Month: March 2020

Backstage News On Rob Gronkowski Signing With WWE

As noted earlier this week,  The Wrap reported that former NFL player Rob Gronkowski has signed with WWE. Gronk is reportedly making his SmackDown on FOX debut during the March 20 episode from New Orleans, then will appear at WrestleMania 36 to begin a storyline that will lead to a match.

In an update, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Gronk’s WrestleMania 36 role is still being decided, and that an appearance is not a lock at this point.

Gronk is expected to wrestle at least a few matches under his WWE contract. It’s likely that he will wrestle at the SummerSlam pay-per-view in Boston from the TD Garden, which should get him a good pop as he played his entire NFL career with the Patriots.

It will be interesting to see if WWE has Gronk work with his good friend Mojo Rawley. Gronk, a noted pro wrestling fan, made his WWE debut at WrestleMania 33 back in 2017, to help Mojo win the 4th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Confirms They Have WrestleMania 36 Contingency Plan

WWE has confirmed that they have WrestleMania 36 contingency plans in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

WWE issued a statement this evening that said they will have the back-up plans in place if WrestleMania ends up cancelled by local officials. They also said they are closely monitoring the situation.

“While we remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that it is cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues. The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay,” WWE’s statement reads.

As we’ve noted, top local officials and WWE officials, including WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, met in Tampa Bay, Florida earlier today to discuss the status of the big event, and the potential schedule change. There had been some speculation on WrestleMania being pushed back until the summer due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but the city has decided not to cancel WrestleMania, at least for now.

There’s no word yet on what WWE’s contingency plans for WrestleMania 36 consist of, but we will keep you updated.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Live Event Nixed Due To Coronavirus, Update On WWE’s Return To MSG, Monday’s RAW Note

Sunday’s WWE live event scheduled for the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The arena issued an e-mail to ticket holders earlier today and said the WWE live event scheduled for Sunday, March 15 was canceled due to the new order from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, which bans gatherings with more than 250 people expected. The statement was also tweeted, as seen below. The arena is offering refunds to people who already purchased tickets, but no makeup date has been announced.

In an update on a possible change for the WWE live event scheduled for Sunday, March 22 from Madison Square Garden in New York City, that event will not be taking place. New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio declared a State of Emergency today due to the COVID-19 outbreak and there’s a ban on events or gatherings with 500 or more people expected. DeBlasio told media at the press conference that the State of Emergency could go on for months.

MSG has not commented on the WWE live event and the date remains on both calendars, but the legendary venue did issue the following statement in support of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the restrictions announced today:

“The Madison Square Garden Company supports Governor Cuomo’s decision regarding New York venues. We encourage you to check back to this site, which will be your source for further details about our future events, which we will update regularly as more information becomes available.”

An official update on the MSG show should be released soon, and we will keep you updated. This is the MSG live event that was scheduled to feature a special appearance by WWE Hall of Famers DX.

There are still two WWE NXT live events scheduled for this weekend – Friday in Venice, Florida and Saturday in Daytona Beach, FL. Monday’s RAW from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA is still on as of this writing. WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin, WWE Hall of Famer Edge, The Undertaker and others are scheduled for Austin’s special “3:16 Day” edition of RAW. The PPG Paints Arena still has RAW listed, and has not commented on any potential changes. They were still plugging The Undertaker’s appearance as of yesterday.

 

The WWE Supershow live event scheduled for this Saturday, March 14 at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada has been cancelled.

The arena announced today that the “Road to WrestleMania 36” Supershow live event was nixed and that refunds are available at all points of purchase. There was no makeup date announced.

The arena’s Twitter announcement, seen below, did not blame the cancellation on the coronavirus pandemic, but they announced other schedule changes earlier today with the COVID-19 outbreak as the reason.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

ROH Cancels Tonight’s 18th Anniversary PPV And Past vs Present Show Due To Coronavirus/Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the world of professional wrestling and now the first pay-per-view event has been canceled due to the outbreak.

Ring of Honor announced today that their 18th Anniversary pay-per-view scheduled for Friday in Las Vegas, and their Past vs. Present event on Saturday, also at Sam’s Town Live in Vegas, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

ROH noted that additional details on the schedule changes will be released soon, including details on refunds and potential re-scheduling.

ROH 18TH ANNIVERSARY AND PAST VS. PRESENT SHOWS CANCELLATION

Dear ROH Family,

After much consideration and consultation with local officials regarding COVID-19, ROH has decided to cancel this weekend’s 18th Anniversary (Friday, March 13th) and Past vs Present (Saturday, March 14th) shows at Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

This extremely difficult decision was made in conjunction with the most recent developments surrounding COVID-19, known as the Coronavirus.

While the marquee “18th Anniversary” and the very special “Past v Present” events were ready to show the world why Ring of Honor is truly the “Best Professional Wrestling on the Planet,” the safety and health of our fans, talents and staff are always our utmost priority.

Additional Information will be provided as soon as possible regarding refunds and potential rescheduling of the events that were set to transpire this weekend.

Once again, thank you for understanding and we truly appreciate your continued patronage and support.

Below was the card for the 18th Anniversary Show:

ROH World Championship: Rush (c) vs. Mark Haskins

ROH World TV Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Bandido

ROH World Tag Team Championship: Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll and Flip Gordon)

Dealer’s Choice Match: Kenny King vs. Shane Taylor vs. Dan Maff vs. Tyler Bateman
Winner earns future shot at any title.

The Briscoes vs. Dalton Castle and Joe Hendry

Jeff Cobb vs. Slex

Nicole Savoy vs. Session Moth Martina

Villain Enterprises (Brody King and PCO) vs. Alex Zayne and Rey Horus

XFL Cancels Rest Of Season Due To Coronavirus/COVID-19

The relaunched XFL did not get a chance to finish its season. Despite ratings declining, that was not what did it in.

The league joined much of the sports world as it suspended play after five weeks. This is due to the coronavirus that is currently spreading around the world. Several states have banned more than 250 people from showing up to arenas around the country.

The XFL provided a statement that assured that players will be paid their base salary, while also including benefits. All XFL ticket holders will be issued refunds or credit towards future games. The league added that they planned to return in 2021.

“Currently, the XFL will not be playing its regular-season games,” this statement reaffirming. “However, all players will be paid their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season. All XFL ticket holders will be issued refunds or credit toward future games. The XFL is committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years.”

Prior to everything shutting down, the Seattle Dragons were going to be playing inside an empty stadium against the Los Angeles Wildcats.

Since then, MLB, NHL, NCAA (including the NCAA Tournament), boxing and MMA have all decided to cancel, move or hold events without fans. WWE has been forced to move SmacklDown to the Performance Center, while Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling and AEW, among others, have had to alter their schedule to accommodate what is going on.

According to the la test from CNN, the coronavirus has infected over 124,518 people, with 4,607 deaths confirmed.

 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Relocates Next Two Episodes Of Dynamite Due To The Coronavirus Pandemic

All Elite Wrestling has confirmed the next two episodes of Dynamite have been relocated due to the coronavirus pandemic.

AEW released a statement saying:

As a precautionary measure against COVID-19, we are relocating next week’s AEW DYNAMITE show on March 18 from Rochester, NY, to Jacksonville, FL.  This show will be televised live on TNT from Daily’s Place, and be managed under a restricted attendance policy. The DYNAMITE show in Rochester will be rescheduled for Wednesday, July 8, at Blue Cross Arena.

Fans who have already purchased tickets to the Rochester show will be offered a refund via the point of purchase, or have their original ticket valid for admission to the event on July 8. Additional details will be forthcoming.

In addition, the DYNAMITE show on March 25 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, will be relocated to a new venue, which will be announced shortly. This show will be televised live on TNT on March 25, and be managed under a restricted attendance policy. The DYNAMITE show in Newark will be rescheduled for Wednesday, July 22, at the Prudential Center.

Fans who have already purchased tickets to the Newark show will be offered a refund via the point of purchase, or have their original ticket valid for admission to the event on July 22. Additional details will be forthcoming.

We appreciate your understanding as the safety and well-being of our fans and talent is always our top priority. We will continue to closely monitor this evolving situation related to COVID-19 and be guided by government officials, health organizations and venue management.

This means the highly-anticipated Blood and Guts match on March 25 will have a limited live audience, if any. AEW had also advertised the reveal of The Exalted One for next week’s show.

Regarding next week’s Dynamite episode from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, AEW announced today that doors will open to a “restricted audience” of fans at 6pm ET. The show will begin at 7pm with pre-show happenings and AEW Dark tapings, and then Dynamite will go live on TNT at 8pm ET.

“Thank you again during this short notice change of venue/show dates. We want you all to be updated as more information comes in,” AEW ended their statement with.

WWE Confirms Tonight’s SmackDown Officially Moved To The Performance Center

Tonight’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown on FOX will air live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show was originally scheduled for the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

WWE released a statement saying:

“Friday Night SmackDown on March 13 will air live as regularly scheduled and emanate from WWE’s training facility in Orlando, Florida with only essential personnel in attendance. The event was originally scheduled in Detroit, Michigan.”

WWE has confirmed that tonight’s show will air without a crowd. It was noted that only “essential personnel” will be in attendance due to the COVID-19 outbreak. WWE has announced that Jeff Hardy and John Cena will return on tonight’s show. Cena will be there to address “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt ahead of WrestleMania 36. The retired Paige will also return tonight, to confront SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. It’s believed that Paige will bring someone with her to step up to Bayley.

  • Jeff Hardy set to return on Friday Night SmackDown
  • Paige vows to confront Bayley on SmackDown
  • John Cena returns to SmackDown on The Road to WrestleMania

There’s still no word yet on if WWE 205 Live will air tonight from the Performance Center. Announced for that show is the WWE NXT Cruiserweights vs. 205 Live Originals in the Captain’s Challenge Ten-Man Elimination Match – Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Tyler Breeze, Danny Burch, Oney Lorcan and a mystery partner vs. Jack Gallagher, The Brian Kendrick, Ariya Daivari, Mike Kanellis and Captain Tony Nese.

Tony Khan Addresses Coronavirus Backstage At AEW Dynamite, Possible AEW Schedule Changes

AEW President and CEO Tony Khan addressed the coronavirus pandemic during a backstage meeting at last night’s AEW Dynamite tapings from West Valley City, Utah.

Khan reportedly told all AEW talent and staff that no one is under any pressure to work next week’s Dynamite episode from Rochester, NY, or any upcoming shows as long as the outbreak is happening, according to Wrestling Observer Radio.

Khan told the AEW crew that anyone who feels illness or stressed about traveling has permission to stay home, and nobody will be judged by the decision they make. It was also said that no one will lose their spots or push over decisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regarding next Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite from Rochester, NY at the Blue Cross Arena, there has been some speculation on the event possibly being rescheduled after it was reported that the city has canceled their St. Patrick’s Day parade following the first confirmed case of the virus. The Health Commissioner in Rochester has recommended that they cancel all events with 50 or more people planned to be in attendance. Right now it is a recommendation, but not a mandate.

Currently the Blue Cross Arena still has Dynamite listed for next Wednesday. However, on their Facebook page, the arena has next Wednesday’s AEW date on the calendar, but they also have a July 8 makeup date. However, the link for tickets for the July date redirects you to tickets for next Wednesday’s show.

In other news on AEW and the coronavirus pandemic, @TicketDrew, who often has wrestling-related scoops on scheduling and events, noted this morning that AEW’s next two televised shows have been re-scheduled. This has not been confirmed, but these two dates would be next Wednesday’s show in Rochester, and the March 25 “Blood & Guts” show in Newark, New Jersey. Drew first said that Newark didn’t look to be re-scheduled, but then came back thirty minutes later and reported that Newark had been re-scheduled. He did not provide a makeup date.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

“The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith Offcially Announced For The WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2020

It was announced earlier this morning on WWE’s “After The Bell” podcast with host Corey Graves, that “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 during WrestleMania 36 Weekend in Tampa.

Bulldog’s son, Davey Boy Smith Jr., joined Graves, Natalya and Tyson Kidd for the Hall of Fame announcement and revealed that he will be doing the honors for his father that day. It was previously reported that WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was expected to induct his late brother-in-law, but that’s not the case. The entire Hart Family was scheduled to travel to Tampa to at one point to be there for the induction, but there’s no word yet on if they still plan to make the trip because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s been long overdue, but I’m really excited and glad to induct my father into the Hall of Fame,” Smith Jr. said on the podcast. “It’s something great not only for my family but for the WWE Universe as well, and I’m so excited and jacked up about it.”

WWE issued the following official announcement on Bulldog’s induction:

British Bulldog to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame“The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020 during WrestleMania 36 Week in Tampa. The news was first broken by the official WWE podcast, WWE After the Bell with Corey Graves.

British Bulldog joins Batista, nWo members Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash & Shawn Waltman, The Bella Twins and JBL in the Class of 2020.

Smith first broke into the squared circle as a teenager in his home country of England, competing alongside his cousin, Dynamite Kid. The two Brits soon caught the eye of The Hart Family, who brought them to Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling. There, Smith and Dynamite grew as competitors, both as rivals and tag team partners.

Known as The British Bulldogs, the two quickly became one of the most impressive tag teams in the world. Smith’s raw power was the perfect complement to Dynamite Kid’s speed and precision. The two debuted in WWE in 1984 and quickly became one of the WWE Universe’s most beloved tandems as they engaged in a rivalry with The Hart Foundation. At WrestleMania 2, with heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne in their corner, The Bulldogs defeated The Dream Team to capture the World Tag Team Championship on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

At the tail end of the 1980s, Smith & Dynamite Kid left WWE to compete internationally, but Smith returned in 1990. Competing as The British Bulldog, he once again became immensely popular with the WWE Universe, this time as a singles competitor. Bulldog’s return to WWE was highlighted by two huge victories in his homeland. First, he outlasted 19 other Superstars to win a 1991 Battle Royal in London’s Royal Albert Hall. One year later, in front of more than 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, he defeated Bret “Hit Man” Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1992 in what is widely regarded as one of WWE’s finest matches.

The British Bulldog would continue to be a globally renowned Superstar throughout the 1990s with stints in WCW as well as WWE, where he became the first-ever WWE European Champion, Hardcore Champion and held the World Tag Team Championship once again, this time with Owen Hart.

Although British Bulldog passed away in 2002, his impact on WWE cannot be denied, and he is more than deserving of enshrinement in the WWE Hall of Fame!

Don’t miss British Bulldog take his place in sports-entertainment history at the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Thursday, April 2, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., and streaming live on WWE Network!

The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 2 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, during WrestleMania 36 Week. It will air live on the WWE Network.

Japanese pro wrestling legend Jushin Thunder Liger is still rumored for the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Class, but he has not been confirmed. Below is the updated announced line-up:

* Batista (possibly inducted by Fit Finlay)

* The nWo’s Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman (inductor TBA)

* The Bella Twins (inductor TBA)

* JBL (possibly inducted by WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons)

* “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith (inducted by his son, Davey Boy Smith Jr.)

Stay tuned for updates on the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Class.

https://twitter.com/DBSmithjr/status/1238111218621124608

Speculation On WrestleMania Being Delayed This Year Due To Coronavirus, WWE HQ Changes Amid Pandemic

Could we see WrestleMania 36 take place in the summer?

As we’ve noted, Tampa city officials are scheduled to meet this afternoon to discuss the possible cancellation or postponement of large events due to the coronavirus pandemic, and WWE’s biggest show of the year will likely be discussed. It’s been reported that an announcement on WrestleMania 36 changes could be coming some time today, and that the announcement may be bad news for WWE.

Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT noted on Twitter that we may be looking at a WrestleMania summer this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Think we’re looking at a summer ‘Mania…,” McCarthy wrote on Twitter. He continued, “June/July is one of WWE’s contingency plans I believe. With the European travel ban, number of events shutting down and even the NBA season outright suspended… I can’t see how WWE can run ‘Mania now.”

McCarthy posted a follow-up and said things have changed drastically in the last 48 hours due to the outbreak. He revealed that Drew McIntyre was forced to fly back to the United States earlier than scheduled after spending a few days overseas doing WrestleMania 36 promotional work. This comes after President Trump announced a 30-day travel ban between Europe and the United States last night, which does not include the United Kingdom, and will run through WrestleMania 36 Week.

“Things have changed drastically in the past 48 hours with the coronavirus,” McCarthy tweeted. “I had an interview with Drew McIntyre today but he’s been flown back to the US following the travel restrictions they’ve just put in place. Sucks, but understandable.”

It should be noted that as of right now, WrestleMania 36 is still scheduled to take place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. There has been no official announcement on any changes to the schedule.

On a related note, Sheamus has also been overseas doing promotional work this week. He revealed on Twitter that he also was forced to fly back to the United States due to the travel restrictions.

He wrote, “Trip cut short. Flying back Stateside… [UK flag emoji] [airplane departure emoji] [US flag emoji] #TravelBan”

Braun Strowman also took to Twitter today to weigh in on the coronavirus situation, which is changing rapidly.

“It blows my mind with what’s going on in the world is the lack of consideration for others people have. Walking through the airport watching and listening to people cough and sneeze without covering there damn face with out a care in the world for others is beyond unexceptionable,” Strowman wrote.

On a related note, PWInsider reports that as of this week, WWE started a rotation where employees from certain departments at company headquarters in Stamford, CT will be working from home so that the company can plan out logistics if they need to make a decision on having employees work outside of HQ. This process of telecommuting will likely continue over the next week or so, at least.

Stay tuned for more updates on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the world of professional wrestling. We are expecting an announcement on WrestleMania 36 some time this afternoon.

https://twitter.com/BraunStrowman/status/1238103815255179265

https://twitter.com/WWESheamus/status/1238077614515986433

Source: Wrestling Inc.