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Jon Moxley To Defend IWGP US Title Against Yuji Nagata on AEW Dynamite

Chris Stephens
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As announced last night, IWGP United States Champion Jon Moxley will defend his title on the May 12th edition of AEW Dynamite. His opponent will be Yuji Nagata.

This will be the second time Moxley has defended the title in the United States. He defeated KENTA on an episode of New Japan Strong from the company’s Los Angeles dojo recently as well.

IWGP United States Championship History

Moxley is one of only six wrestlers who have won the title since its inception in 2017. Kenny Omega became the inaugural champion that year after defeating Tomohiro Ishii in the finals of a tournament. Omega then dropped it to Jay White after a 210 day reign and 4 title defenses.

Moxley’s current title reign sits at 476 days as champion and 3 title defenses. His previous reign lasted 130 days but he was forced to vacate the belt due to injury before making any title defenses. Should he defeat Nagata on May 12th, Moxley will tie Omega for the most combined title defenses as well as the most title defenses in a single reign with 4. Juice Robinson and Jay White each had 3 successful title defenses during their respective reigns with the belt as well.

Mickie James Talks Ageism in WWE

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Mickie James recently spoke on her GAW TV show about her release from the company and how she feels as though ‘ageism’ is a huge problem in WWE.

As James recently revealed, her belongings were sent back to her by the company via a ‘trash bag.’ This caused major uproar with fans and performers alike, with even Stephanie McMahon and Triple H having to apologise to the Women’s wrestling legend following the incident.

“I think the small-minded mentality sometimes leads to thoughtless behavior,” Mickie began on the GAW TV. “Especially for me, to constantly be presented as old, when I’m 41 and every single male champion has always been my same age or older and has been glorified for those reasons.”

Ageism in WWE

“As they should be, they’re f***king amazing” James was quick to mention. “But, why is it different for women? Or why is it different for me? Ageism is a real thing and it’s bulls***.”

“I’m truly grateful for the strides that we [as women] have made” Mickie James continued. “And to be seen as more equal. But it’s simply not true for every single person. Sometimes, that’s unfortunate.”

“I don’t know why I was made to feel like I didn’t deserve [the same treatment]” James concluded. “Because I did everything in my power to be a company girl, and for some reason I was made to feel like I didn’t deserve it.”

Do you want to see Mickie James appear in IMPACT, AEW or NWA? Let us know in the comments

AEW Dynamite Results (4/28): The Pinnacle & Inner Circle, TNT Title Match

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to the takeaways below, it was announced that Jon Moxley will defend the IWGP U.S. Championship against Yuji Nagata on the May 12th edition of AEW Dynamite.

Dynamite Results (4/28)

  1. Brian Cage def. Hangman Page
  2. Young Bucks def. Matt & Mike Sydal
  3. Orange Cassidy def. Pentagon Jr.
  4. Kris Statlander def. Penelope Ford
  5. The Factory def. Nightmare Family
  6. Darby Allin def. 10 to retain the TNT Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Brian Cage def. Hangman Page

Hangman Page faced Brian Cage in the first match of the night. Team Taz attacked Hangman during his entrance but Dark Order chased them away. Cage hit a Powerbomb on the entrance ramp and brought Page back to the ring.

Cage connected with a Belly to Belly Suplex and followed it up with a German Suplex for a near fall. Page battled back with a Suplex of his own for a two count. Hangman connected with a Moonsault outside the ring. Cage quickly battled back and hit a Buckle Bomb. Cage followed it up with he Drill Claw for the pinfall victory.

Young Bucks Picked Up A Win

The Young Bucks squared off with Matt & Mike Sydal tonight. Don Callis was on commentary for the match. Matt and Mike controlled the action early and isolated Matt Jackson in the ring. Sydal hit a Brainbuster and the Sydal bros followed it up with dueling Double Knees.

Matt Sydal hit Nick with a Hurricanrana for a near fall. Nick distracted the referee and Matt Jackson hit a low blow. Young Bucks then hit the BTE Trigger on Mike Sydal for the pinfall victory.

After the match, SCU came to the entrance ramp and said they are ready for a title shot. Christopher Daniels added that he wishes he was facing his friends and not whoever the Young Bucks have become now. SCU vowed to take the titles away from Young Bucks.

Orange Cassidy def. Pentagon Jr.

Orange Cassidy faced Pentagon Jr. tonight on Dynamite. Trent and Alex Abrahantes were ringside for the match. Pentagon prevented Orange from putting his hands in his pockets in the beginning of the match. Cassidy threw his sunglasses out of the ring and finally was able to get his hands in his pockets.

Pentagon withstood Cassidy’s weak kicks and planted him with a Backbreaker. Cassidy sent Pentagon out of the ring and went for a Suicide Dive but Penta countered with a slam. Cassidy hit a Crossbody but Penta shrugged it off and connected with a Brainbuster for a two count.

Cassidy hit Beach Break and went for the cover but Pentagon was able to kick out at two. Orange connected with a Diving DDT off the top rope but Abrahantes hopped on the microphone for a distraction. Cassidy dragged Abrahantes into the ring and Pentagon capitalized with a Piledriver for a near fall. Trent distracted Pentagon and Orange hit the Orange Punch for the pinfall victory.

Inner Circle & The Pinnacle Met Before Blood & Guts

Inner Circle and The Pinnacle had a parley tonight to promote their Blood & Guts match next week on Dynamite. Tony Schiavone welcomed the two factions to the ring and The Pinnacle had their own security team. Schiavone said that the team that will have the advantage in the Blood & Guts (WarGames) match will be determined by a coin toss.

Shawn Spears complained that they were lured into this match and should automatically get the advantage. Spears mocked Sammy Guevara for not wrestling in a while and said he planned to put him down at Blood & Guts. Sammy said Spears has been a failure in AEW and was a failure at the last place he worked as well.

Cash Wheeler claimed that Santana & Ortiz are soft and likely won’t make it out of Blood & Guts. Harwood added that he has no fear and is not afraid to die. Dax told Santana & Ortiz to hold their kids close before the match next week. Santana said that they have been locked in a cage before and wondered if the same were true for FTR.

MJF told everyone to keep things cool and said that without Chris Jericho there would be no AEW. MJF added that Jericho was their biggest draw and a bridge for the lapsed fan to get back into wrestling. MJF claimed that Jericho must be struggling with all that pressure and he will be happy to take it from him after he takes his spot.

