NEWS

The extra fallout. One of the biggest wrestling stories of the week has been allegations against Vince McMahon of an extramarital affair with a WWE employee. The WWE Board Of Directors is investigating the matter but it is not clear what will happen to McMahon in the long run. However, there might be some issues with some upcoming McMahon side projects due next year.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, a pair of McMahon related projects may be undergoing major changes due to the scandal. One would be the McMahon biography due out next spring, as the book is mostly done but will now need to have a new section written. The other issue is the upcoming Netflix biography series, which Nextflix may now not want to air due to the allegations against McMahon. Neither the book’s author or Netflix has commented on their product’s future.
Opinion: The McMahon scandal is only just starting and it could be a long time before we know where everything is going to fall. It certainly shows just ho..

It’s after a long time. There are a lot of people involved in making a wrestling match work, including some who do not get a ton of attention. One of the most important people involved is the referee, who is not often going to get noticed in a match, to the point where some promotions do not even bother naming them. Now one of the more prominent names in refereeing is stepping away from the ring, at least somewhat.
During the latest edition of the Refin’ It Up podcast, Brian Hebner has announced that he is retiring from full time refereeing. Hebner announced that the upcoming Impact Wrestling Slammiversary weekend will be his last, including the pay per view and television tapings. Hebner made it clear that no one has caused him to step away, while saying that he is a single father and wanting to spend more time with his family.
Opinion: I know a referee might not be the most important or well known part of a wrestling show but they can mean quite a bit. Hebner has been a pretty good..

He would be missed. We are coming up on one of the more interesting wrestling shows in a good many years with AEW’s Forbidden Door. The show will include a series of matches between AEW and New Japan wrestlers, including some title matches. While several big names have been mentioned, it seems unlikely that one of the will be on the show due to a special circumstance.
Over the last two weeks of AEW Dynamite, Hangman Page has called out Kazuchika Okada for a match at Forbidden Door. However, according to Wrestling Observer Radio, Okada is unlikely to be at the show as his wife is expected to give birth around the same time as Forbidden Door (June 26). Okada’s status for the show is not yet clear but it will be established by next week.
Opinion: This is the kind of thing that could shake up the pay per view quite a bit, as Okada is one of the names that you almost must have to make the show work. He is one of the faces of New Japan and without him, the show will feel like it is lacking..

There’s a story to be told. Wrestling is one of the most unique forms of media in the world as you do not get to see anything like it elsewhere. The wrestlers are larger than life characters and their fans will follow them through some pretty ridiculous stuff. That can make for some excellent moments, but also some tragic ones. Now we might be seeing another look at one of the worst ever.
According to Deadline, Zac Efron is scheduled to start in an upcoming film about the Von Erich wrestling family called the Iron Claw. There is no word on when the film will be released or which of the Von Erichs Efron will be portraying. The Von Erich Family has suffered several losses over the years, including multiple suicides. Kevin is the only original member still alive.
Opinion: This is something that could be interesting, but at the same time it could be one of the most depressing films in recent memory. The Von Erichs are about as tragic of a wrestling story as there has ever been and I don’..

There are certain phrases that we as fans like to throw around, occasionally not entirely knowing what we’re talking about. That can create some problems, as sometimes we spend so much time trying to check off a list that we don’t see what we have right in front of our eyes. One thing that we often forget is that there are people whose job it is to walk us through what we’re seeing on a show and point us in the right direction. That is what we’ll be looking at this week.
The commentary team is one of the most important parts of a wrestling broadcast but they often get ignored for the most part. You might remember one or two things that they say, but it is rarely poignant and more often than not, the focus is on something that doesn’t sound so great. Part of that is due to the fact that commentary talks A LOT these days, and that is where things can become a bit problematic. This week we’re taking a trip into the time machine and looking at about a minute of history that shows you the ..

That’s some serious flattery. Wrestlers are larger than live characters and you get to see them doing things that might not make the most sense but are still very entertaining. It can be a lot of fun to see wrestlers do their signature things over and over, but it can also make for some rather strong parodies if done right. That was the case this week and it is worth a look.
Over the last few weeks, Sami Zayn has attempted to join the Bloodline. This has included Zayn trying to help the team as often as he can, often to less than successful results. On Saturday night, Zayn was facing Drew McIntyre in a match in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Later in the match, Zayn imitated Roman Reigns’ Superman Punch and spear through a table for a near fall. Zayn went on to lose the match.
This is pretty awesome. Check out what Zayn pulled off in tribute to Reigns:
[This post contains video, click to play]
Opinion: This is the kind of thing that can be a lot of fun in wrestling, as only a small number..

