WWE Has Released Jeff Hardy

His release comes after the wrestler was sent home from a live event at the weekend.

WWE has been having something of a spring clean when it comes to its contracts in 2021. The thing is, the company’s spring clean season has lasted pretty much the entire year. More than 70 wrestlers have been shown the door already this year, and it seems one more name can now be added to that list.

As first reported by Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, WWE has apparently come to terms on the release of Jeff Hardy. Sapp followed up on the tweet breaking the news with another saying Hardy was offered help and rehab by WWE, but the former World Champion turned down the offer. That resulted in the two parties seemingly agreeing to end his current deal with the company.

Hardy’s release comes less than a week after the veteran was sent home from a WWE live event over the weekend. Footage of Hardy leaving the ring mid-match during Saturday’s main event in Edinburg, Texas has surfaced online. The released star exits through the crowd and was replaced by Rey Mysterio in the main event the following night in Corpus Christi.

No further information on why Hardy was sent home or how he’s doing was shared by WWE or the wrestler after he was sent home. However, Jeff’s brother Matt Hardy, who is currently contracted to AEW, let fans know earlier this week that Jeff is doing well. Matt added that he didn’t want to share anything more, saying that it was up to Jeff if he wanted fans to know anything else about how he was doing or the details surrounding why he was sent home by WWE.

The hope among fans was that Jeff had suffered an injury or a knock of some sort and WWE had sent him home so that he could rest up and recover. The note that Jeff was offered help and rehab by WWE but turned it down suggests the actual reason was the wrestler’s demons when it comes to his addiction continue to haunt him. Even though he turned down help from WWE, hopefully he will seek it out away from the company and has left so he can recover for good this time. Our best wishes go out to Jeff and his family.

Source: TheSportster

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan Announces He’s Cancer Free Following Worrying Diagnosis

WWE Hall of Famer “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan has revealed he is now cancer-free following prostate surgery.

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan has announced that he is cancer-free after undergoing surgery as a result of prostate cancer. The WWE legend, who talked up early detection, said the cancer had not spread throughout other parts of his body in a video tweeted out on Wednesday.

“The cancer was encapsulated inside my prostate,” he said. “They checked my bones, that came out clear. The surrounding tissue came out clear, the lymph nodes came out clear – so thank God I’m cancer-free.”

https://twitter.com/OfficialHacksaw/status/1468605030219534338

Duggan announced back in October that he was set for surgery following his diagnosis. His wife would subsequently reveal that the operation went as planned.

In his short video on Wednesday, Duggan also disclosed having battled kidney cancer 20 years ago. He was also hospitalized three years ago after experiencing chest pains that prompted a diagnosis noting his heart had gone into atrial fibrillation. The former WWE and WCW superstar was rushed to hospital for emergency heart surgery this October as well.

Source: TheSportster

MLW Fusion ALPHA Preview 12/8/21, NZO Debut

MLW Fusion Alpha streams Wednesdays on the MLW YouTube page and FITE TV at 6CT/7ET. The show is replayed Saturdays on beIN Sports at 9CT/10ET. 

The following matches and segments are advertised for tonight’s Major League Wrestling Fusion Alpha online show.

-MLW Heavyweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone in action.

-Los Parks vs. 5150 in a Street Fight for the MLW Tag Titles.

-NZO vs. Matt Cross.

AEW Dynamite Preview 12/8/21

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite on TNT will air live from the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, which is Long Island.

* The Young Bucks vs. Rocky Romero and Chuck Taylor

* Riho vs. Jamie Hayter

* Bryan Danielson vs. John Silver

* The third annual Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale

WWE Announces Inaugural Class Of NIL Athletes

WWE has revealed their inaugural NIL (Next In Line) Class of college athletes.

The inaugural class features 15 athletes from 13 universities, 7 NCAA conferences and 4 sports. These athletes join RAW Superstar and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program.

You can click here for full details on the WWE NIL program, and click here for recent comments from WWE’s Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Below is the list of athletes announced today:

WWE® UNVEILS INAUGURAL NIL CLASS

WWE has unveiled 15 college athletes who will be among the first to participate in the company’s newly formed NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.

