News

SmackDown Results – December 17, 2021

December 18, 2021 • Admin

Smackdown Date: December 17, 2021 Location: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee We’re rapidly approaching Day One and the big main event of Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns is all set. That should open a few interesting doors this week, but there are some other matches that need some work of their own. Hopefully the build keeps working so let’s get to it. We open with a long recap of last week, with Paul Heyman not liking the friendlier Brock Lesnar and seemingly snapping him back into Beast Mode. Roman Reigns might not be pleased though. Toni Storm/Sasha Banks vs. Shotzi/Charlotte Fallout from Storm becoming #1 contender to Charlotte last week when Charlotte kicked her face in. Storm takes Shotzi down with a headlock to start and then kicks her in the chest. Banks, in Spider-Man gear, comes in for the showdown with Charlotte, who gets taken down with a running hurricanrana. It’s back to Storm, allowing Charlotte to kick Banks in the face. Shotzi k..

VIDEO: WWE’s Funniest Moments Of 2021

December 17, 2021 • Admin

I chuckled. Comedy in wrestling is one of the trickiest things to pull off, but when it works out, it can work out very well. WWE has a hit or miss history with comedy, but they do manage to find something that works every now and then. They do their thing more often than some promotions and now we are getting to see what WWE thinks is their best recent material. WWE has released a new video looking at the Top Ten Funniest Moments of 2021. The list includes a mixture of segments from television and pay per views with nothing from NXT. None of the segments actually take place during a scheduled match, though there is an entry during a 24/7 Title match. Paul Heyman appears on the list more times than anyone else. It’s a big list. Check out this year’s top ten, plus some previous editions: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is one of those things that is going to be rather sub..

Another Popular WWE Star May Have Re-Signed On A Long Term Deal

December 17, 2021 • Admin

Join the club. There have been a lot of moves in the wrestling world over the last few months and several of them have involved wrestlers leaving WWE. That has not exactly made for the best moments for WWE, though they have brought several of them on themselves. Not all of the news has been bad though, and now they might have some more good to talk about. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Sami Zayn may have signed a new long term deal with WWE. However, this is considered to be locker room talk at the moment and is NOT confirmed. Zayn’s previous deal with the company was set to expire early in the new year. This comes in the same week as Kevin Owens signing a new multi-year deal with WWE. Zayn is worth keeping. Check out his time with WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is the kind of news that WWE could use, as it would be the second signing in a few days..

Ring Of Honor TV Results – December 8, 2021

December 17, 2021 • Admin

Ring Of Honor Date: December 8, 2021 Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman It’s the go home show for Final Battle, which I’ve already watched, though I don’t think it matters since the company is more or less done in three weeks. In other words, the best they can do around here is hope for the action to be good, which has been the case for a long time now. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Quinn McKay gives us the welcome and the rundown. Willow Nightingale vs. Mandy Leon The winner gets the Women’s Title shot at Final Battle so Women’s Champion Rok-C is on commentary. Mandy talks about how she is one of the building blocks of the division and this is the Allure’s house. On the other hand, Willow doesn’t mind the odds being against her because you can’t stop the sun from shining. Willow grabs a front facelock to start and switches to a headlock as we hear about Mandy’s greatness. Back up and Mandy hammers away in the corner ..

More Details On Kevin Owens’ New WWE Contract, Plus Backstage Reactions

December 17, 2021 • Admin

Now for the details. The battle between WWE and AEW has already gone through a lot of parts but there are going to be even more to go. One of the most interesting aspects has been the wrestlers going from one promotion to the other, which has been rather lucrative in some cases. That seems to be the case again, and now we know some more details on a new signing. Earlier this week, former Universal Champion Kevin Owens signed a new deal with WWE. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the new deal is for three years for approximately $2-3 million a year. He does not have a no cut clause, but he could have a lighter schedule where he does not work every live event. The deal was signed a few weeks ago, around the time Owen’s current push begam. According to Fightful Select, WWE wrestlers are said to be very happy that Owens signed the new deal as he is well respected and liked in the company. AEW wrestlers are said to be happy as well, as they feel AEW will be available when Owens’ curr..

