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Karrion Kross Vs. Samoa Joe: Getting The Attention It Deserves?

August 12, 2021 • Admin

Karrion Kross and Samoa Joe will go to war for the NXT Championship at TakeOver 36 on Sunday, August 22. The two men have been on a path of destruction over the past few weeks and that path will lead them to a chaotic confrontation in NXT. Many fans are excited for this match and with good reason. Kross and Joe are hard-hitting smash-mouth competitors and they are sure to bring the pain at TakeOver. But is this bout truly receiving the attention it deserves? Joe versus Everyone In any other era, this match would be the talk of the pro wrestling world. While it’s not a WWE main roster match or a pay-per-view spectacle, it’s a big deal nonetheless. Much of that is thanks to Samoa Joe, the rugged veteran who’s still grinding in the ring. For over 21 years, Samoa Joe has been building his powerhouse pro wrestling resume. He’s faced some of the industry’s biggest names and he’s always held his own in the ring. Kurt Angle, AJ Styles and CM Punk are just three of the top stars who battled ..

Wrestling Legend Hospitalized With Severe Issues

August 12, 2021 • Admin

Please don’t be bad. Wrestlers are on television every week, which is a lot more than you see from various other celebrities. It is almost weird to think about seeing someone every single week like that, but there is more to their lives than what you see on television. That can be both good or bad, and in this case a wrestling legend is having some pretty serious real life problems. Brian Knobbs of the Nasty Boys has been hospitalized for some serious stomach issues along with a problem with his knee. It is not clear what is wrong with Knobbs, but he is expected to be in the hospital for several months to determine the issues. He will also need knee surgery if he is expected to be able to walk again. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with his expenses. Knobbs had a heck of a career. Check out what he has done in the ring before: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: Hopefully Knob..

How A WrestleMania 37 Match Almost Didn’t Happen

August 12, 2021 • Admin

What could have not been. There have been a lot of stories taking place in wrestling this year, to the point where you might not remember every major thing that has taken place. With so many things going on, it can be easy to forget some of the things that have happened, no matter how big they might have been at the time. Now we are learning a bit more about a pretty big angle. Monday Night Raw’s Damian Priest was recently a guest on the Battleground podcast and discussed his partnership with Bad Bunny, which included a tag match at WrestleMania 37. According to Priest, the plan for the tag match was dropped the day before the Royal Rumble, only to be switched back the next day. Priest said that Triple H told him about the change, with Bunny saying that he wanted to work with Priest personally. Bunny and Priest would defeat Miz and John Morrison at WrestleMania. Priest debuted on the main roster at the Royal Rumble, where Miz and Morrison destroyed Bunny’s DJ equipment. As a result, ..

Another Former Champion Makes AEW Debut (Mild Spoiler)

August 12, 2021 • Admin

Welcome? The wrestling world is changing as all kinds of moves have been made in recent months. Most of these changes are what you would expect as wrestlers move to and from WWE and AEW, but there are other promotions out there as well. Sometimes a wrestler is going to leave one of the smaller promotions and head up to the bigger time, which seems to be the case again. As seen in images posted to Twitter, former Impact Wrestling Knockouts Tag Team Champion Kiera Hogan made her AEW during this week’s Dark taping, facing Hikaru Shida. This comes after Hogan announced that she was finished with Impact Wrestling following a recent television taping. There is no word on if this is a permanent deal or a one off appearance. Hogan is a two time Knockouts Tag Team Champion as part of Fire N Flava with Tasha Steelz. Former IMPACT star Kiera Hogan is currently wrestling Hikaru Shida on #AEWDark #AEW @WRESTLEZONEcom pic.twitter.com/gnenRKeQvW — Dominic DeAngelo: Writer Of Wrestling (@DominicDeA..

VIDEO: Baron Corbin Not Allowed To Enter WWE Event, Faces Fine

August 12, 2021 • Admin

It keeps getting worse. Every now and then you see a story in wrestling that catches your attention for a variety of reasons. Some of the best stories that can be told involve a wrestler having everything turn around for them, either for better or worse. WWE is doing that again at the moment and now things are taking place outside of the main television shows. One of the most intriguing stories on all of WWE television at the moment has been the fall of Baron Corbin. After losing his crown in July, everything has fallen apart for Corbin, who has gone from one of the bigger stars on SmackDown to a complete disaster. Corbin has lost his money, his family, his home and almost everything he owns. Somehow though, it has gotten even worse. It has been a rough day. Check out what Corbin went through: [This post contains video, click to play] WWE has posted a video to its Twitter account showing Corbin backstage at a WWE event. Corbin narrates the video, saying he had to hitchhike to work ..

KB’s Review: The Next NXT

August 12, 2021 • Admin

Things are getting interesting again in the wrestling world but there is only one thing to talk about this week. In what might sound like old news, NXT has undergone a bunch of changes, though this time it is more than just a bunch of releases (which is the case again, though only Bronson Reed should be a real shock). There are some much larger changes afoot though and today we are going to be taking a general look at them, as they seem to mean the end of the current style of NXT. If you have read my work at any time in the last eight or so years, you know that I have been a huge NXT fan for a very long time now. For my money, at its peak, NXT was as good as any wrestling show going for at least the last few decades. It was must see for a wrestling fan with the matches, promos, segments stories and more all hitting on almost every cylinder. It felt like what a good wrestling promotion should feel like and it was some of the best stuff I have ever seen week to week. Then things starte..

REVIEW: Monday Night Raw – August 11, 2014: Red And Yellow, Black And White

August 12, 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 Night Raw Date: August 11, 2014 Location: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon Commentators: Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield, Jerry Lawler Tonight is both the go home show for Summerslam as well as a special birthday celebration for the one and only Hulk Hogan. We’re scheduled to see some special guests and I’m assuming a bunch of retrospectives on Hogan’s career, which could make for some interesting moments. Other than that, Cena and Lesnar are both back so we should get some solid build for Sunday. Let’s g..

VIDEO: Paul Wight (Big Show) Makes Surprise Save On AEW Dynamite

August 12, 2021 • Admin

He’s back. AEW has changed the way the wrestling world works as there is now another major promotion with a lot of money and a good television slot. The promotion is able to offer wrestlers something they have not had in a very long time: another place to go besides WWE. Several former WWE stars have appeared in AEW, and one of them did something big this week. During this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite, QT Marshall and the Nightmare Factory attacked Tony Schiavone’s son while holding Schiavone himself back. As a result, Paul Wight, Schiavone’s broadcast partner on AEW Dark: Elevation, came out to save Schiavone, including a chokeslam to Aaron Solow. This is the first time Wight has gotten physical in AEW, though he has not been announced for a match. It was a big moment. Check out the debut plus Wight’s time in AEW and elsewhere: [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 ki..

Former World Champion Working As WWE Performance Center Coach

August 12, 2021 • Admin

You need good coaching. WWE is a huge company, to the point where they are able to train a lot of their own wrestlers. As a result they are able to put together the Performance Center, featuring a world class training facility with all kinds of wrestlers coming and going every single day. They also have a large team of trainers and now they are going to have a guest star. According to PWInsider.com, former WWE star and NWA World Champion Rob Conway has been a guest trainer at the Performance Center this week. There is no word on if Conway will be brought in as a full time coach. Conway wrestled for WWE from 2003-2007 before moving on to the independent circuit, where he won the NWA World Title twice. This is his second stint as a guest coach, having worked at the Performance Center in 2018. Conway could be worth a look. Check out some of his time in the ring and at the Performance Center: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This p..

World Title Match And More Set For AEW All Out

August 12, 2021 • Admin

They needed to add something. We are less than a month away from AEW All Out and as usual, the show is feeling important. AEW has a unique pay per view schedule in that they only air four traditional pay per views a year. As a result, their pay per views are made to feel more important and it means the card needs to be more impactful. Now we know a bit more about what to expect next month. Two matches were added to All Out during this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite. First, AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will be defending his title against Christian Cage. This will be Cage’s first shot at any title in AEW and comes after he and Omega have been teasing a match for several months. Second, Pac will face Andrade El Idolo after the two have argued since Idolo’s debut in June. All Out takes place on September 5. This is going to be big. Check out what you might be seeing: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, clic..

AEW Dynamite Live Coverage And Results – August 11, 2021

August 11, 2021 • Admin

Dynamite Date: August 11, 2021 Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur It’s the Britt Baker Show this week and that is pretty long overdue. Baker has been the best thing about the women’s division, if not the entire company, for a long time now and deserves a big hometown night like this. Other than that, we are getting ready for both All Out and this week Rampage debut. Let’s get to it. MJF, with Wardlow, talk about how Chris Jericho is trying to make his way through the Labors of Jericho, but tonight he is running into a monster. Jericho needs to defeat MJF because he never has before and he can’t handle that. Somehow though, let’s say that he makes it through Wardlow, what do you think is waiting on him? MJF brings up Wardlow losing to Cody Rhodes in the cage last year though and tells him not to mess up again. Wardlow destroys the apple MJF hands him. Elite vs. Mike Sydal/Matt Sydal/Dante Martin Don Callis is o..

New NXT Rules Cost Them To Lose “Slam Dunk” Star To AEW

August 11, 2021 • Admin

Another one got away. WWE is currently in a situation they have not found themselves in much over the last twenty plus years: facing well funded competition. AEW has changed the way the wrestling world works and that is going to be the case for a long time to come. There are now more places for wrestlers to go and it seems that WWE passed on a current AEW wrestler not very long ago. Earlier this month, news came out about changes coming to NXT. Many of these changes focused on the kind of wrestlers that would be signed to the promotion, with a focus on larger and younger wrestlers. According to Fightful Select, Wheeler Yuta had a tryout with WWE in May but was not signed. WWE’s decision surprised three wrestlers as well as a WWE executive and signaled that things were changing in NXT. Yuta has wrestled in Major League Wresting and Ring of Honor, along with various independent promotions. Since WWE passed on him, he has begun appearing for AEW, though he has not signed. I’m not sure w..

CM Punk Vs. Darby Allin: The Unexpected AEW Dream Match

August 11, 2021 • Admin

CM Punk continues to be the center of fan speculation online, thanks to rumors of his possible signing with AEW. The man once known as The Voice of The Voiceless remains silent on the matter however, which is understandable. Punk likes to have fun with fans on social media and in this case, he’s definitely keeping everyone guessing. No one outside of Punk and AEW knows for sure, of course. But AEW Rampage will be live in Punk’s hometown of Chicago on August 20. Darby has already teased it and the fact is that the vibe surrounding the situation suggests that Punk’s arrival is imminent. All signs seem to point to it, just as all signs seem to point to Darby versus Punk. So is this going to happen? Be Elite When All Elite Wrestling formed in 2019, the buzz began almost immediately that CM Punk would eventually come onboard. Maybe it was the DIY style that Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks exhibited in putting the company together. They felt they offered something better than the establish..

Here Are The Summerslam Plans For Randy Orton And Riddle

August 11, 2021 • Admin

That’s one way to go. We are less than two weeks away from Summerslam and that means WWE should have everything set in stone for the show. There are still some details to announce for the event though and some of those have started to come together. One of the more interesting stories might have gotten some more attention on this week’s Monday Night Raw and now we might know where it is going. Randy Orton returned to WWE television during this week’s Monday Night Raw after a seven week absence. Orton would defeat AJ Styles and then lay out occasional partner Riddle with an RKO to end the show. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the current plan for Summerslam will still see Orton and Riddle challenge AJ Styles and Omos for the Raw Tag Team Titles. Commentary suggested that Riddle and Orton were not done as a team after Orton hit the RKO. They do have a chemistry. Check out Orton and Riddle’s work together: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, cl..

AEW Star Says He Lied To Shaquille O’Neal To Set Up Table Spot

August 11, 2021 • Admin

That might not have been wise. Celebrities have been a part of the wrestling world for decades now and that will be the case for a long time to come. It makes sense to bring starts from outside the wrestling world into the bubble, if nothing else just to see how they react. It can be even better if they have an athletic background of their own, but one instance might have included a mistake. During an interview with Digital Spy, AEW’s QT Marshall said that he lied to Shaquille O’Neal in order to get him to go through a table. Marshall said O’Neal had mentioned the possibility of going through a table so Marshall told him there would be a pad underneath. O’Neal did go through a table during his match on the March 3 edition of AEW Dynamite, with Marshall claiming that O’Neal yelled at him after the match. There is no word on if O’Neal will appear for AEW again. He didn’t seem to mind. Check out O’Neal’s time in AEW, including the match: [This post contains video, click to play] [Thi..

