Apart from Drake Wuertz and Alexander Wolfe who were mentioned yesterday, WWE also released additional talent from NXT.
The ones who unfortunately received their pink slips were Jessamyn Duke, Kavita Devi, Vanessa Borne, Ezra Judge, and Skyler Story. NXT referee Jake Clemons was also released.
The cuts were due to budget costs and were first reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling. It is believed that more releases are coming within the NXT and WWE Performance Center so it could be a very uncomfortable weekend for many.
NXT on Tuesday night pulled in 700,000 viewers on USA Network, up 3,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The show has struggled a little bit over the last few weeks even though it’s not going head-to-head with Dynamite anymore. NXT did a 0.16 in the 18-49 demographic which is the lowest in two months and back to the usual range when the show went versus Dynamite. (Ratings credit: SportsTVRatings.com)
Alexander Wolfe of Imperium has been released from his WWE contract. The news was reported first by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling.
The 34-year-old German has been working for WWE since 2015 where he joined SaNItY in NXT with Eric Young, Killian Dain, and Nikki Cross. After a run on the main roster and the group was disbanded, Wolfe was sent back to NXT, this time appearing for the NXT UK brand and joined Imperium with Walter, Marcel Barthel, and Fabian Aichner.
Imperium has been appearing on both NXT and NXT UK and Wolfe wrestled on NXT last night against his former SaNItY tag team partner Killian Dain. Wolfe lost the match and Imperium turned on him, with Barthel and Aichner attacking him and leaving him helpless in the ring.
The road to Double or Nothing continues tonight with Dynamite on TNT where two titles will be on the line.
Five matches have been announced for tonight’s broadcast. The AEW World Tag Team champions The Young Bucks will be defending their titles against The Varsity Blonds. Serena Deeb will also defend her NWA Women’s title against Red Velvet.
The other three matches are Christian Cage vs Matt Sydal, The Acclaimed vs Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley, and Austin Gunn vs Anthony Ogogo.
PWInsider.com is reporting that controversial NXT referee Drake Wuertz has been fired from the company today.
Wuertz, who has been refereeing in NXT since 2014, raised some eyebrows with his far right political beliefs and participating in some questionable online meetings sporting WWE merchandise from the Performance Center over the past few months.
At one point, Wuertz was the head of NXT referees but he was stripped off that position when it was obvious that his behavior was not worthy of the title.
The 36-year-old is a former wrestler and was a mainstay with Combat Zone Wrestling until he signed with WWE.
Several others within NXT and the WWE Performance Center received the axe today but there are no confirmed names so far.
AEW’s move to TBS in 2022 is getting a lot of mainstream press as the company continues to expand its programming with another hour on TNT and four new yearly specials on TNT as well.
The new show, Rampage, will launch in August on TNT but will also move with Dynamite to TBS come January 2022. Quizzed about if this will be a live or taped show, a WarnerMedia spokesperson told us that details are still being worked out but they hope to be airing live as much as they possibly can.
If the show is live, that means AEW has to go on the road twice a week – on Wednesday and Friday. The AEW Dark and Dark: Elevation tapings would probably also be split with the two shows.
The same WarnerMedia spokesperson also confirmed that a new agreement between the broadcaster and AEW was signed, but this new agreement does not supersede the previous one. The new agreement adds to the one signed last where AEW got a 3-year bumper deal and the additive deal includes the extra hour plus the new four yearly specials.
When the NHL rights were scooped up by WarnerMedia from NBCSports, speculation ran rampant on what will happen to AEW and if NHL would move to TBS. Instead it was AEW which moved stations to a channel which has two million more homes than TNT. Asked if the move was because of NHL, we were told, “When great content comes our way, we find the best way to get it in front of the consumer, working with existing partners to bring the best of everything.”
Meanwhile, Brett Wietz, the General Manager of TBS, TNT, and truTV, admitted that acquiring the NHL package played a part for AEW moving to TBS.
“Did the NHL have anything to do with it? Sure. NHL had something to do with it. NBA had something to do with it, the COVID schedule, the ton of preemptions,” Wietz told the New York Post. “When we looked where the consumer’s gonna be, where wrestling fans were going to be, we want to give them the most opportunity to consume as many shows as possible. We felt TBS had an opportunity to be the network and the best platform for expansion.”
A few weeks ago, AEW President Tony Khan admitted that he would be willing to change days for Dynamite if there’s something worth it for them. Khan got to keep Wednesdays, but lost TNT to TBS.
TBS has not aired a pro wrestling broadcast since the end of WCW Thunder.
The new weekly AEW television series Rampage will be airing every Friday starting at 10PM, avoiding a head-to-head with Smackdown on FOX which ends at that time.
Rampage, which also moves to TBS in January 2022, will be an hour-long show and will likely be taped on the same day as Dynamite although the press release did not indicate anything about tapings. With Dark and Dark Elevation, AEW will have to rethink their tapings schedule moving forward especially when shows return in front of live fans.
It was also announced that AEW will debut four new specials annually which will air on TNT.
“And, while we’re looking forward to our arrival on TBS, we’re not saying goodbye to our original and current home of TNT, which will air four new special supercard events annually,” said AEW President Tony Khan. “Plus, the financial upside to our new agreement will give us the opportunity to continue to invest in and grow AEW to serve the most important people in our industry: our fans, our wrestlers, our staff and our sponsors. With All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite and Rampage taking center stage via our new agreement on TBS next year, and the new quarterly supercards launching on TNT, our exposure and our opportunities to grow AEW are greater than ever!”
WarnerMedia announced that AEW Dynamite is moving to TBS in January 2022 and a new show, titled AEW: Rampage, will make its debut on TNT on August 13 at 10PM ET.
“It’s a pleasure to be able to help Tony Khan expand his wrestling fiefdom across our networks and bring more content to our fans that fits the thrill ride brand of TNT and good time of TBS,” said Sam Linsky, Associate General Manager, SVP, Programming and Operations, TBS, TNT and truTV. “It’s Wednesday. You know what that means.”
AEW President Tony Khan said that it means a lot to him, both personally and professionally, to share the news that All Elite Wrestling will call TBS home beginning in 2022.
“The history of wrestling in the United States cannot be told without acknowledging the contributions of TBS, which as WTBS years ago delivered wrestling to the Southeast and eventually to a massive national audience. TBS has the same passion for wrestling today, but will offer AEW and our fans more prime time programming, content and global opportunities that will establish TBS as the world’s undisputed destination for wrestling.”
The zombies who were the lumberjacks at WrestleMania Backlash were all part of the WWE system, mostly trainees at the WWE Performance Center.
Those who donned the costumes were Ari Sterling, Asher Hale, August Grey, Bronson Rechsteiner, Cal Bloom, Chance Barrow, Drew Kasper, Ikemen Jiro, Joe Ariola, Jake Atlas, Joe Gacy, Jacob Kasper, Matty Wahlberg, and Xyon Quinn. Coach Scott Garland, better known as Scotty 2 Hotty, also joined in on the fun.
The zombies, a stunt which did not go down well with the WWE audience, was part of a promotion by Netflix movie Army of the Dead starring Batista which sponsored the pay-per-view.
Visual effects on the zombies were done by Fractured FX Inc while they were created by Callosum Studios.
Most of those who were involved, both from production and those who portrayed the zombies, posted several photos on social media.
More individuals have been added to the Casino Battle Royale at Double or Nothing, with now nine wrestlers announced to be participating.
AEW added Evil Uno, Colt Cabana, Isiah Kassidy, Jungle Boy, Marq Quen, Matt Hardy, and Powerhouse Hobbs to the match yesterday. Christian Cage and Matt Sydal were already announced last week on Dynamite.
The winner of the Casino Battle Royale receives a future shot at the AEW World title. Adam Page and Lance Archer won the first two men’s Casino Battle Royale matches, held at Double or Nothing 2019 and All Out 2020.
Monday Night Raw this week with the post-Backlash episode drew 1,823,000 viewers, up 7,000 viewers only from last week’s broadcast.
The show started with 1,790,000 viewers and then increased to 1,932,000 viewers for the second hour, before dropping to 1,748,000 viewers for the third and final hour.
Hourly ratings in the 18-49 demographic are not available and not even the standings for the night but Raw did 0.48 in the 18-49 which matches the low of February 8. (Ratings credit: PWTorch.com)
The Colossal era of NXT has begun. Bronson Reed became the new NXT North American champion last night on NXT after he defeated Johnny Gargano in a steel cage match which aired as the main event for the broadcast on USA Network.
The Australian star won the title after delivering a top rope splash on Gargano, who had help during the match thanks to multiple interference from Austin Theory. But it was not enough for The Way to walk out victorious as Reed overcame the odds and won the title on the 14th anniversary to the day of making his wrestling debut.
A very emotional Reed celebrated with fireworks after the customary replays aired. This was his first title win in NXT.
After the show went off the air, Reed was joined by his wife in the ring and he thanked the commentators, the boys and girls in the back, and his wife.
“It’s hard being a wife of a pro wrestler, especially the past 14 years when I had zero dollars in the bank,” Reed said. “She supported me and this is the reason why now I’m living my dream and I am the new North American champion!”
The AEW pay-per-view Double or Nothing will be airing in select Cinemark Theatres on Sunday, May 30 starting at 7PM ET.
Fans can enjoy special concession packages, including a large soda and medium popcorn combo for $5, $2 off draft beer, and $1 off a chicken sandwich or hot dog, in each case, where available. Tickets are $20 at Cinemark.com or on the Cinemark app.
“Cinemark did a great job showcasing our REVOLUTION event in March, and we’re looking forward to safely delivering another adrenaline-fueled evening for our fans next Sunday night,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “There’s nothing better than watching major wrestling events with other fans, and we’re thrilled to provide the camaraderie of experiencing DOUBLE OR NOTHING on big screens across the nation.”
Joe Hand, Jr., President of Joe Hand Promotions, added, “It’s fantastic to be able to connect terrific content providers like AEW with innovative companies like Cinemark to have wrestling fans experience DOUBLE OR NOTHING in the comfort of a Cinemark Theatre with great food and beverage options.”
Former AEW champion Jon Moxley is releasing a biography book this November, published by Permuted Press and simply titled MOX.
“Ride alongside Jon Moxley as he retraces some of the highways traveled on his remarkable journey. Revel in the never-before-told stories about his early life in Cincinnati, Ohio; the gritty independent wrestling scene where he cut his teeth; the complicated corporate landscape of the WWE where he bucked against authority; and the rebellious upstart AEW, where he won the championship in 2020 and was finally free to achieve the vision of the wrestler he’d always wanted to be,” the promotional material for the book reads.
The book will also look at the “grizzly ultraviolent encounters” from his early days and his matches in Japan along with the many crazy characters who became lifelong friends.
“More than a backstage pass into the arena, MOX is a ticket into the ring. Once inside, you’ll never look at pro wrestling the same again,” the preview reads.
The book, listed as hardcover and 272 pages, will be officially released on November 2 and is available to pre-order now online from Amazon for $28.
Lucha Libre AAA today announced that Kenny Omega will defend the AAA Mega championship against former NXT champion Andrade at the upcoming Triplemania XXIX event.
The show is set to take place on Saturday, August 14 at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in front of a crowd.
Andrade made a surprise appearance via video at the Rey de Reyes event earlier in May and challenged the AEW, Impact, and AAA Mega champ for a title match. Omega accepted the challenge in a video of his own which aired today.
Kenny Omega won the AAA Mega title in October 2019 and has not defended the title since December 2020.
WWE is rumored to return to touring in mid-July, a week after AEW officially goes on the road with Dynamite. But there’s no official confirmation yet on the dates as the company was targeting SummerSlam for their first show back with fans.
With fans returning soon, Andrew Zarian, the host of the Mat Men podcast, revealed that WWE will be revamping the stages for both Raw and Smackdown and new sets will debut when fans are back in the building.
WWE has a contract with the Yuengling Center till August 3 for their ThunderDome setup so WWE can either return to touring or modify their current setup to allow fans inside the current arena and then hit the road after their contract expires.
Many states are relaxing or completely removing their COVID-19 mandates paving the way for promotions to return to some normalcy after over a year performing in empty arenas and virtual screens.
AEW’s Frankie Kazarian wrote on Twitter that his father has unfortunately passed away.
