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Scarlett Bordeaux isn't just a familiar face in WWE; she's a dynamic force who seamlessly blends charisma, athleticism, and a deep understanding of wrestling st...
That is serious. While wrestling storylines are pre-determined, the action that you see between the bells is very real. It takes special athleticism and incredible talent to make everything work safely, but there will always be physical issues brought on as a result. This can lead to some serious issues for wrestlers and that is the case again with one of the biggest names of all time. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: They Got It: WWE Went To Extreme Lengths For Royal Rumble Surprise Last week’s edition of Monday Night Raw was the Raw XXX special, celebrating thirty years of the show. The show featured a variety of legends from throughout the last thirty years, meaning several legends were present for the show. During a recent edition of the Kurt Angle Show, Kurt Angle mentioned speaking to Hulk Hogan at the event. Angle revealed that Hogan has undergone another back surgery, which involved nerves being cut from the lower half of his body. As a result, Hogan has no feeling in his legs but is s..
Call it a crossover. Wrestlers receive a lot of criticism due to the pre-planned results of their matches, but it does not take away from the athleticism. The wrestlers that can get to the top of the industry are incredible athletes and some of the best you will find in any sport. It can be interesting to see what happens when wrestlers try their hand at another sport and that is the case again. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: WWE Unveils John Cena As WWE2K23 Cover Star John Hennigan, formerly known as John Morrison/Johnny Impact/Johnny Elite etc., has been announced as one of the participants in Creator Clash 2, a charity boxing event. Hennigan will face Epic Meal Time’s Harley Morenstein as part of the card, which will be held to benefit charity. The event is scheduled to take place at the Amalie Arena in Orlando, Florida on April 15. CREATOR CLASH 2 IS GONNA BE A STACKED ONE ? pic.twitter.com/rzyNlIrgm1 — Creator Clash (@TheCreatorClash) January 24, 2023 Hennigan had a heck of a ..
It’s a different world. Wrestlers have a difficult time in being seen as legitimate athletes. They have to do some very athletic things and their efforts are anything but easy. At the same time though, it can be difficult to shake the stigma of their matches being pre-determined. Occasionally a wrestler will try their hand at another sport though, which was the case again this week. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Discusses Brock Lesnar Intercontinental Title Reign Former WWE star Jack Claffey, better known as Jack Gallagher, competed in his professional MMA debut this weekend. Claffey fought Marlon Jones at FCC 32 and was defeated via TKO in the first round, with the event airing on UFC Fight Pass. Claffey posted a photo of himself and Jones following the fight. Following the end of his wrestling career, Claffey has competed in bare knuckle boxing and amateur mixed martial arts, compiling a 1-0 and 2-0 record respectively. You might remember him. Check out Claffey in t..
Preparing the next generation. WWE recently announced a partnership with EXOS (formerly known as Athlete’s Performance) for WWE’s Next In Line (NIL) trainees the opportunity to train at one of EXOS’ world-class training and development facilities across the United States. From the press release: Founded by world-class coach Mark Verstegen over two decades ago, Exos pioneered the field of human performance, operating in 26 countries across 400 locations, supporting over 12,000 elite athletes, including 1,000+ NFL draft picks, 99 of which came in the ’22 draft class alone, 215+ Olympians, military elite, and corporate employees from nearly 30% of Fortune 100 companies. “An industry leader in sports performance, Exos will help enhance our NIL athletes’ experience as they transition from college athletics to WWE,” said James Kimball, WWE Head of Talent Operations and Strategy. While working with Exos professionals, WWE NIL athletes will be introduced to the Exos Athlete Experience Prog..
It suits her. There are some incredible athletes in wrestling and a lot of them do not get the credit that they deserve for being so skilled at what they do. A big part of this is their fitness and athleticism, both of which can be overlooked. Sometimes you will see a wrestler get the accolades that they deserve for their efforts and another one certainly did that recently. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Just Not Quite: WWE Legend On Why Shelton Benjamin Didn’t Become A Main Event Star Monday Night Raw’s Bianca Belair revealed on Instagram that she participated in a recent WBFF (World Beauty Fitness And Fashion) event. Belair placed first in wellness and second in fashion, which was enough for her to earn her pro card from the organization. Belair, also the reigning Raw Women’s Champion, also revealed that she designed every outfit that she wore on stage for the competition. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bianca Belair (@biancabelairwwe) She has other talents too. Check out B..
End of the line? Wrestlers are a unique breed when it comes to athletics. While they are all athletes in one way or another, many of them top caliber, many of them do not walk away from competition like others are able to do. This is partially due to being able to get back in the ring for one more match, making it hard to finish up. Now one legend is ready to finish things up for good though. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Perfect Timing: AEW’s Saraya Undergoes Ironic Surgery Dustin Rhodes began wrestling back in 1988 and has wrestled for a variety of promotions all over the world, from WCW to WWE to Impact Wrestling to AEW and various other stops in between. According to Premiere Streaming Network, Rhodes announced at this weekend’s Blizzard Brawl tapings that 2023 will be his final year wrestling. Rhodes, 53, did not say when in the year he planned on retiring or any specific plans for the year. .@dustinrhodes has announced at the @BlizzardBrawl tapings that 2023 will be his last year wre..
