Author: John Bass

WWE Officials Are Unhappy With The SummerSlam 2022 Card [Report]

According to a report, WWE officials “don’t like” the current SummerSlam 2022 card. The show is now just 11 days away.

WWE higher-ups aren’t exactly thrilled with the SummerSlam 2022 match card, according to a report.

A source in WWE informed WrestleVotes that “they really don’t like the SummerSlam card.” Interestingly, it was noted by WrestleVotes that “They” refers to the people who constructed the match card. Whether or not they end up making drastic changes to the event remains to be seen, but with the show just 11 days away, the clock is ticking.

This is certainly an interesting report for a variety of reasons. If WWE officials aren’t pleased with it, then why did they construct it as such? The long-term plans should have been heavily mapped out following WrestleMania 38 weekend, which occurred more than three months ago.

Also, the card looks very strong on paper. Whether fans like it or not, Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in the main event for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship is going to be a massive draw. The other main event matches will include Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship and Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

There are two other highly-anticipated title matches on the card: Bobby Lashley vs. Money in the Bank winner Theory for the United States Championship and The Usos vs. The Street Profits for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships with Jeff Jarrett as the special guest referee.

WWE still has time to make the already stacked card more exciting. Edge and Bayley are both reportedly close to returning, so perhaps we’ll see them at SummerSlam. Drew McIntyre, AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are among the notable talents who haven’t been announced for SummerSlam yet, after all.

Source: TheSportster

Kenny Omega Reportedly Close to In-Ring Return For AEW

Reports are making the rounds that Kenny Omega’s in-ring return might be around the corner for AEW. When is he scheduled to perform?

Good news for fans of AEW, as it appears Kenny Omega might be close to making his return to television and ready to step back into the ring. After missing multiple months nursing an injury, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer recently reported that an Omega return could be right around the corner.

During a recent post, Meltzer explains that the Young Bucks vs. FTR III match that was scheduled is now being held off because a major angle planned has yet to take place is in the works. That rumored angle involves Omega and Fightful Select is corroborating that report that, in fact, Omega is involved. They’ve added that the tentative plan going around to certain staff members is that Omega and the Young Bucks are slated for a six-man tag program for September’s All Out PPV.

It was not reported who their opponents would be, but that’s not the big story here. That Omega is being booked for a match in September suggests he’ll be back before then, which is great news for the company. Injuries have decimated them and it will be great to have some of their bigger names (Omega among them) return.

It is being reported that the rumored September match has yet to be confirmed, thus things can change.

Kenny Omega hasn’t been on AEW programming since November when he lost his AEW World Championship to Hangman Page. Speculation was that Omega was thinking about pushing up his return to be part of the Forbidden Door show but didn’t want to rush things and risk further injury. It was probably a smart decision as that event is being talked about as one that would become a yearly thing and Omega will be part of future productions.

A healthy Omega in AEW is a better AEW. His return will be a welcome sight for fans.

Source: TheSportster

WWE NXT Preview 7/19/2022

Tonight on WWE NXT 2.0 at 8 pm ET on USA Network:

The 20 participants being promoted for the battle royal are Alba Fyre, Amari Miller, Arianna Grace, Cora Jade, Elektra Lopez, Fallon Henley, Indi Hartwell, Ivy Nile, Katana Chance, Kayden Carter, Kiana James, Lash Legend, Nikkita Lyons, Sarray, Sloane Jacobs, Tatum Paxley, Tiffany Stratton, Valentina Feroz, Wendy Choo, and Yulisa Leon.

Bayley Returning To WWE Very Soon

Former Raw, SmackDown and NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has been out of action for over a year as she recovers from a torn ACL. It sounds as though she’ll return very soon.

Bayley has been out of action since July of last year, when she unfortunately suffered an ACL tear while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. After undergoing surgery, WWE announced that the 2019 women’s Money in the Bank ladder match winner would miss roughly nine months of action.

In an update, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reports that Bayley “is scheduled to be in Nashville for” the SummerSlam 2022 weekend. It wasn’t noted if she will actually wrestle at the show, but at least she’ll presumably be at The Biggest Party of the Summer that will run inside Nissan Stadium on July 30.

Earlier this month, Johnson also reported that Bayley was at the Performance Center. That’s obviously a strong indicator that she’s getting very close to an in-ring return. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if WWE decides against announcing Bayley’s return ahead of time. Recent history suggests it’ll be come as a “surprise”, after all.

Bayley may not be the only other notable star who will return soon. WWE reportedly has plans for Edge to return for the go-home SummerSlam edition of Raw next week. The Rated-R Superstar has been off of television since being betrayed by his Judgment Day allies on the June 6 show.

