Category: WWE

WWE Announces “The United States Of America Vs. Vince McMahon” Series

WWE and Blumhouse Television are partnering for “The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon.”

WWE and Blumhouse announced today that “The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon” will be a limited scripted series that focuses on the WWE steroid trial of the 1990s.

The series is being developed for TV, and will feature the first-ever scripted portrayal of the WWE Chairman & CEO. The first-ever scripted dramatic portrayal of a chapter in WWE history will also feature portrayals of legendary WWE Superstars from that era.

“Jason, Chris and their team at Blumhouse create amazing work and we look forward to delivering an inside look into one of the most pivotal moments in our company’s history,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE’s longtime Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution, in a press release issued to us today.

McMahon, Dunn, Blumhouse owner Jason Blum, Blumhouse TV President Chris McCumber, and Jeremy Gold will serve as executive producers on the project.

“We have a dramatic, riveting saga – one that’s crazier than fiction – that will appeal to the cross-section of Blumhouse and WWE fans,” said McCumber. “To say I’m thrilled about collaborating again with WWE is an understatement.”

There’s no word yet on the network or premiere date, or the cast, but we will keep you updated when more information becomes available.

Below is the full press release issued today:

WWE ® AND BLUMHOUSE PARTNER TO DEVELOP ‘THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. VINCE MCMAHON’

LOS ANGELES and STAMFORD, Conn., July 26, 2021 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and Blumhouse Television are partnering to develop a limited scripted series called, The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon. Jason Blum’s company, Blumhouse, will develop the series for television, led by Blumhouse TV President Chris McCumber. The series, The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon, will be the first-ever scripted dramatic portrayal of a chapter in WWE’s history. Additionally, it is also the first scripted portrayal of McMahon as well as many of the legendary Superstars of that era.

The show will delve into WWE during the 1990s, at the time Rupert Murdoch had purchased the New York Post to further his massive infiltration into the U.S. media landscape. For years, infamous Post writer Phil Mushnick regularly hammered WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon in his column. Headlines like “Legislators Give WWE A Free Pass On ‘Roids” and “McMahon Skips Through the Cemetery” eventually captured the attention of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York – the nation’s most prestigious federal prosecutor’s office with a conviction rate of over 96 percent.

In 1994, the U.S. government indicted McMahon for allegedly supplying anabolic steroids to WWE talent. McMahon, with his liberty at stake, two school-aged children at home and with WWE on the brink of bankruptcy, refused to take a plea deal. Ultimately, McMahon stood trial and was acquitted unanimously by a jury of his peers and went on to build a multi-billion-dollar global sports entertainment empire.

“Jason, Chris and their team at Blumhouse create amazing work and we look forward to delivering an inside look into one of the most pivotal moments in our company’s history,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution.

“We have a dramatic, riveting saga – one that’s crazier than fiction – that will appeal to the cross-section of Blumhouse and WWE fans,” said Chris McCumber, Blumhouse Television President. “To say I’m thrilled about collaborating again with WWE is an understatement.”

McMahon, Dunn, Blum, McCumber and Jeremy Gold will serve as executive producers on the project.

The Blumhouse Television team, led by McCumber, have made several significant development announcements in the last few weeks, including: the straight-to-series pick-up of The Thing About Pam, starring Renee Zellweger in her broadcast TV debut for NBC; Blumhouse Ghost Story, the scripted series based on The Battersea Poltergeist BBC podcast, and the companion unscripted series; the continuing series based on Patricia Cornwell’s world’s best-selling “Kay Scarpetta” novels for a major; and the exclusive multi-year partnership with ITV America for provocative, disruptive and terrifying content to every corner of the non-fiction space, including Escape the Maze (wt) the first project derived from the partnership; among several other announcements.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 7/26/21

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

* WWE Champion Bobby Lashley responds to Goldberg’s SummerSlam challenge

* New RAW Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. celebrates

* Mansoor and Mustafa Ali will team up

* RAW Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Omos defend against The Viking Raiders

* WWE has Randy Orton advertised to appear tonight. Orton has been out of action since late June, and was recently on the disabled/inactive list internally.

Karrion Kross Potential Feud With Jeff Hardy Being Delayed (Hardy – Covid-19)

The feud between Karrion Kross and Jeff Hardy will have to be delayed as Hardy has tested positive for Covid-19 and is being pulled.

