Combo tickets for WrestleMania 39 went on sale to the general public this morning at 10AM PT on Ticketmaster.com and they went pretty quick.
While the majority of tickets released were not priced more than $800 for the two WrestleMania nights, the fees were, as always, super expensive.
A $320 ticket had a $78.80 service fee, $8.50 facility charge, $5 order processing fee, and $29.44 tax for a total of $121 in additional charges. A $240 ticket had $59.60 service fee and $22.08 in taxes for a final total of $81 in fees. A $480 ticket had $117.20 service fee instead and $44.16 in taxes for a total of $174 charges.
A $10,000 ringside seat had $2,402.05 service charge and $920 in fees, pushing the original price an extra $3,335 on top in fees.
The live Rampage last Friday with a match featuring AEW interim World champion Jon Moxley got a nice bump in the ratings, drawing 468,000 viewers for the night, up 93,000 viewers from the prior week. That was the best number since July 1. The show did 0.15 in the 18-49 demo, up 0.04 from last week, and placed #5 in the chart. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The brackets for the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles were revealed last night and the tournament kicked off on Raw.
The left side of the bracket has Tamina and Dana Brooke vs IO SKY and Dakota Kai, and Alexa Bliss and Asuka vs Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop. The right side has Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah vs Xia Li and Shotzi, and NXT’s Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark vs Natalya and Sonya Deville.
In the first match of the tournament, SKY and Kai defeated Tamina and Brooke to advance to the semi final. Bliss and Asuka vs Nikki and Doudrop will take place next week on Raw.
The titles were vacated on May 20 after champions Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE.
Friday Night Smackdown on FOX drew 2,093,000 viewers this past week, a full 100,000 viewers down from the previous week. In the 18-49 demo, Smackdown did 0.49, down 0.03 from last week but still topped all of cable and network television for the night. In the overnight numbers, the show had 1,986,000 viewers in the first and 1,980,000 viewers in the second hour. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The returns have continued and Dexter Lumis, the former NXT star, appeared on Monday Night Raw last night in the show-closing angle.
During the broadcast, there was an investigation by police happening in the background of a Kevin Owens interview. While not the focus, the car crash investigation quickly caught fire online as it was too obvious not to be part of the show.
During another segment, police officers were seen running towards the area where a tow truck pulled the car away.
The angle came to a close after AJ Styles defeated The Miz in a no DQ match in the main event of Raw. Lumis was seen at ringside and police officers arrested him. While the announce team mentioned Lumis by name, the focus quickly shifted back to Styles in the ring.
Lumis was part of NXT until April of this year when he was released in addition to several other NXT stars.
He follows Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, and Scarlett who returned after Paul Levesque took over the talent relations department.
Arguably the two most popular combat sports, wrestling and boxing share a rich combined history. We’ve become familiar with boxers stepping into WWE over the years – Lennox Lewis accompanying Davey Boy Smith to the ring to meet Bret Hart at Wembley’s SummerSlam 92, or Buster Douglas refereeing a match between Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage in the wake of his shock win over Mike Tyson (the bookies had Douglas at 42/1 for that fight, to put into context how bright his star was shining at that point). What’s even more rare is boxers switching codes and getting into the ring with their gloves off to grapple. By signing up to fight Braun Strowman in October 2019, Tyson Fury broke a mold that had been set some 40 years prior.
History
Wrestling fans of a certain vintage may remember Muhammad Ali appearing as a backup referee in the very first WrestleMania, all the way back in 1985. Less well remembered is a fight Ali took on in 1976, where he matched future WWE Hall Of Famer Antonio Inoki in Japan. Ali expected an exhibition match, Inoki did not, and the two went the full 15 rounds. Ali’s promoter revealed subsequently that the fight had caused The Greatest to develop blood clots in his legs, and he ‘almost had to have an amputation‘. Small wonder that boxers have avoided matching up with wrestlers since. While watching Fury call out Strowman from the front row of SmackDown may have been a tried and tested trope – Ricky Hatton has done similar – having him in the ring against Strowman (and beating him) in the WWE Crown Jewel four weeks later was a much bigger shock.
