A day before her return to the ring, Mercedes Mone released her 22-minute documentary, chronicling her journey to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and her appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Clearly excited and often emotional, the former multi-time WWE Raw and Smackdown Women’s champion spoke highly of her friends who supported her throughout her journey, some of whom even made the trip to Japan to see her live.
In a very emotional moment sitting inside her hotel room, the artist formerly known as Sasha Banks revealed that she received a text message from Triple H just 24 hours before her NJPW debut and that was followed by another text message from William Regal, two of the most influential men in her career.
The documentary show her arriving at the Tokyo Dome and meeting all the NJPW stars, including her first face-to-face meeting with AEW’s Kenny Omega.
Smackdown opens with a memorial tribute picture of the late Jerry Jarrett
We are then shown a video package of last week involving The Usos and their match with Ricochet and Braun Strowman last week as well as after the match with Sami Zayn and Paul Heyman.
Natalya & Shotzi VS. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler
Shotzi gets the tag from Natalya and picks up Rousey to set up the Hart Attack but Shayna grabs Natalya’s leg as she is running and pulls her out of the ring and Rousey reverses the hold on Shotzi and locks in the arm bar submission and Shotzi has to tap out.
Winners: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler
A package of the Bloodline and Sami Zayn is shown.
Hit Row is now in the ring and talking and the lights go out. Bray Wyatt’s music comes on Bray and Uncle Howdy are on the apron of the ring. Hit Row attacks and Howdy takes out Ashante, Bray gives the mandible claw to Top Dollar over the top rope, then Howdy hits sister Abigail on Ashante. Bray gets the microphone and says your welcome Montreal. Bray says now that he is in control of himself and his family, Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley whomever wins tomorrow night they should run.
Sheamus & Drew McIntyre VS. The Viking Raiders
As the Viking Raiders set up Drew for a double team maneuver, Sheamus makes his way back to the ring after being sent into the corner post shoulder first and hits the Brogue Kick on Ivar allowing Drew to hit the Claymore on Erik to get the win.
Winners: Sheamus & Drew McIntyre
Kayla Braxton interviews Rey Mysterio and they talk about a special moment between Rey and Santos Escobar where Santos gives Rey one of his masks and Rey in return gives Santos one of his masks. Rey gets interrupted by Karrion Kross, Kross insults Rey as a father and challenges him to do something about it. Tick Tock.
Liv Morgan VS. Asuka
Carmella is on commentary and Raquel Rodriguez comes out and starts to argue with Carmella. Meanwhile Nikki Cross comes between Wade Barrett and Michael Cole. Asuka locks Liv in the double arm lock for the win.
Winner: Asuka
After the match, Carmella comes in the ring and kicks Asuka. Natalya comes in and clotheslines Carmella. Nikki Cross comes in and give Natalya a spinning neck breaker. Raquel Rodriguez comes in and hits a powerbomb on Nikki. Raquel then walks over to the corner and helps Liv to her feet only for Liv to hit a double knee to the face and Asuka back in kicks Raquel. Asuka and Liv stare and smile at each other while looking up at the Eimination Chamber and Liv slides out of the ring.
Gunther is interviewed about his upcoming title defense with Madcap Moss and Gunther says like everyone else he will fall to the ring general.
Gunther VS. Madcap Moss for the Intercontinental Championship
Gunther catches Madcap in a sleeper hold for a few minutes and then turns him around into the power bomb and retains the championship.
Winner and Still WWE Intercontinental Champion: Gunther
Sami Zayn comes to the ring in his hometown to rally the crowd for tomorrow night’s Elimination Chamber and his chance at the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns. The crowd chants “Ole” “Sami” and “You Deserve It” and is cheered loudly for several minutes while Sami just stood and absorbed the cheers.
Sami says this time of year they point at the WrestleMania sign and say that is the biggest show of the year and it is but tomorrow night it’s once in a lifetime for him and the city of Montreal. He then tells Roman tomorrow night its Roman against Sami and the entire city of Montreal and he is going down.
It was pretty evident what Montreal fans went to Smackdown for last night and when the time arrived, boy did they not disappoint.
Fans gave hometown hero Sami Zayn a God’s welcome, a welcome which rivaled the one Montreal gave to Hulk Hogan the night after WrestleMania 18. Constantly cheering for a solid 10 minutes, Sami Zayn was moved to tears as Montreal showed up for their boy.
