Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, who has formerly wrestled for promotions such as MLW, EVOLVE, and Lucha Underground, spoke with Catherine Kelley backstage following his second 205 Live matchup.
When asked whether the WWE Universe could expect to see him frequent 205 Live more often, Scott replied that he deserves to be amongst the best talent in the world. For him, that means becoming a permanent fixture of 205 Live, going so far as to nickname the brand “Swerve’s House.”
“Swerve never gets tired of being in this atmosphere. This 205 locker room? It’s incredible. Best talent in the world,” he said. “Swerve deserves to be a part of that. So, me personally, I would love, love to be here permanently. 205 Live, Swerve’s House? It has a ring to it, don’t it? So yeah, let’s listen to the WWE Universe on that one.
Alongside wrestling on 205 Live, Isaiah has also competed for WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT. He was a recent competitor in their Breakout Tournament. He lost in the first round against Cameron Grimes, who would subsequently lose in the finals to Jordan Myles.
Despite his insistence to wrestle for 205 Live, Swerve could potentially continue to make sporadic appearances for NXT in the foreseeable future.
The Miz and Maryse have forked out $6.4 million purchasing a mansion situated in Thousand Oaks, California.
According to a report by Variety.com, the mansion was “sold before processing” earlier this week to the WWE couple.
Described as a “neoclassical English Manor-style house,” the mansion provides 10,400 square feet of living space. It also comes with six bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The previous owners purchased the property just over a year ago in April for precisely $6 million.
The Miz & Maryse’s new home
Click here to full a full gallery of The Miz and Maryse’s new $6.4 million California mansion.
Alongside the grandiose space, the gated property includes garage parking for up to eight luxury vehicles, scenic mountain and golf fairway views, and a grand entranceway. That’s before mentioning the nine-seat movie theatre, wood-paneled billiards room, and formal dining room.
The Mizanins paid $2.35 million for their former mansion in Austin, Texas. They sold this property last month for approximately $2.64 million. The couple has also previously owned a home in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon; this “mini-estate” sold for just over $3 million.
The Miz has been enjoying portraying a babyface in recent months. He was involved in a segment this past Tuesday night that helped introduce the new heel alliance between Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn. There is no further indication at the time of writing as to whom Miz may end up feuding against out of the two.
Both Miz and Maryse also currently star in USA Network’s reality show, Miz & Mrs.
NXT’s move to USA Network has been a hot topic of discussion
among wrestling fans in recent weeks and people have been discussing WWE’s
intentions behind them.
During a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall Of
Famer Bully Ray also discussed the matter and opposed to the popular opinion,
he claimed that the move is not personal for Vince McMahon.
Ray said that you cannot allow a wrestling universe whether
it’s your own wrestling universe or other people in the wrestling universe to
just watch a brand new product unopposed:
“This has nothing to do with a personal vendetta; this has to do with business. You cannot just allow a wrestling universe, to just watch a brand new product unopposed, it’s ignorant, it’s foolish, it’s dumb business.
Everything that the WWE is doing right now to counter AEW is not personal at all. trust me when I tell you this, I know this from firsthand knowledge, Vince doesn’t look at things personally.”
What does "The Godfather" have to do with the impending "Wednesday Night War" between #AEW & #NXT ?@bullyray5150 explains why no matter how many personal shots are taken on either side, this is about business for the #WWE and Vince McMahon. pic.twitter.com/kJ55mUzcSG
The former WWE Star went on to say that Vince knows that he cannot let AEW run unopposed doesn’t matter if their show is doing one million views or ten million views.
NXT will be moving to TV starting from September 18th while AEW’s weekly TV show is set to debut on TNT on October 2nd, the same week when SmackDown Live moves to Fox.
What do you think WWE’s motivations are behind their move to put NXT on TV? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Roman Reigns recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote the upcoming WWE 2K20 Video game where he talked about a number of things.
Reigns first discussed being the cover star of the latest edition of the WWE game with Becky Lynch and said that sharing the cover with her makes the experience even more special.
Talking about Becky’s achievement including her recent WrestleMania main event with Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair, the Big Dog claimed that Lynch was phenomenal and that her larger than life character motivates him.
Roman, who is no stranger to WrestleMania main events himself, was then asked if there is any way to prepare for such a bout and the former Champion said that you are going to have the doubts and insecurities until you get through it:
“You have those nerves, you have those doubts and
insecurities, all until you get through it, then you’re never the same again.
You’re a main-eventer for the rest of your life.”
He went on to say that in that position you are going to
fight for everything and the moment and the experience you get from such a
match cannot be replaced.
Roman Reigns’ rise to main event status began in 2014. He then went on to main event the 4 WrestleMania’s which followed starting from WrestleMania 31, before his leukemia forced him to stay out of action during the early WrestleMania season this year.
