Konnan and Disco Inferno were both with WCW when the Montreal Screwjob took place in WWE. The next night on Nitro, several NWO members came out with Canadian flags in an apparent nod to Bret Hart coming in.
Konnan and Disco Inferno recently addressed the backstage reaction to the Montreal Screwjob in WCW.
“We didn’t know if it was a shoot or a work, at least I didn’t,” said Disco Inferno. “This was the day after.”
It was then brought up on the show that even Eric Bischoff wasn’t sure if what had happened was real or staged. Bischoff evidently only knew it was real when Rick Rude had told him so and Bischoff trusted him.
Konnan then said he knew what had happened was real because Bret told him so.
“I knew Bret very well because, as he’s put in his book before, when I was in WWE, I showed him the sharpshooter,” said Konnan. “So he knew me from Canada because I used to work for his dad, Stu Hart. He had told me it was a shoot, he told me about the story between him and Shawn Michaels where he pulled his hair because Shawn said he’d never drop the title to Bret.”
The screwjob was only referenced on WCW Nitro when the NWO came out with Canadian flags and sang a bad rendition of the Canadian National Anthem.
“I knew what was going on, I don’t remember that promo, I don’t know who wrote it, I don’t remember none of that,” Konnan concluded.
Billy Corgan purchased the NWA in 2017, taking over ownership of the company that October. The promotion recently parted ways with Executive Producer Dave Lagana due to allegations made as part of the #SpeakingOut movement.
According to comments made recently by Raven, he has heard that Corgan is disillusioned with wrestling at the moment and is likely not bringing the NWA back.
During an interview with Hannibal, Raven was asked about possibly helping with the creative for the NWA. This is when Raven responded that he has heard Corgan will be shutting the NWA down.
“Me and Billy get along really well but I think Billy’s shutting it down, from what I hear,” Raven said. “Billy really does the booking, Billy does all the booking, at least he did with Resistance Pro. He liked me there to have my wrestling mind so I could say yay or nay to ideas. Like if they make sense or they don’t but ultimately he was the final say on everything as he should have been.”
Raven continued to say that he’s heard Corgan will not be bringing the NWA back.
“I heard it through the grapevine that Billy’s not opening it back up, he’s really disillusioned.”
The NWA recently parted ways with Executive Producer Dave Lagana due to allegations made as part of the #SpeakingOut movement.
AEW star Chris Jericho and rock legend Sebastian Bach got into a heated altercation on social media late Wednesday night.
It all began when Twitter user @TravisDrago pointed out that Chris Jericho is starting to look like the Skid Row frontman. Bach says he hears the Jericho comparison “every single day.” When another Twitter user says Jericho is the superior rocker, Bach called out Jericho for “miming to a tape” instead of performing live like he’s been doing since the 1980’s.
Every single day for the last two or three years somebody tells me this ?
Bach doubled down on his dig at Chris Jericho, calling him “Milli Vanilli” for lip syncing at shows. This got the attention of Le Champion, who touted that his band Fozzy has had more success on the Billboard charts than Skid Row.
Cool let's see a clip of that then because every single clip I have seen is Milli vanilli
Hi… I’m Chris “Milli Vanilli” Jericho. I have 5 top 30 singles in the last five years w my band @FOZZYROCK. I’m a huge fan of @sebastianbach … who had 3 top 30 singles 30 years ago. I always admired him as a singer and a friend! And I still do. https://t.co/fTPGmzBtSq
Jericho says that he considered Sebastian Bach a friend until this Twitter spat. He then challenged Bach to a sing-off. “No effects, no tuning, no bullshit. He’s a great singer, but I’m better. You’ve got my number dude. Call me.”
Bach said he wasn’t being derogatory by stating that Jericho lip syncs. He accepted Jericho’s sing-off challenge:
“I will sing in your f******* face anytime. Wrestling is not rock and roll. I will show you f****** rock and roll.”
Where is the derogatory comment? All I asked is to see one single clip of you singing live. Every clip on the Internet is you miming to a tape. I will sing in your f****** face anytime. Wrestling is not rock and roll. I will show you f****** rock and roll. https://t.co/dPoecJGdF7pic.twitter.com/Mm28RE9i0Q
Jericho’s bandmate, guitarist Rich Ward, says Chris is the first one to defend Sebastian Bach when other people talk trash about him.
2/2 Jericho is loyal and was always quick to defend a guy that he considered a friend. Seeing Sebastian publicly go after the only guy that I have ever witness utter a nice word about him is sad.
Chris Jericho claims to be the better singer, but he might have Sebastian Bach to thank for that. In this 2011 video for Revolver, Jericho receives a singing lesson from none other than Bach himself.
AEW Fight for the Fallen aired tonight on TNT from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. Jon Moxley defended the AEW Championship against FTW Champion Brian Cage. Cody put the TNT Championship on the line against Sonny Kiss. It was also announced that Vickie Guerrero is Nyla Rose’s manager during tonight’s show.
Jon Moxley def. Brian Cage to retain AEW Championship
Here are 5 takeaways from Fight for the Fallen:
Cody Retained In A Great Match With Sonny Kiss
Cody defended the TNT Championship against Sonny Kiss in the first match of the night. Sonny Kiss enrance included the Jaguars cheerleaders and a dance routine before he made his way to the ring.
Match Recap: Cody went right after Sonny and beat him down in the corner of the ring. Cody showed off and did some pushups as Arn Anderson shouted at him to stay focused. Sonny threw Cody to the apron but Cody got right back in the ring and hit a Disaster Kick for a near fall.
Sonny Kiss connected with an elbow to the face and sent Cody to the outside. Back in the ring, Sonny hit an Enziguri but Cody responded and locked in a Full Nelson in the middle of the ring. Sonny battled back with a beautiful Belly to Belly Suplex and then hit a Hurricanrana for a two count.
Kiss did a split in the ring and then planted Cody with the Cross Rhodes for a two count. Sonny connected with a 450 Splash for another two count. Cody battled back and launched Sonny out of the ring and onto the entrance ramp. Cody followed Sonny out of the ring and hit him with an Alabama Slam on the entrance ramp.
