Charlotte Flair talked about the possibility of another WWE Evolution event while doing a recent interview.
She did so while speaking with Cultaholic. At the first show, Flair battled Becky Lynch in a Last Woman Standing Match for the SmackDown Women\’s Championship.
Charlotte Flair Talks Evolution 2
According to Flair, she thinks it would be okay for her to not be featured in another show like this or the company holding a second event for all women at all. The reason for that, Charlotte Flair talked about how she wouldn’t view it necessarily negative if it doesn’t happen again.
“I thought the first Evolution was such a success and it was really fun to see the past, the present, and technically the future from NXT altogether on one card in one night. But if it doesn’t happen again.
Personally, for me, I always want to be on the card where the entire men’s roster is on it because I want to go, ‘I had the best match, male or female.’ So to me, it’s not necessarily a negative if it doesn’t happen again, but if it does happen again I think it’s so exciting.“
This was the first-ever women’s pay-per-view event under the WWE banner, which took place on October 28, 2018, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in Uniondale, New York.
Nikki Bella vs. Rousey for the RAW Women’s Title served as the main event of this show. Lynch vs. Flair was a heavily promoted contest that basically served as the co-main event of the show.
Flair has her next match booked as she\’ll be competing in the Women\’s Royal Rumble Match alongside Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, Sarah Logan and 26 other participants that have yet to be announced.
The Royal Rumble pay-per-view event goes down on Sunday, January 26, 2020 Houston, Texas at the Minute Maid Park and airs on the WWE Network.
The Royal Rumble is quickly approaching and most of the card has been revealed but there are also expected matches to be announced.
Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there are still a few matches to be revealed for the Royal Rumble.
WWE Royal Rumble Expected Matches
This is where he shed some light on the expected bouts such as SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Lacey Evans and Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Braun Strowman.
Although they have not been officially announced by WWE yet, these bouts have built up on TV. In fact, these two matches were originally slated to take place at the WWE TLC pay-per-view event in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Target Center last month.
However, they were nixed. In particular, the Strowman vs. Nakamura was called off due to Strowman dealing with an injury at the time.
WWE has been building for an Andrade vs. Humberto Carillo match for Andrade’s United States Championship. As of this writing, it’s not yet certain if that will be on the Rumble card.
A SmackDown Tag Team Championship match between New Day and Miz & John Morrison is being built up as seen on the last few episodes of SmackDown, but there’s no word yet on if that match will be on the show.
WWE presents the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Sunday, January 26, 2020 Houston, Texas at the Minute Maid Park.
Updated Card
WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan
Men’s Royal Rumble Match: Brock Lesnar in the #1 spot, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Rey Mysterio, AJ Styles, Erick Rowan, King Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Otis, Tucker, Elias, Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy, Rusev, Bobby Lashley, R-Truth, 12 Participants TBA
Women’s Royal Rumble Match: Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, Sarah Logan, 26 Participants TBA
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Asuka
Baron Corbin vs. Roman Reigns
Cain Velasquez Claims He’ll Compete In WWE Royal Rumble Match
A new episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown is here, so let’s take a look at a preview for the show.
With just hours until bell time, parts of what to expect to see on the show have been revealed to get fans excited about it. The company has released the official preview article for the show on their website.
Several segments and matches have been announced thus far for this show including the return of Kane, who has been serving as the mayor of Knox County in Tennessee.
Although not confirmed, there has been speculation about him potentially announcing his entry into this year’s Royal Rumble match.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown Preview
WWE holds this show from Greensboro, NC at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
John Morrison to return to the ring in battle with Big E
Roman Reigns vs. Robert Roode in a Tables Match
Kane returns for a special appearance
Sasha Banks vs. Lacey Evans
WWE will also be announcing matches for existing feuds that will take place heading into the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event Sunday, January 26, 2020 Houston, Texas at the Minute Maid Park and airs on the WWE Network.
This includes competitors for both the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches to determine the two top matches at WrestleMania 36 in April.
As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for SmackDown to further hype the show. This will be an important show as it continues the build towards the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.
It will also set up next week\’s show, which is a big one. Not only will it serve as the final episode of SmackDown before the Royal Rumble but the final time that WWE can hype the show on TV.
Join us here later tonight for WWE SmackDown Results and our post-show SmackDown Takeaways feature.
Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War.
This week, AEW won in total viewers. It was close in every demographic group except Adults 50+, where NXT had a significant edge as they usually do.
Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
WWE NXT Viewership
NXT on the USA Network averaged 700,000 viewers, which is down from 721,000 last week. In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.21, up from 0.19 the previous week.
The episode featured Isaiah Scott took on Lio Rush and Tyler Breeze in NXT Cruiserweight Title Qualifying Triple Threat Match, Kushida & Alex Shelley battle Grizzled Young Veterans and Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne faced Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster in second-round matches of the Dusty Rhodes Classic tag team tournament and a #1 Contender’s Battle Royal for Women’s Title Match at NXT TakeOver: Portland.
There was also a reunion between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano after mixing it up with The Undisputed Era.
AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 940,000 viewers, essentially even with 947,000 last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.38 rating, up from the 0.36 rating that the show did last week.
Dynamite saw Sammy Guevara vs. Jon Moxley, DDP, Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall vs. MJF and The Butcher & The BladeKris Statlander and Hikaru Shida vs. Mel and Brandi Rhodes, PAC vs. Darby Allin, The Young Bucks vs. “Hangman” Adam Page & Kenny Omega vs. Santana & Ortiz vs. Best Friends in a Fatal 4-Way Match to earn future title shot.
This week’s episode of AEW and WWE NXT marked the second head-to-head battle in viewership for the new year.
Next week’s battle will be very interesting to see which show wins the ratings battle as AEW Dynamite will be taped while the talents are on the Chris Jericho cruise.
The January 15, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
The show was headlined by the #1 Contender’s Battle Royal for a shot at the NXT Women’s Title that is held by Rhea Ripley.
WWE NXT Results (1/15/20)
Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne def. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Bout
Grizzled Young Veterans def. Kushida & Alex Shelley – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Bout
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. Lio Rush and Tyler Breeze – #1 Contender’s Triple Threat Match
Bianca Belair won the #1 Contender’s Battle Royal for the Women’s Title
Here are the 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne Advance
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne beat Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster in a first-round match of the Dusty Rhodes Classic tag team tournament as one of the hyped bouts featured on the show.
They were the expected winners in this contest and rightfully so. This is a dynamic team with Riddle and Dunne. Obviously, these two have had their own accomplishments on their own. Also, they are two of the biggest stars in NXT right now.
Thus, with this combination, it’s perfect for this tournament as WWE has brought together these singles stars who wouldn’t be a tag team under any other circumstances. This is what makes the tournament so special.
Although there are several teams who could realistically win the tournament, I think it’s a safe bet that Dunne and Riddle have a real chance at winning. That could be altered due to the possibility of a heel turn.
Dunne has been a babyfaces for quite some time now but his value is being a heel. WWE could turn Dunne should they want to have him feud with Riddle.
Tommaso Ciampa came out in the latter stage of the first hour of the show to cut a promo where he told NXT Champion Adam Cole that he was on his hit list. He noted that he is taking back his life with goldie.
The Undisputed Era ran out to the ring and a brawl broke out. This was after the group took out Keith Lee in the opening segment. Johnny Gargano ran out to make the save and stood tall with his good friend.
This was a good segment to continue further the build to what will likely be Ciampa challenging Cole for the NXT Title at NXT TakeOver: Portland. At this same show, Gargano will battle fellow former NXT Champion Finn Balor in a singles match.
It was also a nice moment as DIY reunited with Gargano and Ciampa.
Obviously, with WWE moving the next takeover special to next month as Worlds Collide will replace the show, WWE had to delay some of the top matches on the card and the build for those feuds being a slow build instead of a fire.
Kushida & Alex Shelley vs. Grizzled Young Veterans
Kushida & Alex Shelley battled the Grizzled Young Veterans in a first-round match of the Dusty Rhodes Classic tag team tournament.
As seen on the show, the Grizzled Young Veterans ended up winning the contest. This was a fine match but for hardcore fans, it was a special moment.
The reason for that is to see Shelley work not only in a WWE ring but on WWE programming. He’s gone through a lot in his career that spans over many years and various promotions such as ROH and Impact Wrestling.
With that said, a feel good moment aside, I never saw these two winning the whole tournament. However, it was nice to see WWE actually do something with Kushida on television for one night as he has felt like he was just floating into the wind.
WWE needed another set of heels in this tournament, which is why Grizzled Young Veterans likely went over.
WWE confirmed this afternoon that NXT Cruiserweight Champion Angel Garza will defend his title in a Fatal 4-Way Match at WWE Worlds Collide on Saturday, Jan. 25, during Royal Rumble weekend in Houston, Texas.
Garza’s challengers will include one member of the NXT roster and two NXT UK Superstars. The first challenger was determined when Lio Rush, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Tyler Breeze squared off in a Triple Threat Match.
As seen in the match, Scott ended up winning it and as a result, has earned the right to compete in this contest. Good for him.
This was a last-minute thrown together match that had a purpose but came across as a match with good workers just for the sake of having a good wrestling match. With that said, it didn’t take away from the match, which was good, but WWE hasn’t done much to build up any challengers for the title.
This was a step in the right direction. Garza as the champion was and still is a good move on WWE’s part. That doesn’t change the fact that the title is still seen as an afterthought and Garza shining brighter than the actual title.
WWE held a #1 Contender’s Battle Royal for the Women’s Title that saw the likes of Shayana Baszler, Kacy Catanzaro, Mercedes Martinez, Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Vanessa Borne, Kayden Carter, Mia Yim, Santana Garrett, Io Shirai, Shotzi Blackheart and Xia Li compete in the contest.
In the match, Bianca Belair emerged as the winner. Now, she will take on NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at the NXT TakeOver: Portland show on Sunday, February 16, 2020 in Portland, Oregon at the Moda Center and will air on the WWE Network.
Blackheart was the one to eliminate Baszler. The final two were Shirai and Belair.
The NXT women’s division has talent but there was a backlog of talents who could be in the mix but with Baszler being the champion for such a long time and beating most of them, it eliminated the possibility of contenders.
Now that Ripley is the champion, the door is once again wide open with new challengers and fresh matches.
Make no mistake about it though, it appears that Baszler is still a possibility for Ripley and a rematch could be looming. Perhaps at the TakeOver show on WrestleMania weekend.
Rhea Ripley has received her opponent at the next normal special for the WWE NXT brand.
During Wednesday’s episode of NXT on the USA Network, WWE held a match that would determine who is next line for a title shot.
Shayana Baszler, Kacy Catanzaro, Mercedes Martinez, Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Vanessa Borne, Kayden Carter, Mia Yim, Santana Garrett, Io Shirai, Shotzi Blackheart and Xia Li competed in a battle royal with the winner becoming the next challenger to the title.
Rhea Ripley Receives Opponent
As seen on the show, Bianca Belair was victorious, earning the right to challenge Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Title.
WWE has announced exactly when this contest will take place as it will go down, which is the NXT TakeOver: Portland show.
The company has also confirmed that Ripley will also make a title defense before this show as she steps into the ring with NXT UK star Toni Storm.
That match will take place at the Worlds Collide event on Saturday, January 25, 2020 in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center that will air on the WWE Network. WWE set up this contest on last week\’s show.
WWE presents the NXT TakeOver: Portland event on Sunday, February 16, 2020 in Portland, Oregon at the Moda Center and will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE NXT TakeOver: Portland Card
Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano
NXT Women\’s Title Match: Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley (c)
What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.
Although DDP was back in action, he did suffer a loss in a match that aired on a special episode of AEW Dynamite.
All Elite Wrestling aired Wednesday’s Dynamite episode, themed Bash at the Beach, on TNT in Miami, FL at the Watsco Center.
DDP Suffers Loss In Return
This show saw the legendary pro wrestler team up with Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall to take on MJF and The Butcher & The Blade in an eight-man tag team match.
As seen on the show, the WWE Hall of Famer didn’t win the contest as the heels went over. He looked great for his age.
DDP made his promotional debut with AEW back at Double or Nothing last year at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He also made an appearance on the October 23, 2019 episode of Dynamite where he helped Cody, Adam Page, and Dustin Rhodes brawl with the Inner Circle in the arena after Jericho interrupted Cody’s promo to build their program heading into Full Gear.
This contest was set up last week when he interrupted a promo by MJF where he was plugging everything from social media to DDP Yoga. After being attacked by MJF, The Butcher and The Blade, QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes ran out to make the save.
This was also a way to build up the feud between MJF and Cody Rhodes as Cody is close with DDP, who has been a big supporter of the promotion that launched last year.
DDP’s previous match came at WWE WrestleMania 32 where he worked the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal that was won by Baron Corbin.
Obviously, this was special for DDP as he had a great career in WCW, which used the Bash at the Beach theme. This appears to be a one and done for the WWE Hall of Famer in regards to him as an in-ring talent.
The semi-finals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic 2020 tournament are set.
The second batch of matches in this tournament took place on Wednesday’s episode of NXT on the USA Network in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
Those matches saw Kushida & Alex Shelley battle the Grizzled Young Veterans with Grizzled Young Veterans going over while Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne faced Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster with Dunne and Riddle being victorious.
WWE held the first batch of matches last week that saw Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) def. The Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler) and NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed ERA (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) def. NXT UK Tag Team Champions Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang).
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Finals
Now, Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) will battle Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle. The other semi-final match will see Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish take on the Grizzled Young Veterans.
This is the fifth installment of WWE NXT’s tag team tournament honoring the late American Dream. The winners will be awarded the Dusty Rhodes Classic Cup trophy, which is modeled after Dusty’s signature cowboy wrestling boots.
WWE has yet to announce when the finals will take place. It could be saved for three potential dates including an episode of NXT or NXT TakeOver: Portland or WWE Worlds Collide.
The Worlds Collide event goes down on Saturday, January 25, 2020 in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center as part of Royal Rumble weekend.
The NXT TakeOver: Portland show goes down on Sunday, February 16, 2020 in Portland, Oregon at the Moda Center and will air on the WWE Network.
A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Worlds Collide event.
On Wednesday night, WWE confirmed that DIY (Tomasso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) would battle Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate & Trent Seven) in a tag team match. This is another crossover match with stars from both NXT and NXT UK.
In fact, Gargano and Ciampa just reunited on Wednesday’s episode of WWE NXT in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University on the USA Network as Ciampa cut a promo in the ring about NXT Champion Adam Cole. This led to The Undisputed Era running out and attacking Ciampa.
Gargano made the save for his good friend and thus, DIY was reunited.
WWE presents the Worlds Collide event on Saturday, January 25, 2020 in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE Worlds Collide Card
The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) vs. Imperium (WALTER, Alexander Wolfe, Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) – Eight-Man Tag Team Match
AEW Dark is moving to TNT after today’s news of the latest development in the partnership with All Elite Wrestling and WarnerMedia.
On Wednesday, it was announced that AEW Dynamite has been extended through 2023 by the media company to remain on the air every week on TNT.
Kevin Reilly, who is WarnerMedia direct-to-consumer chief content officer and TBS/TNT/TruTV president, recently gave a brief interview with The Wrap’s Tony Maglio.
AEW Dark Moving To TNT
This is where Reilly talked about how AEW’s Dark show will air weekly on TNT. The only catch is the fact that it may not air 52 weeks a year.
“We do not yet have a weeknight for it, but obviously ‘Dark’ is currently a Tuesday show on YouTube,” he told Maglio. “We’re taking ‘Dark’ and then re-adapting it for TNT.”
“We’re going to embellish ‘AEW Dark’ and put some additional material, kind of behind the scenes, kind of docu-follow stuff, if you will, about the athletes and the stories,” Reilly additionally noted.
Reilly closed out his conversation by noting that the show’s presence on YouTube will build the bridge but not air the whole show. Thus, it appears that a version of Dark will air on YouTube after the show moves to TNT.
Currently, AEW Dark airs every Tuesday night on AEW\’s YouTube channel. The promotion has yet to confirm the show moving to TNT.
AEW Dark typically features three matches and a series of promos recapping what happened on the previous episode of Dynamite as well as looking ahead to the new episode.
WWE is saddened to learn that Rocky \”Soul Man\” Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles), a WWE Hall of Famer, former World Tag Team Champion, and father of Dwayne \”The Rock\” Johnson, has passed away at age 75.
Johnson\’s sports-entertainment career began in the mid-1960s when he made a memorable impression in the National Wrestling Alliance. However, Johnson found his highest levels of success when he began his WWE tenure in 1983.
The physically imposing and wildly charismatic Johnson had several memorable rivalries with the likes of Greg \”The Hammer\” Valentine, Don Muraco and Adrian Adonis. He found his greatest success when he teamed up with Tony Atlas as The Soul Patrol. The two men became the first African-American World Tag Team Champions in WWE history when they defeated The Wild Samoans on Dec. 10, 1983.
The \”Soul Man\” retired from the ring in 1991, but his imprint continued to be felt on WWE for years to come. Post-retirement, Johnson had a hand in training his son, Dwayne \”The Rock\” Johnson. The Rock would become one of the biggest stars in the history of sports-entertainment and carried on his father\’s legacy with pride.
In 2008, Johnson achieved the highest honor in sports-entertainment when he was inducted by The Rock into the WWE Hall of Fame where he will be forever enshrined as one of sports-entertainment\’s most influential performers.
WWE extends its condolences to Johnson\’s family, friends and fans.
So sad to hear that my friend Rocky Johnson has passed away. He was an amazing man who I admired greatly! God Bless you Rocky until we see each other in heaven!! Prayers going out to Dwayne @TheRock Johnson and his family. You’re in my thoughts always! Much love!
Man completely shocked hearing the news of the passing of Rocky Johnson I true pioneer in wrestling I wanted to get this book signed Wrestlemania weekend#soulmanpic.twitter.com/uZflqSf7Ci
Cain Velasquez has fans talking after making a recent claim as to when his next match under the WWE banner will be.
The former UFC Heavyweight Champion did an interview withSunSport where he spoke about a wide range of topics. This is where he said that he will be a participant in the 30-man Royal Rumble match later this month.
Cain Velasquez Claims Royal Rumble Status
It should be noted that WWE has yet to confirm that the former UFC star will be in the match. In fact, he hasn’t appeared on WWE television thus far this year. However, Cain working the contest has been reported since December.
\”I can win it, hell yeah, that\’s my mentality for everything,\” Velasquez said about the Rumble. \”For everyone as well, that is how your mentality has to be. I\’m going in to win this thing.\”
Velasquez lost his debut match under the WWE banner when he faced WWE Champion Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel.
WWE has already confirmed that not only will Lesnar be competing in the contest but that he’ll be the first entrant in the bout. For Cain, he had the same mindset heading into his WWE debut that he had with his MMA career but now knows that pro wrestling is a different animal.
Despite the setback in storyline for him in his first encounter with Lesnar in the squared circle, he thinks he can beat him just like he did in the UFC.
Brock is the man here, so I ended up getting caught, the match was going my way, he caught me at the end.\” I just have to keep pushing forward. I am never going to stop fighting to go out there and beat him again.\”
The former UFC Heavyweight Champion most recently worked a tag team match in Mexico at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico for a house show. This is where he teamed up with Humberto Carrillo to defeat The OC (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows).
WWE NXT is back for its second episode of the new year with an interesting lineup, so let’s take a look at the preview for the show.
The company is building up this show around three matches including a contest that will crown a new #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Title.
Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Chelsea Green, Dakota Kai, Vanessa Borne, Kayden Carter, Mia Yim, Santana Garrett, Io Shirai, Shotzi Blackheart and Xia Li will compete in this contest.
The winner of the bout will take on NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at the NXT TakeOver: Portland show that goes down on Sunday, February 16, 2020 at the Moda Center.
WWE had a few NXT UK talents appear on last week’s show. With the WWE Worlds Collide show taking place next Saturday night as part of Royal Rumble weekend, fans could see some stars across the pond appear on this show to further build matches as the show gets closer.
WWE NXT Preview
WWE holds this show in Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
#1 Contender’s Battle Royal for Women’s Title at NXT TakeOver: Portland: Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Chelsea Green, Dakota Kai, Vanessa Borne, Kayden Carter, Mia Yim, Santana Garrett, Io Shirai, Shotzi Blackheart and Xia Li.
Kushida & Alex Shelley battle Grizzled Young Veterans in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne face Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster next Wednesday in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
WWE will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds. We could also be getting more match announcements for the next specials involving NXT and NXT UK talents with Worlds Collide and NXT TakeOver: Portland.
As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for NXT.
Join us here later tonight for WWE NXT Live Results and our post-show NXT Takeaways feature.
Several prospects have signed with WWE that includes some notable names that fans will know.
On Tuesday, WWE announced that these signees have reported for training this week at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Among the listed WWE athletes include former Mae Young Classic competitor and veteran talent Mercedes Martinez as well as Emily Andzulis of NBC and The Rock\’s Titan Games.
WWE Performance Center Head Coach Matt Bloom is leading the training with help from fellow coaches Robbie Brookside, Serena Deeb and Johnny Moss.
Mercedes Martinez Among Names To Sign With WWE
Here are some details on the other prospects that are included in the class:
Mercedes Martinez, Jake Atlas and more report to WWE Performance Center
Six new recruits have reported to the WWE Performance Center, joining the ranks of Superstars in training at the Orlando, Fla., facility. The class includes independent wrestlers, an acrobat and a former NFL player, among others.
Jazmin Benitez, a veteran grappler known worldwide as Mercedes Martinez, is no stranger to the WWE Universe. She made it to the semifinals of the inaugural Mae Young Classic in 2017 and returned for the second edition of the tournament in 2018. She\’s also competed on NXT television on several occasions.
Emily Andzulis of Powell, Tenn., brings a diverse athletic background with her to Orlando. The 27-year-old is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and trains in Taekwondo. She competed on Dwayne \”The Rock\” Johnson\’s \”Titan Games,\” and was crowned the first female Titan.
Anthony Francis is a 6-foot-5, 330-pounder with five years of NFL experience under his belt. The former defensive tackle played for the Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins.
Kenny Marquez, a.k.a. independent wrestling standout Jake Atlas, brings his unique experience in gymnastics and cheerleading to the WWE PC. The 25-year-old California native broke out in promotions like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and appeared on an episode of \”Undercover Boss,\” featuring Stephanie McMahon, where Marquez explained to WWE\’s Chief Brand Officer that his dream is to become the first openly gay WWE Champion.
Sidney Bateman is a 27-year-old acrobat from St. Louis, Mo. Bateman was a cast member for Cirque du Soleil\’s \”LUZIA\” show, where he specialized in hoop diving.
Mercedes Martinez, Jake Atlas and more report to WWE Performance Center
Zechariah Smith towers over the new recruits at 7 feet tall and 310 pounds. The Oklahoma native played college basketball for Morgan State University before going pro internationally. He also played for the longtime rivals of the Harlem Globetrotters, the Washington Generals.
Monday’s edition of WWE RAW averaged 2.030 million viewers in Lexington, KY at the Rupp Arena on the USA Network, which is down from the 2.385 million viewers the previous week.
RAW Viewership
Here is the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:
Hour 1: 2.218 million – Last Week: 2.550
Hour 2: 2.059 million – Last Week: 2.409
Hour 3: 1.814 million – Last Week: 2.195
The episode was expected to decrease in its viewership from last week. The reason for that is due to the competition it faced despite the company building up several matches as well as an appearance by WWE Champion Brock Lesnar alongside Paul Heyman.
Here is the hourly 18-49 demos breakdown:
Hour 1: 0.66 – Last Week: 0.78
Hour 2: 0.61 – Last Week: 0.75
Hour 3: 0.56 – Last Week: 0.70
The biggest competition that WWE RAW faced came in the way of the college championship football game on ESPN between LSU and Clemson that did 25,004 million viewers.
Some of the matches that took place include Drew McIntyre defeats AJ Styles and Randy Orton, Ricochet defeats Mojo Rawley, Charlotte Flair defeats Sarah Logan, Bobby Lashley (w/Lana) defeats Rusev, Aleister Black defeats Buddy Murphy, and AOP (Akam & Rezar) & Seth Rollins defeat Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe & The Big Show in the headliner.
There was also a segment with Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, and R-Truth.
WWE will attempt to increase its viewership for RAW next week, which shouldn’t be an issue due to the competition that the show will face compared to this week with the NCAA National Football Championship game on ESPN that was expected to draw big ratings.
Also, next\’s week\’s episode of RAW, which is going to be held in Wichita, KS at the Intrust Bank Arena, will be an important show. It will serve as the go-home edition of RAW for the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.
In case you missed the show, you can check out the five takeaways here.
The Big Show has discussed his return to WWE television among other various topics.
Big Show, real name Paul Wight, did so during an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.
The former WWE Champion was the surprise partner of Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe for their six-man tag team match against Seth Rollins and AOP on last Monday’s episode of RAW in Oklahoma City, OK at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on the USA Network.
The Big Show Discusses WWE Return
“They had me in an SUV with tainted windows, and I had a big Chrome Hearts hooded sweatshirt that I had over my head,” said Wight. “I tried to hunch over and hide. Once we got back to an area that no one could see, I walked into a private changing area.”
During his time away from WWE, he had to undergo the knife several times. In fact, in the last two years, he’s undergone five surgeries.
This is something that Show talked about it being a hard fight during that time to get back in the ring and get back to a legit competitive state of mind and state of body
“My hip joint looked like a cracked bowling ball, and there were problems doing the surgery with someone of my size. I was depressed, my career was being taken away from me.
Show continued by noting that he went through IV PICC lines for dealing with a surgical infection, to replacement joints. He noted that he always believed that he as going to get back to a point where he could compete.
Show added that hearing an incredibly positive response from the crowd was something that he knew was going to happen and tried to enjoy the moment.
Show was back in action on Monday’s episode of RAW by working a fistfight bout alongside Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe against Seth Rollins and AOP.
Batista has landed a significant role in a new television series.
Deadline reports that the former WWE Champion has been added to the cast of Apple TV+\’s \”See\” drama where he will co-star with Jason Momoa.
This will be the second season of the hit world-building drama series that was created by Steven Knight, best known as Peaky Blinders creator, and directed by Francis Lawrence.
Batista Lands Role
There\’s no word yet on Batista\’s character. An interesting note on the series features cast and crew who are blind or have low vision. This is done to help bring authenticity to the world.
\”See” takes place in the distant future after a deadly virus decimated humankind. The people who survived were left blind. Momoa, starring as a character named Baba Voss, is the father of twins born centuries later with the mythic ability to see, who must protect his tribe against a powerful yet desperate queen who wants to destroy the twins.”
This marks the first big role on television for Batista. This is another accomplishment for him after having starred in several major motion pictures over the past few years.
As of this writing, there\’s no word yet on when the second season of the show will premiere. The first season premiered back in November.
Batista is slated to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 36 weekend in April.
Rusev has fans talking after he indicated through social media that he could be leaving WWE soon.
Rusev did so when he recently changed his bio on Twitter, which is an indication that he could become one of the top free agents in all of pro wrestling.
Rusev Indicates Departure?
The bio now reads like this: \”soon to be free agent\” You can see a screenshot of it here:
It should be noted that he is known to mess around with fans on Twitter. As of this writing, there\’s no word yet on if Rusev really is on his way out of WWE.
Back in November, it was confirmed that Rusev’s wife, Lana, had signed a new five-year deal with the company but his contract is slated to expire.
Although there’s no word yet on if he has signed a new deal, the latest reports suggested that Rusev was still in the middle of contract talks with WWE officials. It should also be noted that there’s no confirmation on when his current deal expires.
Last summer there was speculation WWE could extend the length of the contract because of the days that he missed.
If Rusev doesn’t sign a new deal then the belief is that most promotions – AEW, NJPW, ROH, and Impact Wrestling – would be interested in signing him to a deal.
On the flip side, if Rusev does stay with the company then he would likely get a big increase in pay and be under contract for five years as that’s what WWE has been doing with talents who have recently signed new deals.
Over the past few months, Rusev has been in a storyline with Bobby Lashley, who is now aligned and “married” to Lana on television.
The viewership numbers are in for Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX from Evansville, IN at the Ford Center.
SmackDown averaged 2.497 million viewers, according to ShowbuzzDaily. This is up from the 2.413 viewers that the show did for last week’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
The show averaged 2.502 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was up from the 2.417 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets.
WWE SmackDown Viewership
The first hour drew 2.679 million viewers while the second hour did 2.326 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 2.467 million viewers while the second hour did 2.369 million viewers.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.80 in the 18-49 demos, this is up from the 0.70 rating for last week’s show.
This episode was expected to see its viewership stay steady as the holidays are over with as we start a new year after the show falling on Christmas and New Year’s week.
Matches
Matches that took place on this show included The Miz defeats Kofi Kingston, Mandy Rose (w/Sonya Deville) defeats Alexa Bliss (w/Nikki Cross), Braun Strowman defeats Shinsuke Nakamura (w/Cesaro & Sami Zayn) in a non-title match, and Dolph Ziggler & King Corbin defeat The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) in the headliner.
There was also a Miz TV segment featuring John Morrison and Robert Roode made his return from suspension after the main event. In case you missed the show, you can check out the 6 takeaways from it here.
WWE is expecting to see an increase in viewership for the following episode this coming Friday night as the show will be back to normal and building towards the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event later this month.
The next episode will also feature the fallout from last week’s show that was newsworthy for various reasons such as Roode’s return.
Watch: Top 10 Moments from Friday Night SmackDown (1.10.20)
WWE is facing big competition and is attempting to fire back with an episode of Raw so let’s take a look at the show with a preview.
WWE has had one week to build hype around this show as they have already announced several big matches.
Thus, it’s time to look ahead starting with tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW. The show will be going up against the NCAA college football championship game on ESPN between LSU and Clemson that is expected to draw big ratings.
WWE is expected to see a big drop in its viewership numbers for Monday Night RAW, which is why they’re loading up the show.
The main event is expected to see Big Show, Samoa Joe & Kevin Owens battle Seth Rollins & AOP in a fistfight.
Also, for the second straight week, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar will appear alongside Paul Heyman.
The duo confirmed last week in Lesnar’s first appearance on the show of the new year that he would not be defending the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event later this month. Instead, he’ll be competing in the men’s Royal Rumble Match where he will enter as the first entrant.
WWE RAW Preview
WWE holds this show in Lexington, KY at the Rupp Arena. WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s broadcast:
Big Show, Samoa Joe & Kevin Owens battle Seth Rollins & AOP in a fistfight
Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy III
Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
Randy Orton and AJ Styles set to battle
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar returns
WWE will also be creating new programs and building on the hype for existing feuds that will take place heading into the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.
As usual, fans should expect more matches and segments to be revealed this afternoon for RAW.
Join us here later tonight for WWE RAW Results and our post-show RAW Takeaways feature.
Impact Wrestling is back with another show, so let’s take a look at the card for the Hard To Kill pay-per-view event.
Hard To Kill takes place tonight (Sunday, January 12, 2020) from The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. Impact World Champion Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard is expected to serve as the headliner.
The show kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be distributed on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view, including DISH, DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Sasktel across North America, and streaming live globally exclusively on the FITE.tv app
The building has a maximum capacity of approximately 4,300 people. This will be the first PPV event of the year for Impact. The card that features several big matches, appears to be finalized.
It’s possible the promotion announces more matches but here’s how the card looks like as of this morning:
Final Card for Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill
Impact World Champion Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard
X-Division Champion Ace Austin vs. Trey
Impact Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie vs. Jordynne Grace vs. ODB – Triple Threat Match
Impact Tag Team Champions The North vs. Willie Mack and Rich Swann
Michael Elgin vs. Eddie Edwards
Rob Van Dam vs. Brian Cage
Moose vs. Rhino
Madman Fulton vs. Ken Shamrock
Impact has released this special preview for the event that you can watch here:
The card for today’s (Sunday, January 12, 2020) WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II event has been finalized.
The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event that takes place in Blackpool, Lancashire, England at the Empress Ballroom and will air on the WWE Network.
The belief is that this special will be headlined by WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER making his latest title defense against Joe Coffey.
This show marks the third special for the brand and the first of the new year, which features a stacked lineup. There are a total of five matches booked for this show with three of them being championship matches.
As a reminder, we will share coverage of this special later today with any title changes.
The pre-show starts at 11:30 a.m. ET/4:30 p.m. GMT while the main card, which is expected to be 2 and a half hours on the WWE Network, starts at 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. GMT. Here’s the final card:
WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II Card
NXT UK Champion WALTER vs. Joe Coffey
NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray vs. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven – Triple Threat Match
NXT UK Tag Team Champions Gallus vs. Imperium vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews – Fatal 4-Way Match
Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin
Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis
What are your thoughts on this card and the feuds that WWE is presenting to its fans? Sound off in the comment section.
Major League Wrestling (MLW) was in Dallas, Texas at the NYTEX Sports Centre on Saturday night for an event titled Zero Hour that served as TV tapings of their Fusion show.
Matches on this show were taped for the weekly MLW Fusion TV series on beIN SPORTS. The first episode from this taping is expected to air in the coming weeks, with the replay being uploaded to MLW’s YouTube channel. Here are the spoilers, courtesy of Wrestling Inc:
MLW Zero Hour Results
Myron Reed def. Drago via pinfall to retain the MLW World Middleweight Champion. There was a brief promo before the match by Injustice.
Marshall Von Erich def. MJF via submission
Dominick Garrini def. Zenshi via submission. Before the match, Tom Lawlor came out to cut a promo on the fans where he spits on a Von Erich\’s shirt. Lawlor then introduced Garrini as the newest member of his Team Lawlor Dojo.
Erick Stevens def. Douglas James via pinfall
Alex Hammerstone def. Aerostar via pinfall to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship
Richard Holliday def. Savio Vega via pinfall
Ross Von Erich def. Tom Lawlor via DQ. The match ended when Garrini came in and attacked Ross. Post-match, Marshall came out for the save. Erick Stevens then ran to the ring to aide Team Lawlor and they beat down Marshall and Ross. Lawlor then put on a flashing cowboy hat, tied up the Von Erichs and shoved the Texas flag down his pants. Eventually, The Von Erichs would clean house
King Mo def. Dr. Dax via submission
Gino \”El Intocable\” Medina def. Septimo Dragon (w/ Konnan) via pinfall. Post-match, Holiday joined Medina to beat down Dragon on behalf of The Dynasty. Eventually, Konnan entered the ring to help Dragon run them off.
Drago & Puma King def. Injustice and Low Rider-Taurus (presented by Salina de la Renta) via pinfall when Drago pinned Low Rider
Jacob Fatu def. Brian Pillman Jr. via pinfall to retain the MLW World Heavyweight Championship
Low Ki def. Chandler Hopkins via submission
The Von Erichs (c) def. The Dynasty (MJF and Richard Holliday) via pinfall for the MLW World Tag Team Championships. Von Erichs won with a Claw-side suplex finisher.
Davey Boy Smith Jr def. Simon Gotch via knockout in a No Ropes Street Fight Match
Mance Warner def. Jimmy Havoc via pinfall in a No Ropes Barbed Wire Match
Alex Shelley surprised fans in attendance at a recent house show by making his in-ring debut under the WWE NXT banner.
WWE held an NXT live event on Friday in Pittsburgh, PA at the Stage AE. In the opening contest, Shelley reunited The Time Splitters with Kushida by teaming up to take on The Forgotten Sons in a tag team match, which saw the babyfaces go over.
Alex Shelley In WWE NXT
This comes days before Shelley reunites Kushida on next Wednesday’s episode of NXT on the USA Network Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University to face The Grizzled Young Veterans.
The BroserWeights (Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne) vs. Andrews and Flash will also air next week as both matches are part of the first round of the Dusty Classic
As of this writing, there\’s no word yet on if Shelley has signed a full-time contract with WWE. It should be noted that the former Impact/ROH/NJPW did work as a Guest Coach at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando last October.
First match at @WWENXT#NXTPittsburgh and I get the debut match in WWE of the reunited Time Splitters?! Hell yes!! The rest of the card tonight could be anything, this alone was worth the trip and price of admission! @KUSHIDA_0904 @fakekinkadepic.twitter.com/XVi2EsHLQh
Steve Austin opened up ion his decision to walk away from the pro wrestling business.
He did so when he did an interview with Bleacher Report. Despite it being over a decade since he’s worked a match, fans still want to see him wrestle one more time.
That isn’t likely though. Austin had his final match in 2003 against The Rock at WrestleMania 19.
Steve Austin Opens Up Missing The Business
“They always ask me, ‘Do you miss it?’ No, man, because it’s been so long now that … I mean, I have to be over it now. But there is a small part of me, even though I don’t live in the past, that says, ‘Man, when you’re 38 years old, man, in wrestling, you’re really in your prime.’”
The legendary pro wrestler continued by noting that he learned a lot about the business from working angles, talking promos, and psychology with the crowd.
He stated that he was really honed up at that age and \”to walk away from the table at seemingly a prime-time age was very, very tough for me to do, at many levels.”
Austin brought up how he spent a lot of time hunting, fishing and drinking to deal with it was to walk away from the business was hard. He recalled a conversation he had with Dale Earnhardt Jr about his decision to retire from full-time racing because of his history with concussions.
“A doctor wasn’t going to tell him, ‘Hey, you need to quit.’ He pulled the plug on himself. I did the same thing. A doctor didn’t look me in the eyes and say, ‘Steve, you must retire now.’ It was a decision I had to make for myself.”
Steve Austin opened up on how that when you’re flying high and portraying the character he was while living your passion, it would be anybody’s dream to live that kind of life.
“All of a sudden you’ve got to make a decision to take yourself out of the game. It was extremely hard to deal with.”
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