Saturday, October 31, 2026
NEWS

VIDEO: Vince McMahon’s Special SmackDown Opening

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The stars are out. The biggest WWE story of the week is the return of fans to live events. This has been a very long time in the making and it is pretty cool to see it finally taking place. WWE has been building towards it for weeks now and you could feel the excitement as the show drew closer. You knew that WWE would have some surprises and one of them started the show. This week’s edition of SmackDown opened with Vince McMahon himself making an appearance before the live crowd. After looking at the fans for a few moments, McMahon asked “where the h*** have you been” before leaving, not to be seen again for the rest of the show. This was McMahon’s first appearance since WrestleMania 37, when he appeared to start the show and thanked the fans for sticking with the WWE. It was nice to see the boss. Check out his return, his WrestleMania speech and a few fun moments: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, clic..

NEWS

Slammiversary 2021 Preview, Predictions And Thoughts

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There is something cool about the idea of an anniversary show. If nothing else, it reminds you just how long a promotion has been around, which can often be lost when you don’t think about it very often. Impact Wrestling has somehow been around nineteen years this month and it very well may be around for a lot longer to come. They tend to make the most of their anniversary shows so maybe there is some optimism here. The fans are back in person too so let’s get to it. Pre-Show: Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Fire N Flava(c) vs. Rosemary/Havok It’s another thrown together team challenging for the titles but at least there is a theme this time. Fire N Flava have been together for a good while now and feel like they have held the titles for the better part of ever, so it is certainly time for some fresh blood in there. Granted that has been the case several times before as Impact has yet to pull a trigger that lasts. I think they’re serious: [This post contains video, click to play] We’ll ..

NEWS

New Title Match Added To WWE Money In The Bank

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Keep the build going. WWE is back on pay per view this weekend with Money In The Bank. That is the kind of show that presents some unusual challenges to the company, as there are only so many options available to add to the card. With sixteen wrestlers tied up in two matches, WWE can only do so much with the choices they have. Now we know another match they are putting on. WWE has announced that Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio will defend the SmackDown Tag Team Titles against Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode on the Money In The Bank Kickoff Show. The Mysterios took the titles from Roode and Ziggler on May 16 at WrestleMania Backlash. Since winning the titles, the Mysterios have only defended them twice, with both defenses taking place on the June 4 SmackDown against the Usos. This could be an interesting one. Check out the previous match, plus both teams in action: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, clic..

NEWS

Former WWE Wrestler Explains Why In-Ring Drills Are Unnecessary

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I can see them being mad. WWE is in a big state of transition at the moment as the company goes back on the road for live touring with fans in attendance. This is a huge change of pace after so many months away, but WWE seems to be a bit nervous about what they are doing. They have tried to do something to fix things up a bit, but it has not gone so well. WWE has ordered all of its wrestlers to undergo a series of drills at the Performance Center in preparation to return to the road. During one of these sessions Bayley suffered a torn ACL and will be out of action for about nine months. An unnamed WWE wrestler spoke to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and talked about how he wrestled for over fifteen years without having to undergo in-ring drills. Save for special occasions where he was coming out of retirement, the only training he did was for cardio. The wrestler said that if you can wrestle a weekly on television and another on pay per view, wrestlers should be fine for touring. ..

NEWS

Two Surprising Names Take Part In SmackDown Dark Match

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They’re the new and old generation. Like any other entertainment or sport, WWE needs to bring in some fresh blood from time to time. This might be a brand new wrestler or someone who has wrestled for them before but not in a long time. It can make for some nice changes of pace and WWE has been catching on to that as of late. They tried something else this week. According to 411mania.com Davey Boy Smith Jr., wrestling under his real name of Harry Smith, worked a dark match before this week’s SmackDown. Smith and NXT’s Austin Theory teamed together to face Daniel Vidot and Odyssey Jones in a tag team match. This comes after Smith appeared at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony earlier this year to induct his father. In the following weeks, there were discussions of bringing Smith back into the company. In an interview after the match, Smith said that he was back in WWE, though there is no word on him signing a new deal. Holy shit! pic.twitter.com/eMkAt56aDM — ?Adam Goldberg? (@adamgoldberg2..