“Today, this afternoon, my dad Frank, passed away. The immense pain, sadness, emptiness and despair I feel is overwhelming,” he wrote in a long message.
Calling his father “tough, tenacious, smart, stubborn, kind and honest,” Kazarian said that he learned a lot from him and would like to think that those attributes were passed down to him.
He said that his dad was his biggest fan and used to paint his face like the Ultimate Warrior before he took him to wrestling shows and helped him cut out pics from wrestling magazines when he was a kid growing up.
“I am a very lucky guy to have had all the time I did with him, and I cherish every second. I will miss playing dominos, and our chats about life out back having a cigar and a whisky, listening to rock n roll, country western and oldies,” he continued. “I will miss him, so very much. I’m crushed, but take solace in the life he lived, and the time I got to spend with him. Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and they don’t come anymore special than mine. I love you dad. So much.”
Changes are inevitable in the betting industry. Unlike a traditional casino where people used to make a cash payment to play, online casinos came with quite different approaches. Although you still need real money to play, you have to deposit it before accessing your games. Many online casinos will require you to enter your details online to facilitate your financial transactions. Thus this allows you to enjoy the thrilling world of online gaming from the comfort of your home. Nearly all online casino establishment uses a standard bit SSL encryption for all of their financial transactions to ensure personal information is kept private.
How to select an online casino with easier financial transactions
Before you can play at any online casino, you need to have a certain amount of money in your casino accounts. The process of depositing real money differs depending on your preference and choice. Therefore, it is up to you to make the right decision and choose the safe and secure method that is easy to process fund transfers. Today many punters are getting used to the online casino iDEAL payment method, which offers a safe and secure way to transfer money without using your credit card.
Areas to focus on when selecting an online casino payment method
Deposit methods:
Depositing real money to an online casino is becoming easier today. Thanks to advanced mobile technology. However, some players still find it challenging to do so, especially in countries with strict gambling laws. If you find yourself in such a situation, you don’t need to worry. It doesn’t mean you can’t play at online casinos. All you need is to have a deeper understanding of the suitable payment methods that suit you the most. The ease of depositing money also depends on the currency you are using, most of which are not hard to use. Although the Interactive Gambling Act was updated in mid-2017, the laws have begun to get a lot stricter. You can still use credit and debit cards to deposit your money to your e-wallet account and any other universal methods so long as they are still under usage.
Withdrawing your winnings:
Withdrawal is the final and the most exciting step in the betting process. Here you will need to perform a reverse transaction, which is a higher amount than deposited. There are ways to get your e-money, including the methods like credit and debit cards. You can use any of those methods to withdraw funds through a similar transaction process used for depositing the money in your account.
Processing time:
After settling on which method you will use in making your transaction, the next thing would be to focus on the payment processing time. The duration taken for your money to go from your online casino account to your bank account varies depending on the method adopted. Therefore before you start betting; it is your responsibility to ensure you choose the right financial way like online casino iDEAL. It is suicidal and time-wasting to sign up for one which they don’t support a specific payment method, as this may waste your money in the long run.
A steel cage match for the North American title will be headlining NXT on USA Network tonight.
The champ Johnny Gargano will put the gold on the line against the Australian Bronson Reed and the cage will hopefully keep The Way out of the way!
Apart from that match, only Toni Storm vs Zoey Stark has been announced. The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase will be appearing live at the Capitol Wrestling Center as well to advance his storyline with Cameron Grimes while Pete Dunne will have a sit-down interview with Arash Markazi. Plus, a Prime Target special will air to promote Finn Balor vs Karrion Kross for the NXT title which is set for next week’s show.
It looks like zombies weren’t the only bad thing for The Miz at Backlash as Dave Meltzer of the Observer is reporting that the former WWE champion suffered an ACL tear in his left knee.
The injury he suffered happened when Priest landed on his leg although The Miz soldiered on and finished the match with no changes.
It’s not yet known how bad the tear is. Minor tears usually heal with non-surgery interventions but a full tear requires surgery. A surgery would mean that The Miz would be out for up to nine months while a smaller tear would still require between three to four months to heal.
This is the first serious injury for The Miz in his WWE career and since his introduction to the WWE universe in 2006, he was never out for that long.