Jericho told MJF that he was a prick for thinking he can just take a spot. Le Champion told MJF that he has to earn that spot and brought up MJF’s recent insults. Jericho noted that he was jerking the curtain at WCW when he was 25 but was also main eventing shows in Mexico & Japan. Jericho added that MJF will not break Inner Circle apart and that they are going to have to kill Inner Circle at Blood & Guts.

Moxley & Kingston Will Face Omega & Nakazawa Next Week

Kenny Omega instructed Michael Nakazawa to go the ring for a match against Eddie Kingston. Eddie wanted nothing to do with it and said he wanted to fight Kenny Omega. AEW Champion Kenny Omega came to the entrance ramp and said that is not how this works. Kingston beat Nakazawa down and threatened to break his ankle.

Omega told him to do so because Nakazawa knows what he signed up for. Jon Moxley interrupted and hurled Omega into the ring. Moxley choked out Omega as Kingston demanded a tag team match. Don Callis reluctantly agreed and it will be Moxley & Kingston versus Omega & Nakazawa next week.

Kris Statlander def. Penelope Ford

Penelope Ford faced Kris Statlander tonight. Kip Sabian & Orange Cassidy were ringside for the match. Statlander and Ford traded punches in the middle of the ring to begin the action. Statlander hit a Powerslam and Penelope retreated out of the ring. Kris set up for a Suicide Dive but opted to “boop” Penelope on the nose instead. Sabian distracted Statlander and Ford capitalized with a Knee Drop. Penelope followed it up with a German Suplex into the middle turnbuckle and then a Brainbuster for a two count. Statlander battled back and hit the Big Bang Theory for the pinfall victory.

The Factory def. Nightmare Family

Nightmare Family faced The Factory tonight. The Factory (QT Marshall, Nick Comoroto, Aaron Solow, Anthony Ogogo) showed up in a Nightmare Family bus. Dustin Rhodes, Lee Johnson, and Billy Gunn quickly went after them and a brawl broke out.

QT Marshall booted Billy Gunn in his injured ribs and Comoroto locked in a Bear Hug. Gunn escaped and tagged in Dustin. Dustin hit a shoulder tackle and tagged in Lee Johnson. Lee hit Solow with a Neckbreaker and a Blue Thunder Bomb but Nick Comoroto broke it up. Johnson took out QT and Comoroto with a Splash. Ogogo hit a couple cheap shots while the referee was distracted. QT tagged himself back in to pin Johnson.

After the match, Comoroto beat down Dustin Rhodes some more. Colten and Austin Gunn rushed the ring and QT retreated back to the bus. Comoroto and Solow brawled with Austin and Colten in the ring. Cody Rhodes showed up and attacked QT Marshall by the bus. Rhodes got QT in the Figure Four and Marshall tapped out. Rhodes will face QT Marshall next week.

Miro Attacked Kip Sabian

Kip Sabian went to talk to Miro backstage as Miro had been looking for him. Miro launched Sabian into a garage door and beat the hell out of him. Miro choked Kip with a chain before punching him in the face. Miro then slammed the door on Kip’s arm and said nobody is going to stop him from becoming champion. Miro then gave Kip a hug and forgave him.

https://twitter.com/tde_gif/status/1387582993657643015?s=20

Darby Allin Retained

Darby Allin put the TNT Championship on the line against Dark Order’s 10 in this week’s main event. Sting and Dark Order were ringside for the title match. 10 controlled the match early and backed Darby to the corner. Allin got 10 in a Headlock and delivered some punches to the head. Darby went for a Crossbody but 10 swatted him away. 10 hit a Spinebuster but Darby responded with a Stunner.

Allin applied an Armbar but 10 escaped. The action spilled out of the ring and Darby hit 10 & 5 with a Senton off the apron. Ethan Page interfered and hit Darby with a cheap shot while the referee was distracted. 10 went for the Full Nelson but Allin broke free with a few elbows to the face. 10 then applied a Bear Hug but Darby escaped by ripping away at 10’s mask.

Darby went for the Coffin Drop but 10 caught him. 10 locked in the Full Nelson this time in the ring. Allin kicked off the middle turnbuckle into a cover for the victory. Darby Allin is still the TNT Champion. After the match, Allin took off 10’s wrist band that read “Brodie” and held it up. 10 and Allin shared a hug before Dark Order exited. Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky then attacked Darby Allin and Sting. Lance Archer and 10 tried to make the save but Page and Scorpio Sky were able to escape after leaving Allin and Sting on the mat to close the show.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1387588180665319427?s=20

Complete Episode List For Dark Side of the Ring Season 3 Released

Chris Stephens
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Dark Side of the Ring Season 3 will begin airing on Thursday May 6th, 2021. The first episode will be on the life and career of Brian Pillman. A complete episode listing for the show’s 3rd season is now available.

Season 3 Topics

The official Dark Side of the Ring Twitter account lists the following topics for the upcoming season:

  • Brian Pillman (Premiere episode, May 6th)
  • Nick Gage
  • Collision in Korea (1995 WCW/NJPW event in North Korea)
  • Ultimate Warrior
  • Grizzly Smith
  • Dynamite Kid
  • Johnny K9 aka Bruiser Bedlam
  • The Steroid Trials (Vince McMahon’s 1994 trial)
  • FMW
  • The Plane Ride From Hell (Infamous WWE flight back from European tour in 2002)
  • Luna Vachon
  • XPW
  • Chris Kanyon

Dark Side Executive Producers & co-creators Jason Eisener and Evan Husney tell TheWrap, “With this epic, 14-episode season, we’ve had the opportunity to push the series to new heights and dig even deeper into a world that has captivated us our entire lives.”

They added, “We’re excited to unveil a season that encompasses a whole new spectrum of stories, ranging from legendary icons of the past, to contemporary snapshots from wrestling’s underground, to mind-blowing sagas overseas.”

Chris Jericho will serve as narrator once again for the series as he did in season 2.

Tony Khan Comments On AEW Dynamite’s Future On Wednesday Nights

Michael Reichlin
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AEW President Tony Khan has commented on potential scheduling conflict presented by TurnerSports signing a multi-year broadcasting deal with the National Hockey League (NHL).

The 7-year deal will see WarnerMedia-owned cable networks airing 72 regular-season games per year, as well as several games from the Stanley Cup finals.

With Dynamite airing on Wednesday nights on TNT, there’s been some speculation about whether or not AEW could face frequent preemptions or get moved to a different night entirely.

Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio on Wednesday and addressed this very topic.

“I know Wednesday night is our slot and our home,” he began. “We’re in a great situation. I’m thrilled with our partnership with TNT. It’s the lifeblood of our company. It’s the primary revenue source and it’s the way most fans get exposed to AEW.”

