Tag: SmackDown

WWE SmackDown Preview 7/23/21

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will feature fallout from Money In the Bank as the Road to SummerSlam kicks off.

This will be a special edition of SmackDown, airing as a dual-site broadcast. Some of the matches will air live from the Rolling Loud rap festival in Miami, while the rest of the show will air live from the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

* Toni Storm debuts on the main roster

* John Cena returns to SmackDown

* Big E vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews, from Rolling Loud in Miami

* Carmella vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, from Rolling Loud in Miami

* Fallout from Money In the Bank and build for SummerSlam

WWE SmackDown Preview 7/16/21

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will air live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas with the final build for Sunday’s Money In the Bank pay-per-view.

This show marks WWE’s official return to touring since the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down last year. WWE is expected to have several surprises this weekend, and a new set will debut on tonight’s SmackDown.

WWE SmackDown Event In Atlanta Has Been Canceled

The September 17 edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX will no longer take place at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

The arena announced today that the event has been canceled. No reason was given, but refunds are available at the point of purchase.

WWE has not announced a new location for the September 17 SmackDown as of this writing, but we will keep you updated. The WWE website still has the Atlanta event listed as of this writing, but that will likely be removed soon.

Fans on Twitter expressed frustration with the cancellation as the arena was still selling tickets as of yesterday.

https://twitter.com/StateFarmArena/status/1416021257829617664

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Toni Storm Coming Soon To WWE SmackDown

It was announced on last night’s WWE SmackDown via a hype vignette, that NXT star Toni Storm will be coming to SmackDown soon.

The Aussie Superstar signed with WWE in 2018. She previously performed on the NXT UK brand where she held the NXT UK Women’s Championship and won the Mae Young Classic in 2018 at the WWE Evolution pay-per-view.

Back in June, Storm came out as bisexual during her takeover of the NXT Instagram account for Pride Month.

Shotzi Blackheart And Tegan Nox Make WWE SmackDown Debut

NXT Superstars Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox made their WWE SmackDown debut last night.

Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart kicked off their main roster careers with a huge victory over WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Tamina and Natalya in a non-title tag match on the most recent edition of SmackDown on FOX. The pair was revealed as Natalya and Tamina’s mystery opponents moments before the match began.

Bayley Expected To Be Out Of Action For Several Months Due To Torn ACL

WWE SmackDown Superstar Bayley has suffered an injury in training that will see her sidelined for an estimated nine months.

WWE announced that Bayley suffered an injury while training for her “I Quit” match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at Money In the Bank, and that she’s expected to be on the shelf for around 9 months. Carmella was announced as her replacement for the match at Money In the Bank during last night’s SmackDown.

It’s now reported by multiple sources, PWInsider and Fightful Select, that Bayley suffered a torn ACL. The injury reportedly occurred at the WWE Performance Center earlier this week as she was training with another wrestler.

It was noted that Bayley’s “knee popped” while training in the ring. The injury was described as a freak accident that happened while chain wrestling with another WWE star. Bayley and the other wrestler were reportedly participating in the mandatory training sessions that were set up so that wrestlers can prepare for the return to touring next week.

There’s also talk that Bayley’s injury may have caused plans to change for a new incoming talent, but there’s no word yet on who that might be.

Two wrestlers on the SmackDown roster were said to be openly frustrated with WWE’s lack of depth, and how that left them scrambling to find an appropriate replacement for the match against Belair at Money In the Bank. One wrestler remarked how company officials “did it to themselves,” adding that Bayley helped carry the company during some of their most difficult times as of late, and was known to be easy to deal with, no matter how much more they asked of her.

Bayley’s WWE tenure has been incredibly successful, and she has managed to build a Hall Of Fame career in her five years on the company’s main roster. She signed for WWE in 2012 after a four-year stint on the independent circuit and reported for duty at WWE’s developmental territory NXT.

Bayley became one of NXT’s most popular wrestlers during her four years in WWE’s developmental system. Bayley’s crowning moment occurred on August 22 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, when she defeated her real-life best friend and on-screen rival Sasha Banks to win the NXT Women’s Championship for the first time.

After being called up to the main roster in 2016, Bayley replicated her NXT success and defeated Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women’s Championship in 2017 to capture her first main roster title.

