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Batista Says Pro Wrestling Retirements Have Zero Credibility

Rayan Sayyed
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Batista was asked on Twitter by a fan if he was the “Hall of Fame talent” that Paul Wight aka Big Show teased will get hired at AEW Revolution. The fan also highlighted the fact that Wight erroneously called the event “Evolution” and wondered if it really was just an error or a reference to the faction Batista was part of in WWE. He has stated that his decision to leave wrestling was permanent and that he has no intentions of coming back to wrestling. Batista quipped in response to the question how the word “retirement” has no meaning in pro wrestling as supposedly “retired” wrestlers come back for a match all the time.

Writing on Twitter, Batista said, “They’re going to have to come up with another word thats (sic) used specifically for professional wrestlers who actually mean it when they say they’re retired. Currently the word “retired” has zero credibility by professional wrestling standards.”

Names such as Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley among other legends have all supposedly “retired” from in-ring action only to return later, with the exception of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who has stayed true to his word. Batista was poking fun at the fact that even though he has made clear he’s retired for good, he still gets asked questions about his return. And therefore, according to him, a new term needs to be invented to let fans know that a wrestler really is retired this time.

Batista officially retired after his No Holds Barred Match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35. “Thank you for letting me entertain you,” Bautista said on his retirement. “I love this business and whether you cheered me or jeered me, I’m grateful for being a small part of your life.

“I am officially retired from sports entertainment and I am grateful for every second of my amazing journey.”

Shaq Match On AEW Dynamite Draws 1.3 Million Viewers

Rayan Sayyed
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0

Shaq appeared on AEW Dynamite this past Wednesday to finally have his first match teaming up with Jade Cargill against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet, after several promos and hype. The tag team match showed the drawing power of the NBA legend as the match was able to bring in a massive amount of viewers with 1.3 million.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer revealed the numbers saying that the Shaq match rised to a viewership of 1.3 million viewers. He reported, “…the Shaq match peaked at 1.3 million viewers. Highest opposed number since 2019.”

Overall, the show drew in 934,000 viewers and achieved a 0.33 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic. The number is down from last week, however. The match was hyped by Shaq on NBA before his in-ring debut. Also, the reason why the match took place on Dynamite and not on Revolution is because NBA is holding the All-Star Game on the same night as the PPV and Shaq will be covering the NBA game.

Read more: Shaq Wins AEW Debut Match, Goes Through Table

Shaq’s first appearance on Dynamite was back on the December 9, 2020 episode of Dynamite where he did an interview with Brandi Rhodes. The show did 995,000 viewers, with Shaq’s segment drawing 1.2 million viewers. The quarter featuring Shaq averaged 1,063,000 viewers and 618,000 viewers in 18-49 demographic.

Shaw has said in recent years that he wanted to wrestle Cody and he has achieved that. It is likely like we will see Shaw again to take revenge on Cody for sending him crashing through two tables during the match.

Cody Rhodes for now will be working AEW Revolution this weekend in a ladder match. You can check out the full card of the event below.

AEW Revolution Card

  • AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Ryo Mizunami
  • AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho and MJF)
  • Team Taz (Brian Cage and Ricky Starks) vs. Darby Allin and Sting in a Street Fight
  • Adam Page vs. Matt Hardy in a “Big Money Match”
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Lance Archer vs. Max Caster vs. TBA in a Face of the Revolution Ladder Match for a future AEW TNT Championship match
  • Miro and Kip Sabian vs. Best Friends (Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor)
  • Bear Country vs. Silver & Reynolds vs. Evil Uno & Stu Grayson vs. Santana & Ortiz vs. The Butcher & The Blade vs. Private Party vs. Top Flight in a Casino Tag Team Royale for a AEW World Tag Team Championship match
  • Riho and Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Rebel on the pre-show

Kenny Omega Details Rules For Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch At Revolution

Rayan Sayyed
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Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley is the most talked-about match in the wrestling world as of now and for good reason — it is one of the biggest and most hyped-up matches on AEW Revolution’s card. The barbed wire deathmatch is an exciting stipulation for hardcore fans and casual fans alike, with the fact that it also contains explosives that can be triggered which make a dangerous and thrilling setting for a match. Fans are curious as to what we can expect from the hardcore match and Omega has detailed some rules and provided us a closer look on how the match will work.

Kenny Omega posted a hand-drawn guide on his Twitter which reveals details on how the match will work and why fans should be excited. The drawing shows that 3 sides of the ring will be wrapped in barbed wire. According to Omega, if contact is made with the wire, then explosives will be triggered on the corresponding side. There are also three zones on the floor dubbed the “Triple Hell” which are also wired with explosives. All the explosives also have a time limit, as they will automatically trigger after 30 minutes. So even if contact is not made with the traps, it’s all going to detonate, anyway.

Here are all the details of the match as per Kenny Omega:

THE RULES:

-3 sides of the ring ropes wrapped in barbed wire.

-contact with barbed wire triggers explosives on corresponding side.

-‘Triple Hell’ (3 zones on the floor wired to explosives)

-30 minute countdown timer until all explosives in and around the ring detonate.

Kenny Omega also clarified that the reason why the diagram shows all 4 sides of the ring ropes wrapped in barbed wire but the description says only 3, is because he’s being made to keep a side clear in case of an emergency.

