Home Blog Page 863

Bo Dallas Breaks Silence On Wrestling Future After WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Reports suggested that Bo Dallas was preparing for life after wrestling before his WWE release in April this year. So many wondered if his release marks the end of his wrestling career but the former WWE star is claiming that it’s not the case.

The former NXT champion recently had an interview with Highspots Wrestling Network. During the interview, he revealed that he actually broke his neck during his final TV appearance for the company:

“Something that a lot of people don’t know is I broke my neck two years ago. The last time I was on television on SmackDown, I think it was a segment involving — it was a B-Team segment involving Braun Strowman.”

Bo Dallas On His Wrestling Future

Dallas also addressed his wrestling status during the talk. While he mentioned how he has been dabbling in a bunch of other things, Bo Dallas claimed that he is ‘1,000 percent not done’ with wrestling:

“So, my next goal, I’m definitely, 1,000 percent not done wrestling. There’s no chance in that. My next goal is to find something that I can really sink my teeth into, something that I really love and that I’m passionate about that is not a one-off.”

He continued, “It’s not a small time thing. I’m dabbling in a bunch of other things but wrestling is my passion and I’m re-finding the love for it. If I’ve lost any of it, I’m finding that passion all over again in my way and I’m really excited. “

For those who don’t know, it was reported in early 2021 that Bo Dallas has been preparing for life after wrestling. He has been running a farm with Liv Morgan and the former champion has also started a real estate business.

Bray Wyatt Offers To “Fix” Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel

Seth Rollins On Bray Wyatt’s Release: “God, I Miss Him”

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

WWE superstar Seth Rollins recently had an interview with Metro. He talked about things such as the development of his new character and the inspirations behind it.

The former Universal champion also commented on the WWE release of Bray Wyatt during the talk. He claimed that he misses Wyatt but the former champion made it clear that he didn’t draw a lot of inspiration from The Fiend:

“Bray Wyatt – God, I miss him. But I wouldn’t say that I drew much inspiration from him. He was way out there with the stuff he wanted to do character-wise – and it worked for him.

For me, not so much. That’s not really where I sit when it comes to characters in wrestling. but it worked well for him.”

Seth Rollins On Getting Inspiration From Triple H

Someone Seth Rollins did admit getting inspiration from is Triple H. The Architect mentioned how the game played a major part in the initial stages of his career:

“Triple H is definitely someone that my character draws inspiration from. Obviously, he played a major role in the beginnings of my character and what it’s become,

But if you look at his career, his character always did the same thing; it evolved very naturally over the years. He was able to teeter back and forth to both ends of the spectrum.”

Seth Rollins is scheduled to face Edge in a one-on-one match at the SummerSlam PPV this Saturday. You can check out an updated card for the event at this link.

Seth Rollins Comments on John Cena Namedropping Dean Ambrose

Backstage Update On Molly Holly And Shawn Daivari

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Both Hall Of Famer Molly Holly and former wrestling star Shawn Daivari are now working as full-time producers for WWE, according to PWinsider.

The female star had a tryout for a producer role back in June after the officials decided to hire more women for the role. She was originally offered a position at the performance center as well but she declined.

After the initial tryout, Holly went through an extended learning period to familiarise herself with the role. She worked on the SmackDown brand for the most part during the training period.

Daivari on the other hand had already worked as a producer for WWE before. He was hired as a full time producer in January 2019 but had to be released due to the coronavirus budget cuts in early 2020.

He returned to wrestling after getting released. Shawn Daivari wrestled for promotions such as Impact Wrestling and MLW in the time following his departure.

He also worked as a producer for a set of NWA tapings and was brought back by WWE right after that. The 37-year-old was brought back in June this year.

With the return of crowds, both Molly Holly and Shawn Diavari have assumed full-time positions in the company. It’s likely that WWE will hire more producers in future.

Molly Holly On Why She Declined Position At WWE Performance Center

Steel Cage Championship Match Announced For All Out

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

AEW has announced that the world tag team champions The Young Bucks will be defending their titles in a steel cage match at the upcoming All Out PPV next month.

This week’s episode of Dynamite saw the tag champs defending the titles in a match against Jurassic Express. The Bucks retained the championships in a bout filled with many interferences from the Elite.

The Elite were featured in a backstage segment after this bout. Don Callis claimed that The Young Bucks are very dominant and they should take a break.

Though he got interrupted by Tony Khan. Khan announced an eliminator tournament to determine the new #1 contenders for the tag belts.

He confirmed that the tournament will feature Varsity Blonds, Private Party, Jurassic Express and Lucha Bros with the winner getting a title shot at All Out in Chicago.

AEW All Out Updated Match Card

all out

The schedule for this title tournament has not been revealed as of yet. With only a couple of weeks remaining to the PPV, the competition should begin soon. After the latest announcement, here is the updated match card for the show:

  • AEW World Championship Match: Kenny Omega vs. Christian Cage
  • Steel Cage Match For AEW Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks vs. TBA
  • Singles Match: PAC vs. Andrade El Idolo
  • Singles Match: Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall

AEW All Out will take place on Saturday, September 5 from the Now arena in Chicago.

Three Major Names Announced For NJPW Strong Autumn Attack

Fernando Quiles Jr.
-
0

Three big names have been added to the NJPW Strong Autumn Attack cards.

NJPW Strong will be making its way to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX. NJPW will be holding tapings on Sept. 25 and 26. NJPW has announced that three major names will be making their appearances.

One of those names is former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay. The leader of the United Empire made a surprise appearance on the Resurgence show this past Saturday (Aug. 14). He cut a promo proclaiming himself to be the real IWGP World Champion and Shingo Takagi as just an interim titleholder. Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada for the gold when Ospreay was forced to vacate it due to an injury.

