Chris Jericho Reunites With WWE Star

Chris Jericho and Xavier Woods mentioned on their social media accounts that they had the chance to reunite while on an airplane.

Jericho noted on his official Instagram account that he was able to switch seats with someone in order for them to hang out together on the flight. You can see their posts here:

Jericho will headline Double or Nothing, which is the inaugural show promoted by AEW, against former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega in the headliner at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 25, 2019.

Randy Orton Reaches Milestone

Former WWE Champion Randy Orton has reached a milestone under the WWE banner as WWE’s Twitter account mentioned how today (April 25th) marks the 17th anniversary of “The Viper” making his main roster television debut.

Back in 2002, Orton made his debut on an episode of SmackDown when he beat Bob Holly in a singles match. Although this marked his TV debut, he actually wrestled Tommy Dreamer in a losing effort at the WrestleMania 18 Axxess event a few weeks earlier, which marked his main roster in-ring debut.

WWE posted this video from Orton’s debut on SmackDown:

Former WWE Champion Dean Ambrose has been moved to the Alumni section of WWE.com.

His profile on WWE’s official website recently was moved, which is an indication that he’s officially done with the company. It should also be noted that the profiles of the B-Team (Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas) were moved to SmackDown roster page.

Ambrose finished up his contract with the company this past Sunday night when he wrestled at The Shield: Final Chapter event that aired on the WWE Network from a live event at the Tax Slayer Center in Moline, Illinois.

For months now, it’s been known that Ambrose would be departing from the WWE at the end of April as he has decided not to sign a new contract with the company.

At this show, he teamed with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins to defeat Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin in a six-man tag team match that served as the headliner show.

Before this show, the group was in action together when they beat McIntyre, Corbin, and Lashley in a match at the Fastlane pay-per-view event. 

Ambrose’s last appearance on WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW, was on the April 8th episode where Lashley attacked him.

WWE’s ratings for RAW and Smackdown are both falling faster than the average decline for all of cable. According to the company’s 1st quarter earnings report (released today) RAW has decreased by 14% and Smackdown by 13%. By comparison, primetime viewership for top-25 cable networks only suffered a 5% decline since last year.

WWE Viewership Decline

WWE believes key talent absences are to blame for the falling ratings.

“Management believes that these (talent) absences continued to impact engagement in the first quarter 2019 as domestic TV ratings for Raw and SmackDown declined approximately 14% and 13%, respectively,” WWE’s earnings report reads. “Average attendance at the Company’s live events in North America declined 11%.”

Meanwhile, however, WWE’s engagement metrics for digital content has increased.

“WWE Network average paid subscribers increased 2% and digital video consumption increased 23%.”

WWE’s Declining Ratings

Despite the declining ratings, the company is in a healthy spot financially. They have diverse revenue streams and a new television contract set to begin in the fall.

Another issue the company is dealing with, however, is that viewership for RAW and Smackdown drop hour over hour as the show airs as well. Both episodes of RAW since WrestleMania saw a decline in ratings as the show aired.

• RAW Viewership Down Significantly From Last Year’s Post-WrestleMania Show

This week’s episode of RAW saw the following decline (courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily):

• 1st hour: 2.68 million
• 2nd hour: 2.296 million
• 3rd hour: 2.146 million

WWE believes the returning talent and new storylines will turn the ratings around.

“Looking to the future, management believes the Company’s engagement metrics will improve with the return of its talent, the emergence of new storylines and new Superstars, and as the Company launches a new season of WWE following a successful WrestleMania,” the earnings report continues.

• WWE Reports Q1 2019 Results, Vince McMahon Comments

WWE announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2019. The following are highlights of WWE’s performance. Click here to view full Press Release, with a more detailed breakdown.

Despite strong numbers, Wall Street was not pleased and WWE stock was down over 10% Thursday morning.

Below is WWE’s press release summarizing the results, including comments from WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon

First Quarter 2019 Highlights

• Revenues were $182.4 million as compared to $187.7 million in the prior year quarter
• Operating income reflected a loss of $6.8 million as compared to income of $21.8 million in the prior year quarter
• Adjusted OIBDA¹ of $12.4 million was within the range of guidance ($9 million to $14 million), and reflected an anticipated year-over-year decline primarily due to strategic investments
• WWE Network average paid subscribers² increased 2% to 1.58 million paid subscribers, consistent with the Company’s guidance
• Digital video views increased 15% to 7.7 billion; hours consumed increased 23% to 300 million hours across digital platforms; and social media followers increased 12% to over 1.0 billion³

Selected WrestleMania Highlights

• WrestleMania (April 7, 2019) broke the record for MetLife Stadium’s highest grossing entertainment event at $16.9 million, attracting a capacity crowd of 82,265 fans
• WWE Network subscribers viewed 23.2 million hours during WrestleMania week, which was roughly on par with the same week last year
• During WrestleMania week, 17.9 million hours were consumed on digital and social media platforms, up 29% from the prior year
• WWE Network’s total subscribers reached 2.0 million on April 8, 2019, the day after WrestleMania
• WrestleMania featured a historic, first-ever women’s main event starring Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch

STAMFORD, Conn., April 25, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2019.

