AEW broadcaster and Senior Advisor Jim Ross discussed the XFL going into bankruptcy on a recent episode of his Ross Report podcast.
The rebooted league was Vince McMahon’s second attempt to establish an ‘alternative’ to the National Football League (NFL) and bring high-level football to fans during the traditional off-season.
JR has said in the past how much Vince McMahon invested into the original XFL concept, both financially and emotionally. Even after the league folded back in 2001 after just one season, McMahon hinted that he would give it another shot one day.
“I had the first meeting with Vince after the XFL went belly-up [in 2001]” Jim Ross said on an older episode of Grilling JR. “I talked with [McMahon’s personal assistant] Beth Zazza, ‘Is the boss gonna want to meet today?’ She said, ‘Oh yeah, yeah. He’s fine.’ He [Vince] just lost $50 million, I think it was, something like that. I said basically the same thing. ‘What could we have done differently?’ Vince said, ‘Not a god damn thing, JR. The way it was laid out? We did the best we could with what we had, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a calculated risk. And I would do it all over again. Because I believe in the concept.’”
XFL 2.0
It appeared as though this second attempt was at least on course to be viable. The games had been met with generally positive reviews and the quality of the football on show was solid.
The issue with this iteration of course stemmed from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which has seen the majority of sports leagues cancel or postpone their seasons. The NFL, NBA, MLB and MLS have all stopped play, and the XFL had to follow suit. The big issue for the XFL, unlike these other leagues, is that due to its infancy it was operating on a loss.
McMahon was hoping to get strong television rights following the initial success of the opening part of this season, but without the potential revenue coming in from networks? The brand was doomed to fail for a second time, albeit due to matters outside his control.
JR On The XFL Folding (Again)
When asked about the XFL filing for bankruptcy earlier this month, Ross admitted he was “a little bit shocked” by the news.
“I can see suspending play, much like the NFL has and other leagues,” he said on a Patreon Exclusive episode of Grilling JR. “MLB so forth and the NBA Playoffs. All these things that are being suspended based on, ‘Are we going to be able to proceed at some point in time, sooner than later?’ And of course we don’t know that. I think it’s absurd for [government] officials to talk about May 1st or June 1st. They’re just bullsh*tting us. Yeah, come on. They don’t know, right?”
Do you think that the XFL had a chance to succeed if not for the pandemic? Let us know in the comments
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The Revival are no longer with WWE, having been granted their releases from the company on April 10th. Prior to granting Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder their releases, WWE was planed to repackage the duo as a comedy act.
Vince McMahon is said to have personally given the above photos to illustrate the new look he wanted the team to go with. The photos come courtesy of Bodyslam.net. The Revival were to receive new ring music, in addition to the bow-ties, silly hats, glow sticks, oversized necklace, etc. that this new gimmick would have included.
Cash Wheeler (formerly Dash Wilder) was asked on Twitter if these photos are legit. He respectfully ‘pleaded the fifth’ and let the images speak for themselves.
— Daniel “Cash” Wheeler (@CashWheelerFTR) April 18, 2020
This is not the first time WWE has dogged The Revival with third rate comedy garbage. Last year, the world-class in-ring technicians were the butt of several wacky gags on WWE programming. During a feud with The Usos, they were caught shaving each other’s backs backstage in the locker room. They were also pranked with “Ucey Hot” cream, a high-point for WWE’s recent creative efforts.
Back in December, it had been reported that there were plans to turn the Revival into a full-fledged comedy team. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, the team was set to become a spoof of the Fabulous Ones.
“The booking plan on Smackdown is to turn The Revival into comedy characters,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “There are mixed feelings on this for obvious reasons and it still may get shot down, but the deal where Wilder tripped and fell during the ring entrance was supposed to be the start of it.”
The Revival is already using new ring names. Dash Wilder is now Cash Wheeler and Scott Dawson is going by Dax Harwood. The same day they were released from WWE, Wheeler filed a trademark application for the phrase, “Fear The Revolt.”
Whatever you call them, Wheeler and Hardwood are free agents unbound by no-compete clauses.
Dr. Britt Baker DMD has quickly become one of the most talked-about heels in AEW. In recent months on Dynamite, Baker has been ruthless in her comments to Tony Schiavone and even more ruthless to her opponents in the ring. Her new persona is not what she thought she would be doing when she started with the promotion, however. In a recent interview with the Bleacher Report, Baker spoke about her current character and the confidence she gets from working alongside Schiavone.
“It’s really totally not where I expected I would be right now, as far as character-wise,” Baker said. “I love it. Every second of it, I’m enjoying it.”
Baker also spoke about working with her “friend” Tony Schiavone on Dynamite.
“There’s always a sense of comfort knowing I have Tony Schiavone standing there with you because if anything really goes off the rails he can save it. It’s comforting, because I know he’s right there with me.”
“Tony Schiavone is such a pro and he’s so amazing, his reaction, his body language, and his gestures truly make the promos, because he’s so, so good. It’s these little organic things and these gestures. I nudged him one week and said, ‘Stand up straight,’ and he does it. He just acted on command, and it’s so funny because he’s such a professional.”
Baker also spoke during the interview about how she doesn’t memorize her promos. Rather she goes off of bullet points and then feeds off the crowd.
