On the Tuesday edition of Mat Men, Andrew and Rich break down all things pro wrestling.
Paul Orndorff passed away at the age of 71 and we discuss his career and impact on the game. Just how important was he to Hulk Hogan’s successs and why was he so underrated?
Monday marked the final WWE Raw from the ThunderDome and the pandemic era has finally come to an end. There were things that worked and others that didn’t, so we discuss those.
Bayley got injured doing mandatory training and will be out for a while. Was that training necessary?
With WWE Money in the Bank this Sunday, we give predictions and speculate on if there will be any surprises.
Plus AEW All Out is a sellout, ROH has a new World Champion, there’s a big Impact World title match coming up and a lot more! We also answer your mailbag questions and celebrate Rich’s 40th birthday!
With a return to touring just weeks away, the end of the WWE ThunderDome experience now has an official date.
First reported by WrestleVotes and confirmed by our Dave Meltzer, the final live WWE show from the ThunderDome at Tampa, Florida’s Yuengling Center will be the Friday, July 9th SmackDown. However, they will tape the following Monday’s Raw (July 12) in the ThunderDome during their final week in Tampa.
That following Friday’s SmackDown will emanate from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, and will be the first non-WrestleMania show with live fans since before the pandemic. That kicks off WWE resuming touring for Raw, SmackDown, pay-per-views and some house shows.
Created as a way to add atmosphere and to virtually bring live fans back into the WWE live experience, the ThunderDome debuted in August 2020 at Orlando’s Amway Center. The massive structure moved to Tampa’s Tropicana Field in December due to the start of the NBA season and then moved to the Yuengling Center in April due to the start of the MLB season.
The WWE ThunderDome’s next home has been officially confirmed.
WWE announced today that, starting with the Monday, April 12 episode of Raw, the ThunderDome is moving to the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. Tampa’s Tropicana Field currently hosts the ThunderDome, but WWE’s residency at the venue needs to end due to the start of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball season.
“Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-view programming will be produced at Yuengling Center on closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance, ” WWE announced. “WWE will continue to administer its health and safety protocols for talent, crew and employees in conjunction with each production, including PCR testing for COVID-19, social distancing and wearing masks.”
The Yuengling Center is located on the campus of the University of South Florida. It was formerly known as the USF Sun Dome.
WWE’s press release announcing the move notes that it continues WWE’s longstanding relationship with the state of Florida.
“WWE has always been a highlight of our event mix and bringing this world-class residency to Yuengling Center only strengthens our relationship,” said Kevin Preast, Executive Vice President of Event Management at Vinik Sports Group. “Hosting WWE ThunderDome is another step towards a full return of hosting more events in the area.”
“WWE takes great pride in providing our fans and network partners with cutting-edge production and one of the most interactive atmospheres in all of television every single week,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Production. “We look forward to the next iteration of the WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center as we continue to take the fan experience to a whole new level.”
The ThunderDome, which features virtual fans appearing on video screens, first launched in August of last year. Orlando’s Amway Center was its original home. The ThunderDome moved from the Amway Center to Tropicana Field in December due to the start of the NBA season.
The April 12 episode of Raw is the post-WrestleMania 37 edition of the show. Raw and SmackDown’s WrestleMania 37 go-home shows will be taped in advance before the ThunderDome moves out of Tropicana Field.
With the Major League Baseball season fast approaching, the Tampa Bay Rays will be getting their home field back from WWE just in time for the regular season to start.
Spectrum Sports 360’s Jon Alba reported Monday that a source told him that, as of now, WWE’s ThunderDome residency at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida, will end with the Friday, April 2nd SmackDown. POST Wrestling’s John Pollock tweeted that he was also told the same date with Dave Meltzer confirming the end date.
The Rays’ first home game is set for Friday, April 9th. Alba says that the conversion back to a baseball-first facility has already begun in some parts of the park.
It’s unknown where the massive ThunderDome structure and the new home for WWE programming will be heading to next, but Dave Meltzer recently reported that WWE was talking to officials at Tampa’s Yuengling Center (the former University of South Florida Sun Dome), a 55,000-square-foot arena.
By their own admission, WWE isn’t planning to run in front of live crowds (outside WrestleMania) until the second half of the year at earliest, necessitating yet another move.
