Tag: WWE

WWE NXT Preview 3/25/20

Tonight’s taped WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will air from the NXT Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL. The show was taped and will air from a closed set with no crowd due to the coronavirus pandemic.

* Triple H appears with an announcement

* Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa will have to answer to Triple H for their recent brawl at the WWE Performance Center

* NXT Champion Adam Cole shares a special message

* Austin Theory vs. Tyler Breeze

* Roderick Strong vs. NXT Tag Team Champion Matt Riddle

* Ladder Match Qualifier: Candice LeRae vs. Kayden Carter

* Ladder Match Qualifier: Xia Li vs. Aliyah

WWE Offering Most Of Their Network Content For Free

WWE announced today that they are unlocking a vast portion of the WWE Network library for a limited time.

Starting today, WWE is extending free access to thousands of hours of on-demand content, including every WrestleMania in history, past pay-per-views, original documentaries and more.

The two-night WrestleMania 36 event is only available to WWE Network subscribers. However, this offering allows fans worldwide to watch all of the past WrestleManias as well as every Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and Survivor Series event; every NXT TakeOver and NXT UK TakeOver; and originals such as the entire WWE 24 docuseries, Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions interview show, the recent five-episode WWE Ruthless Aggression series, and its 20-episode predecessor, The Monday Night War series.

Recent episodes of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown, every episode of WWE Untold, and the A Future WWE: The FCW Story documentary are also included.

To start watching now for free, visit watch.wwe.com and create your account to start streaming on your favorite device.

WrestleMania 36 airs on the WWE Network next Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7 ET/4 PT.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Planned WWE NXT “Takeover: Tampa Bay” Matches To Air On NXT TV Next Month

The matches originally planned for the nixed WWE NXT “Takeover: Tampa Bay” event will air during NXT TV episodes on the USA Network in the month of April, according to Sports Illustrated.

“Takeover: Tampa Bay” was cancelled when WWE pulled the plug on WrestleMania 36 Week due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was announced today that beginning on Wednesday, April 1, the planned Takeover matches will begin airing on the weekly NXT TV series.

Triple H will appear on this week’s NXT episode to give more details on the planned Takeover matches that will air. As noted, Triple H will also be on this week’s NXT episode to deal with Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano after their recent brawl through the WWE Performance Center.

“Takeover: Tampa Bay” was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4 at the Amalie Arena.

The only Takeover match made official before the cancellation was the Women’s Ladder Match to crown a new #1 contender to the NXT Women’s Champion, which would be the winner of the WrestleMania 36 match between champion Rhea Ripley and challenger Charlotte Flair. Tegan Nox, Chelsea Green and Mia Yim had already qualified for that match. Candice LeRae vs. Mercedes Martinez was scheduled to be the next qualifying match, but that match was nixed due to schedule changes related to the COVID-19 outbreak. SI notes that potential candidates for the remaining spots would be LeRae and Bianca Belair, or a returning Io Shirai.

Other potential matches to air during the month of April are Ciampa vs. Gargano, The Velveteen Dream vs. NXT Champion Adam Cole, and Finn Balor vs. NXT North American Champion Keith Lee. Dominik Dijakovic and Damian Priest are also potential challengers for Lee.

Stay tuned for updates on the NXT matches that will air in place of Takeover. Below is WWE’s announcement:

Triple H to appear on tomorrow night’s NXT on USA NetworkTriple H will appear on tomorrow night’s edition of NXT on USA Network, as first reported by Sports Illustrated.

Sports Illustrated also reported that several of the matches originally scheduled for NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay will instead take place over the next few weeks on NXT, starting with the April 1 edition of the weekly USA Network spectacular.

Could The Game’s appearance have anything to do with this news? Tune in to NXT tomorrow night at 8/7 C on USA Network to find out!

 

 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WrestleMania 36 Matches Changed Due To Rey Mysterio And Dana Broke Being In Quarantine

WWE Superstars Dana Brooke and Rey Mysterio are currently in quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Brooke had been pulled from the SmackDown Women’s Title match at WrestleMania 36, which was changed from a Six-Pack Elimination Match with Brooke, champion Bayley, Tamina Snuka, Naomi, Lacey Evans, and Sasha Banks, to a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match with everyone except for Brooke.

