Tag: WWE

WWE Announces EVOLVE 123 & 124 Cards

EVOLVE has announced that WWE NXT North American Champion The Velveteen Dream will face Orange Cassidy in a non-title match at EVOLVE 123 on March 15 in Melrose, MA. NXT’s The Street Profits will also be in action that night, defending their EVOLVE Tag Team Titles against The Unwanted.

It was also announced that Dream and The Street Profits will team to face Joe Gacy, Shane Strickland and Eddie Kingston the next night at EVOLVE 124 in Queens. Ricochet will be doing meet & greets at both events.

Below is WWE’s announcement on EVOLVE 123 and EVOLVE 124:

EVOLVE 123 and 124 lineups revealedThe North American Dream will soon descend on EVOLVE Wrestling.

In the wake of his epic victory over Johnny Gargano for the NXT North American Title last month, Velveteen Dream will shroud his enduring purple reign over EVOLVE 123 and 124. Joining Dream for the action-packed events will be fellow NXT Superstars The Street Profits and Ricochet.

Dream’s EVOLVE experience kicks off Friday, March 15, when he takes on Orange Cassidy at EVOLVE 123 at the Melrose Memorial Hall in Melrose, Mass., while Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins are set to take on two members of The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston, Joe Gacy, Colby Corino & Shane Strickland). From there, the action carries into Saturday, March 16, at La Boom in Queens for EVOLVE 124, which will see Dream and Street Profits assemble to take on The Unwanted’s Strickland, Kingston & Gacy in a Six-Man Tag Team Match. In addition, Ricochet will be on tap for meet-and-greets at both shows. (You must have a ticket to the events to take part in the meet-and-greets.)

The lineups for both events are listed below. Tickets for EVOLVE 123 and EVOLVE 124 are available now at WWNLive.com.

EVOLVE 123 – Friday, March 15 at Melrose Memorial Hall in Melrose, Mass.

Non-Title Match
NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream vs. Orange Cassidy

Grudge Match – Stipulation to be Determined
EVOLVE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. Two members of The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston, Joe Gacy, Colby Corino & Shane Strickland)

EVOLVE Championship Match
Austin Theory (c) vs. John Silver

EVOLVE 114 Rematch
Josh Briggs vs. Darby Allin

Tag Team Attraction 
AR Fox & Leon Ruff with Ayla & The Skulk vs. WWN Champion JD Drake & Anthony Henry

Plus Mae Young Classic 2018 competitor Priscilla Kelly, Curt Stallion, Harlem Bravado, Rory Gulak and others!

EVOLVE 124 – Saturday, March 16, at La Boom in Queens, N.Y.

Six-Man Tag Team Match
NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream & EVOLVE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. Shane Strickland, Eddie Kingston & Joe Gacy

Champion vs. Champion Non-Title Match
EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory vs. WWN Champion JD Drake

Grudge Match
Darby Allin vs. Anthony Henry

Special Challenge Match
AR Fox with Ayla & The Skulk vs. Josh Briggs

Curt Stallion vs. Leon Ruff

Harlem Bravado vs. John Silver

Plus more, with Priscilla Kelly and others.

With these shows being the final EVOLVE events before The WWNLive Experience, which takes place at La Boom in Queens on April 4-6, you can expect plenty of newsworthy happenings at EVOLVE 123 and 124. Visit WWNLive.com now for more details.

Backstage News On The RAW Women’s Title Feud, Ronda Rousey’s Attack On Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey Claims She Went Off Script

It’s no secret that WWE has made several changes to the storyline that will end with Becky Lynchvs. Charlotte Flair vs. RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35 next month. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that there are more twists to come in the storyline.

There’s no word yet on what kind of twists WWE has planned but things should really heat up after Sunday’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view when the Triple Threat is made official. Fastlane will feature Lynch vs. Flair in singles action. Lynch will be added to Flair vs. Rousey at WrestleManiato make it a Triple Threat if she wins, but she will be “done” if she loses, according to Stephanie McMahon.

WWE could go a few different ways with the finish to the WrestleMania Triple Threat but the result largely depends on Rousey’s final date with WWE, according to the Observer. As we reported earlier this week, Rousey is currently scheduled to finish up the day after WrestleMania, indicating a big blow-off at WrestleMania or possibly RAW. It’s always possible that Vince McMahon talks Rousey into a contract extension, but we’ve heard nothing on that direction.

The Observer points to how all three Superstars have tried hard to make their physical angles look legit and more real than what we usually see in WWE. We noted before that Rousey wanted Lynch to hit her as hard as she could with the kendo stick during their angle at the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Becky did just that and Ronda needed 7 stitches to close a cut on her elbow. Flair was also left with a bunch of bruises on her arm from the Chamber attack. Rousey also asked Flair to hit her as hard as he could, over and over, when recently taking kendo stick shots from her. Rousey wanted to have real welts, bruises and blood from the attack.

