The post-Backlash Monday Night Raw drew 1,619,000 viewers, down 64,000 viewers from the draft episode of last week. This was the fourth least-watched episode of Raw of 2024 so far.
Raw started with 1,706,000 viewers but dropped to 1,692,000 in the second hour and then to 1,460,000 viewers in the third hour. The third hour is the third least-watched of 2024 so far.
The show was #4, #5, and #6 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demo with 0.56, 0.55, and 0.48 ratings respectively for an average of 0.53, down 0.02 from last week. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
With single tickets now available for both Smackdown and Clash at the Castle: Scotland, pricing seems a bit “better” although the cheapest for the premium live event remains at a whopping £300.
According to @WrestleTix, WWE has sold nearly 10,000 tickets for both shows, with Smackdown at 9,073 and Clash at the Castle at 9,809. The arena is set up for 11,119 for both shows.
With just over a month for the shows, WWE is likely heading to a complete sellout for both events, especially if they decrease the prices in the final few days. The ringside area remains largely unsold due to its extremely high ticket prices.
Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, has told ESPN‘s Mike Coppinger that an enhancement to the current 10-year deal with WWE will be announced soon at the King and Queen of the Ring tournament.
The enhancement will include to bring one of the big five premium live events to the country, most specifically the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania.
In addition, Alalshikh also said that Riyadh Season will sponsor the UFC 306 pay-per-view from the state-of-the-art location of The Sphere in Las Vegas, the first sponsorship of its kind from Saudi.
Saudi Arabia will also host Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk for the Undisputed Heavyweight title in Riyadh a week before King and Queen of the Ring.
“We will do big things with the UFC and TKO,” Alalshikh said.
The Saudi deal with the UFC was facilitated by former TKO Executive Chairman Vince McMahon.
The current WWE deal sees Saudi pay around $50 million per show.
NXT ring announcer Alicia Taylor has finished up with the brand and was promoted to the main roster where she will be the ring announcer for Friday Night Smackdown.
In a video published on Shawn Michaels’ X account, Michaels is seen announcing the news with Taylor by his side and the NXT locker room around her.
He then presented with the NXT title signed by everyone on the back.
“An irreplaceable part of the soundtrack for countless unforgettable #WWENXT moments, and now she’s bringing her unending passion to #SmackDown,” Michaels wrote. “@AliciaTaylorNXT, thank you for everything you’ve brought to the #NXTUniverse… and congratulations on your next step!”
The 43-year-old drummer started working for WWE in 2018 and started ring announcing a few months later.
She replaces Mike Rome on Smackdown, who will be taking her place on NXT.
Now, for the first time ever, both Raw and Smackdown will have female ring announcers with crowd-favorite Samantha Irvin doing the announcing on Raw.
The taped Smackdown from Lyon, France last week drew 2,148,000 viewers, up 5,000 viewers from the prior week. It was the second least-watched episode of Smackdown of 2024 so far. The show had a 0.60 rating in 18-49, up 0.02 from last week and was #1 on all of network television for tonight but #3 overall behind NBA Playoffs on ESPN. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)
The qualifying matches for the NXT Women’s North American title will start next week on NXT after 12 participants were selected.
The selection came through rankings on an NXT combine held yesterday throughout the show.
Sol Ruca topped the combine with 95 points overall followed by Thea Hail with 93, and then Jaida Parker, Brinley Reece, and Michin all with 91 points. Fallon Henley, Lash Legend, Ivy Nile, and Izzi Dame all had 90 points each while Kelani Jordan had 89. Tatum Paxley scored an 88 and the last one was Wren Sinclair with 85.
The 12 will now face off each other in six qualifiers with the first two being Sol Ruca vs Izzy Dame and Ivy Nile vs Lash Legend.
The ladder match with the six finalists will take place at the NXT Battleground premium live event at the UFC APEX next month.
PWInsider.com is reporting that WWE has chosen not to renew Jerry “The King” Lawler’s deal as a broadcaster and is now solely under a WWE Legends deal.