Due to his absence, the storylines that were planned for the
former Universal Champion were dropped and this opened the opportunity for
other stars to take over the spot.
Becky Lynch was one such star who rose to the occasion. Her heel turn at SummerSlam last year led to her becoming one of the hottest stars in the company and this resulted in her main eventing this year’s edition of the Show Of Shows.
Apollo Crews was one of the most promising prospects from NXT and many believed his high flying abilities would lead him to become a fan favorite. However, he hasn’t been able to make his mark on the main roster yet since being called up back in April 2016.
During a recent interview with The Wrap, the former NXT Star talked about a number of things and he also admitted that he is not satisfied with his WWE career so far. Crews said that he wanted to come to the main roster and make his mark but he then went on to claim that he is keeping patience and trusting the process:
“I wanted to come in here and shock the world, I guess you could say. I felt like I would have done much more at this moment in my career, but I’m still young — I’m about to be 32 in a couple of days — and there’s still a lot of time. I’m still very patient and understanding in how the process works. I trust the process.”
Apollo Crews also talked about the King Of The Ring tournament. In the interview taken before this week’s episode of SmackDown Live, he talked about his match with Andrade and said that he is excited to be a part of the competition.
He mentioned how winning the King Of The Ring has done wonders for the careers of many WWE Stars and hoped that he could win the tournament. You can check out his full interview at this link.
AEW recently confirmed that the finals of their announced
tag team championship tournament will be taking place during the October 30th
episode of their TV show and now the company has confirmed another big match
for the same episode.
While his opponent has not been announced yet, AEW has revealed that Chris Jericho will be wrestling at the mentioned episode of their TV show.
Though this is not the only match Chris has been advertised for as the company previously announced that The Young Bucks will be teaming up with Kenny Omega to face Jericho and two mystery partners during the inaugural episode of their show.
Since Jericho is also scheduled to compete against Adam Page for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship at All Out, it’s possible that he wins this match and brings the AEW title to these TV episodes.
Updated Lineup For AEW on TNT
After the latest announcements, here is the updated lineup
for the first few weeks of AEW’s TV show:
Wednesday, October 2 Premiere Episode from Capital One Arena in Washington, DC
Jon Moxley appears live
Cody Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara
The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho and two mystery partners
The first-ever AEW Women’s Champion will be crowned
Wednesday, October 9 from Agganis Arena in Boston, MA
Jon Moxley vs. Shawn Spears
The Young Bucks vs. Private Party in an AEW Tag Team Titles tournament match
Wednesday, October 16 from Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA
First-ever AEW World Title defense, Chris Jericho or Adam Page vs. TBA
First-ever AEW Women’s World Title defense
Wednesday, October 23 from Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA
Jon Moxley will be in action
Semi-finals of the AEW Tag Team Titles tournament
Wednesday, October 30 from Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, WV
Rusev has been subject to some reports recently as the
former US Champion has not been seen on WWE television in recent times and
people have been wondering about his status with the company.
However a wrestling reporter claimed that Rusev has decided
to re-sign with WWE and replying to him, the Bulgarian Brute told him to make
his mind and claimed that he has no idea:
WWE recently published another one of their top ten videos
which features the top ten moments from this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.
The list starts with the match between Daniel Bryan and Buddy
Murphy and features moments such as Andrade’s win over Apollo Crews which
helped the former NXT Champion advance in the King Of The Ring tournament.
The list is topped by Kofi Kingston attacking Randy Orton with a trouble in paradise from behind and later taking his revenge from the Revival as well. You can check out the full list in the video below:
Undisputed Era kicked off the show to a great reaction from the crowd. NXT Champion Adam Cole boasted about defeating Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: Toronto and retaining his title.
The crowd broke out in an “Adam Cole” as he stated that people are saying that he had the performance of a lifetime. Cole claimed that he is the greatest champion that has ever lived and added that NXT’s Mount Rushmore would simply have his face four times.
Roderick Strong claimed that the rest of the Undisputed Era got screwed at TakeOver. Strong pointed out that Dream pinned Dunne to retain the North American Championship and his title reign is on borrowed time.
Kyle O’Reilly grabbed a microphone and rolled footage of Bobby Fish tagging in at TakeOver. O’Reilly got pinned at the end of the match despite not being the legal man. Bobby Fish demanded that NXT GM William Regal get out here and do his job.
Cole told O’Reilly and Fish that they are the greatest tag team in NXT history. He then told Roderick Strong that the NXT North American Championship has his name on it.