“You learn really quickly what works and what doesn’t. There’s a lot of moving parts to making something successful. I think I’m a prime example of people just improving over time with more TV exposure and getting more comfortable, but that comfort also comes with help from the back.”
Baker goes into further detail on these subjects in more during the interview. A link to the full discussion can be found here.
Britt Baker in AEW
At the time of this writing, Baker is ranked #5 in the AEW women’s division. She recently dropped from the #4 spot after losing to the #1 ranked Hikaru Shida 2 weeks ago.
Baker holds a career record of 10-7 in AEW. Her 10 wins is 3rd most of any female in the company. Hikaru Shida has a 12-5 career record in the promotion and Riho is sitting at an 11-6 record. She defeated Cassandra Golden this week on Dynamite.
Dustin Rhodes will face Kip Sabian in the 1st round of the TNT Championship tournament this Wednesday on Dynamite. In a clip from AEW’s “Road to the TNT Championship” set to air on Monday, Dustin tells his brother Cody that if he doesn’t beat Kip Sabian then he’ll retire.
“As you know, I soul-search every single week,” Dustin says to Cody in a voicemail during the video. “I’m always asking the question can I still do this? So my soul-searching has led me to this: This TNT tournament is the most important thing I’ve done since wrestling (Cody) at Double or Nothing, hands down. To be the first TNT champion means every frickin thing you can possibly imagine to me. So one of the things that I really want to discuss with you – and I would really like to talk to you instead of texting you this or voicemailing you this – Look, this guy Kip Sabian is no joke. If I cannot beat that son of a b**ch, I will retire.”
If Dustin loses on Wednesday, it would be the end of a very long and accomplished career that dates all the way back to the 1980s. Dustin made his debut in Championship Wrestling from Florida in the fall of 1988.
Reactions To Dustin Rhodes Putting His Career On The Line
Several people from AEW have reacted to Dustin’s statement.
Tony Khan posted the following:
1 week ago we celebrated @dustinrhodes’ birthday + his amazing career spanning 5 decades. There is hyperbole in wrestling but it’s no stretch to say Dustin’s better than ever today; I hope he’ll reconsider. @TheKipSabian carries a 2020 record of 6-3, same as Dustin. This is crazy https://t.co/yTfAM1vNmN
I think you still have it in you @dustinrhodes. You’re in the best shape of your life. Yes @TheKipSabian is a top contender. Yes @thePenelopeFord is crafty. But I’m in your corner Chicken. I’m not letting you go down without the fight of your life. Let’s go!
Yes you can still do it @dustinrhodes. You are so unbelievably incredible in the ring, on the mic, and everything you do behind the scenes. It’s just not time. Not even close. https://t.co/qxYUYrkxtt
Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux are now members of the NXT roster. While Kross has not officially debuted with the company, he attacked Tommaso Ciampa in the back to close out the most recent edition of NXT. Based on new merchandise for the Superstar, it appears he will not be going by the name Killer Kross in NXT, however.
Posters and t-shirts for Kross are already available on WWEShop.com. They can be found at this link. The shirts feature the name “Karrion Kross” indicating that he will be moving forward without “Killer” as part of his name.
The word is a noun meaning “the decaying flesh of dead animals.” It is normally spelled with a “C” rather than a “K,” however.
Karrion Kross In NXT
Triple H recently spoke about Kross during an interview with SI.com. During the interview, Triple H noted that Kross was something special.
“The first time you see him, you know right away that he’s something special,” Triple H said about Kross. “It’s been a long path for him to get where he is. He is a unique talent that combines what he does in the ring with his charisma and his intelligence. I’m excited for him to be here.”
It appears as though Kassius Ohno is amongst those recently cut by WWE. It is not clear whether Ohno has been furloughed or if he has been released outright, however. An employee who has been furloughed is still able to receive their benefits and could potentially be brought back in the future. WWE talent are being outright released while employees of the company are being furloughed, though this does not include all producers.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Ohno is part of the recent cuts. The 40-year-old had been with the company since returning in late-2016. Ohno had previously been with NXT from the summer of 2012 until the fall of 2013 as well. His last appearance in WWE was at the NXT UK tapings from Coventry in early March. Ohno also performed for the NXT UK brand on its January tapings as well.
Kassius Ohno in NXT
Real name Chris Spradlin, he has wrestled primarily under the name Chris Hero on the independent scene when outside of WWE. Amongst his accomplishments in wrestling include being a 2x ROH tag team champion along with Cesaro. The team was also awarded the Tag Team of the Year award in 2010 by the voters of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Ohno is also a former PWG World Champion and EVOLVE Champion.
Sami Callihan recently returned to Impact Wrestling. He took a brief hiatus from the promotion after losing the world title but returned as the man behind the ICU hacking incidents as of late. He is now scheduled to face Ken Shamrock next week on the 1st night of Rebellion.
During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Sami talked about his current gimmick in Impact and comparisons to his Solomon Crowe gimmick in NXT.
“Yeah but done the correct way,” Callihan responded when Van Vliet mentioned his current character is similar to the one he did in NXT. “And that’s not sh**ing on WWE at this point, they did not understand it at all.”
“We really didn’t even get to pull the trigger on the hacker cyber-punk character really at all,” he continued. “It was something that me and Dusty Rhodes had really written out, came up with ideas on and it was something that I came up with from being a big video game nerd and actually watching the movie Hackers.”