WWE Turned Down Rehab For Former WCW/WWE Star

December 17, 2021 • Admin

He’s one of many. WWE has been around for a very long time now and there have been a lot of wrestlers to come through their doors over the years. Some of them have made a bigger impact than others but they have all done at least something in the company. WWE does some nice things for its current and former wrestlers, but one of them does not seem to meet the requirements for one of those offers. Former WWE and WCW star Buff Bagwell appeared on the Who The Fook Are These Guys podcast and revealed that WWE would not send him to rehab when his substance abuse issues were increasing. Bagwell only wrestled for the company for a few weeks before being fired in 2001 at the beginning of the Invasion. This took place before WWE began offering every former wrestler rehabilitation treatment on the company’s time. Bagwell did have some good moments in his career. Check out some of his time in the big leagues: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

WATCH: AEW Might Be Getting A Surprise Competitor (Training Video!)

December 17, 2021 • Admin

Sure why not. There are a lot of characters in the wrestling world and some of them get more attention than others. While the majority are wrestlers that you see on a regular basis, every now and then you see someone who is not around very often but gains a following of their own. That is the case with a non-wrestler at the moment and now is seems she is getting ready for something else. Last week on AEW Dynamite, Trent Beretta’s mom Sue made her return, driving her trademark minivan. Sue has now released a video on Twitter, showing her lifting weights in the woods to the tune of Gonna Fly Now of Rocky fame. The Young Bucks have responded to the tweet, promising to end Sue’s career in the blink of an eye. Sue has made a few appearances, always with her minivan. This is pretty awesome. Check out Sue’s training, plus her AEW appearances: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] We’ll end your car..

205 Live Results – December 10, 2021

December 17, 2021 • Admin

205 Live Date: December 10, 2021 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph We’re in a weird place with this show as WWE has actually realized that this show has little to do with the cruiserweight division and hasn’t been live in years. It might actually be time to change things up a bit and that is long overdue. Granted the show has already changed everything but the name, so maybe now it’s time to complete the ordeal. Let’s get to it. Amari Miller vs. Lash Legend Legend shoves her down to start but Miller isn’t impressed. A dropkick staggers Legend but she blocks an armdrag without much effort. There’s an overhead suplex into a nipup as Miller is in trouble early. A release fall away slam sets up a big boot to the chest but Miller avoids a charge in the corner. Miller is back with a springboard Codebreaker into a cradle for two of her own, only to have Legend shrug it off. Something like a torture rack (over Legend’s back instea..

WWE Once Had Some Different Plans For The Intercontinental TItle

December 17, 2021 • Admin

What could have been. Winning a title is one of the most important things that a wrestler can do in their career. It is a symbol that you have arrived and that the promotion you are working for sees something in you. There are a lot of titles floating around WWE these days but picking up some gold still means a lot no matter what it may be. One recently released wrestlers was ready to win something, but then plans changed in a sad way. Dirty Dango, formerly known as Fandango in WWE, was a guest on Insights with Chris Van Vliet and revealed that he was scheduled to win the Intercontinental Title. Dango was scheduled to win the title but was then suffered a concussion during a match with Great Khali. Rather than explaining this to WWE, Dango continued to wrestle and was concussed again during a match with Zack Ryder. WWE then found out that he was injured and pulled him off the road. Dango said he believed Curtis Axel went on to win the title, which took place on June 16, 2013, less tha..

NXT UK Results – December 9, 2021

December 17, 2021 • Admin

NXT UK Date: December 9, 2021 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness So it turns out that one of the side effects of being sick for a few weeks is that you forget to do a show every now and then. Therefore it’s time to get caught up on NXT UK, starting with a Tag Team Title shot as Moustache Mountain challenging Pretty Deadly. That alone could make this into a big deal so let’s get to it. We open with a look at Moustache Mountain’s rocky path to the title shot, but now they’re ready to fight. Opening sequence. Blair Davenport vs. Emilia McKenzie They fight over wrist control to start until McKenzie snaps off a neckbreaker for two. Davenport takes her down out of the corner though and kicks McKenzie in the back to put her in trouble of her own. A corner clothesline sets up the chinlock, allowing Davenport to crank away a bit. That’s broken up in a hurry so McKenzie can slug away, setting up a spear for two. Back up and Davenport ge..