Brooke was pulled from the match because she’s currently sick and in quarantine. WWE officials did not want to take any chances with her, so they pulled her from the match. It was noted that officials are concerned for her, but no other details on her health were provided.

Regarding Mysterio, he’s also currently in quarantine due to concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak. WWE considered multiple ideas for the United States Title match at WrestleMania 36, and the likely match was going to be Andrade defending against Rey after Rey won the non-title match on last week’s RAW. Rey has now been pulled from WrestleMania 36 due to the quarantine. WWE announced on Monday that Andrade will be teaming with Angel Garza to challenge RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits at WrestleMania 36, with the tag team titles on the line.

Brooke and Mysterio have not publicly commented on being in quarantine as of this writing, but as seen below, Brooke did reveal on Instagram that she’s working out at home instead of the gym.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

ESPN To Air Classic WWE WrestleMania Events

ESPN is set to air classic WWE WrestleMania events to build to WrestleMania 36, according to a press release sent to us by WWE today.

ESPN will air classic WrestleMania events over the next three Sundays, on their flagship cable network, and then on their mobile app.

The first showing will be this Sunday at 7pm ET as ESPN airs WrestleMania XXX from 2014. WrestleMania 32 will then air on Sunday, March 29 at 7pm ET, and WrestleMania 35 will air on Sunday, April 5 at 3pm ET.

Variety noted that this is the latest example of ESPN working to fill its schedule with “unorthodox content” in the wake of the nation’s coronavirus pandemic, which has put a stop to many sporting events.

“It is a privilege for us to deliver historic WrestleMania content to our world-class partners at ESPN and provide more premium programming to our fans; putting smiles on their faces particularly during this trying time,” said WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon. “We look forward to celebrating WrestleMania history with ESPN as we head into our two-night pop culture extravaganza on April 4 and 5.”

Below is the full announcement sent to us by WWE:

ESPN To Air Encore Presentations of WrestleManiaSpecial Content Initiative Begins This Sunday with WrestleMania 30 on ESPN

ESPN today, in collaboration with WWE, announced it is airing encore presentations of historic WrestleMania events over the next three Sundays on ESPN and streaming via the ESPN App. The special content initiative begins this Sunday, March 22, at 7 p.m. ET with the airing of WrestleMania 30. The full schedule is below:

WrestleMania 30 (airs Sunday, March 22, 7 p.m. ET) – from April 6, 2014

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin kick off the 30th anniversary of the “Showcase of the Immortals” before a record-breaking crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar attempts to end the most celebrated streak in WWE history, Undertaker’s 21 consecutive victories at WrestleMania; witness the emotional culmination of Daniel Bryan’s “Yes! movement” in a championship triple threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton and Batista.

WrestleMania 32 (airs Sunday, March 29, 7 p.m. ET) – from April 3, 2016

The largest crowd in WWE history filled Jerry World at AT&T Stadium for WrestleMania 32, as more than 101,000 fans witness the “Show of Shows.” Roman Reigns takes on Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event; Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks in a match to crown the first-ever WWE Women’s Champion; the world famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders welcome The Rock to AT&T Stadium; and Shane McMahon stuns the WWE Universe with a death-defying leap in his Hell in a Cell match against Undertaker.

WrestleMania 35 (airs Sunday, April 5, 3 p.m. ET) – from April 7, 2019

WrestleMania at MetLife Stadium features a significant moment in WWE’s Women’s Evolution as the “baddest woman on the planet” Ronda Rousey takes on Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a “Winner Take All” Triple Threat match for the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships, marking the first time women were the main event at WrestleMania; Kofi Kingston finally gets a shot at realizing his lifelong dream of becoming WWE Champion against Daniel Bryan; and Batista faces his one-time friend and mentor Triple H in a “no holds barred” match.

“This unique opportunity is a byproduct of the terrific working relationship we’ve enjoyed with WWE over the years and the unprecedented circumstances we all find ourselves in,” said Burke Magnus, executive vice president, programming, ESPN. “WrestleMania is one of the most popular global events in sports and entertainment and the spectacular content it provides will be a treat for fans.”

