WATCH: Surprise Return Takes Place To End AEW Rampage

There’s a comeback. AEW has built up its roster with a mixture of veterans and up and coming stars, which allows them to have quite the mixture of wrestlers and matches. As a result, the fans continue to react strongly to almost anything that they do, meaning that a big moment can get quite the reception. That was the case again this week, as a special return took place. Sting made his return to AEW television this week ok Rampage, helping Darby Allin after Allin’s match against Bobby Fish. Allin won the match but was attacked by Fish and Kyle O’Reilly until Sting returned and made the save. This let Sting and Allin Pillmanize O’Reilly’s leg in a repeat of the same attack that put Sting on the shelf during the May 18 edition of Dynamite. Welcome back. Check out the big return to end the show: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is the kind of thing that makes AEW feel special. They know how to time this kind of return to maximize the impact, as Sting has been g..

Something New: AEW Adds Unique Tag Team Title Match To Forbidden Door

That’s a different one. Next weekend, AEW and New Japan will be presenting its first ever Forbidden Door pay per view. The event will include a series of matches between the two promotions with one dream match after another. The card has already taken shape but there are still some matches that need to be filled in. AEW took care of part of that this week, as another promotion is getting in on the act (kind of). A new match was added to Forbidden Door this week on AEW Rampage. Announced for the show was a triple threat tag team match between Ring Of Honor Tag Team Champions FTR, IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions the United Empire (Great O’Khan/Jeff Cobb) and Roppongi Vice with both sets of titles on the line. Forbidden Door is set to take place from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Opinion: That is the kind of stacked match that can make for a great addition to the pay per view card. I’m not sure how the companies are going to handle one of their titles changing hands but it..

Keep Them Coming: WWE Adds More Names To Money In The Bank Ladder Matches

Keep filling up those spots. We are coming up on WWE’s annual Money In The Bank event, which will be headlined by the show’s namesake matches. These matches are among the biggest that WWE presents all year with some of the more prominent names in the company competing for a guaranteed on-demand shot at the World Title. Now we know some more names who will be getting their shot. This week’s SmackDown saw three more names added to the Money In The Bank ladder match fields. First, both Sheamus and Drew McIntyre were added to the men’s match. This is the result of a decision by WWE management after last week’s qualifying match ended in a double disqualification. Later in the show, Raquel Rodriguez defeated Shayna Baszler to qualify for the women’s match. This means the men’s match now has three entrants (Sheamus, McIntyre, Seth Rollins) and the women’s match has four (Lacey Evans, Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez) out of eight spots per match. Opinion: This is the kind of night ..

WATCH: Vince McMahon’s Odd Appearance On SmackDown

He didn’t have much to say. The biggest wrestling story of the week has been the issue of an investigation into an alleged affair with McMahon paying $3 million to buy the woman’s silence. As a result, McMahon has stepped back from his role as WWE CEO and Chairman of the Board, but that is just on the business side of things. There was also a storyline issue to deal with, and WWE did that…kind of. McMahon opened this week’s edition of SmackDown in an appearance that had announced before the show went on the air. During his appearance, McMahon talked about how great it was to be in Minneapolis for the show before talking about how the WWE motto is “Then, Now, Forever, Together.” McMahon then welcomed us to SmackDown without saying anything else. He did not appear again for the rest of the night. The Boss speaks. Check out what McMahon had to say: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: Well ok then. McMahon had almost nothing to say here, and that makes me wonder how lon..

WWE Announces Summerslam Main Event Featuring Major Stipulation Match

The next step. Roman Reigns has ruled over WWE for the better part of two years now and it is hard to fathom that changing. Having defeated just about anyone who could give him a realistic threat, Reigns is almost out of viable challenges. That does not leave WWE many options, but it seems that their best bet is to go back to the well, which is exactly what they are doing here. This week’s SmackDown featured a main event of Reigns defeating Riddle to retain the title. Following the win, Brock Lesnar made his return and laid out Reigns with an F5 to end the show. After the show was over, WWE announced that Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Lesnar at Summerslam in a Last Man Standing match. This will be a rematch from WrestleMania 38, where Reigns defeated Lesnar to unify the company’s two World Titles. Opinion: This is just what WWE does with Reigns these days, as you can almost feel the Lesnar match coming in no matter what. That gets more than a little ti..