NXT Breakout Tournament winner Jordan Myles interrupted with the contract in his hand. Cole laughed in his face and asked if he was joking about challenging him for the NXT Championship. Adam Cole stated that Myles would be wasting his championship opportunity by challenging him.
Cole vowed to make Myles’ career an undisputed failure if he chooses to face him. Jordan made it seem like he was going to hand Cole the contract and then dropped it at his feet. Myles then laughed and made his way backstage.
It was announced that Jordan Myles will battle Adam Cole for the NXT Championship in two weeks. Undisputed Era will face the Street Profits for the NXT Tag Team Championships next week.
Mansoor squared off against Damian Priest on this week’s episode of NXT. Priest drove Mansoor to the corner and slammed him off the top turnbuckle. Damian followed it up with a big boot and a few knee shots to the ribs.
Priest shrugged off a forearm from Mansoor and knocked him to the canvas. Mansoor rolled up Priest for a two count and then hit a Dropkick. Damian grabbed Mansoor by the throat but he escaped and connected with an Enziguri.
Mansoor sent Priest to the outside and flipped onto him. Back in the ring, Mansoor planted Priest with a Neckbreaker and went for a Tornado DDT but Damian blocked it. Priest hit a massive Clothesline and followed it up with the Reckoning for the pinfall victory.
Mia Yim battled Vanessa Borne tonight on NXT. Aliyah accompanied Borne to the ring for the match. Yim beat Borne down in the corner of the ring and connected with a Cannonball. Mia followed that up with the Protect Ya Neck for the easy win.
After the match, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone. Shayna suggested that Yim join her with Duke and Shafir but Mia declined. Baszler, Duke, and Shafir attacked Yim and beat her down in the middle of the ring.
Bronson Reed faced Shane Thorne tonight on NXT. Thorne booted Reed in the leg and then retreated out of the ring. Shane got back in the ring and went for another kick but Reed blocked it and took him to the mat.
Reed took a seat on top Thorne’s back and then applied an Arm Bar. Shane escaped but walked right into a Spinebuster from Reed. Thorne connected with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Senton in the corner for a two count.
Bronson planted Thorne with a Powerslam and then a Samoan Drop. Reed hit a Senton Splash and followed it up with a Splash in the corner. Thorne retreated out of the ring again and Reed followed him out there. Reed rolled Thorne back in the ring and made his way to the top rope.
Thorne knocked Reed off the turnbuckle and hit a running knee to the face for the pinfall victory.
Killian Dain Defeated Matt Riddle
Killian Dain faced Matt Riddle in the main event of this week’s show. Riddle ambushed Dain from behind before the match. Riddle then started off the match in control and hit a few kicks in the corner. Dain shrugged them off and kneed Riddle in his taped up ribs.
Riddle connected with a kick to the side of the head that sent Dain tumbling out of the ring. Matt hit a flying forearm off the steel steps and the action returned to the ring. Dain hit a Crossbody and followed it up with a Suplex for a near fall.
Dain stomped away on Riddle’s ribs and then hit a Gutbuster. Killian went for a Suplex but Riddle countered into a Suplex of his own. Riddle hit an Exploder Suplex and followed it up with the Broton. Riddle hit a Penalty Kick and went for the cover but Dain was able to kick out at two.
Matt planted Dain with a German Suplex and then a knee to the face. Dain hit a Dropkick and followed it up with a massive Cannonball for a two count. Riddle hit the Bro to Sleep and then a Powerbomb for another near fall.
Riddle went for a Moonsault but Dain got his knees up. Killian slammed Riddle into the ring post and Matt fell to the outside. Dain charged at Riddle but Matt got out of the way and Dain crashed into the steel steps. Riddle went for a Powerbomb but Dain countered into a rough-looking Back Body Drop that slammed Matt onto the steel steps. Dain hit a Senton and then a Vader Bomb off the ring apron.
Back in the ring, Dain hit three Vader Bombs in a row for the pinfall victory. Matt Riddle went after Dain after the match as NXT went off the air. The two superstars then battled into the parking lot as you can see in the video below.
Tuesday’s edition of WWE SmackDown Live from Sioux Falls, SD at the Denny Sanford Premier Center averaged 2.142 million viewers, which is down from 2.164 million the previous week, according to ShowbuzzDaily.
The episode was expected to increase in viewership it served as night two of the King of the Ring tournament.
The same SmackDown episode last year drew 2.437 million viewers.
The show had to go up against Hannity that did 3.091 million viewers, Rachel Maddow Show with 2.893 and Tucker Carlson Tonight that drew 2.284.
Matches that took place on this show include Andrade (w/Zelina Vega) defeats Apollo Crews and Elias defeats Kevin Owens in the opening matches of the King of the Ring tournament. Also, Buddy Murphy defeats Daniel Bryan (w/Rowan) and The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) defeat Heavy Machinery (Otis & Tucker).