AEW Star To Miss Time Due To Controversial Statements

August 11, 2021 • Admin

You have to take this stuff seriously. Wrestling has changed a lot over the last thirty years and that is a good thing in some areas. The industry has expanded to a much more national model and promotions are now able to reach more fans than ever before. That can also have some setbacks though and one wrestler has learned that you have to be careful what you do with so many watching. Last week, Max Caster performed a rap during the Acclaimed’s entrance for a match. The rap contained controversial lyrics addressing both Simone Biles’ mental health issues as well as the Duke University lacrosse case. AEW edited the rap out after initially airing it but things are not over. According to Fightful Select, Caster is currently being held off of AEW programming and it is not clear when he will be back, though Caster has not been officially suspended. There is also the chance that he will have to undergo sensitivity training. It is not clear if Caster will be paid while he is away. This is a ..

Three New Stipulations Added To NXT TakeOver 36

August 11, 2021 • Admin

Your pick. There are a lot of ways to present a huge grudge match and that can make things all the more interesting. If a match has been done before, the best idea might be to slap some kind of special rules onto the rematch, which could make things all the more intense. WWE has certainly figured out how to do this most of the time and now we are going to see more than one version at once. During this week’s edition of NXT, General Manager William Regal announced that Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole will face off in a 2/3 falls match at Takeover 36 on August 22. Each fall will feature a special stipulation, with both wrestlers and Regal getting to pick a stipulation each. As a result, O’Reilly picked a traditional match, Cole chose a street fight and Regal announced a steel cage match should the match go three falls. The match is being billed as the Undisputed Finale and will be the last match between the two. Cole and O’Reilly both came into NXT in the summer of 2007 along with Bobby Fi..

RUMOR: USA Network Unhappy With NXT Changes

August 11, 2021 • Admin

They might have a point. The biggest story in wrestling over the last week has been the string of NXT releases. Even more wrestlers were let go from the company and there is every chance that even more wrestlers will be let go in the future. It seems that things are changing in a big way in NXT, which is going to have some fans wondering what is going on. As it turns out, the fans are not the only ones. Following the firings, news broke of Vince McMahon ordering major changes to NXT. These changes include shifting more towards a developmental approach and focusing more on younger, larger wrestlers. According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast, USA executives are unhappy with the changes as they are expected to be negative for NXT. There is no word on what this could mean for USA’s relationship with NXT or when the changes will be implenented. Hearing a lot of chatter from USA Network higher-ranked reps regarding the releases from NXT. "Personally I'm disappointed with how..

Medical Issues Force Star Off Of This Week’s NXT, Card Changed

August 11, 2021 • Admin

That could be anything. There are all kinds of medical issues for wrestlers, ranging from injuries to run of the mill things that can happen to anyone at any given point. That has been even more enhanced in recent months due to the Coronavirus pandemic. You never know when someone is going to be missing time due to one thing or another and that seems to be the case again this week. Ember Moon was scheduled to face Sarray in a match on this week’s edition of NXT. However, the show opened with an announcement that Moon was unable to compete due to not being cleared by the medical staff. There is no word on what is wrong with Moon or how much time she will be missing. Dakota Kai took Moon’s place in the match and went on to defeat Sarray. Moon is a former NXT Women’s Champion who debuted in NXT in 2015. She would go on to feud with a variety of opponents over the years before winning the vacant NXT Women’s Title at Takeover: WarGames in 2017. Moon would be promoted to the main roster on..

VIDEO: New NXT Star Makes Cameo Debut This Week

August 11, 2021 • Admin

Is he still a prospect? NXT is in a weird place at the moment, but ultimately it is still the official developmental program for WWE. That means its job is to get other wrestlers ready for the future, which can be done in a variety of ways. Some of these are better than others and some of them are easier to recognize. The latter was the case this week as we saw a special debut. This week’s NXT featured a face to face confrontation between Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole before their match at Takeover 36. General Manager William Regal was involved as well and brought a group of security guards with him. One of the guards was Parker Boudreaux, a recently signed star who resembles Brock Lesnar. Boudreaux has been hyped up by Paul Heyman and was signed to WWE in February. There is no word on when he will have his first match. This comes a week after Bronson Rechsteiner debuted in the same way. It was a big debut. Check out the segment, plus more wrestlers as security guards: [This post cont..