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Sexyy Red was born to be involved with wrestling. Big Sexyy felt right at home as she made her dynamic debut on WWE‘s NXT on Tuesday night (May 28). It was a Sexyy Red takeover throughout the night. She first made her way to the ring with her “Get It Sexyy” hit booming through the […]
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WWE Backlash 2024 is here and the wrestling event is already turning out to be one of the most anticipated events of the season. Cody Rhodes will be put to the test as he defends his world championship title after winning one of the biggest WrestleMania matches to date. Now, he is set to go up against AJ Styles this Saturday (May 4) during the 2024 edition of WWE Backlash.
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Some star-studded guests are already rumored to be in attendance at the event including John Cena, who Sports Illustrated reported was already in Lyon, France, where the event will be taking place.
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Keep reading to learn more about the event including how to watch WWE Backlash online.
What Is WWE Backlash 2024? Date, Time, Location
WWE Backlash is one of the biggest wrestling events produced and hosted by WWE. Last year, the event even saw Bad Bunny trade the stage for the wrestling ring in a match against Damian Priest at 2023 WWE Backlash, which took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Now, for the first time ever, the wrestling event will head overseas to Lyon, France where Rhodes vs. Styles will take place. The main event is expected to air starting at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday (May 4).
Last-minute tickets are still available to buy online through Ticketmaster and StubHub with prices starting at around $72 a ticket. If you can’t find any travel deals to attend the wrestling event in person, then you can still stream WWE Backlash online at home through Peacock.
How to Stream WWE Backlash Online
Rhodes vs. Styles will be streaming exclusively through Peacock, which means you’ll need a subscription in order to watch the matches online. If you already have a Peacock subscription, then you can watch the WWE Backlash matches for free when you log into your account.
Don’t have Peacock? The streaming platform doesn’t have a free trial but it does come with a variety of plans starting at just $5.99 a month for the ad-supported plan or you can go ad-free with Peacock’s Premium Plus package for $11.99 a month. If you’re a student, you can take advantage of Peacock’s student discount that gets you a membership for just $1.99 a month.
International viewers should use a VPN like ExpressVPN or NordVPN to watch WWE Backlash from home.
Along with access to WWE Backlash, a subscription to Peacock will provide you with access to the streamer’s entire content library including more WWE events, Premier League, IndyCar and other sports as well as exclusive and original shows from Peacock, NBC and Bravo like Poker Face, Bel-Air, Bupkis, Mrs. Davis, Inside, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Vanderpump Rules and The Voice.
Is WWE Backlash a Pay-Per-View Event?
Unlike some WWE events, which require a pay-per-view stream, the 2024 WWE Backlash event isn’t a PPV match this time. However, it is being aired only on Peacock. That means if you don’t have a Peacock subscription you won’t be able to watch Rhodes vs. Styles or any of the other matches on the fight card.
How to Watch WWE Backlash on TV
You can watch WWE Backlash on TV through the Peacock app or on a smart device like a laptop, tablet or phone. From there, just log into your account and you’ll have instant access to the fights once they start at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday.
What Is the WWE Backlash 2024 Fight Card?
Below you can see the full list of matches expected to take place on Saturday.
Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles
Damian Priest vs. Jey Uso
Bayley vs. Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
The Kabuki Warriors vs. Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill
Randy Orton & Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga
Wrestling fans will be glued to their screens tonight as Logan Paul makes an appearance at Monday Night Raw, as the WWE Draft heads into its second night.
The 2024 WWE Draft actually kicked off Friday on SmackDown on FOX, but the drama continues tonight on Raw, which takes place at 8 p.m. on USA. Want to watch WWE Raw on TV and online? Here’s what you need to know.
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How to Watch 2024 WWE Draft on Raw
Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw airs live from from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Last-minute tickets to watch Raw are still available on sites like Stubhub, SeatGeek and Vivid Seats. We spotted tickets from $50 on Stubhub.com.
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Want to watch the 2024 WWE Draft on TV? Monday Night Raw airs weekly on USA. You can watch Raw on TV with a basic cable package that includes the USA Network.
How to Watch 2024 WWE Draft on Raw Online Free
Want to watch Monday Night Raw online free without cable? Sign-up for a free trial to DirecTV Stream here. DirecTV Stream is a live TV streaming service that includes USA Network as part of its channel offerings. Use DirecTV Stream to watch the WWE Draft online for free. Cancel before your free trial is up to avoid being charged.
