All Elite Wrestling returns tonight with an all-new episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT. This is the final battle of the Wednesday Night War, as NXT moves to Tuesday nights next week.
NXT will have Night 1 of Takeover: Stand & Deliver, so AEW has some stiff competition. That said, AEW has a big lineup announced, including the return of boxing legend “Iron” Mike Tyson:
Two decades after putting WCW out of business, WWE finally has legitimate competition in All Elite Wrestling. For all of AEW’s success up to this point, CM Punk does not believe Vince McMahon is losing any sleep over Tony Khan’s promotion.
CM Punk thinks it’s “interesting” that WWE is allowing an AEW contracted wrestler to appear on the WWE Network. He understands why the booking is getting buzz from fans online. He will probably tune in, but he does not expect any hard-hitting questions. “Maybe I’ll give it a shot and watch it, but it feels like it’s going to be softball questions,” said Punk. “I don’t if they’re going to ask Jericho all the tough questions and nor do I think that they possibly should… I’m sure they’ll mention AEW, but they won’t get into the hard questions that I think people are interested in.”
Vince McMahon Isn’t Scared of AEW
Many wrestling pundits have speculated about Vince McMahon’s motivation to put a spotlight on Chris Jericho at this time. Whatever his rationale, CM Punk sees this as an alpha move by Vince and a sign that he’s not concerned about AEW.
“Honestly, my knee-jerk reaction and opinion is that I think it shows Vince McMahon isn’t afraid of AEW at all,” he said. “If he was, he wouldn’t allow that to happen.”
Punk feels that wrestling has evolved and the old rules no longer apply. There was a time where it would be considered a foolish move to allow one of your performers to appear on another company’s airwaves. That rational was, ‘AEW is the only place you can see Chris Jericho.’ Allowing him to appear on the WWE Network would hypothetically dilute his drawing power. However, it’s a new age and both companies need all the buzz they can get.
Chris Jericho’s appearance on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions premieres this Sunday, April 11th on the Peacock streaming service.
WWE WrestleMania 37 is just a few days away. For the second consecutive year, WWE’s biggest event of the year will take place over two nights.
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida will play host to WrestleMania this Saturday and Sunday, April 10th and 11th.
The matches are set and wrestling fans are placing bets on their expected winners. Online betting site Bet Online has published updated betting odds for the top matches at WrestleMania. While these odds should not be considered outright spoilers, they are often pretty accurate in predicting match results.
Saturday, April 10th, 2021
Drew McIntyre is favored (-200) to defeat WWE Champion Bobby Lashley (+150)
Bianca Belair is favored (-300) to defeat SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks (+200)
AJ Styles & Omos are favored (-300) to defeat Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day (+200)
Braun Strowman is favored (-500) to defeat Shane McMahon (+300)
Cesaro is favored (-200) to defeat Seth Rollins (+150)
Bad Bunny is is heavily favored (-850) to defeat The Miz (+450)
Sunday, Apr 11, 2021 – WWE – WrestleMania
Edge is favored (+115) is a slight favorite to defeat Universal Champion Roman Reigns (+150) and Daniel Bryan (+200)
Rhea Ripley is favored (-400) to defeat Asuka (+250)
Apollo Crews and Intercontinental Champion Big E are even
Rey & Dominik Mysterio are favorites (-300) over Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode (+200)
Kevin Owens is favored (-250) to defeat Sami Zayn (+170)
The Fiend is a heavy favorite (-950) to beat Randy Orton (+500)
WWE filmed the 2021 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Tuesday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersberg, Florida. Additional footage will be shot today, with post-production to continue in the days ahead.
The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony airs next Tuesday, April 6th at 8pm (Eastern) on the Peacock streaming service.
This year’s event will feature inductees from the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021. Last year’s ceremony was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Inductees present at the tapings include the Bella Twins, nWo members Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash & Sean Waltman, the family of the late Davey Boy Smith, JBL and Titus O’Neil (receiving the Warrior Award). Many of the 2021 inductees were not present, including Rob Van Dam, Kane, the Great Khali, Eric Bischoff and Molly Holly.
