Tag: Wwe Speed

Daily Update: Money in the Bank, Bron Breakker, WWE Speed

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered in this issue:

  • Full Forbidden Door coverage
  • Early notes on how the PPV did
  • Arena business and what historical achievement took place this past weekend
  • How the poll for the show had a unique and noteworthy result
  • Looking at AEW going into All In
  • A look at Money in the Bank, Heatwave, and ticket demand for the three WWE shows this week in Toronto.
  • A look at the playoffs for the G1 tournament
  • UFC 303 coverage of one of the shows where they had to change everything over and over again
  • Thoughts on the WrestleMania documentary, what was talked about, and what wasn’t.
  • A look at all the TV ratings info from the past week including rankings for the night and week, the competition, the whys behind the numbers, segment-by-segment and more
  • Chris Jericho returns to Arena Mexico
  • A look at Friday’s show including the Altantis Jr. ROH TV title win
  • AAA TV time notes
  • AAA Verano de Escandalo card
  • Major changes in Stardom
  • New Japan pushes a big open to 2025 for both their promotion and Stardom with dates for tourists
  • Minoru Suzuki vs. Sanshiro Takagi rematch on the bullet train
  • Notable sight gags on the match
  • Update on Marigold’s first major show with Iyo Sky
  • Rematch of one of the best bouts of the year set for the RevPro anniversary show at the Copper Box Arena
  • WWE stars at TNA TV tapings and at Bloodsport
  • More on Britt Baker’s return
  • Tony Khan talks about media rights negotiations, the Juneteenth rating, a milestone Eric Bischoff could never do
  • Will Ospreay opens up about his autism
  • Advance ticket sales for all the WWE & AEW shows over the past week
  • Biggest merch sellers in WWE & AEW
  • Dana White makes a claim that will blow your mind
  • More on the Bloodline angle
  • SmackDown issues with FOX
  • Notes on WWE departures
  • WWE investing in new business with notable partners including the NFL
  • Dijak talks more about his contract not being renewed

This Week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Saturday Update

WWE

  • WWE is urging fans to wear white to Money in the Bank tonight to create a “whiteout” effect with the crowd. White towels are also being distributed to fans.
  • In a social media video, Paul “Triple H” Levesque teased that WWE has “a few surprises in the tank” for Money in the Bank.
  • Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas was visiting at SmackDown in Toronto last night. Levesque posted a picture with him and wrote that it’s always good to see an old friend.
  • At yesterday’s Money in the Bank kickoff event, Levesque shared a special moment with a young fan by bringing her up onto the stage.
  • Johnny Gargano shared footage of him showing his new title belt to his son Quill after DIY won the WWE Tag Team titles: “All of my title wins in my @WWE career hold a special place in my heart. But being able to actually share this one with this guy hits a little different.”
  • The Masked Man Show asked Bron Breakker about potentially working with his father Rick Steiner and uncle Scott Steiner on WWE main roster television:
    • I think for now, I’m kind of establishing myself and kind of going my own way. I think down the line, yeah, we have that, we have that as an option to do if we need it one day, to where we can get my dad and uncle involved in some form or fashion, so that’s always there.
  • On yesterday’s WWE Speed episode, Andrade defeated Xavier Woods to retain the WWE Speed Championship.
  • Woods cut a post-match promo questioning whether he’s good enough as a singles wrestler after again falling short in his quest to win a singles title.
  • Becky Lynch said it was an honor to have the Irish Independent name her memoir as one of the best books that’s been released this year.
  • In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Shawn Michaels previewed the NXT Heatwave main event of Trick Williams vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Ethan Page vs. Shawn Spears:
    • We’re very excited to be in Toronto this weekend. Je’Von is in a new position, which we’re excited about, and we’re very fortunate to have him in the ring with three really talented guys. Trick has been there before. He’s still very new, but he understands what it’s like to be a big-time player. Then you have two veterans in Ethan Page and Shawn Spears. I think Je’Von is going to really shine, and I hope he enjoys the moment.
  • Carmelo Hayes told WrestlingNews.co about the emotional reaction he had to his girlfriend Kelani Jordan becoming the first NXT Women’s North American Champion:
    • I was at home on the couch and I had no idea. I didn’t know so I’m sitting and watching [and] I’m thinking as she’s climbing…I’m thinking someone is gonna rip her off and she grabbed the briefcase and I jumped up. I cried. I did cry tears of joy. I’ve done a lot of cool things and I haven’t cried. That made me actually cry because I know how hard that girl works and obviously, I care a ton for that girl. I just know how hard she works and she earned that.
  • An ESPN panel ranked Cody Rhodes and Bayley first in their respective wrestler power rankings for 2024 so far. The full men’s and women’s top 10 lists can be seen below:
  • Men’s –
    • 1. Cody Rhodes
    • 2. Will Ospreay
    • 3. Swerve Strickland
    • 4. Gunther
    • 5. Drew McIntyre
    • 6. Jon Moxley
    • 7. Bryan Danielson
    • 8. Damian Priest
    • 9. Kazuchika Okada
    • 10. MJF
  • Women’s –
    • 1. Bayley
    • 2. Toni Storm
    • 3. Jordynne Grace
    • 4. Mercedes Mone
    • 5. Bianca Belair
    • 6. Liv Morgan
    • 7. Willow Nightingale
    • 8. Mayu Iwatani
    • 9. Roxanne Perez
    • 10. Rhea Ripley

