Author: John Bass

WWE NXT Preview 3/3/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defending the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.

WWE NXT Superstar Kacy Catanzaro Announces Injury

WWE NXT Superstar Kacy Catanzaro has announced that she’s dealing with a partial LCL tear.

It was announced in last week’s NXT Injury Report that Catanzaro had suffered a leg injury in the post-match attack by Xia Li. The report noted that officials were waiting for more information, but Catanzaro was not cleared.

Catanzaro now has confirmed an injury in her latest Instagram post.

“It’s been a tough week.. coming to terms with a partial LCL tear, but working with medical staff to get back as soon as I can. You can’t keep me down,” Catanzaro wrote on Instagram last night.

There is no word on when Catanzaro suffered the injury or when she will be back in action, but we will keep you updated.

Below is the full Instagram post from Catanzaro:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE And AEW Possibly Running Events In Texas And Mississippi Soon

Live pro wrestling events could return to the states of Texas and Mississippi soon.

Governors in both states announced this week that they are rescinding mask mandates and re-opening businesses and schools due to a drop in COVID-19 cases.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday that he was lifting the mask requirement and allowing businesses to fully re-open.

“It is now time to open Texas 100 percent,” Abbott said, adding that, “Covid has not suddenly disappeared,” but state mandates are no longer needed.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said his latest executive order to ease restrictions will be one of his final orders related to COVID-19. It allows businesses to operate at full capacity without any state-imposed rules.

“I am replacing our current orders with recommendations,” Reeves said. “The only rules that will remain in this order are a capacity limit of 50% on indoor arenas and those that govern K-12 schools.”

This follows a trend around the country of governors and mayors deciding what is feasible, what is safe, and politically practical, according to the New York Times. Chicago public schools have re-opened while restaurants in Massachusettes were allowed to operate without capacity limits, and South Carolina has done away with its limits on large gatherings. San Francisco is allowing indoor dining, museums, movie theaters and gyms to re-open on a limited basis. Other states have been slowly re-opening for several months now.

Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Tuesday that she was easing restrictions on businesses and allowing family members who have tested negative for COVID-19 to visit nursing home residents. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker also announced that while residents should continue to wear masks in public, it’s time for more limits on businesses to be eased.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated last week that the state’s falling infection statistics show that immunizations are beginning to have an impact. Most school districts in Kentucky are now offering in-person classes.

“It means vaccinations work,” Beshear said. “We’re already seeing it. We’re seeing it in these numbers. It’s a really positive sign.”

We could potentially see pro wrestling companies like WWE and AEW begin running in Texas after Wednesday, March 10 when Governor Abbott’s lifting of limits goes into effect.

WWE previously indicated that they could return to live events with fans later this year, but it remains to be seen if plans will change as more states re-open. WrestleMania 37 is expected to run with limited capacity on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 in Tampa, Florida at Raymond James Stadium.

Peacock Releases FAQ On WWE Network Move

Peacock recently released a FAQ section to help answer questions about the WWE Network migration.

Peacock becomes the exclusive streaming home of the WWE Network in April. WrestleMania 37 will be streaming on the service. The two-day event is on April 10 and 11.

WWE’s upcoming PPV, Fastlane will be available on both Peacock and WWE Network. Fastlane is on March 21.

WWE programming will be available to watch with an upgrade to Peacock Premium for just $4.99 a month.

Below is the full FAQ section:

When will WWE Network be available on Peacock?

WWE  Network will be available on Peacock starting March 18 and Peacock becomes the exclusive streaming home of WWE Network in April. With an upgrade to Peacock Premium, you can stream upcoming live WWE pay-per-view events, including Fastlane* on March 21 and WrestleMania on April 10 and 11.

*Also streaming on WWE Network

What WWE programming will I be able to watch on Peacock?

With an upgrade to Peacock Premium, for just $4.99/month, you’ll get:

  • Every live WWE pay-per-view event—including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble—plus every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view in history.
  • Thousands of hours of on-demand programming including original series, groundbreaking documentaries and your favorite shows from the WWE Archives.
  • Every episode of Raw and Smackdown, with current full episode replays 30 days after air.
  • Every episode of NXT, including full episode replays available the next day.
  • Plus, everything else Peacock has to offer—tons of hit movies and shows like The Office and Yellowstone, exclusive Originals, live sports, and streaming channels.

Find out more about Peacock Premium.

Will I need to pay to watch live WWE pay-per-view events on Peacock?

Every live WWE pay-per-view event is included with your $4.99/month subscription to Peacock Premium. There is no additional cost to watch WWE pay-per-view events. Find out more about Peacock Premium.

In addition to WWE Network, what else is available on Peacock?

Peacock brings you WWE Network, plus a whole lot more. Here’s what else you get with Peacock:

  • Instant access to hundreds of movies from major Hollywood studios such as Universal, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features.
  • Thousands of hours of iconic TV shows, including full seasons of buzzworthy faves, bingeworthy classics, and current-season NBC hits.
  • Peacock Channels—playing your favorite movies, shows, and clips, 24-7. Scroll less and stream more with NBC Sports on Peacock, SNL Vault, Fallon Tonight, TODAY All Day, and True Crime.
  • Sports coverage, including the Tokyo Olympics and live sports talk.
  • Kids’ movies and shows, including brand-new seasons of Where’s Waldo? and Curious George.
  • Hit Spanish-language TV shows and news from Telemundo.

