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REVIEW: In Your House: Canadian Stampede: Oh….Canada

June 22, 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? In Your House #16: Canadian Stampede Date: July 6, 1997 Location: Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Attendance: 12,151 Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon This is a show I’ve been waiting to get to for a very long time. Canadian Stampede is considered one of the best shows of all time and ran away with the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Award for show of the year. There are only four matches on the card, but even with so few matches the card is nothing short of stacked. Let’s get to it. The opening..

Two NXT Champions Appearing On WWE TV This Week *SPOILERS*

June 22, 2021 • Admin

Meet the new generation. WWE is a huge wrestling company and as a result they only have so many spots available for all of their talent. At some point you are going to have to bring in some fresh names as you can only do so much with what is currently available. That is where NXT comes in, and a lot of its roster has the skills to be called up immediately. It seems that we could be seeing that with two names soon. According to PWInsider.com, two NXT champions will be in action on this week’s edition of Main Event. During the show, North American Champion Bronson Reed defeated Drew Gulak and NXT Champion Karrion Kross defeated Shelton Benjamin. This comes after both Reed and Kross were brought in for last week’s SmackDown to work dark matches for scouting before possibly being called up to the main roster later this year. Reed has held the North American Title since March 7, when he defeated Johnny Gargano in a cage match. His most recent title defense took place in a six man winner t..

WATCH: Monday Night Raw Star Debuts New Character

June 22, 2021 • Admin

It’s something new. Characters are one of the most important ideas in all of wrestling. You can only get so far with someone being plain and boring so mixing it up with a different gimmick or personality can make all the difference in the world. Some of these can be rather over the top and that is not a bad idea. It seems to be the case again now, as someone is doing something rather new. During this week’s Monday Night Raw, Nikki Cross spoke about trying to overcome the odds and embracing her inner spirit. She wore a blue mask and superhero inspired costume, complete with cape, for her Money in the Bank qualifying tag match, where she and Alexa Bliss defeated Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. There is nothing to suggest that Cross will be changing her name to go with the new character. Cross has wrestled for WWE since 2016, splitting her time between NXT and the main roster. During her time in NXT, she was a member of Sanity, where she was often unhinged in her matches and interviews. She..

WWE RUMOR: Dream Match Planned For Summerslam

June 22, 2021 • Admin

You need to start fresh. Summerslam is coming up in about two months and this time around, the show is going to be even bigger than usual. With WWE just coming out of the Coronavirus situation and fans being allowed back on a big scale, it is time to start putting together a major card. WWE is already on that, and now they might have a pretty cool match planned. According to the WrestleVotes Twitter account, WWE is planning to have Set Rollins face Edge at Summerslam. The match has not yet been set up, though Edge has been advertised to return to WWE TV on the July 16 SmackDown. This will be Edge’s first appearance since he lost in the main event of WrestleMania 37. Rollins has recently been feuding with Cesaro, who he defeated at Hell In A Cell. This would be the first time Edge and Rollins have ever faced each other one on one. Edge came out of retirement at the 2020 Royal Rumble following nearly nine years away from the ring. He would enter a feud with Randy Orton, defeating him a..

Title Rematch Set For Money In The Bank

June 22, 2021 • Admin

Keep the card growing. Money In The Bank is in less than a month and it is time to start getting ready for the show. Part of the problem with the show is having so many people involved in the namesake matches, leaving the rest of the card with a bit less to pick from. That makes the non-ladder matches a bit more interesting, and now we know one of the bigger ones. This week on Monday Night Raw, Sonya Deville announced that Charlotte will challenges Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Title at Money In The Bank. This will be a rematch from Hell In A Cell, where Ripley was disqualified for hitting Charlotte in the face with part of the announcers’ table. Charlotte and Ripley had both come to the ring to address the situation, with Deville taking Charlotte’s comments as a challenge. We could be in for a heck of a fight. Check out how this feud has gotten here: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

WWE Title Match Set For Money In The Bank

June 22, 2021 • Admin

There’s your main event. We are less than a month away from Money In The Bank and that means it is time to start getting ready for the show. The two major matches will be the show’s namesake matches but there are other things that need to be included to beef up the card. There will also be some title matches involved, and now we know the biggest of them all. This week on Monday Night Raw, Kofi Kingston challenged WWE Champion Bobby Lashley for a title match at Money in the Bank, with Lashley accepting. Kingston defeated Lashley in a non-title match in May on Monday Night Raw, albeit with an assist from Drew McIntyre, to set up the match. This is the first match set for Money In The Bank, which will be the first WWE pay per view to take place in front of a full audience in over sixteen months. These two do have a bit of a history. Check out what we might be seeing: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click..