Callihan continued to say that when he suggested the character in NXT someone from the office asked him why a hacker would wrestle?
“Why would the Undertaker wrestle? He strikes dude with lightning bolts, I don’t think that’s really the hill to die on but it just didn’t click, I didn’t click,” Callihan said. He would continue to say that Impact is now trusting him to think outside of the box with the character, however.
The full interview with Chris Van Vliet can be viewed in the player below:
AEW commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently discussed the firing of WWE talent this past Wednesday. The company released and furloughed a number of on-air and backstage personnel, due to the economic climate and ongoing uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
In a Patreon Exclusive episode of Grilling Jr, Jim Ross would specifically make some intriguing comments on one released WWE Superstar in particular, Kurt Angle. Interestingly, Ross would discuss the potential of bringing in Angle to wrestle for AEW, even after his retirement from in-ring action last year at WrestleMania.
Jim Ross on Kurt Angle
“I know he wasn’t being used a lot” Jim Ross began, discussing the Olympic gold medallist. “There’s always some trepidation about Kurt’s health. He has had a lot of injuries. And you don’t want to get a guy [that’s] pushing beyond the pale. Look, Kurt’s also got a young family, he’s got several kids, you know? He’s got to find work. There’s a million things Kurt can do, no doubt. But he may have to get out of the day to day pro wrestling business to accomplish that.”
“his age and his injury situation may be a little bit prohibitive”
Jim Ross
Comparisons To Tom Brady
Jim Ross would elaborate further, discussing the quality that Angle could bring to the table in a number of industries. “He’s a great talker. He’s a hell of a personality, you know? He’s got acting chops, he’s got talent. But his age and his injury situation may be a little bit prohibitive. Now, he’s one of the greatest talents I’ve ever seen. He was a great signing for us [then WWF] when we signed him, he adapted. He took Dory Funk Jr’s coaching and Tom Prichard’s coaching very very well.”
Ross continued, comparing Kurt Angle to legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
“He is a monster athlete,” JR said of Kurt Angle. “But again, he’s like Tom Brady, he was at one time considered the greatest in the game. But at 42 for Brady? How’s Brady gonna play this year at that age? We’ll wait and see if he plays this year, If anybody plays [football] this year.”
JR – Short Run in AEW?
JR would finish by fantasy booking Angle for a short run in-ring at AEW. “Just fantasy booking here. This will make the internet for clickbait, because that’s what goes through their head. No creativity, and they’re little wh*res.” (Author’s note: Love you too, Jim!)
“Theoretically, if he’s cleared physically, and I don’t know that he would be. But if he was cleared physically? He may be a guy that you can bring in for a program against a guy like [AEW Champion Jon] Moxley. The matches between Moxley and Angle if Kurt is healthy and able to go? They could be phenomenal. But it’s not a long term thing, right? It might be a big program you get that takes you to a pay per view. But that’s it.”
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Former WWE SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff recently discussed what is now being billed as ‘Black Wednesday.’ WWE released a significant number of on-air and backstage talent earlier this week and Bischoff would weigh in on the situation for the After 83 Weeks w/ Christy Olson podcast. As part of the discussion, Bischoff would also talk about AEW and whether they would be likely to hire a number of talents from the released list.
Eric Bischoff on Released Talents
“I mean let’s take a snapshot of reality as it exists today” Eric Bischoff began. “Where can they [the released talents] go? They could, theoretically at least, go to AEW. But how bloated can that roster get? They don’t do house shows, they don’t tour. They do a pay per view once a month or whatever it is.”
Comparing AEW and WCW
Eric Bischoff would then shift the conversation into a comparison between WCW, saying “nobody’s really talking about it. As opposed to WCW when guys like Dave Meltzer and everybody couldn’t wait to disclose internal information about WCW that was leaked to them by talent. You don’t hear any of that coming out AEW. I have a pretty good idea what some of the talent are making. And, it’s astronomical sums of money compared to what even some of them have ever made at the peak of their careers in WWE or WCW.”
AEW’s Talent Budget
Eric Bischoff then clarified that statement, saying that AEW clearly has a ‘substantial’ talent budget to work with. “There’s a substantial talent budget there. It’s a talent budget for a roster that isn’t generating a lot of revenue, other than television. And, of course, pay per view. So how many top talents, how many of those names from WWE can AEW afford to hire? If they bring in three, four, or five or maybe they only bring in one?”
Bischoff finished by discussing a talent he worked with in WWE that he would consider bringing in. “That makes sense, one or two of the bigger names, I’m sure, Erick Rowan is a guy that I’d be surprised if they’re not looking at that got released. Super guy by the way I loved working with him in WWE. But there’s a handful of stars that I’m sure WWE or AEW are thinking about right now. But to think that they’re gonna absorb eight or nine or 10 people? It’s not realistic.”
Eric Bischoff
Do you think that AEW will bring in some of the recently released WWE Superstars? Let us know in the comments
The New Day have dethroned The Miz and John Morrison as the SmackDown Tag Team Champions
The title change happened on Friday Night SmackDown when Big E beat Jey Usos and The Miz in a Triple Threat Match with the titles on the line. This marks the eighth time that The New Day has won WWE Tag Team gold.
Just a few weeks ago, WWE had Morrison defend and successfully retain the titles in a Triple Threat Ladder Match against Kofi Kingston and Jimmy Uso at WrestleMania.
