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Tag: B-Fab

  • Philadelphia Street Fight Expected to Be Added to WWE WrestleMania 40 Card

    Philadelphia Street Fight Expected to Be Added to WWE WrestleMania 40 Card

    The WWE Universe could be in store for a Philadelphia Street Fight in a matter of days at WWE WrestleMania 40, it has been claimed. 

    WrestleMania 40 will be the promotion’s fifth two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will take place on April 6 and April 7 from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.

    WrestleMania Card Schedule

    As of writing, 12 matches have been confirmed for WWE WrestleMania 40. Dave Melzer of F4W Online reports that 13 matches will take place at WrestleMania. This will be divided over the two nights with seven matches on WrestleMania 40: Saturday and six matches taking place on WrestleMania 40: Sunday.

    A Philadelphia Street Fight

    Meltzer adds that the Street Profits & Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross & Authors of Pain was made “obvious” during the March 29, episode of WWE SmackDown but has yet to be announced. It’s also noted that as of last week, it was booked within WWE to be a ‘Philadelphia Street Fight.’

    On SmackDown, the Profits faced Grayson Waller & Austin Theory in a tag-team ladder match qualifier. Karrion Kross and Scarlett attacked Lashley and B-Fab backstage with the distraction costing the Profits the match. 

    WWE WrestleMania 40

    Here is the card as it stands for WWE WrestleMania 40:

    WrestleMania 40: Saturday

    The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins

    WrestleMania 40: Sunday

    • Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
    • Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)

    Night TBA

    • Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
    • Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
    • Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
    • The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) (Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships)
    • LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
    • Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso
    • Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship)
    • Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Naomi vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane)
    • Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee) vs. Santos Escobar and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio

  • AJ Francis Believes WWE Never Had A Plan In Place For Hit Row

    Hit Row made their return to WWE after Triple H took control of power. Vince McMahon fired the entire stable previously, and Swerve Strickland went to AEW before Triple H could do anything about it. Now, Hit Row is no more after Top Dolla’s release, but he doesn’t believe there were any plans to begin with.

    Hit Row’s Second Run In WWE

    Top Dolla was released from WWE in September, and now he is a free agent as AJ Francis once again. As rumors of a TNA in-ring debut are strong, due to his planned music video debut at Hard to Kill, he has vivid memories of his time in WWE.

    While speaking to Busted Open Radio, the former Top Dolla opened up about his time in WWE. He feels as though the company never had a plan for Hit Row.

    “I feel like they didn’t have an idea how to use Hit Row. I feel like the idea of the hip-hop stable just didn’t really gell with what they had creatively and what they wanted to do creatively. They had different plans for the three of us. I’m just happy that Briana and Tehuti, which are B-Fab and Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis are still there. I’m happy they’re still getting money. I’m happy that they seem to be getting involved on the show. I have no ill will towards anyone there. It’s just now I got to worry about me. I don’t care about anybody else but me. That’s why I don’t want to be in no factions. I don’t want to be in no groups or tag teams. I’m tired of people pretending that I need other people. I can do it by myself and I’m going to do it by myself.”

    AJ Francis Got A Weird Feeling

    AJ Francis went on to say that, during his second run in WWE, he noticed a significant difference in his relationship with Triple H, characterized by mutual respect. 

    He acknowledged Paul Heyman as a strong supporter of his as well, but that might have been the extent of it. There were instances when he felt unwelcome, perceiving it through the energy and body language in the Gorilla Position during matches. 

    I don’t know how to say it other than like, sometimes I just never felt welcome. Like when other talent would be in Gorilla, like, I would go in Gorilla and watch people’s matches, and I would watch the dark matches, and I would watch during the show, and I just didn’t feel like I was supposed to be there. I just felt like the energy around was like, I shouldn’t be in there. I don’t know why I felt that way. 

