Search Results: "prior"

NEWS

To The Big One: Update On Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Status Following Injury

March 5, 2023

They’re in a time crunch. We are less than four weeks away from WrestleMania 39 and that means it is time to get everything left over set up for the card. It is difficult to get some things together and it can be made even worse when a problem takes place out of nowhere. That seems to be the case again, as a star who is probably going to be on the card is injured. Now we know some more about the situation. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The Other Side: MJF Allegedly Said He’s “Looking Forward To Being” In WWE In 2024 This week on SmackDown, Ronda Rousey appeared with her arm in a sling after being attacked by Natalya and Tegan Nox earlier in the night. According to PWTorch.com, Rousey aggravated a prior injury, meaning that the planned tag team match between Rousey/Shayna Baszler vs. Nox/Natalya had to be changed. As of now, Rousey is still expected to wrestle at WrestleMania, though she has not had a match announced yet. A healthy Rousey is a force. Check out what should be at WrestleMania..

NEWS

Triple H Holds Talent Meeting Prior To Raw

January 17, 2023

The boss has spoken. According to a report from Fightful, Triple H held a meeting for all talent prior to tonight’s episode of Raw. This was similar to the talent meeting that he held prior to last week’s episode of SmackDown. At the meeting, Triple H reassured the Raw roster that he is still in charge of creative and that Vince McMahon’s return to the company had no effect on that side of things. He also debunked last week’s rumors that the company had already been sold to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Kevin Dunn and Executive Vice President of Talent for WWE Dan Ventrelle were also speaking at the WWE Raw talent meeting. Editor’s Opinion: I am glad that he did this with the Raw roster, much like he did with SmackDown. In the modern age that we live in, it’s often easy for a lot of information to be out there, and determining which is fact, and which is fiction, can be difficult at times. It’s good to see the executives stepping up and being as transparent as possible w..

NEWS

Cody Rhodes To Return At The 2023 Royal Rumble

January 17, 2023

The Nightmare is back. On tonight’s episode of Raw, WWE aired another vignette detailing the recovery of Cody Rhodes. At the conclusion of the video, a major announcement was made as The American Nightmare let the world know that he would be returning at the 2023 Royal Rumble. You can see the video below: [This post contains video, click to play] Rhodes has been out of action since Hell in a Cell 2022, where he competed against Seth Rollins, with a torn pectoral muscle. Prior to this, he had made his return to the company at WrestleMania of that year, returning after being away from the company for 6 years. Editor’s Opinion: I think we all had a sense that this was coming, but now it is official. If I’m being honest, I hoped that WWE would have made him a surprise entry into the Royal Rumble match, but with all of the vignettes airing, I understand why they needed to make the announcement before the show. I still believe that 2023 is going to be the biggest year of his career, an..

NEWS

Triple H Held a Talent Meeting In Green Bay Prior to Smackdown

January 14, 2023

The boss has spoken. According to a report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Triple H held a talent meeting before tonight’s episode of Smackdown. There, he and other WWE executives addressed a number of reports that have been circulating as of late. Triple H told everyone that Vince McMahon’s return to the company is to see whether or not they sell, and who they should sell to. He said this would not change the creative team or process. Furthermore, Triple H did say that he and Vince McMahon have conversations about creative, but Vince defers the final say to Triple H. It was also noted that Kevin Dunn spoke at the Smackdown talent meeting and had interesting things to say. Triple H led the talent meeting today in Green Bay. He told talent that Vince McMahon's return is to see whether or not they sell, and who they should sell to. He said this will not change the creative team or process. More coming to https://t.co/jy8u4a7WDa. — Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSap..

NEWS

More Gold: WWE Considering New Main Event Level Title

January 1, 2023

One more. Titles are one of the most important aspects of any wrestling promotion. They identify the company’s best or top stars in a way that anyone can figure it out almost instantly. One of the most important aspects to keeping track of titles is not having too many though, and now the biggest promotion in the industry is talking about bringing in a new title. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Top Of The Class: Interesting Detail About Dragon Lee Signing With NXT According to recent reports, WWE is planning to have two different World Title matches over the two nights of WrestleMania 39. This would imply that Roman Reigns would lose one of his two World Titles prior to the show, but that may not be the case. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there has been discussion of introducing a new title, meaning Reigns would not lose either of his championships. There is no word on how far these discussions have gone or what the new title would be called. There have been some new titles..

