Tag: WWE

Top WWE Stars Announced For WrestleMania 35 Week TV Appearances, WWE Stars At Yankee Stadium (Photos)

WWE has announced the following WrestleMania 35 Week TV appearances for The Miz, Maryse, Elias, Kofi Kingston, RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns and Triple H:

WrestleMania Week takes over the airwavesIt all begins tonight when The Miz and Maryse – fresh off the announcement that “Miz & Mrs.” is returning for a second season – appear on NBC’s “Access” at 7:30 p.m. ET.

On Wednesday, April 3, Elias takes over Hot 97’s “Ebro in the Morning” at 6:30 a.m. ET and “MLB Central” on MLB Network beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

This Thursday, April 4, Kofi Kingston joins Hot 97’s “Ebro in the Morning” at 6:30 a.m. ET. Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey will appear on NBC’s “Today” at 9:30 a.m. ET, and The Miz and Maryse will be on NBC’s “Extra” at 7 p.m. ET.

Becky Lynch will appear on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York” this Friday beginning at 6 a.m. ET, before joining “Boomer and Gio” on WFAN at 8 a.m. ET. The Man will also appear on ESPN’s “First Take” at 11 a.m. ET and on “TMZ Live” on Fox 5 at 4 p.m. ET.

Also on Friday, Roman Reigns will appear on Z100’s “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” at 7 a.m. ET. The Big Dog will also join “Strahan and Sara” at 1 p.m. ET on ABC before talking to Mike Francesa on WFAN’s “Mike’s On” at 3:30 p.m. ET.Additional Superstar appearances on Friday include Kofi Kingston on “PIX 11 News” at 8 a.m. ET and Triple H on FS1’s “First Things First” at 9 a.m. ET. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Titus O’Neil and Rey Mysterio will also ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange at 4 p.m. ET.

Braun Strowman, Natalya and Titus O’Neil was at Yankee Stadium in New York City yesterday to officially kick off WrestleMania 35 Week with last night’s MLB game against the Detroit Tigers. Below are a few photos of the WWE Superstars at batting practice in their custom jerseys:

Jim Ross Says AEW Deal Is Imminent, Talks How Much He Made Doing WWE 2K Voiceover Work

Recently on The Jim Ross Report, WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross talked about his recent talks with AEW. Also, Ross shared the big paydays he received for his voiceover work on 2K’s WWE video games.

According to Ross, he has been in talks with AEW and a deal is likely imminent. Ross suggested that he is unsure whether the deal will be for a broadcasting role and/or a behind-the-scenes role.

“We’re talking to AEW,” Ross began. “I mentioned that before. They are an exciting young company. I’d like to think I could contribute to their success either at ringside, calling the play-by-play, or behind-the-scenes. Those details are still being discussed and when we get something finalized, I’m thinking within the next few days at most, we’ll let everybody know. So life is good, man. When one door closes, another door opens if you let it. And that’s my choice. Another door is opening and if all goes well, knock on wood, as I’m doing right now [knocks]. Hear it? I’m knocking on wood that everything’s cool. It’s going to be a good year.”

Apparently, Ross made over six-figures on multiple occasions from his work doing voiceovers on the WWE 2K video games.

“I see where Tommy Dreamer is back in the news,” Ross said. “Tommy’s House Of Hardcore will be in a video game, RetroMania Wrestling, so that’s going to be an interesting proposition, opportunity, I should say, for Tommy. He works hard, man. He’s a one-man band. But it could be a big deal. I can tell you this: I made six-figures plus on many occasions for my work on the 2K games for WWE. It’s a big deal, so if you’re lucky enough to get involved with the video games, and they sell, they’ve got to sell – it wasn’t like appearance money. It was like part of your royalties. The more they sold, the more you made.”

Check out the podcast at the link below:

https://omny.fm/shows/the-ross-report/tony-schiavone-and-kenny-omega/embed

Sources: Wrestling Inc. and The Jim Ross Report

Backstage News On WrestleMania 35 Plans For Elias

It looks like we could see Elias tangle with another WWE Superstar at WrestleMania 35.

