SmackDown Live Coverage And Results – February 25, 2022

Smackdown Date: February 25, 2022 Location: Giant Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee Elimination Chamber is out of the way and that means it is time to start getting ready for Wrestlemania. In a normal year, most of Wrestlemania would already be set but WWE doesn’t operate that way, meaning they have about five weeks to get things ready. Hopefully they can start here so let’s get to it. We open with a recap of Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns so far this year, which has involved a lot of backstabbing and Lesnar World Title wins. As expected, all roads lead to the title vs. title showdown at Wrestlemania. The match is now officially a unification match. Michael Cole is in the ring to introduce Ronda Rousey for a chat. Rousey talks about how she broke her hand in the main event of Wrestlemania. Then she broke her other hand while she was rehabbing and then she got pregnant with her daughter. She wanted to come back because of her mother, who won the wor..

Impact Wrestling Results – February 24, 2022

Impact Wrestling Date: February 24, 2022 Location: Alario Center, Westwego, Louisiana Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan It’s time for a fresh taping cycle as No Surrender has come and gone. The big story coming out of the show was Eddie Edwards turning on Impact Wrestling to join Honor No More, meaning he has a lot of splainin to do. Other than that, Moose needs a new challenger for Sacrifice on the way to Rebellion. Let’s get to it. The opening recap looks at the rise of Honor No More and the big showdown at No Surrender, where Eddie Edwards turned on the company. Opening sequence. Here is still World Champion Moose for a chat. Moose isn’t happy that he has worked so hard and fought so much but now all everyone is talking about is Eddie Edwards. He fought to retain the World Title and nothing changed. Look what happened to people like Josh Alexander and Matt Cardona after he beat them. The Lord knows what is going to happen to W. Morrissey now that he lost. Cue Heath o..

Long Injured WWE Star Announces He Is Medically Cleared To Wrestle Again

Welcome back? Injuries are one of the few constants in wrestling as you never know when you are going to see someone get taken out of action by being hurt. There is never a good time to see someone get injured and it can be something that keeps the on the shelf for any length of time. Some of these injuries seem to be career ending, but now it seems that someone could return to the ring when it was never thought possible. Monday Night Raw broadcaster Corey Graves recently spoke to TMZ and revealed that he is medically cleared to return to the ring. Graves said that he had been getting the itch and had to know if he could wrestle again, though he said that it is not an immediate goal of his. There is also no word on if WWE is interested in having him return to the ring. Graves, 38, has not wrestled since 2014 after suffering a series of concussions. Opinion: I’m not sure if Graves is ever going to get back in the ring but it is cool to see that he is able to do so if he wants to. That..

More On Brock Lesnar Going Off Script At Elimination Chamber

Are you going to tell him no? There are certain wrestlers who get your attention like few others in one way or another. Sometimes it might be because of how they talk or some kind of over the top character, but there are other wrestlers who make an impact because they are a physical marvel who do things no human should be able to do. That was on display last week and now we know a bit more about what happened. Last Saturday, WWE presented its annual Elimination Chamber event, with the show’s namesake match serving as the main event. Reigning WWE Champion Bobby Lashley was taken out of the match due to an injury, meaning that he never actually entered. His chamber pod was opened anyway though, even with no one inside. Brock Lesnar literally kicked his way out of the pod to get into the match early, which was not planned. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lesnar thought that there had been a mistake when Lashley’s pod was opened, instead thinking that he was next to be ad..

WWE Makes An Announcement On Major WrestleMania Match

That’s something on paper. With WrestleMania 38 less than forty days away, imost of the card should be set, along with several of the details already locked in. That is not the case though, as only four matches have been announced for the two night event with several wrestlers’ status still in limbo. Very little has been set in stone, but WWE did take one minor step forward this week. WWE has announced that the SmackDown Women’s Title match between champion Charlotte and Ronda Rousey will take place on the first night of WrestleMania 38. This is the first match to be designated for an official night, with the other three still being up in the air. Last year, WWE announced the night for each match on the WrestleMania card in advance of the show. There is no word on when the rest of the matches, if any, will have a night designated in advance this year. WrestleMania 38 takes place on April 2 and 3. BREAKING NEWS: @MsCharlotteWWE and @RondaRousey will meet for the #SmackDown Women'..

