WWE SmackDown Preview 5/24/2024

WWE SmackDown will air tonight on FOX from the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Tonight’s SmackDown is the go-home show for Saturday’s King and Queen of the Ring premium live event.

  • King of the Ring Semifinal Match: Tama Tonga vs. Randy Orton
  • Queen of the Ring Semifinal Match: Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax
  • The Street Profits vs. Tonga Loa and Solo Sikoa
  • WWE Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Chelsea Green (Non-Title Match)
  • AJ Styles will confront SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis

Triple H announced that the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring series will also receive world title matches at the August 2024 SummerSlam event, which emanates from Cleveland, Ohio.

AEW Rampage Preview 5/24/2024

The lineup for tonight’s new Rampage episode from the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, CA on TNT at a special time. (6pm ET.)

  • PAC vs. Rocky Romero
  • Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander vs. Anna Jay & Alex Windsor
  • RUSH vs. Isiah Kassidy
  • Samoa Joe in action

WWE King & Queen Of The Ring 5/25/2024 (Card)

WWE King and Queen of the Ring – Saturday May 25, 2024 from Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

WWE UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
Cody Rhodes (C) vs. Logan Paul

WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan

WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed

KING OF THE RING TOURNAMENT FINAL
Gunther vs. Randy Orton

QUEEN OF THE RING TOURNAMENT FINAL
Lyra Valkyria vs. Nia Jax

(Pre-Show) WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill (c) vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

Winners of the King and Queen of the Ring series will also receive world title matches at the August 2024 SummerSlam event, which emanates from Cleveland, Ohio.

Kenny Omega Underwent Surgery For Diverticulitis

Kenny Omega recently underwent surgery for diverticulitis.

Fightful Select is reporting that the AEW wrestler underwent surgery on May 16th in New York.

Omega is expected to face a “lengthy recovery” and there are no creative plans in place for him at this time.

Source: eWn

Backstage News On Potential AEW Return Of Former World Champion MJF

Former AEW World Champion MJF could reportedly return to AEW television soon.

MJF has been absent since his loss to Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship at AEW’s Worlds End pay-per-view, but “The Salt of The Earth” could soon return, as per “Fightful Select.” Sources in AEW have told “Fightful” that there have been discussions behind the scenes regarding MJF’s return and that he could be back by the Forbidden Door pay-per-view, which takes place in New York on June 30. 

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The report, though, added that there’s no set date for his return as of now. There’s no news regarding MJF’s injury, which has seemingly kept him out of action in 2024, but the report stated that the AEW star was dealing with a few injuries heading into his match with Samoa Joe. Despite the injuries that he had, MJF was keen to wrestle and finish his story with Joe. As per the report, MJF has signed a new deal, and that he’s now one of the highest earners in the promotion. 

MJF’s return could be a huge fillip to AEW following injuries to several of their top stars, which include the likes of Kenny Omega, Eddie Kingston, and the imminent absence of Bryan Danielson, who is set to have surgery soon. AEW’s ratings have also declined over the last few weeks, which will be a cause for concern for Tony Khan, especially considering their upcoming negotiations for a new deal with WBD.

While many believe that MJF’s return could boost AEW ratings and viewership, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff disagrees, arguing that the AEW star’s talent may not be enough to improve ratings. According to Bischoff, bad creative, rather than a talent’s ability, is the reason for AEW’s decline.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Health Update On AEW Commentator Jim Ross Following ER Visit

Ahead of AEW Double or Nothing this Sunday, commentator Jim Ross revealed yesterday that he had checked himself into a Norman, Oklahoma, emergency room after experiencing shortness of breath. Later in the evening, Ross posted an update showing himself recovering in a hospital bed with his two daughters at his side.

Today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter offered a slight update on Ross. The commentator obviously won’t make it to Sunday’s pay-per-view, which he was scheduled to appear at. In addition to an elevated heart rate, Dave Meltzer reports that Ross has a Class A flu, the most common form of the virus, as well as raised heart enzymes. However, the 72-year-old is expected to recover and return home within the next few days.