“During the quarter, we continued to execute our strategy and achieved targeted financial results,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “While engagement metrics over the past two quarters were impacted by Superstar absences, we believe they will improve as our talent return and we launch our new season following a successful WrestleMania. We remain excited about the future, particularly with our debut on Fox in October.”

George Barrios, Co-President, added “In the quarter, we delivered Adjusted OIBDA within the range of our public guidance and continue to target full-year record revenue of approximately $1 billion and record Adjusted OIBDA of at least $200 million. Our primary focus is to deliver record results while investing in our key priorities: content creation, localization and digitization.”

First-Quarter Consolidated Results

Revenues were $182.4 million as compared to $187.7 million from the prior year quarter as the increased monetization of content as reflected in the Media segment was more than offset by a reduction in live event ticket revenue and lower merchandise sales.

Operating Income was a loss of $6.8 million as compared to income of $21.8 million in the prior year quarter, reflecting a decline in revenue and increased fixed costs, including strategic investments, as well as higher stock compensation costs driven by the increase in the Company’s stock price. The Company’s Operating income margin declined to (4%) from 12% in the prior year quarter.

Adjusted OIBDA (which excludes stock compensation) was $12.4 million as compared to $35.2 million. The results reflected an anticipated decline and were within the range of the Company’s guidance ($9 million to $14 million). The Company’s Adjusted OIBDA margin decreased to 7% from 19%.

Net Income reflected a loss of $8.4 million, or a loss of $0.11 per diluted share, as compared to net income of $14.8 million, or earnings of $0.18 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018. This decrease was primarily driven by the change in operating performance.

Effective Tax Rate was 26%, consistent with that of the prior year quarter.

Cash flows generated by operating activities reached $6.7 million as compared to $2.6 million in the prior year quarter as favorable changes in working capital more than offset lower operating performance.

Free Cash Flow demonstrated a $10.1 million use of cash as compared to a $1.8 million use of cash in the first quarter of 2018 as the change in operating cash flow was offset by a $12.4 million increase in capital expenditures primarily associated with the Company’s workspace plan.⁴

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $338 million as of March 31, 2019, and the Company estimates debt capacity under its revolving line of credit of approximately $100 million.

First-Quarter Key Operating Metrics

During the fourth quarter 2018 earnings call, WWE management discussed the absence of several talent and their belief that these absences had a negative impact on the Company’s engagement metrics. Management believes that these absences continued to impact engagement in the first quarter 2019 as domestic TV ratings for Raw and SmackDown declined approximately 14% and 13%, respectively, and average attendance at the Company’s live events in North America declined 11%. WWE Network average paid subscribers increased 2% and digital video consumption increased 23%. Looking to the future, management believes the Company’s engagement metrics will improve with the return of its talent, the emergence of new storylines and new Superstars, and as the Company launches a new season of WWE following a successful WrestleMania. Moreover, management remains excited about the debut of SmackDown Live on Fox in October. The debut will mark the first time WWE will be available live 52 weeks a year on a premier broadcast platform. In addition to absolute performance, management believes relative performance is critically important as it illuminates the value of WWE within the pay TV ecosystem. In the first quarter, when excluding NASCAR’s premier event, The Daytona 500, WWE delivered greater average viewership than any professional sports league other than the NFL.⁵

During the Hall Of Fame event that took place over WrestleMania weekend, Triple H would make several jokes at the expense of Degeneration-X stablemate, Billy Gunn, and his new company, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The two were inducted into the HOF as a part of DX, alongside Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Chyna.

Triple H would tease Gunn, thanking him for being “all in” in an obvious reference to AEW’s event of the same name. He went on to joke that “Vince will buy that pissant company just to fire you again.”

Speaking with 411 Wrestling Interviews Podcast, Billy Gunn discussed Triple H’s comments about his new employer AEW.

“I thought it was done very tastefully, so it was some good, funny stuff that was — yeah, you were right. It’s typical DX stuff. You shoot at something and then you try to knock it down. So yeah, it was good.”

He was asked if any of the AEW jabs were planned backstage prior to their speech. Gunn denied this, claiming that, although they had an initial plan, that quickly went out the window. Their entire HOF speech would then unfold live without any preparation.

“We had some stuff we were gonna go to…we had a couple of calls before the Hall of Fame just to kinda figure stuff out. But none of it came true. Because it doesn’t work like that for us. It never has worked like that for us. We’ve always just been, ‘Hey. You point us in the direction, we’re gonna go there. We have no idea what we’re gonna do,’” he said.

“So when you start planning stuff out, it takes away from what we are. Because I feel like that’s what a lot of things are doing right now, you’re planning a bunch of stuff out, so when something organic happens, you don’t react to it, because it’s not in the script. And we’ve never ever been ones to go by the script.”

