Tag: WWE

Taya Valkyrie Getting New Ring Name And Bringing Her Dog To WWE NXT Next Month?

It looks like Taya Valkyrie is set to make her WWE NXT debut on the first episode after next week’s two-night “Takeover: Stand and Deliver” event.

Last night’s Takeover go-home edition of NXT on the USA Network featured a series of vignettes where a Pomeranian dog was seen running through the Capitol Wrestling Center at the WWE Performance Center. The dog finally ran up to a woman in boots. The only part of the woman shown was her boots, but it said she would be coming on April 13, which is the first NXT episode to air in the new Tuesday night timeslot on the WWE Network. The final part of the vignette featured writing on the screen that said “Franky” will see us soon.

Earlier this month WWE filed to trademark the “Franky Monet” name for general pro wrestling and sports entertainment use. It looks like this will be the name of the “Franky” teased in tonight’s promo.

Fans online noticed that the dog used in the vignette is Presley, one of the pets owned by Valkyrie and her husband, WWE RAW Superstar John Morrison. They have an Instagram account for both of their dogs, Presley and Bowie, at @the_pee_boyz. Taya has carried Presley at various wrestling shows in the past, including for a few Impact Wrestling appearances.

There is some online speculation that Valkyrie will use another name, and that the dog will go by the “Franky” name but that has not been confirmed, and it’s more likely that Valkyrie’s new ring name in NXT will be Franky Monet.

As seen below, WWE tweeted a screenshot from the April 13 teaser and indicated that Franky could be the name of the dog. They wrote, “How are we gonna wait that long? Franky stole our heart. [dog emoji][growing heart emoji] #WWENXT”

Valkyrie has re-tweeted several of the dog tweets from tonight’s show, and she also re-tweeted a USA Network tweet that teased her as the new character.

“If that’s who we think it is… @WWENXT is gonna be loca in April 13th. #WWENXT,” USA tweeted.

Valkyrie is a former Impact Knockouts Champion and a former three-time AAA Reina de Reinas Champion. She debuted for Impact in September 2017 and left in January of this year, leaving the company as the longest-reigning Knockouts Champion in history. Valkyrie signed with WWE in mid-February and reported to the WWE Performance Center to begin training in late February.

There is no word yet on what WWE has planned for Valkyrie, Below are shots from the related vignettes on tonight’s show, along with recent photos of Taya and Presley:

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1377422774470287361
https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1377425876803932160
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1377428628481339394
https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1377434474552586240

WWE NXT Preview 3/31/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will be the go-home show for next week’s “Takeover: Stand and Deliver” event. This will also be the last regular Wednesday night episode before NXT moves to Tuesday nights on April 13.

News On WWE Hall Of Fame 2020 And 2021 Induction Ceremony Tapings

As seen in the tweet below, a new photo from the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony has surfaced online.

The 2020 induction ceremony was taped yesterday from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The 2021 induction ceremony will be taped on Thursday.

The photo confirms the report on Titus O’Neil receiving the Warrior Award. This shows that he won the Warrior Award for the 2020 Class

William Shatner was not present to accept his 2020 induction for the Celebrity Wing, but it’s likely that WWE aired some sort of pre-taped video for Shatner.

Jushin Thunder Liger was also not present for the induction as he’s likely in Japan. There’s no word on if he appeared via video.

The photo also shows that Davey Boy Smith Jr., Georgia Smith and Diana Hart-Smith were present to accept the honor for “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith.

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and WWE Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Triple H were present to honor the inductees, as they have in recent years. The 2020 Class includes the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman), The Bella Twins, JBL, Liger, Bulldog, and Titus.

The 2021 Class includes Rob Van Dam, Eric Bischoff, Kane, The Great Khali and Molly Holly. There is no word yet on who will receive the Warrior Award and the Celebrity Wing honor for 2021.

There is also no word on if WWE will be announcing Legacy Wing inductees for 2020 and 2021, but we will keep you updated.

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler revealed that he hosted the 2020 induction ceremony.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNDnUGosOQ9/?utm_source=ig_embed

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 3/29/21

Tonight’s WWE RAW will feature more on the Road to WrestleMania 37 as we get closer to the big event, going into next week’s go-home show.

WWE has announced just one match for tonight’s RAW and that’s Sheamus vs. WWE United States Champion Riddle in a non-title bout.

Tonight’s RAW will also feature a WrestleMania 37 contract signing with Rhea Ripley and RAW Women’s Champion Asuka.

WWE is also teasing that WWE Champion Bobby Lashley will find someone to take out Drew McIntyre before WrestleMania 37. Lashley recently told the locker room that he will grant someone a WWE Title match if they can take McIntyre out before their match at WrestleMania.

Rob Van Dam Officially Announced For The WWE Hall Of Fame

ECW Original and former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam is now official for the WWE Hall of Fame.

WWE and FOX Sports officially announced Van Dam’s induction into the 2021 Class this morning. He will be inducted during WrestleMania 37 Week.

After runs with ECW, WCW and other promotions in the early 1990s, RVD first officially joined WWE in 2001 for The Invasion. He had appeared before that for the ECW “invasion” of RAW in 1997. He last appeared for WWE in 2014, and has also had runs with TNA/Impact Wrestling, among others.

RVD joins The Great Khali, Kane, Molly Holly and Eric Bischoff as confirmed names for the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Class.

The 2020 and 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will air on Tuesday, April 6 during WrestleMania 37 Week, via Peacock and the WWE Network. The 2020 Class features JBL, The Bella Twins, Jushin Thunder Liger, “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, and the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman).

Stay tuned for more on the WWE Hall of Fame. Below is WWE’s full announcement on RVD:

Rob Van Dam to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021

The WWE Hall of Fame is about to get a one-of-a-kind inductee with the addition of Rob Van Dam.

RVD is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021. He’ll take his place in sports-entertainment history during the 2021 Induction Ceremony, streaming Tuesday, April 6 on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.

One of the most innovative grapplers to ever step foot in the squared circle, Van Dam first broke out in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the mid-1990s. His cool, calm, and laid-back demeanor was the complete opposite of the competitor he became once the bell rang. Employing a mix of devastating martial arts kicks and breathtaking aerial attacks, RVD quickly became one of ECW’s most popular stars and one of its most decorated champions. After a brief stint in WWE, Van Dam captured the ECW World Television Championship and held onto it for an astonishing 699 days. RVD was also a two-time ECW Tag Team Champion alongside notorious risk-taker Sabu.

When ECW closed in 2001, Van Dam joined his fellow ECW alumni in invading WWE and quickly endeared himself to the WWE Universe and brought the fight to Superstars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Kurt Angle. RVD won the Intercontinental Championship from William Regal at his first WrestleMania, then went on to unify the championship with the European and Hardcore Titles. In addition to his prowess as a singles competitor, Van Dam was also a successful tag team wrestler, capturing titles in beloved pairings with Kane, Booker T and Rey Mysterio.

But Van Dam’s biggest success as a WWE Superstar would come in 2006. That year, he won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 22, earning himself a world championship opportunity at any point in the next year. Van Dam opted to cash in his contract on his terms, challenging WWE Champion John Cena for the title on his home turf, at ECW One Night Stand. In front of a raucous New York City crowd, Van Dam emerged from a wild brawl as the new WWE Champion. As ECW returned that summer, Van Dam also earned another title that had eluded him, as he was named the first ECW Champion of the reborn brand.

Following a six-year hiatus, RVD returned to WWE in 2013 to square off with a new generation of Superstars, including Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Sheamus and Roman Reigns. Now, in 2021, he returns to take his rightful place among sports-entertainment’s greatest stars.

Don’t miss Rob Van Dam join the WWE Hall of Fame during the 2021 Induction Ceremony, streaming Tuesday, April 6 on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else. The ceremony will feature the Class of 2020, featuring The nWo, The Bella Twins, JBL, British Bulldog and Jushin “Thunder’ Liger, as well as the Class of 2021, which includes RVD, Kane, The Great Khali, Molly Holly and Eric Bischoff.

Rob Van Dam recently spoke with Ryan Satin of FOX Sports to discuss his 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction, which was officially announced by WWE this morning. RVD says he is honored to go into the WWE Hall, noting that fans have been calling him a future Hall of Famer for years.

“It’s a pretty awesome feeling. Just like you probably would imagine, it feels like I’m being acknowledged and appreciated for my body of work,” RVD said. “It feels very good. I’m honored. Fans have] been calling me future Hall of Famer for years and I always just shrug and say, ‘All right, man. As long as you think so.’

“But, glad to be among the chosen few this year. I’m glad for me and for all the fans. I feel like them being behind me and wanting to see this happen is a win for them as well.”

RVD revealed that WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, is the one who called him with the news of his induction. He and Laurinaitis were close with each other when a young RVD worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling years ago.

“I’ve known him since 93, because I used to wrestle with him in Japan,” RVD said of Laurinaitis. “From ’93 to ’97, I spent many, many long hours on long bus rides, sitting in cold arenas in the winter, hot in the summer and ferry boat rides. We did a lot of traveling around Japan that time. You get to know somebody a little better when you’re stuck with them all the time like that. So, I’m proud to call Johnny a friend, and it was really cool to get the call from him.”

The 2020 and 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Classes will be inducted during WrestleMania 37 Week on Tuesday, April 6. RVD commented on going in with other names like JBL, The Bella Twins, The British Bulldog, Jushin Thunder Liger, the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman), Eric Bischoff, Molly Holly, Kane and The Great Khali. He recalled watching Liger vs. Brian Pillman years ago.

“I think that the whole list is a bunch of characters,” RVD said. “We all represent images that people can translate into their minds, fill in all the blanks, and then figure out that they know each of us.

“Having said that, I think about when I was getting into wrestling watching Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger wrestling against Brian Pillman, for one. They just opened up my mind to a whole new kind of wrestling, because I wasn’t seeing that with the limited amount of wrestling that I had been exposed to that early on. They really helped me think outside the box of what could really be done with some athleticism.”

The 50 year old RVD recently had a run with Impact Wrestling, but made it clear that fans wanting one more full-time run with WWE should not hold their breath, if WWE resumes a normal touring schedule in a post-pandemic world. He did seem open to the idea of making some sort of comeback.

“There is definitely some pros and cons to the thought,” RVD said of a WWE return. “I enjoy showing off in the ring. I enjoy very much getting that love and energy from the crowd, looking around seeing the RVD signs. That’s a high for sure, and RVD is all about highs.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Preview 3/26/21

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will feature fallout from last Sunday’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view.

WWE has not announced any matches for tonight’s show but they are teasing a confrontation between WWE Hall of Famer Edge and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns as they prepare for their WrestleMania 37 match. It’s believed that WWE may add Daniel Bryan to Edge vs. Reigns tonight, to make it a Triple Threat.

RAW Superstar Charlotte Flair is rumored to make an appearance on tonight’s show but that has not been confirmed.

WWE Reportedly Not Planning To Tour Soon

WWE reportedly has no plans to resume touring any time soon.

While many venues are re-opening across the country and various sports leagues are bringing back fans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sports Illustrated reports that WWE does not have plans to tour throughout the first half of 2021.

There is no word yet on if WWE is looking to resume touring during the second half of this year.

WWE officially announced earlier this week that the next ThunderDome residency will begin next month at the Yuengling Center in Tampa. SI reports that the current plan is for WWE to remain at the Yuengling Center while gauging whether it is prudent to return to a weekly live event model or not.

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon noted this past February during the 2020 Q4 earnings call that the company expected a gradual return to ticketed audiences, but that it was too early to say exactly when that would happen. Vince also noted that they are ready to resume touring when they are able to, adding that they could turn around a live event in just 6 weeks when able to.

“We are ready,” McMahon said. “We are the most flexible, adaptable media company in the world. We can turn something around in terms of live events in six weeks. It just speaks to our ability to innovate as a media company and continue in this current environment to create long term value.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Superstar Danny Burch To Miss Several Months With Injury

WWE NXT Superstar Danny Burch will miss several months of in-ring action due to his shoulder injury.

Burch suffered a separated shoulder during last week’s NXT main event, which saw he and Oney Lorcan retain the NXT Tag Team Titles over Karrion Kross and NXT Champion Finn Balor. The injury came when Kross hit a double suplex and Burch landed awkwardly.

Vic Joseph noted during this week’s NXT show that Burch is expected to be out of action for 6 months.

NXT General Manager William Regal was forced to vacate the NXT Tag Team Titles due to Burch’s injury. Night One of “Takeover: Stand and Deliver” on Wednesday, April 7 will feature a Triple Threat for the vacant titles with MSK vs. The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Legado del Fantasma.

There’s no word on what WWE has planned for Lorcan while Burch is out. He lost a singles match to Kross on tonight’s show. There has been some speculation on Lorcan and Pete Dunne teaming up.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Bella Twins Reportedly Set For WWE In-Ring Return

This year’s WWE Hall of Fame will feature both the 2020 class and the 2021 class. The Bella Twins are set to inducted as part of the 2020 class, and they may be in store for an in-ring comeback as well.

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that The Bella Twins are going to return to wrestle. The return date has not been set, but Meltzer noted that the plan is for them to come back in the fall of this year.

The Bella Twins have discussed an in-ring return in the past. They have also expressed their desire to challenge for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Nikki Bella recently discussed returning to action on The Bellas Podcast. She also revealed that she has not been cleared for an in-ring return due to her neck injury.

“I really want to do a WWE return with you Brie. I really want to go after the tag titles,” Nikki said (h/t to Digital Spy). “That’s one thing I really want to do before I hang up the Nikes for good. I at least want to do that one last run.

“I guess I have been talking about this run as if I am cleared, which I am not cleared to wrestle.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Peacock To Review All WWE Content For Potential Removal Of Controversial Moments

Peacock is continuing to review and remove controversial WWE Network content.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Peacock had removed the WrestleMania 6 match between Bad News Brown and WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper, where Piper wrestled with half of his body painted black, and cut promos in blackface. A 2005 Survivor Series segment where Vince McMahon dropped the N-word to John Cena was also removed.

In an update, Peacock is reviewing all 17,000 hours of WWE content to ensure it aligns with Peacock’s standards and practices, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It was also noted that WWE is being made aware of any edits.

WWE and Peacock still expect to have the WWE library available for viewing on-demand in time for SummerSlam in late August, but all classic content will be reviewed before it is added.

Source: Wrestling Inc.