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The Mandalorian Season 3 Featuring Sasha Banks Expected To Start Production Later This Year

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Mandalorian season 3 featuring WWE star Sasha Banks among others will start filming in late 2021 or early 2022 according to the latest reports.

According to Collider, the Star Wars spin-off web series The Book of Boba Fett has officially wrapped filming. It’s now in the post-production stage and is on track for the announced Disney+ premiere in December.

However, the series featuring Sasha Banks is not going into production anytime soon. That’s because the stage used for these shows is now being utilized for the filming of the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series starring Ewan McGregor.

The second season of Mandalorian ended with Pedro Pascal’s title character giving up Grogu to Luke Skywalker for further Jedi training.

He himself seemed to be headed towards the Mandalorian throne after becoming the new owner of the Darksaber.

The third season is likely to focus heavily on how Pascal navigates through the challenges of becoming the leader of Mandalorians. It means we can expect to see a lot more of Banks’ character Koska Reeves during season three.

This would also mean that the former SmackDown women’s champion will be taking time off from WWE once again for the filming of the show. So she will likely be missing the next Royal Rumble PPV.

Disney has not confirmed a release timetable for season three of the star wars web series. With a late 2021 shooting schedule, we can expect it to hit the streaming service in mid or late 2022.

A&E Biography: WWE Legends Full Season Viewership Numbers

Michael Reichlin
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A&E’s 8-week biography series profiling WWE legends concluded this past weekend.

The series featured 2-hour biographies profiling some of the most influential names in WWE history.

The premiere episode for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was the most-watched installment, followed by Roddy Piper and Randy Savage.

You can see the full season viewership listed below in chronological order, courtesy of Reddit user IndianBoglehead.

  • Steve Austin: 1.062 million viewers, 0.38 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Roddy Piper: 880,000 viewers, 0.27 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Randy Savage: 790,000 viewers, 0.31 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Booker T: 595,000 viewers, 0.24 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Shawn Michaels: 634,000 viewers, 0.22 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • The Ultimate Warrior: 767,000 viewers, 0.29 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Mick Foley: 518,000 viewers, 0.20 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)
  • Bret Hart: 643,000 viewers, 0.26 rating (Adults 18-49 demo)

No word yet if we’ll see another ‘season’ of this limited series, but we sure hope the viewership was strong enough to warrant it.

What WWE legends would you like to see covered if there is another season of A&E Biography: WWE Legends?

Meiko Satomura Wins NXT UK Women’s Championship

Michael Reichlin
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Meiko Satomura is your new NXT UK Women’s Champion. She captured the gold on Thursday’s NXT UK broadcast on Peacock and the WWE Network.

Satomura defeated Kay Lee Ray in a hard-fought match. Ray had been champion for an impressive 649 days before her reign came to an end.

The Japanese wrestling legend joined the NXT UK brand back in February.

In this video, the Final Boss reflects on her monumental victory to dethrone Kay Lee Ray.

Satomura commented on her victory on Twitter. She thanked everyone and it was very difficult defeating Kay Lee Ray, a true champion.

Triple also H commented on the title change. He wrote on Twitter, “An incredible title reign ended by one of the absolute best in the world. A new era for the ENTIRE #NXTUK brand. #AndNew”

Eric Bischoff On Why WWE’s Latest Releases Were “Good Business”

Chris Stephens
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Eric Bischoff recently spent some time on his 83 Weeks Podcast speaking about WWE’s most recent round of talent cuts. According to Bischoff, WWE’s latest releases were good for business.

“I’m more and more convinced that what WWE is doing – and I think Nick Khan is probably the catalyst for a lot of this – is making good business decisions,” Bischoff said on the show.

Bischoff then spoke about what would go through his mind if he was in a management position with WWE.

“If I’m involved in some of the decisions in trying to get that stock price up, I’m looking at my talent roster which is a significant part of the expenses in WWE,” Bischoff continued. “I’m thinking to myself ‘well wait a minute, we are going to modify our touring schedule, we’re not going to tour the same way we used to – and I think that’s probably true – I need to start making good decisions. We’ve got 300 people under contract, perhaps that’s too many.”

