Smackdown commentator Pat McAfee became a little more busier than usual after he signed a deal to be a full-time member of ESPN’s College GameDay. With his new commitments, McAfee will be temporarily leaving his position on Smackdown.
“Pat McAfee approached us about his amazing opportunity with College GameDay. We’d never stand in Pat’s way, as he continues to architect his exceptional career,” tweeted WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque. “Pat will remain a member of the WWE Universe and we look forward to his return.”
College GameDay airs until early January 2023.
The news was originally reported by the New York Post and McAfee is set to elaborate on that deal during his Pat McAfee Show today on YouTube.
The former NFL star will be doing some commentary for select college football games on ESPN2 as well and is in talks with Amazon to be part of the Thursday Night Football coverage.
He recently signed a long-term deal with WWE as well.
The Clash at the Castle go-home episode of Friday Night Smackdown on FOX drew 2,077,000 viewers, up 87,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. This was a taped episode of Smackdown as most stars were already in the UK for the event. Smackdown did a 0.49 in 18-49 demo, up 0.01 from last week and topping all of network television for the night. In the overnight numbers, hour one drew 1,952,000 viewers and hour two drew 1,995,000 viewers. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The backstage fight at All Out is resulting in suspensions for all individuals involved and even worse for two others who are facing getting fired.
Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated is reporting that AEW EVPs Kenny Omega, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, along with producer Pat Buck, Christopher Daniels, Michael Nakazawa, and Brandon Cutler are all getting suspended for their involvement on Sunday.
Eyewitness reports suggest that Omega and the Bucks stormed CM Punk’s locker room after he made it back from the explosive press conference and confronted him in front of his wife. Punk’s friend and AEW producer Ace Steel then joined the party and that’s when things got ugly.
Punk threw punches at Matt Jackson and Steel threw a chair at Nick Jackson, hitting him in the face. He then bit Kenny Omega before others got involved.
Meanwhile, the fate of CM Punk and Ace Steel hang in the balance as both are up for termination. AEW President Tony Khan met with his World champion yesterday to discuss how a potential departure will be handled.
The situation is said to become more clear by the time Wednesday comes to a close.
Barrasso also adds that a third-party investigation will be conducted to get to the bottom of what went down on Sunday
Hangman Page, who is close with The Bucks and Omega and FTR, who are super close with CM Punk, were both gone from the arena by the time the fight happened and were not involved.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, the Alamodome and WWE today announced that the Alamodome in San Antonio will host Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 28, 2023. This marks the fourth time that Royal Rumble has been held in San Antonio and the third time the event has been hosted at the Alamodome.
Tickets for Royal Rumble will go on sale Friday, September 30 at 10AM CT via Ticketmaster. To learn more about registering for presale opportunities, please visit www.wwe.com/royalrumble-presale-2023.
In addition, Royal Rumble Priority Passes will be available this Friday, September 9 at 12ET before tickets go on sale to the general public through official Priority Pass hospitality provider On Location. Royal Rumble Priority Passes provide fans with unrivaled access to WWE like never before through immersive VIP experiences that include premier seating, a dedicated stadium entrance, premium hospitality offerings and meet and greets with WWE Superstars and Legends. To purchase packages and learn more about presale opportunities, please visit www.onlocationexp.com/wwe/royal-rumble-tickets or call 1-855-346-7388.
“We are thrilled to bring back one of WWE’s most exciting events of the year to San Antonio,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “Royal Rumble will bring tens of thousands of WWE fans from around the world to the Alamodome, bringing both an incredible economic boost to our beautiful city and community outreach events that will give back in a multitude of ways.”
“WWE is honored that Royal Rumble will serve as one of the cornerstones of the Alamodome’s 30th Anniversary celebration,” said WWE Executive Vice President of Special Events John P. Saboor. “We are thankful to Mayor Nirenberg, Steve Zito and the entire staff at the Alamodome who were essential in making this historic return to San Antonio possible.”
The reason why the Christian Cage vs Jungle Boy match was over in a matter of a minute is because Cage is suffering from an injury which prevented him from having a proper wrestling match.
While it’s still unclear what Cage’s injury consists of, he was only cleared to do what he did on the show – a spear and hit the Killswitch for the pin.
Jungle Boy was attacked by Luchasaurus during his entrance and received a chokeslam and a powerbomb before he even got to the ring.
The former World Heavyweight champion was selling an arm injury which played out on Dynamite a few weeks ago when Jungle Boy slammed his arm on the steel steps.
