Tag: WWE

The Rock’s Daughter, Ava Raine, Debuts Nickname In First WWE NXT Promo At NXT House Show

WWE NXT held another live event last night in Orlando, Florida, headlined by Bron Breakker successfully defending his NXT Championship against Tony D’Angelo. Elsewhere on the card, the leader of Toxic Attraction, Mandy Rose, defeated Ivy Nile to retain her NXT Women’s Title, and The Creed Brothers defeated Joe Gacy and a member of the DYAD to retain their Tag Team Titles.

But one of the biggest stories coming out of the show isn’t about the in-ring action at all. Fresh WWE NXT talent Ava Raine, the real-life daughter of The Rock that signed with WWE in February 2020, cut her first promo at last night’s event. She was presented as a heel to the audience as she talked down to Cora Jade and the rest of the NXT women’s locker room.

Raine also revealed what her nickname will be going forward and it’s possibly a nod to a recent horror film. Raine, a fan of cinema influenced by the supernatural, apparent by the many references to “The Craft” (1996) on her social media, was referring to herself as “The Final Girl” during her in-ring promo. The film, “The Final Girls” was a horror/comedy film released in 2015 that first debuted at the SXSW Film Festival before receiving a wider release in the United States later that Fall. The premise of the movie sees the protagonist, Max, along with her group of friends, getting trapped inside a B-horror film where they must use the tropes they’ve learned from watching horror movies to survive. There’s no certainty this film influenced the new description Raine is giving herself in NXT, but the connection is possible.

“The Final Girl” is also a common trope in horror cinema as a whole. She is recognized as the last girl or woman surviving in the film as the story becomes centrally focused on her.

As seen in the photos below, Raine was trending after she dropped the promo last night, signifying that we might be approaching a televised debut for the 20-year-old. She has been teasing her debut for several weeks until last night when she finally revealed her persona to a live crowd.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 7/8/22

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

As of Friday morning, here is the lineup announced for tonight’s show:

  • Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns returns
  • How will Ronda Rousey respond to the new “SmackDown” Women’s Champion Liv Morgan?
  • Maximum Male Models to unveil their 2022 Tennis Collection

Vince McMahon Allegedly Paid Four Women $12 Million To Silence Sexual Misconduct Allegations

A new report has revealed Vince McMahon may have paid off multiple former employees to stay quiet.

Last month, allegations that Vince McMahon paid a former WWE paralegal $3 million in hush money after the two had an affair surfaced via the Wall Street Journal. That report led to McMahon stepping down as WWE’s CEO pending the result of an investigation by the company’s board. Today, those allegations have become far more serious as new reports that McMahon has paid off multiple women have emerged.

The report once again comes from the Wall Street Journal which has now revealed McMahon allegedly paid off as many as four women going back 16 years. Those payments apparently total $12 million, with one of the four unnamed women included in the report being paid $7.5 million by McMahon. The report claims that amount was paid to a former wrestler who McMahon allegedly coerced into oral sex before demoting her and then eventually neglecting to renew her contract in 2005.

The wrestler wasn’t paid off at the time, but reportedly met with McMahon and negotiated a deal for her silence along with her attorney. The second of the two women mentioned in the report apparently approached the company with unsolicited nude photos of their boss, presumably threatening to leak them should she not get paid. WSJ reports the former WWE contractor was paid $1 million in return for not sharing the photos online.

The third person mentioned in the new report doesn’t include as many details as the previous two. Just that a former manager with the company was paid $1 million in 2006 in return for their silence regarding an alleged sexual relationship between her and McMahon. The three new instances combined with the previous reports of a $3 million payment mean McMahon is now being accused of paying more than $12 million across almost two decades in return for the silence of former employees with who he has allegedly had sexual encounters.

WWE’s next move in all this remains unclear. The first report resulted in McMahon stepping back as CEO, but then appearing on SmackDown that week seemingly just to prove that he could. The new report also includes a $1.5 million payout to someone for allegations made against John Laurinaitis. The head of talent relations has been absent since the first report, replaced by Bruce Prichard pending the results of the investigation.

Source: TheSportster

Details On WWE Enduring An “Upswing In Interest” [Report]

A new report details several factors that suggest WWE is benefitting from an increase in fan interest.

Several factors suggest that things are looking up for WWE, at least as far as general fan interest is concerned.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestleTalk), Dave Meltzer used several examples which indicate that WWE is benefitting from a jump in interest. Meltzer cited the success of recent shows even though Roman Reigns (the company’ s top star right now) hasn’t been used as much lately.

“Whatever it is, there’s definitely an upswing in interest in the product, for whatever reason,” Meltzer stated.

