Author: John Bass

WWE SmackDown Preview 2/24/2023

The post-Elimination Chamber episode of WWE SmackDown tonight from the Ford Center in Evansville, IN., airing live on FOX starting 8/7c.

IMPACT Wrestling No Surrender 2/24/2023 (Card)

IMPACT Wrestling No Surrender 2023 special event from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, Nevada streaming on IMPACT Plus, YouTube for IMPACT Ultimate Insiders and FITE.

CARD

Impact World Title Match
Rich Swann vs. Josh Alexander (c)

Impact Knockouts World Title Match
Masha Slamovich vs. Mickie James (c)

Dot Combat Match for the Impact Digital Media Title
Moose vs. Joe Hendry (c)

Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Titles Match
The Hex (Allysin Kay, Marti Belle) vs. The Death Dollz (Taya Valkyrie, Jessicka) (c)

#1 Contenders Fatal 4 Way
Brian Myers vs. PCO vs. Steve Maclin vs. Eddie Edwards

Busted Open Radio Segment
Hosted by Dave LaGreca, Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer

Six-Man Tag-Team Match
The Bullet Club (KENTA, Ace Austin, Chris Bey) vs. Time Machine (Kushida, Impact World Tag Team & NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns)

Singles Match
Frankie Kazarian vs. Big Kon

Busted Open Live segment to hash out Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer’s issues with Dave LaGreca

Countdown To No Surrender Pre-show Match
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Gisele Shaw

Countdown To No Surrender Pre-show Match
Jonathan Gresham vs. Mike Bailey

Busted Open Live segment to hash out Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer’s issues with Dave LaGreca

Update On Kenny Omega’s AEW Contract Status

Kenny Omega has been pushed as a top star since helping launch AEW in 2019. 

His future with the company is unclear as his deal with AEW is going to be up in the near future and WWE is reportedly interested in signing him. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Omega’s deal would’ve been up in January, but since AEW has decided to add time to it due to the time he missed in 2022 because of various injuries, Omega will remain with the promotion for most of 2023. 

“Omega’s AEW contract date was to have expired at the end of January as he had a four-year deal with no option clause to add time that started on February 1, 2019. His contract does allow AEW to extend it for the time he was out injured, which has happened. He was out nine months so that would be a maximum of November but the extended time frame hasn’t been finalized as far as how long,” Meltzer wrote.

Source: eWrestlingNews

Jeff Hardy’s DUI Court Case Is Now Closed

The ongoing court case involving Jeff Hardy continues to take twists and turns.

According to reports, the case regarding his June 2022 DUI arrest has reportedly been closed after the AEW wrestler pled no contest to the charges. Several court records from the Volusia County Clerk reveal that Hardy’s case was closed on Thursday.

Despite his case being closed, Hardy’s drivers license has been suspended for ten years, along with “vehicle impoundment” for 90 days and “vehicle interlock device” for two years. Hardy must also complete DUI school, a drug rehab program, and community service.

AEW suspended Hardy after his DUI arrest and stated that his return relies on completing rehab and maintaining his sobriety.

Source: eWrestlingNews

Update On Cameron Grimes’ WWE Status

WWE’s Cameron Grimes has been rumored to be heading to the main roster for months now, and a new report from Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer may indicate why the young star hasn’t made the full move quite yet. Speaking on “Wrestling Observer Radio,” Meltzer indicated that Grimes is indeed done in “NXT,” but is currently awaiting a creative plan for his main roster debut.

Grimes previously made a cameo appearance on “WWE Raw” back in October, recruiting Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson for some help back over on “NXT.” While at the “Raw” taping, Grimes also wrestled a dark match before the show began.

Ahead of his seemingly-imminent main roster debut, Grimes made his last appearance on “NXT” during the November 8 episode, where he lost to Joe Gacy in a singles match. Grimes debuted for “NXT” back in 2019, and over the course of his time there, he defeated Carmelo Hayes to capture the “NXT” North American Championship before eventually losing the belt back to Hayes. He also feuded against the likes of Finn Balor, Kushida, and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase of all people.

Since Paul “Triple H” Levesque took the position of WWE’s Chief Content Officer, there haven’t been as many “NXT” call-ups as some may have expected. A number of free agents who used to compete under the “NXT” banner were brought back to join the main roster, including Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Dexter Lumis. IYO SKY joined up with Kai and Bayley to form Damage CTRL back in August, and the following month Solo Sikoa was called up to become part of The Bloodline. If Grimes does indeed make his main roster debut soon, he will join a relatively short list of “NXT” talent to make the move up in WWE’s new era.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

IMPACT Wrestling Preview 2/23/2023

Just 24 hours away from No Surrender, don’t miss an all-new IMPACT! this Thursday at 8/7c on AXS TV and 8:30pm ET on YouTube for IMPACT Insiders.