Bischoff continued to say that perhaps WWE’s strategy regarding keeping so many talents under contract was to keep that talent from going to AEW. He does not believe the company is preparing for a sale, however.

“I’m more convinced now than I was last week that what WWE is doing is aggressively managing their business model,” he continued.

“When the dust settles, I think we’re going to see WWE’s stock price back to where it was pre-COVID. I think we’re going to see a new touring model that makes more sense in the long run and I don’t think WWE is going anywhere (referring to a potential sale), at least not in the near future,” Bischoff continued.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj_QYtw2vfA

Backstage Note On Bray Wyatt’s Absence From WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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The unexplained absence of Bray Wyatt is a puzzling mystery for the fans. The lack of updates on his status has forced people to speculate about him and there are all sorts of rumors floating around about his removal from WWE TV.

Mike Johnson of PWinsider recently discussed one such rumor and he confirmed that the former universal champion has purposefully been kept off TV.

The wrestling journalist claimed that Wyatt does not have any backstage heat and he also noted that his WrestleMania 37 match with Randy Orton went exactly as it was planned.

The Fiend reignited an old feud with Randy Orton after being drafted to Raw during the 2020 draft. The two had a match at TLC in December last year which was won by Orton.

Bray Wyatt went on a hiatus after this bout while Alexa Bliss kept the feud with Orton alive. He finally resurfaced at the Fastlane PPV in March earlier this year with a new grotesque look.

WWE then booked a match between the former universal champion and Randy at WrestleMania 37. For the surprise of many, Randy Orton ended up winning this match as well.

While he made one final appearance on the post-WrestleMania episode of Raw, Bray Wyatt has been away from WWE programming since then.

Update On Lio Rush’s Contract With NJPW

Chris Stephens
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Lio Rush recently announced his retirement from professional wrestling. He had been wrestling with NJPW and MLW before making his AEW debut in the Casino Battle Royale at Double or Nothing. According to an update from Wrestling Observer Radio, NJPW had given Rush permission to sign with AEW as well.

“New Japan gave AEW the okay to sign him, I mean New Japan would have priority on the dates but originally the nature of the New Japan contract was that he could work for AEW, he could work for MLW, he could do indies but New Japan would have the first priority and New Japan would also have the right to turn things down,” said Dave Meltzer.

Meltzer would continue to say that NJPW granting Rush the okay to sign with AEW is indicative of the current relationship between the two companies.

“In fact, they gave him permission to sign an American contract with AEW. Which also I think is very important politically because the fact that New Japan would give someone who they have under contract the okay to sign with AEW tells me that New Japan at this point today believes that they are going to be in business with AEW and not WWE.”

Rush did say in his retirement announcement that he would be finishing up his New Japan commitments when he returns from his shoulder injury.

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Nikki Bella Says She Has Started Preparation For WWE Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Nikki Bella and Brie Bella are firm on their stand about wanting to make a WWE return and at least one of them has already started the preparation for it.

The Bella Twins recently had an interview with Entertainment Tonight where the sisters reiterated their comments about wanting to have a reign with the women’s tag team championships.

During the talk, Nikki said that she wants to change her ring style a bit to make a statement upon her comeback. She also revealed that she has already started the preparation for her return:

“For me, I’m definitely starting that preparation, I want to train hard for it. When we come back, I want to change my style in the ring a little bit. I want to make a statement.”

Brie did not provide a similar update to her sister. Though the Total Bellas star still claimed that the Bellas are definitely going to make a comeback:

“The Bellas are definitely going to make a comeback. We don’t know exactly when, but we said that we have one more run in us.”

Apart from this, the Bella Twins talked about giving birth, potential future careers for their children and more. You can check out their interview below:

The Undertaker: I Wish I Could Work A Program With Roman Reigns

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Undertaker recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. The dead man focused the talk on a specific topic and offered high praise to one of his biggest rivals – Roman Reigns.

The universal champion is currently in the middle of one of the most impressive runs of his career. His character work since his heel turn last year has won him major praise from not only fans but from many industry veterans as well.