The inaugural “Next In Line” class includes athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences and four sports. In addition to the United States, the class includes representation from myriad countries spanning from Canada and Nigeria. The following 15 athletes join Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program:

* Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University

* Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University

* Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University

* Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University

* John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University

* Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU

* Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama

* Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan

* Masai Russel of Potomac, Md., a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from the University of Kentucky

* Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University

* Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University

* Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas

* Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama

WWE’s NIL program was announced last week following the NCAA’s historic new policy that took effect on July 1, 2021, which has ushered in the NIL era, allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. The comprehensive program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars and further enhances WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.

All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization, including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.

Learn more about the “Next In Line” program at wwe.com/nil.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Gargano Says Goodbye To WWE NXT, Kyle O’Reilly, Tommaso Ciampa And Shawn Michaels Say Goodbye To Johnny Gargano After NXT

Johnny Gargano’s potential NXT exit has been on the cards for a while now. As was the case with Adam Cole earlier this year, Gargano’s contract was coming to an end and WWE was keen to renew it. Again, just like Cole, Johnny Wrestling signed a short extension so that he could tie up some loose ends. In this instance, those loose ends were a WarGames match and the chance to say goodbye to the NXT Universe.

After losing what might be his final match in NXT on Sunday, Gargano promised fans he would tell them everything on NXT two nights later. That was sort of true, and it seems whatever Gargano has got going on next, he won’t be back on the formerly black and gold brand for a while. The segment ended with Grayson Waller cutting Gargano short by hitting him with a steel chair.

That might be where the episode ended, but the in-house show continued. Various other wrestlers and NXT staff came to the ring to share Gargano’s moment and say goodbye to him. Kyle O’Reilly was the first to join him, embracing his NXT peer. O’Reilly’s contract also comes to an end this week which means Tuesday’s episode could well have been a goodbye for him too.

Tommaso Ciampa was the next person to join Gargano and say goodbye. Best friends in real-life, the pair’s journey on-screen might well be one of the most iconic in NXT history. From a legendary run as the tag team DIY to their brutal and incredibly personal series of TakeOver matches. Gargano also embraced Shawn Michaels when he joined in on the goodbyes who came to the ring with the former NXT Champion’s wife, Candice LeRae.

That’s it for Gargano in NXT, at least for now. Although he promised to tell fans everything, there are still a few questions hanging over Gargano’s future. That might well be because he doesn’t know what that future holds himself. There’s a chance he could re-sign with WWE and be back for revenge on Waller, probably after the birth of his baby. However, if he allows his contract to run out later this week, Gargano will be free to show up anywhere he likes starting from December 11.

Source: TheSportster

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1468413754513702912
https://twitter.com/kimberlasskick/status/1468422957512994820
https://twitter.com/WrestlingNewsCo/status/1468425217156558851
https://twitter.com/WrestleTalk_TV/status/1468569802293743621

WWE NXT Preview 12/7/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT 2.0 episode on the USA Network will feature fallout from Sunday’s WarGames event.

AEW Star Austin Gunn Announced For Reality TV Show

AEW star Austin Gunn of The Gunn Club is set to make his reality TV debut.

Gunn has been announced for E!’s new “Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules” reality series. The show will premiere on Wednesday, January 12 on the E! network.

“Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules” will feature eight celebrity children being put to the test at Saddleback Ranch in Colorado. The children of celebrities will spend 30 days working on the ranch “as they seek to discover and define their own identities outside of the shadow of their famous parents.”

Gunn will be joined by the following celebrity children – Shaquille O’Neal‘s son Myles O’Neal, Pat Benatar’s daughter Hana Giraldo, David Hasselhoff’s daughter Taylor Hasselhoff, Martin Lawrence’s daughter Jasmin Lawrence, Ray Parker Jr.’s son Redmond Parker, Billy Bob Thornton’s son Harry James Thornton, and Eazy-E’s daughter Ebie Wright.

In the trailer seen below, Gunn bills his father Billy Gunn as a WWE Hall of Famer, and does not mention AEW. There’s no word on if their roles with AEW are discussed during the actual show.

Gunn tweeted on the gig today and said it will be a wild ride.

“mark your calendars for this wild ride [man with cowboy hat emoji] the ups, the downs, the fights, the drama, etc. it’s time for the ranch life!,” he wrote.

The group will be tasked with helping the ranch recover from the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, and will be expected to help re-open the ranch and increase its tourism to bring sustainable business back to the area in just 30 days. The trailer below also shows Austin involved in romance storylines and drama with other castmates.

