Alexa Bliss has been taken off the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match after she was not medically cleared to compete. The news was announced by WWE today.
The reason for the removal is not stated but Bliss had issues in the past with concussions which left her out of the Evolution pay-per-view this past October. She eventually returned at the Royal Rumble this year but barely wrestled since. She missed WrestleMania as far as in-ring activity goes and was given the host role instead.
Bliss did not wrestle this week on Raw and instead Nikki Cross replaced her. And speaking of Nikki Cross, WWE also announced that she is the “suitable replacement” for Alexa Bliss and they revealed her involvement in the match a few hours after the Bliss announcement.
TMZ.COM is reporting that Ric Flair was rushed to an Atlanta area hospital on Thursday morning after suffering a medical emergency.
There’s no news on what the medical emergency is but TMZ reports that according to their sources, the situation is “very serious.”
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer was on his death bed two years ago when he was placed in a medically-induced coma for 11 days following several complications. Flair was taken to a hospital on August 13 and only left on September 22. He had undergone colon surgery to remove a blockage in his intestines and was on kidney dialysis for a while. Part of his bowel was also removed during surgery.
The Nature Boy eventually recovered slowly and resumed doing both personal and WWE appearances. He is scheduled to be roasted at the Starrcast II event next week with The Roast of Ric Flair being the headline event during the Memorial Day weekend fan fest.
Smackdown reached a new record low this week with only 1,827,000 viewers tuning in to watch the taped episode from London, down 104,000 from last week. The show had very stiff competition from the NBA Playoffs game which did 7 million viewers on TNT, the NBA draft on ESPN which did over 4 million viewers, and the NHL game which did 2 million viewers. Smackdown was #6 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and #13 in overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The Telegraph newspaper in the United Kingdom is carrying an exclusive story saying that BT Sport is set to announce the acquisition of the WWE television broadcast rights from BSkyB.
The news is a major one because BSkyB has been WWE’s longest television partner, with their relationship dating back to 30 years.
Reps for both BT Sport and WWE did not comment about the news. WWE’s TV deal in the UK is one of the largest internationally for the company along with that of India and both deals are set to bring more money than before for WWE.
BT Sport emerged as a major player in sports broadcasting in the UK over the past few years and carries part of the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, and the UFC among others.
AEW’s top EVPs were present this morning at the WarnerMedia Upfronts in New York for the announcement of TNT airing All Elite Wrestling later this year.
Cody Rhodes and his wife Brandi, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Adam “Hangman” Page all attended the Upfronts along with AEW President Tony Khan. As you can probably imagine, it was all smiles for The Elite group as they have done in a very short time something that Impact Wrestling hasn’t been able to do for a long time: land on a major cable network.
As things stand, TNT did not pay a rights fee to get AEW on their network however they will be covering some costs of production and will also split advertising money from the weekly live AEW television show. The TNT Twitter account was also busy tweeting a lot about AEW today which will help put some extra eyes on the product ahead of their Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
The first real test for the partnership between AEW and WarnerMedia will be Double or Nothing. The PPV, which streams on B/R Live in the United States, will carry a $49.99 price. Fans have been spoiled with paying just $9.99 a month for WWE pay-per-views including the full catalog of content on the WWE Network, so it will be interesting to see how many of them currently on the AEW bandwagon are ready to pay that large sum for one show.
VICELAND today announced the episode titles, synopsis and air dates of their 10-episode wrestling-based series titled The Wrestlers.
Hosted by Damian Abraham, the lead singer of Canadian punk band F*cked Up, the series goes beyond the world of mainstream professional wrestling to dive into the vibrant, fascinating, and bizarre subcultures in the wrestling universe around the world. From Lucha Libre in Mexico to the women’s wrestling scene in Japan, to “voodoo wrestling” in Congo and countless points in between.
The series kicks off on May 22 and will air at 10PM ET. The synopsis and titles for each episode are as follows:
The Best New Talent in America, airing May 22: Few people have had a larger impact on pro wrestling than veteran promoter Gabe Sapolsky. Damian follows Gabe’s crew on an American tour as he trains the next crop of superstars.
The Changing Face of Wrestling, airing May 29: Damian documents the handoff of one generation to the next by visiting a famed wrestler at the close of his career, and profiling the rise of one of wrestling’s newest stars.
Japan’s Finest Wrestlers, airing June 5: Japan boasts the finest women’s wrestling in the world. Damian visits Tokyo to learn what makes these women so good and meet the upcoming generation of female wrestlers.
Death Match, airing June 12: On the fringe of wrestling is Deathmatch, where wrestlers battling with barbed wire, razor blades and broken glass, challenge the idea that wrestling is fake.
Powerful Women of Wrestling, airing June 19: Damian travels to Florida and Bolivia to learn how women wrestlers around the world are using professional wrestling to battle inequality, misogyny, and domestic abuse.
The Next Wave of Mexican Luchadores, airing June 19: As Mexico copes with an ever-present drug war and Trump’s Wall, Lucha Libre is more popular than ever, and some wrestlers see Lucha as their ticket to America.
The Craziest Wrestling in Japan, airing June 26: Invisible wrestlers, blow-up dolls, and waterpark matches: welcome to the weird and wild world of Japan’s DDT, the world’s strangest wrestling promotion.
Wrestling on Canada’s Reserves, airing on June 26: Damian heads to northern Quebec to join a crew of wrestlers who brave weather and isolation to bring professional wrestling to remote and disadvantaged First Nations communities.
Voodoo Wrestling in the Congo, airing July 3: In war-torn Congo, a cultural collision has made one of wrestling’s strangest subgenres: voodoo wrestling, in which suplexes and powerbombs mix with hexes and deadly black magic.
Body Slamming Homophobia in Mexico, airing July 3: Exoticos, male wrestlers who embrace the feminine and dress in drag inside the ring, have been defying the macho side of Lucha Libre for decades.
Daniel Bryan has gone from WWE champion to being part of a pay-per-view Kickoff show within a span of just over a month.
The new Smackdown Tag Team champions, Daniel Bryan and Rowan, will be taking on The Usos at the upcoming Money In The Bank Kickoff show on Sunday. The titles will not be on the line.
Bryan and Rowan defeated The Usos to become the new Smackdown tag champs last week. Shane McMahon was about to award the titles to Bryan and Rowan without a match but The Usos, who are now part of Raw, showed up thanks to the wildcard rule and challenged them for the titles.
Veteran referee Earl Hebner has joined All Elite Wrestling along with a few “lesser-known zebras” who will be part of the promotion moving forward.
Hebner has been refereeing for the past 30 years and had a long stint in WWE before he was fired in 2005 with his twin brother Dave. He then joined TNA where he spent several years there, leaving in 2017. His son Brian, also a former WWE and Impact referee, was not part of the group that was hired.
Other referees who joined the ranks are Paul Turner from Ring of Honor, Aubrey Edwards, Rick Knox from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Bryce Remsburg from CHIKARA.
Monday Night Raw from London drew an average of 2,349,000 this week, up 105,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The show benefitted from no NBA game but will not be so lucky next week.
Hour one drew 2,576,000 viewers, followed by 2,391,000 viewers in the second hour, and then 2,080,000 in the third and final hour.
The show was #1, #2, and #3 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and #6 in the overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
In the same press release announcing the partnership between AEW and TNT, WarnerMedia announced that Double or Nothing will be streaming B/R Live, the company’s streaming service.
B/R Live will serve as the exclusive digital streaming partner for All Elite Wrestling in the United States and it will cost $49.99. The show will air around the world on pay-per-view.
Additionally, the Buy-In hour-long pre-show will also stream on WarnerMedia and AEW’s social channels. The show will be headlined by the Casino Battle Royale, featuring 21 wrestlers fighting for a future AEW title shot.
WarnerMedia today announced that it will broadcast All Elite Wrestling starting later this year on TNT. The show will be airing live every week in prime time as well as streaming on B/R Live.
No exact date was given as to when AEW’s weekly shows will start.
“All Elite Wrestling is a talent-forward, fan-first league whose inclusive approach to creating high-quality athletic wrestling competitions is already making waves with fans and attracting top-tier wrestlers,” said Michael Quigley, EVP of Commercial Operations, Content Strategy, and Monetization for TBS and TNT. “It is high-adrenaline, gripping entertainment and we can’t wait to bring it to fans everywhere with this game-changing new business.”
Tony Khan, President and CEO of AEW added, “Wrestling fans have wanted – and needed – something different, authentic, and better for far too long. It is about a movement fueled by wrestling fans who have been undeserved and perhaps even disappointed by what the industry has produced in recent years.”
This is the first time in 20 years that TNT will be broadcasting professional wrestling on their network. TNT is the former home of WCW Nitro.
WWE Superstar The Big Show is joining the cast of the television series Van Helsing for the upcoming fourth season on SyFy according to Deadline.
His role on the show is still undisclosed and he joins new hires Tricia Helfer (Lucifer), Richard Harmon (The 100), Nicole Munoz (Defiance), and Keeya King (Jigsaw). Production is already underway for the 13-episode season.
The Big Show has not been used on WWE television for quite a while and even though he’s under a WWE deal, the 25-year ring veteran enjoys the freedom of not having to participate at most live events.
Yesterday, he was at the FOX Upfronts in New York City representing WWE.
In a statement issued to Forbes, WWE confirmed that Lars Sullivan is being fined $100,000 and ordered to undergo sensitivity training for his past racial and homophobic rants on the Bodybuilder.com forum.
“WWE supports a culture of inclusion regardless of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation, and we are committed to embracing all individuals as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide,” the statement read.
It then continued, “Dylan Miley (aka Lars Sullivan) will be fined $100,000 and required to complete sensitivity training for offensive commentary uncovered from his past. WWE will also facilitate meetings for Dylan with community organizations to foster further discussion around the power of social media and the impact of your words.”
A Reddit user compiled a long list of comments that Sullivan posted several years ago that contained highly controversial words especially against gays and black people. The thread went viral with some non-wrestling websites also picking it up.
WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon is gracing the latest cover of Variety, complete with a WWE title on his shoulder.
With a headline of “King of the Ring – Vince McMahon brings the WWE to broadcast’s Big Stage,” the magazine takes an in-depth look at the $1 billion broadcast deal with FOX, WWE’s international operations, WWE’s success, and more.
The exclusive cover story, written by Variety Business Editor Cynthia Littleton and TV reporter Joe Otterson, is entitled “Ready to rumble: With a billion-dollar deal in its pocket, Vince McMahon’s WWE has become a Wall Street darling, despite past baggage and future rivals.”
A few interesting highlights of the story, McMahon likened WWE’s longevity to the military. “At the end of the day I’ve got these ribbons and all these medals, and I wake up the next morning, and every one of them is gone. You have to earn everybody’s respect every day, all over again, and I don’t take it for granted.”
When asked if he would be willing to sell WWE, he simply said that they’re open for business, but did not elaborate on it. It’s a statement that WWE Co-President George Barrios also said during a conference call with investors last year.
Talking about the company’s $1 billion deal with FOX, Vince commented, “WWE talent will be appearing on [Fox] programming. It’s going to be a totally integrated approach. We’ve never had a platform like this in terms of promotion. Fox is going to go all-in, and they’re great promoters.”
Impact Wrestling today announced details for their upcoming Slammiversary XVII pay-per-view, which will take place on Sunday, July 7.
The show will be held at Gilley’s Dallas, a complex which has 92,000 square feet of space between eight different rooms. Depending on the configuration, the rooms can hold up to 3,000 people but will be significantly less in a wrestling setting. The location is similar to that of the Rebel Entertainment Complex where Impact held shows before in Toronto.
The company will also introduce a new top-tier ticket and fan experience program called Titanium which will replace the VIP program. Titanium tickets will be priced at $200 and will include front-row seats, autographs, special photo opportunities and more. Tickets for Titanium Package at Slammiversary XVII go on sale May 17, starting at 10AM ET, and will be available at Impactwrestling.com. All other Slammiversary tickets will go on sale on Monday, May 20, starting at 10AM ET at Impactwrestling.com.
“We have had great success with the VIP Program over the past few years, as fans have enjoyed some truly unique interactive experiences with IMPACT Wrestling stars such as miniature golf, bowling and more,” said IMPACT Wrestling Executive VP Scott D’Amore. “We’re thrilled to launch the Titanium Package, which will be a truly exclusive experience for our die-hard fans.”
Slammiversary XVII will have limited, reserved VIP floor seating in the new Golden Circle. Golden Circle ticketholders also will receive perks, including an in-arena merchandise discount, a free commemorative program and more. Front row tickets for Slammiversary XVII will be $100, premium floor seating will be $60 and general admission tickets will be on sale for $25.
The men’s Money In The Bank ladder match had one change to its lineup as Sami Zayn has now replaced Braun Strowman.
Zayn beat Strowman in a falls count anywhere match on Raw last night in London, England, thanks to the interference from Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin, both of whom are also part of the match. The night did not end well for Zayn though as he was chokeslammed through the announce table.
The men’s MITB ladder match now features Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, Sami Zayn, Ricochet from the Raw roster and Andrade, Finn Balor, Ali, and Randy Orton from the Smackdown brand.
Marianne Gambelli, the President of Ad Sales at Fox Corporation told AdWeek that once Smackdown moves to FOX in October, it will be produced by FOX Sports.
“It’s kind of a hybrid: It’s being produced by Sports, so I think it’s going to have a look and feel that will be a little different. But the storytelling will be very entertainment-focused. So it’s going to live in both worlds at Fox,” Gambelli said.
She added that working with Stephanie McMahon and WWE has just been “incredible” and commended them for their ability to create storylines and innovate with marketers, saying that their work is “beyond anything I’ve ever worked with before.”
In a tweet mentioning the article, Stephanie McMahon said that WWE is proud to be joining the FOX Sports family in October. “To be part of the company at such a time of growth and transition is very exciting!”
Apart from Smackdown on FOX, WWE will also have a studio show on FS1 airing on Tuesdays and possibly other programming on other FOX channels.
The June 7 show in Saudi Arabia will be titled Super ShowDown, a similar name that WWE used for their October pay-per-view in Australia.
WWE also announced that the event will feature The Undertaker vs Goldberg and Randy Orton vs Triple H along with a 50-man battle royal. This will be the first time that The Undertaker and Goldberg have wrestled each other.
WWE Super ShowDown will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah and it will be available live on the WWE Network and on traditional pay-per-view.
Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins have finally publicly admitted that they are dating each other.
The whole thing came up after Becky took a shot at Edge on Twitter and his wife, Beth Phoenix, jumped in and wrote, “Wait wait…are we involving our men now…?” Lynch replied, “I’ll ask him… @WWERollins?”
Rollins then posted on his Instagram a photo of the two kissing backstage at WrestleMania with the words, “I guess I’m allowed to post this now….@beckylynchwwe?”
Rumors started to spread during WrestleMania week that they’re an item. Both of them attended NXT Takeover: New York together and were sitting side-by-side at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Percy Watson, who has lately worked as part of the NXT broadcast team, has left WWE to pursue outside ventures. The story was originally broken by Squared Circle Sirens’ Casey Michael a few days ago.
Watson originally worked as a wrestler after he signed a WWE deal in 2009 but in 2013 he was released from his contract after appearing in the second and fifth seasons of NXT’s original format. He returned to the company in 2016 and joined the NXT commentary booth as well as 205 Live and Main Event. He was replaced by Beth Phoenix in NXT and by Aiden English on 205 Live while David Otunga took the Main Event spot.
The 37-year-old North Carolina native is believed to want a career in acting, hence his departure from WWE.
