Tommasso Ciampa is showing off his insanely ripped body in a new Instagram post.
The former NXT Champion underwent a 13-week transformation that has yielded jaw-dropping results. It’s not like he was out of shape, by any means. In fact, most of us will never look as good as his ‘before’ photo. However, that didn’t stop him from undergoing what he admits is an “insane” training regimen.
Ciampa says he prepped, weighed and cooked six meals for himself each day, every day. There were no cheat meals. As for exercise, he did five weight training sessions and eleven cardio sessions per week.
He thanks his wife for supporting his journey, his trainer AJ and his training partnres, the ‘Dump Boys’
So, what motivated him? According to Ciampa, “Celebrating being two years removed from career ending neck surgery, wanting to push myself beyond my limits without using ‘being a dad’ as an excuse, turning thirty-six years old, and taking control of the things that I can control… this was as much a mental health journey as it was a physical health journey.”
There’s no doubt it was a difficult process, but he says the best part is that he enjoyed every second of it.
Check out Tommasso Ciampa’s before and after photos here:
Matt Riddle and Randy Orton have formed an unlikely team on RAW as of late. It does not appear as though this is a short-term angle for R-K-Bro either.
According to a report from PW Insider, Riddle and Orton are expected to receive a sizeable push as a team on RAW. There are no plans to break them up and RK-Bro merchandise is expected to be produced and marketed shortly.
Randy Orton Speaks On His Impression of Matt Riddle
Orton was on the Kurt Angle podcast recently and spoke about having been impressed with Riddle thus far.
“Matt Riddle, yeah. I think he is going to do fantastic, I think he has already kind of outshined most of his little class of NXT that have kind of come up over the last year. I mean, you have a lot of those guys doing well,” Orton said about Riddle (transcriptions via Sportskeeda).
Orton also spoke about his first time meeting Riddle during the interview.
“I walk by Matt Riddle, and my olive branch was basically me all looking at Matt, and I just said, I go, ‘Oh, there he is, there he is!’ Just kind of icebreaker, expecting maybe a, ‘Oh, hey Randy. My name is Matt; nice to meet you.’ But instead, Matt just kind of barely, you know, with the bloodshot eyes glanced over at me, he is just like, and he just kept walking. I remember thinking, ‘that motherf****r’.”
He’s a prick and needs a good ass whoopin…. but also impressed me tonight. Fuck. He beat me. Ok ‘bro’ let’s do this….. Also happy #420AllDayhttps://t.co/3gVR68TZUG
Tony Khan opened what he has coined “The Forbidden Door” in wrestling this year by seemingly breaking down barriers between promotions. He spoke with Entrepreneur recently regarding how “Forbidden Door” decisions are made.
Khan began by talking about how when he was younger, it was common for wrestling promotions to work together.
“When I was younger, there were partnerships between a lot of the other wrestling companies. And there was the Wrestling Peace Festival, which was a great idea, and some of those companies did keep working together,” Khan said.
“You saw wrestlers from AAA in WCW, and you saw wrestlers from New Japan in WCW, and so I think it’s very natural. Twenty years later, things have come back full circle, and now you’re seeing those wrestlers from New Japan and AAA competing again on TNT. You’re seeing IWGP titles defended on TNT. I think it’s the natural balance of the universe just coming back.”
How Are Forbidden Door Decisions Made?
Khan was also asked how the promotions involved make decisions on who wins, loses, and more. He would say that he goes into it with the same mentality as a sports general manager goes into making trades with other teams.
“I have to make sure we’re getting taken care of, and obviously the promoter we’re working with is going to have stuff they need to make sure they’re getting taken care of,” Khan continued. “And I’m pretty reasonable. I don’t want to screw it up for anybody. So whether it’s Konnan with AAA or dealing with the New Japan office or talking to Scott [D’Amore] and Impact, I just generally go into it like I’m dealing with another party in sports if you’re making a trade or something. You know, you just try to work it out and be a good person and a fair partner in the negotiation.”
The “Forbidden Door” will open again on next week’s Dynamite, when NJPW’s Yuji Nagata challenges Jon Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship.
Throughout Jeff Jarrett’s long career in wrestling, he’s worked with Dusty Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes, and Cody Rhodes. In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Jarrett spoke about the similarities and differences between the 3 Rhodes’.