“It Would Have To Be A Really Good Deal For AEW”

He said that Wednesday night is an important night for a lot of wrestling fans and he said he does not want people to worry about these kind of major changes. They have a contract with WarnerMedia that runs for another two and a half years plus.

“If there was ever an opportunity to move, or if there was a deal to be had, I would consider it. If we did something, it would have to be a really good deal for AEW.”

Based on these comments, it seems that AEW Dynamite is staying on Wednesday nights for the foreseeable future, but “money talks” and Tony Khan would be flexible if it was worth their while.

Check out Tony Khan’s comments on Busted Open in the tweet embedded below:

Jason Jordan Receives Significant Promotion Backstage In WWE

Chris Stephens
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Jason Jordan hasn’t wrestled a match since the Royal Rumble event in 2018. He underwent neck surgery that February and has never returned to the ring. Jordan has been working as a producer in WWE ever since. According to a recent report from PW Insider, he received a significant promotion recently.

Jordan has been promoted to the lead producer for both RAW and Smackdown. The 32-year-old will be taking over for duties formerly performed by John Laurinaitis. Jordan is expected to receive more responsibilities in his new role as well.

There was a big shake up in the talent relations department recently. Mark Carrano was let go following the Mickie James/trash bag incident. Laurinaitis now oversees the talent relations department, taking over for Carrano. Referee John Cone was briefly relieved of his duties in that department before the company changed course. He has since been bumped up to second in command of talent relations behind Laurinaitis.

Kurt Angle on Jason Jordan As His Storyline Son

Kurt Angle recently commented on his podcast about the storyline angle of Jordan being his son.

“They decided that I was going to have an illegitimate son and they weren’t sure who it was going to be and they decided to pick Jason over Chad and, you know, I’m not sure why. It might have been a politically correct move, but I was happy I was excited about it because Jason is a great talent and he was improving every week, his chops were improving, his work was improving. He was getting a lot better. He was on his way to main event status until he hurt his neck. That’s where the program ended and I was stuck high and dry without a partner for the next WrestleMania because that’s who I was going to wrestle was Jason.”

Harvey Wippleman Running For Political Office

Chris Stephens
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Bruno Lauer, better known to wrestling fans as Harvey Wippleman, is running for political office. The 55-year-old announced recently that he is running for Board of Aldermen in his hometown of Walls, Mississippi.

Lauer sent word to media that he is running in the election, absentee voting starts tomorrow for the June 8th election. A flyer for his campaign is below:

ezgif 6 420f5a6450da

Late last year, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson repaid Lauer for helping him out when he was just a teenager. The Rock purchased him a $30K truck.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJeeGoNFYkU/?utm_source=ig_embed

In a recent interview with Slam Wrestling, the former “Downtown Bruno” spoke about how it was the Rock’s father, Rocky Johnson, who convinced him to become a manager.

“I was just a ring crew guy, but in the dressing room I was always teasing people and being a wise guy,” Lauer explains. “Rocky said, ‘Man, look at you. You’re a little bitty guy, running your mouth like that, you could make a good living being a manager.”

“One step led to another, and me and Jerry Lawler, who was one of my dearest friend in the world, got together in Hawaii when he was over there.”

“(Rocky) was one of my mentors, and Dwayne’s mother Ata and I were very close,” Lauer recalls. “In ’83, when I was in Hawaii, (Ata) was like a mother figure to me, and Dewey and I — I was a few years older than  him, but we basically grew up together.”

Chelsea Green Releases Statement Following Backlash

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE NXT Superstar Chelsea Green recently saw some online backlash come her way. The now-independent performer had used an artist’s piece for promo online and when he asked for credit Green allegedly blocked the artist.

https://twitter.com/salsaboiii/status/1386877309689290754

Chelsea Green issued the following statement addressing the controversy:

“It’s super unfortunate how this has been handled,” she began. “I think artists deserve credit. Period. After reading some of the nasty tweets, I didn’t feel reposting the art was something that I should do as clearly the artists view of me had soured.”

“I support my artists, I pay my artists” Green noted. “I have been doing that since I started on the independent scene; because I myself was a starving artist & I know the struggle.”

“It’s really sad that an oversight on my part has lead to this” Green concluded. “But I wish the artist luck and I think it’s best that I stick to the artists who I have used in the past and who know the person I am.”

The artist himself confirmed that the situation had been resolved between he and Green.

Tucker Takes a Shot at WWE’s Creative Booking of Otis and Mandy Rose

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Tucker has been vocal with his dislike of WWE’s creative booking ever since he was released from the company just over a week ago.

“IMO and obviously I have a bad taste in my mouth; but there is very little opportunity for talent to have any sense of agency over who they are and what happens on tv” Tucker said on Twitter.

“To me it’s this part of the creative process that is hurting the product the most currently;” the former member of the Heavy Machinery tag team mentioned.

Jon Alba, who also worked for WWE previously, asked Tucker if he felt this was just an issue with booking on RAW. Fans have been critical of the red brand but SmackDown and NXT have been largely favoured over the past few months.

Tucker on WWE Creative

“Personally no I didn’t find it to be any different most days” Tucker replied. “I will say there a general sense of less stress on the 2 hour show but creatively I didn’t find a difference.”

Tucker finished by naming the Otis and Mandy Rose storyline specifically. Tucker was of course part of that angle, which was a huge part of WWE programming before WrestleMania 36.

WWE would end up dropping the angle without any real conclusion, beside ‘Tucky’ turning heel and Mandy changing brands.

“Yeah or doing a story like Mandy and Otis for months with zero payoff” Tucker emphatically finished, showing his disgust at how his former tag partner was treated.

Andrade vs Alberto Del Rio Confirmed for July Event

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstars Andrade and Alberto Del Rio will be performing at an event in July. The two Mexican stars will be colliding in McAllen, Texas on July 31.

Alberto Del Rio spoke to Super Luchas and confirmed that he and Andrade will be in a match this summer.

“For the first time they are going to see what people on the Internet have been asking for, for a long time” Del Rio said during the interview. “Andrade against Alberto del Rio. I don’t think we have ever seen a poster of such magnitude featuring two Mexican stars in Texas.”

Andrade vs Alberto Del Rio

Former WWE Superstars Kalisto, Primo and Epico have also been confirmed for the show in July.

Alberto Del Rio still faces aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault charges. This follows on from an incident from last October involving an unnamed woman.

The trial for the kidnapping and sexual assault was originally expected to take place in San Antonio earlier in 2021. The trial for the case has now been pushed back to May 3.

It has not yet been confirmed if the event will be available to view on PPV.

