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Jon Moxley Talks About His New Movie Cagefighter (Exclusive)

Jake Skudder
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AEW World Champion Jon Moxley stars in the new movie Cagefighter: World Collide. Moxley plays Randy Stone, a pro wrestler who crosses over into the world of mixed martial arts. Cagefighter premieres exclusively on FITE Pay-Per-View Saturday night, May 16th for fans outside the US. A domestic release is planned for later this year.

Jon Moxley spoke with SEScoops this week about the project. Moxley discussed how former WWE Superstar Christian , identifying with his character Randy Stone and why the Cagefighter story is especially timely with everything going on in the world right now.

Jon Moxley’s Role in Cagefighter

Moxley revealed that former WWE Superstar Christian reached out to him about playing Randy Stone. “You know I originally got a call from Christian,” he began. “He was working as executive producer on this. He was the first one to reach out to me and throw my name out there for this role.”

Moxley told Christian to send him the script and immediately felt, “Yeah, I can play that guy. Because you know the character as is written? He’s kind of a…he’s basically a jerk. Kind of an a**hole. There’s an unapproachable kind of chip on his shoulder. A kind of bristly quality to him that is not unlike what I may have been when I was younger.”

He would go into how the character mimicked elements of himself and would mesh perfectly with the antagonist character of Randy Stone.

“I am…at my worst times? I can sometimes not be the most approachable guy in the world. Combine that with trying to bring a bit more of the over the top, full of himself, talking, big ego kind of always a pro wrestler thing? It’s kind of a combination of those two things; being the super obnoxious guy who just runs his mouth so much you want to see him get his clock cleaned by the end of the film. Combine that with a little bit of my chip on your shoulder, kind of bristly real life personality? That’s kind of what I tried to bring to it.”

Ad Libbing His Lines

All Elite Wrestling provides its wrestlers the ability to cut promos without over-scripting. Moxley has praised this aspect of the AEW creative process.

Film acting is traditionally a more structured format. Jon Moxley was given the leeway to ‘ad lib’ most of his lines in Cagefighter.

“Cool thing for me was so much of my lines in this movie are ad libs,” he said. “They just really gave me the freedom to just kind of say whatever I want. As far as, talking trash and cutting promos and stuff like that. We had a scene where we did a press conference and all these different interviews. Where I’m talking trash to them. It was really fun to just kind of be able to be obnoxious and say whatever thing comes to your head. It was really fun.”

Cagefighter & Today’s Climate

Jon Moxley feels the film is suitable for the current world climate, with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic still causing many to lose jobs.

“Basically the the story of the movie? It’s kind of apropos for right now; this guy hits the skids, and the worst thing that could happen to him happens that he’d never imagined could happen. He hits rock bottom and he’s ruined in every sense. Personally, professionally and financially. He’s embarrassed, and he has to climb all the way back up to the top. To where he was before, and a redemption story like that is kind of a good message to send right now I think. So many people are being affected by these crazy times, financial or worse.”

He elaborated on this point further, saying “I think it’s gonna probably still have lingering effects for the next year or two or longer. People have lost their jobs, businesses have shut down. People have been laid off. You know people are taking hits right now, so any kind of message of perseverance? Picking yourself up and dusting yourself off? Tough times won’t last forever, you just gotta get back to the grind and do it. I think that a good message to send right now.”

Jon Moxley says he has not yet seen the film, but will be watching live on FITE pay-per-view onMay 16th. “I myself haven’t even seen it yet because I’m waiting till May 16 to watch it with everybody else, and kind of experience it all together on the night of the premiere so it’s very, very exciting.”

Order CAGEFIGHTER: Worlds Collide on FITE PPV

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No Way Jose On His WWE Release, Name Origins, Comparisons To Adam Rose

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar No Way Jose recently caught up with Inside the Ropes. During their interview, he opened up about his recent release, admitting he was “blindsided” by the news. However, with his release, he is looking to embracing future opportunities that no longer revolve around his former-party loving character.

Jose shared that he’s in a tough position as the world knows him as No Way Jose. Now, however, he has a choice to make: lean into that gimmick or try to develop something completely different. He confessed that, despite the fact it was a good character for him, he doesn’t want to “continue that character” going forward. He noted how if he ever does an appearance with that gimmick, it will most likely be a one-off as he has “so much more to show.”

When it comes to the character’s name, the former Superstar revealed he wasn’t initially convinced. He recalled how the idea first came about, crediting Sami Callihan with the idea. When the character was first pitched, he figured it would be a catchphrase. That was until Matt Bloom proposed he adopted it as his character name. 

“I was just like No Way Jose? C’mon bro. I didn’t think people would take it seriously. On the grand scheme of things, I was like would they put a championship on somebody named No Way Jose? The answer, no way!”

