AEW Dynamite viewership took a major hit this week after a strong start running unopposed on Wednesday nights.

The April 28th edition of AEW Dynamite on TNT averaged 889,000 viewers. The show did a 0.33 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic to finish #10 on cable. The data comes courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily.

Dynamite viewership was down significantly after drawing viewership above 1.1 million the past two weeks. The show went up against US President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address to Congress and the subsequent coverage.

Digging into the demographics, AEW’s numbers were down across the board. The demographic that was hit the hardest was Adults 50+, which was down 23%.

AEW has Blood and Guts scheduled for next week, which should spike a big number and bring things comfortably back above the 1 million mark.

Wednesday’s show featured FTW Champion Brian Cage getting a surprise win over Hangman Page, Penta El Zero M getting a win over Orange Cassidy, an appearance from AEW/Impact World Champion Kenny Omega, a face-to-face showdown between the Inner Circle and the Pinnacle, Darby Allin retaining the TNT Championship over Dark Order member 10 and much more.

Check out our AEW Dynamite Results & Takeaways (4/28).

AEW President Tony Khan has commented on potential scheduling conflict presented by TurnerSports signing a multi-year broadcasting deal with the National Hockey League (NHL).

The 7-year deal will see WarnerMedia-owned cable networks airing 72 regular-season games per year, as well as several games from the Stanley Cup finals.

With Dynamite airing on Wednesday nights on TNT, there’s been some speculation about whether or not AEW could face frequent preemptions or get moved to a different night entirely.

Tony Khan appeared on Busted Open Radio on Wednesday and addressed this very topic.

“I know Wednesday night is our slot and our home,” he began. “We’re in a great situation. I’m thrilled with our partnership with TNT. It’s the lifeblood of our company. It’s the primary revenue source and it’s the way most fans get exposed to AEW.”

“It Would Have To Be A Really Good Deal For AEW”

He said that Wednesday night is an important night for a lot of wrestling fans and he said he does not want people to worry about these kind of major changes. They have a contract with WarnerMedia that runs for another two and a half years plus.

“If there was ever an opportunity to move, or if there was a deal to be had, I would consider it. If we did something, it would have to be a really good deal for AEW.”

Based on these comments, it seems that AEW Dynamite is staying on Wednesday nights for the foreseeable future, but “money talks” and Tony Khan would be flexible if it was worth their while.

Check out Tony Khan’s comments on Busted Open in the tweet embedded below:

A new chapter begins this weekend for Major League Wrestling.

MLW Fusion, the fight league’s flagship show, premieres on Vice TV this Saturday at 12pm (Eastern). MLW sent in the following press release touting the historic broadcast:

NEW YORK — Major League Wrestling (“MLW”) today announced it will premiere on Vice TV this Saturday at noon (Eastern).

“This Saturday we kick off an exciting new chapter as millions of fans can now tune in to Vice TV for Major League Wrestling,” MLW CEO Court Bauer said. “Just like Vice TV, MLW is an unfiltered and immersive experience.”

Witness top ranked wrestlers and the next generation of wrestling’s most legendary families as they clash each week on Vice TV.

A national audience on cable and satellite will witness the rise of CONTRA Unit, a new hope emerge with the arrival of Ross and Marshall Von Erich and some dynastic moments from Alex Hammerstone and Richard Holliday.

Journey to the hottest arenas and fight clubs as rivalries are ignited for championship gold each and every week with MLW on Vice TV.

New Japan Pro Wrestling sent in word that three upcoming shows are being canceled due to the ongoing State of Emergency that has been declared in the country.

The May 8th, 10th and 11th events from Korakuen Hall have been affected. These shows are part of the Road to Wrestle Grand Slam tour.

In a press release sent in to SEScoops, NJPW wrote:

“We deeply apologize to fans who were looking forward to these events. Though matches with no fans in attendance were considered, NJPW has decided that, in order to act in the best interests of staff and wrestlers as they prepare for Wrestle Grand Slam in Yokohama Stadium May 15 and Tokyo Dome May 29, cancellation was the correct course of action.”

