fightful

WWE expanding NXT Takeover audience this weekend; COVID protocols

This weekend's NXT Takeover: In Your House signifies WWE pushing forward with expanded audience. Fightful was informed that this weekend's in Your House will feature the biggest WWE CWC-Performance Center audience since before the pandemic. COVID-19 testing is no longer required, but WWE has requested that those invited don't attend if they have a positive test within 14 days, have symptoms in the last 14 days or have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive in the...

Update On Summerslam Weekend NXT Takeover

NXT Takeover In Your House is this weekend, and Mat Men Radio's Andrew Zarian has noted on his show that this would not be the last NXT Takeover of the Summer, and Tim of Pro Wrestling Unlimited reported on June 7 that it'd be on August 22 . Fightful has confirmed this, and have learned the working plan is for NXT Takeover the day after Summerslam, but in Orlando at the WWE Performance Center's Capitol Wrestling Center. The show being scheduled for the CWC gives the company flexibility if the...

The List Goes On LIVE 6/9

Sean and maybe Jimmy are LIVE at 2:45!

video: https://youtu.be/YdXcSQiF9SU

Update On AOP, Feelers In Multiple Companies

We've had a lot of people asking about what happened with the Authors of Pain. Fightful said there were inquiries by wrestlers themselves about bringing them into particular companies last year, but that no movement was on the horizon. We're told they were brought up to AEW management last year, who weren't sure if they were a good fit at the time, but left the door open. They were also brought up to New Japan Pro Wrestling management, who weren't bringing over new talent at the time, and the...

Notes from our Kyle O'Reilly interview

- He's fine with Adam Cole weaseling his way into the main event of Takeover.

- He's "curious and excited" about possibly facing Kushida in the future and bringing that match to a new audience.

- He was told a couple of days before Regal's initial War Games announcement that they'd be in the match.

- O'Reilly said he wanted to emulate Sean Waltman in WCW, bumping heavy in the WarGames match

Alex's SOUR GRAPS: Raw 6/7--The Horror.

A tag team battle royal with a shoddily booked finish. A babyface push for (SHUDDER) Jaxson Ryker. Jeff Hardy being an angry curmudgeon. Pointless promos. Another CAN THEY GET ALONG tag match. A contract signing. And then there was the "Main Event" segment.

You all saw it. Let's talk about it.

Everything sucks.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/2-v0MakXtmw

NWA Planning All-Women's PPV

NWA is fresh off of their most recent PPV effort, and we're told they're coming back soon with a unique show. Fightful has learned that National Wrestling Alliance has been working on and plans to announce an all-women's PPV for later this year. August 28 was the preliminary date that we'd heard, but we've not heard that officially from the company as of yet.

News On Cardona/Gage Spot From GCW

Matt Cardona's attack on Nick Gage blew up Sunday, with hype being built for an eventual match between the two. The finish saw Matt Cardona dressed as a druid, emulating Jon Moxley's mannerisms, before doing a Paradigm Shift and revealing his identity to the crowd. Fightful has learned that Cardona was actually in full gimmick backstage to prevent word from getting out, and the spot was only known by a select few people

Indie Star On WWE Tryout, Helping Trish Stratus

Jody Threat was a name that was quickly emerging on the Canadian independent scene in 2019, to the point that she got a WWE tryout in Toronto Summerslam weekend that year. She was told about four weeks ahead of time, and I spoke with her about that, and she said she got good feedback from it. She'd spent some time in the weeks prior to that training with Trish Stratus, as Stratus was preparing for her in-ring return.

Threat said that she has expressed her interest in working with IMPACT...

More details on Kylie Rae signing with NWA, IMPACT release

NWA announced on their show today that Kylie Rae had signed a deal with the company, leading to many surprised people, as the last we heard, she was under contract to IMPACT. PWInsider has noted that a deal came together over the last few weeks, with the deal being hammered out in the last few days. Fightful reached out to IMPACT Wednesday, but hadn't heard back. 

