WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio will be heading down to NXT next week to be in the corner of Dragon Lee as he faces Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American title.
Dom made fun of Lee last week for trying to be a Mysterio wannabe with the mask and this week, Lee interrupted an in-ring segment between Dom and Ripley. After a few insults, Dragon Lee didn’t appreciate Dom saying he’s the greatest luchador ever, with Lee saying that title belongs to his father Rey.
Eventually Lee challenged Dom to a match and Dom accepted because he’s a fighting champion. Rhea informed Lee that she will be in Dom’s corner next week and Lee replied saying that he’s not coming alone.
At that point, Rey Mysterio appeared on the big screen and informed his son and his mami that next week he will be in Orlando to be in Dragon Lee’s corner for his match.
Kayla Braxton is leaving her duties as host of WWE’s The Bump, the company’s weekly online show, and will be replaced by Megan Morant.
Braxton will still be involved in the show sometimes but will no longer drive the broadcast after a total of 240 episodes spanning nearly four years. Morant and co-hosts Matt Camp and Ryan Pappolla paid tribute to an emotional Braxton on today’s episode, singing her praises.
She recently moved to Los Angeles and was hosting the show virtually while the rest of the team was in the studio at WWE HQ. She will remain with the company in other roles.
There was also a big surprise for her as Paul Heyman sent in a video after the production team behind the show asked him to roast Kayla. The two share tremendous on-screen chemistry dating back to their days as hosts of the Smack Talk Smackdown after show.
Heyman said he was not going to entertain the idea to roast Kayla but instead chose to praise her work ethic and tremendous talent and said he was honored to have worked with her. The funny part came after, when the video was left recording and Heyman made fun of Kayla “without knowing” that the recording was still on, taking back everything he said about her.
During the American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes documentary on Peacock, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H is shown saying that Cody returned to WWE because he did not grow up dreaming of becoming the champion or the face of a “secondary promotion,” obviously referring to AEW.
In comments given to The Orlando Sentinel, AEW President Tony Khan was not impressed and reminded Triple H that AEW will not be the secondary promotion at All In considering they’re a few thousand tickets away from becoming the most paid attended wrestling show in history.
“We’re No. 1 in the UK, on TV and with a record gate. I have a lot of respect for Cody. I know these weren’t his words, to be fair, but we’re not secondary in a lot of markets,” Khan said. “For the first time in a long time, WWE has been secondary in a lot of markets.”
He added that he’s proud of where they’re at and they’re not taking a back seat to anybody.
While All In is about to break records, attendance at AEW events, including pay-per-views, in the United States have suffered greatly this year, taking a big hit compared to last year.
In the latest 10-Q filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission it was revealed that WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon was subject to a federal search warrant and a grand jury subpoena which was effected on July 17.
No charges have been filed against McMahon yet.
The government investigation on Vince McMahon and his hush-money scandal remain ongoing despite the Special Committee investigation wrapping up in Q4 2022. WWE said that they received voluntary and compulsory legal demands for documents, including from federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies, concerning the investigation and related subject matters.
WWE CEO Nick Khan refused to elaborate on the subject during a conference call with investors earlier today apart from saying that WWE will cooperate in full with any investigation.
In an exclusive story published by Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated it was revealed that Kenny Omega, “Hangman” Adam Page, and The Young Bucks all signed new, multi-year deals with AEW, keeping them there for the foreseeable future.
In addition to their wrestling contracts, Omega, Matt, and Nick Jackson will also retain their roles as Executive Vice Presidents.
Omega told SI that he was careful to weigh out all the options and was open-minded to all possibilities but he believes that with AEW, he has the freedom to pursue other passions he has in life, “which, after nearly 25 years in the ring, have become more and more important to me.”
Matt Jackson said that The Elite are the “E” in AEW and no matter what changes AEW undergoes, they remain the DNA of the company.