Interesting Note About The Future Of The Ring Of Honor World Title

December 17, 2021 • Admin

The title isn’t done yet. One of the bigger stories of the year has been the demise of Ring of Honor, as the company seems like it might be completely done following this month’s Final Battle event. At the very least, the company is going into hiatus for the next several months, but it seems that a few things might be continuing while everything else is away full time. Game Changer Wrestling has announced that new Ring of Honor World Champion Jonathan Gresham will be defending his title against AJ Gray at their December 17 Blood on the Hills event. The match will take place under Pure Rules, which Gresham said would be the case for all of his title defenses after winning the title at Final Battle. There is no word on how frequently Gresham will be defending the title in other promotions. *BREAKING* The JON GRESHAM vs AJ GRAY match at #GCWBlood will now be for the ROH World Championship and will be contested under Pure Rules! Watch LIVE on @FiteTV:https://t.co/icyZUUNcfM Also: Atti..

Two Former AEW Champions’ Contracts Are Almost Up

December 17, 2021 • Admin

That could get interesting. AEW has hit the ground running in the wrestling world and it could not have gone much better than it already has. That is the kind of thing that has done the industry well, but one day there are going to be a few problems for the company. One of the bigger issues will be contracts expiring, and that is the case with two stars coming up in the near future. Former AEW Tag Team Champions FTR were guests on the Barstool Rasslin’ podcast and mentioned that they “don’t have very much longer” on their current contracts. There was no specific expiration date given, but they debuted on the May 27 edition of Dynamite. If they signed a two year deal, their contracts would be expiring in just over five months. There is no word on where FTR will sign next, but there is nothing to suggest that they are unhappy in AEW. It is an interesting interview. Check out the full interview, plus FTR in AEW: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, cli..

New #1 Contenders Tournament Starting In January

December 17, 2021 • Admin

Get your brackets ready. Tournaments are an easy concept in wrestling as they are as simple as putting wrestlers into a bracket and waiting to see who survives. The winner gets a title or a prize of some sort and that is all you need. They have been a popular idea for a long time now and we are going to be seeing another, albeit on a slightly smaller scale this time. A #1 contenders tournament was announced during this week’s edition of NXT UK. Sid Scala announced that a tournament to crown new #1 contenders to the Tag Team Titles will begin on January 6. The first round matches of the four team tournament will take place on January 6 and January 13, with the finals taking place on January 20. There is no word on when the winners will receive their title shot against Moustache Mountain. Here are the brackets: Symbiosis Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter Die Familie Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff There is some talent in this field. Check out the teams in the tournament: [This post contains video,..

VIDEO: Positive Update On Injured NXT Star

December 17, 2021 • Admin

That’s an improvement. Injuries are the kind of thing that can impact every wrestler in the world no matter how skilled or experienced a wrestler may be. No matter what happens, there is always the chance that someone can get hurt and unfortunately that was the case with an NXT star earlier this year. Now though, we have a positive update as things are starting to get better. Back in November, NXT’s Zoey Stark suffered a torn ACL, meaning she would be on the injured list for several months. Stark has announced an update on her injury status, revealing that she is now officially off of her crutches. Her next step in her recovery will be running, which has not started yet. There is currently no word on when Stark will be returning to the ring. This is good to see. Check out Stark’s update, plus what she can do when she is healthy: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is always g..

He Has Their Attention: WWE, FOX And NBC All Interested In MJF

December 16, 2021 • Admin

He has their attention. There are a lot of talented wrestlers in the world today and one of the best upgrades is the fact that we can now see more great wrestling than ever before. Through the internet and more television than anyone could reasonably watch, a wrestling fan can see all kinds of incredible wrestling talent. Now it seems that one of them has caught some very important eyes. According to Andrew Zarian of F4WOnline.com, FOX, USA and WWE are all interested in AEW’s Maxwell Jacob Friedman, whose AEW contract expires in 2024. Friedman has mentioned his contract expiring and that AEW will have to pay him well to get him to sign again. His feud with CM Punk is said to have drawn interest to wrestling that has not been present in a very long time. There is no word on where Friedman is interested in signing at the moment. How can he not grab attention? Check out how Friedman has done in AEW: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