In the opening stretch, Adonis gained a few moments of control. Daivari would respond with some light offence before a dropkick from Adonis provided an opening to scale to the top rope. At the top, Daivari laid out Adonis, sending him crashing back to the mat.
After the fall, Daivari and Adonis traded strikes; Adonis emerged from the exchange victorious. A sidestep subverted Daivari’s attempt at saving his momentum. A crossbody and a near fall from Adonis followed.
Adonis tried again for a move, but this time overshot Daivari. Adonis sold his leg upon landing, prompting Daivari to rush in; Adonis stopped the rush with a sudden spinebuster. However, Adonis was unable to follow up as a quick dropkick to the injured leg left Daivari back in control.
Daivari then hit the hammerlock lariat but intentionally interrupted his own pin that would have granted him a win. Daivari then taunted his all but defeated opponent before slowly climbing to the top rope from where he lept, delivering the Persian splash. Daivari laid into the pin lackadaisically, giving Adonis enough breathing room to not only escape but transform it into a pin of his own, a pin that Daivari was unable to break.
This was fine. Nothing spectacular, but focused enough to deliver an entertaining watch.
Jake Atlas defeated Tony Nese
Nese and Atlas proved to be on equal footing in the opening moments. After trading holds and reversals, Atlas took Nese to the mat with an arm drag and controlled said arm for some time. Nese eventually found the ropes, and the break gave him space and the correct timing to connect with a running hotshot.
Nese dragged Atlas to the outside before repeatedly driving him into the apron of the ring. Back inside the ropes, Nese stomped on Atlas’s body before taking him to the mat with body scissors. As Atlas struggled to free himself from Nese’s control, Nese connected with a suplex. The momentary spacing created by the manoeuvre seemed to allow Atlas back into the match, but Nese stopped any momentum Atlas was gaining with a devastating roundhouse kick.
Nese hoisted Atlas into the torture rack. Atlas not only escaped the submission but quickly turned it into a brainbuster; A standing moonsault and a near fall punctuated the Atlas rally that followed.
Atlas tried for a sunset flip, but Nese blocked it. Nese connected with a swift kick to the temple and a springboard moonsault resulting in another Nese near fall. Nese then insulted Atlas, triggering a melee which turned into a counter exchange. Atlas connected with a lariat and a cartwheel DDT before pinning Nese.
This was quite good. Atlas is a part of a rare breed of true babyfaces, and Nese his perfect heel complement.
The WWE ThunderDome is moving locations starting next month.
It was confirmed today that the WWE ThunderDome is moving to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, starting with the Friday, December 11th episode of SmackDown. Tropicana Field is a domed stadium that is home to Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.
The ThunderDome debuted when WWE’s residency at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, began this August, but WWE needed a new venue due to the NBA season starting next month.
WWE wrote that Raw, SmackDown, and pay-per-views will be produced at Tropicana Field on closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance. It was also noted that WWE “will continue to administer its health and safety protocols for talent, crew and employees in conjunction with each production, including PCR testing for COVID-19, social distancing and wearing masks.”
“The Tampa Bay Rays are excited to welcome WWE to Tropicana Field for this residency and shine a spotlight on the Tampa Bay area for WWE fans around the world,” Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman said in a press release. “The ballpark will be transformed to host the spectacle of WWE ThunderDome, allowing fans to enjoy this wildly popular experience virtually.”
“We are proud to have reimagined the in-arena atmosphere and provide an interactive experience like nothing else in sports and entertainment with the launch of WWE ThunderDome,” WWE Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Production Kevin Dunn said. “Our fans’ response and industry-wide recognition are both humbling and further validation of the innovative spirit and passion that exist across the entire WWE organization.”
The WWE ThunderDome viewing experience debuts on tonight’s SummerSlam go-home edition of SmackDown.
The ThunderDome features a “state-of-the-art set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics, and drone cameras.” It’s part of WWE’s residency at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida and will “virtually bring fans into the arena via live video on massive LED boards, in conjunction with The Famous Group and its proprietary technology, for every Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown and WWE pay-per-view event.”
