WWE and Netflix have reached a “groundbreaking deal” to produce & release a new multi-part documentary on the life WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.
WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan revealed the new project during Thursday’s Q3 2020 earnings call with investors. Khan said the deal is groundbreaking because this will be one of the highest-budgeted documentaries in the history of Netflix.
The title and release date for the McMahon doc have not been released as of this writing, but Bill Simmons will serve as Executive Producer. Chris Smith, who directed the Netflix documentary on Fyre Fest, will produce the film, along with WWE Studios.
The upcoming McMahon documentary from WWE Studios and Netflix is not the “Pandemonium” biopic that has been rumored since 2017, which actor Bradley Cooper was expected to be a part of at one point. It looks like that project has been canceled.
WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco is no longer with the company after 36 years of service.
Brisco took to Twitter this morning and announced that he was informed of the departure by Vince McMahon, who called him with the news last night. Brisco, who has worked as a talent scout in recent years, said he will still be around to work with talent if they need help.
“Ok, want to get this out the right way. Last night I received a call from @wwe Chairman Of The board @VinceMcMahon to let me know after 36 years of dedication to @wwe i an no longer needed. I’m ok withthis. I will still be around to help talent. More info will follow. Thanks,” Brisco wrote on Twitter.
Ok, want to get this out the right way. Last night I received a call from @wwe Chairman Of The board @VinceMcMahon to let me know after 36 years of dedication to @wwe i an no longer needed. I’m ok withthis. I will still be around to help talent. More info will follow. Thanks
Brisco’s departure comes after he was furloughed back in April along with other cuts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brisco isn’t the only WWE employee getting cut today as the company is making another round of releases. PWInsider reports that the cutbacks planned for today are related to office staff who were furloughed back in April, but not brought back to work yet.
WWE started bringing some of the furloughed employees back to work in the last 6-8 weeks, with a few employees returning each week or so. Many of the employees being released today were some who had been waiting for confirmation on when they would be brought back to work.
Today’s WWE cuts are from all across the board, but there’s been no word yet on talents being released. It was noted that the live events and travel departments are being hit the hardest. This is because there is a reduced need for those departments due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have a few more highlights from the media call that AEW President & CEO Tony Khan hosted on Thursday to promote Saturday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view. Khan discussed some title-related plans AEW has in the works, and surprises that will be revealed soon.
* Khan said he believes Saturday’s All Out event will be some of AEW’s strongest work. He’s really excited for big things that are coming over the next week, including Wednesday’s post-PPV Dynamite episode, but he couldn’t provide further details because it would spoil All Out.
He also said AEW has more surprises planned for the coming weeks, and he’s excited about those as well.
* Khan was asked about Chris Jericho’s recent comments on how Brian Cage’s FTW Title really means nothing in the company like other titles do. Khan said the FTW Title has not been booked like other titles in AEW, but he’s been working on a different kind of project that he’s excited about.
He noted that he feels great about Cage and the FTW Title, and while AEW hasn’t established that title yet, they have a lot in store for it and he’s excited for what’s to come.
You can click here for Khan’s earlier comments on the Brock Lesnar/AEW rumors, which AEW PPV did better than WrestleMania 36, and more.
You can click here for Khan’s comments on the NWA/AEW relationship, PAC being away from the company, and more.
As reported before, AEW President & CEO Tony Khan hosted a conference call earlier today with members of the pro wrestling media to promote Saturday’s All Out pay-per-view.
You can click here for Khan’s earlier comments on the Brock Lesnar/AEW rumors, which AEW PPV did better than WrestleMania 36, and more. Below are more highlights from the call:
* Khan revealed that there will be a live crowd at Britt Baker’s dentist office for the “Tooth & Nail” match against Big Swole on the All Out pre-show. The cinematic-style match was originally planned for the main card earlier this summer, but Baker hasn’t wrestled much in recent months and the change was made. He sees it as a big opportunity for both Swole and Baker, who we will see a lot more from in the next few months. He said while this will be a cinematic match, the actual pay-per-view will be wrestling-heavy and not storyline-heavy. Khan said the “Tooth & Nail” match will be great and it will be fun, and it will be free for everyone to enjoy.
