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WWE RAW Results (6/29): Double Contract Signing, Champions vs. Challengers

Robert Lentini
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The June 29th edition of RAW aired from the Performance Center. Tonight’s show featured a double contract signing for the WWE and RAW Women’s Championship matches at Extreme Ruies.

WWE RAW Results (6/29)

  1. Angel Garza & Andrade def. Viking Raiders
  2. R-Truth def. Akira Tozawa to become 24/7 Champion
  3. Seth Rollins & Murphy def. Aleister Black & Humberto Carrillo
  4. Peyton Royce def. Ruby Riott
  5. Big Show def. Andrade & Angel Garza
  6. MVP def. Apollo Crews
  7. Lashley def. Ricochet
  8. Dolph Ziggler & Sasha Banks def. Drew McIntyre & Asuka

Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Ziggler Will Pick The Stipulation For The WWE Championship Match At Extreme Rules

double contract signing raw

RAW opened up with a brawl between Asuka and Sasha Banks in the middle of the ring. Bayley helped Sasha beat Asuka down before referees broke it up. Samoa Joe then began speaking about the contract signing before Banks and Asuka started fighting again. Dolph Ziggler came down to the ring and introduced WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. Ziggler introduced McIntyre as the most ungrateful man in the world.

McIntyre then joined Sasha Banks, Asuka, and Dolph Ziggler in the ring. Dolph stated that he has been carrying monsters like Drew on his back for his entire career and claimed that he is going to keep getting back up at Extreme Rules. Ziggler vowed to survive and that McIntyre’s redemption story will disappear at the PPV. Dolph claimed that he created McIntyre and vowed to destroy him at Extreme Rules: Horror Show.

Dolph and McIntyre then signed the contract to make the match official. McIntyre noted that he has gone through hell to become the man and champion that he is today. Drew said that Ziggler needs the title because he has never been the center of attention that he has always dreamed of being. Drew told Dolph that he was going to allow Ziggler to pick the stipulation of their match at Extreme Rules.

RAW Women’s Champion Asuka shouted and then quickly signed the contact. Banks stated that she is the standard, the leader, and the conversation. Sasha vowed to win the title at Extreme Rules and that her and Bayley are taking over the entire company. Asuka and Banks brawled again as Dolph went for a Superkick. McIntyre went for the Claymore but Dolph rolled out of the ring.

Andrade & Garza Picked Up A Win But Still Are Not On The Same Page

Andrade Garza

Big Show marched down to the ring and demanded that Randy Orton join him. Andrade, Angel Garza, and Zelina Vega interrupted and mocked the idea that Big Show is a legend. They were about to get into the ring before Ric Flair’s music hit. Flair said that Orton was the greatest wrestler alive today and will take Big Show out whenever he feels like it.

Flair said Big Show has been making cartoons on Netflix and that he has had his day in WWE. Ric told Garza and Andrade to have some fun at Big Show’s expense. Viking Raiders made the save and a brawl broke out as RAW went to a break. Garza and Andrade then battled Viking Raiders in a tag team match and Vega joined commentary.

Match Recap: Viking Raiders dominated early and isolated Garza in the ring. Andrade tagged in and beat Erik down. Garza tagged in and continued to beat Erik down but Andrade got pissed off that he wasn’t getting tagged in and left the ring. Vega stopped Andrade on the entrance ramp as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Andrade and Garza were still in control and had Erik trapped in the corner.

Erik escaped and tagged in Ivar as Garza tagged in as well. Ivar connected with a Sideslam and followed it up with a Splash. Erik tagged back in and Andrade caught him with an elbow to the face. Garza planted Erik with the Wing Clipper for the pinfall victory. Andrade was still pissed off and made his way backstage as Angel posed in the ring.

Rollins Sent A Message To Rey Mysterio

Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins came down to the ring with Murphy (no Austin Theory) to ask for “forgiveness”.

Rollins said that he has given Rey Mysterio every chance to walk away but he has defied him at every turn. Seth looked into the camera and asked Rey to forgive him not for what he has done but for what he is forcing him to do in the future. Rollins added that Rey is meant to be a sacrifise for the greater good of Monday Night RAW and that he will be forced to break Mysterio down piece by piece.

Mysterio and Dominik appeared on the jumbotron and Rey told his son that he hopes he can forgive him for what he has to do to Seth. Rey told Dominik that he loved him but he has to do something to Seth that is just as remorseless for what he did to him. Mysterio added that what he is going to Rollins is not by fate, it will be by design. Dominik told Rey that he forgives him and Rollins will never forget what Rey does to him.

Seth told Dominik and Rey to be careful what they wish for because Rollins will be forced to end Dominik’s career before it ever begins. Humerto Carrillo and Aleister Black came down to the ring as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Rollins asked Humberto why he looks up to Rey and called him a coward. Humberto told Rollins that he was a coward and less of a man than Mysterio. Aleister Black stated that he knows a thing or two about evil and recognizes it when he is looking at it. Rollins told Aleister that he thinks he knows evil but he hasn’t seen anything yet. Rollins and Murphy then battled Black and Carrillo in a tag team match.

Match Recap: Aleister Black and Murphy started the match off. Black was in control but Rollins got in a cheap shot as the referee was distracted. Seth tagged and beat Aleister down outside the ring. Back in the ring, Murphy tagged in and continued to beat Aleister down. Humberto tagged in and connected with an Enziguri to Murphy’s face. Humberto followed it up with a Crossbody and then launched Seth out of the ring.

