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WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Updated Card – New Matches Set

Andrew Ravens
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Three new matches have been confirmed for the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver special on Wednesday, April 7th (airing on USA Network) and Thursday, April 8th. 

WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart vs. Candice LeRae and Indie Heartwell was booked. There’s no word yet on which nights the match will air. 

Also, Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis, Cameron Grimes, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Leon Ruff, and LA Knight will battle it out in the Gauntlet Eliminator on Night 1 with the winner then challenging Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Title the following night. Finally, Pete Dunne vs. Kushida, who both worked battle royal to determine the six names above, will take place.

WWE has also confirmed the first night of the special will be simulcast live on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network everywhere else at the same time as it’s airing on the USA Network.

Updated WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Card

WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs. Raquel Gonzalez (Night 1 headliner)

MSK vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Legado del Fantasma – Vacant NXT Tag Team Titles (Night 1)

WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Night 1)

Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis, Cameron Grimes, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Leon Ruff, and LA Knight – Gauntlet Eliminator Match (Night 1)

Pete Dunne vs. Kushida (Night 1)

WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor vs. Karrion Kross (Night 2 headliner)

Santos Escobar vs. Jordan Devlin – WWE Cruiserweight Title Unification Ladder Match (Night 2)

Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly – Unsanctioned Match (Night 2)

WWE NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano vs. Gauntlet Eliminator Winner (Night 2)

WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart vs. Candice LeRae and Indie Heartwell (night TBA)

Christian Cage Wins His AEW Dynamite In-Ring Debut

Andrew Ravens
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Christian Cage made his highly anticipated in-ring debut for All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite on TNT. 

The former WWE star battled Frankie Kazarian in a singles match from  Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place during the opening segment. The bout had a slow-building start with Kaz working as the heel. In the end, Cage made a comeback and won the match with his killswitch finisher. 

https://twitter.com/FiteTV/status/1377411922082037765

All Elite Wrestling set up this contest last week in a backstage segment where Cage was confronted by SCU member, who asked Cage when the “work” portion of his catchphrase was going to become a reality. This led to Cage telling him that while he planned to wrestle the following week, he didn’t have an opponent so Kaz offered to fill that spot and the contest was made official. 

Christian had been retired due to a history of suffering concussions. The process of him returning began after last summer’s unsanctioned “match” with Randy Orton on an episode of Raw. 

At the time, Christian was on a list where he was banned from doing anything physical on television. Cage went to the University of South Florida Concussion Center to see where he was at and whether he could return to in-ring action.

He was eventually cleared and made his return to action this past January at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view where he worked the men’s rumble match. He didn’t come to terms on a deal with WWE so he talked with AEW President Tony Khan and the two agreed to a multi-year deal. He made his promotional debut at the Revolution pay-per-view event earlier this month. 

WWE Wrestler Has Quietly Retired

Andrew Ravens
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The WWE Performance Center YouTube channel released a new video that looks at Brian Kendrick’s work for the company outside the ring. During it, it was revealed that Kendrick has retired as an in-ring performer for WWE. 

Kendrick has been working as a Producer for the 205 Live brand in recent months. He started out his pro wrestling career by being trained by Shawn Michaels and Rudy Boy Gonzalez and got his start by going by the name, Spanky. He signed a WWE developmental deal where he went to work for Memphis Championship Wrestling. It didn’t work out at the time so he was released and then became a top star in Ring of Honor in addition to his work in Japan’s ZERO-ONE.   

Kendrick had several stints with WWE over the years. He most notably had a run with Paul London as the WWE Tag Team Champions and Ezekiel Jackson as his partner. He also spent time in TNA Wrestling. When WWE did the Cruiserweight Classic in 2016, he returned to be part of the revived division.

He’s helped train various wrestlers including Eva Marie at his school in California. His last match came on the October 28th edition of 205 Live where he worked a tag team bout. 

Bella Twins Were Only Given 5 Minutes For WWE HOF Speech

Chris Stephens
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The Bella Twins were met with an unpleasant surprise at Tuesday’s WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony tapings.

Nikki and Brie discussed their experience at this year’ Hall of Fame ceremony on the latest episode of their Bellas Podcast. According to the Bellas, they prepared a speech that was set to run approximately 15 minutes, since that is what they are used to seeing from previous induction speeches. When they arrived at the event, they were caught off guard when WWE told them they were given only 3-5 minutes to speak.

“We had a speech written, but then we realized it was too long because we’re only allowed to do our speech for three to five minutes,” said Brie. “We wrote a 15-minute speech because usually, they are like ’10 to 15 minutes,’ then we found out they were like, ‘No, it has to be three to five minutes.'”

Brie recalls it being difficult to figure out what to cut and what to leave in the speech.

“To do your Hall of Fame speech and take out that much stuff is really hard,” she continued. “We’re wondering like, ‘How do we condense this. What’s important? We want to thank all these people and tell stories,'” said Brie on the podcast.

Nikki said they planned to spend a large portion of the speech thanking the people who guided their careers to the Hall of Fame. WWE told them to spend most of the 3-5 minutes talking about themselves.

“We’ve always been grateful women and that’s where it’s difficult,” said Nikki. “The majority of our speech is thanking people and they’re like, ‘talk more about yourself.’ We’ve already proven ourselves as Hall of Famers. It’s almost like winning an Oscar. You’re thanking the people who helped you get there.”

Women’s Wrestling Focus (Ep. 2): WWE’s 50 Greatest List

Jake Skudder
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Welcome to Women’s Wrestling Focus, the show talking all thing’s women’s wrestling! Hosted by: Ella Jay of A Wrestling Gal Podcast.