With the dancing and partying No Way Jose’s character enjoyed, fans were quick to point out the similarities between himself and Adam Rose. It was an obvious juxtaposition that he was apprehensive about. He stressed how he wasn’t trying to knock Adam Rose in any way with his take on Jose. He then noted how he would do his entrance alone in NXT, getting people up and partying as opposed to Rose’s use of Rosebuds to party alongside him. 

Cody Rhodes On AEW Potentially Signing Zack Ryder: “This Can’t Be All Friends Wrestling”

Steve Russell
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All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has addressed the idea of the promotion signing recently released WWE Superstar Zack Ryder. Taking part in a Q&A session via Instagram, Cody was asked whether fans could expect to see Ryder show up in AEW in the future. Although he clearly holds Ryder in high regard, Cody stressed how he didn’t want the company to become “All Friends Wrestling.”

Cody Rhodes noted how Ryder is the best and has managed to earn a broad social media following across Twitter and Instagram. “Very broad influence, incredibly famous, more famous than many guys out there. But that doesn’t always translate.” He noted how the biggest hurdle Ryder will face will be their pre-existing friendship.

“The American Nightmare” shared how Ryder is one of his really close friends in wrestling. He noted how Ryder may be his “only friend” in wrestling. Cody then stressed AEW can’t just be “All Friends Wrestling.”

“You have to handle it the best way,” Cody Rhodes explained. “If you put on the Nightmare Family jacket, you’ve got a massive bullseye on your back, just in the locker room alone. It’s a total heat seeker. But I’m looking forward to what he does next. He’ll turn a lot of heads. I think and hope our paths will cross down the road. He’s just entering wrestler prime. Men’s wrestler prime is 35 to 40.”

When Ryder was first released, Cody Rhodes uploaded an honest, emotional response to the news. He stressed how Ryder’s best days are “ahead of him” and that he believes he will succeed, wherever he ends up.

Heath Slater Reflects On The Nexus: “We Should Have Took Over”

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Heath Slater has reflected on his time in The Nexus. Slater recently joined SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio where he broached the subject. He shared the moment he felt was the “beginning of the end” for the stable. Slater added how he believes they should have “taken over” at SummerSlam. 

“My goodness, I wish we could have had our hands and our grip on it a little more because it died way too soon,” Heath Slater stated. “And we all know this, like, everyone knows this: I mean, SummerSlam, we should have took over. Period. We should have won.” 

Heath Slater On Shifting Gears

Reflecting on the loss, Heath Slater stressed how the Nexus shifted from “from fourth to second gear” in one night. He added how they worked hard to earn their spot in the company as a top heel group and felt their SummerSlam loss squandered a WrestleMania payoff.

“We couldn’t wait a few more months to ‘Mania, so you could have a mega-group that could surely just destroy us or whatever. But, like, it should not have ended at SummerSlam, man.”

With Heath Slater now gone from WWE, only one member of the Nexus remains with the company: David Otunga. The group burst onto the scene with a violent takeover on an episode of Monday Night RAW. Unfortunately, the group wasn’t able to maintain their momentum which shifted drastically at the hands of Team WWE at SummerSlam 2010.

Natalya Shares Who She Wants To Win The Women’s Money In The Bank Match

Steve Russell
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Natalya has revealed which competitor she would like to see claim the Money in the Bank briefcase in the Women’s Ladder match. During her regular column for the Calgary Sun, Natalya, who has participated in previous Money in the Bank ladder matches, shared her hopes that SmackDown Superstar Dana Brooke would claim the prize.

Natalya highlighted how much heart and perseverance Brooke has. She also pointed out the “amazing attitude” she has maintained throughout her tenure in WWE.

“Dana hasn’t taken “no” for an answer in fighting for her dreams,” Natalya explained. “To see her grab the briefcase amongst some of the toughest women in WWE and then cash in and win a WWE Women’s Championship, would be nothing short of amazing.”

Dana Brooke joins Asuka, Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, and Lacey Evans in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. There is one more slot left. This position will be decided tonight on tonight’s episode of SmackDown in a matchup between Mandy Rose and Carmella.

WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view takes place on May 10 from WWE Global Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. The decision to hold the PPV at WWE HQ was made due to the current coronavirus pandemic.

Sami Zayn Reportedly Pulled Out Of WWE Tapings Due To Coronavirus Concern

Anutosh Bajpai
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Sami Zayn has not been seen on WWE programming in recent times and new reports suggest that it’s his own decision which has prevented him from making an appearance.

According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the current Intercontinental Champion was originally expected to be part of last week’s episode of SmackDown.

However, he was written off the show after Zayn made the decision to not travel to WWE Performance Center in Orlando over coronavirus concerns.

Both AEW and WWE have previously told their employees that they are free to not work the shows amid the pandemic and their decision will not be held against them in the future.

Sami Zayn is the second big-name which seems to have taken advantage of this advisory after Roman Reigns pulled out of his WrestleMania 36 match with Goldberg.

The former NXT star has not been seen on WWE programming since WrestleMania 36 where he successfully defended his title against Daniel Bryan in a one on one match.

