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Ben Askren Reveals Details Of WWE PC Invite

Chris Stephens
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Retired MMA fighter, Ben Askren, recently revealed he received an invite from WWE to attend the Performance Center in Florida. Askren told Chris Van Vliet recently that he spent some time at the PC in October.

“I went down there in October. It was fun, they were really cool,” Askren said. “I left with an open door there. I’m running my Askren Wrestling Academy business so I don’t think it’s something I would do full time but I would be interested in doing a little something with them. I really like them, everyone there was really cool and they run a really professional operation down there, it was awesome.”

Askren continued to reveal that he was scouted by Gerald Briscoe during his collegiate wrestling career as well.

“There was this guy named Gerald Brisco, he would always come to the NCAA tournaments and actually you know the thing he used to always tell me? He would tell me like every single year, ‘Ben if you were over 200 pounds I could make you a million dollars’. And I said, ‘Gerry, I’m not going to be that big ever. So, sorry. And I want to wrestle in the Olympics. I’m just not that interested’. So actually when I was at the Performance Center, Gerald came over and we bulls****ted and he’s a great guy.”

Askren retired from MMA in 2019 after suffering his second straight defeat. His pro-career finished with a 19-2-1 record.

Drew McIntyre Talks Hopefully Getting WrestleMania Moment In Front of Fans

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre recently spoke to WFLA-NBC. The man who will go on to face Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 37 in April discussed a number of topics during the interview, including WWE’s presentation during the ‘pandemic’ era.

“We have our fans back virtually” Drew McIntyre began. “We can hear them over the speakers. It’s so cool to see them on the screens reacting, but there’s nothing like our fans being their live. Our WWE Universe. Our secret sauce, they’re our number one Superstar, they create that atmosphere that’s so unique to WWE.”

Drew McIntyre on WrestleMania 37 Fans

McIntyre also talked about the expectation of fans finally being back in attendance for WrestleMania in April. Drew of course won the WWE Championship from Brock Lesnar in an empty Performance Center at 2020’s iteration of the event.

“They (the fans) have been kept away from what they love for over a year” McIntyre said. “There’s a lot of pent-up reactions that are going to come out at WrestleMania. It’s going to be loud. There might only be 25,000 limited capacity…but it’s going to sound like 200,000 people on April 10 and 11 at Raymond James Stadium.”

Drew McIntyre finished by saying that he wants to get ‘that moment’ at WrestleMania in front of fans finally. “In the end, I want my moment with the fans, with the title” McIntyre stated. “Standing on the top rope with those fireworks going off, the moment I didn’t get last year.”

Will Ospreay – “The Only Thing I Love Is The IWGP Title”

Jake Skudder
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NJPW star Will Ospreay faced Shingo Takagi in the main event of today’s New Japan Cup event. The British star defeated Takagi to secure his shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Title and Kota Ibushi at Sakura Genesis on April 4.

After beating Takagi, Ospreay was confronted by Ibushi in the ring. As proof that the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship means more to him than anything, Ospreay hit an OsCutter on his partner Bea Priestley.

Following these events, the Rev Pro British Heavyweight Champion talked to NJPW media and made his thoughts clear on the current IWGP Champion, Kota Ibushi.

Will Ospreay on IWGP Title

“I’m sure you’ve got a lot of questions that need answering” Will Ospreay began, speaking backstage. “I can answer some questions. I love the idea of being the best wrestler in the world.”

“As much as this trophy means a lot to me It doesn’t make me the best wrestler in the world, does it?” Ospreay continued. “Being the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion means you’re the best wrestler in the world, does it not?”

“And I love that more than I love anything, or anyone. So if I can give an OsCutter to a woman I love more than anything in the world? A woman that’s been in my life now for five years; I have a house, I have a family with that girl…but it means nothing to me.”

Will Ospreay finished by emphatically stating that he wants to get the title at Sakura Genesis. “The only thing that matters to me. The only thing I love, is to be IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.”

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1373604810692259841

Final Card For NWA Back For The Attack PPV

Andrew Ravens
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The card for today’s (March 21, 2021) NWA Back For The Attack pay-per-view event has been finalized. 

National Wrestling Alliance is slated to hold its first pay-per-view event of the year at the GPB Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

The show will be headlined by NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis defending the strap against Aron Stevens. 

Other top matches featured on this card include World TV Champion Elijah Burke vs. Thom Latimer, Thunder Rosa vs. Kamille in a #1 contender’s match with the winner challenging for the NWA Women’s Title at a later date, and Crimson vs. Jax Dane vs. Jordan Clearwater vs. Slice Boogie in a fatal 4-way bout. 

The pay-per-view event can be purchased with the price tag of $19.99 via the FITE app. The show will begin at 4:00 pm ET. Here is the final card. 

Final NWA Back For The Attack Card

  • NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis vs. Aron Stevens
  • Crimson vs. Jax Dane vs. Jordan Clearwater vs. Slice Boogie – Four-Way Match
  • Thunder Rosa vs. Kamille – #1 Contender’s Match To Determine Challenger To NWA World Women’s Title
  • NWA World Television Champion ‘Da Pope’ Elijah Burke vs. Thom Latimer
  • Tyrus vs. JR Kratos
  • NWA National Heavyweight Champion Trevor Murdoch vs. Chris Adonis 

What are your thoughts on this match card? Do you plan on buying the pay-per-view and watching? Sound off in the comment section.