Training
In October 2019, Fury was on the comeback trail. In 2016 he’d been stripped of his titles, suffered horrific bouts with depression and ballooned up to 330lbs. After beating Deontay Wilder in December 2018, he was back, and gunning for Anthony Joshua. Wrestling training likely helped. He stepped into the ring for Wilder I at 256lbs – light for his 6’9 frame – a fight that ended in a contentious draw. The classic wrestling practice of bulking up likely informed his boxing training going forward. Fresh from the lessons bestowed by WWE star Natalya’s husband TJ Wilson, who trained him for the Strowman contest, he went in for Wilder II – a mere four weeks after the Strowman fight – at 273lbs and stopped the Tuscaloosa slugger in the seventh. Now he’s one of the most revered fighters on Earth, and odds on with Coral to reunify the heavyweight titles when he takes on the winner of the upcoming Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk bout. Fury took the lesson about not cutting overly to heart though; in his third fight with Wilder – another KO – he tipped the scales at 277lbs.
Crossovers
In retrospect, we can see if there was going to be a boxer take part in a WWE bout, Fury was a likely candidate. His mentality of ‘give the people what they want’ has seen the Gypsy King always being keen on showmanship. His early fights before he progressed from the UK scene saw him do some perhaps unnecessary trading with smaller fighters he could have used his size and reach advantage to dispose of more easily. Still, if his style gave his corner sleepless nights, it sent fight fans home happy and eager to sign up for his next outing.
Could he come back into wrestling? While he seems to currently be focused on adding to his WBC heavyweight belt, he and Drew McIntyre have been having some beef. With the WWE Clash At The Castle scheduled to take place in Cardiff on September 3rd, Fury is likely to be in the early stages of training camp to fight either Joshua or Usyk and should be in reasonable fighting condition. A proud Englishman facing off against a proud Scotsman, in Wales? Don’t bet against it.
Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai are announced first and make their way to the ring. Bayley at one point called Dakota Kai, Dakota Sky and admitted she said it. Dakota tries to calm Bayley down and she said we will show them when they enter the women’s tag team title tournament and win.
Alexa Bliss and Asuka come out along with Bianca Belair. Belair says the three of them can take care of the three of them right here, right now. Bayley said how about they do it at Clash at the Castle? Belair accepts then says while she tries to keep control, she fees like losing control and smacks Bayley and a fight starts with all 6 women.
Seth “Freakin” Rollins VS. Angelo Dawkins
Seth tricks Montez to get Montez sent to the back. Dawkins hits the sky high for a long 2 count, but after throwing Dawkins into the ring steps outside he gets Dawkins back in the ring and hits the Pedigree for the win.
Winner: Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
After the match, Rollins continued to beat down on Dawkins and hitting a stomp on him until Montez makes his way back out for the save.
In the locker room with the Mysterios and Edge and Edge says he has their backs and last week he didn’t mean to spear him (Dominik). Dominik pushes him. Rey says it was an accident and has known him for 20 years and Dominik tells his father that he knows him for 25 and pushes Rey’s hand away.
In the back Kevin Patrick interviews the Miz and Ciampa and asks Ciampa about his chances tonight against Bobby Lashley. Ciampa says the first person who believed in him was Harley Race who trained him, and it was about 3 years ago today he passed away. He is dedicating this United States Championship victory to Harley.
Ezekiel VS. Kevin Owens
During the match, Kevin powerbombs Ezekiel on the outside of the apron and the referee calls for help as Owens goes back in the ring laughing. EMTs rush down to assist Ezekiel.
Winner: No contest
Judgment Day comes out and Balor says danger is very real and Rey Mysterio is going to find out tonight he is danger and Priest says if he wanted to, he would lay him out tonight but challenges Edge for a match in Toronto.
Rey Mysterio is walking in the back and runs into Edge who offers to come out with him. Rey says no that will make things worse as Dominik will be out for the match.