Many members of the IMPACT roster were surprised by the news and were not aware the deal was being made. Those that we'...

SRS Backstage Report (6/6): WWE Releases, AEW News, More

- WWE releases

- Why they happened

- Contract news

- AEW non-renewals, why they happened

- Sanity, Imperium, Alexander Wolfe

- New faces in IMPACT

- Summerslam location

- Injury updates

Fightful Weekender (6/6): IMPACT, 205 LIVE, NXT UK, ROH, GCW, MLW, BTE, BEYOND, NWA PREDICTIONS

STEPHEN JENSEN is back with a new edition of the WEEKENDER!

Topics:

- Show to watch on IWTV - BEYOND: "Project Dolphin"

- MLW Open Draft - Round 3

- IMPACT (6/3) results

- 205 LIVE (6/4) results

- NXT UK (6/3) results

- ROH (5/28) results

- GCW: "Tournament of Survival" results

- NWA: "When Our Shadows Fall" predictions

- BTE: "Double or Nothing 2021" recap

More on Santana Garrett's release, creative

Santana Garrett's release did not come as a surprise to many within the company, as she'd been called up nearly a year before and almost never used. There were several creative plans pitched for her, and a trio with Chelsea Green and Vanessa Borne nearly happened before it was nixed. We'd heard that she hadn't been around Smackdown backstage much since she and 2021-06-06 19:00:42 +0000 UTC View Post

WWE Summerslam 2021 Location Revealed

Fightful has learned that Summerslam this year is still set for Las Vegas, at least as those in the WWE office have learned, and will be announced by WWE shortly. There were other cities in the running, specifically following the announcement of Pacquiao's fight that same weekend in Las Vegas. As Fightful and Mat Men Podcast's Andrew Zarian have reported, Vegas was the front runner for weeks, but we're told nothing official was signed until last weekend.

EARLY: Alexander Wolfe Interview

Alex's SOUR GRAPS: SmackDown 6/4--Going It Alone

SmackDown continues to be "The Roman Reigns Show, Regrettably Featuring Other Stuff". 

We got a rematch from last week in a feud about a plastic crown, and we got ANOTHER rematch from last week, which led into the reigniting of a feud that will in fact last forever, and we got a terrible new storyline for the women, and we got a title rematch as the main event, which was a rematch from the SAME title match that opened the show.

At least we got to watch Roman try to kill Domin...

Some original Sanity pitches were used for Retribution

I spoke with Alexander Wolfe, who said that Triple H and Shawn Michaels informed Sanity of their call-up to Smackdown when it happened. Mark Carrano told Sanity that they were figured in and the company had big plans for them, which Wolfe said were "empty promises." Wolfe said much of what initially happened with Retribution was actually pitched for and by members of Sanity for their Smackdown introduction two years prior, and plenty of what we're seeing in IMPACT with Violence by Design were...

More Details On Lana-WWE, Creative Changes For Her

More details on Lana's time with WWE emerged to Fightful in the days following her released, and it would be noted that if Lana didn't have anything going on, it wasn't for lack of her trying. We've heard several stories about how she (and Naomi) would follow up about their creative and constantly try to ensure they were doing something. There were significantly different plans for Lana earlier this year before Charlotte's return, but we're told that Vince McMahon personally assured her that ...

Talent Recalls Triple H Warning Of WWE Main Roster Complacency

Alexander Wolfe spoke with Fightful and said that at one point during his WWE main roster run, he was tired of sitting in catering and getting out of shape, and specifically remembered a Triple H speech in NXT warning talent of that. Wolfe said that Triple H said that talent that doesn't get used often do just that, lose motivation, get out of shape, then never end up getting used when they're needed because of that cycle. We've not heard of any particular talent that have been singled out fo...

Another new name in IMPACT Wrestling

PWInsider had reported this afternoon that a former WWE name was going to appear in a vignette on IMPACT Wrestling. Fightful has learned that Steve Maclin, the former Steve Cutler was at the IMPACT Wrestling tapings and will be doing some work with them moving forward. 

SRS Q&A Podcast (6/3): Over 125 questions, 1 hour!

- ROH Women's Tourney

- Cody, Mike Bailey, Braun Strowman, Ruby Riott, Shanna, Aleister Black

- Released talent

- AEW's new figures

- Free agent female talent

- Potential supershow

- WWE-MLW

- How wrestling companies find leaks.

WWE Scouting Trip With Influential Names Happening Today

WWE is reloading after their releases, it would seem. Fightful reported recently that we've heard of several call-ups on the horizon, and WWE officials were at the WWE Performance Center taking in PC Live matches on Thursday. PC Live are in-house events, and we were informed that Bruce Prichard, Canyon Ceman, Johnny Ace, Jamie Noble and Matt Bloom were all together taking in practice matches and the actual event on Thursday.

New Faces At Recent IMPACT Wrestling Tapings

IMPACT Wrestling keeps adding new faces with each new taping, and that didn't stop with their most recent set. We've been told that "multiple" new faces were around at the May tapings, and were able to confirm one name specifically. Independent standout Lady Frost worked the tapings in a short match, though we're told as of now she's not signed with the company. Frost has also worked AEW, ROH, Beyond and WWE shows since 2018. In addition, there were a couple of new male wrestlers there, at le...

Alex's SOUR GRAPS: SPECIAL GRAPS: Unsweet Release

Braun.
Aleister.
Ruby.
Murphy.
Lana
& Santana Garrett

All released.

All failed, utterly, by Vince McMahon & WWE.

There may be bright futures ahead elsewhere for many of these talents, but for now, tonight, Everything Sucks.

Let's talk about it.

NOTE: Alex's opinions are unedited and reflect only him, not that of Fightful

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/6zg1o30sq2o

LIVE!: The List Goes On 6/2/21

We go live right after List & Ya Boy

- Jacksonville, AEW weekend

- Missed superchats

- Urban Meyer

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/eznK0HjmGbg

More On Aleister Black's Release, Creative Plans Or Lack Thereof

Aleister Black's release is a puzzling one within WWE. While Thea Trinidad, aka Zelina was back at the WWE Performance Center recently, Fightful has not heard of any specific plans for her. We've not heard that an official contract has been signed, or that she was factored in to WWE creative plans for Black. Aleister Black was brought back to TV to kick off a feud with Big E, which we're told had no long-term endgame, and many of those associated with putting together the story didn't even kn...

News On Ruby Riott, Buddy Murphy's Releases

Among the other releases that we've heard about Ruby Riott's release definitely seemed to shake the WWE roster the most, based on those we spoke to. Riott was universally popular backstage, and commended for her hard work often. Much of the same case with Buddy Murphy, who we're told was not in the "creative forecast for WWE" of late. There were pitches for Murphy to team with Wesley Blake again before his release, but they were ultimately shot down. Murphy was said to be easy to work with, a...

News On Braun Strowman's Release, Huge Contract

Braun Strowman's release was likely the most surprising to fans, but to talent close to the situation, it didn't seem to be. Several that we spoke to said that Strowman's contract, signed in 2019, was a monster deal, and that he very much knew his worth when negotiating with the company. His contract came down to the wire in the summer of 2019, and he was signed well into 2023, for what WWE sources claim was over $1 million per year. Strowman was said to have been very private about negotiati...

News On WWE Releases, Talent Speculating About A Sale

Fightful Select reported today the releases of Braun Strowman, Lana, Ruby Riott, Santana Garrett, Aleister Black and Buddy Murphy. A few select people within the company knew of the news Tuesday afternoon, and plans were made to make the calls Wednesday morning to talent. A lot of these releases were a surprise to many, and several within the company have already inquired to Fightful about the endgame of said releases. There is a lot of speculating within about a potential sale down the line,...

Several WWE releases

Fightful has learned the following WWE wrestlers have been released.

- Braun Strowman

- Aleister Black

- Ruby Riott

- Lana

- Santana Garrett

- Buddy Murphy