Carrillo made his way to the top rope and hit a beautiful Dropkick and went for the 619 but Rollins broke it up. Carrillo then took Murphy and Rollins out with a Splash off the apron as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Carrillo was trapped in the ring but hit Rollins with an Enziguri that knocked both superstars to the canvas.

Aleister and Murphy tagged in and Black connected with a springboard Moonsault. Humberto tagged back in and hit Murphy with the 619 and went for the cover but Rollins broke it up. Seth leveled Black with a Suicide Dive and Murphy hit Humberto with a knee to the face for a near fall. Murphy lifted Humberto up in the Electric Chair and Rollins hit a knee to the face off the top rope but Carrillo once again kicked out at two. Rollins hit Carrillo with the Stomp for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Seth and Murphy sent Aleister into the timekeeper’s area. Murphy grabbed the steel steps and blasted Carrillo in the face with them. Rollins laughed and put a Rey Mysterio mask on Humberto’s face. Rollins tried to shove Humberto’s eye into the corner of the steps but Black broke it. Seth fought off Black and then hit Humberto with the Stomp on top of the steel steps. Seth and Murphy retreated up the entrance ramp as Aleister checked on Carrillo.

Opinion: Rollins’ decent into madness has been one of the best parts of RAW for some time now. I am looking forward to the eventual match between Mysterio & Rollins and to see how Dominik will factor in.

Big Show Def. Andrade & Angel Garza

Big Show Orton RAW 6 22

Angel Garza and Andrade faced Big Show in a Handicap Match tonight on RAW. Zelina Vega was ringside for the match.

Match Recap: Andrade and Angel spent some time arguing about who was going to start off the match. Garza and Andrade slid into the ring but Andrade quickly rolled back out. Big Show hit Garza with a chop that echoed throughout the Performance Center as Andrade hopped up on the apron. Big Show beat Garza down for several minutes before Andrade tagged in. Andrade walked into a massive Body Slam from Big Show as Vega had a horrified look on her face.

Angel tagged back in and Big Show went for a Splash in the corner. Garza got out of the way and stomped the hell out of Big Show. Andrade tagged himself in and Garza got pissed off. The two started shoving each other and Garza rolled out of the ring. Big Show got up and planted Andrade with a Chokeslam for the pinfall victory. After the match, Big Show hit Andrade with the KO Punch.

Opinion: I don’t understand why Garza and Andrade defeated Viking Raiders earlier in the night if they cannot work as a team. It makes the Viking Raiders look terrible that they couldn’t defeat them. I don’t have much interest in a Big Show versus Randy Orton match and I certainly don’t want to see Big Show walking through younger superstars on the way to Extreme Rules.

Sasha Banks Pinned The RAW Women’s Champion

Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks

Drew McIntyre and Asuka faced Dolph Ziggler & Sasha Banks in a Champions versus Challengers tag team match in the main event of this week’s RAW. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley joined commentary for the match.

Match Recap: McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler started the match off and Dolph got right in Drew’s face. Ziggler started taunting McIntyre and paid for it with a massive chop to the chest. Ziggler hit McIntyre with the Fameasser and went for the cover but Drew kicked out before a one count. Sasha Banks and Asuka tagged in and started shoving each other. Asuka leveled Banks with a shoulder tackle and Banks rolled out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Ziggler connected with a DDT on McIntyre and both superstars fell to the canvas. RAW Women’s Champion Asuka and Banks tagged in and Asuka hit Banks with a Shining Wizard. Bayley distracted Asuka and Sasha capitalized with a Meteora off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Banks went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at two.

Sasha connected with Double Knees and went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at two. Asuka battled back and tagged in McIntyre. Drew leveled Ziggler with a Clothesline and followed it up with a massive Arm Drag. Drew launched Dolph across the ring like he was nothing and then made his way to the top rope.

McIntyre hit a Flying Clothesline and sent Ziggler into the corner. Banks tagged herself in and McIntyre punched Ziggler in the face. Asuka hit Banks with a boot to the face and went for the cover but Sasha kicked out at two. Ziggler shoved McIntyre into the ring post as Sasha locked in the Bank Statement in the middle of the ring. Asuka broke free and applied the Asuka Lock. Banks countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: It was pretty evident that WWE was working with a limited roster during this week’s episode and the show definitely suffered because of that. The main event was entertaining and Banks versus Asuka at Extreme Rules should be great.

Court Bauer Provides Update On MLW’s Return, NJPW Relationship

Andrew Ravens
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MLW CEO Court Bauer recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about a wide range of topics including when the promotion will return to putting on shows.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, MLW has halted holding events in order to maintain guidelines from health officials to keep everyone safe. In the meantime, MLW has been airing taped shows from before the outbreak and even archive footage. 

“I will wait until we are sure it’s safe to return. We’re doing that for our fans, our athletes, and our crew, and all of their families. We do not want to put anyone at harm. We’ll see what the NBA looks like once they go live with their season, and we’re seeing what is happening with WWE. This [battle with COVID] is far from the rearview mirror. Our decision to proceed will be dictated by science and experts in the medical world. Until we know it’s safe, we’re going to be as judicious as possible.”

Tom Lawlor, who is under contract with MLW, is part of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Lion’s Break Collision series on New Japan World. As a result, there’s been speculation as to whether the two promotions have a working relationship.

This potential working relationship was asked about and Bauer addressed whether there is a partnership. 