When Bayley’s affable, bubbly character started to get a little stale, she switched things up and turned heel. At first, people didn’t really know what to make of the new Bayley, but as the weeks rolled on she proved that she was just as good at portraying an entertaining villain as she was at playing the happy-go-lucky good guy.

The 32-year-old currently holds the record for the longest-reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion and has been one of the MVPs of the pandemic era.

Sources: Wrestling Inc. and The Sportster

WWE SmackDown Preview 7/9/2021

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will feature the final Money In the Bank qualifying matches for the Men’s Ladder Match.

This will be the final SmackDown of the ThunderDome era as next week’s go-home show will air live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

WWE Changes MSG Return To A Super SmackDown, RAW Superstars To Be Featured

WWE is set to feature both rosters at the SmackDown on FOX taping from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday, September 10.

WWE is now billing their return to The World’s Most Famous Arena as a Super SmackDown.

Tickets for WWE’s MSG return went on sale to the general public this morning, and are still available as of this writing. While this is a live SmackDown TV taping, WWE revealed this morning that both RAW and SmackDown Superstars will be featured.

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns took to Twitter this morning and commented on both RAW and SmackDown stars being booked for the show.

“World’s Most Famous Arena. @TheGarden Both rosters. #WWERaw #Smackdown All there for the #TribalChief,” he wrote.

MSG is requiring fans over the age of 16 to have proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations for the show.

Stay tuned for more on WWE’s return to The Garden for Super SmackDown. You can see the related tweets below:

https://twitter.com/WWERomanReigns/status/1413509607285170179
https://twitter.com/TheGarden/status/1413498334560407553

WWE SmackDown (July 23) To Air As Split-Site Broadcast From Rolling Loud Miami Hip-Hop Festival

WWE is headed to the popular Rolling Loud hip-hop festival.

It was announced today that the July 23 edition of SmackDown on FOX will feature matches from the Rolling Loud Miami 2021 festival.

WWE previously announced that the July 23 SmackDown will air from the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH. Now that episode will feature a split-site broadcast with multiple matches at Rolling Loud from Hard Rock Stadium, and the remainder of the show held in Cleveland.

WWE touted how this marks the first-ever collaboration between the company and a major music festival, but WWE NXT has held matches at the UK’s Download Festival for a few years until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Rolling Loud will be headlined by Travis Scott, Post Malone and A$AP Rocky. WWE Superstars will share the same stage with those rappers.

“What Matt Zingler, Tariq Cherif and the entire Rolling Loud team have built is spectacular,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development in a press release. “We couldn’t think of a better partner to deliver such a unique WWE experience to fans during the July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.”

“I grew up on Sweet Chin Music, mesmerized by the spectacle that Vince McMahon and co have built at WWE,” said Tariq Cherif, Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Rolling Loud. “The idea of weaving our two storylines into one world, one must see event, is electrifying.”

“And I quote! If ya smell…what the WWE and Rolling Loud…is…cookin’! Give me a hell yeah!,” said Rolling Loud Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Matt Zingler.

Stay tuned for more on WWE and Rolling Loud. Below is the full announcement issued to us today:

WWE® FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN® HEADS TO ROLLING LOUD MIAMI 2021

STAMFORD, Conn., July 7, 2021 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and Rolling Loud, the world’s premier rap festival, today announced a new partnership that brings Friday Night SmackDown to Rolling Loud Miami 2021 on July 23. The occasion marks the first ever collaboration between WWE and a major music festival.

Gracing the same stage as festival headliners Travis Scott, Post Malone and A$AP Rocky, WWE Superstars will compete in matches live from Rolling Loud Miami. The July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX will feature a split-site broadcast with multiple matches at Rolling Loud Miami, and the remainder of the evening held at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

“What Matt Zingler, Tariq Cherif and the entire Rolling Loud team have built is spectacular,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development. “We couldn’t think of a better partner to deliver such a unique WWE experience to fans during the July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.”

“I grew up on Sweet Chin Music, mesmerized by the spectacle that Vince McMahon and co have built at WWE,” said Tariq Cherif, Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Rolling Loud. “The idea of weaving our two storylines into one world, one must see event, is electrifying.”

“And I quote! If ya smell…what the WWE and Rolling Loud…is…cookin’! Give me a hell yeah!,” said Rolling Loud Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Matt Zingler.