It took several minutes before Zayn even uttered a word, with the crowd still singing his original theme song – which was smartly brought back for the night – and “you deserve it.” And when Zayn spoke, the crowd was still cheering.
Zayn said that during this time of the year, everyone points to the WrestleMania sign because it’s the most important show. But for him, and for all of those in Montreal, tomorrow night is a once in a lifetime and their biggest show.
He then said something in French that popped the crowd big time and warned Reigns that at the Elimination Chamber, he is just not facing himself, he’s facing also all of Montreal.
The promo was short and straight to the point, with the hot crowd creating a segment that will be part of the WWE highlight reel forever.
Last Week’s Rating: 375,000 overall; 0.12 in 18-49 demo
It’s Friday Night, and you know what that means… it’s time for our Rampage Review!
…..
The Elite vs Top Flight & AR Fox, Trios Titles
Backstory: Despite losing to the champs last week, the challengers asked for another match Wednesday
We were given full intros here, a far cry from the usual ‘straight to the ring’ start. Largely so everyone could rock tees promoting All-Star weekend. Omega had both his belts: they acknowledged the IWGP US title and his match with Will Ospreay, which they haven’t done much in the aftermath.
Callis joined on comms as Nick and Dante got started by aggressively passing a basketball before the ref threw a tip off. Lots of basketball associated shenanigans followed, leaving the good guys with the ring to themselves.
Fox took flight to take out the Bucks then dove onto Kenny on the other side. Then took out the Bucks again while holding a basketball as Excalibur commentated like NBA Jam.
A ’defense’ chant kicked up among the crowd as Omega and Fox squared off, Omega wearing 23 so he damn sure ain’t shy. The Elite played keep away then threw a superkick at Fox as he eyed the basketball.
Break. Veeeery goofy so far.
Nick had Fox down as we came back but ate an enziguri before being taken upstairs and flipped off the buckle right back up into a cutter with the wrists clutched. Dante and Omega in, atomic drop and a tope by Dante before he took flight with a high cross body.
Omega quickly kicked out.
Then tried a snapdragon but Dante landed on his feet, Matt blind tagged his way in, Top Flight doubled he and Kenny, standing Spanish fly by Darius to Matt, Fox skinned the cat into a dropkick on Omega in the corner then got two via 450.
Nick hooked Dante off the apron then the Elite hit a bucklebomb/double enziguri in the corner. Before perching Fox & Darius so they were hanging off the middle rope: Nick came off onto both with a senton.
Kenny readied a V-Trigger, Dante came off the top to cut him off, everyone took out everyone, ending when Fox matrix’d under Kenny and Nick, kipping up to take out both via cutter but being dropped via a Matt clothesline. Jackson then took Fox to the corner, firing shots, Fox tried a moonsault but ate a superkick party, Nick escalera’d onto Top Flight outside, Omega hit the V-Trigger then the OWA on Fox to bag a much more convincing win than in their last encounter.
Post-break, this was very good, very much an Elite match so depends on your taste I guess. Smoother than their meeting last Wednesday.
Afterwards, the lights went out, which has been done so often it’s now mundane. The House of Black appeared then disappeared. Hell of a build for these trios belts.
WINNER: The Elite
The Gunns backstage with Lexi. Colten called her ‘Renee’ then both guys said they were unconcerned about defending their belts in a four-way at Revolution.
…..
Speaking of mundane and repetitive, we next had an interrupted interview. Mark Henry was interviewing Orange Cassidy when Wheeler Yuta came in to basically be a little pr***. He doesn’t think Orange cares about his belt so he wants to take it. Cassidy acknowledged that he didn’t teach Yuta anything, just tried to be his ‘best friend’, accepting the youngster’s challenge.
A ‘deeply personal situation’ according to Excalibur. Between two people who haven’t interacted in like ten months.
…..
They quickly showed the JAS’ attack on the Impractical Jokers last week.
Daniel Garcia vs Ricky Starks
Backstory: Starks was cheated out of a match with Jericho, partly by Garcia
Garcia pie-faced Starks, Ricky slugged him then beat him down in the corner before flinging him up in the sky via back body drop. Garcia cut him off with a boot to the gut, then a strange collision in the middle saw Starks back on top, wrenching the arm to walk the ropes.
