Here’s what matters today in wrestling 👇
Image Credit: WWE
There are very few opinions fellow wrestling fans try to give me that I completely dismiss. Pro wrestling is one of the most subjective forms of entertainment one will find, and the news reported on sites like ours can often be dismissed because the wrestling business was built on creating lies to get the public’s interest. Some wrestling news reporters are great at cultivating sources behind the scenes, but those sources often spin things in a way that makes them look good. They’re human beings in a business built on lies, it’s to be expected. So I don’t fault wrestling fans for being skeptical about things written on the Internet.
There is one take I see fans have on a regular basis that I will never understand, and it’s relevant to this situation. WWE recently announced a big tour of Mexico that will include Raw & SmackDown returning to the country for the first time in 15 years, along with AAA’s TripleMania event, the biggest event of their year. They just so happened to schedule these things right around CMLL’s Anniversario event, which is the biggest event of their year. I’m not here to complain about it, competition is a healthy thing in pro wrestling & other businesses. WWE has obviously taken an interest in the Mexican market with their purchase of AAA, and I’ve enjoyed watching that program on YouTube and reviewing it. What I will question is the assertion made by many wrestling fans that WWE scheduling things to compete with other wrestling companies is completely coincidental and not on purpose. WWE has done this for four decades to every competitor of any significance, and every time I’ll hear from wrestling fans about how it’s a total coincidence and WWE doesn’t pay attention to other wrestling companies. Fans that suggest such things don’t give WWE enough credit.
WRESTLING HEADLINES 👊🏽
•Latest On When WWE Smackdown Will Return To Two Hours
Image Credit: WWE
SmackDown is one of the few WWE shows that I’m not providing live coverage for on 411 these days, and I’m pretty happy about it. Who wants to spend three hours of a Friday night typing the events of a wrestling show that has about an hour’s worth of content worth paying attention to? Fortunately we’ve had Robert Winfree to do such a thing, and his workload is going to get a bit lighter in a month’s time since SmackDown will be returning to a two-hour format. Hopefully the loss of an hour will tighten up the format and make SmackDown an easier watch for the audience. Adding Finn Balor can’t hurt, right?
Image Credit: TNA
Mike Santana is currently the TNA World Champion, but his contract expires in July. I may have just spoiled the Slammiversary main event, but these things happen. Santana’s drawn interest from WWE in the past and likely will again. He’d be a solid addition to an NXT roster that’s a bit light on male singles stars, and he’s appeared there before to a good reaction from the audience. I feel like that’s his most likely destination unless TNA makes him an offer that he can’t refuse, but I don’t think TNA’s been making many of those offers lately.
MORE MUST-READ LINKS FROM 411MANIA
→Hall's WWE Raw Review 6.1.26
→411's WWE Greatest Moments Report: Bret "Hitman" Hart
→Kidd Bandit On Being a Trans Woman In Wrestling, Why She Retired & Started Her Own Promotion
Thanks for reading,
– Steve Cook