Tag: WWE

WWE Officials Are Unhappy With The SummerSlam 2022 Card [Report]

According to a report, WWE officials “don’t like” the current SummerSlam 2022 card. The show is now just 11 days away.

WWE higher-ups aren’t exactly thrilled with the SummerSlam 2022 match card, according to a report.

A source in WWE informed WrestleVotes that “they really don’t like the SummerSlam card.” Interestingly, it was noted by WrestleVotes that “They” refers to the people who constructed the match card. Whether or not they end up making drastic changes to the event remains to be seen, but with the show just 11 days away, the clock is ticking.

This is certainly an interesting report for a variety of reasons. If WWE officials aren’t pleased with it, then why did they construct it as such? The long-term plans should have been heavily mapped out following WrestleMania 38 weekend, which occurred more than three months ago.

Also, the card looks very strong on paper. Whether fans like it or not, Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in the main event for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship is going to be a massive draw. The other main event matches will include Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship and Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

There are two other highly-anticipated title matches on the card: Bobby Lashley vs. Money in the Bank winner Theory for the United States Championship and The Usos vs. The Street Profits for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships with Jeff Jarrett as the special guest referee.

WWE still has time to make the already stacked card more exciting. Edge and Bayley are both reportedly close to returning, so perhaps we’ll see them at SummerSlam. Drew McIntyre, AJ Styles, Alexa Bliss, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are among the notable talents who haven’t been announced for SummerSlam yet, after all.

Source: TheSportster

WWE NXT Preview 7/19/2022

Tonight on WWE NXT 2.0 at 8 pm ET on USA Network:

The 20 participants being promoted for the battle royal are Alba Fyre, Amari Miller, Arianna Grace, Cora Jade, Elektra Lopez, Fallon Henley, Indi Hartwell, Ivy Nile, Katana Chance, Kayden Carter, Kiana James, Lash Legend, Nikkita Lyons, Sarray, Sloane Jacobs, Tatum Paxley, Tiffany Stratton, Valentina Feroz, Wendy Choo, and Yulisa Leon.

Bayley Returning To WWE Very Soon

Former Raw, SmackDown and NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has been out of action for over a year as she recovers from a torn ACL. It sounds as though she’ll return very soon.

Bayley has been out of action since July of last year, when she unfortunately suffered an ACL tear while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. After undergoing surgery, WWE announced that the 2019 women’s Money in the Bank ladder match winner would miss roughly nine months of action.

In an update, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reports that Bayley “is scheduled to be in Nashville for” the SummerSlam 2022 weekend. It wasn’t noted if she will actually wrestle at the show, but at least she’ll presumably be at The Biggest Party of the Summer that will run inside Nissan Stadium on July 30.

Earlier this month, Johnson also reported that Bayley was at the Performance Center. That’s obviously a strong indicator that she’s getting very close to an in-ring return. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if WWE decides against announcing Bayley’s return ahead of time. Recent history suggests it’ll be come as a “surprise”, after all.

Bayley may not be the only other notable star who will return soon. WWE reportedly has plans for Edge to return for the go-home SummerSlam edition of Raw next week. The Rated-R Superstar has been off of television since being betrayed by his Judgment Day allies on the June 6 show.

Belair will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Lynch, and Liv Morgan will try to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey. SummerSlam would be the perfect time and place for Bayley to make her WWE return, as she could confront and/or challenge the winner of the Belair-Lynch or Morgan-Rousey match. Bayley has spent ample time in the main event scene, so don’t be surprised if WWE decides to push her immediately following her return to television.

Source: TheSportster

WWE Raw Preview 7/18/22

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network, from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

Jeff Jarrett Named Special Guest Referee For Usos vs. Street Profits At SummerSlam

WWE has announced that Jeff Jarrett will be the special guest official for the Usos vs. Street Profits match at SummerSlam.

On Friday night, fans learned the identity of the special guest official who will be enforcing the rules between The Street Profits and The Uso at SummerSlam. That special guest official, is none other than Hall of Famer and Sr. Vice President of Special Events for WWE, Jeff Jarrett.

It’s a fairly random choice considering all of the options WWE could have gone with. He’s got no real connection to either team, nor does he have any experience as a WWE official. The best guess as to why WWE chose him was because SummerSlam is taking place in Nashville and they wanted to connect a known Nashville hometown celebrity to the bout. WWE seems to have gone with someone they figure the live fans will cheer at the event. It probably doesn’t hurt that the company had easy access to him as he’s likely on the road and traveling with the roster on a close-to full-time basis.

What’s so intriguing about the decision was that when Adam Pearce made the announcement to close the show, Jarrett wasn’t even on-site. A video package of his greatest moments in WWE — most of which were of him smashing people with his guitar to show he doesn’t mess around — was played. When it ended, The Usos and Street Profits continued to brawl as the show went off the air. Four officials couldn’t break them up.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1548124988992995328

WWE Smackdown Preview 7/15/22

WWE SmackDown, tonight at 8/7 C on FOX.

Backstage News On WWE Raw Moving To TV-14

“WWE Raw” potentially moving to a TV-14 rating is reportedly a USA Network decision, not a WWE call.

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has yet to acknowledge the change in direction of the programming, but a source within the company confirmed that it is a USA Network decision. Furthermore, the fact that the memo for the change from TV-PG to TV-14 came from USA Network executives would also indicate the same.

