Latest news with #WrestleCon
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Carlito Colon booked for his first match post-WWE exit
Photo via Carlito/Instagram Carlito Colon secures his first match after WWE exit. He is scheduled to face Matt Riddle on July 25 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event has been presented by the Charlotte Knights, a minor league baseball outfit. Colon will be facing Riddle at Truist Fields. WWE Hall of Famer Sting will be making a special appearance at the event. Carlito Colon kicks off free agent career with Big Time Wrestling Carlito Colon kicked off his free agent career as part of Big Time Wrestling. He departed from WWE earlier this month. The wrestler's exit was primarily because of contract issues. WWE opted not to renew his contract. Colon's exit from the promotion became official after WWE removed his profile from the roster page recently. Colon, however, did not have to wait for long. The wrestler got the first match of his free agent career. He will be facing Matt Riddle, a WWE alumnus. Riddle and Colon will be facing each other for the title of 'King of BTW.' However, this is not the only roadmap for Carlito right now. The Wrestler will be making an appearance at WrestleCon, Newark, New Jersey, during SummerSlam Weekend. — WrestleTalk_TV (@WrestleTalk_TV) The announcement for BTW read, 'Battle for the King of BTW- The King of the Bros MATT RIDDLE vs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The King of Cool CARLITO. Meet STING and all the stars for photos and autographs from 5-8 PM. Belltime is 8 PM.' WWE Hall of Famer Sting to continue his '2025 or Never' Tour at BTW WWE Hall of Famer Sting will make an appearance at the event. He is currently on his '2025 or Never' tour. The tour is a farewell tribute to the wrestler's iconic look. Sting will no longer be putting up the painted face look after 2025. The tour will have multiple appearances across the United States and England. At King of BTW, the wrestler will be available for photographs and autographs from 5-8 pm. The event has announced 3 matches until now - King of BTW - King of Bros Matt Riddle vs. King of Cool Colon Family Feud - The Mortons vs. The Andersons BTW Debut - Shotzi vs. Savannah Evans More fixtures will be announced shortly. The tickets for the event are now live on the official site of BTW. Also Read: "I'm just getting started": Rhea Ripley sends a strong message after victory over Raquel Rodriguez at WWE Night of Champions Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Carlito declares he's 'Back in Business' after WWE exit
Image via WWE Carlito, one of WWE's most charismatic performers of the 2000s and a fan favorite during his recent return, has officially parted ways with the company. In a post shared on social media, the 46-year-old wrestler revealed that his contract has expired and that WWE has opted not to renew it. The announcement was made by Carlito on June 1 via X (formerly Twitter), where he wrote, 'My contract is up in 2 weeks. It will not be renewed.' Adding a touch of humor, he joked about WWE demanding repayment of his salary for 'stealing money' and referenced Netflix footage. He then signed off with a heartfelt message to fans, saying, 'Gracias WWE & especially the WWE Universe. Los quiero mucho!' — Litocolon279 (@Litocolon279) Summer plans heat up as Carlito goes free agent Just days after his announcement, Carlito took to Instagram to confirm he is 'back in business' and fully available for bookings. The Puerto Rican wrestler is already scheduled to appear at WrestleCon in Newark, New Jersey, on August 1, during SummerSlam weekend. Carlito's second WWE run began with a high in 2023, when he received a massive pop during a surprise return at Backlash: Puerto Rico, assisting Bad Bunny in his match against Damian Priest. The reaction was so overwhelming that WWE brought him back on a full-time contract. He later aligned with the Latino World Order (LWO), though his presence on TV began to decline once the faction's momentum faded. While this recent run didn't result in any title wins, Carlito remains one of the few Superstars to have won gold on his very first nights in both SmackDown and Raw back in 2004. His earlier WWE stint saw him claim the U.S. Championship by defeating John Cena on debut, the Intercontinental Title upon switching brands, and later the Tag Team Titles alongside his brother Primo. Carlito hasn't indicated any specific plans, but speculation is already swirling. With AEW, TNA, and several major indie promotions on the lookout for experienced names, Carlito's availability could open new doors. Others believe he may return to his roots in Puerto Rico's wrestling circuit, where he has historically remained a popular draw. As WWE undergoes internal shifts with multiple roster changes, Carlito's exit signals another veteran stepping away from the spotlight - at least for now. One thing is certain: Carlito's story in professional wrestling isn't over yet. Also Read: WWE Hall of Famer slams TKO over Roman Reigns, Jey Uso treatment