“All I can say is that the arrangement was worked out office-to-office as opposed to independently. I’m a big fan of what New Japan is doing, and we’ll see where this relationship can take us.”

Bauer continued by stating that Lawlor had a talk with New Japan and they explained the process of sterilizing the rings and testing. Thus, he left it up to Lawlor as to whether he wanted to pursue this. 

He added that there was no pressure on Lawlor to not work for NJPW as MLW talent has been performing elsewhere during this pandemic, but he always cautioned them to take all the safety measures possible for themselves and their families.

Drew Gulak Discusses His WWE Contract Expiring, Hiatus & Return

Andrew Ravens
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Drew Gulak opened up on the situation last month where his contract with WWE expired only for him to sign a new deal with the company just days later. 

Gulak became a free agent and his profile from WWE.com was even moved to the alumni section. At the time it was reported that he had asked for a pay increase, which the company declined to do and that’s why his contract expired. 

It was later reported that he had signed a multi-year contract, but there’s no word yet how many years the deal is for.

While doing an interview with Sports Illustrated, Gulak discussed his contractual situation with WWE. 

“I actually never missed a TV. I never missed anything. My hiatus was just three or four days because the contract lapsed. It had nothing to do with anything else, just typical business that comes along with [a contract].

Gulak was also asked whether he was surprised at the amount of coverage that story received?

“I was surprised how much false information was put out there. At the same time, it’s a good thing that people were talking. There was nothing malicious intended behind any of it. The fact that I’m being reported on is a good thing. It just goes to show that people respect me as a performer.”

Gulak is currently in a feud with WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles. A a match was originally booked for last Friday’s episode of SmackDown, but was pulled. 

Ted DiBiase Tells Hilarious Story Featuring Junkyard Dog and Jake Robert’s Father

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The Million Dollar Man discussed a number of topics from his career, including when he turned heel against Junkyard Dog in Mid-South Wrestling.

DiBiase revealed a hilarious story from that time that involved Grizzly Smith, former wrestler in his own right and father of the legendary Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts.

“Funny story is that as soon as I turned heel? Grizzly Smith, that’s Jake Roberts dad, he was kind of like the agent who showed up at all the shows and let everybody know what they were going to do that night.”

Ted DiBiase Talks Grizzly Smith

DiBiase elaborated further, saying “and so I told Grizzly I said ‘I am not driving my car’ and he said ‘why?’ I said ‘you know why, because when I come out it’ll be on blocks back there!'”

Ted DiBiase would then compare the old school fans to now, saying “they took the wrestling real serious, and especially in New Orleans. So he [Grizzly] said ‘okay well then ride with me.’ So I wrote down there with him. And he’s ‘neutral’ right? And so, we have the match. I told Junkyard Dog, I said ‘you can’t just roll out there like you normally do. All these people? They think that you have just been screwed by your best friend. So you come running, you slide in and I and I’ll slide out. I’ll run around the ring and I’ll roll back in; you roll back in and hit me with whatever you want, just keep coming at me until I say quit.'”

DiBiase then talked what happened backstage. “So I get back in the dressing room and I’ve showered. Grizzly comes walking in and he just puts both his hands on his hips. He just looked at me shaking his head. I said, ‘what’s wrong? He said ‘they [the fans] slit my tires! We’re gonna be here a while. I said ‘see I told you!’ I said ‘they slit your tires, I wouldn’t have had a car!'”

Also Check Out:

Ted DiBiase

Jim Ross Talks Alleged Racism of Former WWE President and COO

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer, co-host of Grilling Jr and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed a former WWE President and allegations of racism back in the year 2000.

This week’s episode of Grilling Jr centered on the King of The Ring 2000 PPV, with JR answering questions surrounding the then WWF at the time.

Stu Snyder was appointed by WWE in June 2000 as WWE President and Chief Operating Officer. At the time, WWE released a statement from Linda McMahon lauding the new acquisition. “Stuart adds additional depth to our executive management team,” said Linda McMahon. “He brings a unique combination of experience from both the entertainment and live events industries that we believe will be a tremendous asset to WWE Entertainment as we continue to expand both domestically and internationally.”

Jim Ross on Stu Snyder

Jim Ross however had a different story to tell about the former company President. “He also worked at Turner Broadcasting” JR began. “Let me tell a Stu Snyder story very quickly that kind of describes who he is. If I recall correctly? He was not happy that he had a black limo driver. He was not happy that he had to ride in a black car.”

“And that came up late in the game” Jim Ross continued. “Vince was not aware that this guy had some apparent ‘alleged’ issues. So I didn’t have a lot of time for Stu Snyder. He’s one of those guys that came in fast talking like ‘here’s my resume bing bing bing.’ He’s got all these former employers in his resume. Well? There’s a reason for that. There’s a reason people change jobs a lot, because they’re not welcome anymore.”

JR would finish by saying that “he [Snyder] wasn’t a great guy at all. And he came in there and again, it’s the old deal where he had very little product knowledge.”

Also Check Out:

Jim Ross
AEW announcer Jim Ross

Impact Adds Gauntlet Match To Slammiversary Lineup

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling has an important PPV coming up next month on July 18th. The tagline for Slammiversary this year is “Our World Will Change.” The company is heavily-teasing that several wrestlers recently released from WWE in April could debut for Impact on the PPV. Impact has recently added a gauntlet match to July 18th’s lineup, which could potentially provide an opportunity for new talent to appear.

