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SmackDown Star Undergoes Surgery, Missing Some Time

June 26, 2021 • Admin

That never sounds good. With so many wrestlers on the WWE roster, it can be hard to keep track of what everyone is doing. Sometimes this means that one of them might slip underneath the radar, allowing them to do something else if they need to. That is not always the best news to hear, and in this case it seems that someone has been gone for a less than great reason. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, SmackDown’s Montez Ford has undergone surgery but will not be out of action for very long. There is no word on what kind of procedure Ford had done, but it is not related to any kind of an injury. Ford has posted a photo of himself in the hospital, with the caption of “GOD IS GOOD”. While Ford has been appearing on WWE TV, he has been out of action since June 11 due to a storyline rib injury at the hands of Otis. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ???? ??? (@montezfordwwe) Ford is an amazing talent. Check out what he can do when he is back: [This post contains v..

Another Sign WWE Is Getting Back To Normal

June 25, 2021 • Admin

Back to normal? The Coronavirus pandemic has shaken up the wrestling world in a variety of ways, with the biggest change of them all being the lack of fans in attendance at events. It makes things feel all the less important and also changes the way the company’s finances work. Things have started to get back to normal though and now WWE has taken another big step back towards normal. WWE has announced a four city United Kingdom tour, taking place from September 19-22. The tour will be SmackDown exclusive and includes names such as Roman Reigns, the Usos, Big E., Bianca Belair, Bayley and Sasha Banks. Assuming she does not appear before then, this would be Belair’s first appearance since the April 16 edition of SmackDown. The tour will include the following events: Newcastle – Utilita Arena (Sunday, September 19, 2021) London – The O2 (Monday, September 20, 2021) Cardiff – Motorpoint Arena (Tuesday, September 21, 2021) Glasgow – The SSE Hydro (Wednesday, September 22, 2021) WWE has b..

WWE Releases Six More Wrestlers

June 25, 2021 • Admin

Even more down. One of the biggest stories of the year has been WWE’s huge round of cuts. WWE has let dozens of wrestlers go from the company, with some of them being fairly high profile names. Almost no one on the roster has been immune to what has been happening though and that has made for some big shakeups. There were even more of them today and the list keeps growing. In addition to the seven names released from the company earlier today, WWE has also released six more names later in the day. According to PWInsider.com, Marina Shafir, the Bollywood Boyz (Sunil and Samir Singh), Curt Stallion and Arturo Ruas have all been released from the company. Finally, NXT’s Killain Dain has confirmed his own release via Twitter. Shafir is a former mixed martial artist and a member of the Four Horsewomen of MMA. The Bollywood Boyz have been longstanding members of the 205 Live roster and appeared with Jinder Mahal as the Singh Brothers. Stallion had been on 205 Live as well, but has been out..

WWE Reportedly Releases Tyler Breeze, Fandango, Others

June 25, 2021 • Admin

The cuts continue. According to a report by Bleacher Report, by way of Fightful, WWE has come to terms on the releases of several wrestlers. This list includes Tyler Breeze, Fandango, NXT tag team Ever-Rise and 205 Live wrestlers Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari and August Grey. Fandango, who also wrestled for WWE as Johnny Curtis, seemed to acknowledge his release in the following tweet: Thank you @VinceMcMahon @TripleH @StephMcMahon Thank you for the last 14 years . I truly appreciate it!? — Fandango (@WWEFandango) June 25, 2021 This most recent wave of cuts, continues a trend that has been happening for a few months. Several releases have taken place during this time, including Tucker, Samoa Joe, Chelsea Green, Kalisto, Bo Dallas, Wesley Blake, Mickie, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Lana, Santana Garrett and Buddy Murphy. Adnan Virk and Tom Philips have also been released by the company. Breezango was pretty entertaining as a team: [This post ..

New WWE Writer Says She Was Not Required To Know Wrestling

June 25, 2021 • Admin

It’s a blank slate. WWE is a bit different than the rest of the wrestling promotions in the world. The company has more resources and options available than any other, including the amount of television time that they have on hand. That means they are going to need something to fill in that time and now we are seeing some interesting details on how some of their television content is created. Newly signed WWE creative writer Kenice Mobley appeared on the June 6 edition of the Asian Not Asian podcast to talk about her signing with the company. Mobley was signed to WWE on June 3 and was not required to know anything about WWE. Instead, Mobley was hired due to her experience in film production and comedy writing. Mobley was only familiar with a handful of names and did not know if Bobby Lashley’s last name was Lashley or Ashley. Mobley is part of the Monday Night Raw team and it is not clear if she has officially started actively working or not. This is what Mobley is coming into. Check..