Lawler used to do Kickoff shows for premium live events but that stopped when he suffered a stroke in February 2023. He last appeared for WWE in November of last year when he chose the participants of the NXT Iron Survivor Challenge.
Lawler joined WWE in 1992 and has been affiliated with them pretty much ever since, calling thousands of wrestling matches along the way. His last stint as a commentator came between September 2019 and April 2020 when he was part of a three-person broadcast team on Ra with Vic Joseph and Dio Maddin. Lawler was later replaced by Samoa Joe.
Single tickets for Smackdown and Clash at the Castle in Scotland will go on sale tomorrow at Ticketmaster.co.uk at 10AM BST.
So far, only combo tickets were made available with the cheapest prices available at a whopping £500.40 each, the equivalent of $630.
The show is far from a sellout despite thousands of people in line to purchase tickets when they originally went on sale, but as usual, WWE priced out a lot of people and they chose not to purchase any tickets.
Both Smackdown and Clash at the Castle take place from the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, an arena that holds around 13,000 fans.
The Smackdown bracket of the men’s King of the Ring tournament was revealed last night on Raw.
Four matches will feature AJ Styles vs Randy Orton, Baron Corbin vs Carmelo Hayes, LA Knight vs Santos Escobar, and Bobby Lashley vs Tama Tonga.
The winner of Styles/Orton faces the winner of Corbin/Hayes and the winner of Knight/Escobar then meets the winner of Lashley/Tonga.
The women’s Queen of the Ring tournament bracket has not been announced yet but will feature Tiffany Stratton vs Blair Davenport, Nia Jax vs Piper Niven, Chelsea Green vs Indi Hartwell, and Naomi vs Candice LeRae.
The pre-sale for WWE SummerSlam kicked off this morning on Ticketmaster.com using the code UNIVERSE.
Only a smaller portion of the stadium is open in the pre-sale. Ringside seats facing the camera are going for a whopping $8,000 while other ringside seats on the floor are $4,000 each. All prices are without taxes and fees.
The cheapest tickets available are $300 at the moment in the 100 Level. The east and south sections of the stadium is completely closed off while the North and West sides are open. It’s unclear if WWE will open the east side later but the south side will remained closed off.
The massive Cleveland Browns Stadium holds up to 67,000 seats and no way this event will come close to a sellout. WWE is using the same setup from previous SummerSlams, a curved aisle with no set.
Two title matches were announced for the King and Queen of the Ring premium live event later this month.
Liv Morgan will finally get her shot at gold as she takes on Women’s World champion Becky Lynch and then Sami Zayn defends his Intercontinental title against Bronson Reed and Chad Gable in a triple threat match.
The only two other matches announced for the show are the finals of the two King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.
The show takes place on Saturday, May 25 live from the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The name of Vince McMahon came up in today’s Stormy Daniels testimony against President Donald Trump in the hush-money trial.
According to transcript by CNN, Daniels said she “really wanted” to ask Trump about pro wrestling when they initially met.
“He was friends with the owner of the company,” Daniels said, referring to Vince McMahon.
CNN said that Daniels laughed on the stand as she recalled comparing the adult film industry to wrestling like WWE.
“It’s real but it’s not,” she said.
This was during the time that Trump was feuding with McMahon which led to the match at WrestleMania involving Bobby Lashley and Umaga with Trump in Lashley’s corner and McMahon in Umaga’s corner and the loser must shave their head.
“Donald Trump has always been very famous for his do,” Daniels said on the stand but he assured her it was all predetermined.
“Trump is slumped in his chair and sitting back facing forward as Daniels testifies,” CNN wrote.
Six WWE Superstars advanced in the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments after six matches were held on the broadcast.
Those in the men’s tournament who advanced are late replacement Jey Uso who defeated Finn Balor, former NXT champion Ilja Dragunov defeated Ricochet, and former IC champion Gunther took down Sheamus in the main event of the show.
The last match in the first round, Kofi Kingston vs Rey Mysterio, will be held during a non-televised live event this weekend.