The gauntlet match will be to determine a new #1 contender for Jordynne Grace’s Knockouts Championship. Grace will defend the title against Deonna Purrazzo at Slammiversary as well.

Rosemary, Neveah, Su Yung (aka Susie), Kiera Hogan, Taya Valkyrie, Tasha Steelz, Alisha Edwards, Kylie Rae, Kimber Lee, and Havok are all scheduled for the match.

Additionally, an X-Division Championship match featuring Willie Mack defending against Chris Bey will be on the show. Another match was also to see Tessa Blanchard defending against Michael Elgin, Trey Miguel, Ace Austin, and Eddie Edwards. Blanchard and Elgin are both now gone from the promotion, however.

The company is also said to be making a hard push to get Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Impact offered the team a deal that would allow them to also work for NJPW.

Update On NXT UK Scheduling Empty Arena Shows

Chris Stephens
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WWE has not filmed content for the NXT UK brand since March. In light of recent allegations made against multiple members of the brand, some fans weren’t sure if NXT UK would be returning at all. According to social media comments by Gary Cassidy of Sportskeeda, however, the plan is to return to filming content for NXT UK within the next two months.

“I’ve had several people asking NXT UK,” Cassidy wrote. “Last month, I reported on how talents were “working from home” and that there was a plan to tape content when safe to do so. A couple of weeks ago, I was told there’s a tentative plan to tape empty arena shows within roughly two months…”

The plan is for the brand to film empty arena shows but a venue has not been determined. The company does have the WWE UK PC available in Enfield, North London, however.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingGary/status/1277348555431325698
https://twitter.com/WrestlingGary/status/1277348884587708422

The current United Kingdom Champion is WALTER from Imperium. Mark Coffey and Wolfgang hold the brand’s tag titles. Kay Lee Ray is the current Women’s Champion in the UK as well. NXT UK’s Jordan Devlin is still technically the holder of the NXT Cruiserweight Championship as well, having never been formally stripped of the belt.

Big Swole: Tessa Blanchard’s Best Choice Is AEW

Chris Stephens
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For the first time in 2 years, Tessa Blanchard is a free agent. There have been reports that WWE is interested in her and others have suggested she could end up in AEW where her father Tully is.

Last September, Big Swole and Tessa Blanchard met in single’s action at an independent show in Orlando. They’ve also wrestled in a multi-person match for Warrior Wrestling in February. According to comments Swole made on Twitter recently, she thinks Blanchard’s best choice is to sign with AEW.

Swole was asked on Twitter about the possibility of Tessa ending up in AEW:

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1277220368751702017

Both wrestlers were trained by George South Jr. before starting their careers. Cedric Alexander, Swole’s real-life husband, is also said to have had a hand in training Blanchard.

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1277404866655268864

Swole also suggested that perhaps apologizing for past behaviour would be in Blanchard’s best interest, however.

https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1277408341610856451
https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1277418975081771008

The match between Big Swole and Tessa Blanchard from last September can be viewed in the player below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGv91ZGy4rQ

Big Swole In AEW

At the moment, Big Swole sits outside AEW’s top-5 rankings. She seems more focussed on making life miserable for Dr. Britt Baker DMD. In recent weeks, she has dumped Baker in a dumpster and taken her “Role’s Royce” for a ride. Swole is sporting a 4-3 record in 2020 and a career 5-7 record in AEW.

Kevin Owens Implores People To Wear A Mask

Chris Stephens
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Kevin Owens recently released a video through his social media. In the video, Owens details his wife losing her grandfather to COVID-19 and implores people to please wear a mask.

“A little over a month ago, my wife lost her grandfather to COVID-19,” Owens begins the video. “It was awful to see it happen. He was a sweet, kind, man and while he was elderly, he was still taken too soon from us because if it wasn’t for this virus, he’d still be here.”

“Seeing her go through that, seeing her family go through it, it was just so terrible. We had to watch his funeral on Zoom. We had to see the effect it had on her mother, my mother-in-law, who wasn’t even able to give her Dad a proper goodbye. It was just really awful and that story is one amongst thousands like it.”

Kevin Owns Says Please Wear A Mask

“Please, if you are going to go out in public, wear a mask, keep social distancing, it’s not over and it could make a huge difference.”

“If you’re going to choose not to do those things please have the decency not to admonish, belittle, or talk down to people who take those steps. I’ve seen a lot of that lately and it’s kind of sickening.”

“At worst, wearing a mask and social distancing does nothing. At best, it helps save lives.”

Owens continued to talk about those who belittle others for wearing a mask.

“At worst, making fun of people wearing a mask and not wearing a mask yourself, telling people to not wear a mask, can help spread this disease and make things worse. At best, if you are doing that, belittling people and calling them ignorant for wearing masks, at best you are making fun of people who are trying to do what they think is best for their community. So, let’s try to remember that.”

The full video can be viewed in the Tweet below:

Stu Bennett Discusses Potentially Signing With AEW, If He’s Interested In WWE Return

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Stu Bennett has spoken about the possibility of seeing him in All Elite Wrestling. When asked about the chances of Bennett signing with AEW, he explained how returning to a full-time wrestling schedule isn’t “high on my agenda at the moment.”

Bennett acknowledged his friendship with AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes, reflecting on their near decade long friendship. He noted how Cody has done an “amazing job” with AEW. Bennett admitted he was excited about the “explosion of opportunities” that currently exists within pro wrestling.