From WWE & AEW to the independent circuit and all around the world, Women’s Wrestling Focus (WWF) looks to explore and showcase the past, present, and future of women’s wrestling!

This second edition of the show discusses AEW’s first ever women’s main event match, WWE’s 50 Greatest Women Superstars list, and three independent female talents to watch!

Check out the latest episode of Women’s Wrestling Focus with Ella Jay below:

Dr Britt Baker vs Thunder Rosa headlined the AEW Dynamite St Patrick’s Day Slam event a week ago. The bout was a brutal and bloody affair that won plaudits from fans and critics alike.

Check out highlights from the first ever Women’s main event in AEW Dynamite history below:

In case you missed it, WWE’s 50 Greatest Women Superstars list featured the following Superstars in the top 10:

  • 10. Bayley
  • 9. Ronda Rousey
  • 8. Lita
  • 7. Alundra Blayze
  • 6. Sasha Banks
  • 5. Asuka
  • 4. Chyna
  • 3. Becky Lynch
  • 2. Charlotte Flair
  • 1. Trish Stratus

What would you like to see us produce for video content on YouTube going forward? Let us know in the comments

Charly Caruso Refutes Reports About Backstage Heat In WWE

Chris Stephens
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Charly Caruso (Charly Arnolt) recently announced that she is now with ESPN full-time. This comes on the heels of reports that she had been taken off of WWE television due to “backstage heat” from being late to interviews. A report from Fightful said she had been taken off television after Vince McMahon was made aware of her tardiness.

Caruso recently denied these reports in an interview with TV Insider. Her departure from WWE was also addressed recently by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“There is always going to be chatter,” Caruso said regarding reports of her having heat backstage. “The contract was coming up. Instead of renewing, I’m moving on. Everyone is going to have their own opinions regardless. I never had any issues while I was at WWE. Nothing bad happened. As far as I’m concerned, I’m leaving on a positive note and beginning what I believe to be the next step in my career.”

Caruso’s departure was also addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio. According to comments made by Dave Meltzer, Caruso was taken off of television due to her choosing not to re-sign with WWE when they offered her a new contract.

“It’s pretty clear she was leaving anyway,” Meltzer said. “That’s what this was all about. Because she was offered a new contract and didn’t take it. They pretty much knew she was out the door, so that’s what happened.”

MVP Talks People Attacking His Past on Social Media

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar MVP recently took to Twitter to discuss people ‘attacking’ his criminal past on social media.

“I’m amused by people who come at me on social media from the anonymity of a keyboard” MVP began. “My favorite is when they attack me about my criminal past and prison time.”

“It really doesn’t hurt my feelings because I’ve overcome all of that” MVP continued. “And now I’m an example and inspiration to others.”

MVP Talks Criminal Past

“I think there are a number of people out there that resent very deeply that a convicted felon who came from poverty is a globally known professional wrestler that has accomplished more than they have despite my baggage. Says more about them than me” MVP added.

MVP is referring to a nine-and-a-half year prison sentence that he served as a teenager. Montel Vontavious Porter was part of a cruise ship robbery and the prison term was for armed robbery and kidnapping.

It was apparently a corrections officer, who was also an independent wrestler, who gave MVP the idea to try his hand at pro wrestling. The ‘manager’ of Bobby Lashley joined WWE back in 2005 and he was assigned to their developmental territory Deep South.

Edge Talks Fans Finally Being Back in Attendance for WrestleMania 37

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and one third of the WrestleMania 37 main event Edge recently spoke to app.com. The ‘Ultimate Opportunist’ discussed a number of topics during the interview, including fans finally being back in attendance for a major PPV at WrestleMania 37.

“Our audience, it’s our phantom limb” Edge began. “Without them there, it doesn’t feel quite the same yet. It’s not going to feel the way it’s supposed to until we get there that night and you actually hear a rumble and a roar out there from an audience. Then it will become fully real to me, I think.”

“Right now, as a company, we’re all kind of flying blind” Edge continued. “Because we have these stories and we have this creative but we don’t know what the actual reaction is going to be. When we walk out there, who knows how they’re going to react?”

Edge on Roman Reigns

Edge also talked about how the heel version of Roman Reigns will be affected by fans being there live. Reigns has not yet had the opportunity to unleash his ‘Tribal Chief’ persona on a live crowd since making the turn last year.

“An audience has never seen this (version of) Roman Reigns, and I think this is the Roman Reigns they’ve wanted to see for a long time” Edge claimed. “So how are they going to react? We don’t know. How are they going to react to me at this stage and kind of flipping the switch on finding the old Rated-R Superstar? Who knows.”

“I think the bottom line is you’ve just got to hope they react” The Rated R Superstar concluded. “And I’d like to think, as starved as we all are just for entertainment and a walk back into whatever our new normal is, I’d like to think that’s going to be a pretty ravenous crowd, reaction-wise.”

MLW Never Say Never Preview: Jacob Fatu vs. Calvin Tankman

Michael Reichlin
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Major League Wrestling presents MLW: Never Say Never tonight on Youtube and other streaming platforms. The main event will see the Samoan Werewolf Jacob Fatu defending against #1 contender Calvin Tankman.

The following matches are confirmed for this epic broadcast:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu vs. Calvin Tankman
  • Myron Reed vs. Daivari
  • Grudge Match: Simon Gotch vs. Jordan Oliver

Also scheduled to appear are Alex Hammerstone, Richard Holliday, Alicia Atout and more.