In the women’s tournament, former WWE Women’s champion IYO SKY defeated Natalya, who dedicated the match to Owen Hart. Zoey Stark beat Ivy Nile in her match and then former NXT Women’s champion Lyra Valkyria defeated late replacement Dakota Kai.
The last match between Shayna Baszler and Zelina Vega will take place this weekend at a non-televised live event.
In the men’s bracket, Gunther takes on the winner of Kofi/Rey, and Dragunov battles Jey Uso.
In the women’s bracket, the winner of Baszler/Vega will take on IYO SKY, and Valkyria takes on Zoey Stark.
While the benefits of a global talent pool are immense, employers must also navigate a complex web of local and international laws. From ensuring compliance with labor regulations to crafting airtight contracts, managing remote IT teams presents significant legal hurdles that, if not properly addressed, could lead to costly repercussions.
Understanding the Legal Landscape
One of the biggest challenges in managing a remote workforce is compliance with diverse international and local labor laws. Tax regulations, benefits structures, and labor standards vary widely across regions, creating a complex matrix that organizations must navigate. Companies need to account for everything from working hours to vacation policies and termination procedures. Failing to adapt employment practices to each jurisdiction can lead to compliance issues and potential legal disputes.
Another critical aspect is ensuring that contractual agreements are meticulously crafted to cover the unique dynamics of remote work. Employers must clearly define roles and responsibilities while also considering sensitive topics like intellectual property, data security, confidentiality, and non-compete clauses. The absence of clearly defined expectations can lead to miscommunication and disputes, particularly when dealing with specialized tech talent.
Hiring Bubble Developers
Given their specialized skills in low-code platforms, adds another layer of complexity due to the global nature of the talent pool to hire Bubble developers. With varying employment regulations across borders, organizations must ensure that contracts are precise, outlining deliverables, work expectations, and confidentiality terms. A carefully crafted agreement helps both parties understand their roles and responsibilities, reducing the risk of misunderstandings.
Moreover, organizations must weigh the legal implications of hiring these developers as employees or independent contractors. As contractors, Bubble developers often bring flexibility and reduced administrative burden, but they require specific contractual terms that distinguish them from traditional employees. Understanding the pros and cons of each arrangement helps organizations make informed decisions while staying compliant with labor laws.
Hiring Distributed Systems Engineers
The demand to hire distributed systems engineers has surged with the need for building resilient, scalable systems. Yet, hiring these engineers globally comes with its own set of legal hurdles. For organizations handling sensitive data, compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR is critical. Access to sensitive information should be explicitly outlined in contracts, with proper measures taken to protect proprietary data.
Visa and immigration issues add another layer of complexity when engineers require relocation. Navigating visa requirements and streamlining the onboarding process for international hires can be challenging. Organizations should explore strategies to expedite work permits and relocation, ensuring a smooth transition while meeting all legal obligations.
Best Practices for Legal Compliance
To manage these complexities, organizations must establish clear employment policies for remote workers that address data security, communication protocols, and performance evaluation. These guidelines should be consistently updated to reflect changing labor laws. Regular legal audits can also ensure compliance, while partnerships with legal experts provide guidance on emerging regulations.
Payroll presents its own challenges in managing a remote workforce, as international employees may have unique tax obligations. Leveraging global payroll solutions ensures accurate salary distribution while staying compliant with local tax laws.
Conclusion
Navigating the legal landscape of IT staffing and remote workforce management requires a proactive approach. Hiring managers must prioritize compliance, especially when seeking specialized talent such as Bubble developers and distributed systems engineers. Clear contracts, comprehensive employment policies, and strategic partnerships with legal experts will help organizations stay ahead of evolving regulations while reaping the benefits of a global, distributed workforce.
Both Drew McIntyre and Asuka were pulled from the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments due to respective injuries.
McIntyre, who was on Raw, was informed by Raw GM Adam Pearce that he was pulled out of the show due to his hyper-extended elbow injury. He was set to face Finn Balor, but Jey Uso replaced him.
Asuka was also taken out of the tournament and was replaced by fellow Damage CTRL member Dakota Kai. Kai went on to wrestle former NXT Women’s champion Lyra Valkyria in the tournament.
