Search Results: "university"

NEWS

They’re In: WWE Signs Two More Former College Athletes

January 20, 2023

The roster grows. WWE has a roster with enough talent to fill up three weekly television shows, but those wrestlers have to be kept moving. At some point the roster is going to get a bit stale and needs some fresh blood, which is why WWE also brings in fresh talent every so often. Now they are doing that again, this time from other sports outside of professional wrestling. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Vince McMahon Agrees To Multi-Million Dollar Settlement, Ends 30+ Year Rape Allegation Ordeal PWInsider.com is reporting that WWE has signed two new stars to NXT. First is Alexis Gray, who was a track and field star at Texas Southern University, where she earned a degree in biology. Second is Ezekiel Balogun, a 6’6 former basketball player from the University of North Florida. There is no word on when either of them will officially start training at the Performance Center. The two of them will have good training facilities. Check out the Performance Center: [This post contains video, click ..

NEWS

Monday Night Raw Results – January 9, 2023

January 10, 2023

Monday Night Raw Date: January 9, 2023 Location: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves We’re back to the red show and closing in on the Royal Rumble. There are only three names announced for the Royal Rumbles so far and that means some spots need to be filled. Odds are some of that is done tonight but there is the chance that they’re leaving some surprises this year. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Here is Kevin Owens to get things going and the fans seem to like him. Before he can say much though, here is JBL to interrupt. After insulting the crowd, JBL says no one is buying Owens having a chance against Roman Reigns. JBL brings out Baron Corbin to insult the fans even more, including some University of Alabama insults. Owens buries his face in the turnbuckle as Corbin gets in every standard insult you can imagine. He says he was in a “JBL and Baron Corbin were talking for three minutes but didn’t say anything” coma but for now he’s willing ..

NEWS

REVIEW: NXT TakeOver: R-Evolution: The Future Is Then

December 6, 2022

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over ten years now and have reviewed over 5,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net, starting today. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? NXT Takeover: R-Evolution Date: December 11, 2014 Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida Attendance: 400 Commentators: Rich Brennan, Alex Riley, Corey Graves This should be a big one as we have a huge showdown in the main event for the NXT Title with Sami Zayn getting his rematch against champion Adrian Neville after a screwy finish to their last match. Other than that we have the long awaited debut of Kevin Owens and Hideo Itami teaming with Finn Balor to face the Ascension. Let’s get t..

NEWS

REVIEW: Crown Jewel 2018: This Is A New Low

November 3, 2022

Crown Jewel Date: November 2, 2018 Location: King Saud University, Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young We’re back on the other side of the world this time and things aren’t exactly going well. The focal point of the show is D-Generation X vs. the Brothers of Destruction with Shawn Michaels coming out of retirement in a detail that has been forgotten in the whole ordeal. Other than that we’re going to have a new Universal Champion today as Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar face off for the title vacated by Roman Reigns. Let’s get to it. The video screen is in the shape of a crown for a nice touch. Kickoff Show: United States Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev Nakamura is defending. Rusev throws him into the corner for some right hands and a shoulder to the ribs, followed by a suplex for one. A kick to the knee cuts Rusev down and we hit the front facelock. That stays on for a good while until Rusev pops up with a spinwheel kick. The Mach..

NEWS

WATCH: More On NXT Releases, Star Speaks On Leaving WWE

November 2, 2022

There’s more to it. There are a lot of wrestlers on the WWE roster and sometimes the company has to let some of them go. Occasionally WWE will release some wrestlers from their contracts and turn them into free agents, which is the kind of thing that can devastate some wrestlers. That was the case again this week, and now we know some more about one of the wrestlers, including from said wrestler himself. WWE released five wrestlers from their NXT contracts this week, including Bodie Hayward. According to Wrestling Observer Live, Hayward was described as “a handful”, though it is not clear that that entails. Hayward was involved in the Chase University story and it was not something as simple as dropping a wrestler in the middle of a storyline. Hayward has also posted a video on his release, saying that he is humiliated but here to stay. Hayward had a lot to say. Check out what he got off his chest: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’m not sure what happened with H..