While Braun Strowman returned on Monday Night Raw, he will be appearing on Friday Night Smackdown this week and is planned to be part of the blue brand moving forward.
Strowman isn’t the only one going to be on Smackdown as PWInsider.com is reporting that Giovanni Vinci is joining permanently as well with Imperium while Solo Sikoa, who made his main roster debut at Clash at the Castle, is also going to be blue with the Bloodline.
Meanwhile, Dexter Lumis, who has been appearing on Monday Night Raw for the past several weeks, has been listed on the internal roster as part of the Raw brand and Johnny Gargano is also going to be a red.
Poles are big sports fans. Polish athletes and teams show promising results in international competitions. Given this, sports betting has become one of the most popular entertainments for Poles. But what sports do Polish bettors choose and why? Let’s look at the most popular live sports disciplines and explore the benefits of each of them.
Football is the most popular sport in Poland
Traditionally, football is the most popular sport in all of Europe. Poland is no exception in this regard. Therefore, Poland’s best online betting sites zaklady-bukmacherskie.online traditionally offer the best live football betting choices. The national team shows excellent results and often qualifies for the World and European Championships. Also, well-known Polish players successfully play in European clubs.
Football has many advantages for bettors. The main advantage of football is its mass character and accessibility. You will see several hundred football leagues when you open the sportsbook of any online bookmaker. You can even bet live on minor tournaments these days. For example, 20 years ago, Ekstraklasa was the only football league in Poland where bets were accepted. Today, fans of Polish football can even bet on the Second League. Football betting is also beneficial because:
An extensive listing of each match. More than 500 markets are available for important games. You can bet on all possible outcomes from the winner to the time of the first player substitution.
High odds. Betting companies are experiencing competition, as a result of which they reduce the margin on football matches. The odds can be 1.9 or higher on equivalent markets in the most important games.
Large limits. Betting $10,000 or more on the Champions League or the FIFA World Cup will not be a problem.
Many live bets. You can bet live on almost all matches. The choice of outcomes in live will be nearly as wide as in pre-match.
Many matches every day will not let you get bored. Football leagues go around the clock around the world. You will always find a game to bet on. In addition, bookmakers give a lot of bonuses for betting on football.
Tennis, volleyball, and handball are still popular
These sports are also popular with ordinary spectators and bettors. The reasons for their popularity are the showmanship, dynamism, and achievements of Polish sportsmen. Polish tennis players perform well in the ATP, WTA, and Challenger series tournaments.
Poland’s national volleyball and handball teams are among the strongest in Europe. In 2014, the country hosted the World Volleyball Championship, where the national team won gold. The National Handball Superliga is considered one of the strongest leagues in the world. Polish handball clubs constantly participate in the Champions League, the most prestigious European club tournament.
Polish sports betting sites provide good conditions for bettors in these disciplines. You can bet on the winner of each set or game live. Thus, in one match, you can make an almost unlimited number of bets. These sports are also popular worldwide, so there is always a wide range of events to place a bet on. The advantages of tennis and volleyball are high odds and significant limits on the bet amount.
E-sports – a new trend in live sports betting
Computer games are gaining immense popularity. League of Legends, CSGO, Dota2, Rainbow Six, and other tournaments attract millions of viewers. Specialized e-sports bookmakers like GG.bet have already appeared on the sports betting market. They allow you to make unique live bets for each game.
For example, you can bet on the winner of the knife round in CSGO, who will be the first to make ten frags in Lol or Dota2. E-sports betting is prevalent in Poland. Many Polish players are in famous teams. In addition, e-sport is constantly increasing its audience, attracting more and more computer game bettors.
With the current block of WWE on A&E ending this past Sunday, the network has announced that new episodes of Biography, Rivals, and Most Wanted Treasures will return in the winter.
Smack Talk has apparently been removed from the line up with the return of Most Wanted Treasures.
Nine episodes of each program aired this season, with Biography tackling The Undertaker, Goldberg, The Bella Twins, Kurt Angle, Lex Luger, DX, Edge, Rey Mysterio, and WrestleMania 1. Rivals took a look at Bret vs Shawn, Undertaker vs Kane, Austin vs Rock, Angle vs Lesnar, WWE vs WCW, Triple H vs Foley, Edge vs Cena, Mysterio vs Guerrero, and Stephanie vs Brie.
All episodes of Biography and Rivals are now available to watch on the A&E app as well as aetv.com/wwe.
