SEScoops

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • WWE NXT Results (8/12): Velveteen Dream Returns, Reed vs. Priest, Karrion Kross

    The August 12, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

    WWE NXT Results (8/12)

    • Karrion Kross def. Danny Burch
    • Santos Escobar def. Tyler Breeze
    • Mia Yim def. Indi Hartwell
    • Bronson Reed def. Damian Priest.
    • Mercedes Martinez & Aliyah (w/Robert Stone) def. Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro
    • Cameron Grimes def. The Velveteen Dream and KUSHIDA to advance to the NXT North American Championship Ladder Match

    Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

    Adam Cole Wasn’t Happy

    Killian Dain vs. Drake Maverick, the second match on the card, didn’t have a finish. Instead, The Undisputed Era came down to the ring and beat them down. Adam Cole got on the microphone to cut a promo on Pat McAfee as they’re just over a week from their match at NXT TakeOver: XXX. 

    Cole said that Pat isn’t welcomed in their world and just wants to play wrestler. He said that Pat runs his mouth on social media, but Pat kicked him when he had his hands behind his back. He reminded Pat that he is the longest-reigning NXT Champion of all-time. He said that at TakeOver, Pat is stepping into the ring with that guy. 

    He dared Pat to show up to NXT next week and if he has the guts then get into the ring so he can look Pat in the eyes and let him know that he’s going to whoop him at TakeOver. He said at that moment, Pat will know that he’s in over his head. 

    Karrion Kross Back In Action

    Karrion Kross returned to the ring to face Danny Burch. This was booked and perceived to be a squash match. It turns out that was exactly what it was supposed to be. 

    It served as the opening contest. Kross ended the match with the cross jacket submission hold. 

    After the match, Keith Lee walked down to the ring with a contract in hand. Kross and Scarlett walked out of the ring. Lee said that the blame is on Kross and called him a b*tch for not coming at him first. 

    Lee said that he pleaded with William Regal with the promise that he wouldn’t touch Kross if he got a match at TakeOver. Regal signed it, Lee signed, and now Kross signed. The match is official for NXT TakeOver: XXX. Scarlett kissed the contract and slid it into the ring. 

    Lee opened the folder and a fireball shot out of it going right into the face of Lee. He was helped to the backstage area. 

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  • Jeff Cobb Teases Promotion Announcing His Signing

    Jeff Cobb is still a free agent, but that might be changing soon. 

    Cobb teased a major promotion announcing his signing during an appearance on Wrestling Inc. Daily. 

    \”Well, technically I\’m a free agent until whatever group announces that I signed. I\’m enjoying what I\’m doing. I was going to make a decision but then this craziness kind of happened. So kind of just laying low until the company announces it, and then we\’ll go from there. 

    I want the company to do it so the company will get the recognition. I\’d rather them do it that way so they can get the spotlight instead of me, and I\’ll go from there.\”

    Cobb\’s contract with ROH expired back in January.  A few months ago, he made it known to ROH officials that he wanted to stay and work with ROH, but was enjoying his time as a free agent. 

    Back on the February 12th episode of AEW Dynamite, Cobb made a surprise appearance by attacking Jon Moxley. The following week, Moxley beat Cobb in a singles match. He hasn’t been seen since then on AEW TV. 

    He is currently competing as part of NJPW Strong in the New Japan Cup for the opportunity to challenge for the IWGP United States Championship.

  • Keith Lee vs. Karrion Kross Made Official For WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX

    Keith Lee vs. Karrion Kross has been announced for the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX. 

    After weeks of teasing it happening, WWE made it official during Wednesday’s episode of NXT. After Kross had beaten Danny Burch, Lee came out to the ring with a contract in hand. After Kross had signed it, Scarlett kissed it and when Lee opened the folder, a fireball hit him in the face. 

    Once Lee won the title from Adam Cole, Kross had set his sights on Lee because he wanted the championship. Last month, Kross beat Dominik Dijakovic, who is the good friend yet better enemy of the NXT Champion. He gave him such a beating that Dijakovic hasn’t been seen since. 

