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The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week 5/7: AEW Blood & Guts, Daniel Bryan Banished from WWE Smackdown, Eva Marie, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 7th May 2021

Welcome back TJR readers! Did you spend all Friday trying to convince your quarterback that you still respect him, and missed Smackdown? Perhaps you spent all day Monday trying to boot up your old IBM computer to find your prenup and missed Raw. Worry not, for I have returned with another edition of the Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week.

10. Andrade Appears for AAA in Mexico

Former WWE superstar Andrade has found a new home. Andrade appeared at the end of AAA’s Rey de Reyes event to call out AAA Mega Champion Kenny Omega for AAA’s biggest event of the year TripleMania. Andrade was granted his release from WWE last March, and is currently a free agent and free to wrestle anywhere and anyone he chooses. This is a big change for Andrade, whose biggest decision prior to this was choosing between the chicken or the fish in catering while wrestling with WWE.

9. AEW Double or Nothing Card Begins to Take Shape

AEW’s next PPV Double or Nothing is scheduled to take place on May 30th at 8PM ET. This week, AEW announced the plans for the Men’s and Women’s Championships on the show. On the women’s side, Britt Baker will finally get her shot to become champion when she faces Hikaru Shida. On the men’s side, PAC and Orange Cassidy will face off this week to decide who will face AEW Champion Kenny Omega. This show will have a full capacity crowd of 5500 people, or 4978 if they account for the AEW roster. (TJRWrestling)

8. Throwback Edition of Smackdown to Air Tonight

WWE Smackdown is going old school tonight. Last Friday, WWE showed a vignette announcing that this week’s episode of Smackdown will be a throwback edition. A WrestleMania rematch between Cesaro and Seth Rollins is the only thing so far announced for the show. We will have to see what fun nostalgia WWE has planned, with perhaps the classic giant fist set making an appearance. This of course is much different than the fisting that Raw has been giving everyone for the last few months. (TJRWrestling)

7. Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander Break Up

Things have gone downhill fast for the tag team of Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander. After being kicked out of The Hurt Business, Benjamin and Alexander have done nothing but lose every week on Raw. The downfall of the former Raw Tag Team Champions came to a sudden depressing halt this past Monday on Raw. After Benjamin and Alexander lost to the team of Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik, Alexander grabbed the microphone. Alexander told Benjamin that Shelton’s career is almost done, while Cedric is in his prime. Alexander then told Benjamin “that just like his career, this tag team is over.” With the breakup, Alexander and Benjamin’s matching trunks and boots can now be packed in a black garbage bag for safekeeping. (TJRWrestling)

6. Mansoor Debuts on Raw

The Hulk Hogan of Saudi Arabia debuted on Monday Night Raw this week. Saudi Arabian superstar Mansoor appeared on Raw this week, challenging Sheamus for the WWE United States Championship. Mansoor looked good in the match before Humberto Carrillo attacked Sheamus, causing the disqualification. Before losing this match by DQ, Mansoor actually had a 49 match winning streak going all the way back to 2019 (he won a lot on 205 Live). The 25-year-old Mansoor will now try to become a top superstar in WWE, in hopes of someday Main Eventing a show in his home country in 30 years when he is old enough. (TJRWrestling)

5. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell Win the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships

New champions were crowned this week on NXT. In the main event of the evening, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell challenged Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart in a Street Fight for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships. The finish of the match saw LeRae hit Shotzi with brass knuckles, and then deliver a Wicked Stepsister into a steel chair for the pin. With this title change, LeRae and Hartwell actually became the third team to hold the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles in less than two months. If the Women’s Division begins to have more Pole and Bra and Panty matches to go along with all these rapid title changes, then perhaps WWE has hired an old friend to book the show. (TJRWrestling)

4. Eva Marie Returning to Raw

Worry not wrestling fans, Monday Night Raw is about to be must-see television once again. This week on Raw it finally happened, a vignette announcing the return of Eva Marie was shown. It has been almost four years since the GOAT of women’s wrestling graced us with her presence on WWE television. As the entire wrestling world rejoiced, Tony Khan most likely cried about losing the biggest free agent in wrestling history. So worry not fans who have been clamoring for a Women’s Revolution 2, you are getting something way better…an Eva-Lution! (TJRWrestling)

3. Triple Threat for Raw Women’s Championship to be Held at WWE WrestleMania Backlash

A Triple Threat Match will be held at WWE WrestleMania Backlash on Sunday, May 16th. Before Raw went on the air this week, WWE announced that Asuka would challenge Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Championship at Backlash. During Raw however, Charlotte convinced WWE Official Sonya Deville to add Charlotte and make it a Triple Threat Match, which Sonya agreed to. Although not confirmed, it is likely that Charlotte pushed so hard to be in this match because she knows once Eva Marie arrives that winning the title will become next to impossible. (TJRWrestling)

2. Daniel Bryan Banished From Smackdown

Daniel Bryan’s time on Friday Night Smackdown has come to an end. This past Friday on Smackdown, Bryan lost to Roman Reigns in an incredible match. Due to the stipulation of the match, Bryan has now been banished from Smackdown forever. It is unclear what this means for Bryan and his future in WWE, with Bryan’s contract reportedly expiring with WWE this week. We will have to see if Tony Khan can write a big enough check on eco-friendly paper to entice Bryan to join AEW. Bryan, of course, could also decide to stay with WWE and just show up on Raw or NXT, or even back on Smackdown under a mask as Mr. American Dragon. (TJRWrestling)

1. AEW Blood and Guts and Cushions???

The highly anticipated Blood & Guts Match between The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle took place this past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite. The match was as violent and crazy as to be expected, with multiple men bleeding and lots of crazy spots including unprotected chair shots to the head. The finish of the match saw Sammy Guevara surrender for The Inner Circle when MJF threatened to throw Chris Jericho off of the top of the cage. After The Pinnacle was named victorious, MJF threw Jericho off the cage anyways. Jericho then proceeded to fall on what was clearly cardboard boxes painted to look like metal on top of a huge cushion. This came across as another huge dud to conclude a great match, similar to the “explosion” after their barbed wire exploding death match last March. All is not bad for AEW, however, as they should be able to get a new sponsor out of this. (TJRWrestling)

Charmin

That will conclude another edition of The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week. Thank you for taking the time to read this each week. I will be back next week with even more bad jokes! If you for some reason like what I do, then feel free to follow me on Twitter @Fowlerwrestlin1.