Speaking on what to expect from the match, Kenny Omega said, “The idea itself is incredible. You touch the ropes and they explode. This is a match that was made famous about 30 years ago in FMW. It’s not like a cage match where you have a pretty good idea about what you’ll see. With this, there are going to be so many unexpected parts.”

“This is my opportunity to show to a much broader audience that I can show a different side to my work, do these skits, which the people who watched Being the Elite already knew, and accomplish a whole new set of goals.”

WWE SmackDown Results (3/5): Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso, Title Match Set For Fastlane

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. Daniel Bryan faced Jey Uso inside a steel cage tonight. If Bryan won the match, he would face Roman Reigns at WWE Fastlane for the Universal Championship.

SmackDown Results (3/5)

  1. King Corbin def. Montez Ford
  2. Angelo Dawkins def. Sami Zayn
  3. Dominik def. Chad Gable
  4. Bianca Belair def. Shayna Baszler
  5. Cesaro def. Murphy
  6. Daniel Bryan def. Jey Uso to earn a shot at the Universal Championship at Fastlane

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Roman Reigns Interrupted Daniel Bryan

Michael Cole kicked off SmackDown and introduced Daniel Bryan. Cole noted that Bryan will face Jey Uso in a Steel Cage match tonight and will earn a Universal Championship match at Fastlane. Cole said that they were going to have a tag team match at Fastlane with Bryan teaming with Edge against Jey and Reigns.

Bryan stated that nobody ever asked him if he wanted to take part in the tag team match because everybody believes he will do what is asked of him. Daniel knows Edge versus Reigns is a dream match but is going to do his best to make sure that it does not happen. Bryan then told Cole he can take it from here and rolled a video package from Elimination Chamber.

Daniel said he has lost and gotten beat up a lot in his career but felt like such a failure when Edge Speared Reigns and pointed at the WrestleMania sign. Bryan claimed he doesn’t have a lot of ambition because he got one of the lowest scores on a WWE personality test. He stated that for the last year he has had it in his mind that he was going to become a full-time dad in the future.

Bryan added that he put himself on the back burner for the past year and realized he has a lot more ambition than he thought. Daniel shouted that he deserves to be in the main event and has wrestled more matches in the past three weeks than Edge & Reigns have in the past three months. Daniel said that this could be his last chance to main event WrestleMania so he has to beat Jey tonight and then defeat Reigns at Fastlane.

Universal Champion Roman Reigns interrupted with Jey Uso and Paul Heyman. Reigns raised the Universal Championship as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Reigns was in the ring with Bryan. Roman told Bryan that he doesn’t sound like the same guy and is confusing their audience.

Reigns told Bryan that he is an underdog, a little guy, a lotto winner, a guy who waits on an opportunity and sometimes it works out. Roman added that Bryan doesn’t love wrestling, he needs it because he has nothing else. Reigns said he loves this business and does it because everybody needs him, including Bryan. Roman claimed that Bryan will know in his heart that he needs him and will acknowledge him after Jey whoops his ass tonight.

Jey ripped the microphone away from Bryan and said that this as close as Daniel will get to the Universal Championship. Uso added that Bryan’s Road to WrestleMania ends tonight and went for a cheap shot but Daniel was ready. Daniel sent Jey out of the ring to end the segment.

King Corbin Didn’t Want To Team With Sami Zayn

Street Profits came to the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Sami Zayn said their victory over himself and Corbin was a fluke and they will prove it tonight. King Corbin interrupted and said he doesn’t like Sami and wants a singles match. Ford then faced Corbin and Dawkins battled Sami after.

Montez Ford hit King Corbin with a Dropkick but he shrugged it off and connected with a Spinebuster for a two count. Ford applied a Sleeper Hold but Corbin broke free. Montez sent Corbin to the corner and connected with a Splash. Ford followed it up with a DDT and then a Standing Moonsault for a two count. Ford got distracted by Zayn and Corbin capitalized with the End of Days for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Sami told Corbin that he helped him and asked him to return the favor. Dawkins knocked Zayn off the apron and onto Corbin. The two superstars started arguing again and Corbin made his way backstage as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Dawkins was in control and leveled Sami with a shoulder tackle. Angelo followed it up with a Dropkick and went for the cover but Sami was able to kick out at two. Zayn connected with a Clothesline but Dawkins kicked out at two.

Sami started complaining about the how long it took the referee and Dawkins capitalized with a Neckbreaker for a tow count. Sami went for the Blue Thunder Bomb but Dawkins escaped. Sami slammed Dawkins against the turnbuckle with an Exploder Suplex and set up for the Helluva Kick.

Montez distracted Sami and Dawkins rolled him up for the pinfall victory. After the match, Sami Zayn claimed one of the documentary filmmakers was in on it and beat him down against the barricade.

Dominik def. Chad Gable

Dominik faced Chad Gable tonight on SmackDown. Rey Mysterio and Chad Gable were ringside for the match. Dominik sent Gable out of the ring to start off the action and then planted him with an Arm Drag. Gable battled back and slammed Dominik’s knee into the canvas.