WWE Fastlane Final Card, Live Coverage

Andrew Ravens
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The card for tonight’s (Sunday, March 21, 2021) WWE Fastlane pay-per-view event has been finalized.

The company hasn’t officially announced the main event of this event that takes place in St. Petersburg, Florida at Tropicana Field that will air on the WWE Network and Peacock but it will most likely be WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan. 

Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman is rumored to be off the show as WWE.com stopped promoting it earlier this week after WWE made it official on Monday’s episode of Raw. Perhaps, WWE is holding off on this match until WrestleMania 37 next month. 

As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special on Sunday evening starting at 6 PM EST. Here is the final card for the show:

Final WWE Fastlane Card

  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan – Edge to be special enforcer
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler vs. Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks
  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E vs. Apollo Crews
  • Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus – No Holds Barred Match
  • Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman
  • Alexa Bliss vs. Randy Orton
  • Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
  • WWE United States Champion Matt Riddle vs. Mustafa Ali

Speculation Over Batista’s Hall Of Fame Induction

Anutosh Bajpai
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Batista was expected to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame during the induction ceremony this year but some latest changes from WWE have sparked the speculation on whether or not it will happen.

The original page on the company’s website announcing the former world champion’s induction has been made private and the link to it shows an access denied sign.

Not only that but as seen in the screenshot below, WWE has also removed the Hall Of Fame badge from Batista’s profile on their website, while other names from the 2020 class such as JBL still have them:

Batista wwecom

The Animal had a final run with WWE in 2019 and he competed in a No Holds Barred match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 which he lost.

Batista announced his retirement from active competition after the bout and WWE announced in December 2019 that he will be headlining the Hall Of Fame class of 2020.

The Hall Of Fame ceremony however, had to be halted due to the coronavirus pandemic and it’s believed that the participants from the 2020 class will be inducted during the ceremony this year.

Though these latest developments are making fans wonder about Batista’s status and many are wondering if the Hollywood star will not be inducted this year.

Main Event For NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night 1 Confirmed

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has confirmed that the NXT women’s champion Io Shirai will be defending her championship against Raquel González in the main event of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver night 1.

The news was first broken by the Muscle and Fitness magazine and commenting on her upcoming opportunity, González claimed that her opponent isn’t ready for a competitor like her:

“Io, you’re brave girl, but, I don’t think you’re ready for a competitor like me. The last powerhouse she faced was Rhea Ripley — and that was months ago.

I know she is the best in the world, and to be the best you have to beat the best. So I’m coming in with the most excited and anticipated mindset that I can.”

Io Shirai, who has been a part of the NXT roster since 2018 has had a dominating reign as the women’s champion. She has held the title for almost 300 days since winning it at last June’s TakeOver: In Your House event.

Raquel González on the other hand, only joined the brand in 2020 after competing in the Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017 and 2018 but she has impressed everyone with her performance since then.

NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Updated Card

The night 1 of NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver will air on the USA Network on April 7 and the show will continue on the next night, airing on the WWE Network. After the latest announcement, here is the updated card for the event:

  • NXT Championship Match: Finn Balor (c) vs. Karrion Kross
  • NXT Women’s Championship Match (Night 1): Io Shirai (c) vs. Raquel Gonzalez
  • NXT Cruiserweight Championship Unification Match: Jordan Devlin vs. Santos Escobar

Daniel Bryan On AEW And NXT Stars He Would Like To Face

Anutosh Bajpai
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Daniel Bryan has got to wrestle in a number of dream matches since his return to in-ring action in 2018 which many thought were not possible when he was forced to retire from active competition in 2016.

During his recent interview with Bleacher Report, the former world champion talked about his dream matches outside of his current brand and his dream opponents from other companies as well.

Bryan first mentioned the name of Kazuchika Okada as someone he would like to face before revealing the other names he would want to compete against from both NXT and AEW rosters:

“When you look at the AEWs or whatever it is, somebody like Jungle Boy or MJF or Darby Allin,” Bryan stated. “Those guys are really interesting to me. When you look at NXT, he’s not young, but I’ve always wanted to wrestle Kushida. That guy’s great.

Kyle O’Reilly and I, I don’t know if we’ve ever wrestled.” said Daniel Bryan, “I’ve always wanted to do a singles match with him because he’s gotten so, so good. Finn Balor and I have wrestled on the independents once or twice, and I’d love to do a match with him in WWE. There are just so many guys.”

The former champion also gave a shout-out to some lesser-known guys and in the spree, he took the name of ROH star Jonathan Gresham and William Regal’s son Bailey Matthews as guys he wants to face.

Daniel Bryan will be challenging Roman Reigns for his Universal Championship at the Fastlane PPV this Sunday with Edge as the special guest enforcer.

Former WWE Star Barry Orton Passes Away At 62

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former WWE star Barry Orton passed away yesterday at the age of 62. He was the uncle of current WWE superstar Randy Orton and the son of Bob Orton Sr.

The wrestling veteran had made his debut in 1976 and competed for promotions such as ICW, WOW, NWA, and IWF before retiring from active competition in 1991.

Orton also had a couple of stints with the then WWF in the 80s. His first run started in 1984 and ended in 1988. He returned to the company in 1990 but he was released only a year later.

Before his first WWE run, the former wrestling star also wrestled under a mask for 3 months as Assassin #3 with Jody Hamilton as a replacement for Hercules Hernandez who had recently been unmasked.

