The ongoing feud between Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens will conclude in a match at WrestleMania 36, though it will be taking place at the Performance Center with no audience instead of a packed Raymond James Stadium.
However, The Architect is not upset that this bout will not be taking place in front of any fans and he instead believes that this change is the best thing that could have happened.
Rollins shared this belief when he recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump and the former World Champion explained that both of them have a lot of history in the building:
“The relocation from the Raymond James Stadium to the
Performance Center is maybe the best thing that could have happened to this
match between myself, and Kevin Owens, there’s so much history that Kevin and I
both had in NXT and in this building.
I sort of detailed it a few nights ago on Raw. But, it really adds a different element to our match. Though we won’t have a live crowd there, we’ll have millions of people watching around the world, and that’s very exciting to know that we’re going to have this match here, where it all started.”
Seth Rollins then recalled how he was in attendance when Owens had his tryout match at the PC and the former Universal Champion claimed that he allowed Kevin the opportunity because of the sacrifices he has made.
Later in the interview, the former Champion said that Owens has a love for the wrestling business but he is misguided and his judgment has been clouded in the past five years. You can check out the episode of the Bump featuring Rollins below:
Daniel Bryan returned to in-ring action at WrestleMania 34 in 2018 and six months later, he turned heel for the first time since 2012 by beating AJ Styles for the WWE Championship right before the Survivor Series PPV.
However, it took the former World Champion some time to get into his new character and during his recent appearance on the Bump; Bryan explained how his match with Brock Lesnar at the PPV helped him embrace his new character.
The former NXT star first said that he doesn’t consider his
defeat in the bout a loss. He then claimed that he wanted Lesnar to beat the
‘old Daniel Bryan’ out of him, which the Beast did a very good job at:
“I don’t consider that I lost that match, they never mention this on WWE TV at all. I was transitioning from the old ‘Yes’ Daniel Bryan to the ‘New’ Daniel Bryan. I really wanted to antagonize Brock Lesnar, to beat me up as much as he could because I felt he needed to beat the old Daniel Bryan out of me, and I feel like he did a very good job at that.”
AJ Styles was originally expected to face the then Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2018. However, Daniel beat the Phenomenal One on the PPV go-home episode of SmackDown Live using a low blow.
The former Nexus Member embraced this heel turn in the coming weeks after the PPV and introduced the people to a ‘New’ Daniel Bryan after the show.
The Chris Benoit tragedy shook the whole wrestling world and it also forced WWE to change their planned storylines for the weeks after the incident. One such thing that the company had planned was the funeral of Vince McMahon after the Boss was involved in a limo accident the previous week on Raw.
Former SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long, who was present backstage for the episode when the news broke, talked about the night during his recent interview with WrestlingInc. Long first discussed being backstage at the show and recalling the change of plans that night, the former WWE referee said that it was unreal:
“We were in Corpus Christi, Texas and were getting ready to do TV. That Corpus Christi TV was the day we were gonna have Vince McMahon’s funeral. They had the coffin and everything there and that’s when Vince came and broke the news to us and that’s why we weren’t able to do the Vince McMahon funeral. That was unreal man.”
Long also talked about Chris and said that he was such a nice guy that you would never believe something like that would have went down. According to the former WWE employee, Chris was the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back and his wife Nancy was the same.
Apart from this, Teddy Long talked about things like his first introduction to Chris Benoit and Nancy, Nancy’s early days in the wrestling world when she managed Butch Reed and Ron Simmons and more. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.
It has been confirmed before that WrestleMania 36 will be a taped show and new reports reveal that the company has already taped some important matches for the event.
Bryan Alvarez provided an update on the event on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live and he revealed that the company held the first day of WrestleMania tapings at the Performance Center this Wednesday.
The belief was that the officials will tape night one of the show on Wednesday and night two on Thursday. However, the report says that they have already filmed some of the bigger matches for the show.
Orange County officials recently announced a “stay at home” order that will come to effect from Thursday night and it will affect the company’s ability to film shows. So the WWE crew is working hard to get everything taped before the deadline.
The company is expected to tape all the shows until WrestleMania before this Thursday. No word yet on if the tapings will include the post WrestleMania episode of Raw as well but it was rumored to be the case.
WWE is taping the shows from multiple locations but other than the Performance Center, there is no news on any other facility that is being used. The Full Sail University campus is believed to be one of the locations but there is no confirmation of the same.
WrestleMania will be a two-night streaming event this year
with the first night airing on Saturday, April 4 and night two airing on
Sunday, April 5 at 7pm ET.
This week’s episode of NXT saw injured star Io Shirai making her in-ring return for the brand and she won a big match up during her comeback on the show.
This week’s episode of the Black And Yellow brand was
expected to see Xia Li competing against Aliyah for a spot in the announced #1
contenders ladder match for the NXT Women’s Championship.
However, Li was attacked by someone backstage before the match can take place. After it was declared that she was unable to compete on the show, officials announced that Shirai has been cleared for in-ring action.
The Japanese star was then sent to the ring for the match. She went on to defeat Aliyah and earn herself the spot in the upcoming ladder match. You can check out some photos of the bout below:
Io Shirai suffered a leg injury during a match with Toni Storm on the January 22 episode of NXT. At the time, it was reported that she will stay out of action for two months.
With this win, the returning star has joined Chelsea Green, Tegan Nox, and Mia Yim in the list of confirmed names for the upcoming ladder match.
The winner of the bout is expected to receive a shot at the title after WrestleMania, where the current champion Rhea Ripley will defend her championship against the winner of 2020 Royal Rumble, Charlotte Flair
AEW Dynamite aired live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Matt Hardy confronted Chris Jericho during tonight’s show.
