AJ Styles made his return to WWE programming this week on Raw and the Phenomenal One earned himself a spot in the upcoming Money In The Bank match at the show.
Dave Meltzer talked about the former World Champion on the latest episode of Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast and revealed that the original plans called for him to stay away from WWE programming longer.
AJ was apparently expected to spend more time on the shelf to sell his loss to the Undertaker in the boneyard match at WrestleMania 36 but the company changed the plans.
There is no news on why the decision was made but it’s speculated that the recent low ratings could be one of the reasons why he was brought back earlier than expected.
It’s worth mentioning here that Vince McMahon had talked about the low ratings on the 2020 Q1 earnings call and blamed them on the recent absence of big names from the WWE programming.
AJ Styles made his surprise return to WWE programming as the final participant of the Last Chance Gauntlet match on Raw and he defeated Humberto Carrillo to win the bout.
He will now be competing in the upcoming ladder match against Daniel Bryan, Baron Corbin, Otis, Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio at the Money In The Bank PPV this Sunday.
Jinder Mahal made his in-ring return after almost a year of absence earlier last month but the former Champion had to do it in an empty arena due to the current situations.
WWE posted a behind the scene video of his return recently where the former WWE Champion talked about his time away and revealed that he actually reached out to WWE officials after getting cleared to set up his return.
The video also featured the post-match comments after his comeback. Discussing the bout, Jinder admitted that he was a bit nervous coming in but claimed that it felt good:
“Coming in I was kind of a little bit nervous, over how I would perform with no fans, just because a lot of what I do is based off reactions and instincts, and feelings. You know, kind of their reactions does dictate a lot of what I do in the ring, so it felt good. I really did miss it while I was gone.”
WWE announced back in June 2019 that Jinder Mahal has suffered a knee injury and the required surgery will keep him out of action for somewhere between six to twelve months.
He was part of the SmackDown brand at the moment but the Modern Day Maharaja was sent back to Raw during the 2019 draft when the Blue Branded Show moved to Fox.
Mahal finally made his return to WWE programming during the April 27 episode of Monday Night Raw where he defeated Akira Tozawa in a one on one match.
Lio Rush was one of the stars released by WWE as part of their coronavirus budget cuts and he is now teasing a retirement from the wrestling business altogether.
The former Cruiserweight Champion took his twitter today and made an interesting comment saying “I legitimately might not ever wrestle again”:
While Rush did not elaborate on his future plans, he has been making tweets promoting his hip hop career, and shortly before the above post he had sent out another tweet, saying that he is available for music features.
The former WWE star posted an email where he can be booked and he had also recently confirmed that his debut album called Ever After will be releasing on Monday, May 11.
Lio Rush started his wrestling career in 2014. Before being picked up by WWE in August 2017, the high flying star wrestled for companies such as CZW and ROH.
He was moved to the main roster in June 2018. He first competed in 205 Live and was later paired with Bobby Lashley as the former Champion’s mouthpiece.
While this pairing gained popularity with fans, the former NXT star got himself in a controversy after making public comments about his WWE pay.
After his comments became a hot topic of discussion, stories about Lio Rush’s backstage attitude became viral and he was finally released from the company last month.
The Royal Rumble match earlier this year saw a number of NXT stars making their presence felt and the stars that got a moment to shine include people like Bianca Belair, Shayna Baszler and Keith Lee.
However, during a recent interview with Tokyo Sports, NXT star Io Shirai revealed that she was actually scheduled to compete in the Battle Royal earlier this year.
Shirai revealed that she was pulled from the match because she suffered an injury while competing in a match with Toni Storm before the PPV in January:
“I had a match with Toni Storm before Royal Rumble, when Storm hit a tope to me at outside of the ring, my knee had bent to the wrong direction. I was scheduled to participate (in the) Royal Rumble, but I was so frustrated that I (couldn’t) participate.”
Io Shirai returned from the injury in March and in April, she became the number one contender for Charlotte Flair’s NXT Women’s Championship after winning a ladder match.
The NXT star defeated Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, Mia Yim, Dakota Kai, and Chelsea Green to earn the opportunity and she will be challenging the Queen for her title at this week’s episode of the Black and Yellow brand
It appears that WWE is loading up next week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, which will serve as the post-Money in the Bank edition.
First up is a commercial that aired during Monday’s show that got fans talking, which was that Randy Orton and WWE Hall of Famer Edge would be returning. The ad noted that Edge would be hunting Orton before asking if the hunter will become the hunted.
Edge beat Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania 36 in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on the WWE Network last month. This marked Edge’s first singles match since he retired.
It should be noted that this type of commercial aired during WrestleMania season to further hype their program. There is some speculation that the promo was an error on the part of the USA Network as WWE didn’t tweet out the promo. If so, that’s very unusual.
What is confirmed is that RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch will be appearing on next week’s RAW to confront the winner of the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Shayna Baszler, Asuka, Nia Jax, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, and Carmella are the participants in the match. The men’s and women’s ladder matches will be taking place simultaneously.