SmackDown Results – June 17, 2022

Smackdown Date: June 17, 2022 Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee Say it with me: and then everything changed. Vince McMahon has stepped back as WWE CEO and Chairman of the Board due to his affair but he is still going to show up this week for…something. I have no idea what that means but we also have Riddle challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Title. Let’s get to it. Here is Vince McMahon to open things up. He is glad to be here in Minnesota and talks about the Then, Now, Forever and Together WWE signature. Welcome to Smackdown. Then he leaves. Opening sequence. Here is Riddle to talk about his history with Roman Reigns. We get a highlight package on RKBro vs. the Bloodline and Riddle talks about how much he misses Randy Orton. Riddle dedicates the match to Orton and wants him back, even playing Voices. Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss This is the Last Laugh match, which doesn’t seem to be a stipulation. Corbin knocks him into ..

On The Line: New Title Match Set For WWE Money In The Bank

Add it to the list. We are less than a month away from WWE’s next pay per view with Money in the Bank. The show will be built around the show’s namesake matches and those will take up a bunch of time. There are other matches that need to be covered though and that includes some title matches. One of those has been added to the card and it should be a pretty big showdown. WWE has announced that there will be a Tag Team Title match featuring the Street Profits challenging the Usos at Money in the Bank. This is the result of the Usos losing a Champions Contenders match on Monday Night Raw, earning them a title match at some point in the future. The match will be for both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Titles, both of which the Profits have held before. Opinion: You knew this match was coming at some point and it is the kind of thing that makes sense. There are not many teams ready to challenge the Usos but the Profits certainly fit the mold. Let the two teams get in there and do their t..

BREAKING: Vince McMahon Steps Back As WWE CEO And Chairman, Stephanie McMahon Replacing Him

There’s the fallout. There is no one as powerful in the wrestling world as Vince McMahon. He has run the largest wrestling promotion in the world for about forty years now and no one is close to his level of influence. However, there are some things that can slow McMahon down and now we are one of the biggest imaginable, as McMahon has lost quite a bit of power. Earlier this week, WWE announced that McMahon was under an internal investigation for an alleged affair with a WWE employee. The affair saw McMahon pay the woman $3 million to keep the story quiet, along with possibly doubling her salary once the affair began. On Friday, WWE announced that McMahon will be stepping away from his duties as CEO and Chairman of the Board, with his daughter Stephanie taking over until the end of the investigation. Vince will still maintain his creative duties with WWE. Opinion: That’s about as big of a bombshell as you could get, as the idea of Vince not being in charge is one of the most hard to ..

NXT UK Results – June 16, 2022

NXT UK Date: June 16, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd It’s a fallout show, as the big story is finding out what is up with Treat Seven walking out on Tyler Bate and Moustache Mountain. That should be a heck of a promo as we get closer to what could be a heck of a showdown. Hopefully the rest of the show can live up to the hype so let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Tiger Turan vs. Josh Morrell Turan takes him down with a hammerlock to start and grabs a wristlock. Morrell can’t flip out so Turan puts on an armbar to keep Morrell in trouble. That’s reversed into a wristlock but Turan flips him right back for a standoff. There’s a suplex to send Morrell down and a high crossbody gives Turan two….but Morrell is hurt and we’re going to stop it at 3:04. Result: Tiger Turan b. Josh Morrell via referee stoppage (3:04) Blair Davenport is coming back from injury. Myla Grace vs. Lash Legend Grace hammers away to start and Legend..

I Remember You: Surprise Stable Return Takes Place This Week

Welcome back. Impact Wrestling has been around for a very long time, though unfortunately for it, a good bit of the history is not the most well received. There are several ideas and concepts through the company’s history that have been popular though. Now, one of those more popular ideas is back for a televised reunion, or at least in the short term. This week on Impact Wrestling, Aces & Eights made a return to help D’Lo Brown fight off Honor No More. Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco appeared for the team in a lowing effort before helping Brown clear the ring. Aces & Eights was active in Impact Wrestling, from 2012-2013 and had several members, including their leader Bully Ray, who wound up winning the World Heavyweight Title on two occasions. There is nothing to suggest that this is any more than a one off appearance. Opinion: I know Impact Wrestling is one of the most mocked promotions in the world, but they have done some great things over the last twenty years. The company has an..