Rey Mysterio VS. Finn Balor
During the match, Damian Priest got involved and Edge came out as promised and fought off Priest through the crowd. As Rey goes for 619, he looks and Ripley carries out a knocked-out Dominik Mysterio. Balor caught Rey and hits the Coup de Grace for the win.
Winner: Finn Balor
Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai VS. Dana Brooke & Tamina
1st match in the women’s tag team title tournament. Kai hits a moonsault for the win.
Winners: Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky
Kevin Patrick runs and catches Kevin Owens as he was leaving, and Owens said Ezekiel may not know who he is, but he knows exactly who he is. Owens says there are finally more eyes on this show than ever, so it was a perfect time to remind everyone this is the Kevin Owens’ show.
Bobby Lashley VS. Ciampa for the United States Championship
After a spear by Lashley, The Miz placed Ciampa’s foot on the bottom rope and the referee is forced to stop the count. AJ Styles comes out and chases Miz through the crowd then through the ring. Ciampa then smashes Lashley into an exposed turnbuckle, then to the ring post, then knee to the face but Ciampa only gets a two count. Eventually Lashley hooked on the hurt lock and Ciampa had no option but to tap out.
Winner and still United States Champion: Bobby Lashley
Omos VS. Andrea Guercio & Spencer Slade
Omos destroys both men.
Winner: Omos
Kevin Patrick interviews Seth Rollins and asks about Riddle. Seth says Riddle is flushing his career down the toilet and Seth says he is going to retire him. Seth then says if Riddle doesn’t retire next week, he will just Cody Rhodes him out the door. And if Riddle has something to say next week so will Seth “Freakin” Rollins?
Chad Gable VS. Dolph Ziggler
Dolph gets out of a suplex move from Gable and hit the superkick for the win
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
AJ Styles VS. The Miz in a No Disqualification Match
Back and forth action with interference from Ciampa but was not successful as the Miz gets hit with a Styles Clash for the win.
Winner: AJ Styles
After the match, AJ looks out in the crowd and security is pulling out the former Dexter Lumis who was mentioned by that name by one of the announcers.
BROOKLYN, NY (August 8, 2022)– VICE TV, the Emmy®-winning international television network from VICE Media Group, announced today they are joining forces with Seven Bucks Productions and co-founders, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, for a captivating and unexpected new show for legions of wrestling fans everywhere, Tales from the Territories premiering on VICE TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesday, October 4th.
Seven Bucks Productions (Red Notice, Jungle Cruise, Young Rock, Ballers) is teaming up with the braintrust behind the Dark Side franchise, executive producers and co-creators Evan Husney and Jason Eisener and VICE Studios Canada, to bring wrestling fans new and untold, authentic stories surrounding this phenomenal world, in the form of Tales from the Territories.
Tales from the Territories will take viewers deep into a long-forgotten and wild period of wrestling. The show chronicles a time when the business was all about the smaller territory-based wrestling organizations and before the 1980’s boom brought on in part by cable television. This was the time before wrestling expanded nationally, when different areas across the US and Canada, aka “Territories,” were areas dominated by unscrupulous bookers, rabid fans who fervently believed in their favorite characters and fearless wrestlers who blurred the lines between fiction and reality both inside and outside the ring. This latest installment will provide firsthand accounts from legends who will relive their past through thrilling re-enactments and riveting stories which have grown into wrestling locker room lore but have never been revealed to the public, until now. Tales from the Territories will maintain the same authenticity and rich storytelling that has defined Dark Side of the Ring but will have a unique tone and approach all its own.
“Tales from the Territories is a project that peels back the curtain on the fascinating, complex history of an industry we admire greatly. Wrestling is embedded into Dwayne’s DNA and part of the brand ethos of our Seven Bucks Productions, so we are honored to showcase these sensational stories and to create a time-capsule of this legendary industry,” commented Hiram Garcia, President of Production for Seven Bucks Productions.