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dave Meltzer Gives Match A Negative Rating, Calls It The Worst Match He's Ever Seen
Dave Meltzer calls Minoru Suzuki vs. Butterbean the worst match he's ever seen. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer didn't hold back in his review of a recent bout featuring Minoru Suzuki and Butterbean. Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, he called the match the worst he's ever seen. Advertisement At WrestleCon's Mark Hitchcock Memorial SuperShow, Minoru Suzuki faced Butterbean, which had Butterbean, recovering from a leg injury. He struggled to move, the match also had Dan Severn as referee, who was also limited by age. Reacting to the match, Dave Meltzer said, 'The match was brutally bad. It was said that it would have been the worst match anyone had seen this year except the next match happened. Minoru Suzuki wrestled Butterbean do a double count out. This was, in fact, the worst pro wrestling match I've ever seen. Unlike the last match, at least this one the crowd was so sympathetic to Butterbean that they made a lot of noise, chanted 'Fight Forever,' and after the double count out chanted 'one more round.' 'Dan Severn was referee. Severn, who is almost 67, was not moving well. Butterbean couldn't move at all. There was a story that he was recovering from a broken leg. He had been wheelchair bound and terribly overweight, and worked with DDP to where he's out of the wheelchair and can kind of move, but not move in the sense to do a pro wrestling match. They were filming a documentary so he wasn't allowed to lose. In the condition he was in, Suzuki couldn't possibly lose to him. Plus if he was on his back it would have been hard for him to get back up. They did the double count out and announced a double count out. People booed that heavily.' Dave Meltzer gives -459.7 star rating to Minoru Suzuki vs. Butterbean match 'They wanted another round (they were doing two minute rounds, it ended late second round) or at least chanted that way. I do get this was so awful it was perversely entertaining unlike the prior match which just seemed like the crowd was stunned watching how bad it was. Then Severn talked to the ring announcer and I figured they were going to give the crowd one more round, and the ring announcer again said it was a double count out. I have no idea why you'd announce that a second time, and the second time people booed louder because they actually wanted it to continue. This was -459.7 stars, like the worst match ever (-273.15 if you live outside the U.S.). Worse that the Sheik & Volkoff match on Heroes of Wrestling.' Advertisement 'I was told Suzuki was very upset backstage because he had never had a match this bad. The reality is none of this was Suzuki's fault. Butterbean had no business in the ring. The thing is, people were really into the idea of the match and thought it was awesome when it was announced, and nobody had any hopes for it to be good match. But I can't imagine anyone expected anything this bad. The main event was Zack Sabre Jr. & Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito over Flip Gordon & Hechicero & Michael Oku in a ***½ match when Sabre tapped out Gordon.' Meltzer mentioned that Suzuki was reportedly upset backstage following his match. As he never experienced a match of such low quality match. The post Dave Meltzer Gives Match A Negative Rating, Calls It The Worst Match He's Ever Seen appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Indie Wrestling Icon Matt Cardona Addresses WWE Return
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Matt Cardona remains one of the best stories of persistence and dedication in professional wrestling. More Pro Wrestling: Recently Released Superstar Working With WWE Again After 15 years in WWE and getting himself over with the crowd through social media, Cardona became an even bigger star on the independent scene, proving that you don't need WWE to be a successful wrestler. This was just supposed to be my comeback from injury video, but it's so much more than that…It's my career video…My LIFE video. The office has counted me out. The fans have counted me out. I've even counted myself out! But I always come back. It's not over until I quit…and… — Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) September 23, 2024 Still, questions will always arise whether Cordona will return to WWE and potentially team with his wife, inaugural Women's United States Champion Chelsea Green. March 30, 2024 - Matt Cordona answers Adam Copeland's open challenge for the TNT Championship on AEW Collision. March 30, 2024 - Matt Cordona answers Adam Copeland's open challenge for the TNT Championship on AEW Collision. Ricky Havlik/AEW In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Cordona revealed that he is surprised that he has not returned to WWE since he was released in 2020. "Honestly? Yeah," Cordona said. "But, obviously, you know, I'm missing something. I don't know what it is. "Listen, people say to me all the time, especially like we just had WrestleMania, WrestleCon... Probably