Like a slap in the face. Wrestling is a difficult sport to pull off as while it is an athletic endeavor and the wrestlers are having to do all kinds of things in front of a live audience, they also have to keep everyone else in the ring with them safe. That can occasionally go wrong, and now a top WWE star seems a little upset by something that went wrong during a major match. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: LOOK: WWE Drops Hint At 46 Year Old Former Champion’s Possible Return The main event of last weekend’s Survivor Series saw the Bloodline defeat Team McIntyre in WarGames. Following the match, reports surfaced of Roman Reigns being upset at an unplanned spot with Kevin Owens, which resulted in Reigns suffering a possible ear injury. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, the spot involved a hard slap from Owens to Reigns, which resulted in a bruise on Reigns’ eye and the possible ruptured eardrum. Reigns was said to be mad after the incident and there is a chance that he is not completely ..
That’s a good sign. Wrestling is in a weird place when compared to mainstream sports. While wrestling is certainly an athletic endeavor, it is closer to a performance than a competition. At the same time, wrestling has quite the audience and that is something that can bring in quite a bit of money. Now the two biggest wrestling companies in the United States might be ready to use their audience to bring in a lot more money. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: WWE Star Teases Taking Going In A New Direction According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Thursday Night Football on Amazon is drawing in the same numbers in the 18-49 demographic as Monday Night Football on ESPN. This suggests that a core audience will watch a show on streaming, which could lead to online platforms such as Amazon Prime or Netflix could be interested in acquiring WWE or AEW programming when the new broadcasting deals are available. WWE’s current TV deals expire in September 2024, with the negotiations for a new ..
Call it a benefit? While there are parts of it that are a bit different, the athleticism required in professional wrestling is right there with mainstream sports. The wrestlers you see are working hard every time they are in the ring and unfortunately that means they are facing the same risks as everyone else. Now one legend has an interesting story about fixing one of his injuries. Earlier this year, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle underwent double knee replacement surgery. Angle spoke about the after effects of his surgery on the Kurt Angle Show, revealing that he is now taller after the operation. Angle’s knees were bent from damage and the replacements have made him stand up straighter while also having his legs extend. Prior to his surgery, Angle said he looked like “an old man walking”. Opinion: That’s one of the weirder situations you’ll see in wrestling but it is great to have Angle so much healthier than he was in before. It would be great to have him able to walk normally agai..
He has a fan. There are some very talented stars on the WWE roster who never get the chance that they deserve. For one reason or another, they are often either left on the sidelines or used as little more than someone to put over bigger stars. Oftentimes they need someone to go to bat for them and now one such star has gotten an endorsement from a top name. New SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey participated in a live stream on her YouTube channel earlier this week. At one point during the stream, Rousey mentioned fellow WWE star Mustafa Ali, calling him “amazingly talented” and “athletic”, saying he comes up with some great sequences. Ali has been used infrequently on WWE TV in recent months, with his most recent appearance coming last week on Monday Night Raw. Opinion: Rousey is certainly right about Ali’s talent but I don’t know if that is going to be enough to make him into the next big thing in WWE. For whatever reason, he has never been able to break through and get a seri..
Sometimes it has to be done. Wrestling is a unique breed among sports, as it is certainly athletic but it is predetermined and often planned out in advance. That makes for some interesting situations, as you can see things go off script, or at least off plans, right in front of your eyes. That can make for some interesting moments and that was the case this week on SmackDown. This week’s SmackDown featured a segment between Drew McIntyre, Karrion Kross and Scarlet. While McIntyre and Kross were fighting, Scarlet launched a fireball at McIntyre, which missed him entirely. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Kross was told to keep going to get to the planned ending of the segment. As a result, McIntyre gave Kross a spinebuster before Scarlet hit him low, allowing Kross to lock in the KrossJacket. This could have been worse. Check out what happened in the segment: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: They didn’t have a choice but to improvise here, as McInty..
Nothing wrong with an extra check. Wrestlers are in a weird place when it comes to celebrity status. While it is true that they are wrestlers, the top level stars are regularly wrestling in front of a good number of people. At the top level, they are wrestling in front of a national television audience on a regular basis, meaning they are going to be worth something to an advertiser. That is certainly the case with a current star. AEW’s Jon Moxley appeared at the Forbidden Door media scrum with a case of Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer. Moxley mentioned that he was hoping to get a sponsorship from the company. Since then, Athletic Brewing has posted a video to Twitter, showing Moxley at the media scrum and announcing that the two sides had come to terms on a deal. The video ends with Moxley presenting an advertisement for the drink. It’s quite the surprise. Check out the announcement and ad: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: That’s one of those things that you ..
