Category: WWE

Report: Peacock Will Be Free With Select Spectrum TV Subscribers Under New Multi-Year NBCUniversal Deal Renewal

According to a new report from Variety, NBCUniversal and Charter have announced a new multi-year distribution deal that will make the Peacock Premium ad-supported streaming service for “no additional cost” to Spectrum TV Select video customers.

Peacock is the home to all things WWE, including all of the company’s premium live even. the deal between WWE and Peacock runs through early 2026.

The report notes it is understood that Charter will be paying a per-subscriber wholesale fee to the media companies for the rights to bundle their streaming services with Spectrum TV. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Furthermore, it was also noted in the report that Charter also will allow its video customers to upgrade to the ad-free version of Peacock’s Premium Plus, which is ad-free. In addition, Charter said it will also be making both versions of Peacock available for purchase to its internet-only customers next year.

Variety further notes that the addition of Peacock to the Spectrum TV lineup comes after Charter inked similar deals for Disney+ and ESPN+, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max and Discovery+, Paramount Global’s Paramount+ and BET+, AMC Networks’ AMC+ and TelevisaUnivision’s Vix.

The report concludes that as of the end of June 2024, Charter had 12.72 million residential video subscribers, which was a drop of 393,000 in the period and down 9.6 percent year over year. Including business pay-tv customers, Charter’s video base was at a total of 13.3 million as of June 30, 2024.

Source: WrestleView

WWE SmackDown Preview 10/4/2024

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on the USA Network from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

  • The return of AJ Styles
  • WWE Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match: The Bloodline (C) vs. DIY vs. The Street Profits
  • Dumpster Match: Michin vs. Chelsea Green
  • Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton

Nikki Garcia Gets Restraining Order – Here’s What Happened That Led To Artem Chigvintsev’s Arrest

Nikki Garcia (Nikki Bella in WWE) has filed a restraining order against her estranged husband Artem Chigvintsev. The order was filed on Monday, and the judge signed off on it after Nikki submitted a sworn declaration to the court.

In her petition, Garcia revealed that Artem “tackled me multiple times and pinned me to the ground while our child was present.”

Garcia also claims that when Artem was fired from Dancing with the Stars, he grew “increasingly angry, snapping at me, and yelling.” The two reportedly talked about trying to control his anger, and Nikki says Artem went into a fit of rage on the morning of the incident that resulted in his arrest. The argument started over how their 4-year-old son’s English muffin should be toasted. Artem accused Nikki of making their son become a “picky eater.”

This led to Nikki throwing Matteo’s toddler-sized 7 shoes toward Artem, which resulted in Artem calling 911 to request a police presence. He called back minutes later to say that they were no longer needed. Despite this, the cops showed up anyway because a 911 call was made. Nikki claims the shoes hit Artem’s leg, but were “so light that they couldn’t have hurt him.”

After the shoes were thrown, Nikki says Artem grabbed their son and ran upstairs with him. The child was reportedly screaming “Mommy! Mommy!”

As Nikki went to attempt to get into the room, Artem opened the door and tackled her to the ground. He reportedly grabbed her arms and held her on the ground for what she says “felt like around 30 seconds.”

After Artem let go of his wife, he then went back into Matteo’s room and slammed the door. When she again tried to push the door open, he opened it and pushed her across the hallway into the couple’s bedroom. At that point, he pushed her onto the bathroom floor in their bedroom and had his hands on her chest near her sternum. Nikki says he was pressing down so hard that it felt like she was suffocating. In an attempt to get him off, she grabbed his neck.

When police arrived on scene several hours later, Matteo told them, “Daddy hurt my hand.” The responding officers also observed visible injuries on Nikki’s body, which resulted in Chigvintsev being taken into custody. He posted bond later that same day.

Nikki’s petition also claims Artem was physically violent on one prior occasion. Back in mid-2023, Artem “violently grabbed me around my waist” to keep her away from Matteo. Additionally, she says there have been numerous instances of verbal abuse over the years. Nikki believes Artem needs to get some help with therapy and anger management, and she wants to have space between her, Matteo, and her soon-to-be ex-husband.

