Home Blog Page 601

AEW Rampage Spoilers for September 30

Andrew Ravens
-
0

All Elite Wrestling will present a regular episode of its weekly Rampage series this Friday night on TNT after last week’s special 2-hour “Grand Slam” edition 

These matches were taped Wednesday night after Dynamite from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA, courtesy of Pwinsider.com: 

AEW Rampage Spoilers

AEW Rampage
  • AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed defeated The Butcher and The Blade and Private Party.
  • Jamie Hayter (with Britt Baker and Rebel) def. Willow Nightingale.
  • Lee Moriarty (with Stokely Hathaway and W. Morrissey) def. Fuego Del Sol.
  • Ryan Nemeth insulted Philadelphia and ECW until FTW Champion HOOK interrupted. HOOK choked him out. The Trustbusters came out and left an envelope for Hook on the stage. HOOK picked up the envelope on his way to the back.
  • RUSH defeated John Silver. After the match, Andrade El Idolo attacked Alex Reynolds and Silver. The Dark Order got involved, as did The Butcher and The Blade. Hangman Page ultimately made the save.

AEW is about to kick off several weeks of holding live episodes of Rampage starting next week, including a live Battle of the Belts special next Friday night. 

WWE Promised Mick Foley Just Five Matches a Year When he Joined

Thomas Lowson
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is certainly a rich man now, but that wasn’t the case when he joined the promotion. 

Foley debuted in the then-WWF in 1996, as Mankind, appearing not long after WrestleMania 12. 

Mankind would immediately enter a feud with The Undertaker, with Foley getting the win in the first Boiler Room brawl at Summerslam. 

Five Matches & $750

Foley came to the WWF in 1996 after a lengthy and successful run in WCW working as Cactus Jack. 

Speaking on Foley is Pod, the Hardcore Legend said his deal when joining the WWF was much lower. 

“I signed on that opportunity, and the only thing you were guaranteed is five matches a year at $150 a match. So you’re guaranteed $750 a year and that’s it. If they decided not to push you or take you off the road, then you’re sitting by idly, not making anything.”

When asked by co-host Conrad Thompson how he felt at the time, Foley said he was just grateful for the opportunity. 

“I was happy. I didn’t start complaining about checks until 1998. I was just happy to be there, but they [the checks] weren’t enormous. Even the Pay Per View checks were not that big a deal.

“I remember accepting it as ‘this is what I get.’ When I did get a much bigger payoff for King of the RIng [1998] Hell in a Cell, it really did surprise me. I even wrote a letter of thanks to Vince [McMahon.]”

Marc Mero

While Foley received a very low guarantee, a sign of the company’s financial struggles at the time, Marc Mero had the opposite treatment. 

Despite signing with the WWF around the same time, and having also worked previously in WCW, Mero received a much more lucrative contract

Speaking about Mero, Foley said there was some resentment from the locker room at the time.

“It wasn’t his fault… It’s not like Marc was going to say ‘hey, looking at the guys, I’ve decided to give them a little bit of mine back.’ 

“I took it personally at the time, and I saw him [recently] and asked him to forgive me. I kind of dogged him for a few years, even in my book.”

Part of Mero receiving the WWE’s first guaranteed contract was that the company wanted to make sure his then-wife Sable joined with him.

Saying No to WrestleMania

After a year in the WWF, Mankind had established himself but continued to be in the mid-card. 

During the podcast, Foley said he even said he turned down a very short feud with Mero which would have culminated at WrestleMania 13. 

“I was opposed to working with Marc [Mero] was at Wrestlemania in 1997. I said ‘if it’s just on the card, if it’s just a matter to be on the card, I’d rather not be on it.’ Even though it’d be years before I referred to myself as Mr. In Your House, I realized there are opportunities for me to shine and be in main event matches and steal the show.”

Instead of Mero, Mankind teamed with Vader to face Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith at WrestleMania.

 

Mick Foley Would’ve Loved Doing Post-Show Press Conferences

Goldberg Gives Update on his WWE Contract Status

Thomas Lowson
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg is always ready to return to the ring but isn’t contracted for any more matches.

Goldberg returned to WWE in 2016 and has had 12 matches so far, with a 5-7 win-loss record.

Highlights of Goldberg’s return include two Universal Championship victories, defeating Kevin Owens in 2017 and ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt in 2020.

Goldberg’s Contract

Goldberg Contract 1 1

As part of his deal with WWE, Goldberg wrestles a handful of matches each year, traditionally at important events like WrestleMania, Summerslam or a Saudi Arabia-held event.

Speaking on the latest episode of WWE’s The Bump, Goldberg addressed his current contract, and a possible rematch with Roman Reigns.

“Well, I don’t have any matches left on my contract, but I know one way we could take care of him. I do need to give him a little receipt for that little choke-out in Saudi Arabia.”

The two-time former Universal Champion last competed at Elimination Chamber 2022 in Saudi Arabia, losing to Roman Reigns.

The Tribal Chief

Goldberg would love to be the one to dethrone Roman Reigns (now on day 760 of his title reign,) but he’s not the only one.

Speaking about possible challengers to the head of the Bloodline, Goldberg said that a mutual foe of theirs could do it.

“I think there are a number of superstars that are capable of dethroning him, most definitely. It’s got to be the right time, the right place, and it has to be one-on-one. That’s tough because nowadays with The Usos, he’s got a built-in bodyguard system working out pretty well for him. I think Brock most definitely has the opportunity to do it when he comes back.”

Lesnar hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since losing to Reigns at Summerslam.

The Tribal Chief will next defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel 2022 against Logan Paul.

