Tag: WWE

WWE To Make Another Major Pay-Per-View Change Soon?

WWE will reportedly be making an official announcement soon regarding pay-per-view changes, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It is expected that the announcement will be the end of brand-exclusive pay-per-views, starting with WWE Backlash in May. WWE has confirmed the upcoming announcement after a Ticketmaster e-mail sent this week revealed that the WWE Backlash pay-per-view on May 6th will now be a dual-branded show after previously being announced for the RAW brand, as noted. Originally only 5 events were scheduled to be dual-branded this year – the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, Money In the Bank, SummerSlam and Survivor Series.

Adding more pay-per-view events has added costs without a lot of new revenue, with the exception of the live gates, since they really aren’t increasing WWE Network subscription numbers at a high rate. There also may have been issues with storylines slowing down due to longer gaps in between brand-exclusive events.

WWE ran 16 pay-per-view events in 2017 and cut back to 14 this year but they had a goal of running 12 – one per month. They currently have 13 more scheduled to take place after January’s Royal Rumble – Elimination Chamber, Fastlane, WrestleMania 34, Backlash, Payback, Money In the Bank, Battleground, SummerSlam, Extreme Rules, Hell In a Cell, TLC, Survivor Series and Clash of Champions.

In another pay-per-view change that has not been confirmed yet, there’s belief within WWE that the former B shows will be increased by 1 hour to be four-hour pay-per-views with two matches on the one-hour Kickoff pre-show. One of the main reasons for the increase likely has to do with having to fit top stars from both brands on one show. The Observer points to how the biggest complaint with WWE pay-per-view events has been the length of the top shows and now every show will be 5 hours long.

The Observer notes that both shows will be pushing the same pay-per-view each month and all the top stars would be on it, but one major negative is that a lot of middle & lower card talents won’t be featured on pay-per-view as much, if at all, and less pay-per-view time means less focus on TV. It was also speculated that we may see more stipulation matches on TV that would have usually been used for pay-per-view with some of the midcard feuds.

Another negative could be that there will be title matches relegated to pre-shows, which will hurt their significance. There also could be more multi-person matches as a way to get top talents booked on pay-per-view, more matches on each show meaning rushed matches, less spots for non-title matches. It’s possible that most of the shows will feature two main title matches, two secondary title matches, two women’s title matches, two tag team title matches and the cruiserweight title match.

Source: WrestlingINC

Jeff Jarrett Rumored To Be A 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

There are rumors going around WWE that say Jeff Jarrett could be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 34 Week in New Orleans this year, according to PWInsider Elite.

No word yet on if there is any truth to the rumors but the potential induction would come after Jarrett recently wrapped a stint in WWE-sponsored rehab. The TNA co-founder is no longer affiliated with the company that he tried to go up against WWE with but he does have a controversial past with WWE.

Jarrett is a six-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion and a one-time WWE European Champion. He is also a three-time WCW United States Champion and a four-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion.

WWE has confirmed headliner Bill Goldberg, The Dudley Boyz and Ivory for the 2018 Class as of this writing. Other names rumored but unconfirmed for this year include Mark Henry, the late Bam Bam Bigelow and Kid Rock for the Celebrity Wing.

The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place on Friday, April 6th at 7:30pm EST from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans during WrestleMania 34 Week. It will air on the WWE Network in its entirety.

Source: WrestlingINC

WWE Mixed Match Challenge and 205 Live Preview 2/13/18

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Tonight’s WWE Mixed Match Challenge and WWE 205 Live will take place from the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, California.

WWE Mixed Match Challenge:

* Rusev & Lana vs. Elias & Bayley

 

WWE 205 Live:

* Who else will enter the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament?

* WWE Cruiserweight Title tournament continues with Drew Gulak vs. Tony Nese and Mark Andrews vs. Akira Tozawa.

SmackDown Live Preview 2/13/18

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown Live will take place from the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, California.