If I’m already a WWE Network subscriber, what should I do?

Starting in April, Peacock will be the exclusive streaming home of WWE Network. Until then, you can keep watching directly on WWE Network, as long as you have an active subscription. You can also create a Peacock account to stream WWE Network on Peacock beginning March 18.

Note: WrestleMania on April 10 and 11 will only be available to stream on Peacock.

What if I already have a Peacock account?

If you already have a Peacock account, you can sign in and start watching WWE programming starting March 18.  Upgrade to Peacock Premium for an all-access pass to Peacock and WWE Network—including live pay-per-view events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam, plus original series and archives.

If you never set your Peacock password, or don’t remember it, visit peacocktv.com/forgot to reset it now. Find out more about Peacock Premium.

What devices do I need to stream WWE Network on Peacock?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.

WWE NXT Rumored To Be Moving To Tuesday Nights

There are rumors on the WWE NXT TV show possibly moving to Tuesday nights on the USA Network.

It was reported today by the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast that NXT is set to move to Tuesday nights beginning April 13, which would be the first NXT show after WrestleMania 37 weekend. The report noted that an official announcement should be made fairly soon by WWE.

WWE has not confirmed the schedule change as of this writing, but some people in or around NXT have heard of the rumor making the rounds.

Furthermore, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer noted on Twitter that NXT moving to Tuesday night was definitely a topic of discussion in WWE as of February 24, which was last Wednesday, but at least at that point the change was not final.

Mat Men later noted that they heard the same thing about the February 24 rumblings, adding that NBC staff were told of the move this week. Meltzer said he expected this would happen when the NBC Sports Network shut down, which could bring some NHL content to Wednesday nights.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Impact Wrestling Preview 3/2/2021

IMPACT! tonight at 8/7c on AXS TV

  • BTI 7/6c on AXS TV – Rohit Raju w/Shera vs. James Storm w/Chris Sabin
  • X-Division Title #1 Contenders Match: Chris Bey vs. Ace Austin vs. Black Taurus
  • Brian Myers vs. Eddie Edwards – Special guest Referee Matt Cardona
  • The Good Brothers, Juice Robinson and David Finlay vs. XXXL and Reno Scum

WWE RAW Preview 3/1/21

Tonight’s WWE RAW will feature more build for the upcoming Fastlane and WrestleMania 37 events.

RAW will be headlined by WWE Champion The Miz making his first title defense since winning the title at Elimination Chamber. He will defend against Bobby Lashley.

Tonight’s RAW will also see Drew McIntyre make his first appearance since losing the WWE Title to Miz at Elimination Chamber, which came after an attack by Lashley. There is no word on what WWE has in store for McIntyre tonight, but it will be interesting to see if he gets involved in the WWE Title match or continues his feud with Sheamus.

NJPW Officially Unifies IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championships

New Japan Pro Wrestling has officially unified the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships to create the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, reports PWInsider. 

New Japan chairman Naoki Sugabayashi had confirmed the news to Tokyo Sports. 

PWInsider also reports that Kota Ibushi’s first defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship will be against the winner of the New Japan Cup. The New Japan Cup starts on March 5.

El Desperado vs. Ibushi will headline New Japan’s Anniversary Event on March 4, but it will be a non-title match.

NJPW will be holding a press conference on March 1 at 3 pm JST (1 am ET).

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Heath Undergoing Surgery Today

As noted, Heath revealed a few weeks ago that he would need surgery in March due to several injuries that include a rip on both sides of his abdomen wall and his abductor’s muscle being completely off the bone.

The former WWE star announced yesterday on Twitter that he would be having his surgery today, March 1, 2021, in Durham, North Carolina.

It was back in October when Heath was injured during the Call Your Shot Battle Royal at Impact Wrestling Bound for Glory.

He made his Impact Wrestling debut on July 18, 2020, at Slammiversary. 

https://twitter.com/HEATHXXII/status/1366126387996864514

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Update On Upcoming NWA Tapings, News On NWA Content Being Removed From YouTube

NWA is reportedly going to hold a new set of TV tapings from March 21-24, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Radio.

There was uncertainty of the promotion’s future after all of its content was deleted from its YouTube channel over the weekend.

The videos were removed because of a new distribution deal that should be announced soon. NWA content will be available through their new partner. I was not told specifically who the new partner is, but I was able to confirm that it is not WWE or AEW.

This deal will add some new revenue for the company, which is more than they were making from the ads on their YouTube channel.

As reported by Dave Meltzer, a “positive announcement” is expect soon from NWA, also noting it had nothing to do with AEW.

The promotion’s last set of tapings took place in Atlanta, Georgia in late-January 2020. Since then, NWA has worked with AEW and UWN to have their champions appear and defend their titles — most notably, Thunder Rosa and NWA Women’s World Champion Serena Deeb in All Elite Wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Inc.