Monday Night Raw Live Coverage And Results – June 21, 2021

June 21, 2021 • Admin

Monday Night Raw Date: June 21, 2021 Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida Commentators: Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Jimmy Smith We’re done with the Cell and that means it is time to start getting ready for Money in the Bank. That means a lot of qualifying matches before we have a series of matches with the people building momentum, whatever that means going into a ladder match. Other than that, Bobby Lashley needs a new challenger after beating Drew McIntyre again. Let’s get to it. The briefcases and the Cell are above the ring. Here are Bobby Lashley and MVP, flanked by his latest group of women, for the VIP Lounge. MVP brags about Lashley retaining and hands him the floor. Lashley says he was pushed to his limit last night but proved that he is still the Almighty. They brag about their win and load up a toast but here is the New Day to interrupt, complete with a plate of toast. Said toast is thrown into the ring, prompting MVP to talk about how this is more proof of what goo..

Round Two: Former WWE Star Training To Become A Boxer

June 21, 2021 • Admin

It’s a new way to go. Wrestlers are certainly athletes, though they are not often going to get the same kind of recognition as more mainstream athletes. This is not the fairest thing in the world, as wrestlers can often be an athletic freak who just needs a chance to prove themselves. That might be the case again soon, as a former wrestler is going to be trying a new sport. According to Fightful Select, former WWE star Lars Sullivan is in training to become a boxer. There is a possibility that this will be either as a bare knuckles boxer or a traditional boxer, though this is not clear. Sullivan’s career is only in the early stages and he may eventually take a fight at some point in the future. Sullivan is said to be trying to capitalizing on his time as a WWE star to springboard into the boxing world. Sullivan worked for WWE from 2013-2021, mainly appearing in NXT. In late 2018, Black would be advertised to move to the main roster, though the debut was postponed due to anxiety issue..

WWE And Brock Lesnar Might Be Further Apart Than Thought

June 21, 2021 • Admin

Not so fast? WWE is on its way to Summerslam and that means things are going to pick up in a hurry. It can be fascinating to see what is being planned for one of the biggest shows of the year, as you will hear all kinds of ideas and theories about what is coming. Some of these might make a bit more sense than others, but now we might know one of the people you won’t be seeing. According to Fightful Select, sources close to Brock Lesnar have said there has been no contact between Lesnar and WWE and nothing to suggest that it might be coming. This comes two months away from Summerslam, where WWE is hoping Lesnar will wrestle. The idea that WWE wants Lesnar back is said to be a “poorly kept secret”. There is still the chance that Lesnar and WWE could come to terms on a deal before Summerslam. Lesnar has been a big deal at Summerslam before. Check out what he has done there before: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contain..

VIDEO: Former WWE Star Gets In Fight With Fan At Indy Show

June 21, 2021 • Admin

That’s never good. Wrestling is a rather unique form of entertainment as it takes place live in front of people with, at least in theory, fans believing that what they are seeing is real. That might not be the case every single time, but sometimes you see fans who buy into what they are seeing. Something similar took place recently and it turned pretty ugly in a hurry. During a SWE Fury event over the weekend, a fan got into a fight with former WWE star Charlie Haas. The issue at the North Texas Fury Fest event started when Haas shoved a fan, prompting another fan to hit Haas in retaliation. Another wrestler intervened until the situation calmed, with Haas berating the fans for getting physically involved and attacking him. Of course there was a camera. Check out Haas vs. the fans, plus his time against some better competition: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’m not complete..

