Tag: WWE

WWE Planning To Hold Queen of the Ring Tournament This Year?

While details are sketchy, reports are that WWE is planning to hold a Queen of the Ring Tournament later this year.

As per an exclusive report via Wrestling Inc., WWE is bringing a popular tournament back, only this time for the Women’s Division with a Queen of the Ring tournament. The report explains this won’t be a pay-per-view and it won’t be part of either Raw or SmackDown.

The tournament is tentatively scheduled to be a main roster show that airs exclusively on Peacock. No dates have been confirmed, only that this is supposed to happen at some point as part of the 2021 calendar.

There were also no details on how big the tournament bracket would be, if it would include only certain stars from certain brands or which names were going to be featured. WWE’s Women’s main roster division current includes about 17 women who aren’t either already champions or aren’t on the injured list. That means, most of the females on the main roster could be included if the brackets start with 16 competitors.

What’s interesting about this is that WWE hasn’t really put much emphasis on a King of the Ring Tournament in quite some time. It’s not a regularly featured pay-per-view and from year to year, it’s never quite known if WWE will hold the historic event or not. King of the Ring had previously been one of WWE’s signature spectacles with the winner often going on to do big things. Perhaps WWE is hoping the winner of a female version of the tournament could skyrocket in popularity.

NWA recently announced an all-women pay-per-view titled EmPower. It will take place on Aug. 28 at Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis. During a media call in June, Triple H was asked and all-women’s event and seemed to brush off the idea, saying it was a possibility, but not “the must-have of the moment.”

Could WWE have changed their mind or felt pressure to put something on? Or, was this in the works already and Triple H just kept it quiet.

Source: The Sportster

WWE SummerSlam To Air In Movie Theaters

The 2021 WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view will air live in select movie theaters across the country.

WWE and Iconic Events Releasing announced today that SummerSlam will air live in movie theaters nationwide for the first time ever.

Ticket prices vary based on the theater location, but select theaters in the following states will be showing the pay-per-view live: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

You can find a list of participating movie theaters at WWEliveintheaters.com.

WWE SummerSlam will take place on Saturday, August 21 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for updates on the big event.

WWE issued the following announcement to us today:

SUMMERSLAM® TO AIR LIVE IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

STAMFORD, Conn., July 22, 2021 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and Iconic Events Releasing today announced a new partnership that brings SummerSlam, WWE’s biggest event of 2021, to movie theaters nationwide for the first time. The event will air live on Saturday, August 21 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT and will be one of the first sporting events held at full capacity at Allegiant Stadium, and the first time it will be held at an NFL venue.

“Iconic Events Releasing is proud to be in partnership with WWE to bring their incredible brand to movie theaters coast to coast,” said Iconic CEO Steve Bunnell. “SummerSlam is a marquee event that demands to be seen on the big screen, with big sound, in an auditorium full of excited fans.”

Iconic Events Releasing brings live and filmed entertainment of all types to movie theaters as special limited engagement events, so that fans can gather together to watch their favorites on the big screen. Programming includes live pay-per-view sports, music and comedy specials, stand-up comedy events, award-winning television specials, Broadway productions, exciting holiday specials, family events, live events for album releases, rock concerts, and music docs that celebrate diversity.

Iconic’s national theater network represents the country’s preeminent cinemas offering enhanced guest experiences, high-quality food & beverage service, and reserved seating to ensure families can enjoy a night out watching SummerSlam live in their local movie theater.

Tickets to see SummerSlam live in theaters are on sale now at local theater box offices and at wweliveintheaters.com.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Nikki A.S.H. Cashes In Money In The Bank Contract, Wins Raw Women’s Title

Nikki A.S.H cashed in her Money in the Bank contract just one night after winning it to become the new Raw Women’s Champion.

A hectic Monday Night Raw ended with a surprise cash-in as Nikki A.S.H. wasted no time in using her newly-won Money in the Bank contract to take the Raw Women’s Championship away from Charlotte Flair.

24 hours after defeating Rhea Ripley for the title at Money in the Bank on Sunday night, Charlotte found herself in a rematch with the former champion. She wanted nothing to do with Ripley and argued the challenger was too injured to be a real threat. Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville called Charlotte’s bluff and set the rematch as the main event of the evening.

With so many big events already having taken place on Raw — John Cena opened the show, Keith Lee and Goldberg return, and Karrion Kross debuted — it was clear something big was going to happen if these two women were slated to close the three-hour program. Most fans in attendance thought it might be the return of Becky Lynch. Perhaps this was as good, if not the next best thing.

