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The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week 4/9: WWE WrestleMania Preview, Jericho Talking to Austin, New NXT Champions, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 9th April 2021

Welcome back, TJR readers! Did you spend all day Friday trying to find the hidden door, and missed Smackdown? Perhaps your wife forced you to take her to dinner on Monday because she knew you would be spending the whole week watching wrestling, and you missed Raw. Worry not, for I have returned with another edition of the Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week.

10. WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match Announced for WrestleMania 37

Another title match was announced this week for WrestleMania 37. This week on Raw it was announced that there will be a women’s tag team turmoil match during night one of WrestleMania on April 10th. The winner of that match will go on to face Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships during night two of WrestleMania on April 11th. The teams so far announced for the turmoil match are the Riott Squad, Naomi & Lana, Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose and Tamina & Natalya. On Smackdown, Billie Kay asked Carmella to be her tag partner, but Carmella has so far blown her off. This could be because Carmella is holding out hope that Eva Marie finally returns and agrees to partner with her. (TJRWrestling)

9. WrestleMania 37 Match Between Bad Bunny and The Miz Turned Into a Tag Team Match

The Miz and Bad Bunny will now have some help for their match at WrestleMania 37. This week on Raw, The Miz and John Morrison used red paint to vandalize Bunny’s 3.6 million dollar Bugatti. Later in the evening when Bunny went to check on the damage, Morrison and The Miz attacked him from behind. This led to Bunny and Damien Priest going to the ring and challenging The Miz and Morrison to a tag team match at Mania. Miz and Morrison then appeared on the Titantron and accepted the match. It is unknown if Miz and Morrison’s actions or Bad Bunny’s singing at The Royal Rumble caused more damages. (TJRWrestling)

8. Big E and Apollo Crews to Face Off in a Nigerian Drum Match at WrestleMania

The WWE Intercontinental Championship Match at WrestleMania 37 got an interesting stipulation this week. This week on Smackdown Apollo Crews challenged Big E to make their match at Mania a Nigerian Drum Match. Crews stated that a Nigerian Drum Match “is an ancient duel created by his ancestors for those who are wronged to get a chance to make things right.” Crews said there are “no rules or limitations, just a beating so loud it sounds like a drum.” We will have to wait to see if this match can deliver in the ring, but it is already promising to sound better then any Bad Bunny performance. (TJRWrestling)

7. Mike Tyson Returns to AEW

Tony Khan decided to try something different this week, and instead of bringing in a past his prime wrestler, he brought in a past his prime boxer. “Iron” Mike Tyson returned to Dynamite this week, getting involved in the Inner Circle Vs. the Pinnacle feud. While the Pinnacle was beating down Chris Jericho, Tyson came to the ring. Tyson then proceeded to rip off his shirt, and help Jericho. After the Pinnacle fled the ring, Jericho and Tyson proceeded to shake hands. Tyson will be appearing again this Wednesday on Dynamite as well, as he will be the special guest enforcer for the Dax Hardwood vs. Chris Jericho match. It was also announced that the Inner Circle and the Pinnacle will be competing in a “Blood and Guts match” on May 5th. It is unknown if Tyson will be involved in that as well, to turn it into a Blood, Guts and Ears match. (TJRWrestling)

6. WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony Takes Place for 2020 and 2021 Class

The WWE Hall of Fame classes of 2020 and 2021 were officially inducted this past Tuesday night. Along with the already announced inductees, both Titus O‘Neil and Ozzy Osbourne were also honored. O’Neil was given the prestigious Warrior Award, for all his years of community service. Osbourne was recognized as the 2021 inductee into the celebrity wing, due to his multiple appearances in WWE throughout the years. This year’s ceremony was different than prior years, as there were no inductors and the acceptance speeches were held to only a few minutes long. It is a good thing that this wasn’t the case in 2014, or Mr. T would have only been able to thank his momma 27 times. (TJRWrestling)

5. MSK Wins the NXT Tag Team Championships

The NXT Tag Team Titles are vacant no more. This week during night one of NXT Takeover Stand and Deliver, MSK was able to defeat both The Grizzled Young Veterans and Legado Del Fantasma to capture the titles. The titles were made vacant when Danny Burch suffered an injury, causing him and partner Oney Lorcan to forfeit the titles. Hopefully, for NXT’s sake, MSK stands for the Mighty Shoulder Krew. (TJRWrestling)

4. Raquel Gonzalez Wins the NXT Women’s Championship

Io Shari’s over 300-day reign as NXT Women’s Champion came to an end during the main event of night one of NXT: Stand and Deliver. Raquel Gonzalez was able to defeat Shirai in the match to capture the NXT Women’s title. Shirai attempted everything in the match to try to defeat Gonzalez, including leaping off a 20ft high skull. It is unknown if Shirai will now continue in NXT or make the transition to Raw or Smackdown, so wrestling fans can finally complain how the main roster ruined her. (TJRWrestling)

3. Karrion Kross Wins the NXT Heavyweight Championship

Karrion Kross regained the championship that he was never beaten for this week during night two of NXT Takeover: Stand And Deliver. Kross was able to defeat Finn Balor in a very good match, and reclaim the NXT Championship. Kross previously won the NXT Championship last August at NXT Takeover: XXX, but was forced to vacate the title four days later due to a separated shoulder. Kross will now attempt to have a much longer reign with the title and try not to Fall Pray to another injury. (TJRWrestling)

2. Chris Jericho to Appear on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions

The “forbidden door” that Tony Khan has been talking about for quite some time, seemingly was opened this week. WWE announced that on April 11th on The WWE Network/Peacock, AEW Superstar Chris Jericho would be appearing on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. This will be Jericho’s first appearance on a WWE show since appearing at The Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. Austin stated this week that it was actually Jericho who reached out to him and that Vince McMahon approved Jericho to be on the show. We will all have to wait and see if Austin can get bitter enough with WWE, to someday return the favor and appear on Jericho’s podcast. (TJRWrestling)

1. WrestleMania 37 to be Held on April 10th and 11th

WWE’s biggest event of the year WrestleMania 37 is scheduled to take place on both April 10th and 11th at 8PMET on the WWE Network/Peacock. The event is set to have 14 matches total, including the WWE World, Universal and both the Raw and Smackdown Women’s Championship being defended. Sasha Banks will attempt to defend her Smackdown Women’s title against the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair. On the Raw side, it will be Rhea Ripley attempting to capture the Raw Women’s Championship against Asuka. WWE Champion Bobby Lashley will defend the title against former champion Drew McIntyre. And finally, in the Main Event of night two, Roman Reigns will defend the Universal Championship against both Edge and Daniel Bryan. With those four, plus ten other matches, wrestling fans should have plenty to complain about for months to come. (TJRWrestling)

That will conclude another edition of The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week. As always, if you like what I do, please follow me on Facebook and Twitter @BackseatBookers and listen to my podcast The BackseatBookers. (Please be aware that it is explicit, as I put out more swear words than WWE does programming.