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler served as the event host.
The 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will not feature inductor speeches. Inductee speeches will be limited to 4-5 minutes each, as discussed by the Bella Twins last week:
Great day yesterday,HOF class 2020,now when I sign WWE Championship Belts ,HOF 05/20? ,there will be no more ? mark brother,when the crew saw I had the nWo title belt with me yesterday everyone got psyched for one more run, but timing is everything brother!!! nWoHollyWood4LifeHH pic.twitter.com/S5lu28eZcz
The former NXT Champion was granted his release from WWE last month. Soon after, we learned that he is free to wrestle anywhere and is not subject to WWE’s common 90-day non-compete clause.
On Friday, Andrade posted a photo of himself about to sign a piece of paper. The paper appears blank, but the post implies he’s made a decision about the next chapter of his career. He included the caption, “New Beginnings!” and the hashtag, #TheWorldIsMine.
Andrade’s significant other, Charlotte Flair, replied that she’s proud of him. This is another indication that whatever he’s signing is significant.
Andrade spoke with Mas Luchas after his WWE release. He’s open to reuniting with former Los Ingobernables partners RUSH or La Mascara. He also likes the idea of remaining a singles act. He’s had talks with various companies based out of Mexico, but is not interested in signing a contract to wrestle there full time.
Peacock has sent in the full programming schedule for WrestleMania week:
WrestleMania Week on Peacock is filled with live events, all-new episodes and specials beginning this Monday, April 5.
Highlights include the premiere of WWE Chronicle: Edge, new episodes of The Best of WWE celebrating WrestleMania history, NXT TakeOver Night 1 and 2 and the WWE Hall of Fame. The week will culminate with WrestleMania, the two-night pop culture extravaganza streaming exclusively on Peacock on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 at 8 pm ET.
The WWE Network channel on Peacock will stream the live WrestleMania Watch Along both Saturday and Sunday night for free.
WrestleMania Week Schedule on Peacock & WWE Network
MONDAY, APRIL 5
The Best of WWE: Best of WrestleMania in the 1990s
Raw Talk – Streaming LIVE at 11 p.m. ET
TUESDAY, APRIL 6
Prime Target: Cole vs. O’Reilly
Making WWE: Jason Robinson
The Best of WWE: Best of WrestleMania in the 2000s
WWE Hall of Fame 2020 and 2021 Induction Ceremonies – Streaming LIVE at 8 p.m. ET
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7
The Best of WWE: Best of WrestleMania in the 2010s
WWE’s The Bump – Streaming LIVE at 10 a.m. ET.
Special Presentation: NXT TakeOver Night 1 Pre-Show– Streaming LIVE at 7 p.m. ET
Special Presentation: NXT TakeOver Night 1– Streaming LIVE at 8 p.m. ET
THURSDAY, APRIL 8
WWE NXT UK Prelude
This Week in WWE
Special Presentation: NXT TakeOver Night 2 Pre-Show– Streaming LIVE at 7 p.m. ET
Special Presentation: NXT TakeOver Night 2– Streaming LIVE at 8 p.m. ET
FRIDAY, APRIL 9
The Best of WWE: Best of WrestleMania Main Events – 205 Live – Streaming LIVE at 10 p.m. ET
SATURDAY, APRIL 10
EVOLVE 8
ICW Fight Club 167
wXw We Love Wrestling #6
PROGRESS Chapter 108
Talking Smack
WWE Chronicle: Edge
WWE’s The Bump – Streaming LIVE at 1 p.m. ET.
WrestleMania Kickoff Night 1 – Streaming LIVE at 7 p.m. ET
WrestleMania Night 1 – Streaming LIVE at 8 p.m. ET
WrestleMania Night 1 Watch Along – Streaming LIVE at 8 p.m. ET
SUNDAY, APRIL 11
Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions
WWE’s The Bump – Streaming LIVE at 1 p.m. ET
WrestleMania Kickoff Night 2 – Streaming LIVE at 7 p.m. ET
WrestleMania Night 2 – Streaming LIVE at 8 p.m. ET
WrestleMania Night 2 Watch Along – Streaming LIVE at 8 p.m. ET
Chris Jericho has been announced as the next guest on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions interview show on Peacock and the WWE Network. The episode premieres Sunday, April 11th – “WrestleMania Sunday.”