“Being able to honor, and highlight the larger-than-life personas that jump-started the wrestling industry, through their first-hand accounts, is immensely special, and the type of storytelling we love to do here at Seven Bucks. Focused on exploring stories of triumph and perseverance in this legendary era of glamour, excess, and wild absurdity, Tales from the Territories will maintain the same authenticity and rich storytelling that has defined Dark Side of the Ring but will have a unique tone and approach all its own.”
“The wrestling business is filled with nuanced relationships and there’s a phenomenal history that we know fans are going to enjoy,” stated Brian Gewirtz, SVP of Creative Development, Seven Bucks Productions and former Head Writer at WWE. “In many ways the wrestling world is a family, they have great moments, tough times and everything in-between. There’s a rich history of untold stories which we can’t wait to bring to life.”
“We’re incredibly excited to expand the Dark Side of the Ring series with this first-ever exploration of the hidden past of wrestling’s Wild West era, with a dream collaborator in Dwayne Johnson, who has such deep family roots in the history of the business” said Evan Husney and Jason Eisener. “We can’t wait to showcase the fascinating stories of the pioneers who set the stage for wrestling’s worldwide pop culture dominance.”
Tales from the Territories will join a successful slate of wrestling programming on VICE TV following the critically acclaimed hit wrestling series Dark Side of the Ring, as well as other Dark Side spinoffs Dark Side of Football and Dark Side of the 90s (season 2 is currently in production). Having wrapped its explosive third season in late 2021, Dark Side of the Ring was the #1 show on networks in less than 60 million US homes in 2021 and continues to be VICE TV’s most watched series of all time.
Morgan Hertzan, Executive Vice President and General Manager, VICE TV, said, “We’re incredibly honored that Dwayne Johnson felt that VICE TV was the right place for him to chronicle the deeply personal stories of his wrestling family and community, the spectacular craft that introduced us to the Hollywood megastar we all know and love today.”
Executive Produced by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Brian Gewirtz for Seven Bucks Productions along with Dark Side of the Ring co-executive producers and co-creators Evan Husney and Jason Eisener, additionally, Vanessa Case & Guillermo Garcia from VICE Studios Canada, Catherine Whyte & Lee Hoffman serve as EP’s for VICE TV and Chavo Guerrero Jr. will serve as co-executive producer.
The series will be distributed worldwide by VICE Distribution.
VICE TV is available via all major satellite and cable providers and the VICE TV app via iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast. For more information about VICE TV, go to VICETV.com
PWInsider.com is reporting that John Laurinaitis has been fired from WWE although his termination was not widely circulated.
Laurinaitis was implicated in the Wall Street Journal along with Vince McMahon for having a sexual relationship with a subordinate. He was given a leave of absence when the story came out but is now gone from the company.
At time of his departure, Laurinaitis had the official title of General Manager, Talent, a position he occupied since March 2021.
He had been working for WWE since early 2001 when WWE purchased WCW and served as the Director of Talent Relations before being promoted to Executive Vice President of Talent Relations. 10 years ago, Laurinaitis was unexpectedly moved to a producer role, although the move could have been made to some claims against him at the time. He returned to power in 2021, lasting only a year and a half before the hammer was dropped.
He is the step father of Nikki and Brie Bella as he is married to their mother Kathy.
The Clash at the Castle event is now less than 10,000 tickets shy of a complete sellout as WWE moved over 2,000 tickets in around a week or so.
Ticket tracking service @WrestleTix reports that currently, the Cardiff event has 62,037 tickets sold and 9,773 remaining for a total capacity of 71,810.
When all said and done, the Clash at the Castle show will probably outdo both nights of WrestleMania in real attendance and probably will surpass the separate individual days in gate money.
There’s less than a month remaining for the show and judging from large WWE events, there’s a big push in the final week so the number will certainly increase and move closer to that near-72,000 attendance. Tickets remain super expensive, even for the nose bleed section.
Day two at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo went a bit better for fans who decided to splash money on photo ops with Sasha Banks and a combo pic including Naomi as well.
