Bayley Returning To WWE Very Soon

Former Raw, SmackDown and NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has been out of action for over a year as she recovers from a torn ACL. It sounds as though she’ll return very soon.

Bayley has been out of action since July of last year, when she unfortunately suffered an ACL tear while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. After undergoing surgery, WWE announced that the 2019 women’s Money in the Bank ladder match winner would miss roughly nine months of action.

In an update, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reports that Bayley “is scheduled to be in Nashville for” the SummerSlam 2022 weekend. It wasn’t noted if she will actually wrestle at the show, but at least she’ll presumably be at The Biggest Party of the Summer that will run inside Nissan Stadium on July 30.

Earlier this month, Johnson also reported that Bayley was at the Performance Center. That’s obviously a strong indicator that she’s getting very close to an in-ring return. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if WWE decides against announcing Bayley’s return ahead of time. Recent history suggests it’ll be come as a “surprise”, after all.

Bayley may not be the only other notable star who will return soon. WWE reportedly has plans for Edge to return for the go-home SummerSlam edition of Raw next week. The Rated-R Superstar has been off of television since being betrayed by his Judgment Day allies on the June 6 show.

Belair will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Lynch, and Liv Morgan will try to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey. SummerSlam would be the perfect time and place for Bayley to make her WWE return, as she could confront and/or challenge the winner of the Belair-Lynch or Morgan-Rousey match. Bayley has spent ample time in the main event scene, so don’t be surprised if WWE decides to push her immediately following her return to television.

Source: TheSportster

Ric Flair To Team With Andrade El Idolo Against Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal In His Last Match, Ric Flair Left Bloodied After Parking Lot Brawl

On July 31st, Ric Flair is set to have the last match of his wrestling career. His teammate and opponents have been revealed.

On July 31st, Jim Crockett Promotions will present a PPV called “Ric Flair’s Last Match.” The show’s main attraction is predictably the final match of one of the most infamous athletes that pro wrestling has ever seen. Several other matches will also be featured on the card, including a tag team match between the Briscoes (Jay and Mark Briscoe) and the Von Erichs (Marshall and Ross Von Erich) and an IMPACT Knockouts Title Match between champion Jordynne Grace, Deonna Purrazzo, and Rachel Ellering.

Starrcast recently uploaded a video in which Ric Flair revealed who his tag team partner will be in this match as well as who they’ll be facing in Nashville.

Ric Flair’s partner is his son-in-law, AEW star Andrade. This isn’t surprising given their personal relationship. Their opponents will be former WCW star and current WWE superstar, Jeff Jarrett, and his partner Jay Lethal. Jarrett was a longtime rival of Flair back when the two were competitors. AEW star Jay Lethal has been a training partner of Ric Flair for a while, so his involvement also makes sense.

The match was officially announced at 6:05 pm on Monday evening, and it came with a pretty brutal video showing how the match came about, at least in terms of the storyline attached.

That’s when things get particularly nasty. A wound up Jarrett asks his wife Karen for her high heel shoe and proceeds to use it to bust Flair open. The blood quickly flows down the two-time Hall of Famer’s face but the beat down doesn’t stop there. Lethal returns to get a few more licks in and by the time all is said and done, Flair is wearing a crimson mask.

There’s a moment in the video, before Flair winds Jarrett up to the point that he turns on him, where Double-J exclaims “he’s 70-something”. Even though most wrestling fans familiar with Flair’s work will have seen Flair bleed as much as he does in the clip a number of times, this is different. The man is 73, and he was so close to death in 2017 that WWE reportedly made a package for him just in case.

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His age and his health in recent years makes not only the footage above a lot harder to watch, but some fans remain uncertain Flair should be wrestling at all. The match is going to happen though, 24 hours after Jarrett is the special guest referee for the Unified WWE Tag Title match at SummerSlam. That’s likely why Flair teased one of his opponents would be from WWE prior to the announcement yesterday because, well, technically that’s true.

Source: TheSportster

WWE Raw Preview 7/18/22

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network, from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Backstage News On Ric Flair’s Health Before His Final Match, Flair Set To Announce His Final Opponent Tonight

Ric Flair is reportedly hurt right now, and is dealing with a foot injury according to Dave Meltzer on the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

The Nature Boy is just weeks away from competing in his final ever wrestling match at Starrcast V on July 31st, and his mystery opponent is set to be revealed later on today. While he is currently hurt, Flair is expected to still be able to compete in the match and put on the encounter that will be headlining the show.

From the moment it was announced that the 73-year-old would be returning to compete for the first time since 2011 when he competed against Sting for TNA there has been a concern. That was primarily over Flair’s general health, with the former WWE Superstar having a pacemaker fitted, but during the press conference for the show, he claimed he is able to work around his issues, admitting that his inner-ear and blood thinner medication concerns alongside his pacemaker.

“There are two things that could go wrong,” Flair said. “My heart’s pacemaker can come unplugged, but I can plug it back in.” When it comes to the issue surrounding his blood thinners, he simply stated he “just won’t take one that day.”