There is a plan in place for someone to “shut Elias up” during his performance at WrestleMania35, according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio. There’s no word yet on who may work the angle with Elias, but everyone from John Cena to The Undertaker to Bray Wyatt are being rumored.

WWE previously announced Elias as the featured musical guest for WrestleMania 35. He is not being advertised for the 6th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

John Oliver Slams WWE On “Last Week Tonight” Over Mistreatment Of Wrestlers, WWE Responds

“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver blasted WWE on the latest episode of his show … and the full segment is now available.

The top story began with Oliver praising WWE for being awesome and a spectacle unlike any other. He then talked about wrestlers having a higher death rate at a younger age than other athletes, and called Vince McMahon an “asshole” for the way he treats his performers.

As an example of this, he played clips of wrestlers saying negative things about Vince.

The show’s host went on to detail how wrestlers in WWE are considered “independent contractors” and how this means they don’t get paid annual leave, retirement pensions or health insurance.  Oliver then pointed to why this shouldn’t be allowed by the IRS.

As you may recall, Oliver last put WWE on blast over their Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.

The whole thing ended with John Oliver kinda-sorta telling viewers to make their voices heard at WrestleMania if they want some sort of change by chanting or making signs.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Watch the full, twenty-three minute segment from “Last Week Tonight” at this link.

WWE released the following statement in response to John Oliver and his piece on WWE:

John Oliver is clearly a clever and humorous entertainer, however the subject matter covered in his WWE segment is no laughing matter.

Prior to airing, WWE responded to his producers refuting every point in his one-sided presentation. John Oliver simply ignored the facts.

The health and wellness of our performers is the single most important aspect of our business, and we have a comprehensive, longstanding Talent Wellness program.

We invite John Oliver to attend WrestleMania this Sunday to learn more about our company.

WWE SmackDown Live Preview 4/2/19

The final WWE SmackDown Live before WrestleMania 35 will take place tonight from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

* WWE Champion Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston to make their WrestleMania match official with contract signing

* AJ Styles and Randy Orton set to appear on The Kevin Owens Show just five nights before WrestleMania

* Rey Mysterio and Andrade to rekindle their already classic rivalry on SmackDown LIVE

* What will be the fallout of Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch’s arrest?

* Is The Miz prepared for Shane McMahon and Falls Count Anywhere?

WWE Announces Several WrestleMania 35 Week Events For The New York & New Jersey Area

WWE is officially kicking off WrestleMania 35 Week in the New York and New Jersey area today.

They issued the following announcement to us with details on events planned for the next 7 days, including WWE NXT “Takeover: New York”, the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony and WrestleMania 35. Stay tuned for coverage from all WrestleMania Week events here on the site.

WRESTLEMANIA® WEEK TAKES OVER NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEYSTAMFORD, Conn., April 2, 2019 – Fans from around the world will descend upon the New York and New Jersey region for a week-long lineup of festivities in celebration of WrestleMania, taking place in front of a capacity crowd at MetLife Stadium and streaming live on WWE Network at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT on Sunday, April 7. WWE® will also host more than a dozen community outreach events designed to give back to the local region. WrestleManiaWeek begins today and includes the following events:

* New York Yankees Batting Practice – Today, April 2, Yankee Stadium
WWE Superstars Braun Strowman®, Natalya® and Titus O’Neil® visit Yankee Stadium to interact with players and take part in batting practice prior to their game vs. the Detroit Tigers.

* Hackensack Children’s Hospital and Brooklyn Children’s Hospital Visits – Tomorrow, April 3
WWE Superstars EC3™, Lacey Evans™ and Ember Moon™ and NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano™ will visit the Hackensack Children’s Hospital while WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks® and Bayley®, and NXT Superstars Steve Cutler™, Wesley Blake™ and Jaxson Ryker™ will visit the Brooklyn Children’s Hospital. At each visit, Superstars will spend time with children and their families, provide gifts, participate in arts and crafts, take pictures and sign autographs.