Renowned play-by-play man Ray Flores joins the MLW broadcast team for Never Say Never. For more on his impressive resume, visit MLW.com.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1377221887835529218

Check out this Tale of the Tape feature for the Fatu vs. Tankman main event:

Previews For Tonight’s AEW Dynamite NXT On USA

Michael Reichlin
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It’s Wednesday and you know what that means.

We are in the final weeks of the Wednesday Night War between AEW Dynamite and NXT. After 17 months of head-to-head competition, NXT has two more Wednesday night shows before it moves to Tuesdays starting April 13th.

Next week’s NXT on USA will be Night 1 of NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver, so tonight is actually the last ‘regular’ episode of NXT on Wednesday nights.

NXT on USA Preview

  • Roderick Strong vs. Cameron Grimes
  • Tian Sha vs. Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter
  • – Battle Royal to Determine Gauntlet Eliminator Participants: Austin Theory, Dexter Lumis, Jake Atlas, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Leon Ruff, Tyler Rust, Kushida, Bronson Reed, Roderick Strong, Cameron Grimes, LA Knight, Pete Dunne

Catch up on the Top 10 moments from last week’s NXT:

AEW Dynamite on TNT Preview

The following items are scheduled for tonight’s AEW Dynamite:

  • AEW World Champion Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs. The Lucha Bros & Laredo Kid
  • Christian Cage makes his AEW in-ring debut against Frankie Kazarian
  • Arcade Anarchy: Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy vs. Miro & Kip Sabian
  • MJF presents The Pinnacle with a special gift.
  • Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall with Arn Anderson serving as guest referee
  • AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida & Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose & The Bunny
  • Jon Moxley vs. Cezar Bononi

Andrade Talks Where He Wants To Wrestle Next, What Went Wrong In WWE

Chris Stephens
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Andrade was recently released from WWE and does not have a 90-day no-compete clause. This has led many to wonder where he might perform for next. He recently took part in an interview with Mas Lucha that has been translated by Lucha Blog. During the discussion, he talked about where he might want to wrestle next.

“Andrade would like to reunite with La Mascara or Rush as Los Ingobernables, or go it alone. Andrade says he’s open to either option, says he’s open to working with and has talked with various companies in Mexico but doesn’t want to sign a Mexico contract,” Tweeted Lucha Blog.

The possibility of Andrade turning up in Ring of Honor seems quite plausible.

“Andrade’s not going to sign a contract in Mexico, though he might in the US. He’s brought up the concept of facing Rush in ROH a couple of times during this, as a idea he likes,” another Tweet reads.

Andrade On What Went Wrong In WWE

Andrade was also asked about what went wrong in WWE. He’s not really sure, he just knows that it didn’t go well. He also noted that he’s got offers to wrestle from all over the world.

“Andrade explains he got Lasik eye surgery in November. When he was in CMLL, the longest he went without wrestling was one month, so being out and then not being used for four months was uncomfortable,” Lucha Blog Tweeted. “That made his decision quick to leave; he’s got offers to wrestle everywhere in the world now.”

“He’s not pointing the blame at one person or reason why WWE didn’t work out, he doesn’t fell like he really understands the why, just that it didn’t it,” another Tweet reads.

Ethan Page Comments On His AEW Debut At Revolution

Chris Stephens
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Ethan Page made his AEW debut at Revolution as the surprise entrant in the “Face of the Revolution” ladder match. He literally had a chance to grab the brass ring in his first match. Page spoke to Chris Van Vliet recently about the experience.

“I still can’t comprehend that I’ve finally been able to achieve my dream,” Page said. “Because it’s like your one step closer, one step closer, one step closer. I’ve never actually made it to the point where I had envisioned from when I was a kid. I don’t even know how to digest it or comprehend that it’s happened. It’s great obviously, but I can’t explain it.”

Page also spoke about his family’s reaction to seeing him on the PPV.

“Nobody knew I was debuting other than my parents. So they got the pay-per-view at their house and threw a little pizza party. My daughter is there, my wife is there. They made an AEW cake with the world title on it, they all wore my T-Shirts. But I think for my dad to see Jake the Snake clothesline me on a pay-per-view is the most full circle moment, because my dad is the one that introduced me to wrestling. We would watch in the early 90’s. Taking that line from Jake was cool for me, but I can’t imagine how cool it was from my father.”

Page also spoke about the possibility of him and Josh Alexander re-forming The North.

“I’m very proud of what we accomplished as a team, and if there is potential down the road for The North to do a tag team then I’m in. I think now, especially for both of us, it’s best to venture off into singles, I’ve always wanted the spotlight to shine on me. So this is a Natural fit for “All Ego” Ethan Page. I had a singles run with Evolve prior to IMPACT Wrestling, so I’m comfortable with both, so I’m excited to see what happens.”

Impact Results (3/30): James Storm Dedicates 1000th Match To Bob Ryder

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling on 3/30 featured James Storm’s 1000th match in the promotion as he faced Eric Young. We also saw some important matches booked for April 10th’s Hardcore Justice event.

Impact Wrestling 3/30 Quick Results:

  1. Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz) defeated Havok & Nevaeh
  2. Sami Callihan defeated Larry D
  3. Brian Myers defeated Suicide
  4. Ace Austin & Madman Fulton defeated TJP & Josh Alexander
  5. James Storm defeated Eric Young

James Storm Defeats Eric Young In His 1000th Impact/TNA Match

In a pre-match interview earlier in the show, James Storm dedicated this match to Bob Ryder, who co-founded the company and passed away in November. Storm was then joined by his old tag-team partner Chris Harris for a quick reunion as Chris Sabin and Jake Something looked on.