The news of an AEW-contracted talent appearing on WWE programming has sent shockwaves throughout the industry. The Texas Rattlesnake recently spoke to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about how it all came together.
According to Austin, Chris Jericho reached out to him after watching The Undertaker’s appearance on Broken Skull Sessions. Jericho told Austin he really enjoyed the show, which eventually led to Austin inviting Jericho to be a guest.
“We got to talking,” Austin said of Jericho. “I’ve always respected the hell out of his career, and I’m glad they’re around—it gives the guys and girls in professional wrestling more places to work. I said, ‘I’d love to have you on the show.’ And he said he’d love to do it.”
Of course, everything runs through WWE boss Vince McMahon. Austin says he texted Vince about having Jericho on the show. McMahon replied, “It’s cool. Go ahead.”
Austin was surprised Vince was so receptive to Jericho appearing on the show, so he followed up to double-check. He asked Vince, “are you sure it’s ok?” and Vince replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
They cleared the appearance with Tony Khan and the rest is history. Jericho flew out to record with Steve Austin and “no topic will be off limits.”
“We go into everything,” says Austin. “Jericho is one of the all-time greats, and it’s going to be cool to have someone from AEW on a WWE show. To bottom line it, I’m excited for people to watch this show.”
Chris Jericho will be the next guest on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. The episode premieres next Sunday, April 11th on Peacock and the WWE Network.
You read that correctly: AEW star Chris Jericho returns to the WWE programming for an all-new interview with former rival, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.”
Steve Austin replied, “Hell Yeah!!!” to the WWE Network’s announcement. You can see a video teaser of Chris Jericho and Steve Austin sitting down together in the tweeted embedded below.
All Elite Wrestling has been at the forefront of ‘opening forbidden doors’ over the past several months. The promotion has changed the wrestling landscape by its open borders policy with other companies such as Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Chris Jericho appearing on the WWE Network while under contract to AEW is a surreal development that is sure to draw viewers during WrestleMania weekend.
Steve Austin has creative freedom with his Broken Skull Sessions interview show, so it will be interesting to see what hot-button topics are discussed. Austin and Jericho have been friends going back to the late 1990’s, so there will be plenty to talk about. Both men are also podcast hosts and highly entertaining personalities, all-but-guaranteeing this will be an interview that wrestling fan’s can’t miss.
Major League Wrestling presents MLW: Never Say Never tonight on Youtube and other streaming platforms. The main event will see the Samoan Werewolf Jacob Fatu defending against #1 contender Calvin Tankman.
The following matches are confirmed for this epic broadcast:
MLW World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu vs. Calvin Tankman
Myron Reed vs. Daivari
Grudge Match: Simon Gotch vs. Jordan Oliver
Also scheduled to appear are Alex Hammerstone, Richard Holliday, Alicia Atout and more.
Renowned play-by-play man Ray Flores joins the MLW broadcast team for Never Say Never. For more on his impressive resume, visit MLW.com.
We are in the final weeks of the Wednesday Night War between AEW Dynamite and NXT. After 17 months of head-to-head competition, NXT has two more Wednesday night shows before it moves to Tuesdays starting April 13th.
Next week’s NXT on USA will be Night 1 of NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver, so tonight is actually the last ‘regular’ episode of NXT on Wednesday nights.
NXT on USA Preview
Roderick Strong vs. Cameron Grimes
Tian Sha vs. Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter
– Battle Royal to Determine Gauntlet Eliminator Participants: Austin Theory, Dexter Lumis, Jake Atlas, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Leon Ruff, Tyler Rust, Kushida, Bronson Reed, Roderick Strong, Cameron Grimes, LA Knight, Pete Dunne
Catch up on the Top 10 moments from last week’s NXT:
AEW Dynamite on TNT Preview
The following items are scheduled for tonight’s AEW Dynamite:
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs. The Lucha Bros & Laredo Kid
Christian Cage makes his AEW in-ring debut against Frankie Kazarian
Arcade Anarchy: Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy vs. Miro & Kip Sabian
MJF presents The Pinnacle with a special gift.
Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall with Arn Anderson serving as guest referee
AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida & Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose & The Bunny
WWE’s NXT show on the USA Network is moving to Tuesday nights beginning April 13th. The news was made official Tuesday morning, effectively ending the ‘Wednesday Night War’ against AEW Dynamite.
WWE executive Triple H commented, “The move to Tuesdays provides a new opportunity for us to grow the NXT brand and enables our partner, USA Network, to continue to build its strong portfolio of sports and entertainment programming.”
Triple H’s comments are more than just spin. The competition of a head-to-head battle with AEW Dynamite has improved the quality of both products. However, it also forced fans to choose. Many viewers decided to watch one show or the other. With NXT and Dynamite going unopposed, there’s a strong chance viewership will increase for both shows. In fact, Triple H tells Variety that he’s confident WWE fans will migrate to Tuesday nights when NXT makes the move on 4/13.
In addition to NXT moving to Tuesday’s, WWE announced a multi-year extension of their partnership with USA. NXT will air live on the USA Network every Tuesday night through at least April 2023.
“We are incredibly proud of our three-decade partnership with WWE and in extending USA’s NXT deal, we are further establishing our portfolio as an unrivaled home for quality WWE content,” said Frances Berwick, Chairman, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal. “By transitioning NXT to a Tuesday timeslot where WWE has performed well in the past, we are giving our passionate fanbase more of what they love with back-to-back nights of exhilarating, live programming.”
All new episodes of NXT will be available on-demand in the United States exclusively on Peacock, the day after its airing on USA Network.
Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast was first to confirm that WWE would be announcing the move to Tuesday and extended USA Network deal.
New Japan Pro Wrestling unveiled the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt at Tuesday’s Road to Sakura Genesis event.
Kota Ibushi is the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. The belt was introduced following the unification of the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships.
Ibushi’s historic first defense takes place this Sunday at Sakura Genesis. He will face Will Ospreay, winner of the recent New Japan Cup.
Here is a clip of the big reveal, along with some additional photos:
Believe it or not, some wrestling fans on social media had a mixed reaction to the new belt design. Some compared it to the retired WWE Divas ‘butterfly’ belt, while others compared the center plate design to the most notorious tattoo in the game.
Dan Beltzer created the new championship belt for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He issued the following statement on Wednesday in response to fans who are complaining about the new design:
I could have put the NJPW logo on a Winged Eagle and the internet still would have hated it.
Literally ANY belt would have been a let down in comparison to the v4, which has become in the last 12 years, one of the most beloved belt designs of all time.
All Elite Wrestling is set to hold the first ever non-televised ‘house show’ in company history. AEW: The House Always Wins takes place Friday, April 9th from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL. The event coincides with WrestleMania weekend.
All of AEW’s top champions will be in action on this card, including AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, TNT Champion Darby Allin, World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks and Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida.
Tickets for AEW The House Always Wins are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com. Here is the lineup:
AEW World Tag Team Champions the Young Bucks & Brandon Cutler vs. Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix)
TNT Champion Darby Allin will face the winner of a 12-man Battle Royal. Participants include Lance Archer, Scorpio Sky, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, QT Marshall, Butcher, Blade, Dustin Rhodes, Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn, 10 and Colt Cabana.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega & Michael Nakazawa vs. Matt & Mike Sydal
Cody Rhodes vs. Ethan Page
AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida, Tay Conti & Red Velvet vs. Dr. Britt Baker, Nyla Rose & Allie
The Pinnacle (With Wardlow) vs. Jurassic Express & Dante Martin
Eddie Kingston vs. Cezar Bononi
Plus, Orange Cassidy and Jade Cargill will be in action.