Regarding the attack from Rousey to Lynch on this week’s RAW, Rousey was told to do everything she would do in a real fight at real fight intensity, but no punches or kicks to Becky’s face, and obviously not to actually hurt her. There was still a stiff knee to the face. The idea was that Becky would take Rousey’s best punishment and still show up at SmackDown the next day to fight with Flair.

The physicality of things may have actually secured Lynch’s spot in the WrestleMania storyline as The Observer points to how Lynch getting injured by Nia Jax back in mid-November could have been the greatest thing that has happened to her, at least in terms of the RAW Women’s Title. Lynch was scheduled to lose to Rousey’s armbar in their Survivor Series pay-per-view match that was nixed due to the injury, which would have greatly reduced Lynch’s chances of being in the RAW Women’s Title match at WrestleMania.

Ronda Rousey is mad as hell and she’s not going to take it anymore.

In latest episode of Rousey’s video blog road diary, Ronda on the Road, the Raw women’s champion’s cuts a promo on going off script this past Monday. Rousey claims to not only go off script but also doubles down on breaking kayfabe in her promo.

“It wasn’t a promo. [WWE] gave me other things to say I didn’t f***ing say it,” Rousey said. “It’s not a promo. It’s not an act. I’m not going out there and doing their f***ing act anymore, I’m going out there and doing whatever the hell I want. And they can explain it however they want, but f***em. Everybody. WWE Universe included. I meant that I’m going to disrespect the sport that they all love so much. ‘Ohhhh don’t break kayfabe Ronda!’ Wrestling is scripted. It’s made up. It’s not real. None of those b****** can f***ing touch me. The end.”

The origins of this video date back to last week, when Rousey and Lynch went to war on Twitter. During that particular exchange, Rousey brought up the word ‘fake’ and it did not sit well with Lynch.

Not only did Rousey go off on wrestling fans and WWE, earlier in the video she admitted she hasn’t lost sight of Becky Lynch. Rousey brought up Lynch’s real name and then explained why she attacked her on Monday night.

“Becky pissed me off the most recently,” Rousey said. “You know what? I’m not going to even call her Becky. Rebecca Quinn talked s*** about my husband, and I told her I’d beat the f*** out of her next time I saw her. And guess what I beat the f*** out of her, didn’t I? It’s been building up in me since Survivor Series, 100%”

Becky Lynch takes on Charlotte Flair this Sunday at Fastlane. Rousey is advertised to appear at the event.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

FOX Asking For Multiple Changes To Be Made To SmackDown Live

EWrestling.com reports that a source within WWE says when SmackDown Live moves to FOX later this year, the broadcast station wants some changes to the program. Specifically, FOX is looking to move away from WWE’s current three person commentating booth to a two-man booth instead.

The source adds that FOX is also looking for WWE to produce a more edgier product and that they aren’t looking to give into the PC culture that dominates current WWE programming.

 

Lars Sullivan Reportedly Doing Much Better After Mental Health Incident

Lars Sullivan is said to be in a “good place” after dealing with personal issues that kept him from making his WWE debut earlier this year.

Sullivan recently sought professional help following a mental health-related incident back in January, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet. As we’ve noted, Sullivan was set to make his debut on the January 7 RAW episode and that was to lead to a WrestleMania 35 feud with John Cena, but Sullivan suffered an anxiety attack outside of the arena, and plans were nixed. WWE had started airing vignettes for Lars’ arrival in November 2018 but he has not been mentioned for a debut since the incident.

Following the incident in January, Sullivan immediately began seeking help from mental health professionals and WWE has been “incredibly accommodating” to him the whole time, according to wrestlers close to Lars and the new report from PWS.

Lars is reportedly feeling much better now after being out of the spotlight. There’s no word yet on if Sullivan will return to WWE but it was noted that he is happy for the other NXT call-ups that he was supposed to debut with – EC3, Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross and Heavy Machinery.

It’s been reported that WWE was being very supportive of Lars while he dealt with his personal issues. Triple H downplayed the reports during a late-January media call and indicated a WWE future for Lars.

“There’s a lot of speculation and stories about everybody at all times, and it’s a funny thing, if there’s any kind of a glitch in a movement for a moment, it leads to everything being speculated about,” Triple H said during the January call. “There’s a lot of talk, but Lars is in a good place. Nothing has really changed, we’re moving forward and you’ll know when you see it. But nothing has changed.”

WWE reportedly wanted Sullivan to be at the January 28 RAW, which was the post-Royal Rumble episode, but he was not there and his status was still unknown.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jeff Jarrett Added To The WWE Creative Team

WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett has officially joined the WWE creative team, according to PWInsider.

