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VIDEO: Britt Baker Gets In A Harsh Burn On WWE

That’s a big shot. AEW has changed the way the wrestling world works in its still fairly short history, as WWE has major competition for the first time in a very long while. That is the kind of thing that could make things more interesting, as AEW has the resources and platforms to call WWE out on a few things. Such a thing took place this week and it was a rather harsh statement. This week on AEW Dynamite, Britt Baker was complaining that Rebel was injured during a match on last week’s show. Baker mentioned that Vickie Guerrero was paid in blood money from Tony Khan and suggested that next week’s show could take place in Saudi Arabia. This is in reference to WWE’s relationship with the country, which has been criticized due to various actions taken by Saudi Arabia, as well as its record on human rights. It was a heck of a statement. Check out what Baker said plus some of her other great moments: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

Top AEW Name Confirmed For Return Next Week

Welcome back. There are a lot of reasons why a wrestler might miss some time from the ring and some of them are a lot better than others. While you might hear of someone missing time due to an an injury or something negative, there is also the chance that someone might be out for a much better reason. That was the case again this year and now someone is ready to come back. During this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite, a vignette aired announcing that Jon Moxley would be returning the following week for Fyter Fest Night One. Moxley will defending his IWGP United States Title against Karl Anderson, marking their first televised singles match against each other in any promotion. The match will be Moxley’s first match since May 30 as he has been away from the ring for the birth of his daughter. Moxley is going to bring it. Check out what is coming back to AEW: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

VIDEO: Released WWE Star Makes Surprise AEW Debut

One more off the list. The biggest series of stories in WWE this year has been the string of releases. All kinds of wrestlers have been let go from the company and the roster has been reshaped as a result. There is more to it than that though, as some wrestlers will have the chance to sign with other promotion. Some of them have already done so, and we got a big moment from one this week. This week on AEW Dynamite, Malakai Black, formerly known as Aleister Black in WWE and Tommy End elsewhere, made his debut. Black attacked Arn Anderson with Black Mass before laying out Cody Rhodes with the same move. During the segment, commentator Excalibur referred to Black as Tommy End and then as Black. There is no word on when Black may wrestle for the company. Black was released from the company on June 2 along with other wrestlers. This could be a big one. Check out the debut and what AEW might be getting: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

Emotional Bayley Opens Up On Recent WWE Releases

As she should be. WWE has undergone a lot of changes over the last several months as dozens of wrestlers have left the company. This has led to quite the shakeup to what we have seen in WWE as of late, but that is just on the television side. The releases have led to several other changes, with a lot of them being in the lives of the wrestlers still in WWE. One of them has been hit pretty hard by the changes. During a new interview with Metro UK, SmackDown’s Bayley has been hit hard by some of the recent releases. Without mentioning any specific names, Bayley mentioned that several of the wrestlers were close friends and very talented. She also mentioned that it was going to be hard to not see some of the released wrestlers backstage as they went around on tour. Bayley is currently scheduled to challenge SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at Money In The Bank. Bayley has had a pretty strong last year. Check out some of her recent efforts: [This post contains video, click to pl..

VIDEO: Fan Jumps Barricade At AEW Dynamite, Gets Dragged Away

You don’t do that. The return of fans is going to be a game changer for every wrestling promotion in the coming months as it opens a different world. You can only go so long with empty arenas and most of the promotions have gone way past the expiration date. AEW now has fans back, and they certainly noticed one of them in particular during their first show back. During this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite, a fan attempted to jump into the ring during a segment between MJF and Chris Jericho. The fan was cut off by security, with Jericho helping to shove him off of the ramp. After the incident, MJF said that any fan should come to the ring to get beaten up by him. Later in the segment, Jericho mentioned that he should have let the fan beat MJF up. It was a nasty situation. Check out the fan coming in and being taken away by security, plus some better instances of people coming out of the crowd: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This ..

