#wwe smackdown live review

[moondust-artz]

nah this legit broke me

Kevin's face when Randy punched him absolutely broke me idk why. I was reallly sad 😔 but we got some Candy content sooo🤭🤭🤭🤭

[trumpvance2024]

[wrestlinghistorywithkay]

They’re Here: Discussing The Wyatt Sick6 And How Taylor Rotunda Is Keeping His Brother’s Memory Alive

Hello Everyone! I wanted to write a special article and review the end of last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW. Think of this as a tribute to Bray Wyatt ( I’ll have an article about him on here in August.) In this article , I’ll be giving my thoughts on the Wyatt Sick6 and how Taylor Rotunda is carrying on his brother’s name.

The story of Uncle Howdy started when Howdy’s brother , the late Bray Wyatt, made his way back to WWE in 2022. However , Uncle Howdy kept haunting Bray when he returned to WWE at the Extreme Rules PLE in October 2022. Bo Dallas’ first appearance as Howdy would be alongside his brother when he was feuding with LA Knight. He was taken off WWE TV when Wyatt became ill. Nevertheless, Wyatt passed away unexpectedly in August 2023. Therefore, leaving Dallas with an unknown direction in WWE. WWE’s COO , Paul ‘ Triple H ’ Levesque , wanted to keep Wyatt’s legacy alive with a new documentary, Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal and bringing Uncle Howdy back to WWE with a new faction.

After Wrestlemania XL, QR codes appeared at live shows for Monday Night RAW and Friday Night Smackdown as well as appearing on TV for WWE fans at home. This was teasing the return of Uncle Howdy as it did the same for Bray Wyatt’s return to WWE in 2022. This would go on for months until June 17, 2024.

At the end of Monday Night RAW , we saw Jey Uso celebrating his big win to qualify for the Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match at the PLE of the same name after defeating WWE Hall of Famer, Rey Mysterio, The Judgement Day’s , Finn Balor , in a Triple Threat MITB Qualifying match. We see the lights go out and announcers, Michael Cole and Pat McAfee, become silent. The WWE Universe soon bring out the Fireflies as the lights went out. We see the door that Bray came through at Extreme Rules and the lantern. We also hear ‘ Shatter ’ , which was Bray’s music. Out came Nikki Cross who crawled through the door and soon stood up. She pointed to the Gorilla position and showed the camera man where to go. In the backstage area going to the Gorilla position , we find Erick Rowan , holding a hammer and beaten crew members and wrestlers. In the Gorilla position , we find Dexter Lumis sitting on top of what looks like a desk with beaten down crew members and what appears to be referees and other talent. Backstage , we find Joe Gacy ,who came from NXT, beaten down wrestlers with Chad Gable sitting up and beaten with blood on the side of his head. Soon, we find Uncle Howdy in the same area standing with his arms spread wide and walking towards the camera . He sees an injured Gable and then looks at Gacy, who follows him out to get Lumis and Rowan. They soon make their way to the entrance ramp to Cross. Howdy picks up the lantern in front of Cross and holds it up to the sound of fans cheering and Fireflies surrounding them. The camera man zooms in on the group. After this, the camera zooms out. Uncle Howdy screams out his Bray’s catchphrase, “ We’re here! ” and blows the lantern out. The segment ends with a small vignette of Nikki.

The Wyatt Sick6

Bo Dallas - Uncle Howdy

Nikki Cross- Sister Abigail ( Abby The Witch)

Erick Rowan - Ramblin’ Rabbit

Joe Gacy- Huskus The Pig

Dexter Lumis- Mercy The Buzzard

Taylor Rotunda stated in Bray’s documentary that his brother deserved to be honored with something big. He was going to carry on his brother’s legacy and wanted him to be remembered forever. To me , he just did that. I think that he is going to do Windham justice. I also think that all of them are going to.

My Final Review:

I thought the end of RAW last night was excellent. The way the Wyatt Sick6 was revealed is what I love to see in wrestling. This was phenomenal storytelling at its finest. Watching it, I felt like I was watching a horror movie and being brought into the movie thanks to that segment. They all looked like actual horror movie characters. What I’m saying is that they all looked well done! I also loved the little tribute to Luke Harper that Rowan had with the Bludgeon Brothers hammer and the extra mask. I also loved Howdy’s glove with Bray’s name on it and the hat with the circle on it. All I have to say is that wrestling scaring fans and giving shock value is back! I was very pleased with the reveal of the Wyatt6 and I felt so much emotion. I had chills in my spine and tears in my eyes. Bray was on my mind the entire time. Bray would have loved what his brother is doing . Taylor is keeping his promise. Bray, I know that you were smiling down on Taylor and I know that you would be proud of him. I know that you would be proud of Nikki , Dexter, Joe, and Erick as well. You will always be with us ! We love and miss you! I am so proud of Taylor and all of them.

