WWE SmackDown Live Preview 8/20/19

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live  will take place from the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

* Buddy Murphy and Daniel Bryan to battle as The Big Dog’s whodunnit looms large

* Can Kevin Owens silence Elias as the King of the Ring begins?

* Apollo Crews and Andrade to settle the score in the first round of the King of the Ring

* How will Kofi Kingston respond to Randy Orton’s vicious assaults?

WWE 205 Live Preview 8/20/19

Tonight’s WWE 205 Live will take place from the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Team Lorcan vs. Team Gulak

After their brutal SummerSlam title rematch last week on WWE 205 Live, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak and Oney Lorcan had a heated altercation and had to be separated by WWE officials and fellow Cruiserweights.

As a result of the chaos after the bout, WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick took to Twitter to announce that Gulak and Lorcan would each pick a team of five Superstars, including themselves, and compete in a Captain’s Challenge Match tonight on WWE 205 Live.

Over the next five days, Gulak chose Ariya Daivari, Mike Kanellis, Angel Garza and his friend-turned-rival Tony Nese. Lorcan put together a squad consisting of Gentleman Jack Gallagher, Akira Tozawa, Humberto Carrillo and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott.

Who will reign supreme? Don’t miss this highly anticipated battle. WWE 205 Live, streaming live tonight at 10/9 C on the award-winning WWE Network.

Jerry “The King” Lawler Reveals Why He’s Not Thrilled With The WWE King Of The Ring Tournament, Lawler Attacked By The Fiend

After yet the latest hiatus of the event, the King of the Ring has been revived yet again by WWE. The tournament returned for the first time since 2015 last night on RAW.

Some of the greatest Superstars in WWE history have won past editions including Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Booker T and the recently deceased Harley Race. Many of the past winners have even adopted king gimmicks after winning such as Booker T becoming King Booker and Randy Savage becoming the Macho King.

But someone who has had “King” in his name throughout essentially his entire career is Jerry “The King” Lawler. The King isn’t thrilled with the idea of The King of the Ring returning as it, in part, infringes upon his gimmick as he told Wrestling Inc’s Andy Malnoske.

“When they had the very first King of the Ring tournament, that’s what made me show up in the WWE because I was a little PO’d about it, and I still am to be honest with you. It’s so easy to win a couple of matches and slide a crown on yourself and call yourself the King of the Ring. I’ve been doing this 49 years to earn this crown right here [shows off his crown],” said Lawler.

“For them to have a one-night or two-night tournament to crown a king, I’m not too crazy about it. But they use it as an opportunity to promote somebody and put somebody in the spotlight which, in that respect, I understand so I can’t be too upset about it.

“I promised them that I wouldn’t go in the ring and spoil the coronation of the new king.”

The King of the Ring preliminary matches will take place on both RAW and SmackDown with the finals being held at Clash of Champions.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

 

 

Last night on RAW Jerry Lawler was attacked by “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt after he talked up the King of the Ring Tournament and before he was able to interview Sasha Banks.

WWE Confirms NXT Moving To The USA Network

The announcement didn’t come last night as it was previously reported to be announced, but WWE confirmed today that NXT will begin airing on the USA Network starting on September 18th. In a press release sent to Wrestling Inc., it was noted that WWE and the USA Network reached an agreement “in principle”, and that the show will be live for two hours every week.

“The move to USA Network provides an opportunity to deepen our relationship with NBCUniversal and further build the NXT brand,” said WWE CEO Vince McMahon. “Over the long term, our goal is to develop a following that can be monetized to the same level as our flagship programs, Raw and SmackDown.”

WWE also confirmed that the show will take place each week from Full Sail University.

Below is the full press release:

NXT® MOVES TO USA NETWORKNEW YORK and STAMFORD, Conn., August 20, 2019 –WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and USA Network today announced an agreement in principle to air WWE’s weekly Wednesday night show, NXT, live on USA Network at 8/7c starting September 18.

Following NXT’s growth in popularity, the new two-hour weekly show will expand its reach on USA Network, the leader in cable entertainment, while staying in its Wednesday night timeslot that it has held since 2015.

“The move to USA Network provides an opportunity to deepen our relationship with NBCUniversal and further build the NXTbrand,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “Over the long term our goal is to develop a following that can be monetized to the same level as our flagship programs, Raw®and SmackDown®.”

“USA Network and WWE have one of the longest and most successful partnerships in television history,” said Chris McCumber, President, Entertainment Networks – USA and SYFY. “As the #1 cable entertainment network, we’re excited to add NXT to our weekly lineup alongside powerhouse flagship Raw, and to bring a new generation of Superstars to a wide audience.”

NXT launched in 2010 and has risen to become WWE’s third global brand alongside Raw and SmackDown, hosting nearly 200 live events around the world each year. Airing on Wednesday nights at 8 pm, NXT has been WWE Network’s #1 weekly series.

NXT offers a unique blend of authentic in-ring action with exciting and entertaining storylines that feature WWE’s hottest up-and-coming Superstars including Adam Cole™, Velveteen Dream™, Shayna Baszler™, Johnny Gargano®, Matt Riddle™, Bianca Belair™, Io Shirai™, Candice LeRae™, Tommaso Ciampa™, Kyle O’Reilly™ and Bobby Fish™. The brand’s diverse roster consists of elite athletes from the NFL, collegiate and amateur sports, MMA and international sports such as rugby, kushti and kabaddi. It is also the birthplace to 80 percent of the current Raw and SmackDownrosters including Becky Lynch®, Seth Rollins®, Roman Reigns®, Charlotte Flair®, Bayley®, Sasha Banks®, Alexa Bliss®, Bray Wyatt® and Baron Corbin®.

The series will continue to emanate from Full Sail University in Orlando as part of WWE’s production partnership with the preeminent entertainment, media, arts and technology institution.

NXT will be available on demand on the WWE Network every Thursday beginning at 8/7C. The current format of NXT has been airing on Wednesday nights on the WWE Network since 2015.

WWE RAW Preview 8/19/19 – King Of The Ring Tournament Returns

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota with the return of the King of the Ring tournament.

* 2019 King of the Ring tournament returns

* Braun Strowman to face AJ Styles for the United States Title on Raw

* Sasha Banks’ brutal return sparks questions – Sasha to explain her actions on  “The King’s Court” with Jerry “The King” Lawler

* Cedric Alexander squares off with Sami Zayn as the King of the Ring kicks off

* Cesaro and Samoa Joe to throw down with their eyes on the throne

* Walking with (and running after) Elias

WWE NXT To USA Network Announcement Reportedly Coming Tonight

WWE NXT’s new home is looking more and more like the USA Network, after initial reports had FS1 as the new landing spot for the brand. The plan is to make it a two-hour, live show that would fill in the 8 pm ET – 10 pm ET time slot on Wednesday, much like the upcoming AEW weekly show that starts on October 2.

The USA Network got much more involved in negotiations over the last several weeks and the feeling for some within WWE was it is a “done deal.”

Yesterday, the @WrestleVotes Twitter account said WWE would be making an official announcement on Monday about NXT – USA.

On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, it was also confirmed that would be the case, and it would happen during RAW. Dave Meltzer reported, Triple H was talking to people and dropping hints, while saying, “I want to tell you, but I can’t tell you. But watch TV on Monday.” Meltzer also said it would be the USA Network, and not FS1 as the new destination, which makes sense if the announcement comes during RAW (also on USA).

As noted previously, the plan still sounds like NXT wants to get a jump on the new competition before AEW goes live on TNT on October 2 with NXT episodes starting a few week prior.

In regards to Vince McMahon, Meltzer noted it’s likely he’ll still be very much involved since it’s on the USA Network and because this is a “war,” as opposed to just putting NXT on the station to give it more attention.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

UPDATE:

WWE NXT is set to premiere on the USA network on Wednesday, September 18, according to a new report from Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline.com.

WWE King Of The Ring Tournament Brackets Released

WWE released the King of the Ring tournament brackets for the first round.

The announcement came in a video released Friday afternoon by WWE.

First round matches featuring RAW competitors are as follows:

  • Cesaro vs. Samoa Joe
  • Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Cedric Alexander vs. Sami Zayn
  • The Miz vs. Baron Corbin

First round matches featuring SmackDown Live competitors are as follows:

  • Kevin Owens vs. Elias
  • Ali vs. Buddy Murphy
  • Chad Gable vs. Shelton Benjamin
  • Apollo Crews vs. Andrade

The 2019 King of the Ring tournament kicks off tonight on RAW

Matt Hardy Wants Fans’ Opinions On Gimmick, Says He Has Hard Decisions To Make In Coming Months

Matt Hardy wants to know what the fans think! The WWE star posted tonight a poll on Twitter asking what fans thought of The Ultimate Deletion and his Broken/Woken gimmick. The choices are simple, “YES, it was wonderful” and “NO, it was not wonderful.” The poll so far has over 1,000 votes and 96% picked Yes.

Hardy explained why he wants input from fans, because in the coming months he has some tough decisions to make. He also explained that he wants to spend his last years in the wrestling industry being as creative and productive as possible.

At the moment, Hardy’s gimmick is “you don’t understand how hard it is to be Matt Hardy.”

Matt Hardy’s full quote, “I wish to spend my last few years in the wrestling industry being as creative & productive as possible. I have some hard decisions in the coming months & the wrestling fan’s opinions matter to me. What did you think of The Ultimate Deletion?”