Jeff Hardy Is Going A Bit Old School For A Long Time

June 25, 2021 • Admin

Take care of the veterans. There are a lot of wrestlers on the WWE roster and some of them are a lot more established than others. You can find some wrestlers who have been around the company for years now, many of whom have had quite the amount of success. It is easy to see what they can do for WWE, but now WWE might have done something different for one of them. According to Fightful Select, Jeff Hardy’s WWE deal has either been reworked or extended in some way, perhaps with a new detail entirely, as his contract will now expire in either late 2022 or early 2023. One of the changes to Hardy’s deal will see him getting to use his previous No More Words entrance music from his 2009 run with the company. There is no word on when the two sides reached a new deal. Hardy began wrestling for WWE in 1994 as part of the Hardy Boyz tag team with his brother Matt. Throughout his career, Hardy has won multiple titles in WWE, including three World Titles. He has also left the company from time ..

RUMOR: More Details On 2021 WWE Draft

June 25, 2021 • Admin

We need to shake things up. There are so many wrestlers and performers of various types in WWE that sometimes you want to see how things would go if it was mixed up a bit. It doesn’t help when you have Monday Night Raw, SmackDown and NXT as separate brands, but every now and then you get to see things mixed up a little bit. Now we know more about it happening again. According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, the 2021 WWE Draft will be held on the August 30 Monday Night Raw and September 3 SmackDown. There are currently plans for some big names to be moved around and WWE is hoping to make the Draft feel like a bigger deal than in previous years. There is no word on who will be moving where or how many names will be changed. The WWE Draft is taking place on Aug 23rd & Aug 27th. Im seeing a few reports that WWE doesn't have set plans for after the draft. I can tell you that report isn't totally accurate. WWE has big plans for some who will be switchin..

Bad News On Pat McAfee’s NXT Future

June 25, 2021 • Admin

It was nice while it lasted. Every now and then you find a person who takes to wrestling like an absolute natural. With no time or experience, they are suddenly leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else and it can be fascinating to see just how good they are. Wrestling promotions notice this as well and often move them up in a hurry, which seems to be the case again today. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, SmackDown broadcaster Pat McAfee is likely done with NXT in any way. McAfee has made appearances in NXT as a manager and occasional wrestler, including in WarGames 2020 against the Undisputed Era. Following his team’s loss at WarGames, McAfee did not appear in WWE again until debuting as a SmackDown broadcaster on April 16. McAfee really is one of the most natural talents you will see in wrestling. Check out what he did in NXT: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is kin..

WATCH: NXT Champion Karrion Kross’ Main Roster Debut

June 25, 2021 • Admin

That’s a new way to go. NXT is a rather unique wrestling promotion as the wrestlers not only try to become stars to the NXT audience but also try to get moved up to either Monday Night Raw or SmackDown. They often find something that works well for them in NXT, only to have it changed around once they reach the main roster. That might be the case again with a pretty big name. NXT Champion Karrion Kross made his main roster debut during this week’s edition of Main Event, which airs both internationally and on Hulu. Kross’ entrance was not the same as the one that he regularly uses in NXT. His manager Scarlett was not included and the special effects were missing as well. There is no word on if those elements, including Scarlett, will be back if Kross is promoted to the main roster full time. You might notice something different. Check out Kross’ NXT entrance vs. his Main Event entrance, plus a little hidden gem you might not have seen before (yes it’s him): [This post contains video,..

RUMOR: VIDEO: New Star Coming To NXT UK, Likely Identity

June 25, 2021 • Admin

She’s a new one. The wrestling world has changed a lot in recent years as the ability to see wrestling from around the world has made scouting talent that much easier. A very skilled wrestler from a completely different part of the world can now be seen anywhere and ultimately brought in to a promotion. That might be the case again, as an international star might be teasing a new home. This week on NXT UK, a vignette aired for a new female wrestler signing with the promotion. The woman opened a briefcase and signed a contract under the name “Blair Davenport”. While not confirmed, there is a possibility that Davenport will be portrayed by Bea Priestley, who reportedly signed with WWE earlier this year after finishing up her commitments in Japan. There is no word on when Davenport will debut. This could be big. Check out the vignette and what we might be seeing with Davenport: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains v..

