WWE today announced that WrestleMania 40 will be taking place from the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show will be on Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7.
“We are proud to welcome WWE fans from around the world to Philadelphia to be a part of the historic 40th WrestleMania in 2024,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “The week-long series of events will help put a global spotlight on our great city while also generating a major impact for our local economy.”
This will be the first time that WrestleMania will be held in the city of Philadelphia since 1999 when Austin and Rock headlined WrestleMania 15 at the First Union Center, now known as the Wells Fargo Center.
The Hall of Fame, Smackdown, and Raw will be taking place from the Wells Fargo Center while a variation of Axxess will happen at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
“Philadelphia is excited to host WrestleMania for the first time in 25 years,” said Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau President & CEO Gregg Caren. “The combination of Philadelphia’s passionate fans joining forces with WWE’s worldwide fan base will create an incredible electricity throughout the city for the events at Lincoln Financial Field, Wells Fargo Center and the Pennsylvania Convention Center.”
“The Philadelphia Eagles are thrilled to partner with WWE as WrestleMania makes its much-anticipated return to Philadelphia in 2024,” said Philadelphia Eagles President and PHL Sports Chair Don Smolenski. “We are excited to help showcase the industry’s most iconic event in front of a global viewing audience and look forward to providing WWE fans in attendance with a first-class experience at Lincoln Financial Field.”
“On behalf of WWE, we are thrilled to bring WrestleMania back to the City of Brotherly Love,” said WWE Executive Vice President of Special Events John Saboor. “We thank all of our local partners who were integral in making this long-awaited return a reality.”
WWE Hall of Famer Alundra Blayze made a surprise appearance on NXT last night and got involved in the Women’s Tag Team title situation.
Last week, Cora Jade threw her title in the trash can, effectively ending her partnership with Roxanne Perez. The storyline brought back memories of when Blayze, then as Madusa in WCW, threw the WWE Women’s title in the trash live on Nitro.
Blayze was there to announce a fatal four way elimination tag team match for the vacant NXT Women’s Tag Team titles which will happen next Tuesday. The match will air commercial free.
The four teams are Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, and Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz.
Blayze was also part of the show-closing angle. She walked out of the Performance Center with the titles and was confronted by Toxic Attraction. Jayne and Dolin requested that Blayze hand over the titles to them, and after a tease, the HOFer tells them that if they want them, they should win their match next week.
There were some subtle references to the departure of Vince McMahon last night on Raw.
During the opening segment, Roman Reigns tried to give Theory some advice and wanted to be his counsel for the night. “I want you to analyze the situation here, you understand?” Reigns told Theory.
“Your daddy is not here anymore,” he continued to loud “Ohhhh’s” from the New York crowd. “This is my ring,” Reigns said as the fans started a “Daddy’s gone” and a “Who’s your daddy?” chants. That got a smile from the Tribal Chief.
“I’m gonna tell you who his daddy is because if he continues to mess up the Tribal Chief will be his daddy,” Reigns then said to a big ovation from the crowd.
Before this segment started there was another reference as when Reigns spoke and then Heyman followed, their microphone kept getting cut. Heyman wondered if the sound guy is from New Jersey (pop!) and then said, “We want your name written down…you’re the next one out the door!”
Week 3 of WWE on A&E had the Biography of the Bella Twins, Austin vs Rock on Rivals, and the weekly Smack Talk.
The Bella Twins Biography drew 420,000 viewers, down considerably by 174,000 viewers from the Goldberg episode last week. The show did 0.12 in 18-49 and was #30 on the chart.
For the first time this season, Rivals beat Biography in the numbers, with Austin vs Rock pulling 423,000 viewers, up 33,000 viewers from last week’s episode featuring Undertaker and Kane. It also did a 0.15 in 18-49 and was #20 on the chart.
Smack Talk at 11PM ET did 212,000 viewers, down 25,000 viewers from last week and a 0.07 rating in 18-49, placing #52 on the chart. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The Tribal Chief was part of the third hour of NBC’s TODAY show to talk SummerSlam and family life in a segment that lasted around four minutes.
Reigns said that he’s on course to do something that no one has ever done in this business, and that’s dominate Brock Lesnar.
“We’re entering that kind of time frame in my career where I’m pushing myself to a different level and trying to achieve things that never been done before,” Reigns said. “Anytime you can beat Brock Lesnar three times in a row, that’s pretty good. That’s a feather in the cap.”
Asked what we can expect at SummerSlam, Reigns laughed and didn’t think twice about the answer.
“I hope it’s the last time! It hurts, it’s brutal. He’s a big old country boy and he’s got such a legitimate background,” Reigns noted, listing Brock’s several accomplishments as an amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist.
