Category: WWE

Report – WWE SmackDown To Expand To Three Hours In January

WWE Friday Night SmackDown will undergo more changes after moving from FOX to the USA Network.

The SmackDown premiere episode last Friday showcased a new visual design with updated colors, graphics, logo, and theme.

The show no longer has to end two minutes before the top of the hour to make way for local news on FOX, allowing for greater flexibility.

As we’ve been reporting here on WNB, Monday Night RAW will revert back to its previous two-hour format, which it hasn’t had since 2012, starting on October 7. As WWE is transitioning from the USA Network to Netflix, a temporary gap exists before the Netflix deal takes effect in January.

WWE reached an agreement with the USA Network to extend RAW’s run on the channel after the original deal was set to expire this month. The USA Network made the decision to switch RAW to a two-hour format.

Once WWE RAW moves to Netflix, it will become a three-hour show again, with the option to change the duration every week.

According to a report from WrestleVotes Radio, WWE SmackDown is expected to follow in RAW’s footsteps and transition to a three-hour format in January 2025.

The report states, “Before we move off of SmackDown, our first real WrestleVotes tidbit here, as we get going on this backstage pass regarding SmackDown, is that we have learned that starting on the January 3 show 2025, Smackdown will indeed shift to three hours. The other big news here is there are rumors that once the show ends, it will be available on Netflix, which we haven’t heard elsewhere. Those are the internal talkings right now is that probably the day after Smackdown will be available on Netflix. But the real nugget here is that starting January 3, that show will be three hours.”

Source: eWn

Report – The Lucha Brothers (Penta & Rey Fenix) Sign With WWE

The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) are headed to WWE.

Following numerous rumors and speculation, the Lucha Brothers have inked long-term contracts with WWE, bypassing NXT and moving directly to the main roster.

As we’ve been reporting here on eWn, Penta has been discussing a potential move to WWE since the summer. Penta emphasized that he and his brother Fenix would only make the transition together, and WWE was eager to accommodate this request.

Cory Hayes of PWN has verified the signing, stating, “Multi-year deal. Directly to main roster.”

WrestleVotes Radio is also reporting that the Lucha Brothers’ signing with WWE is likely a done deal as production of masks, t-shirts, and other promotional materials is already in progress.

The Lucha Brothers have been integral to AEW since their debut on the company’s inaugural show in 2019.

Penta’s AEW contract expired between August and September, and Fenix’s contract was also set to expire this year.

Source: eWn

WWE Announces Date & Location For Return Of Saturday Night’s Main Event

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event is making another comeback. The company announced the return of the iconic show for later this year, with the special airing simultaneously on NBC and Peacock on December 14 at 8 p.m. ET. For those interested in attending, Saturday Night’s Main Event will take place at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, New York, with tickets available to the public on Friday and pre-sale beginning tomorrow.

These specials will continue airing quarterly as part of WWE’s latest media rights deal with NBCUniversal, which was signed last year and went into effect earlier this month. In addition to the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event, the deal ensured “WWE SmackDown” made the move back to the USA Network after a stretch on Fox.

Today’s news confirms a report from earlier this month that suggested WWE was bringing back Saturday Night’s Main Event for the previously-detailed NBC primetime special. The company first introduced the show in 1985, with a series of occasional events that aired on the network until 1992. These shows sometimes offered major moments to capitalize on all the extra exposure from broadcast TV, and often featured Hulk Hogan wrestling in the main event.

More recently, the promotion revived the branding in 2022, with a series of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event shows scheduled during that spring. However, unlike previous iterations, those events were not televised. The last televised revival took place from 2006 through 2008, with a series of five hour-long specials that also aired on NBC.

Source: Wrestling Inc

Jesse “The Body” Ventura reportedly will be returning to WWE to be apart of the commentary team for Saturday Night’s Main Event.

WWE NXT Preview 9/17/2024

Tonight’s WWE NXT on USA Network

  • CM Punk will make a special announcement.
  • Ethan Page and Trick Williams contract signing for their upcoming WWE NXT Title match
  • Lyra Valkyria & Tatum Paxley vs. Wendy Choo & Rosemary
  • Lola Vice vs. Jacy Jayne

Is Alexa Bliss Returning Shortly To Join The Wyatt Sicks’ Faction?

A new QR code aired on this week’s episode of WWE RAW.

During the show, a QR code was shown that teased that The Wyatt Sicks are waiting for a new “HER” to arrive.

One of the entries was titled “SHE” and read as follows,

“When SHE speaks,
mountains should tremble.
It’s waiting for HER.
I can only open the door.
SHE must choose to walk through.”

Another entry was titled “Frater” and read,

“The bond of a family is a cat of nine tails.
Bound through suffering.
We see you, brother.
When you need us, we will be there.”

As of this writing, there is no word on who this new QR code is referring to. But it’s worth noting that Alexa Bliss has been ready to return for quite some time now.

Source: eWn

Update On AJ Styles’ WWE Status

AJ Styles has not been seen on WWE TV since his match against Cody Rhodes at WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland in June.

Since then, Styles has been busy competing in a match for Pro Wrestling NOAH and participating in specific WWE live events.

Fightful Select is reporting that Styles is in good health but is not currently appearing on television.

At the moment, there’s no timetable for Styles’ return.

Source: eWn

WWE Raw Preview 9/16/2024

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

  • WWE World Tag Team Championship: The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and JD McDonagh (c) vs. The New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods
  • CM Punk to appear
  • Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed
  • Dominik Mysterio vs. Damian Priest
  • Natalya vs. Zoey Stark

Update On Matt Riddle’s Likelihood In AEW

A year out from his WWE exit, Matt Riddle recently teased the possibility of joining All Elite Wrestling, specifically with the intention of making more money and working a decent television schedule. According to a new report, though, that idea may be a little far-fetched right now.

Fightful Select reports that AEW President Tony Khan has had zero interest in bringing Riddle aboard to the company, “especially over the last number of years.” In recent months, Riddle has worked with some talents signed to AEW — including Brian Cage, Dralistico, Komander, Penta El Zero Miedo, and The Beast Mortos — on the wrestling circuit. As Fightful points out, though, all those matches emanated from promotions based in Mexico, and not the United States.

In addition to the idea of signing with AEW, Riddle also recently discussed a backstage encounter he had with Khan following his loss to Zack Sabre Jr. at the April 2024 NJPW Windy City Riot show in Chicago. According to Riddle, the conversation between him and Khan was relatively awkward. While Khan initially seemed happy, Riddle stated that he later seemed “confused” when Riddle asked him if he liked the match with Sabre Jr. in a “different” kind of tone.

Since leaving WWE last year, Riddle has worked for several independent promotions across Mexico, Canada, and the United States. “The Original Bro” has additionally appeared for New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Major League Wrestling. Riddle’s latest MLW appearance came at the Summer Of The Beasts event on August 29, which saw him defeat former MLW World Tag Team Champion Matthew Justice.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage Update On The Status Of The Motor City Machine Guns

The Motor City Machine Guns have been the subject of much discussion in recent months, as fans around the world are still wondering where they will end up. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin’s contracts with TNA expired at the beginning of April, and rumors have been rampant concerning whether they will choose to sign with WWE or AEW. Initially, it looked as if Sabin and Shelley would become ‘All Elite,’ with the two men already having a brief history with AEW, appearing at All Out 2022. However, that talk seemed to die off, and the word inside the business was that they were WWE-bound.

Now it seems there is an answer, at least according to Dave Meltzer, who claimed in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the Motor City Machine Guns are expected to start in WWE imminently. As far as the destination within WWE, Meltzer claims that, despite the fact that Sabin and Shelley are one of the most influential tag teams of their generation, they will be part of the “WWE NXT” brand when they eventually debut.

“NXT” has a lot of big events coming up in the near future, as the brand will be moving to The CW on October 1. The live debut on October 1 will take place from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, which will then be followed by a live episode in St. Louis, Missouri on October 8, which will go head-to-head with “AEW Dynamite.” Following on from the two live shows on October 1 and 8, “NXT” will be back on the road for the Halloween Havoc PLE, which will take place on October 27 at the GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

According to multiple reports, the current plan is to have Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin debut in a tag team match during WWE NXT’s Chicago debut on October 1st.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 9/13/2024

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown is the premiere episode live on the USA Network, from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

  • Undisputed WWE Championship Steel Cage Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Solo Sikoa
  • Kevin Owens & a mystery partner vs. A-Town Down Under (Grayson Waller and Austin Theory)
  • Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes Part V – Series Tied 2-2