Belair will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Lynch, and Liv Morgan will try to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey. SummerSlam would be the perfect time and place for Bayley to make her WWE return, as she could confront and/or challenge the winner of the Belair-Lynch or Morgan-Rousey match. Bayley has spent ample time in the main event scene, so don’t be surprised if WWE decides to push her immediately following her return to television.

Source: TheSportster

Ric Flair To Team With Andrade El Idolo Against Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal In His Last Match, Ric Flair Left Bloodied After Parking Lot Brawl

On July 31st, Ric Flair is set to have the last match of his wrestling career. His teammate and opponents have been revealed.

On July 31st, Jim Crockett Promotions will present a PPV called “Ric Flair’s Last Match.” The show’s main attraction is predictably the final match of one of the most infamous athletes that pro wrestling has ever seen. Several other matches will also be featured on the card, including a tag team match between the Briscoes (Jay and Mark Briscoe) and the Von Erichs (Marshall and Ross Von Erich) and an IMPACT Knockouts Title Match between champion Jordynne Grace, Deonna Purrazzo, and Rachel Ellering.

Starrcast recently uploaded a video in which Ric Flair revealed who his tag team partner will be in this match as well as who they’ll be facing in Nashville.

Ric Flair’s partner is his son-in-law, AEW star Andrade. This isn’t surprising given their personal relationship. Their opponents will be former WCW star and current WWE superstar, Jeff Jarrett, and his partner Jay Lethal. Jarrett was a longtime rival of Flair back when the two were competitors. AEW star Jay Lethal has been a training partner of Ric Flair for a while, so his involvement also makes sense.

The match was officially announced at 6:05 pm on Monday evening, and it came with a pretty brutal video showing how the match came about, at least in terms of the storyline attached.

That’s when things get particularly nasty. A wound up Jarrett asks his wife Karen for her high heel shoe and proceeds to use it to bust Flair open. The blood quickly flows down the two-time Hall of Famer’s face but the beat down doesn’t stop there. Lethal returns to get a few more licks in and by the time all is said and done, Flair is wearing a crimson mask.

There’s a moment in the video, before Flair winds Jarrett up to the point that he turns on him, where Double-J exclaims “he’s 70-something”. Even though most wrestling fans familiar with Flair’s work will have seen Flair bleed as much as he does in the clip a number of times, this is different. The man is 73, and he was so close to death in 2017 that WWE reportedly made a package for him just in case.

https://twitter.com/KXNGAO/status/1549166923220385793

His age and his health in recent years makes not only the footage above a lot harder to watch, but some fans remain uncertain Flair should be wrestling at all. The match is going to happen though, 24 hours after Jarrett is the special guest referee for the Unified WWE Tag Title match at SummerSlam. That’s likely why Flair teased one of his opponents would be from WWE prior to the announcement yesterday because, well, technically that’s true.

Source: TheSportster

WWE Raw Preview 7/18/22

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network, from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Backstage News On Ric Flair’s Health Before His Final Match, Flair Set To Announce His Final Opponent Tonight

Ric Flair is reportedly hurt right now, and is dealing with a foot injury according to Dave Meltzer on the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

The Nature Boy is just weeks away from competing in his final ever wrestling match at Starrcast V on July 31st, and his mystery opponent is set to be revealed later on today. While he is currently hurt, Flair is expected to still be able to compete in the match and put on the encounter that will be headlining the show.

From the moment it was announced that the 73-year-old would be returning to compete for the first time since 2011 when he competed against Sting for TNA there has been a concern. That was primarily over Flair’s general health, with the former WWE Superstar having a pacemaker fitted, but during the press conference for the show, he claimed he is able to work around his issues, admitting that his inner-ear and blood thinner medication concerns alongside his pacemaker.

“There are two things that could go wrong,” Flair said. “My heart’s pacemaker can come unplugged, but I can plug it back in.” When it comes to the issue surrounding his blood thinners, he simply stated he “just won’t take one that day.”

Flair has shared plenty of footage of himself training and getting into shape as he has been actively training inside the ring with AEW’s Jay Lethal. It is unclear whether it was during the training sessions that the Nature Boy picked up his injury, but the videos have shown him even taking a bump from the top turnbuckle.

Flair’s final match is not the only thing on the card on that night though, as The Briscoes will be in action against The Von Erichs, while Josh Alexander is set to compete against Jacob Fatu, amongst many other bouts. The two-time WWE Hall Of Famer is going to be busy throughout that weekend, as there will be a panel show featuring the Four Horsemen, and the “Roast of Ric Flair” that will celebrate the career of the HOF’er while allowing wrestlers and celebrities to poke fun at his career.