Another watch to livestream the 2024 WWE Draft online free is through Fubo. The streamer is offering a 7-day free trial here that you can use to stream WWE Raw online through your phone, laptop, tablet or smart TV. Fubo also includes free DVR so you can record tonight’s episode of Raw to watch back on-demand later.
Note: while you can watch most WWE matches online and on-demand through Peacock, the only watch to watch Monday Night Raw is through USA Network (or a streaming service that carries a live feed of it).
2024 WWE Draft on Monday Night Raw
Tonight’s episode of Raw features the second night of the 2024 WWE Draft, which decides which wrestlers will compete on Raw vs. SmackDown. Night 2 features six rounds, with Raw and SmackDown making two picks per round for a total of 24 picks in all. Current champs from each brand are protected, so Damian Priest, Becky Lynch, Awesome Truth and Sami Zayn will remain on Raw, while Cody Rhodes, Bayley, A-Town Down Under and Logan Paul will remain on SmackDown.
Still, Paul is expected to make an appearance on Monday Night Raw tonight, which is sure to stir things up. Tonight’s card also features The Judgment Day vs. Jey Uso, Ricochet and Andrade in a Six-Man Tag Team Match. And Becky Lynch and CM Punk are both also expected to appear on the show.
Watch Monday Night Raw tonight at 8 p.m. on USA or stream it online with a free trial to DirecTV Stream.
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Source: WWE / Getty
WrestleMania weekend 2024 is officially in the books and while the WWE isn’t as massively popular as it was in the late ’90s, it still made history as the highest grossing event in company history.
According to Variety, WrestleMania 40 broke all kinds of company records. It’s been dubbed their most successful live event ever as fans tuned in to see Cody Rhodes defeat all odds and “Finish The Story” by taking the WWE Undisputed Championship from Roman Reigns in a classic main event Sunday (April 7). With anticipation for the moment building over the past few years, wrestling fans made sure they were in attendance and were watching from home to witness the dream come true for the American Nightmare and helped the WWE make some historic gains in the process as well.
Variety reports:
WrestleMania 40 took place over two nights at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Per WWE, the gate for the event was up 78% compared to the previous record set during WrestleMania 39, with 145,298 in attendance across both nights this year. The company also says viewership was up 41% versus last year, while merchandise sales — in partnership with Fanatics — was up more than 20% over last year.
But the live events on Saturday and Sunday nights are just one part of the story. WWE set up a massive presence in Philadelphia from Thursday-Monday. The company hosted the WWE World experience at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where fans could pay to get up close with authentic WWE memorabilia from their archives as well as take part in immersive experiences. This was coupled with the WWE Superstore, which featured a wide range of branded merchandise from apparel to toys and beyond.
Couple that with the 660 million views that were generated across WWE’s social channels and the WWE YouTube channel hitting 67 million views in 24 hours on Sunday, and you have a recipe for massive success.
Though the WWE has their work cut out for them if they plan on topping these numbers with WrestleMania 41, it may once again center around Cody Rhodes as it seems like they’re setting it up for Rhodes vs. The Rock. The Peoples Champion alluded to wanting to take the gold from Cody on Monday night’s episode of RAW. There’s also rumors that The Rock would be challenging his cousin, Roman Reigns, but at this point it’s anyone’s guess what route the shot callers at the WWE will go for WrestleMania 41.
What do y’all think? Who should main event WrestleMania 41? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Sean Gardner / Getty / Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson is not playing checkers; he’s playing chess, thanks to his deal with TKO Holdings.
When The Rock asks the millions and MILLIONS of fans around the globe if “they smell what the rock is cooking?” or uses some of his other iconic catchphrases and nicknames, he can do so knowing he owns the intellectual rights to them.
Spotted on Variety, Dwayne Johnson gained the rights to a plethora of nicknames, insults, and catchphrases he famously used during his wrestling career, like “Candy Ass” and “Jabroni.”
Per Variety:
As announced last month, Johnson has the rights to his famous ring name, “The Rock.” In its 10-K filing Feb. 27 with the SEC, TKO revealed two dozen additional names and taglines — previously the property of WWE — that are now in Johnson’s control.