Vince McMahon Scandal Already Impacting Outside Projects

The extra fallout. One of the biggest wrestling stories of the week has been allegations against Vince McMahon of an extramarital affair with a WWE employee. The WWE Board Of Directors is investigating the matter but it is not clear what will happen to McMahon in the long run. However, there might be some issues with some upcoming McMahon side projects due next year. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, a pair of McMahon related projects may be undergoing major changes due to the scandal. One would be the McMahon biography due out next spring, as the book is mostly done but will now need to have a new section written. The other issue is the upcoming Netflix biography series, which Nextflix may now not want to air due to the allegations against McMahon. Neither the book’s author or Netflix has commented on their product’s future. Opinion: The McMahon scandal is only just starting and it could be a long time before we know where everything is going to fall. It certainly shows just ho..

Longtime Referee Announces That He Is Taking A Step Away From Wrestling

It’s after a long time. There are a lot of people involved in making a wrestling match work, including some who do not get a ton of attention. One of the most important people involved is the referee, who is not often going to get noticed in a match, to the point where some promotions do not even bother naming them. Now one of the more prominent names in refereeing is stepping away from the ring, at least somewhat. During the latest edition of the Refin’ It Up podcast, Brian Hebner has announced that he is retiring from full time refereeing. Hebner announced that the upcoming Impact Wrestling Slammiversary weekend will be his last, including the pay per view and television tapings. Hebner made it clear that no one has caused him to step away, while saying that he is a single father and wanting to spend more time with his family. Opinion: I know a referee might not be the most important or well known part of a wrestling show but they can mean quite a bit. Hebner has been a pretty good..

That’s A Big Miss: Top Name May Not Appear At AEW Forbidden Door

He would be missed. We are coming up on one of the more interesting wrestling shows in a good many years with AEW’s Forbidden Door. The show will include a series of matches between AEW and New Japan wrestlers, including some title matches. While several big names have been mentioned, it seems unlikely that one of the will be on the show due to a special circumstance. Over the last two weeks of AEW Dynamite, Hangman Page has called out Kazuchika Okada for a match at Forbidden Door. However, according to Wrestling Observer Radio, Okada is unlikely to be at the show as his wife is expected to give birth around the same time as Forbidden Door (June 26). Okada’s status for the show is not yet clear but it will be established by next week. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that could shake up the pay per view quite a bit, as Okada is one of the names that you almost must have to make the show work. He is one of the faces of New Japan and without him, the show will feel like it is lacking..

Quite The Choice: New Upcoming Movie To Tell Tragic Wrestling Tale

There’s a story to be told. Wrestling is one of the most unique forms of media in the world as you do not get to see anything like it elsewhere. The wrestlers are larger than life characters and their fans will follow them through some pretty ridiculous stuff. That can make for some excellent moments, but also some tragic ones. Now we might be seeing another look at one of the worst ever. According to Deadline, Zac Efron is scheduled to start in an upcoming film about the Von Erich wrestling family called the Iron Claw. There is no word on when the film will be released or which of the Von Erichs Efron will be portraying. The Von Erich Family has suffered several losses over the years, including multiple suicides. Kevin is the only original member still alive. Opinion: This is something that could be interesting, but at the same time it could be one of the most depressing films in recent memory. The Von Erichs are about as tragic of a wrestling story as there has ever been and I don’..

KB’s Review: It Isn’t Radio

There are certain phrases that we as fans like to throw around, occasionally not entirely knowing what we’re talking about. That can create some problems, as sometimes we spend so much time trying to check off a list that we don’t see what we have right in front of our eyes. One thing that we often forget is that there are people whose job it is to walk us through what we’re seeing on a show and point us in the right direction. That is what we’ll be looking at this week. The commentary team is one of the most important parts of a wrestling broadcast but they often get ignored for the most part. You might remember one or two things that they say, but it is rarely poignant and more often than not, the focus is on something that doesn’t sound so great. Part of that is due to the fact that commentary talks A LOT these days, and that is where things can become a bit problematic. This week we’re taking a trip into the time machine and looking at about a minute of history that shows you the ..

