SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • DDP reveals his advice to Sami Zayn

    DDP reveals his advice to Sami Zayn

    Sami Zayn may have come up short against Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber, but some fans are still rooting for him to be added to the WrestleMania match with Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

    WWE is reportedly concerned about Zayn’s popularity overpowering Rhodes. There has been speculation that Zayn and Kevin Owens will headline Night One of WrestleMania 39 against The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Titles.

    What DDP told Sami Zayn

    DDP

    WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page said in an exclusive interview with Forbes that he gave Zayn advice at Royal Rumble. “I literally walked up to Sami at the Rumble and gave him a hug.”

    “I love the Bloodline stuff. And Sami is a guy that, if you look at it, you don’t say ‘that guy’s money.’ But if you watch him and his storylines, and his interviews and his work in the ring, he’s money. He’s top guy money. Put him in a main event and he will draw, especially against the Bloodline, but really anyone.”

    “I told him ‘bro, I love what you’re doing. Just be patient. Because it’s gonna happen.’ That’s the hardest thing for talent, is to be patient.”

    Do you think Sami Zayn should be added to the Rhodes vs. Reigns match or do you think he should compete with Owens for the tag titles?

  • Speculation over released star joining Bray Wyatt’s faction

    Speculation over released star joining Bray Wyatt’s faction

    When Bray Wyatt returned to WWE last year, there were rumors of a “Wyatt 6” faction. It would be his “Firefly Funhouse” characters come to life as actual characters.

    Fans have been introduced to “Uncle Howdy”. Rumors have been running rampant that Wyatt’s real life brother, Bo Dallas, would be portraying him. After last night’s SmackDown, there is a new theory on the person behind the character.

    Former WWE Superstar with Bray Wyatt

    WWE

    During the “Firefly Funhouse” segment, there was a voiceover that said, “welcome everyone to America’s favorite game show. Can you keep a secret?” 

    Some fans speculated that the voice belonged to former NXT Superstar, Eric Young. Young had been leading a faction in IMPACT Wrestling, Violent By Design. His character was killed by his stablemate last December. It was reported then that the former SAnity leader was WWE bound.

    In the same segment, a box that “Evil Alexa” used in the “Firefly Funhouse” was also featured. A woman’s hands were seen playing with action figures. Could that have been Bliss’s hands?

    Would you like to see Eric Young with the “Wyatt 6”?

  • The Undertaker is No Longer the Highest-Ranked Character in a WWE Video Game

    The Undertaker is No Longer the Highest-Ranked Character in a WWE Video Game

    WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker may have plenty of accolades to his name, but the Phenom recently lost his top spot in the annals of WWE’s gaming history.

    At Survivor Series 2020, the Undertaker gave his ‘Final Farewell’ and retired from the ring after an iconic three-decade career in WWE.

    The Texan was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, and has made appearances out of his gothic persona for WWE since his retirement.

    Gaming History

    As one of the most iconic WWE Superstars of all time, it is hardly surprising that The Undertaker has been part of several WWE video games.

    The Demon of Death Valley holds the record for appearing in the most officially licensed WWE games, with his first being WWF Super WrestleMania (NES & MegaDrive/Genesis) in 1992.

    Since then, The Undertaker has appeared in a total 64 video games (if you include WWE 2K23) and has featured on the cover for 18 games.

    Acknowledge Him

    For WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2011, WWE ranked The Undertaker with a staggering 98 rating, the highest rating of any WWE Superstar in gaming history.

    After over a decade though, that rating has now been superseded, as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been awarded a 99 rating for WWE 2K23.

    Reigns, one of two men to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania, has appeared in 10 WWE games, as well as NCAA Football 2005.

    The standard edition of WWE 2K23 is set for release on March 17 and will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows.

    Players who pre-order the Deluxe and Icon Editions of the game will have access from March 14 to get in on the action early.

    The Undertaker: I Wish I Could Work A Program With Roman Reigns
  • WWE King and Queen of the Ring Event Location Revealed

    WWE King and Queen of the Ring Event Location Revealed

    Following the report that WWE is planning to hold two PLEs in the month of May, the location of one of them has been revealed to be Saudi Arabia, and that’s the King and Queen of the Ring. 

    As previously noted, WWE is planning to present Backlash on Saturday, May 6, an event that dates back to 1999, in addition to bringing back King of the Ring under the King and Queen of the Ring name on Saturday, May 27. 

    WWE hasn’t used the tournament theme as a pay-per-view event since 2002. 

    The Location

    PWInsider Elite reports that WWE’s 2023 King and Queen of the Ring premium live event is slated to be in Saudi Arabia. WWE has yet to confirm either of these events, but WWE does have a 10-year deal with the Saudi Arabia government that calls for them to hold two PLE events each year in the country. The other 2023 event will take place later this year, likely in October or November. 

