WWE Announces Vengeance Day Premium Live Event In Washington D.C.

WWE is bringing NXT to the Nation's Capital, as Vengeance Day will take place Saturday, February 15 at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.

The announcement comes on the heels on Monday night's successful Raw on Netflix premiere.

“Following a historic night, we are excited to bring the first premium live event to Washington, D.C. in nearly nine years with our great partners at Events DC,” said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels. “We look forward to showcasing our extraordinary talent in front of a rich wrestling town come February 15.”

WWE is advertising that some of the biggest NXT Superstars will be in action including NXT Champion Trick Williams, NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez, NXT North American Champion Tony D’Angelo and NXT Women’s North American Champion Fallon Henley.

Triple H Meets Kevin Durant At Fanatics Fest NYC, Gives Him Texas Legacy Title

Game recognized game, as Triple H met up with Kevin Durant at Fanatics Fest NYC. In a tweet, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H shared a clip in which he met NBA star Kevin Durant backstage at the convention. He gave him a Texas Longhorns Legacy Championship, and Durant expressed his excitement.

Ran into @KDTrey5 at @FanaticsFest and had to make sure he could (literally) carry the @TexasLonghorns legacy wherever he goes. #HookEm @Fanatics pic.twitter.com/KhJns5tV92

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 18, 2024

Durant is a two-time NBA Champion and a former NBA MVP. He is also a 14-time All-Star, among other accolades.

Female referee Jessika Carr makes history at WWE Backlash 2024

WWE Backlash 2024 undoubtedly left an indelible mark in the annals of WWE history, not only as one of the most successful premium live events but also as a ground breaking moment for women in the industry. This edition of Backlash not only ventured beyond North America for the first time but also made its debut in France, captivating audiences worldwide.

The magnitude of the event was evident with its record-breaking attendance, marking the largest gateway for any Backlash arena event in WWE history. With a line up of five highly anticipated matches, each bout delivered edge-of-your-seat excitement, captivating fans throughout the night.

Among the notable highlights of Backlash 2024 was the historic moment involving WWE referee Jessika Carr. Carr etched her name in the annals of wrestling history by becoming the first female referee to officiate in the main event of a World title match. Her presence as the official for the Undisputed WWE Championship clash between Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles added a significant milestone to her already impressive career.

In the electrifying main event, Carr's professionalism and expertise were on full display as she ensured a fair and impartial contest between Rhodes and Styles. As Rhodes emerged victorious, capturing the championship in a memorable showdown, Carr's pivotal role in overseeing the match underscored the progress and inclusivity within WWE.

Cody Rhodes acknowledged her accomplishment on X, after the match by writing, “Wanted to mention this after the contract signing, (and forgive me if I’m wrong but I don’t think I am…) It’ll be the VERY FIRST PLE Main Event for The Undisputed WWE Title officiated by a women @WWELadyRefJess” To which Jessica Car thanked him saying, “Honored and incredibly grateful”

Carr's historic moment at Backlash 2024 serves as a testament to the ongoing strides towards gender equality and representation within the world of professional wrestling. Her groundbreaking achievement not only inspires future generations of female referees but also reinforces WWE's commitment to diversity and inclusion on the grandest stage of sports entertainment.

WWE Reportedly Sets All-Time Record At Madison Square Garden Live Event

Business is booming for WWE right now, with the promotion reportedly setting an all-time record at the recent Madison Square Garden live event.

"Fightful Select" has reported that the December 26 live event at the iconic New York venue is the highest-grossing domestic non-televised event in the history of the promotion. The show saw CM Punk wrestle for the first time since his return to WWE, defeating former "NXT" North American Champion, Dominik Mysterio, whom he will face once again at a live event in California. The report added that WWE has stated internally that the show was sold out, with WrestleTix revealing that over 15,000 tickets were sold for the show. 

"Fightful" has also revealed that the live event in Baltimore, featuring the "WWE SmackDown" roster, was the highest-grossing non-televised WWE show in the region.

The stacked card at the Madison Square Garden show featured several of "WWE Raw's" top stars, including the likes of Rhea Ripley, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Becky Lynch, and Cody Rhodes. Rollins and McIntyre closed out the event, where the former retained his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Finn Balor and Damian Priest retained their tag team titles against Sami Zayn and Jey Uso, while WWE Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley defeated Ivy Nile and Shayna Baszler in a triple threat match.

The "Raw" and "SmackDown" rosters have a string of live events lined up ahead of the new year. This week's "SmackDown" will air a best-of show, recapping the highlights of 2023 from the blue brand, much like the "Raw" show on Christmas day.

