NXT, streaming tonight at 8 ET on WWE Network.
* Shayna Baszler and Io Shirai take their rivalry into the steel cage
* Street Profits tangle with Forgotten Sons
* Joaquin Wilde faces Angel Garza in the NXT Breakout Tournament
* Bask in the glory of Keith Lee
NXT UK, streaming today at 3 ET/8 GMT on WWE Network.
After besting Joe Coffey, Dave Mastiff and Jordan Devlin in a high-stakes Fatal 4-Way Match several weeks ago, Travis Banks will take on Imperium’s WALTER for the WWE United Kingdom Championship.
Plus, after Killer Kelly left Xia Brookside by herself to suffer the wrath of Jinny’s powerful employee Jazzy Gabert, the daughter of legendary Robbie Brookside will get her opportunity to get even with the retreating competitor. Also, Mark Andrews will attempt to quell the resentment of Joseph Conners, Ligero will lock horns with Noam Dar, and NXT UK Tag Team Champions The Grizzled Young Veterans will address the NXT UK Universe.
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler could be one of the hosts of the WWE studio show that is scheduled to begin airing on FS1 later this year, according to a new report from @Wrestlevotes.
The report noted that Fox officials have floated the idea of Lawler being a main part of the show to WWE. The feeling is that Lawler’s image and voice will be familiar to fans, something Fox is looking for, likely to help bring viewers back to the product.
There’s no word yet on who might work with Lawler to host the show, but it was recently reported that Renee Young was “highly likely” to land the role of host.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently revealed that a Fox executive wanted to bring him in as a host of the FS1 show, but that was before he parted ways with the company and signed with AEW.
Triple H revealed back in April that the weekly WWE studio show will air on Fox Sports 1 on Tuesday nights, beginning in the fall. This will be the second WWE-Fox show as SmackDown begins airing Friday nights on the Fox broadcast network on October 4.
The studio show on FS1 will feature discussions on the various WWE happenings, plus appearances by familiar faces from the past and present, according to Triple H. He also said this is something he’s wanted to do for a long time. Below is the clip from April where he revealed the show:
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that Jinder Mahal recently inked a new WWE contract. Multiple sources confirm his new deal is 5-years in length.
Jinder made his return to WWE in 2016 after being gone from the company for 2 years. He went on to win the WWE title in 2017, the first of Indian descent to do so, and held onto the belt for 170 days.
As of late, he’s been involved in the 24/7 Championship scene with R-Truth and others.
Mojo Rawley, Mike Kannellis and Maria Kannellis also recently signed new multi-year WWE contracts.
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live will take place from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon with fallout from WWE Stomping Grounds.
* How will Kofi Kingston react to Samoa Joe’s attack?
* Who will be next to step up to Bayley?
* Has Bryan & Rowan’s tag team revolution hit a roadblock?
* How will Shane-O-Mac & McIntyre react to The Undertaker’s return?
Tonight’s WWE 205 Live will take place from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
* Time for a better WWE 205 Live? – Drew Gulak overcame the odds and became 205 Live’s new titleholder by defeating Akira Tozawa and WWE Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese in a Triple Threat Match at Sunday’s WWE Stomping Grounds.
* Will Gentleman Jack Gallagher get his match with Mike Kanellis?
Rusev’s WWE contract is reportedly expiring relatively soon, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.
There’s no word yet on if Rusev is interested in leaving WWE, but it would not come as a surprise to many as it’s believed that he is unhappy with his position in the company due to some of his comments in media interviews and on social media.
Rusev is currently away from WWE as he recently requested some time off. There’s no word yet on when he will be back, but it’s likely just a short hiatus. Meltzer speculated that the hiatus has to do with Rusev being unhappy. It was also speculated that WWE could extend the length of the contract due to the time off by freezing it, which they do when a talent is out of action with an injury.
Rusev would obviously generate interest from some of the top wrestling promotions, including AEW and NJPW, as was speculated by Meltzer, but that’s not confirmed. Depending on Lana’s contract status and future with WWE, there is also the potential for the Rusev – Lana package deal in other promotions.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
The Undertaker made a surprise appearance last night on WWE RAW.
Taker made the save for Roman Reigns as he was being double teamed by Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre in their 2-on-1 Handicap Match. The crowd loudly cheered Taker on, for one of the loudest RAW pops in recent memory, as he chokeslammed Shane and dropped Drew. Taker would continue the attack on Shane and Drew before sending them retreating up the ramp.
There was no interaction besides Taker and Reigns, but Taker did briefly look down at Reigns as he recovered in the corner. The segment ended by going to commercial as Shane and Drew looked on from the ramp, shocked at The Dead Man’s return.
Later it was announced that The Undertaker will be returning to the ring at the upcoming WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Taker will team with Roman Reigns against Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre.
The 2019 WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view will take place on July 14 from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. Below is the updated card:
Winners Take All
Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin vs. RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins (c)
The Undertaker and Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington with the fallout from Sunday’s Stomping Grounds pay-per-view.
* Roman Reigns to battle Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match
* United States Champion Ricochet to battle AJ Styles tonight
* Seth Rollins’ Universal challenges
* The Man might not be finished with The Lady in the aftermath of WWE Stomping Grounds
There was low attendance at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington for last night’s first-ever WWE Stomping Grounds pay-per-view. The arena had half of the seating curtained off to hide the empty seats, despite a decent line for walk-up tickets before the show, and a lot of free tickets given out on the day of the event.
DEFY Wrestling’s Matt Farmer noted on Twitter that there were around 6,000 fans in attendance, which would be one of the smallest WWE pay-per-view crowds in a long time. Farmer also noted that there were “tons” of comped tickets, and a lot of 2 for 1 ticket deals were sold.
Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that the paid attendance for Stomping Groundswas around 4,000 – 4,500 fans. It was also noted that tickets were being given away at the mall earlier in the day. The Tacoma Dome can hold around 18,000 fans after production.
Despite the low attendance, we noted that social media talk pointed to how the crowd was hot for some of the pay-per-view. Furthermore, the part of the arena that was not sectioned off was full of fans.
Below are a few photos and a video of the crowd:
https://twitter.com/WrestlingInc/status/1142999744936960000
https://twitter.com/OllieMcClellan/status/1142918944359161858
https://twitter.com/KasumiNinja/status/1142929231917142016
https://twitter.com/TravisKauth/status/1142911425746104320
Source: Wrestling Inc.
