On the June 28th edition of Friday Night SmackDown Naomi and Tiffany Stratton qualified for the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. LA Knight qualified for the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. 

Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Matches

The first triple-threat qualifying match of the night was Candice LeRae versus Jade Cargill versus Tiffany Stratton. Cargill wastes no time striking both LeRae and Stratton. 

LaRea and Stratton would work together to take down Cargill, as they were gaining momentum Cargill levels both with a double supplex. 

To win the match after many interferences Stratton lands a Prettiest Moonsault Ever to LeRae and gains a pinfall victory. 

The second women’s qualifying match was Blair Davenport versus Indi Hartwell, versus Naomi. This match is very back and forth with which women have control. 

In the end Jade Cargill sends Hartwell into the ring post. This is payback from Hartwell costing her the match earlier. As she gets back into the ring Naomi hits her with a finisher and wins via pinfall.

Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match

The men’s qualifying match was LA Knight versus Logan Paul versus Santos Escobar. Paul and Escoabar waste no time and take down Knight. After some more offense and sending Escobar out of the ring, Paul attempts to put Knight away early.

Near the end of the match Paul tells Haliburton to give him the brass knuckles. Bronson comes out of nowhere to get into Paul and Haliburtons faces.

Escobar uses the distraction to land a pair of double knees on Paul, but Knight hits Escobar with a BFT. Knight rolls up Paul for the pin, but it gets reversed. Knight changes the momentum again to roll up Paul and gain the pinfall victory. 

LA Knight joins Andrede, Carmelo Hayes, Chad Gable, and Jey Uso in the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Naomi and Tiffany Stratton join Chelsea Green. IYO SKY, and Lyra Valkyria in the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. 

Money in the Bank takes place in Ontario, Canada on Saturday July 6th. 

Photo Credit – WWE 

The post LA Knight, Naomi, and Tiffany Stratton Qualify for MITB Ladder Matches appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

On the May 24th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown many matches for the King and Queen of the Ring Event have been finalized and a new match has been announced. 

The final match in the Queen of the Ring tournament will be Nia Jax versus Lyra Valkyria the winner will be the 2024 Queen of the Ring. The men’s King of the Ring final match will be Randy Orton versus Gunther, and the winner becomes the King of the Ring.

Binance Belair competed in the semifinal match but unfortunately came short and was beaten by Nia Jax. After the match, she was shown to be icing her knee before she was bombarded. She was bombarded by Tiffany Stratton and Byron Saxton. 

Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae would also make an appearance mocking Belair. They shut it down when Jade Cargill showed up to check in on her tag team partner.  

Later it was made official that Candice LaRae and Indi Hartwell will challenge for the Women’s Tag Team Championship Titles. The match will be held during the preshow of the WWE King and Queen of the Ring Event. 

Belair and Cargill are nothing less than absolute powerhouses, while Hartwell and LaRae are very crafty. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill will have less than 24 hours to prepare for this title defense. This could be a defining factor in how the match will go, or will it be Belair’s knee?

Photo Credit – WWE

The post Belair and Cargill Will Defend Their Titles at King and Queen of the Ring appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

GOOD Bianca Belair, Asuka and Alexa Bliss Promo:

Bianca immediately addresses Bayley to start things off but is interrupted by Damage CNTRL very quickly after a replay of last week’s beatdown. Bayley has the crowd booing for sure but this isn’t about her and Bianca this week, and we end up with a match booked between Iyo Sky and Belair up next. 

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars

GOOD Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky:

This was a solidly contested match. Belair showed why she’s the champion but it never felt like Iyo Sky was out of it given the numbers game played by Damage CTRL and that made things more exciting. Despite multiple distractions and interference attempts, Belair was able to score the victory by KOD. 

Result: Bianca Belair by Pinfall via KOD

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 3.00 Stars

GOOD Seth Rollins Promo:

Seth is here to speak about the Fight Pit Match he has coming up against Matt Riddle. He runs down a list of his own accomplishments before dropping his final punchline. It is a very good promo but it felt more like a reason to announce the match Rollins is about to have with Rey Mysterio who he calls, “Father of the year.” 

