Tonight’s WWE NXT on the USA Network will feature the fallout from Sunday’s “Takeover: Portland” event.
WWE has confirmed MMA legend Tito Ortiz trained at the Performance Center last week.
WWE confirmed the news to ESPN on Thursday after Tito’s training session was first reported by the Wrestling Observer.
No additional details have been made public at this time, but this would not be Tito’s first time getting involved in professional wrestling. He was most famously part of the #August1Warning angle at Impact Wrestling which ultimately led to him joining Aces and Eights.
Tito’s 2013 TNA stint did not last long, however, as he was pulled by Bellator due to a scheduled fight.
Ortiz’s last MMA fight in December was a win over former WWE star Alberto El Patron with his old WWE title belt on the line.
Tito’s team had no comment when asked about the training session by ESPN.
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
JBL is reportedly scheduled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 36 week, Wrestling Inc. has exclusively learned. It’s not known when the induction will be announced.
JBL is a former WWE Champion, a title he held for 280 days. He has also held the WWE Intercontinental Championship, as well as the WWF Tag Team Championship on three occasions with Ron Simmons.
After retiring from in-ring competition following WrestleMania XXV in 2009, JBL made occasional appearances for the company before becoming a commentator. He worked on-and-off as a commentator until he announced in September of 2017 that he was stepping away from WWE to dedicate more time on humanitarian work for at-risk youth and communities in Bermuda.
JBL last appeared for WWE at the 2018 WWE Tribute to the Troops event, where he worked on commentary.
WWE has so far confirmed Batista and the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman) for the 2020 Hall of Fame. As previously reported, The British Bulldog, The Bella Twins and Jushin Thunder Liger are also expected to be inducted into the 2020 Class.
The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place on Thursday, April 2nd from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Matt Hardy took to Twitter today with cryptic comments following last night’s attack from Randy Orton on WWE RAW. It’s believed that this could be the angle to write Matt off WWE TV as his contract expires on March 1st, but the same thing was rumored after the attack by Orton last week.
WWE noted during RAW commentary that Matt had been taken to a local medical facility after the chair attack from Orton, while he was wearing a neck brace.
Matt wrote, “When tragedy FRACTURES you, SHATTERS you.. Pick up the pieces & recreate yourself into something GREATER. The #BROKEN pieces won’t be lost in limbo forever. NEVAH LOSE FAITH.”
With that tweet, Matt linked to a new “In Limbo” video, which you can see embedded below. That episode features Matt, in the brace, commenting on how he’s in a horrible slump and a terrible losing streak. He chokes and says maybe he was meant to be “Choken” Matt Hardy.
Matt made another tweet today that translates to the cycle of death and rebirth. “SAMSARA,” he wrote.
The other post-RAW tweet from Hardy links to the original “Free The Delete” episode.
He wrote, “Sitting in my #ChairOfWheels at the hospital & just realized I’ve seen this exact moment before in a PREMONITION. One ESSENCE must PERISH for a new ESSENCE to be RESURRECTED.”
Stay tuned for updates on Matt’s WWE future. You can see the latest “In Limbo” video and cryptic tweets below:
Source: Wrestling Inc.
“The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 36 Weekend in Tampa.
There’s no word yet on when WWE will announce the induction or who will posthumously induct The Bulldog, but Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Bulldog’s induction has been confirmed.
Bulldog passed away at the age of 39 on May 18, 2002. He is a former WWE Intercontinental, European, Hardcore, and Tag Team Champion.
Bulldog’s family has pushed for his Hall of Fame induction for several years now, calling on other wrestlers to record video messages and make social media posts in support of the induction. It’s interesting to note that Bulldog’s son, David Hart Smith, recently returned to WWE programming for an appearance on The Bump, as Wrestling Inc. noted before at this link.
Regarding other 2020 inductions, it was noted that the reports of The Bella Twins and Jushin Thunder Liger going into the Hall this year are correct.
WWE has previously confirmed the headliners for this year – Batista and the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman).
The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 2 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, during WrestleMania 36 Week.
Stay tuned for updates on the 2020 Class.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
NXT “Takeover: Portland” event from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon opened with a live performance by Poppy and her band.
https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1229194645781073920
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1229213547751780352
NXT North American Championship: Keith Lee (c) vs. Dominik Dijakovic –
Winner: Keith Lee
Street Fight: Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox –
Raquel Gonzalez attacked Tegan and tossed her off the top rope and through a table to allow Dakota to get the win. After the match, Raquel raised Tegan’s hand.
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1229207450873663490
Winner: Dakota Kai
https://twitter.com/TripleH/status/1229207926176247808
Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano –
Winner: Finn Balor
NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Bianca Belair –
Winner: Rhea Ripley
After the match, Charlotte Flair attacked Rhea and accepted her challenge for WrestleMania 36. Charlotte tthen also attacked Bianca.
https://twitter.com/WWENetwork/status/1229223321549627392
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1229225099150184448
NXT Tag Team Championship: Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) (c) vs. The BroserWeights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle) –
Winners and new NXT Tag Team Champions: The BroserWeights
NXT Championship: Adam Cole (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa –
Winner: Adam Cole
What an incredible match. Undisputed Era got involved towards the end but it was a shot to the head with the title belt by Johnny Gargano that cost Ciampa from getting Goldie back.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shared a video on Sunday of a brief guest coaching session he did at the WWE Performance which shows the first in-ring footage of his daughter Simone.
The video begins with The Rock saying he had about 4-5 hours to visit the PC and see his daughter Simone Johnson train. Dwayne also says there’s only one place he’d trust his daughter learning to wrestle, and that’s with family aka The McMahons.
As we previously reported, the 18-year-old fourth generation wrestler recently signed with WWE.
In the footage, Simone is seen trading moves in the ring with Deonna Purrazzo as The Rock and most of NXT’s female roster watch on. He then asks to show them something and offers advice to his daughter in regards to what he had just seen.
Simone explains in an interview that is shown how it’s been great having her dad advise her and that he lets her find her own path, while also giving guidance when he can.
Dwayne Johnson is also shown taking questions from the PC trainees.
The video ends with The Rock and Simone preparing to lock up in the ring together, as well as Dwayne lifting her up for a vertical suplex.
Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet
WWE has announced a No Holds Barred match for Monday’s WWE RAW from the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington.
The match will see two WWE veterans clash as Matt Hardy take on Randy Orton.
This match was made after Orton took out Matt with a steel chair shot to the head on this week’s RAW. Matt had just confronted Orton over his recent attack to WWE Hall of Famer Edge.
It had appeared that the angle on this week’s RAW was done to write Matt off WWE TV as his contract expires on March 1 and he’s reportedly on his way out of the company. There’s no word yet on if he has re-signed, or if WWE is just using him until March 1.
Below is the announcement on Monday’s No Holds Barred match:
Matt Hardy to battle Randy Orton in No Holds Barred MatchThis past Monday on Raw, Randy Orton subjected Matt Hardy to the same brutal Con-Chair-To that sent Edge out of Raw on a stretcher. Now, Hardy is coming for payback.
In the wake of Orton’s heinous attack, the former Raw Tag Team Champion is now slated to battle The Apex Predator in a No Holds Barred Match, placing Orton directly on a collision course with his most recent victim — to say nothing of a Superstar who refuses to take the abuse lying down. After all, Hardy is as much a trailblazer as Edge, and his history is almost completely entwined with that of The Rated-R Superstar. Then again, Randy Orton seems to take a particular delight in destroying legends these days. He’ll be more than happy to do it again.
Tune in to Raw this Monday, live at 8/7 C on USA Network.
February 16, 2020 at 7:00 PM ET (Preshow at 6:30 PM ET) – Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
NXT Championship: Adam Cole (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa
NXT Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Bianca Belair
Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano
NXT Tag Team Championship: Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) (c) vs. The BroserWeights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle)
Street Fight: Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox
NXT North American Championship: Keith Lee (c) vs. Dominik Dijakovic
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX will take place from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia as the Road to WWE Super ShowDown and WrestleMania 36 continues.
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