    Although NXT General Manager William Regal stated that Kross had to earn the title match, that has clearly changed. 

    WWE presents the NXT TakeOver XXX event on Saturday, August 22, 2020 in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

    Updated WWE NXT TakeOver XXX Card

    • WWE NXT Champion Keith Lee vs. Karrion Kross
    • WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs. Dakota Kai
    • Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA – Ladder Match to crown new NXT North American Champion 
    • Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee

    Pat McAfee Shares Training Footage Ahead Of NXT TakeOver: XXX Match

    What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

  • WWE Nixes Possible Location For SummerSlam, Latest Plans

    It appears Vince McMahon won’t get what he wanted, which was to have fans in attendance for this year’s WWE SummerSlam. 

    It had been reported that WWE was looking into holding the show at an outdoor location with the idea of having some fans in attendance. At one point, there was talk holding the show on a beach or a ship or at a location in the northeast. 

    WWE has yet to confirm where the event will take place after announcing that it had nixed its original plans to hold it in Boston at the TD Garden Arena.

    On Wednesday, WrestleVotes first reported that the event will not have fans in attendance, but wasn’t sure the exact location for the event. 

    Meanwhile, PWinsider.com reported that “any WWE plans to tape content for Summerslam in Atlantic City have been dropped.” Instead, the report states the show will be held in Florida.

    WWE presents the SummerSlam pay-per-view event on Sunday, August 23, 2020 that will air on the WWE Network. Although the full card hasn’t been revealed yet, some of the top matches have been made official. 

    WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton represents the main event of the Raw brand while WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt is the top match featured on the Friday Night SmackDown side. 

  • John Cena On Firefly Fun House Match: “It Left A Lot Of Questions”

    John Cena hasn’t been on WWE television since WrestleMania 36 where he took part in the Firefly Fun House match against Bray Wyatt. It was a trip down memory lane for Cena. 

    It wasn’t a normal match, but rather a series of segments where he went through all of his old gimmicks. 

    Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Cena commented on the end of the match, which apparently saw Wyatt win, but it was never confirmed.  

    “It left a lot of questions,” said Cena. “It wasn’t just single-serving, it is something you can go back and watch and enjoy. Those are some of the best efforts. Bray is obviously doing a great job, Seth Rollins has done an unbelievable job of adapting to a crowdless environment.\”

    One of the more interesting aspects of the match came when Wyatt dressed up as Eric Bischoff and Cena dressed in NWO gear while acting like Hulk Hogan. 

    The finish saw Wyatt hit Sister Abigail to Cena then choked him out with the Mandible Claw to end the match. 

    Since that time, Wyatt has been put back into the Universal Title picture and will challenge Braun Strowman for the title at SummerSlam. 

  • WWE RAW Total Viewership Stays Steady, RAW Underground Week 2 Slightly Dips (8/10)

    Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 1.722 million viewers with a 0.47 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This was up from last week, which did 1.714 million viewers and a 0.51 demo rating.

    Just one year ago, RAW averaged 2.473 million viewers. The third hour dropped despite the second week of RAW Underground, but last week’s third hour was down as well from the 1.610 million viewers.

    Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Raw, courtesy of Showbuzzdaily.com:

    • Hour 1: 1.811 million, 0.50 in the 18-49 Demo
    • Hour 2: 1.754 million, 0.46 in the 18-49 Demo
    • Hour 3: 1.601 million, 0.46 in the 18-49 Demo

    This week’s RAW featured Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton, Asuka vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team & SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in a non-title match, the second week of RAW Underground, the return of Mickie James, and more. 

    SmackDown Viewership

    Friday’s SmackDown averaged 1.962 million viewers on FOX. This is up from the 1.894 million viewers that the show did for the previous week.

    SmackDown averaged 1.956 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was up from the 1.892 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets. 

    The first hour drew 1.924 million viewers while the second hour did 1.880 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 1.911 million viewers while the second hour did 1.956 million viewers. 

    SmackDown pulled in a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demos, the same from the 0.50 rating as last week’s show.