NEWS

That’s A Hot One: How A Former WWE Star (Literally) Set Backstage On Fire

December 30, 2022

It might have been a factor. Wrestlers have come and gone from WWE over the years but only some make an impression. You never know when you are going to see someone in the ring for the last time, but in one case, a wrestler with a unique character was gone after his first match. It turns out there is a very specific reason for his departure and it could have been much worse. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: That’s A Hot One: How A Former WWE Star (Literally) Set Backstage On Fire During a recent edition of Something To Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard told a story about Phantasio, a magician character who wrestled one match on WWE TV in July 1995 before being let go from the company. According to Prichard, prior to his match, Phantasio dropped a bottle of liquid fire in the Gorilla Position, causing the drapes to catch on fire. The company did not know he had a fire spot planned and the accident resulted in Phantasio’s time with the company ending. It was something. Check out Phantasio’s match, p..

NEWS

Homecoming: More Details On Surprise WWE Return

December 21, 2022

It’s all about the details. There have been several surprise returns to WWE this year, some of which have been almost shocking. It means a lot when a former star makes a return to WWE, and another one happened this week. Another former NXT champion made a surprise return, albeit this time on the main roster, and now we know a bit more about how everything went down. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: Former WWE Star Teases Third Run With Company This week on Monday Night Raw, Bronson Reed made a surprise return to Wwe, helping Miz defeat Dexter Lumis in a ladder match. According to Fightful Select, Reed was a “priority hire” for WWE under the Triple H regime, with Reed leaving New Japan, where he had been working as Jonah, to return. While Reed has not wrestled since October, he has been talking about New Japan’s January 4 Wrestle Kingdom event to hide a potential WWE return. Reed is a former NXT North American Champion but was released from WWE in August 2021. Reed is a force..

NEWS

WRESTLING RUMORS: NXT Set To Change Title Belt Designs

December 15, 2022

An old look. Titles are some of the most important things in a wrestling promotion. A wrestler holding a title is one of the signs that the company has made an investment into them and it makes them feel like more important deals. The titles themselves are easy to identify as they are big shiny belts, but sometimes they need to be replaced. Now that is the case again, albeit with an old taste. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BREAKING: Mandy Rose Released By WWE According to Belt Fan Dan on Twitter, NXT is planning on replacing their current collection of championship belts. NXT’s rainbow championships will be replaced by their previous non-colored designs. There is no word on when the change will take place or when the titles will be switched back to their previous designs. The older versions had been in use since March 2017. Word on the street is the rainbow NXT belts are going to be replaced with the prior non-colored ones. — Dan Beltzer (@BeltFanDan) December 14, 2022 There have been so..

NEWS

LOOK: WWE Star Changes Up Her Longtime Unique Appearance

December 13, 2022

It’s one of the most important parts. There are several things that need to come together to make a wrestler a success. While the in-ring and speaking abilities play large roles, one of the first things that fans notice is the wrestler’s look. A wrestler with an interesting look is going to catch someone’s attention rather quickly and now a longtime WWE star has changed her look quite a bit. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Can You Blame Them: WWE Pleased As NXT Finisher Goes Viral (Video Included) This week on Monday Night Raw, Rhea Ripley defeated Asuka. Prior to the match, Asuka came to the ring with no paint on her face, even missing the black line across her cheeks and the green lines coming from her eyes and mouth. There is no word on why Asuka changed her look, though it does come after a series of tweets, suggesting that Asuka is planning a change. Here’s the new look compared to the old: IMG Credit: WWE Asuka has all kinds of abilities. Check out what she can do in the ring: [This ..

NEWS

Seth Rollins Pays Tribute To Brodie Lee At WWE Live Event

December 5, 2022

Friends Forever. WWE recently ran a live event in Rochester, New York, which featured a match between Seth Rollins and Austin Theory for the United States Championship. Rochester also happens to be the hometown of Brodie Lee, who tragically passed away in December 2020. Following the match, Rollins paid tribute to Brodie and said the following: “Mr. Brodie Lee…he’s from here. He passed away a couple of years ago around this time, and this is the first time I’ve been here with a microphone in my hand in this city to tell him how much I miss him and how much I love him. I just wanted to say tonight was for him. Every time we are in Rochester, in my heart that means we’re here for him. It’s Saturday, and you know what that means, so do your damn thing and sing my song.” Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) gives a tribute to the late Brodie Lee (Luke Harper) in Lee’s hometown of Rochester, NY. ??#WWERochester pic.twitter.com/5BEwryZXZI — Ella Jay (@itsellajay) December 4, 2022 Prior to his tim..