Although not confirmed, the belief is that a three-way tag team title match between The New Day, The Usos and Miz & Morrison will take place at WWE’s next pay-per-view event, Money in the Bank.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Gt9lKhVmM/
WWE has also confirmed matches for next week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on FOX.
Among the matches set for the show includes two Money in the Bank Qualifying bouts. Here is what’s on tap for the show:
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. Dana Brooke & Carmella.
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Drew Gulak vs. Baron Corbin.
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans.
WWE is thinking outside the box for the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The company is billing this year’s event as one of the most unique in company history.WWE announced on Friday that this year’s Money in the Bank ladder matches will take place at corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
The company also revealed the rules for the contests. The matches will begin on the ground floor, with Superstars fighting their way to the roof. The briefcases will be suspended above a rooftop ring in what will surely be a sight to remember.
The tagline for the show is, “Climb The Corporate Ladder!”
Thus far, Shayna Baszler, Asuka, and Nia Jax are representing RAW in the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, while Dana Brooke has qualified on the SmackDown side. More competitors will be added to the match in the coming weeks.
Rey Mysterio vs. Murphy, Aleister Black vs. Austin Theory, and Apollo Crews vs. MVP will compete in qualifying matches for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match this coming Monday night on RAW.
As noted, WWE has already confirmed that Braun Strowman will defend the Universal Championship against Bray Wyatt in one of the top matches at the show.
In fact, it will mark the first time Strowman has defended the title since winning it from Goldberg at WrestleMania 36.
A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Money in the Bank PPV and it features the top title on the SmackDown brand.
Bray Wyatt vs. WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman is now official for the show. WWE had Michael Cole announce the match on Friday’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
There’s speculation that Wyatt may be wrestling the match as himself instead of The Fiend. As of this writing, that’s not confirmed.
If you recall, Wyatt wrestled as himself back in December when he faced The Miz at the TLC pay-per-view event. He dressed like his character that appears during the Firefly Fun House segments.
WWE presents the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on Sunday, May 10, 2020. The event was slated to be held at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, MD but plans were changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Updated WWE Money in the Bank Card
WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman
TBA vs. TBA – Men’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match
Nia Jax vs. Asuka vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Dana Brooke or Naomi vs. TBA vs. TBA – Women’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Performance Center in Orlando tonight. Daniel Bryan battled Cesaro in a MITB Qualifying match and the SmackDown Tag Team Championships were on the line in the main event.
WWE SmackDown Results (4/17)
Tamina def. Sasha Banks to earn a title shot
Sheamus def. Denzel Dejournette
Dana Brooke def. Naomi to qualify for the women’s MITB Ladder match
Daniel Bryan def. Cesaro to qualify for the men’s MITB Ladder match
King Corbin attacked Elias
Big E def. The Miz, and Jey Uso to capture the SmackDown Tag Team Championships
Here are 6 takeaways from tonight’s show:
Bray Wyatt Gave Braun Strowman A Gift
Women’s Tag Team Champions Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss came down to the ring to begin this week’s show. Alexa and Nikki hosted “A Moment of Bliss” and welcomed Universal Champion Braun Strowman as their guest.
A graphic for Strowman versus Bray Wyatt at Money in the Bank was shown as Braun entered the ring. Alexa congratulated Braun on winning the title and he responded by congratulating them on defeating the Kabuki Warriors twice.
Braun said he used to be a part of the Wyatt Family but that is a part of his past that he is trying to forget. He added that he doesn’t owe Bray an apology and that Wyatt likes to get inside people’s head in order to make them doubt themselves.
Strowman claimed that Wyatt will not get the Universal Championship, instead he will just get these hands. Braun grabbed a gift that was in the corner of the ring and thanked Alexa for it.
Bliss told Braun that she didn’t get him a gift but Braun opened it anyway. Strowman took his old black sheep Wyatt Family mask from out of the box as Wyatt’s laugh echoed throughout the Performance Center.
Tamina Earned A Shot At The SmackDown Women’s Title
Sasha Banks faced Tamina tonight on SmackDown. Tamina would earn a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship if she won the match. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley joined commentary for the match.
Match Recap: Banks gave a Tamina a small “Legit Boss” t-shirt before the bell rang. Tamina shouted that she wars an XL and then launched Banks across the ring. Sasha rolled up Tamina for a two count. Tamina took control and threw Banks out of the ring as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Banks had Tamina against the ropes and connected with a kick to the face. Banks applied a Headlock but Tamina escaped and hit a Uranage. Sasha rolled out of the ring to try and regroup but Tamina followed her out there. Bayley distracted Tamina and Banks capitalized by shoving her into the ring post.
Sasha launched Tamina into the steel steps and Lacey Evans’ music hit. Evans hit Bayley with a forearm to the face and Tamina hit Banks with a Superkick for the pinfall victory. Tamina earned a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
After the match, Lacey Evans was interviewed backstage and made sure to mention she is a marine before vowing to knock out Sasha Banks.
Opinion: Banks losing to Tamina is just ridiculous. I don’t have much interest in Bayley vs. Tamina and I certainly don’t have interest in Tamina as the SmakcDown Women’s Champion. I’m hoping that Sasha Banks is going to win the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match in a few weeks and her friendship with Bayley continues to deteriorate.