Garcia then caught him re-entering, attacking the leg with a dragon-screw in the ropes before dumping him off the apron to bring the break.
Limping as we returned, Starks attempted a Spear but collapsed, unable to put weight on his leg. Though caught Garcia coming in with a lariat, leaving both down as the ref began his count.
Starks again caught Garcia being too aggressive, dumping him via overhead belly to belly then hitting a blue thunder bomb for two before blocking another dragon screw. Garcia got two+ via uranage, the crowd didn’t care at all about the youngster. He then applied the Dragon Tamer, for a long time, the crowd still didn’t buy it.
Guevara tried to pull the ropes away as Starks reached for the break, Action Andretti (remember him?) ran Sammy off, the crowd still very quiet. Starks hit a Spear then polished off Danny with the Roshambeaux.
Hardly long enough for this to even get going.
AEW should be concerned by how little the crowd cared about anyone other than Ricky here.
Post-match, a ranting Guevara demanded a match with Action Andretti, promising to ‘beat your ass’.
WINNER: Ricky Starks
An Evil Uno/Moxley video package aired. Uno promised that Moxley would ‘respect me’. They tried at least.
Jade Cargill vs Vertvixen, TBS Title
Backstory: None
Leila was certainly dressed for All-Star.
Jade did some push-ups, hit a sloppy pump kick then Jaded.
And still… pointless.
WINNER: Jade Cargill
Rhodes cut a very good, very intense promo about going to a dark place to see the light and taking Strickland to hell with him.
Swerve Strickland vs Dustin Rhodes
Backstory: Strickland talked smack about Rhodes’ family & his goons beat the vet up last week
A chant of ‘Swerve’s House’ confirmed that the crowd were indeed awake.
Parker Boudreaux was immediately taken out trying to attack Rhodes on the ramp. The vet then clotheslined Swerve outside, beating him around ringside, before taking him to the corner for ten.
And was firing jabs like his father until Strickland landed a cheap shot, avoided a snap powerslam but ate a German.
With Rhodes seeking another, Strickland backed him to the corner then bit the hands to free himself, launching up into a heel kick, pursuing Dustin outside where he flung himself into a vicious running dropkick with Rhodes’ head propped against the barricade.
We then went to break with Rhodes bleeding.
A rolling flatliner dropped Rhodes as he tried to fight back. His face covered in blood, Strickland beckoned him to get up then landed a whip-quick kick to the head. Rhodes kicked out at one, firing up as Strickland looked worried: snap powerslam, lariat, another, boot to the face, drop-down uppercut, then a code red after catching Swerve with a boot in the corner.
Very close to three.
Both struggling to their feet, they tested each other with kicks then crashed as both thought cross body. Strickland planted the vet with a DVD on the apron, failing to hook the leg as he again got two.
Before heading up top.
Rhodes crotched him, dropping him via superplex, piledriver, Swerve just kicked out.
Rhodes then readied Cross Rhodes, Strickland bagged two via jacknife pin, Rhodes rebounded and slipped under to hit Cross Rhodes, hauling Strickland back up into Final Reckoning, Boudreaux pulled Rhodes out with Strickland beaten.
For a very rare DQ, which Jericho was quick to point out.
Swerve and Boudreaux were then beating Dustin with a chain, Boudreaux running through any security who tried to intervene and readying a cinderblock when Keith Lee returned just in the nick of time.
Appearing behind the heels with his head shaved, he ran them off then helped Dustin to his feet.
Why Strickland couldn’t beat Rhodes here is puzzling. It wouldn’t have changed the angle involving Lee one bit.
Very good match though.
WINNER: Dustin Rhodes by DQ
…..
Next Dynamite:
Jon Moxley vs Evil Uno
Revolution tag team battle royale (They added Top Flight, Rush/Vance & Aussie Open tonight)
The Acclaimed vs Big Bill & Lee Moriarty
Christian interview with Schiavone
‘Major Announcement’ from Tony Khan (It’s been a while)
Saraya vs Skye Blue
Bryan Danielson will speak
Wheeler Yuta vs Orange Cassidy
Next Rampage:
Sammy Guevara vs Action Andretti
…..