Despite his appearance for WWE, Billy Gunn is currently signed to AEW where he is working as a producer for the company.

Thanks to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.

Former NXT UK Women’s champion, Rhea Ripley, issued an apology today for using a homophobic slur during a recent live Twitch stream.

Ripley sent the following message on Twitter and said the message was coming from Demi Bennett (her real name).

“I know a lot of you are upset with me after tonight, but I just wanted to publicly say that I am sorry. My brain to mouth filter came down for a second and I forgot that some words are a big no no to a lot of people. I am a firm believer that everyone should be treated equally, whether that be race or sexual orientation. With that said, I just wanted to say how dearly sorry I am to everyone that was offended by my choice of words tonight.”

Ripley was hurling a string of expletives when the slur was used. This was actually a theme of the show. Followers could donate to the stream and Ripley would insult them in response.

A user on Twitter posted a clip of her using the word:

Rhea Ripley in WWE

Ripley won the inaugural NXT UK Women’s Championship at NXT UK tapings last summer. After defending the belt twice she lost it to Toni Storm at Takeover: Blackpool in January. Ripley then dropped a subsequent rematch with Storm at the next set of tapings.

Since losing the title, however, Ripley has gone on something of a short winning streak. She defeated Xia Brookside in February and then defeated Kacy Catanzaro in a match which aired yesterday on WWE NXT UK.

• Rhea Ripley Gets Into A War Of Words With WWE Hall Of Famer

Free agent wrestler Joey Ryan has reportedly been drawing interest from WWE. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has been in contact with Ryan about possibly joining the company.

“(WWE) asked if he was willing to move to Orlando, wrestle a few years there and then move into a coaching position,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The report continues to say that no official offer was made, however. It was also said that Ryan would have accepted WWE’s offer if he was 10 years younger but at 39 taking a pay cut to start with WWE was not as appealing.

As of this writing, Ryan is still a free agent following his release from Lucha Underground last month.

• Joey Ryan Issues Statement Regarding His Free Agency

Joey Ryan to AEW?

Ryan has been a featured character on the Young Bucks’ “Being the Elite” YouTube series. He has not signed with AEW but continues to play a role in BTE storylines.

Ryan was also involved in a featured storyline heading into All In last fall. In BTE storyline, Ryan was left for dead by Hangman Page, resulting in the latter being investigated for the former’s murder during several episodes. Ryan then made a dramatic return at All In to confront Page.

As of late on BTE, a noticeably irritable Ryan is frequently being asked what happened to the girl he used to hang around? Ryan also has nobody around to prevent him from frequent beatings.

• AEW Signs Leva Bates, Private Party & Peter Avalon

Lio Rush is reported to have rubbed some the wrong way backstage in WWE. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rush is not shy about telling people backstage he feels he should be a top guy on RAW.

“There is internal heat on Lio Rush,” Dave Meltzer wrote. “The story goes that he’s made it very clear to many people that he thinks he should be a/the top guy on the brand, and hasn’t been shy about saying it.”

The report also says that Rush is very confident and this can irritate some of his colleagues.

Lio Rush in WWE

This isn’t the first time Rush’s name has come up in regards to having heat with his fellow WWE workers. Following WWE’s release of Tenille Dashwood (FKA Emma) in the fall of 2017, Rush took criticism for posting a Tweet considered insensitive to Dashwood’s release.

• Lio Rush “Apologizes” For Tweet About Emma’s Release

Peyton Royce, currently 1/2 of the WWE Women’s Tag champs, responded to Rush’s comment about Emma with the following Tweet:

Lio Rush on the Main Roster

Rush got called up to the main roster last summer. He’s competed on both 205 Live and RAW since then.

In the build-up to WrestleMania, he wrestled alongside Bobby Lashley in several handicap matches against Finn Balor. Rush hasn’t wrestled on 205 Live since February. His last match in the cruiserweight division was a #1 Contendership fatal 4-way match won by Akira Tozawa in February.

Luke Harper requesting his release from the WWE after his in-ring return during WrestleMania weekend made some headlines recently but latest reports suggest that he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Per the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has not only declined the request for his release but they have also added 6 months to his contract for the time he missed due to his wrist injury.

As we noted before, Harper’s contract was originally set to expire in November, and the added time means that he can’t leave the company until just before next year’s WrestleMania.

What’s interesting to note here is that while Luke Harper’s request was denied by the company, at the same time, Dustin ‘Goldust’ Runnels was granted his release without a hassle.

Runnels had also been out for months with double knee injuries, but he stayed silent about his position and denied the reports of him leaving when they came out.

It’s unknown if his contract was up or he had time left. Though the Officials could have still kept him engaged by freezing his contract for the time he was out.

However, they chose not to and as a result, Dustin was able to walk out of WWE and into a good position in AEW without much problem.

On the other hand, Harper went public with his request so it appears that
with his treatment, the company is trying to dissuade people from going public and saying they’re unhappy.