WWE has a rich history of integrating music into all aspects of its brand and collaborating with some of the most celebrated artists in the world. Over the years, world-renowned hip-hop artists including Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Three 6 Mafia, MGK, Wale and many others have performed at WWE’s biggest events.

Bringing 130 of the hottest acts in hip-hop to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., the sold out Rolling Loud Miami 2021 is a triumphant return for live rap music, and a coming out party for risers and new superstars eager to play in front of a festival crowd. The sixth Rolling Loud festival in Miami, where it started as a humble one-day event in Bayfront Park, Rolling Loud Miami 2021 will occur from July 23-25.

Friday Night SmackDown airs live on FOX at 8/7c and features Universal Champion Roman Reigns, SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, SmackDown Tag Team Champions Rey and Dominik Mysterio, WWE Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews, Bayley, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and more.

Rolling Loud Miami is the first of three Rolling Loud festivals happening this year. On October 28-30, Rolling Loud returns to the birthplace of Hip Hop with Rolling Loud New York 2021, headlined by Travis Scott, J. Cole, and 50 Cent, taking place at Citi Field in Queens. The festival heads to the West Coast on December 10-12 for Rolling Loud California, headlined by J. Cole, Kid Cudi, and Future, from NEO Events Center in San Bernardino, Calif.

Stay tuned for more announcements about the Rolling Loud and WWE/Friday Night SmackDown partnership in the weeks leading up to the festival.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Zelina Vega Returns To WWE on SmackDown, Enters Money In The Bank Match

Seven months after being released, Zelina Vega returned to WWE television on the latest edition of SmackDown.

Zelina Vega is back on the WWE payroll seven months after she parted ways with the company.

Vega made her surprise return on the most edition of SmackDown after Sonya Deville revealed that Vega would be entering the upcoming Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match.

As you might recall, Zelina Vega was released by WWE in November of 2020 following a dispute regarding her personal Twitch channel which occurred soon after the company introduced new policies regarding employees’ use of third-party sites.

“I’m sad and I’m completely heartbroken,” Zelina said of her release shortly after it was made official. “Obviously, this isn’t the last that you are gonna see of me…I love you all though and I’m really really thankful to every single one of you. If I go down as someone who stood up for themselves, so be it. I’m still thankful, I’m not angry. I’m just heartbroken because doing this, being a wrestler is all I ever wanted to do. I don’t really know what to say, there’s so many things I want to say but I don’t know how.”

Following her release, there were rumors that Vega could be heading to AEW, which heated up after AEW’s president Tony Khan confirmed that he had been waiting for her 90-day non-compete clause to lapse before reaching out to her.

Vega’s real-life husband Tommy End (aka Aleister Black) was released by WWE last month as a result of budget cuts necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vega, real name Thea Trinidad Büdgen, started out on the independent and had a stint with Impact between 2011-2013. She made sporadic appearances for WWE before signing a contract in 2017. She performed on the NXT brand as an in-ring performer as Andrade’s manager. Andrade captured the NXT Championship under Vega’s guidance.

Vega has signed a long-term deal with WWE.

PWInsider has since revealed more details regarding Vega’s deal and how it came about. Apparently, the returning star has penned a long-term deal and won’t just be sticking around for a little while providing all goes to plan. She was also backstage on SmackDown last week but not used. Kudos to WWE for managing to keep Vega’s imminent return under wraps.

Vega has since tweeted a reaction to her own return. “I’m back. I’m going to be in the MITB ladder match. ..and I will win. Period. Everything else is irrelevant,” Vega tweeted. Presumably a message to anyone who might want to know the finer details of how her return came about and how long it has been in the works that she isn’t going to be talking about it publicly.

Vega was spotted at the WWE Performance Center two months ago, fueling rumors that she might have struck up a new deal with the company. However, her husband Aleister Black has been released since then and there has been no mention of a Vega return since, official or otherwise. Clearly, Black’s release didn’t sour the repaired relationship between WWE and Vega.

While it was never confirmed that a disagreement over the new regulations was why Vega left, that’s assumed to be the case as Vega tweeted that she supported unionization as news of her release made headlines. That is now all water under the bridge and it will be interesting to see if Vega’s work on Twitch continues now that she is once again under a WWE contract.

Source: The Sportster