Bad News On Bobby Lashley’s Injury Status

That’s a bad sign for the future. There is very little more frustrating in wrestling than seeing someone getting red hot and then having their career put on hold by an injury. That seems to be the case with Bobby Lashley, who lost the WWE Title at Elimination Chamber despite not actually getting in the ring. Lashley has a shoulder injury, and now things are looking even worse than before. WWE will be returning to Madison Square Garden on March 5 but the arena’s advertisement for the show no longer includes Lashley. Prior to the change, Lashley had been scheduled to face Brock Lesnar in a WWE Title match, which was mentioned by Paul Heyman this week on Monday Night Raw. There is no word on who will be taking Lashley’s place in the match, or when Lashley will be returning to the ring, though earlier reports suggested that Lashley could be out for up to four months. Opinion: That really doesn’t sound great and I’m worried to see just how long Lashley might be out of action. A shoulder i..

Vince McMahon Was Pitched For A Major Role In A WWE Story

That would have been a big one. WWE has a lot of television time to fill every week and that means there are going to be a lot of stories taking place on any given night. Some of these are going to be a lot better than others, with a few of them being near disasters. That was the case with a story from a few years ago, but there was almost a twist that could have changed everything. Shane Thorne, formerly known as Slapjack in WWE, recently appeared on the Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast, where he discussed his time in Retribution. Thorne said that when the team was started, there was no word on who the team’s leader would be. The team pitched for various big names, from Edge to Shane McMahon and all the way up to Vince McMahon, as they wanted to be associated with a major character. Mustafa Ali was eventually revealed as the leader, though Thorne admitted that the team had already been beaten down by that point. Retribution was split up in March 2021. Opinion: This isn’t the ..

WRESTLING RUMORS: Possible Bad Sign For WrestleMania From Monday Night Raw

They have a plan…maybe? We are less than forty days away from WrestleMania 38 and that means most of the card should either already be announced or ready to be announced. That is in theory at least, but WWE does not exactly work that way these days. There have been a few matches announced, but it seems that there are some holes that still need to be filled. WWE might have filled one of those holes on Monday, but it might have been something else entirely. This week’s edition of Monday Night Raw featured an in-ring promo from Edge, where he sat down in a chair and talked about what WrestleMania meant to him. The promo included an open challenge for WrestleMania, with an opponent to be named. According to the WrestleVotes Twitter account, Edge’s promo was intentionally vague because the WrestleMania card is still very fluid. WWE is leaving enough space because plans could still change. We are roughly 5 weeks out & I’m told the WM card is still very fluid. Hence the reason for the vague..

NXT UK Results – February 24, 2022

NXT UK Date: February 24, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness It’s time for another title show as Moustache Mountain is defending their Tag Team Titles against Ashton Smith and Oliver Carter. That could be quite the showdown, as NXT UK tends to do rather well when it comes to title matches. I’m curious to see what else they have on the show so let’s get to it. The opening video looks at the Tag Team Title match, as Smith and Carter are ready for their big shot at the gold. Opening sequence. Amale vs. Xia Brookside They fight over wrist control to start with Amale taking her down into an armbar. Back up and a shoulder drops Brookside, who can’t believe Amale would do that to him. Amale tries to pull her out to the corner but Brookside says Amale can’t do that. Brookside: “I’M SPECIAL!” Amale counters a crossbody into a slam and a basement dropkick gets two. Brookside finally gets in a shot of her own and chokes Amale on the..

AEW Exercises A Contract Option, Leaving A Wrestler Surprised

He’s sticking around. We are almost ready to enter the fourth year of AEW’s existence with just a few months to go before the anniversary of their debut show. However, the company originally began at the start of 2019, meaning that a lot of the company’s initial contracts are starting to come up for expiration. That means some wrestlers are going to leave, but a surprising name will be sticking around. According to Fightful Select, AEW has exercised its option on Brian Cage’s contract, meaning it is extended by another year. Cage himself was said to be surprised by the result, as he expected his contract to expire, making him a free agent. He has not wrestled on AEW television since October 8, when he was defeated by Ricky Starks. There is no word on if the extension means that Cage will be making a return to AEW television. Opinion: That is quite the surprise as Cage hasn’t been on television in months now. I’m not sure why AEW decided to keep him, but maybe they don’t want another ..