“As far as my own personal stories, I’ll have enough to retell my grandchildren for a lifetime. And much of those stories can be about how I helped create a massively successful wrestling company where all of your favorites can be seen on live television every week,” Matt said.
His brother Nick admitted that the AEW schedule was a major reason why he opted to stay and having a wife and three kids it was important that he sees them as much as possible.
“I’m not going to lie, the money was a huge factor, too,” he added, noting that they could have made big memories in WWE but at this point in his life, making memories with his family is more important.
Page also echoed Nick’s statement about the schedule, saying the AEW schedule allows him to be home with his family for the majority of the week and the pay is good too.
“AEW emerging as a legitimate wrestling company has helped drive up bargaining power for wrestlers and others who work in the industry,” Page said. Making a long-term commitment to a still-growing AEW I felt was the best way I could help continue that progress.”
WWE today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2023.
“We generated strong financial results in the quarter, highlighted by record quarterly revenue and Adjusted OIBDA. Operationally, we continue to effectively execute our strategy, including staging the most successful WrestleMania of all time in early April. WrestleMania, as well as our other premium live events such as Backlash, Night of Champions and Money in the Bank all delivered record viewership. Our weekly flagship programs, Raw, SmackDown and NXT, delivered strong double-digit growth in viewership, significantly outpacing overall industry performance,” said Nick Khan, WWE Chief Executive Officer.
“Strategically, in early April, we entered into a historic agreement with Endeavor to combine WWE with UFC to create a one-of-a-kind global sports and entertainment company. We believe that bringing these two iconic and highly complementary brands together will allow us to create incremental value for our shareholders.”
Frank Riddick, WWE President & Chief Financial Officer, added “In the quarter, we exceeded the high end of our guidance. Adjusted OIBDA was $141 million on revenue of $410 million. Our financial performance was favorably impacted by a shift in the timing of the staging of a large-scale international event. Our results in the quarter also reflected strong consumer demand for our live events, which benefited performance across our various lines of business.”
Second-Quarter Consolidated Results
Revenue increased 25%, or $82.1 million, to $410.3 million, primarily due to the timing of the staging of a large-scale international event, an increase in revenue related to the media rights fees for the Company’s premium live events and flagship weekly programming, and higher live events revenue.
Operating Incomeincreased 26%, or $18.0 million, to $87.3 million, reflecting the increase in revenue partially offset by an increase in operating expenses. The increase in operating expenses primarily reflected an increase in content creation costs, including the timing of a large-scale international event, and the impact of certain costs related to the Company’s strategic alternatives review and recently announced agreement with Endeavor. The Company’s operating income margin increased to 22% from 21%.
Adjusted OIBDA increased 54%, or $49.2 million, to $140.7 million. The Company’s Adjusted OIBDA margin increased to 34% from 28%.
Net Income was $52.0 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, an increase from $49.0 million, or $0.58 per diluted share, primarily reflecting the increase in operating performance partially offset by an increase in the Company’s effective tax rate.
Cash flows generated by operating activities were $77.0 million, an increase from $56.9 million, primarily due to higher net income and lower working capital requirements.
Free Cash Flow was $31.1 million, an increase of $21.7 million from $9.4 million, primarily due to the increase in cash flows generated by operating activities. For the three months ended June 30, 2023, the Company incurred $31.7 million of capital expenditures related to its new headquarter facility. Excluding the capital expenditures related to the new headquarter facility, Free Cash Flow for the three months ended June 30, 2023 was $62.8 million.
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $523.8 million as of June 30, 2023. The Company currently estimates debt capacity under its revolving line of credit of $200 million.
Collision on Saturday night headlined by MJF and Adam Cole vs FTR for the AEW World Tag Team titles drew 739,000 viewers, the second most-watched episode of Collision so far. It was up 121,000 viewers and had a 0.27 rating in the 18-49 demo, up 0.09 from the prior week. (Ratings credit: Wrestlenomics)
Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman appeared on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith in a 10-minute segment to talk about this weekend’s SummerSlam premium live event.
