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REVIEW: WrestleMania Backlash 2021: The End Of The Road

May 3, 2022 • Admin

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? Wrestlemania Backlash Date: May 16, 2021 Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida Commentators: Adnan Virk, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Pat McAfee, Michael Cole It’s time for the Wrestlemania fallout pay per view and this time WWE isn’t exactly being subtle with the concept. The Raw side is mainly consisting of Wrestlemania rematches with another name added in, while the Smackdown side actually feels like some fresh matches. Hopefully that mixes together for a good show. Let’s get to it. Here’s Sheamus to issue..

WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE May Be Planning To Turn Roman Reigns

May 3, 2022 • Admin

The times they are a turning? There are very few wrestlers in modern history to reach the level of Roman Reigns. As we approach two years of Reigns as Universal Champion, there is nothing to suggest that Reigns is slowing down anytime soon. You do not get that kind of dominance very often and fans seem to be impressed with him. Now WWE is acknowledging some of that new found respect. This week on Monday Night Raw, Reigns and the rest of the Bloodline came to the ring, with the commentary team saying that the group received a mixed reaction from the fans. According to Wrestlingnews.co, if this was a line from Vince McMahon, it could be a sign that Reigns is being set up for a babyface turn in the near future. There is no word on when the turn could take place, assuming that it does. Opinion: This is something that could make for some interesting moments, though I’m almost scared of the idea of Reigns making a turn. WWE has not had the most success with Reigns as the top good guy befor..

Good News About Future Of Popular Wrestling Series

May 3, 2022 • Admin

We’re not done yet. There is so much history to professional wrestling that there is no chance in telling all of its stories. With so many characters, angles and plot twists both in front of and behind the scenes, the stories never really end. Now it seems that we might be getting to hear some more of those stories from one of the more prominent pairs of storytellers in a long time. Last week, VICE TV released its slate of programming for the 2022-23 television season. The slate was missing Dark Side Of The Ring, the professional wrestling documentary series, suggesting that the show might be canceled. However, on Monday, the VICE TV Twitter account sent out a message saying that they were committed to the series, with its producers Evan Husney and Jason Eisener working on new material. There is no word on when or where the new material will appear. We've heard some rumors flying around about Season 4 of Dark Side of the Ring. We are as committed as ever to both the series and t..

WWE Sends Confusing Message About New Monday Night Raw Star (MINOR Spoiler)

May 3, 2022 • Admin

Do they even know? WWE may be the most powerful wrestling promotion in the world, but there are some criticisms that you will see about the company. One of the most common is that WWE changes plans on a frequent basis, which can cause issues when it comes to storylines. That seems to be the case again, as one WWE star seems unable to make up his mind. According to Fightful Select, Ciampa defeated Apollo Crews during this week’s WWE Main Event taping. Ciampa reportedly wrestled the match as a babyface despite being presented as a heel during his two most recent appearances on Monday Night Raw. There is no word on if this is a new direction for Ciampa or if WWE is going in two different ways on the two different shows. Opinion: That’s about as WWE of a story as you can get, as the company is literally changing their minds by the hour. I’m not sure how much of a difference an appearance on Main Event really makes for Ciampa’s future, but it would be nice to have some consistency with th..

Backstage News On Why WWE Released An NXT Star

May 3, 2022 • Admin

There’s your explanation. WWE has a rather unique setup with NXT as its in-house developmental system. The company is able to bring in as many wrestlers as they choose, see what they have in them, and then move them up to the main roster. Some of them do not make it though, and that seems to be the case again with a wrestler who was released from the company. Last week, WWE released a group of ten people, including several wrestlers, from NXT. One of the longer standing names on the list was Dakota Kai. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Kai was released as WWE did not feel she was ready for the main roster and let her go as a result. Kai wrestled multiple main roster tryout matches but WWE decided to release her rather than call her up. Opinion: I’m not sure what to think of this, as Kai is someone who showed all kinds of talent in NXT but that doesn’t matter if the higher ups don’t see it. To say that WWE has a hit and miss record with its NXT callups would be an understatement..