Also, it featured the continuation of Roman Reigns’ mystery attacker as Daniel Bryan and Erick Rowan revealed a man that looked like Rowan to be the person behind the attacks.
In case you missed the show, you can check out the 6 takeaways from it here.
WWE will attempt to increase viewership 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 (8.20.19)
WWE presents the NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff special on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales that will air on the WWE Network.
WWE could be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days. Although it appears that the lineup is finalized based on previous TakeOver events.
WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER vs. Tyler Bate will likely serve as the headliner of this show.
WWE NXT UK Tag Team Champions Zack Gibson & James Drake vs. Gallus vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster hasn’t been officially announced but WWE has been teasing it for the last few weeks.
Updated WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff Card
WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER vs. Tyler Bate
WWE NXT UK Women’s Champion Toni Storm vs. Kay Lee Ray
WWE NXT UK Tag Team Champions Zack Gibson & James Drake vs. Gallus vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster – Triple Threat Match
Joe Coffey vs. Dave Mastiff – Last Man Standing Match
Noam Dar vs. Travis Banks
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
All Elite Wrestling will crown its first-ever AEW World Tag Team Champions on the Wednesday, October 30th episode of AEW on TNT from Charleston, West Virginia.
A tournament to determine the best tag team will begin later this month. Although brackets have not yet been released, we do know a few teams that will be involved.
Later this month at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view (8/31), the Dark Order will face Best Friends. The winners will receive a first-round bye in the tournament.
The October 9th episode of AEW on TNT (Week 2) from Boston, MA will see the Young Bucks vs. Private Party in a first round match.
With the finals taking place just 3 weeks later (Week 5), expect to see a lot of tag team action on the first month of AEW programming.
Visit AEWTIX.com to get tickets for upcoming AEW on TNT tapings.
AEW World Tag Team Champions will be crowned Wed, October 30th in Charleston, WV at the Charleston Coliseum @CCCWVA ! Be part of history and purchase your tickets this Friday, August 23rd when they go on sale at Noon ET – https://t.co/UN1cNj1kQqpic.twitter.com/eqQALdZmdI
AEW’s tag team division features the following teams:
The Young Bucks
The Lucha Bros.
SoCal Uncensored
Best Friends
The Dark Order
A Boy & His Dinosaur
Private Party
Angelico & Jack Evans
The tournament could also include wrestlers from AEW-affiliated promotions such as Oriental Wrestling Entertainment, as well as ‘free agent’ teams such as ..
During last night’s episode SmackDown Live, Bayley came out during Charlotte Flair’s interview time on A Moment of Bliss. She ended up pushing Flair off her chair.
After the show, the SmackDown Women’s Champion had some harsh words for Flair ahead of their matchup at Clash of Champions.
“Come on, you know you want to do that sometimes,” Bayley joked. “She talks a little too much, I know everybody wants to push her just a little bit or shut her mouth. We all knew Charlotte was gonna come after me. It was only a matter of time before she challenged me for the title.”
Bayley continued, “She’s too wrapped up in her own head to realize what I’m trying to do. And when I say I want to elevate this title and this division, I’m not talking about me, her, or just right now in the current division. I’m talking about 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 years from now. The future. Because what we’re doing right now matters. They’re going to remember what we’re doing right now.”
She claimed that what she’s trying to do for the women’s division is akin to what Trish Stratus did for them, and that, unlike Charlotte who is too selfish, she wants to help prepare the division for the next generation.
“Charlotte Flair, you can live on the red carpet. You can rack up all of your appearances, you can have the most appearances of all the women in the division, but you’ll never understand that what I’m doing right now is what Trish Stratus did for us. Right now, I’m helping the division for the next generation, and that is something that Charlotte Flair is too selfish to understand.”
Last night, Elias defeated Kevin Owens to advance in WWE’s King of the Ring tournament. His victory was assured thanks to the actions of his good friend, Shane McMahon.
Speaking with WWE.com after his win, Elias kept a wary eye on his surroundings, ready to defend his 24/7 Championship if need be.
Elias spoke about his new theme music, commenting on how he wrote, recorded, and brought it to WWE, sharing he was unsure whether he would release it or not.
“Big week for Elias. In fact, every week is a big week for Elias, because any time Elias is on television it’s special. […] I’ve gotta believe you’re feeling incredible right now being in the presence of Elias.”
He then moved the interview to another part of the room, not wanting to be in a position to be trapped in case anybody attempted to win his 24/7 title.
“[…] then I advanced in the King of the Ring, can you believe it? And sure, Shane McMahon might have helped out. He’s a good guy. A real good guy. He’s always got my back; I’ve always got his. What’s the problem? All I can say, is long live Elias. Long live the King. Long live King Elias.”
The King of the Ring tournament continues next week. Elias will face off against the winner of Ali vs Murphy.
WWE SmackDown Superstar Ali has confirmed that the rumored feud between himself and current Intercontinental Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura, has been nixed.
Responding to a fan question via Twitter, Ali was asked if the feud was simply dropped. Ali, who would have most likely have received a championship match if it had gone ahead, simply responded: “Yes.”
Ali vs Nakamura had reportedly been in the works for WWE’s upcoming pay-per-view, Clash of Champions. There was no build or development on last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, suggesting the promotion has no interest in it at this point in time.
Although he was not featured on the show itself, Ali did compete last night during the pre-SmackDown dark match. He lost to Samoa Joe.
Instead, WWE appears to be going in a new direction with both Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn.
“There are so many people on SmackDown that need my help,” Zayn commented before introducing Shinsuke Nakamura during MizTV. It didn’t take long for the two to turn on The Miz and assault him. Their actions firmly established their newfound alliance on the blue brand.
Whether the long-term plan is for them to become a tag team or to simply have Zayn act as a mouthpiece for Nakamura is not known at this time.
With WWE recently confirming that their black-and-gold brand NXT will be heading to USA Network in September, people are still clamoring for information on what it might mean for Superstars, on-air talent, and the future of NXT.
In a backstage interview posted to WWE’s YouTube account, Triple H discussed what the move to USA Network means for the brand and its long-term plans.
“It’s been a crazy journey of something that I don’t think most people thought would never happen,” Triple H said. “But this was kinda the vision of it.”
Regarding the move to USA Network, Triple H confessed he couldn’t be prouder to see the brand move to television, extending to a new two-hour run time in the process.
“I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t be more proud. I said it in the beginning, this was gonna be their brand. That’s why we hashtag it ‘we are NXT,’ he said.
He then promised that “As good as NXT is now, it’s only gonna get better. This is gonna expose a whole new side of NXT that people haven’t been able to see yet. I can tell you this about it: as excited as everybody is about this moment, this is the start. This isn’t the destination, this is the start. This brand is just getting started.”
WWE NXT debuts on USA Network on September 18th at 8/7 C.
The Bulgarian Brute, Rusev, has debuted a new clean-shaven look via social media. This is the first time that Rusev has gone without any facial hair since he debuted for WWE.
The former three-time WWE United States Champion has not featured on WWE programming since their controversial Super ShowDown event on June 7th. He participated in a 50-man Battle Royal that was won by NXT Superstar Mansoor.
His wife, Lana, has also been missing from WWE TV, last appearing on SmackDown Live in April. In that time, she has been utilizing YouTube as a means to connect with fans, embracing a ‘salty’ gimmick as she vents about her issues with WWE and her lack of opportunities.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Zi2uEHwrt/
“The More You Hang Around, The More You’re Forgotten”
Rusev’s contract with WWE is reportedly expiring soon, and both he and Lana have been vocal about their frustrations with the company. They have previously expressed their issues during an interview with Lilian Garcia for her podcast Chasing Glory.
During this interview they admitted that “We became so strong and we’re featured but the more you hang around, the more you’re forgotten,” Rusev said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are. I think I’m good. It doesn’t matter what I do. It kind of ends up the same thing.”
After having changed his aesthetic and getting into the best shape of his career, Rusev lamented that he does “all these things but nothing changes. I’m trying to catch Vince’s eye. We pitch, we talk and it never comes to anything.”
Only time will tell if the WWE Universe will be able to watch this new, clean-shaven Rusev on their screens.
Posted August 21st, 2019 in News, WWE. Tagged: Rusev.
WWE recently officially announced that NXT would be debuting on USA Network on Wedneday nights. Now WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has shared his thoughts on the impending Wednesday night war between WWE’s NXT and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
“Vince looks at wrestling as being his,” Henry stated on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. “If you try to take something that belongs to him, he’s going to cut your hand off. Reach on my plate while I’m eating and see what happens to your hand. I’m gonna stab you in the top of your hand with a fork. That’s Vince. Wrestling is his plate, and you are reaching into his plate.”
Henry then speculated that McMahon is actually excited about this impending challenge between the two companies.
When it was brought up that, maybe, Vince McMahon loves that AEW is trying to ‘reach over to his plate,’ Henry responded “I know he does. I don’t know nobody that likes to fight and be a tough guy more than him. Sometimes you can do it with your fists or a pencil, and Vince can do it with both.”