All other events on our current schedule are set to proceed as planned, though New Japan Pro-Wrestling will be in constant contact with local authorities with regards to restrictions and regulations. Visit njpw1972.com for the latest event information.

WWE returns to St. Petersburg, FL tonight for an all-new episode of Monday Night Raw from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field.

As the road to WrestleMania Backlash continues, expect to see more matches announced for the May 16th pay-per-view.

The following items are scheduled for tonight’s broadcast:

• WWE Champion Bobby Lashley returns to Raw. Lashley defends the title against Drew McIntyre at Backlash.

• Former Retribution members T-BAR and MACE will team up to face Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman. McIntyre and T-BAR have been going back and forth on social media:

Update: WWE has announced two more matches for Raw:

• The Miz, Elias & Jaxson Ryker vs. The New Day & Damian Priest

• Raw Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax vs. Lana, Naomi & Asuka.

Check back later tonight for our WWE Raw live discussion, results and takeaways.

Catch up on the Top 10 moments from last week’s show:

Impact Wrestling presents Rebellion tonight live on pay-per-view. The event is available for purchase at FITE.TV.

History will be made as Impact World Champion Rich Swann battles AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.

The following matches are scheduled Rebellion:

• Impact & TNA World Champion Rich Swann vs AEW Champion Kenny Omega

• X-Division Champion Ace Austin vs. Josh Alexander vs. TJP

• Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo vs. Tenille Dashwood

• Knockouts Tag Team Champions Fire N’ Flayva vs. Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering

• Impact Tag Team Champions FinJuice vs. The Good Brothers

• Violent by Design vs. James Storm & Chris Sabin & Willie Mack & Eddie Edwards

• Matt Cardona vs. Brian Myers

• Last Man Standing: Sami Callihan vs. Trey Miguel

All Elite Wrestling will present the first Blood and Guts match in company history on the May 5th edition of AEW Dynamite on TNT. Blood and Guts is AEW’s version of War Games, the double steel cage match created by the late Dusty Rhodes.

Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle will square off MJF’s Pinnacle faction in what’s sure to be a violent affiar that lives up to the Blood and Guts name.

On a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed some details about what fans can expect from this special episode of Dynamite.

“I think it’s going to be a one match show,” said Meltzer. He clarified that AEW might pre-record some other matches and video packages, but he expects that entire show to be built around B&G and for it to be the only live match that takes place that night.

AEW Blood and Guts: May 5th

AEW Dynamite is a 2-hour show, so Blood and Guts will be a long match. The 10-man elimination match will feature ‘old school’ rules – with no pinfalls.

The Blood and Guts double steel cage will feature a roof, which stays true to Dusty Rhodes’ original concept. WWE’s version of the match, War Games, did not feature a roof.

AEW is just the latest promotion to present their own version of the mythical War Games match. Aside from the original War Games match presented by the National Wrestling Alliance in 1987, other companies that put their own spin on the “match beyond” include ECW, Smoky Mountain, Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling, Major League Wrestling and WWE/NXT.

The National Wrestling Alliance’s next pay-per-view has been announced.

The NWA presents “When Our Shadows Fall” live on pay-per-view on Sunday, June 6th. The event will feature a ‘dark and ominous’ circus theme and streams exclusively at FITE.TV.

All of the NWA’s top champions will be part of this show, including World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis, National Champion Chris Adonis, Women’s Champion Serena Deeb, Tag Team Champions Aron Stevens and Kratos and Television Champion, The Pope.

NWA President Billy Corgan was quoted in a press release sent in to SEScoops.com:

“We ask our fans from all over the globe to join us as we continue to build on the 73 years-and-counting tradition of the National Wrestling Alliance. It’s an awesome legacy to have to navigate, but as you’ve seen recently with Triller’s headline-making acquisition of FITE, the future of television and live broadcast events is in the digital sphere.”