How Sweet It Is: New Super Team Seems To Form On WWE Monday Night Raw

May 3, 2022 • Admin

A pair to draw to. WWE has a unique history with tag team wrestling as they very rarely tend to focus on it. Rather than building up traditional teams, WWE tends to like to put two singles wrestlers together as makeshift teams, often leading to major tag matches. That seems to be the case again, as some top stars seem to be coming together on a heck of a collision course. This week on Monday Night Raw, AJ Styles defeated Damian Priest in a singles match. After the match was over, Priest’s partner Edge attacked Styles, with Priest and Edge attempting to further damage Styles’ shoulder. This caused Finn Balor, who has had issues with Edge and Priest in recent weeks, to run in for the save. Balor and Styles, both former members of the Bullet Club, then did the Too Sweet gesture. No match has been made between the two teams. Opinion: I like the idea of Balor and Styles together, though it does seem a bit weird that Styles is able to defeat Priest with Edge helping him and THEN gets a par..

WATCH: Missing WWE Star Returns To TV, Teases Alliance With Reformed Character

May 3, 2022 • Admin

Welcome back. With so many people on the WWE roster, it can be difficult to find something for everyone do to. One of the hardest things to do in WWE is stand out as a wrestler but there are a lot who make it work. That might be the case again this week, as a missing star is not only back, but also with what might be the beginning of a new storyline for her. Nikki Ash both won and lost the 24/7 Title this week on Monday Night Raw, with the loss leaving her disappointed. Following the loss, Doudrop made her return to talk to Ash backstage and asked if Ash was ready to stop playing games and take this seriously, with Ash saying she was. While not confirmed, this could mean a change of gimmick for Ash. Doudrop has not wrestled a match on WWE TV since the March 14 Monday Night Raw. It has my attention. Check out the surprise return: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I had been wondering where Doudrop had been so it is nice to have her back. At the end of the day, Doud..

Until Next Time: AEW Star May Have Departed The Company

May 3, 2022 • Admin

Fare thee well. AEW has come a long way in a still relatively short of time. The company has only been around for a few years now and the company has managed to build up quite the group of stars and a strong fan base. A lot of that is due to fans getting attached to some of the wrestlers, but now it seems that one of the longer standing names might have departed the company. AEW star Stu Grayson’s name has been removed from the company’s official roster page. While not confirmed, this suggests that Grayson may have finished with the company, though no official announcement has been made. Grayson has been a part of the Dark Order and his most recent match took place at a Dark taping. There is always the chance that the two sides could still come to terms Stu Grayson has been removed from the AEW roster page. pic.twitter.com/U5c83Mdjir — Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) May 2, 2022 Opinion: I’m not sure what happened here but there is a chance that this is a disagreement over some k..

New Stipulation Added To WWE WrestleMania Backlash Match

May 3, 2022 • Admin

There’s your stipulation. Wrestling shows can be set up in a variety of ways but more often than not there are some special rules on the bigger matches. Some of these things can be better than others but the right one can change a match in a very good way. That might be the case now, as an upcoming grudge match has a new rule that very well may make things more interesting. This week on Monday Night Raw, AJ Styles defeated Damian Priest in a singles match. As a result, Priest will be barred from ringside when Styles faces Edge at WrestleMania Backlash. Following the match, Finn Balor came to the ring to help Styles against Priest and Edge. Priest offered a distraction to cost Styles his match against Edge at WrestleMania 38 and has teamed with Edge to attack Styles since. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that needed to happen for the pay per view as there was no reason to have Styles wrestle a handicap match, as Edge defeating him again with the odds stacked against him doesn’t mea..

WATCH: The Rock’s Birthday Celebration From RAW (2011)

May 3, 2022 • Admin

Happy Birthday! WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel, in which they show the full segment of The Rock’s Birthday Celebration From the May 2, 2011, episode of Raw. This is to promote The Rock’s 50th birthday, which is today! You can see the segment in its entirety below: [This post contains video, click to play] From WWE.com: It’s a shame birthdays only come around once a year. With all the cake, candles, and chaos, though, memories of The Rock’s celebratory bash should last at least that long. With the evening going full force, The Great One thanked the fans in his hometown of Miami and the entire WWE Universe for helping him celebrate. He was then joined by surprise guest Mr. McMahon, who offered some uncharacteristically kind words before unspooling a video tribute to The Rock. Then Grammy-award winning recording artist Mya was introduced and led the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday.” None other than Samuel L. Jackson, Steve Carrell, Ellen DeGeneres, Dan Ma..