He also tried his hands with the managing role and he managed Jason the Terrible in Stampede Wrestling while making appearances as the masked Zodiac.

After his retirement from the pro wrestling world, Barry Orton transitioned to an acting career though he mostly did minor roles in movies such as Killer’s Mind and Timecollapse.

We at SEScoops send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late star.

Kurt Angle On How Vince McMahon Convinced Him To Join ECW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kurt Angle was one of the two big stars who was originally drafted to WWE’s version of ECW when it was first revived by the company and his joining gave the brand some much-needed legitimacy.

During the recent episode of his new podcast, the former world champion talked about the early days of the extreme brand and revealed how Vince McMahon convinced him to join ECW.

Angle explained that the boss promised him to be the face of the newly created brand and he also bumped his pay to make sure Kurt was not losing money:

“When Vince decided to start ECW, he came to me and said ‘Hey I want you to be the face of this new company that I’m starting, ECW. We’re going to ramp it up and I want you to be the face but I’m going to tell you this. You’re going to work in smaller arenas and make less money.’ I said ‘Why would I want to do that?’

What he did was, I would do the house shows and T.V.s and then the PPVs, Vince would triple my [pay] so I would get the same money as I would if I was on RAW or SmackDown.” said Angle, “He did promise that and did go through with it.”

WWE did not hold a draft in 2006 but the ECW representative Paul Heyman got one pick from Raw and SmackDown each for the roster of the newly revived ECW.

When given the chance, Heyman chose Kurt Angle and RVD as the two names for his brand in May 2006. Though Angle didn’t last in the company for long after this and he asked for his release in August.

Rhea Ripley’s Raw Debut Date Confirmed

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has confirmed that the former NXT women’s champion Rhea Ripley will be making her Raw debut on Fastlane follow-up episode of the show this Monday.

The company announced the former champion’s main roster call up on the Red Branded show back in February. They had been airing promos for her arrival since then but the officials had not confirmed the date for her debut.

Rhea Ripley signed with WWE back in 2017 and competed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic where she was defeated by Dakota Kai in the second round.

The female star made her NXT debut after this and became the inaugural NXT UK women’s champion after joining the newly established brand in 2018.

She made her surprise return to the NXT brand in 2019 and Ripley went on to win the NXT women’s championship after defeating Shayna Baszler towards the ending of the year.

The NXT star kept the title until WrestleMania 36 where she dropped it to the 2020 women’s Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair at the event in April.

She continued competing in the NXT brand in the following months. Rhea Ripley also participated in the 2021 women’s Royal Rumble but she has been away from in ring action since then.

AEW Star Reportedly Has Backstage Heat For Botched Spot

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW star Jack Evans reportedly has backstage heat due to a botched spot.

This week’s episode of Dark saw Evans face Dark Order’s 10 in a singles match in the main event of the show. The fans saw Jack delivering a Phoenix splash to his opponent toward the ending of the bout.

However, the high-flying star caught 10 in the face with an elbow while delivering the move, leading to the Dark Order member being busted open and bleeding heavily. The two then went right to the finish which saw 10 picking up the victory.

The injured star needed to get work done after the match and according to reports from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the incident led to Jack Evans getting heat “from the people you don’t want heat with” in the company.

‘-1’ also jumped in the ring after the bout and he shared a fist bump with a bloodied 10. This spot which was edited out of the show at one point, sparked some controversy. This led to Amanda Huber defending AEW in a Instagram post after people said that a young child shouldn’t be doing that.

Jack Evans was then not seen in his partner Angelico’s corner on the Dynamite episode the following day, though there is no word yet on if his absence was related to the events of Dark and his backstage heat.

Charlotte Flair Edited Out Of WrestleMania 37 Graphics

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has removed Charlotte Flair from the promotional graphics for the WrestleMania 37 event seen on social media this week.

The company released the ticket information for the upcoming PPV recently and they had several stars tweet out the promotional graphics for the ticket pre-sale on Thursday.

The stars then posted a similar graphic today, promoting the general on-sale of the tickets, which have nearly sold out already.

What’s interesting to note here is that while Flair was featured in the WrestleMania graphics posted on Thursday, she has been edited out of the promotional material circulated today:

The former champion had also tweeted out a stand-alone graphic of herself like many other stars for the pre-sale but she did not promote the general sale today.

Charlotte Flair has been rumored to face Raw women’s champion Asuka at WrestleMania this year but a match between the two has not officially been announced yet.

While the Queen did appear on Raw two weeks ago to make it clear that she wanted to face Asuka for the title, she did not make an appearance on this week’s episode of the show.

Charlotte’s fiancé Andrade has recently been in news after asking for his WWE release and these changes are making fans wonder if the two events are related.

WWE SmackDown Results (3/19): Fastlane Go-Home Show, Edge vs. Jey Uso

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. It was the final episode of SmackDown before WWE Fastlane. Edge battled Jey Uso in the main event. The winner of the match will be the special ringside enforcer for the Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns (c) and Daniel Bryan this Sunday at WWE Fastlane.

SmackDown Results (3/19)

  1. Sasha Banks def. Nia Jax to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
  2. Rey & Dominik Mysterio def. Street Profits
  3. Alpha Academy def. Dominik & Rey Mysterio
  4. King Corbin def. Sami Zayn
  5. Bianca Belair vs. Shayna Baszler ended in a DQ (interference by Tamina & Natalya)
  6. Edge def. Jey Uso and will be the Special Ringside Enforcer for the Universal Championship match at Fastlane

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Sasha Banks Retained

Sasha Banks defended her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Nia Jax in the first match of the night. Before the match, Bianca Belair told Sasha that accepting this match was a mistake and that Reginald was still in her head. Beliar added that she will not come out to save Sasha tonight and Banks told her she didn’t ask her to.

