The second match for next month’s WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view was made official last night on Friday Night Smackdown on FOX.
The new Smackdown Women’s champion Bianca Belair will be defending her gold against a former champ herself, Bayley. Bayley, who had an amazing year in 2020, spending most of it with the title around her waist, was not part of WrestleMania.
In a backstage interview on the post-Mania Smackdown, Bayley made it known that she is going for Belair’s title and the match was made last night. The EST of WWE already has a win over Bayley.
The only other match announced so far for WrestleMania Backlash is a Mania rematch between Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre for the WWE title.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated to promote A&E’s new series WWE Most Wanted Treasures, The Undertaker reflected on being away from WrestleMania this year, his first one post-retirement.
Taker told Justin Barrasso that he was fine during the day…until the first Mania fireworks hit. He said that fortunately, he was at home and not in Tampa for the show which made it a little bit easier for him to digest not being involved.
“But going through the show and watching, I kept thinking to myself, ‘You should be there,'” Taker said.
But the former WWE champion said that he usually starts training in October for WrestleMania and he didn’t do much this time, building that “safety net” on purpose not to get the itch, adding that he was at peace.
“It’s a little difficult once WrestleMania starts. I started second-guessing myself. So much of my history revolves around WrestleMania,” he recalled. “There was a bit of an emotional tug of the heartstrings watching this year, but it’s time for me to step aside and let this next generation have the reins and go where they’re going to go.”
During the interview, The Undertaker also said that he realized it was time to hang up his wrestling boots halfway through the filming with AJ Styles for the Boneyard match last year.
“It became really obvious throughout the course of that night that I could no longer physically do things the way I want to do them, and I refuse to ever shortcut our fans.”
The Chicago Tribune newspaper has a long – and sad – story on Steve “Mongo” McMichael, the former NFL and WCW star who has revealed that he is diagnosed with ALS.
McMichael, unrecognizable from his glory days, is coming out with the story three months after being formally diagnosed with the disease, and he has already lost around 60 pounds, the lighter he has been since 1976.
The Super Bowl champion with the Chicago Bears now requires the help of his wife to eat, take a bath, and do basic things. He no longer has use of his arms and wheelchair confinement is coming close.
“I promise you,” McMichael said, “this epitaph that I’m going to have on me now? This ain’t ever how I envisioned this was going to end.”
McMichael spent four years working for WCW, first as a color commentator on Monday Nitro and then transitioning to the ring, where he was also part of The Four Horsemen. He also appeared on WWE television, doing guest commentary once on Raw and then accompanying Lawrence Taylor to his WrestleMania XI main event match against Bam Bam Bigelow in 1995.
You can read the incredible and heartbreaking story at ChicagoTribune.com.
The upcoming May 5 episode of AEW Dynamite will only feature the Blood & Guts match on the broadcast with no other matches expected to take place on the show.
The focus of the show will be solely to build the five-on-five match between The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle and the first part of Dynamite will have several video packages and interviews of how this match came to be.
Tickets for the May 5 Dynamite go on sale this coming Monday on AEWTix.com for $25 per person plus the usual additional fees.
The Blood & Guts name came from Vince McMahon last year when during a conference call with investors, he pledged to keep WWE television to TV PG and not show blood and guts like AEW. The powers that be over in Jacksonville were quick to pounce, trademarking the name, and creating the match which is their own version of WarGames.
The rules will be similar to the WWE version but the match can only be won via submission or if someone surrenders. There will be no pinfalls. Also, the two rings will be covered by a cage. WWE’s version of WarGames also has two rings and a cage but the top is not closed.
WWE today announced that Megan Morant has joined the company as the new Smackdown backstage correspondent, starting with tonight’s episode on FOX.
Morant has previously worked for the New England Patriots where she worked in different broadcasting roles. She also covered the team during Super Bowl LVI and LVII and appeared weekly on CBS Sports Network’s pregame shows.
“I can’t begin to express how excited I am to join WWE. From the incredibly athletic Superstars to the creative minds behind the scenes, WWE has set the standard in the world of global entertainment,” Morant said. “The passion WWE has for its fans reminds me of why I chose this industry, to entertain and connect people from all walks of life. I’m forever grateful for this opportunity and ready to hit the ground running. Let’s go!”
Prior to her time with the Patriots, Morant worked as digital correspondent for the BIG EAST Conference and was a broadcaster for the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Marietta, OH – Broken Icon Comics is thrilled to announce the release of The Ballad of Al Snow and Head, a comedic romp that takes us from the real world deep into the insanity of Al’s mind. The premier issue is set in a post-apocalyptic Louisville, KY, where Al’s misadventures lead him to underground societies, brutal Thunderdome-esque fighting rings, and the highest levels of government.
Al Snow is the hero that no one asked for, and just can’t seem to get rid of. A blend of action, comedy, and parody come together in a tale unlike any other.
Teaming up with Al presented a unique opportunity. A chance to make a comic book featuring a wrestler without resorting to a biographical or generic wrestling book. The goal was to take what was great about Al’s character, and tell stories in such a way only comics could do. Why limit the adventures through Al’s insanity to the ring, or even the real world?
The Ballad of Al Snow and Head is launching with a Kickstarter on 4/22/21, with a street date of 05/14/21. The book is written by Eric Watkins with art by Tommy Patterson (Game of Thrones, Farscape), colors by Rob Dumo (Robyn Hood, KCNA) and Nick Wentland (TMNT, GI Joe), and letters by Justin Birch (Miraculous, Birds of Prey).
“To say that I am excited and honored to have this comic book being published, based on myself and HEAD, would be an understatement. I will always be grateful for my professional wrestling career and my time being a WWE superstar. It has continued to give me amazing opportunities such as this,” said Al Snow.
During a conference call with investors yesterday after the Q1 2021 results were announced, Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon noted that WrestleMania was Peacock’s most-watched live event ever on the streaming service so far but failed short of giving actual numbers.
WWE President Nick Khan was also questioned about numbers, something he also failed to disclose, citing instructions from Peacock.
“Our partners at Peacock have asked us not to do that. What we can tell you is that as you guys know in the content business, when you wake up on Monday morning after the two nights, as we did, two phone calls and emails from Peacock and NBCUniversal, it usually means they’re thrilled. When you don’t hear from them is when there’s a problem,” Khan said.
Wrestling-Online.com reached out to Peacock the Tuesday after WrestleMania to enquire about numbers but we were told that the company is not releasing specific numbers. Numbers requested were new signups using the WWE promo code and those live streaming WrestleMania on both nights.
Khan also said that WWE is trying to replicate the licensing of the WWE Network to potential streaming partners in key international territories. “It’s a story we’re sharing with the international community as we introduce WWE Network to potential partners across the globe,” Khan continued.
In the past few years, most people have taken up fitness to lose weight or stay fit. Fitness has become an essential part of so many people. With different exercises out there, proper gear and equipment are crucial. What you choose to put on during your workout can either put you in the right mindset or not. Here are some reasons why using proper gear and equipment is vital during training.
Improved Performance
What you wear to the gym will determine how you perform. Wearing high-quality fabrics is likely to increase your performance and workout quality since you don’t have to stop every time to pull your pants up or adjust your sports bra.
Durability of Clothes
Spending more on high-quality clothes will mean that your workout clothes will last longer in between workouts. High-quality workout gear will save you from taking time to find new gear occasionally since they last longer.
Breath-ability
You will sweat a lot during your workouts, and having breathable workout gear is appropriate. Having breathable workout gear will leave you feeling cool despite constant sweating from workouts.
Comfort
One benefit of wearing proper workout gear is comfort. Imagine wearing the wrong shoes or even the wrong kind of sports bra or pants. You will be uncomfortable throughout your workouts. Having the proper kind of workout gear will ensure your comfort.
Protection
If you are exercising outside, having proper workout gear will help avoid dehydration from heat. You should also opt for bright-colored clothes since they will reflect the sun’s rays from you.
Improved Range of Emotions
The wrong kind of workout gear will leave you feeling restricted, and they will likely hold you back. Can you imagine working out in a pair of tight jeans? They won’t be breathable, plus they will restrict you. You want to wear workout gear that you can move freely and have a comfortable workout session.
Prevent Injury
Having comfortable workout gear will allow you to try new kinds of a workout without any chances of causing injuries. Having on too tight clothing could result in muscle strain.
Better Resistance
Proper equipment is essential in helping one build body resistance, enabling one to improve their strength and achieve their desired body outcomes.
Quicker Muscle Definition
When exercising, the goal is always to look good. Most people want to have some muscle definition that can be achieved using proper equipment during workouts. Using the right equipment is likely to give you quicker and better results.
Better Control
Proper gym equipment will help you avoid injuries. Proper equipment will help you target the right places and apply pressure to the muscular areas.
Better Time Efficiency
Having proper equipment allows the ease of having personalized workouts that are quick, and can be performed in a limited amount of time and will help you get the most out of your schedule.
Proper gear and equipment are essential in a person’s fitness journey, and this list can be helpful when deciding on what to invest in. If you are on the lookout for gloves, you can find a number of online stores selling a large range of boxing gloves that you can use for training.
AEW Dynamite did 1,104,000 viewers this week, surpassing a million viewers for the second week in a row. The show lost 105,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast but it was obviously way up from the usual numbers. Dynamite placed #2 on the top 50 cable chart in the 18-49 demographic with a 0.37 rating. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
WWE released the Q1 2021 financial results last night after the close of the market, reporting revenue of $263.5 million, a decrease of 9% or $27.5 million compared to the previous year.
Operating income was $65.1 million though, an increase of 22% or $11.8 million as compared to the same quarter of the previous year. WWE noted that the income was due of upfront revenue related to the delivery of certain WWE Network intellectual property rights.
“During the first quarter, we continued to effectively execute our strategy, demonstrating our ability to adapt to a challenging live event environment and to expand the reach and monetization of our content in a changing media landscape,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “The launch of WWE Network on NBCU’s streaming service, Peacock, the multi-year extension to distribute NXT on USA Network and the successful staging of WrestleMania illustrate the enduring and increasing value of the WWE brand as the foundation for long-term growth.”
Kristina Salen, WWE Chief Financial Officer, added “In the quarter, Adjusted OIBDA results were driven by the recognition of revenue from our Peacock agreement. Although Adjusted OIBDA increased in the quarter, we are not adjusting our previous full year Adjusted OIBDA guidance of $270 million to $305 million at this time, given the uncertainty regarding the timing and pace of return for ticketed audiences and our ability to stage international large-scale events due to COVID-19 restrictions.”
WrestlingInc.com is reporting that Mark Carrano, the Senior VP of Talent Relations at WWE, has been fired over the Mickie James trash bag story.
Carrano is a long-time WWE employee who rose through the ranks to get one of the top jobs in the talent department. While not often seen on WWE television, Carrano was featured several times on Total Divas dealing with the women on the show.
WrestlingInc.com adds that Carrano’s days were numbered once John Laurinaitis was brought back in the top spot. “He had a lot of enemies and I think he was going to be out soon anyway. I don’t think anyone is too sad to see him go. People were seeing that Vince was getting tired of him,” a source told the website.
In addition, Nicole Zeoli, the Director of Talent Relations, was also fired from her position according to PWInsider.com. Zeoli has been with the company for 11 years and spent the last three years in the current position. Just like Carrano, Zeoli rose through the ranks and went from coordinator to manager to senior manager and ultimately a director.
WWE referee John Cone, who also severed as Senior Manager inside the talent relations department, was demoted and remains only as a referee.
Heads rolled yesterday at Titan Towers as WWE fired a few employees who are part of the talent relations department after Mickie James tweeted that she received her stuff at home from the company in a black trash bag.
In a tweet addressed to Vince McMahon, James wrote, “Im not sure if you’re aware, I did receive my @WWE care package today. Thank you,” along with the hash tags #AlwaysBlessedandGrateful #WomensWrestlingMatters. The picture accompanying the tweet had a black trash bag in a cardboard box.
Stephanie McMahon and Triple both publicly addressed the controversy and apologized to James on behalf of the company, noting that the person involved is no longer employed.
“I am embarrassed you or anyone else would be treated this way,” wrote Stephanie McMahon. “I apologize personally and on behalf of @WWE. The person responsible is no longer with our company.”
Triple H added, “Upon learning of the disrespectful treatment some of our recently released talent received on behalf of the company, we took immediate action. The person responsible for this inconsiderate action has been fired and is no longer with @WWE.”
James was released last week along with several other Superstars.
Tickets for the May 5 episode of AEW Dynamite which will feature the highly-anticipated Blood & Guts match will go on sale on Monday, April 26 on Ticketmaster.com.
Tickets will be sold for $25 per person plus fees and this will definitely be worth the price. Blood & Guts is AEW’s version of WarGames and will include two rings and a cage covering both rings.
The match will see Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle taking on MJF’s Pinnacle faction. The original Blood & Guts match was supposed to have The Inner Circle vs The Elite last year in New Jersey but the match was canceled after the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Episode nine of season one of Young Rock, titled A Lady Named Star Search, did a total of 2,643,000 viewers, down 136,000 viewers from episode eight. The show did 0.24 in 18-34, 0.54 in 18-49, and 0.81 in 25-54. Young Rock was #1 in 18-49 for the night on network TV. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
New Smackdown color commentator Pat McAfee wasn’t very fond of his Smackdown debut and thought he stunk up the place.
“I do not think I was anywhere near where I can get to as a commentator for professional wrestling. I used a lot of the words a couple times over and over,” McAfee said when discussing his debut during his Pat McAfee Show. “I was scared to have too much bass in my voice because I didn’t want people to think I was trying to dominate the call or anything like that…but sometimes I sounded a little bit too soft.”
McAfee said that there was no meeting beforehand, wasn’t told what was going to happen on the show and had no clue what was coming next. He said he believes that is the plan going forward and had a blast doing it.
“I think I stunk…but I have a chance to get better. I enjoyed it, I’m very thankful to all the people at the WWE, and to anybody that happened to tune in.”
McAfee also uploaded a behind-the-scenes video of him going to Smackdown, arriving at the arena and meeting with everyone backstage. You can see it below.
Impact EVP Scott D’Amore described Mauro Ranallo as the greatest combat sports commentator of our generation ahead of this weekend’s Rebellion pay-per-view where Ranallo will call the main event of Rich Swann vs Kenny Omega in a title for title match.
Speaking on David Penzer’s Sitting Ringside podcast, D’Amore was full of praise for the Canadian and said he “marked out” when they made deal for Ranallo to come in for the show and had goosebumps listening to him do voice over for some material for Impact Wrestling.
D’Amore said that Ranallo has done MMA, boxing, and wrestling, and no one transcends genres like he does.
“Mauro is a guy I’ve known for over two decades. He’s uber-passionate, you know he’s gonna come in super prepared, knowing every minute detail of everything around this,” D’Amore added. “I didn’t even think it was really much of a possibility but as things kind of went, it was like hey…he’s excited about this and an excited, passionate Mauro Ranallo is the absolute best and there’s no question that he will provide a world class call to a historic event.”
Playing sports bets at bookmakers is a rather risky undertaking. However, unlike casinos and other similar establishments, there is always a chance to win a certain amount of money if the forecast is correct. Despite the fact that in sports there are occasional sensations when an outsider makes a clear favorite in a few minutes, in most cases the outcome of a match can be predicted using mathematical and statistical methods.
For a long-term betting game, you will need your own strategy, bankroll, bookmaker, making interesting offers on outcomes and odds. The entire process can be accommodated in just a few steps.
Choosing a bookmaker
With the development of technological progress, many bookmakers have moved from stationary offices to the Internet. Today everyone can register and place a sports bet in one of thousands of offices around the world, without even leaving their chair.
Most often, gamblers from India choose the bookmakers that are located in their market. Their advantages are obvious: they are targeted at a specific category of users, and work with all major payment systems common in India. For example, 4rabet sportsbook website was created for Indians, as it offers all conditions for betting on their favorite national sports (such as cricket and kabaddi), accepts Indian rupees and gives the best bonuses and promotions.
Familiarity with gaming systems and strategies
First of all, you need to get acquainted with the terminology, understand the rules and basics. You need to know what the handicap is, the total, how the single bet differs from the express and the system. Knowing the basics can help you avoid many common mistakes.
Having familiarized yourself with the basics of betting, you can start studying the sports rules. At this stage, you can work out various sports disciplines and competitions. After that, proceed to the analysis of existing strategies.
Many strategies and news can be found on the internet. However, remember – very few people will spread 100% of the developments in the public domain, if you can use them yourself. Those strategies that are laid out differ, first of all, in the start-up capital and initial investments.
Determine the amount of the bet
The amount you can wager at one time depends on the amount of the pot. Most of the strategies assume that your bank should be enough for 20-50 bets, in other words, one bet should account for from two to five percent of the amount on the account.
In most cases, it is optimal to limit the maximum rate to five percent of the bank. This will allow you to avoid unnecessary expenses, not to succumb to emotions and not to put everything on your favorite team.
Developing your own game strategy or choosing one of the existing ones and the first bet
Some bookmakers offer to place multiple bets with virtual money first – take advantage of this offer before playing for real money. This will allow you to check if your strategy is really working, check all the nuances and correct possible shortcomings.
If after a few virtual bets you are still not confident in your abilities, perhaps you should repeat the theory, study additional materials, get advice from experienced players. Only place real money bets when you are confident in your abilities.
Let’s repeat once again the basic rules of earning money on sports betting: acquire start-up capital, the loss of which will not bring you much trouble, study the rules of selected sports competitions, bookmakers and develop your own gaming strategy. In no case do not lose your temper, do not give in to panic and other emotions, otherwise you should stop trying to make money on sports betting. In business, there is no place for emotions.
Check yourself for other important aspects
In addition, if you are serious about becoming a professional handicapper and abandoning a stable job in favor of sports betting, check that the following conditions are met:
Availability of high-speed and uninterrupted Internet access. You must be sure that at any time you can log into the network, view the necessary data and place a bet.
Several hours of free time every day. The situation in the sports world can change at any time. Players are injured, new athletes appear who were nothing of themselves yesterday, old players end their careers.
Having a bankroll that you can easily lose.
Cold-bloodedness. In the world of betting, there is no place for “favorite teams”, emotions, desires. Only statistics, mathematical forecasting and probability determination.
Interest in one of the sports disciplines. If you are not interested in sports, you will work hard. As a result, you will not get either money or moral satisfaction from the work done.
Conclusion
I hope these simple tips on Main things to pay attention on before starting to bet online will help you. Remember that sports betting is not for everyone, so be careful and be sure of your desires and sports gambling.
In a post on Instagram, former Impact and WWE star EC3 said that he’s currently hospitalized due to an infection.
“An infection I neglected proper care for, put others people’s needs before, went straight empath, caught up to me and broke me,” EC3 wrote on social media.
He noted that he has been in hospital for the past five days and will need to spend more days there to get over the infection.
“Anyways I will heal, if you want to help drop a comment or a thought or affirmation,” he continued, telling everyone not to text him and let him be alone.
On a night dominated by news broadcasts covering the Derek Chauvin trial, NXT drew 841,000 viewers, up 34,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The show did 0.23 in the 18-49 demographic and finished #27 on the top 50 cable chart. This was the most-watched NXT episode of 2021 so far. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
In an interview uploaded today with UK’s BT Sport, Daniel Bryan said that he felt really bizarre and detached at WrestleMania and wondered if it’s time to hang up his boots.
Jumping into the subject right at the start of the interview, Bryan said that it took some time to process what took place and noted that it was not a normal thing.
“I felt very out of body in it,” Bryan explained. “When I’m wrestling, I feel everything and feel like I’m enjoying it. This was weird. I was out there and it felt like I was detached.”
He mentioned that this was the first time that he ever felt anything like this in his wrestling career. He said that when he went out for his match he was “absurdly calm” and he has been trying to explain the feeling to his wife but has failed every single time.
The former WWE champ said that despite all this, he was really trying to savor the moment because it could be his last WrestleMania as a performer.
“Maybe it was a sign that it’s time to let go of being a full time wrestler,” Bryan continued, adding that his contract is up soon and he’s still trying to decide what he wants to do with his life.