Cody connected a Superplex and went for a cover but Kiss kicked out at two. Jim Ross scolded Cody for a lazy cover and said Cody’s head wasn’t in the game as the champ was arguing with referee Aubrey Edwards. Cody exposed the turnbuckle but wound up getting slammed onto it. Sonny took control and hit a boot to the face. Kiss went for a Clothesline but Cody dodged it and hit the Cross Rhodes for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Cody and Sonny Kiss put on a great match to kick off this week’s show. They kept cutting to Tully Blanchard watching the match in the crowd and it will be interesting to see if anything comes of that. Cody also wrestled the majority of this match as a heel but shared a hug with Sonny after the victory.
Match Recap: Dax and Pentagon started off the match by trading shots in the corner of the ring. Fenix tagged in and went for a Suplex but Dax Harwood blocked it. Cash tagged in and hit Fenix with an Elbow Drop for a near fall. AEW continued to cut to Tully Blanchard during this match as well.
Fenix booted Cash in the face and then knocked Dax off the apron. Rey leveled Dax with a Dropkick outside the ring as Butcher and Blade watched on from the truck they stole from FTR as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Fenix went for a Crossbody off the top rope but Cash caught him with an uppercut.
Dax tagged in and hit Fenix with a couple snap Suplexes. Harwood leveled Pentagon with a Clothesline and then sent Fenix face first into the turnbuckle. Lucha Bros took control and hit Wheeler with a Splash and then a Leg Drop for a two count. Fenix went for a Hurricanrana but Wheeler caught him. Dax tagged in and hit a Flying Clothesline for a near fall.
Fenix and Pentagon went for a couple Splashes but FTR got their knees up. FTR flipped off the Lucha Bros and a brawl broke out. Fenix and Dax knocked each other out of the ring as Pentagon and Cash battled on the apron. Cash knocked Pentagon to the floor and hit a Suicide Dive into a DDT. Fenix leveled Wheeler with a Splash out of nowhere and hit Dax with a Superkick.
Back in the ring, Fenix and Dax traded shots. Dax ripped off Fenix’s mask and then rolled him up for the victory. Young Bucks showed up behind Butcher and Blade and leveled them with a couple Superkicks. Young Bucks gave FTR the keys to the truck back as Kenny Omega brought some beers into the ring as a peace offering. FTR dumped the beer over Kenny’s head and Omega went to attack FTR but the Young Bucks stopped him. FTR were supposed to drive off in their truck but it looked like it didn’t start.
Chris Jericho came down to the ring with Inner Circle. They were all holding orange juice as Jericho claimed that he had one of the best matches in AEW history against Orange Cassidy. Jericho boasted about winning the ratings war and referred to himself as “the King of the Ratings, maaaan”.
Jericho said that he understands the concept of drawing money and that Orange Cassidy wants a rematch. All the advertisers in the important demo want a rematch as well. Chris then looked into the camera and said Orange Cassidy isn’t getting a rematch as the chanted that Jericho was scared.
Chris said that the Demo God is never scared and Inner Circle raised their half gallons of orange juice. Jericho took a swig and said the rest was for his dead career. Jericho poured the orange juice in the ring before Orange Cassidy interrupted. Orange Cassidy leaned up against a railing in the crowd as they chanted “freshly squeezed!”.
Jericho told Orange Cassidy that there will never be a rematch and told him to shove his sunglasses up his ass. Chris demanded Orange Cassidy to get the hell out of the arena and called him a piece of shit. Orange Cassidy gave Jericho a thumbs down and a giant container of orange juice was dropped onto Inner Circle. Jericho threw a fit and demanded someone throw him a towel. Jericho wiped his face and it was revealed that it was an Orange Cassidy towel.
Opinion: I absolutely loved this segment and I know it pissed off the people that spend hours arguing about ratings on Twitter instead of just enjoying both shows. Jericho continues to be awesome in AEW and I’m fall for a rematch against Orange Cassidy.
The Elite squared off against Jurassic Express tonight on Dynamite.
Match Recap: Nick Jackson booted Jungle Boy in the midsection as Hangman Page was shown drinking backstage watching the match. Jericho shouted that he wanted some vodka as Marko and Kenny tagged in. Marko hit Kenny with a couple jabs but Omega shrugged them off and hit Stunt with a chop to the chest. Stunt battled back with a Dropkick and tagged in Luchasaurus.
Nick Jackson took out Jungle Boy and Marko outside the ring. Omega knocked Luchasaurus out of the ring and Kenny flipped onto everyone as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Jungle Boy leveled Omega with a Clothesline outside the ring. Luchasaurus hit Nick with a Clothesline and sent Matt to the corner.
Luchasaurus leveled the Young Bucks with a kick to the face and followed it up with a Chokeslam on Nick for a two count. FTR joined Hangman backstage and poured some whiskey as Omega tagged in. Omega hit Luchasaurus with a V-Trigger and followed it up with a Snap Dragon Suplex. Omega hit Jungle Boy and Marko with a couple Suplexes as well.
Young Bucks brought Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt out of the ring and then hit Luchasaurus with Superkicks. The Elite then planted Luchasaurus with a Tiger Driver 98 for a two count. Jungle Boy hit Nick with a Hurricanrana and Marko followed it up with a 450 Splash for a two count. Marko hit Matt with a ridiculous Canadian Destroyer before Omega leveled Stunt with a Clothesline. Kenny hit Stunt with the V-Trigger and then the One Winged Angel for the pinfall victory. After the match, Kenny unloaded a flurry of punches to Marko’s face before Young Bucks broke it up. Kenny was laughing in the corner of the ring to end the segment.
Opinion: There is a lot going on in tonight’s show. We got FTR sharing drinks with Hangman as Kenny is losing his mind during the match. It sure looks like Kenny Omega is on the verge of a heel turn and that could lead to trouble to the AEW Tag Team Champions.
