Category: WWE

WWE NXT Level Up Preview 2/18/22

The premiere of WWE NXT Level Up will air tonight on Peacock and the WWE Network at 10pm ET. This is the new NXT show replacing WWE 205 Live.

NXT Level Up was taped earlier this week at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, before NXT Vengeance Day hit the air.

WWE has announced the following line-up for tonight’s Level Up premiere:

* Harland vs. Javier Bernal

* Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley vs. Kayla Inlay and Fallon Henley

* Edris Enofe vs. Kushida in the main event

 WWE released footage of Nile and Malcolm Bivens introducing Paxley as a new prospect for The Diamond Mine.

WWE SmackDown Preview 2/18/22

The WWE Elimination Chamber go-home edition of SmackDown on FOX will air tonight, taped last week from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

The show was taped due to WWE traveling to Saudi Arabia for Elimination Chamber.

The Undertaker Announced For 2022 WWE Hall Of Fame Class

As expected, since WrestleMania is in Dallas and he finally retired for real this time, WWE has revealed The Undertaker will become a Hall of Famer this year.

WWE tweeted the news below shortly after it was broken by The New York Post. The company has given the chance to unveil Hall of Famers to various publications in recent years, and it obviously needed a big one to break that The Deadman will become a Hall of Famer.

As mentioned above, WrestleMania will take place in Dallas this year. Despite being billed from Death Valley, in keeping with The Phenom’s gimmick, Texas is The Undertaker’s home state, so fitting that this where will be where he is inducted. Next year WrestleMania goes Hollywood, and it might be a while before The Show of Shows returns to Texas, so it really had to be this year if WWE wanted it to happen as close to his hometown as possible.

The Deadman wrestled his final match almost two years ago. A Boneyard Match against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36. Since Taker appeared to retire on a number of occasions before that, many fans weren’t convinced he was done for good. Later that year, he appeared at Survivor Series in a segment that was dubbed his farewell ceremony. The event marked almost exactly 30 years since his very first night in WWE.

Source: TheSportster

WWE issued the following announcement on The Undertaker induction into the 2022 Hall of Fame.

The Undertaker just became the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022, as first announced by the New York Post.  The Deadman will be enshrined in the hallowed hall during the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as part of WrestleMania Week.

The WWE Hall of Fame at a ceremony will take place Friday, April 1 at American Airlines Center in Dallas as part of WrestleMania Week.  The event will stream live exclusively on Peacock in the U.S. and WWE Network everywhere else.  In addition, for the first time in history, WWE will present both Friday Night SmackDown and the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony live on the same night at American Airlines Center, giving all fans in attendance an unprecedented opportunity to witness both events for one price. Tickets for the special 2-for-1 SmackDown + Hall of Famego on sale this Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. CT via Ticketmaster.  

Also, don’t miss The Undertaker’s first comments on his monumental Hall of Fame induction when he joins The TODAY Show tomorrow morning on NBC.

In an extraordinary career that spanned three decades, The Undertaker loomed over the WWE landscape like a menacing shadow, spelling out doom for those who dared cross him. Imbued with seemingly mystical abilities and preternatural in-ring skill, the legendary Phenom operated on his own level.

First introduced at 1990’s Survivor Series, The Demon of Death Valley was soon battling with Hulk Hogan, then at the top of the food chain in WWE. This clash set the tone for Undertaker’s dominant career. No one was too big, and no one was safe from his gloved grip.

A multi-time WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, a seven-time tag team titleholder and a Royal Rumble Match winner in 2007, Undertaker has cemented his place among the greatest in the game. A true in-ring pioneer, he was part of many WWE firsts, including the first-ever Casket Match at Survivor Series 1992, the first-ever Buried Alive Match in 1996 and the inaugural Hell in a Cell Match in 1997.

But there was one achievement that stood out above all others that is unlikely to ever be topped. Since WrestleMania VII in 1991, The Undertaker maintained a winning streak on The Grandest Stage of Them All that grew to an astounding 21-0, with milestone victories over the likes of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Randy Orton, Diesel, Kane and so many more. Only Brock Lesnar proved capable of upending The Last Outlaw in his yard, snapping The Streak in an earth-shocking upset at WrestleMania 30. The iconic Superstar closed the book on his Showcase of the Immortals career with an astonishing 25-2 record, most recently scoring an incredible victory over AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match.

Undertaker’s incomparable career concluded at Survivor Series on Nov. 22, 2020 when The Deadman retired, fittingly at the same event he debuted and exactly 30 years to the day he first stepped into a WWE ring.

In the face of all challenges, The Deadman would rise time and time again, stronger and mightier than ever to serve as sports-entertainment’s grim reaper of justice with his name permanently etched like an epitaph on the history books of WWE. No grave could hold him, no god could claim him and no devil would have him. In the end, there would only be one suitable resting place for the almighty Deadman: the WWE Hall of Fame.

