Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will take place from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia as the Road to WWE Super ShowDown and WrestleMania 36 continues.
Week one has ended for the XFL and week two is about to begin. In just a short while the playoffs will begin as well. It was previously announced that the League Championship game will be on Sunday, April 26 at 3 p.m. ET. The Eastern Championship Final will be on Saturday, April 18 on FOX while the Western Championship Final will be on Sunday, April 19 on ESPN. Now we know the details of where the finals will take place.
According to the XFL, Houston will host the 2020 XFL Championship game. The game will take place inside TDECU Stadium, home of the Houston Roughnecks. The initial training facility of the XFL was inside TDECU Stadium.
“We’re tremendously excited to have been selected as the site for the XFL’s championship game,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. “This league has animated football fans from across our region, and we look forward to continuing to showcase Harris County as one of the greatest sports towns in America. We want to thank the league for choosing Houston and we look forward to welcoming football fans from across the nation to what is sure to be a memorable championship game.”
“Houston is a great all-around sports town with top-notch facilities, an amazing community of football fans and a solid infrastructure,” said XFL Commissioner and CEO Oliver Luck. “We are grateful to the city and the Sports Authority for opening its doors once again to the XFL and we look forward to welcoming fans from across Texas, as well as the entire country, to join us in celebrating this special moment in XFL history.”
The Roughnecks beat the Los Angeles Wildcats 37-17 last Saturday on FOX. It was the second game of the XFL’s relaunch. TDECU Stadium can fit over 40,000 people and has held a number of special games, including the Bayou Bucket and an American Championship. The stadium also hosts the University of Houston Cougars football team.
The last XFL Championship was during its initial run in 2001. Dubbed the “Million Dollar Game”, the Los Angeles Xtreme beat the San Franciso Demons 38-6 inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Attendance was 24,153 and the MVP of the game was placekicker Jose Cortez.
“It’s fitting that the XFL’s first season will start and end in football-loving Houston and we’re honored to play a pivotal role in the launch of this new league,” Burke said. “Houston is known for hosting major sporting events and the XFL Championship will only strengthen our reputation. We’re thrilled to give football fans in this city the opportunity to experience the excitement of XFL football on the league’s biggest stage.”
Tickets for the XFL Championship will be available to the general public in March. Ticket prices will be released next month, with priority status given to founding XFL season ticket members. You can get your tickets at XFL.com/tickets.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Ronda Rousey is now an official Gaming Video Creator for Facebook. Rousey took to social media yesterday and announced the new gig with Facebook. It looks like all of her YouTube content will also be uploaded to fb.gg/RondaRousey.
Rousey’s debut stream will air live on Tuesday, February 18 at 6pm ET. It looks like she will be playing Pokemon Sword & Shield, and 100% of the streaming proceeds will go to benefit the victims of the bushfires in Australia.
Rousey tweeted on the new partnership with Facebook Gaming and said the time is right for her to jump into streaming.
She wrote, “Game streaming is one of the most authentic mediums,& the time is right for me to jump into the stream exclusively on FacebookGaming. My first stream is on Feb18th at 3pmPST–100% of proceeds from the first stream go to Australian bushfire recovery efforts https://Fb.gg/RondaRousey”
https://twitter.com/RondaRousey/status/1228018437974188032
Ring of Honor has announced that the quarterfinals of the Pure Title tournament will take place on Friday, April 23 when they return to New York City for the Battlestarr 2020 event at Terminal 5.
Tickets for Battlestarr 2020 go on sale next Wednesday, February 19 at 10am ET for HonorClub members. Tickets for the general public will be on sale next Friday, February 21.
ROH recently announced that they were bringing back the Pure Title, which was active from 2004-2006. Pure Rules matches are bouts where closed-fist punches are illegal, and each competitor is allowed three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pinfalls during the match, and after that, pinfalls and submissions on or under the ropes would be legal.
There will also be a ROH meet & greet before the Battlestarr 2020 event at Terminal 5. You can click here for the full announcement from ROH.
ROH noted in their official announcement, “The quarterfinals of the Pure Title tournament are among the featured attractions of what is guaranteed to be an incredible night of the fast-paced, hard-hitting, in-your-face action that only Ring of Honor can deliver.”
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Jeff Cobb has arrived in AEW, but word is that he’s still a free agent.
It was announced during last night’s Dynamite episode from Austin, TX that AEW World Champion Chris Jericho had hired Cobb to take out Jon Moxley in a singles match on next Wednesday’s show. Jericho is set to defend his title against Moxley at AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view at the end of this month. Cobb later made a surprise debut at the end of this week’s Dynamite, which came after Moxley defeated Santana in the main event. The Inner Circle attacked Moxley after the match and Jericho dropped him with a Judas Effect. Jericho then called Cobb out to the ring. Cobb came out to a reaction and then left Moxley laying after hitting a Tour of the Islands. Cobb celebrated with The Inner Circle to end the show.
