Search Results: "ability"

NEWS

A Rare Breed: Rhea Ripley Reveals Special Privilege WWE Grants Her

March 14, 2023

That’s something special. There are all kinds of things that need to come together to make a wrestler a success. At or near the top of the list is the ability to talk, as it can make the fans care about you in a way that almost anything in the ring just cannot do. Being able to use the right words help, and now another WWE star is revealing a special privilege that she has when it comes to talking. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Oh No: Former Impact Wrestling Star Arrested For Violating Order of Protection Involving Wife During a new interview with Sports Media with Richard Deitsch, Monday Night Raw star Rhea Ripley revealed that she has some creative freedom with promos. While there are promos where she is required to say certain things to get points across and cannot change much, she has “free range” on backstage segments. Such freedom when it comes to promos are not common in WWE, with only a handful of wrestlers being granted such permission. Ripley is quite the star. Check out her rece..

NEWS

WATCH: Eddie Kingston Quits AEW In Bizarre Video

March 2, 2023

So I guess he’s done? With so many wrestlers on the AEW roster, it can be difficult to figure out a way to stand out. The wrestlers are talented and there are all kinds of people who can do a variety of things, but only a few are able to connect with the audience in a special way. One of the more popular wrestlers with that ability might not be around the company for a little while. This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite featured a Face Of The Revolution ladder match with eight stars. Early in the match, Eddie Kingston and Ortiz brawled off with commentary saying they had to be separated. Following the show, AEW aired a video, showing Kingston being interviewed. Kingston’s entire statement was “I quit AEW. Peace.” There is no word on where this is going. That was abrupt. Check out Kingston’s statement, plus some happier times in AEW: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is someth..

NEWS

Lawyer Up: WWE Facing Lawsuit Over Injury At WrestleMania 38

February 21, 2023

That’s a bad one. WWE is a multi billion dollar wrestling promotion and the most powerful in all of the industry. That is the kind of thing that can lead to a variety of issues, as the company is going to have to deal with a bunch of problems. Several of these involve situations that take place at their events, and now they might be in trouble involving a lot of money. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: REVIEW: March To WrestleMania IX: They’re Marching The Wrong Way According to PWInsider.com, WWE is being sued by a man named Marvin Jackson, who claims that a pyro display at WrestleMania 38 caused him to lose the hearing in his left ear. The lawsuit claims that Jackson sat near the stage at WrestleMania but WWE did not post any kind of notification of the dangers of being so close to the pyro. As a result, WWE is facing accusations of negligence, gross negligence and strict liability. Jackson is seeking a jury trial and more than $1 million in “damages of any kind, penalties, costs, expenses, p..

NEWS

He Was Busy: Here Is Why WWE Did Not Run Rumored Edge Matches

February 4, 2023

That’s a good reason. There are certain stars in WWE who get your attention no matter what they are doing. Some of them have an innate ability to get your attention and the audience will react to them whenever they are around. There are occasionally outside reasons that keep these bigger names away from being on WWE TV regularly and that is the case again. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: It’s Coming Together: Current Planned And Potential WrestleMania 39 Card *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS* Over the last few months, there have been rumors of upcoming matches between Edge/Beth Phoenix vs. Finn Balor/Rhea Ripley in some form. However, Edge had been missing for several months before returning last month at the Royal Rumble. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Edge has been missing in action due to filming commitments on the Disney+ series “Percy Jackson And The Olympians”, leaving him with no time to hype up the match. Edge appeared this week on Monday Night Raw to attack Balor, but no match ..

NEWS

BREAKING: Vince McMahon Elected Chairman of WWE Board of Directors, Stephanie McMahon Resigns

January 11, 2023

The boss is back. WWE issued a press release today, announcing that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected Vince McMahon Executive Chairman of the Board. In addition, Stephanie McMahon has resigned as co-CEO and Chairwoman of the Board and Nick Khan will serve as the company’s sole CEO. Statements from several executives were issued in the press release: Vince McMahon: “First, I’d like to express my full support for Stephanie’s personal decision. I’ll forever be grateful that she offered to step in during my absence and I’m truly proud of the job she did co-leading WWE. Stephanie has always been the ultimate ambassador for our company, and her decades of contributions have left an immeasurable impact on our brand. “I’m proud to announce that Nick Khan will serve as WWE CEO. Nick’s business acumen and mastery of the media industry have helped catapult our business to record revenue and profitability. Together, we look forward to working with the Board at this critical moment ..

NEWS

WWE Hires JPMorgan To Help With Sale of the Company

January 7, 2023

Let the bidding begin. According to a report from CNBC, WWE has hired JPMorgan to begin the process of selling the company. This is being reported following the news that Vince McMahon returned to the company yesterday. The report states that if a deal occurs, it would likely occur in the next three to six months. In addition, WWE plans to talk to potential buyers before it makes a decision on TV rights renewal agreements. McMahon had the following to stay in a statement: “My return will allow WWE, as well as any transaction counterparties, to engage in these processes knowing they will have the support of the controlling shareholder.” His return doesn’t affect current leadership as Stephanie, and former CAA agent Nick Khan are co-CEOs. However, it remains unclear what type of role, if any, Vince would want at WWE if he sold the company. WWE has told investors that his role is essential in “our ability to create popular characters and creative storylines.” Currently, Vince doesn’t h..

NEWS

WATCH: International Star Makes Surprise NXT Debut

November 16, 2022

Welcome to the team. There have been a lot of changes throughout the WWE roster in recent months and there is nothing to suggest that they are going to end anytime soon. That is the kind of thing that can make for some very interesting moments, as you never know who might show up in what spot. Another debut took place this week in quite the important moment. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Run That By Me Again: WWE Announces New Match Type Coming Next Much (It’s A Lot) The main event of this week’s NXT saw Women’s Champion Mandy Rose defending her title against Alba Fyre in a Last Woman Standing match. Late in the match, Fyre climbed a ladder, but former NXT UK star Isla Dawn appeared and shoved Fyre off the ladder and through the announcers’ table, allowing Rose to retain her title. This was Dawn’s NXT debut and her first appearance since NXT UK closed. It was a surprise. Check out Dawn’s debut and her ability in the ring: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains vid..

NEWS

AEW’s Television Future Could Be Very Promising

November 10, 2022

That’s a good sign. AEW has come a very long way in a rather short amount of time. The company has only been around for about three and a half years but it is already the second biggest wrestling promotion in the United States. That is in part due to its very strong television presence, and now the agreement that keeps them on the air may be getting even bigger. According to Fightful Select, a source at Warner Brothers Discovery would be “shocked” if AEW does not get a new television deal with the company, but also with a big increase in the rights fee. Warner Brothers Discovery has worked closely with AEW and 2022 was seen as a rebound year for wrestling interest, which has sparked a good relationship. AEW’s current deal expires at the end of 2023. Opinion: That is great to hear, as AEW getting more money and having more ability to move around and try new things is one of the best things that could happen to them. The company needs more money to help fund various things and a rights..

NEWS

AEW TNT Champion Wardlow: “I Have Girls Chained Up In My Bedroom”

October 29, 2022

Well that’s….unique. Wrestlers are best known for what they do in the ring but there is a completely different side to what they do. While the in-ring work is important, the ability to talk people into watching the show might be the most important thing of all. As a result, wrestlers are going to do a lot of talking a lot of the time and now a prominent star said something rather eye catching. AEW TNT Champion Wardlow appeared on Busted Open Radio this week and discussed how wrestlers are similar to horror movie and television series characters, in that they have characters, gimmicks and a theme song. In particular, Wardlow spoke about the Joe Goldberg character from the “You” TV series, saying he did not know why you would chain people up in your basement. Wardlow then said “I have girls chained up in my bedroom, but no one in my basement”. Wardlow successfully defended the TNT Title against Matt Taven this week on AEW Rampage. Opinion: Well that’s certainly a statement that is goin..

NEWS

Surprise Name Tops Annual PWI Women’s 150 List

October 28, 2022

She’s #1! One of the most common things that you see among wrestling fans is a discussion of the best wrestlers. At one point or another, every fan has debated something about wrestling, often over who the best is at any given thing. You occasionally get something official, or in this case something close to it, as a wrestler has won a rather prestigious award. Pro Wrestling Illustrated has released its annual PWI Women’s 150, ranking the top 150 female wrestlers in the world over the period of October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022. the award is based on a mixture of success, influence, in-ring ability, competition and more. The list has been released since 2008 and this is the first time that a woman from a non-North American promotion has ranked #1. Here is the top ten: 1. Syuri (Stardom) 2. Bianca Belair (WWE) 3. Thunder Rosa (AEW) 4. Becky Lynch (WWE) 5. Jade Cargill (AEW) 6. Jordynne Grace (Impact Wrestling) 7. Saya Kamitani (Stardom) 8. Charlotte Flair (WWE) 9. Starlight Kid (St..

NEWS

Backstage News On Why WWE Put Zelina Vega With Legado del Fantasma

October 16, 2022

A worthy substitute. One of the most valuable resources that WWE has is the ability to draw wrestlers up from its NXT developmental system. It allows WWE to get wrestlers ready for the main roster and then call them up at the right time. Sometimes they are called up as originally planned, but occasionally a change has to be made. That took place recently but for a very specific reason. Earlier this month, Legado del Fantasma made their main roster debut on SmackDown, attacking Hit Row. However, Elektra Lopez was missing, with Zelina Vega being with the team instead. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Vega replaced Lopez because WWE felt that she was a better opponent for Hit Row’s B-Fab in future matches. There is no word on what will be done with Lopez going forward. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that makes sense once you hear the reasoning, but it isn’t exactly a great thing to see if you were a fan of the original Legado del Fantasma. Hopefully Lopez gets to do s..

NEWS

Important Detail On WWE Booking Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul For Crown Jewel

September 20, 2022

It does make sense. Over the last few years, WWE has developed a business relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The deal has been very lucrative for WWE as the company receives millions of dollars in exchange for two shows a year in the Kingdom. WWE is returning in November with a bit of a weird main event, but now we know the reasoning behind it. WWE has announced that the main event of November 5’s Crown Jewel event will see Logan Paul challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title. According to Dave Meltzer on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, Saudi Arabia wanted Paul in the spot because he has more mainstream appeal than a regular WWE star like Kevin Owens or Seth Rollins. This will be Paul’s third WWE match to date. Opinion: I don’t think this is much of a surprise and that is not the worst thing. Paul does seem to be someone who has a lot of natural talent and the ability to get fans’ attention when he is in front of a camera. While I can’t imagin..

NEWS

SmackDown Results – August 5, 2022

August 6, 2022

Smackdown Date: August 5, 2022 Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee We’re done with Summerslam and well on the way to Clash At The Castle, which should make for an energized few weeks. WWE seems to want to make this show into something special and they have the ability to do so. The main event is already set and now we get to see what else they have. Let’s get to it. We open with a long recap of Summerslam. The Bloodline arrives. Pat McAfee gives us a telestrated recap of him kicking Happy Corbin low at Summerslam. We see the impact about ten times before cutting to the back, where a bunch of people are laughing at Corbin. Ricochet laughs a lot and gets a match with Corbin tonight as a result. Ricochet vs. Happy Corbin Corbin throws him into the corner to start but Ricochet kicks him in the face, setting up the big flip dive to the floor. Back in and Ricochet’s springboard is broken up but he’s fine enough to block..

NEWS

Nice And Quiet: Interesting Backstage Update On MJF’s AEW Status

August 4, 2022

Of all people to not talk. While the focus in wrestling tends to be what happens between the bells, a wrestler having the ability to speak well might be even more important. Without a wrestler speaking to the fans and making them care, a story is only going to have so much impact. As it turns out, one of the best talkers in wrestling today has not had much to say lately. Back on the June 1 edition of AEW Dynamite, Maxwell Jacob Friedman cut an in-ring promo insulting the company and owner Tony Khan. Friedman has not been seen and barely referenced on AEW TV since and it is not clear when he will be returning. According to Fightful Select, Friedman has been silent since the promo, making no contact with any known AEW wrestler or staff member. Khan has not been heard discussing Friedman either. Opinion: This is one of those stories that could go in a few different ways, but it would be nice to see it go in some way. I’m not sure when Friedman is going to be back, but if he isn’t back j..

NEWS

His Time? WWE High On Young Star, Considering Giving Him A Push

July 4, 2022

Maybe he’s next. There are a lot of stars in WWE today and some of them have been in their spots for a long time. That can be quite the benefit to have as WWE knows what they have available and what works, but at some point something needs to change. Eventually you need a new crop of talent and now WWE might have its sights on someone else who could move up the ranks. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, there are some in WWE who are interested in pushing Montez Ford as a singles star. This is partially due to Ford’s new physique, which has become more prominent in recent weeks. Ford has never been a singles star on the main roster, as he has always teamed with Angelo Dawkins as the Street Profits. There is no word on if or when such a push would take place. Opinion: I don’t think there is any secret to the fact that Ford has the potential to be a top singles star sooner rather than later. He is in his early 30s, has more athletic ability than he knows what to do with and is a ball..