Vince McMahon will make an appearance to kick off tonight’s show. It will be the first time he’s been on WWE television since Triple H’s 25th anniversary celebration in April.
Two title matches are set for tonight. AJ Styles will put his Intercontinental title on the line against Jeff Hardy. The Lucha House Party’s Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado are also challenging Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro for the SmackDown Tag Team titles.
Big E vs. Sheamus is also set for tonight. Plus, the show will feature the final build to Braun Strowman vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt for the Universal Championship at Sunday’s PPV.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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SmackDown opened up with a wide shot of the Thunderdome, which included pyro and the opening theme song.
Mr. McMahon was already standing in the middle of the ring. He welcomed everyone to the Thunderdome. Fans appeared virtually on LED boards in the stands and were visible on camera. There was a lot of cheering and noise as McMahon spoke. It’s unclear if that was the fans or added fan noise.
At first glance, the Thunderdome looks cool, is an improvement, and has a very different atmosphere than the Performance Center.
The Fiend Bray Wyatt’s music hit and interrupted McMahon. The Fiend went face-to-face with McMahon when Universal Champion Braun Strowman interrupted. He entered the ring and had a brief staredown with The Fiend. McMahon disappeared.
Suddenly, the lights started flickering, and Retribution ran out. They surrounded the ring and Strowman and The Fiend. The Fiend waved at Strowman, and the lights went out.
When the lights came back on, The Friend was gone. Retribution jumped Strowman and beat him down. The roster, including AJ Styles, Sheamus, Otis, Matt Riddle, Shorty G, Dana Brooke, King Corbin, and more, ran out for the save and cleared the ring.
The Miz ran out last after the roster ran off Retribution.
Drew Gulak helped up Strowman, but he snapped and pushed him to the mat. Strowman then tossed Jey Uso across the ring and left.
Big E defeated Sheamus
Big E and Sheamus had a fine match. The virtual fans made noise but did seem dead at one point, although it might have just appeared that way.
The roster remained at ringside.
Sheamus had the early advantage, but Big E tackled Sheamus into the steps to take over. He followed up with a big splash on the apron. Sheamus recovered and hit a flying clothesline off the top.
Sheamus hit the Irish Curse backbreaker for a close near fall.
Suddenly, the lights started flickering again. On commentary, Michael Cole wondered if Retribution was back already, and they cut to commercial.
Back from the break, Big E hit a belly-to-belly overhead suplex and splash for a near fall. Sheamus took back over and scored a near fall. Big E attempted the spear through the ropes, but Sheamus blocked it with a knee.
At ringside, King Corbin kept yelling at Matt Riddle and finally attacked him. They started fighting, and the rest of the roster tried to break them up.
Sheamus was setting up for the Brogue Kick, but the fight distracted him. Big E then rolled up Sheamus for the win.
In the back, the trainer checked on Jeff Hardy. He injured his knee earlier when someone hit him from behind, but he didn’t see who it was. He asked for a knee brace because he can’t miss his match later.
Lucha House Party was on their way to the ring when Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura jumped Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik from behind.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Lucha House Party (w/Kalisto) to retain the titles
This was a good match while it lasted. The fans made noise, but they weren’t reacting as a normal crowd would.
The heels were in control early as Cesaro used a chin lock. Metalik briefly took over with tilt-a-whirl head scissors. The heels quickly took back over and scored several near falls.
They cut to The Miz & John Morrison in the back. They talked over Cole and Graves as they called the match, which was annoying.
Metalik recovered and hit a massive hurricanrana on Cesaro off the top. Dorado got the tag and ran wild. He hit a superkick on Nakamura and hit three moonsaults in a row for a near fall, but Cesaro made the save.
Dorado hit a hurricanrana on Cesaro, sending him to the floor. Metalik hit a dive taking on Cesaro on the floor, but Metalik had a rough landing. Cesaro made a blind tag and scored a near fall with a sunset flip.
The finish saw Dorado attempt to roll up Cesaro, but he rolled through and pinned Dorado for the win.
After the match, Dorado and Kalisto got into an argument and started shoving each other. Metalik tried to keep the peace.
Michael Cole and Corey Graves showed footage from earlier of AJ Styles injuring Jeff Hardy’s knee during the brawl with Retribution.