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..
I guess he isn’t a fan. There are all kinds of wrestling legends in the world but only a few of them are among the all time names. It is very rare to get to see someone still active into a sixth decade, but we might be seeing that later this year if a rumored match takes place. However, a former wrestling personality is not too thrilled at the idea of a legend getting back in the ring. Earlier this week, news broken that WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, 73 years old, was considering a return to the ring to wrestle a match later this year. Since the announcement, former WCW broadcaster Chris Cruise has contacted the Maryland State Athletic Commission, saying that due to his age and health issues, Flair should not be allowed to return to the ring. There is no word on a response from the Commission. Here are Cruise’s comments, from his Facebook: “Hey you rubes, I screw around here a lot, but this is serious: Ric Flair should not be allowed to wrestle. Some reports indicate he has been worki..
I think they’ll take him. Wrestlers get an unfair reputation when it comes to their athletic abilities. While it’s true that their matches are predetermined, they are still out there putting in the work and the effort every single night and that takes a lot of talent. It can help wrestling quite a bit when a mainstream athlete shows up and now that might be the case again soon. On Saturday, boxing’s Heavyweight Champion of the World Tyson Fury retained his title via knockout over Dillian Whyte. After the fight, Fury suggested that he was ready to retire from the sport and move on to something else. During the post fight media scrum, Fury mentioned that he might be appearing at Summerslam. Fury said that he had a great time when he appeared at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia and would love to be at the Cardiff, Wales event in September. Fury has wrestled a match for WWE before, defeating Braun Strowman via countout at Crown Jewel 2019. Opinion: Something tells me that WWE would be thrille..
Call it a crossover. Professional wrestlers are certainly athletes, but there is a certain stigma about them. While what they do is some of the hardest work in all of sports, critics will waste no time in reminding you that what you are seeing is fake, or at least scripted and predetermined. That can make it a bit difficult for wrestling to be seen as athletics, but now some wrestlers will be appearing at a major athletic event. WWE has announced that The Miz and Titus O’Neil will be representing the company at the upcoming NFL Draft in Las Vegas. The two will get to announce selections for their respective hometown teams, the Cleveland Browns (Miz) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (O’Neil), the latter of which will be celebrating his birthday. O’Neil had a career in professional football, playing in the Arena Football League from 2003-2007. Opinion: This is one of those cool things that WWE gets to do every now and then. While WWE stars might not be the biggest celebrities in the world, the..
The other side. There are very few wrestlers in history like Brock Lesnar. He is a mixture of power, amateur wrestling skills and natural athleticism that has probably never been rivaled in professional wrestling. At the same time though, Lesnar has a bit of a reputation for just being in wrestling for the money and having little desire to do much else. However, he might be a bit nicer than he seems. Natalya was a guest on the Sports Guys Talking Wrestling podcast and revealed that Lesnar regularly gives wrestlers feedback on their matches. Lesnar watches the matches at the gorilla position behind the curtain and then offers wrestlers advice along with areas where they could improve. Natalya went on to say that Lesnar gets a bad reputation for not giving back but he knows what he is talking about with wrestling. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that can make for some fascinating moments, as Lesnar does have a reputation for not being thrilled to be around wrestling a lot of the tim..
He’s a big one to have back. WWE has a long history of bringing in celebrities to take part in major wrestling events. The idea makes a lot of sense as fans can be interested in seeing what happens when someone famous steps into their world. It can make for some fascinating moments, especially if the celebrity has some kind of an athletic background. That might be the case again soon. During an interview with Give Me Sport, heavyweight champion boxer Tyson Fury said that he would be back in WWE, saying “one million percent, you will see me in the WWE again.” Fury has made multiple appearances with WWE, including defeating Braun Strowman in a match at Crown Jewel 2019 via countout. There is no word on when Fury will return to WWE, though he has a title defense scheduled for April 23. Fury has said that the fight will be the final one of his career. Opinion: I’m sure WWE would enjoy having one of the most successful boxers of all time and one of the most recognized athletes in the worl..
They’re good at that kind of thing in NXT. One of the most common criticisms that you will see of wrestlers is that they are not real athletes. Critics will cite the predetermined nature of a match to say that everything about wrestling is fake, which is just not the case. What the wrestlers are doing in the ring is very real and shows you just how athletically gifted these people are. That was on display again this week. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, NXT held a powerlifting combine at the Performance Center earlier this week. There were different lifting groups for both men and women, with NXT Champion Bron Breakker and Zoey Stark scoring the highest in two rep bench press, while JJ Baron and Yulisa Leon and Kayden Carter scored the highest in the two rep box squat respectively. Here are the full results: Two-Rep Bench Press, Men: * Bron Breakker: 455 pounds * Brutus Creed, Tony D’Angelo: 385 pounds * JJ Baron, Bryce Montana, Von Wagner, Julius Creed, Josh Briggs: ..