Chris Jericho Receives Care Package From Bubly

The company Bubly is capitalizing off Chris Jericho’s viral moment last month by sending “Le Champion” a little bit of the bubbly.

The current AEW World Champion shared photos on Instagram of the free sparkling water they sent him on Thursday along with a banner that says “Chris Jericho’s *a little bit of the bubly* bag.”

“Thanks to [Bubly Water] for sending me #ALittleBitOfTheBubbly…. albeit of a different kind,” he captioned the post on Instagram.

In case you missed it … Jericho uttered the phrase after winning the AEW title in a post-show segment. Since then, he’sformed a faction in AEW named “The Inner Circle” consisting of Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Clarifies Rules Regarding Draft

WWE has clarified the rules for its upcoming draft beginning tonight on Friday Night SmackDown.

The WWE draft rules are as follows:

  • More than seventy Superstars, including Tag Teams, have been placed into this year’s Draft pool
  • Thirty Superstars will be eligible to be drafted tomorrow night, while fourty-one Superstars will be eligible on Monday Night
  • For every two SmackDown picks, Raw will get three (since Friday Night SmackDown is a two-hour show and Monday Night Raw is a three-hour show)
  • Tag Teams will count as one pick unless FOX or USA Network specifically wants to pick one Superstar from the team
  • Any undrafted Superstars will immediately be declared free agents and able to sign with the brand of their choosing

WWE also confirmed FOX and NBCUniversal personalities who will Draft make appearances.

This includes FOX personalities like Alex Rodriguez, Troy Aikman, Jim Cramer, Joe Buck, Frank Thomas, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart , Charissa Thompson, Michael Vick, and more. Repping NBCUniversal will be Michael Che and Colin Jost, Christian Slater, Dulé Hill and James Roday from Psych, Marcus Lemonis from The Profit, Margaret Josephs and Melissa Gorga  from Real Housewives of New Jersey and more.

The press release also explains that “For the first time, executives from FOX and USA Network have direct influence over the WWE Draft as it will determine the Superstars competing for either Raw or SmackDown.”

The WWE Draft begins tonight at 8pm ET on Friday Night SmackDown, then continues Monday on RAW.

Backstage News On The Format For The WWE Draft

The WWE Draft begins this Friday with SmackDown on FOX. Superstars will be legitimately finding out which brands they will be going to on Friday, and the event will continue on Monday’s Raw.

According to the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, the WWE Draft will be different from previous years as it will be ran similar to the NFL Draft. Representatives from FOX and the USA Network will be announcing the picks.

The idea is to make the WWE Draft as authentic as possible thanks to the companies new TV deals. It was previously reported that various personalities from USA and FOX would be appearing, but WWE didn’t state if celebrities would be included.

Additionally, Dave Meltzer pointed out that WWE does not want authority figures involved in programming for now. It is unknown when WWE will be bringing them back.

It was also noted that all the major decisions regarding which stars will be drafted are complete, however WWE is keeping the moves very quiet.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Rock Gives Props For The New NWA Powerrr Premiere

Former WWE Champion The Rock took to Twitter to give props to Jim Cornette and everyone else responsible for the new NWA Powerrr show that premiered this week on YouTube, seen below.

The exchange began when Cornette, who is doing commentary for the show, responded to a fan question about how small the ring is.

Cornette responded, “Actually, standard size for all @nwa rings (& most Southern territories) has been 18X18 since the 1960-70’s. Some spot show/small studios used 16X16. Tradition in WWF was 20X20 due to large Northeast rings dating back to boxing rings in the 1950’s, some up to 24X24. #NWAPowerrr”

That’s when The Rock chimed in with props for Cornette and the others behind the new NWA Powerrr show.

Rock wrote, “Congrats Jim, the boys, crew etc. Stumbled across this show last night and enjoyed it. I grew up in territories and started my career at channel 5 in Memphis so I have a lot of love/respect for small scale, crowd tv shows. Cool vintage feel. Keep working hard boys. Rock”

Cornette responded to The Rock and invited him to the next taping. Cornette wrote, “Rocky, thank you so much for taking the time to check it out! I’m sure I speak for @Lagana and @Billy in offering you two tickets ABSOLUTELY FREE to the next taping! If you have more than 2 guests I’ll sneak one in the back for you!”

NWA boss Billy Corgan re-tweeted Rock’s comments, but has not responded.

You can see the full exchange below:

AEW Dynamite Preview 10/9/19

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite will air live from the Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts on TNT.

* AEW World Champion Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs. Dustin Rhodes and “Hangman” Adam Page

* Jimmy Havoc vs. Darby Allin (#1 Contender Match for the AEW World Championship, winner face Jericho on next week’s show)

* The Young Bucks vs. Private Party (AEW Tag Team Championship Tournament Match)

* Jon Moxley vs. Shawn Spears

* Bea Priestley and Emi Sukura vs. AEW Women’s Champion Riho and Dr. Britt Baker

WWE NXT Preview 10/9/19

Tonight’s WWE NXT will air live from Full Sail Live in Winter Park, Florida on USA Network.