Who do you think is the 6th member ? Do you think it’s Bray’s spirit or someone else like Alexa Bliss or Braun Strowman?

Follow The Buzzards,

-Kay

[madhatterbri]

If anyone interested in being a writer for WWE. 😂😂 I wouldn't suggest linking your tumblr account if you down the rabbit hole of fanfiction. Good luck to anyone that decides to do this. ❤️

WWE is looking for a new creative team member.

On Friday, WWE posted this new job opening for a writer/producer.

You can check out the official job description below:

Key Responsibilities:

* Develop clearly defined, yet emotionally sophisticated, characters for a diverse group of WWE Talent.

* Script descriptive, thought-provoking, captivating, and creative storylines for RAW, SmackDown, and select programming on the WWE Network

* Collaborate with a team of writers to build compelling stories that capture a global audience fitting multiple demographics

* Provide punch-up for specific scripted segments as well as review the totality of entire episodes for continuity and flow

* Incorporate consumer insights and social media to deliver impactful storylines that are consistent with the WWE brand and each Talent’s skills and history

* Weekly travel to our shows (RAW or Smackdown) & rotating travel to PPV’s (Pay-Per-View’s)

* Attend and contribute in creative writing team meetings every week at our Stamford, CT HQ

Qualifications:

* 5+ years of writing for TV, film or social media

* Producing and Directing experience a plus

* Professional TV staff experience in drama and comedy a plus

* Experience in Live TV production a plus

* Plugged into social media trends

* Previous experience working with On-Screen Talent, Creative Writers, and Producers

* Understanding of WWE’s audience (demographic and psychographic) a plus but not required

* BA/BS in Film, TV, Drama, Media Studies, Communications or similar field of study or validated experience in lieu of a degree

[ybcpatrick]

Hi!! If you don't mind me asking how did you get into wrestling/how do you keep up with it? Every time I see you post about it I'm reminded of my interest in it but severe lack of knowledge

hi!! i don't mind at all!! so, my answer here may not be too helpful, because i didn't decide to get into wrestling myself.

i've been watching since the day i was born (like no joke, i got here, forty minutes later smackdown came on and my parents had it on in the hospital room). for my entire life, i've been watching WWE with my parents. some of my earliest memories involve it, having it on in the background, asking questions, connecting with my mum and dad through their excitement at getting to give me answers.

the past few months have been the first time in my twenty-two years of existence that i've ever had to watch raw/sd without them, and that's only bc my parents' schedules have changed, and they aren't home in the evenings. (but even now, i'm still not watching alone, bc i accidentally got my best friend tiana @heartbreakfeelsogood into it, too, and we're having the time of our LIVES.)

but, even though i didn't get into it, the interest was just Given To Me, i do still have some advice for you if you wanna start watching (and i'm using WWE as my general example here, bc it's the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, and it's the one i watch most):

• wrestling isn't actually wrestling:

the match outcomes in pro wrestling are pre-determined, because it's not meant to be a legitimate competition; it's a vehicle for storytelling. it's a tv show about a wrestling show, closer to live theatre or a soap opera. it is still a sport, and the wrestlers are incredibly skilled athletes, and if something looks like it hurt really bad, It Fucking Did. but, they're fictional characters that exist halfway in their own universe and halfway in ours, who experience time at the same speed we do. you can watch them learn, grow, and change, in real time, for years, even decades.

wrestling is fake, and that causes people to brush it off as stupid. but wrestling being fake is exactly why it's good.

• there is no beginning, and there is no end:

wrestling never ends. ever. literally ever. monday night raw has aired every single week, without fail, since january of 1993. like it just never fucking stops.

because of that, there's no good place to start as a new fan. you just gotta dive in headfirst. WWE programming/commentary is very accommodating to new viewers, they take time to replay important segments you may have missed, and explain past events so you have context for what you're watching. anything else, google and youtube. if you wanna dig into wrestling history, there are some great video essayists on youtube who delve into it; my personal favourite is wrestling bios.

in the US, raw's on mondays @ 8pm EST on USA, and smackdown's on fridays @ 8pm EST on FOX. there's other wwe programming on thru the week, too, and all of it is also available on peacock. in canada, i have sportsnet for watching live, and the wwe network as well. if you're in another country, look it up and check. (i can give you my streaming site if you DM me, too, if you're respectably interested in 🏴‍☠️, but bear in mind that ripping WWE shit is Weirdly Fucking Tricky sometimes, bc capitalism is a prison.)