AEW Dynamite Results (3/25)
Cody def. Jimmy Havoc
Darby Allin def. Kip Sabian
Jake Hager def. a jobber
Brodie Lee def. QT Marshall
Kenny Omega def. Sammy Guevara to retain the AAA Mega Championship
Matt Hardy refused to join Inner Circle
In addition to the takeaways below, Jon Moxley attacked Jake Hager after his match and cut a brief backstage promo saying that he is not done with Hager.
Cody and Kenny Omega joined Tony Schiavone on commentary for the beginning of the show. Cody then battled Jimmy Havoc in the first match of the night. There were not any wrestlers in the crowd this week. Instead, several wrestlers were shown backstage gambling on tonight’s action.
Match Recap: Jimmy tripped Cody up and quickly went for a cover but Rhodes kicked out at one. Cody rolled up Jimmy for a near fall and Havoc retreated to the corner of the ring. Cody connected with a Cutter and followed it up with a Figure Four in the middle of the ring. Jimmy ripped on Cody’s ear to try to break the hold but Rhodes held on. Havoc broke the hold with a poke to the eye.
Cody sent Havoc out of the ring and poured some water on his own eyes. Cody hit a Suicide Dive and then launched Jimmy into the barricade. Jericho joined the gamblers in the back and started up a “Havoc!” chant. Jimmy brought Cody to the announce table and grabbed a headset. Jimmy said hello to Tony before grabbing Cody by the tongue and hitting an uppercut.
Back in the ring, Cody responded with an uppercut of his own and sent Jimmy to the corner. Cody Suplexed Jimmy onto the top rope and then ran backstage. Cody sprinted down the entrance ramp and Clotheslined Havoc into the ring. Cody hit another Suplex before taking off his belt.
Rhodes threw the belt to Brandi as Jimmy got back to his feet. Havoc locked in an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring. Rhodes battled to the ropes to break up the hold. Jimmy followed it up with a Lariat for a near fall. Cody hit Havoc with a reverse Suplex off the top rope and followed it up with two Cross Rhodes for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Jake Roberts appeared on the screen for a vignette about Lance Archer. Cody stood in the ring and watched Roberts as he claimed he was the best mind wrestling has ever had and never got a phone call from AEW. Jake added that AEW was afraid to bring Lance Archer to AEW because what he is capable. Jake told Cody to bring Arn and Brandi and give them something to sign so Archer can have a match with him. Cody joined commentary again and told Lance that he can debut next week on Dynamite if he wants to.
Darby Allin squared off against Kip Sabian tonight on Dynamite. Penelope Ford was ringside for the match. Before the match, AEW aired a vignette of Darby Allin burning cut out faces of Inner Circle and claiming Sabian is just going to be a sacrifice for their sins.
Match Recap: Kip and Darby locked up to start things off. Darby broke free and leveled Sabian with a shoulder tackle. Allin applied a Headlock and transitioned into a roll-up for a two count. Darby connected with an Arm Drag and Kip rolled to the outside to regroup. Allin charged at Kip but Penelope pulled him out of the way and Darby crashed into the barricade.
Back from a break, Darby connected with a Dropkick and a Stunner for a near fall. Sabian battled back and wrapped Allin around the steel ring post. Allin sent Kip to the outside and hit him with a Suicide Dive. Penelope tripped up Darby and Sabian capitalized with a Enziguri for a near fall. Kip leveled with a massive right hand but Darby countered into the Last Supper (Leg Lock) into a cover for the victory.
Brodie Lee was shown in a video package eating steak with members of the Dark Order. He told them not to eat before he is done. One of them sneezed and he kicked them out of the room (another possible shot at Vince). Brodie then made his in-ring AEW debut against QT Marshall.
What would you give to have dinner with The Exalted One @ThisBrodieLee..?
Match Recap: Brodie launched QT out of the ring and followed him out there. He slammed him into the barricade before lighting up his chest with a chop. Back in the ring, Brodie connected with a Senton and followed it up with a Splash in the corner. Brodie connected with a Suplex before QT battled back with an Enziguri.
Brodie slammed QT to the canvas and followed it up with the Discus Lariat for the pinfall victory. After the match, Brodie left a mask on QT Marshall’s chest as an offer for him to join them.
Kenny Omega defended his AAA Mega Championship against Sammy Guevara.
Match Recap: Sammy controlled the match early and kept Omega on the mat. Guevara sent Omega to the outside and taunted him by posing in the ring. Sammy then took a seat in the crowd and lured Omega in. Guevara blasted Omega in the face and made out with a hand drawn poster of Brandi as Rhodes looked on in disgust.
Thank you to all the fans around the world watching this unique episode of #AEWDynamite at home.
Guevara slammed Kenny into the barricade and started walking towards Brandi. Rhodes slapped him in the face and Kenny capitalized with a Suplex outside the ring. Omega launched Sammy into the steel steps and followed it up with a Crossbody in the ring for a near fall as Billy and Austin Gunn were shown brawling with Shawn Spears backstage.
Sammy locked in an Arm Bar but Omega grabbed the ropes to break the hold. Guevara went for a Moonsault but Kenny got out of the way. Omega hit Sammy with a chop to the chest and followed it up with a headbutt. Kenny lifted Sammy up on his shoulders but Sammy broke free by biting Omega on his broken hand.
Guevara hit an elbow to the face and went for the cover but Omega kicked out at two. Back from the break, Omega connected with a massive kick that sent Sammy flying to the corner of the ring. Kenny turned Sammy inside out with a Clothesline and went for a cover but Guevara powered out at the last moment.
Omega hit Sammy with a Dropkick for another near fall. Kenny went for a Snap Suplex but Guevara countered into a Double Stomp for a two count. Guevara hit a Springboard Cutter but Omega rolled out of the ring before Sammy could go for a cover. Guevara stayed on the attack and connected with a flip outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Omega connected with a Powerbomb and followed it up with a V-Trigger. Sammy battled back with a Hurricanrana and then a Spanish Fly for another near fall. Guevara climbed to the top rope and went for a Shooting Star Press but Omega got out of the way. Omega hit a massive V-Trigger but Sammy once again bit Kenny’s broken hand. Kenny hit another V-Trigger and went for a Snap Dragon but Sammy landed on his feet.
