Other Side: Two SmackDown Stars Seem To Turn Good This Week

It’s a change. With so many wrestlers on the WWE roster, it takes something special to make you stand out. This could be based on how someone looks, how well they can speak or what kind of character they have. If you find a mixture of all of them, you might be onto something, but at some point a change is needed. That was the case again this week, with two changed at once. This week on SmackDown, the New Day dressed up as the Viking Raiders to taunt them out to the ring. The Viking Raiders did come to the ring, where Jinder Mahal and Shanky attacked them, allowing New Day to stand tall. After the attack, Shanky and New Day danced, while Mahal looked on. This comes after Mahal and Shanky have had issues over Shanky’s lack of seriousness in recent weeks. Opinion: It’s certainly a way to go, though I’m not sure how well the whole thing is going to work. Mahal is only so interesting in the first place but maybe changing him around could let him break out a little bit. He has the potentia..

SmackDown Results – July 15, 2022

Smackdown Date: July 15, 2022 Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee We have about two weeks to go before Summerslam and the question for tonight is “does anything besides Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns matter”. WWE has turned Summerslam into a one match show and that doesn’t leave much for this week. We are getting a Street Profit vs. an Uso though, just in case you wanted some variety. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Michael Cole is in the ring to open things up and introduces Pat McAfee, who has signed a multi year extension to remain in WWE. McAfee talks about how special it is to be here for him because he loves this so much. After a rather pro-Pat chant, McAfee thanks the fans for putting up with Corey Graves for two weeks while he was gone. That included BUM A** CORBIN being an idiot last week, complete with video. McAfee talks about how he and Corbin knew each other before they even came to WWE. They were roommates together as rook..

They Had A Plan: Several Details About Recent AEW Title Change, How It Was Set Up

It seemed to work. With so many wrestlers around today, it can be a little bit difficult to find time for everyone to make an impression. One of the easiest ways is to put people together in a team, but even then they have to be established in some way. This can be tricky to do as well, but AEW pulled it off this week. It turns out they had a pretty long term plan in mind. Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland won the AEW Tag Team Titles in the main event of this week’s edition of Dynamite. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the title change was a long term plan and the match was designed to elevate Lee/Strickland and Team Taz up to the next level. This came as the Hardys, Santana and Ortiz and Jurassic Express are all gone for the time being for various reasons. Strickland and Lee’s tension over the last few weeks was included as a way to continue teasing a possible breakup and make their win a surprise. Opinion: The best thing that can be said about the title change is that ..

Turn, Turn Turn: Update On Possible Upcoming WWE Heel Turn

That would be a way to go. WWE has a lot of television time to fill every week and that can mean seeing a lot of the same wrestlers on a regular basis. That might not be the best idea in a lot of cases as a wrestler can burn out their welcome in a hurry. In such a situation, some kind of a change is the best way to go. Now we might be getting ready for something like that again. Over the last few weeks, Judgment Day has been recruiting Dominik Mysterio to join their ranks. Mysterio has turned them down, instead deciding to stick with his father, Rey Mysterio, instead. However, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is a chance that a Dominik heel turn may be coming on the July 25 edition of Monday Night Raw from Madison Square Garden. The show is likely to be full of major angles and storylines, including Rey’s 20th anniversary in WWE, which could result in the turn. This is considered speculation at this point and is not set in stone. Opinion: This is something that h..

NXT UK Results – July 14, 2022

NXT UK Date: July 14, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd We are in for a big time title match this week as the Heritage Cup is on the line. Noam Dar has dominated the division for such a long time that he is starting to repeat challenges, which will be the case this week as Mark Coffey gets another shot. Other than that, we have the continuing adventures of just about everyone else around here. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Oliver Carter vs. Teoman The rest of Die Familie is here with Teoman. They go technical to start until Teoman elbows him in the face. It’s too early for a wristlock though and Carter takes over on the arm instead. That’s broken up as well and Teoman hits a neckbreaker onto the knee for two. We hit the chinlock for a bit, followed by some slow stomping to keep Carter down. Carter fights up and hits a quick springboard moonsault to start the comeback, including an elbow to the face. Another neckbrea..