The judge who signed off on the petition has ordered Artem to not contact the WWE Hall of Famer or come within 100 yards of her, their son, their home, etc. The only exception is for visitation or exchange of the child per court-ordered visits.

The judge denied a request for Nikki to be able to leave the country with their son until a full hearing is held on October 21. The reason she asked for this is because she wants to go to London to film a project.

Artem hasn’t been living in the home since August 29, the date of the incident. The judge says he will not grant a “move-out order” until the hearing takes place.

Nikki has since filed for divorce, which is expected to get nasty as it heads through the court system. Chigvintsev is currently unemployed and is already asking for spousal support.

As far as Matteo is concerned, Artem has been allowed visits and FaceTime calls with him since the incident.

A rep for Nikki Garcia told TMZ the following:

“Due to the incident that led to Artem’s arrest on August 29, 2024, Nikki has decided to file for a temporary Domestic Violence Restraining Order to protect herself and her son. Although Nikki requested that the Napa District Attorney not file charges against Artem as she did not want him to go to jail, he must still be held accountable for his actions, and Nikki and her son must be protected. Nikki’s number one priority has always been the wellbeing of her son. She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received and continues to ask for privacy for her and her family during this difficult time.”

Source: eWn

WWE Reportedly Bringing In Multiple Legends For Bad Blood Festivities

WWE Bad Blood is set to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, this Saturday, and a new report from PWInsider Elite states that some big names from the past will be in town. Scott and Rick Steiner, “Diamond” Dallas Page, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Madusa, and Jacqueline Moore will all be around for the PLE.

It’s not yet clear if there are plans to use any of these former wrestlers on the show. Page and the Steiner brothers are scheduled for a photo op prior to the event, while it’s not known why the others are being brought in.

One thing each of these wrestlers has in common is an association with WCW, which was owned by Turner Broadcasting System and therefore based in Atlanta. In the lead-up to Bad Blood, WWE has placed emphasis on the event’s location, as Cody Rhodes grew up in the area while Roman Reigns played college football at Georgia Tech. It’s quite possible that the company plans to feature some former WCW talent on the show in reference to the promotion’s importance to the city.

In addition to their connection to Atlanta, several of the wrestlers being brought in have a specific relationship with Rhodes and his family. Anderson managed him for years during his tenure in AEW, and along with Blanchard was one of the greatest in-ring rivals of Cody’s father Dusty. Page was also a longtime friend of Dusty’s and has maintained a close relationship with Cody as well.

Rhodes and Reigns will team up on Saturday against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu in a match that may or may not serve as the Bad Blood main event. Additionally, the show will include a Hell in the Cell match featuring CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre, Rhea Ripley challenging Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship, and more.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Braun Strowman Injured In Last Monster Standing Match On WWE RAW

This week’s edition of WWE Monday Night RAW ended on a high note with Braun Strowman defeating Big Bronson Reed in a Last Monster Standing match that saw not only the ring collapse, but the return of Seth “Freakin’” Rollins to interfere and cost Reed the match.

Unfortunately, that victory for Strowman didn’t come without its negatives, as it appears he may have suffered an injury during the brutal brawl.

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez claimed Strowman sustained a torn groin injury. He said,

“I did get it confirmed – if you watched the Raw show last night, the Last Monster Standing match. They went to a commercial break, and they came back, and Braun Strowman got hit by Bronson Reed with a Samoan Drop. Braun Strowman grabbed his thigh/groin area, and then they were gonna do a spot where he knocked Bronson Reed off the apron through some chairs. (Strowman) starts running, and I knew immediately, this guy’s hurt. He normally can’t run all that fast, but he couldn’t even walk the ropes – he was limping the ropes. He knocks (Reed) off the apron and there was a long period where he just kind of laid there in the corner and the ref’s furiously communicating with the back. He may have torn his groin is what it’s looking like. That’s certainly what they thought yesterday.”

