Tag: WWE

WWE Has Released 12 NXT Talents, Including Mercedes Martinez, Bobby Fish & Bronson Reed

After moving on from Bray Wyatt and Hall of Famer Ric Flair, WWE has released 12 more talents — all from NXT.

WWE has conducted another long list of superstar cuts.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com, WWE has released the following 12 NXT talents: Bobby Fish, Mercedes Martinez, Jake Atlas, Bronson Reed, Asher Hale, Tyler Rust, Giant Zanjeer, Zechariah Smith, referee Stephon Smith, Leon Ruff, Kona Reeves and Ari Sterling.

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1423816333649715204

The news came during the final hour of this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown. It also comes six days after the company announced the release of Bray Wyatt, and four days after they granted Ric Flair his release that the Hall of Famer requested.

Friday evening marked another drastic development in the WWE. The company started performing large numbers of budget cuts in April of last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dozens of wrestlers and employees (including producers and on-air personalities) were released in that first wave of cuts, including numerous NXT talents.

Drake Maverick, one of the notable cuts, was brought back on a new contract soon after. Samoa Joe was released from his contract this past April, only to return to the company two months later. So for all we know, some of these released NXT talents may end up coming back to WWE.

It’s also worth noting that Adam Cole’s WWE contract is on the verge of expiring. He reportedly attended this week’s episode of SmackDown for a meeting with WWE chairman Vince McMahon. Needless to say, the NXT roster has lost valuable depth, and it’s now more crucial than ever that they manage to retain Cole.

Before the long series of releases began last year, McMahon was supposedly keen on stockpiling talents in order to prevent them from joining the rival AEW promotion.

But a lot has changed over the past 16 months. McMahon and WWE officials have suddenly valued saving money rather than keep a deep roster in place. He knows the risk in that these talents can walk over to AEW or other promotions. Friday’s news is just another example of how difficult the WWE business is.

Source: TheSportster

WWE SmackDown Preview 8/6/21

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will take place from the Amale Arena in Tampa, Florida.

WWE has announced just one match for tonight’s show – Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin.

SmackDown will also feature a follow-up to Sasha Banks returning last week to turn on SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.

WWE has John Cena advertised for tonight’s show, but he has not been announced for a match or segment as of this writing. WWE Hall of Famer Edge is also scheduled. Matches advertised locally, likely as dark main events if they happen, are Belair vs. the injured Bayley, who could be replaced by Banks, plus six-man action with The Mysterios and a partner vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Has Reportedly Made NXT’s Adam Cole A Contract Offer

As Adam Cole’s NXT contract nears its end, AEW has reportedly approached the highly sought after Superstar with an offer.

AEW has reportedly made Adam Cole a contract offer as the former NXT Champion’s current WWE contract is set to expire after SummerSlam weekend.

Adam Cole’s time in NXT might be coming to an end. That would normally mean a call-up to the main roster. For Cole, it appears to mean that starting from the night after NXT TakeOver 36, he will no longer be a WWE Superstar. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW has already offered Cole a contract.

The report also reveals Cole has still been negotiating a potential new deal with NXT as recently as the middle of this week. However, the former leader of the Undisputed Era is yet to strike a deal with either company. Cole’s contract actually came to an end in July. However, he signed a one-month extension, apparently so he can wrestle Kyle O’Reilly in a rubber match at TakeOver 36.

If Cole does decide to stay in NXT, it’s unclear what exactly there is left for him on the brand. NXT has been built as a brand in which wrestlers achieve all they can and then move on, preferably to either Raw or SmackDown rather than AEW. Cole has already been NXT Champion multiple times, UE has broken up, and there aren’t that many big opponents left in NXT that he hasn’t already faced.

In AEW, on the other hand, there’s a whole new slate of opponents and challenges waiting for him. Not to mention his girlfriend, current AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker, and a number of other close friends he worked with prior to signing with NXT. Cole can even debut for AEW as soon as he wants after TakeOver 36. Since his contract is expiring, he won’t be subject to a non-compete clause.

That means Cole could turn up on Dynamite three days after TakeOver, the third episode of Rampage two days after that, or perhaps even at All Out in the first week of September. It’s going to be a fascinating period in Cole’s career the days and weeks after TakeOver. Not to mention the additional contract headache for NXT that is Pete Dunne. Apparently, The Bruiserweight’s contract is also nearing its end.

Source: TheSportster

Finn Balor Addresses Future Of His ‘Demon King’ Alter-Ego

WWE Superstar Finn Balor has hinted that his ‘Demon King’ alter-ego could potentially return at some point in the future.

WWE SmackDown Superstar Finn Balor has commented on the future of his mythical alter-ego The Demon.

In a recent interview with WWE Deutschland, Balor was asked whether or not the WWE Universe could potentially see The Demon return anytime soon.

“You’re hitting me with the hard questions,” Balor replied. “Yeah, obviously yeah. I feel like ‘The Demon’ definitely has a future. But right now I’m very focused on ‘The Prince’ and this current invention of the character and the direction that we’re going in. But I’m sure we’ll get back to ‘The Demon’ at some stage.”