• pick one promotion, go from there:

there is so much fucking wrestling, it's super overwhelming, you genuinely cannot watch it all. WWE, AEW, NJPW, Impact, WOW, the list goes on and on and on and on. pick one company to start, branch out later if it piques your interest.

if you want sparknotes on shows you missed/shows from promotions you don't keep up with, there are a million review channels on youtube to recap them. i do that personally to know what's happening in AEW, bc i don't watch their stuff week-to-week. i like whatculture wrestling's ups and downs series, the host simon is incredibly positive and fun-loving, and it's great.

• remember it is not that serious, and a lot of the internet wrestling community doesn't know what fun is:

wrestling makes people mad sometimes. fans who are really deep into it/the backstage stuff, called marks/smarks, are the most fickle, bitchy group of people on the fucking planet. if you wanna interact with other wrestling fans, on any social media, just remember that you're allowed to have your opinions and they're allowed to have theirs, and just because they say a match/story/whatever is shitty doesn't mean it actually is. wrestling fans love complaining more than they love wrestling itself.

it's just like any other fandom; step in, look around, find your friends, hang out with them and don't bother with the bullshit. if wrestling's pissing you off more than it is entertaining you, you can take a break from it. it's just a show!

if you wanna watch, just start. you'll pick it all up as you go. i think it's the coolest form of storytelling there is, and i think you'll have fun. BE FREE!

[g4zdtechtv]

X-Play Classic - WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007 Review

Don't just watch it... LIVE it!

[persephones-journey]

I posted 18,031 times in 2022

That's 2,778 more posts than 2021!

1,330 posts created (7%)

16,701 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@cordellwinchesterwalker

@dean-winchesters-bacon

@samrobotize

@fallenfar

@captain--steve--rogers

I tagged 5,405 of my posts in 2022

#the last kingdom - 2,110 posts

#wwe - 1,045 posts

#finan - 636 posts

#mark rowley - 548 posts

#ryan corr - 389 posts

#wwe smackdown live - 383 posts

#lol - 380 posts

#wwe raw - 376 posts

#harwin strong - 284 posts

#house of the dragon - 253 posts

Longest Tag: 131 characters

#and uhtred wonders out loud more than once jokingly that since sihtric has many sons he could name the next one after him after all

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Very sexy of Finn to not just join Judgement Day but take it over.

The power of abs and an accent.

77 notes - Posted June 7, 2022

#4

Fighting the urge to rewatch The Last Kingdom season 3…

Finan in that season was…

And it’s my fave season cause that’s when I saw him like this:

See the full post

82 notes - Posted May 13, 2022

#3

Lestat: I’ve changed.

Me and probably Claudia:

86 notes - Posted October 30, 2022

#2

So, let’s get this straight…

Ryan Corr has gotten naked for 3 of the films/tv shows I have watched him in

BUT

HBO, like HBO - the channel for nakedness - kept him fully clothed?

Like for real…

We deserved naked Harwin!

See the full post

160 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Louis: I almost ate my nephew.

Lestat: Let’s go to the opera.

Me: Their entire relationship in one scene lol

354 notes - Posted October 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[tscnews]

TSC News Archives: WWE 2018 Year in Review, Last Year Before AEW

We look back at our WWE 2018 Year in Review special featuring some very questionable creative decisions - months before AEW!

We go deep into the TSC News archives with The Sports Courier Podcast hosts Fred Richani and Scott Anderson, who recap and review WWE’s tumultuous 2018! WWE’s 2018 featured some highly questionable decisions with the awful Vince McMahon at the helm, as well as some bright spots such as AJ Styles’ second WWE Championship run on SmackDown Live. Check out this trip down memory lane! Original Air…

[wrestlingwiththoughts]

The First Annual WrestleMania Week 2024 Awards

The most interesting parts of WrestleMania Week 2024 were, as usual, in the shows that took place around Philadelphia this year. Though I didn't travel to Philadelphia for the shows, I tried to craft a path that covered as many of the most interesting shows that streamed as possible.

To start, let's acknowledge the shows that I was able to watch:

DEFY Wrestling: Can't Deny It

STARDOM: American Dream 2024 in the Keystone State

GCW Presents Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X

The first half of the Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow

ACTION Wrestling & Segunda Caida: DEAN~!!