* Khan said he would love to have Serena Deeb back after her match with NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa on Dynamite this week, adding that they both hit a home run. Deeb received rave reviews backstage, and he was proud of them for putting on a strong performance in the second hour position that the company trusted them with. He’s very excited about Rosa facing AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida at All Out on Saturday.
* There is not a working relationship between AEW and the NWA, past the good personal relationship he has with NWA Owner Billy Corgan. They have had a strong relationship for years, before Khan got into wrestling. Khan revealed that he was introduced to Corgan by another good friend – former WWE star Chris Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He talked more about Nowinski and how he respects his work, and had Nowinski come to speak to the AEW roster. He sees AEW and NWA as two different companies, but he wished Corgan the best with everything he’s doing. Regarding Rosa vs. Shida, he thinks this will be one of the best matches on the card and he thought the match maked sense for both promotions when it was pitched. He believes Rosa is the perfect contender for Shida at All Out, but it was Kenny Omega who first recommended Rosa for the match. Khan agreed, called Corgan and they made it happen.
* Khan said he, and everyone else in the company, are really missing PAC, who is still in the UK due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. He believes PAC’s absence has been a great opportunity for Eddie Kingston, who he sees as a good mouthpiece for The Lucha Bros, but also one who can fit well in other roles. While it’s unfortunate that PAC can’t be here right now, it means other wrestlers are able to step up, and they have been stepping up.
AEW CEO & President Tony Khan spoke to members of the media earlier today to promote Saturday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view event. Below are a few highlights from the call:
* Khan said he “can’t comment right now” on the speculation that Brock Lesnar may be headed to AEW, if he’s talked to Lesnar or if he’s interested in bringing Lesnar in. Lesnar is now a free agent from WWE but it’s believed that he will be back to work for the company soon.
Khan said he’s been a big fan of Lesnar’s work for years, and he sees Lesnar as one of the greatest “big man workers” in the business. He also doesn’t think people talk enough about how Brock is a great worker. Khan added that he has a significant amount of respect for Lesnar, but he can’t comment on the speculation or interest right now.
* He said he believes the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in May “kicked the crap out of” WWE WrestleMania 36 in April. He talked about how both companies were dealing with different circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he believes AEW promoted their event better, and produced a better product.
* Khan promised that the new one-hour AEW TV show will premiere some time in the next year. He does not have an exact date and said they still have a lot of work left to do, including market research testing. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a lot of plans getting delayed, but the second AEW TV show is still in the works.
Stay tuned for more highlights from Khan’s media call.
Dictionary.com knows its role and smells what The Rock is cooking.
The website announced today that their biggest update ever, featuring more than 15,000 additions with 650 new words, includes one word that is very popular with pro wrestling fans – jabroni.
jabroni – noun Slang. a stupid, foolish, or contemptible person; loser: She always has a comeback to own the trolls and jabronis on Twitter. Shut your mouth, you dumb jabroni!
Also called en·hance·ment tal·ent, job·ber. Professional Wrestling. a wrestler whose purpose is to lose matches against headlining wrestlers in order to build up the status and fame of the headliners: The man is a legend in the ring—he eats jabronis for breakfast.
The word was popularized by The Rock during WWE’s Attitude Era, but in past media interviews he has credited WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik with constantly using the word backstage.
“Yes, we put jabroni in the dictionary. We assume @TheRock could smell us cooking up this update the whole time,” Dictionary.com wrote on Twitter in response to feedback on the word being added to the dictionary.
Yes, we put jabroni in the dictionary. We assume @TheRock could smell us cooking up this update the whole time. https://t.co/kNdHhsLYrn
This is not the first time that The Great One has helped get a WWE word into the dictionary. The word “SmackDown” was added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary back in 2007.
The former WWE Champion spoke with Esquire Magazine in June 2015 and was asked about the word. He talked about how The Iron Sheik was known for using the “jabroni” term.