That would have been different. Title matches are some of the most important parts of any wrestling show. A title changing hands can mean a new direction for the wrestlers or perhaps even the promotion as a whole. It can be a big deal to see a title change hands and that was the case again this week. However, it seems that things did not change as originally planned.
The main event of this week’s AEW Dynamite saw the Young Bucks win the AEW Tag Team Titles from Jurassic Express in a ladder match. The match was originally supposed to include the Hardys but Jeff Hardy’s arrest resulted in the team being pulled. According to Fightful Select, some AEW wrestlers had heard plans of a possible Tag Team Title run for the Hardys before Double Or Nothing. However, Hardy was reportedly intoxicated in the hotel lobby over Double Or Nothing weekend. This combined with the Hardys vs. Bucks match at the pay per view ended any discussion of the Hardys winning the titles.
Opinion: The Hardys are in a..

That’s a long time. WWE has a lot of good things going for it at the moment, including some very talented wrestlers. However, their roster is not as deep as it used to be and things can get worse in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you see someone get hurt and it takes them out of the ring for a good while. That is the case again, but it is in a bit of a bigger spot.
Following WrestleMania Backlash and a beatdown from the Bloodline, Riddle announced that his partner Randy Orton would be out of action due to a back injury. According to Fightful Select, Orton’s back injury is worse than expected and he might need surgery, which would keep him out of action for the rest of the year. There is no word on what kind of injury Orton has or what he will do when he gets back. The originally planned Orton vs. Roman Reigns match at Summerslam is no longer part of WWE’s creative plans.
Opinion: This is about as bad as the news could have been for Orton but what matters is that he is able to get thi..

New, New, New World Order. WWE has posted a new video to its YouTube channel showing the full match between The Outsiders vs. Lex Luger, Sting & Randy Savage from WCW Bash at the Beach 1996. This marked the beginning of Hulk Hogan’s heel turn and the formation of the nWo.
You can see the match in its entirety below:
[This post contains video, click to play]

From our own Thomas Hall:
The Outsiders, coming to the ring to some generic music (probably for the only time ever in a bit of trivia that no one ever wondered about), have no third man to crank the drama up even higher. Before Team WCW comes out, here is Gene Okerlund to ask the Outsiders what is up. They confirm that the third man is here but they can handle it themselves for now. Tony: “THEN COME OUT HERE AND KICK THEIR TEETH IN RIGHT NOW!!!” Team WCW is all painted up together for a nice touch.
Luger starts with….the yet-to-be-named Scott Hall (“This Outsider” according to Tony) and takes him into the corner where Sting tr..

Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over twelve years now and have reviewed over 6,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be?
Money in the Bank 2021
Date: July 18, 2021
Location: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
After Friday’s dress rehearsal, it’s time for the first show of any serious value in front of fans. The briefcases get pulled down tonight and it would not surprise me to see one of them get cashed in, as WWE is going to want to have a big splash going into the Summerslam build. A last minute replacement would not be shocking either. Let’s get to it.
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This could be big. There is no one in the wrestling world more powerful than Vince McMahon. The owner and Chairman of the Board of WWE, McMahon is able to change the wrestling industry in the blink of an eye. A decision made by McMahon can shake things up in a huge way, but now a decision being made about McMahon might be making quite the wave of its own.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the WWE Board Of Directors is investigating an alleged $3 million payment from McMahon to a WWE employee due to a sexual relationship between the two. The investigation also includes a variety of other possible claims of misconduct against McMahon and John Laurinaitis. McMahon is said to have used his own personal money to make the payments.
The woman was hired as a paralegal in WWE at a salary of $100,000 a year, which was reportedly doubled when her relationship with McMahon began. McMahon then was said to have given her to Laurinaitis “like a toy”. There is no word on what could happen to McM..

That’s a big step. Wrestlers are celebrities and that means they are going to be receive attention, at least in some circles. At the same time, they are mainly only going be known for one thing. This can create some issues for wrestlers, especially if they are doing something outside of their norm. That was the case a few years ago and now, after a tragic incident, something is going to change.
Back in May 2020, Japanese star Hana Kimura was a cast member on the Terrace House reality series in Japan. Her appearances were met with a series of online insults and harassment, which led Kimura to commit suicide. Now, according to NBC News, the Japanese government has passed a new law, making online insults punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to 300,000 yen (about $2,260). The law is expected to go into effect this summer.
Opinion: It is always fascinating to see a wrestler make this kind of an impact outside of the ring, though it is a shame that it has to take place due..