Search Results: "setup"

NEWS

WATCH: WWE And AEW Couple Hit The Weights In The Gym

December 28, 2022

Crossing company lines. The rise of AEW has changed the wrestling world. After years of WWE dominating the industry, AEW has offered a new platform for the wrestlers and fans to go. There are several prominent stars on the AEW roster, including many former WWE names. A WWE star has now posted a video of herself and her significant other, a member of the AEW roster, getting ready to work. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Almost: WWE Faces Visa Issues Preventing World Champion From Working WrestleMania WWE’s Rhea Ripley has posted a video her of herself and her boyfriend, AEW’s Buddy Matthews, training in the gym. The video shows Matthews spotting Ripley as she lifts weights and encourages her during the workout. This comes as Ripley is being portrayed as the on-screen girlfriend of Dominik Mysterio on Monday Night Raw. Matthews is currently part of the House Of Black in AEW. It’s a unique setup. Check out the two of them training, plus the two of them in action on their own: [This post contai..

NEWS

WATCH: Huge Beatdown On Monday Night Raw, Popular Star Taken Out On Stretcher

December 6, 2022

It might be a bit. There are a lot of reasons to write a wrestler off of television, whether it is for the long term or the short term. Sometimes it might be done as a way to freshen someone up or as a way to boost up another wrestler for taking out their rival. It can lead to quite the return later on and now it seems that WWE has done both of those things at the same time. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Ouch: Drew McIntyre Dealing With Medical Issue, Upcoming Title Match Changed This week’s Monday Night Raw featured Matt Riddle and Kevin Owens unsuccessfully challenging the Usos for the Tag Team Titles. Following the match, Solo Sikoa attacked Riddle, including hitting him with a Samoan Spike and a running hip attack in the corner. Sikoa then gave Riddle another running hip attack with a chair around Riddle’s neck. As a result, Riddle was taken out on a stretcher. There is no word on how long he could be out of action. It was a busy night. Check out the setup, the match and the attack aft..

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AEW Full Gear 2022 Preview, Predictions And Thoughts

November 19, 2022

It’s time for another AEW pay per view and as has been the case for a pretty good while now, things are not exactly feeling the most interesting at the moment. The World Title match doesn’t have the most personal setup and the rest of the show is feeling a bit hit or miss. That being said, the idea of AEW having a bad pay per view seems completely insane so I have quite a bit of confidence in what they are going to do. Let’s get to it. Zero Hour: Jun Akiyama vs. Eddie Kingston This is a match that was added after this week’s Rampage went off the air. In short, this is Kingston’s dream match and….I’m struggling to come up with a reason that should interest me. Akiyama is a legend, but there is no real reason for the two of them to be fighting other than Kingston just saying he wanted it to happen. For some reason this is added to the pre-show and now the night is even longer than it needed to be. I’ll go with Akiyama winning, as AEW seems to like the idea of doing everything they can..

NEWS

Backstage News On AEW’s Trick To Save Money

October 31, 2022

That sounds like a plan. There are a lot of things that go down throughout a wrestling show, including things that do not take place in front of the audience. That is the kind of thing that you see take place on any given show, but at the same time, it does not mean that you are seeing something take place as it seems. Now we know a bit more about how a major promotion makes this work. Fightful Select has some details on AEW’s backstage production setup. AEW reportedly films several of their backstage segments in advance rather than live in an effort to reduce travel costs. If a wrestler is only going to be at an event for a short backstage segment, it will be filmed in advance rather than bringing someone in for a full day. For example, Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland’s backstage segment in Cincinnati was filmed in Toronto the previous week to avoid bringing in Lee and Strickland for a brief moment of filming. Opinion: This is one of those totally logical concepts and I have no idea..

NEWS

AEW Star Makes Surprise Return After Four Month Absence

October 13, 2022

Welcome home. There are a lot of ways to bring a wrestler back after time away from the company and one of the best is as a surprise partner. That is something that can do well on its own but there are ways to sweeten it even more. Bringing someone back in the right place can make it even better and that is what took place this week to some very positive result. This week, AEW made its Canadian debut with a show in Toronto. During the show, the Embassy challenged FTR to a match later in the week on Rampage, with FTR bringing out Toronto’s Shawn Spears to be their partner. Spears has not wrestled since May 25 after being injured. There is no word on if this is a full on babyface turn for Spears or just a one off due to being in his hometown. Opinion: This was a well done setup and the place did go nuts for Spears’ TEN entrance. That is the kind of thing that had some thought put into it and I’m curious to see what happens when Spears is given a chance to shine in a different way. It m..