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • On his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross said he believes PPVs should be three hours long:
    • Somebody asked me that question on Sunday because the discussion was, are we serving too much barbecue? It’s hard for me to even equate that answer because I believe that…it’s a tough question. I believe that a pay-per-view should be three hours. Plenty of time. If you can’t conduct your business in three hours, you need to reevaluate your plan. At least, that’s my take on it. Those four and five-hour pay-per-views are daunting, to say the least. Somebody said, ‘Well, when you guys were down at WCW back in the day, how long were your pay-per-views?’ I said, ‘They were two hours and 50 minutes long.’ That’s a fact. So I think somewhere more in the two-hour and 50-minute range is better, or just [say] three hours, for simplicity’s sake, is more my wheelhouse. Now that I’m getting older, my attention span has been affected, so I think three hours is a nice starting point for a pay-per-view. That’s just me. You first gotta cater to your audience, and I think when you get past three, you’re gambling, and I don’t know if that’s a smart thing to do, gamble with your audience’s attention span. Because no matter what we say, the heavy sh*t is at the end. It’s called a main event, and I think that’s something that’s very important. You gotta cater to that audience, make sure they’re covered, make sure they like the order, and it’s just hard. It’s hard to figure that out, but I think somewhere in that three-hour range would be my preference.
  • Tony Khan attended Michael Rubin’s Fourth of July party in the Hamptons. The Fanatics CEO has held the star-studded party every year since 2021.
  • Shane Taylor was the guest on AEW Unrestricted this week.
  • Donovan Dijak vs. Mustafa Ali has been announced for Winnipeg Pro Wrestling’s show at Burton Cummings Theatre on Thursday, October 24.
  • Chris Van Vliet interviewed Marc Copani (former WWE wrestler Muhammad Hassan) on the latest episode of Insight.

Daily Update: WWE Speed, Carmelo Hayes, new AEW Dynamite match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered in this huge issue:

  • The life and times of Sika Anoa’i, from moving to San Francisco, being a fan at the Cow Palace watching Peter Maivia, to running through territories, going all over the world, to being one of the most legendary tag team champions in WWF history, along with his role in the most famous modern pro wrestling family today as the father of Roman Reigns and uncle of the Usos, Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.  We look at the legends, realities and more.
  • A look at WWE’s deal in Indiana and the news behind the scenes on it.
  • We look at the life and career of Jamie Kellner and the death of  WCW, including the last two months of WCW and the strange questions that to this day haven’t been answered.
  • A detailed look at Forbidden Door, the unique match on the undercard, business notes, stories behind the matches and an update on how Double or Nothing ended up doing.
  • A look at the final episode of  Who Killed WCW, why it ultimately was such a major disappointment and a timeline of faulty memories
  • An updated look at WWE coming to Toronto for Money in the Bank and NXT Heatwave, lineups and business.
  • A look at the biggest Fantastica Mania show to date, last week’s show at Arena Mexico
  • A look at the life and career of Taylor Wily, also known as Teila Tuli, the first man to walk the aisle at the first UFC PPV, and the fight that remains etched in history. We look at a life that includes sumo, and being a regular on Hawaii Five-O.
  • The continued drop in homes that air WWE, AEW, and all pro wrestling and MMA programming.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings over the past week, including how wrestling shows did in the weekly standings, how each show did and its placing, comparisons to last year, competition and audience makeup.
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hechicero and why it’s a must-see match.
  • A look at one of the biggest weeks of the year in CMLL
  • Notes on the last TripleMania show of the year
  • Breakup of a legendary Stardom faction
  • G1 qualifying tournament and who will miss G1 for the first time since 2007
  • Former WCW wrestler and Japanese Lucha star about to retire
  • One year celebration of the death of Terry Funk talked about for August
  • Death of Louie Tillet, a well known wrestler and booker
  • Very detailed look at the arrest of 2 Cold Scorpio
  • Nick Bollea sentenced for drunk driving arrest last year
  • MLW hiring new name people for production
  • Tony Khan press conference and keys things he talked about
  • Khan again discusses media rights talks
  • Khan talks Shane McMahon
  • Death of German announcer Gunter Zapf, the voice of WWE for a generation, AEW, Lucha Underground and the NFL with notes from those who worked with him.
  • AEW’s first TV taping outside North America
  • Details on AEW expenses broken down for a PPV as well as the percentage of revenue that the talent makes and how it compares with WWE, UFC and other sports.
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Advanced ticket sales for WWE & AEW events
  • Update on the Cung Le lawsuit
  • Update on Conor McGregor’s fighting again
  • Why UFC is only running one show and never again at The Sphere and why WWE & AEW are unlikely to ever run it.
  • ONE financial breakdown
  • A look at a number of people leaving WWE for different reasons
  • New head writer for SmackDown
  • Daughter of major WWE star trying to make the Olympic team this year
  • WWE house show reports