Omega hit a third V-Trigger and followed it up with a Piledriver for another two count. Sammy gave Kenny the finger and Omega hit another V-Trigger. Kenny followed that up with the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. Kenny is still the AAA Mega Champion.
— Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (@luchalibreaaa) March 26, 2020
Matt Hardy Declined To Join Inner Circle
Chris Jericho grabbed the camera and filmed the camera man singing along to Judas. Jericho blasted Matt Hardy for joining The Elite and stated that he was going to give him the opportunity to join Inner Circle tonight.
Vanguard 1 flew into the ring and Jericho cut a promo on the drone. Jericho said he has never liked Vanguard 1 and that he doesn’t appreciate his political views on social media. Chris called Vanguard a piece of shit but then claimed to respect the drone. Jericho asked Vanguard 1 to join Inner Circle and that his propellers will be spinning in all the money he will make.
The drone flew away and Jericho shouted that Vanguard 1 was a son of a bitch. Matt’s theme hit and Hardy was shown above in the crowd. Hardy then teleported to several different spots in the crowd (cool video edit) before showing up ringside. Hardy said “maker of pain, you’d knew I’d come”.
Jericho comically pointed out that of course he knew he’d come because this segment was booked last week. Chris told Matt that he was very impressive and is one of the hottest free agents in the world coming to AEW. Jericho claimed that AEW was built on his back and this his his show.
Chris added that he join align himself with the Inner Circle and not The Elite. Matt said he owes the Bucks of Youth a debt for resurrecting Broken Matt Hardy. Matt stated that AEW represents his freedom and he will not let Inner Circle ruin it. Jericho ran down the people that he has brought to AEW (Moxley, Hager, etc) and that he can help resurrect Hardy’s career.
Hardy stated that there is a different entity behind his vessel (Damascus) and he is over 3,000 years old. Chris referred to Matt as Damascus and claimed that he must be very wise if he that old. Matt said that Jericho is still an evil essence and a hole of the ass no matter how many times he changes.
Jericho stated that Matt will always live in the shadow of his younger brother, bad booking, and in the shadow of Le Champion. Hardy said his Broken brilliance is shining brighter than ever and Jericho once again to join Inner Circle. Hardy shouted “delete!” over and over before Chris stopped him.
Hardy claimed the real Judas betrayed him and asked the AEW audience should sing a new song. Matt sang Inner Circle will fade away and classify as obsolete. Hardy claimed that Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King’s essences were in the crowd. Matt vowed to delete Jericho and Inner Circle and Chris responded with a slap to the face. Hardy knocked Jericho down with a punch before Sammy leaped into the ring.
Jericho and Sammy beat Matt down for a bit before Kenny and Cody rushed the ring with a chair. Sammy and Jericho escaped out of the ring as Matt posed with The Elite to close the show.
Opinion: Omega and Guevara had a great match tonight that lasted several segments. Chris Jericho trying to recruit Vanguard 1 was also hilarious. I love seeing Broken Matt Hardy’s return and his creativity will definitely add to Dynamite every week. The lack of ambience from a crowd is a tough thing to get used to but that is the world we are living in today. Overall, Dynamite was a fun show despite the wrestlers not being in the crowd tonight. Hager is also a very viable opponent for Jon Moxley fir the AEW Championship going forward.
The March 25, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
The show was headlined by Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong in a singles match. Here are the 6 takeaways from this week’s show:
WWE NXT Results (3/25)
Tyler Breeze def. Austin Theory
Killian Dain def. Tehuti Miles
Cameron Grimes def. Tony Nese
Io Shirai def. Aliyah – Ladder Match Qualifying Match
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch def. Shane Thorne and Brendan Vink
Candice LeRae def. Kayden Carter
Matt Riddle def. Roderick Strong
Qualifying Matches
Aliyah vs. Xia Li and Candice LeRae vs. Kayden Carter in qualifying matches for the Ladder Match to determine a new #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Title took place on this show.
Li was attacked backstage and replaced by Io Shirai, who went over on Aliyah while LeRae went over Carter. Chelsea Green, Mia Yim, and Tegan Nox have already secured spots in the bout.
This match was slated to take place at the NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay special on WrestleMania 36 weekend. However, that event was canceled. Now, this Ladder Match is slated to take place on an upcoming episode of NXT TV.
NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley will make her next title defense against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36.
Thus, the winner of this match will face the new #1 contender down the line at a date that has yet to be announced.
Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong
Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong in a singles bout was the biggest match on the card of this interesting show.
It was exactly what you would expect to see in a hard-hitting affair. This seemed to be and played out as a match with two top names that could deliver a fine match. Riddle won the match.
It appeared that WWE is building up to a rematch between The Undisputed Era and Riddle & Strong for the NXT Tag Team Titles.
While it won’t take place at NXT TakeOver: Tampa, don’t be surprised to see it play out on NXT television.
After the match, two unknown stars managed by Malcolm Bivens came out and attacked Riddle.
WWE NXT Champion Adam Cole had a special message for fans on this show. He cut a promo from his phone while poolside on vacation.
He talked about while poolside, he had been thinking about his altercation with the Velveteen Dream and how it got him flustered but then he was thinking why he would ever be flustered.
Cole then listed off his accomplishments in WWE from being the first-ever North American Champion, the first winner of the WarGames Match in NXT, and now the longest-reigning NXT Champion.
Cole stated that Dream hasn’t done anything to earn a shot at him or his title. However, The Undisputed Era wants a shot at the experience and vowed that Dream would suffer a loss to Bobby Fish when they wrestle.