NEWS

Hand It Over: Record Setting Title Reign Comes To An End In Upset

July 15, 2022

The gold it is a changing. There are a lot of titles in the wrestling world and some of them have a unique setup that allow for some variation. It can be nice to have something different, as you can only do so many things with a standard championship format. One of those titles changed hands this week, with a record setting reign coming to an end after a bit of an upset. The main event of this week’s NXT UK saw Mark Coffey defeat Noam Dar to win the NXT Heritage Cup. Coffey defeated Dar two falls to one in the sixth and final round. The win ends Dar’s reign after 259 days, the longest in the title’s history. Coffey’s title win marks the first singles title win of his NXT UK career, though he is a former NXT UK Tag Team Champion with Wolfgang. Opinion: This is something that had to happen and it makes sense given Gallus’ issues as of late. Coffey winning the title opens up some doors for him as he wins something of his own and might even set up a title match against his brother Joe do..

NEWS

What A Way To Go: NXT Considering Two Changes To Its Women’s Division

July 1, 2022

They have plans. NXT has a unique setup in wrestling as it is not only WWE’s official developmental territory, but also a promotion of its own. The show runs for two hours every week on national TV and that means they need a lot of content to fill in that time. Now we might have an idea of what some of those people will be doing and it could involve a few changes. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, NXT may be planning some changes for some of its women’s division. First up, Tatum Paxley and Ivy Nile have been rumored as a tag team. This has been hinted at for several weeks but the team has never officially come together. In addition, there has been a discussion of Cora Jade turning on Roxanne Perez. The two are scheduled to challenge for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles on Tuesday at the Great American Bash. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that has to be done at some point, though I’m not sure if I would have Jade turn on Perez so fast. They haven’t been a team for tha..

NEWS

Put It Together: AEW Considering Major, Violent Match Soon

May 16, 2022

They have a plan. There are all kinds of different matches you might see on a wrestling show, though most of the time the bigger ones are saved for some of the more important shows. That can make for some interesting moments, as a major match under the right setup can be quite the attraction for the promotion presenting it. Now we might be seeing another huge one soon. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, AEW is planning on presenting a Blood And Guts match in the near future, though the specific date is not known. The match will possibly feature the Jericho Appreciation Society against Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson of the Blackpool Combat Club, Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz. AEW has run one Blood And Guts match in history, when the Pinnacle defeated the Inner Circle on May 5, 2021. Opinion: I like the idea of an annual match like this one, but it is a bit strange to see an all star team against the Jericho Appreciation Society. The team doesn’t have the lineup to hang in ther..

NEWS

(Very Unique) History Has Been Made! Title Change On AEW Dynamite

May 5, 2022

History has been made! We are in a very interesting time in wrestling as the lines between the companies have virtually gone away. You can see wrestlers show up in one national company after another and it makes for a series of interesting matches. Some of them can be rather interesting and a title can make them even better. That was the case this week with a rather intricate situation. This week on AEW Dynamite, Interim Ring Of Honor Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez defeated Ring Of Honor Women’s Champion Deonna Purrazzo to unify the titles. The match saw Martinez, an AEW wrestler defeat Purrazzo, an Impact Wrestling wrestler, for a Ring Of Honor title. There is no word on if Purrazzo will be making regular appearances for AEW going forward. Opinion: This is something that sounded like a good idea on paper but AEW did not do the best job of hyping up the match. The match had quite the unique setup but it was treated as just another match that happened to headline the show. AEW sti..