* Special Olympics Unified Basketball Game – Tomorrow, April 3, Patterson Boys & Girls Club
WWE, an international partner of Special Olympics, is hosting a Unified Basketball Game at the Patterson Boys & Girls Club. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Special Olympics athletes and their Unified partners will participate in the game as WWE Superstars Big Show® and Ricochet™, NXT Superstar Kacy Catanzaro™ and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior serve as honorary coaches. WWE Announcer Renee Young™ will host the event.

* WrestleMania Axxess – Thursday, April 4 through Monday, April 8, Brooklyn Pier 12
WrestleMania Axxess is the ultimate fan experience. This year’s WrestleMania Axxess will take place from Thursday, April 4 through Monday, April 8 at Brooklyn Pier 12. Fans will have unprecedented access to meet their favorite WWE Superstars and Legends through a host of interactive fan experiences, including autograph signings and live matches.

* Susan G. Komen Zumba Class – Thursday, April 4, Newport Centre Mall
WWE Superstars Carmella®, Titus O’Neil and Mojo Rawley™ and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior will lead a Zumba class at Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City to raise awareness and funds to support Susan G. Komen’s mission of investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

* New York Jets Uniform Reveal – Thursday, April 4, Gotham Hall
WWE Superstars Nia Jax®, Braun Strowman and Dana Brooke™ will be special guests at the New York Jets uniform reveal where they will walk the green carpet and meet with players at Gotham Hall.

* Connor’s Cure Kid Superstar Reveal – Friday, April 5, Hard Rock Café
WWE will host pediatric patients from Hackensack Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital at Montefiore for a Kid Superstar reveal at the Hard Rock Cafe. Co-hosted by WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and WWE Announcer Renee Young™, patients will unveil their WWE Superstar personas with their own ring gear and entrance music. WWE Superstars Roman Reigns®, Daniel Bryan®, Elias™ and Nia Jax, WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior and former NFL player Devon Still, will be on hand to lend support. The event will also include a special performance from O.A.R.

* New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Closing Bell – Friday, April 5
WWE Superstars Charlotte Flair®, Rey Mysterio® and Titus O’Neil will ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

* Empire State Building Lighting Ceremony – Friday, April 5, Empire State Building
WWE Superstars Daniel Bryan, Becky Lynch® and Bobby Lashley™ will participate in the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building. Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, “The World’s Most Famous Building” will be lit up in red and gold colors to celebrate WrestleMania.

* Superstars for Hope – Friday, April 5, Aspire, One World Observatory
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair® and WWE Superstars Roman Reigns, The Bella Twins®, Seth Rollins® and more will walk the red carpet at ASPIRE, One World Observatory, prior the Superstars for Hope reception. WWE’s Superstars for Hope campaign also features a global online auction at Charitybuzz.com, featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

* NXT TakeOver – Friday, April 5, Barclays Center
Emanating from Barclays Center, NXT TakeOver will stream live on WWE Network at 7 pm ET. In the aftermath of Tommaso Ciampa having to relinquish his NXT Championship, Johnny Gargano will take on Adam Cole™ in a 2-out-of 3 Falls Match to determine the new NXTChampion; NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler™ will face off against Kairi Sane™, lo Shirai™ and Bianca Belair™ in a Fatal 4-way Match; NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream faces Matt Riddle; Pete Dunne defends his UK Championship against WALTER; and The War Raiders compete against Ricochet and Aleister Black for the NXT Tag Team Championship.

* Make-A-Wish Circle of Champions – Saturday, April 6, National Geographic Encounter
Make-A-Wish and WWE will host 30 Wish kids and their families at the National Geographic Encounter. WWE Superstars Finn Bálor®, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Sin Cara® will meet with the Wish kids and walk through the Ocean Odyssey interactive encounter. WWE Ring Announcer Greg Hamilton will host the event.

* Girl Up Leadership Summit – Saturday, April 6, USTA National Tennis Center
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Co-Executive Director of Girl Up Anna Blue, along with WWE Superstars, will speak to local high school girls about the power of sports and discuss how to eliminate biases. Last October, Girl Up and WWE announced a multi-year partnership to support the creation of Sports For a Purpose, which will create a culture of sports participation for girls around the world. The program equips Girl Up leaders with tools and resources so they can help tackle the gender-based barriers girls face to playing sports, including access to safe play spaces and sports equipment.

