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Tony Khan – “TNT Is So Happy With How Rampage Is Tracking Already”

Jake Skudder
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AEW President Tony Khan recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio in his now permanent slot. The owner of All Elite discussed several topics during his latest appearance, including AEW Rampage which debuts on Friday night.

“TNT is so happy with how Rampage is tracking already” Tony Khan began. “I think they think it’s going to be a huge hit. There’s definitely a lot of interest and we owe the people at TNT.”

“They could not have rolled out the red carpet anymore for us” Khan continued, praising AEW’s network. “They have so much in terms of promoting the show. There’s been ads all over the place.”

“I watched Seinfeld on TBS last night when I checked into the hotel in Pittsburgh. Every time it went to break, there were Rampage commercials, which is great” Khan added.

Tony Khan on TNT Network

“So it’s on all kinds of shows, including other wrestling shows. And I really, really am happy that they’re promoting it… Really, I think with two shows it’s going to provide more opportunities, more upward mobility” Khan noted, alluding to the huge roster that All Elite now has.

“But it’s still going to be a star-driven show, Rampage, just like Dynamite is a star-driven show. And I think what Elevation and Dark have given us the ability to do is develop stars and get them TV ready. Now there’s more TV real estate for everyone to work towards getting in there and fighting for” the AEW President concluded.

AEW confirmed several matches for Rampage this Friday on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Here’s the full confirmed card for the debut show on Friday 13th:

  • IMPACT World Championship – Kenny Omega (c) vs Christian Cage
  • AEW Women’s Championship – Dr Britt Baker D.M.D (c) vs Red Velvet
  • TNT Championship – Miro (c) vs Fuego Del Sol

Goldberg Talks Return and Bobby Lashley Match at WWE SummerSlam

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar and WCW Legend Goldberg recently spoke to WWE India. The former Universal Champion discussed several topics during the interview, including his WWE SummerSlam 2021 match against Bobby Lashley.

“I don’t come back and choose the people I’m going to go after” Goldberg began, alluding to the complaints from fans about his return and instant title shot. “If I could have come back and chosen one person to go after, it would have been Bobby Lashley.”

“There is a way you should represent the championship title and I don’t believe he’s been doing it properly” the former WCW Champion added. “He’s very callous. In this match, my name should not be Goldberg, it should be karma. He deserves a lot of things coming to him and I will hopefully be the guy who delivers that.”

Goldberg on Bobby Lashley

Goldberg has been on the losing end of his last big WWE matches, which include the Royal Rumble contest against Drew McIntyre and his WrestleMania 37 contest against former WWE Superstar Braun Strowman.

“My last outings have fallen short of a number of reasons” Goldberg explained. “I plan to change the outcome of this one and have it not be a resurgence of me coming back for one night, doing my thing, and walking off into the sunset, riding off into the sunset.”

“I put a lot of time and effort into the preparation they gave me, about double the time they usually do to prepare for a match. I’m excited. Bobby Lashley poses a very big threat. There are few people who can match up to him physically and mentally. I still think I’m one of them.”

GOLDBERG

Here is the currently confirmed card for the upcoming PPV event:

  • WWE Universal Championship Match – Roman Reigns (c) vs John Cena
  • Raw Women’s Championship Match – Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair (Triple Threat Match)
  • WWE Championship Match – Bobby Lashley (c) vs Goldberg
  • Edge vs Seth Rollins
  • SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair (c) vs Sasha Banks
  • SmackDown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (c) vs Dominik & Rey Mysterio
  • United States Championship – Sheamus (c) vs Damian Priest

Roman Reigns: “I’m The Best Storyteller of This Generation”

Jake Skudder
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WWE SmackDown Superstar and Universal Champion Roman Reigns recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show. The Head of The Table discussed several topics during his time on the show, including his SummerSlam opponent, John Cena.

“There’s a lot of good things John has done, obviously, Make-A-Wish, very charitable guy” Roman Reigns began on the show. “When it comes to our profession of sports entertainment, he’s levels below me in this game.”

“Entertainment is storytelling” Reigns added. “I’m the greatest storyteller of our generation and our time. He’s a big name and a big star, but he, like so many other greats, they camouflage themselves and disguise themselves.”

Roman Reigns on John Cena

“You see me every Friday night, I have to dull this sh*t down” the Universal Champion noted. “I come out there in sweatpants and J’s. I don’t throw on the crazy colors and wear wristbands all over my body or make myself something that I’m not.”

Roman Reigns vs John Cena for the Universal Championship will be headlining SummerSlam 2021 on Saturday, August 21st from he Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Here is the currently confirmed card for the upcoming PPV event:

  • WWE Universal Championship Match – Roman Reigns (c) vs John Cena
  • Raw Women’s Championship Match – Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair (Triple Threat Match)
  • WWE Championship Match – Bobby Lashley (c) vs Goldberg
  • Edge vs Seth Rollins
  • SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair (c) vs Sasha Banks
  • SmackDown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (c) vs Dominik & Rey Mysterio
  • United States Championship – Sheamus (c) vs Damian Priest

Rhodes to the Top Premiere Date Announced On AEW Dynamite

Alex Laybourne
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The wrestling future is still unclear for AEW EVP Cody Rhodes. He has yet to address what happened after his match with Malakai Black on AEW Dynamite last week. Cody was not seen on Dynamite this week; however, one question was answered. His new reality show Rhodes to the Top was given a premiere date.

The show, which will consist of 30-minute episodes debuts on Wednesday 29th September at 10 pm on TNT. The debut episode of Rhodes to the Top will be one hour, before dropping to thirty minutes for the remaining episodes

The write up for the show certainly makes it sound like an interesting show to watch.

 Rhodes to the Top goes inside the lives of Cody and Brandi as they navigate their growing family while helping to build AEW’s global wrestling empire. The additional four, 30-minute episodes will take viewers behind-the-scenes as the powerhouse couple manage their ever-busier lives inside and outside the ring, all the while surrounded by a colorful and often hilarious motley crew of wrestlers, family, and friends who both support and test them at every turn. Married in 2013, Cody and Brandi have been on an unprecedented path to wrestling greatness – but will now face their newest and possibly biggest challenge yet – becoming parents.