You can pre-order NWA: When Our Shadows Fall now at FITE.TV.

TV viewership data is in for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite on TNT, the second week of the ‘unopposed’ era.

The April 22nd episode of AEW Dynamite averaged 1.104 million viewers. The show did a 0.37 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic and finished #2 on cable for the day. The numbers come courtesy of ShowBuzzDaily.

For comparison, Monday’s WWE Raw averaged 1.907 million viewers and did a 0.61 rating. Dynamite’s viewership is up since NXT moved to Tuesday’s, but AEW still has a ways to go before they catch WWE’s flagship show.

This was the 4th most-watched episode of AEW Dynamite. MTV’s The Challenge season finale was the highest-rated show of the night, but AEW has a chance to claim that mantle next week.

Overall, this is a strong showing for AEW. The next big test for AEW comes in two weeks, when the company presents Blood and Guts on the May 5th episode.

Check out our results and takeaway’s from this week’s AEW Dynamite:

• AEW Dynamite Results (4/21): Two Title Matches, Inner Circle & The Pinnacle

Christian Cage is the latest guest on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, presented by the AEW Casino mobile game.

Christian recently signed with All Elite Wrestling and has vowed to, “Out. Work. Everyone.” During this discussion with Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards, Captain Charisma spoke about his AEW debut, what he loves about AEW and much more.

Christian made his AEW at the recent Revolution pay-per-view. He was the ‘big signing’ teased by Paul Wight. Even though he’s been a household name for decades, Christian reveals that he wasn’t sure how fans would react to him in AEW.

“I get there, and straight onto a bus, and it’s nerve-wracking you know, because you’d be like, ‘Will anybody even care that I’m here?’” he said. “You know, you have those kind of thoughts that go through your head a little bit.”

Christian in AEW

Christian’s first match for AEW was against fellow veteran Frankie Kazarian. It was Christian’s first singles match in seven years. He felt Kazarian was the right guy to work with for his debut.

“I wanted to raise his stock no matter what happened in that match, and I know he felt the same way,” said Christian. “When you have two guys committed to that purpose, I think you’re gonna go out there and do something really special.”

Christian was with WWE since the Attitude Era in the late 1990’s. He knows that system inside and out. There are several ways that AEW differs from WWE. Christian says that one thing in particular that he enjoys is the amount of time that AEW gives talent to do their thing. “That’s the thing, too, that I love about AEW. There’s so much time in these matches to tell these stories.”

Other topics discussed include Jon Moxley’s role in Christian joining AEW, his appreciation for AEW’s tag team division, who he’s excited to work with and more.

Listen to Christian on AEW Unrestricted in the link embedded below.

NXT’s move to Tuesday nights continues to pay off with an uptrend in viewership.

The 4/20 edition of NXT on the USA Network averaged 841,000 viewers, up from 805,000 last week. The show scored a 0.23 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic, up from 0.22.

NXT finished 23rd on cable for the day up against news coverage of the Derek Chauvin trial verdict. The numbers come courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily.

WWE’s black and gold brand is settling in to a new level of viewership on Tuesday nights without the direct competition of AEW Dynamite. They’ll be in good shape if they can maintain and steadily grow this audience.

Check out our recap and takeaways from this week’s NXT:

• WWE NXT Results (4/20): Title Match, Io Shirai Speaks, Sarray’s Debut

Daniel Bryan made history earlier this month when he competed in the main event of WWE WrestleMania 37 (Night 2). He challenged for Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship in a triple threat match that also involved Edge.

The original plan was for Royal Rumble winner Edge to challenge Reigns one-one-one. Bryan was a late addition. Although headlining WrestleMania is a huge honor that most pro wrestlers never achieve, Bryan reveals that he actually tried getting out of the match several times.

During an interview with BT Sport, Daniel Bryan said, “I kept trying to get out of it… It was such a strong main event with just the two of them.”