“Me and Dusty used to have conversations about Cody,” Jarrett said. “The acting bug and his amateur [background], to fast forward, when he came on board (in Global Force) for that short period, he’s got a charisma like his father, and I’ve worked with Dustin back in the late ’80s.”
Jarrett then spoke about how Dustin made a success out of the Goldust gimmick.
“Dustin took his character of Goldust and that could have been… It goes without saying, that wasn’t the easiest character, but you talk about taking a character and making it your own? Dustin has a unique ability that Cody doesn’t, but Cody has the ability, like his father.”
Jarrett continued to praise Cody during the interview.
“You talk about the acorn not falling from the oak tree, he’s got a magnetic charisma about him. He looks the part and he’s obviously a great athlete,” Jarrett said. He would add, however, that he feels Cody is one of the few in AEW that is connecting with the audience.
“On AEW when you see him and he’s one of the few, in my opinion, that really is connecting with his audience, and that is what sets him apart,” Jarrett continued to say of Cody.
The first episode of Jarrett’s new podcast was released this week:
Did you like Episode 1 of #MyWorld? We’re just getting started.
WWE Superstar Bill Goldberg recently filed several new trademark applications. The United States Patent and Trademark Office database shows that William Goldberg filed applications on April 30th for logos displayed below:
The ‘Goods and Services’ usage description for both logos are for a wide variety of merchandise, including mouse pads, video cassettes, fridge magnets, luggage, temporary tattoos and more. Michael E. Dockins is listed as the Attorney of Record.
Expect to see these logos on WWE-licensed Goldberg merchandise in the months ahead.
The 54-year-old legend is signed with WWE through the end of 2022 and is contracted to wrestle twice per year.
All Elite Wrestling has launched a new global online shop for official AEW merchandise.
ShopAEW.com has been expanded to include Global.Shop.AEW. Effective immediately, fans from 224 countries can order and save up to 60 percent on shipping costs and reduce delivery time by up to 50 percent.
The online shop will offer more than 400 t-shirts for purchase, with additional items available soon. The apparel will ship directly from AEW’s global distribution warehouses in Toronto, Canada; Tijuana, Mexico; Barcelona, Spain; Riga, Latvia; Amakusa, Japan; and Victoria and Brisbane, Australia.
“We now have a world-class online shop to go with our world-class roster, and we’re thrilled to be able to share the hottest AEW merchandise with our fans around the globe,” said Dana Massie, Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer of AEW.
For more information and to get started shopping, visit Global.ShopAEW.com
QT Marshall spoke with SEScoops this week to promote Wednesday’s special Blood and Guts edition of AEW Dynamite on TNT.
The leader of The Factory faces his former friend, Cody Rhodes, at Blood and Guts. During our discussion, QT explained why he turned on Cody, athletes like Anthony Ogogo crossing over to the world of professional wrestling, how The Factory is different than other factions and more.
Topics discussed include:
His role as AEW’s Director of Creative coordination
AEW gearing up for the post-pandemic era
His Nightmare Factory training facility
What he looks for in trainees
Athletes and celebrities crossing over to pro wrestling
Why he turned on Cody Rhodes
How The Factory stands apart from AEW’s other factions
WWE recently updated its famed “Then, Now, Forever” slogan to include a fourth word. The official slogan is now “Then, Now, Forever, Together.”
Stephanie McMahon recently spoke with Forbes about the significance behind the change.
“Ultimately what the signature does is it recognizes our fans. It recognizes our community, and the message of inclusivity is so important,” Stephanie McMahon said. “WWE has always been about inclusivity. … We are all about bringing people together, putting smiles on people’s faces and creating moments and memories that last a lifetime.”
Stephanie would continue to talk about the significance of WrestleMania 37 during the interview. It was the first time WWE had welcomed back fans since the onset of the global pandemic.
“Standing on the stage for WrestleMania 37 at Raymond James Stadium looking out at history being made in that moment was absolutely the shining moment that brought it all together.”
She would continue to say that WWE’s goal is to make every fan feel like family.
“No matter who they are, no matter what they do for a living, no matter where they live, no matter how much money they make, they belong, they are a part of WWE and that’s the inclusive nature of our community and the bigger WWE family.”
