Tag: WWE

Cody Rhodes’ Banned Word Slips On Raw Were No Accident

More than a week later, it’s still sort of hard to believe Cody Rhodes is back in WWE. This week on Raw, Rhodes wrestled his first match on the red brand since 2015. A clash with The Miz from which Rhodes emerged victorious. Prior to their clash, Rhodes and Miz opened Raw with a talk show segment during which The American Nightmare dropped a couple of supposedly banned words.

The first faux pas came when Rhodes referred to the Universal Championship as a belt. The Miz quickly cut in, informing him it’s a title as belts are for holding your pants up. A line Vince McMahon has likely said to wrestlers a thousand times as he doesn’t like WWE’s championships being referred to as belts. Speaking of wrestlers, the second slip-up came when Rhodes used that word instead of Superstars, at which point Miz corrected him again.

The American Nightmare is allowed to say belts and wrestlers.

Rhodes making these mistakes would make sense as he has been working in a company that lets you say them for the past three years. The thing is, according to Wrestling Observer Radio, Rhodes’ use of these banned words wasn’t a mistake at all. It’s all part of his gimmick in WWE. That he isn’t a WWE guy at all and he uses these words because he is a different Cody Rhodes who has returned from somewhere else.

There was another subtle nod to that during the very same segment. Rhodes went to tell The Miz that he’s full of shit, only to stop short at the curse word and look around at the fans. The word shit is thrown around a lot in AEW, but it is seldom said on WWE television. Only people like Brock Lesnar tend to be allowed to say it, probably because they don’t ask for permission first.

Rhodes’ gimmick in WWE is basically the AEW guy. It’s why he has the same look, the same music, and why he almost says curse words and utters banned terms on live TV. It all fits in with the framing of Rhodes being a completely different person to the one that left WWE six years ago without having to give credit or even make mention of the company he helped create while he was away.

Source: TheSportster

WWE Confirms First Major PPV In The UK Since 1992

WWE is returning to the UK for its biggest show since SummerSlam 1992.

Vince McMahon has taken WWE from a New York territory to a globally recognized brand over the course of the past three decades. The wheel never stops turning, and WWE constantly tours, mostly around North America but also further afield from time to time, including two major shows per year in Saudi Arabia. It also ventures to the UK, likely the company’s second-biggest market after the US and Canada, a couple of times a year, but rarely for a big show.

So rarely, in fact, that 2022 marks 30 years since the last major WWE PPV was staged across the pond. There were a handful of UK exclusive PPVs during the late ’90s/early ’00s (Insurrextion and Rebellion) but the last big show to emanate from the UK was SummerSlam ’92. There had been rumors that would change to mark the 30th anniversary of that show, and those rumors have now been confirmed by WWE.

WWE has revealed via a press release that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium will play host to an unnamed PPV, or premium live event, on Saturday, September 3, 2022. “The weekend will be filled with a variety of WWE experiences that we believe will leave a lasting memory, on par with SummerSlam at Wembley Stadium in 1992,” WWE’s senior vice president of live events John Porco said.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1513789273375449095

For those unfamiliar with SummerSlam ’92, the main event of the show saw British Bulldog beat Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship. An iconic match in an unforgettable setting, Wembley Stadium. Wembley is still there, but the stadium in which SummerSlam ’92 took place has since been demolished and was replaced with a new venue almost 20 years ago.

The location and the date are the only things that have been revealed about the show so far. There’s no information regarding ticket prices or availability, though the Principality Stadium has a capacity of almost 75,000 people. The show will likely take place on the same weekend as AEW’s All Out. The time difference may allow for both shows to happen back to back, but AEW might want to opt for Sunday should it stick to that weekend.

Source: TheSportster

WWE RAW Preview 4/11/22

Tonight’s WWE RAW will air live from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan with the latest build for WrestleMania Backlash.

