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KB’s Review: Rumble Rabble

February 5, 2022 • Admin

With the Royal Rumble out of the way and the path to Elimination Chamber cleared, we are officially on the Road To WrestleMania 38. It is the biggest time of the year and that means we are on the way to those two nights in Texas and that means WWE is supposed to start picking things up. This is the important stretch of the calendar….and it just isn’t working this year. I was in the house for this year’s Royal Rumble and I have had tickets to WrestleMania for months. I’m flying down to the show and I have a nearly full schedule ready for the weekend, but the whole thing is not clicking. The Rumble had me very fired up, but after seeing what WWE has done, it doesn’t exactly leave me excited about what we are going to be seeing in the coming months (assuming they don’t make any last minute changes to the expected card). The biggest problem is still the main event scene, which as of Monday Night Raw, will be featuring Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. Again. For the third time at WrestleMan..

Run It Back: Grudge Rematch Set For WWE Elimination Chamber

February 5, 2022 • Admin

The card keeps growing. We are now on the Road to Elimination Chamber which is on the Road to WrestleMania 38. This year’s show will take place in Saudi Arabia, meaning the card is going to be a little bit different this year. WWE has presented some big shows from Saudi Arabia before but the quality can be a little hit and miss. Now we have a new grudge match added to the show. This week’s SmackDown featured an appearance by Drew McIntyre, who made his return at the Royal Rumble. McIntyre was then confronted by Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss, with McIntyre laying Moss out with a Claymore. Later in the night, McIntyre vs. Claymore was announced for Elimination Chamber. This will be a rematch from Day One where McIntyre defeated Moss. Following the loss, Corbin and Moss attacked McIntyre, putting him on the shelf until he made his return at the Royal Rumble. Opinion: I’m not sure what WWE sees in this Moss/Corbin vs. McIntyre feud but it continues to move along. Neither of them feel like..

AEW Rampage Results – February 4, 2022

February 5, 2022 • Admin

Rampage Date: February 4, 2022 Location: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho We’re still in Chicago and it’s a stacked card as Jay Lethal challenges Ricky Starks for the FTW Title. On top of that, Sammy Guevara defends the TNT Title against Isiah Kassidy and Adam Cole faces Evil Uno. Ok so maybe they’re not all huge matches this time around. Let’s get to it. Adam Cole vs. Evil Uno Cole jumps him to start and the choking begins on the ropes. That lets Cole get a bit more cocky but Uno fights up and runs him over. The Swanton hits knees though and some kicks rock Uno. The Boom finishes for Cole at 2:25. Result: Adam Cole b. Evil Uno – The Boom (2:25) Post match Cole lists off a bunch of names that he has beaten while he is still undefeated. He doesn’t care about last week because it doesn’t exist. What does exist is a new Adam Cole and now he is ruthless. He has won World Titles and always winds up dominating anywhere he goes. There is one th..

SmackDown Results – February 4, 2022

February 5, 2022 • Admin

Smackdown Date: February 4, 2022 Location: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Commentators: Pat McAfee, Michael Cole We’re done with the Royal Rumble and it’s time to get going on the Road to Wrestlemania. That is going to get going on this show with a pair of big talking points. First up, Paul Heyman will be explaining why he sided with Roman Reigns and Ronda Rousey might be announcing her Wrestlemania opponent. Let’s get to it. We open with a recap of Brock Lesnar getting screwed out of the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble but then coming back to win the Royal Rumble later in the night. Then he announced that he will be challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Title at Wrestlemania. Here is the Bloodline to get things going, complete with a look at Reigns retaining the Universal Title over Seth Rollins at the Royal Rumble. Paul Heyman talks about how there was no plot or plan, because he made a huge mistake by telling Reigns what he thought. He felt that Reigns needed to be pro..

Roman Reigns Has A New Universal Title Challenger For Elimination Chamber

February 5, 2022 • Admin

That’s what’s next. We are less than two months away from WrestleMania 38 and you can see the card starting to take shape. The problem with that is there are still a lot of matches to be made, some of which are among the biggest on the card. WWE has a long way to go with some of its stories, but now we know another big step that they are going to take before we get there. This week on SmackDown, Goldberg made his return to WWE television and challenged Roman Reigns to a Universal Title match at Elimination Chamber on February 19 in Saudi Arabia. The match was made official later in the night. This will be the first time that the two have ever faced off, though they were scheduled to do so at WrestleMania 36. However, Reigns pulled out of the match due to issues involving the Coronavirus pandemic. Opinion: This is a match that WWE has been teasing for a VERY long time now and it will be nice to finally get it out of the way. I’m not sure how much interest there is in having Goldberg g..