Bryan acknowledges that he ‘added something’ to the triple threat main event of WrestleMania XXX, where he defeated Randy Orton and Batista to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. However, he didn’t feel that he was needed in the main event of WrestleMania 37.

Bryan sensed that certain people in WWE felt like he didn’t belong in the match either, but couldn’t say anything. He voiced his opinion backstage, but nobody agreed with him (to his face).

Ultimately, Daniel Bryan was an asset to the match, which was not at all surprising. He is still one of the best wrestlers in the world and his mentality going into WrestleMania shows that he’s also humble and selfless.

Check out BT Sport’s interview with Daniel Bryan in the Youtube player embedded below:

All Elite Wrestling is back tonight with an all-new episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT.

AEW looks to keep the momentum going after last week’s Dynamite topped 1.2 million viewers. We’ve got multiple championships on the line, interviews with AEW’s top warring factions and much more to look forward to.

The following matches are announced for tonight’s broadcast from Daily’s Place amphitheater in Jacksonville, Florida:

• TNT Champion Darby Allin defends against Jungle Boy. This match came about after Darby Allin asked Tony Khan to find him a challenger in AEW’s Top 5 rankings.

• AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida defends against Tay Conti.

• Hangman Page vs. Ricky Starks (Team Taz). Both men are on winning streaks.

• Powerhouse Hobbs (Team Taz) vs. Christian Cage.

• Penta El Zero Miedo (Death Triangle) vs. Trent (Best Friends).

• Billy Gunn vs. QT Marshall w/The Factory.

Plus, AEW’s veteran broadcasters will interview the two teams who will go to war inside Blood and Guts on May 5th. Tony Schiavone interviews The Inner Circle, while Jim Ross speaks with The Pinnacle.

All that and more goes down in just a matter of hours. Join us here later tonight for our AEW Dynamite Results and Takeaways feature.

Update: AEW announced Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston will return at Dynamite. This will be their first appearance since being attacked by Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and the Good Brothers two weeks ago.

Japanese wrestling star Konosuke Takeshita is headed back to Japan after a successful (short) stint working for AEW.

The 25-year-old primarily works for Japan’s DDT promotion. He spent a few weeks in the United States and wrestled at three AEW events. He worked the ‘House Always Wins’ non-televised event during WWE WrestleMania weekend. He also competed on two episodes of AEW Dark: Elevation.

Earlier this week, Takeshita posted on Twitter that he’s returning home, but hopes to return to AEW in the future as DDT Champion. He stated that his next goal is to appear on All Elite Wrestling’s flagship show, AEW Dynamite. He let American wrestling fans know, this is only goodbye ‘for now.’

Konosuke Takeshita & Kenny Omega

Konosuke Takeshita teamed up with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa this past week on Dark: Elevation. They defeated Danny Limelight, Matt and Mike Sydal’s in the main event.

Omega took notice of Takeshita’s message. He replied with condescension. “We sent him home packing but he was a good hand. He fought the good fight for the brothers in the Elite. Maybe we’ll bring him back?”

Takeshita took Omega’s ‘good hand’ jab in stride. He thanked the champion for his support and hinted that they might cross paths again in the future.

You can see Omega, Takeshita & Nakazawa vs. Limelight & the Sydal Brothers in the player embedded below:

All Elite Wrestling is gearing up to hit the road once again this summer.

AEW has been filming shows from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL since last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to AEW broadcaster Jim Ross, the company is getting ready resume a ‘pretty aggressive’ touring schedule starting in July.

“We’re getting our schedule together,” said Ross on the Grilling JR Podcast. “It looks like we’re going back on the road pretty aggressively, beginning in July. Getting back in front of a live audience is a blessing. I can’t wait.”

JR said that performing in front of live crowds across the United States will help everyone’s work. “You can’t help but feed off of the adrenaline of the people and the audience surrounding you,” he added.

