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Wednesday, June 12, 2024 Issue #7261
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, back tomorrow!

========================================================


//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

TWO HUGE TITLE MATCHES ON DYNAMITE TONIGHT

- Two huge title matches will headline tonight's Dynamite live from Des Moines, Iowa, with the show facing the first game from the NBA Finals head-to-head. AEW International champion Will Ospreay takes on Rey Fenix in what surely will be a match for the ages while the other title match will see Mercedes Mone defend her TBS title against Zeuxis. Also tonight are Dustin Rhodes vs Jack Perry in a TNT championship qualifying match with everyone banned from ringside, a trios match with Mark Briscoe, Kyle O'Reilly, and Orange Cassidy vs Kyle Fletcher, Roderick Strong, and Konosuke Takeshita, and Rush will also be in action. Plus, Chris Jericho returns for TV Time with The Learning Tree with guests Private Party.

COLLISION RATING

- Collision on Saturday night drew 388,000 viewers, up 10,000 viewers from the previous week. This episode had some stiff competition from the NHL Stanley Cup Final on ABC as well as UFC Fight Night on ESPN. Collision had a 0.13 rating in 18-49, up 0.02 from the prior week and was #5 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings: SpoilerTV)

PRO WRESTLING NOAH AND WWE TO MAKE MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEKEND

- WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH are set to make a "major announcement" at NOAH's Grand Ship 2024 show in Yokohama event on Sunday. The tease was made by Pro Wrestling NOAH's social media, also adding that there will be a "message from a certain wrestler" airing as well. The president of CyberFight, the parent company of NOAH, said recently that one of his goals is to have a better working relationship with WWE. Japan's own Shinsuke Nakamura participated in a Pro Wrestling NOAH event on New Year's Day last year where he wrestled The Great Muta's as part of his farewell tour.

25-MAN BATTLE ROYAL TO DETERMINE #1 CONTENDER FOR NXT TITLE

- The new number one contender for the NXT title will be determined next week in a 25-man over-the-top rope battle royal. The news was announced by WWE champion Cody Rhodes when he appeared in an in-ring segment with champ Trick Williams last night on NXT on USA Network. But there is a twist. Cody said that that while Williams might know most of them, he warned him that some of the entrants are from a "different locker room," and considering WWE's relationship with TNA at the moment, it would not be surprising that some of the TNA stars are in this match. Before Cody left, Trick Williams said that with July around the corner, he had one serious question for him. "On behalf of all my people, we all wanna know, are you coming to the cookout?" Trick asked. "Yes I am coming to the cookout," Cody responded to a big ovation from the crowd. You can see the segment at

MINI AEW REUNION TAKES PLACE ON NXT

- A somewhat of a mini AEW reunion took place at NXT last night when WWE champion Cody Rhodes met three of his former All Elite colleagues in a backstage segment. Rhodes ran into Shawn Spears first, who said that he's going to do like Cody did at the Royal Rumble and win next week's battle royal to become the number one contender for the NXT title. Enter newcomer Ethan Page, who told Spears to put the brakes on as he is in the match too. "You don't wanna wish me good luck, Cody?" Page said. Before Cody could utter a word, Lexis King joined the party and said that the king is going to win the battle royal. "Seems like...you guys are in a good place," Cody told them before walking away. You can see the segment at

RAW RATING

- Monday Night Raw, head-to-head with the NHL Stanley Cup finals, dropped to an average of 1,608,000 viewers, down 71,000 viewers from last week and the lowest viewership in a month. The show started with 1,630,000 viewers in the first hour, then rose to 1,679,000 viewers in the second hour, but dropped to 1,517,000 viewers in the third and final hour. Raw was #1, #2, and #3 on the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demographic with a 0.52, 0.49, and 0.48 ratings respectively for an average of 0.50, down 0.03 from last week. It was #1 on cable overall, doubling the nearest competitor and #2 in all of television behind the NHL on ABC. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

ALBA FYRE'S MOTHER PASSES AWAY IN ORLANDO

- Alba Fyre's mother, Bridgeen, died while in Orlando visiting her daughter when she was hit by a car this past weekend according to various news outlets. Fyre, who is scheduled to wrestle this Saturday in her home country of Scotland at Clash at the Castle, wrote that words cannot even describe how devastated the whole family is. "On Friday, my mum and dad were hit by a vehicle while crossing the road. Unfortunately my mum didn't make it," she wrote. "She was the most caring, fun loving person, the life of every party, and the biggest wee legend we all knew. She was greatly loved and will be deeply missed." Bridgeen was 51 years old.

SEXYY RED ARRESTED AT NEWARK OVER THE WEEKEND

- TMZ.COM is reporting that Sexyy Red, who hosted NXT Battleground on Sunday in Las Vegas, was arrested on Saturday morning at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Red and her team got involved in an altercation with another group of people and there's video of Red holding a stanchion and waving it around as if she was going to use it as a weapon. While others brawled, she did stand back and eventually didn't get involved physically but the Port Authority told TMZ that she was arrested for disorderly conduct and others in her team were arrested on assault charges. Red still made it to Las Vegas and hosted NXT, where she was a very popular figure. It's not known if WWE were aware of the incident or not.

RIC FLAIR APOLOGIZES TO BISCHOFF, RUSSO, AND HERD

- Just two days after he blamed Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, and Jim Herd for everything that went wrong with WCW, the Nature Boy Ric Flair issued an apology on X and retracted his comments. Flair wrote that a very important person in his life reminded him yesterday that X is the weakest form of communication and wanted to apologize to Jim Herd, Eric Bischoff, and Vince Russo for unfairly judging them without knowing the inner workings and behind-the-scenes of the business on the corporate-end. "I wish on a personal note that all 3 of us could have worked together and had better relationships," Flair wrote. Flair thanked Russo for calling him "the GOAT" and said he appreciated that and what he did to help his son pursue his dream in wrestling. "I am going to do Eric Bischoff’s podcast, but it won’t be to bury anybody," Flair added. "It’s to discuss our differences!" Bischoff addressed Flair's original criticism, which he labeled the three of them as the "three-headed monster," during an episode of his podcast. Bischoff said that while Ric feels strongly about his opinions, it doesn't mean he's right. "It’s just his opinion. It would be like me saying well, wait...I’ve produced over 5000 hours of prime-time television, I should be able to wrestle a 20-minute match, I should be able to critique Ric Flair’s matches," Bischoff said.

THE ROCK SUFFERS ELBOW INJURY DURING FILMING

- Posting a video on Instagram, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson revealed that he suffered an elbow injury during the filming of The Smashing Machine and needs to rest it up and for the fluid to go away before he can undergo an MRI. "I got banged up pretty good today in our scenes," Rock said, adding that when you're filming a movie with a title called The Smashing Machine, well, things can go sideways. "There might be some soft tissue damage in there. That’s a lot of fluid. We’ll see. I got to get it out of there first before I get any kind of any MRI," he explained. It's unclear if the injury will delay filming certain scenes for the movie. The Rock avoided injury throughout his run on WWE television earlier this year, culminating with a match at WrestleMania.

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====================================================
Tuesday, June 11, 2024 Issue #7260
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I am really liking what they're doing with Dom and Liv. I mean, I'm sure Dom is loving it too, but it's entertaining and we don't know what it's leading to. Can't wait for Rhea to be back and wreck some havoc!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

CODY RHODES ON NXT TONIGHT

- WWE is loading up tonight's episode of NXT on USA Network which is the fallout from Battleground and will be headlined by an appearance from the Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes. What Rhodes will be there for remains to be seen but he said yesterday that he will go and say hello to some friends and "bring a gift." Rhodes is not the only main roster star appearing as former NXT stars Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate are also on the show as they tag team with Wes Lee to take on Gallus in a six-man tag team match. Other matches announced are Michin vs Jaida Parker, Shawn Spears vs Je'Von Evans, and Lexis King vs Dante Chen in a Singapore cane match. Plus, both Wendy Choo and Eddy Thorpe return to the show as well.

RICOCHET WRITTEN OUT OF WWE TV

- Ricochet was written out of WWE television last night on Raw as he got absolutely destroyed by Bron Breakker in a backstage segment. The high-flyer first appeared on Raw to save Ilja Dragunov from further damage from Breakker during their match but then Breakker got his revenge, as after spearing Dragunov backstage, he brawled with Ricochet, first throwing him into a production truck similar to what Kevin Nash did with Rey Mysterio during the nWo days, and then powerslammed him into a car windshield. After commercials, WWE cameras showed Ricochet being loaded into an ambulance and was joined by his real-life girlfriend and Raw ring announcer Samantha Irvin. Ricochet is ending his six-year run with the company and not re-signing a new deal. He is believed to be debuting in AEW fairly soon when his contract runs out. His appearance on Raw was his last one for the company. You can see it at .

MITB QUALIFYING MATCHES TO START NEXT WEEK

- Qualifying matches for the Money In The Bank ladder matches will kick off next week on Raw. Last year, the men's MITB ladder match featured seven participants and the women's match featured six, but WWE did not state yet how many will be in this year's event. Since the show is on July 6, the qualifying matches will be part of the Raw and Smackdown television shows for the next few weeks. Last year's winners were Damian Priest and Iyo Sky, both of whom successfully cashed in to become the World Heavyweight champion and WWE Women's champion respectively. This year's Money In The Bank will be held at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with Friday Night Smackdown on the eve and NXT Heatwave the night after also in the same location.

IYO SKY TO WRESTLE FOR MARIGOLD IN JAPAN IN JULY

- Former WWE Women's champion Iyo Sky will be traveling to her home country of Japan in mid-July to wrestle for Rossy Ogawa's new female promotion Marigold. Sky made an appearance via video at the Marigold Grand Opening Weekend Wars to make the challenge to Utami Hayashishita. The video caught everyone by surprise, including the fans, the announcer, and even Utami, who watched the video with her eyes Wie open while covering her mouth. "As a WWE Superstar, I will enter the ring at #Marigold on July 13th at Ryogoku Kokugikan," Sky wrote on social media afterward. "This will be a dream match for women's wrestling fans not only in Japan but all over the world." The match will take place at the Marigold Destiny event and will also feature NXT-bound Giulia against former NXT star Sareee. You can see her announcement at .

CODY RHODES TO PURCHASE WRESTLING RING FOR UGANDA'S SOFT GROUND WRESTLING

- Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes sent a video to the social media-popular Soft Ground Wrestling Uganda promising them that he will pay for a brand new wrestling ring and get it delivered. Cody said that it's wonderful to see the love at SGW for professional wrestling and wanted to help out. "It's not lost on me that with the world as divided as it may be, social issues, climate issues, political issues, whatever it may be, one thing we can universally bond on is our love for pro westling," Cody said. "With that said...you guys need a proper wrestling ring!" The guys at SGW wrestle on, well, as their promotion name says, soft ground, and taking a bump there looks like it hurts way more than it should. Cody said they need a proper ring to tell their stories. "We have found someone in Uganda who can make it for you, it's not coming over on a boat, it's not going to get broken, and when it gets done, send the bill to me, it is on me," the champ said. Cody added that the wrestling business gave everything to him in his life and he just wants to pay it forward.

LATEST QR CODE HAS COUNTDOWN TIMER FOR JUNE 17

- The latest QR code which appeared on Monday Night Raw goes to a website with a countdown clock, a clock which will expire on Monday, June 17. "You refused salvation. The reckoning is inevitable," the message on the website says, which is located at . The June 17 date was also teased in last week's QR code and that seems to be the day where this will finally come to an end with the big unveil on Raw in Corpus Christi, Texas. Rumors are that this is leading to a new faction based on the Bray Wyatt world with Bo Dallas, Dexter Luis, Joe Gacy, Erick Rowan, and Nikki Cross.

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Smackdown on Friday drew 2,207,000 viewers, down 103,000 viewers from the prior week on a night when there was no NBA or NHL competition. The show had a 0.61 rating in 18-49, down 0.04 from the previous show and was #1 on all of television, more than doubling the nearest competitor on network and tripling that from cable. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

HIKULEO WRESTLES LAST MATCH FOR NJPW, ON THE WAY TO WWE

- NJPW star Hikuleo wrestled his final match for the company at the Dominion show in Osaka and is heading to WWE according to the Wrestling Observer. Hikuleo and his tag team partner El Phantasmo lost the NJPW Strong Tag Team titles in the match, with Hikuleo eating the pin for his team. The 33-year-old former member of the Bullet Club is the adopted son of Haku and will be joining his brothers Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa as part of the Bloodline. He never appeared on WWE television but he does have a couple of AEW shows under his belt, the most recent one was on Dynamite in June 2022. He also made several appearances for TNA between 2021 and 2022.

FLAIR BLAMES THE DEATH OF WCW ON BISCHOFF, RUSSO, AND HERD

- Reacting to the Who Killed WCW? show which is currently airing on VICE, former 16-time world champion Ric Flair said that the blame has to go to the people in charge for creating the dysfunction, animosity, and trying to divide and conquer by lying to everyone. "God, I could give you a thousand more examples," Flair wrote on social media. "Who killed WCW? It's a three-headed monster," Flair said, mentioning former EVP Jim Herd, WCW President Eric Bischoff, and creative head writer Vince Russo as the ones responsible for the death of the promotion. "I am one to live through all three nightmares and to be saved by the @WWE," Flair continued. "Thank you to the WWE for bringing someone who was dead in the water as a result of these three people back to life!" Flair was not interviewed for the broadcast, which continues its four-part series tonight. Vince Russo responded to Flair and sarcastically thanked him for giving him credit taking down a multi-million dollar company "through words on a page." Russo is part of the documentary and told Flair it wasn't his fault he was not in it. "Sorry, man. I hope you don’t think my excessive use of your son David, and the rest of your family for that matter — who were all GREAT BY THE WAY — wasn’t the knife that drew the company’s last blood," Russo fired back. Flair didn't let the comment slide and suggested that all four of them meet up in Tampa or Atlanta where he'd rent a venue and "hash it out." The Nature Boy said he'd pay Russo, Bischoff, and Herd $20,000 each in advance to show up. "And I guarantee that I can probably sell this to a PPV status because I’m Ric Flair and you’re not," Flair wrote. "Story of my life!"

LAURINAITIS FILES MOTION TO MOVE JANEL GRANT LAWSUIT TO ARBITRATION

- The legal team representing John Laurinaitis in the Janel Grant lawsuit filed a statement of material facts on June 8 to support to motion to send her lawsuit to arbitration. In his motion, Laurinaitis says that at all times material to the allegations set forth in the complaint, he was an employee of WWE, and as a full-time employee of WWE, it is his understanding that he was listed as a released party from any and all lawsuits or causes of action by the accuser. "Pursuant to the terms of the Confidential Settlement Agreement, General Release, and Covenant Not to Sue (Dkt. 30-2) it is my understanding that the sole and exclusive legal method to resolve any disputes related to the Confidential Settlement Agreement would be in binding arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act," the statement read. Laurinaitis initially claimed he was a victim in this lawsuit as well and blamed all on Vince McMahon but then made a U-turn and joined forces with McMahon to fight Grant. The lawsuit has been paused on the suggestion of the United States Justice Department as they move on with their investigation which could result in federal charges being brought forward.

DAX HARWOOD INJURED, APOLOGIZES FOR KEEPING INJURY SECRET

- One half of FTR, Dax Harwood, is out injured and will be out of action for an undetermined amount of time, effectively taking his partner Cash Wheeler off TV as well. In a video uploaded on his social media, Harwood apologized to the fans, his boss Tony Khan, the AEW medical team, and the roster for keeping his injury a secret for months. Harwood explained that during their match at the Dynasty pay-per-view, he gave Matthew Jackson a piledriver but hurt his back really bad, getting a severe hematoma in the process. Hiding it from everyone not to get taken off television, Harwood said the tipping point came last week after his hematoma grew "the size of a football," saying that the pain has been simply excruciating. After the AEW doctor was informed, he was taken off the active list and told to stay home and rest and won't be cleared unless it's gone. "I don’t know how long this is going to last, I don’t know how long we’re gonna have to be off, but unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for some of you people that don’t like FTR, myself and Cash will not be on television for a while. I have to rest this thing up," Harwood said.

RAMPAGE RATING

- Rampage on Friday drew 256,000 viewers in its usual 10PM time slot, up 1,000 viewers from last week's show. It had the same 0.09 rating in 18-49 as the prior week and placed #14 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)


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|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Monday, June 10, 2024 Issue #7259
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I thought Battleground was okay, not the best NXT PLE but there was nothing bad on it. The UFC APEX looked pretty decent in my opinion and I wouldn't be surprised if they return there soon.

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

NXT BATTLEGROUND RESULTS

- Here are the results from the NXT Battleground 2024 premium live event which took place live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kelani Jordan defeated Sol Ruca, Jaida Parker, Michin, Fallon Henley, and Lash Legend in a ladder match to become the inaugural NXT Women's North American champion; Nathan Frazer and Axiom defeated Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to retain the NXT Tag Team titles; Lola Vice defeated Shayna Baszler in an NXT Underground match; Oba Femi defeated Wes Lee and Joe Coffey in a triple threat match to retain the NXT North American title; Roxanne Perez defeated Jordynne Grace to retain the NXT Women's title; Trick Williams defeated Ethan Page to retain the NXT title.

TOP TNA EXECUTIVES AT BATTLEGROUND

- Three top TNA executives were at the NXT Battleground premium live event in Las Vegas yesterday to watch TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace take on Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's title. Producer and former WWE talent herself Gail Kim, Anthem's Senior Vice President of Content, Ariel Shnerner, and TNA President Anthony Cicione were all in attendance for the show. The WWE/TNA relationship looks like it is expanding beyond this show and there are rumors that NXT talent will be part of the upcoming TNA television tapings as the two brands seek an alternate way to engage more viewers through a rare partnership.

KELANI JORDAN WINS THE NXT WOMEN'S NORTH AMERICAN TITLE

- History was made last night at NXT Battleground as Kelani Jordan became the inaugural NXT Women's North American title, winning a ladder match which also involved Sol Ruca, Jaida Parker, Michin, Fallon Henley, and Lash Legend. The 25-year-old has been signed to WWE for just a year and is an accomplished former collegiate gymnast who competed for Michigan State University. She made her NXT debut last June at NXT: Gold Rush as a protégé of Dana Brooke. "First-ever. History made at #NXTBattleground… and we’re just getting started," wrote NXT's Shawn Michaels as he posed with the new champ backstage. "Congratulations to @kelani_wwe. You EARNED this moment."

ASH BY ELEGANCE MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT BATTLEGROUND

- Ash by Elegance, the artist formerly known as Dana Brooke in WWE, made a surprise appearance at Battleground last night and got involved in the NXT Women's title match. During the match, Tatum Paxley came out and tried to steal Jordynne Grace's TNA Knockouts title but as she was heading to the back, Ash by Elegance came out to confront her. "Oh Booker, that's Dana...I mean Ash by Elegance," commentator Vic Joseph said. "The hell is going on?" wondered Booker. At that point, Grace met the two in the aisle and decked them both with her title, leaving them out cold. Grace then went back in the ring and tried to hit her finisher, The Juggernaut, but Perez countered with a cutter and then hit the Pop Rocks for the victory. Ash by Elegance was in NXT when she was released by the company last year. You can see her run-in at .

JORDYNNE GRACE LOSES PART OF HER EAR DURING MATCH

- TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace suffered an ear injury last night at Battleground in her match against NXT Women's champion Roxanne Perez. One of Grace's earrings on her right ear got caught in Perez' ring gear and Grace lost a small part of her ear when it was ripped away. Grace uploaded a photo showing part of her earlobe missing with dried blood around it. "Very sad to announce that after many years of unproblematic, diligent work, my ear piercings will now retire from in-ring action," Grace wrote on X. Grace's next match is this Friday at the TNA Against All Odds event streaming exclusively on TNA+ where she will defend her Knockouts title in an open challenge. You can see the photo at .

CODY RHODES TEASES NXT APPEARANCE TOMORROW

- It looks like the undisputed WWE champion is heading down to NXT tomorrow night after he teased an appearance on X. During the Battleground premium live event, Rhodes wrote that he was watching the show because he was curious how his "old friend" Ethan Page would do against Trick Williams. "Actually thinking of 'dashing' down to FL this week with a gift and see some old friends," Rhodes added. Another "old friend" currently in NXT is Shawn Spears and the two of them had a feud when they were in AEW. WWE is obviously looking to keep the momentum going for NXT after last week's impressive number and the Battleground fallout and an appearance from the American Nightmare will surely add to that.

CM PUNK BACKSTAGE AT BATTLEGROUND

- CM Punk was backstage at the Battleground show last night in Las Vegas and even took part in a WWE Digital exclusive backstage segment involving NXT Women's champion Roxanne Perez. As Perez was wondering why is everyone surprised that she kept her title and calling herself the prodigy, CM Punk walked into the frame. Punk told Perez to calm down and there's a reason why she's the champion because she's head and shoulders above all the women, including the TNA Knockouts. "But tonight you got lucky, okay?" Punk said. "I need you to focus on this (pointing at the title), I need you to be who you are, I need you to be the prodigy, you don't need anything else." Perez smiled and sarcastically thanked Punk for the advice. "What a hypocrite, uh-huh?" she said, as Punk chuckled. "Is she always like that?" Punk then asked Sarah Schrieber, to which Shcrieber replied in the affirmative.

JEFF COBB WANTS MATCH AT THE FORBIDDEN DOOR

- Current NJPW TV champion Jeff Cobb wants to go through the forbidden door and issued an open challenge for anyone who is "elite." Speaking at the post-Dominion press conference after he successfully defeated Tomohiro Ishii to retain his title, Cobb said it's that season again and is ready for a challenge. "If you’re elite, challenge me," Cobb said. "The big shiny golden belt that symbolizes NJPW TV is calling. I’ll make you famous." It would not be the first time for Cobb to appear on AEW television as he already has several matches under his belt with the promotion. He actually made his debut in February 2020 and appeared as recently as the May 15 episode of Dynamite. Cobb also took part in the 2022 Forbidden Door pay-per-view along as part of the United Empire in a triple threat match against FTR and Roppongi Vice.

TNA TOTAL NONSTOP SUMMER TOUR ANNOUNCED

- TNA Wrestling announced its Total Nonstop Summer Tour leading to the Bound For Glory pay-per-view in October. The tour kicks off this Friday with Against All odds from the Cicero Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, followed by a round of television tapings the next day from the same location. Other dates announced are June 28 and 29 from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 20 and 21 from the Verdun Auditorium in Montreal, August 2 and 3 from the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida, August 30 and 31 from the Old Forester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, and September 13 and 14 from the TempleLive Cleveland Masonic in Cleveland, Ohio. The July 20 date is the Slammiversary pay-per-view while the rest are all television tapings. TNA also said that the Bound For Glory pay-per-view will take place in "one of the most visited cities in the world," although it failed to mention the name of the city or a date except that it's in October. For tickets go to TNAWrestling.com.


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| .` | _| \ \/\/ /\__ \ |__| _| | | | | | _|| /
|_|\_|___| \_/\_/ |___/____|___| |_| |_| |___|_|_\


====================================================
Saturday, June 8, 2024 Issue #7258
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

It's been quite a slow weekend! Will catch Battleground on-demand tomorrow as the 11-hour time difference from where I am isn't helping!

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

NXT BATTLEGROUND 2024 LIVE ON PEACOCK AND WWE NETWORK TONIGHT

- Live tonight from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, WWE presents NXT Battleground 2024 on Peacock and WWE Network. The full card is a follows: Trick Williams vs Ethan Page for the NXT title; Roxanne Perez vs Jordynne Grace for the NXT Women's title; Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson for the NXT Tag Team titles; Oba Femi vs Wes Lee vs Joe Coffey in a triple threat match for the NXT North American title; Sol Luca vs Lash Legend vs Fallon Henley vs Jaida Parker vs Michin vs Kelani Jordan in a ladder match for the NXT Women's North American title; and Shayna Baszler vs Lola Vice in an NXT Underground match. The show will start at 8PM ET and a pre-show will commence an hour earlier airing on all of WWE's social media properties along with Peacock and WWE Network everywhere else.

RICOCHET INFORMS WWE HE'S LEAVING

- One WWE Superstar whose contract is coming up and will not be re-signing with the company is Ricochet. PWInsider.com is reporting that Ricochet has already told company officials that he is leaving once his deal is up in the Summer and will not be renewing. The man formerly known as Prince Puma has been signed to WWE since 2018 and won the NXT North American title, the United States title, the Intercontinental title, and was recently the inaugural WWE Speed champion during his six-year stint there. The 35-year-old is expected to draw a lot of interest in his free agency and recently AEW's Will Ospreay noted how WWE's use of him is appalling. Ricochet is currently dating Raw ring announcer Samantha Irvin.

I QUIT MATCH ADDED TO CLASH AT THE CASTLE

- The WWE championship will be defended at the Clash at the Castle premium live event in an I Quit match. The stipulation was added on Smackdown as the two came face-to-face on the show, with a very pissed off Cody Rhodes calling out Styles for what he did to him last week. Styles asked for a championship match next weekend and Cody accepted, telling him that it won't be a regular match, but he's going to make him say the thing he should have said last week: I quit! The Clash at the Castle: Scotland show currently has five matches, the same number of matches that Backlash France and King and Queen of the Ring had last month.

BELAIR AND CARGILL TO DEFEND TAG TITLES AT CLASH

- Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill will be putting the WWE Women's Tag Team titles on the line at Clash at the Castle next week. The champs will take on the teams of Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler and Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn in a triple threat match. This is the third premium live event in a row that the titles will be defended following Backlash France and King and Queen of the Ring, although technically that defense came during the pre-show. WWE has been putting more effort into the titles since Belair and Cargill won them from Damage CTRL in Lyon, France.

NATALYA STILL NOT SIGNED NEW WWE DEAL

- Natalya has not signed a new WWE deal yet according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful and will be a free agent in a couple of days. Sapp confirmed that WWE did offer her a new deal and there's also interest from other companies for her services. No one can legally approach her yet since she's still under contract but once free agency hits, if it gets to that, then it's fair game. The 42-year-old has been signed to WWE since 2007 and is one of the longest-tenured wrestlers on the roster with 17 years of uninterrupted service. She has recently been appearing on NXT as she helps the younger talent there. The belief is that the Canadian will re-sign with the company but with more opportunities - and money - going around, you can never be so sure.

ZACK SABRE JR CHALLENGES ORANGE CASSIDY FOR FORBIDDEN DOOR

- Popular British star Zack Sabre Jr will be returning to the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view later this month and has challenged former AEW International champion Orange Cassidy for a one-on-one match. Sabre Jr was part of a four-way match at last year's show involving then-champion Cassidy, Daniel Garcia and Katsuyori Shibata, a match which Cassidy won and retained the AEW International championship. A video played during Collision last night with Sabre Jr issuing the challenge and this will be their first-ever one-on-one match together. The Brit was also part of the inaugural Forbidden Door show where he wrestled Claudio Castagnoli.

THREE WOMEN ENTER THE OWEN HART CUP

- The women's Owen Hart Cup tournament has got its first three participants in the form of Mariah May, Willow Nightingale, and Kris Statlander. AEW is loading up the tournaments with big names this year as the stakes are even higher this time around, with each winner receiving a title shot at the upcoming All In pay-per-view at Wembley in London. The tournament is going to start very soon and the finals will be aptly held in Calgary on July 10 during Dynamite. Bryan Danielson is the only one who has been announced so far for the men's tournament.


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Friday, June 7, 2024 Issue #7257
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Hello from beautiful Thailand! Only managed to sleep around five hours from the moment I left home until now, and that's pushing on day two. Back tomorrow!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

SMACKDOWN PREVIEW

- Only three matches have been announced for tonight's live Smackdown on FOX. One half of the WWE Women's Tag Team champions Jade Cargill will take on Indi Hartwell, Apollo Crews battles Angel, and Johnny Gargano faces one half of the WWE Tag Team champions Grayson Waller. Plus, the new apparent leader of The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa, will officially anoint Tonga Loa into the faction and WWE champion Cody Rhodes continues his program with AJ Styles following last week's betrayal.

SMACKDOWN IN GLASGOW FAR FROM SOLD OUT

- With one week to go, Smackdown in Glasgow at the OVO Hydro still has a long way to go to resemble somewhat of a full arena as expensive tickets continue to prevent the majority of fas from buying. The cheapest ticket for Smackdown next Friday is ?93.50 at the very top, which is the equivalent of $120. WWE started a Me+3 4-pack selling at ?70.80 each if you go for four tickets together. But large sections of the arena, including the absolute majority of the floor, remain unsold, and there is a lot of work to be done to make this presentable. The cheapest floor ticket is ?172.95, or the equivalent of $220. That is at the very end of the floor where probably you won't be able to even see the ring properly. Ringside seats are going for ?882.70, or $1,130, and remember, this is just for a Smackdown and not even the premium live event. While WWE managed to eventually sell all their inventory for Backlash in France, Scotland is proving to be a harder job to accomplish even with Drew McIntyre in the top billing.

TONY KHAN WITH ANOTHER LATE-NIGHT X MELTDOWN

- It looks like Tony Khan could not sleep and went on another mini X tirade, firing weird posts out of the blue. After Midnight, Khan posted his first message which read, "I book wrestling for the sickos because that's what I am and that's who I care about. The post had some hilarious response, including one suggesting that it's probably why he can't get over 800,000 viewers on his flagship show every week. "Could you do a better job of it?" asked another, while a different user dared him to prove his sicko status by booking Mercedes Mone vs Bryan Danielson. An hour later, Khan fired off his second post writing, "Wake up the bots and tell them that we're having fun over here in @AEW." Khan often said that WWE has bots targeting them online, never mind his own bots posting the same messages every week from different accounts. "Love myself some late night TK tweets," replied one user, obviously enjoying the meltdown. "Bro you're 41 years old," wrote another, not impressed with the post. Just four minutes after sending his second message, Khan finished off with, "Wrestling is a high stakes cutthroat business." Users also had some fun with his latest message. "Hello Anthony, how's your day going?" someone asked. "Can u post something again, I need something to laugh at," wrote another.

DYNAMITE RATING

- This week's Dynamite with the return of MJF drew 790,000 viewers, up 3,000 viewers from the prior week. Just like Raw and NXT, Dynamite had no NBA or NHL competition this week. The show drew a 0.28 rating in 18-49, up 0.03 from last week and both numbers are the highest since April 10. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

MERCEDES MONE TO DEFEND TBS TITLE NEXT WEEK

- Mercedes Mone will have one more title defense before she wrestles at Forbidden Door for the IWGP Strong Women's title later this month. AEW President Tony Khan announced that the TBS champion will be facing CMLL's Zeuxis next week on Dynamite and if Zeuxis wins, she then takes Mone's place on the pay-per-view card against Stephanie Vaquer. The 35-year-old Puerto Rican has never wrestled for AEW and this will be her debut match there. In 2018 she was part of the Mae Young Classic tournament, losing in the second round to Io Shirai. AEW and CMLL have strengthened their relationship over the past several months and CMLL will be featured as well in the Forbidden Door pay-per-view.

WHO KILLED WCW? RATING

- The first episode of Who Killed WCW?, part of a four-episode look at the demise of WCW, drew 138,000 viewers on VICE on Tuesday. It had a 0.03 rating in 18-49 and was #101 on the top 150 chart for the night. Who Killed WCW? is produced by Seven Bucks Productions, the company owned by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Dany Garcia, Vice Studios, and the team behind the popular Dark Side of the Ring. This is their second collaboration together after the series Tales from the Territories. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)


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Thursday, June 6, 2024 Issue #7256
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Writing this at 37,000 feet somewhere over India on my way to Thailand. As I get older, these long-haul flights kick my ass more and more and yet, I seem to be booking more of them. What is wrong with me?

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

ALICIA ATOUT JOINS AEW

- AEW has added a new member to its broadcast team with Alicia Atout officially starting with yesterday's Dynamite. Atout, who part of the original All In and the first Double or Nothing, wrote on Instagram saying, "Cat’s out of the bag. I’m beyond excited to officially announce I’m ALL ELITE. See you every Wednesday, babyyyyy." The 28-year-old Canadian had been working for Major League Wrestling since 2019 but left the promotion in March of this year. Atout is the girlfriend of former AEW World champion MJF.

BRYAN DANIELSON IN THE OWEN HART CUP TOURNAMENT

- The first person to throw their name for the Owen Hart Cup tournament is Bryan Danielson. Danielson made the announcement last night on Dynamite. Noting that this is his final year as a full-time wrestler, he said he wants to go out on top and this was the last chance at winning the AEW World title. The winners of the tournaments will be getting title shots at the upcoming All In pay-per-view in Wembley. "It's gonna be the best shot I've had in my entire career," Danielson said, saying this might be his last shot. The men and women tournaments will start soon on AEW television and will culminate on the July 10 episode of Dynamite live from the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.

TITLE FOR TITLE MATCH AT FORBIDDEN DOOR

- A title for title match has been announced for the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view, a match which will pit Mercedes Mone against Stephanie Vaquer. The winner of this match will walk out with the TBS and NJPW Strong Women's titles. Mone was originally penciled in to win the NJPW Strong Women's title when it was inaugurated in May of last year but she ended up breaking her leg in the match against Willow Nightingale. The finish was changed on the fly and Willow ended up victorious. At Double or Nothing, Mone got her revenge and defeated Nightingale for the TBS title and is now the favorite to win the NJPW Strong Women's title as well come Forbidden Door. This would not be the first time that Mone would be a double champion as she was a double champion in WWE during the pandemic era, although those were not two singles titles, but rather one single and one tag team.

MARK BRISCOE ADVANCE TO TNT TITLE LADDER MATCH

- Mark Briscoe advanced to the TNT title ladder match at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view after he defeated Brian Cage last night on Dynamite in the second qualifying match. Briscoe now joins Konosuke Takeshita in the match and more qualifying matches will take place over the next couple of weeks although AEW has not announced how many participants this ladder match will have. The TNT title was vacated last week after Adam Copeland suffered a leg fracture coming off the top of the cage at Double or Nothing. He had previously won the title from Christian Cage in Toronto, ending his reign after 70 days.

FINANCIAL DETAILS OF AEW'S RESIDENCY AT ESPORTS ARENA REVEALED

- Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics revealed that AEW is paying a total of $232,000 for their residency at the Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas, promoted as the AEW Summer Series on the road to All In. The information, gathered from a public records request, shows that AEW will cough up $112,000 to the Arlington Expo Center and $120,000 to Esports Venues for their use of their equipment as well as the broadcast suite. This is a cost-savings measure for the company, who are getting a 50% discount to move there for several weeks of television tapings, including five Collision broadcasts and the ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view. The city is also paying AEW something to be there so their $232,000 bill might be offset by that payment. Thurston also wrote that the Esports Arena will be set ip for 1,290 seats for all shows which is obviously considerably less than a regular arena. AEW is facing a tough time selling tickets to its weekly Collision show and this was obviously viewed as the best outcome. AEW will start their Collision residency at the venue on Saturday, July 20.

PENTA'S AEW DEAL UP IN A FEW MONTHS, WWE INTERESTED

- Lucha Libre Online is reporting that Penta El Zero Miedo’s contract with AEW is expiring in the next few months and he might be a free agent come September as WWE has registered interest in getting him to the company. Penta has been part of AEW since the very beginning in 2019 along with his brother Rey Fenix as The Lucha Bros and was involved in some crazy wicked matches and spots along the years. WWE obviously are not in a position to officially talk with him just yet because his deal has not expired and this, for now, remains just speculation at this point. The 39-year-old Mexican Luchador has never worked for WWE but did have a run with Impact Wrestling where he won their world title and the tag team title as well with Fenix. In AEW, he is a former tag team and trios champion.

TRAILER FOR DAVE BAUTISTA'S NEW MOVIE THE KILLER'S GAME

- The trailer for the pretty violent new Dave Bautista movie The Killer's Game was released by Lionsgate. The movie revolves around a veteran assassin, Joe, played by the former WWE champion, who fends off a hit he placed on himself after finding out that the terminal medical diagnosis he received was of somebody else and not his. Another former WWE and World Heavyweight champion, Drew McIntyre, also has a part in the movie as one of the people hunting Bautista's character. The Killer's Game also stars Ben Kingsley, Terry Crews, Sofia Boutella, and Pom Klementieff. It will be released in theaters nationwide on September 13. You can see the trailer at

WWE TO RELEASE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS LEGACY TITLE

- WWE today announced the release of its first officially licensed National Hockey League (NHL) product, a WWE Stanley Cup champions legacy title belt commemorating the winner of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. This marks the first ever licensing deal between the NHL and WWE. At the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final, the commemorative product will be available for purchase at NHLShop.com, NHLShop.ca and WWEShop.com, as well as Fanatics.com. Featuring custom side plates emblazoned with the logo and official markings of the winning team, the WWE legacy title belt prominently showcases the Stanley Cup, the oldest and one of the most coveted trophies to be awarded in sports.

ASUKA PROVIDES UPDATE ON KNEE INJURY

- It looks like former multi-time women's champion Asuka has undergone knee surgery, posting a photo from a hospital bed with her knee heavily bandaged and in a big brace. Asuka, who had been working in a lot of pain for a few months, last wrestled at the Backlash France premium live event, losing the WWE Women's Tag Team titles with Kairi Sane against Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. After the match, Asuka thanked her fellow Damage CTRL members for helping her get through the difficult several months due to her injury. The Japanese star is looking at several months out on the sidelines with this injury.

NXT RATING

- NXT this week drew 768,000 viewers, up 65,000 viewers from last week's show and ties the best number of 2024 so far. In the 18-49 demo, NXT drew a 0.22, down 0.02 from last week and had a rare #1 spot on the top 50 cable chart for the night. There was no sports competition last night which helped greatly in the number of viewers. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)



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Wednesday, June 5, 2024 Issue #7255
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

There will be different delivery times for the newsletter over the next two weeks. I'm flying to Bangkok tomorrow for work and holiday so there will be odd hours of newsletter deliveries. Website will continue to be updated as usual.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- Dynamite tonight is headlined by an AEW World championship match and the return of a certain someone named MJF. Only three matches have been announced so far, featuring Swerve Strickland defending the AEW World title against Roderick Strong, Mariah May vs Saraya in a match which was supposed to happen last week, and an eight-man tag team match with Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli vs Volador Jr., Magnus, Rugido, and Esfinge. Plus, MJF returns to Dynamite after six months and Chris Jericho hosts another TV Time with the Learning Tree.

KEVIN KELLY TALKS GETTING FIRED FROM AEW

- Appearing at a virtual signing for K & S WrestleFest, former AEW commentator Kevin Kelly explained his side of his story after he was fired from the company a few months ago. Kelly and his broadcast colleague Ian Riccaboni had a falling out in AEW, with the ROH announcer making several accusations against Kelly online, including being a QAnon conspiracy theorist, among others. Kelly said that he and Riccaboni were supposed to be friends and this whole thing could have been ironed out if he just called him and talked about it. Eventually, the two spoke and Riccaboni accused Kelly of doing things to him over the years which angered him, things which were never explained because Kelly said he doesn't know what they are. He noted that he went to AEW's management to discuss the issues and complained that HR refused to tell him what the outcome of the disciplinary committee was when he reported Riccaboni's libelous comments. Kelly said that he had several mental health issues during his time in AEW which also affected his marriage and was set to visit an AEW-appointed psychiatrist before he was fired the day before the appointment. "I was not a fit for AEW," Kelly said. "I just felt like it was a very different kind of place and very stressful. So many people, there was so much chaos, and it just really stressed me out a lot." Kelly joined AEW in June 2023 where he was part of the Collision commentary team but was removed from his position in March of this year.

WHEELER YUTA CLEARED TO RETURN

- AEW's Wheeler Yuta has been medically cleared to return to the ring after five months. The announcement was made by AEW President Tony Khan on X who said that Yuta will return tonight on Dynamite to join his fellow Blackpool Combat Club members against CMLL's Volador Jr., Magnus, Rugido, and Esfinge in an eight-man tag team match. Yuta had an undisclosed injury which has kept him out of the ring since the January 10 episode of Rampage, with his last match coming against Eddie Kingston.

NXT TITLE MATCH ADDED TO BATTLEGROUND

- The main event for this Sunday's NXT Battleground premium live event was decided yesterday on NXT on USA Network. NXT champion Trick Williams will be defending his gold against newcomer and former AEW star Ethan Page in what will be Page's first match on the brand. The match came after some back-and-forth between Williams, Page, and NXT General Manager Ava, where Page wanted an immediate title match if he signed with NXT. Ava did not want to sign the deal, refusing Page's demands. But the champion wanted Ava to sign the deal and give whatever Page demanded so he can whoop his ass as a revenge for what he did the prior week. Ava insisted on the negative and said that there's one particular stipulation she can't sign off on. Page and Williams continued their war of words and then Ava signed the contract, making their match official for Sunday.

RAW RATING

- This week's episode of Monday Night Raw drew 1,679,000 viewers, down 11,000 viewers from last week's broadcast and somewhat of a disappointment considering there was no NBA or NHL Playoffs against it. The show started with 1,742,000 viewers and then increased slightly to 1,754,000 before ending the night with a drop to 1,541,000, with the third hour dragging down the average. Raw was #1, #2, and #3 in the top 50 cable chart for the night in the 18-49 demo with 0.55, 0.54, and 0.50 ratings respectively for an average of 0.53, down 0.02 from last week. It was overall the #1 show on all of television for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

TIFFANY STRATTON SIGNS WITH PARADIGM TALENT AGENCY

- The Hollywood Reporter has an exclusive story where it reveals that WWE Superstar Tiffany Stratton has signed with talent agency Paradigm for representation in all areas. The story says that Paradigm is banking on Stratton's stock to rise in WWE due to bigger exposure thanks to the WWE deal with Netflix and hopes to guide her to a career similar to that of John Cena, Dave Bautista, and The Rock in Hollywood. "Paradigm will work to build Stratton’s business across books, graphic novels, acting, brand partnerships, speaking engagements, and more," THR says. The 25-year-old, real name Jessica Woynilko, has been working for WWE since 2021 and this year she was called up to the main roster.

WWE ON A&E RATING

- This week's block of WWE programming on A&E TV also featured just one episode, a Biography: WWE Legends show featuring WWE Hall of Famer and former WWE champion Eddie Guerrero. This episode drew 288,000 viewers, up 70,000 viewers from the last episode of Mark Henry. It had a 0.08 rating in the 18-49 demo, up 0.03 from the prior week and placed #40 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

NIKKI GARCIA CAST IN SEASON THREE OF THE TRAITORS

- Former WWE Superstar Nikki Garcia is returning on television as part of the cast of season three of the reality TV show The Traitors. Hosted by Alan Cumming and filmed in the Scottish Highlands, The Traitors features several cast members who hope to win a large cash prize that is built up through missions. The host chooses a group of contestants who are referred to as the Traitors who must eliminate the rest of the contestants, known as Faithfuls, to win the money. The premise says that if a Faithful wins after eliminating all the Traitors, they will share the prize money but if the Traitors win, they steal the money. The series, which airs on Peacock, does not have a premiere date yet. Previous cast members from Survivor, Big Brother, The Real Housewives, The Biggest Loser, Vanderpump Rules, and others are also part of the 21-member cast. Nikki is referred to as a professional wrestler in the video introducing the contestants.


