Author: John Bass

WWE SmackDown To Go Head-to-Head With AEW Collision Next Month

The latest battle between WWE and AEW was this past Tuesday between NXT and Dynamite, with NXT outdrawing the rival show in the ratings.  

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the next head-to-head ratings battle between WWE and AEW will happen on November 17. 

“The next head-to-head situations will be on 11/17, when Collision is moved to Friday from 8-10 p.m., meaning there will be a live three-hour block from the Forum in Los Angeles with Rampage at 10-11 p.m. So the first two hours will go against Smackdown on FOX.”

AEW can’t air its program in the normal timeslot because of the Full Gear pay-per-view event on November 18th. 

There will also be a head-to-head on November 25 with Collision against Survivor Series and on December 9 with Collision against NXT Deadline from Bridgeport, CT.

Source: eWn

AEW Rampage Preview 10/13/2023

AEW has announced the lineup for tonight’s new Rampage episode on TNT.

  • Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy & Brother Zay vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker & Daniel Garcia
  • Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta of Blackpool Combat Club vs. Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona of Mogul Embassy’s Gates of Agony 
  • Skye Blue vs. Emi Sakura
  • Trent Beretta vs. Jay Lethal

WWE SmackDown Preview 10/13/2023

The WWE SmackDown ‘season premiere’ will air live tonight on FOX from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

  • The fallout from Fastlane
  • Triple H to appear
  • John Cena to appear
  • Roman Reigns returns
  • WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso to issue open challenge
  • Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson) vs. Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland and Butch)

MLW Star Davey Boy Smith Jr Undergoes Emergency Surgery

On Thursday evening, Major League Wrestling announced that Davey Boy Smith Jr could not compete at the promotion’s Slaughterhouse event and was place on the injured reserve.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1712634302192636076

Smith Jr revealed on his Instagram that he underwent emergency surgery late Wednesday night for appendicitis and removal of his appendix. Smith further noted he then found out that he also had diverticulitis and needed part of his colon removed.

Smith Jr was originally scheduled to challenge Alex Kane for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. Instead, it will be Tom Lawlor who will challenge Kane for the Title at the event, which will take place Saturday at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

Source: WrestleView

Impact Wrestling Preview 10/12/2023

Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on AXS TV is all-new. Here are the matches that have been announced for the show:

  • Best of Three Falls Killer Impact Match: Eddie Edwards vs. Frankie Kazarian
  • Impact Wrestling Tag Team Championship: The Rascalz (c) vs. Sami Callihan and Rich Swann
  • Courtney Rush (with Jessicka) vs. Tasha Steelz (with Deonna Purrazzo)
  • Jake Something vs. Champagne Singh vs. Eric Young vs. Dirty Dango vs. Jordynne Grace

ROH TV Preview 10/12/2023

ROH will air a new episode of its weekly television show tonight at 7 pm ET on HonorClub. 

You can sign up for the streaming service here. Below is the lineup for the show: 

  • ROH Women’s Champion Athena vs. Mazerati.
  • AAA Latin American Champion QT Marshall vs. Daga.
  • Shane Taylor & Lee Mortiarty vs. The Infantry.
  • Willow Nightingale vs. Leyla Hirsh. 
  • Action Andretti vs. Gringo Loco. 
  • Ethan Page vs. Christopher Daniels.  
  • Scorpio Sky vs. Darius Martin.
  • Kip Sabian vs. Anthony Henry.  
  • The Gates of Agony vs. Fresco & Watson.
  • Angelico vs. Marty Casal (aka Marty the Moth in Lucha Underground)
  • Billie Starkz vs. Rochelle Riveter

The Debut Trailer For Upcoming Von Erich Family Biopic, The Iron Claw

Since it was announced back in summer 2022, Sean Durkin’s film “The Iron Claw,” based on the Von Erich wrestling family, has been hotly anticipated by wrestling fans. But while there have been plenty of casting announcements, set photos, and posters released, one thing fans hadn’t seen yet had been footage from the film, until today.

