BY SACNILK

Recently, WWE made an announcement in March that the King of the Ring tournament would be returning. Not only that, but it would be accompanied by a Queen of the Ring tournament, and the winners would be crowned at the King and Queen of the Ring event on May 27th in Saudi Arabia. ## The original King of the Ring tournament took place in 1985 and was won by WWE Hall of Famer Don Muraco. After a hiatus, the tournament returned in 2021, with Xavier Woods being crowned as the King of the Ring at Crown Jewel, and Zelina Vega winning the Queen's Crown tournament at the same event. ## However, on April 13th, WWE announced that the event on May 27th will now be titled Night of Champions. This marks the first time an event with that name will be held outside of the United States. Night of Champions was previously held from 2007 to 2015. ## There has been speculation and discussion about the reasons behind this change, including rumors that it may have come directly from WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who has scrapped the King of the Ring tournament in the past. However, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the change was a "creative choice," although it's unclear who ultimately made the decision. ## This change has sparked curiosity and interest among wrestling fans, and they eagerly await the upcoming Night of Champions event to see how the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments unfold. ## To stay updated with all the latest combat sports news, add Sacnilk.com to your Google News feeds and follow us on Twitter.

BY SACNILK

Following Vince McMahon's resignation from WWE due to the hush money scandal, Triple H took over main roster creative and embarked on a formidable signing spree last year. ## Superstars such as Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY, Karrion Kross, Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano, Chelsea Green, Bronson Reed, Hit Row, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Tegan Nox, Sarah Logan, Emma, Dexter Lumis, and others were brought back to the company, injecting new energy into the roster. ## However, this year, there has been a pause in new signings for established names, fueling rumors of a hiring freeze. WWE's recent agreement to be acquired by the Endeavor Group, with plans to merge with UFC and form a new company by the end of 2023, has led to cost-cutting measures to enhance the company's profitability during the transition. ## In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, renowned wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has reported that despite the rumors, there is no hiring freeze in WWE. In fact, the company is actively engaged in talks with significant performers, though Meltzer has not disclosed the identities of these wrestlers, adding an air of anticipation to the situation. ## “There is also no hiring freeze as has been reported in many places. WWE is still business as usual when it comes to hiring and in talks with new significant performers," Dave Meltzer noted the following. ## To stay updated with all the latest combat sports news, add Sacnilk.com to your Google News feeds and follow us on Twitter.

BY SACNILK

Here is the full Match Card for this week's Friday Night edition which is scheduled to air on May 19, 2023, live from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC. ## Friday Night SmackDown currently airs live every Friday on Fox from 8:00 ET–10:00 PM ET in the United States. WWE SmackDown starts live at 1 am in the UK on BT Sport 1 on Saturday mornings. ## WWE SmackDown Time In Australia: It airs live on at 10 am (AEST) on Fox8 ## WWE SmackDown Time In Canada: It airs live every Friday at 8 Am on Sportsnet 360 ## WWE SmackDown Time In South Africa: The show also airs live on Supersport in South Africa on Saturday at 02:00 am CAT ## SmackDown Time In Italy: In Italy, SmackDown airs on DMAX at 2:00 pm with the international version of one-hour shows airing on Cielo in Italian ## WWE SmackDown Time In India: SmackDown airs live on Sony Ten 1 HD and Sony Ten 1 in India at 5:30 am ## SmackDown Commentators: It is presented by Michael Cole (play-by-play commentator) Pat McAfee. ## Tickets Are Available Here!## Confirmed Match Card ## "The Grayson Waller Effect” to premiere next week with a huge guest ## Following his persuasive appeal to WWE Official Adam Pearce on his inaugural SmackDown appearance, Grayson Waller has been authorized to debut his talk show, titled "The Grayson Waller Effect," on the blue brand. ## His first guest will be none other than AJ Styles, who recently triumphed to secure the opportunity to face Seth "Freakin" Rollins for the illustrious World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Night of Champions. ## Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar vs. The Usos ## As they made their way back to the backstage area following Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns' announcement that he and Solo Sikoa would be vying for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn instead of The Usos, Jimmy and Jey were displeased with The LWO's response to their unfavorable predicament. ## The Brawling Brutes square off against Pretty Deadly ## In the aftermath of the 2023 WWE Draft, Pretty Deadly have transitioned to SmackDown. After toying with The Brawling Brutes, they won't have to wait much longer for the opportunity to compete. ## Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn come face-to-face with Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa ## Upon his return to SmackDown, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns proclaimed that he and Solo Sikoa would be contending against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for the highly coveted Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship at WWE Night of Champions. Reigns and The Enforcer of the Bloodline will confront the current titleholders in an impending showdown. ## To stay updated with all the latest wrestling news, add Sacnilk.com to your Google News feeds and follow us on Twitter.

BY SACNILK

Here is the full Match Card for this week's Monday Night Raw which is scheduled to air on May 15, 2023, live from Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. ## Monday Night Raw currently airs live on Monday evenings on the USA Network from 8:00 ET–11:00 PM ET in the United States. WWE Raw starts live at 1 am in the UK on BT Sport 1 on Tuesday mornings. ## WWE Raw Time In Australia: It airs live on Tuesdays at 10 am (AEST) on Fox8 ## WWE Raw Time In Canada: It airs live every Monday at 8 Am on Sportsnet 360 ## WWE Raw Time In South Africa: The show also airs live on Supersport in South Africa on Tuesdays at 02:00 am CAT ## Raw Time In Italy: In Italy, Raw airs live on Dplay 2:00 pm ## WWE Raw Time In India: Raw airs live on Sony Ten 1 HD and Sony Ten 1 in India at 5:30 am ## WWE Raw Commentator ## Jimmy Smith (play-by-play commentator) ## Corey Graves (color commentator) ## Byron Saxton (color commentator) ## Tickets Are Available Here## Confirmed Match Card ## WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther makes his WWE Raw debut ## On the forthcoming May 15 episode of WWE Raw, wrestling enthusiasts will witness the debut of Gunther, a new addition to the WWE roster. As disclosed in the previous week's episode, the esteemed wrestler will grace the event one week after his Imperium stablemates, Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser, made their maiden appearance. However, their defeat to Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn left the WWE Universe yearning for more. ## Singles Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Miz ## The Miz will square off against Shinsuke Nakamura in a singles match. Despite The Miz's efforts to form an alliance with Nakamura, the latter has consistently rebuffed him. Nakamura's refusal has only fueled the rivalry between the two wrestlers, leading to an intense showdown in the upcoming event. ## WWE Women's Tag Team Championship: Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez or Bayley & Dakota Kai (c) vs. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville ## Furthermore, the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship will also be up for grabs, as Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville seek to challenge the reigning champions. The challengers will be determined by the victor of the title match between Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez versus Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and Bayley) scheduled for the May 12 episode of WWE SmackDown. ## Cody Rhodes to respond to Brock Lesnar’s WWE Night of Champions challenge ## The American Nightmare believed that his grueling confrontations with The Beast were firmly in the past following his hard-earned triumph over Brock Lesnar at WWE Backlash. ## However, just as Rhodes was endeavoring to progress in the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament, Lesnar resurfaced, stunningly executing a vicious F-5 that sent Rhodes hurtling through the announce table, effectively eliminating Rhodes from the tournament. ## Following his brutal manhandling of The American Nightmare, Lesnar made a straightforward demand: a bout against him at WWE Night of Champions. ## Becky Lynch addresses her adversary Trish Stratus ## After backstabbing Becky Lynch and causing her to forfeit the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles, Trish Stratus has been gloating over her former friend's misfortune. ## The Man has been out of sight for the past several weeks, granting Trish Stratus the opportunity to relish in her victory, continuously ridiculing Lynch. ## In the previous week, Trish Stratus escalated her offense towards Lynch, playing her music to provoke the WWE Universe into believing that The Man had arrived. However, the scheme backfired spectacularly as The Man emerged from behind Trish Stratus, stunning the WWE Hall of Famer. ## To stay updated with all the latest wrestling news, add Google News feeds and follow us on Twitter.