WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle is slated to make his return to WWE programming when he appears on Wednesday’s episode of WWE NXT.
WWE confirmed on Saturday that the legendary pro wrestler will be the special guest referee for the Cage Fight between Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher that takes place on the show.
This will make his first appearance on WWE television since his departure from the company as he was part of the mass talent and staff releases by WWE due to coronavirus-related budget cuts. He had previously worked as an agent for the company.
It was also announced by NXT General Manager William Regal that a new match has been added to the lineup. Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley will team up against NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte and a partner of her choosing.
This is being done as a way to further build on the program in the women’s division heading into NXT TakeOver: In Your House on June 7.
Updated NXT Card
NXT Champion Adam Cole and William Regal to have negotiating session
Matt Riddle vs. Timothy Thatcher – Cage Fight (Kurt Angle as special guest referee)
Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley vs. NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte and a partner of her choosing
Drake Maverick vs. Kushida vs. Jake Atlas – Triple Threat to determine the Group A winner of the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title tournament
Brodie Lee spoke with SEScoops.com last week ahead of his title match with Jon Moxley at Double or Nothing. Amongst other topics, Brodie spoke about going from being unfertilized in WWE to headlining a PPV with a new company.
“It’s very gratifying, it’s awesome, it’s exactly what I wanted, it’s exactly what I craved, it’s exactly what I desired,” Brodie said. “It’s everything I ever wanted it to be.”
Brodie would continue to say, however, that now the pressure on him is to deliver in his new role.
“So, now the pressure becomes on me because this is what I asked for, this is what I told people I could do,” he continued. “So now the pressure is on me to either put up or shut up. There’s an added pressure but also I believe that pressure will help make me better and I’m not afraid of the pressure.”
The “Empty Arena Era”
Brodie Lee made his AEW debut on the March 18th episode of Dynamite. That episode was originally supposed to take place from Rochester, NY, his hometown.
Lee revealed that AEW President Tony Khan gave him the option of delaying his debut until things got back to normal, since his big homecoming was not meant to be. He decided to debut on March 18th as planned and make the best of it.
“That’s kind of one of the things I was most looking forward to,” he said about AEW’s live crowds. “I was supposed to make my debut in Rochester, New York on March 18th. They had a really good presale crowd there and then the next week would be in New Jersey, which I think they had 12,000 tickets sold there. So, I was looking to jump right in into the huge aspect of AEW and the fans and the passion. Unfortunately, of course, that turned out to be too good to be true because everything happened on March 11th right before my debut.”
He then mentioned that AEW told him his debut could be pushed back.
“I was told ‘you don’t have to debut, you can wait, we can push it back.’ but at the same time, nobody knew how long that would be and I had been caged up and a stray cat for so long and just kind of left out that I was ready to be a professional wrestler again, I was ready to be a performer again, I was ready to work on my craft and there was no hesitation in me at all to jump right into it.”
“Tony, like I said, Tony gave me the option to hold it off but I think me and Matt Hardy we’re on the same page, we’re ready to hit the ground running.”
AEW Behind The Scenes
AEW stars such as Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley have said that AEW is less scripted and more open to input from performers than previous companies they have worked for. Brodie also commented on this aspect of his new company.
“That’s exactly it. There’s a lot of collaboration but it’s a lot of, I guess friendly collaboration. It’s not like ‘hey do this’ it’s ‘hey, what do you think of this idea?’ and then if I don’t like it, I tell them and it’s a conversation and we go from there.”
“Same thing with promos, it’s like there’s no written script. It’s like here’s the kind of point we need to get across. You say it how you want to say it. It’s your character, you’re fleshing out the character the way you want to which is incredibly refreshing because I was never able to flesh out a character for the past…I was a very one-dimensional character. I said my promo I think it was 2 weeks ago was the first time I’d spoken on a live mic at a professional wrestling show in the past 8 years, almost combined. Again, there’s a certain pressure to it because it’s on you now, there’s nobody left to blame.”
“Again, it’s a different element but it’s a very cool, creative element that helps you sleep at night.”
AEW Changing Course Due To Pandemic
Brodie Lee came to AEW at a time when some on the roster was unable to attend tapings due to travel restrictions. We asked what he knows about AEW changing course creatively as a result of the current climate.
“I think certain things with people not being able to be there maybe got put on hold,” he said. “I’m not privy to that information. I know that Jon Moxley presented us a situation for me to jump at and that’s what I did. So, I can’t worry about hurt feelings about people that didn’t show up to the show and didn’t get the opportunity, I can’t worry about that, I can only worry about myself. But, that said, hopefully, the way I handled things and the way that I performed changed some people’s minds as well if I wasn’t supposed to be in this position.”
Talent He Wants to Work With in AEW
Finally, we wanted to know about which young talent Brodie Lee wants to work with in AEW.
“Every person on the roster is a fresh match-up for me. At the top of that list would be Kenny and the Young Bucks. Watched them work, been friends with the Young Bucks for a long time. I’ve always told them that they had these unbelievable matches in Japan.”
