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WWE Signs Five Former Evolve Wrestlers

September 1, 2020 • Admin

Welcome to the family. There are a lot of wrestlers on the WWE roster, to the point where they can only find so many places for a lot of them. As a result, you often find a lot of wrestlers sitting on the sidelines for extended periods of time. That doesn’t mean WWE is going to ignore talent where they find it though, which is what brings them to several fresh signings. There have been a lot of wrestling stories related to the Coronavirus pandemic and most of them have been rather negative. One of the biggest non-WWE stories was the closing of more than one wrestling promotion, including some that WWE had done business with in the past. Even though the company is gone, it does not mean that the wrestlers are gone. WWE has certainly kept this in mind. According to PWInsider.com, WWE has signed five talents from Evolve Wrestling. The names signed include Josh Briggs, Anthony Greene, Brandi Lauren, Curt Stallion and Joe Gacy. These five join Leon Ruff, who was signed by WWE earlier this..

REVIEW: Clash Of Champions 2017: The Wrap Up Show

September 1, 2020 • 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? Clash of Champions 2017 Date: December 17, 2017 Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton It’s the final pay per view of the year and this time the focus is on champions. Well, at least some of it is as the rest of the focus has been on Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn vs. Shane McMahon, who has put together Randy Orton/Shinsuke Nakamura to fight for him. Let’s get to it. Kickoff Show: Mojo Rawley vs. Zack Ryder They were partners who kept losing so Rawley turned on him...

Backstage News On Paul Heyman And Roman Reigns Pairing

August 31, 2020 • Admin

It’s so simple. Every now and then, WWE can find something big and catch fire on a story and that is the kind of thing that they can’t plan in advance. If they find something that catches the fans’ attention though, a lot of good things can be accomplished in a hurry. This time now though, the idea might be able to do take care of two unrelated tasks at the same time. This time around, the big idea was to FINALLY turn Roman Reigns heel for the first time in over six years. The idea was to pair him together with Paul Heyman, which is one of the biggest surprises that you probably did not see coming. It turns out that there were a few reasons to put the two of them together, one of which is a little bit surprising given what it could have been. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, there were separate reasons for putting Reigns and Heyman together. In Reigns’ case, the idea was to cement his heel turn, as Heyman is seen as a major heel in WWE. Heyman will be Reigns’ agent or advocate ..

Sonya Deville’s Legal Issues Changed Summerslam Stipulations

August 31, 2020 • Admin

The real world situation. You never know when you might see something on a wrestling card changed at the last minute. That is not the worst thing in the world as occasionally it is not something that can be controlled, but it can be disappointing. WWE had been building up a big gimmick match at Summerslam but changed it just before the show. There was a pretty specific reason for the move. One of the most disturbing stories wrestling has seen in a long time broke earlier this month when Sonya Deville’s home was invaded by a fan in possession of a knife and zip ties who had planned to kidnap her. Deville escaped the house and the fan was apprehended, but it was still quite the traumatizing experience. This is something that is going to go on for a long time, and that played into the Summerslam match being changed. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the Summerslam match was changed due to Deville’s upcoming court appearances. Deville was scheduled to lose her hair at Summe..

RUMOR: What’s Next For Drew McIntyre In WWE

August 31, 2020 • Admin

They have a plan. Back at WrestleMania 36, Drew McIntyre won the WWE Championship and has gone on to hold it for the last six months. McIntyre has become the face of Monday Night Raw and has done rather well during his reign with the title. This has included some rather nice title defenses against some big names but one of the people who McIntyre has defeated isn’t done quite yet. McIntyre defeated Randy Orton to retain the title at Summerslam in a match which saw McIntyre survive off a backslide. Orton was not happy with the loss and attacked the champ the following night with three Punts in less than three hours. This put McIntyre on the shelf, but now we know where things are going to be going with him, including when the title will be on the line again. According to Wrestlingnews.co, McIntyre is expected to return to WWE television at some point after Payback to set up the rematch with Orton at Clash Of Champions. McIntyre was put on the shelf on Monday Night Raw due to the Punts..

