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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 ..

205 Live Results – August 21, 2020

August 26, 2020 • Admin

205 Live Date: August 21, 2020 Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Drew Gulak, Vic Joseph What does it mean when 205 Live comes to the Thunderdome? Probably not all that much as last week’s show was pretty much nothing. That’s what happens when you fall back on the same wrestlers who didn’t work in the first place and still don’t now that more time has passed. Maybe they can go with some of the good stuff this time so let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Drake Maverick vs. Tehuti Miles Hold on though as Miles wants to make sure that his shiny fanny pack is placed in the corner before heading outside. After taking his time combing his hair, Miles comes back in for a lockup so he can take Drake down. Maverick goes after him in the corner so Miles hides in the ropes and stops to comb his hair. That earns him a dropkick to the floor and the beating is on, with Gulak suggesting that his former boss get him. Miles manages to send Maverick back first into the post for two..

Why Keith’s Lee Music Was Changed, More Changes May Be Coming

August 26, 2020 • Admin

The familiar sounds. There are certain wrestling songs which are forever linked to some wrestlers. You know who is coming out if you hear glass shattering. You know who the Real American is. You know what that gong means. Those are the kind of songs that are going to be linked with a wrestler forever and while some others might not be as iconic, it can be annoying to see them changed up for less than satisfactory reasons. Over the last several years, a majority of WWE’s music has been handled by CFO$, a band which has produced some pretty good entrance themes for the current generation of WWE stars. You know them when you hear them and the songs are pretty catchy. They offer a lot of recognizable theme songs but a decision outside of WWE’s hands is going to change a lot of them. According to Fightful Select, WWE is trying to get its wrestlers to move away from theme songs produced by CFO$ as the group is no longer affiliated with WWE. Several wrestlers have declined to make the chang..

VIDEO: WWE Stars In New Commercial

August 26, 2020 • Admin

It’s better than nothing. With so many people on the WWE roster, it can be difficult for everyone to get some kind of television time. This can prove very frustrating both for the wrestlers and the fans, as they both want to see people on TV but it doesn’t always work that way. There are some alternatives to getting in the ring though and two WWE wrestlers are doing just that. You might not have watched it all that much, but 205 Live has produced some of the better action in WWE over the last few years. There was a stretch where it was possibly the best show the company had from an in-ring perspective with one high flying match after another. A big reason for that was a group of wrestlers they had, all of whom are now on bigger shows. They are reuniting in a way though, even if it isn’t in the ring. This is a unique one. Check out a new commercial featuring WWE stars: https://media.wrestlingrumors.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/25215750/Mustafa-Ali-Cedric-Alexander.mp4 WWE stars Mus..

Why Aleister Black Turned Heel On Monday Night Raw

August 26, 2020 • Admin

That’s a good explanation. A turn in wrestling can be both surprising and beneficial. Sometimes you need to see something switched for the sake of freshening their career up in both the short and long term. Some of these are more effective than others of course, but that does not make them any less exciting. We saw one such change this week and now we know a little more background. This week on Monday Night Raw, Aleister Black made his return after about a month away to appear as a guest on the Kevin Owens Show. After looking at a clip of the injury which put him out of action in the first place, Black fell to the ground in pain but then popped up to hit Black Mass on Owens, turning heel for the first time in his WWE career. There was a reason for that and it is actually pretty simple. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Black was turned heel for the sake of giving Owens someone to feud against. Owens was originally penciled in to feud with Seth Rollins, but with Rey Mysterio re-s..

Main Event Results – August 20, 2020

August 26, 2020 • Admin

Main Event Date: August 20, 2020 Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton It’s the final show of any series in the Performance Center despite this being the show that needs to be in the place. I would say that I don’t know is going on here but you can pretty much guarantee what you’re going to be seeing. It helps that this is the go home show for Summerslam so they’re going to have a focus at least. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Bianca Belair vs. Billie Kay Peyton Royce is here with Kay. Belair drives her into the corner for an early clean break before taking it to the mat with no real effort. Kay can’t get a single leg as Belair blocks her with straight power and the hiptoss connects. Belair bounces around a bit but Peyton’s distraction lets Kay connect with Shades of Kay for two. We hit the seated abdominal stretch but Belair powers up and takes her into the corner. Belair hits a dropkick into a nip up and she heads up top. A..

Surprise Name Returning To NXT This Week

August 26, 2020 • Admin

Long time no hear. The WWE has had a lot of different names working for it over the years and that can make for some nice memories. Some names might have been around a lot longer than others but there are always going to be some people who you forget. That can make for some nice moments if and when they pop up again and that is the case with a former WWE star. One of the most popular things for wrestling fans to do is ask what if. There are so many situations over the years that may make fans wonder what would have happened had things gone in a different direction and that is also the case with names not getting the kind of push that fans wanted. One name who never broke through is returning to WWE, but not in the way some expected. According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, former WWE star Wade Barrett will be joining the NXT commentary team for this week’s show. This is seen as a one off appearance and there is no indication that Barrett has signed a full time deal with WWE. Barrett left th..

Possible Reason Cody Was Written Off AEW TV

August 26, 2020 • Admin

That could be an explanation. When Roddy Piper was wrestling, he was told he was just acting. Then when he tried to get into acting, he was told he was just a wrestler. There is a weird relationship between the two industries and it can be rather frustrating to try and figure out the differences. Some have tried and the acting can keep them out of the ring for a bit. That seems to be the case again and it might explain something. This past weekend, Cody was defeated by Brodie Lee for the TNT Title. The title change was surprising enough, but the real surprise was seeing Cody defeated in a completely dominant fashion, with Lee totally squashing him. After the match was over, Lee and the Dark Order beat him up even worse, including turning over his stretcher. It came out of nowhere, and now we might know why. According tp PWInsider.com, Cody may have been written off AEW TV so he could participate in the filming of Heels, a Starz television series. This comes after series star Stephen ..

REVIEW: Souled Out 2000: Everything Changed

August 25, 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? Souled Out 2000 Date: January 16, 2000 Location: Firstar Center, Cincinnati, Ohio Attendance: 14,132 Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, Bobby Heenan And then everything changed. The big matches for this show were scheduled to be Chris Benoit vs. Jeff Jarrett in a 2/3 falls match for the US Title and Bret Hart defending his WCW World Title against Goldberg. Then Goldberg, Hart and Jarrett all got hurt so we’re going to get Sid Vicious vs. Benoit for the World Title, which is being announced the night of the sh..

Heel Turn Takes Place On Monday Night Raw

August 25, 2020 • Admin

Switch things up a bit. Wrestlers can do a lot of things in the ring and on the microphone but at some point, most of them need some kind of a change. There are different ways to present a wrestler and one of the best is to turn them in one direction or another. This can open up some different stories for them while giving their character a fresh take. That was the case this week on Monday Night Raw. One of the better problems that WWE has at the moment is having so much talent on television. All three of their regular television shows have some very talented wrestlers on their rosters and that means it can be difficult to figure out everything in the right order. That can involve some changes and turns, including one which took place during this week’s television show. This came out of nowhere. Check out Monday’s heel turn: This week on Monday Night Raw, Aleister Black made his return to television after missing about a month due to an eye injury caused by Buddy Murphy. Black saw ..

Shaquille O’Neal Possibly Coming To AEW

August 25, 2020 • Admin

That would be big. AEW has hit the ground running in their rather short existence and that is very impressive. At the end of the day, they have not even been on weekly television for a year yet and they are already near must see viewing for wrestling fans. The action alone should be enough to make fans want to watch but now there might be someone else to help draw in an audience. Celebrities have had a place in wrestling for decades and that is always going to be the case no matter what. At the end of the day, it can be interesting to see someone come into the bubble of wrestling and if they are someone famous, it makes things even better. The best way to really cap it off is for someone with an athletic background to come in. AEW might be about to make it happen. WarnerMedia, which owns TNT, has issued a press release, by way of NBA.com, announcing that basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has signed a contract extension with Turner Sports. Included is a suggestion that O’Neal could w..

Major Grudge Rematch Set For Payback

August 25, 2020 • Admin

It fits the name. This week’s Monday Night Raw and SmackDown are going to be very busy shows as they are not only some of the early Thunderdome shows but are also the fallout from Summerslam. In addition to that, they are designed to set up Sunday’s Payback pay per view, which is coming up on Sunday with just a week’s notice to make up the card. A lot of that has already been done and now more of it is being filled in. One of the bigger stories to come out of Summerslam was the announcement that former NXT Champion Keith Lee was coming to Monday Night Raw. This was a big deal as Lee had only lost the NXT Title on Saturday at Takeover: XXX so he was moving up in a hurry. This was an exciting moment for a lot of fans and now we know what he is going to be doing in his singles pay per view debut. This week on Monday Night Raw, a match between Randy Orton and Keith Lee was announced for Payback. The match is a rematch from earlier in the night, as WWE Champion Drew McIntyre had interfere..

New #1 Contenders Named, Title Match Set For Payback

August 25, 2020 • Admin

They’re doing this in a hurry. We are rapidly approaching Payback and things are moving in a hurry because the show is only a week after Summerslam. That isn’t much time to set up the pay per view card and as a result, WWE is throwing matches out there as fast as they can. That is certainly the case with Monday Night Raw as they have set up multiple matches this week, including a match with some first time ever challengers. The WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles are some of the most oddly booked titles in recent memory. The titles were rarely defended in their first year of existence but are at least settling down a little bit now that the titles are a little more established. This includes somewhat regular pay per view title defenses, including at the upcoming Payback. Now we know who will be getting the title shot. This week on Monday Night Raw, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler were named as the #1 contenders to the Women’s Tag Team Titles and will receive their shot at the titles on Sunday at ..

Huge Universal Title Match Set For Payback

August 25, 2020 • Admin

The card is building in a hurry. Summerslam is less than a day old and yet we are already less than a week away from WWE’s next pay per view with Payback. WWE is rushing through its pay per view calendar like never before and that means they do not have a lot of time to set things up for the next show. They are setting things up in a hurry and that includes announcing a SmackDown match on Monday Night Raw. The big story coming out of Summerslam was the return of Roman Reigns, who attacked the new Universal Champion the Fiend and former champion Braun Strowman to end the show. This was Reigns’ first appearance in over five months and came after he went to the sidelines while still #1 contender to the Universal Title. This leads us to Payback and I think you know what is coming. This week on Monday Night Raw, a triple threat, no holds barred match for the Universal Title was announced for Payback, with the Fiend defending against both Reigns and Strowman. There will be a contract signi..

Monday Night Raw Live Coverage And Results – August 24, 2020

August 25, 2020 • Admin

Monday Night Raw Date: August 24, 2020 Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Samoa Joe It’s a triple threat tonight, but mainly because of WWE’s weird scheduling. Tonight is the Raw debut of the Thunderdome, the fallout show from Summerslam and the go home show for Payback. Since we have less than six days to get ready for the pay per view, expect a lot of matches to be announced in a hurry. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Here’s what’s coming on the show. Commentary talks about Roman Reigns’ return. At Payback, it’s Reigns vs. Strowman vs. the Fiend in a No Holds Barred triple threat match for the title. Here’s WWE Champion Drew McIntyre for a chat. After a long video on his successful title defense over Randy Orton last night, Drew asks for a thumbs up from all of the fans in the Thunderdome. McIntyre thinks that’s cool and says retaining the title was cool too. He knows what it’s like to have to climb up to the top of the mountain..

Here’s How WWE’s SmackDown Depth Chart Looks

August 16, 2020 • Admin

What’s on your list? There are a lot of people on every WWE roster and that can be a good or bad thing. With so much talent, you can see a lot of outstanding matches and angles based on the wrestlers alone. At the same time though, it can make for some frustrating moments when a wrestler you like doesn’t get the biggest chance. WWE has its own mindset on these things and now we have a better idea of how that looks. SmackDown may not be the top show on the WWE pyramid, but it certainly has a lot to offer. This includes a host of top level stars, including a variety of legends and newcomers. That can allow for some very big matches on the blue show and as luck would have it, we are seeing some of those matches play out. That is an effective way of seeing who is the best around, but what does WWE think coming into those matches? According to Fightful, a backstage depth chart shows the top three babyfaces on the SmackDown roster. Braun Strowman is listed as the top face, followed by Jeff..

WWE Shifted Away From TV-PG This Week

August 16, 2020 • Admin

It would certainly be different. There are a lot of criticisms about modern WWE and one of the biggest is that it is too PG. Several fans are not pleased with what is considered a more family friendly version of the company, which has been in place for a very long time now. While you will see flashes of different kinds of programming, it is rare to see WWE offering more mature, adult style stories. That might be changing, at least for the short term. Some of these complaints make a lot of sense, but at the same time the PG model makes sense for families. If younger people are watching the show, they might not be able to get to a show on their own. That means coming with their parents, which means two (or even three) tickets sold, plus more concessions and possibly merchandise. Throw in better advertising opportunities and it is a fairly easy concept to follow. However, that philosophy was not the case this week. According to Wrestlingnews.co, this week’s SmackDown was rated TV-14 ins..