Here’s the full list: “The Rock,” “Rocky Maivia,” “Team Corporate,” “Rock Nation,” “The Nation,” “Roody Poo,” “Candy Ass,” “Jabroni,” “If you smell what The Rock is cooking,” “The Samoan Sensation,” “The Blue Chipper,” “The Brahma Bull,” “The People’s Champion,” “The Great One,” “Know Your Role and Shut Your Mouth,” “Team Bring It,” “The Rock Just Bring It,” “The People’s Elbow,” “Rock Bottom,” “Finally, The Rock has come back to…,” “It doesn’t matter what…,” “Blue Hell,” “The millions… (and millions),” “Rockpocalypse,” “Project Rock” and “The most electrifying man in sports and entertainment.”
As part of his agreement with TKO, the parent company of the Vince McMahon-less WWE, he now also owns the rights to “all other nicknames, caricatures, voice, signature, gestures, routines, costumes or parts of costumes, accessories [and] crowns,” used during his beloved wrestling career.
The Rock laid the smackdown with this agreement.
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Source: Stephen J. Cohen / Getty / Virgil
The professional wrestling world has lost another legend.
WWE legend Michael “Virgil” Jones, the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase’s bodyguard and one-time holder of the million-dollar championship, passed away at the age of 61 on Wednesday, Feb.28.
No cause of death for Jones, who also spent time in World Championship Wrestling under the name Vincent, was revealed. Per local news affiliate WTRF-TV, Jones had dementia and two massive strokes in 2022.
A GoFundMe page was started in December 2022 to help cover the former professional wrestler’s living expenses.
Virgil’s passing was confirmed on his official Instagram account before being confirmed by the WWE. The caption for the post read:
This is to confirm the sad news about our beloved Meatsauce God and Wrestling Superstar Virgil/Michael Jones has passed away. There is so much to say here and would love to share stories but for now it’s a rough day as our friend is gone. We would only ask at this time to remember him as the man that he was. Wishing him all the unlimited pasta in heaven. We love you Mike.
The Vince Mcmahon-less WWE wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter:
WWE is saddened to learn that Michael Jones, known to WWE fans as Virgil, has passed away. WWE extends its condolences to Jones’ family, friends and fans.
Virgil’s Path To Professional Wrestling Greatness
Jones was a defensive back at Virginia Union before starting an amateur wrestling career, per The Athletic. He began his career as Soul Train Jones in 1985, later joining the WWE as Lucious Brown.
It wasn’t until 1987 that he became his most iconic character, Virgil, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase’s bodyguard, who took abuse from his boss.
That would all change during the 1991 Royal Rumble when Virgil turned on his former boss after they took on the late Dusty Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes in a tag team match.
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The WWE would push the feud between DiBiase and Virgil, leading to the 1991 match at WrestleMania VII, where Virgil won via count-out.
The Virgil-DiBaiase feud climaxed at SummerSlam later that year when Virgil beat DiBiase by pinfall, winning the Million Dollar Championship.
Ted DiBiase Had Nothing But Kind Words For Virgil
Speaking on his former bodyguard, DiBiase had nothing but kind words about him during a 2016 interview with Ring Rust Radio.
“When we were together, he was never a problem,” DiBiase said. “The guy didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke, he didn’t do drugs, he was always on time. Of course, you know you lay the foundation down when the relationship begins, and I think Virgil understood at least, he knew what his job was and he knew where his place was in terms of the pecking order.
“We would do our thing on the road and then I would see him in three days or a week, whatever it was and then we would come back. I didn’t really socialize a lot with him so to speak, but we had a great working relationship and were friends.”
RIP Virgil.
You can see more reactions to his passing in the gallery below.
1. Jake The Snake Roberts
2. Matt Hardy
3. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
4. Brutus The Barber Beefcake
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Source: Ethan Miller / Getty / Vince McMahon
The Vince McMahon era at the WWE has officially come to an end.
*Trigger warning: this post will touch on alleged sexual assault*
It was only a day after some alarming allegations about Vince McMahon accusing the WWE founder of sexual assault, trafficking, and other disgusting things, and now he is out at TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the WWE and UFC.
McMahon remains defiant despite stepping down and claiming his innocence in the matter.
Per Deadline:
“I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth,” McMahon said this evening of the scorching lawsuit against him filed earlier this week. “I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.”
“However, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately,” the WWE co-founder added.
McMahon was hit with the People’s Elbow in the form of a lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant, which shared details about disturbing sexual assault allegations.
