WWE has confirmed the 2020 Draft for next month.
It was announced during last night’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view that the WWE Draft will kick off on the October 9 SmackDown episode. It will then end on the October 12 RAW episode.
There’s no word yet on potential WWE Draft plans.
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1310376497228771329
The 2020 WWE Clash of Champions Kickoff pre-show opens up from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida as Charly Caruso welcomes us. She’s joined by WWE Hall of Famers JBL and Booker T, and Peter Rosenberg. Charly confirms that Nikki Cross vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley will not happen tonight, and The Riott Squad vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax has also been scrapped. She says Cross, Jax and Baszler are not medically cleared to compete. Bayley will address her match on tonight’s pay-per-view, but the tag team match will be addressed during tomorrow’s RAW.
WWE SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (KICKOFF)
Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Lucha House Party
Winners: Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (WINNER TAKES ALL LADDER MATCH)
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn
Winner and New Undisputed WWE Intercontinental Champion: Sami Zayn
– We see the Kickoff appearance by WWE 24/7 Champion R-Truth. We see Truth backstage now, being careful. He enters the referee’s room but gets called out by referees. Drew Gulak ends up rolling Truth up for the pin to become the new WWE 24/7 Champion. Gulak runs off with the title.
WWE RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Asuka (c) vs. Zelina Vega
Winner: Asuka
WWE US CHAMPIONSHIP
Bobby Lashley (c) with MVP vs. Apollo Crews with Ricochet
Winner: Bobby Lashley
WWE RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The Street Profits (c) vs. Andrade and Angel Garza
Winners: The Street Profits
SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley comes out carrying a steel chair, and stops to raise it on the ramp as the pyro goes off.
Bayley places her title in the chair and takes the mic. She says it sucks that Nikki Cross is unable to compete tonight. She was looking forward to Cross proving the world wrong and beating her because she doesn’t have Sasha Banks in her corner. Bayley goes on mocking Cross and says she even got new gear for her tonight. Bayley says she’s our role model and will not let us down tonight. She’s extending an offer for anyone on SmackDown to come challenge for her title. No one comes in the few seconds since she made the offer, so Bayley calls for the referee to come in and declare her the winner. The music finally hits and out comes RAW Women’s Champion Asuka to a big pop.
WWE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Bayley (c) vs. Asuka
Winner by DQ: Asuka
– After the bell, Bayley delivers another chair shot over the back. Bayley is announced as the champion. Sasha Banks suddenly appears, still wearing a neck brace, but she nails Bayley over the back with a steel chair to drop her. The crowd pops for Banks. Banks kicks Bayley in the face and starts beating on her at ringside. Banks stops to clutch her own neck as she’s in pain. Bayley grabs Banks and brings her in the ring, stopping to yell at Cole. Bayley slides a steel chair in and then brings a kendo stick in. Bayley stands the chair up and grabs another chair from the corner. Bayley stalks Banks but Banks kicks her leg out and she goes down. Banks grabs the kendo stick and unloads on Bayley with it, beating her around the ring. Bayley crawls for a chair but Banks steps on it to stop her. Banks grabs the chair and backs Bayley into the ropes. She swings the chair but Bayley retreats to the floor to avoid it. Banks sells the neck injury as her music hits. She looks on from the ring as Bayley takes her title and heads up the ramp. We go to replays. Banks stands tall in the ring, holding her neck. Bayley stares back from the stage, clutching her title.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP (AMBULANCE MATCH)
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton
Winner: Drew McIntyre
– After the match, Drew stands tall as his music hits. The referee hands him the WWE Title and raises his arm in victory. Drew beats on the back of the ambulance, giving the signal for it to be driven away. Drew goes up to the stage and watches, raising the WWE Title in the air as the crowd cheers him on. The referee then slaps the truck but it’s not moving. The referee goes up to the front seat to see what the hold up is. We see WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair at the wheel of the ambulance. Flair delivers a line and a “Woooo!” before driving the ambulance away, sirens blaring.
WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman vs. Jey Uso
Winner: Roman Reigns
– After the bell, Reigns finally backs off Jey. Jimmy hits the ring to check on Jey, yelling at Reigns and telling him that they’re family. Jimmy tells Reigns he’s the chief, if that’s what he wants to hear, just leave Jey alone. Jimmy goes on about how they’re family and Reigns needs to chill. Reigns takes his title and looks down at The Usos. Heyman brings in the Samoan lei that Jey wore to the ring, and places it around Reigns’ neck. Reigns’ music hits as he raises the title in the air and is announced the winner. Still in the ring, Reigns stands tall and stares down at The Usos as WWE’s “Clash of Champions: Gold Rush” pay-per-view goes off the air.
Transcript via Wrestling Inc.
DATE: September 27, 2020 at 7:00 PM ET (Preshow at 6:00 PM ET)
LOCATION: Amway Center (WWE Thunderdome), Orlando, Florida
AVAILABLE ON: WWE Network (first month free for new subscribers)
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP (AMBULANCE MATCH)
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton
WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman vs. Jey Uso
WWE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Bayley (c) vs. Nikki Cross
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (LADDER MATCH)
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn
WWE US CHAMPIONSHIP
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Apollo Crews
WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (c) vs. The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott)
WWE SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Lucha House Party
WWE RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The Street Profits (c) vs. Andrade and Angel Garza
WWE RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP (KICKOFF)
Asuka (c) vs. Zelina Vega
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will feature the final build for Sunday’s WWE Clash of Champions pay-per-view.