Banks and Belair will face Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the Women’s Tag Team Championships this Sunday night at WWE Fastlane. Shayna Baszler accompanied Nia Jax to the ring for the title match tonight. Reginald was not in attendance because Nia Jax gave him a “spa day” to prepare for their victory celebration tonight.

Sasha controlled the action early and drove Nia’s face into the middle turnbuckle. Banks stomped away on Nia in the corner before connecting with Double Knees. Sasha went for the Bank Statement but Nia broke free and dropped the SmackDown Women’s Champion with an elbow to the face.

Jax showed off her power and lifted Banks above her head before dropping her to the canvas for a two count. Nia connected with another elbow to the midsection for a near fall. Jax connected with the Samoan Drop and went for the cover but Sasha was able to kick out at the last moment.

Bianca Belair’s music hit and she marched down the entrance ramp. Sasha rolled out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. Nia Jax was still in control when SmackDown returned and hit a Side Slam for another near fall. Jax applied the Stretch Muffler submission and then smashed Banks’ head off the turnbuckle for a two count.

Nia applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Jax went back to the Stretch Muffler submission but Sasha escaped. Nia went for a Senton but Banks dodged it and hit a Meteora for two count. Sasha planted Jax with a DDT and immediately locked in the Bank Statement. Shayna got into the ring and accidentally hit Nia as the referee was distracted. Sasha capitalized with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. Sasha Banks is still the SmackDown Women’s Champion.

Corey Graves suggested that Shayna may have actually kicked Nia on purpose. Nia and Shayna had a conversation backstage. Jax said that if Shayna costs them the titles at Fastlane she is coming after her. Baszler apologized and said she was going to get match with Belair and give her the nastiEST beating of her life.

Shinsuke Nakamura Interrupted Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins made his way to the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. Rollins noted that the superstars in the locker room greeted him upon his return because they respected him. Seth added that he respected their decision to be idiots and turn their backs on him.

Rollins claimed Cesaro took things too far and embarrassed him. Seth said that Cesaro is simply jealous of him because he is successful and is a WrestleMania main event while Cesaro is a failure. Rollins referred to himself as a fighter and the same cannot be said bout Cesaro.

Footage of Rollins’ attack on Cesaro last week was then shown. Rollins laughed in the ring and mimicked Cesaro stumbling around after the attack. Seth cracked himself up with a couple of jokes before staring into the camera. Rollins stated that Cesaro swung him around 22 times and he will never embarrass him like that again. Seth added that Cesaro is the biggest waste of potential in the history of WWE.

Shinsuke Nakamura interrupted and made his way to the ring. Rollins told Shinsuke to not disrespect him and that Nakamura is more of a man than Cesaro will ever be. Shinsuke grabbed the microphone away from Rollins and told him to shut up. Nakamura booted Rollins in the face and went for the Kinshasa but Seth retreated out of the ring. Rollins got back into the ring and Nakamura leveled him with the Kinshasa. It was later announced that Seth Rollins will face Shinsuka Nakamura this Sunday at Fastlane.

Rey & Dominik def. Street Profits

Street Profits faced Rey and Dominik Mysterio tonight. SmackDown Tag Team Champions Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler joined commentary for the match. Michael Cole referred to them as the “Top Dawgs” and Ziggler corrected him that they are called the “Dirty Dawgs”.

Dominik and Montez Ford started off the action. Dominik tripped up Montez and then both superstars traded Arm Drags. Ford booted Dominik in the midsection after shaking his hand. Rey tagged in and leveled Montez with a Dropkick. Ford hit Rey with a shoulder tackle and Dawkins tagged in.

Angelo hit Rey with a Splash in the corner of the ring and quickly tagged Ford in. Dawkins missed with another Splash attempt and Rey sent Ford to the ropes. Dominik tagged in and hit Dawkins with a Hurricanrana but turned around into a massive Clothesline from Ford for a two count. Dawkins tagged back in and lifted Dominik up in the Electric Chair. Rey knocked Ford off the top rope and Dominik rolled up Angelo for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Otis and Chad Gable made their way to the ring. Gable told the Mysterio’s that their victory doesn’t put them in line for a title shot because they already embarrassed them. Alpha Academy got distracted by the Street Profits and Rey and Dominik hit Gable & Otis from behind with a couple Dropkicks as SmackDown went to a break.

Alpha Academy def. Rey & Dominik

Alpha Academy battled Rey and Dominik when SmackDown returned. Rey hit Gable with a Senton and sent him to the ropes. Mysterio connected with a 619 and climbed to the top rope. Otis crotched him on the top turnbuckle and tagged in. Otis hit Rey with a headbutt and followed it up with a Body Slam.

Otis launched Rey into the turnbuckle as Dirty Dawgs and Street Profits argued on commentary. Otis locked Rey in a Bear Hug in the middle of the ring. Mysterio broke the hold by biting Otis in the face but the big man connected with a powerful Body Slam. Otis went for a Splash but Rey got out of the way.