UPDATE: Monday Night Raw May Not Be Going TV-14 So Soon

Not so fast. WWE has been around for a very long time and the company’s history can be broken up into various sections. Some of these are a lot more well defined than others, but there are some that are among the most popular and successful times the company has ever had. This week, a story broke suggesting that we might be moving a bit back towards one of those eras, but that may have been jumping the gun. On Thursday, Andrew Zarian reported that a USA Network memo announced that Monday Night Raw would be rated TV-14 again starting on July 18. However, Zarian has since updated the story, saying that while the memo was correct, it was sent out early, meaning that the date of the TV-14 rating is currently up in the air. Fightful Select is reporting that Zarian’s update is accurate. There is no word on what kind of content a TV-14 show would contain. There was a memo within USA Network that went out this morning regarding WWE Raw changing to TV-14 on July 18th.Apparently that was sent ..

He’s Done: AEW Name Confirms He Is Officially Retired From The Ring

He’s saying never. Wrestlers have a strange career trajectory as they have to get out of the ring one day, but it is easy for them to stick around for one more match. Several wrestlers over the years have done just this for a very long time, but there are others who are able to get out of the ring for good. It might not be their choice though, and that seems to be the case again. AEW’s Sonjay Dutt appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast to discuss his current role in the company and his own career. Dutt mentioned that he now works full time behind the scenes for AEW, as well as acting as Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh’s on-screen manager. As for wrestling a match, Dutt said there will be “zero chance” that he will ever wrestle again. Dutt mentioned that he had a variety of physical issues that were keeping him out of the ring. Dutt’s most recent match took place on December 28, 2017. Opinion: It’s nice to see someone with this kind of a perspective on wrestling, as well as someone who ..

Get Nametags: Two NXT Stars Undergoing Name Changes

Nice to meet you? There are a lot of ways to make a wrestler stand out and one of the easiest is to give them the right name. Having a wrestler with a standout name is something that has worked for years and that is still the case to this day. WWE has had some issues with getting names right though and now they might be doing that all over again. According to PWInsider.com, the Grizzled Young Veterans will both be undergoing name changes. Going forward, Zack Gibson will be named Rip Fowler and James Drake will be named Jagger Reid. The team will continue to be part of the NXT roster once they return, as they have not wrestled since April. There is no word on when the team is expected to be back on television. Opinion: If you have been watching NXT in recent weeks, you might be able to guess what the Veterans are going to be doing. The last few weeks have seen Joe Gacy’s Dyad become more of a regular team, with Gacy saying that their identities will be revealed next week. That might n..

Someone Isn’t Happy: NXT Star Reportedly “Beaten Down” By Booking, Wants Out

Can you blame him? NXT is a pretty unique wrestling show, as it is designed to be both WWE’s developmental territory as well as its own promotion. That can make for some odd moments, as you will see wrestlers who have no business being in a minor league on the show for a very long time. It seems that one wrestler who has been in NXT for a long time is trying to get out but can’t make it work. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, NXT’s Roderick Strong is “pretty beaten down” by the way he is booked on television and has attempted to get out of the promotion. Strong has not been allowed out though, leaving him in a situation where he does not want to be there but is stuck doing so for the time being. There is no word on when Strong’s NXT deal expires. Opinion: Can you blame him for wanting out? Strong has been in NXT for more than a few years now and there is nothing to indicate that he is going to be moving up the card. I would assume that WWE thinks he is too small to be treated as..

It’s A Different One: Update On Ruby Soho’s Injury Status

That could be worse. Injuries are one of the few universal issues in wrestling, as anyone can go out of action at any time. It can be quite the ordeal waiting on them to recover, as any storyline could be stopped out of nowhere. That can hurt all kinds of things in a wrestling promotion, but sometimes the injury is part of the storyline. Thankfully that is the case again. Last week on AEW Dynamite, the Jericho Appreciation Society slammed Ruby Soho’s hand in a car door, seemingly breaking it. Soho appeared on this week’s show but did not wrestle, with Eddie Kingston swearing revenge against Chris Jericho for causing Soho’s injury. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Soho’s injury is not legitimate and is only a way to extend the Kingston vs. Jericho feud. Soho wrestled a match for Wrestling Revolver over the weekend with no issues. Opinion: That is a relief after AEW has suffered so many injuries in recent months. Thankfully Soho should be back in the ring in no time, as the injur..