Dominik went for a Tornado DDT but Gable blocked it. Gable connected with a Tiger Suplex and bridged into the cover but Dominik kicked out at two. Dominik then rolled up Gable for the pinfall victory.

Seth Rollins Rejected Murphy’s Offer

Kayla Braxton interviewed Seth Rollins backstage tonight. Kayla pointed out that it seemed like Cesaro had Rollins in the Swing forever last week. Rollins agreed and said that Cesaro wanted to humiliate him. Seth vowed to never forget that and then Buddy Murphy showed up. Murphy said that he can assist Rollins with the Cesaro situation but Seth told him to get out of his sight.

Bianca Belair def. Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler faced Bianca Belair tonight. Sasha Banks and Nia Jax were ringside for the match. Jax and Baszler will defend their Women’s Tag Team Championships against Belair and Banks at WWE Fastlane. Carmella fired Reginald tonight because she thought he was obsessed with Sasha Banks. Reginald then followed Sasha to the ring tonight.

Baszler dominated the action early and connected with a kick to Belair’s shoulder. Shayna followed it up with a running knee to the injured arm for a two count. Belair battled back and connected with a Body Slam before sending Shayna to the corner.

Bianca followed it up with a Suplex and a Back Body Drop. Shayna sent Bianca out of the ring and towards Reginald. Belair shoved Reginald to the floor and ran into a kick from Baszler in the ring. Nia tried to Clothesline Reginald but he ducked and she hit Banks with a Clothesline. Shayna went for the Kirifuda Clutch but Belair escaped and hit the KOD for the pinfall victory. Sasha slapped Reginald and told him to stay out of her business. Reginald later tried to talk to Sasha Banks but she shut the door in his face. Nia Jax then showed up and said that Reginald was kind of cute.

Cesaro def. Murphy

Cesaro squared off against Murphy tonight. Seth Rollins joined commentary for the match. Cesaro hit a Backbreaker for a near fall as Rollins argued with Cole. Murphy sent Cesaro out of the ring and flipped onto him. Murphy connected with a Meteora for a two count. Cesaro got Murphy in the Swing and applied the Sharpshooter for the submission victory.

Apollo Crews Demanded A Rematch

Apollo Crews came down to the ring with the “Nigerian Elite Guard” and said they have protected his family for generations. Crews said his dad would tell him stories of fearless Nigerian warriors and now history is repeating itself. Apollo added that when Big E tried to humble him he heard his ancestors telling him to stand up for himself. Crews said he wanted a rematch against Big E for the Intercontinental Championship.

Daniel Bryan Earned A Universal Championship Match At Fastlane

Corey Graves explained the rules of a Steel Cage match to fill time before the main event. Daniel Bryan then faced Jey Uso inside the cage. If Bryan won the match, he would earn a shot at the Universal Championship at Fastlane. Universal Champion Roman Reigns told Jey not to embarass the family and took a seat ringside before the match.

Jey Uso dominated the match early and tried to leave the cage through the door but Bryan stopped him. Bryan hit a Dropkick and launched Jey into the steel cage. Bryan went to work on Jey’s left arm and drove it into the steel again. Bryan tried to escape the cage but Jey tripped him up on the turnbuckle. Uso stomped away on Bryan’s injured knee and climbed to the top of the cage. Daniel caught up to him but Jey hit a Samoan Drop off the top rope as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Bryan and Jey were battling on the top of the cage again. Bryan booted Jey in the chest several times but Uso responded with a Superkick. Bryan fell to the canvas and Jey connected with a Splash for a near fall.

Jey tried to crawl out of the cage but Bryan stopped him. Jey connected with an Enziguri and followed it up with a Superkick for a two count. Uso tried to climb out of the cage but Bryan stopped him and connected with a few headbutts. Bryan brought Jey down to the canvas and applied the Yes Lock. Jey grabbed the ropes but there is no rope break in a Cage match. Jey tapped out and Bryan earned a Universal Championship match against Reigns at Fastlane.

Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns Set For WWE Fastlane

Andrew Ravens
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Daniel Bryan will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Title at the upcoming Fastlane pay-per-view event. 

Last week’s episode of SmackDown saw Bryan do an opening segment with Reigns, which led to Bryan wanting a rematch against Reigns. However, a singles match between Bryan and Jey Uso was booked later in the night with both of them getting counted out. 

Last Saturday’s Talking Smack featured a segment with Paul Heyman and Bryan in which set up a Steel Cage Match between Bryan and Jey on this week’s episode of SmackDown. 

The stipulation along with the match was if Bryan won then he would get a title match with Reigns at Fastlane. However, if he lost then Bryan had to acknowledge Reigns as the Tribal Chief as well as say that Reigns is the very best wrestler on the face of the planet.

Bryan won the Steel Cage Match and will now be in the Universal Title match against “The Big Dog” at the Fastlane pay-per-view event on Sunday, March 21, 2021 from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida that will air on the WWE Network.

The match served as the main event of SmackDown with Reigns and Heyman watching on from ringside. Bryan won with the Yes Lock. 

AEW Revolution Betting Odds

Andrew Ravens
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The betting odds for most of the matches that will take place at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event have been released.

The card for the show that takes place on Sunday (March 7, 2021) in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place appears to have been finalized.