Storm would need his allies’ help to fend off Young’s Violent By Design faction during the match. The end of the match came as a giant brawl erupted on the outside, while inside the ring Young attempted to use his old-school hockey goalie mask as a weapon but Storm landed his Last Call Superkick and got the win.

Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers Attack Rich Swann, Willie Mack, & Eddie Edwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh0h-a-uYy0

When Impact Wrestling makes the move to Thursday nights next week, Kenny Omega will wrestle on the show for the first time. It will be Omega and the Good Brothers going up against Rich Swann, Willie Mack, and Eddie Edwards. We got a preview of the match this week. Don Callis had approached Willie Mack in the back and was showing him a video of Kenny Omega using the 1-Winged Angel. This brought out Rich Swann who confronted Callis. Swann was then attacked from behind and Omega and the Good Brothers took it to Swann and Mack. Eddie Edwards then came in to fight on the babyface side, however, and sent the heels packing.

Jazz To Put Career On The Line In Knockouts Title Match

Tommy Dreamer is putting the match card together for Hardcore Justice on April 10th. He announced this week that Jazz will face Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts title on the show. Dreamer said that Jazz needs to put something up in the match to which Jazz suggested her career. Dreamer said she didn’t need to do that but Jazz insisted. With that, we have a career vs title match between Jazz and Purrazzo at Hardcore Justice.

Dreamer also announced that there will be a multi-woman scramble match with the winner earning a Knockouts title shot. All weapons will be legal, Dreamer mentioned, though Alisha Edwards still had trouble understanding.

Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone Run Down Dynamite Lineup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM46uVo5NgU

The two Tonys were back this week. They ran down the lineup for AEW Dynamite but also made special mention of the match between Christian Cage and Frankie Kazarian as the two had several matches while with Impact/TNA. The rest of the lineup for tonight’s Dynamite is below:

  • Exhibition Match 
    Referee: Arn Anderson
    Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall
  • Christian Cage vs. Frankie Kazarian
  • Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy vs. Kip Sabian & Miro(w/Penelope Ford)
  • Hikaru Shida & Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose & The Bunny(w/Vickie Guerrero)
  • The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) & Kenny Omega (w/Don Callis) vs. The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) & Laredo Kid
  • MJF gives a present to the Pinnacle

Nevaeh Turns On Havok

Havok and Nevaeh dropped their 3rd match to Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz this week. Fire N Flava defeated the team in the finals of the Knockouts tournament, then again in a Texas Tornado match at No Surrender, and now again on last night’s show. After the match, Nevaeh evidently was fed up with all the losing. After weeks of teasing, the team finally imploded when Nevaeh attacked Havok from behind. She was heard yelling “I thought I was the weak link” during the melee as the segment came to a close.

Trey Miguel Doesn’t Return the Favor For Sami Callihan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCXnyv-fJAE

Last week, Sami Callihan rescued Trey Miguel from a beatdown from Team XXXL. This week, Sami Callihan defeated Larry D in singles action. After the match, Acey Romero attacked Callihan from behind. Trey would not return the favor for Callihan, however, and simply allowed the 2-on-1 to take place. Callihan seems pleased with this for some reason.

Later in the show, Callihan confronted Trey in the back. He said he wants the two of them to team against Team XXXL and that he wants to be Trey’s mentor.

Brian Myers Turns Down Matt Cardona’s Challenge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yux_DAv6_Is

Brian Myers picked up a win this week over Suicide. After the match, he got on the microphone to address Matt Cardona challenging him to a match last week. Myers turned down Cardona’s challenge and said that despite their long history together, Cardona isn’t part of Myers’ plans in Impact Wrestling.

TJP and Josh Alexander Can’t Get Along In Loss To Ace Austin & Madman Fulton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHrkZZhysY4

Ace Austin and Madman Fulton picked up the win in tag action this week over TJP and Josh Alexander. TJP and Alexander had difficulty working with each other throughout the match and that would ultimately cost them. TJP hit a Mamba splash on Austin but then he and Alexander began arguing over who the legal man was. This allowed Austin to roll up TJP for the win.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Next Week (Thursday, April 8th)

  • Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs Willie Mack, Rich Swann, & Eddie Edwards

Hardcore Justice (April 10th)

  • Career vs Knockouts Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Jazz
  • Multi-Woman Scramble Match For Knockouts Title Shot

Rebellion (April 25th)

  • AEW World Championship vs Impact World Championship
    Kenny Omega (AEW) (c) vs Rich Swann (Impact) (c)
  • Impact Tag Team Championships
    FinJuice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay) (c) vs The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows)

WWE Raw Ratings Hit New 2021 Low (3/29)

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.701 million viewers with a 0.56 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is down from last week’s 1.816 million viewers and 0.53 rating.

The previous 2021 low came on the February 8th edition with just 1.715 million viewers.Next week’s show should get a bump as it will serve as the go-home edition of Raw for WrestleMania 37. Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday night:

  • The first hour did 1.733 million viewers and a 0.53 rating (A18-49).
  • The second hour did 1.697 million viewers and a 0.56 rating.
  • The final hour of the show had just 1.673 million viewers and a 0.58 rating.

This episode featured Matt Riddle vs. Sheamus, a contract signing for Asuka and Rhea Ripley’s Raw Women’s Championship match, Dirt Sheet segment, and Drew McIntyre working two matches at the end of the show against Ali and Ricochet. 