    This will be the second time that Saudi Arabia hosted the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, as WWE previously held the tournaments in 2021 with them taking place at Crown Jewel. 

    The 2021 tournaments saw Xavier Woods be crowned King of the Ring after defeating Finn Balor and Zelina Vega defeat Doudrop to become Queen of the Ring, then known as the Queen’s Crown.

    Two WWE PLEs Including ‘King and Queen of the Ring’ Planned for May
  • WWE Money In The Bank Tickets Quickly Sold Out

    WWE Money In The Bank Tickets Quickly Sold Out

    WWE is off to a great start with this year’s Money in the Bank event ahead of its July 1st date at the O2 Arena in London as tickets for the show that went on sale on Friday quickly sold out. 

    The Daily Mail’s Alex McCarthy first reported that tickets for the show sold out in just one minute after issues with Ticketmaster, leading to a brief delay in tickets being put on sale. 

    The demand was strong for the event as over 30,000 fans were trying to get tickets during the general on-sale on Ticketmaster alone.

    Build It and They Will Come

    While it will be a historic event as it marks the first time since the 1992 SummerSlam event that one of the big 5 PLEs (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, MITB, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series) will be held in the UK, MITB will be without one notable name. 

    Roman Reigns is not advertised for the show. Instead, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Cody Rhodes are advertised to appear.

    Reigns headlined the last PLE in the UK back in September with Clash at the Castle where retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre. Here is the updated WWE PLE schedule: 

    • WWE WrestleMania 39 night one, Saturday, April 1
    • WWE WrestleMania 39 night two, Sunday, April 2
    • WWE Backlash, Saturday, May 6
    • WWE King and Queen of the Ring, Saturday, May 27
    • WWE Money in the Bank, Saturday, July 1
    • WWE SummerSlam Saturday, August 5
  • The Undertaker On How He Dealt With Wrestlers He Didn’t Like

    The Undertaker On How He Dealt With Wrestlers He Didn’t Like

    The Undertaker served as a locker room leader in WWE for a long time. This included times like the Attitude Era where emotions were always running high. People fended for themselves more during this time instead of caring for the whole team. This gave birth to a high-tension environment leading to many personal rivalries. Though despite all this, Taker always stayed professional, even with his rivals.

    The Last Outlaw recently joined Tony Hawk and Jason Ellis for a talk. The WWE star shared many stories from his active days during this time.

    During the interview, Taker was asked if there were people he didn’t like in the business and how he dealt with them. The former world champion explained that he shook hands of everyone, no matter how he felt about them:

    “There’s guys. I mean it’s just like any business. There’s guys that you like. There’s guys that you don’t like.” said The Undertaker, “Business being business. I may not like you personally, but when I come into a dressing room or when I come into arena, I’m gonna go up to you and I’m gonna shake your hand. That’s all I have to do, right? It’s just a matter of respect that I have for everybody that I work with.

    He continued, “I’m not gonna go out and drink with you. I’m not going to party with you. I’m not gonna [celebrate with you], but I will do that. Then there was a lot of guys that I didn’t particularly care for on a personal note.”

    Apart from this, The Undertaker also recalled almost losing an eye due to an injury, and said that he would wrestle even today if his body permitted. You can check out his full interview below:

    More Originals From SEScoops:

    If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

    This article has been edited for clarity

  • GUNTHER To Receive Huge Main Event World Championship Push in 2023?

    GUNTHER To Receive Huge Main Event World Championship Push in 2023?

    GUNTHER has dominated as the WWE Intercontinental Champion for over 250 days, but the Austrian’s future could be in the title picture of a bigger prize?

    Called up to the main roster in early 2022, GUNTHER captured the Intercontinental Championship in June, dethroning Ricochet.

    Recently, the leader of Imperium broke the record for the longest reign as Intercontinental Champion of the 21st Century.

    World Title Aspirations

    GUNTHER has shown no sign of ending his title reign prematurely, but bigger things may be in his future.

    Speaking to Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport, the Wrestle Votes account shared that GUNTHER’s work is loved by all the right people backstage.

    “Triple H loves him. They all love him ever since he came into his own at Clash at the Castle. I’m not just talking about Triple H, Road Dogg is big on him, Jason Jordan really likes him.”

    Wrestle Votes.

    Wrestle Votes added that fans shouldn’t be surprised to see GUNTHER with some World Championship gold over the next 12 months.

    “Once WWE gets two World titles, you double the amount of people in the main event. Gunther is ready to step up. I expect by the summer to see him at the top of the card. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins a World title. He might be next in line.”

    Wrestle Votes.

    WWE has been considering a new World Championship or splitting the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship for some time.

    Not long after Roman Reigns unified the two titles at WrestleMania 38, it was reported that the USA Network was unhappy with how the World Champion rarely appeared on Raw.