Another name added to the NJPW Strong Autumn Attack card is Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki is a legend in Japanese wrestling. He is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion as well as a former IWGP Intercontinental and NEVER Openweight titleholder. He hasn’t wrestled in the United States in nearly two years.

The third name is Lance Archer. Archer recently lost the IWGP United States Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Resurgence. After the match, Archer said he hopes to see Tanahashi in AEW.

News On How AEW Broadcast Partners Are Reacting To CM Punk Rumors

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

While it doesn’t look like we will get an official confirmation of CM Punk’s AEW debut, people are still very excited about the same. The list appears to include the officials from the promotion’s broadcast partners TNT and WarnerMedia.

According to Fightful Select, the people involved with WarnerMedia and TNT are working under the assumption that the former champion is coming to the company.

The officials have spoken about the excitement of bringing someone like CM Punk to the promotion. It was also noted that Punk will have its full promotional machine behind him upon his return.

It’s unknown whether AEW officials have communicated the details of his comeback with their broadcast partners, though TNT and WarnerMedia are said to be ‘very aware’ of the situation.

TNT officials are also very impressed with AEW for selling four shows in the Chicago area within a few weeks. They are thrilled about Punk’s return being tied in with the City Of Chicago, United Center, and NBA team Chicago Bulls as well.

AEW will be presenting ‘The First Dance’ edition of Rampage from United Center in Chicago this Friday night. CM Punk is expected to make his debut for the promotion during the show.

CM Punk Drops Latest AEW Hint During MMA Broadcast

AEW Dynamite Results (8/18): MJF vs. Jericho, Tag Title Match, Darby Allin & Sting

Robert Lentini
-
0

AEW Dynamite aired live from the Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas. The Young Bucks put the AEW Tag Team Championships on the line against Jurassic Express. Chris Jericho finally got to face MJF tonight and Darby Allin & Sting squared off against 2.0. It was announced that Malakai Black will face Brock Anderson next week on Dynamite. Jon Moxley will face Daniel Garcia this Friday night at Rampage and cut a backstage promo noting how he was one waving the flag for AEW during tough times.

Dynamite Results

  1. Sting & Darby Allin def. 2.0 & Daniel Garcia in a Texas Tornado tag team match
  2. Sammy Guevara def. Shawn Spears
  3. Young Bucks def. Jurassic Express to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
  4. Thunder Rosa def. Penelope Ford via submission
  5. MJF def. Chris Jericho via submission

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Sting & Darby Allin Picked Up A Win

Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston made their way through the crowd but were attacked from behind by 2.0. They then faced Sting and Darby Allin in a Texas Tornado Tag Team match. It was Sting’s first match on TNT in over 20 years.

Allin got in the ring and attacked with his skateboard as Sting hit a Splash in the corner. The action spilled backstage and Darby got launched into a concrete wall. Darby scaled down the stairs and hit a big Crossbody.

Kingston and Moxley got in some punches for revenge before the action returned to the ring. 2.0 Suplexed Darby Allin onto his skateboard on the entrance ramp and then set up a table in the ring. 2.0 Powerbombed Sting through the table but Sting got back up to a massive pop from the crowd. Sting hit a double Scorpion Death Drop and locked in a double Scorpion Deathlock for the submission victory.

Guevara Got Engaged & Picked Up A Win

Shawn Spears faced Sammy Guevara tonight on Dynamite. Guevara proposed to his fiancee earlier in the night and AEW showed it on the broadcast.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1428148143942561796?s=20

Spears attacked Guevara during his entrance but Sammy was ready for it. The two traded punches on the entrance ramp with Sammy getting the better of the exchange. Sammy hit a massive Cannonball flip onto Spears and gave his future wife a kiss. Guevara hit Spears with a chop to the chest and then hurled him into the barricade. Spears and Tully then hit Guevara with a spike Piledriver and rolled him into the ring.

The match officially started and Tully wanted to hit the Piledriver again but Aubrey Edwards kicked him out. Spears took down his knee pad and kneed Guevara in the face several times. Sammy and Spears traded chops as Dynamite went to a break.

When Dynamite returned, Guevara hit a Death Valley Drive on top of a steel barricade. Sammy followed it up with a 630 Splash but somehow Spears kicked out at two. Guevara hit Spears with three knees to the face and then the GTH for the pinfall victory.

Young Bucks Retained, Omega Sent A Message To Christian

The Young Bucks defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Jurassic Express tonight on Dynamite. Nick Jackson and Jungle Boy started off the match. Nick hit a shoulder tackle and posed in the ring. Jungle Boy charged at him but Nick flipped to the outside. Jungle Boy decked him with a Crossbody and the action returned to the ring.

Luchasaurus tagged in and beat Nick down in the corner. Nick escaped and tagged in Matt Jackson. Luchasaurus unloaded a couple Clotheslines and then planted Matt with a slam for a near fall. Jungle Boy tagged back in and hit a Senton for a two count. Nick hit Jungle Boy with a cheap shot but he responded with a ridiculous Hurricanrana off the apron. Matt leveled Jungle Boy with a Dropkick through the ropes and then hit Luchasaurus with a Crossbody off the top. Matt danced around in the ring as the crowd booed and Dynamite went to a break.

Luchasaurus countered and sent Nick Jackson flying across the ring as he went for a Running Bulldog. Luchasaurus went for a Chokeslam but Nick countered with an Enziguri. Jungle Boy tagged in and hit a Brainbuster off of Luchasaurus’ shoulders but Matt broke up the cover.