Below is the poll:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Goldberg On What Went Wrong In His Match With The Undertaker At WWE Super Showdown

Former multi-time world champion and WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg was a guest on Booker T’s The Hall Of Fame podcast. During his discussion with Booker, Goldberg wasn’t shy about looking back at the match he had against The Undertaker at WWE Super Showdown 2019.

“I’m not going to make excuses, that’s for sure. I’m just going to answer questions and give facts,” Bill stated. “Facts are the reason why I had that match [with The Undertaker] and took that opportunity, was because it was an opportunity of a lifetime whether I was 22, 52 or 102, you know? Not that it was in Saudi Arabia but because it was against The Undertaker. He was the one guy that I never crossed paths with, and the heat – I knew going in it was going to be hot. In Georgia playing for The Falcons, or The Georgia Bulldogs, or the L.A Rams down in Los Angeles, it’s hotter than hell and you know it’s going to be hot. It’s one of those things you accept.”

Goldberg mentioned how with each new match he books, the preparation leading up to it varies. Bill ultimately regrets his attention to trimming down and getting in shape as opposed to weight training and getting bigger for Super Showdown.

“I had the perfect storm of crappiness because, for me, people don’t know all the things that go into everything,” Goldberg said. “At 52, going against The Undertaker and being Bill Goldberg in the short period of time that I had, I can either do one or two things – I can get in really good shape or I can try to get as big as humanly possible so I don’t look like an old Bill Goldberg against The Undertaker. So, it’s a compromise; it’s always a compromise. This last time, though I didn’t need the cardio, man, I didn’t concentrate on getting big at all for the 4 weeks that I had. I just tried to get in shape. I didn’t try to add a pound. I tried to lose weight this time. Every situation is different. It’s like trapping for a different team. I liken everything to football because I’m a meathead and was born into a football helmet.”

Goldberg also explained that his stiff connection with the ring post was something he and many others were expecting to happen. He apparently goes out of his way to try and make the spots he is a part of look as realistic they possibly can.

“But the ring post thing, hey man, that’s a spot that a couple of the bookers came up to me and said, well, we called it,” Goldberg said. “We knew you were going to do that because 50% of the time I have done that spot I have not had good results. Because here’s the deal, I don’t profess to be an entertainer on the level of Ric Flair that can go out and make people laugh. I mean, I can, but it’s not my way of doing things. My way of making people’s jaws drop is blurring the line of reality and fiction so everything I do has to be – it’s like the kick I took from Dolph Ziggler.

“The first kick that I took felt really good because I had to react to it because it was planted on me. It was perfect,” Bill continued. “That is the way I work, man, I am a reactionary guy. If I am going to be a Defensive Lineman that was an All-American, if I’m going to be a guy who played a couple of years in the NFL, if I am going to be a guy that was known to be a thrasher, I’m not going to run into a turnbuckle and miss it and act like it killed me. I can’t do that, so I have to make it look as close as killing me as possible, and sometimes, unfortunately, the circumstances are such that I go a little overboard. And when you accelerate at an age, your body can’t take that overboard as it used to.

Along with an intense heatwave, Goldberg noted how the timing between he and The Undertaker caused additional issues to take place during their match at Super Showdown.

“I can’t bounce back from it like I used to, and then the perfect storm of the heat, and the perfect storm of The Undertaker not having the timing and not going at the same time at one point or something. Hey, at the end of the day, there’s never been a freaking dude in the middle of the ring that I couldn’t pick up, period. It was an unfortunate deal that I shouldn’t have gone as hard as I went. And then there were a couple of people saying that he referee should have called it. Well guess what? The referee asked me 15 times how I felt and you know what I told him? Fifteen different answers. I felt different every single time that he asked me.”

Goldberg followed up the poor performance against The Undertaker was a crowd-pleasing victory over Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam this past Sunday. When the subject of his storied career reaching it’s final chapter was brought up, Goldberg seemed conflicted on where his future is going.

“No, [I’m not finished],” Goldberg said. “I mean, I’d be content if I never stepped foot in the ring again. But I don’t know, it’s not something I aspire to do but it is something I aspire to do. I don’t know. I have no idea; I just don’t.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Co-President Michelle Wilson Sells Nearly 80% Of Her Company Stock

WWE Co-President Michelle Wilson sold 158,134 shares of her WWE stock last week. The shares, which amounted to 79% of her stake in the company, were sold at $69.30 worth $10,958,686.20.

Wilson now owns 41,508 shares worth around $2.7 million. According to Bloomberg, WWE is stating that she sold the shares for personal reasons. It was noted that she still has enough equity to meet the requirements for an officer at the company.

As previously reported, Wilson had also sold shares in late July, along with fellow WWE Co-President George Barrios, WWE CEO Vince McMahon, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, Kevin Dunn and Mark Kowal. Wilson had sold around $4.5 million of company stock during that transaction.

WWE stock is currently trading at $69.47, down 30% from its peak of $99 this past April.

Source: Wrestling Inc.