Former NXT Champion Likely Next Challenger For Title

June 25, 2021 • Admin

Looks like he’s next. One of the more common themes in WWE today is having a dominant champion. That can be a rather cool situation, but it can also cause a few issues. The biggest problem of all is finding someone to take the title from them, as the more dominant a champion is, the harder it is to find a real challenger. NXT is going through that situation, and now they might have a new candidate. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Johnny Gargano is expected to be the next challenger to Karrion Kross’ NXT Title. Gargano was attacked by Kross during this week’s NXT and, assuming there is a title match at the Great American Bash on July 6, is likely to challenge Kross. This is not considered a fact but rather an opinion, as the match has not been confirmed. Gargano has a history of his own. Check out some of his better moments: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinio..

NXT UK Results – June 24, 2021

June 25, 2021 • Admin

NXT UK Date: June 24, 2021 Location: BT Studios, London, England Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd It’s time for a big fight as we have a triple threat main event between Ilja Dragunov, Rampage Brown and Joe Coffey. That alone should be worth seeing, and it would be hard to imagine that the winner is not in line for the next shot at Walter. It isn’t like there is anyone else available to challenge for the title at the moment. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Mark Coffey vs. Sha Samuels They go with the power lockup to start and fight over a headlock exchange. Coffey’s elbow to the face drops Samuels and it’s an armdrag into an armbar. Back up and Samuels hits a hard clothesline and then does it again to turn Coffey inside out. Coffey tries a comeback but runs into an even harder clothesline for two. The Butcher’s Hook is blocked though and Coffey suplexes him down. A middle rope bulldog gives Coffey two more and Samuels’ spinebuster gets the same. The Butcher’s Hook is..

Eva Marie Moved To Alumni Section On WWE.com

June 24, 2021 • Admin

That might be a record. WWE is the biggest and most powerful wrestling company in the world, meaning that a spot on their roster is incredibly valuable to a wrestler’s career. Just being in the company for a cup of coffee is enough to nearly guarantee a run on the independent circuit. Since the company is so big, you are going to see a lot of roster turnover, but this one might top them all. According to 411mania.com, Eva Marie’s WWE.com profile has been moved from Monday Night Raw to the Alumni section. This does NOT necessarily mean that Eva Marie is already gone from the company, as there is a chance that it is a mistake or part of a storyline. There has been no word or rumor of a release so far. Eva Marie returned to WWE television on the June 14 Monday Night Raw after several weeks of vignette promoting her return. It would be very fast. Check out Eva Marie’s recent return: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contai..

REVIEW: WCW Monday Nitro – March 8, 1999: An All Time Mess

June 24, 2021 • Admin

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? Monday Nitro #182 Date: March 8, 1999 Location: Centrum, Worcester, Massachusetts Attendance: 10,856 Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tony Schaivone, Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko We had to get to this one eventually. I’ve heard warnings about this show for a long time now and even though I’ve seen it more than once before, the idea that this was allowed to make air still baffles me. It’s the go home Nitro before Uncensored, meaning this is the big show to get people to buy the pay per view. Let’s get to it. Video on the cag..

KB’s Review: Speak To Them

June 24, 2021 • Admin

Before we get into this week, a quick stunning surprise to me: with this, I will have completed my seventh year of this column. That does not seem remotely possible and I wound up liking it a heck of a lot more than I expected to. It is a different style of writing than I am used to doing and it has been a lot of fun. I’ll be continuing it for a good while, as it lets me look at wrestling in another way. Thanks for reading along for the last seven years (seriously, that should not be possible) and with that out of the way, let’s get to it this week. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed just about everything involving wrestling at one point or another over the last year and a half. The good thing is that things are about to get back to normal though, at least in WWE, as the fans will be back in less than a month. That change is a long time in coming, and since the wrestlers are basically going to be starting over in a sense, it would be smart if WWE started doing something involving th..