“It’d be a thrill to get in there and test myself against guys like that.
“Darby Allin, a guy like that, a guy like Jungle Boy. Even people like the Proud and Powerful, they are fun for me to watch, I think they are wonderful workers. Jericho, Cody, so these people even who I have history with, Shawn Spears even, these guys that I have history with to now do it in a different environment is very appealing to me.”
Brodie then went back on a previous comment. He joked, “I take that back, anybody but Shawn Spears, if you could put that quote in.”
Order AEW Double or Nothing at BR Live (US) and FITE.TV (Internationally).
Earlier this week, we had a chance to chat with Brodie Lee, the Exalted One of AEW’s Dark Order. During the discussion, we asked how he got involved with the Dark Order, the group’s ultimate goal in AEW and why he does not consider them a cult.
“I’ve known Evil Uno and Stu Grayson for the better part of 15 years,” Brodie said during the interview. “We’ve worked together in promotions like C4, Chikara, and upstate New York too. So, I’ve known them, I’ve been in contact with them the entire time they’ve been in AEW. Been watching what they do.
“It was just a good almost piece for me to jump in and try to take something to the next level. Unfortunately, since I’ve been here I’ve seen Uno and Grayson once in the past 2 months just because they’re from Canada and they haven’t been able to get across the border yet. But I think once we’re back together, people will understand and see what a formidable unit we are together.”
The Dark Order’s End Game
We asked Brodie about what the plans are for his Dark Order.
“I don’t want to be a violent organization, that’s not my M.O,” Brodie said. “It kind of becomes a necessity when you are in the professional wrestling world. And to me, you enter the professional wrestling world is to have power and what power equals in professional wrestling is world titles, and tag team championships, and TNT championships now.”
“So, I think our goal is to collect gold and to be a force to be reckoned with. I know the Elite claims to be the elite, they named a frigging promotion after themselves. So, to me, it’s almost like now you’re at the top, just like Jon Moxley, you put a mark on your head and us as a group we think we’re better than that and we think that we’re powerful, we want power, we want the glory. World championships, TNT championships, and tag-team championships are always in our future.”
Dark Order: Cult or Corporation?
Finally, we asked Brodie Lee why he does not consider the Dark Order to be a cult. He flipped the question on our interviewer and asked if SEScoops.com is a cult.
(Editor’s note: For the record, SEScoops is not a cult)
“Who do you work for?” Brodie asked. “Do you have a boss? Would you consider what you do as part of a cult? So then, what is the difference between what you’re doing in your line of work and what we’re going in our line of work?”
We attempted to explain that it seems as though the Dark Order preys upon the down-and-out people.
“Well that’s a strong possibility but the thing is, we’re making those people better in the long run. I mean, I’m undefeated. Uno and Stu are undefeated. Preston was undefeated until last night so I don’t understand, I think results speak for themselves. I don’t understand what difference a successful organization with a wonderful leader like myself, would make it a cult.”
“Tony Schiavone was given clear instructions and I understand you were probably not given the same instructions so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one. But Schiavone was given clear instructions not to ask that question and they actually cut out two other times that he brought it up and left the third one in there.
“The way they cut it of course, they left my little tantrum in there which I wasn’t thrilled about but hey, I thought I got my message across. And again, I asked Tony this too, he works for many corporations and they’re not considered cults, so I don’t understand what the difference is.”
Brodie Lee challenges Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing. Order the PPV now at BR Live (US) and FITE.TV (Internationally).
Otis has found great success since his main roster debut in January last year. The former NXT star has constantly been featured on WWE programming since then and he also recently won the Money In The Bank match.
Due to his physique and charismatic in-ring presence, some people have started comparing the SmackDown star to the late great Dusty Rhodes.
Otis commented on these comparisons during a recent interview with SportsKeeda. He said that there is only one Dusty Rhodes and being compared to him is an honor:
“There’s only one Dusty Rhodes. I haven’t heard too much of that comparison but I guess you could say that because we’re both big, beefy guys. Good looking, thick men.
It’s an honor. He’s one of the best of all time, Dusty Rhodes.” said Otis. “And watching his stuff back too, just to see how he was working his swagger on the camera, how he translated to the fans was awesome, man,”
The 2020 Money In The Bank winner continued by saying that he hasn’t studied Dusty too much but you have to appreciate his work every time you watch his old matches.
There is no news on when Otis might cash in his Money In The Bank but there are speculations that he can use the contract for a title shot at the Tag Team Championships with his partner Tucker instead of a world title opportunity.
Japanese female wrestling star Hana Kimura has passed away at the age of 22. Her promotion Stardom confirmed the news of her demise with the following statement:
“Stardom fans, we are very sorry to report that our Hana Kimura has passed away. Please be respectful and allow some time for things to process, and keep your thoughts and prayers with her family and friends. We appreciate your support during this difficult time.”
Hana Kimura was a second-generation wrestler who was the daughter of Kyoko Kimura. She had been a part of the Wrestle-1 roster for some time but returned to Stardom where she became the leader of a faction called Tokyo Cyber Squad.