The Events section of the AEW website lists the following dates for AEW Dynamite tapings outside Jacksonville:

• 6/23: St. Louis, MO
• 8/18: Houston, TX
• 8/25: Milwaukee, WI
• 9/8: Boston, MA
• 9/15: Newark, NJ
• 9/29: Rochester, NY
• 10/6: Philadelphia, PA

AEW has done a commendable job running television and pay-per-view events during these challenging times. Smaller crowds have been permitted at Daily’s Place for several months, but it’s been nearly a year since AEW talent performed in front of a full house.

The recent WWE WrestleMania pay-per-view featured the largest live crowds since the start of the pandemic. According to Wrestlenomics, WWE had over 20,000 fans in attendance for each night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, FL.

We will provide an update when AEW announces more information about this big push to resume touring with fans in attendance.

Charlotte Flair snapped during the main event segment of Monday’s WWE Raw. The 13-time Women’s Champion faced Asuka in the final match of the show. Asuka picked up the win by pinfall after interference by Raw Women’s Champion, Rhea Ripley.

The Queen lashed out after the finish. She viciously attacked referee Eddie Orengo and went back for more after WWE officials pulled her off the ref.

During the post-Raw edition of Raw Talk, WWE official Adam Pearce announced that Charlotte has been suspended indefinitely as a result of her actions. She was also hit with a $100,000 fine, according to storylines.

Charlotte Reacts To Suspension & Fine

Charlotte Flair posted a series of messages on social media addressing the situation. She is outraged that WWE had the audacity to discipline her, despite the fact that she repeatedly assaulted an official.

“This whole thing sped past ridiculous, jumped over absurd and landed right on stupid,” she wrote. “The top two wrestlers in WWE having a classic match on the flagship show, and for what? To be ruined by a petulant child with Road Warriors cosplay shoulder pads.”

Flair continued, “They found one other thing as well: audacity. The audacity to fine me. The audacity to physically remove me from MY RING and remove me from a building with MY NAME on the marquee. The fine? The suspension? Adam Pearce? All the same, a joke.”

It is unknown at this time why Charlotte Flair is being written off WWE television.

NXT star Ridge Holland has checked in with an injury update and it’s not pretty.

Holland (real name Luke Menzies) has been out of action since October, when he suffered a series of injuries during a match against Oney Lorcan on NXT TV.

During a spot that saw Lorcan dive to the outside of the ring onto Holand, the former professional rugby star fractured his left ankle. He also suffered a right knee patella dislocation and patellar tendon rupture. He was hospitalized and underwent multiple operations to repair the damage.

You can see WWE’s coverage of Ridge Holland’s injuries from this October 2020 NXT Injury Report:

Ridge Holland Update

Ridge Holland posted several photos of his legs to social media on Tuesday morning. He did not provide a caption, so it’s unknown when they were taken.

The photos reveal the extent of Ridge Holland’s injuries. We wish him a full and speedy recovery.

WWE returns to the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight with an all-new episode of NXT on the USA Network.

The top match advertised for this week’s show is Dexter Lumis squaring off against LA Knight. WWE has released the following video hyping the bout:

NXT fans will also see:

• The debut of Japanese wrestling star Sarray, formerly known as Sareee. The WWE Nickname Generator 3000 has blessed her with the nickname, “The Warrior of The Sun.”

• A championship celebration for the new undisputed WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Kushida.

• Kyle O’Reilly returns to NXT TV for the first time since defeating Adam Cole at Takeover: Stand and Deliver.

All this and more go down in just a matter of hours. Check back later tonight for our NXT Results and Takeaways.

Visit our NXT News page for all the latest articles about WWE’s black and gold brand.

Major League Wrestling is set to make a major announcement Monday night at 9pm (Eastern) on the MLW YouTube Channel.

No further details have been made public as of this writing. However, all signs point to the fight league landing a national television deal.

MLW boss Court Bauer has been touting that MLW was on the verge of blowing people away with what they’ve got cooked up.

Earlier this month, Bauer indicated that the paperwork was signed.

Check back later tonight for the big reveal of the MLW special announcement.