Cody Rhodes is favored to win the Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match while the rest of the wrestlers are priced at the same +275. Kenny Omega is favored to retain the AEW World Title at -350 while Moxley is listed as +325.

Make sure to join us on Sunday for match recaps, and our takeaways from this latest pay-per-view event held by AEW. 

Revolution Betting Odds

The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds: 

  • AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega (-350) vs. Jon Moxley (+325) – Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch
  • Sting and Darby Allin (450) vs. Brian Cage and Ricky Starks (+275) – Street Fight
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (-250) vs. MJF and Chris Jericho (+175) 
  • Matt Hardy (-350 ) vs. Adam Page (+225) – the winner receives the loser’s first-quarter 2021 earnings
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Lance Archer vs.. Max Caster vs. TBA – Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match (winner gets shot at Darby Allin’s TNT Title): Cody +175, The Field -250
  • Miro & Kip Sabian (+120) vs. Orange Cassidy & Chuck Taylor (-160)

WWE Has New Doctrine To Scale Back On Signing Older Wrestlers

Andrew Ravens
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WWE recently went on a talent signing spree for the NXT brand by signing independent wrestlers and athletes to contracts. 

However, one of the big issues with WWE’s roster is there are a number of wrestlers who are hovering around 40 years if not older. Fans have a problem with the older wrestlers getting more TV time than the younger stars, which means there are even more limited spots for the younger guard to get over, and thus, they don’t get pushes so down the line they can replace the aging talent. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE is very aware of the aging aspect of their main and developmental roster. As a result, a doctrine has been laid out that states that they want to limit developmental signings to people under the age of 30.

However, there will be exceptions made for someone who is really good or has potential. This news comes after WWE recently signed former Impact Wrestling stars Taya Valkyrie and LA Knight (formerly known as Eli Drake), who are both in their late 30s.

It will be interesting to see which talent who are older get signed or doesn’t just because of their age. 

WWE Issues Notice Advising Wrestlers To Stop ‘Thigh Slapping’

Andrew Ravens
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WWE issued a new notice to wrestlers and wants them to stop doing “thigh slaps” when throwing kicks.

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there was a story going around about WWE fining wrestlers for doing this. The story goes onto state that WWE officials have sent a memo to NXT stars about doing the “thigh slaps” and no one has said a word about it since.

Fightful select reports that they were told that a sign was up at WWE events with big, bold letters that said “NO THIGH SLAPPING.” The memo was sent out to talent in February.

It dates back to the 50s when Mr. Wrestling II would do a back slap on his opponents when he would hit a knee lift. Many wrestlers have been known to slap their leg or opponents back.

Meltzer pointed out how Chris Adams did the thigh slap superkick when he came to the United States from the UK. Even WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, who is one of the key people in NXT, grew up watching Adams.

Doing “thigh slaps” or “leg slaps” in pro wrestling has received criticism on social media fans. In fact, Randy Orton tweeted about it and had words with Tommaso Ciampa over it after NXT Takeover: In Your House.

Rumored Card For WWE WrestleMania 37

Michael Reichlin
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WWE WrestleMania 37 is still over a month away, but the company is finally starting to firm up the card.

As of this writing, two matches are confirmed for WWE’s biggest show of the year. The Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble winners have selected their opponents:

  • Edge (Royal Rumble Winner) vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns
  • Bianca Belair (Royal Rumble Winner) vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks

WrestleMania 37 Card: Rumored Matches

As for the rest of the lineup, the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter details what else fans can expect for WrestleMania:

  • WWE Champion Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Randy Orton vs. The Fiend
  • Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair
  • Intercontinental Champion Big E vs. Apollo Crews
  • The Miz & John Morrison vs. Damien Priest & Bad Bunny
  • United States Champion Riddle vs. Mustafa Ali
  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Naomi & Lana
  • Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon
  • Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler vs. Street Profits

WWE WrestleMania 37 takes place over two nights: Saturday, April 9th and Sunday April 10th. The shows will emanate from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. The event airs live exclusively on the Peacock streaming service.

Jey Uso Provides An Update On Jimmy’s Return To WWE

Michael Reichlin
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WWE Superstar Jey Uso says his brother Jimmy is well on the road to recovery and expects him to be back in action soon.

Jimmy Uso has been out of action since last year’s WrestleMania pay-per-view. He tore his ACL while jumping off a ladder during the Triple Threat Ladder Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. During an interview with SportsKeeda this week, Jey Uso addressed Jimmy’s condition.

When asked about the difference between wrestling as a singles competitor vs. being in a tag team, Jey said, “The only difference is my brother is not holding that rope. He’s not in my corner, you know, but in due time, Uce, Uso Penitentiary will be opening soon. Hey, Uce, you just gotta keep your head on a swivel. He gonna be there, you know what I’m saying? It’s not paranoia, it’s The Usos.”

It is certainly encouraging to hear that Jimmy Uso is still on track to return ‘soon.’

Jey Uso will compete against Daniel Bryan in a steel cage at tonight’s WWE SmackDown.

Matt Cardona On The Time Undertaker Confronted Him Backstage

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling’s Matt Cardona recently told a story of a time in WWE when he was dressed down by the Undertaker backstage. Cardona had been on his phone during a show, something Taker was not pleased about. He detailed the story during an interview with Metro UK.