WWE NXT Results (4/27): Reed vs. Theory, Adam Cole Interview, Ted DiBiase Appears

Andrew Ravens
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The April 27, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Mercedes Martinez def. Dakota Kai via DQ
  • Zayda Ramier def. Toni Storm.
  • Bronson Reed def. Austin Theory.
  • Imperium def. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain.
  • Legado del Fantasma def. MSK and Kushida

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Ted DiBiase Appears

ted d

Cameron Grimes did segments at a jewelry shop where he was trying to find a watch. Throughout the various segments, Grimes was trying to find a watch for himself and there was a man in the shop while reading a newspaper. 

Finally, “The Million Dollar Man” appeared with the same watch that Grimes wanted and he laughed at the NXT star.  

The Hall of Famer shared that he was going to do some work with Grimes a few weeks ago and there it was. 

Tag Team Match

pjimage 2021 04 27T170859.936

WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart will be in action against Aliyah and Jessi Kamea in a non-title match. 

WWE announced this match this afternoon when they released a video of Robert Stone, Aliyah, and Kamea arriving where Stone vowed that his clients would win the match to become the official number one contenders to the NXT Women’s Tag Team titles.

Aliyah said she and Kamea couldn’t wait to show the world that they can defeat Blackheart & Moon twice. This comes after last week’s show where Indie Heartwell stated NXT General Manager William Regal had agreed to give her and Candice LeRae a shot at titles, but there wasn’t a date given. 

Before the match could even start, the heels took out the champions at ringside and celebrated in the ring with the titles. 

Mercedes Martinez vs. Dakota Kai 

pjimage 2021 04 27T123532.325

Mercedes Martinez faced Dakota Kai in singles action.

Last week on NXT, Martinez did a promo just one week after she called NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez. She noted that she hadn’t heard back from the champion, but only had Kai talk for her. Kai said Martinez wouldn’t be getting a shot at Gonzalez’s title.

As a result, Martinez called Gonzalez a lapdog and said that she’s still in Kai’s shadow. Thus, Martinez vowed to take out Kai to make sure nothing was left in her way to getting a title shot. 

There was a botched spot early on in the match where Kai landed badly on her right shoulder and was favoring it. Gonzalez hit a big boot to Martinez to cause the DQ. Post-match, she attacked her. 

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1387201249754419202

Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory

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Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory took place with the stipulation that if Reed wins, he earns another future title shot from NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano.

The feud between Reed and Gargano started this month when Reed won the Gauntlet Eliminator match at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night one. He earned the right to challenge for Gargano’s North American Title on night two, but Gargano defeated him to retain.

Last week,  Reed confronted Gargano on NXT to tell him that he still has his eyes on Gargano’s title. Gargano told Reed to get to the back of the line, which led to Theory saying he already talked to NXT general manager William Regal, who told him the only way Reed will get another title shot is if he defeats Theory. Thus, this match was booked. 

The match saw them have a back and forth match. Lumis came down to the ring and stalked Heartwell. Reed won with his top rope splash. 

Six-Man Tag Team Match

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Six-man action as Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Raul Mendoza, Joaquin Wilde) did battle with NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida and NXT Tag Team Champions MSK.

This came after Kushida answered Escobar’s open challenge on NXT two weeks ago and beat him to win the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Last week’s show saw Kushida retain against Oney Lorcan. Post-match, Legado Del Fantasma attacked Kushida until NXT Tag Team Champions made the save.

This match was the main event of the show and a really fun back and forth affair. The tag team champions won it with their finisher. 

Adam Cole Speaks

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Adam Cole sat down with Arash Markazi, who has formerly worked for the LA Times, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated, for a new interview.

Cole dropped a loss to Kyle O’Reilly in the main event of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two earlier this month. Two weeks ago on NXT, WWE aired footage of O’Reilly and Cole being taken to the hospital by an ambulance. Cole yelled at O’Reilly and threatened him as they entered the hospital.

Last week, O’Reilly did a promo where he said he was done with Cole and talked about potentially going after Karrion Kross’ NXT Championship or Johnny Gargano’s NXT North American Championship.

In this segment, Cole was seen poolside on the phone. He said he has been carrying NXT on his back for four years and the Undisputed Era turned their back on him. He said that Kyle isn’t ready to be a main eventer and is insecure. He said as long as he’s in NXT, Kyle won’t take his spot. Cole said that Karron Kross’ time is ticking, but he’ll decide when that happens. He vowed that he’ll show people the best version of himself. We see Kyle watching the interview on TV. 

Ex-AEW Wrestler Sadie Gibbs Announces Her Retirement

Andrew Ravens
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Sadie Gibbs announced on her official Instagram account that she has retired from wrestling. 

Gibbs participated on a tour with Stardom in Japan before she joined AEW in 2019. She made her in-ring promotional debut at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event where she worked the Women’s Casino Battle Royale and ended being one of three women to eliminate Awesome Kong. Gibbs was released from AEW last August. 

Gibbs posted a lengthy statement on Instagram, which you can read an excerpt here: 

“It’s been a really confusing year and half for me, but I’ve always been good at following my instinct and letting go AND HAVING NOTHING BUT GRACE IN THE PATH AHEAD OF ME.

I’ve decided in order for me to excel in my new endeavours, coaching speaking teaching BEING THE LEADER which I’ve always been.

I have to let go! And set my intentions on what it is I want from my life and where I see long term sustainable fulfilment.

And those doors are opening and it’s about time I conserved all my energy and focus on this new chapter.I will forever be THE AMAZING GRACE! I will forever be the GIRL WHO DID A CORKSCREW SASUKE SPECIAL ! I WILL FOREVER BE #UNDEFINABLE.”

Gibbs had a tryout with WWE in 2017 but wasn’t signed at the time. In addition to her wrestling career, she has a CrossFit, gymnastics, and MMA background.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COJYBO4FjLO/

AEW Stars React To NHL TV Deal With Turner Sports

Chris Stephens
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The National Hockey League has signed a 7-year agreement with Turner Sports, which owns TBS and TNT. The news has drawn reactions from several people in wrestling. Chris Jericho, Britt Baker, Renee Paquette, and CM Punk all reacted to the new NHL TV deal online.

Chris Jericho, whose father is former NHL player Ted Irvine, reacted to the news:

Dr. Britt Baker DMD is a noted fan of her hometown Pittsburgh Penguins. She reacted to the news as well:

Renee Paquette was formerly a host on TheScore in Canada. Sports coverage in Canada has a heavy emphasis on hockey. She’s offering her hosting services to TNT.