Luke Harper Requests WWE Release

Luke Harper issued the following statement on social media last week:

“As of this evening, I have requested a release from WWE. The past 6 years have been a simply, amazing journey around the world and back with lifelong friends and family. I am proud of it all and proud to say I shared the ring with my co workers.

This decision, as difficult as it was, feels right for myself and WWE. My goal in the future is to continue to grow as a performer and person and continue to make my family proud.

Thank you. From the top to the bottom of WWE. Thank you to the fans for your undying support. Thank you everyone.”

Sean Waltman recently made a bold prediction on his podcast, X-Pac 1, 2, 360. He revealed that he believes it’s only a matter of time until former WWE Superstar, CM Punk, returns to pro wrestling. Not only that, but it won’t be WWE that he returns to.

Instead, Walkman points to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as the most likely promotion that Punk will end up calling home.

“I promise you at some point, CM Punk will be back involved in wrestling”

– Sean Waltman

“I haven’t said it in a while because the subject hasn’t come up really as much, because he’s doubled down on, ‘I am never coming back to wrestling.’ I mean, he’s said that over and over again. And I just — history tells me that eventually he will return to wrestling. A lot of people in entertainment that mean it just as much as he does eventually come back. I’m talking about, look at musical acts for instance: The Eagles, ‘When hell freezes over,’ right? Legit. They meant it just as much as he does,” he explained.

“The Misfits, Glenn Danzig’s war […] Never gonna happen, never gonna reunite with Jerry Only and the rest of the Misfits. They’ve had several shows. It just goes to show you. And trust me, I know Glenn Danzig and like, no one is as stubborn as that guy. So, trust me. He will be back. I promise you at some point, CM Punk will be back involved in wrestling. And no one should go, ‘Oh, see, we told you!’ because it’s his life. And at the time, he means it. When he says, ‘I’m never coming back,’ he means it. It’s just that history shows that everyone else that meant it too ends up coming back. And I can honestly see him showing up in AEW. That could be like this huge surprise they’re waiting to drop with the announcement of a TV deal.”

CM Punk was once again on the minds of wrestling fans worldwide after he made a surprise appearance at an independent show. He would sneak into the ring under a mask and deliver a GTS during a match for an MKE event in Wisconsin last Friday.

Thanks to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.

At the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring Of Honor (ROH) co-promoted event, G1 Supercard, Matt Taven delivered on his promise to all the ‘melvins’ out there by becoming the new ROH World Champion.

He would uncrown Jay Lethal in a triple threat ladder match that also featured “The Villain” Marty Scurll.

Speaking with the WINCLY podcast, Taven has reflected on the title win that ended Lethal’s 280-day reign. He admits that he enjoys that people are upset he is the current champion, and reflects on winning the big one in New York’s historic Madison Square Garden.

“Making people upset seems to put a really bizarre smile on my face, and I seem to make a lot of people upset being the ROH World Heavyweight Champion,” Taven confessed.

“It’s probably the greatest moment of my life. I’m not gonna lie—it was unbelievable,” he said. “All my life I’ve wanted to wrestle in MSG, and here I am not only looking up at that historic feeling, but winning the ROH World Championship. Having ‘FU Taven’ echo through the halls of MSG—I really couldn’t ask for a better moment in my mind to hold onto forever.”

Matt Taven will soon be defending his newly one ROH championship against Villain Enterprises’ PCO. Their matchup will be taking place during ROH’s War Of The Worlds tour, with the two competing in Toronto on May 9th.

Jimmy Jacobs, who is a former writer for WWE and current Impact Wrestling talent, is the latest wrestler to produce a podcast.

Entitled, “Jimmy Jacobs Doesn’t Know,” the first guest on his show will be none other than the former WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan.

“I’m Having A Mental Breakdown”

Jacobs has released a preview clip of the episode in which Daniel Bryan openly recounts his struggle with depression—something that becomes more acute for him when he has to be in cities.

“When I’m in cities around a lot of non-living things, I am more likely to be depressed than I am when I’m in Washington when I’m around trees,” he admitted.

“When I finally accepted, after I was forced to retire, that, like, I’m having a mental breakdown, I went to…this wasn’t the right thing to do, to leave,” Bryan said. “I said to Brie, I said, like…’I have to go to Washington.'”

“She still had other things that she had to do, I said, ‘I have to go.’ And she met me there like a month later, but I spent a month in Washington, just with my mom, with a couple of my friends, and just like, walking in the woods, like, just this really…like, being. I believe in the healing nature of trees, like, it’s a weird thing, but then I’ve also read a book about it, so it’s like, it makes me a little more justified as opposed to me being some weird mystic or something, you know?”

Former WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan, hasn’t been on WWE programming since his loss to Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania 35. WWE’s decision to do so, keeping the nature of his potential injury a closely guarded secret in the process, has sparked speculation over the extent of Bryan’s current injury.