“When I was a kid, it was an inside term that guys would use,” Rock said. “When wrestlers wanted to have a private conversation when fans were present, they would start talking carny because they used to wrestle in carnivals. I thought it was so cool. Jabroni was a word that was always used in the derogatory sense. Oh, this jabroni, that jabroni.
“But the Iron Sheik was famous for saying the word constantly backstage. Jabroni, jabroni, jabroni. Around 1998, I thought, Why can’t I say it on TV? So I started saying it publicly, but the Iron Sheik was known for it.”
The Rock has not publicly commented on the new dictionary listing as of this writing.
Lawler previously tweeted to reveal that he had filmed the interview with Austin. The interview was done on Saturday, August 22nd, during WWE’s SummerSlam weekend.
This will be the 8th “Broken Skull Sessions” interview on the WWE Network. Austin’s other episodes are with Mark Henry, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, The Big Show, Kane, Bill Goldberg, and The Undertaker.
Bray Wyatt took to Twitter today and issued a cryptic message to WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg.
“Dearest @Goldberg, Don’t worry old friend we fixed it,” he wrote. “Don’t listen to what they say, you and I know they’re wrong. I forgive you! But please, if you see the red walk away from it.”
Wyatt did not elaborate but social media speculation is that the post is related to the WWE Universal Championship, which Goldberg won from Wyatt earlier this year at WWE Super ShowDown.
Goldberg carried the title until WrestleMania 36, where he dropped it to Braun Strowman. That match was originally scheduled to be Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns, but Reigns backed out of the show due to concerns he had with working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tweet from Wyatt comes just days after Reigns returned at WWE SummerSlam, following The Fiend’s Universal Championship win over Strowman. The Fiend’s first title defense will come this Sunday at WWE Payback, against Reigns and Strowman in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat.
Wyatt’s cryptic post to Goldberg is adding to the rumors of a WWE return for Goldberg. He recently told The Pop Culture Show that he still has two years left on his WWE contract. The contract calls for two matches per year, but Goldberg has already worked his two for 2020. However, it’s always possible that WWE works something out and we see Goldberg return to mix it up in the SmackDown main event scene.
Renee Young took to social media early Monday morning to formally address her departure from WWE after 8 years.
News broke last week that the veteran broadcaster had given notice to the company earlier this month. She agreed to work through SummerSlam weekend, but is now officially done with the company.
In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram, Young thanked WWE for the experience of a lifetime. WWE provided her opportunities of a lifetime, to grow, make history and achieve her wildest dreams. She made friendships that will last a lifetime and met the love of her life and husband, reigning AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.
She now plans to “roll the dice” and begin the next chapter of her career. One of her projects will include anchoring a new show on FOX Sports.
“This November would mark 8 years in WWE. 8 years!!” she wrote. “An opportunity of a lifetime with a global company to learn, grow, make history and do things beyond my wildest dreams before I left Toronto for this adventure,” Young wrote. “I made friends, family- literally family- I met my husband here (what a fucking dreamboat) and people that will be a part of my life forever. I did things I couldn’t have even imagined or dreamt up. From backstage interviews, a reality show, Talking Smack, being the first woman to be a part of a WWE broadcast in Saudi Arabia, being the first woman to sit at the commentary desk full time on Monday Night Raw, calling Wrestlemania, anchoring a brand new show with Fox Sports (which you guys will still be able to catch me on!)”
Renee acknowledged how hard the job with WWE has been. She noted that the “incredible run” has changed her life, but now it’s time to “roll the dice again” and see what’s next.
“I’ve been so lucky. But it’s also been a lot of my hard work, drive and passion that’s landed me in these amazing spots,” she wrote. “I’ve had such an incredible run with WWE. It’s changed my life. But that all leads me to now. What’s next? Do I stay satisfied with what I’ve done? Or do I go in pursuit of new barriers and goals in mind? I always choose the latter. I have no idea what that means or looks like, but it’s time for me to go. Time to roll the dice again and shake things up. Time to light that fire again and forge on. Time to say bye to Renee Young and reconnect with Renee Paquette and remember why I started this journey to begin with. And as the ride slows down- as the world slows down, I see it as my opportunity to make a move.”
Renee wrapped her statement by thanking WWE and all of her fans. She noted that she is excited for her future.