The Undertaker also joined this list during his latest interview. The last outlaw revealed that he was so impressed by Reigns’ performance that he actually went up to the big dog during his last WWE appearance:

“I’m so proud of where he is, the night of Survivor Series [in November], I went up to Roman and Jey and said, ‘This is the most compelling story that we’ve done in a while.’ And where he’s been able to take it, it’s so good. It’s not forced. Roman is hitting on all cylinders.”

The former world champion approved his pairing with Paul Heyman as well. He said that the advocate of Brock Lesnar is the perfect mouthpiece and this pairing works very well together.

The Undertaker Wishes For A Feud With Roman Reigns

Taker mentioned how there is a compelling backstory behind Roman Reigns’ heel turn. He said that Reigns is a great villain before expressing the desire to have a program with the Tribal Chief if he could:

“I think he’s a great heel—coldhearted, calculated, There is a compelling backstory and you still feel the tension when Roman appears. Like I said, I’m really proud of him. I wish I had the gas in the tank to work a program with him now. It would definitely be something special.”

After being on the top of the business for over 30 years, The Undertaker retired from wrestling last year. He had his final farewell at the Survivor Series PPV last November which was his final WWE appearance.

The dead man then did not make an appearance at WrestleMania 37. He seems to have eased into the post-WWE life but you can never say never in wrestling.

Would you like to see The Undertaker returning to the company for one final program against a heel Roman Reigns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Tay Conti Joins Clubhouse BH Influencer House

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling star Tay Conti has signed with Clubhouse Media Group, an influencer-based marketing and media firm.

The collaboration will see AEW’s #2 ranked female competitor move in to Clubhouse BH, a 12,000-foot Beverly Hills mansion.

She will be living with some of the top social media influencers in the world, including pro racecar driver Lindsay Brewer, YouTube stars The Dobre Brothers, blogger Michelle Kennelly, dancer Gabriella Saraivah, and many more who have a collective reach now exceeding 250 million followers.

“Joining Clubhouse Media as a resident of its popular content house, @TheClubhouseBH, is a huge step in my social media career,” said Conti. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with some of the best content creators in the industry as well as the professionalism the Company brings to the process and the fun antics being a resident of the house will create.”

https://twitter.com/ClubhouseCMGR/status/1402980126854422533

Clubhouse Media brings together some of the most influential voices in the world. The social media reach of their talent roster now exceeds 250 million followers.

Chris Young, co-founder of Clubhouse Media, says Tay Conti is a perfect fit for the influencer house. “Tay’s background affords Clubhouse Media the opportunity to communicate with a new diverse audience of followers as we help her enhance her content, grow her audience and introduce her to brand partners.”

Brodie Lee Jr Pulled from TV For Letting His Grades Slip

Alex Laybourne
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Ever since the passing of Mr Brodie Lee in December 2020, his son, Brodie Lee Jr (or -1 as he is known in AEW) has been a regular member of the Dark Order. However, in recent weeks, his absence has been noticed by many.

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After a social media user jokingly suggested the youngster was grounded for not trying hard at school. His mother, Amanda Huber responded saying they were correct.

“100% He stopped doing his work so he lost privileges,” wrote Amanda of her son, Brodie. “I don’t make any money off any appearances he does at AEW, it’s purely for fun. It’s his favorite place in the world and a reward for hard work. He managed to finish his school year with all A’s & B’s despite slipping up a bit. I’m very proud of him.”

The way AEW handled the passing of Brodie Lee is commendable. How they have helped the family and made sure that Brodie Lee Jr gets to continue spending time in his favorite place is a story that deserves all the attention it gets.

However, there is something undeniably wholesome about this. There seems to be little doubt right now that Brodie Lee Jr will enter the wrestling world. However, it is good to see he will not do so at the expense of his education.

-1 has been a popular figure in his time in AEW, and as the de facto leader of the Dark Order, his presence is always felt.

In a time when everybody is talking about big money signings and contract disputes, it is refreshing to see that it’s not always about money. It’s great to see that the love of professional wrestling is still there in many people.

