Tag: Young Bucks

Opening Bell: Stretch run toward Clash at the Castle, All Out

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, Aug. 29, PPG Paints Arena

The final live WWE show before Clash at the Castle (because SmackDown was taped last week, since everyone is traveling to Wales) is unsurprisingly loaded. The card starts with the crowning of new Women’s Tag Team Champions, as Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah collide with Dakota Kai and IYO SKY.

Bobby Lashley and The Miz will also do battle on Monday night, but there’s a story to tell first since Miz was dragged into … um, wherever by Dexter Lumis last week. Is he any the worse for wear? And how exactly did he escape? Hopefully there’s a fun story in there somewhere.

Also on the slate for this week’s Raw:

  • Hall of Famer Kurt Angle makes an appearance in his hometown
  • The Usos and Sami Zayn visit from SmackDown to represent the Bloodline (yes, Sami too)
  • Riddle and Seth Rollins have one final face-to-face before Clash at the Castle and it’s likely to result in fisticuffs

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, Aug. 31, NOW Arena, Chicago

Hey, what do you know, AEW has a big event this weekend as well, so Dynamite is also a pretty stacked show as a result. The World Trios Championship tournament will have its Dynamite final (or as it’s better known more generally, the tourney semifinal) when Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks take on Will Ospreay and Aussie Open of the United Empire. Get your popcorn ready, as the great American philosopher Terrell Owens once said.

Also of interest is a tag team match pitting Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida against Dr. Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter. You may recognize those women as the four who will compete at All Out for the interim AEW Women’s Championship.

Plus there’s more already announced for Dynamite:

WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, Sept. 2, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit (taped on Aug. 26)

As mentioned above, this episode is already in the can, as it was recorded after the live SmackDown last week in Motown. You can get full spoilers online should you be so inclined.

If you’d rather just have teasers of what’s to come and enjoy SmackDown as it happens on Friday, here’s what to expect:

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AEW Rampage preview – Friday, Sept. 2, NOW Arena, Chicago

In a bit of role reversal, Rampage is live this week while SmackDown is recorded. That means it should be a sweet hour of TV even though AEW has so far not said much about what to expect yet.

One match we feel confident will take place is the other semifinal of the World Trios Tournament. The two teams left on the Rampage side of the bracket are Dark Order, after they upset House of Black, and Best Friends. Expect to see them compete this Friday for the right to challenge for the inaugural championship on Sunday.

Anyone who misses Kenny Omega should tune in to Dynamite tonight

While AEW hasn’t announced anything about a Kenny Omega return, it’s expected to happen on the Aug. 17 episode of Dynamite.

AEW hasn’t come out and announced that Kenny Omega is coming back tonight, on the Aug. 17 episode of AEW Dynamite … but no one and said he isn’t, and all signs point to his return.

A number of well-connected outlets believe he’ll appear as the mystery partner to the Young Bucks, and will compete with them in the AEW World Trios Championship tournament. Fightful Select is one of them, calling Omega’s impending return “the worst kept secret in wrestling.”

It’s certainly on brand for AEW to create a certain level of expectation and then meet it without acknowledging it. The arrival of CM Punk last summer is a good example; though it was still technically a surprise when he made his arrival on Rampage, insiders were pretty sure it was happening ahead of time.

The current narrative around the Young Bucks also makes it perfectly logical for Omega to be revealed as their partner. After they were unceremoniously dumped out of the Undisputed Elite, the Bucks tried to mend their former friendship with Hangman Adam Page. Though those efforts appear to be paying off, Page informed them that he couldn’t go for the trios titles with them because he wanted to support the Dark Order, who has had his back through all of his ups and downs over the past few years.

Ironically, Omega’s last AEW match was against Page, who beat him for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear 2021 in November. While it was widely reported that he needed time off to heal up from injuries, Fightful Select notes that they were worse than originally thought.

We’d later learn these involved a shoulder injury that was rehabbed, a sports hernia, vertigo brought on by an Okada dropkick, and a leg/knee injury that also had to be taken care of. Omega had told us that there was so much to take care of he couldn’t put off surgery any longer.

Having Omega back at full blast will obviously be a huge benefit to AEW, and fans should embrace him as a fan favorite since he was a heel (as were the Bucks, for that matter) for an extended period of time before he was forced to sit out. And it would now be a decent-sized surprise if that doesn’t start tonight on Dynamite.