The last time Balor wore his Demon King body paint was for a match with Andrade at Super ShowDown back in July of 2019. Since then, the Irishman has admitted that he believed the character had been overexposed and that he wanted to retire it for a while.

“The ‘Demon’ was designed as something special,” Balor said in a 2020 interview with ViBe & Wrestling. “It was one of those things that should have been saved for breathtaking occasions, but it ended up being advertised in the media and that was one of the main reasons why it didn’t work. The surprise factor was completely gone and the ‘Demon’ became Finn Balor’s savior, which was also to my detriment because I could not develop my own character separate from the ‘Demon’. I think it hurt both of us – Finn Balor and the ‘Demon’.”

Despite his belief that The Demon schtick is played out, Balor did admit that he’d be willing to revive the persona for a match with The Undertaker.

As you might recall, Balor recently returned to WWE’s main roster when he appeared on SmackDown a few weeks ago following a two-year stint on the brand where his WWE began: NXT. During his second sting on WWE’s black and gold brand, Finn became NXT Champion for the second time but lost the title to a Karrion Kross 212 days later. His attempts to regain the championship a few weeks later were futile, as the dominant Kross proved to be too formidable a foe for Balor to overcome … Perhaps it might be time to bring back The Demon.

Source: TheSportster

Former WWE Superstar Ruby Riott (Ruby Soho) Is Expected To Sign With AEW

Former WWE Superstar Ruby Riott, who now goes by Ruby Soho, is expected to sign with AEW once her non-compete runs out.

Ruby Riott is expected to sign with AEW once her 90-day non-compete clause with WWE comes to an end.

WWE has released a lot of people so far in 2021. More than 40 of them so far with Bray Wyatt and Ric Flair being shown the door over the course of the last few days. Some of those released have already found landing spots elsewhere, such as Andrade and Chelsea Green. A number of others are still waiting for their non-compete clauses to come to an end, or may just be weighing up their options.

One of those waiting for their non-compete to come to an end is Ruby Riott. Well, the Superstar formerly known as Ruby Riott. She will now be called Ruby Soho going forward, reportedly with the blessing of  Rancid, the band who sings the song of the same name. She might even be able to use the track as her entrance whenever she wrestles next.

As for where that might be, according to Fightful Select (via WrestleTalk) Soho’s most likely landing spot is AEW. While the two parties can’t strike a deal until Soho’s time with WWE is officially over, which will be after the non-compete expires, apparently, once that time has passed fans can expect to see her become All Elite.

While AEW has been criticized for picking up a lot of the wrestlers WWE has released over the course of the past 18 months, Soho might be one of the wisest pick-ups so far. No element of AEW has been criticized more during its first two years than its women’s division. It is well on its way to improving that part of its promotion via the likes of Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa, adding Soho to the mix will further it even more.

Source: The Sportster

Bobby Eaton Has Passed Away At The Age Of 62

Bobby Eaton, one half of the iconic tag team The Midnight Express, has sadly passed away at the age of just 62.

Bobby Eaton, famed for his time as one half of The Midnight Express, has passed away at the age of 62.

The wrestling world is waking up to the loss of another legend this morning. Bobby Eaton, one half of the iconic tag team The Midnight Express, has passed away at the age of just 62. Eaton’s sister confirmed the news on Facebook in the early hours of Thursday morning. What caused Eaton’s death is currently unknown.

“My Little Brother Beautiful Bobby Eaton passed away last night,” Eaton’s sister Debbie revealed on Facebook. Debbie posted a tribute to her late brother, also revealing Eaton’s daughter Taryn was the one who found him. A particularly tough time for the family as Taryn’s mom, Eaton’s wife Donna, only passed away a month ago, also aged 62.

While Eaton was also an incredibly talented singles wrestler, his most famous run in the business was as one half of The Midnight Express. Commonly referred to as one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history, Eaton was the tandem’s mainstay throughout the team’s run. First alongside Dennis Condrey, and then partnered with Stan Lane after Eaton’s first partner departed JCP.

While Eaton’s stellar tag team work will always overshadow what he did as a part of The Midnight Express, it cannot be ignored. He may have never been a World Champion, but he did defeat Arn Anderson for the WCW TV Title in the early ’90s. Eaton even had the chance to be the one to break Goldberg’s legendary undefeated streak in WCW. Goldberg revealed that he pitched the idea to higher-ups, suggesting it happen off TV in Eaton’s hometown. They didn’t like the idea so it never happened.

While it is unclear what caused Eaton to pass away at this time, the former Tag Team Champion has reportedly been in poor health as of late. The wrestler suffered a bad fall last month which resulted in him being hospitalized. He was also hospitalized with heart issues back in 2019. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time.

WWE issued a statement on Eaton’s passing:

WWE is saddened to learn that Bobby Eaton passed away at the age of 62.

A Huntsville, Alabama native, Eaton built a reputation as one of the greatest tag team wrestlers of all time during his nearly 40-year career. Eaton broke in at the age of 17 with NWA Mid-America and in just two years captured his first championship by teaming with Leapin’ Lanny Poffo to claim the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Titles.

After a stint with the Continental Wrestling Association, Eaton joined forces with Dennis Condrey to carry the torch for the memorable Midnight Express. “Beautiful” Bobby & “Lover Boy” Dennis quickly rose to prominence in Jim Crockett Promotions and won the NWA World Tag Team Titles from The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. Following Condrey’s departure, Midnight Express carried on with “Sweet” Stan Lane teaming with Eaton for memorable rivalries against The Samoan S.W.A.T. Team, The Fabulous Freebirds, The Steiner Brothers and more on their way to a United States Tag Team Title reign.

Eaton would make a strong singles run following the departure of Lane and defeated Arn Anderson to win the World Television Championship at SuperBrawl I. An ensuing run with Rick Rude, Larry Zbyszko, Steve Austin and Anderson of The Dangerous Alliance culminated with a legendary double-ring War Games Match at WrestleWar 1992 against Sting’s Squadron. After stops with Smoky Mountain Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Eaton would return to WCW before competing on the independent circuit up until 2015.

Eaton amassed countless accolades during his career but perhaps none more meaningful than the impact he left on his peers with Mick Foley, Steve Austin and others having praised Eaton as one of the most underrated and nicest Superstars in the business.

WWE extends its condolences to Eaton’s family, friends and fans.

Former WWE Tag Team To Debut On AEW Dynamite Tonight

Former WWE NXT Superstars Ever-Rise are set to debut on AEW Dynamite tonight.

As seen below, AEW has announced that Matt Lee (fka Matt Martel) and Jeff Parker (fka Chase Parker) are now going by 2.0, and have joined the company. They will debut tonight on the Homecoming edition of Dynamite on TNT, which airs live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville.

2.0 have aligned with Daniel Garcia, and will go up against Jon Moxley, Darby Allin and Eddie Kingston in six-man action tomorrow night.

2.0, known as 3.0 before signing with WWE in January 2019, were released from the company back on June 25. They had developed a following of fans on social media, and were endorsed by various WWE Superstars, including Kevin Owens. Ever-Rise worked the weekly NXT show at times, but also had several appearances on WWE 205 Live.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Possibly Returning To The ThunderDome Due To COVID-19, News On Contingency Plans

A new report indicates that WWE officials expect to return to the ThunderDome in the next few weeks as COVID-19 cases begin to rise in the United States.

It was noted by Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam that internally, WWE expects that they will have to return to the Performance Center, or another venue for the ThunderDome, within a few weeks. It was also noted that there’s an internal feeling that SummerSlam “can/will be cancelled” at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The feeling is said to be that WWE fully expects they will not be on the road in four weeks time, as there is concern about “how they will be able to proceed in a non-contained environment.”

WWE officials reportedly do not expect another round of lockdowns, but they are fully anticipating bans on mass gatherings to be announced in the coming weeks.

This new report comes after Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast reported last week that WWE was working on contingency plans in case the pandemic forces more shutdowns. It was noted that WWE has been looking at 6 or 7 venues to potentially run shows out of if the pandemic worsens.

Furthermore, @Wrestlevotes issued an update today, in an apparent response to the Bodyslam report. It was noted that WWE sources say SummerSlam at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, August 22 is still the plan as we’re now less than three weeks away. It was also said that WWE has had conversations with Vegas officials and Allegiant Stadium reps, and as of this morning, everything remains on track.

We have reached out to WWE for comment on the SummerSlam situation and will update the story as more information becomes available.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 8/3/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode will air on Syfy due to coverage of The Olympics on the USA Network. The show will return to the normal timeslot next Wednesday night.

WWE taped this NXT episode the week before last from the Capitol Wrestling Center at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

Networks Aren’t Happy About WWE Releasing Bray Wyatt [Report]

According to a report, WWE’s television partners aren’t pleased with the company’s decision to release veteran superstar Bray Wyatt.

Bray Wyatt’s unexpected release from the WWE on Saturday has caused plenty of confusion across the wrestling world.

On Saturday, WWE announced that they had let go of the two-time Universal Champion. It has since been reported that several within WWE, including multiple superstars, were frustrated and surprised by Wyatt’s release. Apparently, WWE’s television partners aren’t pleased with the move either.

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, there’s plenty of frustration from WWE’s networks regarding the company’s decision to let him go.

“Bray’s released is really disappointing and a little scary that top stars are being let go,” a network source told Zarian.

Wyatt was among the company’s top merchandise sellers, as well as one one of the longest-tenured WWE superstars on the roster. He had been with the company since 2009. Wyatt was renowned for the ability to reinvent his character time and time again. On top of that, it appeared as though Wyatt was about to return, making his release all the more perplexing.

Wyatt’s final WWE appearance came on the Apr. 12 episode of Monday Night Raw. Following his loss to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37, Wyatt announced that he was seeking a fresh start.

Source: The Sportster