Why Roman Reigns Fans Are Smarter Than The Rest

June 21, 2021 • Admin

The top of the heap. There are all kinds of wrestling fans around the world as it is the kind of thing that anyone can understand in a hurry. Most of the time, you have two people in the ring and a match decides which one is better. Some of the wrestlers you will see are a bit more interesting than others though and now we might have some proof that certain fans are a bit brighter than others. According to a study from HowToBet.com, Roman Reigns fans have the highest IQ’s of any fans tested. This includes fans of wrestlers such as Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton, as well as fans of NHL, NFL and NBA teams. According to the study, Reigns fans have an average IQ of 126, with Bryan’s fans coming in second at 122.2. The study was made of 1006 professional sports fans. Reigns has been Universal Champion since August 30, 2020, when he won the title at Payback. Since then, he has gone on to defend the title against a host of other stars during his nearly ten month title reign. Reigns’ most rece..

Bobby Lashley Has A Cool Idea For A WWE Title Defense

June 21, 2021 • Admin

He does have some pull. There are all kinds of titles in the wrestling world today and while it has been watered down a bit, the WWE Title is still near the top of the list. It has one of the deepest histories in wrestling and that will be the case for a long time to come. Holding the title means a lot to a wrestler’s career, but it also comes with some power. Now a champion is interested in using some of that power. WWE Champion Bobby Lashley was interviewed by Yahoo Sports where he was asked about Kofi Kingston receiving a shot at the title. Lashley said he should, citing Kingston’s contributions to wrestling as well as the fact that he never received a rematch for the title. Kingston won the title at WrestleMania 35 and lost it to Brock Lesnar on the October 4 SmackDown. This comes as MVP has been trying to recruit Kingston to join the Hurt Business along with Lashley. It could be interesting. Check out the two of them as champion and their match against each other: [This post co..

VIDEO: Possible Injury Takes Place At WWE Hell In A Cell

June 21, 2021 • Admin

Hopefully it isn’t too bad. There is no way around all of the possible injuries in wrestling. No matter how much training or skill you have, there is always the chance that something could go wrong and that can make for some very bad moments. Sometimes these things can happen in the blink of an eye and that might have been the case during a big show this weekend. During WWE’s Hell In A Cell pay per view, Kevin Owens seemed to injure his arm or shoulder during a match against Sami Zayn. Owens was sent to the floor where Zayn hit a running dive over the top. As they both got up, Owens was favoring his arm, with commentary speculating that it was his wrist. Owens finished the match while favoring his arm, with Zayn winning via the Helluva Kick. There is no word on how bad Owens’ arm might be or if the injury is legitimate. It was a nasty landing. Check out the dive and Owens vs. Zayn when both are healthy: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to p..

Hell In A Cell 2021 Live Coverage And Results

June 20, 2021 • Admin

Hell In A Cell 2021 Date: June 20, 2021 Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves It’s time for another big theme show with the event focusing on the match we saw two days ago. This time we have a pair of matches inside the Cell, as Bianca Belair defends the Smackdown Women’s Title against Bayley and Drew McIntyre challenges Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title. Let’s get to it. Kickoff Show: Mandy Rose vs. Natayla Dana Brooke and Tamina are here too. Natalya grabs a headlock takeover as commentary talks about Natalya complaining about Mandy’s looks. Mandy grabs a wristlock so Natalya spins out, only to get sunset flipped for two. They flip around each other a lot without making much contact until Natalya gets dropped throat first across the top rope. Some stomping in the corner keeps Natalya down, setting up the bodyscissors. Natalya powers up to hit a slam but Mandy hammers her down with forearms to the ba..

Roman Reigns Could Have A Brand New Challenger On SmackDown

June 20, 2021 • Admin

How else can you do it? After several years of stalled pushed and missteps with Roman Reigns, WWE has finally figured out the right formula. Reigns is approaching ten months as the Universal Champion and there is no reason to believe that anyone is going to be stopping him anytime soon. That makes finding challengers for him a little more difficult, but WWE has a new idea. This week on Talking Smack, Reigns’ personal counsel Paul Heyman issued an open challenge on Reigns’ behalf. After Reigns successfully defended his title against Rey Mysterio in a Hell in a Cell match on SmackDown, he authorized Heyman to find a new challenger for him. Heyman has said that Reigns’ dance card is open and anyone who wants a shot at him can come get one on the June 25 SmackDown. There is no word on who could accept the challenge. Reigns has held the Universal Title since August 30, 2020, when he defeated the Fiend to win the title in a triple threat match also involving Braun Strowman. Since then, Rei..

