News

WWE Taking Some Time Off From Taping Television

March 28, 2020 • Admin

They need the break. If you have been paying attention to WWE over the last few days, you have probably heard about all of the changes that have been made to WrestleMania. Most of them have been rather negative as the spread of the Coronavirus continues to wreck havoc on the show. That does not seem to be changing anytime soon, but at least now things might have a little break. WWE has been in a weird place over the last few weeks as they try to put together what they can in a bad situation. With almost every television show taking place in the Performance Center in front of no fans, there is only so much that the company can do. Some of the shows have not had the most energy, but maybe a little rest could help them out a bit. According to PWInsider.com, the next WWE television taping will not take place until Friday April 10 when SmackDown will be taped from the Performance Center. WWE has already taped all of their television shows through the NXT after WrestleMania 36, including W..

Two More WrestleMania Title Matches Set

March 28, 2020 • Admin

Two more on the books. WrestleMania 36 is less than eight days away and WWE is scrambling to do everything they can for the show. As different as this show is going to be, there are still some things that are being held over from previous editions, including adding in several matches to the show. The card is already packed and now it is packed even more than it was. With so many people running around WWE, you almost have to have a lot of titles to give them things to do. The company has had a bunch of gold (and silver) for a long time now and that is not likely to change anytime soon. A good chunk of those titles are going to be on the line at WrestleMania and after Friday night, we now know how two more of them will be defended. This week on SmackDown, two more title matches were set for WrestleMania. First, Drew Gulak defeated Shinsuke Nakamura, meaning that due to a pre-match stipulation, Daniel Bryan will receive an Intercontinental Title shot against Sami Zayn. Then in the main ..

Long Awaited Grudge Match Confirmed For WrestleMania

March 28, 2020 • Admin

One more grudge match. The WrestleMania card is going to be a big deal and there are going to be all kinds of matches this time around. Given that the show is going to be twice as big as usual, you never can tell just how big it is going to be. As usual, WWE is packing the show with everything that they can. This includes all kinds of matches, including a grudge match. There have been some intense and personal feuds over the last few weeks but one of the biggest of them all has been Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler over Mandy Rose. The two men have been feuding for a good while now, as Ziggler seemed to steal Rose from Otis, sending Otis into a horrible depression. It was clear that something was going to happen at WrestleMania, and now we know what it is going to be. This week on SmackDown, Otis tried to attack Ziggler in the backstage area but agents and referees broke it up. Ziggler then challenged Otis to a singles match at WrestleMania, saying that Rose would be in his corner. Otis accept..

SmackDown Live Coverage And Results – March 27, 2020

March 28, 2020 • Admin

Smackdown Date: March 27, 2020 Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida Commentator: Michael Cole We’re back to the old days here with a taped show on the way to whatever is left to populate Wrestlemania. News has broken about a lot of people being replaced and it should be interesting to see if we actually hear about most of those names this week. It’s completely in another world at this point so you never can tell what we could get. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Here are Sasha Banks and Bayley to get things going. They talk about how big Wrestlemania is going to be but for the two of them, it is going to be a nightmare. That’s all Paige’s fault because the five on one idea isn’t fair. Not that it matters though as they’re best friends and nothing will split them up. Sasha doesn’t seem to agree but here’s Lacey Evans to interrupt. Sasha tells her to go talk to her bratty little kid because maybe she’ll listen. Lacey laughs them off and promises to beat them both up a..

Who Will Replace Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36?

March 27, 2020 • Admin

It had been previously reported that Roman Reigns will be out of his WrestleMania 36 match, where he was scheduled to face Goldberg for the Universal Championship. But who will his replacement be? According to a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Braun Strowman will be taking Reigns place in the match at WrestleMania. WrestleMania has been taped already, due to Orlando shutting down the Performance Center because of the Coronavirus. Dave Meltzer is reporting that Reigns was at the PC for his match, but ultimately chose to withdraw due to a compromised immune system; a result of his past battles with leukemia. Furthermore, Reigns’ cousins, The Usos, weren’t happy that The Miz was sick, which helped influence Reigns’ decision. Check out what could have been: WWE has not released an official statement on the status of these matches. Editor’s Opinion: At this point, should they even go forward with the show? Just postpone the dang thing and get it over with. WWE should make..