Jon Moxley defended the AEW Championship against Brian Cage in the main event of this week’s show. Before the match, Taz cut a promo about Moxley sitting home his wife while Brian Cage was wrestling a regular schedule and training his ass off. Moxley came down to the ring in a Danny Havoc t-shirt.
Match Recap: Moxley started off the match in control and beat Cage down in the corner of the ring. Cage exploded out of the corner and leveled Moxley with a Clothesline. Cage lifted Moxley up like he was nothing and did a few curls. Brian followed it up with an uppercut and went for a German Suplex but Jon broke free with some elbows to the face.
Jon battled back with a Dropkick and then focused his attack on the surgically repaired left bicep of Brian Cage. Moxley locked in an Armbreaker but Cage broke free with several punches to the face. Jon slammed Cage into the ring post and Brian fell to the floor outside the ring. Moxley hit Cage with a Suicide Dive but Cage quickly battled back and threw Moxley into the barricade.
Cage and Moxley continued to battle outside the ring and Jon trapped Brian’s arm in the barricade. Moxley booted Cage’s arm and set up a barricade on the apron. Brian Cage sent Moxley into the barricade with a Belly to Back Suplex as AEW went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Cage had Moxley in a Torture Rack in the middle of the ring. Cage slammed him to the canvas and went for the cover but the champ kicked out at two.
Brian thew Moxley into a steel chair and set up for a Suplex but Jon countered into a roll-up for a two count. Cage went for a Moonsault but Jon got out of the way. Moxley hit Cage with a knee to the face but Cage responded with a Clothesline. Moxley hit a Clothesline of his own and then the Paradigm Shift for a near fall.
Moxley perched Cage up on the top turnbuckle and planted him with a Superplex for a near fall. Jon then quickly applied the Kimura Lock in the middle of the ring. Cage powered to his feet and hit Moxley with a Buckle Bomb. Brian followed it up with a Superplex of his own and went for Drill Claw but Jon escaped. Jon went for an Armbreaker but Cage kept his hands together. Moxley ripped his fingers apart and locked in the hold.
Jon gave Taz the finger while still having the hold locked in and Taz threw in the towel to end the match. After the match, Brian Cage hit Moxley in the face with the FTW title and the lights went off in the arena. When the lights came back on, Darby Allin was on the top rope and hit Brian Cage with the skateboard.
Opinion: I really enjoyed Fight for the Fallen but thought the main event was very underwhelming. I get the logic that Taz throwing in the towel protects Cage, but it still left a lot to be desired for a title match. It was just a bad note to end such an entertaining show on. There were several good matches but I enjoyed FTR versus Lucha Bros the most and it great to see Darby Allin back.
The July 15, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University.
WWE NXT Results (7/15)
Damian Priest def. Cameron Grimes.
Indi Hartwell def. Shotzi Blackheart
Keith Lee def. Dominik Dijakovic to Retain NXT & North American Titles
Timothy Thatcher def. Denzel DeJournette.
NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai def. Tegan Nox to Retain Title
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Keith Lee Speaks
WWE had newly crowned NXT Champion Keith Lee address fans following his big title win.
Of course, Lee beat Adam Cole to snap his historic title reign as NXT Champion last week on NXT in a Winner Takes All Match.
Lee came out for an in-ring promo to open the show. He said the last few months have been trying for all of us and he understands that pain because losses hurt. He said that there’s something special about being in the ring and he stands before the fans as a double champion.
Lee knows that he has a target on his back and everyone wants a championship shot. He knows that chances created him to get to this point and thanked various people like Tim Brooks and the fans.
Lee would like to talk with Dominik Dijakovic, who came out to the ring. Lee thinks this moment is about both of them because Dijakovic pushed him to get him to this point and tested him to limits like no one else.
Lee suggested to William Regal that the first challenger for the titles should be Dijakovic. Dijakovic asked when and Lee said tonight and Dijakovic said yes.
WWE booked another match between Cameron Grimes and Damian Priest. In a match that no one really asked for, it happened and it was different from their first encounter.
Unlike their previous outing, Priest scored the pinfall after avoiding a clothesline and connecting with a kick to the back of the head of Grimes.
Their first match came a few weeks ago and saw Grimes pull out all of the stops as only a heel can do by attacking Priest prior to the match, which ultimately gave Priest an out in order to take the loss.
Priest continues to float on television and WWE hasn’t really done anything to make you want to see him in a big-time feud. On the flip side, the same can be said for Grimes, who is good in his role and someone that fans just want to see be attacked. That’s good for a heel, but it seems that is as far as his upside can go. Pure heat, no drawing ability.
NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai made her latest title defense against Tegan Nox.
The match was good as both girls worked hard although Nox wasn’t built up as a serious title contender, but rather the underdog in the way of the champion who is still trying to build up her credibility as a champion and thus pumping up her credit.
Nox put up a good fight and even had some dominating moments, but it wasn’t enough. The finish saw Io hit her finisher. After the match, Dakota Kai came out and laid out Io to close the show.
Knox had previously won a #1 contender’s bout to earn this title match, but now she’s headed back to the drawing board and the back of the line.
Just when you thought the feud was over, WWE goes back to it. Of course, following the opening segment, WWE saved Keith Lee making his first defense as double champion – North American Champion and NXT Champion – against Dominik Dijakovic.
As expected and like their previous outings, the two big men put on a show and told a good story in the ring. The finish came when Lee hit his finisher to retain the titles.
This booking decision was fine as the two have history and was a good way to have decent star power on the show against a strong AEW Dynamite episode. The funny thing is that Dijakovic was reportedly called up to the main roster and placed on RAW. He even tweeted various teases. Never made his debut though.
As with most things with WWE’s creative, things can change at any time and it appears that this was just that. Thus, apparently, WWE is keeping the big man in NXT for now.
Post-match, Scarlett came out to the ring and put the hourglass into the ring to let Lee know that Karrion Kross was still watching him.
After a week of the match getting delayed, Jon Moxley and Brian Cage finally met inside of the squared circle.
As seen on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite, titled Fight for the Fallen, on TNT, Moxley made his latest defense of the AEW World Heavyweight Title against the promotional newcomer.