There were some concerns raised over her status earlier yesterday after Kimura posted some images of self mutilation along with the following cryptic message on Twitter:
“Nearly 100 frank opinions every day. I couldn’t deny that I was hurt. I’m dead. Thank you for giving me a mother. It was a life I wanted to be loved. Thank you to everyone who supported me. I love it. I’m weak, I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a human anymore. It was a life I wanted to be loved. Thank you everyone, I love you. Bye.”
There is no word yet on how the message posted by the young wrestling star coincides with her death but there have been all kinds of rumors about the same.
Apart from being a two-time Artist of Stardom Champion and a one-time Goddess of Stardom Champion, the female star also starred in a Netflix reality show in Japan dubbed “Terrace House” last year.
Two stars injured at Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite will be unable to compete at tonight’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
While it was originally said that Rey Fenix has been cleared to compete at the Double Or Nothing PPV, he has now been removed from the show.
The high flying star got banged up during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The company then announced late Friday night that the former LU star is not cleared to compete at the show this Saturday.
Fenix will now be replaced by Joey Janela in the Casino Ladder match with the winner getting a future title shot at the AEW World Champion Jon Moxley:
AEW also announced Britt Baker has been pulled from the show. She suffered a knee injury during the women’s tag match. Her health will be addressed Saturday night. Penelope Ford will now face Kris Statlander in her place.
AEW Double Or Nothing will be taking place this Saturday from Daily’s Place and TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. You can check out the updated match card for the show below:
Pre-Show #1 contenders match for AEW World Tag Team Championship: Private Party vs. Best Friends
AEW World Heavyweight Championship: Brodie Lee vs. Jon Moxley (c)
AEW TNT Championship Tournament Finals: Lance Archer vs. Cody Rhodes
No DQ, No Count Out Match for the AEW Women’s World Championship: Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose (c)
Stadium Stampede Match: Matt Hardy and The Elite (Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, AEW World Tag Team Champions Kenny Omega and Hangman Page) vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana, Ortiz)
Casino Ladder Match: Joey Janela vs. Luchasaurus vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Kip Sabian vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Mystery Man TBA
There are a lot of stories about how Vince McMahon is in real life but if there is one person who knows the Boss up close and personal, then it’s the Undertaker. The Dead Man has been with WWE for 3 decades now and in the time he has developed a relationship with the boss which only a few stars have developed in the history of the company.
During a recent interview with The Bill Simmons podcast, Taker talked about the Boss and revealed how Mr McMahon is in real life. He was talking about his match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 where Undertaker suffered a concussion. The Last Outlaw was taken to the hospital after the bout and he revealed that Vince left the show to go with him:
“I don’t remember doing any of this but I cut a promo on him like ‘Don’t you have a show to run? Why are you here? Most people think he’s this tyrant, but you really only get to see it if you’re close to him, he’s just such a giving person. He’s a really kind giving person, he knows how to run business obviously, but for years all the charities we worked with there was no publicity about any of it.
“We worked with Make A Wish for years and you never heard a word about it because that’s not what he was about.” said Undertaker. “Tribute to the Troops, every year whether it was Iraq or Afghanistan, he was on that plane with us. I don’t think people realize what a big heart he has and how much he cares about the people around him.”
The Undertaker also talked about a potential retirement for the chairman saying that McMahon loves the product and he loves working out. Taker mentioned how Mr. McMahon’s mother is 99 years old and she played tennis when she was 97. He then said that he hopes that nobody is waiting to take over Vince’s position because he will be there for long and the Dead Man claimed that McMahon will outlive him.
A major departure from WWE’s production team was confirmed recently as reports revealed that longtime WWE producer Michael Mansury left the company last week.
The now-former WWE employee was considered a big part of Triple H’s team and many within the company dubbed him as the “next” Kevin Dunn.
The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter provides some updates on the situation and reveals the reason why the WWE official decided to leave the company.
It notes that everyone who is seen as a potential successor to Kevin Dunn has their life “made difficult” in the company and “they get constantly criticized” to Vince McMahon.
Regarding his departure, it was said that Mansury decided to leave the promotion as he had gotten impatient when it comes to upward mobility in the company. Though his departure was not sudden and Michael Mansury had given his notice months in advance.
The former WWE official joined the promotion as a Production Assistant and rose through the ranks over the years to become the Vice President of Global Television Production. Though his last promotion came in March 2016.
Michael Mansury had been with WWE for 11 years since joining the promotion in 2009. He was well-liked among the people in the company and many were shocked with his departure.
The demise of the former WWE star Shad Gaspard is one of the saddest news coming out of 2020 and fans around the world have been paying their respect to him since his death was confirmed.
WWE also paid tribute to the Cryme Tyme member through an opening graphic on this week’s episode of NXT and he was remembered on SmackDown as well.