Check The Boxes: What WWE Requires At Its NXT Tryouts

June 20, 2021 • Admin

They have a type. There are a lot of wrestlers in WWE these days but it makes sense for the company to bring in new talent to keep things moving. It is a good idea to keep the roster fresh and that involves bringing wrestlers to the Performance Center for tryouts. It can be quite impressive to make it past a tryout, but now we know a bit more about what WWE wants from their applicants. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported what WWE is looking for in wrestlers at their tryouts. As a general but not universal rule, WWE is looking for a wrestler about six feet tall and at least 220lbs. Wrestlers who do not meet these requirements will also be considered if they are an “exceptionally good athlete” seen as handsome. WWE is also looking for to hire more African American and Hispanic/Latin wrestlers as they want to market to international audiences. These tryouts can be intense. Check out what they include: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, cli..

More On WWE Airing Hell In A Cell Match On SmackDown

June 20, 2021 • Admin

Call it a scheduling curiosity. WWE is ready to present its annual Hell In A Cell pay per view event, which will of course be centered around shows taking place inside the show’s namesake structure. That makes for some major matches to take place in the Cell, but this year featured a twist as Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio met in the Cell on the SmackDown before the pay per view. Now we know a bit more about the change. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the idea behind moving the match was to have it available to as many viewers as possible, hence moving it to SmackDown on FOX. The match took place as it would have at the pay per view and Reigns is not expected to wrestle at the show. The move was not seen as a big deal and now Bianca Belair defending the SmackDown Women’s Title against Bayley will take place inside the Cell as a replacement match. It was a heck of a fight. Check out how the match went down, plus how we got there: [This post contains video, click to play] [Thi..

NXT Stars Work SmackDown Dark Matches, In Line For Possible Callups

June 20, 2021 • Admin

You have to start somewhere. NXT is a rather unique kind of promotion, as it serves as both the official developmental territory for WWE but it is also the third brand. That means stars coming up from NXT to the main roster are probably going to have been seen more than a few times. Now we might know who the next big name coming up from NXT might be. According to PWInsider.com, both Karrion Kross and Bronson Reed worked dark matches before this week’s SmackDown, with Kross facing Dolph Ziggler and Reed facing Robert Roode. This is being done before the next WWE Draft in September, when more talents could be called up. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Kross is expected to be moved up to the main roster, which was expected from the day that he was signed to WWE. It is not clear if WWE is expected to call Reed up as well. Kross was signed to WWE in 2020 and became the NXT Champion by defeating Keith Lee at Takeover: XXX in August. He was forced to vacate the title the following da..

Major Update On Becky Lynch’s Return To WWE

June 20, 2021 • Admin

I’m sure there is a place for her. The WWE Women’s Revolution changed everything about women’s wrestling in America and in a rather positive way. After spending years as little more than a side attraction or eye candy, female wrestlers were suddenly being featured and even headlining pay per views. This included WrestleMania 35 in the biggest women’s match of all time. Now we might be seeing one of the participants back soon. According to PWInsider.com, former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch was back at the Performance Center this week training in the ring, including working in the ring with Indi Hartwell. According to Fightful Select, Lynch was said to look “jacked” and “like she never left” while training. Lynch has not wrestled since WrestleMania 36 as she took time away for maternity leave and gave birth to her daughter, Roux, in December. There is no word on when Lynch will be returning to WWE television. They could use her. Check out what Lynch can do for WWE: [..

Hell In A Cell 2021 Preview, Predictions and Thoughts

June 20, 2021 • Admin

The calendar has been changed around a bit this year so the October show is now in June and the show’s namesake match took place on the Smackdown before the show because….I’m assuming a ratings ploy. We still have two matches inside the Cell for Sunday though, because having three of them in about seventy two hours is perfectly acceptable. Let’s get to it. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn The eternal feud continues as these two somehow aren’t inside the Cell, despite it being something that would make sense. Owens has been banged up by Commander Azeez as of late and Zayn thinks it’s pretty funny so of course it’s time for these two to fight again. Granted I’m not sure if they needed that much thought put into it, as these two could probably have a fight over a stale sandwich. We’ve seen this before: [This post contains video, click to play] For once I’ll take Zayn to win here, as he lost at Wrestlemania and Owens is coming in banged up after Friday. Owens would seem to be a likely challen..