Moxley successfully retained the title over Cage, who had Taz in his corner at ringside from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. Moxley worked over the right arm of Cage for the majority of the match, which was the story of the bout.
The finish came when Moxley had Cage in an armbar and Tax tossed in the towel. Post-match, Cage attacked Moxley until the lights went out and Darby Allin came out and hit Cage with his skateboard. This marked his return after being on the sidelines due to an injury.
This contest was originally supposed to take place on the second week of AEW Fyter Fest, which would’ve been last Wednesday. However, the match got pushed back due to COVID-19 concerns.
Moxley’s wife and WWE personality, Renee Young, tested positive for COVID-19 a few weeks ago. Because he lives with her, Moxley took a test, but his results came back negative.
At the time, Moxley was informed by AEW’s doctor to start isolating himself. Out of precaution, the decision was made to not rush the match in order for it to take place as scheduled, but rather to wait until Moxley was safe to enter the tapings and work the match.
Cody Rhodes joined AEW President Tony Khan and Chris Jericho in talking about the ratings war between WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite every Wednesday night.
The AEW TNT Champion did so by talking with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT. Rhodes made it clear that he tries to not worry about the ratings nor talk about it. Instead, he wants to focus on what AEW is doing and put on the best show possible.
“It’s really easy to get caught up in the weeds with like, ‘for X amount of weeks we beat WWE in the ratings’ or get into this wild demo discussion — if you ever catch me tweeting about the demos, please just delete my account. And it’s not wrong, I respect everyone that is bringing it up. I don’t make the ‘Top 50,’ that’s the thing.
People spam me and the management core — Showbuzz Daily, they make the ‘Top 50.’ We don’t make the lists. So, if we’re ahead of your favorite or your favorite shows, spam them! [Laughs] I don’t know what to tell you!”
Rhodes stated that the data comes out on Thursday’s and you can look at everything from minute-by-minute to when someone tuned out.
Thus, by looking at that data, you can ask yourself why people turned off the show, is it a pattern, and what went wrong. He stated that if you’re not drawing viewers, you have to at least address the problem.
Rhodes continued by talking about how that’s the one day it gets really analytical and looking into the data. He considers himself as someone who is creative, a competitor, and an artist so he looks at having the best show that gives fans emotion, creates memories, and brings them joy during this period.
The relaunched National Wrestling Alliance is currently in a state of limbo. The brand was beginning to build a solid viewer base for the NWA Powerrr YouTube series.
The league suspended operations and restructured its executive management team after NWA Vice President Dave Lagana was accused of sexually assaulting female wrestler Liz Savage. The NWA cut ties with Lagana, leaving the company scrambling.
Pursuant to allegations made by pro wrestler Liz Savage on her Twitter account, 6/18/2020, NWA VP David Lagana has resigned his position, effective immediately. As well all production of NWA content is temporarily halted, pending a restructuring of executive management positions.
With NWA’s future uncertain, a new report from Fightful provides new information on a few NWA talent contracts and departures:
Ricky Starks was offered upwards of $1000/month from NWA for a new contract offer before he left the company, per a report by Fightful Select. Starks is now with AEW, after answering the open challenge for Cody Rhodes’ TNT Championship.
Former NWA Television Champion “Outlandish” Zicky Dice was reportedly offered only offered $250 per month at one point, this was also rejected.
Thunder Rosa is also apparently now signed with the company.
Allysin Kay ‘still plans’ on working with NWA going forward.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio on SiriusXM Bully Ray recently discussed AEW and their ongoing shows during the Coronavirus pandemic.
All Elite Wrestling have taken a different approach to taping without fans to WWE. The company has been airing shows from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, an amphitheater that has a different atmosphere to WWE’s Performance Center. Despite this, AEW has had to maintain a high level of shock and awe to keep the momentum going on Wednesday nights.
This includes debuting new characters over the last few months, something that Bully Ray believes has been hindered by the lack of live crowd reaction. “I think the mentality of not staying in a holding pattern has actually…I don’t want to use the word hurt, but it has not benefited certain talents” Bully began on Busted Open.
Bully Ray on Broken Matt and Brodie Lee
“Brodie Lee, as the leader of The Dark Order, the Exalted one” Bully Ray continued. “I just think that because he had to go full blown and could not hold back on anything? Not being in front of a crowd hurt that a little bit. I think Matt Hardy as Broken Matt? I think Broken Matt was affected, look at the position they’ve had to put Matt in now. Kind of hanging out with Private Party, being a manager.”
Bully would then elaborate on his views of Matt Hardy’s AEW run. “I don’t think AEW’s original plan was to have to go back to regular Matt Hardy this soon. Because broken Matt Hardy was such a big deal. But Broken Matt Hardy is not going to resonate as much in the COVID times. These are our characters and angles that need the crowd, but wrestling companies are not in a position right now to hold back. Because what matters the most right now? The rating.”
Bully Ray would finish by saying “it’s all about the rating. Look, everybody’s talking about this whole AEW versus NXT war. The rating? That is really the only number that anybody has to go on these days.”
Do you agree with Bully Ray? Let us know in the comments
There have been numerous reports lately regarding Kairi Sane’s WWE status. According to a recent report from Tokyo Sports, Sane is likely returning to Japan by the end of the summer.
According to the article, Sane recently was married and the couple plans to move back to Japan. The report continues to say that Sane is hopeful to maintain some type of relationship with WWE, however. Earlier reports had suggested Sane could be involved with a potential NXT Japan developmental territory. Plans for a Performance Center and brand in the country have been shelved, however, due to the ongoing global pandemic.
Tokyo Sports’ report continues to say that there should be some type of announcement regarding Sane’s status by SummerSlam. They also noted that WWE Japan representatives stated they had not heard anything on the matter.
“It seems that there will be some announcement by the summer festival ‘Summer Slam’ (August 23). WWE Japan said, ‘We have not received any information here,'” a translation of the report reads.
Sane’ status was also addressed in a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
“Sane, 31, is returning to Japan to be with her husband. This has been in the works for a while and the company has known about it since May if not earlier,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
AEW on-air personality and former WWE agent Arn Anderson recently discussed his first meeting with WWE Superstar Roman Reigns. Anderson was discussing the Money In The Bank 2010 PPV on his ARN podcast alongside Conrad Thompson this week.
“I’ll never forget the first conversation I had with Roman” Anderson began. “It was down at the school [FCW] and he hadn’t been there long. I just said ‘hey, you know, give me five minutes to get to know you.'”
Roman Reigns first signed for WWE back in 2010, joining Florida Championship Wrestling. FCW was the developmental ‘territory’ at the time for the company; with Reigns, then known as Leakee, making his televised debut in August of that year.
Arn Anderson on Roman Reigns
“We had a nice conversation” Arn Anderson continued. “The first thing that popped into my head is ‘this guy’s a star.’ Roman speaks like a star, looks like a star and he carries himself with a lot of poise. He’s respectful.”
Arn Anderson would finish by heaping more praise on arguably WWE’s biggest face. “He’s just one of those guys you look at and go ‘you’ll be hearing about that guy.’ He just jumped off the page to me. He was just really…I mean he looked like a movie star.”
Do you think that Roman Reigns will return to WWE back in the main event scene? Let us know in the comments
This podcast episode as well as a ton of other content is available now on AdFreeShows.com – featuring exclusive content from Grilling Jr. What Happened When (w/ Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/ Eric Bischoff), ARN and Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio on SiriusXM Bully Ray recently discussed the NJPW faction Bullet Club. This past weekend saw New Japan hold their Dominion event, which was headlined by Tetsuya Naito putting his IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships on the line against his Los Ingobernables’ partner EVIL.
EVIL would win the bout following interference from Bullet Club, after which he joined the infamous group. Bully Ray would talk about EVIL joining the group on Busted Open, where co-host Dave LaGreca claimed that EVIL joining ‘breathed new life’ into Bullet Club.
Bully Ray on EVIL
“So I just want to talk about what you said about EVIL joining Bullet Club; breathing life into the Bullet Club” Bully Ray began on the show. “I kind of see where you’re coming from, but I don’t think the Bullet Club has been anywhere near what it was in the past.”
Bully Ray elaborated further, saying “I’m not even talking about when Cody and the Bucks where there [in New Japan]. Just that original inception of the Bullet Club, the heydays of the Bullet Club. EVIL being there is cool. Jay White as the head of the Bullet Club? I’m still on the fence [about that].”
Jay White
Ray would then state that he is a fan of White’s in-ring work, but that as a personality he is lacking in terms of ‘leadership.’ “I don’t think Jay White has the personality to be the leader of a group like the Bullet Club. I’m not talking about Jay White in the ring. Jay White is frickin phenomenal in the ring yada yada. But the Bullet Club is/was something special. It had that nWo-esque feel.”
Bully Ray would then reveal who he thinks should be leading the group. “To me, Tama Tonga has to take control of the Bullet Club, because he has that edginess. He has that killer instinct, that vibe. I want to see Tama be the head of the Bullet Club. Just think of him as the spokesperson for that Club? I think restores it to its original badassery. That’s just my take on the Bullet Club.”
Do you agree with Bully Ray? Let us know in the comments
NXT returns with a new episode tonight on the USA Network from the Performance Center in Orlando, FL. This week’s show will an appearance by the new Champ-Champ, NXT Women’s Championship match and more.
WWE is promoting the following items for this week’s NXT:
New NXT Champion Keith Lee will address the NXT Universe after his big victory over Adam Cole last week. What will happen to the secondary NXT North American Championship, now that Keith Lee holds both belts?
Karrion Kross and Scarlett were seen looking on during Lee’s victory celebration last week. Kross looks to be Keith Lee’s first challenger, confirming reports from several months ago that Kross would be fast-tracked to the NXT Championship picture soon into his run.
NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai will defend against Tegan Nox, who looks to complete her remarkable comeback story.
Damian Priest looks for payback in a rematch with Cameron Grimes.
Check back later tonight for our weekly NXT Results and Takeaways feature.
Tonight’s AEW Dynamite will be a special Fight for the Fallen edition benefitting COVID-19 relief efforts in North Florida. Donations are encouraged at AEWFightfortheFallen.com.
AEWShop.com is also selling a Fight for the Fallen t-shirt, with 100% percent of the proceeds from sales of this shirt being donated to Florida’s First Coast Relief Fund and Feeding Northeast Florida.
AEW Fight for the Fallen Preview
All Elite Wrestling is promoting the following items for AEW Fight for the Fallen:
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will defend against FTW Champion Brian Cage (with Taz). Cage earned the title shot at Double or Nothing when he won a Casino Ladder Match as a mystery entrant. Moxley vs. Cage match was originally scheduled for last week’s Fyter Fest event, but was delayed due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Lucha Brothers vs. FTR in a match that has show-stealing potential written all over it.
The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) vs. Jurassic Express (Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy & Marko Stunt)
The Nightmare Sisters (Brandi Rhodes & Allie) will be in action.
Plus, Chris Jericho of the Inner Circle will be on hand to ‘get something off his chest.’
Check back later tonight for our AEW Fight for the Fallen Results & Takeaways. Below, you can see AEW’s “Road To” special previewing the top matches on the card.
WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim ‘JR’ Ross recently discussed WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley on the Grilling JR podcast. One of the topics of discussion regarding the RAW Superstar was the early comparisons made to former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
Jim Ross on Vince McMahon Meeting Lashley
“Vince [McMahon] did not meet Bobby like in the grandiose way that he met Brock Lesnar” Jim Ross began on the podcast. JR has previously told the story of how McMahon saw Lesnar backstage and was instantly fascinated by the charisma and physical prowess of The Next Big Thing.
“It was a different deal, apples and oranges here” JR continued. “The comparison [between Lesnar and Lashley] was physical, you know? Lashley with this great strength, and of course the amateur background. He looked great, all the same things said about Brock. So I think that was why the comparison was made.”