Ric Flair Set To Announce His Final Opponent Ahead Of WWE Raw:

The day has arrived. Ric Flair is finally ready to reveal who his opponent will be for his last match on July 31. And it will happen tonight.

A tease was first made by Conrad Thompson on Friday evening that the announcement would go down on Monday, but it was Flair who put out a message on Twitter Monday morning, giving fans more speculation as to who the adversary will be.

“On July 31, I’m coming after one of your own,” Flair tweeted. “And tonight At 6:05, the entire world will find out.” Flair also used hashtags for “WWE Raw” and “Ric Flair’s Last Match.”

https://twitter.com/HeyHeyItsConrad/status/1548102931336925184
https://twitter.com/RicFlairNatrBoy/status/1549017103256231936

The “one of your own” comment along with the “Raw” hashtag provides added intrigue, particularly as Flair was recently added back to the WWE signature show introduction. The question of who Flair’s opponent will be has become a hot topic in the wrestling world since Ricky Steamboat shut down reports of him tagging with the Rock & Roll Express to face Flair and FTR. The announcement will be made at 6:05 PM ET as an homage to Jim Crockett Promotions.

Flair announced back in May that he’d be coming back for one last match under the classic Jim Crockett Promotions banner during Starrcast V in Nashville. Starrcast V is highlighted by “Ric Flair’s Last Match,” which has a preliminary card full of dream matches that fans can look forward to, but the weekend will also play host to “The Roast Of Ric Flair” and a Four Horsemen reunion that will feature Flair, Arn Anderson, JJ Dillon, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, and Lex Luger. Most recently, it was reported by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer that Flair is currently suffering from a foot injury, giving the Nature Boy just under two weeks to work through it and get ready for his match.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jeff Jarrett Named Special Guest Referee For Usos vs. Street Profits At SummerSlam

WWE has announced that Jeff Jarrett will be the special guest official for the Usos vs. Street Profits match at SummerSlam.

On Friday night, fans learned the identity of the special guest official who will be enforcing the rules between The Street Profits and The Uso at SummerSlam. That special guest official, is none other than Hall of Famer and Sr. Vice President of Special Events for WWE, Jeff Jarrett.

It’s a fairly random choice considering all of the options WWE could have gone with. He’s got no real connection to either team, nor does he have any experience as a WWE official. The best guess as to why WWE chose him was because SummerSlam is taking place in Nashville and they wanted to connect a known Nashville hometown celebrity to the bout. WWE seems to have gone with someone they figure the live fans will cheer at the event. It probably doesn’t hurt that the company had easy access to him as he’s likely on the road and traveling with the roster on a close-to full-time basis.

What’s so intriguing about the decision was that when Adam Pearce made the announcement to close the show, Jarrett wasn’t even on-site. A video package of his greatest moments in WWE — most of which were of him smashing people with his guitar to show he doesn’t mess around — was played. When it ended, The Usos and Street Profits continued to brawl as the show went off the air. Four officials couldn’t break them up.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1548124988992995328

AEW Rampage Fyter Fest Week 1 Preview 7/15/22

The Ring of Honor World Championship will be on the line on tonight’s episode of “AEW Rampage” Fyter Fest Week 1.

Champion Jonathan Gresham will defend his title against Lee Moriarty. Gresham and Moriarty were partners in a tag team match against Tully Blanchard’s Gates of Agony (Toa Liona and Kaun) on last Friday’s “Rampage”. However, Gresham abandoned Moriarty during the match, revealing he had joined the Tully Blanchard Enterprises faction.

Ring of Honor’s next pay-per-view Death Before Dish0nor is just over one week away. As of Friday morning, a title challenger for Gresham on that show has yet to be announced. Gresham has held the title for more than 200 days and has defended it in a number of promotions, including Impact Wrestling. Gresham also had a successful title defense against Dalton Castle on AEW’s Battle of the Belts II special back in April.

The following lineup is announced for tonight’s “Rampage”:

  • Ring of Honor World Championship Match: Lee Moriarty vs. Jonathan Gresham (c)
  • Lucha Brothers vs. Private Party
  • Malakai Black & Brody King vs. Alex Reynolds & John Silver
  • Kris Statlander & Athena vs. Charlette Renegade & Robyn Renegade
  • We hear from Gunn Club

WWE Smackdown Preview 7/15/22

WWE SmackDown, tonight at 8/7 C on FOX.