NEWS

Former WWE World Champion Makes Surprise SmackDown Return

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Welcome back! The big WWE story of the week is the return of fans to events, as WWE is back on the road for the first time in over fifteen months. It is an amazing thing to see and something that is far overdue. WWE has more attention and possibilities than they have had in a very long time now and it would make sense to capitalize on it. They might have done just that on Friday. This week on SmackDown, Finn Balor made his return to WWE television, interrupting Sami Zayn and laying him out. This is Balor’s first appearance on a main roster show since 2019, as he spent over a year and a half in NXT. Balor is a former Universal Champion and a former two time NXT Champion. There is no word on when he will be having his next match on SmackDown. This could be big. Check out what is coming to SmackDown: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: That is the kind of return that you need on a s..

NEWS

SmackDown Live Coverage And Results – July 16, 2021

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Smackdown Date: July 16, 2021 Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee They’re back. In something that I’ve been waiting to say for well over a year now, we are FINALLY back on the road with a show outside of Florida for the first time since last March. It’s also the go home show for Money in the Bank, meaning we might be in for some last minute surprises. Let’s get to it. We open with a special video showing great crowd reactions throughout WWE history, ranging from Hogan slamming Andre to Austin to the modern era. There are PEOPLE here! The new set seems to be little more than just a big screen. We start big with Vince McMahon himself coming out for a chat. Vince: “WHERE THE H*** HAVE YOU BEEN???” End of appearance. Edge/Rey Mysterio/Dominik Mysterio vs. Usos/Roman Reigns Reigns gets a rather high pitched pop while Edge gets a MONSTER pop. Jey jumps Edge from behind to start but gets caught with a flapjack. Jimmy comes in and gets armdragge..

NEWS

Not So Fast: WWE Changes Upcoming SmackDown

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Turn around WWE. The Coronavirus pandemic has shaken up WWE for over a year now and it is time to start getting things back to normal. Starting this week, WWE will be back on the road full time and that means there are going to be a lot of changes taking place at once. However, it seems that one of those changes will already be changed as well for some reason. The State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia has announced that the September 17 SmackDown will no longer be held at the venue, with refunds being available at the point of purchase. There is no word on why the change has been made and no new location has been announced for the event. WWE will begin holding events on the road again starting on July 16 in Houston, Texas. SHOW UPDATE: WWE Friday Night Smackdown on September 17th will no longer take place in Atlanta. Refunds are available at all points of purchase.https://t.co/MOXb9O2WeX pic.twitter.com/kXqdKTfrnz — State Farm Arena (@StateFarmArena) July 16, 2021 There have been ..

NEWS

NXT UK Results – July 15, 2021

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NXT UK Date: July 15, 2021 Location: BT Studios, London, England Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness It’s a double title week as both the Heritage Cup and Women’s Title are on the line. That alone should be enough for a huge show, but it is also time to hype up the United Kingdom Title match for next week, which should be a candidate for match of the year. This show has a tendency to be good lately so maybe they can keep that up here. Let’s get to it. In Memory Of Paul Orndorff. Opening sequence. HHH joins us to hype up Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov II for the United Kingdom Title next week. Walter has been champion for over 800 days but Dragunov is an enigma. NXT UK is proud to present it and it is going to be amazing. We go to the ring, with Walter and Dragunov set up for a press conference. First up is Alex McCarthy from talkSport, who asks if Walter thinks his title reign is under threat. That’s a no, because Walter is here for the long term. It’s true that Dragunov is an..

NEWS

VIDEO: Vince McMahon Sends Out Thank You To Fans

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It’s good to be home. The Coronavirus pandemic has shaken up a lot of things, including the wrestling industry. For over a year, no major promotion has had a full compliment of fans in attendance for regular shows and it has been quite the noticeable departure. There has always been a light at the end of the tunnel though and now we are about to reach it. WWE sees it too and have put out something pretty nice to celebrate. Vince McMahon has tweeted out a video, thanking WWE fans for sticking with them and being ready to return. The video contains various classic and modern clips of WWE, from the Hulk Hogan years to Drew McIntyre and Becky Lynch while thanking the fans for always being there. WWE is scheduled to be back on the road this Friday with SmackDown in Houston, Texas This is pretty awesome. Check out the video, plus some other WWE history packages (which they do very well): [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post cont..