Jersey Championship Wrestling: JCW & GCW vs. The World

ROH Supercard of Honor 2024

CMLL Super Viernes (April 5, 2024)

Let's also provide the caveats on the shows that were on my radar that I was not able to watch due to timing conflicts:

The second half of the Mark Hitchcock Memorial Supershow

DDT Pro-Wrestling: DDT Goes Philadelphia

Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling: LIVE in Philly

Wrestling REVOLVER & Hog of Glory Wrestling

Game Changer Wrestling: Joey Janela's Spring Break 8

Expect the Unexpected: Unlock the Unexpected - ETU vs. Dragongate

The call to promoters who schedule shows around major AEW and WWE shows: I understand the need to schedule around those shows. I suspect the desire to competing against WWE SmackDown, ROH Supercard of Honor, WrestleMania XL Nights One and Two forced promoters to focus on Thursday night as the premier evening option of WrestleMania Week 2024. The point of the weekend is, presumably, to make money via ticket sales and through the streaming sales that a company would make. Forcing customers to choose your show over competing options limits the ticket and streaming sales and exposure that your company can get that week.

On Thursday night, I was able to give the Hitchcock Memorial Supershow about an hour of undivided attention before I switched to focus on DEAN~!!. I missed the DDT show completely, and given the pace of WrestleMania Week and wrestling in general, I will most likely never watch DDT's show (or any other show that I had to skip due to time conflict). That means that I won't even have the chance to forget about the widely praised KONOSUKE TAKESHITA vs. Shunma Katsumata and Mike Bailey vs. Yuki Ueno matches because I won't ever watch them. Had DDT's show taken place on Friday afternoon, it would have received undivided attention and possibly better ticket sales and more views on WrestleUniverse.

With that said, here are my reflections on this year's WrestleMania Week in the form of my supremely prestigious awards.

The "Best Pure Vibes" Award: ACTION Wrestling & Segunda Caida: DEAN~!!

I visited the Death Valley Driver Video Review Message Board fairly regularly when I was younger, but I never created an account or tried to participate because it seemed too intimidating. My horizons broadened by reading discussions and reviews on Segunda Caida, but I never felt like I had anything worthwhile to add because my wrestling viewing was limited to some syndicated WWF shows, some ECW, and mostly WWF and WCW. Nonetheless, I recognized the name "Dean Rasmussen" in the message board and SC reviews, and I was sorry to hear of his passing. DEAN~!! was held in Rasmussen's honor, and it was probably my favorite show of the week. It had a vision, and that vision was felt in the eclectic mix of matches on the card, the exuberant commentary from Dylan Hales and John Mosely. Wrestling promoters and fans will sometimes defend nonsensical character development and plots, cringeworthy comedy, and substandard wrestling by claiming that wrestling shows have to feel uneven because they're variety shows that offer a little something to everyone. DEAN~!! felt like a repudiation of that defense, a counterargument that wrestling itself can provide that buffet without relying on the tired tropes that companies trot out when they refuse to think of anything better.

These are a few of my favorite things from DEAN~!!:

Colby Corino's setup for and commitment to the headlock gimmick. He was a busy and tired man, so he tried to win using the basic move in his arsenal. That went fine for him until Alex Kane was able to use his dedication to worker smarter, not harder against him. The match combined comedy and action very well, and it's forced me to re-evaluate my impression of Corino from the days when he ran with Eddie Kingston, Joe Gacy, and Shane Strickland in Evolve as The Unwanted.

O'Shay Edwards for ending the match with a moonsault. When a man as large as Edwards lands on you, the match should be over, and it was, which meant that the match ended at the right time.

The Ugly Ducklings and Violence Is Forever for giving the crowd an unexpected sprint.

Tom Lawlor for his reticence to touch the disgusting, bloodstained canvas that was used for his match with One Called Manders against the Coven of the Goat. I wouldn't want to either.

Dr. Cerebro for having some of the best looking gear that I saw all weekend. The key details are the exposed brain and glasses sewn on his mask.

Avery Good, the IWTV Championship Committee, and ACTION for commissioning a slightly larger IWTV Independent World Championship belt. It's a good bit.

Krule and Jake Parnell for surpassing my low expectations for their match. It was overbooked, but it was overbooked in a good way, and Krule impressed the most since the show where he emerged from a cornfield.

Arez for being such an odd fellow. Master of the Strange Style indeed had a match with Chikara alumnus Matt Makowski that exceeded my expectations.

Slim J for refusing to go gentle into that good night. He and Adam Priest ripped off an exciting match days after Slim J was released from AEW, and it hopefully makes promoters reflect on how they misused someone this talented.

Marcus Mathers for making me reevaluate my opinion after writing him off as a scramble flippy guy.

Demus and Mad Dog Connelly for unleashing violence and mayhem. Connelly started the match by snapping the chain and hitting Demus with it, and he upped the ante by punching Demus with chain-wrapped fists.

Daniel Makabe and Timothy Thatcher for rewarding the attention that I was forced to pay their match due to their style. Grappling-focused matches don't have obvious moments of excitement for most viewers, so you're forced to watch closely for small shifts in angle and advantage. Makabe and Thatcher had a match where I felt like the attention that I paid to them after a long day of watching wrestling was worth the effort.