“[…] it was never anything ill-intended. I went public with it—I didn’t know what else to humanly possibly do to fix my situation. And just, unhappiness. But it was just, it’s a great show. There is a lot of great people behind it and everything, it’s just, sometimes, when there’s too many people involved some people try to take things into a direction where it just doesn’t fit. And if it doesn’t fit then, you know, there’s nothing wrong or right, it’s just—if it doesn’t fit it doesn’t fit. Not on the same page for the talent.”
“It really was down to the fact that the whole thing of wanting to keep a talent stuck on a contract to a TV show,” she explained. “Like, that’s just not realistically possible or fair or right. That was just really it. It’s great. Great show, great people, every time you go it’s fun, they treated us very well, and everything. But just that contract part was just too unrealistic, unfortunately.”
Although she was finally able to receive her release from the company, Ivelisse believes the show still had a positive impact on pro wrestling. She reflected that Lucha Underground’s lasting legacy is defined in how it helped introduce new wrestlers and styles to a mainstream audience.
Ivelisse will be involved with All Elite Wrestling’s Casino Battle Royal during their next major event, All Out, which airs on August 31st.
Posted August 21st, 2019 in News. Tagged: Ivelisse.
Sonya Deville performs as a proud LGBTQ athlete and is now completely open about her sexuality. That wasn’t always the case.
During her time competing alongside Mandy Rose for Tough Enough, Deville had yet to come out in an open, public way.
In an interview with Allure, she recalled being asked by WWE executives whether she was in a relationship.
“[…] for any of the other contestants would have been a simple question to answer, right? So not threatening. But for me, I wasn’t openly gay at the time. I had a girlfriend, but I never verbalized being gay. It was a weird, uncomfortable, unspoken thing that my mom and dad knew but not many other people did.”
“When I came out, I was freaking out and got super awkward. I was like, ‘Yeah. I don’t have a wife yet, but I have a girlfriend,’ some cringeworthy answer. And Triple H started laughing and he was like, ‘Oh, now the whole world knows.’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’”
She admitted that being honest about who she became one of the best things that happened to her, as she was “forced to tell my truth, forced to face it at that point.”
Pride Fighter
Since then, Deville has fully embraced who she is as she continues to develop in the ring, incorporating elements of herself into her “Pride Fighter” character.
“Five years ago, wearing rainbow or doing anything to scream ‘I’m gay’ would have been so uncomfortable for me,” she explained. “A year ago, I got a tattoo on my bicep — me and my mom got it. It’s an equal sign for equality. I’ve had tattoos since I was like 16, but if you would have asked the younger me to get a tattoo that symbolized my sexuality, I would have told you no, because that’s how not okay I used to be with it.”
“Now I’m so comfortable with who I am,” she continued, “and I’m really just evolving as a person every day. It’s really cool to be able to represent it with the WWE. I like to just have the little rainbow hankie in my back pocket or the shoelaces that I wear sometimes. It’s also just a subtle note to my LGBTQ community.”
The wrestling world continues to react to WWE’s announcement that NXT, will debut on USA Network in September.
Former WWE Superstar and current All Elite Wrestling (AEW) wrestler Chris Jericho shared a loaded tweet in the wake of the news. He wrote:
“Oh by the way… @WWENXT on @USA_Network? #YoureWelcome #IndustryChanger”
Turns out that NXT’s General Manager William Regal has seen Jericho’s message. It didn’t take him long to respond:
“Yes,thank you Chris. From us both being on NXT in 2010 until today, being a mentor, announcer and GM, NXT has given huge oppurtunities for many talent who would never of got a chance before, to be real game changers. And it’s all down to you.Thank you so much”
NXT’s September start date puts WWE a few weeks ahead of AEW’s TNT debut on October 2nd. This gives WWE time to try and establish its black-and-gold brand on television before their competitor’s debut.
With both shows airing on Wednesday nights, the wrestling industry is on the precipice of a new ratings war between the two shows. Despite this, AEW EVPs, The Young Bucks, recently stated they aren’t “scared” of WWE’s counter-programming efforts.
WWE NXT will be moving up to a two-hour time slot and will debut on USA Network on September 18th at 8/7 C.
From being The Drifter in NXT to his current persona on the main roster, Elias has travelled a long way to become one the most over stars in the current roster of WWE.
During a recent interview with ArgusLeader to promote this
week’s SmackDown Live, the former NXT Star talked about a number of things and
he also reflected on his journey which started in the development territory of
WWE.
Elias first claimed that he genuinely thought he could have
main evented Takeovers during his time in NXT and reflecting on his early days,
he recalled playing guitar outside of local venues:
“It has certainly been quite the journey from my time
period from where I was playing guitar outside of the local venues in Florida
trying to get noticed, to where I’m sitting on a stool playing guitar doing the
same exact thing in front of 80,000 people at Wrestlemania.”