Ross has dealt with a series of health issues over the last several years, including a cancer diagnosis and complications that arose from his treatment. Earlier this month, Ross provided an update on his health by stating that he felt the best he had in years, was still in remission from skin cancer, and the wound from his radiation treatment was close to fully healing.
 
This weekend’s pay-per-view marks the fifth anniversary of AEW, which Ross has been an important part of since the beginning. The former WWE commentator was one of the company’s first hires, calling the inaugural Double or Nothing in 2019 along with many shows that followed. In light of his health struggles, Ross stepped back from full-time commentary in 2022 but continues to call matches part-time for the promotion. The wrestling veteran revealed that his AEW contract expires next year, at which time Ross will likely retire from commentary.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Triple H Dramatically Raises The Stakes For WWE King & Queen Of The Ring Tournaments

The 2024 King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will culminate at WWE’s eponymous premium live event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this weekend. Before the finalists head into their respectives battles, though, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has shared a significant update regarding the stakes of these tournaments.

In addition to taking the proverbial throne, Levesque confirmed (via the WWE Experience event in Riyadh) that the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring series will also receive world title matches at the August 2024 SummerSlam event, which emanates from Cleveland, Ohio. Levesque further clarified that the victors will definitively challenge the world champions of their respective brands, rather than having the option to choose their title match opponents.

This week’s episode of “WWE Raw” hosted the first pair of semi-final tournament matchups, with Jey Uso wrestling GUNTHER in the King of the Ring brackets, while Lyra Valkyria collided with IYO SKY in pursuit of the Queen of the Ring throne. Ultimately, these contests resulted in GUNTHER and Valkyria punching their tickets to the finals. The second pair of semi-final faceoffs will take place on tomorrow’s episode of “WWE SmackDown.”

Within the King of the Ring tournament, Randy Orton will tangle up with The Bloodline’s Tama Tonga, who will likely have Solo Sikoa and Tanga Loa lingering in the shadows as back-up. The winner of the Orton-Tonga match will then move on to face GUNTHER in the finals. Similarly, Nia Jax and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Bianca Belair will also square off tomorrow, with the victor advancing to a concluding round Queen of the Ring tournament matchup against Valkyria.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Clues In Latest WWE Twitch Stream Potentially Spell Out Exact Date Of Wyatt 6 Debut

WWE continues to reveal new clues about a long-rumored stable centered around the late Bray Wyatt, referred to by many as “Wyatt 6.” On Wednesday, WWE used its WhatsApp to tease a second Twitch streaming video, a week after the first one aired last Thursday. That video has now dropped — on Wyatt’s birthday, no less — and depending on how you read the clues, it may have both confirmed the new group’s reported membership and revealed the exact date they will debut.

While there were no QR codes in this video, it did feature no fewer than nine sets of latitude/longitude coordinates, which have been used previously in this storyline. The coordinates lead to — in order of their appearance in the video — Rathdrum, Idaho (47.8124°N, 116.8966°W), Abilene, Texas (32.4487°N, 99.7331°W), Ixonia, Wisconsin (43.1439°N, 88.5973°W), Navesink, New Jersey (40.3997°N, 74.0299°W), Erlanger, Kentucky (39.0167°N, 84.6008°W), Ramblewood, New Jersey (39.9286°N, 74.9475°W), Irwindale, California (34.1070°N, 117.9353°W), Unicoi, Tennessee (36.1954°N, 82.3496°W), and Scarborough, Ontario, Canada (43.7764°N, 79.2318°W).

Online speculation is already running wild as to the meaning of these coordinates, but some fans noticed that combining the first letters of each location, in order, spells out “Rainerius.” A 12th century Italian preacher known for expelling demons prior to his canonization, Rainerius is the patron saint of travelers, and more importantly, his feast day is June 17, which happens to be the Monday after the Clash at the Castle PLE, when “WWE Raw” comes to Corpus Christi, Texas. Other clues in the video also pointed to a June 2024 debut, lending credence to this theory.