Flair has shared plenty of footage of himself training and getting into shape as he has been actively training inside the ring with AEW’s Jay Lethal. It is unclear whether it was during the training sessions that the Nature Boy picked up his injury, but the videos have shown him even taking a bump from the top turnbuckle.

Flair’s final match is not the only thing on the card on that night though, as The Briscoes will be in action against The Von Erichs, while Josh Alexander is set to compete against Jacob Fatu, amongst many other bouts. The two-time WWE Hall Of Famer is going to be busy throughout that weekend, as there will be a panel show featuring the Four Horsemen, and the “Roast of Ric Flair” that will celebrate the career of the HOF’er while allowing wrestlers and celebrities to poke fun at his career.

Ric Flair Set To Announce His Final Opponent Ahead Of WWE Raw:

The day has arrived. Ric Flair is finally ready to reveal who his opponent will be for his last match on July 31. And it will happen tonight.

A tease was first made by Conrad Thompson on Friday evening that the announcement would go down on Monday, but it was Flair who put out a message on Twitter Monday morning, giving fans more speculation as to who the adversary will be.

“On July 31, I’m coming after one of your own,” Flair tweeted. “And tonight At 6:05, the entire world will find out.” Flair also used hashtags for “WWE Raw” and “Ric Flair’s Last Match.”

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The “one of your own” comment along with the “Raw” hashtag provides added intrigue, particularly as Flair was recently added back to the WWE signature show introduction. The question of who Flair’s opponent will be has become a hot topic in the wrestling world since Ricky Steamboat shut down reports of him tagging with the Rock & Roll Express to face Flair and FTR. The announcement will be made at 6:05 PM ET as an homage to Jim Crockett Promotions.

Flair announced back in May that he’d be coming back for one last match under the classic Jim Crockett Promotions banner during Starrcast V in Nashville. Starrcast V is highlighted by “Ric Flair’s Last Match,” which has a preliminary card full of dream matches that fans can look forward to, but the weekend will also play host to “The Roast Of Ric Flair” and a Four Horsemen reunion that will feature Flair, Arn Anderson, JJ Dillon, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, and Lex Luger. Most recently, it was reported by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer that Flair is currently suffering from a foot injury, giving the Nature Boy just under two weeks to work through it and get ready for his match.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jeff Jarrett Named Special Guest Referee For Usos vs. Street Profits At SummerSlam

WWE has announced that Jeff Jarrett will be the special guest official for the Usos vs. Street Profits match at SummerSlam.

On Friday night, fans learned the identity of the special guest official who will be enforcing the rules between The Street Profits and The Uso at SummerSlam. That special guest official, is none other than Hall of Famer and Sr. Vice President of Special Events for WWE, Jeff Jarrett.

It’s a fairly random choice considering all of the options WWE could have gone with. He’s got no real connection to either team, nor does he have any experience as a WWE official. The best guess as to why WWE chose him was because SummerSlam is taking place in Nashville and they wanted to connect a known Nashville hometown celebrity to the bout. WWE seems to have gone with someone they figure the live fans will cheer at the event. It probably doesn’t hurt that the company had easy access to him as he’s likely on the road and traveling with the roster on a close-to full-time basis.

What’s so intriguing about the decision was that when Adam Pearce made the announcement to close the show, Jarrett wasn’t even on-site. A video package of his greatest moments in WWE — most of which were of him smashing people with his guitar to show he doesn’t mess around — was played. When it ended, The Usos and Street Profits continued to brawl as the show went off the air. Four officials couldn’t break them up.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1548124988992995328

AEW Rampage Fyter Fest Week 1 Preview 7/15/22

The Ring of Honor World Championship will be on the line on tonight’s episode of “AEW Rampage” Fyter Fest Week 1.

Champion Jonathan Gresham will defend his title against Lee Moriarty. Gresham and Moriarty were partners in a tag team match against Tully Blanchard’s Gates of Agony (Toa Liona and Kaun) on last Friday’s “Rampage”. However, Gresham abandoned Moriarty during the match, revealing he had joined the Tully Blanchard Enterprises faction.

Ring of Honor’s next pay-per-view Death Before Dish0nor is just over one week away. As of Friday morning, a title challenger for Gresham on that show has yet to be announced. Gresham has held the title for more than 200 days and has defended it in a number of promotions, including Impact Wrestling. Gresham also had a successful title defense against Dalton Castle on AEW’s Battle of the Belts II special back in April.

The following lineup is announced for tonight’s “Rampage”:

  • Ring of Honor World Championship Match: Lee Moriarty vs. Jonathan Gresham (c)
  • Lucha Brothers vs. Private Party
  • Malakai Black & Brody King vs. Alex Reynolds & John Silver
  • Kris Statlander & Athena vs. Charlette Renegade & Robyn Renegade
  • We hear from Gunn Club

WWE Smackdown Preview 7/15/22

WWE SmackDown, tonight at 8/7 C on FOX.

Backstage News On Relationship Between Kota Ibushi And NJPW

In a two-month span loaded with major story after major story, it’s easy to forget about the saga between Kota Ibushi and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Ibushi spent much of May publicly criticizing the promotion, where he’s worked as both a freelancer and as a contracted wrestler for the past five years, for a variety of reasons, so much so that his future with NJPW was called into question. Those questions didn’t go anywhere after NJPW publicly apologized to Ibushi and sanctioned an official he had issues with back in early June.