“I once got in trouble by The Undertaker for being on my cell phone backstage at a show whereas now, it’s encouraged to be on your phone – tweet, post, I don’t even know all the apps you can do!”

“That’s just evolution and that’s how it should be. And you know, The Undertaker was right back then – I should have been watching the match, I should have been focused. It’s crazy how times change!’”

Cardona would continue to say that Taker is someone who was always giving back to the business.

“I even wrestled The Undertaker one-on-one and I remember he was asking me what I wanted to do and then afterwards sat down with me to give me pointers and what I could have done different, what I did good.”

“Undertaker is somebody who’s always looking to give back to the business. All these years later, we’re still talking about The Undertaker, he’s still going. I respect the hell out of The Undertaker. You’ve gotta listen to what he has to say.”

AEW Signs ‘Captain’ Shawn Dean, Tony Khan Comments

Michael Reichlin
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Shawn Dean is All Elite. AEW announced his signing Friday afternoon.

Dean been a regular on AEW Dark since the early 2020. He’s been teaming with Carlie Bravo in recent weeks as part of the The Infantry tag team.

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The Infantry: Shawn Dean and Carlie Bravo (Photo: AEW)

AEW President Tony Khan thanked Dean on his US military service and the hard work he’s shown in AEW thus far.

“Thank you for your service to the USA, @ShawnDean773, + thank you for everything you’ve done for @AEW to help us thrive through the pandemic,” Khan wrote. “Your consistent hard work, positivity + reliability have made you so valuable to #AEW; now it’s my honor to officially welcome you aboard!”

Shawn Dean On Signing with AEW

Shawn Dean replied to Tony Khan and expressed gratitude for his wrestling journey.

“Wow….just Wow…..this has been a journey …hard work… dedication…against all adversity I stayed the course and it has led to this….dreams work with hard work!!!
@TonyKhan and MY entire @AEW family thank you …thank you ….#Salute and….#ImWithAEW”

Congratulations to Shawn Dean.

Jon Moxley Explains Why He & Kenny Omega Are The Best In The World

Michael Reichlin
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Jon Moxley challenges AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in an exploding barbwire death match this Sunday at AEW Revolution.

Moxley spoke to Steven Muehlhaisen for DAZN this week about his chemistry with Omega, the high stakes of Sunday’s match and more.

Many people regard him and Omega as two of the best pro wrestlers in the world. Moxley said he agrees with that sentiment, but wrestling is not exactly like pro sports, where one championship game (or series) determines the best in the world.

“In wrestling, that’s not necessarily the case. It’s different,” said Moxley. “You can be one of the best. The most important thing is how do you say who’s better: Shawn Michaels or Ric Flair? You can’t pick. If your favorite wrestler growing up when you were a kid was Big Van Vader or Ahmed Johnson, then they’re the best wrestler in the world to you. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who drew more money or who had people think had better matches. The most important thing is you just got to be the best you.”

Jon Moxley & Kenny Omega

Moxley said that he and Kenny Omega are being the best versions of themselves in AEW. They’re not being held back. They’re not being overproduced. AEW allows them to ply their craft and executive their visions.

“You’re getting the best version of Kenny Omega, the best version of Jon Moxley on a weekly basis on Dynamit,” he continued..” I don’t think anybody’s doing it at a higher level than me and Kenny are right now. We’re both in our prime, both at our peak, both just really hitting on all cylinders.

We’re in a position with AEW where we just get to go out there, be given the ball, and get a chance to score touchdowns on a weekly basis. Nobody’s doing it at a higher level than us two right now.”

Visit DAZN to check out the rest of the interview.

WWE SmackDown Preview (3/5): Bryan vs. Uso Steel Cage Match

Michael Reichlin
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0

WWE returns to the ThunderDome tonight for an all-new episode of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. The show will be headlined by a Steel Cage match. We’ll also see 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair in action.

The following items are scheduled for tonight’s WWE SmackDown from St. Petersberg, FL:

  • Daniel Bryan will face Jey Uso in a Steel Cage match. If Daniel Bryan wins, he earns the right to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at Fastlane.
  • Bianca Belair vs. Shayna Baszler
  • Fallout from last week’s show and continued hype for Fastlane.

Join us here later tonight for our WWE SmackDown Results & Takeaways feature.

CM Punk Addresses Rumors Of AEW’s “Big Surprise”

Chris Stephens
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CM Punk made it clear on Twitter recently that he is not the big surprise promised for AEW Revolution. He took part in a Q&A with fans and noted that he feels AEW needs to focus more on the stars already on their roster rather than new signings.

Punk doesn’t feel AEW was trying to tease he was the surprise, however.

Punk was asked about having never been in the final match at WrestleMania, something that at one point was his dream. He noted that this is no longer something that bothers him.

“No. It’s a trap I fell into. Doesn’t mean sh**,” Punk Tweeted.

The noted hockey fan also lobbied for a return of the Quebec Nordiques.

When asked, Punk picked the Midnight Express over the Rock N Roll Express.

Punk also chose the Mandalorian over Wandavision.

Punk also threw out some congrats to the new WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley.