Back To It: WWE Star Returning From Injury Soon

February 4, 2022 • Admin

Welcome back. There are a lot of wrestlers on the WWE roster and several of them do not get to appear on television at times. This could be the case due to a variety of reasons, some of which might be due to an injury. Sometimes a wrestler is going to miss time because they are forced onto the sidelines, but now one of them will be back on the active roster going forward. According to Fightful Select, Xavier Woods has been moved to the active internal roster after missing several weeks due to a calf injury. There is no word on when he will be back on television or back in the ring. Woods was not in action at either last week’s SmackDown or the Royal Rumble. This should lead to a New Day reunion, as Big E. has been moved back to SmackDown along with Kofi Kingston. Opinion: It is always great to see someone getting to return to the active roster as Woods was injured for a good while. He is one of the more entertaining stars on SmackDown, though I don’t know what New Day is going to do ..

Elimination Chamber Match Could Set Up Huge WrestleMania Showdown

February 4, 2022 • Admin

It’s a different way to go. We are on the Road To WrestleMania 38 and that means it is time to start getting the build for the show. There is a big show to get through first with Elimination Chamber, which will feature an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. Bobby Lashley will be defending the title against five challengers, and now we might know what this is going to mean. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the current plan is for Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber, making his planned match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38 title vs. title. Vince McMahon feels that the match needs some extra hype because Reigns and Lesnar have fought so many times before. Lesnar and Paul Heyman have been pushing for the title for title match and McMahon is likely to go in that direction. Opinion: This makes me think of two things. First and foremost, if Reigns and Lesnar have fought so many times before that it needs a special stipulatio..

More Details On Drew McIntyre’s WWE Return, What Is Next For Him

February 4, 2022 • Admin

It won’t be quite the same. The Royal Rumble has come and gone and a few wrestlers made surprise appearances in the show’s namesake matches. These moves have allowed the company to have some new options on the Road To WrestleMania, as there are now some more wrestlers available for bigger matches. That includes one of the bigger names in WWE, who is back ahead of schedule. Drew McIntyre made a surprise return to action in the men’s Royal Rumble, lasting all the way until the end before being eliminated last by Brock Lesnar. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, McIntyre was hidden from the rest of the roster to make his return as big of a surprise as possible. McIntyre is expected to continue his feud with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss but will only be appearing on television. He will not be making live event appearances in an effort to allow his neck to heal and rehab as much as possible. Opinion: It’s great to hear that McIntyre is back in the ring as he is one of the bigg..

NXT UK Results – January 27, 2022

February 4, 2022 • Admin

NXT UK Date: January 27, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd It’s time for a big title fight but things are a bit different this time. Ilja Dragunov will be putting the United Kingdom Title on the line against Jordan Devlin but the match will be in the empty arena. I’m not completely sure why that is going to be the case, though the match sounds like it has some serious potential. Let’s get to it. The opening video looks at the title match. Opening sequence. Die Familie vs. Gallus Joe Coffey and Teoman slug it out to start until Teoman is taken into the Gallus corner. Mark Coffey comes in for a chinlock, which is broken up without much effort. That means Mark can go up top, where a quick distraction lets Raja pull him down and take over. Teoman comes in and gets driven into the corner but comes right back with some arm cranking. Now it’s Dempsey getting a chance with a front facelock and a rather nasty arm crank. Raja’s f..

WWE Posts Record Breaking Fourth Quarter Financial Report With Staggering Numbers

February 4, 2022 • Admin

That’s why they’re #1. Despite some less than enthusiastic reactions at times, WWE is the biggest and most successful wrestling company in the world. They have been on top for a long time now and there is nothing to suggest that anyone is going to give them a serious challenge. While their product might not always be great, they know how to make money, which was on display this week. WWE has released its fourth quarter financial reports, which show record breaking figures. The company reported a 30% increase in revenue to $310.3 million and a 131% increase in operating income to $83.6 million. This brings the company’s full 2021 revenue up 12% to a record $1.095 billion. According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, this is the most profitable year in the history of the company and nearly twice as profitable as the 1999/2000 Attitude Era years. Net income: The most final measure of profitability. 2021 is easily WWE's most profitable year ever. Even when adjusting for inflatio..