In an interview with Adage last year, Stephanie spoke about efforts WWE is taking in this regard.
“You need to make sure diversity is real. And it’s not just representation, but that those voices are really heard, and that those voices matter.”
.@WWE's new company signature "Then Now Forever Together” is all about inclusivity – bringing people together, putting smiles on people’s faces and creating moments and memories that last a lifetime. @Forbeshttps://t.co/AjxGiyGBFg
After NJPW pulled several wrestlers from yesterday’s Wrestling Dontaku Night 2 event, the promotion has revealed that 2 wrestlers have tested positive for COVID-19. NJPW has not revealed who the two wrestlers that have tested positive are, however.
Kazuchika Okada, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, and YOH were all removed from yesterday’s event. A scheduled IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match between El Desperado and YOH was scrapped from the show.
The two wrestlers who recently tested positive were both discovered to have a fever the morning of the show.
“According to protocol, they were taken for immediate testing, while those that had close contact with the individuals in the last two events were removed from proceedings. NJPW has learned that the individuals’ tests were positive for COVID-19,” reads an NJPW update on NJPW1972.com.
Both wrestlers are said to be experiencing mild symptoms and are under medical care.
Two NJPW wrestlers have tested positive for COVID-19.
NJPW has two significant events upcoming this month. On May 15th, the promotion presents Wrestle Grand Slam in Yokohama Stadium. No matches have been announced thus far fro that show. Then on May 29th, NJPW will present Wrestle Grand Slam from the Tokyo Dome. Kazuchika Okada is currently scheduled to challenge IWGP World Champion Will Ospreay on the show.
Factions are a big part of AEW. MJF and The Pinnacle are one of the most talked-about factions on the roster. Tonight, they go head-to-head with The Inner Circle in a Blood and Guts match.
Yet, in speaking during an interview with Steel Chair, MJF admitted that he was looking beyond dismantling The Inner Circle and would be open to further expanding The Pinnacle.
MJF admitted that the Pinnacle have a goal in AEW, and that is to hold every title belt. That would naturally include the women’s belt. When pressed on this, MJF said that his group would consider opening their doors to a female star joining their ranks.
Rumours abound that Britt Baker is set to join the Pinnacle at some point in the future. Putting both her and MJF together has the potential for magic. They are both the ultimate heel at the top of their game. Ironically both call themselves the face of their respective divisions. As long as a power struggle could be avoided, Britt joining The Pinnacle could be a fantastic move.
MJF on Britt Baker Rumors
However, MJF was coy when discussing the matter. Remaining in steadfast character as he does so well.
“I will say this about Brittany, she is clearly not just the face of the women’s division in AEW, but at this point, I think it’s fair to say she’s the face of women’s wrestling as a whole, just like I feel it’s fair to say that I’m the face of men’s professional wrestling as a whole. I get why people keep bringing this up, it makes complete sense.”
This is a clear non-rejection of the notion, which could very easily be read as a cryptic admission that MJF has an appointment with the doctor.
Chris Jericho is a man who loves to talk. In a recent NY Post interview, he raised a number of newsworthy points. Including declaring which former WWE superstar he wants in AEW.
Jericho was open and honest when he pointed specifically to the recently released Samoa Joe as being a talent he wants to see in AEW sooner rather than later.
Since Joe’s release from WWE there have been lots of rumours about his future destination, and several wrestlers have laid down a challenge to the man. However, given Jericho’s executive position within AEW, you must feel that there is a little more weight behind his words.
Chris Jericho on WWE Releases
“Obviously, the one name that stands out as an established main-event heavyweight champion guy is Samoa Joe.” Chris Jericho said.
There is no denying that Joe is a main event calibre wrestler. He would add a very interesting dynamic to the current AEW roster. There is a chance Jericho knows a little more than he was willing to let on. If you are willing to examine his choice of words, perhaps there is a hint of a deal already being struck.
“Those guys have three months before they can go anywhere. But I’d love to see Joe in an AEW ring at some point.”
Jericho went on to say that he has his eyes on another recently released talent. Although he added that man would need to prove himself a little bit more first.
“You look at a guy like Tucker for example, I don’t know if we would take him tomorrow, we might, but it seems to me if he goes and proves what he can do and what he’s capable of, well then absolutely.”