Amateur Star
Jim Ross elaborated further, saying “It was simply the fact that we’ve got another heavyweight amateur star that we have great expectations for. I could describe when we first signed Brock the same exact way: Amateur Wrestling Champion who we think can be a star. Let’s see how hard you’re [Lashley] willing to work.”
JR would finish by saying how hard working Lashley was when he first joined WWE and the developmental system. “The great thing about Bobby in those day? We never had any issues with Bobby working hard. Bobby was a warrior. And again, you get that when your dad’s a drill sergeant in the army. And when you’re a three time national champion? You’re used to structure and you’re used to hard work.”
Do you think that Bobby Lashey could still be a major star in WWE? Let us know in the comments
This podcast episode as well as a ton of other content is available now on AdFreeShows.com – featuring exclusive content from Grilling Jr, What Happened When (w/ Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/ Eric Bischoff), ARN and Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard.
AEW presents Fight or the Fallen tonight. Ahead of tonight’s card, the promotion has released new top-5 rankings for its men’s, women’s, and tag-team divisions.
AEW Men’s Division
AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (13-0) TNT Champion: Cody (14-1)
Brian Cage (6-0) (+1)
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (7-0) (-1)
Lance Archer (9-1)
Chris Jericho (3-1) (+1)
Brodie Lee (5-1) (-1)
Champion Jon Moxley will defend against #1 Brian Cage tonight at Fight for the Fallen. Cage moved up one spot this week after picking up a victory over Brian Pillman Jr. (with the FTW title on the line) on AEW Dark.
TNT Champion Cody will look to defend his title tonight against the unranked Sonny Kiss.
#2 MJF falls down one spot. He didn’t wrestle last week.
#3 Lance Archer picked up a victory over Joey Janela on Dynamite last week.
#4 Chris Jericho moved up one spot after defeating the unranked Orange Cassidy last week.
#5 Brodie Lee tamed with Colt Cabana and Stu Grayson in a win over SCU but dropped one spot regardless due to Jericho’s win.
AEW Women’s Division
AEW Women’s Champion: Hikaru Shida (13-1)
Nyla Rose (7-2)
Big Swole (5-3)
Penelope Ford (4-4)
Kris Statlander (4-4) (injured)
Britt Baker (4-4) (injured) (role model)
There was no movement in the rankings of the women’s division this week.
#1 Nyla Rose picked up a win in a 2-on-1 handicap match against Kenzie Paige and KiLynn King last week. She later teased that she could be bringing in a manager soon.
#2 Big Swole is currently suspended for kidnapping Britt Baker. Wrestlers are not allowed to kidnap each other.
AEW Tag Team Division
AEW Tag Team Division: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (10-0)
The Dark Order (7-0)
The Best Friends (10-4)
Jurassic Express (5-1) (+2)
The Young Bucks (4-2)
Private Party (5-3) (-2)
#5 Private Party falls down 2 spots this week after dropping a tag title match to the champions.
#4 The Young Bucks were on the losing side of an 8-man tag along with FTR against the Lucha Bros and Butcher and the Blade.
#3 Jurassic Express picked up a victory over Peter Avalon and Brandon Cutler on AEW Dark. They moved up 2 spots with the win and Private Party loss.
Stu Grayson of the #1 ranked Dark Order was on the winning side of a trios match this week. He teamed with Brodie Lee and Colt Cabana in a win over SCU.
The Best Friends had the week off after dropping their title match to Omega and Page at Fyter Fest.
AEW President Tony Khan is doing the media rounds to promote Wednesday’s Fight for the Fallen edition of AEW Dynamite on TNT. The benefit show is raising money for Florida-based COVID-19 relief efforts.
During a discussion with the New York Post, Khan spoke about AEW suspending Sammy Guevara and Jimmy Havoc. He revealed that it was his decision to suspend both men, whose respective situations were different but both needed to be addressed.
Jimmy Havoc approached AEW management and informed them he needed help. Khan says Jimmy ‘really needed’ the treatment he is getting. “If and when he were to wrestle again, the most important thing for himself and everybody here is that he sought treatment and counseling.”
We wish Jimmy Havoc all the best as he receives treatment and counseling in an effort to overcome the mental health and substance abuse challenges in his life. pic.twitter.com/mh0hudsPuW
Regarding Sammy Guevara, Khan felt it was necessary to suspend him when an inappropriate joke he made about WWE wrestler Sasha Banks resurfaced. Khan says the recent controversy was the first time he heard the “horrible” comments.
“The comments he made were horrible,” said Khan. “I can’t defend them. I can’t even comment on them because they’re unspeakably bad. He has also done a different kind of counseling and he’s in a different kind of counseling and it’s a different kind of coaching. Everybody here, male and female pretty much up and down the roster we talked to felt like Sammy had no history of this kind of behavior. Really people were shocked Sammy had said that.”
Guevara is undergoing sensitivity training during his suspension. His AEW pay is being donated to a Jacksonville-based women’s non-profit.
Head over to the NY Post to read the full interview with Tony Khan.
More on the Sammy Guevara – Sasha Banks Situation:
AEW President Tony Khan recently addressed concerns surrounding the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Florida. Not only does Khan’s AEW promotion run in the state but his family’s Jacksonville Jaguars do as well. During an interview with the NY Post, Khan addressed the situation.
“I think we are dealing with the same issues as a lot of the other pro sports that are building bubbles in Florida,” Khan said. He continued to say that the rising rates are concerning to him as someone who lives in the state.
“I think logistically you don’t like to see it, so as a person that lives in Florida it’s concerning. I have not really left my own little bubble here and that is the key thing,” Khan continued.
Khan also spent some time discussing the different ways his various companies have handled live events during the pandemic. The Jaguars are potentially planning to have the stadium at 25% capacity meanwhile Fulham F.C is playing games in front of no fans.
“The Jaguars are making a choice for their stadium, whereas, they are planning in a few months and we’re kind of going week to week here (at AEW) and I think that’s a general kind of plan for the Jags. We haven’t for the Jags released a seating plan, what that 25 percent would look like and I think there are still a lot of questions to be answered before we get into playing football games. Fulham, on the other hand, we’re playing with no fans in England and piping in crowd noise, which the broadcast people have enjoyed.”