“It is a privilege for us to deliver historic WrestleMania content to our world-class partners at ESPN and provide more premium programming to our fans; putting smiles on their faces particularly during this trying time,” said Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer, WWE. “We look forward to celebrating WrestleMania history with ESPN as we head into our two-night pop culture extravaganza on April 4 and 5.”

These three encore presentations will air in advance of this year’s WrestleMania, which for the first time ever, will be held as a two-night event streaming live on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7 p.m. ET on WWE Network and available on pay-per-view. WrestleMania will be hosted by three-time Super Bowl Champion Rob Gronkowski. As WWE previously announced, only essential personnel will be on closed sets at multiple locations, including WWE’s training facility in Orlando, during the production of WrestleMania.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Update On WWE WrestleMania 36, RAW And SmackDown

There’s been a lot of speculation on WWE possibly changing the WrestleMania 36 card now that it is airing from the WWE Performance Center and other “multiple locations” with no crowds, instead of Raymond James Stadium as originally planned. The other locations have not been announced yet, but WrestleMania 36 is scheduled to air on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 7pm ET via pay-per-view and the WWE Network.

At one point WWE had 16 matches planned for the WrestleMania 36 card, but we’re not sure if that is still the plan. Pro Wrestling Sheet reports WWE confirmed to them that the 7th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and the 3rd Annual WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal will not take place this year as a way to help limit the number of Superstars gathering in the ring. This is another change made due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The two battle royals have been pulled from the WrestleMania 36 card as another way to abide by guidelines and recommendations from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and other local governments as much as possible while producing the big event. This is one of the many precautionary measures that WWE officials are taking during WrestleMania 36 to help “flatten the curve” amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

WWE issued a statement to Sports Illustrated confirming that all talent and staff entering their closed sets are required to participate in medical testing. There’s still no word yet on where these other locations will be, but it was reported earlier today that most of the WrestleMania 36 content will shoot from the Performance Center, while some “gimmick matches” will take place elsewhere.

On a related note, WWE officials are currently planning an “ambitious” taping schedule that will get them through WrestleMania 36, according to POST Wrestling. The plan as of today is to tape the remaining episodes of RAW and SmackDown leading up to WrestleMania 36. There’s no word yet on when these tapings will take place. WWE will reportedly go ahead with this week’s SmackDown on FOX, featuring WrestleMania host Rob Gronkowski and the contract signing for Roman Reigns vs. WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg, but would then tape the March 23 and March 30 episodes of RAW, plus the March 27 and April 3 editions of SmackDown

One source indicated to POST that they also expect WWE to tape both nights of WrestleMania 36 over the next week as well, meaning The Grandest Stage of Them All will not air live on April 4 and April 5. Another source was unsure if that will happen. If WWE does tape both nights of WrestleMania 36, then the upcoming tapings schedule would include two episodes of RAW, two episodes of SmackDown, and two nights of WrestleMania. There’s no word yet on how the WWE NXT TV shows will factor into this.

Regarding the WrestleMania 36 card, a source indicated to POST that the only changes to the planned card is the elimination of the two battle royals, as noted above. The other planned matches are set to take place over the two night, with some matches that have not been announced on TV yet.

As noted before, the WWE website lists the following matches for Saturday night and Sunday night, but it should be noted that WWE has not officially announced line-ups for each night, at least as of this writing:

SATURDAY, APRIL 4
* Drew McIntyre vs. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar
* Charlotte Flair vs. WWE NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley
* The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles
* Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins

SUNDAY, APRIL 5
* Roman Reigns vs. WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg
* Shayna Baszler vs. RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch
* John Cena vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt

It’s important to note that WWE has not officially announced which matches will air on each night. While the WWE website has these matches listed for Saturday and Sunday, the location is the same for each match – the Performance Center. That should change once they announce these other locations.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW #316Day Preview 3/16/20 – Show Moved To The WWE Performance Center

Tonight’s special “3:16 Day” edition of WWE RAW will take place from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando for the first time ever, due to the coronavirus pandemic. There will be no audience for tonight’s show.

