I’m really excited about. It is the first show under new management and it’s also a transition show before I will relaunch what I hope to be a really great, new Ring of Honor television product.
“A weekly series wherever it does air or stream.”
We’ve already seen the big announcement that The Briscoes will indeed attend the event to put their ROH World Tag Team Championships on the line against FTR.
SEScoops had reported that there was some concern over whether or not The Briscoes could make it to Supercard of Honor but that worry has clearly vanished.
Please h/t SEScoops if you use the transcription in this article.
“2 weeks from tonight, @ringofhonor Supercard of Honor. ROH World Tag Team Champions BRISCOES @jaybriscoe84, @SussexCoChicken vs. @LuchaLibreAAA Tag Team Champions FTR @DaxFTR, @CashWheelerFTR. Friday April 1, 2022, Dallas Metroplex. Tickets @ http://rohtix.com, on @FiteTV PPV.”
SEScoops exclusively reported that it was unknown whether or not The Briscoes would be able to make the show due to working for Impact Wrestling that same night. As it turns out, Jay and Mark will be making their way to the PPV.
Reports have surfaced claiming that WarnerMedia doesn’t want The Briscoes to be brought onto AEW TV. If that report holds true and if ROH programming is seen through a WarnerMedia platform, it’ll be interesting to see if The Briscoes will have any place under the Tony Khan umbrella long term.
Britt Baker may have lost the AEW Women’s World Championship but she still believes she’s the gold standard of the division.
On the March 16 episode of Dynamite, Baker put the title on the line against Thunder Rosa in a steel cage match. The title match took place in San Antonio, Texas. Rosa was the overwhelming fan favorite due to her Mexican roots.
Ultimately, Thunder Rosa won the match and she has now entered her first run with the AEW Women’s World Title.
Britt Baker Speaks Out On Title Loss
While Britt Baker has seen her title reign come to a close, she’s still as cocky as ever. Here’s what she had to say on social media.
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) March 18, 2022
“While others relax & recover on their day off, I’m just now leaving the dental office for the day-bruised and cut up, on 2 hours of sleep after traveling halfway across the country. I might have lost, but I gave you all the best damn women’s championship reign that none of you undeserving idiots will appreciate until I’m champion again. This will always be my division. To all those I paved the way for, you’re welcome.”
Baker held the championship for 290 days. That is the second-longest reign in the title’s history only behind Hikaru Shida, who had a 372-day reign.
Shawn Michaels has taken the time to reflect on his friendship with the late Scott Hall.
Hall, also known as Razor Ramon in his WWF days, developed a bond with the likes of “HBK,” Kevin Nash, Triple H, and Sean Waltman. Together, they became known as “The Kliq.”
Scott Hall passed away on March 14, 2022. Hall suffered from complications after undergoing hip replacement surgery. It’s been reported that a blood clot got loose and Hall suffered three heart attacks. He had been on life support but Hall’s family made the decision to take him off.
Shawn Michaels & Scott Hall: Friends 4 Life
Shawn Michaels spoke to Sports Illustrated and detailed his close relationship with “The Bad Guy.”
“We had this incredible bond,” Michaels says. “We’d bare our souls to each other. And we didn’t care what anyone else thought. The five of us, we knew we had each other.
“I was 19-just-turning-20 when I met Scott,” Michaels says. “And the first time we met was when we were in the ring together.”
Michaels went on to say that Hall couldn’t get enough of the way he sold for him.
“Scott got such a kick out of me selling for him. He’d been working with Bulldog Bob Brown and Rufus R. Jones, and I mean no disrespect to those men, but Scott hadn’t worked with many smaller, underneath, selling babyfaces. He just thought that was the neatest thing in the world. That’s when we realized, holy cow, this stuff can be really easy if I just get beat up, and then I finally beat him up when I get the chance later on.”
“HBK” and Hall had great chemistry inside the ring. Their ladder match at WrestleMania X back in 1994 is one that few can forget. Of course, it made Ryan Droste’s list of “7 Must-See Matches From Scott Hall’s Career.”
Happy Corbin has become quite chummy with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Corbin can be seen on the SmackDown brand every Friday night. He’s currently involved in a feud with former two-time WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. The two will share the squared circle on night one of WrestleMania 38 on April 2.
Happy Corbin-Vince McMahon Dynamic
During an appearance on the Johnny Dare Morning Show, Happy Corbin detailed his relationship with Vince McMahon and how things between the two can be both funny and frustrating.
“Vince, he’s amazing. We have a crazy relationship because he’s a big kid at times who is also the most powerful CEO you’ve ever met in your life. He’s got that business swagger, the way he walks around, but if you’re not looking he’ll smack you in the back of their head if you have that relationship with him. He’s hit me a couple of times.
“You know when someone does something and you instantly just get angry and want to punch them in the face, but you haven’t seen who or what it was yet? He’s done that to me a few times. If I’m not paying attention or if I have a shirt on or something, he walks up, and I hate being slapped or smacked, and he smacks me in the back or across the back of the neck and I turn around ready to kill, and I see it’s him and he’s just belly laughing and there’s literally nothing I can do. It’s funny but it’s also frustrating.”
While Corbin hasn’t won a world title in WWE, he’s been given prominent roles. At one point, he was an authority figure on Monday Night Raw. He’s also mixed it up with plenty of main eventers.
The Undertaker could’ve been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame sooner.
Back in February, WWE announced that “The Deadman” will finally make his way into the Hall of Fame. In Nov. 2020, The Undertaker’s retirement capped off a 30-year run in the company.
On April 1, “The Phenom” will take his rightful place in wrestling history but this wasn’t WWE’s first attempt to make it happen.
The Undertaker Declined First Induction Offer
Speaking to Dallas Morning News, The Undertaker revealed that he had a chance to enter the Hall of Fame after his WrestleMania 30 loss to Brock Lesnar (h/t Wrestling Inc).
“This is actually the second time that I was invited to the Hall Of Fame, so I wasn’t as shocked this time. I turned it down the first time because I knew I had unfinished business,” he said. “I wasn’t at that place yet where I was ready to let go and say that it’s over. So, this time I have made my peace, and I am just honored and humbled that they would induct me.
“It was, I want to say after the Brock WrestleMania, I think it was after that. In my head, I couldn’t end on a match that I didn’t remember,” ‘Taker claimed. “I got concussed and I don’t remember even having that match. So, I wanted to at least have a match that I could remember, so I kept working here and there for the next few years, trying to leave on that upbeat note. Fortunately, we had the Boneyard match and I said, ‘alright, that’s it I think I’m good, it’s time to call it a day.’ Now here we are.”
Undertaker made his WWE debut back in 1990. Over the course of his career, he has won multiple championships and has been a part of many classic matches. We’ve also seen his character transition from “The Deadman” to “The American Badass” to “Big Evil,” and back to “The Deadman.”