Jarrett’s new role with the writing team is said to be a full-time executive-level role.

WWE continues to make moves that will strengthen the creative team. Bruce Prichard was brought back as a Senior Vice President a few weeks back and Paul Heyman has taken on a more prominent role with the team, becoming more intimately involved in writing & producing the WrestleMania 35 storylines for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.

Jarrett returned to WWE in January for a men’s Royal Rumble Match appearance, and was then hired as a backstage Producer. He was involved in last week’s RAW and SmackDown production meetings, and then spent several days last week at WWE HQ in Stamford, CT before officially being added to the writing team.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Confirms WrestleMania 36 Location – Raymond James Stadium In Tampa, Florida.

WWE has confirmed that WrestleMania 36 will take place in April 2020 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Times is reporting the date to be April 5, 2020.

WrestleMania 36 is coming to Tampa Bay in 2020; Official WrestleMania 36 Announcement scheduled for 11 a.m. ETAs first reported by the Tampa Bay Times, WrestleMania 36 will emanate from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Fla., in April 2020.

WWE will make their official WrestleMania 36 announcement today at 11 a.m. ET in a star-studded gathering, streaming live on WWE’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter channels.

Read the full Times article here.

Watch the entire WrestleMaina 36 press conference here.

WWE.com released the following official announcement:

WWE and local dignitaries officially announce that WrestleMania 36 will take place in Tampa Bay in 2020

In a star-studded gathering, WWE made their official announcement that Raymond James Stadium will host to WrestleMania 36 on Sunday, April 5, 2020, with additional events held throughout Florida’s Tampa Bay area during WrestleMania Week.

WrestleMania 36 is more than just a one-day event; it’s a week-long celebration that will stretch throughout the Tampa Bay area during WrestleMania Week. In addition to The Showcase of the Immortals, other activities will include the interactive fan festival WrestleMania Axxess, as well as the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, NXT TakeOver, Monday Night Raw and SmackDownLIVE. WWE will also host more than a dozen community outreach events, including children’s’ hospital visits and Be a STAR bullying prevention rallies, designed to give back to the local region.

Don’t miss a moment of the action when WrestleMania comes to Tampa Bay for the first-time-ever.

WWE Announces Neck Surgery For Tommaso Ciampa, Update On A Possible Recovery Time

WWE has confirmed that WWE NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa will undergo neck surgery on today.

WWE noted that Ciampa was evaluated today and it was determined that he needs an anterior cervical fusion. The typical recovery time for that kind of operation looks to be 3-6 months, but they will have a better idea of his return once the surgery has been completed.

As noted earlier, via Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Ciampa was expected to be out of action for a long time, perhaps as long as 6-14 months.

It’s likely that he will have to vacate the NXT Title at next Wednesday’s NXT TV tapings at Full Sail University. Ciampa has been pulled from all WWE events and signings or appearances. Ciampa originally planned to work through the injury to face Johnny Gargano at “Takeover: New York” during WrestleMania 35 weekend, then take time off, but the situation apparently got much worse in the last week and the surgery must be done now.

Below is WWE’s announcement on the surgery:

NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa to undergo neck surgeryNXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa will undergo neck surgery tomorrow, WWE.com has confirmed.

Following a medical evaluation today, Ciampa has been scheduled for an anterior cervical fusion.

Stick with WWE.com for more details as they become available.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Tommaso Ciampa To Undergo Neck Surgery, Set To Be Out Of Action “For A Long, Long Time”

Last month, reports surfaced of NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa is currently dealing with a neck injury that has forced him out of some appearances outside of WWE and even caused a re-write for RAW two weeks ago. Along with Johnny Gargano, the duo was initially scheduled to be involved in a Fatal 4-Way tag match, but were instead taken off the show completely.

On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, it’s being reported that Ciampa is going to have neck surgery in the next couple of days. He’s not going to be in the ring for a “long, long time,” but the exact amount of time wasn’t known at this point. Dave Meltzer speculated – based on the history of neck surgeries – that Ciampa could be out anywhere from 6 to 14 months.

Ciampa will have to vacate the title and the expected TakeOver: New York match between him and Gargano obviously won’t happen either. WWE had originally hoped Ciampa could work through the injury to get by WrestleMania weekend, but things have worsened in the past week to change that plan.

Stories leading to TakeOver: New York most likely will be adjusted on next Wednesday’s NXT TV tapings.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE SmackDown Live Preview 3/5/19

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live will take place from the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with the final hype for Fastlane.

* R-Truth to issue another United States Championship Open Challenge

* The Miz to face Jey Uso

* Is Kevin Owens looking to gain more momentum heading into WWE Fastlane?

* Will The Hardy Boyz continue their quest to become the greatest tag team?