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.

AEW Rampage quick results: Royal Rampage finds a challenger for Jon Moxley

Get quick AEW Rampage results for the July 1 episode from Detroit, taped on July 29 after Blood and Guts.

What do you do with two wrestling rings that are in Little Caesars Arena for Blood and Guts? Make use of them during the AEW Rampage taping, of course.

The Royal Rampage that starts off this particular episode of Rampage comes with real stakes, as the winner gets a shot at Jon Moxley and his interim AEW World Championship. That’s a prize worth outlasting a bunch of other wrestlers to claim, for sure, and figures to take up a big chunk of this week’s show.

Also announced for this card are a tag team match between the Young Bucks and the NJPW duo of Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi, and a showdown between Nyla Rose and Toni Storm. Let’s get to it.

AEW Rampage results in 30 seconds:

  • Brody King wins the Royal Rampage, last eliminating Darby Allin, to earn a shot at Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley
  • Hook tells Alex Marvez that “anything essential is invisible to the eyes,” which kind of counts as an interview
  • Young Bucks def. Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi by pinfall
  • ROH champion Jonathan Gresham announces that his tag team match with Lee Moriarity against Tully Blanchard Enterprises, and Gresham says his name should be mentioned in any conversation about who is the best technical wrestler in the world
  • Toni Storm def. Nyla Rose by pinfall, and gets help from Thunder Rosa to fight off a post-match attack by Rose and Marina Shafir

AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door — Everything you need to know

Get ready for AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door with our preview, including predictions for each match, start time, how to watch and more.

Considering AEW is only three years old, the company still enjoys a fair amount of firsts. Not many, however, are as significant as AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, a pay-per-view being held in conjunction with Japan’s top pro wrestling promotion. Once only a dream in the minds of most wrestling fans, it’s about to become a reality in Chicago’s United Center.

That’s not to say the road to get here has been easy. The logistical hurdles in building a show between companies half a world apart have been apparent at times, with a good chunk of the card coming together only in the final week. Injuries haven’t been kind; in a perfect world, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega would all be on this show.

Despite that, there are some tantalizing matchups of the kind many probably never dared imagine prior to this year. They begin with the interim AEW World Championship being contested between Jon Moxley and Hiroshi Tanahashi. With Punk out, one of them will carry the banner for AEW for the next few months, and even the possibility that it will be NJPW’s Ace is enough to be intriguing.

NJPW’s top title will be up for grabs as well. Jay White, who only recently secured the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Kazuchika Okada, now needs to defend it against not only the Rainmaker, but his friend Adam Cole and former AEW world champ Hangman Adam Page. Four-way matches are definitely not every fan’s cup of tea, but four performers of this caliber figure to make it compelling.

As the match count has made it to double digits, including a pre-show bout, the card figures to be close to final now. Keep reading for everything you need to know about AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door.

AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door

  • When: Sunday, June 26
  • Where: United Center, Chicago
  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT
  • How to watch: On PPV through Bleacher Report, or InDemand through cable or satellite providers, as well as in select movie theaters in the U.S. On Sky Deutschland in Germany, and on FITE TV internationally. In Japan, Forbidden Door will be available exclusively via NJPW World, with Japanese commentary.
  • Matches announced: 10 (including one on pre-show)

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.

Opening Bell: WWE, AEW previews for the week of 5/30

Get ready for Raw, SmackDown, Dynamite and Rampage with WWE and AEW previews for episodes airing the week of May 30, 2022.

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, May 30, Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA

Cody Rhodes was just trying to have a normal, competitive match with The Miz when it was unceremoniously ended thanks to an ambush by Seth “Freakin'” Rollins. He’s not going to let that go without addressing it, which he’ll do this week on Raw. When? The Cody Clock will probably let us know on Monday night.

There’s also a contract signing set to take place. Bobby Lashley lost his match with MVP a week ago, meaning his former manager got to pick the stipulation for a third bout with Omos at Hell in a Cell. MVP chose a Handicap Match, so all three men will have to sign on the dotted line this week.