KB’s Review: They Just Ran Out

Things are starting to get back to normal in WWE and that is a very good thing to see. The Coronavirus has shaken up the company in a huge way over the last year and a few months but now it is time for things to settle back down. This includes bringing the shows back to the road, but there are going to be a lot of wrestlers missing, but that might not be the worst thing in the world. Probably the biggest stories in WWE this year has been the string of releases that has seen dozens of wrestlers leaving the company. That is not the kind of thing you usually expect to see, as WWE has not been releasing huge numbers of wrestlers in recent years, and even then they never came close to doing it like this. Some of these releases have been more surprising than others, but not all of them are the worst changes. This week we’re going to take a look at some of the releases and go into why some of them were both necessary and long overdue. I’m not going to break them down and go over them one by..

Upcoming WWE SmackDown Airing From Two Venues

Double it up. The biggest wrestling story of July will be fans returning to the venues, both for AEW and WWE. Things are going to change again and this time in a more positive direction. There is something very cool about seeing wrestling companies going back on the road, as the energy will be boosted up all over again. It turns out that the boost is coming from two places at once in one instance. WWE has announced that SmackDown will air from two venues on July 23, which will be the second edition of the show featuring fans in attendance. The show will be split between the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio and the Rolling Loud Festival in Miami, Florida. There is no word on if the show in Cleveland will have additional matches to make up for part of the card taking place elsewhere. There have been some split location shows before. Check out a few of the past versions: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post cont..

Surprising Update On CM Punk’s UFC Career

I hope you used an erasable pen. Some wrestlers have a hard time figuring out what to do after they leave the ring and that can create some problems. Every now and then you do find someone who can get out on their feet though and that makes for some interesting situations. Occasionally someone tries their hand at another sport and fails, but now one of them might have done a bit better than previously thought. According to MMAJunkie.com, CM Punk’s loss to Mike Jackson at UFC 225 has been overturned and reversed into a no contest. Jackson failed a post fight test for marijuana, resulting in Punk’s decision loss being overturned. There is no word on why it took so long to announce the result, as the fight took place on June 9, 2018. As a result, Punk’s mixed martial arts record is now 0-1-1. Punk has yet to comments on the change. Following his exit from WWE in 2014, Punk eventually tried his hands at mixed martial arts and fought twice in the UFC. Punk lost his first fight to Mickey G..

REVIEW: Bash At The Beach 1996: The Turning Point

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? Bash at the Beach 1996 Date: July 7, 1996 Location: Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Florida Attendance: 8,300 Commentators: Bobby Heenan, Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes This is one of the first non-WWE reviews I ever did so it is LONG overdue for a second try. I’m pretty sure you know this one, as it is built around the question of who is the third man. The Outsiders arrived about a month and a half ago and are now ready for their first match, but they need a partner. Now who is that going to be? Let’s get to it. I do mi..

AEW Dynamite Results – July 7, 2021

Dynamite Date: July 7, 2021 Location: James L. Knight Center, Miami, Florida Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur We’re officially back on the road and that means there are fresh fans in attendance. That is certainly a good thing and something that did not feel possible over the last year plus. First up we have Road Rager, featuring the Tag Team Titles on the line, a strap match and the debut of Andrade El Idolo. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Cody Rhodes vs. QT Marshall South Beach Strap Match with the four corner version. Cody dives on him before the bell and the fight is on with Cody pulling Marshall into the ropes. We look at various UFC fighters at ringside as Marshall gets in a shot to the ribs. A moonsault only designed to get knocked out of the air gets knocked out of the air and Cody hits a few buckles. Aaron Solow breaks it up but Dustin Rhodes fights him into the crowd to get rid of one goon. Nick Comoroto follows and Cody gets three buckles, only to get..