WWE today officially announced that Paul “Triple H” Levesque has been elevated to Chief Content Officer as well as Frank A. Riddick III to President & Chief Financial Officer.
Since taking over creative for WWE, Levesque has architected a 15% spike in Monday Night Raw viewership and double-digit increases in social media engagement. As Chief Content Officer, Levesque will oversee Creative Writing, Talent Relations, Live Events, Talent Development and Creative Services. The role will report to WWE co-CEO Nick Khan.
“WWE is one of the most prolific producers of premium content in the world and I look forward to this amazing opportunity,” said Levesque. “Having spent my entire career in this business, I’m confident that we have the right pieces in place to continue to grow our audience and deliver for our fans around the world.”
Riddick joined WWE as Chief Financial Officer last year, after serving on the company’s Board of Directors for more than 13 years and previously holding the role of interim CFO. During that time, WWE has announced annual and quarterly records for Revenue and Adjusted OIBDA. As President & CFO, Riddick will oversee Financial Planning & Analysis, Strategy, Controllership, Investor Relations, Tax, Data Analytics, Technology, Event Travel and Facilities. He will jointly report to WWE Chairwoman & co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and co-CEO Nick Khan.
“I’ve had the great fortune of working closely with the talented people at WWE in a variety of capacities over the past 15 years,” said Riddick. “Along with Steph, Nick and Paul, we look forward to executing our ambitious plans and delivering for our shareholders.”
“We are excited to announce expanded roles for Paul and Frank, which will enhance WWE’s ability to create premium content for our partners around the world and, ultimately, drive our business forward,” said McMahon and Khan.
The backstage brawl at All Out following CM Punk’s press conference involved punches being thrown, biting, and even chairs flying.
In incredible news that came out over the last hours, it was revealed that CM Punk punched Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks, Ace Steel threw a chair at Nick Jackson which hit him in the face, giving him a black eye, and then bit Kenny Omega.
But Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer said that they cannot verify who threw the first punch as different people gave different accounts and none of the parties involved want to speak due to potential legal issues that may arise from this brawl.
Several security personnel who were there also got involved and everyone who witnessed the brawl is being brought in front of AEW’s legal team to give their version of what happened before steps will be taken.
It is said that Ace Steel, the producer who last week was also fined by AEW for dropping the F-bomb on live television and who is Punk’s trainer and personal friend, will no longer be working for the promotion.
The brawl happened after Punk left the post-show press conference where he had some nasty things to say about Hangman Page and some AEW EVPs, who Punk didn’t mention by name but was obviously referring to the Bucks.
AEW President Tony Khan was not aware that the brawl was happening while the press conference was still going on. An AEW security guard sprinted out during the press conference but no one knew what was going on at that time. Khan was informed of the brawl right after the media scrum finished.
Wrestling is a sport that has been around for centuries, and it continues to be popular today. Wrestling is one of the most unpredictable sports out there, which makes it all the more fun to bet on.
Are there any special rules or considerations when betting on wrestling matches?
When betting on wrestling, you need to find the perfect sportsbook for you. Caesars Maryland sports betting is one of the most convenient options out there, with several good features to look for. A good sportsbook needs to offer competitive odds, excellent rewards program, good customer service and a large selection of bet markets. It also needs to offer all popular betting options. And if you are just starting a hobby of betting on your favorite sport make sure you keep an eye out on welcoming bonuses and special promotions.
Another thing to look for when choosing a sportsbook is whether it is available for your mobile device or even mobile browser. Those options can save a lot of time since then you can place bets from the comfort of your home, or even on the go. Plus, apps and online sportsbooks usually have higher bonuses and promotions.
How did betting on wrestling become popular?
It is believed that betting on wrestling became popular due to the fact that it is a relatively simple sport to bet on. Unlike other sports, there are only two outcomes in wrestling – a win or a loss. This makes it easier for people to place bets and predict the results of matches. However, you need to be over 21 years old to place a bet. Also, in order to maximize your chances at winning when betting on wrestling matches, consider the odds and be sure to understand them.
What are some of the potential risks and rewards of betting on wrestling matches?
The first risk is that you may not know enough about the sport to make informed bets. Another risk is that the wrestler you bet on may be injured during the match, which could prevent them from winning. The final risk is that the match may be fixed.
The first reward is that you will have plenty of fun and even possibly win some of your bets. The second reward is that you get to watch an exciting match between great and skillful athletes, which can certainly make the match more enjoyable to watch.
And finally, you’ll get to spend time interacting with your favorite sport.