  • Asuka vs. Sasha Banks Official For WWE SummerSlam

    As expected, Asuka vs. Sasha Banks 3 is set for the upcoming WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view event. 

    Asuka wanted a rematch with Banks and she got it. During Monday’s episode of RAW, WWE booked Asuka vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in a non-title match with the stipulation that if Asuka wins then she earns the right to challenge the RAW Women’s champion for the title at SummerSlam.

    It happened and saw the finish of Asuka tapping out Bayley. There was some outside interference from Banks earlier in the match. 

    https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1293006867145330688

    Their first match took place at Extreme Rules that saw a controversial finish that ultimately didn’t count since Bayley counted the pinfall. Banks then dethroned Asuka as the champion a few weeks ago on RAW when Asuka was counted out thanks to Bayley attacking Kairi Sane in the backstage area. 

    WWE presents the SummerSlam pay-per-view event on Sunday, August 23, 2020 at an unknown location that will air on the WWE Network. 

    Updated WWE SummerSlam Card

    • WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton
    • WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt
    • WWE RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. Andrade & Angel Garza
    • WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews vs. MVP
    • Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio – Dominik Allowed to Use Weapons
    • WWE RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks vs. Asuka

    Seth Rollins Talks RAW Underground, Initial Boost For WWE TV Ratings

  • Darby Allin & Priscilla Kelly Getting Divorced

    Priscilla Kelly and Darby Allin are going through the process of getting a divorce. 

    Kelly shared the news in a post on her official Twitter account by releasing a statement. This is where she publicly let people know that she and the AEW star are separating. 

    However, the positive is that they’re doing so by ending the relationship on good terms. The independent wrestling star shared a statement on Twitter writing the following: 

    “The last few months have been extremely difficult, and there’s been a lot of questions. Not only due to Covid and the loss of work for myself, but also due to the fact that Darby and I have been going through a divorce.

    There’s been a lot of ups and downs, but we have come to the conclusion that we are just not compatible together as people. We are on great terms, and wish only the best for each other. There are no hard feelings, as we both understand this is what is best. I know a lot of you have supported us for a long time as a duo, and we appreciate it so much, but this decision is what’s best for both of us and our wellbeing. I hope to see him continue his rise in the entertainment industry and take the world by storm as he already is. As for me, it’s time to begin a new chapter.”

    Allin and Kelly married each other in 2018. As of this writing, Allin has yet to comment on the mat. 

    Allin is coming off the biggest match thus far in his career and its under the All Elite Wrestling banner. He lost to AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley in the main event with the title being on the line of last week’s episode of Dynamite. 

  • Pat McAfee Shares Training Footage Ahead Of NXT TakeOver: XXX Match

    Pat McAfee is getting ready to make his pro wrestling debut and will do it on a big stage in WWE. 

    McAfee is slated to take on Adam Cole in a singles match at the NXT TakeOver: XXX event. He took to his Twitter account where he shared footage of him training inside of the ring. 

    McAfee captioned the video, “Hey [Adam Cole] … You got 12 days to figure out how you’re gonna explain to the “wrestling community” how you lost to an “outsider.” There’s levels to this #NXT.”

    As seen below, the footage features him doing a few moonsaults off the top rope and a standing moonsault on the mat. At one point, he did a senton from the top rope and a running leap to the top turnbuckle.

    The video ends with him telling Cole that he would eat him for breakfast. Check it out here: 

    https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1292962003242364929

    It all started when Cole was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” and things got heated between the two men. 

    Fast forward to last week’s episode of NXT, Cole, and McAfee got into an exchange of words that got heated to the point where they had to be separated. Pat laid him out with a kick to the head. 

  • Cody Rhodes Downplays Impact Of Big WarnerMedia Shakeup On AEW

    Cody Rhodes has given his first public thoughts about AEW losing a major supporter at WarnerMedia in Kevin Reilly. 

    News broke on Friday that Reilly is gone from the company. AEW President & CEO Tony Khan previously told the story about how he pitched the idea of bringing back wrestling to the TNT network when he and Reilly had a meeting at a party in Los Angeles.