    GUNTHER’s Immediate Future

    While GUNTHER could end 2023 as a World Champion, the Austrian powerhouse has more immediate concerns.

    Next month, a battle royal inside Madison Square Garden will decide GUNTHER’s challenger at WrestleMania 39.

    The match will feature eight former Intercontinental Champions as well as eight former WWE World Champions.

    It has been reported that GUNTHER Vs. Drew McIntyre Vs. Sheamus is the plan for WrestleMania 39.

    Triple H Praises “Incredible” GUNTHER After Record-Breaking Rumble Performance

    h/t – NoDQ.com

  • Pat McAfee Reacts to Winning WON’s Worst Wrestling Match of 2022 Award

    Pat McAfee Reacts to Winning WON’s Worst Wrestling Match of 2022 Award

    Pat McAfee may have won over fans with his enthusiastic commentary as part of WWE SmackDown, but his second match at WrestleMania 38 left a lot to be desired.

    Last April, McAfee competed at his first WrestleMania, defeating Austin Theory who had been accompanied by Mr. McMahon.

    In an impromptu match, McMahon defeated McAfee, thanks to interference by Theory.

    All three men would receive stunners by ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin to end the segment.

    Worst. Match. Ever!

    Given that he was facing a 76-year-old man, McAfee’s bout with McMahon was far from a five-star classic.

    In the recent Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards, fans voted the match as the worst bout of 2022, beating Ric Flair’s Final match from July by over 250 votes.

    On Twitter, McAfee reacted to his ‘win,’ and is pleased that he got to experience WrestleMania as a wrestler.

    Well… Me and Vince McMahon’s match at WrestleMania has officially been named ‘Worst (nonsanctioned) match of the year’ 

    The old man was MUCH stronger than anybody could’ve imagined.. Caught me off guard quite a bit (and I was Cheap Shotted to start it all).. Fun Fact.. The 1st time Steve gave Vince a stunner was in 1997… I was 10 years old, from a working class community, and it made me fall in love with the business. Wonder if it would be magical to get one last BAHGAWD in Stone Cold’s State? But… How do we get there? OHHHH.. He has to abuse his power a little bit… ohhhhhh

    When I was invited back in the ring.. I thought I was gonna get to celebrate Stone Cold finally ending the run with Vince.. ‘The Common Beer Drinking Employee’ has finally put the old ‘Power abusing Billionaire Boss’ away.. I was LIVING A DREAM whilst they wrapped (in my opinion) the greatest/most impactful storyline in the history of wrestling. BUT… “NEVER TRUST THE TEXAS RATTLESNAKE PAT

    My brain may have been used during the planning of all of this.. So I appreciate the award.. obviously. I’m not a movie guy.. I didn’t watch shows.. I don’t play video games.. From an entertainment standpoint.. Football and Wrestling are literally the only 2 things I’ve ever consistently watched/loved for my whole life. Cheers to you all. I’ll remember that night, in Jerry World, forever. WHADDDD”

    Other nominees for Worst Match of 2022 included the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble, the All Out 2022 Casino Royale Ladder Match, and Tyrus’ NWA World Championship victory.

    What’s Next for Pat?

    At the Royal Rumble, McAfee made a one-night return to the commentary table, as he has spent months with ESPN’s College GameDay.

    After not appearing on SmackDown since then, McAfee took to Twitter to reflect on his future with the promotion.

    In the said tweet, Pat questioned whether he would be willing to work with WWE’s potential new owners, but did not name which names listed as possible buyers would make him reconsider his position.

    Pat McAfee Was Originally Supposed to Return in WWE Royal Rumble Match
  • WWE Senior Vice President Terminated Over HR Violation

    WWE Senior Vice President Terminated Over HR Violation

    WWE’s corporate world has seen a lot of changes over the past month, and now one Senior Vice President is no longer with the promotion.

    In January, Vince McMahon made his shocking return to WWE, following his retirement in July 2022 over alleged activity with female employees.

    McMahon’s return coincided with the resignation of his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, who had been appointed Chairwoman following Vince’s departure.

    Vince’s return also resulted in several resignations from WWE’s Board of Directors, including Man Jit Singh, who led the investigation into the billionaire’s alleged actions last year.

    Termination

    WWE has parted ways with James Kimball, once WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Operations and Strategy, Fightful Select has learned.

    It was said that an HR violation led to his immediate termination which took place last week.

    In an update, it was stressed that an HR violation is relatively broad and could mean a variety of things.

    Fightful stated that it could mean that no one else was directly affected by what he did which resulted in his termination.

    Kimball had been with the company for two years, working on the NIL program, among other projects, and had spent a decade with the UFC.

    The former SVP worked closely with Triple H during his tenure and only recently was speaking to free agents about joining the promotion.

    Fightful clarified that Kimball’s termination was not a case of Vince McMahon making a firing upon his return to the promotion.