Raw opens with a recap of Dominik Mysterio turning on Rey and Edge at Clash at the Castle.
Edge is in the ring. Edge starts talking to Dominik about knowing him since he was a kid and reminiscing about them sitting in catering when he was younger and staying at the Mysterio house while on the west coast. Edge then calls out Dominik, but Rey comes out instead. Rey pleads with Edge, but Edge says Dominik is a man and can stand for his actions.
Rhea Ripley comes out and says she has seen the potential in Dominik and made him a man. They said they are going to have Edge face his Judgment Day and as they head to the ring, Rey jumps out of the ring. Rey tries to talk to Dominik who just kept looking away and as Rey walks toward the back, Rhea and Dominik slowly walk toward the ring and from behind come Finn and Priest. Edge fights back until Dominik comes in and hits a chop block to Edge’s knee and Priest and Balor continue to beat down Edge. Rey comes back out and Dominik stops him and Rhea hits Rey from behind and throws Rey into the steps.
The New Day VS. Alpha Academy VS. Los Lotharios VS. The Street Profits in a WWE Tag Team Championship fatal four-way match
As Gable had Montez in the ankle lock, Braun Strowman appears and enters the ring and levels Chad Gable. Strowman is destroying everyone then power slams Dawkins through the announce table.
Aliyah & Raquel Rodriguez VS. Nikki A.S.H. & Doudrop
With Doudrop on the top rope, she gets distracted by Aliyah and Nikki on the outside and Raquel was able to pick Doudrop up for the one handed chokeslam for the win.
Winners: Aliyah & Raquel Rodriguez
Rey is interviewed backstage and says he loves his son and the Judgment Day is destroying his family and he is challenging Balor or Priest to a match tonight.
Austin Theory comes out and says he gets knocked down and gets back up and he is still the youngest Money in the Bank winner. As Theory talks, Kevin Owens comes out. He said Tyson Fury did him a favor because if he would have cashed in, Reigns or McIntyre would have knocked him down. Theory then tells him he is jealous.
Kevin Owens VS. Austin Theory
Owens hit the stunner for the win.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai are out and bragging about winning at Clash at the Castle. Bianca Belair came out.
Rey Mysterio VS. Damian Priest
After Dominik got involved and distracted Rey stopping him from doing the 619, Priest was able to chokeslam Rey for the win.
Winner: Damian Priest
They show interviews after Clash at the Castle. Riddle wants another match with Rollins, but Rollins said he is moving on.
Bobby Lashley VS. The Miz in Steel Cage Match for the United States Championship
The Miz and Ciampa attack Lashley before the match started. After beating Lashley several times with the cage door, Miz attempted to go over the top of the cage, halfway down he looks down and Dexter Lumis is laying on the floor from under the ring looking up at him. The Miz crawls back into the cage where Lashley quickly spears him and pins him.
Winner and Still United States Champion: Bobby Lashley
Dexter climbs in the cage and the Miz attempts to run out the door, but Lashley slams the door on the Miz, Dexter locks his sleeper hold onto the Miz as we go off the air.
15 months after he was surprisingly cut from WWE, Braun Strowman returned on Raw last night and restored his monster status by wiping out eight men along the way.
The former Universal champion interrupted a fatal four-way tag team match between Alpha Academy, Los Lotharios, New Day, and Street Profits which was supposed to be a number one contenders match for the WWE Tag Team titles. Strowman ripped through everyone and ended with driving Angelo Dawkins through the commentary table.
Kansas City fans welcomed back Strowman with a thunderous ovation and seemed happy to see him back in a WWE ring.
Strowman was released from WWE in June 2021 and then launched a new promotion with EC3 titled Control Your Narrative. His return was leaked last week and in a recent interview, Paul Levesque said he would love to give Strowman a second chance.
The next time AEW will be on pay-per-view will be for Full Gear and the show will be taking place from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The PPV is set for Saturday, November 19, and the company will also hold a live Rampage the day before in the same location. Dynamite leading up to the show is not being held there though.
Tickets for both Rampage and Full Gear go on sale on Friday, September 23 at AEWTIX.COM.
ROH Television champion Samoa Joe returned to AEW last night at All Out, making his first televised appearance since the Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view in July.
After FTR and Wardlow defeated Jay Lethal and the Motor City Machine Guns, Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh were ready to jump in to attack the faces along with the losers of the match but Joe’s theme song hit the speakers, putting the brakes on the attack.