Naomi faced Dana Brooke in a Money in the Bank Qualifying match tonight.
Match Recap: Naomi rolled up Brooke for a two count right away. Naomi followed that up with a Dropkick and went for another cover but Dana was able to kick out at tow. Brooke sent Naomi to the outside and pointed at the MITB briefcase suspended above the ring.
Brooke hit a Dropkick and locked in a submission in the middle of the ring. Naomi escaped and caught Dana with a kick to the face. Dana battled back with a Powerbomb for a near fall.
Naomi went for the Rear View but Brooke countered into a roll-up. Naomi then hit the Rear View but Brooke kicked out at two. Naomi went for a Moonsault but Dana got out of the way. Brooke then rolled up Naomi for the pinfall victory. Dana Brooke qualified for the women’s Money in the Bank match in a few weeks.
Sonya Deville asked Mandy Rose to join her in the ring so that she can make things right. Mandy didn’t come to the ring and Sonya got emotional. Deville said that she has never had someone like Rose in her life and begged for her to come down to the ring.
Mandy Rose came to the ring and told Sonya that she has nothing to say to her. Sonya told Mandy that she has spent more time with her than her family in the past five years. Deville changed her tune and called Mandy the most selfish human being she has ever met in her life.
Deville claimed that Mandy was so ready to kick her to the curb and that Fire & Desire was always about Rose. Sonya added that Mandy Rose is just eye candy with no talent. Dolph Ziggler joined the party and told Mandy that he made a huge mistake. Ziggler told Rose that he will spend however long it takes to make it up to her.
Dolph asked Mandy to look him in the eye and tell him that she doesn’t feel anything for him. Rose told Ziggler not to touch her and Sonya leveled Mandy with a punch. Otis rushed the ring and punched Ziggler in the face. Mandy tried to attack Sonya but Deville retreated out of the ring. Otis then hit Dolph with a Splash and then the Caterpillar Elbow to end the segment.
Opinion: I wasn’t expecting Sonya Deville to be the star of this segment but she was. Her promo was terrific tonight and hopefully we see more of that going forward.
Cesaro faced Daniel Bryan in a Money in the Bank Qualifying match. Shinsuke Nakamura and Drew Gulak were ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Bryan controlled the action early and knocked Cesaro out of the ring. The glitch appeared and the masked man said that they have heard all the lies but when will they hear the truth. The masked man said “some keep their friends close but others keep their enemies closer”.
Bryan focused his attack on Cesaro’s left arm and dragged him to the canvas. Cesaro battled back and hit a Body Slam for a two count. Cesaro locked in a Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring but Bryan was able to get to the ropes to break the hold.
Daniel went for an Arm Bar but Cesaro quickly escaped. Bryan hit Cesaro with a kick to the back of his head for a near fall. Cesaro connected with a knee to the face for a near fall and then locked in a Crossface in the middle of the ring. Daniel escaped but walked right into a massive Clothesline from Cesaro.
Cesaro unloaded several uppercuts but Daniel battled back and applied the Yes Lock in the middle of the ring. Shinsuke Nakamura tried to interfere but Gulak launched him into the barricade. Cesaro reached for the ropes but had no choice but to tap out. Daniel Bryan qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder match.
Big E, Jey Uso, and The Miz battled in a Triple Threat match in the main event of this week’s show. The Miz and John Morrison’s SmackDown Tag Team Championships were on the line.
Match Recap: Big E planted The Miz with a Belly to Belly Throw and knocked Jey out of the ring to start the match off. Big E brought Miz to the outside and launched him into the barricade. Big E cleared off the announce table but turned around into a Superkick from Jey.
The Miz booted Big E in the face and teamed up with Jey. The Miz and Jey Suplexed Big E through the announce table as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Jey Uso hit a Samoan Drop on Miz and followed it up with a Suicide Dive.
Back in the ring, Big E planted Jey with a Uranage. Jey battled back and hit Miz and Big E with a Superkick. The Miz hit Jey with the Skull Crushing Finale but Uso kicked out. Miz applied the Sharpshooter in the middle of the ring as Big E was laid out on the floor outside the ring.
Big E got up and broke up the Sharpshooter. Big E then planted The Miz with the Big Ending for the pinfall victory. New Day are once again the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
Opinion: I find it impossible to get invested in the tag team divisions in WWE. New Day winning the titles once again does nothing for me. Overall, SmackDown was still a solid show this week. Cesaro and Daniel Bryan had a very good match tonight, but I think Sonya Deville stole the show with her promo.
As expected, WWE is continuing to release talent due to budget cuts and now the releases are coming from the NXT brand.
On Wednesday, WWE decided to release or furlough several wrestlers as well as producers from their contracts with the company.
WWE made it publicly known that they had plans to cut back on talent expenses in addition to other areas of business expenses due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
PWInsider.com reported today that the following NXT stars were released from WWE over the past few days:
Tino Sabbatelli
Cezar Bononi
Mars Wang
Taynara Conti
Nick Ogarelli also revealed that he was released. It should also be noted that there are some wrestlers who have been removed from the Performance Center roster page as well.
As of this writing, there have been no reports as to whether the following talent has been released: Edgar Lopez, Faisal Kurdi, Hussain Aldagal, Jorge Bolly, Marcos Gomes, Mohamed Fahim, and Omari Palmer.
