He just got raided by the FBI....the hell?

That'd be Jake Paul.

Meh.

Both NXT and and AEW ran their last shows in front of normal audiences on March 11th, which was a "shit's getting real" moment for the US as the NBA shut everything down over Rudy Gobert's positive test and the other leagues all followed suit the next day.

AEW had run 23 Dynamites prior to that, skipping a week for Christmas. The August 26th Dynamite (which will air the next day) will mark the point where they've had more COVID-impacted episodes than regular ones.

Since NXT went on the USA Network, they had run 26 episodes with one of them being a clip show at New Years. Right after the pandemic, the first two episodes were also clip shows and the September 16th episode, two days before their one year anniversary on USA, would be their tipping point of having more COVID-impacted episodes.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We were having fun with this new face swapping application, until we realized that Joey Janela + Taylor Swift = <a href="https://twitter.com/TheKipSabian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheKipSabian</a> <a href="https://t.co/fY6Y9BMPNu">pic.twitter.com/fY6Y9BMPNu</a></p>&mdash; “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) <a href="https://twitter.com/JANELABABY/status/1293277126117007364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Holy shitballs ������<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperbadBoys?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperbadBoys</a>? ����█♂️ <a href="https://t.co/y0KVOCE7lZ">https://t.co/y0KVOCE7lZ</a></p>&mdash; Kip Sabian (@TheKipSabian) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheKipSabian/status/1293277502530621440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MJF recreating the scene where Samoa Joe shoved him �� <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWDynamite?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWDynamite</a> <a href="https://t.co/jsnS8oVQSX">pic.twitter.com/jsnS8oVQSX</a></p>&mdash; Daniel (@KAMlGOYE) <a href="https://twitter.com/KAMlGOYE/status/1293721262049566720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

the red paint coming off the first version around "champion" isn't a good sign but I like the fixed version.

If a recent ad for Payback is any indication, seems the next RAW Women's title feud after SummerSlam might be Shayna Baszler vs. Sasha Banks.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WWE payback commercial �� <a href="https://t.co/S5QkrMb237">pic.twitter.com/S5QkrMb237</a></p>&mdash; BankonSasha (@bankon_sasha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bankon_sasha/status/1293945172930318336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jcc2EEDwOzg" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING NEWS: NEW IRONMAN HEAVYMETAL 24/7 CHAMPION &amp; REW PAKISTAN 24/7 CHAMPION.... ��<a href="https://twitter.com/sammyguevara?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sammyguevara</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ddtpro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ddtpro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ddtpro_eng?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ddtpro_eng</a> <a href="https://t.co/b2lxppNw1y">pic.twitter.com/b2lxppNw1y</a></p>&mdash; “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) <a href="https://twitter.com/JANELABABY/status/1294001810894618625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

How long until Dean gets bored and gives it back to them?

Apparently in Mexico there is a wrestler currently named Coronavirus who works as a heel.

Also from the same Observer Newsletter issue, Meltzer speculated that TNT/HBO could be a potential home for The Rock's XFL due to The Rock's connections with the new boss of WarnerMedia's TV division.

Or it could go to NBC due to The Rock’s connections there. Or keep its deals with FOX and ABC.

XFL's tv deals with FOX and ABC ended when they filed for bankruptcy I think.

Based on a quick search, seems ESPN isn't that interested in signing a new deal which likely also means ABC is out. FOX seems to still be interested but recent rumors hinted they won't be as generous as before for a new potential deal.

Even with the Rock's name behind the league, going to be a hard sell to get a real good deal since the league already has failed twice.

Regardless of if it would have failed or not, it's hard to not point out the virus as a big factor there.

True but even without the virus, ratings for games started falling hard shortly into the season.

Unlike the first XFL, FOX and ESPN/ABC weren't going to pull the plug on their end of the deal as quickly as NBC did back in the day but XFL probably would have lasted like 2 seasons at most had things continued the way they were trending.

Even The Rock's Titan Games series had a bit of a worrying issue pop up right at the end of its recent season. Season finales usually end up being the highest or second highest of a season but the recent season finale of his show ended up being the second least watched episode instead.