A special sneak peek preview of “Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules” episode 1 will air on Tuesday night after the People’s Choice Awards on E! and NBC. The first two episodes will then premiere on Wednesday, January 12 at 9pm ET.

https://twitter.com/theaustingunn/status/1467972722772922379

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Matt Hardy Provides Update On Jeff Hardy

Matt Hardy has provided an update on his brother Jeff Hardy after he was reportedly sent home from a weekend WWE live event.

As noted, Hardy missed Sunday’s WWE live event in Corpus Christi, Texas, and word going around via PWInsider was that he was sent home from the road. Hardy worked Saturday’s live event in Edinburg, TX, teaming with King Xavier Woods and Drew McIntyre against WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos in the main event. After spending most of the match in the ring, getting worked over by The Bloodline and apparently becoming more sluggish as the match went on, Hardy made a hot tag to McIntyre but then immediately disappeared into the crowd. He was followed by security, but never returned to the ring, and didn’t even participate in the post-match celebration with Woods and McIntyre. Hardy was not backstage for Sunday’s live event in Corpus Christi, and was replaced by Rey Mysterio.

For those who missed it, you can click here for fan videos of Hardy exiting through the crowd during Saturday’s WWE live event match, plus footage of Hardy entering the ring and greeting fans.

In an update, Matt addressed the rumors on Jeff during a livestream on Twitch this afternoon. Reby Hardy noted that they were receiving a lot of questions about The Other Hardy.

“We got a lot of questions about T.O.H. – The Other Hardy,” she said. “We got a lot, we can’t ignore them. We got a lot.”

Matt responded and said he spoke with Jeff earlier today, and he is currently at home, doing fine.

“But no, I won’t ignore them,” Matt said. “I did speak to Jeff for a little bit today, and he’s OK, he’s good, and I think he’ll be fine, but once again this isn’t my business, and if he wants to go into it in more detail, then he’ll do it himself. But like, Jeff is OK, he is at home, and he’s OK.”

There is still no word on if Hardy will be back in action for WWE this week. Hardy is scheduled to wrestle at Friday’s SmackDown, teaming with Drew McIntyre for a tag team match against Madcap Moss and Happy Baron Corbin.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AJ Lee Speaks Out About Her Suicide Attempt And How A Stranger Saved Her Life

The former WWE Superstar planned on committing suicide in 2014 but was saved by a stranger on the other end of the phone.

Trigger warning: this article includes discussions about suicidal feelings and a suicide attempt.

The women’s division in WWE has come a long way over the course of the past six years or so. While the likes of Paige, Charlotte Flair, and Bayley quite rightly get a lot of the credit for that, there are quite a few others who were around beforehand who are yet to really reap the rewards. Perhaps most notably AJ Lee who left WWE, possibly never to return, in 2015.

Lee arguably left at the top of her game, something most wrestlers can only dream of. She won her final match, not to mention the match the night before at WrestleMania, and held the Divas Title on three occasions during the year prior to her departure. She also married CM Punk during that period, which is why it might surprise fans to hear Lee’s life was far from perfect at the time.

Lee planned to take her own life in 2014 while Divas Champion and after getting married. The former WWE Superstar recently opened up about her suicide attempt for the first time during an appearance on Maurice Benard: State Of Mind. You can check out the whole episode below in which Lee discusses her bipolar disorder and how nobody knew she had gone to a hotel with the intention of ending her life.

“It was my bipolar disorder couldn’t handle it. It was too much for me,” Lee explained, laying out the highs of her titles wins and getting married to the lows of getting hurt and having to undergo multiple surgeries. “The only solution to me, the only thing I could do was just, I booked a hotel room and that was my plan.”

Something in Lee’s brain told her to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline. Since she was in a different area, the person on the other end urged her to call the number linked to the area she was in for the purposes of needing to potentially call an ambulance. Lee saw that as a sign she should go through with her suicide attempt, but at the last moment she called 311 to get the other number. A man at the end of the 311 call listened to Lee as she poured her heart out. The retired wrestler credits him with saving her life. She doesn’t know his name or who he is, but she can still hear his voice all these years later.

Source: TheSportster – Josh Coulson

After six years away from the wrestling industry, AJ Lee (April Mendez Brooks) joined the WOW – Women of Wrestling promotion as an executive producer in October 2021, serving alongside Jeanie Buss. This announcement coincided with WOW entering into a multi-year distribution agreement with ViacomCBS, the biggest distribution opportunity in the U.S. and abroad in the history of women’s professional wrestling. Mendez will also provide color commentary for their upcoming weekly program beginning in late 2022.