RAW will be headlined by Cody Rhodes’ first RAW TV match in six years as he faces The Miz.

Tommaso Ciampa is reportedly an official member of the WWE RAW roster.

The Undertaker Reportedly Hosting New WWE Podcast Series

2022 WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker is reportedly getting into podcasting.

A new report from WrestleVotes says Peacock and WWE officials have convinced Taker to launch his own podcast show, which would be similar to the “Broken Skull Sessions” series hosted by WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin.

Taker’s new show is expected to begin airing within the next few months.

“A fascinating concept that was unfathomable just a few years back,” the report noted.

There’s no word yet on the title of Taker’s new show, or who his first guest will be.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Brandi Rhodes Reportedly Had “Productive Conversations” During WrestleMania Weekend

Brandi Rhodes was backstage with Cody Rhodes for her husband’s triumphant WWE comeback at WrestleMania 38.

According to Fightful Select, although Brandi hasn’t initially been brought in with Cody on WWE TV, she had “many productive conversations” with several influential names on WrestleMania weekend. It was also noted that Brandi has been working on her unscripted content and has continued training in the ring.

Brandi’s last televised AEW match was a loss to Anna Jay on the September 16, 2020 episode of Dynamite. Since then, she wrestled nearly a dozen matches on Dark and Dark: Elevation, defeating indie wrestlers such as Kenzie Paige, KiLynn King and Robyn Renegade in singles matches. She also briefly teamed with Red Velvet.

In the aftermath of her AEW exit, Brandi Rhodes is reportedly looking to take her Shot of Brandi cooking show to a TV network. According to Deadline, DIGA Studios is currently shopping the project to broadcasters and streamers.

“I started shooting this show in my kitchen four years ago with two iPhone cameras and a cocktail,” Brandi said in a press release. “I am excited to see the show evolve and thankful for the fans who have followed along. I assure you, now that I’m working with DIGA the best is yet to come.”

Brandi Rhodes worked for WWE as a ring announcer until 2016. Going by the name Eden, she made her PPV announcing debut at WrestleMania 31, as well as becoming the backup ring announcer for RAW, while Lilian Garcia was recovering from surgery. On May 24, 2016, she was granted her release from WWE, just days after her husband Cody Rhodes also requested his release. Stay tuned for updates on Brandi Rhodes’ possible comeback to WWE TV.

WWE NXT Level Up Preview 4/8/22

Tonight’s NXT Level Up at 10pm ET on Peacock and the WWE Network.

Chase and Hayward clash with Donovan and Lauren on NXT Level Up

* Andre Chase and Bodhi Hayward tangling with Troy Donovan and Channing Lauren in a thrilling main event

* Bernal seeks his first career victory against Raaj

* 18-year-old Hail is setting her sights on one of NXT Level Up’s pillars, Nile.

WWE SmackDown Preview 4/8/22

The post-WrestleMania 38 edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX will air live tonight from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Roman Reigns to reveal the next step on The Island of Relevancy tonight

Ronda Rousey vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair is being advertised by the venue and is still being listed in an updated ad for tonight’s show. The WWE Events website also has Rousey advertised for tonight.

The WWE Events website had Seth Rollins advertised for SmackDown at one point, but he was removed earlier in the week. PWInsider has reported that Cody Rhodes is scheduled to be at the show tonight, but there’s no word yet on if he will be appearing on TV or working a dark match.

New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi are also scheduled to appear tonight, along with Drew McIntyre.

Nash Carter Released By WWE For Nazi Salute, Not Abuse Allegations [Report]

NXT had what was arguably its biggest show since becoming NXT 2.0 last weekend. Stand & Deliver, on which a number of titles changed hands including MSK becoming Tag Team Champions for a second time. A curious decision in the eyes of some fans as the new champs’ Nash Carter had some pretty serious allegations made against him by his wife Kimber Lee that same week.

