Search Results: "shakeup"

NEWS

Not Like Most Returns? Possible Update On Nia Jax’s WWE Status After Royal Rumble

February 1, 2023

Just a cameo. There are so many wrestlers on the WWE roster that it can be difficult to come up with something for everyone to do. With so much talent in the company, it can be quite the shakeup when someone else is added to the list. Every so often you will see a wrestler come in and then be gone again almost so fast, which seems to have been the case again this week. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Fast One: Booker T. Reveals Surprising Detail About His WWE Royal Rumble Appearance Nia Jax made a surprise return to WWE in the women’s Royal Rumble, entering as the #30 entrant and being eliminated in just shy of two minutes. Jax did not appear on Monday Night Raw and as of Tuesday night, is still listed in the Alumni section of WWE.com. There is nothing to suggest that she has signed a new deal with the company or will be appearing regularly going forward, though this could still change. Jax is also currently advertised for the Big Horror Event on March 10 and 11 under her real name and “FKA N..

NEWS

WRESTLING RUMORS: When Vince McMahon Could Appear On WWE TV Again

January 11, 2023

What a comeback. WWE has been undergoing a pretty serious shakeup in the last few days and most of it centers around Vince McMahon himself. After his retirement from the company in July 2022, McMahon is back in his seat as Chairman of the Board and that means things are getting shake up again. Now there is a rumor of when we might see McMahon in public again. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE Sold To Saudi Arabia, Huge Change Coming To Company Xero News sent out a Tweet saying that “big news was imminent” and would take place “within the next two weeks”. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful responded to the tweet, saying it was a rumor that WWE would be announcing McMahon making an appearance at the Royal Rumble on January 28. Sapp did not say how he came to this conclusion and emphasized that he was not reporting it himself. WWE has yet to make any such announcement. Big News Imminent Within the next 2 weeks anyways — Xero News (@NewsXero) January 11, 2023 Hes implying WWE wil..

NEWS

No More: How Vince McMahon Has Been Almost Totally Removed From WrestleMania 39

January 4, 2023

There’s some fallout. The biggest change in the wrestling world in 2022 was Vince McMahon retiring from WWE after nearly forty years in charge of the company. That is the kind of shakeup that you never see in wrestling and it has caused a variety of changes for WWE. One of the biggest changes is still ongoing though and it involves one of McMahon’s greatest creations. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Seth Rollins Possibly Injured On Monday Night Raw According to Fightful Select, everything that McMahon had in mind for WrestleMania 39 is no longer planned for the show. This includes the ideas of John Cena vs. Logan Paul, Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey and possibly Cody Rhodes challenging for the WWE Title, though that idea was never officially pitched to WWE creative. There have been some matches rumored for WrestleMania, but nothing has officially been announced so far. WrestleMania 39 takes place on April 1 and 2. McMahon has done some things at WrestleMania before. Check out some of hi..

NEWS

Top Of The Class: Interesting Detail About Dragon Lee Signing With NXT

January 1, 2023

That’s a new level. With so much talent in WWE, it can be difficult to get to the top of the mountain. Some wrestlers come in with an advantage as well, as some will have enough hype or exposure outside of WWE that they start at a different level. There was a new WWE signing announced this week and it seems that they are going to be coming in to NXT with an extra level of expectations. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: So Much For That: Big WrestleMania Card Shakeup As Long Planned Match Reportedly Dropped Earlier this week, Dragon Lee announced that he had signed with WWE, which was later confirmed by the company. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lee will be the highest paid talent in NXT, though it is not clear how much he will be making. The “bottom number” for a main roster contract is $250,000 a year so Lee will be earning less than that. Lee’s deal also allows him to keep licensing deals, along with being used in a series of middle school age books featuring himself and oth..