    Reaction

    Several WWE Superstars, as well as some UFC fighters, reached out to Fightful to say that they were surprised by his departure.

    One talent said that they were “shocked” that Kimball was out, while several others inquired about the details behind the move.

    Another wrestler stated that there was a time when it appeared that Kimball would be with WWE for years, if not decades to come.

    Ex-WWE Champion Praises “Really Good Person” Stephanie McMahon After Resignation
  • Watch: What Happened With The Bloodline After SmackDown Went Off Air

    Watch: What Happened With The Bloodline After SmackDown Went Off Air

    The duo of Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso represented The Bloodline and continued their dominance after this week’s episode of SmackDown went off air.

    WWE continued the storyline between the dominant faction and Sami Zayn during this week’s episode of the show from Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

    The show opened with a recap of Zayn vs Roman Reigns from Elimination Chamber. Jimmy Uso then revealed that he has asked his brother Jey Uso to meet him in the ring later in the night.

    The main event segment then saw Sami Zayn confronting Jimmy as Jey watched from afar. This segment ended with Zayn delivering a Helluva Kick to Jimmy before leaving the ring as Solo Sikoa arrived:

    The Bloodline In Action

    Both Sami Zayn and Jey Uso returned to the back after the cameras stopped rolling. However, Solo Sikoa and Jimmy stayed in the ring for a dark main event.

    The Bloodline duo went up against The OC in a tag team match after the event. Solo picked up the victory for his team in this match using the Samoan Spike:

    WWE has announced Roman Reigns’ return for next week’s SmackDown. We can expect some big development in this story at the show.

  • Former NXT Star Wrestles After Three Months Before SmackDown

    Former NXT Star Wrestles After Three Months Before SmackDown

    WWE star Cameron Grimes returned to action after more than three months before this week’s episode of SmackDown from Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

    The former NXT star last competed in a match against Joe Gacy during the November 8 episode of NXT last year.

    It was reported that Grimes was done with the development brand after this bout and he was headed to the main roster. However, he wasn’t seen in the ring since then.

    Cameron Grimes In Action

    The former NXT star finally made his in-ring return before tonight’s episode of SmackDown. He competed against Hit Row’s Ashante Thee Adonis:

    The 29-year-old made his wrestling debut back in 2009. He competed for promotions such as PWG and Impact Wrestling before joining WWE in 2019.

    The Million Dollar Man

    Grimes made his NXT debut in July, 2019. He had a successful run in the development brand where he won the North American Championship once.

    At one point during his run with the brand, Cameron Grimes was even paired with WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase and held the Million Dollar Championship.

    It was reported recently that the creatives had not come up with a plan for his main roster debut yet. His in-ring return indicates that his official call up will finally be happening soon.

  • Top WWE Star Referenced AEW Wrestler During SmackDown

    Top WWE Star Referenced AEW Wrestler During SmackDown

    An AEW star was referenced on Friday Night SmackDown this week during a segment by Charlotte Flair while building to her WrestleMania 39 showdown. 

    The SmackDown Women’s Champion came out to the ring for a promo segment and she gave an early Happy Birthday shout to her father, Ric Flair. She also referenced another Papi.

    Flair was exchanging words with Dominik Mysterio when she referenced her real-life husband, Andrade El Idolo as a way to make it clear that she had no interest in Dominik or his shenanigans when he answered her call for Rhea Ripley to come to the ring for their advertised showdown.  

    The Moment

    Flair told him that she has a real Latino man at home that calls her Mami who does it with a much thicker accent.  Once Flair squared up with the son of Rey Mysterio then Ripley came out to the ring where they had a staredown before Ripley got out of the ring and went to the backstage area. 

    Andrade and Charlotte were married last summer, the original reason why Charlotte went on hiatus from WWE TV. 

  • Viewership Report for WWE Raw, AEW Dynamite, NXT, MLW Underground, More

    Viewership Report for WWE Raw, AEW Dynamite, NXT, MLW Underground, More

    Another week of television ratings is in the books for WWE, AEW, and MLW. Let’s take a look at how the top shows performed. 

    WWE SmackDown 

    The February 17, 2023 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown averaged 2.383 million viewers on FOX, down from 2.468 million viewers, and did a 0.58 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic, down from the 0.64 rating a week ago. 

    The age demo group breakdowns were 18-34 – 0.34, 18-49 – 0.58, 25-54 – 0.81, 18-49 – 4.1, 18-49 – 7.9, and 50+ – 3.3. This was the Elimination Chamber go-home edition of SmackDown.  The show featured Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Madcap Moss and more. 

    AEW Rampage

    AEW Rampage that same night on TNT in the 7 pm ET timeslot drew 287,000 viewers and a 0.07 key demo rating, down from the show did 375,000 viewers and a 0.12 rating in 10 pm ET timeslot. 