Kayla Braxton interviewed Styles. He mocked Hardy and gloated about Hardy injuring his knee.
Styles ran into Bayley and Sasha Banks. They all praised each other.
Back from the break, Kalya Braxton interviewed Mandy Rose. Rose is hesitant about facing Sonya Deville at SummerSlam and wants to put it all behind them. She’s offering to cancel the match for the sake of their friendship.
Bayley and Sasha Banks Promo
Corey Graves interviewed WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley & Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks in the ring.
Michael Cole noted they both defend against Asuka at SummerSlam in separate matches, and whoever goes second has the advantage.
Graves tried to cause problems between them immediately. He asked if Bayley and Banks are breaking up. They mocked Graves and denied the claim. Graves wondered if they could defeat Asuka at SummerSlam without help.
Graves pointed out that Bayley suggested facing Asuka second. Banks seemed upset and wondered if Bayley’s volunteering her to go first again. Graves noted they seem to be arguing.
Naomi’s music hit, and she challenged them to a match. They mocked her and noted she couldn’t defeat both of them. Graves suggested Naomi taking on them both in separate beat the clock matches. Presumably, the person with the better time takes on Asuka second at SummerSlam.
Beat The Clock Challenge: Sasha Banks defeated Naomi
The match dragged at certain points and was a bit clumsy at times.
Banks and Bayley were funny rooting against each other.
Michael Cole confirmed the person with the better time takes on Asuka second at SummerSlam. Graves noted they have to defeat Naomi for that to happen.
Naomi had the early advantage and was firmly in control. In a clumsy-looking spot, Naomi stopped to do a handstand and sent Banks to the floor with the head scissors. She followed up with a plancha to the floor.
Banks briefly gained control, but Naomi scored a close near fall. Suddenly, Banks locked on the Bank Statement at 3:39 to win the match.
Beat The Clock Challenge: Naomi defeated Bayley
It does seem odd that they both have to face Naomi instead of having separate matches.
Bayley jumped Naomi at the bell and beat her down. Bayley was firmly in control, but Naomi fought back and hit a bulldog into the middle turnbuckle.
The finish came out of nowhere. Bayley missed a knee, and Naomi hit the rearview for the win.
Banks defends against Asuka second at SummerSlam. After the match, Bayley was unhappy, and Banks tried to hide her smile.
Asuka came out and promised to win both the Raw and SmackDown titles. Banks ran towards Asuka, but Asuka knocked her out with a kick to the head.
Asuka went after Bayley in the ring, but Bayley ran off. Bayley grabbed her belt and left Banks on the ramp knocked out. She then ran back to her friend to make sure she’s okay.
In the back, Kayla Braxton tried to approach Sonya Deville, but she wants to talk to fans in the arena. Deville got a big reaction from the fans.
Dana Brooke approached Deville. She tried to comfort Deville because of everything she went through during the week. Deville said it’s nothing she can’t handle and slapped Brooke.
Sonya Deville Promo
Sonya Deville walked onto the ramp to address Mandy Rose. Deville noted she knew Rose would try to back out of her own stipulations. Deville doesn’t care if she’s bald or not. However, she raised the stakes and made the match No DQ and loser must leave WWE. Deville pointed out that cutting Rose’s hair isn’t enough. She doesn’t want to see Rose’s face anymore.
This was a good promo. Deville is one of the highlights of SmackDown. It was short, but she didn’t need more time.
They recapped the Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss, and Fiend angle. In the back, Nikki Cross noted she talked to Bliss, but she’s a different person. Cross has a bad feeling that something terrible is going to happen.
Bray Wyatt hosts a new episode of the Firefly Funhouse later.
Jeff Hardy defeated A.J. Styles to win the Intercontinental Championship
Daniel Bryan appeared via Zoom and mocked Styles. He hopes Hardy can give the Thunderdome the champion they want.
Hardy and Styles had a good match. The story of the match was Hardy’s knee injury and Styles exposing the knee brace, which played into the finish.
Hardy limped out on his bad knee as he made his entrance. He sold the injury huge as he couldn’t put any weight on it.
Styles wasted no time and tried to go after Hardy’s knee. Hardy fought Styles off and hit a back body drop. Styles took over after attacking Hardy’s knee as he stood on the second turnbuckle.