TrillerNet has announced the acquisition of PPV streaming platform FITE. The following press release was sent in to SEScoops:

TrillerNet Acquires Premier Live Event and PPV, SVOD, AVOD and Streaming Platform FITE, Taking Major Next Step in Building Global Content Ecosystem

Will Use FITE’s Worldwide Platform to Expand Triller Fight Club and Develop Premium Four-Quadrant Entertainment and Lifestyle Content

LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2021) —— TrillerNet (aka Triller Hold Co LLC), parent company of the global AI-driven short video social app Triller, today announced it has acquired FITE, the premier global live-event and Pay-Per-View, SVOD and AVOD and streaming platform for sports and entertainment.

The deal gives Triller a major foothold in the live-event PPV and streaming space, greatly expanding the reach of Triller’s fast-growing AI-powered content and distribution ecosystem and allowing the company to continue to invest in new lifestyle and entertainment programming.

“FITE has been a fantastic partner, and the synergy between the two businesses and teams was clear from day one,” said Bobby Sarnevesht, Chairman and Co-owner of Triller, and Ryan Kavanaugh, Co-owner of Triller, jointly. “With our acquisition of FITE, we bring into TrillerNET their stellar technology, valuable customer and content partner base, and one of the most experienced executive teams in this space. The deal represents our ambitions to not only expand Triller Fight Club and grow FITE’s distribution relationships, but also to reimagine what, how and when premium music, sports and entertainment is delivered to today’s audiences.”

“Triller has an exceptionally visionary executive team that is revolutionizing the world of sports and entertainment. We are very excited to be a part of and play a role in this process,” said Kosta Jordanov, FITE Co-Founder and CEO. “As part of the TrillerNet, FITE will become the exclusive global digital distributor of all Triller Fight Club events going forward, and this content relationship is planned to expand in exciting new ways. We will continue to work with and serve all our content partners, and we look forward to bringing Triller’s significant user base and promotional clout to all the major events we carry on the FITE platform.”

Triller is used by musicians, athletes, digital talent and other culture-setters and serves hundreds of millions of fans worldwide while also providing specialized opportunities for major brands across music, sports, entertainment, fashion and pop culture. The addition of FITE is a key strategic addition as Triller seeks to capture the burgeoning ‘culture graph,’ the next generation of creators and users leading the move to Internet 3.0.

“With over 10 million users, FITE is the perfect long-form platform for Triller to continue releasing its cultural content spanning fighting, sports, fashion, music and pop culture,” added Ryan Kavanaugh. “We have officially completed our 360-degree content engine with this acquisition.”

The FITE acquisition is the latest major move for TrillerNet, which on March 9 acquired leading live-music streaming platform Verzuz, the popular live streaming music platform founded by music stars Swizz Beats and Timbaland. TrillerNet also owns Triller Flight Club, a live-event platform in partnership with Snoop Dogg that reimagines boxing as four-quadrant entertainment, and TrillerTV, a long-form content streaming platform with more than 65 original half-hour digital series from trendsetters such as Jennifer Lopez, The D’Amelio Family, 2 Chainz, Jake Paul, Perez Hilton and others.

With over 10 million users and 4 million registered sports and entertainment fans, FITE has streamed over 5,000 live events over the past 5 years. FITE’s partners include the most elite combat sports brands including Top Rank, AEW, PBC, ONE Championship, WWE, Impact, Golden Boy Promotions, and Matchroom Boxing. FITE has one of the industry’s most scalable and reliable live digital streaming capabilities, a large loyal audience for premium events, and content relationships with over 300 sports rights holders across 5 continents. In collaboration with its partners, FITE has already streamed the biggest names in combat sports, including Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Tyson Fury, Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Roy Jones Jr., Deontay Wilder, Terance Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Teofimo Lopez and Vasyl Lomachenko among hundreds of others as well as the boxing matches of YouTube celebrities KSI, Logan Paul, and Jake Paul. The investors in FITE include Earlybird Digital East, LAUNCHub Ventures, Tim Draper, and BrightCap who have now joined the list of investors in Triller.  