Randy Orton and rapper Soulja Boy continue to exchange trash talk on social media.
The beef began earlier this month, when Soulja Boy tweeted that the ‘rap game’ is faker than WWE. Any wrestling fan knows, using the “f word” is a blatant sign of disrespect to the athletes who devote their lives and risk their health for our entertainment.
The tweet got the attention of several WWE Superstars, including Randy Orton. The Viper went off on Soulja Boy. You can see two of his tweets below and their entire exchange from early March here.
Ps @sanbenito would beat the fuck outta you. Why? How? Because he’s seen our world. Respects it and knows what it takes and finds himself lucky to be a part of it. You wanna talk fake? Pawn that cheap ass chain and come work for it you one hit wonder ass mutha fucka https://t.co/zJPMmuqskr
Soulja Boy must have liked the attention he received by the online tussle with Orton, because he’s back at it again. He fired off a few flagrant tweets at WWE and ‘Randy Organ’ Sunday morning:
WWE scared of me. And Randy organ pussy. They big cap ? use somebody else name for ratings. I knew they was too fake to have me there I’ll slap the shit out dude live.
Randy Orton responded late Sunday night by putting Soulja Boy’s physical size into perspective and saying “you’re welcome” for giving him some attention.
My dick taller then you. Weighs more too. Go to bed you fucking infant. You’re welcome for the boost. Go choke on a keyboard. https://t.co/CQUn6WHpGa
Aleister Black has been off television since October, but his WWE hiatus is nearly complete.
The former NXT Champion was called up to the main roster in February 2019. His WWE run as been underwhelming, despite him being one of the most talented performers on the WWE payroll.
Black posted a photo and message on Instagram stating, “Let us sit face to face soon. I will have many stories to tell, all of them in full color.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM_CohiBByT/
The Return of Aleister Black
WWE fans should be excited about Aleister Black returning to television. WWE has completely dropped the ball by underutilizing him, however the extended break offers a chance for him to start anew.
Black is married to former WWE Superstar Thea Trinidad (Zelina Vega). She was granted her release from the company back in November.
Last week, Aleister Black’s former rival Buddy Murphy tweeted the following message at the Dutch figher.
Wonna steal the show’s at #WrestleMania @WWEAleister ? ?
The Bella Twins are headed back to WWE. On the latest episode of The Bellas Podcast, the Total Bellas stars revealed they plan to “take the stage” at WrestleMania 37 in typical ‘Bella style.’
The former Superstars turned reality TV stars are amongst the top attractions headlining this year’s WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Aside from an appearances WrestleMania, Nikki and Brie are in fact planning a return to the ring. The Bellas are expected back on WWE TV in the second half of 2021, with an in-ring return slated for this fall.
The Bellas have expressed their desire to wrestle again on several occasions. Earlier this month, they expressed interest in going after the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. They’ll have their work cut out for them, as the titles are currently held by Shayna Bazsler and Nia Jax.
The Bella Twins retired from active competition back in March 2019. They both gave birth to baby boys just one day apart in August 2020.
Nikki’s husband Artem Chigvintsev said in a recent interview, “She’s been having talks about coming back and doing something together with Brie. They both have kids, and I feel like they still have this unclosed chapter with wrestling. I would not be surprised.”
The biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Bella Twins wrestling again is Nikki’s neck. She’s been working on neck-strengthening exercises in hopes of being able to have one last run performing for the WWE Universe.
Impact Wrestling sent us a press release announcing a date change for the upcoming Rebellion pay-per-view. Rebellion will now be held Sunday night, April 25th at 8pm (Eastern).
Rebellion was initially scheduled for the 24th, but was likely moved to avoid competing against the UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2 PPV.
The event will feature an historic inter-promotional Champion vs. Champion main event. Impact World Champion Rich Swann will face All Elite Wrestling World Champion Kenny Omega in a match that is sure to have the attention of the entire wrestling world.
Impact Executive VP Scott D’Amore touted the significance of Sunday night being the traditional home of wrestling pay-per-views. “Swann vs. Omega, champion vs. champion, title vs. title is a happening that every wrestling fan will want to witness … it just feels right that REBELLION take place on Sunday.”