Rhodes to the Top is Just One Project Keeping Cody Busy

While Cody Rhodes wrestling future may be uncertain, he is certainly keeping himself busy. Besides Rhodes to the Top, he is currently away from AEW filming the next season of Go Big Show. The show will air on TBS.

Brandi has also been absent from television for some time due to her pregnancy and the early days of motherhood.

The Rhodes family are wrestling through and through. Even if Cody’s time in the ring is done, we have certainly not seen the last of him in the business. Even Rhodes to the Top is focused on the industry and will be packed with special guest appearances.

Britt Baker Throws Out First Pitch At Pittsburgh Pirates Game

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker threw out the first pitch at Thursday’s Pittsburgh Pirates MLB game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Her guest catcher was none other than AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone.

The first pitch was in association with KultureCity, a non-profit that provides sensory inclusive experiences for fans at AEW events.

AEW released this video of Britt Baker’s ceremonial first pitch.

Here’s another vantage point, courtesy of sports writer Wes Crosby:

Baker provided these photos of herself at the Pirates game:

Britt Baker on AEW Rampage

AEW Rampage premieres this Friday night at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT. The event will air live from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Three huge title matches are announced for the show. Kenny Omega will defend the Impact Wrestling World title against Christian.

AEW TNT Champion Miro will his title on the line against Fuego Del Sol.

Finally, the main event will see Red Velvet challenging hometown hero Britt Baker for the AEW Women’s World Championship.

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Diamond Dallas Page Names His Favorite Wrestling Finishing Moves

Alex Laybourne
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Diamond Dallas Page is a man who needs no introduction. During a recent appearance on the It’s My House podcast, DDP answered the question of what he considers to be the best wrestling finisher. Wrestling is a move of at least a thousand holds – just as Dean Malenko – so coming up with a favorites list is no easy task.

Even DDP struggled to find just one move, instead choosing to go with his two top finishing moves.

“The two greatest finishes ever are the DDT and Diamond Cutter. Randy kept that going with the RKO, there isn’t a better finish than that. Everybody imitates it. Johnny Ace gave me just a run of the mill grab them by the neck and fall down. I came up with all the ways to hit it. And then Johnny went and took all those.“ Diamond Dallas Page answered.

His answers might surprise some, but DDP wrestled in an age when finishers were just that. They were not his multiple times though a match, with the possible exception of a dramatic title match.

Diamond Dallas Page Knows How to End a Fight

While the Diamond Cutter might be his own move, there’s a solid reason for Diamond Dallas Page to pick it as one of his favorites. The cutter is a solid move, and it is versatile. Even in his explanation, he referenced the original cutter from Johnny Ace and the RKO.

Do variations of a move count as separate moves? Possibly. In which case, Diamond Dallas Page’s answer is even more measured, as both his choices are solid and impressive moves, but can have many subtle variations.

The DDT is a move that has become almost criminally weakened over the years, however, when it is executed well it can be devastating. It was a move made famous and often claimed, created by, Jake the Snake Roberts, a close personal friend of Diamon Dallas Page.

MJF Reveals Stipulation For Fifth Labour Of Jericho

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Chris Jericho has moved on to the fifth labour and he’s got a doozy of a stipulation to deal with against MJF.

Jericho competed against Wardlow in the main event of this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite. During the match, MJF attempted to hand Wardlow the Dynamite Diamond Ring to use as a weapon. Referee Aubrey Edwards caught MJF in the act and threw him out of the ring.

Jericho was one step ahead of both MJF and Wardlow. With Aubrey focused on MJF, Jericho struck Wardlow with a bat and nailed the Judas Effect for the three-count. After the match, Jericho was attacked by Shawn Spears. Sammy Guevara ran down but the numbers game caught up as MJF and Wardlow jumped in.

Before substantial damage could be done, Jake Hager chased off members of The Pinnacle.

Dynamite didn’t go off the air until MJF revealed his stipulation for the fifth labour. When the match goes down on the Aug. 18 edition of Dynamite, Jericho cannot walk down the ramp to his entrance music and is barred from using the Judas Effect against MJF.

“Next week, I’m gonna take away something from you that you love, something you cherish, something that has helped you win each and every single one of these labours thus far. Chris next week, no Judas Effect, no Judas music. You are going to be coming out here to dead silence! These schmucks are not gonna be able to sing along to your crappy little song! And if you hit me with Judas Effect, Chris, I automatically win.”

Who will win the fifth labour of Jericho? Will it be MJF or Chris Jericho?

AEW Dynamite Results (8/11): Jericho vs. Wardlow, Matches Announced For Rampage

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired live from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. In addition to the takeaways below, it was announced that Miro face Fuego Del Sol this Friday on the debut episode of AEW Rampage with the TNT Championship on the line.

Dynamite Results (8/11)

  1. The Elite def. Matt & Mike Sydal, Dante Martin
  2. Darby Allin def. Daniel Garcia
  3. Matt Hardy, Private Party def. Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, Wheeler Yuta
  4. Kris Statlander def. Nyla Rose
  5. Good Brothers def. Dark Order to retain the Impact Tag Team Championships
  6. Chris Jericho def. Wardlow & will face MJF next week

The Elite Picked Up A Victory

AEW Tag Team Champions Young Bucks and Kenny Omega faced Matt & Mike Sydal and Dante Martin. Matt Sydal hit Matt Jackson with a Senton to start off the action. Mike Sydal tagged in and hit a Double Stomp. Sydal followed it up with an Arm Drag into an arm bar in the middle of the ring.

Nick Jackson hit Dante with a Clothesline but he popped up and hit a Dropkick. Kenny Omega attacked Dante Martin from behind and posed for the crowd to a chorus of boos. Dante hit a Crossbody on Matt and tagged in Mike Sydal. Young Bucks and Omega isolated Mike in the corner and took turns beating him down.

Omega hit an elbow to the face and went for the cover but Mike was able to kick out at two. The Elite knocked Dante and Matt off the apron and beat down Mike Sydal for a two count. Matt Sydal tagged in and booted the Young Bucks in the face. Matt delivered a kick to Omega that knocked him out of the ring and delivered a Brainbuster to Matt Jackson. Sydal went for the cover but Nick Jackson broke it up at two.

Nick dragged Dante Martin out of the ring as the Sydal’s locked in a couple submission holds on Matt Jackson. Omega broke it up and hit a couple Snap Dragon Suplexes on the Sydal brothers. The AEW Champion went for one on Dante Martin but he landed on his feet. Dante hit an Enziguri and then went back to the apron.

Dante Martin got the tag and the crowd erupted. Dante sent Young Bucks to the corner and hit Omega with a Suicide Dive. Martin hit an unreal Hurricanrana outside the ring on Kenny after leaping off the top rope. Dante followed it up with a Moonsault on Matt for a near fall. Nick Jackson hit a knee to the face but turned around into a kick from Sydal. Everything broke down and Omega cleared the ring.

Kenny tagged in and hit Dante with an Ushigoroshi. Omega followed it up with a V-Trigger and went for the One Winged Angel but Dante escaped. Dante hit an Enziguri but Omega shrugged it off. Dante rolled up Omega for a near fall. Omega hit another V-Trigger and then the One Winged Angel as Young Bucks hit the Sydal brothers with a couple Superkicks. The Elite then hit the BTE Trigger for the pinfall victory and celebrated with Don Callis after the match.

Omega Will Defend The Impact Title On Rampage, Young Bucks Will Defend Tag Titles Next Week On Dynamite

Don Callis grabbed a microphone and shouted that Pittsburgh has never seen a winning team like The Elite before. Christian Cage interrupted and made his way to the entrance ramp. It was announced at the beginning of the show that Christian will face Kenny Omega for the AEW Championship at All Out.

Callis called Christian Cage the “Stamford Stooge” and suggested that he was dumb for coming out here alone. Jurassic Express joined the party as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Callis told Cage that Omega cannot wait to kick out of the Killswitch.

Don claimed that Omega will finally give Christian Cage that 5 star match he has always wanted at All Out on September 5th. Cage called Callis a “carney jagoff” and the crowd chanted along. Christian stated that the AEW World Championship is the most important title in this sport and said that he spoke to Scott & Tony. Cage announced that Omega will defend the Impact Championship against Christian Cage on the first episode of Rampage this Friday night. Jungle Boy grabbed a microphone and said that Jurassic Express is wrestling the Young Bucks next week on Dynamite for the AEW Tag Team Championships.

Darby Allin def. Daniel Garcia

Daniel Garcia faced Darby Allin tonight on Dynamite. Darby Allin got a great reaction from the crowd. Sting was in Darby’s corner and 2.0 was in Garcia’s corner for the match. Allin controlled the action early but Garcia battled back and applied an arm bar in the middle of the ring.

Allin escaped and locked up with Garcia. Daniel raked away at Allin’s face as 2.0 distracted the referee. Sting approached Jeff Parker and 2.0 retreated as Garcia slammed Darby into the turnbuckle as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Garcia connected with a Suplex and went for the cover but Darby kicked out at two. Allin went for a springboard Coffin Drop but Garcia countered into a choke. Darby escaped and hit a Stunner. Allin made his way to the top rope and connected with the Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory. A brawl broke out after the match and Sting connected with a Suplex on the entrance ramp.

HFO def. Cassidy, Yuta, Taylor

Orange Cassidy, Wheeler Yuta, and Chuck Taylor faced Private Party and Matt Hardy in a Trios match. Kris Statlander and Hardy Family Office were ringside for the match. Matt Hardy went for a Splash but Orange Cassidy got out of the way. Cassidy climbed up to the first turnbuckle and hit a lazy Splash for a one count.

Wheeler Yuta tagged in and hit a Splash on Isiah Kassidy. Wheeler followed it up with a Samoan Drop and went for the cover but Kassidy kicked out at two as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Chuck slammed Kassidy to the canvas and then Powerbombed Quen on top of him. Taylor delivered another Powerbomb and went for the cover but Matt Hardy broke it up. Nyla Rose ran down the entrance ramp and leveled Kris Statlander. Nyla will face Statlander later tonight.

Orange hit Matt with a DDT and followed it up with a Suicide Dive outside the ring. Wheeler Yuta tagged in and hit Quen with a Splash off the top rope for a two count. Kassidy tagged in and hit a Swanton Bomb but somehow Wheeler kicked out at the last moment. Private Party hit Gin & Juice on Yuta but Cassidy broke up the cover and hit some Orange Punches. Kassidy awkwardly tackled Cassidy out of the ring and Matt hit Yuta with the Twist of Fate for the pinfall victory.

Kris Statlander def. Nyla Rose

Nyla Rose faced Kris Statlander tonight on Dynamite. Vickie Guerrero and Orange Cassidy were ringside for the match. Nyla hit a shoulder tackle to start off the match and then traded punches with Statlander. Rose connected with a Belly to Back Suplex but Statlander battled back and bounced Nyla’s face off the apron. Kris followed it up with a Moonsault off the apron and rolled Nyla back into the ring. Cassidy gave Kris a thumbs up as she entered the ring.

Rose hit Statlander with a Uranage for a near fall. Rose set up Statlander across the top rope but Kris walked on her hands across the ring. Nyla hit a Spear and brought Statlander to the corner. Statlander hit a massive Powerbomb and made her way to the top rope. Kris hit the Area 451 for the pinfall victory. Statlander remains undefeated since her return from injury.

Baker vs. Red Velvet Will Main Event The First Episode of AEW Rampage

AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker came to the ring to a great reaction dressed in black and gold as the Steelers faithful in the crowd waved the terrible towels. Britt said that she always been the face of the division and the baddest bitch on the block. Baker claimed that she can relate to Red Velvet’s fearlessness because she wasn’t afraid to step up when the company needed a new champion.

Baker raised the title and said that Red Velvet might have had a glimmer of hope if they were wrestling in any other city. Britt added that her title defense against Red Velvet will be the main event of the first episode of Rampage this Friday. Red Velvet rushed the ring and a brawl broke out before the two were separated.

Good Brothers Retained The Impact Tag Titles

Anderson and Gallows defended the Impact Tag Team Championships against Stu Grayson and Evil Uno of Dark Order tonight on Dynamite.Scott D’Amore was con commentary for the match. Brandon Cutler tripped up Evil Uno but Colt Cabana attacked him. Frankie Kazarian leveled Cutler with a Clothesline on the entrance ramp and then dragged him away.

