Search Results: "debuting"

NEWS

There He Is: Explanation Behind Eddie Kingston Quitting AEW Revealed

March 3, 2023

That explains it. The wrestling world has changed quite a bit in recent years as different companies have started to work together. While there would previously be occasional crossovers between promotions, it was rare to see one company working together with another. Now we are seeing it more frequently, which is what was on display this week in a big way. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The Redeemer Waits: Update On Miro’s AEW Contract Situation Ring Of Honor TV made its return this week with its first weekly show after being purchased by Tony Khan last year. At the end of the show, Eddie Kingston made his Ring Of Honor debut, challenging Claudio Castagnoli for the World Title. This comes a day after Kingston quit AEW following this week’s edition of Dynamite. There is no word on if Kingston will regularly appear on AEW TV going forward. Welcome to the show. Check out Kingston quitting, debuting, and wrestling: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to ..

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Monday Night Raw Results – January 23, 2023 (Raw XXX)

January 24, 2023

Monday Night Raw Date: January 23, 2023 Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Commentators: Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick It’s Raw XXX as the company celebrates thirty years on the air. As usual with the big Raw milestone episodes, we’ll be seeing a bunch of legends for special appearances. In addition, there are two title matches and a cage match so the card is stacked. If that isn’t enough, it’s the go home show for the Royal Rumble so let’s get to it. Here are Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart to get things going. Hogan talks about Raw debuting in 1993, pauses because the mic doesn’t work, praises the Philadelphia Eagles and is all done. We look at some of the cities the show has taken place in over the years before switching into the big highlight package. The hit a lot of the big names, including a bunch of AEW names, debuts, title changes, reveals and almost anything else you could want. Here is the Bloodline with their long form entrance for the Trial Of Sami Zayn. ..

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Welcome Back Soon! NXT Announces Two Stars Returning In The Near Future

January 11, 2023

They’re on the way back. We are less than a month away from the Royal Rumble and that means it is time to start getting the names together for the show’s namesake matches. With sixty names between two matches, WWE is going to need to beef up its rosters rather quickly. That can involve bringing in some more names and that is what they announced this week. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: She’s All Gone Now: More Details On Stephanie McMahon Leaving WWE (Again) Two upcoming returns were announced this week during NXT. First up, Tyler Bate announced that he would be returning on the January 17 episode. Bate was last seen at Worlds Collide, losing a title unification match to Bron Breakker. Later in the show, Stevie Turner, from NXT UK, aired a video announcing that she was now streaming and described herself as the resident data collector. There is no word on when she will be debuting. This was in addition to five stars making their returns on the same show. This could go in a few ways. Check o..

NEWS

VIDEO: WWE Pays Tribute To 47 Year Old Star On 20th Anniversary Of His Debut

December 27, 2022

He’s earned it. There is a constant stream of new stars coming into WWE but there is no way of knowing who might be the next breakout star. Back in 2002, WWE had perhaps the most successful rookie class in its history, as several future World Champions joined the promotion in the same year. There was one who did not get the same recognition, though now things might be changing. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: WWE Officially Announces Special Match For Royal Rumble WWE has released a video celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Shelton’s Benjamin’s debut with the company. The video includes several wrestlers talking about Benjamin’s career and how well he has done over his time with the company. Benjamin was part of the rookie class of 2002 along with John Cena, Batista, Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton and trained with them in Ohio Valley Wrestling, debuting on December 26, 2002. This is something special. Check out the video, plus some of Benjamin’s better matches: [This post contains..

NEWS

WATCH: Former WWE Star Makes Surprise Return After Year Long Absence

December 3, 2022

Welcome back. The last few months have featured several returns of past WWE Superstars as they come back to the company after some time away. Some of these names have been away for over a year but come back to quite the friendly reception. It can be a big deal for someone to return and now we have another surprise from someone who has been gone for over a year. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: No Wasting Time: WWE Considers Changes For Next WarGames Match This week’s SmackDown featured a surprise appearance by Damage Ctrl, who insulted the SmackDown women’s division. Liv Morgan came out to defend the division’s honor and brawled with Damage Ctrl, leading to Tegan Nox making her surprise turn to the company to help clear out Damage Ctrl. Nox debuted on SmackDown in July 2021 before being Drafted to Monday Night Raw in November but was released before debuting on the show. Nox, 28, has not wrestled since being released from WWE. In case you forgot her. Check out the return what Nox did in her f..