Charlotte escaped the match with her title, but after being attacked by Ripley, Nikki made her way to the ring, cashed in, landed a flying cross body off the top rope and secured the three count to become the new Raw Women’s Champion.

Source: The Sportster

WWE NXT Preview 7/20/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature Raquel Gonzalez defending her NXT Women’s Title against Xia Li.

* The 2021 Breakout Tournament continues

* What’s next for NXT Champion Karrion Kross?

* Tyler Rust and Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Fish and NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida

* NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defends against Xia Li

Goldberg Returns On Raw, Confronts WWE Champion Bobby Lashley

Goldberg has indeed returned to Raw, confronting Bobby Lashley and declaring himself to be next on the WWE Champion’s list of contenders.

The rumors were true. Goldberg has returned to Raw after more than a year away, confronting WWE Champion Bobby Lashley.

Bobby Lashley, still riding the high of squashing Kofi Kingston on Sunday night, also issued an open challenge for the WWE Title. That prompted the return of Keith Lee to a very big pop in his home state. Lee didn’t become WWE Champion, but at least he’s back after more than five months of uncertainty.

Moments after successfully fending off one challenger, Lashley’s next one emerged. Yes, the rumors were true, Goldberg is back once again. The Hall of Famer’s music hit and once he was in the ring, Goldberg got up in Lashley’s face and declared “I’m next”. Lashley appeared to want to go there and then, but was prevented from doing so by MVP.

Presumably, the plan is for Lashley and Goldberg to clash for the WWE Title at SummerSlam. Despite everything Goldberg has achieved in his career, winning the WWE Title still isn’t on his resume. He has been WCW Champion, won WWE’s World Heavyweight Title, and, of course, beat The Fiend to become Universal Champion prior to the start of the pandemic. The WWE Title is a championship that has evaded him his entire career.

Source: The Sportster

NXT Champion Karrion Kross Debuts On Raw, Loses To Jeff Hardy

NXT Champion Karrion Kross lost his debut match on Monday Night Raw thanks to wily WWE veteran Jeff Hardy.

Fall and pray! Or don’t, because NXT Champion Karrion Kross lost his debut match on Raw to WWE veteran Jeff Hardy.

It all went down on the latest edition of Monday Night Raw on USA Network which emanated live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Kross’ imminent debut was announced earlier in the night without too much fanfare. Prior to his match, a brief hype package aired, and Kross then made his way to the ring — without Scarlett, his real-life partner who serves as his valet in NXT and plays a big part in his extravagant entrance.

The NXT Champion went one-on-one with Jeff Hardy, but the match didn’t last very long as the wily veteran Hardy pulled off a shock victory over the usually unstoppable Kross. The finish came when Kross dodged a Swanton Bomb and attempted to capitalize by hitting the presumably discombobulated Hardy in the back of the head with his trademark elbow blow. However, Jeff Hardy has missed hundreds of Swantons and it takes a lot more than that to mess him up. Hardy dodged the elbow and rolled Kross up. He used the ropes as leverage but the ref didn’t see, and so the dominant NXT Champion Karrion Kross lost his debut match on WWE’s flagship brand.

After the match, Kross was interviewed in the ring and put Jeff Hardy on notice, telling the former WWE Champion that he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Source: The Sportster

Keith Lee Returns To WWE RAW, Answered Bobby Lashley’s Open Challenge

Former NXT Champion Keith Lee made his long-awaited return to WWE on Raw when he answered an open challenge issued by WWE Champion Bobby Lashley.

Bask in his glory! Keith Lee returned to WWE programming after a seven-month absence and confronted the WWE Champion Bobby Lashley.

It all went down on the latest edition of Monday Night Raw on USA Network which emanated live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.  “The All Mighty” Bobby Lashley and his associate MVP were talking themselves up in the ring and bragging about Lashley’s destruction of Kofi Kingston at Money In The Bank the previous night. Lashley issued a non-title open challenge, which was answered by former NXT Champion Keith Lee.

Lashley got the win after hitting Lee with a spear and was confronted by Goldberg as he celebrated his victory.

Before Monday, Keith Lee hadn’t been seen on WWE programming since February, and the reason for his absence is yet to be explained by either WWE or The Limitless One himself.

Recently, Lee took to Twitter for the first time in a week to check in with his fans.