Drew McIntyre Wants to Fight Imperium Leader WALTER

Alex Laybourne
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Drew McIntyre is a man at the top of his game. He may not be the champion, but he certainly still stands atop the wrestling world right now. His run as WWE champion will long be remembered. Not just for taking place during the pandemic era, but for the success story it was.

Talking in a recent interview with Rassling with Brandon F Walker, Drew McIntyre talked about his career to date, being the champion and which fighter he would like to face once he is finished with Bobby Lashley.

Many thought that the feud was over after his Backlash loss. However, following a series of wins on RAW, the Scot has found himself back in the title picture. McIntyre will square off against Lashley at Hell in a Cell on June 20th. The conversation turned towards a rather unlikely name, WALTER, after the Austrian ring general had previously named Drew McIntyre as being a man he would like to face.

“I can’t wait until it happens, it’s going to happen,” asserted McIntyre. “It’s just a matter of time. You know, we rolled in the ring a few minutes at Survivor Series. We got into a big man chop battle. You can decide for yourself who won that one, obviously, I’m going to be a bit biased.

“But WALTER is just someone who, talk about believability in the ring, you watch a WALTER match, and he makes you believe. He’s so big, unique looking, and dominant, with such a believable style. He is somebody who has done a great job as the NXT UK representative and a representative of European wrestling.”

We might have to wait a little while still, but when Drew McIntyre and WALTER face-off, it is going to be a hard-hitting affair.

Aleister Black On What Paul Heyman Told Him After His WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
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The WWE release of Aleister Black sparked many interesting reactions online. It appears the reaction from people within the company were not too different.

The former NXT champion recently appeared on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast where he talked about a number of things including his time in the black and yellow brand and more.

Discussing one specific reaction to his release, Black revealed that Paul Heyman reached out to him after the news broke out. The mad scientist of wrestling told Aleister that he was five years ahead of the business:

“He reached out to me on the day that it happened. It was very sad; Paul has always said to me, ‘Tom, I think that you’re five years ahead of the business. As brilliant as I think you are, I think that sometimes, that’s your biggest issue.

You’re so far ahead mentally that people have to catch up to it.’” said Aleister Black, “He [also said], ‘I still believe you’re going to do great things.’ I am absolutely far from being done.”

The former WWE star also talked about the current landscape of the wrestling business. He claimed that the business will never be bigger than WWE.

However, Black continued by saying that despite its size, the current landscape of wrestling is not dominated by WWE anymore. He mentioned how there are many companies now that have their own identity.

Ezra Judge On If AEW Was A Topic Of Discussion At NXT Backstage

Anutosh Bajpai
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The competition between NXT and AEW Dynamite was a buzzing topic every week among fans during the Wednesday night wars but it wasn’t even mentioned backstage at the black and yellow brand, according to Ezra Judge.

The former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about a number of things including the locker room environment at NXT.

When asked if AEW was ever a topic of discussion backstage at the Performance Center, Judge claimed that they never really talked about that stuff:

“No, nobody really talked about that stuff, one of the things that I know for myself is you can’t stay in your lane when you’re looking at somebody else’s lane. You start to veer into their lane. I know as a group, we were just focused on putting on the best product possible,

And everybody just showed up every day and gave it their best.” said Ezra Judge, “I honestly never heard of any comparisons or anything. I’ve always watched AEW. I like AEW. I like all wrestling.”

The former football star also discussed how people at both companies were aware of each other’s product but at the end of the day they were focused on delivering the best product they can.

Apart from this, Ezra Judge talked about things such as how close he was to making his in-ring debut, who were the locker room leaders at NXT, and more.

Buddy Murphy is the Hottest Free Agent on the Market

Alex Laybourne
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Since the latest round of WWE releases, there is one name that everybody has been talking about. However, it is actually Buddy Murphy who seems to have the world at his feet right now.