Mysterio hit Otis with a Dropkick and tagged in Dominik. Gable tagged in and walked into a Hurricanrana from Dominik. Dominik rolled up Gable for a near fall and followed it up with a beautiful Tornado DDT. Dominik went for the cover but Otis broke it up at two. Otis then launched Rey Mysterio into the barricade as Dominik went for the 619. Gable blocked it and Otis tagged in. Gable hit Dominik with a German Suplex and Otis followed it up with a big Splash off the middle turnbuckle for the pinfall victory.

Daniel Bryan Vowed To Tap Out Roman Reigns

Daniel Bryan came down to the ring to begin the 2nd hour of SmackDown. Bryan said tonight’s main event is Edge versus Jey Uso and it is Edge’s first match on SmackDown in over ten years. Bryan noted that the winner of the match will be the special guest enforcer for his Universal Championship match at Fastlane.

Bryan said that we know what will happen if Jey wins and Roman Reigns isn’t the champion he thinks he is because he needs Jey’s help. Daniel said that he knows that Edge wants nothing more than to face Roman Reigns one on one at WrestleMania.

Daniel suggested that Edge doesn’t want to face Bryan at WrestleMania because the believes he can defeat Roman Reigns. Bryan stated that he knows he can beat Roman Reigns and vowed to tap him out this Sunday at WWE Fastlane. Universal Champion Roman Reigns interrupted and came to the entrance ramp with Paul Heyman.

Reigns laughed at the idea that Bryan is going to tap him out Fastlane and told Daniel that he doesn’t have a chance this Sunday. Reigns joked that Bryan has a better chance of shooting lightning out of his ass than tapping him out this Sunday. Roman said that nobody has ever tapped him out and would rather die in the ring than tap out to someone like Daniel Bryan.

Bryan told Reigns that being the “Head of the Table” is a lie and everyone thinks they are unbeatable until they lose. Daniel said he is not just going to make Reigns quit, he is going to break him of his beliefs and hopes he doesn’t die. Daniel added that whether or not Reigns taps out, he is beating him this Sunday at Fastlane.

Sami Zayn Attacked Kevin Owens

Sami Zayn squared off against King Corbin tonight on SmackDown. Before the match, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens had a conversation backstage. Owens suggested that Zayn is going crazy and using fake conspiracies to make up for things not going his way. Sami asked Owens to be ringside for the match and that he will drop his conspiracy documentary if nothing fishy happens. Before the match, WWE aired a video package calling this a match that nobody wants to see.

Owens joined commentary as King Corbin dominated the match early. Owens said Sami is obviously going through something and he has never seen him like this. Corbin leveled Sami with a Clothesline as Graves complained about video promo that aired before the match and suggested it was part of the conspiracy.

Corbin ran at Zayn but he leaped out of the way and Corbin crashed into the ring post. Sami rolled up Corbin for a two count and complained that the referee wasn’t counting fast enough. Zayn started taking off the ring pad and Corbin just planted him with End of Days for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Kevin Owens told Michael Cole that he didn’t see anything fishy and the referee did a good job. Owens told Sami that sometimes things will not go his way and he needs to let go of this. Sami then leveled Owens with a Helluva Kick and shouted that he thought Kevin was smarter than this.

Opinion: I’m always down for a Sami Zayn versus Kevin Owens match and that sounds great for WrestleMania. The conspiracy angle is goofy as hell but everyone knows Owens and Zayn will deliver.

Big E Sent A Message To Apollo Crews

Intercontinental Champion Big E and Apollo Crews were interviewed tonight. Big E will defend his title against Crews this Sunday at WWE Fastlane. Michael Cole asked if Big E and Crews if there is a chance that they will ever settle their differences. Big E said that is over and he wants vengeance on Apollo Crews. Big E told Crews that he has two days until Fastlane and suggested that he take those days to enjoy the normal function of his limbs.

Big E vowed to retain the Intercontinental Championship and Apollo is going to get everything he deserves. Crews told Big E that he is treading very dangerous ground speaking to Nigerian royalty like this. Apollo recited a Nigerian proverb “you fill your mouth with a razor and you will spit blood”. Crews said he was going to crack Big E’s face and stand over his mangled body as the new Intercontinental Champion.

Big E ripped off his microphone and stated he is not waiting until Sunday night. Big E hopped in a golf cart in Tropicana Field and started driving around looking for Crews. Big E found him and gave him a beat down. Big E slammed Crews into the wall several times before WWE officials broke it up. Apollo Crews then escaped on the golf cart.

Tamina & Natalya Attacked Belair & Baszler

Bianca Belair battled Shayna Baszler tonight on SmackDown. Nia Jax was ringside for the match. Banks accompanied Belair to the entrance ramp but went backstage instead of ringside.

Shayna threw Belair to the outside and at the feet of Nia Jax. Nia stared at Belair before walking away. Jax walked backstage and Shayna got distracted by it. Bianca planted Shayna with a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Tamina and Natalya rushed the ring. Tamina and Natalya beat Belair and Jax down to end the match in a DQ.

Edge Will Be The Special Ringside Enforcer

Edge faced Jey Uso in the main event of this week’s SmackDown. The winner of the match will be the special ringside enforcer for the Universal Championship match this Sunday at WWE Fastlane. Daniel Bryan joined commentary for the match.

Edge controlled the action early and leveled Uso with a shoulder tackle. Edge went for a submission hold but Jey broke free and regrouped in the corner. Edge caught Jey with a boot to the face and followed it up with a knee to his lower back.