“Many of you are reminding me of this day a year ago,” Lee captioned a photo of himself taken on the night he defeated Adam Cole to become NXT Champion. “So much has happened since then, it feels so long ago. Patience my friends….there is zero quit IN me. So don’t you quit ON me. I miss you. And I love you.

Prior to his unexplained leave of absence, Lee’s future in WWE seemed promising. While he was still a member of the NXT locker room, the big man stole the show at Survivor Series in 2019. The black and gold brand was victorious that night, but Lee’s face-to-face in the ring with Roman Reigns felt like a huge moment that was laying the groundwork for a tantalizing future feud. Lee’s staredown and battle with Brock Lesnar during the men’s Royal Rumble match two months later seemed to cement his status as a star of the near future, but sadly his main event push is yet to come to fruition.

Source: The Sportster

WWE RAW Preview 7/19/21

Tonight’s post-Money In the Bank edition of WWE RAW will take place from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, marking WWE’s first red brand show on the road since the return to touring last week.

WWE has announced that John Cena make his RAW return tonight as he opens the show to explain why he returned after last night’s Money In the Bank main event. As noted, Cena confronted WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns after his win over WWE Hall of Famer Edge.

Tonight’s RAW will also feature an appearance by new RAW Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, who won the title from Rhea Ripley last night.

Nikki A.S.H. will also appear tonight to celebrate her win in the Women’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match on Sunday.

There are at least two rumored returns for tonight’s show. Becky Lynch is rumored to return at RAW or SmackDown this week, while WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg is expected to return and challenge WWE Champion Bobby Lashley for SummerSlam. Lashley dominated Kofi Kingston last night at Money In the Bank to retain his title.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Money In The Bank Results 7/18/2021, John Cena Returns

WWE SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (KICKOFF)
The Usos defeated Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio (c) to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship

WOMEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK
Nikki A.S.H. defeated Asuka, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, Zelina Vega, Natalya, and Tamina

WWE RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
AJ Styles and Omos (c) defeated The Viking Raiders

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
Bobby Lashley (c) defeated Kofi Kingston

WWE RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Charlotte defeated Rhea Ripley (c) to win the RAW Women’s Championship

MEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK
Big E defeated Ricochet, John Morrison, Riddle, Drew McIntrye, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamaura, and Seth Rollins

WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Roman Reigns (c) defeated Edge

Seth Rollins interfered, costing Edge the championship.

– After the match, Reigns recovers as his music hits. We go to replays. Rollins returns to the ring and snaps on Edge, counting him with strikes as Reigns is barely able to get out of the way in time. Heyman watches from the apron as he was bringing the WWE Universal Title belt in when Rollins snapped on Edge. Rollins and Reigns meet in the middle of the ring now. They have words as Rollins rants about how he should’ve been in the match. Edge attacks from the side and sends Rollins to the floor. Edge unloads on Rollins at ringside, then takes the brawl to the crowd. They fight through the fans and to the stage as it looks like Rollins is running away. The camera focuses back on Reigns in the ring as music starts back up. Heyman hands Reigns the title and he holds it on his shoulder. Heyman then hands Reigns a mic.

Fans boo as Reigns takes the mic in the middle of the ring. Reigns says now the whole world can acknowledge him. The music interrupts and out comes John Cena to a major pop. Cena poses on the stage as the crowd erupts. Reigns looks on as Cena rushes the ring. Cena meets Reigns in the middle of the ring and they face off. Cena does his “you can’t see me” taunt in Reigns’ face and the crowd blows up again. Cena hits the corner to pose as Reigns stares him down from behind. The 2021 Money In the Bank pay-per-view goes off the air with fans cheering Cena on as Reigns looks on.

WWE Money In The Bank 7/18/2021

DATE: July 18, 2021 8:00 pm
LOCATION: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
AVAILABLE ON:Peacock, WWE Network (outside of the U.S.)

CARD

WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Edge

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Kofi Kingston

WWE RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte

WWE RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
AJ Styles and Omos (c) vs. The Viking Raiders

MEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK
Ricochet vs. John Morrison vs. Riddle vs. Big E vs. Drew McIntrye vs. Kevin Owens vs. King Shinsuke Nakamaura vs. Seth Rollins

WOMEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK
Asuka vs. Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross vs. Liv Morgan vs. Zelina Vega vs. Natalya vs. Tamina

Kickoff Pre-show: SmackDown Tag Team Titles Match
The Usos vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio (c)