AJ Styles has made his return to WWE television and already has his match booked for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
The former WWE Champion did so during Monday’s episode of RAW where he competed in the Last Chance Gauntlet Match. He ended up beating Humberto Carrillo to qualify for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Also in the Gaunlet Match included Bobby Lashley, Titus O’Neil, Akira Tozawa, Shelton Benjamin, Angel Garza, and Austin Theory.
This match was done as a way to determine the replacement star for Apollo Crews in the upcoming contest. WWE did a storyline where Crews suffered an injury in his latest match against Andrade for the United States Title on last Monday’s RAW.
As a result of the injury, Crews was unable to finish the match and ultimately pulled from the ladder match.
Thus, this year’s Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match will see Styles vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Baron Corbin vs. Otis vs. Aleister Black vs. vs. Rey Mysterio.
Just like the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match will be held in Stamford, CT at the WWE headquarters. Stars will start at the floor of the headquarters and battle through the building until they get to the roof.
Cobb says his agreement to work two shows for AEW was kept pretty quiet. Only Cody Rhodes, Jon Moxley and a handful of other people knew he was coming in.
At the time, AEW made it known on Twitter that Cobb was “All Elite,” an indication that he would be wrestling for the company going forward but that wasn’t the case. After losing to Moxley, he hasn’t been seen on Dynamite since.
Cobb stated that on January 1st, his contract with ROH expired but he made it known to ROH officials that he wanted to stay and work with ROH. The reason for that is due to his belief in ROH and the direction that the company is going.
He put over ROH having a talent roster that is ridiculous. His goal was to stay with ROH but the AEW opportunity came up and he took it.
“I feel it was good for both parties. Because now people that only watch AEW are like ‘well, I thought Jeff is Ring of Honor?’ or some people are like, ‘what’s Ring of Honor?’ Then they come over and look at Ring of Honor and now there’s more eyes that wouldn’t have been on Ring of Honor that are going over now. I think it helped everybody in the grand scheme of things. It was fun. Good pay day.”
Cobb also noted that he’s okay with not being signed to an exclusive contract with any promotions. However, he does know there are pros and cons with being exclusive and being non-exclusive. Thus, he eventually thinks he’ll settle down.
This week’s episode of RAW aired from the Performance Center in Orlando. It was the final episode of RAW before WWE Money in the Bank this Sunday night.
WWE RAW Results (5/4)
AJ Styles qualified for the MITB Ladder match by winning a Gauntlet match
Shane Thorne & Brendan Vink def. Ricochet & Cedric Alexander
Viking Raiders def. Street Profits
Charlotte def. Liv Morgan
Drew McIntyre def. Murphy
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Asuka & Shayna Baszler Attacked Nia Jax
MVP hosted another episode of the VIP Lounge tonight on RAW. Shayna Baszler, Asuka, and Nia Jax were tonight’s guests. MVP referred to Nia Jax as the most dominant force in the match and then wondered if she has the skill set to win the Money in the Bank match two seconds later.
Nia boasted about her dominating last week on RAW and vowed to win the match. Shayna stated that she does all her talking with her actions and that is what separates her. Asuka got pissed off and the two had a stare down. They both turned their attention to Nia Jax and booted her in the face. MVP then separated Asuka and Shayna to end the segment.
Opinion: This was flat out terrible. It didn’t provide any excitement for the match on Sunday.
A Last Chance Gauntlet Match occurred tonight to determine which superstar will replace Bobby Lashley in the MITB match.
Match Recap: Bobby Lashley defeated Titus O’Neil to start things off. Lashley squashed Akira Tozawa next and then faced Shelton Benjamin. Shelton hit Bobby with a Blockbuster and then knocked him to the outside. Bobby battled back and slammed Shelton into the barricade a few times. Back in the ring, Lashley leveled Benjamin with a Spear for another quick win.
Humberto Carrillo squared off against Lashley next. Humberto got in some offense early but Bobby quickly beat him down in the corner. Lashley wouldn’t stop and he was disqualified from the match after putting his hands on the referee. . Bobby hit Carrillo with a Spear and beat him down before officials broke it up.
Angel Garza was the next superstar and beat down Humberto in the corner of the ring. Garza connected with a Superkick and went for the cover but Humberto kicked out at two. Angel followed it up with a Moonsault for another near fall. Garza went for the Wing Clipper but Humberto countered into a roll-up for the victory.
Austin Theory was next up and rushed the ring as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Theory dominated the action early but Carrillo wouldn’t stay down. Theory hit a Superplex but Carrillo once again countered into a roll-up to eliminate Austin.
AJ Styles made his return from being buried alive and entered the match next. Carrillo hit Styles with a Dropkick and stomped him down in the corner of the ring. AJ focused his attack on Humberto’s knee and went for a Moonsault but Humberto countered into another roll-up for a near fall. AJ then locked in the Calf Crusher for the submission victory. Styles qualified for the MITB match with the win. After the match, Styles slammed Humberto’s knee into the ring post several times.
Styles then cut a promo and said that there is no Undertaker to try and steal his spotlight. AJ claimed that he didn’t lose anything by being buried by The Undertaker in the Boneyard match. Styles vowed to do anything to win the MITB contract, including throwing Rey Mysterio or Aleister Black off the roof of WWE Headquarters.