* Lio Rush challenges Drew Gulak for the NXT Crusierweight Championship tomorrow night

* Kushida and WALTER to clash on NXT

* Isaiah “Swerve” Scott to battle Roderick Strong

* How will Finn Bálor’s arrival impact NXT?

* How will Tommaso Ciampa’s quest to regain the NXT Title continue?

* Can anyone stop Shayna Baszler?

XFL Picks Announce Team For ESPN And FOX

With an entertaining league like the XFL set to come back, it was only fitting the most entertaining commentators would be involved. According to the New York Post, the Fox and ESPN broadcast teams for each main XFL game will have a lot of experience.

On the ESPN side, Steve Levy, Dan Orlovsky and Pat McAfee will be on the call. Meanwhile, on Fox, Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt will be talking all things XFL. According to the report, Fox had an interest in Gus Johnson, but due to his commitment to college basketball, the schedules didn’t work out. No word yet who will host the FS1 and ABC games.

Levy has worked with ESPN for a number of years, especially as a longtime anchor of SportsCenter. Known for his role on ABC/ESPN’s College Gameday program, Levy has worked doubleheader games of “Monday Night Football” with Brian Griese. He has also broadcasted a number of hockey games.

A fifth-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Orlovsky has played for the Lions, Texans, Colts and Buccaneers. The former quarterback from UConn retired from football in 2017, becoming an analyst for ESPN.

One of the most entertaining voices in social media today, Pat McAfee has made his voice known allover. From Barstool Sports to WWE to his own radio show, the former NFL kicker has become more popular than ever before. Starting another talk show on DAZN (syndicated by Westwood One), McAfee has also been a part of ESPN’s Thursday Night Football crew. Both he and Orlovsky have clicked before when it comes to commentary, joining together for “Get Up!” on ESPN.

This opportunity is a step up for Curt Menefee, who is currently providing commentary for Fox’s Sunday NFL Pregame Show. Menefee has provided preseason analysis for both the Jaguars and the Seahawks, while also working commentary for NFL Europe games. He has also used his voice for boxing, MMA and has signed on and off of Super Bowl’s whenever he is available.

Menefee will be working with Joel Klatt, a former college quarterback for Colorado. Starting his post-playing days as a football analyst, Klatt helped usher in FS1. He is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst, teaming with Gus Johnson. Moving up in the ranks every year, Klatt also provides coverage on golf.

The relaunched XFL season is expected to start in February of 2020, the weekend after the Super Bowl.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jeff Hardy Had Bloody Nose From Domestic Incident During DWI Arrest, Was Uncooperative With Police

As noted, WWE SmackDown Superstar Jeff Hardy was arrested on the evening of Thursday, October 3 in Moore County, North Carolina, and charged with Driving While Impaired. Hardy was released from custody at around 11:30pm ET that night.

In an update, TMZ has revealed that the police report says Hardy had a bloody nose during the traffic stop, and he told officers that it was from an earlier fight with his wife Beth.

The police report also noted that Hardy was stopped by Carthage Police after receiving a tip about a careless & reckless driver at around 8:40pm ET on Thursday, October 3. Officers located the car and found Hardy parked in front of a liquor store. Hardy came out of the store and was carrying a case of beer. He got into the car and began driving while police followed closely behind him. They finally pulled him over after he was seen “weaving badly” in his lane.

The officer noticed what looked to be dried blood on Jeff’s nose during the stop, and asked him what happened. The report states, “The driver advised that him and his wife got into a fight.”

The police report does not give any further details on the possible domestic violence incident, but the officer did question Hardy about drinking alcohol. Hardy admitted to taking two shots of vodka earlier in the night, and admitted to being impaired. Hardy “bombed” the field sobriety test and was uncooperative when asked for a blood sample or Breathalyzer test.

The officer ended up getting a search warrant from a judge, to extract a blood sample from Hardy. Paramedics were called to draw the sample. Hardy was then arrested for Driving While Impaired and Driving on a Revoked License.

Police told TMZ that they are not investigating the possible domestic incident between Jeff and his wife, but they said they would if Jeff filed a complaint.

As noted, Jeff is scheduled to be in court for the charges on Thursday, November 7.

This DWI arrest comes after Hardy was arrested for public intoxication and impairment in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina back in July of this year. Jeff is currently out of action for WWE while he recovers from knee surgery that he underwent in May. It’s been reported that Jeff would be out of action for 6-9 months. He is still scheduled to appear at Ringside Fest in New York City on Sunday, November 3.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Hulk Hogan Undergoing Surgery Soon, Reveals Talks With Vince McMahon For A Possible WWE Ring Return

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan is set to undergo back surgery soon, but he’s still hoping for one more match in WWE.