He went on say that people have seen only a little bit of
what he can do and claimed that people will call him the greatest of all time
once he gets to the main event level.
Apart from this, Elias also talked about his 2018 Album titled Walk With Elias, smashing guitars over people and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.
WWE finally confirmed NXT’s debut on Cable TV after a week
full of rumors yesterday and now the company has also started preparing for the
same.
In the preparation for NXT’s Live premiere, the company has
canceled the upcoming tapings of the development brand, scheduled to take place
on September 11th and September 12th respectively from Full Sail Live.
WWE sent out a mail to the ticketholders of the taping to confirm the cancellation. The holders can now choose to replace their tickets.
They can get tickets for the first two episodes of the show on USA Network on September 18th and September 25th or take a refund for their purchase.
NXT going live will also affect the current WWE Network schedule. The Black and Yellow brand’s show will now be airing with a 24 hours tape delay on the network, meaning that the show will air on Thursdays at 8 pm ET after the changes.
There is no word yet on if these changes will also affect the PPV schedule of the show and it will be interesting to see if they increase the number of Takeover specials now since NXT will have more time to develop storylines with a 2-hour broadcast.
WWE announced yesterday that NXT will be moving to USA
Network. The show will be stretched to 2 hours and it will broadcast live
starting from September 18th.
There has at least been some talk of WWE doing away with 205
Live once SmackDown Live moves to Fox this October, according to latest report.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Radio, the expectation is that the weekly SmackDown Live tapings will run for three hours once the show moves to Fox.
However, while the general assumption would be for the third
hour of taping to be for 205 Live, there are some people backstage who see the
Cruiserweight Exclusive Show as a failed experiment.
Due to this, it’s speculated that the company can cancel the show altogether and the third hour of tapings can be utilized for something else.
One possibility is a one hour show being taped for FS1 which
will likely feature an hour of in-ring action airing with the weekly FS1
in-studio show on Tuesdays.
Though in-ring action being broadcasted during the in-studio
show is less likely and it’s also possible that the company could debut a new
show as a Network Exclusive series.
WWE reintroduced the Cruiserweight Division during the 2016
Brand Extension and the company then announced an exclusive show for the stars
of the division.
The Cruiserweight Exclusive Show premiered on November 29,
2016. However, despite the numerous efforts by the company, 205 Live has failed
to gain popularity with the casual WWE audience.
The August 20th episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD. In addition to the takeaways below, SmackDown went off the air with Daniel Bryan claiming that a Rowan lookalike was the person that attacked Roman Reigns.
Randy Orton kicked off this week’s episode of SmackDown by claiming that Kofi Kingston ran from a fight against him at SummerSlam in front of his wife and children. Orton called Kingston stupid and boasted about the attack last night on RAW.
Orton stated that Kingston fails every time he gets a chance to prove himself. New Day’s music hit and Kofi snuck up behind Orton. Kingston hit Randy with Trouble in Paradise and then grabbed a steel chair from outside the ring.
Kingston set up Orton’s leg in the chair and hopped up to the second rope. The Revival sprinted down to the ring to break it up and Orton was able to retreat out of the ring. Kingston beat Wilder and Dawson down with the steel chair as Randy stumbled up the entrance ramp.
Andrade Advanced In The King Of The Ring Tournament
Andrade and Zelina Vega (Photo: WWE)
Andrade squared off with Apollo in the first round of the King of the Ring Tournament. Zelina Vega accompanied Andrade to the ring for the match. Andrade started off the match in control and hit Double Knees in the corner for a two count.
Andrade went for the Hammerlock DDT but Crews countered into a roll-up for a near fall. Crews battled back and hit Andrade with a Dropkick that sent him out of the ring. Andrade connected with a Hurricanrana that sent Crews into the steel steps as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Apollo hit an Olympic Slam and went for the cover but Andrade was able to kick out at two. Andrade went for Double Knees again but Crews got out of the way and then hit an Enziguri.
Apollo followed it up with a Standing Shooting Star Press for a two count. Zelina Vega distracted Apollo and Andrade capitalized with a back elbow and then the Hammerlock DDT for the pinfall victory.
Charlotte Flair was a guest on A Moment of Bliss tonight and joined SmackDown Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Bliss stated that now that they are champions, nothing is going to change and A Moment of Bliss will still welcome the less fortunate. Bliss added that Charlotte requested to be on the show and welcomed her to the set.
Flair pointed at the throne on the entrance ramp and said that chair is more her style. Charlotte boasted about defeating Trish Stratus at SummerSlam and proving that she is the Queen of All Eras. Charlotte turned her attention to SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and claimed that she wasn’t marketable and that the division is an afterthought because she is champion.