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 3.00 Stars

GOOD Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio:

Rey fights valiantly as he always does but this is Seth Rollins match. He isn’t exactly dominant throughout, but he is clearly in control. Dominik and Rhea Ripley create a distraction that causes Rey to take the loss in the end, violently and it looks like Seth might be the favorite headed to the fight pit with Riddle. First a Stomp from Rollins and then a Peruvian Necktie submission on the already unconscious Mysterio is enough to earn him the submission victory. 

Result: Seth Rollins by Submission via Peruvian Necktie

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 3.25 Stars

GREAT Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano vs. Alpha Academy:

KO and Johnny Gargano are a formidable team without question and it will be exciting to see what they can do in the tag team division. These two teams had another exciting match. Gable is on a roll bell to bell of late, while there have been more losses than wins he has put on only quality matches. The crowd loves Kevin Owens and he’s clearly having fun of late too. Byron Saxton actually makes a Panda Express reference at one point when Gargano and Owens hit a tandem senton on Gable. Late in the match there is an especially big pop for Owens locking in the sharpshooter on Gable, and then again as he drops an elbow on Otis through the announce table. Johnny Gargano hits the One Final Beat even after Theory tries to interfere with his Money in The Bank Briefcase. 

Result: Johnny Gargano by Pinfall via One Final Beat

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 3.75 Stars

SQUASH Omos vs. Local Wrestlers:

I was unfortunately unable to find the names of the two competitors but they are worked over pretty quickly by Omos. This is a Squash. Omos wins with his double chokeslam.

Result: Omos by Pinfall via Two Handed Chokeslam

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – SQUASH

GREAT Miz Backstage Segment:

Miz is backstage again and there is someone in full Oilers gear in a room full of all laid out security guards. The crowd goes absolutely crazy when Dexter Lumis is revealed under the Oilers mask. They chant for the hometown team after Lumis breaks a hockey stick over Miz’ back and then chokes him out. 

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 3.75 Stars

GOOD Candice LaRae vs. Nikki ASH:

Candice LaRae makes her return to a big pop and she will take on the Almost Superhero. The match starts quickly with a lock up and Nikki ASH takes early control. LaRae fights valiantly though and with chops and right hands swings the momentum back in her favor. She is able to hit a Diving Swinging Neckbreaker from the second rope to pick up the victory. After the match Nikki ASH removes her mask and cries in the corner of the ring. 

Result: Candice LaRae by pinfall via diving swinging neckbreaker

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 3.00 Stars

AMAZING Sami Zayn vs. AJ Styles:

Sami Zayn is accompanied to the ring by Solo Sikoa and the crowd loves Sami. They play the replay of the Sami T-shirt segment from last week which was hilarious, and then AJ Styles makes his entrance. This match is really fun, as AJ looks good early but is nailed by an elbow off the top rope. Solo Sikoa is right next to them when the action spills to the outside but has yet to try to interfere in this one. Sami springboards off the top rope to the outside with a moonsault and sometimes it’s easy to forget about the depth of Sami’s moveset. Styles is able to turn the momentum in his favor with a knee to the back of Sami’s neck. He looks to follow with a Styles Clash but Zayn has it scouted. Styles is able to knock him outside the ring though as we head to a commercial. The Honorary Uce is nearly caught by a Phenomenal Forearm but once again Sami gets out of the way. Sami throws Styles into the ring post and then tries to get AJ counted out. He recovers in time at the count of 9, and nearly wins by rolling Zayn up. Sami gives one of the best sells on the Pele Kick I’ve ever seen in my life. It is so perfect. After a long but very exciting match Sami distracts the referee while Solo Sikoa lands a Uranagi on the apron. That allows Sami to hit the Helluva Kick and pick up the win. After the match Judgment Day enters the ring and Finn Balor offers Styles the old hand gesture. Styles flips him off and the Judgement Day beat him down to end the segment. 

Result: Sami Zayn by Pinfall via Helluva Kick

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 4.0 Stars

GREAT Matt Riddle vs. Damian Priest:

The crowd goes wild for Matt Riddle’s entrance and he rides his scooter down to the ring. Riddle and Priest circle each other cautiously before finally locking up. The Original Bro tries for a kimura but Priest is able to power out of that but Riddle still transitions into a sleeper. So far this has been an extremely submission centric match. Priest lands a huge roundhouse kick though and the striking game is now in play. Riddle throws Priest over the top rope and then accidentally catches Finn Balor with a running kick along the apron. The distraction allows Damian Priest to slam riddle over the guardrail as we head to a commercial break. Out of the break Priest is working on Riddle’s back in the middle of the ring. This is a long and back and forth match and the chemistry is really good, all the spots are very clean. For a second time in the match Priest slams Riddle into the barricade as we head to a break. Out of the break Damian is still very much in control of the action. Riddle catches him up on the top rope taking too much time however and hits a beautiful superplex for a near fall. They trade strikes in the middle of the ring and after a really cool back and forth, Riddle hits Bro-Derek. Priest kicks out at two. Riddle tries to go up top but Rhea Ripley distracts him and he’s hit with a clothesline and then a flatliner but this time it’s Riddle who kicks out at 2. Priest looks for The Reckoning but Riddle has it scouted and he uses an inside cradle to win the match. The Judgement Day swarms Riddle after the match and Priest hits The South of Heaven. Edge’s music hits and he’s back, spearing Priest and Finn Balor while staring at Dominik Mysterio. He grabs a microphone and he challenges Finn Balor to an I Quit match at Extreme Rules. 

Result: Matt Riddle by Pinfall via inside cradle

Clark Taylor’s WR Star Rating – 3.75 Stars

Overall: This was a fun Raw with a lot of exciting things happening. First we had Bianca Belair defeating Iyo Sky in the opening contest. Followed by some hijinx involving the Miz’ security team and Dexter Lumis dressed in Edmonton Oilers goalie gear. Along with an excellent showing from Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens against Alpha Academy. We also got a few returns tonight. Candice LaRae is back in WWE and she picked up the victory against Nikki ASH in her first match back. After the main event, Edge made his return and challenged Finn Balor to an I Quit match. Speaking of that main event, Matt Riddle and Damian Priest put on a good one. It was back and forth the whole way and the crowd was really into it throughout. Despite that, Sami Zayn and AJ Styles put on the match of the night in my eyes, it was so well done and worth a watch if you haven’t seen it yet. Oh yeah, Seth Rollins debuted a Peruvian Necktie that might come in handy inside the Fight Pit at Extreme Rules. 

Matches: 0.50/1 Stars 

Show Structure: 0.75/1 Stars 

Atmosphere: 0.75/1 Stars  

Storytelling: 0.75/1 Stars 

Production/Theme: 0.75/1 Stars  

Overall Rating. 3.50/5 Stars   

Photo Credit: WWE.com

For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here: 

The post Monday Night Raw Review September 26 2022 appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

Johnny Gargano left NXT in December of last year,2021. It’s said he was considered the heart of NXT Black and Gold, alongside Adam Cole, Tommaso Ciampa, and many more.

Candice LeRae’s contract expired in May of this year,2022. Both Johnny and Candice let their contracts expire due to not wanting to renew them.

Johnny has many record accomplishments under his belt from his years at NXT. He was the first North American Champion and held the title 3 separate times.

Johnny was also the first ever NXT Triple Crown winner. He held the NXT Tag Team Championship alongside Tommaso Ciampa as DIY.

Johnny also held some NXT End of the Year awards. He won the Match of the Year in 2016,2018, and 2019. He won the Rivalry of the Year in 2018 and 2019.

Candice LeRae has won the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship with Indy Hartwell.

Candice and Johnny have not wrestled on screen since they left. There has been no major social media buzz that they have returned at any smaller wrestling territory.