This Week’s Wresting Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • Xavier Woods defeated Nathan Frazer on today’s WWE Speed episode to earn a title shot against Andrade. This Friday, Andrade vs. Woods for the WWE Speed Championship will premiere on X/Twitter at noon Eastern time.
  • Woods cut a promo putting over how much winning the WWE Speed Championship would mean to him:
    • You know your boy does not lose in tournaments. I just became the number one contender for the Speed Championship. Some of you might be wondering what that even means. The Speed Championship is another championship that WWE has to offer. You become champion, you make more money. You become champion, that is how you build your legacy.
    • Yes, I am a tag team specialist. Yes, I am a member of the greatest tag team to ever exist in this industry. Yes – but the problem that I’ve had for years, for 11 years – the 11 years since I’ve been on the main roster, to be exact – is that I have been unable to hold a singles championship.
    • So, for me, this is just not a championship to parade around on Twitter, to parade around in the back and show everybody how cool I am. This is a championship that will help me begin to define my legacy. It’s soon about to be the era of Xavier Woods.
  • On The Pivot podcast, Cody Rhodes was asked about the possibility of turning heel in the future:
    • Being a heel in wrestling, it’s very hard to be a heel today. What is a heel? If a heel is trying to actively take something away that you like, You’ll hear people in wrestling say there is a wrong type of heat. There is truly no such thing as the wrong type of heat, as long as you can manage it. As long as you can take it. Today, people get canceled for everything. Every hour, somebody is getting canceled and uncanceled. A heel’s job is to get canceled. A heel’s job is to not be cool and not sell merch. In wrestling, the term has gotten more identified with The Rock types that aren’t really heels. He’s just The Rock. He’s in a Disney movie. He’s beloved. Watching him is a prime example. You have to really go to lengths to upset people and do something. In this case, he upset them greatly because he was taking away a spot. He was smart enough to know, ‘That’s a good spot to be in.’ Most people are uncomfortable in that spot. Most people don’t want to explore being hated. John Bradshaw Layfield, you couldn’t sell his merch, even in his hometown. If there were JBL shirts, he would go up to the stands personally and make sure they were not there. He was meant to be hated. He wanted you cheering for John (Cena) and Eddie Guerrero. That is a hard ask. There is beauty if you can commit to being a bad guy. It’s a unique space creatively. You have to be really vulnerable, open, and open and blood-hungry in terms of how you are on the microphone. There is a growing sect of fans that want to see that happen for me at some point. If you’re really wishing for that, it’s scorched earth. Then you might be, ‘We don’t like that.’ You have to really go scorched earth, and in 2024, that is hard for anyone to understand. You’re not meant to be cool. You’re not meant to be the next Rock. You’re meant to be a bad guy.
  • In an interview with CBS Sports, Carmelo Hayes said he’s embracing all the opportunities he’s gotten on the main roster so soon after being called up from NXT:
    • I’d be lying if I said it felt new because I feel like they did the same thing when I got to NXT. They immediately put me up against Kushida for the cruiserweight championship, put me against Adam Cole, and put me in the Breakout Tournament.
    • I’ve been put in these high-pressure and sink-or-swim situations for as long as I can remember. I’ve proven every time that I’m a swimmer and I’m worth the opportunities.
  • Boxer Amanda Serrano told Sports Illustrated that she wants to compete in a WWE ring in the future:
    • I’ve always wanted to step into WWE. My nephew’s dream is to become a WWE wrestler, and he’s the one who really got me into this.
    • Testing myself in WWE, that’s something I really want to do. I have so much respect for all the pro wrestlers, especially the women on their roster.
  • Chelsea Green was a guest on Wrestling With Freddie.
  • The Masked Man Show has an interview with Bron Breakker.
  • The Toronto Sun interviewed Sami Zayn.
  • Kevin Owens & Cathy Kelley hosted episode three of The OK Show.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • A trios match with Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata & Hook facing Brian Cage & The Gates of Agony has been added to tonight’s Dynamite.
  • Tony Khan also announced that Dynamite will have an overrun tonight.
  • Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson spoke to Sports Illustrated about the passion Khan has for AEW: “Tony is very passionate about AEW. We saw that passion during the draft, and the blows in the ring he’s willing to take.”
  • Pederson discussed working with Khan on the Jaguars: “Tony and I work closely together, and he does a lot of the analytical stuff. I’ve learned a lot from him. He’s very passionate about the Jaguars, and he’s a very good resource for our team. I know he’s excited about AEW, but he’s also very excited about Jacksonville, the direction we’re going, and putting us on a winning path.”
  • Willow Nightingale made an appearance on WGN News in Chicago to promote tonight’s Dynamite.
  • After winning the ROH TV title from Kyle Fletcher, CMLL wrestler Atlantis Jr. is now featured on the poster for ROH Death Before Dishonor. The pay-per-view is taking place from Arlington, Texas on Friday, July 26.
  • A Proving Ground match with Wheeler Yuta facing Lee Moriarty will air on ROH television this Thursday night. If Moriarty wins, he earns a future shot at Yuta’s ROH Pure Championship.
  • ROH Tag Team Champions Matt Taven & Mike Bennett vs. Metalik & Komander in a Proving Ground match is also set for Thursday’s ROH TV episode. Plus, we’ll hear from Athena & Billie Starkz.
  • MLW announced that Janai Kai will defend her Women’s Featherweight Championship against Gigi Rey at their Blood & Thunder event in St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday, July 12.
  • Violence X Suffering Wrestling promoter Isaac Rodriguez posted a thread on social media alleging that he’s been given “runaround after runaround” while waiting on being paid by Triller TV (the former Fite TV)
    • It’s been MONTHS since our last show & the promotions who make your platform thrive are still waiting on payments. We’re constantly given runaround after runaround w/ zero support team & they dont realize some people depend on iPPV revenue to continue. This is not okay, @FiteTV
    • And it’s not just VxS. I’ve confirmed w/ multiple promoters about not receiving any form of payout since January. This is why companies are moving away to build their own platforms. I feel insulted as a long time creator, user, & hope all creators are eventually taken cared of.

Xavier Woods advances in WWE Speed contender’s tournament

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On WWE Speed this week, a new tournament got underway to determine the first challenger for Andrade.

Xavier Woods defeated Dijak to move on to the next round of the number one contender’s tournament. Woods won with a diving elbow drop with 10 seconds left on the three-minute clock. The match was taped in Toledo, Ohio before the June 10 episode of Raw.