Fans on social media aired their frustration for being told to stay away six feet away from Banks for their photos. A single photo op with Banks cost $90 while a combo pic with Naomi as well was $130. While Naomi had no issues getting close to fans, the combo pics also had the six feet rule.
Photos uploaded from yesterday’s event show that Banks softened her stance when it came to not wanting to be close to fans and while she was not hugging anyone or putting her arm on anyone’s shoulder, the photos at least looked normal. You can even order cheap framed canvas photo prints of your picture for a better collectible.
One particular fan even took a gigantic $30,000 check with him for the photo, the sum reportedly Sasha requested each day from the expo to be there. Banks held one side of the check and pointed at it, playing along with the inside joke.
With WrestleMania 39 tickets going on sale this week, three months earlier than usual, Ticketmaster has released the seating chart for the two-day event.
As you can probably imagine, the SoFi Stadium is a massive building which can accommodate over 80,000 fans and is expendable to 100,000 fans in certain settings.
With the anticipation building and fans eagerly awaiting the chance to secure their seats, platforms like Mostbet offer an additional layer of excitement. As enthusiasts prepare for the exhilarating event, they can explore the platform’s offerings, including exclusive promotions and betting opportunities tailored to WrestleMania 39. From predicting match outcomes to engaging in live betting during the event, Mostbet Kod Promocyjny provides a dynamic way for fans to immerse themselves in the action and elevate their WrestleMania experience. As the countdown to the event continues, wrestling aficionados are encouraged to explore all avenues available to them, ensuring they don’t miss out on any aspect of this monumental extravaganza.
The huge set, synonymous with the event, will return next year along with the long ramp. It will be your typical WrestleMania setup with the question remaining if seats behind the set will be open, depending the size of the set.
The Rolling Stones fit 81,676 fans for their No Filter Tour in October of last year and sold out the stadium twice in a row.
Official Platinum seats go on sale tomorrow at 10AM PT while the pre-sale kicks off on Wednesday at 10AM PT. General public tickets commence on Friday at 10AM PT for both night one and night two.
A two-day combo for both Saturday and Sunday go on sale tomorrow.
Former TNT champion Sammy Guevara and fellow AEW star Tay Conti were married yesterday in front of family and friends.
The two got engaged in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower in June after they started dating earlier this year. Both had some hard time with social media when they revealed they were dating as fans blamed Conti for Guevara breaking up with his prior girlfriend who he proposed in the middle of an AEW ring last year.
This is the first marriage for both Guevara, 29, and Conti, 27.
As expected, several of their colleagues were present, including AEW President Tony Khan, and from the pictures uploaded, WWE Superstar Nikki A.S.H. was one of the bridesmaids.
Both missed last week’s Dynamite due to their impending nuptials.
A week after stepping in the ring one more time for his final match, the Nature Boy Ric Flair was in Puerto Rico for the WWC Aniversario event…and got his hands dirty again!
Flair was in the corner of his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo for his match against Carlito. Carlito’s father, Carlos, evened up the odds during the match, coming out to confront Flair.
The Nature Boy ran his mouth and removed his jacket and was ready to fight. Colón did the same and delivered two punches to the face and then a headbutt to Flair as they headed to the back.
Carlito won the match to close the night. The event was held at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez in Bayamón.
Sasha Banks and Naomi made their first public appearance since mid-May yesterday at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo and will return to McCormick Place today for their second C2E2 appearance.
While Banks was by far one of the most popular guests at the expo, fans were shocked to learn that for photo opportunities they had to stay at least six feet away from her. This resulted in some awkward $90 photos which were uploaded all over social media.
Naomi or other guests at the expo had no such requirement and were photographed mingling and hugging other fans for photo ops. The six feet rule was also done for the double photo op with Banks and Naomi. For these photos, the former WWE Women’s Tag Team champions stood next to each other while fans stayed on the other side.