    Reilly was a big factor in AEW getting their TNT TV deal as he had worked as the Content Chief at WarnerMedia, and as the President of TNT, TBS and TruTV.

    On Twitter, a fan asked Cody Rhodes if fans should be worried about the future of AEW since the recent shakeup. 

    He responded with, \”No. We have been blessed to have had so many viewers(even opposed), thus the 3+ year extension. It\’s a great partnership!\”

    Rhodes will be in action on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place on TNT. The live episode will see him defend the TNT Championship against Scorpio Sky. 

    AEW has still to name his opponent at the All Out pay-per-view event next month. 

  • Drew McIntyre Addresses Criticism Over His WWE Title Reign

    Drew McIntyre has been WWE Champion since WrestleMania 36 where he dethroned Brock Lesnar but has also faced challenges during his reign. 

    He did an interview with TV Insider to talk about various topics including this year’s SummerSlam and his reign as WWE Champion. 

    His time as the top champion has come under fire for not being a drawing champion with television ratings although WWE is in the COVID-19 era. 

    \”It would certainly be unique, which is what it\’s all about right now. We\’re trying to catch people\’s attention with something different. The environment at the Performance Center is what it is. But a boat would certainly catch my attention.”

    \”The audience that has stuck around are getting to learn about the characters on a deeper level. I think that because of this, when we get back into the arenas, the viewership will grow. I think we will reach new heights to be honest because we\’re going to have so many compelling characters.\”

    The WWE Champion is slated to defend the title against Randy Orton in one of the top matches on the card for the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. 

    WWE has yet to name the main event for the show, but this is certainly a contest that is worthy of that spot. 

  • Seth Rollins Talks RAW Underground, Initial Boost For WWE TV Ratings

    Seth Rollins is one of the first WWE stars to give his take on the latest concept created by Vince McMahon, which is RAW Underground. 

    During this week’s episode of RAW, Shane McMahon introduced RAW Underground, which is in a room with dimmed lighting and a ring with no ropes surrounded by Performance Center talent. It has elements of an MMA fight, with competitors wearing gloves.

    Rollins made an appearance on The Gorilla Podcast for a new interview and during the chat was asked about it. 

    \”It is something out-of-the-box, and our audiences are always begging for something fresh and different. My verdict is TBD, let us what happens. It might end up being ridiculous in a good or bad way. Who knows?\”

    The concept was created as a way to improve the decline in WWE Monday Night RAW’s viewership numbers. 

    \”Obviously, it worked in the first week since we saw a bump in viewership. Now, can we keep the ball rolling? Let\’s see. I had no idea what to expect when I first saw it (Raw Underground) mentioned on the sheet.”

    Rollins stated that when he watched it he wasn\’t entirely offended by it, especially since it\’s a brand new idea. 

    Instead, he wants to see what it turns into down the road. He pointed out how it’s 2020 and anything can happen, but they’re hoping for the best. 

  • Big Show On Challenges Of Wrestling Without Real WWE Crowd

    The Big Show is making the media rounds to help promote Netflix\’s Game On: A Comedy Crossover, and his series, The Big Show Show.

    The future WWE Hall of Famer did an interview with TV Guide and during the interview, he was asked about wrestling without a live audience

    \”Well, that\’s the thing. You have to adjust,\” Big Show said. \”We take our responsibility pretty seriously, being an outlet and an escape for people. The feeling that I\’m getting from talking to the other talent is everybody\’s improving. At first, it was really awkward but now you\’re focusing more on what you\’re doing between the ropes and honing those skills.”

    Big Show said that he thinks when they get that luxury of performing in front of the fans back then it\’s going to make it all sweeter. He thinks it\’s a good thing sometimes to have that taken away because it makes you more appreciative when it happens again. 

    He stated that he can’t wait to walk down the ramp in front of 20,000; 50,000; 100,000 people again.\”

    WWE has held shows at the Performance Center without fans for a few months due to COVID-19. As of late, WWE has had mostly NXT / PC talent in the crowd.

  • RETRIBUTION Hijacks WWE SmackDown, Uses Chainsaw

    As expected, a new faction has made its debut on WWE television and its RETRIBUTION.