NEWS

BREAKING: NXT Releases Five Superstars

November 1, 2022

They didn’t quite make it. WWE has a lot of resources available to use, with the NXT developmental system being one of the strongest. The company is able to build up its next generation of stars in-house, meaning they know what they are getting before the callups. Not everyone can make it though, as wrestlers can be released from NXT, which is what has taken place again. PWInsider.com is reporting five more releases from NXT. The names released include: Bodhi Hayward Sloane Jacobs Erica Yan Damaris Griffin Ru Feng Hayward is the most prominent name on the list of released names, having been the main student at Andre Chase University until Duke Hudson took his place. Jacobs had been a semi regular in the NXT women’s division and had made semi-regular appearances on NXT television. There is no word on if more releases are coming. Opinion: It is never nice to see wrestlers being released, but sometimes WWE has to clear out room to bring in some new stars. That seems to be the case aga..

NEWS

WATCH: Bianca Belair Appears As Guest Picker On College GameDay

September 25, 2022

The EST is expanding her sports knowledge. Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” yesterday, where she appeared as the celebrity guest picker for the slate of college football games for the day. You can watch a couple of clips of her appearance below: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] The show emulated from the University of Tennessee, where Belair ended her collegiate career. Originally from Knoxville, she attended Austin-East Magnet High School and was both All-SEC and All-American in track. Belair was also named to the SEC’s academic honor roll in 2011 and 2012. Belair is scheduled to face Bayley for the Raw Women’s Championship at the upcoming Extreme Rules premium live event. Editor’s Opinion: I love stuff like this! I’m a huge college football fan, so to see two of my favorite sports come together is always a lot of fun for me. Plus I love when wrestling superstars get to show their love a..

NEWS

WWE NIL Signee Officially Charged With Sexual Battery, Warrant Issued For His Arrest

August 5, 2022

That’s a serious situation. Back in 2021, WWE announced the Next In Line program, which was designed to find non-wrestling athletes and bring them into the WWE system, with the chance of eventually becoming WWE stars. The program has brought in several prospects, but now one of them is facing some very serious legal issues that could change his career path in a huge way. According to the Oklahoman, WWE NIL signee and former Oklahoma State University wrestler AJ Ferrari is facing a charge of felony sexual battery with a warrant being issued for his arrest. Ferrari was accused of holding a woman down in Stillwater, Oklahoma on July 2 and performing unwanted sexual acts on her. The woman filed an emergency protective order against Ferrari three days later. WWE has not commented on the situation or on Ferrari’s future with the NIL program. Opinion: That is a very serious charge and if the accusations against him are true, I cannot imagine he is going to have much of a future with WWE. Fe..

NEWS

He’s Taking His Time: Update On Gable Steveson’s Wrestling Future

July 23, 2022

Maybe not? Wrestling has a bit of a shaky reputation when it comes to being a real spot. There are a lot of people who will instantly point out that the endings are scripted and that is going to cause some people to look at it skeptically. It can help to have more mainstream athletes participating for the sake of offering credibility, but one such star might be taking his time getting there. Back in 2021, NCAA and Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson signed a contract with WWE and was officially drafted to Monday Night Raw. Steveson made an appearance at Summerslam 2021 and at WrestleMania 38, but he has yet to wrestle a match. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Steveson is considering a return to the University of Minnesota for an attempt at a third NCAA Heavyweight Championship and possibly another Olympic gold medal in 2024, though he has yet to make up his mind. There is no word on when he would appear for WWE again. Opinion: While I think that ultimately Steves..

NEWS

WWE NIL Signee Accused Of Sexual Assault

July 14, 2022

That’s not good. WWE has been trying to bring in a variety of new stars to bolster its roster, both for the present and the future. A lot of this has been through the Next In Line (NIL) program, as WWE has been able to sign college athletes to name, image and likeness deals. Those names have not appeared on WWE programming to date, though one of them seems less likely to appear ever. Accord to the O’Colly (Oklahoma State University’s student newspaper), WWE NIL signee AJ Ferrari has been removed from the Oklahoma State wrestling team amid an investigation of sexual assault. Ferrari, who has currently not been charged with any crime, was part of the initial NIL class in 2021 and has not wrestled for WWE. The company has not responded to the investigation. Opinion: That is a very serious allegation and it would not surprise me at all to see Ferrari dropped by WWE as a result. Such a change might come immediately or after the investigation is over, but either way, Ferrari is going to be..

