Author: John Bass

WWE NXT Takeover Two-Day Event Announced For WrestleMania 37 Week

The first-ever two-day WWE NXT Takeover special is now official for WrestleMania 37 Week.

NXT General Manager William Regal opened last night’s NXT broadcast on the USA Network and announced that NXT “TakeOver: Stand and Deliver” will air on Wednesday, April 7 and Thursday, April 8.

Night 1 will air as the weekly NXT episode on the USA Network at 8pm ET. Night 2 will air exclusively on the WWE Network on Peacock for fans in the United States, and on the WWE Network internationally.

There’s no word yet on matches planned for “TakeOver: Stand and Deliver” but stay tuned as we will keep you updated.

Regal also opened tonight’s NXT show by announcing the first-ever NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Below is a clip from the promo in last night’s announcement by Regal, along with the TakeOver logo:

Two Different Teams Crowned NXT Women’s Tag Champs On Same Night

Dakota Kai and Raquel González made history when they became the first ever NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions … but their reign was short-lived!

The newly created championship was announced on the latest edition of NXT.

At the top of the show, NXT General Manager William Regal unveiled the belts. He awarded the titles to the winners of the Women’s Dusty Classic: Dakota Kai and Raquel González.

But Dakota and Raquel’s reign did not last long. The pair lost the titles later in the night in a rematch of the 2021 Dusty Classic final!

As you might recall, Kai and González defeated Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance to win the Dusty Classic, but Wednesday’s match had a different result.

A series of miscommunication between Dakota and Raquel allowed Ember and Shotzi got their win back and capture the brand new (although technically second-hand) titles in the process.

Christian Cage On The Length Of His AEW Contract, Why His Debut Was “Nerve Wracking”

After a life-threatening injury kept him on the retirement shelf for seven years, Christian Cage finally got the redemption story that is hard to come by when he appeared at this year’s Royal Rumble. Just two months after his triumphant return, the former two-time World Champion made headlines again when it was revealed that he was All Elite this past Sunday at AEW’s Revolution. Just one day after the news broke, Cage spoke with his former WWE Backstage co-panelist partner Renee Paquette about this massive transition and where his head is at the moment.

“It’s weird and cool all in one to hear the full name ‘Christian Cage,’ again,” Cage noted during his interview on Oral Sessions. “It’s weird how things, like, kind of come full circle.”

Despite his long-awaited comeback at the Royal Rumble, Cage revealed that facing the AEW crowd on Sunday was more nerve-racking than his in-ring return just two months ago.

“Let me be honest with you: When I did the Royal Rumble, like, what a month ago at this point, I was not nervous at all. And I hadn’t wrestled in seven years. When I walked out of that trailer to go out last night, I was nervous,” he admitted. “You’re just kind of like the new kid in class.

“This announcement had been hyped up, and it kind of took a life of its own. You’re like, ‘Oh, my God, am I going to live up to what people are expecting here?’ So, yeah. I think it was all of these nerves and just the anticipation of getting out there and getting started.”

Just before the big reveal of Cage’s signing, Paul Wight (fka Big Show) teased on Dynamite earlier last week that a “Hall of Fame talent” would appear four days later. To Cage, he had no idea that AEW was going to promote his arrival ahead of time – even before he officially signed with the company.

“I didn’t know. As far as I knew at that point in time, it was going to be a complete secret, and I was going to show up, and it was going to be a complete surprise,” he said. “Honestly, on Wednesday, there was nothing signed. So, it was a shock to me when I heard it. Tony [Khan] and I hit it off fairly quick. We felt comfortable enough to definitely to get something done and worked out at that point.”

For the first time, Cage announced just how long his contract is good for. He is more than ready to be in AEW for the long haul.

“It’s a long-term deal,” he announced. “I’m not here for just a couple of matches now, like, I’m here for the long haul.”

Next, Paquette asked Cage who on the roster would be part of his dream matchups. He made sure to address the former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, who vouched for Cage to join the company.

“Like, all these possibilities you never thought were going to be – less than a year ago – were going to be real,” he continued with his dream matches in AEW. “You look at this roster, and there is so much young talent as well.

“I mean, obviously, Jon and I have wrestled so many times, but we’ve bonded over wrestling. We never really had that much communication together. But when we worked together, it was kind of like opening that door with him as far as having conversations with him and that. We kind of came [up] on another level. I appreciate all the things he said about me. At some point, he and I are going to do something together, which I can’t wait for because we have great chemistry.”

Not only is Moxley among one of Cage’s dream opponents, but he also went on to mention several more stars, including the AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks. Not only will Cage be performing in the ring, but he’ll also become part of the coaching staff that will train the up-and-coming talents who make up half of the current roster.

