With big events just about 2 weeks away the various cards are getting finalized.
The Money in the Bank card seems nearly set while matches have finally been made for Takeover the night before. More details for the UK plans have also come to light AND new signings are happening in advance of a second womens tournament scheduled for later this summer.
Updates on the new TV deals
The latest bits trickling out of the recent television deals suggest that Smackdown WILL remain a live broadcast when it moves to Fridays on Fox. 205 Live, which broadcasts live on the WWE Network after Smackdown each week, would also likely make the move to Friday nights. This makes sense of course given that they use the same television crew for both shows.
New female talent coming soon
Japanese wrestler Io Shirai is reportedly making her way to the WWE finally. She had been in talks to participate in the first Mae Young Classic but those talks ended when a possible heart issue came up during medical testing. Since that time she has continued to be a top star for the Stardom promotion in Japan and has also received a clean bill of health. Shirai is widely considered one of the top female wrestlers in the world currently and could make a huge impact on the 2nd edition of the MYC later this summer.
Also returning to the company soon is Deonna Purrazzo. She spent time working as enhancement talent for NXT in the past and has gone on to establish herself as a rising star via her work in ROH. Expect her to also arrive in time for the MYC.
More plans for the UK
In addition to the UK title tournament, WWE’s London shows in June are also said to be featuring a 4 way womens match. Recently signed Mae Young Classic standout Toni Storm will face Killer Kelly, JInny, and Isla Dawn with the winner getting a shot at Shayna Baszler’s NXT Womens Championship. All of the NXT titles are expected to be defended during these star-studded shows at the Royal Albert Hall. Something else to keep an eye on while the WWE is in the UK is the possibility of their current working relationships with certain UK indies being expanded to include coverage of those promotions on the WWE Network.
Daniel Bryan in limbo
Daniel Bryan’s trajectory remains unclear. He has apparently not yet signed a new contract with WWE. As such, the company is reluctant to put him into any high profile dream scenarios at the top of the card which would only make him that much more valuable to another company in a few months. Hopefully he’ll sign a new deal sooner rather than later so that he can take his rightful place in the main event scene instead of continuing to play gate keeper to midcard performers.
Respect the superstars
Apparently folks were recently spreading rumors that Roman Reigns had been rude to a young girl who approached him in public. The “big dog” responded to those rumors with the following tweet, “First of all, it was a grown man that approached me while I was feeding my sons breakfast and talking to my daughter. B4 I could finish saying “I’m sorry but I don’t get much time with my family”, he stormed off calling me a “sell out”. That’s the truth. Get your gossip right.” I know this isn’t what most of us would consider “news,” but it is a good opportunity to remind all fans that just because we see these performers as larger than life figures on our televisions they are still human beings. No matter where you may stand in the eternal debate regarding how much privacy a celebrity should realistically expect for themselves, I’d like to think that we can all agree there’s a right way and wrong way to handle public encounters. Please be respectful, especially when they are with their families.
The card for Takeover thus far:
NXT title: Aleister Black vs Lars Sullivan*
Gargano vs Ciampa street fight*
Ricochet vs Velveteen Dream*
NXT Womens title: Shayna Baszler vs Nikki Cross*
The card for Money in the Bank thus far:
Mens MITB Match: Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Miz, Rusev, Bobby Roode, Kevin Owens, New Day Member TBA, Samoa Joe*
Womens MITB Match: Ember Moon, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Natalia, Lana, Naomi, Sasha Banks*
WWE title match: Styles vs nakamura Last Man Standing
Raw Womens Championship: Nia jax vs Ronda Rousey
Smackdown Womens Championship: Carmella vs Asuka
Roman Reigns vs Jinder Mahal
Smackdown tag Championships Bludgeon Brothers vs Gallows and Anderson
Sami Zayn vs Lashley*
IC Title: Seth Rollins vs Elias*
What’s in a name?
Finally, I’ve been doing this column for a month now and we would love to update the name a bit. Alas, I myself have not been able to come up with anything clever, so I’m crowd sourcing on ideas from you the fans. What should we call the weekly WWE news roundup? Comment on social media with your suggestions.