If WWE is planning to have Karrion Kross feud with Jeff Hardy, it looks like that feud is going to have to wait. Reports are that Hardy has had to pull out of events after testing positive for COVID-19, which may or may not derail immediate plans for Monday Night Raw.

Kross debuted last week on Raw. He came out with no fancy entrance and no manager, going up against the veteran in Hardy, who picked up a surprising win over the NXT Champion. Fans were split on the decision to have Kross lose clean to a mid-card talent like Hardy, but the belief was that a storyline would be starting right away where Kross came out and destroyed Hardy, starting him on a warpath through the Raw roster.

If that’s the plan, it will have to wait as Hardy has pulled out of an event in Kansas City after he tested positive for COVID-19. The news of his positive test was announced by the recordBar venue in Kansas City. They posted the following on Facebook:

“We regret to inform you that the event with Jeff Hardy to take place on Monday July 26, 2021 at recordBar in Kansas City, MO will have to be postponed to a later date.” They added, “Jeff Hardy just tested positive for covid this morning, and will have to quarantine for the next two weeks, and will not be participating in any live events for the next two weeks.” They provided a link for refund requests.

Source: The Sportster

WWE SmackDown Preview 7/23/21

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will feature fallout from Money In the Bank as the Road to SummerSlam kicks off.

This will be a special edition of SmackDown, airing as a dual-site broadcast. Some of the matches will air live from the Rolling Loud rap festival in Miami, while the rest of the show will air live from the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

* Toni Storm debuts on the main roster

* John Cena returns to SmackDown

* Big E vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews, from Rolling Loud in Miami

* Carmella vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, from Rolling Loud in Miami

* Fallout from Money In the Bank and build for SummerSlam

WWE Reportedly Has Interest In Bringing Braun Strowman Back

WWE reportedly has interest in bringing Braun Strowman back.

It was noted in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE is interested in bringing Strowman back to work for the company, especially with the recent AEW signings and the expected signings of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.

Strowman was released from WWE on June 2, and is reportedly under a 90-day non-compete clause that will make him a free agent on Tuesday, August 31. There has been talk of Strowman signing with AEW as there is interest from both sides

There is no word yet on if Strowman is interested in going back to WWE.

Strowman merchandise was added to the WWE Shop website, but it remains to be seen if that was some sort of error, or miscommunication, or if it could be related to WWE wanting to bring him back.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Planning To Hold Queen of the Ring Tournament This Year?

While details are sketchy, reports are that WWE is planning to hold a Queen of the Ring Tournament later this year.

As per an exclusive report via Wrestling Inc., WWE is bringing a popular tournament back, only this time for the Women’s Division with a Queen of the Ring tournament. The report explains this won’t be a pay-per-view and it won’t be part of either Raw or SmackDown.

The tournament is tentatively scheduled to be a main roster show that airs exclusively on Peacock. No dates have been confirmed, only that this is supposed to happen at some point as part of the 2021 calendar.

There were also no details on how big the tournament bracket would be, if it would include only certain stars from certain brands or which names were going to be featured. WWE’s Women’s main roster division current includes about 17 women who aren’t either already champions or aren’t on the injured list. That means, most of the females on the main roster could be included if the brackets start with 16 competitors.

What’s interesting about this is that WWE hasn’t really put much emphasis on a King of the Ring Tournament in quite some time. It’s not a regularly featured pay-per-view and from year to year, it’s never quite known if WWE will hold the historic event or not. King of the Ring had previously been one of WWE’s signature spectacles with the winner often going on to do big things. Perhaps WWE is hoping the winner of a female version of the tournament could skyrocket in popularity.

NWA recently announced an all-women pay-per-view titled EmPower. It will take place on Aug. 28 at Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis. During a media call in June, Triple H was asked and all-women’s event and seemed to brush off the idea, saying it was a possibility, but not “the must-have of the moment.”

Could WWE have changed their mind or felt pressure to put something on? Or, was this in the works already and Triple H just kept it quiet.

Source: The Sportster

WWE SummerSlam To Air In Movie Theaters

The 2021 WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view will air live in select movie theaters across the country.

WWE and Iconic Events Releasing announced today that SummerSlam will air live in movie theaters nationwide for the first time ever.

Ticket prices vary based on the theater location, but select theaters in the following states will be showing the pay-per-view live: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

You can find a list of participating movie theaters at WWEliveintheaters.com.

WWE SummerSlam will take place on Saturday, August 21 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for updates on the big event.

WWE issued the following announcement to us today:

SUMMERSLAM® TO AIR LIVE IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

STAMFORD, Conn., July 22, 2021 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and Iconic Events Releasing today announced a new partnership that brings SummerSlam, WWE’s biggest event of 2021, to movie theaters nationwide for the first time. The event will air live on Saturday, August 21 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT and will be one of the first sporting events held at full capacity at Allegiant Stadium, and the first time it will be held at an NFL venue.

“Iconic Events Releasing is proud to be in partnership with WWE to bring their incredible brand to movie theaters coast to coast,” said Iconic CEO Steve Bunnell. “SummerSlam is a marquee event that demands to be seen on the big screen, with big sound, in an auditorium full of excited fans.”

Iconic Events Releasing brings live and filmed entertainment of all types to movie theaters as special limited engagement events, so that fans can gather together to watch their favorites on the big screen. Programming includes live pay-per-view sports, music and comedy specials, stand-up comedy events, award-winning television specials, Broadway productions, exciting holiday specials, family events, live events for album releases, rock concerts, and music docs that celebrate diversity.

Iconic’s national theater network represents the country’s preeminent cinemas offering enhanced guest experiences, high-quality food & beverage service, and reserved seating to ensure families can enjoy a night out watching SummerSlam live in their local movie theater.

Tickets to see SummerSlam live in theaters are on sale now at local theater box offices and at wweliveintheaters.com.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Nikki A.S.H. Cashes In Money In The Bank Contract, Wins Raw Women’s Title

Nikki A.S.H cashed in her Money in the Bank contract just one night after winning it to become the new Raw Women’s Champion.

A hectic Monday Night Raw ended with a surprise cash-in as Nikki A.S.H. wasted no time in using her newly-won Money in the Bank contract to take the Raw Women’s Championship away from Charlotte Flair.

24 hours after defeating Rhea Ripley for the title at Money in the Bank on Sunday night, Charlotte found herself in a rematch with the former champion. She wanted nothing to do with Ripley and argued the challenger was too injured to be a real threat. Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville called Charlotte’s bluff and set the rematch as the main event of the evening.

With so many big events already having taken place on Raw — John Cena opened the show, Keith Lee and Goldberg return, and Karrion Kross debuted — it was clear something big was going to happen if these two women were slated to close the three-hour program. Most fans in attendance thought it might be the return of Becky Lynch. Perhaps this was as good, if not the next best thing.

Charlotte escaped the match with her title, but after being attacked by Ripley, Nikki made her way to the ring, cashed in, landed a flying cross body off the top rope and secured the three count to become the new Raw Women’s Champion.

Source: The Sportster

WWE NXT Preview 7/20/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature Raquel Gonzalez defending her NXT Women’s Title against Xia Li.

* The 2021 Breakout Tournament continues

* What’s next for NXT Champion Karrion Kross?

* Tyler Rust and Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Fish and NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida

* NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defends against Xia Li

Goldberg Returns On Raw, Confronts WWE Champion Bobby Lashley

Goldberg has indeed returned to Raw, confronting Bobby Lashley and declaring himself to be next on the WWE Champion’s list of contenders.

The rumors were true. Goldberg has returned to Raw after more than a year away, confronting WWE Champion Bobby Lashley.

Bobby Lashley, still riding the high of squashing Kofi Kingston on Sunday night, also issued an open challenge for the WWE Title. That prompted the return of Keith Lee to a very big pop in his home state. Lee didn’t become WWE Champion, but at least he’s back after more than five months of uncertainty.

Moments after successfully fending off one challenger, Lashley’s next one emerged. Yes, the rumors were true, Goldberg is back once again. The Hall of Famer’s music hit and once he was in the ring, Goldberg got up in Lashley’s face and declared “I’m next”. Lashley appeared to want to go there and then, but was prevented from doing so by MVP.

Presumably, the plan is for Lashley and Goldberg to clash for the WWE Title at SummerSlam. Despite everything Goldberg has achieved in his career, winning the WWE Title still isn’t on his resume. He has been WCW Champion, won WWE’s World Heavyweight Title, and, of course, beat The Fiend to become Universal Champion prior to the start of the pandemic. The WWE Title is a championship that has evaded him his entire career.

Source: The Sportster