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Is there anything more exciting in the world of professional wrestling than the WWE? World Wrestling Entertainment events are by far the most popular and widely recognized in the sport and the fans worldwide know it full well. For decades, it has been the go-to platform and organization that produces the best content, the most drama, and the most iconic wrestlers in both the men’s and women’s side of things. Nothing captures the excitement and amazement of wrestling fans quite like the daring acrobatics and impressive stunts that the biggest stars in this fine blend of sports and entertainment provide every night they step into the ring. Another big reason why it is so popular is the fact that things are always happening.
Every week there are new events in Raw, SmackDown, NXT, WrestleMania, and all the other shows and formats, enough for the fans of any of the athletes to enjoy their showcases. The production that goes into it and the constant inpour of new ideas manages to keep the hardcore enthusiasts glued to their screens while the newcomers are always coming in as well. The arenas are packed to the brim and a simple glance and a listen is enough to see the live viewer engagement. WWE is also a popular form of online sports betting and although many say that it is not a real sport, it has all the important aspects of one and the bettors recognize that. So in this article, we take a look at the most recent as well as the upcoming shows and review the recent news from the world of pro wrestling.
With another night of Monday Raw behind us, there is a lot to talk about in terms of what happened and what is to come as a result of the matches from February 17. After managing to neutralize and knock him out, AJ Styles beat Dirty Dominik Mysterio with his Styles Clash. Following the match, Styles barely avoided a Spear attempted by Bron Breakker, the Intercontinental Champion, who instead caught Mysterio after which Styles knocked the sneaky attack out of the ring.
In the exciting Dakota Kai versus Ivy Nile Women’s Intercontinental Championship No. 1 contenders match, Kai beat Nile with the GTK. The explosive matchup saw her earn the right to challenge Lyra Valkyria for the prestigious belt and after the match, the titleholder got into the right and exchanged some meaningful looks and words with her new No. 1 contender and soon to be opponent. That is going to be a great matchup so make sure to stay tuned.
In the following showcase, World Heavyweight Champion Gunther was mocking Jey Uso and questioned whether or not he could beat him at the upcoming WrestleMania. This, to nobody’s surprise, resulted in an all-out brawl between the champion and the challenger, and the security around them, who were all in street clothes and not ready for a real fight just yet. After this street-style brawling incident, their actual fight is bound to be a doozy.
The night also saw Penta go up against Pete Unne and defeat him in great fashion. Peta took advantage when Ludwig Kaiser interfered in the match and began to argue with Unne. While they were going at it, the distraction allowed Penta to throw Dunne into Kaiser and then hit the opponent with the iconic Penta Driver. The kick resulted in an instant victory and after the match, Kaiser attacked Penta too and the fans suddenly had a post-match conflict between Kaiser and Dunne. Then Penta leaped over the top rope and took out both wrestlers. A truly epic match that checks all the boxes the fans want from WWE.
When Bianca Belair and Naomi saw the video of Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez in the area where Jade Cargill was attacked during SmackDown, the pair came to Raw to help. In the Elimination Chamber qualifiers, the WWE Tag Team Champions emerged and attacked Morgan at the side of the ring, which allowed Roxanne Perez to pin the distracted Raquel. Therefore, Perez was the final woman to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match with the winner getting to challenge Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania.
As retribution for the attack on Rey Mysterio, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, and Dragon Lee brought the fight to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods and made them run out of the ring. LWO, with the help of Lee, absolutely pummeled the Kingston and Woods duo who did not land a single kick and were just thrown out of the ring after which they ran away.
Lastly, Seth Freakin Rollins defeated Finn Balor and qualified for the Elimination Chamber match in Toronto on March 1. The Visionary will not battle inside the chamber for a chance to challenge Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania. After claiming the final spot following a spin out of Balor’s submission after which he hit the Stomp for the victory, he has a great chance as the underdog. Much stranger and less likely things have happened before.
Another big chunk of news came our way on Monday Night Raw when Raw General Manager Adam Pearce revealed that the Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens clash at WWE Elimination Chamber was going to be an Unsanctioned Match. This special stipulation will only add to the excitement and the stakes and you can see it live on Netflix, Peacock, and more, as well as place some WWE bets on Stake. Zayn will go to war with his best friend turned bitter rival and enemy Owens in what could be one of the best duels of the year so far.
