Search Results: "United Kingdom"

NEWS

A Long Time: Gunther Breaks 18 Year Old Record As Intercontinental Champion

February 10, 2023

That’s a long time. Title reigns can be some of the most important things in a wrestler’s career. If someone holds a championship for a long time, it can make them feel like that much bigger of a star. A wrestler being able to hold onto a championship for several months, if not longer, can be a game changer for them and now someone is doing it for the second time. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: One More: 51 Year Old Former World Champion Announces Planned Return To The Ring WWE has released a video on their YouTube page, announcing that Gunther is now the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of the century. Gunther has held the title for 245 days, breaking Shelton Benjamin’s mark from 2004/5. If Gunther holds the title for three more weeks, he will pass the Rock for the longest title reign since Mr. Perfect in 1990/1. Gunther previously held the record for longest title reign of any kind in WWE this century with an 870 day reign as United Kingdom Champion, which was broken by Roman Rei..

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Another Happy Return? Controversial WWE Star Discussed For Possible Royal Rumble Return

January 26, 2023

That would be a return. There have been all kinds of roster changes in WWE in recent months and there is nothing to suggest that they are finishing up. This very well may include the Royal Rumble, where several surprise names are known to show up again after lengthy absences. Now there is a rumor that a former WWE Women’s Champion may be making an appearance. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: He’s In For Now: Former WWE Star Set For AEW Debut According to PWInsider Elite, Nia Jax has been rumored for a possible Royal Rumble return. This has NOT been confirmed and is currently seen as just a possibility being discussed. Jax, a former Raw Women’s Champion, was released from the company on November 4, 2021. She has not wrestled since, though she was announced for an independent event in the United Kingdom which never took place. In case you forgot. Check out Jax’s time in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click..

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WRESTLING RUMORS: Top WWE Stars’ Salaries Revealed

November 15, 2022

That’s kind of the point. There are a lot of ways to describe professional wrestlers but one of the most important is right there in the title: professional. The wrestlers that you watch most of the time are doing this for money, with the top stars being able to do this without having to hold down another job. The very elite names make quite a bit of money and now we might know some specifics. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Brand New: Former WWE Personality Announces New Wrestling Promotion The Mirror (from the United Kingdom) has released a list of the salaries of some of the top names in WWE. There is nothing to indicate that there are no other names in this range, as some names are likely omitted. These names range from special attractions like Brock Lesnar and John Cena to full time stars like Bray Wyatt and AJ Styles to legends like Kane and the Undertaker. There is no word on if these are total salaries or bases with additional bonus money included elsewhere. • Brock Lesnar – $12 mill..

NEWS

WWE Considers Major Changes To Calendar, Classic Show Possibly Returning

October 21, 2022

They’re the big ones. WWE runs a lot of events every single year, some of which are bigger than others. Almost every month, WWE runs a premium live event, with a good many of them having long and detailed histories. It can mean a lot when WWE shakes up its special events calendar, but now we might be in for some pretty big changes, including an old classic making its return. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is considering major changes to its premium live events schedule. This would include an annual United Kingdom event, plus a possible return of the King of the Ring. Vince McMahon dropped King of the Ring as a regular show as it did not produce strong pay per view buys. However, thanks to guaranteed money from Peacock and other sources, the results are not as important and the show is a possibility again. King of the Ring did return in 2021, but not as its own event. Opinion: This is one of the perks of having so much income, as it allows WWE to do some fun thing..

NEWS

NXT Results – October 4, 2022

October 5, 2022

NXT Date: October 4, 2022 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Sudu Shah, Wade Barrett, Byron Saxton We’re coming up on Halloween Havoc near the end of the month and the card seems to be set. They still have a few things that need to be done to get ready for the show though and we will probably get some more of that build this week. We also have some guest stars coming in this week from Smackdown so things should be feeling bigger. Let’s get to it. Here is Pretty Deadly, dressed as very stereotypical British men (complete with red robes and powdered wigs), for a state of the Commonwealth address. They talk about how back in the day, some pilgrims came from the United Kingdom (Prince: “Hello.”) and now as a result, they are here. All of the other teams have been training in the Performance Center to be as good as they are, including the Boring Brothers and Cheap Denim. Therefore, they should be the Tag Team Champions for all time! Cue the Brawling Brutes,..