Discussion then turned to family and life at home and he said it’s pretty loud and hectic with five kids and joked that he treats them like a business “because there’s so many of them.”
He mentioned that he has a lot more time at home now so those relationships with his kids are strengthening and bonds are getting better. He said he would not be surprised if his kids enter the business down the road considering the family history.
Rampage this past Friday drew 428,000 viewers, down 7,000 viewers from last week. The show pulled in a 0.17 rating in 18-49, up 0.03 from the previous show, and the best number since April 22, placing Rampage #6 on the chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Rhea Ripley made her return to Monday Night Raw in Madison Square Garden last night, attacking the Mysterio family in a backstage segment.
Ripley has not been seen on WWE television in over a month due to a concussion and mouth injury and recently she also uploaded a photo with a heart monitor. Her concussion prevented her from wrestling Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s title at Money In The Bank and was replaced by Carmella.
The former NXT Women’s champion went face to face with Mysterio’s daughter Aalyah, something which many people saw the funny side of as Ripley is dating Buddy Matthews, who while in WWE, was involved in a romantic storyline with Aalyah. After shoving Aalyah, she then attacked Dominik and also kicked Rey after Finn Balor and Damian Priest crashed the 20th WWE anniversary celebration.
Interesting enough, Ripley wore an “I’m your Papi” Eddie Guerrero shirt for the segment.
Are you a wrestler looking to naturally improve your performance and recovery? Do you want to know if CBD is beneficial to wrestlers?
Wrestling is a physically demanding sport that very often ends with some kind of pain or injury. On top of that, there is a lot of brain power that goes into the sport too, which can leave one stressed and anxious.
CBD has become a popular remedy for a wide variety of ailments, and athletes are no exception. CBD is believed to help with pain relief, inflammation, anxiety, and sleep disorders, all of which can be common among wrestlers. CBD can be consumed in various ways, including oils, capsules, tinctures, edibles, and topicals, all of which are available at stores like Canna Cabana. As a wrestler, there are many benefits that one can gain from making use of CBD in a variety of ways.
Here are 5 amazing advantages of CBD that wrestlers should know about.
Improves Concentration & Focus
When it comes to wrestlers using CBD, there are amazing advantages that they can make use of. CBD has proven to be one of the most effective natural substances that can be used for medicinal purposes in a variety of different ways.
As a wrestler, one of the first advantages that you can get from consuming CBD as improved concentration and focus. CBD is commonly known to affect the levels of dopamine within the brain. Within our body, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that carries signals between the brain cells.
An increase or boost in dopamine can increase our motivation, and therefore increase concentration, attention, and focus levels as well.
Pain Management
The next benefit that wrestlers can take advantage of when it comes to consuming CBD is pain management. It is a commonly known fact that CBD is most frequently used when it comes to that pain management and reducing inflammation.
Unfortunately, something that you can not really avoid when it comes to wrestling is pain. Wrestling is a contact fighting sport where pain is something that is commonly experienced. With that said many wrestlers rely on constant use of pain medication and this can be harmful to your body. CBD can be used similarly to pain medication and offers the same outcome however there are no negative side effects when consumed in the right dosages.
Quicker Recovery Time
When it comes to a contact-fighting sport like wrestling, recovery time is incredibly important and something that you can’t take for granted. Recovery allows for your muscles to work their way back up to their full potential and for your body to heal any injuries that it has sustained during the process.
CBD consumption can expedite recovery time allowing for you to have a much quicker recovery time and not have to wait so long in between training or matches. A quicker recovery time also allows for your body to have a much healthier life with less damage.
Relieves Anxiety
Although it may not seem like it, anxiety plays a big role in the lives of many wrestlers, especially when it comes to big matches that they may be competing in. CBD is commonly used to help manage the symptoms of anxiety and to help manage anxiety as a whole.
It helps to neutralize the minds of the wrestlers, not only during the time in which they are wrestling but also afterward when they are cooling down. It can help fighters too forget about their fear of a difficult fight, and therefore reduce their stress and anxiety.
Improves Stamina
Last but certainly not least one of the best things that wrestlers can get out of consuming CBD is increased stamina. Consuming CBD can give them a more hyperactive and strong lease on life.
However before you start taking CBD make sure that you have a good understanding of your tolerance levels as consuming too much CBD can cause one to feel dizzy, sleepy, and even nauseous
As a wrestler, CBD can be used in a variety of ways whether it is before a match, after a match, or even while you are training. It can be used to help with a multitude of different things from pain, anxiety, and even focus. The great thing about CBD is that it is not considered to be a drug that is performance enhancing and therefore is something that can be used frequently as a wrestler.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors have launched inquiries into payments made by Vince McMahon to settle allegations of sexual misconduct.