Gallows leveled Grayson with a big boot outside the ring as Karl Anderson posed in the ring. Dynamite went to a commercial break with the Good Brothers in control of the match. When Dynamite returned. Grayson planted Gallows with a DDT and delivered a shoulder tackle to Anderson.

Stu slammed Anderson to the mat and followed it up with a springboard flip. Grayson went for the cover but Gallows broke it up and then tagged in. Stu lifted Gallows up but he escaped with a punch and tagged in Anderson. Evil Uno tagged in and booted Karl in the face. Stu hit Anderson with an Exploder Suplex that sent him on top of Gallows. Uno hit a Cannonball on Gallows as Grayson hit a 450 Splash onto Anderson for a near fall.

Grayson climbed back up to the top but wound up leaping into a big punch from Gallows. Good Brothers set up for the Magic Killer but Evil Uno broke it up. Evil Uno hit Anderson with a Flatliner as Stu climbed to the top rope. Gallows threw a title into the ring and distracted the referee. Good Brothers hit Stu Grayson with the Magic Killer for the pinfall victory. Good Brothers are still the Impact Tag Team Champions.

Paul Wight Sent A Message To The Factory

Tony Schiavone and QT Marshall had a conversation in the ring and Aaron Solo was standing there as well. Tony expected an apology from QT but he brought Tony’s son into the ring instead. QT leveled Tony’s son Chris with a Cutter but Paul Wight’s music hit. Paul made his way to the ring and QT threw Aaron at Paul. Wight planted Solo with a massive Chokeslam and stared at QT to end the segment.

Jericho def. Wardlow & Will Face MJF Next Week

Chris Jericho battled Wardlow in the main event of this week’s Dynamite. It was the fourth labour for Jericho in his efforts to get a rematch against MJF. Maxwell Jacob Friedman was ringside for the match. Wardlow beat Jericho down int he corner of the ring to begin the match. Jericho booted Wardlow and followed it up with a double axe handle off the top. Jericho connected with the Codebreaker and went for the cover but Wardlow was able to kick out at two.

MJF chuckled as Wardlow made his way to his feet. Wardlow sent Jericho back to the corner and unloaded some strikes. Wardlow launched Jericho across the ring and posed for the crowd. Wardlow brought Jericho to the outside and continued to beat the hell out of him. Wardlow awkwardly slammed Jericho on the apron and then on the ring post before the action returned to the ring. He connected with a Powerbomb on Jericho as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Wardlow planted Jericho with another Powerbomb as MJF mocked the fans. Wardlow distracted the referee and MJF bit Jericho in the face. Wardlow connected with an F10 but did not go for the cover as MJF demanded he inflict more pain. Wardlow perched Jericho up on the top turnbuckle and went for a GTS but Jericho countered into the Walls of Jericho. MJF hit Jericho with a cheap shot but Aubrey Edwards didn’t catch it. MJF tried to get into the ring and then referee Aubrey Edwards kicked him out. Jericho hit Wardlow with Floyd the bat while Aubrey was dealing with MJF.

Chris followed it up with the Judas Effect for the pinfall victory. MJF was in disbelief on the entrance ramp as Aubrey raised Jericho’s hand. After the match, Shawn Spears attacked Jericho from behind as MJF laughed. Sammy Guevara rushed the ring and attacked Spears but Wardlow booted him away.

MJF got into the ring and got Jericho in the Salt of the Earth arm bar and he tapped as Wardlow & Spears beat Sammy down. Jake Hager rushed the ring and The Pinnacle retreated. MJF stated that Jericho will come to the ring next week for their match without Judas playing. MJF added that the Judas Effect will be banned for their match next week as well. If Jericho hits the Judas Effect, MJF will automatically be awarded the win. MJF added that he is not just Jericho’s challenger, he is his successor. The show closed with a shot of Jericho grabbing his arm in pain.

Malakai Black Discusses CM Punk & Daniel Bryan Possibly Joining AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Malakai Black has weighed in on the possibility of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan joining AEW.

The wrestling world has been buzzing about reports and rumors of Punk and Bryan making their way to AEW television. Punk hasn’t been seen in a wrestling ring since 2014, while Bryan is fresh off his run on WWE TV.

Black, who is a recent AEW signee, appeared on Pro Wrestling 4 Life and told Sean Waltman that he doesn’t know if Punk truly is on his way to the promotion.

“Number one, I genuinely do not know if it’s true. I genuinely don’t. I haven’t heard anyone mention it. Obviously, there’s a buzz in the locker room. I think it’d be great. I think it really proves that the times have changed. I think it’d be a validation of how different everything is and how different the business is now. I don’t play the ‘us vs. them’ cards. I just don’t. I want everybody to be successful.”

Black then turned his attention to Bryan and said he’d love to see the former WWE Champion make the transition.

“I can see someone like Daniel pulling the trigger on that because he’s someone who has a great love for wrestling, and always wants to try different things and always has a different perspective on stuff. Sometimes, it’s just fun to think about the possibilities, and for me, obviously with my release, the possibilities became different. I can only imagine how his brain might work. I can only guess at it. I hope so. I can see him definitely showing up, but again, I don’t know.”

Would you like to see Malakai Black booked to face CM Punk or Daniel Bryan?

Kenny Omega vs. Christian Cage Announced For AEW All Out

Andrew Ravens
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All Elite Wrestling has announced the likely main event for their upcoming All Out pay-per-view event, which will see Kenny Omega defend the World Heavyweight Title against Christian Cage. 

The promotion confirmed the match booking in the opening segment of Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite Omega as AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks made their way to the ring for a six-man tag team match. 

Just a few weeks into Cage’s tenure in AEW, he had several run-ins with Omega including one of their segments that ended with Christian holding the AEW World Title. Up to this point, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion has worked nine matches under the AEW banner including a win over The Blade at the Homecoming show.

The AEW All Out pay-per-view event will take place on Sunday, September 5, 2021 from Chicago, Illinois at Now Arena.

The event is expected to begin at 8 p.m. ET and stream live on the Bleacher Report platform in the United States and FITE in International markets. All Elite Wrestling will be announcing more matches in the coming weeks. 