The "But Now You Have My Attention" Award: The Sovereign/Sinner & Saint

My major takeaway from DEFY's Can't Deny It was the fast-paced and tightly executed work from Judas Icarus, Travis Williams, and Evan Rivers in their match against the Dragongate team (more on one of them later) and C4XKC. Icarus and Williams, as Sinner & Saint truly caught my attention in their match against Marcus Mathers and Austin Luke at DEAN~!!, and I'll peek in on what they'll do in TNA now that they're signed there.

The "Champagne Problems" Award: Mariah May

In the grand scope, AEW's insistence on continuing with Timeless Toni won't determine whether they sign a profitable TV deal or whether their ticket sales or TV ratings will reach new heights or depths. On a personal level, the combination of Timeless Toni and the Brochachos drove me away from AEW, and it took months before I could trust the company to not focus so heavily on crappy content. I'm willing to stomach a few minutes of Timeless Toni every week in recognition that nothing can be perfect. Nonetheless, watching Mariah May wrestle with Mina Shirakawa and Xia Brookside against Mayu Iwatani, Momo Kohgo, and Tam Nakano at STARDOM's show and against Kohgo during the ROH Zero Hour preshow highlighted how fresh and exciting she feels and how tired and mortifying watching Toni Storm play Timeless Toni feels.

The "Indifference Is Worse Than Hate" Award: Shun Skywalker

I gave Dragongate a chance to capture my heart in 2023, and it failed to attach. So, I wanted to give Dragongate another chance in a setting that piqued my interest in Dragon Gate back in 2006. Instead, the Dragongate team of Kzy, Shun Skywalker, and Ho Ho Lun seemed to disappear during their match in the DEFY show. I had hoped that it was an aberration, but the Dragongate group of YAMATO, Dragon Kid, and Shun Skywalker underwhelmed in the tag match against Los Desperados in JCW & GCW vs. The World. Then, the whole Dragongate group had an underwhelming performance in the much hyped match against Team CMLL during the Hitchcock Memorial Supershow. I want to give them one more chance with the ETU vs. Dragongate show, but the Dragongate showing this trip did not inspire me to give the company another chance in 2024.

The "Half-Hearted Efforts Produce Half-Hearted Results" Award: ROH Supercard of Honor 2024

Crowning Mark Briscoe as the ROH World Champion on the anniversary of his brother's ascension should have felt triumphant. Instead, it felt perfunctory, which seems deeply wrong. Other than the knowledge that it was Jay Briscoe's championship anniversary, viewers received no cues for the emotional stakes of the match, and pitting Mark Briscoe against fan favorite Eddie Kingston seemed misguided.

The "That Sure Is A Decision That You Can Make" Award: Syuri, Masha Slamovich, JCW, GCW

I was looking forward to Syuri vs. Masha Slamovich at JCW & GCW vs. The World when it was announced, and it was one of the matches that kept me going through the fatigue from the grueling activity of watching wrestling for hours on end on Thursday. My spirit deflated when ring announcer Emil Jay announced a 30 minute time limit for the match since he announced no time limit for the other matches on the show. It was also billed as a JCW Championship match, and since Syuri wasn't going to win the title from Slamovich this weekend, my expectations joined my spirit in a state of deflation. The fact that they wrestled to a 30 minute time limit draw at 1:00 am Eastern in front of a listless crowd probably contributed to my dissatisfaction with the match; it felt like a slowly paced collection of moves rather than a coherent story told through the medium of professional wrestling.

The Best Match of the Weekend, Leyenda Division: Bryan Danielson vs. Blue Panther

Bryan Danielson is my favorite wrestler, and I've greatly enjoyed his post-WWE run. He's made it clear for years to anyone who would listen that he greatly admired Blue Panther and wanted desperately to wrestle him, and we were served an appetizer when they faced each other at CMLL Homenaje A Dos Leyendas 2024 on March 29. We got the full course when Danielson and Panther wrestled at Super Viernes on April 5, and it was what I, as a Danielson fan, would have wanted from this match. Both men defied age and expectations and challenged each other's technical skills and indomitable wills. Danielson tried to play rudo by hitting the aged Panther with brutal kicks and dives and by showing off with the Santo Escape several times, but Danielson is too delightful for any attendee at Arena Mexico on April 5 to truly despise.

The Best Match of the Weekend, Non-Leyenda Division

The finalists are:

World of Stardom Championship: Maika (c) vs. Megan Bayne (STARDOM: American Dream 2024 in the Keystone State)

Fuminori Abe vs. Takuya Nomura (GCW Presents Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X)

Matt Makowski vs. Charlie Dempsey (GCW Presents Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X)

Slim J vs. Adam Priest (ACTION Wrestling & Segunda Caida: DEAN~!!)