* Dolph Ziggler to face Baron Corbin tonight on SmackDown LIVE in a battle with WWE Fastlaneimplications

* Charlotte Flair continues her quest for payback against The Riott Squad

* Bobby Roode issues a United States Open Challenge

* The New Day take on Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin

Men’s Elimination Chamber Match to Feature Seven Competitors Following Raw

Finn Balor Seth Rollins Raw 21218

WWE has announced that the men’s Elimination Chamber match will feature seven competitors for the first time following the events on Raw. Kurt Angle announced in a Facebook video posted to WWE’s FB page that both Seth Rollins and Finn Balor will be added to the match after they jointly pinned Bray Wyatt in the Raw main event. You can see the video below, in which Angle listens to both men’s arguments and makes the ruling, deciding they both belong in the match:

WWE Reportedly Holding a Talent Draft at Backlash

WWE Backlash

It was reported that WWE is reportedly set to make all PPV events dual-branded starting with Backlash in May. WWE is internally discussing bringing back the WWE Draft at the upcoming Backlash PPV. The idea for the WWE Draft returning at Backlash would be to use it as a way for WWE to jumpstart the all duel brand PPV format going forward.

Source: 411Mania

WWE Reportedly Making All PPVs Dual-Branded Starting With Backlash

WWE is reportedly set to make all PPV events dual-branded starting with Backlash in May. Wrestling Inc reports that Ticketmaster has sent an email to ticketholders for Backlash announcing that it is now a dual-brand event, with both Smackdown and Raw stars.

In addition, the WrestleVotes Twitter account reports that all PPVs will be dual-branded starting with Backlash and moving forward, citing “repetitive matches” and “so-so ticket sales” as the reason. WrestleVotes has broken stories in the past, such as Neville’s WWE departure. The account notes that weekly TV will remain separated.

WWE has yet to comment on this story.

Source: 411Mania

Ronda Rousey Announced For WWE Elimination Chamber PPV

Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling, people standing and crowd

RAW General Manager Kurt Angle announced last night on RAW that Ronda Rousey will sign her WWE contract in the ring at the upcoming Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

RAW Preview 2/12/18

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the SAP Center in San Jose, California as the road to Elimination Chamber continues.

* Final Superstar in the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match to be determined

* Braun Strowman stands tall, even in defeat

* Have Alexa Bliss and Mickie James forged an alliance?

* What’s next for Seth Rollins?

* Is Nia Jax primed to end Asuka’s undefeated streak?

RAW General Manager Kurt Angle has announced Sasha Banks vs. Bayley for tonight’s RAW from San Jose, Bayley’s hometown. Angle tweeted:

Former WWE Women’s Champion Ivory Confirmed For 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame

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WWE has announced that former women’s champion Ivory will be going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year in New Orleans during WrestleMania 34 weekend. She joins Bill Goldberg and The Dudley Boyz as confirmed names.

Below is WWE’s announcement on Ivory’s induction:

Ivory to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018Ivory, a true pioneer in women’s wrestling, will take her place in the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday, April 6, during WrestleMania 34 Week in New Orleans, as a member of the Class of 2018. The news was first reported by espnW.

She broke into the wrestling business as a competitor on Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, the 80s wrestling program that inspired the hit Netflix show “GLOW.” Competing under the name Tina Ferrari, Ivory captured GLOW’s championship before leaving the sports-entertainment industry in the early 1990s.

After nearly a decade away from the squared circle, Ivory returned to the ring in 1999, showing up in WWE in the corner of Mark Henry and D’Lo Brown. She wasted no time getting physical, helping Henry & Brown even the odds against Jeff Jarrett, Owen Hart & Debra. Not long after her arrival, Ivory defeated Debra to capture her first WWE Women’s Championship. Though she was later dethroned by The Fabulous Moolah, Ivory quickly rebounded and recaptured the title from the WWE Hall of Famer.

During the over-the-top Attitude Era of WWE, Ivory eventually aligned herself with the buttoned-up Right to Censor, trading in her tights for a crisp white dress shirt and a full-length skirt. The unusual ring attire did not hinder her from competing at the highest level, as she defeated three fellow WWE Hall of Famers — Lita, Trish Stratus and Jacqueline — to capture her third Women’s Title in 2000.

Ivory continued to compete in WWE through 2005 but also began to take on other roles in the company, including serving as a trainer on season 3 of WWE Tough Enough, announcing and hosting several WWE television programs before departing in 2009.

Now, Ivory will have one more title to add to her resume: WWE Hall of Famer.