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Tuesday, June 4, 2024 Issue #7254
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I'm liking this Liv Morgan / Dom Mysterio angle. It will surely add to when Ripley returns. Both are playing the part to perfection. Dom is one lucky dude! LOL!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

ADAM COPELAND UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL SURGERY

- Former TNT champion Adam Copeland underwent successful surgery on his broken tibia, an injury he suffered at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view when he leaped off the top of the cage. Posting a video on his Instagram just 12 hours after surgery, Copeland was on two crutches and went through the door in his gym which had a sign reading Forbidden Door. "So right now I’m about to walk through the Forbidden Door," he said. "Since I can’t walk through the Forbidden Door of the pay-per-view and face someone from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, I can walk through the Forbidden Door of the gym." Copeland said he wanted to see what he can pull off so early after surgery and showed that he could do single-leg planks.

AEW FIGHT FOREVER GAME ON PLAYSTATION PLUS

- The AEW: Fight Forever video game is now available on PlayStation Plus through June 2024. PlayStation Plus is a subscription-based service where hundreds of PS5, PS4, and classic PS games are available to be played without buying the game as part of the monthly subscription. The game, developed by Yuke's and published by THQ Nordic, cost AEW over a million dollars to develop and was met with several delays and problems with the developer. It was eventually released in June of last year to a mixed reaction from players.

RAMPAGE RATING

- Rampage on Friday drew 255,000 viewers, up 33,000 viewers from last week's all-time low. The show aired at 6:30PM ET instead of the usual 10PM ET time slot. Rampage was #25 on the top 50 cable chart among the 18-49 demo with a 0.09 rating, up 0.01 from the prior week. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

COLLISION RATING

- Last Saturday's episode of Collision, which was pre-taped on Thursday, drew just 378,000 viewers, down 37,000 viewers from the prior week. It was the second least-watched episode of 2024 so far. The show had a 0.11 rating in 18-49, down 0.04 from last week and was #12 on the chart. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

IC TITLE MATCH ADDED TO CLASH AT THE CASTLE

- An Intercontinental title match has been added to the upcoming Clash at the Castle: Scotland premium live event which takes place next week. Champion Sami Zayn is putting his gold on the line against Alpha Academy leader Chad Gable on the basis that this match will end their feud once and for all. Gable took out Zayn on Raw last night after the two agreed to the match but after Zayn accidentally bumped Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa, Otis jumped to his team mates' defense and flattened out Zayn. Gable then posed with the Intercontinental title over Zayn. This is the third match officially announced for the show following Priest vs McIntyre and Bayley vs Niven.

WWE TRIO IN MEXICO FOR STEM CELL TREATMENT

- The Rejuvstem Clinic in Mexico posted on Instagram this week that it has been treating WWE Superstars Big E, Shotzi, and MVP at their brand new clinic in Cancun. Big E and MVP posed in front of a welcome banner at the clinic which had their photo along with Shotzi, with the clinic writing, "These incredible athletes are here to experience the power of cellular regeneration, boosting their performance and enhancing their overall health with millions of rejuvenating cells." The renowned clinic is known for their innovative cellular treatments, providing patients with their highest-quality stem cells. MVP wrote that with this treatment he hopes to get better for one last run in the ring.

SMACKDOWN RATING

- The post-King and Queen of the Ring episode of Smackdown drew 2,310,000 viewers, up 163,000 viewers from the prior week which was a taped episode from Jeddah. This was Smackdown's best number since April 19. In the 18-49 demo, Smackdown drew a 0.65, up 0.09 from the prior week and doubled its next competitor on network television and beat the NHL Playoffs conference finals on cable to claim the #1 spot overall in all of TV. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

MISSY HYATT SAYS SHE CONTACTED JANEL GRANT'S LAWYER

- Appearing in an interview with Wrestling Shoot Interviews on YouTube, Missy Hyatt revealed that she had contacted the lawyers of Janel Grant to explain what Vince McMahon did to her several years ago. Hyatt explained that when she was doing the Missy's Manor segments, she once had to push McMahon out of her hotel room because he "tried to stick his tongue in my mouth" and was later punished for not complying. "I didn’t trust them, so I left and had to go beg Jim Crockett and Dusty for a job,” she said. Hyatt also recounted a story when they were in Las Vegas doing television tapings and she went to a large dinner with other WWE employees and McMahon took her back to her hotel. She said that she had to push him out because he kept trying to get in her room and admitted that if she were not engaged at the time, maybe it could have happened, although she criticized McMahon for having bad teeth. "It’s like you’re a millionaire times over and you can’t get your teeth fixed? He’s got like rotten teeth," she said. "It’s really gross." Janel Grant, who sued Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE over sex trafficking, has recently paused her civil suit on the request of the United States Justice Department who are also investigating the former WWE and TKO Chairman. Missy Hyatt recently said that she had a relationship with Jim Ross after his wife passed away, admitting that he "rocked her world."


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Monday, June 3, 2024 Issue #7253
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

It's been a very very slow weekend as far as news goes. Maybe we'll have a newsworthy Raw tonight!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

CHAD GABLE'S WWE CONTRACT EXPIRING FRIDAY

- Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling is reporting through his Select service that Chad Gable's WWE contract is up this Friday, June 7. While Gable has become an integral part of WWE television over the last several months as the leader of Alpha Academy and his quest for the Intercontinental title, the two sides have not reached a deal yet on a new contract and as things stand, Gable will be a free agent come this weekend. Tonight's Monday Night Raw could provide a hint of what his future will be if he's used on the show. If it's business as usual, things are probably looking good for Gable to stay put but if he eventually gets buried, then an exit is a likely scenario. The 38-year-old Minnesota native has been part of WWE since 2013 and is one of the several stars whose contract is wrapping up this month.

RAW PREVIEW

- Monday Night Raw rolls into Hershey, Pennsylvania tonight as the road towards Clash at the Castle: Scotland continues. Scheduled to take place tonight are Damian Priest vs Rey Mysterio in a non-title match, Sheamus battles Ludwig Kaiser, and The New Day take on AOP. Plus, new Women's World champion Liv Morgan will be in the house with some explaining to do after that kiss to Dominik Mysterio last week following her win against Becky Lynch.

CM PUNK RETRO SHIRTS RE-RELEASED

- WWE has re-released several of CM Punk's retro designs including the yellow GTS t-shirt, the CM Punk fists t-shirt, the In Punk We Trust t-shirt, the Best In The World ringer t-shirt, and more. These are currently selling for $32.99 along with other new CM Punk merchandise. WWE Shop is also running a promotion of 25% off sitewide or else 30% off for orders over $49 using the code PINFALL. You can start shopping at .

UNCLE HOWDY TEASER SUGGESTS JUNE 17 DATE

- An Uncle Howdy message was posted on WWE.COM yesterday with a possible date of June 17 for a return. The URL on the WWE.COM post read "71enuj" which is June 17 backwards. Several QR codes, videos, and hints have been popping up weekly on WWE television and announcers have also been pointing them out lately. June 17 is a Monday with the post-Clash at the Castle Raw live from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christie, Texas. "I accepted my calling. Only then was I able to set the others free," part of the message reads. "We are going to burn it to the ground. A massacre is coming." The group is rumored to include Bo Dallas as Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, and Nikki Cross and will continue to feed off of the Bray Wyatt complicated world.

TONI STORM CHALLENGES MINA SHIRAKAWA FOR FORBIDDEN DOOR

- AEW Women's champion Toni Storm appeared at the Stardom show at the Korakuen Hall yesterday via video - in black and white, of course - to issue a challenge for the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Along with her sidekick Mariah May, the champion challenged Mina Shirakawa to a title match while she was in the ring. Shirakawa came to the aid of May recently and Storm said that anyone of May's friends are her friends too. Shirakawa accepted the challenge, making this the third official match for the show. Swerve Strickland vs Will Ospreay for the AEW World title and the TNT title ladder match are the only other two matches confirmed for now.

LOU D'ANGELI GONE FROM TNA

- Multiple industry insiders are reporting that Lou D'Angeli, who served as Vice President of Marketing for Anthem Sports & Entertainment, has been let go from his duties. D'Angeli worked with TNA Wrestling for tickets, ads, and live event promotions and had been in that position for nearly two-and-a-half years. In the wrestling world, he is best known for his portrayal of Sign Guy Dudley in ECW and prior to his TNA gig, he worked for WWE from 2006 to 2010 as Director of Marketing and then as VP of Marketing for Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group for the following 11 years. D'Angeli joins David Sahadi, the company's former Creative Director, on the unemployed list as TNA undergoes a restructuring.

TNA RETURNING TO TAMPA FOR TWO TV TAPINGS

- TNA issued a press release announcing that it will be making two stops in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, August 2 and Saturday, August 3 for two nights of television tapings. The tapings will be held at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Tickets for both Tampa shows will go on-sale at 10AM ET on Saturday, June 8, at TNAWrestling.com. Those expected to appear are Matt Hardy, Nic Nemeth, Joe Hendry, Mustafa Ali, Jordynne Grace, Eric Young, Ash By Elegance, Moose and many others. The upcoming shows mark the first TNA shows in Tampa in 11 years.


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Saturday, June 1, 2024 Issue #7252
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

I want to give a HUGE shout-out to Joe Adams who since February 2022, wrote all the Raw and Smackdown television reports for Wrestling-Online.com. He wrapped up his duties with yesterday's Smackdown report and we will be pausing those reports for the time being. Thanks, Joe!

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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BECKY LYNCH OFFICIALLY A FREE AGENT

- As of today, Saturday, June 1, Becky Lynch is officially a free agent and The Man is "not coming around" anytime soon. The former multi-time WWE Women's champion is taking an extended period of time off from professional wrestling, or so it's alluded, and with her husband out injured for the next several months, it was the perfect opportunity to be home. Lynch was supposed to take time off after WrestleMania but was brought back when Rhea Ripley was injured during a backstage segment. She won the WWE Women's World title and kept it for a month before dropping it to Liv Morgan last weekend at King and Queen of the Ring. The 37-year-old Irish star has been working with WWE since 2013 and it marks the first time in 11 years that she has not held a WWE contract. While everyone expects Lynch to eventually return to WWE, the possibility of going to AEW is very much there and she could quite easily get one of the biggest, if not the biggest, contract. Lynch was non-committal about her future in an interview with Ariel Helwani a week before WrestleMania, telling him that WWE did not offer her a new deal yet. Asked if she's moving away, she said she's "WWE" and doesn't think it will be her last WrestleMania but when pressed if she would be willing to go to a different company, she never gave a clear answer.

PIPER NIVEN GETS TITLE SHOT AT CLASH AT THE CASTLE

- A second Scottish star will be getting her shot at a major WWE championship at Clash at the Castle as Piper Niven has been announced as Bayley's challenger for the WWE Women's title. Niven targeted Bayley last week and yesterday on Smackdown as the program between the two continued ahead of the premium live event. Fellow Scottish star Drew McIntyre is also getting the top billing at Clash at the Castle when he goes up against World Heavyweight champion Damian Priest. The show, live from the OVO Hydro, is the first WWE PLE from the country and very expensive tickets are still available starting from ?303.50 each. The floor area remains largely unsold due to insane prices, prices which are expected to drop days before the show.

WWE ON A&E RATING

- Week 13 of WWE's block on A&E Network only had an hour of programming last week, a new episode of Biography: WWE Legends. The episode featured the bio of WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry and it drew 218,000 viewers, down 8,000 viewers from the previous episode. It was #53 on the top 50 cable chart for the night with a 0.05 rating in 18-49, down 0.02 from the last show. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

OPEN CHALLENGE FOR TNA KNOCKOUTS TITLE AT AGAINST ALL ODDS

- Jordynne Grace's next opponent for the TNA Knockouts title will be revealed in an open challenge at the Against All Odds event which will stream exclusively on TNA+ on Friday, June 14. Grace could be a double champion by that time as she will be taking on Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's title on Sunday, June 9 at the Battleground premium live event in Las Vegas. Against All Odds will be the first live show after Battleground and with the rumors that NXT stars will be appearing on TNA programming in the weeks to come, it would not be a surprise if her opponent at Against All Odds will be someone from WWE.

KONOSUKE TAKESHITA QUALIFIES FOR TNT TITLE LADDER MATCH

- The first wrestler to qualify for the ladder match to determine the new TNT champion at Forbidden Door is Konosuke Takeshita. Takeshita defeated Penta El Zero Miedo during last night's Rampage and is now guaranteed a spot in the match at the next AEW pay-per-view. More qualifying matches will take place over the course of the next couple of weeks. AEW has not yet announced how many participants will be in this match. The TNT title was vacated this week after Adam Copeland broke his leg coming off the top of the cage at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view last Sunday.

JERICHO STEPS DOWN FROM RAMPAGE COMMENTARY

- Chris Jericho will no longer be doing commentary for the AEW Rampage weekly television broadcast. He made the announcement on yesterday's show. Jericho said that he's stopping his commentary gig so he can spend "more time" on Dynamite and Collision and have "three or four or five" segments per week because he loves having his face on television. The current FTW champion has been doing commentary for Rampage since the show started in 2021 and Matt Menard has replaced him during the weeks that he was not available. Menard will be replacing Jericho permanently now according to multiple reports.

COLLISION PREVIEW

- Tonight's episode of Collision is not live as it was taped on Thursday from the Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California but will air in its usual time slot on TNT at 8PM ET. Seven matches have been taped for the broadcast including a title match. These are Will Ospreay vs Kyle Fletcher for the AEW International title, Claudio Castagnoli vs Johnny TV, Daniel Garcia teams with Katsuyori Shibata vs The Workhorsemen, Thunder Rosa battles Reina Dorada, the returning Lio Rush takes on Roderick Strong, Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty vs West Coast Wrecking Crew, and The Gates of Agony and Brian Cage vs KM, Danny Gee, and Danny Rose in a trios match.


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Friday, May 31, 2024 Issue #7251
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

We're almost at 42,000 likes on our Facebook page! Help us get there by following us at !


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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ROXANNE PEREZ DID NOT KNOW JORDYNNE GRACE WAS COMING OUT

- Appearing on Busted Open Radio, TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace said that Roxanne Perez had no idea who was going to be her opponent for Battleground and found out in the ring along with the rest of the viewers and fans inside the WWE Performance Center. "Roxanne had no idea it was me. They wouldn't tell her," Grace said. "No one would tell her all day!" She said that five minutes before the planned segment on television, they brought her out to explain to her who it was but by that point, she was so frustrated that she didn't want to know and opted to be surprised instead. "She had no idea it was me," she added while laughing. Grace noted that she feels a lot of pressure on her shoulders and there's big expectations from both TNA and WWE about this program.

WWE/TNA RELATIONSHIP EXPECTED TO BE EXPANDED

- The relationship between WWE and TNA is set to expand according to a report on PWInsider.com. NXT talent are expected to appear on TNA programming as well in the coming weeks in what could be a first crossover where WWE talent appear on another TV show. TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace appeared on NXT this week and revealed as the challenger for NXT Women's champion Roxanne Perez at Battleground. She's also appearing - and wrestling - on next week's episode of NXT. She previously appeared as a surprise entrant at the Royal Rumble this year.

NXT RATING

- Despite heavy competition from the NBA and NHL, NXT drew its best third number of 2024 with 703,000 viewers tuning in, up 49,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.24 rating in 18-49, up a big 0.07 jump from the previous week, the highest since January 2. It finished #6 on the top 50 cable chart. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

LONGTIME TNA EMPLOYEE DAVID SAHADI LET GO

- David Sahadi, TNA's Creative Director, was one of the people let go from the company this week as Anthem Sports & Entertainment started a restructuring at TNA Wrestling. Sahadi was one of the company's longest tenured employees, with 18 years of service where he started as a director in 2006. He was promoted to Creative Director in October 2019. Prior to joining TNA, Sahadi was a Creative Director for WWE for nearly 11 years and was in charge of directing commercials, promotional campaigns, and the cold openings for the shows. Several members of the TNA staff were given the pink slip but Sahadi was the most prominent official to be given the boot.

MATT HARDY SAYS JEFF'S AEW DEAL UP NEXT MONTH

- On his weekly podcast, Matt Hardy revealed that his brother's Jeff contract with AEW is about to expire soon, and thinks it's valid until "mid-June or so." Matt said that Jeff has been cleared for a while now but he's just sitting at home waiting for the phone call to go to work. "So, I guess we'll see if he ends up re-signing or not re-signing," Matt said. "Who knows?" Jeff's run in AEW hasn't been particularly special, first spending time in rehab and then getting injured in the ring a few months ago, breaking his nose and getting knocked out after being on the receiving end of a Sammy Guevara move. Hardy hasn't been seen on AEW TV since that match on February 16. Acknowledging that his brother is very happy to spend time at home, Matt added that he knows that it's important for him to finish up on a high note. "I know that it's something that he wants to do. So it’s going to be interesting to see what happens," Matt continued.

DYNAMITE RATING

- With no competition from the NBA Playoffs, the post-Double or Nothing episode of Dynamite drew 787,000 viewers, up 74,000 viewers from the prior week. It was the best number since April 10. The show had a 0.25 rating in 18-49, up 0.01 from last week and was #2 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

GABLE STEVESON SIGNS WITH THE NFL'S BUFFALO BILLS

- Former WWE developmental wrestler and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is transitioning to the NFL and has signed a deal with the Buffalo Bills. According to ESPN, Steveson is signing a standard rookie three-year deal and could be a candidate for the practice squad. "I have been fortunate to compete at the highest level of competition in my sport but am looking forward to the challenge of seeing how my wrestling skills may translate to football," Steveson told ESPN. "I am grateful to Coach McDermott, Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving me this opportunity." His agent noted that Steveson is expected to play defensive line and it was the first time that he put on a pair of cleats at a recent workout for the team. “Bills head coach Sean McDermott — who has a championship high school wrestling background — wanted Steveson to play defensive line and he believes he has the potential it takes to make an impact," his agent continued. "The Bills were impressed with his level of talent, but also know how raw he is, which makes him a potential ideal practice squad candidate in 2024.” Steveson signed with WWE in 2021 but his pro wrestling career never took off despite several high-profile appearances and chances. He was released from WWE earlier this year.


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Thursday, May 30, 2024 Issue #7250
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Have a good one, we'll be back tomorrow!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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WILL OSPREAY BECOMES #1 CONTENDER FOR AEW TITLE

- The new AEW International champion Will Ospreay won the Casino Gauntlet match last night on Dynamite to become the number one contender for the AEW World title. Ospreay now gets his chance to go for the top AEW gold at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view later next month. The other participants included Jay White, Pac, Mistico, Shota Umino, Claudio Castagnoli, Lio Rush, Orange Cassidy, and Hechicero. Ospreay beat Cassidy to win the match. The British star will now face Swerve Strickland on the June 30 pay-per-view from the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York.

STEPHANIE VAQUER APPEARS ON DYNAMITE

- The NJPW Strong Women's champion Stephanie Vaquer appeared on Dynamite last night as the road to Forbidden Door starts. The Chilean 31-year-old wrestles for the CMLL promotion in Mexico and came out after TBS champion Mercedes Mone successfully defended her title against Skye Blue. Vaquer stayed at the top of the stage and lifted her title while Mone stayed in the ring and lifted her title, suggesting the two will go head-to-head on the pay-per-view. The two have a history together already as Mone defeated Vaquer in the semi final of the tournament to crown the inaugural NJPW Strong Women's champion last year in May. She won the NJPW Strong Women's title in March at Stardom's 2024 Cindirella Tournament, defeating Giulia.

TNT TITLE VACATED

- As expected, the TNT title has been vacated by Adam Copeland after he announced that he broke his leg coming off the top of the cage on Sunday in his Double or Nothing match against Malakai Black. The TNT title will be up for grabs at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view and it will be a ladder match to determine who will be the new champion. Qualifying matches will start this week on Rampage with Konosuke Takeshita vs Penta El Zero Miedo in the first match. Originally, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson addressed the title situation in an in-ring segment and as EVPs, "stripped" the title off Copeland. Then they said they know a guy to take over the title: Jack Perry. But things did not go The Elite's way as Christopher Daniels came out and said he is the new Interim EVP and shot down the idea of Perry getting the title and instead announced the ladder match.

MJF TO RETURN NEXT WEEK ON AEW TV

- After making a surprise return at Double or Nothing, MJF will return to AEW television next week on Dynamite. His return was announced during the show last night. MJF has been absent from AEW television for five months, with his last appearance coming at the Worlds End pay-per-view on December 30 when he lost the AEW World title to Samoa Joe. The free agency battle which was hyped for months last year also did not happen as MJF announced that he's not going anywhere. He is believed to have signed a deal late last year after his contract was going to run out at the beginning of 2024.

TONY KHAN DONATES NECK BRACE AND $100,000

- AEW President Tony Khan appeared on The Rich Eisen Show on The Roku Channel and donated his neck brace for charity. Khan signed the neck brace which he used during the NFL Draft to sell the attack from The Elite and donated it for Eisen's Run Rich Run charity benefiting St. Judes. But Khan went a step further than that and bid $100,000 on the neck brace himself and gifted it back to the Rich Eisen Studio, where it will now live on Eisen's bust.

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATING VINE MCMAHON

- Former WWE employee Janel Grant, who is suing Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE, has agreed to pause her lawsuit at the request of the U.S. Justice Department as the government conducts its own investigation according to a new story by Bloomberg. The pause is for six months according to someone familiar with the case. "Ms. Grant has consented to a request by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York to stay her case against Mr. McMahon, WWE and Mr. Laurinaitis, pursuant to a pending non-public investigation," Grant's attorney Ann Callis said in a statement today. "We will cooperate with all appropriate next steps." All the defendants are denying the claims. The lawsuit has led to the departure of Vince McMahon from his role as Executive Chairman of TKO Group Holdings, ending his long association with WWE once and for all.

CHAD GABLE'S CONTRACT EXPIRING

- Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling is reporting through his Select service that Chad Gable's WWE contract is expiring next week. The two sides have not reached an agreement on either an extension or a new contract yet and Gable could be a free agent in just a matter of days. Gable has been featured heavily and regularly on WWE television lately as the leader of the Alpha Academy and is in one of the most prominent storylines on Raw every week. The 38-year-old has been working with WWE since 2013.

GET PEACOCK PREMIUM WITH WWE NETWORK FOR $19.99 FOR A YEAR

- If you're interested in getting Peacock Premium with the WWE Network, today is the day to get it as the streaming service has an offer for today only where you pay just $19.99 for a full year. That works out to just $1.66 per month and a savings of $40 over 12 months. This subscription is the one with ads. Peacock Premium is increasing its monthly subscription over the next two months and this will lock your price for a whole year. After Peacock raises its prices, this annual plan will be $79.99. You are also able to cancel your subscription any time through the Peacock website to prevent it from auto-renewing next year. This offer is for new subscribers only but you can use a different e-mail address to get this promotion. If you're interested go to

RAW RATING

- The Memorial Day episode of Raw drew 1,690,000 viewers, down 43,000 viewers from last week's show which had no NBA competition. The NBA Playoffs Finals did air on Monday and topped the night. Raw started with its best number since April with 1,832,000 viewers in the first hour, then dropped to 1,712,000 viewers in the second hour and down to 1,527,000 viewers in the third. The show was #3, #4, and #7 in the top 50 cable chart for the night with 0.59, 0.56, and 0.50 ratings respectively for an average of 0.55, down 0.01 from last week. Raw was #3 overall in all of television. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)


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====================================================
Wednesday, May 29, 2024 Issue #7249
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Visit our website at
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Well, that was a very interesting episode of NXT. Glad to see Jordynne Grace back and if they pull the trigger of a title switch, it would make things even spicier.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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JORDYNNE GRACE APPEARS ON NXT, GETS TITLE SHOT

- TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace is next to challenge NXT champion Roxanne Perez at the upcoming Battleground premium live event in Las Vegas. Grace, who just a few months ago was a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, came out during NXT last night as NXT GM's Ava pick to face Perez. Showered with "TNA" chants from the fans at the Performance Center, Grace told Perez that come Battleground, she will leave Las Vegas carrying both the TNA Knockouts and NXT Women's titles. Grace will also make her NXT in-ring debut next week when she takes on Stevie Turner. "Can’t wait to make my in-ring debut for @WWENXT next week as the TNA Knockout’s Champion," Grace wrote on X. Earlier, Grace wrote "told you" when she reposted the January 28 message from X where said that this won't be the last time you'll see of TNA in WWE after the Royal Rumble. You can see her segment at .

ETHAN PAGE MAKES NXT DEBUT

- Ethan Page, who most recently was part of the AEW roster, made a surprise debut in NXT last night and took out NXT champion Trick Williams in the show-closing angle. The final segment saw Lash Legend ask Williams if he attacked Noam Dar and Oro Mensah and before Williams could plead his case, the lights inside the Performance Center went out. As soon as they came back on, Page attacked the champion from behind, pushing him into Legend. "That's Ethan Page," screamed Vic Joseph on commentary. "Wasn't he in AE...?" he continued, before he got cut off exactly by Page, admitting that he was the one with the recent attacks backstage. The Canadian departed AEW earlier this month after he spent three years with the promotion. Page was part of Men of the Year with Scorpio Sky and Dan Lambert of American Top Team and later was also part of The Firm before moving mostly to Ring of Honor. You can see his debut at .

SMACKDOWN RATING

- The taped Smackdown from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, drew 2,147,000 viewers, down 39,000 viewers from the prior week and the third least-watched episode of the year. It went against the NBA Western Conference Finals which had a combined audience of over 6 million viewers across two stations and the NHL Eastern Conference Finals. The show had a 0.56 rating in 18-49, down 0.03 from last week and the lowest of the year. Smackdown was #1 on network television but #3 across all of TV for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

MICHIN AND KELANI JORDAN ADVANCE TO LADDER MATCH

- Michin and Kelani Jordan are the final two entrants in the NXT Women's North American title ladder match at Battleground. The two advanced to the match after they each won their qualifying matches against Tatum Paxley and Wren Sinclair respectively. They now join Lash Legend, Sol Ruca, Fallon Henley, and Jaida Parker to crown the inaugural champion in the same way that the NXT North American title was decided for the men several years ago.

DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- The Double or Nothing fallout will take place on Dynamite tonight live from the KIA Forum in Inglewood, California. The broadcast will be headlined by a Casino Gauntlet match to see who will be the new number one contender for the AEW World title. Other matches announced for the show include AEW World champion Swerve Strickland vs Killswitch, IWGP World Heavyweight Jon Moxley vs Rocky Romero in an eliminator match, and Saraya vs Mariah May. Also set for tonight are Mercedes Mone's TBS title celebration and the debut of a new segment with Chris Jericho titled TV Time.

JAKE HAGER DEPARTS AEW

- Cassidy Haynes from Bodyslam.net is reporting that Jake Hager has departed AEW after his contract expired yesterday without any renewal. Hager, who has been working for AEW since the inaugural episode of Dynamite in October 2019, has not been used much lately on television and his last match was in late February on an episode of Rampage. The former WWE World Heavyweight champion then known as Jack Swagger was part of The Inner Circle and Jericho Appreciation Society, both factions fronted by Chris Jericho. Several AEW stars have their contracts coming up over the next weeks and months and a lot of departures are expected.

ARN ANDERSON DEPARTING AEW

- Arn Anderson, who has been working with AEW since early 2020, is departing the company effective June 1. The WWE Hall of Famer and member of the famous Four Horsemen said on his podcast that his last day with AEW is May 31 and will not be renewing his deal, instead focusing on his son Brock. Anderson thanked several people including Tony Khan, Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross, and co-workers like Dean Malenko, Jerry Lynn, and Billy Gunn for everything they've done. Anderson made his AEW debut at All Out 2019 coming to the aid of Cody Rhodes and then signed a deal with the company to start in January 2020, serving as Cody's advisor. While doing several on-screen appearances, Anderson also worked backstage. He had previously been working with WWE as a producer but was fired in early 2019 after it was revealed that he allowed Alicia Fox to wrestle at a non-televised live event while she was intoxicated.

RAMPAGE RATING

- Rampage last Friday on TNT drew its lowest viewership ever with just 222,000 tuning in. Rampage was not in its usual time slot and started at 6PM ET. The number is down 169,000 viewers from last week and had a 0.08 rating in 18-49, down 0.05 from the last show. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

COLLISION RATING

- Collision on Saturday night on TBS drew 415,000 viewers, down 107,000 viewers from the prior week. The show had a 0.15 rating in 18-49, the same rating that it had the previous week. (Ratings credit: Wrestlenomics)


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Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Issue #7248
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, back tomorrow!

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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BECKY LYNCH WAVES GOODBYE TO FANS AS FREE AGENCY LOOMS

- Becky Lynch waved goodbye to fans last night and blew a kiss before she exited the ring in what could be her last match for a while. Lynch's contract expires on May 31 and will be officially a free agent come June 1 as she has not renewed her WWE deal. The former champion noted a week before WrestleMania in an interview that WWE had not offered her a new deal yet and was coy about her future although she said it's unlikely it would be her last WrestleMania. The word going around is that Lynch will be taking a hiatus from wrestling and then return whenever she's ready, although where remains to be seen. Lynch, due to her popularity, can command a big-money contract and could very well end up with the biggest contract for a female in professional wrestling. Charlotte Flair currently has the biggest female contract in WWE while Mercedes Mone has the biggest female contract in AEW. The 37-year-old has been employed by WWE since 2013. She posted a photo of herself walking out of the arena with the words "to be continued" on social media after the show. You can see the video at .

LIV MORGAN AND DOM MYSTERIO KISS ON RAW!

- Monday Night Raw ended with a big twist last night as Liv Morgan locked lips with Dominik Mysterio for several seconds before the show went off the air. Something has been brewing between the two for weeks and they got caught coming out from the same room backstage several weeks ago on TV. Liv then had Dom's bandana in her pocket the following week, something that eagle-eyed viewers picked up on as well. At King and Queen of the Ring, Mysterio "inadvertently" helped Morgan with the Women's World title from Becky Lynch and he did the same last night on Raw after he was shoved into the cage door by Braun Strowman, slamming the door on Lynch's head in the process as she was crawling out. While the kiss was left out of the U.S. broadcast, probably due to timing issues, it aired on other Raw feeds worldwide. Morgan approached Mysterio in the aisle and then just jumped him in a lip lock as the crowd went "ooooh!" The six-second kiss got a smile from Morgan but Mysterio no-sold it although he made no effort to get out of it. Mami is not going to be happy when she is back! You can see the video at .

ADAM COPELAND BREAKS LEG AT DOUBLE OR NOTHING

- TNT champion Adam Copeland reveled on social media that he suffered a broken tibia and will have to undergo surgery. Copeland suffered the injury when he jumped from the top off the cage on Malakai Black but somehow, someway along the way falling down, he looked like he changed his mind about what he was about to do and eventually dropped right on his two feet, making it a very scary landing. “So...my body pulled the emergency break on me the other night and I ended up fracturing my tibia, which is going to require surgery. Don’t know the time frame on that yet," Copeland said in the video. The 50-year-old is now looking at months on the sidelines and has to surrender the TNT title, something that will probably be addressed tomorrow on Dynamite.

REPORT SAYS TONY KHAN NOT HAPPY WITH WBD OFFER

- Former editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, Matthew Belloni, reported on Puck News that the exclusive window of Warner Bros Discovery to negotiate a new television deal with AEW closes in July and AEW President Tony Khan is not happy with the current offer. Belloni wrote that Khan is said to be "disappointed," especially now that WBD has lost its NBA rights, freeing up more money to splash on other programming. Once the exclusive window closes, AEW can start negotiating with other networks although Khan has often said he would prefer to stay on WBD properties. Despite falling ratings, AEW shows remain popular and often rank high up in the weekly television charts, especially Dynamite and to a certain extent, Collision. AEW's current television deal with WBD is through the end of 2024.

EDDIE KINGSTON TO UNDERGO SURGERY ON JULY 8

- PWInsider.com is reporting that Eddie Kingston is undergoing surgery on July 8 to repair the torn ACL and meniscus, an injury which he suffered at the NJPW Resurgence show on May 11. The reason why it's taking long to go under the knife is because Kingston also suffered a broken leg in the match and he was told that his broken leg has to heal before they can tackle the other problems, also on the same leg. Kingston suffered the injuries when he took a suplex from the ring apron onto a waiting table but his right leg smashed the steel barricade. Kingston immediately clutched his leg and took him several minutes to get up before going through the rest of the angle with the beatdown from The Elite. The injury knocked him out of the Anarchy in the Arena match where he was supposed to be part of Team AEW with FTR and Bryan Danielson. Darby Allin ended up taking his spot. Kingston is looking at a full year out of action due to his injuries.

GIULIA UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL SURGERY

- Japanese all-women promotion Marigold announced that Giulia underwent successful wrist surgery this morning in Tokyo, Japan. In a post X, her injury was explained as a distal radius fracture and she will be kept in hospital until Thursday, after which she will be discharged. Marigold added that the former IWGP Strong Women's champion will accompany them to their regional shows starting on June 1. Giulia is expected to start with WWE soon and will be part of the NXT roster at the beginning.


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Monday, May 27, 2024 Issue #7247
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

That was a crazy AEW pay-per-view. Some things I didn't like as a wrestling fan and some things I liked. Setting someone on fire - no matter which company it is - is stupid and unnecessarily dangerous. Glad to see MJF back, they need him really bad.

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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DOUBLE OR NOTHING 2024 RESULTS

- Here are the results from the Double or Nothing 2024 pay-per-view which took place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. BUY IN: Deonna Purrazzo defeated Thunder Rosa; The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn defeated Brian Cage and Gates of Agony in a trios match. PPV: Will Ospreay defeated Roderick Strong to become the new AEW International champion; Jay White and The Gunns defeated Pac, Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo in a trios match to retain the Unified World Trios titles; Toni Storm defeated Serena Deeb to retain the AEW Women's title; Orange Cassidy defeated Trent Beretta; Chris Jericho defeated Hook and Katsuyori Shibata in a three-way FTW rules match to retain the FTW title; Jon Moxley defeated Konosuke Takeshita in an IWGP World Heavyweight title eliminator match; Adam Copeland defeated Malakai Black in a barbed wire steel cage match to retain the AEW TNT title; Mercedes Mone defeated Willow Nightingale to become the new TBS champion; Swerve Strickland defeated Christian Cage to retain the AEW World title; Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, and The Young Bucks defeated Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin, and FTR in an Anarchy in the Arena match.

MJF RETURNS

- Sporting a denim/leather jacket similar to Triple H's return at Madison Square Garden in January 2002, former AEW World champion MJF made a spectacular return at Double or Nothing last night in Las Vegas. A jacked-up MJF interrupted an Adam Cole in-ring promo and Cole asked for a hug. In return, he got a low blow and a brain buster before he cleared the ring. MJF said that unlike many people in the back, he didn't need New Japan or Vince McMahon to make him a star and MJF made MJF a star. The former champ said that there will be no more bullshit or kangaroo kicks and this is all about hate. The Devil mask which Cole had was still in the ring and MJF went all Nature Boy on it, dropping an elbow, saying it's dumb and that he does not need a mask to show on what level he is. Addressing his contractual status, MJF then told the cameraman to zoom on his calf, where he revealed a tattoo which said Bet on Yourself and the AEW logo. "You can call me the Wolf of Wrestling because I'm not f*cking leaving," he said to a big pop from the crowd. The fired up MJF then posed on the turnbuckles, showing his new, lean physique. MJF has not appeared on AEW television since the Worlds End pay-per-view in December 2023 where he lost the title to Samoa Joe. You can see the full segment at .

GANGREL MAKES APPEARANCE AT DOUBLE OR NOTHING

- Adam Copeland had some assistance from an old friend last night at Double or Nothing as Gangrel, the former leader of The Brood, made a surprise appearance during the show. In a bloody, violent barbed wire steel cage match against Malakai Black, Copeland found himself in a one vs three scenario and at one point, the lights started flashing red. A small hole in the ring started appearing and Brody King went to check it out only to be misted in the face. Gangrel then popped up from the hole and misted Buddy Matthews as the fans went bananas. He hit a right hand on Black and then an impaler on King and Matthews. Copeland recovered and hit a spear on Black and a crossface for the victory. Grangrel and Copeland then hugged each other in the ring for a reunion 25 years in the making. You can see his return at .

OSPREAY AND MONE WALK OUT OF VEGAS AS NEW CHAMPS

- Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone left Las Vegas with some extra weight in their luggage: the AEW International title and the TBS title respectively. Ospreay won his first singles title in the company when he defeated Roderick Strong in the opening bout of the pay-per-view. Ospreay, who has been portrayed as one of the company's biggest stars ever since his arrival, won the match after a Hidden Blade and a Storm Breaker. In her first match with the company, Mercedes Mone also defeated Willow Nightingale to become the new TBS champion. This was Mone's first in-ring action since May 2023 when she lost to Nightingale in the inaugural NJPW Strong Women's title match. She won the match after hitting her Money Maker finisher. Ospreay, Mone, and Okada, who were three of the biggest free agents in the business before being scooped up by AEW, are now all champions within their first few months with the company.

MARK HENRY NOT RENEWING AEW DEAL

- Mark Henry is not renewing his AEW deal and announced on Busted Open Radio that he is departing the company once his contract expires tomorrow, May 28. "Tony Khan said at the press conference that he was very happy and proud of what we did together. And I feel exactly the same way,” Henry said on the show, adding that he appreciates everything that happened to him there and appreciates Tony Khan and the Khan family. "I am not gonna be renewing my deal, and I think that, you know...it’s a mutual thing. If I can’t dedicate 100% of myself then it’s only fair for both parties to end the relationship on a positive note," he continued. The Olympian has been signed to AEW since 2021 where he worked both as a coach and a commentator but never stepped foot in the ring as a wrestler. He has not wrestled since 2018.

MERCEDES MONE SAYS AEW SAVED HER LIFE

- In her first post-show press conference as TBS champion, Mercedes Mone claimed that AEW has "saved her life." She said that this company gave her new hope, new dreams, new chances, and new opportunities against a roster that is legit one of the best. "People think that WWE is the only place, and I think tonight we showed the wrestling world that it’s not the only place," Mone said with a happy Tony Khan next to her. "AEW is where the best wrestle." She put over Double or Nothing as a great show and after five years of this incredible company, they cannot be denied. "This is the place to celebrate wrestling," she said. Asked why she waited until May to wrestle when she was actually cleared in December of last year, Mone said that she had been speaking with Tony Khan for a while and he came up with the idea to debut in Boston in March and then asked her if she can wait till May to debut on the fifth anniversary show. "Bitch, I've been waiting for a whole year of course I can wait," she said as Khan laughed.

OWEN HART CUP WINNERS TO GET TITLE SHOTS AT ALL IN

- The winners of the men's and women's Owen Hart Cup tournament will be receiving title shots at the All In show in Wembley in August. The announcement was made last night at Double or Nothing as Tony Khan and Dr. Martha Hart appeared on stage with the Owen Hart Cup. Khan said that the finals of the tournament will take place on the July 10 episode of Dynamite in Calgary at the Scotiabank Saddledome and both winners will earn a title shot in London the following month. All In will take place on Sunday, August 25 and tickets for the show are available at Ticketmaster.co.uk.

HEELS TO DEBUT ON NETFLIX ON JULY 29

- PWInsider.com is reporting that the wrestling drama television series Heels will make its debut on streaming giant Netflix on July 29. Netflix has licensed the two seasons of the show from STARZ and there's a possibility that the streaming service could revive the show depending on its popularity after STARZ canceled the show last year. Starring Stephen Amell as Jack Spade and Alexander Ludwig as Ace Space in the leading roles, Heels is a story about a small, independent wrestling federation called the DWL run by two brothers and sometimes rivals. CM Punk is also featured in both seasons while's wife AJ Mendez is part of season two. While season one ended with a big plot twist, season two ended with a major cliffhanger. Last year, Wrestling-Online.com had an interview with both Amell and Ludwig to discuss the second season of the show which you can see at

GIULIA UNDERGOING WRIST SURGERY TOMORROW

- Former NJPW Strong Women's champion Giulia is undergoing surgery on her wrist after she fractured it in a match for Marigold last week. Speaking to Tokyo Sports, Giulia said that she will have surgery tomorrow after doctors advised that surgery is the fastest way to recover from the broken bone. The Japanese star is expected to start with WWE in the next month or so and was rumored to be making her debut at the upcoming NXT Heatwave premium live event in Toronto on July 7. How the injury impacts her debut there remains to be seen. She and Marigold chief Rossy Ogawa were both at NXT Stand & Deliver and were shown on camera and both stayed for WrestleMania.

LOGAN PAUL PITCHED DRONE SHOT USED ON TV A YEAR AGO

- Logan Paul revealed that he pitched the idea of the drone shot which captured his frog splash at King and Queen of the Ring a year ago. Paul published three text messages he sent to an unknown individual he addressed as "boss" saying that there's a "crazy cool opportunity to hire an FPV drone flyer" to capture a high-flying jump of him through a table or any crazy stunt. "Just another cool way to capture a frog splash that has never been done before," Paul wrote in the text message. "Creatively pushing media boundaries." At King and Queen of the Ring last night, a drone circled Paul as he was on the top rope, spitting his water like Triple H and then hitting the frog splash on the announce table with Cody Rhodes as his landing pad.

TRIPLE H ADDRESSES KING OF THE RING ENDING

- In a video posted on social media after the King and Queen of the Ring, Triple H addressed the ending of the match between Gunther and Randy Orton. Orton was pinned by Gunther but his shoulder was way up from the mat, with the referee not seeing it. Triple H said that the referee's decision is final and Gunther remains King of the Ring but hinted at a future match between the two. "I certainly want to see that again. I think Randy Orton deserves to have another shot at that," Triple H continued. "And I think, if I know anything about Gunther, he will want to have another shot at that to take the controversy out, to take the asterisk off of the page where it says King of the Ring for him. I think he will want to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is better than Randy Orton." Don't expect the match to happen quickly though, as the WWE COO said that Orton is "pretty banged up" and it will be a "moment or two" before he can step back in the ring with the Ring General. "But when he is, let's go,” he said.




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Saturday, May 25, 2024 Issue #7246
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Five years ago, AEW presented its first show, Double or Nothing, to much fanfare and anticipation. The show delivered and the company kept growing and growing and five years later, here we are, AEW still standing as a solid competitor and employer in this business. Happy birthday, AEW!


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KING AND QUEEN OF THE RING RESULTS

- Here are the results from the King and Queen of the Ring which took place live from the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeated Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae to retain the WWE Women's Tag Team titles in the pre-show; Liv Morgan defeated Becky Lynch to become the new WWE Women's World champion; Sami Zayn defeated Bronson Reed and Chad Gable in a triple threat match to retain the Intercontinental title; Nia Jax defeated Lyra Valkyria to become the Queen of the Ring; Gunther defeated Randy Orton to become the King of the Ring; Cody Rhodes defeated Logan Paul to retain the Undisputed WWE title.

