Tag: WWE

WWE RAW Preview 2/5/2024

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

  • Fatal 4-Way Match: DIY vs. The Creed Brothers vs. Imperium vs. New Day – (The team that wins the Fatal 4-Way four-way will go to square off against Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne on Friday episode of WWE SmackDown. Bate and Dunne were victorious in a No. 1 contenders Tag Team Match on this past Friday’s SmackDown. The winning tag team will then move on to challenge Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Finn Balor for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships at Elimination Chamber in Perth, Australia on Saturday, February 24.)
  • Gunther celebrates being WWE Intercontinental Champion for 600 days. (Today has been the champion for 605 days).
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter
  • The Miz vs. JD McDonagh
  • Mixed Tag Team Match: Akira Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri vs. Ivar and Valhalla
  • Bull Rope Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE NXT Vengeance Day 2/4/2024 (Results)

DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CLASSIC TOURNAMENT FINALS:
The Wolf Dogs (Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker) def. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams

NO DQ MATCH:
Dijak def. Joe Gacy

MIXED TAG TEAM MATCH:
The D’Angelo Family (Tony D’Angelo, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and Adriana Rizzo) def. OTM (Bronco Nima, Lucien Price and Jaida Parker, with SCRYPTS)

NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP:
Lyra Valkyria (c) def. Roxanne Perez and Lola Vice

After a Pop Rox from Perez, Vice shocked the NXT Universe by cashing in her Breakout Tournament Contract to make it a Triple Threat Match.

Despite the added threat, Valkyria found aid in the form of Tatum Paxley who neutralized Perez, allowing her to hit Nightwish on Vice to retain her title.

NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP:
Oba Femi (c) def. Dragon Lee

NXT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Ilja Dragunov (c) def. Trick Williams

After the match, Carmelo Hayes snapped on his partner (Trick) and pummeled his leg with a steel chair, ending the friendship of Trick Melo Gang.

Backstage Report On Why WWE Swapped The Rock In For Cody Rhodes At WrestleMania 2024

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appears to have replaced Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns’ opponent at WrestleMania 40. Despite being a much-discussed dream match, the timing of the announcement and shunting of Rhodes out of the picture has led to huge backlash from fans, and there’s been some updates on the matter since.

Dave Meltzer wrote on the F4W Forum that it was Rock who pushed super hard to make his match with Reigns happen, and the change came to be when it was clear CM Punk and Brock Lesnar were both off the WrestleMania card. Rhodes was previously planned to challenge Reigns in a rematch of their WrestleMania 39 bout, while Punk was penciled in to face WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, and a Rock-Reigns bout was due to be made further down the line with either next year’s WrestleMania or a potential Saudi Arabia show in mind. Meltzer floated the idea that the change could have been made to divert attention from Vince McMahon’s sex trafficking scandal.

PWInsider later indicated that, per some of their WWE sources, Johnson put himself forward to “save WrestleMania” in the absence of Lesnar and Punk. Yet, still other sources reportedly believe he was going to push for this regardless, given his conditional $30 million stock deal with TKO is contingent on hitting milestones. Such milestones are speculated to have included a return to the ring, and Johnson felt the time was right to do so with the idea that Rock vs. Reigns will be the larger attraction. Therefore, it’s possible that regardless of who won the Royal Rumble it was going to be Rock challenging “The Tribal Chief” in Philadelphia. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Rock Appears To Replace Cody Rhodes As Roman Reigns’ WWE WrestleMania Challenger

Cody Rhodes will not be facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 after all. Instead, it appears Reigns will be facing his cousin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, following the events of “WWE SmackDown.”

“The Tribal Chief” took to the microphone Friday night in anticipation for Rhodes’ WrestleMania opponent announcement. Reigns responded to World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins’ recent plea to Rhodes, and dismissed Rollins’ self-appointed title of “the guy” and Rollin’s complaints regarding Reigns’ schedule, among other things. Reigns finished his rebuttal by claiming that he wasn’t “going to beg” Rhodes for his attention like Rollins did.