NEWS

Huge Return Possible For WWE Money In The Bank

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Yeah that’s a big one. There are a lot of changes taking place in WWE at the moment and some of them have been more positive than negative. The biggest difference will be the return of fans to the arenas, which will begin later this week with SmackDown. That opens a rather large door for WWE and it would make sense for them to do something special. We might be seeing that soon. According to PWInsider.com, Becky Lynch is scheduled to be at the Dickie’s Arena in Fort Worth, Texas for Sunday’s Money In The Bank pay per view. There is no word on if she will be appearing or wrestling in any form. Lynch has not appeared on WWE television since the Monday Night Raw after last year’s Money In The Bank due to maternity leave. Her most recent match took place at WrestleMania 36. Lynch is a one of a kind star. Check out what might be on its way back to WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinio..

NEWS

AEW Beating WWE In WWE’s Backyard

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I’d call that a success. One very important aspect to a wrestling event is the arena itself. The show needs a good, solid place to take place and when it is not working, you can tell rather easily. Some arenas are certainly better than others, or at least more famous. Almost every major promotion has had a home base of some sort, but one of them is not doing so well at the moment. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, as of Thursday July 15, the upcoming AEW Dynamite event on September 22 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City is outselling the September 10 SmackDown in Madison Square Garden. The special edition Dynamite, which will be dubbed Grand Slam, has 8,000 seats filed at the moment, with 6,600 paid, only from the pre-sale. On the other hand, SmackDown has sold about 4,500 tickets after a week on sale. One important detail to the ticket sales is the ticket prices. According to Ticketmaster, the highest priced ticket for the AEW event is $250 and the lowest is $25. The highes..

NEWS

WWE High On Somewhat Surprising SmackDown Star

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You need someone new. Like any other sport, professional wrestling has a “next one up” mentality. There are going to be people in their spots, but sometimes you are going to need someone to take a spot. Someone might need to be moved into a new role for a variety of reasons, occasionally out of nowhere. That was the case last week and it seems to be rather telling about a certain star. Last week, Bayley tore her ACL, putting her out of action for nine months. As a result, a replacement was needed for Bayley’s shot at the SmackDown Women’s Title against Bianca Belair at Money In The Bank. Carmella was given the spot, with the match being moved to the SmackDown before Money In The Bank instead. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, this means WWE is high on Carmella, as she was put into the spot rather than a returning Sasha Banks or anyone else. Carmella has been featured on WWE television in recent weeks and is a SmackDown Women’s Champion. Carmella is becoming a bigger star. Check ..

NEWS

Final Entrant Confirmed For WWE Money In The Bank Ladder Match

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Come on in. We are less than a week away from WWE’s annual Money In The Bank show and that means that most of the card has already been set. WWE does have a tendency to take their time getting everything finalized though and that was the case again this year. There was one final spot in one of the show’s namesake ladder matches but now that has been filled as well. WWE has announced that Tamina will be the eighth and final entrant in the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match. This will be Tamina’s third time participating in the match, following an appearance in both of the 2017 editions. Tamina joins Zelina Vega, Natalya, Liv Morgan, Asuka, Naomi, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Ash in the match. There were no qualifying matches for the SmackDown entrants. The field for the #MITB Ladder Match is now set! WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion @TaminaSnuka will take part in the action this Sunday! ? https://t.co/2c4ZQANWpm pic.twitter.com/xsaV4BmUri — WWE (@WWE) July 15, 2021 Tamina could be a forc..

NEWS

WWE Hall Of Famer Returning For WWE Title Match At Summerslam

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He’s next. Back in March, Bobby Lashley defeated the Miz to become the new WWE Champion, winning the title for the first time in his career. It was a win nearly fifteen years in the making and something that seemed like it would never come. Lashley has since dominated the title, having held it for over four months. He needs a new challenger and now we might know who that will be. According to Fightful Select, WWE is planning on a Goldberg vs. Lashley match for the WWE Title at Summerslam. This would be Goldberg’s first match since the 2021 Royal Rumble, when Drew McIntyre defeated him in a WWE Title match. WWE has yet to announce such a match but Goldberg is expected to return on Monday Night Raw to set up the match. Lashley is scheduled to defend the WWE Title against Kofi Kingston this Sunday at Money in the Bank. Goldberg has wrestled part time for WWE since 2016, wrestling a handful of matches a year. His current contract calls or two matches a year, often at major shows. Through..