    Ratings were expected to be down due to coverage of the NBA all-star festivities. This caused Rampage to draw its lowest key demo rating and total viewership in its history. Rampage ranked #59 in the top 150 shows on cable for the night. 

    WWE Raw

    WWE Monday Night Raw drew an average of 1.2.006 million viewers and a 0.56 key demo rating on the USA Network, up from the 1.812 million viewers and 0.47 key demo rating the previous week.

    The first hour did 2.186 million viewers with a 0.60 demo rating, hour two did 2.065 million with a 0.58 demo rating, and the third hour drew 1.768 million viewers with a 0.50 demo rating. 

    Raw ranked #1 in the top 150 shows on cable for the night. Here are the ratings from the same week last year for comparison: 1.945M (0.54) in hour one, 1.868M (0.52) in hour two, and 1.666M (0.47) in hour three. 

    This fallout edition of Raw for the Elimination Chamber PLE that featured Edge vs. United States Champion Austin Theory. 

    WWE NXT

    WWE NXT on February 21 drew 589,000 live viewers on the USA Network, down from the 640,000 viewers the show previously drew a week ago, while it did a 0.14 rating for the 18-49 demographic, down from the 0.15 rating one week ago.

    It ranked #16 in the top 150 shows on cable for the night, up from last week’s #17 ranking. The episode featured NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. Jinder Mahal in the main event. 

    MLW Underground

    This past Tuesday’s MLW Underground episode on Reelz at 10-11 pm EST drew 97,000 viewers and did a 0.03 key demo rating while ranking #117 on cable for the night. 

    This is up from last week’s 73,000 and 0.02 rating. The MLW Underground replay at 1 am drew 42,000 viewers last week for the replay. 

    AEW Dynamite

    Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite drew 1.028 million viewers, up from the 824,000 viewers the show drew last week, and did a 0.35 rating, up from the 0.27 rating. 

    Dynamite ranked #1 in the top 150 shows on cable for the night and was the highest ratings of the year. The previous total viewership high was in October and the key demo rating in September. The episode featured Jon Moxley vs. Evil Uno in the main event and “Tony Khan’s important announcement.”

    Ratings courtesy of ShowBuzz Daily and Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics.

  • The Rock’s Family Wants Him Back in WWE, “Including His Mama”

    The Rock’s Family Wants Him Back in WWE, “Including His Mama”

    WWE fans hope that one day The Rock will return to the company. Now we know that his own family would like to see him make his comeback.

    The Rock is one of the busiest celebrities in Hollywood. When he is not acting in a blockbuster film, he works on projects like running the XFL. However, it hasn’t stopped wrestling fans from wishing he’d work in WWE again.

    For several months, people questioned if The Rock would be involved in WrestleMania 39 in April. WWE would’ve liked him to appear at WrestleMania if he could. Triple H has shared that the door is always open for him to return, but he couldn’t commit this year due to his availability. While fans want to see him compete again, his family also hopes to see The Rock back in wrestling.

    In an interview with Insider, Tamina revealed that she and his entire family are looking forward to one day seeing him entertain wrestling again. Insider’s Alan Dawson transcribed the following quote.

    “All of us, including his mama, want him to come back,” Tamina said. “I feel like everybody wants him to return,” said Tamina. She also added that The Rock could make his comeback and still be in his element as a performer.

    Chances of The Rock Making A Return

    The Rock
    (WWE)

    Although The Rock isn’t able to participate in this year’s WrestleMania, Triple H has shared that there are no hard feelings. WWE has a relationship with him that they ask, but they aren’t pressuring the Hollywood star to say yes or no. It also seems WWE feels confident in its plan for WrestleMania 39 and is already looking forward to a successful event.

    The WWE can contact him for next year’s 40th anniversary of WrestleMania, which will take place at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to IMDB, The Rock has two films in production, but their progress is unclear. While it’s not a high chance, his schedule could make his decision easier to make his long-awaited return to WWE.

  • Roman Reigns Booked for Big Match at Upcoming WWE House Show

    Roman Reigns Booked for Big Match at Upcoming WWE House Show

    Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will be working a rare house show next month ahead of WrestleMania 39. 

    “The Tribal Chief” defeated Sami Zayn to retain the championship in Zayn’s hometown of Montreal at the Elimination Chamber PLE earlier this month. Post-match,  Kevin Owens returned to television after the bout to make the save for Zayn, who had been beaten down further by Reigns and Jimmy Uso. Owens hit a stunner to Heyman while Zayn laid out Reigns to send the crowd home happy. 

    On this week’s Raw, the show opened with Zayn doing a promo segment with Owens where he tried to reignite their friendship and form a reunion to go after The Usos’ Undisputed Tag Team Titles. However, because Owens tried to tell Zayn what was going on months ago with The Bloodline using him and Zayn shut him out, he turned down the offer and walked away. 