Bayley interrupted and claimed that Charlotte was just coming up with a bunch of excuses. She added that because she is the champion, it means that she is better than her. Flair said that Bayley has devalued the title and she is going to restore it’s prestige when she beats her at Clash of Champions. Bayley accepted the challenge and vowed to finally shut Flair’s mouth at the PPV. Bayley then shoved Charlotte off the chair to conclude the segment.
Roman Reigns confronted Buddy Murphy backstage and Buddy said that he “thought” he saw Rowan attack Reigns. Daniel Bryan battled Buddy Murphy later on the show and cut a brief promo before the match. Bryan vowed to prove that Murphy was lying and had something to do with the attack by the end of the night.
Murphy connected with a knee to the face for a two count to start the match off. Bryan went to work on Murphy’s arm and then applied the LeBell Lock in the middle of the ring. Murphy was able to get his leg on the bottom rope to break the hold.
Bryan hit Murphy with a series of Yes Kicks and shouted at Buddy to stay down. Daniel hung up Murphy in the Tree of Woe and hit a Dropkick to his face. Bryan followed it up with a Belly to Back Superplex and went for the cover but Buddy kicked out at two.
Buddy battled back with a Powerbomb for a two count. Murphy planted Bryan with a Brainbuster and went for the cover but Daniel was able to get his foot on the bottom rope. Rowan hopped on the ring apron and distracted Murphy. Bryan went for a roll-up but Murphy kicked out. Buddy then Superkicked Rowan off the apron and hit Bryan with Murphy’s Law for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Rowan and Daniel Bryan attacked Buddy Murphy backstage. Rowan hit him with the Iron Claw before WWE officials broke it up.
Sami Zayn was a guest on Miz TV tonight on SmackDown. Zayn said that he doesn’t care about The Miz or Miz TV, he just needed some TV time to get some things off his chest.
Zayn stated that any success he has had in his life is because he fought something bigger. Sami added that the path for him to get back on track was to help others. Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura came down to the ring and Miz asked him why he needed to associate himself with Sami.
Sami went on a rant on Nakamura being Japanese and being a poet that cannot articulate a response. Nakamura and Zayn then beat The Miz down to conclude the segment.
So, is Sami Zayn Shinsuke Nakamura’s translator/ manager now? I’ll give this time to see where it goes. Sami and Shinsuke are two of the best wrestlers on the planet and WWE somehow cannot figure out how to use them on television.
Shane McMahon Helped Elias Advance In The King Of The Ring Tournament
Kevin Owens had a couple of conversations with Shane McMahon throughout the show. Owens tried to get Shane to lift the $100,000 fine against him for striking an official. Shane stated that he would consider it but warned that he’d have to fire Owens if he ever struck an official again.
Owens battled Elias in the first round of the King of the Ring Tournament. Owens connected with a German Suplex and followed it up with a Cannonball against the turnbuckle. Shane McMahon’s music hit and the SmackDown Commissioner made his way down to the ring as the show went to commercial.
When SmackDown returned, Elias was in control as Shane was ringside. Owens connected with a DDT and followed it up with a Dropkick off the second rope. Elias hit Owens with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Kevin kicked out at two. Owens went for a Senton off the top rope but Elias got his knees up.
Owens sent Elias out of the ring and hit a Cannonball off the apron. Shane McMahon took off his jacket and revealed a referee shirt. Shane got into the ring and Elias rolled up Owens. Shane counted to three ridiculously fast and Elias advanced in the tournament.
Everyone knew that this was going to happen. Shane McMahon being on television every week got stale a long time ago. This feud was boring immediately after Owens cut the promo and called Shane out for taking TV away from the wrestlers in the back. Shane has taken up even more time on the show since that promo. Overall, this week’s SmackDown was not a good show. Apollo Crews vs. Andrade was decent and Bryan vs. Buddy Murphy was a good match. The rest of the show was uninteresting and WWE simply punted the Reigns attacker storyline until next week.
The first match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Clash of Champions PPV.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley will make her next title defense against Charlotte Flair at this show. The match was made official on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown Live.
It happened when Flair appeared on Alexa Bliss’ talk show, A Moment of Bliss, alongside Nikki Cross.
This led to Bayley coming out which is where Flair issued the challenge and Bayley accepted. The segment ended with Bayley pushing Flair off her chair.
The two stars have been working live events as of late. Bayley actually won the title from Flair at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view this past May after she cashed in the MITB contract.
WWE presents the Clash of Champions pay-per-view event on Sunday, September 15, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Spectrum Center that will air on the WWE Network.
WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Clash of Champions Card
King of the Ring Tournament Finals: TBD vs. TBD
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.