Zayn’s partners Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura have been appearing on shows in recent weeks and they both have been working their own storylines without the current champion.

It’s worth mentioning here that the former NXT Champion noted on twitter that he had his wisdom teeth taken out recently which may be the reason why he wasn’t written into storylines prior to this week’s SmackDown from which he pulled out.

There is no news on when Sami Zayn might return to Television but it’s believed that Roman Reigns will not make his comeback until the pandemic is contained in some way and the same could be true for Zayn as well.

Kofi Kingston Credits Brock Lesnar For Putting Together Their Royal Rumble Moment

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kofi Kingston’s surprising loss to Brock Lesnar during the SmackDown 20th Anniversary episode infuriated a lot of people and fans were not happy with him losing the WWE title match without any offense.

However, the former WWE Champion did get a moment of retribution at Royal Rumble earlier this year when he, Rey Mysterio, and Big E teamed together to try to topple the Beast during the Battle Royal.

During a recent interview with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, Kingston confirmed that the angle was put together by Lesnar himself and he said that people wouldn’t have gotten up for it as much as they did if it wasn’t for his SmackDown loss:

“If Brock and I had more of a match at the debut of Smackdown on FOX, then the moment at the Rumble, people wouldn’t have gotten up as much as they did for it. It was great. It was a really big piece of a story having myself in there trying to fight. 

It was a lot of great storytelling coming together.” said Kofi Kingston. “Everything is important as minuscule as it may be. It’s definitely a big part of the Rumble seeing me, Rey and E, all of us on the outside banding together and going in there doing what we did.”

The New Day member then mentioned how on the top of their moment, the whole first half of the Royal Rumble match was Brock Lesnar throwing everybody out only for Drew McIntyre to throw him out at the end.

Per Kofi, The Beast Incarnate did this to elevate the Scottish star and build his credibility as a champion for when he finally beat Brock for the WWE title at WrestleMania 36.

WWE Opposing Trademark Filings From The Revival

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE is looking to oppose several trademark applications that were filed by the former WWE stars Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson collectively known as The Revival.

The duo was already preparing for their release in recent months and they had filled for a number of trademarks as their WWE contracts were nearing its end.

Now the company has filed an opposition against terms such as “No Flips, Just Fists,” “#FTRKO” and “Say Yeah” which the Revival was looking to register for merchandising and other purposes.

WWE filed the application two days after the trademark filings became eligible for the opposition. The company has been granted the standard 90-day extension to prepare their opposition and they now have until Wednesday, August 26 to submit their application.

It’s worth mentioning here that WWE themselves filed for a number of Revival related trademark earlier to try and stop them from using the terms in the independent circuit.

The terms include their original NXT names “The Mechanics” and the phrase “No Flips Just Fists” which is the same as The Revival’s filings, just without the commas.

Now it would be interesting to see how The Revival reacts to this move from the company and who ends up winning this trademark war.

Backstage News On How The Recent Changes To The NXT Commentary Team Were Made Possible

Anutosh Bajpai
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This week’s episode of NXT saw the return of Mauro Ranallo and Beth Phoenix on commentary and now latest report on the matter has revealed how it was made possible.

According to reports from Pro Wrestling Sheet, both the commentators recorded their portion of the show from their homes as an additional precautionary measure during the coronavirus outbreak.

The production team put together a way for the duo to record the show from home in an effort to keep them on commentary while also limiting the amount of travel they need to do for the time being.

The company was able to make this change because the NXT announcers are not placed on the ringside and they appear on screen less than the Raw and SmackDown commentators.

For those who don’t know both Beth Phoenix and Nigel McGuinness took time off from their schedules because they have young children and they didn’t want to quarantine for two weeks after working WWE shows.

On the other hand, Ranallo had decided not fly from his home in Southern California to the Performance Center in Florida for the shows.

Both Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton have been calling the shows in their absence in recent weeks and it was reported recently that the company was looking for a way to bring the original commentary team back in the mix.

AEW Dynamite Victorious Over NXT In Viewership, Both Shows Down

Andrew Ravens
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Viewership data is in for this week’s battle in the WWE NXT vs. AEW Dynamite Wednesday Night War. AEW won the night in total viewers and in the key 18-49 demo, but both shows were down.  

Here is the breakdown of the live and same-night DVR viewership, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

WWE NXT Viewership

NXT on the USA Network averaged 637,000 viewers, down from last week’s 665,000 In the 18-49 demo, they drew a 0.16 rating, down from 0.18 last week.

The episode featured NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Mia Yim in a non-title match, North American Champion Keith Lee defending his title against Damian Priest, a Newly Bro Show segment with Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher, Candice LeRae in a squash match, two Cruiserweight Title Group matches

AEW Dynamite Viewership

AEW Dynamite on TNT was watched by 693,000 viewers, down from the 731,000 viewers last week. In the 18-49 demo, Dynamite pulled in a 0.27 rating, up from the 0.25 rating that the show did last week. 