    The Match

    According to PWInsider, the Coke-Cola Coliseum in Toronto has announced that Reigns will be teaming with Solo Sikoa to face Zayn and Owens in the headliner of the March 4th house show. 

    WWE hasn’t used Solo on television since the February 3 edition of SmackDown. Reigns is slated to make his next Undisputed WWE Universal Championship defense against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 this April.

  • Two WWE PLEs Including ‘King and Queen of the Ring’ Planned for May

    Two WWE PLEs Including ‘King and Queen of the Ring’ Planned for May

    WWE will run two premium live events in one month this year, according to a new report. 

    This May, two notable shows will take place. Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reports that WWE is planning to present Backlash on Saturday, May 6, an event that dates back to 1999. 

    In recent years, WWE has renamed it WrestleMania Backlash. For 2023, the WrestleMania branding is being dropped for the upcoming event, which is Mania’s follow-up show. 

    WWE is also bringing back King of the Ring under the King and Queen of the Ring name on Saturday, May 27. WWE hasn’t used the tournament theme as a pay-per-view event since 2002. Instead, they’ve used it on TV. 

    Competition

    It should be noted that the event will fall on Memorial Day weekend. AEW has held its Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event on this weekend and it will do so again. AEW President Tony Khan recently stated that fans should expect to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, during Memorial Day weekend to see the show live. 

    The tournament was originally held on a single night. In later years, WWE spread out the opening round matches on television and saved the semi-finals and finals for the night of the event. 

    WWE Expected to Bring Back King of the Ring as Premium Live Event
  • Spoiler: WWE Planning Injury Angle for Tonight’s SmackDown

    Spoiler: WWE Planning Injury Angle for Tonight’s SmackDown

    WWE is seemingly writing off Tegan Nox on this week’s episode of SmackDown, an episode that will feature the Elimination Chamber fallout for the SmackDown brand. 

    Nox returned to WWE TV on the December 2nd edition of SmackDown where she worked three TV matches that month. So far this year, she has only worked two TV matches including a win over Xia Li on January 13 and working this year’s 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match. Since returning in December, she worked several TV matches. 

    The Idea

    Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports Nox is in town for the show and booked to do some sort of injury angle, although it’s unclear whether this is being done to write her off TV for a legitimate injury or not.

    WWE has yet to announce anything for Sami Zayn or Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Here is the updated card for the show that will be held at the Ford Center in Evansville, IN

    • SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley come face-to-face ahead of their WrestleMania 39 match. 
    • Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Funhouse
    • Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross
    • Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss vs. Imperium
  • Update on Saudi Arabia’s Interest in Buying WWE

    Update on Saudi Arabia’s Interest in Buying WWE

    There is “definite interest” from Saudi Arabia about potentially buying WWE, a decision made by Vince McMahon when he forced his way back into the company last month as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors ahead of the next media rights deal being made. 

    Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that “We know someone involved on the Saudi side about the sale this past week and there is definite interest.”

    Saudi’s Plan

    Meltzer noted that WWE is not considered as important as Formula 1, which is something Saudi Arabia wanted, or LIV Golf, for Saudi. However, Saudi does want to buy properties in the number one in their market or be in the top five. They also have an interest in the EPL, the biggest and most well-known soccer league in the world, as well as the highest-profile soccer team in the world, Manchester United. 

    Meltzer pointed out that Saudi is looking to buy franchises that have a worldwide fan base and they are not looking at them for revenue or profitability as they view it as simply getting publicity for their country and normalizing the world views of their country.

    If Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, bought WWE they would focus on growing revenue and turning bigger profits. 

    Meltzer mentioned that if Saudi bought the company it would change the salary structure just like they did with golf as they pay way more than the PGA tour. 

    Meltzer added, “While those in WWE have told me they prefer to sell to a media company, most stories indicate media companies aren’t looking for that level of a purchase because of uncertainty over the future changes in consumption.”

    If WWE is sold to Saudi then it raises questions regarding the future of Sami Zayn, who hasn’t worked any of the WWE events in Saudi Arabia since the partnership began in 2018 due to his Syrian descent. 

  • Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania Match Was Changed Recently (Report)

    Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania Match Was Changed Recently (Report)

    Brock Lesnar continues to be one of the biggest stars WWE has to offer. One would think that the company would have solid plans for him going into the WrestleMania season but it doesn’t appear to be the case.

    In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer revealed some details about the conversation around The Beast Incarnate ahead of the Show of Shows.

    Meltzer wrote that the company wasn’t planning on a match between Gunther and Brock as many expected. The original plan for him was changed just recently as well:

    “The only thing we know is that whatever the Lesnar plan was, and it wasn’t Gunther, that is that it changed in the last week or two.”

    Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    This past Monday’s Raw saw MVP challenging Brock Lesnar for a match against Omos at WrestleMania 39. The former US Champion asked the retired MMA star to show up on Raw next week to give his answer.

    It’s still possible that this may be a swerve and the company may be planning something completely different for the former Universal Champion.

    The programming so far however, leads us to believe that the Nigerian Giant will be the one who will face the Alpha Male this year.

  • WWE’s Argument On Why Sami Zayn Lost At Elimination Chamber

    WWE’s Argument On Why Sami Zayn Lost At Elimination Chamber

    Many fans are still confused and angry about WWE’s decision to not pull the trigger on Sami Zayn and have him lose to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber in his hometown of Montreal.

    Dave Meltzer provided an update on this in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He explained the company’s internal argument on why this is the right move.

    Meltzer mentioned how Sami Zayn’s story coming off of his match with Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania 38 has been a huge success. The officials asked how it would affect the ratings if he ended up defeating Reigns:

    “The argument was that the ratings Zayn is drawing are in conjunction with being linked with the Bloodline, and would he draw television viewers away from storyline?

    But the argument is that they could do that and the storyline continues particularly with the Usos and Sikoa along with Reigns now trying to eliminate Zayn, which should be the storyline now as well.”

    The Bloodline continues to be the top merchandise seller for WWE. At the same time, Cody Rhodes is very hot as well.

    Sami Zayn was unable to defeat Roman Reigns and capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber on February 18.

    The post-Elimination Chamber Raw then saw Zayn proposing an alliance to Kevin Owens to take down The Bloodline. Owens however, refused this offer.

  • WrestleMania 39: Latest on WWE Reshuffling Plans for Remaining Matches

    WrestleMania 39: Latest on WWE Reshuffling Plans for Remaining Matches

    It seems WWE may have a new match in mind for WrestleMania 39 in April.

    As we get closer to WrestleMania, WWE is making clear decisions on what matches will be on the card. The company has confirmed three matches for WrestleMania 39, including the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

    They have also started teasing potential matchups like Brock Lesnar vs. Omos and Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins. However, it also seems like WWE could be changing their minds on one particular match.

    WrestleMania 39 Match Change

    On Feb. 6, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler would challenge Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and IYO Sky) for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 39. Since Rousey’s return, WWE has started to have her and Baszler team up more instead of positioning her as a singles competitor.

    Fans may remember that she lost her Smackdown Women’s Championship to Charlotte Flair on the Dec. 31, 2022 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. WWE has moved on to Flair defending her title against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania, instead of a rematch with Rousey.

    However, a new report from WON claims that Rousey will in fact have a marquee match at WrestleMania 39.

    Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Match

    “Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey will challenge for the women’s tag titles. It was originally against Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai, the champions, said the report. It continues, “… Lita & Becky Lynch face Sky & Kai, and WrestleMania is about marquee matches, and Lita & Lynch as a team against Baszler & Rousey is a bigger match.”

    Lita and Becky Lynch will face Damage CTRL on the Feb. 27 episode of Monday Night Raw for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. If the report is accurate, Lita and Lynch may defeat Damage CTRL to win the tag titles, and WWE could start to build toward Lita and Lynch against Rousey and Baszler. It’s also unclear what the entire Damage CTRL (including Bayley) group will do for WrestleMania 39 if the WON report is accurate.

    It’s important to note that WWE has yet to share the entire card, and while it’s reported, it has yet to happen. Fans must see how this upcoming Monday Night Raw episode will play out for the women’s tag titles.

  • Backstage News On Which Matches Could Main Event WrestleMania 39

    Backstage News On Which Matches Could Main Event WrestleMania 39

    WWE has switched to a two-night schedule for WrestleMania since 2020, which means that we get to see not one but two Mania main events every year now.

    It’s almost certain that the match between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will be one of the main events this year, but the place for the other marquee match is not fixed yet.

    Dave Meltzer provided an update on this in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He revealed which match could be the second main event for WrestleMania 39.

    Meltzer mentioned how both the nights last year were headlined by men. Due to political reasons, there is a feeling within the company that night 1 of the show should be main evented by female stars this year.

    The SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley is the favorite for this spot, compared to the bout between Bianca Belair and Asuka for the Raw Women’s Title.

    The other possible main event is the expected tag team match between The Usos and Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens for the Undisputed Tag Titles.

    The main event of WrestleMania 38 night 1 featured the in-ring return of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who faced Kevin Owens in an impromptu match. Night 2 saw Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Title against Brock Lesnar.

    Which one of these matches do you think should main event the show of shows this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

  • WWE Cautious About Balancing Cody Rhodes’ Storyline with Sami Zayn’s Popularity

    WWE Cautious About Balancing Cody Rhodes’ Storyline with Sami Zayn’s Popularity

    Sami Zayn’s immense popularity has reportedly become cause for concern behind-the-scenes in WWE.