SmackDown Viewership

Friday’s SmackDown averaged 2.191 million viewers. This is up from the 2.093 million viewers on FOX that the show did for the previous week.

SmackDown pulled in a 0.57 rating in the 18-49 demos, the same as the 0.57 rating the previous week’s show. The episode drew an average of 2.030 million viewers in the overnight ratings, up from the previous week that did 1.945 million viewers. 

The first hour saw it pull in 2.020 million viewers while hour two did 2.041 million viewers. The show did 1.868 million viewers in hour one while hour two did 2.023 million viewers a week ago.

Eric Young Out 6-9 Months With Torn ACL

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact Wrestling’s Eric Young will be out of action for quite a while, possibly for the remainder of 2021. He revealed recently on the Wrestling Perspectives podcast that he has a torn ACL. Young is hoping to be back in six months, but typical recovery times from such an injury is 6-9 months.

The match he suffered the injury during is scheduled to air tonight on AXS TV. He wrestled James Storm on the show in what was Storm’s 1000th match for the promotion.

“At the last tapings I tore my ACL,” Young said on the podcast. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been injured. I missed my first wrestling show this Friday that I was booked on in 24 years of doing it. So, it’s frustrating, man. I’ve never been injured. I’ve been hurt lots, but I’ve never been injured. I have to have surgery in like a week and a half. And it’s going to be a long, long road. So, we’ll see, man. It’s going to get real interesting for me.”

Unfortunately, Young was the leader of a new stable in Impact. Along with Joe Doering, Rhino, and Cody Deaner, the faction is known as Violent By Design. It’s possible he’ll remain on television as the mouthpiece for the group.

“My ACL is completely torn, which I didn’t know,” Young continued. “That happened on Monday during the match with Storm. I finished it like nothing happened. I wrestled a hardcore war eight-man tag the following day, then I wrestled Eddie Edwards on Tuesday in a singles match. It was like 20 minutes — on one leg. And I would put that match against anything that airs anytime, for any wrestling company, anywhere in the world, and I did it on one leg. And I’m very proud of it.”

Health Update On “Road Dogg” Brian James

Chris Stephens
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There is good news to relay as it concerns the health of “Road Dogg” Brian James. The 51-year-old has been in hospital since suffering a suspected heart attack late Thursday night. James will be released from the hospital today and according to updates from his family, test results have yielded only positive news so far.

His wife Tracy took to Facebook to share the positive news:

“Wanna give everybody an update. I just got the best birthday ever!! my husband has no blockages and he’s getting to come home today. We still have some doctor visits to take him to but his heart is good. Thank you all so much for all the prayers I do believe in that.”

His brother, Scott Armstrong, took to Twitter to give an update:

“I’m happy to say my brother (Road Dogg) is going to be released from the hospital today. There’s still work to do but, as of today, the future is bright! TY again “Twitterverse” for all the positive vibes and prayers! For those who were negative…BLESS YOUR HEART!”

His wife Tracy originally broke the news a couple of days ago that James was on the hospital.

“I want to thank everyone for the prayers and text. Brian most likely suffered a heart attack late Thursday night after returning from Orlando. He has had test run and we’re currently waiting for the results. He has also seen a kidney specialist and will have a stress test done.”

King Corbin Talks Attacking Drew McIntyre on Monday Night RAW

Jake Skudder
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Last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW ended with Bobby Lashley standing over his WrestleMania 37 opponent, Drew McIntyre. Lashley had issued a reward for any talent who could take McIntyre out of contention for their ‘Mania match in just over a week.

Both Ricochet and Mustafa Ali stepped up near the end of the show and faced the Scottish Superstar. Both men were unsuccessful against Drew McIntyre, but SmackDown Superstar King Corbin appeared right at the end of the programme and took out his former stable-mate.

King Corbin sent out a tweet saying why he chose to take up Bobby Lashley’s offer and attempt to take out McIntyre.

King Corbin on Drew McIntyre

“We used to run RAW” King Corbin wrote on Twitter; referencing when he, Lashley and McIntyre were a trio for a short time. “We destroyed monsters and punished everyone. Then one guy sold out and wanted to sell T-shirt’s.”

“Bobby Lashley made an offer and I showed up!” King Corbin concluded.

It has not been confirmed if King Corbin will now be a RAW Superstar. It’s also not been confirmed if he will be in Lashley’s corner at WrestleMania 37.

It was confirmed at the start of RAW that The Hurt Business stable as it stands is now disbanded; with Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander getting booted from the group.

Buddy Murphy Told To Delete Instagram Post Directed At Mysterio Family

Chris Stephens
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0

Buddy Murphy was involved in an angle with Seth Rollins and the Mysterio family recently. He’s no longer involved on-camera with either the Mysterios or “The Monday night Messiah” however.

Murphy briefly posted to Instagram a storyline update regarding why he was no longer involved with the Mysterio family. The post was later deleted.

“Let’s point out the obvious! The Mysterio’s used me! I never needed them!” Murphy wrote. “I’m beyond one of the most talent in-ring performers on the planet! Aalyah used me to be on tv and advance an acting career. Dominik used me so he had a reason to stand ringside. Rey was jealous that I became the new face of the cruiserweight and he was left out of the discussion. They took what they wanted then they left me in the shadows! Sounds like my time in NXT.”

According to comments made on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE ordered Murphy to delete the comments.

“Buddy Murphy, I guess he did an Instagram post trying to shoot his own angle with the Mysterios,” said Dave Meltzer. “He was ordered to delete it, so he did.”

“I guess he decided to come up with a reason to end (the angle) and turn heel and they didn’t want him shooting his own angle on Instagram.”

