Fans have been removed from/arrested for trespassing at the Orlando hotel where WWE has all its talents. Being a fan of a talent doesn't mean you have the right to visit them during their time away from the ring.
Kane is scheduled for Wrestlemania weekend, which doesn't mean he'll be in action. He could just attend the Hall of Fame, for instance. He's still under contract to WWE while pursuing political office.
Eva Marie is not scheduled to be in Orlando for Wrestlemania, so she's pretty much persona non grata for WWE right now. She remains under contract to the company as of this writing.
Kevin Owens revealed the cover of his upcoming DVD. It's possible we see a bigger release with ROH footage someday as WWE and Sinclair communicate.
Paul Heyman talked about the importance of the Raw after Wrestlemania. We could be in for a pretty big shuffle of WWE in the days to come.
Shelton Benjamin has been cleared to return to the ring. WWE may or may not pursue him again; he didn't sign a contract before his big surgery.
NXT's Tian Bing will be in the Andre battle royal Sunday. WM33 will air in China, so this is kind of a tie-in with that. I hope they don't try to rush using their Chinese names before they're ready.
Ric Flair was honored with a big statue at AXXESS. A lot of important names were in attendance as the statue was unveiled. That's pretty cool. Still hoping for a Piper statue at some point.
Nikki Bella reported a severe sprain in her neck following not working live events recently. She's still set for WM33, but will likely take time off after that event. I assume Cena and Miz will work most of the match to protect her.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I could see WWE having a policy about that kind of behavior taking place backstage at their events. I assume it wouldn't fly in most other workplaces!
2. I don't know if WWE or the audience would be that interested in them facing off on PPV yet again. I doubt either cares about having a big sendoff, really. They're both actively planning life after taking bumps, and they're already essentially on a part-time schedule. It's probably better to focus on the future instead of worrying about them having another big feud. All that said, both men are deserving Hall of Famers for their great careers. I'd add Mark Henry to that, too.
3. I don't know how they decide what to do next. I'm curious how much really old content will be uploaded, as I'm sure a lot of it is on media that isn't exactly in stellar shape.
4. I'd think that would be a pretty niche product. Unless something really catches fire beyond the diehard fans who read dirtsheets or someone with a lot of money has a big interest in it, I don't think we'll see any UK wrestling on U.S. TV anytime soon.
5. I'm not sure if they're still interested at his age. We'll see.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Trespassing at site of WM33, who is and isn't set for Mania weekend, Heyman on night after WM33, Owens DVD cover, Shelton cleared, NXT name working Mania, Flair honored, Nikki hurt, and Questions on WWE punishing Paige, honoring Kane and Show, future Network uploads, UK wrestling on U.S. TV, and Shelton's WWE future
Thursday, March 30, 2017
UK title match at indie event, WM33 weekend hype, WWE Shop opening in India, Hardys delete TNA tag team titles, WWE card app relaunched, smaller HoF classes?, Smackdown audience, Mauro checks in again, Hardys update, ROH breaking a record, cruiserweight injury, NXT commentary change?, new Takeover match, and Questions on Angle accompanying Alpha at WM33, Becky's booking, what will stand out at Mania, and chanting for Angle
The WWE UK Championship will be on the line at PROGRESS' event in Orlando Friday night as Tyler Bate faces Mark Andrews. It's surreal WWE is letting one of their championships be defended on another company's event. I suppose they look at it as advertising and reaching out to other wrestling audiences. "WWE wrestling" isn't what it was even five years ago now that NXT, 205 Live, and the like are up and running. WWE is definitely playing off what's popular outside of their company.
Paul Heyman discussed advising non-WWE promoters to steer clear of running events during Mania weekend. He's really got a point; it's going to be near impossible to stand out in a crowd of that many events in the next week.
WWE Shop is launching in India ahead of Wrestlemania 33. That's as good of a time as any! This could really be a big move for the company internationally.
The Hardys declared the TNA Tag Team Championship obsolete. TREMENDOUS! Seriously, that was beautiful. They've gone from having zero chill to negative chill regarding their former employer. I doubt this will sit well with Anthem and Jarrett, but they're only hurting themselves by continuing the legal action.
Alexa Bliss discussed winning the Smackdown Women's Championship and more. She's someone who can really become an important player in the years to come.
WWE and Topps relaunched their trading card app. I hope that's a good opportunity for both brands.
Jerry Lawler speculated WWE will cut back on the number of Hall of Famers in future years due to how long speeches have gotten. That would make sense. They'll start running lower on the amount of people they can put in each year as time goes on, too.
WWE 2K17 and its DLC are discounted for Xbox One users with an Xbox Live Gold subscription, likely as a tie-in for Wrestlemania.
Paul Heyman talked about Wrestlemania, Ronda Rousey, and more. I concur Rousey to WWE could still be a big deal despite her recent losses. She still has some pretty big credibility and mainstream appeal.
WWE has made some more seats available for Wrestlemania now that they have a good idea of how much seating their set will block off.
John Cena talked at SXSW. 2017 will be an interesting year for his wrestling career given his increased roles outside of WWE.
Smackdown drew 2.70 million viewers Tuesday night. Not a huge boost for the last show before Mania; we'll see how much of an uptick each show will get following WM33 and whatever changes will be made to the roster in the weeks to come.
Mauro Ranallo gave another update after missing Smackdown again. I really hope the best for him and that he'll recover soon.
Takeover:Orlando and the Raw after WM33 are legitimately sold out.
The Hardys are expected to head to WWE soon, as in WM33 or the week following. Anthem is still claiming ownership of the Broken gimmick, so WWE could shy away from using those elements when they return to the company.
Supercard of Honor XI is expected to draw ROH's largest crowd ever at nearly 3,000. That's pretty great. Of course, running on Mania weekend with the Hardys in tow has a lot to do with that number.
Noam Dar was legitimately injured on Raw Monday. I hope he doesn't miss much time; he's been really solid.
Vic Joseph is expected to replace Tom Phillips on NXT at some point, as Tom's been elevated to Smackdown.
SAnitY (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain, and Nikki Cross) will face Roderick Strong, No Way Jose, Tye Dillinger, and Ruby Riot in an eight-person tag match at Takeover: Orlando. That will be the former Heidi Lovelace's first televised match for NXT.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat discussed having a great Mania match.
This year's Warrior Award winner discussed the honor.
Ric Flair, Sting, and Ricky Steamboat will tape a Table for 3 episode this weekend.
Eric Young talked about admiring Shawn Michaels. I hope EY has good work ahead of him in WWE.
Wrestlemania III was put over in an oral history piece. It's a big moment of pop culture importance.
Ricky Morton talked about going into the WWE Hall of Fame and more. It's a pleasant surprise to see the Rock 'n' Roll Express and Cornette being part of Wrestlemania weekend.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1.
2. I don't think there will be a Smackdown tag team title match, as Jordan, Gable, and the Usos are in the Andre battle royal. If they did have such a match, I'd be OK with Angle shaking their hands backstage and telling them good luck and that kind of thing, but I think he'd take the focus away from the action if he was at ringside.
3. WWE doesn't hate Becky at all! They just felt that was the best way to book the division. It's much easier said than done to keep everyone strong, push the most talented people, etc. A talent losing matches or whatever is seldom the result of backstage heat; it's just a fact some talents have to lose a lot as long as others win a lot. Otherwise, you have a lot of 50-50 booking and everyone's basically a mid-level performer because no one really "goes over."
4. I'm sure there will be a number of great matches. I don't focus on ranking them or rating them.
5. Like the fans are going to listen to Cena! "Thank you" or something might work if they don't have Cena force it as babyface hype man.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Paul Heyman discussed advising non-WWE promoters to steer clear of running events during Mania weekend. He's really got a point; it's going to be near impossible to stand out in a crowd of that many events in the next week.
WWE Shop is launching in India ahead of Wrestlemania 33. That's as good of a time as any! This could really be a big move for the company internationally.
The Hardys declared the TNA Tag Team Championship obsolete. TREMENDOUS! Seriously, that was beautiful. They've gone from having zero chill to negative chill regarding their former employer. I doubt this will sit well with Anthem and Jarrett, but they're only hurting themselves by continuing the legal action.
Alexa Bliss discussed winning the Smackdown Women's Championship and more. She's someone who can really become an important player in the years to come.
WWE and Topps relaunched their trading card app. I hope that's a good opportunity for both brands.
Jerry Lawler speculated WWE will cut back on the number of Hall of Famers in future years due to how long speeches have gotten. That would make sense. They'll start running lower on the amount of people they can put in each year as time goes on, too.
WWE 2K17 and its DLC are discounted for Xbox One users with an Xbox Live Gold subscription, likely as a tie-in for Wrestlemania.
Paul Heyman talked about Wrestlemania, Ronda Rousey, and more. I concur Rousey to WWE could still be a big deal despite her recent losses. She still has some pretty big credibility and mainstream appeal.
WWE has made some more seats available for Wrestlemania now that they have a good idea of how much seating their set will block off.
John Cena talked at SXSW. 2017 will be an interesting year for his wrestling career given his increased roles outside of WWE.
Smackdown drew 2.70 million viewers Tuesday night. Not a huge boost for the last show before Mania; we'll see how much of an uptick each show will get following WM33 and whatever changes will be made to the roster in the weeks to come.
Mauro Ranallo gave another update after missing Smackdown again. I really hope the best for him and that he'll recover soon.
Takeover:Orlando and the Raw after WM33 are legitimately sold out.
The Hardys are expected to head to WWE soon, as in WM33 or the week following. Anthem is still claiming ownership of the Broken gimmick, so WWE could shy away from using those elements when they return to the company.
Supercard of Honor XI is expected to draw ROH's largest crowd ever at nearly 3,000. That's pretty great. Of course, running on Mania weekend with the Hardys in tow has a lot to do with that number.
Noam Dar was legitimately injured on Raw Monday. I hope he doesn't miss much time; he's been really solid.
Vic Joseph is expected to replace Tom Phillips on NXT at some point, as Tom's been elevated to Smackdown.
SAnitY (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Killian Dain, and Nikki Cross) will face Roderick Strong, No Way Jose, Tye Dillinger, and Ruby Riot in an eight-person tag match at Takeover: Orlando. That will be the former Heidi Lovelace's first televised match for NXT.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat discussed having a great Mania match.
This year's Warrior Award winner discussed the honor.
Ric Flair, Sting, and Ricky Steamboat will tape a Table for 3 episode this weekend.
Eric Young talked about admiring Shawn Michaels. I hope EY has good work ahead of him in WWE.
Wrestlemania III was put over in an oral history piece. It's a big moment of pop culture importance.
Ricky Morton talked about going into the WWE Hall of Fame and more. It's a pleasant surprise to see the Rock 'n' Roll Express and Cornette being part of Wrestlemania weekend.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1.
2. I don't think there will be a Smackdown tag team title match, as Jordan, Gable, and the Usos are in the Andre battle royal. If they did have such a match, I'd be OK with Angle shaking their hands backstage and telling them good luck and that kind of thing, but I think he'd take the focus away from the action if he was at ringside.
3. WWE doesn't hate Becky at all! They just felt that was the best way to book the division. It's much easier said than done to keep everyone strong, push the most talented people, etc. A talent losing matches or whatever is seldom the result of backstage heat; it's just a fact some talents have to lose a lot as long as others win a lot. Otherwise, you have a lot of 50-50 booking and everyone's basically a mid-level performer because no one really "goes over."
4. I'm sure there will be a number of great matches. I don't focus on ranking them or rating them.
5. Like the fans are going to listen to Cena! "Thank you" or something might work if they don't have Cena force it as babyface hype man.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Sheamus stitched up, a lot of Mania/Takeover/Supercard hype and updates, Lince profiled, WWE deal with ticket group, Fish discusses ROH future, Raw audience, and Questions on so many events during Mania week, if Dixie let the Hardys remain BROKEN, Rowan returning, Aries' nickname, and Steph putting someone over
Sheamus needed 16 stitches after being gouged by a ladder on Raw. That hurts to even look at!
Triple H talked about the evolution of WWE, the Curtain Call, and more:
- He's going to really shape wrestling for years to come.
- He gained a lot of respect from Vince for taking his punishment and coming out the other side of it instead of quitting or (presumably) complaining to the dirtsheets about how it was unfair.
- Imagine how different wrestling would be if HHH went back to WCW after the Curtain Call. I assume he would have been part of the nWo.
- The people saying Reigns isn't a success/isn't over are basically in denial. Since they don't like him, they'll deny his success.
- WWE was definitely recruiting in the FCW days, but it was a lot of football players, bodybuilders, and second-generation wrestlers. A good deal of them didn't amount to much.
- Unfortunately, "smart fans" are turning on NXT, 205 Live, etc. now that it's somewhat mainstream to like indie/cruiserweight wrestling.
Shinsuke Nakamura talked to ESPN. I'm interested to see how he meshes with Raw or Smackdown. He can definitely be a top name, but I don't know if he can make it to the upper echelon.
Lince Dorado discussed his college career.
WWE has signed a multi-year deal with StubHub. I guess they're going where the people are, joining a group they can't beat, etc.. Surely they want fans to buy tickets directly, but there's no denying a lot of people are making use of the site to get cheaper tickets.
Bully Ray talked about wanting to take ROH to another level. We'll see if he can do as much for the company as he thinks he can. It's also good to see he's opening up another wrestling school; he could really make an important role for himself after his in-ring days are over.
Bobby Fish talked about his future. There's definitely speculation of reDRagon heading to either WWE/NXT or NJPW. Both men could be good additions for Vince/HHH.
Kevin Kelly, Colt Cabana, and Ian Riccaboni will be calling SCOH XI live. I could see Colt moving into a bigger backstage role, although I hope he continues to wrestle.
World of Sport will debut on UK TV in July. The plan is for WOS to become its own promotion instead of just a TV series. Jeff Jarrett did talked to The Mirror and ITV to support the revived brand.Wow! So Anthem would be involved in touring with Impact AND this new group. Surely there will be crossover on UK tour dates, as well.
Raw's tag team championship match at Wrestlemania is now a ladder match. That's definitely more interesting than seeing three teams we've already seen face off quite a bit just have a regular match.
The Andre the Giant battle royal will be part of the Kickoff show for WM33, airing on USA Network. So, Braun can win that and still get involved with Roman/Taker.
- Neville vs. Austin Aries will also be on the Kickoff show. I'm sure that will rub a lot of people the wrong way, but someone's got to be at that place on the card. It might as well be the division least featured on Raw.
- The Smackdown Women's Championship Invitational has also been announced for Kickoff. WWE has a big card Sunday and a number of matches will probably be epic length. I'm fine with this; it's a better use of Kickoff than a bunch of panelist talking.
The Wrestlemania set is being constructed. IT'S THE ULTIMATE THRILL RIDE, MAGGLE, I LOVE IT!!!
Raw drew 3.29 million viewers Monday night. Not a strong number. I think a lot of fans are really burned out with so much WWE content available.
Charlotte talked about Mania memories and more. She's already had a pretty big career, and we could be in for many more PPV matches.
Tye Dillinger discussed his big Rumble moment and his future. I can definitely see him "graduating" to the main roster in 2017; there's not much left for him to pick up in NXT and he's not really someone who'd be a viable NXT Champion.
The WWE app has been updated with Mania week activities.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Presumably the events make money for those promotions and they're able to get some fans who might not otherwise come out for one of their events. It's definitely a big competition, though. I can see some brands deciding it's not worth it, like how some companies skip Super Bowl ads.
2. Probably! There's almost no way to look good when one a really popular act leaves to go work elsewhere.
3. I expect Rowan to show up in some form at either Mania itself or the Smackdown afterward as part of the Bray/Luke/Orton dynamic. I'd love to see him try to put the Family back together, only for it to backfire.
4. A little of both, I guess, as I imagine Aries knew he couldn't be "Double A."
5. When it does happen, it needs to be worth how much heat she's gotten. I say have Sasha tap her out to the Banks Statement and establish her as the real Boss. Alternately, Asuka could establish herself right out of the gate was someone who doesn't take any shit.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Triple H talked about the evolution of WWE, the Curtain Call, and more:
- He's going to really shape wrestling for years to come.
- He gained a lot of respect from Vince for taking his punishment and coming out the other side of it instead of quitting or (presumably) complaining to the dirtsheets about how it was unfair.
- Imagine how different wrestling would be if HHH went back to WCW after the Curtain Call. I assume he would have been part of the nWo.
- The people saying Reigns isn't a success/isn't over are basically in denial. Since they don't like him, they'll deny his success.
- WWE was definitely recruiting in the FCW days, but it was a lot of football players, bodybuilders, and second-generation wrestlers. A good deal of them didn't amount to much.
- Unfortunately, "smart fans" are turning on NXT, 205 Live, etc. now that it's somewhat mainstream to like indie/cruiserweight wrestling.
Shinsuke Nakamura talked to ESPN. I'm interested to see how he meshes with Raw or Smackdown. He can definitely be a top name, but I don't know if he can make it to the upper echelon.
Lince Dorado discussed his college career.
WWE has signed a multi-year deal with StubHub. I guess they're going where the people are, joining a group they can't beat, etc.. Surely they want fans to buy tickets directly, but there's no denying a lot of people are making use of the site to get cheaper tickets.