“Cost was $130 for the duo pic. While I was happy to be in the room with them, the distance thing was a shock and not the experience I was expecting,” commented one fan Lyon Anderson. “I saw the pics of them hugging women and I did not need to touch them, but standing next to them would have been nice.”
Scouring the internet for more photos, Sasha was standing six feet away even from women and children although a few did get a bit closer.
Fans were comparing the duo pics with Banks and Naomi to those of Lita and Trish who were also there and it was night and day difference, with the two WWE Hall of Famers putting their arms around fans for the cool pics.
It’s also interesting to note that while Banks and Naomi were marketed under their real names of Mercedes Varnado and Trinity Fatu, they signed the merchandise under their WWE names.
Speaking on the MackMania podcast, Paul Heyman said he was fully supportive of the new WWE regime led by Stephanie McMahon and Paul Levesque and knows they’re ready to steer the ship as they were prepared for this role by the departing Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.
“They understand the task at hand,” Heyman said. “When I took the job as executive director, I asked Vince, ‘What is the greatest service that I can give this company in this role?’ His answer was, ‘Get your successor ready in case you drop dead, because the show goes on with or without you.’”
Heyman revealed that Vince looked him straight in the eyes and told him that WWE will go on when he would eventually leave. “And he meant it,” Heyman continued.
Speaking of Vince, Heyman was full of glowing reviews for his previous employer and said he would be a hypocrite to say anything less than extraordinarily complimentary things about him, noting that they’re all fabulously wealthy because of him.
“His work ethic, his willingness to put in 20-22 hours a day, every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for 40 years is why we are all fabulously wealthy, and will never get the credit nor the understanding that he deserves and that he earned,” Heyman said.
MackMania, hosted by former The Bump co-host Evan Mack, is part of The Ringer.
Jamie Hayter not only she didn’t walk out with the AEW Women’s title at Battle of the Belts III, but she also got a broken nose.
Hayter, who was taking on Thunder Rosa for the title during the one-hour broadcast, suffered the injury when Rosa’s knee landed on her face after a brainbuster, immediately breaking it.
But the 27-year-old continued on with her match and finished it as expected, losing via a roll-up.
As a result, Hayter is expected to miss some in-ring action until she recovers.
Impact Wrestling will be holding the Victory Road special event for Impact Plus on September 23 from the Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.
The original location was at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but that was just changed due to an issue with scheduling. Skyway Studios was the home of Impact during the pandemic days.
Tickets for Victory Road are available now at EventBrite.com and start from $25 and go all the way up to $250. The company will also hold a set of television tapings the next day in the same location.
Victory Road was a pay-per-view which originally launched in 2004. While it did not take place the following year, the show was held yearly for the next seven years before it returned in 2017.
Sasha Banks and Naomi are at the C2E2 convention in Chicago today and tomorrow and judging from social media photos, the line for Banks was incredibly long with hundreds of people in line ready to splash $90 for a photo and $70 for an autograph.
Banks, who is being marketed under her real name of Mercedes Varnado, is also sporting a new fierce hairstyle. Gone is the all-blue color and in comes a gradient of blue, green, yellow, and orange.
Single photo ops for today have been sold out, including the photo op featuring Banks and Naomi together which is selling for $130.
This is the first public appearance for both Superstars ever since they quit WWE back in mid-May. A report earlier this week suggested that both have agreed to return to WWE.
Banks reportedly charged the event organizers $30,000 a day to appear at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo this weekend.
Deadline.com is reporting that former WWE champion Dave Bautista is in talks to star in a new Netflix movie titled Unleashed.
The story revolves around a police officer who is best friends with a canine partner, Boomer, that can sniff out any crime. When Boomer dies on the job, the cop pledges no more canine partners, until he is teamed with Zeus.
Apart from taking part in the leading role, Bautista would also produce with his partner Jonathan Meisner alongside Good Fear’s Chris Bender and Jake Weiner.
The former wrestling star is keeping busy in Hollywood and he will be next seen on Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery for Netflix and just finished shooting Knock at the Cabin for Universal and is now shooting Dune 2 for Warner Bros.