Lee deleted the initial tweets following backlash from fans but posted new, potentially more incriminating ones after WrestleMania weekend. The Impact star shared two photos in which she has a mark above her lip. Lee claims the mark was a result of a busted lip, an injury she allegedly sustained after being hit by Carter when he was intoxicated.

Carter was released by WWE shortly after those photos were made public, but apparently, Lee’s allegations are not the reason why Carter’s NXT career has come to an end. At around the same time Lee doubled down on her own allegations, a photo of Carter performing a Nazi salute in which he appears to have modeled his mustache after Adolf Hitler’s also surfaced.

According to The Wrestling Observer, the Nazi photo is the reason WWE released Carter as opposed to the abuse allegations made against him. That actually makes sense and may explain why Carter’s release came so quickly after Lee published the photos. Lee’s comments will need to be investigated to determine exactly what happened and if Carter really did intentionally inflict the injury in the photo. The Nazi photo, on the other hand, there’s no disputing or defending that.

There have been a number of allegations made against wrestlers as a part of the Speaking Out movement over the course of the past two years. WWE claims to undertake internal investigations if it believes the allegations are serious ones, which ultimately led to the release of Velveteen Dream last year. Dream wants to return to NXT, but the likelihood of that seems low for the time being.

Source: TheSportster

Shane McMahon’s Son Commits To Play College Football

Shane McMahon’s son, Declan James McMahon, has committed to play college football at Indiana University. He is a running back.

The oldest grandchild to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon announced this week that he is set to become a Hoosier. Declan, born on February 13, 2004, noted on Twitter that he visited with several schools in recent months, including Rutgers and Duke, but finally decided on Indiana this week. Declan’s Twitter bio lists him as a 6-foot 190-pound running back, who attended Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, Class of 2022. He has also played the position of quarterback.

“I am extremely grateful and excited to announce my commitment to play Football at Indiana University. Go Hoosiers! #LEO,” Declan tweeted.

Declan and his two younger brothers accompanied their father to the ring for his WrestleMania 32 Hell In a Cell loss to The Undertaker in 2016, and they’ve been in the crowd for some of his more recent appearances. Shane was at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas this past weekend, and his sons were with him.

Shane responded to Declan’s announcement this week and wrote, “So proud to be Declan’s father. Hard work pays off. Go Hoosiers!”

John Cena also commented on the big announcement and joked about Declan’s potential WWE-inspired end zone celebrations.

“Soooo many choices for end zone celebrations! VKM strut, Shane O’ shuffle… end zone dance aside, congrats on earning an incredible opportunity!!,” Cena wrote.

WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon also commented on her nephew and his big news, writing, “So proud of my nephew!!!! Go Declan and Go Hoosiers!!!”

Nash Carter Reportedly Released By WWE Following Domestic Assault Allegations

WWE has reportedly released Nash Carter, one-half of the current NXT Tag Team Champions, following allegations of domestic violence from Kimber Lee.

MSK’s Nash Carter has reportedly been released by WWE following accusations of domestic abuse from his wife, Impact wrestler Kimber Lee.

On Wednesday, April 6, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that Carter (real name Zachary Green) was released by WWE. Sapp’s report comes just a few days after Kimber Lee publicly revealed that she was a victim of domestic violence and that Carter had physically assaulted her. Lee initially went public with her story on social media last week but deleted her posts soon after. On Tuesday, Kimber Lee again publicly alleged that Carter had hit her.

https://twitter.com/Kimber_Lee90/status/1511131823203618818

“Hey NXT this is my face after your tag champ Nash Carter got wasted and hit me so hard he split my lip open,” Lee tweeted, tagging both NXT and Carter in the post. She added that Carter told her after the incident that she’s a wrestler and wrestlers get “marked up” all the time. Lee followed up that tweet with another apologizing to her fans for backing away from the allegations last week. She also claims Carter had been messaging her over the weekend asking her not to say anything else publicly.

Source: TheSportster