According to sources at PW Insider Indie promotions are chomping at the bit to get their hands on Buddy Murphy. The 32-year-old Australian will not be short of offers once his 90-day break is seen out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLy2zKrvYm/

He is a special kind of wrestler who has power beyond his size and athletic ability that lets him keep up with the lighter guys on a roster. The former best-kept secret would be an incredible asset to any promotion. If he was to return to the indies, rather than sign for one single promotion then there is no end to the potential matches he could have.

An athlete of Buddy Murphy’s calibre could walk into any promotion and instant be a star draw.

Murphy has already set up a new email account for anybody looking to get in touch about future bookings. The name used is [email protected] a clear homage to his old nickname as the Best Kept Secret.

Buddy Murphy is a former singles and tag team champion in WWE. His most memorable moment would surely be winning the cruiserweight title in front of his home fans during a WWE show in Australia.

While Buddy Murphy has not yet signed on for any events just yet, the wrestling world has its eyes peeled for where he will appear. Expect it to be a very busy second half of 2021 for this talented wrestler.

Jeff Jarrett Recalls Trying to Sign Ultimate Warrior to TNA

Alex Laybourne
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Talking on his My World with Jeff Jarrett podcast, the founder of TNA spoke about the birth of the company.

Jarrett talked at length about starting the company and how the idea occurred while he was under contract with WWE, but at home injured. Talking candidly about the early days of TNA Jeff Jarrett spoke about trying to capitalize on the aftermath of WWE’s purchase of WCW.

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Early names they wanted to sing included Sid Vicious and Chyna. One other superstar that Jeff Jarrett (and his father) tried to sign was Ultimate Warrior.

Jarrett was brief on the details surrounding these attempts. “I had a couple of conversations with [Ultimate Warrior], but very top-level … o put it back in context, I had never done business with him, our paths really never crossed in WWF. Me and [Warrior’s] paths never really crossed other than I met him on Thanksgiving day in 1985 and I met him with Sting. Our paths had never crossed, he was more a business colleague, he was a friend of my dad’s. I reached out, had some conversations but my dad was doing all the business negotiations.”

Jeff Jarrett blames the hot and cold nature of the talent, looking at a new promotion in the wake of such a huge deal between WWE and WCW. Ultimate Warrior never signed for Jeff Jarrett’s fledgling promotion, but it is fun to think about what could have been.

Darby Allin Talks His ‘All or Nothing’ Approach To Pro Wrestling

Jake Skudder
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All Elite Wrestling star Darby Allin recently appeared on the Wrestling Perspective podcast. The former TNT Champion talked a number of topics during the interview, including his high risk and daredevil style of pro wrestling.

“I’m all in or nothing, for the most part” Darby Allin would note on the podcast. “And I always made a commitment to myself that I’d rather have a real short career and then just push it hard every day.”

“[I’d rather that] then just try to focus on outside projects when the time’s up,” Allin added, making it quite clear that he doesn’t intend on having a very long pro wrestling career. “As of right now, I feel like I’m just gonna keep going and going and going until my wheels fall off, but I feel wonderful right now.”

Darby Allin Talks Risk Taking Style

“I’ve been doing DDP Yoga with Dallas over in his house” Allin revealed, at least giving somewhat of an indication that he’s looking after his body. “And I’m insane about physical therapy and you know, I don’t take any drugs.”

“I don’t take aspirin or anything like that” Allin noted, as he is a staunch straight edge believer. “I just take a bunch of ice baths and you know, yoga and just… yeah, man.”

Sammy Guevara Discusses Why Chris Jericho Is a ‘Genius’

Jake Skudder
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AEW star Sammy Guevara recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The member of the Inner Circle stable discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the leader of the group, Chris Jericho.

“Man there’s so many” Guevara began, discussing the reasons why Chris Jericho is a ‘genius’ in wrestling terms. “Just taking your time in between the moments, structuring certain things. He’s such a mastermind at this.”

“There’s a reason he’s been doing this longer than I’ve been alive” Sammy Guevara continued. “And so anytime he says something I always try to just take it.”

Sammy Guevara on Chris Jericho

“And even if I don’t see what he’s seeing, I try to understand it from where he’s coming from” Guevara revealed. “Then by the end of it I’m like, ‘Okay, now this makes sense.’”