How A Missing WWE Producer Caused Problems At The Royal Rumble

February 4, 2022 • Admin

You need the right people. There are a lot of people involved in making a WWE show work and several of them are not often seen on camera. In addition to the wrestlers you see in front of you, there are also the people who help put the matches together. WWE has a large group of producers who work with the wrestlers to make the matches as good as they are, but one of them has not been around as much lately. According to Sean Ross Sapp during a Fightful Select podcast, TJ Wilson, better known as Tyson Kidd, has not been backstage at recent WWE events. As a result, several women were not interested in appearing in the women’s Royal Rumble match as Wilson would not be producing it. Wilson is still with WWE, though there are conflicting reports on why he has not been working. One underlying reason seems to be frustration among Wilson and the women he works with over how the women are presented. Fit Finlay was brought in to help with the match instead. Opinion: I’m not sure what is going on..

Daughter Of Former WWE Star Signs With WWE, Starting At Performance Center

February 4, 2022 • Admin

Keep it in the family. There are certain wrestling families that have been around for a long time with all kinds of members. Names such as the Anoa’i and Hart families have been around for a very long time and still have members debuting even in modern times. Some of these might have more success than others, but now we might be seeing a new family get itself further established. During a recent appearance on Stories With Bradshaw And Brisco, former WWE star Santino Marella announced that his daughter, Bianca Carelli, has signed with WWE. Marella said that she will be starting at the Performance Center in two weeks and mentioned that Carelli has a background in television and was Ms. Teen Ontario. She made her debut in 2020 and has wrestled for the NWA at its Empower event. Opinion: I’m not sure what Carelli can do in the ring but there must be something to her if she is being signed to WWE. Having her around at the Performance Center should do some good things for her career, though..

More Details On WWE/Mustafa Ali Standoff, How Long This Could Last

February 4, 2022 • Admin

That’s a long time. With so many wrestlers on its active roster, it should be no surprise that some WWE names are not going to be happy. At some point someone is not going to see eye to eye with the company and that seems to be happening more and more often as of late. It is certainly the case with one wrestler in particular, and now we know a bit more about the particulars. Over the last several weeks, Mustafa Ali and WWE have been in a standoff, with WWE refusing to use Ali, who has requested his release as a result. According to Fightful Select, WWE will not grant his release, leaving the two sides at a stalemate with Ali sitting at home. Ali has not wrestled since October and has since had an argument with Vince McMahon over how he is used. He has well over a year to go on his contract and WWE is refusing to release him over his perceived value. Opinion: I don’t know how this is going to end, but I can’t imagine it is going to go well for Ali. At the end of the day, Ali needs WWE..

WWE Locker Room Morale Said To Be At An All Time Low

February 4, 2022 • Admin

This is not a good time. WWE has been around for a very long time now and has been on top of the wrestling world for a good chunk of their tenure. That is a nice spot to be in, but staying there is a bit of a complicated process. While the company knows how to make money, they also have to make sure everyone else is happy. At the moment, that does not seem to be taking place. According to Fightful Select, several WWE wrestlers are reporting that their morale is at an all time low. This comes from a wide range of wrestlers, including several who are not active to television main eventers. The problem stems from a variety of issues, including the way the Royal Rumble was set up, a lack of continuity, and WWE centering around a small handful of “maybe four” people. Several wrestlers have complained, but are either ignored or rushed out of any meeting they can get. This is not said to be a company wide issue, but multiple wrestlers are reporting the same issue. Opinion: I have been watch..

WWE Considering Bringing Back Hall Of Famer For Elimination Chamber

February 4, 2022 • Admin

Welcome back? We are on the Road to WrestleMania and that means things are starting to get a lot more serious. The interesting part is when you see some wrestlers make their returns to WWE, even if it has only been a few months since they have been gone. Some of these are rather important moves, and that might be the case again, as someone might be coming back for the last big stop on the way to Texas. According to Fightful Select, WWE is planning on bringing Goldberg back to television as part of the build to WrestleMania 38. This will include an appearance at Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia on February 19, with the most recent plans being for Goldberg to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Title. However, this is not considered the final plan and the idea could change. Goldberg vs. Reigns was originally announced for WrestleMania 36 before Reigns had to drop out. Opinion: Good. Let them finally have this match and get it out of their systems so WWE can move on. It seems th..