During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, WWE Vice President Triple H was asked about the star and he recalled his last meeting with Shad which happened six months ago:
“Stephanie and I saw him maybe six months ago. We were at FOX for a meeting and he was just coming out of the lobby, we were coming into the lobby. We probably stood there for 20 minutes talking. He was just the greatest guy, so nice.”
The Game then discussed the unfortunate circumstances of his death. Triple H said that Gaspard was a great human being and his thoughts are with Shad’s wife and kid:
“With the circumstances around all of this, and you know, his son, thank God he’s okay. Knowing that he said, ‘Save my son’ and that was the last thing he did, that’s all you need to know about the guy.
He was just a great human being and it’s tragic, and my thoughts and prayers, as are everyone’s here, are to his wife and his kid, just the family, it’s tragic.”
The former World Champion continued by explaining how even when the incident was happening everybody was holding hope for Shad’s safe return and his death is very tragic.
You can check out Triple H’s comments in the video below:
WWE made a surprising change to the SmackDown roster this week and traded the former World Champion AJ Styles from the Raw roster to the Blue Branded show.
The company had stripped Sami Zayn of the Intercontinental Championship and then announced a tournament for the crowning of a new champion last week.
Styles was the only Raw star to be included in the tournament brackets, which suggests that the officials had already planned this move by then.
The Phenomenal One then showed up on this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show and competed in a first-round match against long time rival Shinsuke Nakamura.
AJ Styles went on to win the bout and he will now be facing Elias in the second round of the tournament next week. Elias had beaten King Corbin last week to advance in the tournament.
It’s interesting to note here that no trade has been announced for the former World Champion for Raw and he has instead been traded for a future draft pick.
This means that it’s very likely that we will see a big star from the Blue Brand’s roster being traded to the Red Branded Show in coming weeks and it would be interesting to see who it turns out to be.
WWE SmackDown aired from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte battled SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley tonight. Jeff Hardy faced Sheamus and AJ Styles squared off against Shinsuke Nakamura in the Intercontinental Championship tournament. Otis & Mandy Rose faced Dolph Ziggler & Sonya Deville on this week’s show as well.
SmackDown Results (5/22)
Braun Strowman def. The Miz
AJ Styles def. Shinsuke Nakamura to advance in the IC Title Tournament
Bayley def. Charlotte Flair
Dolph Ziggler & Sonya Deville def. Otis & Mandy Rose
Jeff Hardy def. Sheamus to advance in the IC Title Tournament
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s episode of SmackDown:
Miz & Morrison Challenged Strowman To A Handicap Match For The Title At Backlash
Miz and Morrison kicked off this week’s show with an episode of The Dirt Shirt. The Miz blasted Braun Strowman for getting in their business last week and Morrison mocked Becky Lynch for choosing to have a child with Seth Rollins. Miz joked that Bray Wyatt chose stuffed animals over Braun Strowman in the Wyatt Family.
They then introduced some puppets in a Firefly Funhouse parody. Universal Champion Braun Strowman finally interrupted and demanded that they ask him about Bray Wyatt and Money in the Bank. The Miz said Bray isn’t done with him and Morrison claimed that Strowman isn’t half the man that Miz is. Morrison went on a rant and wound up challenging Strowman for Miz. Strowman accepted and told Miz he is about to get these hands.
Match Recap: Strowman launched The Miz into the turnbuckle to start the match off. Morrison hit Strowman with a cheap shot outside the ring as the referee was distracted. Miz capitalized with a Dropkick and went for a DDT but Strowman blocked it. Strowman sent Miz flying across the ring and hit him with a Splash in the corner. Morrison hopped on the ring apron but the Universal Champion knocked him to the floor with a massive right hand. Strowman then planted Miz with the Running Powerslam for the easy victory.
AJ Styles Advanced In The IC Title TournamentIn A Great Match With Nakamura
AJ Styles. Image Credit: WWE.com
Shinsuke Nakamura faced AJ Styles in the first round of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament.
Match Recap: AJ applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring but Nakamura quickly countered into a Headlock of his own. AJ broke free and leveled Shinsuke with a Dropkick. Styles brought Nakamura to the corner and delivered some chops to the chest. Nakamura hit Styles with a knee to the ribs and the two superstars traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Styles hit an Enziguri and went for a Suplex but Nakamura dodged it. Shinsuke connected with a snap German Suplex as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Styles hit a Pele Kick and both superstars fell to the canvas. Styles followed it up with a Clothesline and a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Styles locked in the Calf Crusher but Shinsuke was able to reach the bottom rope. Nakamura battled back with a knee to the face and went for the cover but Styles kicked out at two.
Nakamura went for the Kinshasa but Styles countered into a roll-up for a two count. Shinsuke quickly locked in a Triangle submission but AJ countered into a Styles Clash but Nakamura kicked out at the last moment. Styles hit a kick to the face and then the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory. AJ Styles has advanced to the semifinals in the IC Title Tournament. It was also announced during the match that RAW has traded Styles to SmackDown for future draft picks.