Bully Ray talked about wanting to take ROH to another level. We'll see if he can do as much for the company as he thinks he can. It's also good to see he's opening up another wrestling school; he could really make an important role for himself after his in-ring days are over.
Bobby Fish talked about his future. There's definitely speculation of reDRagon heading to either WWE/NXT or NJPW. Both men could be good additions for Vince/HHH.
Kevin Kelly, Colt Cabana, and Ian Riccaboni will be calling SCOH XI live. I could see Colt moving into a bigger backstage role, although I hope he continues to wrestle.
World of Sport will debut on UK TV in July. The plan is for WOS to become its own promotion instead of just a TV series. Jeff Jarrett did talked to The Mirror and ITV to support the revived brand.Wow! So Anthem would be involved in touring with Impact AND this new group. Surely there will be crossover on UK tour dates, as well.
Raw's tag team championship match at Wrestlemania is now a ladder match. That's definitely more interesting than seeing three teams we've already seen face off quite a bit just have a regular match.
The Andre the Giant battle royal will be part of the Kickoff show for WM33, airing on USA Network. So, Braun can win that and still get involved with Roman/Taker.
- Neville vs. Austin Aries will also be on the Kickoff show. I'm sure that will rub a lot of people the wrong way, but someone's got to be at that place on the card. It might as well be the division least featured on Raw.
- The Smackdown Women's Championship Invitational has also been announced for Kickoff. WWE has a big card Sunday and a number of matches will probably be epic length. I'm fine with this; it's a better use of Kickoff than a bunch of panelist talking.
The Wrestlemania set is being constructed. IT'S THE ULTIMATE THRILL RIDE, MAGGLE, I LOVE IT!!!
Raw drew 3.29 million viewers Monday night. Not a strong number. I think a lot of fans are really burned out with so much WWE content available.
Charlotte talked about Mania memories and more. She's already had a pretty big career, and we could be in for many more PPV matches.
Tye Dillinger discussed his big Rumble moment and his future. I can definitely see him "graduating" to the main roster in 2017; there's not much left for him to pick up in NXT and he's not really someone who'd be a viable NXT Champion.
The WWE app has been updated with Mania week activities.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Presumably the events make money for those promotions and they're able to get some fans who might not otherwise come out for one of their events. It's definitely a big competition, though. I can see some brands deciding it's not worth it, like how some companies skip Super Bowl ads.
2. Probably! There's almost no way to look good when one a really popular act leaves to go work elsewhere.
3. I expect Rowan to show up in some form at either Mania itself or the Smackdown afterward as part of the Bray/Luke/Orton dynamic. I'd love to see him try to put the Family back together, only for it to backfire.
4. A little of both, I guess, as I imagine Aries knew he couldn't be "Double A."
5. When it does happen, it needs to be worth how much heat she's gotten. I say have Sasha tap her out to the Banks Statement and establish her as the real Boss. Alternately, Asuka could establish herself right out of the gate was someone who doesn't take any shit.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 3/28/17
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Lots of WM33 hype/updates, Angle interview up on WWE Network, big WWE fundraiser, Alberto takes shots at WWE, BIG Network offer, Rollins update, new archived footage on the Network, Smackdown's July PPV set, Paige discusses leak, and Questions on wrestlers keeping their real names, burying Breeze, blood in Brock/Goldberg, Droz getting the Warrior Award, and what WWE would do with ROH
New Day rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. That's pretty cool.
Al Roker will be the guest ring announcer for John Cena/Nikki Bella vs. The Miz/Maryse. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him get physical with Miz ahead of a big Cena/Bella win. I wholly expect the bout to be a showcase of Cena and Nikki, likely followed by Cena proposing to his girlfriend in the center of the ring.
WM33 will air live in China for the first time in Mania history. Commentary will be available in English and Mandarin commentary.
John Cena filmed footage for Daddy's Day Care 2 as well as a commercial this weekend on top of working WWE live events. Roman's got his work cut out for him reaching that level. Man.
WWE Network's Undertaker Wrestlemania collection is now up. It's hard to believe we're approaching a time when he won't be part of the event. Man.
Paul Heyman showed video of making the WWE 2K17 Brock Lesnar commercials.
- Paul also put over HIS CLIENT, BROCK LESNAR not changing for anyone. I mean, hey. He's making a lot of money by being himself, and WWE's not going to risk losing him so he can do whatever he wants!
- Heyman put Charlotte over pretty big, too. She's set to be a franchise player.
Kurt Angle's interview with Corey Graves is now up on WWE Network. Here's a recap:
- I'm VERY glad Angle turned things around in his personal life and is now back in WWE's good graces.
- Kurt's definitely antsy to get back in the ring for WWE, even if it's just a few big matches.
- Kurt could easily enter a feud with Brock or Goldberg right after WM33. Or Taker, I suppose. I would think they'll primarily use him against other "legacy" names.
WWE has released their very busy schedule for Wrestlemania week in Orlando. They're really hitting the pavement for the biggest event of the year.
American Alpha discussed their journey to WWE and their careers so far. It's a shame they're not doing much at Mania. It's possible WWE is angling for the Hardys to come in and face the Usos for the Smackdown tag team titles, which leaves Jordan and Gable kind of on the bubble. They should be good long-term, though. WWE knows how talented they are.
USA Today had a big piece about the presentation of women in WWE. It's definitely much less embarrassing than it used to be.
WWE announced musical guests for WM33. Remember, to them it's a big party, not a super-serious night of fights.
WWE announced a worldwide fundraiser for Boys & Girls Clubs in the U.S. All part of their move to be a Disney-esque family-friendly company.
Alberto El Patron buried WWE in a post announcing he'll be marrying Paige this Wednesday. Yeah, I'm ready to focus on Alberto the wrestler instead of all the drama outside of the ring.
WWE is offering the Network to some for three months at $9.99. That's a Don West level fire sale. What does it say that WWE is willing to put out that much content, including PPVs, for that cheap??? They should be pricing it higher.
Seth Rollins is advertised as being in action for the May 1 Raw, so he's likely expected back full-time soon. It will be interesting to see how he fits into things going forward.
Raw's women's championship match at WM33 is now an elimination match. I expect that match will be pretty big.
Alexa Bliss was interviewed by Sporting News as well as This is Infamous. I think we'll see some fun surprises in her Mania match.
Mid-South Wrestling footage from 1981 and 1982 has been added to WWE Network. So, that's the next video archive they're focusing on. I'm surprised it's taking them so long to get to Thunder, although they've got a LOT of footage from earlier decades to get to as well.
Battleground 2017 will be a Smackdown-brand PPV in Pennsylvania on July 23.
Paige discussed the fallout from the recent leak of explicit material involving her. I do feel awful for how her once-promising wrestling career has been even further derailed due to this development.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It depends on the wrestler. If it's someone who's already well known (Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar), they have more chance of keeping their name if they want to keep it. Notably, at times WWE has deliberately downplayed new signings' lineage in the business to see if they can get over without the aid of a known last name.
2. WWE doesn't look too kindly on someone leaving early instead of staying to watch the main eventers and theoretically learning from them. At any rate, Breeze was mainly called up from NXT because he had gone as far as he could there and it was time for him to start getting experience higher up. The main roster needs undercard performers in addition to main eventers; it's unbelievable to expect every talent to be in line for a "push," especially when they spend a long time in developmental before getting called up.
3. They did have Brock legitimately bust Orton up at Summerslam, so it's possible they push the envelope at Mania. It's not like they're going to punish either of them; WWE has a lot invested in Brock and Goldberg isn't booked past Mania anyway!
4. I'd be fine with Droz getting the Warrior Award. WWE might want to focus on non-wrestlers so they can get a PR boost from it, but he'd definitely be someone to honor in that capacity.
5. There were talks early of WCW more or less taking Smackdown's place, but ultimately it was shot down in favor of integrating WCW names into WWE. Anyway, I think it's more likely WWE will pay ROH so they would be able to show their TV show on the Network. If WWE bought the company, I expect they would more or less absorb it into NXT and 205 Live and add old footage to the WWE Network rather than keeping it as a separate brand.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Al Roker will be the guest ring announcer for John Cena/Nikki Bella vs. The Miz/Maryse. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see him get physical with Miz ahead of a big Cena/Bella win. I wholly expect the bout to be a showcase of Cena and Nikki, likely followed by Cena proposing to his girlfriend in the center of the ring.
WM33 will air live in China for the first time in Mania history. Commentary will be available in English and Mandarin commentary.
John Cena filmed footage for Daddy's Day Care 2 as well as a commercial this weekend on top of working WWE live events. Roman's got his work cut out for him reaching that level. Man.
WWE Network's Undertaker Wrestlemania collection is now up. It's hard to believe we're approaching a time when he won't be part of the event. Man.
Paul Heyman showed video of making the WWE 2K17 Brock Lesnar commercials.
- Paul also put over HIS CLIENT, BROCK LESNAR not changing for anyone. I mean, hey. He's making a lot of money by being himself, and WWE's not going to risk losing him so he can do whatever he wants!
- Heyman put Charlotte over pretty big, too. She's set to be a franchise player.
Kurt Angle's interview with Corey Graves is now up on WWE Network. Here's a recap:
- I'm VERY glad Angle turned things around in his personal life and is now back in WWE's good graces.
- Kurt's definitely antsy to get back in the ring for WWE, even if it's just a few big matches.
- Kurt could easily enter a feud with Brock or Goldberg right after WM33. Or Taker, I suppose. I would think they'll primarily use him against other "legacy" names.
WWE has released their very busy schedule for Wrestlemania week in Orlando. They're really hitting the pavement for the biggest event of the year.
American Alpha discussed their journey to WWE and their careers so far. It's a shame they're not doing much at Mania. It's possible WWE is angling for the Hardys to come in and face the Usos for the Smackdown tag team titles, which leaves Jordan and Gable kind of on the bubble. They should be good long-term, though. WWE knows how talented they are.
USA Today had a big piece about the presentation of women in WWE. It's definitely much less embarrassing than it used to be.
WWE announced musical guests for WM33. Remember, to them it's a big party, not a super-serious night of fights.
WWE announced a worldwide fundraiser for Boys & Girls Clubs in the U.S. All part of their move to be a Disney-esque family-friendly company.
Alberto El Patron buried WWE in a post announcing he'll be marrying Paige this Wednesday. Yeah, I'm ready to focus on Alberto the wrestler instead of all the drama outside of the ring.
WWE is offering the Network to some for three months at $9.99. That's a Don West level fire sale. What does it say that WWE is willing to put out that much content, including PPVs, for that cheap??? They should be pricing it higher.
Seth Rollins is advertised as being in action for the May 1 Raw, so he's likely expected back full-time soon. It will be interesting to see how he fits into things going forward.
Raw's women's championship match at WM33 is now an elimination match. I expect that match will be pretty big.
Alexa Bliss was interviewed by Sporting News as well as This is Infamous. I think we'll see some fun surprises in her Mania match.
Mid-South Wrestling footage from 1981 and 1982 has been added to WWE Network. So, that's the next video archive they're focusing on. I'm surprised it's taking them so long to get to Thunder, although they've got a LOT of footage from earlier decades to get to as well.
Battleground 2017 will be a Smackdown-brand PPV in Pennsylvania on July 23.
Paige discussed the fallout from the recent leak of explicit material involving her. I do feel awful for how her once-promising wrestling career has been even further derailed due to this development.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. It depends on the wrestler. If it's someone who's already well known (Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar), they have more chance of keeping their name if they want to keep it. Notably, at times WWE has deliberately downplayed new signings' lineage in the business to see if they can get over without the aid of a known last name.
2. WWE doesn't look too kindly on someone leaving early instead of staying to watch the main eventers and theoretically learning from them. At any rate, Breeze was mainly called up from NXT because he had gone as far as he could there and it was time for him to start getting experience higher up. The main roster needs undercard performers in addition to main eventers; it's unbelievable to expect every talent to be in line for a "push," especially when they spend a long time in developmental before getting called up.
3. They did have Brock legitimately bust Orton up at Summerslam, so it's possible they push the envelope at Mania. It's not like they're going to punish either of them; WWE has a lot invested in Brock and Goldberg isn't booked past Mania anyway!
4. I'd be fine with Droz getting the Warrior Award. WWE might want to focus on non-wrestlers so they can get a PR boost from it, but he'd definitely be someone to honor in that capacity.
5. There were talks early of WCW more or less taking Smackdown's place, but ultimately it was shot down in favor of integrating WCW names into WWE. Anyway, I think it's more likely WWE will pay ROH so they would be able to show their TV show on the Network. If WWE bought the company, I expect they would more or less absorb it into NXT and 205 Live and add old footage to the WWE Network rather than keeping it as a separate brand.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Fan dies at WWE live event, another WWEPC guest trainer, former Divas' Champion set for WM33 weekend, Interviews with Roman/DDP, WWE Network teases Broken Hardys, WWE roster update, more WM33 hype, and Questions on varying reports, the WM33 build, Anthem's court case, the Hardys in 2017, and Strowman at Mania
An elderly fan collapsed and later passed away at a WWE live event this weekend. I hope he gets a tribute the next time they're in the area.
Brian Fury was also a guest trainer at the WWE Performance Center this week. He got a little overshadowed by Jerry Lynn, it seems.
Eve Torres has been booked by WWE for Wrestlemania 33 weekend, so it's possible she'll be involved in the Smackdown women's title match. That should be a pretty fun endeavor.
Roman Reigns talked to TMZ about wrestling Undertaker. I'm not as sure about Taker's in-ring future.
Diamond Dallas Page talked about an MMA star joining WWE.
WWE Network made reference to the Broken Hardy Boys, which will get people talking. It's entirely possible the duo shows up at either WM33 or the week after.
WWE has removed Kenny and Mikey from their roster page, so there are no plans on using them again. They hadn't been on Smackdown in months, so that's not really surprising.
WWE 2K17 is on sale at a lot of outlets as a tie-in to Wrestlemania 33.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There are times when reporters (me included) will make some "educated guesses" about something that comes out based on previous info. Some guesses are better than others. I always try to put something along the lines of "this could mean" "there's speculation" etc. to point out when something is analysis of what's been reported. Also, at times people will emphasize different facts from different sources.
2. Shane/Styles has been set up for months, with AJ blaming the authority figures for being unfair to him in title matches, Cena getting a title match just by asking for it, etc. Dana turned face so Charlotte could get heat and momentum from beating her; Charlotte had lost at Fast Lane and was in need of a rebound. There's a good chance Braun gets involved in Taker/Reigns, and he'll probably destroy 20 people in the Andre battle royal. Stephanie is part of the build of Rollins/Triple H. Also, a lot of times it does make sense to have some feuds that haven't been running for months at Mania so some parts of the show are still pretty fresh, etc. WWE's not perfect, but they deserve more credit than they're getting.
3. I definitely think this is looking bad on Anthem. Preventing some of wrestling's most popular characters from continuing their act is a tough one to defend.
4. DELETE! DELETE! DELETE! DECLARE YOURSELF OBSOLETE, MULE! Matt has really hit a sweet spot creatively and added new life to their act. They're not just playing off being the guys who did ladder matches 15 years ago; they've made something that stands out in a world where everyone's a super-serious athlete cutting aggressive promos about beating people up or winning titles.
Nothing to add to 5.
6. I definitely think Braun should get involved in the match, since I don't know how long Taker will be able to go on his own. I'd rather see it be on an unofficial basis, though. A triple threat could make things messy, booking-wise. I know it might not be the popular opinion, but I'd rather see Taker put Roman over. Braun attacking Taker could give him something of an "out" for doing the job. I think fans are turning on Taker to a degree, anyway, for continuing to hang on year after year. Hell, he can put Braun over at Summerslam, too, and set up a HoF nod in New Orleans and, if he's still up to it, he can do one last match at WM34.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Brian Fury was also a guest trainer at the WWE Performance Center this week. He got a little overshadowed by Jerry Lynn, it seems.
Eve Torres has been booked by WWE for Wrestlemania 33 weekend, so it's possible she'll be involved in the Smackdown women's title match. That should be a pretty fun endeavor.
Roman Reigns talked to TMZ about wrestling Undertaker. I'm not as sure about Taker's in-ring future.
Diamond Dallas Page talked about an MMA star joining WWE.
WWE Network made reference to the Broken Hardy Boys, which will get people talking. It's entirely possible the duo shows up at either WM33 or the week after.
WWE has removed Kenny and Mikey from their roster page, so there are no plans on using them again. They hadn't been on Smackdown in months, so that's not really surprising.
WWE 2K17 is on sale at a lot of outlets as a tie-in to Wrestlemania 33.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. There are times when reporters (me included) will make some "educated guesses" about something that comes out based on previous info. Some guesses are better than others. I always try to put something along the lines of "this could mean" "there's speculation" etc. to point out when something is analysis of what's been reported. Also, at times people will emphasize different facts from different sources.