LIV MORGAN WINS THE WWE WOMEN'S WORLD TITLE

- The Liv Morgan revenge tour came to a climax at the King and Queen of the Ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia earlier today when she beat Becky Lynch to become the new WWE Women's World champion. The match had the interference of Dominik Mysterio, who earlier told Morgan that he flew to Saudi to make sure she doesn't get the title. But something is brewing between the two, as after they got caught coming out from the same room on TV a few weeks ago and Liv having his bandana in her pocket on another week, Mysterio slid a chair for Becky to use but Morgan used it instead after Mysterio distracted the referee. After her win, Mysterio acted annoyed as fireworks went off for Morgan's victory. Morgan was the one who ended Ripley's championship reign in a backstage segment after a brawl between the two went awry and Ripley suffered a shoulder injury when Morgan threw her into the wall. Lynch won a battle royal the next week to become the new champion.

NIA JAX BECOMES QUEEN OF THE RING

- Nia Jax became the Queen of the Ring after she beat former NXT Women's champion Lyra Valkyria in the tournament final. The Irish star had a great showing but the irresistible force was a bit too much for her, with Jax picking up the victory with the Annihilator finisher. After the match, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque came in the ring to present Jax with the crown. Jax got very emotional and with tears in her eyes, she embraced Triple H. Kyla Braxton tried to interview her in the ring but Jax cut her off and she vowed to be the next WWE Women's champion at SummerSlam. Jax went through Naomi, Jade Cargill, and Bianca Belair in the tournament before taking on Valkyria in the final.

GUNTHER BECOMES KING OF THE RING

- The Ring General is now also King of the Ring! Gunther defeated The Viper in the final of the King of the Ring tournament after surviving an RKO. The finish of the match came when Orton hit an RKO but because of his bad knee, he couldn't properly secure the pin and Gunther kicked out. Gunther then reversed Orton's pin position into a pinfall of his own and the referee counted the three even though Orton's shoulder was way up and not on the mat. Triple H came to the ring to present Gunther with his crown and in his post-match interview, Gunther said the Apex Predator became the prey and at SummerSlam, he will become the new World Heavyweight champion. Gunther went through Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, and Jey Uso during the tournament before defeating Randy Orton.

PRIEST VS MCINTYRE TO HEADLINE CLASH AT THE CASTLE

- WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque announced that the main event of Clash at the Castle in Glasgow, Scotland will pit Damian Priest defending his World Heavyweight title against Drew McIntyre. Triple H said that McIntyre is cleared by WWE doctors to resume his in-ring activities and Priest kept his word of granting McIntyre a match for the title. This match will now come in McIntyre's hometown in front of over 10,000 Scottish fans at the OVO Hydro and McIntyre will certainly hope to avoid a similar result of the previous Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales a few years ago. Tickets for Clash at the Castle are still available on Ticketmaster, with the cheapest coming at a whopping ?343.20. The most expensive ticket is ?2,106.80 for ringside.

WWE RETURNING TO SAUDI ARABIA IN NOVEMBER

- WWE is returning to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, November 2 for the Crown Jewel premium live event which this time will take place in Riyadh. WWE did not announce if Smackdown the night before will also be taking place in the city like this time around. This will be the second of their two yearly shows on their calendar as part of a 10-year agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where WWE gets around $50 million per show. Crown Jewel has been part of the WWE premium live event calendar since 2018.

MERCEDES MONE SAYS SHE WILL SHOW SHE'S THE GREATEST WOMEN'S WRESTLER

- Ahead of tomorrow's Double or Nothing and her AEW in-ring debut, Mercedes Mone has been doing the media rounds to promote her match and the pay-per-view. Speaking to The Ringer podcast, Mone said that she's really excited to be finally wrestling after making her TV debut in March and that excitement overtakes the pressure she knows she's under. Mone did admit though that she is nervous even though she has been wrestling for the past 14 years of her life but this is the first match she's participating in since May 2023. Mone said that knowing it's against Willow Nightingale, she knows everything will be fine and the two will steal the show. The former IWGP Women's champion is also ready to show everyone why she's the greatest women's wrestler of all time and while fans have been used to seeing Sasha Banks, they haven't seen enough of the CEO Mercedes Mone. In a separate interview with US Weekly, Mone also chimed in on the tribalism between AEW and WWE fans and said she feels there should not be competition between the two companies. “It just needs to be competition between the wrestlers, seeing who wants to be the main event of the show, to make the most money," she said. "I’m competing with everybody here in AEW to let them know I’m the face of the company. I’m not competing with any other company.” Mone blamed the internet fans and keyboard warriors for the hatred and tribalism between AEW and WWE fans, saying that they're not living in the real world. She did not, however, address the comments that her boss AEW President Tony Khan actually said they're in a war with the evil juggernaut that is WWE.

COLLISION PREVIEW

- AEW's last stop before Double or Nothing happens tonight on Collision live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the same place where tomorrow's pay-per-view takes place. Four matches have been announced at time of this writing, including a six-man tag team match between Bryan Danielson and FTR vs Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh, The Lucha Bros vs The Gunns, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, and a mystery partner vs Lance Archer and The Righteous in a trios match, and Mariah May vs. Leyla Hirsch. Only a small section of the arena is open for the show and plenty of tickets remain on sale on AXS.COM starting from $25.80.

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Friday, May 24, 2024 Issue #7245
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Will be dropping on X tomorrow during King and Queen of the Ring for some commentary. Feel free to interact at www.x.com/wrestlingonline.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

SMACKDOWN PREVIEW

- Smackdown tonight will air on tape delay as the show has already been taped from the Jeddah Superdome, the first-ever Smackdown from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Matches set for tonight include Bianca Belair vs Nia Jax in the Queen of the Ring semi final, LA Knight and The Street Profits vs Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Austin Theory in a six-man tag team match, Bayley vs Chelsea Green, and Randy Orton vs Tama Tonga in the King of the Ring semi final match. There is also an in-ring promo between WWE champion Cody Rhodes and U.S. champion Logan Paul as well as a special edition of The Grayson Waller Effect.

CODY RHODES OFFICIALLY CAST IN THE NAKED GUN REBOOT

- Deadline has an exclusive story where it confirms Cody Rhodes being cast in the new Naked Gun movie reboot. The WWE champion joins Liza Koshy, CCH Pounder, and Buster Rhymes in the updated cast but Rhodes will only have a cameo role which will be pivotal in the movie. Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, and Danny Huston are also in the cast. Rhodes has not had any movie roles prior to this and his most recent acting gig came as a character on the television series Arrow.

EARLY KING AND QUEEN OF THE RING BETTING ODDS

- WWE returns to Saudi Arabia for King and Queen of the Ring tomorrow, their first of two premium live events this year. The show features just five matches, same as Backlash France had. Below are the early betting odds for tomorrow's show which starts at 1PM ET. These odds are likely to change so please be careful when betting real money. In the Undisputed WWE title match, Cody Rhodes is as secure as ever with his odds set at 1/50 while those of United States champion Logan Paul are 9/1. Becky Lynch puts her WWE Women's World title on the line against Liv Morgan and bookmakers are still on the fence about this one, with both champion and challenger sitting with 17/20 odds. In the King of the Ring final, Gunther is 8/25 favorite to beat either Randy Orton or Tama Tonga, with Gunther's opponent having odds of 21/10 at time of this writing. In the Queen of the Ring final, Lyra Valkyria has 39/20 odds and underdog while her opponent, either Bianca Belair or Nia Jax, have 7/20 odds and f
avorites. The Intercontinental title will be up for grabs in a triple threat match. Champion Sami Zayn is 1/4 favorite to walk out of Jeddah still champion while Chad Gable is 4/1 and Bronson Reeds is at 7/1.

JIM ROSS HOSPITALIZED

- Jim Ross had to be hospitalized yesterday after he was suffering from shortness of breath and was kept by hospital staff. "Unexpected trip to ER in Norman this morning," JR wrote on X. "Shortness of the breath. That's all for now." He then posted a photo from his hospital bed with his two daughters by his side. The WWE Hall of Famer was expected to call matches this Sunday at Double or Nothing although it remains up in the air if he will be fit enough to go to work. Ross, 72, had multiple health issues over the past few years, mostly related to his cancer.

KENNY OMEGA UNDERGOES SURGERY

- Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful is reporting that former AEW champion Kenny Omega underwent diverticulitis surgery on Thursday in New York. Apart from appearing once in person on Dynamite from his hometown in Winnipeg and then the following week via video, he's been absent from AEW television since the Worlds End pay-per-view back in December. Omega has been suffering from diverticulitis for months and was told he was lucky that it wasn't fatal. He previously stated that he found a top doctor in this field and managed to get an appointment for surgery. It will still be months before Omega returns full time to his AEW duties. On the Winnipeg Dynamite, he was taken out by The Elite after he proclaimed that he will return even if he had a 5% chance and "with a bag."

DYNAMITE RATING

- The Double or Nothing go-home episode of Dynamite drew 713,000 viewers this week, up 41,000 viewers from the prior week. It was the most-watched episode since April 17. The show had a 0.24 rating in 18-49, up 0.01 from the prior week and placed #6 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

OWEN HART CUP FINALS TO BE HELD IN CALGARY AGAIN

- In a story published yesterday by the Calgary Sun to commemorate the 25th anniversary from the death of Owen Hart, it was revealed that the Owen Hart Cup will return this year on AEW television and the winners will be crowned in July. The finals of the men's and women's tournaments will take place on the July 10 episode of Dynamite, live from Hart's hometown of Calgary at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Martha Hart will be on hand once again to present the winners with their prize. AEW did the same with last year's tournaments, crowning Willow Nightingale and Ricky Starks winners on an episode of Collision which also took place from the Saddledome in Calgary.

DAZN TO CARRY THE NEXT TWO AEW PPVS WORLDWIDE

- After dropping the weekly AEW programming from its schedule, DAZN and AEW announced a partnership that will bring the company's next two pay-per-views - Double or Nothing and Forbidden Door - to wrestling fans worldwide via the DAZN Platform. Beginning this weekend, fans will be able to purchase AEW PPV events direct on the DAZN Platform. "We are pleased to be partnering with AEW to bring their exhilarating Pay-Per-View events to audiences across the globe," said Pete Oliver, CEO of Growth Markets at DAZN. "By providing fans with access to these blockbuster events, we aim to elevate the sports viewing experience and enable wrestling fans to experience every moment of the action, from thrilling matches to surprise appearances." For more information visit dazn.com.


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Thursday, May 23, 2024 Issue #7244
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

SummerSlam as a two-night show is certainly an interesting idea, but one which I don't really agree with. The show itself is not "big" enough to attract the WrestleMania-type of visitors plus Minneapolis isn't really the tourist city where one would go oh yeah, let's make a holiday out of it too. But yeah, interesting strategy.


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
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TWO-NIGHT SUMMERSLAM 2026 ANNOUNCED FOR MINNEAPOLIS

- WWE in partnership with Minnesota Sports and Events, today announced that Minneapolis will host WWE SummerSlam over two nights on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, 2026, at U.S. Bank Stadium. The 2026 edition of SummerSlam will be the first Premium Live Event in Minneapolis since TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs in 2019 and will mark the first time WWE will host a stadium event in the city. In addition to the massive two-night event, WWE and MNSE will deliver a host of fan and community events in the days leading up to and after SummerSlam. “U.S. Bank Stadium is an absolutely world-class venue, situated in a city with rich wrestling history and an amazing fan base,” said Chris Legentil, WWE EVP, Talent Relations & Head of Communications. “We’re excited to bring two nights of SummerSlam to Minneapolis in 2026.” “U.S. Bank Stadium is honored to host WWE’s SummerSlam on Minnesota’s biggest stage in 2026,” said Michael Vekich, Chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority. “We look forward to providing a warm welcome and best-in-class experience at U.S. Bank Stadium for WWE Superstars, staff, fans, and guests.” “We are thrilled to welcome the WWE Universe to Minnesota for SummerSlam,” said Wendy Blackshaw, President and CEO of Minnesota Sports and Events. “We will make this summertime wrestling extravaganza accessible for fans of all ages. Through a variety of festivities and ancillary events in the Twin Cities and affordable tickets to the main events at U.S. Bank Stadium, this will be a SummerSlam for all.” U.S. Bank Stadium, the home of the Minnesota Vikings, is a state-of-the-art indoor facility in the heart of Minneapolis which opened in 2016. The stadium has hosted several high-profile events such as Super Bowl LII (2018) and the NCAA Men’s Final Four (2019). In 2023, The Athletic named U.S. Bank Stadium the NFL’s top venue. The announcement comes on the heels of a record-breaking ticket on-sale event for this year’s SummerSlam which will take place at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Saturday, August 3. In 2023, SummerSlam at Ford Field in Detroit set a gate record for any non-WrestleMania event with $8.5 million, which has since been surpassed by the 2024 Royal Rumble in January. To learn more about registering for pre-sale opportunities, please visit: .

MINNEAPOLIS FINALLY GETS ITS BIG STADIUM WWE SHOW

- Minneapolis finally secured their big WWE event although it wasn't the WrestleMania they were hoping for. The city of Minneapolis and Minnesota Sports and Events made three bids for three separate WrestleManias, all unsuccessful although their latest bid for WrestleMania 41 was taken away from them in the 11th hour by the city of Las Vegas. Minneapolis originally bid to host WrestleMania 33 which then went to Orlando and also bid to host WrestleMania 36 which went to Tampa and then to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city was the frontrunner for WrestleMania 41 for several months and Wendy Blackshaw, Minnesota Sports and Events President and Chief Executive Officer, was hopeful that they got the show. But the news of WrestleMania going to Las Vegas earlier this month shattered Minneapolis' hopes of getting the big event and Blackshaw said that although disappointed, they remain in discussions with WWE about future events in Minnesota. WWE's announcement of an event 800 days away is rare although not unprecedented. The company previously had announced locations for three WrestleManias after the pandemic, with Tampa, Dallas, and Los Angeles WrestleManias announced in January 2021. The U.S. Bank Stadium will now host SummerSlam in 2026 and in what is a first, SummerSlam will be held over two nights just like WrestleMania. If this is something that's new moving forward or just a "gift" to Minneapolis remains to be seen. Located in downtown Minneapolis, the $1 billion U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016 and has a seating capacity of 73,000. It is the home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and it already played host to the Super Bowl in 2018. Taylor Swift currently holds the indoor record at the stadium packing in 98,774 fans.

KING AND QUEEN OF THE RING WINNERS TO GET TITLE SHOTS AT SUMMERSLAM

- WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque announced at the King and Queen of the Ring Kickoff show held at the WWE Experience in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that the winners of the two tournaments will get something more than just a crown. Triple H said that the two Superstars who will walk out of Jeddah as king and queen will receive a championship opportunity on their respective brand at the upcoming SummerSlam in Cleveland. Gunther has already secured a spot in the final while the Smackdown finalist will be determined tomorrow in a match between Randy Orton and Tama Tonga. Lyra Valkyria is also in the finals for Raw and her opponent will be either Bianca Belair or Nia Jax. The stipulation will certainly increase the importance of the two tournaments as they could end up main eventing the biggest event of the Summer. WWE has two more PLEs after King and Queen of the Ring in the form of Clash at the Castle and Money In The Bank.

NXT RATING

- NXT this week drew 654,000 viewers, up 87,000 viewers from the prior week. It had NBA Playoffs competition against it but no NHL semi finals. The show had a 0.17 rating in 18-49, down 0.01 from last week and placed #9 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

ONLY 665 SEATS AVAILABLE FOR NXT BATTLEGROUND

- Just 665 seats will be made available for the NXT Battleground premium live event from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas next month. Pre-sale for the show kicked off today on AXS.COM with the codes WWEVIP/UFCSOCIAL and all tickets available in the pre-sale are priced $250 plus taxes and fees for a total of $271.08. Tickets go on sale to the general public tomorrow at 10AM PT. This will be the smallest NXT special outside the WWE Performance Center and while the location comes "free" since it's part of the TKO Group properties, even a complete sell out will result in just over $160,000 in gate. A full crowd will be just slightly larger than what we see weekly on NXT TV from the WWE Performance Center.

TKO MERGES WWE AND UFC LIVE EVENTS TEAMS

- TKO Group announced today that it has combined the WWE and UFC live event teams into one unit titled TKO Live Events Strategy Team. The aim of the new team is to drive revenue growth strategies across key areas, including live event development and scheduling, tourism incentive programs, ticketing, and fan experiences. This new structure aligns with TKO’s efforts to leverage the power and expertise of both UFC and WWE to maximize event revenue potential and pursue growth opportunities and cost synergies. Peter Dropick, who has played an important role in driving UFC’s industry leading live event success for nearly two decades, and who is a pivotal member of the senior executive team that has led UFC to five consecutive years of record revenue, has been elevated to lead the integrated unit as Executive Vice President, Event Development and Operations for TKO. Dropick will work closely with UFC, WWE, and TKO leadership, including UFC President and CEO Dana White, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, UFC COO Lawrence Epstein, WWE President Nick Khan, and TKO CFO Andrew Schleimer, to leverage the massive global popularity of UFC and WWE and continue to grow the TKO live events business domestically and internationally. “Demand for live sports and entertainment has never been stronger, and we believe our portfolio of events will continue to drive the growth of our business,” said Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer, TKO. “The newly integrated TKO Live Events Strategy Team will focus on creating operational efficiencies and developing strategies to leverage the broader economic benefits we bring to host cities, including partnering with local governments and maximizing revenue opportunities from site fees.”

AEW WORLD TITLE #1 CONTENDER TO BE DECIDED NEXT WEEK

- The next number one contender for the AEW World title will be decided on the May 29 episode of Dynamite live from the KIA Forum in Inglewood, California in a casino gauntlet match. This show is the post-Double or Nothing episode and the winner of the match will get his shot at the upcoming Forbidden Door pay-per-view on Sunday, June 30 at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. No participants have been revealed yet for this match. AEW held this type of match a month ago on Dynamite where the winner became the number one contender for the AEW International title. Will Ospreay ended up winning the match.

TONY KHAN RETURNS ON AEW TV AFTER ATTACK FROM THE ELITE

- Tony Khan returned on AEW television for the first time since he was taken out by The Elite several weeks ago on Dynamite. The AEW President showed up at the end of the broadcast, driving Darby Allin and his flamethrower to the arena to go help Bryan Danielson in his fight against The Elite. Allin fist-bumped Khan and then made his way out to the arena where The Elite were beating up Danielson. Allin switched on the flames as soon as he appeared and Danielson recovered, throwing Nicholas Jackson off the stage and onto a table below. Matthew, Okada, and Perry then retreated, standing behind the AEW announce table as Nicholas screamed in pain. All this while Allin still had flames coming out continuously from his weapon. Khan's absence for a couple of weeks from AEW TV was to sell his attack and even showed up for the NFL draft the following day in a neck brace. You can see the segment at .


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Wednesday, May 22, 2024 Issue #7243
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Nothing to say today, back tomorrow with more!

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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

DYNAMITE PREVIEW

- The Double or Nothing go-home episode of Dynamite airs tonight live on TBS from Bakersfield, California with seven matches already announced for the show. Matches include AEW World champion Swerve Strickland vs Nick Wayne in a non-title match, Bryan Danielson vs Satnam Singh, Katsuyori Shibata vs Hook vs Bryan Keith in an FTW 3-way eliminator, Konosuke Takeshita vs Matt Sydal, Orange Cassidy and Will Ospreay vs Trent Beretta and Roderick Strong, Toni Storm and Mariah May vs Saraya and Harley Cameron, and Kyle O'Reilly vs Malakai Black. Plus, IWGP Heavyweight champion Jon Moxley will be in the house and we'll also get a preview of Willow Nightingale vs Mercedes Mone for Double or Nothing.

COLLISION RATING

- Collision had a good showing this past Saturday with 523,000 viewers tuning in, up 145,000 viewers from the previous episode. It was the second most-watched episode for 2024 behind the one that followed the NBA Playoffs on April 27. Collision did a 0.15 in 18-49, up 0.03 from the prior show and was #5 on the chart. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

RAMPAGE RATING

- Rampage on Saturday night following Collision drew 391,000 viewers, up 67,000 viewers from the previous week. The show had a 0.13 rating in 18-49, up 0.02 and was #10 on the top 50 cable chart for the night. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

SUMMERSLAM AT OVER 45,000 TICKETS SOLD

- SummerSlam 2024 at the Cleveland Browns Stadium is currently at over 45,000 tickets sold according to the first figures released by ticket tracking service @WrestleTix. The stadium, which holds over 67,000 fans in a football setting, is currently set up for 52,700 seats, with the south section of the stadium closed apart from a few in the 100 level area. SummerSlam last year in Detroit at Ford Field drew just over 51,000 fans so this year's show is highly likely going to surpass that number. This will be WWE's first-ever event at the Cleveland Browns Stadium.

TWO MORE ADVANCE IN NXT WOMEN'S NORTH AMERICAN TITLE LADDER MATCH

- The NXT Women's North American title ladder mach at Battleground has two more participants, with now four of the six announced. Fallon Henley and Jaida Parker advanced to the match after they each won their qualifying round during yesterday's NXT on USA Network. Henley beat Thea Hail and then Parker defeated Brinley Reece. The two join Sol Ruca and Lash Legend in the ladder match with the remaining two participants to be revealed next week after two more qualifying matches between Michin and Tatum Paxley and Kelani Jordan and Wren Sinclair.

NXT BATTLEGROUND TICKETS ON SALE THIS WEEK

- Tickets for the upcoming NXT Battleground premium live event will go on sale this Friday, May 24 at 10AM PT at AXS.COM. The pre-sale will kick off tomorrow, Thursday, at 10AM PT also on AXS.COM. The show is just a few weeks away and will take place on Sunday, June 9 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The location is really small and only a few hundred tickets will be available for purchase. This is the first time that WWE will hold a show at UFC's home in Las Vegas.

RAW RATING

- Monday Night Raw drew 1,733,000 viewers this week, an increase of 144,000 viewers from the prior week but this time with no NBA Playoffs as competition. The first hour started with 1,778,000 viewers and then increased nicely to 1,811,000 viewers but the third hour dragged it down to 1,611,000 viewers. The show was #2, #3, and #4 on the chart with 0.57, 0.56, and 0.55 rating in 18-49 for an average of 0.56, up 0.03 from last week. It was overall #2 on all of TV behind the NHL semi final on ESPN. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

WWE ON A&E RATINGS

- Week 12 of WWE on A&E Network on Sunday had new episodes of WWE Rivals and Biography: WWE Legends. WWE Rivals kicked things off at 8PM with the show looking at the feud between Hulk Hogan and The Rock. This drew 301,000 viewers, down 37,000 viewers from the prior episode and a 0.07 rating in 18-49, down 0.05 from last week. It was #37 on the chart for the night. Meanwhile, Biography returned with Steve Austin's last match at WrestleMania 38. That show drew 226,000. viewers and a 0.07 in 18-49, down a whopping 111,000 viewers from the Roman Reigns episode and down 0.04 in the demo. It placed #39 on the top 50 cable chart. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

BRANDI RHODES RECOVERING AFTER SURGERY

- Cody Rhodes' wife Brandi revealed that she underwent surgery after she was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis. Stage four of endometriosis is considered severe and it's characterized by many deep endometrial implants and large cysts on at least one ovary. Brandi said that after reading what Maryse went through and her diagnosis of pre-cancerous tumors, she decided to tackle her problem after three years of pain with no answers. "Many appts later, we found the answer. Stage 4 endometriosis. Successful surgery today," she wrote. "Ladies, listen to your bodies. We don’t have to live with pain. Advocate for yourself. Finally on the road to recovery, we have to talk more about women’s health." Brandi thanked her husband, writing that she is blessed with his love.


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Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Issue #7242
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//->> OPENING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Should be an interesting week with both King and Queen of the Ring and Double or Nothing in a few days!


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//->> NEWS FROM THE WRESTLING-ONLINE NEWSWIRE
Web version at

FIRST TWO FINALISTS FOR KING AND QUEEN OF THE RING

- Former NXT Women's champion Lyra Valkyria and former Intercontinental champion Gunther are the first two finalists in the King and Queen of the Ring tournament. The two successfully defeated Iyo Sky and Jey Uso respectively last night to punch their ticket to Jeddah for a chance to be crowned King and Queen of the Ring. They will face the winners of Bianca Belair vs Nia Jax and Tama Tonga vs Randy Orton, two semi final matches which will take place this Friday on Smackdown. Valkyria went through Dakota Kai and Zoey Stark before last night's semi final while Gunther beat Sheamus and Kofi Kingston on the way.

SONYA DEVILLE RETURNS ON RAW

- Sonya Deville made her first appearance on WWE television since July 2023 last night on Raw in a backstage segment also involving Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark. In the backstage segment, Deville tried to propose a deal for Baszler and Stark but Baszler cut her off and said they were not interested before she even could say a word. The three could be seen talking again in the background of another backstage segment. Deville suffered a torn ACL while she and Chelsea Green were WWE Women's Tag Team champions. She was eventually replaced by Piper Niven, who took her spot as champion with Green. In her time off, Deville got married to fitness model Toni Cassano in New Jersey.

WWE STARS OFF TO SAUDI ARABIA

- WWE Superstars hopped on a plane to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after Raw to prepare for this weekend's Smackdown and King and Queen of the Ring premium live event. The Smackdown broadcast is the first one to be held in Saudi Arabia and will air live in some European countries. During their time in Saudi Arabia, WWE Superstars will also participate in some community relations events with the locals, footage which will surely make it on the broadcasts. WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are also rumored to announce an enhanced deal to their existing 10-year contract where a push is made to bring one of the big five premium live events to the country in the next year or two.

WWE TO TOUR JAPAN THIS JULY

- WWE will be visiting Japan in July for a three-day tour. This is labeled as a Supershow, meaning Superstars from both Raw and Smackdown will be on hand. It's the first tour in Japan in five years. The tour starts on Thursday, July 25 at the Edion Arena in Osaka and continues on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27 with both dates at the Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena in Tokyo. Superstars advertised in marketing material so far are Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes, Shinsuke Nakamura, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Iyo Sky, Asuka, and Kairi Sane. Tickets go on sale on June 1 at 10AM local time via E-Plus, Lawson Ticket, Ticket Pia and Kyodo Tokyo.

STROWMAN TO HAVE FIRST TELEVISED MATCH IN OVER A YEAR

- Braun Strowman will be involved in his first televised wrestling match in over a year next week on Monday Night Raw as he takes on Judgment Day's JD McDonagh. Strowman, who returned earlier this month after undergoing neck fusion surgery in June of last year, has not wrestled on television since May 1, 2023 when he teamed up with Ricochet to defeat Alpha Academy on Raw. The former Universal champion wrestled a dark match against Shinsuke Nakamura after the May 10 episode of Smackdown in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Strowman has been targeting members of the Judgment Day since he returned and last night helped The Miz and R-Truth retain their World Tag Team titles against Finn Balor and McDonagh.

SMACKDOWN RATING

- Smackdown last Friday drew 2,186,000 viewers, up 58,000 viewers from the previous week which was a 2024 low. Smackdown had a 0.59 rating in 18-49, down from the 0.62 of last week, but still topped all of network television and was #4 for the night on all of television behind the NBA Playoffs. The NHL semi final match on TNT came close to beating Smackdown as well. (Ratings credit: SpoilerTV)

GIULIA SUFFERS FRACTURED WRIST

- WWE-bound Giulia has suffered a setback after breaking her wrist during the Marigold inaugural show yesterday. "Today, her doctor examined her and diagnosed her with a fracture," the Marigold X account posted. "Unfortunately she will miss the Hana Kimura show on the 23rd, and upcoming shows for the time being. We apologize and thank you for understanding." Giulia was expected to be part of the NXT Heatwave show in Toronto during the July 4 weekend but such injury typically requires around two months to heal depending on the severity of the fracture. The former NJPW Strong Women's champion wrestled in a tag team match in the main event of Marigold's show yesterday, teaming with Utami Hayashishita against Sareee and Bozilla.

ALL OUT MOVED TO SEPTEMBER 7

- AEW has moved its All Out pay-per-view from Labor Day weekend to the following weekend. This is the first time that All Out will not take place during the first weekend of September that coincides with the holiday. The September 7 move is to allow enough time between All In and All Out. All In will take place on August 25 from London's Wembley Stadium. Last year the shows aired within a week of each other. It also means that with no holiday weekend, the show moves back a day and it's now on a Saturday instead of Sunday. With the show on Saturday, Collision will move to Friday for a rare head-to-head with Friday Night Smackdown. That Smackdown will be the last one on FOX before it moves to USA Network the following week. A live Rampage will air immediately after Collision. All Out will take place from the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

MORE INJURY PROBLEMS FOR EDDIE KINGSTON

- Things are actually worse for Eddie Kingston who confirmed that apart from a tibula fracture, he also has a torn ACL and meniscus. Kingston discussed his injuries with PWInsider.com, who originally reported on his fracture several days ago. Kingston suffered the injuries when he took a suplex from the ring apron onto a waiting table but his right leg smashed the steel barricade. Kingston immediately clutched his leg and took him several minutes to get up before going through the rest of the angle with the beatdown from The Elite. The injury at the NJPW Resurgence show cost him his place in the Anarchy in the Arena match where he was set to team with FTR and Bryan Danielson as part of Team AEW against The Elite. Kingston is looking at up to nine months on the sidelines.


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