Tag: wwe notes

WWE notes: Renee Young, Bella baby names, NXT

Posted on by Joseph Currier

– After saying farewell to WWE at SummerSlam, Renee Young made an appearance on WWE’s The Bump this morning. Young revealed that the title of her upcoming cookbook is “Messy in the Kitchen: My Guide to Eating Deliciously, Hosting Fabulously and Drinking Copiously.” She said the book will probably be coming out “closer to the spring.”

JBL, Mandy Rose, The Viking Raiders, and Sarah Logan were the other guests on The Bump this morning.

It was announced that Kofi Kingston and Cesaro will appear on Sunday’s pre-Payback edition of The Bump. That Bump episode will stream on the WWE Network and WWE’s digital platforms starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time.

– In a feature story for People, Nikki and Brie Bella revealed the names of their newborn sons. Nikki and her fiance Artem Chigvintsev’s son is named Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev. Brie and Daniel Bryan’s son is named Buddy Dessert Danielson.

– WWE officially confirmed that Wade Barrett is doing commentary for tonight’s episode of NXT.

– Drake Maverick posted a video challenging any member of the Undisputed Era to face him on NXT tonight.

– New NXT North American Champion Damian Priest told Sports Illustrated about how he prepared for his first-ever ladder match at TakeOver XXX: “This was my first-ever ladder match, so I made sure I did my homework. A big part of that was reaching out to people who have been in ladder matches, and I spoke with Edge for an hour about it. For me, the main thing I took out of our conversation was that the match was not going to play out the way I thought it would. And he was right, because that’s exactly what happened. Very little happened the way I thought it would, but I was able to adapt. And he told me to stay in the moment, and that stuck with me, too.”

Priest also spoke about his hot tub celebration after winning the North American title: “Jumping in, even in all my gear, I’ve never felt better in my entire life. That wasn’t fake, that wasn’t acting, that was real. I could have changed, but I didn’t care. It felt like a ray of energy exploding inside me full of enjoyment and accomplishment.”

– TVInsider and Pro Wrestling Sheet also have interviews with Priest.

– On Twitter, Keith Lee wrote about the fan reaction to his music being changed for his Raw debut on Monday: “Music is out of my hands. Period. Leave it be. I’ll sort it out later.” He also responded to someone about his ring gear: “Leave it be and have some patience. Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay. I promise. Let ME handle that stuff.”

Lee wrote in response to someone who said he didn’t have to explain the situation: “Of course I don’t *have* to. I don’t owe anyone an explanation. It is simply my way of showing respect to the people who have supported me. I don’t want people caught up on small things when what *should* be acknowledged is on my DEBUT, I mixed it up with Orton. WAY bigger deal”

– Shelton Benjamin tweeted about indie promotions returning with their first events since the COVID-19 pandemic began: “Great seeing lots of Indy promotions getting back to business glad to have you all back, the Industry NEEDS you. Stay safe and tear the house down. #supportindywrestling”

– Bray Wyatt tweeted today: “Dearest @Goldberg, Don’t worry old friend we fixed it. Don’t listen to what they say, you and I know they’re wrong. I forgive you! But please, if you see the red walk away from it.”

– Pat McAfee will be the guest on Thursday’s episode of Corey Graves’ After the Bell podcast.

– WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded Paige vs. Alicia Fox for the Divas Championship from Payback 2014, Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman from Payback 2017, and Goldberg vs. Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship from the October 20, 2003 episode of Raw.

WWE post-SummerSlam notes: Miz, hair vs. hair stip, Renee Young

Posted on by Josh Nason

On the post-WWE SummerSlam edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer hit on a few various WWE news items from the past weekend:

  • The reason The Miz was the co-host of the return of Talking Smack and not Xavier Woods was that Woods wasn’t told about the new gig until after it was announced. As a result, he wasn’t there so Miz was asked to fill in which led to this exchange with Big E regarding Kofi Kingston.
  • Renee Young has a non-compete clause in her contract “for a while”, but Meltzer wasn’t sure about the specifics of what that applied to. Young confirmed her departure from WWE on last night’s show.
  • The reason the hair vs. hair stipulation in the Sonya Deville vs. Mandy Rose match was changed was that Deville’s lawyer didn’t think a shaved head would send the right message in court as Deville (Daria Berenato) deals with the legal and mental aftermath of an alleged kidnapper who broke into her home with bad intentions. Meltzer believes she will be back at some point and could just be taking time off to deal or could be looking at other projects.
  • He said that there is a fan coordinator of sorts that tells the WWE ThunderDome participants when to cheer, boo, chant, and generally react which is why everything seems fairly coordinated despite hundreds of fans taking part.
  • The reason Mauro Ranallo was not on Saturday’s TakeOver XXX broadcast was that he was dealing with a family situation in British Columbia and nothing more.
  • Meltzer said there’s an allegation against Austin Theory which is why he has disappeared off TV. He didn’t give any specifics.

Meltzer also had two AEW notes:

  • Regarding Thunder Rosa’s debut on Dynamite Saturday, AEW president Tony Khan had an idea to do the match and reached out to Billy Corgan to see if he would be ok with letting his NWA Women’s Champion compete. He approved and the match with AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida was able to move forward.
  • Meltzer was asked for an update on Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo who was signed by AEW to a developmental deal. He said he was training at some point, but isn’t sure whether he is in the UK or still in the U.S. due to the pandemic. Meltzer said there were some ideas for him, but AEW wants him ready before they move forward. He believed he was being trained by Dustin Rhodes and/or QT Marshall.

WWE notes: ThunderDome, Dominik Mysterio, more

Posted on by Joseph Currier

– Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso posted video of the set up for WWE’s ThunderDome, which debuts at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida for this Friday’s SmackDown:

WWE is doing a test of the ThunderDome on Thursday night and invited a limited number of fans to participate in the sneak peek:

WWE ThunderDome – a new state-of-the-art viewing experience that virtually brings our fans into the WWE arena via live video on massive LED boards – is debuting this week on Friday Night SmackDown. You are invited to join us for an exclusive Sneak Peek of this cutting-edge technology tomorrow evening, where we will be presenting a special match just for you. By participating, you will be part of our final production test and experience the WWE ThunderDome before anyone else.

Please let us know if you are able to join us by clicking the link below to register. Upon registration, you will receive another email on Thursday with instructions and a specific call time to join the WWE ThunderDome. NOTE: there are a limited number of virtual seats, so we will assign spots on a first-come-first-served basis.

Registration to be part of the ThunderDome for Friday’s SmackDown opened last night and reached maximum capacity in 30 minutes.

– Seth Rollins told ESPN about choosing Dominik Mysterio as his SummerSlam opponent:

Everyone was kind of leaning towards the idea of Dominik. I didn’t even think twice about it. I think it’s a sign of good faith that the company, the people in charge, felt like I was capable of giving this kid his first match on a huge platform.

ESPN wrote about Dominik potentially using the name “Prince Mysterio” in the future:

While Dominik will wrestle under his real name at SummerSlam, Rey and Dominik have discussed Dominik performing under the name ‘Prince Mysterio’ in the future after he receives more training. Dominik already has the Prince Mysterio gear and mask designed, but wanted to hold off on debuting it at SummerSlam. The name is fitting since Rey, Spanish for King, would love nothing more than to pass down the Mysterio legacy to his son.

– WWE began selling virtual SummerSlam meet and greets with Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, Keith Lee, Seth Rollins, and Bayley today. Tickets cost $125 and include a two-minute private one-on-one video with the selected wrestler, downloadable video of the meet and greet within 48 hours of it taking place, and the ability to purchase exclusive personalized autograph items. McIntyre, Strowman, Rollins, and Bayley’s meet and greet sessions have sold out, while Lee’s is still available.

– Paul Heyman wrote about Renee Young leaving WWE:

I am, as many others are, just hearing / reading the news that @ReneeYoungWWE will be pursuing other dreams outside of World Wrestling Entertainment. Besides changing her IG name, I can only imagine the plethora of projects running through this young lady’s vivid imagination. Working with Renee has been an absolute pleasure. She always brought out the very best in everyone she worked with, and I am forever indebted to her for her on-screen generosity and trust. I look forward to whatever projects she chooses to grace with her passion and personality, and thank her for the opportunity to work with such a professional.