“I work for NWA currently as a commentator, and there’s Ring of Honor which a friend of mine Marty Scurll is running the moment, obviously IMPACT has done some great stuff recently and grown from the ashes of where they were years ago, and then there’s all the Japanese stuff, and there’s some good stuff going on in the UK too.”

Stu Bennett On A WWE Return

Stu Bennett recently revealed how he had been approached about a NEXUS return at WrestleMania 36. It was an offer he ultimately turned down. He noted how, as long as the pitch and offer are good, he would be open for an in-ring return. Bennett stressed how it wouldn’t necessarily have to be with WWE.

He spoke about how when he left WWE, he felt was “done working there.” Bennett confessed his anger with a few people in management during his tenure with the company.

That being said, he talked about how time is a great healer. Stu Bennett shared how he no longer has that same animosity within him. He then stressed how he doesn’t have an “automatic affiliation” with WWE.

Stu Bennett explained how he would approach any offer as a normal business decision. This would be true whether the offer came from WWE, AEW, Ring of Honor or New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Cesaro: John Cena Is “One Of The Top-Five Superstars Of All Time”

Steve Russell
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WWE Superstar Cesaro was a special guest on a recent episode of WWE show, The Bump. During his time on the show, Cesaro had high praise for John Cena, labeling him as “one of the top-five Superstars of all time.”

As far as Cesaro is concerned, Cena stands as one of the best Superstars to ever compete. Describing Cena’s work ethic as “second to none,” He then highlighted Cena’s wrestling skills, stating how “His in-ring ability, I think, is absolutely amazing. I think it’s still underrated.”

He revealed how Cena had helped him to learn “so much” when he first came to WWE. According to Cesaro, John Cena is “one of those guys where he was there full time for every event.”

This commitment to his job and the pro wrestling business is something the SmackDown Superstar clearly admires, as “The Swiss Superman” described Cena as an inspiration. 

Reflecting on their shared mentality, Cesaro shared advice Cena had previously shared with him. According to Cena, a Superstar is only as good as their last match. Cesaro confessed he has a similar mindset and embraces that mentality with every single match he has. This approach has led him to try and make every match “special” in some way. 

Maria Kanellis Discusses Pregnancy Storyline, Who The Father Was Going To Be

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Maria Kanellis has revealed the conclusion to the dropped storyline that featured herself and her husband, Mike Kanellis. Last September, WWE began a pregnancy storyline that revolved around Maria teasing who the father of her baby was. Several WWE Superstars were teased as being the father including Rusev, Ricochet, and Mike Kanellis.

Turns out that the story was meant to springboard Mike Kanellis into a babyface turn. It would have been an arc of hope and motivation giving strength to overcome addiction and adversity. Maria Kanellis revealed the unused ending via Twitter after a fan asked her about the dropped storyline.

When asked who would eventually be revealed as the father, Maria replied:

“My husband. He was supposed to turn face. And do a story about recovery from addiction and motivation. But… that’s just too good. Too real. Too honest. And of course I was supposed to remain the bad guy. [Winking kiss emoji] until I came back from maternity leave. Baby face momma!!”

While engaging with her fans, Maria Kanellis also suggested that it’s just a matter of time before she and Mike return to WWE.

When another fan shared how much they want to see Maria and Mike Kanellis back in WWE, Maria wrote, “Don’t worry. We will be back. They thought I was quitting after having babies. Hahahaha… that’s just the beginning. Everything I fought for before is nothing compared to those pretty baby eyes. Those browns and blues.”

Both Superstars were released back in April as part of WWE’s attempt to save money due to the coronavirus impacting business.

Roman Reigns On WWE Hiatus, Family, In-Ring Goals Upon Return

Steve Russell
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Roman Reigns has opened up about his time away from the ring. “The Big Dog” refused to compete against then-WWE Universal Champion Goldberg at WrestleMania 36 back in April. This was due to coronavirus concerns and to prepare for the birth of his twins.

Reigns admitted that the past few months have been tough as he adjusted to looking after his newborn twins. He noted how he’s been waking up at 6:30 am, “bright-eyed and ready to go.”

He also spoke about how his kids have been a blessing to him and his family tree.

Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania Choice

Regarding his decision to not compete at WrestleMania 36, Reigns stressed how it was a “choice for my family.”

He noted how WWE has done “everything” to make the workplace as safe as possible:

“The decision was taken mainly because each performer travels so much, and we are all such a diverse group and from all over the place. I’m not convinced, and I can’t trust the fact that everybody is taking it as seriously and locking themselves down at home like I am.”

Roman Reigns continued, “I trust my life with my co-workers every time I step foot in the ring, but I just can’t put the same trust when it has my children, my wife and my family involved. But I don’t want it to come off as I am taking a stand against the company at all, because I love the WWE. I’ve been a part of this company just since I was a little boy. That’s why I always take it so personally when I represent them.”

Reigns is looking forward to eventually returning to in-ring action. He revealed he has continued to train diligently during the pandemic. Although he may be returning to perform in front of no fans, it’s not something that phases him too much.

He knows that wrestling to an empty arena is “tough.” Reigns commended the Superstars who have been doing it since the pandemic forced WWE to perform to no crowd.

He noted how everything he learned revolves around garnering a crowd reaction and to lean into interacting with them. To him, not being able to feed off of them will be “the hardest part.”

