Author: John Bass

MLW Fusion Preview 3/24/21

MLW presents Fusion TONIGHT at 7pm ET featuring a Chain Ropes fight, on Youtube and other platforms. (Learn more about where to watch.)

  • Chain Ropes Match: The Von Erichs & ACH vs. Team Filthy
  • Mil Muertes vs. Gringo Loco
  • Calvin Tankman vs. Sentai Death Squad Soldier
  • Gino Medina vs. Zenshi

VE Nation joins forces with ACH as the Texas trio battles Team Filthy in the league’s first-ever Chain Ropes match on this edition of Fusion, presented by newlawoffice.com.

Ross and Marshall Von Erich have been unwavering in their attempts to get their hands on “Filthy” Tom Lawlor and Team Filthy.  What happens when two bitter teams step into a ring surrounded by galvanized steel chain ropes? Tune in to find out!

With just seven days until Never Say Never, “The Heavyweight Hustle” Calvin Tankman stands across the ring from CONTRA’s armies as he faces a member of The Sentai Death Squad! Can the undefeated “Heavyweight Hustle” take down one of CONTRA’s soldiers en route to the biggest match of his career next week… or has CONTRA set a trap?

Azteca Underground’s Mil Muertes aims to put another member of MLW’s roster six feet under as he steps foot in the ring against American luchador Gringo Loco. 

“The Young GOAT” Myron Reed will speak his mind as he takes a break from his Never Say Never fight camp as he prepares for his huge Middleweight fight against CONTRA’s top ranked Iranian super soldier Daivari. What will Reed have to say?

In other action, Gino Medina clashes with Zenshi! “El Intocable” has made it absolutely clear: Gino wants a shot at his former “Dynastic bro” Richard Holliday’s Caribbean Championship. Can the second generation standout luchador ground the unique aerial assault of Zenshi as he continues to stake his claim and pressure the league for a title fight? 

PLUS: National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone has requested interview time!

Join Rich Bocchini, fight analyst St. Laurent and backstage correspondent Alicia Atout for a night of top ranked fights headlined by the first ever Chain Ropes match in league history.

Fans can also watch nationwide on cable and dish via beIN SPORTS on Saturday nights at 10pm ET and on demand anytime, anywhere on DAZN. MLW airs on Fubo Sports Network and the Roku Channel on Friday nights 7pm / 10pm ET. Learn more about where to watch.

AEW Dynamite Preview 3/24/21

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite episode airs on TNT at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

* AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs. Matt Sydal (Non-Title Match — If Sydal wins, he receives a title match)

* Nyla Rose with Vickie Guerrero vs. Tay Conti

* FTR and Shawn Spears with Tully Blanchard vs. Varsity Blonds and Dante Martin

* Darby Allin (c) vs. John Silver (AEW TNT Championship)

* AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks and Brandon Cutler vs. The Lucha Brothers and Laredo Kid

WWE NXT Preview 3/24/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature more build for the upcoming two-night “TakeOver: Stand and Deliver” event during WrestleMania 37 Week.

WWE Officially Announces Next ThunderDome Home

The WWE ThunderDome is headed to the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.

WWE officially announced today that their new ThunderDome residency at the Yuengling Center will begin with the post-WrestleMania 37 edition of RAW on the USA Network, on Monday, April 12.

“WWE takes great pride in providing our fans and network partners with cutting-edge production and one of the most interactive atmospheres in all of television every single week,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Production. “We look forward to the next iteration of the WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center as we continue to take the fan experience to a whole new level.”

It was noted that more than 650,000 fans have registered for WWE ThunderDome crowds since last August.

WWE confirmed that they will continue to run closed-set tapings at the Yuengling Center, with COVID-19 protocols in place for talent, crew and employees.

There is no word yet on how long the Yuengling Center residency will run for. WWE’s first ThunderDome residency was at the Amway Center in Orlando, which began last August. They then moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on December 11. The Yuengling Center will be the third ThunderDome venue of the COVID-19 era.

The Yuengling Center sits on the University of South Florida campus in Tampa, and was once known as the University of South Florida Sun Dome. The venue has a capacity of 10,411 when there are no COVID-19 protocols in place. The University of South Florida currently has three teams that call the Yuengling Center home – the South Florida Bulls men’s basketball team, the South Florida Bulls women’s basketball team, and the South Florida Bulls women’s volleyball team. The teams are not currently playing due to the pandemic, so games will not be a problem for WWE.

WWE ran the Yuengling Center many years ago before there were bigger options in the area. The 1995 Royal Rumble pay-per-view was held in the arena, along with Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 1985 and SNME in December 1988. WWE would have a short move from Tropicana Field to the Yuengling Center as the drive is around 30 minutes. It’s been reported that WWE wanted to keep the ThunderDome in or near the Tampa area.