Yeah, but we did have the virus. If we lived in a parallel universe where they did cancel the XFL for AEW-level ratings, you could say that.

They were heading in that direction pre-pandemic since the revival season was already in AEW/NXT viewership range when it stopped.

After the first month, sports reports were starting to pop up seriously questioning if the league could even last beyond a 2nd season.

Yeah, but it didn't get to that point. It just didn't happen.

That doesn't change the fact that the Rock is going to have a tough time trying to get a good tv deal for the XFL considering ESPN and FOX are not as open arms as they were before and Vince damaging the brand's image with the antics he pulled off.

Rock's group already stated they are not interested in losing a ton of money to restart the league which is going to handicap the potential and chances of a second revival. Even Vince ended up bluffing when he claimed to be committed for the long term and willing to lose several hundred millions of dollars early on.

None of that Vince stuff has anything to do with The Rock's ownership. His strategy may not be shock and awe, but he might also get a great TV deal out the gate. You just don't know with the demand for live entertainment, especially post-pandemic and with new ownership.

It does when it comes to people getting soured on the brand's name and why XFL only had one real bidder for the league when it came to actual deals on the table.

Rock probably could have gotten the league for even cheaper if it actually went to auction based on the low real interest for it.

ESPN released a statement when the league was getting close to the auction date saying they don't have any interest in the league if Vince isn't running it anymore.

Evil Uno is currently streaming with newLegacy for 12 hours in their annual fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.

https://multistre.am/newlegacyinc/eviluno/layout3/

That doesn't sound very Evil

depends on your definition of the word Evil.

Hope they pull the trigger and have Asuka win both belts. It would be a cool moment for her, and would set up a feud with Charlotte for when she comes back.

Seems Velveteen Dream has serious heat backstage in NXT although less on something he actually did recently and more on WWE's dumb decision to bring him back following the wave of accusations that swept through the wrestling industry.

Considering Sean Ross Sapp mentioned before that the chatter within the company following his recent allegations and car accident he caused was one of him being released soon, someone(s) higher up must have thought everyone would just forget and sweep the whole thing under the rug.

No, it doesn’t. That’s you projecting your feelings onto something to make what Dave says more credible. The Rock probably knows studio heads all over the place. It probably doesn’t matter if he does or not. The business decision of putting on The Rock’s football league will be based upon whether or not a network sees value in putting on The Rock’s football league.

Or it was just bullshit being reported.

How is the stuff about Dream bullshit when that's been an issue with him for the past several years.

WWE's fired people for way less than what's been told about Dream over the years, both stuff he's actually done and stuff he's been accused of.

And what's with you always resorting back to the Meltzer card whenever you take offense to something I post. The stuff about XFL's damaged image within the sports world and FOX & ESPN being not as open arms for XFL under new ownership didn't even come from him. Meltzer wasn't even the only one to report on the lack of real bidders for the league. Even Rock's name value and co-ownership raised doubts elsewhere of him actually being able to get a good tv deal for the league.

Vince must love Dream and have big plans for him if he's still around after some of his shit.

Either him or Triple H considering NXT and developmental is mainly in Triple H's realm of control.

Not the first time Triple H has defended troubled people with running accusations in the company since he was the biggest supporter of Bill Demott during Demott's time in charge of developmental that got plagued with accusations near the end. Before that, it was him defending a member of the company's staff who allegedly made slurs against Del Rio and Ricardo when both were in the company although supposedly that was more due to that guy threatened to sue the company if he was fired.

Already some speculations WWE won't do anything to Jordan Devlin either despite him being among those accused from WWE that had the strongest allegations and evidence against him. Out of the notable 5 names that had the bulk of the accusations or evidence against them, seems him, Riddle, and Dream might remain unscathed while El Ligerio and Gallagher took the brunt of WWE's punishments.

Hayabusa's FMW theme is possibly the greatest Wrestling Theme ever.

Is it the sound of a bag of vertebrae being smacked against a stone step for three minutes?

His "darkside" theme was great too.

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