  • “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to celebrate #316Day on March 16 Raw
  • The Undertaker and AJ Styles to sign their WrestleMania contract

WWE Hall of Famer Edge was advertised for tonight’s show before it was moved from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, but there’s no word yet on if he will still appear at the PC tonight.

WWE Officially Announces Jushin Thunder Liger For The WWE Hall Of Fame

WWE officially announced that the legendary Jushin Thunder Liger will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 year during WrestleMania 36 Weekend.

The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is currently scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 2 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, during WrestleMania 36 Week. WWE now has the following names announced for the 2020 Class – Liger, “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, Batista, The nWo (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman), The Bella Twins, and JBL.

WWE official announcement:

Jushin “Thunder” Liger to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Jushin “Thunder” Liger, one of the most revolutionary competitors in sports-entertainment history, is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020.

Liger joins Batista, nWo members Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash & Sean Waltman, The Bella Twins, JBL and The British Bulldog in the Class of 2020. They will take their place in history during the 2020 Induction Ceremony on Thursday, April 2, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

The masked marvel emerged in Japan in the late 1980s, enchanting fans from the moment he emerged from the curtain, clad in a dazzling red-and-white body suit and a striking mask with three protruding horns. But as impressive as he was on first glance, Liger was even more remarkable once the bell rang. Inside the ring, Liger was an innovator in every sense of the word. His high-flying, hard-hitting style has influenced generations of competitors, and is credited as the inventor of the Shooting Star Press.

Liger made his way to the United States in 1991, arriving in WCW and engaging in an epic rivalry with Brian Pillman over the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship, the precursor to the Cruiserweight Title. Liger and Pillman’s incredible bouts are still talked about to this day as some of the most influential in sports-entertainment history.

Liger appeared for WCW sporadically throughout the 1990s, taking on competitors like Rey Mysterio and Dean Malenko. Meanwhile, in his home country of Japan, he established himself as one of the greatest competitors of all time, becoming an 11-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, even after a brain tumor almost took his life. He went nearly four decades without competing in a WWE ring, until he made his WWE debut at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn in 2015, defeating Tyler Breeze in a battle that brought the NXT Universe to its feet.

Jushin “Thunder” Liger retired in January, making him a grappler with the distinction of having competed in five different decades. And now, he will add another incredible accolade to his résumé: WWE Hall of Famer.

Don’t miss Jushin “Thunder” Liger take his place in sports-entertainment history at the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Thursday, April 2, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., and streaming live on WWE Network!

WWE To Air Monday’s RAW Special “3:16 Day” From The Performance Center?

It looks like Monday’s special “3:16 Day” edition of WWE RAW will be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The episode, featuring WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin celebrating 3:16 Day, is still scheduled for the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA as of this writing, but an official update is expected some time today. @Wrestlevotes reports that RAW will likely air from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Monday, instead of Pittsburgh.

Besides Austin’s special appearance, Monday’s loaded RAW also has a WrestleMania 36 contract signing between AJ Styles and The Undertaker scheduled, plus an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Edge.

Tonight’s SmackDown on FOX episode will also air from the WWE Performance Center due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The show was originally scheduled for the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, MI.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On Rob Gronkowski Signing With WWE

As noted earlier this week,  The Wrap reported that former NFL player Rob Gronkowski has signed with WWE. Gronk is reportedly making his SmackDown on FOX debut during the March 20 episode from New Orleans, then will appear at WrestleMania 36 to begin a storyline that will lead to a match.

In an update, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Gronk’s WrestleMania 36 role is still being decided, and that an appearance is not a lock at this point.

Gronk is expected to wrestle at least a few matches under his WWE contract. It’s likely that he will wrestle at the SummerSlam pay-per-view in Boston from the TD Garden, which should get him a good pop as he played his entire NFL career with the Patriots.

It will be interesting to see if WWE has Gronk work with his good friend Mojo Rawley. Gronk, a noted pro wrestling fan, made his WWE debut at WrestleMania 33 back in 2017, to help Mojo win the 4th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Source: Wrestling Inc.