Khan’s AEW has an important card tonight from Florida. The Fight For the Fallen event will help raise money for COVID-19 relief. The Khan family has already donated $1 million to the cause. Jon Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship on the show against Brian Cage.
Impact Wrestling presented its go-home show for Saturday’s Slammiversary PPV. The upcoming PPV has mainly been built on teases of what free agents might be coming in. This week featured several segments building up the scheduled matches on the show, however.
Impact Results 7/14:
Havok, Nevaeh, Su Yung, Kylie Rae, Alisha Edwards defeated Taya Valkyrie, Rosemary, Tasha Steelz, Kiera Hogan & Kimber Lee
The Deaners defeated Team XXXL
Crazzy Steve & Tommy Dreamer defeated Moose & Rohit Raju
Here are 7 takeaways from Impact Wrestling 7/14:
A New Wrestler Has Officially Signed With Impact Wrestling
The most important segment from recent episodes of Impact Wrestling takes place just after the closing credits. This week, an unseen wrestler signed a contract and FedEx’ed it off to Scott D’Amore. The Impact Co-Vice President then remarked that Slammiversary “just got even more exciting.”
Backstage Brawl Between Trey & Ace Austin Previews Slammiversary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLNaod67aUk
Ace Austin and his new ally, Madman Fulton, traveled to Dayton, Ohio this week to train. Trey and Wentz from the Rascalz figured out where they were and went to the gym to confront them. Wentz locked Fulton in a room which allowed Trey to get Austin all to himself.
This week’s episode concluded with Austin and Trey battling it out in a preview of the Impact World Championship match at Slammiversary. Eddie Edwards and a mystery competitor will also be in the title match.
Fulton escaped and was about to join in the attack on Trey when Wentz arrived and held him off.
Tommy Dreamer & Moose Prepare For Slammiversary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTBYuKijJRY
Tommy Dreamer and Moose will clash at Slammiversary with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on the line. This week, Moose needed to find a tag-team partner to face Tommy Dreamer and Crazzy Steve. Moose ended up going with his “last resort” Rohit Raju, who accepted the match anyway.
Dreamer and Moose ended up brawling to the outside which allowed Steve to hit Raju with a top-rope DDT for the win.
Slammiversary Comes Early Between Jordynne Grace & Deonna Purrazzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXHH47U_FbY
A contract-signing took place this week for the Knockouts title match at Slammiversary. Deonna Purrazzo told champion Jordynne Grace that after Slammiversary, there will be a new champion. Grace slammed Purrazzo’s head into the table and sent the Virtuoso scattering to end the segment.
Rhino and Hernandez Arm Wrestling Match Finally Reaches Its Conclusion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLNaod67aUk
Rhino and Moose began having an arm wrestling match last week. It finally ended this week. Moose showed up as the two continued their 7-day long competition. He slapped Hernandez on the back which allowed Rhino to win. Hernandez wasn’t so keen on giving up the money they had bet on it, though. The two ended up brawling all around the arena until they eventually opted to split the money.
Team XXXL Turns Heel, Attacks The Deaners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlwkyDEFA5Y
The Deaners defeated Larry D and Acey Romero of Team XXXL this week. As numerous tag-teams try and earn another shot at the North, tensions are running high. Team XXXL turned heel after the match, taking their frustrations out on Cousin Jake and Cody Deaner in a post-match assault.
Here is the lineup for this Saturday’s Slammiversary PPV:
Impact World Championship Ace Austin vs Eddie Edwards vs Trey Miguel vs TBD
Knockouts Championship Jordynne Grace (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
X-Division Championship Willie Mack (c) vs Chris Bey
Impact Tag Team Championships The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) vs Sami Callihan & Ken Shamrock
TNA Championship (Unofficial) Moose (c) vs Tommy Dreamer
#1 Contender Knockouts Gauntlet Match Taya Valkyrie vs Kylie Rae vs Kiera Hogan vs Tasha Steelz vs Kimber Lee vs Havok vs Nevaeh vs Alisha Edwards vs Rosemary vs Su Yung vs Madison Rayne
Kenny Omega has provided new information about the upcoming AEW video game. The AEW Executive VP is involved in the game’s development, as is AEW referee Aubrey Edwards.
During a recent interview with CBR.com, Omega provided some insight about what he is hoping to achieve with the project. His main priority is capturing the ‘fun factor’ that longtime fans remember from games like WWF WrestleFest, WWF No Mercy, WrestleMania 2000 and the Virtual Pro Wrestling series.
“For me, I believe there needs to be a sense of being in the ring, that you’re controlling your favorite wrestler or controlling your create-a-character,” he said. WWE’s 2K series has utilized a slower-paced ‘simulation’ style of presentation. Omega is looking to achieve an arcade wrestling feel that is easy to pick up and play whether you’re a first-time player or a veteran.
I want a very simplified system that allows for pick up and playability. However, I want the moves and the structure of the game to be so crisp and the potential for it to be deep, to the point where you can have a match that actually resembles something of a pro wrestling match where the moves look the way they should, the characters move the way they should.”
He continued, “At the end of the day, a game needs to be fun. I want a game where I can take my favorite character and do all of his moves and decimate my opponents. But I want to be able to call over a friend that never games and with a very simple explanation, I want him to be able to pick up a controller and be able to feel like he’s in control of his movements and his destiny as well.”
Omega says the game is still in a “very preliminary phase,” which is what we’ve heard from Cody Rhodes, Aubrey Edwards and others who have commented on the AEW video game. That said, Omega teased, “We’re working at such an incredible pace right now. I think maybe we’ll have something to show sooner than what people would expect.”
AEW has stated their intention to document the development in the game in a manner similar to the “Road To…” videos that hype their big live wrestling events.
Friday’s SmackDown averaged 1.9 million viewers on FOX. This is up from the 1.777 million viewers that the show did for the previous week.