D’Amore stated that one man will walk away with the top prize from both companies. “This is no gimmick, no sleight of hand. Wrestling fans can take me at my word – either Rich Swann or Kenny Omega will walk out of REBELLION as both the IMPACT and AEW World Champion. History will happen at REBELLION!”
In addition to Swann vs. Omega, Rebellion will feature:
Newly-crowned IMPACT Tag Team Champions FinJuice vs. The Good Brothers, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson.
Title defenses by X-Division Champion Ace Austin, Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo and Knockouts Tag Team Champions Fire ‘N Flava.
For more information, including the Rebellion CELL-ebration virtual fan fest, visit ImpactWrestling.com.
Check out our recap from this week’s Impact Wrestling on AXS TV:
The Undertaker also tweeted, “Kane has been a brother to me on and off screen for over 25 years. Hardworking, loyal, and dedicated. I was honored to be the one to announce he is the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021.”
The WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place Tuesday, April 6th. The event will feature inductions for the Class of 2021 as well as the Class of 2020. Last year’s ceremony was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020
The Bella Twins
The New World Order (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman)
The Great Khali is headed to the WWE Hall of Fame. The news was announced on Wednesday’s edition of the WWE Now India digital series.
As seen in the player below, Khali’s manager and friend Ranjin Singh informed Khali of the honor.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMzdtghAu7Y/
The Great Khali wrestled for WWE from 2006 to 2014 and 2017-2018. He is a former World Heavyweight Champion.
The 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place Tuesday, April 6th.
In addition to The Great Khali, this year’s class also includes two-time WWE Women’s Champion Molly Holly and former WCW President Eric Bischoff.
This year’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction ceremony will also feature inductions of the Class of 2020. Last year’s ceremony was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, Class of 2020 headliner Batista announced he will not attend due to a ‘scheduling conflict.’ The rest of the 2020 lineup includes:
The Bella Twins
The New World Order (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman)
The WWE ThunderDome is changing locations once again.
Several months after relocating to Tropicana Field in St. Petersberg, FL, WWE is moving its state-of-the-art production setup to the Yuengling Center in Tampa. The announcement was first published at Business Wire.
The first event from the Yuengling Center will be WWE Raw on April 12th, the night after WWE Wrestlemania 37. The ThunderDome host Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-views.
“WWE takes great pride in providing our fans and network partners with cutting-edge production and one of the most interactive atmospheres in all of television every single week,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Production. “We look forward to the next iteration of the WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center as we continue to take the fan experience to a whole new level.”
WWE’s ThunderDome setup will continue to be a closed set without fans in attendance. WWE says it will continue to administer its health and safety protocols for talent, crew and employees. There will be be PCR testing for COVID-19, social distancing and wearing will be required.
WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali is currently dealing with a knee injury.
During a Twitter Q&A session earlier this month, the former Retribution leader revealed that he tore his PCL. He called the situation incredibly frustrating.
On Tuesday, he provided an update on his condition. Although PCL tears often require surgery, Mustafa Ali says he does not foresee going under the knife any time soon.
He wrote, “To clear some confusion, I am not getting surgery in the foreseeable future. I’ll be okay”
To clear some confusion, I am not getting surgery in the foreseeable future. I’ll be okay.
Ali has been feuding with United States Champion Riddle in recent weeks.
WWE Superstars commonly wrestle through injuries. However, doing so involves the risk of further aggravation. Ali wrestles a high-flying style and a bad knee can seriously limit one’s mobility.
We do not know how badly Ali’s PCL is damaged, but full reconstruction typically requires 9-12 months of recovery time. This is a layoff any wrestler would try to avoid if possible.
On Monday, he issued a brief statement on social media thanking select people in WWE. He specifically thanked Triple H, Paul Heyman and William Regal for the years of support behind the scenes. He also thanked his fans and offered a “big hug” to the talent and WWE employees who he got a chance to work with.