The Empress of Tomorrow last wrestled at Backlash this past weekend, losing the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles with Kairi Sane to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.
As the Judgment Day makes their way to the ring, Michael Cole announces that Drew McIntyre isn’t medically cleared to compete in tonight’s opening King of the Ring Tournament matches.
The Judgment Day is now in the ring. Priest said he needed to talk about what happened with the Judgment Day after the match at Backlash. Priest apologizes to JD and Finn. As Finn brags about having a first-round bye, Adam Pearce comes out and says he is not getting a first-round bye. Pearce tells the Judgment Day to clear the ring because what happened at Backlash is not happening tonight and Finn’s new opponent is Main Event Jey Uso.
Main Event Jey Uso VS. Finn Balor in Round One of the King of the Ring Tournament
Drew McIntyre comes out and distracted Jey but as Finn set Jey up, Jey countered with a spear and gets the win.
Winner: Main Event Jey Uso
Drew is in the back yelling at Adam Pearce and Adam told him he is not medically cleared to compete it is that simple and Drew tells him he is tired of this BS and leaves. CM Punk pulls in and Pearce told him he was late.
Punk tells Adam to have the truck play his music, he has something to say.
Punk goes straight to the ring. Punk said he came there to pick a fight with Drew McIntyre and wanted everyone to tweet at Drew that Punk is in the ring calling him out. Punk talked about Drew and how he hates Punk but does everything Punk does and asked Drew if he hated him or himself.
Cathy Kelly interviewed Ricochet about his match with Ilja Dragunov and Braun Strowman comes in and hugs Ricochet. Cathy then asked him why he intervened in the Judgment Day last week and he said he had to because he hates bullies, and this isn’t about him it’s about Ricochet and told Ricochet to go out and show everyone why they already call him King Ricochet.
Natalya VS. Iyo Sky in Round One in the Queen of the Ring Tournament
With the moonsault, Iyo pins Natalya
Winner: Iyo Sky
After the match Damage Control puts everyone on notice that they are back on Raw. They announce that Asuka is hurt so Dakota Kai will take her place in the Queen of the Ring tournament.
An Ilja Dragunov video was played.
Ilja Dragunov VS. Ricochet in Round One King of the Ring Tournament Match
This was a great match, but it was Ilja after a superplex and a second H Bomb, which helped him pick up the win.
Winner: Ilja Dragunov
After the match the two shook hands and looked to agree to another match in the future.
Jackie Redmond interviewed Sheamus.
Zoey Stark VS. Ivy Nile in First Round Match in the Queen of the Ring Tournament
Zoey hits her Z360 to get the win.
Winner: Zoey Stark
R-Truth had an idea for their next title defense and Adam Pearce was happy to listen but when he brought in the coach for the NCAA champion basketball team The Miz had to come and pull him out to explain why that couldn’t face them.
Bron Breakker then yelled for Pearce and asked him to explain why he was not in the King of the Ring tournament and Pearce said I figured you would want that answer so let’s go to my office and talk about that.
The Judgment Day were talking about tonight’s activities and JD said Braun Strowman needs taken care of and Priest said he will be by you. Dominik and Carlito come in and Priest said he will never forgive him for costing him his match in Puerto Rico last year.
Chad Gable VS. Big Bronson Reed
This match was not long before Sami Zayn came in and attacked Gable then Reed as well. But it was Big Bronson Reed who left Sami and Gable both lying in the ring.
Winner: No Contest
As Reed entered the backstage area, Adam Pearce asked him if they could control themselves and Reed said this is business and if he wanted control, it is about the Intercontinental title he knows what he has to do.
A video of Lyra Valkyria was shown.
Gunther talked about his match with Sheamus and wanting to win the King of the Ring tournament.
Michael Cole interviewed Becky Lynch in the ring. Liv Morgan interrupted her and then after they agreed to a title match at King and Queen of the Ring, Damage Control interrupted and said they run Monday Night Raw and Liv leaves the ring and said they are not her problem.