“He kind of has a different way of thinking” the Inner Circle member concluded. “I don’t even know. He’s a genius. There’s so many lessons this dude has taught me and too many to really say, to be honest.”

With The Inner Circle set to continue their feud with The Pinnacle, Sammy Guevara will be able to continue to ascend the ranks. Guevara winning the Stadium Stampede II match was a huge moment for the young star, and he’s just one of the many performers who AEW have built in their first years of existence.

Authors of Pain Deny They Are Retired: “Ain’t Done Yet Bitches”

Alex Laybourne
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Former WWE tag team Authors of Pain (AOP) have set the record straight about their future in the wrestling business.

The duo was the most dominant tag team in WWE at one time. They ran over NXT and the RAW roster, claiming both the NXT and RAW tag team gold. Their final storyline saw them working as Seth Rollins’ enforcers. AOP was released in September 2020 run of cuts, which surprised virtually everybody.

AOP never resurfaced. Earlier this week, Fightful reported that a wrestling promoter reached out to the tag team hoping to bring them in. They were told AOP are retired. Journalist Sean Ross Sapp reached out to Rezar for an interview. He replied, “I’m not a wrestler,” which seemed to corroborate the news that they are effectively retired.

AOP “Ain’t Done Yet”

Akam has since replied to the buzz about their status. According to the big man, we have not seen the last of the team (or their former manager, Paul Ellering).

These are strong words that imply retirement is not currently in their vocabulary.

While the Authors of Pain have not been seen for a while, it is not necessarily their own fault. AEW went on record as saying they didn’t feel the duo were a good fit for the promotion – at the time. While NJPW lacked the budget to make a deal happen for the pair. Both big men make a formidable team but would surely come as a package.

Hopefully, the Authors of Pain will be back between the ropes soon, as the post-pandemic wrestling landscape starts to take shape. Who wouldn’t like to see these two behemoths run over the Good Brothers, or flatten the Young Bucks at some point?

Keanu Reeves Joining The Rock For DC League of Super-Pets Animation

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Hollywood icon Keanu Reeves will be joining Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and some other big names for the upcoming DC League of Super-Pets movie.

The former WWE star shared the news of Reeves and his good friend Kevin Hart joining the cast for the upcoming animation film on Instagram alongside a teaser:

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The Rock will be voicing superman’s dog Krypto in the animation while his friend Kevin Hart will be playing the role of Batman’s dog Ace the Bat-Hound.

There is no word yet on which character Keanu Reeves will be voicing but the John Wick star will be joining a number of big names in the movie.

Apart from the Rock, other names announced for the movie include A Quiet Place: Part 2 director John Krasinski, Russian Doll’s Natasha Lyonne, Rogue One’s Diego Luna, and Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon and Vanessa Bayer.

League of Super-Pets will see the beloved pets of some of DC’s top superheroes joining forces and forming a crime-fighting team of their own.

Apart from Krypto and Ace, the other names expected to be featured in the film include Wonder Woman’s kangaroo, Jumpa; and Supergirl’s cat, Streaky the Supercat.

DC League of Super-Pets is currently set to release on May 20, 2022.

Pat McAfee Challenges Adam Cole: “Come Over To Friday, Pal”

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Pat McAfee and Adam Cole delivered some impressive matches during their rivalry in NXT and now the two stars are teasing an extension to their feud at a much bigger stage.

The latest episode of The Bump saw the former NXT champion taking another shot at his arch-rival. During a conversation about the former football star, the former Undisputed Era leader discussed his hatred for him:

“Pat McAfee, again, the fact that he has tricked so many people into working alongside him kind of blows my mind that was a really, really big issue for me, but again, my hatred for Pat was so strong that again, it could have been anybody and I was laser-focused on Pat the whole time.”

Cole then talked about Pete Dunne’s alliance with Pat McAfee for their WarGames match. When the NXT UK star didn’t respond to a question about him, Adam Cole turned it into another brilliant opportunity to comment on his rival:

“I wouldn’t want to talk about that embarrassment Pat McAfee either, I don’t blame him.”