NEWS

One More Time: WWE’s Gable Steveson Reportedly Open To Return To College Wrestling

May 27, 2022

Maybe he isn’t done? There is a stigma when it comes to professional wrestlers that they are not real athletes. While this is easy to refute based on simply watching a match, the other way to solve it involves having more mainstream sports represented in wrestling. That often involves amateur wrestling stars moving to the professional ranks, but that might not be the case so soon. In an interview with the Pioneer Press, University of Minnesota wrestling coach Brandon Eggum said that Gable Steveson would like to return to the university for his senior season. Steveson retired from amateur wrestling following his junior season, when he won his second Danny Hodge Trophy and second NCAA Heavyweight Championship. Steveson is also signed to WWE and appeared at Summerslam and WrestleMania 38. He was expected to begin on the WWE roster full time following his junior season but he has not appeared on WWE TV since WrestleMania. There is no word on if Steveson will be returning to the university..

NEWS

REVIEW: NXT Takeover: Fatal 4 Way: The Sequel

May 7, 2022

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over twelve years now and have reviewed over 6,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? NXT Takeover: Fatal Fourway Date: September 11, 2014 Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida Attendance: 400 Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Renee Young The question here is can they pull it off three times in a row. Arrival and the first Takeover were both outstanding shows that have set quite the standard for NXT, but now it’s up to them to pull it off one more time. The title tells you all you need to know about the main event with NXT Champion Adrian Neville defending against Sami Zayn, ..

NEWS

Welcome Home? WWE Considering A Big Move For NXT

April 30, 2022

That would be a different kind of reunion. WWE has a lot of resources available to it but one of the most important is NXT. The company’s own in-house developmental territory allows it to build up stars as it sees fit, which makes things a lot less complicated. Now though, WWE might be making a change to how the developmental territory is set up, or at least where it is set up. According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE is considering bringing back NXT to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. According to Wrestlinginc.com, one of the reasons for the move was due to the Coronavirus pandemic leaving no students on campus to help put together the production. NXT was produced from the school from 2012-2020, when it was moved to the Capitol Wrestling Center. The two sides split amicably, with a future relationship always a possibility. Opinion: This is certainly something that could work, as Full Sail is a bigger venue and something that can offer a better atmosphere than the Capito..

NEWS

WATCH: The Rock Introduces Super Bowl LVI (56)

February 14, 2022

We all smell what he’s cooking. Tonight, Dwayne Johnson provided the introduction for Super Bowl LVI (56) between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Rock introduced the teams with hints of his WWE persona. You can see the introduction below: [This post contains video, click to play] .@THEROCK. INCREDIBLE OPENING TO #SBLVI ?: #SBLVI on NBC ?: https://t.co/K02y40b5Nu pic.twitter.com/Jib7mVPztC — NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2022 The Rock is no stranger to Super Bowl introductions; in 2020, he gave the introductions for the teams in Super Bowl LIV (54). He has a history with football; from 1990 to 1994, he played for the University of Miami Hurricanes. Although he would be a part of the national championship team in 1991, Johnson would appear in a backup role, starting only one game in four years. After Johnson graduated in 1995, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League as a linebacker. He was assigned to the practice roster but was cut tw..

NEWS

205 Live Results – January 14, 2022

January 22, 2022

205 Live Date: January 14, 2022 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph Much like the case was before this show shifted towards an NXT focus, I have run out of ways to talk about this show. It’s going to be something similar every week and that isn’t exactly an inspiring idea. All you can hope for is that the matches aren’t the worst, which can be a hit or miss prospect. Let’s get to it. Here are Andre Chase and Bodhi Hayward to get things going. Chase talks about how Hayward was about to be tossed off the roof of the Performance Center but Von Wagner backed off. Now we have a TEACHABLE MOMENT, because Andre Chase University is ready to fight back in Hayward’s first match! Bodhi Hayward vs. Guru Raaj Hayward works on a headlock to start but Raaj slips out and grabs a wristlock. A sunset flip gives Hayward two and a delayed slam drops Raaj again. Back up and Raaj kicks at the leg, setting up an abdominal stretch. Hayward breaks ..

