Former WWE champion AJ Styles is sidelined with an injury and WWE has said that he will be out indefinitely.
Styles suffered the shoulder injury at the Royal Rumble after he took the spear from the returning Edge. Styles flipped mid-air to sell the impact of the spear but landed badly on his left shoulder. After a few minutes, Styles was eliminated by Edge after calling an audible as he was supposed to last longer in the Rumble match.
The WWE statement said though that Styles “is recovering way ahead of doctor’s projections.” A separated shoulder usually takes up to 12 weeks to recover depending on the severity of the injury.
WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg will be appearing on Friday Night Smackdown on FOX later this week. This was revealed on Raw last night and no other information was given as to why the former champion will be in the house.
But with Super ShowDown looming, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Goldberg’s appearance will set up his next opponent for Saudi Arabia. Last time Goldberg was in Saudi, it did not turn out well for him, getting knocked out in his match against The Undertaker.
Goldberg last wrestled at SummerSlam, a very quick match against Dolph Ziggler.
WWE has already announced The Miz and John Morrison vs The New Day for the Smackdown Tag Team titles and Brock Lesnar vs Ricochet for the WWE title at Super ShowDown.
NXT champion Rhea Ripley showed up on Monday Night Raw last night and reminded Charlotte Flair that she’s the only one that doesn’t have a win over her as Flair contemplated on which title to go after at WrestleMania 36.
It was Ripley who then issued the challenge to Flair for WrestleMania rather than the other way round, with the NXT title on the line. Flair, who is a former NXT Women’s champion herself, did not answer the challenge and left.
But it looks like it will not take long to find out what Flair will do as she will be going to NXT tomorrow night on USA Network to give her answer. Flair was rumored to be doing this last week but WWE is now confirming that the multi-time Raw and Smackdown Women’s champion will appear on NXT.
This will be the first time that a Royal Rumble winner will choose a title from the NXT brand for WrestleMania and the first time that any NXT title would be defended at WrestleMania.
Tonight’s Monday Night Raw live from Salt Lake City, Utah could be in jeopardy with a snowstorm warning that remains in effect until 4AM tomorrow.
City and state officials have urged drivers to refrain from driving due to one of the most severe snowstorm to hit so far this winter. “We’re recommending that if people have flexibility with their travel, that they stay off the roads as much as possible,” said Utah Department of Transportation spokesman John Gleason. “Our primary focus is keeping everyone safe, and just having fewer people out on the roads during this major snowstorm, that’s going to allow us to accomplish that goal.”
Most schools are also closed today and all state offices have a delayed opening. So far, WWE or arena officials have not addressed the status of the broadcast. Raw is scheduled to take place from the Vivint Smart Home Arena.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Raw is canceled due to a snowstorm. In January 2015, the Raw after the Royal Rumble from Hartford, Connecticut was canceled due to a massive snowstorm. WWE did a live broadcast from their corporate headquarters instead.
Investors continued to lay the smackdown on WWE stocks as the company lost a further 4.5% of its price in the first couple hours of trading today. Since late last week, WWE shed a whopping 30% of its value in a bloodbath that shows no signs of stopping.
Things will most likely get even worse later on in the week as WWE presents its Q4 and 2019 full year results. They already lowered the outlook and Vince McMahon will get to face investors during the conference call and this time he won’t have his once-trusted co-Presidents with him.
George Barrios and Michelle Wilson, two of the most powerful people in the WWE, were fired last week by the Board of Directors. The news sent the stock down 24% by the end of the week.
All Elite Wrestling has bought a full-page ad in the Super Bowl LIV program to promote Dynamite on TNT.
The ad features a collection of AEW wrestlers including Jericho, Cody, Moxley, Young Bucks, Omega, MJF, Dustin Rhodes, Awesome Kong, Nyla Rose, and a few others along with the AEW Dynamite and TNT logos. While still relatively new, AEW had their own fair share of great marketing spots with billboards in New York, Las Vegas, and other prominent cities.
This is the first wrestling-related advert to be somewhat part of the Super Bowl ever since WWE purchased the very-expensive 30-second commercial in 1999.
In a tweet sent yesterday, former WWE Superstar Ryback pleaded publicly to Vince McMahon and Triple H to abandon the Ryback trademark so he could move on with his career.
“It wasn’t created by them and trying to make someone spend nearly 200K to keep their legal name and brand is petty and unnecessary. Please move on and erase me from your history and programming,” he said.
Ryback legally changed his name to his wrestling persona from his birth name Ryan and has applied for the trademark under his name of Ryback Reeves for “entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network.”
But the former star now doesn’t want WWE to profit off of his name and if he is awarded the complete trademark, WWE would have to pay him to license it for any future projects. WWE has owned the trademark of the name Ryback since December 18, 2012 and it is a live trademark.
The two parted ways in August 2016 after a few months before he decided to quit due to a contract dispute, citing lack of equal pay for talent and creative frustration as primary reasons for his departure. He used the name The Big Guy when he performed on independent shows.
Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have once again asked for their release from WWE, a year after they had already asked for, and were denied, their freedom.
It was in January 2019 when the duo, along with Mike and Maria Kanellis, requested to be let go but WWE shot down the request. Mike went on to request it again later in the year and it was also denied.
Last month, Dawson and Wilder applied for a trademark for the name Shatter Machine, presumably the name of their tag team should they depart WWE. Their deal runs out this year and at this moment there are no intentions for the two to renew.
Addressing the reaction from the fans when news broke that they have once again requested to be let go, Dawson wrote, “If we settle, you guys say we’re lazy & complacent. If we try to be better, you guys say we’re whining & complaining. Make up your mind.”
NXT UK will be part of the Download Festival once again this year with television tapings set to take place during the popular festival.
The Download Festival is held at the Donington Park between June 12 and June 14 and just like every year, it’s packed with A-list performers which this year include KISS, Iron Maiden, Deftones, Disturbed, Alter Bridge, and others.
NXT UK will probably tape a few weeks worth of television during the festival. Tickets are on sale now at downloadfestival.co.uk.
Friday Night Smackdown on FOX yesterday did 2,423,000 viewers, off hours 2,529,000 and 2,318,000. That is down 46,000 viewers from last week’s show. Smackdown tied #1 in the 18-49 demographic chart with CBS’ Magnum P.I. and Hawaii Five-O, getting a 0.7 rating. Smackdown only beat The CW programming and ABC’s Fresh Off The Boat in terms of total viewership and trailed everything else. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, former WWE champion John Cena said that Brock Lesnar is the best in-ring performer he’s ever seen and actually believes he’s the “best in-ring performer of all time.”
Cena, who watched the Royal Rumble from the comfort of his own home, loved the way the match was laid out and Brock’s dominant performance. “I thought his performance at the Rumble was a clinic on how to establish yourself, how to establish those around you, establish the championship, establish the importance of one event,” he said, adding that Brock did all that in less than 30 minutes and called his performance “a masterclass.”
Brock, Cena said, has a way of making people better and he’s the best at when he’s dominant and the best when he is in jeopardy. “He still has a mystique about him that will draw eyeballs to watch him and when he does he never disappoints.”
Asked about a potential appearance at WrestleMania, Cena said that performing at the biggest pay-per-view of the year “would be a gift” and he knows those spots are few and far in between.
“I’ve expressed that I’m off. But I’ve also expressed that I live in Tampa. I will for sure be at the event and I have great trust in the process and I have great faith in Vince McMahon not only as a boss, but as so much more than that. As a friend, as a mentor. If he were to tell me that he needs me, I would absolutely be active in whatever capacity, whether it would be like last year in New York rapping my way to the ring or the year before being a fan in the stands. There is no job too small.”
Miz & Mrs first episode of season two drew a low 437,000 viewers. Last year, the show followed Smackdown and benefited from the huge lead-in but now it follows NXT where the audience is significantly smaller. Miz & Mrs averaged over 1 million viewers last season so that’s a massive drop for the show. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
After five years on the main roster, a couple of which where he wrestled in main events of many pay-per-views, Braun Strowman finally got his first singles title in WWE.
The 36-year-old beat Shinsuke Nakamura last night on Friday Night Smackdown on FOX to win the Intercontinental title and had to overcome Cesaro and Sami Zayn as well who both interfered in the match. Prior to this win, he only won the Raw Tag Team titles twice before. Despite winning the Money In The Bank in 2018, Strowman failed to cash in and had several world title opportunities, all of them which he lost.
Nakamura has spent a total 201 days as IC champion, winning it at the Extreme Rules Kickoff show against Finn Balor back in July 2019.
John Cena’s role in the latest installment of the Fast & Furious franchise was revealed with the trailer release, showing the former 16-time champion acting as the lead villain of the movie.
Cena will play the role of Jacob, a master thief, assassin, and high-performance driver, who also happens to be the baddie brother of Vin Diesel’s character Dom.
The movie features what seem to be more out-of-this-world car stunts than ever before and several battles, including a big one between Diesel’s and Cena’s characters. Charlize Theron also returns in her quest to kill Dom, this time using Jacob as her weapon.
F9: The Fast Saga will be released in theaters nationwide on May 22 and is expected to be another massive box office success for Universal.
WWE announced that five new individuals have joined the NXT UK roster and are now training at the United Kingdom Performance Center in North London. The five are Pretty Deadly, Levi Muir, Candy Floss and Dani Luna.
Pretty Deadly is a tag team comprising of Sam Stoker and Lewis Howley. They have already appeared a couple of times on NXT UK TV. Muir is a powerlifter who transitioned to professional wrestling and has mainly done indies in the UK including PROGRESS. Floss is a 20-year-old who has experience wrestling in Europe and Japan. He has previously appeared on NXT UK TV, wrestling Toni Storm, Kay Lee Ray, and Rhea Ripley. Luna is also an experienced wrestler with runs in several promotions including PROGRESS. She has previously wrestled the likes of Piper Niven, Meiko Satomura, Toni Storm, and others.
Starting in February, NXT UK will air on Paramount Network in the United Kingdom every Wednesday at Midnight. It will continue to stream on the WWE Network on Thursday.
WWE Smackdown on FOX will roll into Tulsa, Oklahoma tonight at the BOK Center and four matches have so far been announced for the broadcast.
The Intercontinental title will be up for grabs as Shinsuke Nakamura will be defending against Braun Strowman. A fatal four-way tag team match will also take place with the winners taking on The New Day in late February in Saudi Arabia. The participants are The Revival, Lucha House Party, Heavy Machinery, and the team of The Miz and John Morrison.
A rematch from the Royal Rumble will go down with Sheamus taking on Shorty G and another rematch from last week’s Smackdown will pit Roman Reigns and The Usos versus Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode in a six-man tag team match.
Smackdown is being marketed as Super Smackdown tonight since it’s happening two days before the Super Bowl on the same network.
Only four winners of the men’s Royal Rumble Match since 2007 have gone on to capture a world championship in WWE at the same year’s WrestleMania. Outlasting 29 other superstars in the January battle royal far from guarantees a wrestler will then be booked to win gold at “The Showcase of the Immortals” these days.
“Royal Rumble” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by SportsAngle.com
It used to be so different. From 2001 when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin won a record third Royal Rumble through to The Undertaker’s victory six years later, seven consecutive winners went on to WrestleMania title triumphs.
The Rumble can be used to elevate a wrestler onto the next level. This either works with underdogs such as past winners Chris Benoit (2004) and Rey Mysterio (2006) or talent that is in the process of getting over like Batista’s first victory in 2005.
As a concept projected to fans, the Royal Rumble is one of the most popular and exciting live entertainment events in wrestling. They continue to find new ways to keep the audience immersed such as how the wrestlers maintain their personalities across the various social media platforms. The developments in wrestling are similar to the casino industry as they are both entertainment packages and online sites such as Space Casino have utilized live casino to offer a new immersive experience to players.
Wrestlers drawing numbers isn’t random like it outwardly appears in the Royal Rumble, but part of the booking. Being the thirtieth and final entrant should give that superstar a huge advantage in the Rumble, yet those entering first and second have a better record.
Shawn Michaels (1995), Vince McMahon (1999), Benoit and Mysterio all started Royal Rumble matches and lasted to the end. Most were in herculean style efforts. Mr McMahon spent most of the contest out of the ring on commentary.
Entering the Rumble last works best with surprise entrants. See 2008 when John Cena made an earlier than expected return from injury to be last man in and last man standing.
The same trick worked for Edge in 2010 when he came in at number 29. Surprise entrants are part and parcel of the Royal Rumble with speculation surrounding who will get a spot each and every year.
There have also been two Rumbles in the event’s storied history where the WWE Championship itself was on the line. This battle royal was perfect for crowning a new champ when the title was vacant in 1992 and Ric Flair came to the then-WWF still in possession of the “Big Gold Belt” from the NWA/WCW claiming to be the real world champ.
The Nature Boy entered at number three and added the first of his two WWE titles to the many championships he won. Roman Reigns tried and failed to defend the gold in the 2016 Royal Rumble won by Triple H, who entered last.
There was a certain symmetry to this as The Game emulated his idol, erstwhile Evolution stablemate and former manager in becoming champion in this unique way. All members of that famous faction with its allusions to The Four Horsemen of Flair’s heyday have won the Rumble – Triple H (first in 2002), Randy Orton (2009 and 2017) and Batista (for the second time in 2014) all doing it twice.
Multiple winners of the match read like a mini Hall of Fame. Alongside Austin (1997, 1998 and 2001), Batista, Orton and Triple H are Michaels (again in 1996), Hulk Hogan (1990 and 1991) and Cena (once more in 2013).
From 1980s heroes “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Big John Studd down to this year’s winner, Drew McIntyre, the Royal Rumble is still going strong and drawing crowds despite history spanning across five decades.
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret “Hit Man” Hart announced via post on Facebook that he was diagnosed with skin cancer but got it checked just in time.
“Goal for 2020 and beyond: wear more sunscreen! Basal cell carcinoma removal scheduled soon. Another opportunity to remind everyone to look after your health and #getchecked,” Bret wrote, along with a photo of his shoulder where the skin cancer is.
Basal cell carcinoma grow slowly and most are curable and cause minimal damage when caught and treated early. Thankfully for Bret, this was the case as well.
The former champion already had a bout with prostate cancer and underwent surgery in early 2016.
NXT pulled in 712,000 viewers this week, down 57,000 viewers from last week’s episode. With a 0.22 rating in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic, the show placed #37 for the night. The difference in viewership this week was of 116,000, up from the 102,000 difference it had last week. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Dynamite had another comfortable victory in the weekly Wednesday night war with 828,000 viewers tuning in, down 43,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The show had a 0.36 rating in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and was good enough for #3 for the night. AEW won all demo ratings except the 50+ age group. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