Daniel Makabe vs. Timothy Thatcher (ACTION Wrestling & Segunda Caida: DEAN~!!)

Dog Collar Match: Mad Dog Connelly vs. Demus el Demonio (ACTION Wrestling & Segunda Caida: DEAN~!!)

Jordan Oliver vs. Aigle Blanc (JCW & GCW vs. The World)

Limited to what I saw, my pick is Connelly vs. Demus, which was the most fun of these great matches. I was hooting and hollering as they bludgeoned each other with garbage cans, chained fists, and possibly fans, and the experience was heightened by the very game crowd at DEAN~!!.

My second pick would be Maika vs. Megan Bayne, which featured a great story of Maika, usually the bully, finding herself unable to bully the bigger and stronger Bayne. Maika's absurd Michinoku Driver from the second rope on Bayne looked absolutely reckless and devastating, and it felt unique among the many watches from the past week.

[solarsonicsoda]

Wrestlemania Main Event Reviews - Wrestlemania XXXVII (Saturday)

Bianca Belair def. Sasha Banks (c) for the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship in 17:16

I’m back reviewing matches four years later now! Bianca is here! Why does her graphic still say “EST of NXT”? Big fireworks for Belair! It’s Boss Time! I forgot about this remix theme. I think this look for Sasha is one of her best, she looks like an absolute mega star to me. My housemate even said so! 

They’re both emotional with the fans back for the first time in a year and the personal situation! Big fight feel! They lock up and Banks has the upper hair but kip up from Belair. Shoving one another leads to a really clean series of reversals. Belair nearly hits the KOD and Banks gets out of dodge. Really cool set up for a Glam Slam but Banks rolls her out of the ring. Baseball slide by Banks, Belair starts to raise her up into a fireman’s carry, but Banks throws her into the ring post. Great dive is rolled through by Belair and she gorilla presses her up the stairs and throws her into the ring. Belair is on top now, and goes for a handspring moonsault, but Banks counters by catching the braid! Big knee and kicks while holding the braid, then a running kick but it's a two-count. Ground and pound then working over Belair in the corners and on the mat. Belair breaks out and Banks is launched to the apron, but she counters and vaults over but is caught into a cool slam by Belair. Banks grabs the braid and tries to pull Belair into the post, but Belair does so instead. Banks goes for running knees but hits the barricade instead. Gotta beat the count and they do. Cradle inside but Bianca turns it into a stalling suplex, using the ropes to keep her up and twice lifting up from Banks’ escape attempts. This match is awesome btw as we have a double down. 

Banks goes for a rope walk holding the braid but Belair drags her back and is on the loose. Great strikes and a standing ssp. Charges into the corner and takes her out. 450 but Banks gets her knees up! Bianca and Banks exchange leverage pins then Bianca counters a Banks running attack into double powerbombs. Banks kicks out but Belair holds on, but a third powerbomb is countered. Absolutely wild double springboard tornado DDT from Banks. Frog splash to Belair but Banks still doesn't win it. Targeting the arm on the apron and a brutal throw into the steps. She then gets Cole to say Boss Time. In the ring, Banks uses the braid to target the arm and locks in the Banks Statement! She rolls it back but then Belair rolls it back and gets the ropes! Banks uses her time and tries to weaken Belair. She’s not happy but Belair sends her into the corner. Superplex position but Banks pushes her back. Run up from Belair but ends up in the tree of woe. Stomps from Banks but Belair ducks the leaping stomp, and rolls up from the running knees. 450 splash but it's only a 2-count! Belair is stressing, she can't believe it! KOD set up but Banks rolls out with the braid in hand. She tries again to use it, but Belair says no. Yanks it back and HOLY COW! Genuine whip crack. Banks’ stomach was a state from that. KOD attempt but Sasha tries to reverse into the backstabber, but Belair spins it around into a KOD! Deep pin, 1. 2, 3! BELAIR WINS IT and her dad nearly launches himself over the barricade. 

Pros: Great energy, emotional, great pace, great winner, brutal and exciting finish Cons: That we haven't had more Banks/Belair matches

This match is an all-timer for me. I was in love with that match on that night and I was worried it wouldn't live up. I had no need to worry. Just the second women’s main event in Wrestlemania history, the first one-on-one match, and it was simply sublime. Incredible incredible stuff, I love it from start to end and it takes time to breathe whilst never being slow. Great use of replays aided this beautifully. Genuinely one of my favourite Wrestlemania matches ever, and I was passionately counting the three and cheering like I was on the night.

5 STARS OUT OF 5

[wweallresultspage]

WWE® Reports Record Full Year 2022 Results!!!