NEWS

WWE Made A Match, Upgraded The Match And Didn’t Air The Match

June 28, 2022

They changed their minds. There are a lot of issues with WWE at the moment and one of them is their inability to present the matches and segments that they advertise. WWE has a bad tendency to change their minds on something they plan to present and it can create issues. That was the case again this week, despite a last minute advertisement of the match. Last week on Monday Night Raw, Kevin Owens issued a challenge to either Ezekiel, Elias or their brother Elrod. Ezekiel accepted the challenge on behalf of his family and it was officially announced for this week’s show. On top of that, at 6am on Monday morning, WWE announced that the match would be a Money in the Bank qualifying match. However, the match did not take place and was not mentioned during the show, with no explanation given of why the change took place. There is no word on if the match will be rescheduled. TONIGHT: @FightOwensFight will get his chance to qualify for the Men's #MITB Ladder Match! His opponent could..

NEWS

Group Of International Stars Make Surprise AEW Debuts, Big Match Already Set

June 9, 2022

They have guest stars. AEW has several strengths and one of them has been the amount of international stars the company has brought in. As a result, AEW is able to offer all kinds of matches that fans might not be able to see on such a large stage. This will be the case again later this month at Forbidden Door, when New Japan and AEW wrestlers meet. It turns out we will be getting a bit of a preview. This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite featured an in-ring segment between FTR and Trent Beretta. During the exchange, New Japan’s Will Ospreay’s name was mentioned, which caused Ospreay himself to appear. Ospreay’s distraction allowed the team of Aussie Open, part of Ospreay’s United Empire stable, to appear and jump all three. As a result, a six man tag was announced for this week’s edition of Rampage. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that I could go for, as Aussie Open and Ospreay have the ability to put on some excellent matches when given the chance. Throwing them in the ring with FT..

NEWS

WWE Star’s Name Used In Horrible Scam Costing Fans A Lot Of Money

April 18, 2022

That’s horrible. Wrestlers have an interesting job when it comes to performing, as they have to keep things safe while also making fans believe that what they are seeing is real. That is easier said than done but the best stars have the ability to make it work. Sometimes people take a similar skill in an extremely wrong direction though and that seems to be the case again in relation to a WWE star. WWE’s Liv Morgan has posted some tweets begging fans not to believe others impersonating her online. Morgan says that someone has been talking to fans while posing as her and asking for money. This has caused one fan to sell his house and everything he owned, thinking he was helping Morgan. She made it clear that she has not asked for anything and begged people to stop using her name or sending money to someone posing as her. Guys I’ve been sent so many emails of horror stories about people making fake accounts and emails pretending to be me & asking for huge amounts of money. This really ..

NEWS

NXT Star Appears Before SmackDown In A Very Different Role

April 16, 2022

There might be a place for him. Wrestlers have a lot of things to cover every time they are in front of an audience. While the focal point is going to be in the ring, there are other things that need to be done as well. One of the most important is the ability to talk, as fans need a reason to care about someone. Now we might be seeing a new talker coming up to the main roster soon. According to PWInsider.com, NXT’s LA Knight appeared in a dark segment before this week’s edition of SmackDown. Knight appeared in a suit and announced that he was creating Knight Model Management as a manager rather than a wrestler. He introduced Mace as his first client and helped him defeat Erik. This is seen as a tryout for a potential managerial role for Knight on the main roster. Opinion: While I’m disappointed in Knight only being brought up to the main roster for his talking abilities, it’s better than having him languish down in NXT any longer. Knight is a talented guy and someone who is able to ..

NEWS

WWE Locks Up Important Name In New Long Term Deal

March 29, 2022

He’ll be around for a bit. There are a lot of people who come together to produce an edition of any WWE television, with the wrestlers themselves often not being the most important parts. With so many different people in so many different roles, it can be very important for WWE to sign as many people up long term as they can. That is what they have done again with an important piece of the puzzle. During an appearance on the Sports Media With Richard Deitsch podcast, WWE performer Paul Heyman revealed that he has signed a new long term deal with the company. Heyman’s contract came up last year but he did not want to publicize his negotiations. The contract includes the ability for Heyman to work on outside projects, though he said his situation will always be “that WWE guy is doing an outside project”. Heyman is currently the special counsel for Roman Reigns and will be in his corner on Sunday at WrestleMania 38 against Brock Lesnar. Opinion: That is the kind of signing that WWE need..