The following talent was let go on Wednesday by WWE:
WWE will have some interesting footage shown when they air the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
Pwinsider.com reports that the company taped footage for the show at their corporate headquarters in Stamford, CT earlier this week.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet as to whether the content was filmed at the main WWE building or its TV studios or both. It was just noted that filming took place at the company HQ.
What’s interesting is that it was noted WWE filmed material on the roof of the main building, known as Titan Tower.
WWE is slated to hold its Money in the Bank pay-per-view event slated to be held on Sunday, May 10, 2020.
The show won’t be held in Baltimore or at WWE’s training facility, Performance Center, in Orlando, Florida. Instead, WWE has an unknown location in mind for the show.
This comes after it was revealed that WWE decided to make some big changes to its TV schedule through June. It should be noted that on the schedule, there wasn’t a date listed for May 10 at the Performance Center.
Since last month, WWE has been taping and airing shows from the Performance Center due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
It appears that WWE wants fans to forget about Roman Reigns for now.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the current instruction for WWE TV is that no one is to ever mention Reigns.
As of this writing, there was no reason given for the edict. It is interesting considering Reigns is one of WWE’s top stars.
The former WWE Champion hasn’t been seen on WWE television for a few weeks now and it’s for a good reason.
Reigns was supposed to challenge Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36 – Night 1. That all changed. Reigns announced his decision to pull out of the contest. The reason for this is due to his concerns about the coronavirus and rightfully so as he has a weakened immune system with his leukemia battle.
Reigns didn’t feel comfortable with working the match because he is at a higher risk of complications from the virus.
Reigns has not been mentioned on WWE TV since that March 27 episode.
There’s still no word on when Reigns will return to WWE action. The latest report about his status came after WrestleMania, which noted at the time that his status was unknown.
Meltzer added that it’s up to Reigns on when he will return, and no one that was talking knew when that would be. It’s possible that Reigns is away for several months due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Big Show recently spoke with FOX News where he took on the criticism from fans and media regarding WWE’s decision to run shows during the coronavirus pandemic.
The company has been doing so at the closed-set WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida since last month. They’ve aired several episodes of RAW and SmackDown while airing NXT shows from in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
The former WWE Champion began by talking about how the company is eager to give fans the product and comfort they want during the pandemic. He also pointed out that despite their beliefs, WWE is taking their duties very seriously.
“We’re trying to do things the best that we can to entertain and also follow a lot of safety and health guidelines,” Show said.
He brought up knowing that for a fact since he challenged WWE Champion Drew McIntyre for the strap. He mentioned how WWE had a medical screening, temperature taking, and social distancing.
“It was really nice to see how much WWE went after making the talent as safe as possible and those that wanted to compete for the fans. And that was one thing that’s been made very clear to all the talents — you don’t have to. If you feel uncomfortable, stay at home, stay with your family.”
Big Show continued, “If you’re not in a situation where you could put someone else at risk… and you want to try to entertain your fans, you can,” he added. “I thought they did a great job and WrestleMania turned out amazing.”
Until the arenas start to hold events again, it appears that the Performance Center will be the home for the company holding events for the near future.
WWE is slated to hold its Money in the Bank pay-per-view event slated to be held on Sunday, May 10, 2020.
The card for the show has already been decided upon, according to a new report by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Before the outbreak of the coronavirus, WWE planned to hold this show in Baltimore. Now, the company will have to move the show. The belief was that it would be held in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center.
WrestleVotes reports that the show won’t be held at WWE’s training facility. Instead, WWE has a different location in mind for the show. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on where the show will take place.
WWE has already confirmed there will be both a men’s and women’s Money in the Bank Ladder bouts. Asuka, Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax have qualified for the women’s match.
Planned WWE Money in the Bank Matches
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins
WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt
WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Street Profits vs. Viking Raiders
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions Miz and Morrison vs. The Usos vs. The New Day
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Tamina
WWE Women’s Tag TeamChampions Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss vs. Dana Brooke and Carmella
WWE officials have decided to make more changes to its TV schedule. After returning to live shows this week for RAW, NXT and SmackDown, starting next week, these shows will all be taped in advance for the next several months.
Original Taping Plans
As recently as last week, WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon made the decision to tape several episodes of their TV programs that would get them through next month. That changed when WWE was deemed an essential business by the Florida Governor.
Last Friday, McMahon decided to scrap the mass filming format in order to run live shows every week.
WWE is attempting to increase the level of safety for performers during the outbreak of the coronavirus, which is why another change to its TV schedule was made.
WWE has decided to go forward with live episodes of next Monday’s Raw and NXT next Wednesday on the USA Network. They will also air live SmackDown episodes tonight and next Friday.
