Category: WWE

Backstage News On Rhea Ripley’s Expected Recovery Timeline

Rhea Ripley’s current injury is not expected to be a long-term one according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

It was revealed on “WWE Raw” this week that Ripley has not been medically cleared to compete in her scheduled “WWE Raw” Women’s Championship match at the upcoming WWE Money In The Bank premium live event, where she was expected to face Bianca Belair. While the company didn’t reveal any details about the nature of her issues, Ripley has since done that herself.

She took to social media to respond to a fan who claimed she didn’t look injured by stating, “Brain/teeth [injury]. Can’t see a brain injury. Stop being incompetent and reaching at nothing.” This is the reason why she has been written off television for now, but it isn’t expected to be a lengthy absence for her, as Ripley is set to be back fairly soon.

The Judgment Day star had shown a picture of some dental work she had done recently, which relates to the teeth issue she mentioned on social media. Ripley had braces put on the top of her mouth, clearly showcasing how the work had to be done in order to fix the injury she suffered.

https://twitter.com/RheaRipley_WWE/status/1534559936247742471

Because of her injury, WWE held a fatal five-way at the start of “WWE Raw” this week in order to create a new number one contender for Belair’s title. In the end, Carmella picked up the victory against Becky Lynch, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Liv Morgan, and she will get her title shot at WWE’s Money In The Bank next Sunday.

When Belair announced the news of Ripley’s injury status, the EST of WWE did make it clear that she would still defend the title in the future against Ripley when she does return to the company, although there is no official date on when that is going to be taking place.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Update On When Charlotte Flair Could Return To WWE TV

The “SmackDown” Women’s Championship is currently held by Ronda Rousey, but the WWE Superstar she captured the title from seems poised to make a return to the blue brand this summer.

The PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC, is advertising that Charlotte Flair will be in attendance at the “SmackDown” TV taping scheduled for Friday, August 12. The venue’s official website states that Ronda Rousey, Drew McIntyre, and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, The Usos, will be in the house. In addition, “Raw” Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will be defending her gold in a Triple Threat Match against Rhea Ripley and Asuka. The blurb then states “plus Charlotte Flair” to cap off the main introduction to the event.

WWE SummerSlam is set to take place on July 30 in Nashville, TN, two weeks before the taping Flair is announced for, which seems to indicate a return is on the horizon, whether it be leading into the big summer event, at the event, or post-event.

Flair last appeared at the WrestleMania Backlash premium live event last month, where she lost the “SmackDown” Women’s Championship to Rousey in an “I Quit” Match. “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” had been feuding with Flair after making a return to WWE following a nearly three-year absence in January. She won the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble Match and ultimately chose Flair to face at WrestleMania 38 but was controversially defeated, before the “I Quit” Match was set for the following month. WWE explained “The Queen’s” absence by stating, in storyline, that she suffered a “fracture of the radius” during the bout with Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash following the Ronda Armbar, which also involved a steel chair for added leverage.

During her sabbatical from the company, Flair tied the knot with her partner, former WWE Superstar and current AEW wrestler, Andrade el Idolo, in Mexico. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair walked his daughter down the aisle at the ceremony, which was attended by Finn Bálor, Rey Mysterio, Apollo Crews, and former “Raw” Women’s Champion Lina Farene (Nia Jax). Flair and Andrade also went on their honeymoon following the wedding to celebrate.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

 (Saraya) Paige Announced For Starrcast As Her WWE Deal Nears Its End

Earlier this month, Paige revealed her WWE contract will come to an end on July 7 and her deal will not be renewed. The former Divas Champion also confirmed she intends to wrestle again, but as of right now, where exactly she plans to do that has not been revealed. Especially since she also confirmed in the same statement that even though she intends to wrestle again, Paige has not yet been cleared.

While she might not be wrestling there – or if she is that’s yet to be confirmed – what will likely be Paige’s first post-WWE appearance has now been revealed. The soon-to-be former WWE Superstar will be a guest at Starrcast 5. Paige will be meeting and greeting fans at the event as well as hosting her own show which will be called Saraya: Turning The Page.

The name of Paige’s Starrcast show also reveals what name the retired wrestler will be going by once July 7 has been and gone. Saraya was the most likely choice as not only is the name Paige likely owned by WWE in this instance, but Saraya is Paige’s real name. She doesn’t seem to hold much animosity towards WWE, though anything she needs to get off her chest may well be revealed once her contract has officially run down.

Starrcast is returning for a fifth time and will take place across SummerSlam weekend at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Tennessee. The addition of Paige is a big deal, but the crown jewel of the weekend is still Ric Flair’s return match. At the age of 73, The Nature Boy will be competing for the first time in more than a decade. The match has proven so popular that it was recently moved to a larger venue.

As for Paige, her wrestling life has been somewhat stagnant recently. Even though she has been under contract with WWE, she hasn’t appeared on TV since 2020. Paige’s last match was at the end of 2017. In that match, Paige was kicked in the back, suffering the scary injury that would force her to retire at the age of just 25.

Source: TheSportster

WWE NXT Preview 6/21/22

Tonight on WWE NXT 2.0 at 8 pm ET on USA Network:

Bruce Prichard Assumes WWE Talent Relations Role, John Laurinaitis Placed On Leave [Report]

Bruce Prichard is reportedly filling in for John Laurinaitis, who has been placed on leave while the WWE board conducts its investigation.

As its board conducts an internal investigation into alleged hush payments, WWE has implemented a few personnel changes. As reported, Vince McMahon recently stepped aside as CEO and was replaced by his daughter Stephanie, now the company’s interim CEO and chairwoman. Another boardroom move was reportedly initiated on the evening of Monday, June 20, when Bruce Prichard was announced as WWE’s Interim Head of Talent Relations.

Per PW Insider, a Prichard will assume the role previously occupied by John Laurinaitis, who has been placed on “administrative leave”. The move was reportedly announced via an email to WWE personnel, which stated that Laurinaitis would not be on the road with WWE “pending the conclusion of our Board of Directors’ internal investigation.”

Prichard is also a Senior Vice President of WWE and serves as the Executive Director of both Raw and SmackDown.

On Wednesday, June 15 the Wall Street Journal dropped a bombshell story that claims WWE’s board received an email containing details of a workplace affair McMahon conducted with a now-former WWE paralegal and the subsequent payments made in exchange for the unknown person’s silence.

The email alleges that the female paralegal was initially hired on a salary of $100,000 per year, but her salary was doubled after she began a sexual relationship with McMahon. Allegedly, when McMahon ended the relationship with the former WWE employee, he “gave her like a toy” to the company’s general manager of talent relations John Laurinaitis.

WWE Raw Preview 6/20/22

A Money in the Bank qualifying match is on the card and an intriguing comeback performance is being promoted for tonight’s episode of WWE “Raw”.

Ric Flair’s Last Match Moving To Significantly Larger Venue

Ric Flair’s Last Match will now have a bigger live audience.

A press release was sent out by Starrcast V this morning announcing that Flair’s in-ring finale will no longer take place at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Instead, the match will now take place at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The venue is no stranger to hosting some memorable Flair fights as “Nature Boy’s” 1989 NWA WrestleWar match against Ricky Steamboat occurred at the arena, which also plays host to the Musicians’ Hall Of Fame.

The full press release is below.

“After selling out The Nashville Fairgrounds in less than 24 hours, Jim Crockett Promotions’ “Ric Flair’s Last Match” will be moving to the over-7,000 seat Nashville Municipal Auditorium. “Ric Flair’s Last Match,” produced by Thuzio, a Triller Company, and streaming worldwide, exclusively on FITE, will be held at 5:05 p.m. CDT (6:05 p.m. EST) on Sunday, July 31.

“The additional tickets, starting at $39* for “Ric Flair’s Last Match,” go on sale at noon EDT on Friday, June 24 at RicFlairsLastMatch.com.

“‘On July 31, I’m still going to walk that aisle and style and profile as only I can. But now, a bigger crowd, brighter lights! “The Nature Boy” can’t wait to do what I do best. WOOOO!’ said 16-time professional wrestling champion and cultural icon Ric Flair.

“‘Like so many times before, having Ric Flair’s name on the marquee has the wrestling world buzzing,’ said Jim Crockett Promotions President, David Crockett. ‘On Sunday, July 31, we look forward to bringing the fans at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, and our worldwide audience, a night of professional wrestling that they will never forget.’

“‘When we announced that STARRCAST was coming back, with our partner Thuzio, we knew the last weekend in July was going to be a celebration for wrestling fans. The party’s main event has now moved to a bigger room,’ said STARRCAST and AdFreeShows.com founder Conrad Thompson. ‘There will still be numerous events and experiences happening throughout the weekend at The Nashville Fairgrounds, who have been wonderful to work with. However, the demand for Ric’s last match to move to a bigger venue was one we couldn’t ignore.’

“‘Due to the overwhelming demand by fans to be in the building for ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match,’ we have made the decision to move this once-in-a-lifetime show to the Nashville Municipal Auditorium,’ said Jared Augustine, CEO of Thuzio. ‘Once the initial batch of tickets at the Nashville Fairgrounds went so quickly, our team immediately started to look for a larger venue, and the Nashville Municipal Auditorium is an ideal solution.’

“Current ticket holder’s seats will be honored, and communication on the changes will be emailed to them this week.”

Flair’s Last Match will be in conjunction with Starrcast V which has several other Flair-themed moments set for that weekend. Including a reunion of the Four Horsemen and the “Roast of Ric Flair.” Flair has released footage of himself working in the ring and stated the following when it came to getting medical approval:

“I don’t have any aches or pains. I know I’ve had the health issues, but I asked 40 different doctors and I decided I’m only gonna listen to one. Not necessarily the one that was gonna give me the right answer, but that I felt the most comfortable with.”

AAA Triplemania XXX: Tijuana Results 6/18/2022

La Hiedra, Lady Shani, Maravilla, Reina Dorada, and Sexy Star defeated Chik Tormenta and Flammer in a steel cage match after they all escaped the cage. As Tormenta and Flammer were the last two left in the cage, they were forced to face each other in a mask vs. mask match later in the show.

Nino Hamberguesa defeated Abismo Negro Jr., Bestia 666, Charly Manson, Cibernetico, Dulce Kanela, Heavy Metal,  Mamba, Mecha Wolf, Mr. Iguana, Pagano, Rey Xolo and Vamprio after eliminating Mamba to win Copa TripleMania Tijuana.

Fenix defeated Taurus, Laredo Kid, Hijo del Vikingo, and Bandido after pinning Taurus with a Double Foot Stomp to unify the for the AAA Latin American and AAA World Cruiserweight Championships.

AAA Reina de Reinas Champion Taya Valkyrie came out to challenge AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa to a match at a future AAA show.

An in-ring ceremony honoring Konnan aired.

Blue Demon Jr. defeated Pentagon Jr. after pinning Pentagon with an Avalanche Canadian Destroyer through a table. With the loss, Pentagon Jr. moves on to the finals of the Ruleta de la Muerte tournament at TripleMania XXX: Mexico City this October.

Matt Hardy announced that Johnny Caballero, aka Johnny Elite, aka John Morrison, would be Jeff Hardy’s replacement against Dragon Lee and Dralistico in the main event, under the name Johnny Hardy.

Flammer defeated Chik Tormenta in a mask vs. mask match after pinning Tormenta with a Rolling Fireman’s Carry through a table. As a result, Chik Tormenta was forced to unmask.

Psycho Clown defeated Villano IV after pinning Villano with an Air Raid Crash onto thumbtacks. With the loss, Villano IV Psycho Clown moves onto the finals of the Ruleta de la Muerte tournament at TripleMania XXX: Mexico City this October to take on Pentagon Jr. in a mask vs. mask match.

Dragon Lee & Dralistico (Los Faccion Ingobernables) defeated Johnny Hardy (aka Johnny Caballero) & Matt Hardy after Dralistico pinned Hardy following a moonsault. Johnny betrayed Hardy earlier in the match after the two accidentally collided. After the match, Johnny attacked Lee and Dralistico till Hardy made the save; Hardy then shook hands with Lee and Dralistico to end the show.

AAA Triplemania XXX: Tijuana 6/18/2022

Following the arrest, Jeff, and his brother Matt, were pulled from “AEW: Dynamite” this past week. On The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Matt gave an update on his and his brother’s status for TripleMania XXX: Tijuana this weekend.

“I’ll be going to TripleMania in Tijuana for Triple-A, pretty excited about that,” Hardy said. “We’re going to have a mystery partner. We’ll probably announce the mystery partner in all reality but I’ll be teaming with someone else … Jeff, right now, is focused on life which is much bigger than pro wrestling.”

DATE: June 18, 2022 10:00 pm
LOCATION: Estadio Caliente Xoloitzcuintles, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

CARD

Matt Hardy & TBA vs. Dragon Lee & Dralistico

RULETA DE LA MUERTE TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL
Psycho Clown vs. Villano IV

MARK VS. MASK MATCH
*Final two competitors from the steel cage match

RULETA DE LA MUERTE TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL
Blue Demon Jr. vs. Pentagon Jr.

AAA LATIN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH/AAA WORLD CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Bandido vs. Fenix vs. AAA Mega Champion Hijo Del Vikingo vs. AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Laredo Kid (c) vs. AAA Latin American Champion Taurus (c)

13-PERSON COPA TRIPLEMANIA MATCH
*Participants to be announced

ESCAPE THE CAGE MATCH
Chik Tormenta vs. Flammer vs. La Hiedra vs. Lady Shani vs. Maravilla vs. Reina Dorada, vs. Sexy Star

WWE SmackDown Preview 6/17/22

A tumultuous week for WWE wraps up with a live edition of “SmackDown” tonight on FOX.

WWE is promoting that Mr. McMahon will appear on tonight’s broadcast. WWE specified that it will be “Mr. McMahon” who will be on “SmackDown”, indicating that he will be speaking in character.

WWE and its Board of Directors announced early this morning that Vince McMahon has stepped back from his responsibilities as Chairman and CEO amid an investigation into alleged misconduct. His role in directing the creative direction of the company is not changing. Stephanie McMahon has been appointed the interim CEO and interim Chairwoman.