We previously reported about those allegations where Grant was described as being constantly sexually abused by McMahon and other WWE employees and an unnamed WWE superstar, but according to The Wall Street Journal’s reporting, was former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
Per HHW’s Reporting:
The lawsuit also details the “extreme cruelty and degradation” Grant was allegedly subject to, accusing McMahon of defecating on her during a threesome, “commanding her to continue pleasuring his ‘friend’” while his waste was in her hair and running down her back.
McMahon is also accused of using sex toys he named after WWE superstars on Grant and making her engage in sexual acts with other WWE employees like head of talent relations John Laurinaitis, who is also named in the lawsuit.
There was also an incident detailed in the lawsuit where McMahon and Laurinaitis corned Grant in Laurinaitis’ locked office during a work day and took turns sexually assaulting her, ignoring her pleas for them to stop.
Social media continues to hit McMahon, who should have been gone long ago with a virtual smackdown. You can see those reactions below.
2. Well damn
3. The accuracy
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Source: Michelle Farsi / Getty / Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon is once again in trouble for being a very creepy individual.
*Trigger warning: this post will touch on alleged sexual assault*
A former WWE employee has slapped Vince McMahon and another former executive with a federal lawsuit accusing him of serious sexual misconduct accusations and offering her to a WWE superstar for sex.
Bruh.
Janel Grant, who worked in the WWE’s legal and talent departments, details in the 67-page lawsuit how McMahon, now 78, forced her into a sexual relationship with him to get employment within the company.
Per Vulture:
WWE employee Janel Grant is seeking to void the NDA she allegedly signed in exchange for reputational protection and a payout of $3 million. She alleges McMahon — whose net worth is $2.8 billion — stopped payments after she’d received only $1 million. The suit alleges that once news of McMahon’s NDA payments surfaced in June 2022, the WWE leaked Grant’s name to a media blogger — who is not named in the suit but has since been identified online as Brad Shepard — in what Grant and her legal team describe as “an overt intimidation tactic.”
She also says McMahon passed around pornographic images and videos of her having sex with other men to other individuals, WWE employees, and allegedly Brock Lesnar, according to The Wall Street Journal.
McMahon also offered Grant to Lesnar for a sexual relationship, and allegedly, the MMA athlete-turned-wrestler asked for a video of Grant urinating, Vulture reports.
The Lawsuit Details Alleged Cruelty & Degradation
The lawsuit also details the “extreme cruelty and degradation” Grant was allegedly subject to, accusing McMahon of defecating on her during a threesome, “commanding her to continue pleasuring his ‘friend’” while his waste was in her hair and running down her back.
McMahon is also accused of using sex toys he named after WWE superstars on Grant and making her engage in sexual acts with other WWE employees like head of talent relations John Laurinaitis, who is also named in the lawsuit.
There was also an incident detailed in the lawsuit where McMahon and Laurinaitis corned Grant in Laurinaitis’ locked office during a work day and took turns sexually assaulting her, ignoring her pleas for them to stop.
Why Did Grant Go Public?
Representatives for Grant said she wanted her filing to go public, and she came with the receipts in the form of disturbing text exchanges with McMahon.
McMahon told Grant their “relationship” was over in January 2022 after his wife, Linda McMahon, found out, and he even fired her from the company.
The lawsuit states that McMahon began pressuring Grant to sign an NDA and take a hush payment of $3 million. Allegedly, things didn’t stop after Grant agreed to sign the NDA, with McMahon attempting to offer her to a WWE superstar who was visiting New York in March 2022.
“Ms. Grant is filing this lawsuit not just to address her own suffering,” the suit reads. “But also to act for those who are afraid to speak out.”
We shall see if this opens the floodgates for more disturbing allegations.
Users on X, formerly Twitter, are laying the smackdown on Vince McMahon.
You can see more of those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Expeditiously
4. Shouldn’t have been using them in the first place
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WWE is gearing up for a major weekend filled with must-see matches during the highly anticipated Royal Rumble 2024 taking place Saturday (Jan. 27), with the main card event starting at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock and pay-per-view.
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This marks the first big rumble on the road to WrestleMania 40, and is the first of four total PPV matches that will take place this year. Sixty contenders (30 men and 30 women) will fight for a chance to move up within the ranks, and with two championship titles up for grabs, it’s sure to be a exciting.