Current WWE Champion Injured, Replaced At WrestleMania 36

March 27, 2020 • Admin

Are we sure this show isn’t cursed? WrestleMania 36 has gone from looking decent to falling apart at the seams. Between the fact that the show is going to have to be taped in advance to stretching it out to two nights in front of no fans, there are very few positives left to look at around this show. And yes, somehow, things are actually getting even worse day by day. Part of the problem with having a taped WrestleMania is the idea of a wrestler getting hurt right before the show, despite the weekly television being taped in advance. You never know when someone might be taken out of action in advance, which can shake up the event in a bad way while also requiring WWE to come up with a solution. As you might have guessed, that is the case again. According to PWInsider.com, United States Champion Andrade has suffered a rib injury and was unable to work WrestleMania. Andrade was scheduled to team with Angel Garza to challenge the Street Profits for the Raw Tag Team Titles. The injury to..

WATCH: Seth Rollins vs. John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar From Royal Rumble 2015

March 27, 2020 • Admin

Starting off the year with quite possibly the match of the year. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel in which the show the full match between Seth Rollins, John Cena and Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from the Royal Rumble 2015. You can see the match in its entirety below: From WWE.com: In front of a raucous Philadelphia crowd packed inside the Wells Fargo Center, Brock Lesnar turned back the challenge of both John Cena and Seth Rollins to walk out of the 2015 Royal Rumble event with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Despite suffering from injuries — including a broken rib at the hands of Rollins — Lesnar picked up a massive victory in one of the most impressive championship bouts in the history of the Royal Rumble event, ensuring that he’ll traverse The Road to WrestleMania as the ruler of the WWE Universe. After Rollins hit Cena with a Curb Stomp and yet another huge aerial attack, Lesnar stormed the ring and German suplexed both of ..

WWE’s Parting Gift To The Revival

March 27, 2020 • Admin

That’s one way to send them off. There isn’t much of a secret to the fact that the Revival has been unhappy in WWE. Over the last year or so, the team has dropped some not so subtle hints that they want to leave the company and are just waiting out their contracts. Those deals expire in the near future, but they have one more negative thing to deal with before they leave. WWE contracts are set up with what is called a downside guarantee. While wrestlers are paid based on the amount of shows that they work and their merchandise sales, they are guaranteed a certain amount of money. If a wrestler reaches their downside guarantee then they will continue being paid based on how much they work. However, this can cause the problem of wrestlers not being paid if they do not work after reaching their guarantee. I think you know where this is going. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the Revival has reached their downside guarantees and since they have not been paid in nearly two ..

WATCH: Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar From SummerSlam 2015

March 27, 2020 • Admin

That’s funny right there. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel in which they show the full match between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker from SummerSlam 2015. This was the first time that they had competed against one another since The Beast ended The Deadman’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania 16 months before. You can see the match in its entirety below: From WWE.com: The record will show that The Beast has been slain, and the demons of The Undertaker have been laid to rest. The reality, though, is more complicated than that. Sixteen months after The Phenom’s life’s work was taken from him by Brock Lesnar, The Deadman found redemption in a confrontation that was deemed “Too Big For WrestleMania.” He defeated The Beast Incarnate through a development that was partially a gift from Heaven and partially some magic of the devil himself, with a hefty helping of rulebook jargon to go with it. Officially, yes, The Undertaker won. Whether Brock Lesnar was truly defeated in ..

WWE Star Undergoes Surgery, Out 6-8 Months

March 27, 2020 • Admin

It’s as good a time as any. Wrestling has kind of been put on hold at the moment, or at least things have slowed way down in a hurry. There are only so many spots available on the main WWE television shows due to all of the changes taking place in a hurry and that is the kind of thing that can make for some surprise moves. In this case, one of those moves is not as positive as others. Injuries can take someone down at any given point in their career and there isn’t much that can be done about them. At some point, everyone is going to get hurt and there is no way around it. Some of these things are a lot worse than others as you never know how long they are going to be on the shelf as a result. That was the case with a surprise injury earlier this month and now someone is going on the shelf for a good while. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rezar of the AOP is has undergone surgery to repair his torn bicep. The estimated recovery time for such an injury is six to eight ..