This new development was shocking as Owens made it crystal clear that he expected Zayn to help him win the title. He revealed as much leading up to the Ladder Match against Cody Rhodes at Royal Rumble. In the bout, Zayn came ringside concerned for his friend but did not help KO to steal the match. Owens understood this as a sort of betrayal and attacked Zayn with nothing less than a Package Piledriver, mere moments following Sami’s loss to CM Punk.
Zayn then demanded Adam Pearce to give him Owens as his opponent at Elimination Chamber and now, the match is going to be unsanctioned. This means there will be no stopping Sami and KO from destroying each other and fighting till the bitter end. It is definitely not a match you will want to miss so tune into the live stream from the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday, March 1.
While this may be one of the highlights of the event, it is hardly everything that WWE has in store for the fans. In some two weeks, a whole slew of wrestlers in both men’s and women’s matches will be ready to go. Earlier, CM Punk, John Cena, Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, and Damian Priest were all confirmed for the match. Now with Seth Rollins rounding up the six wrestlers needed for the Elimination Chamber, the fans know who will be featured in the ring. One of these six men will get a chance to go against Cody Rhodes for his WWE Championship belt.
Among the women, all six superstars are confirmed as well. Liv Morgan qualified first when she beat Rhea Ripley. On SmackDown, Alexa Bliss and Bianca Belair qualified after beating Candice LeRae and Piper Niven, respectively. Bayley got her ticket by winning against Lyra Valkyria on Raw, and Naomi took down Chelsea Green to qualify for the Chamber. Finally, Roxanne Perez emerged victorious on February 17 and is the sixth wrestler who will get a chance to win the Chamber match and fight Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 41.
For those among you who may be new to the scene of WWE and the start of March will be your first Elimination Chamber match, here is a quick rundown of the format. This match begins with two superstars in the ring and four others enclosed in their respective pods. At equal time intervals, the pod doors open and allow another competitor to join the fight. The process continues until all of the pods are empty and all of the wrestlers are out and fighting.
When or if a superstar is pinned or submits, they are eliminated and have to exit the Chamber. The last one remaining is the winner and goes on as the main challenger at WrestleMania 41. This format is exciting and a definite fan-favorite due to the total of six fighters going at it, but also a chance for the ones fighting to eliminate each other before another comes. It is dynamic, fast-paced, and has the potential for sudden team-ups and unlikely alliances.
One of the biggest names in the history of pro wrestling and a beloved Hollywood actor John Cena is on his long-planned farewell tour. After numerous comebacks and titles in his lengthy career, he is finally ready to call it quits on his career in the ring. He is currently on tour of Europe where the fans of the continent will get their last chance to see him live. March 17 will mark the first event in Brussels, Belgium, at the Forest National. Following this opening night, the superstar travels to Glasgow, Scotland, where he will enter the ring at the OVO Hydro on March 24. His final appearance, prior to his wrestling at WrestleMania 41 in April, will be at the famous O2 Arena in London, England, on March 31. All three cities will be firsts for Raw, but not for Cena who returns to Europe after a while.
Make sure to book your tickets or tune in live to see the 16-time World Champion at some of these last matches. It will also be a great chance for sports betting fans to place some of their last wagers on John Cena’s wrestling bouts. Will he get another shot at the title or will this be it? Only time will tell and who knows what WWE has in store for the final matches of one of the most significant figures and brand ambassadors of the entire world of pro wrestling. It can be said that he is among the last superstars standing from the old guard since many of his biggest rivals are already retired. There is always a chance for surprise returns down the line, but this seems to be it for Cena.
While there may be a couple of months until then, tickets are already flying off the shelves for all of the major April events. Individual tickets for Friday Night SmackDown, Stand & Deliver, and Monday Night Raw all went on sale on Tuesday, February 18. These three events will take place on April 18, April 19, and April 21, respectively. These three major events are planned to round out WrestleMania 41 weekend on April 19 and 20 in Las Vegas, the biggest event so far in the year and probably one of the most significant ever. That is a lot of wrestling in only four days, an absolute treat for the fans of this entertaining blend of high-tier entertainment, acrobatics, and sport.
A little bit different from traditional sports due to WWE being scripted and predetermined, it is still very fun for fans who like being involved and living the drama and excitement. The same premise applies in most other sports where you can bet on the outcomes of fights, but here you do so on planned storylines and twists. Still, moneyline, prop, and future bets are all possible. Just remember that it is about the narrative and drama more than the actual competition part. With some insider knowledge and being able to judge where the outcomes and storylines are going, you can win some great money from WWE wagering.
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