Soooooo long overdue, and well deserved. It’s good to be the champ…excuse me, the LONGEST REIGNING champ ? https://t.co/NhZNvT3qSb
WWE didn’t waste any time in getting to in-ring competition with Tyler Breeze vs. Austin Theory in a singles match.
After a few graphics hyping what was on the show, we went straight to the match. Just like with RAW and SmackDown, WWE had the hard camera showing the entrance ramp in the background.
This comes after the low rated edition of NXT which featured no live matches but rather three video packages last week.
As seen on the show, Breeze ended up going over, which some could see as an interesting move considering Breeze hasn’t been used in a prominent role since Fandango was sidelined due to injury.
It was a fine opener with both guys shining. Theory is still someone to keep your eye on but he’s still missing something that’s keeping him from being a main time player.
The continuation of the ongoing program between NXT North American Champion Keith Lee, Damien Priest and Donovan Dijak took place on this show.
It all started with Lee apologizing to Dijak for thinking that he was the one who attacked him two weeks ago, which led to Lee laying him out at the time. Dijak claimed that Lee took the food off the plate of his family.
This led to Priest coming out to the ring and saying that his eyes are on the prize which is the North American Title. He said that his name will live forever but he needs the title to do so.
Lee said that them fighting over the title doesn’t matter because the champion is standing right here. Priest tried to attack them but Lee and Dijac fought him off. Dijak took them both out with an outside dive.
With NXT TakeOver: Tampa being off, it’s just a matter of time before a three-way is booked.
Triple H Addresses Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa
‘The Game’ Triple H. Image Credit: WWE.com
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa had to answer to Triple H. In the final segment of the show, Triple H began to cut a promo about this feud before Ciampa came out.
Ciampa told Triple H to bring out Gargano and that everything has been said that needs to be said. Triple H told them that there will be no physicality. Gargano said that he doesn’t understand why he was fined when Ciampa started the brawl two weeks ago. He refused to get into the ring.
Triple H said that he’s the reason that both of them are still here because William Regal wanted to fire them. Triple H stated that he gets their beef but it needs to end.
He said that it should end on the biggest stage in the world. Gargano said it should’ve ended last year but Ciampa broke his neck. Gargano said in two weeks, they can finish it once and for all. Triple H said that he will find an empty building and a referee there to say it’s over.
When this is over then it’s over. One will walk out and one will leave. Triple H said that if their feud continues after this match then both of them will be gone from NXT.
At the end of the segment, there was a teaser video for the arrival of Killer Kross.
Seth Rollins made an appearance on WWE’s The Bump where he talked about a wide range of topics including his match at WrestleMania 36.
Rollins is slated to take on Kevin Owens in a singles match at this show. Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, WWE had to move the show from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
This is where Rollins talked about how the relocation of venues “is maybe the best thing that could have happened to this match between myself, and Kevin Owens.”
Rollins continued by stating, “There’s so much history that Kevin and I both had in NXT and in this building. I sort of detailed it a few nights ago on Raw. But, it really adds a different element to our match.
Though we won’t have a live crowd there, we’ll have millions of people watching around the world, and that’s very exciting to know that we’re going to have this match here, where it all started.”
Rollins stated that he was in attendance the first day that Owens had his tryout match and he watched Ownes earn his job after he allowed that opportunity because of the sacrifices he made.
He added that to be able to put a nail on this thing with Owens where it all started is going to be a special thing for him.
Brie Bella has opened up about her husband, Daniel Bryan, working WWE events down in Orlando, Florida despite there being an outbreak of the coronavirus not only in the United States but also around the world.
She did so on the Bella Twins’ latest podcast. She stated that Bryan is still working the TV tapings and while she’s glad that he’s working, it makes her really nervous.
“My husband has an autoimmune disease, he also fought asthma really bad when he was young. He was always sick when he was a kid and I’ll admit … I lost sleep last night. I was king of like, ‘ugh.’ I’m grateful my husband is still employed, but at the same time, I’m really scared that he’s just out there. I just pray so much for him that he stays healthy and all that, but it’s like this weird tug-of-war.”
Bella continued by noting that he’s in Orlando and when he comes back home, he will have to stay at a hotel and be checked out by their Naturopath, Dr. Jane, in order to see if he has any symptoms before he comes home to them.
“That could be weeks, and when he left yesterday or the day before, I was just like, ‘It could be three weeks until I see you’ and it’s just sad but thank goodness for technology, FaceTime and all that.”
WWE has taped several upcoming episodes of RAW, NXT, and SmackDown in addition to taping both nights of WrestleMania 36 since last Saturday.
AEW on-air talent and former WWE agent Arn Anderson recently talked about the relationship between Triple H and WWE CEO Vince McMahon. This week’s episode of the ARN podcast focused on WrestleMania 31, which featured the controversial encounter between Sting and the aforementioned HHH.
Arn Anderson on Triple H/Vince McMahon
Anderson was discussing how a number of WWE fans believe that the company will be different once/if Triple H takes over the creative reins overall. The match between HHH and Sting was arguably a creative train wreck, and co-host of ARN Conrad Thompson asked if it was Triple H who likely booked the match or if Vince McMahon had final creative say.
“I know that Hunter will never be able to override Vince’s idea” Arn Anderson began. “No matter how good [the idea] is that he has. Or how it applies, or what you know is more appropriate. It would always be Vince’s idea.”
“the harder you push against him [Vince], the harder he pushes back. “
Arn Anderson
Anderson would elaborate further, saying that “the harder you push against him [Vince], the harder he pushes back. And he just happens to have a lot more weight behind his push.” Arn would also discuss how the flow of the match was almost nonsensical; especially with the talents who were hitting finishers that were easily kicked out of. “There was a whole bunch of sh*t. I mean why would you kick out of Shawn Michaels Superkick on top of Hunter’s Pedigree? And all the other finishes you compile and pile on top of each other?”