August 11th Men’s Rankings 

AEW World Champion Kenny Omega (6-0 in 2021, 48-12 overall)

AEW TNT Champion Miro (10-0 in 2021, 17-1 overall)

  1. Christian Cage (6-0 in 2021, 6-0 overall) 
  2. Darby Allin (15-2 in 2021, 38-15-1 overall) 
  3. Orange Cassidy (13-1-1 in 2021, 31-11-2 overall)
  4. Jungle Boy (13-2 in 2021, 53-28-1 overall)
  5. Powerhouse Hobbs (13-2 in 2021, 26-13 overall)

WWE Reportedly Passed on Wheeler Yuta after Tryout

Tyriece Simon
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WWE had the opportunity to sign current All Elite Wrestling talent Wheeler Yuta but passed on him.

Fightful Select reported on August 8th that there is a shift in WWE’s hiring process, which raised concern. The report noted that people in NXT were surprised WWE passed on talent after trying out.

“There were also some names passed on at recent tryouts that people in NXT thought were going to be a slam dunk that a couple of wrestlers claim were red flags,” said Fightful Select. 

A new report revealed today that Yuta was whom the sources were referencing.

“Fightful had noted recently that there was a WWE tryout name that didn’t receive an offer that turned several heads within the Performance Center and WWE and raised some flags that the hiring process had changed. It actually ended up being Wheeler YUTA, who is now regularly featured on AEW programming after his May 2021 WWE tryout,” the report states.

More Notes on WWE passing on Yuta

The news of WWE not signing him came as a surprise because of his age, experience, and appearance.

While the reports said WWE passed on Yuta, it acknowledged it’s unclear if WWE gave an offer. “The same WWE official we spoke with this past weekend noted that was a head-turner for them as well, but they weren’t sure if Yuta was actually made an offer or not — but that the idea that they didn’t finish a deal was surprising,” as stated in the report.

The report also notes that AEW and Ring of Honor were trying to sign Yuta at that time. Ultimately, he joined AEW and debuted on AEW Dark Elevation at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida, on June 28th. He would lose to Karl Anderson in his debut. Since then, he has been on AEW’s programming. His first match on AEW Dynamite was a loss against Sammy Guevara on July 14th at Daily’s Place.

Damian Priest Claims He Was Nearly Pulled From Bad Bunny Angle

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Damian Priest has revealed that it was looking like his angle with renowned recording artist Bad Bunny wouldn’t come to fruition.

Priest was involved in the biggest angle of his pro wrestling career going into WrestleMania 37. At “The Grandest Stage of Them All” Priest teamed with Bad Bunny to take on The Miz and John Morrison. It was a chance for Priest to showcase his talents to a new audience as well as get the existing WWE Universe members behind him. Priest and Bad Bunny ended up winning the match.

Appearing on the Battleground podcast, Priest recalled the opportunity nearly slipping from his grasp.

“The day before the Royal Rumble, it got scrapped.  I wasn’t supposed to be a part of it. Come the Royal Rumble, it was back on. I know for instance, HHH said, ‘I don’t know why they told you that was going to change, but no, we’re still going to go with this because this is more realistic.  It’s an actual thing that you’re friends.’  To go along with that, it was also Bad Bunny, where they told him they were going to switch it, and he actually spoke up and said, ‘No, I want to work with Priest.’  That’s actually really cool because if he would have said, ‘Ok, yea, I would rather work with somebody else,’ they would have given him whatever he wanted, but he specifically said he wanted me to work with him.”

Priest said that he was able to get along with Bad Bunny quickly as they both share Puerto Rican heritage. He went on to praise the popular artist for taking the wrestling business seriously.

“He wanted to put in the work.  He didn’t want to come in here and just be that celebrity that was in and out.  He wanted to make his fans proud, our fans proud, and his fandom proud because he is a huge fan.  He understands the respect that’s needed to be put into this business to be successful.  He did everything the right way, and it showed.”

You can add Damian Priest to the long list of wrestlers that have praised Bad Bunny. Triple H, Randy Orton, The Miz, and others have expressed their joy after Bad Bunny’s performance and dedication to the industry.

CM Punk Answers Questions About AEW & “The First Dance”

Chris Stephens
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CM Punk was recently interviewed by Jason Agnew for Sunday Night’s Main Event. Agnew asked Punk about the rumors surrounding him, AEW, and a big show from Chicago’s United Center on August 20th. Punk answered the questions, though he avoided saying much.

When asked about his plans for next Friday night, CM Punk played coy.

“When was that?” Punk said “Let me look at my calendar. When did you say it was? The 20th? I think I actually might be doing a screening – this isn’t confirmed yet, so I probably shouldn’t blast this out everywhere – but we’re talking about doing a screening of episode 3 of HEELS at an AMC in Chicago and that was one of the dates that has been proposed, so hope to see everyone there.”

CM Punk also addressed Darby Allin using the line “Best in the World” on a recent episode of Dynamite.

“Best in the world? That could be anybody.” He joked that he thinks ‘Bryan’ [Danielson] when he hears the phrase, Best in the World.

Punk also spoke about his opinions of Darby Allin during the discussion.

“I think Darby Allin is great. I think everyone in the wrestling world needs to never do a dive again because you can’t do it better than Darby.”

CM Punk’s Negotiations with Tony Khan

CM Punk was also asked about early conversations he may have had with Tony Khan before AEW started.

“I talked to Tony (Khan),” he said. “My perspective on this and I said this to Tony’s face, I am a guy who has constantly heard ‘hey, I got a money guy. Hey, I got tv.’ I’ve heard that at least once or twice a year for 15-20 years in my wrestling career. I’ve gotten bounced cheques from those gentlemen.”

If you use any of these transcriptions please credit Sunday Night’s Main Event with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcriptions.

ROH Finds New Location For Death Before Dishonor

Tyriece Simon
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Ring of Honor has found a new location for their pay-per-view.

The promotion announced yesterday that the event would not occur at the RD Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida. ROH wanted to change locations due to the surge in Covid cases.

Today, ROH has revealed that Death Before Dishonor will occur at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 12th. The promotion already scheduled Glory Before Honor Night 1 and 2 events at the 2300 arena this month. ROH also announced that fans that bought tickets for Lakeland, Florida, will get a refund.