NEWS

Sarah Logan Makes Her Return To WWE Programming

November 12, 2022

She’s back! Tonight on Smackdown, Sarah Logan made her return to WWE after being away from regular programming for over two years. Logan had been teased in recent vignettes with The Viking Raiders, and officially allied herself with the team on tonight’s show. You can see a clip of her return below: [This post contains video, click to play] After The Viking Raiders attacked both Hit Row and Legado Del Fantasma prior to their match against each other, Logan made her way down the entrance ramp and went after B Fab. She would then officially join the Radiers to end the segment. Logan was released from her WWE contract on April 15, 2020, due to budget cuts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that was beginning to emerge. She made a surprise return at the 2022 Royal Rumble earlier this year, entering the match at number 25 and briefly reuniting with Liv Morgan. She lasted only 43 seconds, until she was eliminated by The Bella Twins. Editor’s Opinion: Yes! This is awesome! I have alw..

NEWS

Kurt Angle Reveals Weird Side Effect From Major Surgery

October 24, 2022

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..

NEWS

WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Making Plans For Special Milestone Show

October 21, 2022

It’s a special day. Some of the most important moments in the history of wrestling have taken place on television. Most modern wrestling promotions are built around television, allowing millions of fans to see what has been going on. Watching those shows has become a weekly tradition for years and now the biggest wrestling show in history is setting up for a major milestone. According to the WrestleVotes Twitter account, WWE has set plans in motion for the 30th anniversary of Monday Night Raw in January, though there is no word on what those plans might be. When Vince McMahon was still in charge of WWE, there was a possibility of the show taking place at the Manhattan Center in New York City but it is not clear if that plan is still an option. Monday Night Raw debuted on January 11, 1993. I’m told plans are in motion for the 30th Anniversary of RAW show coming up in January. Prior to the new leadership taking over, having the show from The Manhattan Center again in NYC was on the tab..

NEWS

SmackDown Star Makes Surprise NXT Appearance (And He Could Be Sticking Around)

October 19, 2022

There is a place for him. WWE has a lot of talent but there is only so much time to put that talent on television. It can be difficult to come up with something for everyone to do and sometimes the best answer is to move them to another show for a change. Having three shows helps WWE quite a bit and now it seems that one star might be going to another of those shows. Shinsuke Nakamura appeared on this week’s edition of NXT as a surprise, defeating Stacks of the D’Angelo Family. It was Nakamura’s first televised match since the August 26 SmackDown. According to Fightful Select, and prior to the appearance, there had been discussion in WWE about Nakamura appearing for NXT. It is not clear if this will be a one off appearance or a permanent, or even semi-permanent, move. Opinion: This is one of those situations where we’ll have to wait and see what happens but Nakamura going back to NXT, even for a bit, could be interesting. Nakamura is an NXT legend and doesn’t have anything going on u..

NEWS

WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE May Bring Back Historic Show

October 14, 2022

There might be a future in it. Women’s wrestling has come a long way in the last few years, to the point there there is little left that women have not done in WWE. From headlining WrestleMania to having their own Royal Rumble, women have done quite a few things in the company, but now they might be able to do something that they have only done once before a few years back. According to Xero News, WWE has discussed the possibility of holding another Evolution event. The original event took place in 2018 and featured a card comprised solely of women’s matches. However, the show is not considered “priority” and would only be held in summer to late 2023. There is no word on when or where the card could take place or what could be included. Evolution 2 has been spoke about but right now is not considered "priority". If it goes ahead will be summer or late 2023 — Xero News (@NewsXero) October 12, 2022 Opinion: This is something that could work well if WWE goes in that direction, but it..