BREAKING: Cesaro Gone From WWE

It was a great run. There are so many wrestlers on the WWE roster that it can be difficult for someone to stand out. At the same time, there are always going to be wrestlers who catch the fans’ eyes, but for some reason they do not catch the eyes of the people running the company. That has been the case several times, and now it seem to have happened all over again. According to PWInsider.com, Cesaro has quietly left WWE as the two sides were unable to come to terms on a new contract. Since Cesaro’s contract expired and he was not released, he does not have a no compete clause and is able to appear on any show immediately. Cesaro signed with WWE in 2011 and is a one time United States Champion and seven time Tag Team Champion, as well as the winner of the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Opinion: This is something that almost feels long overdue, as Cesaro is someone who has felt underutilized in WWE for a good many years now. Cesaro seemed ready to break through to th..

Reigning World Champion Working Through Serious Injury, Will Need Surgery

It’s the risk you take. There are all kinds of wrestlers in the world today but only a handful of them make it to the top of the industry. The easiest way to recognize a wrestler’s success is with a title, as they tend to go to the top stars in the wrestling world. That is the case with various World Champions today, but one of them has been defending his title with a pretty nasty health issue. During an interview with PWInsider.com, Impact Wrestling World Champion Moose has revealed that he has suffered a torn labrum. Moose is planning to work through the injury for now, though he knows that he will eventually have to take an extended time away from the ring to fix the problem. He also said that he has worked through this kind of pain before, as he played a full NFL season with a torn rotator cuff. Opinion: That’s never good to hear, but if Moose can work through it, that’s awesome news for the fans. Moose is a great choice as World Champion as he feels like the most dominant person..

You Might Not Be Seeing A Special Grudge Match At AEW Revolution

We might have to wait on that one. AEW has not been around for very long but they have managed to put together one of the best pay per view track records in wrestling history. It is rare for the company to have a major show that is less than great and that makes the announcement of a new one all the more special. AEW will be back on pay per view next month but one match might be missing from the card. This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite featured the debut of Buddy Matthews as the newest member of the House of Black. Matthews helped attack Pac and Penta Obscura of the Death Triangle, including stomping Obsccura’s face into a chair. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, this is not expected to result in a six man tag between Death Triangle and the House of Black as Rey Fenix will not be medically cleared from his elbow injury in January. Fenix is expected to be out of action for three more weeks, though there is a possibility that he will return to action by Revolution on March 6. Opi..

REVIEW: AEW Revolution 2021: Uh, Boom?

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? Revolution 2021 Date: March 7, 2021 Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Jim Ross There is something rather pleasing about having another AEW pay per view. The company has such a great track record with these things and it should be awesome to see what they can do again. The main event is an exploding barbed wire deathmatch because….I have no idea why but it is certainly going to get them some attention. Let’s get to it. Pre-Show: Britt Baker/Rebel vs. Riho/Thund..

Good News On Madcap Moss’ Injury Status After Scary Elimination Chamber Landing

That’s great to hear. Wrestling is a rather dangerous sport as you never know when you are going to see someone get injured. Any given match has wrestlers doing some rather intricate moves, many of which can go the wrong way through a simple mistake. That can lead to some scary moments and that was the case last week. Now we have a good update on the situation. According to Fightful Select and PWInsider.com, Madcap Moss is cleared to return to the ring without missing any time. Moss landed on his head during a match with Drew McIntyre at Elimination Chamber when McIntyre gave him a reverse Alabama Slam. He has since underwent several tests and all of them came back clean, which has WWE surprised that Moss was ok after the landing. There was no heat on McIntyre about the landing and Moss promised to never do the move again. Opinion: Above all else, it is great to hear that Moss is ok, as that was a terrifying landing. I’m not sure how Moss wound up being ok after the whole thing, but ..

