Shane “Swerve” Strickland, who wrestled for NXT as Isiah “Swerve” Scott as part of the Hit Row stable, is heading to All Elite Wrestling.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling broke the story yesterday and the tweet got a wink emoji from Strickland himself. Sapp wrote that Strickland will be starting with the promotion in March.
The former NXT North American champion was moved to Smackdown along with B-Fab, Ashante Adonis, and Top Dolla during the 2021 Draft but was released a month later with Top Dolla and Adonis, two weeks after their female stablemate B-Fab was let go.
He originally signed with WWE in 2019 as part of the NXT brand.
The UFC returns to London for a rare appearance on British shores, with Tom Aspinall taking on heavyweight Alexander Volkov in the main event. You’d have to go back three years to find the last time we saw the leading Mixed Martial Arts franchise set foot in London — Jorge Masvidal forcing a second-round stoppage against Darren Till. And as the capital welcomes Dana White and co, there are plenty of talking points from the Octagon ahead of the event.
The card is littered with a plethora of British talent, fighting at a variety of weight classes, and the betting on sports UK will find it hard to call a winner due to the sports unpredictability. Read on, as we look at some of the biggest discussions ahead of UFC London.
Paddy Pimblett sure to entertain
One of the freshest faces in the company’s new look roster is Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett. Having impressed as part of Cage Warriors, he signed with the UFC, debuting in September where he preserved his unbeaten streak. ‘The Baddy’ takes on Mexican Kazula Vargas in London, with the 36-year-old looking to cause an upset in the lightweight division. Pimblett may have plenty of jokes and be slick on the mic, which has drawn comparisons to Conor McGregor, but thus far he’s backed up everything he’s said he’ll do, and it won’t be long before we see him crop up in discussions for Charles Oliveira’s title.
Tom Aspinall has plenty to prove
At 28, things have fallen perfectly into place for Tom Aspinall in the UFC so far, but having easily dispatched of Sergey Spivak, he faces more formidable opposition in his first main event against Alexander Volkov. The Russian was beaten by Ciryl Gane in June before a win against Marcin Tybura set up a bout with Aspinall. The Salford-born heavyweight has certainly been confident in the build up to this one, and is relishing the chance to fight in front of the London crowd.
“How many chances do you get like this in this life? You have no idea,” he said: “You’ve got to take these opportunities when they present themselves, and it’s going to be an epic night, I’m sure. [The location] is a big part of why I couldn’t say no to it.”
With Aspinall’s aggressive fight style, he’ll want to keep his unbeaten record intact and get things done as quickly as possible, whilst still savouring the ravenous atmosphere from the home crowd.
Luana Carolina will be a worthy opponent for Molly McCann
The women’s flyweight division is more competitive than ever in the UFC, with Molly McCann set to fight in London against Luana Carolina. She earnt Fight of the Night back in September after beating Ji Yeon Kim via unanimous decision, but two losses before that mean she is certainly inconsistent. If the right version of McCann turns up, and she avoids rashly diving into strikes and takedowns, she should come out on top, but will certainly face a challenge from her Brazilian opponent.
Carolina is as methodical as she is deadly, although she has struggled to put fights to bed, going to distance in her last two wins. Expect this one to be dragged out and gruelling, something McCann’s explosive style will really struggle with towards the later rounds.
NXT this week drew 612,000 viewers, up 113,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast which aired on SyFy. In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew just a 0.12 and was #43 in the top 50 cable chart. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
WWE Hall Of Famer Bill Goldberg revealed on his CarCast podcast that he had COVID-19 heading into the Elimination Chamber and only trained for two weeks because of the virus.
Goldberg said that when WWE called him to inform him about the plan to take on Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia, he was dealing with coronavirus and had not trained properly for a few months.
He said that he would have preferred if he had to wrestle Reigns when he was in his 40s rather than in his mid-50s but the reason he kept coming back is because wanted to give back to the business that made him famous.
He said that his role in this program was to make Reigns look like a monster heading into his match against Brock Lesnar and obviously there was never a plan to win the title, leave for six months, and come back with the title.