    Despite no explicit objections, the atmosphere left AJ Francis with a sense of not belonging. Every Friday on SmackDown, AJ would show up, sometimes alone, running spots in the ring, often with a ghost partner. Collaborating with William Regal and others, he also said he gave his all in dark matches, aiming to engage the crowd and cut promos, but the consistent dislike from the audience towards Hit Row suggested a lack of plans for the group. 

    Things took a big turn for Hit Row, especially after LA Knight verbally dismantled the faction. It wasn’t long until they were never seen on television as a faction again.

    Hit Row Members Left In WWE

    In the end, Francis was released, while B-Fab and Ashante Thee Adonis were left on the blue brand. B-Fab was featured speaking with Bobby Lashley as he created his new stable, but nothing ever came from that.

    Adonis was recently spotted in a backstage segment with Nick Aldis, where he was asking for an opportunity. We will have to see if there are finally some plans for them in WWE.

  • Watch: Jade Cargill Trains for WWE In-Ring Debut with WWE & AEW Stars

    Watch: Jade Cargill Trains for WWE In-Ring Debut with WWE & AEW Stars

    It remains unclear when Jade Cargill will make her in-ring debut for WWE, but the ex-AEW star will be ready for when it happens. 

    Cargill signed with WWE in September 2023, shortly after her tenure with AEW came to an end. The former & inaugural AEW TBS Champion made her WWE TV debut on the Fastlane kick-off show and would make appearances on WWE Raw, SmackDown, and WWE NXT. 

    Jade Cargill Trains for WWE Debut

    Jade Cargill has yet to wrestle for WWE, but speculation continues to grow about what’s next for her. Despite her absence from TV, Cargill remains active in the ring. On her Instagram Stories this week, WWE Superstar Natalya shared a video of Jade training for her much-anticipated debut match.

    Cargill wasn’t the only notable name training with Natalya. AEW’s Ricky Starks was also spotted training. Starks has friends in WWE and was infamously spotted backstage at the 2023 Royal Rumble event. WWE’s B-Fab and Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis were also at the training session. On Twitter, Natalya expressed her delight at the training session. 

    What’s Next for Jade Cargill?

    As Triple H made clear during the Survivor Series post-show press conference, WWE will not be rushing plans with Jade Cargill. While Cargill knows what brand she’ll be working with going forward, the former TBS Champion has not confirmed publicly where she’ll be heading. 

    Whatever’s next for Jade Cargill, it likely won’t involve Charlotte Flair. It had been rumored for some time that Flair would be Cargill’s first WWE opponent, especially after an interaction between the two on SmackDown. Unfortunately, Flair suffered an injury last month that will keep her out for much of 2024. The Queen recently thanked fans for their support after undergoing surgery. 

  • Briana Brandy (B Fab) Talks Hosting WWE RAW Underground with Shane McMahon

    Briana Brandy (B Fab) Talks Hosting WWE RAW Underground with Shane McMahon

    Former NXT and WWE Superstar Briana Brandy (B-Fab) recently spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about Shane McMahon randomly asking her to co host WWE’s experiment Raw Underground with him. 

    “That moment actually just happened! When I was there I mean they had … you could see on Raw Underground they had people surrounding the ring and like the crowd was right there in the match.”

    “Shane McMahon’s like you have a great look… I might need… I might want someone to co-host the show (Raw Underground) with me.

    Shane McMahon asked Briana, “Would you be interested …. like are you comfortable and I was like coming from music in my background like that I was like I’m very comfortable on the mic like I’m more comfortable there than I am in the ring right now because I just learned this….. you know …. so he’s like just just be prepared I’ll let you know maybe in the coming weeks if I need a co-host.“

    “I’m shook…. I’m like oh my gosh I can’t believe you just asked me this like I could be co-hosting Raw Underground this is insane you know what I’m saying? So I’m thinking that it’s coming in the future I’m prepared you know in that moment always, but just in a few weeks he’ll maybe ask me to do this and I might be doing Raw Underground. He goes to a meeting he comes back that same day and he’s like hey you ready and I was like ready for what? He’s like I’m thinking I’m gonna use you today like I want you to close with me today and I was like oh okay all right let’s go. He said okay I’m going to have you end up interviewing Braun Strowman so I need you to come with some questions to ask him and I’m like all right like let’s do this you know I got this so yeah it just happened….. drop of a dime … the opportunity came about and he just asked me on the spot and I had to be ready and that’s how I got the job doing that.”