Tonight marks a new chapter for NXT, as WWE’s black and gold brand moves to Tuesdays.

Several new champions were crowned at Takeover: Stand and Deliver. Karrion Kross is the new NXT Champion. Raquel Gonzales is the NXT Women’s Champion. MSK now hold NT’s tag team titles and Santos Escobar is the undisputed cruiserweight champ.

WWE has announced the following items for NXT:

• NXT Champion Karrion Kross will open the show.

• We’ll hear from new NXT Women’s Champion, Raquel Gonzalez.

• NXT Tag Team Champions MSK will face Drake Maverick & Killian Dain

• Undisputed NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar has issued an Open Challenge.

Franky Monet, who appears to be former Impact Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie, debuts

We’ll see footage from what happened after Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole’s unsanctioned match at Stand & Deliver.

• Leon Ruff will face Isaiah “Swerve” Scott

The Way (Johnny Gargano, Austin Theory, Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell) will face Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis, and NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in an 8-person mixed tag team match.

WWE has recognized Vladimir Abouzeide as the company’s first-ever officially-certified “Superfan.” Abouzeide was honored with a plaque this past weekend at WrestleMania:

In addition to this superfan plaque, Abouzeide will be the subject of a WWE Network Documentary airing this summer on Peacock.

Superfan: The Story of Vladimir

Here is WWE’s official announcement for the the upcoming documentary, Below are more details on the documentary, Superfan: The Story of Vladimir.

This summer, WWE Network Documentaries will shine a light not on a famous Superstar or Legend of the ring, but on one of WWE’s most devoted fans.

You might not know Vladimir Abouzeide by name, but to any longtime viewer, his face is almost as recognizable as Shawn Michaels’ or John Cena’s.

That’s because for more than 30 years, Abouzeide — the subject of the upcoming documentary, Superfan: The Story of Vladimir — was a fixture at ringside in WWE’s home arena of Madison Square Garden. Anytime a wrestling ring was erected inside MSG, you could count on Abouzeide being in the front row, a grin spread ear-to-ear as he cheered on his favorite Superstars and gave the business to the rest.

It was there in October 1986 that “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, during an edition of “Piper’s Pit,” invited Abouzeide into the ring to lend his opinion on which Superstar Hot Rod should team with against Paul Orndorff and Harley Race. Excitedly, Abouzeide leapt onto the apron and declared, “Hulk Hogan,” causing his fellow fans to erupt in approval. With that, the match was made.

“[Vladimir] carved himself a niche of popularity among the Garden faithful by showing his support for the Superstars who appeared in the World’s Most Famous Arena,” late WWE Hall of Fame announcer Howard Finkel wrote in a 2015 article about WWE’s most famous fans.

Abouzeide’s domain spanned beyond 4 Pennsylvania Plaza in the Big Apple, beyond even the New York metropolitan area at large. Over the years, he could be spotted in the crowd at dozens, perhaps hundreds, of WWE pay-per-views and TV shows, like sports-entertainment’s more conspicuous version of “Where’s Waldo?”

“I felt like he was at just about every show that I watched,” Sam Roberts says in the newly released Superfan trailer, echoing the sentiment of eagle-eyed WWE fans around the world.

Indeed, Abouzeide’s omnipresence turned him into a celebrity of sorts to fans and Superstars alike — Diesel greeted him by name as he strode down the aisle at WrestleMania XII, held in Anaheim, Calif. — but it also sparked intrigue. How was one man able to attend so many events, let alone always be in the front row? Did he have an inside connection to the company?

Superfan: The Story of Vladimir, which features interviews with Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Jimmy Hart, WWE executive Bruce Prichard and others, tackles these questions and more as it formally introduces Abouzeide to the WWE Universe for the first time.

The culmination of more than two years of filming, the documentary also examines the profound effect that the Covid-19 pandemic — which brought live-event attendance to a standstill in early 2020 — has had on Abouzeide.