“I don’t write the script, I just kind of follow it…kind of follow it,” he joked, adding that he’s always fighting an uphill battle, especially with fans now and the way social media is.
During the podcast, Goldberg mentioned a documentary that is coming out showing how he prepared for this although he did not say if it’s a WWE-produced documentary.
In a backstage interview with Jared Myers on YouTube conducted at one of his concerts, Jeff Hardy confirmed that he’s heading to AEW once his 90-day no-compete clause with WWE expires.
Hardy said that he’s “excited and nervous” about it and it’s the first time he openly said that he’s signing with AEW once he’s legally free to do so.
His 90-day clause ends on Wednesday, March 9 after he was released from his WWE duties on December 9 of last year. Hardy abandoned a six-man tag match half-way through during a non-televised live event and exited the building through the crowd. He was eventually subjected to a drug test but Hardy passed all of them and was not under the influence of anything when he decided to walk out during the match.
WWE offered Jeff a spot into the 2022 Hall of Fame on his own, an offer which Hardy refused as he wants to go in with his brother Matt.
WWE and On Location, a leader in the premium experiential hospitality business, today announced an exclusive multi-year partnership that will deliver world-class experiences to WWE fans. The new partnership will provide fans with hospitality packages to all of WWE’s biggest events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series and Money In The Bank. The first packages will go on sale today at 12PM ET for Money In The Bank at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this July.
As WWE’s exclusive hospitality provider for premium live events, On Location will curate best-in-class, elevated offerings to give WWE fans an unforgettable experience from the moment of purchase. The all-inclusive ticket and travel packages will include premier seating, premium hospitality offerings and meet-and-greets with WWE Superstars and Legends.
“On Location has an incredible track record of creating memorable experiences around the biggest events in sports and entertainment,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development. “We believe this partnership will set a new standard for WWE hospitality and furthers our commitment to providing our fans with world-class accommodations at WWE’s premium live events.”
“WWE is one of the premier sports and entertainment organizations in the country and is known for giving their passionate fan base exactly what they want,” said Paul Caine, President, On Location. “This partnership is the next step in that commitment, and we look forward to working with them to create truly once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences across their dynamic live event portfolio.”
On Location has over two decades of experience in redefining luxury hospitality and experiences for marquee live events around the world and currently works with over 150 iconic rights holders including the NFL, UFC, NCAA and the IOC to provide curated hospitality offerings and host exclusive events in an official capacity.
Impact Wrestling on AXS TV last week drew 109,000 viewers, down 8,000 viewers from the prior week. The show did a 0.03 rating in the 18-49 demo, the same as before and landed in #131 in the top 150 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Monday Night Raw back on USA Network drew an average of 1,826,000 viewers, up 225,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast on SyFy.
The first hour started big with 1,945,000 viewers and then dropped to 1,868,000 viewers in the second and finished the night with 1,666,000 viewers. Raw dropped 279,000 viewers from the first to the third hour.
Raw placed #1, #2, and #3 in the 18-49 demo with 0.54, 0.52, and 0.47 respectively for an average of 0.51, the highest since October 4, 2021. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Buddy Matthews, the man formerly known as Buddy Murphy in WWE, made his AEW debut last night on Dynamite following the Malakai Black and Brody King vs PAC and Penta Oscuro match.
After PAC and Penta won, House of Black attacked the winners and the lights went out just before Black was about to hit Penta with a shovel. When the lights came back on, Matthews stood in the corner and got a huge pop from the AEW Connecticut crowd.
Matthews teased attacking Black but instead attacked PAC and Penta as Brody took out the security one by one who were coming to break up the brawl. After the brutal beatdown ended, Black, King, and Matthews stood together in the middle of the ring.
After his debut aired, AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that Matthews was All Elite.
The 33-year-old Australian was released from WWE in June 2021 and was last involved in a feud with the Mysterio family and Seth Rollins.