The fights will be livestreamed from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., which you can still purchase tickets to watch live through Ticketmaster, StubHub, Vivid Seats and Seat Geek (new users can score $10 off their first purchase of $250+ with code BILLBOARD10). If you’re not able to get some travel deals to see the fights live, you can still stream WWE Royal Rumble 2024 at home without cable through affordable streaming options.
Two main events will be taking place, including Roman Reigns defending his WWE Universal Championship title in a four-way match against Randy Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight. Then, Logan Paul will be defending his WWE United States Championship title against Kevin Owens. The winner from each bout will be eligible for a title as they move on to fight against a champion of their choice during WrestleMania 40 on April 6.
Keep reading to learn how to watch the WWE matches live.
How to Watch WWE Royal Rumble 2024
Peacock will be exclusively livestreaming WWE Royal Rumble 2024 with some live cable providers offering a PPV package to watch the fights live. If you have cable, you can check with your cable provider to see if they offer WWE Royal Rumble 2024 and to purchase it on PPV. For Peacock subscribers, you can tune into the live event for no additional cost. Just log into your account once the main card event begins, and you’ll have access to the fights.
Don’t have a Peacock subscription? The streaming platform doesn’t offer a free trial, but does come with a couple of affordable plans starting at $5.99/month. Click here or the button below to start your subscription.
There are two different plans offered on Peacock: the Premium Plan for $5.99/month or the Premium Plus Plan for $11.99/month. If you’re looking for additional savings, you can save 17% off when you do the annual plan for $59.99/year or $119.99/year. With the Premium Plan, it’s ad-supported and you’ll receive more than 80,000 hours of TV, movies and sports, access to live sports events, current NBC and Bravo shows, 50+ always-on live TV channels as well as the ability to stream new, exclusive and original content from the streaming platform.
Peacock’s Premium Plus plan comes with everything in the Premium plan, no ads, your local NBC channel live and the ability to download and stream eligible content offline.
Alongside WWE Royal Rumble 2024, you’ll have access to the entire Peacock library as well as Bravo and NBC content including WrestleMania, Yellowstone, The Holdovers, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Vanderpump Rules, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Based on a True Story, Bel-Air, Kevin Hart: Reality Check, Poker Face, Saturday Night Live, Willie Nelson & Family and more.
Make sure you also grab official merch here to cheer on your favorite fighter or show some love for the major wrestling event.
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Source: Ethan Miller / Getty / WWE / Monday Night Raw
WWE’s Monday Night Raw is again on the move, and Netflix has made a significant push to be a force in live programming.
The professional wrestling world is shaking after the WWE announced it inked a $5B media rights deal with Netflix, which will see Monday Night Raw jump off the top ropes and land on the streaming giant starting in 2025.
This will also mark the first time Raw will not air episodes on a linear television network in its three-decades-long history. The popular wrestling program currently airs on the USA Network.
Per Variety:
WWE’s current deal with NBCUniversal has “Raw” airing on USA Network until October 2024. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, exactly where “Raw” will air between the end of that deal and the beginning of the Netflix deal is still being determined.
Under the deal, Netflix will become the exclusive home of “Raw” in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Latin America, and other territories once the deal begins, with more countries and regions to be added over time. Netflix will also become the television home for all WWE shows outside the U.S. That includes fellow weekly shows “SmackDown” and “NXT” as well as annual live events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble, as well as documentaries, original series, and additional projects.
This partnership is one that will break new ground, and take @WWE to new heights. Thrilled to bring #WWERaw to @Netflix coming January 2025. Now we change the game!!!!” 14-time WWE Wolrd Champion, now Chief Content Officer of the company Triple H said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Fans Emotions About The Deal Are All Over The Place
The WWE continues to be a massive force in the sport’s entertainment world. As you can imagine, fans are reacting to the news that they will now be “Netflix & Body Slamming.”
We shall see if this deal will positively or negatively affect the WWE’s momentum. It’s a huge win for Netflix as they push to show more live content.
News of the deal also arrives as one of its biggest superstars, Dwayne’ The Rock’ Johnson, joined the WWE and UFC board.
The streaming giant took its first step to show live events with Chris Rock’s post-Will Smith slap comedy special Selective Outrage and, most recently, the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Good question
2. We would be down for both with you Mami
3. Lol, damn
4. Definitely what is sounds like