Despite declining a championship opportunity, Reigns is hoping to return to one. He spoke about his interest in challenging for the WWE Universal Championship, currently held by his WrestleMania replacement, Braun Strowman. Whether he is able to come back to a title match or not, Reigns is adamant to prove himself as he attempts to re-establish himself as WWE’s biggest star.

Edge Talks About Creative Control Since WWE Return

Steve Russell
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WWE Superstar Edge recently joined Busted Open Radio as a guest. During the interview, “The Rated R Superstar” opened up about how much creative freedom he has been afforded since returning to the squared circle. 

Edge shared how he has been given “almost full carte blanche” creatively. He noted how there have been a few instances he tried to push back against, but realized that “the lines were drawn” on those creative choices. He noted that when it comes to his promos, he is in full control. “I’m writing them. The storyline arc, I put it together.” 

Acknowledging his unfortunate triceps injury, Edge stated how you have to sometimes “make chicken salad” out of a bad situation. He stated how everything is a work in progress at this time, but stressed how his return has been “so much fun” because of the freedom he has been trusted with. 

Edge suffered a triceps injury during the recording of “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.” The bout saw him go up against his rival Randy Orton. Though pre-recorded, the match would air during WWE’s Backlash event. Rumors began to circulate shortly before the airing that Edge had suffered the injury. WWE would later confirm the injury, revealing that Edge has already had surgery.

Orton would eventually come out the winner from their Backlash match. With Edge having previously won their Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36, both men have a win apiece. 

Cody Rhodes Comments On Sammy Guevara’s Suspension

Steve Russell
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All Elite Wrestling’s Executive Vice President and in-ring talent Cody Rhodes has commented on the recent Sammy Guevara controversy that came to light. Guevara has been suspended from AEW without pay and will undergo sensitivity training after he came under fire for comments he made about Sasha Banks on a podcast back in 2016.

Responding to a fan on Twitter, Cody Rhodes addressed the situation after being asked to reinstate Guevara. The AEW TNT Champion stated:

“Sammy will return. And he will be a better professional wrestler, and a better man when he does.”

Sammy Guevara Apologizes

Since the clip of Guevara’s comments surfaced, the Inner Circle member released an apology video addressing his statements. He acknowledged that he has grown as a person over the past four years and would be taking a break from social media:

“I just want to apologize to anybody I let down, to Sasha, to anybody I hurt with my words.”

Guevara continued, “It just sucks cause 2016 me is not me today. 2020 me would never say those kind of hurtful things that I did in 2016. I used to think it was funny to do some kind of shock humor to pop the room I’m in. I thought it would be funny to do that kind of humour, shock humour and it’s not.”

He stated how some people may be dubious over his statement. For them, four years may not be that much time for genuine change. He argued that so much has happened in his life as wrestling allowed him to travel the world and grow as a person. Guevara stressed he now understands the words he says can have an impact on people. He promised to never joke or take sexual assault lightly again.

Sasha Banks would speak with Sammy Guevara about his words. She explained how the two had an open discussion. Banks stressed how “the comments he made, jokingly or not, have absolutely no place in our society!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aDopYWwfH0&feature=emb_title

Jim Ross Talks ‘Hiding’ Information From Vince McMahon To Stop Brock Lesnar Signing With WWE

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer, co-host of Grilling Jr and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed the signing of Brock Lesnar to WWE back in the year 2000.

This week’s episode of Grilling Jr centered on the King of The Ring 2000 PPV, with JR answering questions surrounding the then WWF at the time. One of WWE’s biggest ever acquisitions came that year, with NCAA Division 1 Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Brock Lesnar signing with the company and heading to WWE.

Jim Ross on Brock Lesnar

Conrad Thompson asked Jim Ross if there was a chance that Lesnar could’ve signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling or even WCW before joining the WWF. “Absolutely not, we had him” Ross confirmed. “And for that we could always thank J Robinson, the wrestling coach at Minnesota, for his support on that deal.”

Jim Ross elaborated further, saying “as I’ve told the story before, we could’ve signed Brock after his junior year.”

In previous podcasts JR has confirmed that Robinson wanted Lesnar to stay and finish out his senior year of college before signing with WWF. “With his [Robinson’s] old teammate Gerry Brisco and with my blessing? We made a deal that we would not sign him.”

Vince McMahon

JR then revealed a very interesting tidbit from the time. Jim Ross was the Head of Talent Relations in WWF/WWE, and he noted that he didn’t even tell Vince McMahon about why Brock wasn’t going to sign for the company until he finished his senior year of college. “I didn’t even tell Vince this story because he would’ve wanted me to go sign Brock right away.”

Jim Ross finished by mentioning how Brock Lesnar got the biggest rookie contract (at the time at least) in WWF/WWE history. “I remember he [Brock] got the biggest rookie contract, to that point. I can’t imagine anybody getting more than the 200-250k that we gave to Brock to start out with.”

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Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar

Bret Hart Launches “Confessions Of The Hitman” Web Series

Chris Stephens
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Wrestling legend Bret “The Hitman” Hart has announced a new web series available for purchase. “Confessions of the Hitman” Season 1 has been released and can be purchased for a cost of $35.The first season of the show features 35 episodes in total and new episodes are uploaded weekly.

The show will feature Bret telling classic stories, revealing his favourite moments in wrestling and more. It is available for purchase at BretHart.com.

“Hey everyone my new web series Confessions Of The Hitman season 1 is now available at BretHart.com $35 Canadian for 35 episodes total with new episodes uploaded weekly. I talk about aspects of my childhood, career, life after wrestling, and current events,” Bret Tweeted.