Reigns ultimately did not need to beg, as Rhodes made his entrance shortly thereafter. Tensions were high between the two, to the point that Rhodes dismissed Jimmy and Solo. Initially, Rhodes spoke with the implication that Reigns was his WrestleMania choice, and that the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship was not a Hollywood title, as Rollins claimed, but was “the title that was put into [his] father’s hands at Madison Square Garden, and then swiftly taken away”. Rhodes openly pondered if his story would be finished when he dethroned “The Tribal Chief”, or if his story would be finished when he took “everything” from Reigns. All the pieces were nearly aligned for a Rhodes and Reigns WrestleMania rematch.

Then, Rhodes said that he would not dethrone Reigns at WrestleMania. Instead, Rhodes claimed he spoke to a person Reigns knew intimately.

Like clockwork, all of Birmingham was prompted to smell what “The Rock” was cooking, and the recently-appointed TKO executive came strutting down the ramp. Rhodes shared a brief moment with “The Rock” as Johnson pulled him in to whisper something in his ear. Rhodes then took his leave. “The Rock” stared down “The Tribal Chief”, who was holding onto his title just a bit more tightly. “WWE SmackDown” then went off the air, with neither men having said a single word to each other.

While there was no confirmation regarding Reigns’ plans for WrestleMania 40, the general consensus is that he will be facing “The Rock” instead of “The American Nightmare.” Johnson has previously expressed desire to face his cousin at some point, and the idea of a family feud headlining WrestleMania 40 has been lurking in the background of Reigns’ entire Undisputed WWE Universal Championship run. It is to be noted that Johnson never specifically expressed desire for a title opportunity. Rhodes’ cryptic claim that he could dethrone Reigns at a time other than WrestleMania adds into the complexity of the situation. 

In the last moments of the show, WWE promoted a WrestleMania 40 press conference for Thursday evening, February 8.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Vengeance Day 2/4/2024 (Card)

NXT Vengeance Day – PLE – Sunday, February 4 2024 – on Peacock – from the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee.

CARD

NXT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams

NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP:
Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Roxanne Perez

NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP:
Oba Femi (c) vs. Dragon Lee

NO DQ MATCH:
Dijak vs. Joe Gacy

MIXED TAG TEAM MATCH:
The D’Angelo Family (Tony D’Angelo, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and Adriana Rizzo) vs. OTM (Bronco Nima, Lucien Price and Jaida Parker, with SCRYPTS)

DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CLASSIC TOURNAMENT FINALS:
The Wolf Dogs (Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker) vs. Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams

WWE SmackDown Preview 2/2/2024

WWE SmackDown will air live tonight on FOX from the Legacy Arena at The BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.

  • Fallout from the Royal Rumble
  • Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns to appear
  • Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bayley will select her WrestleMania opponent
  • Men’s Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes to appear
  • WWE United States Champion Logan Paul to appear

According to Pwinsider, Tiffanny Stratton will be at the SmackDown event at the show. However, it is still uncertain whether she will make an on-camera appearance or participate in a dark match.

Trick Williams, along with former NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and two-time NXT Champion Bron Breakker, are all set to be at the show. 

Report: Federal Prosecutors Actively Investigating Former WWE Boss Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon, who was last week accused of sex trafficking and sexual assault by former WWE employee Janel Grant, is reportedly being investigated by federal authorities. According to the Wall Street Journal, individuals close to the investigation have revealed that New York prosecutors have spoken with women who have accused the 78-year-old of sexual misconduct. That investigation is said to have been going on in “recent months.” WSJ reached out to WWE about the matter, but the promotion did not respond.

Last summer, federal agents issued a search warrant for McMahon’s phone. They also served a subpoena relating to allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment, and discrimination against past and present WWE employees. WSJ claims that the grand jury subpoena “offers the first window into the investigation, which began in 2022.” It reportedly includes details of alleged hush-money payments made to those who accused McMahon of sexual misconduct, as well as communications between him and his accusers, including Grant.

Grant filed a 67-page lawsuit against McMahon, WWE’s former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, and WWE itself on January 25, just days before the promotion’s Royal Rumble event at St. Petersburg, Florida’s, Tropicana Field. The following day, after one of WWE’s key sponsors Slim Jim paused their involvement with the organization, McMahon tendered his resignation from TKO (WWE’s parent company), where he was a board member and Executive Chairman. Slim Jim has since reactivated its partnership with WWE. Despite resigning, McMahon has denied the allegations and has vowed to clear his name. Meanwhile, Laurinaitis has claimed that he is also a victim in the McMahon case.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

John Laurinaitis Seemingly Confirms Vince McMahon Allegations, Says He’s Also A Victim

Last Thursday, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a 67-page lawsuit against Vince McMahon, WWE, and former WWE executive John Laurinitis outlining allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and a number of other abuses. McMahon has since resigned from his corporate positions at TKO Group Holdings despite denying the accusations against him. Laurinitis, on the other hand, has seemingly confirmed the allegations against McMahon — though not the allegations against himself.