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Jeff Jarrett’s New Executive Role In AEW

November 3, 2022

The Chosen One has been chosen. On tonight’s episode of Dynamite, Jeff Jarrett made his return to professional wrestling, debuting in AEW. He attacked Darby Allin with a guitar and allied himself with Jay Lethal and his crew. But what is Jarrett’s role in the company? Tony Khan took to Twitter to answer this question, sharing that Jarrett has been hired as the new Director of Business Development for AEW. This is in addition to whatever future roles he may have on-screen with the company. Welcome to #AEWDynamite to the new AEW Director of Business Development @RealJeffJarrett. I look forward to expanding the @AEW live events calendar in 2023 + in future years with JJ, @rmorfnyc, @mookieghana and our entire great AEW team. Jeff Jarrett is All Elite! pic.twitter.com/CSncHam8U0 — Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) November 3, 2022 Jarrett had recently been named Senior Vice President of Live Events for WWE back in May of 2022. In addition to this role, he was a special guest referee at SummerSl..

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WWE Reportedly Interested In Bringing Back Another Former Superstar

October 28, 2022

From one to another. There are all kinds of stars throughout the wrestling world, many of whom are formerly stars of WWE. It means a lot to have someone from WWE’s past appearing on another promotion’s show, but sometimes the situation is reversed. There are times where a former WWE star returns to the fold, which might be taking place again in the future. According to PWInsider.com, WWE is interested in bringing Chelsea Green back to the company. Green is currently with Impact Wrestling where she is part of VXT with Deonna Purrazzo. It is not clear when she could return, or if the two sides have officially come to terms. Green was released from WWE in April 2021 after debuting in November 2020. She wrestled one match on the main roster but suffered an injury, with her release coming before she returned to the ring. Opinion: This is one of those ideas that has me interested as Green never got a chance to do anything on the main roster. You can only get so much out of part of a match ..

NEWS

NXT Stable Debuts On SmackDown, New Member Added

October 8, 2022

Meet the new ones. There are a lot of people down in NXT whose goal is to make it up to the main roster. That is the entire point of NXT as a developmental system, as the wrestlers are hoping to get to Monday Night Raw or SmackDown. It can mean a lot to get such a promotion, and now three wrestlers have, albeit with a surprise new addition to the ranks of their group. This week’s SmackDown featured Hit Row coming to the ring for a match, only to be jumped by the debuting Legado del Fantasma. The team, comprised of Santos Escobar, Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, was missing Elektra Lopez, who was replaced by the returning Zelina Vega. The team beat down Hit Row and then introduced themselves to end the segment. Legado del Fantasma left NXT earlier this year, while Vega has been out of action with an injury since April. Opinion: The Legado promotion is long, long overdue and I’m not sure why it took so long to get them called up. Lopez being replaced by Vega makes a bit of sense, as V..

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Netflix Reportedly Debuting Wrestling Series, Could Open Door For Major Streaming Deal

July 5, 2022

Add it to the list. The rise of the internet and streaming services have changed the way wrestling works. Fans are now able to see all of the content that they want with almost no limitations, as wrestling from around the world is now open before them. This includes even smaller territories, but now one of them might be leading to a much bigger broadcasting deal down the road. According to Fightful Select, a previously rumored deal between Netflix and Ohio Valley Wrestling would include a special behind the scenes show. The deal also includes the rights of first refusal for Ohio Valley Wrestling’s televisions rights. Should Netflix get into the live streaming business, they could be a potential bidder for the rights to WWE or AEW programming. WWE’s deals with USA and FOX and AEW’s deal with WarnerMedia all expire in 2024. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that could be a game changer for the industry. I don’t know if Ohio Valley Wrestling is going to set the streaming world on fire,..

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WRESTLING RUMORS: How John Cena Is Helping The WWE Locker Room

June 28, 2022

He serves multiple purposes. There are very few names in the history of professional wrestling who have risen to the level of John Cena. Debuting on SmackDown over twenty years ago, Cena has become one of the most famous stars in WWE history and has won just about everything there is to win in the company. It turns out that he is able to improve other aspects of the company as well. This week’s edition of Monday Night Raw featured the return of Cena, marking twenty years to the day with the company. According to the WrestleVotes Twitter account, in addition to Cena’s business boost to WWE, it is a big deal for the locker room as well. Cena is viewed as the leader and his positive nature will make things better. There is no word on when Cena will be back again. Aside from the obvious business boost, I’m told the return of John Cena is as exciting for the locker room as it is for the fans. Cena is viewed as the ultimate leader, w/ his positive presence felt throughout the company when ..