Bret Hart Career Highlights

Bret Hart’s career in pro-wrestling is one of the most decorated in the history of the business. Here are some of the highlights:

  • 2x WWE Hall of Famer: Solo induction in 2006, w/ Jim Neidhart as the Hart Foundation in 2019.
  • 5x WWE Champion
  • 2x WCW Champion
  • Ranked 39th greatest Canadian of all-time in 2004 CBC poll.
  • 2x WWE Tag Team Champion w/ Jim Neidhart
  • 6x Stampede North American Champion (Stampede Wrestling)
  • Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 1995
  • George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2006
  • Iron Mike Award (Cauliflower Alley Club) 2008
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame Class of 1996
  • Feud of the Year (WON) Hart Foundation vs Steve Austin (1997)
  • Match of the Year (WON) vs Steve Austin WM13 (1997)
  • Feud of the Year (WON) vs Jerry Lawler (1993)

Update On WWE’s Taping Schedule This Week

Chris Stephens
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WWE has a busy week of taping upcoming. The company was scheduled to tape two nights of Smackdown on Friday but only ended up taping the one which aired that night. The episode also featured a re-airing of the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania between AJ Styles and the Undertaker. The company is also believed to have taped this coming Monday’s RAW from the Performance Center yesterday.

John Pollock of Post Wrestling was the first to report WWE’s taping schedule this week.

Here is the company’s upcoming taping schedule for this week:

  • Wednesday, July 1st, 2020: WWE will tape two episodes of NXT from Full Sail University this Wednesday. One will air that night and the other will air the following week. Both episodes are being branded as “The Great American Bash.” An NXT Championship match between Adam Cole and Keith Lee is scheduled for the July 8th episode.
  • Thursday, July 2nd, 2020: Two episodes of Smackdown will be taped. One will air the following evening and the other the week after.
  • Friday, July 3rd, 2020: Two episodes of RAW and Main Event will be taped.

WWE is not taping Sunday through Tuesday this week.

It is not clear at the moment how much of WWE’s roster will miss some of these shows. Several absences were noted on Friday’s episode of Smackdown. These included AJ Styles, who had been scheduled for a match with Drew Gulak. A segment involving Sheamus and Jeff Hardy was also postponed until next week.

Impact Said To Be Pushing Hard For Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling has built up their PPV on July 18th as the start of a new era for the promotion. Their weekly television show is filled with hints that multiple names recently released from WWE in April could be on their way to the promotion. Two of the names the company has teased are Karl Anderson & Luke “Doc” Gallows.

According to a report from Pro Wrestling Sheet, Impact has tabled a strong offer to the tag-team, one that would also allow them to work for New Japan Pro Wrestling as well once that is possible. The hope is that Anderson and Gallows will be at the Slammiversary PPV on July 18th.

Gallows previously performed in Impact Wrestling from 2011 to 2013. After leaving the promotion, he joined Bullet Club in NJPW. While apart of the Impact roster, Gallows was a member of the Aces and Eights faction. Impact has recently been teasing a return of the group. Former member, D’Lo Brown, ominously broke out his old Aces and Eights vest at the end of last week’s episode.

Anderson & Gallows are 2x RAW tag-team champion in WWE. They also won the Tag Team World Cup in Saudi Arabia while in the promotion in 2019. They are 3x IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions in NJPW. Anderson and Gallows also won the World Tag League tournament in 2013 shortly after Gallows debuted.

WWE Interested In Signing Tessa Blanchard

Chris Stephens
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Tessa Blanchard was released from her contract with Impact Wrestling earlier this week. The 24-year-old has spent the last two years with the promotion. Things between the two sides took a turn after the onset of the pandemic as Blanchard was unwilling to leave Mexico for TV tapings. There was concern that if she left Mexico, she might not be able to return. She has been staying in the country with her fiance, Daga.

There are also reports that Blanchard failed to turn in taped promos for an episode of the show. Her contract with Impact was said to expire before Slammiversary and the two sides were unable to come to terms on her performing on the PPV.

According to a report from Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE has sent feelers out to Blanchard now that she is a free agent.

“I know she’s gotten feelers out from WWE, I don’t know AEW,” said Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. “It’s funny, if WWE signs her, I don’t think anyone says anything. If AEW signs her, I think that people will just go berserk on AEW signing her.”

Blanchard had been scheduled to take part in a 5-way world title match at Slammiversary. Both she and Michael Elgin have now been removed from that match, however.

Matt Riddle Recalls Wearing Flip Flops During First Meeting With Vince McMahon

Andrew Ravens
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Matt Riddle has reflected on his first meeting with his new boss. 

The newest addition to the SmackDown roster did so when he was a guest on the Ariel Helwani MMA Show recently. During the chat, he discussed his position on not wearing boots or anything for that matter while wrestling inside of the squared circle. 

Riddle told a story about wearing a full suit and flip flops for a meeting with WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon at WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT months before WrestleMania 36 in April. 

“Still wrestling barefoot,” Riddle said. “Before all of this I had a meeting with Vince months ago before Mania, and I went to his headquarters with a full suit and flip flops and he saw that and he saw that that’s my thing. I haven’t worn shoes in years. “I don’t think anybody wants to change me. I think they know what they’ve got and I bring something unique and original.”