    On Friday’s SmackDown, their presence was first felt during a backstage pull-apart between Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville by turning out the lights.

    The group appeared by taking the ring with various weapons before running off the camera crew then attacking some WWE developmental talent in the crowd.

    They also spray-painted things and took a chainsaw to the ring ropes. It happened at the end of the broadcast.

    WWE’s official website had teased earlier on Monday that there were “rumblings” around the Performance Center that the group was set to “cause chaos” and “shake up the organizations structure.”

    During Monday’s broadcast on the USA Network, we saw a group of people wearing hoodies outside throwing what appears to be a Molotov cocktail at a generator. 

    It was first reported by Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet that the group is not intended to be political but rather specific to WWE. At the time, there was no word on who would’ve been part of the group as those involved in the faction are being kept close to the vest by upper management.

  • Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt Set For WWE SummerSlam

    WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt has been announced for the upcoming WWE SummerSlam PPV.

    WWE confirmed the match on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. This came just one week after Wyatt had attacked Alexa Bliss, who had been portrayed in the Wyatt Swamp Fight back at Extreme Rules. 

    During SmackDown, Wyatt, who was dressed as The Fiend came down to the ring then when the show came back we saw Alexa Bliss down on the mat as The Fiend circled her and stared down at her. Bliss slowly grabbed his arm and face.

    He stared at her but quickly backed off. Strowman appeared on the big screen in order for him to do a promo about how the evil is now coming out of him.

    Strowman stated that he has decided The Fiend can have whatever he wants at SummerSlam and advised Wyatt to face his fears and face The Monster.

    Updated WWE SummerSlam Card

    • WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton
    • WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt
    • WWE RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. Andrade & Angel Garza
    • WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews vs. MVP
    • Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio

    Latest On Plans For This Year’s WWE Draft

  • Latest On Plans For This Year’s WWE Draft

    News broke earlier this month that WWE is planning a draft for this year, but the date has changed several times.

    Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the current plan is to hold the Draft in October, which had been previously reported about.

    There would be two dates with one Draft show for RAW and another for SmackDown.

    As noted, there was a plan to do it in August because WWE officials felt a change was needed because of declining ratings. However, if they did it then it would mess up plans for SummerSlam. 

    As of last week, WWE wanted to do the draft in late August after SummerSlam, but that got nixed once WWE planned to do a second pay-per-view a week after SummerSlam so then it was moved to September.

    That of course was changed and the plan is for the Draft to happen in October. As seen above, things in WWE change all of the time due to Vince McMahon. 

    Draft shows typically do better in the ratings for that week, but if the RAW Underground idea works and helps build viewership then WWE is less likely to move up the date for the Draft. 

  • Kenny Omega Confirms Production Of AEW Video Game, Details What Fans Can Expect

    Kenny Omega did an interview with Venn and during the chat, he addressed the status of the fabled AEW video game.

    Omega confirmed that the game is production and put over those who are currently working on the game. 

    “Oof, probably officially not, but at the risk of getting myself in trouble, yes, we are in production of a video game. We have a lot of creative minds at work at the new video game right now. I think people are going to like it, and I think that what the fans are hoping for is, in fact, going to come to fruition.”

    Omega stated that he’s hoping it will be like the WWE No Mercy game and WrestleMania 2000.

    “I\’m hoping that it really is sort of a brand new take on something that\’s like the No Mercy game of old. So, if you liked WrestleMania 2000, No Mercy, VPW – we are very much hoping to recreate the same feel, the same fun-factor, the same pick-up-and-play ability of those games in the past. So, look forward to that. We are working diligently to give you guys something in the near future.”

    The discussion of a possible video game for the promotion dates back to Cody Rhodes talking about it in March 2019 and then late July 2019 when Matt Jackson gave further updates. 

    Ever since word got out about the game, Omega, has made it known that his personal mission is to bring back the classic game engine used for famous wrestling games, which was AKI. 

  • Impact Wrestling EVP Open To Interpromotional Match With FTR

    Fans could be in store to see the first interpromotional match between two tag teams in AEW and Impact Wrestling.