Charlotte battled Bayley tonight on SmackDown. Before the match, Bayley asked Sasha Banks not to be in her corner tonight because people are starting to think she cannot win without her.
Match Recap: Charlotte dominated early and beat Bayley down in the corner. Bayley went for a roll-up and used the ropes for leverage but the referee caught her. Bayley tripped up Charlotte and slammed her on the apron. Bayley went for a Baseball Slide but Flair got out of the way and Charlotte hit a Clothesline. Charlotte sent Bayley flying over the barricade and grabbed the Cole’s headset. Charlotte asked Sasha to come out here so she can kick both their asses as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Flair was still in control of the match and had Bayley in a Headlock. Flair sent Bayley to the corner and leveled her with a chop. Charlotte set up for a Moonsault but Bayley brought her back down to the mat and Flair tweaked her knee. The action spilled out of the ring and Bayley sent Charlotte into the ring post.
Bayley slammed Flair into the barricade and into the apron before the action returned to the ring. Charlotte connected with a Fallaway Slam and then beat her down in the corner once again. Flair climbed to the top rope and went for a Moonsault but Bayley got out of the way. Bayley went for an Elbow Drop but Charlotte blocked it and applied a Boston Crab in the middle of the ring. Bayley escaped and rolled up Flair for the victory. Bayley used the ropes for leverage again but the referee didn’t catch it. After the match, Sasha Banks congratulated Bayley on her victory.
Mandy Rose and Otis battled Sonya Deville and Otis tonight on SmackDown.
Match Recap: Sonya beat Mandy Rose in the corner to start off the match. Mandy exploded out of the corner and unloaded some punches to Deville’s face. Ziggler attacked Otis and sent him into the steel steps as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Sonya Deville booted Mandy in the midsection. Rose hit a Jawbreaker and went for a tag but Sonya hit a boot to the face. Rose finally got a tag and Otis sent Dolph to the canvas with a Clothesline. Deville tagged in and Mandy hit her with a Clothesline.
Otis and Ziggler brawled outside the ring as Mandy hit a running knee to the face. Sonya hit a running knee to the back of Rose’s head for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ziggler hit Otis with a Superkick as he was checking on Mandy.
Jeff Hardy battled Sheamus in the final first round match of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament. The winner of the match will face Daniel Bryan in the semifinals next week.
Match Recap: Sheamus beat the hell out of Jeff Hardy to start the match off. Jeff sent Sheamus out of the ring and hit a Dropkick through the ropes. Hardy went for a Crossbody but Sheamus caught him. Sheamus slammed Jeff into the ring post and then slammed him on top of the announce table as SmackDown went a commercial break.
Sheamus was still in control of the match when SmackDown returned and hit Hardy with a Clothesline. Hardy battled back and hit Whisper in the Wind. Sheamus shrugged it off and hit three Irish Curse Backbreakers in a row. Sheamus charged at Hardy but Jeff got out of the way at the last moment.
Jeff hit Sheamus with a Dropkick after he charged into the ring post for a near fall. Hardy hit a Clothesline off the barricade outside the ring and both superstars fell to the floor. Jeff climbed up to the top rope and went for the Swanton Bomb but Sheamus got his knees up. Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick but Jeff countered into a roll-up for the victory.
Opinion: I thought this week’s episode of SmackDown was a very good show. Styles vs. Nakamura, and Bayley vs. Charlotte were both solid matches. I’m also looking forward to Bryan versus Jeff Hardy next week. In my opinion, the main negative from this show was Strowman facing Miz & Morrison at Backlash. It seems like that will be the end of Miz & Morrison and I would have preferred a more interesting storyline for the Universal Championship.
The semi-finals of the WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament are set.
The second batch of matches in this tournament took place on Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on FOX.
Those matches saw AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura with Styles going over and Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy with Hardy being victorious.
WWE held the first batch of matches last week that saw Elias defeat Baron Corbin and Daniel Bryan beat Drew Gulak, who departed from the company after the match after his contract had expired with WWE and the company deciding to nix the talks about a new deal when he asked for more money.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament Semi-Finals
Now, Bryan will battle Hardy while Elias is slated to take on Styles in the semi-finals of the tournament.
WWE announced when the finals will take place. It will take place next week on SmackDown.
WWE presents the Backlash pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 14, 2020 in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center that will air on the WWE Network. Time will tell whether the finals go down at this show.
A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Backlash PPV.
WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman will make his next title defense against The Miz and John Morrison in a Handicap Match at this event.
WWE set up this contest on Friday’s 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. After the match, he was challenged by Morrison to a Handicap Match at Backlash with the title on the line, which was accepted by Strowman.
WWE presents the Backlash pay-per-view event on Sunday, June 14, 2020 in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Here is the updated card:
Updated WWE 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
The card for Saturday’s (May 23, 2020) AEW Double Or Nothing has been finalized.
The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event that takes place in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place and will air on pay-per-view.
The belief is that this special will be headlined by the Stadium Stampede Match. Another top match is AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee.