Triple H at WrestleMania 35. Image Credit: WWE.com
Arn would finish by saying that “you’re not building anybody, you’re killing everything off. I don’t understand why guys of this era don’t understand your finish is the one thing that should be sacred. Once you hit your finish on the guy, he’s beat. That’s why it’s your finish. If you didn’t have confidence in it because it had a proven record; then why is it the move that you choose to win a match?”
Impact Wrestling and AXS TV announced today they will be airing a one-night-only special next Tuesday, March 31st at 10 p.m. following a regularly scheduled episode of Impact Wrestling. The show will feature names from TNA Wrestling’s past including Scott Steiner, Kid Kash, Chase Stevens, and more.
The special will broadcast all-new previously unaired matches. The main event of the show will pit former TNA world heavyweight champion Rhino against Madman Fulton.
Scott Steiner will also appear on the special offering his honest and unfiltered thoughts in a segment titled “Scott Steiner Uncensored.”
Hernandez from LAX will take on Chase Stevens. Kid Cash and Johnny Swinger will also team up to take on Suicide and Manik.
TNA returns to television for one night only next Tuesday at 10/9c featuring TNA legends such as Scott Steiner, Hernandez, Kid Kash, Chase Stevens, and more plus all new matches. Join us and celebrate TNA history one more time.
“For years, the loyal fans of TNA have asked us to bring back some of their favorite wrestlers of the past,” said Impact’s Scott D’Amore, “and after the incredible response we received from the now-postponed ‘TNA: There’s No Place Like Home’ iPPV, we thought an AXS TV special would be the perfect opportunity to celebrate our history.
“Right now we’re dealing with unprecedented circumstances, so here’s a great reason to stay home, turn everything off and enjoy the excitement that is Total Nonstop Action wrestling!”
AEW has released its weekly rankings for March 25th, 2020. The promotion releases new top-5 rankings every Wednesday for its men’s, women’s and tag team divisions.
AEW Men’s Division
World Champion: Jon Moxley (7-0)
Chris Jericho (0-1)
MJF (3-0)
Cody Rhodes (4-1) (+1)
Jake Hager (3-0) (previously unranked)
Kenny Omega (1-0) (-2)
Cody Rhodes moved up one spot this week in the rankings. He was on the losing end of the 6-man tag on Dynamite along with Matt Jackson and Hangman Page. They lost to Jake Hager and Sanatana & Ortiz. Cody benefits from Kenny Omega dropping 2 spots in the rankings this week.
PAC dropped out of the rankings this week after being ranked #5 last week. He was scheduled to team with the Death Triangle but wasn’t on the show and might not be for some time now. Omega is out with an injured hand and dropped 2 places in the rankings as well.
Jake Hager also finds himself in the rankings this week. He made short work of Joe Alonzo on Dark.
AEW Women’s Division
Champion: Nyla Rose (4-1)
Hikaru Shida (5-1)
Kris Statlander (2-3)
Yuka Sakazaki (1-1)
Britt Baker (2-2)
Riho (3-3)
There was no movement in the women’s rankings this week but Hikaru Shida certainly solidified herself as the top contender in the division. She defeated Penelope Ford, Kris Statlander, and Riho in a fatal 4-way match this week. Former champion Riho has been sliding down the rankings in recent weeks, and her loss to Penelope Ford last week on Dark is a key contributor to her drop.
AEW Tag Team Division
Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (6-0)
The Dark Order (5-0)
The Young Bucks (2-2)
SCU (2-3)
Lucha Bros (1-2) (previously unranked)
Best Friends (3-3) (-1)
The only movement in the tag division this week saw the Lucha Bros re-enter the rankings at #4. They defeated the Best Friends on Dynamite, who subsequently dropped one spot in the rankings this week and are now at #5. Private Party didn’t wrestle this week and they fell out of the top-5 rankings as a result.
Impact Wrestling presented a show last night on Twitch and AXS TV. The episode featured a main event of Eddie Edwards & Tessa Blanchard against Michael Elgin & Taya Valkyrie. A segment from the Undead Realm was featured heavily on the show as well.
Impact Wrestling 3/24/20 Quick Results:
Willie Mack defeated Chris Bey, Acey Romero, Jake Crist, Rohit Raju, Cousin Jake, Trey, and Daga.
Michael Elgin & Taya Valkyrie w/ John E Bravo defeated Eddie Edwards & World Champion Tessa Blanchard
Rosemary, Havok, & Su Yung Align In The Undead Realm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4sp19uAEhU
The undead division was on full display during this episode of Impact Wrestling. Havok and Su Yung were about to do battle in the undead realm when the Twitch stream cut-out and showed a disclaimer asking for fans to go to Impact’s YouTube channel as the content of the scene was deemed not suitable for the platform. In the end, the two battled until James Mitchell let it be known that both warriors were too much trouble and he banished both of them to the barren wastelands of the undead realm.
At the end of the show, Rosemary eventually teleported to where Su and Havok both were and asked the two to align with her to undo what Mitchell had done to them. Havok and Su returned to Mitchell and Havok stabbed him. The last scene was Mitchell waking up in heaven and asking “Who booked this s**t?”
Raven Gives Rosemary Advice About Revenge & Rivalries
Nothing quite puts your lust for vengeance into perspective like running into @theraveneffect in a bar.
Raven has popped up a couple of times in Impact Wrestling as of late and was also recently teased as the Exalted One in AEW. In general, wrestling is better when Raven plays a role. With legends coming back as managers nowadays, one has to wonder if Raven will eventually be in such a spot to offer guidance to someone. This week, he offered some solid advice to Rosemary about the nature of blood feuds.
Rosemary, who has been playing with the real wives of Slam town as of late, was shown in a bar this week. She noted that she spent two years trying to get revenge when Raven overheard her. He said that two years is nothing for revenge and rivalries.