Sources close to Vince told WSJ that he resigned from his position as CEO and Chairman on Friday after SEC and prosecutors turned up the heat on him and decided it would be best if he left now and spare the company he formed further embarrassment and bad publicity.
While WWE painted his departure as a retirement, documents files with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission show that he actually resigned.
WWE announced yesterday that it has received regulatory, investigative and enforcement inquiries, subpoenas or demands in connection with the Vince McMahon investigation.
WWE also said that they have $14.6 million in unrecorded expenses tied to McMahon, which he will have to personally pay.
Friday Night Smackdown on the day Vince McMahon announced his retirement drew 2,256,000 viewers, up 179,000 viewers from the previous week. This was the most-watched show since June 17. In the 18-49 demo, Smackdown drew a 0.62, the best number since January 21, and was #1 in both network and cable television, doubling the nearest competition. In the overnight numbers, Smackdown did 2,114,000 in the first hour and 2,218,000 in the second hour. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Raw begins with The Miz and Logan Paul fighting in the ring and officials coming out trying to separate them.
The Bloodline is out next. Roman starts with the typical “Madison Square Garden, acknowledge me!” Then he says he doesn’t feel like talking anymore.
Heyman takes the microphone and after getting cut off a few times asked for a new microphone and tells the sound guy he must be from New Jersey, and he wants his name written down because he is the next one out the door.
After Heyman was done promoting the SummerSlam match for Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar and saying the Tribal Chief is going to do whatever it takes to win Saturday, Theory comes out and Roman tells him, “Daddy is gone I own this ring!”
As the Bloodline leaves the ring, one of the Usos smack Theory in the back of the neck and Theory started hitting him with the briefcase, but Roman stopped them and they walked out.
As we come back from break, Theory is still in the ring and Drew McIntyre comes out.
Drew McIntyre VS. Theory
As they battled back and forth, Ridge Holland, Sheamus and Butch come out and attack Drew causing the disqualification.
Winner by DQ: Drew McIntyre
After the match, Bobby Lashley came out to help Drew and ran off Sheamus and company as well as Theory.
Bobby Lashley & Drew McIntyre VS. Sheamus & Theory
During the match, Ridge and Butch get involved in the action and the referee throws them out of the ringside area. Lashley slams Theory and goes for the pin but Sheamus off the top rope and broke up the count. Sheamus and Drew battle on the outside and Sheamus hits White Noise on Drew on the floor.
Theory then picks Lashley up for an A-Town Down but when he turns, he catches Dolph Ziggler by the announce table and stops and Lashley wiggles loose and grabs Theory in a hurt lock for the quick tap out.
Winners: Bobby Lashley & Drew McIntyre
After the match, Theory stands holding the briefcase up and yelling at Ziggler and turns around and gets hit with a double superkick from the Usos. As Roman Reigns lays the briefcase on his chest, they leave him lying.
We are shown some highlights of Rey Mysterio and a few people saying good things about him such as John Cena, Kurt Angle, etc. Then we are shown the Mysterio family arriving to celebrate Rey’s 20 years.
Dolph Ziggler was interviewed in the back and said he just thinks Theory should be taught a lesson and AJ Styles walks up and says he likes what he is doing to Theory. Alpha Academy quickly interrupt and challenge them to a match. AJ accepts.
They welcome Rey Mysterio to the ring to celebrate his 20-year anniversary. Dominik comes out with Rey. After Rey thanked everyone and was thanking the WWE Universe at Madison Square Garden, Finn Balor is shown in the crowd clapping. Then Damian Priest is seen walking to the ring. We cut to break as Rey is looking around in the ring.
Finn Balor & Damian Priest VS. Rey and Dominik Mysterio
Priest slides a chair into the ring and Finn tried to act like Rey hit him but Dominik keeps the referee’s attention and Rey does hit Finn with the chair and attempts to go for the 619 but has to duck under Priest and knocks Priest into the ropes with Finn and Dominik. Rey hit the double 619 and Rey goes to the top, does the Eddie shake and hits the frog splash on Finn for the win.
Winners: Rey and Dominik Mysterio
We are shown Cody Rhodes winning an ESPY for his comeback to WWE.
As we go to break, we are shown Bianca Belair walking backstage and looks to be heading to the ring.