Paul Heyman described himself as the GOAT and when Smith brought up Bobby Heenan, Heyman quipped, “Screw him, he’s dead!” He also mentioned Jimmy Hart, who’s still alive, and Heyman said that’s proof that God doesn’t answer his prayers.
“You want proof that I’m the GOAT?” Heyman asked Smith. “I’m with him [looking at Reigns]. Why would he settle for anything less than the GOAT. He’s the Tribal Chief.”
Heyman went on to say that Reigns smashed records in every country they have been to, be it Saudi Arabia, or the United Kingdom, or Canada, or Mexico, and even in the United States and he continues to do so every Friday night on Smackdown.
“Is there anybody you can forsee taking all of this from you [titles], Mr. Reigns?” asked Smith.
Reigns replied that all the big names came to try, including Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Logan Paul, and others. He said with his cousin by his side, they could have continued to rule the world by Jey got a little selfish but come this Saturday, he was going to show who’s head of the table.
The Twisted Metal series which was promoted on Raw last night had a big omission – Samoa Joe as Sweet Tooth.
Twisted Metal, which is now streaming on Peacock, has Samoa Joe in a major role as one of the antagonists and while he appears under a mask and the character is voiced by Will Arnett, WWE’s usual pettiness resulted in all of Sweet Tooth’s scenes being removed from the footage which aired during Raw.
“Y’all know,” tweeted Joe along with two laughing emojis after the promotional material aired on Raw.
Joe is currently the ROH Television champion and has been working for AEW since last year. He previously wrestled, coached, and worked as a commentator for WWE and NXT between 2015 and 2022.
WWE Raw ring announcer Samantha Irvin appeared as a guest on yesterday’s Busted Open radio show to discuss her work with WWE and her brilliant different ways of announcing WWE Superstars.
Irvin said that AEW’s Mark Henry called her when she got hired and advised her to listen how other great announcers, like The Fink, mastered his job.
Irvin said that she got hired during the end of the Thunderdome era when WWE was in transition and she was able to “slide in and be a little crazy” with her announcing.
She credited Michael Cole for pushing her to do the announcing her way and Cole told her that while they’re used to do announcing in one way, if she feels there’s something that she wants to do, she should go for it.
“Luckily, a lot what I’ve thrown at the wall has stuck. I think, I don’t want to put words in Mr. McMahon’s mouth, but since he didn’t yell at me or anything, I think he was happy with what I was doing,” Irvin said.
Irvin said that she got called up within two weeks and all of a sudden she’s doing Royal Rumble and then WrestleMania so they were happy with her style.
“I definitely got lucky with all of the factors that were at play when I started,” she admitted.
PWInsider.com is reporting that Tammy “Sunny” Sytch will stand trial for her DUI case on the week of September 18.
Sytch is facing nine charges – one count of DUI manslaughter, one count of causing death while operating a motor vehicle with a suspended/revoked driver’s license, four counts of DUI causing injury to a person, and three counts of DUI causing damage to property.
The WWE Hall of Famer killed a 75-year-old man following a car crash in March 2022 and later it was revealed that her blood alcohol level was 3.5x the legal limit at the time of the crash. She was first bailed out of jail after someone posted a $227,000 surety bond but a judge later revoked her bail after she was arraigned in Volusia County Court.
Rampage last Friday drew 324,000 viewers, down 91,000 viewers from the previous week. The show also drew a 0.10 in 18-49, down 0.1 from last week for one of the least-watched episodes of Rampage of 2023 so far. (Ratings credit: Wrestlenomics)
Smackdown, returning to its usual home on FOX, drew 2,323,000 viewers, up by 1.1 million viewers compared to the prior week on FS1 and an increase of 24,000 viewers compared to the July 14 episode which also aired on FOX. The show drew a .61 rating in 18-49 demo, up from the 0.36 of last week but down 0.01 from the last time on FOX. Smackdown won the night and destroyed everything else on network TV. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The Becky Lynch vs Trish Stratus match which was being built for SummerSlam will not take place this Saturday but instead it is being saved for an episode of Raw in two weeks time.