That Could Be Serious: AEW Star Suffers Neck Stinger On Dynamite

They did it again. Wrestling is a rather dangerous sport no matter how it is presented. The amount of time in the ring, training and experience that someone has does not make someone immune from an injury and it can happen at any time. There are injuries that are built up over time and there are injuries that take place all at once. The latter was the case this week. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks suffered a stinger during the main event of this week’s edition of Dynamite. The match was a triple threat with the Young Bucks defending the AEW Tag Team Titles against Keith Lee/Swerve Strickland and Team Taz. Early in the match, Lee and Powerhouse Hobbs suplexed Jackson, resulting in him jarring his neck and causing him to wrestle slowly for the rest of the match. There was nothing wrong with the suplex, as Matt has a history of neck issues due to years of wear and tear. There is no word on how long he might be out of action, if at all. Opinion: Th..

It’s Early Yet: WWE Announces The Beginning Of WrestleMania 39 Season

It’s almost time to get ready. Just over three months ago, WWE presented WrestleMania 38 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The two night spectacle showcased the best that WWE had to offer, all in front of the biggest crowds of the year. Those are some special moments to see in front of your eyes, and now you have the chance to see it again, albeit in an even bigger city. WWE has announced that WrestleMania 39 tickets will go on sale on August 12, with special Priority Passes going on sale on July 22. According to PWInsider.com, the top package will include a tour of Mattel’s design center, a backstage tour at WrestleMania before the show begins, dinner with a WWE star, a tour of El Segundo Brewing Company, where Steve Austin’s Broken Skull IPA is made and priority seating at WWE Axxess sessions. WrestleMania 39 takes place at SoFi Stadium on April 1 and 2. Opinion: This is one of those times that can be very exciting for fans. It means that it is already time to start getting re..

Hand It Over: Record Setting Title Reign Comes To An End In Upset

The gold it is a changing. There are a lot of titles in the wrestling world and some of them have a unique setup that allow for some variation. It can be nice to have something different, as you can only do so many things with a standard championship format. One of those titles changed hands this week, with a record setting reign coming to an end after a bit of an upset. The main event of this week’s NXT UK saw Mark Coffey defeat Noam Dar to win the NXT Heritage Cup. Coffey defeated Dar two falls to one in the sixth and final round. The win ends Dar’s reign after 259 days, the longest in the title’s history. Coffey’s title win marks the first singles title win of his NXT UK career, though he is a former NXT UK Tag Team Champion with Wolfgang. Opinion: This is something that had to happen and it makes sense given Gallus’ issues as of late. Coffey winning the title opens up some doors for him as he wins something of his own and might even set up a title match against his brother Joe do..

WWE RAW Returning to TV-14 Rating

Let the carnage begin. According to a report by Andrew Zarian of F4WOnline, WWE RAW will be returning to a TV–14 rating on their programming. The change to this is said to begin with this coming Monday night’s edition of the show. Starting July 18th WWE Raw will have a TV-14 rating moving forward on USA Network. The PG Era is over. Starting July 18th WWE Raw will have a TV-14 rating moving forward on USA Network. The PG Era is over.#WWE #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/wQskL3IVPb — Andrew Zarian (@AndrewZarian) July 14, 2022 Smackdown, which airs on FOX, is said to remain as a TV-PG show. WWE has maintained a TV-PG rating across all platforms since July 22, 2008. The 2008 SummerSlam pay-per-view was the first event of its kind to carry the rating. This move is coming after reports that WWE was discussing to make NXT 2.0 a TV-14 show. Within the origins of this NXT 2.0 concept was an idea that the programs rating would shift from TV-PG to TV-14. Source confirms that’s still very much on..

REVIEW: Monday Night Raw – December 10, 2007: 15th Anniversary Greatness

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over twelve years now and have reviewed over 6,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? Monday Night Raw Date: December 10, 2007 Location: Arena At Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, Connecticut Attendance: 7,000 Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler It’s time for a special show this week as it is the fifteenth anniversary celebration of the show. That means not only do we have a bunch of guest stars, but it is an extra large three hour edition. Throw in that it is also the go home show for Armageddon and this is going to be a busy night. Let’s get to it. We open with a mash up of Raw intros over the years, th..

