It was announced on last night’s WWE SmackDown via a hype vignette, that NXT star Toni Storm will be coming to SmackDown soon.
The Aussie Superstar signed with WWE in 2018. She previously performed on the NXT UK brand where she held the NXT UK Women’s Championship and won the Mae Young Classic in 2018 at the WWE Evolution pay-per-view.
Back in June, Storm came out as bisexual during her takeover of the NXT Instagram account for Pride Month.
NXT Superstars Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox made their WWE SmackDown debut last night.
Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart kicked off their main roster careers with a huge victory over WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Tamina and Natalya in a non-title tag match on the most recent edition of SmackDown on FOX. The pair was revealed as Natalya and Tamina’s mystery opponents moments before the match began.
WWE SmackDown Superstar Bayley has suffered an injury in training that will see her sidelined for an estimated nine months.
WWE announced that Bayley suffered an injury while training for her “I Quit” match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at Money In the Bank, and that she’s expected to be on the shelf for around 9 months. Carmella was announced as her replacement for the match at Money In the Bank during last night’s SmackDown.
It’s now reported by multiple sources, PWInsider and Fightful Select, that Bayley suffered a torn ACL. The injury reportedly occurred at the WWE Performance Center earlier this week as she was training with another wrestler.
It was noted that Bayley’s “knee popped” while training in the ring. The injury was described as a freak accident that happened while chain wrestling with another WWE star. Bayley and the other wrestler were reportedly participating in the mandatory training sessions that were set up so that wrestlers can prepare for the return to touring next week.
There’s also talk that Bayley’s injury may have caused plans to change for a new incoming talent, but there’s no word yet on who that might be.
Two wrestlers on the SmackDown roster were said to be openly frustrated with WWE’s lack of depth, and how that left them scrambling to find an appropriate replacement for the match against Belair at Money In the Bank. One wrestler remarked how company officials “did it to themselves,” adding that Bayley helped carry the company during some of their most difficult times as of late, and was known to be easy to deal with, no matter how much more they asked of her.
Bayley’s WWE tenure has been incredibly successful, and she has managed to build a Hall Of Fame career in her five years on the company’s main roster. She signed for WWE in 2012 after a four-year stint on the independent circuit and reported for duty at WWE’s developmental territory NXT.
Bayley became one of NXT’s most popular wrestlers during her four years in WWE’s developmental system. Bayley’s crowning moment occurred on August 22 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, when she defeated her real-life best friend and on-screen rival Sasha Banks to win the NXT Women’s Championship for the first time.
After being called up to the main roster in 2016, Bayley replicated her NXT success and defeated Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women’s Championship in 2017 to capture her first main roster title.
When Bayley’s affable, bubbly character started to get a little stale, she switched things up and turned heel. At first, people didn’t really know what to make of the new Bayley, but as the weeks rolled on she proved that she was just as good at portraying an entertaining villain as she was at playing the happy-go-lucky good guy.
The 32-year-old currently holds the record for the longest-reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion and has been one of the MVPs of the pandemic era.
Sources: Wrestling Inc. and The Sportster
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will feature the final Money In the Bank qualifying matches for the Men’s Ladder Match.
This will be the final SmackDown of the ThunderDome era as next week’s go-home show will air live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
WWE is set to feature both rosters at the SmackDown on FOX taping from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday, September 10.
WWE is now billing their return to The World’s Most Famous Arena as a Super SmackDown.
Tickets for WWE’s MSG return went on sale to the general public this morning, and are still available as of this writing. While this is a live SmackDown TV taping, WWE revealed this morning that both RAW and SmackDown Superstars will be featured.
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns took to Twitter this morning and commented on both RAW and SmackDown stars being booked for the show.
“World’s Most Famous Arena. @TheGarden Both rosters. #WWERaw #Smackdown All there for the #TribalChief,” he wrote.
MSG is requiring fans over the age of 16 to have proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations for the show.
Stay tuned for more on WWE’s return to The Garden for Super SmackDown. You can see the related tweets below:
John Cena has just signed on for a new movie and might not be able to make Summerslam this year.
Cena might not be able to make an appearance at SummerSlam this year due to his Hollywood schedule. WWE is hoping to have the wrestler-turned-actor challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at said show but an appearance is now in doubt.
The PPV is set for August 21 and will air from the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. According to a report from Variety, Cena has joined a cast including Henry Cavill, Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Rockwell, and Bryce Dallas for a spy movie branded Argylle.
The movie will begin shooting in Europe this August, with a release date expected for 2022.
“Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn has signed up an all-star cast for his new film franchise “Argylle,” which will be produced by Vaughn’s U.K.-based studio MARV.
“Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel”), Sam Rockwell (“Moon”), Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World”), Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”), John Cena (“Bumblebee”) and Samuel L. Jackson (“Avengers: Endgame”) are all set to appear in the spy thriller.
“The thriller is set to be published next year by Transworld Publishers Ltd., a division of Penguin Random House. Shooting on the film will begin in Europe this August.”
The film’s schedule may very well affect Cena’s potential appearance at SummerSlam. If filming begins after August 21, it’s unlikely to prevent the 16-time World Champion from battling Reigns at the event. But if it’s due to start prior to the show, WWE will have to contend with COVID-19 protocols and insurance, among other things.
Cena revealed he was unable to make it to WrestleMania 37 this year as a result of the COVID-19 protocols put in place while he was shooting HBO Max’s Peacemaker series. Insurance has also prevented The Rock from making WWE appearances while filming.
Cena has constantly talked up his affinity to WWE and recently said he plans to make a return during an interview with Jimmy Fallon. Whether or not that will be at SummerSlam remains to be seen.
Source: The Sportster
The arresting officer has filed their police report pertaining to Jimmy Uso’s DUI earlier this week, revealing new details.
The police report from Jimmy Uso’s DUI has been filed, revealing more details about his arrest this past Monday.
Jimmy Uso was arrested for a DUI earlier this week, reportedly spending the night in jail on Monday. The officer who made the arrest has now filed their report, revealing more details pertaining to what happened with Uso on Monday night. As was already reported, it confirms Uso’s blood-alcohol level was more than twice that of the legal limit in Florida.
The in-depth report also confirms Uso was driving 15 mph over the speed limit and ran a red light after being clocked by the arresting officer. The new details take the form of what happened once Uso had been pulled over. The officers conducted sobriety tests on Uso in a nearby parking lot, all of which further confirmed the WWE Superstar had been drinking.
“During the one-legged stand test, Uso was unable to maintain his balance, and placed his foot down multiple times,” the report reads (H/T Wrestling Inc.). “Uso was unable to keep his head still, and had multiple signs of nystagmus, or involuntary eye movement.” The former Tag Team Champion admitted to having consumed multiple beers and was placed under arrest following the failed sobriety tests.
Uso spent the rest of the night in the Escambia County Jail and posted his $500 bond the following morning. This is the second time Uso has been issued a DUI in as many years. The wrestler was arrested under very similar circumstances in July 2019. However, a jury found him not guilty on that occasion despite footage of the incident appearing to show Uso swaying while out of his car and swerving when he was behind the wheel. The officer’s bodycam and in-car cam footage from this latest arrest have not yet been released.
Neither Uso nor WWE have publicly reacted to the latest arrest. Reports circulating shortly after the incident claim some higher-ups within the company aren’t happy with Uso. More because this is the second instance of this happening, or even the third if you include the time he was arrested for an alleged non-DUI-related clash with police officers.
Source: The Sportster
WWE is headed to the popular Rolling Loud hip-hop festival.
It was announced today that the July 23 edition of SmackDown on FOX will feature matches from the Rolling Loud Miami 2021 festival.
WWE previously announced that the July 23 SmackDown will air from the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH. Now that episode will feature a split-site broadcast with multiple matches at Rolling Loud from Hard Rock Stadium, and the remainder of the show held in Cleveland.
WWE touted how this marks the first-ever collaboration between the company and a major music festival, but WWE NXT has held matches at the UK’s Download Festival for a few years until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Rolling Loud will be headlined by Travis Scott, Post Malone and A$AP Rocky. WWE Superstars will share the same stage with those rappers.
“What Matt Zingler, Tariq Cherif and the entire Rolling Loud team have built is spectacular,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development in a press release. “We couldn’t think of a better partner to deliver such a unique WWE experience to fans during the July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.”
“I grew up on Sweet Chin Music, mesmerized by the spectacle that Vince McMahon and co have built at WWE,” said Tariq Cherif, Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Rolling Loud. “The idea of weaving our two storylines into one world, one must see event, is electrifying.”
“And I quote! If ya smell…what the WWE and Rolling Loud…is…cookin’! Give me a hell yeah!,” said Rolling Loud Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Matt Zingler.
Stay tuned for more on WWE and Rolling Loud. Below is the full announcement issued to us today:
WWE® FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN® HEADS TO ROLLING LOUD MIAMI 2021
STAMFORD, Conn., July 7, 2021 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and Rolling Loud, the world’s premier rap festival, today announced a new partnership that brings Friday Night SmackDown to Rolling Loud Miami 2021 on July 23. The occasion marks the first ever collaboration between WWE and a major music festival.
Gracing the same stage as festival headliners Travis Scott, Post Malone and A$AP Rocky, WWE Superstars will compete in matches live from Rolling Loud Miami. The July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX will feature a split-site broadcast with multiple matches at Rolling Loud Miami, and the remainder of the evening held at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.