WATCH: John Cena Discusses Upcoming WWE Return

June 24, 2021 • Admin

The anticipation builds. There are only a handful of wrestlers over the years to become the face of WWE. You can probably count the wrestlers who accomplished this feat on one hand and that puts them in a pretty elite group. It means a lot to see one of them making an appearance, and now it seems that WWE is getting ready for such a return from one of its biggest stars ever. John Cena appeared on the Tonight Show on Wednesday night to promote F9: The Fast Saga. During the interview, Cena was asked about whether he would return to WWE. Cena confirmed that he would be returning and was looking forward to his next match, though he did not give a specific date. When asked why he posted a WWE logo to social media in May, Cena said that he was simply feeling nostalgic. Cena has been a part of WWE for over twenty years, beginning with his time in the Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental territory in 2001. He debuted on SmackDown in 2002 and went on to become a record tying sixteen time World..

WWE Star Not Returning To The Ring Anytime Soon

June 24, 2021 • Admin

Rain check? It can be very frustrating to see a wrestler appear so promising and then have everything fall apart for one reason or another. This could be anything from an injury to storyline issues to a personal situation, but what matters at the end is that they are out of the ring for whatever reason. That is the case with a certain WWE star and it might be even longer before we see a return. Sonya Deville was a guest on this week’s edition of WWE’s The Bump where she discussed her return to the ring. Deville mentioned that she loves being in the ring but also loves being a leader. As a result, she does not see a return to the ring taking place anytime soon, as she has been sharing power with Adam Pearce on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. This comes after rumors of Deville training at the Performance Center surfaced earlier this month. Deville has been out of the ring as she has been dealing with legal fallout from a man invading her home in August 2020. As a result, Deville has no..

VIDEO: Wrestling Legend Announces Return To The Ring

June 24, 2021 • Admin

Back where she belongs. While WWE is the most high profile wrestling promotion in the world, they are not the only one around. The advent of the internet and streaming technology has made it a lot easier to see far more wrestling than at any point before, which has allowed more promotions to become a bit more prominent. Now one of them is getting a big name back in the ring. Former WWE Women’s and Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Mickie James has released a video on Instagram, announcing that she will be returning to the ring at the NWA 73rd Anniversary Show on August 29. No opponent has been announced. This will be the day after the all women NWA Empowerrr show, with James serving as executive producer. If James does not wrestle before the Anniversary Show, it will be her first match since the Women’s Royal Rumble on January 31. James is quite the worker. Check out her announcement and her time in the ring: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, cl..

Here’s Why WWE Had So Many Hell In A Cell Matches

June 24, 2021 • Admin

There’s a reason for that. Last weekend was a big stretch for WWE, as they presented three Hell In A Cell matches over the course of three days, with a fourth following on the Monday thereafter. That is quite the schedule for the company and it was not exactly something people saw coming. There was a good reason for what WWE did though and now it is a lot more clear. According to PWInsider.com, the idea behind WWE having so many Hell In A Cell matches in such a short amount of time was to drive up interest in the company before fans return in July. The matches included the first ever Hell In A Cell on SmackDown and the first on Monday Night Raw since 1998. WWE will be holding its first event with a full capacity of fans in over fifteen months with the July 16 SmackDown. There is no word on if NBC or FOX insisted on having the Cell matches. I’d call that a busy week. Check out the four Cell matches in four days: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, c..

Welcome Return: Popular International Star Returning To AEW

June 24, 2021 • Admin

Welcome back. AEW has not been around all that long at the moment, but they already have a rather deep history of their own. This includes some things that have been better than others, including the not so great early days of the women’s division. The division has come a long way, and now one of their previous starts is ready to make a return to the promotion. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling has announced that Yuka Sakazaki will be returning to AEW television at some point in July. This is described as her excursion, meaning that it will not be a permanent move. According to 411mania.com, assuming there are no changes in Japanese policy over the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions, Sakazaki will be back in Japan on August 14. Sakazaki’s most recent match for AEW took place in February 2020. ??????AEW??? ?????7???????????????? 7?1?(?)?????????????????????1??? @AEW ??????????? [BREAKING] Yuka Sakazaki @YukaSakazaki will be on US excursion! She will be in the US from July to appear in #AE..