New WWE Schedule
Starting April 25, that will change. The company has plans to tape TV on various dates through July 1. Here’s the new schedule:
* Saturday, April 25: WWE will tape two episodes of SmackDown to air on May 1 and May 8
* Monday, April 27: WWE will tape two episodes of RAW – one for that night and one for May 4, the following week
* Wednesday, April 29: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT – one for that night and one for May 6, the following week
* Monday, May 11: WWE will tape one RAW episode for that night and one SmackDown episode for that Friday, May 15
* Tuesday, May 12: WWE will tape one RAW episode for May 18, and one SmackDown episode for May 22
* Wednesday, May 13: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT, one for that night and one for the following week, May 20
* Monday, May 25: WWE will tape two episodes of RAW, one for that night and one for June 1
* Tuesday, May 26: WWE will tape two episodes of SmackDown, one for May 29 and one for June 5
* Wednesday, May 27: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT, one for that night and one for June 3
* Monday, June 8: WWE will tape one RAW episode for that night, and one SmackDown episode for that Friday, June 12
* Tuesday, June 9: WWE will tape one NXT episode for June 10
* Monday, June 15: WWE will tape one RAW episode for that night and one SmackDown episode for June 19
* Tuesday, June 16: WWE will tape one RAW episode for June 22 and one SmackDown episode for June 26
* Wednesday, June 17: WWE will tape two NXT episodes, one for that night and one for June 24
* Monday, June 29: WWE will tape two episodes of RAW, one for that night and one for July 6
* Tuesday, June 30: WWE will tape two episodes of SmackDown, one for that Friday, July 3, and one for July 10
* Wednesday, July 1: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT, one for that night and one for July 8
The WWE Performance Center could be the venue for Top Rank Boxing to run some events. Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum recently revealed he is interested in possibly running events from the venue in Orlando.
Arum spoke with ESPN recently and said he is interested in running events from the PC but not before June.
“It’s very, very interesting, and we’re going to be in touch with them. There’s a possibility to use their facility to maybe do events without a crowd.”
“We’re very close with Vince [McMahon] and the WWE,” Arum said to ESPN. “So let’s see, but we’re still not talking before June.”
Arum would continue to say, however, that running events from the WWE Performance Center depend on what happens in the next few weeks.
“But it all depends, the whole reopening of the country, the different states, it all comes down to the same thing — testing, adequate testing,” he continued. “You cannot open it and have athletes compete against each other with referees, the judges, with camera people, unless you can ensure that it’s safe, and the only way you can ensure that it’s safe is with testing. It comes down to testing.”
Sporting Events, Including Wrestling, in the State of Florida
The state of Florida didn’t deem WWE on its own an essential business. Rather the state issued additions to its essential services list on April 9th, 2020. The 3rd addition states that the following services are now classified as “essential” in the state of Florida:
“Employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience – including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any other necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production – only if the location is closed to the general public.”
This would seemingly open the door for any sports league provided they have a national television deal.
Eric Bischoff came into TNA Wrestling in early 2010 and was gone by the fall of 2013. At the time Bischoff came in, TNA had been using a 6-sided ring. The company would revert back to a traditional 4-sided ring shortly after Bischoff and Hogan signed. Bischoff was recently asked a question about the 6-sided ring in TNA on an episode of his “83 Weeks” podcast and the former President of WCW did not hold back his opinions.
“It was stupid, right?” Bischoff said about the ring. “Here is the logic that I heard ‘yeah but when people are flipping through the channels they’re going to see that 6-sided ring and stop and go ‘hey, what’s that? Maybe we should watch that.’ That was the entire psychology and strategy behind this 6-sided ring.”
“First of all people don’t click through channels anymore,” he continued. “Even in 2010, it was just an absurd rationale and strategy to come up with a 6-sided ring for no other reason than to capture the audience that maybe surfing channels or as it was put, clicking through channels, and stop because they were going to see something that looked odd to them. Think about that? That’s pretty fu**ing stupid. So, that was my approach coming in and I was very vocal about it.”
On a recent episode of Table for 3, AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett and Sting gave their opinions on the 6-sided ring.
“I grew to love it,” Styles said. “I thought it made us so different from anything anybody else was seeing. It was kind of like with cagefighting, it looked like that. It made it more sports-oriented being so different to that box ring. We had 6-sides and looked like MMA kind of, it was different. I loved that look to the point where when I heard we were going to lose it, I was mad.”
“I wasn’t complaining when it was gone,” Sting added.
John Morrison left WWE in 2011 and returned in 2019. He is currently 1/2 of the Smackdown tag team champions along with the Miz. Morrison was recently a guest on Konnan’s “Keepin it 100” podcast and spoke about the backstage culture in WWE in addition to other topics.
Konnan asked Morrison about the differences he sees in WWE now compared to before he left in 2011.
“It seems like there’s less a**holes there now,” Morrison said on the show. “But then I was like ‘I wonder if I’m the asshole?'”
Both Taya and Konnan seemed to disagree with this sentiment, however.
“The whole idea of hazing, paying your dues, and getting your a** kicked every day, it was still like that when I came in with Joey Mercury, those times have changed. That and it also feels like there are a lot of guys that are similar.”
“I feel like there’s a grit factor that you can’t learn at the PC when you are under contract,” he continued. “Being on a 12-hour van ride driving across Mexico to make a town and you’re cramped up, not showering and getting your nose broken. That type of culture when you go through that, it gives you a grit that you can’t learn in developmental.”
He then said that the work he did in other promotions while away from WWE helped him as a performer.
“Lucha Underground and AAA and Impact and everything I did while I was away filled me out as a performer.”
Impact Wrestling is reported to have filmed enough content recently to cover several months worth of television. The company filmed at a studio in Tennessee last week but according to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, multiple key names were not in attendance.
