The latest on Steve Austin at ‘WrestleMania 38,’ AEW’s plans for Scorpio Sky, Killer Kross’s next destination and more.
Even amid a pandemic, the wrestling industry rarely sleeps. That is especially true as the calendar hits March and April, two months that help define the product for the whole year.
As we close the book on AEW’s Revolution and approach WWE’s WrestleMania 38, here is information from across the industry set to make headlines.
- Last weekend’s WWE show at Madison Square Garden saw Brock Lesnar annihilate Austin Theory in a 97-second beatdown.
Roman Reigns then delivered a beating on Lesnar. WWE’s YouTube clip of the moment blew up and currently has just under five million views. Part of this can be attributed to the appeal of watching an untelevised live event, but it also supports the belief that Reigns is the single biggest draw in the industry.
That MSG spot was also perfect placement for Theory. He has the story line with Vince McMahon, a featured match at WrestleMania 38 and has a world of support internally from the top decision-makers. A year from now, the plan is for him to be one of the company’s top stars, and this is all part of his journey.
- Will Steve Austin have a match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania?
Owens called out Austin last week on Raw, and Austin responded via social media. It is odd this moment didn’t take place on Raw, a show that is always seeking a spark and would undoubtedly benefit from Austin’s presence.
It is also strange that WWE hasn’t definitively announced this will be a match, which it is expected to be. The easy, crowd-pleasing solution is to announce this as a match, then have Austin massacre Owens at the event and collect his first WrestleMania victory in 20 years.
- Scorpio Sky won the TNT title in the main event of this week’s star-studded episode of Dynamite, which also included a Chris Jericho heel turn and the unveiling of his newest faction, and the AEW debut of Jeff Hardy. Sky defeated Sammy Guevara to close out the show, capitalizing on Guevara’s high-risk maneuvers, a story arc that can continue to be applied in their future matches.
Sky signed a five-year extension last year with AEW, and Tony Khan has planned for him to win this title as far back as last summer, Sports Illustrated has learned. This title reign is a massive opportunity for Sky, a West Coast indie staple who has more than paid his dues and earned this run. He will benefit from the stardom of Paige VanZant, who is also part of the Dan Lambert stable, and she will feud with Tay Conti as Sky continues his program with Guevara.
There is a real chance for Sky to establish himself as one of AEW’s top talents, as he has a combination of personality, intelligence and a skill set that few can match.
- Dolph Ziggler won the NXT championship on Tuesday, pinning Tommaso Ciampa in a three-way match to dethrone Bron Breakker.
The finish provides WWE with a number of compelling options, especially as NXT’s Stand & Deliver show is less than a month away on April 2. The title change allows Breakker to chase the belt, a far better spot for a babyface, and represents a well-deserved break for Ziggler, who is one of WWE’s most underrated yet valuable stars.
The current expectation is that Breakker will chase and regain the title. The potential also exists for Ciampa to turn on Breakker, extending their program beyond Stand & Deliver.
- Friday night’s Rampage is set to feature the first AEW entrance from the Hardy Boyz.
While I’m sure it has been criticized, I found Jeff stopping to dance—while he was supposed to be sprinting to the ring to make the save for his brother, Matt—extremely endearing.
There is no doubt that Jeff Hardy can still generate interest. As of Friday afternoon, his AEW debut video is creeping toward two million page views.
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s upcoming Strong Style Evolved show will take place on Sunday, March 20 at the St. Petersburg Coliseum in Tampa. There will be a collection of talent from NJPW (Rocky Romero, Ren Narita, Yuya Uemura and Juice Robinson), AEW (Eddie Kingston, Buddy Matthews, Sw3rve and Daniel Garcia and Impact Wrestling (Josh Alexander, Jonah). The card also features in-ring performances from the newly arrived Máscara Dorada, who was Gran Metalik in WWE, in addition to Big Damo, who was Killian Dain in WWE.
Strong continues to gain momentum, which will only be amplified by a surprise debut next week. Killer Kross is the favorite to appear in that role, Sports Illustrated has learned, and he would be a phenomenal addition to NJPW. His debut would build to a match in Dallas at the April 1 taping of Strong, which is its Lonestar Shootout special, a show that includes the must-see match of Jay White against “Speedball” Mike Bailey.
As of now, it does not appear Scarlett Bordeaux will be joining Kross in NJPW. Yet there is incredible potential if the two sides eventually come to an agreement. NJPW is lacking a female presence, and bringing in Bordeaux would add a dynamic, captivating personality. And as we saw during Kross’s frustrating main-roster run in WWE, he is at his best when partnered with Bordeaux.
- AAA’s Show Center card will air this Saturday on FITE, beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
The show takes place in Monterrey, a city in Mexico with deep wrestling roots, and AAA has plans to run monthly shows there.
AAA is running a tournament that could extend as far as the next seven or eight months, with brackets for the women and the men, as well as a winner’s and loser’s bracket. For the men’s tourney, Saturday’s show will feature Taurus vs. L.A. Park and Flamita vs. Vikingo. Despite rumors that Vikingo is hurt, he is still scheduled to wrestle. The women’s tournament matches include Chika Tormenta vs. Estrellita, as well as Lady Maravilla vs. Reina Dorada.
Saturday’s show is a seven-match card, with four singles matches for the tournament. That is a change from a traditional AAA card, though trios matches will still be part of the night, including Mr. Iguana, Niño Hamburguesa and Pimpinela Escarlata against Abismo Negro Jr., Latigo and Toxin.
There will be talent brought in from the U.S. for the women’s tournament, Sports Illustrated has learned. The men’s tournament will feature some of the best talent in Mexico, especially Vikingo, Bandido, Fénix and Taurus. This will also be a platform for emerging new talent like Komander, Jack Cartwheel and Dinámico, who together represent the start of a new wave of incredible wrestlers in AAA. This will be followed by Sunday’s show in Mérida, where FTR is scheduled to defend the AAA tag titles.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.