The interview was done before allegations surfaced against Riddle. A woman accused Riddle of sexual assault, a charge which WWE says they are investigating. However, Riddle has stated that he’s not guilty of this accusation. 

The former NXT star made his SmackDown debut on the June 19th episode of the show when he interrupted AJ Styles’ Intercontinental Title celebration in the opening segment. 

This led to Riddle beating Styles in a non-title match.

Big Non-Title Match Added To WWE NXT Great American Bash

Andrew Ravens
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On Saturday, WWE confirmed a new match for the first week of WWE NXT Great American Bash. 

WWE had NXT General Manager William Regal confirm on Twitter that WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks will battle NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in a non-title match on this special episode of the weekly NXT show. The match will take place this coming Wednesday night. 

Regal tweeted, “It seems the past and the present are in conflict once again and the #WWENXT Universe will have the pleasure of seeing it happen. It is OFFICIAL. This Wednesday, on night 1 of #NXTGAB, it’ll be #NXTWomensChampion @shirai_io vs. @SashaBanksWWE in a non-title match! #WeAreNXT.”

This bout booking comes after Bayley and Banks were attacked by Io Shirai two weeks ago on NXT following their successful defense of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. 

The following matches have been confirmed for week 1, which is this coming Wednesday’s show on the USA Network. 

  • Roderick Strong vs. Dexter Lumis – Strap Match
  • Aliyah and Robert Stone vs. Rhea Ripley – Ripley must join The Robert Stone Brand, if she loses
  • Tegan Nox vs. Dakota Kai vs. Candice LeRae vs. Mia Yim – Fatal 4-Way to crown a new #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Championship
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks vs. NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai – Non-Title Match

Report: WWE Looking At Bringing Back Fans This Summer

Top WWE Officials Haven’t Reached Out To Renee Young After Positive COVID-19 Test

Andrew Ravens
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Earlier this week,  Renee Young announced that she had tested positive for the coronavirus. It turns out that some top WWE officials have yet to reach out to her to see about her status. 

The WWE personality was tested at home when she started to not feel well. Although she tested positive for the virus, her husband, AEW World Heavyweight Champion, Jon Moxley was tested and his results came back negative.

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Young didn’t receive any contact from Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn, Paul Levesque or Mark Carrano to see how she was doing as of June 25th. However, a lot of wrestlers did contact her. 

The latest on Young’s condition is that she was tired and her chest felt heavy, but she has improved.

It’s been reported that WWE officials are keeping talent and employees in the dark regarding the names that have positive test results and how many positive cases of COVID-19 there are. 

As of this writing, Moxley is still in the clear and still scheduled to defend the AEW World Championship against Brian Cage on July 8th, which will be night 2 of Fyter Fest.  

Stu Bennett Teases In-ring Return: “I Need To Go Back & Rewrite The Ending”

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar and NWA Commentator Stu Bennett recently appeared on Ryback’s Conversation With The Big Guy podcast. The former Bad News Barrett discussed a number of topics during the interview, including his recent discussions with WWE and when he plans on getting back into the ring to wrestle.

“I will make this clear right now as I don’t want to be misinterpreted. I’m not looking to get back in the ring anytime soon” Stu Bennett began on the podcast.

Stu Bennett on Returning To The Ring

“At some point in the future? I know 100% that I need to go back and rewrite the ending at least” Bennett continued. “I can’t leave it forever on how things ended with me because it was a very, very bad time. [with] a lot of disappointment of course. But I don’t want to people to think out there ‘yeah give me a call I’m gonna get back in the ring tomorrow.’ That’s not where I am at all.”

Stu Bennett would elaborate further, saying how happy he is with his current commitments outside of a wrestling ring. “I’m quite happy with the lifestyle I have right now. Of course with the virus and a lot of stuff going around it’s another reason I don’t want to be travelling at the moment. And, I love working with NWA and that’s something that whatever else I do outside of that? I hope to continue working with NWA and doing commentary with them. I love doing that, they have a great schedule and they have a great product that I enjoy.”

NJPW or ROH?

Bennett would finish by discussing which promotions he would consider speaking with to wrestle again. “I’d of course be open to something with Ring of Honor or New Japan. But, I can’t see anything for the rest of this year in 2020. I will be very surprised if I was in a wrestling ring this year.”

Where would you like to see Stu Bennett/Wade Barrett end up? Let us know in the comments

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A Fight Reportedly Took Place At Recent Impact Tapings

Chris Stephens
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It’s been an eventful week for Impact Wrestling. The promotion terminated the contract of their world champion Tessa Blanchard. Dave Crist and Joey Ryan were both fired and Michael Elgin has been taken off all future shows. It is also now being reported that a backstage fight occurred at the most recent set of tapings.

The fight is believed to have been between Michael Elgin and Sami Callihan. It is being reported that the fight didn’t come to blows but there was some shoving and it had to be broken up by Scott D’Amore.

“(Michael Elgin) also got into a backstage fight with Sami Callihan arguing about how a three-way match with the two of them and Ken Shamrock would be laid out,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Impact recently announced that Elgin will no longer be appearing on any Impact shows. This decision was reportedly made due to the recent allegations against him as part of the #SpeakingOut movement, however, and not due to the backstage incident with Callihan.

Elgin was to be in the 5-way world title match at Slammiversary. The match was to pit Tessa Blanchard vs Ace Austin vs Trey Miguel vs Eddie Edwards vs Michael Elgin. 2 of the 5 competitors in the match are now gone from the company, however.

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