    FTR and The North have gone public through social media about how they want to wrestle each other. Although FTR is under contract with AEW and The North is with Impact wrestling, Impact EVP Scott D’Amore says he’s down to make it happen.

    This possibility all started when Dax Harwood quote tweeted a video of their match from Dynamite this week.

    He stated, “Real quick; this is what makes us a great tag team. Not fancy double teams. Not 30-second sequences. Keeping the freshman in, using your partner, knowing where each other is at all times, feeding him & he executes. That’s all. Back to the ice!”

    This led to Ethan Page responding to the tweet where he mentioned how they needed to work together right away, which Harwood agreed to the belief. 

    D’Amore then chimed in with a suggestion with, “Well Dax, you know I have mad respect for you & [Cash Wheeler]. I can assure you that [Impact Wrestling] supports making it happen,” he tweeted. “How about a home & home series between FTR and #TheNorth?”

    It should be noted that D’Amore also tagged Chris Jericho about how they can make this happen. AEW President Tony Khan has yet to comment or any other AEW executives. 

  • AEW Loses Big Supporter At WarnerMedia After Company Restructuring

    AEW has lost a major supporter at WarnerMedia as Kevin Reilly is gone from the company. 

    The Hollywood Reporter reported today that his departure is due to a major restructuring under newly-installed CEO Jason Kilar. Per the report, the series of moves will prioritize HBO Max and streamline Warner\’s content operations. 

    Kilar has decided to combine content studios and programming across Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, TruTV, HBO, and HBO Max under one banner, which is the newly-created Studios & Networks Group. 

    The group will oversee all WarnerMedia TV series and film development, production and programming. 

    Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter on Twitter wrote, \”This news is gigantic. Can\’t express how big. Reilly was the one who greenlit AEW, really was the guy who was a large part of why there is an AEW.”

    Reilly was a big factor in AEW getting their TNT TV deal. Before his departure, he had worked as the Content Chief at WarnerMedia, and as the President of TNT, TBS and TruTV.

    AEW had been set to introduce a third hour of programming to WarnerMedia, but hasn’t happened yet and there’s no word yet on how Reilly\’s dismissal might impact AEW on the network. 

    AEW President & CEO Tony Khan has gone on record in the past that the idea of bringing back wrestling to the company started when he and Reilly meeting at a party in Los Angeles where Khan pitched the idea. 

  • WWE NXT Results (8/5): Pat McAfee Appears, Triple Threat, Ripley vs. Kai

    The August 5, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

    WWE NXT Results (8/5)

    • Dakota Kai def. Rhea Ripley
    • Bronson Reed def. Shane Thorne
    • Damian Priest def. Ridge Holland and Oney Lorcan
    • Keith Lee def. Cameron Grimes.
    • Tegan Nox def. Indi Hartwell.
    • NXT Tag Team Champions Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner def. Kyle O\’Reilly and Bobby Fish

    Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

    Ladder Match Spot

    \"\"
    Photo Credit: WWE.com

    A triple threat match that featured Damian Priest vs. Oney Lorcan vs. NXT UK Superstar Ridge Holland doing battle for the second Ladder Match spot at NXT TakeOver: 30 to crown a new North American Champion took place. 

    So far there have been three of these matches and this one was the least entertaining. They all worked hard, but something was lacking. It was interesting to see Holland in there as he hadn’t been used on NXT television in the past. 

    The finish saw Priest hit Lorcan with his finisher to get the win. 

    As a result, Priest now joins Bronson Reed as the other competitor in the match. More stars will be added to the bout in the coming weeks.

    https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1291175513348767747

    NXT Tag Team Championship Match

    \"\"

    NXT Tag Team Champions Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner vs. Kyle O\’Reilly and Bobby Fish was booked in the main event. 

    As expected, this match delivered. With the challengers being distracted by the argument between Pat McAfee and Adam Cole at ringside, the champions hit their finisher for the win. 

    Some could argue that WWE should’ve saved this contest for the NXT TakeOver: XXX event that is slated to take place in a few weeks. 