* WWE Day at New York Mets Game – Saturday, April 6, Citi Field
WWE Superstars Curt Hawkins®, Mickie James® and Drew McIntyre®, and WWE Announcer Corey Graves will visit Citi Field for the New York Mets vs Washington Nationals game to sign autographs and meet with fans.

* WWE 2019 Hall of Fame Ceremony Red Carpet – Saturday, April 6, Barclays Center
Maria Menounos hosts the most glamorous event on the WWE calendar. WWE Superstars and Legends, and a host of celebrities, walk the red carpet live on WWE Network at 6 pm ET.

* WWE 2019 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Saturday, April 6, Barclays Center
DX®, Torrie Wilson™, Brutus Beefcake™, The Hart Foundation™, Harlem Heat™ and The Honky Tonk Man™ will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at Barclays Center and live on WWE Network at 7 pm ET. In addition, Sue Aitchison, a 30-year veteran of WWE’s corporate office who is widely credited with spearheading WWE’s community outreach programs, will receive the fifth annual Warrior Award. The WWE Hall of Fame recognizes the most-celebrated Superstars in WWE history, while The Warrior Award is presented each year to an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of WWE Hall of Famer, The Ultimate Warrior®.

* WrestleMania – Sunday, April 7, MetLife Stadium
A capacity crowd will descend upon MetLife Stadium for WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania, streaming live on WWE Network at 7 pm ET and hosted by WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss. The WrestleMania Kickoff Show will stream live from 5-7 pm ET on WWE Network, WWE.com, WWE App and WWE’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages. USA Network will also air the second hour of the pre-show live from 6-7 pm ET.

WrestleMania features Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey® vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch in a “Winner Takes All” Match during the first-ever women’s main event at WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza; WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar™ taking on 2019 Royal Rumble winner Seth Rollins; Daniel Bryan defending his WWE Championship vs. Kofi Kingston®; Triple H® putting his in-ring career on the line in a No Holds Barred Match against Batista; Shane McMahon® vs. The Miz® in a Falls Count Anywhere Match; AJ Styles® taking on Randy Orton®; Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre; Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Finn Bálor; Sasha Banks and Bayley defending their Women’s Tag Team titles in a Fatal 4-Way Match vs. Natalya and Beth Phoenix® vs. Nia Jax and Tamina® vs. The IIconics; Samoa Joe™ defending his United States Championship against Rey Mysterio; Kurt Angle™ capping off his Hall of Fame career in a Farewell Match against Baron Corbin®; WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy™ defending his title against Tony Nese™; the Andre the Giant™ Memorial Battle Royal featuring Michael Che and Colin Jost of SNL fame; WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal Match.

* Be a STAR® Bullying Prevention Rally – Monday, April 8, Brooklyn Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club
WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior, WWE Announcer Dasha Fuentes and WWE Superstars Ali, Shelton Benjamin®, Billie Kay™ and Peyton Royce™ will be joined by This is Us star Chrissy Metz to speak about the importance of bullying prevention to members of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club. In 2016, WWE and The Boys & Girls Clubs of America launched a multi-year partnership focusing on youth development and bullying prevention efforts around Be a STAR, WWE’s bullying prevention initiative.

* Hire Heroes USA Veteran Transition Event – Monday, April 8, Men’s Wearhouse and WWE New York City Office
WWE Superstars Lacey Evans and Titus O’Neil will guide veterans on a shopping spree at Men’s Wearhouse to assure they are ready for upcoming job interviews. Following the shopping spree, the veterans will visit WWE’s New York City office to meet with Hire Heroes USA and WWE staff to receive career coaching advice, participate in mock interviews and take professional headshots.

* Monday Night Raw® – Monday, April 8, Barclays Center
Monday Night Raw emanates live from Barclays Center at 8/7C on USA Network with the fallout from WrestleMania. The night after WrestleMania has become one of the most-anticipated events of the year and has never been short on surprises.