There has been a recent COVID-19 outbreak in WWE NXT and at the WWE Performance Center, which led to changes on Wednesday’s TV show. It’s been reported that the outbreak may have started with a WWE Performance Center Coach, but that was not confirmed.
In an update, PWInsider now reports that there was no training in Florida on Thursday, and there’s no word yet on when training will resume.
It’s believed among several sources that this coronavirus outbreak started after a NXT wrestler threw a party that other trainees attended. There have been a number of positive tests this week, among trainees and staff members. It was noted that talents have been advised to sequester themselves.
WWE issued the following statement on this latest COVID-19 outbreak in NXT:
“As part of ongoing testing protocols, WWE completed its second round of weekly COVID-19 testing on Tuesday. Individuals that tested positive will quarantine for 14 days, receive medical care, and then will only be cleared when they are symptom-free and test negative. Additionally, extensive contact tracing has taken place and other individuals have been placed in 14-day quarantine, and will then only be cleared after they test negative.”
Next week’s Takeover go-home edition of NXT TV as taped on Wednesday, so the next live NXT event will be the Takeover event on Sunday, October 4. This gives the company 9 days from today to see if talents who missed this week’s tapings will be free & clear to return to work.
It was reported earlier this week, via Wrestling Observer Radio, that some main roster workers had gotten sick due to this latest outbreak in NXT, and that RAW and SmackDown plans could be impacted. PWInsider reports that as a safeguard to prevent further spread of the virus, talents and staff working at the Performance Center or on NXT tapings will not be allowed to work RAW or SmackDown tapings at the Amway Center in Orlando until further notice.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
The WWE is reportedly planning to move away from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, where it has set up ThunderDome, an interactive fan experience which includes a new set, videoboards, pyrotechnics, lasers, graphics, drone cameras, and rows of virtual fans on nearly 1,000 LED boards.
According to a report on Inside the Ropes, WWE talents have been told that “tentative plans are in place to start travelling again” once WWE’s contract with the Amway Center expires on October 31st.
The report added that talents have been asked to no longer make any travel plans of their own accord. However, superstars who wish to take time off from WWE must inform the company three weeks ahead of time.
Although preparations to migrate from ThunderDome are presently underway, there is also the possibility that WWE extends its contract with Amway Center starting from November. The report also noted that no firm decisions have been made yet regarding potential future destinations where WWE would host its shows in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As reported earlier by @Wrestlevotes, WWE officials have put together a small team to figure out the logistics of running WWE TV shows from outdoor venues once the ThunderDome contract expires at the Amway Center.
A small team was put together to figure out if running WWE TV shows from outdoor venues would be feasible for once the ThunderDome contract expires at the Amway Center.
The idea is that both RAW and SmackDown would run from the same outdoor venue each week. Everything is still up in the air and there’s no word on what that outdoor venue might be, but they are hoping for somewhere in the Southern United States with good weather.
If the contract with Amway Center is not renewed, it looks like WWE’s final dates at the Amway Center will be Hell In a Cell on October 25, Monday Night RAW on October 26, and Friday Night SmackDown on October 30.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
A mysterious vignette aired on WWE NXT Wednesday night for what appears to be a former champion.
The video began with night vision footage of someone walking through a backstage warehouse towards a glass case holding old versions of the NXT title belt inside.
“I’m not sure what happened. I helped create something out of my own blood,” a distorted voice said over the footage. “Years and years of dedication, only to be taken over by paper champions. These NXT Championships have been in isolation for far too long. Now, I’ve come back to take what is mine.”
The person then breaks the glass case and grabs one of the belts before the video ends teasing the date of NXT TakeOver on October 4.
The only two former NXT champions who are still in the company, but not doing anything on television at the moment are Bo Dallas and Bobby Roode.
Watch the full teaser below.
Tonight’s “Take Off To Takeover” edition of WWE NXT on the USA Network will feature more build for the upcoming NXT Takeover event on October 4.
* Tommaso Ciampa vs. Jake Atlas
* Gauntlet Eliminator with Bronson Reed, Kushida, Kyle O’Reilly, Cameron Grimes and Timothy Thatcher, to determine the new #1 contender for NXT Champion Finn Balor at Takeover
* Battle Royal with Rhea Ripley, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, Shotzi Blackheart, Kayden Carter, Kacy Catanzaro, Aliyah, Xia Li, and Indi Hartwell to determine the new #1 contender to NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai for a title shot at Takeover
Tonight’s live WWE RAW from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida will be the red brand go-home show for Sunday’s WWE Clash of Champions pay-per-view.
* Braun Strowman vs. Dabba-Kato in a RAW Underground fight
* Update on Randy Orton’s condition going into Clash of Champions
* WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Keith Lee in a non-title match
* Dominik Mysterio and Humberto Carrillo vs. Seth Rollins and Murphy vs. Andrade and Angel Garza to crown new #1 contenders to face RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits at Clash of Champions
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX episode will be headlined by a Samoan Street Fight as the build for WWE Clash of Champions continues.