WWE Has Plans To Push This Re-Signed Star

The future is bright. One of the things that almost every wrestling fan does at one point or another is fantasy book. There is something fun about writing out your own ideas and seeing what kind of shows and matches you would put together. WWE does the same thing, and it can be interesting to see what they come up with, as well as who they choose to push. Now we know a bit more about someone they want getting the next shot. According to Fightful Select, WWE is planning to push Roderick Strong as a focal point in NXT, with a focus on helping to boost the Cruiserweight division. Strong returned from a hiatus in June as part of the Diamond Mine, followed by winning a match over Asher Hale. During his time away from NXT television, Strong signed a new deal with the company, which has been the case with other missing wrestlers in recent memory. Strong is worth the effort. Check out what NXT is focusing on: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to pl..

WATCH: Charlotte And Andrade Train Together In The Ring

You have to practice. It is pretty rare to have two wrestlers in a romantic relationship but it does happen occasionally. What is even rarer is to have them be two top level stars who can train with each other, as there are often various issues to prevent it from taking place. It is the case with a current major WWE star and an AEW star, who recently got in the ring together. WWE’s Charlotte has tweeted out a video showing her and AEW’s Andrade El Idolo, her fiance, training together in a ring. In the video, Charlotte is shown practicing a move of some sort on him as she rolls him around the ring. There is no word on where or when the video was shot. El Idolo was released from WWE earlier this year and debuted in AEW in June. This is quite the pairing. Check out the two of them in the ring together and on their own: [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 t..

Title Match Set For Next Week With Special Stipulation

You need to make it special. This week’s edition of NXT is the Great American Bash special and that means viewers are in for a big night. NXT knows how to fill out major cards, but there is not room on them for everything. Sometimes you need to save something for later though and that is what we are going to be seeing next week as there is going to be a huge main event. During this week’s edition of NXT, Johnny Gargano and NXT Champion Karrion Kross had a face to face meeting in the ring. General Manager William Regal announced that the two would meet in a title match the following week, with Samoa Joe as the guest enforcer. The two have been feuding in recent weeks, including Kross defeating Gargano and three other challengers in a title defense at Takeover: In Your House 2021. It should be a big one. Check out how we got to the title match: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: T..

Sad News Regarding Terry Funk’s Health

It’s so sad. While there are all kinds of wrestlers throughout history, you are very rarely going to find someone who is truly unique. On those rare occasions where you do find them though, it can be amazing to see just how good they are. It can make it even harder to see them fade away though, and now it seems that we might be getting close to losing one of the best ever. This week, rumors began circulating that Terry Funk has been living in an assisted living facility due to mental health issues. These stories were confirmed by a post on Funk’s official Twitter account, saying that Funk is receiving residential care for both mental and physical issues. Funk is also said to have some days that are better than others, but there is no word on any specific issues. Funk, 77 years old as of last month, began wrestling in 1965 and wrestled his most recent match in 2017. He wrestled or appeared in nearly every major wrestling promotion over the course of his career, including winning World..

VIDEO: Surprise Return Takes Place As NXT Battery Is Fully Charged

The surprise. There are a lot of reasons a wrestler might be gone from television for any given amount of time. One of the biggest is an injury, which is the kind of thing that can derail a career in a hurry. One of the few silver linings is to find a way to have a huge comeback, which can be set up in a variety of ways. That was on display this week and it worked rather well. This week on NXT, Tegan Nox made a surprise return to television, following a ten plus month absence. Nox was revealed to be behind the battery charging vignettes which aired throughout June and showed a battery rising from 0%, with the total reaching 100% this week. The return took place during a Women’s Tag Team Title match, which saw the Way lose their titles partially due to Nox’s distraction. Nox suffered a torn ACL in August 2020, forcing her out of action to undergo surgery. The injury was explained by an attack at the hands of Candice LeRae, who Nox attacked as she returned this week. It was Nox’s third..