    WWE hadn’t given this match much build especially considering that NXT is lacking tag teams right now. That hadn’t been an issue in the past, but we’re in a different era of NXT compared to what it was when it was a one-hour program on the WWE Network. 

    Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai

    \"Rhea
    Rhea Ripley

    We now know who is next in line for a title shot in the women’s division as Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai was booked in a #1 Contender’s Match. 

    The back and forth match was quite entertaining with both stars getting a chance to shine in a competitive bout. The finish saw Kai get the pinfall when Rhea was taken out with a big boot by Mercedes Martinez. 

    After the match, Martinez laid out the former NXT Women’s Champion. It appears that is the new direction for these two stars. 

    As a result, Kai has earned the right to challenge NXT Women\’s Champion Io Shirai for the strap at the NXT TakeOver: XXX event. Either one would’ve been a fine choice. 

    Ripley clearly is one of the two top stars in the division. On the flip side, Kai has been built up by management over the past few months as someone that fans should take notice of. 

    Non-Title Match

    \"Keith
    Keith Lee

    NXT Champion Keith Lee vs. Cameron Grimes in a non-title match was booked with what many felt as just filing time while also advancing the storyline with Lee and Karrion Kross. 

    WWE actually gave Grimes some offense and made him look serious, which was a surprise. Lee went over with a powerbomb. 

    After the match, Kross was seen on the big screen and had laid out several people in the backstage area. 

    Of course, Grimes had interrupted Lee last week, which led to him getting laid out. The match was very much one-sided and rightfully so. 

    Grimes is a comedy guy with a limited shelf life in this current gimmick. While he’s talented and gets the job done, some could argue that he’s not being allowed to hit his full potential in a somewhat limited character role. 

    https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1291181354575683586

    Pat McAfee Appears

    \"\"

    Former NFL punter and current sports personality Pat McAfee made an appearance in order to address his confrontation with former NXT Champion Adam Cole last month. 

    Cole was a guest on \”The Pat McAfee Show\” and things got heated between the two men. After trading some jabs, Cole finally snapped when called short and dropped a couple of F-bombs before he shoved McAfee\’s co-host. Cole has since then apologized for his actions.

    WWE did a storyline where McAfee had made up with Cole earlier in the night. He joined Tom Phillips on commentary for the last 30 minutes of the show. This includes the main event for the tag team titles. During it, he was taking jabs at Cole. 

    Cole came over and threw water on Pat. They were separated. Shawn Michaels and Triple H appeared to break it up. All of a sudden, Pat laid him out with a kick to the head. 

    https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1291194865024405505

  • Jon Moxley Retains AEW World Title Over Darby Allin

    On just a week’s notice, Jon Moxley and Darby Allin met inside of the squared circle.

    Moxley made his latest defense of the AEW World Heavyweight Title against the rising star in the main event of Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

    Moxley successfully retained the title over Allin from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. During the match, MJF came out and hit Moxley with the title, which busted him open. Despite this, Moxley managed to pull through and hit Allin with a Paradigm Shift and scored the clean pin.

    AEW set up this contest last week when Moxley and Allin defeated Brian Cage & Ricky Starks in a Texas Tornado Tag Team Match in the main event.

    After the match, Tony Schiavone announced as the show was about to go off the air that AEW President Tony Khan had told him that these two stars would meet in a title bout. They proceeded to have a staredown. 

    The AEW All Out pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. At this show, MJF will challenge Moxley for the 

  • Eric Bischoff Appears On AEW Dynamite As Special Guest Moderator

    As expected, Eric Bischoff made an appearance on AEW Dynamite, which marked his promotional debut. 

    All Elite Wrestling had previously announced that Chris Jericho would debate Orange Cassidy with a special guest moderator on Wednesday’s broadcast from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. It marked the first appearance for Bischoff on TNT since the summer of 2000 on WCW. 

    The promotion hadn’t announced who the moderator would be, but it turned out to be Bischoff. His appearance on this show was leaked last week. 

    Bischoff was behind a desk on the stage while Jericho and Cassidy were in the ring at podiums. Jericho mostly trash-talked Cassidy during the segment. 

