Tag: WWE

WWE Announces Andrade’s Release

WWE has released Andrade.

It was announced after WWE Fastlane pay-per-view that Andrade is no longer with the company. WWE noted that they have come to the terms on his released, and they wished him the best in his future endeavors, as seen below.

Earlier this month, Andrade requested his WWE release while backstage at the March 8 edition of RAW. It was later reported that he looked “absolutely miserable” while at the taping. This was revealed after Andrade dropped the “WWE” from his Twitter handle and removed WWE from his bio.

Andrade broke his silence on the reports earlier this week, confirming that the rumors were true. He also noted in that post that he didn’t know what the future holds, but he wanted his dreams to come true.

It had been reported that WWE was not planning on granting the release request, but it was made official after Fastlane last night. Andrade tweeted during the pay-per-view that he had “good news” to come, using the “#Happy” hashtag in the post.

Andrade, who is engaged to be married to Charlotte Flair, last appeared on RAW at WWE Draft time in October 2020. He was taken out by “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in his last appearance. He then took some time off to undergo a minor procedure after the Draft, and was never officially drafted to RAW or SmackDown. He was scheduled to be out of action for around a month, but never returned. There had been rumors of Andrade returning to WWE NXT or possibly being brought back to RAW with Charlotte, but nothing ever came of the chatter.

After successful runs in Mexico and New Japan Pro Wrestling, WWE signed Andrade to work NXT in November 2015. He made his in-ring debut at a January 2016 live event, and had a strong run on the brand until being called up to SmackDown in April 2018 as a part of the Superstar Shake-Up. He leaves the company as a one-time NXT Champion and a one-time WWE United States Champion. He last wrestled on the October 12 RAW Draft show, a loss to Angel Garza.

You can see WWE’s release announcement below:

Andrade released

WWE has come to terms on the release of Andrade. We wish him all the best in all of his future endeavors.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Fastlane Results 3/21/2021

(KICKOFF) WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Riddle (c) def. Mustafa Ali w/Retribution

Post-match: Ali blamed Retribution for his loss. Retaliation and Slapjack walked out and Mace and T-Bar choked slammed Ali.

WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (c) defeated Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair

– After the match, Jax and Baszler celebrate with the titles and head up the ramp with Reginald as the music hits. We go to replays. Banks and Belair continue arguing in the middle of the ring now. Banks pushes Belair with her finger to the forehead, then slaps her to the mat. Fans boo Banks as she exits the ring with the title in the air. Belair is shocked but now she’s beginning to seethe. Belair points up at the WrestleMania 37 sign and tells herself it’s going to be OK. Fans cheer her on as Banks’ music hits. Banks looks on from the stage as Belair keeps pointing up at the sign.

– Cole and Graves talk about how Shane McMahon suffered a leg injury during pre-show training for Braun Strowman. Shane comes limping out of the trainer’s room, using a crutch. Elias and Jaxson Ryker approach him with a big idea for WrestleMania, one that will make Bad Bunny give him his Grammy Award out of respect. Shane doesn’t want to listen to it now. Elias mentions performing or doing whatever is needed. Shane changes his mind and says he has an idea for them as the camera cuts back to the announcers.

WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Big E (c) defeated Apollo Crews

– After the bell, Crews immediately attacks and unloads on Big E to keep him down as fans boo. Crews with an Angle Slam and more trash talking as the boos pick up. Crews smacks Big E around while he’s down. Crews with another big smack to the face and another Angle Slam. Crews stands tall over Big E as his music hits. He puts a boot on Big E and poses with his scarf before heading to the ramp.

Braun Strowman defeated Elias

Seth Rollins defeated Shinsuke Nakamura

NO HOLDS BARRED
Drew McIntyre defeated Sheamus

Alexa Bliss defeated Randy Orton

The Fiend made an appearance during the match wich lead to Bliss getting the win.

– After the bell, Bliss sits on top of Orton as her music starts. The Fiend stands behind her as their creepy music plays.

WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Roman Reigns (c) defeated Daniel Bryan
Edge was the special enforcer.