* UNICEF Kid Power Challenge – Tuesday, April 9, P.S. 212 Jackson Heights
WWE Superstars Carmella and R-Truth® bring Kid Power to P.S. 212 in Jackson Heights, Queens. UNICEF Kid Power is a program of UNICEF USA that gives kids the power to save lives by connecting their everyday activity to real-world impact. During the event, kids will join the Superstars in hands-on-experiences that get kids physically active.

* SmackDown Live® – Tuesday, April 9, Barclays Center
WWE caps off five consecutive nights of events in the New York area as SmackDown Live emanates from the Barclays Center at 8/7C on USA Network.

WWE RAW Preview 4/1/19

The final WWE RAW before WrestleMania 35 will take place tonight from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.

* Breaking News: Stephanie McMahon to make an announcement regarding the WrestleMania main event tonight

* Can WrestleMania’s main-event Superstars coexist against The Riott Squad?

* Batista returns to Raw

* Beth Phoenix returns to action in an Eight-Woman Tag Team Match – Beth Phoenix, Natalya and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Nia Jax, Tamina Snuka and The IIconics

* Brock Lesnar comes to Raw to extinguish Seth Rollins’ fire

* Can Aleister Black & Ricochet convert their recent success into a Raw Tag Team Championship reign?

* Will Roman Reigns attain retribution against Drew McIntyre before WrestleMania?

* Kurt Angle battles Rey Mysterio in his final Raw match

Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019

WWE has announced Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake (Ed Leslie) for the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame class.

Beefcake joins headliners DX (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, Billy Gunn, “Road Dogg” BG James, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman), Torrie Wilson, Harlem Heat, The Honky Tonk Man and The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart) as confirmed inductees for the 2019 class. Veteran WWE employee Sue Aitchison will receive The Warrior Award.

The 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place this Saturday night from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, during WrestleMania 35 weekend.

Below is WWE’s full announcement on Beefcake’s induction:

Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019Brutus Beefcake was known for taking a little off the top (and the sides) of his opponents after a win inside the squared circle. Now, “The Barber” will be struttin’ and cuttin’ into sports-entertainment immortality.

Beefcake is the final inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019. He will take his place in the hallowed hall this Saturday, the eve of WrestleMania 35, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The news was first reported by Sports Illustrated. Tickets are available now for the ceremony, which will stream live on the WWE Network at 7 ET/4 PT.

Beefcake first arrived in WWE in late 1984. He was a Superstar who was just as concerned with his looks as he was picking up wins in the ring. Vanity aside, Beefcake was no slouch as a competitor, racking up victories and even appearing in the very first WrestleMania. He found his first major success as a tag team wrestler. He and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, known as The Dream Team, dethroned The British Bulldogs in August 1985 to capture the World Tag Team Titles.

At WrestleMania III in 1987, however, The Dream Team split up, with Valentine and manager Johnny Valiant ditching Beefcake. Just a few minutes later, Brutus re-emerged to help “Rowdy” Roddy Piper even the odds in a Hair vs. Hair Match against Adrian Adonis, who had “The Mouth of The South” Jimmy Hart in his corner. After Piper claimed victory, it was Beefcake who ended up shearing Adonis’ platinum locks off. It was a moment that changed Beefcake’s career forever.

After a little training in the fine art of cutting hair, he rechristened himself Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake. With a wild-eyed glare and a massive pair of hedge clippers in hand, “The Barber” became an immediate fan favorite with the WWE Universe, as well as a feared opponent in the ring. Both were due in part to his trademark Sleeper Hold and for what happened after he put his opponents to sleep.

Leaving his hedge clippers aside in favor of more traditional haircutting tools, Beefcake showed off his unique barbering skills, giving his rivals a haircut that would leave them regretting ever stepping into the ring with “The Barber.”

