A new QR code appeared on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
During the entrance for A-Town Down Under, a QR code led fans to a website that had links to “recovered” poems and letters.
Author: John Bass
AEW Collision Preview 5/25/2024
AEW Collision live on TBS from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Final show before Sunday’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
- The Gunns vs. The Lucha Bros
- Bryan Danielson & FTR vs. Satnam Singh, Jeff Jarrett, & Jay Lethal
AEW Double or Nothing 5/26/2024 (Card)
AEW Double or Nothing – Sunday May 26 2024 – from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
CARD
AEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Christian Cage
TBS CHAMPIONSHIP
Willow Nightingale (c) (with Stokely Hathaway) vs. Mercedes Moné
AEW INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Roderick Strong (c) vs. Will Ospreay
AEW WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
“Timeless” Toni Storm (c) vs. Serena Deeb
ANARCHY IN THE ARENA MATCH
The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson) vs. Team AEW (Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin, Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood)
TNT CHAMPIONSHIP – BARBED WIRE STEEL CAGE MATCH
Adam Copeland (c) vs. Malakai Black
IWGP WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATOR MATCH
If Takeshita wins, he will receive a future IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match.
Jon Moxley (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
AEW UNIFIED WORLD TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP
Bang Bang Gang (Jay White and Gunn Club) vs. Death Triangle (Pac & Lucha Bros)
FTW CHAMPIONSHIP – FTW RULES
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Hook vs. Katsuyori Shibata
Trent Beretta vs. Orange Cassidy
THE BUY IN
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Thunder Rosa
THE BUY IN
The Acclaimed & “Daddy Ass” Billy Gun vs. Cage of Agony (Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
WWE SmackDown Preview 5/24/2024
WWE SmackDown will air tonight on FOX from the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the first time.
Tonight’s SmackDown is the go-home show for Saturday’s King and Queen of the Ring premium live event.
- King of the Ring Semifinal Match: Tama Tonga vs. Randy Orton
- Queen of the Ring Semifinal Match: Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax
- The Street Profits vs. Tonga Loa and Solo Sikoa
- WWE Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Chelsea Green (Non-Title Match)
- AJ Styles will confront SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis
Triple H announced that the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring series will also receive world title matches at the August 2024 SummerSlam event, which emanates from Cleveland, Ohio.
AEW Rampage Preview 5/24/2024
The lineup for tonight’s new Rampage episode from the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, CA on TNT at a special time. (6pm ET.)
- PAC vs. Rocky Romero
- Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander vs. Anna Jay & Alex Windsor
- RUSH vs. Isiah Kassidy
- Samoa Joe in action
WWE King & Queen Of The Ring 5/25/2024 (Card)
WWE King and Queen of the Ring – Saturday May 25, 2024 from Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
WWE UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
Cody Rhodes (C) vs. Logan Paul
WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed
KING OF THE RING TOURNAMENT FINAL
Gunther vs. Randy Orton
QUEEN OF THE RING TOURNAMENT FINAL
Lyra Valkyria vs. Nia Jax
(Pre-Show) WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill (c) vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
Winners of the King and Queen of the Ring series will also receive world title matches at the August 2024 SummerSlam event, which emanates from Cleveland, Ohio.
Kenny Omega Underwent Surgery For Diverticulitis
Kenny Omega recently underwent surgery for diverticulitis.
Fightful Select is reporting that the AEW wrestler underwent surgery on May 16th in New York.
Omega is expected to face a “lengthy recovery” and there are no creative plans in place for him at this time.
Source: eWn
Backstage News On Potential AEW Return Of Former World Champion MJF
Former AEW World Champion MJF could reportedly return to AEW television soon.
MJF has been absent since his loss to Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship at AEW’s Worlds End pay-per-view, but “The Salt of The Earth” could soon return, as per “Fightful Select.” Sources in AEW have told “Fightful” that there have been discussions behind the scenes regarding MJF’s return and that he could be back by the Forbidden Door pay-per-view, which takes place in New York on June 30.
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The report, though, added that there’s no set date for his return as of now. There’s no news regarding MJF’s injury, which has seemingly kept him out of action in 2024, but the report stated that the AEW star was dealing with a few injuries heading into his match with Samoa Joe. Despite the injuries that he had, MJF was keen to wrestle and finish his story with Joe. As per the report, MJF has signed a new deal, and that he’s now one of the highest earners in the promotion.
MJF’s return could be a huge fillip to AEW following injuries to several of their top stars, which include the likes of Kenny Omega, Eddie Kingston, and the imminent absence of Bryan Danielson, who is set to have surgery soon. AEW’s ratings have also declined over the last few weeks, which will be a cause for concern for Tony Khan, especially considering their upcoming negotiations for a new deal with WBD.
While many believe that MJF’s return could boost AEW ratings and viewership, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff disagrees, arguing that the AEW star’s talent may not be enough to improve ratings. According to Bischoff, bad creative, rather than a talent’s ability, is the reason for AEW’s decline.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Health Update On AEW Commentator Jim Ross Following ER Visit
Ahead of AEW Double or Nothing this Sunday, commentator Jim Ross revealed yesterday that he had checked himself into a Norman, Oklahoma, emergency room after experiencing shortness of breath. Later in the evening, Ross posted an update showing himself recovering in a hospital bed with his two daughters at his side.
Today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter offered a slight update on Ross. The commentator obviously won’t make it to Sunday’s pay-per-view, which he was scheduled to appear at. In addition to an elevated heart rate, Dave Meltzer reports that Ross has a Class A flu, the most common form of the virus, as well as raised heart enzymes. However, the 72-year-old is expected to recover and return home within the next few days.
Ross has dealt with a series of health issues over the last several years, including a cancer diagnosis and complications that arose from his treatment. Earlier this month, Ross provided an update on his health by stating that he felt the best he had in years, was still in remission from skin cancer, and the wound from his radiation treatment was close to fully healing.
This weekend’s pay-per-view marks the fifth anniversary of AEW, which Ross has been an important part of since the beginning. The former WWE commentator was one of the company’s first hires, calling the inaugural Double or Nothing in 2019 along with many shows that followed. In light of his health struggles, Ross stepped back from full-time commentary in 2022 but continues to call matches part-time for the promotion. The wrestling veteran revealed that his AEW contract expires next year, at which time Ross will likely retire from commentary.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Triple H Dramatically Raises The Stakes For WWE King & Queen Of The Ring Tournaments
The 2024 King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will culminate at WWE’s eponymous premium live event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this weekend. Before the finalists head into their respectives battles, though, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has shared a significant update regarding the stakes of these tournaments.
In addition to taking the proverbial throne, Levesque confirmed (via the WWE Experience event in Riyadh) that the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring series will also receive world title matches at the August 2024 SummerSlam event, which emanates from Cleveland, Ohio. Levesque further clarified that the victors will definitively challenge the world champions of their respective brands, rather than having the option to choose their title match opponents.
This week’s episode of “WWE Raw” hosted the first pair of semi-final tournament matchups, with Jey Uso wrestling GUNTHER in the King of the Ring brackets, while Lyra Valkyria collided with IYO SKY in pursuit of the Queen of the Ring throne. Ultimately, these contests resulted in GUNTHER and Valkyria punching their tickets to the finals. The second pair of semi-final faceoffs will take place on tomorrow’s episode of “WWE SmackDown.”
Within the King of the Ring tournament, Randy Orton will tangle up with The Bloodline’s Tama Tonga, who will likely have Solo Sikoa and Tanga Loa lingering in the shadows as back-up. The winner of the Orton-Tonga match will then move on to face GUNTHER in the finals. Similarly, Nia Jax and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Bianca Belair will also square off tomorrow, with the victor advancing to a concluding round Queen of the Ring tournament matchup against Valkyria.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
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