Punk also says he’s been in a submarine before. That seemed notable for some reason.

Cody Rhodes addressed AEW’s previous negotiations with Punk in an interview last year.

“As far as the CM Punk negotiations go, everyone heard the famous ‘he got a text from us’. Yeah, of course there were negotiations and he did ask for a great amount of money and Punk is worth a great deal of money.”

Women’s Tag Title Match Signed For WWE Fastlane (3/21)

Michael Reichlin
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0

WWE has announced the first match for Fastlane, the final pay-per-view on the road to WrestleMania 37.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and 2021 Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair are getting another shot at the Women’s Tag Team Championships. The WrestleMania opponents will team up against Jax and Shayna Bazsler in a rematch from Elimination Chamber.

Visit WWE.com to check out their detailed preview for this match.

Fastlane takes place Sunday, March 21st. The event is less than three weeks away, so expect WWE to announce more matches very soon.

This will be the first WWE pay-per-view available on the Peacock streaming network. The show will also be available on the WWE Network, as WWE makes the transition to Peacock.

Matt Hardy On Reinventing His Character During The Pandemic

Chris Stephens
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Matt Hardy made his AEW debut during the first edition of Dynamite taped without a live audience. Since that time, Hardy has started performing more under his “Big Money Matt” persona rather than his “Broken” one. He spoke to the Asbury Park Press about how the pandemic forced him to reinvent himself yet again.

“Broken Matt Hardy is a very audience-friendly character,” Hardy said. “It needs a crowd, it needs an audience, and it just was not in the cards to be Broken Matt Hardy … because his debut was in the first-ever empty arena era, pandemic-era show, the first empty arena show that AEW had.”

“Broken Matt Hardy is … very theatrical, and it doesn’t translate as well to the current AEW audience that sits at home and watches (on television) because I’ve realized that this is a much younger audience. It’s a much more sports-centric-type audience.”

Hardy then praised Tony Khan for giving him the creative freedom to switch characters.

“I tip my hat to (AEW president and CEO) Tony Khan. He allowed me to try kind of switching characters and see how people reacted to it,” Hardy continued. “I think if we had been in arenas full of people it would have been different.

“But considering we’re now playing to the television audience, it was better for me to zone in and focus on one thing.”

Hardy would continue to say being a heel is the best option for him currently. He will face Hangman Page at Revolution. A stipulation was added to the bout that the winning wrestler is given the losing wrestler’s pay for the first quarter of 2021.

Chris Jericho Says WWE Insulted Sting & Paul Wight

Chris Stephens
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Chris Jericho believes that wrestling legends are treated with more respect in AEW than they are WWE. The former AEW World Champion spoke to Digital Spy about how Sting and “Big Show” Paul Wight were treated in their final runs with WWE.

“These are guys that were kind of almost insulted in their WWE runs,” Jericho said. “[Sting and Wight were] definitely not treated with too much respect over the last few years.”

Jericho continued to say that WWE often treats legends as something of a joke. He listed off a series of examples which included himself.

“We treat our legends with respect,” Jericho continued. “We don’t make jokes out of them and WWE is notorious for that, whether it’s Sting, Paul Wight, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Jake Roberts, Dustin Rhodes, throw in Chris Jericho.”

Jericho continued to say AEW knows how to treat legends with respect.

“We know how to treat our legendary performers with respect and make them all look great and make them all worthy of being in AEW because if they aren’t worthy of being in AEW why would they be there?”

Chris Jericho On Paul Wight’s Value To AEW

Jericho would continue to say that Wight has more value than simply being a legend, however. He’s someone who can help mentor some of AEW’s larger guys as well.

“I also know that he’s a great mentor for some of our bigger guys that we have, Lance Archer and Luchasaurus, those types of guys,” Jericho continued. “Most importantly I know how dangerous a motivated Big Show can be.”

Jericho will team with MJF to challenge the Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Revolution. On Dynamite this week, Jericho spoke about his multiple tag-team title wins. These include a run with Big Show as Jeri-Show. Wight and Jericho are 2x tag-team champions in WWE and won the Slammy Award for Best WWE tag-team in 2009.

Deonna Purrazzo On Wanting To Work With Women in WWE & AEW

Michael Reichlin
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Deonna Purrazzo recently appeared on the Women’s Wrestling Talk podcast.

The reigning Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion spoke about Impact’s women’s division and wanting to work with several competitors in WWE and AEW. Video of the full episode can be found below.

Purrazzo touted the depth of Impact’s knockouts division. “There are so many of those matches with Impact and our roster right now,” she said. “The first person that comes to mind is Tasha Steelz just because we’ve traveled together, trained together, and I just think it’s come full circle for us to be in the same company at the same time. So, first and foremost, it’s always Tasha.”

She also named Kiera Hogan, Naveah and Tenille Dashwood as standouts.

Deonna Purrazzo on WWE’s Four Horsewomen

Purrazzo spoke of a women’s dream match featuring herself, Britt Baker, Chelsea Green and Karen Q vs. WWE’s Four Horsewomen.

“I feel like it’s a cliche answer, but I also feel like each of us individually have like a dream match with these people. So, I feel like us four versus the Four Horsewomen – Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Becky [Lynch] – those four. I think we each would like to wrestle one day or if that opportunity presented itself, it would be a dream match for us. So I’m gonna go with that, whether that’s cliche or not.”