Back from break we are shown the Mysterio and family celebrating Rey as Rey opens his gift, which is ring gear from Halloween Havoc 97. Rhea Ripley is shown, and she drags Dominik by the hair into another locker room and as Rey runs after them, he is attacked by Finn Balor and Damian Priest and Priest powerbombs Rey through a table in the back.
Bianca Belair comes to the ring. Before Bianca could say anything, Becky Lynch comes out and starts talking but Bianca interrupted her. Bianca says before you start complaining, she says she is the fastest, etc. Becky hits Bianca and a fight ensued.
Bianca knocks Becky out of the ring over the top but Becky grabs Bianca’s hair and pulls her out with her, they continue fighting over the announce desk and officials finally come out to break the two up.
Alexa Bliss in interviewed in the back and says she is about to face Doudrop, and she is happy that Doudrop keeps demanding these matches. Alexa then issues a warning to both Becky and Bianca that whoever wins at SummerSlam, she is coming to take back the top spot in the women’s division.
Alexa Bliss VS. Doudrop
Bliss goes up to the top rope but is knocked off by Nikki A.S.H. who is at ringside with Doudrop. Doudrop picks up Bliss and Bliss turns it around and hits Doudrop with the DDT for the win.
Winner: Alexa Bliss
Logan Paul comes out to host Impaulsive TV. He says Miz lets finish what we started earlier.
As he continues to call out the Miz, but out comes Maryse, who tells him he is not to talk about her kids ever and her man’s package. Maryse tries the Miz’s when my hand goes up your mouth goes shut. The Miz then comes out.
The Miz tells Paul he taught him everything he knows and at SummerSlam, he isn’t getting the dad Miz or the reality star Miz, he is getting the former world champion Miz, the one who beat John Cena. Paul tells him to shut up and Maryse slaps Paul across the face.
Paul says thanks Maryse you have bigger balls then your husband and as Maryse holds Miz back, Ciampa comes in and attacks Paul. As they double team Paul, the Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Paul.
The Street Profits are interviewed backstage with the Usos and special referee for Saturday Jeff Jarrett. As they begin to argue, Jeff yells at both teams to shut up. The Street Profits did the The Street Profits are up, and we want the Smoke and The Usos say you’re up, but you are the twos and we…
Before they could finish, Jeff Jarrett came back and walked between them and both teams stopped, and Jeff walks back away.
AJ Styles & Dolph Ziggler VS. Alpha Academy
Gable goes for a moonsault and misses and receives a superkick from Ziggler. Otis in to break up the pin, AJ over the ropes and jumps at Otis but Otis catches him but turns into a superkick from Dolph then gets his with a paella kick from AJ and rolls out of the ring.
Gable attempts to roll up AJ who hangs onto the ropes and Gable falls back and gets hit with a Zig Zag for the win.
Winners: Dolph Ziggler & AJ Styles
The Bloodline VS. The Street Profits & Riddle
Fight falls to the outside, Dawkins dumps both Usos into the timekeeper’s area, but Roman catches Dawkins and slams him off the announce table then off the ring steps. As Roman gets back in the ring, Riddle hits him with the DDT off the middle rope and gets ready to go for the RKO. Roman catches Riddle in the air and tosses him, then gives him the spear for the pin.
Winners: The Bloodline
After the match, Seth Rollins comes out and attacks Riddle who stomps him on the outside then puts him up against the ring steps and stomps Riddle again on the steps.
WWE has a massive Monday Night Raw lined up for tonight as the road to SummerSlam stops at the world’s most famous arena – Madison Square Garden in New York.
Over 12,000 fans are expected at The Garden, pretty much a sell-out in the current setup. The show will be headlined by Roman Reigns and The Usos teaming up to take on Riddle and The Street Profits.
Also, Rey Mysterio will be celebrating his 20th year WWE anniversary tonight on the broadcast and he will team up with his son Dominik to take on The Judgment Day. In addition, Logan Paul will be in the house to host his Impaulsive TV show.
Edge is also rumored to be part of the show and the Rated-R Superstar has not been seen on WWE television since early June when he was taken out by Balor, Priest, and Ripley.
WWE is partnering with Snapchat to create an official SummerSlam Bitmoji digital t-shirt.
This exclusive digital Bitmoji t-shirt can be accessed via Snapcode or from WWE channels on Snapchat’s Discover (including WWE Experience and WWE Supercut). Once a fan saves the t-shirt on their Bitmoji, they will see it across a number of digital experiences on Snapchat and beyond.
Bitmoji has recently partnered with leading fashion brands including Converse and Nike, and now for the first time, Bitmoji users can further express themselves and what they care about through their digital outfit for WWE’s upcoming SummerSlam event.
Vince McMahon has been removed from the WWE Board of Directors and no longer occupies a position despite being the largest shareholder of the company. This is the first time that McMahon will not be part of the Board ever since the company went public in October 1999.
The WWE Board of Directors now has three executive members – Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Paul Levesque. It also has seven independent members – Steve Koonin, Ignace Lahoud, Erika Nardini, Steve Pamon, Man Jit Singh, Jeffrey R. Speed, and Alan M. Wexler.
Man Jit Singh, the former President of Home Entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment, is leading the investigation into Vince McMahon’s hush money allegations.
The Board now has two less members, with Vince out and independent member Connor Schell who resigned a few weeks ago.
With McMahon’s removal and today’s news, the chances of McMahon ever getting some sort of power back down the line is considerably very slim and close to none.
WWE might have another WrestleMania 37 moment on their hand as thunderstorms are forecast over Nashville this Saturday.
SummerSlam will take place from the Nissan Stadium and the stadium has no roof so it’s subject to all the elements. Apart from the 86% humidity which is going to make things really hot, there’s a 60% chance of raining at night. Scattered thunderstorms are scheduled for throughout the day and pretty much for the whole week and next week.
WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, which was the first event in front of fans after the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced thunderstorms and had to be delayed by 20 minutes. Winds also destroyed the set a couple of times which resulted in emergency repairs by WWE personnel.
While there will be a canopy on top of the ring, safety for fans in the stands will be a priority and thunderstorms will probably halt the show.
It appears that Tully Blanchard is now gone from All Elite Wrestling.
Blanchard, who was supposed to be also part of Saturday’s ROH’s pay-per-view, was not at the arena and his Tully Blanchard Enterprises faction was “purchased” by the returning Prince Nana, who renamed it The Embassy.
The WWE Hall of Famer and former member of the Four Horsemen has been working for AEW since 2019, first aligning himself with Shawn Spears, then managed FTR, and was also part of The Pinnacle.
He had his first match in 14 years last year where he teamed up with FTR to take on Jurassic Express.
Vince McMahon’s departure from WWE was listed as resignation in the latest Form 8-K filing with the SEC, contrasting all previous press releases and media announcements that it was just retirement.
The date listed for his resignation is Friday, July 22, and the resignation from his positions as Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and director of the Company, was effective immediately.
The filing also confirmed the appointment by the WWE Board of Directors of Stephanie McMahon as Chairwoman and co-CEO and Nick Khan as co-CEO as well. These appointments came into effect on the same day.
Wall Street has reacted quite positively to the change of leadership, with WWE stocks up nearly 10% in the morning and up to over $70. The removal of Vince McMahon has also fueled more speculation that the company could be sold down the line, something that it was not going to be possible with Vince at the helm.
Former ROH World champion Jonathan Gresham has asked for his release from his contract says Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling.
Gresham, according to the report, requested to be let go before his match against Claudio Castagnoli at the Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view on Saturday. He only recently signed a deal with the company this past April which saw him also appear on AEW television.
According to Sapp, Gresham was annoyed at the lack of communication over the past several weeks and felt disrespected. His match also opened the show on Saturday and was only given around 12 minutes, something he wasn’t a fan of. The report also says that Gresham “cussed out” AEW President Tony Khan on Saturday and things were definitely not cool between the two.
The former champ deactivated his Twitter following the show.
The 34-year-old has been working for ROH since 2014 and also worked for Impact Wrestling over the past year.
In the latest Form 8-K filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, WWE announced that it has identified unrecorded expenses totaling approximately $14.6 million.
All payments will be paid by Vince McMahon personally.
These payments that Vince McMahon agreed to make during the period from 2006 through 2022 were not recorded in the WWE consolidated financial statements and should have been recorded as expenses in the quarters in which those agreements were made.
The company anticipates that it will revise its previously issued financial statements to record these unrecorded expenses in the applicable periods for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, as well as the first quarter of 2022.
While the WWE Board of Directors into Vince McMahon is still ongoing, WWE said that that it has received, and may receive in the future, regulatory, investigative and enforcement inquiries, subpoenas or demands arising from, related to, or in connection with these matters.
In a press release issued by WWE today confirming Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan as co-CEOs, the company also announced that Paul “Triple H” Levesque will be overseeing the creative team moving forward.
“Additionally, WWE executive Paul Levesque will assume all responsibilities related to WWE’s creative, in addition to his regular duties,” the press release said.
The creative team was before led by Vince McMahon who approved all things before they went on TV.
Last Friday, Levesque resumed his role as EVP of Talent Relations, taking over from John Laurinaitis who is on a leave of absence and not expected to return.