On X Wednesday morning, “The Iron Claw’s” distributor, A24, released the first trailer for the film. Running at 2 minutes and 22 seconds, the trailer focuses on Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron), including scenes highlighting his relationship with future wife, Pam (Lily James), battles in the ring with his brothers, Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) and David (Harris Dickinson) against the likes of the Fabulous Freebirds, and volatile moments with the Von Erich patriarch, Fritz (Holt McCallany), whom the trailer pushes as a domineering figure. Notably, the trailer features “Tom Sawyer” by Rush, which the Von Erichs famously used as their entrance music.

Though not entirely focused on, the trailer also hints at the real-life tragedy the Von Erichs faced, with several scenes featuring Efron and James mourning at a funeral. The trailer notably doesn’t feature significant footage of AEW World Champion MJF, who will play the kayfabe Von Erich brother Lance Von Erich, nor fellow AEW star Ryan Nemeth, who plays Gino Hernandez. Legendary wrestlers featured include brief shots of Michael Hayes, played by wrestler Brady Pierce, and Ric Flair, who is briefly seen played by Aaron Dean Eisenberg. Fans will not have to wait much longer to see “The Iron Claw,” which is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 22. The timing of the release will make “The Iron Claw” eligible for award season, including the Academy Awards in early 2023.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Report: WWE Not Bringing Back CM Punk

According to F4WOnline, WWE has decided against bringing back CM Punk. 

There have been previous reports that Punk had intention to return to WWE and he and the company were said to be in talks.

Also per the report from F4WOnline, WWE turned Punk down, with Vince McMahon, Nick Kahn and Paul Levesque deciding on not to bring Punk back at this time.

It was further noted the main reason for not to bring back Punk, was the negatives out weighted the positives.

When Nick Khan spoke last month with ESPN about WWE’s potential interest in Punk, he said they “only have respect for Phil” and “wish him nothing but the best.”

Undertaker Returns As American Bad-Ass, Chokeslams Bron Breakker On WWE NXT

The teases of the “Dead Man” appearing on “WWE NXT” on Tuesday as it went head-to-head against “AEW Dynamite” ended up being true, but it wasn’t the Undertaker’s undead persona that made it to the ring on Tuesday. The WWE Hall of Famer rolled down the ramp, instead, confronting Bron Breakker on a motorcycle as “The American Bad-Ass.”

Undertaker made his appearance after Breakker took out Carmelo Hayes following their match, which Breakker lost. The young star was the first to get on the mic against the Hall of Famer and asked if he understood there was only one badass around “NXT.” While Breakker received “you f***ed up” chants from the crowd in the WWE Performance Center, Undertaker told Breakker that he had been watching him for a long time, and that one day he is going to be a special talent. But not today.

The legend then decked Breakker and got him up for a chokeslam as Hayes sat grinning in the corner. Undertaker got back on the mic to give Breakker a little advice, telling him there’s always an older, bigger, badder badass waiting around the corner, and that he “just met the baddest of them all.” Undertaker and Hayes then posed for the crowd as “NXT” went off the air.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Brian Pillman Jr’s Emotional Vignette Debuting On WWE NXT — As Lexis King?

In the midst of a very eventful Tuesday night, a vignette played on “WWE NXT” providing the first look at WWE’s presentation of Brian Pillman Jr. Though he didn’t go as far as to confirm his full ring name, leaving out the rumored “Lexis” first name for now, the video does include Pillman revealing his new surname and the logic behind the change. After the show, the WWE star took to X to further explain himself.

The video shows former AEW star Pillman watching highlights of his father’s WWE career. Over the footage, short audio clips described the late Pillman Sr. as “crazy,” “unpredictable,” and more.

“My father was one of the most infamous superstars in this business,” Pillman says in the video. “Everywhere I go, people stop to tell me, ‘Man, I loved your dad. Such a trailblazer, he was.’ It seems like everybody has such fond memories of my father. Well, you know who doesn’t? Me — his own damn son.”

Pillman pointed out that he was only 4 years old when his father died. Additionally, the 30-year-old stated that wrestling was one of the last things he thought he’d ever want to do. However, despite earning a college degree and trying his hand at other sports, Pillman said that he keeps finding himself drawn to pro wrestling.

“I’ve got no choice but to inflict pain on the very business that has brought me so much grief,” Pillman continued. “But when they see this face, I don’t want them to think about my dead father. I want them to think about me. I’m nobody’s junior, and from this day forward, I’m going to take on the last name of the real man who raised me — the real father figure in my life — and his name was King. And now, so is mine.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.