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Drew McIntyre Retains WWE Title Over Bobby Lashley At Backlash

Andrew Ravens
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The clash between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley is in the books. 

As seen at Sunday’s (June 14, 2020) WWE Backlash pay-per-view event, McIntyre made his latest title defense. 

As McIntyre was making his entrance, Lashley attacked him and locked in a full nelson choke until referees got him to let go of the choke. It was a solid back and forth match that was received well by fans on social media. 

The finish saw Lashley be knocked into Lana, who was on the apron. This allowed McIntyre to hit the Claymore Kick for the win.

WWE paired Lashley with MVP with the former United States Champion being his manager back in May. During a recent episode of Monday Night RAW, Lashley and MVP observed McIntyre’s match against Baron Corbin.

Following the match, Mcintyre stated he wanted to face Lashley. WWE shortly confirmed the match booking. 

It’s been reported that RAW Executive Director Paul Heyman wanted MVP to work as Bobby Lashley’s mouthpiece for a WWE Title run. The belief since McIntyre won the title was that he would have a long title reign. 

What are your thoughts on Drew McIntyre retaining the WWE Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Braun Strowman Remains Universal Champion At WWE Backlash

Andrew Ravens
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0

Braun Strowman successfully retained the WWE Universal Title in his second defense of the championship. 

He did so when he beat The Miz and John Morrison in a Handicap Match at the WWE Backlash pay-per-view event on the WWE Network.

WWE gave the challengers some offense but after Strowman was able to fight them off, he hit some signature moves before closing it out with his power slam finisher for the win. 

WWE set up this contest on the May 25th episode of SmackDown on FOX when the show opened with Strowman interrupting The Miz and Morrison on The Dirt Sheet. 

This led to Strowman beating the Miz in a non-title match. Post-match, he was challenged by Morrison to a Handicap Match at Backlash with the title on the line, which was accepted by Strowman.

Since then, WWE had been doing comedy segments with the three stars on television with the heels failing to embarrass him. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1272323603418275841

It’s possible that WWE goes back to this feud with Bray Wyatt portraying The Fiend soon as Wyatt was given time off as his second child with Jojo was recently born. 

What are your thoughts on Braun Strowman retaining the Universal Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Asuka vs. Nia Jax Ends In Double Count-Out At WWE Backlash

Andrew Ravens
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0

Asuka made her first successful defense of the WWE RAW Women’s Title on pay-per-view. 

She did so at Sunday’s WWE Backlash pay-per-view event when she put the championship on the line against Nia Jax.

The finish saw Asuka kick Jax in the head while at ringside, but failed to get back inside of the ring before the count of 10. Thus, both stars were counted out. Post-match, Asuka took her out with a dive off the apron. 

WWE set up this contest back on the May 25th episode of RAW when a match that would determine who was next in line for a title shot against Asuka. 

A Triple Threat Match that saw WWE NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax and Natalya battle it out took place with the winner becoming the next challenger to the title.

Jax was victorious, earning the right to challenge Asuka for the RAW Women’s Title at Backlash. 

Asuka was awarded the title the night after she had won the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the gimmick pay-per-view event. 

Time will tell whether WWE continues this feud or goes into a different direction heading into the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event next month. 

What are your thoughts on Asuka retaining the RAW Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Edge Reportedly Injured During Backlash Match

Andrew Ravens
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0

Unfortunately, in just his third match back since coming out of retirement, Edge has been injured. 

There had been rumors going around on Sunday regarding a potential injury suffered by the WWE Hall of Famer. It turns out that is the case as Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports after contacting several in the company, it was discovered that Edge had sustained a torn triceps.

The injury occurred during his match against Randy Orton that was taped last Sunday from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. WWE had been hyping it up as the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever even before it actually took place. 

As of this writing, WWE nor Edge has confirmed the injury. There’s also no word yet on how this affects his status with WWE or how it played out for the match. Clearly, he’ll be sidelined with the injury. 

Leading into this match, there was no report as to what was next for Edge regarding an opponent and date for the match. 

As noted, WWE taped this match in advance to make sure it was the best match possible due to the tagline to go along with it. 

Randy Orton Says WrestleMania Match With Edge “Stole The Show”

Taynara Conti To Impact Teased, KO Tag Titles Returning?

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling has teased that some of the recently released WWE wrestlers could appear at the Slammiversary PPV on July 18th, 2020. The promotion has teased wrestlers such as Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, EC3, Eric Young, Heath Slater and more could be on their way to the promotion.

Recently on Twitter, there has been some speculation that former NXT wrestler, Taynara Conti, could be headed to Impact as well.

Knockouts Tag Titles Returning?

This speculation started when someone asked Gail Kim if the Knockouts tag-team titles could be returning to the promotion. Kim then tagged several potential teams for the division, including two names who aren’t currently in Impact.

Taya and Rosemary are friends/rivals in the promotion. Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan recently became aligned. Nevaeh and Jessika Havok look to be aligned now in Impact as well as do Kylie Rae and “Susie.” Neither Sarah Stock nor Taylor Wilde is currently involved with Impact, though Wilde has been teasing a comeback on social media. Stock was working as a producer in WWE until being furloughed. The furlough period is up on July 1st.

Madison Rayne then said that if Kim won’t return as her partner then she could team with Deonna Purrazzo, Diamante, or Taynara Conti.

Deonna Purrazzo then Tweeted at her fellow former NXT roster member, Taynara Conti.

Taynara Conti To Impact Wrestling?

Another user on Twitter noted that Taynara Conti and Impact co-Vice President Scott D’Amore are now following each other.

Drew McIntyre On Being WWE Champion During A Pandemic

Chris Stephens
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WWE Champion Drew McIntyre will look to defend his title against Bobby Lashley at Backlash tonight. To help promote the match, McIntyre took part in an interview with TV Insider recently. During the discussion, he spoke about being champion during a global pandemic.

“It has been everything I imagined it to be within the confines of a pandemic,” McIntyre said. “I know my unique journey of all the ups and downs, being released before and finding myself as a person and performer. It prepared me to not just be one of the top guys but the top guy in the company who can handle any situation presented to him.”

“Nobody could predict [the coronavirus pandemic]. I’m the guy to move the company forward. Whenever I could step up like I did for British wrestling and independent wrestling, I’m all about it. The fact I got to step up for the company and the fans during a pandemic means the world to me.”

McIntyre also mentioned he doesn’t know much about the ins and outs of WWE’s creative process but commented on the recent changes.

“I don’t know the ins and outs regarding creative,” McIntyre said. “I get my creative and go from there.”

McIntyre also spoke about the possibility of Paul Heyman taking on new clients in storyline.

“Perhaps Paul Heyman has his eyes on other superstars he wants to bring to Drew McIntyre,” McIntyre said. “Either way, I always enjoy a little joke with Paul Heyman on the microphone. There is nobody better than him. It forces you to up your game. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing him soon enough.”

McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship after having earned a title shot by winning the 2020 Royal Rumble.

Depending on if you count Ted Dibiase and/or Antonio Inoki, McIntyre is the 52-54th person to hold the title. His is the 137th reign in the title’s lineage. McIntyre has successfully defended the title against the Big Show and Seth Rollins so far in his title reign.

The full interview with TV Insider can be read here.  

Randy Orton Says WrestleMania Match With Edge “Stole The Show”

Chris Stephens
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Randy Orton will face Edge tonight in what is being billed as “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.” Orton took part in an interview with CBS Sports recently and spoke about both his upcoming bout with Edge and the one they had at WrestleMania this year.

“At WrestleMania, I think we stole the show. At WrestleMania, I think we had the best story going into it, which definitely helped,” Orton said.

“Now, at Backlash, are we doing to have ‘the greatest wrestling match ever?’ Eh. That’s subjective. I kind of painted myself into a corner and the pressure is definitely on, but if anybody is capable of it, it’s myself and Edge.”

Orton also spoke about the criticism some had regarding the length of his match with Edge at WrestleMania.

“You ever read a book in 3 minutes? Watch a sitcom or a movie that lasts 3, 4, 5 minutes? No. It takes time. For the fans that want to sit down, grab a bowl of popcorn and get ready for some seriously good f—ing wrestling? I’ll see you at Backlash. For the ones that want to go see a 3-minute match with five of the same moves back-to-back-to-back-to-back? Don’t tune in.”

The full interview with Randy Orton can be read here.

Edge Releases Statement On “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever”

Chris Stephens
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Edge and Randy Orton faced off in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania. It was Edge’s first match in 9.5 years. Orton then challenged him to a traditional wrestling match at Backlash tonight. The match has since been billed “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.”

Edge took to social media recently to speak about the challenge of the match being billed as it has been.

“This is my first pure wrestling match in 9.5 years. After having another neck fusion and my right wrist fused(my “good” hand). At 46 years old. Being billed beforehand The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever. During a pandemic. With limited audience. Kinda crazy. Kinda fun. MASSIVE challenge,” Edge wrote.

He would continue to say that he really did pour his heart into this match. The bout between Orton and Edge has already been taped but will air tonight on the WWE Network.

“What I can say is that I have poured my full heart and soul into this match. I’ve studied. Didn’t sleep much. Because I care. I care about my work ethic. I care about my body of work.”

He would continue to say, however, that the “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” is subjective. His full statement can be read in the Instagram post below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBYK6OinaaU/

NJPW Reportedly Taped Matches From LA Dojo, MLW Star Participates

Chris Stephens
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New Japan Pro Wrestling reportedly taped matches yesterday at their dojo in Los Angeles. According to a report from PW Insider, 9-10 matches were filmed for a show titled “Lion’s Break Collision.”

Former MLW World Champion, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, is believed to have participated in the tapings. Other wrestlers reported to have taken part include Jeff Cobb, TJP, Rocky Romero, Misterioso, Alex Coughlin, Karl Fredericks, and Clark Connors.

New Japan Cup 2020

NJPW is back taping matches in Japan tomorrow. The company’s first show since February titled “Together Project Special” has no advertised matches. On Tuesday and Wednesday, NJPW will begin the New Japan Cup.

Tuesday, June 16th, 2020

  • Togi Makabe vs Yota Tsuji
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs El Desperado
  • Toru Yano vs Jado
  • Tomoaki Honma vs Hiromu Takahashi

Wednesday, June 17th, 2020

  • Kazuchika Okada vs Gedo
  • Yuji Nagata vs Minoru Suzuki
  • Yuya Uemura vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Gabriel Kidd vs Taiji Ishimori

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2020:

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Taichi
  • Kota Ibushi vs Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Ryusuke Taguchi vs SANADA
  • SHO vs Shingo Takagi

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2020:

  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs YOSHI-HASHI
  • YOH vs BUSHI
  • Satoshi Kojima vs EVIL
  • Hirooki Goto vs Yujiro Takahashi

WWE Backlash: Final Card

Andrew Ravens
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WWE Backlash happens this Sunday on the award-winning WWE Network.

The event features a series of championship matches taking place from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. WWE has yet to announce the headliner of this event. 

In addition to several title matches, WWE is booking Edge vs. Randy Orton, which is a rematch from their Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania 34, in a singles match that is being hyped as the greatest wrestling match ever. 

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley & Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The IIconics, and more are on tap for this show. 

SEScoops will have live coverage during the event. Afterward, check back for our WWE Backlash Results & Takeaways feature. Here is the final card for the show:

Backlash Card

  • Edge vs. Randy Orton – Singles Match
  • WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley
  • WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. The Miz & John Morrison – Handicap Match
  • WWE RAW Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Nia Jax
  • Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus – Singles Match
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley & Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The IIconics – Title Triple Threat Match
  • WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews vs. Andrade

Backstage Update On WWE Coronavirus Testing

AJ Styles’ Issues With Paul Heyman Led To WWE SmackDown Trade

Andrew Ravens
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It turns out that there’s more to the decision to move AJ Styles from Monday Night RAW to Friday Night SmackDown. 

Last month, in an unexpected move, WWE announced that Styles was officially traded to SmackDown. A new report has shed some light on this situation and it involves former RAW Executive Director Paul Heyman.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted on the message board of F4Wonline that Styles “was furious” over Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson being released. 

Per Meltzer, Styles reportedly blamed Heyman for their releases. Of course, Heyman doesn’t make the decision to release talent, but rather WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. 

Styles probably felt that Heyman could have fought McMahon over that decision, according to Meltzer. 

Anderson and Gallows are now free agents as WWE released them back in April alongside several other talent and staff who were part of the mass firings due to budget cuts related to the coronavirus impacting their business. 

As noted, Heyman was removed as the head of creative for RAW this past Thursday as Bruce Prichard will now take over in addition to his responsibilities with SmackDown. 

However, Heyman still has a WWE performer’s contract and will remain as the advocate of Brock Lesnar on television. 

WWE RAW Star Reportedly In Line For Title Shot

Andrew Ravens
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A top star on the WWE RAW roster is in line to get a shot at reclaiming gold and that’s Charlotte Flair. 

Dave Meltzer noted on Saturday’s Wrestling Observer Radio that Flair is next in line to challenge for the RAW Women’s Championship, which is currently held by Asuka. 

Flair lost the NXT Women’s Championship to Io Shirai at NXT Takeover: In Your House last Sunday. Rhea Ripley took the pinfall in the Triple Threat Match. 

This comes days after Meltzer noted in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the idea behind not having Flair taking the pinfall was to keep the perception that she is superior to the other women.

With Becky Lynch being pregnant, WWE wants to book Flair as their top star in the women’s division on RAW. Thus, despite losing the title, WWE made sure to keep Flair looking strong in order to be pushed as the top female performer in the company.

As of this writing, Flair doesn’t have a match booked for Sunday’s WWE Backlash pay-per-view event.

On the flip side, Asuka will make her next title defense against Nia Jax at this show that takes place in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on the WWE Network. 

USA Network Not Happy About Paul Heyman’s WWE RAW Removal

Andrew Ravens
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The fallout from the big shift in the creative for WWE RAW after Paul Heyman’s removal continues. 

WWE announced earlier this week that Heyman has stepped down as RAW Executive Director to focus on his on-screen role while Bruce Prichard will now be in charge of both RAW and SmackDown. Vince McMahon made the decision for the change. 

Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that the USA Network, which airs RAW, is very unhappy with the change. He noted that the network wasn’t happy with the drop in ratings, but understood the reason behind it and knew months ago that this was a rebuilding period, which takes time. 

RAW ratings had been dropping week-over-week, but not a huge drop as they did once WWE was forced to move shows to the Performance Center in front of no fans due to the coronavirus. 

For those who are wondering, Monday’s episode of RAW has already been taped, which means no changes to booking will be made at least on that show. However, plans in place by Heyman for the RAW roster at the Backlash pay-per-view event could be changed regarding outcomes. 

It’s been reported that Heyman had originally said that it would take eighteen months or longer to build new stars. Clearly, McMahon felt that a change needed to be made.

Shayna Baszler on Asuka – “She hasn’t even scratched the surface of what she can show”

Jake Skudder
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0

WWE Superstar Shayna Baszler recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The former NXT Women’s Champion appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a number of topics from her recent career with the company.

One of the points raised was the WWE RAW Women’s Championship match between Asuka and Nia Jax that will be taking place Sunday at WWE Backlash.

“I can sit here and tell you that Asuka got handed a title and whatnot. But she is a former champion” Shayna Baszler began. “So that’s not to say that she’s not a formidable opponent. She has proven that, but I think Nia Jax is on a roll lately, she’s been literally just picking people up and tossing them around, and nobody’s been able to stop her.”

Shayna Baszler elaborated further, saying “she did it to me in the Money In The Bank match. She just picked me up and threw me against the wall. Next thing I know? I’m waking up and the thing is over. So I know firsthand about how that goes and how it feels.”

Baszler would then talk about her and Asuka have similar backgrounds, even talking about how they trained with similar coaches. “Asuka is crafty and she’s game. We kind of came up in the same lineage through pro wrestling, kind of the same family tree. She trained with some people that I’ve trained with. And some of our coaches were teammates. So, if I know anything about where she came from in her training? In her upbringing? She hasn’t even scratched the surface of what she can show, so I know her toolbox goes a lot deeper than we even realise. So it’s gonna be…it’s gonna be a good match.”

Do you think that we’ll get a match for the title between Asuka and Shayna Baszler? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

Shayna Baszler

Charlotte Flair Talks Being ‘Frustrated’ With Detrimental WWE Fans

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair recently appeared on the Wrestling Daft podcast. The multiple time Women’s Champion appeared for a short interview on the show discussing topics from her recent career in WWE.

One of the topics discussed was Charlotte Flair being positioned on all three of WWE’s major brands currently. That being RAW, SmackDown and NXT. Flair would state how she feels “frustrated” when certain fans would complain that she is being pushed in such a way by the company.

Charlotte Flair on Frustration

“I think I’m doing some of my best work in my career right now” Charlotte Flair began. “I realise that because people see me all the time, I just don’t think…it’s not what they’re used to and the expectation is so high.”

Charlotte Flair would elaborate further, saying “it’s so frustrating. Because it’s like ‘what am I not supposed to be hungry? Am I not supposed to, you know, always want to be on top? Am I not supposed to be fighting to get better?’ So, I don’t know, it’s like a catch 22.”

Flair would then state that whilst she is on all three brands not every storyline is actually based on her specifically. “I think the biggest thing for me? Yes I’m on all three brands. But if you look at my storylines that I’m a part of? I’m a part of someone else’s storyline, it’s not like anything is a Charlotte Flair ‘push.’ Going to SmackDown was not for me, that’s not a push. Charlotte Flair is a ‘name’ and she is coming to SmackDown. Currently, I am just all over the place brand wise; because I am the hardest worker, and I will say that for the women.”

Do you want to see Charlotte Flair still appear on all three brands going forward? Let us know in the comments

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Bully Ray – “Bobby Lashley Holding The Championship Is a Good Look for WWE”

Jake Skudder
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0

WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently commented on Bobby Lashley and his upcoming WWE Championship match at Backlash.

The former TNA Heavyweight Champion would discuss how now would be a perfect time to put the WWE Championship on Lashley, for a litany of reasons. The most prominent being the current world climate.

Bully Ray on Bobby Lashley

“I really do think that this is a good time for it” Bully Ray began on the show. “I don’t like to think that because of what’s going on in the world today? That we feel it necessary to put the championship on an African American athlete? But I believe Bobby Lashley is well deserving of that and they [WWE] can make it work.”

Bully Ray would elaborate further, talking about how current Champion Drew McIntyre hasn’t had a fair shot due to the ongoing pandemic and the style of taping WWE has had to employ. “This whole pandemic situation that has been unfortunate for Drew, Vince had high hopes for Drew. Drew’s doing a great job and Drew can continue to do a great job. When the crowds are back? I think job number one with Drew is to get that World Heavyweight Championship back on him.”

Lashley as WWE Champion

“When there are crowds back allowed in the house? That’s when we’ll finally find out if Drew is truly over with the fan base” Bully Ray continued. “But right now? I’m leaning towards Bobby Lashley becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion. I’m not saying that he has to pin Drew clean in the middle, they can be some chicanery, we can get some interference by MVP blah blah blah. But I think Bobby Lashley holding that Championship is a good look for the WWE.”

Bully Ray would then finish by saying “Bobby Lashley would be your World Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Cruz would be your United States champion and The New Day would be your Tag Team Champions. I don’t know, I just wanted to get that off my chest.”

Do you think that Bobby Lashley will defeat Drew McIntyre at Backlash this Sunday? Let us know in the comments

Also Check Out:

Bobby Lashley

Shayna Baszler – “The First Round Is The Walk To The Ring”

Jake Skudder
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0

WWE Superstar Shayna Baszler recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The former NXT Women’s Champion appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a number of topics from her recent career with the company.

One of the points raised was Shayna Baszler’s mental approach when walking to the wrestling ring and previously the MMA cage.

“When I was fighting in MMA? The first round is the walk to the ring” Shayna Baszler began on the show. “And that’s when all the self talk starts. It’s funny, because I was on a reality show; and they sat me down in a setting, much like this and they’re like, ‘so tell us what’s going through your mind as you make that walk?’ That’s where all the self talk is.”

Shayna Baszler Talks Mental Strategy

Shayna Baszler elaborated further, saying “it’s like, ‘I’ve worked so much harder for this, she doesn’t deserve this.’ That’s where you have to be, you have to have that mentality. And when you verbalise that to people that have never made that walk? It sounds arrogant, but the truth of the matter is if you want to achieve the things that have been achieved by people that have made that walk? You have to have that mentality.”

Shayna Baszler then talked about the backlash she and her Four Horsewomen of MMA partner Ronda Rousey received when talking about the mentality. “I got that backlash for verbalising what goes on in my head. Ronda also got that backlash for verbalising what goes on as well.”

Also Check Out:

Jake Atlas Says He Doesn’t Want To Be Known As “The Gay Wrestler”

Chris Stephens
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0

25-year-old Jake Atlas trained with the Santino Bros out of Southern California. The highly-touted prospect recently took part in the NXT Interim Cruiserweight Championship tournament, sporting a 2-1 record and advancing to Group A’s tie-breaking triple threat. Atlas recently spoke to People.com about not wanting to be known as “the Gay Wrestler.”

“You’re not going to watch me because I’m gay. You’re going to watch me because I’m good,” Atlas said to People.

He also noted that Sonya Deville reached out to him and the two have grown closer since.

“Sonya Deville was one of the first superstars that reached out to me,” he said. “We have been able to get closer and understand each other. And like we’re both here, you know? I have your back; we have my back.”

Unfortunately, coming out was difficult for Atlas when he was a teenager. He spoke about his Mother’s reaction when he came out to her during the interview as well.

“I came out when I was 15,” Atlas said. “I didn’t tell a friend. I went straight to my mom. When I told her was the first time that I uttered the word ‘gay.’ I didn’t even say bisexual, because I knew I had been lying to myself. I was crying and I even said the words, ‘I know this is wrong, but I’m gay.’ ”

“I know that more than anything, she was crying out of disappointment. And she brought religion into it. It was a difficult moment,” he continued. Atlas would continue to say the two have had better conversation since, however.

https://twitter.com/iamjakeatlas/status/956597533639192577

The full interview with Jake Atlas can be read here.

Mustafa Ali Comments On Being A Former Police Officer & Black Lives Matter

Chris Stephens
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0

Smackdown Superstar, Mustafa Ali, is a former Chicago-area police officer. He has previously said that he joined the force in order to create change from the inside. He recently took part in an interview with SI.com where he spoke about Black Lives Matter, George Floyd’s death at the hands of police, and more from the perspective of a former police officer.

“As a former police officer, I can look you in the eye and tell you with zero hesitation in my voice that George Floyd was not just killed by the police,” Ali said. “He was murdered by the police.”

