Dynamite continued its unbeaten run in 2020 so far with another Wednesday night war win. The much-hyped Atlanta debut show did 893,000 viewers this week, up 76,000 viewers from last week. The show did 0.31 in the 18-49 demographic, good for #5 spot in the top 50 cable chart. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
An emotional, bloodied Cody delivers promo after Dynamite goes off air in Atlanta
After Dynamite went off the air last night, a bloodied Cody Rhodes cut an emotional promo in the middle of the ring, explaining his love to the city of Atlanta and what they have done for his family.
Cody said he will recount a story which happened 200 yards away from the State Farm Arena in a street called Baker Street, the exact spot where he fell in love with professional wrestling. Cody recounted that when he was eight years old, he knew his father was famous but he didn’t know much why as he didn’t get to see his golden years.
He went on to explain a story about Sting and his father Dusty, following a show in Atlanta. He said that before they exited for the parking lot, Sting went out first and the fans gave him a big reception. Not thinking about anything, young Cody was about to follow but his father stopped him and told him to wait. “Never steal another man’s pop” was the advice Dusty gave him.
After Sting left, Dusty walked out with Cody, “and all of you cheered so loud for my dad,” Cody said with tears in his eyes.
The AEW EVP added that when he made his debut, the fans were pretty hard on him and he appreciated that more than anyone knows because it made him come back week after week after week to do better.
He then gave props to Warner Media for extending AEW for three more years and guaranteed that they will be back in Atlanta.
You can see the promo below.
EXCLUSIVE @CODYRHODES POST CAGE MATCH COMMENTS | #AEW DYNAMITE 02/19/20 ATLANTA pic.twitter.com/Y1RavQEe9N
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) February 20, 2020
AEW launches official weekly podcast titled Unrestricted
Well, it was only a matter of time. All Elite Wrestling has entered the crowded podcasting business with a new weekly show titled Unrestricted.
The only – so far – official podcast of AEW is hosted by long-time broadcaster Tony Schiavone and referee Aubrey Edwards. Every episode will drop on Thursdays and will be available on all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and others.
The first episode is already online and features Jon Moxley as the special guest. The preview of the one-hour podcast reads, “Jon Moxley had quite a collection of wrestling VHS tapes (ask your parents, kids), missed out on Hulkamania, became a Bret Hart fan, and pondered what The Undertaker was really like outside the ring. And those are just some of the stories he’s sharing as he talks about his days on the indies, his jump to WWE, and his surprise AEW debut at Double or Nothing! He also recounts his rock bottom moment at WWE, overcoming his recent injuries, and how things really work in his house with wife, Renee Young!”
WWE’s The Bump to broadcast from Tampa every day during WrestleMania week
WWE’s popular YouTube live weekly broadcast The Bump will be hitting the road during WrestleMania week and will be broadcasting live from Tampa for five days in a row.
The show will be filming from WrestleMania Axxess on April 1 at 10AM ET, then from April 2 to 4 at 1PM ET. On WrestleMania Sunday, the show will kick off at 1PM ET live from the Raymond James Stadium as WWE gets ready to start the WrestleMania festivities.
The Bump is hosted by Kayla Braxton along with Matt Camp, Dan Vollymayer, Ryan Pappolla, and Evan T. Mack. This week, Sheamus was in the in-studio guest and Roman Reigns, Hornswoggle, and Fit Finlay joined in via video.
WWE Backstage rating for 02/18/2020
WWE Backstage on FS1, which had Keith Lee and Mark Henry as the special guests, drew 127,000 viewers on Tuesday, down 42,000 viewers from last week’s show but good enough for the second most-watched show of 2020. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
Balancing your academics and sports in college
To turn into a well-rounded individual on a day-to-day basis, you need to follow a decent education framework and get desired grades in your studying. All you need is to take your studying seriously. On the off chance that you keep yourself engaged only in your education, you will be passing up other significant aspects of your life. One of those might include sports. Sports or other open-air wellness exercises are a fundamental part of our lives.
For the same reason, sports are incorporated alongside academics in different colleges and institutions. Sports-related research has indicated that it assists in keeping our minds refreshed and reinvigorated. The physical aspect of sports keeps us fit and stable. Sports in colleges include different activities, for example, athletics, football, cricket, and basketball. Nowadays, institutions are looking to include everyone in sports.
If you are an athlete in college, it’s sure that your commitment to your team and performance is imperative to you. There are many opportunities related to being a student-athlete. However, many keep on struggling in finding a proper balance in academics and sports. Freshmen may have the hardest time changing in finding the balance. At the moment, they have to manage the significant progress from secondary school to college. However, with the correct mindset and organizational skills, student-athletes can effectively accomplish a pragmatic balance between academics and sports.
Top Five Tips to Achieving a Great Balance
Sports-related research shows that individuals who are into both sports and academics in college are better centered around their profession. It is because sports promote order, concentration, and time-management skills through exercises. It will likewise get the students far from mental pressure, which is very common these days. Through sports, one can gain management aptitudes or get team abilities, including invaluable social skills.
These characteristics will come in handy when taking on different tasks. Academics need equivalent endeavors and commitment from students. In dealing with sports and studying, the students will become familiar with the importance of being responsible and trustworthy.
Nonetheless, adjusting to sports and academics can be troublesome! If you are a student who thinks it is not very easy to manage time, here are some straightforward tips for balancing sports and academics to help remain on track.
- Utilize your resources
As the need might arise, it would be best if you became acquainted with custom paper writing services. There’s no disgrace in employing such services, they are focused and prepared to address the necessities of student-athletes.
- Foster excellent communication with your educators
Keep them updated on your timetable to find a suitable schedule for both parties. Demonstrate your academic diligence by making up assignments and tests in a convenient way. Subsequently, spend breaks or after school hours in the study hall to catch up on your academics. Honesty and openness are of the utmost importance for getting the help you need.
- Find out eligibility requirements
Contingent upon the degree of university sports you take an interest in, every level will have diverse needs. Alongside those underlying prerequisites, student-athletes are likewise required to keep up a particular GPA and follow a course culmination track.
The prerequisites to join a sport differs according to colleges, particularly for those on an athletic scholarship. Make sure to remember your objective GPA as you study to maintain a strategic distance from academic and money-related hardships down the line.
- Set goals
Similarly, as different sports are worked around targets — either scoring on or outracing the challenge — student life requires goals. Ponder academic goals, regardless of whether it’s hitting a specific GPA or whatever your objectives may be. Competitors intuitively push toward the purposes of the sport, so defining the goals for your life as a student can help keep you on track.
- Time management
For everybody, not merely student-athletes, time management is an indispensable part of accomplishment in college and later on throughout everyday life. The time management propensities you create as a student will be a massive influencer in how well you deal with your time as an expert in different conditions. Subsequently, this expertise is something we ought to consistently hope to refine.
Author’s Note
School sports are an incredible method to assemble significant time management and social abilities that students can apply for their professional lives. Nonetheless, it tends to be hard to balance sports with academics. School spirit is an incredible thing, and we know how enthusiastic numerous college students are about sports! Remember – sports are intended to be an addition to your education, and academics ought to consistently be your top priority.
First look at the brand new AEW action figures from Jazwares
Jazwares, a global leader in toys, announced that they will unveil the new AEW Unrivaled toy line at the Toy Fair New York convention, which will take place between February 22 and 26.
The toys will feature AEW champion Chris Jericho, Cody, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, and more, and they will all be on display at Jazware’s booth. The toy line will hit retail stores later this year.
The AEW Unrivaled collectible action figures will boast 25 points of articulation, real 3D-scanned likenesses and a variety of accessories and authentic ring wear. With multiple Waves per season, fans can collect the stars of Dynamite, including MJF, Darby Allin, Dr. Britt Baker, Brandi Rhodes, Hangman Page, Jurassic Express and many more.
Each Wave will include limited edition and rare variants to add chase and elation to every release. Other authentic items for Fall 2020 will include the AEW Unrivaled: Action Ring to play-and-display Unrivaled figures and the AEW World championship title belt, with even more formats and innovations in development for future seasons.
“AEW has very quickly become one of the most provocative, engaging and relevant wrestling brands of all time. It is a league embraced by generations of fans and collectors in a genre with a huge appetite for authentic product,” said Jeremy Padawer, EVP / Partner Jazwares. “We plan to build out the kind of program that can appeal both to the display collector and also to younger fans who want a tangible way to play and interact with their heroes,” said Michael Rinzler, EVP / Partner Jazwares.
“When AEW launched just over a year ago, we couldn’t have imagined there would be a toy line this soon, featuring our wrestlers, making its debut at Toy Fair in New York City,” said Dana Massie, Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer. “But, we’ve always known from the start that we have the greatest fans in the world, and we’re constantly looking for new ways to positively engage and connect with them in ways that matter. Our partnership with Jazwares ramps up our commitment to fan engagement, and we hope our fans will love the AEW action figures and collectibles representing the personalities who have become part of their lives each Wednesday on TNT, at our pay-per-view events and beyond.”
The Bella Twins to appear on Smackdown on FOX tomorrow
Nikki and Brie Bella will be appearing on Smackdown tomorrow night as they will be the guests of A Moment of Bliss with Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
The duo have not appeared on WWE television ever since the Evolution pay-per-view in 2018 where Nikki lost to Ronda Rousey in the main event. It is rumored that the twins will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2020 this April.
Nikki and Brie, who are now both pregnant, will be featured in the fifth season of Total Bellas which kicks off on E! on April 9.
Raw rating for 02/17/2020
Monday Night Raw this week drew an average of 2,437,000 viewers, up 100,000 viewers from last week’s broadcast.
The show started strong with 2,671,000 viewers, then dipped slightly to 2,559,000 before falling big time to just 2,082,000 in the third and final hour. Raw lost a whopping 589,000 viewers from the first to the third hour.
Raw was #1, #2, and #4 in the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic and was #6 in overall viewership for the night on cable. (Ratings credit: Showbuzzdaily.com)
The fallout from Takeover: Portland tonight on NXT on USA Network
NXT on USA Network tonight will have the fallout from Takeover: Portland, with the biggest news of the night being Johnny Gargano turning heel, causing Tommaso Ciampa the NXT title.
Three matches have been announced for the show including NXT Cruiserweight champion Jordan Devlin vs Lio Rush, Chelsea Green of The Robert Stone Brand vs Kayden Carter, and the returning Velveteen Dream vs The Undisputed Era’s Roderick Strong.
The brand is coming off the heels of a fantastic Takeover event and will surely be looking to try to increase viewers having been stuck in the 700,000 range so far this year and being on the losing side of the Wednesday night war.
WWE ends TV partnership with Sky Deutschland in Germany
WWE has ended its partnership with Sky in Germany according to a statement from Sky Deutschland and there will be no more WWE pay-per-views on their system come this April.
“The broadcast rights to the WWE’s pay-per-view events were no longer part of the tender and were therefore no longer available for Sky Deutschland. As a result, WWE will no longer be part of Sky Deutschland’s program offering from the end of March,” a representative from Sky told Oddsmeter.de.
The Raw and Smackdown television broadcasts were offered for a new deal for Sky but the company has turned it down, citing “lack of quality” from these shows. Sky’s deal with WWE expires at the end of March.
WWE’s presence in Germany continues on ProSieben Maxx, a deal which was signed in April 2017.
Pre-NXT FCW original documentary coming to the WWE Network
The WWE Network will air an original documentary on Florida Championship Wrestling, the developmental territory for WWE which eventually changed to NXT. The doc, titled A Future WWE: The FCW Story, will air on Sunday, March 8 at 10AM ET.
Superstars such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Daniel Bryan, The Bella Twins, Natalya, Rusev, The Usos, and many current and former WWE stars all went through FCW before landing on the big WWE stage.
The documentary will feature new interviews with FCW alumni and coaches who built FCW as well as showcase never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage.
Finn Balor to appear at upcoming NXT UK television tapings in Coventry
Former WWE Universal and NXT champion Finn Balor will be making a “special appearance” at the upcoming NXT UK television tapings from the Coventry Skydome Arena in Coventry on March 6 and 7.
While WWE has not expanded on what Balor will be doing there, these tapings will continue the road to NXT UK Takeover: Dublin and with Balor being from Ireland, it wouldn’t be surprising if he will be somehow part of the show as well. Balor already appeared in the first-ever NXT UK Takeover from Blackpool.
Tickets for these tapings are £15, £30, and £50 and are available at iceaccount.co.uk/ice-events/coventry. The next tapings after the Coventry shows will be held on May 1 and 2 from Bournemouth.
AEW debuts in Atlanta tonight with a loaded Dynamite from the State Farm Arena
All Elite Wrestling makes its much-awaited debut in Atlanta, Georgia tonight with Dynamite from the 21,000-seater State Farm Arena and thousands of fans are expected to fill up most of the available seats.
To counter the post-Takeover NXT show, AEW is presenting a fully loaded show including the first AEW steel cage match featuring Cody vs Wardlow, Jon Moxley vs Jeff Cobb, Hangman Page and Kenny Omega vs Lucha Bros for the AEW Tag Team titles, and a tag team battle royal with the winners getting a tag team title shot at the upcoming Revolution pay-per-view.
Some tickets starting at $20 are still available for tonight at Ticketmaster.com.
WWE holding tryout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in June
WWE will be holding a four-day open tryout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this coming June as the company hopes to recruit more than 50 athletes from the region according to a story from Esquire Middle East.
Sign ups have officially started through the WWE Performance Center website which is now also available in Arabic.
“I have a message for every athlete and performer in Saudi Arabia who has a dream of becoming a WWE Superstar: WWE is coming to Riyadh to help you make that happen. This is your chance to take an opportunity and one day you could be walking down the ramp as a WWE Superstar while thousands of fans chant your name,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative.
“We are excited to return to Saudi Arabia following the success of our first tryout in 2018 where we recruited a variety of elite athletes from the Middle East, including standout talent Mansoor, who has already played a meaningful role in various WWE events in Saudi Arabia,” he continued.
Cody says he’s confident Dynamite would do well on Monday nights
Speaking during an interview with 11Alive’s Ric Garni in anticipation of AEW’s debut in Atlanta, Cody and Brandi Rhodes discussed the rise of All Elite Wrestling, how committed they are to the promotion, how they analyze data of viewership every week and more.
Asked where do they see the company in five years time and where it can be, Cody responded, “I’m going to say something controversial and I don’t mean it to be, but this always happens any time I’m interviewed for an extended period of time. I would like the company in five years to be on a different night and competing in the same fashion they are…not that I don’t love Wednesday nights…but I can tell we have real players and I look at this data like…we’re not lying about the revolution anymore. It’s very supported. So I would love to see how it does on another night.”
Before he gave his answer, his wife urged him to “think about it” before he answered but Cody went ahead and basically suggested they could take on WWE’s Monday Night Raw.
“A particular night you prefer or just one of the two with other major competition on?” the host asked.
“I mean honestly in five years, who knows. But I can tell you this if we had a random storm situation or just something would just pop up and we’re going to have Dynamite on Monday night if that was to happen in the current threshold right now, I’d still be very confident in what we can do and I’d be confident that our guys would be up for the challenge,” Cody answered.
You can see the full interview below.
Eve Torres accuses President Donald Trump of inappropriate touching
In a post on Instagram to mark President’s Day, former WWE Diva Eve Torres said that she looks forward to having “a president who doesn’t grope or objectify women” and accused President Donald Trump of inappropriate touching when she and other Divas met him in 2009.
“I have taken pictures with thousands of men at military bases, at WWE events, and signings, and very few have grabbed me and pulled me in as forcefully as he did without knowing me. Of course, at the time I believed it was my job to be eye candy in a photo for this supposed billionaire, and play along,” Torres wrote. “It is actually hard for me to see that photo because it reminds me of my beliefs about my worth at the time.”
Torres posted the photo from the event in question, with The Bella Twins, Kelly Kelly, Maryse, Maria Kanellis, and herself flanking Trump. Trump is seen holding Maryse and Torres in the photo.
“Also, this was scary for me to post but it’s been on my mind. We haven’t forgotten about your p+$$y grabbing, Mr. President,” she concluded.
Torres has made sporadic appearances for WWE over the past few years and served as an ambassador for the company. She was brought in to be part of the pre-show panel for the Evolution pay-per-view in 2018.
WWE Network adds 10 more classic ECW Supershows from the 90s
The WWE Network has added 10 ECW Supershows from between 1993 and 1995, adding more than 20 hours of content. These shows were never uploaded on the WWE Network before.
The full-length shows go back to the Eastern Championship Wrestling days, before the E in ECW was changed to Extreme. Superstars featured in these 10 shows include Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Terry Funk, Cactus Jack, Sandman, Raven, Francine and more!
The 10 shows are Super Summer Sizzler (1993), Ultra Clash (1993), Heat Wave (1994), Tag Wars (1994), Double Tables (1995), Return of the Funker (1995), Hostile City Showdown (1995), Enter the Sandman (1995), Barbed Wire, Hoodies and Chokeslams (1995), and ECW Heat Wave (1995).
They are all available under the In-Ring section and ECW Supershows category on the WWE Network.
Shelton Benjamin signs new WWE deal
Former WWE Tag Team and Intercontinental champion Shelton Benjamin has revealed on Lilian Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast that he has signed a new multi-year deal with WWE despite not having the most TV time lately.
He said it’s just frustrating that he’s not doing what he loves to do, which is performing and producing. “Lately I haven’t been doing much as far as on-air with WWE. And for me, it’s just frustrating,” Benjamin said.
The 44-year-old explained that he’s there every week and ready to go but not doing anything isn’t really fulfilling for him and he feels like he’s not even in the hunt for something. “That frustrates me on a very personal level.”
Benjamin was last seen at the Royal Rumble and had a “good time” with his former Minnesota wrestling tag team partner Brock Lesnar. Eventually Lesnar god rid of Benjamin, eliminating him from the match.
WWE has been offering multi-year contracts with a lot of money to Superstars whose deals are expiring in a bid to keep them from going to All Elite Wrestling.
Participants for the women’s Elimination Chamber 2020 match announced
The six women who will be entering the Elimination Chamber steel structure next month have been revealed.
WWE Women’s Tag Team champion Asuka, Natalya, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott, and former NXT Women’s champion Shayna Baszler will be fighting for a shot at Becky Lynch’s Raw Women’s title at WrestleMania.
The plan right now is to have Shayna Baszler take on Becky Lynch at Mania but things could always change, although judging from the lineup there’s not much wiggle room on the choice.
There will be two Elimination Chamber matches and the arena hosting the show had already announced who will be the six men.