“The relationship that Vladimir has with WWE, it’s part of his moral fiber,” Jeff Jarrett says in the Superfan trailer. “It is part of his identity, and that was taken away.”

After many months of not attending WWE events, Abouzeide finally returned at this year’s WrestleMania, where he not only took in The Show of Shows live and in-person but was even recognized by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, as he was presented with a plaque and named WWE’s first Official Superfan.

Don’t miss Superfan: The Story of Vladimir when it debuts this summer, streaming exclusively on Peacock in the U.S. and on WWE Network everywhere else. Keep an eye on WWE Network social channels in the coming months for details on the documentary’s premiere date.

Bianca Belair made history this past weekend at WWE WrestleMania. The 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble winner defeated Sasha Banks to become the new SmackDown Women’s Champion.

It was an emotional weekend for the the 32-year-old champion. Bianca Belair spoke with SportsKeeda about her WrestleMania experience, including what it was like arriving to the stadium on Saturday, working with Sasha Banks and much more.

“I was just overcome with all types of emotion,” Belair said. “Just the fact that we were at WrestleMania. It was the main event. We were at the main event of WrestleMania and we were creating history. When I looked across at Sasha Banks, I couldn’t help but smile. I know that we were both fighting for a title, but it was… This moment, it was more than just about me. It was more than just about Sasha. It was more than just about us.”

Bianca Belair’s Emotional Weekend

Belair said they got to the stadium around 1pm on Saturday. She could feel the anticipation building until that moment that she and Sasha Banks were across the ring from one another. “To finally be in that moment and just stand in that moment and be able to hear the fans. We haven’t had fans for over a year. To be able to finally hear the fans and hear them chanting EST and Boss. It was just an amazing feeling. I was overcome with emotion. It was just overwhelming.”

She is grateful that she got a chance to make history with Sasha Banks and says “The Boss” elevates everyone that she works with.

“She definitely elevated me last night and I am forever grateful to her for that,” said Belair. “But we’re still going to be fighting it out because I have something that she wants now.”

Dark Side of the Ring season three is set to premiere in just over a month.

Vice TV’s hit series about the seedy underbelly of the pro wrestling industry returns for a third season on Thursday, May 6th at 9pm (EST).

Vice has released the official trailer the 14-episode season.

Topics shown in the trailer include Brian Pillman, Nick Gage, Collision In Korea, Ultimate Warrior, Grizzly Smith and Dynamite Kid.

According to Dark Side Executive Producer & co-creator Evan Husney, the season premiere focusing on Brian Pillman’s story will be a 2-hour special.

Dark Side Of the Ring Season 3 Topics

The updated list of confirmed topics for Dark Side of the Ring Season 3 is below:

• Brian Pillman (Season Premiere)
• FMW (Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling)
• XPW (Xtreme Pro Wrestling)
• Nick Gage
• WCW/NJPW Collision In Korea 1995
• The Smith Family (Grizzly Smith, Sam Houston, Rockin’ Robin & Jake “The Snake” Roberts)
• Ion Croitoru (a.k.a. Bruiser Bedlam, Johnny K-9)
• Chris Kanyon
• Dynamite Kid
• The Plane Ride From Hell
• The Ultimate Warrior

Wrestling fans will be glued to Peacock and the WWE Network this weekend for all the WrestleMania 37 festivities.

According to the @WWEGames Twitter account, we can also expect announcement regarding the WWE 2K video game franchise.

The annual WWE 2K video game franchise was put on hold after the disastrous release of WWE 2K20 back in 2019. The game was plagued with bugs and was widely panned by critics. It was so bad that WWE 2K21 was scrapped entirely.

WWE 2K went in a completely different direction with 2020’s WWE Battlegrounds release, an arcade-style grappler.

WWE’s video game division has had two years to rethink the WWE 2K series. It appears we’ll get first details about WWE 2K22 in just a matter of days during WrestleMania 37.