Hagerstown native, WWE superstar LA Knight, receives key to city

Hundreds of people turned out in University Plaza on Saturday to see North Hagerstown High grad Shaun Ricker, aka WWE wrestler LA Knight, receive a key to the city. Hagerstown Mayor Tekesha Martinez addressed the crowd. Several youth were on stage with the WWE star and helped with the presentation of the key to the city to the Hagerstown native.

There were a lot of "Yeah"s exchanged Saturday between the Hagerstown native and hundreds of local fans. "Yeah" is a signature saying of the professional wrestler's.

Hagerstown Councilman Matthew Schindler went to school with Ricker and reached out to his former schoolmate to help arrange Saturday's presentation of a key to the city. Ricker joked that he thought 10 people would show up Saturday to see him receive the key to the city. Hundreds turned out at University Plaza. He said he was humbled to receive the honor and encouraged people to pursue their dreams.Ricker told the crowd to pursue their dreams. The Superstar said he had several setbacks, including sleeping in his car at times, but now he's at a point where he can help others.

WWE Female Referee Makes History At Crown Jewel

WWE referee Jessika Carr made history at today’s WWE Crown Jewel event from Mohammed Abdu Arena on The Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Carr worked two matches on the Crown Jewel card – the Hell In a Cell opener between Seth Rollins and the winner, WWE Hall of Famer Edge, plus the King of the Ring Tournament finals between Finn Balor and King Xavier Woods.

With the matches, Carr became the first female referee to call a WWE match in the Kingdom.

Carr tweeted about the opportunity:

“I am so blown away at the opportunity that I was blessed with tonight. Thank you #CrownJewel I’ll absolutely share more of this in the days to come,” Carr wrote.

Carr was covered up in her referee gear, due to local religious laws, as were the female Superstars competing on the show

After a brief stint on the indies as a wrestler, WWE signed Carr to a deal in 2017, to work as the first female WWE referee since the 1980s. The first full-time female WWE referee in history came to the main roster from WWE NXT in December 2019.

Washington Redskins Changing Team Name

Statement From The Washington Redskins Football Team

On July 3rd, we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team's name. That review has begun in earnest. As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward.

Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review.

Dan Snyder and Coach Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years.

AEW Fined $10,000 By The Maryland State Athletic Commission For Jon Moxley Vs. Kenny Omega Match

AEW has been fined $10,000 by the Maryland State Athletic Commission over the "Unsanctioned Lights Out match" between current AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and current AEW World Tag Team Champion Kenny Omega.

The order, seen below, notes that AEW was the promoter for a pro wrestling match between Omega and Moxley at the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on November 9, 2019, a match that saw the licensed talents suffer lacerations that caused blood to be introduced into the ring. The commission determined that administrative charges against AEW were appropriate for alleged violations of Maryland law pertaining to pro wrestling contests and related regulations.

The filing mentions how Moxley and Omega used "foreign objects including a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, a broom with bristles wrapped in barbed wire, and a tool similar to an ice pick." It also states Moxley "used the baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire to strike" Omega three times across his back and cause lacerations from which Omega bled. It also details how Omega used the broom to cause Moxley to bleed from his head, shoulder and back.

The Commission alleges that AEW violated multiple regulations, including the Conduct of Wrestling Contest and Responsibility of Promoter. AEW agreed to pay a civil penalty to the Commission in the amount of $10,000 within 30 days of the order.

It was also noted that while the Commission acknowledges that AEW took precautions to reduce the potential for injury to both competitors by using materials to simulate injury and merely give the appearance of bleeding, blood was still introduced into the ring in other instances during the match, through deliberate and repeated actions of the two wrestlers, as scripted by AEW.

AEW Being Investigated By The Maryland State Athletic Commission

The Maryland State Athletic Commission is reportedly investigating AEW over the "Unsanctioned Lights Out" Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega match that took place at AEW Full Gear on November 9.

Former WCW announcer Chris Cruise recently contacted the commission regarding the Omega vs. Moxley match and asked about their rules on blading, and allowing matches to continue if a performer is bleeding either intentionally or unintentionally, and if there was a commission doctor at the show, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

After repeated requests, Cruise was told that the commission prohibits wrestlers from deliberately lacerating themselves or their opponents, or introducing human or animal blood into the match. The commission also said they were at Full Gear and they had a doctor assigned to the show. They also stated that they were conducting a formal investigation into the match and because of that investigation, they were unable to comment on questions about the match.

