Category: WWE

Bray Wyatt Released By WWE

Former WWE and Universal Champion Bray Wyatt has been released by WWE following 12 years of service to the company.

Former WWE Champion Bray Wyatt has been released by WWE after 12 years with the company.

WWE confirmed Wyatt’s release on its website on Saturday, July 31.

“WWE has come to terms on the release of Bray Wyatt. We wish him the best in all his future endeavors,” the statement read.

According to Dave Meltzer, Wyatt was made aware of the situation by John Laurinaitis, who told him he was being released due to budget cuts. This has since been backed by Fightful Select.

The publication also states that the company had considered dropping Wyatt when they made their last round of cuts but ultimately decided to keep him. It’s also been reported that the performer had grown protective over his gimmick as he had issues with the poor ideas being pitched to him.

Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda, is likely to have a 90-day non-compete clause in his deal that would keep him from appearing elsewhere until the end of October 2021.  Of course, he is expected to pick right back up and should have his pick of the bunch whenever the 90 days are over.

As the grandson of Blackjack Mulligan and the son of Mike Rotunda (better known in WWE as Irwin R. Schyster), Bray Wyatt is a third-generation wrestler who joined WWE’s developmental system in 2009. He reported for duty at WWE’s feeder promotion Florida Championship Wrestling, which would later be rebranded as NXT. Wyatt — real name Windham Rotunda — began performing under the name Duke Rotundo in a tag team with his real-life brother Bo Dallas. the two brothers eventually became FCW Tag Team Champions.

In 2010, Wyatt participated in the original gameshow-adjacent incarnation of NXT under then ring name Husky Harris with Cody Rhodes as his mentor. He then played a role in the memorable Nexus storyline but ultimately returned to FCW.

In 2012 Husky Harris was repackaged as Bray Wyatt and debuted on the July 11, 2012 episode of the rebranded NXT where he kicked off his tenure at Full Sail University with a win over Aiden English. Bray Wyatt soon formed a “family” with Luke Harper and Erik Rowan. The group was called up to the main roster in May of 2013 when vignettes hyping their arrival began to air on Raw.

For a time, the Wyatt family was one of the most popular acts in WWE, and the gimmick propelled Wyatt to the main event scene. A WWE Championship reign and a WrestleMania match with Undertaker followed, but ultimately Bray’s star power was squandered.

He was repackaged as The Fiend, a flamboyant horror-inspired character that seemed popular at first but quickly polarized fans.

Following his release, Wyatt’s former on-screen protégé Alexa Bliss took to Twitter to share a touching tribute to her friend.

“I really am at a loss for words… thank you so much Windham for everything you’ve done for this company. The most fun I’ve had is working with you. Such an amazing talent & the most kind person. I’m just in shock,” Alexa wrote.

Source: The Sportster

Paige Provides Big Update On Her Neck Injury

Former two-time WWE Divas Champion Paige has provided an encouraging update on her career-ending neck injury.

Earlier on Friday, Paige informed fans via Twitter that she’s able to squat 185 lbs again and that her “neck is feeling so awesome.”

Paige tweeted:

You guys I’m getting stronger. squatting 185lbs again. I know it’s not a ton but it’s a big accomplishment for me who was worried to do any gym stuff because of my neck. But my neck is feeling so awesome. I’m so proud of myself.

As seen in the tweet below, WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix congratulated Paige on her progress. Others such as Zelina Vega, RAW Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. and Bronson Reed also sent out encouraging tweets.

Earlier this year, Paige said she was hoping to follow in the footsteps of WWE Hall of Famer Edge and Daniel Bryan, who overcame the odds and returned from career-ending injuries.

The 28-year-old Paige retired in 2018 after suffering a neck injury during a house show.

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1421239004507246593

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 7/30/21

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will take place from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

No matches have been announced for tonight’s show but WWE is teasing fallout from last week’s show where Finn Balor challenged WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who accepted. WWE is also asking what’s next for John Cena now that Reigns has accepted the Balor challenge.

Cena is being advertised for tonight’s show, along with WWE Hall of Famer Edge. Advertised locally is Cena and The Mysterios vs. Reigns and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, plus Sasha Banks vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.

It remains to be seen if Banks will actually return to TV or not on tonight’s show.

Jeff Jarrett Reportedly No Longer Working For WWE

WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett was reportedly released from the company a few months back along with other budget cuts.

WWE quietly released Jarrett back in April, according to a new report from WhatCulture.

Jarrett, inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018, was hired to work as a producer in January 2019, and then it was reported in March 2019 that he had been promoted to the creative team.

It was noted that Jarrett has been reaching out to other promotions for bookings, but he is said to be under a non-compete with WWE, but there is no word on the length of that clause. If true, this would be interesting because WWE non-competes usually do not go for longer than 90 days, and even if Jarrett was released on April 30, the clause would have expired by now.

It remains to be seen if WWE plans to bring Jarrett back, as they have done in similar situations with other talent.

Jarrett first announced his “My World” podcast back on April 9, and the premiere episode was released in May.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Nevada’s Mask Mandate Could Disrupt WWE’s SummerSlam Plans

In the wake of the CDC’s updated mask guidelines, the state of Nevada reinstated its mask mandate, which could impact WWE SummerSlam in Las Vegas.

Within hours of the CDC’s recent recommendation that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks in public to curb the spread of Covid-19 and its variants, the state of Nevada reinstalled a statewide mask mandate that could have serious repercussions for WWE’s upcoming SummerSlam event.

Starting on Friday, July 30, Nevada will require face coverings to be worn indoors in public in counties with “substantial or high transmission.” At the time of writing, 12 of Nevada’s 17 counties meet that criteria, including Clark County, the home of the state’s most populous metropolitan area, Las Vegas.

On August 21, the Allegiant Stadium in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise will play host to WWE’s 34th annual SummerSlam pay-per-view event. Despite being a large stadium designed to predominantly host NFL games, the newly-built Allegiant Stadium is classified as an indoor stadium due to its domed roof. If not lifted between now and August 21, which seems unlikely, Nevada’s mask mandate is going to give WWE brass a big headache.

It’s possible that the state will issue special exemptions to the mandate for entertainers. If this happens, WWE talent could be exempt from having to wear face coverings while in the arena which would make the whole situation a lot easier to manage.

It’s unlikely that fans in attendance will be exempt from the mandate, however. So if you’re going to SummerSlam this year, make sure you bring a mask with you.

https://twitter.com/GovSisolak/status/1420171868762382341

SummerSlam will be WWE’s first major pay-per-view to take place in front of a capacity crowd since 2019’s Royal Rumble. It will be the second WWE pay-per-view on WWE’s 25-city tour, which will run from July 16 to Labor Day. The first one, Money in the Bank, took place on July 18 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Last year’s SummerSlam event was held at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. It was the first WWE pay-per-view to emanate from the WWE ThunderDome.

Source: The Sportster

WWE NXT Preview 7/27/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode will air on the Syfy network at 8pm ET due to coverage of The Olympics on the USA Network.

WWE Queen Of The Ring Tournament And WWE Draft Update

WWE’s first-ever Queen of the Ring tournament is reportedly scheduled to air over RAW and SmackDown in October.

It was reported last week that WWE had plans for the all-women’s tournament to be held this year. The tentative plan was for the event to air on Peacock and the WWE Network, but a new report indicates that the event will air over WWE’s flagship TV shows.

It was reported today by Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast that the Queen of the Ring tournament is currently scheduled to begin on the October 8 SmackDown, and then continue on the October 11 RAW episode.

These dates mean the tournament would begin right after the WWE Draft, which is reportedly scheduled for either the October 1 SmackDown and the October 4 RAW, or the October 4 RAW and the October 8 SmackDown. The October 4 RAW is also scheduled to be the RAW season 30 premiere. It’s likely that the Draft will take place on October 1 and October 4, if the tournament is beginning on October 8.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Natalya Apparently Injured On RAW

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Natalya apparently suffered a leg injury during last night’s RAW.

RAW featured a non-title match with Natalya and Tamina facing Eva Marie and Doudrop, who were competing to earn a future title shot. Natalya was wrestling Doudrop at one point, going at it and tangling with each other, when Natalya appeared to suffer a right leg injury on a roll-over, or possibly one of the stomps from Doudrop.

Natalya tagged out and had trouble putting weight on her right leg. The referee then apparently called an audible as Tamina took over, and after a distraction by Lilly on the big screen, superkicked Eva for the pin to win.

After the match, a ringside medic immediately helped Natalya to the back. Tamina joined the medic in helping Natalya, who was still unable to put weight on her right leg.

https://twitter.com/EthanCramer/status/1419832102292533249

Source: Wrestling Inc.

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.