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WWE Most Wanted Treasures S1 E5 rating

Episode five of WWE Most Wanted Treasures on A&E featuring Sgt. Slaughter drew 497,000 viewers on Sunday, down 58,000 viewers from episode four. The show had a 0.17 rating in 18-49 demographics. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV.com)

WarnerMedia merging with Discovery to create new global entertainment company

AT&T, the parent company of WarnerMedia, which owns AEW’s broadcast partner TNT, announced today an agreement to combine WarnerMedia’s premium entertainment, sports and news assets with Discovery’s leading nonfiction and international entertainment and sports businesses to create a premier, standalone global entertainment company.

This is bringing some déjà vu vibes of Time Warner being sold to AOL back in 2000, a move which was the beginning of the end for WCW. AOL bought Time Warner for $182 billion in stock and debt at the time and AT&T paid $85 billion three years ago to take over WarnerMedia. The new deal will see AT&T receive $43 billion from Discovery in different ways, a combo of cash and debt securities.

Assuming the deal goes through, it will be finalized next year pending approval from regulators and Discovery’s own shareholders.

While AEW is in a different position than WCW was at the time, mergers often see a lot of cuts and changes which might affect certain working relationships. AEW is locked in a multi-year deal with TNT so for now no changes are anticipated.

Tickets for Double or Nothing 2021 weekend events now available

Tickets for the upcoming pay-per-view Double or Nothing pay-per-view weekend went on sale this morning on Ticketmaster.com.

Individual tickets for the Friday night Dynamite, the Saturday fan festival, and the pay-per-view can now be purchased with Dynamite tickets starting at $29.75, fan fest at $39.75, and Double or Nothing from $49.75 each plus other fees.

Around 2,000 tickets remain for the special Dynamite episode and less than 1,000 remain for Double or Nothing. Both shows will run at full capacity inside Daily’s Place in Jacksonville.

The fan fest will feature meet and greets, AEW artifacts and relics, Jazwares products, live recording of the Unrestricted podcast, live stage shows, and weigh-in Q&A with talent.

Dynamite tickets are available at https://liveaew.com/3fgm0mW, Fan Fest tickets are available at https://liveaew.com/3btQ5OZ and Double or Nothing tickets are available at https://liveaew.com/2S0Qh1i.

5 reasons why wrestling is the most spectacular sport

Wrestling is one of the most controversial sports for most people. Those who like football, basketball, or hockey don’t enjoy watching wrestling. They support their arguments by the fact that this sport is fake. Yet, the popularity of WWE is constantly growing. The number of fans increases every year, as well. It happens because it is a very spectacular sport that catches the eye of millions of fans. Even those who start watching wrestling, knowing nothing about this sport, get attracted by impressive shows, professional moves, and colorful characters.

Sparkling Show

Doubtlessly, wrestling is famous for the high level of shows they make. WWE put great efforts into creating well-thought-out entertainment sessions. They create stunning appearings of fighters that imply decorations and special actions. Every battle has a planned story with an unexpected finish. Because all fights are scripted, they have a lot of surprising twists. For instance, when a wrestler defeats all the opponents and is about to win a match, a stronger fighter can appear instantly and changes the expected outcome.

Fighters perform well-polished moves and do them together. According to a script, one of the wrestlers has to lose. It creases the likeness of a tough fight. Those who lose are called jobbers. Their mission is to assist the head fighter in winning and looking like an undefeated wrestler. Also, the ring does not limit the area of fights. Wrestlers can perform their moves on the floor and use different items to shoot opponents. A folding chair is the most popular one.

Unique Characters

In traditional sports, athletes can be fined or even disqualified if they offend opponents or show controversial behavior. However, in WWE, such behavior is expected. Every character in wrestling has a unique charm. They all strive to be recognizable thanks to their unique appearance, behavior, and moves. Wrestlers act provocatively to attract the attention of viewers and warm up the audience.

Due to stunning performances and colorful characters, wrestling attracts a lot of adolescents. True fans never miss new shows. For instance, when medical students have a lot of assignments, they turn to a nursing essay writing service online to get their papers done and spend free time watching new fights.