Overall impressions
Three out of tonight’s four matches had some sort of backstory and build, and involved talent fans have some reason to care about.
Guess that can be taken a couple of ways: positive in that it made for a fairly entertaining hour of wrestling; negative in that it’s noteworthy when they do what they should be doing every single week.
Check Out
Dustin Rhodes vs Swerve Strickland (best thing on AEW tv this week)
A report on Bloomberg states that WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon is seeking as much as $9 billion in the sale of his company WWE, more than the initially reported $7 to $8 billion figure.
WWE is currently valued at around $6.5 billion on the New York Stock Exchange and any sale will be above that figure.
Lucas Shaw, the reporter behind the Bloomberg story, adds that sources who are close to the situation “expressed skepticism” that many traditional media companies, those such as NBCUniversal and Disney, will buy WWE. Shaw said that interested parties include the likes of Endeavor, which owns the UFC, and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
The story also says that WWE already received a couple of acquisition offers, although no mention of who expressed interest were revealed.
WWE will be rocking Montreal tomorrow night with the Elimination Chamber, the final stop before WrestleMania.
Today we will present the early odds for all the matches and then tomorrow we will take a look at the updated numbers. Remember, bet responsibly at bookies not on gamstop if you are using real money!
In the Undisputed WWE Universal title match, it’s Roman Reigns vs hometown hero Sami Zayn. Unfortunately for Zayn, bookmakers have no faith that he will win and Reigns is 1/9 favorite to retain while Zayn is a long shot with 5/1 odds.
The United States title will be defended inside the Elimination Chamber and Austin Theory is favorite to win this match with odds of 8/15. Seth Rollins is at 11/4 and closest while Montez Ford, Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano, and Damian Priest have 7/1, 8/1, 10/1, and 16/1 odds for the upset.
A new number one contender for the Raw Women’s title will be decided inside the Chamber match and the winner will face Bianca Belair at WrestleMania. Asuka is the favorite with 1/8 odds while Raquel Rodriguez is 5/1, Liv Morgan at 8/1, Nikki Cross is at 16/1, Carmella at 22/1, and Natalya at 25/1.
Brock Lesnar will collide again with Bobby Lashley and Lesnar is favorite – as it is usually the case – with 8/15 odds while Lashley is 11/8.
And the last match on the card will see Edge and Beth Phoenix take on Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley in a mixed tag team match. The Grit Couple are 4/6 favorites while Judgment Day is 11/10.
Cuba is another nation that has had some excellent performances in international volleyball competitions. If you are also like cricket, you will definitely enjoy what in.1xbet.com/line/cricket has to offer in terms of betting opportunities.
One of the best Cuban volleyball players from the last decades is Robertlandy Simón. He is a middle blocker who has displayed a lot of talent in his defending duties on all the teams where he has performed. Thanks to his skills, the player has been able to help his squads to win or to reach important stages of major tournaments. The 1xBet website also includes all matches of the Cuban national volleyball team.
An initial spell with the national side
Simón actually began his life as a professional volleyball player in 2005. His first squad was none other than his national side. He was only 17 years old when he made his debut, and because of his performances he was quickly selected as captain of the squad. The platform 1xBet is the site where you bet online. and take advantage of multiple other features for making your wagers even better.
During his initial spell with the national side, Simón’s most important achievement was to win the 2009 World Grand Champions Cup. Additionally, he also obtained a silver medal in the 2010 World Championship. The latter happened after being defeated by Brazil in the final of the tournament. If you want to find a site where you can bet online, then 1xBet is the platform you need, as it has a complete section dedicated to volleyball.
Moving abroad
While Robertlandy Simón had been quite successful with his national squad, he also wanted other opportunities in his life. For this reason he left Cuba in 2010, and also resigned to the national team. If you want to find one place to bet on volleyball games, that one would certainly be 1xBet, as among other things, it has the best odds on the Internet.
Since leaving his home nation, the player has joined many other squads, such as:
Copra Elior Piacenza;
Al Rayyan;
OK Savings Bank;
Sada Cruzeiro;
Cucine Lube Civitanova;
and Gas Sales Piacenza.
By finding one particularly good place to bet on volleyball games, like 1xBet, you will also be able to place wagers on these squads. Most likely Simón was tempted to join other national teams during his period abroad, especially considering his talent. Many other Cuban players have switched allegiances to represent other nations. However, he rejected all offers of this kind. In fact, in 2019 he returned to the Cuban national team, where he has continued leading the team to other great performances.