Also on tap for Raw:

AEW Dynamite preview – Wednesday, June 1, Kia Forum, Los Angeles

Double or Nothing was a entertaining but lengthy affair, so it’s good that AEW has some time to catch its breath … but not too long, as the company is set for the first live wrestling event at the Kia Forum since 2015. So far, just one match has been confirmed for L.A., but it’s a big one: Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus and Christian Cage (who still hasn’t turned heel) will join forces with The Hardys in a 10-man tag team match against the Undisputed Elite (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish and Young Bucks).

It would be a surprise if we didn’t hear from new AEW World Champion CM Punk, who needs his first challenger. And we may or may not hear from MJF because … well, you know.

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WWE SmackDown preview – Friday, June 3, The Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH

WWE hasn’t confirmed any matches yet for SmackDown in Columbus, but the venue has been advertising Drew McIntyre, Ronda Rousey, the New Day and The Usos. All of them make sense to appear.

On top of that, The Schottenstein Center is also saying AJ Styles will face The Miz, though that could be a dark match, for sure.

AEW Rampage preview – Friday, June 3, Toyota Arena, Ontario, CA

Last but not least (unless Rampage gets moved up again for the NHL playoffs, in which case SmackDown will air last), Rampage rolls into Ontario (not the Canadian one) to close out the week in televised Big 2 wrestling. Toyota Arena is promoting this as a homecoming for the Young Bucks, so they should be involved in some capacity.

As well, at Double or Nothing, Scorpio Sky promised Dante Martin he could have a shot at the TNT Championship, and given Rampage is on TNT, this feels like the proper place for that bout. Expect it to be officially confirmed during Dynamite.

All Elite Wrestling FAQ: Your guide to AEW for lapsed and new fans

Reading through our handy AEW FAQ should make lapsed or new fans immediately more conversant in all things All Elite Wrestling.

“What is All Elite Wrestling?”

“Why am I hearing so much about AEW?”

These are questions that are more relevant than ever since the company recently celebrated its third birthday. AEW has changed the landscape of pro wrestling in the U.S. since its founding in 2019, rapidly becoming the No. 2 promotion even though it spent a good chunk of its formative years dealing with restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s been a long time — decades, in fact — since any promotion not named WWE could claim to have AEW’s national TV footprint, its attendance at live events and its share of wrestling fandom’s attention. While it’s not close in most areas to challenging the reigning incumbent in terms of size and mainstream recognition, it does provide an honest to goodness alternative with the potential to attract both lapsed fans and curious newcomers.

If you fall into either one of those groups, welcome! We’re here to provide an overview of AEW so you can better tell if it sounds like it’s for you. Reading through our handy FAQ should make you immediately more conversant in all things All Elite Wrestling, and catch you up just a bit on what’s gone down in its first three years.

AEW Double or Nothing: Everything you need to know

Prepare for AEW Double or Nothing 2022 with the full card, previews and predictions for every match.

Get ready to hear your favorite (or least favorite) gambling analogies or puns plenty of times on Sunday, because AEW Double or Nothing is back in Las Vegas. After a two-year detour to Jacksonville due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AEW’s Memorial Day weekend pay-per-view returns to its spiritual home, this time at the T-Mobile Arena — which also hosts Dynamite and Rampage this week.

Heading up the card is an AEW World Championship match between titleholder Hangman Adam Page and challenger CM Punk. But there are plenty of other championships at stake, as Thunder Rosa, Jade Cargill, and Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus will all put their titles on the line as well. There are even rumors that more titles will make their debuts, because the winners of the Owen Hart Foundation tournaments will also be crowned, and could receive some gold of their own.

We’ll update this article with those two finals once they’re decided as well as the Wardlow vs. MJF match that is all but assured to be finalized. Until then, read on for everything you need to know to prepare yourself for AEW Double or Nothing.

AEW Double or Nothing 2022

  • When: Sunday, May 29
  • Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT (the Buy-In pre-show begins one hour earlier at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)
  • Matches announced: 10

AEW Rampage results: Hookhausen trains, Blackpool Combat Club wins again

Check out full AEW Rampage results for the May 20, 2022 episode (taped on May 18) from Houston.

We’re not quite in the home stretch for Double or Nothing, but tonight’s episode of AEW Rampage from Houston is pretty darn close. Before we head to Las Vegas for all of AEW”s shows next week, there’s some business to attend to in the form of the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament. Kris Statlander, a late entry to the bracket, takes on Red Velvet for the right to face Ruby Soho in one semifinal.