The most notable name to not attend the recent tapings is the Impact World Champion, Tessa Blanchard. She is from the California area and is said to have not traveled to Tennessee. Blanchard was scheduled to defend her title against Michael Elgin and Eddie Edwards in a triple threat match at Rebellion but it is now not clear if that match will take place.
“Blanchard not coming was her own choice, unlike with AEW where the California crew was told not to come,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Ethan Page and Josh Alexander, the North, looked as though they were about to enter a program with TJP & Fallah Bah but it is likely neither Page nor Alexander was at the last set of tapings. Page and Alexander are both from Ontario, Canada and would not have been able to travel in. They did, however, offer the recently released Eric Young a spot in their faction:
Although not confirmed, it is believed that Sami Callihan did attend the tapings after stating awhile back he would not be wrestling during the pandemic. His match against Ken Shamrock was announced as airing next week.
It’s not clear if one of or both Jordynne Grace and/or Taya Valkyrie missed the tapings. Valkyrie was scheduled to challenge Grace for the Knockouts Title in a Full Metal Mayhem match at Rebellion. That match does not appear to be advertised for the show anymore.
Impact Wrestling Rebellion Lineup
On the last episode of Impact, they announced several matches for night 1 of Rebellion (next week) but just one match for night 2.
Here is what the company has announced thus far:
Night 1:
X-Division Championship Ace Austin (c) vs Willie Mack
Kylie Rae vs Kiera Hogan
Tommy Dreamer, Rhino & TBD vs OVE (Madman Fulton, Dave & Jake Crist)
Roberto Múñoz Carrillo, known as Black Demon in Lucha Libre, has died after contracting the COVID-19 virus. He was 39-years-old. His death is reported to have occurred on April 13th, 2020.
Carrillo wrestled for Promociones Pendragon Rojo, an independent promotion from the San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora area in addition to other local independents. Carrillo won the promotion’s 3rd annual Pendragón Rojo Cup recently. The tournament was held on February 15th, 2020. He debuted on the local scene in 2009 and wrestled as a rudo.
The news was first reported by Spanish-language Lucha news outlet, SuperLuchas.com:
Sonora based indie luchador Black Demon passed away a few days ago. SuperLuchas is reporting it as a coronavirus related death, the first wrestler to die of it in Mexico. https://t.co/7WwfOwar2R
AAA has announced that they will run empty-arena shows in Mexico soon. The events will air on YouTube as well as Twitch. A tournament is being planned for the next few shows although names of competitors have not been released. The location for the tapings has not been revealed either.
— Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (@luchalibreaaa) April 15, 2020
“With the aim of a healthy company to the millions of wrestling fans and enthusiasts around the world, this tournament will be held CLOSED, so that our fans can have fun from the shelter and security of their home and enjoy this show in the company of the family,” a translation of the statement reads.
“One of the novelties that this tournament will have is that the public will have the opportunity to influence LIVE the fate of each of the wrestlers participating in it, through interactive surveys that will be published on digital platforms.”
All Elite Wrestling’s Dustin Rhodes was a guest on this week’s episode of AEW’s official podcast, Unrestricted. During the interview with hosts Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards, Dustin opened up about the origins of his WWE character Goldust and Vince McMahon’s decision to have his father, Dusty Rhodes, dressed in polka dots.
Dustin Rhodes Becomes Goldust
Dustin recalled Vince McMahon pitching him the Goldust gimmick. He remembered how Vince would refer to Goldust as “androgynous.”
He listened to the idea and agreed to meet up to discuss the gimmick further. After the call ended, Dustin would seek out a dictionary to look up what androgynous meant. He admitted he had no idea what he had just agreed to.
Understanding the term, Dustin compared the gimmick to an Adrian Street or Adrian Adonis character. He added how he was into the idea of the face paint as he was “a big fan of Sting’s face paint and face paint in general.”
It wasn’t until a matchup with Savio Vega that Dustin would really connect with Goldust. He shared how Vega would work hard to have him experiment with situations that were “way over the line” for him.
He explained how he was a country boy from Texas, and trying these things scared him to death. “But that’s when I realized when I finally did it that to make something successful, you have to step out of yourself, outside of the box, and you got to create some magic of your own. You can’t just be scared all the time. You got to take a chance.”
Dusty’s Polka Dot Gear
After his father, Dusty Rhodes, signed with WWE in 1989, he began wearing polka dot gear. Tony Schiavone asked Dustin if he thinks this decision was made to embarrass the Rhodes family in some way. Schiavone pointed to Goldust and Stardust as potential further examples of his argument.
Dustin confessed that he believes that could have been the case, and it was something he thought of at first. He then stressed how he wasn’t entirely sure: “At the beginning, I was thinking that, but Vince kept going with me, and I don’t know if he really didn’t give a s—t.”
“[…] I was young, so I didn’t really think about those things or look too much in depth. I mean Vince and I, he would come to me and he would say, ‘Dustin, you’re going to get a lot of flack on this,’ and he would be very personable with me and say, ‘you know, if you have any problems you call me.’ And I did on more than a few occasions not huge problems but just minor things that I was trying to work out because I was unsure at the time because I was so young.”
Looking back on his experiences, Dustin confessed that, at 50, he doesn’t believe it was a rib on him. Although he can’t be sure regarding Dusty’s polka dots, Dustin believes that Vince “meant it and every bit of it” when it came to Goldust and his offer to help.