Styles exposed the knee brace and injured knee. Styles whipped Hardy across the ring, but his knee gave out. Styles continued to attack Hardy’s knee.
Styles charged at Hardy. Hardy backdropped Styles over the top rope. Styles tried landing on the apron, but he slipped off. Hardy attempted a sliding dropkick, but Styles caught the leg and slammed it into the apron.
Back from the break, Styles was firmly in control, but Hardy hit a basement dropkick for a near fall. He followed up with a front face slam for another near fall.
Hardy attempted the Twist of Fate, but Styles countered with the Pele Kick. Hardy fought off Styles. He jumped up for the Whisper in the Wind, but his knee gave out and he collapsed to the mat.
Styles attempted the Phenomenal Forearm, but Hardy caught Styles with a shot to the gut. Styles then locked on the Calf Crusher, but Hardy made it to the ropes.
Styles attempted the Styles Clash, but Hardy hit Styles in the face with the knee brace. Hardy then hit the Twist of Fate and the Swanton Bomb to win the Intercontinental title.
After the match, Kalya Braxton interviewed Hardy in the ring. Hardy talked about overcoming his personal struggles.
In the back, Styles was yelling at Joseph Park because he lost the title. He was furious and blamed Park for his statistics being wrong.
Firefly Funhouse
Bray Wyatt hosted another episode of the Firefly Funhouse. He told the audience he loves them. He said love is a tricky thing. Too much love can turn a beautiful field of flowers into a wasteland.
Wyatt put on his glove and spoke with someone on his hand. Ramblin Rabbit and The Pig then parodied Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman from last week. Wyatt was furious when they went off-script.
Wyatt noted that “He” can’t wait to get his hands on Strowman.
Suddenly, Wyatt stopped talking and looked around. He looked at the camera and said, “What took you so long?”
Braun Strowman ran in and beat down Wyatt. Strowman’s not done and dragged Wyatt out as they cut to commercial.
Back from the break, Corey Graves and Michael Cole noted they’re trying to get their cameras in the back to catch the fight between Strowman and Wyatt.
Graves pointed out that Strowman somehow entered The Firefly Funhouse, which Graves said is in an alternate universe. He also said they couldn’t find the entrance, but Strowman knows where the door is located.
The cameras then cut to the backstage area where they were brawling. Strowman and Wyatt fought near a ledge. Storman smiled and then tossed Wyatt off the ledge to the concentrate below. They portrayed it as a huge fall and serious injury. Wyatt didn’t move for several minutes. Officials and referees ran out to check on Wyatt.
An ambulance arrived, and they quickly loaded Wyatt in the back. Adam Pearce yelled at the ambulance to hurry up and leave, but it suddenly stopped.
The ambulance then started to back up. Pearce yelled that they’re going the wrong way. The lights in the ambulance turned red. They did a close up on Pearce, Sonjay Dutt, and the other officials.
The camera spun around. The Fiend emerged from the ambulance and just stood there, which was an awesome sight. He then started to laugh to end the show.
This was a good show-closing angle and probably the best involving these two. It had a supernatural feel considering everyone that was involved. The closing image of The Fiend was epic.
Ahead of it debuting on SmackDown tonight, WWE has revealed a look at their ThunderDome set:
WWE hyped that the ThunderDome viewing experience features a “state-of-the-art set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics, and drone cameras.” It will also “virtually bring fans into the arena via live video on massive LED boards, in conjunction with The Famous Group and its proprietary technology, for every Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown and WWE pay-per-view event. Starting tonight.”
The ThunderDome will be part of WWE’s residency at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The deal with the city of Orlando to use the venue currently runs through October with no in-person fans in attendance.
An appearance by Vince McMahon will kick off tonight’s SmackDown. The show will also feature AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental title, Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro vs. The Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado) for the SmackDown Tag Team titles, Big E vs. Sheamus, and the final build to Sunday’s SummerSlam PPV.
– 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:
Footage from inside the Amway Center in Orlando, where WWE is working on its newest creation, the ThunderDome pic.twitter.com/WBx8Xx3U8a
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.
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.
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.
– 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.