Murphy also recently sent the following to Aleister Black on Twitter:

Dalton Castle Officially Re-signs With Ring of Honor

Jake Skudder
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Ring of Honor has confirmed that former company champion Dalton Castle has re-signed with the company.

ROH issued the following regarding the re-signing of Castle:

Ring of Honor is pleased to announce that Dalton Castle has re-signed with the company.

There had been speculation in recent months regarding Castle’s future, but after his victory over Josh Woods at the 19th Anniversary pay-per-view on Friday, the former ROH World Champion told backstage correspondent Quinn McKay: “I ain’t going nowhere. I’m staying in Ring of Honor.”

Dalton Castle Stays With ROH

Castle, one of the most charismatic and colorful athletes in pro wrestling, made his ROH debut in 2013. He competed in the 2015 Top Prospect Tournament and has been a fixture in ROH ever since.

Castle reached the pinnacle of the sport when he won the ROH World Championship from Cody at Final Battle 2017. He also is a former co-holder of the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Title.

It was previously believed that Dalton Castle was potentially looking at ‘what else is out there’ in terms of signing a long term deal.

WrestlingINC recently confirmed that Ring of Honor had offered Castle a new deal. The new contract was said to be “good,” but at that point there were no specifics.

As aforementioned, Castle was considering the offer but wanted to see “what else is out there.”

Triple H Talks NXT Fans Migrating Over To Tuesday Nights

Jake Skudder
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It was recently confirmed that WWE and USA Network will be moving the NXT program to Tuesday nights starting on April 13. Triple H recently spoke to Joe Otterson of Variety regarding the move.

“We now feel like we’re in a good place where we can move that consistent fanbase over to Tuesdays,” Triple H began. “We believe they’ll follow us. That way we can grow the brand more given the lead in from ‘Monday Night Raw,’ which we’ve seen in the past.”

Something that the company is likely not going to discuss is the ‘Wednesday Night Wars.’

The ‘wars’ saw AEW consistently beat NXT most Wednesdays in the overall rating and also in the key 18-49 demographic.

Triple H Talks NXT on Peacock

It was also confirmed that NXT will be airing on the NBC Peacock streaming service every Wednesday going forward. Triple H also discussed how this will help further the reach of WWE’s Gold brand.

“The ability for us to be on [Peacock], a bigger platform where so many more people have the opportunity to experience it and and to let it grow into something more, is very exciting,” Triple H noted. “And once you sample it? We believe that the product is something that people will stick with and become involved in.”

The move of NXT to Tuesday nights has been a wish of fans over the past few months. With NXT and AEW arguably being some of the best weekly programming in North American pro wrestling; this gives fans the chance to watch both on a live basis going forward.

William Shatner To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall of Fame

Chris Stephens
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WWE announced today that William Shatner will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021. Shatner has made several appearances on WWE programming throughout the years. The first time he did so was on an episode of Jerry Lawler’s King’s Court in 1995. Shatner would later induct Lawler into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

The 90-year-old actor is famous for portraying Star Trek’s Captain Kirk but currently hosts the History Channel’s “The UnXplained.” Shatner also stars in a romantic-comedy “Senior Moment” available in theatres on on-demand now.

Shatner spoke to USA Today and compared the fanbases of WWE and Star Trek.

“It’s very much the same, the approbation, the joy,” Shatner said of wrestling and Star Trek. “The enthusiasm the wrestling audience shows toward its favorite people is not dissimilar to the enthusiasm ‘Star Trek’ fans show.” 

“I’m going to admit it now. I missed a career when ‘Star Trek’ was over,” he continued. “I should have gone into wrestling as Captain Kirk.”

Shatner joins Molly Holly, Eric Bischoff, Kane, The Great Khali and Rob Van Dam in the Hall of Fame Class of 2021. The Class of 2020 featuring the Bellas, nWo, Jushin Liger, British Bulldog and JBL will also be inducted on April 6th.

NXT Moves To Tuesdays On 4/13, Multi-Year Extension With USA

Michael Reichlin
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WWE’s NXT show on the USA Network is moving to Tuesday nights beginning April 13th. The news was made official Tuesday morning, effectively ending the ‘Wednesday Night War’ against AEW Dynamite.

WWE executive Triple H commented, “The move to Tuesdays provides a new opportunity for us to grow the NXT brand and enables our partner, USA Network, to continue to build its strong portfolio of sports and entertainment programming.”

Triple H’s comments are more than just spin. The competition of a head-to-head battle with AEW Dynamite has improved the quality of both products. However, it also forced fans to choose. Many viewers decided to watch one show or the other. With NXT and Dynamite going unopposed, there’s a strong chance viewership will increase for both shows. In fact, Triple H tells Variety that he’s confident WWE fans will migrate to Tuesday nights when NXT makes the move on 4/13.

WWE & USA Network Extend Partnership

In addition to NXT moving to Tuesday’s, WWE announced a multi-year extension of their partnership with USA. NXT will air live on the USA Network every Tuesday night through at least April 2023.

“We are incredibly proud of our three-decade partnership with WWE and in extending USA’s NXT deal, we are further establishing our portfolio as an unrivaled home for quality WWE content,” said Frances Berwick, Chairman, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal. “By transitioning NXT to a Tuesday timeslot where WWE has performed well in the past, we are giving our passionate fanbase more of what they love with back-to-back nights of exhilarating, live programming.”

All new episodes of NXT will be available on-demand in the United States exclusively on Peacock, the day after its airing on USA Network.

Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast was first to confirm that WWE would be announcing the move to Tuesday and extended USA Network deal.

NJPW Reveals New IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Belt

Michael Reichlin
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New Japan Pro Wrestling unveiled the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt at Tuesday’s Road to Sakura Genesis event.

Kota Ibushi is the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. The belt was introduced following the unification of the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships.

Ibushi’s historic first defense takes place this Sunday at Sakura Genesis. He will face Will Ospreay, winner of the recent New Japan Cup.

Here is a clip of the big reveal, along with some additional photos:

Belt Backlash

Believe it or not, some wrestling fans on social media had a mixed reaction to the new belt design. Some compared it to the retired WWE Divas ‘butterfly’ belt, while others compared the center plate design to the most notorious tattoo in the game.

https://twitter.com/benris84/status/1376837494247976963?s=12

Belt Maker Responds

Dan Beltzer created the new championship belt for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He issued the following statement on Wednesday in response to fans who are complaining about the new design:

WWE RAW Results (3/29): The Hurt Business Implodes, Cage Match Set For WrestleMania

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. Rhea Ripley and Asuka had a contract signing for their RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania tonight.

RAW Results (3/29)

  1. Sheamus def. Riddle
  2. Braun Strowman def. Jaxson Ryker
  3. Bobby Lashley def. Shelton Benjamin
  4. Xavier Woods def. AJ Styles via DQ
  5. Naomi def. Shayna Baszler
  6. Drew McIntyre def. Ricochet
  7. Drew McIntyre def. Mustafa Ali

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Hurt Business Broke Up

Hurt Business came down to the ring to begin this week’s episode of RAW. MVP said we are less than two weeks away from WrestleMania and claimed that Lashley will walk out of the event still as WWE Champion. Lashley announced that if anyone takes out McIntyre, they will take his place in the title match at WrestleMania.

Lashley noted that Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin are becoming an embarrassment and tarnishing his image. MVP called them failures for not beating McIntyre in a Handicap match.

Shelton and Cedric got pissed off and Benjamin claimed that Lashley wouldn’t be champion if it weren’t for them. A brawl then broke out and Lashley took out Alexander and Benjamin.

Alexander and Benjamin approached Adam Pearce backstage and Shelton wanted a match against Lashley. Cedric wanted a match against Lashley next week and demanded Pearce make the match official.

Sheamus Pinned The United States Champion

United States Champion Riddle battled Sheamus in a non-title match. Sheamus dominated the action early as MVP filled in commentary for Samoa Joe. Riddle connected with a knee to the face that knocked Sheamus out of the ring. Riddle followed it up with the Floating Bro off the ring apron as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Sheamus connected with a Backbreaker for a two count. Sheamus made his way to the middle rope but Riddle brought him back to the canvas with a Suplex. Riddle hit a Pele Kick and then some kicks to the Celtic Warrior’s chest. Riddle unloaded some knee strikes and hit a Broton for a near fall.

Riddle applied a Triangle submission in the middle of the ring. Sheamus tried to break the hold with a Powerbomb but Riddle wouldn’t let go. Sheamus finally was able to reach the bottom rope and Riddle broke the hold. Sheamus planted Riddle with White Noise on the ring apron and went for the cover but Riddle was able to kick out at two. Sheamus hit an Alabama Slam for another two count. Riddle went for a kick but Sheamus countered with a knee to the face for the pinfall victory. It was later announced that Sheamus will face Riddle for the US Title during Night 2 of WrestleMania.

Opinion: I can’t stand what they have done with Matt Riddle. He’s the United States Champion but comes off as a dork that is easily defeated. He lost to Ali that led to a title match and now the same thing is happening with Sheamus at WrestleMania.

Shane & Strowman Will Battle In A Steel Cage

Shane McMahon, Elias, and Jaxson Ryker came to the ring for an expose on Braun Strowman. Shane threw up a photo of Braun’s 5th grade report card that gave him all Ds. The teacher’s comments on the report card made it seem like Braun was an idiot and Shane showed an image of Strowman in a dunce cap. Strowman then faced Jaxson Ryker as Elias & Shane were ringside.

Strowman dominated Ryker and taunted Shane while doing so. Strowman lifted Ryker up on his shoulders and planted him with the Running Powerslam for the quick victory. After the match, Strowman chased Shane around but Elias caught him with a knee from behind.

Shane and Elias then beat Strowman down in the middle of the ring. Strowman got up and Shane ran away to the top of the entrance ramp. Braun noted that Shane told him that he can pick any match that he wanted at WrestleMania. Strowman announced that it will be a Steel Cage match at WrestleMania.

Bad Bunny Sent A Message To The Miz

The Miz and John Morrison hosted a new episode of the Dirt Sheet tonight. Miz and Morrison hyped up the premiere of their new “Hey Hey Hop Hop” video poking fun at Bad Bunny. Miz claimed Bad Bunny was out of line for attacking him with the guitar and vowed to pay him back at WrestleMania.

After the music video, Damian Priest and Bad Bunny interrupted. Priest said that Bad Bunny will defeat The Miz at WrestleMania and Bad Bunny added that he is going to make The Miz his bitch. The Miz tried to attack Bad Bunny but Damian got in the way. Bad Bunny caught Miz with a punch to the face to end the segment.

Lashley def. Shelton Benjamin

Lashley faced Shelton Benjamin tonight. Cedric Alexander was ringside and MVP was on commentary for the match. Shelton controlled the action early but the WWE Champion quickly battled back. Lashley brought Benjamin to the outside and launched him into the ring post.