Don’t miss The Undertaker take his place in sports-entertainment history during the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, April 1, streaming live exclusively on Peacock in the U.S. and WWE Network everywhere else.

Cody Rhodes Hasn’t Signed With WWE & An AEW Return Is Reportedly Possible

Apparently, AEW’s door hasn’t shut on Cody Rhodes just yet.

Cody Rhodes is thought to be an imminent WWE signing following his AEW departure this week but, as reports would have it, the former All Elite EVP isn’t completely out the door just yet.

The American Nightmare was reported to have fashioned a move away from the promotion due to a number of issues, including a loss of booking power, financial disagreements, and other personal problems with Tony Khan. His wife, Brandi, left along with him. And while Cody is rumored to be WWE bound, sources claim she won’t be joining him there should he sign.

Vince McMahon is reportedly very excited over the possibility of having Rhodes back on the roster and plans to give him a major push if it comes to that. There’s already talk of the former AEW superstar being involved in tapings this coming weekend while there’s been speculation pointing to a match at WrestleMania 38.

As things stand, though, Rhodes is still a free agent, and reaching a deal with AEW isn’t yet out of the question.

According to Fightful (H/T WrestlingNews.co), the show Rhodes To The Top has not been canceled, and the direction is still being discussed. The show is centered on Cody and Brandi’s AEW life but was produced by Shed media US and Warner Horizon Unscripted Television so, theoretically, it could go on without involvement from AEW.

Said publication also reports that Rhodes has not put pen to paper on a deal with WWE and, until such a time, there’s a chance of him returning to AEW.

Khan was said to be in a poor mood after talks ended with Rhodes earlier this week, which could be because he wanted him to stay. The former TNT Champion had mentioned his unhappiness to the other company EVPs around two weeks ago, but they all expected him to agree to a deal.

Source: TheSportster

New Details On Why Cody Rhodes Left AEW, Cody To WWE Update, Brandi

Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso reports that multiple sources have said Brandi is not expected to join Cody in WWE.

It was also said that Cody could begin working for WWE as soon as this weekend, potentially visiting the WWE Performance Center in Orlando to film segments for his return.

Rhodes left WWE back in 2016 after being frustrated with a lack of direction, and dissatisfaction with certain members of the WWE creative team, mainly over his Stardust character. It was noted that this will be a non-factor in his upcoming return to WWE as he is expected to have a far different relationship with Vince and the writing team.

Regarding Cody’s AEW departure, Barrasso reports that another key factor in the decision was losing all responsibilities related to booking. Rhodes was originally a part of the process, but Khan, as AEW’s Head of Creative, has taken full control.

There is no timeframe for Rhodes’ return to WWE, but Barrasso reports that sources have confirmed he is headed back. There is also no word on if a deal has been reached. It’s believed that Rhodes could end up being a WrestleMania 38 surprise, or WWE could hold him off until the RAW After WrestleMania, which is the biggest RAW episode of the year.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Ex-ROH Star Quinn McKay Makes WWE Debut During NXT: Level Up Taping

Quinn McKay has seemingly joined WWE … as a ring announcer?

Quinn McKay made her WWE debut during the taping of the company’s new developmental show NXT: Level Up … but she didn’t work a match.

The former Ring Of Honor star was introduced as the show’s ring announcer under the name Kelly Kincaid. As well as wrestling in ROH, McKay also worked as a commentator and backstage correspondent, so she’s no stranger to broadcast duties. It seems that she will perform similar duties at the Performance Center.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingCovers/status/1493745532954722305

At the time of writing, no details regarding McKay’s WWE deal have been revealed — although it’s possible that she is yet to officially sign with the company and that the Level Up appearance was a tryout of sorts.

McKay debuted as a pro-wrestler in 2018 and joined Ring Of Honor in 2019. Though she only worked a few matches for the company, she made it to the quarter-finals of the inaugural ROH Women’s World Championship tournament last year, losing to eventual winner Rok-C, who could also be on her way to WWE if recent reports are accurate.

Source: TheSportster

Matt Hardy Gives Insight Into Bizarre WWE House Show Exit By Jeff Hardy

In a Q&A episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, AEW star Matt Hardy was asked about the possibility of him wrestling his brother, Jeff Hardy, in a singles match somewhere down the road. For all intents and purposes, Matt Hardy indicated the days of him and his brother wrestling each other have come and gone.

“The days of Matt and Jeff Hardy going head to head, they’re probably done,” Hardy said. “We’re teammates, we’re not opponents.”

Matt Hardy was also asked about how his brother, who was released from WWE in December of 2021, was doing as he waits for his 90-day noncompete clause to end. He also shed some light on what happened in Jeff Hardy’s last WWE match.

“He’s good,” Hardy said. “When he wants to share this story, he will I’m sure. But I mean, he ended up being exhausted after driving all night, he was on late in the dark Smackdown, the last match. They had a 300 miles plus drive and he got in early in the morning and then he had a family emergency and then he was up early.

“I think he was just exhausted and shot and probably beat up at the same time. And he was also very stressed out from his WWE job as well, you know? I think for him sometimes, he kinda gets in his head. Especially if he’s alone on the road and whatnot. I think it’s better with me there too. I think he feels a little more comfortable because he really can get in his own head.”

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to  The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy

Nikkita Lyons To Make WWE NXT In-Ring Debut Next Week

Nikkita Lyons will also make her in-ring debut on next week’s NXT show. Formerly known as Faith Jeffries and Faith The Lioness, Lyons has been featured in recent vignettes to promote her arrival. Her character is that of the daughter to parents who were in the entertainment industry, and now she has a background of MMA and dancing/rapping. She noted in this week’s promo that the feeling of crushing a dance routine can only be compared to landing a knockout blow in the ring, and warned that she’s “a whole lotta woman who is ready to do a whole lotta whooping.”

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1493777513436393475

New WWE NXT Show Coming Soon, WWE 205 Live Coming To An End

The new “WWE NXT: Level Up” series is scheduled to begin taping soon.

We’ve noted how there has been a WWE 205 Live re-branding in the works for a few months now, which is why more female Superstars and non-cruiserweight Superstars have been working the show as of late. WWE filed to trademark the “NXT: Level Up” name last week.

In an update, the WWE 205 Live series is finally coming to an end, according to PWInsider. The decision was made official earlier this week, but had been in the works for some time.

WWE was scheduled to tape the first “NXT: Level Up” episode last night at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, before the NXT Vengeance Day episode aired live. The episode is scheduled to be 60 minutes long.

WWE has been using NXT Superstar Joe Gacy as a storyline reason for the 205 Live changes. Gacy defeated Xyon Quinn last Friday night and promised that more changes to the show would be coming soon.

WWE officially announced last night during NXT Vengeance Day that NXT Level Up will debut this Friday night at 10pm on Peacock and the WWE Network.

The WWE 205 Live show originally debuted on November 29, 2016, airing on Tuesday nights before being moved to Fridays. WWE aired 269 episodes of the show.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Vince McMahon Reportedly Has Huge Plans For Cody Rhodes WWE Comeback

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon is planning to give Cody Rhodes “a major match at WrestleMania” if Rhodes were to return to WWE, according to Wade Keller of PWTorch.

On his latest audio show, Keller noted how McMahon views Rhodes’ AEW exit “as a big deal” and wants to treat it accordingly.

“Cody and WWE haven’t confirmed it but Cody is going to WWE and he’s going to get a big push,” Keller said. “Vince McMahon is going to treat this as a big deal. Everybody I talked to thinks Vince loves the idea of acquiring a co-founder and EVP and, you know, main event wrestler. He just held their secondary singles title not that long ago, and having him show up on WWE TV is something that Vince is very interested in taking advantage of and making money on it. It could even be a situation where Cody is in a major match at WrestleMania.”

Keller said he had “four plus hours of conversations” with his sources within AEW and WWE, which led him to believe that Rhodes is expected to be on the WrestleMania 38 card.

“I fully expect Cody to be on WrestleMania either as a wrestler or making his first appearance,” Keller said. “I don’t know if they can hold back on putting him on TV so I could even see him appearing on Raw or SmackDown next week. I’m not aware of there being any kind of non-compete at this point since he’s been a free agent for a while so Cody could appear. I wouldn’t be shocked if there’s even some augmentation to the booking plans for WrestleMania perhaps related to the Elimination Chamber in order to set the stage for Cody to do something really big at WrestleMania.”

Keller continued, “I think Cody will get a big push, at least at first. You know, there’s different opinions on whether Vince is going to resent Cody for creating competition or admire Cody for his entrepreneurial spirit and being classy about it the whole way. You know, Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff, Jeff Jarrett, they all competed with Vince [and] they all got jobs again. So, you know, we’ll, we’ll see how it goes. Vince saw Cody as a mid-carder. He saw Christian as a mid-carder. Christian went to Impact Wrestling and won a world title…He came back, he got a better push, but it wasn’t at the level of Edge, which is what, you know, Christian always wanted. He wanted to be at the Edge level.”

It is being widely reported that Cody Rhodes is in talks with WWE about a potential comeback. Since Rhodes is not under a non-compete clause with AEW, he is free to appear on WWE TV immediately.

Source: Wrestling Inc.