“…The safety, health, and well-being of our fans, talent, and staff remain our top priority. Those who purchased tickets for Lakeland will receive a full refund within seven business days. Details regarding ticket sales for Death Before Dishonor in Philadelphia to be announced soon,” said ROH.

ROH women's championship tournament finals to be held at Death Before Dishonor
ROH women’s championship tournament finals to be held at Death Before Dishonor

Death Before Dishonor Scheduled Card

ROH has two matches planned so far for the event. One of the matches is the finals of the women’s world championship tournament. The winner will be the inaugural ROH women’s champion.

The other match will be an ROH Pure Championship match. However, ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham must defend his championship against Rhett Titus at Glory Before Honor Night 1. The winner will face Josh Woods at Death Before Dishonor.

Riddle Comments On Him and John Cena Not Seeing Eye To Eye At First

Chris Stephens
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Matt Riddle says he and John Cena are “bros” but at first they didn’t quite see eye to eye. Riddle spoke to Sportskeeda recently and talked about his “bro-off” segment with Cena as well as Randy Orton’s reaction to it.

“John Cena is pretty cool. Originally, when we first met, we didn’t see eye to eye. He didn’t really understand what a bro was, but now he gets it. We’re bros. After John did that little promo with me on the mic, we bro’d off to each other, Randy (Orton) hit me up, and he goes, ‘I don’t know if you know this kid, but John Cena just gave you the rub.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I know what the rub is Randy,’” Riddle said (transcriptions via Wrestling Inc.).

Riddle continued to say that sometimes Orton speaks to him as if he hasn’t been wrestling long. He says he has to explain to Orton that he’s been around for awhile and recognizes what Cena did for him during that segment.

“Randy talks to me like I don’t know what wrestling is sometimes, and I have to be like, ‘Randy, I’ve wrestled on the indies. I’ve been in WWE a couple of years, not at your level, for sure, but I know what I’m doing. I know what the rub is. I know what Cena did. We’re cool. I got this,’ but I was very excited about that. John doesn’t have to and didn’t have to do that, and he went out of his way to make it part of the show and we did it. So made me happy and then we even tagged together later that night on the darker part of the show, where it was off-camera. It was a lot of fun.”

It was a big episode of WWE RAW this week for Riddle and Orton. Most of the episode centered around Orton telling Riddle they were no longer a team. Orton would face AJ Styles in the main event, however, and Riddle came out to prevent Omos from getting involved. At the end of the night, after Riddle had come to Orton’s aide, Orton gave Riddle an RKO. It’s still not clear if they will continue teaming together.

Gable Steveson On Being a “Paul Heyman Guy” and Brock Lesnar’s Influence

Chris Stephens
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Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson says that if he ever goes to WWE, he wants to be a “Paul Heyman Guy.” The University of Minnesota alumni has a history of training with another of Heyman’s proteges, Brock Lesnar.

https://www.mmanews.com/2021/08/gable-steveson-i-could-be-ufc-champion-in-less-than-18-months/

Steveson recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about the influence both Heyman and Lesnar have had on his WWE ambitions.

“If I ever go to WWE, I’d be a ‘Paul Heyman Guy,’ ” said Steveson. “Heyman is a legend. We’d be two people doing great things, and that would be a tough team to beat.”

“And I’ve known Brock since I was in high school. He’s been there for me for a long time, making sure I do things the right way and put my best foot forward.”

https://twitter.com/GableSteveson/status/1423678816472367106

“WWE has been so great to me,” Steveson continued. “Triple H, Brock, Heyman, Ric Flair and so many others have been so supportive. So have people from UFC, like Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones and Henry Cejudo, who have also sent me congratulations.”

https://twitter.com/GableSteveson/status/1425486213658652680

While Steveson could potentially start his WWE career soon, he has several other organizations attempting to recruit him.

“So many great organizations and teams have reached out. A scout from the Bills, there is a connection with the Ravens. The Olympic gold medal is helping me see the world, so my next step is going to be a big decision. I’m going to decompress now and think about it.”

https://www.mmanews.com/2021/08/gable-steveson-i-could-be-ufc-champion-in-less-than-18-months/

Mickie James Reveals Rules For Women’s Invitational Cup At NWA Empowerrr

Chris Stephens
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When the NWA presents Empowerrr from the Chase in St. Louis on August 28th, it will be headlined by the Women’s Invitational Cup. Mickie James recently released the rules for the competition on Twitter.

“Rules of the 1st EVER NWA Women’s Invitational are simple,” James Tweeted.
10 women have been selected by myself & my team of advisors. The Top 10 Women we think would & could make incredible Women’s Champions to compete in the main event of Empowerrr to become not only the 1st cup holder but will then go on to Face the NWA Women’s Champion the very next night for a chance at #TheBurke on NWA 73″

James also mentioned that the NWA Women’s World Championship (aka The Burke) will be on the line at Empowerrr. Kamille will defend the title against Leyla Hirsch, who earned the right after defeating The Bunny last week on AEW Dynamite.

James continued to explain the rules of the Women’s Invitational.

“2 women will start. Order to be determined by myself & my badass team! Madusa, Gail Kim, and Jazz.”

“Every 2 minutes a new woman enters. Eliminations only by Pinfall or Submission. There will ONLY be 1 winner annually.”

Confirmed Entrants In The Women’s Invitational Cup

Entrants already confirmed for the match include:

  1. Chelsea Green
  2. Lady Frost
  3. Debbie Malenko
  4. Bianca Carelli
  5. Tootie Lynn
  6. Jamie Senegal

Also confirmed for the show will be a 4-team tag-team tournament, Deonna Purrazzo defending the Knockouts title against Melina and Kamille vs Leyla Hirsch.

Renee Paquette Open To Working On Future WWE Projects

Chris Stephens
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Renee Paquette recently revealed that her non-compete clause with WWE has almost expired. Her last show with the company was SummerSlam 2020. Recently Paquette expressed that she is not closing the door on possibly working with WWE again somewhere down the line.

“I still have a good standing relationship with WWE,” Paquette said to Wrestling Inc. “There’s no ill-will or bad blood or anything like that.”