NEWS

WATCH: The Bloodline Has A New Problem On Their Hands

October 10, 2022

They might have a new problem. The last year plus of WWE has been dominated by the Bloodline. The group has dominated almost anyone who has come in front of them and there are only a few names left who can come up against them. It means something for a star to face off of them and now another former champion seems ready to come after the all star team. Last week on SmackDown, Ricochet faced Solo Sikoa. Prior to the show, Ricochet gave an interview backstage where he talked about being sick of the Bloodline. Ricochet spoke about how he wanted to take out all of the teams, beginning with Sikoa that night. Sikoa defeated Ricochet in the match and it is not clear if Ricochet will continue to go after the Bloodline in the coming weeks. He had something to say. Check out Ricochet’s words against the Bloodline: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I could absolutely go for more of Ricochet, but it doesn’t exactly offer the best sign if he is losing in his first match after m..

NEWS

AEW Battle Of The Belts IV Results

October 8, 2022

Battle Of The Belts IV Date: October 7, 2022 Location: Entertainment And Sports Arena, Washington DC Commentators: Jim Ross, Excalibur, William Regal, Chris Jericho We’re back to another of these things and that does not offer the most inspiration. The series does not seem to be a priority for AEW but the action tends to be rather good. This is also a live show so maybe things can be picked up a little bit from its usual status, which would be appreciated. Let’s get to it. All-Atlantic Title: Trent Beretta vs. Pac Pac is defending and is still in the ring after wrestling in the 20+ minute Rampage main event. Trent has Chuck Taylor in his corner and wins an early slugout for a bit of a surprise. A running clothesline puts Pac on the floor and there’s the dive to take him out for a bonus. Back in and Trent hammers on the ropes, setting up a dropkick to take it outside again. A spear on the floor drops Pac for two back inside but he kicks Trent outside this time. The table is set up bu..

NEWS

Robert Roode Undergoes Medical Procedure In Birmingham, Alabama

September 30, 2022

That’s a valid reason. With so many wrestlers on the WWE roster, it can be easy to lose track of some of them. When someone goes away, you might miss them at first but then they have been gone so long that they are forgotten altogether. That is the situation with a current WWE star who has been missing for a good while but now we might know where he has been. WWE’s Robert Roode has revealed on Instagram that he underwent a medical procedure in Birmingham, Alabama this week. There is no word on what kind of procedure it was or how severe Roode’s condition was prior to the procedure. Roode has not wrestled since a live event on June 25 and there is no word on when he will be returning to the ring following his procedure. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Robert Roode (@realrobertroode) Opinion: That does explain a few things, as Roode has not been around for a rather long time now. It was weird not seeing him around whatsoever and hopefully he can be back in the ring sooner..

NEWS

Backstage News On Karrion Kross’ Push In WWE

August 9, 2022

Tick tock. Perhaps the biggest story in professional wrestling this past week has been the return of Karrion Kross to WWE. He attacked Drew McIntyre in the closing moments of last week’s episode of SmackDown. According to a report from PWInsider, WWE is planning to push Kross to be the No. 2 heel on the blue brand, behind Roman Reigns. In addition, Scarlett will continue to manage him and isn’t currently planning to be wrestling regularly, but that could be a possibility in the future. The report also states that after the pair were released last year, there was still regular communication between them and the company. Kross is also expected to complete his independent wrestling appearances that were signed prior to his return to WWE as much as possible. Editor’s Opinion: Can you blame WWE for making this decision? The pair was easily one of the best things about NXT during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I still, to this day, don’t understand why Vince McMahon decided to release them f..

NEWS

WWE Changes Longstanding Rule About “Dirty Words”

August 5, 2022

Get your scripts updated. WWE has been undergoing a variety of changes and some of them are going to be felt for a long time to come. Most of these changes have been behind the scenes, but a good many of those are going to have an impact on what happens in front of the camera. That seems to be the case again, as some longstanding rules might be relaxed a bit. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is relaxing its rule on the use of the terms “wrestler” and “wrestling” in promos. Previously, the terms needed prior authorization to be used but now the terms are no longer considered dirty. This is said to be part of the changes taking place in WWE, many of which are seen as positives. Triple H is now in charge of both creative and talent relations and is said to be someone who cares about talent. Opinion: This is the kind of change that seems like the most logical idea in the world. At the end of the day, only WWE would ever think to call itself sports entertainment rather ..