NEWS

Former Champion Makes Surprise NXT Debut After Hard Hitting Main Event

September 21, 2022

Welcome to the family. There have been a lot of changes throughout WWE in recent weeks and one of the more interesting has been the closure of NXT UK with NXT Europe on the way next year. Several of the NXT UK stars have been brought over to the main NXT roster and that has shaken things up quite a bit. Now it has happened again, with one of the top names coming over. The main event of this week’s NXT saw JD McDonagh defeat Tyler Bate to become the new #1 contender to the NXT Title. Following the win, McDonagh and NXT Champion Bron Breakker had a staredown but former NXT United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov debuted and stared both of them down. Dragunov was forced to vacate the title due to a knee injury and has not wrestled since June. Opinion: That is the kind of addition that could be a game changer in NXT. Dragunov brings so much intensity and energy with him that it could be a huge deal. I could go for seeing a lot more of Dragunov around, as you do not see many stars like him...

NEWS

Update On Possible Changes To The WWE Clash At The Castle Main Event

August 10, 2022

They might not be hitting the brakes. We are less than a month away from WWE Clash At The Castle, which will be one of the biggest shows that the company has run in a pretty long time. It will be the first stadium show in the United Kingdom in over thirty years and the show is going to need a big card. The main event has been set, and now we know an important detail about it. Clash At The Castle is scheduled to feature a main event of Drew McIntyre challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title. The two had a faceoff last week on SmackDown, which was interrupted by the returning Karrion Kross. This led to speculation about Kross being added to the match, but according to Wrestling Observer Radio, Kross will not be added to the match. WWE officials feel that McIntyre vs. Reigns is the match that needs to headline the show. Opinion: I’m glad to hear about this as there is something a little annoying about having so many matches be a triple threat or multi person match...

NEWS

Ding Dong Hello! Huge New Grudge Match Added To WWE Clash At The Castle

August 9, 2022

Add it to the card. We are on the way to WWE Clash At The Castle, which is going to be one of the biggest events that WWE has ever presented. The show will be the first United Kingdom WWE event to take place inside a stadium in over thirty years and that means WWE is going to have to stack the card. They have already gotten a good start, but now things have gone even bigger. This week’s Monday Night Raw opened with Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai being interrupted by Alexa Bliss, Asuka and Bianca Belair. The six women argued and Bayley issued a challenge for a six woman tag, with Belair accepting for the team. Bayley, Sky and Kai returned at Summerslam and attacked Becky Lynch the following night on Monday Night Raw, putting her out of action. Clash At The Castle takes place on September 3. Opinion: That is a smart way to bring Bayley back rather than putting her straight into what seems like a guaranteed Raw Women’s Title feud with Bianca Belair. Let her have the six woman tag where ..

NEWS

NXT UK Results – August 4, 2022

August 5, 2022

NXT UK Date: August 4, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd Things should be getting a bit more energized around here as we had the big showdown for the United Kingdom Title last week. Ilja Dragunov is going to need a fresh opponent after dispatching Wolfgang and a bigger one would be nice. This week is a title week also, as we have Meiko Satomura defending the Women’s Title against Sarray. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Here is United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov for a chat….and he’s on crutches. Dragunov says he suffered a severe ankle injury during his title defense last week (insert clip here) and that means he cannot defend his title. Therefore it has to be vacated, but he isn’t going to talk about how hard this is for him. Everyone back there is fighting hard every day and there is nothing special about him. He doesn’t regret anything he did in the ring and when he looks around the ring, there are bits of his so..

NEWS

NXT United Kingdom Title Vacated, Tournament To Be Held

August 4, 2022

That’s one way to get it off of him. Titles are one of the most important parts of any wrestling show, as they are the way to determine the best around. A wrestler might be the reigning champion or chasing the title and that can often be the centerpiece of any promotion. That means a title change can be a huge moment, but unfortunately this one did not go as originally intended. This week on NXT UK, United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov was forced to vacate his championship due to an injury suffered in his recent title defense against Wolfgang. As a result, an eight man tournament will be held to crown the new champion. This is the first time in the title’s history that the title has been vacant for any reason, with Dragunov’s reign ending at 347 days. Here are the brackets for the tournament: Oliver Carter vs. Charlie Dempsey Trent Seven vs. Wolfgang Tyler Bate vs. Kenny Williams Mark Andrews vs. Joe Coffey Opinion: This is one of those things that is never good but sometimes it j..

NEWS

See You Soon? Update On Ronda Rousey’s WWE Suspension

August 3, 2022

Update your schedules. WWE has a lot of major shows on its calendar and some of them are among the biggest of the year. That is going to be the case in September as WWE will be presenting its first stadium show in the United Kingdom in over thirty years. Such a show is going to need some top stars and that is going to be the case with a star currently missing from WWE TV. Earlier this week, WWE announced that Ronda Rousey was indefinitely suspended and fined due to attacking referees at Summerslam. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Rousey is currently scheduled to wrestle at Clash At The Castle on September 3, meaning that she is likely to be back on television before them. It is not known when Rousey will be back from her suspension, but it is likely to last less than a month. Opinion: Rousey has a tendency to be taken off of television for fairly long stretches at a time and that is probably due to her contract having a limited number of dates. Having her at one of the biggest..

NEWS

NXT UK Results – July 28, 2022

August 2, 2022

NXT UK Date: July 28, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd It’s title time again this week as Ilja Dragunov remembers that he is the United Kingdom Champion and defends against Wolfgang. Gallus has been doing better in recent weeks with Mark Coffey winning the Heritage Cup so maybe we are in for some more of their momentum. Other than that, I’m sure it will be the usual random assortment around here. Let’s get to it. The opening video runs down tonight’s card. Opening sequence. Tag Team Titles: Josh Briggs/Brooks Jensen vs. Wild Boar/Mark Andrews Boar and Andrews, who commentary says have been friends for years, are challenging. Boar cranks on Jensen’s arm to start and Andrews comes in to work on the knee. A blind tag brings Briggs in though and a double shoulder runs Boar over. It’s back to Andrews, who gets planted with an assisted powerslam and the chinlock goes on. Briggs comes back in for a chinlock of his own but thr..

NEWS

The Next One Up: Major Main Event Set For WWE Clash At The Castle

July 30, 2022

They’re looking to the future. Summerslam is less than a day away and that means WWE has almost everything set up for one of the biggest shows of the year. That does not mean they are done with everything though, as there are other shows that have to be covered as well. This time, WWE is starting early on the next show, which is going to be one of the most unique events in a long time. This week on SmackDown, Drew McIntyre defeated Sheamus in a Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match to become the new #1 contender to the WWE Universal Champion. McIntyre will receive his shot at Clash At The Castle on September 3 in the first stadium show in the United Kingdom in over thirty years. McIntyre will challenge the winner of Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, who face off at Summerslam in a Last Man Standing match. Opinion: I don’t think there was much doubt over McIntyre winning the title shot, but this puts WWE in a bit of a dilemma. McIntyre almost can’t lose in the main event of such an importa..

NEWS

That’s A Turnaround: Former WWE Employee Becomes British Education Secretary

July 8, 2022

An interesting pair. There are all kinds of wrestling stories going on in the world, but there are a lot more that take place outside of the industry. Sometimes though those worlds combine as wrestling is connected to the outside world, which can often lead to some interesting situations. That was the case again in one of the biggest stories in the world of any kind. One of the biggest international stories of the week has been the collapse of Boris Johnson’s government in the United Kingdom. This included the resignations of over sixty members of Parliament, including Michelle Donelan, who was named Secretary of State for Education, only to resign in protest of Johnson about thirty six hours later. Donelan is a former WWE employee, having worked as International Marketing Campaign Manager from 2010-2014. Opinion: This is one of those things that you do not see happen very often but it makes for a bit of an interesting note. Donelan is not someone most would remember from her time wi..

NEWS

It’s Not Your Usual Title: AEW Has A Special Plan For New Championship

July 8, 2022

They have a plan for that. Titles are some of the most important aspects to wrestling as they are the symbol of a top star. Fans can instantly understand the idea of a champion with a shiny belt and that has been the case for almost all of wrestling’s history. Since there are so many titles in modern wrestling, there has to be a way to make a title stand out. Now we might have an idea of how that will be done with one in particular. At Forbidden Door, Pac won the inaugural AEW All Atlantic Title in a four way match. During an interview with the Masked Man Show, AEW President Tony Khan revealed that the title will be a traveling championship, with the title being defended in various promotions around the world. This comes as Pac already has international title defenses scheduled, including some in the United Kingdom. Opinion: This is an interesting way to go with the title and something that could work out well for AEW. It allows the company to have an international presence that keep..