Hand It Over: Title Change Takes Place On NXT

History has been made again. There are so many titles under the WWE banner today and that means you can see titles changing hands a bit more often than back in the day. This may or may not be a good thing, as you get the instant boost from a title change, but at the same time the amount of changes dilutes the impact that they can have. That might have been the case this week. During this week’s edition of NXT, Io Shirai and Zoey Stark won the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles by defeating The Way, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell. Shirai and Stark won the titles after a distraction from the returning Tegan Nox, allowing Stark to pin Hartwell. The win makes Shirai and Stark the fourth champions in the titles’ history, after they were introduced in January of this year. The division has come a long way. Check out how we got here: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This may seem like a lo..

WWE Scrapped Plans For A Pair Of New Championships

What could have been. There are all kinds of titles in the wrestling world and that can create a bit of a problem at times. With so many titles out there, it can be easy to have the title scene over saturated with champions. If a good percentage of wrestlers have a title, then the championships don’t mean as much. That has been a common criticism of WWE for a long time now and it was almost worse. In a post on his Instagram account, former WWE wrestler Jack Gallagher revealed that WWE had Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles created and ready from the time 205 Live debuted in 2016. The titles were purple and gold and were found on the prop truck which was brought to weekly television. They were never officially introduced either backstage or on television. Rules suggested for the titles included lucha libre rules for tag matches, meaning both feet touching the floor allowed the partner to come in, or trios titles. There is nothing to suggest that these titles will be introduced at any point ..

NXT Live Coverage And Results – July 6, 2021

NXT Date: July 6, 2021 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Beth Phoenix, Wade Barrett, Vic Joseph It’s the Great American Bash due to reasons of….I’m not sure why we needed a special show this week but that’s what we have here. The card is stacked as you might expect, with a main event of Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole II. Other than that, the biggest deal is Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross talking, as I’m not sure why the title match isn’t taking place here. Let’s get to it. The opening video looks at the card, of course featuring comments from Dusty Rhodes. Tag Team Titles: MSK vs. Timothy Thatcher/Tommaso Ciampa Thatcher and Ciampa are challenging. Ciampa shoulders Carter over to start but a headscissors sends Ciampa into the corner. It’s off to Thatcher for a chinlock/ripping at Lee’s face before Ciampa grabs his own chinlock. Lee fights up and gets over to Carter to kick Ciampa out to the floor. That means a middle rope moonsault but Thatcher shoves..

Impact Wrestling Results – July 1, 2021

Impact Wrestling Date: July 1, 2021 Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee Commentators: D’Lo Brown, Josh Matthews We are less than three weeks away from Slammiversary and things are starting to pick up. The main event is already set with Sami Callihan vs. Kenny Omega, but there is still time to change things up. That is still a possibility this time around as Callihan faces Moose, with the chance to make the match a triple threat. Let’s get to it. Opening recap. Opening sequence. Eddie Edwards vs. Satoshi Kojima They’re cool with each other but Edwards wanted to face Kojima before he went back to Japan. Hold on though as here is W. Morrissey to say that Kojima is alone, just like Edwards was when Morrissey jumped him in the parking lot. Cue Brian Myers with Sam Beale, who Myers refers to as his young boy. Myers says Beale can’t learn anything from Kojima and calls out Jake something, but Kojima doesn’t care for that. The beatdown is on with Something running out for the s..

WWE RUMOR: Backstage Reaction To Jimmy Uso’s Arrest

As they should be. Wrestlers are some of the biggest and loudest personalities that you will see around the entertainment world, but there is another side to everyone involved. While fans see one part of the wrestlers on television, there is another side that we do not get to see very often. That was on display this week and now WWE is not exactly happy with what happened. As previously reported, Jimmy Uso was arrested on suspicion of DUI earlier this week. This is Uso’s fourth arrest for alcohol related issues in less than three years. According to the WrestleVotes Twitter account, WWE officials are said to be “extremely disappointed” in Uso’s actions. It is no longer seen as bad luck or a mistake but rather personal judgment. There is no word on what this will mean for Uso’s future in the company. I’ve spoken to two sources this morning on the Jimmy Uso news. I can say with certainty that a few “high level people in power” are extremely disappointed & legitimately pissed off over t..