One thing is for sure, all eyes will be on the news for the next few months. Waiting for all of these guys to make an announcement about where they will be heading next.
AEW commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke about AEW’s ratings success. Discussing how well the company has done on Wednesday nights since NXT moved, JR specifically brought up how Darby Allin has been bringing in ‘extraordinary’ numbers.
“I was surprised that we did as well as we did,” Jim Ross began on Grilling JR, talking about the first AEW Dynamite event with NXT having moved a few weeks ago. “I thought we might do [900,000], I thought that was being generous. But to do 1.2 million, that was pretty phenomenal.”
Jim Ross on Darby Allin
As AEW Dynamite looks to establish momentum with viewers, Jim Ross knows the best way to do that is by putting on a great product consistently.
“Hopefully we will earn the trust and the dedication from the audience and the only way we’re going to do that is to have a hell of a show every week,” said JR. “Is that possible? I don’t know, but I know the effort will be there.”
He then turned his attention to the TNT Champion specifically. “A lot of our young talents are getting better, they’re getting over,” Ross said. “I think they’re getting better and assuming their roles better. Look at the ratings, quarter hour ratings for Darby Allin were extraordinary and he’s a home grown talent.”
Are you enjoying seeing Darby Allin in the main event of Dynamite recently? Let us know in the comments
AEW star MJF recently discussed All Elite Wrestling and how their ongoing ratings successes appear to mean they are ‘creeping up’ on WWE RAW on Monday nights.
Although last week’s rating fell below the 1 million mark, AEW has been doing extremely well ever since NXT were forced to move nights and broadcast on Tuesdays.
This week’s episode marks the 4th episode of Dynamite unopposed and looks set to break the 1 million rating mark again. This week is of course Blood & Guts between The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle.
MJF: Dynamite Hunting Raw
“There has not been a wrestling show that has been able to even sniff ‘Monday Night Raw’ in decades” MJF began in a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports. “We’re creeping up every single week in that key demo.”
“If I’m not mistaken, I believe we beat them a few weeks at points on their show in the key demo,” MJF said, discussing the key 18-49 demo. “Which is absolutely insane, because we have only been a professional wrestling company on television for a year and a half, two years. It’s unheard of and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Although AEW will have to be extremely consistent to challenge WWE going forward; it is interesting that such a young show has grown in today’s television landscape to be even this close to the market leader in WWE.
Do you think that AEW could match RAW at some point? Let us know in the comments
NXT has a reputation for laying on big matches for its weekly show. Next week will be no different, as current NXT women’s champion Raquel Gonzalez defends her crown against Mercedes Martinez.
The rivalry between Raquel Gonzalez and Mercedes Martinez has been building for months. It actually dates back to before Gonzalez won the belt back at NXT: Stand and Deliver.
This bout will mark the first title defence for Raquel Gonzalez, and despite the tenacity of her opponent you have to say she is the clear favourite to pick up the win. However, it cannot be forgotten that the previous time Gonzalez held gold, she lost it in the first defence. Granted, that was for the NXT women’s tag team titles, but a defeat like that surely lingers in the mind.
Raquel Gonzales has risen through the NXT ranks, building quite the name for herself in recent months. She will be eager to cement her legacy with a solid performance next Tuesday and a long run as NXT champion. Moreover, she has an ace up her sleeve in the form of Dakota Kai. In a recent reversal of roles, Kai now has the chance to repay her former muscle for all the times she came to her aid.
One thing that is for certain, the match between the pair will be a banger of a fight, between two of the toughest, baddest women on the NXT roster right now. This match should also end the feud and leave Raquel Gonzalez open to a new rival. Then eyes must turn to the woman she has in her corner. How long will Gonzalez be able to trust her friend Dakota Kai?
Congratulations to Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell. The female duo from NXT faction The Way are your new NXT women’s tag team champions. The Way is making their mark in NXT, and look set to be a faction to be reckoned with.
Tuesday night, four women went to war in the NXT ring. With all competitors laying it on the line in a street fight that will be long remembered. With tables, chairs, and weapons aplenty, this was a match that lacked nothing in terms of intensity.
The win adds more gold to The Way’s waists, with Johnny Gargano already holding the North American Championship. How long he will be champion remains to be seen, with his upcoming fight with Bronson Reed.