    It was revealed that Jericho will battle Cassidy next week in a singles match. The stipulation is that if Cassidy loses then he’ll have to pay $7,000 for the expensive shirt that he destroyed when he dumped orange juice on him and fellow members of The Inner Circle. 

    Bischoff had been in WWE while serving as the SmackDown Executive Director for a few months in 2019. He was replaced by Bruce Prichard as the Executive Director of SmackDown. 

    Since that time, he has continued his 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson. 

  • Io Shirai Receives WWE NXT TakeOver: XXX Opponent

    The next challenger to WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai will be Dakota Kai and it\’s the latest match to be added to the card the upcoming WWE NXT TakeOver: 30

    During Wednesday’s episode of NXT on the USA Network in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University, WWE held a match that would determine who is next in line for a title shot. 

    A singles match between Rhea Ripley and Kai took place with the winner becoming the next challenger to the title. It was a lengthy match that featured a finish where Mercedes Martinez hit Ripley with a big boot that allowed Kai to capitalize on it. 

    Kai was victorious, earning the right to challenge Shirai for the NXT Women’s Title. 

    WWE presents the NXT TakeOver: 30 event on Sunday, June 7, 2020 in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University and will air on the WWE Network. 

    Updated WWE NXT TakeOver: 30 Card

    • WWE NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs. Dakota Kai
    • Bronson Reed vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA – Ladder Match to crown new NXT North American Champion 

    WWE Changes TV Taping Schedule After Organization Problems

    What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

  • WWE Changes TV Taping Schedule After Organization Problems

    WWE has adjusted its TV taping schedule from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. 

    Dave Meltzer reported on F4Wonline that “due to problems regarding organization, yesterday\’s Smackdown tapings only taped one show instead of the scheduled two. The one show taped will air this Friday.”

    As a result, WWE will have to make up for that and has updated its schedule. Currently, WWE will tape the August 17th episode of RAW on August 13th in addition to the August 14 episode of Smackdown and the August 17 episode of RAW on that date.

    This will come one day after WWE holds NXT TV tapings. Meltzer noted that due to this, several people will have to stay an extra day. WWE will need to find a new date for August 21 Smackdown taping that was to be taped on August 17.

    WWE taped two episodes of RAW this past Monday – one for this week’s show and then the August 10 episode. It was reported at the time that the situation backstage was described as being more chaotic than usual due to constant changes. 

    WWE has already confirmed two matches for next week’s episode of RAW.

    Those matches are Kevin Owens facing Randy Orton in a singles match in addition to Asuka vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in a non-title match with the stipulation that if Asuka wins then she earns the right to challenge RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks for the title at SummerSlam.

  • WWE RAW Viewership Up, RAW Underground Debut Does 1.6 Million Viewers (8/3)

    Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 1.714 million viewers with a 0.51 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. This was up from last week, which did 1.620 million viewers and a 0.47 demo rating.

    WWE is staying steady with its current trend of numbers, but it has to be brought up that just one year ago, RAW averaged 2.473 million viewers. The third hour dropped despite the debut of RAW Underground.  

    Here’s the hourly viewership breakdown for Raw, courtesy of Showbuzzdaily.com:

    • Hour 1: 1.710 million, 0.48 in the 18-49 Demo
    • Hour 2: 1.824 million, 0.55 in the 18-49 Demo
    • Hour 3: 1.610 million, 0.51 in the 18-49 Demo

    This week’s RAW featured a minor tease of a new anarchist group, the return of Shane McMahon, and his reveal of RAW Underground. The show opened with a United States Title Match between Apollo Crews and MVP. 

    SmackDown Viewership

    Friday’s SmackDown averaged 1.894 million viewers on FOX. This is down from the 1.924 million viewers that the show did for the previous week.

    SmackDown averaged 1.892 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was down from the 1.971 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets. 

    The first hour drew 1.873 million viewers while the second hour did 1.911 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 1.985 million viewers while the second hour did 1.956 million viewers. 

    SmackDown pulled in a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demos, the same from the 0.50 rating as last week’s show.