Impact & AEW

Finally, Impact Wrestling’s partnership with AEW opens up the possibility for several inter-promotional matches. Purrazzo has been vocal about wanting to wrestle AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida. She’d also like to work with her best friend, Dr. Brit Baker, in some capacity.

“I’ve not been shy about wanting to have champion vs. champion against Hikaru Shida. I would absolutely love that. I think she’s absolutely phenomenal. She’s kind of been just this strong champion and fixture of their women’s division in AEW. I would absolutely love that if we’re going to do crossover with women. Obviously, Britt Baker is my best friend, so I don’t want to wrestle her, but I’d love to tag with her.”

Check out the full episode embedded below:

The Rock Praises Bobby Lashley & The Hurt Business

Chris Stephens
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Bobby Lashley is the new WWE Champion and by his side are his stablemates from the Hurt Business. Recently, Lashley, other members of the faction, and the Rock traded comments about representation in wrestling and Lashley’s latest career accomplishment.

The thread started when one Twitter user posted some art work that drew the attention of Lashley and the Rock.

One user on Twitter objected to the picture.

“Everything doesn’t always have to be a race thing. That’s kind of what we’re trying to steer away from and you’re doing the opposite,” this person said.

The Hurt Business’ MVP then responded.

“No. He’s not. That is a beautiful statement about representation and inspiration. It means something when your heros look like you,” MVP Tweeted in response.

This led to the Rock, who is featured in the art work, to comment as well. He praised the Hurt Business and said he was very proud of them.

The new WWE Champion then praised the Rock for paving the way.

“You and so many others paved the way for us to do what we do. Without The Great One, there might not be an All Mighty,” Lashley Tweeted.

The Rock then responded with the following:

Details On Next NXT Takeover During WrestleMania Week

Michael Reichlin
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The next NXT Takeover event is scheduled for the week of WrestleMania 37. This year’s WrestleMania will take place over two nights, April 10th and 11th.

If you are a WWE Network subscriber and attempt to cancel your membership, you’ll be prompted with the following screen (courtesy of HeelbyNature).

As seen below, WWE currently lists the next Takeover taking place on Thursday, April 8th:

There is some discussion that the next Takeover could be held over two nights. The first night would be a special Wednesday night episode of NXT on the USA Network and the second night would air the following evening on the WWE Network.

WrestleMania Week Schedule

WrestleMania week is always jam packed with WWE content and this year will be no exception. The following is a current look at the WWE events schedule:

  • Monday, April 5th: WWE Raw
  • Wednesday, April 7th: NXT on USA
  • Thursday, April 8th: NXT Takeover
  • Friday, April 9th: WWE SmackDown
  • Saturday, April 10th: WWE Wrestlemania 37 (Night 1)
  • Sunday, April 11th: WWE Wrestlemania 37 (Night 2)
  • Monday, April 12th: WWE Raw

Looking at this schedule, one has to wonder when WWE will find time to air the 2021 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Tuesday, April 6th is currently open. WWE could also air the HOF ceremony online, similar to the recent Slammy Awards.

Kenny Omega Hypes Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match At Revolution

Chris Stephens
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Kenny Omega will defend his AEW World Championship this Sunday at Revolution against former champion, Jon Moxley. This will not be a standard match as their one at Winter is Coming will be, however. Rather, this match will be contested under “Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match” rules. Omega recently spoke to SI.com and gave further details about the match.

“The idea itself is incredible,” Omega said. “You touch the ropes and they explode. This is a match that was made famous about 30 years ago in FMW. It’s not like a cage match where you have a pretty good idea about what you’ll see. With this, there are going to be so many unexpected parts.”

Omega continued to say that this match is partly about him expanding his repertoire as a performer.

“I’ve been hearing for over a year these expectations of what I was supposed to be in AEW. It was just a copy-and-paste of the ‘Tokyo Dome Kenny Omega,’ which would essentially have monopolized all of our programming. If that were the case, an hour would have to go to my matches. I believe too much in our roster and our vision to ever want to do something like that.”

“This is my opportunity to show to a much broader audience that I can show a different side to my work, do these skits, which the people who watched Being the Elite already knew, and accomplish a whole new set of goals.”

AEW Revolution will mark just the second time Omega has defended the belt since winning it in December. His first title defence was against Fenix on the first night of AEW’s New Year’s Smash.

Tony Khan Comments On “Huge Huge Star” Debuting At AEW Revolution

Michael Reichlin
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Paul Wight dropped a bombshell at Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. During his first appearance for AEW, Wight revealed that a ‘Hall of Fame’ worthy star will debut this Sunday at AEW Revolution.

AEW President Tony Khan appeared on this week’s AEW Unrestricted podcast and provided some new information about this signing. Khan said, “It’s true. There’s going to be a major star in the world of wrestling, a huge huge star, is going to sign a multi-year deal at the pay-per-view.”

You can listen to Tony Khan’s comments in the player embedded below:

Khan confirmed there will actually be two debuts at AEW Revolution: Paul Wight’s mystery man, as well as the 6th and final competitor in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match.