According to Meltzer, ticket sales have been soaring, and merchandise sales were through the roof at Money in the Bank. He also cited the recent increase in television ratings for WWE. The drop in ratings have been well-documented over the years, so WWE has to be pleased with this trend even if it’s a short sample size.

“Also at the Vegas show on Saturday (Money in the Bank), they did monster merchandise numbers in Vegas,” Meltzer explained. “They had a hot crowd as well, but they did monster merchandise numbers. It was blowing people away. It was like double per head what they did last year at SummerSlam in the same market, which is incredible because when you have those big shows like SummerSlam or WrestleMania, the merchandise sales are way up from a usual show, and this was just a regular pay-per-view compared to a SummerSlam.”

WWE just finished running the Money in the Bank 2022 pay-per-view in Las Vegas, Nevada. Though the company has been heavily criticized for several recent business and booking decisions, Money in the Bank was largely praised by the wrestling world. Now it’s on to SummerSlam 2022 season, which will be headlined by Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing bout for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Meltzer noted before Money in the Bank, that the show had sold out, and that the “get-in price” on the secondary market was $84. So from a ticket sales standpoint, WWE made the right decision to relocate MITB from Allegiant Stadium (in Paradise, Nevada) to the smaller MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas.

Only time will tell if this is a temporary trend, or if merchandise/ticket sales and TV ratings will continue to increase for WWE. It’s a short sample size, sure, but Vince McMahon and officials won’t complain about the short-term improvement they’re seeing here. It’s now on the higher-ups and WWE creative to keep the product interesting and enticing for fans. That has been a challenge for a while now, but with so many different superstars to push, WWE has the chance to make this product far more enjoyable compared to previous years.

Source: TheSportster

Tony Khan Reportedly Open to an AEW and WWE Supershow

AEW’s Tony Khan said it was unlikely, but he’d be open to discussing the possibility of a cross-promotional show between his company and WWE.

According to the President of AEW himself, Tony Khan, he’s open to the idea of AEW and WWE working together to put on a supershow, much like he did with NJPW for Forbidden Door. While he admits the idea seems far-fetched, he’s not opposed to it and would be open to discussing with the higher-ups in WWE.

The comments stemmed from a conversation Khan had on the The Ringer’s “The Masked Man Show.” podcast where he was asked about AEW stars appearing on WWE programming recently for the 20-year celebration of John Cena. Khan said he was approached about it and said yes because it was for a good cause. When the follow-up question was about whether he would be open to a pay-per-view with WWE, he didn’t shy away from answering yes.

Khan said, “I’m not sure if that’s gonna happen (AEW and WWE doing a joint show). But, I would be open to talking about that type of thing. It’s not crazy but it’s a bold prediction.”

Like the scene from Dumb and Dumber where Llyod Christmas was told by the female lead that it’s a million-to-one odds she’d ever be interested in him, his response was, “so you’re saying there’s a chance”. AEW and WWE working together seem incredibly unlikely, but Khan is not ruling it out as something worth considering down the line. As for whether WWE would like to pursue it, that might depend on who is in charge. Being a publicly-traded company, every decision is about revenue and the shareholders. If there’s a good financial reason to do so, WWE might be open to it as well.

The question fans will immediately ask is, what matches would make the most sense? Bobby Lashley teased on Raw this week that no one could beat him for his United States Championship, including anyone from another promotion. He seems to be thinking about it already. From there, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Riddle, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair would be names at the top of WWE’s list. For AEW, CM Punk, Hangman Page, Kenny Omega, Jade Cargill and Britt Baker would be among the more intriguing options.

Source: TheSportster

WWE NXT “The Great American Bash” Preview 7/5/2022

WWE presents a special The Great American Bash episode of “NXT” tonight, with four title matches on the card.

The following line-up is announced for tonight:

  • NXT Championship Match: Cameron Grimes vs. Bron Breakker (c)
  • NXT North American Championship Match: Grayson Waller vs. Carmelo Hayes (c)
  • NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Cora Jade & Roxanne Perez vs. Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne (c)
  • NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Roderick Strong & Damon Kemp vs. The Creed Brothers (c)
  • Tiffany Stratton vs. Wendy Choo
  • Trick Williams vs. Wes Lee

WWE Money In The Bank Results 7/2/2022

WOMEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK MATCH
Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans vs. Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shotzi
Winner: Liv Morgan

WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Bobby Lashley defeated Theory (c) (**TITLE CHANGE**)

“RAW” WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Bianca Belair (c) defeated Carmella

Carmella attacks Belair after the bell. She pounds on Belair with some forearms and leaves the ring. Belair recovers to hold up her title in the ring as Carmella is backing up the entrance aisle.