Beefcake was also a trusted friend of the legendary Hulk Hogan. “The Barber” always had The Hulkster’s back, even if it meant staring down monstrous foes like Zeus. On his own, Beefcake was always a top contender to the Intercontinental Championship, whether it was held by fellow 2019 Hall of Fame Inductee The Honky Tonk Man or Mr. Perfect. In fact, it was Beefcake who handed Mr. Perfect his first-ever loss in WWE at WrestleMania VI.

A parasailing accident in 1990 nearly took Beefcake’s life, and seemingly cut his in-ring career short, just as he was hitting his stride in WWE. Reconstructive surgery with titanium plates, screws and steel wire put his face back together, and allowed him to make a miraculous comeback in 1991. Upon his return, Beefcake opened his “Barber Shop,” his own interview segment where he grilled the biggest Superstars of the era, and gave the more daring ones a trim. Still, Beefcake yearned to get back in the ring and compete.

Against all odds, he did just that in early 1993. Though his reconstructed face made him a target of nefarious Superstars like The Million Dollar Man & IRS, “The Barber” had a protective mask and backup in the form of Hogan. Joining forces as The Mega Maniacs, “The Barber” & The Hulkster defeated Money Inc. at WrestleMania IX.

While Beefcake eventually left WWE to head to WCW, he has remained one of the most enduring characters in WWE history and an all-time fan favorite of the WWE Universe. That’s why there’s no better honor for him then induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Watch Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake enter the WWE Hall of Fame when the 2019 Induction Ceremony streams live this Saturday at 7 ET/4 PT on WWE Network. If you’ll be in New York City for WrestleMania 35 Week, tickets for the ceremony are available now!

Backstage News On John Cena’s WrestleMania Match Being Kept Secret, Lars Sullivan Involved?

Earlier this week it was reported John Cena signed a deal to work a match at WrestleMania, but it’s not expected to be against Kurt Angle. On this morning’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported Cena’s match is being kept very quiet.

“The Cena match is being kept secret,” Meltzer said. “I mean even people who know everything don’t know that one. I mean people internal, internal do know, but I don’t know who it is. It’s not Kurt, for sure. He’s got nothing to do with the Kurt match. Kurt is wrestling Baron Corbin, unless there’s another guy who’s coming in that we don’t know that’s what it’s gonna be.”

Also on this morning’s show, Meltzer was asked if Cena’s opponent could be Lars Sullivan, who was originally considered to be Cena’s opponent before an anxiety attack kept Sullivan from starting up on the main roster. Earlier this month it was reported he’s currently in a “good place.”

It’s unknown if Sullivan will be a potential opponent, but he could show up post-match.

“I don’t think they’re gonna do a match with Lars, but I wouldn’t be surprised if John Cena beats somebody and Lars shows up and destroys him,” Meltzer said. “I mean, it’s possible. It may be a little early for Lars, but just the way Triple H talked when he was asked about Lars and other things I’ve heard. Lars, I’m thinking is coming back fairly soon. I don’t know that’s 100 percent, but it’s certainly leaning in that direction. I can say for sure it’s leaning that direction and Triple H kinda sorta hinted that, as well.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On WWE SmackDown’s Move To FOX

As previously noted, WWE will begin airing SmackDown Live on the FOX Network each Friday Night starting October 4, 2019. FOX Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier described the move as “short term” back in February, but since then, there have been few details to explain what he exactly meant.

On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that there is now talk within the WWE to potentially add a third hour to SmackDown once it makes the transition over to Friday nights on FOX. The feeling among higher ups is that since they have to continue filming for 205 Live, a show that never grew as successful as WWE hoped, it may be beneficial to do the expected first two hours from 8 pm – 10 pm on FOX and then continue from 10 pm – 11 pm on FOX’s affiliate, FS1.

WWE can reportedly gain upwards of $50,000,000 a year from FOX if this is the route they ultimately choose to take. It is by no means a done deal at this point, but the momentum backstage apparently has people within the financial community expecting this aspect of the deal to come together.

It was noted how there wasn’t much discussion about doing a three hour show until FS1 lost it’s UFC programming to the multi-year deal between ESPN and UFC. Adding more WWE programming could be one way that FOX can potentially counter that loss.

Source: Wrestling Inc.