– Adam Cole, Dominik Mysterio, AJ Styles, and Cameron Grimes appeared on today’s episode of WWE’s The Bump

– The Hurt Business (MVP, Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin), Mandy Rose, Mark Henry, and Andrade, Angel Garza & Zelina Vega are appearing on Sunday’s pre-SummerSlam edition of The Bump. That Bump episode will begin at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time.

– Triple H is a guest on today’s episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast.

– WWE uploaded a Playlist video on wrestlers’ first SummerSlam matches.

– WWE’s YouTube channel uploaded Alexa Bliss vs. Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s Championship from SummerSlam 2018, Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon from SummerSlam 2019, and Goldberg vs. Dolph Ziggler from SummerSlam 2019.

WWE notes: The Rock congratulates Triple H on 25th anniversary

Posted on by Joseph Currier

– Ahead of his 25th anniversary celebration kicking off on SmackDown this Friday, Paul “Triple H” Levesque made an appearance on this morning’s episode of WWE’s The Bump.

The appearance included Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sending in a video message congratulating Triple H on 25 years with WWE:

Nia Jax, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella, and Drake Maverick also appeared on The Bump this morning. Maverick is still taking part in NXT’s interim Cruiserweight Championship tournament despite being released by WWE. He’s facing Jake Atlas in a Group A match on NXT tonight.

– Rey Mysterio has been announced as a guest for next Wednesday’s episode of The Bump.

– “25 Years of Triple H: The Game Changing Matches” will air on the WWE Network at 10 a.m. Eastern time this Friday, with “Live to Win: A Conversation with Triple H and Lemmy” then airing at noon.

– WWE issued a storyline injury update on Elias after he was attacked by Baron Corbin on SmackDown last week:

As first reported on WWE’s The Bump, Elias suffered a bruised larynx and broken middle and pinky fingers following the latest attack by King Corbin. The injuries have put Elias’ musical performances on hold, as they’ve hampered his ability to sing and play guitar.

King Corbin has targeted the songbird multiple times in the last few weeks, as the most recent attack on Friday Night SmackDown followed his assault ahead of WrestleMania that sent his rival flying from the WWE Performance Center perch. Elias had drawn the ire of Corbin with repeated songs mocking the regal competitor through song.

Stay locked in to WWE digital and social platforms for the latest updates on Elias’ status.

– Dakota Kai spoke to Sports Illustrated about her heel turn and working with Raquel Gonzalez:

After WarGames, there was a lot of pressure for me to perform. I needed another element to take it to the next level, and Raquel was that piece. She’s the muscle, and that gave me so much more to play with inside the ring.

Initially, this was such a big change for me. Being a babyface came so naturally to me, and it’s what I’d done in NXT and on the independent scene. It was terrifying to me to completely change, but it was also the best for me. I didn’t want to become stagnant—this has allowed me to let my creativity flow. And adding Raquel has been such a huge help. I wouldn’t say it has been easy, but it’s been creatively fulfilling.

Daily Update: SmackDown 1000, Joey Mercury, more WWE notes

Posted on by Bryan Rose

THE ROUND-UP

THE LATEST NEWS

THE LATEST AUDIO

F4W NEWSLETTER: Figure Four Weekly: All In celebrates past, present, and future

Amid all of the speculation about what the show means for the industry and what’s next for those who put it together, All In was a celebration of the past, present, and future of professional wrestling. Taken as a whole, All In was a show-of-the-year candidate. It was important that the card delivered, but nothing could have taken away from the accomplishment of it even happening. 

WON NEWSLETTER: September 10, 2018 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: All In reviewed, HBK to return, more

The story of All In is the focus of this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Take the most detailed look at the business and ramifications of what is one of the most unique major events in pro wrestling history.

Examine the business of the show, the realities of the popularity level, the lessons of the show, the behind the scenes story of the NWA title promotion, wrestling vs. sports entertainment, the timing issues, the last famous show with a similar timing issue, the controversy regarding the Joey Ryan angle, and the story behind Chris Jericho being there.