The tag title victory is the first time that either Candice LeRae or Indi Hartwell have held gold in WWE. Moreover, it will be interesting to see how long their run lasts. The first two sets of champions, however, were unable to hold onto the belts for that long.
NXT will be eager to build prestige around their newest title. Historically, that works best when champs have a solid run. Logically speaking, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell should be set for a solid reign as champs.
With Gargano and Austin Theory in their corner, you have to say that the future is looking golden for the new NXT women’s tag team champions.
Daniel Bryan’s WWE contract legitimately expired last week after his title-versus-career match against Roman Reigns on Friday’s Smackdown. The news was first reported by Fightful and has been independently confirmed.
The nature of Bryan’s sendoff, without any fanfare, indicates that WWE is still optimistic they can keep him in the fold. It would be a lackluster way for Daniel Bryan to leave WWE, despite strong booking in his final matches.
The Return of Bryan Danielson?
Daniel Bryan has been talking about his contract expiring in recent interviews. The former WWE Champion told TV Line last week,
“It’s funny that people gravitate towards the date ‘September,’ and I think it’s because that’s when my last contract ended, but it doesn’t end in September,”
Bryan also made some very interesting comments later in the interview about what his wrestling plans could entail. Making a big point about being an independent contractor.
“One of the coolest things about wrestling, and just be being an independent contractor in general, is that you can say, ‘Well, I really only want to do this amount of work.’”
Either way, it looks as if Daniel Bryan is planning on taking a break to spend time with family and give his neck a rest. However, his words definitely speak of a man who is not yet completely done with in-ring competition.
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart to win NXT Women’s Tag Team title
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Legado del Fantasma Segment
Legado del Fantasma came out for an in-ring promo. Santos Escobar cut a promo about history and lineage. He said that he is the undisputed empire of lucha libre. He said that the fans witnessed an iconic moment. He said that he will get back the NXT Cruiserweight Title.
Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde pointed out how they didn’t get pinned at TakeOver last month in the triple threat match and they embarrassed MSK last week. They want the NXT Tag Team Titles.
Escobar said that a true master is best when he doesn’t do everything for himself, but what he can do for his brothers.
Kushida appeared on the big screen and challenged Escobar to a match for his title on next week’s show. Escobar accepted.
A Falls Count Anywhere Match between Leon Ruff and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott was booked.
This was a great way to kick off the show and they got plenty of time to do their story. At one point, Ruff hit a springboard reverse hurricanrana off the apron to the floor. Scott hit an AA to Ruff onto the apron.
The finish saw Ruff clothesline him over the barricade then was about to climb onto a platform, but AJ Francis caught him then hit a neck breaker onto the barricade. Scott hit his finisher for the win.
Francis, who is currently hosting WWE Hidden Treasures, has been training at the Performance Center.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett walked out to the ring for a promo. He said that he made things clear three weeks ago about challengers stepping up. However, no one has stepped up yet and people keep saying that they’re not afraid of him. He wonders what they’re waiting for.
Kross said that he doesn’t have to prove himself, but he’s not waiting. He told Austin Theory, who is facing Kross next week, that he will drop him on his head and leave him laying.
Kyle O’Reilly came out and told Kross that he’s not afraid of him and this is the match he wants. He said that he thinks this is the match Kross wants. Pete Dunne walked out and said he doesn’t care that Kross is champion because he’s the baddest man in NXT. He dared to prove them wrong.
Finn Balor came out and said that he’s wrestled all of them except for Kross. He punched Kross, but Kross knocked him down. A brawl broke out with them all going after Kross. Security eventually broke them up.
When Kross was left standing, Theory and Johnny Gargano attacked him. They hit a double superkick. Kross was left on his back.
This marked the first time that Balor spoke or even appeared on NXT TV since Kross defeated him to win the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night two last month.
Tag Team Match
Timothy Thatcher and Tommaso Ciampa vs. Zack Gibson and James Drake in a tag team match took place.
Thatcher hit Gibson in the face with Wade Barrett’s shoe then locked in an arm submission for the win.
Both teams have stated that they want to challenge MSK for the NXT Tag Team titles. Just last week, The Grizzled Young Veterans cut a promo calling themselves the leaders that the NXT tag team division needs.