VIDEO: AEW’s Darby Allin Hits Coffin Drop In Unique Place

March 27, 2020 • Admin

I guess he needs the practice. AEW has come a long way in just under a year since their debut event. It really is kind of amazing how much progress they have made in that length of time and there is no indication that they are slowing down anytime soon. With all of the moves that they are making, one of their biggest strengths has been their ability to create stars, and one of them was doing something a bit out there earlier this week. One thing that AEW has done well is create stars. They have a lot of names who came in from WWE, but they also have several wrestlers who they have taken from relative obscurity and turned into something on their own. There may be no one better in this category than Darby Allin, who has turned into a star in AEW. That star power was on display recently, albeit in a unique place. You don’t see this every day. Check out what happened in a convenience store (this does contain strong language and is not entirely safe for work): AEW star Sammy Guevara has..

Backstage News on Future AEW Shows During Coronavirus Pandemic

March 27, 2020 • Admin

It had been previously reported that last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite saw major talent not being able to perform on the show, due to travel restrictions caused by the Coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the world. But what does this mean for future shows going forward? According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it will be difficult to tape shows weekly, as Jacksonville’s largest Coronavirus testing center will be in the parking lot of HIAA Field, about 100 yards from where AEW is taping at Daily’s Place. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has also talked about cracking down on businesses and employees, to prevent them from taking unnecessary risks. AEW has been working with the city regarding the ability to continue to use Daily’s Place for taping each week. It should be noted that the only people around this week’s show were the wrestlers in the one room for the skits, those in the actual, open-aired building, a few production people outside the building in..

Backstage News on AEW Dynamite; Travel Restrictions

March 27, 2020 • Admin

It’s no secret that the Coronavirus pandemic has changed the world that we live in currently, with multiple major sports events, including WrestleMania, being either canceled, moved or postponed. Professional wrestling is currently one of the only live sports that is still occurring in today’s world. Last week on AEW Dynamite, several notable superstars were missing from the show. According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, due to travel restrictions, Pac and Pentagon Jr., who live in the U.K. and Mexico, were unable to come to the United States for this week’s episode of Dynamite. As a result, the Death Triangle group has been put on hold for now. The talent that lives in California, such as The Young Bucks, SCU, Rey Fenix, Excalibur, referee Rick Knox, and others were unable to travel as well. Jim Ross and Taz weren’t there either, but it is unknown whether that was because of self-quarantine, or inability to travel. Tony Schiavone did the announcing on his ..

Several More Wrestlers Off WrestleMania, Changes Being Made

March 27, 2020 • Admin

It’s just the beginning. WrestleMania 36 is not going to be like your normal show. In addition to the whole lack of fans in attendance thing, there is also going to be the issue of having the show taking place over two nights and even taped on top of it. Then there’s the whole pandemic issue to deal with, and that one might have taken things down even further than expected. On Thursday, news broke that Roman Reigns was not likely going to be wrestling at WrestleMania. This was quite the blow to the show as Reigns was scheduled to challenge Goldberg for the Universal Title in one of the show’s headlining matches. The title match will likely still take place, albeit with a different challenger. However, it turns out that more changes are likely taking place. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, multiple people on the WrestleMania card have either taken themselves off of the show, are not being allowed to wrestle, or have not flown in to the show whatsoever. At the moment, it..

Why CM Punk Will Never Wrestle For WWE

March 27, 2020 • Admin

That’s a big negative. If there is one thing that I have learned in wrestling over the last few years it is to never say never. It seems that almost every few months, we see something happening that did not seem possible shortly before and that continues to be the case. It may be someone returning from injury or a match you didn’t think was possible, but it keeps happening. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case here. Back in 2014, CM Punk walked out on the WWE, citing burnout and a series of injuries among other things. For years, it seemed unlikely that he would ever do anything with WWE again, but then FOX stepped in and made him an analyst on WWE Backstage. That got people talking about another possible return to the ring, but that seems to be off the table completely. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Vince McMahon has no desire to work with Punk no matter what. Punk being used on Backstage was not WWE’s decision and they did not want him on the show and had his..