WWE will wrap their residency at Tropicana Field with upcoming tapings going into WrestleMania 37 Week. 

Below is the full announcement from WWE issued today:

WWE® THUNDERDOME™ TAKES OVER YUENGLING CENTER

STAMFORD, Conn., March 24, 2021 –WWE® (NYSE: WWE) will bring its world-class viewing experience, WWE ThunderDome, to Yuengling Center as it remains in Tampa with a new residency starting with Monday Night Raw® on April 12 at 8 pm ET on USA Network.

The move to Yuengling Center continues WWE’s longstanding relationship with the state of Florida and marks the next phase of WWE ThunderDome, which launched to critical acclaim last August at Amway Center in Orlando and has continued over the past four months at Tropicana Field in Tampa. Yuengling Center sits on the campus of one of Florida’s largest universities, the University of South Florida.

Featuring a state-of-the-art set, video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting-edge graphics and drone cameras, WWE ThunderDome provides an immersive viewing atmosphere and virtually brings thousands of fans into the arena via live video, in conjunction with The Famous Group and its proprietary technology, for every Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown® and WWE pay-per-view event. WWE ThunderDome received top honors at last year’s Sportel Awards for Best Virtual Fan Experience.

“WWE has always been a highlight of our event mix and bringing this world-class residency to Yuengling Center only strengthens our relationship,” said Kevin Preast, Executive Vice President of Event Management at Vinik Sports Group. “Hosting WWE ThunderDome is another step towards a full return of hosting more events in the area.”

“WWE takes great pride in providing our fans and network partners with cutting-edge production and one of the most interactive atmospheres in all of television every single week,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Production. “We look forward to the next iteration of the WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center as we continue to take the fan experience to a whole new level.”

To date, more than 650,000 fans from around the world have registered to be part of WWE ThunderDome. Fans can register for their virtual seat to be part of upcoming WWE shows via http://www.WWEThunderDome.com or at WWE’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages.

Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-view programming will be produced at Yuengling Center on closed sets with only essential personnel in attendance. WWE will continue to administer its health and safety protocols for talent, crew and employees in conjunction with each production, including PCR testing for COVID-19, social distancing and wearing masks.

The Undertaker Reveals Kane’s WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

Veteran WWE Superstar Kane will be going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.

Kane appeared on WWE’s The Bump this morning and was surprised by The Undertaker with the announcement. You can see video from the appearance below.

Kane joins Khali, Molly Holly and Eric Bischoff as confirmed names for the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Class. Rob Van Dam is also expected to be announced by WWE soon.

Kane, who has been with WWE since 1995, has not wrestled for the company since a surprise appearance in the 2021 Royal Rumble Match this past January. Before that his last match was a WWE 24/7 Title change with current champion R-Truth at the September 16, 2019 RAW in Knoxville. His last regular match was teaming with The Undertaker for a loss to WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels and Triple H at Crown Jewel 2018. Earlier this week he announced his re-election campaign for Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.

The 2020 and 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will air on Tuesday, April 6 during WrestleMania 37 Week, via Peacock and the WWE Network. The 2020 Class features JBL, The Bella Twins, Jushin Thunder Liger, “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, and the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman).

Kane to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021

Kane is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021. The Big Red Monster was surprised with the news by his brother, The Undertaker, during WWE’s The Bump.

The Devil’s Favorite Demon will be enshrined in the hallowed hall during the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, April 6, streaming exclusively on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network elsewhere.

Kane’s legendary career was intertwined with The Deadman’s from the very beginning. Long thought to have perished in a fire at their family’s funeral home, Kane emerged through hellfire and brimstone to haunt his brother in Fall 1997, infamously tearing the door off Hell in a Cell to confront Undertaker and begin one of WWE’s most truly heated rivalries.

To settle their score, The Big Red Monster and The Phenom clashed in every conceivable type of match. They battled surrounded by flames in the first-ever Inferno Match, were locked inside Hell in a Cell and even tried to bury each other alive. It’s surprising that they were ever able to get along, but they did, proving to be one of WWE’s most deadly tag teams. The Brothers of Destruction wreaked havoc on WWE, capturing the World Tag Team Titles and the WCW Tag Team Titles.

Kane has also embraced the lighter side of things in WWE, as best evidenced by his time as a member of Team Hell No with Daniel Bryan. The pair’s sojourn to anger management classes had WWE fans rolling on the floor in laughter, as did their infamous attempt to “hug it out” in the middle of the ring. Warm embraces aside, the duo was also a threat in the ring and captured the WWE Tag Team Titles.