NEWS

So Much For That: Big WrestleMania Card Shakeup As Long Planned Match Reportedly Dropped

January 1, 2023

So much for that. We are on the way to the Road To WrestleMania 39 and that means WWE is going to start putting together the card. That can make for some interesting changes as you need to see what WWE has in mind. This will often include some of the biggest names in the company but now a previously scheduled match is no longer expected to take place on the show. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: On The Mend: Top WWE Star Confirms He Suffered Broken Ankle, To Miss Time In recent months, a Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey match had been rumored for WrestleMania 39. However, according to Wrestling Observer Radio, the match is now off for unspecified reasons. There is no word on who the two will face at WrestleMania. The episode was recorded before Rousey lost the SmackDown Women’s Title to a returning Charlotte this week on SmackDown. They do have a history. Check out what seemed to be the build to a huge match: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] ..

NEWS

That’s A No: Backstage Reaction To Possible Vince McMahon Return (And It’s Not Happy)

December 15, 2022

They seem to be a no. There have been a lot of changes to the wrestling world this year and the biggest of them all seems to have been that of Vince McMahon retiring from WWE. McMahon was accused of various relationships with women and paying them off using company funds. The shakeup was felt throughout the company as well as the wrestling world. McMahon had been the force in WWE for such a long time, though a recent report suggested that might be changing again. It just seems that some people are not pleased. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WRESTLING RUMORS: NXT Set To Change Title Belt Designs Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon was planning a comeback to WWE at some point in the future, believing that he was given bad advice when he was told to retire. According to Fightful Select, over a dozen people in WWE spoke about the situation and the “rarely unanimous” reaction was not wanting McMahon back. One wrestler said they would be worried about the recently rehi..

NEWS

Straightened Out: AEW Shakes Up Title Situation, Changes Former Championship Reign

November 24, 2022

That’s a shakeup. There are all kinds of titles in wrestling and some of them are quite prestigious for wrestlers to win. At the same time, some titles have something a little bit different to make them stand out. That could be a little bit of anything and some designations are only supposed to last for a little while. Now one special kind of title has been dropped. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: One More Run: Popular Stable Makes Surprise Return On AEW Dynamite At Full Gear, Jamie Hayter defeated Toni Storm to become the AEW Interim Women’s Champion. This week on Dynamite, an announcement was made that AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa has vacated the title, meaning the interim moniker has been dropped and Hayter is now the official Women’s Champion. In addition, since Rosa vacated the title, Storm’s title reign has now been changed from an Interim Title reign to a full on Women’s Title reign. There are a lot of champions involved. Check out all three of them in action: [This post contain..

NEWS

Missing AEW Star Appears In Dynamite Vignette, Appears Set For Return

November 3, 2022

I guess he isn’t done? There have been some shakeups in AEW over the last few months, but some of them have not been exactly clear. This has led to some speculation about who is still in the company and who might have departed, but this week saw a vignette focusing on a name who seemed to have been done with the company. That does not seem to be the case any longer. A House of Black vignette, featuring Malakai Black, aired on this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite. The video was the first time the House of Black had been referenced in several weeks and followed speculation over Black’s future with AEW. While Black was never released, it was suggested that he would be taking time away from the promotion. There is no word on when Black and/or the rest of the team might return to the ring. Opinion: This is an interesting way to go and a welcome development. The House of Black is a group that had a lot of potential and I am curious to see how they would hold up if they were able to come bac..

NEWS

WWE Broadcaster Confirms Departure From The Company Amid Shakeup

October 7, 2022

It was a nice run. The position of lead commentator on WWE Monday Night Raw is one of the most important in all of WWE. The show is still the company’s flagship program and fans are going to see what they company is doing every Monday night. We are currently going through a change in broadcasting, but one name is not going to be reassigned to another place in the company. Earlier this week, a report emerged that WWE would be changing the broadcasting teams on the three main television shows. This included Jimmy Smith being removed as the lead play by play announcer on Monday Night Raw. Smith has since commented on the situation, confirming that he has left WWE. Smith thanked fans for his time in the company and said that he was moving on, though not to where. This ends Smith’s run with WWE, which started in May 2021. Just wanted to say, now that the story is officially out, that my time with the WWE is officially done. Had a lot of fun and met some great people. Really and truly blow..