This show marks the second special for the promotion in 2020, which features a stacked lineup.
With Britt Baker suffering an injury on Wednesday’s Dynamite, the promotion had Penelope Ford replace her against Kris Statlander.
AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee
Cody Rhodes vs. Lance Archer – AEW TNT Title Tournament Finals
Jungle Boy vs. MJF
Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Joey Janela vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Kip Sabian vs. Kazarian vs. Luchasaurus vs. mystery man- Casino Ladder Match for future AEW World Championship shot
AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida – No DQ Match
The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Adam Page) – Stadium Stampede Match
Penelope Ford vs. Kris Statlander
Shawn Spears vs. Dustin Rhodes
Best Friends vs. Private Party – #1 Contenders Match (Pre-Show)
What are your thoughts on this card and the feuds that AEW is presenting to its fans? Sound off in the comment section.
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has opened up on signing a new deal with WWE shortly after making the news known to the public.
He did so while speaking with Raj Giri. It turns out that he signed the deal last week. While he’s now under a new agreement with the company, he made it known that he’s never gone without getting paid by the company.
Flair stated that WWE dealing with the coronavirus slowed down the actual official signing. He brought up how everybody went to work on figuring out on their end what to do.
He pointed out how it’s a lot to deal with in wrestling because it’s not a seasonal sport and is year-round. He added that just figuring your way around that has been an act of genius in itself.
It turns out that despite their friendship, AEW President Tony Khan told him that he wouldn’t even ask Flair to join AEW.
“Tony [Khan] told me that he wouldn’t even ask me to come to work there because he knows how tight I am with [WWE]. Our friendship is one thing but he respects my loyalty to the company. That’s how much respect [Khan] has for me and my relationship with the company which speaks volumes to what kind of guy Tony is. The same would apply to my daughter and WWE.”
Flair didn’t disclose the length of the deal but noted that he hopes that WWE keeps him around in some capacity for many years.
It appears that a match and segment has been revealed ahead of Monday’s episode of WWE RAW.
Cable TV guides are advertising WWE Champion Drew McIntyre being the special guest on MVP’s VIP Lounge.
With MVP serving as the manager for Bobby Lashley, it’s likely that this segment is to further hype the upcoming championship match that will see McIntyre put the title on the line against Lashley.
This contest is one of the top matches featured on the Backlash pay-per-view card that takes place next month.
Also advertised for this episode is a Triple Threat with the winner becoming the new #1 contender to RAW Women’s Champion Asuka.
The advertised participants are WWE NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax and Natalya. Although not confirmed, it’s likely that the winner of this contest will challenge Asuka for the strap at Backlash.
It should be noted that WWE has not officially announced this segment and match for the show. That could change over the weekend as RAW gets closer.
The only thing announced for RAW in advance is WWE United States Champion Andrade defending the title against Apollo Crews.
One match will reportedly not be live come Saturday night at the AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view event.
It was noted on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live that All Elite Wrestling is taping the Stadium Stampede match on Friday in Jacksonville, Florida. The reason for this ten-man match being taped is so AEW can edit the contest and put it together ahead of the broadcast.
As of this writing, there’s still no word yet as to what the main event of Double or Nothing will be. It’s possible that the Stadium Stampede will serve as the headliner of the show.
This contest is to take place from the empty TIAA Bank Field, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars
It’ll see The Elite (The Young Bucks, AEW World Tag Team Champions Kenny Omega & Hangman Page) and Matt Hardy vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana, Ortiz).
Although not confirmed, there’s speculation that it will feature a few cameo appearances and some surprises. It’s supposed to be a wild brawl with the wrestlers having the entire stadium and football field to do battle on. A ring is going to be set up in the middle of the field.
The most recent edition of AEW Dynamite saw several wrestlers sustain injuries. At the moment, it is not clear if any of them will cause changes to the planned card for Double or Nothing, however.
Britt Baker Injury
Dr. Britt Baker sustained an injury to her knee on Dynamite. Baker teamed with Nyla Rose and took on Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida. During the match, Shida and Statlander tossed Rose onto Baker in the corner. It appears as though Rose landed hard on Baker’s knee. Baker took another move from Statlander (despite appearing to have trouble going up for the move) before tagging out and spending the rest of the match on the apron.
In an update from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Baker was said to have been feeling better the next day but her match with Statlander on Saturday could be in jeopardy. AEW has not released any official word on her status at this point, however.
Fenix Injury
Fenix did a dive to the outside on Dynamite and was not really caught by anyone before landing flat on the floor. The dive looked back and while he was said to have been pretty banged up, the Wrestling Observer is reporting that he will not miss any action and is still scheduled to be in the Casino Ladder match at Double or Nothing.
Matt Jackson Injury
The Young Bucks returned to AEW during the brawl inside the stadium on Wednesday night. Matt hurt his rib doing the diving crossbody inside the stadium. According to the Wrestling Observer, however, the injury shouldn’t cause him to miss any time.