Monday Night Raw Live Coverage And Results – May 2, 2022

May 3, 2022 • Admin

Monday Night Raw Date: May 2, 2022 Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton It’s the go home show for Wrestlemania Backlash and that means it is time for the final push towards the event. Granted after last week’s Smackdown, everything has changed again as we have a six man tag between the Bloodline and RKBro/Drew McIntyre. Yeah just a six man, with no titles currently on the line. Let’s get to it. Here is the Bloodline to get things going. Paul Heyman handles Roman Reigns’ introduction and Reigns himself tells North Carolina to acknowledge him….but RKBro runs in to RKO the Usos. Cue Drew McIntyre with Angela the sword, leaving Reigns looking worried. The sword is dropped down so McIntyre gets in, with the Usos and RKBro joining them. Referees come down to break up the fight and we take an early break. Earlier today, Ezekiel met with the Street Profits and had a drink. Kevin Owens (in a Becky Lynch shirt) and Alp..

WATCH: John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis From Over the Limit 2012

May 2, 2022 • Admin

Another heel turn. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel, in which they show the full match between John Cena and John Laurinaitis from Over the Limit 2012. The Big Show made his return and turned on John Cena to give Laurinaitis the win. You can see the video in its entirety below: [This post contains video, click to play] From WWE.com: Clad in a sheen jumpsuit, emblazoned with the hollow words “People Power,” Laurinaitis sulked to the ring like a man headed down the green mile. From the get-go, the match unfolded like a televised mugging as the General Manager was relentlessly contorted and battered by Cena, who took slow pleasure in manhandling the General Manager—at one point dumping a garbage can full of arena swill over Big Johnny’s head and cooling off the shame-faced GM with a fire extinguisher. Throughout the main event humiliation, the Cenation leader toyed with his prey, finding unique ways to torture Big Johnny. Cena even locked Laurinaitis in the STF for ..

Roderick Strong Requests Release From WWE

May 2, 2022 • Admin

It truly is the end of an era. According to a report from Sean Ross Sapp via Fightful, NXT superstar Roderick Strong has requested his release from the company. You can see the information in a tweet below: Roderick Strong has requested his release from WWE, per @SeanRossSapp pic.twitter.com/OpHsvL3Dp5 — B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) May 2, 2022 Strong has been a part of the faction Diamond Mine faction in NXT since June 22, 2021, when he returned to the company. He held the NXT Cruiserweight Championship from September 21 through January 4 of this year, where he lost to Carmelo Hayes in a title unification match of the Cruiserweight and North American Championships. Before Diamond Mine, Strong was a part of The Undisputed Era, which consisted of himself, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish. After the group disbanded, Cole, O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish would sign with AEW. We will continue to monitor this story and provide any updates provided to us. Editor’s Opinion: Does this..

Update On WWE Releases (And It Isn’t A Good Thing)

May 2, 2022 • Admin

They might not be done yet. There have been all kinds of wrestlers released from WWE over the last two years, with well over one hundred wrestlers being let go. This has included wrestlers up and down the card, some of which have not even been part of the main roster. That was the case again last week and now it seems like we might be seeing the case again in the near future. According to Dave Meltzer on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, there might be some more releases coming from WWE in the coming days. The idea is that WWE will release wrestlers if they do not see improvement in ninety days, with new wrestlers being brought in to replace the released wrestlers. However, there will be exceptions to this rule in special cases, ala Dakota Kai, who had been in NXT for years. There were ten names released from the company last week, with budget cuts being cited as the reason. Opinion: I can’t imagine how frustrating something like this must be as the wrestlers, among others, have..

Rhea Ripley Reveals Possible Relationship With AEW Star

May 2, 2022 • Admin

That’s a heck of a trick. There are a lot of perks that come with being a professional wrestler, but having a lot of free time is not one of them. Wrestlers are not able to spend a lot of time doing things that are unrelated to wrestling and that makes a professional life more complicated. This is especially true when it comes to relationships with someone outside of the business. A WWE star has found a way around that, but it is still not the easiest concept. A fan recently asked Rhea Ripley what AEW’s Buddy Matthews had that she didn’t have. Ripley responded by saying “me”, suggesting that Matthews and Ripley are in a relationship. So far, Matthews has not made any comment on his possible relationship with Ripley. Matthews was released by WWE on June 2, 2021 and he made his AEW debut on February 23, 2022. Me. — RheaRipley_WWE (@RheaRipley_WWE) May 1, 2022 Opinion: I’m not sure if Ripley and Matthews are together or not, but it was a great response to the fan without being overly ..