The match is now penciled in for the August 14 episode which will take place from Winnipeg, Canada, as announced last night by Adam Pierce on Raw.
It remains unclear why the match will not take place at SummerSlam as both popular WWE Superstars are now not scheduled to be part of the biggest show of the Summer.
This is a rematch from their Night of Champions bout where Stratus ended up winning thanks to an assist from Zoey Stark, who made her main roster debut on that night.
A match between the two on Raw yesterday ended in a DQ after a few seconds following Stark’s interference.
WWE today announced the much-anticipated live event in India, the first one since 2017.
Titled, Superstar Spectacle, the show will take place on Friday, September 8 live from the GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. This is the first-ever WWE live event to be held in Hyderabad.
The GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium is a rather small arena with a maximum capacity of 5,000 people.
Tickets will be available from Noon IST this Friday, August 4 at bookmyshow.com. Fans interested in joining an early presale from 12:00pm IST this Thursday, August 3, can register now via the BookMyShow app and website.
Advertised to appear are Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Gunther, Jinder Mahal, Veer, Sanga, Drew McIntyre, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Matt Riddle, Ludwig Kaiser, and many more.
This show will be in collaboration with Sony Sports Network, the home of WWE in India. WWE Superstar Spectacle is produced and promoted by BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential division of BookMyShow, India’s leading entertainment destination.
Tonight’s episode is in memory of Adrian Street who passed away on Monday morning.
Logan Paul is announced first to come to the ring. Paul began by welcoming everyone to Monday Night Raw, then saying he doesn’t like talking to brain-dead people for long and he is not here for them. He is here for Ricochet.
Ricochet comes out and says he doesn’t like Logan Paul, but he is a great athlete. Paul then tells Ricochet he respects that and tells him they are going to put on a heck of a match and held his fist out for Ricochet to fist bump. Ricochet fist bumped him and attempted to leave.
Paul then goes on to tell Ricochet that he hopes there is no hard feeling when his fiancé Samantha Irvin announces Paul the winner at SummerSlam and a fight began with Paul knocking Ricochet out.
Cathy Kelly then interviews Imperium backstage. Gunther says Drew McIntrye is not here tonight so Kaiser gets a chance to redeem himself against Matt Riddle, and at SummerSlam Gunther will end Drew McIntyre.
Matt Riddle VS. Ludwig Kaiser
Really good match with Riddle overcoming outside interference to ending up on the losing end after a DDT from Kaiser.
Winner: Ludwig Kaiser
Byron Saxton interviewed Logan Paul and he gloated about what happened in the ring with Ricochet.
Maxxine Dupri VS. Valhalla
Maxxine had Valhalla pinned but Erik came in and interrupted the count. Valhalla then took Maxxine to the top rope and Maxxine ended up with Valhalla on her shoulders and fell backwards and arched up for the pin.
Winner: Maxxine Dupri
Shinsuke Nakamura is in the locker room and Tommaso Ciampa walks in and tells him he is going to fix their problem. Nakamura said he would see him in the ring, and both stated they were going to win the SummerSlam Battle Royal.
The Judgment Day is in the ring. After naming all the people they have left laying and talked about their respective matches at SummerSlam, Rhea talked Raquel Rodriguez. Raquel came out and confronted Rhea and beat down Rhea. Dominik got involved and distracted Raquel and Rhea chop blocked Raquel on her bad knee. As officials arrived to stop the fight, Rhea busted through and kicked Raquel’s knee again.
A video package of Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
Alpha Academy had words with Imperium and Gable was challenged to a five-minute match with Gunther and Gable said five minutes, I would last five hours if I have to but leave your crew in the back and I will too.
Shinsuke Nakamura VS. Tommaso Ciampa
As Ciampa went for the fairytale ending, Nakamura kept rolling Ciampa over and pinned him holding Ciampa’s trunks.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Raquel Rodriguez is shown in the trainer’s office in pain.