Take Your Time: You Might Not Be Seeing Sasha Banks In The Ring For A Long Time

It could be a little while. One of the biggest wrestling stories of the year has been Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out on WWE. The pair vacated the Women’s Tag Team Titles in the process and neither has been seen in a wrestling capacity since. That left quite the hole in WWE, but it also opened up some doors for other promotions that could land them. Now though, it seems that it could be a ways off. According to Fightful Select, Banks is not accepting wrestling bookings until 2023 at the earliest. She is willing to take non-wrestling bookings, such as the upcoming C2E2 convention in Chicago. It is not confirmed that Banks has been released, but a promoter who asked about booking Banks said they cannot imagine that she is not gone from the company so far. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that is sort of a wait and see situation. There is little reason to believe that banks is going to be wrestling anytime soon, as she has yet to officially be released from WWE so far. I’m curious t..

Get Well Soon: AEW Star Misses Dynamite Due To Health Issues

That’s never good to hear. There are a lot of people who work for a wrestling promotion besides just the people you see in the ring. In addition to the wrestlers, there are also the people who help train the wrestlers but rarely get that much attention. Some of those names are famous in their own right though and one such name was missing in action this week. AEW star and trainer Dustin Rhodes announced that he would not be at this week’s Dynamite tapings in Savannah, Georgia as he was home sick. Rhodes did not specify what was wrong with him or suggest that he would be missing any additional time. In addition to wrestling, Rhodes works with the women’s division as a coach and trainer. His most recent match took place on the July 1 edition of AEW Rampage. Not at #AEWDynamite #FyterFest tonight as I am super sick at home. Y'all tune in to @TBSNetwork at 8/7 central. @AEW — Dustin Rhodes (@dustinrhodes) July 13, 2022 Opinion: That doesn’t sound great but hopefully he is back at ..

WWE NIL Signee Accused Of Sexual Assault

That’s not good. WWE has been trying to bring in a variety of new stars to bolster its roster, both for the present and the future. A lot of this has been through the Next In Line (NIL) program, as WWE has been able to sign college athletes to name, image and likeness deals. Those names have not appeared on WWE programming to date, though one of them seems less likely to appear ever. Accord to the O’Colly (Oklahoma State University’s student newspaper), WWE NIL signee AJ Ferrari has been removed from the Oklahoma State wrestling team amid an investigation of sexual assault. Ferrari, who has currently not been charged with any crime, was part of the initial NIL class in 2021 and has not wrestled for WWE. The company has not responded to the investigation. Opinion: That is a very serious allegation and it would not surprise me at all to see Ferrari dropped by WWE as a result. Such a change might come immediately or after the investigation is over, but either way, Ferrari is going to be..

It Suits Him: Big E. Getting Special New Role In WWE

It’s something else to do. Back in March, Big E. suffered a broken neck during a botched spot in a match on WWE SmackDown. Big E. has since spent months recovering and likely has several more months before he is close to being ready to returning to the ring, assuming he ever does. While he is still recovering, WWE has something else for him to do for the company. Big E. was interviewed by ESPN and revealed that he will be helping scout talent evaluations at the upcoming tryout camps in Nashville, Tennessee over Summerslam weekend. This will include working with Triple H, who will be helping to run the tryout. This will be Big E.’s first official appearance with WWE since his injury and it is not clear if he will continue in the role after Summerslam weekend. Opinion: That is very good to see as Big E. was injured through a freak accident and could have been in a much worse situation. It is great to see him getting to do something else in WWE, as it might be great for his mental state..

Hold On A Second: WWE Making Change For Upcoming Tryout Camps

Things might be changing. WWE is the biggest wrestling promotion in the world and that has been the case for a very long time now. The company has quite a few stars on its roster but they have to keep things moving. At some point, new stars need to be brought in to freshen things up. That is the case on a regular basis, but now they might be shaking things up a bit. Last year, WWE began changing its recruiting process to only look for athletes from outside of the wrestling industry to find people who can be trained for wrestling. At the same time, independent wrestlers were no longer invited to the company’s tryout camps, outside of special occasions. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, various independent wrestlers will be invited to the tryouts being held over Summerslam weekend. There is no word on who will be invited. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that you almost had to expect, as there are going to be some wrestlers out there who are going to catch attention. Th..