As far as the actual content of the video is concerned, it largely depicts of pair of hands (wearing fingerless gloves, though at one point they wrap themselves in tape) writing a series of letters and putting them into envelopes, each marked “Remember Who You Are.” The letters contain similar verbiage to that seen in previous clues, but this time there are hints about specific wrestlers rumored to be involved in the stable.

“It is never easy to feel loss,” the first letter reads. “You have lost too much already. You deserve to be set free. I know that you are angry. That is okay. Let me show you what that anger can do. When you are ready to take off the blindfold come find me. You can always wear your mask :)” This could refer to the recently re-hired Erick Rowan, the last surviving member of the original Wyatt Family, who was known for wearing a sheep’s mask.

“I am so sad seeing you look for a friend but to find none,” the second letter reads. “How sad for them to miss out on finding someone as special as you. I have watched you stare into the abyss hoping someone would look back. I want you to know I see you. You are seen. You are loved. Come home. Your new family awaits.” This fits with Nikki Cross, whose rare WWE appearances over the last couple of years have seen her alternately searching for friends and staring blankly into space.

The hands actually attempt the third letter twice, first writing “You had a family. You had friends. You did your best. They revealed themselves to be liars!!!!” before crumpling up the letter and starting again.
 
“Your family betrayed you,” the second attempt reads. “You deserve better. You are accepted just as you are. Come to me and I will make you brand new. I will set you free. We can be a real family. We can be a real family!” While it’s the hardest one to pin down, this letter makes the most sense for Dexter Lumis, who’s been off TV for a full year, unlike his “family members” from the “WWE NXT” stable The Way. The hands also scribble randomly on another piece of paper after writing this letter, which could be a nod to Lumis’ psychotic artist gimmick.

Finally, the fourth letter reads, “You had followers and they betrayed you. They turned their backs and when you were only asking for help asking for love asking for someone anyone to notice you they all did … nothing. I will give you a family. Let’s teach them consequences. :)” Combined with the smiley face, these words bring to mind former Schism leader Joe Gacy.

The video ends with the letters being delivered, followed by a figure entering a house and seeing a female figure who has been shown before, possibly a reference to longtime Wyatt lore character Sister Abigail and/or a hint at the involvement of Alexa Bliss. We also see a close-up shot of an unsettling smile that’s familiar to anyone who remembers Bo Dallas, Wyatt’s brother and the man behind the Uncle Howdy character from his final WWE run.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Full Card Announced For United Japan’s All Together Sapporo

The full lineup has been revealed for United Japan Pro-Wrestling’s event in Sapporo on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at the Hokkai Kita-Yell sports center. Check out the full card here:

Tetsuya Naito (NJPW) vs. Jake Lee (NOAH)

Alejandro, Kenoh & Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH) vs Gabe Kidd (NJPW) David Finlay (NJPW) & YO-HEY (NOAH)

Titan, BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi (NJPW) vs Drilla Moloney (NJPW), Clark Connors (NJPW), LJ Cleary (NOAH) Anthony Greene (NOAH) & Jack Morris (NOAH)

Masa Kitamiya (NOAH) vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW)

Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH)& Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW) vs Yuya Uemura & SANADA (NJPW)

Tetsuya Endo (DDT), Ryohei Oiwa (NJPW) & Shota Umino (NJPW) vs Kazusada Higuchi (DDT), Great-O-Khan (NJPW) & Jeff Cobb (NJPW)

YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto (NJPW) vs Daichi Hashimoto & Daisuke Sekimoto (BJW)

Starlight Kid (Stardom) vs. AZM (Stardom)

Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles & Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW) vs Yu Owada, HAYATA & Ulka Sasaki (NOAH)

TNA Impact Preview 5/23/2024

Tonight’s episode of TNA Impact on AXS TV is all-new. Here are the matches that have been announced for the show:

  • TNA Tag Team Champions Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards vs. Matt Hardy & Ryan Nemeth
  • TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace vs. Marti Belle
  • Speedball Mike Bailey vs. Trent Seven
  • Tasha Steelz vs. Jody Threat
  • The Good Hands vs. Jake Something & Cody Deaner