This past Tuesday on SmackDown Live, honorary New Day member, Kevin Owens, would turn on both Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston.

Owens, who has a long history of turning on friends and tag team partners, showed his true colors once again. The attack would begin after the former Universal Champion nailed Kofi Kingston with a superkick. He would then deliver an impactful powerbomb to the apron onto Xavier Woods, who Owens had been performing commentary moments earlier during Kingston’s matchup against Shinsuke Nakamura.

Now the entirety of the New Day, including currently injured member, Big E, have reacted to the situation. Taking to Twitter, each member shared their thoughts and opinions on Kevin Owens and his actions.

“There Will Be Hell To Pay”

Woods would describe Owens as a “complete garbage human”:

His stablemate, Big E, described him as a “parasite,” adding that his “greatest joy” will be coming back to dole out a beating on KO.

“KO is the parasite in the system that desperately clings on to its host for life. Once its sucked all of the nutrients it can out of its host, it seeks another. I only take pleasure in knowing the virus has been detected & @TrueKofi & @XavierWoodsPhD will stomp out the organism.”

“My greatest joy will be returning in time to stomp the life out of the already lifeless roach myself.”

Current WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston, took a more thoughtful approach. He addressed the New Day giving Owens a chance, even when no one else would. He then promises that there will be hell to pay because of his most recent betrayal.

“Sometimes you feel compelled believe in someone and give them a chance, even when no one else will. As unpopular a decision as it may seem at the time, you give them the benefit of the doubt…And Then that person proves everyone right. Mark my words, there will be Hell to pay.”

While he started his singles run in WWE as a heel, Seth Rollins has found great success after his face turn and he has become one of the most beloved babyfaces of the company in past couple years.

During a recent interview with Kentucky.com to promote this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in the area, the Universal Champion revealed the reason why he has been successful as a fan favorite.

Rollins first claimed that he has so much passion for the sport that he has always wanted to be the best and continuing on the topic, he said that his ability to be authentic is why the audience is drawn towards him:

“I just think what’s really resounded with audiences over the years is my ability to be authentic, I think people have always seen that about me. It doesn’t feel put on, because it isn’t.”

Apart from this, Seth Rollins also talked about his goals now that he has won the Universal Championship and is on the top of the mountain.

He said that even now, he is never one of those guys who is going to be complacent and for him, it’s about growing the industry and growing the business to make it the best it possibly can be.

The Viking Raiders Addressed With Another New Name In Survey

A latest Fan Council survey of WWE is listing the current NXT Tag Team Champions War Raiders as The Viking Warriors, which has ignited rumors of the company changing their name again:

As we noted before, the NXT Champs were brought to main roster during Superstar Shakeup 2 weeks ago and WWE changed their names to The Viking Experience for their main roster debut.

After the name attracted criticism from fans, the company dubbed them as the Viking Raiders on this week’s Raw and it would be interesting to see if, as suggested by this survey, the Officials back out from this name as well.

NXT Tag Team Wants To Challenge For Women’s Tag Titles

While the company promised that the Women’s Tag Team Championships will be defended in NXT too, so far we haven’t seen a NXT tag team challenging for the title.

However, the team of Candice LeRae and Kacy Catanzaro are very interested in facing the IIconics for their championships in near future.

These two defeated Aliyah and Vanessa Borne in a match at the latest episode of NXT and in the post-match interview with Cathy Kelley, they confirmed that they want a shot at the titles in the future:

Bret Hart getting tackled by a fan during his induction speech was one of the most talked about incidents of this year’s Hall Of Fame ceremony.

Ronda Rousey’s husband Travis Browne was among the first responders of the incident and in a new video posted on Rousey’s channel he talked about it in detail.

Browne said that he has noticed a trend where people do acts like this and get almost immortalized in our media for the negative things they have done.

He mentioned how instead of the positive people who are really making a difference in the world, our media and headlines are filled with negative people.

And according to Travis, this shouldn’t be the case and the guy’s name should never be mentioned again. The ceremony was about the people who were getting inducted and it should stay that way.

Continuing on the topic, Travis also talked about his meeting with Bret Hart after the incident revealing that he got to meet the former World Champion on the following episode of Raw.

He revealed that Hart thanked him for helping and he told the Hitman that any real man would do the same thing anytime. Then they forgot about it afterward.

You can check out Travis Browne’s comments in the video below:

Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch recently had an interview with US Magzine and when asked about her arch-rival Ronda Rousey, she had the response you’d expect from the man.

Becky was asked about her WrestleMania opponent and replying to the question she said that the former UFC Star only knows how to win and she can’t handle her losses.

Continuing on the topic, Lynch brought up Ronda’s absence from WWE Programming since WrestleMania, saying that she has incredible athletic abilities but her heart isn’t in the business.

Finally, The Man said that she is very happy to get rid of the former Women’s Champion claiming that Ronda Rousey disrespects her business:

“I’m happy I beat her. I want to get rid of her… She doesn’t deserve to be here. She’s disrespected my business and I am delighted that she’s gone. If she wants to go and have a family, that’s great for her. Sail off into the sunset. But I’ll be here running the show.”

As we noted before, Ronda Rousey recently underwent hand surgery and she has no immediate plan of returning to the company anytime soon. She goes as far as admitting that she might never return to the ring again.

On the other hand, Becky Lynch appears to be at the start of an epic title reign and she is expected to defend both her titles in different matches at the upcoming Money In The Bank event.

Tomasso Ciampa is back training just seven weeks after undergoing neck fusion surgery.

The former NXT Champion took to his Instagram account on Wednesday to announce that he has begun lifting light weights in his rehabilitation effort.

Ciampa says that he is limited to just five pounds on most of his lifts.

According to Johns Hopkins Hospital, that is in line with what can be expected on a typical recovery timetable.

Ciampa was originally scheduled to headline the NXT TakeOver New York event on WrestleMania weekend. Ciampa would have defended the NXT title against Johnny Gargano.

That was expected to be the blow-off of their NXT feud, as both men had made WWE main roster appearances this year.

Ciampa originally captured the NXT title on an episode of NXT TV that aired on July 25, 2018. He relinquished the title on an episode that aired on March 20, 2019.

With Ciampa back training, it remains to be seen whether he ends up back in NXT, or slated for the main roster.

Where do you hope to see Ciampa when he returns?

Charlotte Flair denies that she is engaged to fellow WWE star Andrade.

The 8-time WWE Women’s Champion issued a statement on Wednesday to Pro Wrestling Sheet, which refutes speculation in a TMZ article that the two are set to marry.

Flair’s statement read:

“Don’t believe everything you read online. Unless you read that I’m the most decorated women’s wrestler ever, because that is fact.

No, we are not currently engaged”

Flair and Andrade made their relationship public when they attended this year’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony together.

When WWE held the Superstar Shakeup last week, it appeared from the outside that they did their best to keep all of the real-life couples on the same brand.

With one notable exception.

Flair was kept on Smackdown, while Andrade was moved to Raw with his manager Zelina Vega, and her real-life husband Aleister Black.

WWE changed course on that decision this week, when Andrade, Vega, and Black were all moved to Smackdown.

Flair and Andrade recently vacationed together in the Dominican Republic, and Flair was spotted wearing a ring on her left ring finger. Flair denies that the ring is an engagement ring.

Hold off on buying those wedding gifts.

What do you think of Charlotte Flair’s statement?

Lorcan & Burch Confronted The Forgotten Sons

Jaxson Ryker squared off against Humberto Carrillo on this week’s episode of NXT. Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler accompanied Ryder to the ring for the match. Carrillo connected with a springboard kick for a near fall. Humberto followed it up with a standing Moonsault for another two count.

Ryker got pissed off and launched Humberto into the turnbuckle. Jaxson beat the hell out of Humberto in the corner and Carrillo tried to retreat out of the ring. Ryker followed him out there and sent Carrillo crashing into the barricade surrounding the ring.

Jaxson then launched Carrillo over the barricade and hit him with several knee strikes to the face as the referee called for the bell. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch rushed the ring and grabbed two steel chairs. The Forgotten Sons retreated up the entrance ramp. Ryker tried to charge at Lorcan and Burch but Blake and Cutler held him back.

Catanzaro & LeRae Picked Up A Victory

Vanessa Borne & Aliyah battled Candice LeRae & Kacy Catanzaro in a tag team match.

Aliyah shoved Kacy to the canvas and hit her with a knee to the face to start things off. Kacy battled back with Headscissors but got distracted by Borne. Aliyah capitalized and ripped Catanzaro to the mat by her hair.

Borne tagged in and connected with a Suplex for a two count. Aliyah tagged back in and continued to beat Kacy down. Catanzaro battled back with a Neckbreaker and finally was able to tag in LeRae. Candice Dropkicked Aliyah out of the ring and hit Borne with a Jawbreaker. LeRae hit Borne with a Senton and followed it up with a springboard Moonsault for the victory.

Viking Raiders Defeated Street Profits

Street Profits faced NXT Tag Team Champions Viking Raiders on this week’s show. Montez Ford flipped onto the Raiders during their entrance. They then isolated Erik in the ring and hit him with a Splash for a near fall. Dawkins lifted Erik up in the Electric Chair as Ford climbed to the top.

Erik escaped and leveled Ford with a Clothesline. Ivar tagged in and hit Ford with another massive Clothesline. Erik then slammed Ivar on top of Dawkins and sent Angelo to the corner. Dawkins battled back with a right hand that knocked Erik to the canvas.

Ivar and Ford then traded shots in the ring. Montez hit Ivar with a Dropkick and followed it up with an impressive Belly to Back Suplex. Ford Clotheslined Erik out of the ring as Dawkins tagged in. Ivar knocked Ford and Dawkins to the mat and tagged in Erik. Ivar quickly tagged back in as Erik hit Ford with a Dropkick. Erik tagged back in after the Viking Raiders sent Dawkins to the outside. Ivar and Erik then hit slammed Ford to the canvas for the pinfall victory.