This led to Ciampa and Thatcher coming out to confront them and let them know they want the next title shot. The segment ended with Ciampa and Thatcher attacking Gibson and Drake.
These two teams did work with each other earlier this year as the Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Ciampa and Thatcher when they faced off in the men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic semifinals.
NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart defended against The Way’s Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell in a Street Fight.
They used various weapons throughout the match whether that was chairs, kendo sticks or trash cans.
They did a spot where they hit Heartwell with a double dropkick with a trash can on her head. Moon hit a face buster off the barricade onto a chair. They then placed Heartwell on a stack of chairs and Blackwell was going for an outside dive, but LeRae sprays a fire extinguisher in their faces.
Shotzi hit a back splash off the top rope onto Heartwell who was on a ladder. Shotzi climbed a beam support and jumped off of it onto Heartwell on the announce table. Indie hit a spring board elbow drop to Moon through a table on the floor. LeRae hit a midfield curbstomp to Shotzi on a steel chair. The Way are the new Women’s Tag Team Champs
Mickie James was released by WWE last month due to what the company blamed on budget cuts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Days later, she was part of the trash bag incident as her personal belongings were sent to her house by WWE in a trash bag that resulted in Mark Carrano being blamed for it and fired.
James’ husband and current NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis gave his take on the situation while speaking with Spencer Love of Love Wrestling.
“Well, I hope this doesn’t destroy anyone’s delusion of it. But, you know, the craziest thing about all that for us was that she really – it wasn’t like she was super offended. It wasn’t like she was really upset. She was kind of laughing at the symbolism.It wasn’t like this thing where she went ‘ah, I’m devastated, I’m heartbroken, how would they do this to me,’ and I’ve seen some people sort of refer to it like that as if that was the sort of tone.”
Aldis continued, If you go back and look at her post with the video and stuff, she was very tongue-in-cheek about it. She was very kind of, ‘well, that’s about fucking right!’ In other words, they chew you up and spit you out, and that’s just the way the business is.
And, look. She’s been through a hell of a lot worse. The reality is, is that symbolism and sort of tone-deaf gesture, I guess, is the best way to describe it, it’s not even in the top-10 of the most cold, heartless things that have happened to her or me in this business. So, it’s kind of like, hey, man, we’ve got thick skins.
She just thought it was enlightening, I guess, to sort of share with the world like, ‘Hey, you think it’s all special and glamorous? It’s sometimes not so much.’ I was very amazed at the level of traction it got.
And, I was amazed at the level of response on the corporate level from those guys. From Triple H, and Stephanie [to] Vince, they all – and, hey, I will say that Vince McMahon went out of his way to express to Mickie his respect for her and her contributions. That’s at least some consolation to take from it. Although, I would politely suggest that maybe a little more respect could have been shown to her while she was there.”
Aldis also talked about the return of the National Wrestling Alliance, why he didn’t headline the All In pay-per-view event with Cody Rhodes a few years ago and more.
Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.872 million viewers with a 0.53 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This is up from last week’s 1.774 million viewers and the 0.49 rating.
Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Monday Night Raw:
The first hour did 1.891 million viewers and a 0.54 rating (A18-49).
The second hour did 1.979 million viewers and a 0.57 rating.
The final hour of the show had just 1.746 million viewers and a 0.47 rating.
This episode featured WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman, Raw Tag Team Champions AJ Styles & Omos vs. The New Day, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Lana & Naomi, and Randy Orton & Riddle vs. Elias & Jaxson Ryker.
SmackDown Viewership
Friday’s SmackDown averaged 2.018 million viewers. This is down from the 2.121 million viewers on FOX that the show did for the previous week.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.49 rating in the 18-49 demo, down from the 0.54 rating the previous week’s show. The episode drew an average of 1.923 million viewers in the overnight ratings, down from the previous week that did 2.042 million viewers.
The first hour saw it pull in 1.875 million viewers while hour two did 1.971 million viewers. The show did 2.046 million viewers in hour one while hour two did 2.032 million viewers a week ago.
WWE recent aired a mysterious vignette on NXT programming touting the arrival of the Diamond Mine.
Amid speculation that the Diamond Mine has something to do with former IMPACT World Champion Tessa Blanchard, Fightful Select reports that the Diamond Mine is unrelated to the controversial performer.