2. Shane/Styles has been set up for months, with AJ blaming the authority figures for being unfair to him in title matches, Cena getting a title match just by asking for it, etc. Dana turned face so Charlotte could get heat and momentum from beating her; Charlotte had lost at Fast Lane and was in need of a rebound. There's a good chance Braun gets involved in Taker/Reigns, and he'll probably destroy 20 people in the Andre battle royal. Stephanie is part of the build of Rollins/Triple H. Also, a lot of times it does make sense to have some feuds that haven't been running for months at Mania so some parts of the show are still pretty fresh, etc. WWE's not perfect, but they deserve more credit than they're getting.
3. I definitely think this is looking bad on Anthem. Preventing some of wrestling's most popular characters from continuing their act is a tough one to defend.
4. DELETE! DELETE! DELETE! DECLARE YOURSELF OBSOLETE, MULE! Matt has really hit a sweet spot creatively and added new life to their act. They're not just playing off being the guys who did ladder matches 15 years ago; they've made something that stands out in a world where everyone's a super-serious athlete cutting aggressive promos about beating people up or winning titles.
Nothing to add to 5.
6. I definitely think Braun should get involved in the match, since I don't know how long Taker will be able to go on his own. I'd rather see it be on an unofficial basis, though. A triple threat could make things messy, booking-wise. I know it might not be the popular opinion, but I'd rather see Taker put Roman over. Braun attacking Taker could give him something of an "out" for doing the job. I think fans are turning on Taker to a degree, anyway, for continuing to hang on year after year. Hell, he can put Braun over at Summerslam, too, and set up a HoF nod in New Orleans and, if he's still up to it, he can do one last match at WM34.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Main Event Reax - 3/25/17, JR update, Impact backstage names return and one departs, new Bromans?, another place to watch Impact content, WM33 hype, WWE live event notes, ROH taping match set, Ryder begins comeback, and Questions on Joe vs. Braun at WM, Corny with a live mic, WWE's response to the Paige video, Konnan's thoughts on Impact-AAA, and Reby vs. the Anthem Owl
-- Main Event:
- Curtis vs. Jinder:
Fine work so far.
Both men have good fundamentals.
This is good training for the Andre battle royal they'll both be in...
Axel's particularly solid.
Not bad at all!
- Noam/Ariya vs. Gallagher/Metalik:
Nice mat work to begin.
Metalik can fly like few others.
What makes this good to watch is balancing the mat work and punches/boots with the flashy aerial antics instead of the whole match being "check out what we can do."
I'm liking this a good deal. It's good clear faces and heels.
The faces are pretty fun with their offense.
That was a cool ending!
Jim Ross will still be making his scheduled Wrestlemania weekend appearances following the loss of his wife. I hope the experience will be very therapeutic for him.
Former Impact production crew members have returned as a result of Kevin Sullivan's comeback to the company. Good to see Jarrett continuing to mend bridges.
Bram could be joining Robbie E in a relaunched Bromans group, as the two are working together in Pro Wrestling NOAH. That could be a lot of fun given the contrast between the two. Bram could use something different to do after being pretty much the same guy for years.
John Gaburick's assistant Katherine Caskey has left Impact Wrestling. She had been there for five years. Gaburick's role has been lessened with the return of Jeff Jarrett to power.
Pluto TV has added Impact Wrestling archived content as part of a wrestling channel. Good to see Impact footage available on another platform.
In more WM33 hype:
- Randy Orton talked to IGN about the Wyatt storyline and more.
- Stephanie McMahon was on ESPN's Cheap Heat podcast and SportsCenter.
Sami Zayn had a big promo in Montreal this weekend. I'm glad he got a big moment like that in recognition of all the work he does.
Marty Scurll vs. Frankie Kazarian is official for ROH's April 8 TV taping in Maryland. That could be pretty good. I could see Kazarian being an important part of things going forward given his longevity and such.
Zack Ryder posted the first episode of his new YouTube series. I hope he rebounds well.
Austin Aries worked his first Raw live events this weekend, facing Neville for the cruiserweight championship in something of a warmup for WM33. I'm glad Austin's getting that level of an opportunity.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I hope they'd give it more build than a week. That could be a damn WAR, and if built well, it could make both guys more legitimate as top monsters.
2. Cornette's there to put over a tag team going into the Hall of Fame. I think he's going to make sure the focus is on that. I really don't see him going in full shoot mode on a night about honoring the greats in this business.
3. I think WWE's going to keep its attention centered on Wrestlemania and other events in that timeframe instead of worrying about something that happened privately years ago. WWE and Paige aren't really on great terms as it is and Brad Maddox left some time ago, so I doubt they'll worry too much about it beyond doing their best to make sure lewd chants don't take over their brodcasts.
4. Impact will work with both sides, but Konnan doesn't want Crash talent working with AAA talent.
5. I think they're mostly referring to what's pretty much become a meme in the IWC. It'd be different if the word was uncensored and presented in their news posts instead of audio commentary.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Curtis vs. Jinder:
Fine work so far.
Both men have good fundamentals.
This is good training for the Andre battle royal they'll both be in...
Axel's particularly solid.
Not bad at all!
- Noam/Ariya vs. Gallagher/Metalik:
Nice mat work to begin.
Metalik can fly like few others.
What makes this good to watch is balancing the mat work and punches/boots with the flashy aerial antics instead of the whole match being "check out what we can do."
I'm liking this a good deal. It's good clear faces and heels.
The faces are pretty fun with their offense.
That was a cool ending!
Jim Ross will still be making his scheduled Wrestlemania weekend appearances following the loss of his wife. I hope the experience will be very therapeutic for him.
Former Impact production crew members have returned as a result of Kevin Sullivan's comeback to the company. Good to see Jarrett continuing to mend bridges.
Bram could be joining Robbie E in a relaunched Bromans group, as the two are working together in Pro Wrestling NOAH. That could be a lot of fun given the contrast between the two. Bram could use something different to do after being pretty much the same guy for years.
John Gaburick's assistant Katherine Caskey has left Impact Wrestling. She had been there for five years. Gaburick's role has been lessened with the return of Jeff Jarrett to power.
Pluto TV has added Impact Wrestling archived content as part of a wrestling channel. Good to see Impact footage available on another platform.
In more WM33 hype:
- Randy Orton talked to IGN about the Wyatt storyline and more.
- Stephanie McMahon was on ESPN's Cheap Heat podcast and SportsCenter.
Sami Zayn had a big promo in Montreal this weekend. I'm glad he got a big moment like that in recognition of all the work he does.
Marty Scurll vs. Frankie Kazarian is official for ROH's April 8 TV taping in Maryland. That could be pretty good. I could see Kazarian being an important part of things going forward given his longevity and such.
Zack Ryder posted the first episode of his new YouTube series. I hope he rebounds well.
Austin Aries worked his first Raw live events this weekend, facing Neville for the cruiserweight championship in something of a warmup for WM33. I'm glad Austin's getting that level of an opportunity.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I hope they'd give it more build than a week. That could be a damn WAR, and if built well, it could make both guys more legitimate as top monsters.
2. Cornette's there to put over a tag team going into the Hall of Fame. I think he's going to make sure the focus is on that. I really don't see him going in full shoot mode on a night about honoring the greats in this business.
3. I think WWE's going to keep its attention centered on Wrestlemania and other events in that timeframe instead of worrying about something that happened privately years ago. WWE and Paige aren't really on great terms as it is and Brad Maddox left some time ago, so I doubt they'll worry too much about it beyond doing their best to make sure lewd chants don't take over their brodcasts.
4. Impact will work with both sides, but Konnan doesn't want Crash talent working with AAA talent.
5. I think they're mostly referring to what's pretty much become a meme in the IWC. It'd be different if the word was uncensored and presented in their news posts instead of audio commentary.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WOS revival press release, past NXT episodes on the Network, Interviews with Goldberg/HHH, WWE Network additions for Mania Week, part of Kickoff on USA, Coach Taker, WOH matches set for SCOH XI, more legacy inductions into the WWE HoF, Impact audience, and Questions on Alberto/Maddox, Highspots suing WWE, Father James Mitchell/Sinister Minister, and Shaq vs. Show at WM34
Anthem and ITV have put out a press release on the return of World of Sport wrestling. It'll be interesting to see what crossover there will be between WOS and Impact.
NXT episodes from 2012 to the present day have been added to WWE Network, showing the entire run of the brand since its arrival at Full Sail University. I don't know how much demand there is for the "pros and rookies" era of NXT; they might just skip that for now and move to uploading episodes of something else (Thunder???).
Goldberg was the first guest on Edge and Christian's podcast. Here are some highlights:
- Some of the trust factor with the current roster could be a generational thing, as some of the names joining the company wouldn't have been put in big roles in earlier eras.
- Everyone involved needs to treat WM33 like it's Goldberg's last match and have him go out in a big way. I'm all for a crazy brawl. I wouldn't be against him coming back for, say, Summerslam if there's the right opponent for him. If they put Angle in against Lesnar, they could do Roman vs. Goldberg since they're determined to make him a big deal.
- As pointed out, Father Time tends to hold superstars back/bury them once they hit a certain age. That's something to keep in mind when relying on older names in top positions.
Triple H discussed what he looks for in talent and more:
- HHH is a smart guy for learning what his bosses wanted. Sometimes that's key!
- I like WWE bringing in a variety of talents from all over the globe. That's important, as at times FCW had a reputation of having cookie cutter performers.
- It's definitely about more than who's the best athlete.
- Yeah some of those workouts are INSANE.
- People definitely need to be team players in today's WWE. It used to all be about protecting your spot and not caring about the rest.
- Bray's a second-generation performer with a football background. I think WWE would have still given him a look.
- Variety of wrestlers and characters is great to have. That's part of why ROH is so frustrating to watch sometimes.
- I HATE this mindset that everyone is due a big "push." If WWE's going to pay you well as a midcarder, that should be more important than fake titles or "****+" matches.
Kurt Angle's interview with Corey Graves will air after Talking Smack Tuesday night. So, pretty late.
The second half of WM33 Kickoff will air on USA Network in addition to WWE Network. That's good to get people who are (for some reason) not quite sold on Mania yet.
WWE Network will have Raw Talk after the April 3 Raw, with Renee Young and Jerry Lawler discussing what should be a really big night.
A new WWE Ride Along will hit on April 3 with The Miz and Maryse and well as Carmella and Alexa Bliss. I'd like to see both Carmella and Alexa ride to WWE events with people who have been on the main roster longer so they can learn from the veterans.
The Undertaker was at the University of Texas' college football practice. A little surprised to see him out of character like that (AND calling the championship a belt!!!), but I don't blame him for not wanting to dress in all black in that heat.
The following dark WOH matches have been added to Supercard of Honor XI:
- La Amapola vs. Marcela in a CMLL showcase
- Kelly Klein vs. Deonna Purrazzo
- Mandy Leon and Jenny Rose vs. Sumie Sakai and Faye Jackson
-- ROH continues to build the division before presumably giving it a championship at some point.
WWE has announced the following legacy inductions to the WWE Hall of Fame:
- Dr. Jerry Graham
- Haystacks Calhoun
- Luther Lindsay
- Rikidozan
- June Byers
- Judy Grable
- Farmer Burns
- Toots Mondt
-- I'm glad to see the company honoring the names that laid the foundation for wrestling today. I don't know whose idea inducting legacy names was, but it's great to see Toots Mondt acknowledged for his role in starting WWWF.
Impact Wrestling drew 305,000 viewers this week. It's going to be a pretty long haul getting a bigger audience for the brand, but they're taking necessary steps to grow.
For my take on Friday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I hope nothing happens between them. What occurred with Paige and Maddox was years before Paige began seeing Alberto, and Maddox didn't put the footage out for the world to see.
2. Hahahahahahahaa. No, I don't think they'll do anything like that given how people are reacting to Anthem/Impact doing that for the Hardys. And as was pointed out, the situations are a little different.
3. He did try out to be a manager for WWE years ago, but unfortunately nothing came of it. I'd still like to see him work with, say, The Ascension, but I don't see it happening.
Nothing to 4.
5. I wouldn't completely rule it out. If Show, Shaq, and WWE are game, Show could retire at that event with a match against Shaq. It would only be a short extension of his current deal.
6. I don't have room for a lot of wrestling memorabilia. I'm fine just following the business.
More wrestling coming up.
NXT episodes from 2012 to the present day have been added to WWE Network, showing the entire run of the brand since its arrival at Full Sail University. I don't know how much demand there is for the "pros and rookies" era of NXT; they might just skip that for now and move to uploading episodes of something else (Thunder???).
Goldberg was the first guest on Edge and Christian's podcast. Here are some highlights:
- Some of the trust factor with the current roster could be a generational thing, as some of the names joining the company wouldn't have been put in big roles in earlier eras.
- Everyone involved needs to treat WM33 like it's Goldberg's last match and have him go out in a big way. I'm all for a crazy brawl. I wouldn't be against him coming back for, say, Summerslam if there's the right opponent for him. If they put Angle in against Lesnar, they could do Roman vs. Goldberg since they're determined to make him a big deal.
- As pointed out, Father Time tends to hold superstars back/bury them once they hit a certain age. That's something to keep in mind when relying on older names in top positions.
Triple H discussed what he looks for in talent and more:
- HHH is a smart guy for learning what his bosses wanted. Sometimes that's key!
- I like WWE bringing in a variety of talents from all over the globe. That's important, as at times FCW had a reputation of having cookie cutter performers.
- It's definitely about more than who's the best athlete.
- Yeah some of those workouts are INSANE.
- People definitely need to be team players in today's WWE. It used to all be about protecting your spot and not caring about the rest.
- Bray's a second-generation performer with a football background. I think WWE would have still given him a look.
- Variety of wrestlers and characters is great to have. That's part of why ROH is so frustrating to watch sometimes.
- I HATE this mindset that everyone is due a big "push." If WWE's going to pay you well as a midcarder, that should be more important than fake titles or "****+" matches.
Kurt Angle's interview with Corey Graves will air after Talking Smack Tuesday night. So, pretty late.
The second half of WM33 Kickoff will air on USA Network in addition to WWE Network. That's good to get people who are (for some reason) not quite sold on Mania yet.
WWE Network will have Raw Talk after the April 3 Raw, with Renee Young and Jerry Lawler discussing what should be a really big night.
A new WWE Ride Along will hit on April 3 with The Miz and Maryse and well as Carmella and Alexa Bliss. I'd like to see both Carmella and Alexa ride to WWE events with people who have been on the main roster longer so they can learn from the veterans.
The Undertaker was at the University of Texas' college football practice. A little surprised to see him out of character like that (AND calling the championship a belt!!!), but I don't blame him for not wanting to dress in all black in that heat.
The following dark WOH matches have been added to Supercard of Honor XI:
- La Amapola vs. Marcela in a CMLL showcase
- Kelly Klein vs. Deonna Purrazzo
- Mandy Leon and Jenny Rose vs. Sumie Sakai and Faye Jackson
-- ROH continues to build the division before presumably giving it a championship at some point.
WWE has announced the following legacy inductions to the WWE Hall of Fame:
- Dr. Jerry Graham
- Haystacks Calhoun
- Luther Lindsay
- Rikidozan
- June Byers
- Judy Grable
- Farmer Burns
- Toots Mondt
-- I'm glad to see the company honoring the names that laid the foundation for wrestling today. I don't know whose idea inducting legacy names was, but it's great to see Toots Mondt acknowledged for his role in starting WWWF.
Impact Wrestling drew 305,000 viewers this week. It's going to be a pretty long haul getting a bigger audience for the brand, but they're taking necessary steps to grow.
For my take on Friday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I hope nothing happens between them. What occurred with Paige and Maddox was years before Paige began seeing Alberto, and Maddox didn't put the footage out for the world to see.
2. Hahahahahahahaa. No, I don't think they'll do anything like that given how people are reacting to Anthem/Impact doing that for the Hardys. And as was pointed out, the situations are a little different.
3. He did try out to be a manager for WWE years ago, but unfortunately nothing came of it. I'd still like to see him work with, say, The Ascension, but I don't see it happening.
Nothing to 4.
5. I wouldn't completely rule it out. If Show, Shaq, and WWE are game, Show could retire at that event with a match against Shaq. It would only be a short extension of his current deal.
6. I don't have room for a lot of wrestling memorabilia. I'm fine just following the business.
More wrestling coming up.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Hardys-Anthem updates, more on Hardys' future, WWE women returning at Mania?, Mauro updates, Impact puts partners over, meet the new LAX, WM33 promotion, Cena's show gets season 2 premiere date, Smackdown heading to Latin America, WWE debuting in new country, WM33 dream match pitch, ECW champion at WWEPC, Alberto missing convention appearance, WWE licensing ROH footage?, SCOH XI notes, WWE conference call set, WOS tapings set, Kane makes moves in politics, and Questions on Lemmy in the HoF, leaked explicit material, Styles' Mania spot, and three hour wrestling shows
Before Impact and the Hardys had their falling out, there were plans for the Young Bucks to work Impact as part of the two teams' feud. Both teams would have been working both promotions. Even after the Hardys left, there was a chance the Bucks could have worked Impact before the legal issues between Anthem and ROH. All of that could have been big for both companies, but things went south and now the Hardys and Bucks could be finishing their business next weekend.
There's speculation the Hardys will face the Usos at WM33 in a big surprise bout given the recent title change. That would definitely be quite the event, and Smackdown could use those two to add to the show with fewer big "name" talents.