Lashley chased Alexander around and Cedric retreated backstage. Shelton hit Paydirt when Bobby returned to the ring and went for the cover but Lashley kicked out at two. Bobby connected with a massive Spinebuster and then applied the Hurt Lock and Benjamin passed out.

Omos Attacked New Day

New Day brought AJ Styles and Omos to the ring to play some games to see who is the better team. They started with charades and New Day won that round. New Day won the next round of games and Omos put a stop to it. Xavier Woods then faced AJ Styles as Omos & Kofi Kingston were ringside. Woods controlled the action early and sent Styles out of the ring. Xavier then flipped onto Styles and taunted Omos while RAW went to a commercial break.

Woods connected with a Back Body Drop for a two count when RAW returned. Styles planted Xavier with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Xavier connected with a Tornado DDT and went for the cover but AJ kicked out at two. Omos hit Woods with a cheap shot and the match ended in a DQ. Omos then hit Woods with a Powerbomb and put his boot on his chest. AJ counted to three and posed with Omos to end the segment.

Alexa Bliss Warned Randy Orton

Alexa Bliss cut a promo holding a box in her swingset. Bliss said that legends say that these boxes have spells written all over them, including a demonic presence. Alexa stated that The Fiend was only weakened and was trapped in the box. All he needed was time and now he is ready to stand across from Orton at WrestleMania. Alexa claimed that the Legend Killer will die at WrestleMania. It was then revealed that The Fiend was sitting next to her on the swingset.

Naomi def. Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler squared off against Naomi tonight on RAW. Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke joined commentary as Lana, Reginald and Nia Jax were ringside. Baszler dominated the action early but Naomi took control. Naomi went for a Leg Drop but Reginald hopped on the ring apron. Lana then shoved Nia Jax onto Mandy Rose and then Dana Brooke attacked her. Shayna booted Lana off the apron and Naomi rolled up Baszler for the pinfall victory.

Ripley & Asuka Signed The Contract

Asuka and Rhea Ripley had their contract signing for their RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania. Before the match, Riddle scooted up to Asuka, completely forgot his lines, and scooted away.

https://twitter.com/wrestlingfan83/status/1376721828723490816?s=20

Ripley vowed to win the title and signed the contract. Asuka signed the contract and said that Rhea is not ready for Asuka. Rhea flipped the table onto Asuka and it looked like the RAW Women’s Champion actually got bashed in the face again. Shayna, Nia, and Reginald interrupted. Shayna boasted about kicking Asuka’s teeth out and challenged Ripley and Asuka to a tag match. Ripley accepted for the both of them as RAW went to a break.

Opinion: What an original idea. Will these WrestleMania opponents be able to coexist as a team? We definitely didn’t just see that exact same thing with Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair.

King Corbin Attacked Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre rushed into the locker room and wondered who was going to attack him. McIntyre told Strowman that he should be a five time champion by now. Strowman told McIntyre that he will come find Drew after he rips Shane McMahon to shreds at WrestleMania. McIntyre launched Humberto Carrillo across the room and got in Ricochet’s face. Ricochet told McIntyre that Lashley’s word is worth nothing but will give him a fight tonight.

Ricochet controlled the action early as WWE Champion Bobby Lashey was shown watching backstage. Ricochet connected with a Dropkick off the barricade as MVP cheered him on from commentary. Back in the ring, Ricochet climbed to the top rope and went for the 630 but McIntyre got out of the way. McIntyre hit the Claymore for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Mustafa Ali attacked McIntyre from behind as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Ali leveled McIntyre with a Dropkick and beat him down for a few minutes. Eventually, McIntyre responded with a Suplex that sent Ali flying across the ring. McIntyre hit the Claymore for the pinfall victory and called out Lashley.

Lashley made his way to the entrance ramp as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, McIntyre accused Lashley of being afraid of him. A brawl then broke out and the two superstars traded shots in the middle of the irng. McIntyre knocked Lashley out of the ring. King Corbin attacked Lashley from behind and hit him with Deep Six. Lashley applied the Hurt Lock on McIntyre and threw him to the canvas to end the show.

Opinion: I didn’t enjoy a single thing on this week’s RAW. It is so dissappointing that this is the build for WrestleMania. There are so many great matches on paper that do not feel special because of empty storylines. The event will still feel special next weekend, but there was no “WrestleMania season” this year. I had zero reaction when King Corbin showed up at the end of the show and thought this was the worst episode of RAW in 2021 so far.

Updated WrestleMania 37 Card: Steel Cage Stipulation, Title Match

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has announced a few new things for WrestleMania 37. 

On Monday’s episode of Raw, WWE confirmed that United States Champion Matt Riddle vs. Sheamus will take place at this show. Also, Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon will now take place inside of a Steel Cage structure. 

WWE has yet to announce which nights these bouts will take place on. Strowman defeated Jaxson Ryker with Elias and McMahon at ringside on Raw. After the match, Strowman announced the stipulation. On this same show, Sheamus beat Riddle in a non-title match.  After the match, Riddle attacked Sheamus to get payback.

WWE presents WrestleMania 37 on Saturday, April 10th, and Sunday, April 11, 2021 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida that will air on Peacock.  

Updated WWE WrestleMania 37 Card

Night 1 

  • WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair
  • Bad Bunny vs. The Miz
  • Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins
  • WWE Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. AJ Styles and Omos

Night 2 

  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Edge
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley
  • Randy Orton vs. The Fiend
  • Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E vs. Apollo Crews

Match Date TBA

  • Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon – Steel Cage Match
  • WWE United States Champion Matt Riddle vs. Sheamus
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