NEWS

VIDEO: A Familiar Face Is Coming To NXT (But Something Is Different)

June 22, 2022

Meet the new guy. WWE is a rather large wrestling company with all kinds of stars under its umbrella. As a result, the company is able to offer a wide variety of matches and stars, including wrestlers from around the world. It can be interesting to see wrestlers from different countries trying their luck on different stages. That seems to be the case again as NXT has a new star on its hands. This week’s edition of NXT featured a vignette for a debuting star named JD McDonagh. The video ended with a shot of McDonagh, who was revealed as former NXT UK star Jordan Devlin, who said his “never bet against an Ace” catchphrase. This comes after Devlin lost a Loser Leaves NXT UK match to United Kingdom Champion Ilja Dragunov earlier this year. There is no word on when he will debut in NXT. You might know the guy. Check out the McDonagh vignette: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is the kind of thing that baffles me about WWE, as it isn’t like Devlin was some no name ..

NEWS

WATCH: Debuting NXT Star’s Identity Officially Revealed

June 8, 2022

There he is. Sometimes a wrestler needs to take some time away from the public eye to shake things up a little bit. It might be just to give the person a refresher or something brand new entirely. There might even be a bit of mystery to the whole thing, as the person’s identity could be concealed. That is not the case this time, as WWE has flat out said who a returning star will be. Over the last few weeks, NXT has been presenting vignettes of a soon to be debuting star named Giovanni Vinci. Throughout the vignettes, Vinci’s identity was not made clear, as only his hands and feet were shown. This week though, Vinci’s face was shown, revealing that he is the star formerly known as Fabian Aichner, who will be returning next week. This had been rumored since the vignettes began but never confirmed. Nice to meet you. Check out the final vignette: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This wasn’t exactly a surprise but it is interesting to see NXT flat out show who Vinci i..

NEWS

Homecoming: Proof Of Missing NXT Star Coming Back Under New Persona

June 5, 2022

I remember you. There are a lot of ways to bring a wrestler back to television after an absence. You might have them show up as a surprise or you might see their return hyped up in advance. Sometimes you, you see the announcement that a new wrestler is coming, only to find out that it is someone you have seen before. That is going to be the case again in the near future. Over the last few weeks, NXT has been running vignettes advertising the debut of a new star named Giovanni Vinci. According to Fightful Select, Vince will be a repackaged Fabian Aichner, who has not been seen since the Imperium stable broke up in April. While Vince’s face has not been seen in the vignettes, he can be seen wearing the same watch as Aichner. There is no word on when Vinci will be debuting. Opinion: I don’t know if this is the biggest surprise as the Italian part was a pretty big hint. It is nice to see Aichner getting to come back, as he has done quite well with the chances that he has had before. Now ..

NEWS

WRESTLING RUMORS: Update On Identity Of Soon To Debut Star

May 26, 2022

That would explain it. There are a lot of ways to present a wrestler to WWE. Sometimes you see them brought in for the first time but other wrestlers have already been around for a long time and need a shakeup. That can lead to some rather creative debuts as someone needs a repackaging and now we might be seeing WWE’s latest efforts with one of its many superstars. This week on NXT, a vignette aired for a debuting wrestler by the name of Giovanni Vinci. There was no specific information given about him, though the wrestler was shown as being from Italy. According to Cageside Seats, this will be a repackaging of Fabian Aichner, who has been missing from television since the split of the Imperium stable. There is no word on when Vinci will be debuting. Opinion: I don’t think this is the biggest surprise as the Italy detail was about all you needed to hear. Aichner getting his own singles push instead of being part of Imperium could be a good way to go for him, as he certainly has the t..

NEWS

VIDEO: NXT Announces Possible Debut/Return Of Star

May 25, 2022

Get to know him. There are all kinds of ways to present someone new in wrestling and it can make for some interesting presentations. Sometimes you see a new wrestler show up altogether, but sometimes it is a new presentation of someone you have seen before. This time it might be either, which could make quite the surprise whenever we find out who we will be seeing. This week on NXT, a vignette aired announcing the debut of a new star named Giovanni Vinci. The video features a woman speaking while showing a man putting on expensive clothing. The voiceover talks about status and living life in the fast lane while showing shots from around Italy, where Vinci seems to live. There is no word on who the wrestler is or when they will be debuting. Who do you think it is? Check out the vignette for the new star: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: The more I think about this, the more I think this might be the return of Fabian Aichner under a new name. He is from Italy and h..