Seth Rollins was interviewed by Charly Caruso tonight in the ring. Charly asked Rollins for any last minute predictions and Seth said “whatever is meant to be, will be” and added that he has confidence in Murphy tonight against McIntyre.
Rollins once again claimed that McIntyre is not a leader and that it his destiny to be champion. Seth said that Drew is going to put up a hell of a fight but he is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
Seth noted that being a champion is more than what you do the ring, the champion is a leader that represents an entire industry. He claimed that Drew isn’t ready for that and he is simply trying to take the weight off of McIntyre’s shoulders.
NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair came down to the ring during the final hour of this week’s RAW. Charlotte boasted about being the hardest working superstar because she has been appearing on both RAW and NXT.
Charlotte brought up defending her title against Io Shirai this Wednesday and how she said Flair was her dream opponent. Flair said she was going to make Io’s dream come true and give her the privilege of bowing down to the Queen.
Liv Morgan interrupted and told Charlotte that not all of us were born with silver spoons shoved up their ass. Flair said yes she was born with a silver sporn and she is damn proud of it. Flair noted that she has been hearing that insult for years now and that she can also bow down to the Queen.
Match Recap: Charlotte hit Liv with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a boot to the face. Morgan battled back with a Hurricanrana and a Splash in the corner. Charlotte leveled Flair with a Dropkick but Flair shrugged it off and sent Liv into the turnbuckle. Morgan hit a Jawbreaker and followed it up with Double Knees to Charlotte’s face. Flair planted Liv with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Liv kicked out at two. Charlotte then locked in the Figure Four and bridged into the Figure Eight for the submission victory.
Opinion: Charlotte and Liv had a solid match tonight. Morgan put up a good fight but ultimately fell short. The announcers made sure to point that out and hopefully WWE follows through in the coming weeks and continues to build Liv up.
McIntyre Sent Rollins A Message Heading Into Money In The Bank
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre battled Murphy in the main event of tonight’s RAW. Seth Rollins stood on the top of the entrance ramp for the match.
Match Recap: McIntyre slammed Murphy onto the steel entrance ramp and then the barricade several times as Rollins looked away. Drew sent Murphy over the barricade before rolling back into the ring to break the count. McIntyre hit Murphy with a chop to the chest and rolled him back into the ring.
Drew took a moment to stare at Rollins and it cost him. Murphy hit a Dropkick through the ropes and returned the favor by slamming McIntyre into the ring post. Back in the ring, Murphy climbed to the top rope and hit a Meteora for a one count.
McIntyre took back control of the action and Murphy into the barricade once again. McIntyre climbed to the top rope and hit a massive Clothesline. Rollins made his way to the middle of the ramp as Drew lifted Murphy onto his shoulders. Murphy escaped and hit McIntyre with a Superkick and then a Powerbomb for another one count. Murphy tried to mock McIntyre by doing the Claymore countdown but it backfired. McIntyre leveled Murphy with the Claymore for the pinfall victory.
Seth hopped on the ring apron and McIntyre asked for a fight. Seth elected to hop off the apron and made his way backstage. Rollins then ran back to the ring as McIntyre wasn’t looking. Rollins hit McIntyre with a Superkick and shouted “this isn’t about you!”. Rollins grabbed the WWE Championship and stared at it. Seth went for The Stomp but McIntyre caught him with a headbutt. McIntyre went for a Claymore but Rollins retreated out of the ring to end the show.
Opinion: Overall, this week’s RAW was much better than last week’s show. I’m looking forward to Rollins versus McIntyre at Money in the Bank. It seems like creative has already given up on Ricochet & Alexander as the suffered a loss to Vink and Thorne tonight. The VIP Lounge segment to start the show was atrocious but the rest of the show was entertaining.
It was revealed over the weekend that SmackDown star Jimmy Uso is currently on the shelf with a knee injury. The expected timeline is that he’ll be out of action for 6-9 months.
It’s believed that he suffered the injury during WrestleMania 36 where he took part in a Triple Threat ladder match for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles that saw Kofi Kingston retaining over Jimmy and John Morrison.
Now, there’s speculation among fans about what WWE will do with Jey whether that means he’ll be kept off of television or be used as a singles competitor.
Dave Meltzer noted on the latest Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast that there are people within WWE who have suggested Jey might be used as a singles competitor. However, there’s no word yet on if they will move in that direction.
Meltzer also noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Jimmy’s injury led to WWE calling up The Forgotten Sons – Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler and Jaxson Ryker – from NXT, which were part of changes made to original plans for the SmackDown tag team division.
WWE has already confirmed The Forgotten Sons vs. Lucha House Party vs. John Morrison and The Miz vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day in a Fatal 4 Way for WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
Matt Riddle recently spoke with Sportskeeda where he discussed reports stating that he had backstage heat with some people in WWE due to his comments on social media and in interviews.
This is where the WWE NXT Tag Team Champion admitted that he does have backstage heat.
“I’ll tell you this. Do I have heat with WWE or NXT, or the people that run the show? No. Do I have heat with some people who think I’m disrespectful at times because they don’t understand how business works? Yes. Do people take things too seriously? Yes.”