How The Steiner Brothers Heavily Influenced Cesaro’s Career

August 31, 2020 • Admin

That’s a good team for Cesaro to emulate. Tag team wrestling has been around for a very long time and it isn’t going away anytime soon. While it might not be at the heights it has been before, tag team wrestling can work very well if a company can find some teams with a chemistry. You don’t get to see it all that often, but it can help to look at some of the all time greats. One of WWE’s more prolific tag team wrestlers does just that. There are very few WWE stars of this generation with as much tag team experience as Cesaro. Over the years, Cesaro has teamed with Tyson Kidd, Shinsuke Nakamura, Jack Swagger and Sheamus with quite the bit of success most of the time. Cesaro is a very talented wrestler and has done some great things in tag teams and it might have to do with his inspiration. In a new interview with the Bump, Cesaro spoke about how he tries to emulate the Steiner Brothers in his tag teams and wrestlers more like either Rick or Scott Steiner depending on his partner. His ..

Universal Title Changes Hands In A Weird Way At Payback

August 31, 2020 • Admin

There’s your big moment. Payback has come and gone and now WWE gets a needed break from pay per view for the time being. The show was the second pay per view in a week and that meant that WWE needed something big to get the fans’ attention. They certainly had a big main event that came after a major twist on SmackDown, but could they deliver after that moment? The big surprise at the end of Summerslam saw Roman Reigns make his return to WWE after five months away over Coronavirus concerns. Reigns would attack the new Universal Champion the Fiend and former champion Braun Strowman, setting up a triple threat at Payback. Then on SmackDown, Reigns aligned himself with Paul Heyman in a major twist, leaving some questions going into the pay per view. Reigns won the Universal Title at Payback, pinning Strowman after a spear. The match started with Strowman and Fiend fighting each other alone, as Reigns did not show up until about ten minute in. Heyman accompanied him to the stage where Rei..

Next WWE Pay Per View Confirmed

August 31, 2020 • Admin

Next show up. Like any other wrestling promotion, WWE is built around its big shows. You need something to build towards and that is where pay per views come in. They are going to be set up rather well in some cases and a lot of that has to do with time. If there isn’t much time to set things up, a theme to the show can help, which is what WWE is going to have in September. Titles are one of the easiest concepts in wrestling. Wrestlers fight over a prize and whoever wins the match is the best. That is as simple as you can get and it is something that will work almost every time, no matter what else is going on in the story. WWE has more titles than they know what to do with a lot of the time and if they set things up well, we could be in for something fun next month. During Sunday’s Payback, WWE confirmed that Clash Of Champions 2020 will be taking place in four weeks on September 27. As the name suggests, the theme of the show will be championships, with all of the company’s titles ..

Three New Champions Crowned At Payback 2020

August 31, 2020 • Admin

Sometimes champions don’t always have the advantage. Tonight at the 2020 edition of Payback, three different titles changed hands, just one week after WWE’s biggest part of the summer, SummerSlam. In the opening contest of the evening, Bobby Lashley defeated Apollo Crews to become the new United States champion. The finish came when Lashley made Crews tap out to the Full Lashley submission hold. Next, Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax defeated Bayley and Sasha Banks to become the new Women’s Tag Team Champions. While the Golden Role Models hung in there, The Queen of Spades put an Indian Deathlock on Banks and the Kirifuda Clutch to Bayley at the same time. The champs had no choice but to tap out. Finally, Roman Reigns defeated “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman to become the new Universal Champion. After The Fiend super-plexed Strowman from the top rope, causing the ring to implode, Reigns showed up with a chair and started beating both of them with it. After a couple of minutes, T..

Payback 2020 Live Coverage And Results

August 30, 2020 • Admin

Payback 2020 Date: August 30, 2020 Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe, Byron Saxton, Michael Cole, Corey Graves We’re back on pay per view less than a week after the last one ended, because that’s a thing that needed to happen. This time around we have the big main event of the Fiend defending the Smackdown World Title against Braun Strowman and a surprisingly heel Roman Reigns, with Paul Heyman in his corner. That sounds like it could have some serious legs so let’s get to it. Kickoff Show: IIconics vs. Riott Squad The IIconics promise to expose them as frauds before the match. Riott charges at Royce to start and the chase is on around the ring. That means Riott runs into Shades of Kay and it’s off to a neck crank inside. Kay forearms Riott for two and the trash talk is on in a hurry. Royce knees her in the back a few times and we hit the chinlock. Riott fights up but a Kay distraction lets Royce knock Liv to the floor. Kay tries to convi..

WATCH: Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe From Payback 2017

August 30, 2020 • Admin

You want fast and furious action? Look no further. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel in which they show the full match between Seth Rollins and Samoa Joe from Payback 2017. You can see the video in its entirety below: From WWE.com: The Kingslayer started the match with a fast-and-furious attack, taking every risk to knock down Joe. But his formidable opponent only needed one shot at Rollins’ knee to turn the showdown 180-degrees. From there, the bout became an exercise in punishment, as Joe twisted and smashed Rollins’ ailing knee just like a lion would toy with a gazelle. The damage lingered with Rollins for the rest of the match, as every move of offense or defense resulted in him writhing in pain. The Kingslayer fought through the agony, though, flying halfway across the ring for a crushing Frog Splash. The hard-hitting Samoan tried to suck the life out of Rollins with a sleeper hold and looked for one more maneuver to finish him off, but The Kingslayer suddenl..

RUMOR: Seth Rollins Taking Time Off From WWE

August 30, 2020 • Admin

It’s long overdue. There are a lot of names under the WWE banner and some of them are around a lot more often than others. At times it does not seem possible for someone to be as active as they are without collapsing but some people just have that drive that cannot be stopped. It makes for some amazing performances, but sometimes even those stars need a break. We might be seeing that again. Earlier this year, Becky Lynch stepped away from WWE after announcing her pregnancy. That announcement sent some shock waves through the WWE women’s division as Lynch was the top star in the division by far and one of the biggest stars in all of the company. However there was an interesting detail in her case, as her fiance is also a top WWE star. With Lynch taking time off, her fiance might be as well. According to Ringsidenews.com, a rumor is circulating that Lynch’s fiance Seth Rollins may be taking some time away from WWE in the near future. Rollins is currently in the middle of a feud with Re..

Future Plans For Roman Reigns And Bray Wyatt

August 30, 2020 • Admin

The future is…different. WWE is in a strange place at the moment as they are trying their best to build things up back up while still dealing with the Coronavirus. That is not the easiest trick in the world to accomplish but they are doing what they can. One way to do that might be to take a new direction but WWE might be doing even more than that. Instead, they might be trying two new directions at once. Last Sunday at Summerslam, the Fiend became the new Universal Champion to begin his second reign. As soon as the match was over though, Roman Reigns made his long awaited return and speared the Fiend down, showing quite a different edge in the process. That was weird enough, but then things got turned completely upside down on SmackDown when Reigns aligned himself with Paul Heyman, seemingly turning heel for the first time as a singles wrestler. It turns out that it isn’t the only big change in the works. According to PWInsider.com, the current SmackDown plans call for Reigns, with ..

NWA World Title Being Defended On Pay Per View

August 30, 2020 • Admin

The gold is back. One of the most surprising stories from late 2019 was the resurgence of the NWA. While the promotion did not reach any spectacular heights, it was a lot better than sitting around collecting dust and trying to remind people that they still exist. Their weekly Powerrr series gained a nice audience but it was shut down due to Coronavirus concerns. That put the brakes on the promotion but it is far from dead, and now we know where things are going next. Earlier this month, news broke that the NWA would be teaming with the United Wrestling Network for a series of weekly pay per view events. The shows would include NWA champions, such as NWA World Champion Nick Aldis, but there were not many details beyond that. Now we know a good bit more, including when Aldis will be putting the title on the line. According to PWInsider.com, the first edition of the Primetime Live series will take place on Tuesday September 15 and will feature an NWA World Title match with Aldis defend..

WWE Adds Kickoff Show Match To Payback, Champion Comments

August 30, 2020 • Admin

There’s always time for one more. Payback is coming up on us in a hurry and WWE did not exactly have a lot of time to set things up in the first place. That has made the build unlike any other in WWE history and that is going to cause some issues for everyone involved. You can’t do that much in such a short amount of time but that hasn’t stopped WWE, who is trying to make it as normal of a show as possible. One of the biggest stories in WWE over the last few months has been the women’s divisions, which have been dominated by Bayley and Sasha Banks. Until last Sunday, they held all of the Women’s Titles, including the Tag Team Titles. Those belts will be on the line this Sunday, but they are going to need some more challengers after the match is over. We might find those out soon. WWE has announced that the IIconics will face the Riott Squad during the Payback Kickoff Show. The two teams have fought extensively in recent weeks, including both in singles matches and tag matches. Bayley..