Johnny Gargano Defeated Roderick Strong

NXT Champion Johnny Gargano faced Roderick Strong in the main event of this week’s episode. Earlier in the show, Adam Cole was interviewed backstage. Matt Riddle interrupted and pointed out how jealous Cole was that Strong was facing Gargano instead of him. Riddle challenged Cole to a fight but Adam retreated.

Johnny controlled the match early and quickly went for the Gargano Escape but Strong was able to escape. Roderick rolled out of the ring to regroup for a moment before getting back inside. Gargano immediately Clotheslined Strong back out of the ring and hit him with a boot to the face from the apron.

Gargano went for a Baseball Slide but Strong caught him and slammed him into the apron. Strong hit Gargano with a chop to the chest that echoed throughout the arena before rolling him back into the ring. Roderick hit Johnny with a Gutbuster and went for a cover but Gargano kicked out at one.

Strong hit Johnny with a Backbreaker for a near fall and followed it up with another chop to the chest. Roderick stomped the hell out of Gargano and went for another cover but Gargano once again kicked out. Roderick shouted at Johnny to stay down because it is only going to get worse.

Gargano battled back and sent Strong into the steel steps outside the ring. Back in the ring, Gargano connected with the Slingshot Spear for a two count. Johnny sent Strong out of the ring and hit him with a Cannonball off the ring apron. Gargano hit Strong with a Superkick in the ring for another near fall as the crowd chanted “NXT!”.

Johnny hit Roderick with a chop across the chest and spit went flying out of Strong’s mouth. The crowd chanted “one more time!” and Johnny obliged with another chop to Roderick’s chest. Gargano went for another Slingshot Spear but Strong beautifully countered into a Backbreaker for a two count.

Gargano hit an Enziguri and followed it up with a Clothesline. Johnny geared up in the corner but Strong hit him with a knee to the face. Roderick followed it up with another Backbreaker for a two count. Johnny locked in the Gargano Escape but Adam Cole rushed the ring. Strong escaped as Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly came down the entrance ramp. Matt Riddle attacked Undisputed Era from behind and during the confusion, Adam Cole hit Roderick Strong with a Superkick. Gargano then hit Strong with a Slingshot DDT for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Adam Cole said that he thought that he was kicking Gargano. Strong said that it was alright and that he was this close to beating Gargano. Undisputed Era then made their way backstage as NXT went off the air.

Announced for next week:

Kassius Ohno approached NXT GM William Regal backstage during tonight’s show. Ohno suggested that he face Kushida in his debut match on NXT. Regal liked that idea and made the match official for next week’s episode of NXT.

Tuesday’s edition of WWE SmackDown Live from Lincoln, NE at the Pinnacle Bank Arena averaged 2.072 million viewers, which is down from 2.219 million the previous week, according to ShowbuzzDaily.

The show had to go up against Curse of Oak Island on History that did 2.082 million viewers, Rachel Maddow Show with 2.715 and Tucker Carlson Tonight that drew 2.829. WWE also had to go up against two NBA games that pulled in big viewership numbers that had an impact on SmackDown’s rating.

Matches that took place on this show include WWE Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor vs. Andrade in a non-title match, Kairi Sane (w/Asuka) vs. Peyton Royce (w/Billie Kay), Charlotte Flair vs. Bayley in a WWE SmackDown Women’s Title #1 Contendership Match, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston (w/Kevin Owens & Xavier Woods) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (w/Lana & Rusev) in a non-title match.

The episode was expected to drop in viewership as last week’s show was the second night of the Superstar Shakeup for the blue brand. In case you missed the show, you can check out the 5 takeaways from it here.

WWE will attempt to rebound with next week’s episode, which should be interesting to see what number it pulls in.

Watch: Top 10 Moments from Tuesday’s Smackdown Live (4.23.19)

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) presents Double or Nothing next month live from Las Vegas, NV. It will the first live event under the AEW banner.

A month out from Double or Nothing, company president Tony Khan spoke with sports and entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet about everything AEW. Below are some highlights followed by video of their discussion.

AEW’s TV Deal

AEW has spent the past several months announcing talent acquisitions, live events and match-ups for those shows. It’s an exciting process, but the general consensus from wrestling pundits and industry power players is that the entire venture hinges on AEW securing a meaningful television deal. So where does that stand?

“I’ve negotiated some things and I am very excited about what we are doing. I do think it’s very important to give wrestling fans a better quality of life. I think 20 years ago was honestly in many ways not nearly as good of a time to be a wrestling fan. There was not nearly as much wrestling out there and available if you were really looking for it. If you are really looking for great wrestling now there has never been a better time to be a wrestling fan.”