Fans began speculating if they will return back to the WWE or go to AEW. Even Johnny was unsure what of where they would end up.

In a recent interview with Asylum Virtual signing Johnny stated “I’ve seen. I’ve noticed. It’s exciting times all around. You never know what could happen. Keep watching, we’re [Candice & I] going to show up at some point, wherever that may be.I promise. We will. We’ll be making some magic at some point in the future, I promise.”

Johnny and Candice are ready to come back it’s a matter of when and where.

Photo Credit – WWE

The post Johnny Gargano Teases Wrestling Return Alongside Candice LeRae appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

Candice LeRae has been one of the top faces of the NXT Women’s division, ever since making her debut back in 2018.

However, her run at Vince McMahon’s company ended up a few weeks ago, when it was reported that her contract had officially expired and WWE moved her to the alumni section of their website. 

Now, it has been noted that Candice has relaunched her Pro Wrestling Tees shop, where she has around 20 original t-shirts available. 

Pro Wrestling Tees’ official Twitter account has also announced the arrival of The Poison Pixie’s brand-new merchandise.

Candice LeRae Has Returned!

Candice's Store Is Back At #PWTees As of Today. Get Her Official Merchandise Now At https://t.co/yX2edKe5bf@CandiceLeRae #ShesBack pic.twitter.com/CAdd7EOgqM

— Pro Wrestling Tees (@PWTees) May 24, 2022

Candice LeRae had a successful run at the former Black & Gold brand, with some interesting rivalries against Mia Yim, Tegan Nox, Zelina Vega and Io Shirai to name a few. She also won the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles in one occasion, alongside Indi Hartwell.

LeRae has been absent from TV since July 2021 due to her pregnancy. She would eventually give birth to a boy alongside her real-life husband, and also former NXT Superstar, Johnny Gargano. 

As of right now, there is no certainty on which will be the next chapter of her professional career.

Photo Credit – World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

The post Candice LeRae Reveals She Has Launched Pro Wrestling Tees Store appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

Fightful had informed some months ago about her contract being set to expire in this year’s spring, but there was a possibility of freezing her contract due to her maternity absence. However, LeRae was moved today to the alumni section of the WWE.com website.

Fighfult Select (subscription required) confirmed later on that her contract has officially expired and that, as of right now, she is a free agent.

Candice LeRae arrived to the WWE in 2017, participating in that year’s Mae Young Classic and in a battle royal to determine the number one contender for Asuka’s NXT Women’s Title. She was officially announced as an NXT talent in January 2018.

LeRae took part in interesting rivalries with Zelina Vega, Tegan Nox, Mia Yim and Io Shirai, having faced the last one in a great match at the 2019’s NXT TakeOver Toronto event. She also won the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships, alongside Indi Hartwell, and competed in the 2019 & 2020 Women’s WarGames matches.

She hasn’t wrestled since last July after announcing her pregnancy alongside her husband- and fellow NXT Superstar-Johnny Gargano, who decided not to renew his WWE contract in January and is currently a free agent too.

As of right now, it is said that both Gargano and LeRae are in good terms with the WWE and that the company is open to have them back.

Stay tuned to Wrestling Republic, as we’ll keep you updated on this.

Photo Credit – WWE

The post Candice LeRae Seemingly Leaves WWE After Being Moved To The Alumni Section appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

We have an update on Candice LeRae’s NXT contract.

In a recent report, FightFul Select confirmed that Candice LeRae’s WWE/NXT contract is set to expire this spring. There is no confirmation if her contract is frozen due to Candice being away on maternity leave or if there are already talks to renew with the company. 

According to sources at WWE they are not sure if Candice will be available to be back by the time the deal expires. 

LeRae and her husband Johnny Gargano welcomed their first child together back in February. Gargano left WWE in December after his contract expired, besides this, it’s believed that LeRae and Gargano are on good terms with WWE, and officials would like to have them back if at all possible. 

Candice made her first appearance in NXT back in 2017 participating in the battle royal to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women’s Championship against Asuka, she also participated in the Mae Young Classic that same year. 