That’s A New One: Fight Breaks Out Between WrestleMania Sponsors

They’re at it too. We are just over five weeks away from WrestleMania 37 and that means it is the busiest season of WWE’s year. The company is going to be pushing the event in every way that they can because it is going to bring them a fortune. Some of those things are going to be a bit more standard that others but this time there is something related to WrestleMania that we haven’t seen before. WWE has announced that both Snickers and WWE2K22 will be sponsoring this year’s WrestleMania 38. This will mark the first time that WrestleMania has had two major Presenting Partners. As a result, the two sponsors’ Twitter accounts have entered into a feud, with both companies using various “nut” related puns as a play on the peanuts in Snickers bars. Here are some of what has been said. WAIT – we have to share a ring with these guys?? *immediately gets on the phone with our manager* https://t.co/gpgPSa7jju — SNICKERS (@SNICKERS) February 23, 2022 ? We heard you were NUT-torious for actin..

VIDEO: AEW Star Debuts Awesome New Music Video

It’s something else he can do. Wrestlers are very talented people as they have to find a way to balance a variety of things in any given match. Not only are they wrestling, but they are telling stories, protecting each other and making the fans buy what is being done. That is something difficult to do, but it is all the more impressive when they pull it off. Wrestlers have a lot of skills, and now another is showing what he can do outside of the ring. AEW’s Max Caster has released a music video for his new song Mixed Messages. The song is part of the Who We Are Volume 1 commemorative AEW album, with proceeds from the album going to the Bootsy Collins Foundation. Caster has released several music videos during his AEW career, with several of them being diss tracks aimed at wrestlers Caster and the Acclaimed are feuding with at the moment. He’s pretty awesome at this. Check out the new video: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This might not be your style of music bu..

VIDEO: Jeff Hardy Says He Is Going To AEW

I wonder if he has a bag packed. The rose of AEW has offered wrestlers another mainstream home outside of WWE. As a result, it can be fascinating to see who might be heading to AEW when they are given the chance. You will often hear rumors about one wrestler making the jump but now one of them is flat out saying that he is on his way to the company. A video has made its way online featuring Jeff hardy saying that he is going to AEW. The interview with Jared Myers took place backstage at one of Hardy’s recent concerts and features Hardy saying “I’m going to AEW. I’m so excited.” While not confirmed, Hardy has been rumored to be going to AEW since he left WWE back in December. His no compete clause continues until March 9, meaning he will not be seen for a few weeks. It’s a bit hard to hear but that’s what he said. Check out Hardy’s interview, with the AEW announcement coming at 7:17: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’d hardly call this a surprise but it is still ..

KB’s Review: A Tale Of Two Titles

We are less than six weeks away from WrestleMania 38 and that means it is time to really start hammering home the show’s card. Now we already have the four men’s and women’s title matches set (because there are four of those) but there are more than a few other matches that have to be built up. Since we are probably looking at sixteen matches over two days, that means we are likely going to need a dozen more to fill out the card. I’m not sure what we are going to see, but there is someone who has gotten my attention over the last few weeks in a good way. Over the last two weeks, United States Champion Damian Priest has defeated both AJ Styles and Shelton Benjamin. Now that might not sound like much (especially in Styles’ case when he was evening the score after Styles beat him the previous week), but it suggests that WWE is actually building Priest up for once. That is something the company has needed to do after Priest took a few losses in the previous weeks, so maybe things are star..

Three More Matches Set For AEW Revolution

It’s growing up. We are less than two weeks away from AEW Revolution and now it is time to start building up the card. The good thing is that AEW has a lot of pieces already set up and are just waiting to be made official. Sometimes those things can be done all at once and that seems to be the case this week as several matches were all put together on the same show. Three new matches were announced for AEW Revolution during this week’s edition of Dynamite. First up, Eddie Kingston challenged Chris Jericho to a grudge match, with Jericho accepting during a face to face meeting. Second, the AHFO, comprised of Andrade El Idolo, Matt Hardy and Isiah Kassidy have challenged Sting/Darby Allin/Sammy Guevara to a tornado tag match, which was confirmed later. Finally, after Bryan Danielson defeated Daniel Garcia in the main event, Jon Moxley came to the ring. Danielson agreed to face Moxley, who had challenged him to a match at Revolution. It's official: @MadKing1981 will face @IAmJerich..