WWE Pay Per View Calendar Changed

August 26, 2020 • Admin

The calendar needs a switch. We are in a weird period for the WWE and that is the kind of thing that couldn’t be predicted. The Coronavirus has changed almost everything about the wrestling world and that is going to be the case for the time being. This includes some changes to the WWE’s schedule and we will be seeing another change to it as we move into the fall. Titles are probably the easiest storytelling device in all of wrestling. You have a title that says you’re the best and someone else wants it. How much more basic of a story can you tell than that? It should make for an easy match and WWE is smart enough to realize that. It is why there is a pay per view dedicated entirely titles but we are going to have to wait on it a little bit longer. According to PWInsider.com, WWE has moved Clash of Champions back from September 20 to September 27. There is no word on why WWE made such a change. This lines up with the lease agreement that WWE has with the Amway Center, which included ..

Several New Details On WWE’s Amway Center Agreement

August 26, 2020 • Admin

I’d call it a bargain. One of the biggest stories from over the weekend was WWE moving into the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The arena is being dubbed the Thunderdome and offers WWE a way out of the Performance Center, where they had been stuck for five months thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. It is quite the upgrade but it does come with some additional costs. Moving into the Amway Center immediately made WWE feel like a much bigger deal all over again. At the end of the day, the Performance Center is a small arena and not something that seems to fit the image of the biggest wrestling company in the world. The move was very necessary and something that was overdue. It is a good thing that WWE got to make the change, and there are some more details that make it seem like a better deal. Spectrum News 13 in Orlando, Florida has tweeted out an image of the WWE’s lease with the Amway Center which reveals some additional details. The agreement runs through October 31 but both sides..

This Week’s Raw Underground Was Heavily Changed

August 26, 2020 • Admin

On the cutting room floor. Monday Night Raw is the biggest wrestling show in the world and with that comes a lot of pressure. While it is certainly a big show, it is also not always the best show and as a result, WWE tries to shake things up from time to time. Some of these changes are better than others but this week there was a chance to one of the bigger changes. Last month, WWE debuted a new concept called Raw Underground, which is basically an underground fight club with WWE wrestlers and extras in worked shoot fights in a back room. Shane McMahon serves as host every week and wrestlers such as Dolph Ziggler, the Viking Raiders and the Hurt Business have made regular appearances. Those are just some of the names, but even those who participated this week didn’t all make it to air. According to Fightful Select, WWE filmed several additional Raw Underground segments for this week’s show, including one involving Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke winning a fight each. Also planned was..

Details On Vince McMahon’s Monday Night Raw Changes

August 26, 2020 • Admin

Are you really surprised? Vince McMahon is the undisputed king of all things professional wrestling and has been for a very long time now. Whether you like him or not, there is no denying that he is the ultimate power in the sport and can do just about anything he wants. If he makes a decision there isn’t much that can be done to change his mind and that was the case again this week. There are a lot of problems with the current WWE system and they have been around for a very long time. Above all else, the television show is not always the most coherent or air tight and a lot of that comes from the massive rewrites that tend to take place. Most of these are ordered by McMahon and that was the case again this week, though it was a little worse than usual. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, McMahon made several changes to the show throughout the day over the phone and then made even more upon arriving at the Amway Center for the broadcast. McMahon made it to the arena at around 7:00..

AEW Dark Results – August 25, 2020

August 26, 2020 • Admin

If you would like to see this show in full, you can watch it right here: Dark Date: August 25, 2020 Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida Commentators: Taz, Tony Schiavone, Veda Scott I’m not sure what to expect from this show as it might be the last show without fans, but at the same time it is a thirteen match card that lasts an hour and fifty eight minutes. Yes I mention the time and the amount of matches every week, but given how this show goes, what else am I supposed to talk about on a show made of squash matches? Let’s get to it. Announcers’ welcome. Storm Thomas/Demitri Jackson vs. Best Friends Orange Cassidy is here too. Chuck headlocks Thomas to start and drops him with a sunset flip. It’s off to Jackson, who is chopped in the corner by Trent. A Meteora drops Jackson again and a hanging northern lights suplex makes it worse. Chuck comes back in but gets kicked in the back so Jackson can take him into the corner. A knee out of the corner allows Chuck to get over ..