NEWS

WWE Lays Off Backstage Names In Possible Department Shakeup

September 17, 2022

They have a lot to lose. There have been multiple changes behind the scenes in WWE in recent weeks and it does not seem like those changes are going to end anytime soon. The changes have included all kinds of people leaving the company, meany of which have been on the corporate side. Now it seems like even more names have left as another department is being shaken up. According to Brandon Thurston, WWE has laid off several members of the marketing department, including some as high as the level of Vice President. This comes as the marketing department has been shaken up, including Catherine Newman being named as the new head of marketing earlier this year. There is no word on if more people will be laid off anytime soon. I'm told there were layoffs today to WWE's marketing department. Multiple people at the VP level were let go. Possibly a part of a restructuring to that department. EVP Catherine Newman was hired this summer as the new head of marketing. — Brandon Thurston..

NEWS

Homecoming? WWE Working To Bring Back Naomi And Sasha Banks

July 29, 2022

A hope spot? There have been all kinds of changes throughout WWE over the last few months and one of the biggest on-screen changes took place when Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out. The two left the company despite being the reigning Women’s Tag Team Champions, which shook things up in multiple ways. However, the shakeup might be about to be unshook. According to Dave Meltzer on the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, WWE is working to bring Banks and Naomi back to the company. This comes after Vince McMahon retired earlier this month and the new regime wants to bring them back. There is no word on if Naomi and/or Banks are interested in returning to the company. Banks and Naomi walked out on the May 16 Monday Night Raw. Opinion: This is something that shouldn’t be a major surprise as Belair and Naomi are both rather talented, but there are going to be some changes needed. I’m not sure if this is actually going to work in the end, but at least there is an effort being made. That being s..

NEWS

The Finale: Why This Week’s Monday Night Raw Was The Last Of Its Kind

July 26, 2022

Call it a leftover? The biggest wrestling story in quite a log time took place last week as Vince McMahon retired from WWE after forty plus years running the company. That is going to be one of those shakeups that will have repercussions for years to come and the question now is to find out where things are going from here. There are some things that still needed to be updated and that was the case this week. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, this week’s edition of Monday Night Raw was mostly written before McMahon retired and was not a reflection of the new direction of the show. Most of the show was written by Thursday, with McMahon leaving on Friday. There were a few minor changes made, though it is not clear what they were. It is likely that this week’s SmackDown was written following McMahon’s departure. Opinion: I don’t think this is much of a surprise as there was little room to make a bunch of changes after McMahon left the company. Let them have the time to set things u..

NEWS

It Might Help: WWE Talent Meeting Held Before Monday Night Raw, Changes Coming

July 26, 2022

It might be in order. There have been a lot of changes to WWE in the last few weeks and those changes are likely to continue for the time being. The company has undergone a series of major shakeups behind the scenes which could cause a lot of changes in front of the camera. That meant that an explanation was in order and that was the case this week before Monday Night Raw. According to Fightful Select, there was a talent meeting held before this week’s Monday Night Raw with Triple H in charge. Triple H announced that he wanted to have a new level of transparency in WWE and for work to be more fun than it was before. The meeting was said to have been positive, as it looked to reverse the issues of wrestlers having to wait a long time to meet with Vince McMahon if necessary. Triple H took over as head of creative and Head Of Talent Relations in the last few days following the departures of John Laurinaitis and Vince McMahon. Opinion: This is one of those things where it sounds great on..

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

WRESTLING RUMORS: Update On Triple H’s New Role In WWE

July 1, 2022

He’ll get there. WWE has undergone quite a few backstage shakeups in recent months and there is nothing to suggest that they will not continue. There have been bosses coming and going backstage and that can make for some major changes. However, that is not always the case, as one recent change does not seem to have had the impact it was expected to bring so far. Last week, a rumor broke that Triple H had returned to the WWE Performance Center and said that he was “back”, though it was not clear what that meant. However, according to Post Wrestling, Triple H was not backstage at this week’s NXT and the show was run by the usual group. There is no word on what Triple H might be doing in NXT or with the Performance Center going forward. Opinion: This is one of those things where it might be too early for anything to be clear just yet. Triple H said that he was back but that does not necessarily mean that he is going to be doing anything immediately. Maybe this changes in the near future..