Goldberg Recalls First Year In WWE Being The Most Stressful Of His Life

H/T Fightful

Saraya Takes Dig at WWE with First AEW Dynamite Promo

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Saraya had a subtle dig at WWE during her first promo for AEW during last night’s edition of Dynamite.

The two-time former WWE Divas Champion debuted for AEW during last week’s Grand Slam edition of Dynamite, after parting ways from WWE in July.

Saraya left WWE on July 7, when her contract expired and was not renewed by the company, and she has since made it clear it was not her decision to leave.

The Promo

Appearing on this week’s AEW Dynamite, Saraya spoke about the promotion being “my house” and was joined in the ring by AEW’s female babyfaces, led by Interim Women’s World Champion Toni Storm.

When Britt Baker interrupted the segment, entering alongside Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Penelope Ford, Saraya announced a lumberjack match between Storm and Serena Deeb.

Saraya also took aim at WWE’s former CEO Vince McMahon, saying:

“I talked to Tony [Khan] backstage… It’s so good to have a boss that finally listens to me!“

Saraya.

Storm would retain the Interim AEW Women’s World Championship against Deeb later in the show.

Will She Wrestle?

Saraya has not competed so far in AEW, but there is a belief that she will wrestle for the promotion.

According to a recent report, the amount Saraya is being paid implies that she will be wrestlingin some capacity.

Saraya did not get physical during her debut or this week’s AEW Dynamite but teased a potential program with Britt Baker.

The former AEW Women’s World Champion took shots at Saray’s December 2017 injury, which resulted in her retiring in April 2018.

3 Things Saraya Brings to AEW’s Women’s Division

Hurricane Ian reportedly causes changes to AEW Dynamite

Samantha Schipman
-
0

AEW Dynamite was live from Philadelphia, but was impacted by Hurricane Ian in Florida, as several wrestlers didn’t make it to the show.

According to Fightful Select, Swerve Strickland was scheduled to appear. This is why Keith Lee was by himself in a backstage segment with AEW Tag Team Champions, The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn. Lee said that his partner wasn’t there because he was “exceptionally disgruntled”, particularly with Gunn cheating to help The Acclaimed win.

ROH Television champion, Samoa Joe, was also scheduled to be on Dynamite. With the show being in Philadelphia and having a focus on Ring of Honor, they had plans for him.

Tony Khan advises AEW talent to stay home due to hurricane

Tony Khan

On Monday, Tony Khan sent out both an e-mail and a tweet stating that talent and staff could voluntarily stay home from TV if they were “worried about Hurricane Ian affecting your travel or home or your family life.”

Although his name wasn’t mentioned in the Select report, Jake Hager was absent from the Jericho Appreciation Society’s celebration of Chris Jericho’s “The Ocho” title win.

Rampage was filmed after Dynamite, so it’s possible that it was also affected by wrestlers who didn’t travel to Philadelphia.

The report did say there will be more to come on who else didn’t travel and how it effected the show.

Former WWE Superstar Pushing For a Return

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Triple H has brought back a number of people since coming to power in WWE. Now another interesting name is pushing for his return to WWE TV.

Retired wrestling star The Boogeyman recently posted a photo on Twitter wearing a WWE Network hat. In the caption, he wrote: “Bring Boogeyman Back To Tv”

The wrestling star was part of the WWE roster from 2004 to 2009. He took part in the fourth season of Tough Enough and later joined the roster at Ohio Valley Wrestling. He made his main roster debut during the October 14, 2005 episode of SmackDown.

The original idea was for him to be part of a TV show but it was canceled. Since WWE still had the talent under contract, they brought him in to wrestle. The Boogeyman would appear at unexpected places, holding clocks.

The wrestling star, real name Martin Wright was later moved to ECW back in 2007. His last wrestling appearance for the company came on March 3, 2009 where he competed against Kane. He was released the next day.

The Boogeyman has since been brought back by the company. He has made a number of appearances for the promotion in the last few years and he also signed a new contract with the company earlier this year.

Watch: MJF Sings To The Philadelphia Crowd Before AEW Dynamite

Robert Lentini
-
0

Maxwell Jacob Friedman has taken the professional wrestling world by storm and is in line for a shot at the AEW World Championship.

MJF appeared on this week’s edition of Dynamite for another promo segment with Wheeler Yuta. Maxwell interrupted Wheeler last week, called him mid, and referred to his group as the Blackpool Cuckold Club.

On this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Wheeler responded and challenged MJF to a match. Maxwell interrupted and said he will face Wheeler next week. Yuta wanted a fight but Colten and Austin Gunn from The Firm stable came to MJF’s rescue.

MJF sat in the crowd to watch Jon Moxley’s match for the 2nd week in a row. After Jon defeated NJPW star Juice Robinson in a World Title Eliminator match, MJF was shown smirking in his luxury box in the arena. Wheeler Yuta showed up from behind and attacked before AEW security broke it up. Yuta and MJF will face off next week on Dynamite in Washington D.C.

MJF Sings To The Philadelphia Crowd Before Dynamite

Before Dynamite went on the air, Maxwell sang a song for the Philadelphia crowd in the Liacouras Center. Unfortunately, it was not a song that they wanted to hear as MJF sang the “fight song” for the New York Mets baseball team. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Mets have a longstanding rivalry.

After he was done singing, MJF added that the New York Mets are so much better than the Phillies. He also claimed that The Khan’s Jacksonville Jaguars are going to hand the Philadelphia Eagles their first loss of the season this Sunday. You can check out Maxwell’s rendition of the Mets’ fight song in the video below.

Miro Addresses His Lack Of Television Time In AEW

Robert Lentini
-
0

Miro hasn’t been seen on AEW television in some time and addressed the matter on social media today.