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McAfee Fires Back at Cole

The football star didn’t keep quiet on these jabs. During the latest episode of his podcast, the SmackDown commentator was asked if he has come up with a name for the finisher he is going to use on Cole.

Replying to the question, McAfee discussed the recent shots from his opponent. He then interestingly invited Cole to come over to Friday nights:

“This morning he called me an embarrassment or something like that and went on this entire run. Hey Adam Cole, pal, listen. You are talking to mister Friday night now. Run your mouth on my internet? Come over Friday pal, say what you gotta say, and eat another boot to the f**king mouth.”

The big question stemming from this exchange now is if this is a sign of things to come. It would be interesting to see if Adam Cole does show up on SmackDown to reply to McAfee.

WWE Changes COVID-19 Policy for NXT Televised Shows

Jake Skudder
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WWE has changed their policy regarding fans in attendance at NXT shows going forward. Previously, fans at the Capitol Wrestling Center (CWC) were expected to have a negative COVID-19 test result before entering the building. It appears as though this will no longer be the case as of this Sunday and the In Your House event.

WWE NXT has been the only show with fans live in attendance since the move to the Thunderdome last August. Previously, fans had to fill in a questionnaire and take a free rapid COVID-19 Antigen test on the night of the event. Fans were also expected to complete a COVID-19 health questionnaire and sign a waiver; as well as have a thermal temperature check before entering the venue.

COVID-19 Policy

WWE is still asking fans not to attend if they have been in contact with someone showing COVID symptoms in the last 14 days. Of course fans who have themselves shown signs of the virus over the past 2 weeks will need to remain isolated also.

NXT In Your House takes place this Sunday and will be available on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.

Here’s the card for the event:

  • Fatal 5 Way for the NXT Championship – Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Karrion Kross (c)
  • NXT Women’s Title Match – Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez (c)
  • Winners Take All for the NXT North American Title and NXT Tag Team Titles – Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza) vs. Bronson Reed (c) and MSK (Wes Lee, Nash Carter) (c)
  • Ladder Match for the Million Dollar Title – LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes (WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. will be present at ringside)
  • Xia Li vs. Mercedes Martinez

Update On WWE’s Plans To Make SummerSlam The Biggest Event Of 2021

Staff
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WWE SummerSlam is going to be a remarkable show, without even considering the potential matches on the card. “The biggest party of the summer” will mark WWE’s second pay-per-view with live fans since its return to a touring schedule. It’s fair to expect the company to pull out all stops for the show, and a new report indicates that WWE intends to do so.

According to a new tweet from WrestleVotes, WWE hopes to make SummerSlam as big as WrestleMania this year. The report notes that the company is intends to tap into any and all “resources” for the show.

WrestleVotes’ tweet also notes that WWE wants the marquee match to be a clash between Roman Reigns and John Cena, but it clarifies that this bout isn’t set in stone. Presumably, Cena, seeking his record-breaking 17th world title win, would challenge Reigns for his WWE Universal Championship in this match.

Jon Alba of Spectrum Sports 360 offered additional information. He confirmed that Reigns vs. Cena is the planned main event for the show. Alba stated that Cena’s filming schedule “opens up” in July, so he could be available for at least a few appearances on WWE SmackDown.

Otherwise, many fans continue to predict that the company will try to bring Brock Lesnar back for this buzzworthy show. “The Beast Incarnate” hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since WrestleMania 36, but the former champion could add a lot of star power to SummerSlam.

At this point, the possibilities are endless because WWE will likely do everything it can to make the show as special as possible.

Jim Ross Says WWE Cut Adnan Virk Too Soon, But He Was In Over His Head

Michael Reichlin
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Legendary wrestling broadcaster Jim Ross knows what it’s like to be in the ‘hot seat’ as the lead play-by-play announcer of WWE Raw. JR held that post during the Attitude Era, the popularity pinnacle of WWE’s storied history.

Jim Ross appeared on the Dan Le Batard Show this week and discussed Adnan Virk’s brief stint with WWE. Virk took over JR’s old job as Raw lead announcer right after WrestleMania 37 and lasted just six weeks before getting cut.