Blanchard has used diamond imagery in the past, which is likely how people made this assumption. Per Fightful, “a WWE source, when asked, did not want fans expecting Blanchard to be the act or a part of it, but understood how the misconception could happen.”
WWE is looking to keep the identity of the person (or people) behind the Diamond Mine as close-to-the-vest as possible. If you haven’t already seen the vignette, check it out below:
Tessa Blanchard was at one point considered one of the top female wrestlers in the world. With rumors persisting that she is ‘difficult to work with’ and allegations of racism, her star power and marketability have greatly diminished over the past year.
Since her union with Bray Wyatt and subsequent solo antics, Alexa Bliss has built up a character that truly suits her. In a recent segment of Alexa’s Playground, Lily, Alexa’s best friend hinted that she had been playing all weekend.
A lot of creative effort goes into the Playground segments, as they were with the FireFly Fun House. There are a lot of cryptic messages behind these segments. Many fans believe they have deciphered Lily’s message. Believing it teases Alexa’s first feud since she broke away from The Fiend at Wrestlemania.
During the segment, Alexa Bliss tells the audience that Lily has been playing hide and seek all day long. This was followed by a secretive, behind the hand comment that “her favorite color is red.”
This could just be Alexa Bliss playing her character. Using red because it suits the twisted world in which Little Miss Bliss seems to live. However, many RAW viewers happened to notice that Lily was caught on camera during the show. Lurking in the background during a backstage segment with Sonya Deville, who just happened to be wearing a red suit.
Alexa Bliss has not done anything since Wrestlemania, while Sonya Deville has been out of action since losing to Mandy Rose back in August 2020.
A feud between the two would take some storytelling to get it aligned given the current character arcs. Yet, given the genuinely terrifying nature of Alexa Bliss’s character these days, you could see several ways for WWE creative to make Deville an object of her devilish affection.
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley recently appeared on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin. The Australian Superstar discussed a number of topics during the interview, including her struggle to ‘come out of her shell’ on WWE’s ‘main’ roster.
In NXT, Rhea Ripley had a character that was far more about doing the talking in-ring. As the RAW Women’s Champion, Ripley needs to address some of the shortcomings that she has on the microphone and as a ‘presence.’
“My confidence isn’t huge in my everyday life,” Ripley began. “I’m a really shy person and I’m not good at keeping a conversation and being a larger-than-life person.”
Rhea Ripley on Confidence
“When I’m in the ring, that’s where I get all my confidence and where I get to be Rhea Ripley,” she continued. “But still myself, which is weird to say out loud because it doesn’t make sense but then it does when you’re there doing it.”
“I want to be myself, as in Rhea Ripley” she concluded. “But I want to have that confidence that everyone else seems to have all the time. I’m working on it.”
Rhea Ripley seems to indicate here that she is taking classes to help her work on her promo ability. Working alongside the likes of Charlotte Flair, she’ll be ‘competing’ against one of WWE’s most seasoned performers.
On Monday’s Raw, Charlotte Flair was added to the RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash. That contest will now be a Triple Threat with Rhea Ripley defending her title against Asuka and The ‘Queen.’
Ring of Honor is looking to re-build its women’s division. The company now airs Women of Honor Wednesdays on YouTube. One wrestler who is interested in performing for the company is Chelsea Green. The former WWE Superstar took to Twitter recently to state her interest in wrestling for ROH.
Fun fact: I’ve never wrestled for @ringofhonor … I want to change that.
— MariaKanellisBennett (@MariaLKanellis) May 4, 2021
Green was also asked recently if she is interested in returning to Impact Wrestling. She spoke to Cultaholic and gave the below answer:
“Here’s what I’ll say, never say never because I had such a good relationship with them. Obviously, I was their women’s champion in 2018 – feels like it was yesterday – and I have a great relationship with everyone in that company,” Green stated. “So, I am excited to maybe pop in and out. Who knows?”
Green also spoke about ideas she pitched while in WWE during an interview with Chris Van Vliet.
“I can’t tell you how many ideas I came up with. If I think about it, they all led back to The Hot Mess. But with that being said, it wasn’t The Hot Mess like you saw at IMPACT. I tried to pitch a darker, creepier Hot Mess that you could relate to. Not just like the girl at the bar, more so any psychotic person you’ve had in your life.”