WATCH: Sami Zayn Does A Great Roman Reigns Impression At WWE Live Event

That’s some serious flattery. Wrestlers are larger than live characters and you get to see them doing things that might not make the most sense but are still very entertaining. It can be a lot of fun to see wrestlers do their signature things over and over, but it can also make for some rather strong parodies if done right. That was the case this week and it is worth a look. Over the last few weeks, Sami Zayn has attempted to join the Bloodline. This has included Zayn trying to help the team as often as he can, often to less than successful results. On Saturday night, Zayn was facing Drew McIntyre in a match in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Later in the match, Zayn imitated Roman Reigns’ Superman Punch and spear through a table for a near fall. Zayn went on to lose the match. This is pretty awesome. Check out what Zayn pulled off in tribute to Reigns: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is the kind of thing that can be a lot of fun in wrestling, as only a small number..

Things Change: AEW May Have Had Very Different Plans For The Tag Team Titles

That would have been different. Title matches are some of the most important parts of any wrestling show. A title changing hands can mean a new direction for the wrestlers or perhaps even the promotion as a whole. It can be a big deal to see a title change hands and that was the case again this week. However, it seems that things did not change as originally planned. The main event of this week’s AEW Dynamite saw the Young Bucks win the AEW Tag Team Titles from Jurassic Express in a ladder match. The match was originally supposed to include the Hardys but Jeff Hardy’s arrest resulted in the team being pulled. According to Fightful Select, some AEW wrestlers had heard plans of a possible Tag Team Title run for the Hardys before Double Or Nothing. However, Hardy was reportedly intoxicated in the hotel lobby over Double Or Nothing weekend. This combined with the Hardys vs. Bucks match at the pay per view ended any discussion of the Hardys winning the titles. Opinion: The Hardys are in a..

Viper Down: Randy Orton Might Be Out Of Action For A Long Time

That’s a long time. WWE has a lot of good things going for it at the moment, including some very talented wrestlers. However, their roster is not as deep as it used to be and things can get worse in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you see someone get hurt and it takes them out of the ring for a good while. That is the case again, but it is in a bit of a bigger spot. Following WrestleMania Backlash and a beatdown from the Bloodline, Riddle announced that his partner Randy Orton would be out of action due to a back injury. According to Fightful Select, Orton’s back injury is worse than expected and he might need surgery, which would keep him out of action for the rest of the year. There is no word on what kind of injury Orton has or what he will do when he gets back. The originally planned Orton vs. Roman Reigns match at Summerslam is no longer part of WWE’s creative plans. Opinion: This is about as bad as the news could have been for Orton but what matters is that he is able to get thi..

WATCH: The Outsiders vs. Lex Luger, Sting & Randy Savage From WCW Bash at the Beach 1996

New, New, New World Order. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel showing the full match between The Outsiders vs. Lex Luger, Sting & Randy Savage from WCW Bash at the Beach 1996. This marked the beginning of Hulk Hogan’s heel turn and the formation of the nWo. You can see the match in its entirety below: [This post contains video, click to play] From our own Thomas Hall: The Outsiders, coming to the ring to some generic music (probably for the only time ever in a bit of trivia that no one ever wondered about), have no third man to crank the drama up even higher. Before Team WCW comes out, here is Gene Okerlund to ask the Outsiders what is up. They confirm that the third man is here but they can handle it themselves for now. Tony: “THEN COME OUT HERE AND KICK THEIR TEETH IN RIGHT NOW!!!” Team WCW is all painted up together for a nice touch. Luger starts with….the yet-to-be-named Scott Hall (“This Outsider” according to Tony) and takes him into the corner where Sting tr..

REVIEW: Money In The Bank 2021: Back To Normal(ish)

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? Money in the Bank 2021 Date: July 18, 2021 Location: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Michael Cole, Pat McAfee After Friday’s dress rehearsal, it’s time for the first show of any serious value in front of fans. The briefcases get pulled down tonight and it would not surprise me to see one of them get cashed in, as WWE is going to want to have a big splash going into the Summerslam build. A last minute replacement would not be shocking either. Let’s get to it. ..