NEWS

Negative Backstage Reaction To Major WWE Shakeup

June 25, 2022

Talent doesn’t relate well to him. WWE has been shaken up in a lot of ways in recent weeks and there is a chance that several of those changes are going to continue. This includes several backstage moves related to the Vince McMahon affair scandal. One of the moves involved a new boss in charge of a pretty important department and some wrestlers are not happy about the change. As a result of his involvement in the McMahon investigation, John Laurinaitis has been placed on administrative leave from his role as Head of Talent Relations and Bruce Prichard has taken the position According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the backstage reaction to the change has been mostly negative, as Prichard is seen as a quiet person who does not interact with the wrestlers. Laurinaitis was seen as more approachable and willing to talk. Opinion: The more I hear about all of these changes, the more worried I am about how the whole thing is going to do. At the end of the day, it seems there are peo..

NEWS

KB’s Review: Nothing Changes

June 24, 2022

I picked a heck of a week to do a column in advance last week because everything went haywire. Ignoring the whole Jeff Hardy fiasco (which seems like something that is far from over), there was the crazy shakeup at WWE. There were changed made in the last week or so that would have seemed unthinkable not so long ago but now have come to be a reality. That’s what we are going to be looking at this week (shocking I know), plus one bit of fallout that might make things all the worse, at least for fans. So as you probably know, WWE is officially investigating Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis for an affair with a WWE employee. McMahon reportedly paid to keep her quiet, as well as raised her salary when the affair began before passing her to Laurinaitis “like a toy”. I’ll let your skin crawl for a bit after that thought before moving on to what this has already meant. The initial fallout from these shenanigans has already started, with McMahon taking a step back from his roles as CEO and..

NEWS

Huge Shakeup To WWE Stable, Original Member Out And New Member In

June 7, 2022

Well that’s different. Stables are one of the best ideas in wrestling as they allow several wrestlers to get television time on a regular basis. Sometimes it is the only way for a wrestler to be able to make a show and the idea has worked for a very long time. That is the case again in WWE, but now the team has been completely shaken up in a way that might not have been expected. This week’s Monday Night Raw featured Judgment Day announcing that Finn Balor was joining the team. However, Balor, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley turned on Edge, the founder of the team, and beat him down. Edge was hit with a Conchairto to leave him laying. There is no word on the future of the team or how long Edge might be out of action as a result. Opinion: That’s certainly a curve ball and that is not a bad thing. I haven’t been wild on Judgment Day so far but I can go with having Balor get something else to do, as he has been kind of stuck doing the same things over and over again for a long time. Maybe..

NEWS

Backstage News On Stephanie McMahon’s WWE Hiatus

May 30, 2022

They aren’t sure. WWE is the biggest and most powerful wrestling promotion in the world and has been for a very long time now. A lot of this has been due to the names behind the scenes who make the company’s major decisions. Those names are very important and one of them making a change can mark a major shakeup in the company. Now we might know why one such change took place. Earlier this month, Stephanie McMahon took a leave of absence from her executive position in WWE. During an appearance on the We’re Live Pal podcast, Andrew Zarian said that he received a phone call from a high up in WWE who said that there were doubts in WWE about McMahon’s abilities as an executive. This came after McMahon took on some of the departed Michelle Wilson’s responsibilities in ad sales and sponsorships. There is no word on why someone would want this information out or if McMahon will be away from WWE. On the same show, Dave Meltzer said that if McMahon does return, it will be in a different role. ..

NEWS

WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE May Move Money In The Bank Over Poor Ticket Sales

May 26, 2022

That’s a shakeup. WWE presents a lot of wrestling events at any given time of the year. This can make for some very big events, as the company has the budget and the status to pull something like that off. It doesn’t mean that they are guaranteed successes though, and that might be the case again soon. If it is the case, WWE is going to be making a very big change. According to Brad Shepherd, WWE will be moving July 2nd’s Money in the Bank pay per view event from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, also in Las Vegas, due to poor ticket sales. WWE has yet to announce any such change and as of Thursday morning, still has Allegiant Stadium listed as the show’s venue. In addition, Allegiant Stadium’s Twitter account advertised the show taking place in the venue this week. There is no word on when the announcement will be made. On May 19th, I broke the news on the Brad Shepard UNLEASHED Patreon that #WWE was considering moving to a different venue for Mon..