Ali continued to explain why he joined the police force.

“I thought the best way to bring change to the police department [was] from within. That’s why I joined.”

Mustafa Ali On Black Lives Matter

Ali would then say that it is the structure and culture of policing that needs to change. He continued to talk about the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement as well.

“The Black Lives Matter movement isn’t something that happened overnight. It’s not something over one Black man being murdered. This is 400 years of getting shoved and hit and kicked and spit on and murdered and raped, insulted and degraded, and killed. This is 400 years of that. The Black Lives Matter movement is essential to the survival of every Black man and woman in this country. Yeah, there’s going to be that permanent scar there and the only way to really repair that relationship is massive change. And yes, it starts with the police.”

Ali goes even deeper during the interview to talk about the culture of the criminal justice system.

“Look at the private prison industry,” he continued. “It makes millions every year off of what? Arresting, detaining, and putting Black people in custody.”

Ali spent 4 years working on the Chicago Police force. The full interview with Mustafa Ali can be read here.

Randy Orton On Austin Theory Asking Permission To Use Move Similar To RKO

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

It’s a long-standing tradition in wrestling for younger stars to ask permission from a veteran if they want to use any of their signature moves and Randy Orton recently revealed the story of one such interaction with a former NXT star.

The former World Champion was the guest on the latest episode of After The Bell podcast and the company recently posted a clip of his interview on YouTube.

In the clip, Orton recalled a recent trip to WWE Performance Center. He revealed how Austin Theory came to him seeking permission to use a move similar to RKO and explained that he was taken aback by this gesture:

“I was down in the PC and Austin Theory comes up to me to shake my hand. I could tell he was new, he was young and he was trying to not say the wrong thing. But he asked me, he goes, ‘Hey I want to start doing this move and it ends up in a similar position, kind of like a cutter.’ 

I was so taken aback that this kid took the time and had the respect and the wherewithal to ask me if it was OK with me for him to do that.” said Orton “Before I could even think about what the right answer should be, I said, ‘Yes! Oh my god! Are you kidding me?’ He came to me and he asked me. I don’t know if that’s ever happened,”

Austin Theory has since been called up to the main roster and he recently joined Seth Rollins’ faction after being kicked out of the team of Andrade and Angel Garza.

Randy Orton is currently scheduled to face Edge in a one on one match at Backlash and he is not ruling out the possibility of a match with Tommaso Ciampa afterwards.

WWE Confirms Date For Matt Riddle’s SmackDown Debut

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

After weeks of buildup, WWE has confirmed that the former NXT star Matt Riddle will finally be making his main roster debut on SmackDown during next week’s episode of the show.

The former UFC star competed in a Fight Pit match against Timothy Thatcher with special guest referee Kurt Angle during the May 27 episode of NXT and he lost the bout. 

Angle then announced the main roster call up of the NXT star two nights later on SmackDown and the company had been promoting his arrival ever since.

The promotion finally confirmed the date for his debut on this week’s episode of the show with a graphic, announcing that he will be making his in-ring debut on the post Backlash episode of the Blue Branded Show:

Matt Riddle had commented on the announcement of his call up during an interview, and he said that the real money would have been in him attacking the WWE Hall Of Famer instead of being introduced by him.

Though the company has not revealed the opponent for the former NXT star and it would be interesting to see if he ends up getting involved in a feud with any WWE star immediately upon his arrival.

WWE Reportedly Had Big Feud Planned For Jinder Mahal Before Knee Surgery

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jinder Mahal revealed earlier this month that he has undergone knee surgery. Latest reports suggest that the timing for it was not in Mahal’s favor as he was supposed to be involved in a big feud before being put on the shelf.

Dave Meltzer discussed the injury of the former WWE Champion on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter and revealed that he was scheduled to feud with the WWE Champion Drew McIntyre before the surgery.

Meltzer noted that the match for Mahal was discussed because of the lack of top heels on the Raw brand and the idea behind it was that the two already had a history from their time as part of 3MB.