NEWS

WWE Signs College Athletes to NIL Deals

December 9, 2021

Making that money. WWE has announced that they have signed a number of collegiate athletes to NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals in order to create a potential pathway for them to be signed to developmental contracts in the future. This new venture, named “Next In Line”, is the company’s latest endeavor to find the next generation of superstars. The athletes signed are as follows: Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-po..

NEWS

VIDEO: Big E.’s College Football Flag Battle

December 5, 2021

It comes with the title. Being the WWE Champion is one of the top honors in all of the wrestling world. A good chunk of past champions are all time great names and some of the biggest stars in the history of wrestling. It means a lot to be champion but it also brings a lot of new opportunities. That was on display this week, as the reigning champion was allowed to do something pretty cool. WWE Champion Big E. appeared before the Big 10 Championship game, appearing in a flag battle against University of Michigan legend Charles Woodson. Both men held up flags for their respective schools and dueled with the flag poles. Big E. is a former defensive back for the University of Iowa, who sent on to lose the game 42-3. Over the season, Big E. has appeared as a hype man for Iowa. It was a pretty cool moment. Check out the duel, Big E.’s comments and Big E. at his day job: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click t..

NEWS

205 Live Results – November 12, 2021

November 15, 2021

205 Live Date: November 12, 2021 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph Since this is basically NXT Main Event, I’m running out of ways to say nice things about it. The show is much better than what we had for so long before, but you can only have so many positive things to say about a show that usually features a lower card match, a squash and two midcarders. It’s still fun and short though so let’s get to it. Andre Chase vs. Malik Blade The fans are behind Malik and seem happy when he takes Chase down in a hurry. Back up and Andre elbows him in the face as you can see the Chase University Student Section (complete with a flag). The chinlock keeps Blade down and some elbows to the head make it worse. Now the fans are behind Malik but Chase wants a C-H-A-S-E, with a stomp between each letter. A neckbreaker gives Chase two and he kicks Blade in the face for daring to try a small package. The chinlock goes on again but Blade fig..

NEWS

Monday Night Raw Star Announces Very Special Accomplishment

October 30, 2021

That’s a heck of an accomplishment. Wrestlers have a lot of things to do in their industry, including several championships. Some of them are more prestigious than others, but it means something to be able to put a title belt around your waist. At the same time though, there are other accomplishments that mean even more and have nothing to do with wrestling. A WWE star achieved one of them this week. Monday Night Raw star Chad Gable has announced that he has graduated from Full Sail University with a Masters of Fine Arts with a focus on Media Design. Gable graduated with a 4.0 GPA as the valedictorian and earned the Advanced Achievement Award for student most likely to succeed in their field. During the Coronavirus pandemic, Gable felt that he wanted to use some of the resources available to him, including a partnership between WWE and Full Sail University. Gable is currently part of the Alpha Academy with Otis on Monday Night Raw. Graduated… time to play Earthbound. Anyone else st..

NEWS

Special New WWE Signing Drafted To Monday Night Raw In Surprise Move

October 5, 2021

There’s your game changer. The WWE Draft has the potential to shake up a lot of things in the company in a hurry and sometimes it happens more than others. You never know when you might see a move that can change everything at once and occasionally it comes from the least likely location. That might be the case this year with a huge Draft pick being made this week. In the final round of the 2021 WWE Draft, Monday Night Raw selected Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson with its final pick. Steveson won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling earlier this year at the Tokyo games and signed with WWE soon thereafter. It is not clear when Steveson will make his in-ring debut, as he is under a special contract with WWE which allows him to continue his college career at the University of Minnesota. He will begin full time with WWE when he graduates next spring. WWE has a history with Olympians. Check out some of their time in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains..