News

Impact Wrestling Titles Shaken Up When Champions Miss Marathon Tapings

April 18, 2020 • Admin

That’s going to make for some interesting time. There are not many ways for wrestling companies to keep going at the moment, but one of the best ways seems to be running marathon taping sessions. The idea is rather simple: tape a bunch of stuff in advance so you have as much content as you need for the next several weeks if not months. Some companies are doing that, but one show is going to look a little weird for the time being. While WWE and AEW have gotten most of the attention in the wrestling world as of late, there are some other companies still running events, even if they might not be on the same stage. That is the case with Impact Wrestling, which is the latest company trying its hand at the marathon taping idea. However, things are not going to go as they have been in recent weeks. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, neither Impact Wrestling World Champion Tessa Blanchard nor Tag Team Champions the North were present at the company’s recent tapings. Blanchard ch..

WWE Makes Another Change To Television Schedule, New Hybrid System

April 18, 2020 • Admin

The more things change. We are in a very different time in the wrestling world at the moment and it seems like something new is happening every single day. WWE is feeling a lot of those changes as it is next to impossible to keep track of what kind of changes they are undergoing on a daily basis. Believe it or not, it is already time for another change to take place. One of the bigger stories that WWE has dealt with over the last few weeks is their television setup. The company has gone from setting up a marathon taping schedule to running three weekly live events in the span of a few days and not many people seem to be happy with the whole situation. With so many travel restrictions in place at the moment, wrestlers may not be thrilled with the idea of making so many trips. Now though, that may not be such a problem. According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, WWE is changing its television schedule again, this time to a mixture of live and taped shows. The three shows for the week of April 2..

EXCLUSIVE: WWE Status of Jinder Mahal

April 18, 2020 • Admin

This week, WWE experienced a mass layoff of both wrestlers and employees, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of WWE losing an estimated $22 million due to canceling WrestleMania in Tampa, as well as losing additional millions due to the inability to have lice ticketed events, Vince McMahon made the tough decision to end the WWE careers of names including Drake Maverick, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, No Way Jose, and others. WWE also released Kurt Angle from his position as a producer. I reached out to former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal to check on both his WWE status, as well as the status of his injury. Mahal stated that he is currently “cleared and waiting.” Mahal was last seen spending much of his television time chasing the WWE 24/7 Championship, which was a far cry from his ascension to the main event level just a couple of years prior. Mahal shocked the world by defeating Randy Orton at the 2017 Fastlane pay-per-view to win the WWE Championship, an..

Title Change Takes Place During SmackDown Main Event

April 18, 2020 • Admin

Here they come again. There are some people you can almost guarantee will be around the title picture no matter what goes on. Maybe it’s because they’re popular, talented, reliable, or some combination of the three. That can be the case for singles or tag team wrestlers and it is the case again at the moment, with a rather popular team getting to add even more to their resume. There has not been a team like the New Day in a very long time. The team has been around for over five years now, which is an eternity in today’s wrestling world. There is very little that they haven’t done, including seeing Kofi Kingston win the WWE Championship last year. However, they are mainly a tag team and that was on display again this week. In the main event of this week’s SmackDown, Big E. won a triple threat match over Jey Uso and the Miz to win the Tag Team Titles for the team. Miz was defending the titles for himself and John Morrison after Morrison successfully did the same thing at WrestleMania. ..

Another Title Match Set For Money In The Bank With A Surprising Challenger

April 18, 2020 • Admin

You have to fill that card out somehow. We are less than a month away from Money in the Bank and that means things are getting interesting in a hurry. The show is one of the most important on the WWE calendar as it can change things for a long time to come. The battles for the briefcases are some of the biggest matches of the year, but what about the rest of the show? While a good chunk of the WWE roster will be tied up in ladder matches, there are other things taking place at Money in the Bank. The ladder matches are for future title shots, but there are going to be title matches taking place the night of the show as well. WWE has already started announcing some of the matches for the show, with another one coming this week. During this week’s SmackDown, Tamina defeated Sasha banks to earn a shot at Bayley and the SmackDown Women’s Title at Money in the Bank. Bayley tried to interfere but was cut off by Lacey Evans, allowing Tamina to win. Banks would not have earned a title shot ha..

Location of 2020 Money In The Bank Matches Revealed

April 18, 2020 • Admin

It will be the most unique match in a long time. It was revealed on tonight’s episode of Smackdown that the participants for the Money in the Bank ladder match will have to work extra hard in order to grab the coveted briefcase. According to WWE.com: This year’s WWE Money In The Bank Men’s and Women’s Match participants will have an even more unique challenge ahead of them than usual. The match begins on the ground floor of WWE Headquarters, but the briefcases – containing contracts for a championship match anytime, anyplace – will be hanging all the way up on the roof of the corporate tower. There have been some great cash-in moments over the years: Editor’s Opinion: Genius. WWE has once again taken a bad situation and made something unique out of it. They are going to use their corporate headquarters as a battleground for a wrestling match. Who thinks to do that? This is going to be very cool and I can’t wait to see it! What do you think of the 2020 Money in the Bank ladder m..

Universal Championship Match Set For Money In The Bank 2020

April 18, 2020 • Admin

Let him in so that he can get these hands. Tonight on Smackdown, the Universal Championship Match for Money in the Bank 2020 was made official. Braun Strowman will be defending his title against Bray Wyatt. Wyatt introduced Strowman to the world nearly 5 years ago: From WWE.com: Just days into Strowman’s reign as Universal Champion, he was addressed from the Firefly Fun House by Wyatt — the man who brought Strowman to WWE years ago as part of The Wyatt Family. After accusing Strowman of turning his back on him, Wyatt asked for an apology. The Monster Among Men was anything but contrite in return, but Strowman saying sorry was far from the only thing Wyatt was seeking, as he soon declared that he wanted the Universal Title back after losing it earlier this year. Though Strowman insisted he wouldn’t fall for Wyatt’s psychological warfare, he soon found himself pulled into the mind games regardless. Lured in by what he thought was a gift from Alexa Bliss on “A Moment of Bliss,” Stro..

SmackDown Live Coverage And Results – April 17, 2020

April 18, 2020 • Admin

Smackdown Date: April 17, 2020 Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves It’s time to move forwards towards Money in the Bank and this time around we are finding out who else is going to be involved in the women’s match, plus the first man involved. I’m not sure how much steam these empty arena shows have left but they’re all we’re getting at the moment. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Cole runs down the card. It’s time for A Moment Of Bliss to start things off. After bragging about being two time Women’s Tag Team Champions, Nikki Cross brings out Braun Strowman. They congratulate Braun on being the new Universal Champion but bring up the fact that he is officially defending against Bray Wyatt (not the Fiend) at Money in the Bank. Strowman knows Bray and the games he plays so Bray is going to get these hands. There’s a present on the mat though and it seems to be for Braun. Inside is….the old mask he wore as part of the Wyatt Fa..

Update On Roman Reigns’ WWE Status, Things Don’t Seem So Great

April 17, 2020 • Admin

He’s on the no list. WWE is in a weird place at the moment and that is going to be the case for a good while to come. There is very little good news going on at the moment and with WrestleMania already out of the way for the year, it might be a little while before they get to their next big show. During that time, there is someone who might be missing and WWE wants you to forget about him. One of the biggest stories of the year has been Roman Reigns taking himself out of WrestleMania 36. As a leukemia survivor, Reigns’ immune system is not as strong as others’ meaning that he was at more of a risk to the Coronavirus. Therefore, Reigns has not been seen on WWE television in several weeks and that will be the case going forward. It turns out that WWE may be going a bit further than that. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE talent and announcers are not allowed to mention Reigns on television. There is no word on why Reigns is off limits or if he is in hot water with the..

Here’s Why Samoa Joe Is Still Missing From WWE TV

April 17, 2020 • Admin

Where did he get to? WWE is in a rapidly changing place at the moment and that is going to be the case for the time being. It seems that you can’t go more than a day or so without seeing some other change here and there. This is the case for everything from where the shows are taking place, how many are filmed at a time and even who is wrestling on them. The latter of those has produced some questions, and now we might have an idea of where one wrestler has been. Every now and then, WWE finds a wrestler who just connects with the fans. This could be the case for a variety of reasons, but sometimes it is because the fans just buy into him. That was the case with Samoa Joe, who debuted on the main roster three years ago and has been one of the more popular names ever since. However, he hasn’t been around for a bit and now we know why. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Samoa Joe has not appeared on WWE TV as of late because he is still recovering from a concussion. He has ..