“But you look at a guy like Kenny Omega, and I still haven’t met him. I didn’t even see him yesterday. Obviously, he has a great reputation for having great matches, so at some point, I think that is inevitable,” he added on who else he’d like to face. “Or I look at a young guy like Darby Allin, who’s got that – you don’t know what it is – but he’s got something, right? Like that Jeff Hardy, cool factor about him. Obviously, I think The Young Bucks. You know, obviously, the Edge and Christian thing can’t happen, but at some point, something will happen with those guys. Those guys were obviously Edge and Christian and Hardy Boyz fans. So, for them to share a space with them and eventually do something with them as well is huge.

“It’s such a wide-open thing, and I haven’t fully wrapped my head around it. Or like MJF. He’s super talented. Even with the promos and things like that, he gets it. The fact that the roster is so young… being able to get in there and help mold some of these guys is what coming back meant to me, like helping set up the next generation.”

You can listen to Christian Cage’s full interview here. 

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to Oral Sessions w/Renée Paquette 

MLW Fusion Preview 3/10/21

Watch tonight at 7pm ET on MLW’s YouTube channel

  • National Openweight Championship: Alex Hammerstone (champion) vs. LA Park (challenger)
  • ACH vs. Kevin Ku
  • Rematch: Gino Medina vs. Gringo Loco

Mexican legend “The Destroyer” LA Park challenges Alex Hammerstone’s 2 year reign as National Openweight Champion in the main event of FUSION, presented by newlawoffice.com.

The iconic luchador and ½ of the World Tag Team Champions, LA Park, has been on a path of destruction this year. Now, LA Park looks to bring another championship to Azteca Underground and please its new, mysterious proprietor.

Can Hammer rise to the occasion and defeat possibly his biggest challenge to date? Or will Azteca Underground take control of The National Openweight Championship as it continues to quickly and effectively accumulate power in Major League Wrestling? It’s a blockbuster title fight as Hammerstone clashes with Park for the first-time ever.

355 pound Calvin Tankman shook the landscape of MLW when he saved Injustice from imminent doom last week. The super heavyweight rumbled with CONTRA’s unstoppable World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu and sent aftershocks straight to the heart of CONTRA.  Now, with the tides of war seemingly shifted, what’s next for Injustice and their newest ally?

The reigning World Middleweight Champion Lio Rush is on the verge of cleaning out the 205 and under division. Now, the “Man of the Hour” has a special invitation for MLW. What could it be? Tune in to find out! 

After being sidelined for a month, ACH returns to action as he fights Team Filthy’s Kevin Ku. Can the explosive Austin Texan get revenge against one of the men who allegedly attacked him and put him on the injured reserve list? Not if Team Filthy has anything to say about it.

Gino Medina faces Lucha Libre veteran Gringo Loco in a rematch from their bout last month. Following the chaotic aftermath of their first fight, Gino has promised to teach Gringo some respect once and for all. 

Join Rich Bocchini, fight analyst St. Laurent and backstage correspondent Alicia Atout for a night of high profile championship bouts headlined by a blockbuster National Openweight Championship fight.

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. Learn more about where to watch.

AEW Dynamite Preview 3/10/21 – Christian Cage

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

* Ethan Page makes his Dynamite debut against Lee Johnson

* Britt Baker, Maki Itoh and Nyla Rose vs. AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida, Ryo Mizunami and Thunder Rosa

* AEW World Tag Team Champion Matt Jackson vs. Rey Fenix

* Darby Allin (c) vs. Scorpio Sky (AEW TNT Championship)

* The Inner Circle holds a War Council meeting

* Christian Cage to appear

* Sting to speak

* Cody Rhodes in action

WWE NXT Preview 3/10/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature two major “game-changing” announcements from NXT General Manager William Regal.

Why WWE Network Is Moving To Peacock, News On WrestleMania Going Back To One-Night Format

WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan recently spoke with Joe Reedy of The Associated Press to promote the WWE Network move to Peacock in the United States. Khan revealed that WWE had discussions about the future of the Network long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

WWE realized over the past few years that trying to maintain the WWE Network infrastructure could come at the expense of programming. That led to the relationship with NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform.

“The big question internally was how much can you invest and keep pace with the technology? It would be a massive investment,” Khan said.

The WWE Network averages 1.5 million subscribers but will now see a huge jump in potential viewers as Comcast reported 33 million sign-ups to Peacock in their Q4 2020 reports. While all of these are not active viewers, Khan said the entire deal was a no-brainer.

“We can drop the price in half (WWE Network was $9.99 per month, while Peacock will be $4.99 per month) and add their technical support. Ultimately it became a no brainer, especially with their reach,” Khan said.

The WWE Network move to Peacock also gives WWE a financial boost during the pandemic as they will see an average of $200 million per year during the 5 year contract.

The Associated Press piece also mentioned how WWE does not expect live event touring to return until at least July due to the pandemic. The summer of 2021 has been a rumored return date for touring going back to last summer.

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon was also interviewed by The AP. She commented on WrestleMania 38 taking place at AT&T Stadium near Dallas while WrestleMania 39 is scheduled for SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, the original area they had booked for this year’s WrestleMania 37 event. Stephanie noted that logistical challenges and building commitments are why the Los Angeles area must wait two years.