Incredible Moves

Fascinating moves and fighting tactics make wrestling spectacular. Seems like there are no rules for fighters. They perform complicated moves that engage people. For instance, a fighter can pick a victim and drop him on the floor. Fighters push each other from the ring and fall on tables. They can jump from a significant height on their opponents. They even use a ladder sometimes. It’s not occasional when wrestlers bring foldable chairs and hit each other. Such moves never happen in other combat sports.

Despite all the cruelty that people can see, wrestling has a lot of regulations. For starters, all fights are scripted. All the moves that wrestlers perform are well-polished by fighters. Also, WWE protects their employers so that all moves that can provide excessive pressure on the neck and head are prohibited. Even though wrestlers hit each other with different items, they never shoot the head. Despite the rules, they perform incredibly, making viewers believe that all moves are real.

Unexpected Moments

If you’re a true fan of wrestling, you probably know that it’s impossible to predict what will happen next. Unexpected twists are a selling point that makes it so spectacular. Backstage writers work hard to create engaging performances that surprise the audience.

In short, anything can happen during a match. A green wrestler can act like a real pro and become a famous fighter instantly. The word “green” defines a fighter who has zero experience. A good character can become a bad guy instantly and viсe versa. In addition, WWE likes inviting star-wrestlers who appear unexpectedly and start leading a fight. The unpredictable moments always warm the audience, making them discuss new twists actively.

Long Careers of Wrestlers

In most sports, athletes retire at the age of 30. However, wrestling is famous for star-fighters who don’t leave the ring for a while. In some cases, wrestlers can even perform in their 50s. However, on average, WWE fighters retire in their 40s. When wrestlers stop fighting, they frequently find themselves in Hollywood.

Hulk Hogan, Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista are very recognizable wrestlers due to their charisma. They are real legends of WWE. Also, they achieved great success acting in popular movies that all adolescents know. If you’re a student who hasn’t seen films with these wrestlers, grab the SpeedyPaper discount and delegate your homework to experts for cheap to watch the most popular ones.

Final Shot

True wrestling fans love this sport for its spectacular shows that take the breath away. The characters are colorful, and the scripts have a lot of unexpected twists that engage people. However, the most stunning part of every fight is moves performed by wrestlers. They perform complicated techniques that aim to impress the audience. Also, the moves can hardly be replicated by common people. They need fighters to be good athletes and practice a lot to make every move look incredible, professional, and real, even though all fights are scripted.

Bea Priestley rumored to be joining WWE and NXT UK

It is being reported by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer that Bea Priestley is heading to the WWE and is expecting to sign a deal which would bring her to NXT UK.

The 25-year-old British star is one of the most popular female wrestlers at the moment and has wrestled for Defiant Wrestling, PROGRESS Wrestling, World Wonder Ring Stardom, and also All Elite Wrestling.

Priestley was under an AEW deal but was released last year after she was unable to travel from Japan. She lives in Japan with her boyfriend and fellow wrestler Will Ospreay. The young Brit has appeared as a valet for Ospreay in NJPW.

Biography: Shawn Michaels on A&E Network rating

The A&E Network Biography episode on WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels drew a total of 634,000 viewers, up 39,000 viewers from the Booker T episode. The show drew a 0.22 rating in the 18-49 demo, the lowest of the series. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV.com)

Hell In A Cell 2021 announced for June 20

The June WWE pay-per-view will be Hell In A Cell and takes place on Sunday, June 20 inside the WWE ThunderDome at the Yuengling Center in Tampa.

This is the first time that Hell In A Cell will be held early in the year as typically the show airs in October. The Money In The Bank pay-per-view was set to be held in June but plans changed and there’s no official date for MITB yet.

Hell In A Cell last year saw three matches inside the steel structure, an increase of one. Usually there are two Hell In A Cell matches on the show but there have been occasions when three matches were held instead. Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso, Bayley vs Sasha Banks, and Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre were last year’s cell matches, resulting in two title changes out of three.

Rey and Dominik Mysterio make history with tag team titles win

Rey and Dominik Mysterio made history last night at WrestleMania Backlash after they become the first-ever father and son tag team champions.

The duo defeated Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode in the second match of the card. Dominik was attacked by Ziggler and Roode during the Kickoff show so Rey spent most of the match wrestling alone until Dominik came out later on.

A 619 to Roode and a frog splash later by Dominik was enough for the Mysterios to win the Smackdown Tag Team titles. Ziggler and Roode held the titles for 128 days, winning them on the January 8 episode of Smackdown on FOX.

This is Rey’s fifth reign as a tag team champion, having previously won the WWE Tag Team titles with Edge, RVD, Eddie Guerrero, and Batista. It’s the first title for the young Dominik since he started with the WWE.

5 tips to reduce the risk of concussions while playing sports

Athletes deserve to play sports in a culture that celebrates teamwork, dedication, communication and hard work. These sports players need an environment that values safety. Coaches, families and medical practitioners should come together to make sure that athletic programs are dedicated to injury prevention – especially when it comes to brain injuries, such as concussions.

Many contact sports, including football, ice hockey and basketball, have an increased risk for brain injuries. The risk of concussion even exists in sports where human-to-human contact is rare, such as cycling, swimming and skiing.

Sports committees, players and coaches should take precautionary measures to reduce the risk of brain injuries. Here are a few recommendations to minimize the risk of a concussion:

1 – Wear Appropriate Safety Gear

Safety gear helps keep a part of the body safe throughout a game or match. If there’s a skiing competition, for instance, skiers can wear protective headgear, such as a Giro range helmet. This can keep a player or athlete from experiencing further injuries that can exacerbate the severity of a concussion or brain injury.

2 – Educate Sports Players on the Dangers of Concussions

Given that concussions are highly common and considered a functional injury, some players are not aware of how detrimental this condition can be to the brain if left untreated. A sports culture exists wherein athletes are “playing through the pain” or walking off an injury to win a match or avoid letting their teammates down.

Ignoring the serious nature of a concussion can be dangerous. When left undiagnosed, this traumatic brain injury can lead to severe complications, such as cognitive impairment, post-traumatic seizures and mental disorders.

Unlike a sprained foot or broken bone, the signs of a concussion can be subtle. A player or athlete may say that they’re feeling fine, even when they’re not.

Coaches and athletes, therefore, should make sure to recognize the symptoms pointing to a concussion. A few signs to watch out for include the following:

  • Appearing confused or dazed
  • Feeling foggy or sluggish
  • Responding to questions slowly
  • Forgetting instructions
  • Dizziness or balance problems
  • Sensitivity to noise and light

3 – Enforces the Sports Rules Effectively

Sports organizers, coaches and referees should come together to make sure that each player or athlete adheres to the rules of gameplay. These rules are in place to help keep sports players on both teams stay safe. When teams do their best to follow the rules, they can make the environment safer for everyone and cut down the risk of concussions and other bodily injuries.

If a player does go outside the rules, such as intentionally trying to injure a star athlete from the other team to gain an advantage, referees should intervene and prevent this incident from escalating any further. Depending on the severity of the offense, the referee may slap a penalty on the offending player or remove the individual from the game entirely.

4 – Make Policy Changes to Minimize Concussion Risk

Some sports may need changes in policies or rules to significantly lower the risk of concussion. This is ideal for schools that have kids and teens playing contact sports. A coach or a parent could suggest the following rule changes to the sports committee:

  • Fair Play Rules – This entails awarding tournament points to hockey teams with low penalty minutes. The goal of this policy change is to make sure that teams play clean.
  • Zero-Tolerance Policy on Head Contact – Hockey players should not try to actively aim for another player’s head. They should not tackle another person’s head nor hit that part of the body with the hockey stick. Anyone caught doing this will receive a major penalty or face ejection from the game.
  • Body Check Ban – Checking occurs when a defensive player intentionally collides into an opponent handling the puck. Banning body checks in youth ice hockey can help minimize bodily injuries.

5 – Come up with a Concussion Response Plan

When an athlete falls head first or seemingly takes a hard hit on the head, the best thing to do is to temporarily remove the player from the game and have a health care provider do a physical checkup. No potentially injured athlete should re-enter a game until a physician or a qualified medical practitioner has completed a thorough examination and given the go-signal to return.

The risk of concussion along with other traumatic brain injuries will always be there for as long as contact sports exist. Although you won’t be able to eliminate concussions from sports completely, you can reduce the risk by promoting and practicing a safe sport culture in competitive events.

WrestleMania Backlash 2021 pay-per-view results

Here are the results from last night’s WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view which took place from the WWE ThunderDome inside the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.

Sheamus defeated Ricochet in a non-title Kickoff match; Rhea Ripley defeated Asuka and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match to retain the Raw Women’s title; Rey and Dominik Mysterio defeated Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode to become the new Smackdown Tag Team champions; Damien Priest defeated The Miz in a lumberjack match; Bianca Belair defeated Bayley to retain the Smackdown Women’s title; Bobby Lashley defeated Drew McIntrye and Braun Strowman in a triple threat match to retain the WWE title; Roman Reigns defeated Cesaro to retain the Universal title.

The pay-per-view was sponsored by the movie Army of the Dead which stars former WWE champion Batista in the leading role. The movie had a unique tie-in to the show, with Batista narrating the opening video which also had clips of the movie inserted and also had zombies as lumberjacks for The Miz vs Damien Priest.

WWE WrestleMania Backlash PPV Pick’em report

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Hello everybody! It’s @TheMagnumDA with another edition of the PPV Pick’em report! Tonight, it’s WrestleMania Backlash LIVE on PPV and Peacock. Tonight, it’s going to be a six-pack challenge for the WOPC Championship, as the Bull of the Woods looks to continue his hot streak. Tonight, we’ve got a new challenger for the crown…Metal Matt! Let’s see how he fares in his first show as part of the Pick’em crew.

Without further ado, ON WITH THE PICKS!

Lumberjack Match
Damian Priest vs. The Miz

Metal Matt: I’m going to take The Miz in this one.

The Renegade: I also like The Miz here – gets his win back from Mania.

Heel Turn Tom: After his work with Bad Bunny, I see Damian Priest getting the win and hopefully moving onto an US title run.

Colin: Not sure this match required this stipulation to be honest but if it’s a way to get the locker room some screen time, then so be it. Priest is still being built up and I guess Miz and Morrison will soon head to splitsville. Priest wins.

Magnum: I’m with Colin and Tom here – I think Priest’s stock is on the way up, and what better way to get on the map…than by beating the man who was WWE Champion only two months ago? Huge win for Priest here.

Brother Bull: This could go one of two ways – I could see The Miz getting his win back from WrestleMania, but then again…Priest is about to get the push. I’ll take Priest for the win.

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode) (c) vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio

Metal Matt: Give me the father/son duo of The Mysterios to win the gold.

The Renegade: I’m following Matt’s lead – I’ll take Rey and Dominik to win the titles.

Heel Turn Tom: The Mysterios will be a feel-good story and part of history (being a father and son to hold the tag titles) when Dominik pins Roode for the win.

Colin: This should have been a WrestleMania match, but what do I know? Ziggler and Roode are exceptional talent. I wish Roode was sent to NXT, he was awesome there. But it’s time for the Mysterios to win this one…and maybe, son turns on father when it’s time to split them up! New champs!

Magnum: Yep, I’m with the consensus here. Mysterios look prime to make history – let’s see if they do it! Rey and Dominik win it.

Brother Bull: There’s bound to be a curveball somewhere on this card. I don’t think it’ll be for this match. I think the Mysterios are favored to win, and will pull off the W.

WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley

Metal Matt: I just can’t vote against Bayley! I’m taking Bayley to win the Women’s Championship.

The Renegade: Bianca just won the title – she’s going to hold it for some time. Belair retains.

Heel Turn Tom: There is no way they are taking the title off of Belair anytime soon. Bianca for the win.

Colin: This should be a great match and I’m really looking forward to it. Bayley was criminally left off the WrestleMania card after that year she had but she won’t be rewarded with a title win tonight. The EST will walk out still with the title – Belair retains.

Magnum: I gotta give Matt some credit – you’ve got some balls picking Bayley right after Bianca won the title! I think it’ll be a great match, but I’ve gotta pick the EST of WWE. Bianca wins and retains.

Brother Bull: I can’t see Belair losing right after WrestleMania. Give me Bianca to retain.

WWE Raw Women’s Championship – Triple Threat Match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair

Metal Matt: I’m going to roll with Charlotte Flair to win back the Raw Women’s Championship.

The Renegade: Matt and I agree again – I’m taking Charlotte to win the gold. Whoooooooooo!!!

Heel Turn Tom: The Queen is back – Charlotte will walk out as champ. I see her making Asuka tap out so there will be a rematch with Rhea in the future.

Colin: Two Triple Threat matches for two major titles. What’s wrong with a good ‘ol one-on-one? There’s no way Rhea Ripley is losing the title so quick after WrestleMania. The question here is who will do the job, Asuka or Charlotte? I think we all know the answer to that one, though. Ripley retains.

Magnum: I’m surprised by all the Charlotte picks! I wouldn’t be too surprised if she wins it, but I’m going to take Rhea to win and retain the championship here. It’d make sense for Asuka to take the fall, allowing Charlotte to stay in contention without falling too far down the ladder.

Brother Bull: I would love for Asuka to get the belt back, but that’s not going to happen. I want to believe Rhea is going to get a win here, but I can’t go against Charlotte. The Queen is back and will rule the throne.

WWE Championship – Triple Threat Match
Bobby Lashley (c) (with MVP) vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman

Metal Matt: I like Bobby Lashley retaining here – I’ll take Lashley to win.

The Renegade: Another smart pick by Matt – I’m going with Lashley to retain his WWE Championship.

Heel Turn Tom: I don’t seem them changing the title in this match. I see Bobby getting the win over Drew to keep the story with Braun going.

Colin: A Triple Threat would be a good way to take the title off Bobby Lashley without having him involved in the finish. I am kinda liking Bobby as champ and it’s his time. I’m predicting that he will keep the title tonight and for the foreseeable future as well.

Magnum: Seems like we have another consensus here – I’m also enjoying Lashley’s title reign. I thought it was a pleasant surprise when he retained at WrestleMania…and this time at Backlash, it should be the same outcome. Lashley wins and retains.

Brother Bull: This is going to be Lashley’s match – he’ll take out Strowman to win it. I’ll take Lashley to retain.

WWE Universal Championship
Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Cesaro

Metal Matt: Roman’s on a tear – I can’t go against him. Roman Reigns wins and retains.

The Renegade: Yeah, this is all Roman. Cesaro doesn’t have a chance. Reigns wins it.

Heel Turn Tom: I like Cesaro and he deserves a good push and title run, but this is probably the best storyline going. Roman will get the win and stay champ until they can have a big match with Rock or Brock.

Colin: I’m 100% sure Cesaro will eventually win the title one day, but that one day is not tonight. There’s no way they will end this after one PPV and the face has got to chase and overcome the odds. Cesaro ending Reigns’ reign would get my stamp of approval, but leave it till SummerSlam in front of fans for the big pop. Reigns wins.

Magnum: Something feels really off here. I know that everyone seems to think Roman is going to bulldoze Cesaro and move on to bigger and better things…and they might be right. But Jimmy Uso’s return has made this very interesting. Jimmy seems to put both Jey and Roman in precarious, unenviable positions. We’ve seen it in recent weeks…Jimmy’s screwing up their plans. I think that’s exactly what happens tonight – whether Cesaro leaves the PPV as Universal Champion is up for debate…but I think he’s winning this match.

Brother Bull: Reigns is going to get the win here – he might get help from Jimmy…and then again, he may not. I can’t see Reigns losing here after pinning both Edge and Bryan at WrestleMania. Reigns wins.

There you have it fans! It’s SHOWTIME! Enjoy WrestleMania Backlash – we’ll see you next time on the PPV Pick’em report! @TheMagnumDA signing off.

Full betting odds for tonight’s WrestleMania Backlash 2021

WWE is back with another pay-per-view tonight, the first one following WrestleMania. We will be looking at the betting odds for all the matches on the card today in this post following yesterday’s story of the early betting odds.

Remember, odds might change by the time the show goes on the air so be careful when placing odds with real money.

The WWE title will be defended in a triple threat match as Bobby Lashley takes on Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman. The champ Lashley is the favorite with odds of 1/4 (according to Sportsbettingdime.com) while McIntyre and Strowman are 3/1 and 7/1 respectively.

Will it be Cesaro’s time tonight? According to bookmakers, highly unlikely. Roman Reigns, who is rarely the underdog, is the clear favorite with odds of 1/9 while Cesaro is 17/4 for his first heavyweight title.

Bianca Belair will defend the Smackdown Women’s title against Bayley and the champ is also a heavy favorite with odds of 1/20. Bayley is far off with odds of 7/1.

The Raw Women’s title is also on the line tonight in a triple threat match. Rhea Ripley, the current champ, is 11/25 favorite to retain while Charlotte Flair is 19/10 and Asuka is 6/1 for the upset.

Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode will get to defend their Smackdown Tag Team titles on the actual pay-per-view today after the were the only ones left off WrestleMania last month. But it doesn’t look good for them as the challengers – Rey and Dominik Mysterio – are favorites with 2/7 odds while the champs are 9/4 to keep them.

And in the last match, Damien Priest will take on The Miz in a lumberjack match as their feud continues. Priest is the heavy favorite for the win with his odds at 1/3 while Miz is 2/1 to get the victory.

Moose to challenge for Impact World title at Against All Odds on Impact Plus

Impact Wrestling will not wait for the Slammiversary pay-per-view to give the new number one contender his match as it was announced yesterday that Moose will challenge Kenny Omega at the upcoming Against All Odds Impact Plus streaming-only event on Saturday, June 12.

Moose defeated Matt Cardona, Chris Sabin, Trey Miguel, Chris Bey, and Sami Callihan last night at Under Siege to earn the opportunity, pinning Sabin for the win.

The former self-proclaimed TNA champion has never won the big one in Impact Wrestling so this will be his chance to take the title back to the promotion after AEW’s Kenny Omega beat Rich Swann last month at Rebellion to win the Impact World title. The June 12 match will also be the first Impact World title defense by Omega.

WrestleMania Backlash 2021 live on pay-per-view and WWE Network tonight

Live tonight from the WWE ThunderDome inside the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida, WWE presents WrestleMania Backlash on pay-per-view and WWE Network. The full card is as follows:

Roman Reigns vs Cesaro for the Universal title; Bobby Lashley vs Drew McIntyre vs Braun Strowman in a triple threat match for the WWE title; Bianca Belair vs Bayley for the Smackdown Women’s title; Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair vs Asuka in a triple threat match for the Raw Women’s title; Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode vs Rey and Dominik Mysterio for the Smackdown Tag Team titles; Damien Priest vs The Miz in a lumberjack match.

Backlash is back at a start time of 7PM ET and the Kickoff show will start at 6PM ET on the WWE Network and the company’s social media properties.

Meanwhile, the Backlash Watch Along show will be anchored by Kayla Braxton and the cast of The Bump and will have Shayna Baszler, Mark Henry, Savio Vega, and Mansoor as guests. Watch Along airs at 7PM ET live on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

WWE dissolves the in-house Talent Management Group after just two months

In a post on her LinkedIn, Amy Tunick, who was hired by WWE as the Senior Vice President of Talent Management just two months ago, noted that WWE has abandoned the idea just five weeks after it started operations.

Tunick came in from her VP role at WarnerMedia with high hopes that the new in-house Talent Management Group would deliver support for WWE’s talent to maximize monetization opportunities for them and the company.

“Unexpectedly, the company made a decision to change course and disbanded the new team after just 5 weeks,” Tunick wrote.

WWE hired seven individuals in total to run the department. Joining Tunick were three directors, Michelle Rubin, Chanel Landreaux and Steven Kaye, and three managers in Tavia Hartley, Austin Freeland and Micheal Davis.

Under Siege Impact Plus event results

Here are the results of the Under Siege event which took place from the Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and streamed exclusively on the Impact Plus streaming service.

Brian Myers defeated Black Taurus; Taylor Wilde and Tenille Dashwood defeated Kimber Lee and Susan; Ace Austin and Madman Fulton defeated TJP and Petey Williams, Rohit Raju and Mahabali Shera, and XXXL to become the new number one contenders for the Impact Tag Team titles; W. Morrissey defeated Willie Mack; Fire ‘n Flava defeated Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering to become the new Knockouts Tag Team champions; Josh Alexander defeated El Phantasmo to retain the X Division title; Deonna Purrazzo defeated Havok to retain the Knockouts title; Eddie Edwards & FinJuice defeated Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers in a six-man tag team match; Moose defeated Matt Cardona, Chris Sabin, Trey Miguel, Chris Bey, and Sami Callihan to become the new number one contender for the Impact World title.

Moxley attacks Nick Gage after GCW Draft Day event

Jon Moxley made a surprise appearance at the GCW Draft Day event last night to reignite a very old feud with Nick Gage.

Gage, who is the subject of the latest episode of Dark Side of the Ring, had just successfully defended the GCW title against AJ Gray when all of a sudden Moxley hit the ring and the two brawled all over the place.

Mox and Gage greeted each other with the usual two middle fingers and then Gage hit a DDT on Mox in the ring which was covered with broken light tubes and blood. The brawl then went through the fans, something which was enjoyed by the crowd.

The two share a long history together from the CZW days and it was actually the second time that they attacked each other this year after a similar angle as done during GCW’s event at WrestleMania weekend.

https://twitter.com/LVFightShop/status/1393816992637886466

Paul Heyman pays emotional tribute to New Jack on Talking Smack

An emotional Paul Heyman used the last two and a half minutes of Talking Smack to pay tribute to Jerome Young, the man formerly known as New Jack who passed away on Friday.

Heyman said that his hope was that New Jack told his wife that he wanted to see his own obituary and told her to call a bunch of people and tell them that he died and then make some money off merchandise.

“Because that’s what New Jack would do,” Heyman said with his voice breaking. “And apparently it’s not so, which sucks.”

Heyman noted that when someone passes away, WWE does tribute videos and show a lot of footage of that person, but they can’t do that with New Jack because there’s not a lot of footage they can use.

“He was the most non-PG performer in sports entertainment history because New Jack was a gangster,” Heyman said.

Heyman added that 20 years ago, if you saw New Jack perform live – with the unauthorized music playing – or see him cut a promo, you understood how real he was.

“Jerome Young was quite an individual. And deep in his heart he was every bit of New Jack that he could offer you,” Heyman continued. “Wish you all a most-extreme weekend…gangsta style.”

Under Siege on Impact Plus tonight

Impact Wrestling presents Under Siege tonight, streaming exclusively on Impact Plus from the Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The full card is as follows:

Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers vs Eddie Edwards and FinJuice in a six-man tag team match; Sami Callihan vs Matt Cardona vs Chris Bey vs Moose vs Chris Sabin vs Trey Miguel in a number one contender’s match for the Impact World title; Deonna Purrazzo vs Havok for the Knockouts title; Josh Alexander vs El Phantasmo for the X Division title; Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering vs Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz for the Knockouts Tag Team titles; Ace Austin and Madman Fulton vs. TJP and Petey Williams vs XXXL vs Rohit Raju and Shera in a four-way tag team number one contender’s match for the Impact Tag Team titles; W. Morrissey vs Willie Mack; Brian Myers vs Black Taurus; and Kimber Lee and Susan vs Taylor Wilde and Tenille Dashwood.

Smackdown rating for 05/14/2021

Smackdown drew the lowest number since July 3, 2020, with this week’s episode getting an average of 1,780,000 viewers in the overnights, down 376,000 viewers from last week’s overnight number. Last week’s show ended with 2,820,000 viewers when the final numbers came in on Monday, so at the moment it’s half a million viewers less.

The first hour started with 1,820,000 viewers and then decreased to 1,740,000 viewers for the second hour. The show had the lowest number in 18-49 demographic with 0.4 and was second on the night. (Ratings credit: TVLine.com)