Though this rivalry wasn’t supposed to last for very long and while not confirmed, it’s likely that the Modern Day Maharaja was going to be just a stop on McIntyre’s reign.

Jinder Mahal announced on Instagram earlier this month that he has undergone another knee surgery which was especially surprising because he only returned from a knee injury after a year of absence in April this year.

His recent surgery was apparently only scheduled to be a minor operation but the damage turned out to be more significant than expected.

So far there is no word on how long Mahal will stay out of action but we will keep you posted about any updates on his recovery.

Nia Jax Discusses Backlash Over Kairi Sane Incident

Anutosh Bajpai
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Nia Jax once again became subject to high criticism from fans online when the former NXT star ended up injuring Kairi Sane during a match on Raw earlier last month.

The former Raw Women’s Champion recently had an interview with Talk Sport where she discussed a number of things and also commented on the fan backlash over the incident.

Jax first confirmed that she is aware of the criticism she receives online and said that it does affect her. However, later she claimed that stepping back makes her realise that it comes from just a small percentage of people who have nothing better to do:

“But when I step back and I actually immerse myself into the WWE Universe – like when I get to see the crowd and fans – I know that’s just a small percentage on Twitter who have nothing better to do than hate on somebody.

The fans in real life are so welcoming, so giving and so understanding,” said Nia Jax “I’ve had nothing but positive feedback from them and I’m super grateful for that.”

The former NXT star also commented on Becky Lynch’s decision to step away from WWE after her pregnancy announcement, saying that Lynch will be back and take her spot when she is ready.

Apart from this, Nia Jax talked about things like her knee injury, working with Asuka and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.

Rey Mysterio On Who Will Be The Ideal Opponent For Dominick’s In-Ring Debut

Anutosh Bajpai
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It’s no secret that Rey Mysterio’s son Dominick is training for a career in wrestling. Since he has made a number of appearances on WWE TV recently, it looks to be only a matter of time before he makes his in-ring debut for the company.

During a recent interview with GalaxyCon’s Rock Around the Ring, the former World Champion talked about a number of things and revealed some interesting details about his son’s training.

When asked who he thinks would be the ideal opponent for his son in his debut match, Mysterio said that without a doubt, Andrade would be a great opponent for Dominick:

“I think without a doubt, just because of the style he brings, Andrade would be awesome, Andrade or [Angel] Garza. I think they would be incredible against my son.

But Cesaro would do incredible as well just because of the height.” said Rey Mysterio “Dominick is 6’2″ 195 pounds and still to this day I tell my wife I’d love to DNA him because I believe he’s not my son [laughs].”

The WWE veteran then revealed that Dominick has recently trained with people like Lance Storm and Jay Lethal and he is training in San Diego right now.

The former champion also said that his son is open-minded and he may even consider training in Mexico or Japan. You can check out Rey Mysterio’s full interview at this link.

Kurt Angle On Which NXT Star Has The Highest Potential

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle recently held a Q&A session on his Facebook where he answered questions related to his early wrestling career, his training and more.

A fan asked the former World Champion which title belt design he liked the most and the Olympic Gold Medallist said that he liked the Undisputed Championship belt that was used from 2002 to 2005.

Angle was then asked about the backstage environment at the Ruthless Aggression Era and he said that it was fun because they had a little more creative control over their characters:

“It was fun. We had a little more creative control over our own characters and the wrestling just kept getting better. It might have been the best era in wrestling. Maybe.”

When asked which NXT talent he sees having the highest potential, Kurt Angle took the name of Velveteen Dream: “It’s hard to say. I always liked Velveteen Dream. But…there are so many great talents in NXT right now.”

The Attitude Era star also discussed the promos during the Attitude Era and praised Stone Cold Steve Austin for his abilities on the mic saying that he was a rare breed.

You can check out Kurt Angle’s full Q&A in the post below:

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