Major League Franchise Owner Was ‘Appalled’ At WWE’s Recent Cuts

April 17, 2020 • Admin

One of the biggest stories of the week was WWE’s massive layoffs and cuts to talent, coaches, producers, executives, etc. This was in response to the Coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the world. However, an owner of a major league franchise has called this move ‘appalling’. According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, an anonymous owner of a sports team had the following to say to Dave Meltzer: “I’ve had to do two layoffs in my life. They both sucked, but I always understood they sucked more for the people being laid off. I know a few people in the wrestling business, one who lost their job in the furlough today. I understand layoffs. But given WWE’s cash position, the essential business status they negotiated, the unsafe conditions they are already asking workers to commit to and the fact that they are doing so much better than every other live / place-based business, for them to be THE FIRST company in the business to have such a significant layoff is u..

First Coronavirus-Related Wrestling Death Confirmed

April 17, 2020 • Admin

We have some sad news to report today. According to a report from Super Luchas, Mexican luchador Black Demon has passed away at the age of 39, due to complications from the Coronavirus. The report states that Black Demon, whose real name is Roberto Munoz Carrillo, passed away on April 13, 2020. While authorities have not confirmed his passing, his family has. Black Demon made his debut in 2009 and hailed from Mexicali. He worked the independent scene in Mexico, along the west coast of the country and won PPR’s Pendragón Rojo Cop in February. We at Wrestling Rumors extend our deepest condolences to the entire Carrillo family during this difficult time. Leave us a comment below, or post a comment on our Facebook page. Also, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Follow @WrestleRumors The post First Coronavirus-Related Wrestling Death Confirmed appeared first on WrestlingRumors.net.

WATCH: Titus O’Neil Is More Awesome Than Your Favorite Wrestler

April 17, 2020 • Admin

You don’t find people like him very often. There are a lot of uncertainties in the world at the moment as there are all kinds of problems that grow every day. You never know how much worse it is going to get with each passing day and that is the kind of thing that makes the problems even worse. However, every now and then you hear something that makes it feel a little better. On Wednesday, a lot of things changed in WWE with nearly forty releases or furloughs. That isn’t something you hear about every day and it shook up the company in a big way. This was a major hit for several people as several of them are going to be facing an uncertain future. With so many problems going on and a lot of coworkers losing their jobs, one wrestler is doing something incredible anyway. Titus O’Neil has announced that he and NFL quarterback Jameis Winston have each donated $25,000 to the Metropolitan Ministries. The charity is helping deliver food boxes to poorer families in the Tampa, Florida area, a..

Funny Video: Miz And Morrison Release New Music Video

April 17, 2020 • Admin

You have to keep things going. The wrestling world is in a very different place at the moment and it has changed the way wrestlers present themselves. Without being able to be in front of the fans in the arena, there is only so much that they can do to get attention on themselves. Thankfully there is the internet, and that has allowed wrestlers some extra avenues to showcase themselves. The Miz and John Morrison have turned themselves into a top team all over again, which is quite the impressive trick. Despite not having teamed together in nearly ten years, the team has become the SmackDown Tag Team Champions and even defended them at WrestleMania (well kind of). They even have a signature chant, and have figured out a way to keep people chanting it even in these different times. Miz and Morrison have released a new version of their Hey Hey music video, despite not being able to be in the same place. Instead, the two perform the song via split screen from their homes, with Miz outsid..

How AEW Double Or Nothing Might Not Take Place

April 17, 2020 • Admin

That would be the worst case scenario. We are in an unprecedented time in wrestling as the spread of the Coronavirus has change almost everything. Wrestling shows are now taking place in front of no fans and that seems to be the case for the foreseeable future. It creates such a different dynamic for the wrestling world, but things might be even worse for one major company. Along with WWE, AEW has managed to keep going despite everything changing around them. Thanks to an intense marathon taping earlier this month, the company has several weeks of television in the can and ready to go. However, they also have a pay per view scheduled for next month. Since holding a traditional pay per view with a live audience is not much of an option at the moment, AEW needs to come up with something else, but they might not be able to do so. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, there is no guarantee that AEW Double Or Nothing will take place at all if a safe way to present it cannot be found. The..

