Tonight’s AEW Dynamite episode airs on TNT and was taped in Norcross, Georgia.
* Sammy Guevara vs. Sugar D
* Kip Sabian vs. Chuck Taylor
* Britt Baker will be in action
* Shawn Spears will be in action
* Lance Archer vs. Colt Cabana (First Round TNT Championship Tournament Match)
* Jon Moxley (c) vs. Jake Hager (Empty Arena No Holds Barred Championship Match)
Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will reportedly be the return to live TV for the brand, airing from the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL.
Impact Wrestling announced that the Rebellion event will continue as a two-night event on AXS TV, airing on Tuesday, April 21 and Tuesday, April 28.
Rebellion was originally scheduled as a pay-per-view from New York City on Sunday, April 19. It will now air for free on AXS TV, Twitch and The Fight Network, along with Impact’s other international broadcast partners. The event will be held on a closed-set with essential personnel only due to the coronavirus pandemic.
IMPACT: Rebellion Update
In light of the restrictions placed upon live events as a result of the coronavirus, IMPACT Wrestling will hold its next major spectacular—IMPACT: Rebellion—on a closed set with only essential personnel in attendance, as per the guidelines put in place by the CDC.
Originally planned as a pay-per-view special, Rebellion will now expand into a two-part television event airing April 21 and April 28 as part of the weekly flagship series IMPACT!
Rebellion will air for free on AXS TV and Twitch in the U.S. and Fight Network in Canada, along with international IMPACT! broadcast partners.
The safety of IMPACT’s wrestlers, personnel, and fans is of the utmost importance, and while it is with some disappointment that we must scale back our original plans for the event, we are proud to have the opportunity to provide our loyal and passionate audience with some much-needed entertainment during this time. We look forward to producing a proper pay-per-view event once this crisis has passed.
Night One (April 21st)
Kiera Hogan vs. Kylie Rae
Rhino & Tommy Dreamer vs. oVe
X-Division Championship
Ace Austin (c) vs. Willie Mack
Main Event
Sami Callihan vs. Ken Shamrock
Additionally, Impact advertised a four-way match that will take place on night two (April 28). That match will be:
Chris Bey vs. Trey vs. Suicide vs. Rohit Raju
The triple threat main event between Tessa Blanchard (c), Eddie Edwards and Michael Elgin for the Impact World Championship is still up in the air as of this writing.
The XFL’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday, the first business day after the league suspended operations and laid off almost all of its employees.
The filing, officially made by Alpha Entertainment, listed the XFL with assets and liabilities each in the range of $10 million to $50 million. The largest creditor was listed as the St. Louis Sports Commission at $1.6 million. Seven of the league’s eight coaches also are among the top creditors.
In a statement, the XFL attributed its decision to the coronavirus pandemic:
“The XFL quickly captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of people who love football. Unfortunately, as a new enterprise, we were not insulated from the harsh economic impacts and uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Accordingly, we have filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This is a heartbreaking time for many, including our passionate fans, players and staff, and we are thankful to them, our television partners, and the many Americans who rallied to the XFL for the love of football.”
Owner Vince McMahon, who is also chairman and CEO of the WWE, has not spoken publicly about the XFL’s demise.
XFL chief operating officer Jeffrey Pollack held a conference call Friday with employees to announce the layoffs and suspension of operations. Although Pollack stopped short of saying the league is going out of business, staffers left the call convinced that the XFL will not return.
A source close to the bankruptcy filing said the league could be sold during the process.
McMahon announced the return of the XFL in January 2018, and the league spent two years in development before debuting in February. The eight-team league made it through five weeks of games before suspending and finally canceling its season because of the pandemic. It pledged as recently as three weeks ago to return in 2021, but that changed after McMahon began assessing the league’s future following WrestleMania 36 on April 4-5.
The XFL paid its employees through April 12, plus accrued vacation time. The league also plans to refund all advance ticket sales.
Source: ESPN
The Mayor of Orange County, Florida confirmed WWE has been deemed an “essential business” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings took part in a press conference on Monday where he was asked how WWE has continued to create content while other businesses are forced to close.
“Initially there was a review that was done and they were not initially deemed an essential business,” Demings replied. “With some conversations with the Governor’s office regarding the Governor’s order, they were deemed an essential business. So, therefore, they were allowed to remain open.”
As we previously reported, WWE shows reportedly will return to being filmed live starting this week.
The Mayor was also asked about WWE confirming an on-screen talent, who is not a member of the roster and has since recovered, testing positive for COVID-19.
“In terms of the specifics associated with the wrestling personality who tested positive, I don’t know any of the details of that obviously because of HIPAA laws,” he answered.
“But, that’s like a little family. A small family of professional athletes that wrestle. And if one of my family members tested positive in my house, that would be concerning to me. We would have to make some provisions in our house to make sure that the rest of us not get infected. So I would assume that, from a business perspective, the WWE is doing that type of analysis of its own family.”
Watch the press conference below.
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
Tonight’s WWE RAW on the USA Network will reportedly air live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida with more fallout from WrestleMania 36.
WWE has not officially announced any matches for tonight’s show as of this writing.
It’s believed that tonight’s RAW will feature the first red brand Money In the Bank qualifying matches, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
It has been confirmed that WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler will return to commentary on tonight’s show.
WWE will return to airing live TV with WWE NXT, RAW and SmackDown this week, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. They will continue to air from closed sets with limited personnel at the empty WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL.
WWE returning to live TV reportedly has to do with their contracts with NBCUniversal and FOX, according to a new report from Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.