“Two years? That’s it,” Raven said. “Why don’t you just tap out to a headlock?”
“Feuds, revenge, pain, all the damage you can do, you’re just starting to get good after 2 years.”
He would continue to explain how blood feuds continue through the years with comparisons to his feud with Tommy Dreamer.
“Sometimes I wonder, do I hate Dreamer or do I love Dreamer? I don’t care because it goes on forever!”
Eventually, this advice struck a chord with Rosemary and would play into her scenes with Su Yung and Havok at the end of the episode.
Unfortunately, it is not clear when, where, or how Rebellion will take place but when it does, Sami Callihan will face Ken Shamrock. Callihan was shown this week cutting a promo from isolation about his fireball attack on Shamrock from last week.
Michael Elgin & Taya Valkyrie Earn Victory Over Tessa Blanchard & Eddie Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeVcLyeMuMk
With the status of the Rebellion pay-per-view currently unknown or uncertain, it’s not clear how long fans will have to wait before the Impact world title match between Tessa Blanchard, Eddie Edwards, and Michael Elgin.
Elgin picked up a victory in this week’s main event, however, when he pinned Eddie Edwards with an Elgin bomb in this hard-hitting mixed tag team match. There can be no doubt that Elgin is still targeting winning the world championship for the first time, and this win builds him momentum in that direction. When the match will actually take place, however, is still not clear.
Willie Mack Earns X-Division Championship Match Against Ace Austin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgthMaOhvgA
Impact kicked off with a fast-paced multi-man scramble match this week. An X-Division title shot was on the line. Everyone in the match was given time to shine including newcomer to the division Chris Bey. There were two big spots involving Acey Romero as well that played heavily into the match. Midway through the match, a tower of doom spot involved Romero being the man on the peak of the big suplex. Romero would also factor into the end of the match when a suicide dive to the outside took out all but a few members of the match. This allowed Willie Mack to hit Cousin Jake with a frog splash and get the win.
Mack and X-Division champion Ace Austin were shown in the back later in the show. Recently, Austin came to Mack’s defense in a tag match against Johnny Swinger and Disco Inferno. Swinger was also shown speaking with Mack in the back later in the night, suggesting that fans want to see the “Pack” and “Mack” face each other for the X-division title.
Joey Ryan believes the Deaners suffer from “toxic masculinity” and need to be canceled. Ryan narrated a video from Cancel Culture this week about Cody Deaner and Cousin Jake.
The tag-team then lamented on all the great TV shows that had been canceled in the past. They concluded that if they want to avoid being canceled, then Deaner must defeat Joey Ryan.
Moose is not happy that so many stars from TNA wrestling are showing up in modern-day Impact as of late. This week, Moose made quick work of Chase Stevens before Scott D’Amore came up on the stage and told him all he has to do is turn around to see more stars from TNA’s past. A new-look version of Suicide appeared and took out Moose to end the segment.
All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has reflected on his time in WWE portraying the Stardust character. Responding to a tweet from talkSPORT’s Alex McCarthy, Cody explained how the Stardust gimmick had broken him and that he was a “subpar performer” during that time because of it.
“Not pushing Stardust wasn’t the crime, the character had broke me and I was a subpar performer under the paint during that period. The crime was not capitalizing on 2010-12 where I was cooking with gas and my live event work was top level consistent. In the end, blame is on me.”
Not pushing Stardust wasn’t the crime, the character had broke me and I was a subpar performer under the paint during that period
The crime was not capitalizing on 2010-12 where I was cooking with gas and my live event work was top level consistent
Cody would be repackaged with the Stardust gimmick in mid-2014. It would see him don face paint, a bodysuit, and adopt mannerisms that initially aped those of his brother, Goldust.
In 2016, Cody revealed he had officially requested his release from WWE. He later revealed he had “pleaded” with WWE writers to end the Stardust gimmick for over 6 months. Despite pitching several storylines, all of them were ignored.
Cody Rhodes’ Dynamite Double Duty
Cody Rhodes is set for double duty this week on AEW Dynamite. Not only will he be facing off against Jimmy Havoc, he will also be providing commentary duties alongside Tony Schiavone.
Jim Ross has reflected on his discomfort at WCW’s decision to turn the real-life issues between Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan into an angle. Nancy Benoit had been married to Sullivan from 1992 to 1997. In 1997, WCW started an on-screen romance between Benoit and Nancy. They would eventually have a real-life affair.
“I thought their private life got way too public,” Ross said on his podcast, Grillin’ JR. “It became an angle, it became a storyline. As if we’re obligated to share our personal life and that should be voluntary, it should not be made a storyline out of.”
Ross continued, “I felt like making that, the marriage, the adultery, all this other stuff was simply unnecessary, we have to be more creative. Did we have to go there? I wasn’t really sure what was true in that whole deal and what wasn’t. In any event it made me uncomfortable.”
Dark Side of the Ring Season 2 premiered last night on VICE TV. It began with a two-hour special covering Benoit’s tragic story. Chris Jericho narrated the documentary. Alongside Chavo Guerrero, he was heavily involved with the process of helping the production put the episode together.
WWE will be presenting a different yet big episode of its weekly NXT television program. Thus, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of NXT.
The company is building up this show with an appearance by Triple H for two reasons. First, he’ll address the canceled NXT TakeOver: Tampa event and scheduled matches for that event being shown on upcoming episodes of NXT TV.
Also, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa will have to answer to him for their brawl at the Performance Center two weeks ago.
In the likely main event, Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong is slated to take place.
WWE holds this show in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Triple H to address the canceled NXT TakeOver: Tampa event
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa to answer to Triple H
Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong
Candice LeRae vs. Kayden Carter – Ladder Match Qualifying Match
Aliyah vs. Xia Li – Ladder Match Qualifying Match
Tyler Breeze vs. Austin Theory
Adam Cole has a special message for fans
Join us here later tonight for our WWE NXT Results and post-show Takeaways feature.