In a video posted on his social media, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson paid a nice tribute to Jerry Jarrett.
The Rock said he wanted to make the video to acknowledge Jerry’s contributions to the world of pro wrestling and explained how Memphis Wrestling was the hottest territory in the country in the 70s and up to the mid 80s.
“Jerry Jarrett was the maestro,” The Rock said, adding that Memphis Wrestling had a strong influence on his career.
Johnson also praised Jarrett for giving his father a job when they were evicted in the 80s and then gave him a job too in the mid 90s and he would be forever grateful for that.
The former WWE champion also address Jeff Jarrett, calling him a good buddy of his and told him to keep strong because he knows the pain of losing a father.
Ric Flair has revealed on his podcast To Be The Man that both FOX and Netflix are in the hunt to get the rights for a reality TV show based on the Real Housewives series, this time featuring the housewives of wrestling stars.
Flair said that there was a reel that came out featuring his wife Wendy, Randy Orton’s wife Kimberly, Kurt Angle’s wife Giovanna, and Jake Hager’s wife Catalina.
“Wendy saw the reel yesterday. It’s Randy’s wife, it’s Kurt’s wife, it’s Wendy, and Jake Hager’s wife,” Flair said, noting that Jeff Jarrett’s wife Karen was not in it but she would be great at it.
“The reel came out so good they are looking at it,” Flair added.
Kim and Giovanna had a podcast titled The Wives of Wrestling which was hosted with Jon Alba. The last episode aired on August 31, 2022.
A&E Network announced that it is expanding its Sunday night WWE programming block this spring with the all-new docuseries titled Stone Cold Takes on America.
Produced by Lionsgate’s Pilgrim Media Group, Stone Cold Takes on America premieres Sunday, April 30 at 10pm ET/PT and sets out on the road as Austin takes viewers on an epic adventure as he redefines what life after years in the ring looks like and experiences everything he missed out on while focused on his career.
In each one-hour episode of Stone Cold Takes on America, Austin will hit the road in his RV, accepting challenges from fans that push him out of his comfort zone, and make up for lost time. Through archival footage from classic WWE moments and his own stories, the series weaves together Austin’s old and new life—both filled with incredible feats and his unique point of view—as he celebrates and learns from new experiences how only Stone Cold Steve Austin can.
The series is executive produced by WWE. Executive producers include Craig Piligian, Steve Austin, Heather Olander, Stijn Bakkers and Mike Nichols, who also serves as showrunner. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson serve as executive producers for A&E. A&E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for Stone Cold Takes on America.
A new season of WWE’S Most Wanted Treasures will serve as the lead-in for Austin’s new A&E show, starting at 9PM ET.
The funeral service for legendary wrestling promoter Jerry Jarrett, who passed away at the age of 80 on Tuesday, will be held on Tuesday, February 21.
The celebration of life will start at 11AM from the Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and visitation with the family will commence once hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Jerry’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
As one of the most physically strenuous sports, wrestling sees a proportionately greater likelihood of injuries. Wrestling is one of the most challenging sports since it calls for a mix of physical strength, quickness, technical skill, and mental tenacity at the highest levels.
Wrestlers know this; thus, they put in their best effort in conditioning before the training season begins. Wrestlers must have high levels of anaerobic power and the capacity to function at the highest level.
Pro wrestlers exhibit better values in this area, which makes it a defining characteristic of elite performance. Let’s hear some conditioning advice and strategies for peak performance straight from the pros.
Warm-Up
Dynamic warm-ups, which typically involve movement stretches, are used by many pro wrestlers. These stretches assist in loosening up your muscles and preparing your body for the motions required by wrestling. Wrestlers’ dynamic stretching warm-ups can consist of a variety of exercises, such as:
Hamstring Stretch
Hamstrings can be stretched in numerous ways. The Frankenstein walk is an example of a popular dynamic stretch that works well as a warm-up before training. This stretch requires a gentle forward kick with a straight knee and an opposite forward reach with the opposite hand. You can execute this stretch either standing still or while moving across the floor.
