WWE Hall of Famer and AEW announcer Jim Ross discussed the new Wednesday night war between NXT and AEW during the latest episode of Grilling JR.
Ross said that he’s not surprised that Vince McMahon decided to move NXT off the Network and on to USA Network on the same night that AEW is on TNT…and not only that, but to launch it two weeks before AEW debuts. He said he worked closely with Vince for 25 years and he’s not one to lay back and see AEW grow independently and freely. “He feels threatened for some crazy reason and I think that’s interesting to me,” Ross said.
JR added that competition is good for everyone and they will be very happy to compete with AEW, noting that they knew it was going to be a competition from the very beginning and it’s not going to be an easy road. Ross alluded that in no meeting with AEW officials and AEW President Tony Khan it was ever mentioned that they’re gunning for WWE and the subject was “never brought up,” and blamed the comparison and “shots fired” news to the wrestling media online.
The former Raw announcer also said that Vince McMahon must be “aware and cautious” about All Elite Wrestling and he has to be considering he took off NXT from loyal subscribers to the WWE Network to cable television.
Despite the competition that they will give to WWE, Ross said that no one in the world is going to surpass WWE as the best sports entertainment company in the world, citing the big head start, infrastructure, and power in numbers. “But it’s irrelevant…the goal of AEW is to provide a great product to lapsed wrestling fans…among others, with an athletically-based old-school-oriented product. And to make – more importantly – a profit for the Khan family,” JR continued.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting that the rumor going around is that all those under NXT deals will be “upgraded” to main roster deals, bringing in more money to everyone in NXT following the move to USA Network.
The difference between developmental and main roster deals is obviously wide so anyone who has been working hard down at NXT will finally get a big payoff thanks to moving to cable television. While no numbers have been published, it looks like that USA Network is giving WWE around $600,000 a week for NXT which translates to $30 million a year. It’s not known for how long USA Network is contractually obligated to air NXT on television but official numbers are expected to be made public in the next quarter earnings results.
NXT, as it is, has never been profitable for the company and developmental was always a money-losing machine but with the new deal it will be the first time that NXT will be profitable for WWE. The additional money will also give WWE more leverage when it comes to trying to sign up free agents or talent they deem to be worth investing in in the future.
As things stand, Meltzer also says that Triple H will continue to assume charge of the brand with little to no interference from the big boss. McMahon has largely stayed out of NXT apart from call-ups, something that doesn’t need to happen anymore since they’re on the same level as Raw and Smackdown now in terms of coverage.
The Hollywood Reporter is carry an exclusive story on how WWE is teaming up with Endeavor Audio to create its own podcast network that will feature several series focused on its Superstar wrestlers. Additional details about the podcast lineup will be announced at a later date.
WWE and Endeavor already have a working relationship as WWE Network runs on Endeavor Streaming while Nikki and Brie Bella work with the company for their Bellas Podcast.
“Storytelling is at WWE’s core and we are eager to add the audio genre to our portfolio,” said WWE Advanced Media Executive Vice President Jayar Donlan. “Partnering with Endeavor Audio, an expert in podcasting, will enable us to provide our fans with unique content and reach new audiences across the platform.”
Endeavor Audio Senior Vice President Moses Soyoola added, “We’re always looking to pair dynamic content with the best formats for listeners. Through our new partnership with WWE, we’re looking forward to tapping into their iconic event portfolio and talent base to create compelling audio content for their fans.”
Smackdown this week did a total of 2,142,000 viewers, down 42,000 viewers from the post-SummerSlam show. Smackdown was #1 on the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and #5 in overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The planned NXT television tapings for September 11 and 12 have been canceled as NXT prepares to move to two hours live every week on USA Network starting September 18.
Those who have tickets for the September 11 tapings can attend the September 18 live show with the same tickets while those in possession of tickets for the September 12 tapings will be able to attend the September 25 live show.
Tickets for any of the upcoming live shows at Full Sail University are not available yet. The arena only fits 500 fans and it’s not usually an issue to fill it up for NXT.
Charlotte Flair is getting another shot at the Smackdown Women’s title at the upcoming Clash of Champions pay-per-view, a match which was set up last night on Smackdown during the Moment of Bliss segment.
It was Charlotte who challenged the champ for a match, three months after losing her title at Money In The Bank to the current champion. On that night, Bayley won the MITB ladder match and later in the night cashed in on Charlotte who had just defeated Becky Lynch.
If Charlotte wins, she would become a 10-time Women’s champion, having already won the Smackdown title four times, the Raw title four times, and the Divas title once.
Apart from this match, the only other match announced for Clash of Champions so far is the King of the Ring tournament final.
Monday Night Raw this week drew 2,534,000 viewers, down 178,000 viewers from last week’s post-SummerSlam Raw. The NFL pre-season game did 3 million viewers on ESPN.
The show did 2,546,000 viewers in the first hour, followed by 2,634,000 viewers in the second hour, and then down to 2,422,000 in the third and final hour.
Raw was #2, #3, and #4 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic as pre-season football took the #1 spot. Raw was #6 in overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The move of NXT to USA Network got a lot of former NXT stars excited to see their fellow co-workers get the platform to showcase their abilities in front of a much-wider television audience every week.
Mauro Ranallo, the man who – with a lot of passion – calls the NXT action every week, confirmed he will still be behind the mic once NXT moves live. “I had the honor of being part of the first #SmackDownLive broadcast on @USA_Network. I am even more excited to be part of the @WWENXT broadcast team with @McGuinnessNigel & @TheBethPhoenix on USA! WE’LL DO IT LIVE,” a seemingly very excited Ranallo wrote.
Former NXT champion Shinsuke Nakamura said that he came to WWE as an NXT star and he just wanted wanted to spread a message of art through wrestling. “Very excited for all,” he added.
Roman Reigns, who spent a few years down in developmental with FCW and then NXT, acknowledged the long time he spent “in the trenches” with his fellow stars in NXT. “From armories to the main event of #WrestleMania, we’ve come along way. And we’ll always be @WWENXT,” Reigns wrote.
John Cena doesn’t spend much time on WWE television lately but he still follows regardless. “A long step away from ‘developmental system down in Florida.’ From the first #NXTArRIVAL on @WWENetwork to a weekly television show on @USA_Network. Congratulations to @WWE and @WWENXT!”
Two members of the Four Horsewomen and former NXT Women’s champions Bayley and Charlotte Flair also chimed in on the exciting announcement. “I’m jealous. But mostly so proud of @WWENXT and how far it’s come. Here’s to the future,” Bayley wrote, while Flair added, “I remember my first #NXT live event and having 10 people in attendance. Very proud to have been a part of #NXT and now watching it Takeover on USA!”
AEW stars also had a positive word about their upcoming competition. Britt Baker, who happens to be also the real-life girlfriend of NXT champion Adam Cole, posted a photo with both having a bad hair day writing, “Battle of the messy buns and Wednesday nights.”
Shawn Spears, who spent a lot of time in NXT as Tye Dillinger, said that it’s a wonderful thing to see options for wrestlers, but it’s even more beautiful when there are options for the audience. “Watch whatever the hell you want…but ENJOY professional wrestling. Congratulations to all!”
And lastly, Chris Jericho added, “Congrats to @WWENXT for making the big move to the @USA_Network! Runners always race faster when somebody is right behind them. Gonna be fun to see which team the world decides to join!”
At WrestleMania 35, Ronda Rousey broke her left pinky knuckle and was in a cast for a while until it healed. Now, Rousey, who just joined the cast of the TV series 9-1-1, had another hand injury on set, one which nearly severed one of her fingers.
According to TMZ.COM, Ronda injured her middle and ring finger, with the middle finger getting broken and tendon nearly severed while also fracturing the tip of her ring finger. All this occurred while she was filming the show, slamming a door on her fingers during an action scene by mistake. “She was a little over-exuberant and slammed the door on her finger,” a source told TMZ.
The former Raw Women’s champion was taken to a San Diego hospital by ambulance for treatment and doctors inserted bolts and screws in her now bionic middle finger! Rousey brushed it off and went back to work on set the following day.
TMZ added that according to those on set, Ronda did not complain and did not mess up the scene, continued to stay in character and finished the scene. It was only after the director yelled “cut” that Ronda showed everyone the injury.
A photo of Ronda at the hospital showing the absolutely destroyed middle finger was also published. If you can handle gory injury photos, you can check it out here, but trust us, it’s ugly.
Chris Jericho reacted to the news of NXT airing head-to-head with All Elite Wrestling on TNT after appearing on The Busted Open radio show earlier today.
Jericho said that while he thinks WWE is great, there’s too much of it at the moment and adding an additional two hours to their weekly schedule will ultimately dilutes the product and focus.
“It’s a reactionary move that’s done by a guy who wants to start a war. We don’t care if you want to start a war, that was never our intention. There’s no war for us, we’re just doing what we’re doing,” Jericho said, referring to Vince McMahon’s reaction of putting NXT on the same day and time slot against their product.
Jericho mentioned that in the 90s, Nitro would start three minutes earlier than Raw so they could kick off their pyro before WWE’s, a move that he thinks was stupid because ultimately they should have worried about their own product, and not WWE’s.
“I want everyone to do good. Everyone be the best that you can be, whether it’s WWE, Ring Of Honor, Impact, New Japan, AAA or freakin’ George Swanson’s show at the Armory on a Friday night. Do your thing,” Jericho continued, adding that AEW doesn’t care and that’s one of the things that makes them cool. “The more other people will do, the more it makes us look revolutionary and cool, and we haven’t even started yet. Just wait until we start!”
The former WWE champion, who has a shot of being the inaugural AEW World champion come August 31, said that he doesn’t think there will be much cross-over between WWE and AEW fans in the end because those who are into AEW probably don’t follow WWE much or haven’t watched wrestling in a while and they’re just looking for something different. “We still don’t know who our fan base is. Maybe they don’t like WWE, I don’t know,” he concluded.
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani MMA show, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle said that Brock Lesnar has one fight that he wants in the UFC – against Jon Jones.
“I hope he does return. I know he said he was retired, but I think the one fight he wants, and I don’t know if it will happen, but he wants to go up against Jon Jones,” Angle told Helwani. Calling Brock a “freak” and “an incredible athlete,” Angle said that he thinks a fight against Jon Jones would be an extraordinary fight.
“He could do anything he wants…play football or baseball. He could adapt to anything. Brock is an incredible athlete and wrestling him in the ring, I knew how great an athlete he truly is. I mean he could play basketball, he is unbelievable,” Angle continued.
Lesnar told UFC President Dana White that he’s retired from MMA in May. USADA went knocking on Lesnar’s door for a drug test in the second quarter, although the exact date of the test is not public. A USADA spokeswomen told us yesterday that their second quarter includes April, May, and June and did not want to discuss the status of Lesnar, referring us to the UFC for confirmation if he’s really retired or not. When a fighter is on retired status, they get taken off the USADA drug testing pool. Up until April 15, Lesnar only had one drug test from USADA in 2019 so the second test happened after WrestleMania but we don’t know if it was administered before Lesnar told White that he’s retired.
If Lesnar is off the drug testing pool, he has to undergo several months of testing before he’s considered for a fight in the UFC. Remaining active, although not fighting, would still allow USADA to administer out-of-competition tests.
Meanwhile, reacting to the news, Jon Jones wasn’t impressed and said that Lesnar doesn’t really want to fight him. “Brock is way too slow, I’ll embarrass him,” he responded on social media.
WWE’s third brand, NXT, is now part of the “big leagues” and cannot be considered “developmental” anymore with a new, live weekly show on USA Network.
“Can’t describe this announcement in any other word than PROUD,” Triple H wrote on Twitter after the press release was issued by WWE and USA Network. “Proud of everyone involved from day one. Proud you’ve let your voice be heard and carried the banner of this brand. Proud you’ve loudly & clearly said #WeAreNXT.”
NXT first came across on WWE television in 2010 where some of the roster from the Florida Championship Wrestling development territory competed on WWE TV to join the main roster. It ran as a seasonal show with NXT rookies being paired up with WWE pros. The original format lasted four seasons, with Wade Barrett winning the first season, Kaval winning the second season, Kaitlyn winning the third, and Johnny Curtis winning the fourth.
Perhaps none of the seasons had more effect than season one as after it ended, winner Wade Barrett assembled his own heel faction titled Nexus which also featured Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, Skip Sheffield (Ryback), Michael Tarver, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, and David Otunga. The group ran riot on an episode of Monday Night Raw, destroying John Cena, CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Jerry Lawler, Matt Striker, Michael Cole, and Justin Roberts. The group also decimated the whole ringside area and their actions eventually led to Daniel Bryan being fired after he strangled Justin Roberts with his tie.
In mid-2012, WWE stopped their Florida Championship Wrestling development territory and moved all developmental to the NXT brand, signing a deal with Full Sail University where all of their shows were taped.
Spearheaded by Triple H, the brand held its first live two-hour special on the WWE Network called NXT Arrival. It was the first live in-ring show on the WWE Network just days after the streaming service started broadcasting. In total, there are 27 NXT special events, now all titled Takeover.
While all weekly Network tapings are held at Full Sail University, all Takeover specials moved out of Full Sail in August 2015 as the brand started to get more traction thanks to its talented roster. Now, NXT runs over 200 shows around the world every year.
The plan is to get NXT and the WWE Performance Center global. The first step in “taking over” was last year with the creation of NXT UK and the UK Performance Center. The NXT UK brand will present its second Takeover event on August 31 live from Cardiff.
Business is about to pick up! It’s a line that we heard so many times over the years during wrestling shows but now, as they say, sh*t is about to get real!
The sequel to the Monday night war will start in October on a different night as WWE and USA Network today announced that NXT is coming to cable television for a weekly, two-hour live show airing on Wednesday nights at 8PM EST. That is the same time slot of AEW’s new television show on TNT which kicks off on October 2. NXT on USA will start on Wednesday, September 18, giving the company a head start on their new competition and a couple of weeks to lock in an audience.
“The move to USA Network provides an opportunity to deepen our relationship with NBCUniversal and further build the NXT brand,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “Over the long term our goal is to develop a following that can be monetized to the same level as our flagship programs, Raw and SmackDown.”
“USA Network and WWE have one of the longest and most successful partnerships in television history,” said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks at USA and SYFY. “As the #1 cable entertainment network, we’re excited to add NXT to our weekly lineup alongside powerhouse flagship Raw, and to bring a new generation of Superstars to a wide audience.”
NXT will remain taking place from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, and Takeover events will remain on the WWE Network. The weekly episodes will be uploaded on the WWE Network the next day with the earliest you can watch them at the 8PM time slot on Thursdays.
NXT was expected to land on FS1 but it’s USA Network who came in late in the negotiations game and snatched the show away. For WWE, a show on USA Network is better than FS1 as USA is in more homes across the United States.
This will be the first time that NXT will be airing weekly on cable TV after it has been shown only on the WWE Network and Hulu.
With the addition of a live weekly NXT show, WWE will have Raw on Monday, the soon-to-be-announced in-studio show on FS1 on Tuesday, NXT on Wednesday, and Smackdown on Friday, leaving Thursday as the only day without live WWE programming.
Huge wrestling fan and Arrow star Stephen Amell has signed a deal to star in a new television series titled Heels, an hourlong drama set in the outrageous world of independent professional wrestling. The show, according to Deadline.com, will air on Start and the network has given the green light for an eight-episode order.
Set in a close-knit Georgia community, Heels follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play the heel (Amell). But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.
Amell will play the role of Jack Spade who wrestles for Duffy Wrestling Association. Outside the ring, Spade is a hard-working owner, husband, and father trying to make ends meet while chasing his impossible dreams.
Heels is produced by Lionsgate TV in association with Paramount TV. It’s written by Michael Waldron with Mike O’Malley set as showrunner. Along with Waldron and O’Malley, Julie Yorn, Chris Donnelly and Patrick Walmsley will also serve as executive producers.
Following the publication of the news, Amell tweeted to his good friend Cody Rhodes asking him if he wants to help out create a television show.
In a bid to boost ticket sales, WWE is pushing an appearance by The Undertaker for the September 10 Smackdown, a live show which will take place from Madison Square Garden in New York.
This will be the first-ever Smackdown from The Garden and Taker’s first appearance on WWE television since Extreme Rules in June.
Tickets for the back-to-back television tapings at MSG are still available in the several hundreds and Smackdown has almost an entire ringside section unsold, a situation which was unheard of for a show at MSG a few years ago. The super expensive tickets on Ticketmaster.com probably are not helping the situation either.
Hail to the King, baby! It’s @TheMagnumDA and tonight, I am going to challenge our very own Colin Vassallo as we try to determine who the next KING OF THE RING will be. This will be a competition to determine the King of the Pick’ems! We’ll be breaking it down by rounds – 1 point for every correct 1st round pick, 2 points for correct 2nd round picks, etc. The participant with the most points will become the undisputed KING of the Pick’ems.
What are we waiting for? ON WITH THE PICKS!
ROUND 1 – ONE POINT PER CORRECT PICK
Cesaro vs Samoa Joe
Colin: Hm, I really like Cesaro, I think he should have a good singles push. I predict an upset tonight, Cesaro wins.
Magnum: I’m going to have to take Samoa Joe here. Although he made his intentions perfectly clear to the fans last week, I still think he’s going to have some support as we move into the next round. JOE! JOE! JOE!
Ricochet vs Drew McIntyre
Colin: Talk about a mismatch! Ricochet should go back to NXT as his talent on Raw is completely wasted. Drew wins.
Magnum: You know, as weird as it sounds…this match reminds me of Jericho vs. Angle from KOTR 2000 – whoever wins this one is going to go all the way. Unfortunately, for the former Prince Puma…there is no ascension to the throne. Drew wins.
Cedric Alexander vs Sami Zayn
Colin: Sami has not been used properly lately but I think he’ll get this one over Cedric.
Magnum: Once again, Colin and I are not seeing eye-to-eye. This is not necessarily a bad thing! I am going to roll with Cedric Alexander on this one – Sami’s in the doghouse and I don’t think he’s going to be out of it any time soon.
The Miz vs Baron Corbin
Colin: Get. Corbin. Off. My. Screen. Jesus! I never really liked him anyway. Give me The Miz for the W.
Magnum: This one’s weird…because at first glance, I don’t see Corbin setting the world on fire when he returns to TV. At the same time, I don’t see the Miz vs. Cedric happening in the second round – so just this once, give me Baron Corbin.
Smackdown Live’s First Round Matches
Kevin Owens vs Elias
Colin: Ah, Kevin Owens has been like reborn lately. Love what he’s doing…even though he blocked me on Twitter. And I don’t know why. Why, Kevin, why? I predict you will win though.
Magnum: Ha ha, Colin got Twitter-blocked by KO! I can happily say that KO has not blocked me on said Twitter, although I’m sure that’s likely to change sometime soon. Anyways, Elias is nothing more than a foot soldier for Shane these days, but at the same time…KO vs. Drew (as a final) just seems way, way too obvious. I don’t think they’d have KO go all the way just to book him as a loser in the finals. Give me Elias in a shocking upset here.
Ali vs Buddy Murphy
Colin: Dude, Buddy Murphy really impressed me against Roman Reigns. That was quite the surprise. The dude can really go. So just for that, I’m giving him the win here.
Magnum: I totally echo Colin’s sentiments here – Buddy Murphy’s stock soared last week after the Reigns match, and that momentum could definitely continue into the next round. If nothing else, I’d take Buddy in the hopes of getting a KO/Buddy second round matchup…that is, if I picked KO. Since I’m not rolling with KO, I’m going to take Ali.
Chad Gable vs Shelton Benjamin
Colin: Interesting matchup. Who would benefit more of a win here? I’m going with Chad Gable.
Magnum: After seeing those Shelton Benjamin vignettes/interviews (where he’s distracted by a fly), I’m going to assume that Creative has absolutely nothing for him. With that in mind, give me Gable in a mild upset here. Should be technically sound – these are two of the very best.
Apollo Crews vs Andrade
Colin: Apollo Crews is another one of those NXT stars who really faded away once he moved to the main roster. He had so much potential…but nothing really going for him. And Andrade, on the other hand, is hitting all the right spots. Andrade wins.
Magnum: This is probably obvious to astute readers, but the heel/face balance in a Tournament Bracket is key for sustained pick’em success. That’s why I picked Baron to beat The Miz in the first round, for example – While it’s possible to have faces square off in the quarterfinals, I just don’t see Miz and Cedric (two faces) happening. Same deal here – I don’t see Gable vs. Crews happening, but I could definitely see Gable vs. Andrade as a second-round matchup. Give me Andrade!
ROUND TWO – TWO POINTS PER CORRECT PICK
Colin’s Picks – Raw & Smackdown Semifinals
Cesaro vs. Drew McIntyre – I’m really thinking McIntyre is going to go all the way with this one. Drew wins.
Sami Zayn vs. The Miz – I’m starting to like The Miz as a face. It’s amazing how far he came from the Tough Enough days. Miz wins and advances.
Kevin Owens vs. Buddy Murphy – KO! KO! KO! Even though I’m STILL blocked on Twitter. I’m rooting for this guy. Kevin Owens wins.
Chad Gable vs. Andrade – No way Gable goes over in this one, give me Andrade for the win.
Magnum’s Picks – Raw & Smackdown Semifinals
Samoa Joe vs. Drew McIntyre – This one goes against my Bracketology Theory (heel vs. heel), but then again the same would be true if it was Cesaro vs. Drew. I think this will be a bruising, all-out affair. In the end, Drew comes one step closer to the crown.
Cedric Alexander vs. Baron Corbin – I really think this will be a showcase for Cedric to get another huge win over a much larger opponent. In fact, the last time that happened…that larger opponent happened to be Drew McIntyre…so it sounds like they’re setting up this Raw semifinal quite nicely. Give me Cedric to advance.
Elias vs. Ali – This one is a stunner to most, I’m sure (no pun intended, KO – please don’t block me on Twitter). Most people would assume that KO would run roughshod through Elias, Buddy Murphy, and Andrade to get to the final, and I just don’t see eye-to-eye with that logic. That’s why I’m running with this match, and I’m running with Ali to score another big victory and get one step closer.
Chad Gable vs. Andrade – Hey, finally a match that both Colin and I predicted! In fact, he and I also agree that Andrade will make it to the Final Four. Andrade advances.
ROUND THREE – THREE POINTS PER CORRECT PICK
Colin’s Picks – Raw & Smackdown Finals
Drew McIntyre vs. The Miz – Drew McIntyre advances to the final.
Kevin Owens vs. Andrade – Great match in my book. But if there’s a heel on Raw side in the final, we need a face, so Kevin Owens wins.
Magnum’s Picks – Raw & Smackdown Finals
Drew McIntyre vs. Cedric Alexander – I knew, when Cedric pinned Drew in that massive, massive upset earlier in the summer…Drew was somehow going to get this win back. I wasn’t sure how the stage would be set for that rematch, but this seems like the right opportunity for Drew to get that win back. Drew is one step away from the Celtic Kingdom.
Ali vs. Andrade – What an INCREDIBLE match this will be. I have no doubt in my mind that Ali will get the chance he deserved back at the Elimination Chamber – Ali shocks the world and gets to the finals!
FINAL ROUND – FOUR POINTS TO PICK THE WINNER!
Colin’s Pick: Drew McIntyre vs. Kevin Owens
All hail the King of Scotland. Hopefully, he won’t go running around with the silly cape, crown, and scepter. DREW WINS!
Magnum’s Pick: Drew McIntyre vs. Ali
I can’t disagree with Colin here. This will be another fabulous match, similar in style to Drew vs. Cedric, in many respects. With this victory, Drew can now hail himself as The King of the Celts. All hail the new King of the Ring!
Alright fans, we hope you enjoy the King of the Ring! Let us know your picks during upcoming broadcasts – @TheMagnumDA with the hashtag #KOTR. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE KING OF THE PICK’EMs….who will it be? We’ll find out starting tonight!
Former WWE Divas champion AJ Lee will be one of the writers of the upcoming GLOW vs. The Babyface comic book along with Lucifer and Dexter actress Aimee Garcia.
“As huge fans of the Netflix series, Aimee and I are thrilled and honored to get our hands on the ladies of GLOW,” AJ said. “Aimee’s experience in acting and my experience in pro-wrestling makes us a formidable tag team with a unique perspective to truly channel the voices of these hilarious heroines. Our mission as writing partners is to represent diverse, complex, and unbreakable female characters, which is why GLOW feels like the perfect fit.”
Garcia added, “I’m a huge fan of GLOW. I grew up reading comics and never saw myself represented in them, so I’m excited to explore these trailblazing characters and create the change for the next generation. AJ and I are basically writing for our younger selves.”
The four-part GLOW vs The Babyface will launch in November and will be published by IDW Publishing. The synopsis for the comic book reads, “A news anchor who’s determined to convince everyone who’ll listen that wrestling can and will corrupt the youth of America. But even as they’re struggling to convince everyone else — and themselves — that they’re not a bad influence on children, they find themselves responsible for a preteen runaway who’s been living under the ring.”
You can see the covers of the first issue, drawn by by Veronica Fish, Nicole Goux and Catherine Nodet, below.
PWInsider.com is reporting that Tony Schiavone has signed a deal with All Elite Wrestling although it has not been officially announced yet.
Schiavone has been in the business for over three decades, making his debut in 1983, working for Jim Crockett Promotions, WWE, WCW, and MLW. He is best known as the lead voice of WCW’s Monday Nitro where his “greatest night in the history of our sport” line on many shows is still part of wrestling jokes till today. He was recently announced to be returning to Major League Wrestling where he serves as their commentator for their TV show MLW Fusion.
PWInsider adds that up until last week, Schiavone was being pursued by WWE to join the team. He worked for the promotion for one year between 1989 and 1990 before heading to WCW. He agreed to join AEW late in the week although at this point it remains to be seen what happens with his MLW gig.
All Elite Wrestling announced two more cities which will host their AEW on TNT show in October.
AEW travels to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, October 23 for live tapings at the Petersen Events Center. This is a 12,500 seater multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The following week on October 30 it’s off to Charleston, West Virginia for another live show at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. The arena, built in 1959, seats 12,000 fans.
Tickets for both shows will go on sale this Friday, August 23 at AEWTix.com at Noon ET. So far, all TV tapings announced have been sold out.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson married his long-time girlfriend Lauren Hashian yesterday in a ceremony in Hawaii. Johnson revealed the surprise news via a post on his social media, posting two photos and the words, “We do. August 18th, 2019. Hawaii. Pōmaikaʻi (blessed).” In just five hours, his post was liked by over 8 million people on Instagram.
This is the second marriage for Johnson and the first for Hashian. The Rock married his first wife Dany Garcia in May 1997, a marriage that lasted ten years. The two have one daughter together, Simone, who is now 18. Dany remains his business partner and the two built the Seven Bucks Production empire together and remain close friends. Johnson and Hashian, 34 years old, have two children together, Jasmine and Tiana.
The two met in 2007 while Johnson was filming his movie The Game Plan and remained together ever since.