The Bulgarian Brute was last seen in All Elite Wrestling in a six-man tag team match at AEW All Out on September 4th. He teamed with Darby Allin & Sting to face House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, Buddy Matthews).

Miro didn’t play a part in the finish of the match, as Sting spat green mist in Malakai’s eyes and Darby followed it up with a Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory. After the match, Malakai Black bowed to the crowd and many speculated that his time in the company was done.

He released a statement confirming that he requested his release, and then followed it up with a video stating that he will be returning to AEW after some time away. Buddy Matthews announced that he will be taking some off as well to “recalibrate” at an independent wrestling event over the weekend.

When it comes to appearing on weekly television, Miro has been rarely featured since Forbidden Door in June. A Twitter user pointed out that Miro has not appeared on an episode of Dynamite in three months.

The 36-year-old responded to the fan and sent a message to the AEW locker room. Miro suggested that he hasn’t been featured on television because “nobody has the balls” to face him.

Miro (Rusev) was released by WWE in April 2020. He made his in-ring debut for All Elite Wrestling several months later on September 9th. Miro debuted in the promotion with blonde hair as “The Best Man” aligned with Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford, but that gimmick was abandoned shortly after.

He is a one-time TNT Champion in AEW and held the title for 140 days in 2021 before dropping it to Sammy Guevara. Miro signed a four-year extension with AEW to keep him with the promotion until 2026. His name started popping up in rumors after he liked a post that hinted that he might be better off in WWE following Jon Moxley’s Word Title Eliminator against Mance Warner.

Watch: What Happened With Bandido After Dynamite Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

The main event of this week’s episode of Dynamite saw Chris Jericho defending his newly won ROH world title against Bandido in a singles match.

The masked star offered a handshake to the wrestling veteran before the bout. However, Y2J rejected this code of honor and he flipped the bird instead. The two went on to have a good match which has been praised by fans.

The ending of the bout saw Jericho poking Bandido in the eye. He then pulled Bandido’s mask over his eyes. The high-flying star still almost caught Chris with a roll-up but the former WWE star ultimately retained the title using a Liontamer.

After the match, Chris Jericho claimed that the Ring of Jericho era has begun. He said that he will beat every great champion that has ever held the ROH title.

What Happened With Bandido After Dynamite

Once the cameras stopped rolling, Tony Khan came out. The AEW president raised the hand of Bandido who was on his way back to the locker room.

The former ROH world champion received a huge applause from the crowd. He ended up hugging the AEW owner before finally heading to the back:

Many fans are demanding Khan to sign Bandido to an AEW contract after his performance on Dynamite. The post-show moment between the two suggests that Bandido may actually get an official offer very soon.

Update On MJF’s Absence, How Warner Bros Feel About His Return

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

After several months of absence, MJF is back on AEW programming. He is also making media appearances once again and claiming that he is getting paid a lot more money than he did before.

We have an update on the AEW star’s absence and how he spent his time away from the promotion, courtesy of Fightful Select.

MJF himself has been claiming that he didn’t leave his house for three months. According to the site, it’s actually mostly true. The 26-year-old did not have any contact with most people in AEW, including many friends, throughout his hiatus following Double or Nothing.

The AEW talent did shoot some stuff with the crew of Impractical Jokers. He was seen at Disney in the Summer once too, but he stayed away from social media and refrained from going out in public much.

There hasn’t been a confirmation of MJF’s claims about not signing a contract extension. Though he is now in a much more favorable situation financially.

Regardless of his contractual situation, the Devil’s return has had a positive impact on AEW’s TV ratings. He has been involved in some of the highest-rated segments since his comeback.

People within Warner Bros Discovery are said to be happy about MJF’s comeback and they have pointed to him being a rating success for the AEW shows.

7 Takeaways From AEW Dynamite (9/28): World Title Eliminator, ROH Title Match, MJF & Saraya Appear

Robert Lentini
-
0

AEW Dynamite aired live from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia tonight. Chris Jericho defended the ROH Championship against Bandido in the main event. Jon Moxley squared off against NJPW star Juice Robinson in a World Title Eliminator. Saraya and MJF also appeared during tonight’s show.

Dynamite Results (9/28)

  • Bryan Danielson def. Matt Menard via submission
  • Jon Moxley def. Juice Robinson via submission in a World Title Eliminator
  • Toni Storm def. Serena Deeb to retain the AEW Interim Women’s Championship
  • Ricky Starks def. Eli Isom
  • Chris Jericho def. Bandido via submission to retain the ROH Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s Dynamite:

Bryan Danielson def. Matt Menard

Chris Jericho held a celebration tonight for capturing the ROH Championship from Claudio Castagnoli last week at Dynamite: Grand Slam. Jericho said he’s the most honorable man in AEW. He added that he’s the most viewed Ring of Honor Champion already. Chris referred to this era as the “Ring of Jericho” and hyped his match against former ROH Champion Bandino tonight. The champ pointed out that Bandino is a professional wrestler and sports entertainers win every time.

Jericho brought up ROH Pure Champion Daniel Garcia and presented him a gift. The crowd chanted “you’re a wrestler!” at Daniel Garcia as he opened up a ridiculous purple hat. Chris shouted that is the look of the “best technical sports entertainer” of all time. Daniel threw the hat down as the crowd cheered and punched the pizza-guy wrestler (Luigi Primo).

Garcia said that this isn’t what he wanted when he got into the business. Bryan Danielson interrupted and suggested that Garcia join the Blackpool Combat Club. Chris claimed that Danielson was trying to poach Garcia away and said that Daniel belongs to him. Garcia said that he doesn’t belong to Jericho and threw a pizza out of the ring. Garcia suggested a tag team match with Danielson against Guevara and Jericho. Matt Menard shouted at Garcia some more and said he was sick of him. Bryan Danielson challenged Menard to a match and he accepted.

The match started off back and forth. Menard connected with a couple of lariats but the American Dragon responded with a Dropkick. Angelo Parker went to interfere but Claudio Castagnoli broke it up and dragged Parker backstage. Bryan got the Lebell Lock applied for the submission victory.

Wheeler Yuta Will Battle MJF Next Week

Wheeler Yuta made his way to the ring and claimed that MJF can’t hang with him in the ring. Yuta demanded that MJF come to the ring and take the ass-kicking he deserves. Maxwell Jacob Friedman showed up in a Mets jersey and joked that Philadelphia is the place you live when you can’t afford to live in New York.

MJF called Tony Schiavone a “fat old pr*ck” once again and said that Wheeler is one of the best wrestlers in the world. Maxwell noted that he’s the biggest draw in the company. The crowd chanted “shut the f*** up!” as MJF said that Wheeler Yuta has the same charisma as Joe Frazier and he’s dead.

Friedman boasted about making more money than everyone. Yuta shouted that he doesn’t care about Max’s money and challenged him to a fight. Yuta got out of the ring and made his way up the entrance. The Firm’s Gunn Club (Colten and Austin Gunn) showed up and MJF said he will face Wheeler in a match next week. Maxwell added that he’s going to go sit up in the crowd and watch Jon be a terrible professional wrestler tonight.

Jon Moxley def. Juice Robinson, Wheeler Yuta Attacked MJF

AEW World Champion Jon Moxley faced Juice Robinson tonight in a World Title Eliminator (Juice gets title shot if he beats the champ). Juice attacked during Moxley’s entrance and rolled him into the ring. Moxley connected with a Clothesline and launched Robinson into the barricade surrounding the ring.

When Dynamite returned from a break, Moxley was busted open (of course!) and Juice hit him with a Backbreaker. Moxley battled back and applied an Armbar for the submission victory.

After the match, Hangman Page made his way to the ring and got right in Moxley’s face. MJF got on the microphone in the crowd and suggested that he may want to cash his chip in soon. Wheeler Yuta showed up behind MJF and attacked until security broke it up. Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship against Hangman Page on October 18th.

Saraya Promo, Toni Storm Retains

Saraya made her way to the ring and said it is great to back in the ring. She stated that she is the revolution and will bring change to AEW’s women’s division. AEW Interim Women’s Champion Toni Storm, Madison Rayne Skye Blue, Athena, and Willow Nightingale. Saraya spoke highly about the talent in the ring.

Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Penelope Ford interrupted. Britt joked that Saraya is another shiny new toy that we’ve all seen come and go recently. Baker noted that she put her neck on the line for AEW, and unlike Saraya’s hers is actually strong enough to handle it.

Saraya joked that Britt’s name rhymes with “sh*t”. Baker took some more shots at Saraya before Serena Deeb made her way to the ring. Toni Storm defended the AEW Interim Women’s Championship against Deeb in a singles match with everyone ringside and Saraya on commentary.

Toni went for a Superplex but Deeb countered into a Crossbody for a near fall. Serena launched Toni out of the ring and the heels went to attack her. The babyfaces and heels traded words as Dynamite went to a break.

When Dynamite returned, Deeb locked in a submission but the champion was able to escape. Toni connected with Storm Zero but Deeb powered out at two. Toni followed it up with another Piledriver, but this time off the middle turnbuckle for the pinfall victory. Toni Storm is still the Interim AEW Women’s Championship.

Keith Lee Interrupted The Acclaimed

AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed was interviewed by Tony Schiavone backstage. Keith Lee interrupted and noted that Billy Gunn interfered in the match. Lee added that The Acclaimed got carried in the match and Swerve is not here because he’s very disgruntled. Billy Gunn said he’s got two words for Swerve and said “scissor me”.

Ricky Starks Dominated

Ricky Starks defeated Eli Isom tonight in a squash match. He hit the Roshambo for the pinfall victory in a quick match.

Chris Jericho Retained The ROH Championship, Will Defend Against Bryan Danielson On October 12th

Chris Jericho defended the ROH Championship against Bandido in the main event of tonight’s show. Bandido controlled the action early and caught Jericho with a Suicide Dive. During the break, Jericho battled back and beat the challenger down in the ring.

When Dynamite returned, Bandido hit an insanely long delayed Vertical Suplex before climbing up to the top turnbuckle. Bandido hit a big Frog Splash and went for the cover but Chris kicked out at two. A loud “Eddie!” chant broke out after the move.

Jericho perched Bandido up on the top turnbuckle and bashed him across the back with a few forearms. The challenger knocked Jericho down and went for a Crossbody but Chris countered into a Codebreaker for a near fall as the match continued. Bandido sent the champion out of the ring again as Dynamite went to the final commercial break of the night.

Back from the break, Jericho went for a Suplex of his own but Bandido escaped. Bandido rolled up Le Champion for a close two count. Bandido went for a GTS but Jericho blocked it. Chris tripped Bandido up and applied the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring. Bandido started crawling toward the ropes. He grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold and Chris celebrated as if he won the match.

Bandido hit an Enziguri and perched Chris up on the top turnbuckle. Bandido hit a crazy flip into a Powerslam but somehow Chris kicked out at two. The challenger followed it up with a Northern Lights Suplex and went for the cover but Jericho kicked out at two. Chris hit a big boot and got the Walls of Jericho applied again for the submission victory. Chris Jericho is still the ROH Champion.

After the match, Chris said “The Ring of Jericho Era” has begun. Jericho vowed to beat every great champion that has ever defeated held the title. Chris challenged Bryan Danielson to a title match on the October 12th edition of Dynamite. Jericho then hit ROH announcer Bobby Cruise with a Judas Effect to the side of the head and posed for the booing crowd to close the show.

Sasha Banks Removes WWE From Twitter Handle

Robert Lentini
-
0

Sasha Banks may have dropped a major hint at her WWE future today on social media.

It was reported last month that Sasha Banks and Naomi had reached an agreement to return to the company. That deal may have fallen through as The Boss has made change to her Twitter name today.

Her new name on the social media application is her real one, Mercedes Varnado. At the moment, WWE is still listed in her bio. “Sasha Banks – WWE Koska Reeves – The Mandalorian. She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

Triple H On Sasha Banks Possibly Returning To WWE

WWE has undergone a massive change at the top of the company in recent months. Vince McMahon stepped down as the company’s CEO in the midst of an investigation into “hush money” payments made to former female employees. Former EVP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis was also involved with the scandal and was dismissed from the company.

Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out of WWE during an episode of RAW in May. They left their Women’s Tag Team Championships on Laurinaitis’ desk, left the arena, and have not been on WWE television since. Following the recent departures from the company, Triple H was named Chief Content Officer in addition to replacing Laurinatis in his role as EVP of Talent Relations.

The Game recently joined Ariel Helwani of BT Sport for an interview and said the following when asked about Sasha Banks returning to the company.

“Time will tell. In a lot of ways, communication breakdowns are terrible. And there was a communication breakdown there for whatever reason.

Starting back up that communication is not a difficult process, but it can be a process and you have to go through the process.

She is an unbelievably talented young woman that can do just about anything she wants. It just comes down to whatever she wants to do now with her life or career, whatever that is.

There’s a passion clearly for what we do, there is a passion for other things as well.

So it comes down to what she wants to do. Because it got to be right for her, it’s got to be right for everybody.

But she is, I think as you’ve seen over the course of her career, just coming into the PC at NXT, she’s just an unbelievable performer that I believe in with everything I have.

She’s one of the biggest stars in our business so it is just what she wants to do.”

“Absolutely NOT!” – Naomi Shuts Down Comparisons To WWE NXT Star Lash Legend

Robert Lentini
-
0

Naomi has reacted to a wrestling fan comparing her to WWE NXT star Lash Legend.

On last night’s edition of NXT, Lash Legend and Wendy Choo traded words to continue their storyline. A wrestling fan on social media mocked the segment and referred to Lash as an “off-brand Naomi”.

The two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion took to Twitter to respond to the comparison. She stated that she looks forward to watching Lash’s success in the industry and requested that fans stop comparing black women for the wrong reasons.

Absolutely NOT! Lash is in her own lane. I’m very proud of her and I look forward to her growth and success. Please stop comparing us black women for the wrong reasons. Respectfully.

Why Hasn’t Naomi Been On WWE TV?

Naomi and Sasha Banks captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships during Night 2 of WrestleMania 38. Queen Zelina and Carmella defended the titles in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team match. Banks and Naomi performed a double team move on Carmella to win the titles.

A little over a month later, Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of the company during the May 16th taping of RAW. WWE was building towards the Hell in a Cell PPV and the champions were set to battle each other in a Six-Pack Challenge in the main event to determine Bianca Belair’s opponent at the Premium Live Event.

Banks and Naomi walked into former EVP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ office and claimed that they were not respected enough as the tag team champions. They then left the titles on his desk and exited the building.

On the May 20th of SmackDown, Michael Cole announced the two were suspended “indefinitely” and referred to their actions as unprofessional. He announced that there would be a future tournament to crown new Women’s Tag Team Champions.

More than three months after Banks and Naomi walked out of RAW, Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah defeated IYO SKY & Dakota Kai of Damage CTRL to win the titles in the finals of the tournament.

Rodriguez and Aliyah dropped the titles to Damage CTRL in a rematch on the September 12th episode of RAW. Naomi and Sasha Banks have been rumored to return to the company but have not appeared yet. They recently walked the runway at a fashion show in New York City and a member of Damage CTRL was in attendance.

Malakai Black Shows Off Dragon Tattoo On His Head

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Malakai Black was back in the tattoo studio this week getting worked on by Orlando-based artist Eddie Saraiva. The House of Black leader posted a video on Instagram showing off his latest piece, a (still in-progress) dragon adorning the left side of his head.

image

Malakai Black’s Status

Malakai Black is currently on hiatus from pro wrestling. His most recent match for AEW took place at All Out earlier this month. Shortly after that event, there was a slew of information regarding his health and future with AEW.

Amid the chaotic fallout of the All Out post-show media scrum, it was reported that Black was seeking time off due to personal reasons. He was pulled from appearances due to “health issues” and later confirmed that he requested his release from AEW.

Shortly thereafter, Malakai Black “debunked the rumor” that he is leaving AEW. During a live stream on Instagram, he stated, “I will see you guys in a couple of weeks, maybe a couple of months. Like I said, I’m only taking some time off. That’s it. I’m just taking some time off.”

He reiterated that there is no “conspiracy” to his situation, he’s simply taking time off.

“I am fine,” he said.” “I am going to be fine. Everything is fine. You will see me right back with AEW pretty soon. I’m just going to take some time. That is it.”

https://twitter.com/BRAlNBUSTAH/status/1574616502111768589

The Forbidden Door Will be Opened Again on Tonight’s AEW Dynamite

Thomas Lowson
-
0

The Forbidden Door will be opened once again for tonight’s AEW Dynamite, as New Japan Pro Wrestling’s booker Gedo will be around for the show.

On Twitter, Khan shared an image with Gedo as well as reigning AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and confirmed that Gedo will be around for tonight’s Dynamite in Philadelphia.

Khan also thanked fans who will be watching the show tonight on TBS.

Opening the Forbidden Door

Gedo won’t be the only example of the Forbidden Door being opened for tonight’s show.

In addition to New Japan’s booker, Juice Robinson will also be on the show and will take on Jon Moxley.

This will be a championship contenders match, meaning that a win over Moxley in non-title action will guarantee Robinson a future AEW World Championship opportunity.

Robinson is one of two men (the other being CM Punk) to have a victory over the reigning AEW World Champion in 2022.

At NJPW Capital Collision in May, Robinson got a victory over Moxley in four-way action, which included Will Ospreay and then IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite

AEW will be opening the Forbidden Door, but that’s not all in store for the show.

Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho will have a celebration of last week’s victory, but will also have his first title defense against Bandido.

AEW Interim Women’s World Champion Toni Storm will defend her title against Serena Deeb, while Saraya is set to speak for the first time since joining AEW last week.

An appearance by MJF has also been promoted for the show.

Forbidden Door Early PPV Estimate Revealed

Kayla Rossi Talks Chyna Comparisons, Harsh Fans & Body Positivity

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Kayla Rossi is used to being compared to WWE Hall of Famer Chyna, but plans to establish herself on her own merits in the ring.

Rossi debuted for AEW earlier this year, initially as the bodyguard of Joey Janela. Since Janela’s departure in late April, she’s appeared as a solo act on AEW Dark. With her impressive physique, there are natural comparisons to Chyna, the muscle-bound female DX member who broke down barriers regarding how women are portrayed in pro wrestling.

Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports, Rossi was asked if she takes the comments comparing her to the Ninth Wonder of the World as a compliment.

“I mean I do, but then I’m in the back of my head like ‘no, Chyna was like 5′ 10 5′ 11, statuesque and brute force.’ I get it. I look like her I’m built like her, but I’m 5’3 and I’m athletic as hell and I can do other things.”

While Rossi wants to set herself apart from the Ninth Wonder of the World, she had nothing but praise for the late trailblazer.

“I can’t lie. I’ve taken inspiration from her who wouldn’t? She is such a prominent figure in the world of wrestling and did such great things for women in general.”

Body Confidence

Although wrestling has become more accepting of different body types among female talent, Rossi is still considered an outlier to many in the industry.

Speaking about her physique, the 34-year-old wrestler addressed receiving hateful comments on social media, long before she stepped in the ring.

“When I first started bodybuilding it was really tough because you put yourself out there and you see these comments like ‘oh she looks like a man’ or whatever it might be. And it used to bother me at first and it made me super self-conscious. It made me question if I even wanted to do it and if I even wanted to look that way. And then I was like ‘you know what I’m gonna own this’ because you can be strong and badass and beautiful and feminine at the same time.

“It made me question if I even wanted to do it and if I even wanted to look that way.”

– Kayla Rossi on hateful comments shaking her confidence.

“There doesn’t have to be one or the other and I think people get that misconception because I can go up there on tv or I can get on that bodybuilding stage and be powerful and be strong but I’m still a woman and I’m still feminine.”

The Next Chapter

Rossi has had a handful of matches on AEW Dark, but her next big opportunity could come outside of wrestling.

When Fall asked if she’d ever consider a jump to MMA, Rossi said that she’s up for the idea, and has already had training.

“I’m Going to Sleep” – Jake Roberts on the Most Painful Moment of his Career

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts has experienced a lot of pain in his life, but nothing can compare to working with Andre the Giant.

In 1989, Roberts feuded with the Eighth Wonder of the World, who was terrified of Jake’s snake Damian.

While Andre would win at untelevised events, Roberts would get a DQ win over the former WWF Champion at WrestleMania 5.

Working with Andre

Speaking during the latest DDP Snake Pit podcast, Roberts was asked about the most painful moment of his career. 

“Probably when I clothes-lined Andre [The Giant.] He went through me and it ripped my pec. I remember going down and I thought I’d broke my shoulder. I’m just holding my shoulder. I’m wiggling my fingers, trying to get some feeling back in them and Andre reached down and grabbed me by the hand and jerked me to my feet, which stretched that back out again. 

“At this point, I decide ‘I’m going to sleep.’ I passed out from the pain, and when I woke up Andre has got me in a bear hug and he’s single to me. ‘Nice little baby. Nice little baby.’ And I woke up like ‘oh my God’ I need to get us out of here. [Andre says] ‘No. We finish match.’ So we finished the match and then that night we wrestled again. Me with the blown pec, but I never took a day off.”

Working with Vader

Roberts may still be reeling from working with Andre, but he’s not the only legend who left Jake worse for wear. 

Roberts also spoke about working with Vader, notoriously a wrestler who was hard-hitting in the ring, and recalled being injured by the super-heavyweight. 

“A broken sternum, Leon [White, aka WWE Hall of Famer Big Van Vader] gave me that. Broke my sternum twice in two matches. He crushed me in the corner and broke my sternum. A broken sternum is real painful because it takes a long time to heal and if you sneeze or cough you’re going to rip your eyeballs out.”

Vader sadly passed in 2018 and the 13-time World Champion was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. 

Jake Roberts Names the Huge Mistake Braun Strowman is Making

Fandango Recalls Working With John Cena On Southpaw Regional Wrestling

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

The Southpaw Regional Wrestling was one of the most absurd yet entertaining pieces of programming WWE ever produced. It allowed the featured wrestlers to leave their usual personas behind and have fun with some of the most outrageous characters ever created in wrestling. Two such stars who had a lot of fun with the show were John Cena and Fandango. They did the commentary for the series.

The former WWE star who goes by the name Dirty Dango recently appeared on Cafe De Rene. He was asked to tell an interesting story about the web series. Replying to it, the former WWE star recalled the first time he worked with John Cena on the show:

“So they asked Cena to be the commentator for the show, which was set in the 80s. I was kind of the color guy adjacent to John at the desk.” recalled Fandango, “John had probably 10 pages, probably six episodes of verbiage. He looked at it for about 20 minutes, memorized the whole thing. I’m pretty shocked.

I’m like, ‘I’ll just go on the fly and go off you’ Because he had to remember all the verbiage and he did it all in one take. I’m like, ‘Holy shit – this guy.’ That was the first time I’m like ‘This is acting’ because this is what he does. His brain is wired for that. I was like, ‘Holy fuck. this guy’s pretty good,'”

You can check out Fandango’s full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Drew McIntyre Update After Bad Case of Food Poisoning

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Drew McIntyre is on the mend after battling a bad case of food poisoning. The 6’5″ 265-pound Superstar is as tough as they come, but even he was no match for the illness.

McIntyre was in bad shape last Friday, but still appeared on WWE SmackDown after undergoing intravenous treatments backstage before the show. He was originally scheduled to compete at the WWE live events over the weekend from Stockton, California (Saturday) and Fresno, California (Sunday), but was given time off to recover.

We’re happy to report that McIntyre is feeling better and is scheduled to be back on television this Friday for SmackDown. The 2-time WWE Champion is part of the creative team’s plans for the show, according to a report at PWInsider.

Looking ahead for Drew McIntyre

McIntyre is one of the most popular wrestlers in WWE. He just challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Clash at the Castle event from Cardiff, Wales. Reigns was victorious, but needed help from (the debuting) Solo Sikoa to defeat the Scotsman. The Tribal Chief has moved on to a feud with Logan Paul, which will culminate at WWE Crown Jewel on Saturday, November 5th from Saudi Arabia. After that Reigns has another challenger waiting in the wings.

McIntyre is currently feuding with Karrion Kross, who recently returned to WWE. The two are scheduled to clash at next weekend’s Extreme Rules premium live event from Philadelphia. We’ve updated our post about Extreme Rules Betting Odds, if you’re interested in seeing who is currently favored to win that match.

Check out this Top 10 highlight video of Drew McIntyre’s great moments in WWE:

Bayley Reveals Which Veteran From Past She Wants To Face

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Bayley has achieved a lot of things in her ten years long WWE career. While there are still things she wants to do in the company, the bigger goal for her is to leave the place better than when she started.

The former champion recently spoke to The Five Count podcast. When asked which star from the past she would be interested in wrestling, she took the name of Lita:

“Yeah, I guess I would say Lita because she was my childhood hero. I feel like that would just be the cherry on top for my story of my career.”

– Bayley

‘Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day’: Bayley

Damage CTRL

The leader of Damage CTRL then discussed her goals in wrestling. She mentioned how winning the Royal Rumble and main eventing WrestleMania are on her list. Ultimately though, it’s all about leaving the women’s division in good hands:

“There’s still a lot. There’s a lot of women in NXT that I would love to tell some stories with but I still haven’t main evented WrestleMania. I feel like that’s a big deal to everybody especially because it’s been done a couple times now in the Women’s Division. I would love to do that or just have a singles title match at WrestleMania.

[I] would love to win the Royal Rumble, but those are just little things. I think the bigger picture is just to leave the division in good hands. That’s what Damage CTRL is all about. I wrote on a post that Rome wasn’t built in a day. So I know it’s gonna be a little bit so I can feel satisfied.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

MJF Reveals His Retirement Plan

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

MJF is only 26 years old but he is already one of the most famous wrestlers in the industry. Unlike many others, he also knows how long he wants to continue wrestling and then retire to never be seen again.

The AEW star recently had an interview with KFC Radio. Speaking about the people who have problem with his mannerisms, the young star explained that he doesn’t pretend to be someone he’s not:

“Now a lot of people have a problem with what I’m saying, which I find hysterical but also I have fans. So I’m the wrestling devil. I call my fans devil worshippers. My devil worshippers, they love me because they know that I’m not throwing bullshit.

Now I can be a happy go lucky guy. [I] could sit down in this chair and be like, ‘Love everybody. Everyone’s important. Teamwork.’ That’s not what I’m about because that’s bullshit. They’re just saying that to save face.”

MJF then explained what he’s truly all about. He mentioned that it’s all about making the most amount of money for him. Once he has done that, he’ll say goodbye to the world of pro wrestling:

“What I’m about is making the most amount of money I can in the shortest period of time with putting in the least amount of work. So I can retire at like 38 and never have to fucking look at anybody.”

Later in the interview MJF also detailed why he doesn’t want the job of Tony Khan or Triple H. He said that he doesn’t want to deal with the stress that comes with it. The Salt of The Earth reiterated that he is making ‘a lot’ of money and he wants to make ‘a lot lot’ of money so he can retire at 38.

You can check out the full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Jim Ross Can’t Understand Why AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam Didn’t have More Viewers

Thomas Lowson
-
0

Last week saw AEW host their latest ‘Grand Slam’ special of Dynamite, with five title matches on the show.

The event saw Jon Moxley capture the AEW World Championship, defeating Bryan Danielson for the vacant title and becoming a three-time champion.

Chris Jericho captured the Ring of Honor World Championship from Claudio Castagnoli, while The Acclaimed won the AEW World Tag Team Titles from Swerve in our Glory.

The show also saw Pacretain the AEW All-Atlantic title while Toni Storm held on to the Interim AEW Women’s World Championship.

The “Conundrum”

Despite the stacked show, which also saw the AEW debut of Saraya, the show’s numbers didn’t live up to expectations.

The show garnered an average 1.039 million viewers, down 12% from the previous week’s standard episode of Dynamite, which had 1.175 million viewers.

On his Grilling JR podcast, the AEW commentator struggled to understand the fall in viewership (via Wrestling Inc.)

“It was an interesting thing, how do you explain the fact that AEW does around a million viewers on a big-time hyped show that is loaded with five title matches, how do you justify or explain that? I don’t know the answer to that conundrum, I really don’t.”

“I don’t know the answer to that conundrum.”

Jim Ross on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam not doing better in terms of viewership.

“You’d think we were providing the audience with what they wanted to see; all of our top programs, all the titles that were significant are getting some exposure. When you don’t have those massive numbers that you were hoping for, it’s hard to explain why that happened.”

AEW President Tony Khan remained positive in his report of the viewership for Grand Slam, pointing out that Dynamite has been over one million viewers for five consecutive weeks.

Jim Ross on the Unpredictability of AEW All Out: “It’s Beautiful”

NXT Will Still Focus on Younger Talent After Ditching NXT 2.0 Branding

Thomas Lowson
-
0

WWE NXT 2.0 may be over, but the goal of the paint-splattered show to focus on younger, newer stars continues to live on.

NXT 2.0 was launched in September 2021 and saw some extreme changes made to the established brand.

Many Superstars associated with the original NXT were released or moved to other brands ahead of the change last year.

Younger Talent

Arguably the biggest change made with the implementation of NXT 2.0 was a shift of focus, with more attention being spent on newer, younger stars.

NXT 2.0’s arrival saw the debuts of Superstars including Bron Breakker, Von Waner, Joe Gacy, Grayson Waller, Nikkita Lyons, and others.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that NXT will still focus on new stars despite ditching the NXT 2.0 branding (via eWrestlingNews.)

“No more 2.0, it’s just NXT again. They’re going back to the old colors. But the same philosophy in the sense of mostly younger guys coming in, and younger women coming in and everything.”

Dave Meltzer

Prior to the 2021 relaunch, the show had been treated as a third brand, equivalent to Raw and SmackDown.

NXT

Originally a reality show where wrestlers would compete for a chance for a WWE contract, NXT was revamped for the first time in 2012.

The change was made for NXT to become a developmental brand, replacing Florida Championship Wrestling, which had been producing talent for the main roster for years.

In 2019, NXT was moved to the USA Network and competed head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.

At that time, the decision was made for NXT to be its own third brand and competed against Raw and SmackDown at that year’s Survivor Series.

NXT Black And Gold’s Return is The Latest Bold Change by Triple H

Fandango Teasing TV Return In ‘Next Couple Weeks’

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Former WWE star Fandango, who now goes by the name Dirty Dango is teasing a return to television very soon.

The 39-year-old recently appeared on Café De René with Rene Dupree. Among other things, he was asked about his future schedule.

Replying to it, Fandango teased a Television return very soon. He claimed that he will be starting with a company in the next couple of weeks:

“I’m starting with a company soon, I think in the next couple weeks that I can’t really talk about, but it should be on TV. I mean it will be on TV,”

– Fandango

Fandango was part of the WWE roster from 2006 to 2021. He spent a long time in various development territories including a couple years in NXT.

He made his main roster debut as a ballroom dancer back in March 2013. Dango would go on to defeat Chris Jericho in his debut match at WrestleMania 29.

However, the character didn’t go anywhere from there. He coasted around the WWE roster for the next few years before getting paired with Tyler Breeze.

The team of Fandango and Tyler Breeze received praise from fans for their character work. They even won the NXT tag team titles. Both the stars were released from their contract in June 2021.

MJF Reveals Why He Wants To Be A Free Agent In 2024

Robert Lentini
-
0

Maxwell Jacob Friedman, known to wrestling fans as MJF, is one of the hottest stars in professional wrestling today.

He is in line for an AEW World Championship match against Jon Moxley at a time and place of his choosing. Moxley is set to battle NJPW star Juice Robinson on tomorrow’s episode of Dynamite in a World Title Eliminator. If Juice wins, he will also get a shot at the title.

Hangman Adam Page has already earned a shot at the championship on the October 18th edition of Dynamite. It is a special Tuesday night episode of the show and will oppose WWE NXT. Jon Moxley captured the AEW Championship last week by defeating Bryan Danielson in the Tournament of Champions as MJF watched on from the crowd.

MJF On Why He Wants To Be A Free Agent In 2024

MJF spoke with Kevin Clancy of Barstool Sports on KFC Radio this week about a bunch of topics. He revealed what makes him special, which insider wrestler term he finds phony, why he’s the most exciting thing in wrestling since the Attitude Era, and now why he wants to be a free agent in 2024.

“I do want to be a free agent in 2024. So again, I’m going to wait until January 1st, 2024 because I am an intelligent businessman. I do foresee myself winning that AEW World Title and what happens if my contract goes up and I have that championship? If I’m Tony Khan, I’m probably going to have to pay this guy a lot of money.

I concern myself where the money is at. I’ll go to a new company, with a new founder that no one has ever heard of if they’re willing to pay me the most amount of money. I do genuinely think that I’m a prodigy, and I say that humbly. There’s probably no one in the wrestling world that knows more or has a better IQ than me.”

MJF also revealed what the most important thing to him in the wrestling business is.

“The most important thing to me is money and if I can make an absurd amount of money without having to be stressed out of my mind. The only person you should worry about is yourself and if anyone tells you otherwise they are out of their minds.”

Please credit KFC Radio and give a H/T to SEScoops if you use quotes from this article.

1...600601602...3,404Page 601 of 3,404