Tony’s 5-Year Plan for AEW

The launch of a major league wrestling organization is a massive undertaking. With tens of millions of dollars on the line, you don’t just “wing it” and hope things work out. You need a plan. You need a vision for where the company will be 1, 2, even 5 years out. Tony Khan is no stranger to managing professional sports franchises and shared his longterm strategy to make AEW a success.

“The 5-year plan for AEW is that we will have built up a brand, we will have built up a roster, we will have established ourselves as a top brand in wrestling for people who want fast paced exciting action and want a product that is more of a sporting based product. I’ve talked a lot about how I want wins and losses to matter because at the end of the day, that’s why you’re having the match.”

He continued, “There’s going to be a winner and a loser and it matters. It should matter to your standing in the company and it should matter to your standing in your chase for the championship which at the end of the day is what everyone is trying to attain.”

Staying Off Television

One of the most overdone tropes in pro wrestling is the owner putting themselves on television. Even worse is the evil authority figure. As the President of this upstart venture, Tony Khan might feel the temptation to make himself an on-air character in AEW. Khan once again shows that he’s tuned in to what wrestling fans want and plans to stay off AEW television.

“I have thought about it and I’m not going to do it. We have some of the greatest on-air performers in the world and look, I am who I am in the promotion. I am the president and the CEO and the founder of this company but it’s not going to be me all over TV and I’m not going to be doing a lot of interviews or backstage segments on television.”

There’s much more to the interview, including Tony’s thoughts on AEW having a ‘wrestler-friendly’ schedule, the signing of Dustin Rhodes, CM Punk’s return to wrestling over the weekend, WCW, ECW and more.

Check out Chris Van Vliet’s YouTube channel to see his recent interviews with John Cena, Johnny Gargano, Dolph Ziggler, Rob Van Dam and more.

Watch: Tony Khan talks about AEW’s TV Deal & 5-Year Plan

Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently took part in a “Ask Me Anything” session on the Squared Circle Reddit where he spoke about various topics including his past issues with CM Punk.

The issues come from Punk’s appearance on Cabana’s “Art of Wrestling” podcast from November of 2014 where he spoke about his time in WWE. This is where he told stories about Ryback allegedly being unsafe in the ring and accused him of steroid usage.

“He has personal issues with me because his bullsh** didn’t work with me. Karma dealt with him already. You would hear more stories of me hurting people if that were the case, but it simply isn’t. His steroid allegations are out of pure jealousy. The guy has shit genetics and can’t even get abs cutting weight with MMA training. Our history is in the past and I wish him all the best out of wrestling, but his remarks were done purposely from other personal occurrences.”

With the launch of AEW (All Elite Wrestling), there has been speculation of who the promotion could sign next and getting more talent under contract. Ryback’s name has been talked about by fans. He seems to be interested in having a conversation with officials about the possibility.

“Once I’m healthy I will speak to Cody if I feel I can contribute in a meaningful way. They are going to do very well over time I believe. They have an opportunity to do wrestling the way it always should have been done.”

WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins recently spoke with Kentucky.com to promote Monday’s RAW TV event from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.

During the interview, Rollins was asked why he thinks fans continue to make WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW one of the best-rated shows on cable TV.

It should be noted that WWE just did a bad rating with Monday’s show by pulling in the second lowest viewership number of the year only behind the January 7 show.

According to the top star on the show, he thinks it’s due to fans looking for escapism.

“It’s something that really brings people together and I think in 2019, where there seems to be so much animosity in our society, wrestling is so simple,” Rollins said of the WWE product. “I think it’s so easy to follow, no matter who you are.”

It was noted in this article that Rollins is scheduled to team with AJ Styles and Braun Strowman to face Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin in a six-man tag team match that will likely be the dark main event of Monday’s show.

Tom Magee has been announced for next month’s Starrcast II convention from Las Vegas, NV. The 1980’s Canadian grappler will appear on stage with 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart. Of course, the duo will discuss their infamous match from 1986 which has become wrestling folklore in recent years.

• Background on the infamous Tom Magee & Bret Hart match

Starrcast promoter Conrad Thompson broke the news Wednesday afternoon.

Starrcast II

Starrast II is a 4-day wrestling convention that takes place from Las Vegas, Nevada during Memorial Day weekend. Although Starrcast is not directly affiliated with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the convention will feature many AEW-related festivities and is the unofficial convention of the AEW Double or Nothing.

Starrcast is not just meet & greet photo ops. Fans on hand (and people streaming at FITE.TV) will experience the AEW Double or Nothing Weight-Ins & Press Conference, the Roast of Ric Flair, stage shows, live podcasts and music, documentary screenings and more.

In addition to Bret Hart and Tom Magee, other top talent appearing at Starrcast II include the stars of All Elite Wrestling, Sting, Ric Flair, Kenta Kobashi, Ricky Steamboat, Scott Hall & Kevin Nash, Jim Ross, Eric Bischoff, Bruce Prichard, Tony Schiavone and many more.

For more information, visit Starrcast.com and FITE.TV to stream.