John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) took some time during his self-isolation to share a story with fans about a backstage fight between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle. According to JBL, both Superstars came backstage angry, leading to Guerrero attempting to take Angle down.
“Well, apparently, something happened in that match,” JBL began. “[…] As they come back, Eddie and Kurt get into a physical fight. Eddie leg dives an Olympic gold medalist. Now, Kurt Angle was not good in high school, he was not really good in college, he was the best in the world. Out of 8.5 billion people, he was the gold medalist. You might have a chance punching Kurt; hit him with something. Don’t leg dive an Olympic gold medalist.”
JBL recalled how John Laurinaitis separated Guerrero and Angle, shutting JBL in alone with a seething Guerrero. “Eddie comes back, doesn’t even look at me, sits right beside me, and he’s staring at the door, and he’s breathing so loud you can hear him breathe. And I looked at him, and he’s still looking at the door, and I said, ‘Eddie why would you leg dive a gold medalist?’ Eddie says, ‘Cause I’m stupid!'”
A fan then asked how JBL could know that Guerrero attempted to “leg dive” on Angle if he was alone in the locker room. JBL explained how he heard all the yelling as they fought. He added, “it was easy to figure out what happened.” He also noted that other wrestlers who had witnessed the exchange were explaining it to each other as they entered the dressing room.
Heavy Machinery’s Otis is reportedly still set to compete against Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania 36. The matchup has yet to be officially announced. It is expected that their clash will be confirmed during this week’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, their planned clash has not been changed and will still be a part of WrestleMania 36. Their feud was a significant part of last week’s SmackDown. The show was performed in front of zero fans at the WWE Performance Center out of coronavirus concerns.
It has been speculated that WWE had considered plans for a mixed tag team match involving Heavy Machinery. Otis and his tag team partner Tucker Knight would have teamed with Sonya Deville. They would have faced the team of Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode and Mandy Rose.
WrestleMania 36 Changes
Originally intended to be hosted at Raymond James Stadium, WrestleMania 36 now takes place from multiple locations on April 4 and April 5. The show will be pre-recorded to try and combat the further spread of the coronavirus.
Orange County officials recently issued a “Stay at Home” order. This order will go into effect for two weeks from Thursday, March 26. It includes the locations of the WWE Performance Center and Full Sail University. It is unknown at the time of writing how this will impact WWE’s current production cycle and recording process, post-WrestleMania 36.
During a recent episode of his podcast Talk is Jericho, Chris Jericho shared a story of pitching an idea to Vince McMahon. Regaling his guest Matt Hardy, he explained how it didn’t take long for Vince to change the initial idea.
Chris Jericho’s Original Highlight Reel Idea
“[…] the original Highlight Reel, I pitched it as ‘Jericho’s Junction’ because I was watching a bunch of Mean Gene Okerlund interviews and myself included,” Jericho said. “When I first started doing interviews, he was the Jedi. If you didn’t know what you were doing, Gene would lead you through the interview and make you look like a star, and I said, why don’t we do Jericho’s Junction where every week like a Piper’s Pit, we bring out underutilized stars whoever they were at the time. I’ll lead the interview. We’ll get the people over. We’ll get them to do interviews and connect with the crowd.”
According to Chris Jericho, Vince apparently loved the idea. He was then told that his first guest would be Goldberg.
“I’m like, well Goldberg is not really the guy. I’m thinking more like Bull Buchanan. Nope Goldberg. Next week Scott Steiner. The next week, it’s Rock,” Jericho recalled. “I’m like the whole concept of what I had is gone, and now it’s just another talk show which is fine. That’s great. But the original plan was much like you just like let’s give some of these underutilized guys guys a spotlight where somebody like me or you knows how to bring them along.”
Matt Hardy’s Broken Block Concept
Chris Jericho’s story came off the back of Matt Hardy’s ignored pitch for the Broken Block. Hardy detailed the idea, explaining that it would have been an opportunity to highlight underutilized Superstars. All he wanted was 10-15 minutes to do so.
“What I pitched [was] give me 10 to 15 minutes of the show, and I want to call it ‘The Broken Block’. My idea was give me underutilized guys like Chad Gable and Ali and Apollo, guys that aren’t being utilized at all. Let me put them on that show. Let them do badass things. Let me put some vignettes from the Hardy compound and House Hardy and just give me like 10 to 15 minutes, and I’ll call it ‘The Broken Block’ every show and just see how it does.”
Hardy continued, “These guys have matches in the arena. I’m almost like the commissioner or like I’m heading up this broken block, and we try to give Ali and Chad Gable a best-of-seven. Cut them loose. Let them have great matches. They’ll become stars on their own just because of the quality of their matches, and then will interject a little Vanguard 1 and we’ll have some of the you know House Hardy on it. ‘The Broken Block’. 10 to 15 minutes that’s all I was asking for. Never heard anything about it.”
Matt Hardy debuted for AEW last week on Dynamite, aligning himself with The Elite. This week, Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy are scheduled for a face-to-face meeting in the ring.
AEW has loaded up its lineup for the latest edition of their weekly television show, Dynamite.
With bell time just hours away, it’s time to look ahead to tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT. The show is expected to start with Cody vs. Jimmy Havoc. Luchasaurus vs. Wardlow in a Lumberjack Match is also set.
Like last week, tonight’s Dynamite will take place from Jacksonville, Florida at the Daily’s Place amphitheater.
AEW Dynamite Preview: 3/25
AEW is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
AAA Mega Champion Kenny Omega vs. Sammy Guevara
Cody vs. Jimmy Havoc
Luchasaurus vs. Wardlow (Lumberjack Match
Best Friends vs. Lucha Bros. (Parking Lot Street Fight)
Matt Hardy and Chris Jericho will have a face-to-face confrontation
In addition to his match against Jimmy Havoc, Cody will serve as special guest commentator.