Cruise was recently on the  Wrestling with History podcast and talked about why he doesn't see AEW succeeding.

"AEW has millions of dollars from the son of a billionaire and is not setting the world on fire and will not succeed," Cruise said. "It may last a long time, but will never be profitable. Somebody once said 'if you want to be a millionaire, start with a billion dollars and buy an airline.' It's the same thing with a pro wrestling organization; it's just going to bleed you dry. Not everything is guaranteed to last forever. It's my convention that wrestling has seen better days."

NXT Referee Jessika Carr Moving Over To WWE SmackDown

Jessika Carr isn’t moving “up” to SmackDown—the NXT referee is making a lateral move over to Friday nights.

Last night’s NXT taping saw Carr work her final matches for the yellow brand, and she was given an in-ring sendoff by Tommaso Ciampa.

Ciampa closed the show by saying they are a family, and they were losing a family member in Carr because she’s moving over to SmackDown Live as of this Friday. Ciampa asked Carr to deliver a farewell speech, and Carr talked about hearing she’s the “worst referee ever” by someone in her first night of training. She says she’s glad she didn’t listen to that person who told her to quit the business, and says standing in front of them now is an amazing feeling. Carr said she hopes women see this as a sign that they can be whatever they want, then she left and was greeted by Triple H and the team of referees on the ramp.

FOX Announces WWE SmackDown Moving Truck Tour

FOX has announced a 'moving truck' tour to promote SmackDown moving to the network on October 4.

WrestlingNews.co is reporting that the moving truck will be going to the following cities:

September 15 – Charlotte, NC
September 17 – Washington, DC
September 18 – Detroit, MI
September 19-20 – Chicago, IL
September 21 – Madison, WI
September 22-23 – Minneapolis, MN
September 25 – Kansas City, MO
September 27 – Dallas, TX
September 29 – Houston, TX
September 30 – Austin, TX
October 2 – Phoenix, AZ
October 3 – San Diego, CA
October 4 – Los Angeles, CA

AEW Weekly TNT TV Show Officially Announced For Wednesday Nights

TNT and AEW have announced that the weekly AEW TV show will air on Wednesday nights from 8pm until 10pm ET, beginning on Wednesday, October 2. The debut will take place two nights before SmackDown moves to FOX on Friday, October 4th.

The first AEW TV show will air from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. AEW will be announcing details on tickets this coming Monday.

Joan Jett To Perform ‘Bad Reputation’ For Ronda Rousey Live at WrestleMania 35

WWE has announced Joan Jett will be performing “Bad Reputation” live for Ronda Rousey’s ring entrance at WrestleMania 35.

Rousey will defend her Raw women’s title at WrestleMania 35 against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. The match will main event the show.

Eight Cities Revealed For XFL Relaunch, More Cities Considered For The Future?, XFL League Advisers

A "Contact Us" page on the XFL website has revealed all 8 cities that will host teams for the inaugural season in 2020. It looks like the pages were edited after the leak.

The following 8 cities were revealed:

* Dallas, Texas
* Houston, Texas
* Los Angeles, California
* New York (could be NY/NJ region but phone number was New York City)
* St. Louis, Missouri
* Seattle, Washington
* Tampa Bay, Florida
* Washington, DC

As we've noted, XFL has announced that they will reveal the 8 cities along with venues on Wednesday, December 5 at noon EST. It's been confirmed that the press conference will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, the site of WrestleMania 35.

In related news, it looks like there could be plans to expand to other major cities once the inaugural season has wrapped. DomainNameWire.com reports that the league registered several domain names for potential host cities and regions earlier this week. The domains use the format of XFLCity.com, CityXFL.com and XFLCityAbbreviation.com. For example, they registered XFLChicago.com, ChicagoXFL.com and XFLCHI.com.

The 21 cities or regions that they registered domains for are: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas/Arlington, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Washington DC, Tampa Bay.

These locations could be a sign of where they plan to expand to with future seasons or places that have been under consideration. All 8 cities revealed for the inaugural season are included in the list of domains registered this week.

On a related note, the XFL website also lists several Advisers that will be working with the league. They are:

* Jim Caldwell - former NFL Head Coach (Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts)

* John Fox - former NFL Head Coach (Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos)

* Doug Flutie - former NFL, CFL & USFL Quarterback, NBC/NBCSN Analyst

* Donna Orender - WNBA President from 2005-2010

* John Kosner - President of Kosner Media, 20-Year ESPN veteran

* Kevin Guskiewicz - Dean of Arts & Science at UNC, Member of the NFL Head, Neck & Spine Committee

WWE Signs Former Knockouts Champion

It's now confirmed that Mia Yim has signed with WWE.

