Tonight’s AEW Rampage airs on TNT from the Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts.
* Trick or Treat No DQ Match: AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker vs. Abandon (If Abadon wins, she gets a future title shot)
* Dante Martin vs. Matt Sydal
* World Title Eliminator Semifinal Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Kingston
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown will air on FS1 due to MLB World Series coverage on FOX. The show will air live from the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
WWE has not announced any matches for tonight’s show, but they are advertising that the new era will continue from last week.
Superstars advertised to appear by WWE tonight include WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, The New Day, Sheamus, Cesaro, and Drew McIntyre. The arena also has WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura listed, plus a dark main event with Reigns and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. McIntyre and The Street Profits.
Last week’s SmackDown featured teaser promos from blue brand newcomers Ridge Holland, Aliyah, Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo, and Sheamus, so it will be interesting to see if they are used on tonight’s show.
Tonight’s show should also see the arrival of a new blue brand ring announcer as Greg Hamilton was released this past week. There is no word on who will replace him.
FS1 will air two encore presentations of SmackDown tonight. The first replay will go head-to-head with AEW Rampage. SmackDown will air on FS1 from 8pm until 2am tonight.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
As Ring Of Honor begins to scale back its business, recent reports suggest its back catalog of video footage is for sale to ‘the highest bidder.’
As we previously reported, Ring Of Honor recently released its entire roster as it begins to scale down its business ahead of an announced revamp next year, but if recent reports are accurate, the company is also selling off one of its most valuable assets — its coveted tape library.
Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reports that ROH’s back catalog of Sinclair-owned video footage from 2012 onwards has been available to the ‘highest bidder’ for over a year. It is believed that ROH is expecting to receive more than market value for the library, although how the market value of pro wrestling footage was determined was not disclosed.
No doubt both AEW and WWE will be attempting to acquire ROH’s library, but only time will tell who wins out. Interestingly, AEW announcer Tony Schiavone recently said that he expects AEW to launch its own streaming service at some point. “I think we’re going to see a streaming service — This is my thought, I don’t know anything for sure. Just by talking to people, I think there’s going to be a streaming service by the end of 2022,” Schiavone said on the most recent edition of Ask Tony Live!. “So I think it’s going to come up very, very soon,” he added.
Ring of Honor was founded by Rob Feinstein in 2002 but was owned by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011. In 2011, the company was purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group. From its inception, ROH was home to some of the most exciting independent talents in the United States. Huge stars like Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Seth Rollins cut their teeth in the promotion.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ring Of Honor ceased operations and canceled all of its upcoming shows, though it continued to pay its talent. The company resumed operations in August of 2020 but has struggled to regain momentum.
On Wednesday, October 27, ROH announced that its upcoming Final Battle event would be its last show for some time as it needs to alter its business strategy moving forward.
Bray Wyatt (real name Windham Rotunda) is hinting he might be working on something big with the makeup and effects artist he worked with while in WWE.
Bray Wyatt seems to want fans to know he’s returning to the wrestling soon. Between a tweet he posted reminding everyone he’s got two days before his non-compete expires and a few other posts that tease something big is coming, even his friends are getting in on the action and tweeting about what might be next for the former WWE Superstar.
Among those offering hints for fans is Jason Baker. Baker is a special makeup effects artist for film, tv, and commercials and he’s well known by wrestling fans for helping Wyatt come up with the concept for the Fiend mask. Baker tweeted a photo of himself and Wyatt together recently and the hint seems to be that the two are teaming up again. What they’re working on and what they’re talking about is up for debate and it seems to be Baker wants fans to speculate.
Writing, “Just another day at the office with @WWEBrayWyatt” Baker and Wyatt could be working on another design. Perhaps it’s a brand new concept. Perhaps it’s a reimaging of a character fans know quite well. Perhaps it’s for WWE, AEW, IMPACT Wrestling or another industry entirely. None of that is known at this time. All that is known is that Baker helped to design and paint Wyatt’s most recent Fiend mask, one also supervised by legendary artist Tom Savini. Baker also worked with The Fiend at WrestleMania 37.
Wyatt has changed his Twitter profile and handle — one day before the expiration of his 90-day non-compete clause.
Wyatt’s new Twitter handle is now @Windham6. Previously, it was @WWEBrayWyatt.
It has been reported that the 34-year-old will use the ring name “Windham” going forward. The new Twitter handle is a strong hint that this will indeed be his post-WWE ring name. Wyatt will be eligible to sign with a new promotion when his 90-day non compete clause runs up today.
Logically, the assumption here would be that Wyatt is not teasing something with WWE since his posts picked up in quantity as his non-compete was coming to an end. It doesn’t make much sense to promote a return to WWE if you’re free and clear from the company. He also changed his Twitter handle and removed the WWE tag from his account.
As for whether or not that means AEW is in mix, AEW President Tony Khan did say he has not talked with Wyatt about coming on board.
Source: TheSportster
WWE Hall Of Famer and current AEW play-by-play announcer Jim Ross (JR) has revealed he plans to open a cannabis farm in his home state of Oklahoma.
Jim Ross is getting into the weed business! The legendary play-by-play broadcaster recently revealed his plans to open a cannabis farm with his daughter in his home state of Oklahoma.
Good ol’ JR spilled the nugz on a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast.
“My youngest daughter, her husband and I, and another guy, a lawyer, are getting ready to start a cannabis farm,” JR said. “We’re looking at the working title of Black Hat Farms. I bought some land in Oklahoma recently for the grow houses and all the things. That’s gonna be their life, that’s a big deal. She’s got a great job in marketing. She’s not gonna quit that, I wouldn’t even let her consider that. So, I’m excited about that for my kids,” the WWE Hall Of Famer added.
Although its weed laws are continuously evolving, the use of recreational cannabis is currently still illegal in the state of Oklahoma. Despite the changing attitudes towards weed, Oklahomans continue to be arrested for possession and, in 2020, the ACLU released a report that revealed black people 4.2 times more likely to be arrested for possessing cannabis in Oklahoma than white people.
As you’re no doubt aware, Jim Ross has dabbled in several business ventures outside the world of wrestling. He has a line of barbecue sauce and also sells his own brand of beef jerky called JR’s Family Barbecue. On his podcast, Ross said that his desire to leave something behind for his kids is partly what inspired him to get into the cannabis industry.
“I figured out it was probably smarter to leave them things while I was alive and sort through all the heartbreak and the minutiae and the legal stuff, the probate courts and all these things after I was gone,” he said. “It’s gonna be hard enough after I’m gone simply because I’ve got so much memorabilia. I need a clever, creative way to have somebody that knows what the hell they’re doing come into my home, inventory my memorabilia, then figure out the best way to pair it down.”
Ross was recently diagnosed with skin cancer after discovering a growth on his lower leg. During his time as WWE’s lead announcer, JR earned a deserved reputation as one of the best professional wrestling announcers of all time. He called almost the entire Attitude Era and is the definitive voice of professional wrestling to many fans as a result. Ross signed a three-year deal with All Elite Wrestling when the company launched back in April of 2019.
Source: TheSportster
Just days removed from an unforgettable Bound For Glory, the fallout begins on an all-new IMPACT! from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, this Thursday at 8/7c on AXS TV and 8:30pm ET on YouTube for IMPACT Insiders.
* Chris Sabin and Ace Austin w/Madman Fulton
* X-Division Championship: Trey Miguel (c) vs. Rocky Romero
* New Knockouts Champion Mickie James addresses the IMPACT Zone
* New Knockouts Tag Team Champions The IInspiration will be in the IMPACT Zone
* Joe Doering w/VBD vs. Heath w/Rhino
* Tasha Steelz w/Savannah Evans vs. Rachael Ellering w/Jordynne Grace
* VSK w/Brian Myers and Zicky Dice vs. Sam Beale
* Stay tuned to AXS TV at 10/9c for a new episode of IMPACT in 60, featuring the greatest matches from the IMPACT career of the “Scream Queen”, Daffney.
Ring Of Honor has made a huge announcement regarding its operations … and if recent reports are accurate, it’s also laid off its entire roster.
Mere moments after Ring Of Honor made a huge announcement regarding its future, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the company had released its entire roster.
On October 27, ROH took to social media to release a statement in which it revealed that it would be undergoing a revamp and was aiming to relaunch in 2022.
Read Ring Of Honor’s announcement here:
“Throughout the pandemic, our top priority was to keep everyone healthy and safe, and despite not producing any live events over 18 months, we were able to keep everyone fully contracted. We now find ourselves at a time where we need to make changes to our business operations and are planning a pivot for Ring of Honor, with a new mission and strategy.
The year will culminate with a Final Battle in December, and we will be taking the first quarter of 2022 to work internally to reimagine ROH. ROH has the most dedicated fans in the industry, and we appreciate their loyalty and patience as we reconceptualize ROH.
We anticipate returning to live events in April for the Super Card of Honor with a new fan-focused product and provide a unique experience for wrestling fans.”
Shortly after the statement was released, Meltzer tweeted that the company had released “everyone.”
According to Meltzer’s colleague Bryan Alvarez, Ring Of Honor will not renew any contracts, but the releases will not take effect until the end of the year. Talent is also able to begin accepting bookings elsewhere immediately.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ring Of Honor ceased operations and canceled all of its upcoming shows, though it continued to pay its talent. The company resumed operations in August of 2020 but has struggled to regain momentum.
Ring of Honor was founded by Rob Feinstein in 2002 but was owned by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011. In 2011, the company was purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group. From its inception, ROH was home to some of the most exciting independent talents in the United States. Huge stars like Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Seth Rollins cut their teeth in the promotion.
Source: TheSportster
Tonight’s AEW Dynamite episode airs on TNT at the Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts.
* CM Punk vs. Bobby Fish
* Dark Order (Colt Cabana, Evil Uno, John Silver, and Stu Grayson) vs. The Elite (AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, and The Young Bucks)
* Jon Moxley vs. 10 (AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament)
* Serena Deeb vs. Hikaru Shida (AEW TBS Title Tournament)
* Sammy Guevara (c) vs. Ethan Page (AEW TNT Title)
* MJF in action
Former WWE superstar Braun Strowman announced his post-WWE ring name as well as an appearance for a December wrestling show.
On Tuesday, former WWE superstar Braun Strowman (real name Adam Scherr) announced his post-WWE ring name as well as an appearance for a wrestling event in December.
Strowman took to Twitter and announced that he’ll wrestle as “The Titan” at the Dec. 4 “Blizzard Brawl” event in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The event will be held Waukesha County Expo Center. Strowman also noted that this is likely “the only show” he’ll be doing in the remainder of 2021:
Last week, it was reported that Strowman would be going by the “The Titan.” Many wrestling fans and pundits assumed that he would appear at the Impact Wrestling Bound for Glory pay-per-view on Saturday, but it never wound up transpiring. Days before the event, Strowman was seen meeting with Impact Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore.
Impact reportedly tried to bring in Strowman, Bray Wyatt (released on July 31) and Bronson Reed (released Aug. 6) for Saturday’s event. It should be noted that Wyatt’s 90-day non-compete clause with WWE doesn’t expire until this Friday.
Strowman was one of six WWE talents released on June 2, along with Aleister Black, Santana Garrett, Lana, Murphy and Ruby Riott. The 90-day non-compete clause of the former Universal Champion expired weeks ago, so he has been eligible to sign with a different promotion for a while now.
The 38-year-old Strowman wrestled his final match for WWE at WrestleMania Backlash on May 16. He faced off against Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre in a WWE Championship match, which The Almighty won by pinning The Monster Among Men.
As noted above, Strowman could have signed with another wrestling company several weeks ago. There surely isn’t a shortage of interest in the former Universal Champion and 2018 men’s Money in the Bank ladder match winner. It seems as though Strowman is happy to take his time and mull over the options before deciding where to sign next. His aforementioned tweet about not doing any other shows this year (outside of the Dec. 4 event) suggests that it could be a while until Strowman makes up his mind, too.
Source: TheSportster
WWE has reportedly released SmackDown’s ring announcer, Greg Hamilton.
WWE has parted ways with ring announcer Greg Hamilton. The reason for his departure remains unclear at this time.
2021 has been an incredibly busy year for WWE when it comes to releasing its employees. More than 50 have been shown the door already during this calendar year, and it seems you can now add another name to that list. According to PWInsider, Greg Hamilton, the ring announcer for SmackDown on Friday nights, has been let go.
The news comes after Hamilton removed any mention of WWE from his Twitter bio earlier this week and made his account private. Fans who noticed that wondered whether Hamilton had been released by WWE and apparently, that is indeed the case. Hamilton’s Instagram page still reads he is a WWE employee and links to his company page at this time.
The reason why Hamilton has been released from his contract currently remains unclear. However, the timing of it seems incredibly coincidental. The announcer was involved in quite a public clash with rapper Westside Gunn. Gunn is a big wrestling fan and used a sample of Hamiltion’s voice on one of his latest tracks.
Gunn didn’t clue Hamilton in on this beforehand, angering the announcer. Hamilton publicly threatened legal action on Instagram via a number of posts and replies to comments that have since been deleted. At one point, Hamilton threatened Gunn by saying if he didn’t contact him and his lawyer to settle and resolve the issue, he would employ the help of WWE’s lawyers instead and take the rapper to court.
Again, it is currently unclear why WWE has released Hamilton. His recent comments towards Gunn might be completely unrelated. It’s also possible Hamilton requested his release from the company, although it’s unclear why he would do that. Unless the two things are linked and the announcer didn’t have the backing of his employers after threatening to use their legal team for all to see on social media.
Source: TheSportster
Earlier today, Hamilton posted a statement, calling his release “a mutual respect departure.” Hamilton noted family is his priority and being on the road all year was too much.
“After six years and 52 weeks a year, it’s time to say ‘goodbye,’” Hamilton wrote. “First and foremost, don’t let the internet or social media gas you up; this was a mutual respect departure from a great company. Nothing but respect from both sides. It’s business. Also understand that what you see on social media is exactly that. It’s not real life. Especially for your favorite Superstars. They are human beings with real lives, and INCREDIBLE human beings. The hate, the bullying…that is read and internalized by real human beings…not characters. That needs to be said for my friends.
“And as I get older, my mother is in her 70’s; my sister Jessi, who has cerebral palsy…those are my priorities. Not chasing fame, not being on television. 52 weeks a year became too much. Without our mental health, we have nothing. But man…what a ride. There are truly no fans like the #WWEUniverse. Wow. Six continents over six years; embracing your love and passion has truly changed me as a person. I am forever grateful.”
Hamilton worked for the NBA’s Orlando Magic and the Miss America organization before coming to WWE, and did other TV work for FOX, NBC and CBS in various key markets.
No word yet on who will replace Hamilton on SmackDown going forward.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
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