She continued to say that she has plenty of friends in WWE. Paquette doesn’t see any reason why she would not pop up and be part of something if they reached out to her.

“So many of my friends are all in WWE,” Paquette said.

“There’s definitely no reason for me to not pop up and do stuff, or not be part of stuff if they want to reach out and do some stuff,” Paquette continued. “Either it works or it doesn’t work, but there’s no obligation. I always have love for WWE.”

In the same interview, Renee spoke about getting back into wrestling once her non-compete clause with WWE has expired.

“My non-compete with WWE is nearly up,” Paquette said. “I don’t ever want to separate myself from professional wrestling, I know that’s where my fanbase comes from.”

Tyler Breeze On Why He’s Not Going To AEW Right Now

Chris Stephens
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Matt Clemente (FKA Tyler Breeze) does not believe the time is right for him to sign with AEW. The 33-year-old was released by WWE in June and is fine with taking a little time away from wrestling.

Breeze spoke to Chris Van Vliet recently about his hesitation to go to AEW.

“If I go (to AEW), I don’t know if it would make a massive impact,” Breeze said (transcriptions via WrestlingNewsCO). “Now it’s kind of the norm. People are going over there, and there might be some big names going over there. Nobody knows what is happening, but I don’t think now is the right time for me to go there.”

Breeze continued to say that he’s not currently taking bookings but is getting in a lot of work at his wrestling school. Along with Shawn Spears, Breeze runs Flatbacks Wrestling school in Florida.

“I have wrestled for 14 years straight.  I’m Ok with taking a little bit of a break.  My body likes it, and I am getting enough wrestling at the school to keep my body good.  I’m not currently taking any bookings. 

Breeze also mentioned that he’s been smart with his money. When he got the call that he was released, it was not a long conversation and he was not worried about where his next pay cheque would come from.

“Luckily, I prepared and got ready for this, and when it happened, it was literally the shortest conversation of all time.  ‘Bad news.  Unfortunately, we’re going to have to let you go.’  ‘Ok, cool.’  ‘Do you have any questions?’  ‘No, not really.  Thanks, man.’  I immediately started streaming again.  I fired up everything and went into hustle mode. I’m ok with it all.”

Two “Great UFC Champions” To Appear On AEW Dynamite Next Week

Michael Reichlin
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AEW President Tony Khan made his weekly appearance on Busted Open Radio this morning. TK was on hand to promote tonight’s AEW Dynamite from Pittsburgh, PA and Friday’s AEW Rampage premiere.

As per usual, “Tony Time” yielded some newsworthy items. Here are some highlights of what was discussed:

Rampage is a great news for wrestling fans and AEW. It’s been a busy week (“Sleep is overrated”) but things are about to pick up over the next two weeks leading up to the First Dance on 8/20. Everybody in AEW has been looking forward to the launch of Rampage. It will create new opportunities and matchups for the entire AEW roster.

TNT has been very happy about the early buzz for Rampage. There’s a lot of interest and TNT has rolled out the red carpet for AEW, in terms of promotion. Tonight on Dynamite, we’ll learn more about the card for Friday’s Rampage premiere.

Dark and Dark: Elevation have helped them cultivate new talent, but Rampage is “still going to be a star-driven show.”

Dan Lambert from American Top Team and his “backup” (two great UFC champions) – that is being pushed back to next week in Houston, Texas. Lambert previously brought Amanda Nunes and Jorge Masvidal to Dynamite.

Khan called next week’s AEW Rampage: The First Dance, “The most anticipated wrestling television show in years.”

He spoke about the benefits of working with other promotions and featuring non-AEW talent on AEW programming. Khan said he has no problem helping other companies if it helps AEW at all.

AEW Rampage will not have a 4-man commentary team at all times. There are 4 hosts announced, but sometimes it will be 3 guys calling a match.

AEW Rampage premieres this Friday night at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT.

Booker T Reacts To Rene Dupree’s Accusations Against Goldberg

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Booker T is aware of Rene Dupree’s injury accusations hurled towards Goldberg.

Dupree had been signed with WWE from 2002 through 2007. He got called up from OVW in 2003. He had been on television during Goldberg’s first run with WWE. At some point, Dupree had a pretape with the former WCW Champion. During an appearance on That 90’s Wrestling Podcast, Dupree alleged that Goldberg broke his collarbone after several botched spots where he was hit with the French flag.

On a recent edition of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T questioned why Dupree is all of sudden publicly airing out his issues with Goldberg.

“When I hear that kind of talk like that, as far as he broke my shoulder (collarbone) or whatever, the time to speak up about that collarbone thing was back then, and say, ‘What the hell are you doing? You’re about to hurt me. Hit me like that one more time and see what happens, we’re going to be in a fight.’

“I’m just saying, that’s what I would have said. I wouldn’t be talking 15 years later about how bad it hurt. We would have had to confront each other about something like that happening. I just hate to hear people talk about, ‘WWE is desperate.’ I’m sure he (Dupree) wished he was the person in that spot where still the company was ‘desperate’ but he was the guy in that spot.”

Booker T also brought up an infamous incident involving Dupree and Hardcore Holly. It’s been said that Holly put the boots to Dupree over failing to admit he racked up parking tickets after letting him borrow his car.

Do you agree with Booker T’s comments on Rene Dupree airing his grievances with Goldberg?

Bianca Belair Addresses Reports Of Major Changes Coming To NXT

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Bianca Belair has given her take on NXT’s potential new direction.

Reports have surfaced claiming that there are some major changes being made to the brand. The rumors have come off the heels of many NXT roster cuts. Names such as Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish, Mercedes Martinez, former NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff, and more were released.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio recently reported that neither Triple H nor Shawn Michaels had anything to do with the talent cuts. On top of that, it’s been said that NXT will be more focused on getting talent prepped for the main roster rather than being a third major brand.

ViBe & Wrestling was able to catch up with Belair, who shined bright in NXT and has since become the SmackDown Women’s Champion. The “EST of WWE” responded to a possible repackaging of NXT.

So Good At Adapting

“NXT is home to me. They really built me from the ground. When I came to NXT I didn’t know anything so it’s an amazing place to be and no matter how long you are there, [they’re] always gonna instill something in you that can ignite the fire in you and help you to succeed no matter where you’re at.