It was noted how WrestleMania 38 and 39 are scheduled to be one-night events like WrestleMania shows were in pre-pandemic years. Stephanie said the move to two nights for WrestleMania 36 proved popular, but trying to do two nights in the future might be more difficult due to the many events held during the week barring a pandemic.

“I suppose anything in life is possible, but this format is unique to the times,” McMahon said of the two-night WrestleMania events.

John Laurinaitis Returns As WWE’s Head Of Talent Relations

John Laurinaitis finds himself back in a familiar role. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Laurinaitis is back in the role of WWE’s Head of Talent Relations.

WWE has yet to officially announce Laurinaitis’ promotion. The former WCW and All Japan star first started as WWE’s Head of Talent relations in 2004 after Jim Ross stepped down.

Under Laurinaitis’ tenure WWE signed future stars like Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.

Laurinaitis resigned from the position in 2012, but he has remained in WWE since, working as a producer / road agent. He is also remembered for his run as an authority figure on WWE TV, where he largely lampooned his real life position.

Meltzer also states that WWE’s talent relations will now be split into talent management and talent branding. The latter department will focus on opportunities for talent outside of WWE. This would include movies, TV shows and other appearances.

There is no word on the status of Mark Carrano, who had previously served as Head of Talent Relations.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Molly Holly Revealed For WWE 2021 Hall Of Fame, Ceremony Details

WWE has announced that the Hall of Fame induction ceremony will return this year during WrestleMania 37 Week.

The ceremony will stream live on Tuesday, April 6 on the WWE Network/Peacock in the United States, and on the WWE Network for fans around the world. For the first time ever two classes will be inducted – the 2020 class and the 2021 class.

The 2020 class was never inducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Names being inducted in that class are Batista, The Bella Twins, JBL, The British Bulldog, Jushin “Thunder” Liger and the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Sean Waltman, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash).

The first name announced for the 2021 class is former WWE Women’s Champion Molly Holly. WWE producer Shane Helms appeared on The Bump this morning to announce her induction.

Stay tuned for more on the WWE Hall of Fame.

Below is WWE’s full announcement on Holly’s induction, along with a clip from The Bump:

Molly Holly to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021

Molly Holly, a true pioneer of women’s wrestling, is the first inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021. She was surprised with the news of her induction by her former associate The Hurricane on WWE’s The Bump.

Holly will take her place in sports-entertainment history on Tuesday, April 6, during the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The special, which will stream on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else, will feature the induction of both the 2020 and 2021 classes.

After training under “The Man of 1,000 Holds” Dean Malenko, Holly broke into the wrestling business in 1997 and first appeared on television for WCW in 1999 alongside fellow Hall of Famers “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Alundra Blayze as part of Team Madness. Donning a glittering blue dress and sash, Holly looked like a beauty queen but was ruthless inside the ring.

She made the jump to WWE in 2000 and immediately became embroiled in a bitter family rivalry between her cousins — Hardcore Holly & Crash Holly — and The Dudleys. But a romance bloomed between Molly and Spike Dudley, as they quickly became the Romeo & Juliet of WWE.

Holly then embraced her inner superhero, turning into Mighty Molly as she joined forces with The Hurricane. Her newfound superpowers helped her win the Hardcore Championship at WrestleMania X8 in 2001.

After her turn as a caped crimefighter, Holly got serious — and a little self-righteous — and set her sights on WWE’s biggest female stars, starting with Trish Stratus. She defeated Stratus to win the WWE Women’s Championship for the first of her two reigns at King of the Ring 2002. Holly took on all comers during her two turns as champion, although her attitude came back to haunt her as her second reign ended, and she was shaved bald by Victoria at WrestleMania XX.

Holly left WWE in 2005 but returned to take part in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match in 2018, as well as the 2020 edition of the over-the-top-rope melee. Her impact on women’s wrestling has been felt to this day, as she is consistently cited by today’s Superstars as an inspiration. After a legendary career, Molly Holly is more than deserving of induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Don’t miss Molly Holly enter the WWE Hall of Fame during the 2021 Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, April 6! Stay tuned to WWE programming and all of WWE’s digital platforms as WrestleMania Week approaches for more information on the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Pro Wrestling Events With Fans Could Return To The State Of Maryland Soon

Pro wrestling events could return to the state of Maryland with fans in attendance soon.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has eased some of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, announcing that large indoor venues and outdoor venues can now operate at 50% capacity.

While venues are able to run at 50% capacity, coronavirus safety protocols and the mask mandate must be followed, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The new capacity limits will go into effect this Friday at 5pm.

It will be interesting to see if WWE, AEW and other promotions start to book shows with larger crowds now that many states are re-opening from COVID-19 shutdowns.

Ring of Honor operates out of Maryland and will run their 19th Anniversary Show later this month from the from the UMBC Event Center in Baltimore, on Friday, March 26. It will be interesting to see if they put tickets on sale for the event. You can click here for the current ROH 19th Anniversary Show card.

Source: Wrestling Inc.