When not part of a tag team, Kane also proved to be one of the most dominant Superstars in history. The Devil’s Favorite Demon captured the WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship, ECW Title, Intercontinental Title and won the 2010 Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Anyone with a resume like that is destined for the WWE Hall of Fame.

Don’t miss Kane take his place in sports-entertainment history during the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Tuesday, April 6, streaming exclusively on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network elsewhere. The ceremony will feature the enshrinement of the 2020 Class, featuring The nWo, The Bella Twins, JBL, British Bulldog and Jushin “Thunder” Liger, as well as the 2021 Class, which includes Kane, Molly Holly and Eric Bischoff.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Great Khali To Be Apart Of 2021 WWE Hall Of Fame

Former World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.

WWE India released new video of Ranjin Singh (Dave Kapoor) revealing the big news to Khali. Singh works WWE creative and once managed Khali.

WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, which are scheduled to air on Tuesday, April 6 via Peacock and the WWE Network during WrestleMania 37 Week. Below is the current line-up for the 2020 and 2021 classes, along with the video of Singh and Khali:

2021 CLASS:

* The Great Khali

* Eric Bischoff

* Molly Holly

* Rob Van Dam (to be confirmed by WWE)

* Names TBA

2020 CLASS:

* The Bella Twins

* JBL

* Jushin Thunder Liger

* “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith

* The nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman)

Rob Van Dam Is Reportedly Set To Be Inducted Into The 2021 WWE Hall Of Fame

Former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam is reportedly set to be one of the inductees in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2021.

WWE has not confirmed RVD as an 2021 Hall of Fame inductee.

Rob Van Dam joined WWE during the invasion angle in 2001 after Vince McMahon purchased ECW. During his time in the company, he held every championship that he could physically contest during that period.

He also competed in other major wrestling promotions during his career, such as World Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling.

According to Fightful Select, Rob Van Dam will join Eric Bischoff and Molly Holly as inductees for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame. RVD will also be featured on an episode of the WWE Icons documentary series, which he revealed will come out in May.

Mr. Monday Night has had an illustrious career in the wrestling industry, and he undoubtedly deserves to join other legends in the prestigious WWE Hall of Fame.

Source: sportskeeda

Impact Wrestling Preview 3/23/2021

IMPACT! tonight at 8/7c on AXS TV

  • AEW World Champion Kenny Omega returns with Don Callis
  • Impact X-Division Championship: Ace Austin (c) w/Madman Fulton vs. TJP
  • Impact Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo w/Kimber Lee and Susan vs. Jazz w/Jordynne Grace
  • Karl Anderson w/Doc Gallows vs. Eddie Edwards
  • Matt Cardona sit-down interview
  • One half of the Knockouts Tag Team Champions Tasha Steelz goes one-on-one with Alisha on Before The Impact on AXS TV 7/6c

Aleister Black Reportedly Dealing With Minor Injuries

Aleister Black has been absent from WWE television since his no DQ match against Kevin Owens on the October 12th episode of RAW. He was later drafted to SmackDown, but has not made an appearance for the blue brand.

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Black is dealing with minor injuries right now. He also noted that Black is part of the crop of talent that benefitted from Paul Heyman’s reign as RAW Creative Director, and suffered when Heyman left the role.

Black’s wife, Zelina Vega, was released by the company this past November. However, Black’s current standing with the company reportedly is not due to her release. Black had also reportedly asked to return to NXT as well.

Black recently shared a Twitter exchange with Andrade, who received his WWE release earlier this week. Black pointed out how close Andrade has been to his WWE career and thanked him. Andrade replied back, hoping to wrestle him again down the road.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Charlotte Flair Tests Positive For COVID-19

Charlotte Flair has tested positive for COVID-19.

Flair took to Twitter last night after RAW went on the air and revealed that she has been off WWE TV recently because she tested positive for the coronavirus. Flair said she has been at home resting.

“I know everyone has been wondering where I have been. I tested positive for COVID and have been home resting [folded hands emoji] Thank you everyone for your love [red heart emoji] [princess/queen emoji],” she wrote.

There’s no word yet on when Flair will be back, but there has been talk of her possibly appearing on this Friday’s SmackDown on FOX episode.

Flair had been rumored for a WrestleMania 37 match with RAW Women’s Champion Asuka, but last night on RAW it was announced that Asuka will face Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 37.

Andrade responded to Flair’s tweet and indicated that she will be medically cleared from the coronavirus in 4 days. Andrade also referenced recent reports on how WWE apparently removed Flair from the WrestleMania 37 ticket posters.

Source: Wrestling Inc.