Luchasaurus tagged back in as Brandon Cutler hopped on the apron. Luchasaurus sent him down and unloaded some kicks on the Young Bucks. He then connected with a double Chokeslam and Jungle Boy hit Nick with a Suicide Dive outside the ring. Back in the ring, Young Bucks hit Jungle Boy with a couple Superkicks and then the Indie Taker but Jungle boy kicked out at two. Marko Stunt went for a distraction but Kenny Omega hit him in the back with a chair.

Christian joined the party and leveled Omega with a Spear and battled with him all the way backstage. Jungle Boy hit a Brainbuster on the chair but the cover was broken up. Young Bucks broke up another false finish and Jungle Boy laid out Karl Anderson and returned to the ring. Young Bucks hit the BTE Trigger for the pinfall victory. Young Bucks are still the AEW Tag Team Champions. Gallows then carried Christian Cage to the ring and beat him down.

Omega instructed Callis to get in a kick and he obliged before hobbling away. Kenny lifted Christian up and hit the One Winged Angel. Callis then counted to three and The Elite celebrated. They raised all their titles as Omega had his boot on Christian’s chest. Omega was wearing a shirt that read “chick magnet” in another CM Punk reference.

It was later announced that Private Party, Varsity Blonds, Lucha Bros, and Jurassic Express will compete in a Tag Team Eliminator Tournament. The winners will face the Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team Championships at All Out.

Scorpio Sky & Ethan Page Attacked Lance Archer

Tony Schiavone interviewed American Top Team’s Dan Lambert. Dan said that AEW has boarded the cancel culture train after they sent Lance Archer out to punch him. Lambert added that this time he brought former UFC Champions Junior Dos Santos and Andrei Arlovsk as backup. Lambert poked fun at the fans until Lance Archer interrupted. Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page attacked Archer from behind and beat him down.

Paul Wight Will Face QT Marshall At All Out

Tony Schiavone welcomed Paul Wight down to the ring. Tony asked Paul what it was like getting back in the ring and he shouted that it was amazing. Paul took the microphone away from Tony and joked that he is so hyped up that he doesn’t want to rip Tony’s arm off by accident.

QT Marshall & The Factory interrupted and Paul dared them to get into the ring. QT noted that Tony Khan hired Paul Wight as an announcer and not as a wrestler. Marshall showed photos of medically implanted devices in Paul’s hip and added that it is a miracle he can walk. Paul announced that he has a match at All Out against QT Marshall and QT retreated out of fear to end the segment.

Team Taz’s Plan Backfired

Taz and Hook came down to the ring and introduced FTW Champion Ricky Starks. Ricky said he wanted to talk to Brian Cage and told him to come down here. Powerhouse Hobbs was shown beating Cage down but Brian battled back. Ricky flipped out and they rushed backstage.

Thunder Rosa Tapped Out Penelope Ford

Penelope Ford faced Thunder Rosa tonight on Dynamite. Thunder sent Ford to the corner and booted her to the canvas. Thunder followed it up with a Dropkick that knocked Penelope to the outside. Thunder Rosa followed her out there but Ford was ready and shoved her into the ring post. Penelope hit a Cutter on the floor outside the ring as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Penelope rolled up Thunder Rosa for a two count and then applied a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Thunder Rosa escaped and locked in a Half Crab but Ford was able to make it to the bottom rope to break the hold. Thunder Rosa planted Penelope with a Death Valley Driver and went for the cover but Ford was able to kick out at two. Ford hit a Gutbuster and went for another submission but Thunder Rosa blocked it. Thunder Rosa got in a Guillotine choke for the submission victory.

MJF def. Chris Jericho via Submission

MJF faced Jericho in the main event and the crowd sang Judas as Le Champion made his way to the ring in a great moment. The action started off back and forth before the action spilled out of the ring. MJF took control and grabbed a camera. MJF flipped everyone off but Jericho knocked him down. Jericho then gave MJF the middle finger and the action returned to the ring.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1428170949749362693?s=20

Jericho beat MJF down in the corner but Maxwell battled back and sent Chris into the ring post. MJF posed on the ring apron to a chorus of boos as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Jericho hit a double axe handle and fired up the crowd. MJF battled back and started taunting Jericho. MJF went to work on Jericho’s arm to try and soften it up for the Salt of the Earth Armbar. Jericho battled back and hit a Lionsault for a near fall as the crowd chanted “this is awesome”.

Jericho hit some chops in the corner and followed it up with some Clotheslines. MJF brought Jericho down and applied the Salt of the Earth Armbar. Chris broke free and got MJF in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring. MJF quickly escaped and raked Jericho’s eyes. MJF connected with a Piledriver and went for the cover but Jericho was able to kick out at two. MJF then got Chris in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring. Jericho was able to battle through the pain and reached the bottom rope.

Jericho crawled to the corner and grabbed Floyd the bat as MJF put on the Dynamite Diamond. Aubrey caught it and removed the ring but didn’t catch Jericho hitting MJF with the bat. Jericho went to use the Judas Effect but stopped himself because the move was banned. MJF hit the Judas Effect on Jericho and then applied the Salt of the Earth Armbar for the submission victory.

Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall Announced For AEW All Out

Fernando Quiles Jr.
-
0

Paul Wight will be back in the ring on Sept. 5 at the All Out PPV.

Wight has gotten involved in a feud with QT Marshall and The Factory. It all started when Marshall, Nick Comoroto, and Aaron Solow attacked Tony Schiavone and his son. Paul Wight made the save and chokeslammed Solow.

Wight had an in-ring interview with Schiavone on the Aug. 18 edition of Dynamite. He was ready to make an announcement when QT Marshall interrupted.

Marshall showed off X-rays of Wight’s hip and dismissed the big man as a competitor in 2021. That’s when Wight dropped a bombshell, announcing that he will meet Marshall in a match at All Out.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1428163484357906442

“I had a little talk with Tony Khan last week. It felt so good to step over that top rope to be in this ring in front of this amazing AEW crowd. That’s why at the All Out pay-per-view in Chicago, I have a match. And guess who my opponent is my little guppy. At All Out it’s gonna be Paul Wight one-on-one against QT Marshall.”

All Out will be held inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will put his title on the line against Impact World Champion Christian Cage.

Are you looking forward to seeing Paul Wight return to the ring?

Dan Lambert Wanted Lance Archer To Legitimately Elbow Him

Fernando Quiles Jr.
-
0

Dan Lambert apparently told Lance Archer to really lay into him with an elbow on AEW Dynamite.

Lambert is the head coach of the renowned MMA gym, American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. Lambert has helped coach a slew of elite MMA fighters such as current UFC Women’s Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion Amanda Nunes. He’s also a huge wrestling fan.

Lambert has appeared in angles for Impact Wrestling and, most recently, AEW. On the July 7 edition of Dynamite, Lambert cut a heel promo before being laid out with an elbow by Lance Archer. Lambert was then nailed by the Blackout.

Olympic judo gold medalist and 2019 PFL Women’s Lightweight Champion, Kayla Harrison, appeared on MMAFighting’s The MMA Hour. She claimed that Lambert wanted Archer to legitimately elbow him to avoid getting an earful from the ATT fighters.

“That was his Olympics. That was his moment. He was rapidly texting me, ‘I’m going on at 9:30, you gotta watch. Wait until you see this.’ Then he does this nerdy spiel about all these wrestlers and styles. Afterward, I told him, ‘Dan, I’m happy for you if you’re happy. You are the biggest nerd I’ve ever met in my life, but I’m happy.’ He’s like, You wanna hear a funny story?’ He starts talking about how they prepared all this and he said, ‘I had to tell (Lance Archer), can you do me a favor? When you elbow me, I need you to really elbow me. Everyone at my gym will give me sh*t if you don’t really give me the business.'”

Lambert is set to return to Dynamite tonight (Aug. 18) and he won’t be alone. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Tony Khan said Lambert will be bringing “two great UFC Champions” with him on Dynamite.

Konnan Reveals How AAA Locked Up Ric Flair For TripleMania XXIX

Fernando Quiles Jr.
-
0

Konnan has dished out some details on how AAA was able to secure Ric Flair.

On Aug. 14, AAA’s biggest event of the year, TripleMania XXIX, took place. In the co-main event, Kenny Omega put the AAA Megacampeonato Title on the line against Andrade. Fans were in for quite the surprise as Ric Flair accompanied Andrade to the ring.

On an edition of his Keepin It 100 podcast, Konnan revealed how AAA was able to bring Flair in.

“Originally, we were going to bring it up Andrade with this Mexican singer that’s mega-popular, but that fell through. (Andrade) told me that maybe Ric was going to come with him to the show, but as a guest, just to watch it. That’s when I first thought, ‘If he’s gonna be there as a guest, why doesn’t he just be your second?’ (Andrade asked Ric) and he said ‘yeah.’

“Basically, I thought, If Flair comes out, that would be cool because no one is expecting it. When I told them when they are on the plane, ‘Make sure when you get to the airport, there are fans at the airport and they know what hotel you stay at, make sure he wears a hat, a mask, a jacket, something.’ He goes, ‘Nah, he doesn’t want to wear a jacket. He’s in a pink shirt and has gold chains.’ That’s Flair being Flair, right?”

Flair ended up getting physically involved in the match. He and Andrade took turns chopping the chest of Omega. Flair even got in a figure-four leglock on Konnan, while Andrade sunk in the figure-four on Omega. Ultimately, Omega retained the title after hitting Andrade with the gold and planting him with the One-Winged Angel. Omega and Andrade have been teasing a rematch.

Konnan said he asked Andrade beforehand if Flair would be willing to get physical in the match. Of course, “The Nature Boy” was on board with the idea.

Jinder Mahal Denies Being Experimental WWE Champion

Fernando Quiles Jr.
-
0

Jinder Mahal feels he has been discredited.

Mahal is currently involved in a feud with his friend and former 3MB teammate, Drew McIntyre. The two will collide this Saturday night (Aug. 21) at WWE SummerSlam. It’s Mahal’s highest-profile rivalry since he lost the WWE Championship back in 2017.

During an interview with GiveMeSport, Jinder Mahal expressed his belief that his detractors have downplayed the hard work he put in to become WWE Champion.

“So this is just people downplaying my accomplishments. WWE Universe in India, their TV deals everything, were just as much in play when I was in 3MB and while I was released I do believe WWE Raw was the live on Sony. When I was brought back who still write live on Sony. I wasn’t brought back to become WWE Champion, at that time they separated the rosters again, Raw and SmackDown, and they just needed some people who were TV-ready essentially to throw on and maybe highlight some of the newer talent, but somewhere along the line I knew ‘Hey this is my way in. This is my foot in the door. I’m going to knock the whole door down and I’m going to become WWE Champion.’

“So that’s like me saying ‘Hey Drew, you were WWE Champion because WWE wanted to expand into the UK’. Why is that? Why are people not saying that? Right now Drew is celebrated, I’m the one who was this experimental champion, which is untrue. I’ve worked hard for and I’ve earned every opportunity that I’ve ever been given, every championship that I’ve had I’ve worked very very hard for.”

Many have criticized Mahal’s 2017 run as WWE Champion. The general consensus is that the title change felt rushed and that Mahal’s character wasn’t built up before the title victory to look credible as champion. Even McIntyre shared that belief in an interview.

Following Monday Night Raw, a stipulation has been added to the SummerSlam match between Mahal and McIntyre. Mahal’s cronies, Shanky and Veer, won’t be allowed at ringside. Furthermore, McIntyre is allowed to bring his sword.

Were you a fan of Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title reign?

Zicky Dice Signs Multi-Year Deal With Impact Wrestling

Tyriece Simon
-
0

Free Agent Zicky Dice has signed a multi-year deal with Impact Wrestling. Fightful Select was the first to report that Dice is now under contract with Impact.

“Fightful has confirmed that former NWA TV Champion Zicky Dice has signed a multi-year deal with IMPACT Wrestling. He appeared on this week’s set of tapings in a tag team match and will initially be a part of the Brian Myers-Sam Beale group,” said Fightful Select.

More Info on Zicky Dice

Dice has wrestled for promotions like All Elite Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance. He also was signed to NWA and was the former NWA TV champion. However, Dice had been looking to test free agency this year. In the report, it said, “Dice elected to leave NWA after initially asking for his release last summer, but allowed his contract to expire at the end of 2020.”

His last major appearance for a wrestling promotion was MLW’s Battle Riot III on July 10th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He competed in a 40 man battle royal but was Dice eliminated from the match. While Dice is under contract with Impact, it’s unclear if he can still compete outside the company.

Darby Allin Open To Match With Sting Against Ric Flair & Andrade

Chris Stephens
-
0

Sting will wrestle on TNT tonight for the first time in over 20 years. He’ll team with Darby Allin to take on the newly signed team of 2.0. During a recent interview with Metro UK, however, Allin was asked about a possible dream match pitting him and Sting against Andrade and Ric Flair.

“Yeah, that’d be fun! Anything is possible, I feel,” Allin said about the possible dream match. “You’ve just gotta be patient and see what goes down, and where the wind takes you.”

Flair accompanied Andrade El Idolo to the ring for his match against Kenny Omega at TripleMania. Not only that, Flair got physically involved in the match. He delivered chops to both Omega and Konnan. Flair and Andrade also gave Omega and Konnan figure four leglocks simultaneously.

Despite being 72 years old, Flair has said recently that he will “never retire.”

Darby Allin On His Relationship With Sting

Allin also spoke about his relationship with Sting during the interview. The former TNT Champion noted that they spend a lot of time together backstage and have quite a bit in common.

“He’s the guy I really hang out with backstage,” Allin said of Sting. “His dressing room, he’s got his own little private dressing room and he says it’s mine.”

“So, it’s just me and him chilling and talking about a bunch of stuff. He’s cool, we’ve got a lot more common than people think – goes beyond the face paint!”

Sting Returns To In-Ring Action On TNT

Sting was quoted in an AEW press release regarding his return to in-ring action on TNT tonight.

“My relationship with TNT goes back more than 25 years, so having the opportunity to wrestle on the network that housed some of my most important moments is pretty surreal,” said Sting.  “The return of crowds has already been electric enough over the past month and a half, but there’s going to be an extra surge of adrenaline in Houston knowing that we’re live on TNT on Wednesday night.”

Samoa Joe Comments On Being Cleared For In-Ring Return

Chris Stephens
-
0

At TakeOver 36, Samoa Joe will return to the ring for the first time since February 2020. Joe was concussed while filming a commercial and has been out of action ever since. This weekend, he’ll face Karrion Kross with the NXT Championship on the line.

Joe spoke to Sports Illustrated recently about finally being cleared to return.

“My goal has always been to get healthy and get back in the ring,” Joe says. “[Getting cleared], it was a feeling of reassurance and relief. It was very reaffirming. Everything we did, all the therapy, all that work was worth it.”

Joe spent a little under a year as a commentator on RAW. He was released from the role earlier this spring. He says it gave him something to put his energy towards while he was out.

“Commentary gave me something to focus on and put my energy into while I was recovering. I enjoyed my time in the commentary booth. I threw myself so deeply into that because it kept me from driving myself crazy. Only time and healing were going to solve anything, so doing commentary helped me alleviate a little bit of that stress I put on myself.”

Shortly after being cut from the main roster, Joe signed with NXT. At first, he was William Regal’s enforcer but that only set the stage for his feud with Karrion Kross and return to the ring.

“This is very real to me,” Joe continued. “The hours of training to come back, those are very real. It’s been very real to me for a long time. I can’t wait to get back in the ring and mix it up.”

Joe has a chance to enter the record books this weekend as the first person to hold the NXT Championship 3 times. He already holds the record as the first person to hold the title twice. Since Joe’s second title reign, Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor, and Karrion Kross have all won the title a second time as well.

Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair ‘Cleared’ For WWE SummerSlam

Chris Stephens
-
0

Bianca Belair’s SmackDown Women’s title defense against Sasha Banks at SummerSlam will take place as scheduled, following several days of caution and concern.

The first indication that this match was at risk occurred over the weekend. Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair were both advertised for WWE’s live events from Charlotte, North Carolina and Columbia South Carolina. Unfortunately, they did not attend due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

SEScoops can confirm there was concern within WWE that the SummerSlam SmackDown Women’s Championship match was in jeopardy. Thankfully, with just a few days until SummerSlam, WWE can breathe a sigh of relief.

According to PWInsider, both women have been medically cleared for Saturday’s WWE pay-per-view from Las Vegas, NV. Barring “something unforeseen,” they will also be on hand for Friday’s go-home edition WWE Smackdown.

Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks is the highly anticipated rematch from their encounter this past April at WrestleMania 37.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi is set for Wrestle Grand Slam

Tyriece Simon
-
0

IWGP United States heavyweight champion Hiroshi Tanahashi will defend his title against Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Grand Slam on September 4th in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.

New Japan Pro Wrestling made the match official today in a press release.

“…the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship will be on the line on September 4, as Hiroshi Tanahashi defends against the returning Kota Ibushi. This match was made official after an exchange of video messages from both men earlier today,” said NJPW.

Tanahashi defeated Lance Archer to win the championship at NJPW Resurgence on August 14th at The Torch at LA Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The win helped Tanahashi become the second Grand Slam winner in NJPW.

Four days after his victory, Tanahashi released a video challenging Ibushi to face him at Wrestle Grand Slam. In the video, Tanahashi said, “…I know you want the IWGP World title. But there’s nothing wrong with a detour once in a while. There’d be risk for us both. A lot on the line, but Ibushi, have your comeback match against me.”

Kota Ibushi Return to NJPW

Ibushi will make his return after recovering from aspiration pneumonia. In his response video to Tanahashi, Ibushi admitted that he’s not fully healthy. However, he accepted the challenge and said, “… the direct path for me is the best. That means I must face you, Tanahashi.”

Before his illness, Ibushi earned an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP heavyweight championship in July. NJPW didn’t share in their press release if Ibushi gets another chance, now that he is returning. However, Ibushi has a new opportunity to win his first IWGP U.S heavyweight championship. If Ibushi wins, he would be the third grand slam winner in NJPW.

Former X Division Champion Confirmed for PROGRESS Return at SummerSlam Weekend

Jake Skudder
-
0

PROGRESS Wrestling has confirmed that a former TNA X-Division Champion will be making their return to the company this weekend as part of Chapter 118.

Doug Williams recently made his way back from retirement, performing for the likes of ICW and Rev Pro in the UK. This weekend will see the Ambassador of British Wrestling take on ‘Smash Mouth’ Chris Ridgeway.

Williams was part of the British Invasion faction during his time in TNA, and he won the X Division and TNA Television Championships during his tenure with the company in the last decade.

Doug Williams originally retired from PROGRESS after losing his ATLAS Title at the Hello Wembley show in September 2018. Williams would lose to Trent Seven in the biggest show of the company’s history, inside of Wembley Arena.

Doug Williams Returns To PROGRESS

Here is the currently confirmed card for PROGRESS Chapter 118:

  • Smokin’ Aces (Charlie Sterling and Nick Riley) vs Greedy Souls (Danny Jones and Brendan White)
  • PROGRESS Women’s Championship Match – Gisele Shaw (c) vs Laura Di Matteo
  • PROGRESS World Championship Match – Cara Noir (c) vs Danny Black
  • Man Like Dereiss vs LK Mezinger
  • Dean Allmark vs Spike Trivet

Chapter 118 – Fake Tickets To a Hog Roast in Sumatra takes place on Saturday, August 21st.

The show is part of WWE SummerSlam 2021 weekend and will be available on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS.

Chris Jericho Confirms Former NXT Superstars Have Signed AEW Contracts

Jake Skudder
-
0

AEW star Chris Jericho recently confirmed on his Talk is Jericho podcast that two former WWE NXT Superstars have signed deals to stay with All Elite.

2.0, Matt Lee and Jeff Parker have apparently signed deals with AEW and will remain with the promotion going forward.

The tag team were previously known as Ever-Rise in NXT and were released from their WWE contracts in late June as part of the ongoing budget cuts from the company.

Chris Jericho Reveals 2.0 Signing

Interestingly, AEW has not posted the now-iconic graphic confirming that the stars are now contracted to All Elite. Cody Rhodes did mention back in November that there was a tier system for contract in AEW:

“The exclusivity thing is case by case, but we guarantee you x amount of dates. The goal is you don’t want to pay someone agree to appear, Chris Harrington would handle this much better than I am, you don’t want to keep giving them their weekly, their weekly, their weekly, their weekly vs. tier 1-ing them, which is our base contractor agreement. That’s another thing, we’re just talking about Tony, we built a middle card and a lower card. We have tier 1’s, tier 2’s, tier 3’s, tier 4 and tier Jericho.”

It is not clear what tier 2.0 are on, but they are officially signed to the company.

Samoa Joe Believes NXT Is Always Going To Be In ‘A State Of Chaotic Flux’

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

Recent reports of WWE management looking to shake things up with NXT have made fans worried. However, Samoa Joe is not startled by these changes. He seems to believe that constant change is in the fate of WWE’s third brand. The former NXT champion recently appeared on Busted Open Radio.

Among other things, he also commented on the reports of the expected changes to the black and yellow brand. Joe explained that NXT has always been at the impetuous for experiments. According to him, it won’t be anything different in the future and the show will always be in a state of chaotic flux:

“That evolution is going to continue. NXT has always been at the impetuous for experiment and change and doing things differently in WWE. A lot of that change has reverberated down to the SmackDown and Raw brand. I don’t think it’s going to be anything different in the future. It’s always going to be in a state of chaotic flux and the state of change just by the nature of what it is.”

Samoa Joe continued his explanation mentioning how they are always finding new talent and introducing them to the world through the NXT brand:

“We’re finding brand new talent and introducing these people to the world. In able to do that, you have to be able to keep mixing up the pot. It makes a lot of fans a little uneasy at times, but at the same time, it’s exciting to get in on the ground floor and see somebody become a star in front of your eyes.”

The former Raw star went on to name people such as Finn Balor, Bayley and Sasha Banks who grew up with the audience in NXT and have become big stars now. Samoa Joe is currently scheduled to challenge Karrion Kross for the NXT championship at the TakeOver: 36 event. This will be Joe’s first match in 18 months.

Samoa Joe On Potentially Reigniting Rivalry With Roman Reigns

Jim Ross Reacts To Bray Wyatt’s WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

The surprising WWE release of Bray Wyatt is still a topic of discussion among fans. Wrestling veteran and current AEW commentator Jim Ross reacted to the news on the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast.

JR, who worked as the talent relations head for a major part of his WWE career, mentioned how there is politics involved with these things nowadays because of the massive salaries offered to the wrestlers:

“There’s politics nowadays because of the immense salaries, Bray Wyatt gets cut, he’s got to be making north of a million on a downside guarantee and he’s been sitting home. That’s not good management.”

Jim Ross continued by mentioning how the company got rid of a very talented star. He claimed that the former champion wouldn’t have any issues finding work elsewhere:

“I’m not saying the guy should’ve been cut, he should’ve been used if you’re going to pay him that kind of cash. How that happened is a story for another day because I don’t know the details.

I do know they got rid of a very talented kid and I’m sure he won’t have any issues finding work, speaking of Bray Wyatt.”

Bray Wyatt was shockingly released from his WWE contract last month on July 31. He has only made a single tweet since his release, where he posted a picture of a new Fiend mask with a cryptic message.

Apart from this, Jim Ross talked about possibly adding a six men tag team championship to AEW. You can check out his comments at this link.

Jim Ross Comments On CM Punk/AEW Rumors

Daniel Bryan & “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt Action Figures Shown On Being The Elite

Chris Stephens
-
0

The latest episode of Being the Elite features teases of both Bray Wyatt and Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan. During the episode, members of the Elite discover a 2-pack of WWE action figures in a store. The two wrestlers featured in the pack are Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan.

“Hey Kenny, what’s behind you?” Matt Jackson and Brandon Cutler ask Kenny Omega in the video. When Omega turns around he sees several AEW action figures as well as a 2-pack of WWE action figures. He then pulled out the 2-pack of Wyatt and Danielson.

Omega recognized Wyatt but didn’t seem to know who the other guy in the pack was.

“One guy is a fiend, I don’t know about…” Omega says before putting his own action figure in front of the pack on the shelf.

The segment begins around the 20-minute mark of the below video:

Are Bray Wyatt and Bryan Danielson Headed To AEW?

During a recent AEW media call, SEScoops asked Cody Rhodes about the possibility of Bray Wyatt ended up in the promotion.

“I tell a lot of my peers in wrestling and people I use as a sounding board, I always tell them, ‘you can’t wish away good talent,’ especially when you get in a groove as a talent yourself,” Rhodes responded. “And it’s not unlike the world that Tony [Khan] comes from already, the world of the NFL and football in the UK. If there’s a free agent out there that can move the needle and be something significant for us… personally, I think you have to go after them.”

As for Bryan Danielson, a report from BodySlam last month stated that he has signed with AEW. The rumored date and location for Bryan’s debut is the Dynamite Grand Slam event from Arthur Ashes Stadium on September 22nd.

Tyler Breeze Say He “Was Preparing To Get Fired The Day I Got Hired”

Alex Laybourne
-
0

The number of releases coming from WWE this year has been fast, thick, and ruthless. One such star to find himself out of work is former NXT Tag-Team champion, Tyler Breeze. He and his partner Fandango were released as part of the NXT cull in June this year.

Talking on a recent episode of Insight with Chris van Vliet, Tyler Breeze spoke about how he was preparing to be fired from the very minute he signed his developmental contract with WWE.

https://twitter.com/k2boyaf/status/1426734357738364928

This was not because he knew of their ruthlessness with getting rid of talent, but simply because he knew life was a lot longer than an in-ring career.

“I was preparing to get fired the day I got hired,” Tyler Breeze said. “There is a lot of life to live after wrestling. I immediately started to make a plan, got ready. I remember looking at contracts. When I got my first contract, you have a 3- or 5-year developmental contract. But then I signed my main roster contract. I went ‘okay I’ve got 3 years. Realistically in a perfect world, I will last 3 years. I don’t want to have to sign it. I would like to, but if I don’t want to, I want the freedom to say no.’”

Tyler Breeze Understands there is More to Life than Wrestling

Wrestling is not a career to begin without love. Nobody is going to have a successful career if they do not love the thrill of taking bumps and getting in the ring night after night. However, there is a long time to go once most peoples’ in-ring careers have come to an end. Some are wrestling through and through and continue through into old age.

Tyler Breeze didn’t ever want to be in a position where he had to wrestle just because people were throwing money at him.

At that moment in time, I was not happy. All they said was ‘I’m sorry, we can give you more money.’ I said ‘I’ve been really smart with my money. I don’t need more money. That was when I had the conversation to go back to NXT. But I was ready to leave right then. I had accomplished everything I had wanted to achieve of having that goal of the freedom to not sign that contract.”

While he is still only just 33 and has a lot of gas left in the tank, Tyler Breeze is clearly a man with a sensible head on his shoulders, and a vision of where he wants to go. It will be another month before we can see Breeze back in the ring. While nothing has been said yet about his future destination, fans of Prince Pretty will be hoping to see him sign somewhere and maybe get the push he deserved in WWE.

Jim Ross Feels “Too Many Titles Really Spoils The Soup”

Alex Laybourne
-
0

There is possibly nobody active right now better connected to the wrestling world than Jim Ross. He may be known as the voice of a generation, but his role in professional wrestling runs far deeper. He has been there and done it all for a range of promotions and knows the business inside and out, and when he speaks; many people will stop and listen.

Talking on a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast, he spoke at great length about several topics. One of which was the constant debate among wrestling fans that AEW needs more titles. Currently, AEW only has four title belts, and Ross feels this is enough.

They have a heavyweight title, the TNT title, a Women’s Championship title and Tag-Team belts.  For Jim Ross, this is enough of a selection for the company to thrive. He feels that too many title belts devalue the company and lessen the prestige of the titles themselves.

“Too many titles really spoils the soup for me, you don’t need that many.”

– Jim Ross

While Jim Ross could see a benefit in adding a six-man tag championship, given the faction driven nature of AEW, he doesn’t feel it should be the primary change on executive minds.

“I wouldn’t be against it, but it wouldn’t be something I’d be breaking my door down and running up and down the halls for.”

Jim Ross Wants Championship Belts and Fights to Hold their Prestige

Talking more about the subject of title belts, Jim Ross feels too many companies fall into the trap of bringing in titles to appease the fans and give mid-card wrestlers a more easily achievable goal. While a competitive roster with people following clear paths for specific titles just makes every match and each storyline more important.

“It’s hard to maintain a positive focus on multiple titles. Which one is the most important? I think that the trend nowadays is let’s just add more titles, it’ll solve our issues. No, it doesn’t and if you get too many, they become watered down.” Jim Ross explained.

There is nothing wrong with the concept of a ‘TV’ title (TNT) being defended frequently, the main championship defences reserved for special occasions and a tag title for the teams. Jim Ross feels there is a brand and roster strength to be found in this construct. It also provides locker room clarity on what wrestlers are fighting for.

Tyler Breeze Reflects on Advice Given to Him By Dolph Ziggler

Alex Laybourne
-
0

Tyler Breeze was something of an underground hero during his time with both NXT and WWE. He never received the push that many fans wanted him to get. Yet, his crazy antics won their appreciation. There was no reason for the Fashion Police angle to get over, except for the way Breeze and Fandango sold it.

Talking in a recent interview on Insight with Chris van Vliet, Tyler Breeze spoke about his time with WWE and referred to some advice he was given by Dolph Ziggler. Advice that he carried with him his entire career.

https://twitter.com/k2boyaf/status/1426734357738364928

“Dolph Ziggler gave me the perfect thing when I started working with him. He says ‘look, man. It’s very clear who the guy is. If it’s not you, chances are it will never be you. They won’t hand you the ball, but you will work with those guys. Even when you steal the ball from those guys, they still won’t give it to you. But you will always be used because they know they can rely on you.’” Tyler Breeze explained.

Tyler Breeze Knew There Were Other Ways to Succeed

There is no denying that Tyler Breeze is a talented wrestler. He was chosen to be the opponent for Jushin Thunder Ligers only match in WWE. He is a former FCW heavyweight champion, FCW tag champion – alongside Roman Reigns – and a former NXT Tag Team Champion. However, he knew he was never going to be ‘the guy!’.

However, thanks to further advice from Dolph Ziggler, Breeze realized there was another way to get over. By connecting with the fans, by working and being reliable.

“You get this underground following which Dolph did, which I did. The people know that they want something to happen, and it just won’t happen. It builds this cult following for you that translates into everything you do. I love being in that category. I think it’s really cool that people get behind you because the machine never did.” Tyler Breeze and Fandango shared a special bond with the WWE universe.

Tyler Breeze and his tag team partner were both released from their WWE contracts on June 21st. As of the time of writing, there is no word on where the pair will head next.

Seth Rollins Comments on John Cena Namedropping Dean Ambrose

Alex Laybourne
-
0

Last week on Smackdown, John Cena stood up to Roman Reigns and delivered a classic ‘Cena promo’  where he pushed buttons and get the reactions he needed. This time bringing up current AEW darling Jon Moxley, or rather his previous incarnation as Dean Ambrose. Talking recently to SK Wrestling, Seth Rollins reflected on Cena’s namedrop and how it made him chuckle.

“I had a good chuckle about it,”

– Seth Rollins

“John likes to cross some lines occasionally if you look at his history of promos in the ring, especially his face-to-face promos heading into big matches. He likes to cross the line.”

There is no denying that when fired up, John Cena can bring it with the microphone. His promos in the run-up to big main event matches can often set the WWE universe ablaze. This time, breaking the fabled ‘fourth wall’ made sense given the history between Reigns, Seth Rollins and Moxley nee. Ambrose.

Seth Rollins Admits He Would Do the Same Thing in John Cena’s Position

Talking more about the promo in which Cena reminded Reigns “You’ve been protected, Roman, you’ve been protected by The Shield. Hell, you almost ruined Seth Rollins. You ran Dean Ambrose out of WWE.” Rollins said he would do exactly the same thing if he were in Cena’s shoes.

I would do the same thing if I was in his position with his name. That’s the nature of the business. That’s how we sell tickets. And that’s how we get people like you talking.”

Seth Rollins cannot allow himself to be distracted by the inciteful talk of a different feud, not when he has his own Summerslam match to prepare for. While Cena and Reigns will clash for the Universal Championship, Rollins is set to face Hall of Famer Edge, with whom he has been feuding ever since Money in the Bank.

In truth, the feud between Seth Rollins and Edge stretches back to 2014. With Rollins and the Authority threatening to curb stomp a still retired edge and break his long-damaged neck.

1...862863864...3,401Page 863 of 3,401