AEW has also promised the latest from the duo the fans have dubbed Hookhausen: Hook and Danhausen. This odd couple (and to be fair, it’s mostly Danhausen who’s odd) has formed to combat Tony Nese and his meddling manager, Smart Mark Sterling. Though Sterling is hurt, Danhausen is Danhausen, so this could be a somewhat even fight during the Double or Nothing pre-show.

And for some reason, Matt Sydal and Dante Martin challenged the Blackpool Combat Club to a match. That’s likely to end in a BCC win, but we shall see.

Quick AEW Rampage results are below, but keep scrolling if you’d like more details on any match or significant segment.

AEW Rampage results in 30 seconds:

House of Black def. Evil Uno, Pres10 Vance and Fuego Del Sol by pinfall

Fuego has ongoing beef with House of Black, but Dark Order has been feuding with them as well, so this is more than a marriage of convenience. Malakai Black tries for a leg lock that makes 10 pound his way out of it, and Fuego tags himself in.

Buddy Matthews mocks Penta’s cero miedo hand sign as he gets in to work for the first time, and Brody King is quickly in as well. Uno escapes a power move from King, but Fuego gets knocked off the apron to the floor.

After some picture in picture goodness, Fuego makes the hot tag to 10, who even manages to send King to the floor. Uno hits a nice cannonball senton to the floor as his Dark Order teammate gets a near fall.

Black gets 10 in a kneebar but Uno is able to get a quick save. 10 connects on a discus lariat on Black, but his now injured knee is a problem. That leaves Uno and King to face off, but King backdrops out of a powerbomb attempt. As all heck is breaking loose with the other combatants, King hits a big clothesline and his powerbomb finisher to score the pinfall.

Death Triangle comes to the ramp, where Penta Oscuro reveals a tombstone with the House of Black’s name on it and a Double or Nothing placard. Ominous.

Shawn Spears def. “A Giant” by pinfall

The announcer sell this as Spears’ opportunity to show he can handle Wardlow, but … this isn’t much of a giant. It’s Big Damo, formerly known as Killian Dain. He actually handles Spears jus fine in the opening minutes, but one knee and a C4 wraps things up.

Kris Statlander def. Red Velvet by pinfall – Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Quarterfinal

Since she will face the winner, Ruby Soho is a logical and interested observer on guest commentator. Statlander does an overhead press with Velvet and switches to a single hand, and Soho notes this is a brand new Statlander.

Velvet traps Statlander in the apron skirt as Chris Jericho awards her the Sports Entertainer of the Week award. After a commercial break, Velvet hits the Final Slice but Statlander surprises everyone at the announce table when she kicks out.

When Statlander goes for her finisher, Velvet counters but is countered herself and gets the three count. Kiera Hogan attacks Statlander after the bell, Soho is in there as well, but Jade Cargill makes it three on two. Anna Jay ends up as the equalizer, stealing Mark Sterling’s crutch for use as a weapon to drive off the heels.

Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley def. Matt Sydal and Dante Martin by pinfall

Excalibur notes how he’s stuck between Taz, Chris Jericho and William Regal at the announce table, which sounds tense but fun. Sydal is hanging in pretty well against Moxley, using kicks and some flashier moves to keep him on the defensive.

Martin has a run of offense while the action is side by side with ads, but Danielson hits him with a double underhook superplex and transitions right into the Lebell Lock. Martin nearly makes the ropes, and gets his foot there when Danielson pulls back his arm. Regal is impressed.

Moxley gets double teamed by his opponents, and Sydal goes up top but decides to give Danielson a meteora on the apron. Martin hits the Nose Dive on Moxley and Danielson needs to make a save.

Looks like it’s Mox and Martin to the finish here, and Moxley nearly wins it with a piledriver after he counters a top rope maneuver. A Paradigm Shift seals the deal a moment later, though Moxley is bleeding from the mouth. Regal and Jericho have some words as the former leaves the announce table.

But Jericho isn’t leaving without the final word, and the assembled Jericho Appreciation Society is out on the ramp, followed by Eddie Kingston, Santana and Ortiz.