Damage Control attacked Becky, Lyra Valkyria came in and helped Becky.
Jackie Redmond interviewed Sami Zayn and she asked when this would end. Sami said triple threat match at King and Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia.
Dakota Kai VS. Lyra Valkyria in Round One of the Queen of the Ring Tournament
Lyra hit the night wing to get the win.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
Kofi Kingston talks about Xavier Woods being injured and can’t compete to be a back-to-back King of the Ring. Kofi says no disrespect he has to win this tournament for Woods.
Gunther VS. Sheamus in Round One of the King of the Ring tournament
Gunther gets Sheamus’ leg draped over the top rope by ducking a brogue kick and Kaiser pulls Sheamus then kicks his leg before being thrown out of the arena by the referee. The match continued and Sheamus looked like he was going to win but Gunther caught him in a power bomb when Sheamus’ leg gave out and turned Sheamus into a Boston Crab. Sheamus almost made it to the rope for the break, but Gunther dragged him back to the middle of the ring and laid back on Sheamus forcing Sheamus to tap out.
Tonight’s Monday Night Raw will kick off with the new roster following the 2024 WWE Draft and will begin with the King and Queen of the Ring tournament first round matches.
In what will be a first, there are a whopping eight matches on the card, which could very well be a record for Raw. All matches announced form part of the two tournaments.
In the King of the Ring, the first matches are Gunther vs Sheamus, Kofi Kingston vs Rey Mysterio, Ricochet vs Ilja Dragunov, and Drew McIntyre vs Finn Balor. The Queen of the Ring matches are Iyo Sky vs Natalya, Lyra Valkyria vs Asuka, Shayna Baszler vs Zelina Vega, and Zoey Stark vs Ivy Nile.
With eight matches, it’s likely that we won’t see a lot of promos or backstage segments tonight which will surely be a change of pace for a WWE show.
Ric Flair took to social media to complain that he was ejected from the Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza restaurant in Gainesville, Georgia after spending $1,500 on the bill.
“I spent $1500 At Piesano’s Stone Fired Pizza to be disrespected more than I ever have in my entire life,” Flair wrote on X. “After taking 20 pictures with customers and staff, I was asked to leave because of an issue I had with the kitchen manager taking too long in the bathroom.”
Flair said that highly recommends that anyone who wants to enjoy a relaxing time in the town at a nice restaurant to avoid the place.
Responding to his claims, restaurant co-owner Jerry Roberts told The Gainesville Sun that there was clear evidence as to why Flair was ejected although he did not disclose what the evidence was.
“We have reviewed video of the incident that took place recently at our restaurant. It is clear, our team worked in a professional manner to ensure the safety of guests and staff. We have thanked our team for their professionalism. We are proud of how they responded to this situation using and displaying our team values,” he said.
In latest figures released by @WrestleTix, WWE has over 17,000 tickets out for Money In The Bank, with just over 800 remaining for a complete sell out of the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
WWE will not be using any set for the show and the full place is pretty much open for business.
The company is also using the same setup for Friday Night Smackdown the night before and NXT Heatwave the following night. These two shows are not close to selling out yet although it’s looking like NXT will surpass its attendance from Stand & Deliver in Philadelphia.
Ticketmaster has just 33 combo tickets left for Smackdown, MITB, and NXT, with the cheapest going for $1,034 CA including all taxes and fees.
WWE were last at the Scotiabank Arena in August 2023 for Edge’s last WWE match and drew a house of 14,291.
PWInsider.com is reporting that the QR codes and mystery videos that have been appearing on WWE television ever since the night after WrestleMania Sunday are leading to the return of several WWE stars in a group led by Bo Dallas’ portrayal of Uncle Howdy.
The group will also consist of Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, Erick Rowan and Nikki Cross and will play in the fantasy world of Bray Wyatt’s gimmick.
Dallas has not been seen on TV since a few weeks before WrestleMania 39 as Uncle Howdy while Nikki Cross and Dexter Lumis have been absent from television since 2023 as well. Gacy has been part of NXT while Rowan recently re-signed with the company.