I want to thank @TripleH , @HeymanHustle and @RealKingRegal for all these years and great support that they gave me all these years also to the fans who were always supporting me, a big hug to all the talent and workers who always behaved kindly to me. ????
Andrade is engaged to WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair. Most married men are familiar with the phrase, “Happy Wife, Happy Life.” Based on this tweet, the former NXT Champion subscribes to this idea.
WWE announced Andrade’s release on Sunday. In a statement posted at WWE.com, the company wished him the best in his future endeavors.
Superstars who are released by WWE are customarily bound by a 90-day non-compete clause. If this condition applies, he would be free to work elsewhere at the end of June 2021.
The 31-year-old grappler recently filed to trademark his former ring name, La Sombra. Andrade will be a coveted free agent when he is able to work elsewhere this summer.
Pat McAfee says professional wrestling and more specifically, WWE’s Attitude Era, made him into the man he is today.
The NFL star turned sports analyst and part-time WWE Superstar was a contestant on this week’s episode of 10 Questions with Kyle Brandt on Spotify.
During the show, McAfee commented on pro wrestling’s impact on his life, as well as whether or not we can expect to see him at WrestleMania 37.
“The Attitude era is where I lived,” McAfee said. “The Monday Night Wars was awesome. If you listen to me on any given day, you can hear inspiration from The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, HHH, a little bit of Flair…that whole era created me into the person I am…Attitude Era is not only my biggest inspiration when it comes to wrestling, but also when it comes to life.”
Pat McAfee got a chance to live his dream by wrestling for WWE last year. He made his in-ring debut last August at NXT Takeover XXX.
Good morning beautiful people..
I woke up a bit sore.. I couldn’t fully understand why then I hopped on the Twitter
McAfee would go on to make several more appearances for NXT. He received rave reviews for his WWE appearances, leading many to wonder when we will see him lace up the boots again. When asked by Kyle Brandt if he’ll be at WrestleMania in April, McAfee said he’s not sure if he’ll have enough time to train for WWE’s biggest show of the year.
“Now that I’ve gotten the chance to do it, the amount of work and buy-in you have to have to be successful, it’s a lot…I’m not 100% sure I can do what’s needed to allow for a run to WrestleMania.”
This week is something I’ve dreamt about since I was roughly 10 years old… Just a little outgoing prick that was rather athletic who knew what he was put on this here planet to do.
Adam Cole will battle Finn Balor for the NXT Championship tonight on the USA Network. The former Undisputed Era leader spoke with Steven Muehlhausen to promote the event.
Cole discussed his preference of working as a babyface or heel, Undisputed Era being one of the greatest factions of all time, his rivalry with Finn Balor and much more.
Adam Cole has been a heel for most of his NXT run. He had a brief turn as a babyface/tweener before recently showing his true colors as a villain. Cole enjoys the ‘shades of grey’ in wrestling characters and feels that flexibility keeps things fresh.
“I love the fact that I have little dips and dives in my character,” said Cole. “I think it allows me to explore more things creatively, especially when it comes to interviews and explaining why I did what I did. So I really dig that.”
Adam Cole and Britt Baker
Adam Cole is in a relationship with AEW star Britt Baker. Both of them have portrayed entertaining heel characters on television. When asked which of them is the true heel, Cole says you do not want to mess with his woman.
“Oh god,” he replied. “This may be a two-parter. On the screen, I think it’s debatable. I think it depends. Britt does a heck of a job. At the house, Britt takes the cake. She’s wonderful. I’m sure she would say the exact same thing about me if roles were reversed. I think she takes the cake here. You don’t want to mess with her. Don’t ever want to mess with her. You never want to mess with a good woman.
Visit DAZN to read their full interview with Adam Cole.
WWE returns to the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight with an all new episode of NXT. This is a loaded show with a double main event fit for a Takeover special.
The following items are announced for this week’s NXT on USA broadcast:
NXT Champion Finn Balor defends against Adam Cole
NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai defends against Toni Storm
NXT General Manager William Regal is set to make two game-changing announcements. WWE is hyping that these announcements will change the landscape of NXT forever.