NEWS

Backstage News On Why WWE Released An NXT Star

May 3, 2022

There’s your explanation. WWE has a rather unique setup with NXT as its in-house developmental system. The company is able to bring in as many wrestlers as they choose, see what they have in them, and then move them up to the main roster. Some of them do not make it though, and that seems to be the case again with a wrestler who was released from the company. Last week, WWE released a group of ten people, including several wrestlers, from NXT. One of the longer standing names on the list was Dakota Kai. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Kai was released as WWE did not feel she was ready for the main roster and let her go as a result. Kai wrestled multiple main roster tryout matches but WWE decided to release her rather than call her up. Opinion: I’m not sure what to think of this, as Kai is someone who showed all kinds of talent in NXT but that doesn’t matter if the higher ups don’t see it. To say that WWE has a hit and miss record with its NXT callups would be an understatement..

NEWS

Finn Balor Pokes Fun At Bobby Lashley Over Recent Mid-Match Accident

May 2, 2022

He has some experience. There are some things that you will see in wrestling which you just do not see happening in other sports. That can often be due to the ring itself, which is quite the complicated setup. Sometimes it can be due to something literally falling apart, which took place at a recent WWE show. Now another WWE star is having a good time with the accident. Last week, Bobby Lashley narrowly escaped a very bad situation when the top rope broke and he crashed out to the floor. Lashley was ok following the crash and continued the match against Drew McIntyre. Following the match, Finn Balor tweeted out an image of himself losing to Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules when the top rope broke as well, though Balor’s was planned in advance. pic.twitter.com/imrFbZR5Ab — Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) April 30, 2022 Opinion: This is something that is worth a chuckle once you know that everyone is ok. Lashley crashing out to the floor like that could have been a complete disaster and it is g..

NEWS

Not So Fast: WWE Star May Be Shifting Into New On-Screen Role

April 25, 2022

It’s something for him to do. There are a lot of people on the WWE roster and it can be difficult for the company to find something for everyone to do. It is not uncommon to see a wrestler sitting on the sidelines for long periods of time, which can be rather frustrating for the wrestlers and their fans. Now one seems to be back in a different role, but it might just be a setup for something else entirely. Over the last two episodes of SmackDown, Drew Gulak has been auditioning to be a part of the broadcast team, only to be beaten up by Charlotte and Ronda Rousey. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, this may result in Gulak becoming a new authority figure in WWE. Sonya Deville is returning to the ring and Adam Pearce may have Gulak replace her as his secondary authority figure. This is not a guarantee though and is still seen as speculation. Opinion: Sure why not. Gulak is a name that people know and he can talk well enough, so why not see how this goes? If WWE just has to have tw..

NEWS

WrestleMania Match Pulled From Show With No Explanation

April 3, 2022

It happens occasionally. While a WWE pay per view has a lot of time and effort put into the setup, there is always the chance that something can go wrong. This can make for some interesting changes and many of them might not be the most positive. It seems to be have been the case again this week, though there is still the chance for things to be set right in the future. There were originally seven matches scheduled to take place this weekend at the first night of WrestleMania 38. However, one of those matches did not take place, as New Day vs. Ridge Holland/Sheamus was pulled from the card. There is no word on why this was the case and nothing about the match possibly being moved to night two. The match was set up earlier in the week and is the continuation of a feud between the two sides. Opinion: This is something that does happen every now and then, such as at WrestleMania 29 and WrestleMania 8, both of which had matches announced and canceled due to time issues. Odds are that is ..

NEWS

Maybe? A WrestleMania Title Match That Didn’t Seem Likely May Still Be Happening

March 28, 2022

I hope they put it in pencil. WrestleMania 38 is less than a week away and that means that the card should be all set up. That is the case in theory at least as WWE seems to continue to make changes with just a few days to go before the show. Some matches have been announced for this week’s edition of SmackDown, suggesting that the wrestlers might not be appearing at WrestleMania. It turns out that might not be the case though. Last week on SmackDown, United States Champion Finn Balor and Damian Priest were both announced for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the following week’s show. This suggested that neither would be wrestling on WrestleMania, despite the two of them having issues as of late. However, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the match is still listed internally for WWE and may still take place. WWE has yet to announce the match. Opinion: This would make things a bit better, as the current setup seems to suggest that neither the United States no..