  • B-Fab Open To A WWE Return: “Business Is Business”

    B-Fab Open To A WWE Return: “Business Is Business”

    Despite the controversies surrounding her release from the promotion, B-Fab is open to a WWE return down the line because she believes business is business.

    The former NXT star recently had an interview with The Angle Podcast. She discussed things such as learning about the release of Hit Row and more.

    When asked about a potential return, B-Fab explained that she doesn’t have any ill-feeling. She would be open to going back because it would be a business decision:

    “I would be open to going back. For me, business is business, it is what it is. There’s nothing you can do about big companies and the decisions that they make.

    So there’s no reason to have any ill-feeling.” said B-Fab, “You always just have to operate and do your thing as a business as well. So, I would go back.”

    The female star also mentioned how one of the reasons for her release was that the officials felt that her in-ring work wasn’t at the level of others.

    She explained that she would have been willing to put more time and do extra training at the Performance Center. Though the former Hit Row member claimed that everything happens for a reason.

    Thanks to WrestlingInc for the quotes

  • B-Fab Wants Hit Row To Reunite For Feud With AEW Stars

    B-Fab Wants Hit Row To Reunite For Feud With AEW Stars

    Many believe the release of Hit Row was one of the biggest missed opportunities for WWE in recent times. B-Fab want to see the group reunite outside the company.

    The former NXT star recently took part in a virtual signing for East Coast Autograph Auctions. She discussed things such as a potential WWE return and more.

    During the session, she claimed that a Hit Row reunion is her biggest dream. B-Fab said that she would be super excited if they all can come together again:

    “That is my biggest dream is that we [Hit Row] come back together and show up somewhere. I don’t know where, but if we can all come together and you know, debut again somewhere else or with a company, I would be super excited.”

    One such place where we might see this reunion is AEW. B-Fab also discussed this possibility and a potential feud with The Acclaimed:

    “Mhm, that’d be a hot feud. That would be a hot feud [Hit Row vs. The Acclaimed]. We had so many ideas and everything for Hit Row. I just really wish we would have been able to show everybody everything that we could’ve done. But it is what it is.”

    B-Fab has already become a free agent due to her NXT contract. The other three members of Hit Row including Shane ‘Swerve’ Strickland, ‘Top Dolla’ A.J. Francis, and Tehuti Miles are expected to join her in free agency in a few weeks.

    Would you like to see Hit Row reunite in AEW? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below

    Update On Booking Plans For Hit Row Before Release

    Thanks to Post Wrestling for the transcribed quotes

  • B-Fab Comments On Reports Of Top Dolla’s Backstage Heat In WWE

    B-Fab Comments On Reports Of Top Dolla’s Backstage Heat In WWE

    Members of the Hit Row faction were part of the dozens of talents released by WWE this year. B-Fab was the first to be let go on November 4. The rest of the group was released 15 days later, only weeks after making their main roster debuts.

    Though their release became a controversial topic when reports emerged of ‘Top Dolla’ A.J. Francis ‘rubbing people the wrong way’ leading to the departure of the group.

    B-Fab responded to these talks during a recent K&S WrestleFest signing. She explained that people make up stories when they don’t know the truth:

    “Here’s the thing, people will always say anything to make sense of when things happen even if it’s not true or they don’t know the details. Things like that. AJ is an amazing guy and is so smart. A huge wrestling fan, knows his stuff, very dedicated to the whole group.