WATCH: NXT UK Title Match Ended Early Due To Nasty Injury

February 4, 2022 • Admin

That doesn’t sound good. There are some very talented wrestlers in the world today and a lot of them could thrive at any level in any place around the industry. There are some things that are universal among them though and that includes the chance for them to be injured. Certain kinds of injuries can put someone on the shelf for a very long time and that seems to be what took place this week. The main event of this week’s edition of NXT UK featured a main event of NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura defending her title against Blair Davenport. The match saw Satomura successfully defend her title when the referee stopped the match due to Davenport suffering an injury. Late in the match, Davenport hit a top rope double stomp to Satomura as she laid on the apron. Davenport landed awkwardly and injured her ankle, resulting in the match being stopped. She would later send out a tweet, showing herself on crutches and her ankle in a cast. There is no word on how long Davenport will be ou..

New Title Match Set For WWE Elimination Chamber

February 4, 2022 • Admin

The card is growing. We are on the way to WrestleMania 38 but there is one more stop on the road. This time around, the turn is taking them all the way to Saudi Arabia, as WWE will be running its annual Elimination Chamber event in the kingdom. The show is going to be built around the show’s namesake match but there are some other matches that need to be added to the event. Now we know something else added to the card. WWE has announced that the Usos will defend their Tag Team Titles against the Viking Raiders at Elimination Chamber on February 19. The match came about when the Viking Raiders won a fatal four way in January to earn the shot at the titles. This will be the first televised two on two tag match between the teams, though they have met in a series of live event six and eight man tag matches. Opinion: This is the kind of match that you need to add to a show to fill it out a bit and they have picked a good one. It is hard to believe that these teams have never faced off and..

205 Live Results – January 28, 2022

February 3, 2022 • Admin

205 Live Date: January 28, 2022 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Sudu Shah, Nigel McGuinness We’re coming up on the Royal Rumble and that means absolutely nothing around here, as none of these people are going to be anywhere near a match that big for a long time. At this point, all that matters is having a show without any kind of a disaster, which may or may not be the case here. Let’s get to it. Josh Briggs vs. Damon Kemp Brooks Jensen is here with Briggs. Kemp drives Briggs up against the ropes to no avail to start so he does it again for about the same result. Back up and Briggs’ running shoulder has no effect so he kicks Kemp down instead. The fans want to see it again but have to settle for a running elbow in the corner. Kemp uppercuts his way out of trouble as commentary talks about the Royal Rumble. A Big Boss Man sliding underneath the ropes uppercut gives Briggs two and we hit the chinlock. That doesn’t last long as Kemp fights up and hits..

Ring Of Honor TV Results – February 2, 2022

February 3, 2022 • Admin

Ring of Honor Date: February 2, 2022 We’re about two months away from the relaunch and that means Ring of Honor should be able to get through with the recent content. Last week saw a few matches from last year’s Final Battle and odds are that is what we are going to be getting here. There is a good chance that some of these wrestlers won’t be around going forward, but at least they went out well. Let’s get to it. The matches are from Final Battle 2021. Opening sequence. Rok-C is ready to defend the Women’s Title against Willow Nightingale. Women’s Title: Willow Nightingale vs. Rok-C Rok-C is defending but gets taken down to start, allowing Willow to bust out a cartwheel. Willow blocks the running knees but Rok-C manages to snap off a running headscissors. Back up and Willow can’t quite hit Three Amigos, so she plants Rok-C for two instead. This time Rok-C fights up with a Russian legsweep but Willow plants her for two more. A Pounce rocks Rok-C, sending commentary into various Mon..

REVIEW: Clash Of Champions 2019: And Then The Scary Part

February 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? Clash Of Champions 2019 Date: September 15, 2019 Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina Commentators: Michael Cole, Renee Young, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips Even though titles are an everyday part of wrestling, we have here a full show all about them, because most shows need to have a theme these days. There are a lot of matches crammed onto this show, though thankfully they have moved King of the Ring to Raw tomorrow to save some space. Let’s get to it. I was in the arena for this show..