WWE had plans to tape several weeks of TV beginning on Friday. Meltzer reports that 5 weeks of each TV show was to be taped, along with 205 Live and Main Event episodes, but plans changed on Friday when WWE Chairman Vince McMahon made the call. Talents were ready to tape several episodes, go back home, and then return in early May, possibly for the May 10 Money In the Bank pay-per-view. They were then told on Friday that they would start going live this week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
It was noted that the reason for the return to live TV is the fear of being in violation of the WWE TV contracts, which state that WWE must go live for 49 of 52 weeks per year, and WWE doesn’t want any issues there. Meltzer speculated that NBCU and FOX could deny that they said anything to WWE about going live, and it’s possible that they did and the return to live TV is Vince’s reaction, but it’s also possible that Vince feels like he’s getting a step ahead before the networks ask him to return to live TV. However, the TV contracts are the reason for the return to live TV this week, according to the new report from WOR. It should be noted that there is no word on either network threatening WWE with a possible contract violation, and it seems likely they would understand that WWE is trying to operate during trying times.
It was believed by many that the workload would go down once the first positive coronavirus test came from within WWE. That positive test was confirmed last week and WWE actually increased the workload, returning to live TV. Meltzer noted that the positive test would have came on the second day of WrestleMania 36 tapings late last month, but in theory it was after the tapings, so no one working the tapings were affected. The report noted that it’s been confirmed a member of the WWE broadcast team was the one who tested positive, but it was not Corey Graves. His girlfriend Carmella has also been ruled out. As noted, WWE confirmed that the person is doing well and has already recovered.
Meltzer also noted that both AEW and WWE have violated state orders when it comes to how many people they have in the building for these closed-set tapings. Both companies have had more than 10 people present for the tapings, but AEW President Tony Khan has been the only person backstage in the “Gorilla Position” at AEW tapings. The Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36 between WWE Hall of Famer Edge and Randy Orton proved that WWE has had more people in the “Gorilla Position” but both companies have worked to do the best they can. Despite the efforts and the concern, people are still stunned at WWE going live this week, especially after the positive COVID-19 test. WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler is returning to RAW tonight and while he does want to work, there is some added concern there because his age puts him at a greater risk when it comes to the coronavirus. The same goes for talents like Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns, because of their health, who have not been confirmed for this week’s TV like Lawler has.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that a WWE on-screen talent in the company, who is not a member of the roster, tested positive for COVID-19.
The person was reported to have went out to dinner with friends who work in the healthcare industry following the completion of WWE’s last batch of tapings (which included WrestleMania 36).
WWE confirmed this in a statement released to Pro Wrestling Sheet which says:
“A WWE employee has tested positive for COVID-19. We believe this matter is low risk to WWE talent and staff, as the individual and a roommate became symptomatic in the days following exposure to two people working in acute health care on the evening of March 26, after WWE’s TV production on a closed set was already complete. The employee had no contact with anyone from WWE since being exposed to those two individuals, is doing well, and made a complete recovery.”
It appears that the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has ended the XFL.
Two months and two days after the league hosted its first game, the XFL informed employees on Friday that it was ceasing operations and layed off nearly every employee. As of now there is no plans to return in 2021.
It’s a shame, because XFL 2.0 was a quality product that dwarfed its original version and served as a reasonably interesting alternative to the NFL for football fans. The difference was clear from the very first game that bright Saturday in February in the nations capital, where the DC Defenders defeated the Seattle Dragons withe the support of a large raucous crowd
. Well remember Houston Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker, who probably would have been the league MVP and is now with the Carolina Panthers in the NFL. Well remember the St. Louis Battlehawks, who exceeded expectations and temporarily satisfied the hunger of a football starved city. Well remember Bob Stoops, who left retirement for his first professional opportunity, coaching the Dallas Renegades. The XFL knew what it needed to be.
Sources: ESPN and USA Today
NOTE: Special 10 p.m. start time on BeIN Sports!
The MLW AAA Super Series Begins!
Experience history in the making as AAA hosts the first ever Super Series from Tijuana, Mexico!
Featuring both organization’s top athletes, witness two organizations clash with national pride and championship gold on the line in a spectacular summit south of the border.
Tijuana could very well become title town as MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone defends his title against AAA’s electrifying Laredo Kid.
Fresh off of last week’s shocking main event where Mance Warner swept MJF out of MLW, the Dynasty’s Alex Hammerstone looks to drop the hammer and reverse the Dynasty’s downward momentum.
Can Hammerstone get the Dynasty’s mojo back as he looks for a successful ninth defense of the Openweight title?
Or will AAA’s Laredo Kid conquer Muscle Mountain and win the title in Mexico? The stakes are high in the first main event of the Super Series.
Mance Warner rolls up with Savio Vega as the duo represent MLW in an anything goes Barrio Street Fight against AAA’s wildest luchadores.
For weeks fans have been haunted by the unsettling messages sent by Pagano which have aired on FUSION. Now the 6’2” strange, sinister man makes his debut as he teams with Mortiz against Warner and Vega.
After being brutally assaulted by Injustice, Alicia Atout promise to have an exclusive on Brian Pillman Jr.
Will Psycho Clown accept Los Parks’ Super Series challenge? Tune in to find out!
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor has a message for the Von Erichs as the captain of Team Filthy continues to make big moves, with the Team Filthy/American Top Team merger.
Plus, AAA Co-Founder Konnan is in the house and more!
Join Rich Bocchini, AJ Kirsch and birthday girl Alicia Atout from Tijuana for a night of top ranked action.
Matches:
