Tag: Madcap Moss

Mustafa Ali, Dolph Ziggler among WWE talents released amid UFC merger

Elias and Hit Row’s Top Dolla were also among those reportedly released by WWE on Thursday.

When WWE’s merger with UFC to form TKO Group Holdings became official, it resulted in a reduction in the workforce of those who work behind the scenes at WWE. The layoffs at the time did not include talent, but on Thursday morning, that changed with several confirmed departures from the company.

Mustafa Ali was the first to reveal on X that WWE released him, which sparked questions due to his consistent presence on NXT, as he had been scheduled to wrestle Dominik Mysterio for the North American Championship at No Mercy on Sept. 30. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp then reported that talent cuts would take place today, suggesting that Ali’s departure was linked to this.

Emma announced her departure from WWE. Hours before, she tweeted her excitement about WWE going to Perth, Australia for the Elimination Chamber premium live event. The Melbourne native, who was in her second stint with the company, had last wrestled on the July 10 episode of Raw against Shayna Baszler.

Fightful confirmed that WWE released Rick Boogs, who last wrestled on television at SummerSlam in a battle royale.

Aaliyah announced her departure from WWE. Her last match happened on the Sept. 12, 2022, episode of Raw when she and Raquel Rodriguez lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship to Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.

Fightful reported that WWE released Elias, who had been off television most of this year. His last match came at the May 15 episode of Raw.

Fightful confirmed the WWE departure of Riddick Moss. The former football player most recently wrestled at the Sept. 11 Main Event taping.

Fightful also announced that WWE released Top Dolla of Hit Row. He last wrestled on television on the Aug. 11 episode of SmackDown in a loss to LA Knight.

WWE released Shelton Benjamin, according to Fightful. He had been in his second stint with the company.

Fightful confirmed the departure of former World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler, another long-tenured star.

This afternoon, Fightful also reported an additional round of releases, including Dana Brooke, Mace and Mansoor of Maximum Male Models and Shanky.

Mansoor had perhaps the best post of the day expressing his availability for new work.

We will update this post if more talent confirm their departure from WWE.

WWE SmackDown results: Solo Sikoa spikes, buries Matt Riddle

WWE SmackDown results for April 14, 2023, as Solo Sikoa took on Matt Riddle in the main event.

Ah, Shinsuke Nakamura, where have you been?

The King of Strong Style wasn’t at WrestleMania and hasn’t wrestled a televised WWE match since … wow, November of last year. That changes tonight on WWE SmackDown from Lincoln, Nebraska, and we speak for many when we say it will be good to see him back in action.

Santos Escobar makes for a nice segue, since he was the last person to face Nakamura on TV. He’s had a chance of heart since last fall, of course, and now fights the good fight as part of the LWO. He’ll go head to head with The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest tonight.

Another fan favorite looking for a big victory in Lincoln is Xavier Woods. Thanks to the latest injury to Kofi Kingston, Woods is the only member of The New Day currently active, which means he’ll have no backup when he takes on LA Knight. But hey, Knight is a solo act too, so that might not be that bad. Yeah!

Also on the slate for this week’s SmackDown is a celebration for the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Unfortunately, title celebrations often turn into something a little more contentious and violent in WWE, so one can only imagine who might crash their party. Perhaps two former MMA stars will come looking for them …

And hey, Backlash is only three weeks away, so some of the card for that show should start coming together soon. We’ll see if any matches are made official tonight.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are here to open the show, but are joined by the Bloodline … and Matt Riddle
  • Adam Perce gives instructions to the referee as he reveals Riddle and Solo Sikoa will face off in tonight’s main event
  • Xavier Woods def. LA Knight by pinfall
  • Woods’ victorious trombone solo runs afoul of Gunther, who doesn’t like goofs, but Woods thinks he’s more than ready for an Intercontinental Championship match
  • KO seems like maybe he isn’t crazy about the alliance with Riddle, but Matt is definitely focused on Solo in tonight’s main event
  • Damian Priest says he knows Santos Escobar can go and isn’t taking him lightly, and while he knows he’ll be asked about Bad Bunny, he says he’ll address that out in the ring
  • Priest does exactly that, warning Bad Bunny to just sit and watch Backlash, but he’s surprised by the sudden arrival of the LWO
  • Damian Priest def. Santos Escobar by pinfall, and Rey Mysterio arrives to fight with Dominik Mysterio again
  • Paul Heyman gives Solo a family-oriented pep talk, but Sikoa tells Heyman to tell the Tribal Chief “I got this”
  • The new women’s tag team champions want to celebrate, fighting off a rude interruption by Sonya Deville and Raquel Rodriguez
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Madcap Moss by pinfall …
  • … but it looks like he’s already being targeted by Karrion Kross
  • Braun Strowman and Ricochet get blindsided by the Viking Raiders backstage
  • Heyman tells Owens and Zayn that The Usos will win the tag team titles back in two weeks
  • Solo Sikoa def. Matt Riddle by pinfall
  • Sikoa hits Riddle with a uranage on the announce table, then tips it over on him

Please scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.

WWE SmackDown results: Flair, Ripley face off, The Usos still have issues

Full WWE SmackDown results for Feb. 24, 2023, with Charlotte Flair going face-to-face with WrestleMania challenger Rhea Ripley.

Sometimes pointing at the WrestleMania sign isn’t enough. Sometimes you have to get in the ring and actually look your opponent for the biggest show of the WWE year in the eye and show them that you aren’t backing down. Conveniently, that’s what’s happening tonight on WWE SmackDown, in Evansville, Indiana.

Rhea Ripley has the momentum, having battled through the Royal Rumble to earn her shot, and in an overall sense for being an important part of The Judgment Day. Charlotte Flair has the SmackDown Women’s Championship and owns a previous WrestleMania victory over Rhea. Something has to give, though it would be surprising if either woman flinched tonight.

The Firefly Fun House is also making its return this week. Bray Wyatt warned the winner of a certain big, meaty men slapping meat match at Elimination Chamber he’d have his eye on the winner. That means Bobby Lashley will almost certainly be in the crosshairs of Wyatt and his puppet friends.

How about some matches, since this is a wrestling show? One that has weeks of buildup behind it will see Rey Mysterio once again go up against Karrion Kross. The bigger problem for Rey is that his son has promised to accompany Ripley to pay dad a visit, and that never turns out well.

And Imperium will be in six-man tag action against Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss — which sounds like a pretty even matchup except that Moss has apparently been leaning on the edge of going to the dark side.

WWE SmackDown results in 60 seconds:

  • Kayla Braxton wants a word with Jimmy Uso, who says he hasn’t spoken to Jey yet despite many efforts to do so, but he wants his brother to look him in the eye tonight
  • Imperium def. Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss by pinfall
  • Drew McIntyre, who came out on the ramp to watch the previous match, is assaulted by the Viking Raiders, though Sheamus comes to his aid
  • Rey Mysterio vows to put an end to Karrion Kross, but Dominik Mysterio is unimpressed with Santos Escobar‘s show of respect for his dad
  • Jimmy Uso tells Solo Sikoa things feel different in the Bloodline since Montreal, and Paul Heyman suggests maybe Solo should hang back tonight so Jimmy can settle things with his brother alone
  • LA Knight wants to talk about the other L.A., but The New Day don’t think he’s earned it, and Kofi Kingston would love the chance to shut him up
  • Kofi Kingston def. LA Knight by pinfall
  • Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley have a brief showdown after Dominik Mysterio spends a lot of time running his mouth
  • Shayna Baszler def. Natalya by submission
  • Firefly Fun House asks a pressing question: Can you keep a secret?
  • Heyman tells Jimmy Uso he needs to handle things with Jey Uso, or Roman Reigns will next week
  • Karrion Kross def. Rey Mysterio by submission thanks to interference from Dominik
  • Jimmy Uso wants to talk to Jey, but he ends up talking to Sami Zayn instead … and the drama continues

Scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.

Opening Bell: Riddle takes on The Judgment Day, AEW rolls into Philly

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage.

Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week we’ve just begun.

WWE Raw preview – Monday, Sept. 26, Rogers Place, Edmonton

Matt Riddle, you may have bitten off more than you can chew.

Just about everyone who has tangled with The Judgment Day has come to regret it, though arguably none more than Rey Mysterio since he lost his son to the group. Nevertheless, Riddle has gotten tangled up with Judgment Day business during his own ongoing vendetta against Seth Rollins, and will try to make the best of it Monday night by defeating Damian Priest.

The trick, of course, is dealing with the rest of the group. He may not even have Rey to back him up since the elder Mysterio has his own match with Rollins to worry about.

Also on tap for this week’s show in Edmonton:

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, Sept. 28, The Liacouras Center, Philadelphia

The Forbidden Door isn’t closed. No sir, as Jon Moxley is about to find out this week on Dynamite, it still is open a crack every now and then, and you never know who might walk through it.

In this case, it’s NJPW’s Juice Robinson, showing up in Philly for an AEW World Championship Eliminator. And while we don’t usually like these “beat the champ to get a shot at the champ’s title” bouts, we’ll make an exception for Rock Hard in this case.

AEW is also promoting these segments for Dynamite:

  • Saraya will speak, following her dramatic debut at Grand Slam.
  • The Jericho Appreciation Society will hold a championship celebration after the seemingly unlikely Chris Jericho ROH World Championship victory … and maybe say something about fellow ROH champ Daniel Garcia too.
  • MJF will be on the show to stir the pot again, probably.

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, Sept. 30, Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg

WWE continues its tour of the North by hitting Winnipeg for SmackDown on Friday night. If you watched any college or NFL football this past weekend, you no doubt heard Michael Cole’s voice on promos advertising a few matches already set for this show.

Most notably, new BFFs Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn will team to face Madcap Moss and Ricochet. The latter duo was only trying to warn Sami about his inevitable heartbreaking betrayal by the Bloodline, but Solo wasn’t trying to hear that talk and gave them a good thrashing.

Two other matches have also already been revealed for SmackDown in Winnipeg:

  • Shotzi, perhaps finally driving her cool tank again, will nonetheless be the underdog when she faces Bayley.
  • After being publicly disrespected by Los Lotharios during their watch party last week, Hit Row will get a chance at some payback.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, Sept. 30, The Liacouras Center, Philadelphia (recorded on Sept. 28)

AEW has actually been doing a nice job of teasing some Rampage matches a week in advance, but that wasn’t the case this time out thanks to Grand Slam being a bigger than normal deal in its own right (and expanding to two hours just for last week).

So surprise! We may know more as we get closer, and certainly by the time Dynamite is on some matches will be revealed before they are taped later Wednesday night, but this show is a question mark for the time being.

WWE SmackDown live results: Madcap Moss tries to shut up Theory

Check out WWE SmackDown live results from Orlando, where Madcap Moss will face Theory and Liv Morgan will take on Natalya.

As we head further into July, it’s getting closer and closer to SummerSlam SZN, which is earlier than usual this year since it’ll arrive at the end of the month. But there are plenty of twists and turns to go through before Nashville, some of which should play out on this week’s episode of SmackDown from the Amway Center in Orlando.

For starters, Madcap Moss will look to quiet the cocky Money in the Bank winner, Theory. Moss has noted that the briefcase is big, but he still thinks he can shove the whole thing inside Theory’s mouth. He’ll get a chance tonight.

Relatively new SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan will also be in action in Orlando. She’s going to have a stiff test at SummerSlam when Ronda Rousey comes looking for her rematch, but before she even gets to that point, she’ll have to face Natalya.

There’s also a big match in the tag team title picture, where The Usos and Street Profits have been circling each other for weeks in singles matches. Angelo Dawkins and Jimmy Uso will square off tonight, but the real intrigue will be the reveal of the special guest referee for the championship bout in Nashville.

Can’t watch live on Fox because you’ve got other plans for your Friday night? Happily, we don’t, so you can bookmark this page and get your SmackDown live results updated as they happen.

 

Opening Bell: Lesnar gets Raw, Dynamite explodes into Fyter Fest

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage for the week of July 11.

Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week we’ve just begun.

WWE Raw preview – Monday, July 11, AT&T Center, San Antonio

It’s almost certainly not like this at WWE HQ, but it occasionally feels like someone says, “oh crap, SummerSlam is coming up fast, we better start promoting the main event!” Roman Reigns did his part on SmackDown this past Friday, making a now somewhat rare appearance.

Brock Lesnar will return the favor tonight, as WWE is telling the world that the Beast Incarnate will be on this week’s show. We’re not exactly sure what he’s going to do, but the official Raw preview poses the question, “what will Lesnar have to say about squaring off with Reigns one last time?”

Someone may get an F-5. If my name rhymed with Saul Layman, I’d probably just stay in the back when Lesnar is out in the ring.

AEW Dynamite preview – Fyter Fest Week 1 – Wednesday, July 13, Enmarket Arena, Savannah, Georgia

Of the themed episodes of AEW television, Fyter Fest might be right near the top. Not because there’s a special gimmick match or anything like that, but simply because its name is partially a reference to and parody of an infamous event that may otherwise have faded from the memory of everyone except those unlucky enough to attend it.

In any case, Fyter Fest Week 1 will be coming in hot with a three-way tag team championship match featuring the Young Bucks defending against both Swerve in Our Glory and Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks. The big question here is whether the challenging teams will be able to focus on the gold since they have long-running beef with each other.

Here’s what else to expect on Wednesday night:

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, July 15, Amway Center, Orlando

WWE has fairly often not provided any clue as to what to expect on SmackDown recently until it is close to the show (as in sometimes the same day), but has helpfully given Orlando-area fans two matches to look forward to come Friday night.

The first is one of the trends we dislike, a Championship Contender’s Match where you have to beat the champ to get a shot at the champ for their title. In this case, the champ in question is Liv Morgan, and the wrestler gunning for another chance to face her with higher stakes is Natalya. Considering Liv already has a formidable foe lined up for SummerSlam in Ronda Rousey, she’ll hope to get past Nattie as quickly as possible.

And after saying last week he’d like to see if it’s possible to stuff the entire Money in the Briefcase inside the big mouth of Theory, Madcap Moss will get the chance to do just that. Smart money says he fails, even though plenty of people would love to see him succeed.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, July 15, Enmarket Arena, Savannah, Georgia (taped on July 13)

This really is a red letter week as even Rampage has a few matches that have been revealed ahead of time. With the next ROH event less than two weeks away, it’s only right that the company’s world champion, Jonathan Gresham, is in action against Lee Moriarity, particularly since Gresham sold out Moriarity mid-match last week and aligned himself with Tully Blanchard. As one does.

Plus the Lucha Bros. take on Private Party in a tag team match that should give AEW fans who have down since day one pleasant memories of 2019. We mean that in a good way, too.

WWE Money in the Bank live results: Who will claim the briefcases in Vegas?

Check out the latest WWE Money in the Bank live results from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

There aren’t too many sure wagers in Las Vegas, but some of the best bets for WWE gold await the competitors in the namesake matches at Money in the Bank tonight. As WWE itself has repeatedly pointed out, the contracts in the briefcases have nearly guaranteed the winners they will be champions sometime in the next year: Men’s winners have an 85% cash-in success rate, while the women’s winners have been perfect so far.

