In this WrestleTalk News, major heat on Jimmy Uso for getting arrested, SmackDown in trouble,
NXT’s Great American Bash and more.
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WWE star Jimmy Uso, one of the most prominently featured wrestlers on SmackDown at the moment
being in Roman Reigns’ Family storyline, was arrested for DUI on Monday night, as first
reported by TMZ Sports.
The police report states Jimmy was pulled over when doing 50 mph in a 35 mph zone at
10.35pm and running a red light.
Officers then asked him to step out of the car when they smelled alcohol on his breath,
where Jimmy allegedly confessed to having consumed “multiple” beers before getting
in the car.
The police documents state he then failed field sobriety tests, with his breathalyzer
results indicating his blood alcohol levels were between .202 and .205 - way in excess
of Florida’s .08 limit.
This is the third alcohol related incident Jimmy has been involved in since 2019.
He was arrested for disorderly conduct and obstruction in February 2019, where he reportedly
“took off his shirt and jacket and squared up like he wanted to fight” after police
had pulled them over, before calming down.
At the time, the Usos were part of a relatively big Road To WrestleMania storyline, winning
the tag team championships from Shane McMahon and The Miz at that Sunday’s Elimination
Chamber pay-per-view.
Both Usos were eventually taken off TV from July until the end of the year.
During that hiatus, Jimmy was charged again with a DUI and speeding - but he was later
found not guilty by a jury.
Jimmy had previously been charged with a DUI in September 2011, and then for driving with
a suspended license in 2013.
Maybe stop giving this guy access to cars.
Ubers are a thing now!
Following his most recent arrest, Escambia County court records show Jimmy was bailed
out of jail Tuesday morning at 9am after posting a $500 bond.
But how will WWE react?
WrestleVotes have tweeted: “I’ve spoken to two sources this morning
on the Jimmy Uso news.
I can say with certainty that a few “high level people in power” are extremely disappointed
& legitimately pissed off over the arrest.
This many times isn’t a mistake or bad luck.
It’s personal judgment.
Not good.”
Dave Meltzer then tweeted: “At this point there is no actual fallout
from WWE on Jimmy Uso.
The company has not made a statement on the matter either.
Decisions, whatever they may be, will be done soon.”
A delayed response seemingly corroborated by Ringside News, who have had the odd reaction
from their sources as “Who has had time to deal with it?”
Jimmy’s arrest happened during the third hour of Raw on Monday, and Tuesday was taken
up by WWE taping next Monday’s episode in advance - with the company leaving the Thunderdome
behind after this week.
Apparently officials were “up all night re-writing the show,” so they won’t address
SmackDown, and how Jimmy is used on it, until today, Wednesday.
Rather forebodingly, though, WrestlingNews.co points out the last time Jimmy was arrested,
“there was talk of releasing him… but the company opted to keep him”.
How do you think WWE should deal with Jimmy Uso?
Let me know in the comments because I’ll be replying to as many people as I can for
the first 30 minutes after this video goes live.
Before we get on with the rest of the episode, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to
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Jimmy Uso’s arrest isn’t the only headache SmackDown is facing this Friday.
They’re also facing significantly declining ratings ahead of their big return to live
touring.
Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics is reporting SmackDown only drew 1.86 million viewers last
Friday - which was the show’s lowest of the year, and the third lowest it’s drawn
since moving to Fox in October 2019.
It was July 4th weekend, where viewership is typically lower while people travel for
the holiday, but it’s just the latest sub-2 million episode.
Before May, all SmackDowns but 1 pulled in over 2 million viewers.
But since then, all episodes but 1 have been below the two million figure.
And SmackDown’s viewership isn’t even the saddest story in wrestling right now…
This is the Dark Order.
Alex Reynolds, 10, Negative 1, John Silver, Stu Grayson, Evil Uno and Colt Cabana.
The beloved AEW faction has been one of the most popular acts on Dynamite and Being the
Elite for the last year.
But the dastardly Young Bucks, with their unfortunately very sexy moustaches [2 SECONDS
OF MOUSTACHE BREAK] have banished them from their YouTube show.
With 10 posting: “Got kicked off of BTE for being too over
and stealing the show.
Goodbye BTE.
#DarkOrder #BTE #AEW” But now you can help support the Dark Order.
Evil Uno has tweeted “Help Dark Order find a new YouTube home.”
So please, tweet him @EvilUno, tweet @SilverNumber1, tweet @ColtCabana, tweet them all - and tell
them there is a place for them.
Here, with WrestleTalk.
Here with us!
I’m sure AEW has something for them though, as Wrestling Observer Radio is reporting the
promotion plans to have “loads shows every week” starting from tonight’s first touring
show in over a year, the Road Rager in Miami, Florida, which will be followed up by back-to-back
Fyter Fest Dynamite specials.
