Category: WWE

NBC Renews “Young Rock” For A Third Season

NBC has ordered a third season of “Young Rock” from WWE Legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his Seven Bucks Productions company.

The second season of “Young Rock” is currently airing on NBC Tuesday nights, and is available on Peacock the following day. NBC announced today that the show is being renewed for a third season, while “American Auto” and “Grand Crew” are being renewed for their second seasons.

NBC touted in today’s press release how “Young Rock” is the network’s #1 primetime comedy in the 18-49 key demographic.

Season one of “Young Rock” averaged 3.036 million viewers with a 0.62 key demo rating per episode, over 11 episodes. Season two has averaged 2.150 million viewers with a 0.40 key demo rating so far, across the 9 episodes that have aired as of this week.

The Rock has not commented on the renewal as of this writing, but Seven Bucks Vice President and former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz took to Twitter and reacted to the NBC announcement.

“We’re BACK baby! Can’t wait to dive into Season 3 of #YoungRock! This is shaping up to be a helluva week!,” Gewirtz wrote.

The Rock stars in the show alongside Joseph Lee Anderson, Stacey Leilua, Ana Tuisila, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, Uli Latukefu, Fasitua Amosa, John Tui and Matthew Willig.

The show was created by Nahnatchka Khan and Jeff Chiang and inspired by Rock’s life. Rock, Khan, Chiang, Gewirtz, Dany Garcia, Jennifer Carreras, and Hiram Garcia serve as Executive Producers, while the show is produced by Seven Bucks, Universal Television, and Fierce Baby Productions.

https://twitter.com/bfg728/status/1524870816386670592
https://twitter.com/nbc/status/1524867066716487680

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE’s Confusing Money In The Bank Ads Have Left Employees Just As Baffled As Fans

No one knows whether this year’s Money in the Bank winners will get title shots or WrestleMania main event spots.

Even though Hell in a Cell is next up on WWE’s Premium Live Event calendar, most people already have an eye on what’s next. That’s because Money in the Bank on July 2 will spark a run of three stradium shows in two months. SummerSlam on July 30, and then Clash at the Castle on September 3, the first stadium show in the UK for 30 years.

WWE began hype for Money in the Bank at WrestleMania Backlash, airing an ad featuring Cody Rhodes in Allegiant Stadium from which the show will air live. Harmless enough, except one line in the ad has had people talking ever since. Rhodes states the winners of this year’s Money in the Bank ladder matches will book spots in WrestleMania main events.

That’s very different from the title shots holding a contract usually guarantees. Some believed it to simply be a slip up that somehow managed to fall through a number of cracks. However, that same ad aired unedited on Raw the following night, and then again during NXT on Tuesday. There has still been no clarification as to whether Money in the Bank winners now earn something different, and apparently those within WWE are just as confused.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingNewsCo/status/1523514096892932096

According to a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, no one backstage knows what exactly is going on regarding this year’s Money in the Bank. That includes people who would usually in the know when it comes to that sort of thing. There was also no confirmation offered up by WWE, so for now, what exactly this year’s Money in the Bank winners will get remains a mystery.

It could be argued that Money in the Bank was in need of a shake up after a few of its most recent winners, and their subsequent cash-ins, haven’t felt quite as impactful. Having them hold the briefcase until WrestleMania with no threat of them cashing in before then though, that doesn’t feel like the solution. If WWE does follow through with this idea, it does also raise the question of what will next year’s Royal Rumble winners get if those main event slots have already been taken?

Source: TheSportster

UPDATE

The ad with Rhodes led to a lot of speculation, with many people assuming this was a mistake. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that many people within WWE were also under the belief that this year’s MITB stipulations would be the same as they have been in previous years.

It was said by some within WWE that the wording on the ad was a mistake that wasn’t caught when it aired at WrestleMania Backlash, but then WWE aired the same commercial on Monday and Tuesday.

One WWE source says McMahon has plans already in place for the top matches at WrestleMania 39, and that these plans do not include Money In the Bank winners in the top title matches. It’s still interesting that the commercial aired three times without an edit.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 5/10/22

Tonight’s WWE NXT 2.0 episode will feature fallout from last night’s NXT Spring Breakin’ special.

WWE RAW Preview 5/9/22

The post-WrestleMania Backlash edition of WWE RAW will air live tonight from the XL Center in Hartford, CT with fallout from last night’s Premium Live Event.

WWE has not announced any matches or segments for tonight but the build to Hell In a Cell on June 5 should begin.

WrestleMania Backlash saw the reveal of Rhea Ripley as the newest disciple to WWE Hall of Famer Edge, helping him defeat AJ Styles, so it’s likely that the Judgment Day storyline will continue tonight.

A new challenger for Cody Rhodes is also being teased now that he defeated Seth Rollins in their rematch last night

 An appearance by The Bloodline is possible as a follow-up to their win over RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania Backlash.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Charlotte Flair Being Written Off WWE TV

WWE announced that Charlotte Flair suffered a “fracture of the radius” during her I Quit match against Ronda Rousey at Sunday’s WrestleMania Backlash.

Following the announcement, Fightful Select reported that the injury is “very much a storyline angle” to write Flair off WWE TV. It was further noted that Flair was taking time away from the company.

Bryan Alvarez of The Wrestling Observer reports that Flair is getting married soon, and requested time off from WWE prior to Sunday’s event.

Flair recently revealed that her wedding to AEW star Andrade El Idolo is set to place this summer.

“We have a [wedding] date. It’s this summer in Mexico, I have my dress,” Flair told BT Sports’s Ariel Helwani. “I think Manny (Andrade) would be a little angry if I walked down the aisle with my title. He was like, ‘Mami, for the wedding, I do not want your hair to look like Charlotte.’ I was like, ‘what does that mean?’ Just less makeup, he likes the fresh face.”

After announcing Charlotte Flair’s injury Sunday, Kayla Braxton asked fans to check WWE’s website for regular updates regarding The Queen’s condition.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 5/6/22

The WrestleMania Backlash go-home edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX will air live tonight from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.

It’s interesting to note that WWE has apparently pulled the Sheamus and Ridge Holland vs. The New Day Tables Match from tonight’s show. The match disappeared from the WWE website listing some time between Tuesday night and Thursday morning, and the old URL for the match preview now just says “Access Denied” when you try to access it.

The only match listed for tonight’s show is WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks vs. Shayna Baszler. This is to build to next Friday’s show with Banks and Naomi defending against Baszler and Natalya.

RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro are scheduled to appear tonight for the final WrestleMania Backlash build as they team with Drew McIntyre to face The Bloodline in six-man action on Sunday.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Big E Provides Update On Neck Injury, C1 Not Healing Optimally

Four to six more weeks in a neck brace for the former WWE Champion.

Pro wrestling might be staged, but every time wrestlers compete, they put their bodies and potentially even their lives on the line. We were reminded of that earlier this year when a belly-to-belly suplex gone wrong at ringside resulted in Big E suffering a broken neck. The former WWE Champion has naturally been absent from WWE TV ever since, providing updates on social media.

The latest of those updates came this morning, and while it wasn’t the worst news possible, it also wasn’t good news. E revealed that his C1 isn’t healing optimally, and that means he will be wearing the neck brace he has been sporting ever since suffering the injury for at least four more weeks. “I’ll spend another 4-6 weeks in a brace in hopes that I can avoid a fusion. But don’t you fret! I’ve got a tremendous support system & what shall be shall be,” E tweeted.

https://twitter.com/WWEBigE/status/1522541955271602176

Shortly after E suffered the injury, and once the necessary tests had taken place, E revealed what exactly the extent of the damage was. His C1 and C6 had been fractured, but not displaced, which is apparently a good thing. He also hasn’t suffered any damage to his spinal cord or ligaments, so more good news off the bat.

The length of time E will be away from the ring remains unclear. In fact, whether the New Day member will be able to wrestle again at all is still very much up in the air. Wrestlers have come back from neck, back, and spinal injuries, of course. Now so more than ever as Edge is back wrestling, pretty much full-time, and Paige has even been hinting that she will wrestle again after having to retire at 25.

The main thing right now is making sure E heals and that he leads a happy and healthy life. He’s clearly getting the best care possible, and if four more weeks in a neck brace is what’s needed, then that’s what has to happen. He’s an incredibly positive guy who is incredibly well-liked in the locker room. We wish him all the best and hope we see him in a WWE ring again one day.

Source: TheSportster

WWE NXT Spring Breakin’ Preview 5/3/22

The special Spring Breakin’ edition of WWE NXT 2.0 will air tonight on the USA Network, live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Roderick Strong Reportedly Requests WWE Release

Roderick Strong has reportedly requested his WWE NXT release, but the company has him factored into upcoming creative plans.

Strong has requested his release “multiple times” in the past several months, according to Fightful Select. However, word is that WWE has denied the request.

The veteran pro wrestler is said to be frustrated with many things within WWE over the past year, which led to him asking for his release.

WWE reportedly pitched a name change to Strong, but he was opposed to the idea. There were many people within WWE who were surprised that Strong was not included in the NXT releases made last Friday as he’s made it clear he wants out of the company.

Strong went to England in March for a quick run in NXT UK, defeating Wolfgang on the March 17 taped episode, then coming up short against NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov on the taped episode that aired on April 7. Strong lost to LA Knight and Tommaso Ciampa in SmackDown dark matches this past January, and took a WWE Main Event loss to T-BAR that same month, but there’s no word on if he’s being considered for a main roster run. His last NXT 2.0 TV singles match was the loss to Solo Sikoa on March 22, and then he competed in the Second Chance Triple Threat the following week for a spot in the NXT North American Title Ladder Match at Stand & Deliver, which also included A-Kid and the winner, current NXT North American Champion Cameron Grimes.

Strong reportedly re-signed with WWE shortly before The Diamond Mine stable debuted last year. Original plans called for Strong to be in the group with wife Marina Shafir, manager Malcolm Bivens, trainer Hideki Suzuki, Tyler Rust, and Arturo Ruas, but less than one year later Strong is the only member of the originally pitched stable to remain with the company.

WWE recently began a storyline where Strong said he wanted to make changes to The Diamond Mine so they don’t fail like The Undisputed Era did. WWE released Bivens last week, along with 9 other budget cuts, and now the group consists of Strong, The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile.

Strong has reportedly remained professional in his handling of creative week-to-week. It was also noted that WWE officials currently have no plans to release Strong as he is factored into upcoming creative plans.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett escorted out of building after controversial segment at Triplemania XXX: Monterrey

WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett is still drawing a considerable amount of heat from wrestling fans in 2022.

Saturday night at Triplemania XXX: Monterrey, Jarrett interrupted a lifetime achievement ceremony for AAA legend Latin Lover in his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. Jarrett received a tremendous amount of heat from the live crowd throughout the segment for his controversial comments on the microphone.

In the end, he was run off by Latin Lover and a returning Vampiro, who is well known in Mexico but most famous in the US for his run with WCW.

In an update from Lucha Libre Online, it seems the wrestling commission in Monterrey was prepared for Jarrett’s antics this time around. They confiscated the tortillas that the WWE Hall of Famer planned to throw into the crowd as he has done at AAA events in the past.

Even without the tortillas, security reportedly had to stop “multiple fans” who attempted to hop the guardrail and attack Jarrett and his wife Karen, who also took part in the angle last night.

Jeff Jarrett’s heat with the Monterrey crowd was so intense that he had to be escorted out of the venue by eight members of security for his own safety. The company also had to provide additional security at Jarrett’s hotel after the show due to overzealous fans wanting to get their hands on the former NWA Champion.

Jeff Jarrett has a long history of causing trouble down in Mexico. The WWE Hall of Famer nearly caused a riot in 2005 when he appeared at a AAA event in Mexico City. During that incident, fans rushed the ring and threw rocks at Jarrett, who responded by throwing tortillas at them, enraging the crowd further.

This was hardly the first time he had to be escorted from the arena by city police, however, as he’d done something similar the year before after defeating Latin Lover at a AAA event.

While there were no visible objects thrown last night, it seems the fans in Mexico have not forgiven the Hall of Famer.

Source: sportskeeda