NEWS

Update On Debuting AEW Star’s Status

May 20, 2022

Maybe later? There are a lot of wrestlers who move in and out of the AEW locker room. The company has brought together all kinds of stars from present and past days, making quite the mixture of available names. Sometimes they need to bring in some fresh stars, but that is not going to be the case at the moment, as it seems a recent appearance was a one off. This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite saw Johnny Elite (Morrison/Nitro) appear as the Joker in the men’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament. Elite lost to Samoa Joe in the first round in his AEW debut. According to PWInsider.com, Elite has not signed a deal with the company, meaning that at the moment, this seems to be a one off appearance. However, the two sides may be open to another appearance in the future. Opinion: This is the way I like to see things, as Elite was a nice surprise but not exactly a game changer. He came in, had a good enough match with Joe, and then left without really disturbing anything. That is how something li..

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Familiar Bunch: Several Former WWE Stars Appearing For Debuting Promotion

May 18, 2022

Call it a reunion? There are a lot of wrestlers in the world today and it can be difficult for all of them to find a place to go. While WWE and AEW are often the goals for several wrestlers, there is not room for all of them there. That is where the independent promotions come in though and that is the case again, with several former WWE stars finding a new home. The new Wrestling Entertainment Series promotion has announced its debut card, which will take place on June 4 in at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England. The show will feature four title matches and several former names from WWE. Wrestling Entertainment Series is owned by former Raw Tag Team Champions the Authors of Pain, who will be wrestling on the show under the name Legion Of Pain. Here is the full card: * World Championship Match: Adam Scherr vs. Alistair Overeem * World Women’s Championship Match: Lina Fanene vs. CJ Perry * World Tag Team Championship Match: Legion of Pain vs. Westin Blake & Steve Maclin * Kill..

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WATCH: Former WWE World Champion Debuts Very Different Character

May 11, 2022

Mix it up a bit. There are a lot of ways to present a wrestler and most of them have been done before. That is not necessarily a bad thing as you will often see something that you have seen before. What matters is finding the right person to use that gimmick and make it work as well as possible. Now we might be seeing someone else try something that has been done, at least under the same name. Adam Scherr, formerly known as Braun Strowman in WWE, has posted a new video to Twitter, showing him holding a blade and saying “why so serious”. The line is from the movie The Dark Knight, where it was said by the Joker. This could be a new character that Scherr is using in Control Your Narrative, or perhaps in another promotion. There is no word on Scherr debuting for another major company. It’s a different way to go. Check out what Scherr is doing: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’m not sure what Scherr is doing here, but maybe he is playing off of the idea of the Joker..

NEWS

AEW Is Getting Another New Show (And It’s A Little Different)

May 4, 2022

Content is key. AEW has shaken up the wrestling world in just a few years and that should continue to be the case for a long time to come. The company has changed the way everything works and a lot of that has been due to its flagship Dynamite series. Rampage has served as a supplement, and now we might be getting a new series, albeit one in a different style. According to Fightful, WarnerMedia has sent out a fan survey, revealing that a new behind the scenes AEW series will be debuting on TBS. The idea of the series is a look backstage at how AEW works, with the wrestlers themselves telling the stories. The survey asked fans to consider a list of possible titles for the show, including: AEW: FRIENDS AND ENEMIES AEW: FIGHT TO THE FINISH AEW: TO THE MAT AEW: TO THE TOP AEW: ROAD TO THE BELT AEW: BREAKOUT AEW: GRIT AND GLORY AEW: All Access AEW: THE CLIMB AEW: ON THE ROPES AEW: UPRISE” There is no word on when the new series will debut. Opinion: This is one of those things that makes..

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NXT LVL Up Results – April 22, 2022

April 27, 2022

NXT LVL Up Date: April 22, 2022 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Sudu Shah, Matt Camp I’m at the point where I don’t know what to expect from this show, as you might get someone making a one off appearance before debuting on the main NXT show or a name with nothing else going on. The show has worked before so maybe they can do it again here. Let’s get to it. Opening sequence. Malik Blade/Edris Enofe vs. Quincy Elliott/Damaris Griffin This is Griffin’s in-ring debut. Blade staggers the much bigger Elliott with a dropkick but Elliott hits a quick splash on the back to take over. Griffin comes in to work on Enofe’s arm but that’s reversed into another wristlock, allowing Blade to come in with the ax handle. A double belly to back suplex drops Griffin again but he’s right back with a spinebuster. Elliott comes back in to knock Enofe down, allowing Griffin to whip him into the corner over and over. Elliott’s Pounce sends Enofe flying and the nerve hold ..