“So I just wanted to say thanks to WWE and to the all the fans that have been so damn cool to me over the years,” she wrote. “And send a crap ton of love to all of my people. I’m excited for the future! Thanks for everything [red heart emoji]”
Stay tuned for updates on what Renee has planned for her future. She will be releasing her first cookbook some time in the near future.
Former WWE and WCW wrestler Marcus “Buff” Bagwell was hospitalized after a serious collision in Cobb County, Georgia earlier this week.
Bagwell was driving his 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe on Cumberland Boulevard this past Sunday at around 5:18pm local time when the collision occurred, according to the Cobb County Government Website. Investigators believe he was impaired by prescription medication at the time of the accident.
Investigators say Bagwell was traveling west on Cumberland Boulevard, approaching Cumberland Parkway, when he lost control while going through a curve. Bagwell collided with a center median and the fence on that median, before continuing west across the eastbound lanes. The Tahoe then collided with a curb before crashing into a free-standing restroom at the Cobb County Transit bus station.
Bagwell, age 50, has been hospitalized at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with serious injuries. There were no other injuries reported.
EC3 is scheduled to make his debut for Ring of Honor this week.
EC3, who is currently back with Impact Wrestling, is at the ROH TV tapings in Baltimore and will be working this week’s TV tapings, according to PWInsider. It remains to be seen exactly what he will be doing, and if this is a one-time gig.
This week’s ROH TV tapings will be their first since they were forced to change their schedule in February due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tapings will include the ROH Pure Title tournament.
It was recently reported on Wrestling Observer Live that ROH has big plans for these tapings. Bryan Alvarez noted that the tapings will be unlike anything fans have seen in pro wrestling. He also said “hardcore” fans, meaning dedicated fans of the sport, will be pleased with what ROH has to offer, especially if they feel like they’ve been missing something from their pro wrestling as of late.
EC3 was released from his WWE contract in April as the company made dozens of cuts due to the negative impact of COVID-19. He returned to Impact in July and is currently feuding with Moose for the TNA World Heavyweight Title.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ix1EZLL3k
Stay tuned for spoilers from the ROH TV tapings and more on EC3’s future.
Crews are currently working on the new WWE ThunderDome interactive viewing experience at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
One worker noted on Instagram that crews have been working 13-hour days since Sunday. They expect to be finished with the construction by Wednesday of this week. WWE noted in today’s announcement that the ThunderDome experience will go live beginning with Friday’s SmackDown on FOX episode, which is the go-home show for SummerSlam.
Below is the first video of construction inside the Amway Center, courtesy of Pro Wrestling Sheet:
WWE ThunderDome goes with WWE’s new longterm residency at the Amway Center. The viewing experience will be used for all RAW, SmackDown and pay-per-view events for the foreseeable future.
ThunderDome features a state-of-the-art set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics and drone cameras. WWE is using almost 1,000 LED boards to feature virtual fans live via video streaming. There will be rows and rows of fans on the boards, and the idea is that they will be able to recreate the arena experience fans are used to seeing with the WWE product. Full WWE ThunderDome details can be found here.
Below are photos of crews turning the Amway Center into The ThunderDome:
The WWE 205 Live creative team is currently being led by Dewey Foley and Adam Pearce.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported this week that Foley and Pearce are the “key creative forces” behind the cruiserweight brand. They likely have several writers under them that help with the direction of the show.
Pearce also works as a WWE Agent and has been the man behind the 205 Live brand for at least a year now. WWE first hired him back in 2014 after a successful career on the indies.
Foley, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, was first hired to work as a creative writer’s assistant in 2015. It was reported then that WWE hired Dewey after seeing some of his creative writing samples online. While Mick had reached out and let the company know that his son was interested in a job, Dewey reportedly did most of the contact after that. Dewey started sending some of his ideas in to the creative team and soon after that he was hired to work as an assistant. Triple H and several other people liked Dewey’s work, and now it looks like he’s climbed the creative ladder in the company.