“As far as repackaging NXT, I know no matter what happens, NXT and WWE, in general, are so good at adapting and just being successful at anything that they do. Look at the ThunderDome and how they adapted at what was happening in the world, making the ThunderDome and virtual fans being able to adapt no matter what to be successful and that’s what’s amazing about this company. Anybody that steps foot in this company, no matter what can go off and be successful inside and outside.”

Bianca Belair also talked about being inspired by Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who recently went public with her mental health struggles.

Update On Expected Changes To NXT (Report)

Malakai Black Details Meeting With Vince McMahon Before WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
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The WWE release of Malakai Black was one of the most surprising occurrences in the company this year, especially because he had only returned to WWE programming after months of absence, a week before his firing.

The former WWE star provided some more insights on the circumstances leading to his release while appearing on Talk Is Jericho. He detailed a meeting with Vince McMahon that took place before his WWE release.

Black explained that he had a normal conversation with the boss two weeks before his final WWE appearance. They talked about the future plans for him:

“Two weeks before I attacked Big E, on the night of the last vignette, I had a sit down with Vince. He was convinced of it and liked it. I wanted to get his thoughts as I hadn’t seen him in six months and a lot had happened.

I wanted to see how he was doing. We had a normal conversation. We did the attack on Big E and something about it didn’t feel right. I told my wife [Zelina Vega] as well.”

Malakai Black Knew Things Weren’t Right After Big E Attack

However, according to Malakai Black, the Boss looked at him with a feeling of disconnect which makes him think that he had already made his mind about the future of the former NXT champion:

“The way he looked, there was a disconnect. Not a disconnect as in, ‘I don’t get it,’ but I felt he made up his mind, even back then. It’s his company, it’s fine. When (the release) happened, Johnny Ace [John Laurinaitis] called me and even he was confused.

My wife was crying because she knew. She was about to come back and one of the main reasons she wanted to come back was because I was there.”

Malakai Black made his return to WWE programming during the May 21 episode of SmackDown. He ended up getting released after another week of absence on June 2. Black has since signed with AEW.

Eric Bischoff Says WWE Gave AEW “A Great Assist” With Releases

Alex Laybourne
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Eric Bischoff is not afraid to speak his mind. On the latest edition of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff spoke about WWE’s recent talent cuts. Bischoff believes WWE is playing directly into AEW hands by presenting them with a golden opportunity to sign coveted performers as the wrestling war is heating up.

Bischoff noted that many former WWE Superstars will be free to work for AEW just as their new show Rampge is launching (this Friday night).

Much has been said about the releases and probably the signing of both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. Both men could make surprise debuts on Rampage. Not to mention the monster among men, Braun Strowman. Then, of course, you have the wrestling world’s biggest free agent right now, the fiend, Bray Wyatt. Wyatt has been active on social media recently, teasing the return of his demonic character.

It seems as if Eric Bischoff believes at least one of these names could be used to kick off Rampage.

Eric Bischoff explained how he felt Tony Khan and the AEW branding team have done well to build interest around many of these stars. They have everybody waiting with bated breath for the next big debut.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEeWehknSSg

AEW Benefitting from WWE’s Mistakes

Eric Bischoff talked about how he feels WWE have given AEW a “huge assist” by allowing so many high-profile stars to become available just as Rampage hits the air.

“I don’t want to say what AEW is doing is flawless, but it’s about as close to it as you can get.”

– Eric Bischoff

AEW has already made great strides as a company since their launch.  Many talents deemed unsuitable for WWE have set their career onto a new trajectory since joining Tony Khan’s promotion. Eric Bischoff feels that the draw to AEW is made stronger by their success, and this, combined with the stature of some free agents right now, will give AEW what they need to not only compete with but beat WWE.

It is clear from his words that Eric Bischoff feels AEW have something big up their sleeves, for their third hour of television and they have Vince McMahon to thank for it.

Chelsea Green Talks Crisis of Confidence During WWE Run

Alex Laybourne
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Chelsea Green has wasted no time since her WWE release in signing for several different promotions. She is a woman eager to get back to doing what she loved. However, talking during a recent interview on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette she spoke openly about how she struggled during her WWE stint.

Mental health is something that is not often talked about when it comes to wrestling. However, when you are signed to a company and find yourself obviously surplus to requirements, it takes its toll. Chelsea Green talked with Renee about how she felt as if she had lost the faith of WWE. A thought that she struggled with when being approached by other companies.

“In WWE, I felt like nobody had faith in me,” Chelsea Green explained. “I knew when I went in that I was hired for a reason, that they had faith in me going in. And then I felt like I lost their faith, and I don’t know where in the two and a half years that happened, or if that’s just something that happens in that company.”

“All of a sudden, I got released and all these companies have come to me and say ‘we trust you, we have faith in you, we love you, what do you want to do?’ And I’m like ‘I’m not ready for that!’ But I am ready, and I have Matt to remind me that I am ready. And I’ve really kind of put pen to paper and tried to figure out ‘what’s this new Chelsea going to be? What’s this new Hot Mess going to be?’ Again, I don’t want to go back to what I was doing before and what was easy.

Chelsea Green Embracing the Opportunity for a Fresh Start

Since leaving WWE, Chelsea Green has signed to appear for ROH, IMPACT and NWA. While a broken wrist prevented her from appearing for ROH, she is determined to not let the injury slow her down. She is rebuilding herself and her career, after having her confidence stripped away.

“I have a fresh start and I want to start over again and build the new version of the Hot Mess. But each company is different, and each company wants something different out of me. So I’m figuring it out as a I go. I’ll never forget going out to wrestle at Slammiversary and having Tommy Dreamer say ‘you already did the work. Now we all just want to go see you out there smiling and happy and we all just want you to be in that ring. So don’t even think about it.’”

“Maria Kanellis at Ring of Honor said the same thing. She’s like ‘you look so stressed. We’re like so happy to have you here. We just want you to go out there and do exactly what you’ve been able to do. Pick up a microphone and talk.’ And I’m like ‘hold up, what? Why is everyone so nice to me?!’”

Chelsea Green effortlessly explains the crisis of confidence that is often easily forgotten given the charismatic nature of the industry.

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