Look at the Shawn Michaels-Undertaker segment, where things stand today about going forward, famous retirement stips and the angle on Raw leading to everything, as well as more on the show in Australia coming up next month.

Find out about Daniel Bryan’s WWE status, update Dave Bautista and his thoughts on wrestling again, notes on a taped December Raw show, Kevin Owens quitting, Evolution PPV business notes, Toni Storm update, new WWE signee proposes to girlfriend on stage right before coming to Orlando, NXT major star to Evolve, and Big Cass talks what got him fired.

Read notes on NOAH’s big show at Sumo Hall featuring Hideo Itami’s return to the promotion against Naomichi Marufuji.

ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to Dave Meltzer, or by using PayPal directing funds to [email protected]. 

Rates in the United States are $13 for 4 issues, $32 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $14.50 for 4, $35 for 12, $67 for 24, $111 for 40 and $144 or 52. In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to [email protected]. For the rest of the world, rates are $16.50 for 4, $44 for 12, $85 for 24, $141 for 40 issues and $183 for 52. If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.)

If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can choose one free classic issue or two free classic issues with a 40-issue subscription.

MONDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • PWInsider reported today that Edge has been added to the 10/23 SmackDown 1000 event. Edge, however, said it was news to him when someone brought it up on Twitter.
  • They also reported this morning that WWE officials are looking at The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts as a potential venue for next year’s WrestleMania activities. The complex features acts such as the Metropolitan Opera, The New York Philharmonic and the New York Ballet.
  • WWE will be returning to Helsinki, Finland on May 10, a SmackDown house show. Tickets go on sale September 17.
  • Matt Hardy following last night’s house show in Biloxi tweeted: “Thank you so much, #WWEBiloxi.. Tonight was the last appearance there for #WOKEN Matt Hardy.”
  • Natalya wrote about Finlay’s contributions to the WWE women’s division in her column for the Calgary Sun.
  • A new trailer for the Daniel Bryan Showcase mode coming to WWE 2K19 has been released.
  • Alicia Fox debuted a new look during this weekend’s house shows.
  • NXT referee Drake Wuertz turns 34 today, while WWE Hall of Famer Don Muraco turns 69.

Pro Wrestling

  • Adam Birch (Joey Mercury) has been released from the Cook County Department of Corrections after being arrested over All In weekend. Authorities found Birch sleeping in his car when an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Orange County, Florida was discovered. It was a non-violent issue that didn’t warrant extradition.
  • Tickets for the NWA 70th anniversary show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds will go on sale this Friday. Check here for more information.
  • The Fast and the Furious spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw”, featuring The Rock and Jason Statham, started filming today. The movie is set for release on July 26, 2019.
  • Hulk Hogan talked to TMZ Sports about reuniting with the nWo for their upcoming tour.
  • David Arquette will team with the Hurricane this Friday for Northeast Wrestling.
  • The second part of the Katsuyori Shibata documentary looking at his life in California has been uploaded.
  • Chris Van Vliet talked to DDP about All In and why he worked the show for free.
  • Other birthdays for today include Matt Morgan (42), Trevor Murdoch (38) and Steve Keirn (67).

UFC/MMA

  • In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Valentina Shevchenko expressed interest in facing Joanna Jędrzejczyk for the now vacant UFC women’s flyweight title.
  • Colby Covington talked to FloCombat about his thoughts on UFC 228. He wasn’t impressed by Till’s performance, saying “It’s pretty funny: Doughboy ignored his family to land a hot zero significant strikes. Good job, buddy.” He also called out Tyron Woodley for November 3 at Madison Square Garden.
  • Irene Aldana broke her right hand during her bout against Lucie Pudilova this past weekend.
  • MMA Junkie is reporting that Brennan Ward has opted to retire from mixed martial arts after pulling out of a bout against Andre Fialho at Bellator 207 following an undisclosed injury. A search for a replacement bout is currently underway.

Daily Professional Wrestling History: Harley Race wins NWA World Title

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