Noted Chicago Blackhawks fan CM Punk also appears to be interested in this development:

72 regular season games will air on either TNT or TBS throughout the year. Turner can bounce the games between TNT and TBS to avoid having to move Dynamite. Turner will air 3 of 7 Stanley Cup Finals series as part of the deal as well.

The NHL’s deal with Turner was addressed recently by Dave Meltzer.

“AEW will stay in its timeslot, and NHL will probably end up on TBS or a different night,” said Dave Meltzer.

WWE Raw Averaged 1.774 Million Viewers, 0.49 Demo (4/26)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.774 million viewers with a 0.49 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week’s 1.907 million viewers and the 0.61 rating.

Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday night:

  • The first hour did 1.775 million viewers and a 0.49 rating (A18-49).
  • The second hour did 1.830 million viewers and a 0.50 rating.
  • The final hour of the show had just 1.718 million viewers and a 0.47 rating.

This episode featured Elias, Jaxson Ryker, and The Miz vs. The New Day & Damian Priest, Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax & Rhea Ripley vs. Lana, Naomi, & Asuka, and T-BAR & MACE vs. Drew McIntyre & Braun Strowman, and a late addition in the main event where McIntyre battled Strowman. 

SmackDown Viewership

Friday’s SmackDown averaged 2.121 million viewers. This is up from the 2.119 million viewers on FOX that the show did for the previous week.

SmackDown pulled in a 0.54 rating in the 18-49 demos, down from the 0.56 rating the previous week’s show. The episode drew an average of 2.042 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 1.996  million viewers. 

The first hour saw it pull in 2.046 million viewers while hour two did 2.032 million viewers. The show did 2.001 million viewers in hour one while hour two did 1.992 million viewers a week ago.

WWE Star Natalya Talks School Fights and Protecting Kayfabe

Alex Laybourne
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Natalya Neidhart comes from Canadian wrestling royalty. It goes without saying that she is proud of the business she is a part of. This passion has been with her since she was a kid. To the point that she would go to great lengths to protect the world of kayfabe.

Talking in a recent interview on Ryan Satins Out of Character show, Natalya recalled a story from her youth that saw her get into a full-on fight on the school bus with a girl who talked about wrestling being fake. The incident itself revolved around Papa Shango and the green vomit he would induce in his opponents.

According to Natalya, she was protecting the business of professional wrestling. The fight was so bad it took teachers to break it up. It went so far that their parents were called to the school.

It must have been an interesting one when the teacher explained the fight to Natalya’s father Jim ‘the anvil’ Neidhart.

Natalya has been a WWE stalwart for many years. She is currently seeing a run in the tag team division with Tamina, the daughter of Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka.

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She has come a long way from the little girl who admitted she would cry when people told her wrestling was fake.

Natalya has become a powerful voice not just for women’s wrestling but wrestling as a business. It’s clear to see her passion runs as deep as it can possibly get.

Josh Alexander Says He Will ‘Honor’ X Division Greats With Title Run

Jake Skudder
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New IMPACT Wrestling X Division Champion Josh Alexander won the title during the company’s Rebellion PPV event over the weekend. The former member of The North tag team (alongside Ethan Page) recently spoke to Sports Illustrated and said how he intends to honor former Champions and the division as a whole.

“That’s the greatest three-way match of all time,” Alexander began, talking about the fabled Unbreakable 2005 Three Way match between Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. “The monkey flip where I caught TJ, they did that same spot. They did it straight into the rana, but I added a little flair by powering TJ, taking a kick, and then he rana’d me.”

“When Samoa Joe came to the X-Division, that gave me the burning desire to be a pro wrestler” Alexander noted, discussing his influences. “So having that throwback to the Unbreakable match, that was a way to pay respect to this division.”

Josh Alexander on X Division

“This was my chance to establish myself in a division that revolutionized the pro wrestling business” Alexander continued. “AJ Styles, Low Ki, Amazing Red, Samoa Joe, all found their success in the X-Division, and they were always the match of the night. I would like to return the X-Division to its glory.”

“This is the workhorse division. I’m going to bust my ass and try to steal every show I’m on” Josh Alexander concluded.

Who do you want to see Josh Alexander face for the X Title in IMPACT? Are there any AEW stars he should face? Let us know in the comments

Braun Strowman Reacts To Being Added To WrestleMania Backlash Match

Jake Skudder
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It was confirmed on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW that Braun Strowman will be heading to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash. Strowman will be joining Drew McIntyre and reigning Champion Bobby Lashley in the bout to make it a Triple Threat.

The Monster Among Men discussed being added to the match following RAW. “This means everything,” Strowman began, speaking to WWE for their YouTube channel. “Everything that I’ve been saying for months has come true, the Monster is where he belongs.”

Top of the Food Chain

“I’m at top of the food chain,” Strowman declared. “I eat everything that’s in my path, and the Strowman Express is just rolling. I’m rolling through WWE WrestleMania Backlash and I’m coming out the backside the new WWE Champion.”

WrestleMania Backlash will be taking place on May 16 and will be available to view on Peacock for fans in the United States. Fans based internationally will be able to watch the show on WWE Network.

Update On Kenny Omega’s Schedule With Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Kenny Omega is the new Impact World Champion. Following Omega’s victory over Rich Swann at Rebellion, Scott D’Amore Tweeted that he expects Omega to fulfill his obligations as champion. According to a report on Wrestling Observer Radio, that includes defending the title on May 15ths Under Seige event on Impact Plus.

“He’s definitely defending the title at Under Siege,” commented Dave Meltzer. “That’s the first title defense, so that’s May 15th. I believe he’s doing a tag-team match on television when they do the tapings as well.”

As for who Omega defends the title against at Under Siege, that is not yet clear.

“I have a feeling that on Thursday’s show that you would probably have an idea who it will be. It might be Rich (Swann).”

Meltzer continued to speculate that Moose or Eddie Edwards could also be Omega’s opponent on the show. Trey Miguel and Josh Alexander were also mentioned.

Following Under Siege, Impact will present Against All Odds on June 12th. Impact will return to PPV in July with Slammiversary but an exact date has yet to be announced.

Impact Wrestling on Thursday night will be the first show since Rebellion. Josh Alexander is the new X-Division Champion, Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering are the new Knockouts tag champions, and Kenny Omega is the new Impact World Champion. Only FinJuice and Deonna Purrazzo retained their titles at Rebellion.

Darby Allin Talks AEW Revolution Match Filming, Worried He Would ‘Break Sting’s Face’

Jake Skudder
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AEW star and TNT Champion Darby Allin recently discussed the taping of the AEW Revolution match. Allin teamed with Sting at the PPV in a cinematic match against Ricky Starks and Brian Cage.

