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The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week 8/21: WWE SummerSlam, AEW Bringing Fans Back, ThunderDome, More

By Matthew Fowler • Published 21st August 2020

Welcome back TJR readers! Did you spend all day Friday checking out the new TJRwrestling.net website and miss Smackdown? Perhaps you were making sure that your 6th grader wasn’t secretly a member of Retribution, and missed RAW. Worry not, for I have returned with another edition of The Top Ten Wrestling Stories of the Week to catch you up.

10. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose to Compete in a Hair vs. Hair Match

Mandy Rose will get a chance to get revenge on Sonya Deville for cutting her hair several weeks ago on Smackdown. Rose and Deville will now face off against each other in a Hair vs. Hair match on August 23rd at SummerSlam. Hair vs. Hair matches have a long history in WWE with many superstars throughout the years getting their heads shaved bald. Vince McMahon even once had his head shaved by now United States President Donald Trump at Wrestlemania 23, during the battle of the billionaires. Trump likely won’t be present to shave the loser‘s head at SummerSlam, as he will be busy golfing and removing people’s mailboxes. (TJRWrestling)

9. Randy Orton Attacks Shawn Michaels

Lately, it wouldn’t be a Monday Night RAW without Randy Orton attacking an aging WWE Hall of Famer. This week it was the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels who was on the receiving end of an RKO and punt from Orton. Orton made his attack after Michaels gave a promo criticizing Orton for his attack the previous week on Ric Flair. Drew McIntyre came out and saved Michaels, before receiving a RKO from Orton as well. Orton’s recent actions will almost guarantee that he is never booked for another Saudi Show, as he would just spend the entire show punting old guys in the head. (TJRWrestling)

8. Asuka to Compete for Both the RAW and Smackdown Women’s Championship at SummerSlam

A Triple Brand Battle Royal was held this week on Smackdown to decide who will face Bayley at SummerSlam. Asuka ended up entering the Battle Royal as a surprise entrant, tossing Shayna Baszler over the top rope to win the match. Asuka is already set to face Sasha Banks for the RAW Women’s Title at SummerSlam, and will now go for both titles at the event. Asuka will try to join Becky Lynch as the second woman to ever hold both the RAW and Smackdown Women’s Championships at the same time. If successful, Asuka will have to go on to defend the titles on both brands, while simultaneously staying as far away as possible from Seth Rollins. (TJRWrestling)

7. Man Tries to Kidnap Sonya Deville

WWE fans are some of the most passionate in the world. Sometimes that passion, however, can turn into downright insanity. One of these insane fans broke into the home of Sonya Deville this week, planning on kidnapping her. Luckily for Deville, a home alarm alerted her of the intruder, allowing her to escape and call the police with Mandy Rose, who was in the home with her. When the police arrived they found the intruder still in the house, and carrying a knife, plastic zip ties and duct tape. The only thing this nutcase could have done to be an even worse wrestling fan and person is to have brought a beach ball as well. We are very happy Sonya and Mandy are okay. Please be safe out there. (TJRWrestling)

6. NXT Takeover XXX to Take Place This Saturday

It is a big weekend in WWE, with not only SummerSlam being this Sunday, but NXT Takeover XXX being held this Saturday night at 7PMET. Takeover will take place from Full Sail University, and of course, it can be seen on the WWE Network. A total of six matches have been announced for the show. Finn Bálor and Timothy Thatcher will go one on one. A triple threat tag team match to determine the number one contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship will take place between Breezango, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, and Legado del Fantasma. A new North American Champion will be crowned in a ladder match between Bronson Reed, Damian Priest, Cameron Grimes, Johnny Gargano and The Velveteen Dream. Io Shirai will try to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Dakota Kai. Adam Cole and Pat McAfee will try to settle their feud in what will be McAfee’s debut match. And finally, Karrion Kross will try to capture the NXT Championship against Keith Lee. For anybody who was concerned, the show is titled XXX because it is the 30th Takeover special, and not because either Vin Diesel or Sunny are set to make an appearance. (TJRWrestling)

5. AEW to Have Live Fans in Attendance

The question of which major wrestling company will be the first to have live fans in attendance was answered this week. Starting tomorrow, AEW will be selling tickets for the Thursday, August 27th episode of Dynamite at the open air Daily’s Place in Jacksonville Florida. The event will only be at between 10-15% capacity and all fans will have to wear mask and have temperature checks prior to entering. For those wondering why Dynamite is airing on a Thursday, it is due to the NBA Playoffs being aired on TNT. Any long time wrestling fan can remember the disappointment of going to turn on Monday Night RAW, but finding a dog show instead. AEW is now faced with a similar situation, starting with this past Wednesday’s show being postponed to this Saturday at 6pm ET which means the second half of Dynamite is going against NXT Takeover. The full list of changes being able to be scene in the tweet below.

Hopefully with having fans in attendance, these changes won’t hurt their momentum too much and they still will be able to produce the Best Wrestling Show possible. (TJRWrestling)

4. Renee Young Gives Her Notice to WWE

Renee Young’s eight-year run with WWE is about to come to an end. Young has given her notice, with this Sunday’s SummerSlam event expected to be her last for WWE. Young has filled multiple roles with the company as a host and backstage interviewer and even made history in August of 2018 by becoming the first woman to become a full-time announcer for Monday Night RAW. Young held her position on RAW for over a year, before being moved to Smackdown as a “special contributor” in October of 2019. It is unknown what is next for the 32-year-old Renee, but speculation has already begun that she will be joining her husband Jon Moxley in AEW. Without question with as talented as Young is, some company is going to scoop her up quicker than a page loads on the new TJRWrestling website. (TJRWrestling)

3. WWE to Move Production to the Amway Center Starting Tonight

WWE will have a fresh new look, starting tonight on Smackdown. WWE is moving their production from the Performance Center to the much bigger Amway Center in Orlando, FL. All Raws, Smackdowns and PPV’s including SummerSlam this Sunday will now be held live at Amway Center for at least two months because that’s what WWE is paying for. NXT will continue to take place at Full Sail University in Orlando. Being able to record in a large arena is going to make WWE’s product more visually appealing, but is going to be tougher on Retribution to get anywhere with those little legs. (TJRWrestling)

2. WWE Thunderdome debuts on Smackdown Tonight

A new arena will not be the only change for WWE tonight. Starting tonight on Smackdown, WWE will be introducing a new viewing experience that they are calling WWE Thunderdome. Fans will now be appearing live inside of the Thunderdome, via large LED screens. Pyrotechnics, lasers, cutting edge graphics and drones are also going to be utilized inside of the dome. Thunderdome was also the title of a Mad Max movie from 1985, which is also good news because Vince McMahon is finally using more current pop culture references. (TJRWrestling)

1. SummerSlam to Take Place This Sunday

SummerSlam is set to take place this Sunday, August 23rd from the Amway Center in Orlando Florida. The event will feature multiple matches, all of which can be seen on the WWE Network starting at 7 PM ET. A few of the top matches advertised include Asuka trying to become a dual champion as she faces both RAW Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley. Also, WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman will attempt to defend his title against his former partner “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. On the Raw side, it will be Randy Orton trying for his 14th World Championship when he faces WWE Heavyweight Champion Drew McIntyre. SummerSlam is often called “The Biggest Event of the Summer,” which in 2020 means that it will have to have more than 25 people in attendance. (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 swore four times when then French Poodle won the Westminster Dog Show.