Category: WWE

Backstage News On The Undertaker’s WWE Status

The Undertaker’s working relationship with WWE is an interesting situation these days.

Things between the two sides changed greatly when Taker was announced for the upcoming Starrcast II convention, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Observer also notes that people in WWE were at first saying there was no way Taker would appear at Starrcast, but he is making the appearance likely to due to contracts.

Taker reportedly thought his WWE career was over after the matches in late 2018 – the No DQ loss to Triple H at WWE Super Show-Down in October and the tag team match at WWE Crown Jewel in November, which saw Taker and Kane lose to WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels and Triple H, and that’s when he started booking non-WWE paydays. Vince McMahon was upset when the Starrcast appearance was announced, but WWE reportedly made Taker an offer he couldn’t refuse, financially, once things calmed down between the two sides. Part of that new contract was an agreement that Taker could no longer work the outside dates, except for the ones he had already booked.

The Observer notes that Taker had no legal way to get out of the Starrcast deal, but for the UK deal with Inside The Ropes, they didn’t have the king of legal resources to fight WWE on it. Regarding those ITR appearances on April 29, April 30 and May 1, Taker was originally scheduled to meet fans for autographs and photos, plus a Q&A session. That was changed last week, and it was announced that WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley would be doing the Q&A part of the show, while Taker would be appearing for just the signings. This is because of the new WWE deal that Taker was signed as the company wanted to bring him back into the fold. Taker reportedly “pushed really hard” to keep the Inside The Ropes appearances, despite people in WWE not wanting him to go at all. The promoters would have had to refund all tickets and it could have really hurt them moving forward, and Taker did not want to do that. That’s when the compromise was made with Foley coming in to discuss his history with Taker each night. The Observer adds that Taker pushed to make sure he still came for at least the signings with fans.

There was a feeling that WWE believed Taker would never take bookings with people the company didn’t want him doing dates with, and WWE didn’t realize the large amount of money that some promoters would offer Taker for their events. It was reported in February that Taker was charging $25,000 per hour, and that he would have no trouble finding dates.

One source involved in booking non-WWE appearances noted to The Observer that the $150 per person price to get a photo and autograph with Taker was actually too low as WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin charged $316 for his VIP package at WrestleCon in New Orleans last year during WrestleMania 34 Week, and they had so many requests at that price that they were overwhelmed and had to cut sales off. There was a feeling that Taker could have had a similar demand at WrestleCon during WrestleMania 35 Week this year. Taker was approached by promoters for WrestleMania 35 Week appearances, including WrestleCon, but he had already agreed to do the post-WrestleMania RAW appearance.

It was also noted that it’s still not clear if Taker’s new WWE deal is to wrestle, but he’s expected to return to the ring at the next Saudi Arabia event, believed to be on Friday, June 7. A match with Elias has been rumored after their recent run-in on RAW, but that could have been changed now that Elias was moved to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup. Taker is also scheduled for a signing appearance that Sunday, June 9th at the Niagara Falls Comic Con in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Which WWE Roster Will Nikki Cross Be Working With?

There’s been speculation on which brand Nikki Cross will go to now that the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-Up is over, and now it looks like she will be working with the RAW brand.

The WWE website still lists Cross as having no official brand, but she revealed on Instagram that she will be working red brand live events in St. Louis, Springfield and Moline this weekend, which would put her at Monday’s RAW in Des Moines, Iowa.

Cross came to the main roster in December 2018, and had made some appearances on both shows since then. She was the only recent call-up to be left without a brand coming out of the Shake-Up.

Cross posted the following on working with the RAW brand this weekend:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage Update On “Road Dogg” BG James’ WWE Status And Future

WWE Hall of Famer “Road Dogg” Brian G. James is now expected to take an extended break from the company, according to PWInsider.

As noted, James recently stepped down as the co-lead writer of the SmackDown brand and there had been talk on James possibly filling the behind-the-scenes role once held by WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson at live events. There was also talk of James possibly working as a commentator. Now word is that the parties involved will assess the situation and see where James may fit in the company going forward.

James was not at the WWE TV tapings in Montreal this past week. With James not there, Ryan Ward was leading the creative team on Tuesday for the Superstar Shakeup episode. Ward handled the responsibilities that were usually overseen by James.

James is still considered to be with the company, but there is no current timetable for his return to work.