According to a statement provided by Laurinitis’ lawyer, Edward Brennan (via VICE News), the former WWE Head of Talent Relations maintains that he is a victim in this case, much like the plaintiff, Janel Grant.

“Mr. Laurinaitis denies the allegations in the misguided complaint and will be vigorously defending these charges in court, not the media,” Brennan wrote on Laurinaitis’ behalf. “Like the plaintiff, Mr. Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.”

When Brennan was then asked to clarify whether he was claiming McMahon was the predator in this case, he wrote, “Read the allegations. Read the Federal Statute. Power, control, employment supervisory capacity, dictatorial sexual demands with repercussions if not met. Count how many times in the complaint Vince exerts control over both of them.”

As cited in the lawsuit, Laurinaitis was named as one of the men that McMahon allegedly recruited for Grant to regularly have sex with, both with and without McMahon himself involved. Grant was supposedly told to create “explicit content” for Laurinaitis, who she also claims raped her alongside McMahon inside Laurinaitis’ office in WWE Headquarters. Grant’s lawsuit charges Laurinaitis with civil battery, intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress, and violation of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage Update – Kazuchika Okada In Talks With WWE, AEW Confident About Signing Him

Kazuchika Okada’s contract with NJPW expired at midnight Japan Standard Time, making him a free agent.

Pro Wrestling Tees announced that Okada’s shirts will be pulled from the site, which caused fans to speculate about the future of the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Fightful is reporting that Pro Wrestling Tees pulling Okada’s merchandise is connected to the expiration of his NJPW contract.

Additionally, while Okada was still technically under contract with NJPW, the Bushiroad promotion was said to be “very understanding” with the 36-year-old wrestler negotiating with other companies since he made it clear he won’t be re-signing. Things are reportedly amicable between both sides.

There have been talks between WWE and Okada. According to certain WWE talents, Okada has spoken to roster members to gauge his potential offers, learn more about WWE’s approach, and help decide his future.

It is to be noted that WWE has not put any creative plans in place for Okada, and no pitches have been made in this regard.

AEW has been fairly confident about signing Okada. In fact, Tony Khan was so confident that AEW put tentative plans together for Okada’s potential debut. AEW has reportedly made a “substantial offer” to Okada.

Barry Bloom is representing Okada and acting as his agent.

Despite the expiration of his NJPW contract, Okada still has some New Japan dates he will be finishing up next month including a final match with Hiroshi Tanahashi scheduled for NJPW’s The New Beginning in Osaka on February 11.

Source: eWn

Kevin Owens Reportedly Worked WWE Royal Rumble Match With Injury

After outlasting seven other competitors in a fierce tournament, Kevin Owens was rewarded with a title match against United States Champion Logan Paul at the 2024 Royal Rumble. Unfortunately for Owens, his title pursuit didn’t go quite as planned as the referee caught him using a pair of brass knuckles, resulting in a disqualification victory for Paul. Additionally, a new report has also indicated that Owens worked through an injury during this premium live event performance.

According to the Wrestling Observer, Owens challenged Paul while battling a fractured foot. Owens’ injury was reportedly sustained during his last match, which occurred on the January 5 episode of “WWE SmackDown” against Santos Escobar. While Owens remained out of in-ring action in the weeks following, he was involved in several physical on-screen segments with Paul, such as their brawl at the WWE Performance Center, in the lead-up to their title match. 

As of this writing, it remains unknown if Owens’ injury will cause him to miss any television time. In the wake of his loss, though, Owens appeared in a digital exclusive (via WWE’s YouTube channel), making it clear that his issues with the “The Maverick” were far from finished.

Paul took possession of the United States Championship in November by defeating WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio at WWE’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. Following Paul’s victory, WWE announced that his first challenger would be determined through a number one contenders tournament, with the winner (which later turned out to be Owens) earning themselves a title shot at the Royal Rumble event.

Source: Wrestling Inc.