“(Matt Jackson) said on 5/21 that he was hoping it’s just bruised or a cartilage injury and that the doctor seems to think that’s what it is, but that he would be wrestling on Saturday,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Brodie Lee challenges Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship this Saturday night at AEW Double or Nothing.
Just days before the biggest match of his career, The Exalted One spoke with SEScoops about how he’s preparing for the bout.
“It’s a lot of cardio right now,” he began. “Having not been in the ring for the better part of a year almost, I think I had 7 matches last year in WWE and maybe 3 at the end of the year and then 0. I’ve had 1 match over 3 minutes this year. So, it’s a lot of cardio, a lot of preparing myself for a long battle.”
“I know exactly what Jon Moxley is going to bring. He’s very violent, he likes to punch you in the face right away. So I think that’ll snap me out of any kind of slumber I might be in real quick. And I know he’s going to bring a level of violence that I have to be prepared for and I am prepared for that because I’m not afraid of violence.”
He then revealed that his wife is concerned about what will transpire at Double or Nothing.
“Before I left the house on Tuesday, my wife told me ‘you and Jon Moxley scare me.’ I think she knows and hopefully the fans know that when we link it up it’s going to be something, I guess, terrible, is a good description.”
There’s no doubt that Jon Moxley will bring the violence. However, Brodie Lee feels he has the advantage when it comes to size, agility and instability.
“I know I have the size advantage, I maybe have the agility advantage,” he continued. “He probably thinks he’s a little more violent than me but there’s definitely something wrong up here [in his head].”
Thanks to Brodie Lee for chatting with us. You can check out our full interview below.
Order AEW Double or Nothing at BR Live (US) and FITE.TV (Internationally). Catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights on TNT.
In the build-up to and following the season 2 finale of VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring, the topic of Owen Hart’s death has made frequent headlines. Unfortunately, much of this news is focussed on the way Owen Hart died. In a recently released deleted scene from the documentary, however, Owen’s fondness for practical jokes and his sense of humor take center stage.
VICE has recently released the below deleted scene from the Dark Side of the Ring episode on Owen Hart. In the scene, several wrestling personalities detail Owen’s infamous ribbing.
Evidently, Owen’s pranking was not limited to his wrestling life. His son Oje recalled a story of Owen ordering pizza for the family in the deleted scene.
“Dad was interested in getting pizza so he calls the number and he puts in the order. About 30 minutes later his friend walks in the door and he says ‘hey, we should get pizza.’ and (Owen’s) like ‘yeah, yeah we should get pizza.’ So he pretends to phone again and is like ‘Yah, I’ll get the thin crust, pepperoni pizza with extra this and that.’ Then, of course, the pizza shows up a minute and a half later and the guy’s like ‘f**k, did you cook that in your car?”
Martha Hart also spoke about Owen’s sense of humour in the scene.
“One time we were jogging and there was this big group of runners just passing us and Owen was just a little bit ahead of me. Just as they were passing us, he looked back and he yelled ‘would you stop chasing me, I told you I don’t want to go out with you!'”
Owen Hart Prank Stories
More stories are told including Owen having a bunch of pigs loaded into Vince McMahon’s office. Jim Ross told a story about Owen calling him pretending to be Stu. D’Lo Brown and Jim Cornette also tell stories in the scene.
There is actually a book published on Owen Hart’s infamous ribs. The book is titled “Owen Hart: King of Pranks.” It can be purchased here.
Earlier this week, we had a chance to speak with the #1 contender to the AEW World Championship, “The Exalted One” Brodie Lee. He faces Jon Moxley in the main event of Saturday night’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
We had the chance to sit down with AEW’s Brodie Lee recently for an exclusive interview. During the discussion, we asked Brodie about the possibility of his former teammate Erick Rowan‘s recent release from WWE.
“I think Erick’s a wonderful human being, he’s a wonderful father, which is strange to say if you look at him,” he said jokingly. “We weren’t always the best of friends early on in our tenure together but we became really good friends by the end. Somehow we always seem to find each other, at least for the last 8 years.”
Brodie Lee then continued to talk about what might come next for some of the recent WWE releases.
“I think it’s going to be very refreshing to him and a guy like Zack Ryder/Matt Cardona, I think it’s going to be very refreshing to them to be out of that bubble and to understand now the freedom that they have creatively. Ryder especially, who’s done it before on his own, he’s one of the most creative people you’ll ever meet.”
“As soon as I was released, it’s almost a weight off your shoulders. WWE gives you so much but as soon as its over, it’s almost either panic or opportunity arises. It can be both but you have to learn to adjust and take it in as it comes.”
Lee then said he feels Erick Rowan likely has a run in Japan coming up. Rowan has a history wrestling in the country, having trained at the Pro Wrestling NOAH dojo earlier in his career.
“I think Erick Rowan is almost tailor-made for a Japan run. I don’t know if we’ll ever find each other over there because that would be pretty cool. Or if we’ll find each other in AEW, who knows? I think there’s going to be a lot of opportunity for these guys.”
Order AEW Double or Nothing at BR Live (US) and FITE.TV (Internationally). Catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights on TNT.
Check out our full 18-minute interview with The Exalted One, Brodie Lee:
AEW on-screen talent and former WWE agent Arn Anderson recently discussed WWE’s Over The Limit 2010 PPV on the ARN podcast. As is usual with the show format, Anderson would also discuss issues from the time of the show with co-host Conrad Thompson.
One of the topics raised was that of Jim Ross, who stated in his new autobiography Under The Black Hat how he was mistreated by WWE and Vince McMahon on a number of occasions. JR would also state that despite this he loved working for the company and still holds Vince McMahon in high regard to this day.
Arn Anderson on WWE
Conrad Thompson would ask Arn Anderson on the podcast “Most would agree WWE mistreated JR. It felt like as as an outsider that Vince [McMahon] occasionally used JR as a bit of a public punching bag. Would you agree with that?”
Anderson would not only agree but he elaborated on how WWE would sometimes treat the most loyal of employees. “Imagine that, kick the most loyal in the nuts” Anderson began.
“It just seems like sometimes. and it happens in every occupation out there, that the most loyal employees? The ones that that work the hardest and try the best to be a model employee? It seems like squeaky wheel always gets the grease, you know?”
Anderson would finish by saying that “these guys get abused and used. And the guys that give them [WWE] all the sh*t? They are the ones that get the grease, so I think this is just another huge case of that.”
Arn wouldn’t confirm who he was referring to with regards to people who give the company “sh*t,” but with the amount of stories out there about certain individuals it is fairly easy to get an idea of who ‘The Enforcer’ was referring to.
This podcast episode as well as a ton of other content is available now on AdFreeShows.com. AdFreeShows has exclusive content from Grilling Jr, What Happened When (w/ Tony Schiavone), 83 Weeks (w/ Eric Bischoff), ARN and Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard.
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Kofi Kingston got to work with CM Punk numerous times during Punk’s WWE career and the two were even a tag team for a while, holding the World Tag Team Championships together one time as well.
The New Day member recently had an interview with Swerve City Podcast where he talked about his relationship with the Straight Edge star among other things.
During the interview, Kingston also claimed that he considers Punk to be his brother and revealed the advice Kofi received from him before his debut:
“Punk is one of the guys in the industry who I consider to be my brother; he helped me out when he didn’t need to help me out. People were more about keeping other people down and their spots being taken.
I remember, I’m about to go out for my debut and I’m doing push-ups.” said Kofi Kingston. “I see a set of wrestling shoes, I look up, and there’s Punk. He goes, ‘Just remember, they’re out here to see you.’ That eased my nerves going out there. He didn’t have to say that to me.”
The former champion also recalled the time he won the tag team championships with Punk and said that he learned a lot from the now former wrestler.
Kofi Kingston won the World Tag Team Championship with CM Punk back in October 2008. Though their reign didn’t last for long and they lost the titles to the Miz and John Morrison in December later that year.
The absence of Sami Zayn from WWE has been a hot topic of discussion among wrestling fans and reports suggest that it has caused ripples within WWE as well.
So far the company had not provided any official reason for the absence of the former Champion but they are now claiming that he is out with an injury.
The promotion had vacated the Intercontinental Championship last week but they hadn’t given any reason for the same and instead, they just claimed that Zayn was unable to defend the title.
However, the company posted a preview of the announced IC title tournament this week in which they claimed that the former champion is out with an injury.
For those who don’t know, Sami Zayn was booked for WWE tapings after WrestleMania but he decided to pull out of the shows over coronavirus concerns.
His decision hasn’t sat well with the WWE officials and reports claim that the former NXT star’s call has caused a ‘lot of unhappiness’ within the company.
The officials have since made the decision to strip Sami Zayn of the Intercontinental Championship and announced a tournament for the crowning of a new champion.
The betting odds for most of the matches that will take place at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event have been released.
The card for the show that takes place on Saturday (May 23, 2020) in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place has been finalized.
AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee is expected to headline the show. Darby Allin is the favorite to win the Casino Ladder Match.
Make sure to join us on Saturday for match recaps, and our takeaways from this latest pay-per-view event held by AEW.
AEW Double Or Nothing Betting Odds
The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds courtesy of BetOnline:
AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley -250 vs. Brodie Lee +170
Cody Rhodes +110 vs. Lance Archer -150 – AEW TNT Title Tournament Finals
Jungle Boy +110 vs. MJF -150
Darby Allin 7/4 vs. Colt Cabana 9/1 vs. Orange Cassidy 7/1 vs. Fenix 4/1 vs. Scorpio Sky 10/1 vs. Kip Sabian 10/1 vs. Kazarian 10/1 vs. Luchasaurus 12/1 vs. mystery man 11/4 – Casino Ladder Match for future AEW World Championship shot
AEW Women’s Champion Nyla Rose -200 vs. Hikaru Shida +150
The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz) -180 vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Adam Page) +140 – Stadium Stampede Match