It was reported before that James had become increasingly frustrated with changed made to blue brand TV scripts by Vince McMahon, and that he finally “hit a breaking point” at the post-WrestleMania 35 SmackDown in Brooklyn.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Dean Ambrose Finishing Up With WWE, Sunday’s Shield WWE Special

Dean Ambrose is set to finish up with WWE this weekend.

Ambrose’s final dates with the company are this weekend in matches with The Shield vs. Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin and Bobby Lashley. This match is booked for Friday’s live event in St. Louis, Saturday’s show in Springfield and Sunday’s show in Moline. The Moline match will air on the WWE Network as “The Shield’s Final Chapter” special.

WWE Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor is still booked for Sunday’s live event in Moline, despite his roster change to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup. WWE has not announced Balor’s opponent for the “Last Chapter” special, but the website still says he will be defending his title. It’s possible that Balor defends against Elias on the Network special as Elias vs. Balor has been advertised locally.

The event is scheduled to begin at 9:30pm ET on the WWE Network. The WWE website also has Braun Strowman advertised for the Moline live event, along with new SmackDown Superstars Bayley and Elias.

The actual live event this Sunday starts at 8pm ET, however the portion that will be televised on the Network will start at 9:30 pm ET.

Below is WWE’s full announcement:

WATCH THE SHIELD’S FINAL CHAPTER THIS SUNDAY ON WWE NETWORKIn what will be the groundbreaking faction’s FINAL match together, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns & Universal Champion Seth Rollins will team up for a special event, The Shield’s Final Chapter, streaming LIVE this Sunday, April 21, at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT on WWE Network. Don’t miss the legendary trio’s final ride together in WWE.

The Shield will face the team of Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Baron Corbin. Also, Finn Bálor will be in action to defend the Intercontinental Championship.

If you are not yet a subscriber, go to WWENetwork.com and start your one-month free trial today.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

“The Roast Of Ric Flair” To Headline Starrcast II And Stream Online, Flair Comments

The upcoming Starrcast II convention will be headlined by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair getting roasted.

“The Roast of Ric Flair” will take place on Friday, May 24 at 9pm ET from the Pro Wrestling Tees Theater inside Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. It will stream live on StarrcastOnFite.com.

Comedian and longtime pro wrestling fan Ron Funches will host the roast. The roast is set to feature some of “the biggest names in pro wrestling and stand-up comedy, along with a few surprise guests.”

The roast was announced by Starrcast’s Conrad Thompson in a new interview with CBS Sports.

“Well, I wanted to turn the volume up, and we are here at Caesar’s Palace, and there is no bigger name in the history of wrestling than Ric Flair,” Thompson told CBS Sports. “So, the ‘The Roast of Ric Flair’ is happening.”

The Nature Boy told CBS that he is both prepared and excited for the type of no-holds barred comedy that he will be the victim of. Flair pointed out how familiar he is with Vegas.

“I’ve got a lot of history with Caesar’s Palace. Oh God, it was a regular stop in the 80s and 90s,” Flair said. “I’m lucky to be here and every day is a blessing. But one of those reasons is Las Vegas. I’ve had a couple of drinks in that town!”

There’s no word yet on pro wrestlers booked to roast Flair but the format will be very similar to popular Comedy Central roasts. Thompson said there will be “a who’s who of stand-up comedians” booked like Dan Soder, Taylor Williamson, Mike Lawrence and Dan St. Germain.

“There is going to be a handful of wrestling people there, but Ric sort of transcends pop culture, so we are going to have more mainstream roasters from outside the wrestling sector,” Thompson said. “The comedians are itching for the chance to carve up not just Ric but our dais as well. We are excited to have some fun, but some of these guys, they are not going for laughs. They are going for gasps.”

Thompson teased possible appearances by WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Ricky Steamboat. We know that names like The Undertaker and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle will be in town for the convention that weekend, and there will be AEW stars in town for Double Or Nothing, but there’s no word yet on if they might appear.