Riddle stated that he has told people in WWE that he will tweet about something that he knows might offend people. However, he lets them know that he’s doing it to put out an image.
While some people will see his trash talk as him being out of control, he understands that he’s doing a job and knows the business that he’s in. He brought up how he doesn’t have nuclear heat because he was booked in the Royal Rumble Match.
Riddle then recalled having a meeting with Vince McMahon three weeks ago before the coronavirus outbreak.
“I was in headquarters talking to him – and, yeah, we mentioned the heat I have with certain people but, at the end of the day, he signs the checks, he makes it happen for me and they’re in control, not the talent. If employer’s happy and I can make them money and make them a profit, and I’m worth my weight and I’m pulling my weight, I don’t see a problem.”
Riddle added that he does have heat with some people but most of it is high school issues as those people who have issues with him can’t take a joke or a work.
Alexander Hammerstone has made a big impact in Major League Wrestling since his arrival in early 2019.
Shortly after arriving in MLW, he aligned himself with MJF and Richard Holiday to form the Dynasty faction. He won the tournament to crown MLW’s first National Openweight champion – a title he still holds to this day. Hammerstone is one of the most agile heavyweights in all of pro wrestling. It is easy to see how he’s climbed the ranks of the MLW fight league so quickly.
We recently had a chance to speak with Hammerstone for an extended interview. Topics discussed include changing up his persona prior to joining MLW, his first year with the company, the Dynasty and much more.
You can listen to our full interview with Hammerstone below:
Hammerstone’s First Year In MLW, Reinventing Himself
The 6’4″ hoss from Glendale, AZ first arrived on the scene in MLW in January 2019.
Hammerstone explains that his first year in MLW brought him the most success and notoriety of his decade-long career. Prior to MLW, Hammerstone cut his teeth in Paragon Pro Wrestling and Ring Warriors, among other smaller promotions. That experience helped him put his best foot forward and make something happen on the big stage.
Just before signing with MLW, Hammerstone changed up his look and his attitude. He cut his hair, shook off the bootleg Triple H comparisons and let his personality shine through.
“I’ve always been a guy who loves doing character stuff and promo stuff, backstage vignettes and stuff of that nature,” he said. “So, that alone wasn’t new, but the way we were going with it was kind of new. For a lot of years, I presented myself a lot differently. I tried really hard to play a certain type of pro wrestler and I got kind of pigeonholed into playing this big tough guy, ‘I’m gonna beat you up’ type of character. It wasn’t one dimensional, but it was limited in what I could do with it. Finally, right before I signed with MLW, I just threw that away and said, ‘I’m just going to be myself, I’m just going to do what I like. I’m gonna try to do what I enjoy and what I think is entertaining without following any guidelines that I’m supposed to follow.'”
The Dynasty
After getting a few singles wins under his belt he aligned himself with Maxwell J. Friedman and Richard Holiday. The trio were among MLW’s breakout stars last year. They held championship gold and relished in the creative freedom they were given.
“Luckily, I got thrown into some good stories right off the bat,” Hammerstone said about his arrival in MLW. “It was only a couple weeks of TV before we began forming The Dynasty. Once that got going, it was like there was a rocket on our butts and it’s been an upward trajectory ever since.”
He continued, “The best parts of The Dynasty have been when we’re just playing off each other. It wasn’t a new thing to do promos. But it was a new thing to just be myself and enjoy it and watch things blossom in their own natural way.”
On recent episodes of MLW Fusion, Hammerstone and Richard Holiday’s exploits while on tour in Mexico were highly entertaining. In one segment, they were shown in a Tiajuana hotel room, hungover from attending a ‘donkey show’ the previous night before.
Creative Freedom in MLW
Hammerstone explained how those segments came together.
“I think there was a general idea of what direction the Dynasty was going to go in, when it was first formed,” he said. “And then it just took wild left turn after wild left turn and pretty soon it became its own strange monster. At first, it was like they were trying to tighten up the leash and control it. Then, once it got out of control, they realized they couldn’t stop us and they were just gonna let us do whatever we want to do.”
He continued, “A lot of the one-liners and segments people fondly remember were things we were specifically told, ‘You probably shouldn’t do that’ but luckily, starting out, I showed up to the company wanting to be respectful. But I’d say Max, MJF, probably had a good part in that. He was the type of guy where, we’d shoot a promo and it turned out way off the rails, way far away from what they intended it to be. And it was hilarious, but they’d say, ‘Ok, maybe we do another one without …’ and he’d just say, ‘Nope, that’s it’ and walk away and be gone, so there was no, ‘Ok, we’re going to reshoot that.’
From that point on, it really became, ‘The Dynasty is going to be the Dynasty, we’re going to do what we think is right, we’re gonna say the silly things we want to say and there’s not much you can do to stop it.’ And if they did, it would probably be way less entertaining.'”
Gino Medina has since joined the Dynasty faction, with MJF recently being forced to leave MLW after losing a ‘Loser Leaves Town’ match to Mance Warner.
Many fans feel the use of authority figures in wrestling has been overdone. Recently, a fan on Twitter asked Cody about the possibility of AEW utilizing someone in such a role. According to Cody, using an authority figure in today’s era of pro-wrestling would be insulting to the audience.
“Hopefully never,” Cody Tweeted when asked if there will be an authority figure in AEW. “The audience isn’t dumb, they know who management is. Authority elements seem insulting in this era. This is just my opinion, as there’s a lot of fun ways to do this and I respect those.”
Cody also responded to a fan who asked if he’ll ever challenge for the AEW World Championship again.
While Cody can never challenge for the AEW belt again, he is in the finals of the TNT title tournament. He will face Lance Archer at Double or Nothing for the belt.
Cody noted Kris Statlander and Wardlow both seem on the verge of something special as well:
Might be a lot of those, the talent pool in wrestling is so rich atm
Statlander & Wardlow seem to be on the verge of special stuff
Cody will take part in an interview with Tony Schiavone at 6 PM tonight. Schiavone and Cody’s discussion will be broadcast on AEW’s social media channels.
Matt Cardona is no stranger to social media. The man formerly known as Zack Ryder is a pioneer in utilizing the Internet to connect with (and build) his fan base.
Cardona held a Q&A session on Instagram over the weekend. He answered a wide variety of questions from fans, including his time in WWE and the next chapter of his wrestling career.
WWE released over 20 wrestlers last month. Among the talent let go were Cardona and longtime partner Brian Myers (Curt Hawkins). The duo wrestled together on-and-off for many years. They continue to host the Major Figure Wrestling Podcast together.
Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins achieved championship success together in WWE, but Matt Cardona says he plans to venture out on his own in the months ahead.
Matt Cardona Flying Solo
When asked about the possibility of keeping their team together, Cardona says he and Myers have already agreed to go their separate ways. He would consider reuniting with Myers as a special attraction, but he’s looking forward to resuming his singles career.
“We are not teaming,” he said. “We are not teaming anywhere unless one of the things we want to do is … e’d like to put on live wrestling shows. I would love to team with him in that environment. Or I’d love to wrestle like the Rock N’ Roll Express or the Headbangers. But other than that, we’re going our own separate ways.”
Cardona revealed that he already has new ring gear and theme music ready to go, as soon as he’s able to wrestle again. “I’m always ready,” he said. “That’s not just a catchphrase. Not just a hashtag. Always ready.”
Internet Championship
Back in 2011, not many pro wrestlers were using the Internet to connect with fans. WWE’s creative team did not have much for Zack Ryder, so Matt Cardona took it upon himself to develop the character independently. Before Being The Elite, we had Zack Ryder’s Z! True Long Island Story.
The show was groundbreaking. WWE had no choice but to feature Zack Ryder more on television due to the show’s popularity. To commemorate the success, Zack Ryder created his own championship belt: the Internet Championship.
Zack Ryder’s Internet Championship
Cardona saw opportunity and merchandise dollar signs – if only WWE would allow him to wear the belt on television. Unfortunately, those requests were repeatedly denied.
“I was denied and I was told that I’m a mark for myself, which isn’t true,” he said. “I explained. Just like the Million Dollar Championship, right? It’s an accessory. It’s cool because with a gimmick and you could have sold these things. You could have made a killing selling these things, the foam, the replicas. But that did not happen.”
The belt did appear in video games and as an accessory to some of his action figures. But he never got to wear in on TV. Cardona bemoaned, “I think there was some money lost, a lot of money lost.”
Matt Cardona called the Internet Championship, “definitely my most prized possession.”
WWE Superstar Big E has reacted to a WWE article that argued that his stable, The New Day, is the “greatest faction in WWE history.” Joining WWE show The Bump, Big E shared his thoughts on the article, admitting he didn’t know how to take it.
Big E admitted that the honor being bestowed is undeniably cool. He added how his job is to go out and perform and the best he can be, whether that’s in the ring or on the mic. He added how it’s the job of the fans and the media to determine who the best faction of all time is.
“Part of me thinks that this is flattering because I can think of many great factions,” Big E said. “I will say though, we’re not done yet, there are no other active factions – maybe Undisputed Era, I guess you could say because you don’t know what their reigns will look like or titles that they’ll win – but, this is not a conversation for me to decide. I’ll let people like you [The Bump panel] decide the greatest faction.”
He then reflected on the current coronavirus pandemic. Big E confessed it has been difficult for him and Kofi Kingston to keep their spirits up. This is especially true as they are competing in front of zero fans and receiving no live reactions. It’s something he misses as they love their fans.
Big E credited the fans with helping to establish the New Day. He stressed how if it wasn’t for their genuine reactions, they wouldn’t have been able to adjust their performances.
Ethan Page is 1/2 of the Impact tag team champions along with Josh Alexander. The team was unable to attend the recent tapings, however, due to travel restrictions. Page recently spoke to the WINCLY podcast about how Impact management has been treating talent during the ongoing pandemic.
“Personally, I have nothing but good things to say during this entire thing,” Page said on the show. “We had three events cancelled that we got paid for and we didn’t even have to leave the house. In my contract, it says if I don’t perform, I don’t get paid. But I didn’t perform and they still paid me. That just shows a different character than most companies in this situation and I’ll be happy to pay that forward, maybe even just telling you how good they’re treating us might be able to help them out.”
Last week on Impact Wrestling, Page and Alexander noted that they will defend their tag titles against a top Canadian team this week. Who this team is and where and when the match was filmed is not currently known, however.
The North recently became the first team in Impact/TNA history to hold the tag titles for longer than 300 days (303 days as of this writing). Earlier this year, Taya Valkyrie became the first Knockout to hold the title for longer than a calendar year as well. The North sits 4th all-time in total days spent with the tag titles behind the Wolves, Beer Money, and LAX.
Major League Wrestling announced a new project this week. MLW’s Court Bauer noted on Twitter that cameras are rolling on the league’s first virtual production. Details regarding the show aren’t currently known but MLW is touting it as a way to produce new content during the ongoing pandemic.
“While details remain under wraps, the project is the latest in recent initiatives by the league to produce unique content during a period of unexpected disruption due to the on-going pandemic,” reads an MLW update on the new initiative.
MLW has also announced a new “Anthology” series set to debut on Saturday, May 16th. The project will feature the history of the promotion from 2002-04 during its first initial run as well as the greatest rivalries and matches from its current incarnation.
The original run for MLW formed out of a wrestling business that had recently seen both WCW and ECW go out of business. It featured notable names such as Satoshi Kojima, Terry Funk, CM Punk, LA Park, Dusty Rhodes, Steve Corino, and “Dr. Death” Steve Williams. Joey Styles served as commentator for the promotion as well. MLW from 2002-04 also featured notable stables such as Steve Corino’s “Extreme Horseman” and a Hart Foundation stable consisting of Davey Boy Smith Jr, Jack Evans, and Teddy Hart.
Major League Wrestling presented another episode of Fusion this week on BeIN Sports and YouTube. The show featured members of Injustice challenging for the AAA Trios Championships.
The full episode can be viewed in the player below:
MLW Fusion 5/2/20 Quick Results:
Poder De Norte (Mocho Cota Jr., Tito Santana & Carta Brava Jr.) defeated Black Destiny, Rayo Starr & Fantastick
AAA Trios Championship El Hijo del Vikingo, Myzteziz & Octagon Jr. (c) defeated Injustice (Myron Reed, Kotta Brazil & Jordan Oliver)
Injustice Attacks Brian Pillman Jr./Attempt To Cut Off His Mullet
Injustice attacked Brian Pillman Jr. backstage in Tijuana this week. The trio have made multiple attempts to take the 2-time rookie of the year out of action but this time they attempted to cut off his mullet as well.
Cameras caught up with Pillman later in the show who challenged Jordan Oliver to a hair vs hair match. It wouldn’t be the last time Pillman would have a message for the members of Injustice this week, however.
Brian Pillman Prevents Injustice From Winning Trios Titles
Injustice was granted a shot for the AAA Trios title against Vikingo, Myzteziz & Octagon Jr. due to a backstage altercation with Konnan recently.
Brian Pillman Jr. came out during the match and prevented Kotto Brazil from using a chair and also spit beer in his face. Vikingo would then hit a 630 Denton on Kotto for the win. The rivalry between Injustice and Pillman just got taken up a notch as Pillman prevented the trio from winning gold here.
Richard Holiday Purchased Savio Vega’s Childhood Home
A short Lifestyles of the Rich and Dynastic took place this week. Richard Holliday and Alexander Hammerstone were shown outside a yellow house. Holliday informed Hammerstone that this is Savio Vega’s childhood home but that the bank foreclosed on Savio’s mother. This allowed Holliday to purchase it. Holliday said he plans to turn it into an Air BnB. Now that Holliday has stolen the Caribbean title and the title to his childhood home from Savio Vega, Holliday is referring to himself as “Richie Two Titles.”
The Dynasty will have to look over their shoulders, however. Both Mance Warner and Savio Vega are coming for them.
Last week, a planned press conference featuring Team Filthy and American Top Team was scheduled. It never took place, however, as Low-Ki interrupted and attacked ATT coach Dan Lambert. This week, it was revealed that American Top Team have filed legal action against Low-Ki for the attack.
Dinner With Los Parks
LA Park, LA Park Jr. and El Hijo de LA Park took part in a cooking show this week. The family cooked pulled pork in honor of Psycho Clown’s father Super Porky.
The Parks make it clear they are with MLW and will battle all of the little clowns AAA sends up north. This includes Pagano, who has been making himself known in MLW as of late as well. They will take on Psycho Clown’s team in trios action next week.
Next week on MLW, Los Parks will take on Psycho Clown, Psychosis, and Nino Hamberguesa in trios action. Los Parks will have to back up all the trash-talking they did from their kitchen when these two sides face off from Tijuana next week.
WWE Hall of Famers Triple H and Shawn Michaels addressed social media’s impact on WWE during an interview with Inside the Ropes. The WWE Legends acknowledged how social media has impacted upon not only WWE’s creative process but how fans interact with the product and Superstars.
Triple H spoke about how everybody has an opinion. He pointed to how some characters are positioned to be a heel but end up being cheered. Conversely, they will position someone to be a babyface, only to have a large chunk of the crowd dislike them. He admitted how it’s tougher than it ever has been to create a character that is universally liked or disliked.
He stressed that this isn’t just isolated to pro wrestling, pointing to the music industry as a comparison. Triple H noted how artists will put out an album and how social media will display extreme opinions on both sides.
Using Triple H’s album analogy, Shawn Michaels added how “After you purchase the album we’re good. You know what I mean? Whatever decision you want to come up with after that, knock your socks off.”
Triple H & Shawn Michaels On Encouraging The WWE Universe
Triple H expressed how he loves the passion from the WWE Universe, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative. He called it “funny” how some people believe WWE manipulate crowd noise to try and convince them to cheer or boo a Superstar. It’s something he staunchly denies, adding how “It’s just what’s happening.”
“But they’re so passionate about it, but the fact that, we love the fact that they can express their opinion. We love the fact that they can go out there and say, ‘This is great,’ ‘This isn’t great,’ ‘This guy’s a good guy,’ ‘That person’s a bad guy,’ whatever that is, right, and yet, if they also, if they tell us they dislike something, if we’re smart, we listen to that. Might take a while but we can fix it.”
Michaels added how he believes it’s better to have fan engagement rather than total ambivalence. If nobody had an opinion on what they were doing, that would be the time he’d be concerned. “[…] what’s gonna really suck is the day when nobody cares, when nobody wants a picture, when nobody wants an autograph. So, no matter how much, better to have that ‘hassle’ than no hassle at all, and I think that’s how all of us in this line of work look at it.”
WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler has reflected on his momentous Money in the Bank victory back in 2012. Speaking on WWE show The Bump, Ziggler looked back on his victory and his experience competing in the ladder match.
Ziggler shared how it was “amazing” to be in there, especially when he was a “pretty young up-and-coming go-getter.”
He pointed out how it was such a learning experience to be in there with Christian, stating how he learned so much both mentally and physically from him. He then spotlighted Tyson Kidd, sharing how he is still such a huge fan of his.
“The Showoff” added how he doesn’t know of anybody else that has continually set the bar over 15 years in the way he has. Ziggler stressed how he keeps “setting the bar, knocking it down and stealing the show.”
Dolph Ziggler Cashes In
Dolph Ziggler would cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the Monday Night RAW following WrestleMania 29. It was a successful cash in as he defeated Alberto Del Rio. This victory saw him claim the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It was a win he credited to the fans. He believes their faith in him convinced WWE’s top brass to pull the trigger with him.
“It wasn’t me cashing it, it was an entire fanbase getting behind someone who they could tell had it. Who they could tell could put the time in, and who they could tell was getting the shaft left and right backstage and continues too.”
He recalled how he wanted to be 100% business. However, when his music hit and he stepped out, the moment him like “10,000 bees stinging me.” He referred to his match with Del Rio as a “thing of beauty” and stressed how, no matter your experience with pro wrestling, “you watch those four minutes, you live and die three different times.”
Dolph Ziggler isn’t sure if that could happen for anybody else but remains thankful to the fans for helping allow it for him.
All Elite Wrestling’s resident Dentist, Britt Baker, has revealed how she and NXT Champion Adam Cole first began dating. Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Baker explained how they didn’t actually meet at a show or through friends. Instead, the two met thanks to a dating app called Bumble.
Baker shared how she was in Hersey, PA for a dental school conference when she came across his Bumble profile. According to Britt Baker, he didn’t look like Adam Cole as he had his hair back and was wearing normal clothes in his profile. Every time she’d seen him in the past, Cole was in a wrestling ring with soaking wet hair and only wrestling gear on. Additionally, the profile listed his name as Austin.
She recalled how “this guy looks so familiar but I don’t know Austin and then it finally clicked and we started talking from there, and then it took us a while to go on a date.” Baker admitted she was hesitant at first as he’s not the “most likable character on TV and is kind of evil.” Eventually, however, she agreed.
Britt Baker recalled how they went on a date after he had returned from New Japan Pro-Wrestling during the time when Cole won the Ring of Honour Championship. The couple now lives in Orlando, Florida together. They are signed to different companies, with Baker competing for AEW and Cole on WWE’s NXT brand.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has opened up about the anger he felt after discovering WrestleMania 36 would take place in front of zero fans. He revealed his feelings on the subject during an interview with Lilian Garcia on her Chasing Glorypodcast.
McIntyre admitted he was “obviously upset” when he was first told of the situation. He added how he was “very angry” at first, noting how he didn’t realize the magnitude of the situation until he got back home.
At the time, Drew McIntyre was understandably caught up in his frustrations. He reflected on how hard he’d worked to get into this position, only for it to take place in front of no fans. It was a surreal situation he struggled to accept.
“Then I started watching the news and realized what was going on and the WWE was pushing forward with WrestleMania and give everybody an escape,” Drew McIntyre explained. “The fact that I was going to fight Brock in the main event, that was bigger than my selfish reasons and I started thinking this was a positive. We are going to give everybody an escape. I can give them a happy ending if they are invested in my story and finally get that happy ending at WrestleMania.”
Drew McIntyre then recalled how he hid the championship in his house. He didn’t take it out until after he had relived his victory live with the rest of the world, “reacting to every move” as it took place on TV.
All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has opened up about why the TNT Championship belt is so important to him. Speaking with AEW announcer Tony Schiavone, Cody also broached the topic of retirement and what he wants to accomplish with his future in pro wrestling.
Having successfully made his way to the finals of the TNT Championship Tournament, Cody Rhodes is set to face off for the belt against Lance Archer. He stressed how his personal standards are “pretty lofty,” especially when juxtaposing his accomplishments with his father, Dusty Rhodes. He added how being a second or third-generation wrestler immediately sets a high standard that is based on what was “laid before you.” It’s an expectation that could be met with a championship victory.
“I mean, he [Dusty] really had a significant chunk of wrestling’s total legacy,” Cody Rhodes said. “I don’t do this to be anything other than the greatest. Anything other than the absolute best. That sounds ridiculous, but I really still believe in dreams. And you get better every day. Every day since I started, which is really 15 years old since I started, I’ve tried to be a better wrestler the next day.”
Cody Rhodes’ Retirement Plans
Regarding his future in the business, Cody Rhodes confessed how he intended to only wrestle until he turned 40. He turns 36 this June. He admitted that he no longer knows if that initial retirement date will hold true. Cody stressed how he wants to make sure that two people never have to work: his wife and his mother.
He acknowledged how his wife, Brandi, will choose to work every day as that’s who she is. According to Cody, his mother, “refuses to acknowledge that I’m still trying to do everything I can to take care of her.” To him, however, it’s important that they both know that he not only did it, but he did it in wrestling.
Cody Rhodes will face Lance Archer for the TNT Championship at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, on Saturday, May 23.
Founding member of Bullet Club, Tama Tonga, was recently interviewed by SI.com. During the discussion, Tonga noted the differences between Japanese and American wrestling companies during the pandemic. According to Tonga, there is more unity in Japan and concern for the safety of fans and wrestlers.
“There is a different sense of unity in Japan,” said Tonga. “Here in America, the show must go on. Money needs to come in, so the wrestlers are still wrestling. New Japan stopped holding shows. That’s not just for the safety of the fans, but it’s also for the health of the wrestlers.”
Tonga continued to talk about how New Japan Pro Wrestling has assured staff and wrestlers that nobody will be let go. He noted that the company is more of a family.
“It’s a different culture in Japan, a lot different from ‘the show must go on’ mindset,” said Tonga. “The majority of our income comes from live shows, which has been cut out, but the company has held onto the staff and reassured us that no one will be let go. The company is more of a family in Japan.”
Tama Tonga is one of the most decorated tag team wrestlers in NJPW history. The Guerrillas of Destiny rank 5th all-time in IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team title defenses with 9. Their 6 reigns with the titles is tied for 1st all-time with Tencozy. They rank 4th all-time with 607 combined days with the belts. The team also made it to the finals of World Tag League 3x in a row from 2016-2018. They’ve never won the tournament, however.
Kevin Owens defeated Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 36 but hasn’t been part of WWE programming since. As it turns out, Owens suffered an ankle injury during the match that has sidelined him ever since. Meanwhile, the wrestler Owens beat at WrestleMania now has a WWE Championship match against Drew McIntyre at Money in the Bank.
Owens confirmed his ankle injury during an interview with RDS.
“It’s special that we were considered essential in the state of Florida, but maybe it’s a mentality where they think people need such distraction,” a translated quote from Owens reads.
“The great thing about WWE is that it doesn’t require us to be there if we don’t want to. That’s why in the last two weeks I have not been there because I preferred to be at home with my family,” Owens continued.
Owens doesn’t seem to be doing too bad during this time, however.
WrestleMania 36 with Owens’ 4th time wrestling at the event. He was involved in a 7-way ladder match for the IC title at WM32 (won by Zack Ryder.) At WrestleMania 33, he defeated Chris Jericho for the United States title. At WM34, he teamed with Sami Zayn and lost to Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan.
Jimmy Uso has suffered a knee injury and will be out of action for 6-9 months. According to a report from Ringside News, Uso needs surgery after suffering an injury during the ladder match at WrestleMania 36. The exact nature of Uso’s knee injury or the type of surgery he’ll need is currently unknown.
John Morrison won a 3-way ladder match against Kofi Kingston and Jimmy Uso at WrestleMania. Big E would later win the titles for New Day in a triple threat match against Jey Uso and the Miz on Smackdown.
WWE recently announced that the New Day vs Forgotten Sons vs Lucha House Party vs Miz & Morrison will compete for the Smackdown tag team titles at Money in the Bank.
The Usos in WWE
Jimmy & Jay Uso are one of the most decorated tag-teams in WWE history. The 34-year-old brothers debuted on the WWE main roster in 2010. During that time, they’ve won tag-team gold in the promotion times.
The Usos have held the Smackdown tag titles 4x for 380 days spent with the belts. They rank 1st in total days spent with the Smackdown titles and second in reigns. The New Day have held the belts 6x for a combined 300 days spent as champions.