    We had a lot of idea for the group. AJ is a professional and a huge fan.” said B-Fab, “People just say things because they want to make sense about what happened, especially something unfortunate as this.”

    Top Dolla has previously responded to the reports as well. He claimed that standing up for himself was considered wrong by WWE officials and that he had ‘plenty of stories’ about being disrespected himself.

    Apart from this, B-Fab also confirmed that she had a 30-days non-compete clause while the rest of Hit Row has a 90-days non-compete clause after being upgraded to main roster contracts.

    Update On Booking Plans For Hit Row Before Release

    Thanks for Fightful for the transcribed quotes

  • WWE Releases Hit Row, John Morrison, Tegan Nox & Others

    WWE Releases Hit Row, John Morrison, Tegan Nox & Others

    WWE continues to trim down its roster.

    Wrestling fans just got done witnessing a wave of cuts that saw 18 performers lose their jobs. Among the names included were Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, Franky Monet, and Ember Moon.

    While many considered some of those releases to be puzzling, the latest string of roster cuts is sure to turn some heads as well.

    Following this latest round of cuts, WWE has released over 80 people this calendar year.

    WWE Cuts Hit Row & More

    WWE has released eight more wrestlers, including John Morrison and the remaining members of the ill fated Hit Row faction. The company had just cut ties with B-Fab, the first sign that trouble might be brewing.

    The latest releases include (via Sean Ross Sapp):

    • John Morrison
    • Top Dolla
    • Ashante Adonis
    • Isaiah Swerve Scott
    • Tegan Nox
    • Drake Maverick
    • Shane Thorne
    • Jaxson Ryker

    Latest Releases

    Hit Row was seen as a refreshing act in NXT. The group certainly appeared to light a spark under Isaiah Scott, who had been floundering on the brand. They were called up to the main roster only for all members to be cut in short order.

    John Morrison was in line for a feud with his former tag team partner The Miz. Once Miz was off WWE TV to compete in Dancing With The Stars, Morrison was seen on Main Event.

    Tegan Nox had a rough break due to injuries but she finally got her chance on the main roster. She was paired with Shotzi Blackheart but the two split following the WWE Draft.

    Xavier Woods was filming a show on G4 when he received word of the talent releases. Here is his live reaction.

    Franky Monet put WWE on blast for once again dropping its talent.

    “Stop supporting a company that has ZERO respect for their talent. You love pro wrestling, spend your money on the hundreds of other alternatives. This is wrong. Ethically, as employers they don’t care about us. Talent or fans.”

    With the latest wave of cuts, WWE has now brought the total number of released performers to 79 for the calendar year.

  • WWE Releases Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Eva Marie & More

    WWE Releases Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Eva Marie & More

    WWE released a large group of popular Superstars on Thursday.

    The company has severed business ties with the following list of performers, As first reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful:

    • Keith Lee
    • Nia Jax
    • Karrion Kross
    • Eva Marie
    • Ember Moon
    • Scarlett Bordeaux
    • Franky Monet
    • Mia Yim
    • Harry Smith
    • Oney Lorcan
    • B-Fab
    • Jessi Kamea
    • Zayda Ramier
    • Trey Baxter
    • Katrina Cortez
    • Jeet Rama
    • Gran Metalik
    • Lince Dorado

    Budget cuts were once again cited as the reason for the releases. Sapp says the wrestlers received an email from John Laurinaitis, head of Talent Relations.

    Earlier in the day, the company Q3 financial results and touted revenue of $256 million for the quarter.

    Once again, the talent and fans are left stunned and wonder how WWE can drop the ball on so much potential.

    http://stg.sescoops.com/news/staggering-tally-of-wwe-wrestlers-released-in-2021/

    Reactions

    Several of the released performers took to social media to address their followers:

    We will update this post as more details become available.

    Additional reactions from the wrestling world

    https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1456408582849662978