Child’s Pose
The child’s pose is another great way to loosen up your back and arm muscles. Kneel down, bringing your toes together and your knees apart. Extend your arms forward and tilt your head down. You can stretch better if you extend your arms more to the sides.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Stretching the hip flexors, which are positioned in the hip’s front, can be done in various ways. Half kneeling is a good position to stretch the hip flexors. To perform this stretch, one knee should be on the floor, and the foot of the other leg should be flat. To feel a stretch at the front of the hip of the leg with the bent knee, perform a slight forward lunge. Maintaining an upright spine position will allow you to feel the stretch in the intended muscle.
Strength Training
You can only be a good wrestler with a body that can endure and even overcome a resistance you’ll encounter. A successful takedown depends on the grappler’s ability to brace their body in various positions and speeds.
It’s essential to train your upper body in a way that doesn’t put undue stress on your joints, and that means including exercises that work your biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, and back. Start with exercises like lateral shoulder raises, bicep curls, pec flies, triceps kickbacks, and bent-over dumbbell rows. There is a higher risk of shoulder injury when performing complete range-of-motion exercises like bench presses and lat pull-downs, so you should try to avoid these if feasible.
Furthermore, one of the keys to success for wrestlers is having a solid core. Having a strong core not only benefits them physically but also protects them from injury. A powerful core consists of strong abdominal muscles, glutes, hips, and a strong back. Exercises that improve your core’s stability and balance will yield the best results.
Basic exercises to build a strong core are glute bridges, planks, supermans, and standing wood chop. Add in some crunches to work those abdominal and obliques, too.
Power in the legs is also essential for wrestlers. Their stability and agility allow them to avoid being pinned, while their strength allows them to launch themselves into powerful attacks. You can execute standing calf raises with various toe angles or use the sitting calf-raise equipment for your calves.
To supplement strength training, you can take whey protein or high-protein smoothies since these are proven to help you increase strength, gain muscle, and lose significant amounts of body fat.
Cardiovascular Conditioning
Every wrestler needs strength and speed, but those with unrestricted cardiovascular fitness frequently succeed in the latter stages of a match when their opponent begins to tire. Wrestlers can improve their cardiovascular fitness with a variety of simple techniques.
Cycling, whether on a track, an off-road route, or a stationary bike in a gym, is excellent aerobic training for wrestlers. Moreover, some wrestlers enjoy running in groups because it fosters teamwork and gives some healthy rivalry to keep them motivated.
Short-distance training increases explosive muscle power, while long-distance training strengthens the cardiovascular system. Jumping rope is also a popular cardio exercise that has been shown to benefit athletes in various sports, including wrestling and boxing.
Conclusion
Having great conditioning is crucial if you want to achieve your athletic goals. You’ll have a better chance of making it in the game if you’ve put in the time and effort to get in the best shape possible. A few of the conditioning exercises used by professional wrestlers have been outlined here. Still, your trainer is in the greatest position to provide you with specific instructions on how to improve in wrestling.
This week’s episode of Dynamite on TBS drew 824,000 viewers, down 75,000 viewers from last week’s show and the least-watched episode of 2023 so far. It was also the lowest number since November 18, 2022. The show did a 0.27 in the 18-49 demo, down 0.03 from last week and finished #4 in the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
ROH Tag Team champion Mark Briscoe has officially joined All Elite Wrestling. The announcement was made by AEW President Tony Khan yesterday on social media.
“Mark Briscoe earned his second win on TBS on #AEWDynamite tonight, and now it’s official: Mark Briscoe is All Elite,” Khan wrote.
Briscoe will now be pulling double duty, working on AEW television while also remaining an integral part of Ring of Honor.
“It was great having him on #AEWDynamite tonight, and I’m excited for Mark to participate in the debut of the new @ringofhonor TV,” Khan continued.
After having the ban lifted by Warner Bros. Discovery, Briscoe made his AEW debut on the January 25 episode of Dynamite, wrestling against Jay Lethal in a memorial match for his brother Jay.
ROH will be returning with weekly episodes starting March 2, with all episodes streaming on the company’s HonorClub streaming service. Tapings will be held at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
This week’s episode of NXT drew 640,000 viewers, up 78,000 viewers from the previous week. It was the third most-watched episode of NXT so far for 2023. The show drew a 0.15 rating in the 18-49 demo and placed #17 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. That is the second-best number for this year. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Former AEW women’s champion Thunder Rosa will be transitioning behind the mic for the time being, joining the Spanish commentary team for AEW TV shows while she recovers from injury.
“Exciting news, #AEW fans! While my recovery continues, I’ll join @AEW as a Spanish commentator & on-screen personality,” Rosa wrote on social media. “I’m thrilled to be able to serve Spanish-speaking fans in this unique way. Health is a journey with ups and downs. Meanwhile, I’ll see you from the booth!”
Rosa has been out of action since before All Out after she pulled out of her AEW Women’s title match against Toni Storm which was set for the PPV. She remained champ as an interim champion – Storm – was crowned at All Out.
After Storm lost her title to Jamie Hayter, Tony Khan stripped Rosa off her title and declared Hayter the proper champ and retroactively changed Storm’s title reign from interim to regular champion too.
There have been several speculations surrounding Rosa’s back injury, with many within the locker room suggesting she was faking it. Rosa has denied all allegations.
Christian Cage returned to AEW last night on Dynamite, five months after he was last seen at the All Out pay-per-view.
Cage attacked Jack Perry following Perry’s victory over Brian Cage. The former champ came out with his arm still in a sling but it was just a swerve as he removed it after taking down Perry.
Perry and Cage met each other at All Out and the match ended quick, in under a minute, with Cage coming out victorious. The reason for the quick match was because Cage suffered a torn tricep and needed to undergo surgery.
The storyline between the two has been going on for months and after Cage managed Perry and Luchasaurus, he turned on Jungle Boy in June of last year.
WWE is going to have a very good weekend in Montreal with Friday Night Smackdown nearly sold out tomorrow and Elimination Chamber virtually sold out on Saturday night, both live from Bell Center.
Smackdown on Friday has surpassed 12,000 tickets sold and is inching towards 13,000. The arena is configured to hold 14,000 seats according to ticket tracking service @wrestleTix.
The last count for the Elimination Chamber had just 300 seats left for sale, with 13,700 tickets sold and an arena set up for 14,000 seats.
Both shows are expected to sell out by the time they go on air.
Speaking of the Elimination Chamber, the WWE La Super Boutique, located inside the Galerie PVM at Place Ville Marie, opens today. Fans will be able to purchase championship replica titles, exclusive Elimination Chamber merchandise, Superstar apparel, and so much more! WWE La Super Boutique will be free and open to the public. The store is open between 10AM and 9PM today and tomorrow while on Elimination Chamber day it’s open from 10AM to 5PM.
The soundtrack for WWE 2K23 was announced by 2K and the album will be curated by cover Superstar and Executive Soundtrack Producer John Cena.
Featuring a collection of songs from some of the biggest artists in the world today, fans can check out this Even Stronger soundtrack starting today on Apple Music.
The official WWE 2K23 track list includes: Metallica’s “Sad But True”, Bizarrap & Quevedo’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52”, Doja Cat’s “Vegas”, Luciano’s “SUVs”, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Can’t Stop”, Joyner Lucas & Lil Baby’s “Ramen & OJ”, HARDY’s “JACK”, Bullet for My Valentine’s “No More Tears To Cry”, Dei V ft. Omar Courtz’s “Dame Lu”, Letdown’s “Shipwreck”, IDLES’s “Grounds”, and Post Malone ft. Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott’s “Take What You Want”.
WWE 2K23 is developed by Visual Concepts and will be released on March 14, 2023 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
On Monday, 2K announced the full playable roster for the video game which includes a total of 183 WWE Superstars.
Mixed martial arts and boxing are two of the most popular combat sports in the world today. Fighters in these sports risk life and limb every time they step into the ring or the octagon to compete. The most popular fighters in these sports are rewarded handsomely for their efforts, earning millions of dollars in prize money and endorsements.
The earnings of the most popular fighters in these sports come from various sources. One of the primary sources of income for fighters is their purses, which is the amount of money they receive for competing in a fight. Other sources of income for fighters include endorsements, sponsorships, and appearance fees.
Jake Paul
In recent years, a new trend has emerged in the world of combat sports. Influencers and celebrities have started to dip their toes in the world of combat sports, often with lucrative results. One such example is Jake Paul, a YouTuber and social media influencer who has become a prominent figure in the world of boxing.