Summer Rae and/or Tamina could be coming to Smackdown as part of the upcoming women's title match, and some names from the past (Kelly Kelly, Lita, Victoria, and Maria) are also rumored to be working that bout. The Smackdown women's division could be really growing soon, which would be good as they can only do so much with the number of names they have now.
Mauro Ranallo is reportedly resting up due to an unspecified illness. I really, really hope he's OK given his public history of bipolar disorder.
- Ranallo addressed his recent absence. I really hope he comes out of this well. Bipolar disorder is a very trying condition.
Anthem Media is editing footage of the "Broken Universe" on Impact Wrestling to claim ownership of its associated trademarks. I get why they want credit for cultivating the Hardys, but if it's not in Matt and Jeff's contracts, they're out of luck in that regard. Even if they are legally in the right, they're coming across as the villains for preventing a very popular act from blossoming. It's very much a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Impact put forth footage of visiting AAA. Anthem and the Jarrett regime really want Impact to be more global going forward.
LAX's new members will be known as Santana, Ortiz, and Diamante. I'm not crazy about them each just having one name, although that fits the theme of previous members.
Jeff Jarrett put over working with other promotions: Tweet 1 Tweet 2 Tweet 3. Impact bringing back Jarrett and his crew, with their deep connections, was the right move. The brand really needed/needs some fresh faces.
For Wrestlemania 33 promotion, John Cena was on Jimmy Fallon, Big Show was on Conan, and Shane McMahon and DDP were on SportsCenter.
John Cena's "American Grit" will debut season two on June 11. If it's picked up for a third season, that's more time John will presumably miss from the ring.
Smackdown will run the following dates in Latin America:
- June 8 in Puerto Rico
- June 10 in Panama
- June 11 in Costa Rica
- October 21 in Argentina, where the company has never previously run.
-- That's all great! WWE is really looking to grow business south of the U.S., potentially setting up something similar to what they're building in the UK.
Triple H put over NXT's influence on this year's Wrestlemania:
- There have been quite a few HHH signings popping up in the last few years, really changing the complexion of WWE.
- It's weird people still complain about WWE pushing the same old names given how many fresh names have been in world title matches in the last five years.
- I expect HHH to compete at Mania for at least the next several years. Vince relies on him as one o the few active "names" left who were champions/top guys in previous eras. With guys like Henry, Show, and Kane winding down, Vince likes having someone like HHH to count on.
WWE offered Shawn Michaels a match at Wrestlemania against AJ Styles, but he turned it down. I'm sure Michaels can still "go," but there's the whole issue of another part-timer getting a big Mania match and him already having retired. It could definitely have been a big nod for AJ and put him further on the map (let's be honest, Shawn coming out of retirement to face AJ means a LOT more than wrestling in the Tokyo Dome).
Jerry Lynn is working at the WWE Performance Center as a guest trainer this week. THat's pretty cool. WWE's really bringing in a lot of seasoned names to pass knowledge to the developmental performers.
Alberto El Patron pulled out of Wrestlecon this weekend due to private explicit material of Paige being released publicly recently. I can't say I blame him for staying home with her after such an invasion of her personal life.
WWE and ROH are reportedly in discussions for ROH content to air on WWE Network alongside PROGRESS and ICW, with ROH's weekly TV show appearing there in addition to Comet TV, local TV stations, and the Fite app. The two sides are also said to be discussing ROH content being licensed for future DVD releases of ROH alumni like Seth Rollins and Samoa Joe. That would be pretty big for both sides. WWE airing footage from UK promotions is one thing, but featuring a company in direct competition with WWE (particularly NXT and 205 Live) is virtually unprecedented. WWE clearly wants to expand their base on WWE Network, and it's possible they see ROH as a place where their future stars will come from, so they're willing to work with the company. WWE continues to surprise in their approaches to growing their audience.
Supercard of Honor XI is expected to feature ROH's highest attendance since being bought by Sinclair. That's almost definitely largely due to the Hardys appearing. Still a big milestone!
Added to SCOH XI:
- Frankie Kazarian vs. Punishment Martinez
- Matt Taven/Vinny Marseglia vs. Silas Young/Beer City Bruiser
-- Wow. Kazarian's not really doing much for a guy involved in the main event of the last PPV. Also, why isn't Punishment facing BJ? For that matter, where is BJ on this show? I hope he at least makes a run-in.
Supercard of Honor XI will air as an iPPV on ROHwrestling.com and the Fite app. That's good, as it's quite a big show for them.
WWE will broadcast a conference call the day after Wrestlemania, giving updated Network numbers and more. I'm sure it will be a lot of putting the company over and answering a few business questions.
The World of Sport revival will hold its first tapings from May 25 through May 27. Anthem and Impact are involved with the project, so there will likely be crossover going forward.
Kane has filed paperwork to run for mayor in his hometown, and has named a campaign treasurer. The election will be held May 1, 2018. It appears working on this endeavor is why we haven't seen him in WWE in months. He's still part of the company, but is clearly planning more of his life outside of wrestling.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I would absolutely like to see Lemmy inducted at some point. He's one of the most deserving celebrities they could put in the Hall.
2. Important to note that none of the people involved here made the footage in question for public consumption, and they didn't do the things they did as WWE superstars, but in their private lives. Hogan's issue got a lot more negative press, and it put WWE in the public eye for longer. That's likely the biggest difference.
3. AJ's actually in a feud with Shane, and a LOT more people know who Shane is than Balor or Nakamura. While I'm sure Styles vs. Balor or Styles vs. Nakamura could be a "****+" match, that's not nearly as important as drawing a large audience. This is a much bigger stage for AJ than it would be facing those names.
4. Presumably that's a pretty good middle ground between too short and too long, which makes WM33 quite the long haul.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
There's speculation the Hardys will face the Usos at WM33 in a big surprise bout given the recent title change. That would definitely be quite the event, and Smackdown could use those two to add to the show with fewer big "name" talents.
Summer Rae and/or Tamina could be coming to Smackdown as part of the upcoming women's title match, and some names from the past (Kelly Kelly, Lita, Victoria, and Maria) are also rumored to be working that bout. The Smackdown women's division could be really growing soon, which would be good as they can only do so much with the number of names they have now.
Mauro Ranallo is reportedly resting up due to an unspecified illness. I really, really hope he's OK given his public history of bipolar disorder.
- Ranallo addressed his recent absence. I really hope he comes out of this well. Bipolar disorder is a very trying condition.
Anthem Media is editing footage of the "Broken Universe" on Impact Wrestling to claim ownership of its associated trademarks. I get why they want credit for cultivating the Hardys, but if it's not in Matt and Jeff's contracts, they're out of luck in that regard. Even if they are legally in the right, they're coming across as the villains for preventing a very popular act from blossoming. It's very much a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Impact put forth footage of visiting AAA. Anthem and the Jarrett regime really want Impact to be more global going forward.
LAX's new members will be known as Santana, Ortiz, and Diamante. I'm not crazy about them each just having one name, although that fits the theme of previous members.
Jeff Jarrett put over working with other promotions: Tweet 1 Tweet 2 Tweet 3. Impact bringing back Jarrett and his crew, with their deep connections, was the right move. The brand really needed/needs some fresh faces.
For Wrestlemania 33 promotion, John Cena was on Jimmy Fallon, Big Show was on Conan, and Shane McMahon and DDP were on SportsCenter.
John Cena's "American Grit" will debut season two on June 11. If it's picked up for a third season, that's more time John will presumably miss from the ring.
Smackdown will run the following dates in Latin America:
- June 8 in Puerto Rico
- June 10 in Panama
- June 11 in Costa Rica
- October 21 in Argentina, where the company has never previously run.
-- That's all great! WWE is really looking to grow business south of the U.S., potentially setting up something similar to what they're building in the UK.
Triple H put over NXT's influence on this year's Wrestlemania:
- There have been quite a few HHH signings popping up in the last few years, really changing the complexion of WWE.
- It's weird people still complain about WWE pushing the same old names given how many fresh names have been in world title matches in the last five years.
- I expect HHH to compete at Mania for at least the next several years. Vince relies on him as one o the few active "names" left who were champions/top guys in previous eras. With guys like Henry, Show, and Kane winding down, Vince likes having someone like HHH to count on.
WWE offered Shawn Michaels a match at Wrestlemania against AJ Styles, but he turned it down. I'm sure Michaels can still "go," but there's the whole issue of another part-timer getting a big Mania match and him already having retired. It could definitely have been a big nod for AJ and put him further on the map (let's be honest, Shawn coming out of retirement to face AJ means a LOT more than wrestling in the Tokyo Dome).
Jerry Lynn is working at the WWE Performance Center as a guest trainer this week. THat's pretty cool. WWE's really bringing in a lot of seasoned names to pass knowledge to the developmental performers.
Alberto El Patron pulled out of Wrestlecon this weekend due to private explicit material of Paige being released publicly recently. I can't say I blame him for staying home with her after such an invasion of her personal life.
WWE and ROH are reportedly in discussions for ROH content to air on WWE Network alongside PROGRESS and ICW, with ROH's weekly TV show appearing there in addition to Comet TV, local TV stations, and the Fite app. The two sides are also said to be discussing ROH content being licensed for future DVD releases of ROH alumni like Seth Rollins and Samoa Joe. That would be pretty big for both sides. WWE airing footage from UK promotions is one thing, but featuring a company in direct competition with WWE (particularly NXT and 205 Live) is virtually unprecedented. WWE clearly wants to expand their base on WWE Network, and it's possible they see ROH as a place where their future stars will come from, so they're willing to work with the company. WWE continues to surprise in their approaches to growing their audience.
Supercard of Honor XI is expected to feature ROH's highest attendance since being bought by Sinclair. That's almost definitely largely due to the Hardys appearing. Still a big milestone!
Added to SCOH XI:
- Frankie Kazarian vs. Punishment Martinez
- Matt Taven/Vinny Marseglia vs. Silas Young/Beer City Bruiser
-- Wow. Kazarian's not really doing much for a guy involved in the main event of the last PPV. Also, why isn't Punishment facing BJ? For that matter, where is BJ on this show? I hope he at least makes a run-in.
Supercard of Honor XI will air as an iPPV on ROHwrestling.com and the Fite app. That's good, as it's quite a big show for them.
WWE will broadcast a conference call the day after Wrestlemania, giving updated Network numbers and more. I'm sure it will be a lot of putting the company over and answering a few business questions.
The World of Sport revival will hold its first tapings from May 25 through May 27. Anthem and Impact are involved with the project, so there will likely be crossover going forward.
Kane has filed paperwork to run for mayor in his hometown, and has named a campaign treasurer. The election will be held May 1, 2018. It appears working on this endeavor is why we haven't seen him in WWE in months. He's still part of the company, but is clearly planning more of his life outside of wrestling.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I would absolutely like to see Lemmy inducted at some point. He's one of the most deserving celebrities they could put in the Hall.
2. Important to note that none of the people involved here made the footage in question for public consumption, and they didn't do the things they did as WWE superstars, but in their private lives. Hogan's issue got a lot more negative press, and it put WWE in the public eye for longer. That's likely the biggest difference.
3. AJ's actually in a feud with Shane, and a LOT more people know who Shane is than Balor or Nakamura. While I'm sure Styles vs. Balor or Styles vs. Nakamura could be a "****+" match, that's not nearly as important as drawing a large audience. This is a much bigger stage for AJ than it would be facing those names.
4. Presumably that's a pretty good middle ground between too short and too long, which makes WM33 quite the long haul.
Nothing to add to 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
HoF merch drops, WWE name training to return, Cornette on HoF induction, Hardys vs. Anthem continues, Hardys next moves updates, more on Impact-AAA, Beth's inductor, Memphis footage update, Interviews with Sami/DDP, ex-announcer getting podcast, Heyman/Brock press, Smackdown audience, and Questions on monsters at WM33, honoring backstage names, sports entertainment vs. wrestling, and Steph vs. Sasha
WWE has released official Hall of Fame shirts for this year's inductees. The Teddy Long shirt is GOLD. I'd pop for a Straight Up Tag Team Match shirt, too.
Summer Rae is continuing to rehab her knee injury. I hope she's able to contribute in the ring once she recovers; she hasn't really been utilized as a wrestler.
Jim Cornette talked about agreeing to induct the Rock 'n' Roll Express into the WWE HoF. I'm glad he and WWE are at least on those terms. Hopefully they can have him eventually get a Legends deal, merchandise, etc. as well as a Hall of Fame induction of his own. I don't know if either side would be crazy about him being an on-screen presence, but that could be great, too. What if he became The Revival's manager!?
The Hardys have rejected settling their dispute with Anthem regarding their creative work there. Such an agreement would likely mean Anthem gets a percentage of the Hardys' money from being booked, since Anthem believes they're at least partial owners of the Broken material the Hardys created at Impact.
WWE has been in contact with the Hardys. They're expected to return to the company at some point, although it's unlikely they would work a full schedule. The team would likely be available for WM33 and the week after, as their ROH contracts are believed to wrap up at SCOH XI on April 1. The Hardys are also open to continue working ROH. The Broken Universe in WWE could be really fun.
Impact officially announced their working agreement with AAA. The deal will allow talent from each side to work in the other promotion; it's currently unknown if Impact would be able to use any LU wrestlers or gimmicks.
Natalya will induct Beth Phoenix into the WWE HoF. That's fitting given their work together. Natalya's bound to be inducted herself someday.
Jerry Lawler recently announced he owns most of the Memphis wrestling library, with there being some sort of issue regarding the USWA era. He's willing to get it on WWE Network; the company could just be waiting to have the complete run available to put it in the queue. Of course, they have tens of thousands of hours of other footage as well, so it's not pressing to pick that library up in order to have new content for the archive.
Sami Zayn talked NXT and more. I really see parallels with Christian where they'll keep him on hand as someone who can have good matches with just about anyone but isn't a featured competitor. That's better than not being on the show at all!
DDP talked about his yoga and more. I'd like to see him be some kind of workout advisor for WWE. Some older names could extend their careers with his help.
Former WWE announcer Arda Ocal/Kyle Edwards will have a new podcast on the MSG Network. It's a shame WWE didn't work out for him; he's really good.
Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar will be doing content on Yahoo! heading into Wrestlemania. That should be fun.
Smackdown drew 2.65 million viewers Tuesday night. The show could use some surprises after WM33 to build things up.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Strowman's almost certainly either killing everyone in the Andre battle royal (including Show) or getting involved with Roman vs. Taker. There's no way he's not on the card. With Brock/Goldberg, Jericho/Owens, and Roman/Taker planned months back, there weren't many places left for Braun. I think he'll still have a big night. As for Nia, the original plan for Mania centered on Charlotte being dethroned by either Sasha or Bayley, so Nia was kind of on the outside of that. Glad she got added to the match.
2. I'd like to see them introduce an Unsung Hero award next year for important people behind-the-scenes.
3. Basically pro wrestling was associated with steroids and drugs in decades gone by, then things like Stone Cold flipping the bird and bra-and-panties matches during the Attitude Era. Vince doesn't want his media enterprise associated with any of that; he wants WWE to be more like Disney.
4. Sasha claims to be the Boss, but Stephanie's the one calling the shots. She sees it as disrespect.
5. Yes, Johnston belongs in the Hall, along with Kevin Dunn if we're honest. I'm sure there are plenty of other important backstage names who should be honored, too. WWE should make an award for that next year.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Summer Rae is continuing to rehab her knee injury. I hope she's able to contribute in the ring once she recovers; she hasn't really been utilized as a wrestler.
Jim Cornette talked about agreeing to induct the Rock 'n' Roll Express into the WWE HoF. I'm glad he and WWE are at least on those terms. Hopefully they can have him eventually get a Legends deal, merchandise, etc. as well as a Hall of Fame induction of his own. I don't know if either side would be crazy about him being an on-screen presence, but that could be great, too. What if he became The Revival's manager!?
The Hardys have rejected settling their dispute with Anthem regarding their creative work there. Such an agreement would likely mean Anthem gets a percentage of the Hardys' money from being booked, since Anthem believes they're at least partial owners of the Broken material the Hardys created at Impact.
WWE has been in contact with the Hardys. They're expected to return to the company at some point, although it's unlikely they would work a full schedule. The team would likely be available for WM33 and the week after, as their ROH contracts are believed to wrap up at SCOH XI on April 1. The Hardys are also open to continue working ROH. The Broken Universe in WWE could be really fun.
Impact officially announced their working agreement with AAA. The deal will allow talent from each side to work in the other promotion; it's currently unknown if Impact would be able to use any LU wrestlers or gimmicks.
Natalya will induct Beth Phoenix into the WWE HoF. That's fitting given their work together. Natalya's bound to be inducted herself someday.
Jerry Lawler recently announced he owns most of the Memphis wrestling library, with there being some sort of issue regarding the USWA era. He's willing to get it on WWE Network; the company could just be waiting to have the complete run available to put it in the queue. Of course, they have tens of thousands of hours of other footage as well, so it's not pressing to pick that library up in order to have new content for the archive.
Sami Zayn talked NXT and more. I really see parallels with Christian where they'll keep him on hand as someone who can have good matches with just about anyone but isn't a featured competitor. That's better than not being on the show at all!
DDP talked about his yoga and more. I'd like to see him be some kind of workout advisor for WWE. Some older names could extend their careers with his help.
Former WWE announcer Arda Ocal/Kyle Edwards will have a new podcast on the MSG Network. It's a shame WWE didn't work out for him; he's really good.
Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar will be doing content on Yahoo! heading into Wrestlemania. That should be fun.
Smackdown drew 2.65 million viewers Tuesday night. The show could use some surprises after WM33 to build things up.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Strowman's almost certainly either killing everyone in the Andre battle royal (including Show) or getting involved with Roman vs. Taker. There's no way he's not on the card. With Brock/Goldberg, Jericho/Owens, and Roman/Taker planned months back, there weren't many places left for Braun. I think he'll still have a big night. As for Nia, the original plan for Mania centered on Charlotte being dethroned by either Sasha or Bayley, so Nia was kind of on the outside of that. Glad she got added to the match.
2. I'd like to see them introduce an Unsung Hero award next year for important people behind-the-scenes.
3. Basically pro wrestling was associated with steroids and drugs in decades gone by, then things like Stone Cold flipping the bird and bra-and-panties matches during the Attitude Era. Vince doesn't want his media enterprise associated with any of that; he wants WWE to be more like Disney.
4. Sasha claims to be the Boss, but Stephanie's the one calling the shots. She sees it as disrespect.
5. Yes, Johnston belongs in the Hall, along with Kevin Dunn if we're honest. I'm sure there are plenty of other important backstage names who should be honored, too. WWE should make an award for that next year.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Raw attendance note, UK promotions at AXXESS, Vince has accident, TV title match set for SCOH, DDP inductor, Interview with Charlotte, Raw audience, Broken Matt on Impact issues, Mauro note, WWE scouting in Dubai, more WWE 24 coming, WWE legends merch coming, Impact execs globetrotting, Impact drops teaser, new Raw PPV set, and Questions on Janettys, booking AJ and Owens, Impact authority figures, turning Seth and Y2J, and a new women's wrestling promotion
Monday's Raw was a legitimate sellout. Brooklyn is always a hot market for WWE.
WM33 AXXESS will feature superstars from PROGRESS and Scotland's Insane Championship Wrestling in action alongside names from the UK tournament, NXT, and 205 Live. That's huge! Big opportunity for all the talents involved ahead of PROGRESS and ICW's shows presumably beginning to air on WWE Network soon.
- Jimmy Havoc, TK Cooper, Travis Banks, Dahlia Black, Toni Storm, and Jinny will all be debuting in a WWE ring at the event.
- The Vaudevillains and The Ascension will also be working AXXESS as well, which should tell you about where they stand on the WWE hierarchy right now. Damn. They might as well head back to NXT at this point.
Vince McMahon had a minor traffic accident involving another car Tuesday close to WWE headquarters. He was up and walking around afterward, so it thankfully wasn't bad. I know a lot of people want change in WWE, but it would be absolutely devastating to lose him in such a fashion.
- There were no injuries involved on either side, which is good.
Marty Scurll vs. Adam Cole for the ROH TV Championship has been added to Supercard of Honor. Wow, Cole got demoted. I wonder if they're just biding time until he decides to head to WWE this summer.
Eric Bischoff (!!!) will be inducting Diamond Dallas Page into the WWE Hall of Fame. Not Cornette level of surprising, but still something a little out of the ordinary considering how long it's been since he worked with WWE and the fact he was competing against them via Impact not that long ago. Bischoff should go into the hall himself someday.
Charlotte Flair gave a big interview discussing a potential match with Ronda Rousey and more. I'm very glad she's doing so well after the careers of David and Reid.
Raw drew 3.05 million viewers Monday, a drop of about 200,000 from the previous week. Not a strong number going into Wrestlemania. WWE's got its work cut out for it in getting big numbers with no Brock, Goldberg, or Taker around.
Matt Hardy commented on his issues with Impact Wrestling regarding ownership of the work he did there.
Mauro Ranallo missed Tuesday's Smackdown taping, reportedly due to illness. I hope things are OK with him.
WWE will scout talent in the United Arab Emirates at the end of the month. Man, Triple H has some really busy weeks ahead. I hope they continue to select a talented, diverse roster.
WWE 24 will have episodes with Goldberg, Kurt Angle, and Finn Balor soon. Those are three important names for the weeks ahead.
WWE now has a partnership with Puma and Footlocker for a WWE Legends shoe collection and some shirts as well. Stone Cold, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, and Undertaker will all be in the first set of designs. That's all pretty cool!
Top Impact officials headed to India to meet with their TV partner there ahead of what they'll be taping in May. I don't think they'll be taping episodes of Impact; instead the plan seems to be to use Impact talent and local talent in a new "Ring Ka King" style event.
Jeff Jarrett is headed to the UK this weekend as part of Impact-related business. We could see more European talents on Impact in the months to come.
Impact teased something for their April 6 show. There are even more talents debuting and returning in the coming weeks.
Raw will have the Bad Blood PPV on July 9 in Connecticut. There hasn't been an edition of that event in more than ten years.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Generally people use it to mean the member of a group who's less successful once the team breaks up. Ted DiBiase, Jr. would be the Janetty of his team with Cody, for instance.
2. Umm, AJ and Owens are in two of the most featured matches on the card. And they should feel great as long as there's big pay involved. It's each man's second Wrestlemania; HHH was wrestling Goldust in a non-title match at his second Mania and Taker's second Mania match went less than seven minutes.
3. They showed Bruce in the booking committee discussing what to do with the tag team titles, and they had already established new management was in charge. The new Impact has been good so far, but as always, people's desire to be "smarks" means they criticize even when things make sense.
4. If they would have made Rollins and Jericho into goody-goody fan favorites, people would have complained. WWE can't win with some people, even when giving a less black-and-white product as people have said they've wanted.
5. I haven't seen any additional info, either. It could have been a case of them seeing how much work would be involved and either getting stalled or just changing course entirely.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WM33 AXXESS will feature superstars from PROGRESS and Scotland's Insane Championship Wrestling in action alongside names from the UK tournament, NXT, and 205 Live. That's huge! Big opportunity for all the talents involved ahead of PROGRESS and ICW's shows presumably beginning to air on WWE Network soon.
- Jimmy Havoc, TK Cooper, Travis Banks, Dahlia Black, Toni Storm, and Jinny will all be debuting in a WWE ring at the event.
- The Vaudevillains and The Ascension will also be working AXXESS as well, which should tell you about where they stand on the WWE hierarchy right now. Damn. They might as well head back to NXT at this point.
Vince McMahon had a minor traffic accident involving another car Tuesday close to WWE headquarters. He was up and walking around afterward, so it thankfully wasn't bad. I know a lot of people want change in WWE, but it would be absolutely devastating to lose him in such a fashion.
- There were no injuries involved on either side, which is good.
Marty Scurll vs. Adam Cole for the ROH TV Championship has been added to Supercard of Honor. Wow, Cole got demoted. I wonder if they're just biding time until he decides to head to WWE this summer.
Eric Bischoff (!!!) will be inducting Diamond Dallas Page into the WWE Hall of Fame. Not Cornette level of surprising, but still something a little out of the ordinary considering how long it's been since he worked with WWE and the fact he was competing against them via Impact not that long ago. Bischoff should go into the hall himself someday.
Charlotte Flair gave a big interview discussing a potential match with Ronda Rousey and more. I'm very glad she's doing so well after the careers of David and Reid.
Raw drew 3.05 million viewers Monday, a drop of about 200,000 from the previous week. Not a strong number going into Wrestlemania. WWE's got its work cut out for it in getting big numbers with no Brock, Goldberg, or Taker around.
Matt Hardy commented on his issues with Impact Wrestling regarding ownership of the work he did there.
Mauro Ranallo missed Tuesday's Smackdown taping, reportedly due to illness. I hope things are OK with him.
WWE will scout talent in the United Arab Emirates at the end of the month. Man, Triple H has some really busy weeks ahead. I hope they continue to select a talented, diverse roster.
WWE 24 will have episodes with Goldberg, Kurt Angle, and Finn Balor soon. Those are three important names for the weeks ahead.
WWE now has a partnership with Puma and Footlocker for a WWE Legends shoe collection and some shirts as well. Stone Cold, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, and Undertaker will all be in the first set of designs. That's all pretty cool!
Top Impact officials headed to India to meet with their TV partner there ahead of what they'll be taping in May. I don't think they'll be taping episodes of Impact; instead the plan seems to be to use Impact talent and local talent in a new "Ring Ka King" style event.
Jeff Jarrett is headed to the UK this weekend as part of Impact-related business. We could see more European talents on Impact in the months to come.
Impact teased something for their April 6 show. There are even more talents debuting and returning in the coming weeks.
Raw will have the Bad Blood PPV on July 9 in Connecticut. There hasn't been an edition of that event in more than ten years.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Generally people use it to mean the member of a group who's less successful once the team breaks up. Ted DiBiase, Jr. would be the Janetty of his team with Cody, for instance.
2. Umm, AJ and Owens are in two of the most featured matches on the card. And they should feel great as long as there's big pay involved. It's each man's second Wrestlemania; HHH was wrestling Goldust in a non-title match at his second Mania and Taker's second Mania match went less than seven minutes.
3. They showed Bruce in the booking committee discussing what to do with the tag team titles, and they had already established new management was in charge. The new Impact has been good so far, but as always, people's desire to be "smarks" means they criticize even when things make sense.
4. If they would have made Rollins and Jericho into goody-goody fan favorites, people would have complained. WWE can't win with some people, even when giving a less black-and-white product as people have said they've wanted.
5. I haven't seen any additional info, either. It could have been a case of them seeing how much work would be involved and either getting stalled or just changing course entirely.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 3/21/17
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Hogan trademark news, ex-ROH owner at WWE event, Mania press, SCOH updates, Interviews with Angle/Reigns, hell freezes over for WWE HoF, WWE-PROGRESS note, classic NXT on the Network, Shinsuke-NXT update, Raw to Australia, Goldberg heading to podcast, Mania match expands, Brock after Raw, and Questions on the Attitude Era vs. now, Taker attacking Cena, why it's Andre's battle royal, Taker's powers, and doing another draft
Hogan's Beach's owners have tried to trademark the name Thunderlips, which was Hogan's character in Rocky 3. So, presumably the restaurant will make use of that name. I wouldn't think they'd be able to do anything with Rocky 3 footage/characters without permission from the studios that own the rights to that movie.
Former ROH head Cary Silkin was visiting at a WWE live event this weekend. He lives in the area. The card featured former ROH stars Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and Cesaro.
WWE 24: Wrestlemania Monday will come out on DVD and Blu-Ray as a director's cut.
Walmart has its WWE content on sale for Wrestlemania.
The Hardys vs. the Young Bucks at Supercard of Honor XI is now a ladder match. It's entirely possible the Hardys lose the ROH tag team titles then and head to WWE shortly thereafter. The show will be preceded by Festival of Honor, a big meet and greet/Q&A featuring CMLL and NJPW stars. That event will feature a Women of Honor show.
Kurt Angle talked about returning to WWE and more:
- Vince doesn't dwell on the past. I like that about him. He keeps focused on making money and the next opportunities.
- He was one of my favorite heels of all time with the Three I's.
- I'm glad Angle's turning his life around.
- I REALLY love the Angle Strong app. That's great.
- Angle vs. Goldberg, Angle vs. Cena, Angle vs. Brock, Angle vs. Owens... there are all kinds of possibilities if Kurt's cleared to wrestle.
Roman Reigns discussed coming to WWE. I think you're going to hear a LOT from Roman in the years to come.
Jim Cornette (!!!!!!!!!) will be inducting the Rock 'n' Roll Express into the WWE Hall of Fame. Cornette has not been involved with WWE since 2005, and hasn't been on-screen for the company since 2001. I'm glad they could all come together to honor the team. Of course, there's potential for some fireworks with giving Corny a live mic, which could be part of the draw for watching the ceremony.
WWE will allow PROGRESS wrestlers to appear on WWN's Mercury Rising broadcast on Floslam during WM33 weekend. WWE's relationship with EVOLVE lead to them clearing the talents for the airing of the show.
NXT episodes from the beginning of the current era of the show are being added to WWE Network. So, that's the next era of classic VOD content being uploaded.
Shinsuke Nakamura has been added to NXT's upcoming UK tour. I wouldn't assume that means he won't be called up to Raw or Smackdown before then, as these shows could be his farewell to the brand.
Due to visa issues, Jushin "Thunder" Liger and YOSHI-HASHI will be unable to work Supercard of Honor XI. They'll be replaced by the Guerrillas of Destiny, who will team with Hangman Page against The Briscoes and Bully Ray.
Will Ospreay and Volador Jr. vs. Dragon Lee and Jay White has been added to Supercard of Honor XI. Talk about an international lineup.
Raw will run live events in Australia from September 13 through September 16. I hope that tour does better than the NXT events did.
Goldberg will be on Edge and Christian's podcast this week. I don't know if WWE had to sign off on that or not, since the podcast isn't an official WWE production and Goldberg's headlining WM33. It's not like they can pull him from the match or anything, and he already expects to job and potentially never get back in WWE ring, so he's pretty much bulletproof!
Nia Jax has been added to the Raw women's championship match at Wrestlemania 33. The match is now a Fatal 4 Way. I'm glad she's getting that kind of stage after he work this year. She's really had her work cut out for her on Charlotte's brand.
Brock Lesnar challenged and F5'd Big Show after Raw. No telling how much Brock got paid to not appear on Raw 13 days before Wrestlemania.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The Attitude Era was so hot for WWE because they tapped into what was current and popular, etc. and they were able to pick up experienced wrestlers from WCW and plug them right in. With no WCW, there really aren't many "name" talents left to mine. Being a big name in NJPW isn't quite the same level as being seen by millions in the U.S. every week. So, they hang on to the big names they still have. As anyone who follows PWInsider knows, some fans are going to complain no matter what the booking is, how much people are protected, etc.
2. That would seem pretty random. Taker should be focused on Roman that night. I expect Cena and Nikki to get a big moment as a couple as something of a thank you for all the jobs to AJ, Bray, and Carmella. Those are all new stars WWE's trying to build, by the way.
3. Andre was famous for doing a lot of battle royal matches, so it fits.
4. He can come back from the dead! I'm sure he can handle sound and light effects with that level of ability.
5. Nothing's ever good enough for some people, I see. When a performer switches shows, they have a new booking team who can use them differently. And since only a few names switch every year, it's not a big issue. I definitely think they can do some switching around this summer to give people new feuds, and call up a few new names.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Former ROH head Cary Silkin was visiting at a WWE live event this weekend. He lives in the area. The card featured former ROH stars Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and Cesaro.
WWE 24: Wrestlemania Monday will come out on DVD and Blu-Ray as a director's cut.
Walmart has its WWE content on sale for Wrestlemania.
The Hardys vs. the Young Bucks at Supercard of Honor XI is now a ladder match. It's entirely possible the Hardys lose the ROH tag team titles then and head to WWE shortly thereafter. The show will be preceded by Festival of Honor, a big meet and greet/Q&A featuring CMLL and NJPW stars. That event will feature a Women of Honor show.
Kurt Angle talked about returning to WWE and more:
- Vince doesn't dwell on the past. I like that about him. He keeps focused on making money and the next opportunities.
- He was one of my favorite heels of all time with the Three I's.
- I'm glad Angle's turning his life around.
- I REALLY love the Angle Strong app. That's great.
- Angle vs. Goldberg, Angle vs. Cena, Angle vs. Brock, Angle vs. Owens... there are all kinds of possibilities if Kurt's cleared to wrestle.
Roman Reigns discussed coming to WWE. I think you're going to hear a LOT from Roman in the years to come.
Jim Cornette (!!!!!!!!!) will be inducting the Rock 'n' Roll Express into the WWE Hall of Fame. Cornette has not been involved with WWE since 2005, and hasn't been on-screen for the company since 2001. I'm glad they could all come together to honor the team. Of course, there's potential for some fireworks with giving Corny a live mic, which could be part of the draw for watching the ceremony.
WWE will allow PROGRESS wrestlers to appear on WWN's Mercury Rising broadcast on Floslam during WM33 weekend. WWE's relationship with EVOLVE lead to them clearing the talents for the airing of the show.
NXT episodes from the beginning of the current era of the show are being added to WWE Network. So, that's the next era of classic VOD content being uploaded.
Shinsuke Nakamura has been added to NXT's upcoming UK tour. I wouldn't assume that means he won't be called up to Raw or Smackdown before then, as these shows could be his farewell to the brand.
Due to visa issues, Jushin "Thunder" Liger and YOSHI-HASHI will be unable to work Supercard of Honor XI. They'll be replaced by the Guerrillas of Destiny, who will team with Hangman Page against The Briscoes and Bully Ray.
Will Ospreay and Volador Jr. vs. Dragon Lee and Jay White has been added to Supercard of Honor XI. Talk about an international lineup.
Raw will run live events in Australia from September 13 through September 16. I hope that tour does better than the NXT events did.