The 2018 Mae Young Classic competitor started with WWE back on Sunday, September 16, according to PWInsider. We noted before that there was speculation on Yim, a former TNA Knockouts Champion, signing after she appeared in a WWE NXT Twitter video from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

Yim recently revealed on Twitter that she's dating NXT Superstar Keith Lee. She also revealed she's roommates with Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke.

Velveteen Dream Appearing At Two Evolve Shows In September

NXT Superstar Velveteen Dream is scheduled to make very rare appearances outside of WWE in September. He will be working two Evolve events. Evolve has a close working relationship with WWE. Dream will wrestle at at EVOLVE 112 at the MCW Arena in Joppa, Maryland on September 7 and EVOLVE 113 at La Boom in Queens, New York on September 8. It has been revealed that Dream will be facing Austin Theory in Joppa and taking on Darby Allin in Queens. Velveteen Dream, a native of Washington DC, was trained by and worked for Maryland Championship Wrestling prior to signing with WWE.

Meet Jessika Carr, WWE's first full-time female referee

Baltimore a pipeline for professional wrestling stardom

Hundreds of wrestlers across the country are wrestling in front of small crowds on cards in high school gymnasiums, flea markets and minor league baseball stadiums in pursuit of the dream of making it as a professional wrestler.

Many of those wrestlers are based in Maryland, a state which that has gained a national reputation for producing some of the top up-and-coming wrestlers in the business today...More?

source: wbaltv.com

Photos From WWE Tribute To The Troops Happenings In Virginia And Maryland; Triple H Presents Custom WWE Titles At TTTT

This Championship is in recognition of all you do for our country. Thank you Cmd. Sgt Troxell, @ElaineRogersUSO & Maj. Gen. Becker #Troops pic.twitter.com/ldWkxme1yt

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 14, 2016

This morning was an absolute honor. Thank you to the servicemen and women @ArlingtonNatl. #Troops #HonorThem pic.twitter.com/dCCnIw8dwW

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 13, 2016

#HAPPENINGNOW: @StephMcMahon @TripleH @WWE @USOMetroDC @MDW_USARMY place a wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers @ArlingtonNatl. #HonorThem pic.twitter.com/NjU9wf5gNq

— Arlington Cemetery (@ArlingtonNatl) December 13, 2016

WWE Tribute to the Troops Comes to Washington, D.C.

WWE today announced that the 14th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops event will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at Verizon Center in Washington D.C., marking the first time the event will be held in our nation’s capital. While in D.C., WWE Superstars will spend time with members of all five branches of the military. WWE began Tribute to the Troops in 2003 as a way to honor our servicemen and women and their families. Tribute to the Troops will air on Wednesday, Dec.14 on USA Network.

In the long-standing tradition of the USO supporting and entertaining our troops at home and abroad, WWE brings together the best of sports, entertainment and pop culture, with celebrity appearances and performances from music’s most popular acts. Tribute to the Troops has become a holiday tradition and is considered TV’s most patriotic and heartwarming show of the year.

While in Washington D.C., WWE Superstars will spend time giving back to military personnel and their families. Activities will include a Be a STAR anti-bullying rally, as well as hospital visits and outreach initiatives at various installations throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Additionally, servicemen and women and their families will be given complimentary tickets to attend Tribute to the Troops.

"We are so excited to partner with WWE on Tribute to the Troops, an event that truly has become a holiday tradition for our service members and their families," said Elaine Rogers, President and CEO of USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore. "What better way to thank our active duty military members and their families for their service than by providing them with an amazing evening of fun and entertainment."

"First I would like to thank the USO and WWE for all the support they have given our servicemen and women," said Maj. Gen. Bradley A. Becker, Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington. "The National Capital Region is the political and military center of gravity for the United States with an infrastructure vital to the global interests of the nation, and I believe is an ideal location for the upcoming Tribute to the Troops because of the large number of military personnel and their families that live and work in the DC-Metro area. I know that our service members are big fans of WWE and are excited to participate in this wonderful event."

"For the 14th year, WWE is honored to give back to American military personnel and their families for their commitment to and sacrifice for our country," said WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. "Our servicemen and women work tirelessly and selflessly for our freedom, and it is an honor to continue the Tribute to the Troops tradition for them this year in our nation’s capital."