Finn Balor Pokes Fun At Bobby Lashley Over Recent Mid-Match Accident

May 2, 2022 • Admin

He has some experience. There are some things that you will see in wrestling which you just do not see happening in other sports. That can often be due to the ring itself, which is quite the complicated setup. Sometimes it can be due to something literally falling apart, which took place at a recent WWE show. Now another WWE star is having a good time with the accident. Last week, Bobby Lashley narrowly escaped a very bad situation when the top rope broke and he crashed out to the floor. Lashley was ok following the crash and continued the match against Drew McIntyre. Following the match, Finn Balor tweeted out an image of himself losing to Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules when the top rope broke as well, though Balor’s was planned in advance. pic.twitter.com/imrFbZR5Ab — Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) April 30, 2022 Opinion: This is something that is worth a chuckle once you know that everyone is ok. Lashley crashing out to the floor like that could have been a complete disaster and it is g..

Yes You: WWE Already High On Another NXT Newcomer

May 2, 2022 • Admin

They have their eye on her. With so many wrestlers on the WWE roster, it can be difficult to figure out a way to make themselves stand out. There are a few ways to get such attention in a good way and sometimes it can be quite the success. That seems to be the case again with a relatively new NXT star and now the higher ups in the company are seeing something in them too. According to Dave Meltzer on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, WWE may be high on NXT’s Nikkita Lyons. This comes after Lyons has been presented as a star in the women’s division, including being featured both in the ring and in backstage segments. She is also set to work with Natalya, who is in NXT to help build up women who WWE sees as future stars on the main roster. Opinion: This is something that should not be the biggest surprise and that is not a bad thing. At the end of the day, Lyons is a very unique looking star and someone who has all of the potential you could ask for. I could see Lyons becoming a s..

Injured AEW Star Medically Cleared, Set For Return

May 2, 2022 • Admin

That’s good to hear. There are all kinds of injuries that can put a wrestler on the shelf and none of them are a good thing. One of the major problems associated with an injury is wondering how long it will be before someone is back in the ring. That was the case with one of the more successful AEW stars, but now we know some rather good news about her return. Former AEW Women’s World Champion Riho suffered a broken collarbone during her match against Britt Baker at AEW Battle of the Belts on January 8. Since then, Riho has returned to Japan to recover, but has now revealed that she is back to full health and is planning to return to AEW. There is no word on when she will be back in the ring or whom she will be facing. Confirmed: Former AEW Women's World Champion @riho_gtmv Confirmed on her BLOG That she'll be Returning to the United States Soon for @AEW #AEWDynamite – shes fully healed from her injury pic.twitter.com/uJ4hVtrcyo — The Midwest Marks Podcast?? (@marks_midwes..

Former WWE Star Makes AEW Debut (MINOR SPOILER)

May 2, 2022 • Admin

Welcome to the team. One of the major benefits of the rise of AEW has been seeing several wrestlers getting the chance to shine on a stage other than WWE. That is something that has been missing from the wrestling world for a very long time now and AEW has done a lot to make things better. Now we are getting to see that again, as another former WWE star is making his AEW debut. As seen on images that are circulating online, former WWE star and former NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff debuted for AEW at a recent Dark taping. Ruff appeared on Sunday in Orlando, Florida in a match taped for AEW Dark, though it is not clear who he will be facing or when the match will air. Ruff was released from his WWE contract on August 6, 2021 and has wrestled on the independent circuit since. Hey! That's @LEONRUFF_ #AEWDark pic.twitter.com/sytUmMWyKF — JJ Williams (@JJWilliamsWON) May 1, 2022 Opinion: I know Ruff might not be everyone’s cup of tea due to his small stature but it is nice to..

WATCH: Roman Reigns Calls Out The Rock At WWE Live Event

May 1, 2022 • Admin

That would be the big one. There are very few true dream matches left in the WWE. With so many matches being presented at any given time, it can be difficult for the company to come up with something new that fans will want to see. Those things do happen though, and there was another indication that what might be an all time dream match could be a possibility. WWE is currently in Europe on a live event tour, including a show in London, England on Saturday. The show was headlined by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns successfully defending his title against Drew McIntyre. Following the match, Reigns thanked the fans for bringing their energy to the show. A fan shouted something about the Rock, with Reigns responding that “The Rock can get it too.” Rock vs. Reigns has been discussed as a possible WrestleMania 39 main event, though the match has yet to be confirmed. It’s weird to see Reigns like this. Check out Reigns breaking character and addressing the London crowd: [Thi..