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The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week 6/11: WWE SummerSlam in Las Vegas, Andrade Debut in AEW, NXT Takeover In Your House, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 11th June 2021

Welcome back TJR readers! Did you spend all day Friday trying to get Charlotte’s phone number from your new hire, and missed Smackdown. Perhaps you stayed up too late the night before, watching fake boxing, and missed Raw. Worry not, for I have returned with another edition of the Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week.

10. Mickie James to Executive Produce All Women’s PPV for the NWA

Mickie James is going to have to unpack her gear from the trash bag real soon. This week it was announced on NWA POWERRR that six-time WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James will be Executive Producing an all-women’s PPV on August 29th in St Louis, MO. James was recently released last April from WWE, and then famously had her belongings returned to her in a trash bag. James is married to NWA World Champion Nick Aldis and is close friends with NWA Owner Billy Corgan. James has stated that she pitched to WWE to do another All Women’s PPV (after Evolution in 2018), but was turned down. Sadly, if James had pitched the women to stare at dolls in a mirror instead of having a PPV, she may have not ended up with her stuff in a Hefty bag. (TJRWrestling)

9. Bianca Belair to Face Bayley at Hell in a Cell

Bianca Belair and Bayley are scheduled to face each other once again. Last week on Smackdown, Women’s Champion Bianca Belair issued a challenge to Bayley for another match at Hell in a Cell on June 20th. Bayley then appeared on the big screen and accepted the challenge, then filled the ThunderDome screens with her face as she continued to laugh at Belair. This is the third match so far announced for Hell in a Cell, with all three matches currently booked being rematches from Backlash. WWE clearly believes in the motto, “If at first you don’t succeed, don’t worry, there will be a rematch.” (TJRWrestling)

8. Lio Rush Retires From Professional Wrestling

Lio Rush’s career with AEW, unfortunately, ended up being a short one. Rush appeared two weeks in the Casino Battle Royal at AEW’s Double or Nothing PPV. Sadly for Rush he suffered a shoulder injury in the match, which he discovered this week was worse than he thought. Due to this injury, Rush decided this week to retire completely from wrestling, and focus on his family instead. The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Rush is only 26 years old, and is still signed to NJPW as well. Rush will fulfill his contractual obligations to NJPW before hanging up his boots entirely. Perhaps NJPW can book a double retirement match for Rush against Terry Funk, as Funk at this point is an expert in them.

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7. Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre to Take Place Inside Hell in a Cell

After four months, it looks like Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley will finally end their feud. This week on Raw featured a contract signing between WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre, for their match scheduled for Hell in a Cell on June 20th. During the signing, it was announced that the match will take place inside of the cell, as well as the stipulation that if McIntyre loses he can never face Lashley for the championship again. After the contract was signed, McIntyre actually used his sword to break the table. Unfortunately, the Raw writer’s table was left intact. (TJRWrestling)

6. Eva Marie to Debut (or Return) This Monday

Worry not wrestling fans as Monday Night Raw is about to become must watch TV once again. This week on Raw, another promo package for Eva Marie aired. Instead of just teasing her arrival this week, however, the vignette ended with promising that Eva Marie would be live and in-person this Monday on Raw. This will surely be a much-needed boost to Raw’s slumping ratings, as well as some excitement to the stale Raw brand. So make sure to tune in this Monday night, as with the combination of Eva Marie and the Raw writers, things can’t possibly go wrong. (TJRWrestling)

5. Million Dollar Title Returns on NXT

The most luxurious title in WWE history made its return this week. This week on NXT, The “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase once again appeared on the show. DiBiase then proceeded to bring back the Million Dollar Title. DiBiase then announced that the match between Cameron Grimes and LA Knight at NXT Takeover In Your House will now be a ladder match for the Million Dollar Title. Besides the title, DiBiase also stated that the winner will get to carry on the legacy of The Million Dollar Man. The Million Dollar Title was originally introduced in 1989, and has been brought back several times since then. DiBiase’s actual son Ted DiBiase Jr. actually held the title for a short while in 2010, but The Million Dollar Man likely wants to forget that Legacy. (TJRWrestling)

4. WWE Draft Reportedly to Take Place the Week After SummerSlam

WWE may soon have new pairings of wrestlers that they can have face each other over and over again. This week it was reported that WWE will be holding their annual draft starting on the August 30th episode of Raw and then finishing on September 3rd on Smackdown. This will hopefully freshen up the rosters as well as possibly add some NXT superstars to both Raw and Smackdown. These plans could change of course, if WWE keeps releasing Superstars at the pace that they have been with the whole draft then being able to take place over a commercial break. (TJRWrestling)

3. Andrade El Idolo signs with AEW

Congratulations to you if you had Andrade in the “which former WWE Superstar Tony Khan will sign next” pool. This past week on AEW: Dynamite, Vickie Guerrero interrupted an in-ring interview with Mark Henry. Guerrero then went on to introduce her new client, Andrade El Idolo. Andrade then stated that “he used to say he was the face of Latinos, but today he is saying I will be the new face of All Elite Wrestling.” In related news, Shahid Khan called Vince McMahon and asked him to please stop releasing Superstars, as his bank account cannot afford it. (TJRWrestling)

2. NXT Takeover In Your House to Take Place This Sunday

NXT Takeover In Your House is scheduled to take place this Sunday at 8PM ET on Peacock/WWE Network. So far there have been five matches announced for the show including Xia Li facing Mercedes Martinez. Cameron Grimes and LA Knight will battle in a ladder match to decide who becomes the new Million Dollar Champion. Both the NXT North American and NXT Tag Team Championships will be on the line in a winner takes all match when champions Bronson Reed and MSK face Legado del Fantasma. Raquel Gonzalez will defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Ember Moon. Finally, Karrion Kross will defend the NXT World Championship against, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne and Johnny Gargano. These matches will all have incredibly high stakes, as the losers all risk being drafted to Raw! (TJRWrestling)

1.SummerSlam to Take Place in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium

After being rumored for several weeks WWE officially announced that SummerSlam will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas Nevada on Saturday, August 21st. Allegiant Stadium is the present home of the Las Vegas Raiders, and has a capacity of close to 70,000 people. WWE is clearly going to have to book some huge matches to draw that kind of a crowd, with names like John Cena and Brock Lesnar already being rumored for the event. Of course Vince could also just offer free STD testing, and draw those kinds of numbers in Vegas as well. (TJRWrestling)

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 like what I do, despite my jokes being as bad as Logan Paul’s right hook, then feel free to listen to my brand new podcast The Smark And The Noob and follow me on Twitter @Fowlerwrestlin1.