Goldberg will be on Edge and Christian's podcast this week. I don't know if WWE had to sign off on that or not, since the podcast isn't an official WWE production and Goldberg's headlining WM33. It's not like they can pull him from the match or anything, and he already expects to job and potentially never get back in WWE ring, so he's pretty much bulletproof!
Nia Jax has been added to the Raw women's championship match at Wrestlemania 33. The match is now a Fatal 4 Way. I'm glad she's getting that kind of stage after he work this year. She's really had her work cut out for her on Charlotte's brand.
Brock Lesnar challenged and F5'd Big Show after Raw. No telling how much Brock got paid to not appear on Raw 13 days before Wrestlemania.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. The Attitude Era was so hot for WWE because they tapped into what was current and popular, etc. and they were able to pick up experienced wrestlers from WCW and plug them right in. With no WCW, there really aren't many "name" talents left to mine. Being a big name in NJPW isn't quite the same level as being seen by millions in the U.S. every week. So, they hang on to the big names they still have. As anyone who follows PWInsider knows, some fans are going to complain no matter what the booking is, how much people are protected, etc.
2. That would seem pretty random. Taker should be focused on Roman that night. I expect Cena and Nikki to get a big moment as a couple as something of a thank you for all the jobs to AJ, Bray, and Carmella. Those are all new stars WWE's trying to build, by the way.
3. Andre was famous for doing a lot of battle royal matches, so it fits.
4. He can come back from the dead! I'm sure he can handle sound and light effects with that level of ability.
5. Nothing's ever good enough for some people, I see. When a performer switches shows, they have a new booking team who can use them differently. And since only a few names switch every year, it's not a big issue. I definitely think they can do some switching around this summer to give people new feuds, and call up a few new names.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Impact working with AAA, WWE fundraising, Interview with Maryse, Xavier hosts awards show, ROH name on reality show, Borash promoted, ex-WWE executive working Impact, and Questions on Heyman returning to booking, AJ vs. Shane, honoring backstage names, and Orton's actions toward Bray
Jeff Jarrett, Ed Nordholm, and Jeremy Borash were in Mexico on behalf of Impact (and GFW in Jeff's case) this weekend. They attended AAA's Rey De Reyes event. Hopefully that means there's no heat on Impact for working with Konnan and CRASH. And maybe it could lead to Impact being able to use LU wrestlers (outside of their LU gimmicks).
- Impact and AAA now officially have a working agreement. Impact talent will now be able to work AAA, and AAA talent will now be able to work Impact. Impact's agreement with CRASH gives them access to a lot of Mexican talent now, and we could see AAA names and CRASH names work together in Impact despite the big issues between the two Mexican companies.
Mickie James and Apollo Crews were part of an after-school fundraising event in New York.
Maryse discussed getting back in the ring at Wrestlemania 33. I wouldn't assume she'll compete regularly.
Xavier Woods was hosting at the SXSW Gaming Awards this weekend. Xavier's over outside of the wrestling world, which is good.
Kenny King will be on the next season of The Bachelorette. I wouldn't expect that to conflict with his wrestling life, but we'll see.
Jeremy Borash is now Impact's senior vice president of international relations. That's pretty important sounding. It makes sense for him to get a big role after nearly 15 years with the company.
Former WWE live event coordinator Rafael Morfi will be working with Impact when they expand their touring. He's been part of Impact for about a year now, but of course touring hasn't gotten off the ground just yet.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't know if Heyman wants to do any of that anymore. I also don't know if anyone would be willing to give him the kind of control he'd demand! I don't think he'd come in just to get whatever talents over management asks of him; he'd want final say of who gets featured, what their gimmicks are, etc. They'd have to let him more or less be the Vince McMahon of the promotion.
2. Suspension of disbelief is key here. It just has to look "real-ish." There are much bigger issues in the world than whether glass breaking looks real enough.
3. I think they could have one award for inspirational non-wrestling personalities and one for behind-the-scenes personalities. I DEFINITELY would like to see an award for backstage employees, from seamstresses to camerapeople and everything in-between.
4. WWE could say it's an angle meant for the older audience that complains about babyfaces being too goody-goody. Sometimes antiheroes do questionable things. That's a lot of Batman's appeal.
5. Shane could sign him for one match at WM33 or just completely reinstate him if he wants. Let it play out on this week's Smackdown before assuming Creative doesn't know what they're doing.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Impact and AAA now officially have a working agreement. Impact talent will now be able to work AAA, and AAA talent will now be able to work Impact. Impact's agreement with CRASH gives them access to a lot of Mexican talent now, and we could see AAA names and CRASH names work together in Impact despite the big issues between the two Mexican companies.
Mickie James and Apollo Crews were part of an after-school fundraising event in New York.
Maryse discussed getting back in the ring at Wrestlemania 33. I wouldn't assume she'll compete regularly.
Xavier Woods was hosting at the SXSW Gaming Awards this weekend. Xavier's over outside of the wrestling world, which is good.
Kenny King will be on the next season of The Bachelorette. I wouldn't expect that to conflict with his wrestling life, but we'll see.
Jeremy Borash is now Impact's senior vice president of international relations. That's pretty important sounding. It makes sense for him to get a big role after nearly 15 years with the company.
Former WWE live event coordinator Rafael Morfi will be working with Impact when they expand their touring. He's been part of Impact for about a year now, but of course touring hasn't gotten off the ground just yet.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't know if Heyman wants to do any of that anymore. I also don't know if anyone would be willing to give him the kind of control he'd demand! I don't think he'd come in just to get whatever talents over management asks of him; he'd want final say of who gets featured, what their gimmicks are, etc. They'd have to let him more or less be the Vince McMahon of the promotion.
2. Suspension of disbelief is key here. It just has to look "real-ish." There are much bigger issues in the world than whether glass breaking looks real enough.
3. I think they could have one award for inspirational non-wrestling personalities and one for behind-the-scenes personalities. I DEFINITELY would like to see an award for backstage employees, from seamstresses to camerapeople and everything in-between.
4. WWE could say it's an angle meant for the older audience that complains about babyfaces being too goody-goody. Sometimes antiheroes do questionable things. That's a lot of Batman's appeal.
5. Shane could sign him for one match at WM33 or just completely reinstate him if he wants. Let it play out on this week's Smackdown before assuming Creative doesn't know what they're doing.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Main Event Reax - 3/18/17, Hardys vs. Impact continues, Ryder's new YouTube series, WWE live event notes, and Questions on Paige being hacked, Kaufman in the Hall, announcers in the Hall, the Andre battle royal, and WWE having a Broken brand
-- Main Event:
- Bo vs. Axel:
We're going to see this match at least once a month forever, I think.
Axel's smooth.
Heck, Bo's improving himself.
Solid work from Curtis. He soldiers on despite pretty much being stuck on Main Event and live events.
Nice back and forth at the ending.
- Gallagher vs. Noam:
Jack's smooth. Don't let the mustache confuse you.
Nice mat work here.
This is good.
Dar's got some good strategy going on here.
OUCH. Noam's got a mean streak at times, too.
Good "chess" going on here.
Impressive wrist lock/suplex spot. Noam makes it look too easy.
That was really good!
Rebecca Hardy continued to bury Impact on Twitter after the company sent legal paperwork regarding ownership of the Broken Universe and its characters. So, the two sides are still at odds about all that intellectual property.
- The Hardys have apparently hired legal representation in the matter, and this party will speak on their behalf going forward. That's probably wise. It will be interesting to see how this will affect the Hardys going forward, as ROH and other parties booking the act might not want to risk being sued by Anthem.
Zack Ryder is doing a YouTube series chronicling his return from injury. It's on WWE's channel, so it's something they gave approval for. We'll see if he's still got the magic all these years later, and if any new characters (Mojo?) will be featured.
Finn Balor is back working Raw live events regularly. He might make a surprise appearance at Mania when Rollins calls HHH out, or he could be saved for the night after Raw. I don't see them adding Joe vs. Balor at the last minute.
Mojo Rawley beat Viktor at Smackdown live events this weekend. With Ryder injured and Swagger gone, Konnor's not in action.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. This was something done in their private lives and was intended to be kept private. They never intended it for public release. So, no. It'd be different if it was something "WWE's Paige" had put out publicly to degrade WWE, but that's not what happened here. I agree about having talent meetings/classes about being REALLY careful with these kind of acts to make sure private videos stay private.
2. I'd also love for him to be inducted, even if it's as a legacy name or something. I know WWE wants to get publicity from featuring a living celebrity at their Hall of Fame, but Kaufman deserves to be honored at some point.
3. William Regal, JBL, Jim Cornette, maybe Honky Tonk Man, Michael Cole, Paul Heyman, potentially the Coach given his ESPN connections, Joey Styles, Tazz, and Mike Tenay all sound good for me.
4. I don't think they need to add anything to what the winner gets; they just need to do more with the momentum the winner has after the match. And really, if WWE wanted to push anyone in that match, they'd probably be in something other than the "get everyone on the card" match. Hopefully this year Braun goes on a path of destruction and goes back to being a top threat.
5. NO. It's already pretty overexposed. I'm fine with it breaking up the monotony of three-hour Raws (and maybe the occasional Smackdown segment), but it's better in briefer doses.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- Bo vs. Axel:
We're going to see this match at least once a month forever, I think.
Axel's smooth.
Heck, Bo's improving himself.
Solid work from Curtis. He soldiers on despite pretty much being stuck on Main Event and live events.
Nice back and forth at the ending.
- Gallagher vs. Noam:
Jack's smooth. Don't let the mustache confuse you.
Nice mat work here.
This is good.
Dar's got some good strategy going on here.
OUCH. Noam's got a mean streak at times, too.
Good "chess" going on here.
Impressive wrist lock/suplex spot. Noam makes it look too easy.
That was really good!
Rebecca Hardy continued to bury Impact on Twitter after the company sent legal paperwork regarding ownership of the Broken Universe and its characters. So, the two sides are still at odds about all that intellectual property.
- The Hardys have apparently hired legal representation in the matter, and this party will speak on their behalf going forward. That's probably wise. It will be interesting to see how this will affect the Hardys going forward, as ROH and other parties booking the act might not want to risk being sued by Anthem.
Zack Ryder is doing a YouTube series chronicling his return from injury. It's on WWE's channel, so it's something they gave approval for. We'll see if he's still got the magic all these years later, and if any new characters (Mojo?) will be featured.
Finn Balor is back working Raw live events regularly. He might make a surprise appearance at Mania when Rollins calls HHH out, or he could be saved for the night after Raw. I don't see them adding Joe vs. Balor at the last minute.
Mojo Rawley beat Viktor at Smackdown live events this weekend. With Ryder injured and Swagger gone, Konnor's not in action.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. This was something done in their private lives and was intended to be kept private. They never intended it for public release. So, no. It'd be different if it was something "WWE's Paige" had put out publicly to degrade WWE, but that's not what happened here. I agree about having talent meetings/classes about being REALLY careful with these kind of acts to make sure private videos stay private.
2. I'd also love for him to be inducted, even if it's as a legacy name or something. I know WWE wants to get publicity from featuring a living celebrity at their Hall of Fame, but Kaufman deserves to be honored at some point.
3. William Regal, JBL, Jim Cornette, maybe Honky Tonk Man, Michael Cole, Paul Heyman, potentially the Coach given his ESPN connections, Joey Styles, Tazz, and Mike Tenay all sound good for me.
4. I don't think they need to add anything to what the winner gets; they just need to do more with the momentum the winner has after the match. And really, if WWE wanted to push anyone in that match, they'd probably be in something other than the "get everyone on the card" match. Hopefully this year Braun goes on a path of destruction and goes back to being a top threat.
5. NO. It's already pretty overexposed. I'm fine with it breaking up the monotony of three-hour Raws (and maybe the occasional Smackdown segment), but it's better in briefer doses.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
WWE and WWE personalities up for social media awards, new WWE show drops, Teddy's HOF inductors, WM33 singer booked, Impact audience, Alexa rumorkiller, WWE+NXT live event notes, new Ride Along hitting Monday, and Questions on Rusev going MIA, Strowman in Roman vs. Taker, Balor vs. Joe at WM33, Bo's future, and where Douglas Williams is
John Cena, WWE, Wrestlemania, and Xavier Woods' UpUpDownDown have all been nominated for 2017 Shorty Awards for Social Media Excellence:
- WWE and Wrestlemania have been nominated for Best in Entertainment
- WWE was nominated for "Best Integration with Live TV" and "Best Overall YouTube Presence"
- John Cena and cricket Wireless were nominated for Best Use of Comedy
- UpUpDownDown was nominated for Best Brand Identity.
-- The awards will be live-streamed on April 23. WWE really wants to pioneer in their digital presences and make that a big area for continued growth.
WWE has dropped the first episodes of Southpaw Regional Wrestling on their YouTube channel. The company also has shirts made for the project. That was pretty hilarious.
- Luke Gallows talked about the project. He and Karl are WAY more entertaining in this than as generic mean big guys.
Teddy Long will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by the APA. I would have popped for DA UNDATAKAH!!!!!! But I don't see him doing that kind of thing. No complaints about JBL and Ron getting the nod, though.
Tinashe will perform "America the Beautiful" at Wrestlemania 33. I hope they don't have a long non-wrestling segment planned this year, musical or otherwise. Rock's last two appearances have gone on WAY too long.
Impact's audience Thursday was 344,000. That's a higher number than Total Nonstop Deletion, and the biggest audience they've had since November. So, some good news for the early weeks of the new regime. We'll see if they can keep that growth and eventually reach new heights.
Road Dogg shot down a report of Alexa Bliss "having heat," which Bliss appreciated. Fake news is alive and well!
WWE held a scheduled live event in Syracuse, New York despite the local power outage. Weather in the Northeast was BRUTAL recently.
WWE Ride Along with Golden Truth and The Club will air after Raw. Goldust and R-Truth haven't worked on TV since December, but I assume they still go to the tapings since they work live events.
Team 3D trainee Kennadi Brink worked as a referee for an NXT live event recently. She's worked NXT TV as well as ROH's women of honor division, so she could end up going to either destination at some point.
Dory Funk, Jr. visited at a recent NXT live event where he lives. Cool to see legends checking out the current stars.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I love how the first assumption is Rusev is being "buried" by mean old management. Uggghhh. And it actually makes sense for them to approve any change to his appearance since they have video games, action figures, etc. built around what he looks like and they want them to be current.
2. I think WWE wants to keep things straightforward with Roman vs. Taker. Strowman destroying 20 or so people in the Andre battle royal works for me.
3. Don't get your hopes up. There's no indication Balor will be at Mania. He's just working off some ring rust in order to hit the ground running right after WM33.
4. Dallas is only 26. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him get a reboot at some point and get a chance at some gold.
5. Getting pretty regular work in the UK/Europe.
More wrestling tomorrow.
- WWE and Wrestlemania have been nominated for Best in Entertainment
- WWE was nominated for "Best Integration with Live TV" and "Best Overall YouTube Presence"
- John Cena and cricket Wireless were nominated for Best Use of Comedy
- UpUpDownDown was nominated for Best Brand Identity.
-- The awards will be live-streamed on April 23. WWE really wants to pioneer in their digital presences and make that a big area for continued growth.
WWE has dropped the first episodes of Southpaw Regional Wrestling on their YouTube channel. The company also has shirts made for the project. That was pretty hilarious.
- Luke Gallows talked about the project. He and Karl are WAY more entertaining in this than as generic mean big guys.
Teddy Long will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by the APA. I would have popped for DA UNDATAKAH!!!!!! But I don't see him doing that kind of thing. No complaints about JBL and Ron getting the nod, though.
Tinashe will perform "America the Beautiful" at Wrestlemania 33. I hope they don't have a long non-wrestling segment planned this year, musical or otherwise. Rock's last two appearances have gone on WAY too long.
Impact's audience Thursday was 344,000. That's a higher number than Total Nonstop Deletion, and the biggest audience they've had since November. So, some good news for the early weeks of the new regime. We'll see if they can keep that growth and eventually reach new heights.
Road Dogg shot down a report of Alexa Bliss "having heat," which Bliss appreciated. Fake news is alive and well!
WWE held a scheduled live event in Syracuse, New York despite the local power outage. Weather in the Northeast was BRUTAL recently.
WWE Ride Along with Golden Truth and The Club will air after Raw. Goldust and R-Truth haven't worked on TV since December, but I assume they still go to the tapings since they work live events.
Team 3D trainee Kennadi Brink worked as a referee for an NXT live event recently. She's worked NXT TV as well as ROH's women of honor division, so she could end up going to either destination at some point.
Dory Funk, Jr. visited at a recent NXT live event where he lives. Cool to see legends checking out the current stars.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I love how the first assumption is Rusev is being "buried" by mean old management. Uggghhh. And it actually makes sense for them to approve any change to his appearance since they have video games, action figures, etc. built around what he looks like and they want them to be current.
2. I think WWE wants to keep things straightforward with Roman vs. Taker. Strowman destroying 20 or so people in the Andre battle royal works for me.
3. Don't get your hopes up. There's no indication Balor will be at Mania. He's just working off some ring rust in order to hit the ground running right after WM33.
4. Dallas is only 26. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him get a reboot at some point and get a chance at some gold.