every other fan [asked me] when are you coming back? Well, it's not up to me. You know? Or at the WrestleMania many people from the office or other wrestlers are like, hey man, when are you coming back? It's like, I don't know." Cordona then revealed that, not only would he be interested in returning, but he has reached out to WWE multiple times. "I've reached out many times," Cordona said. "I shouldn't say many, a few times, every couple of months when something cool happens or I have something to say, hey look what I'm doing. There's been no very nice, professional, but there's no offer. And you know what, it is what it is. I'm gonna keep working my ass off." More Pro Wrestling: WWE Superstar Undergoes Dramatic Character Change The work has paid off. Cordona is easily one of the most beloved and respected wrestlers working today, known particularly for his consistent in-ring performance and incredible work ethic in and out of the ring. Within WWE, Cordona utilized YouTube and social media to get himself over as Zack Ryder. This would eventually lead to him winning the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 32. Cordona also won the United States Championship once and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice with Curt Hawkins. Since WWE, Cordona has gone on to win titles with at least 18 different promotions and has performed in AEW, TNA, GCW, and NWA, to name a few. More Pro Wrestling: Wrestling Legend Jim Ross Diagnosed With Cancer WWE Tag Team Unexpectedly Breaks Up For more WWE and professional wrestling news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Released WWE Superstar Shares Regret: ‘I Should've Spoken Up More'
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 19: Triple H speaks at the WWE Post Show during WrestleMania 41 Saturday ... More at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mike Marques/WWE via Getty Images) Triple H has done some amazing things as the Chief Content Officer for WWE. The promotion's TV programming and premium live events are as entertaining as they have been in decades, and he has been at the helm for it all. That said, there have been some casualties along the way, and one of them was Samantha De Martin, aka Indi Hartwell. She was among the slew of Superstars released earlier this month, and after these kinds of releases, fans often want to hear from the wrestlers who now find themselves on the outside of the company's walls. LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - JUNE 7: Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae make their entrance during SmackDown ... More at KFC YUM! Center on June 7, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo) WhatCulture's Simon Miller caught up with Hartwell at WrestleCon this week and spoke to her about her journey, what she's up to now, and more. The biggest takeaway from the interview was Hartwell's regret for not being more vocal. When asked if she had regrets from her time with WWE and if she would have taken more risks, Hartwell said, 'Yeah, I would have spoken up more and not just sat back. I just kind of sit back and do what I'm told. I don't really like speak up. But yeah, I would have done that a bit more.' Hartwell was always such a likable character in NXT and WWE, and it seemed as if she was showing fans a bit of herself, as that personality shined through even in this interview. It seems she's not closed to a return to WWE at some point in the future. Miller mentioned the possibility of her leaving WWE, building her own brand, and returning to go even higher than she did initially. Hartwell is seemingly onboard with that. 'Drew McIntyre,' she mentioned in agreement with the concept. 'He's like a great example of that. He's a big inspiration to me. I love seeing what he did and where he is now. It's awesome.' Sonya DeVille videobombed the interview, but Indi is legit one of the most pleasant interviews you'll find in the industry. The major thing that has changed with WWE now compared to decades before is that wrestlers are often left to build their own following to a degree. Some, like McIntyre and Cody Rhodes, did it by leaving the promotion, doing well elsewhere, and then coming back as bigger stars. Karrion Kross is currently on the climb, and he's seemingly doing it by utilizing his own social media to carve a narrative. He took a pinch from Rhodes' mantra about making himself undeniable, but he mentions it as if he doesn't buy into the concept. The brilliant aspect of what he's doing is essentially making himself undeniable by pretending not to play the game, but in reality, he's playing it at a deeper level. Perhaps that's what Hartwell meant when she said she wished she had spoken up more and taken more chances. Was there something she wished she'd done with her own platforms? Perhaps, but it's not too late to try. She's only 28, and if she can find the character that resonates with wrestling fans, she could be back in WWE by the time she's 32. For reference, McIntyre was released in 2014 and returned to the company in 2017. I'm rooting for Indi.