AEW announced that their annual Double or Nothing pay-per-view will be held on Sunday, May 29 live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This is the first time that AEW will run the larger T-Mobile Arena as usually they hold their shows at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Hotel.
Dynamite and Rampage prior to Double or Nothing will also be held in Vegas, both live at the Michelob Ultra Arena at The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on May 25 and 27 respectively.
Tickets for all shows go on sale on Friday, March 4 at 10AM PT.
The first of two contenders for the AEW World Tag Team titles will be decided tonight on Dynamite on TBS as the show rolls into Bridgeport, Connecticut at the Webster Bank Arena.
A tag team battle royal featuring The Young Bucks, 2PointO, ReDragon, FTR, Ortiz and Santana, Best Friends, The Butcher and The Blade, Private Party, John Silver and Alex Reynolds, and The Gunn Club will determine who will advance to Revolution to face the AEW tag champs along with another team who will qualify later.
Also announced for tonight is Malakai Black and Brody King vs PAC and Penta El Zero Miedo, Jade Cargill defends her TBS title against The Bunny, and Chris Jericho and Eddie Kingston will have a face-off.
American singer and musician Machine Gun Kelly is serving as the executive producer for the WWE 2K22 soundtrack.
Kelly is not a stranger to the WWE product as he performed his song Invincible at WrestleMania 28 for John Cena’s entrance and was also a guest host of Monday Night Raw where he was power bombed off the stage by Kevin Owens.
For his contribution, Kelly will be a playable character in the game as part of a future DLC pack.
The soundtrack is already available on Apple Music featuring 12 tracks from himself, Wu Tang Clan, Motorhead, Poppy, Royal Blood, Bring Me The Horizon, The Weeknd, Turnstile, Asking Alexandria, and KennyHoopla.
WWE released a hilarious clip with Kelly working on the music and asking, “It’s pretty hard, right?” The Undertaker then comes into the picture and says that the music “needs more…gongs.”
Madcap Moss, who last Saturday was spiked on his head following a near-fatal Alabama Slam, has reportedly passed all medical exams and suffered no major injury.
The incident saw McIntyre pick Moss to go for the move, but instead of Moss taking it face-first, he seemingly went to roll over and landed hard on his neck.
The referee immediately went to check on him and then Happy Corbin bought him some extra time by dragging him out of the ring. Instead of finishing the match right there, the two continued for several minutes with Moss taking a DDT, a top rope move, and thrown onto the commentary table as well. McIntyre eventually won the match with the Claymore Kick but Moss was the winner with the fans who commented how they have newfound respect for him for soldiering on and finishing the bout.
PWInsider.com reported that Moss had to go under several medical examinations, including X-rays on his neck and he passed every single one of them.
The clip of Moss landing on his head was one of the most shared videos from the Elimination Chamber on social media.
Mars, Incorporated, Take-Two Interactive and WWE today announced a partnership that makes Snickers and WWE 2K22 Presenting Partners of WrestleMania 38.
The partnership will mark the first time in WrestleMania history that two brands have served as Presenting Partners for WWE’s pop culture extravaganza. As part of the agreement, Snickers and WWE 2K22, the forthcoming latest installment from 2K’s popular WWE video game series, will stake claim to each evening’s WrestleMania main event match as Presenting Partners.
As anticipation builds for the biggest matches of the year, Snickers and WWE 2K22 will compete in their own heavyweight match as the brands will go head-to-head in a multi-platform campaign on The Road to WrestleMania.
“Mars is excited to continue to bring fun to WWE fans by returning as a Presenting Partner of WrestleMania, this year alongside our friends at 2K,” said Michelle Deignan, Senior Director, Mars Wrigley. “At Mars, we know the WWE fan base is passionate and hungry for more entertainment, and we look forward to giving them a solution to those moments when they are feeling out of sorts, in a way only Snickers can deliver on.”
“The WWE 2K22 team is thrilled to co-present WrestleMania alongside a fantastic – and delicious – partner in Snickers,” said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Global Marketing Strategy at 2K. “We’ll all be cheering on our WWE 2K22 cover Superstar Rey Mysterio as he ‘hits different’ at The Showcase of the Immortals.”