“What Matt Zingler, Tariq Cherif and the entire Rolling Loud team have built is spectacular,” said Scott Zanghellini, WWE Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development. “We couldn’t think of a better partner to deliver such a unique WWE experience to fans during the July 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.”
“I grew up on Sweet Chin Music, mesmerized by the spectacle that Vince McMahon and co have built at WWE,” said Tariq Cherif, Co-Founder/Co-CEO of Rolling Loud. “The idea of weaving our two storylines into one world, one must see event, is electrifying.”
“And I quote! If ya smell…what the WWE and Rolling Loud…is…cookin’! Give me a hell yeah!,” said Rolling Loud Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Matt Zingler.
WWE has a rich history of integrating music into all aspects of its brand and collaborating with some of the most celebrated artists in the world. Over the years, world-renowned hip-hop artists including Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Three 6 Mafia, MGK, Wale and many others have performed at WWE’s biggest events.
Bringing 130 of the hottest acts in hip-hop to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., the sold out Rolling Loud Miami 2021 is a triumphant return for live rap music, and a coming out party for risers and new superstars eager to play in front of a festival crowd. The sixth Rolling Loud festival in Miami, where it started as a humble one-day event in Bayfront Park, Rolling Loud Miami 2021 will occur from July 23-25.
Friday Night SmackDown airs live on FOX at 8/7c and features Universal Champion Roman Reigns, SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, SmackDown Tag Team Champions Rey and Dominik Mysterio, WWE Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews, Bayley, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and more.
Rolling Loud Miami is the first of three Rolling Loud festivals happening this year. On October 28-30, Rolling Loud returns to the birthplace of Hip Hop with Rolling Loud New York 2021, headlined by Travis Scott, J. Cole, and 50 Cent, taking place at Citi Field in Queens. The festival heads to the West Coast on December 10-12 for Rolling Loud California, headlined by J. Cole, Kid Cudi, and Future, from NEO Events Center in San Bernardino, Calif.
Stay tuned for more announcements about the Rolling Loud and WWE/Friday Night SmackDown partnership in the weeks leading up to the festival.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Io Shirai and Zoey Stark are your new WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, and Tegan Nox has made her return to NXT.
Las night’s NXT Great American Bash special saw Shirai and Stark defeat Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell to win the straps, after Nox returned and caused a distraction.
Nox was revealed to be the Superstar behind the recent battery charger teasers. As The Way looked to end the match, the lights inside the Capitol Wrestling Center went out, and the battery charger hit 100% on the big screen. Nox then appeared on the stage, shocking LeRae. This led to Shirai taking out the champs one more time, and Stark getting the pin to win on Hartwell. Nox attacked LeRae after the match and chased her to the back, allowing Shirai and Stark time for their post-match celebration.
This is the first reign for Shirai and Stark. The Way held the titles for 59 days, winning them back on May 4 after defeating Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart in a Street Fight.
As noted before, Nox returned to in-ring action in a pre-RAW dark match on Monday night, against Toni Storm. She has been out of action since September 2020 after suffering a torn ACL, her third since 2017. She was feuding with LeRae at the time of the injury, and LeRae was blamed for the injury in the storylines. It was reported that Nox actually suffered the injury while doing rehab.
AJ Styles spoke with Ryan Satin about a variety of topics, among them how he figured he’d have retired already. Why didn’t he and what’s next?
AJ Styles recently sat down with Ryan Satin of Fox Sports and during the Out of Character podcast, talked about still wresting at the age of 44. Admitting that he didn’t at all expect to still be going at this age, he talked about how we outlasted his retirement plans.
Styles acknowledged that he figured he’d be done as an active competitor a few years ago. He said, “I remember thinking, ‘I’ll be 40 years old when I retire. That’s when I’m gonna retire.’So I was dead wrong, by the way.” Whether it was the right opportunity or feeling better physically than he figured he would, he felt good enough to sign another contract with the WWE in 2019.
Styles said he’s publicly called this current contract his final contract and he didn’t say how long it was for, but mentioned WWE is the “perfect place for me to be.” While he didn’t come right out and say it, had it not been WWE and had he gone a different path than finally coming over, it sounds like Styles would have packed it in.
Styles also admitted that it’s hard to leave. As he gets closer to the end and knowing that his career is probably winding down, he’s started realizing that it will be hard to give it all up and walk away. He does know that there will come a time when he can’t do the things physically he wants to and that may be the final sign. “It’s a struggle some times,” Styles said.
He said he got a taste of how things have changed with COVID, but he didn’t like the feeling of not being part of the business with fans and the regular experience he’s come to know and love. That said, he’s not done yet and noted we’ll see where everything ends up after this current contract comes to an end.
Source: The Sportster
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