Tag: WWE

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.

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?