The Rated R Superstar went to work on Jey’s arm but Uso caught him with an elbow to the ribs. Edge rolled out of the ring and Jey followed him. Jey drove Edge’s ribs into the steel steps and rolled into the ring to break the referee’s count. Jey hit Edge with a Suicide Dive as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Jey was in control of the match and was stomping on Edge in the ring. Edge tried to fight back but Jey caught him with a shot to the injured ribs. Jey slammed Edge’s ribs into the ring post and then stretched him out across the post. Edge and Jey went for a Crossbody at the same time and both collided in the middle of the ring.

Edge climbed to the top rope and hit Jey with a knee to the injured shoulder for a near fall. Jey Uso planted Edge with a Samoan Drop and went for the cover but Edge kicked out at two. Edge connected with a Hurricanrana off the top rope for a near fall. Edge went for the Spear but Jey caught him with a Superkick and then a Frog Splash for a two count. Jey took a little time making the cover and it cost him.

Edge hit a Spear out of nowhere for the pinfall victory. Edge is the special ringside enforcer for the Universal Championship match between Reigns and Bryan at Fastlane. After the match, Reigns leveled Edge with a Spear and dared Bryan to get into the ring. Jey attacked Bryan from behind and Reigns hit him with a Spear. Reigns stood over Bryan and posed with the Universal Championship to close the show.

Edge Wins First SmackDown Match In Over Decade, Fastlane Stipulation Set

Andrew Ravens
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Edge worked his first match on SmackDown for the first time in over 10 years on Friday night in a singles bout against Jey Uso. 

The match had a stipulation where the winner will become the special guest enforcer for the Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan Universal Championship match at the Fastlane pay-per-view event. 

The bout saw Edge sell his ribs for the majority of it until he made a comeback. He won with his signature spear finisher. Post-match, Reigns laid out Bryan and Edge with spears. 

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1373090359895588867

WWE set up this contest last week on SmackDown during a contract signing for Reigns and Bryan’s Universal Championship match at Fastlane. Reigns stated that he wasn’t up for the match, but then Bryan taunted him, which changed Reigns’ mind about it. 

Bryan stated that he would tap out Reigns just like he did Jey in their match a few weeks ago. This led to Uso getting upset and threw out the idea of him being the special enforcer for Reigns vs. Bryan at Fastlane.

Edge came out and proposed a match between him and Uso to determine the special enforcer, which was signed off by Adam Pearce. A brawl broke out with Edge and Bryan clearing the ring, but when Edge shoved Bryan out of the way, Bryan connected with a running knee strike. 

WWE presents the Fastlane pay-per-view event on Sunday, March 21, 2021 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida that will air on the WWE Network and Peacock.

WWE WrestleMania 37 Tickets Nearly Sold Out

Andrew Ravens
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WWE’s WrestleMania 37 is almost sold out after pre-sale tickets went on-sale Thursday and tickets to the public were released on Friday. 

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics noted Tickets were still left for Night 1 and Night 2 after being on sale for 30 minutes today. There were just over 1,000 tickets left for each night as of Friday afternoon. 

F4Wonline.com noted a lot of people apparently purchased tickets for both nights at one point as the remaining seats were similar for each night. The $1,000 and up tickets were the ones with the most availability.

Combo and single tickets range from $35 – $2,500 and the entry price for the secondary market this year is $67. There will be a total of 25,000 fans in attendance for each night, which will make for 50,000 fans in total. 

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

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Edge

WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre

WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair

WWE Raw Tag Team Champions the New Day vs. AJ Styles and Omos

WWE 205 Live Wrestler To Undergo Surgery

Andrew Ravens
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WWE NXT/205 Live wrestler Curt Stallion is currently on the shelf with a wrist injury. As a result, he will need to undergo surgery.

He took to his Facebook account to announce that while training last week, he fractured his left wrist. On Thursday, he found out he will undergo his first surgery to put plates and screws in next Wednesday. He wrote the following: 

“I’ve never had a ‘comeback’ before because I never left. Against the better judgement of those much wiser than myself, I’ve yet to miss a booking in my entire career because of an injury. That is until now. Last week whilst training, I fractured virtually every bone in my left wrist. With that said, I found out yesterday I will be having my first ever surgery to put in plates and screws this following Wednesday.

“I wasn’t going to say anything about this, but the information belongs to y’all just as much as it does to me. Thanks for the continued support. The best is yet to come, I promise. #TheLoneStar”

He has worked some NXT shows but usually works WWE 205 Live. It’s common for new or unused NXT stars to work the cruiserweight show. 

He most notably lost to NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar in a title match on the February 3rd edition of NXT. He last worked a match on the March 12th episode of 205 Live when he and Mansoor defeated The Bollywood Boyz.

https://www.facebook.com/CurtStallion/posts/3757681710993662

Drew McIntyre Names WWE Star That Has Been Due For A Push

Andrew Ravens
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Drew McIntyre is one of the top stars in WWE right now, but he has been keeping an eye on other stars in the company. 

The former WWE Champion recently spoke with Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report. This is where he mentioned he would pick Cesaro as the WWE Superstar he’d like to see pushed to the main event next.

“We’re watching it right now. I think everyone and their dog have been saying Cesaro [is due for a push] for about five years, and it’s true,” McIntyre said. “The fact of the matter is I’ve never been in the ring and had a match with him. I can just tell watching him. Usually, you can only tell how good someone is when you get in with them. If I got in with him, that would be so much fun.

McIntyre also talked about a possible match with Cesaro in addition to Cesaro’s current feud with Seth Rollins on SmackDown. He noted that he’s excited to see where they’re going to go.

He thinks with the right build and presentation, Cesaro can highlight his strengths and hopes it can lead to him to break into the next level and finally have a match with McIntyre.”

McIntyre will be battling Sheamus for the third time in recent memory at this Sunday’s Fastlane pay-per-view event.

WWE To Tape The SmackDown Before WrestleMania In Advance

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has released the schedule of programming for WrestleMania week and it’s a busy one. 

It turns out that the final SmackDown before WrestleMania 37 won’t air live, but rather it will be taped. Fightful Select reports that as of right now, the plan is to tape the April 9th episode of SmackDown before the April 2nd episode airs live on FOX from St. Petersburg, Florida at Tropicana Field. 

That same week will also see the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony tape over the course of two days. The current plan is to have as many of the inductees live on the stage as possible in addition to having some of the roster and invited guests in attendance.

The 2020 class will feature Batista, John “Bradshaw” Layfield, “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, Jushin “Thunder” Liger, The Bella Twins, and The NWO (Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean “X-Pac” Waltman) while Molly Holly and Eric Bischoff are the only names confirmed for the 2021 class.

The lineup for WrestleMania week will see the following schedule:

  • Tuesday, April 6: WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
  • Wednesday, April 7: NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver – Night One
  • Thursday, April 8: NXT TakeOver Stand & Deliver – Night Two 
  • Thursday, April 8: NXT NXT UK TakeOver 
  • Friday, April 9: SmackDown
  • Saturday, April 10: WrestleMania – Night One
  • Sunday, April 11: WrestleMania – Night Two
  • Monday, April 12: Raw

Update On Andrade Returing To La Sombra Moniker Post-WWE

Chris Stephens
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Andrade recently confirmed reports that he asked WWE for his release. The request was reportedly denied by WWE. It is not known how much time the 31-year-old has left on his contract with the company. When he leaves, he is expected to revert back to his old La Sombra name.

Andrade trademarked the term “La Sombra” for wrestling purposes in 2019. He filed for the trademark 4 years into his WWE career and 1.5 years after his main roster call-up in the spring of 2018. He’s able to use the name without receiving any permission from CMLL to do so. Andrade used the name in CMLL from 2007 until signing with the WWE in 2015.

Can Andrade/La Sombra Put His Mask Back On?

Andrade won’t be able to put on his mask once again without causing some controversy, however. While wrestling as La Sombra, Andrade lost a mask-vs-mask match to Atlantis. The match took place on CMLL’s 82nd Anniversary show in 2015. It was Andrade’s 6th “Luchas de Apuestas” match and first loss.

Andrade is one of a small number of wrestlers to have won major titles in the United States, Mexico, and Japan. He’s a former NXT Champion, WWE United States Champion, IWGP Intercontinental Champion with NJPW, and won a large number of titles throughout his career with CMLL in Mexico. He also took the masks of Volador Jr., Olimpico, and El Felino.

Charly Caruso Not Expected To Return To WWE

Chris Stephens
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WWE’s Charly Caruso is not expected to return to the company. According to a report from PW Insider, Caruso’s contract is up shortly and she is not expected to re-sign. Caruso is a co-host of ESPN’s “First Take, Her Take” as well.

Caruso is not expected to make any further appearances with WWE and will leave the company when her contract officially expires. Caruso has reportedly gotten into hot water with some backstage in WWE for being repeatedly late for interviews.

WWE recently hired Kevin Patrick as the new host of RAW Talk.

Charly Caruso: WWE to ESPN

In 2018, Caruso spoke to Lillian Garcia about her time in WWE.

“It’s been such a great platform, and getting to meet all different types of people and have this amazing experience on an international platform and travelling… Sometimes your just like, ‘I just wanna sleep in my bed,’ but, I mean, like any job, you take the good with the bad. Traveling’s not bad, but it does get to be a lot sometimes.”

“So yep, here I am – officially an ESPN employee!” She continued. “I’ll be doing a few things at ESPN from time to time for now, including SportsCenter on Snapchat show. I’m still in disbelief. WWE + ESPN = KILLER COMBO! I am so incredibly appreciative and fortunate for both of these wonderful opportunities.”

Hikaru Shida & Others Show Support For #StopAsianHate Campaign

Chris Stephens
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AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida and several others are showing their support for the #StopAsianHate campaign online. Over the last year, there has been a signifcant rise in racially motivated violence against Asian-Americans.

“Racially motivated violence and other incidents against Asian-Americans have reached an alarming level across the United States since the outbreak of COVID- 19,” reads a United Nations report released last year. “Chinese Americans and other Asian-Americans, including Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Burmese descent, among others, have been subject to racist, xenophobic attacks.”

The advocacy group “Stop AAPI Hate” noted over 2800 reported incidents of anti-Asian racism in the United States from the start of the pandemic to the end of 2020.

“Between March 19, 2020 (when Stop AAPI Hate began collecting reports) and December 31, 2020, Stop AAPI Hate received over 2,808 firsthand accounts of anti-Asian hate from 47 states and the District of Columbia,” a statement released by the organization reads.

For more information or to report an incident, please visit the Stop AAPI Hate website here.

Wrestlers Support #StopAsianHate

In the wake of these incidents and the recent shootings in Georgia, several wrestlers have been showing their support for the #StopAsianHate hashtag online.

Hulk Hogan & Titus O’Neil To Co-Host WrestleMania 37

Chris Stephens
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WWE has announced that Hulk Hogan and Titus O’Neil will co-host this year’s WrestleMania event. The company took to Twitter recently to announce that the two will be on-hand for both nights of this year’s festivities.

Tickets for the event are on-sale now. WWE is hoping to have 25,000 fans in attendance on each night.

Titus O’Neil and Hulk Hogan History

Titus O’Neil and Hulk Hogan’s names were linked together following Hogan’s return to the company in 2018. O’Neil expressed at the time that he did not feel Hogan’s apology for past remarks was sincere.

“Unfortunately, I must echo the sentiment and dissatisfaction expressed by many of my fellow contemporaries concerning Mr. Bollea’s apology and its lack of true contrition, remorse and a desire to change,” O’Neil said in a statement. “Mr. Bollea’s apology ‘that he didn’t know he was being recorded’ is not remorse for the hateful and violent utterances he made which reprise language that has caused violence against blacks and minorities for centuries.”

Titus O’Neil and Hulk Hogan Have A Private Conversation

O’Neil did have a private conversation later, however. O’Neil spoke about this on the WINCLY podcast.

“I had a private conversation with him long before the Be A Star Rally and heard from his perspective,” said Titus. “At that moment I realized the situation he was in where he clammed up and started rambling. He could have been more concise and contrite with his message. But at the end of the day, I’m not one to put anybody in a doghouse forever. I’m not saying he was in the doghouse with me, but I like for men to be men and women to be women and both be transparent, truthful and honest with me.”

“At the end of the day, we’re part of this WWE family and our job is to put smiles on people’s faces. Arguably he’s put more smiles on anybody’s face, young and old, than any other WWE Superstar in the history of the company.”

Sean Waltman Comments On Potential WWE In-Ring Return

Chris Stephens
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Sean Waltman is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for the second time this spring. He was first inducted in 2019 as a member of DX and is also apart of the 2020 class with the NWO. The 48-year-old isn’t finished wrestling, however. He recently spoke to SI.com about potentially returning to in-ring action. If WWE isn’t interested in his return, Waltman said, there are other places putting on great wrestling too.

“I’d be psyched to have more matches in a WWE ring,” said Waltman. “If they’re not interested, there are a lot of other places putting on great matches too.”

“I didn’t leave this business on my terms,” Waltman continued. “I wasted a lot of years of my life wandering around in the darkness, but I’m grateful that I still have some time left. And the style has changed, which is good. The bumps are more meaningful than in my era, which is a difference, but they bump less. That extends your shelf life.”

Waltman continued to talk about if he thinks he can keep up with today’s younger wrestlers.

“I watch the product now and I think, if I had both knees under me, I could keep up with a lot of these guys. If people want me, I’ll do it, but I am also mindful of being an older guy taking up too much oxygen. That’s not what I want. If there is some room for me to have a few matches, that’s all I want.”

Pro Wrestling 4 Life

Waltman has a new podcast out as well. Replacing his older X-PAC 1-2-360 podcast is “Pro Wrestling 4 Life.”

Natalya & Hart Family Comment On British Bulldog’s Hall of Fame Induction

Chris Stephens
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The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith was named to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020. Unfortunately, the 2020 ceremony was postponed to this year due to the global pandemic. In her Calgary Sun column recently, Natalya posted comments she had received from other members of the Hart family regarding Bulldog’s pending induction.

Diana Hart on the British Bulldog

Diana Hart was married to Smith from 1984 to 2000. They had two kids together, Georgia and Harry.

“From the first time I saw Davey wrestle, back in spring of 1981, when he was only 18, I knew he was incredible,” Diana said to Natalya. “He just got better and stronger in the ring with every match. Davey was really something to behold. Fast forward from 1981 to 2021, I’m absolutely thrilled Davey finally is going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He loved his fans, he loved being a part of the WWE Family and he loved his family. He would be so honoured. I am so proud of what Davey accomplished in his career. He will continue to be immortal in this huge but truly hard-earned privilege.”

Davey Boy Smith Jr. On SummerSlam 92

Harry Smith, aka Davey Boy Smith Jr., commented on the importance of his father’s match against Bret Hart at SummerSlam 92.

“SummerSlam `92 was such a special moment in time for my father Davey Boy Smith, uncle Bret Hart, and for WWE fans around the world. More than 80,000 fans packed into Wembley Stadium in England to see what in my opinion was the greatest Intercontinental Title match of all time. As a child being there live to see such a spectacle was amazing. It was one of the matches that made me realize how much I loved wrestling and how much I wanted to do this for my career. Bret and Davey were both so popular in the U.K. as well.”

“It was exciting, hard-hitting, back and forth seesaw action that told a great story. The ending of the match saw a counter off of a sunset flip reversal that was brilliant and never before seen. The arena was so loud that when my dad got the victory, he couldn’t hear himself because the noise of the fans cheering was so powerful. It’s a match I could watch over and over a thousand times and still never get tired of. I’m incredibly proud of them both for that match.”

Bulldog’s daughter Georgia also commented on Bulldog’s pending induction.

“My family and I have been waiting years for this. This is like a missing puzzle piece for my dad’s wrestling legacy. I’m so proud, excited, and the happiest person in the world that my dad, the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith is a WWE Hall of Famer.”

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