Meltzer noted that it’s highly unlikely “WWE Raw” reverts to bloody matches and bra & panties-like content, but could incorporate more swearing and profanities when the change to TV-14 happens.

In particular, USA Network was said to be “accepting” of Brock Lesnar using the word “shitkicking” during the first hour of the 7/11 episode when they received the script. However, when Lesnar actually uttered the word, because they were aware in advance, USA Network producers did a sound edit of the cuss word. “We don’t know if this had to do with that or not but the timing is notable and a sound edit of something that was in the script and approved is also notable,” Meltzer wrote.

Earlier on Thursday, Fightful Select also reported that there have been conflicting messages internally at USA Network about the change to TV-14. The WWE sources Fightful reached out to “hadn’t heard of the change yet but were looking into the move.”

The report added that those expecting significant changes could be in for a disappointment. While “NXT 2.0” has racier content than “Raw” on a regular basis, it’s still rated TV-PG, and the content that airs is up to WWE, not USA Network. It was noted that unlike MPAA for movies or ESRB for video games, cable TV shows are not required to meet certain criteria to retain TV-PG status or move to a TV-14 rating. As an example, WWE could have self-rated as a TV-PG show during the Attitude Era without oversight ramifications. Although input from the network and sponsors is always taken into effect, the content that airs is still up to the creator, in this case, WWE.

Andrew Zarian retracted his earlier report that the internal memo sent by USA Network called for “WWE Raw” to shift to a TV-14 rating starting from the 7/18 episode. According to Zarian, the memo was sent out prematurely, and the day for the shift from TV-PG to TV-14 has yet to be finalized. The change “is still in consideration for a later date,” he added.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Big E Addresses Possibility Of Never Wrestling Again

Big E has been out of action since the March 11 episode of “WWE SmackDown,” and while his future remains unclear, the former WWE Champion is potentially staring down the idea of never wrestling again.

The New Day star broke his neck when taking a belly-to-belly suplex outside the ring from Ridge Holland and landing directly on his head, but admitted to TMZ that he’s “doing really well.” It is a good update from a man whose attitude has been relentlessly positive throughout the entire experience, and he has been able to remove his neck brace. But while Big E is obviously working towards competing in the ring again at some point, there is a chance that will not be a possibility for him. He recently revealed that his C1 is not ossifying (growing bone), and that it’s something that his doctors are going to look at around the one-year mark post-injury.

“I can live my life pretty normally,” Big E said. “But [my neck’s] not in a position where I should be ramming my head against other things, immovable objects. So wrestling doesn’t make sense right now. For me right now, March of next year is very far off. So, I don’t want to spend a lot of time worrying or stressing about that. I’m just kind of living my life.”

Doctors previously told Big E that the consequences from the injury could have been much worse. From that perspective, even if we have seen the last of him in a wrestling ring, he admitted that he’s okay with that, even if it’s not something fans want to hear.

“Honestly, my philosophy as a human being is learning to be content with whatever life brings you. I’m so grateful to not be in a wheelchair, but if I was, I would have to adjust to life in a wheelchair, that’s just how I am programmed,” he said. “If I spend hours or days or weeks kind of mourning where I’m at in life, and not being what I wanted to be, that doesn’t serve me.”

While Big E won’t be stepping back into the ring for the foreseeable future, he’s still available to be used in other ways by WWE, including at WWE SummerSlam weekend later this month. It was recently revealed that Big E will be working on July 27-29 in Nashville at a talent tryout for current and graduated college athletes, where he will be helping to assess the prospects involved.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Raw Preview 7/11/22

Brock Lesnar is back and set to return to WWE “Raw” tonight.

Backstage News On Talent Reaction To Vince McMahon Allegations

After the Wall Street Journal reported that Vince McMahon has paid over $12 million in ‘hush money,’ there have been mixed reactions backstage from the talent, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

The allegation claimed that McMahon had paid off three other women whom he had supposedly been sexually involved with, one of which was a former wrestler that claimed to have been coerced into having oral sex, while another was sent unsolicited nudes from him.

Meltzer heard from several different wrestlers who were at “WWE SmackDown” and they provided a varying degrees of thoughts when it comes to the latest allegations surrounding McMahon. One believed that people know what they are getting themselves into when they enter the wrestling business.

Another talent revealed that McMahon is not selling anything right now, and nobody backstage is talking about the situation as they believe that if you are heard doing that there is a chance of getting in trouble, which nobody needs right now. Then a third person gave a very different take, as they were said to be very concerned about the situation.

They believe that it is one thing for him to pay money in order to cover up an affair, which was the first allegation that was made against him, but it is something else when it becomes coercion, as they are viewing that as a concerning situation.

McMahon was backstage at “WWE SmackDown” this week, although unlike when the first allegation was made against him, he did not appear on television this time. Despite that, it was being viewed as ‘business as usual behind the scenes when it came to running the show and what was happening.

The original report against McMahon took place on June 12, which claimed he had paid off a former paralegal regarding an affair that they had. Since that point, WWE’s board of directors have been investigating him, while he also stepped down as the WWE CEO, with Stephanie McMahon taking over on an interim basis.

Source: Wrestling Inc.