UNDISPUTED WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The Usos (c) defeated Street Profits

The replay seems to show that one of Ford’s shoulders was not down during the pin. They spot shadow Ford’s shoulder on another replay and commentary agrees Ford had his shoulder up. Ford and Dawkins are saying as much in the ring. The Usos are long gone at this point as they have headed backstage.

We get a mysterious, spooky hype video that includes some religious imagery. 

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1543413973416120321

“SMACKDOWN” WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Ronda Rousey (c) defeated Natalya

Liv Morgan’s music plays and she runs down to the ring with the Money in the Bank briefcase. The ring announcer announces that Morgan is cashing in on Rousey.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1543419044677705729
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1543420106935615488

“SMACKDOWN” WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Liv Morgan defeated Ronda Rousey (c) (**TITLE CHANGE**)

The bell rings and Rousey grabs an ankle lock on Morgan. Morgan fights for the ropes but Rousey keeps pulling her back. Morgan slips out of the ankle lock. Morgan rolls up Rousey and gets the pin!

Rousey hands the title to Morgan and they hug. Rousey raises Morgan’s hand and leaves the ring to Morgan for her to celebrate.

Adam Peace walks out before the bell and announces that we’re adding an eighth participant to this match: Theory.

MEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK MATCH
Drew McIntyre vs. Omos vs. Riddle vs. Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins vs. Sheamus vs. Madcap Moss vs. Theory

Winner: Theory

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1543431910524964868

WWE Money In The Bank 7/2/2022

DATE: July 2, 2022 8:00 pm
LOCATION: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
AVAILABLE ON:Peacock (U.S.), WWE Network (International)

CARD

“SMACKDOWN” WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Natalya vs. Ronda Rousey (c)

“RAW” WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Carmella vs. Bianca Belair (c)

WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Bobby Lashley vs. Theory (c)

UNDISPUTED WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Street Profits vs. The Usos (c)

WOMEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK MATCH
Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans vs. Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shotzi

MEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK MATCH
Drew McIntyre vs. Omos vs. Riddle vs. Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins vs. Sheamus vs. Madcap Moss vs. Theory

WWE SmackDown Preview 7/1/2022

Tonight’s WWE “SmackDown” is the last stop before Saturday night’s Money in the Bank event. 

One of the spots in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match has yet to be determined. Whoever it is will join Drew McIntyre, Omos, Riddle, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, and Sheamus in the match. Riddle is the latest man to earn a spot in the match. He won a “Money in the Bank Last Chance Battle Royal” on Monday’s “Raw”.

We may also see another attempt to debut Max Dupri’s Maximum Male Models stable on tonight’s “SmackDown”. The past few weeks have seen Dupri teasing the unveiling of his first client. However, multiple attempts have resulted in little more than a single spotlight shining over the ring and Dupri refusing to do the segment. Two weeks ago, he complained to Adam Pearce that the lighting was not up to his standards. Last week, Dupri complained that the bottled water and the temperature in his dressing room were not to his specifications.

NXT’s Io Shirai Will Become A Free Agent Next Month Unless She Signs A New Deal

Io Shirai appears to be on a similar path to Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano.

NXT has undergone quite the transformation over the course of the past 12 months. Many of those who were a part of the black and gold brand have been called up, released, or allowed their contracts to expire and moved on. A handful remain, most of whom don’t appear on NXT TV all that often. Io Shirai falls into that final category, but could be an ex-WWE Superstar before long.

That’s according to The Wrestling Observer which has revealed Shirai’s NXT deal expires in August, and she is yet to sign a new contract with the company. What’s more, reports suggest it seems unlikely Shirai will be signing a new contract and will instead return to Japan. Apparently, the former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion has been telling people close to her that she wants to be closer to her family once her time with WWE is done.

Shirai may well follow in the footsteps of Kairi Sane. However, where Sane worked the remainder of her WWE contract as an ambassador for the company in Japan, Shirai won’t have to do that since her deal will have come to an end, making her a free agent. She’ll be free to return to Stardom, or compete for whatever wrestling promotion she likes, whether it be inside or outside of Japan.

Shirai hasn’t been entirely absent from NXT since its revamp. She has actually featured quite prominently, most recently competing for the Women’s Title at Stand and Deliver over WrestleMania weekend. She has also held the Tag Titles with Zoey Stark since the 2.0 rebrand. Many fans would have hoped Shirai would get a run on the main roster, but unless she re-signs within the next month, that isn’t going to happen.

Shirai will be the latest in a run of NXT Superstars to reject a new deal should she let her contract expire and leave WWE next month. Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Candice LeRae have all opted to do the same thing. Cole and O’Reilly have since shown up in and signed with AEW, while Gargano and LeRae’s next moves are currently unknown as they welcomed their first baby together only a few months ago.

Source: TheSportster