NEWS

The Big Twist: Major Title Shakeup At NXT UK TV Tapings *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

July 8, 2022

That’s a big one. There are all kinds of wrestlers on the WWE roster and some of them are better known than others. With so many stars out there, it is difficult to keep track of everyone out there, as WWE has its roster split up into different groups. Now one of them is going to be on the shelf for the time being, which unfortunately has major title implications. According to Inside The Ropes, Ilja Dragunov was forced to vacate the NXT United Kingdom Title at this week’s television tapings. Dragunov appeared at the tapings in a walking boot and announced that he was unable to defend the championship. As a result, an eight man tournament to crown a new champion was announced, with the winner being crowned the new champion. There are no details on Dragunov’s injury. The announcement should air on NXT UK TV before the end of the month. Opinion: While this isn’t good to hear, it does explain a few things. Dragunov has not been around very much lately and has not wrestled in over two mon..

NEWS

VIDEO: A Familiar Face Is Coming To NXT (But Something Is Different)

June 22, 2022

Meet the new guy. WWE is a rather large wrestling company with all kinds of stars under its umbrella. As a result, the company is able to offer a wide variety of matches and stars, including wrestlers from around the world. It can be interesting to see wrestlers from different countries trying their luck on different stages. That seems to be the case again as NXT has a new star on its hands. This week’s edition of NXT featured a vignette for a debuting star named JD McDonagh. The video ended with a shot of McDonagh, who was revealed as former NXT UK star Jordan Devlin, who said his “never bet against an Ace” catchphrase. This comes after Devlin lost a Loser Leaves NXT UK match to United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov earlier this year. There is no word on when he will debut in NXT. You might know the guy. Check out the McDonagh vignette: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is the kind of thing that baffles me about WWE, as it isn’t like Devlin was some no name ..

NEWS

WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE May Have Spoiled Major Title Change

May 22, 2022

Can we get a warning next time? There is a lot going on at any given point in WWE and sometimes the company builds on the idea of wondering what they are going to do next. In theory, this is going to draw interest in what is going on and there can be some great drama as a result. WWE was trying to do that this week but they might have accidentally spoiled it in advance. The main event of this week’s SmackDown was a Tag Team Title unification match between the Usos and RKBro. The Usos would win the match to unify the titles, becoming the first sole WWE Tag Team Champions since 2016. However, WWE’s United Kingdom Facebook page may have accidentally spoiled the result. An image has appeared on Twitter, showing a since deleted post from the account with the Usos holding both sets of titles before SmackDown began. The post was since restored, though no such photo of RKBro was ever posted. WWE UK Facebook Page accidentally posted this and deleted it immediately. Oh Boyy ? pic.twitter.com..

NEWS

More Former WWE Stars Added To Upcoming Independent Event

May 20, 2022

It’s one of the important parts. Commentary is one of the most critical aspects of any wrestling promotion. The commentary team is there to tell the fans the story that the company wants to present and guide them on the way. The right team can do all kinds of good things for a promotion and now one of the newest ones has picked up a veteran commentary team of its own. Wrestling Entertainment Series, a new promotion based in the United Kingdom, has announced that former WWE broadcasters Jonathan Coachman and Matthew Rehwoldt, also known as Aiden English, will be the company’s new commentary team. This marks Coachman’s first wrestling appearance since 2018, when he was part of the Monday Night Raw commentary team. Rehwoldt is currently a broadcaster for Impact Wrestling and there is nothing to suggest he will be leaving. Wrestling Entertainment Series’ first show is scheduled to air on June 4. WES WELCOMES @TheCoachrules TO THE COMMENTARY TEAM ? pic.twitter.com/HnuhtEcLMA — Wrestling ..

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NXT UK Results – May 12, 2022

May 16, 2022

NXT UK Date: May 12, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness It’s a big time show this week as we have the 200th episode (though that doesn’t seem to be the case if you actually count them up). Counting issues aside, we have a big main event as United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov is defending against Jordan Devlin in a title match that is also Loser Leaves Town. Let’s get to it. The opening video looks at the title match. Opening sequence. Ashton Smith/Oliver Carter vs. Gallus The winners move on to a triple threat Tag Team Title match and it’s the Coffey brothers for Gallus. Mark powers Carter to the mat to start and it’s quickly off to Joe for a chop as commentary talks about Joe never winning anything. Carter sends Mark into the corner with a headscissors and starts in on the arm, with Smith coming in to do the same. That doesn’t work for Mark, who runs Carter over and hands it back to Joe….who is quickly knocked to the f..