5. Getting pretty regular work in the UK/Europe.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Former Impact name gets surgery, Southpaw project updates, Sasha promotes WWE, WWE album potentially canceled, Mania matches on YouTube, HoF inductors set, Flair podcast canceled, Raw+Smackdown audiences, and Questions on Randy playing Bray, the new Suicide, Braun dominating the Andre battle royal, Spike vs. Russo, and why WWE hasn't dropped Paige
Former Impact name Jesse Neal had surgery on a broken ankle. I hope he bounces back soon. He'd be worth another look; he's been away from TV long enough to be fresh.
WWE's Southpaw Regional Wrestling project was pitched back in September. It looks AMAZING in a campy way. Luke Gallows will perform as Tex Ferguson, a slight name change from a popular pre-WWE character that's perfect for this project.
- SRW debuted on WWE.com and WWE's YouTube page, so it's not just for the Network.
Sasha Banks promoted a Raw live event during a radio appearance Friday morning.
WWE's digital album Uncaged II has been pulled from Amaazon.com. It was originally set to be released on March 17.
WWE has uploaded complete Wrestlemania matches on YouTube this week in promotion of WM33. Social media views are important for them.
John Cena will induct Kurt Angle into the WWE Hall of Fame. That's fitting! Ricky Steamboat will induct Rick Rude that night as well. No word on who will be inducting the other members of this year's class beyond the Warrior award.
Ric Flair's planned podcast has been called off. Wow! That's a record even by Flair's standards. He'll have more benched podcasts than world titles if he keeps going like this.
Raw drew 3.23 million viewers Monday, in line with last week. WWE will have a tough run ahead of it without Goldberg, Brock, or Taker on the show.
Smackdown drew 2.63 million viewers Tuesday, down from the previous week. Hopefully both brands get a boost after Mania.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Randy was confident in his chance to get back into the title picture once he "changed his mind." If he didn't forfeit the Mania match, Bray would be suspicious. He suckered Bray good. It's a shame the people who complain about predictable, simple storylines aren't on-board with this.
2. Impact Wrestling, you mean? Konley is wrestling under the mask and as himself. I've lost track of how many people have been Suicide at this point.
3. Um YES. I definitely want to see Braun go on a tear. I would be all over that. There were only so many places they could put him at Mania with Roman tied up with Taker and the two singles titles on Raw already accounted for. I would have been good with another round of Braun/Roman on the show, with AJ facing Taker, but they have big plans for Roman that necessitate where he is now.
4. There were reports of Spike not liking Russo's creative decisions, specifically angles involving male-on-female violence. BUT they would have likely dropped Impact regardless as Spike changed its focus as a channel.
5. WWE is pretty invested in Paige, as was said. Plus, if WWE fired her, she could go make money for Impact and/or other promotions.
More wrestling tomorrow.
WWE's Southpaw Regional Wrestling project was pitched back in September. It looks AMAZING in a campy way. Luke Gallows will perform as Tex Ferguson, a slight name change from a popular pre-WWE character that's perfect for this project.
- SRW debuted on WWE.com and WWE's YouTube page, so it's not just for the Network.
Sasha Banks promoted a Raw live event during a radio appearance Friday morning.
WWE's digital album Uncaged II has been pulled from Amaazon.com. It was originally set to be released on March 17.
WWE has uploaded complete Wrestlemania matches on YouTube this week in promotion of WM33. Social media views are important for them.
John Cena will induct Kurt Angle into the WWE Hall of Fame. That's fitting! Ricky Steamboat will induct Rick Rude that night as well. No word on who will be inducting the other members of this year's class beyond the Warrior award.
Ric Flair's planned podcast has been called off. Wow! That's a record even by Flair's standards. He'll have more benched podcasts than world titles if he keeps going like this.
Raw drew 3.23 million viewers Monday, in line with last week. WWE will have a tough run ahead of it without Goldberg, Brock, or Taker on the show.
Smackdown drew 2.63 million viewers Tuesday, down from the previous week. Hopefully both brands get a boost after Mania.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Randy was confident in his chance to get back into the title picture once he "changed his mind." If he didn't forfeit the Mania match, Bray would be suspicious. He suckered Bray good. It's a shame the people who complain about predictable, simple storylines aren't on-board with this.
2. Impact Wrestling, you mean? Konley is wrestling under the mask and as himself. I've lost track of how many people have been Suicide at this point.
3. Um YES. I definitely want to see Braun go on a tear. I would be all over that. There were only so many places they could put him at Mania with Roman tied up with Taker and the two singles titles on Raw already accounted for. I would have been good with another round of Braun/Roman on the show, with AJ facing Taker, but they have big plans for Roman that necessitate where he is now.
4. There were reports of Spike not liking Russo's creative decisions, specifically angles involving male-on-female violence. BUT they would have likely dropped Impact regardless as Spike changed its focus as a channel.
5. WWE is pretty invested in Paige, as was said. Plus, if WWE fired her, she could go make money for Impact and/or other promotions.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Lawler-WWE note, AJ "fired," Smackdown commentator updates, injured star at Smackdown, NXT working more UK shows, WWE expands Latin American management, assorted WWE press, ECW founder shoots, Raw preview, WWE announces new wrestling show, Anthem-UK show update, WWE planning for WM34, Goldberg's WWE future, Gail's next steps, Rusev injury update, WWE women's tournament taking shape, WWE tryouts, WWE board member retires, Fish taking non-ROH bookings, and Questions on the end of PPV bonuses, wanting Impact to fail, WWE's booking of Goldberg vs. Sting, AJ's Mania booking, and Miz/Maryse vs. Cena/Nikki
Jerry Lawler recently said he doesn't expect WWE will let him compete for them again, despite working regularly on the indie scene after recovering from the heart attack. I can't blame them after that REALLY scary moment after his last WWE match.
AJ Styles has been moved to the alumni section of WWE.com as part of the angle of him being fired from Smackdown. I assume he'll be reinstated for the match with Shane or as a result of that match. I'd be surprised to see him move to Raw, but we'll see. Certainly it would make sense for Stephanie and Mick to pick him up!
Mauro Ranallo was not at Smackdown due to the weather in the Northeast. I don't think they'll hold it against him given how brutal conditions were in the area.
Erick Rowan was backstage at Smackdown. He has been cleared to return to the ring. I'm interested to see where he and Harper will fit into Bray vs. Orton.
David Otunga missed Smackdown as part of a film role. He's getting more bookings as an actor. I think he's got a job in WWE as long as he wants one, but he could branch out, too.
NXT will be part of the UK Download Festival again in June. Good to see NXT getting to work in front of different audiences.
WWE has announced two new Latin American management hires. WWE is continuing to plan on growing in that area, as they should.
Rich Swann talked about his journey to WWE while promoting a live event this weekend. I think he'll be in WWE quite a while given his background.
WWE superstars visited a children's hospital before Smackdown. That's great!
SXSW released some footage of John Cena speaking there. I guess that was all they could see of him.
ECW founder Tod Gordon did a shoot interview. Those were some crazy times!
Set for Raw:
- Brock Lesnar appearing
- Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
- Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe vs. Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn
-- Should be pretty good.
WWE released a preview for a new wrestling show. OH MY GOD THAT LOOKS AMAZING. I'm surprised it took them so long to do something like that, given how much they embrace being a live action cartoon and all.
Anthem has worked out a deal to do a weekly TV show for a UK channel, taping around ten episodes in May and airing them in July. Should that project do well, it could be expanded into a full weekly series. That would open the door for Impact talent to crossover with this new show and that roster to work Impact as well. Good news all around!
WWE is planning Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship to conclude Wrestlemania 34 in 2018, which could mean Reigns beats Taker and Brock wins to hold the title for a full year before passing the torch in a major way to Roman. Roman beating Taker and Brock in back-to-back Manias, potentially retiring both from WWE, would be HUGE and establish him as a really big deal. The goal is to more or less have Reigns take over for Cena as WWE's top babyface (regardless of boos from part of the audience).
Goldberg's current contract expires at Wrestlemania, but WWE is open to using him in further big matches. I'd watch Goldberg vs. Angle in a heartbeat. And maybe Goldberg vs. Taker?
Gail Kim is expected to be cleared to return to the ring for Impact's tapings in early April. She and Impact will need to come to terms on a new deal, as her old one has expired. That doesn't signal her being gone from the company, though.
Rusev will miss two months after his shoulder surgery. I'm sure he wanted to make Mania, but that's not happening now unfortunately. I hope good things are coming his way when he returns.
WWE's women's invitational tournament should tape its first round in late May. Hopefully we see some talented future additions to Raw, Smackdown, and NXT. It's also possible they set up a separate women's brand, but we'll see if that's the plan.
Japanese wrestler Io Shirai is trying out for WWE. The ball is said to be in her court whether she wants to join the company or not.
- Wes Brisco also took part in the tryout. He had previously been part of FCW and Impact.
WWE board of directors member Joe Perkins has retired. He had been part of the company since the 1970s and on the board since 1999. I wouldn't expect any changes in WWE due to his retirement. There are only so many names that would really change things by their departure. That wheel's gonna keep on turning.
Bobby Fish has announced he'll be taking independent bookings starting later this month. So, he'll no longer be under an exclusive agreement with ROH and is free to enter discussions with other promotions. With Kyle O'Reilly also out of the company, reDRagon could end up jumping to WWE or NJPW as a unit.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. PPV bonuses went away because now PPVs are only part of a $9.99 a month subscription. WWE isn't making nearly as much per show, so there's less to give out.
2. I figured Impact bringing in a lot of new names (and some popular returning ones) would get them praise from their critics, but now they're even harsher! A good number of talented people are getting money TV exposure they wouldn't otherwise get. For that reason, it's good Impact is still around. If anything, fans should be rooting for them to get everything in order and focus on putting on a great wrestling product.
3. WWE didn't know Sting was going to have more than one match, so they had him do a dirty loss to HHH in case that was his only appearance. WWE went ahead and signed Goldberg through WM33, so they want to build him as a really big deal for what is currently scheduled to be his last match (where he'll almost certainly job to the WWE guy). And as was said, he's been presented as a guy who wins by fluke/surprise. WWE knows what they're doing.
4. Well, only one of AJ or Bray can walk out of Mania with the title, so AJ beating Shane is a better outcome than him jobbing in the main event, right? People complained when he jobbed to Jericho and complained when Bray jobbed to Cena and Taker, so I'd think they'd be a little more forgiving for the situation WWE has now. If Orton and/or Shane win, I'll understand the frustration. Otherwise, it's just the same old "complain no matter what they do" mentality.
5. Miz has been great and Cena has been used effectively. I really doubt Cena and Nikki will do the job, but at least Miz is getting a pretty high-profile bout.
More wrestling tomorrow.
AJ Styles has been moved to the alumni section of WWE.com as part of the angle of him being fired from Smackdown. I assume he'll be reinstated for the match with Shane or as a result of that match. I'd be surprised to see him move to Raw, but we'll see. Certainly it would make sense for Stephanie and Mick to pick him up!
Mauro Ranallo was not at Smackdown due to the weather in the Northeast. I don't think they'll hold it against him given how brutal conditions were in the area.
Erick Rowan was backstage at Smackdown. He has been cleared to return to the ring. I'm interested to see where he and Harper will fit into Bray vs. Orton.
David Otunga missed Smackdown as part of a film role. He's getting more bookings as an actor. I think he's got a job in WWE as long as he wants one, but he could branch out, too.
NXT will be part of the UK Download Festival again in June. Good to see NXT getting to work in front of different audiences.
WWE has announced two new Latin American management hires. WWE is continuing to plan on growing in that area, as they should.
Rich Swann talked about his journey to WWE while promoting a live event this weekend. I think he'll be in WWE quite a while given his background.
WWE superstars visited a children's hospital before Smackdown. That's great!
SXSW released some footage of John Cena speaking there. I guess that was all they could see of him.
ECW founder Tod Gordon did a shoot interview. Those were some crazy times!
Set for Raw:
- Brock Lesnar appearing
- Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
- Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe vs. Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn
-- Should be pretty good.
WWE released a preview for a new wrestling show. OH MY GOD THAT LOOKS AMAZING. I'm surprised it took them so long to do something like that, given how much they embrace being a live action cartoon and all.
Anthem has worked out a deal to do a weekly TV show for a UK channel, taping around ten episodes in May and airing them in July. Should that project do well, it could be expanded into a full weekly series. That would open the door for Impact talent to crossover with this new show and that roster to work Impact as well. Good news all around!
WWE is planning Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship to conclude Wrestlemania 34 in 2018, which could mean Reigns beats Taker and Brock wins to hold the title for a full year before passing the torch in a major way to Roman. Roman beating Taker and Brock in back-to-back Manias, potentially retiring both from WWE, would be HUGE and establish him as a really big deal. The goal is to more or less have Reigns take over for Cena as WWE's top babyface (regardless of boos from part of the audience).
Goldberg's current contract expires at Wrestlemania, but WWE is open to using him in further big matches. I'd watch Goldberg vs. Angle in a heartbeat. And maybe Goldberg vs. Taker?
Gail Kim is expected to be cleared to return to the ring for Impact's tapings in early April. She and Impact will need to come to terms on a new deal, as her old one has expired. That doesn't signal her being gone from the company, though.
Rusev will miss two months after his shoulder surgery. I'm sure he wanted to make Mania, but that's not happening now unfortunately. I hope good things are coming his way when he returns.
WWE's women's invitational tournament should tape its first round in late May. Hopefully we see some talented future additions to Raw, Smackdown, and NXT. It's also possible they set up a separate women's brand, but we'll see if that's the plan.
Japanese wrestler Io Shirai is trying out for WWE. The ball is said to be in her court whether she wants to join the company or not.
- Wes Brisco also took part in the tryout. He had previously been part of FCW and Impact.
WWE board of directors member Joe Perkins has retired. He had been part of the company since the 1970s and on the board since 1999. I wouldn't expect any changes in WWE due to his retirement. There are only so many names that would really change things by their departure. That wheel's gonna keep on turning.
Bobby Fish has announced he'll be taking independent bookings starting later this month. So, he'll no longer be under an exclusive agreement with ROH and is free to enter discussions with other promotions. With Kyle O'Reilly also out of the company, reDRagon could end up jumping to WWE or NJPW as a unit.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. PPV bonuses went away because now PPVs are only part of a $9.99 a month subscription. WWE isn't making nearly as much per show, so there's less to give out.
2. I figured Impact bringing in a lot of new names (and some popular returning ones) would get them praise from their critics, but now they're even harsher! A good number of talented people are getting money TV exposure they wouldn't otherwise get. For that reason, it's good Impact is still around. If anything, fans should be rooting for them to get everything in order and focus on putting on a great wrestling product.
3. WWE didn't know Sting was going to have more than one match, so they had him do a dirty loss to HHH in case that was his only appearance. WWE went ahead and signed Goldberg through WM33, so they want to build him as a really big deal for what is currently scheduled to be his last match (where he'll almost certainly job to the WWE guy). And as was said, he's been presented as a guy who wins by fluke/surprise. WWE knows what they're doing.
4. Well, only one of AJ or Bray can walk out of Mania with the title, so AJ beating Shane is a better outcome than him jobbing in the main event, right? People complained when he jobbed to Jericho and complained when Bray jobbed to Cena and Taker, so I'd think they'd be a little more forgiving for the situation WWE has now. If Orton and/or Shane win, I'll understand the frustration. Otherwise, it's just the same old "complain no matter what they do" mentality.
5. Miz has been great and Cena has been used effectively. I really doubt Cena and Nikki will do the job, but at least Miz is getting a pretty high-profile bout.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
NJPW name to NOAH, Impact World Title decision reversed, live Network show WM33 weekend, Angle documentary notes, Shaq's WM33 status, UK events sell out, Interviews with HBK/Swann, WWE-Detroit updates, HoF updates, Rusev to miss time, Snickers press, WWE trademarks, and Questions on predictability, Anthem vs. Turner, the Andre battle royal, Patrick Clark, and WWE booking
Cody Hall has reportedly jumped from NJPW to NOAH, which would theoretically make him eligible to work with Impact at some point. Hall was at one point part of the Bullet Club.
Alberto El Patron has relinquished the Impact World Championship back to Bobby Lashley following last week's controversial main event. The idea was to have a really big moment on the first episode and follow it up with Alberto chasing the champion to get something he only briefly and now unofficially got to hold. I'm not against that idea at all; it's worth a shot.
WWE will have a live edition of Bring It To The Table on the Network on March 30 at 8 p.m. from Orlando.
Kurt Angle will soon get a WWE 24 special featuring his first meeting with Vince McMahon in many years. His interview with Corey Graves will also hit WWE Network around the time of his Hall of Fame induction; it wasn't part of Bring It To The Table.
- WWE released a clip from the Graves Angle interview. I'm excited to see him (likely) pop back in for a few big matches.
- Angle filmed footage for WWE 24 before Smackdown in his home state. He was not at the taping itself.
Big Show vs. Shaq has officially been shelved for WM33. With the event so close, I can't say I blame WWE for going with a sure thing like the Andre battle royal.
WWE's UK brand live events have sold out. The expansion in that market continues.