Fan Pretends To Be Wrestler, Gets Thrown Out Of AEW Locker Room

December 16, 2021 • Admin

You might want to work on that. There are a lot of ways for fans to enjoy a wrestling show, but the one constant is that there is a barrier between where the fans can go and the wrestlers themselves. That is a key line, as it keeps both the wrestlers and the fans safe. It is not a good idea for someone to cross over that barrier, but that was the case in a huge way. According to Fightful Select, a fan snuck backstage at last week’s AEW tapings in Long Island, New York by posing as an extra. The fan got into the locker room and sat in Dax Harwood’s chair before moving to a chair belonging to the Blade. The wrestlers then realized something was wrong and began questioning him about his trainer, with the fan citing Jeff Hardy. Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Dax Harwood ejected the fan from the locker room and taking him to an AEW official. The fan had tried to do the same thing at a Boston event but was stopped. UBS Arena security was said to be at fault for the incident. That could have be..

Former WWE Star Teases AEW Debut Next Week

December 16, 2021 • Admin

The next one? There have been all kinds of moves between WWE and AEW in recent months and there is nothing to suggest that the chances are going to end. With WWE releasing so many wrestlers, the free agent market has been flooded with talented stars. On top of that, some wrestlers are leaving WWE when their contracts expire, meaning they can show up elsewhere as they please. That might be the case again next week. This week on AEW Dynamite, Adam Cole said that he had a special surprise Christmas present for the Young Bucks on the December 22 show. Later in the night, Kyle O’Reilly responded with an interested emoji and a clip from the movie Seven, asking “what’s in the box”. O’Reilly left WWE last week when his NXT contract expired, meaning that he can appear for any promotion at any time, though there is no guarantee that he is the surprise. ? pic.twitter.com/FbTju4SuSJ — Kyle O'Reilly (@KORcombat) December 16, 2021 O’Reilly has some history with Cole and company. Check out t..

Remember Him? Wrestling Legend Makes Return At Independent Event

December 16, 2021 • Admin

That’s a special moment. Wrestling is rather unique compared to the other sports. In addition to some of the obvious differences, there is the fact that wrestlers can make a lot more comebacks. Rather than having to wrestle a full season, a wrestler can come back for a single show, just for the sake of a one off appearance. That was the case earlier this month and it had been a long time in the making. WWE legend Slick made his return to wrestling over the weekend, appearing at the ISPW Christmas Chaos event. Slick worked an angle with “The Winner” Andy Vineberg, the son of Nikolai Volkoff. There is no word on if Slick will be making any further appearances with the promotion. Since retiring from wrestling in 1994, Slick has made occasional appearances, including several with WWE. IMG Credit: ISPW Slick had a nice career of his own in wrestling. Check out his time in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains vide..

REVIEW: WCW Monday Nitro – December 4, 2000: The Legs Are Going

December 16, 2021 • 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? Monday Nitro #272 Date: December 4, 2000 Location: Pershing Auditorium, Lincoln, Nebraska Attendance: 3,433 Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden, Scott Hudson Starrcade is rapidly approaching and WCW is clearly on its (final) last legs. We’re building towards a double main event of Goldberg vs. Lex Luger II and Scott Steiner vs. Sid for the World Title. If you need a better reason than that to explain why WCW is in the shape it’s in, you haven’t been paying close enough attention. Let’s get to it. We open wi..

Brand New Stable Has Already Added Another Member

December 16, 2021 • Admin

He’s up next? Stables are one of those ideas that will always work in wrestling because fans are going to like the idea of several wrestlers coming together in a group. A new stable can offer a variety of new options, as the individual members can bring their individual stories together, or come into a group under one idea. It seems that a new group has already started growing fairly soon after its debut. Last weekend, a new group debuted at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle event, consisting of EC3, Westin Blake (formerly known as Wesley Blake), Adam Scherr (formerly known as Braun Strowman) and an unnamed wrestler. Scherr has since posted an image to his Instagram, showing himself, EC3 and Killer Kross, standing in front of a graphic saying “CONTROL YOUR NARRATIVE”, which is EC3’s catchphrase. Kross’ no compete clause does not end until February 2022, but he has already begun accepting bookings. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adam Scherr (@adamscherr99) This team could be..