  • X Division Championship – Monster’s Ball: Trey Miguel (c) vs. Crazzy Steve
  • “The Motor City Machine Guns” Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin vs. Jonathan Gresham and Mike Bailey in a non-title match
  • Bully Ray vs. an unnamed opponent in a Beat the Clock Challenge match
  • Tommy Dreamer vs. Jason Hotch in a Beat the Clock Challenge match
  • Frankie Kazarian and Yuya Uemora vs. Deaner and Callihan
  • Allysin Kay vs. Taya Valkyrie

AEW Announces New “AEW: All Access” Show

During the February 22 episode of AEW Dynamite, AEW President Tony Khan brought in Adam Cole to announce “AEW: All Access”, the upcoming reality series that will premiere as a weekly one-hour television show immediately after Dynamite. The show is set to premiere sometime in March.

TBS made the announcement official, and you can read it below:

TBS Orders Its First New Unscripted Series of 2023 With the Greenlight of “AEW: All Access”
TBS has greenlit its first new unscripted series of 2023, further expanding its All Elite Wrestling franchise with “AEW: All Access” – a follow-doc from the perspectives of the league’s biggest stars. The new series, which was just announced during another red-hot episode of TBS’ “AEW: Dynamite,” is slated to premiere this March.

Billed as the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience for fans, the series will feature Adam Cole, Dr. Britt Baker, Sammy Guevara, Tay Conti, The Young Bucks, Saraya, Wardlow, and Eddie Kingston along with AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan.

Each episode will showcase AEW’s stars as they navigate the week-to-week challenges to remain at the top, and will track the rivalries between talent as they vie for fans’ attention. Over the course of the series, viewers will get the chance to follow the contentious lead-up to AEW’s major wrestling events and matches. “AEW: All Access” will complement TBS and TNT’s portfolio of top-rated wrestling content, including “AEW: Dynamite” and “AEW: Rampage” respectively.

“AEW has such an amazingly loyal and dedicated fan base that brings in more than 4 million viewers to TBS every Wednesday night,” said Jason Sarlanis, President, Turner Networks, ID, & HLN. Linear and Streaming. “With ‘All Access,’ we are bringing that incredible audience a whole new way to experience the wrestling universe they love. We have a powerful partnership with Tony Khan and AEW. With this new series we are expanding the franchise in a way that invites viewers inside the world of wrestling like never before.”

“We’re always looking for new ways to engage with fans and give them unique access to our incredible talent. With the new ‘AEW: All Access’ series, they’ll have a chance to peek behind the curtain and into the lives of their favorite wrestlers like never before,” said Tony Khan. “To show the human side of some of these larger-than-life figures will give fans a rare perspective about who these wrestlers are when the cameras aren’t typically on.”

From Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, “AEW: All Access” is produced by Shed Media in association with AEW and Activist Artists Management. Executive producers are Tony Khan, Dan Peirson, Lisa Shannon, Sam Berns, Alan Bloom, Bernie Cahill and Jon Kanak.

AEW Dynamite Preview 2/22/2023

AEW Dynamite will air live tonight on TBS and emanate from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

  • AEW All-Atlantic Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Wheeler Yuta
  • Jon Moxley vs. Dark Order’s Evil Uno
  • Revolution Tag Team Battle Royale
  • Skye Blue vs. Saraya
  • The Acclaimed vs. The Firm’s Big Bill & Lee Moriarty
  • We will Hear From Bryan Danielson
  • Tony Schiavone will interview Christian Cage on his return to AEW
  • Tony Khan to make an important Announcement

Latest On Behind The Scenes Morale In WWE

According to a report from PWInsider in their Elite subscription based section, the mood backstage within WWE has begun to change as Vince McMahon continues on seeking a buyer for the company. It was also noted in the report the uncertainty of what a sale will mean has led to “waning morale.”

The report further indicates that everyone being on eggshells has started to return and that the “unbridled energy” Triple H has brought since taking over creative, is beginning to fade.

PWInsider’s Elite report concluded by saying they do not hear that wrestlers are walking on eggshells or that the unbridled energy for them is fading. It seems more from those that are working backstage. It was also noted that it is not as terrible as things once were, there is a sense of the energy waning because when WWE gets sold, it certainly means that changes will happen.

Source: WrestleView

WWE NXT Preview 2/21/2023

Tonight’s WWE NXT on the USA Network at 8/7C.