NEWS

Welcome back. There are a lot of names under the WWE umbrella and that means there are going to be several stories going on at the same time. With so many things going on, WWE is tasked with finding different ways to present their wrestlers and stories. That can be easier said than done, but occasionally you can find a story that is tailor written for someone, which seems to be the case at the moment.
It is rare to see someone make it into their fourth decade as a professional wrestler and still be a popular star. These things can happen every now and then and when they do, a wrestling company would be smart to capitalize on it while they could. That is what WWE has on their hands at the moment, and now they need to do what they can with what they have.
WWE has announced that Jeff Hardy will be making his return to SmackDown on the May 8 episode. During this week’s SmackDown, the fourth part of a Hardy video series aired, with Hardy’s return being announced at the end. Sheamus reacte..

That’s going to be interesting. We have less than two weeks to go before Money in the Bank and that means a few things. We’re going to be hearing those same theme songs over and over again, we’re going to hear Michael Cole talking about building momentum, and, due to an announcement made this week, we’re going to be in for complete chaos. This year’s show is going to see something never done before and that might not be a good thing.
As you might have heard, everything has been turned upside down in the wrestling world over the last few months. With no fans being allowed in the arena for WWE events (for now at least), there is only so much that WWE can do. That is going to be the case with this month’s Money in the Bank, which is why WWE is taking some almost drastic measures for this year’s event.
As announced during this week’s SmackDown, the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match and women’s Money in the Bank ladder match will take place at the same time. The matches will be taking ..

And then there were two more. We are coming up on Money in the Bank and that means it’s time to climb ladders. This year’s edition is going to be even more unique as the whole match is taking place at WWE Headquarters, meaning the briefcases will be suspended above a ring on the roof of the building. That could make things more complicated, but now we know a little more about the show.
As has been the case for a few years now, there will be one men’s and one women’s ladder match. This year’s editions are going to be a bit smaller than usual, with only six entrants per match. That gives the match a little more run to work and that’s a good thing given how messy these things can get. A lot of the lineups are ready in advance and now we know who will be in one of them.
During this week’s SmackDown, Carmella defeated Mandy Rose to become the sixth and final entrant in the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. The win means Carmella joins Lacey Evans, Asuka, Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax and ..

Smackdown
Date: May 1, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
We’re almost to Money in the Bank and this time around that means we get to find out who will be filling out the ladder matches. There are two qualifying matches left to go and that means it’s time for at least Wrestlemania rematch. I’m not sure where this is going to go but it could be an interesting show. Let’s get to it.
Here’s Daniel Bryan to open things up. He loves new challenges and he can’t wait to compete in the most unique Money in the Bank match of all time. Now granted he’s a little worried about getting fined for breaking something expensive at Titan Towers. Nine years ago, he couldn’t even get booked on Smackdown and then he won Money in the Bank. Now he knows how important this is and he’s looking forward to the challenge.
Bryan wanted his friend and coach Drew Gulak to be in the match with him but that isn’t happening due to King Corbin. Cue Corbin ..

Vince McMahon might not be too happy with this. According to a report from Deadline, NBC is going to be airing the second season of it’s hit show “The Titan Games” at the same time as Raw each week. “The Titan Games” is hosted by former WWE superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Beginning on Monday, May 25, “The Titan Games” will premiere with a two-hour episode beginning at 8 PM ET/PT. Beginning June 1, the series will air weekly in its regularly scheduled 8-9 PM timeslot. Raw normally airs from 8-11 PM EST each week on the USA Network.
From NBC:
Inspired by Johnson’s desire to motivate global audiences to reach their potential for greatness, this unparalleled new athletic competition gives everyday men and women across the country the opportunity to step inside the Titan arena and achieve the impossible. Competitors will push their bodies to the limit by battling opponents in innovative and unforgiving head-to-head challenges, designed by Johnson. Winners will advance to the ultimat..

WWE will be happy. We are in a weird time in the world as it isn’t clear when anything will be back to normal. That is the kind of thing that can make long term planning nearly impossible, but at the same time it makes the present strange too. One of the weirdest issues for wrestling is having no fans in the building, but that could be changing in the very near future.
The crowds at wrestling events make everything feel more alive. There is something about the audience being that that makes the shows more energetic, if nothing else for the sound alone. That is the kind of thing that you can’t fake in an empty arena and it would be a big help to have it back. As it turns out, we might be getting fans back in the arena a lot sooner rather than later.
According to Local 10 News (Miami, Florida), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced a three phase plan to reopen the state. Phase 1 of this plan includes a statement about sporting events:
“Large spectator sporting events should use ..

It had been previously reported that UFC 249 was going to be canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the world. However, it would seem that the tides have turned and the event is back on, with some slight modifications.
According to ESPN, the event will take place on Saturday, May 9, in Jacksonville, Florida, and will be headlined by an interim lightweight championship bout between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje.
From this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
The show will air with ESPN fights from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with Ryan Spann vs. Sam Alvey, Charles Rosa vs. Bryce Mitchell, Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price, Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Jacare Souza, Michelle Waterson vs. Carla Esparza, Fabricio Werdum vs. Aleksei Oleinik and Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone.
The PPV fights at 10 p.m. are Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro, Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar, Jairzinho Rozenstruk vs. Francis Ngannou, Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight t..

NXT UK
Date: April 30, 2020
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Andy Shepard
Host: Tom Phillips
It’s another special edition of the show but this time around it’s something you have seen before. This week’s theme is Hidden Gems, which means we are looking at matches that aired for the live crowd at TV tapings but were filmed for whatever reason. That could make for some interesting footage as it’s all new to us. Let’s get to it.
Tom welcomes us to the show and explains the idea.
From the Download Festival in Derby, England, June 14, 2019.
NXT UK Women’s Title: Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo Storm is defending and they fight over wristlocks to start. Storm takes her to the mat but Purrazzo headstands out of a headscissors. Purrazzo gets in her own headscissors so Storm slips out as well to give us a standoff. Some uppercuts give Storm one and we hit the half crab. A rope is grabbed in a hurry so Storm kicks her in the chest for two more. Storm misses a charge into the corner though and Purr..

That’s some high praise. There are very few true institutions in pop culture. There are things that you’ll see over the years but there are not many things that have been around for decades. Professional wrestling is one of them, but its run pales in comparison to the game show Jeopardy, which has run regularly on American television for over thirty five years now. This week, the two came together as one.
There is an incredible deal of history in professional wrestling. The sport has been around for over a century and is not likely going anywhere anytime soon. That sort of history leaves a lot of room for trivia and questions, though you don’t see them too often outside of professional wrestling circles. That was not the case on an episode of Jeopardy though, as WWE made it onto the show.
During Thursday’s episode of Jeopardy, WWE was the subject of an answer. In the category of “What Does It Stand For”, the $400 clue asked for the meaning of the first W in WWE and mentioned Kofi Kin..

That’s a cool thing to see. The spread of the Coronavirus has changed the way the world works and those changes do not seem to be going away anytime soon. Those changes have impacted almost everyone in the world and it has not been in a good way. Even the day to day ways of life have been changed and while a lot has been lost, there is still a way to make things work. A wrestling legend will be helping out with something just like that.
One of the things that a lot of people are not going to get to participate in this year is their high school or college graduation. That is something that people from different age ranges might not think about but it is a big deal in that person’s life. It’s a shame that they won’t get to walk with their friends and see their families smiling back at them, but a bit of a remedy might be available.
John Cena will be delivering the keynote address as part of a virtual graduation ceremony being broadcast Friday at 12pm EST on Facebook as well as Cena’s T..

From somewhere out there. Over the last few weeks, you have been able to throw the rule book out the window with everything wrestling related. The spread of the Coronavirus has caused so many changes that there are likely going to be more asterisks than wrestlers in the record books. It has made for some interesting moments though and we saw another one on Wednesday.
There are very few things more important to a wrestling show than commentary. The broadcast team serves in a variety of roles, including guiding the audience in the desired direction and telling them where the story is supposed to go. Calling the action is important too, as giving fans someone they are familiar with and can trust goes a long way. The long way part was in play this week, albeit in a very different way.
According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, neither Mauro Ranallo nor Beth Phoenix were live in the arena for this week’s NXT broadcast. Both recorded their commentary from home, with Phoenix in North Carolina and Ra..

It could be a new home. Wrestling is in a weird situation at the moment as it can run events but can’t have any fans in attendance. That makes for some very strange dynamics on the shows but a few companies are making it work anyway. Some of these events may not be the most successful looking, but they are better than nothing. Part of the problem is finding a place to run them, but another option might be opening up.
In April, the Governor of Florida designated WWE an essential business in the state, citing its connection to the entertainment industry. The designation was looked at with some skepticism from outsiders but WWE certainly didn’t seem to mind. WWE now has a permanent home to run their evens from with the WWE Performance Center, but what about other companies? Another state seems interested in helping them out.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt wants to bring wrestling, boxing and mixed martial arts to the state in an effort to p..