Fourth Quarter 2022 Highlights

•Revenue was $325.3 million, an increase of 5%; Operating income was $62.7 million, a decrease of 22%; and Adjusted OIBDA1 was $90.2 million, a decrease of 4%

•Returned $8.9 million of capital to shareholders through dividend payments

•Crown Jewel was the most viewed international event in WWE’s history. Domestic unique viewership on Peacock increased 70% over the prior year event

•Each WWE domestic premium live event (Extreme Rules and Survivor Series) was the most viewed event in its history with year-over-year increases of 36% and 46%, respectively, in domestic unique viewership

•WWE announced a multi-year extension of its partnership with MultiChoice to expand the distribution of the Company’s content in Sub-Saharan Africa

•In January 2023, WWE held Royal Rumble at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. The event was the most viewed Royal Rumble in WWE’s history, with a 52% year-over-year increase in domestic unique viewership, and generated the highest gate in the event’s history

----------------------

Full Year 2022 Highlights

•Revenue increased 18% to $1.3 billion, the highest in the Company’s history

•Operating income increased 11% to a record $283.3 million

•Adjusted OIBDA increased 19% to a record $384.6 million

•Returned $75.7 million of capital to shareholders, including share repurchases and dividends paid

---------------------------

2023 Business Outlook

•The Company is targeting Adjusted OIBDA of $395 to $410 million for the full year 2023, which would be an all-time record. The Company also expects to generate an all-time record for revenue in 2023.

---------‐------------------

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced financial results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2022.

“2022 was another strong year for WWE. We generated record financial results and our business continued to perform well due to the strength of our content and brand, which drove audience engagement and monetization across multiple platforms,” said Nick Khan, WWE Chief Executive Officer. “In 2023, we’re focused on continuing to execute on our key operational initiatives, such as the domestic licensing of our flagship programs, Raw and SmackDown, as well as the international licensing of our content in key markets. At the same time, we’re focused on the review of strategic alternatives that we announced earlier this year, with the goal of maximizing value for all shareholders.”

Source: WWE Corporate

[hazyheel]

WWE Smackdown Live 7/30/19 Review

The show opened up with Shane saying that he would not be at the show tonight because of Kevin Owen’s attacks. Cool, good start. 

Owens then came out for a promo to open the show. He made fun of Shane, saying that they will make it through the night without him. Owens then trash talked him a bit, saying that after the match he will know that he doesn’t belong in the ring. After he finished, Drew McIntyre came out to the ring and said that he had a match against Owens right now. McIntyre then attacked, and threw him around ringside. 

Their match started right up, with Owens immediately being the underdog and hitting desperate shots when he could, but things were largely in McIntyre’s control. Owens was able to fight back into things, even hitting his signature Frog Splash for a near fall. Owens then nailed a swanton bomb, but once again McIntyre kicked out. McIntyre almost had the match won when he went for a claymore, but Owens intercepted him with a superkick right on the jaw. He then hit another, followed by a popup powerbomb, but McIntyre still kicked out. The big man wouldn’t go down. Owens tried to go up for another move off the top rope, but McIntyre met him up there, and hit a white noise from the top, but Owens kicked out. McIntyre then looked to put Owens through the announce table, but Owens countered and hit the stunner on top of the table. McIntyre then rolled back into the ring and hit another superkick and a stunner for the win.

Grade: B. Pretty good opener. They had all the big moves here, the crowd was into it, and it was pretty exciting. I liked this, a high impact opener. 

Then we had an interview with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler then just made fun of legends, especially Goldberg, and he said that Shawn Michaels made a mistake when he put his hands on Ziggler. Then he challenged Miz to a match at Summerslam, but in the meantime, he has a match against Finn Balor. Good promo from Ziggler. 

In the Locker room, Bayley came in to talk to Ember Moon. Bayley said that they would be partners tonight, but Bayley said that if Moon thought about attacking her again, she would regret it. 

Then we had Aleister Black in his little room again. He said that he doesn’t want to wait long this time, and he wants to find a new opponent. Same ol’ thang. 

Then we went into Bayley and Ember Moon vs. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Graves was very appreciative that Bliss’s ankle was healed. Bayley and Bliss started the match, but Cross quickly yelled at the faces for attacking her friend. As she did, Moon wiped her out with a suicide dive. Moon had a great hot tag later in the match. Moon nailed Cross with an Eclipse, but Bliss was legal, who posted Moon and then hit twisted bliss and picked up the win. 

After the match, Bayley helped Moon to her feet and gave her a Bayley to Belly.

Grade: B. This match showed how good Ember Moon is. She is one of the best talents that they have in this company right now, and she deserves to challenge for the championship. However, we will probably get this turned into a triple threat match now. I’m kinda fine with that, because Moon didn’t really get built up much for the spot, so it could use some star power. 