Bryan tightens the Yes Lock as a wide-eyed Reigns yells out. Bryan yells at Reigns to tap out. Reigns is tapping out but Edge doesn’t see it as he comes and smacks Bryan with a chair to break the hold. Edge then delivers a chair shot to Reigns while he’s down.

Edge turns and hits Bryan with the chair one more time to keep him down. Edge yells out that this is his, his! Edge shows some frustration but also anger as he exits the ring, walking up the ramp to a mixed reaction. A referee returns to the ring as Reigns starts to move. Reigns drags himself over and lays on Bryan for the pin to retain.

WWE Announces Special Programming For Fastlane Sunday

WWE has announced a loaded line-up of special programming for Fastlane Sunday on social media, Peacock and the WWE Network.

The day will begin with a “Best Of” Fastlane compilation at 11am ET, and then wrap with the Fastlane pay-per-view later that night. The full line-up looks like this:

* 11am ET – Best Of Fastlane Matches on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter

* 2:30pm ET – La Previa Spanish WWE Fastlane Pre-show on Peacock and the WWE Network, YouTube, WWE Español Facebook, WWE Español Twitter, Instagram, and WWE Español Instagram

* 4pm ET – Special WWE Fastlane edition of WWE’s The Bump on Peacock and the WWE Network, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram Live, and Twitch. Sheamus, Apollo Crews and actor Skylar Astin will appear. There will also be a special message from Paul Heyman ahead of Daniel Bryan vs. WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns

* 6pm ET – WWE Fastlane Kickoff pre-show on Peacock and the WWE Network, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Live, Twitch, and TikTok

* 7pm ET – WWE Fastlane pay-per-view on Peacock and the WWE Network. You can click here for the current, updated card

* 7pm ET – WWE Watch Along Viewing Party on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Guests announced include Paige, Wade Barrett, Chad Gable, Otis, Kaitlyn, WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart, the cast of The Bump, Alyssa Marino, RJ City, Kaz, and Steve Buchanan of DraftKings, among others.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Announces Rhea Ripley’s RAW Debut

Rhea Ripley is scheduled to make her official WWE RAW debut on Monday’s post-Fastlane episode.

WWE announced tonight that Ripley will arrive on RAW during Monday’s show. There is no word yet on who she will wrestle.

Rhea Ripley to make Monday Night Raw debut

This is her brutality, and it has a new home on Monday Night Raw.

Over the last several weeks, the WWE Universe and the Raw Women’s Division have been warned, and this Monday, “The Nightmare” Rhea Ripley will finally arrive on Raw.

Will Ripley be looking to put the red brand on notice right off the bat?

Find out this Monday on Raw live at 8/7 C on USA Network!

Ripley has not wrestled since the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match at the Rumble pay-per-view back in January. Ripley entered that match in the #14 spot and lasted 39:06 before being eliminated last by winner Bianca Belair. She picked up 7 eliminations in the match – Toni Storm, Santana Garrett, Charlotte Flair (with Belair), Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Dakota Kai, and Alexa Bliss. Ripley’s last WWE NXT match was the Last Woman Standing loss to Raquel Gonzalez during the New Year’s Evil episode on January 6.

Ripley is the inaugural NXT UK Women’s Champion and a one-time NXT Women’s Champion.

WWE has been airing “coming soon” vignettes on RAW since the February 22 show. You can see all 4 teaser promos below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

A&E’s “Biography: WWE Legends” Full Schedule Revealed

The full schedule for A&E’s “Biography: WWE Legends” series has been revealed, courtesy of the Wrestling Observer. The series will tell the stories of eight WWE Hall of Famers, beginning on Sunday, April 18 at 8pm ET.

Each episode will air for two hours, and will serve as the lead-in to new episodes of the WWE Most Wanted Treasures series from A&E.

Below is the full schedule for the Biography series:

* April 18: Steve Austin
* April 25: Randy Savage
* May 2: Roddy Piper
* May 9: Booker T
* May 16: Shawn Michaels
* May 23: Bret Hart
* May 30: Mick Foley
* June 6: The Ultimate Warrior

A&E worked with WWE Studios on the series.