Darby Allin was reportedly extremely involved in the creation of the match; as Allin has an extensive history in filmmaking and independent releases.

“I was writing storyboards for months before the PPV” Darby Allin began, speaking on Drinks with Johnny. “When I saw the location where we were filming, I took all these photos and was plotting everything in my brain.”

“[I was] sitting in the boiler room, just coming up with all the shots” Allin noted. “We had an awesome crew and Steve Yu, who helped direct it. When we’re shooting it, I was running around and doing everything possible. ‘I wanna shoot it like this.’”

Darby Allin on Sting

“When we got done with the cut, I’d run through a pane of glass, and go, ‘alright, get the next shot.’ I was doing everything and I felt on autopilot” Allin stated. “I had an adrenaline rush and felt we could go all night and was on fire with it.”

“The only thing that stopped me was when I had to throw the bat to Sting” Darby Allin said. “I was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to throw this down.’ Tony [Khan] put it best, ‘You know how the laws of physics work, right? That bat is going to come down and we don’t know if it’s going to break Sting’s face.’”

Darby Allin finished by revealing that Sting was able to do the shot in the very first take. “First time in the whole shoot I started thinking like, ‘what if I do break Sting’s face and he can’t finish the match?’ He’s the one who was like, ‘I’m catching that bat.’ Perfect catch, first try, beat the f*ck out of everyone. I was on cloud nine.”

credit to Fightful for the transcription

WWE RAW Results (4/26): WWE Title Match Set For WrestleMania Backlash, Lashley Returns

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome. Braun Stowman teamed up with Drew McIntyre to begin the show but wound up facing McIntyre in the main event. If Strowman won the match, he would be added to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.

RAW Results (4/26)

  1. Mace & T-Bar def. Braun Strowman & Drew McIntyre
  2. New Day & Damian Priest def. The Miz, Jaxson Ryker, Elias
  3. Riddle & Randy Orton def. Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin
  4. Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley def. Naomi, Lana, Asuka
  5. Charlotte Flair def. Mandy Rose
  6. Braun Strowman def. Drew McIntyre to earn his way into the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Strowman Attacked McIntyre

Braun Strowman challenged Mace and T-Bar in a Handicap match to begin the show. Strowman launched T-Bar to the corner and beat him down. Braun knocked Mace off the ring apron and hit T-Bar with a splash. Mace tagged in and attacked Braun from behind.

Mace unloaded several strikes to Braun’s midsection and then leveled him with a kick to the face. Mace and T-Bar then brought Strowman to the corner and took turns stomping on him until the referee called for the bell. Mace and T-Bar kept attacking Strowman until Drew McIntyre rushed the ring. Drew and Strowman Clotheslined Mace and T-Bar to the outside as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Mace & T-Bar faced McIntyre & Strowman in a tag team match. Mace and T-Bar isolated McIntyre in the corner and took turns stomping on him. Mace connected with a slam and went for the cover but McIntyre was able to kick out at two.

McIntyre battled back and tagged in Strowman. T-Bar tagged in and Strowman greeted him with a massive shoulder tackle. Braun went for a Spear but T-Bar got out of the way and Strowman crashed into the ring post. McIntyre tagged in and hit T-Bar with a Neckbreaker.

McIntyre climbed to the top rope and leveled T-Bar with a Flying Clothesline. Drew hit an awesome Future Shock DDT but Mace broke up the cover at two. Drew accidentally hit Strowman with a Clothesline outside the ring. T-Bar threw McIntyre into the barricade and got back into the ring at the count of nine. McIntyre didn’t make it and Mace & T-Bar won via countout. After the match, Braun Strowman got pissed off and planted McIntyre with a Running Powerslam. It was later announced that Strowman will face McIntyre in the main event. If Braun won the match he would be added to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.

New Day & Damian Priest Picked Up A Win

The Miz and John Morrison came to the ring for an episode of Miz TV. Miz promoted his documentary on the network and his reality TV show following RAW. Elias and Ryker joined Miz and Morrison in the ring. Elias strummed his guitar as Miz said that they are here in honor of Bad Bunny selling out his tour in a couple minutes. The Miz took full credit for Bad Bunny’s success and Morrison complained about Bad Bunny not offering them tickets.

Miz and Morrison said that they have their own concert and Elias called them geniuses. Elias dedicated the performance to Shane McMahon and played an acoustic version of “Hey Hey Hop Hop”. Damian Priest interrupted and joked about Miz losing to Bad Bunny at WrestleMania.

Damian was joined by New Day and Woods brought a guitar case with him. Priest and New Day then opened the guitar case and revealed a bunch of tomatoes. They then hurled the tomatoes at Miz, Morrison, Elias, and Ryker as RAW went to a commercial break.

Elias, Ryker. and The Miz faced New Day & Damian Priest in a 6-man tag team match. Ryker hit Woods with a Body Slam and went for the cover but Xavier was able to kick out a two. Elias tagged in and hit Woods with an uppercut. Woods connected with a forearm to the face for a near fall and then tripped up The Miz when he tagged in.

Kofi tagged in and hit Miz with a Bulldog for a two count. Woods tagged in and hit an Elbow Drop for a two count. Damian Priest and Jaxson Ryker then locked up in the middle of the ring. Ryker applied a Headlock but Priest escaped and hit a Dropkick. Ryker went for a kick but Priest blocked it.

Kingston tagged in and Clotheslined Elias out of the ring. Back in the ring, Kofi hit a Crossbody on Elias for a near fall. When RAW returned from a break, The Miz unloaded several punches to Kofi’s face. John Morrison then smooshed a tomato in Kingston’s face as Miz distracted the referee.

Elias tagged in and got Kofi in a Headlock. Elias then connected with a forearm to the face for a two count. Kofi spent the next several minutes getting his ass kicked until finally he hit The Miz with an SOS. Damian tagged in and hit Elias with a Clothesline for a two count.

Priest climbed to the top rope and hit a kick to the face but Miz broke up the cover. Xavier leaped of the top rope but Elias caught him with a knee to the face for a two count. Kofi hit Ryker with a Dropkick off the top rope for a two count. Priest flipped onto Miz and Morrison outside the ring as Woods rolled up Ryker for the pinfall victory.

Sonya Deville Lifted Charlotte’s Suspension

Sonya Deville let Charlotte Flair into the ThunderDome tonight despite her suspension for attacking an official last week.

Charlotte joined Sonya and the referee in the ring. Sonya rolled footage of Charlotte attacking the referee last week and Deville claimed that Adam Pearce’s decision was rushed. Flair apologized to WWE management, the WWE Universe, and to the referee. Charlotte claimed that instinct just took over and she is here tonight to right the wrongs that she committed.

Flair apologized for “manhandling” the referee last week. The referee accepted the apology and said that he didn’t see Rhea Ripley interfere. Sonya officially lifted Charlotte’s suspension and said that Eddie will referee the match. Charlotte noted that Eddie just admitted that it was his mistake and forced him to apologize. Adam Pearce got annoyed with Sonya Deville backstage. Sonya tried to apologize but Pearce didn’t believe her

Humberto Carrillo Got Revenge On Sheamus

United States Champion Sheamus came to the ring for another Open Challenge. Sheamus noted that the title will not be on the line in the match. Humberto Carrillo answered the challenge again and Sheamus hit him with a cheap shot. Sheamus beat Carrillo down but Humberto battled back. Carrillo sent Sheamus out of the ring with a Back Body Drop and then knocked him off the apron with a Dropkick. Carrillo followed it up with a Suicide Dive that sent Sheamus tumbling over the announce table.

Lashley Vowed To Leave Backlash As WWE Champion

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley returned and made his way to the ring with MVP. Lashley boasted about retaining the WWE Championship at WrestleMania and making Drew McIntyre pass out via the Hurt Lock. Lashley said it felt good to get the respect from the fans in attendance and compared Drew McIntyre to a piece of bubblegum stuck on his shoe.

Lashley vowed to beat McIntyre again at WrestleMania Backlash and complained about the possibility of this becoming a Triple Threat match. MVP said that Bobby Lashley is the All Mighty champion and he deserves to be consulted on any decision. Lashley added that it would be disrespectful and MVP agreed.

MVP said that Lashley lost the US Title in a Triple Threat match and he wasn’t pinned. MVP claimed that it wasn’t fair and Lashley said he could beat McIntyre and Strowman one on one at any time. Lashley vowed to leave Backlash as WWE Champion anyway to end the promo.

RKBro def. Alexander & Benjamin

Randy Orton approached Riddle backstage and said he underestimated him last week. Orton said he kind of liked the idea of team RKBro and arranged a tag team match tonight.

Riddle and Orton battled Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander tonight. Alexander and Benjamin controlled the action early and isolated Riddle in the ring. Riddle connected with a kick to Shelton’s face and tagged in Orton. Randy leveled Benjamin with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Powerslam.

Orton geared up for the RKO as Shelton stumbled to his feet. Alexander went for a Splash but Orton countered with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton set up for the Draping DDT but Riddle pleaded for the tag. Orton hit the DDT and Riddle tagged in. Riddle hit the Floating Bro for the pinfall victory. Riddle posed like Orton and Randy smiled after the match.

Rhea Ripley, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler Picked Up A Win

Asuka, Naomi, Lana faced Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley in a 6-woman tag team match to begin the final hour of this week’s RAW. Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke distracted Nia early and she fell down outside the ring. Reginald then awkwardly helped her up in a lame attempt at humor as RAW went to a break.

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When RAW returned, Asuka hit Ripley with a Hip Attack and then leveled Baszler with a shoulder tackle. Asuka delivered Double Knees to Nia and a Dropkick to Shayna for a two count. Baszler connected with a knee to the face and dragged Asuka to the corner.

Nia tagged in and slammed Asuka to the canvas and dropped an elbow for a two count. Asuka escaped and tagged Naomi in. Naomi hit Nia with a Crossbody and unloaded some punches. Naomi connected with a kick to the face and went for the cover but Shayna broke it up at two.

Reginald hopped on the ring apron for a distraction and Jax capitalized with a punch. Ripley tagged in and slammed Naomi to the canvas. Ripley went for the cover but Asuka broke it up at two. Ripley threw Asuka out of the ring and Lana tagged in. Rhea hit the Riptide on Naomi but turned around into a Crossbody from Lana for a two count.

Lana hit Double Knees but Ripley popped right up. Lana rolled up Rhea for a two count as Jax leveled Asuka outside the ring. Ripley slammed Lana to the mat and Nia tagged in. Jax hit a Leg Drop for the pinfall victory. Sonya Deville then confronted Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke backstage. Sonya told Mandy Rose that Charlotte Flair needed an opponent and that match is next.

Alexa Bliss Warned The RAW Roster

Another episode of Alexa’s Playground aired tonight. Bliss said that everyone can have a Lily of their own and all you have to do is ask nicely. Alexa told everyone to look into her eyes and to think dark thoughts. Alexa instructed people to think twisted thoughts and to repeat “Lily, Lily, Lily”. Bliss added to picture something peaceful and then a screaming Lily popped up on the screen. Alexa laughed and said it is time to unleash Lily to play with the rest of WWE. Bliss said to not blame her for what happens next and that Lily made her do it.

Charlotte Flair def. Mandy Rose

Charlotte Flair faced Mandy Rose tonight. Eddie Orengo was once again the official for the match as Charlotte requested and Dana Brooke was ringside. Charlotte tried to use the ropes for leverage during a cover but Dana broke it up. Mandy drove Charlotte to the corner but Flair battled back with a knee to the face.

Mandy connected with a Dropkick off the top rope and went for the cover but Flair kicked out at two. Charlotte got frustrated with the referee again after hitting a big boot for a two count. Flair complained about the referee’s count and claimed it was slow. Mandy rolled up Charlotte for a two count and followed it up with a kick to the face for another near fall. Charlotte then hit Natural Selection for the pinfall victory.

Braun Strowman Earned His Way Into The Title Match At WrestleMania Backlash

Strowman battled McIntyre in this week’s main event. Strowman controlled the match early and sent Drew to the apron. McIntyre punched Braun in the face and made his way to the top rope. Strowman caught him at the top and slammed him to the mat. Braun then knocked Strowman out of the ring and WWE Champion Bobby Lashley’s theme hit. Lashley made his way to the entrance ramp with MVP as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Strowman launched McIntyre into the turnbuckle as MVP and Lashley were seated next to the commentary table. Strowman hit a massive Powerbomb and went for the cover but McIntyre was able to kick out at two. Strowman perched McIntyre up on the top turnbuckle and connected with a right hand to the face.

Braun joined Drew on the top rope and planted him with a Superplex for another two count. Strowman clubbed McIntyre across the chest and hit a Splash in the corner of the ring. Lashley hopped on the ring apron as Strowman was about to hit the Running Powerslam. MVP did the same and McIntyre capitalized on the distraction. Mace & T-Bar then hopped on the ring apron and Strowman hit the Running Powerslam for the pinfall victory. Braun Strowman will now be added to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.