Being in January 2018 when WWE confirmed that LeRae had signed with the company. 

We will keep you updated.  

The post Candice LeRae’s WWE Contract Reportedly Expires Soon appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

Candice LeRae posted this via Instagram…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSeg0KYrG3e/?utm_medium=copy_link

Johnny Gargano also posted on Twitter in celebration of the event…

The secret's out! Our team is getting a little bigger..

The best is on the way!

@CandiceLeRae pic.twitter.com/wUxo3ktgqC

— Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) August 12, 2021

We here at Wrestling Republic wish Candice and Johnny congratulations and wish them all the best for the future.

The post Candice LeRae Pregnant appeared first on Wrestling Republic.

Now you might be wondering how I could be saying this when she just recently became one half of only the 3rd ever female tag team champions in NXT history. It is an impressive accolade and responsibility to bestow on anyone – but Candice LeRae is not just anyone.

Prior to debuting in NXT, LeRae was arguably the best female wrestler on the American independent circuit, going toe-to-toe with a significant portion of both WWE and AEW’s rosters – male and female. Through the storytelling in her matches and feuds, she developed the ultimate underdog persona – a 100-pound Disney-loving blonde that was tough as nails, and crowds were overwhelmingly behind her. Her speed, wit and willingness to take the nastiest bumps I have seen have led her to deliver unforgettable bouts and elevate the intergender and women’s wrestling scenes as a whole. One of these unforgettable bouts came in the form of a guerrilla warfare match, where she became the first and only woman to hold a PWG world title after pinning Matt Jackson of The Young Bucks in the center of the ring. Her presence was undeniable, and Jackson has even gone on record as calling her ‘the best in the business’. So where exactly did things go wrong?

LeRae was formally introduced to the NXT Universe in the main event of NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, aiding her real-life husband, Johnny Gargano. She received a thunderous reaction from the Philly crowd, with chants of ‘Thank you Candice’ breaking out. It didn’t take a genius to tell that people were excited to have her there. While her inclusion in the Gargano/Almas storyline did make sense at the time, her continued involvement in Gargano’s feuds quickly trapped her in the bubble of being ‘Johnny’s wife’. The moniker seemingly took center stage as she was consistently losing matches as a result of being too ‘concerned’ and ‘affected’ by Gargano’s state, and was focusing most of her energy into his affairs rather than establishing herself in the women’s division. This rocky start to her WWE career was incredibly disappointing to those already familiar with her work and painting her as a helpless wife was a disservice to the woman who took a thumbtack-superkick from the Bucks and still won the match.

This did turn around for the better however, as LeRae was finally developing momentum through sustained wins, and was ultimately crowned number one contender to Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship, which she was unable to capture. LeRae continued to be a prominent feature on NXT, being a part of the winning teams at both the first ever women’s WarGames and Survivor Series matches and putting on great showings with the rest of the division. A true breakthrough came for her though, when she turned heel, reinventing her Disney-lover gimmick to reflect the darker sides of the fairy tales she had always adored. That same year, she led her team to victory at the second women’s WarGames match, put on show-stealing matches with Io Shirai and aligned herself with newcomers Indi Hartwell and Austin Theory, as well as Gargano, setting up the stable ‘The Way’. She began tagging with Hartwell regularly, and their efforts finally proved successful when they defeated Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships in May of this year.

LeRae has accumulated impressive accomplishments in her four-year tenure in NXT; however, it must be pointed out that nearly all of these have come in team settings – she has never gotten the spotlight to herself. LeRae is a nearly 20-year veteran of the business and is even responsible for training current AEW Women’s World Champion, Britt Baker, so it is wise of the NXT creative team to use her experience and knowledge to advance their women’s roster, but it must not be done in a way that compromises the singles run she deserves. As NXT Women’s Champion, she would be able to continue bettering the division as its leader and most prominent figure, while also basking in glory that has been long overdue.

The post Honestly: Candice LeRae Deserves Better appeared first on Wrestling Republic.