Foley recently noted on Twitter that his episode should air some time in June, but it looks like it will air at the end of May instead.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Fastlane 3/21/2021

DATE: March 21, 2021 7:00 pm
LOCATION: WWE Thunderdome, St. Petersburg, Florida
AVAILABLE ON:Peacock, WWE Network

Below is the current card:

WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
Edge will be special enforcer.

WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Big E (c) vs. Apollo Crews

WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair

Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre

Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman

Alexa Bliss vs. Randy Orton

Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE SmackDown Preview 3/19/21

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX episode will feature the go-home build for Sunday’s Fastlane pay-per-view.

Hulk Hogan And Titus O’Neil Announced As WrestleMania 37 Hosts

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan and Titus O’Neil have been announced as the hosts of WrestleMania 37.

WWE announced this morning that Hogan and Titus will host the two-night event from Raymond James Stadium. Hogan will be inducted into the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Class that weekend with the nWo, while Titus is a fixture in the Tampa Bay community.

WrestleMania 37 will take place on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Below is the updated card:

Hosts: Titus O’Neil and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan

WWE Universal Title Match
WWE Hall of Famer Edge vs. Roman Reigns (c)

WWE Title Match
Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley (c)

SmackDown Women’s Title Match
Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks (c)

RAW Tag Team Titles Match
Omos and AJ Styles vs. The New Day (c)

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT UK Special Event Announced For WrestleMania 37 Week, Main Event Revealed

The next WWE NXT UK special event has been announced for WrestleMania 37 Week.

It was announced during today’s NXT UK episode that “NXT UK: Prelude” will air on Thursday, April 8 at 3pm ET on the WWE Network.

This special will air in the usual weekly NXT UK timeslot on the WWE Network. Thursday, April 8 is also the same date that Night 2 of NXT “Takeover: Stand and Deliver” will air, also on the WWE Network.

Prelude will be headlined by Rampage Brown vs. NXT UK Champion WALTER with the title on the line. Today’s NXT UK episode saw WALTER cut a promo on how he was looking for a new challenger. Brown interrupted and they came to blows. The match was later confirmed for Prelude.

Prelude will also feature Tyler Bate vs. Noam Dar under Heritage Cup Rules. The winner of that match will become the new #1 contender to NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion A-Kid.

This will be the fourth NXT UK special event to take place. The brand previously held a “Takeover: Blackpool” event on January 12, 2019, a “Takeover: Cardiff” event on August 31, 2019, and a “Takeover: Blackpool II” event on January 12, 2020. “Takeover: Dublin” was scheduled for April 26, 2020 but it was nixed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At one point it was re-scheduled for June 20 of this year, but there’s no word yet on if it’s still in the plans.

Keith Lee Issues Statement To Fans Following Recent WWE Absence

WWE RAW Superstar Keith Lee took to Twitter today to issue a statement for his fans.

Lee has been off WWE TV for longer than one month now, and there’s no confirmation on why he has been away. Lee thanked his fans for their support and said one day he will explain what’s been going on. He also said he will return at some point.

“I hear many of you. I see many of the messages. One day, I will explain it all for the ones true to me. For now, know that I more than appreciate the continued support. And WHEN I return, it will be filled with all the love I have for those that represent this #LEEGION,” Lee wrote.

Lee recently changed his Twitter name to “Impatient Lee” and told fans back on March 8 that he misses them too.

https://twitter.com/RealKeithLee/status/1372620911619215362
https://twitter.com/RealKeithLee/status/1369089509904769033

WWE noted at one point that Lee was injured, which is why they pulled him from the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on February 21. He was scheduled to work a Triple Threat with Riddle and current WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, but was replaced by John Morrison to what WWE said were injuries. That match saw Riddle capture the United States Title from Lashley.

Lee has not wrestled defeating WWE United States Champion Riddle on the February 8 RAW show. Before that match he spent several weeks out of the ring, last wrestling on the January 11 RAW show in a win over Sheamus, which came after teaming with Sheamus to defeat The Miz and John Morrison earlier in the show.

Lee and Mia Yim (Reckoning) were engaged to be married back on February 11. Yim returned to the ring in late February after announcing a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in late January, but it was never reported that Lee had the coronavirus.

Source: Wrestling Inc.