    At WrestleMania 39, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will lock horns with Royal Rumble-winner Cody Rhodes. ‘The American Nightmare’ has been a big hit with WWE audiences since he returned at last year’s WrestleMania.

    Cody Rhodes backstage at Royal Rumble

    Rhodes’ Hell in a Cell bout with Seth Rollins last year solidified him as a top dog in waiting. His return last month was greeted with huge cheers and his segments with Paul Heyman and Sami Zayn in the weeks since have garnered critical acclaim.

    However, Zayn’s own rise to babyface stardom appears to be threatening Rhodes’. After a slow-burning run as ‘The Honorary Uce’ in The Bloodline, Zayn turned on faction head Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. The segment and subsequent feud between the pair was highlighted as a strong ratings mover for WWE in 2023.

    Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber

    While the rivalry seemingly came to an end at Elimination Chamber, there are concerns that Zayn’s connection with the audience could potentially derail the Reigns/Rhodes build.

    “They Were Very Concerned About Sami Chants” – Dave Meltzer On Cody Rhodes Segment

    On a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer discussed the segment Cody Rhodes had with Paul Heyman on this week’s RAW. He revealed that the pacing of the segment was designed to give fans little breathing room to potentially launch chants for Sami Zayn into the situation.

    “The stuff with Cody and Heyman – they [WWE] were very concerned about Sami chants, which is one of the reasons why they got Heyman out there in seconds. They did not want Cody in there by himself because they thought that – it didn’t happen – but they did everything in their power to make sure they kept that moving, they did not allow the audience a chance to start chanting or anything like that, it was just back-and-forth.”

    Meltzer went on to add that the general consensus is that Zayn chants potentially hijacking the show would hinder Rhodes’ momentum.

    “It was designed to give the audience no chance to chant because of the feeling that if they did it would hurt Cody’s momentum. And perhaps it would, and then it could create that groundswell [for Zayn] which is exactly what they don’t want right now.”

    ‘The American Nightmare’ himself later commented on the segment. Seemingly in kayfabe at first, Rhodes joked about the segment being cut short due to Heyman getting under his skin during the exchange. The son of a son of a plumber then made mention of his high merchandise sales of late.

    Do you think Cody Rhodes will go over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania?

    All quotes from WrestleTalk.

  • Top WWE SmackDown Star Rumored for WrestleMania Angle at Monday’s Raw

    Top WWE SmackDown Star Rumored for WrestleMania Angle at Monday’s Raw

    WWE has added SmackDown star Ronda Rousey to the lineup for Monday’s episode of Raw.

    Both WWE’s Events website and the Van Del Arena website are advertising Rousey for the show from Grand Rapids, Michigan. As of this writing, Shayna Baszler is not currently listed for the show, although that doesn’t mean she won’t be there with her good friend. 

    As of this writing, WWE has not officially announced Rousey for the show.  WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai and IYO SKY are scheduled to defend against Becky Lynch and WWE Hall of Famer Lita on Monday’s Raw. 

    The Angle

    It’s been reported that Rousey and Baszler are expected to challenge Kai and SKY for the titles at WrestleMania 39 this April so it’s possible that WWE shoots an angle to set up the future title match on this show. 

    Here is the updated card for Monday’s episode: 

    • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai & IYO SKY) vs. Becky Lynch & Lita
    • Asuka vs. Carmella
    • Candice LeRae vs. Piper Niven
    • Will Brock Lesnar show up and accept Omos’ challenge to a match at WrestleMania?
    • WrestleMania edition of Miz TV
  • WWE NXT Star Waiting on Creative Plans for Main Roster Call-Up

    WWE NXT Star Waiting on Creative Plans for Main Roster Call-Up

    Cameron Grimes is on the sidelines while waiting to see what WWE comes up with creatively for him on the main roster. 

    The WWE NXT star has not wrestled since November 8, 2022, when he lost a singles match to Joe Gacy on an episode of Joe Gacy. WWE originally planned for him to be called up after the feud ended. However, that hasn’t happened. 

    Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE creative has nothing for him and Grimes is waiting for that to change, but he is done with NXT. 

    Creative has Nothing for You

    “Cameron Grimes was finishing up in NXT because he was being called to the main roster and right now what’s going on is that they are waiting for an idea on the main roster so he’s in limbo,” Meltzer stated (H/T to F4Wonline.com). “He’s finished with NXT, he’s supposed to be on the main roster but they don’t have a story for him so they haven’t debuted him yet and they’re waiting to come up with a story for him.”

    In October on an episode of Main Event, Grimes beat Akira Tozawa. Since then, he’s only wrestled two matches. 

    Before going to WWE, he found success in Impact Wrestling as he is a three-time X-Division Champion, and once won the TNA Tag Team Titles along with Brian Myers. In WWE, he’s a former NXT North American Champion.