Tag: WWE

WWE Confirms They Have WrestleMania 36 Contingency Plan

WWE has confirmed that they have WrestleMania 36 contingency plans in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

WWE issued a statement this evening that said they will have the back-up plans in place if WrestleMania ends up cancelled by local officials. They also said they are closely monitoring the situation.

“While we remain committed to hosting WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, April 5, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that it is cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues. The health and safety of our fans, performers and employees are our top priorities and we are monitoring the situation closely with our partners and government officials in Tampa Bay,” WWE’s statement reads.

As we’ve noted, top local officials and WWE officials, including WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, met in Tampa Bay, Florida earlier today to discuss the status of the big event, and the potential schedule change. There had been some speculation on WrestleMania being pushed back until the summer due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but the city has decided not to cancel WrestleMania, at least for now.

There’s no word yet on what WWE’s contingency plans for WrestleMania 36 consist of, but we will keep you updated.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Live Event Nixed Due To Coronavirus, Update On WWE’s Return To MSG, Monday’s RAW Note

Sunday’s WWE live event scheduled for the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The arena issued an e-mail to ticket holders earlier today and said the WWE live event scheduled for Sunday, March 15 was canceled due to the new order from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, which bans gatherings with more than 250 people expected. The statement was also tweeted, as seen below. The arena is offering refunds to people who already purchased tickets, but no makeup date has been announced.

In an update on a possible change for the WWE live event scheduled for Sunday, March 22 from Madison Square Garden in New York City, that event will not be taking place. New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio declared a State of Emergency today due to the COVID-19 outbreak and there’s a ban on events or gatherings with 500 or more people expected. DeBlasio told media at the press conference that the State of Emergency could go on for months.

MSG has not commented on the WWE live event and the date remains on both calendars, but the legendary venue did issue the following statement in support of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the restrictions announced today:

“The Madison Square Garden Company supports Governor Cuomo’s decision regarding New York venues. We encourage you to check back to this site, which will be your source for further details about our future events, which we will update regularly as more information becomes available.”

An official update on the MSG show should be released soon, and we will keep you updated. This is the MSG live event that was scheduled to feature a special appearance by WWE Hall of Famers DX.

There are still two WWE NXT live events scheduled for this weekend – Friday in Venice, Florida and Saturday in Daytona Beach, FL. Monday’s RAW from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA is still on as of this writing. WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin, WWE Hall of Famer Edge, The Undertaker and others are scheduled for Austin’s special “3:16 Day” edition of RAW. The PPG Paints Arena still has RAW listed, and has not commented on any potential changes. They were still plugging The Undertaker’s appearance as of yesterday.

 

The WWE Supershow live event scheduled for this Saturday, March 14 at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada has been cancelled.

The arena announced today that the “Road to WrestleMania 36” Supershow live event was nixed and that refunds are available at all points of purchase. There was no makeup date announced.

The arena’s Twitter announcement, seen below, did not blame the cancellation on the coronavirus pandemic, but they announced other schedule changes earlier today with the COVID-19 outbreak as the reason.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Confirms Tonight’s SmackDown Officially Moved To The Performance Center

Tonight’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown on FOX will air live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show was originally scheduled for the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

WWE released a statement saying:

“Friday Night SmackDown on March 13 will air live as regularly scheduled and emanate from WWE’s training facility in Orlando, Florida with only essential personnel in attendance. The event was originally scheduled in Detroit, Michigan.”

WWE has confirmed that tonight’s show will air without a crowd. It was noted that only “essential personnel” will be in attendance due to the COVID-19 outbreak. WWE has announced that Jeff Hardy and John Cena will return on tonight’s show. Cena will be there to address “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt ahead of WrestleMania 36. The retired Paige will also return tonight, to confront SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. It’s believed that Paige will bring someone with her to step up to Bayley.

  • Jeff Hardy set to return on Friday Night SmackDown
  • Paige vows to confront Bayley on SmackDown
  • John Cena returns to SmackDown on The Road to WrestleMania

There’s still no word yet on if WWE 205 Live will air tonight from the Performance Center. Announced for that show is the WWE NXT Cruiserweights vs. 205 Live Originals in the Captain’s Challenge Ten-Man Elimination Match – Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Tyler Breeze, Danny Burch, Oney Lorcan and a mystery partner vs. Jack Gallagher, The Brian Kendrick, Ariya Daivari, Mike Kanellis and Captain Tony Nese.

“The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith Offcially Announced For The WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2020

It was announced earlier this morning on WWE’s “After The Bell” podcast with host Corey Graves, that “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 during WrestleMania 36 Weekend in Tampa.

Bulldog’s son, Davey Boy Smith Jr., joined Graves, Natalya and Tyson Kidd for the Hall of Fame announcement and revealed that he will be doing the honors for his father that day. It was previously reported that WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was expected to induct his late brother-in-law, but that’s not the case. The entire Hart Family was scheduled to travel to Tampa to at one point to be there for the induction, but there’s no word yet on if they still plan to make the trip because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s been long overdue, but I’m really excited and glad to induct my father into the Hall of Fame,” Smith Jr. said on the podcast. “It’s something great not only for my family but for the WWE Universe as well, and I’m so excited and jacked up about it.”