It really seems like AEW is trying to regain the momentum they had before being bumped
to Friday nights through June for the NBA Playoffs.
Once upon a time, NXT would’ve just so happened to, total coincidence guys, it’s a marathon
not a sprint, scheduled their own TV special event to go head-to-head at the exact same
time.
But now NXT runs unopposed on Tuesday nights, we got to enjoy their Great American Bash
in isolation.
The show saw MSK successfully defend their tag team titles against Tommaso Ciampa and
Timothy Thatcher, Cameron Grimes lost to LA Knight, meaning he’ll have to be his Million
Dollar Butler from here on, Hit Row did a rap, and Adam Cole beat Kyle O’Reilly in
the main event.
But the most newsworthy result was The Way’s
Candice LaRae and Indi Hartwell losing the NXT Women’s Tag Titles to Io Shirai and
Zoey Stark in just 8 minutes - when the Capitol Wrestling Center went dark to play the last
of the teasing battery charging vignettes, which was now at 100%.
As reported yesterday, this signaled the return of Tegan Nox, who’s been out injured after
tearing her ACL last September.
LaRae was so shocked, Stark hit the K-360 for the win.
It remains to be seen how long Nox will be in NXT for, though, as she reportedly had
a tryout match before Monday’s episode of Raw - potentially for the impending main roster
shake-up.
There’s no NXT review in this episode, so subscribe to the WrestleTalk Podcast channel
for Chopper and Tempest’s full review today.
But why stop at NXT Women’s tag team titles?
Apparently WWE had plans to debut another set of belts.
Former 205 Live wrestler Jack Gallagher, who was released last June after being accused
in the Speaking Out movement, has shared plans for WWE’s cruiserweight tag team championships
on Instagram.
“There's a truck that houses all the props that might be used during a weekly taping
of Smackdown or Raw.
Onboard you'll find a collection of sledgehammers, barbed wire bats, even umbrellas.
This also happens to be the place where two, purple and silver, cruiserweight tag team
title belts were kept.
They were kept there from the first week that the division appeared on television.”
“These belts were stubbled upon by a few members of the roster (who may have also took
a few photos holding them 🤫), so we all pitched ideas to get the titles introduced.
The two ideas that were often favoured were: One, to change the rules of cruiserweight
tag team matches to the Mexican tag rules i.e. when both feet hit the floor on the outside
of the ring that constitutes a legal tag; the other was to establish three men teams,
instead of the usual two, and make them trios titles.
All of these ideas were - obviously - rejected.”
Could this be the first recorded account of the mysterious WWE Ghost Truck, title of your
Hallowe’en car themed pay-per-view?
A seemingly normal production lorry at first glance, but one that only appears on the blood
moon, one that’s far larger on the inside than it would appear outside.
One that holds the answers to WWE’s greatest continuity mysteries.
Who threw the pie in Kevin Owens’ face?
What is in the McMahon family lockbox?
And who really is Byron Saxton?
So many questions… that means only one man can find out.
One cruiserweight plan WWE apparently does intend on keeping… although last time that
was reported they then did pretty much end up releasing 205 Live… is a big push for
the recently returned Roderick Strong and his Diamond Mine faction.
That also had two of its proposed members released last month.
Fightful Select is reporting Strong agreed a new deal extension ahead of his return - but
before his wife Marina Shafir was fired, stay classy, WWE! - and he “figures big into
NXT’s 2021 plans, especially their efforts to add marquee value to the Cruiserweight
Title.”
This might also involve someone actually joining 205 Live rather than getting released from
it, with the last ever EVOLVE Champion Josh Briggs making his debut at this week’s taping,
wrestling Asher Hale.
The indie promotion EVOLVE had been WWE’s unofficial feeder promotion for years - kind
of like NXT’s NXT - before WWE ended up buying it last year.
Briggs was the last man to hold its title.
And finally, Don Muraco has revealed on a recent podcast that wrestling legend Terry
Funk is now living in an assisted living home and is dealing with dementia, which was then
confirmed by PWInsider and Funk’s Twitter account, thanking everyone for their support.
But, as usual, reports of any kind of Funk’s retirement seem to be greatly exaggerated,
with Tommy Dreamer then tweeting: “Everyone needs to relax.
I just got off phone w/ Terry Funk.
He is NOT in bad health.
He loves everyone talking about him.
Direct quote from Funker I'm currently sitting in an assisted living
place w/my thumb up my ass Whistling Dixie but I don't remember the words Forever ECW”
Make WrestleTalk.com your homepage for all the latest breaking wrestling news, and subscribe
to the WrestleTalk Podcast channel for the NXT review later today, and mine and Luke’s
Raw review yesterday - which you can watch right now