Thompson continued, “We will also have a whole host of wrestling names, whether it’s people from Ric’s past like Ricky Steamboat, probably his favorite opponent, or Jim Ross, who called some of his more iconic matches. And a whole bunch of surprises. Whether you are a wrestling fan or not, there will be names you will recognize because everyone wants to come out and pay tribute to one of the greatest of all time.”

https://twitter.com/HeyHeyItsConrad/status/1118910916072964097

https://twitter.com/StarrcastEvents/status/1118925107043422208

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Changing War Raiders’ Names

The decision to change the name of the WWE NXT Tag Team Champions from The War Raiders to The Viking Experience was a Vince McMahon call, according to Meltzer on Observer Radio. Now that they have joined the RAW roster in the Superstar Shakeup, Hanson is known as Erik while Rowe is now known as Ivar.

There was speculation on the “War” being dropped from the name due to obvious reasons, but Meltzer said that was not the case. It came down to Vince just not liking the name and him calling for a new name before the debut on RAW. As noted, one point the team was scheduled to be called The Berzerkers, but the name was changed to The Viking Experience as they got closer to the debut.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Legendary Sportscaster And WrestleMania 2 Ring Announcer Chet Coppock Dies At 70

Legendary Chicago sportscaster Chet Coppock passed away on Wednesday due to injuries he suffered as a passenger in a car accident on April 11th outside of Hilton Head, S.C. He was 70 years old.

Coppock was nicknamed “The Godfather of Sports Talk Radio,” and was the special guest ring announcer for the portion of WrestleMania 2 that took place in Chicago.

Image result for Chet Coppock wrestlemania 2

He also co-hosted Radio WWF with WWE Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon at WrestleMania X.

While Coppock was later critical of Vince McMahon, he would often post wrestling-related posts on social media and reminisce about the characters of the past.

WWE also acknowledged Coppock’s passing, stating, “WWE extends its condolences to Coppock’s family, friends and fans.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage Notes On Samoa Joe Joining The WWE RAW Roster This Coming Monday (4/22)

An angle is planned for Monday’s WWE RAW that will see WWE United States Champion Samoa Joe officially join the red brand roster, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.

We noted before that Joe was at this week’s RAW, but his segment was removed from the show because he was very sick. If Joe is able to perform on Monday, they will do the angle. It’s also been reported that Joe’s first RAW feud will be a continuation of the recent storyline he started with Braun Strowman. There’s no word yet on if Strowman will be involved in Monday’s angle, but it’s likely. WWE quietly announced several Superstar Shakeup roster changes after Tuesday’s SmackDown went off the air, but they saved the Joe move because of the angle that is planned for RAW.

On a related note, PWInsider reports that Joe is scheduled to be at Monday’s RAW from the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, but he is not scheduled for Tuesday’s SmackDown at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Report: Luke Harper’s WWE Contract Is Up In November, Expected To Sign With AEW

According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Luke Harper’s contract is expected to be up around the November time frame, but WWE has an option of keeping his deal rolling for another six months beyond that due to verbiage in the contract giving the company the ability to extend his agreement based on the amount of time he was sidelined due to injury.

While it is unlikely WWE will give him his immediate release, the speculation is that he will likely and ultimately end up with All Elite Wrestling by 2020.

We reported earlier this week that Harper had asked WWE for his release.

Source: EWrestling.com

Sheamus Reportedly Out With A Concussion, Update On Daniel Bryan’s Status After WrestleMania Loss

Sheamus is currently dealing with a concussion, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It’s believed to have happened during The New Day vs. Sheamus, Cesaro, and Drew McIntyre on the post-WrestleMania 35 SmackDown Live last week. He also wrestled on RAW the night before, teaming with Cesaro for a loss to Kofi and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins.

If that’s the case, both he and Big E were injured during the same match. For Big E, he suffered a torn meniscus that required surgery.

Sheamus did not appear on either of this week’s Superstar Shake-Up editions of RAW and SmackDown. The concussion would explain his absence from the SmackDown main event where Cesaro teamed up with Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura in a losing effort against Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Kevin Owens.

Sheamus did tweet the following earlier today, his weekly fitness check in for the campaign he’s currently doing:

https://twitter.com/WWESheamus/status/1118529099977371649

 

There’s no official update on Daniel Bryan’s status but word is that he is dealing with an injury coming out of the WrestleMania 35 loss to WWE Champion Kofi Kingston and the nature of his situation is being closely guarded, according to PWInsider. Bryan was not at RAW or SmackDown this week, and reportedly returned home last week after WrestleMania. He was not at SmackDown in Brooklyn last week and it was reported that he was to be examined by doctors, but there’s no news on what they found.

Source: Wrestling Inc.