WWE issued the following official announcement on Bulldog’s induction:

British Bulldog to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame“The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020 during WrestleMania 36 Week in Tampa. The news was first broken by the official WWE podcast, WWE After the Bell with Corey Graves.

British Bulldog joins Batista, nWo members Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash & Shawn Waltman, The Bella Twins and JBL in the Class of 2020.

Smith first broke into the squared circle as a teenager in his home country of England, competing alongside his cousin, Dynamite Kid. The two Brits soon caught the eye of The Hart Family, who brought them to Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling. There, Smith and Dynamite grew as competitors, both as rivals and tag team partners.

Known as The British Bulldogs, the two quickly became one of the most impressive tag teams in the world. Smith’s raw power was the perfect complement to Dynamite Kid’s speed and precision. The two debuted in WWE in 1984 and quickly became one of the WWE Universe’s most beloved tandems as they engaged in a rivalry with The Hart Foundation. At WrestleMania 2, with heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne in their corner, The Bulldogs defeated The Dream Team to capture the World Tag Team Championship on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

At the tail end of the 1980s, Smith & Dynamite Kid left WWE to compete internationally, but Smith returned in 1990. Competing as The British Bulldog, he once again became immensely popular with the WWE Universe, this time as a singles competitor. Bulldog’s return to WWE was highlighted by two huge victories in his homeland. First, he outlasted 19 other Superstars to win a 1991 Battle Royal in London’s Royal Albert Hall. One year later, in front of more than 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, he defeated Bret “Hit Man” Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1992 in what is widely regarded as one of WWE’s finest matches.

The British Bulldog would continue to be a globally renowned Superstar throughout the 1990s with stints in WCW as well as WWE, where he became the first-ever WWE European Champion, Hardcore Champion and held the World Tag Team Championship once again, this time with Owen Hart.

Although British Bulldog passed away in 2002, his impact on WWE cannot be denied, and he is more than deserving of enshrinement in the WWE Hall of Fame!

Don’t miss British Bulldog 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!

The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 2 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, during WrestleMania 36 Week. It will air live on the WWE Network.

Japanese pro wrestling legend Jushin Thunder Liger is still rumored for the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Class, but he has not been confirmed. Below is the updated announced line-up:

* Batista (possibly inducted by Fit Finlay)

* The nWo’s Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman (inductor TBA)

* The Bella Twins (inductor TBA)

* JBL (possibly inducted by WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons)

* “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith (inducted by his son, Davey Boy Smith Jr.)

Stay tuned for updates on the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Class.

https://twitter.com/DBSmithjr/status/1238111218621124608

Speculation On WrestleMania Being Delayed This Year Due To Coronavirus, WWE HQ Changes Amid Pandemic

Could we see WrestleMania 36 take place in the summer?

As we’ve noted, Tampa city officials are scheduled to meet this afternoon to discuss the possible cancellation or postponement of large events due to the coronavirus pandemic, and WWE’s biggest show of the year will likely be discussed. It’s been reported that an announcement on WrestleMania 36 changes could be coming some time today, and that the announcement may be bad news for WWE.

Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT noted on Twitter that we may be looking at a WrestleMania summer this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Think we’re looking at a summer ‘Mania…,” McCarthy wrote on Twitter. He continued, “June/July is one of WWE’s contingency plans I believe. With the European travel ban, number of events shutting down and even the NBA season outright suspended… I can’t see how WWE can run ‘Mania now.”

McCarthy posted a follow-up and said things have changed drastically in the last 48 hours due to the outbreak. He revealed that Drew McIntyre was forced to fly back to the United States earlier than scheduled after spending a few days overseas doing WrestleMania 36 promotional work. This comes after President Trump announced a 30-day travel ban between Europe and the United States last night, which does not include the United Kingdom, and will run through WrestleMania 36 Week.

“Things have changed drastically in the past 48 hours with the coronavirus,” McCarthy tweeted. “I had an interview with Drew McIntyre today but he’s been flown back to the US following the travel restrictions they’ve just put in place. Sucks, but understandable.”

It should be noted that as of right now, WrestleMania 36 is still scheduled to take place on April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. There has been no official announcement on any changes to the schedule.

On a related note, Sheamus has also been overseas doing promotional work this week. He revealed on Twitter that he also was forced to fly back to the United States due to the travel restrictions.

He wrote, “Trip cut short. Flying back Stateside… [UK flag emoji] [airplane departure emoji] [US flag emoji] #TravelBan”

Braun Strowman also took to Twitter today to weigh in on the coronavirus situation, which is changing rapidly.

“It blows my mind with what’s going on in the world is the lack of consideration for others people have. Walking through the airport watching and listening to people cough and sneeze without covering there damn face with out a care in the world for others is beyond unexceptionable,” Strowman wrote.

On a related note, PWInsider reports that as of this week, WWE started a rotation where employees from certain departments at company headquarters in Stamford, CT will be working from home so that the company can plan out logistics if they need to make a decision on having employees work outside of HQ. This process of telecommuting will likely continue over the next week or so, at least.

