FTR, the duo of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, will be making their AEW in-ring debut next week on Dynamite.
Harwood and Wheeler crashed the party last week and came to aid The Young Bucks after they were attacked by The Butcher and The Blade. Last night on Dynamite, FTR were doing an interview with Tony Schiavone when The Butcher and The Blade interrupted and had to be restrained by other individuals. Things got heated when Wheeler threw a water bottle at them before backing out of the fight.
“We see you next week, we see you next week…FTR out!” Wheeler said.
Two changes were made to the NXT Takeover: In Your House card, with a match added and a change in stipulation of another match.
The NXT title match between Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream will now be a backlot brawl and has apparently already been filmed. There’s also the stipulation that if Dream does not win, he cannot challenge for the NXT title again as long as Adam Cole remains the champion.
A six-woman tag team match was also added to the card, bringing the total number of matches to six. The match will see the team of Tegan Nox, Mia Yim, and Shotzi Blackheart taking on Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez.
NXT Takeover: In Your House takes place this Sunday, June 7, exclusively on the WWE Network.
There’s a new interim NXT Cruiserweight champion in town and his name is El Hijo del Fantasma.
The 35-year-old former AAA and Lucha Underground star defeated Drake Maverick in the tournament final yesterday on NXT on USA Network to claim his first WWE title. Fantasma only made his NXT debut in February of this year.
Fantasma was part of Group B of the interim NXT Cruiserweight title tournament, winning his group to advance to the final. Others in his group included Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Akira Tozawa, and Gentleman Jack Gallagher.
The tournament was held because the current champ, Jordan Devlin, is stuck in Ireland and cannot travel to defend the title due to the coronavirus travel restrictions.
Drake Maverick came close, but fell short of winning the NXT Cruiserweight championship yesterday on NXT on USA Network but Maverick’s story received a well-deserved happy ending.
Maverick, who was released from his WWE contract in April due to cost-cutting measures, had to work portions of his 90-day no-compete clause as he was already announced for the Cruiserweight title tournament on NXT.
Prior to the match, Maverick posted a photo of his face pasted on CM Punk’s iconic photo of him holding the WWE title blowing a kiss to Vince McMahon at Money In The Bank from several years ago, suggesting that he will win the title and bolt. In fact, Impact Wrestling even used Maverick, who wrestled as Rockstar Spud for the promotion, in the Slammiversary 2020 teaser.
But Maverick’s efforts to win the title were dented as the masked men who have been kidnapping NXT stars from the parking lot showed up for the distraction, allowing El Hijo del Fantasma to pick up the win and the title.
After the match was over, fellow NXT and Performance Center stars banged on the perspex surrounding ringside and gave Maverick a standing ovation. Maverick looked directly into the camera and said thank you and started moving to the back.
But before the show went off the air, a dejected Maverick had a surprise waiting for him: Triple H walked out and offered him a new deal to stay with NXT. Maverick cried and signed his deal, Triple H signed on the other line, and raised his hand as Maverick celebrated at the top of the ramp with something better than the title: a new WWE deal.
Rather than producing a stand-alone event like last year, this year’s Fyter Fest will be a two-night event that will air as episodes of Dynamite over two weeks.
Last year, Fyter Fest took place in Daytona Beach, Florida and aired live on B/R Live, TNT’s streaming service. But with the coronavirus pandemic, AEW has now decided to integrate the format into Dynamite, episodes that will air on July 1 and July 8.
The event will see all AEW titles – World, Tag Team, Women’s, and TNT – being defend over the course of the two weeks. So far we know Brian Cage will take on Jon Moxley for the AEW World title and Best Friends will wrestle Page and Omega for the AEW World Tag Team titles.
AEW President Tony Khan revealed last month that Fyter Fest was supposed to be the promotion’s debut in London, England before the pandemic altered all the plans.
Arn Anderson has signed a new multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling. The news was announced in a video posted on the AEW Twitter account yesterday.
Anderson, flanked by Dustin Rhodes, was interviewed backstage and said that last year he said he did not want to be anywhere where he’s not wanted, but a year later, he’s wanted somewhere.
“I’m very happy to say today I signed a multi-year contract with AEW. I am absolutely thrilled to be here with all this young talent and watch this company blossom into being the platinum of all of our industry,” Arn said. He added that over the coming year we will see a mix of old and new and the product will shine as a result of it.
“Tony Khan gave me the news today and I’ve been smiling all day so it’s a great day for me, thank you very much, glad to be here,” Arn concluded.
Anderson has been working for AEW since August of last year and was snapped up by the company after he was released from his WWE duties.
The Breezango tag team of Tyler Breeze and Fandango returned on NXT on USA Network last night after an absence of six months.
Their disappearance was because Fandango had to undergo yet another surgery in December of last year, just four months after he returned from 13 months away from the ring recovering from a different injury.
Breeze and Fandango came out in space suits and won a number one contenders match for the NXT Tag Team titles which also included The Undisputed Era and the team of Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan.
This week’s episode of WWE Backstage with Daniel Bryan as the special guest and CM Punk back on the panel did 121,000 viewers down 4,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast. The two other WWE related shows that aired prior Backstage – WWE 24 episode on WrestleMania 31 and WrestleMania 31 – did not chart. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
A new interim NXT Cruiserweight champion will be crowned tonight on NXT as the tournament comes to a close with the final match between El Hijo del Fantasma and Drake Maverick.
Maverick was a surprise finalist as he was one of the many released in April from WWE due to cost-cutting measures. Rather than sitting at home waiting for the 90-day no-compete clause to finish, Maverick was put to work as his release came the day after the tournament with his involvement was announced.
The only other match announced so far for tonight’s show is Mia Yim vs Candice LaRae.
This will be the Takeover go-home episode as this Sunday NXT will present Takeover: In Your House live on the WWE Network.
The protests that are going around the United States and other parts of the world were a subject on WWE Backstage last night on FOX as CM Punk, Mark Henry, and Booker T delivered heartfelt messages to the audience watching at home.
Mark Henry said that he went peacefully protesting last weekend with his family and showed a video and photo from the Austin, Texas protests. Booker T also touched on the subject but it was CM Punk, of all people, to steal the show.
“This country has a problem. That much I know,” Punk said without mincing any words. “I’m here to tell white people, you need to listen to your Black brothers and sisters and you need to understand where they’re coming from,” he continued.
The former WWE champion described that when he gets pulled over, he’s nervous he’s going to get a ticket and he doesn’t want to live in a place where, pulling in Mark Henry’s son as an example, gets stopped by police and he’s worried he’s going to get killed.
“I’m just here to tell white people you probably need to shut up more, and you certainly need to listen more. There is a problem, and the paradox is that the only way to deal with intolerance is with intolerance. If you are a white person, you more than likely are privileged. Use that privilege and support your black brothers and sisters, especially now, because we need it,” Punk said.
Punk added that the first tattoo he ever saw in his life was a number on his grandfather’s arm. “He rode horseback toward Nazi Panzer tanks, and now, it’s 2020, and we live in a world where the president says that Nazis are ‘very fine people.’ And you can’t walk that back and you can’t tell me he meant something different,” Punk said in a clear dig at President Trump.
Before closing off, Renee Young thanked FS1 and FOX for allowing them to tackle the subject in the last segment of the show.
A tweet by Linda Hogan, the ex-wife of Hulk Hogan, which has since been deleted, sparked a reaction by AEW President Tony Khan who told her that just like her ex, she is now also banned from All Elite Wrestling events.
Linda decided to grab some headlines when she tweeted, “Watching the looting, it’s all afro Americans, not sure how robbing and stealing set the record straight but if they want to be heard they need to be civilized.”
As you can imagine, fans tore her a new one and Khan responded by writing, “You’ve now joined your husband in being banned from all AEW shows. Congratulations.”
The Hogan name is obviously not new to racial controversy and Linda did nothing to fix that reputation. Hulk steered away completely from the subject and did not post anything regarding the protests.
Four matches are currently advertised for tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
These are Cody vs Jungle Boy for the TNT title, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page vs Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc for the AEW World Tag Team titles, Chris Jericho vs Colt Cabana, and Nyla Rose vs Big Swole.
In addition, Brian Cage will also be in action and FTR will have a sit-down interview with Tony Schiavone.
With news broadcasts dominating another night on cable, Monday Night Raw suffered a blow to its numbers, with this week’s show getting 1,728,000 viewers, becoming the second least-watched Raw in history. Raw did 7,000 less viewers from last week’s show.
Hour one started with 1,810,000 viewers, followed by 1,803,000 in the second hour, and finished the night with a low 1,571,000 in the third and final hour.
Raw was #12, #13, and #17 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and #42 in overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Reacting to the current situation in the United States with protests all over the country stemming from the death of George Floyd, WWE follows the footsteps of many brands and corporations by supporting their black performers.
“WWE supports an inclusive society and condemns racial injustice. We stand beside our Black performers, employees and fans around the world, and encourage everyone to use their voice to speak out against racism,” WWE said in a statement. “We offer our sincere condolences to the family of George Floyd and the families of countless others who have lost their lives due to senseless violence.”
Yesterday was Blackout Tuesday where most photos posted on social media included only a black tile. WWE also changed the profile picture of their social media accounts to just a black background in support of the cause.
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has told CBR.COM that he has turned down another gig with WWE, this time managing Matt Riddle on Smackdown.
Angle, who was one of the many who were released from WWE in April due to the coronavirus cost-cutting measures, returned on NXT last week to guest referee the cage fight between Riddle and Thatcher, a match which Thatcher won.
Acknowledging that Riddle will be one of the faces in the company, Angle admitted that he turned down the job due “to a few different reasons” and under different circumstances he would have loved to manage him. “It just wasn’t the right time,” Angle said.
The Olympic gold medalist said that Riddle is “a little odd” at first but once you get to know him, he’s very likable and has the ability and personality to be great. “And that’s what he’s going to get from the fans. They’re going to love this kid. And he proves it in the ring. He’s phenomenal in the ring. There’s no doubt about that,” Angle continued.
Prior to getting released, Angle was a producer for WWE.
Impact Wrestling created some buzz yesterday with their Slammiversary 2020 teaser, showing a few of the recently-released WWE Superstars as part of a news segment.
The video starts with a shot of alcohol being poured in a glass with ice and then moves to a scene of someone, wearing a hoodie, filmed from behind, sitting on a sofa watching television.
A breaking news bulletin then comes up on the large screen with the anchor saying, “Breaking news from the world of professional wrestling, over 20-plus superstars were released from their contracts amidst the ongoing global pandemic. Their fate currently remains unknown. We will be closely monitoring the situation, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”
At that point, quick flashes of Eric Young, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Drake Maverick, Curt Hawkins, Mike and Maria Kanellis, and EC3 appeared on screen. After Young appeared there was a quick shot of a Bulgarian flag as well.
Slammiversary will take place on July 18 live on pay-per-view. No location was announced.
Jaxson Ryker, who forms part of The Forgotten Sons faction on Smackdown, posted a tweet regarding the latest that’s going on in America and got absolutely hammered by Kevin Owens, Ricochet, Batista, and others.
Ryker yesterday posted a tweet and put over the President of the United States, although that wasn’t what got Owens angry. “Thankful for the @POTUS we have! God bless America. Built of freedom. Forgotten No More,” Ryker wrote.
Owens replied, telling Ryker that the freedom he speaks of entitles him to speak his mind all he wants. “I’m not here to argue that. I just really need to tell you that I think you pushing your shitty wrestling catchphrase as all of this is happening is absolutely f*cking pathetic,” Owens replied.
Mustafa Ali, a former cop, replied, “I’m thankful you posted this because I’m now aware of what you stand for. When black brothers and sisters are crying, you praise someone that refuses to acknowledge their hurt.”
Ricochet took a more cautious approach but still showed his disappointment. “I get you’re a ‘bad guy’ on TV. And I’m HOPING that’s all this is. Even then, that ain’t it. But if this is actually your true thoughts – I’ll be really sad, man.”
Soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer Batista, who is not a fan of Donald Trump at all, tore into Ryker as well. “Supporting a #fakepresident who is inciting violence and posing with Bibles like he’s a decent human being. Speaking the words of a dictator while people are being gassed in the streets.”
Meanwhile, Ryker’s tag team partner Steve Cutler also distanced himself from the tweet, writing, “Although I am part of a tag team while I wrestle, I am my own person with my own thoughts and beliefs,” he wrote. “It pains me to see what’s going on in the world. I fought for the freedom of our country and ALL of the people who live here.”
Fans also tore into Ryker in replies to his tweet and as you can imagine the tweet did not go over very well.
FS1 will air a five-hour WWE block again tonight as WWE Backstage moves back to its regular 11PM ET time slot.
The action kicks off at 7PM ET with the hour-long episode of WWE 24 WrestleMania: Silicon Valley. This documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at WrestleMania 31 from Levi’s Stadium and is followed by a three-hour presentation of WrestleMania 31 which was headlined by Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar. Daniel Bryan will be a guest on tonight’s Backstage while CM Punk will also return as one of the panelists.
Taking a closer look at the Mania 31 odds from back then, Reigns started as the favorite to win the match but then Lesnar was changed to favorite just two hours before the show started. No one guessed though as Seth Rollins cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase and walked out of Santa Clara as the new WWE champion. Wrestling-Online continues to take a look at the monthly pay-per-view betting odds the day before and the day of the shows and if you’re into football, you can also check out today’s football predictions.
WrestleMania 31 also had the Sting vs Triple H match which involved a showdown between DX and the nWo and The Rock and Ronda Rousey confronting Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
WrestlingInc.com ran an exclusive story today confirming that former 24/7 champion Rob Gronkowski is officially no longer under a WWE deal and has chosen to exercise his release clause in the contract, a contract which was signed in March 2020.
Apart from an appearance on Smackdown, hosting WrestleMania, and losing the 24/7 title to R-Truth during a segment on Raw last night, Gronk has done nothing else for the company.
Gronkowski will now resume his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coming out of retirement just after one year.
While he no longer is under a WWE deal, WrestlingInc.com also adds that he cannot join another pro wrestling company for the time being as there was a clause in the contract preventing him from doing that. Gronk was also schedule to wrestle at SummerSlam, something that will obviously not happen either now.
The WWE 24/7 title is back in the hands of the greatest 24/7 champion of all time…R-Truth!
Previously held by Rob Gronkowski, Truth tricked Gronk by posing as a gardener at his home and rolled him up from behind while Gronk was doing a TikTok dance video. Gronk’s friend who was filming the whole thing had a referee shirt underneath and counted to three to award Truth the title.
Gronk won the 24/7 title at WrestleMania 36 at the Performance Center when he pinned his friend Mojo Rawley. He’s been champion ever since but no one went after him. Gronk, who was supposed to start his WWE career, instead came out of retirement and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to resume his NFL career.