SmackDown averaged 1.905 million viewers in the fast nationals, which was up from the 1.777 million viewers a week ago. This number measured the top metered markets.
The first hour drew 1.930 million viewers while the second hour did 1.879 million viewers. For comparison, the first show of last week’s show did 1.797 million viewers while the second hour did 1.756 million viewers.
SmackDown pulled in a 0.50 rating in the 18-49 demos, the same from the 0.50 rating as last week’s show.
Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently discussed the state of professional wrestling in 2020. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic causing television ratings to decline? The ‘Big Guy’ believes that a major reason for the slowdown is that the likes of WWE are more based on in-ring than creating larger than life characters.
Ryback on The Business Shifting
“The business shifted to where the moves have become…I’ve said it all along, move based wrestling does not draw” Ryback began on The Ryback Show podcast.
“We’ve seen it in the independent promotions” Ryback continued. “Like Ring of Honor, they’ve not existed to the world. I’m not talking about the wrestling community, the wrestling community is well aware of them. But the majority of the world isn’t [aware of them].”
Ryback would then discuss his own experience on the big stage of WWE. “I love and respect wrestling, I love it. But anyone that actually knows and has been on the big stage? Knows that’s [move based wrestling] not what sells tickets at the end of the day. The [current] formula is not working overall.”
Despite his own opinion, Ryback would refer to the fact that WWE are making a substantial amount of money. “WWE is making more money than ever. So that’s all they care about. That’s directly from Vince [McMahon]. It’s a business, that’s all they’re looking at.”
Ryback elaborated further, saying “they’re not looking at all these other things, he [McMahon] doesn’t look at it like ‘well if this goes back to this? I could be making double what I’m making.’ He doesn’t, he just looks at he’s making more money than ever and he has control over pretty much all of it.”
Do you agree with Ryback? Let us know in the comments
Tony Khan recently appeared as a guest on the 83 Weeks podcast with Conrad Thompson and Eric Bischoff. Early in the show, Khan addressed a recent public conflict between him and Bischoff. The conflict stemmed from an interview the AEW President took part in with the Financial Times.
“WCW was badly mismanaged,” Khan said to the Financial Times. “They teased audiences with matches that never materialized and lost tens of millions of dollars on talent, some earning six figures without ever working. It was a real disservice to fans.”
Bischoff would respond to the comments by pointing out Khan has barely been in the wrestling business for long at all.
Khan addressed his comments early on during his appearance on 83 Weeks.
“Just so you know, and over the course of this conversation I’m sure it will come across, I am such a huge fan of your work and you are such an incredible innovator in the business,” Khan said to Bischoff.
“I wouldn’t be here and there would not be an AEW without you and there would not be wrestling on TNT right now without you,” Khan continued. “You gave me the opening to talk to the President of TNT to talk about the previous success you’d had on his network which he didn’t realize because it’s been 20 years.”
Khan continued to talk about how he had said numerous positive things about WCW during the interview with the Financial Times. The reporter evidently only ran with certain quotes, however.
“I’m such a huge believer in what you built,” Khan said to Bischoff.
The full podcast can be viewed in the player below:
64-year-old Diamond Dallas Page believes he has COVID-19. It does not appear that he has tested positive for the virus but several of his family members have. DDP put out a video on his YouTube channel today detailing his family’s situation.
“One of our family members was having a bridal shower, so Brittany and Paige went to the shower and there were 16 other women there and no one was wearing masks because everybody feels super comfortable with each other,” Page said in the video. As it turns out, at least 7 of the women ended up with COVID-19 from the shower.
“Around the 2nd or 3rd day, I started feeling sick,” DDP continued to say. “And then Paige was feeling sick and then we thought wow is this COVID? Because our minds are going to go right to that and like where could that even come from? Not even thinking about the bridal shower.”
DDP then continued to talk about the trouble he had getting people he knew tested for the virus. He finally did get tested and between taking the test and getting the results, his symptoms worsened.
“I felt like Big Show had a hold of my back, I mean it was so painful,” DDP said about the experience.
They got the test results back and DDP tested negative but Paige tested positive.
Page continued to say that AEW’s QT Marshall has tested positive for the virus.
“He tells me, 20 days ago he was tested, he’s got COVID. He had 3 days of symptoms, nothing after that. His wife Caroline, she came back negative, she’s had one symptom after another.”
DDP said that Marshall had another test today and he came back positive still.
“Please try to care about other people. If you don’t wear a mask for you, wear it for other people. Be cautious, do the social distancing and just be good to each other. We’ve only got ourselves so be good to each other.”
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the infamous incident involving Jeff Hardy from TNA’s 2011 PPV Victory Road.
Jeff Hardy appeared in the main event of that show. Hardy faced Sting for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, however he was visibly intoxicated and the call was made for Sting to pin Hardy early in the bout and go home on the broadcast.
There’s been much publicised about the incident and both Hardy and Sting have spoken extensively on the subject. The ‘backstage’ issues surrounding the incident were even brought up on television at the time, with AJ Styles lambasting Hardy in a backstage segment on IMPACT.
Bully Ray on Jeff Hardy
“I remember when Jeff Hardy had the problem, you know in the match against Sting” Bully Ray began. “Remember that debacle in TNA?”
“I remember when Jeff came back to the company” Bully Ray continued. “And they [TNA] made him apologise to the locker room. They put Jeff in front of the whole locker room and he just kind of apologised like I’m really sorry blah blah blah blah blah.”
Bully Ray would elaborate further, saying “then they said at the end of the meeting ‘does anybody have anything to say?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I do.’ I said, ‘Jeff, I really couldn’t care less about all of these things that went on. All I care about is that you can still hit your finish. Now let’s go out there and make some money.'”
The context of Bully’s comments surrounded the recent public issues that Matt Riddle is facing. The former UFC fighter turned WWE Superstar was recently accused of sexual abuse, however he has denied all allegations.
“All of this outside stuff is noise” Bully Ray finished. “We’re performers, when your music hits? You get in there, you perform, you tear the house down. And then you go home.”