Akira Tozawa vs. NXT’s Nathan Frazer is the other first-round match in the contender’s tournament. That will air on the WWE Speed episode that premieres on X/Twitter at noon Eastern time next Wednesday (June 26). The winner advances to face Woods the following week.

Andrade won the WWE Speed title by dethroning inaugural champion Ricochet in a match that aired last Friday. With Ricochet likely on his way out of WWE, that may have been his final time competing for the company.

Currently, Woods & Kofi Kingston are feuding with Karrion Kross & The Final Testament on Raw. Kross has been trying to drive a wedge between New Day and get Woods to split away from Kingston.

VIDEO: Ricochet drops WWE Speed title to Andrade

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On Friday, Ricochet’s potential last WWE match premiered on social media.

A new episode of WWE Speed aired with Ricochet dropping the WWE Speed Championship to Andrade. The match, which was taped last week, ended with Andrade winning with 59 seconds left on the five-minute clock. Andrade becomes the second wrestler to hold the WWE Speed title since it was introduced. Ricochet was crowned the inaugural champion this April.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque posted a tweet congratulating Andrade on his victory and ushering in a new chapter for WWE Speed. The show, which premiered earlier this year, is broadcast exclusively on X/Twitter.

After the Ricochet vs. Andrade match was filmed, news broke over the weekend that Ricochet had given notice to WWE that he would be leaving when his contract expires this summer. There was then an angle on Monday’s Raw where Ricochet was demolished by Bron Breakker and taken out in an ambulance

The angle with Breakker could serve as Ricochet’s WWE write-off or provide a storyline for him if he changes his mind and returns to WWE.

“WWE was not wanting to lose [Ricochet], obviously, and the angle was done to give him a great reason to return if he had second thoughts,” Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “WWE had ideas for him both if he was staying as well as ways to write him out, but those in WWE confirmed to us that the belief there was he was leaving.”

Meltzer notes that, while nothing has been confirmed, there’s “a lot of expectations” that Ricochet is AEW bound.

Filthy Four Daily: WWE Smackdown plus second WWE SPEED tourney, GIANT FISH

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Filthy Four Daily with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including WWE Smackdown from Friday night with the build towards Clash at the Castle, and the second edition of a WWE Speed Tournament with the winner getting a shot at Ricochet’s belt. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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WWE Speed title match taping spoiler

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ricochet is no longer the champion of WWE Speed.

After Friday night’s SmackDown in Louisville, Kentucky, WWE filmed a title change with Andrade defeating Ricochet for the WWE Speed Championship. Andrade is the second-ever wrestler to hold the title. Ricochet was crowned the inaugural champion on April 26 (aired on May 3).

Andrade got the title shot by winning a number one contender’s tournament. He defeated Karl Anderson in the first round and Tommaso Ciampa in the second. Andrade vs. Ciampa, which was also taped last night, will air on Speed next Wednesday (June 12). The episode premieres at noon Eastern time.

If Speed follows its usual format, the Ricochet vs. Andrade title change will air on the Friday, June 14 episode.

WWE Speed premiered this April as part of a deal between WWE and X/Twitter. Matches on the show have a three-minute time limit, which is expanded to five minutes for title bouts.

Andrade moved to SmackDown in the 2024 WWE Draft and is feuding with Legado Del Fantasma on the brand.

Andrade advances in WWE Speed contender’s tournament

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Andrade is moving on to the next round of WWE Speed’s contender’s tournament.

The WWE Speed episode that aired on Wednesday featured Andrade defeating Karl Anderson in a first-round match. The fastest match in WWE Speed history, Andrade won in under a minute after a knee strike and double underhook neckbreaker.

It will be Andrade vs. Tommaso Ciampa on WWE Speed next Wednesday (June 12). The episode premieres on X/Twitter at noon Eastern time.

The winner of Andrade vs. Ciampa advances to challenge Ricochet for the WWE Speed Championship. It’s the second title defense Ricochet has made since becoming champion. His first defense was a victory over Tyler Bate.

Tournaments have been the focus of WWE Speed since the show premiered this April. Matches on the show have a three-minute time limit, which is expanded to five minutes for title bouts.

After moving to SmackDown in the WWE Draft, Andrade arrived on the brand last Friday, defeating Apollo Crews. Andrade declined an offer to join Legado Del Fantasma and is now feuding with the group.

New number one contender’s tournament begins on WWE Speed

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With Ricochet’s first title defense in the books, a new number one contender’s tournament has begun on WWE Speed.

Inaugural WWE Speed Champion Ricochet retained his title against Tyler Bate in a match that aired last Friday. Today, WWE Speed was back with a new episode. Tommaso Ciampa defeated Ludwig Kaiser to advance in a four-man number one contender’s tournament. Ciampa will face either Andrade or Karl Anderson in the next round. The winner of that advances to challenge for Ricochet’s title.

Ciampa vs. Kaiser was taped in Saudi Arabia before SmackDown last week. Ciampa hit the Fairytale Ending and pinned Kaiser with six seconds left on the clock.

Last Friday’s SmackDown episode also included an appearance by Ciampa. DIY (Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) confronted The Street Profits and said they want the next shot at Grayson Waller & Austin Theory’s WWE Tag Team titles. If that means having to go through The Street Profits to get there, so be it.

Andrade vs. Anderson airs on WWE Speed next Wednesday (June 5). The episode will premiere on X/Twitter at noon Eastern time.

WWE Speed features bracket-style competition where matches have a three-minute time limit. That is expanded to five minutes for title matches.

VIDEO: Ricochet defends WWE Speed title against Tyler Bate

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ricochet’s first defense of the WWE Speed Championship was a successful one.

On Friday, a new episode of WWE Speed aired with Ricochet defending his title against Tyler Bate. The match was taped prior to Monday’s episode of Raw in Greensboro, North Carolina. A flipping cutter got Ricochet the win with 1:52 left on the clock.

Matches on WWE Speed usually have a three-minute time limit, but that’s extended to five minutes for championship matches. The show typically premieres on Wednesdays, but there have been special Friday episodes for title bouts.

Bate got this title shot by winning a four-man number one contender’s tournament on WWE Speed. He defeated Berto (Humberto Carrillo) in the first round and Apollo Crews in the second round. Ivar was originally supposed to be Bate’s second-round opponent instead of Crews, but Ivar is dealing with a legitimate injury and had to be pulled from the tournament.

WWE Speed airs on X/Twitter as part of a two-year deal between WWE and the social media company. It debuted last month and features a tournament-style format. Ricochet became the inaugural champion by winning title tournament matches against Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, and Johnny Gargano.

Tyler Bate challenging Ricochet for WWE Speed Championship

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Tyler Bate is getting the first shot at Ricochet’s WWE Speed Championship.

Since Ricochet was crowned the inaugural champion, a tournament has taken place on WWE Speed to decide his first challenger. Bate earned the title shot by defeating Apollo Crews on the Speed episode that premiered today. There will be another new episode at noon Eastern time this Friday (May 24) featuring the Ricochet vs. Bate title match.

Crews wasn’t originally supposed to be Bate’s opponent for today’s match. Ivar, who defeated Crews in the first round of the four-man tournament, is out of action due to a serious injury. Because of that, he wasn’t able to compete against Bate. Crews got a second chance as Ivar’s replacement.

During the finishing sequence, Crews hit a press slam and a standing moonsault. But when Crews went for the cover, Bate reversed it into a pin of his own for the victory. Bate won with 56 seconds of the three-minute time limit remaining.

Bate defeated Berto (Humberto Carrillo) in the first round of the tournament.

In the 2024 WWE Draft, Bate and his tag team partner Pete Dunne moved to the Raw roster. Ricochet is also on Raw.

WWE Speed airs exclusively on X/Twitter as part of a two-year deal between WWE and the social media platform.

Tyler Bate advances in WWE Speed number one contender’s tournament

Posted on by Ian Carey

WWE aired another episode of Speed on Wednesday.

This week’s show featured the second opening round match in a tournament to determine who will be the first challenger for Ricochet’s Speed Championship. Ivar defeated Apollo Crews in the first opening-round match last week.

Tyler Bate picked up the win in this week’s episode, using a victory roll to pin Berto (FKA Humberto Carrillo) with just eight seconds remaining in the three-minute time limit. He now advances to the next round of the tournament to face Ivar next week. The winner of that match will move on to challenge Ricochet for the title.