Top WWE Star Self Quarantining After Finishing WrestleMania

March 27, 2020 • Admin

That’s a big hit. There are a lot of wrestlers who might not be around very frequently due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. At the end of the day, several of them are not comfortable with going out to the ring and performing when there is a chance that they will not be healthy as a result. Some have already dropped out of WrestleMania and one more will be gone just after it. Daniel Bryan is a special wrestler to put it mildly. He is one of the most popular wrestlers to come along in ages and has the in-ring abilities to back it up. There is something about him that makes you want to like him and hopefully he gets to be around as long as he wants to this time. However, he might be taking some time away from the ring due to the Coronavirus, but not for the traditional reasons. During this week’s edition of the Bellas podcast, Bryan’s husband Brie Bella mentioned that Bryan will be self quarantining in a hotel near his home after WrestleMania. Bella is pregnant at the moment and Brya..

Only Vince McMahon Wanted WrestleMania To Take Place

March 27, 2020 • Admin

Can you blame them? We are coming up on WrestleMania 36 in less than ten days, but for once that date does not mean as much, at least not for the wrestlers. Instead, this time around the show has already been taped in advance, which worked out very well for WWE since they may not be able to run shows at the Performance Center, at least for the time being. With new regulations banning such events, WrestleMania was taped in advance, though not everyone is happy. There have been a lot of criticisms and discussions about the entire situation, as there comes a point where it might have been better off to just cut the losses and wait for things to get better. That isn’t WWE’s style though and as a result, we are getting the pay per view next weekend whether we like it or not. It turns out that a lot of the wrestlers would be in the “not” category. According to PW Insider Elite Audio, “everyone” in WWE is against going forward with WrestleMania at this point except for Vince McMahon himself..

Roman Reigns, WrestleMania and WWE Superstar Safety

March 27, 2020 • Admin

The story of Roman Reigns’ rumored removal from the WWE Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 36 is a major headline. In fact, it’s the major headline of the moment for pro wrestling fans. The man known as The Big Dog has enjoyed a phenomenal run in Vince McMahon’s company over the past few years and he appeared to be on his way back to the top thanks to his Mania match with Goldberg. But now that match is apparently not happening and evidently, it’s thanks to the Coronavirus. The pandemic has changed the way people are living, as social distancing has become the new norm. It’s all about trying to prevent the spread of the virus. In Roman’s case, it’s also about peace of mind, as he attempts to maintain his already compromised immune system. Roman’s leukemia is in remission and he’s healthy. But the more contact he has with the WWE roster, the more at risk he becomes. If he contracts the virus, things could potentially get very bad very quickly. But many fans are already sear..

NXT Results – March 25, 2020

March 26, 2020 • Admin

NXT Date: March 25, 2020 Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton We’re back to a little more normal this time around with NXT having regular matches instead of a mini documentary show like last week. Since there was no Takeover: Tampa Bay, those matches and stories will have to be addressed and HHH will be here tonight to start that process. Let’s get to it. The opening recap looks at Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano getting in their huge brawl last week. Tom Phillips confirms that matches originally scheduled for Takeover will be taking place on NXT TV instead. Austin Theory vs. Tyler Breeze Theory has his own phone with him to mock Breeze. The lockup goes nowhere so Theory talks trash, saying he’s the future and Breeze is the past. Back up and Breeze hits a dropkick, allowing him to chill on the top rope for a bit. The Supermodel Kick has Theory distracted so Breeze hits a clothesline instead. Theory is right back with a runn..

REVIEW: WrestleMania 26: The Forgotten Classic

March 26, 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, starting today. 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? Wrestlemania XXVI Date: March 28, 2010 Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona Attendance: 72,219 Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Matt Striker In addition to the two main events (Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker, career vs. Streak and John Cena vs. Batista for the WWE Championship_, there’s a third big match that people never thought would actually happen. Back on January 4, 2010, Bret Hart returned to the company for the first time in over twelve years. After burying the hat..