AEW will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds. For the time being, AEW still plans to hold weekly live episodes of Dynamite.
As a reminder, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, there will be no fans in attendance. Instead, only essential staff will be allowed.
Returning WWE Hall of Famer Edge has shared which NXT Superstar he would love to clash with. During an interview with Sportskeeda, Edge praised several of black-and-gold brand talents. It was Keith Lee, however, that he would want to compete against.
“There are so many talents, you can seriously point to everyone on the roster,” Edge said. “Obviously (Tommaso) Ciampa and I have a very close relationship, we’re both ‘neck’ guys for a lack of a better term. So he’s picking his brain a lot and I love it because he cares a lot and he’ll try the ideas too. I love [Johnny] Gargano.”
Edge On Which Superstars Set An NXT Template
Edge shared how he believes Balor is the guy who is “dialed in” right now. He argued that Balor returning to NXT has allowed him to discover what he’s supposed to do. He added how Balor and Gargano “set the template” for what an NXT matchup should be.
Edge also praised Velveteen Dream. He labelled him a “raw, completely natural character.”
He stated how Dream has just tapped into his character and makes for an entertaining watch. Edge then turned his attention to current NXT Champion Adam Cole and Keith Lee.
“You got your workhorses like Adam Cole who’s just out there week-in, week-out, night after night in the grind and you just got to tip your hat to that guy,” Edge said. “Keith Lee is so impressive – I’d love to be able to get in the ring with that guy and just show him exactly what he is and how he can be.”
Edge is set to face off against Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36. The “Show of Shows” takes place on April 4 and April 5.
Posted March 25th, 2020 in News, NXT, WWE. Tagged: Edge.
Orlando officials have announced a “Stay at Home” order that could have a knock-off effect on WWE production post-WrestleMania. The order will be instigated from Thursday, March 26 at 11PM EST and will initially last for two weeks.
This mandate will be implemented in Orange County, where the WWE Performance Center and Full Sail University are located.
WWE Working Through Coronavirus
In their efforts to deliver WrestleMania 36, WWE relocated from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. The event has been split across two days, now taking place on April 4 and April 5. Most notably, “The Show of Shows” will now be pre-recorded. All of these efforts were put into effect due to the current coronavirus pandemic.
Their projected recording schedule has seen them already tape SmackDown and 205 Live last Friday. WWE also recorded NXT this past Sunday and future episodes of RAW on Monday and Tuesday. The company is reportedly recording WrestleMania 36 today, with plans to complete taping tomorrow.
“Orange County now has at least 50 cases within our county,” Orange County’s Mayor Jerry Demings confirmed. “On March 15, just one week ago we had just one case. It is an understatement that it is spreading throughout our community. We believe this is the most effective way to deal with the coronavirus threat. Our goal is to get our lives back to normal as soon as possible.”
Both Rey Mysterio and Dana Brooke are reportedly in quarantine. Both were pulled from WrestleMania 36 to monitor and self-isolate. Although it was reported that Brooke is sick, WWE didn’t want to take any chances, hence the quarantine action.
We finally have a trailer to pass along for The Big Show Show, the show that stars former WWE Champion The Big Show.
The series will make its debut on Netflix on Monday, April 6, the day after WrestleMania 36. You can check out the trailer for the series in the video player below. Netflix describes the series as “When the teenage daughter of Big Show, a retired world-famous WWE Superstar, comes to live with him, his wife and two other daughters, he quickly becomes outnumbered and outsmarted. Despite being 7 feet tall and weighing 400 pounds, he is no longer the center of attention.”
It has been announced that the first season will be 10 episodes long. Allison Munn, Reylynn Caster, Juliet Donenfeld, and Lily Brooks O’Briant all join “The World’s Largest Athlete” on the program. The Big Show probably has some of the most extensive acting experience of any WWE Superstar on the roster. He has appeared in films such as Jingle All The Way, The Waterboy, MacGruber, Knucklehead, and more. He has also appeared on a plethora of television shows dating back to 1994.
Now, he gets his own television series on the world’s leading streaming platform.
Viewership data is in for this week’s episodes of Friday Night SmackDown and Monday Night RAW.
Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
SmackDown Viewership
SmackDown averaged 2.569 million viewers on FOX in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. This is up from the 2.470 viewers that the show did for the previous week’s episode of SmackDown.
The show averaged 2.563 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was down from the 2.588 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets.
The first hour drew 2.637 million viewers while the second hour did 2.488 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 2.673 million viewers while the second hour did 2.503 million viewers.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.80 rating in the 18-49 demos, up from the 0.70 rating as last week’s show.
Rusev is stepping up in a big way to help WWE employees who are out of work and not being paid during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The grossly underutilized wrestler from Bulgaria has pledged $20,000 to any of his ‘extended WWE family’ that is out of work without compensation, including production staff, security, etc. He tweeted on Tuesday;
“In Bulgaria we say ‘It’s not a lot but it’s from the heart’ I pledge 20,000$ to any of my WWE extended family that are sitting at home without income. WE can’t do it without y’all. Production, security, etc. LOVE YALL.”
The ongoing Coronavirus outbreak forced WWE to cancel all live events for the foreseeable future. The company is taping Raw, SmackDown, NXT and even WrestleMania from the Performance Center in Orlando. However, a lot of people who work WWE shows are out of work.
Rusev has been used sparsely by WWE in recent years. After spending most of 2019 on the sidelines, he returned in September as part of the romance storyline involving his real-life wife Lana, Bobby Lashley and Liv Morgan.
With reports circulating that Rusev is in the midst of a contract dispute with WWE, he was written off television in mid-February.