Shawn Michaels talked about the Kliq and more:
- The Kliq and the hate for it have really been overblown.
- I'd watch the hell out of Shawn vs. Joe or Shawn vs. AJ.
- Shawn vs. Kurt was really good.
WWE released a special shirt in honor of the last Raw in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. That's pretty cool. A lot of wrestling events have been held there.
- WWE will have a Smackdown live event there on July 29, so that will be their actual last show in the venue.
WWE may not induct William Regal into the Hall of Fame this year after all. He'll presumably be around for any future induction. They should put Christian in if they're saving Regal for another year.
WWE has plans for further Legacy inductions into the Hall of Fame this year. I'm glad more pioneers will be honored; that's been something WWE had needed to do for quite a while.
Rusev is missing time after having shoulder surgery. So, Jinder's doing an angle as a singles star for now. It's a shame Rusev will presumably miss Mania after the great work he's done. I wonder if he would have been stuck in the Andre battle royal.
Rich Swann got press for his WWE success:
- No hate for Power Rangers!
- They did a lot to make up for Bret's lack of personality.
- Swann's story is REALLY tough. I'm glad he's a success in spite of all that.
- I like the idea of guys like Mark Henry scouting future wrestlers, since they're not wrestling so much these days.
- It was really cool to see New Day, Swann, and Sasha as champions at the same time.
- I hope Swann does do well for himself in WWE.
Enzo Amore and Big Cass are going to promote Snickers for their WM33 campaign. Snickers and WWE have worked together for years now.
WWE has applied to trademark "Bella Style" and "Bella Glam," which are part of the Bellas' YouTube endeavors. The Bellas are going to be associated with WWE for a long time.
WWE has also trademarked "Be Like No One," which seems to be the name for a new Network show. I'm curious what that will be about.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Well, when you follow the dirtsheets, of course everything's "predictable" because you've known the plans for weeks/months before they're executed. Fans complain when there are surprises, too, so it's kind of a moot point. I'd like to see someone who called Taker vs. Reigns, AJ vs. Shane, and Cena/Nikki vs. Miz/Maryse back in November or December. There's nothing "status quo" about Bray as WWE Champion, Bayley as Raw women's champion, or The Club as tag team champions. There's definitely nothing status quo about Goldberg coming back to win the title. No matter what Vince does, someone's going to complain.
2. And no matter what the new regime does with Impact, people will complain, apparently. I don't really see the comparison with some of the Turner executives. They're giving Jeff Jarrett pretty free reign over what to do and letting him use wrestling people instead of doing what they want to do/putting non-wrestling people in decision-making capacities.
3. It's still a meaningful accomplishment for people outside of title contention. Corbin debuted and made a big splash, Cesaro got a push for a while before people realized he doesn't have charisma, and Show regained some credibility. I expect Strowman will show his dominance in the match and be rewarded for it.
4. Patrick's 21 years old and only has about 100 matches to his name. It's way too early to worry about whether he'll be a main eventer or not. Right now he's there to get experience and work on his character skills. He'll need a good amount of time before he can even be considered for a regular NXT role, much less a callup.
5.a. He could be picking his spots, staying down because he'll be able to get revenge later.
b. AJ was WWE Champion within eight months of debuting for the company, and is facing someone who was game to face Taker at Mania last year. Screwed would be having him working Curt Hawkins in Kickoff matches.
c. Taker said he'll show up where he wants, when he wants. And now he's got a vendetta with Roman, so he's a Raw guy.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Alberto El Patron has relinquished the Impact World Championship back to Bobby Lashley following last week's controversial main event. The idea was to have a really big moment on the first episode and follow it up with Alberto chasing the champion to get something he only briefly and now unofficially got to hold. I'm not against that idea at all; it's worth a shot.
WWE will have a live edition of Bring It To The Table on the Network on March 30 at 8 p.m. from Orlando.
Kurt Angle will soon get a WWE 24 special featuring his first meeting with Vince McMahon in many years. His interview with Corey Graves will also hit WWE Network around the time of his Hall of Fame induction; it wasn't part of Bring It To The Table.
- WWE released a clip from the Graves Angle interview. I'm excited to see him (likely) pop back in for a few big matches.
- Angle filmed footage for WWE 24 before Smackdown in his home state. He was not at the taping itself.
Big Show vs. Shaq has officially been shelved for WM33. With the event so close, I can't say I blame WWE for going with a sure thing like the Andre battle royal.
WWE's UK brand live events have sold out. The expansion in that market continues.
Shawn Michaels talked about the Kliq and more:
- The Kliq and the hate for it have really been overblown.
- I'd watch the hell out of Shawn vs. Joe or Shawn vs. AJ.
- Shawn vs. Kurt was really good.
WWE released a special shirt in honor of the last Raw in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. That's pretty cool. A lot of wrestling events have been held there.
- WWE will have a Smackdown live event there on July 29, so that will be their actual last show in the venue.
WWE may not induct William Regal into the Hall of Fame this year after all. He'll presumably be around for any future induction. They should put Christian in if they're saving Regal for another year.
WWE has plans for further Legacy inductions into the Hall of Fame this year. I'm glad more pioneers will be honored; that's been something WWE had needed to do for quite a while.
Rusev is missing time after having shoulder surgery. So, Jinder's doing an angle as a singles star for now. It's a shame Rusev will presumably miss Mania after the great work he's done. I wonder if he would have been stuck in the Andre battle royal.
Rich Swann got press for his WWE success:
- No hate for Power Rangers!
- They did a lot to make up for Bret's lack of personality.
- Swann's story is REALLY tough. I'm glad he's a success in spite of all that.
- I like the idea of guys like Mark Henry scouting future wrestlers, since they're not wrestling so much these days.
- It was really cool to see New Day, Swann, and Sasha as champions at the same time.
- I hope Swann does do well for himself in WWE.
Enzo Amore and Big Cass are going to promote Snickers for their WM33 campaign. Snickers and WWE have worked together for years now.
WWE has applied to trademark "Bella Style" and "Bella Glam," which are part of the Bellas' YouTube endeavors. The Bellas are going to be associated with WWE for a long time.
WWE has also trademarked "Be Like No One," which seems to be the name for a new Network show. I'm curious what that will be about.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Well, when you follow the dirtsheets, of course everything's "predictable" because you've known the plans for weeks/months before they're executed. Fans complain when there are surprises, too, so it's kind of a moot point. I'd like to see someone who called Taker vs. Reigns, AJ vs. Shane, and Cena/Nikki vs. Miz/Maryse back in November or December. There's nothing "status quo" about Bray as WWE Champion, Bayley as Raw women's champion, or The Club as tag team champions. There's definitely nothing status quo about Goldberg coming back to win the title. No matter what Vince does, someone's going to complain.
2. And no matter what the new regime does with Impact, people will complain, apparently. I don't really see the comparison with some of the Turner executives. They're giving Jeff Jarrett pretty free reign over what to do and letting him use wrestling people instead of doing what they want to do/putting non-wrestling people in decision-making capacities.
3. It's still a meaningful accomplishment for people outside of title contention. Corbin debuted and made a big splash, Cesaro got a push for a while before people realized he doesn't have charisma, and Show regained some credibility. I expect Strowman will show his dominance in the match and be rewarded for it.
4. Patrick's 21 years old and only has about 100 matches to his name. It's way too early to worry about whether he'll be a main eventer or not. Right now he's there to get experience and work on his character skills. He'll need a good amount of time before he can even be considered for a regular NXT role, much less a callup.
5.a. He could be picking his spots, staying down because he'll be able to get revenge later.
b. AJ was WWE Champion within eight months of debuting for the company, and is facing someone who was game to face Taker at Mania last year. Screwed would be having him working Curt Hawkins in Kickoff matches.
c. Taker said he'll show up where he wants, when he wants. And now he's got a vendetta with Roman, so he's a Raw guy.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Smackdown and 205 Live Reax - 3/14/17
Read on for my thoughts on last night's Smackdown and 205 Live.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Interview with Joe, former IC Champion visits, arrest at WWE show, next expected HoF announcement, more on Impact-Hardys, Godderz update, Eddie's NOAH opponent, Roberts' book out soon, Cena honored, Warrior Award winner, WM33 match official, Cena/Nikki press, more NXT shows, HoF special on USA Network, Taker collection, Swagger freed, future Knockout?, D'Amore's new Impact title, Impact to India, Impact stats jump, Impact return coming, Stamp passes, and Questions on Bryan's in-ring future, Cedric's ceiling, Vince passing the torch, men vs. women, and Vince's Roman booking
Samoa Joe talked before Raw. It's a good sign WWE management is behind him that they're letting him do press appearances.
Santino Marella was visiting at WWE's Toronto live event this weekend. I REALLY want him to make an in-character appearance for Beth going into the Hall of Fame, even if he's not inducting her.
A man was arrested for assault at a WWE live event. That's definitely not the atmosphere WWE wants at their family-friendly shows.
WWE is expected to induct William Regal into the Hall of Fame this year. He's definitely incredibly deserving given all the years he's helped the company.
Anthem suing the Hardys is partially to try to get some revenue from an act they feel they helped create. The idea is that it's similar to getting royalties from songwriting.
Jessie Godderz was not at the last set of Impact tapings. Whether he'll return for the next set of dates will depend on the new regime and if he'll sign a contract in the mold of what Impact is now looking for from talents. I think he's got a bright future if he sticks around.
Eddie Edwards will face Go Shiozaki for NOAH on March 25. Impact sent him there as part of a working agreement with the Japanese company.
Justin Roberts' autobiography will be released the day before WM33. He'll be doing a signing in Orlando to capitalize on the large number of fans who will be in the area.
John Cena has been named CinemaCon's action star of the year. He'll be honored on May 12. I'd love a "Hollywood" heel turn like Rock did, but I don't see it happening.
WWE's 2017 Warrior Award will go to former football player and speaker/author Eric LeGrand. This is going to be a big PR activity from WWE for years to come.
The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns is official for Wrestlemania 33. That's going to be a big moment for the future of WWE, one way or another.
John Cena and Nikki Bella discussed the Kids Choice Awards on The Today Show. What about Miz!? He's the A-Lister!!!
NXT has announced the following live events:
- April 13 in Georgia
- April 14 in South Carolina
- April 15 in North Carolina
- April 27 in Kansas
- April 28 in Missouri
- April 29 in Mississippi
-- I expect some NXT names will be heading to the main roster before then.
A WWE Hall of Fame special will air on USA Network after the April 3 Raw. It will have some highlights from the full ceremony airing on WWE Network.
The Undertaker's top Wrestlemania moments will be part of a WWE Network collection soon. We'll see how many more matches at the event he has left in him.
Jack Swagger has officially gotten his WWE release as of Monday. He was unable to work an independent show this weekend because WWE hadn't let him loose yet. Swagger will similarly be barred from working some events (Impact and ROH specifically) for 90 days. I'd think there's a decent possibility of him appearing at Slammiversary or the TV tapings following that show considering Dutch Mantel/Zeb Colter is part of Impact creative.
Impact is considering signing MJ Jenkins to a full-time deal after her appearances at the last set of tapings. They're rebuilding the Knockouts division under the new era.
Scott D'Amore has been named vice president of international development of Impact. He will also be part of the creative team. He's been a staple of Jeff Jarrett projects.
Impact will be taping footage in India on May 30 and May 31. They're looking to launch a show featuring local talents as well as members of their roster, in a similar vein to Ring Ka King. That's a big venture for them! I hope it goes well; it could end up cultivating some future members of the main Impact roster.
Impact has seen a large boost in social media traffic due to the changes they're making. We'll see if that translates to a bigger audience of the TV show and more money.
Impact promoted a big return coming for this week's show. The roster will continue to grow in the weeks to come.
Dennis Stamp passed at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. Sad to hear he's gone. At least now he's free from pain.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't expect WWE to clear him unless something really changes with his health to where they'd be OK with him taking bumps again. I don't think fans would want him back in the ring if he can't be the guy he was before injury, and it's not like he'd be able to do much without risking a big head bump. As for after his WWE contract ends, he can do whatever he wants as far as wrestling goes. If he's willing to take his long-term health in his hands like that, they won't be able stop him.
2. Notice they didn't say he's charismatic or anything. Unless he develops more of a personality, I don't think he'd get past U.S./IC Title level.
3. Vince is giving them the reins more and more, but he still signs off on what they do. So, there's some independence there and we're definitely seeing their influence on things. It wouldn't make much sense to give them complete control of one PPV, since it has to fit in with his big vision.
4. I don't think they're advocating violence toward women, since if I'm not mistaken, it's always heel men who compete against them. There are some believability issues when one wrestler beats someone who weighs twice what they weigh, but that's true with men or women.
5. Because his fans will cheer him and eventually his detractors will move onto someone/something else. If Reigns can be a big deal even with some fans booing him (like Cena has), Vince will be fine with that. He knows some people are going to boo pretty much anyone pushed strongly as a babyface.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Santino Marella was visiting at WWE's Toronto live event this weekend. I REALLY want him to make an in-character appearance for Beth going into the Hall of Fame, even if he's not inducting her.
A man was arrested for assault at a WWE live event. That's definitely not the atmosphere WWE wants at their family-friendly shows.
WWE is expected to induct William Regal into the Hall of Fame this year. He's definitely incredibly deserving given all the years he's helped the company.
Anthem suing the Hardys is partially to try to get some revenue from an act they feel they helped create. The idea is that it's similar to getting royalties from songwriting.
Jessie Godderz was not at the last set of Impact tapings. Whether he'll return for the next set of dates will depend on the new regime and if he'll sign a contract in the mold of what Impact is now looking for from talents. I think he's got a bright future if he sticks around.
Eddie Edwards will face Go Shiozaki for NOAH on March 25. Impact sent him there as part of a working agreement with the Japanese company.
Justin Roberts' autobiography will be released the day before WM33. He'll be doing a signing in Orlando to capitalize on the large number of fans who will be in the area.
John Cena has been named CinemaCon's action star of the year. He'll be honored on May 12. I'd love a "Hollywood" heel turn like Rock did, but I don't see it happening.
WWE's 2017 Warrior Award will go to former football player and speaker/author Eric LeGrand. This is going to be a big PR activity from WWE for years to come.
The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns is official for Wrestlemania 33. That's going to be a big moment for the future of WWE, one way or another.
John Cena and Nikki Bella discussed the Kids Choice Awards on The Today Show. What about Miz!? He's the A-Lister!!!
NXT has announced the following live events:
- April 13 in Georgia
- April 14 in South Carolina
- April 15 in North Carolina
- April 27 in Kansas
- April 28 in Missouri
- April 29 in Mississippi
-- I expect some NXT names will be heading to the main roster before then.
A WWE Hall of Fame special will air on USA Network after the April 3 Raw. It will have some highlights from the full ceremony airing on WWE Network.
The Undertaker's top Wrestlemania moments will be part of a WWE Network collection soon. We'll see how many more matches at the event he has left in him.
Jack Swagger has officially gotten his WWE release as of Monday. He was unable to work an independent show this weekend because WWE hadn't let him loose yet. Swagger will similarly be barred from working some events (Impact and ROH specifically) for 90 days. I'd think there's a decent possibility of him appearing at Slammiversary or the TV tapings following that show considering Dutch Mantel/Zeb Colter is part of Impact creative.
Impact is considering signing MJ Jenkins to a full-time deal after her appearances at the last set of tapings. They're rebuilding the Knockouts division under the new era.
Scott D'Amore has been named vice president of international development of Impact. He will also be part of the creative team. He's been a staple of Jeff Jarrett projects.
Impact will be taping footage in India on May 30 and May 31. They're looking to launch a show featuring local talents as well as members of their roster, in a similar vein to Ring Ka King. That's a big venture for them! I hope it goes well; it could end up cultivating some future members of the main Impact roster.
Impact has seen a large boost in social media traffic due to the changes they're making. We'll see if that translates to a bigger audience of the TV show and more money.
Impact promoted a big return coming for this week's show. The roster will continue to grow in the weeks to come.
Dennis Stamp passed at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. Sad to hear he's gone. At least now he's free from pain.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't expect WWE to clear him unless something really changes with his health to where they'd be OK with him taking bumps again. I don't think fans would want him back in the ring if he can't be the guy he was before injury, and it's not like he'd be able to do much without risking a big head bump. As for after his WWE contract ends, he can do whatever he wants as far as wrestling goes. If he's willing to take his long-term health in his hands like that, they won't be able stop him.
2. Notice they didn't say he's charismatic or anything. Unless he develops more of a personality, I don't think he'd get past U.S./IC Title level.
3. Vince is giving them the reins more and more, but he still signs off on what they do. So, there's some independence there and we're definitely seeing their influence on things. It wouldn't make much sense to give them complete control of one PPV, since it has to fit in with his big vision.
4. I don't think they're advocating violence toward women, since if I'm not mistaken, it's always heel men who compete against them. There are some believability issues when one wrestler beats someone who weighs twice what they weigh, but that's true with men or women.
5. Because his fans will cheer him and eventually his detractors will move onto someone/something else. If Reigns can be a big deal even with some fans booing him (like Cena has), Vince will be fine with that. He knows some people are going to boo pretty much anyone pushed strongly as a babyface.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)