Brock Lesnar is coming to the ring next. Talks about being an NCAA Champion and is going to get paid to beat Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. He then calls Cody out to shake his hand. Cody comes out, Cody gets in the ring and offers Brock his hand. Brock shakes his hand, and they have words. Brock then shoulder bumps Cody as he leaves the ring. Cody then takes off running and jumps through the ropes onto Brock. Brock fought Cody off and got the ring steps and hit Cody with them. As Cody struggles to get back to his feet, Brock’s music plays then he turns around and starts hitting Cody again. Every time Brock went to leave, Cody got up and Brock threw Cody in the ring and delivered an F-5.
Gunther VS. Chad Gable in a 5-minute challenge
After holding Gable in a sleeper hold for about 40 seconds, Gunther goes for the powerbomb but Gable fights back and ends up dumping Gunther over the top rope and winning the 5-minute challenge.
Gunther demanded the match was not over and the referee restarted the match. As Gable went for a second chaos theory suplex he struggled lifting Gunther back up and Gunther took advantage with 3 hard chops then a powerbomb and got the win.
Winner: Gunther
After the match Gunther gets a microphone and stands on the announce table and tells Drew McIntyre he is going to end him once and for all at SummerSlam.
Sami Zayn is with Seth “Freakin” Rollins and Rollins is screaming; they are not going to get away with it, talking about the Judgment Day.
Byron Saxton interviews Cody Rhodes and asked him if he was ready to compete at SummerSlam, Cody says he will bring the violence to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam.
Becky Lynch says she wants Trish Stratus right here, right now. Trish comes out with Zoey Stark; she said you don’t tell me when to have this match. She told Becky yes you get your rematch, but I will tell you when.
Adam Pearce comes out and says this match is going to happen so get me a referee out here and the match will take place right now.
Becky Lynch VS. Trish Stratus
The bell rings and they start fighting and Zoey Stark immediately jumps in and gets Trish disqualified.
Winner by DQ: Becky Lynch
The fight continued with Zoey and Trish getting the upper hand after Trish hit Becky with a chair.
Adam Pearce is talking with Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark and Pearce tells Trish in two weeks she if facing Becky Lynch again and Zoey will be banned from ringside.
Another video on Baszler and Rousey.
Sami Zayn & Seth “Freakin” Rollins VS. Damian Priest & Dirty Dominik Mysterio
Priest gives Rollins the Razor’s Edge off the top rope and Priest told Balor to give him the briefcase but before Priest could officially cash in, Rollins kicked Priest then Balor was on the apron and held Seth, but Zayn hit Balor with the Helluva Kick and Rollins ran and gave Priest a stomp and gets the win.
Multiple industry insiders are reporting that All In will indeed be a pay-per-view and will cost $50, just a week before AEW presents another pay-per-view, All Out.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer wrote that Comcast will be carrying the show as a pay-per-view while Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics confirmed that DirecTV is also airing it as a pay-per-view on channel 106.
AEW President Tony Khan has so far refused to give out details on how the record-breaking event will air apart from the fact that it will be available for everyone to see, albeit leaving out the price part.
All In is also scheduled to air in select theaters nationwide promoted by Joe Hand Promotions.
FITE.TV, which usually airs AEW pay-per-views for international viewers, does not have a public entry for the show yet.
With All In less than a month away, an official confirmation of All In’s airing is yet to be announced by AEW.
One of the most well-liked and easily accessible casino entertainment options, slot machines draw gamers of all ages and skill levels. Understanding the fundamentals of slot gaming is crucial if you want to get the most out of this exhilarating experience, whether you’re playing at a physical casino or in the virtual realm of online gambling. Here are the principles, tips, and techniques to get you started on an exciting adventure into the world of slot machines in our beginner’s guide to slot gaming.