So, who is the “huge huge star” who has signed a multi-year contract with AEW? Khan’s “It’s true” remark has some fans guessing Kurt Angle. Other possibilities could include Christian, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk or Batista.

Batista Says It’s Not Him

Speaking of Batista, he denies that he’s signing with AEW. In response to a fan on Twitter, Batista reiterated that he is retired from pro wrestling.

So, just how “done” is Batista with pro wrestling? Back in 2019, Batista told Chris Van Vliet that he would go broke before wrestling another match.

”This is a real wrestling retirement. I am done. My in-ring career is over… I will not have another wrestling match. I will go broke before I have another wrestling match, and I will not go and wrestle for another promotion. It’s not going to happen.”

CM Punk: It Isn’t Me Either

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk is also urging fans to not get their hopes about him being the AEW signee. Punk held a Twitter Q&A on Thursday afternoon told people flat out – “no, it’s not me.’

MLW Fusion (3/3) Results: Jacob Fatu Defends Against Jordan Oliver

Chris Stephens
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Major League Wrestling presented Fusion last night. Two title matches took place on the show as Jacob Fatu defended against Jordan Oliver and Los Parks faced Simon Gotch and Daivari.

The full show can be viewed in the player below.

MLW Fusion 3/3 Quick Results:

  1. MLW Tag Team Championships
    Los Parks (c) defeated Contra Unit (Daivari & Simon Gotch)
  2. Mike Parrow defeated Jason Dugan
  3. Calvin Tankman defeated Laredo Kid
  4. MLW World Championship
    Jacob Fatu (c) defeated Jordan Oliver

Jacob Fatu Retains MLW World Championship

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1367278622558412801

The Contra Unit and Injustice rivalry had its biggest match to date this week when Jordan Oliver challenged Jacob Fatu for the MLW World Championship. Fatu picked up the win after a Samoan Drop followed by his patented top-rope moonsault. After the match, the members of Contra Unit continued the attack on both Reed and Oliver. Members of the Sentai Death Squad ran in with body bags to place the Injustice members in.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1367279122548879361

The big heavyweight Calvin Tankman would make the save, however. He both protected Injustice from a further beatdown and puts himself in the conversation for a future title shot against Fatu.

Injustice Prevent Contra Unit From Winning Tag Team Gold

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1367267294464929797

Simon Gotch and Daivari of Contra Unit received a tag-team title match against Los Parks this week. Los Parks attempted their normal routine of bringing in a fresh member of the family from under the ring to enter the match illegally. The referee thwarted this attempt, however. While the referee was distracted, Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed of Injustice interfered and allowed LA Park to hit a spear on Daivari for the win.

Parrow Wants To Be The Most Dominant Heavyweight In MLW

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1367269307797880832

Before Mike Parrow hit the ring for his match against Jason Dugan this week, clips of an interview with him were shown. Parrow said he wants to be the most dominant heavyweight in the promotion. He made quick work of Dugan, pinning him after delivering his patented “Murder Bomb.” After the match, Parrow cut a promo on Azteca Underground’s Mil Muertes, setting up a future heavyweight clash.

Calvin Tankman Defeats Laredo Kid

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1367272830950281216

Mike Parrow wasn’t the only heavyweight to leave a mark on this episode of MLW Fusion. Calvin Tankman picked up a win over Laredo Kid. It took awhile for Tankman to wear down his opponent enough to deliver a Tankman Driver, but once he did, it was all over. After the match, Tankman said he wants the added money that comes with being MLW World Champion and called out Jacob Fatu.

Dynasty Alliance With Alicia Atout Brewing?

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1367273585988038659

There are people who believe the Dynasty’s Richard Holliday has developed a bit of a thing for Alicia Atout. The commentator and “Interview Queen” has been feuding with Salina de la Renta as of late and this week Salina said she wants Alexander Hammerstone’s National Openweight gold in her stable. She also referred to Holliday as Atout’s “boy toy.” Richard Holliday promised Atout that the Dynasty would handle the situation.

Top-5 Tag-Team Rankings Released

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1367422316129505282

MLW debuted a new format to its rankings. This week instead of top-10 singles rankings, MLW announced top-5 rankings for its tag-team division.

MLW Tag-Team Rankings:

MLW Tag Team Champions: Los Parks (Azteca Underground)

  1. The Von Erichs
  2. Contra Unit
  3. Violence is Forever (Team Filthy)
  4. Injustice
  5. The Dirty Blondes

Coming Up In MLW

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1367275347427745793

Next week:

  • National Openweight Championship
    Alexander Hammerstone (c) vs LA Park

In 2 weeks:

  • Mike Parrow vs Mil Muertes

NJPW Announces Wrestle Grand Slam Stadium Shows

Michael Reichlin
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New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced Wrestle Grand Slam featuring two stadium shows taking place in May.

NJPW Grand Slam will take place on May 15th at Yokohama Stadium and May 29th at the Tokyo Dome.

The events have several layers of significance for New Japan. The May 15th show will be the promotion’s first-ever show from Yokohama Stadium. March 29th will be their first show from the Tokyo Dome outside January in 16 years.

NJPW has yet to announce any matches for these special events, but is telling fans to “Stay tuned for details!”

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