Jake Paul made his professional boxing debut in January 2020, defeating fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib by TKO in the first round. Since then, he has fought three more times, winning all three fights by knockout. His opponents have included former NBA player Nate Robinson, retired UFC fighter Ben Askren, and former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
Despite the fact that he has only been boxing for a little over two years, Jake Paul has quickly become one of the most popular fighters in the sport. His fights have generated millions of pay-per-view buys, and he has become a major draw for fans of combat sports.
So, how much money does Jake Paul make from his fights? According to Forbes, he earned $10 million for his fight against Ben Askren in April 2021. That figure includes both his guaranteed purse and his share of the pay-per-view revenue generated by the fight.
In addition to his earnings from fighting, Jake Paul also earns a significant amount of money from endorsements and sponsorships. He has worked with a number of brands, including fashion retailer Boohoo, energy drink company Red Bull, and sports supplement company Triller Fight Club.
Furthermore, Jake has managed to grab the attention of all MMA fans, considering how his fight with Tommy Fury is considered as one of the most anticipated fights in 2023.
But Jake Paul is not the only fighter who earns a significant amount of money from his fights. In fact, some of the most popular fighters in the world earn tens of millions of dollars per year from their fights and endorsements.
Conor McGregor
One such fighter is Conor McGregor, a former two-division champion in the UFC. McGregor is one of the most popular fighters in the world, with a massive following on social media and a larger-than-life personality that makes him a major draw for fans.
McGregor has earned a significant amount of money from his fights over the years. According to Forbes, he earned $180 million in 2020, with the majority of that money coming from his fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. That fight generated an estimated $700 million in revenue, with McGregor earning $85 million for his efforts.
Canelo Alvarez
Another fighter who earns a significant amount of money from his fights is Canelo Alvarez, a four-division world champion in boxing. Alvarez is one of the most popular fighters in the world, with a massive following in Mexico and beyond.
Alvarez signed a lucrative 11-fight, $365 million deal with streaming service DAZN in 2018, which has allowed him to earn a significant amount of money from his fights. According to Forbes, he earned $94 million in 2020, with the majority of that money coming from his fight against Callum Smith in December 2020.
Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather is another fighter who has earned a significant amount of money from his fights. Mayweather is considered by many to be one of the best boxers of all time, with an undefeated record of 50-0.
Mayweather has earned a staggering amount of money over the course of his career, with Forbes estimating his career earnings at over $1 billion. His fights against Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor are two of the highest-grossing fights in combat sports history, with Mayweather earning tens of millions of dollars for each bout.
Anthony Joshua
Another fighter who has earned a significant amount of money from his fights is Anthony Joshua, the current unified heavyweight boxing champion. Joshua is one of the most popular fighters in the world, with a massive following in the UK and beyond.
According to Forbes, Joshua earned $47 million in 2020, with the majority of that money coming from his fight against Kubrat Pulev in December 2020. Joshua has also earned a significant amount of money from endorsements and sponsorships, working with brands such as Under Armour, Jaguar, and Lucozade.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
In the world of MMA, there are several fighters who have earned a significant amount of money from their fights and endorsements. One such fighter is Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion who retired from the sport in 2020 with an undefeated record of 29-0.
Nurmagomedov has earned a significant amount of money from his fights over the years, with Forbes estimating his career earnings at $40 million. He has also earned a significant amount of money from endorsements and sponsorships, working with brands such as Reebok, Gorilla Energy, and Toyota.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the most popular fighters in combat sports today are able to earn significant amounts of money from their fights and endorsements. Jake Paul, Conor McGregor, Canelo Alvarez, Floyd Mayweather, Anthony Joshua and Khabib Nurmagomedov are just a few examples of fighters who have earned tens of millions of dollars from their efforts in the ring or octagon.
While some critics may argue that these fighters are overpaid, it is important to remember that they are putting their health and well-being on the line every time they step into the ring or octagon. These fighters are some of the best athletes in the world, and they deserve to be compensated for their hard work and dedication to their sport.
As the world of combat sports continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how much money the most popular fighters are able to earn in the years to come. One thing is certain – as long as there are fans who are willing to pay to watch these athletes compete, the most popular fighters will continue to earn significant amounts of money from their efforts in the ring or octagon.