Cobb is not currently signed to an AEW contract, according to PWInsider. The ROH & NJPW star remains a free agent. It was noted that Cobb’s appearance on Dynamite was not a sign that AEW has a new working relationship with Ring of Honor or New Japan Pro Wrestling. Cobb was booked directly by AEW as he’s free to work anywhere he wants. There’s no word yet on if Cobb’s looking to sign with AEW or any other promotion soon.
The 37 year old Cobb is currently scheduled to team with Dan Maff to face KENTA and Taiji Ishimori at ROH’s Supercard of Honor event on April 4 during WWE’s WrestleMania 36 weekend.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Independent wrestler Teddy Hart has been arrested for possession of narcotics.
According to Hart’s booking information, the 40-year-old wrestler was taken into custody yesterday for possession of a schedule III narcotic with intent to sell or distribute.
Virginia law states possession of a schedule III controlled substance is a misdemeanor and punishable by up to twelve months months in jail, as well as a fine of up to $2,500.
The wrestler, whose real name is Edward Annis, is due in court on April 23.
For those who are maybe unfamiliar, Teddy is part of the legendary Hart family and most recently worked for MLW before the promotion let him go.
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
Ring of Honor announced the Women of Honor Title is changing to the Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship.
A tournament is going to decide a new champion and will begin at ROH Quest For Gold on April 24 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Eight first-round matches will go down at the show. Participants have yet to be announced.
The original title also crowned a champion through a tournament, which was Sumie Sakai back in April of 2018 at Supercard of Honor. Kelly Klein was the last Women of Honor champion, but parted ways with the company at the end of the year.
Below is ROH’s full announcement about the upcoming event:
An exciting new era in women’s wrestling in Ring of Honor is imminent.To emphasize ROH’s commitment to women’s wrestling, a new Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship has been created. This title will replace the Women of Honor Title and carry the utmost prestige as only the best competitors will earn its gold.
The tournament to crown the inaugural champion begins with eight first-round matches at “Quest For Gold” on Friday, April 24 at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena. The tournament will feature talent from all over the world, including some new faces who have never competed in ROH.
“Quest For Gold” tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. ET for HonorClub members and Friday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. ET for the general public.
The first women’s match in ROH history took place in 2002, the company’s first year in existence. In the ensuing years, some of the best women’s wrestlers in the sport competed in an ROH ring, including Sara Del Rey, Mickie James, Amazing Kong, Mercedes Martinez, MsChif, Cheerleader Melissa and Daizee Haze, who all paved the way for the current generation of female talent in ROH.
The ROH Women’s World Championship will take women’s wrestling in ROH to the highest level. Don’t miss your opportunity to witness history in the making at Quest for Gold!
https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/1227622085293375488
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Tonight’s AEW Dynamite will air live from the H.E.B. Center in Austin, Texas.
* AEW Women’s World Championship: Riho (c) vs. Nyla Rose
* AEW World Tag Team Championship: Hangman Page and Kenny Omega (c) vs. SCU
* Santana vs. Jon Moxley in an “Eye for an Eye” match
* MJF vs. Jungle Boy
* Dustin Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara
Tonight’s WWE NXT on the USA Network will air from the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL with the final hype for Sunday’s “Takeover: Portland” event.
WWE announced that Simone Johnson – the daughter of WWE great Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – has begun training at the WWE Performance. If she makes it to the main roster, she will become the first 4th generation wrestler in history as her grandfather Rocky Johnson and her great-grandfather “High Chief” Peter Maivia also competed for WWE. Rocky Johnson and Maivia are both WWE Hall of Famers.
“It means the world to me,” Johnson said. “To know that my family has such a personal connection to wrestling is really special to me and I feel grateful to have the opportunity, not only to wrestle, but to carry on that legacy.”
“Simone Johnson’s unbridled passion and incredible drive has earned her a coveted spot training with the elite athletes from around the world at the WWE Performance Center,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “Not only does Simone now have an opportunity to cultivate and display her passion for WWE within the Performance Center, but she’ll carry on the tradition of her incredible family lineage while creating her own impact as WWE’s first fourth generation Superstar.”
Johnson will join the diverse group of Superstars in training at the Performance Center, learning from a coaching staff that includes legends of the squared circle, led by Head Coach Matt Bloom and Assistant Head Coach Sara Amato.
“Simone knows she has a lot to learn,” said Bloom. “She’s hungry to learn and picks the coaches’ minds, and the veteran Superstars’, as well. She’s not going to rest on her laurels. It’s been a short time, but she’s been crushing it.”
“Simone is a wonderful girl,” Amato added. “She’s like a sponge, it’s pretty amazing. She knows what it takes to succeed and all the hard work and sacrifice that goes into it. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1226931688573415426
