Search Results: "prime"

NEWS

WATCH: Two WWE Stars Appear In Separate Super Bowl Commercials

February 13, 2023

That’s a big stage. While wrestlers are celebrities who are on national television every week, there is a limit to how big most of them are going to become. That can be seen when these stars are rarely involved in any mainstream media appearances. Every so often you see something a little more surprising and now that has happened again, in one of the most prominent places available. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: RUMOR KILLER On Mercedes Mone’s New Japan Payday Two WWE names appeared in Super Bowl commercials this weekend. First, Logan Paul appeared in a commercial for his Prime sports drink. The clip included footage of Paul in WWE, including his frog splash to Miz at Summerslam 2022. Second, Undertaker appeared in a Draftkings ad, featuring a number of other sports celebrities, including Tony Hawk and David Ortiz, among others. Undertaker was in his full gear and acknowledged by his ring name. They were certainly different. Check out the ads, plus WWE’s Super Bowl ad: [This post contains..

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WATCH: Wrestling Legend On Who Could Take Brock Lesnar In A Bar Fight

December 5, 2022

That would be a fight. Wrestling is a unique sport as while it is presented as a legitimate fight, the finishes are pre-determined and the wrestlers are tasked with working together to make the match work as well as possible. However, there are also questions about who would win should these matches be legitimate contests. Now one legend is chiming in on who he thinks could beat a top WWE star. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Braun Strowman Gets Slapped Hard During WWE Dark Match During an interview with Wrestling Shoot Interviews, former WWE and WCW star the Barbarian was asked what would happen in a fight between Brock Lesnar and Haku. Barbarian said that he felt if the fight was structured with rules, Lesnar would win, but if it was a bar fight with no rules and both in their primes, Haku would be able to take Lesnar. Haku is often cited as the toughest wrestler in history, while Lesnar is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and NCAA Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. These are some tal..

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New Home? Important Streaming Trend Could Shake Up AEW And WWE Television Deals

November 13, 2022

That’s a good sign. Wrestling is in a weird place when compared to mainstream sports. While wrestling is certainly an athletic endeavor, it is closer to a performance than a competition. At the same time, wrestling has quite the audience and that is something that can bring in quite a bit of money. Now the two biggest wrestling companies in the United States might be ready to use their audience to bring in a lot more money. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: WWE Star Teases Taking Going In A New Direction According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Thursday Night Football on Amazon is drawing in the same numbers in the 18-49 demographic as Monday Night Football on ESPN. This suggests that a core audience will watch a show on streaming, which could lead to online platforms such as Amazon Prime or Netflix could be interested in acquiring WWE or AEW programming when the new broadcasting deals are available. WWE’s current TV deals expire in September 2024, with the negotiations for a new ..

NEWS

WATCH: Rhea Ripley Messes With A Fan At WWE Live Event

November 1, 2022

That’s a different one. Fans are among the most important parts of any wrestling show as you need someone watching to make something matter. They can be at home or in the arena, but the latter gets a more special situation. Sometimes that is not as good as it might sound though, and that was the case for a fan at a recent live event, thanks to a certain WWE star. During a recent Sunday Night Stunner live event in Mexico City, Rhea Ripley was knocked to the floor and landed near the barricade. Before getting up, Ripley reached into the crowd and untied a fan’s shoelaces. Other fans can be heard laughing at what Ripley did as she rolled away from the barricade. Ripley was in Damian Priest’s corner this week on Monday Night Raw. This was pretty great. Check out what Ripley did to a fan: [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: What you have here is a prime example of what makes live events special. It is something that you probably couldn’t get away with during a televised s..

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WRESTLING RUMORS: AEW And Warner Brothers Discovery Working On Long Term TV Deal

October 26, 2022

That’s a good place to be. The rise of AEW has changed the wrestling industry in a major way and there is nothing to suggest that the company is going to be slowing down anytime soon. One of the most important assets the company has is its television deal with Warner Brothers Discovery, which puts Dynamite and Rampage on TBS and TNT respectively. That is a great start, and it seems like it might be continuing for a long time to come. During John Arezzi’s Pro Wrestling Spotlight podcast, Arezzi said Warner Brothers Discovery executives are seeing AEW as a sport and something that they want to work with long term. While Arezzi said that he couldn’t go into details about what was going on, AEW and Warner Brothers Discovery are working on a new long term agreement which would see the two sides working together for years to come. There is no word on when such a new deal could be announced. Opinion: If this is the case, that is some very good news for AEW, as having a prime television deal..

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Warner Brothers Discovery Executive On More AEW Programming (Minus A Ring)

October 13, 2022

They want more. AEW has come a long way in its three years of existence. A lot of the company’s success can be attributed to its programming being broadcast on Warner Brothers Discovery networks. The shows are available in prime time on national networks and the potential audience is high as a result. Now we might be in for an expansion of the company’s programming, but in a different way. Warner Brothers Discovery Group Chair and Chief Content Officer Kathleen Finch was recently interviewed by the Hollywood Reporter and spoke about the company’s relationship with AEW. Finch said that AEW pulls in huge numbers and as a result, Warner Brothers Discovery is trying to find new programming featuring AEW stars without it being in a wrestling ring. There is no word on what kind of programming this could be. Opinion: I don’t know what this is going to mean but there is something a bit ominous about the way that was worded. It almost came off like saying Warner Brothers Discovery likes the A..

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Here’s Why WWE Chose Sonya Deville As Bianca Belair’s First Challenger

April 22, 2022

At least there’s a reason. WWE has come a long way with its women’s division and things have gotten back to a pretty high level again. Bianca Belair took the Raw Women’s Title from Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38 and seems primed to be the next big thing in the division. She is going to need some challengers, and WWE has gone with a somewhat surprising choice for her first one. Now we might know more about why. Earlier this month on Monday Night Raw, WWE official Sonya Deville attacked Belair and announced that she would be the next challenger to the title at WrestleMania Backlash. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Deville was chosen as the next challenger as WWE did not want to present Belair vs. Lynch again so soon after WrestleMania. Deville has wrestled only a handful of matches since the fall of 2020 as she had to deal with the fallout of a home invasion before moving into a non-wrestling on screen role. There is no word on if she will be returning to the ring full time at th..

NEWS

AEW Teases Major Pay Per View Main Event On Dynamite

February 10, 2022

That’s where we could be going. AEW has a unique setup for its major shows as the company does not run monthly pay per views. Instead, AEW presents quarterly major pay per view events, meaning that the cards are all that bigger. There are always major matches on the show, mainly focusing on the company’s championships. Now we might have a hint about what is coming up on their next pay per view. The main event of this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite featured Hangman Page retaining the World Title over Lance Archer in a Texas Death Match. After the match was over, Adam Cole came to the ring and picked up the title belt to end the show. While not confirmed, this suggests that Cole will be Page’s next challenger at the Revolution pay per view event on March 6. Opinion: This isn’t the biggest surprise in the world as Cole seems to be primed for the title shot. The match should be quite the showcase for both of them, as they are capable of having some great results when they get the chance...

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Dustin Rhodes Delivers Against Sammy Guevara At AEW ‘Battle Of The Belts’

January 9, 2022

Dustin Rhodes battled Sammy Guevara for the Interim TNT Championship at AEW Battle of the Belts. The event took place on Saturday, January 8 from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte North Carolina. Though Rhodes came up short in his bid to become champion, he once again proved his worth to the company. He turned in a performance that hooked the audience and reminded fans of just how good he is. Dustin Rhodes has found the fountain of youth and it was evident in this match. [This post contains video, click to play] Answering the Call Oddly enough, Rhodes had nothing to do with the TNT Championship heading into January 8. For the most part, he works the occasional match on TV and he contributes behind the scenes wherever AEW needs him. But the company doesn’t often feature him in prime main event spots. However when the time comes to step up, that’s exactly what The Natural does. Dustin Rhodes answered the call to replace his brother Cody in the TNT title match at Battle of the Bel..

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KB’s Review: Three Words To Make You Care

December 29, 2021

One of the most important terms that you will hear in wrestling is storytelling, which can have a lot of different meanings. This time around, we are going to be looking at the broader definition, with the stories that propel the wrestling shows forward week to week and night to night. There are all kinds of ways to make a feud go forward, but today we are going to be looking at one of the most important aspects of wrestling storytelling that is hitting and missing today, depending on which promotion you might be watching at the moment. Last week on the Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru podcast, Cornette spoke about a feud in Smoky Mountain Wrestling between former friends Tracy Smothers and Prime Time Brian Lee. Smothers was the reigning Smoky Mountain Wrestling Heavyweight Champion but lost the title to Lee, who turned heel under the influence of the debuting Tammy Fytch (better known as Sunny in her time in the WWF). Lee had been tempted by Fytch’s various attributes and turned on his frie..

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AEW Dynamite Live Coverage And Results – December 15, 2021

December 16, 2021

Dynamite Date: December 15, 2021 Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz It’s Winter Is Coming and this time there is a huge main event, as Hangman Page defends the World Title against Bryan Danielson. Other than that, we have the Dynamite Diamond match between MJF and Dante Martin, which seems primed for some interference. Odds are we’re getting some debuts tonight as well so let’s get to it. Opening sequence. AEW World Title: Bryan Danielson vs. Hangman Page Danielson is challenging as we’re starting fast. Feeling out process to start with Page not being able to get very far, allowing Danielson to snap off some jumping jacks. Page’s wristlock is broken up with a bunch of flips and Page is frustrated in the corner. Back up and Bryan avoids some chops, allowing more corner jumping jacks. The grappling doesn’t work so well but Page gets in a boot to the chest and NOW Danielson gets more serious. Page isn’t stupid enough to take a h..

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REVIEW: Prime Time Wrestling – June 17, 1987: The Show Of Its Time

November 19, 2021

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? Prime Time Wrestling Date: June 17, 1987 Hosts: Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan Commentators: Dick Graham, Lord Alfred Hayes, Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, Vince McMahon, Gorilla Monsoon, Bruno Sammartino Oh boy it’s Prime Time. This was one of the big shows from the WWF, as it featured various matches from major house shows. That might not sound like much, but at the time, this was a pretty awesome deal. What makes it better is Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan as the hosts, giving us the legendary banter that made..

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REVIEW: Monday Night Raw – June 11, 2007 (Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night): Boom!

November 11, 2021

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? Monday Night Raw Date: June 11, 2007 Location: Wachovia Arena, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Tazz, John Bradshaw Layfield, Joey Styles It’s time for a special three hour edition (like that has a future) as we have the annual Draft. This show will include all three brands, including ECW for a change. They have really hyped up the idea that ANYONE can be drafted to any show and that seems like they are primed for something interesting. These things can have quite the ..

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WRESTLING RUMORS: WWE And AEW May Be Getting Into A Bidding War Soon

October 15, 2021

Is he next? AEW has a heck of a roster, with a fine mixture of legends, up and coming talent and rookies who are getting their first break. That kind of a mixture can offer a lot of different possibilities but at some point you need to bring in someone new. Those wrestlers could come from anywhere, with the independent scene being a prime target. We might be ready to see someone new show up in a few months. According to Bodyslam.net, Mance Warner will be a free agent in January 2022. There has been interest in Warner from both WWE and AEW, the latter of which brought Warner in for visits at multiple shows last year. There is no word on where Warner will sign, as he has not been allowed to enter formal negotiations due to his current contract. Warner is currently under contract with Major League Wrestling but has not wrestled for them since March of 2020, instead wrestling on the independent circuit. Warner will get your attention. Check out what he can do in the ring: [This post con..

NEWS

Run It Back: Stable Reforms On Monday Night Raw

September 28, 2021

Reunion special. Stables are one of the easiest ideas in wrestling because they allow wrestlers to get together and save a lot of time. There are some legendary stables over the years and some of them have been very successful. We have seen a bit of a renaissance of stables in recent years and now a recently split one seems to be primed for another crack at success. This week on Monday Night Raw, Bobby Lashley challenged Big E. for the WWE Title. Near the end of the match, Big E. speared Lashley through the ropes, where Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin appeared. The two were wearing Hurt Business shirts and nodded to Lashley, suggesting that the team was back together before the match ended in a disqualification. The Hurt Business, also including MVP, formed last year and saw success, including winning the Raw Tag Team Titles. They would ultimately split in January of this year, with Benjamin and Alexander being thrown out. You might remember the Hurt Business. Check out some of..