Ross feels that Adnan Virk is a talented broadcaster who probably should have gotten more time to prove himself. However, pro wrestling is a unique animal. It is unlike other professional sports. In hindsight, Adnan Virk may not have had enough product knowledge to make the most of the opportunity he was given.

“Adnan got put on TV in a very unique product before he was ready, from a product knowledge standpoint,” said Ross. “Wrestling fans today, with social media and all the information flow, they have a great sense of what they like and what might be wrong. He’s a solid broadcaster and they rushed to judgment too quick.”

JR also commented on what it’s like for broadcasters to work for Vince McMahon. He says Vince likes to “impose his will” and has a very distinct vision for what he’s looking for

“The simple fact is, they mis-assigned Adnan. He should’ve had more work in other areas and other TV shows, lord knows they have plenty of them, to get his chops under him. Vince is a strange cat and he’s the boss. If he doesn’t hear something he likes, he makes a quick decision.”

You can listen to Jim Ross on the Dan Lebatard Show on Apple Podcasts.

Tammy Sytch Released From Prison

Chris Stephens
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WWE Hall of Famer Tammy Lynn Sytch (aka Sunny) has been released from prison. According to New Jersey’s Monmouth County Correctional Institution, original WWE ‘diva’ is no longer housed at the facility. She had been there since July 2020.

sunny out

Sytch was paroled last February after serving 1-year in jail due to a string of DUI convictions. Her parole was then revoked after she was arrested again in July last year. Those charges included 2 counts of violating a domestic restraining order, driving with a suspended license, and evading a police officer. The state of New Jersey then filed to have Sytch’s parole revoked and she was sent back to Monmouth County Correctional Institution. After serving almost another full year in prison, Sytch was released this morning.

In the 5 months of 2020 that Sytch was not in jail, she promoted an OnlyFans account.

https://twitter.com/WWEHOFerSunny/status/1282135232284590084

Sytch was also promoting a Cameo account before her arrest last summer:

In 2016, Sytch released a book on her life and career.

https://twitter.com/WWEHOFerSunny/status/699815522989432832

The 48-year-old was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2011. She has also often been referred to as the first “WWE Diva.” Sunny played an important role for WWE in the 90s and was a prominent part of WWE Monday Night Raw. Additionally, Sunny is a 2x Slammy Award winner in WWE. She won the award for “Best Buns” and “Minds Behind the Mayhem” in 1996.

WWE Stock Surges Amid Budget Cuts & WallStreetBets Spotlight

Chris Stephens
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WWE stock is up 17% this morning following a trending post on Reddit’s WallStreetBets subreddit. A thread on the platform has identified WWE as having potential due to the return of live events, video game sales, recent talent cuts, and rumors of a potential sale.

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics has been following the developing situation.

Shortly after the market opened this morning, WWE stock rose 17%.

The stock got up as high as 20% but then fell back.

Thurston believes Vince McMahon has made $300 million today:

Why Is WallStreetBets Interested In WWE Stock?

3 key reasons have been listed as to why WallStreetBets is taking an interest in WWE. The first is the company’s pending return to live touring.

“WWE will resume touring. Despite this revenue being missing in 2020, they managed to haul in nearly a billion dollars. So the second half this year, and all of next year, is going to be pretty good. Not only will revenues be driven up, but fan engagement and brand appeal will go up as well,” the author wrote.

Also a factor in WallStreetBets’ interest, is WWE video game sales.

“WWE Supercard is Take Two Interactive’s (a $52b company) highest grossing mobile game, and it’s growing at around 23% YOY. A lot of that money will flow into WWE. WWE also sells rights to other titles. As video games continue to grow, so to does WWEs revenue,” the author continued.

Finally, rumors of possible sale are also driving interest in WWE stock on WallStreetBets.

“About a week ago, WWE cut some talent assets. Some apparently important guy tweeted that it’s likely due to them cutting costs and preparing for an acquisition,” the author wrote.

Cameron Grimes has yet to release an official statement on the matter.

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