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Orton in action plus Sexxy Red returns for October 8 episode of NXT

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE is already advertising things for the October 8 episode of NXT which will take place from Chesterfield, Missouri.

The episode was originally set to take place from St. Louis at the Enterprise Center but slow ticket sales forced a move to a much smaller location at The Factory at The District.

14-time world champion Randy Orton will be in action, his first match on NXT, and will take on Je’Von Evans. During NXT last night, Evans requested a match for this night from NXT General Manager Ava, who said she’ll think about it.

Later in the show, Orton posted on X, “Hey Je’Von – Want to know who your opponent is? See you in St. Louis on October 8th kid.”

The NXT Tag Team titles will also be on the line with Nathan Frazer and Axiom defending them against two former NXT alumni in the form of Austin Theory and Grayson Waller.

Also, NXT favorite and artist Sexxy Red will return to the show although her participation was not explained yet. Red already had several memorable on-screen appearances on NXT.

This broadcast will go head-to-head with AEW’s Title Tuesday episode of Dynamite.

CM Punk to be special guest referee for NXT title match on CW premiere

By
Colin Vassallo
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Former champion CM Punk will be the special guest referee for the upcoming NXT title match between Ethan Page and Trick Williams at the NXT on CW premiere on October 1.

The news was announced yesterday by Punk himself in the final segment of the broadcast as he stood in between the champion and the challenger after minutes earlier, NBA star Tyrese Haliburton presided over the contract signing between the two.

Punk told Page and Williams that there’s only one rule for the match and that is they have to listen to him. Apart from that…they could start fighting right then if they wanted to, which of course, they proceeded to do so.

The episode, live from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, will have the largest crowd for an NXT television taping.

Collision rating for 09/14/2024

By
Colin Vassallo
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Collision on Saturday night back in its usual time slot drew 268,000 viewers, up 101,000 viewers from the previous week’s record low. The show had a 0.08 rating in 18-49, up 0.04 from the last show and placed #7 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

CM Punk to make an announcement on NXT tonight on USA

By
Colin Vassallo
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Three matches have been announced for NXT tonight, a broadcast which is headlined by CM Punk who will make a rare NXT appearance to deliver a special message to the fans ahead of his appearance on the NXT on CW premiere episode on October 1 in Rosemont.

Matches include former NXT Women’s champion Lyra Valkyria teaming up with Tatum Paxley to battle TNA’s Rosemary and Wendy Choo, Je’Von Evans and Cedric Alexander vs No Quarter Catch Crew, and Lola Vice takes on Fatal Influence’s Jacy Jayne.

NXT has just two more episodes on USA Network, tonight’s and next week, before it moves to The CW.

Rampage rating for 09/13/2024

By
Colin Vassallo
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Rampage

Rampage on TNT drew 250,000 viewers this past Friday, up 17,000 viewers from the previous week. The show had a 0.07 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from the prior show and ties the lowest rating the show has ever done. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

The CW to air WrestleMania XL: Behind The Curtain documentary on September 28

By
Colin Vassallo
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The CW will be airing the WrestleMania XL: Behind The Curtain documentary on Saturday, September 28 at 8PM ET ahead of the arrival of NXT on Tuesday, October 1.

The documentary was released exclusively on YouTube on July 3 after a long delay as it was supposed to be released the week after WrestleMania in April.

The documentary covers the road leading up to WrestleMania XL and the decisions that had to be taken following the fans’ backlash when Cody Rhodes was taken out of the main event so The Rock could headline with Roman Reigns.

The one-hour documentary, which has 3.6 million views on YouTube, is set for a two-hour slot on The CW according to television guides published online.

WWE and NBC announce the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event

By
Colin Vassallo
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Saturday Night's Main Event

WWE and NBC today announced the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event, which will air live on Saturday, December 14 at 8PM ET on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.

The special will be held at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, New York, the site of the first-ever Saturday Night’s Main Event.

This marks the first primetime special, which will air quarterly on NBC and Peacock, as part of WWE’s new, five-year domestic media rights partnership with NBCUniversal, which officially kicked off last Friday with SmackDown on USA Network.

Saturday Night’s Main Event originally premiered on NBC in May of 1985.

Tickets will go on pre-sale in two days on September 19 with the general on-sale commencing a day later on September 20 at Ticketmaster.com.

Rhea Ripley admits breaking down backstage when told about Judgment Day break-up

By
Colin Vassallo
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In an interview with The Wrestling Classic, Rhea Ripley admitted that she cried and was upset backstage when she was told that The Judgment Day was breaking up and she and Damian Priest were no longer going to be part of it.

“I’m not ashamed of it, that was me, I was upset. I was like, the last two and a half years of my life is going to be, like, it’s changed now. I can’t go back to that,” she said.

Ripley described the faction as “her boys” and “her family” and it was really sad that it came to an end, but knew that something amazing was about to start.

“And I wasn’t really thinking about that because I was just so emotional. Yeah, that was the most fun that I’ve had in my career in a long time,” she continued. “I felt invincible. I felt like I could go out there and just be a cheeky little menace and get away with it, for real, and have fun with my friends.”

Ripley credited the group for helping her career more than she can put into words but now she’s loving her time “absolutely brutalizing” the faction.

“They’re not the real Judgment Day. They’re street trash,” she concluded.

Armando Alejandro Estrada signs WWE Legends deal

By
Colin Vassallo
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Armando Alejandro Estrada, the former manager of the late Umaga, announced on social media that he signed a Legends deal with WWE.

“I’m happy to announce that I have signed a 5 year Legends/Nostalgia contract w/ @WWE for special appearances & merchandising, including action figures, video games, & more! Great to be back in the fold with them,” Estrada wrote.

The 45-year-old Chicago native of Palestinian descent has not been seen on WWE television since mid-2012 after he was rehired in early 2011 following his original release in 2008.

Although originally a wrestler in Ohio Valley Wrestling, he found fame when he was called up to the main roster in 2006 to manage Umaga. He was then moved to ECW in late 2007 as the General Manager of the brand where he also later wrestled.

Smackdown rating for 09/13/2024

By
Colin Vassallo
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The Smackdown premiere on USA Network drew 1,723,000 viewers this past Friday, down 47,000 viewers from their last broadcast on FOX. The show had a 0.55 rating in 18-49, up a decent 0.10 from the previous week. Smackdown was #1 on cable for the night and #2 in all of television for the night behind the College Football broadcast on FOX which did a 0.60. (Ratings credit: Programming Insider)

Intercontinental title match to headline next week’s Raw

By
Colin Vassallo
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The Intercontinental title match between champion Bron Breakker and Jey Uso will not be taking place at Bad Blood, but rather next week on Raw.

The two had multiple confrontations on the show last night, first with Uso getting the upper hand after delivering a spear on Breakker during their in-ring segment and then later in the night, Breakker returned the favor and speared the hell out of Uso after the former WWE Tag Team champion tried to save Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley from The Judgment Day’s attack.

Jey won a fatal four-way match against Braun Strowman, Ilja Dragunov, and Pete Dunne last week to become the number one contender for the title.

TV insider says AEW deal to be announced next week, offers new details

By
Colin Vassallo
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A report yesterday by John Ourand of Puck News reveled that the AEW television deal with Warner Bros. Discovery will likely come next week unless there are any last-minute changes.

Ourand said that the new agreement will be three years plus an extra year as an option if triggered by the network. Shows on TBS, TNT, and TruTV are part of the deal.

The estimated value by Ourand is reported to be around $170 million annually, a figure which could swing to good or not that good depending if AEW pay-per-views are included in the rights. If AEW PPV rights are included in that figure, it would not represent the big increase that AEW was looking for. Ourand’s report did not mention any PPV deal with Max, something which other insiders said is part of the deal.

Regardless of PPVs or not, the figure would still make AEW the most profitable wrestling company behind WWE.

AEW is also looking into another show with a different network, rumored to be FOX, as their TV deal with WBD will not be exclusive.

Raw preview for 09/16/2024

By
Colin Vassallo
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The road to Bad Blood continues tonight on Raw live from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Five matches have been announced for the broadcast so far.

The WWE World Tag Team titles will be on the line as Finn Balor and JD McDonagh of The Judgment Day defend their titles against Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods of The New Day, Dom Mysterio faces Damian Priest, Braun Strowman takes on the returning Bronson Reed, Sheamus battles former tag team partner Pete Dunne, and Natalya vs Zoey Stark.

Plus, CM Punk returns ahead of the Hell In A Cell match against Drew McIntyre.

Wade Barrett wants one more match against Drew McIntyre at Wembley Stadium

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE today posted a video of career highlights of Wade Barrett, the current Raw color commentator, who corrected the post by saying, “Career highlights, thus far.”

The former leader of The Nexus has made it clear that he would step back in the ring under the right circumstances, and recently, in an interview with AceOdds, he said that he wanted that match to be against Drew McIntyre at Wembley Stadium.

“Anytime I get asked this question, if I could have one match for the remainder of my days on this planet and you’re allowed one more match, who would it be? And it would absolutely be me against Drew McIntyre at Wembley Stadium,” Barrett told AceOdds. “A sold out Wembley Stadium, I think that is the pinnacle for British wrestling, especially if you’re fans of the era back when Davey Boy and Bret Hart competed in 92 at that Summer Slam.”

Barrett added that while he would come back for that and it’s a pipe dream, it’s not something he’s actively pursuing or trying to pursue.

“I’m fit and healthy, if something came up where they say ‘okay, there’s a match here, would you be interested in doing it?’ if it makes sense to me and I was excited to do it, absolutely, I could.”

He did shoot down returning to the ring full time, saying that the prospect of physically grinding the current schedule month after month after month is not for him at this point in time.

Barrett also gave props to Drew McIntyre for the job he has been doing for the past several months in WWE.

The Killer’s Game with Dave Bautista opens at #6 in box office chart

By
Colin Vassallo
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The Killer’s Game, the latest movie from former WWE Superstar Dave Bautista, was #6 in the box office chart this weekend with revenue of $2,600,000 from 2,623 theaters nationwide according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

The movie, which also has the debut of Drew McIntyre, was behind Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Speak No Evil, Deadpool & Wolverine, Am I Racist?, and Reagan.

This was the lowest-grossing theatrical film in Bautista’s acting career.

The Killer’s Game plot features a hitman, played by Bautista, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness and he decides to take a hit out on himself. But when the very hitmen he hired also target his ex-girlfriend, he must fend off an army of assassin colleagues.

Grayson Waller to wrestle for PWA Black Label in Australia next month

By
Colin Vassallo
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WWE Superstar Grayson Waller will be returning to his home country in Australia to wrestle for PWA Black Label in a rare appearance.

The cocky Australian former WWE Tag Team champion will be taking on Jimmy Townsend at PWA’s Grand Final at the Metro Theatre in Sydney on October 12.

Waller cut a two-minute promo for the match which PWA has distributed over their social media channels.

“You’re welcome for the rub,” Waller tells Townsend at the end of the video.

Tickets are available now at http://tinyurl.com/pwacolosseum24tix.

Vickie Guerrero comments on Smackdown appearance

By
Colin Vassallo
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Former Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero said it was a “blessing” to be at the Smackdown premiere, meeting familiar faces and meeting new ones.

“It’s so good to be here. It’s such a good time tonight. I love it,” she told Byron Saxton after the show. “To come back and to be asked to be here tonight, of course, how can you say no? This is my home. This is where everything started. To see all my old friends and just familiar faces and meet new ones, it’s a blessing tonight.”

Guerrero, who spent time in AEW before making her first WWE appearance on Friday, added that she was “like a little girl in a candy store” seeing the new generation come up and sit with the girls and talk to them and get to know them.

Her last appearance on WWE television was on the Smackdown 1000 episode which aired on October 16, 2018.

Thunder Rosa out with a concussion

By
Colin Vassallo
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Former AEW Women’s champion Thunder Rosa announced on Busted Open Radio that she is sidelined with a concussion and will be out for a few more weeks.

“If you feel like you have a concussion, make sure you stop,” Rosa said. “Don’t get in there. It’s not worth it. I can tell you, right now, I’m suffering a concussion. So I’m gonna be out for a little bit…for a couple weeks!”

The last match she wrestled was in a four-way match against Serena Deeb, Hikaru Shida, and Queen Aminata on the August 31 episode of Collision.

Rosa spent 16 months out with a back injury and returned to the company in December of last year.

Heels now available to stream on Netflix in the United States

By
Colin Vassallo
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The two seasons of the drama series Heels are now streaming on Netflix in the United States.

Heels, which originally aired on STARZ, was canceled by the network but Netflix reached a licensing agreement with Lionsgate to put the show on its streaming service. Netflix also has the rights for a third season depending on how the show does on the service after it debuts.

Based in a fictional town in Georgia, Heels follows two brothers and rivals who go to war over their late father’s legacy. It features Stephen Amell, Alexander Ludwig, Allen Maldonado, Alison Luff, Chris Bauer, Kelli Berglund, Mary McCormack, Robby Ramos, Trey Tucker, Roxton Garcia, and James Harrison and features special guest appearances by the likes of CM Punk, AJ Lee, and others.

WWE contingent at UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas

By
Colin Vassallo
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The UFC presented its biggest production ever last night at The Sphere in Las Vegas, with jaw-dropping graphics and an immersive experience which left the thousands in attendance and those watching on television in awe.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, his wife Stephanie McMahon, and WWE President Nick Khan were in attendance and were seen backstage. They did not appear on camera.

However, WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik Mysterio were shown on camera during the pay-per-view, sitting away from each other keeping kayfabe alive! Dirty Dom was accompanied by his wife while Rey donned a Noche UFC special mask.

Rey presented the mask he wore at the show to UFC President Dana White after the pay-per-view.

UFC 306 had the highest-grossing gate in UFC history with 16,024 in attendance and a gate of a whopping $21,829,245 for an average ticket price of $1,362.28.

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