NEWS

Update On Three New Potential AEW Signings

March 2, 2022

They need to boost things up. AEW has done some impressive things in its short history and a lot of that has been due to its roster. The company has built up a mixture of veterans and younger stars to go with their up and coming wrestlers. That is quite the setup to put together and now they seem ready to bring in even more. Each of them just happens to be in a different state. Wrestling Observer Radio is reporting updates on three different stars that AEW is considering bringing into the company. First up, Johnny Gargano is not expected to make an appearance at any point in the next month or so and there is no guarantee that he is coming in whatsoever. The other two names mentioned are Jeff Hardy and Shane Strickland, both of whom are expected to be in “relatively soon”. Hardy’s no compete clause expires on March 8 while Strickland is already a free agent and could debut at any time. Opinion: None of these are exactly a surprise, but they would all make some form of an impact. Hardy..

NEWS

Tony Khan Says Some Wrestlers Will Have To Leave AEW

February 11, 2022

There isn’t room for everyone. AEW has come a long way in its few years of existence and a lot of that is due to its roster. The company has put together an incredible mixture of veterans, current stars and up and comers, which has allowed for quite the successful setup. However, as AEW continues to bring in more and more wrestlers, there are only so many places for all of them and that seems to be the case again. During a recent interview with TV Insider, AEW President Tony Khan spoke about the company’s contract situations. Khan said that he tried to make sure to keep as many wrestlers under contract during the Coronavirus pandemic as he could for the sake of keeping them employed. However, now that there are several new wrestlers coming in to AEW and so many contracts expiring, Khan will not be able to keep everyone. Khan said he is making his decisions based on ability, fan response, or a combination of both. Opinion: This doesn’t come off as the biggest surprise and it isn’t a b..

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...

NEWS

BREAKING WRESTLING RUMORS: Shane McMahon Gone From WWE

February 2, 2022

There goes a big one. We are fresh off of the Royal Rumble, where WWE presented a large portion of its roster in a pair of matches. That is the kind of thing that can remind you of some of the names who are around that you might have forgotten about. At the same time, there were some names you might have forgotten about making some appearances. Now though, one of them might be gone. According to Ringsidenews.com, Shane McMahon has been “quietly” let go from the company. This comes after McMahon was reportedly involved in the planning of the men’s Royal Rumble match, which he had wanted to be built around him. McMahon was described as a “nightmare” during the setup for the show. He was also rumored for a major match at WrestleMania, possibly against Seth Rollins, which is now off as well. Opinion: Well that’s a surprise, as it’s weird to see anyone with the name McMahon being punished for something in WWE. That being said, the Royal Rumble seems to have been rather poorly received and..

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How Chris Jericho Lost Over $100,000 On Wrestling And Then Got It Back

November 18, 2021

It can happen to…well probably just Jericho. There are certain stars in wrestling who are always doing something different. For some reason, they do not stick with the norm and are constantly finding some way to reinvent themselves. It can be fascinating to see what they think of next, but that does not mean it is always going to work. That was certainly the case with one first’s try at an idea. During a recent episode of his Talk Is Jericho podcast, Chris Jericho revealed that he lost six figures of money on his first Jericho cruise. The cruise, called the Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager At Sea, launched in October 2018 and featured a variety of concerts, wrestling and appearances, with Jericho footing the bill for paying everyone. The financial setup was changed for the second cruise, which allowed him to make up the loss and earn a profit. Jericho is planning his fourth cruise in the spring of 2022. The cruise was certainly different. Check out how it has gone over the years: [This post..

NEWS

NXT Results – November 16, 2021

November 17, 2021

NXT Date: November 16, 2021 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida Commentators: Beth Phoenix, Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett We’re back to whatever NXT has become but this time it’s all about WarGames. Somehow NXT thinks they have a matchup that will work there, though I’m almost scared to know who is going to be included. Maybe we find that out tonight, plus get what should be an obvious setup for Breakker vs. Ciampa II. Let’s get to it. Tony D’Angelo vs. Dexter Lumis Fallout from D’Angelo suggesting Lumis was about to get whacked. Lumis has a drawing for D’Angelo, showing him asleep in a school of fish. D’Angelo bails away to start and gets caught with a Thesz press. Back up and D’Angelo gets in a few shots of his own to take over and we hit the chinlock. Lumis fights up again but D’Angelo snaps his throat across the top. With Lumis staggered, D’Angelo grabs the easel the drawing is sitting on, which is quickly taken away. That’s all D’Angelo needs as he pokes Lumis in the..