Since then, things have been quiet regarding Ibushi’s status with NJPW and his feelings towards the promotion — until today. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer provided some good news on the Ibushi-NJPW situation, with sources close to both parties stating that the gulf between the two sides has narrowed over the last month. Meltzer also noted that Ibushi is looking to get back into both wrestling training and martial arts training, and is interested in starting a dojo in his hometown of Kagoshima.

There are some obstacles to be overcome before Ibushi can get back into the ring, however. Meltzer reports that Ibushi’s main priority at the moment is caring for his mother, who fans may recall attempted suicide during the height of Ibushi’s issues with New Japan. What happened to his mother was thought to have ended any potential for reconciliation between Ibushi and NJPW for good, especially after Ibushi addressed the situation on social media.

The other hold-up is an injury to Ibushi’s shoulder, which he suffered during the G1 Climax 31 final against Kazuchika Okada. Meltzer noted that Ibushi had tweeted earlier in the week, revealing his injury wasn’t healing and was getting worse. This will likely require Ibushi to get surgery, something he was hoping to avoid in favor of healing his shoulder with rest, setting his timetable back even further. In the same series of tweets, Ibushi also stated his issues with NJPW were not settled.

With Ibushi’s return nowhere in sight, NJPW will nevertheless move forward with the 32nd edition of the G1 Climax. The tournament will kick off tomorrow in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On WWE Raw Moving To TV-14

“WWE Raw” potentially moving to a TV-14 rating is reportedly a USA Network decision, not a WWE call.

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has yet to acknowledge the change in direction of the programming, but a source within the company confirmed that it is a USA Network decision. Furthermore, the fact that the memo for the change from TV-PG to TV-14 came from USA Network executives would also indicate the same.

Meltzer noted that it’s highly unlikely “WWE Raw” reverts to bloody matches and bra & panties-like content, but could incorporate more swearing and profanities when the change to TV-14 happens.

In particular, USA Network was said to be “accepting” of Brock Lesnar using the word “shitkicking” during the first hour of the 7/11 episode when they received the script. However, when Lesnar actually uttered the word, because they were aware in advance, USA Network producers did a sound edit of the cuss word. “We don’t know if this had to do with that or not but the timing is notable and a sound edit of something that was in the script and approved is also notable,” Meltzer wrote.

Earlier on Thursday, Fightful Select also reported that there have been conflicting messages internally at USA Network about the change to TV-14. The WWE sources Fightful reached out to “hadn’t heard of the change yet but were looking into the move.”

The report added that those expecting significant changes could be in for a disappointment. While “NXT 2.0” has racier content than “Raw” on a regular basis, it’s still rated TV-PG, and the content that airs is up to WWE, not USA Network. It was noted that unlike MPAA for movies or ESRB for video games, cable TV shows are not required to meet certain criteria to retain TV-PG status or move to a TV-14 rating. As an example, WWE could have self-rated as a TV-PG show during the Attitude Era without oversight ramifications. Although input from the network and sponsors is always taken into effect, the content that airs is still up to the creator, in this case, WWE.

Andrew Zarian retracted his earlier report that the internal memo sent by USA Network called for “WWE Raw” to shift to a TV-14 rating starting from the 7/18 episode. According to Zarian, the memo was sent out prematurely, and the day for the shift from TV-PG to TV-14 has yet to be finalized. The change “is still in consideration for a later date,” he added.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Update On Adam Cole’s Injury

AEW star Adam Cole has reportedly opted not to have surgery to fix his torn labrum.

According to Dave to Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Cole has decided to undergo physical therapy on his shoulder as opposed to going under the knife.

The timeframe for Cole’s in-ring return will be determined more by his recovery from the concussion he suffered at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in June. On a positive note, Cole is “faring better in that regard,” per Meltzer.

Cole reportedly suffered “a very serious concussion” during his Four-Way Match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at the AEW x NJPW crossover event. The concussion led to a “rushed and awkward finish” to the match as Jay White pinned the leader of the Undisputed Elite to retain his title.

In the lead-up to the Forbidden Door event, there were question marks about Cole’s availability after a Fightful Select report revealed he had been wrestling with a torn labrum for months. The report added that Cole braved the injury during his match against Hangman Page at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view in March, and continued to avoid taking time off despite being hurt. It was also noted that Cole had been “banged up for quite a while” and was “battling a series of injuries” for longer than most realize.

In a recent interview with New York Post, AEW President Tony Khan explained why he allowed Cole to wrestle at Forbidden Door despite the litany of injuries.

“He had no contact between Double or Nothing and Forbidden Door,” Khan said. “He was on commentary. He had been cleared to wrestle. So now, I’m also gonna take some time [off] for him. We had already taken some time and I’ll take some more time to make sure he’s right and wouldn’t want him to wrestle until he’s feeling 100 percent. He was feeling 100 percent going into Forbidden Door. That’s how unpredictable these [injuries] are.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.