The 66 year old Hulkster spoke with The Los Angeles Times this week and said he has a hard time moving around these days, which he blames on the “Seven unsuccessful back surgeries” that have led to the upcoming eight operation. Hogan blamed that on the Atomic Leg Drop finisher he used for 30 years, noting that he would have never used the leg drop if he knew then what he knows now. Hogan would have used the Sleeper hold instead.

“Everyone says they wouldn’t change anything about their life. If I could change anything, it would be my finisher,” Hogan said. “I would never use the leg drop. I’d use the sleeper. All the back surgeries I’ve had are because of that damn leg drop. I had scoliosis, brother. Dropping that leg for 35 years did me in. I said I had the largest arms in the word, and I should have used a sleeper hold or another finisher with my arms.”

Regarding one more match, Hogan said he’s had talks with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon about a ring return, possibly at WrestleMania 36 in his hometown of Tampa, Florida next April. Hogan said he’s not sure if he can live with his last match being for TNA.

“I talked to Vince, and I said I really don’t know if I could live with myself knowing my last match was with TNA,” Hogan said. “If I can get fixed, I pray I can have one more match. I told Vince, ‘When I get through this back surgery, I’m going to get in the best shape of my life and we’re going to talk about me having one last retirement match.’ ”

Who does Hogan want to face in his last match, if it were to work out? Mr. McMahon himself.

“I’d love for it to be against Vince,” Hogan said. “I had such a great time with him in the ring at WrestleMania 19. I had no idea what to expect from him, but he’s a great bad guy. His timing is great. I loved wrestling him, but everything he does hurts. When you’re in the ring with someone and they’re hurting you, you kind of pinch them on the wrist, and the whole match I was doing that to Vince. I was like, ‘Vince, take it easy!’ Everything he does hurts, but I’d like to get in the ring with him one more time for my last match. That would be perfect.”

Hogan and WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair will be involved in the upcoming WWE Crow Jewel event from Saudi Arabia on Halloween, October 31. They will lead their teams into a big ten-man battle. Team Hogan currently features Rusev and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins, while Team Flair currently features Randy Orton and King Baron Corbin.

Stay tuned for updates on a possible WWE ring return for The Hulkster.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Big Show Getting His Own Reality TV Travel Series

Veteran WWE Superstar Big Show has signed on for his second TV show.

Show will be getting his own travel reality TV series, titled “Big Show vs. The World: A Giant Abroad,” from WWE Studios and ITV America’s Thinkfactory Media, according to The Wrap.

“Big Show vs. The World: A Giant Abroad” is currently in the development phase ad is being shopped to top broadcast and cable TV networks, and streaming platforms.

“Big Show brings so many different layers to a project like this; it’s a dream scenario for us as producers,” said Thinkfactory CEO Adam Reed. “He blends his fierce intelligence and curiosity with an unexpected, one-of-a-kind wit, and his intimidating physical stature is offset by his surprisingly disarming personality. We’re ecstatic to be working with him and the WWE Studios team and can’t wait for the journeys ahead.”

“For more than two decades, Big Show’s magnetic personality has inspired fans around the world, and in this new series, he will be able to meet the people and explore the places that have played a pivotal role in his journey as a WWE Superstar,” said head of WWE Studios Susan Levison. “We are thrilled to be bringing this show to life with our partners at Thinkfactory who are proven winners in the unscripted television genre.”

Show also commented on the show and said, “I won’t guarantee we’ll solve every mystery, but we’ll explore every strange detail, chase every bizarre lead, and meet the incredible characters involved in pursuit of the truth.”

WWE Studios and Netflix started filming “The Big Show Show” earlier this summer. The live-action multi-camera family comedy series will run for 10 thirty-minute episodes, starring Show, Allison Munn and kid actresses Reylynn Caster, Lily Brooks O’Briant, and Juliet Donenfeld. It is expected to premiere in early 2020.

There’s no word yet on when “Big Show vs. The World: A Giant Abroad” will premiere or what network they will sign with, but stay tuned as we will keep you updated.

Below is the official synopsis for the new series:

“Through his extensive world travels with WWE, Big Show has collected a lifetime of unusual stories filled with unexplained natural occurrences, local enigmas and fascinating people. “Big Show vs. The World: A Giant Abroad” will follow the larger-than-life WWE Superstar as he travels back to these locations and indulges his lifelong passion for exploring the strange and unknown.Each self-contained episode will feature Big Show venturing to a new exotic area, where he’ll team up with a local guide and dive head first into a native mystery or legend. Navigating the difficulty of travel (at seven feet tall) and the extreme, sometimes awkward situations he encounters with his signature self-deprecating sense of humor, Big Show will do whatever it takes to unearth every quirky and shocking detail during his adventures into the bizarre.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.