Mick asked who Dewey could contact and send his writing samples to, and then Dewey was said to have done most of the other contact on his own. In addition, it was reported that Triple H was one of a number of people who enjoyed Dewey’s writing.
Dewey appeared on a 2016 episode of “Holy Foley!” on the WWE Network, in a scene where his dad visited WWE HQ in Stamford, CT. You can see a clip from that episode below:
WWE 205 Live airs each Friday night on the WWE Network, at 10pm EST after SmackDown goes off the air on FOX. While the show no longer airs live due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are still airing new matches each week. However, the episodes have featured only one or two matches since the schedules were changed amid the pandemic earlier this year.
WWE is expected to announce the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida as the SummerSlam location soon.
Multiple sources are reporting that WWE is planning to host SummerSlam at the Amway Center, and that no fans will be allowed in the venue. Orlando reporter Jon Alba adds that WWE is looking at the Amway Center for other upcoming events and TV tapings.
While no fans will be allowed into the venue for SummerSlam, PWInsider reports that WWE is looking at possibly using virtual fans for the crowd. FOX has used virtual fans for recent Major League Baseball broadcasts in the COVID-19 era. Any crowd members for SummerSlam will be contracted WWE talents, as we’ve seen with the recent TV events filmed at the WWE Performance Center.
Regarding the Amway Center, the arena is currently “closed” until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but WWE apparently just recently worked out a deal with venue officials. It was speculated that WWE may eventually bring fans into the venue because the large size of the arena makes it possible to practice safe social distancing.
The 2020 WWE SummerSlam will air live on Sunday, August 23rd.
Per a source: #WWE is not just exploring #SummerSlam at Amway Center in Orlando, but also utilizing the facility going forward for other events.
As I noted below, the arena is currently "closed" until next year, which would seemingly mean nothing is on the docket. https://t.co/vwkfPP09c8
If #WWE could secure some sort of lease at Amway Center, it's not out of the realm to suggest limited fans could eventually return to the tapings given how big the arena is. Plenty of room to social distance. #AEW has been running with some invited guests, distanced.
WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles will reportedly defend the title against Jeff Hardy at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view.
WWE has not announced Hardy vs. Styles as of this writing, but PWInsider reports that this was the planned direction for the SmackDown episode that is taping in Orlando today at the Performance Center. This is the episode that will air tomorrow night on FOX.
This would be the first we’ve seen of the Hardy vs. Styles feud on SmackDown. Hardy wrapped his feud with Sheamus a few weeks ago, and Styles has successfully defend the title over Drew Gulak, Matt Riddle and Gran Metalik in recent weeks.
Below is the current line-up for the 2020 SummerSlam pay-per-view, which will air live on August 23rd:
– WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews defends against MVP
– RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits defend against Andrade & Angel Garza
– RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defends against Asuka
– SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley defends against the winner of the Tri-Brand Battle Royal on SmackDown
– WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman defends against “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
– Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio (Mysterio will be allowed to use weapons)
– WWE Champion Drew McIntyre defends against Randy Orton
Indie content is coming to the WWE Network this weekend.
WWE announced today that shows from EVOLVE, PROGRESS, wXw and ICW will premiere on the WWE Network this Saturday, August 15th. These are shows that have already taken place over the past few years.
WWE recently purchased the EVOLVE promotion and tape library, and content from that promotion includes The Best Of Keith Lee In EVOLVE and The Best Of Drew McIntyre In EVOLVE. wXw’s Femme Fatales 2019 and AMBITION 11 events will be available. Shug’s Hoose Party 5 – Night 2 will be available from ICW, and Chapter 92 will be available from PROGRESS Wrestling.
WWE pushed that the wXw content will feature current Superstars such as Timothy Thatcher and WALTER, while Chapter 92 from PROGRESS featured names like Toni Storm, Pete Dunne, and Ilja Dragunov, among others. WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett is featured on Night 2 of Shug’s Hoose Party 5.
It’s been rumored that WWE planned to introduce outside content to the WWE Network for the past two years, and now the additions have been confirmed for this weekend. It’s likely that the non-WWE libraries will be updated in the future.
AEW’s Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes spoke with TV Insider this week and said she recently left Twitter because she has more important things to focus on.
Rhodes made the news and social media chatter last week after she deactivated her Twitter account following fan criticism over the AEW “Heels” online community for female fans. The speculation was that Rhodes, who was regularly active on Twitter, deleted her page because the negative feedback was too much.
Rhodes told Scott Fishman of TV Insider that she’s now focusing on AEW’s “Deadly Draw” tag team tournament for the women’s division, and the “Heels” project.
“I just think that right now there are other things that need my attention a lot more,” Rhodes said of leaving Twitter. “I’m focusing on ‘Heels,’ which Friday we had our first members based event. It was extremely successful. It’s nice to come together in a community of women that really appreciated it and enjoyed it. We had a really great time on Friday night. It was nice to put my energy into that.
“My energy is also going into the ‘Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament’…It has been a really nice weekend to put all my time and energy into what I want to be focusing on right now.”
Tonight is @AEW_Heels first official event! Sign up and hang out with us at exclusive events.
We've got lots of stuff in store tonight, including a Q&A with yours truly!
— Aubrey Edwards – AEW Referee (@RefAubrey) August 7, 2020
Rhodes directly addressed the feedback to “Heels” and said the plans are already laid out for the project for the next year, and she believes word of mouth will be the best thing for it. She touted last Friday’s event for members, calling it a success.
“I think the word of mouth on ‘Heels’ is going to be the best thing for it,” she said. “After the event on Friday the word about it was positive. There was not a single person of the two hundred and change people who showed up that said I did not get what I expected or asked for…We want to keep the women excited and looking forward to different things. The plans are very much laid out for ‘Heels.’ We’ve got a course of action for an entire year here.
“That course of action can change a little bit as the conditions of the world improves, but I think for now we’ve got plenty of events and virtual meet-and-greets and contests and cool things for these women. Not just monthly, but weekly…It’s a cool thing to talk to each other and motivate each other and share their slices of life and just have fun, which is so much of what is missing in life. These are trying times with current events. If ‘Heels’ can be the bright light at the end of the tunnel for them, we’re happy to do whatever it takes to make it that.”
Rhodes also talked about how money isn’t the most important thing when it comes to the “Heels” project. She said “Heels” is not intended to be “super profitable” for the company.
“Another thing for people to know out of the gate is that ‘Heels’ is not ever going to be something I look to as a super profitable thing,” she said. “It’s not intended to be. It’s intended to be something they can count on and grow with and learn with and get something out of.
“In order to run a multi-faceted platform like that, it costs money. It’s not cheap by any means. This is not going to be a huge cash grab for AEW. But it’s something fans will love and appreciate, so it’s worth all the work and effort. Not everything is about a dollar. Some things are about what’s right.”
The main FOX channel is scheduled to air a WWE special during SummerSlam Weekend.
TV guides currently have a two-hour special called “WWE SummerSlam’s Hottest Moments” scheduled to air on Saturday, August 22nd. The special will begin at 4pm EST.
FOX’s SummerSlam special will air the night before the big SummerSlam 2020 pay-per-view on the WWE Network. It will be over in time for the WWE NXT “TakeOver: XXX” special, which also airs on the WWE Network.
Fans interested in catching FOX’s SummerSlam special should check their local listings because the timeslot will likely change in some markets.
The official synopsis for “WWE SummerSlam’s Hottest Moments” is as follows: “A look back at the top moments from WWE’s Summerslam.”
Below is the updated SummerSlam card for August 23rd:
– WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton
– WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
– WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews vs. MVP
– RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. Andrade & Angel Garza
– RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks vs. Asuka
– SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. winner of Friday’s Tri-Brand Battle Royal
– Dominik Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins (Mysterio will be allowed to use weapons)
It looks like there could be two WWE NXT TakeOver specials airing in the month of October.
There are plans for a NXT TakeOver event to air on Sunday, October 4th, according to PWInsider. The name of the special and the locatio have not been confirmed as of this writing.
WWE also has the NXT UK “TakeOver: Dublin” special on the calendar for Sunday, October 25th. The NXT UK TakeOver event is scheduled to air live from the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. TakeOver: Dublin was originally scheduled for April 26th, but it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The next NXT TakeOver event will air live on Saturday, August 22nd during SummerSlam Weekend. “TakeOver: XXX” will be the thirtieth special for the NXT brand. The following matches have been confirmed for “TakeOver: XXX” as of this writing:
– Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee
– NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs. Dakota Kai
– Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. 3 Superstars TBD in a Ladder Match for the vacant NXT North American Championship
Kamala (James Harris) reportedly passed away after going into cardiac arrest on Sunday.
The WWE Legend tested positive for COVID-19 this past Wednesday, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason King, who spoke with Kamala’s wife on Sunday. He likely contracted the coronavirus from one of his numerous weekly visits to the dialysis center.
Kamala was hospitalized for COVID-19 on Wednesday night, according to his wife. He seemed fine and in good spirits as recent as Sunday morning. Despite his condition on Sunday morning, Kamala went into cardiac arrest that afternoon and passed away.
WWE remembered Harris with a statement on their official website
“WWE is saddened to learn that James Harris, known to WWE fans as Kamala, has passed away at age 70,” the statement read. “Under the frightening face paint of Kamala, the 6-foot-7, 380-pound Harris battled the greatest Superstars in sports-entertainment history, including Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Andre the Giant. He terrorized opponents and thrilled audiences in Mid-South, World Class Championship Wrestling, WCW and WWE until 2006. WWE extends its condolences to Harris’ family, friends and fans.”
Posted August 10th, 2020 in WWE, News. Tagged: Kamala.
WWE is reportedly allowing Sareee to wrestle for other promotions while she waits to move to the United States.
The top Japanese women’s wrestler signed with WWE in February of this year after impressing Triple H and other officials. She was scheduled to relocate to Orlando in March to begin training at the WWE Performance Center, but the COVID-19 pandemic but a hold on those plans.
Now Tokyo Sports reports that Sareee told WWE officials that she wanted to get back into the ring and wrestle as she’s been unable to due to the pandemic, and they have granted her permission to wrestle for other promotions and take on any opponent if she wants to.
Sareee reportedly said she was given permission to work elsewhere while she waits to start with WWE here in the US. While they have given her the OK to work for other promotions, it’s highly unlikely that she is able to work for a top company such as New Japan Pro Wrestling.
The 24 year old Sareee was signed to the Diana women’s promotion in Japan until inking a deal with WWE in February of this year. She is a two-time Diana World Champion and a one-time Diana Tag Team Champion. She has also held the Sendai Girls World Title, among others.
Vince McMahon reportedly praised Bayley, Peyton Royce and Bianca Belair during a recent WWE creative meeting, according to the Wrestling Observer.
Vince held a creative meeting on Wednesday, July 29th that was described as brutal. Vince reportedly approved none of the ideas presented in that meeting, which was held the day before the 2020 Second Quarter earnings report & call with investors.
A second meeting was held on Friday, July 31st, the day after the Q2 report and investors call. That meeting lasted four hours, and it was said that Vince talked forever about how much he loves Bayley and her new persona. Vince also reportedly praised Belair and Royce, noting that he sees them as singles stars.
Bayley has been a top star on both RAW and SmackDown for a while now, with main event appearances on the WWE NXT brand as well. She is the current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion with Sasha Banks, and has held the SmackDown Women’s Championship for more than 300 days now. She’s rumored to defend against Naomi, Lacey Evans or Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam later this month.
Royce is currently working on the RAW brand with Billie Kay as The IIconics. The tag team has had some success since returning to RAW earlier this summer, and Royce has worked a few singles matches. She defeated Ruby Riott on the June 29th RAW show, but lost to Belair on the July 3rd RAW, and then lost to Riott on the July 20th show.
Belair’s WWE status has been a hot topic of discussion on social media as of late. She was brought up from NXT the night after WrestleMania 36, and made just a few appearances with her husband, Montez Ford of RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits. She disappeared from RAW after defeating Santana Garrett on the April 20th sow, and then worked nothing but WWE Main Event matches for the next six weeks, picking up 6 straight wins over Catalina, Riott, and Kay. Belair returned to RAW on July 3rd, teaming with Riott to defeat The IIconics. She hasn’t appeared on RAW since then, but has picked up two Main Event wins over Royce and Jessi Kamea in July.
It was believed that this may have had something to do with the Cole vs. McAfee rivalry, which began back in 2018 at a NXT house show. McAfee later announced that he will be appearing on tonight’s NXT episode, and WWE has since confirmed the appearance.
McAfee and Cole are set to appear tonight for a follow-up to the recent incident on The Pat McAfee Show. For those who missed it, Cole appeared on McAfee’s podcast last month and stormed off the set after things got heated between the two, and Cole shoved one of McAfee’s hosts to the ground.
McAfee, a former NFL player turned podcaster & sports analyst, revealed on Instagram that he is leaving his honeymoon to confront Cole on tonight’s show. He was just married this past Saturday.
“Wifey just gave us the go ahead.. About to take a mid honeymoon daytrip to clear up some drama in my life,” McAfee wrote in the following Instagram post. He continued, “Well.. sometimes a little face to face conversation in the middle of a honeymoon is exactly what is needed to clear up some drama.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDgoFAlJlgN/
It will be interesting to see what goes down between McAfee and Cole on tonight’s show. Cole was expected to be ringside for the championship match that will see Imperium defend the NXT Tag Team Championships against Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish of The Undisputed Era.
Cole has been out of the main event scene since losing the NXT Championship to Keith Lee in early July. The Undisputed Era made a statement last week by attacking Imperium, which led to tonight’s championship match. Cole announced then that they were reminding everyone how NXT still belongs to The Undisputed Era.
Here is the updated card for tonight’s NXT episode on the USA Network:
* Pat McAfee appears to confront Adam Cole
* Imperium defends the NXT Tag Team Championships against Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish
* Shane Thorne vs. Bronson Reed
* NXT Champion Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grime in a non-title match
* Dakota Kai vs. Rhea Ripley to determine the new #1 contender to NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai
* Damian Priest vs. Oney Lorcan vs. Ridge Holland in a Triple Threat qualifier for the NXT North American Championship Ladder Match at Takeover: XXX
Several upcoming episodes of AEW Dynamite will be preempted by NBA basketball games on TNT.
WarnerMedia announced the following schedule change for the August 19th, August 26th, and September 16th shows:
The Wednesday, August 19th Dynamite episode will air on Saturday, August 22nd at 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT
The Wednesday, August 26th Dynamite episode will air Thursday, August 27th at 8:00pm ET/PT
The Wednesday, September 16th Dynamite episode will air Thursday, September 17th at 8:00pm ET/PT
The episode of AEW Dynamite that airs on Saturday, August 22nd will act as a “lead-in” (with an hour of overlap) to NXT Takeover XXX, which kicks off at 7pm that night on the WWE Network.
The preemptions will not affect the All Out go-home or post-show episodes.
It will be interesting to see how AEW Dynamite and NXT television viewership is impacted by these changes. NXT should see a significant uptick in viewership by airing in its usual time slot without direct competition from AEW. Dynamite will have three shows without the NXT opposition, but airing on different nights than fans are used to will not help matters.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman will challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at the upcoming All Out pay-per-view. AEW announced the news on Monday afternoon.
MJF has been the top ranked men’s singles competitor on the weekly AEW Rankings. In recent weeks, he has been campaigning against Moxley using hashtags including #NotMyChampion.
Last week on AEW Dynamite, he delivered a blistering promo on Dynamite during his State of the Industry address. MJF criticized Moxley for holding him down and referred to him as a ‘dictator.’
Moxley has been AEW World Champion since February when he dethroned Le Chamion Chris Jericho at AEW Revolution.
Both Jon Moxley and MJF will appear this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite. Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship against Darby Allin. MJF will be on hand to deliver his next State of the Industry address. You can be sure MJF will have some things to say about AEW officials deciding to award him this championship opportunity.
AEW All Out takes place on Saturday, September 5th from Jacksonville, FL. The show will stream live on BR Live and FITE.tv (Internationally).