EC3 Offers Unique Response To WWE Release

April 17, 2020 • Admin

I think he’s happy? Wednesday was a big day for WWE as they released or furloughed nearly forty employees. The company needed to make a business decision due to the impact of the Coronavirus slowing down their revenue streams and this was the decision they made. Some of the names included were more surprising than others, but one had an interesting reaction. EC3 debuted in NXT back in 2018 and had a mediocre time. While he was a former Impact Wrestling World Champion, he never jumped to the top of the promotion or even made it close. However, he was brought up to the main roster in January 2019, only to be sat on the bench for the most part. While he had a few matches here and there, he was never given a significant match or angle. After being one of the large group of released wrestlers, he had a pretty unique reaction. EC3 has posted a tweet saying that he is not interested in any interviews, podcast appearances or convention appearances at the moment. He says that for the first ti..

VIDEO: Roman Reigns Makes An Amazing Announcement

April 17, 2020 • Admin

Something nice for a change. Things are in a bad place at the moment around the world and it could be a long time before they get better. Every day you hear more and more bad news and less and less good news, but that doesn’t mean the good things aren’t out there. If you look around, you can find the positive news out there, and that was the case again this week. It has been a rough few weeks for Roman Reigns. While he was originally scheduled to face Goldberg for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 36, he chose to pull out of the event due to concerns about his immune system. Reigns is a leukemia survivor and could be more susceptible to the Coronavirus. However, he now has some great news to be much happier about. It’s an awesome moment. Check out the great announcement: https://media.wrestlingrumors.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/17030540/Roman-Reigns.mp4 Reigns was recently interviewed by Muscle and Fitness where he announced that his wife is pregnant with twins. This will give ..

NXT Sees Their Own Releases, Including Some Popular Names

April 17, 2020 • Admin

Even NXT took a beating. After Wednesday’s long list of releases, it was not clear what was going to happen on Thursday. There were several names who were let go or furloughed on Wednesday but there were some names we did not know about until Thursday. Some wrestlers let us know without some major WWE announcement and now the list has grown a bit. There were a lot of different kinds of people who lost their jobs, whether permanently or temporarily, on Wednesday. The majority of the names were main roster wrestlers but there was also a referee and several producers. At the same time, we did much from the NXT names. Now though, we have a more complete list and there are several different names included. Between late Wednesday and Thursday, several more names were confirmed to be gone from the company. Here is the rest of the names who are also gone from the company, according to 411mania.com: Dan Matha Alyssa Miles Jon Quasto (205 Live announcer) Kendo Kashin (coach) Serena Deeb (Perf..

Donald Trump Gives Major Update on When Sporting Events Will Be Open for the Public

April 17, 2020 • Admin

A return to normalcy is slowly but steadily occurring. After a national steady decrease in new cases, White House executive and other COVID-19 commitee members have now presented a phasal plan to reopen the country for gatherings and life the current restrictions. According to a document from NPR, the guideline for all phases is to continue to practice good hygiene, and for all employers to remain stern in the temperature checks, testing, isolating, and contact tracing, sanitation, use of disinfection of common and high-traffic areas, and business travel. As presented by Dr. Deborah Birx, Phase One includes all vulnerable individuals continuing to shelter in place, as well as continuing to practice social distancing from others. Telework is also encouraged during this phase. Large venues are to operate “under strict physical distancing protocols.” Phase Two maintains the guidelines for vulnerable individuals, but social settings of 50 or less will be allowed and non-essential travel c..

WWE Releases Updates, Who Was Furloughed, What Comes Next

April 17, 2020 • Admin

For now? Wednesday was one of the most newsworthy days in recent memory for WWE as the company cut or furloughed over thirty wrestlers, producers and other employees. It was one of those days that will be talked about for a long time to come and featured one update after another with news of more and more people being released. Now comes the question though: what’s next? All day long, the worry was about finding out who might be the next person released. The releases were coming in waves and once it reached ten names, it was clear that this was not going to be any usual kind of day. There is not much more than can be done other than to sit around and wonder what is going to happen next. Now though, we might have an idea of what that will be. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the main roster cuts are done for the time being, though more NXT cuts are expected. At the moment, there is no word on how many more people will be cut, or how many NXT names have already been cut. In addit..