Source: eWn

Cora Jade Returns To WWE NXT, Attacks Giulia

Cora Jade has made her return to WWE NXT.

On the premiere episode of WWE NXT on The CW Network, Giulia faced off against Roxanne Perez for a shot at the WWE NXT Women’s Championship.

Near the end of the match, Jade hit the ring to nail Giulia with a DDT on the outside while the referee was trying to convince Perez not to use the Women’s Title as a weapon on the other side of the ring.

Jade eventually rolled Giulia back into the ring, and Perez hit Pop Rocks to retain the title.

Jade has been dealing with a knee injury since January.

Source: eWn

WWE NXT Preview 10/1/2024 – CW Premiere In Chicago

WWR NXT premiere tonight live on The CW Network from the Allstate Arena in Chicago.

  • NXT Championship – (CM Punk as the Special Guest Referee): Ethan Page (c) vs. Trick Williams
  • NXT Women’s Championship: Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Giulia
  • Street Fight: Wes Lee vs. Zachary Wentz
  • Lola Vice & Jaida Parker vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Jazmyn Nyx, or Fallon Henley)
  • MizTV featuring Oba Femi and Tony D’Angelo
  • Special appearances by Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair

A New Woman Appears To Be Coming To The Wyatt Sicks Faction

On this week’s episode of WWE RAW, a new message from The Wyatt Sicks aired that featured the unveiling of a mysterious woman.

Some of the messages in the new video read as follows,

“We see your intent.

“Anger festering into rage.

“Do not go down this path.

“It ends in demise.

“You know better.

“Do not force our hand.

“Heed our admonition.”

Additionally, the following message was shown in a QR code that aired in the video, “BROTHER, DO NOT BE SO DISTRACTED BY THE BEAST THAT YOU MISS THE SERPENT IN THE WEEDS.”

Source: eWn

WWE Says Ilja Dragunov Suffered Torn ACL At House Show, Will Miss Six To Nine Months

WWE dropped some unfortunate news regarding a former NXT Champion on Monday’s episode of “WWE Raw” before a promo segment featuring World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER. Commentary informed the audience at home that Ilja Dragunov suffered a suspected torn ACL and will be out of action for around six to nine months. Dragunov was injured wrestling GUNTHER for a shot at the championship during a live event in Columbus, Georgia over the weekend. In a video WWE posted to social media as well as airing on the broadcast, Dragunov was seen leaving the ring on his own volition following the injury, though he hobbled up the ramp without putting weight on his right leg.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1840938600906608994

Dragunov’s most recent television match was a loss to Jey Uso in a fatal four-way match also featuring Braun Strowman and Pete Dunne for a shot at the WWE Intercontinental Championship on the September 9 episode of “Raw.” Before the IC Title tournament, Dragunov had been working with GUNTHER on house shows in Germany before Bash in Berlin. Dragunov was called up from “WWE NXT” to the main roster’s red brand at the end of April in the fourth round of the 2024 WWE Draft, following his NXT Championship loss to Trick Williams at “NXT” Spring Breakin’.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Baseball Legend And WWE Hall Of Famer Pete Rose Passes Away

Legendary baseball player and manager Pete Rose has passed away.

Rose, who was the first celebrity WWE Hall of Famer, passed away at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 83.

Rose was nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” for his style of play. Over the course of his career, Rose hit an astonishing 4,256 hits and had 17 All-Star Game appearances. He also won three World Series Championships. Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963 through 1978 and again from 1984 through 1986. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Montreal Expos.

Rose was permanently banned from the MLB over accusations that he bet on baseball games while he played for and managed the Reds. While he denied this for many years, he finally admitted in 2004 that he did in fact gamble on games.

Rose appeared at WWE WrestleMania 14, 15 and 16, with Kane often taking him out.

On July 19, 1991, Rose was sentenced to five months in jail for tax evasion. He served his time at a minimum security prison facility at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois. He was fined $50,000 and released on January 7, 1992, after having paid $366,041 in back taxes and interest.

WWE issued the following on X on the passing of Rose: