A member of the AEW roster has dealt with a nightmare mouth infection.
In late April, Fuego Del Sol revealed that he was hospitalized due to the infection. The medical issue was bad enough that he needed to undergo surgery. The good news for Fuego is that he was eventually released from the hospital but the aftermath is gnarly.
Poor Fuego
Fuego Del Sol took to his Twitter account and shared that he has been left with a one-inch hole on his neck following the procedure.
“Had a drainage tube taken out of my neck this morning and now I have an unstitched 1-inch hole in my neck… it’s wild!”
Of course, some requested an image of the hole. Among those asking for a pic was AEW referee Aubrey Edwards. That old saying, “be careful what you wish for” couldn’t ring more true than now.
Below is a photo of the unstitched hole but BE WARNED it is graphic.
Surely, there are better days ahead for Fuego following this less-than-ideal experience.
Del Sol nabbed an AEW contract following a match with Miro back in 2021. He’s mostly been used to put over the bigger stars of AEW but he’s shown flashes of what he’s capable of in the ring.
Naomi has responded to those who think she should be in The Bloodline.
Roman Reigns has been dominating the world of WWE. Ever since starting the “Tribal Chief” gimmick, the general consensus is that Reigns has finally found his character. He along with Jimmy and Jey Uso play a key role on SmackDown.
(via WWE)
Naomi & The Bloodline
Naomi is married to Jimmy Uso, leading many to question why WWE hasn’t used her in Roman’s faction. It’s something that even Naomi has thought about.
During an interview with Inside The Ropes, Naomi admitted that she finds it a bit odd that she hasn’t joined The Bloodline (h/t POST Wrestling).
“I do [get the Paul Heyman wisdom] and it is a little weird that I’m not in it [The Bloodline] because I’m always there with them. I’m always there, I’m always around, I’m always, you know, annoying them so, maybe later down the road or maybe there’s somewhere for me to come in with the boys, with Jon and Josh [Jimmy & Jey Uso], who knows? But definitely something I would look forward to. I would want it to be the right time, you know? And done properly.”
Naomi currently holds tag team gold with Sasha Banks. The two won the championship on night two of WrestleMania 38 back in April.
Certain words are not supposed to be used on WWE television. In fact, WWE has developed its own alternate verbiage for wrestlers and announcers.
They’re not wrestlers, they’re Superstars and Sports Entertainers.
They’re not fans, they’re members of the WWE Universe.
It’s not a belt, it’s a championship. (A belt holds up your pants!)
It’s not a title match, it’s a championship opportunity.
Earlier this week, United States Champion Theory competed on Raw. His title was not on the line and the match was referred to as a “non-title championship contender’s match.”
Another one of these banned phrases has come to light. According to Dave Meltzer, “non-title” has been added to WWE’s banned words list.
“Well, they can’t say non-title. That’s a banned term.”
– Wrestling Observer Radio
Instead of non-title, these contests will be referred to as “Championship Contender’s” matches in the future.
WWE Banned Words
WWE has a long history of “banned words” and instituting its own jargon. Vince McMahon is a master of promotion and branding, so he knows what he is doing in this respect.
A few times over the past few years, there have been leaks of lists WWE has sent to media partners about what not to say when discussing the product.
This “banned words” list is not set in stone, but included “insider” terms such as kayfabe, babyface, heel, job/jobber, house show, push and “over.” There are also certain words related to violence, including head shot, trauma and curb stomp.
AEW talent Colt Cabana made an appearance on Young Rock as the Brooklyn Brawler.
Young Rock gives fans a reenactment of The Rock’s early life. This season, viewers have been reliving the Rocky Maivia days. Recently, the Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Mankind, The Undertaker, and The Ringmaster characters appeared.
Colt Cabana Appears On Young Rock
Colt Cabana ended up snagging a role on the NBC show. On the latest episode this past Tuesday night (May 3), he played the role of Brooklyn Brawler.
“Beyond excited for tonight’s #YoungRock. Writing the story of the Rock’s first EVER match with @TheRock and @hhgarcia41 truly was the thrill of a lifetime. And suffice to say @ulilatukefu as the Rock and @ColtCabana as @brawlerreal absolutely crushed it.”
“You and @hhgarcia41 did a great job writing this episode mi amigo. This was a special one. Good to see people loving it. Shout to @ColtCabana & @brawlerreal.”
Young Rock was recently in the headlines after there was a tease of a future match between The Rock and current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Freddie Prinze Jr.’s ambition to start a wrestling promotion hasn’t wavered.
Freddie is a longtime wrestling fan and he even worked behind the scenes with WWE. Prinze had a hand in the creative team and wasn’t afraid to stand his ground when needed.
Freddie Prinze Jr. had been teasing that he wanted to start his own wrestling promotion late last year. That is very much still the goal and he recently updated his plans on an edition of his Wrestling With Freddie Podcast.
Plans to start in 18 months
Wants a two-hour show
Has the money for a three-year plan
Storylines based in reality
Men & Women given equal time
Wants to own the space it’s filmed in
Wants to be a SAG show
No TV contract yet
Freddie has also asked for input on a name for the promotion.
Back in February, Freddie took to his podcast to make it clear that his promotion wouldn’t be in competition with the likes of WWE or AEW (via WrestlingNews.co).
“I don’t want to compete with WWE or AEW. I just want to kind of have my own thing and have it on smaller channels, smaller networks, have it be a SAG show, so that they’re all Screen Actors Guild. That’s what SAG stands for. Then they can have some insurance for as long as that union lasts. I’m sure there’s some scheme to bust that one up if it’s still there.”
“I went back to work. I’m excited for it. I’m putting together my little wrestling piggy bank. I’m putting some money in there for the next year and a half, a little over a year and a half, and then I’m going in on my indie wrestling brand.”
SEScoops will keep you posted as Freddie Prinze Jr. continues his push to start a wrestling promotion.
Riddle couldn’t have asked for a better mentor to take his WWE career to next level than Randy Orton. The Apex Predator has gone through many of the phases the former UFC star went through early in his WWE journey. Randy also got into trouble and upset many veterans early on before growing up and earning the respect of his peers. Now he is using that experience to help the young star navigate the waters in WWE.
RK Bro spoke to Give Me Sport during WWE’s UK tour. When asked what he has learned from the Legend Killer, Riddle mentioned how Randy has been helping him understand the landscape of WWE:
“What haven’t I learned? You know, I feel like I’ve learned a lot about the business side of things and handling myself. Not just in the world of wrestling but in the world of WWE. Because I feel like each promotion, each company I’ve worked for kinda has a different landscape. From the UFC to the WWE, to the independence scene and everywhere.
I feel like he’s really helped me guide through the waters as smoothly as possible. At least for me because I kind of ruffle feathers all the time. He’s been helping me out a lot with that.”
“And of course, in ring ability, just watching Randy every night do what Randy does best, you are gonna get better. Your timing is gonna get better, your confidence is gonna go up. Your swagger goes up on the microphone, everything goes up.
From day one to day now, at least from my point of view it’s night and day. The transition and changes I have made. And I would say maybe, from outside looking in, it’s harder to see. From being on the inside looking out, it’s night and day like I said. My job has gotten drastically easier and more fun working with this guy.”
The NXT champion Bron Breakker was stretchered out of the arena by two hooded figures after this week’s episode of NXT went off air.
This week’s Spring Breakin’ special of the show featured the current NXT champion defending his title against Joe Gacy in the main event.
After a physical match, Breakker managed to hit Gacy with a big spear. Bron then pinned his challenger to retain the title.
However, as the champion was celebrating his victory in the ring, two hooded figures appeared on the apron behind him. The show ended with them standing outside the ring ropes.
WWE later posted a post-show video in which the two unknown figures are seen attacking Bron Breakker. They laid out the heavyweight star with the help of a chair.
After having brutally attacked the NXT champion, the two figures retrieved a barbed wire stretcher from under the ring. They proceeded to put Breakker on it and take him out of the arena:
The hooded figures were being instructed by Gacy. This attack is a confirmation that he is not done with Bron Breakker just yet. We will have to see when the identities of the unknown figures are revealed.
The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed & Julius Creed) def. The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar).
NXT Champion Bron Breakker def. Joe Gacy
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Main Event
Bron Breakker put the WWE NXT Championship on the line in a match against Joe Gacy.
Bron wearing Rick Steiner’s singlet that he wore in his Raw debut. There was a hooded man seen in the crowd. At one point, Bron hit a bulldog off the middle rope. Bron retained with a spear.
WWE set up this feud in an an angle from the April 5 NXT where Gacy and Harland captured Breakker’s father, WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner and stole his Hall of Fame ring. Gacy dared Bron to find him and evaded him until the end of the show where Bron found him. After agreeing to a title match at this show and getting the ring back, Bron was shoved off a platform by Gacy. Once he hit the floor, Breakker was then seemingly attacked by hooded figures.
Triple Threat Match
Cameron Grimes vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Solo Sikoa for the WWE NXT North American Championship was booked.
The three were involved in a promo segment on the April 19th show following a Hayes win over Santos Escobar to set up the Spring Breakin’ match.
The match opened the show. They did some high spots with Grimes hitting a springboard dive on Solo for 2. Solo hit a powerbomb to Grimes onto Hayes. Solo with a chokeslam to Hayes for 2 as Grimes broke it up. Solo hit a splash off the top rope on Hayes for a near fall. Grimes hit a double foot stomp to Solo for the win.
Nikkita Lyons & Cora Jade vs. Lash Legend & Natalya in a tag team match was booked.
The match was decent with Natalya doing the majority of the work. The finish saw Legend lay out Lyons and Jade hit a dive for the win.
WWE set up the match last week after Lyons beat Legend in a singles match. Post-match, Natalya ran in to attack Lyons, following up on a backstage interaction the two had two weeks later. Jade then ran in to make the save.
The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) vs. The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed & Julius Creed) took place.
The match was good as expected with a hard-hitting style. Brutus hit a suplex off the top rope. Viking Raiders hit a double team move off the turnbuckle for 2. There was outside interference by Roderick Strong that led to Julias pinning Ivar. Creed Brothers confronted Strong about getting involved.
WWE set up the match last week when Diamond Mine’s Roderick Strong invited the Raiders to NXT and handpicked them as opponents to challenge the Creeds, who Strong accused of being too satisfied with their achievements.
Grayson Waller vs. Nathan Frazer in a singles match was booked.
The match was sold and short. There was a sound horn that went off by Chase U, which distracted Waller and Waller fell off the top rope and Frazer hit his diving finisher for the win.
Frazer’s debut was initially announced for last week’s show until Waller attacked his opponent before the bout started. This led to the match getting booked.
Bron Breakker made his first title defense in his second reign as WWE NXT Champion against Joe Gacy on the Spring Breakin’ edition of NXT 2.0. Bron was wearing Rick Steiner’s singlet that he wore in his Raw debut in 1993.
The main event match saw Gacy be in control of it. There was a hooded man seen in the crowd. Bron hit a bulldog off the middle rope, another nod to his father. Gacy hit a powerbomb for 2. Bron retained with a spear.
On the April 5th edition of NXT, Gacy and Harland captured Breakker’s father, WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner and stole his Hall of Fame ring. Gacy taunted Breakker and dared him to find him in the arena so Bron went looking, but Gacy evaded him.
They finally met up in a show-closing angle where Gacy offered Breakker Steiner’s ring in exchange for a title match at this show. After Breakker agreed and he got the ring back, Gacy shoved him off a platform. After being on the floor for a few moments, Breakker was seemingly attacked by hooded figures working at Gacy’s behest.
Breakker won the NXT Title for a second time on the April 4th edition of Raw when he beat Dolph Ziggler. Breakker previously won the NXT Title from Ciampa at New Year’s Evil in January from Ciampa.
Cameron Grimes had the odds stacked against him in storyline when he made his latest defense as the WWE NXT North American Champion against Carmelo Hayes and Solo Sikoa in a triple threat match on the Spring Breakin’ edition of NXT 2.0 on Tuesday night.
The match opened the show. The guys worked hard and had some near falls. Solo hit a splash off the top rope on Hayes for a near fall. Grimes hit a double foot stomp to Solo for the win.
Grimes won the title last month when he defeated Hayes, Santos Escobar, Grayson Waller, and Solo in a ladder match at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver event in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center.
Carmelo defeated Santos Escobar in singles competition to get this title opportunity while Solo’s opportunity at the title saw interference thanks to Trick Williams. As a result, he got the title shot anyways despite Hayes’ best attempt to prevent it from happening.
The storyline with Grimes was that he promised his father that he would win gold in NXT and now that he’s champion, Grimes is trying to be a champion that his father would be proud of.
Tony Khan took to Twitter today and announced a new matchup for this Friday’s edition of AEW Rampage.
The company president revealed that former AEW women’s champion Riho will be taking on Yuka Sakazaki in singles-action, where the winner will officially qualify for the first-ever Owen Hart Memorial tournament.
Don’t miss Friday Rampage at a special start time: 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT/3:30pm MT/2:30pm PT pic.twitter.com/Q7AnE08KhS— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) May 3, 2022
This will be Riho’s first matchup since her loss to Britt Baker at Battle of the Belts back in January. She had been sidelined with an injury and was back in Japan recovering.
The Owen Hart tournament will begin its opening round on next week’s AEW programming, and will conclude at the May 29th Double or Nothing pay-per-view from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can check out Rampage’s updated lineup below.
-Hook will be in action against an unknown opponent
-Riho vs. Yuka Sakazaki Qualifying Match for the Owen Hart Tournament
-Britt Baker & Jaime Hayter vs. Ruby Soho & Toni Storm
It looks like we now know what the roster size will be for the upcoming AEW console game.
AEW Games and Yuke’s are hard at work with the AEW Fight Forever title. Back in April, Fightful Select reported that the timeframe for the game’s release is late September.
In a new report, Fightful Select says the game will feature around 50 playable characters. The report noted that there will be some “disappointing omissions.” With that said, DLC has been discussed.
On top of that, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Sting, Adam Cole, and Ruby Soho have all been confirmed for AEW’s debut console game.
Here is a list of wrestlers confirmed for AEW Fight Forever so far:
Rey Fenix will make his in-ring return to challenge Dante Martin for the first time ever on May. 5.
Since the Mar. 30 episode of AEW Dynamite, All Elite Wrestling has featured matches for men and women to qualify for The Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament. The inaugural tournament will begin its first round on May. 11.
AEW already shared last week that Jeff Hardy would compete against Bobby Fish in a Men’s qualifier match. Now AEW President Tony Khan has announced that Rey Fenix will take on Dante Martin in another The Owen Hart Foundation Cup Qualifier match.
Tomorrow night on @TBSNetwork, we have a dream match with a spot in the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Cup Tournament on the line as @lucha_angel1 will battle @ReyFenixMx!
Fenix will have his first match in AEW since he suffered an arm injury in the Jan. 5 episode of AEW Dynamite episode. His gruesome-looking injury occurred when he took a chokeslam from Luchasaurus through a table. Although it looked brutal on TV, Fenix wasn’t expected to be sidelined for too long. He returned on the Apr. 27 episode of AEW Dynamite to help Penta El Zero Miedo and PAC attack the House of Black. A win for Fenix gets him back in the win column and reminds fans just how good he can be healthy.
Martin will try to get his first win on AEW Dynamite since Jan. 12. His last win on the show happened against Powerhouse Hobbs, but since he has only won matches on AEW Dark. He also began teaming with his brother Darius Martin, which halted his singles run. However, Martin has an opportunity to defeat Fenix in their first-ever match and get a win on AEW’s premier weekly TV show.
Full Card for the 5/4 Episode of AEW Dynamite
The May. 4 episode of AEW Dynamite takes place at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The card is expected to have six matches.
Rey Fenix vs. Dante Martin
Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Fish
Wardlow vs. MJF’s Mystery Opponent
Chris Jericho vs. Santana in a Grudge Match
The Butcher, Blade and Angelico vs. Blackpool Combat Club
(C) Deonna Purrazzo vs. (IC)Mercedes Martinez for the Undisputed Ring of Honor Women’s Championship
Joey G: Corbin and Moss have been one of the steadier heel acts on the WWE main roster for the last few months so I personally don’t see the benefit of them fighting with each other. However, since the match is happening the person who can benefit the most from a win is Moss as Corbin can always blame some outside force for his failures. The lingering question I have is what’s next for Moss when he does win? (Pick: Madcap Moss)
Andrew Ravens: A feud that no one cares about and a match that doesn’t mean much. I guess you could make the case that a win over Corbin means something for Moss, who is still trying to find his footing here. It makes sense for him to win so I’ll side with the babyface. (Pick: Madcap Moss)
Michael Reichlin: Baron Corbin is a reliable utility player for WWE, but Madcap Moss clearly has more upside. Madcap finds himself flying solo after after Corbin recently turned on him. A loss would set him back considerably. Moss avenges the betrayal and moves on to the next chapter of his career. (Pick: Madcap Moss)
Winner Prediction: Madcap Moss
Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
Michael Reichlin: Lashley got the clean win at WrestleMania 38. Since then, MVP turned on his former client and sided with the giant. Much like the opening match, I think this is a case of the veteran putting over the rising star. Lashley is still going strong at 45, but the 27-year old 7-footer has the brighter future. (Pick: Omos)
Andrew Ravens: I was surprised when Lashley beat Omos at WrestleMania 38 so it only makes sense for Omos to win here and likely thanks to outside interference by MVP to make Lashley stay strong as that is what WWE is attempting to do in this feud, which doing so for both guys at the same time isn’t the easiest thing to do. (Pick: Omos)
Joey G: Like the Edge and Styles matchup there seems to be more to this story than just this bout. Omos will get a big win over a former WWE champion, and MVP, who will most definitely get involved, can claim that he chose the right horse. If it were me I would be grooming Omos for an I.C. title or U.S. title run, but a rubber match with Lashley seems more likely. (Pick: Omos)
Consensus: Omos
AJ Styles vs. Edge
Andrew Ravens: I can see this going either way as Edge already has a win over AJ and it seems we’re going for a trilogy. AJ as the babyface should’ve won their first encounter and really needs to do so here if they want to keep the feud going so Styles wins, but perhaps it’s by DQ thanks to outside interference by Damian Priest. (Pick: AJ Styles)
Michael Reichlin: I keep going back and forth on this one. Both men have interesting programs going on, with Edge being paired with Damian Priest and AJStyles aligning with Bullet Club alum Finn Balor. I say Edge gets the win with help from Priest, to solidify the threat of Edge having backup. (Pick: Edge)
Joey G: Traditional WWE booking tells me that Styles wins this round so they can go for a third time on a bigger show somewhere down the line. My guess would also be that Styles recent alliance with fellow Bullet Club alumni Finn Balor means that a tag team match against Edge and Priest is on the table as well. Regardless of who wins, this won’t be the final chapter. (Pick: AJ Styles)
Consensus: AJ Styles
Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro vs. The Bloodline
Andrew Ravens: A lot of things have changed with everyone involved here from what was originally planned. I don’t see this being the main event so the babyfaces don’t necessarily have to go over if that’s what Vince McMahon doesn’t want. Have McIntyre pin one of The Usos to keep his feud going with Reigns and who knows what WWE does with RK-Bro going forward if they’re not unifying the tag team titles with SmackDown. (Pick: McIntyre and RK-Bro)
Joey G: Really sad we didn’t get a Nakamura and Reigns solo matchup on this card as it seemed to be set up a few weeks ago, and would pay off Nakamura earning that title shot last year. With that said…this six-man tag will be the show-stealer, and will certainly plant the seed for the eventual McIntyre and Reigns ultimate showdown. Considering how dominant the Tribal Chief and the Usos have been, I think the Bloodline go down in this one. (Pick: RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre)
Michael Reichlin: Originally, when this was going to be a tag team title unification match, I had The Usos getting the win. Now that Reigns and McIntyre have joined the fray, I think the babyfaces take this one. Most people are probably looking at Rollins vs. Cody as having the most Match of the Night potential, but dont’ sleep on the 6-man tag. (Pick: Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro)
Consensus: Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey – I Quit Match
Andrew Ravens: Rousey will get the title here. WWE surprised everyone by not having the title change happen at WrestleMania and adding in this stipulation, it’s nearly a lock that Rousey walks out with the title. What’s next is the interesting part as WWE could run back a third match or have them go in their separate ways. Rousey should be the champion and will be and WWE can revisit this match later this year for one of their stadium shows. (Pick: Ronda Rousey)
Michael Reichlin: Quite simply, Rousey is not losing an I Quit match. She’s just not saying those words. I was surprised that she came up short at WrestleMania, but now is the time for her to reach the top of the mountain once again. I think Charlotte Flair will bring her A-game, to soften the impact of her submitting to Rousey, but this one was “new champion” written all over it. (Pick: Ronda Rousey)
Joey G: One of the biggest surprises at WrestleMania 38 was Charlotte squeaking out a win over Rousey, as Rousey’s Royal Rumble triumph seemed to indicate that she was getting the title at the Show of Shows. While Rousey’s fan support has certainly lessened, I think she gets that big moment here, and begins a dominant reign on SmackDown. I don’t think a third match between these two is necessary, but don’t be surprised if one happens. (Pick: Ronda Rousey)
Consensus: Ronda Rousey
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
Michael Reichlin: This one already has the big fight feel. Rollins has been fantastic as of late. Cody is still riding high since arriving at WrestleMania. I hope this match is the main event of WrestleMania Backlash. I expect a dramatic match, with the American Nightmare coming out on top. Cody’s got a date with destiny (Roman Reigns) and they’re not going to saddle him with a loss and 50/50 booking this early into his run. The storyline winning the title Dusty never did is too good to pass up. They’re keeping him strong for the foreseeable future. (Pick: Cody Rhodes)
Joey G: If there is one guy other than Roman Reigns who should not be losing right now it’s the American Nightmare. Rhodes is more organically over with the WWE Universe than any other star on the roster, and the long-term story of him becoming a world champion is easily laid out in front of them. Rollins has been great, but he can afford to lose again before moving on to something else. (Pick: Cody Rhodes)
Andrew Ravens: Rhodes should go over here as a loss doesn’t hurt Rollins and he can talk his way out of it. Rhodes is clearly the top babyface on the Raw roster and it’s just a matter of time before he’s in the title hunt. Keep Cody strong as he is super over with the fans right now. (Pick: Cody Rhodes)
Consensus: Cody Rhodes
There you have it. Hit up the comments section and let us know what you think about our picks for WrestleMania Backlash.
It appears WWE will be heading back to a familiar venue for the 2023 Royal Rumble event. Fightful Select reports the January event currently has the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas as the front runner.
WWE previously held this same event at the venue in 2017 and was also the site for the 1997 edition. Until WWE announces it, nothing is set in stone. Both Seattle and New Orleans had expressed interest in hosting the event.
Last year’s Summerslam location was being discussed until fairly close to the actual announcement date so it may be months until WWE announces the Royal Rumble announcement.
WWE has held Royal Rumble events from stadiums or domes since 2019 except for 2021. Andrew Zarian of Mat Men Radio recently reported that WWE is planning on running more dome shows per year than ever before starting next year as that is WWE President Nick Khan’s vision.
The remaining WWE stadium shows this year include Money In The Bank from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on July 2, SummerSlam at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on July 30, WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales on September 3, and an event in Saudi Arabia in October.
Last week WWE was overseas for their annual European tour, with events being held in England, France, and Germany.
Former WWE champion Sheamus had been active during the tour, but was noticeably absent from the company’s Saturday show in Paris, as well as their Sunday event from Ludwig. This led to some online speculation that the Celtic Warrior had been injured, but a new report reveals why he was off the card.
According to PW Insider, Sheamus is doing just fine, and was not used over the weekend so that his new stable-mate, Butch, could get more ring-time. The Bruiserweight worked multiple matches with current Intercontinental champion Ricochet on the tour, with former I.C. champion Sami Zayn later being added for some triple-threat action.
It is not know whether Sheamus, Butch, or their third partner, Ridge Holland, will be added to WWE’s upcoming WrestleMania Backlash premium live event. The trio have been making waves on the blue-brand since forming an alliance earlier this year. Sheamus hasn’t wrestled on TV since his victory over Kofi Kingston on the April 22nd taping SmackDown. Meanwhile Butch’s last TV match was a loss to the New Day’s Xavier Woods. Stay tuned.
All Elite Wrestling talent Nyla Rose hopes to see wrestlers from Stardom walk through the “Forbidden Door.”
Since introducing the “Forbidden Door,” AEW has worked with other wrestling organizations like Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. However, most of the cross-over interactions have been with men, leaving the AEW women’s division out of the picture.
On the Apr. 20 episode of AEW Dynamite, AEW and NJPW announced they would partner for a Pay-Per-View event called Forbidden Door on Jun. 26. As of now, NJPW’s affiliate, the all-women wrestling promotion Stardom, isn’t involved. Solitaire Rose Radio’s Cory interviewed Rose and asked who she’d like to face from NJPW. Rose responded that NJPW doesn’t have a women’s division but shared that she hopes to wrestle someone from Stardom and see them walk through the “Forbidden Door.”
“…Unfortunately, New Japan themselves do not have a women’s division. However, they do work very closely with Stardom, said Rose. She continued, “…I have not really had the experience, the pleasure to work with anyone in Stardom. So for me, that Forbidden Door is wide open. I would call it a Forbidden Archway. I would welcome anyone to walk through that, just to say that I’ve done that. Check that box off.”
Will The AEW Women’s Division be Involved at Forbidden Door
While wrestling fans are excited about the announcement, the news may exclude talent from the AEW Women’s division from taking part. The Forbidden Door event may have talent from AEW and NJPW compete against each other. Although it’s unclear what the format of the show will be yet. Stardom also has an event planned for Jun. 26, which puts any involvement in doubt.
AEW may somehow feature the women’s division in the show, but not against wrestlers from a different promotion. While it may be disappointing to fans, Wrestling Observers Dave Meltzer shared on Saturday Night Main Event Podcast that Stardom is interested in working with AEW. It may not happen at Forbidden Door, but Rose may get the opportunity to challenge a Stardom opponent in the future.
Liv Morgan promises to help a wrestling fan after WWE confiscated his sign.
The incident took place on the May. 2 episode of Monday Night Raw, which took place in Greensboro, North Carolina. Morgan had a tag team match with Asuka and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair against Sonya Deville, Becky Lynch, and Rhea Ripley. Positively Wrestling Co-Host Stephen Davidson posted on Twitter that he spent $600 for front-row seats to show his support to Morgan. However, WWE took his sign that said “Liv $old This Seat.”
Davidson shared that the company didn’t say why they had confiscated it. He also added he’ll talk about the incident in detail on May. 6 for the next podcast episode.
Morgan noticed the Davidson tweet and thanked him for the support. She added that she would buy him tickets to the event the next time they were back in his town.
Thank you so much ! I love u and appreciate it. Reach out to me next time we’re in town.. tickets on me ?? https://t.co/Gols2BXhii
Morgan is currently in a feud with her former tag team partner Ripley. After several unsuccessful attempts at winning the Women’s Tag Team Championship, Ripley turned on Morgan on the Apr. 18 episode of Monday Night Raw.
In a backstage promo on the Apr. 25 episode of Monday Night Raw, Ripley said, “…When I first came here, I became the Raw Women’s Champion all on my own. Since then, I’ve been tossed into the tag division surrounded by tag partners that do nothing but bring me down to their level and make me weak.” Shortly after, Morgan attacked Ripley to further the feud.
It’s unclear if Morgan will challenge Ripley at Wrestlemania Backlash on May. 8. They are not on the card, but WWE could always add them to the event.
“The Viper” was recently interviewed by GiveMeSport, and asked about potentially joining the WWE Performance Center as a coach down the road in his career. However, the 14-time WWE World Champion doesn’t think he’d make a very good coach.
He does think, however, that he has a lot to offer in terms of analyzing match tape and breaking things down.
“I don’t really think I’d be a good coach because I would start to just ramble… It’s almost like I don’t know how to articulate myself to a group of green guys that are coming into the business that need to learn the basics.
“If there was three, four or five guys, a small group, and if we could go and talk and sit in the ring. If it could be like close quarters, just a small group of people where we’re not doing drills and stuff, but just talking and maybe watching tape, I think I’d be good in that aspect.”
Orton would certainly have a plethora of knowledge to pass along after over 20 years in the business. The son of WWE Hall Of Famer “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Randy Orton has carried on his family name in the business with tremendous prestige.
After 14 World Title reigns, Orton has established himself as one of the biggest WWE stars of all time. Currently, Orton sits atop the Tag Team division of WWE, reigning as the RAW Tag Team Champions alongside Matt Riddle.
Currently, Orton and Riddle are embroiled in a feud with The Bloodline (SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos and WWE World Champion Roman Reigns) that will culminate at WrestleMania Backlash. Despite working in a tag team at the moment rather than singles action, Orton has said he’s enjoying wrestling now more than ever.
It will be interesting to see how long WWE decides to keep Orton and Riddle paired together before the duo resume singles careers again.
Pro-wrestling star Sabatino Piscitelli, who fans will remember as Tino Sabbatelli in WWE, was the latest guest on Insight With Chris Van Vilet to discuss his temporary run in AEW back in 2020, which came at the heels of his first release from WWE’s NXT brand.
Sabbatelli began the interview by revealing that he unknowingly burned his bridge with AEW President Tony Khan, stating that he thinks it’s because he decided to return to WWE after his debut match on Dark.
“So here’s the thing. I don’t know what happened or where it went wrong, this is the truth, that bridge was burned, and I don’t know how. Tony Khan knows me from football, and when WWE offered me that contract, I actually texted Billy Gunn about it. They [AEW] hadn’t offered me anything, Triple H was the one who offered me something. I sent a nice text to Billy Gunn to thank me for the opportunity and I thought it was all good. But when I got released again, someone reached out to AEW and said to Tony Khan ‘Tino is a free agent and he’s going to be a star.”
He adds that Andrade El Idolo at one pointed wanted him in a group but Khan said no.
3 months ago, Andrade approaches me and said that he wanted me to be in a group with him. Me and Andrade have always had a good relationship. But he texted me personally and we shot a vignette together. He wanted to bring a group like Evolution to AEW. We shot the video and spent the whole day in Miami. He texted me back and said ‘Tony Khan likes the idea but no Tino.’ I’m like what do you mean? I would love to sit and talk to Tony.”
Shortly after Sabbatelli’s AEW run a rumor had circulated that he was the cause of several AEW spoilers being released to the public, an accusation that the former NFL star now laughs off as he admits that he is an internet dummy and doesn’t even use social media.
“Oh man I had to laugh. If anybody knows me, I don’t know where to begin with this. I am an internet dummy, I don’t know what a dirt sheet is, I am not on Twitter and I don’t use Instagram. So when someone tagged me and said ‘You hear what Chris Jericho said about you.’ What was it, NXT reject? At first I ignored it but people started to bring it up more and more, so I started to look into it. I’m like what is this dude talking about? For me to go on the internet and speak on something that I know nothing about? No disrespect, I don’t care about that much.”
Sabbatelli credits WWE Hall of Famer Billy Gunn for getting him through the AEW door, but it appears his one match on Dark caught the attention of Triple H, who reached out to him after the bout had aired.
“So then AEW comes into play, AEW calls me. Billy Gunn calls me and says ‘Sabby, show up to Jacksonville.’ They don’t tell me anything, I show up and I see my name on the board. I’m like wow, I have a match? I mean OK I will do it. So I had this match on AEW Dark, it was a tag team match, but they didn’t tell me anything. They didn’t offer me anything, it was a vague trip. But that same week coach Bloom texted me and said congratulations. I shot him a text back saying ‘Thank you but I didn’t sign anything.’ The next day Triple H reaches out to me.
Later in the interview Sabbatelli reflects on his time in WWE, and whether he thinks he would ever return if called upon.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) has an all-time dream opponent, and it just so happens to be a WWE Hall Of Famer.
Recently, MJF took part in a Q&A during the For The Love Of Wrestling convention in Liverpool, England. During the Q&A, MJF was asked about his all-time dream opponent. The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star answered with WWE Hall Of Famer Rowdy Roddy Piper.
“Roddy Piper,” MJF said. “I feel the only person that in the modern who can hold a candle to me on the stick, whether I want to admit it or not, is CM Punk. Even though I beat him in his hometown of Chicago, verbally. Absolutely bent him over with my mic skills.
“Do I think Roddy Piper is the only person that could go toe-to-toe with me on the stick in the history of professional wrestling? The answer’s yes. Was the man absolutely insane, and do I think we would have a barbaric match as well that would stand the test of time? Yes.
“I got a lot of people tell me that I remind of the Rowdy one, and I think that would be one hell of a match. So, that is my answer.”
Sadly, Piper passed away in 2015. However, MJF could find his way to WWE in the near future. In January of 2024, MJF’s contract with AEW is set to expire, and he has been very open about possibly journeying over to WWE.
The 26-year-old has stated that, if Vince McMahon is willing to shell out the cash, he’ll happily jump ship. This would be a pretty big move, as only one notable star has left AEW for WWE. That being Cody Rhodes, who left AEW earlier this year and re-debuted in WWE at WrestleMania 38 against Seth Rollins.
It will be interesting to see if MJF ultimately decides to depart to WWE in 2024, or if he’ll stick around with AEW for the foreseeable future.
AEW may be on the verge of signing Willow Nightingale if they haven’t already.
Nightingale has made several appearances for AEW. For the most part, she has been eating pinfalls to more established stars but she hasn’t exactly been presented as an enhancement talent.
Nightingale is quite active in her matches and even picked up a win on AEW Dark this week. Following the victory, AEW seemingly dropped a big hint regarding the future of Willow Nightingale.
Willow Nightingale Off The Market?
After Nightingale picked up her first AEW win, the camera zoomed in on a fan sign calling for her to be signed.
So Willow Nightingale wins her first AEW match on Dark this week, and then the AEW production team zooms in on a particular sign in the crowd.
Back in April, Nightingale was asked about potentially signing with AEW or even ROH. She shared her positive outlook (h/t Fightful).
“It’s looking positive. I don’t have anything solid that I can tell anyone, but things are looking good. I’ve wrestled there and had nine matches and there were definitely moments on that journey where I was like, ‘what is going on?’ Moments of frustration, but especially the last couple of weeks, I’ve been re-affirmed, ‘trust the process, keep going.’ Stay on this journey folks.”
Many feel it’s only a matter of time before Nightingale puts pen to paper but we’ll keep you posted once something concrete surfaces.
Deonna Purrazzo prided herself on being a double champion. She held the ROH and AAA Women’s titles simultaneously and would issue the “Champ Champ Challenge” where she put either her Reina de Reinas title or ROH’s signature gold on the line.
She lost her AAA Reina de Reinas title at Rebellion on April 23 to Taya Valkyrie, which ended her reign at 252 days.
When SESoops’ Ella Jay caught up with “The Virtuosa” at WrestleCon, they discussed this and more.
You can watch our exclusive interview with Deonna Purrazzo below:
Below are some highlights of the interview:
On Chelsea Green
Deonna Purrazzo was asked who she thinks is the biggest surprise to step up to the plate recently. She named Chelsea Green.
“You know, what, I’m gonna have to say Chelsea [Green] was the biggest surprise. When I talked about this, we know her arm wasn’t really broken, whether she and I are in cahoots or not. No one will ever know. But, yeah, it was a surprise to see your best friend come out there. Always. And then, the three-way I think, you know, I put myself in a predicament where I could have lost, but I am The Virtuosa, and I said it on Impact when you mess with the bull you get the goddamn horns!”
Purrazzo also said that she would pick Chelsea Green as her tag team partner if she were to go after the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championships.
Purrazzo was also asked about her thoughts on the turn of events with Mickie and Chelsea:
“You know what? I know Mickie’s your number one, but I will say that I obviously saw this coming. Mickie is selfish, Mickie wants what Mickie wants and doesn’t want to give to anyone else and that’s just who she is. And you know, what, if she wants to live her life like that. That’s fine. But when people are giving the way Chelsea and I are giving you get fed up really quick. And that’s what happens.”
On Being A Champ Champ Champ
The Champ Champ.
Purrazzo held two championships at the same time – Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide’s Reina de Reinas Championship, and Ring of Honor’s Women’s World Championship. She lost the former to Taya Valkyrie on April 23 at Rebellion. But when she held the two titles, she called herself “The Champ Champ”. Purrazzo is also a two-time Knockouts Champion. She was asked if we will ever see “The Champ Champ Champ” era.
“I’d be the Champ Champ Champ. Yeah. Absolutely. I think there’s just this like an innate thing in all of us Knockouts that you want to be The Knockouts Champion. If you don’t want to be a champion in wrestling, you should not be in wrestling. So, of course, I have my eye on Miss Tasha Steelz. Tasha and I have a long history together. I don’t want to say it’s trainer-trainee, but it’s kind of like that, that dynamic is a little bit like that. So, you know, I was so proud that she won, but at the same time, I want to kick her ass and break her arm and get my Championship back.”
Losing To Mickie James
Mickie James and Deonna Purrazzo at Hard To Kill.
At Hard To Kill, Mickie James defeated Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Deathmatch to retain the Impact Knockouts Championship. Purrazzo was asked what is her response to James sitting on the chair looking at her, and where she wants to go after this chapter is closed.
“You go on and you win more championships like I did. No, on a serious note, this underlying story that we didn’t really talk too much about of me being The Virtuosa, this evil queen that has the hold on The Knockouts championship for so long. And it was like, who’s finally gonna dethrone her? And I think the symbolism in the table being on me. There are chairs and Mickie sitting on top of me was really the perfect ending to my chapter in that time of my life.”
Thoughts On Texas
WrestleCon took place at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Purrazzo was asked what she liked about the state, and she quickly responded she loved the Texan accent. She also added that she’s had some of the best Mexican food there.
“Ooh, I say y’all all the time. So I love that everyone here and just it feels natural to be it down in Dallas and just be like, ‘sup y’all?’ like everyone is like you lost the Jersey in you, you say y’all? But I said y’all, when I lived in Jersey and where I’m from in Jersey is not the city Jersey. So I love that everyone has an accent and I’ve had the best Mexican food possible for lunch and dinner last night. So, the food is good.”
Purrazzo announced that she is engaged to fellow New Jersey native Steve Maclin in February 2022. She recalled how when wrestling at JCW a few weeks ago, the crowd chanted “Mr. Purrazo” at him.
The wrestling world certainly isn’t immune from tribalism. Ever since AEW was formed back in 2019, there have been some mind-numbing fanboy wars on social media. Even though Matt currently represents AEW, he sees conversations going south on both sides.
Matt Hardy Sends Message To Keyboard Warriors
During an edition of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt said there’s nothing wrong with supporting the company you prefer. With that said, he doesn’t understand why fans work themselves up over brand loyalty (via Wrestling Inc).
“One thing I would like to say is the tribalism between WWE and AEW fans, like, you don’t have to do this. I don’t know if you enjoy it, the people that do it online on social media, it just creates such a toxic environment in the big scheme of things.
“You love WWE, go hard for WWE, and support WWE. I love WWE and you know I’ve said that since day one, and I’ll never say anything differently. Obviously, when I work somewhere else, I’m going to go hard for AEW because they’re the people paying my bills at the end of the day, but just like a pro wrestling match, you take shots at your opponent, and you talk sh** about them.
“That’s what AEW is going to do to WWE, that’s what WWE, in theory, is going to do to AEW although they don’t mention AEW in the big scheme of things, they may take shots in other ways behind the scenes. That’s part of the game, part of the business, and don’t take that too seriously.
“If you have a guy in WWE taking shots at an AEW guy, don’t sweat it. If you have an AEW guy taking shots at a WWE guy, don’t sweat it, it’s all part of the game, baby. It’s all a part of the game and the whole promotion, and the whole fun of pro wrestling. As a fan, don’t work yourself into a shoot, especially with other fans online. Enjoy whatever you enjoy and be proud of it, and don’t let anybody take it differently.”
AEW star Bryan Danielson also spoke about tribalism in wrestling during an interview with Sports Illustrated back in Sept. 2021. He doesn’t believe the issue solely rests within the industry.
Former WWE Vice President of Global Television Production Michael Mansury has reflected on the time WWE first got trigger happy with its camera cuts.
One big criticism of WWE TV is that there are too many camera cuts. It’s a style that WWE has implemented for years and it was in full effect during the opening segment of the May 2 episode of Raw. In that opener, The Bloodline brawled with Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro.
Mansury recently had a chat with Conrad Thompson on The Insiders and he revealed when WWE first started getting gung-ho over having multiple camera cuts at a time.
“I will say that the rapid camera cutting, to my recollection, that came into play when The Shield debuted. The whole purpose behind it — because there’s the movement in the camera, ‘Ready 3, ready 4,’ going back and forth between all the angles.
“The initial design behind that style of shooting was to make what you were seeing on screen for the three characters of The Shield, and just the push that they were getting at the time, was just to make it seem all that more chaotic. At the time it worked.
“I can see now how after so many years of doing it, a lot of viewers feel like they’re on a pretty queasy-inducing thrill ride but that was the intent behind it initially.”
Mansury said initially, the cuts were reserved for only The Shield before that style was implemented throughout all the shows.
“That rapid camera cut situation, it was born out of just creating an exciting and chaotic feel for when The Shield were doing those 3 on 1, 3 on 2 beatdowns very early in their run.”
A certain trio was behind those rapid #WWE camera cuts.