NEWS

That Isn’t Good: Walter Injured, Title Match Postponed

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Please don’t be bad. Every now and then, you see a wrestler who is just above several others. That might be due to a variety of reasons, but there is something about them that makes you know you are seeing something special. While they might be great, it does not mean they are invincible though, and unfortunately it seems that we might not be seeing one for a bit. WWE has announced that United Kingdom Champion Walter has suffered an injury to his left hand and will be out of action. The injury took place during a backstage altercation with Ilja Dragunov following this week’s NXT. This means that his scheduled title defense for next week against Dragunov has been postponed. There is no word on if this is a storyline injury or a way to cover for a legitimate injury. It is not clear when Walter will be back in the ring or if the title will have to be vacated. Walter has held the title for over two years, winning it on April 5, 2019. BREAKING NEWS Following an altercation backstage betw..

NEWS

Good News Coming Out Of WWE Backstage Meeting

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That’s a perk. WWE has been undergoing a lot of changes in the last year plus, with most of them stemming from the Coronavirus pandemic. The situation has caused WWE to have to change a lot of their norms and it has been a bit difficult for a good number of the employees. Both wrestlers and backstage workers alike have been hit, but now things seem to be lightening up a bit. According to PWInsider.com, WWE held an all hands on deck meeting today for its backstage employees. The major point coming out of the meeting was that WWE has reinstated raises and promotions for employees, following a freeze on both earlier this year. As a result, it is expected that WWE will be giving its employees raises in the near future. This comes as WWE is permanently heading back on the road this Friday. This is good news for a lot of people. Check out some moments that might make fans happy: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains vid..

NEWS

WATCH: Brock Lesnar Looks VERY Different While Carving Meat

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Don’t give him a weapon. There are certain wrestlers who get your attention no matter what they are doing because they are that big of a personality. You know a wrestler like this when you see them and it can make for some very important moments. These people are going to make an impact even when they are not in the ring, which was the case again this week. Brock Lesnar appeared in a new video on the Bearded Butchers’ YouTube channel this week, showing him cutting meat with the Perkins brothers. During the video, Lesnar talks with the brothers and carves up a large piece of meat. The video also shows Lesnar sporting a new appearance, including a goatee and a ponytail. This is Lesnar’s first public appearance of any kind in over a year. Lesnar had not made an appearance for WWE since WrestleMania 36, where he lost the WWE Title to Drew McIntyre. His WWE contract has since expired, making Lesnar a free agent. There is no word on when or if he will be appearing for WWE again, though he ..

NEWS

WATCH: Edge Teases Huge Summerslam Match

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It would be a big one. We are on the way to Summerslam, which is taking place in just over a month. The show is going to be one of if not the biggest WWE shows of the year and that means the card is going to need to be stacked. WWE knows how to put together some of the biggest matches around and they might have another dream match ready for this year’s Summerslam. Edge appeared on this week’s edition of the Bump and impersonated Seth Rollins, including speaking and dressing like him. This continues the story between the two of them, as Rollins has complained about Edge receiving a Universal Title shot at Money In The Bank. Edge has promised to win the title and talked down to Rollins about his complaints, though no match has been announced as of yet. This was pretty good. Check out Edge’s appearance and what we might be seeing: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I don’t think the..

NEWS

REVIEW: King Of The Ring 2002: This Guy Has Something

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Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over ten years now and have reviewed over 5,000 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? King of the Ring 2002 Date: June 23, 2002 Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio Attendance: 14,198 Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler I haven’t been looking forward to this one and I have a feeling that’s going to be proven right. The triple main event is Hulk Hogan vs. Kurt Angle, HHH vs. Undertaker for the World Title and the tournament final, none of which would be interesting in the first place but here they’re getting a ton of focus. Let’s get to it. We open with a recap of some great King of the Ring wi..