Joe marched down the ring with his ROH TV title on his shoulder and then attacked Singh with the title.
Joe was out of action because he was busy filming a series called Twisted Metal for Peacock but that filming wrapped up last week, allowing Joe to resume his wrestling duties.
Following their loss to Sting, Darby Allin, and Miro, House of Black walked together to the back and when they reached the top of the ramp, Malakai Black stopped to take a look at the crowd, blew them a kiss, and took a bow to a big ovation from the crowd.
Black was revealed to have asked for his release from AEW on the basis of mental health issues but his request was denied by AEW management.
Writing on his Tumblr page, Black said, “2 years of this. Sometimes it feels like all of it will be to no end, nor have any real meaning when it’s all over and done. It’s strange to think certain things in your life will be a memory with no attachments anymore while they were once the most important thing in your life. It truly feels like the entire journey happened for the sake of happening.”
At the post-show press conference, Tony Khan did not want to elaborate on the (final?) bow by Black and chose not to comment about it.
Very weird ending for Malakai Black. I don't think this part aired. I feel like he knows something we don't know. #AEWAllOutpic.twitter.com/Xu2AJ4cZBB
Following the CM Punk scrum with the media after All Out, things got pretty heated backstage which even resulted in a clash between the new AEW World champion, The Young Bucks, and others.
During the press conference, Punk blamed certain “irresponsible” AEW EVP’s who let the situation with Hangman Page get out of hand and then even accused them of spreading “lies and bullshit” to the wrestling press. He also ripped on them for blaming Punk on Cabana getting moved to ROH.
“There’s people who call themselves EVPs that should have f*cking known better. This shit was none of their business,” Punk said during the scrum.
The backstage altercation happened while the scrum was still happening but Tony Khan was not aware of what happened until towards the end of the presser.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling also added that a few important names backstage were so pissed off with what Punk said that they threatened to walk out.
Impact Wrestling did 104,000 viewers this past Thursday on AXS TV, down 7,000 viewers from the previous week. The 18-49 demo rating remained the same of 0.02, the same of the previous two weeks and placed #146 on the chart. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
AEW President Tony Khan was fuming because WWE ran two premium live events on the same weekend as All Out, biting out some of the business that AEW was expecting.
Labor Day weekend has been a tradition for All Out since the company’s inception but WWE this year ran Clash at the Castle on Saturday and NXT Worlds Collide on Sunday. While none of the shows ran head-to-head with AEW’s All Out pay-per-view, some fans obviously had wrestling burnout from the weekend.
Speaking in the post-show press conference, Khan lamented the fact that this year, AEW was the third one on the docket so to speak, having to follow both WWE events.
“I don’t think that’s a coincidence. When I talk about things I wasn’t thrilled about, I was a little surprised we were the third professional wrestling show this weekend, and it’s probably a little bit more challenging in the marketplace when it becomes a little more crowded,” Khan told the press.
He added that he’s not sure if this will be a thing moving forward but it was a first for them to be in a crowded marketplace. While All Out didn’t do the same business as it did last year in terms of PPV numbers, Khan was happy with the numbers considering the competition.
“I’m serious. I’m not gonna sit back and take this f*cking shit,” Khan said in relation to WWE’s tactics this past weekend.
He added that he showed some love to WWE lately and doesn’t regret saying nice things about them but he says it’s a one-way street and he’s not seeing the same from Stamford.
“When I saw good stuff there, I’ll be the first to say it. I am just not feeling the same love. I don’t want to get into it. I just haven’t felt the same reciprocation from them,” he continued.
Three NXT and NXT UK titles were unified yesterday at NXT Worlds Collide, the last time that the NXT UK brand was featured on a WWE event ahead of the launch of NXT Europe in 2023.
The first unification match was for the NXT and NXT UK Tag Team titles. Four teams were part of the match, NXT Tag Team champions The Creed Brothers, NXT UK champions Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, and former tag team champions themselves Gallus and Pretty Deadly. Pretty Deadly, the British team who were originally 6/1 in odds, won the titles after Damon Kemp turned on the Creed Brothers.
Mandy Rose was the second one who unified NXT titles as she defeated NXT UK Women’s champion Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport, also from NXT UK. This was a triple threat match and Mandy Rose pinned Davenport to get all the gold.
And last and certainly not least, Bron Breakker defeated Tyler Bate in the main event of Worlds Collide to unify the NXT and NXT UK titles. This was Bate’s first title defense since winning it in a tournament after Ilja Dragunov vacated the title due to an injury.
