In this interview Speedball Mike Bailey praises Swerve Strickland’s work for AEW: “I think Swerve, he is not the AEW Champion in literal terms, but he does champion the company very well. I think he exceeded expectations and performs on an absolutely amazing level week in and week out in AEW. But I think what he does for the company outside of AEW is especially commendable. The way he’s brought pro wrestling to a lot of mainstream forms of media, and the way he does that is absolutely fantastic. I think he represents the company amazingly.”
Here’s what has been announced for NXT tonight. (WWE)
- Oba Femi vs. Charlie Dempsey
- Tony D’Angelo vs. Wes Lee
- Joe Hendry and Trick Williams have a contract signing
Speaking of NXT, The CW President Brad Schwartz praises the show: “It’s been an absolute game changer for the CW, and I think it’s been a game changer for WWE. This last quarter that just ended was the highest rated NXT quarter in five years. It’s up 19% year over year. In adults 18 to 49 and 25 to 54, we’re regularly beating Fox on Tuesday nights. It’s unheard of. So it’s been absolutely crushing for us. It’s one of the big reasons why our network as a whole is up 40% season over season. Besides animation on Fox, NXT has the highest concentration of 18-49 and 25-54 on all broadcast.”
Two matches are now set for Saturday Night’s Main Event airing May 24th on NBC. (WWE)
- WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Jey Uso vs. Logan Paul
- CM Punk and Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins
Jake “The Snake” Roberts is having heart surgery today. Best wishes to him on a successful operation and a full healthy recovery!
Gail Kim will be the guest referee for Kenzie Paige vs. Natalya on May 17th.
Brett Lauderdale has a lot to say about Sabu’s passing: “Any suggestion that I or GCW or Joey Janela forced him to do this match, supplied him with substances or somehow caused his death is irresponsible, disingenuous, hurtful, and false. It’s upsetting and discouraging to see people so eager to cast judgment without knowledge of the facts. I would never knowingly put someone who I believed was a danger to themselves or others in the ring and my track record shows this to be true. I have pulled people – in a public and painful manner – from big matches before, sometimes literal moments before a match was to begin and I would do it again if I had to. I spoke to Sabu moments before the match, and he was Sabu. He was the same Sabu I had encountered in years past when I participated in his matches as a referee and later as a promoter. He was the same Sabu I met with the following day at Wrestlecon, and the same Sabu that made multiple appearances on podcasts and at conventions in the weeks that followed. The truth is Sabu lived a hard life both in and outside the ring. He was fearless and reckless… qualities that both endeared him to millions and made us worry about him at the same time. Decades of extreme took it’s toll and no matter what we want to believe, nobody is immortal. While Sabu will live forever, Terry Brunk will not and unfortunately his time has finally come. It’s sad, and my heart goes out to his friends and family and I join them in mourning his loss. I feel lucky and blessed to have known him and I am proud to have been able to host his final match. Sabu was a legend and his impact in our world was immeasurable. He will never be forgotten.”
AEW will have residency at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom from July 16th-31st in Chicago.
The last SmackDown before Backlash did 1.455 million viewers (up from 1.406) and the 18-49 demo rose from 0.37 to 0.41. (Wrestlenomics)