“WrestleMania 38 in Dallas will be the most stupendous two-night WrestleMania in history, so it seemed fitting to bring together two of our longest-reigning brand partners,” said Claudine Lilien, WWE Head of Global Sales & Partnerships. “The 360-degree partnership with Snickers and WWE 2K22 will provide maximum reach with activations across our broadcast, digital and streaming assets as well as our world-renowned roster of WWE Superstars.”
Both brands will be showcased during WWE’s flagship TV programs leading up to WrestleMania, as well as during the WrestleMania Kickoff Show and WrestleMania each day on Peacock. The partnership also includes custom digital and social content on WWE.com and WWE’s YouTube channel, which is the No. 1 most-viewed sports channel in the world.
Apart from branding the Saturday night non-televised live events to Saturday Night’s Main Event, WWE is also branding the Sunday shows as the Sunday Stunner.
The first house show using that brand on a Sunday is on May 1 at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia. This will be a Raw brand live event.
WWE is in the process of revamping their live event business in a bid to revive the dwindling attendance which has been an issue since before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That business segment has struggled for the past few years, barely breaking even due to lower attendance overall despite rising ticket prices.
WWE did better than expected results over the past two quarters in live event attendance but that followed nearly two years of no live events and a bump was expected.
WWE has been added as an advisor for the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator program, where startup founders will have the exclusive opportunity to work one-on-one with SportsTech’s mentors to further develop their business ideas.
TVTechnologoy.com reports that WWE was selected to join the PGA Tour, NBC Sports, Sky Sports, GOLF, Comcast Spectacor, NASCAR, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, USA Cycling and USA Swimming as a mentor.
10 startups were selected from over 800 applications across 44 different countries from the fields of media and entertainment, fan/player engagement, athlete/player performance, team and coach success, venue and event innovation, fantasy sports and betting, esports, and the business of sports.
WWE is a major partner with NBCUniversal with the media company owning the TV rights for Monday Night Raw, NXT, Miz & Mrs, and the WWE Network in the United States.
Are you looking to place a wager on an MMA fight/event? Get to know these top 10 Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors before making real cash bets on thrilling events!
There are a lot of MMA and WWE fighters of the highest caliber that come from Canada. In 2022, MMA gamblers will have an incredible opportunity to put bets and take advantage of the best odds. If you’re looking for the greatest MMA fighters in Canada, these are the ones you should bet on.
Make sure to keep an eye out on all these fighters if you’re a follower of MMA and want to put some bets. Many reputable Paysafecard casinos in Canada accept bets on mixed martial arts (MMA) matches. Keep a close eye on these fighters if you want to take advantage of some terrific odds and a wide range of betting possibilities. Even though they are the underdogs, they have the potential to pay off handsomely if they manage to take their opponents by surprise.
Betting on the UFC
Before we get into the most popular fighters, one should take note that when new to betting on UFC fights, it is always recommended to check out trusted informational sources that teach players how to bet on ufc in canada, as for you to be able to take advantage and maximize your bets. Both main event fights and routine fight night programs have odds available for MMA fans. Pre-fight odds and UFC live betting odds are available to members for every fight. Fans of mixed martial arts may also take advantage of huge bonuses and crucial features like as Cash Out, BetBuilder, and more.
Steven MacDonald
MacDonald is an excellent choice for MMA bettors. It was in 2018 that this 27-year-old light heavyweight from Canada began his professional career, and he has since won over many admirers. He’s already won twice by unanimous decision and once by knockout, so he’s a serious contender in the ring. In 2020, MacDonald got a contract with Bellator MMA and is considered one of the best prospects in Canada.
Zackery Powell
With a 2-0 year’s worth of wins under his belt, Powell is one of Canada’s most highly regarded fighters. A triumph at SHP 86 is the greatest victory in his brief fighting career. With the help of his coaches and trainers at Niagara Top Team, Powell is taking his game to the next level. The 23-year-old MMA fighter is already a household name because of his perfect 4-0 record.