Ricochet defeated Dragon Lee in the opening round, JD McDonagh in the semifinals, and Johnny Gargano in the finals of a tournament to determine an inaugural WWE Speed Champion.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque teased future women’s matches on WWE Speed earlier this month. During a Q&A on X, Levesque said of WWE Speed, “It makes for an exciting challenge for the guys. It makes for an exciting challenge for eventually what will be the women as well.”

Ivar advances in WWE Speed number one contender’s tournament

Posted on by Ian Carey
The number one contender’s tournament for the WWE Speed Championship kicked off on Wednesday.

Ivar defeated Apollo Crews in the opening round. With the win, he advances to the semifinals and will face the winner of next week’s Tyler Bate vs. Berto (Humberto Carrillo) match to determine the first challenger for inaugural champion Ricochet.

Ivar needed only two minutes of the three-minute time limit, defeating Crews with a moonsault from the top rope.

Ivar also defeated Crews on two other occasions this year, both on episodes of Main Event.

The winner of the number one contenders’ tournament will challenge Ricochet for the WWE Speed Championship. Ricochet became Speed champion by defeating Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, and Johnny Gargano in a tournament to determine the first title holder.

Speed is part of a two-year deal WWE has with X. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plan is to produce new content 52 weeks a year to air on the social media platform.

Filthy Four Daily: Bryan and Tom on WWE Speed tournament, Smackdown, Backlash, more

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Figure Four Daily with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including how much we loved THE WWE SPEED TOURNAMENT, how you can watch and what’s next for this odd little brand, plus Smackdown and the Smackdown-brand matches on the Backlash PPV. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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VIDEO: Ricochet crowned inaugural WWE Speed Champion

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The crowning of WWE’s newest champion aired on Friday afternoon.

Ricochet defeated Johnny Gargano to become the first WWE Speed Champion. The match, which was taped after SmackDown last Friday. was the finals of WWE’s tournament to crown the inaugural champion. Ricochet defeated Dragon Lee in the first round and JD McDonagh in the semifinals.

With this being the finals of the tournament, Ricochet vs. Gargano had a five-minute time limit — two minutes longer than the typical limit for WWE Speed matches. Ricochet won with 40 seconds left on the clock.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted about Ricochet’s title win:

Starting on WWE Speed next Wednesday, a tournament will begin to determine the first challenger for Ricochet’s championship. Apollo Crews vs. Ivar and Tyler Bate vs. Humberto are the first-round matches for the contender’s tournament.

This was a special Friday edition of WWE Speed. The show usually premieres on X (the former Twitter) at noon Eastern time on Wednesdays. WWE and X’s partnership for Speed is a two-year deal.

Levesque stated earlier this week that women’s matches will eventually be included on Speed:

It makes for an exciting challenge for the guys. It makes for an exciting challenge for eventually what will be the women as well. So far, it’s been spectacular. The talent have really embraced this and gotten into the challenge of it. It’s been exciting for them and our fans as well.

WWE Speed title tournament finals to air this Friday

Posted on by Ian Carey

The finals of WWE’s Speed tournament will air later this week.

The tournament, which consists of matches with three-minute time limits, has aired exclusively on X. While the quarterfinals and semifinals have all aired on Wednesdays at noon Eastern time, WWE announced today the finals will air this coming Friday at noon instead. 

Johnny Gargano defeated Bronson Reed in the match that was posted today. He’ll now face Ricochet in the finals. 

WWE taped both the second tournament semifinal and the tournament finals on Friday at the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati. Spoilers from the show are available here. 

WWE Speed is part of a two-year agreement the company has with X. It was announced in February, with the plan being to produce new content 52 weeks a year, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  

WWE Speed tournament results:

  • March 29, 2024: Ricochet defeats Dragon Lee (quarterfinal)
  • March 29, 2024: Bronson Reed defeated Cedric Alexander (quarterfinal)
  • April 5, 2024: JD McDonagh defeated Axiom (quarterfinal)
  • April 15: 2024: Ricochet defeated JD McDonagh (semifinal)
  • April 17, 2024: Johnny Gargano defeated Angel Garza (quarterfinal)
  • April 24, 2024: Johnny Gargano defeated Bronson Reed (semifinal)