That could be bad news for Roman Reigns, who has looked untouchable while holding the WWE Championship and Universal Championship. With a Last Man Standing Match against Brock Lesnar later this month at SummerSlam, the men’s briefcase winner will be licking their chops for a chance to catch him (or Brock) after a grueling affair. Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Omos, Riddle, Sami Zayn and Madcap Moss will all like their chances much better if they can climb the ladder and grab the case to make that a reality.

In the women’s division, the Ladder Match winner may have a different choice of cash-in options by the end of the night, with both Ronda Rousey and Bianca Belair putting their titles on the line. Becky Lynch will attempt to keep writing her own big comeback story, but Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, Lacey Evans, Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi will all have their say in how this chapter plays out.

With just four championship matches and the two Ladder Matches, Money in the Bank should be a tightly paced affair. If you’re not in attendance at MGM Grand Garden Arena or watching live on Peacock or WWE Network (maybe because you’re watching UFC 276, also taking place in Sin City tonight), bookmark this page and return throughout the night for the latest WWE Money in the Bank live results as they go down.

Opening Bell: Tribal Chief defends his gold, Jericho has his hair at stake

Get set for the week in WWE and AEW with Opening Bell: quick previews of Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage for the week of June 13.

Welcome to the Opening Bell, where we round up what’s been announced for WWE (Raw and SmackDown) and AEW (Dynamite and Rampage) programming for the week ahead.

WWE Raw preview – Monday, June 13, INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita, KS

The Judgment Day received a big shakeup last week, with Finn Balor joining and then immediately assisting with the ouster of Edge from the group. Now Edge is out with a (storyline) injury, so there’s no fear of immediate reprisals. That leaves the stable free to plot a new course, which WWE says it will do Monday night.

Speaking of injuries, Cody Rhodes suffered one of the more notable ones in recent memory, and he’s now out recuperating from successful surgery to repair his torn pec. But while the American Nightmare said he was ready to move on from Seth Rollins, the Visionary had different ideas, attacking Rhodes one last time for now. WWE says Rollins will “answer” for his attack, so look for him to possibly be booked against some tough competition.

AEW Dynamite Road Rager preview – Wednesday, June 15, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis

Once upon a time it felt like AEW was getting a little carried away with themed episodes of Dynamite, but it’s cut back on them to the point where Road Rager is a bit of a breath of fresh air. The card is suitably loaded, headlined by a three-way Ladder Match for the tag team titles, with Jurassic Express defending against both The Hardys and Young Bucks.

Chris Jericho is also putting something on the line against Ortiz … but it’s his hair, not a championship. The former Inner Circle teammates turned bitter rivals will do battle, and someone will be bald when it’s over.

Also advertised for Wednesday night:

  • An All-Atlantic Championship qualifier sees Miro go head to head with Ethan Page.
  • Wardlow battles 20 of the plaintiffs in the security guard class action lawsuit. No, really.

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, June 17, Target Center, Minneapolis

This is a big one. After jumping through several hoops to get the attention of Roman Reigns, Riddle finally got what he wanted by defeating Sami Zayn last week in a match that stipulated he’d get a Undisputed WWE Universal Championship shot if he won. Can Riddle get some payback for his buddy Randy and win some serious gold? Probably not, but you won’t want to miss it just in case he pulls it off.

Also expected for this week’s show:

  • Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin will meet in a Last Laugh Match, which we assume will end the feud between them, one way or another.
  • After running into travel issues last Friday, Max Dupri will reveal his first recruit for Maximum Male Models.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, June 17, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis (taped)

Rampage has been live more often than not the past few weeks, but this week’s episode reverts to its more typical pattern of being taped at the Dynamite show for the week, which in this case is in St. Louis.

AEW hasn’t officially announced anything yet for this episode, but we’ll update this post as soon as there’s something set.