Stay tuned for more updates on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the world of professional wrestling. We are expecting an announcement on WrestleMania 36 some time this afternoon.

https://twitter.com/BraunStrowman/status/1238103815255179265

https://twitter.com/WWESheamus/status/1238077614515986433

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Denies Friday’s SmackDown Is Being Moved To Performance Center Due To Coronavirus, The Latest On The Virus, Pro Wrestling

WWE issued a statement denying that Friday’s SmackDown has been moved from the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan to the WWE Performance Center due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

It was reported on Wednesday night, that Friday’s WWE TV tapings were being nixed due to the coronavirus pandemic. In an update, WWE issued a statement late tonight and denied that SmackDown in Detroit was being cancelled. They did say that they are putting contingency plans in place for upcoming shows.

The following statement was issued to ESPN:

“WWE has not cancelled Friday Night SmackDown in Detroit, however, based on the current situation, we are putting contingency plans in place in the event that upcoming WWE shows are cancelled by government officials, civil authorities and/or local venues.”

Stay tuned for updates on the situation. You can click here for news on President Trump’s 30-day travel ban that will impact WrestleMania 36 visitors, and click here for news on a potential major WrestleMania 36 coronavirus announcement that could come on Thursday afternoon. You can also click here to see what Sheamus and Sasha Banks had to say about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Below is information about the Coronavirus pandemic and the status of pro wrestling and MMA shows across the world from Wrestling Observer Radio

WWE NXT Preview 3/11/20

Tonight’s WWE NXT will be a special edition, airing on the USA Network from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Tonight’s show is airing from the Performance Center due to Full Sail University using the Full Sail Live venue (the NXT Arena) for an event that is related to their annual Hall of Fame Week. Triple H recently stated that they knew about the Full Sail event for a long time. There’s no word yet on what the set up will be for tonight’s show inside the Performance Center, but it will be interesting to see. WWE billed tonight’s event as a Fan Appreciation Night and put up a limited number of free tickets after the February 26 episode at Full Sail, but they were gone in less than 10 seconds.

  • Keith Lee defends the NXT North American Championship against Cameron Grimes
  • The BroserWeights defend the NXT Tag Team Titles against Undisputed ERA
  • How will Adam Cole react to The Velveteen Dream’s actions?
  • What does Johnny Gargano have planned for Tommaso Ciampa?

Tampa Officials To Discuss Canceling Or Postponing Major Events On Thursday

The City of Tampa and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will be meeting on Thursday to discuss canceling or postponing major events due to the coronavirus. CBS Tampa’s Ryan Bass tweeted the news tonight.

His full tweet was, “@CityofTampa and @JaneCastor will meet on Thursday to discuss canceling or postponing “major” events due to #Coronavirus. This weekend’s River O’Green fest isn’t likely to be canceled.”

WrestleMania 36 will most definitely be one of the events to be discussed on Thursday. As noted the event is scheduled to be in Tampa on April 5 at the Raymond James Stadium.

Due to the virus, several large popular events like Coachella and South by Southwest have been canceled or postponed.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Nia Jax WWE Return Update

Nia Jax is reportedly expected to return to WWE at any point now, according to PWInsider.

She’s been medically cleared for in-ring action, it’s simply up to WWE to work her back into a storyline.

Jax underwent double knee surgery last April, and in December, got back to training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

Her last match on WWE TV was at WrestleMania 35 where The IIconics won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship in a Fatal 4-Way Match against Bayley & Sasha Banks, Beth Phoenix & Natalya, and Tamina & Jax.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Rob Gronkowski Signs With WWE, Will Debut On SmackDown And Appear At WrestleMania 36

Gronk is reportedly headed to WrestleMania 36.

Former NFL player and WWE celebrity friend Rob Gronkowski has signed with WWE and is set to appear at WrestleMania 36 next month, according to The Wrap.

The former New England Patriots tight end has now signed a contract with WWE, and will make his official debut during the March 20 episode of SmackDown on FOX from New Orleans.

Gronk is also scheduled to appear at WrestleMania 36. It was noted that current plans for the WrestleMania 36 appearance will lead to a future match for the three-time Super Bowl champion. Gronk is not scheduled to wrestle on The Grandest Stage of Them All this year, but that appearance will lead to the match they have in mind.

The 30 year old Gronk, who retired from the NFL one year ago, signed with FOX Sports as an analyst back in October. The Wrap reached out to FOX Sports for comments on if the new WWE deal will impact Gronk’s NFL work, but there’s no word yet.

It was reported last night on WWE Backstage by Pro Wrestling Sheet‘s Ryan Satin that Gronk and WWE were close to finalizing a deal. That deal has been officially signed, according to the new report from The Wrap.

Gronk, a noted pro wrestling fan and good friend to Mojo Rawley, made his WWE debut at WrestleMania 33 back in 2017, to help Mojo win the 4th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

There’s no word yet on the terms of Rob’s deal with WWE.

Source: Wrestling Inc.