WWE Makes Change To Top Title Match At WrestleMania Backlash

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has made a change to the scheduled WWE Title Match at WrestleMania Backlash. 

Originally, Bobby Lashley was supposed to WWE Title against Drew McIntyre in a one-on-one match. However, on Monday’s Raw, Strowman beat McIntyre in the main event to earn the right to be added to the match and make it a triple threat match. 

On this show, Strowman and McIntyre argued at the start. First, Strowman beat Mace and T-Bar in a handicap match only for it to be turned back into the originally advertised tag team match that saw Mace and T-Bar go over via count out. 

Strowman went to WWE official Adam Pearce later on and demanded a match with McIntyre in the headliner and if he won then he would be added to the WrestleMania Backlash title match. That happened after McIntyre was distracted by Lashley, MVP, T-Bar and Mace, so now it’s a three-way. 

WWE holds the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view event on Sunday, May 16, 2021 from Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center, which will air on Peacock. 

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley is the only other title match confirmed for this show. 

Injury Update On Randy Orton

Andrew Ravens
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Randy Orton wrestled Matt Riddle in a singles match on last week’s episode of Raw after WWE changed its plans as Orton had been advertised to wrestle Braun Strowman on this show. 

After the match, there had been a lot of speculation about Orton’s status as he suffered some sort of right shoulder injury during it. The injury appeared to happen when he hit a standard powerslam on Riddle. 

On the broadcast, Corey Graves and the rest of the announcers picked up on an apparent injury. Orton continued to work the match and did use his right arm. 

Fightful Select reports that Orton suffered a deep bruise around his shoulder area and was noted that at least initially there did not seem to be any major damage. 

Thus, it appears he won’t be on the shelf for a long period of time. As it stands right now, there’s no word yet on whether that has changed. WWE has yet to announce him for Monday Night Raw, but it will be interesting to see whether he appears. 

It’s believed that the feud with Riddle will continue. Fans may know that Orton has had a history of shoulder problems from when he was younger as it started in 2002 after making his Raw debut. At the time, it put him out of action for several months. At various times throughout his career, he has dealt with other shoulder issues.

Orton does a pre-match workout to help increase strength in his shoulders before he goes out and performs.

MLW Premieres On Vice TV This Saturday, Court Bauer Comments

Michael Reichlin
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A new chapter begins this weekend for Major League Wrestling.

MLW Fusion, the fight league’s flagship show, premieres on Vice TV this Saturday at 12pm (Eastern). MLW sent in the following press release touting the historic broadcast:

NEW YORK — Major League Wrestling (“MLW”) today announced it will premiere on Vice TV this Saturday at noon (Eastern).

“This Saturday we kick off an exciting new chapter as millions of fans can now tune in to Vice TV for Major League Wrestling,” MLW CEO Court Bauer said. “Just like Vice TV, MLW is an unfiltered and immersive experience.”

Witness top ranked wrestlers and the next generation of wrestling’s most legendary families as they clash each week on Vice TV.

A national audience on cable and satellite will witness the rise of CONTRA Unit, a new hope emerge with the arrival of Ross and Marshall Von Erich and some dynastic moments from Alex Hammerstone and Richard Holliday.

Journey to the hottest arenas and fight clubs as rivalries are ignited for championship gold each and every week with MLW on Vice TV.

Thunder Rosa To Face Off With Dave LaGreca For Mission Pro Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Thunder Rosa’s Mission Pro Wrestling promotion is running an event in Buda, Texas on May 1st. Rosa will be performing on the show and will be involved in a “face-off” with the host of Busted Open Radio, Dave LaGreca. The event will be streamed through the Title Match Network.

The radio host has been busy preparing for the show. Impressively, LaGreca demonstrated that he can do 800 push-ups in the below video:

Tickets for the event range from $10 to $50. The last event thrown by MPW was on March 20th and featured the debut of Nyla Rosa. The all-female promotion’s champion is currently La Rosa Negra. She won a tournament last year to become the inaugural champion, beating Lacey Ryan in the finals in a best 2 of 3 falls match.

Thunder Rosa Comments On Lights Out Match

Thunder Rosa’s match against Dave LaGreca comes on the heels of her headlining Dynamite in a Lights Out match against Britt Baker. Rosa commented on the backstage reaction to that match on the AEW Unrestricted podcast.

“It’s one of those moments where you cannot fake it,” said Rosa “I was already crying at the end of the match because of all the things that I felt and all the things I’ve been through in the last 7 months. Just coming to a new place and knowing that you are ruffling some feathers and you know that you have to work really hard to show that you are one of the best talents and that’s why they brought you here.” 

Ryback Says “It’s Perfectly OK” To Not Want Vaccine

Chris Stephens
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Former WWE Superstar Ryback took to Twitter recently to tell people it is “perfectly okay and responsible to not want to get a vaccine.” The 39-year-old has also been responding to people online critical of his stance as well.

“It’s perfectly ok and responsible to not want to get a vaccine. Just like the whole mask deal, don’t let ourselves get distracted and focus our attention on others. Many people haven’t been sick in years because they’ve properly built up their immune systems. Let’s live life!” Ryback wrote.

This led to him responding to several people critical of his stance.

Mark Henry vs Ryback

Mark Henry and Ryback ended up in a back-and-forth recently regarding statements Ryback made regarding championships in wrestling. Back in January, Henry spoke about Ryback’s comments and his reputation in wrestling.

“A lot of his peers looked at him as difficult, a lot of his peers looked at him as dangerous,” Mark Henry said on Busted Open Radio 

Henry also responded to comments Ryback made on Twitter regarding titles in wrestling.

“Wrestling’s fake guys and the Championships are props to market entertainers as “Champions”’ Nobody has actually ever won or lost a prop, as scripted physical entertainment is incapable of that. This tweet explains so much though on your tv deal with them,” Ryback wrote.

“The championship is the championship, it’s not a prop and he’s wrong,” said Henry on Busted Open Radio. “I’ve been a world champion in 3 sports and I consider pro-wrestling one of those. Ryback can’t take away what I achieved. You are wrong. Every wrestler that sees your face should walk up to you and say ‘hey, you’re an asshole.’ And I hope you know how to fight for real because you know and I know, there’s a lot of people that would whoop your ass.”

Henry finished by saying, “You owe the wrestling industry an apology. If you don’t, I think that pro-wrestlers all over the world should never give you respect.”

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