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WATCH: Wrestling Legend Explains WWE’s AEW Problem

September 8, 2021

He’s right listening to. There are certain retired wrestlers who never quite get away from the industry. Many of them have something to say about the goings on in the wrestling world and some of them can be quite fascinating. They have the history and knowledge to offer some great takes and that is the case again, as a certain legend has some interesting thoughts on a popular wrestling topic. WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley released a video on Facebook which he called “WWE, We’ve Got A Problem.” In the video, Foley speaks on why he feels AEW is becoming a problem for WWE, which he believes is due to how WWE talent is treated. Foley talks about how WWE either changes too many things about developmental talent on their way to the main roster, such as with Karrion Kross, or just drops them entirely. He concludes by saying that if he was in the prime of his career, he is not sure if he would sign with WWE. This is quite the take. Check out the full video, plus Foley’s (full time) WWE debut ..

NEWS

Ouch: NXT Star Out Of Action Indefinitely

August 25, 2021

It could be awhile. There are all kinds of wrestlers on the NXT roster and most of them are incredibly talented. It isn’t easy to make it onto NXT television and it means a lot to get a spot on the show. Therefore, it is kind of sad to see someone losing their spot, but in this case someone is leaving because they seem primed to come back in a big way, at least in theory. This week’s edition of NXT featured a match between Ridge Holland and Timothy Thatcher. Holland won the match, with a brawl breaking out after, involving Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch on Holland’s side and Tommaso Ciampa helping Thatcher. The numbers game got the better of Thatcher and Ciampa, with Holland hitting Thatcher in the arm with his baton. Holland also hit Thatcher in the throat, which left Thatcher down. NXT has since sent out a tweet saying that Thatcher will be out indefinitely due to the attack. There is no word on when Thatcher will return to NXT TV. MEDICAL UPDATE: Timothy Thatcher is out i..

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Braun Strowman Reveals Surprising Career Plans

August 7, 2021

It’s something else. Wrestling can be a tricky field for a lot of people. While they are perfectly fine with getting in and going through the primes of their careers, you will often see wrestlers who have trouble finding their way out. It can be difficult to find an exit to wrestling as some wrestlers do not have another career opportunity. Now we know one fairly high profile wrestler who might have a plan. According to SportsKeeda.com, Braun Strowman recently answered a series of fan questions on his Instagram Stories. In response to being asked what job he would want to have for the next twenty years, Strowman said that he would like to be a motivational speaker. Strowman said that he had been through a lot in his life and would like to help inspire people to overcome their own problems. Strowman was released by WWE in June. There is no word on where he will be signing next. Strowman was signed to WWE in 2021 and debuted on the main roster in 2015 as part of the Wyatt Family. After..

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YES? NO? Update On Daniel Bryan’s WWE Status

July 10, 2021

Not so fast? There are certain wrestlers who can completely capture the fans’ attention, which makes for some amazing moments. You do not get wrestlers like that very often but when you do, you know that you are getting something special. WWE has had its share of those wrestlers over the years and one seemed primed for a return. However, that might not be the case at the moment. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE’s recent mentions of Daniel Bryan are no indication that he will be returning in the near future. Bryan has been mentioned in connection with the Edge vs. Roman Reigns feud, but it is only to advance their story. His most recent match took place on the April 30 SmackDown, when he was defeated by Reigns, forcing him to leave SmackDown. You might remember him. Check out some of Bryan’s best in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’m not sure where thi..

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RUMOR: Stephanie McMahon, Networks Working On Building WWE Audience

July 9, 2021

The boss is in. WWE has grown into the biggest and most powerful wrestling promotion in history, reaching a level that was almost impossible to fathom. They currently have seven hours of new television a week in prime time, including two hours of SmackDown on FOX. However, the television audience has been taking one hit after another, and it might be time to do something about it. According to the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, Stephanie McMahon has been meeting with television executives to attempt to find a way to deal with WWE’s declining television audiences. The meetings are designed to help find some new concepts to reverse the trend, though it is not clear what could be proposed. There is no word on which network McMahon was meeting with or what might happen if the numbers do not increase. WWE has had some concepts before. Check out a few of their ideas: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to..