AEW Dynamite featured bouts such as Shawn Spears in a squash match, Brodie Lee vs. Marko Stunt, Best Friends vs. Jimmy Havoc and Kip Sabian in a No DQ Match, and two TNT Title Tournament Semi-Final matches – Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin and Dustin Rhodes vs. Lance Archer.

Curtis Axel Released From WWE

Jon Fuentes
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Curtis Axel is the latest WWE talent to be released from the company. WWE has been making a ton of cuts in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and the detrimental effect its had on the economy.

Today, WWE announced on their official website that Axel, the son of WWE Hall Of Famer Mr. Perfect, has officially been released. Axel had spent 13 years with WWE. During that time, he had an Intercontinental Championship run and won the WWE Raw Tag Team Titles twice. Once with David Otunga, and another with Bo Dallas. Now, Axel, real name Joseph Hennig, is gone from WWE for the first time since 2007.

Prior to his release, Axel hadn’t wrestled on WWE TV since the February 28 episode of SmackDown Live. He suffered a loss to Daniel Bryan inside the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Axel joins a long list of talents who have already been let go from WWE amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. A list of other notable talents who were let go can be found below.

  • Drake Maverick
  • Luke Gallows
  • Karl Anderson
  • EC3
  • Curt Hawkins
  • Lio Rush
  • Heath Slater
  • Eric Young
  • Rusev
  • Kurt Angle
  • Aiden English
  • Erik Rowan
  • Sarah Logan
  • Mike Chioda
  • Primo & Epico Colon
  • Mike Kanellis (Bennett)
  • Maria Kanellis
  • Zack Ryder
  • No Way Jose
  • Deonna Purrazzo

Deonna Purrazzo Comments On The Backstage Culture In NXT

Chris Stephens
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Deonna Purrazzo was released from WWE on April 15th, 2020. She signed with the company in the spring of 2018. Aside from making it to the quarter-finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic, the 25-year-old never won a match on WWE programming. She rarely won on house shows or live events either.

During a recent interview with Fightful, Purrazzo spoke about the backstage culture in NXT. She said it was one where everyone is expected to just be happy to be there.

“I just feel like NXT is a culture of you’re grateful for what you get and you don’t ask for more, and I wasn’t grateful for what I got,” Deonna said during the interview. “Because I feel like I worked my ass off to get to NXT. I worked my ass off to prove I belonged there when I got there.”

Purrazzo would continue to mention that she pitched ideas for her, Chelsea Green, and Rachel Evers to form a stable.

“[I] thought out character ideas, vignettes for me as a tag team, for vignettes of me, Chelsea (Green), and Rachel (Evers) as a trio, for myself,” she continued. “I just invested a lot of me in different ways that they could use me and use my potential and it did fall on deaf ears. Because when I got opportunities they were given to other people because ‘I wasn’t ready,’ and I didn’t let it slide.”

Purrazzo’s last match for the company was on the April 6th, 2020 edition of RAW. She lost to a returning Nia Jax that night. Before signing with WWE in 2018, she had wrestled with Impact, ROH, and Stardom.

The full interview can be read here.

Darby Allin Reacts To 2nd Straight Loss To Cody

Chris Stephens
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Darby Allin has faced Cody 3 times in AEW. The first time they wrestled was at Fyter Fest and the match went to a 20-minute time-limit draw. They met again on the New Year’s Day/AEW Homecoming episode of Dynamite. This time Cody would pull out the victory in just under 18-minutes. Last night on Dynamite, they met again, this time in the semi-finals of the TNT title tournament. Cody reversed Darby’s Coffin Drop into a pinning combination and scored the win, booking his trip to the tournament finals.

Darby reacted to the loss backstage in an AEW social media exclusive but refused to answer any questions. His reaction can be seen in the Tweet below:

Before the match, Darby Tweeted out the following:

https://twitter.com/DarbyAllin/status/1255552692954566656

Darby Allin In AEW

With last night’s loss, Darby Allin’s record in 2020 drops to 5-6. He is 5-3 in single’s matches this year, however. Darby has defeated Brandon Cutler, Sammy Guevara twice, Preston Vance, and Kip Sabian this year in single’s matches. He’s lost to Cody twice and PAC once.

He is 0-3 in tag matches this year. Darby lost to Jericho, Santana, and Ortiz along with Private Party on the January 29th show. He lost what was essentially a 2-on-1 handicap match against Jericho and Guevara on March 4th when Moxley was attacked pre-match. On the April 1st show, he teamed with Cody and lost to Shawn Spears and Sammy Guevara.

Shawn Spears Got Bret Hart’s Blessing To Use The Sharpshooter

Chris Stephens
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Shawn Spears defeated a wrestler named Baron Black last night on Dynamite. After delivering the C4 (a running Death Valley Driver) Spears locked in a Sharpshooter and got the submission victory.

After the show, Spears posted on Twitter that he texted Bret Hart and asked him if he could use the move. According to Spears, Hart gave him his blessing to use the move.

Shawn Spears in AEW

Before the global pandemic hit, Shawn Spears and Tully Blanchard were on the search for a tag-team partner for Spears. They hadn’t had much luck in finding one, however. Following the pandemic, Spears has wrestled several times on AEW programming.

Spears is 4-1 in single’s bouts dating back to the start of the empty arena shows. He’s defeated Shawn Dean, Billy Gunn, Justin Law, and Baron Black in that time. His loss was to Cody in the 1st round of the TNT title tournament. The week before, Spears teamed with the Inner Circle’s Sammy Guevara and earned a victory over Cody and Darby Allin.

In total, Spears is 5-7 in 2020 and has a 9-12 career record with AEW.

John Cena On His Most Memorable Make A Wish

Anutosh Bajpai
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John Cena has achieved a lot in the wrestling business. However, his victories in the wrestling world are not the only impressive accomplishments of his career and one of the most impressive achievements of the 16 Time World Champion is the 600+ wishes he has granted with Make A Wish foundation.

The organization recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and the Cenation Leader posted a video from his Twitter commemorating the moment. In the video as seen below, Cena revealed which is the most memorable wish for him, explaining that the first wish he granted was the most memorable of his whole record:

“A question I am most often asked is what is some of my most memorable wishes. Each wish is unique and beautiful. The one that comes to mind is my first one. So in my first experience of Make-A-Wish, I didn’t know what it was and I was asked to go into a room and say hi to a bunch of people which I willingly did.

When I left, the live event representative was very thankful and said, ‘Hey that was great, thank you very much for doing that. That was for Make-A-Wish,’ which led me to my next question, ‘Well, what’s Make-A-Wish?’” recalled John Cena. “And so started a wonderful two-decade relationship with an organization that’s become very important in my life.  So that first one’s always the most memorable to me.”

John Cena was last seen on WWE programming during WrestleMania 36 where he competed in a Firefly Fun House match with Bray Wyatt. There is no word yet on if the company has any plans for his return so it’s hard to say if we will see him on WWE TV again anytime soon.

Ryback Believes “HR For WWE Is Non-Existent”

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Ryback has claimed that WWE’s Human Resources department is “non-existent.”

Ryback made his statements during a recent episode of his podcast, Conversation with the Big Guy Ryback, following comments from an anonymous WWE employee named ‘John.’ 

‘John’ stated he was afraid to work during the coronavirus pandemic but was worried about speaking out to WWE’s higher-ups as he needed the job. He claimed that “Despite sanitary precautions, we cannot maintain social distancing and have to touch other people. I request the government to shut down these tapings and enforce so my colleagues and I may follow social distancing rules without fear or repercussions of losing our jobs.” 

In response to this, Ryback stressed how he had never even heard of WWE HR. He asked listeners what they think would realistically happen if anybody did go forward to voice their concerns. “They [WWE] know, but nobody under contract is going to go do that. If you go to HR? It is career suicide. That’s the reality of the situation.”

Ryback argued how WWE suggests Superstars had a choice whether to work or not. He added how the majority of the talent wouldn’t contradict what WWE’s official statement is as they don’t want to risk their livelihoods. 

WWE has refuted the comments made by John. They explained that the accusations weren’t true and that employees can confidentially go to Human Resources if needed. WWE stressed that no one would be fired if they were uncomfortable to work amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

WWE also pointed out how they have previously made “accommodations” for individuals upon request. 

Keith Lee On Being Rejected, The Meaning Of ‘Limitless,’ Recent Feuds

Steve Russell
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NXT Superstar Keith Lee has previously reflected on being rejected by WWE following unsuccessful tryouts. In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports before last night’s episode of NXT, Lee shared which WWE Legends helped inspire him after being told he wouldn’t be needed. He also addressed his recent feuds with Damien Priest and Dominik Dijakovic and the meaning of being “Limitless.”

After being rejected by WWE, Lee pointed to NXT General Manager William Regal and WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes in helping to keep him motivated with his dream of signing with WWE.

He utilized the time after his tryouts to continue to hone his craft on the independent circuit, making a name for himself in the process. During this time, NXT began to change into something that could make use of him. Lee noted how he’s always been a confident person and that all he’s “ever really required is an opportunity.”

Keith Lee Is Limitless

Keith Lee’s nickname “Limitless” ties into this concept. He explained how his character represents his life growing up, but also his experiences in entertainment as a whole.

“Being told no so many times, being denied, turned down, shut down, talked down and never giving up. That’s kind of the premise that ‘Limitless’ was.”

Lee explained how being “Limitless” is more than just his in-ring skills. It’s a lifestyle and mentality to help get through tough times.

Recent NXT Feuds

Turning his attention to his recent highlight feuds on NXT, Lee acknowledged how many people may not expect the athleticism NXT’s big men are capable of. “When you get gents like us in the ring, it’s oftentimes [jaw-dropping] but also mesmerizing for someone who is seeing it for the first time.

To them, it’s an unexpected surprise. For the Superstars, however, their performance is an “expression of who we are.”

Lee shared how their drive to be the greatest and experience the highest level of competition creates a magical experience.

Keith Lee successfully retained his NXT North American Championship against Damien Priest during last night’s episode of NXT.

Aiden English Reflects On Working With Rusev, Their Approach To Promos

Steve Russell
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Former WWE Superstar Aiden English recently joined Inside The Ropes for an interview. During the course of their conversation, English talked about his partnership with Rusev and how the two cultivated their connection with the WWE Universe.

Prior to Rusev Day, Aiden pointed out how Rusev had long been positioned as a dominant “big foreign bad guy.”

For the longest time, it worked as a character and clicked with the crowd. He then shared how, out of the ring, Rusev was “such a fun-loving, goofy, funny dude.” Aiden English explained how when he finally saw the chance to let him himself, he went for it. 

According to English, the two of them would ignore pretty much everything that WWE Creative gave them. Instead, they both approached it as an opportunity to be more lighthearted and say “goofy stuff,” which English loved. 

“Even though I’m still doing the singing entrances, with promos and backstages, I was being me as a performer,” English explained. People saw these two characters who for a long time were kinda in these boxes. All of a sudden, we get a chance to play and experiment and be themselves. People saw that and I think that’s what resonated.”

Aiden English and Rusev were both recently released by WWE alongside several other Superstars and backstage personnel. It was a decision made in response to the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on business. 

Mark Henry Details How Apollo Crews Can Reach The Next Level

Steve Russell
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WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has shared what he believes RAW Superstar Apollo Crews needs to do to break through to the next level. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Henry expressed his belief that, from a talent perspective, Crews is able to capitalize on an opportunity if presented with one. He noted this sheer talent is why he sought him out and brought him into WWE in the first place.

Henry added how he’d love to see Apollo Crews with more “bells and whistles.” He believes he could succeed with the help of a manager and a “dominant” storyline.

The Hall of Famer would love to see him involved in a narrative that sees Crews have “something over somebody’s head.”

Apollo Crews Is Not Yet A Jedi Knight

Mark Henry stressed he means no disrespect when discussing Crews or his position. He pointed out how he has a strong knowledge of the Force. According to him, Crews “is not yet at the level of a full-fledge Jedi knight.”

Henry added how Apollo Crews isn’t at a Padawan level either but still has plenty of room for improvement.

Apollo Crews suffered an unfortunate injury during this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. It occurred during his matchup against WWE United States Champion Andrade. WWE has since pulled Crews from the Money in the Bank ladder match, stating he is not medically cleared to compete. 

Jim Ross Alludes To Triple H ‘Killing’ Tazz’s Run in WWE

Jake Skudder
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AEW Commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently discussed the Backlash 2000 PPV on the Grilling JR podcast. This episode is available to listen to at AdFreeShows.com, you can find more information about the subscription service at the bottom of this article.

During the podcast, JR would allude to then WWF Superstar Triple H ‘killing’ the career of ECW performer Taz. The ‘Human Suplex Machine’ joined WWE/F in January of 2000, appearing at the Royal Rumble PPV as a surprise opponent for Kurt Angle. Following the event, Tazz would then be pushed down the card into the Hardcore division, soon diminishing into obscurity on the roster.

Tazz vs Triple H

One of the (seemingly) brighter moments for Tazz in his run in 2000 was when he faced then WWF Champion Triple H on SmackDown, just 10 days before ‘The Game’ was due to defend his title against The Rock at Backlash 2000.

This match pitted the reigning ECW Champion against the reigning WWF Champion for the very first time ever. Tazz had won the belt by defeating Mike Awesome, a WCW contracted wrestler, in a controversial match set up by Paul Heyman to get the title off of Awesome. Mike Awesome had signed for WCW whilst still ECW Champion, and this caused a major issue for the Extreme brand.

Unprecedented

With the unprecedented match between Tazz and Triple H taking place on SmackDown, it looked like the ECW Champion might be getting a bigger push in the company than the preceding month had indicated. However, as stated by Vince McMahon in the ‘Rise and Fall of ECW’ documentary, it was pretty poor form from WWE; who many believe ‘killed’ the ECW brand that night by having Triple H beat Tazz in the fashion he did.

Did It Kill ECW?

“It didn’t do ECW any favours, but ‘kill’ might be a strong word” Jim Ross refuted on Grilling Jr. “It didn’t help anybody in that regard, except Hunter got a nice win in Philadelphia.”

JR would elaborate further, saying “Tazz was so under-utilized when we hired him for WWE. For whatever reason, he was never in political favour. You know Hunter/Triple H may have had an issue. Hunter was 6’4, Tazz what? 5’8, 5’10 or 5’9? I don’t know, but he’s under six foot.” There have been reports in the past of Triple H allegedly destroying pushes for talent that he deemed where not ‘big enough,’ another example being the alleged attempt to hold down Kurt Angle in the same era.

Human Suplex Machine

Jim Ross would elaborate further, saying “the perception was, even though Tazz could snuff out 99% of the guys on the roster? That he’s not ‘convincing.’ Well if you watch any of the ECW stuff? Tazz got over. And people believed he WAS the ‘Human Suplex Machine.’ So that was a big get for me [as head of talent relations], I was a big mark for his work in ECW. [Paul] Heyman knew how to book him.”

Ross would finish by making some scathing remarks, again seemingly aimed towards ‘The Game’ Triple H. “So, there again you get these egos involved. ‘Okay, He’s too short’ says who? The f*ck are you now Lou Thesz!? And then the other thing is, guys that haven’t been in too many real fights? Have never had their ass beat by somebody shorter than them.”

Do you think that the match hurt Tazz’s WWE career back in 2000? Check it out below and let us know your thoughts in the comments

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Tony Khan Reportedly Wrote Recent Weeks Of AEW Dynamite By Himself

Anutosh Bajpai
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The last few weeks of AEW Dynamite have received praise for its well-written script and latest reports reveal that the credit for it goes to the president of the company Tony Khan.

According to report from PWinsider, the word making round is that the AEW officials realized that they were going to have a very small crew to work with because of the restrictions that have been put in place around the country.

After understanding the situation, Khan sat down and wrote the script for the last 4 weeks of Dynamite himself and completed the work in a ‘matter of minutes’.

He built the shows around the TNT Championship tournament and the available local talents. The situation was described as a “trial by fire” moment for the boss and his crew.

Cody was instrumental in putting the things together as Tony’s right hand. He was very hands-on with his own program and he helped others with their programs as well.

Chris Jericho has gotten praise for his commentary work on the shows because the former World Champion was given less than 24 hours of notice to work the role while he also put together the inner circle vignettes.

Orange Cassidy and The Best Friends are some more names who were applauded internally in the promotion as they wrestled four times over the course of 24 hours of the tapings.

This hard work seems to have paid off for Tony Khan and the talents as the last few weeks of Dynamite programming has been liked by the fans.

The company will return to live programming next week with the return of many top names including the AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley.

Dustin Rhodes On Why He Asked For His Release From WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Dustin Rhodes was one of the first stars to leave WWE to join AEW and he paved the path for a number of stars to leave the company and reignite their passion for pro wrestling.

The former WWE star recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, where he talked about things like his responsibilities in AEW, training young stars and more.

Talking about his final days with WWE, Dustin said that sitting at home and doing nothing made him lose his passion for wrestling for the first time in 31 years:

“When you’re sitting at home for a couple of months with another company who doesn’t value you at all, and you’re sitting there knowing you have so much more to offer. You kind of lose your passion, and for the first time in my 31 years, I lost my passion for the wrestling business,”

Explaining his decision to quit the company, the former Goldust said that he had enough. So for the first time, he stood up for himself in a big way and asked for his release:

“They just will not give me the time of day, and I had enough.” said Rhodes,” I said enough was enough, and for the first time, I kind of stood up for myself in a big way and said, ‘I am quitting. I am asking you for my release. I am done. I’m not happy here anymore,'”

However, the company didn’t grant his request right away and they stalled the former Champion for a while before finally approving his release in March 2019.

A month later in April, it was announced that Dustin Rhodes will be facing his brother Cody Rhodes in a match at Double or Nothing. Since then he has signed a contract with the company to work with them as a performer as well as a coach.

Rey Mysterio On Possibly Putting His Mask On The Line In A WWE Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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There were rumors before WrestleMania 36 that WWE could be planning a mask vs. title match between Rey Mysterio and The US Champion Andrade for the show.

While this match obviously did not take place, it appears that the Master Of 619 is not shying away from the concept and he is open to putting his mask on the line in WWE.

The former World Champion recently appeared on The Bump and talking about the possibility of putting his mask on the line, Mysterio said he would jump to it in a heartbeat if the opportunity came about:

“If the opportunity came about, I would jump in a heartbeat [on putting his mask on the line again], I think that’s what makes Lucha Libre exciting and in this case to bring Lucha Libre to the WWE, and show the WWE Universe the excitement behind the mask vs. hair match, or the mask vs. title match.

You know you put your heart out there in those matches.” said Rey Mysterio. “I would actually love to jump in the ring one of these days before I retire and put my mask on the line against something that is well worth it.”

The former World Champion had previously put his mask on the line when he teamed up with Konnan and lost to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall in a hair vs. mask match at WCW SuperBrawl IX in 1999.

His unmasking caused quite the stir and Rey Mysterio had to seek permission from the Lucha Libre Commission to wear his mask again because of its significance in the lucha libre world.

Zack Ryder Teasing Return Of The Internet Championship

Anutosh Bajpai
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It appears that the recently released WWE star Zack Ryder is looking to bring back an old idea he used to get himself over with the fans while he was in WWE.

It was recently revealed that the former IC Champion has filed an application to trademark the term Internet Champion for his own personal use.

After this, Ryder took on his Twitter and posted the following teaser of his title, while also tagging the popular pro wrestling belt maker Wildcat Belts:

Zack Ryder started a YouTube show called Z! True Long Island Story back in February 2011 and proclaimed himself as the Internet Champion of the company.

The fans liked the concept, and it became a hit. The former WWE star then had a custom belt made for his title and he even defended the championship in a few WWE shows before the idea died.

Now the latest tweet suggests that Zack Ryder is looking to revive the old concept and bring back the Internet Championship and possibly a variation of his Z! True Long Island Story YouTube show as well.

Ryder was one of the guys released by WWE as part of their budget cuts. There is no word yet on what he is planning for his future but we should get a better idea after July 15, when his non compete clause with the company expires.

WWE NXT Results & 5 Takeaways (4/29)

Andrew Ravens
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The April 29, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from the Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. 

The show was headlined by NXT North American Champion Keith Lee defending the title against Damian Priest.

WWE NXT Results (4/29)

  • Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. El Hijo del Fantasma – Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Group B Match.
  • Candice LeRae def. Kacy Catanzaro.
  • Charlotte Flair def. Mia Yim
  • Dexter Lumis def. Shane Thorne
  • Drake Maverick def. Tony Nese – Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Group A Match.
  • NXT North American Champion Keith Lee def. Damian Priest 

Here are the 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. El Hijo del Fantasma

Isaiah Swerve Scott

To open the show, WWE booked Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. El Hijo del Fantasma in an Interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament Group B Match.

A solid match with both guys working hard. Fantasma appeared to work a more stiff style in this contest while Scott let his athleticism shine. 

In the end, it was Scott winning, which marks his first win in the tournament, with a quick roll up. Post-match, he cut a promo about the challenges of facing Fantasma. He stated that he needed the win more and how he’s the guy when the game is on the line to make the winning shot. 

This was an interesting match choice to open the show considering that both guys aren’t proven as big stars. In fact, Fantasma only made his debut recently. 

That will be something interesting to see in regards to the ratings as NXT continues to slip in the ratings war with AEW despite having a two-win streak going on for this month. 

Candice LeRae’s Progression

pjimage 2020 04 29T193225.483

Candice LeRae had her first match as a heel on WWE NXT television by taking on Kacy Catanzaro in a singles match. 

LeRae got a new entrance and was joined by her husband, Johnny Gargano, who was doing the ring introductions for her. 

He praised her for all of her good qualities, how much she means to him, and her foot being a great birth control (this was a reference to her kicking Tommaso Ciampa in the groin during their match a few weeks ago). 

The match did get some time but it was all LeRae for the most part. LeRae was the one to go over. It appears that with the married couple now being heels and quite entertaining, LeRae will be getting more of a push going forward. 

Charlotte Flair In Action

charlotte flair raw 4 13

NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair faced Mia Yim in a non-title match on this show. 

It was a fun back and forth affair. One of the best matches on the whole show. As expected, Flair went over in the contest with her finisher. 

WWE set up this match last week after Yim picked up a win in a squash match. Following the contest, Flair came out and gave her a backhanded compliment. 

The company is still holding off on Flair giving a rematch to former champion Rhea Ripley, which is still expected. However, there’s still no word yet on when the contest will take place. 

After the match, Io Shirai came out and gave a heated promo where she stated that next week, Flair was hers. Mauro Ranallo confirmed on commentary that this title match would take place next week. 

NXT North American Championship Match

Keith Lee
Keith Lee

NXT North American Champion Keith Lee made his latest title defense against Damian Priest in the biggest match on the show. 

WWE saved the match for last and rightfully so. WWE had been building up this contest for quite some time as they have previously wrestled each other.

With that said, it was a stiff match that saw Lee hit two back-to-back powerbombs to pick up the victory and successfully retain the title. 

The latest angle done was last week when The Velveteen Dream & Dexter Lumis (replacing Lee) defeated Adam Cole & Roderick Strong in a tag team match. Lee was supposed to be the Dream’s partner but Lee was taken out when Priest hit him in the throat with a club.

It appears that WWE will be moving on from this feud.  

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1255678335436443648
https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1255677301783703554

The Newly Bro Show

pjimage 2020 04 29T194756.806

WWE booked a wacky yet entertaining segment named “The Newly Bro Show” with Bryon Saxton serving as the host and Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher being the contestants. 

It was like a dating or matchmaking show where Saxton would ask Thatcher a question and Riddle would write down what he thought Thatcher would say. It was all comedy and quite funny. 

This led to Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner coming out that led to a brawl with the UK stars standing tall with the titles in hand. Thus, it appears this is the next feud for the NXT Tag Team Titles. 

Of course, Thatcher is serving as the replacement for Riddle’s normal tag team partner, Pete Dunne, as Dunne is stuck over in the UK and can’t work NXT TV shows. 

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