Saeid Mirzaei
At the age of 28, Saeid has had a string of poor luck in the 2020 season. With only three defeats in 16 amateur fights, he had become an IMMAF world champion. He began his professional career by beating American Killian Estes and veteran Nicolae Cury. One to keep an eye on when it comes to wagering alternatives, Mirzaei has a wealth of experience and a positive mindset.
Mateo Vogel
Because of the pandemic, Vogel has been involved in one battle during the last year. In the sport of jiu-jitsu, Vogel is widely regarded as the greatest in the nation and has won three times. For the next 2021 season, he’s projected to have a good campaign and will appear in several MMA contests around the country. As soon as he steps into the ring, bookies will be eager to give him hefty odds.
Josh Kwiatkowski
Josh, a 27-year-old featherweight from Canada, has had a long and successful career. A part of the Checkmat Vancouver squad, Josh has the opportunity to compete against some of the greatest players in the province, making him a solid wager for the 2021 campaign.
Louis Jourdain
Canadian bookmakers are familiar with Jourdain, regardless of the fact that he has not competed in an MMA fight since 2018. As Charles Jourdain did before him, Louis Jourdain has high hopes for his MMA career, which he hopes to resume in 2021. His punching abilities will be on display as he attempts to take down his adversaries.
Melissa Croden
Our list of Canada’s top 10 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitors includes Melissa, a female fighter. With a perfect amateur record of 5-0, she has dominated all of her rivals with punches, earning national notice for her accomplishments. If you’re looking to place a wager on other MMA events, she’s a good bet because she only has two professional battles under her belt.
Kyran Cameron
BTC Fight Promotions has seen a lot of Cameron in the ring, and he recently submitted him with a bravo choke in the first round. At just 26 years old, he is one of Canada’s most promising young athletes.
Lucas Neufeld
Neufeld, a 27-year-old featherweight, is worth keeping an eye on when making MMA wagers. Until he lost against Jordan Leavitt, he was unbeaten. There are many fans and bettors interested in seeing him compete for Canada’s Z-Promotions Fight Night featherweight belt, because of his status as being one of the country’s brightest talents.
Yohan Lainesse
Lainesse is a household name in the Canadian MMA community, but she’s also a global celebrity because of her flying knee knockout at the CFFC 86 event. Both in Canada and in the Cage Fight, this welterweight has very excellent betting odds.
Conclusion
These competitors are excellent bets for fans of the UFC and Bellator, respectively. Amateur MMA wagering alternatives may be found at sportsbooks as well, where you are able to take advantage of amazing odds and never-ending action as these experienced fighters battle it out for victory.
Rampage last Friday pulled in 471,000 viewers, down 78,000 viewers from the previous episode. Rampage aired at 7PM rather than in its usual time slot of 10PM. The show did a 0.20 in the 18-49 demo and placed #11 in the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Dolph Ziggler earned an NXT title shot last night after defeating Tommaso Ciampa in a hard-fought match in the main event of NXT on USA Network.
But Ziggler’s win was tainted by the interference of a cameraman who after hitting Ciampa with the camera, removed his cap and face mask to reveal himself as former NXT champion himself Robert Roode.
Ziggler and Roode embraced each other in the ring and then proceeded to beat on Ciampa. But the odds were evened after Bron Breakker came down to help Ciampa fight off the Dirty Dawgs.
All four will now face each other in a tag team match which will headline next week’s NXT.
While WWE has not said when Ziggler will get his title shot, the most probable location is Dallas at the Stand & Deliver show set for April 2. The company has not announced a start time yet for the show which falls on the same day as night one of WrestleMania.
Friday Night Smackdown on FOX drew a final viewership of 2,173,000, down 58,000 viewers from the previous episode and the third lowest number of 2022 so far. The show was second in the 18-49 numbers with a 0.54 behind the Winter Olympics coverage on NBC. That was down 0.01 from the prior week.
In the overnight numbers, the first hour drew 2,060,000 viewers and then did 2,064,000 viewers in the second hour. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