Then we had an interview with Sami Zayn. He said kinda made fun of Aleister Black, so I guess we have the next challenger. He said that Black will never be able to live up to his own hype. So Zayn said that he would expose Aleister Black at summerslam. Nice, I’m into that. 

Then we had a quick interview with Daniel Bryan, but he still refused to make his announcement. 

Then we had the King’s Court, with Jerry Lawler. Trish Stratus was his guest. They talked a bit, but they didn’t have much chemistry. Lawler asked if Stratus wanted to have one last match, to which she replied that she would love to, but she couldn’t now that she is a mom. Charlotte Flair then came out to interrupt. She continued to complain that she doesn’t have a match at Summerslam, and said that Stratus was just coming up with excuses. Charlotte then issued the the challenge for Summerslam. She called Stratus just a model who shook her ass around. Then she said that she couldn’t hang with the Queen, and told her to leave the ring. Stratus called her a bitch, and said that she started the women’s revolution, alongside a whole bunch of talented women. She said that if Charlotte wanted to call herself the best of all time, she need to beat Stratus. 

Grade: B+. Charlotte carried this segment on her back, and it was good. This is an exciting challenge and a good promo. I am actually looking forward to this match. It was the kind of thing that Summerslam needed this year, and I’m into it. 

Backstage, The OC talked about Summerslam. They bragged about how they are all champions. That was really it.

Then we had an impromptu firefly funhouse. The sefment put over Finn Balor, but was also really creepy. Ramblin Rabbit said that Balor made a big mistake, and that the Fiend shouldn’t be messed with. Then Balor himself showed up laughing, and just said let me in. Nice, short but sweet. 

Dolph Ziggler vs. Finn Balor was up next. The two were having a fast paced match that was pretty fun, only for the lights to go out. Wyatt showed up in the ring for just a bit as the lights flickered, but ended up disappearing again. After he left, Ziggler hit the superkick, which they are now calling Sweet Chin Music for some reason, for the win.

Grade: B-. Good way to build the match with Wyatt. I like it. 

Then we had Ali vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, and Ali attacked right away. He wanted this win to qualify for an Intercontinental Championship match. They were going super quick, just hitting all big moves in a condensced match. Nakamura went for the Kinshasa, but Ali intecepted with a superkick. Ali then went for a 450, but Nakamura avoided it. He went for another Kinshasa, but Ali snagged a rollup. Nakamura kicked out and hit a short DDT. He then went for it a third time, but Ali rolled him up again and got the pin for the win.

Grade: B. Good match for how short it was. Looks like we have a pre show match for summerslam. But if they do this kind of thing with a bit more time, could be a pretty good match. 

Then we had a video package for Randy Orton. He talked about how he was born great, whereas Kingston had to prentend and dance around and such to get where he needed to go. He couldn’t hang with Orton, and he was stupid. Nice. 

Then the New Day talked about how they run Smackdown Live since Styles left. It’s their house now. It’s the palace of positivity.

From there, we went right into the champion vs. champion main event. Kofi Kingston vs. AJ Styles. WWE Champion vs. United States Champion. The two locked up a bit and did some mat wrestling to start things out, showing off a side of Kingston that we do not see much. The quickly transitioned into striking, and the OC got involved when Kingston tried for a suicide dive. During that chaotic scene, kingston slid to the outside, and Styles just nailed him in the face with a sliding knee. It looked like Kingston had the match won at one point, but the OC pulled him out of the ring. That prompted the New Day to start yelling at them. As the whole team was on the outside, they beat down Big E and Xavier Woods. Kofi nailed them all with a suicide dive, and faced off in an exciting final sequence in the ring. Woods and Big E took out the OC on the outside, and Kingston intercepted a phenomenal forearm with a trouble in paradise.

Grade: B. Really good match, almost a B+, but not quite. Looks like those tag titles will be unified sooner than I thought, which I am super into. This match just seemed to set up that feud more than anything. Which sounds really good. AJ was a good opponent to build up Kofi a bit, and Styles didn’t lose anything by eating a pin to the WWE Champion. Match of the Night. 

And then they did Roman’s Summerslam challenge, where he was walking to the interview, when someone pushed some scaffolding down on him. Lots of camera cuts and bad drama later, he turned out to be fine, but shaken up. Cool, I’m into a mystery. Here’s hoping for Buddy Murphy. 

Overall Grade: B

Pros: McIntyre vs. Owens; women’s tag; Charlotte Promo; Ali vs. Nakamura; main event

Cons: Reigns attack looked kinda bad

[g4zdtechtv]

X-Play Classic - WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW Review

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