Understanding Slot Machines
A slot machine is a machine with reels that have different symbols on them. The reels begin spinning when you push the “spin” button or pull the lever, finally stopping and showing a combination of symbols. The objective is to line up particular symbol combinations on so-called “paylines” to earn prizes.
Getting Familiar with Reels and Paylines
Reels on a slot machine are the vertical columns that house the symbols. Slot machines historically featured three reels, but newer models might have five or more, boosting the game’s complexity and excitement. The lines that span the reels and determine winning combinations are known as paylines. For effective slot gaming, it’s important to understand how many pay lines there are and how they function.
Exploring Different Types of Slot Games
Slot machine games provide a wide range of options to suit different tastes and interests. Typical forms of slot machines include:
Vintage Slots: These slots feature three reels and straightforward gameplay, and frequently include fortunate sevens, bells, and familiar fruit symbols.
Video Slots: Video slots include five or more reels and are more complex, with compelling themes, engaging extra features, and cutting-edge visuals.
Slot machines with progressive jackpots: These machines have the potential for large jackpots that increase with each wager made until a lucky player wins the top award.
Betting and Bankroll Management
Setting a budget for your slot gaming activities is crucial for a novice. Determine a limit on how much you’re willing to lose and stick to it. Divide your spending into sessions to stay inside your allotted amount. You may experience the pleasure of playing slots without suffering big financial losses if you manage your money responsibly.
Embracing Bonus Features
Slot games frequently include fun extra elements that increase winning potential and add interest to the game. These qualities might consist of:
Symbols that can be used in place of other symbols to form winning combinations are known as wild symbols.
Symbols that start free spins, bonus rounds, or other unique bonuses are known as scatter symbols.
Free spins are bonus rounds in which the reels can be spun without having to make further wagers.
Practice with Free Slot Games
Numerous online casinos provide free versions of their slot machines so that you may practice and become accustomed to the action before risking real money. Use these free slot games to get acquainted with the various slot varieties, bonus features, and paylines.
The Role of Luck and Random Number Generators (RNG)
It’s critical to understand that playing slots is largely a game of luck. A Random Number Generator (RNG) chooses the result of each spin, assuring objectivity and fairness. The excitement and unpredictability of playing slots are increased by the fact that there is no skill required to identify the winning combinations.
Knowing When to Stop
Finally, make sure to know when to quit when you start your slot gaming journey. Take a pause and move away if you notice yourself chasing losses or become overly emotionally immersed in the game. Knowing your boundaries will provide a pleasurable gaming experience, which is how slot machines are intended to be enjoyed as a kind of entertainment.
Understanding the fundamentals, handling your money sensibly, and embracing the diversity of slot games on offer are crucial for a pleasurable and successful experience as a newbie in the world of slot gaming. Slot machine play combines thrill and luck, which keeps players coming back for more. You’ll be better equipped to spin the reels, discover various slot games, and enjoy yourself in the world of slot gaming if you follow our beginner’s tutorial. As you discover the thrill and possibilities that slot machines have to offer, keep in mind to wager wisely and to have fun.
It’s SummerSlam week and tonight’s Monday Night Raw is live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas where a sold-out crowd is expected for the go-home episode.
Brock Lesnar and Logan Paul will be back on the show as they continue their program with Cody Rhodes and Ricochet respectively.
Only two matches have been announced so far, with Maxxine Dupri taking on Valhalla and Seth Rollins teams up with Sami Zayn to take on Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest in the main event.
AEW will hold a double taping of Dynamite and Collision on the same day on Wednesday, August 23, due to the whole crew moving to London, England for All In a few days later.
The shows will be taped at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, with tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets start at just $20 each.
This will be the first time that both shows will be taped on the same day as last time Collision required to be taped, it was taped a day later as its own stand alone event.
AEW personnel are expected to move to the UK after the event is over for what will be their biggest show ever at Wembley Stadium.
AEW tapes Rampage following Dynamite and ROH following Collision but there’s no indication that these two shows will also tape on the day of this event.
